The Spymaster's eyes reflected his amusement; if he feared Livia at all, he kept it well hidden. He snickered as she passed by. "I'm curious now, as to what parts the lady favors. Do you have a wall where-"<br/><br/>"And what news, Kalchas?" Megaera said sharply. It was not for Livia's sake that she spoke; she knew the sorceress was fully capable of handling the matter on her own. Rather, it was time and vexation she hoped to save. Listening to Kalchas talk was not a favored activity, and he always had much to say. She hoped to be rid of him as soon as Livia did. Eventually he would outlive his purpose, but first the Taldan outpost had to be crushed and its people forced to acknowledge their superiors.<br/><br/>The Spymaster sauntered to his chair and leaned back, studying the others. "Just a moment ago I received a message from my informant, and not in the usual way. Something so urgent they sent it via the circle."<br/><br/>For a reason they had yet to discover, many forms of magic were not as effective on Celanta as they were elsewhere. Spells that usually worked over great distances would barely reach the nearest mountains, and were far more exhausting. Teleporting directly to the Taldan outpost was only possible with the aid of a magical focus, a teleport circle. During their one attempt at diplomacy, when a Chelaxian delegation had visited the Taldan outpost, Kalchas had placed such a circle nearby. And one of his informants knew enough magic to send small objects through it.<br/><br/>A silence followed. "And?" Megaera raised a delicately curved brow.<br/><br/>In reply Kalchas took a paper from beneath his cloak. "This morning the outpost met with a strange visitor. A woman all in white, brown of coloring and dark of hair, with pointed ears. She claimed she was Shory, a people thought long extinct. These are their cities, are they not? Even now she meets with the governor-general and word has it they are planning an expedition deeper into the ruins. She has asked for help to save others of her people."<br/><br/>The spymaster tossed the paper onto the table for others to see. "I'm not a commander," he shrugged at Megaera, "nor a scholar." He cast a sly glance at Livia. "But this visitor sounds like someone<em>you</em>ought to be meeting, and not the Taldans."<br/>