Sorcerer… Cyborg???

Come, son, let us go down to the docks. You can pick from any of the ships in my fleet, except for my own, of course! Hahahaha." Anteris pushed his chair away from the table, and nudged Graffius jokingly as he walked toward the exit of the court.

Graffius smiled, the smile not reaching his eyes, for a ship needed a crew, and he remembered his crew that had so loyally followed him from Newport to Aznur, and had been slain in the years that they had all been imprisoned.

"I guess that draws this meeting to a close." Vaya said, his wrinkled face wrinkling into a smile. 

"So it does." Tam replied, looking off into the air beside Vaya's head, smiling at Ophil, who floated in midair, giving Tam a look filled with concern and sorrow.

Sometimes Ophil would speak to him, but only her mouth would move, and her figure was so faint that he could not even read her lips to make out what she was saying.

Soon enough, Tam knew, he would be able to hold her in his arms again.

------

A few hours later, in one of the many towers that rose high up above the Imperial Palace, Tam stood, his arms behind his back, gazing out over Aznur, the city that was considered to be unassailable, smiling at the great gash in the wall, the wall that was considered to be unbreakable.

The top of the tower was open on all sides to the open sky, so that one could look in whichever direction they pleased, with a railing that encircled the tower as well as a peaked cone shaped roof that stood on intricately carved pillars.

A breeze blew past his face, blowing his long black hair across his face, Tam took a deep breath, the wind here carried the scent of the ocean, which one would never dream of while in Balin.

"Our son has become so powerful in his own right, he's everything you could have dreamed of, and more." Tam stared wistfully into the air just beyond the railing that encircled the tower.

He looked on, confused, as Ophil stared back at him, simply shaking her head.

"What is it, my love? What's wrong?" Tam's voice sounded hurt and confused, and he wished that he could hear the words that she was saying.

"Grand Marshal?: A voice called out from behind him, Tam had been so focused on Ophil that he hadn't heard the steps coming up the stairs behind him.

"Yes?" Tam turned, and there, in front of him, stood the demon that had wreaked havoc in the ranks of the Imperial Elites, one of the most powerful members of the Nighthawk unit, and his own son, Kothar.

Kothar looked around, confused, he could have sworn that his father had been talking with someone, he had heard his voice trailing off as he emerged onto the top of the tower, the sound from his voice only audible when he had crossed the top stair.

"Son, you can remove your mask, and talk openly. I believe the Emperor used this location to confer with his subordinates. There are enchantments around the tower, so fear not, nobody will be spying on us her, and I have instructed that I am not to be disturbed." Tam gave his son a smile, brimming with pride. 

[He must have just been thinking aloud.] Silane said, as Kothar removed his mask, revealing his face for the first time in what felt like months.

Kothar paused for a moment, enjoying the crisp breeze that blew through the tower, it had been too long since he had felt the air on his face.

"Kothar, my son, I have heard such praise of your ability in battle from your comrades in the Nighthawk Unit as well as those in the rest of the army. I heard that you cast some spell that left the Elites completely defenseless. You're growing into a fine soldier." Tam looked at his son, his eyes warm. He had grown so quickly, Tam thought, Kothar now almost stood as tall as him, and he could even see the beginnings of a beard on his face. 

"Thank you, Father. It wasn't exactly-" Kothar began describing his Plasma Unit, for if there was any person that he trusted on Eclat, it would be his father. But Tam quickly cut him off.

"No need to explain your spell to me, son, it's yours and yours alone. Perhaps it may even become the thing that you are nicknamed after, just as I am after my Hawk Aura." A somber look crossed Tam's face as he thought back to the terrible war in which he had fought against the Tribes, and to think that he would fight alongside them today.

"To think that it was due to my imitation of the Tribes that would serve me so well against them, and even lead to the name people know me by." Tam shook his head, his voice breaking a little as he remembered his companions, the Hawk Brigade.

"Is it truly an imitation? From what I saw, Father, you've made it your own." Kothar's voice was filled with admiration as he thought back to his father's battle with the Emperor in the skies above Anzur.

"Ah, well I guess it depends on who you ask. Anyway, enough about me son, tell m-" Tam's voice was filled with concern, as he spoke for he knew that while Kothar was a competent fighter, he was still a teen.

But before Tam could finish his sentence, a thunderous noise slammed into them, distorted and odd in nature, yet still oddly familiar to Kothar. 

Along with the noise was a great shockwave that slammed into the tower, and set it shaking, so that the small table set with a crystal flask and glasses was knocked over, the utensils shattering on the stone floor.

Regaining their balance, Kothar and Tam both ran over to the side of the tower, looking for the source of the noise.