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Infinity: Rise of an Empire

Chapter One

It was a dark, moonless night. The perfect evening for bad things to happen.

Hidden away high in the mountains and built so naturally into a cliffside that it could easily be missed if one were not looking closely was the ancient ruin of a long-lost temple. The sect that had built it had long since disappeared from history, and what they left behind had been abandoned, defiled, and looted over the centuries until there was little of value left within its once sacred halls.

Tonight, however, the forgotten temple was being disturbed. A dozen people in dark cloaks and wearing white, skull-like masks had entered the place hours ago, leaving two of their number to stand guard surreptitiously by the front entrance. Their bodies were carefully hidden by the thick stone columns that held up the façade of the temple, though not completely. Every now and again, one of the two would peer out into the enshrouding darkness, searching.

Suddenly, three figures emerged from the darkness and walked with confident, unhurried strides towards the temple entrance. The two guards shared a look, with one gesturing to the other. One of them immediately disappeared into the temple, while the other remained at the front.

When the three new arrivals arrived at the foot of the wide set of stairs that led up to the entrance, the remaining lookout emerged from cover, prompting the three to stop in their tracks. The remaining guard could feel their gazes on him, and it made him feel uneasy.

"Who goes there?" said the lookout. While his stance looked confident, he was betrayed by the wavering in his voice. He was scared.

"The Jade Dragons," said one of the three in a rough, male voice. It was hard to tell which one had spoken, for all three of them wore hoods that shrouded their faces and long dark cloaks that hid their bodies. The only difference to be seen clearly was that the one in the middle stood taller than the other two by a head.

Two figures stepped out of the temple from behind the lookout. One of them was the other lookout, and the second was someone else from the group that had entered the temple proper earlier. The first lookout relayed what the new arrivals had said, and the one who had come from inside nodded in acknowledgement.

"Welcome, Jade Dragons. Please follow me." The figure gestured for them to come up, and soon the only ones left at the entrance were the two who were originally standing guard.

Moments later, the wind howled. Lightning briefly flashed in the sky, illuminating the surrounding area for a split second, followed quickly by the booming sound of thunder that shook even the mountains and echoed through the night. A storm was coming. And in that split-second of brilliant light, the lookouts could have sworn they saw someone standing atop the craggy rocks on the mountainside across from the temple, staring right at them.

-=H=-

He had been hunting them for over two years now. The last remnants of the Death Eaters who had escaped from Britain after the death of their master and the collapse of their wicked organization. They say the war had ended, but in his view, it was not yet over. More than two thirds of the Death Eaters were either dead, imprisoned, or had worked out some sort of deal with the Ministry of Magic in the immediate aftermath of the Battle of Hogwarts.

The remaining third had gone into hiding, with most choosing to flee the country. Some even fled the continent entirely, thinking that perhaps they could move far enough away so as to never be found. But they never could have expected the lengths to which they would be pursued.

One by one, that remaining third who fled and went into hiding, were tracked down, rooted out, and killed.

He had not set out with the intention to kill them at first. At the start of this quest, he had hoped to capture them and bring them back to face justice in the courts and eventually the Dementors of Azkaban. But his quarry did not like that plan, and like cornered animals they fought with everything they had.

He was gifted with magic, with power and control that was naturally above average. But his training thus far had been relatively poor and haphazard. Unfortunately, he was not skilled enough to take them in alive anymore. After nearly dying at the hands of the first few he found, he decided that killing them outright was the less troublesome option.

Besides, it was not like anyone would miss them. Especially since he was fighting them in the shadowy, forgotten corners of the world. He was doing the world a favor by eliminating the dark pestilence of these Death Eaters. And in the last two years, he had eliminated twenty of them. Only twelve remained. The final dozen.

Perhaps hearing about their brethren being hunted down, these final twelve Death Eaters decided to band together for what seemed like a final stand. It was good of them to make his job easier. No more would he have to waste time tracking them down individually and planning how best to take them out one-by-one.

Now, he could eliminate them all in one fell swoop.

This time, however, it seemed like they had actually asked for help. He had been patiently observing the temple for some time, and watched as three unknown figures appeared out of thin air in front of the abandoned temple. Their cloaks concealed much of their movements, but he could tell straight away that they were skilled combatants, and that made him wary.

He had found over the years that the Death Eaters were more bark than bite. Sure, some of them knew unforgivable curses and dark curses, but for the most part they were weaklings hiding behind a mask and the master it represented. They also often took advantage of either surprise or numbers to overwhelm and attack their targets. Individually, their skills were mediocre at best, and that made his task much easier.

