"We have no idea where Quaron is right now and we can't afford to destroy our own fortresses with not one, but two impending wars at our doorstep. To make matters worse, the people of the Nestrar Region already hate the Royals.
"Quaron had the entire winter to convince them that he's the good guy while the Royals are just a bunch of self-entitled assholes that left them at the mercy of the monsters first and that now are trying to steal their food." Brinja replied.
"That doesn't sound so far from the truth." Lith said.
"Rangers are Royal envoys, not volunteer workers." She said with a scoff. "Quaron was provided with everything he needed to fix the damages from the monsters' attacks and with plenty of medical supplies.
"He left the discontent grow on purpose by withholding the materials he collected at the Warp Gates and then claimed that they all came out of his own pocket. As for the food, it's not being stolen but paid at market price.
"Even I had to give up on parties and galas because the only thing I could offer would be spring water. Every loyal servant of the Kingdom is making sacrifices so that millions will not starve."
"What about these sweets?" Lith pointed at the many plates in front of him.
"Let's just say that ever since I heard about the famine, I stopped throwing away leftovers and I exploited the ability of dimensional items to preserve food indefinitely."
"What's my role in all of this? Why me instead of sending a couple of Rangers to take care of the situation?" He asked.
"The Royals don't send Rangers against rebellious mages, they send Spellbreakers and it's time you earn the annuities that such title grants you instead of just pocketing them while minding your own business.
"Also, you are not just any Spellbreaker. You are a commoner who not only rose to the title of Archmage by relying solely on his talents, you are also the destroyer of two lost cities.
"If we sent a Spellbreaker of noble origins it would be akin to adding oil to the flames. The people of the Nestrar region would see our intervention not as an act of justice, but as the petty revenge of the Royal Court against their champion.
"The Kingdom can't afford to slaughter its own citizens just as much as it can't afford to tear down the city walls. Leaving a fortress filled with resentful people is akin to leaving it empty.
"They wouldn't fight for us but welcome our enemies with open arms. You, instead, are a hero of the people as well and the beacon of hope for every commoner with a shred of magical power." Brinja said.
"So the Royals want me to be the face of the clean-up to nip the rebellion in the bud and also to prove my loyalty by working as Spellbreaker. Two birds with one stone." Lith said.
"Correct." Brinja handed him a brand-new Ranger uniform with the Spellbreaker badge on its chest and the stripes of a Major of the army on its sleeves.
It was shaped like Silverwing's Hexagram, but the lines connecting the six dots were depicted as broken in multiple points.
"With your reputation, you should have no problems defusing the conflict and earning the collaboration of the locals to apprehend the traitor. Yet killing Quaron is only half the mission.
"The other half consists in letting the army take control of the region again and that's not something you can do alone. Once you wear this uniform, you will be temporarily reinstated in the army and have full authority over the platoon assigned to you."
"Are you serious? Putting me in charge of anything never ended well." Lith sighed deeply in stress.
Having witnesses meant limiting his abilities and sealing his Tiamat form.
"When can you start?" Brinja asked.
"I need a couple of days to settle my business in the Desert and craft a few things that might be useful." He replied.
"Then I'll see you three days from now."
***
Blood Desert, Forgotten Plume Tribe
Ever since Ilyum Balkor, the god of death, and Krishna Manohar, the god of healing, had allied themselves with Jirni Ernas, the two mages would meet increasingly often to help each other in their respective research.
The Blood Magus needed Manohar's unique understanding of the light element in order to reach tier two Creation Magic while the Never Magus needed Balkor's help for several reasons.
Manohar's attempts at achieving perfect silent magic had reached a wall that he failed to overcome. After working with the god of death, Manohar had decided that Awakening was a riddle worth solving.
On top of that, his defeats at the hands of Night and Dawn had shown him that even though his hard light constructs had unparalleled versatility, they lacked the destructive power necessary to tip the scale against an opponent of the caliber of the Horsemen.
Last, but not least, Manohar really liked the food.
"Why do you come here for breakfast, lunch, and dinner?" Balkor said, annoyed at the fact that his wife, Eos, now always set up the table for him as well. "I thought that someone as rich as you had at least one castle and plenty of chefs."
"How can you be so insensitive?" Manohar asked in a half-assed outrage. "There's a famine plaguing the north of the Kingdom. I'm a Healer and to many people now hunger is a deadly disease.
"It was my duty to donate all my food supply to the less fortunate."
"First, the entire Griffon Kingdom can starve for all I care. They are-"
"Not in front of the children." Eos glared at him in a way that would have raised the dead if they weren't already up and spread throughout the village to help with the daily chores.
"I know that I can't magically erase your hatred and your past sufferings, but I won't allow you to pass them onto our kids. Are we clear?"
"Yes, Ma'am." Both men replied in unison.
Manohar had no role in that family but he preferred to stay on the safe side. He had learned from experience that it wasn't wise to mess with the one who prepared his meals.
"Second, how come you worry so much about the people of the north, and yet you have no qualms pillaging my pantry after every one of your visits?" Balkor asked.
"To save time and have a safe snack at hand in the case I get hungry." The god of healing replied. "I've been banned from several establishments under the absurd claim that odd things happened to the customers whenever I was there."
"What about shapeshifting into a different appearance or just eating at the White Griffon?" Eos said.
"Sadly, accidents follow me whatever form I take, revealing my identity." Manohar sighed as if it was only bad luck that he kept slipping experimental drugs in the food and drinks of those who annoyed him.
"As for the academy, its cooks cannot be trusted. They are lapdogs of the Royals who are still obsessed with knowing where I am at all times.. They try to feed me trackers with just a sprinkle of food as a seasoning."
