Shadows of Deception

The evening shadows lengthened along the cleric's body. A buzzard, brown and majestic, perched on the windowsill, letting out a sharp, mournful cry. Elara glanced at the bird, and the moment her red eyes met the its black ones, a new resolve surged within her. The despondency that had weighed her down moments before dissipated, vanishing as if it had never been there.

The wastelands beckoned, vast and treacherous, but she lost any desire of returning to the Castrum. Instead, her eyes — no more bright but so dark they looked almost black — fell on the octagonal mirror hanging beside the prior’s window. It was a small object, no larger than her palm, but it hummed with magic. Carefully, Elara brushed it with one bony finger, her touch activating the shimmering surface. She held the mirror to her lips and whispered the ancient words, reciting the events of the past hours to her new Prior.

A familiar voice, cold and authoritative, drifted through the enchanted mirror:

«Did they find the Eye?»

Elara hesitated, biting her lip. How did the sorcerers know about the Temple when the Order itself had only recently discovered it? How had Malachar’s forces known about the secret scout mission when even the explorers had been kept in the dark about their true purpose? Why didn't the new Prior seem at all worried about the defeat that Malachar had just managed to pull off?

Elara’s mind swirled with doubts. The old Prior had been right all along: there really was a mole in the Order. And for Elara the doubts about who that mole was were increasingly faint.

«No», she replied, her tone clipped. Duty urged her to reveal everything, yet something deep within warned her to remain guarded. The new Prior was hiding too much.

«How can you be certain?», the Prior’s voice came through again, sharp and probing. Elara’s grip tightened on the mirror. «Malachar left one of his dog behind. He was still searching the Tower when I arrived. Why would he leave someone behind if he already had what he came for?»

«To mislead us?», the Prior suggested.

Elara suppressed the urge to sigh, her frustration bubbling beneath the surface:

«He didn’t know I was coming»

«Are you sure?», the Prior’s tone turned icy, as though Elara’s instincts could not be trusted. Elara tried to mask a hiss of frustration. Of course she was sure. She wan’t a novice to her first assignment.

«The dog was surprised to see me»

There was a short pause, a silence from the other end of the mirror that Elara felt no need to interrupt.

«Very well», the Prior finally spoke again, «Return to the Castrum. We will—»

«No», Elara interrupted, her voice calm but resolute.

Another tense silence rose on the other end, the air between them thick with unspoken tension. Elara could imagine the Prior’s face growing stern, anger barely contained. A small, rebellious smirk tugged at her lips. She enjoyed this rare moment of defiance.

«What did you say?»

«I said no», Elara repeated in a colorless tone. «Now that we’ve found the temple, we need to secure it»

«I have a team ready», the Prior responded, her words measured.

«Your team cannot be here before forty-five days», Elara interrupted again, «Perhaps forty, now that we have a path and they won’t have to wander through the whole desert»

There was a tone of accusation in her voice as to blame the Prior for her late arrival. Maybe the Prior didn’t notice or simply decided to ignore it, but when she didn’t reply, Elara kept talking:

«It’s still plenty of time for Malachar to regroup and return for a more thorough search. I’m already here, and I’m more qualified than any team you’ll send here, I will restore the main defenses and — »

«And take possession of the temple, is that it?», the Prior cut her off, her tone laced with sarcasm.

Ignoring the jab, Elara pressed on, her voice unwavering. «I will be ready to instruct your team when they arrive. If the Eye is really here—»

«We know it is», the Prior snapped. «What else would drive Malachar to attack a temple of the Order?»

What else, indeed?, Elara thought. The more the Prior pressed her, the more convinced she became that something more was hidden within those walls — something the Prior didn’t want her to find. Something that had little to do with Malachar and his quest for power.

«We assume he’s looking for the Eye», Elara corrected with a flat tone that she hoped would mask her frustration. There was a reason why Elara never chose to be a mentor, and the reason was patience. She had none. Especially when she was stuck doing the talking when she could act. «But we don’t know for certain, and we cannot rely on assumptions anymore now that Malachar is on the move. We need to find the Eye ourselves before Malachar does»

«But think about it», the Prior’s voice softening, «If Malachar hasn’t found it yet, it’s because it’s well-hidden. By searching, you could lead him straight to it»

Elara shook her head, tired, even though the Prior couldn’t see her. Why did she even have to explain it? Elara had been with the old Prior since the beginning and for eight thousands years the old Prior mentored her to become her successor. Eight thousands years. Then Thalindra came along and Elara was suddenly shoved aside. She wouldn’t have minded that much if Thalindra wasn’t such a thick-head, so unfit to fill such an important role, and at such a critical time for the Order.

«Yet is the key word here», she tried keeping her tone calm, «It was safe until Malachar knew which temple to search. Now he knows, and it’s only a matter of time before he finds it. The only way to keep it safe is to find it first and hide it somewhere else»

«How can you be sure that isn’t Malachar’s plan all along?»

Elara paused, considering the question. It was possible that Malachar was manipulating them, but in her view inaction was just as dangerous as falling into a trap. She felt no other choice but to act.

The new Prior’s voice cut through her thoughts once more:

«Elara? Elara!»

But Elara had already made her decision. She lowered the mirror, silencing the Prior’s voice. There was more to this temple than even she knew, and she would uncover its secrets — alone if she had to.