Silver moved through the tent city wearing his uniform and bearing no bags. His belongings would be shipped to his new location in a few days. He gazed around the military camp that had become so familiar over the past ten years. Even though the army had consistently shifted locations, the setting inside the earthen barriers remained unchanged over time. As he walked away from his soldiers in the predawn darkness, he felt significant sadness. He passed a roaming patrol and they stood aside as he passed. Each one gave him a solemn solute before continuing on through the torchlit camp. The soldiers were sad to see him go. While they would have saluted any another Royal, they were not required to pause in their rounds. The firmness of their salutes and the tightness of their mouths showed that their sorrow mirrored Silver's. However, it was not just sorrow at him leave, but also trepidation at the idea of having a new commander.
All soldiers knew that Royals were beings that were meant to be feared. Royals were raised to be ruthless, and their natural powers were beyond anything a soldier could match. However, not all Royals were competent leaders. The issue with Royals was that they were all required to take part in the military system. As a result, all Royals sought to rise through the ranks. If a Royal elected not to take part in the system or was shown to be incompetent, they were given administrative positions. No Royal wanted to be given the hated task of over watching a township.
For soldiers this situation often meant that their leaders were cocky due to their power and punishing as a result of fear. Many Royals ignored their failures as leaders and would discipline the soldiers harshly for poor results. Silver was an exception to this rule. While Silver also felt the desperate need to advance, he was a clever and competent leader. He not only knew that kindness inspired the type of loyalty that would enhance his soldier's performance, but he was also a brilliant tactician. His soldiers had slept well at night knowing that he was in charge.
Silver could sense the trepidation in his soldiers, and he understood the issues with the system better than they did. He knew that they feared getting one of Silver's brothers or sisters that did not know how to lead in combat. It was a likely occurrence. Most of his siblings were arrogant and powerful. It was a dangerous combination. From childhood they were trained to fight and lead. Even the worst Royal had a comprehensive understanding of tactics. Unfortunately, their training did not focus on interpersonal skills. This lack of knowledge was exacerbated by the fact that Royals were taught that they were fundamentally superior to everyone else. Often this led to Royals looking down on others to the point that they only saw property. Silver understood that he was superior to the common citizen, but he firmly believed that every citizen had value.
There was nothing that Silver could do about Royals that did not share his beliefs regarding citizens, and he could not do anything about his replacement. His time on the front was over, and he would never speak ill of a sibling to a common soldier. Silver let out a sigh and continue walking at a fast pace. He did not want to be late meeting the teleportation team. Reaching a deep trench with wooden barriers around it Silver looked up at the watchtower and waved. The guard motioned for Silver to approach the gate and began to turn around to signal the guards to open it. Silver smiled at the gesture and ignited his blood. He felt the explosive nature of his power fill him and leapt. He soared easily over the wall. As he landed softly on the other side, he heard the guard in the tower curse softly.
"Damn Royals."
Silver grinned at the guard's comment. Military commanders were not permitted to behave in such a childish manner, but he wasn't a commander anymore. Silver briefly reveled in the rush that his power brought before releasing it. Looking around the compound he had just entered he saw four figures standing in the center of the clearing.
Each figure was a Magus of a different element. On the far left was an earth Magus with an iron band covering the gaping holes where his eyes should be, and bare feet to allow for a more intimate relationship with his element. Next to him was a tall fire Magus with glowing coals in place of her eyes. Then came the water Magus with the typical shifting eyes that reflected the tides. As Silver looked the eyes went from the near black of a deep ocean to the comforting blue of coastal water. Last came the air Magus. His eyes were such a pale blue that they almost appeared clear and swirled about in constant motion. Silver approached the Magus smiling politely.
"You were not who I expected. When did you arrive at the front?" Silver spoke to the fire Magus. Silver had met her eleven years ago when she was a brand-new Magus.
"We were sent to bring you. We will be returning with you." The fire Magus spoke formally. If she remembered Silver, then she was not giving any hint to it.
"I am ready when you are." Silver remained neutral but was confused by the cold response from the Magus. Typically, Magus loved to develop relationships with Royals, because it could result in promotions. Also, Royals and fellow Magus were the only people that were not terrified of Magus on principle.
The fire mage nodded in response to Silver's words, and the four Magus stepped into a diamond formation. Each activated their power. Earth rumbled and as the earth Magus allowed his power to seep into the complex pattern that was already engraved in the ground. His purpose was to guide the others and form a barrier that would hold the power coming from the others. The water and air Magus both released the essence of their elements into the pattern and then let it flow up. It formed a net in the air that took the two-dimensional pattern and turned it into a three-dimensional globe. For the briefest moment it looked like it would continue extending into the sky, but the earth Magus grunted and trapped it just as it crested Silver's head. Lastly, the fire Magus breathed fire into the array and brought life to it.
The formation hummed with life and began to rotate. The rotation sped up slowly until it was going so quickly that it became impossible to see any individual line of power. After it reached its top speed it formed a hole in existence. Each member froze in place while they strained to keep the gate open. Silver stepped through the portal and into a room made of white stone. Silver continue walking for a few steps before turning and waiting. The Air Magus stepped through next and was followed by the water Magus and then the fire Magus. Their order did not matter, so long as the earth Magus came last. As the blind earth magus stepped through, he left his right arm extended through the portal. As he withdrew his arm the formation trembled. Just as the Magus's fingertips left the portal it collapsed in on itself and ceased to exist.
