Tashna examined Koda’s empty cell in a frantic panic. She searched for loose stones along the walls, pulled on the bars of the window, and was baffled by the elf’s former shackles still locked in place. This was the most puzzling part, it was as if he just slid right through them.

“How is this possible? Explain to me, once more, how this happened! How could a chained prisoner escape your dungeon!?” Tashna spat in a low hiss. She didn’t bother to look at her bumbling idiot of a warden, Dalg Abnathen. She entrusted her most valuable prisoner to him, and yet now Koda was missing with little clue of what transpired in his cell.

The warden juggled with his words and sputtered out the first thing that came to his mind. “He vas here yesterday, m’lady.”

Tashna spun on her heel, wheeling around with fire in her eyes. “Then vhere is he now?”

“I-I don’t know,” Dalg said with defeat in his voice.

Tashna turned her attention to Koda’s wolf. She was left behind, which was quite peculiar, as Koda seemed rather attached to his pet.

“Vhat do you vish for me to do about the volf, m’lady?”

Tasha glared at Wildeye. The wolf glared back with the same intensity.

“Keep it alive for now, no doubt Koda vill return for it.” Tashna paced in a small circle in the cell, desperately trying to piece the mystery of the vanishing prisoner. “Vhere is your peon? Grune, vas it?

Dalg bit his lip, afraid of the answer he had to give. “He has not checked in since last night, your grace.”

Tashna blinked but chose to show no further reaction than that. “And vhat of the other Long Vhisper prisoner?”

“He is not in his cell either—I accept full responsibility for this escape!” Dalg said, trying to save face.

Tashna couldn’t help but smile. Of course Calsoon would be missing as well. He served Sable as her personal demon. He had clearly been hiding other secrets too, some of which gave him the ability to slip himself and Koda out of their cells right under her nose.

Had she kept Sable on a shorter leash, she would have seen this betrayal coming. She shook her head in disappointment at her own misjudgment.

She’d become complacent with Koda under her thumb, and that cost her the war. Now his army would be at her gates and she no longer had him as a hostage or bargaining chip.

“I shall tell my men to sveep the castle and scour the city. Ve will find the Mage King and his bodyguard! Ve’ll leave no stone unturned!” said Dalg.

“No!” Tashna snapped. “Tell no one of this escape and execute any guard that knows about this. The news of Koda’s escape can not leave this cell, not even my parents can find this out!”

“But—but…” Dalg stuttered.

“That is my command, Abnathen!” Tashna sneered. “If you vill not carry this out, I vill kill you myself!”

Dalg gave her a shaky bow and slithered out of the cell.

Tashna quickly headed out of the dungeon and hastened her step to her library. As she passed by Ro’Tan, who stood at attention outside the dungeon entrance, she beckoned for him to follow.

“Is everything okay, m’lady?” the draconian asked.

“Yes,” she hissed. “Everything is fine, but I must discover the location of the underground city that my great grandfather searched for.”

Ro’Tan picked up his pace as Tashna’s stride grew faster. “Underground city?”

“Sable vill be there, and I no longer vish her to be in my kingdom. She is up to something and I need to find out vhat.” Tashna threw open the doors of her library. “Ve don't have much time.”

Ro’Tan bowed his head and folded his wings. “How may I serve you, my master?”

Tashna pointed to the far section of her vast book collection. “I know vhere my mother kept Meric’s research, but I need an older map of New Estina. Towards the back are scrolls of ‘Mervious’. It is vhat the land vas called before our people immigrated here. Fetch them for me.”

“Mervious, my Div’Rah?” asked a slightly confused Ro’Tan.

Tashna snapped her head to her bodyguard, flustered with frustration. “Yes, yes, I know I told Koda that New Estinia vas ordained by the Raven-God, blah, blah, blah. You must act a certain vay to gain fear from others.” She shooed the dragon away. “Quickly now, I require the Mervious map while I search for Meric’s old journal.”

Sable had a head start and she also had Koda. It was now clear to Tashna that the Mage King was of far more importance than she gave him credit for. Could it be that the underground city held the heaven’s mark that Koda wished to protect? What would Sable want with one and why did she need Koda for it?

Time grew short and her city would soon be besieged. Her pride would be the end of her, but she would make sure Koda would suffer for it.