What Max wouldn't have given for of Magnus's experiments to send a boulder crashing through the ceiling right now.

"This," cried Senator Valerius, "is an immeasurable abuse of power." The pompous ass's manicured fingers were practically clutching at the podium. The new Senatorium of Appia was restructured from one of the ancient buildings, a crumbling ruin brought to its former glory by the efforts of the College of the Romanics. Though not as large as the old Senatorium of Alera Imperia, it still had its own impressive splendor. An amphitheater descended onto the Senate floor below, the back wall a painted mural of a map of Alera. Magnus had really outdone himself on this project.

"Recognizing the Marat, Canim, and Iceman states was horrendous enough. But the very notion that we can allow these other creatures into the Senate…" the senator went on and on and on. Max sat next to Tavi as the two of them were forced to listen to this blather. Max was counting the number of tiles on the senate floor while Tavi looked serious as he cast his gaze on Senator Valerius. Crows, it still felt strange to see the individual pieces of stone that put this building together instead of having it be one large, smooth structure like a normal stonecrafted building. Some part of Max still worried that the whole place would come crashing down on their heads, though right now he supposed it wouldn't be a bad thing. Better than listening to this idiot.

"Ever since coming to power, our First Lord has done nothing but trample on our rights and the rights of our Citizens, who have sacrificed so much for our Realm. And what does Gaius Tavaris do in return? He overrides the collective will of our most esteemed and forces these changes upon the Realm at a time when we need stability and strength."

A loud rumbling sigh was heard as Senator Theoginus rose. Max felt a small twang in his chest when he saw Veradis's uncle. He had recently resigned himself to the fact that she simply didn't return his feelings. Understanding didn't make it any less painless. "I don't know about everyone else here, but I am damn tired of running the same routine over and over again. Every crowbegotten time we push for a motion, and every time the good Senator Valerius complains about how it is not done and the senate has to stall for weeks. I don't know if you've noticed, but the world is changing. We can no longer rely on tradition to keep us safe. If we are to survive then we must adapt to these changes."

The proceedings mercifully ended, and Max followed Tavi out of the Senatorium outside.

"Can I punch him please?" asked Max, referring to Senator Valerius. "If I have to listen to that slive one more time, I'm going to break something."

Tavi let out a breath that was both a laugh and a sigh. "It won't last long. This is just the dying gasp of the old ways, and he knows it. With the freeman now able to vote, his supporters have been dropping off."

"Well, they're sure taking their time voting him out," said Max.

The new capital was divided into two sections: Appia and New Appia. In the center were the original ruins. As Tavi had ordered, every building was either carefully preserved for future study or reconstructed in the ways of the ancient Romans: entirely without furycrafting. Even after knowing all that Tavi had accomplished, Max had still found the prospect daunting and baffling when he first heard what Tavi had hoped to do here, but Tavi had been very hopeful, and it turned out that quite a lot of people (mostly freemen) were eager to join Magnus. Despite a year of their best efforts, though, the only buildings that were anyway useable were the Academy and the Senatorium.

New Appia hadn't so much been built as it just sprung up around the ruins. Old Appia took a really long time to build, and the people who flooded to the capital needed more immediate housing. Like all buildings in Alera, most of the buildings in New Appia were furycrafted, though some people have tried their hand at constructing their own houses. Also, the Marat and Canim who decided to settle in the new capital brought along with them their own methods of building homes. Max had even felt a little touched when he saw an Aleran child and a Marat child playing together a few days ago.

"I notice you didn't answer my question," said Max, cracking his knuckles.

Tavi just smiled. He led Max off the newly cobbled streets of Old Appia towards an overgrown ruin a ways away from the Senatorium. Once they were out of sight, Max felt a popping sensation in his ears as Tavi windcrafted a sound barrier to prevent them from being overheard.

"I actually need you to do something. Something that requires your capacity as a Cursor," said Tavi.

"Oh that should be fun." Max smirked. "And what does the high and mighty First Lord want with his humble agent?"

"The Redhill Heights are having trouble with a group of outlaws," explained Tavi. "Normally, this wouldn't be very noteworthy, but the count in charge of that area has strangely refused any help offered by the crown and High Lord Phrygius to deal with this problem."

"Like the good count doesn't want crown forces poking around his territory," said Max.

"Exactly," said Tavi. "I want you to do two things: one, deal with the outlaws, second, find out what Count Otho Fabius is hiding. Do you think you can manage?"

"Sure thing, Tavi. I have one question, though: why me?"

"Instinct," Tavi said levelly.

"Ah," said Max. The line of Gaius was known to have the gift of foretelling, and Max knew firsthand how useful Tavi's gift was. "Well if that's that case, then I guess I'll have to get going then," he said somewhat mockingly.

15 years earlier

"Hey, bumpkin." Uli could hear the dull, loud voice of one of the other boys he was sharing his Legion tent with, a heavyset young man by the name of Bortus. "How many pagana does it take to light a furylamp?"

Uli ignored him.

"I said," Bortus said louder and more slowly, "how many stupid backwater hicks like Ulixius does it take to light a furylamp?"

"I don't know, Bortus," said one of the other boys, Nonus. "How many pagana does it take to light a furylamp?"

"It doesn't matter," said Bortus, "because none of them can talk right."

"Shove off!" yelled Uli. "None'a you are Citizens neither."

Bortus and Nonus erupted in a fit of ugly laughter. The Legion had no shortage of men from remote rural villages like Uli. Uli was just unlucky enough to have been placed in the same spear as these two louts. He sent his fury, Rachni to one of the wooden bedposts on the bunkbed Bortus and Nonus were sharing. As the two of them were laughing it up, Rachni weakened the bedpost, snapping it in two and sending Nonus crashing down, nearly crushing Bortus.

Uli couldn't help but let out a laugh of his own. Bortus and Nonus turned to him. "You think that's funny, bumpkin?"

It was then that Uli realized that Bortus was quite a bit bigger than him. He tried to make a run for the tent flap, but Nonus was right on it. He cut Uli off and shoved him into Bortus. Uli struggled as the two boys shoved him to the floor.

"You know, I know a bit of earthcraft," said Nonus. "Why don't we shove that bumpkin's face in the mud?"

"What's going on here?" a loud, booming voice demanded.

"It's none of your business," Bortus snarled.

"Really now?" The new voice sounded confident to the point of cockiness, and Uli could feel Nonus and Bortus stiffen as the newcomer stepped closer. Uli took advantage of their hesitance to break free of his bullies' hold. He elbowed Nonus in the ribs and pushed himself off the ground. Nonus cried out and tried to regain his hold on Uli. While that was going on, the newcomer boxed Bortus in the ear, knocking him to the ground. Seeing what happened to his friend, Nonus tried to lunge at the newcomer, but the new boy easily dodged and punched Nonus in the gut, knocking the wind out of him.

Bortus got up and tried to take a swing at the newcomer, but, with the strength that only an earthcrafter can pull off with as much grace as the newcomer was showing, he lifted Bortus over his head and threw him through the tent flap. Apparently realizing that he was seriously outmatched, Nonus ran out of the tent after his friend.

Uli wiped his face with his tunic before looking up at the newcomer. Like Uli, the other legionare was merely fifteen years old. However, despite being very young, the other boy already had a large frame while Uli was still lanky and awkward. Though not conventionally handsome, the other boy's wolfish grey eyes and cocky smirk gave him a roguish charm.

"Thanks for that," said Uli.

"Don't mention it," said the new legionare as he held out his hand and helped pull Uli up. "I'm Maximus."

"Ulixius," said Uli.