[Pluto]

In the days following the fall of her former master Zulkir Maligor, Jutta found herself extremely busy. There were many things that needed attending, further confidence that had to be built between herself and her new master Druxus Rhym. Skillfully, she met and exceeded his expectations to be awarded this short time alone. It helped that her new master was distracted, preparing himself for his elevation to the council, a promotion that was brought about by his alliance with Szass Tam.

As with all things in Thay, there were always wheels within wheels; she thought with a smile... and she was no different.

She entered the ruined farm house her parents once owned and looked around. While she did not possess the ranger's skill of being able to tell so, she was fairly certain that no one had been here since her last visit many months ago. Her nerves were on edge, despite all of her best preparations there was always the chance that there could be some eyes on her now, working away at the wards that she had cast. To ease her thoughts, she applied some of her sweet smelling perfume to mask any odor of apprehension and then made her way to the cellar through the locked, heavy wooden doors.

With a cantrip, the cellar room was illuminated in a soft glow, it's dirt floor showing only the scuff marks of her own slippers from months ago. In the center of the room was a well and from that well she could hear a moan. With a smile of assurance she approached and looked over the side.

"Who... who is there?" a voice croaked from a mass of red robes at the bottom. A well that had long ago dried up. "Answer me!"

"It is I, Master Maligor, " Jutta replied, soothing. "I bring you food and water."

"Jutta!" Maligor cried. "To the Hells with your food and water! Get me out of here now."

"That can never happen, I'm afraid. You are now a Master in exile, many presume you dead and buried in the mines you tried to take over. It is safer for you and I that everyone thinks you are dead, anyway."

With a growl, Maligor raised his hands and intoned a spell that would send a crushing fist upon his apprentice. But to his dismay, nothing happened. "What is this place?" he howled.

"It is my family's old farm, the one that you found me in years ago when you deemed me worthy of apprenticeship. My family, who you often threatened with swift death if I should ever disappoint you in my learning."

Maligor blinked in the dim light, thinking. "I never had them killed, Jutta."

"But I did. I had to remove that hold that you had over me. The death I gave them was kindness compared to the one that you would deliver. You never knew or suspected that you no longer held any leverage over me. Catch."

Jutta released the skin of water and the fallen zulkir covered his head with a curse, with a slap it bounced off his arms and landed at his feet. The lid remained secured.

"After the Time of Troubles some areas surrounding my parent's farm remained dead to magic, " she continued. "One of them -conveniently enough- is where you find yourself now. If someone was clever and was to set a portal stone above this well and sneak it into her master's belongings... well what a nasty surprise. All I had to do was wait for you to put yourself in a predictment where you were forced to flee. That didn't take long, did it?"

Maligor fumed with rage! It wasn't enough that he had lost everything to Tam and his numerous minions: The Red Wizard Hazlok Thrune, the Eltabbar Tribune Brandon Baxter, the Alaor Tribune Cyrus Najera, the Tyraturos Captain Grace, the Amruthar City Guard Captain Koriseriel, the druid Caramiriel, the Tempans Khreed Maruthan and Teygard Rift, the cleric of Gargauth Veybold von Zipper, the merchant Micha Swift and the Harpers Galvin and Brenna.

No, as if that wasn't enough he was now a prisoner of his apprentice and now apparently depended on her for food and water. But, why would she do this? He voiced his question. "What do you want, Jutta?" he sneered.

"I think there is still much I can learn from you Master Maligor, so much of the Art you can still share with me so I am properly prepared for my trials ahead. There, from the bottom of that well, you will still teach me and in exchange I will make sure you... survive."

Maligor thought it over for the briefest of moments. "I accept your offer apprentice, " he said with a wicked smile. It was all he could say. For now....

-----------------------

The image in the crystal ball was cloudy, partially obscured by the wards Jutta had made in preparation. Behind the mirrored glass, the Masked One smiled at the attempt.

"Are you satisfied with the outcome, then?" Ireni asked, staring down upon the scene of former master and apprentice.

"Yes, the darkness grows and the Shadows deepen...." the Masked One said victorously. "Many of our agents are in places of power now and their transistion there seamless, none the wiser. Our hand was subtle in capturing the pieces of this drama. So, yes, I am satisified."

Together they continued to watch the scene of former master and student in silence. While Maligor's survival was always a possibility; neither of them had conceived of this outcome and both were unsure what to do about it. A problem to be sorted out another day.

"This Jutta interests me, perhaps something more can be made of her later... and the former zulkir she keeps in a dead magic pit, " the Masked One spoke, breaking the silence.