Jet was led into the main hall of High Council Arcane's fortress. As the doors closed behind him he stared resolutely ahead, in the Shadowmancer's direction but focused on nothing. Though he was aware that her guard, a Shadow Warrior by the name of Coal Wrath, stood just as stoically behind her.

For a long moment, Arcane said nothing as she watched him carefully. "Captain Jet Ebon, you have a lot of explaining to do. Abandoning your post, your army, and disappearing totally without explanation. Such a crime is deserving of a most strident punishment, don't you think?"

Swallowing hard, Jet nodded. "Yes, High Council Arcane, it is. But what's more, I have committed another crime of which I believe the punishment shall be far worse."

"Oh?" Arcane's clear blue eyes danced in the flickering torchlight, an unreadable smile upon her lips.

"I have...murdered a Shadowmancer."

"The crime to which you confess is very grave." Taking a deep breath, Arcane slowly stood and faced the glass doors behind her that opened into a massive garden filled with strange and exotic plants. "You will walk with me, Captain." Coal jumped in front of her and opened the doors. Jet followed her out. "Alone."

Having taken the hint, Coal Wrath stepped outside with them, closed the doors behind himself and stood with his back to them, motionless as a statue. They walked in silence awhile, the Shadowmancer enjoying the flora and fauna and Jet, ill at ease and unable to understand her actions, walking a step behind in silence with head down and shoulders bowed.

"When one says 'walk with me', they do not mean 'a step behind'."

Jet looked up at the sound of Arcane's voice and quickened his pace to catch up to her. "I'm sorry, High Council."

"A Captain of the Tien Army should never look down except at those beneath him."

Hesitantly, Jet looked up at the Shadowmancer but her eyes were on the plants and flowers ahead of them. It was then that he noticed the brilliant roses along the path they traveled turning black. Not dieing, but turning black - as a raven's wing at midnight.

"Do you know how I came into power?"

"No, High Council."

"I would have thought as much, it happened long before you and your sister were even born. But to tell the story of that, I shall have to go back to before my time." Arcane lifted her gaze to the darkening sky. "The High Council of the time was Shadowmancer Aleel, served loyally by Coal." Jet looked up in surprise and the Shadowmancer nodded. "Yes, my personal guard now was her guard then. During an upheaval, an upstart named Raze who coveted the seat of High Council above all else, murdered Aleel disguising it as an act by enemies on the battlefield."

Jet was silent as he remembered his sister's same act when she had murdered his lover and anger rose within him. Arcane gently placed a hand on his arm. "Calm yourself, there is more to the story. You see, Coal knew the truth and desired revenge, but like you he feared the punishment for such a crime. So he turned a false loyalty to Raze, earning his way through the ranks to her right hand and there he bade his time, waiting for the chance for his revenge.

"But Raze was a merciless task-mistress who slaughtered thousands of Tien for breaking the laws she set. The most important of which being the denial of Hades. Do you know who Hades is?" Jet shook his head, entranced by the tale being told. "He is the lover of Craetis, her Consort and Counterpart. Don't look so surprised Captain, as we females of the mortal plane are not without companionship, why would our Goddess be? I understand your reaction, however. Raze, you see, succeeded and her laws are enforced to this day and in the process of enforcing those laws, I was created. I came from the Fortress of Shadowmancer Aurora, my parents raised me in the faith of both Craetis and Hades and for that they were punished, every member of the Fortress was. Raze's army came in the dead of night, slaughtering my mother and every male member of the Fortress. My self and my two sisters were spared, we were young enough, so the thought was, to yet have our minds changed. My sisters, being so little were easily turned to Raze's ways. They grew to be Shadow Warriors in her army, and died in her name. But I....I was not so easily corrupted. I held fast to the Old Ways, though I kept it secret. Training long and hard in the Dark Moon Temple, over the centuries I became a powerful Shadowmancer in my own right, strong enough to rival the High Council myself. In secret I drew up my own army, though I knew they were followers of the 'new faith' I knew too that they fully realized that we as a people would not survive under her tyranny. Together we declared war on the Council and Raze's army itself. Our assaults were relentless, and it was not long before the Council turned against her, but it was Coal who delivered her into my hands, and slaughtered her for his vengeance. Such loyalty in him I swore would be mine, and through him I took control of the Council of Shadowmancers. But change does not come quickly, nor at a fair price."

Jet had stopped walking, and Arcane stopped as well turning back to look at him in askance. "What are you saying, High Council?"

"I am saying that in time the Tien will be turned back to the true path our Goddess has set before us, and to Hades, Her Consort. But it will take time, at present we have more pressing concerns. Your twin sister, DarkWind Imidewel, is not dead. What's more, she remains on the Council and maintains her influence over the Army." The Shadow Warrior started to refute but Arcane stopped him with a wave of her hand. "You did more harm to her pride than you ever did to her body. You knocked her unconscious in your conflict with her, nothing more."

"But still, I attacked her - "

"Jet, you still do not understand. I know. I know that DarkWind murdered your lover, the half-breed named Shades Grey, and I know that once you discovered this you went after her out of revenge. Understandable to say the least."

"How do you know all this?"

"The eyes of the High Council reach far and wide, much more than one would think. Which is why I also know that Shades sired a child with a Coyote female and that she has won your heart, though the fact that you have come back to your own people shows where your loyalty truly lies."

"With the Council."

"With your Goddess, and God. You hold the powers of a Shadowmancer, powers once only bestowed on females, for a reason, Captain. To help save your people from their own corruption. As I have said, change does not come quickly...and it always comes at a price, are you willing?"

Jet thoughtfully stared at the ground, his mind drifting to all he had ever been taught and trained to believe, to all he had ever known and experienced in his seven centuries of life. He remembered all Shades had ever told him, shared with him, confided in him. He thought back on what he had seen and learned from and through the Coyote pack that had taken him in despite the sins he had committed against them. He embraced what he knew he had lost at the hands of his own.

Looking up, Jet's dark blue eyes glistened as he fought back tears and struggled to keep control. He nodded. "Yes, I'm willing."