The Silver Dragon Inn stood in one of Magnolia's quieter districts, a respectable establishment known for catering to traveling nobles and wealthy merchants. It was exactly the kind of place where a prince would choose to stay, and Riven found himself standing outside its ornate entrance three days after returning from Ironhold.
He had spent those three days in careful deliberation, weighing Kouen's proposal against the risks of alliance with someone whose motivations were clearly more complex than simple altruism. Master Makarov had advised caution. Erza had suggested bringing backup. But in the end, Riven had decided this was a conversation he needed to have alone.
*"Interesting choice,"* Baal observed as Riven pushed through the heavy wooden doors. *"You're beginning to understand that some burdens cannot be shared, even with those closest to you."*
"Or I'm making a mistake that will come back to haunt me," Riven muttered under his breath.
The inn's common room was nearly empty in the mid-afternoon, with only a few patrons scattered among the tables. Kouen sat in a corner booth, his silver hair catching the light from the window beside him. He looked up as Riven approached, a knowing smile crossing his face.
"I wondered if you would come," he said, gesturing to the seat across from him. "After the Council's visit, I thought you might decide that official backing was safer than a private alliance."
"How did you know about the Council?" Riven asked, settling into the booth.
"Because they visited me as well, with the same offer." Kouen poured tea from an ornate pot into two cups. "Councilwoman Ultear is thorough in her recruitment efforts. She's already identified at least four of the seven Great Djinn bearers and is working to bring us under government control."
*"He speaks truth,"* Baal confirmed. *"I can sense Leraje's awareness of the situation through our connection. The Council has been tracking Djinn awakenings far longer than they've admitted publicly."*
"And your answer was?" Riven prompted, accepting the offered tea.
"I told her I would consider it, just as you did." Kouen's golden eyes studied him carefully. "But we both know that government oversight means government control. They would use us as weapons, pointing us at threats they deem worthy while restricting our ability to act independently."
"As opposed to your alliance, which would keep us free to act as we see fit?"
"No," Kouen said, surprising him with his honesty. "My alliance would also have strings attached. But at least those strings would be ones we agree to, rather than ones imposed by people who fear what we represent."
Riven sipped his tea, buying time to think. There was something refreshing about Kouen's direct acknowledgment of his ulterior motives, even if those motives remained unclear.
"What exactly do you want from this alliance?" he asked finally. "And don't give me the speech about preventing global catastrophe. I want to know what you personally hope to gain."
Kouen leaned back, and for a moment his carefully maintained diplomatic mask slipped to reveal something more calculating underneath. "Direct questions deserve direct answers. Very well. I am the third prince of the Kou Empire, which means I have no legitimate claim to the throne under normal circumstances. My eldest brother will inherit, my second brother serves as military commander, and I was meant to be a scholar and advisor."
He set down his tea cup with deliberate precision. "But the awakening of the Djinn changes everything. If I become the Djinn King, I would have power that transcends mere political inheritance. I could reshape my empire—perhaps the entire world—according to principles of justice rather than accident of birth."
*"At least he's honest about his ambition,"* Baal observed with something like respect. *"Leraje always did prefer bearers who thought in terms of kingdoms and legacy."*
"So you want the crown," Riven said flatly. "That makes us eventual enemies, doesn't it? The prophecy says only one bearer can become the Djinn King."
"Eventually, yes," Kouen agreed without hesitation. "But that trial is still months away, and there are far more immediate threats to concern ourselves with. The Oración Seis has recruited at least two bearers already. There are rumors of a cult called the Al-Thamen that seeks to use the Djinn to resurrect some ancient evil. And let's not forget the Council's attempts at control."
He leaned forward, his expression intense. "We can be rivals later, Riven of Fairy Tail. Right now, we need to be allies, or everything we care about will be destroyed by those who have no qualms about using this power for pure destruction."
The logic was sound, even if the source was suspect. Riven found himself considering the proposal more seriously than he had expected.
"What would this alliance actually look like?" he asked. "Specifically."
Kouen pulled out a rolled parchment and spread it on the table between them. It was a map of the continent marked with various symbols and annotations.
"Information sharing, primarily. I have resources through my royal connections that can track Djinn awakenings and identify bearers before the dark guilds find them. You have Fairy Tail's reputation and combat capabilities, which can help in recruitment or containment as needed."
He pointed to several marked locations on the map. "There are three more Great Djinn that haven't awakened yet. If we can influence who they choose as bearers—or at least ensure those bearers have support systems in place—we greatly improve our chances of preventing catastrophe."
"And the other bearers who have already awakened?" Riven asked, studying the map carefully.
