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General Asimov certainly had better days, the raggedy clothes, bruise marks and dirty hair and unkempt beard marked as a bit worse for wear. The Dwarven interrogators were not particularly kind to him, they even removed his eye-patch and had it replaced with a filthy, blood-stained, grey rag, twisted and tied around his forehead to mask the ages-old scar that rendered the loss of his eye. Still, there was a fire burning in his one good eye, the same kind that Aleko saw when they first met on the fields of Northspark, a clear sign for the shepherd that this Human General was not broken, even as he stood behind solid iron bars with chains around his wrists and ankles. Asimov rose his gaze the moment the guard opened the door and saw none other than Aleko strode inside, taking a seat right in front of the cell. “[b]Hah. A royal visit, is it? To what do I owe the pleasure of such an honor, your grace?[/b]” the same sarcastic tone that Aleko recognized was still present in the General’s voice, particularly when he called the Halfling ‘your grace’, the phrase being pretty much drowned in spite. Aleko’s request was the first time when he saw the General utterly surprised and nearly speechless. “[b]Excuse you?[/b]” being the only thing he muttered before the heir stated his question. Asimov rose an eyebrow, unsure of what the purpose behind this was or if Aleko was simply mocking him with a promise of freedom in exchange for an answer to a seemingly random question. Confused, the Human answered shortly with a “[b]Yes? What about it?[/b]” but his question remained unanswered as Aleko was visibly bothered by something, shortly thanking the General and taking his leave, leaving Asimov behind with only his confusion for company. The guard overheard everything and attempted to stop Aleko and ask if he was indeed sincere in the idea of releasing the Human General from custody, a rather irritated glare was the only response he received form the heir and the only one he needed. 

After striding viciously through the halls and corridors of the Excaliber, Aleko found the Imperial Wizard in the Royal Study, apparently reading what appeared to be a letter. The heir’s sudden appearance made Cyrus nearly jump from surprise “[b]Oh! Ah…Sir. Pardon me. I was not expecting..-[/b]“ yet Aleko did not allow him to finish his sentence as he quite literary dragged the old Human into his personal chambers, locking the door behind and proceeding to vent his anger upon it. What followed was the heir pretty much interrogating the wizard. Cyrus became pale as he was assaulted with questions, Aleko reminding him of what he said the first time they met, threatening to turn his back on the whole campaign should the wizard withhold any secrets of import from him. “[b]Sir.. Please. Calm yourself, I never..-[/b]“ the Wizard tried to reason with him, but was silenced when Aleko slammed his fist on the table.
[i]
"Where. Is. My. Mother! Focus, Cyrus, focus on the truth and tell me!"[/i]

Cyrus was visibly shaken, leaning heavily on his staff with one hand. His gaze, momentarily fell on the letter in his hand before quickly returning to Aleko, who noticed this and promptly snatched the paper. “[b]I..I just received it a few minutes before.[/b]” The Wizard muttered “[b]..I was…about to inform you..sir. I…I am sorry…[/b]” his apology sounded genuine, but it may have fallen on deaf ears as Aleko was busy assimilating the information he just learned from the letter. “[i]When?[/i]” was all the heir muttered as he stared blankly at a wall, letting the letter drop from his grasp, gliding down on the fine carpet. “[b]During your skirmish in Northspark…[/b]” informed Cyrus, beads of sweat dripping from his brow. The sound of Aleko gritting his teeth was the only thing that broke the silence between the two for a few moments, anger building up inside the shepherd as he learned that the Stainless Empire had taken over the province of Zeiserberg while Aleko was busy storming castle Northspark. The shepherd shouted a curse to no one in particular and turned to face the wizard. His intentions were clear, he wanted to gather troops immediately and mount an invasion on Zeiserberg, to liberate the province and rescue his mother, an approach which Cyrus protested against. “[b]Sir! The Stainless’ forces have a strong foothold and there is yet a safe and feasible way for our troops to access it.[/b]” Aleko was about to ignore the old man and storm out when he found himself pulled back by the arm “[b]Sir! I know how you feel but what you are suggesting is folly![/b]” Aleko shook away from the wizard’s grip and stared at him viciously, yet this time Cyrus was not as abashed as he was before, speaking in a calming tone “[b]We must wait and form a plan! Consult with the generals and make preparations. I swear to you, sir, we WILL liberate Zeiserberg  from the Stainless and rescue your mother. But now is not the time![/b]” 

Whether this calmed Aleko or not, Cyrus could not tell, but the heir did change the subject to the first part of his interrogations, the discrepancies between the time of his birth and the time of his presumed father’s death. The Wizard opened his mouth to speak yet changed his mind before uttering a single word and glanced around. In a moment which probably worried Aleko, the old man rose his staff and began chanting some sort of incantation, causing the orb from the head of the staff to glow in a pale, white light. In a few moments, Cyrus slammed the staff on the ground, releasing a wave of pale, thin smoke with a low humming sound, the shepherd feeling pressure on his shoulders and head, yet not at such a degree as to cause him any visual discomfort. It probably took Aleko a few moments to adjust to the new sensation, but when he inspected his surroundings he noticed that all the color in the room was gone. The once vibrant crimson of the carpet and sheets, the dark-red-ish hue of the furniture and even the rays of sunlight from the window, all were now a faded grey. Along with the color, all sound was muted as well, replaced by an eerie dead silence. The only ones not affected by this odd spell appeared to be Cyrus and himself, Aleko not wasting any time and demanding an explanation from the wizard.

