"Following the foundation of the Empire and Her Eternal Majesty's defeat of Maldrak of the Veil, there was a period of peace. Sadly that was not to last. Mere months later Her erstwhile allies Talia Miral and Alphar Likuta betrayed her with a surprise attack. Likuta struck in the dead of night, supported by dread Weiryin of almost incomprehensible power and an army of lesser witches. The First Battle of Trevayn raged for three full days before the Undying Queen herself struck Likuta down in Trevayn's central square. It took a further three days for the last of the out-of-control Weiryin to finally be banished or destroyed. As for Miral, records of her actions in the battle are scant, but it appears that she took the coward's path and fled to continue her perverse experiments with necromancy, forming armies of horrors to be thrown at the Empire."

Two Thousand Years of Empire by Jahangir Amini

=====

Ester reached out to pull on the cord hanging beside the unnaturally black gates to Master Tabasi's mansion, then mentally kicked herself. She'd been away from the Academy for too long. Instead she opened her mind, looking beyond reality.

The walls of the mansion glowed with magic, complex patterns drifting over them. If she'd thought the wards at the Starfall Palace were interestingly complex, these were on another level. Had he made them all himself? Runes swirled across the building in their thousands, but there would be one set… Ah, yes, there. Ester took them in with a glance.

"Faoiltu, meydaich." She didn't really need to, but it was traditional to speak that spell out loud. At the same time, she focused on her own magical identity, adding it to the spell, a calling card that would be well nigh on impossible to imitate.

The wards reacted, flowing over her in a brief flurry of runes before withdrawing again. A moment later, the gates opened smoothly and silently.

With a final look around her, Ester stepped inside.

She was greeted, in a surprisingly mundane courtyard by a young man dressed in plain, unadorned black. He gave her a low bow.

"My lady, welcome. Master Tabasi will receive you in his study."

"Thank you," she murmured before following him inside, making sure to keep any signs of nervousness, or excitement for that matter, from her face.

Master Tabasi's mansion was big, that much was obvious. It must be skirting at the edge of the rules on Mages owning property, if not outright flaunting them. However, once she was inside she was surprised to see how plain it was. Particularly given who owned it.

She saw a couple of other servants as she was led her through its corridors and the glances she got into rooms told her that they were well furnished. However, there was none of the ornate finery that characterised nobles' residences. The odd painting decorated the walls, but beyond that they were largely painted a simple white. The floors were tiled in patterns of black and white, but again there was none of the elaborate imagery that a noble might have had. However, throughout the place she could feel the thrum of magic, see runes swirling around. If she'd been under any illusion about who occupied the mansion, a moment's look at the sheer quantity of magic would have disabused her of it.

It didn't take long to reach what must be Master Tabasi's study. The servant knocked on the door. To mundane eyes it would have looked like a simple, iron construct, shaped decoratively. To Ester it was bright with colour, runes crawling all over it.

There was no response from within. Instead magic flared briefly and the door swung open, inviting her in. Ester took a deep breath and stepped inside.

Master Tabasi was sat at a large mahogany desk. Various little statuettes and carvings were dotted across it, amid neatly organised stacks of books. The walls were decorated with paintings, all of them portraits. None of them were familiar to Ester, although she thought some of them had some resemblance to Master Tabasi.

"Ah, Lady Ester," he put down his pen beside the inkwell as she came in and looked up from whatever he'd been working on. "Please, take a seat." He'd called her little sister in his letter. Was the extra formality a bad sign?

"Thank you, Master," Ester bowed low to him and then pulled out one of the chairs. She wasn't quite sure how to approach the situation. His letter had managed to be both disparaging and exciting, but it certainly hadn't indicated much approval of her or her actions.

Master Tabasi didn't say anything, studying her as she lowered herself into the chair and clasped her hands on her thighs to stop herself from fidgeting nervously. Ester let the silence stretch for a couple of seconds before it got too awkward.

"I really am very grateful for your offer Master. There is so much to learn and to be offered the opportunity to learn from someone renowned as you is a dream come true. I can only hope that…" Ester trailed off as she realised she was going to start babbling. She wanted to impress the man, not confirm his view that she was just a foolish girl.

After a moment he nodded, as if to himself. "What is the proper role for a female Mage?"

Ester's jaw dropped. Had he actually just invited her here to lecture her? Was this just another way for her to be berated about her ambitions and desires? Anger shot through her. She didn't have to put up with this, Master Mage or not.

