A sizzling breeze swept the jagged rocks of a deserted plateau, at the foot of a cliff beaten by the winds. In the centre of this austere landscape, a hooded figure was walking around nervously. Her dark cloak floated like a veil of smoke around her.
His thin boots hit the stone dryly, fast pace, agitated. Under his hood, a strand of white hair escaped from the leather strap that closed his coat. His eyes, of a piercing violet, looked at the horizon with visible impatience.
—Late...she mumbled. As usual.
A sudden rustle behind her made her turn around. Another figure had just appeared in a halo of dark mist. Without a word, the man slowly took off his hood, revealing a face with sharp features, pale as the moon, black hair with reflections of obsidian and a mocking look lined with circles.
—Nox, the woman growled.
— Yes, yes... here I am. You can stop harassing me, Lirae," he replied with a weary tone. Do you think that moving around like crazy will make people come faster?
—Don't tell me that your last failure shook you so much? she chuckled, a carnivorous smile on her lips.
—Oh believe me, I still have more than one trick in my sleeve. I'm not the type to collapse... unlike you.
The eyes of Lirae squinted. She took a threatening step.
—Repeat a little to see...
But at the same moment, a third voice froze the air.
—Enough.
An imposing figure emerges from the shadow, draped in a purple cape lined with silver thread. Nothing could be seen of his face, but his mere presence imposed silence.
—If you have so much energy to quarrel with, put it to good use and catch them.
Nox shrugged with a provocative smile.
—We're working on it, "mesir." And believe me, Her Majesty will soon have the elect... I have a plan.
—Plan? whistled Lirae. The last one led you to capture your own guinea pig. What imprudence. If he reveals your name...
— Don't worry. I took precautions. This guinea pig was more useful than it looked. And unlike others, I do not disobey by risking to kill them when the orders are clear: we want them alive.
... Ha! because your puppet didn't almost kill them?
— No. I had limited his abilities. Just enough to weaken them. If they had not been interrupted by this magician to bite-me-the-knot, everything would have been over.
The "mesir" watched them at length. His voice fell like a cleaver:
—All right. I give you more time, Nox. But know that if you fail again... I will destroy you myself.
Then it dissipated in a flash of red mist.
—Charming, as always," said Nox.
He winked at Lirae.
—Come on, I'll leave you alone. I have other things to do.
And in a cloud of shadow, he disappeared.