Chapter 1

 Thorne Corporation, Paris.

“I apologise to you all for having to summon you so quickly. In other circumstances, I would not have insisted on meeting at such a late hour, but the matter is urgent and I’m afraid we have no other time to meet”, Nathaniel said to those sitting around the large meeting table.

   No one had thought of saying anything to him, everyone knew that if the Great Guardian had already called the highest council of the Brotherhood, the matter was urgent, in fact, nobody ever contradicted him. Nathaniel Thorne was a man in his mid-seventies, but not a man of his years, with a powerful and robust physique, one of the most influential and respected business executives, not only in France but in Europe. Nathaniel had also been the head of the secret Brotherhood of the “Guardians of the Stones” for thirty-five years. Despite his sturdy build and the harsh and commanding tone of his voice, Nathaniel‘s face bore the marks of fatigue and sleepless nights. His shoulders were weighed down not only by the affairs of multi-million dollar corporations but also by one of humanity’s oldest secrets, which was becoming more and more difficult to keep. Late on Thursday evening, all twelve members of the Brotherhood’s highest council were gathered on the twenty-fifth floor of the Thorne Corporation’s headquarters. Only a few of them lived in France. Most of them had arrived directly from Paris International Airport, after long flights from the farthest corners of the world, since the urgent call of the Great Guardian left no room for hesitation.

The mood in the meeting room was rather strange and uncertain. Everyone around the table was anxiously waiting to hear what their corypheus would say.

“Friends”, Nathaniel began quietly but confidently, “as I said, I had no choice but to call you together”.

The entrepreneur paused for a moment, looking around the room to make sure everyone was listening attentively. His authority was undoubtedly so strong that no one would have dared to do otherwise.

“Two days ago, I received an unexpected call, and the news I received has caused me a great deal of worry. I fear that our common enemy has come closer than at any time in the lifetime of the Brotherhood.” Nathaniel took a deep breath before continuing, “On Tuesday morning, a land broker was found murdered.” he said, causing confusion among the brethren. Everyone started talking at once and the silence of a cemetery had turned into a Sunday flea market. The Great Guardian sat quietly in the chair at the end of the table and waited patiently for the passions to subside. Everyone was already nervous and tired after their long journeys and the uncertainty of why they had been called. The mediator was the only person, apart from the leader of the Brotherhood, who knew the true identity of the Guardian of one of the rings, in this case the earth elemental ring.

After the first wave of astonishment had subsided, someone in the audience said:

“OK, the news is shocking and of course it is very important, but maybe there has been an accident. Maybe the mediator was just in the wrong place at the wrong time? After all, every second teenager on the streets now carries a gun.” Everyone fell silent again and looked to Nathaniel for an answer.

“Unfortunately, ladies and gentlemen,the wounds found on the body are evidence of a long and exhausting torture”, said Nathaniel, “and I do not want to go into the details of all this, but I will say that the only reason to torture a person in this way is to extract very important information, or if there is mental unstability. I am afraid that in this case both are possible. The people present were well aware of the terrible consequences. Darren, one of Nathaniel’s confidants and a long-time friend, rose from his seat and began to speak quietly:

“With your permission, I would like to assemble a battle group (the name given to a group of elite Brotherhood soldiers whose members quietly arranged things so that no one would find out) and start an investigation. Perhaps we can find out who did this and how much they managed to find out?” A murmur of approval went up in the meet room. Darren Bolt was one of the most senior officers in the French Security Department, in charge of numerous military missions in various countries. He was always composed, collected, and decisive. If anyone could put things right, it was him. The overwhelming support apparently led the other members of the Council to think so too.

“Yes,” said Nathaniel standing up, “I want to believe that the mediator has remained faithful to his fraternal vows until the end, may he rest in peace, but we cannot be sure. Even the strongest will can be broken by the use of, how can I put it better... by the right means. Fine, if you all agree and there are no dissenters?” He looked around slowly, giving those who wanted to speak a chance to do so, but there were none. Nathaniel slowly put a tired hand on his friend’s strong shoulder and said, “Thank you, my friend, I was hoping you would volunteer for this assignment. Gather the group and leave as soon as possible. You will get the coordinates as soon as you get to the air base.” The men shook hands and Darren rushed out the door without saying goodbye to anyone. The Great Guardian turned to the others:

“I know you are tense and nervous. It is perfectly understandable in these circumstances. The cars are ready and waiting for you in the underground car park. Everybody go to the hotel, get some sleep and we will meet tomorrow evening. You will have to endure a few days of this. We have a tough job ahead of us, and I am not just talking about the appointment of a new facilitator – I am talking about the fact that our ranks are thinning and the Brotherhood is not in the best of shape at this time. Ok, enough gloom for tonight. Thank you for coming and good night to everyone.” Nathaniel raised and extended his hand towards the door, indicating to everyone that the meeting was over for the day and that everyone was free to go.