Past, Present and future

Octain and Lyndis took the time off of work and all to figure out what had happened. They both stood side by side in a desert, Lyndis wearing attire suited for the desert yet Octain wearing his cloak and mask. Their eyes narrowed at the the destroyed tower. Taking a moment to look at each other as Octain spoke.

"Vince. Take notes. This is where I had started. My life. This tower was the first place that the Crypitcs. A group of powerful mages had kept their sacred rites."

The tower still stood tall, though it was good that they people who was with Octain were magical in nature, should they have been mundane, it would not have shown. Just desert, though with time the magic may have deteriorated, visible to all.

"Well, Magistar." Lyndis spoke. "You grew up here. As an Inquisitor, I wish to understand what happened here dear brother."

Lyndis' voice uttered disdain for her brother. Her last family that was blood that wasn't lower. Her brother was all that she had. She put a hand on Octain's shoulder for a moment before Octain moved forward, his body hidden under the cloak.

Both of them walked to the door, awaiting their compatriot to join them.

"I shall state this Vince. You are to never utter a word of this to anyone else. The secrets are ours, and ours alone. Do I make myself clear?" Octain spoke. His Orange eyes staring at Vince.

"Oh my lord, surely you can trust your student, someone who has learned almost everything from you to keep at least one secr-" She was cut off.

"The secrets he will learn here are not for ears. These are secrets of our past. The only one's who should know of this are our family. It's tradition. Even if our father was pathetic. Even if he ruined everything I hold dear. Every. Single. Thing. I hold dear." Octain's voice became raspy. His anger evident. It was uncharacteristic. "Know your place. Inquisitor. I. Am. Your. Leader. You will do well to remember it."

Lyndis went to say something and immediately went silent. She fixed her hair as Octain looked at a door.

"By rite of the Magistar, I plead to the door that protects those I have sworn to protect, family, friends and all those magic. Grant myself and my friend passage through these hallowed halls. I, Magistar Octain will open the door."

The door opened. Octain and Lyndis stepping through as the door gave time for Vince to join them.

The opening hall was a large room filled with what looked like to be a library, books tossed about, covered in either dried blood, skeletons or dust. The room filled with death, disdain for someone who entered. It wasn't clear on who, but Octain knew who it was. Of all three. The room had stair cases that came to life. broken or otherwise moving about.

"Orais... This.. No..." She used Octain's real name. For Vince to hear. Octain didn't seem to care as he moved around the room. Picking up books. It was hard to read Octain's hard exterior. His eyes glued to what ever he picked up.

"These books are decades, centuries and eons of information. Magic and all. Lost magics that should never see the light of day." He spoke. Looking at Vince as Lyndis was checking the bodies.

"Fire magic.. Ice.. Something.. isn't right here." Lyndis could not put her hand on what happened here. Though something didn't sit right with her.

@Poppy

"Oh.. As long as you wonderful husband can keep a secret I'm sure it's not a problem" Lyndis opened her mouth. Thinking it wouldn't be too much of an issue. Though she wasn't sure about her brother.

"Fine. Do as you wish. Though you shall never reveal the location of the tower. Least do this for me." He said. Picking up a book and reading through it. "though, Vin, you are right. We should pile up all we can by the door to allow us to gather later, so I may put these in their proper places and regain these relics." Ocatin stated. Started to pile books that haven't been injured too much. Others he looked at and tried to remember what it was.

"So.. Bring back any memories?" Lyndis asked. Placing a hand on Octain's shoulder. Looking at him, but his eyes showed nothing. All of what he felt was hidden by his mask. His orange eyes looked at Lyndis'.

"Yes. Just.. Childhood." He stated. "I grew up here. This was my home. All of the mages here my friends or family." He closed the book and dropped it on the ground. Moving towards a few bodies.

"Listen Vin, this is a part of your final exam. I want you to make notes on this. Mental or otherwise. What you see here, all this. I would not has shown any other. It's location is the only secret I will ask for you to take to the grave." Octain moved to a staircase. The handrail braking in his hand as he gripped it.

"Oh. So you are okay with bringing STUDENTS TO OUR HOME!? THE HOME OF THE CRYPTICS!?" Lyndis opened her mouth. "My Lord, I feel like your advice is flawed. Bringing a student- an outsider here."

Octain turned his head. His eyes glaring at Lyndis.

"I help all of those who have the arcane flow. Those who ask questions of magic, those who strive down their path. Those who deem themselves worthy of the Magistar, the secret lord of all magic. All mages. Above all. YOUR lord." His tone, more sever. "If you want to find the secrets. Follow me. Vin. I wish for you to find books on history of the Octavius line those are most important."

Octain looked at Vin with a raised eyebrow. "If you open a book and do not get set on fire. You will know if you are a blood line. Our books are sentient to those close to us. Blood relative or otherwise." He stated. Before Lyndis and he went upstairs. Seeing....

