Thale

  Dahlia's investigation had taken on her on some unexpected twists and turns. Tracing Kylian's Pugoks past and starting from his childhood in a far flung outer village of Frost Elves, when he showed a magical aptitude, he was sent to the nearest Mage's Tower. However, the person who showed up was not Kylian Pugoks. At the time, no one was suspicious, who would even investigate? The person claimed to be Kylian Pugoks and had his identity token. But Dahlia noticed the inconsistencies. Finding out who Kylian Pugoks really was and what happened to the real one was difficult.

  Finally she found a body near a small, now abandoned, fishing village. The spirit of Kylian Pugoks still lingered there. After asking him about what happened, the spirit was just as confused as he was. He met a boy about his age from the village who was being bullied by other children. He was kind hearted and shared some food with him. They bonded over a shared first name. Then, he was suddenly dead. He didn't know how it happened.

  He couldn't even leave his makeshift gravesite, his body was anchored there by some force he, as an untrained child, didn't understand. Luckily, even though Dahlia didn't join the Order of Seers, she still took the time to understand her Spirit Seeing gifts. She was able to free his spirit and send him to Elaides.

  It took more time to track down people from the abandoned village that hadn't during previous attacks. It turned out that this village had been the site of the first attack when the Siege began. The other Kylian took revenge on the place where he was bullied.

  She finally learned the boy had been bullied and outcast because his grandfather was a Death-Walker. He had the ability to turn the dead into, thus he could "walk the dead". He'd been an enemy of the state, and when he was finally caught, his family paid the price by being driven out of their home before settling in a remote village, but even they eventually learned about it.

  So the boy made his first kill, ran away, and started anew. Somehow, he learned his grandfather's skills. He had countless hideaways and puppets. Dahlia finally managed to find proof of one of his puppets dealing with the hostile races. It was included with the evidence she provided to Zane, along with other crimes.

  After reviewing everything, Zane informed Morganna and handed over the proof.

  Thus, after the ceremony honoring the Siege breakers, Kylian Pugoks, whose real name was Kylian Sarka became the most wanted name in Thale and around the world. He also became the most hated as his crimes were laid bare.

  However, Emphyralis was a large place with many wild and untamed areas. Finding a mage who could have puppets do his bidding was like looking for a needle in a haystack. After issuing an arrest decree for him, Thale began the process of rebuilding and the continued efforts to eradicate the hostile races.

  The international coalition slowly broke up, the Generals and their troops returned home, leaving Marius and a few allied troops to do the rest. International trade began again when Morganna announced that Icestorme was connected to the five other continents once again via the Bridging Arrays. Bridges inside Thale would also begin being built in the near future. Trials of corrupt politicians were still ongoing and new elections were beginning.

  Morganna felt a sigh of relief as Thale once again took its place in the world. The future for Thale was indeed bright.

  Now if only she could convince her children to come back.

  --

  Starshadow, Myrkir

  Zane returned to Starshadow to learn that Roark had commandeered part of his military to create an anti-crime task force, and taken on the mantle of Vice Chancellor. He also learned that Sonja had taken in the Darkbane girl. He glowered at the Duchess across her desk.

  "It's my freedom to hire a caregiver for my son," she said, patting her stomach.

  Zane clenched his teeth, counting mentally to get his temper under control. "Are you telling me I won't soon see an engagement announcement for Roark and that girl?" he asked finally, his voice a cold veneer of civility.

  "If you do, it's their choice. I had nothing to do with it," she said.

  "Sonja!"

  Sonja kept a neutral expression. "Zane," she parried. "Let's not forget that Roark is my son," she said finally.

  Zane scoffed and stood. He left her office without another word, slamming the large heavy door behind him, startling all the staff in the outer office. They quickly recovered. It was well known the High Sentinel and the Duchess had a contentious relationship.

  Zane went to find Roark. His office hadn't changed, yet. He was still trying to decide on a suitable headquarters. Zane knocked perfunctory before coming in. "Have a minute?" he asked.

