Balkor worked in complete darkness so that he would be able to study the smallest imperfections in his constructs and how his state of mind affected their properties.
Eos was a lovely woman in her mid-thirties, about 1.62 meters (5'2") tall, with shoulder-length dark brown hair and deep brown eyes. The white linen dress she wore emphasized her bronze skin typical of the people of the desert.
"Damn merchants! I spent a lifetime lying low and they ruined it in a matter of seconds. I swear, the next time they come here I'm going to…"
"First, I don't think the merchants are at fault. They are loyal to Overlord Salaark and they wouldn't spread your secret like that." Eos cut him short. "Second, it's the same guy from the last time, but he brought a lady friend along."
"Friend?" Balkor was flabbergasted as he was incredulous. "Someone like Manohar has no friends, let alone a girlfriend. Bring me to them, dear."
Manohar and Jirni were quietly waiting in the middle of the village, surrounded by armed guards ready to attack the moment the intruders attempted something funny. They weren't actually a threat to their unwanted guests, but Jirni respected their bravery and loyalty.
Unlike Manohar, who always wore his Professor robe, Jirni was covered from head to toe by one of the characteristic traveler's outfits of the desert that left only her hands and eyes exposed.
The turban hid her blonde hair, a shawl covered her face, and make-up made her skin look bronze. There was no way to hide her sapphire blue eyes that drawn much attention since they were a rarity for southerners.
Balkor looked at them with Life Vision and was impressed by the fact that the newcomer was as magically weak as her equipment was outstanding. He led them to a tent where they could speak privately, offering them seats and hot tea while waiting for an explanation.
"I won't mince words with you." Jirni removed her headgear, revealing her foreign origin. "I don't like you nor did I forget all the tragedies you've put me through, yet I can't condemn your methods. If I had your talents, in your shoes I would've done much worse."
"I don't care what you think. Tell me why you are here and how you convinced Manohar to bring you along." The odd relationship between the two had piqued Balkor's curiosity.
Manohar had yet to crack any stupid joke, say something inappropriate, or act as if he owned the place. On the contrary, he was sitting straight while drinking his tea, opening his mouth only to say please and thank you to Eos.
Balkor could barely recognize the god of healing in the man in front of him, which made him wonder what kind of person could succeed where even Salaark had failed during their previous meeting.
"I'm here because our interests align. You have a vendetta against the Griffon Kingdom's upper echelons and so do I. My enemies have no qualms using underhanded tricks to get what they want and to make matters worse, they have the law on their side.
"Which leaves me with few options and not at liberty to be picky with my allies. As for Manohar, I must thank you for showing him the importance of good equipment. He doesn't want to suffer any more defeats-"
The word "defeat" made Manohar choke on his tea.
"-and I need his help to make sure my plan goes without a hitch. A plan that requires your assistance as well." Jirni then explained what her intentions were and how she planned to use the ongoing war with the undead as a cover for her operation.
Balkor was a smart man. No matter what lie she could come up with, he would understand the truth the moment her plan got into motion.
"Let me get this straight." Balkor said. "You want to exploit me and the Undead Courts for your agenda, pinning the blame on us to keep your social standing. Why should I help you and why do you need a crippling rather than a killing venom?"
"Because I know the details of your deal with Overlord Salaark. You can't set foot or even send a minion inside the Kingdom borders, yet it doesn't prevent you from helping a third party.
"I'm offering you the chance to borrow my knife and make those idiots tremble at your name again. As for the killing, it would mean giving them an easy way out. Every member of the Court has lost enough people to learn how to deal with grief.
"If I were to kill their heirs, they would simply pass the title on the next in line of succession. Crippling them, instead, means giving my enemies hope. To make them waste time and resources in the search of a cure while sowing discord at the same time." Jirni took a pause, letting Balkor figure out the rest on his own.
"You want to split each household into two factions. One that wants to cure the current heir and the other that wants to replace them. A brilliant plan indeed." He said.
"Two?" She laughed. "You're an optimist. The more candidates a household has, the more factions will form. Each one of them will seek external help to further their own agenda, leaving their households open to betrayal.
"At some point, they will be so busy dealing with their internal conflict to be incapable of keeping an eye on me. That's the moment when I'll strike. I'll expose their plots and crimes against each other, making their households implode.
"Yet all of my planning is just hot air unless you give me the means to turn it into reality."
Balkor looked into Eos's eyes, hearing her silent plea to refuse the deal. His wife was a sweet woman and a mother, she couldn't even fathom how could Jirni be so cruel to innocent children just to avenge her own daughter.
Eos had tried for years to convince her husband to let go of his grudge.
She understood that some things couldn't be forgotten, let alone forgiven. All she wished for was that her husband could finally make peace with his past and focus on what they had built together.
"If you want my help, then you'll have to accept my conditions." "I'm not really interested in new magical bloodlines, those who I really hate are part to the so-called ancient households. I want you to add the following names to your hit list."
Balkor handed Jirni a piece of paper containing several names. Most of them belonged to those who had sided with Deirus to stop the rise of the Ernas, some of them had remained neutral or she had never heard about them, and a few were her allies.
"Deal." Jirni offered him her hand and Balkor shook it.
'This list is actually a huge help. By giving those people special attention, Balkor will be the most plausible suspect. Alienating some of my allies is an acceptable risk. In battle, collateral damage is unavoidable.
'After the matter with Phoria is resolved, I can ask the Royals to have Manohar cure them. It will strengthen the loyalty in our ranks and cause even more despair to our enemies.' She thought.
After returning home, Jirni didn't share that part of her plan with anyone but her cousin Dyta Myrok. They were so similar that sometimes she acted as Jirni's body double and Dyta's combat prowess matched her own.