"A Mage's role is whatever they choose it to be, as long as they serve the Empire. Mages do not interfere in each other's affairs." She met his eyes defiantly as she spoke. It was a basic principle, unwritten law with the weight of centuries behind it. When she'd first come to Vass Karan she'd have believed it absolutely, now she wasn't so sure. Then again, when she'd first come to Vass Karan she'd have crumbled under Master Tabasi's gaze and started apologising.

"You are aware of my disapproval of your choices?"

Ester wanted to protest that she hadn't sought out fights, that it wasn't her fault. It even had the advantage of being true. But she knew that wasn't the point. Regardless, she had no plans to go and do something he'd consider appropriate.

"I am aware." She felt a surge of pride at how level she manged to keep her voice.

"Very well." Suddenly he leant back in his chair, breaking a tension Ester hadn't even noticed until it was gone. "As you say, a Mage's role is whatever he, or she I suppose, chooses. For all your faults you have done good service to the city. Now, I am a fair man, I pride myself on it in fact." He paused as if giving her the opportunity to disagree. "It is clear that you have a great deal of Talent, if poorly harnessed and ultimately that is what matters is it not?" He didn't wait for an answer. "Power and skill, the true determinants of a Mage's worth. Well, loyalty to the Throne too, of course."

"So you will teach me?" Ester leant forward in her chair, forgetting her irritation for a second.

"I shall offer you some small tuition. I am not offering you a traineeship, mind. I have no desire for the gossip that would trigger, nor do I have the time to take on a girl as a trainee. However, one session of two hours each week. I think that would be a fair offer, no?"

Ester found herself nodding rapidly before she even thought about it. A traineeship would have been incredible, but given she was still bound to service for the Throne it wasn't at all realistic.

"Good. Of course I shall require payment for my services." As quickly as it had soared, Ester's heart sunk.

"I ah, Master I do not have much money, although I would of course pay anything I could."

Master Tabasi smiled at that. "Nonsense, what is gold between Mages? Nothing. A trifle at most." Ester decided not to point out that she was rather more familiar with silver than gold. "No, you can pay me with your services."

What did he mean by that? Was he suggesting… Surely not! Ester felt her face starting to heat in a mixture of outrage and embarrassment.

Master Tabasi looked at her for a second and then his face flushed. "By which I mean the creation of Schemas." He spoke quickly, his measured tone gone. "One of the ways I maintain the funds I require to pursue my own interests is through the creation of Schemas for the nobleborn. Of course many of them would be beyond you, but you can aid me by making simpler ones." He stopped and looked her over. "You are able to make Schemas are you not? Just because you have chosen to pursue less appropriate goals does not mean you have neglected fundamental skills?"

"N n no of course not Master Tabasi," relief made her stutter. "I can make Schemas, of course. I would be delighted to assist you with them as payment for your tuition."

"Then we have an agreement?"

"Yes Master!"

"Good. Now, your first lesson is something I expect a girl such as you never had reason to learn. When you make an agreement, ensure that all the terms are clear. If I were a crueler man I would now be in a position to demand unreasonable amounts of work from you."

Ester winced. He had a point. What should she have done though? She was hardly in a position to start trying to negotiate when she was more than aware that he was doing her a favour by teaching her at all. If he wanted her to spend hours each day working for him on top of her duties for the Watch then she was hardly going to say no.

"Now, I think a generous exchange would be four hours of your work each week. My time is more valuable than yours and that should be reflected, but I am aware you have other duties. Is that agreeable?"

Ester quickly nodded. "Yes Master, very much so." It was more than fair. His time was worth far more than twice hers.

"Excellent, so now we have a true agreement. You may call me Older Brother in private to reflect this, although I would expect you to observe the normal proprieties in public."

=====

Velthur Savate skimmed over another report. More Republican 'citizens' arrested. More work for him and the Watch, although thankfully almost all of the burden for that was being taken on by the city's nobleborn.

He hadn't realised how many Republicans there actually were in Vass Karan. It lent rather more credibility to the paranoid ramblings of some of the nobleborn, although he was still fairly sure most of them were just looking to remove business rivals and didn't much care if innocents were caught up in the Empire's net.

Still, it needed to be done. The letter he'd had from Lord Deljou a week or so after Ester's return, on top of her own report, had made the position clear. Whatever Ester might think about the situation, and he certainly couldn't work out what went through that girl's head half the time, the Republic couldn't be allowed to order the death of a Chartered Mage without consequences.

