Nandelia had never seen Mary so excited, normally she was a quiet child happy to do whatever those around her came up with. Not so much this time, after Nandelia told them they were going to visit the festival she literally jumped in delight causing wonder in those around her as she usually seemed more occupied with her own thoughts.

Today was the day, Mary would finally see the outside world with her own eyes. She was currently playing with other children in the orphanages courtyard. While normally she would stop the others when they were about to do stupid things, today she was a tad bit distracted, which had already resulted in a scolding by one of the adults for her group. She had known since very early in her life the she was different than those around her. Physically as well as mentality, she was stronger, faster, more perceptive than the others as well as having pointed ears none of them seemed to notice. She had beautiful green eyes that could see better than any of her peers, they couldn't even see in the dark! She had no clue how they managed to stay so calm at nights, without seeing anything. An advantage she had over the other girls was her hair, as it was really soft and didn't knot, she furthermore really liked its color a beautiful midnight black.

Her mental capabilities were superior as well, she had instincts that told her how to perceive the different individuals around her. She always had feelings about the people coming to the orphanage to adopt children and made sure the others stayed away from the creepy ones as well. She likewise had always been a tad bit smarter, learning the new languages and anything else Nandelia taught them in record speed. Her class was well liked by the adults as they never made too much trouble, which was her doing as she always warned the others when they very about to do something very stupid, while her warnings had been ignored at first they quickly learnt listening to her would keep them out of the biggest trouble.

In the last month she also noticed strange occurrences happening around her.

“Come on Mary stop brooding again we want to go watch the Dragon of the Emperor, today is the day of the parade and we are finally allowed to go watch it!” Taliven their de facto leader interrupted her thoughts. He was everything she wasn't, easily excitable always ready to take risks without thinking of consequences.

“Come on Mary” He yelled while running in the direction of the entrance. “I’m coming, wait for me!” she cried out running after the others, there was no way she would miss this!

They gathered at the orphanage’s doors, as every year, only the children that turned three and seven were allowed to go. The older ones there to watch out for the younger ones together with the adults. Furthermore it was the last year they were legally allowed to stay at the orphanage. Any orphan being eight years old at the time of the festival and without apprenticeship, was drafted in the Empire’s legions for the next two decades. The visit to the festival marking the last time they would have to go out supervised, being allowed to go out alone searching for employment afterwards.

With everyone going present, they set out to the great plaza in front of the palace. Going through the city was the most exciting thing Mary had ever done so far, all the new sights, sounds and smells, half of which no one else seemed to notice. While skipping from one side of the group to the other she had to be held back by the adults several times to avoid losing them.

The palace was a magnificent building, built in the mountain bordering the city's north, and while she was capable to see it if she climbed the highest tree in the courtyard, seeing it from a closer view was truly a sight to behold. The mountain’s form was a crescent, shaped in form by generations of the Empire's most skilled Mages, having two peaks at the ends of the crescent. While the part facing away from the city was heavily fortified using a blend of physical and magical means like walls, trenches, steep declines and spells, the inner part of the mountain was clearly build to please the eyes and show of the empire’s architectural skill.

The top of the palace was standing in the ridge between the two peaks, following the mountain’s curve. Over the entirety of the palace length, there was a balcony allowing view over the city and its surroundings. Both peaks were adorned by perfectly round towers reaching high in the sky, guarding the palace entrance. The decline was full of buildings, only interrupted by two roofed staircases which met in the crescents middle, the buildings were the garrisons of the royal guard, as well as huge storage houses.

The decline stopped two hundred meters above the city's ground level, the inner palace walls bordering the great plaza with an impressive height of sixty meters, they were adorned with beautiful decorative carvings showing the monsters living in the empire’s borders. The great plaza, a perfect circle, throned above the city. Its middle was adorned with a thirty meters high statue of Emperor Aulus. On the decline between the plaza and the rest of the city, the first Emperor had placed a huge park where one could find most plants found in the Empire, growing helped by magic, for everyone to enjoy.

Going through the park had been a completely new experience feeling like home for Mary even more though than through the city proper, the life around her had been intoxicating as well enchanting her with its variety.

Being the richest as well as most powerful, the nobles manors, which looked like small palaces themselves, were built directly behind the park. Another small park seperated the nobles estates from the first city wall.

The next district housed the rich merchants, craftsmen and mages all living in huge four to five story houses. The second district was divided in sub-districts by several smaller walls running between the first and second city wall. The warehouses were located directly between the craftsmen’s shops and the second wall, the houses being near to the first wall.

The third district was home to most normal craftsmen, mages and merchants as well as the more wealthy adventurers.

Mary didn't know what was beyond the third wall, as she lived between the second and third wall as well, the orphanages founded by the Empire having a guaranteed spot in the third district. As they hadn't been allowed to leave before today and nobody wanted to talk about the lower districts she had no information about them, other there being another two.

The festival they were visiting was one of only two festivals that were held yearly, the other being the birthday of the Emperor, obviously changing every eighty odd years. Apparently there had been way more in the early years of the Empire, but these had been cancelled in the postinvasion changes a few hundred years ago.