  Roark got up from his desk where he was studying locations and went to a pair of chairs by a fireplace. "Are you here about the task force, or Melaina Darkbane?" he asked.

  Zane sat down. He cracked the knuckles of one hand absently. "The task force," he finally said. He knew well enough to know he'd consider everything before making decisions, especially concerning something as important as his marriage. He just wished he wouldn't follow in his mother's footsteps or have the kind of union his own parents had briefly.

  Roark nodded, his unknowingly tense shoulders relaxing as he began to explain his plans. With a sigh in his heart, Zane began to earnestly discuss with him, giving his own ideas, but deciding not to interfere too much.

  After the discussion that lasted a while, he went to find his sister. He learned that she took a week off to visit her father in Undirheim. Her journey seemed to have been more taxing than her impersonal reports stated. She should have come already. When she was in starshadow, she lived in a property that had belonged to her mother. Since it was a personal visit, he decided to go to her instead of sending for her.

  He stepped into the shadows and arrived outside the house. It was entirely too big for one person, but she'd lived there when their mother and the elders of the Blackheart family were still alive. He rang the doorbell. The door opened by itself and he stepped in.

  Dressed casually for once, she came down from upstairs. "Zane. What brings you here?" she asked.

  "I sent for Troi. Let's go on vacation in Terranthea," he said.

  Dahlia raised her brows. Her older brother was a cold and indifferent person to most, but just like how he showed his temper in front of Sonja, he had deep emotions. Even though she was younger, had a different father, and they weren't raised together, he never rejected her or their other brother.

  "That sounds like fun. Do we get to kill Demons?" she asked with a toothy grin.

  "And Hell Hounds," Zane answered.

  "Sounds great! Let's go!" she agreed.

  So the small family made their own plans to head for Terranthea for a long deserved vacation even though Troi was a little confused. Then what was the point of bringing him back?

  --

  Silvermoon, Silubra

  Even though Darius' injuries had been healed, he'd still been sent home from Thale after being honored as a Siege Breaker to recuperate. As a returning hero, he was given no official duties, so he joined his sister at the task force headquarters and observed her style of running it.

  In a large office on the top floor of the building they chose, Britiana sat on a couch near a window, with spellbooks, ink, brushes, and paper sprawled out in front of her. Isa was sitting beside her using a stamp and ink pad to press talismans onto square pieces of wood. Some talismans could be made this way as long as the stamp was carved in the right order, and the ink was made of Draconite. This stamp was the space bubble. Since they came in handy during the Siege Breaking campaign, she was making more to supply to various armies for the right price.

  They'd tried to make a stamp for the Bridging Array, but it was much too complex. every one, even the portable ones had to be drawn out by hand.

  Amadeus and Lazarus were discussing the particulars of a hate group across the room. Darius's lips twitched. "So, this is how the task force that's been striking fear into everyone's hearts is run?" he asked his sister.

  Britiana looked up from her research with a blank look. "What do you mean? Isn't it going well? I'm just the mascot. Amadeus and Lazarus are in charge of gathering evidence, organizing the troops, and preparing everything. All I have to do is show up to take credit and try to look intimidating," she said, blinking innocently.

  "My lady is very intimidating," Isa said as he stamped for emphasis.

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  Amadeus and Lazarus paused in their discussion at that, exchanged a look and shook their heads. Lazarus cleared his throat. "If my lord has suggestions for a better way, please instruct us," he said.

  Darius waved his hand. "No. It's fine. Let her be a mascot if it makes her happy," he said drily. "If you're not busy, I want to learn about the organizational structure you've set up, so far," he said and found a desk to sit at. It was empty and seemed to have been reserved for him.

  Amadeus rubbed the back of his head. "It's a bit of a mess since we're just borrowing manpower from the Knight Corps. We've resorted to using Knight Entrants to run around doing most of the heavy lifting because the Knights above ninth level feel like they're too important for grunt work," he explained. "Lazarus, Delia, Spencer, Alistair, and Wallace have been doing the most with a few Entrants under them."