A frown formed on his youthful face. These three new people seemed a different story, though. He did not like unknown variables like these. But he also knew that if he did not strike now, things would get even harder later.

He guessed that these last remaining Death Eaters, in a desperate bid to stay alive, had contacted some organization—likely a dark guild or sect of some sort, given their nature—and had asked for protection. Though what these pathetic worms could offer in exchange for their lives puzzled him. How troubling.

Another thing he had learned traveling the world like this was that magic was taught and used differently by different cultures and countries. Some magic even seemed superior in some respects, or at least had the potential to be superior, to the magic taught in Europe. The world of magic was far broader and deeper than he had ever dreamed of.

That meant, of course, that facing off against magic users from different parts of the world would prove to be far more challenging than the Death Eaters who fought in the European style that he was more familiar with. These unknowns who were likely from a magical dark organization were therefore much more dangerous and should not be taken lightly.

With a sigh, he reached into a pouch at his waist and pulled out a waterskin that was several times larger than the pouch itself. Taking a long swig of cool, mountain spring water, he started to think of his plan of attack. It would have to be soon, for there was no telling how long his quarry would remain in the temple.

-=H=-

"Did you see that, Ethan?" Sherwin hissed, fidgeting beneath his robes as he stared out into the dark night. A long stick protruded from one of his sleeves.

"See what?" asked Ethan. The two had been tasked with guarding the temple entrance because they were the two best combatants among the remaining Death Eaters. Ethan did not like the plan, but they also had little choice in the matter.

Word had spread that they were being hunted. Their former comrades were found slain all over the globe. Though whether the culprit was one person or a group—perhaps a team of Hit Wizards from the Auror Department—it was hard to say. Regardless, what was certain was that they were being hunted and killed.

Rather than waiting for death all alone, the surviving Death Eaters had decided to group up and fight their pursuers. But they also decided that they needed to do more to make sure they won in the end. They needed to set a trap, and to make doubly sure, they also needed to enlist aid from elsewhere.

It had been Leo's idea. As the younger cousin of Antonin Dolohov, Leo had become the de-facto leader of the remaining Death Eaters. He had been the one to contact the Jade Dragons, leading them into the depths of China, where the powerful dark organization held near total control. Now, in these strange temple ruins, they were meeting to discuss the terms of their agreement.

"I thought I saw someone out there," Sherwin said in a harsh whisper, frightened eyes scanning the darkness as if he could see through it to the unknown enemy beyond.

To be honest, Ethan thought he had seen someone too, but he figured it was just a figment of his imagination. They had been running for so long, and fearful of their lives, that he was sure their tired minds were simply imagining things.

"You're just seeing things," Ethan said with less assurance than he would have liked to convey, but it was the best he could do given the circumstances.

"I saw someone." Sherwin sounded adamant as he brought his wand up to his chest, ready to lash out at a moment's notice.

Ethan frowned. "Then be on guard."

He glanced over to his partner who was pressed up against one of the outer columns, half-hidden. Sherwin was a good fighter, but he was a coward at heart. When push came to shove, he could duel well enough. But more often than not he was defensive and simply tried to find a way to escape when pressed. That was why he did better in a group, and was often put on guard duty with several others to keep him in check.

Now, with just the two of them, Ethan wondered how quickly Sherwin would leave him behind in the event there was trouble. Not that he could get far. The temple only had one entrance as far as they could tell, and the only way to flee was deeper into the temple.

There was a lot of magical energy in the air, and strangely enough, there was some sort of ward or barrier that prevented apparition within the temple and extending out about fifty meters beyond the entrance. That was why the three Jade Dragon representatives had walked up to the entrance from a distance. And that was also why they had chosen this place as their final stand in the first place.

There was no escape, either for them or their pursuers. Their pursuers would not stop until they were dead, and the only way to ensure their safety was to kill those who were hunting them. A fight to the death was imminent. And it would happen here.

Ethan shivered as a gust of wind howled into the temple. The air was cold and damp. Storm clouds made the moonless sky even darker, and low clouds were already coming in, beginning to shroud the mountainside. Visibility couldn't get any worse.

Dim magical light from within the temple illuminated the space only up to the bottom of the front steps. And only barely.

Lightning flashed. The lone figure that they thought they saw earlier suddenly appeared again. Much closer this time. More evident. When the lightning passed, the darkness of night swallowed the figure once more, disappearing from sight.

Without a second thought, Sherwin launched a barrage of spells in the direction of the stranger. They exploded and lit up the area, but there appeared to be nothing there except rocks. Broken and damaged rocks now after Sherwin's attack.

Even Ethan was startled enough to hold his wand up, though he refrained from casting any spells. His eyes scanned the darkness warily, muscles tense with anticipation. There was definitely someone out there.

