Melanthus was skimming over the daily post while he sipped some tea and nibbled at a glazed nutcake. It was late morning, and despite the thick walls of his tower, he could still vaguely hear muffled sounds indicating the busy city just outside. Long practiced in tuning out the ambient urban noise, he was rather startled when a levitating scroll floated through the small, high open window overlooking his dining table and plopped down onto it, barely missing a mercifully extinguished oil lamp and a bowl of fruit.

  With some annoyance he regarded the scroll, which, now that it had made contact with its intended recipient, rolled towards him and unfurled itself in a brief sparkle, revealing the interior to be an illuminated affair, complete with margins of gold leaf and inks of various gem-like hues.

  Now a bit wary, he leaned forward and peered down upon the scroll, and after noting that the characters themselves were not magical in nature (and thus unlikely to contain a geas or curse), permitted himself to read the contents:

  Dearest Colleague in the Practice of the Arcane –

  As part of the upcoming celebrations for the Harvest Festival, you are cordially invited to participate in a friendly competition of magical skill with yours truly. The winner shall receive the admiration of the court and renown throughout the region as the greatest of sorcerers – as well as the gratitude of the Most Wise Council of Nine.

  Please do not refuse this earnest request for a demonstration of your well-regarded talent.

  Sincerely –

  Korander Lampblack, Wizard of the 11th Level of attainment, Foremost Mage of the Eastern Realm

  Melanthus frowned. Korander was the court magician of Eskemar and the only other spellcaster of note in the city. “Foremost Mage of the Eastern Realm”? Now that was a bit of a stretch! Someone was putting on airs. Melanthus had not had too many direct dealings with Korander, but the man always struck him as grasping and vainglorious, not that these were uncommon behavioral traits in wizards. But rather than lust for magical power, Korander seemed like the sort of man that valued magic as a tool to further lofty ambitions rather than a pursuit in and of itself. It had led him to his current exalted social status and position of influence. He did not seem to be an evil man, but Melanthus had the sense that there was more to this invitation than met the eye. And that whatever it was, it wasn’t to his benefit – probably more to his expense. This wasn’t a summons (as if the court magician had that authority!), but it had a certain officious tone that made Melanthus want to crumple the invitation up and cast it into the fire. He snatched it from the table and glared at it.

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  However, as he was considering doing just that, he looked and saw a smaller note that had been concealed beneath the invitation. In contrast, it consisted of plain but very thick paper, and was written in silverink that caught the sun and shone in an effulgence that could not be denied:

  Dear Melanthus –

  I would consider it a personal favor if you acceded to the request of our court magician and attended the festivities, treating us to a display of your justifiably famous skills.

  Kindest regards,

  Astrid Ellenden, Councilor

  “Well, well! An addendum from the Gray Fox - the potion thickens!” Melanthus muttered to himself.

  Astrid Ellenden was the only female member of the Most Wise Council, and a force to be reckoned with. She had a regal demeanor and courtly grace that masked a shrewd mind despite her advanced years, and she was not known for idle fancies. The fact she somehow appended her own epistle to the invitation completely altered the character of it – and therefore his response.

  As anyone with extensive court experience knows, sometimes it is absolutely necessary to say something without explicitly saying it. This might be one of those times. Was this intended to be a warning? A plea for assistance? If nothing else it was a pointed statement saying, “this is important – PAY ATTENTION”.

  Melanthus sighed. If he wanted to meddle in court politics he would have done so long ere now. He couldn’t see any way that this looming engagement might profit him. But while he had no qualms about ignoring Korander’s overtures, he had plenty of misgivings about doing the same to the council member that the citizenry generally considered the most distinguished and eminent of the city’s rulers. There was nothing to it. Preparations must now be made. He was going to make an appearance at court. And he intended it to be a good one.

  He gulped down the rest of his tea and ascended the stairs to the upper chamber which housed his enviable collection of spellbooks and treatises on the nature of magicks both inherent and imposed. He would peruse them and make a careful selection of several spells that would be fitting for such an occasion. Then would he gather and set aside any reagents that might be required to assist the Words of Power in completing the spells, making sure to place orders for Tesslihm to fetch any he was lacking. Of course, all would be checked for freshness and/or purity. Finally, he would deliberate on where he would carry them on his person, so they would remain safe and undamaged yet quick to access – but not easy to steal. Yes, this was going to require some care.