The twelfth day of the Month of Lion, Year 793 of the Imperium.

Nirs Fall the capital of the Imperium was busy these days. The Months of Gold have just begun and the city's gates were now open to outsiders.

Many people were lining outside its massive walls. Merchants, travelers, and pilgrims were all eagerly waiting, trying to get inside this beast of a city. All of them trying to get inside to sell, sightsee or pray in the place where Nir has drawn in his last breath.

It was a sprawling metropolis with grand houses and tall buildings as far as the eye could see, housing over a million people inside its walls. The once raging river Floinar, now tamed and flowing right through it forming many streets and canal islands that separated the rich from the poor. Its once clean waters now dirtied entered the Inner sea, a gigantic lake that the city boarded.

"Move along."

The guard said, satisfied as he felt coins in his pocket. He has earned a quite bit today. The once boring job of guarding the gates and checking the long and tedious documents was now the most sought out these days and he was happy the captain has chosen him for it today, gods knew he needed the coin.

"Next!" He yelled already frowning at the rabble bunch in front of him. Their clothes dirtied and the smell coming from them already indicated that they have waited for quite some time in the long line that has been formed outside the walls. He despised these kinds of people. Of no value other than working in the fields and shoveling cow shit from one side to another.

Seeing them he has already made up his mind of keeping this scum out of the great city.

"These documents are old and invalid! Are taking me for a fool?! Scram!"

"But! But we have waited for days in line just to enter! We just wanted to see the resting place of our lord! Please can't you just..?!" One of them fell on their knees grabbing the guard and pleading with him but that only drew his ire and he delivered a strong kick.

"I said Scram! Or do you want to see the dungeons?!" He yelled raging. Angry over the fact that one of them dared to touch him and stain the red toga that he proudly wore over the fine armor of the city watch.

The rabble bunch with fear quickly took the one he kicked and disappeared into the crowd behind them which seemed to be strangely parting in the distance. The guard already had a smile as he saw the scene knowing well that a lucrative opportunity was approaching.

A caravan was forcefully pushing its way through the crowd earning silent curses and hateful gazes from the masses that had to wait in the long line. They wanted to scream and stop them from pushing in line but the many armed guards that were accompanying it prevented them from doing so.

Warriors from his homeland as well as many mercenaries from all corners of the world were accompanying Ak'Akkabors caravan. He was a bald and tall, obese man with dark beady eyes and arms as thick as a small child. He wore white almost silver silk clothes that matched his dark skin color. Adorned with many gold and jewels across his neck and fingers he sat atop a large luxurious carriage pulled by the exotic reptile beasts that were captured from Traxhal jungles.

Holding a pretty girl in loose clothing that seemed to be a bit too young for his age he smiled as he saw the gates of Nirs Fall.

It has been a long time since he visited here.

For three years he has traveled up and down all across the Nirlands collecting goods everywhere he went and finally after such a long time he decided to enact his long plan and sell all of it in the capital.

The prospect of earning such a vast amount of wealth made him unknowingly squeeze the bottom of the young girl that let out a frightful yelp. He looked at her, prideful of the fact he won the bet with his old friend and won this slave from him. Lustful thoughts came to his mind about what he would do with her tonight but that had to wait.

First, there was gold to be earned.

He ignored the hateful and envious gazes of the masses. Too poor and of no status majority of them would not even get inside the city let alone be able to buy something from him so he did not concern himself with them.

The armed arms he hired made them move out of the way as the caravan slowly made its way towards cities gates. He did not even bother to get down from his carriage and just tossed a pouch to the mercenary captain who handed it along with the stamped documents to the guard.

The guard just skimmed through the papers before handing them back, stupidly smiling at the weight and fullness of the coin pouch he just so graciously received. His fellow members of the city watch moved out of the way all smiles and welcomes at the men who have come to enrich their city and their pockets.

Commoners and the poor peasants who stood far behind let out curses and stared with hateful eyes at them but there was nothing they could do. Gold and silver would always put you above rules and laws, and those who did not have them were forced to follow just like them standing in line waiting for their turn.

The caravan slowly entered and the citizens marveled at the sight of them forming almost a small parade as it made its way through the wide cobbled streets of the city.

There were many different men and women from all the realms and corners of the Nirlands. All of them clad in different sets and sorts of colorful armor. The luxurious carriages, full of expensive goods seemed to draw the greedy eyes of many thieves and looters while the ordinary citizens and children stared wide eyed at the sight of the strange and large scaled beasts that pulled the massive carriges.

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With every street, they passed Ak Akkabor threw some coins into the streets making the poor go into a mad frenzy. Fights broke out among men and the pretty women showed off their ample breasts earning a coin from Ak Akkabor every time they did so all while he laughed.

"The coin always blind the senses! Look at them! They already threw away their hate and spite of outsiders visiting their city!" He said to the mercenary captain as he laughed throwing another silver coin into the street.

"But of course." The captain couldn't disagree. After all, he himself was a mercenary and sword for hire. And everything he did was for one purpose only, and that was money.

The atmosphere in the city could only be described as lively and chaotic at the same time. But that was only in the outer parts of the city. As they slowly made their way into the inner and richer parts the atmosphere grew more peaceful and orderly. Even Ak'Akkabaor no longer threw the silver coins as he did so, after all he came here to earn coins not spend them and threw them away.

