– Somewhere above Olysium –

Fire, Ash and Smoke. 
The groaning of metal and the cries of anguish filled the air.
The people screamed in panic, out of fear and pain as the dust swirled around them, cloaking them in a dangerous fog as the Vaimese elite troops charged down the streets.
Mothers clutching to their children watched on as fathers and sons of age were rounded up and forced to their knees at gunpoint.
Any form of struggle or resistance was brutally beaten down, even carrying a weapon targeted you as a potential threat and earned yourself a bullet.
Olysium’s honourable guardsmen who had defended the city for so long were dragged behind flying crafts, those poor dead bastards were the lucky ones though. 
Those that surrendered  and alive were rounded up by the Vaimese soldiers that now were making their way into the City.
Those that were wounded and in smaller numbers were...well dealt with.
As the streets littered with corpses and blood the officers set their soldiers to their initial task.
The Belisians were sorted, documented, numbered and chained.
Like mere sheep they awaited their fates as their future was uncertain with these new overlords.

Helluin stepped out of his ship and into the rubble that was now the once glorious city, The Jewel of the Skies. He sneered at the sight as he opened up the vizor of his helmet.
His dark blue armour gleamed, polished to a shine drawing the attention of those around him. 
The soldiers hesitated for a mere moment before they continued, lost in pursuing their own form of justice and vengeance for the loss of the comrades upon the citizens of this shitstain of a city.
Their rebritution was swift and brutal.
Helluin doubted that even their own officers would be able to bring these soldiers to heel again. To reel in the anger that was roused in these men.
Still, there were at least some soldiers that still had followed orders...His men, he thought as he watched them secure the area and keep a strong hold over their own emotions as they pulled one of the rabble off of some unfortunate girl.
True Discipline.
His subordinate immediately rushed to his side ready to report.
As always a good demonstration of pure diligience in their duties…
None of that barbaric behaviour he had noticed other soldiers do. 
His men knew that true duty would be properly rewarded, instead of receiving the instant gratification by raping some fairhaired hussy in an attempt to take revenge.
It was utterly stupid. 
But those that only lived through their primitive urges never understood what true victory meant. They would cause impurities. 
A mixing of the bloods.
They had already done this once before and look where that got them.
What was a true citizen of Vaim these days? 
The subjugation of the Revendahli lead to them being swallowed by the Empire. It wasn’t like they were eradicated like the cockroaches they were. No, instead the Tahjai convinced the Teryns to keep them as slaves and allowed them to breed.
Breathtakingly stupid.
Helluin shook his head as his subordinate Tamrin babbled on about the numbers of streets they had covered, the resistance they met so far, the number of houses that were collapsed and the amounts of people that had surrendered. 
It was all rather annoying, but it had to be done.
The Belisian Kingdom had long since been a nuissance. 
Like a nasty thornbush threatening the lush blooming garden that was the Empire with its poisonous thorns. 
Everyone knows what one has to do when such a threat gets too much room to grow. 
Now if it had been up to him it would have been ripped it out. 
Root and stem.
After all, what good were the Belisians? Keep them as slaves? Anyone with any sense would not even suggest such a thing due to the long standing history between the two and if you did enslave them you damn well shouldn’t let them near your person or let them handle any vital manual labour.
So the question was what in the Blue Skies did the Tahjai want with these people?
“...are secured and Sir, Teryn Jaspar wanted to see you as soon as you landed.”
“Hmm? Jaspar? Teryn Jaspar Vollsung you say? Did he happen to mention why Tamrin?”
“No, he spoke very little...”
Helluin’s frown deepened, he knew that tone.
“Spit it Tamrin.”
“Sir, it is not my place to say, but Teryn Jaspar has been collecting the children...” He hesitated for a moment before he continued keeping an eye on the stoic figure that was his Lord Captain. “Apparently the Mages set up some sort of vessel or portal to transport them...”
Helluin snorted unimpressed, he had seen those crystals before, a bit of old technology that had been guarded and passed down by those that had come before. The mysterious Old Ones.
“Where are they sending them off to?”
“They wouldn’t tell us Sir, those spellslingers told us to mind our own business and keep the peace. To do our jobs. Teryn Jaspar didn’t even flinch. He’s supposedly keeping an eye on them North from here, at some large estate.”
“Very well Tamrin, I’ll get to the bottom of things, carry on and if you face any opposition you have my authority to crush it. Within reason mind you. Make it clean, this whole ordeal is messy enough as it is and I certainly don’t relish to do any extra reports on some ‘mistaken victims’.
“Aye Sir.” Tamrin said as he saluted, before he rushed back to the men.
Helluin watched him walk back and shout orders, before the squadron set out again securing more of the Capital.
Helluin himself moved towards the new directions.
It had been awhile since he had last seen Jaspar. 
They had been good fellows at the Academy, that was until the Vollsung family fell ‘out of favour’. 
Jaspar’s father apparently had grown too trusting and too cocky with his ‘needs’. Naturally this weakness was found out and exploited. Ultimately his position was usurped by lesser men. 
A shame, but it happened in the Empire.
Again by the hands of some backwater hussy, hooked and played like lure on a fishingline. 
It had been in poor taste though, the report had stated he had been strangled by two slaves in some sort of strange sexual position…Tied like a hog as the slaves had gone to town on him.
He couldn’t recall the rumours exactly but it was said the room had smelled of wine, piss, blood, shit and acid.
He groaned, he’d rather not think about it.
