-Emyr-

Grand Master Emyr was trying not to pace. It would not happen to Dai Lang and the others. They were too smart and too powerful. Absently he turned the black tourmaline ring on his finger.

'She, too, was smart and powerful,' Emyr's anima Ive said softly.

'I have to believe they won't meet the same fate,' Emyr sighed.

         It had been about four days since Günay's failed coup, and in that time, he had been informed about the disappearance of Dai Lang's team. Ione had been frantic and neither Emyr nor Mélissa could calm her. Instead, Emyr had thrown himself into his work as he always had, spending the better part of his time overseeing the displaced mages from the Weapons and Illusions schools. That now left two Mage Master vacancies in the Parisii Order, and Emyr did not like that. It helped keep his mind off the missing Adepts in the Old World, and his own missing Mage Second, Siena.

'At least you can do something about the young ones,' Ive's breezy voice whispered in Emyr's mind. 'Crystallos is a different matter altogether. Difficult to breach, unlikely for any rescue mission to succeed.'

'Yes, but it doesn't mean we give up on her.'

         'No, but resources better spent elsewhere should not be wasted.' Emyr let out a breath. His anima was blunt and practical, and sometimes Emyr wished Ive could be a little kinder with its choice of words.

'We only say what needs be said.'

         'I know.' Emyr stopped pacing. He should go learn the status of Mélissa's communications and sensors. The Communications Master had continued to busy herself with reconnecting the lines of communication around Lutèce. Communications magic was extremely fragile, and it took skillful mages with delicate control to understand and wield it. Mélissa had already said that until she could stabilize Lutetian connections, there was little more she could do to find the missing Adepts.

         This decision did not sit well with Ione and in her frustration, she had fallen into her old habit of disappearing for hours on end. Emyr knew exactly where to find her if he needed to; across the river at the Arènes de Lutèce. He also knew better than to disturb her or send some poor, unsuspecting mage to retrieve her. Ansgar might have been their resident combat specialist, but Ione had raw power which no one wanted to face. Emyr knew she was worried about the Adepts, and he would not try to comfort her when there was no comfort to give.

         "Grand Master Emyr!"

         Emyr turned around and saw several Parisii mages running towards him, the straw-haired Yvain Gendarmes in the lead. It looked as if he had not slept at all during the last few days. Few of them had.

         "What is it?" Emyr asked gently.

         "Bijou, er, Mage Second Shimano just informed me that the last of the communications sectors on both islands have been restored and are working properly."

         It was faster than Emyr expected! Mélissa truly was amazing. "Excellent! Have any traces of Siena been found?"

         "No, sir, nothing of Mage Second Charis. Her signature has completely disappeared, not even a trail." Yvain bowed his head. "Master Mélissa and her Communicators are doing everything they can."

         Emyr nodded. "What of the human realm? The Adept team that's gone missing?"

         With a sigh, Yvain shook his head. "There is still too much interference between the worlds and the communications in Lutèce are too weak to establish a permanent connection. But for a moment, shortly after the islands were brought back up, Mélissa's Mage Second did catch a ping that looked like Adept Lang."

Well, that's something at least, Emyr thought. He worked to keep his hopes down. "Where was it?"

         "Shashi said it was short, just a brief spark, but it appeared near the northeastern border of Avennio. The Pont Archange can be opened for passage immediately if all goes well. But they're waiting for the storms to subside in the Old World."

         "How soon can a rescue party be assembled?"

         "Master Mélissa is waiting on your approval first," Yvain told him. "She's worried if she tells Grand Master Ione, she'll go on her own."

         "That she probably would," agreed Emyr. "But I want to wait to send anyone until we have something more to go on than a spark. Something more substantial."

         Yvain was quiet, but Emyr knew the Battlemage understood the situation. This had been the first attack of any kind on their city since the Founding. That it came from within its own Mastery rattled the morale in Lutèce. A team of Adepts, even children of nobility, even rarissime, were not the highest priority when faced with the stability of the city in which the entire Élu population dwelt.

         "I trust their abilities. Perhaps too much," admitted Emyr, "but if a spark was detected, I trust they're alive. I'm anxious to get to them too, but Lutèce must always come first. They understand that as well as anyone."

         The Battlemage nodded. " 'The greatest growth often comes in time of greatest fear,' " Yvain quoted. " 'Be like the moon that shines despite the darkness.' "

         Emyr smiled. "Archmage Rayyan. Yes. She always believed our truest strength came from when we are at our most vulnerable."

         Yvain bowed. When he straightened, his expression changed. The air behind Emyr crackled with static and a popping noise made them turn to watch as Sébire Shimano appeared out of thin air, looking paler than usual, reeling from being teleported by Mélissa's magic.

         "Bijou?" Yvain asked and tried to help her. She waved him off.

         "I am fine," she told him, "But thank you. Grand Master Emyr!" Sébire did her best to right herself and bow to Emyr.

         Emyr held up his hand. "What is it? Anything new?"

         "News of Adept Élysées' team," she said, clearly out of breath.

         "Yes, Yvain was just telling me," Emyr began, but Sébire shook her head. Her blue-black hair rippled like water with the movement.

         "The Sensors are fully restored," Sébire informed them, regaining her composure. "The Stream returned to normal as quickly as it went erratic. The storms simply stopped. Master Mélissa does not understand why, but Shashi was able to perform a full sensor sweep. Traces of Adepts Élysées, Lang, and Chevalière were found, they're in Laon."

         "That means we could send a team immediately!" Yvain exclaimed. "We know exactly where they are now."