It seemed almost unbelievable actually, that the Republic would send an Arcanist, and quite a powerful one at that, to assassinate both a Mage and an important member of a Great House. Let alone make the attempt well inside the Empire's borders. If they'd been a bit more competent, they'd have done it at Grathbridge. It was both closer to their borders and would have been more likely to be dismissed as a magical accident. He shrugged to himself. As it was, the assassin had almost succeeded. It had been very poor luck for the man that Lord Deljou and his trainees had arrived in the nick of time. Otherwise he might have been safely across the border before anyone knew anything had happened.

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On the other hand, if he'd succeeded and then been caught. then it would likely have meant war with the Republic, so there were small mercies. Velthur had no doubt that the Empire would win such a war, eventually. But he'd been a soldier, he wasn't under any illusion that war was a glorious thing to be eagerly pursued.

Regardless it did simplify things in Vass Karan. Not least in that it clarified who the enemy was. Irritating as the girl might be to some people, he didn't think Ester had done anything that would trigger such a powerful assassination attempt. Except catch the Weiryin and reveal the necromancer of course.

It did suggest that one or both of the monsters hadn't been working alone, which was his and the Duke's greatest fear. However, it also meant that there was now an enemy to fight, rather than the city's rulers having to leap at every shadow, just in case it turned out to be a necromancer or summoner. Even Duke Marcni was happy now that he'd been able to redirect his investigations into the necromancer and Weiryin towards Republican agents, rather than having to be suspicious of absolutely everybody. The man had even had a few words of praise for Ester the last time Velthur had spoken to him.

Velthur quickly scanned down the short list of names on the paper in front of him. All of them were Republicans that had been caught smuggling, had committed some other crime before being rounded up, or were suspected of actively seeking to undermine the Empire. Or possibly just upset the wrong noble. They'd go up before a judge in the next few days and only the very lucky among them would escape the noose. Such was the risk of committing crimes in the Empire if you came from a hostile power.

Of course they were the minority. Only ten or so names today. By the time the expulsion had been completed the city's judges would probably have seen around a hundred of them. The vast majority of the Republicans in Vass Karan would simply be expelled. Their goods would be confiscated, but they would keep their lives.

Velthur dipped his pen into his inkwell, ready to add his signature to the bottom of the sheet, underneath Duke Marcni's and then hesitated. He looked back up the list again. Maral Liniar… That named seemed vaguely familiar.

After a moment it came to him. Maral served food to a lot of the Watchmen, was quite popular with them in fact. An excellent position for a spy of course, but if he was hanged it would no doubt affect morale. He hummed to himself for a second and then quickly added a note beside the man's name. 'Further investigation needed CVS.' That should ensure he at least got a fair trial rather than being dragged straight to the gallows. With that he signed the bottom of the sheet.

=====

Ester's excitement at going to Master Tabasi's for her first proper lesson was dampened somewhat by what she'd seen going on in the city. It didn't seem fair that so many Republicans were being expelled.

No doubt some of them were criminals and should be punished and if the Republic had been trying to encourage necromancy and Weiryin in Vass Karan then that was an act of war. However, it was hard to think that the Empire's reaction was just when she saw cartloads of weeping people being driven down to the docks on the Karan to be shipped back to the Republic. Some of them were just children.

But then it was the Republic that had tried to have her killed. She shivered at the memory of the Arcanist being so close to ending everything for her. That was why she needed to get stronger. This wasn't just about her though. This was about the victims of the necromancer and perhaps the Weiryin too. If the Republic was going to commit such horrific crimes, then the consequences were very much on their heads. They were the ones to blame for the misery that resulted when the Empire had to defend itself.

By the time she reached the inside of Master Tabasi's palace, Ester had done her best to put aside her worries about what was going on in the poorer parts of the city. She needed to be completely focused to make the most of what Master Tabasi had to offer. And to make sure that he wasn't so disappointed in her performance that he decided to withdraw his offer.

This time she was led straight to an internal courtyard where Master Tabasi was already waiting.

"Ah, Little Sister, welcome. Your timing is perfect. As I would expect."

"Thank you, Master Tabasi." She bowed low to him. "I am excited to be here."

"Good, good. So you should be, but no need for Master now, call me Older Brother."

"Older Brother." It felt strange calling someone so respected that. It was the first time she'd called anyone that in fact. During the brief period between gaining her Charter and leaving for Vass Karan, the Masters in Trevayn certainly hadn't been so casual.