And as for why he was throwing away the coins earlier? The captain knew very well, he has been traveling with the fat merchant for quite some time and found out that it was a clever way to promote his goods and increase his reputation as he traveled across the cities of Nirlands.

After all Ak'Akkabor has always said that you need to spend first to earn more later. That was the code the fat merchant has been following his whole life as a trader and from the looks of it, there must have been some truth to it, the captain thought. Otherwise, there was no way he would earn this much wealth that he has been carrying with him let alone the ones he had amassed in his homeland.

They passed serval inns and taverns but all of them were already occupied by other merchants and their caravans or competitors as Ak Akkabor called them. But luckily they soon found an inn of acceptable quality for the merchant with enough rooms to house them all.

His men were prevented from loading and unloading the goods. The merchant just did not trust them. And rightfully so the captain thought. Even he himself did not trust some of his own men let alone the merchant. That job was left to the slaves and servants while the men from his homeland guarded them.

And at the mention of his men, he saw some of them approaching him as he smiled knowing well that he was about to earn some extra gold. He gladly took the pouches full of gold while handling each of their papers of identification saying.

"We will be staying here for at most three weeks before we depart. Finish your business before then. If you get caught before or after we leave then it's not my problem got it?" Seeing them all nod at his words the captain was satisfied and the men and women who came here undercover slowly and quietly disappeared into the streets.

One of the men seemed to strangely disappear into thin air as soon as he turned the corner with nobody noticing as if he was never there in the first place.

Meanwhile, an old man in expensive purple velvet clothes stood on a balcony. The villa he owned was located higher up the hills and he had a great view of the city. He leaned over the railing deep in thought as a gust of cold wind blew past him. He took a deep breath of the unusually clean air and slightly relaxed taking out his long dark pipe, he was about to go and lit it when suddenly he heard somebody snapping his fingers behind him and the leaves inside the pipe lit up catching on fire.

Shocked he slowly turned around but upon seeing who stood before him he grew at ease and with an annoyed voice said.

"Can't you just come in like a normal person would?"

"My friend have you grown so old that you have forgotten?" Before him, stood a man in his late forties his short beard already greying at the sides. His face was rough and mostly hidden by the hood he wore. Dressed in long fine robes of grey and white and red he stood tall and proud holding a staff of great making with a shining white jewel-like crystal embedded at the end of it. He smiled and continued.

"I cannot come like a normal person would my friend. Sorcerers are forbidden from entering the capital after all." He said with a laugh as he suddenly sat on the staff levitating slowly up and down in the air all while he took a pipe out from under his robe and lit with on fire with a snap of his fingers.

"That they are my friend! That they are." Replied the old man, taking a long puff from his pipe and laughing afterward. "It is good to see you, Robar."

"It is good to see you as well Octavius." Said Robar adjusting his staff.

Both of them stared at the great city and its people going about their ways. The dawning sun reflected its falling rays of light on the inner sea like a mirror, drawing the city in a beautiful bloody light. The Great Grey Mountains surrounded the land on all sides, its peaks hiding far beyond the many clouds that seemed to be gathering over the land all while the two sister moons were starting to show their presence and overrule their mother that seemed to be falling slowly asleep in the horizon.

"My...what a grandiose sight! You truly know how to pick a great spot, Octavius!"

"You know I only pick the best things, Robar."

"Ha! You remind me of a certain merchant I've met!"

"A certain merchant? Which one? Do not all merchants seek great things?"

"That they do my friend! That they do!" Both of them joked and laughed as they reminisced about their past. Of their journeys across the lands and seas. Of an apprentice sorcerer and exiled noble turned sword for hire. About their adventures both the joyful and dreadful ones. Unfortunately, all the others who shared in their adventures have long since passed away. And now they were the only ones left who could share these stories with each other.

"How is your grandchild?" Asked Robar suddenly still sitting on the floating staff looking at the falling sun and the city.

Octavius who now sat on a chair next to him looked at him with a frown before continuing. "You know how he's doing. Why ask me?"

"I want to hear your thoughts," Robar said but the only reply he got was a deep puff of smoke.

"Octavius your grandchild will join our towers in the upcoming months. When the others in the senate catch the wind of this they will call for your resignation."

"I know." He let out a long and deep line of smoke staring into the sunset deep in thought.

"You are not just some senator Octavius. You are the high consul. Will your family not suffer when you lose your position?"

"What will be will be and what shall be shall be." Robar stared at him as he took another puff of smoke and continued. "I am old Robar. Too old. I have fought and bled for my family. I was exiled yet I returned to fight for them again. I have won them a place amongst the highest and noble of the families and earned them power and riches beyond their dreams. But I will not be able to support them forever. It is better that our family will fall while I'm still alive. So that I may guide the younger ones on how to rise again before I depart this world and cross the undying rivers to the endless plains."

"When you depart this world cross the undying rivers to the endless plains. That's some high and mighty words from a man that used nothing but chase skirts back in the days."

"Like I said. I have grown old."

"So have I."

Both of them looked at each other and then laughed. But their laughter was cut short by the sudden banging on the door and a loud pleading voice of his steward that was calling out to him.

"High Consul! High Consul!"

Knowing full well that he was not to be disturbed unless something serious happened Octavious already felt wrinkles forming on his forehead at the thought of what must have happened.

"What is it?! What happened?"

"Murder! Three senators have been murdered!"

"What?!"

And as such the peaceful day has suddenly been thrown into a sea of chaos.