         "Yes," Emyr concurred, not bothering to hide the smile spreading across his face. He scratched at his beard, considering. "Yvain, Sébire, please inform Mélissa that she has permission to activate the Pont Archange."

         "At once," Yvain said. "Grand Master, who will be going to retrieve them?"

         "The three of us for one, as the heads of their Schools of Magic, along with at least one Communicator and Healer, if not two of each. We don't know what state they'll be in when we arrive."

         "Apprentice Kassandra Élysées has expressed her wishes to be part of the rescue party," Sébire added. "She is understandably worried for her brother."

         Emyr nodded. "Very well. If Renaud gives her clearance to travel the Bridge Gate, then it's fine with me. Yvain, Sébire, make sure you are ready to leave when Mélissa gives the word."

         "Yes, Grand Master," Sébire and Yvain said in unison.

         Yvain turned to leave; he was faster than Sébire on foot. Emyr expected Sébire to follow, but she remained where she stood. Her usual, aloof composure had returned, and she stared at him with her unnervingly deep gaze. She had always been quiet and standoffish. As a rarissime, she was held in high regard, and she was the eldest of the only three rarissime in Lutèce. She had an overwhelming sense of responsibility in Emyr's mind, and he believed she would make a fine Archmage one day.

         "Was there something else, Mage Second Shimano?" Emyr asked.

         "Two schools need a new Mage Master," prompted Sébire, getting right to the point. "Yvain was Ansgar's Second. We should fill the void as quickly as possible."

Ambitious, too, Emyr mused, as always. He smiled. "Everything in its time. The Archmage and I have determined it will be best to wait until Lutèce sees some semblance of normalcy again."

         A slight frown twitched at the corners of Sébire's mouth. "With all due respect, Grand Master, normal would be having a full Mastery serving the Archmage."

         She spoke with some coldness, but not enough to be considered rude in front of a Grand Master.

         Emyr spoke patiently. "Yvain took over the Weapons School as the de facto head, we will not be instating new Mage Masters until everything else has stabilized."

         Sébire started to argue, but Emyr shook his head. "Right now, most Parisii have been confined to their quarters due to the high levels of interference they bring. Battlemages and Healers have been the exception. Right now," he stressed this, "you and the rest of Mélissa's Communicators should be focused on the task at hand, not worrying about what the other schools are doing."

         Sébire's lips tightened again, but she bowed her head. "I understand, Grand Master."
Emyr sensed there was more on Sébire's mind. "Speak freely, Sébire. Please."

         "I'm worried about Yvain," Sébire admitted. "He and Mage Second Charis were classmates for many years before I joined their team. Even once we advanced to Mage Second, they remained close friends. And he always looked up to the Battlemaster. Ansgar was always Yvain's biggest role model as a Battlemage and as a Parisii Mage Master. He's devastated at this, and I know he blames himself. I don't know how to-"

         "How to comfort him?" Emyr asked, raising an eyebrow.

         "Frankly, yes. I did not know Charis as well as he did, and I honestly thought very little of Master Ansgar. He is so certain that Charis was taken against her will."

         "You are not so convinced."

         Sébire looked as if she did not want to say as much. She looked at her staff, holding it reverently as she spoke. "There's more than a few things that bother me about the situation. I am not an Illusionist, but my Gift shares some similarities. Illusionists are taught that everything is not always as it seems. Appearances can be deceiving. Words can hide meaning. Actions may not reflect desires. I find Ansgar and Charis' role in this to be too odd to be coincidence."

         "Go on," Emyr urged, genuinely curious in hearing her thoughts, but worried in how close to the truth she might be. It worried him that someone might glean more than Emyr wanted everyone to know.

         "I studied for many years under Master Kato before becoming Mélissa's Mage Second. At first, I was as shocked as anyone that Master Kato would do this, but the more I think about it, the more I realize that we were simply trapped in one of his illusions. And as much as I detest Ansgar, he is the only one who seemed unlikely to be involved in this. Unless Charis was." Sébire sighed. "In both cases, I hate to think Yvain's trust was so misplaced. He is a kind person and sees the good in everyone, but he could not be so blind as that."

         "Ansgar was very loyal to Günay and always has been," Emyr countered. "And Siena was always close to Ansgar."

         "Yes," Sébire agreed. "But I still feel like there's something else. Something not quite right about any of this."

         "Nothing about this is right, Sébire. But I'll not jump to conclusions. I agree with Yvain, and do not want to think Siena went to Crystallos with the others willingly. She was with me when we confronted Günay and the others. Her shock and fear were real."

         "Perhaps."

         Emyr placed a hand on Sébire's shoulder. "Lady Shimano, I trust your intuition more than I care to admit, even to myself. Do not take my skepticism as criticism. But do not fall prey to your skeptical nature, either. Not everything has a hidden meaning. Sometimes things are exactly as they appear."

         Sébire did not seem convinced, but she did not argue further. "Yes, Grand Master. I will take my leave now so I can prepare for the rescue mission."

         With that said, she bowed and headed in the direction of the Pont Archange.

'Eventually the truth will all come out,' warned Ive.

         'I know,' Emyr responded. 'But until then, we need to make sure everything continues as it is. Siena's disappearance was not supposed to happen.'

         'And yet, it has. We know it is in our nature to change the environment to our advantage, but sometimes it is simply not possible.'

Frowning, Emyr considered Ive's words. 'I refuse to believe that. Every situation has more than one solution,' he responded.

'Do not lose sight of the truth, wielder.'

Emyr shook his head. He should go find Ione. She would not be pleased to hear she was the last to know of recent events.

'Make certain you dodge, this time,' Ive chided, an amused tone in the spirit's wispy voice. Emyr grimaced.

'No doubt.'