The candle light flickered as my fountain pen made strokes against the rigid paper. My research notes were becoming scrambled, like a frenzied child writing an essay, as I went. It was almost complete; my research, it could change the world I knew. Maybe even change the one I did not.

My eyes were heavy as I held up my notes closer to the candle light to check the quality. A sudden loud thud sounded out behind me. “Lucas dear please don’t drop my research notes.” My comment was answered by silence. The lack of response aggravated me since I hated being ignored by people, especially by my property.

“Lucas, get yourself over here before I have to get you myself!” Another one of my comments met with silence which made me lose my patience. I was ready to turn around and beat some sense into my assistant, when a familiar voice greeted me with a hostile tone.

“Hello Nyrim.” She had knocked a few of my books full of notes with her grand entrance, onto the floor, resulting in the thud. Recognising the belligerent voice I answered.

“Ah Dhoso, funny hearing you again. What gracious things might the Head Magician have in store for little ol’ me?” I responded sarcastically, in an attempt to lighten the mood.

“Nyrim Kheideshrat the third, you have been placed under arrest for illegal experimentation on the bodies of intelligent species. Effective immediately.”

“Hmm, y’know you guys really sound serious this time” I shrugged and continued writing. A moment later I felt the sharp touch of freezing metal against the back of my neck.

“I’m taking you to The Court, or if you would like I could cut off that pretty little head of yours.”

“Believe it or not I’m actually quite attached to my head, so for once I’ll go and see what that old hag wants,” my disrespectful comment was followed by a careless shrug. Dhoso replied by driving the cold steel furter into my skin, slightly cutting the flesh. A bead of sweat ran down the side of my face.

Dhoso led me down the hall towards the Courts meeting place where I would have to meet that old shrew. I studied the hall on our way there since I was actually concerned, for once, that I would be in trouble.

The walls of the halls were lined with beautiful paintings depicting various locations from an artist’s perspective. Large windows framed by victorian curtains with detailed patterns. There was the occasional decorative table, supporting a vase with dianthuses in them. A beautiful rug with an even more stunning pattern than the curtains covered the hard tile floor. Dhoso turned and opened a noble oak door, with etched designs around the frame, on the right side of hall. The oak door was lined by the same marvelous curtains as the windows.

Behind the oak door there was a wide marbled table, about four meters long, stood in the center of the room. Five luxurious chairs surrounded the table and in the center was the grandest, belonging only to the pristine Head Magician herself. The regal chair in the middle was surrounded by two others on each side. On the opposite side of the table stood a modest chair that remained empty.

The Head Magician stands at about 125 centimeters tall, with a child like figure despite her age of over 200. Patches of fur and demi human traits could be found all over her body. She had large green eyes framed by short curly brown hair, large jackal like ears sprouted from her head giving her at least another 12 centimeters of height. She wore a black robe beautifully decorated with badges of honor and various other talismans for protection. The four other magicians wore less fantastic cloaks with a hood covering most of their face, seeming quite shady to me.

“Thank you Saethryth, Kheideshrat please take a seat,” The Head Magician thanked Dhoso warmly, then refocused her attention to me. I made my way to the chair opposite to The Highest Magician’s one. “How nice of you, The Great Saazeammie, to prepare a chair for a lowly scientist such as myself,” I did a light bow as I sat down, to further attempt to aggravate Saazeammie.

“HOW DARE TRASH LIKE YOU USE THE SUPREME MAGICIAN’S NAME IN SUCH DISGRACE!” The magician’s tone was very sharp and high pitched as he attempted to intimidate me with his position.

“Stand down Orndacil, I can handle this myself. Thank you for your insight,” Saazeammie answered his taunt with a calm tone and straight face.

“Saa-”

“Nyrim please call me by my first name,” Saazeammie answered.

“Nefeethis,” I corrected myself. “What have I done to be graced by your wonderful presence?” Orndacil bit his lip at my sarcastic comment, I swear he drew blood.

“Well I actually happened to overhear reports of you doing unethical experiments on intelligent races,” Nefeethis answered yet again with a straight unreadable face, “When will you get over that incident.” Her expression had now changed; if looks could kill, I would most definitely be dead.