Briox froze, the Inquisition, an organization assembled by the Holy Hyser Church. They lived to obey the orders of the Hyser Emperor. The orders and doctrine that branded Briox and his fellows as heretics. That led to the invasion of Islandyer and the massacre of any magus who studied the forbidden arts. Arts forbidden because they believe that only their Holy Emperor may wield them.

In the Years since the war the Inquisition had hunted down the elite mages of Islandyer, all of the masters of forbidden arts. Then they had hunted down anyone else who may know the secrets. It was for that very same reason that Briox was still in hiding, as a student of Everseal academy his specialty was one of those forbidden arts. Not that it had allowed him to do anything vs the empires battle mages when they besieged the academy.

Tommy clenched his fist and continued "They acquired someone I want to bust out and I can't do it without help."

His eyes seemed to be on fire, his body carved of iron as he stared at Briox "I know you had to have been a student from one of the mage colleges, they were hit hard by the Hysers, surely you want revenge!" Tommy slammed his fist on the table.

Briox suddenly moved his own eyes glaring at Tommy as he stood up so abruptly his chair was tossed back "Tommy Caulder don't you dare try to manipulate me!" his voice enhanced by the mana and anger flowing through his body boomed.

Around the room a dozen men had stood, short swords and long daggers glinted in the fire light and two others stood with mana gathering about them preparing for battle. Tommy stared at Briox, his eyes hard as he too rose from his seat "I need to do this Briox".

Briox snorted "Then ask".

Tommy stared for a moment more before he waved his arm, signaling to his men. They all settled back into place, in moments the room looked as if nothing had happened, besides a single chair on the floor.

Tommy abruptly turned and went for the door into the back "Come on then, we should continue this elsewhere".

Briox followed the two of them heading through the kitchens and into a back storeroom. One with a table and chairs always left out for "private business". Tommy tossed his cap aside on a barrel and quickly pilfered a bottle of wine from one of the crates, a pair of glasses appeared from another one.

Briox took a seat and crossed his arms watching Tommy pour before he asked "So you gonna tell me what that was?".

Tommy grimaced and drank his entire glass, refilling it as he spoke "Me fuckin up thats what".

Briox waited as he drank another whole glass and stared at the bottle in his hand before setting it aside. Tommy took a deep breath steadying himself before he continued "They got my sister, she wasn't anybody important before the invasion, but she was an assistant to the local magus. He was a low level creature creator. He died in the war and she was just an assistant so we thought she'd be okay but we still kept it on the downlow. She was a few towns over living a quiet life".

Tommy grimaced "Someone told an inquisitor. An eager fellow who's trying to prove himself the inquisitor snatched her right up, didn't even find out about it till one of my boys spotted her in the convoy. You know how they like to show off their catch" Tommy sneered.

Briox sighed "And you want me to help because I'm the only college magus you know of".

Tommy shrugged "Only one I might be able to trust".

Briox ignored his glass and grabbed the bottle swigging from it before he spoke again "You know even if I am trained the empire’s Inquisition is trained to handle skilled mages".

Tommy sat quietly for a moment before he spoke in a quiet voice "Your my only hope".

Briox downed another swallow of wine before speaking "This isn't going to be easy".

Tommy nodded "Can you do it?".

Briox sat for a moment sitting and thinking as tension built in the room, finally he looked up into Tommy's eyes and spoke "I'll need some supplies”.

Tommy stood up and walked over to another crate, he grabbed a few items from inside and set them in front of Briox. Briox glanced at him and then the quill, inkwell and paper before Tommy spoke "Write them down, i'll handle the rest".