Empire's Son: An Epic Science Fiction Novel Series

Markus crept down the narrow back alley that ran parallel to the main street. He had been back on Sora X for only a few hours, but it was like he had never left. His body and senses so in-tune with his surroundings that he could navigate his way blinded.

In fact, that’s how he had learned the College grounds so well when he’d first come here. He’d spent months walking the whole place during his limited free time, scouting out all the well traveled places, but the less frequented areas too.

After he had became deeply familiar with every nook and cranny of the Protectorate, Markus then traveled every area with his eyes closed. Until he could tell were he was just by the smells, the sounds, and the way his boots clapped or crunched underneath. In his process, he also discovered something unexpected––that buildings and structures seemed to have a presence all of their own.

Markus could feel the hulking shape of the Protectorate Auditorium looming above him as he walked across the great front entrance. He could sense the expansiveness of the fighting courtyards just beyond the arching doorways. And he most certainly noticed the stiff and imposing Administrative Hall that was the working area of the officers, Masters, and Directors of the College.

He hoped to avoid that particular building as long as possible, all together, if he could help it. Markus had spent the least amount of time in the Administrative Hall during his eight years at the College, but it was also the one he disliked the most. Nothing good ever came from spending any length of time in those straight and ridged corridors. Those who did spend regular time in the sprawling complex were too busy imposing their wills on to anyone they could just because they could.

It was why Markus had ignored the Chief Commander’s order and never bothered checking in with Dexter after Nathias had dropped him off on Sora, though they probably already knew he was here because he’d needed clearance to get down to the planet. Regardless, Markus didn’t feel any need to go and submit himself to their will.

Markus wasn’t here because of the summons anyways, and could care less about why the higher ups wanted him here––though he could guess. It felt a little weird that Command and Markus’s objectives seemed to be inline for once. What a phenomena. He was sure it wouldn’t last.

But for the time being, it was clear to Markus that it was a good thing he had come to Sora X to keep an eye on Adar. Markus could feel the undercurrent of animosity as soon as his boots had stepped past the displacement cloak and into the city.

Truth be told, there had been an underlying current like this every moment he had been at the College during his eight years of training. No one knew how to handle a King’s son pledging himself to the Protectorate Program, least of all his fellow trainees.

Many thought it had been a joke at first. Some thought Markus would grow weary of a spoiled princes’ attempt to lash out his father by doing something so completely beneath his station. But when it had been clear Markus was in it for the long haul, that’s when the hard feelings really came out to shine.

He felt that same boiling heat simmering beneath the pristine facade the College always tried to constantly project, because they never knew when a potential client might show up to requisition a new Protector. Ready for anything, anytime, any place was the College’s motto they drilled into new Cadets heads. And that definitely applied to the atmosphere and presence of the College.

Markus knew the animosity he felt as he walked through the College wasn’t aimed at him, not this time. He hadn’t set foot on the grounds in two years. It was more than enough time for his constant presence to be delightfully forgotten. Markus imagined that after enough time had passed and it had become obvious he had no intention of coming back, that there had been celebrations all around, not that he cared one way or another.

He also doubted that the Chief Commander made it known he had asked Markus to return to the College. That wasn’t his style, since he deeply loved his secrets and doing stuff to confound the Trainees on an almost daily basis. He claimed it helped to keep everyone one their toes and to expect the unexpected.

Markus thought the Chief Commander just liked being an ass. But that was okay. Markus liked to play that game too. In fact, he’d gotten really good at it over the years, especially in dealing with his father.

So if the animosity wasn’t because of Markus, he had to assume it was toward their newly arrived client looking for a Protector. And if what he had heard from Nathias was remotely true, Markus could very well understand why there was so much bad feelings toward Adar.

Markus paused at the back corner of the Lower Trainee Cantina, hearing footsteps crunch on the sandstone of the back alley. He stilled, attempting to hide in the long shadows created by the close walls and wide angled roofs of the surrounding buildings.

