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Description
PROLOGUE
An explosion of blinding light barged the door of victors study open, illuminating all within the room but the bags beneath Victor's fatigued eyes. Self inflicted battle scars, the mark of a man with the world's weight bestowed upon him, though in this poor gentleman's case, two.
The flashes of light lasted the whole of 16 seconds, losing intensity with each flash, though still enough to aggravate Victor into shooting his head away from the direction of the annoyance, clamping his tired eyes shut in grimace. As the room dimmed, the expression of grimace faded from his face, yet his eyelids remained glued. This was the first time in 3 days that he had taken the first primitive step into the weakness that is sleep, now his body wanted to take over. A body that was the underdog in a battle of mind over matter had finally prevailed, using the last drops of its energy to gently lower its head to the cluttered desk as victors tired mind sunk deeper and deeper.

"It's been too long, friend" A booming voice stated, in a palpable ruse to awaken Victor from his slumber.
Victor would normally have been startled where a stranger to disturb his sleep but this was no stranger; the voice was drenched in familiarity, as one would expect for a sibling, for a brother.
"Apparently long enough for you to misplace the common etiquette that is a courteous knock before entry my friend."  Came a muffled murmur from beneath the entanglement of victors head and arms rested upon the surface of his desk.
"I would have once thought my explosive entrance alone would have stirred a corpse!"
Victor chuckled and raised his head, "I presumed that was my mind getting its own back" *

Victor felt some studying eyes gaze upon him, and he was all too aware of why.
Once he possessed vibrancy in his face, a warm glow of hope and optimism spread around his carved cheek bones. Now, his face is a display of desperation and weariness; His sharp features now serve to bring out an almost sinister look within him. Sunken and tired eyes, flaunting his inner demons, for all to see. *
"What brings you here?" Victor questioned abruptly, the questioning glance being the fuel for his evident aggravation.
"My people..." the figure turned to face a wall, glass boxes clung to it, containing weapons of strange design, alien in this world to everyone but these two men.
He continued "We knew this day was inevitable... my people..."
Victor cut him off without a moment's hesitation, "Your people?!
"I mean no disrespect Victor" the sincerity was genuine, but it was too little too late.
Victor rose and made his way to the arsenal that was displayed on his east wall, standing side to side with his more increasingly unwelcome visitor.* Both of their eyes fixated on one particular case, the only apparent focus point of the spread of shelving.
Two designed swords positioned immaculately parallel to each other, similar in design but each possessing their own distinct personalities.  *
Victor placed his hand against the glass case, his suite sleeve riding down to reveal the scar of what seems to be the result of swords sharp steel on delicate human flesh. *
"Our history with the empire is within these cases, these weapons resonate with echoes of our own pasts. I fought side by side with your kind; I was loved by the people of the empire...  "
They caught each other's eyes in the reflection of the glass, though in the visitor's case, the sight of his eyes was all the dim glow of a single candle and the black hooded robe he bore would permit.
The frustration evident in the yellow sheen of the hooded mans eyes*.
"You deserted us; you left what family you made on our lands sick with worry. Your enemies where all too quick to take credit where it wasn't due for your disappearance. Had you not the decency to inform loved ones of departure?"
Victor said nothing, though his body language said enough.
"I'm sorry, Joleasaph informed me you would tell all when the time comes, more pressing matters are at hand. I presume you are conscious ..."
"Hardly..." Victor smirked.
"...in what matters I am here to discuss with you."
"Groundwork" victor said in complete surety.
"You may begin now"

Description
PROLOGUE
An explosion of blinding light barged the door of victors study open, illuminating all within the room but the bags beneath Victor's fatigued eyes. Self inflicted battle scars, the mark of a man with the world's weight bestowed upon him, though in this poor gentleman's case, two.
The flashes of light lasted the whole of 16 seconds, losing intensity with each flash, though still enough to aggravate Victor into shooting his head away from the direction of the annoyance, clamping his tired eyes shut in grimace. As the room dimmed, the expression of grimace faded from his face, yet his eyelids remained glued. This was the first time in 3 days that he had taken the first primitive step into the weakness that is sleep, now his body wanted to take over. A body that was the underdog in a battle of mind over matter had finally prevailed, using the last drops of its energy to gently lower its head to the cluttered desk as victors tired mind sunk deeper and deeper.

"It's been too long, friend" A booming voice stated, in a palpable ruse to awaken Victor from his slumber.
Victor would normally have been startled where a stranger to disturb his sleep but this was no stranger; the voice was drenched in familiarity, as one would expect for a sibling, for a brother.
"Apparently long enough for you to misplace the common etiquette that is a courteous knock before entry my friend."  Came a muffled murmur from beneath the entanglement of victors head and arms rested upon the surface of his desk.
"I would have once thought my explosive entrance alone would have stirred a corpse!"
Victor chuckled and raised his head, "I presumed that was my mind getting its own back" *

Victor felt some studying eyes gaze upon him, and he was all too aware of why.
Once he possessed vibrancy in his face, a warm glow of hope and optimism spread around his carved cheek bones. Now, his face is a display of desperation and weariness; His sharp features now serve to bring out an almost sinister look within him. Sunken and tired eyes, flaunting his inner demons, for all to see. *
"What brings you here?" Victor questioned abruptly, the questioning glance being the fuel for his evident aggravation.
"My people..." the figure turned to face a wall, glass boxes clung to it, containing weapons of strange design, alien in this world to everyone but these two men.
He continued "We knew this day was inevitable... my people..."
Victor cut him off without a moment's hesitation, "Your people?!
"I mean no disrespect Victor" the sincerity was genuine, but it was too little too late.
Victor rose and made his way to the arsenal that was displayed on his east wall, standing side to side with his more increasingly unwelcome visitor.* Both of their eyes fixated on one particular case, the only apparent focus point of the spread of shelving.
Two designed swords positioned immaculately parallel to each other, similar in design but each possessing their own distinct personalities.  *
Victor placed his hand against the glass case, his suite sleeve riding down to reveal the scar of what seems to be the result of swords sharp steel on delicate human flesh. *
"Our history with the empire is within these cases, these weapons resonate with echoes of our own pasts. I fought side by side with your kind; I was loved by the people of the empire...  "
They caught each other's eyes in the reflection of the glass, though in the visitor's case, the sight of his eyes was all the dim glow of a single candle and the black hooded robe he bore would permit.
The frustration evident in the yellow sheen of the hooded mans eyes*.
"You deserted us; you left what family you made on our lands sick with worry. Your enemies where all too quick to take credit where it wasn't due for your disappearance. Had you not the decency to inform loved ones of departure?"
Victor said nothing, though his body language said enough.
"I'm sorry, Joleasaph informed me you would tell all when the time comes, more pressing matters are at hand. I presume you are conscious ..."
"Hardly..." Victor smirked.
"...in what matters I am here to discuss with you."
"Groundwork" victor said in complete surety.
"You may begin now"