In the world of Unexpected Circumstances.

The palatial mansion was burning, charred and partially melted bodies littered the cracked partially vitrified marble floor of the receiving room. Aksanteri panted and wiped perspiration from his brow.

His father eyed his plump balding youngest son warily as he sat on his throne. “So Aksanteri, when were you going to tell me that my youngest son was a powerful mage?”

Without waiting for an answer Kratarios nodded politely to his client Ervandaros who remained frozen with terror in front of his personal throne. “I am sorry Evandaros, I am going to have to leave town with my family so I won’t be able to help you with your problem.” Kratarios waved a hand at the scene of carnage and tried mostly successfully to avoid showing any emotion or wrinkling his nose at the stench of burnt flesh. “It would seem that I have no influence with our new Tyrant so I would be unable to help you even if I wanted to.”

Evandaros nodded jerkily, “yes, yes, um, what would you suggest I do Kratarios?”

“Leave town and hide until our dear tyrant’s lust for blood is sated and he feels secure in his position. Find yourself another patron, one Nalvius trusts. I won’t blame you for saving your skin.”

Evandaros nodded again and fled.

Kratarios grabbed his walking stick and heaved himself to his feet. He regarded his son warily then turned to his two guards that were stoically watching the front entrance. “Gather my guard, round up the household and pack light. I don’t think we have long before another band of bounty hunters turn up. Aksanteri, get you mother and sisters moving, and don’t forget the nursery. We must leave within the hour. Keep them safe son.”

Aksanteri nodded briefly and hurried into the smouldering palace followed more slowly by his father.

* * *

The Kraterios household guard, somewhat reduced in numbers moved at a fast pace along the great south road. The majority moved at the front of the ragged column, swords in hand. The remainder formed a moving rearguard. In the middle several burly slaves carried three litters for the aged head of the household, his wife and for Lukanna who was heavily pregnant. Grooms were leading several horses.

In his litter Kraterios looked grimly ahead ignoring the screams coming from the houses they were passing, several of which belonged to friends and acquaintances. His eyes flared in alarm when a couple of squads of veteran legionaries debouched from a side road.

The sergeant in command sneered at the house guards as his men prepared their javelins and brought their shields into line. Kraterios could see that his guard was wavering. Aksanteri swung aboard his horse and moved up behind the unhappy household guards.

The regular army NCO grinned nastily. “Hey fat boy, coming to give up. We’ll give you a painless death if you do ot...”

Aksanteri grimaced and cast silently, with none of the usual gestures or display common to mages. A firestorm enveloped the core of the formation facing them and blasting outward. He slumped on his horse and panted visibly exhausted. The house guards trotted forward and quickly dispatched the survivors and the column of refugees inched past the debris of the encounter giving a wide berth to the few patches of molten stone at what had been the centre of the spell. One of the grooms warily took the reins of Aksanteri’s skittish horse and led it near the front of the column.

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Kraterios watched his son with a degree of suspicion. Mages did not learn to cast silently without gestures or aids unless they felt the need to conceal their magic, and usually those that did were untrustworthy and prone to unpleasant practices. The question now was, how far could he trust his deceitful son?

The Kraterios household managed to leave Foraville with only a few more skirmishes, and those were against local entrepreneurs who had decided to get into bounty hunting and pillaging. Aksanteri did not need to get involved again, though he did cast a few healing spells. The column picked up several refugees on its way through town.

Once clear of town they rested for a moment while Kraterios consulted with his chief guard and his wife and children as to what to do.

The captain of the Kraterios house guard spread his hands. “Sorry boss, but nowhere in the Empire is safe. And even with magister Aksanteri we can’t keep you safe until we get to one of the world gates. Most of my men will probably desert tonight.”

Rebanna gave the guard captain a sour look as she stood by her husband’s side. “So why haven’t they bailed yet? I think you are being too alarmist.”

“They’re terrified of your son ma’am. They think he’s a dark mage. They’ll run as soon as they think they can.”

Aksanteri snorted. “If I wanted to waste the energy I could ensure they’d die if they moved more than a league from me or if I should die. Idiots!”

Tol’dros winced, “please magister, that wouldn’t help. They wouldn’t believe it and it would make them desperate.”

Lukanna looked up from where she was sitting rubbing her swollen belly, “what about the new world gate to Midgard. Surely if they accepted us we would be safe there. We have gold. Don’t we father?”

Kraterios rubbed his chin. “Yes dear, we have gold and I believe it is rather scarce on Midgard. Mmm, that might be our best chance. Well Tol’dros, what if my son should leave? Will your men remain?”

“That would be worse sir. They know we are carrying many riches and your heads would represent more treasure and forgiveness.”

Kraterios looked sour. “Very well then, we will proceed to the Midgardian fortress. Lets get moving, we have no time to loose.”

* * *

Surprisingly the seemingly well organised column of refugees almost doubled in size by nightfall. They made a haphazardly fortified camp that Aksanteri warded.

Shortly after midnight Aksanteri was woken by his ward, he rose and after checking his spell he moved surprisingly softly towards a clump of bushes at the edge of the camp.

“... yeah just before dawn. You two kill the mage while we kill or persuade any of the boys who are still around. The old geezer is loaded, and some of the snooty cows need a good man ...”

Aksanteri’s lips thinned, he concentrated and directed tendrils of death magic to hover over the five disloyal guards. Slowly the tendrils grew towards their target while Aksanteri produced an empty manna stone and tied the growing spell to it. He placed it on the ground in the centre of a hastily drawn pentagram and smiled.

The tendrils reached their targets and fastened onto the men’s throats, keeping them silent and frozen as their lives were slowly leached away. Aksanteri looked into the distance then picked up the partially filled manna stone. He returned part of the stolen energy to the bodies of his victims and sent them walking away from the encampment.

Aksanteri pocketed the somewhat depleted manna stone and returned to his bedroll.

* * *

The camp rose with the dawn. Kraterios almost despaired when he realized that he only had four guards left out of the thirty that had accompanied them from Foraville. And he suspected he only had those because they had family along. The bitterest blow was the realization that his long time guard captain was also missing.

“Come on father, we have to leave before one of our ex guards decides to turn traitor and lead some of the tyrant’s men after us. I don’t trust Evac’ront at all.” stated Aksanteri.

It was getting on for dawn when some of Midgard’s scouts spotted the refugee column and led a patrol to intercept them.