Melovar opened the door of his carriage and stepped out, leaving the book of the Evermen inside. He felt the snow crunch beneath his heels and heard the wind as it howled through the trees, tossing the falling white flakes. One of the white-eyed warriors stood close by, his skin pale and the mottled flesh under his eyes showing an advanced stage of corruption. The hem of Melovar's heavy white robe trailed on the ground as he ignored the revenant and walked towards the tall warrior.

"Dain Barden Mensk, you must be," Melovar said. "I heard your name spoken with fear when I was just a priest."

"That is I. You are Primate of the Assembly?"

Melovar was close enough now that he could see where Barden's forked beard had been threaded with silver. The colour suited the Akari; silver-grey was prevalent in their furred clothing and the colour of the older warriors' hair, in the shades of their eyes and the mood of the sky.

Melovar kept walking until he stood close enough that he knew Barden could see the countless crevices of his ruined skin, the yellow of his eyes. "I am Primate Melovar Aspen." Melovar lifted his voice. "Men," Melovar called, "this is Barden Mensk, Dain of his people. Dain is what we would call High Lord, and he is the ruler of the Akari."

Dain Barden looked around him, his mouth turned down with distaste. The strange silent warriors stepped forward at some unspoken signal. Melovar could see their skin glowing softly where runes had been tattooed onto the dead flesh. With so many around him, he could see where they were in varying states of repair; some looked fresh, if that could be said of the dead, while others were in an advanced state of decomposition.

Once, the Primate would have been filled with revulsion. Now he just thought of the power he would have at his disposal with the Akari by his side. Melovar looked around at his men — tough warriors, hand-picked for this mission, many of them with the taint — seeing that they were both disgusted and filled with fear.

"I come to treat with you, Dain Barden," Melovar said, looking up at the huge leader of the Akari, ignoring the revenants who stared at him with their empty eyes.

Barden looked back at the Primate, frowning, his brows coming together over his ice-blue eyes. "Why would the Emperor send you, Primate? Why not come himself?"

Melovar stepped forward and touched the chin of one of the silent warriors, a woman with loose silver hair and a short sword on each hip. The Primate turned the head, looking into the white eyes.

"Because the Emperor is dead," Melovar said, "and I am the ruler of the Tingaran Empire now."

"You?" Dain Barden said. "A templar?"

Melovar turned his yellow eyes on Dain Barden, lowering his hand until he grasped the woman's neck. "Yes," he said, "a templar."