He watched as a skinny man wearing a khaki long shirt and pants uniform that clearly announced him a lower level staff member of the College––no overcoats for those not a Cadet, Disciple, Pledge, Protector, officer or teacher. As Markus peered calmly past the heavy shadow he was standing in, he noticed the gray-black hair and the bulbous nose he’d become familiar with during his time at the College, though now the hair was more gray than black.

“I heard a rumor just today that you might be coming back. I wasn’t sure to believe it or not. I thought you’d forgotten about this place.”

For a moment, Markus considered turning around and finding another way through, but he realized there was no point. This man had discovered him fair and square, no point hiding now. He strolled forward, and in a few quick steps, stood beside the older man. The other fellow had his head leaned back against the sandstone building and a flask in his hand like he didn’t have a care in the world.

“I still don’t know why you never put yourself through the Program, Orlick. You’re just as good or better than the idiots you serve food to. I bet you’d top some of my scores,” Markus said.

The other man chuckled as he took a swig of his drink. “You used to be one of those idiots.”

Markus grimaced. “Don’t remind me.” He held out a hand and the other man reluctantly gave over his flask. Markus took a large swallow. It burned all the way down, and yavit didn’t that feel good. He handed the metal flask back.

Orlick took it and waved his other hand. “I’m too old for all that nonsense. This suits me better. I do my job and I come out here and steal a few minutes of solitude, and then I can go home and have all the solitude I want there.”

Markus shook his head, knowing that the man’s word usage of solitude was for having a drink, or three, or five. Orlick had been serving meals in the Lower Cantina since before Markus had enrolled in the College and even then, had already established a reputation of being a drunk. But the man always showed up for his shifts––mostly sober, and if you managed to catch him before he really got soused, then he was one of the best trackers Markus had ever had the privilege to work with.

“And stumble across people in a dark alley, of course,” Markus smirked.

Orlick laughed again. “Only you and those up to no good. Does Command know you’re back? Probably not since you are skulking about, though you always liked to skulk even when you were supposed to be at the College.”

Markus scoffed. “I have good reason to be here.”

Orlick scratched the side of his huge nose as if in thought for a moment. “Would that have anything to do with the returned Heir? As soon as I heard about him coming here to Sora of all places, and then a Renowned getting released from service, well, I figured just about anything was possible. And then I spied you hanging in those shadows over there, proving me right. Yavit, if I hadn’t spied you from the corner of my eye, I think you would have given me a start.”

Markus snorted. “No I wouldn’t have. Even stumbling drunk, you have more awareness than most the trainees here.”

Orilick gave a small grin as he took another drink. “Maybe. Maybe.”

Markus turned to move on. He had places to be and couldn’t stay here chatting all day. “I’ll see you around, but do me a favor and don’t go advertising I’m back, at least for now.”

The other man peered at him with a deep look. “I wouldn’t dream of it. Good luck with your hunt.” He then waved toward the alley toward the way Markus was facing.

He gave the other man a rather cutting side eye. “What makes you think I’m on the hunt?”

Orlick scratched his nose again, and then gave a shrug. “Dunno, you just got that look about you is all.”

Markus hesitated a moment. He didn’t like running into anyone this soon. That hadn’t been the plan. He also didn’t like there were rumors about Markus coming back, but then he knew how people liked to talk, and the College was certainly a breeding ground for gossip like any other place. It would have been unusual if no one had been talking about Markus in some fashion or another he supposed.

The Cantina worker was certainly known to enjoy dishing up as much gossip as he dished up food, but he’d also been a friend to Markus, as much of a friend as two drinking buddies and sometimes hunting partners could be. If Orlick said he wasn’t going to tell others about running into Markus, then he wouldn’t. Markus’s Dome-ni confirmed it with the all too familiar hum that sounded in his mind when someone spoke the truth as they knew it.

Still, there was a feel in the air. What it was, he couldn’t say for sure. But it caused a shiver to ripple through Markus and it made the hairs stand up on his arms. He had learned long ago to listen to the signs, and it was telling him something was off.

He eyed the other man one more time. No. He wasn’t getting the feeling from Orlick. It was something else. Markus stepped away so he was more fully in the shadows, and without another word, Markus turned and started to jog through the back alleys as he made up for lost time. He tried again to hone into the feeling, but it slipped away from him. Frustrated, Markus continued his course.

