37 Children of the Magister
It took a while to assemble the team of envoys, but after grueling hours, they were finally set. The Magistrate Sanctum was divided into zones and each envoy was assigned to their designated areas. Arcanist Brutos Griffith was assigned to the Magi zone, Magus Jenna Brand was assigned to the Practitioner zone, and Magus Raine Lombar was assigned to the Arcanist Zone. The High Magistrates, Elaina and Kiri, were given the job to investigate all other Magistrates, Apprentices, and Acolytes.
As the volunteers were initiated as the new envoys to the Arcane Watch, the meeting came to a conclusion.
Before the gathering was dismissed, Lord Magistrate Juron made an important announcement:
'Another gathering will take place at the Arc Tower in two days. All magicians of the Magistrate Sanctum are REQUIRED to be present. Those who will not attend will face penalties.' In the words of Lord Magistrate Juron Althemor himself,
"The Rapture Event may very well be upon us. We will not watch the world undergo another Surge. It is high time we act on it…while we still can."
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While the rest of the gathering exited the Arc Tower, a lone figure was seen sneaking into the crowd and moving to the direction of the majestic building. Rhael Stedore was one of those who attended the meeting, while her husband was home tending his wounds. She was lost in thought when the lone stranger grazed past her. She suddenly felt a strange familiarity with the person, but as she turned to look, the stranger was already lost in the crowd.
'Where have I seen that woman…', Rhael thought to herself. Shaking it off, she continued on to her new destination.
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Lord Magistrate Juron Althemor stood near a relaxation pool inside the Arc Tower. These special areas were magically designed to soothe the soul, rejuvenate the body, and revitalize the spirit. He liked coming to these places. A place where one can almost forget all the problems in the world.
"Lord Magistrate.", a voice suddenly interrupted his meditation.
"He's here."
"Ahh. Thank you.", Juron answered.
"Please, let him in."
The doors closed and Lord Magistrate Juron withdrew from his trance. When the doors opened again, a young man dressed in black entered the room.
"Father. You called for me?"
"Yes, Brutos, my son." Juron smiled.
"I am deeply pleased at what you did today. You make me so proud. I'm sure your mother feels the same as well." He said the last words with a hint of sorrow in his voice.
"I am honored by your words, father." Brutos said, bowing down.
"I'm sure you're already aware of the dangers this mission entails. As a father, I fear for your safety. Therefore, I arranged for someone to accompany you during your investigations."
Brutos was surprised. He was an adopted son in the Althemor household but they had always treated him like real family. Juron was a bit overprotective, but this is almost too much.
"Thank you for your concern, father. But I think I can manage on my own."
Juron looked at him, and laughed.
"Nonsense! You're going to need warmth especially now that it's the winter season. I'm sure you two will get along just fine." Still chuckling merrily, he whistled a short, high-pitched tune and one of his pets came scampering out.
Brutos looked as if somebody played a practical joke on him, but seeing that the Lord Magistrate was serious, he accepted the kind gesture.
"Thank you, Lord Magistrate."
"Out there, I'm the Lord Magistrate. But in here, we are father and son. You got that?", Juron smiled at the young man.
"Now, go out there and show them what you've got."
The young man smiled back as he exited the relaxation pool with a new companion right behind him, and Lord Magistrate Juron Althmor went back to his meditation.
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At the gates of the Arc Tower, a lone figure walked up to the guards. She was a tall, young woman with a face almost unemotional but still elegant. The guards, however, did not recognize her as one of the magicians of the Sanctum and so they blocked the entrance.
"Identification, please."
"I have an important message for Juron Althemor."
The guards looked at each other, noticing the omission of the Lord Magistrate's title.
"Perhaps, you can leave the message to us, and then we can relay it to the Lord Magistrate."
The young woman was clearly getting irritated, but she kept her cool.
"Please, I really need to see Juron."
"Look. You speak as if you know the Lord Magistrate. How about this; you give us your identification and we'll try to notify his chambers. If he recognizes you, I'm sure he'll send for you right away."
"Fine.", the young woman sighed. "My name is Leia. Leia Althemor."