  "The task force is different from their usual military duties, so everyone else isn't as responsive or adaptable as our team and the tenth rank knights who haven't had time to settle into routine," Lazarus continued.

  Darius frowned as he listened.

  Britiana looked up from her research again. She was trying to make the space bubbles bigger and with atmosphere. Alas, without a container, it was nearly impossible. Even with the size they were now, they only lasted less than a minute. It was enough to do some minor damage, but it wasn't good enough. She wanted portable containment bubbles that could trap a person.

  "Then separate it from the military," she said.

  Everyone froze at her suggestion. She blinked. "What? It's not like there aren't already similar semi-civilian organizations like that. Most large towns and territories already have sherrifs to keep order," she said.

  There wasn't a uniform way to handle crimes across the world. In Silvermoon and other capital cities, it was handled by the military. Larger cities also had military bastions that had patrols that magistrates could utilize. Towns and territories usually had sheriffs that worked for the local magistrates and stewards.

  It wasn't efficient anymore. Times were changing. Society was being rebuilt and things couldn't always remain the same as they were before the Plague.

  Darius nodded, he looked at Lazarus and Amadeus. "What do you think?" he asked.

  The cousins frowned. "If we were no longer Knights, would it mean we were no longer part of your traveling team?" Amadeus asked.

  "Not everything has to change at once," Britiana said. "We should take our time to hammer out the details. Once we begin, other nations will probably follow. Roark Starshadow has already started his own anti-crime task force, and I've been contacted by the Chancellors of Wyntercrest, Treestar, and Sunfyre for advice," she explained.

  Darius rubbed his chin. "You're right. We do lack an independent law enforcement branch," he said.

  "Then, I have few ideas on the organizational structure. I've studied the structures of the police forces of several countries on Terranthea. They have a lot of flaws, but the structures themselves are solid," Amadeus finally said.

  Lazarus nodded. "Me, too," he admitted.

  "Very well, draw up some proposals for me to look over," he said.

  The cousins agreed, somewhat excited about the prospect. Although they wanted to stay as members of Darius' team, they also felt that this career shift could bring them closer to the ideals they held for joining the military. Protecting the people.

  "What should we call the new organization?" Britiana asked the hard questions.

  Amadeus and Lazarus looked at each other then said at the same time, "Silvermoon Constable's Service."

  Britiana blinked. "You two have really thought about it," she said.

  Darius shook his head. "They like watching 'cop shows' on Terranthean television," he said.

  The two smiled sheepishly. Britiana giggled at them and shook her head.

  After the decision was made, Britiana did her job for once. After informing her mother of their plans she announced that the task force was an independent organization and would hence be known as the Silvermoon Constable's Service. Darius was now the Commandant of the Silvermoon Constable's Service. She would step down as acting Vice Chancellor. From now on, Darius was in charge.

  If anyone was confused by what it all meant, the confusion was cleared up a week later when Darius wore his new uniform to lead troops to bust down the doors of an illegal gambling house. They used brand new magical manacles to detail people and loaded them into a special trolley.

  When a fast running gambler tried to make a run for it, Lazarus in own brand new uniform, made his hovering Terranthean vehicle appear. He and Amadeus got in and began chasing the fugitive in the sporty little vehicle. The gambler panicked and tried to run even faster. He couldn't outrun the vehicle. Amadeus climbed out of the passenger side window and jumped, tackling the man. They rolled as the vehicle fishtailed and drifted to a stop.

  Lazarus ran over to them, but Amadeus had already controlled the suspect and slapped the cuffs on him.

  People watching everything gasped. So, this meant the task force wasn't just about hate anymore. They were now in charge of investigating all law breaking reports.

  From then on, junior Constables, known as Runners, began to appear on the streets in pairs as patrolmen. In another month, it was announced that they would begin to independently train the next generation of Constables. They didn't have to join the Knight Corps first anymore. Instead, they'd undergo specialized training tailored to the Service.