He had started to follow Adar in a parallel route as soon as he’d stepped into the College. Markus had found himself near the Cadet section, when the Prince and his small entourage had arrived through the displacement cloak. It was a simple thing to blend into the background. He had donned his old dark brown Pledge uniform, and his hair was still closely cropped like all the others at the College.

At least, he had hoped to blend in. It had been two years since he’s been to the College. There would be many new people here, and it wasn’t like everyone knew him by sight. It was a big College after all. Markus did figure he would eventually run into someone he knew, he just didn’t think it would be so early. At least it was Orlick, someone he could depend upon to keep his mouth shut when asked.

Markus stood at the back corner of the Lower Recreation building, waiting for Adar and his entourage to pass. He’d seen them go into the Auditorium, and knew Adar was being introduced to his potential Protectors inside. It was usually the first place a client went when they arrived at the College. The number of potentials varied, but it was usually somewhere between five and eight.

Nathias had informed Markus that Adar’s would be nine. Ten chosen and vetted by Vang, but one already set aside as the Emperor’s new Protector to replace Captain Hame. Nathias had somehow managed to procure the nine names so Markus could look them over himself on the ride to Sora.

He already knew there was going to be a problem. Several of the names stood out as red flags to Markus. He was surprised Vang hadn’t caught on to that, but then those names wouldn’t have even been a problem before the whole Hame indecent. Perhaps the Admiral hadn’t thought to take that into consideration?

Markus certainly knew the Chief Commander hadn’t, otherwise, he would have removed the names from Adar’s potential list himself. The Commander might be a total ass, but he cared about the reputation of the College.

After a rather boring, twenty minutes or so, Adar walked back out to the street with Pledge Haxley as his shadow. So that had been Adar’s first choice, which of course all the other Pledges would have keenly noticed. It was a proven fact that during Protector selection it was quite a high probability that the first shadow chosen usually ended up being the one the client ended up bonding with.

Out of the selection offered, Haxley wasn’t a bad choice. He wasn’t what Markus would have chosen, but to be perfectly honest, he probably wouldn’t have chosen any that Vang had set up for Adar. Vang had only been concerned with high marks and high results, so he had picked those he considered the best of the best. It was true, the performance of a trainee could result in a successful matching, but there really was more to choosing a Protecter than capability.

A relationship between Protector and charge was the absolutely most important factor in protection. If the charge didn’t trust or listen to the Protector when a dangerous situation presented itself, then the charge put them both in a precarious position. As Markus went through training, he remembered the horror stories some of the retired Protectors that now taught at the College told. They claimed there was nothing worse than a charge who refused to take the advice of their Protector, and it often accounted for a Protector’s failure to protect his charge.

The first thing Markus would look for was temperament and attitude of the client, and then attempt to match from there. Granted, he really did not know his old friend as he was now, but choosing every Pledge that was top in their specific fields was not the way to guarantee a good match. But ultimately, the choice would be Adar’s. Markus just hoped he chose well. His life would depend on it.

Markus continued to shadow the group as they walked through the College. Master Kiev was with them and he pointed out a few places as they went, but for the most part their path stayed true to where Markus knew they’d end up going next––the chalet where all the clients were housed.

After he had seen Adar and his party enter the client residence, Markus hesitated. The plan had been to make sure Adar made it to the chalet without any problems, but Markus remembered that feeling he had. So he spent some time walking the perimeter of the large building. After his second round, Markus found nothing out of the ordinary, and even that feeling had dissipated.

Still, he wasn’t going to put off his instincts. Markus dug into his pocket and pulled out four tiny silver spheres. He hadn’t intended to use them just yet, but he had other things he still had to do and couldn’t stand out here watching the building all night. So Markus took a moment to tightly press the top of each sphere. A blue circle blinked, indicating they were active. Markus then tossed them into the air.

The spheres zipped through the gathering darkness. They would take up station at the four corners of the chalet. If anything moved in, out, or around the building, the small square device in his other pocket would alert him to the activity. Satisfied for now, Markus walked back toward the College in the fading light.