The chapter I uploaded today: Just because 
Let me know what you think.
Chairman Thaladir of the Medhir exuded an unmistakable air of superiority, which Damon found unsurprising. As the elf stood there, feet firmly planted hip-width apart, his comrades rummaged through his study and home, supposedly in pursuit of evidence incriminating Darius.
Or at least, that's what they claimed.
But as Damon calmly sat with his boots nonchalantly crossed on his desk, a behavior that didn't quite align with his inner gentleman persona, he knew deep down that this search had little to do with Darius. Acquiring him would only be an added bonus.
Thaladir had the pointy ears of all elves, stood regally tall, and had his golden hair braided back. His face was wrapped in alabaster skin, had sharp angular features, almond-shaped eyes, and a long forehead that made him look even more otherworldly, cold, and cruel.
Wrapped around his statuesque form was a regal, woven robe, adorned with delicate patterns and symbols. The robe draped gracefully, drawing attention to his dignified presence and amplifying his commanding presence.
No, Damon mused, this wasn't about his brother. It was all about sniffing out any clues that House Galaeron might have intentions of toppling the Medhir. And in Thaladir's mind, a single unraveled thread of his tablecloth could be that clue.
The Medhir had dethroned most of the Great Houses when Damon was a toddler, wobbling about in the gardens on unsteady, stubby legs, while his twin was who knew where. He wished he knew now...
House Galaeron's stubborn existence became the last bastion, the ultimate frontier to conquer in Arcania for Thaladir.
Both of them knew they loathed one another, yet they kept their manners about them.
Damon's companions showed little interest in hiding their disdain for the elves, however.
Aventus skulked in the corner of the study, hunched like a beggar. He was deeply disturbed by the havoc wreaked upon his meticulously organized alchemical laboratory during the search, endangering his delicate experiments.
Kai stood near the door, his arms folded tightly across his chest, and a scowl etched across his face.
Nobody reminded Damon why they loathed the elves more than Kai.
The deep-rooted hatred he harbored towards the Medhir stemmed from the gruesome slaughtering of the small village of Dredisi, which still haunted his nightmares. The Medhir had falsely accused the Dreds, mostly elderly, impoverished farmers, of practicing dark magic to justify the act of callously butchering half of the population.
Granted, they had scaly skin and were odd-looking, but it was beyond absurd to think that those humble villagers, who would offer a friend the last shoe on their webbed foot, and whose frail bodies barely possessed a flicker of magical power enough to conjure a flame, had the capability to challenge the council.
What angered Damon the most was that they were Kai's friends, some of the few individuals he had managed to form deep emotional bonds with. Indeed, he'd lived amongst the Dreds after his mother had been slaughtered in a bandit raid before Aventus had taken over guardianship of him. Years later he had discovered his father's body, frozen over in a cave in the Muirnom Mountains, their name meaning so aptly the Silent Peaks.
Meanwhile, Remy casually patrolled the halls, dewberries in hand. Damon visualized him gracefully popping a sweet ball into his mouth every now and then, meticulously keeping an eye on Thaladir's men. All the while, he cunningly assumed the pretend-role of assisting the guards with their duties.
And Zhex was nowhere to be found, ironically.
"As we have found no evidence in your house thus far, I find myself wondering if you are being truthful, Lord Galaeron." Thaladir sniffed, ambling towards a vase of white and purple flowers near the window.
"I am not my brother's keeper," Damon answered with steely nerves. "He left in haste after the events of Dru's death, and took two of my men with him. How should I know where he has gone? I have nothing to gain by harboring fugitives in my House."
Calling his twin a fugitive made Damon taste bile. But he knew he had to safeguard the power of his House. Theirs was the only one left that held true concern for the welfare of the common people.
Thaladir sighed deeply. "The unpredictable nature of Shadowborn. How tragic that his murderous nature had led to the untimely demise of the elf-halfling... Dru."
Seeing that he couldn't even recall Dru's name properly dwindled Damon's patience to a trickle.
"He must face justice," Thaladir declared, plucking a pristine white flower, studying it momentarily, before discarding it disdainfully to the ground. "Rest assured, we shall locate him. He will face trial and be sent to Mania, where his kind truly belongs."