"Better." Master Tabasi nodded. "Now, what shall we do for a start? What would be most useful to you?" He paused, Ester wasn't sure if he was waiting for an answer or just thinking, but after a second she ventured a response.

"When I have fought magic users with combat training they have been able to accelerate themselves and move unnaturally quickly. I think they also make themselves stronger and tougher. Can you teach me that?"

Master Tabasi raised an eyebrow at that. "I suppose I should have expected such a request from you."

Ester just about kept herself from pointing out that he'd said he wanted to help her survive.

"You can remove that mulish expression from your face, Little Sister. I cannot teach you how to enhance your body anyway. You would need to find a Battle Mage for that. One who would be willing to teach you, however unlikely that might be."

Ester decided not to rise to the bait and she certainly wasn't looking mulish! "Of course, Older Brother, I had just thought, given your skill, that you would know how to do that."

"No one can know every facet of magic." He smirked. "Anyway. Do'aelt tràth'fa." Magic flared around him and he vanished. Ester jumped as his voice came from behind her. "I can replicate the effects perfectly well," how had he?! "I just think that my methods would be somewhat beyond you."

"How did you…?"

"A simple manipulation of time around myself."

Ester's jaw dropped. "Simple…?"

Master Tabasi nodded, practically radiating smugness. "For me anyway. Now… What would be useful to you? You have all the impetuousness of youth to combine with the illogic of the feminine mind." He ploughed on, ignoring Ester's scowl. "You see the handsome young men moving the way they do and think that must be the way." That was absolutely unfair! Lord Deljou wasn't at all handsome, or young, and she'd rather stab herself than court Mohsen. "Many Battle Mages like to make things close and personal, to use the shock of their presence to defeat their enemy before they truly have to fight. However, they are not the be all and end all of combat magic. There is little an opponent can do if they are simply obliterated at a distance. This is perhaps more appropriate for a young lady, even one as inappropriate as yourself, too. Do you not agree?"

Ester slowly nodded. She didn't agree at all, but she knew when it was better to keep quiet instead of arguing.

"Excellent. So, perhaps today I shall assess your abilities more accurately and then next week we can meet outside the city. I am sure I can arrange something more destructive with a noble who has some unproductive land."

"Thank you, Mas… Older Brother."

"Nevermind that." Master Tabasi waved her thanks away dismissively. "Let us see whether the Academy's standards have slipped since I was there. Perhaps something easy to start. There." He pointed at the perfectly manicured lawn in the centre of the courtyard. "Carve the Eagle and Sun in that and make it glow green. As fast as you can. Go."

Ester hesitated, the grass was so perfectly sculpted. Master Tabasi was starting to frown!

"Gagnka reluainet'ai'taalsoi." She almost stumbled over the words in her hurry, but held her focus.

Green light, disturbingly close to that of the Weiyrd carved through the grass, drawing out the image she held in her mind. It took perhaps three seconds for the shape to form, several feet across, imprinting the Empire's glowing sigil in the lawn.

"Mmm. Adequate, but there are a number of sloppy elements in your casting." Ester's heart sank at Master Tabasi's unimpressed tone. "It seems there will be a few things for you to work on."

"Yes, Older Brother." This was going to be good for her. She needed to remember that.

"Very well, you may release that spell. On to the next one." A large stone floated into the air between them, magic swirling around it. "Let us see how your unfortunate penchant for destruction manifests itself. When I say go, you will put as much heat as you can into this stone for a count of three. Understood?"

Ester eyed the stone dubiously. "Yes Older Brother."

"Good. Go."

"Saig." Ester focused every ounce of her magic into the lump of rock. No subtlety, nothing sophisticated, just raw magical power bent by her will into heat.

"One." She could see her magic on the stone and a shimmer in the air around it.

"Two." The rock started to glow as familiar pain began to worm its way around the back of her head.

"Three, stop." The rock was glowing bright yellow as it hovered there in the grip of Master Tabasi's magic, more liquid than solid. With a gasp of relief Ester released her spell.

Master Tabasi looked over at Ester, the stone rapidly cooling in the air between them. His facial expression gave nothing away. "How old are you, Little Sister?"

"Nineteen."

"From Trevayn and joined the Academy at 12?"

"Yes, Older Brother."

"I see." He nodded to himself, pursing his lips. "You may rest for a minute then we shall proceed with the next test."

=====

The next day Ester was back at Master Tabasi's mansion, still feeling utterly wrung out.