  This didn't include just physical training. They'd begin learning investigative and forensic techniques as well as other specialized training.

  Since they were still figuring things out, they even consulted with witchborn or their family members who had been employed in the relevant fields.

  The other nations sent people to learn from them. Roark Starshadow joined the first class, putting his own duties aside in order to more accurately learn before implementing his own plans. Surprising everyone, Declan Brightstar handed his duties to the Second Sentinel and joined the training himself. Curious to learn, even Dahlia joined the class, but she was disguised.

  It wasn't going to be perfect from the very beginning, but they already had framework references they could draw from.

  As for the new Chancellor of Silvermoon, Chrystianna finally made a decision after the Constable's Service was established and the investigations into the backgrounds of the candidates had been thoroughly vetted.

  Gerard Coldheart had been a Justice. His record was impeccable and he had no suspicious connections. Even his family in northern Silubra was impeccably clean. He'd started as a clerk and worked his way into his position, a rank just below the High Justice. His peers spoke highly of him. Even Maia Dawnweaver seconded his recommendation.

  Little did anyone know that his appointment caused someone in Eveningstar to laugh with delight. This person was at first disgruntled about this strange new Constable's Service, wondering how to outmaneuver it. With his mood buoyed by one of his candidates being appointed, Seamus just decided to embrace the Service. He'd choose some people, let them train among the new recruits and work within the system.

  Easy.

  --

  Isaz

  A figure ran through the snow covered plains of northern Isaz. He didn't know who was chasing him, but it was terrifying. For hundreds of years he had been the one who did the terrifying. How his puppets were discovered, he still did not understand. He saw nothing through their eyes, but one by one they had disappeared.

  Luckily, he'd fled Thale early, but now he was being hunted again before he could create any new puppets. Whoever this person was had chased him all over Isaz. He hadn't even been able to rest. The snow obscured his vision as he huffed and puffed. If he could get to his hideaway, he'd be safe. He'd go underground, hibernate for a while then change his body and reappear. Thale and Morganna Icestorme would be his!

  Swish! Swish! Swish!

  Suddenly the sound of something piercing the air came from behind him. He twisted to the side, and an ice spike as thick as a child's wrist hit his shield, causing it to fizzle, but luckily it still held

  "Who is it? Who are you?" he demanded, getting ready to counterattack.

  A man with dark hair, blue skin, and yellow wings approached. Kylian Sarka looked at his pursuer with surprise. "Why are you chasing me? You should be thanking me, we have the same goal!" he said.

  Yvor Sleetfall raised a brow. "Oh? So, you know who I am?" he asked.

  "Your little group of boys wanting to dominate the world? We have the same interests. We aren't enemies," Kylian said, trying to buy himself time to counterattack. Too much of his power had been spread to his puppets and he was in a weakened state, but he should still be able to handle a lone Dragon that was just over a century old.

  Yvor chuckled. "Same goal? I think not," he said lazily.

  "You want men to rule! I'm a man!"

  Yvor's face went cold. "I think you misunderstood something," he said and glanced past the Frost Elf.

  Another man was standing there with long, dark wild hair and deep, dark violet eyes. Sarka tried to turn, but the other man acted first, shouting a spell and launching it at him.

  It passed the shield and hit his chest. He flew backwards and crashed into the snow as he spit up blood. "Dark magic. Hypocrites," he gurgled.

  Yvor nodded to the other man. Claus Darkdawn gave him a slightly manic grin in return. His figure eerie in the snow as the wind tugged at his weatherproof cloak.

  Yvor approached the fallen Elf. Three more large ice spikes appeared in front of him "Let me explain where you've gone wrong. It isn't just any man who can rule," he flung the spikes.

  As Kylian died, he heard the words that made him finally understand why this man hunted him so relentlessly for more than three months.

  "Emphyralis is a world of Dragons."

  The End