Seeing the gate close Silver nodded to the tired Magus. Each one was exhausted. Creating a portal was one of the most challenging tasks for a Magus. It required each one to be both strong and well-practiced. Often, they were placed in their four person teams and left there for decades. Even an experienced team would be nearly useless for a day after creating a portal. Silver looked around the room and instantly recognized where he was. This was the designated portal chamber of one of the most secretive locations in the Empire, the Ocular school. Silver smiled, he had spent ten pleasant years here and the success he had here was what had allowed him to gain a position on the front.
'This does bring back memories. I was frustrated at the idea of returning here, but I enjoyed my time here. I think that this will be nice, even if my chances of spending time in the sun are nonexistent.'
"And so, the prodigal son returns from the front as a hero." A passive, lazy voice echoed through the room and interrupted Silver's thoughts.
Silver smiled in response to the voice, "witty clichés spoken from the shadows. Where are you hiding?"
"Here."
Directly in front of Silver a tall figure seemed to step out of the wall. Bright green light emanated from the eyes in the youthful face. Long black hair hung down past his face and blended into the black cloak that the young man wore. The handle of a long sword stuck out from the waist of the cloak that wrapped the youth's body. Silver knew that there was a dagger on the other hip. Of course, Silver also knew that the weapons this man openly wore were not the ones that were the most dangerous.
"Flicker, I am glad to see that you are still in good spirits. Did you come here to welcome me, or do you sit in here for fun?"
"I was returning from a mission myself. When I arrived, there was a student here with a message that I was to await you arrival. Events have been moving quickly as of late. They often take advantage of my abilities as an insomniac. I am certain that most Ravens are resting. You will no doubt be briefed on the chaos that has consumed this place." Flicker gave his speech with a level of apathy that impressed Silver.
"Can you tell me of it while we walk?" Silver asked respectfully.
Flicker turned to the door and pushed it open before leading the way. Silver fell in beside him with a relaxed demeanor. The brightly lit stone hallways were comforting. The hallways were carved into a mountain made of dark stone, but white marble had been laid over it on the ground. Lamps were mounted on the walls every few paces and kept lit. The lamps burned a rare oil that cast a calming white light. It was expensive, but the Empire would spare no expense when it came to the well-being of the Ravens. The marble reflected the pleasant light and did much to ward off the gloomy atmosphere that would be expected in an unground tunnel. Although the people in this place did seem to prefer a brooding aesthetic.
"Flicker, no doubt I will be briefed. However, I would like your account of the situation. I can say with honesty that I trust you more than my family."
"I do not blame you for trusting me over your den of vipers. Still, I once again say that trusting a chained dog is the purview of a fool."
"Nonetheless."
Flicker continued walking for several moments before beginning to speak. "The soul holder that took over for you has done his job well. He prefers to be aloof. He receives my tasks and sends me on them without taking up unnecessary time, which I appreciate. My workload has increased since you left, but not by much. The Ocular's duties remain the same as they were during your time here. However, a number of recruits have been taken from inquisitors. They have attempted to send Oculars from every school to try to counter those raids. But the raids are random, and the low number of Oculars is the issue. Every Ocular tasked to escort an inquisitor is an Ocular not hunting criminal organizations. It is an Ocular that is not preventing corruption.
"Ravens in particular are being required to cover too much ground. For five years now the current head of the school has failed to successfully track a single raid. His response has been to use the same reactionary strategy with more people. The issue is that by attaching a Raven to an inquisitor he is marking them for whoever is conducting the raids. I am sure that you understand the issues that causes. Regardless, the tasks that those people should be undertaking have fallen to me."
"No doubt you complete them better." Silver commented with a chuckle.
"Always. But, this means that new graduates are not developing. The current Oculars are little more than flashy trick ponies."
"You have always thought of them this way."
"That does not change the fact that they grow addicted to throwing their power against foes that could be brought down with steel. It is a shameful way to use their training. Now they do not even fight. Instead they run about the wilderness chasing ghosts. They are not learning through combat. You will fail if you continue this trend. I do not envy your position. Your office is that door on the left. I do not wish you success, but I do like you. Take care of the people and respect the input from the Ravens. These problems will solve themselves."
"Thank you for your candor flicker. If you need anything while I am here, let me know." Silver smiled at the young face that he had watched over for ten years. Since that time Flicker still had not changed from the first day that Silver had met him.
"I only need one thing, and you cannot give it to me." Flicker spoke with a flat tone before disappearing from in front of Silver.
Silver shook his head. It always amazed him that Flicker made something as challenging and time consuming as teleportation look effortless. Even with the Ocular's ability to use all elements teleporting was not easy. Only a few could manage to form a portal alone. Flicker not only could form a portal alone, but he could do it so quickly that the portal was not even visible. Several Soul holders before Silver had attempted to torture the secret out of Flicker. Allegedly Flicker had found the knives and hot pincers used amusing. He only gave one answer despite years of horrific torture.
"My secret is competence. If you are a moron, that is your problem"
The records of those soul holders showed that each one had eventually been removed from the position. Often, they were even given the harshest punishment possible, being a mayor of a farming town. Evidently Flicker had responded to the torture by refusing to cooperate with the Empire. This would have resulted in severe punishment for Flicker, but he would instantly return to duty if the soul holder was replaced. Soul holders had eventually decided that they were not willing to risk having nothing to show for their time as a soul holder and given up the search for an explanation.
Silver shook his head.
'Now is not the time to focus on the distant past.'
Silver walked up to the door that Flicker had pointed out. This was not the office that the previous superintendent had used ten years ago. Clearly, the most recent leader had shifted rooms. That was not unusual. There were many large rooms in the complex that went unused. Silver doubted that he would change offices once he took the position. Silver had never been someone who would expend effort for such a small matter. Silver knocked firmly on the wooden door. From within the room, a deep voice invited him to enter.