Months later Tridfiur would return to Sapience, disembarking from the
Palinouros at the Tasur'ke harbour with Captain Sowesas. The two headed
in separate directions: Sowesas took the Eastern Road towards Jaru in
search of Valedresim's fiancee, Eilinae, while Tridfiur travelled the
North Road towards New Thera. Officially, the lieutenant was returning
to acquire supplies for the island, a fiction he had fulfilled by
dropping off orders with different merchants identified by Valedresim
during his last stop to the continent. In reality, his return had
nothing to do with material goods, and everything to do with Arsentar's
insatiable need for victims to fuel his experiments.

Both men would find help along the way. A hulking troll from Hashan
known as Crair aided Sowesas in tracking down Eilinae. Shocked and
delighted to hear Valedresim was still alive and had sent for her, she
quickly packed her things and agreed to travel to Minos to be with her
beloved.

Pandering to darker appetites and desires, Tridfiur quickly drummed up
interest in the slave trade, and Utianima Blackstar prepared to travel
back to the island Tridfiur called Minos to discuss regular shipments
with the Mage Royale, Arsentar. Acknowledging the political sensitivity
of such discussions, Utianima agreed to maintain the charade of
Tridfiur's official mission, assisting him in collecting the crates of
goods and bringing them back to the docked Palinouros in Tasur'ke just
as Sowesas returned with Crair and Eilinae.

After Tridfiur expressed his displeasure with the idea of making a
return trip to Sapience, a second ship was engaged to follow the
Palinouros. Captained by Balynne Lokelinde Le'Murzen, with Crair,
Utianima, and Chima Lichlord as crewmen, the Dreadwind was quickly made
ready for departure with Tridfiur on board. The ships made quick time,
using enchantments to bend the wind and fill their sails, and soon land
was in sight. Such was the anticipation of the travellers that no one
noticed the rapidly building thunderclouds on the horizon.

~ ~ ~

Princess Aristia tucked back a loose strand of hair, surveying the
palace from her vantage point atop its highest parapet. The stars
twinkled in the night sky, their serene radiance at odds with the
turmoil and shock that raged within her.

"You are sure, Eschtar?"

"Yes, Your Highness. Arsentar is a traitor. All those disappearances in
the village can be laid at his feet. Osef died in my hands. The things
he'd suffered..." Eschtar trailed off, his voice dripping with loathing.
"The King has signed a warrant for Arsentar's arrest. I've sent the full
guard to the Onyx Needle. It should be over soon."

As he finished speaking, dark storm clouds rolled across the sky,
obscured the moon and stars and plunging the landscape into ominous
darkness. Lightning illuminated the thunderheads as it danced across the
skies, and the following crack of thunder was immediate and deafening.

"Your Highness, I need to get you somewhere more protected. Please,
follow me."

Nodding, Aristia turned to head inside of the palace, frowning at the
speed and unusual intensity of the storm. Something was not right... it
was as if the elements themselves were displeased with Eschtar's speech.

~ ~ ~

Just off the coast of the island, the Palinouros and the Dreadwind
struggled mightily against the angry seas. The storm had swelled out
from Minos: a near-solid wall of rain cascaded from the skies, gale
force winds wailed, and lightning and thunder punctuated the fury of the
elements with bone-jarring flashes of light and sound.

Aboard the Dreadwind the wooden planks groaned as the ocean strove to
consume the ship. The crew's slowly growing horror at the sound was
abruptly replaced by a deafening explosion: a bolt of lightning had
struck the Palinouros, cleaving the ship asunder. The stunned passengers
could only watch in mute terror as the doomed ship was swallowed by the
roiling ocean. Tongues of flame from the Palinouros' burning hull
illuminated the gruesome spectacle, casting a roaring glow over tiny
figures leaping from the prow or stern to escape the conflagration, only
to be dragged under the merciless waves.

As quickly as it arose, the storm ceased, leaving blue skies, placid
seas, and no trace of the Palinouros or her crew. The storm had the
effect of soothing the chops that had surrounded Minos, leaving smooth
sailing for the Dreadwind to glide into port at the harbour of Milena.
Seeing a cloud of smoke rising from the direction of the Minoan palace,
the seafarers prepared themselves for whatever might await. As they
lowered the gang plank and descended onto the pier, the group was
greeted by a patrolman, who tersely explained to Tridfiur that the storm
had destroyed the palace in a blaze of lightning. Left as the sole
surviving member of the royal court, and seeking to avoid a vacuum of
power, Arsentar had declared himself Regent of Minos.

His mission forgotten, Tridfiur hurried to his liege in the Onyx Needle.
Just as the soldier departed, the harbourmaster arrived, eager to meet
his beloved Eilinae after so long apart...

Penned by My hand on the 2nd of Valnuary, in the year 518 AF.