Chapter 3

Markus

The Imperium had stood for time untold, and here he stood watching its fall, and it was not to some unseen invader, it was due to the corruption with in. The government said the recent expansion of territories was to ensure the future, they said humane means where to be used to remove the native population. They had had conflict with Sidhe in the past, usually over some slight or territorial boundaries that one side did not recognize, something that either side could justifiably claim error. He clutched the scroll in his hand and turned from the city walls, he had to talk to his mentor.

He moved down the stairs leaving the wall, as he made his way onto the city streets he watched a group of battle mages patrol the street. The guard had not been activated in the city for 400 years, not since the rebellion had been put down, something they had done with brutal efficiency. Markus suspected the reason for the activation of the guard had something to do with the reports he now clutched in his hand.

As he walked he took note of the conversation in the streets.

"I heard they suspect Sidhe sympathizers have infiltrated the council"

One soldier was saying as Markus passed, he heard the other reply.

"Thats why they have increased the patrols of the dragon flights, to ensure the bastards are not up to something"

Markus sighed to himself, he had seen the reports, it was usually some one had heard from someone else that their friend had seen Sidhe at knight roaming the streets or that someones uncle from some out laying town had been killed by a group of Sidhe raiders, all of course with no proof.

He looked up as he approached the academy, it was strange for it to be so empty he thought to himself, their should be students learning, instead with recent changes the academy staff had been repurposed for the Imperium defenses, anyone with even the slightest talents for the arts was busy trying to make himself useful to the war effort, though no formal. He needed to find his mentor, he went straight for the Professors office, he knocked on the wooden door.

"Enter." The professors voice answered.

Markus walked into the office taking it in, Professor Maen had trained him in the arcane arts, had mentored him for years while he struggled with his studies, and even now that Markus was a full Mage and Dragon Rider he still relied on the Professor for advice.

"Markus my boy when did you get back?" Professor Maen strode forward embracing him.

"Sir just now, I would of come home sooner had I known the situation here was so dire."

"Ah Markus besides the food shortages things are looking up." The Professor motioned toward an object on his desk and pointed to his ear

Professor Maen offered Markus a seat, they sat across from each other, he pressed the device on his desk, Markus felt the slight pulse of magic.

"aye these are dark times Markus, but fear not the Imperium endures, even with the Magus wrapped around the Queens fingers and their ears every where, we shall get through this."

"Professor but I do fear, I have new reports sir, The attacks on Sidhe villages are increasing, Leon and his brother are merciless, from the reports all that lay in his wake is ashes."

The Professor raised an eyebrow at Markus.

"You have proof of this?" Maen leaned forward.

"Only rumors sir, nothing definitive" Markus frowned.

"Markus that wont do, I need something definitive to bring to the council."

"But Sir, if I could just borrow some scouts I could prove it, I can have eyewitness accounts of these atrocities" Markus said.

The Professor sighed.

"Even than I fear it may be to late, they are inciting the populous against the Sidhe, any proof we get may be too late, and if the Magus catches wind of us gathering this evidence..."

"So what we do nothing?"

"You should visit your friend Lann Markus." The Professor smiled.

"What has Lann to do with this?"

Lann was Markus oldest friend, he was also the most talented Mage the academy had seen in generations. Lann however held several ideas that the directly conflicted with the academy and the Imperium, which led him to be relegated to relative obscurity.

"Im telling you Markus, I think he might be on to something, I've done the research, his theories are sound."

Markus looked askew at the professor.

"Professor, I love Lann like a brother but that is foolishness, the para-arcane is folly, I try to ignore his obsession with these mythical arts"

The professor stared at Markus.

"Go see your friend, we have been talking much, remember Markus, if you want to go un-noticed you must think un conventionally"

"Sir I don't see how Lann can help the situation" Markus frowned.

The professor held up his hand.

"Enough Markus, Just do as I ask."

The professor stood up and walked to his book shelf, he pulled a large volume from it and handed it to Markus, Markus raised an eyebrow at the professor, the professor waved his hand at the device on his desk and Markus felt the magic return to it, what ever spell the Professor had used to disable the eavesdroppers lowered.

"You are so interested in wasting your time, I suggest you try something more productive, I want you to work on cellular rejuvenation, it is something we may be needing more skilled practitioners of."

The Professor waved his hand dismissively at Markus, Markus nodded and took the book and left the professors office, he shook his head and walked back to his lab. Every Mage could do Cellular rejuvenation, it was one of the first skills learned in apprenticeship, it was almost an insult to be told to study it and by telling Markus that what ever spies would assume the Professor had throughly insulted him.

Elsewhere.

the Magus was in charge of the academy and all the Mages, tasked with ensuring the Mages be ready for what ever service the Imperium required of them, her word was Law. Leon stood nervously outside the door shoring up his courage, he took a breath and strode purposefully through the door, he took in the mess that greeted him.

The room was piled with scrolls and arcane apparatus, in all his years as a Dragon Rider he had never seen the Magus chambers in such chaos. In the middle of it all sat the Magus Locer, cross legged meditating the Magus's eyes shut, the normally timeless looking Magus looked strained, bags formed under Locer's eyes crows feet branched out from the sides of them, Locers forehead was marred with wrinkles from concentration.

"Magus." Leon said keeling before Locer.

The Magus glanced at Leon.

"When did you get back and why do you look like that?" The Magus mumbled.

Leon winced, that Sidhe rat had killed his brother, and summoned a demon that had killed his men.

"Just now, Magus ... I encountered a Sidhe fire mage, it killed Jordan and summoned a demon the likes of which I had never seen, I barely escaped with my life" Leon said still kneeled.

"Did you now?" The Magus seemed to take him in for the first time.

"Yes and it was most ... distressing. At the village we encountered no resistance, we executed the beast like you ordered, when the Sidhe Mage stormed forth, it reigned fire from the sky taking Jordan with its first strike. It lead us on a chase through the forest to an ambush, where it had summoned a demon, it moved so fast, and with such force ... It over took us before I even realized what happened." Leon remained looking at the floor.

"Leon do you know how long I have been at this Academy?" Locer motioned for Leon to stand.

"Magus I ... It is rumored since the first Lords reign, other than that I do not know." Leon tried to say tactfully.

Locer looked down at the scrolls at her feet, she leafed through them slowly.

"Yes Leon, as you know the more powerful we mages become the slower we age, that rumor is true." Locer said frowning.

Leon had read of Mages that had lived thousands of years, usually they where heros of legend who saved kingdoms, he and his brother had dreamed of being a hero like those he read about. When he had joined the academy he was tested for his arcane ability only to be told he was far to weak to join Mages ranks, his level of fine control lacked far to much to do the more intricate spell crafting required for more advanced positions, so instead he had Joined the ranks of the Dragon riders, one of the few positions that allowed for those weaker in the arcane and still allowed the chance for glory.

"Magus?" Markus asked unsure of where this was headed.

"Leon what do you know of Tír na nÓg, and the weapons and tools they used?"

"I know that it is a child's story, none sense about a land beyond reach where the arcane does not exist and people live forever." Leon frowned trying to remember more.

Locer let out a slow breath, she pulled an object from her desk and handed it to Leon.

"Leon in all my years of life I have never been this worried for the Imperium, there is open talk in the streets questioning the leadership for the choices we have made, Leon all of these choices have been made for a reason. Leon Tír na nÓg exists, it was the cause of the rebellion 400 years ago, what you hold is proof of that."