"If you wish to pursue him, I suggest you take your search elsewhere," Damon replied coolly.
Thaladir sneered. "Surely, if he is innocent, he wouldn't have run."
Damon sneered right back. "Yes, who would run from an unjust council who values its own agenda more than the law?"
At this, the elf's face became stoic, then he made a noise like a chuckle. Or it might've been a cough.
He stalked closer, then leaned menacingly forward on Damon's desk, inches from his face. The air crackled between them. Damon fought for the control to not land a fist in that perfect face. He could all but feel the satisfying crack of that straight nose against his knuckles. The image made them itch with craving.
"Do not lecture me on the principles of justice, Lord Galaeron," Thaladir sang. He had to admire the young Lord's clinging to a crumbling legacy. His dismissal of him was an affront to the Medhir. And he questioned the soundness of his resolve. "You are wet behind the ears, yet. If you set one foot wrong, my men will be upon you. I will find your brother, and when I do, he will face the justice he so rightly deserves."
Damon's eyes flickered with a sudden surge of anger, only to be ruthlessly restrained. "Do as you please with him,"
With cold detachment, he uttered words that pierced his own heart, "He's nothing to me. Just another traitor."
Thaladir narrowed his eyes at Damon, searching for signs of deception. When he found no obvious ones, he rose.
"Time!" He called, and his men assembled.
They were escorted by House Galaeron's guard to their waiting horses, and then they took off, leaving Damon with the knowledge that nowhere in Arcania would be truly safe for Darius now.
Except that one place where not even the elves would venture. The very place they intend to send him as his punishment for Dru's death, or rather, his punishment for existing - Mania.
He slouched back in his chair, feeling intense nausea wash over him as his nerves released. He placed a hand on his stomach that churned from the lies he'd told.
"Sire, perhaps the alchemical laboratory could provide some relief?" Aventus suggested, noticing that his young Lord looked positively green around the gills. "I remember the aroma of the herbs always having a soothing effect on you. If there's any left in my retort after this... search." His wrinkled face shrivelled even more in disgust.
"They took a few ledgers and correspondences," Remy informed them, appearing in the doorway. "I doubt they found anything incriminating."
"Correct," Damon confirmed. "Those records only highlight our failures in mobilizing the Houses against the threat of the shades. And frankly, the Medhir couldn't care less about whether the shades are dealt with or not. Divines, I hate politics. Where's Zhex?"
Remy shrugged. "I haven't seen her at all."
Damon stood, exhaling deeply. "Find her." As if the intricate chess game of his life with the elves wasn't already grating enough on his nerves.
"What of Darius?" Aventus inquired.
"We'll locate him, but we need to lay low for a few days, at least until Thaladir has settled. I trust that Zara will take care of them." That was one thing at least that he could find comfort in.
"Should I accompany you?" Kai offered.
"No, I need some time alone."
Kai lowered his head Damon passed him and ascended the stairs.
"The kid's in trouble," Remy sighed, running fingers through his silver hair.
"I'm more concerned about us," Kai said, adjusting the tightness of the harness holding his dagger against his chest. "We should sharpen the men's skills. I don't trust that cursed elf. Who's to say he won't send a covert group to teach us a lesson just because Damon unintentionally insulted him?"
Aventus chuckled at his grandson. "Damon? Unintentional? Those words don't go together, my boy. He insulted him deeply, and very purposefully."
"All the more reason to be prepared, then."
"Ah my somber companion!" Remy placed an unexpected arm around Kai's shoulders, making him hop and scowl. "Let's go gather the men. And find that hot-headed woman,"
They left the study together, with Remy chuckling and Kai grumbling.
Somewhere between set 2 and 3 of Raw Grit I got my second wind. But my leg muscles didn't care much for that.
By the time I finished the Olympian, my internet connection died, so could not login this morning to complete the workout. That's becoming a common thing around here. Illusive internet just like illusive electricity.
Might've had my foot in a strange position.
It's better than quitting altogether for months again. I need to frequently remind myself that I don't have to go a million miles at every workout to see results. Doing something every day is better. 
Going good today, so long as I don't look at the calories. 
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