“[b]Nothing to fear, sir. I only used my magic to create what is commonly known as a ‘[i]Time Bubble[/i]’ [/b]“ Cyrus seemed out of breath as he explained “[b]Now we can discuss freely, without the fear of eavesdropping…[/b]” He took a deep breath and muttered an “[b]Excuse me..[/b]” as he took a seat on a nearby chair. The wizard was visibly strained, as if someone had just dumped a massive weight on his shoulders and tied it to his back, struggling with it. And so it was that in this environment, bereft of color and sound, did the Imperial Wizard confess to the heir of a secret long kept hidden within his complex mind. “[b]When the Demons invaded…[/b]” he started, his gaze lowered “[b]…Asmuel Sendrakon, your father, was among the first to meet them in battle. His strength was something to behold, his skills a marvel on themselves and his tactical mind sharpen than any blade made by mortal hands. However, like any other mortal man he had flaws. His pride and overconfidence in his abilities and those of the men and women under his command being the greatest.[/b]” The old man paired his hands and took a deep breath. “[b]I remember that day…the day when we made the final push against the last Demonic Gate standing. Call it blind instinct, a wizard’s intuition or the paranoia of an old man, but I….felt something…troubling. I urged the Emperor to postpone his attack and regroup, maybe wait for reinforcements… yet my advice fell on deaf ears, dismissed with a grin as he rode head-first in the midst of a horde of hellspawns.[/b]” 

Cyrus straightened his back, his white eyes meeting Aleko’s blue visage. “[b]We all know the tale. Of how the demons were waiting, preparing an ambush and slaughtered the attacking force along with the Emperor before pushing for the outpost and slaying everyone there…along with his wife and sons. The only survivors being Allister Stormreaver and myself.[/b]”

“[b]But…[/b]”

His expression darkened…”[b]..That is not the WHOLE truth…[/b]” 

“[b]Allister and I were recovering from the battle and decided to search the battle-field, hoping to find any survivors. He discovered the massacred bodies of the royal family.  And I? I found our Emperor….alive.[/b]”

The Wizard noticed the split-second of shock on Aleko’s face as he elaborated.

“[b]Yes. This is the truth. The truth that I hid from everyone. I found Asmuel, or rather what was left of him. He suffered horrific injuries, lost an arm, nearly every bone broken or utterly crushed….it was a Gods given miracle he still breathed. It was in that moment that I knew what had to be done… Asmuel was a terrible ruler. A tyrant beyond measure who didn’t shy away from any acts of cruelty. Fear is what he used to keep the people under his heel and no one dared question him without risking his terrible wrath.[/b]”

Cyrus frowned “[b]No, sir. I did not end his life. In spite of what I said, he was still a Sendrakon and there must ALWAYS be a Sendrakon on the throne of the Avalon Empire. I spirited him away, tended to his wounds until he was stable and after a few years….I sat my plan into motion. Asmuel was the last Sendrakon and the flame of his life was gradually being smothered, with his whole family dead, a new heir had to be produced in order to secure the line of succession[/b].” The Wizard dropped his gaze. “[b]Your mother is an old friend. I knew her since she was but a cub and I still had black in my hair. I am not lying when I say that I had even considered taking her as my apprentice at some point, an unthinkable insult for her parents. With the War of the Three Empires  a reality, I called her and revealed to her what I revealed to you just now, and asked for her…help.[/b]”

“[b]I expected refusal. Protests, accusations of treason towards the crown even. All I received was a solemn nod and a gaze of determination. Your father eventually died, having lost the will and strength to live, but not before his…union with your mother. I had her swear an oath of secrecy, towards her friends, her future husband, her family, everyone. Even yourself. We haven’t even spoken since that faithful day. I only received a letter, letting me know when you were born and where I could find you when the time was right.[/b]”  

Cyrus sighed deeply, the sigh of a man who just climbed the highest mountain “[b]And that, sir. Is the truth of it. I apologize for keeping this from you. I always knew you would find out eventually or that I would confess, of course. I had only hopped it were under different circumstances and in less… pressing times.[/b]” 

The old wizard struggled to his feet  “[b]I will understand if you decide to no longer be involved sir. But I still believe this is where you belong. In these two weeks you proved to be a better ruler than Asmuel had in his lifetime. The men and women rally to you, the people listen and are swayed by your words. I know you had doubts since the beginning, but I can assure you, there is no one the people would rather follow. I beg of you, take your rightful place and help bring the Empire back to the way it was originally intended to be, a place of peace and prosperity under the guidance of a benevolent ruler. My deception is unforgivable, I know and I apologize for it. Say the word and I shall relinquish my position as Imperial Wizard and disappear into obscurity but please…sir.[/b]”

The Wizard took a few steps forward, placing his hand on the staff that was floating between them this whole time “[b]…Please, don’t abandon us…[/b]”

 After that he pulled the staff from its suspended levitation, almost instantly brining back color and sound to the world around them. Yet the creaking of the floor beneath them, the gentle noise of the fortress as it drifted among the clouds and the vibrant colors of the richly decorated rooms, all were witnesses to a deep silence as Aleko pondered quietly, assimilating the information he had just received.
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