Two hours of Master Tabasi poking and prodding at every aspect of her magical ability, often with disappointed looks or comments that Ester would think were meant to be snide if he didn't seem to be so oblivious to their effect, had been beyond exhausting. Even the tests to achieve her Charter hadn't been that bad.

He was taking his offer seriously. She needed to remind herself of that. It was all for her own good.

"Just through here." Another of Master Tabasi's servants opened the door to a room somewhere in the bowels of his mansion. Inside was a slim older man, long greying hair framing a weathered face. The servant bowed to him. "This is Lady Ester, sir."

"Thank you Daran." He dismissed the servant and sketched a vague bow to Ester. "Welcome my lady, I am Adept Relion, in the employment of Master Tabasi. I assist him with his Schemas and he has asked me to pass on his instructions to you." Ester wasn't sure she liked the man's tone, there was more than a hint of superiority to it.

"Thank you, Adept." She bowed back to him, just enough for politeness. "I am at Master Tabasi's disposal. Please, let me know what he would like me to do."

"Yes, well." He moved towards the desk that dominated one wall. A polished silver plaque was laid on it, with a complex array of runes etched into it. "The Master would like you to start with some repairs for tarnished Schemas. In future he will likely ask for your assistance in making simple ones and potentially with delivering them and setting them up, where necessary. Is that clear?"

"Crystal clear." Without another word Ester pulled out the chair and sat herself down at the desk.

"Good. I shall leave you to your work. If you need anything a servant will be waiting outside."

Ester nodded, her attention already mostly on the Schema in front of her. He hadn't told her what it was meant to do. A test, of course. It was annoying. As was the man's rude arrogance.

She traced a finger over the runes, careful not to touch them. They were a little fuzzy, tarnished beyond usefulness, which was where she came in, but still perfectly legible.

A ward of some kind. That was blindingly obvious. She could see the pattern of the runes in her minds eye, the way they aligned with each other.

Insects, it repelled insects. Actually it looked like it was based on a fairly classic repulsion pattern, one she'd seen many times over in the Academy and had even integrated into her own shield Schema. Except it wasn't quite the same, some of the runes in it didn't make any sense. Why would they be there? Binding, wall and light. At least three that didn't fit.

Or did they? Was it another test? With a frown Ester started breaking down the structure of the Schema in her head, her awareness of the world around her fading away. She was going to work this out. She could fix the Schema afterwards.

=====

Ester was working on the third Schema at the desk when the sound of a man clearing his throat behind her almost made her jump out of her skin. She looked behind her and immediately leapt out of her seat, a guilty flush growing on her face.

"Master Tabasi, I apologise, I had not realised you were here." She bowed low. Great spirits had she been that slow?! "Is my time already up? I am afraid I have not made a great deal of progress."

He looked the desk over. "Not to worry, it has only been two hours. I merely thought I would come and check on you and your work."

Ester relaxed slightly, he didn't seem annoyed. Quite the opposite actually, she'd have said he was in a much better mood than at yesterday's training session. Maybe it was because she was working for him now rather than creating work for him.

A second chair floated over to them and Master Tabasi flopped into it. "Now, tell me, Little Sister. What have you done so far and what are your thoughts?"

She knew it had been a test! Ester pulled the first Schema over. "The first one I fixed up is this one. It repels insects, that much is obvious. I can also see that it is based on the Myrrin Pattern, but there are some unorthodox elements in it. Some of the placements seem slightly off and there are at least three runes that do not fit in that pattern."

"Which are?"

"Binding, wall and light." She pointed to each of them as she spoke. "I think I understand wall, it acts on this axis," she gestured, "with symbolic conjunction."

Master Tabasi's expression gave nothing away so she ploughed on.

"Binding seems to be placed to unify the flows through the runes and light is another symbolic conjunction. However, what I do not understand is why they have been added, particularly given the Schema is on silver. The placement for binding is," she hesitated and corrected herself, "at least appears less than optimal and the other two may impact on the power of the Schema, but only in a relatively marginal way, while causing it to tarnish and become ineffective far more quickly."

"Very good, Little Sister. Very good indeed. You clearly have a talent for this kind of work." Ester couldn't help smiling at the praise. "You did not quite catch everything though, the placements and interactions are a little cleverer than you think. I shall explain and then we can take a look at the other two Schemas." Master Tabasi pulled the silver plaque closer to them. "Firstly let us examine the way that the magic flows through the central hub of the Schema."

As Master Tabasi began to explain Ester leant forward eagerly, her eyes fixed on the array of runes in front of her.

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