Briox panted, every breath was agony as he struggled to stand. Around him lay his fellow students, their creatures, his creatures, the soldiers of the Hyser Empire. Blood fell from his mouth as he looked up at the back of Professor Vandolheim. The Professor turned back his eyes calm as he spoke "Go". The world shifted, Briox moved through space and reality as he watched the bridge that they had held fall apart, shattered by his teacher's spell, and he watched as the Hyser Battlemage that had killed so many of them vanished into his own teleport. Everything vanished as his teacher's magic took him to safety.

Briox awoke with a start, sweat soaked through his robes and the bed around him. He took a moment to reorient, it had been two years since the fall of Everseal Academy. Two years since the Hyser Empire launched a surprise attack over the Everseal Mountains and struck a devastating blow against the Islandyian States. It had taken less than three months for the complete surrender of all Islandyian forces and the Hyser's establishment of a new order. By the time Briox made his way out from Professor Vandolheims mountain sanctuary the war was already over. Not that it had ever ended for him.

Briox rolled out of his bed and peeked through the shutters of his room, inspecting the dark and quiet town below. He was in Rifthollow, a smugglers haven and den of cutthroats trying to pretend it was a trade post. He'd become familiar with such places over the last year and nine months. He'd had to be with the Hyser's inquisition after him. A bit of mana circulated through his body and he willed it into form, drying and cleaning his robe of nightmare sweat. He moved away from the shutter and headed straight for the door, the room was barren and empty besides him and the bed. A few moments later and he had left the Inn and was heading to the Silly Pirate. A bar named because only a very odd pirate would be in the middle of landlocked Islandia. It was also the only place in a three day journey of Briox's teleport network that would sell him the components he needed.

Briox used the light of the full moon as a guide until he found the place, a picture of a upside down pirate hanging over the door. Briox channeled some mana through his body, strengthening it before he carefully pushed open the hanging doors and walked in. The Silly Pirate was quiet, filled with people who appeared totally intent on their drinks and the low level grumbling about life. Appeared because Briox felt both eyes and inspection magics on him the moment he set foot inside. Without slowing a step he headed straight to the table in the corner by the door that he had to assume led to the back.

Tommy "Black" Caulder was a handsome smooth negotiator who looks like he was born to the role of a rogue and ladies man. He leaned back in his chair, feet on the table and a feathered cap pulled low over his eyes, openly snoring in the corner as Briox settled in across from him. A barmaid approached Briox and he quickly ordered the daily special, whatever that was, before he turned back to the number one smuggler in Rifthollow. "You know if you are going to snore fakely could you at least do it quieter?" Briox asked. Tommy reached up with a finger and tilted the cap above one eye which he cracked to stare at the brown robed magus across from him before speaking "Whos to say i wasn't sleeping and was just woken up by a rude visitor?". Briox grinned "I'll say it". Tommy sighed "always a bother aren't you?" he slid his boots off the table and sat up. Both stayed silent as a bowl of stew was delivered to the table and then Briox began to eat. Tommy spoke "I have the goods you wanted, it wasn't easy. The Hyser Church is keeping a close eye on some of these in case certain people get their hands on them". Briox just nods as he eats and Tommy continues "You already paid for em but I have a request".

Briox stops eating for a moment, he'd known Tommy for the better part of a year and this was the first time the smuggler had requested anything. Of course he'd done several jobs for him, or created certain items within his skillset as an enchanter and alchemist but those had been in payment for materials. Briox slowly set his spoon aside and looked at Tommy closely "What could be so important you'd ask me for help". Tommy looked away "I need some muscle". Briox frowned "you have mages". Tommy turned back to him "Ya i do, but they're small fries, hedge witches and homespun casters. They won't be enough for what i need to do". Briox continued to frown "I'm no battle mage". Tommy nodded "No, but you are a college mage. That's clear enough and already puts you far ahead of anybody else round these parts." Briox grimaced, it wasn't hard to tell what he was, not after a long period of exposure. However every step closer to his past was a step closer to death. If he didn't somewhat trust Tommy he'd have already left, instead he asked "What do you need muscle for?". Tommy looked at him, dead serious and with a tone of iron "Raiding a Hyser Inquisition convoy".