Chapter 1: The end of what used to be

James stepped into the principal's office and waited. The principle was sitting in a large chair, facing a window that allowed him to look down into the schoolyard where he could see all the students that was on their way home after a long day in school. He was quiet as he turned around in the large chair and looked at James, from head to toe, before he sighed.

James was a strapping young man, with an athletic physic, dirty blond hair, dark blue eyes and sun-kissed skin. He had just turned 18 years old and was in his last semester at the Imperial Academy. He was wearing the uniform every student wore, a black suit with silver frames and a pair of black leather shoes. He looked at the principle, but did not ask why he was here, as that would be disrespectful. Instead, he waited. The time went by slowly as if it was about to stop. Sweat began to form at his hairline and slowly run down his temple. A student were not called to the principal's office unless they had done something very wrong, which James could not say he had ever had. He had always been loyal to the school and the empire. Sure he had had times where he was about to break down and succumb to his basic needs and jerk off to an internal image of the girl he so desperately wished he could be with for the rest of his life, but he did not do it as that was against the laws of the empire.

The suspense was killing him. Why did the principle not talk and why did he sigh? Everyone knows that someone only sighs like that if something is wrong and James knew he had not done anything wrong, or had he? He began to think. Was there something he had done lately that was against the law? Was it something he had done or said?

He was about to say something when the principle finally broke the silence.

"Do you know why you are here?" asked the principle. He was a man in his early 50's, with a well-kept beard, short silvery hair and narrow, pale blue eyes and wore a long robe in the same fashion as James' uniform.

James thought for a moment, then shook his head and replied "No, Sir. I do not have the faintest idea why you have called for me." The principle sighed once again then pointed at a chair in front of his desk. James sat down and looked at the principle as he pulled out two pieces of paper, a picture, and a train ticket, from the drawer then pushed it over to James.

"Please tell me what this is," the principle demanded. James looked at the first piece of paper. It was hand written on fine paper and had a seal attached to the side of it, which meant that it was an official deed from the Breeder's Guild in the town called Bredale. The second piece of paper was a letter addressed to him. James was about to grab the letter but the principle were quicker and put his fingertips on the paper then said: "James. I advise you not read this letter. If you do I will have no other choice but to expel you from the school."

"Where did you get this from?" James asked. The principle repeated himself but James stopped him by asking once again, this time in a more demanding tone than before, where the principle had gotten the letter. The principle stood up from the chair, his fingers pressing against the papers almost breaking the letter, and looked at James with piercing eyes.

"You should know better than to raise your voice when you are talking to me!" the principle said with a stern voice, but James did not budge. He was angry and wanted answers. The principle strung his shoulders and said, "If you must know they were given to me by your parents."

"Give them to me," James demanded as he stood up from the chair. The principle looked at him with confusion. James had never acted against his superior so why begin now. The principle removed his hand from the letter and said, "If you read this, leave, or I will call the authorities." James grabbed the papers and the picture then left the school.

On his way home, he began to read the letter. Word for word his world began to crumble around him. The principle was right. He should never have read that letter. His life was over as this letter spelled a life-changing event for him.

In the letter it said," Dear Mister James Law.

It is with much sorrow that we, the Bredale Breeder's Guild, can info you that your biological parents, Magnus and Kathrine Horrigan, has passed away after an accident. The details of the accident are still under investigation, but the will they left have signed their ranch, stock and other attributes to your name. We hope to see you on the Horrigan Ranch soon.

Sincerely

The Bredale Breeder's Guild."

When James finally got home he found the entrance to, what was now his adoptive, parents home guarded by soldiers from the royal guard. He went up to one of them and asked them what they were doing there where to the guard explained that someone had committed a crime in the house. Two people, a man and a woman, were found dead on the floor when a friend of the family came to visit and she had called for the guards to come and investigate the murder.

Once done explaining the guard asked James to run off and stop wasting their time and James truly did not feel like he wanted to stay there once more moment. He looked at the deed to his parent's ranch and gave himself a decisive nod before he went for the train station.