Roan Elsifor, a handsome half-elf with pale skin and pretty jade eyes, stood with his slender back against the stone hallway of the castle. He watched the large wooden gate, people coming through one after another. So many civilians passing by, servants, nobles… a sous-chef brought in a cart of produce, a handful of knights outside of their armor rushing past and laughing with one another, a tired maid who looked like she was done with people… anything and anyone. Nearly all of them were unaware of the news, which had not yet reached the ears of the public.

A meek messenger of average stature and appearance was one of these people who passed him by, into the throne room, where he bowed deeply before the king and queen of Dusau.

“Our neighbors, the Kingdom of Mare,” he began after politely clearing his throat and unrolling a document, “have been attacked by terrorists. They have been reported to have made an attempt on King Augustus Mare the Third’s life but were unsuccessful. The Kingdom of Mare is tumultuous with anger at this attack, and its citizens seek answers for who could have been behind it. Rumors speak of a crystal assassin, some strange abomination which the dragon and knight captain Takrok Vros’Rakei apprehended near the border with our fair nation.” He bowed, and upon getting waved off, scurried out the door, job done.

The queen, Trynwilk Ljósblade Dusau, sat on her throne leaning over the armrest looking at her king, Radon Adaman Dusau the 5th. The two of them were dwarves, short and stocky-looking people with thick, long hair. A shadow of satisfaction passed over the queen’s face, exchanging a glance with the king, her emerald green eyes gleaming as her fingers toyed with her thick red braid, “My love, our plan is in motion. No turning back now. Our forces have begun moving, everything is in place to take territory from our dear neighbors.”

King Radon nodded, his expression a mix of determination and worry, his own bright yellow eyes tired, “Indeed... The mountain pass will be our chance to secure the prosperity of our kingdom. War is inevitable, a perpetual state of being a king can never escape… We do what we must.”

The queen’s lips curved into a calculating smile, reassuring her husband, “The people will rally behind us, Roan Elsifor has not led us astray yet.”

“I simply fear the consequences, my queen. This war will bring great suffering to both kingdoms, and Roan Elsifor’s dark magic is unpredictable. We do not know when he may decide we are no longer of use to his machinations,” he sighed, tapping fingers against his throne's arm, hair a dull bronze in a loose ponytail that swayed as he moved, “Elsifor’s thirst for experimentation knows no bounds, and I worry about the consequences of involving him. We will have to keep him on a tight leash and ensure he remains focused on aiding us rather than pursuing his dark whims. This war must serve our purposes and not be simply an avenue for his reckless magic."

Roan, Leader of the Cult of the Blooming Rose and a dangerous lich mage, was still standing outside as he watched the messenger skitter away. He was not in the form of a stereotypical lich - he blended in, looking like nothing more than a typical half-elf noble, something that belonged in a castle such as this. He was as pale as parchment, with messy curling brown hair that barely came down to his cheeks, and dark jade eyes that viewed all who passed by with scrutiny and interest.

He glanced back toward the throne room, a soft sigh escaping his lips. They were easy targets. Desperate for their people, a crop shortage crippling the nation, they’d do anything if they thought it would help. Depressing to watch. Useful. AM-1 and 2 were caught, according to his sources. Annoying. Not that big of a deal, however. They didn’t know much about his overall plans, but he was disappointed his first successful toy was taken from him.

A tendon-like creature, slithering as though a serpent, peeked its “head” up out of his cloak and touched Roan’s jaw to get his attention, whispering to him in a wet, unheard language. He covered it with his hood with an annoyed huff - the dragon lord of the continent was getting involved. That would be more problematic. Why Takrok would care was beyond him, the king wasn’t even killed, and his little bedroom toy the queen was without injury. Someone as old as that dragon should know. Should understand. Advancements must be made no matter the cost.

Pushing off of the wall, he turned and strode back into the throne room with confidence. They were talking about him. His ears rooted in the walls heard everything he needed them to. It was cute, thinking they were keeping him in check, thinking they even could. Every action the two royals took… they were so firmly wrapped around his fingers that they may as well be puppets. Roan gave the king and queen a smile and a deep bow as he stopped in front of them, “My lord and lady.”

“You have news?” the queen asked expectantly, “Don’t waste our time.”

“Of course. I have found a new target. Small twins, and they seem to be ideal for my purposes. They are in Mare. Nobles. In targeting them it will cause more chaos and concern, furthering your goals by taking some of the focus away from the border,” he explained, “As for the concerning addition of the dragon Takrok… I would not worry too much yet. He has bound himself to mortal concerns with their knights, and so I do not expect him to go out of his way to fight unless he is ordered to… and the king of Mare is too kind to wish that sort of apocalypse on his enemies.”

The queen huffed out a breath, and the king touched her hand lovingly, sighing in response, “That is… good to know. You are free to take what targets you need, as long as they are not any of our own nobles. As per our contract. And you will use the results to benefit us, yes?”

“Of course. What is the point of a creation if you don’t use it?” Roan couldn’t help but let a grin slip through, “All of my pretty little experiments will get a lot of use in the war. They will be of great aid to you if this foray into Mare is anything to go by. AM-1 and AM-2 took out multiple knights on their own, and nearly made it out.” He wanted to see how many soldiers one of his successes could rip through if they were polished, and then he could use their soldier’s organs for new abominations. After all, recycling was important. An environmentally conscious lich - hah! He wanted to cackle. This was so much fun.

“I see…,” the king muttered.

The queen gave a small smile, however, “I am glad to hear how enthusiastic you are, Lord Elsifor. Ensure they are prepared and that their usefulness does not disappoint. We cannot get complacent now.”