It had altered life for Jaspar though, too young to take his father’s place. They were lucky to not have been ‘taken care of’ Helluin remembered Jaspars mother remarried the next day. 
Desperate for a ‘new’ husband and the protection and maintaining of status that came with it. She threw herself upon the mercy and good will of some Magister high up in the Tahjai order.  
It didn’t do Jaspar much good though. He was taken from the Academy, to be homeschooled by his stepfather.
The Tahjai...Helluin felt a shiver run down his spine at the thought.
Those in the know knew those damned mages were up to something and as soon as you trusted them they would knife you in the back.
Helluin was convinced of it.
After all he had watched Jaspar change.
He turned darker…
Whatever his stepfather did it left its scars on him.
Gone was the jovial smile and the twinkling mischieveous light in his eyes. Instead a pair of hollow grey eyes stared back and a thin line had replaced the wicked smirk of his younger days.
As he approached his destination he already saw the different mages help out to sort the prisonners.
He heard the cries and screams of a teenager as a baby was ripped from her arms and taken away.
He watched as she was easily held back by two Tahjai apprentices, eager to earn their promotions as their magic left her choking and dangling up in the air watching as the mage that had taken the baby didn’t spare her a glance or word of compassion.
Further down two twin brothers had been placed in a makeshift ring with one of the Tahjai Battlemages that was testing their abilities whilst nodding in approval at the fury with which the boys fought. 
As Helluin walked past the line of children that the mages had set up for ‘inspection’ he noticed their hopeful and frightened looks up at him.
If they expected that their rescue would come from his hands they would be sorely mistaken. He ignored them as he noticed Teryn Jaspar stand guard at the inspection desk behind one particular Tahjai. Magister Elegost.
The old Magister still maintained a menacing aura, despite his deceptive frail figure. He sported a short thin white beard, a hooked nose and bushy eyebrows. His long fingers gestured the children forward one by one, no doubt part hypnotism and part telekinesis. 
Helluin moved to Jaspar hoping there would be an explanation for his summoning.
“Teryn Vollsung, you asked to see me?” He asked greeting him with a friendly bow of his head.
He watched Jaspar’s expressions carefully, but there wasn’t even a ghost of a smile.
He nodded and gestured for them to move into a different chamber, walking in front of him to lead him out of earshot.
Once one of the other rooms, pressumably a former library, Jaspar turned around to face him again.
“All right, Jaspar what’s this all about?” Helluin asked as he crossed his arms in front of his chest.
“What’s with all the secrecy? What’s with the children? Why did you need me?”
Jaspar however didn’t look at him, no it was almost as if he could not face him.
Helluin frowned and grew concerned, intending to demand an explanation, before a voice from behind startled him.
“Ahh forgive me for keeping you waiting. You are young Teryn Helluin Faelre are you not?” 
Helluin turned to the Magister that came up from the doorway behind him, passing him with a youthfulness and fluid motion that shouldn’t be there considering his age.
“It was I that called you here, undoubtedly you have heard of me, I am Magister Elegost, Mastermage and Scholar of Waelwold.”
“I am aware of your position and elevation in station yes, though I did not have the ‘pleasure’ of meeting you yet...but it seems that will be remedied today.”
“Yes, quite well put Young Teryn. Quite well put. Though I fear our meeting will be soured somewhat as I am afraid we have some bad news. It concerns a relative of yours...a cousin I believe. A man called Ravros? Does the name ring a bell, per chance?”
“He’s a very distant relative of mine, yes. No doubt this bad news you will inform me off will mean that he is one of the fallen.” Helluin deduced out loud, receiving a nod from the elderly mage.
“I’m afraid so as he has not reported back yet...Our seers...have difficulty locating his signal. We believe him to be a casualty of this war. It was brought to our understanding that you were close...he mentioned you a great deal during our time with us.”
“Good Magister, when one is born within a family such as mine no one is truly close, so I would be surprised if he praised me. I wasn’t even aware he had dealings with the Tahjai.”
Helluin’s frown deepened wondering if that moron had left some outstanding debts.
“If it is a money matter I am afraid you’ve come to the wrong person, you’ll need to talk to my elder brother. He inherited father’s fortune, I am merely the spare.”
“Oh no, no, no Good Young Teryn, none of the sort. None of the sort. We Tahjai place very little importance upon coin, when other riches are to be considered.” Magister Elegost spoke as he moved around him, forcing him to turn with him to keep a proper eye on the man.
“No you see Ravros was part of a little project of ours and we hoped that you might be willing to fill his place so to speak. Not without just reward of course, after all when all is said and done no man can stand up against your might and that of the Empire you’ll create.”
Helluin sighed getting rather dizzy from all this turning about and dancing around the subject.
“I’m afraid you have chosen the wrong person to approach for this, I am not that suicidal nor that ambitious. I learned long ago that magic always has a price. A price I am unwilling to pay.”
Magister Elegost clacked his tongue in disappointment as he moved away from the door his long fingers tapping the temple of his head for a second.
“Ah Pity...”   
Within an instant the invisible threads the Magister had laid around him tightened and held Helluin, pinning every limb in place. 
Fury and Disbelief at the treachery flashed across his face as he turned to Jaspar who looked at him now with an expression of guilt and silent apology.
“WHAT the HELL do you WANT?” He demanded to know turning his anger towards the Magister again, who was busy laying out a set of particularly sharp tools.
“It would have been better if you had been willing...A willing heart is stronger after all,” He heard the Magister mutter before he turned towards him with a strange clawlike tool.
“Don’t worry, once we’re done with you even your older brother won’t recognise you….”