"The ice bearer with Oración Seis is named Seila. Former healer from Iceberg who lost her family to a dark guild attack. Valefor offered her the power to prevent such tragedies, and the Oración Seis offered her the training to use it. She's not inherently evil, but her trauma makes her vulnerable to manipulation."
Kouen pointed to another location. "There's a wind bearer in Bosco—a thief named Zagan who bonded with Zepar. He's using his newfound abilities to rob the wealthy, claiming he's redistributing wealth to the poor. Noble intentions, questionable methods."
*"And both could potentially be reasoned with,"* Baal observed. *"Unlike the Marchosias bearer you faced, these two have maintained enough humanity to potentially be swayed toward better paths."*
"What about the other three Great Djinn?" Riven asked. "You, me, Seila, Zagan, and Marcus makes five. Who are the other two?"
Kouen's expression grew more serious. "That's where things become complicated. One of them is Beleth, the Djinn of Shadows and Deception. According to my intelligence, Beleth awakened in the ruins of an old temple in Pergrande, but his bearer disappeared immediately afterward. No one has seen or heard from them since."
"A bearer who specializes in shadows and deception would be very good at hiding," Riven observed.
"Precisely. Which makes them either the most dangerous or the most harmless of us all, depending on their intentions." Kouen pointed to the final marked location. "The last one is Paimon, the Djinn of Knowledge and Wisdom. She's awakened in the Grand Magic Library of Crocus, and from what my sources tell me, her bearer is... unusual."
"Unusual how?"
"A scholar who has no interest in combat or politics whatsoever. She apparently bonded with Paimon while researching ancient texts and now spends all her time in the library trying to document the Djinn's knowledge. The Council has been watching her, but she's so peaceful they haven't seen any reason to interfere."
Riven studied the map, noting the strategic positions of each awakened Djinn and considering the implications. "So we have: two bearers who might be reasoned with, one who's completely missing, one who's harmless, one who's imprisoned by the Council, you, and me. That's an interesting mix."
"It is," Kouen agreed. "But it won't stay static for long. The Al-Thamen cult is actively hunting bearers, the Council is tightening its control, and the dark guilds are mobilizing. We need to move quickly if we want to influence how this situation develops."
*"He makes compelling arguments,"* Baal noted. *"But remember that Leraje's bearers always have layers of planning beneath their stated intentions. This alliance will serve his purposes as much as yours."*
Riven sat back, weighing his options. The careful, cautious part of him wanted to refuse, to stick with Fairy Tail's protection and avoid entangling himself with someone whose ultimate goals opposed his own. But the newer, more calculating part of him—the part that had been growing stronger since Ironhold—recognized the practical value of Kouen's proposal.
"I have conditions," he said finally.
Kouen's smile suggested he had expected nothing less. "Name them."
"First, Fairy Tail remains my primary loyalty. If you ask me to do something that conflicts with protecting my guild, the answer is no."
"Reasonable."
"Second, full transparency on your intelligence sources. I won't make decisions based on information I can't verify."
"Acceptable, within the limits of protecting my informants."
"Third, no recruitment or contact with other bearers without mutual agreement. We work together or not at all."
Kouen considered this for a moment before nodding. "Agreed. Though I would add a reciprocal condition—that you share information about any Djinn-related incidents Fairy Tail encounters."
"Fair enough," Riven said. "And one final condition. If we ever do face each other in this Trial of Dominion, we do it honorably. No ambushes, no poisoning, no attacking when the other is weakened."
This time Kouen's smile was genuine. "Now that is interesting. Most would try to gain every advantage possible in such a contest."
"I'd rather win fairly than live with the guilt of a dishonorable victory."
"Spoken like someone who hasn't yet learned that honor is a luxury the powerful can seldom afford." But despite the cynical words, Kouen extended his hand across the table. "Nevertheless, I accept your conditions. We have an alliance, at least until the Trial begins."
Riven shook the offered hand, feeling the solid warmth of earth magic meeting his lightning. The two energies didn't conflict so much as exist in parallel, two great forces acknowledging each other without merging.
*"A significant moment,"* Baal observed. *"The first alliance between Great Djinn bearers in over a thousand years. Let us hope it proves more beneficial than the last such alliance, which ended in war and mutual destruction."*
As they released hands and began discussing practical details of their arrangement, Riven found himself wondering if he was making a brilliant strategic decision or a terrible mistake that would haunt him when the inevitable confrontation came.
What he didn't know was that their conversation was being observed by a shadowy figure in the corner of the inn—a figure whose presence had gone unnoticed by even the heightened senses of two Djinn bearers. And as Riven and Kouen formed their alliance, this observer smiled beneath their hood and vanished like mist, carrying news of this development to masters who would find it very interesting indeed.
The bearer of Beleth had been watching, and the shadows had eyes.