This one was named 'Festival of Founding' and celebrated the founding date of the Empire. It was no surprise that the grand plaza was nearly full when they arrived there. Mary and her peers were allowed to sit on the shoulders of the older kids in order to see the spectacle. About a third of the plaza on the far side was secured by the royal guard. In the center of the palace walls, one could see the giant doors the Empire’s dragon would use to emerge out of the mountain. Above the walls, mages had raised a dias, where the nobles and the Emperor could sit and watch the show without having to stand having protection from the sun as well.

About a minute before the sun hit its highest point, the doors started opening outwards with a low grinding noise, that could be heard on the hole plaza.

As the sun reached its highest point, the dragon started emerging from the depth of the mountain his lair being buried deep within.

The True Dragon was a truly magnificent being. It was about one hundred meters long from tail to head, his head held high, the batlike wings folded on its back and the golden scales shining in the midday sun. As the dragon had emerged fully, she felt something strange about it. She wondered where that feeling came from. That feeling was shortly forgotten though, as the dragon roared, something she felt deep in her bones.

After the feeling of that roar wore off, she concentrated on the vibes she got from the dragon, noticing something seemed off, like it was there and not at the same time.

The dragon unfolded his wings, which easily had a span of four hundred meters, and jumped into the air and started circling the plaza. Mary watched in awe as the dragon set the sky on fire creating beautiful images which, she realised, were actually telling the history of the Empire.

Baron Falconbridge watched bored as illusionary dragon repeated the same spectacle as every year. It would have been interesting if old Firebreath had actually shown himself this time, but no such luck. Not that he could really blame him, as it sure would be boring to do the same thing year after year again. While most traditions the in Empire were completely pointless, like every noble in the capital having to attend to events like this one, there was one he really liked. It was his to honour the tradition next year, about seventeen months from now, and he did really look forward to it. Focusing back on the present, he started with his favourite pastime on occasions like that, he cast a spell that would improve his eyesight, watching the citizens amazement for the spectacle.

Mary came to the conclusion the dragon wasn't really there, it may look the part, but the feelings she got were saying something different, she was sure she would get other feeling from one of the apex predators in the entire world. Additionally all nobles were obviously bored out of their mind, completely ignoring the awesome spectacle above them choosing to chat with each other instead.

She decided the festival was awesome anyways as she and the others could watch something great and additionally got to see the outside world for once.

Decision to just enjoy set, she had way more fun than before and cheered like everyone else for the rest of the two hours long show.

When they headed back home Mary was too exhausted to do much, the excitement of the day finally taking its toll on her, a shame really, she had hoped they could linger in the park for a while. It had been a great day nonetheless, being more exciting than everything happening in the orphanage.

Branston Falconbridge was relieved the day was over, being in the vicinity of nobles not of his family was incredibly exhausting, as most were superficial or plain annoying to deal with. At least now he was ignored by most, as they didn't want to be associated with the former grand duke.

The years since his loss of rank had been quite exhausting, especially the first month. He had barely managed to move his retainers and all important possessions to the capital.

While still losing a sizeable portion of his wealth he was the richest baron in the entire Empire by far. Of course none of the nobles knew that, they just saw a baron who had once been grand duke and attracted the personal ire of the Emperor. Politics had been really interesting in these last few years, as everyone reevaluated their position without a grand duke in the north and the Emperor obviously willing to punish even most powerful grand duke for unproven transgressions.

He had secured the services of several of the city's most promising craftsmen be it human or not. He arranged cheap access to the materials they needed for improving their craft, as well as outfitting them with the best workstations money could buy. In return they would supply him with high quality gear for his men and would work for free if a someone who received his support was sent to them. Furthermore his merchants would organise the marketing of their goods, saving them time, stress and increasing their gains. Furthermore he started a little pet project of his, which wasn't going good at all, while needing a significant portion of his attention.

Additionally he started partaking in one of games most of the nobles living in the capital had found a liking in. A noble would sponsor team of adventurers, betting with each other on who’s team would reach the upper ranks first.

By his estimation most nobles just uselessly threw their money at their team, outfitting them with the best gear possible, which was just stupid in his opinion, as they would learn to rely on their gear instead of skill, which would inevitable stop their advancement for good.

He and a few other nobles took the smarter approach giving their teams access to skilled trainers, teaching them everything needed to be a successful adventurer. They didn’t supply them more than basic gear, paying craftsmen to craft their gear from the materials the adventurers supplied themselves.

Moreover as he didn’t hesitate to employ nonhumans his team had a significant advantage in scouting, as elves and dwarves were way better moving silent in their home turf, forests and caves respectively, than humans. And while lizardfolk had some problems moving in cold environment no other civilized race was as strong or moved as fast as them, they furthermore had the significant advantage of not wanting to fight with a sword like most human adventurers. A standart team was allowed to have up to ten members. His had three elves, two dwarfs, two lizardmen and three humans.

The elves were responsible for hunting game and tracking their target in forests. The dwarves did the same in caves and dungeons as well as making sure their team did not get lost in the more extensive cave complexes.

The lizards had to try to cripple the monsters early in the fight to prevent fleeing, they likewise would get the monsters attention, giving the members of their team time to kill the monsters with ranged attacks. The humans, the race most apt in magic from all the civilized ones, while elven sorcerers were more powerful than human ones, an elven mage would lose to a human in nine times out of ten. All in all Baron Falconbridge was confident his team had would be under the first to reach the upper ranks.