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Authors: Duncan M. Hamilton
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an empire. On the far side of the square, behind a low wall topped with iron railings, was what could only have been the Imperial Palace. To see it so perfectly intact after so many years was awe-inspiring. Soren had read histories of the Empire while studying at the Academy, but he had never thought to find himself standing in front of the seat of the emperors, nor to find it in as pristine a condition as it would have been during those times.
Soren couldn’t afford to allow his fascination to delay him, for his heart sped up when his eyes fell upon the building on the right hand side of the square. There were too many familiar features, too many similarities to the Academy in Ostenheim for it to have been anything other than the College of Mages.
Chapter 10
The College of Mages
W hile the other buildings on that square were impressive, the one that Soren took to be the College of Mages made them all pale by comparison. There could be no doubting where the real power in the Empire had resided, at least when this building was constructed. There was a large central rotunda with an arched portico in front. Wings extended out from either side of the central rotunda, both four stories high with gabled roofs that merged into the verdigris dome atop the rotunda.
Soren could not stop himself from hoping that the answers he was looking for would be there. Each day that he lived with the Gift raised more questions and to be faced with the prospect of being so close to having them answered was tantalising. He stepped forward quickly, remembering the drone he had seen from the campanile.
A short flight of steps beneath the portico led up to the doors, massive and wooden. As with the others, this building was in perfect condition. The door of the College looked as though it was freshly varnished, and it made him wonder. The city gate had been badly weathered; this door was pristine. Why would that be?
He touched the surface of the door gently at first and then with more confidence. It was smooth and solid, and most certainly not just his eyes playing tricks on him. Could these doors really have gone untouched for nearly a millennium and remained in such perfect condition, despite all those years of wind and rain?
As he pushed, the door moved as though its hinges had been recently greased. His mind raced. His natural curiosity was piqued to a point of mania, but he was also nervous, afraid, and exhausted. His head pounded and fatigue made it difficult to order his thoughts. He stepped inside and closed the doors, shoving across a large iron latch to secure them. He had never heard of a drone being able to open a door. Smashing them down was an entirely different question, which he preferred not to dwell on.
From there he passed through a large vestibule, which was painted white. It was austere but there was something serene and beautiful about its simplicity. He continued through another set of doors and into a room that had clearly been designed to overwhelm every person who stepped into it for the first time; perhaps every time.
It was the central room of the rotunda, one vast open space beneath the dome that bore the mottled greens and blues of verdigris on the exterior, but was highly polished bronze on the inside. Like the vestibule, the walls were white; no trace of colour anywhere. The room was lit by an oculus in the centre of the dome, which allowed enough light in to see, but little more, bestowing a calm and peaceful atmosphere. The majority of the room was occupied by a circular pool of still, clear water that was surrounded by a low stone wall. The light from the oculus made the water appear as though it was glowing.
He walked around the edge of the pool, his gaze still locked on the dome above and the opening in its centre. He felt an enormous sense of peace, a marked contrast to the way he had felt before entering the building. Even his headache had eased a little.
Feeling safe for the first time
Soren couldn’t afford to allow his fascination to delay him, for his heart sped up when his eyes fell upon the building on the right hand side of the square. There were too many familiar features, too many similarities to the Academy in Ostenheim for it to have been anything other than the College of Mages.
Chapter 10
The College of Mages
W hile the other buildings on that square were impressive, the one that Soren took to be the College of Mages made them all pale by comparison. There could be no doubting where the real power in the Empire had resided, at least when this building was constructed. There was a large central rotunda with an arched portico in front. Wings extended out from either side of the central rotunda, both four stories high with gabled roofs that merged into the verdigris dome atop the rotunda.
Soren could not stop himself from hoping that the answers he was looking for would be there. Each day that he lived with the Gift raised more questions and to be faced with the prospect of being so close to having them answered was tantalising. He stepped forward quickly, remembering the drone he had seen from the campanile.
A short flight of steps beneath the portico led up to the doors, massive and wooden. As with the others, this building was in perfect condition. The door of the College looked as though it was freshly varnished, and it made him wonder. The city gate had been badly weathered; this door was pristine. Why would that be?
He touched the surface of the door gently at first and then with more confidence. It was smooth and solid, and most certainly not just his eyes playing tricks on him. Could these doors really have gone untouched for nearly a millennium and remained in such perfect condition, despite all those years of wind and rain?
As he pushed, the door moved as though its hinges had been recently greased. His mind raced. His natural curiosity was piqued to a point of mania, but he was also nervous, afraid, and exhausted. His head pounded and fatigue made it difficult to order his thoughts. He stepped inside and closed the doors, shoving across a large iron latch to secure them. He had never heard of a drone being able to open a door. Smashing them down was an entirely different question, which he preferred not to dwell on.
From there he passed through a large vestibule, which was painted white. It was austere but there was something serene and beautiful about its simplicity. He continued through another set of doors and into a room that had clearly been designed to overwhelm every person who stepped into it for the first time; perhaps every time.
It was the central room of the rotunda, one vast open space beneath the dome that bore the mottled greens and blues of verdigris on the exterior, but was highly polished bronze on the inside. Like the vestibule, the walls were white; no trace of colour anywhere. The room was lit by an oculus in the centre of the dome, which allowed enough light in to see, but little more, bestowing a calm and peaceful atmosphere. The majority of the room was occupied by a circular pool of still, clear water that was surrounded by a low stone wall. The light from the oculus made the water appear as though it was glowing.
He walked around the edge of the pool, his gaze still locked on the dome above and the opening in its centre. He felt an enormous sense of peace, a marked contrast to the way he had felt before entering the building. Even his headache had eased a little.
Feeling safe for the first time
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