A room full of bodies. Tho skeletons knew. the pat and all. Octain looked at Lyndis with knowing look as he removed his mask.

"The history. I know. All too well. It was..." He stopped for moment. "I was I who ruined this place. It was I..."

Lyndis' eyes opened. She looked at her brother. Dropping to the floor on her knees. Feeling like she had nothing to live for. Feeling like someone else had done this. That someone else had taken the lives of those inside of the building into their hands.

Lyndis had thought that someone outside of the family took matters into their own hands.

"Orais.. No.. Please.." Her heart could not take much more as Octain moved his back to her sister. Staring into the void he created in his own mind.

"Yes, dear sister. Like i said. Some truths are better hidden. It was I." He stated. Moving towards a staircase once more. "If you wish move with me to know all. I will tell you all. The fight of our father. Our mother's death to keep me alive."

Octain's eyes rolled when Vin spoke, With a brief smile under his mask he chuckled. "Sometimes, a student is a better friend than you may think Vin." He stated. Though.

What Vin said next killed Octain's exterior. His mask cracking and pieces falling off, revealing small portions of his face, the corner of his lips, some more of his eyes. He glared to Vin, Did she find something? What was it? No books of what happened here were made, all of what transpired here was burned into Octain's mind.

"How did you.. Yes. I killed them all. I speak of it with respect, because in my fathers shoes, I'd had done the same thing. Let me explain." He said, looking between Vin and Lyndis. His eyes, a normal cold exterior was full of regret, hatred of himself and loathing. Yet a hint of pride for what he did.

"Orias..? You.. Killed them all!?" Lyndis stated, starting to create an anti-magic field around her, only those of her blood weren't affected. As a sword appeared in her hands. "You have a moment to explain yourself- Killing your Kindred!? Monster." She ended, her once beautiful voice turned into anger, rage and disgust for her own brother.

"I did it to save the world! This tower was going to start a revolution, destroying the inhabitants of the world, to destroy innocence in the name of a holy cause. I killed everyone who stood in my way. I own up to it every day, dear sister." He stated. As the sword was created, Octain chanted, creating the ice blades, the swords of ice so cold that the air froze around them, making it colder around him.

At least now the other two knew how Octain could walk through the desert with his cloak one the whole time.

"And Father? What happened to him?" Lyndis spoke, holding the blade in two hands, looking like she's ready to strike.

"I fought a battle that lasted days. Hearing his story.. His tale. Our mother was by blood, our father married in to keep our bloodline, the Octavius Family, the head of the Cryptics in power. When I killed him. I foiled his plan." Octain stated.

Lyndis began to grind her teeth together, the rage she was feeling was unbearable, finally coming to terms with who did all this- Promising to seek justice. That man was staring her in the face, calling her sister.

"I don't believe this. Vin, this isn't your teacher, he's a monster." She stated. Preparing to hit him with her sword.

"I did what I had to! The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few! Magic is not meant for Domination! It's preservation!" Octain stated. "Vin, I speak the truth, this is a burden I carry. Trust me, just this one time."

"Vin speaks the truth dear sister. Your mind is clouded by a past spent not here, but by your teachings. I knew only this place, it destroys me. I did what I had to. As the heir, to preserve our teachings. If I had not wanted to share this information, or wanted to keep the past buried. I would not have taken either of you here. A student, who has shown the utmost skill in arts and the Lady Inquisitor, who is my only sister and the last of my blood family." He looked at Vin for a moment, then at his sister. "I did what I had to. I put my life on the line to put down the lives of a few hundred down, to spare the billions of innocent. My family is all that I have and strive to protect. I gave everyone a chance for it to end peacefully, they would not budge."

Lyndis listened to the both of them. Clutching her sword tight as she slowly lowered it. Taking a moment to give it all thought. What seemed like a few moments of her thinking, but in her head, rules and regulations danced.

"Brother.." She spoke lightly. Putting her sword into the ground. "I'm sorry.. Lord Magistar. My emotions clouded my judgement. I've only seen minimal destruction to secluded areas from some of your tests of putting your life on the line against students, yet you still hold back. You took in a little girl, scared half to death." She spoke. Looking at the ground for a moment before putting her head back up. "But something still bothers me. What happened to drive our father to that?"

"I am.. Not one hundred percent sure, all I can remember was that he was sick of hiding, sick of only protecting. He was power hungry, he forcefully married into the family from what books taught me. Our mother died in childbirth. I was never told what happened or why. But I had the feeling she just gave up. Thus he took over, a man who was disgusted, hated the Octavius line for being the leaders for decades upon decades." He said, moving to a shelf after the blades vanished. "As my sister, you are forgiven, as an Inquisitor. I shall need to make a proper judgement for raising your sword at your leader."

Though his truth hid some lies, lies about how he found out about genocide of the world, about why he started the slaughter in the first place, the mask gave him powers beyond any human, but it came at a cost.