High in the skyline of steam and deep in the halls of the senate, Hildegard stood at attention. As she waited, a bead of sweat dripped down her face. Truly, the halfling was terrified. As much as she thought this job was going to be good for her career, the minute it started, she regretted it. 

Life had been good to Hildegard. Ambition and determination fast-tracked her career. No matter what she did, she seemed to move quickly up the ranks, but the moment she took her current job, she had come to fear failure would bring it all crashing down on her. It was a fear she now constantly lived with and nothing scared her more than the five Saintians who sat before her. They alone made her want to quit. However, she could not and would not.

In the city of Goldendale, where one could ascend to prestige and power as swiftly as puffs of steam through brass vents, Hildegard's family depended on her. In Goldendale, coin was plentiful. Opportunities beckoned at every corner for those who could navigate the power dynamics. Therefore, the minute a chance had risen in her department to be a liaison between the Asha Syndicate and the Goldendale Syndicate she jumped at it. Almost as fast, she got the job. That should have been her first black flag. Had she not been so caught up in the celebration of its coming with her mate Celedor and her toddling Hubert, she might have seen it right there for what it was and backed out before it was too late. However, that hour had long passed. Reckoning would come when it was over.

She knew too much.

"Report," commanded the halfling on the far-left side. A jolt surged through Hildegard, nearly causing her to jump out of her boots. With a slight turn, she faced the halfling she knew to be Cyricus Fallohide. He was the youngest of the High Syndicate and also the most ruthless. With beady little eyes, he glared at her with a scowl on his face, but that wasn't unexpected. He always had a scowl on his face. When death finally came for her, she was sure it would come from him.

"The residents of Asha are happily making preparations for the upcoming Liberation Day celebration," she relayed swiftly. "Spirits are high, and we aimed to amplify the festive atmosphere. Historical records pinpoint the isle as the decisive battleground where the fight against the beast horde met its end five hundred completions ago vanquishing them for good. To commemorate this victory, we've extended an invitation to one of their own to be the esteemed guest of honor. Apparently, he was a key participant in the war itself."

"No one cares about some celebration of some long-forgotten war steward," Cyricus berated. He started to say more, but the human to his right smacked him upside the head. For a brief second Hildegard locked eyes with the black-haired female known only as Tauret, but looked away as if the black pools of her irises had the power to drain life itself. Death might come from Cyricus, but given the choice between death and Tauret, Hildegard would choose death every time. Word on the steam was Tauret liked to play with her food.

"Idiot!" Tauret said gesturing to the aged elf on her right. "Don't you know High Synthoid too fought in the war? Show some damn respect before I throw you in the furnace pits."

Or worse, Hildegard thought but kept her mouth shut. Afterall, she wasn't an idiot.

"It's good for the dregs to have their fun," came the Gayak voice on the far-right side of the table. From the corners of her eyes, Hildegard could see Rosami Silverblade speak with a look of boredom plastered across his face. With his large hands, he held up his head as he elbowed the table and stifled a yawn. "Bread and Circus keep the masses happy and that in turn keeps our pockets lined. So, you see my dear Cyricus, you should care about their celebration too."

Cyricus huffed with a snort, but said nothing more. Hildegard wasn't sure if she should continue or even if it would be prudent to change subjects, therefore she was relieved when the second halfling in the room, Loveta Longriver spoke up. "As riveting as this all sounds, I think we are all curious to know more about the progress the engineer known as Xara is making with the device."

Hildegard nodded in relief. At least here she had something to report that she knew they would want to hear. "My counterpart in Asha has informed me Xara returned yesterday from the Isle of Maeve having secured the glass. Once home, she reported to the mine before making a stop at a local residence. If my counterpart is correct, she plans to test the device in the mine any minute now. I suspect we'll know soon enough if it will be useful to us or not."

Us? she winced inwardly. Why the shoel did I say 'us.' There's no us. Maybe I am an idiot.

The syndicate ignored the comment. "Why did she stop there?" asked Loveta.

"I believe she left the device at the mine to have it ready for testing," Hildegard mused. Truthfully, she didn't know.

"Use your head stupid," Cyricus retorted. "Why did she stop at the residence? Is it of any concern?"

Hildegard gulped. She was definitely an idiot. If she somehow came out of this alive, she would dedicate all of her gold to getting her and her family far away from here. "According to my counterpart she frequents that residence often. Apparently, she tutors a youngling there by the name of Kesi Warbol to be an engineer."

"Warbol!" Rosami exclaimed as he sat up in his chair. "My spies in Lightmount and Wildehaven hear talk of a genius named Warbol. Word on the steam is she's the next Milo Herynore."

Hildegard gulped for a second time. Milo Herynore was the founder of Goldendale. He was also responsible for every inch of technology that graced its corners. It was his groundbreaking work that made steam king in the first place. She tried not to think about what that might mean if she somehow missed out on his level of genius.

"If that's true, and this device is as good as we're led to believe, then this Warbol must be the real genius behind it," said Loveta. "Where are our scouts?"

"Delayed," answered Cyricus. "They've been tied up in the Isle of Maeve, but they're scheduled on Asha after Liberation Day. I'll double check to make sure this Warbol is on their list. In fact, I'll personally join them."

Hildegard didn't like the way Cyricus spoke, but she breathed a sigh of relief all the same. At least he would be away from here.

"I'll come with you," said Rosami. "Warbol is only part of the equation. We will still need the device. I will verify it works, then bring it back with me.

"And the Engineer Xara?" Cyricus asked.

"Bring her too," Tauret smiled. "She could be used as leverage if needed. If not, she could be used for fun. It's been a while since I had a new toy."

Tauret's words echoed in Hildegard's mind, leaving an unsettling chill that she couldn't control. Silently her legs buckled beneath her as her face gathered more perspiration. 

"Then its settled," said Loveta. "You two will travel to the Isle of Asha and bring back Warbol, Xara, and the device. I'll prepare our engineers just in case the youngling or Xara proves to be difficult. We might have to reverse engineer the device if it comes down to it."

As three of the five syndicate members turned to leave, the High Synthiod turned to Tauret, his voice a low murmur against the hum of the machinery surrounding them. In the dimly lit chamber, Tauret's eyes gleamed with a menacing intensity with each passing second causing Hildegard to gulp a third time. When the High Synthiod was finished, he turned to leave with the rest of them.

"My dear Hildegard," Tauret began with a sickly-sweet smile. "The High Synthoid has some concerns about this elvan speaker you have secured as the Liberation Day guest of honor. He believes this could be trouble for the festivities and might cause chaos among the residence. He implores you to remember that a happy Saintian is a complacent Saintian."

A rush of heat flooded Hildegard's face. She had heard nothing but positive things about the elder elf back on Asha. Before panic threatened to consume her, she tried to fix her mistake as fast as possible. "My apologies to the High Synthoid. I will rectify this wrong right now."

Tauret shook her head. "At this point, patience is the best course of action. To undo what has already been done, may as well as cause further problems. For now, be prepared for anything to happen."

"I will be ready," Hildegard said with a bow.

"See to it that you do. You may go now." With a wave of her hand, Tauret dismissed her.

Surprised, Hildegard turned on her heel, attempting to maintain a semblance of composure as she resisted the urge to sprint out the door. Despite her efforts, fear continued to pump through her heart, and she could feel the adrenaline coursing through her veins. As she neared the exit, a sudden pinch at the back of her neck sent a shiver down her spine.

"On second thought, I think I'll handle the situation myself. Until then why don't you come back to my chambers and play."

Hildegard tried to scream, but no words came out.