The hunters had come. But the question was, how many of them were there?

"We should warn the others," Sherwin said shakily.

Ethan glared at him, though the other man did not see it as he was busy trying to find their opponent. A coward true and true. Sherwin was trying to give an excuse for him to run inside. But their orders were clear. If the enemy attacked, they had to stall for as long as possible to give Leo and the others enough time to come to an agreement with the Jade Dragons.

"We stay," Ethan said flatly. "You know why we're here. We can't abandon our posts now."

"Shit, shit, shit…" Sherwin said in a panic. He was shaking all over.

If he was being honest, Ethan wanted to run inside too. And they would retreat eventually. Just not yet. They had to put up at least a token resistance first. He turned to look back into the surrounding darkness. He could feel moisture on his skin from the storm clouds rolling in.

Within seconds, it started to drizzle. Lightning flashed again, but there was nothing out there. Had they really been imagining it all?

Ethan relaxed a fraction. "Looks like it was noth—"

"Agh!" Sherwin yelped suddenly as the flash of a spell erupted in Ethan's peripheral vision.

Ethan turned, wand at the ready, and saw Sherwin fall to the ground in a heap. A sneak attack. Driven by pure instinct, Ethan crouched and lashed out with several attack spells. A few basic ones, like expelliarmus and diffindo, and a few dark curses he had learned over the years.

They sailed through empty air and impacted against the far wall in a cloud of dust and broken stone. Cursing, he took cover behind the closest column and readied himself for a fight. The enemy was likely hiding behind the far column where Sherwin had been stationed. How had their opponent snuck up on them so easily?

Without warning, there was movement directly in front of him, in the opposite direction of where he thought the enemy was. He hastily threw up a shield as spells impacted against it, saving himself at the last second. But then a chunk of the column above his head exploded with enough force to knock him off balance as rocks rained down on him painfully.

One rock struck his head, leaving him in a painful daze as he stumbled to the ground. Dizzy, but still half-conscious, he managed to launch a few spells in a counter-attack towards the direction of the second opponent. There had to be at least two enemies. Probably more. How else could they have been surrounded so easily?

The spells, like before, impacted nothing but the far wall. He had missed, and his opponent had somehow disappeared again. Off to his side, a spell came hurtling. He was too dazed to react, and the spell hit his side, throwing him completely to the ground as his wand flew from his grasp. He tumbled roughly across the floor, smacking hard against the wall behind the column he had been hiding behind.

The air was smacked out of him, leaving him breathless and wheezing. The back of his head felt wet and hot. He must have been bleeding. In pain and out of breath, he could do nothing but struggle to stay conscious. Lightning flashed once more, and against the bright stormy sky the dark silhouette of a cloaked figure appeared as if from thin air.

The hunter, for who else could it be, approached and knelt down in front of him, reaching out to grab him by the hair so that his face was turned up towards the stranger. Ethan hissed in pain but was powerless to stop it.

The last thing he remembered seeing were vivid, emerald green eyes looking harshly down upon him, before a world of pain made him forget everything else.

"Legilimens."

-=H=-

Like a battering ram, his consciousness slammed straight into the downed Death Eater's mind. The man's mental defenses, already weakened due to his injured physical state and his half-conscious state, were easily crushed and he was soon ripping memories and thoughts out of the man.

Such rough legilimency was not advisable for the sake of the mental health and stability of the subject, but he did not care about any of that. Given how weak the man's occlumency was, there would definitely be some mental scarring and even potential damage to the man's sanity with such blunt and cruel application of mental force, but the Death Eater was not going to live much longer anyway.

More importantly, he had little time to act, and he needed as much information as he could before he could proceed into the temple to finish off the others.

Surely, someone inside had already heard the fighting. It had gone a little longer than he had hoped, but not too far beyond his expectations. Those inside were likely going to be far more prepared and thus more difficult to deal with. But he would find a way. He had to.

When he had learned enough about the Death Eaters' plans—which was to trap him and fight to the death to save themselves along with help from these so-called Jade Dragons—he slit the man's throat. He had already killed the other man earlier when he first struck.

Ten more to go¸ he thought.

These Jade Dragons were definitely going to be a problem. From what little this Death Eater knew about them, they were a formidable force here in China. A shadowy organization not unlike a criminal gang, but far more powerful and sophisticated than the deadliest of mundane or muggle gangs that existed today.

Personally, he had heard a few whispers over the years about them, but not enough to really understand the threat he potentially faced. All he knew was that they were going to be far more difficult to face than the remaining Death Eaters.

If the Death Eaters even manage to successfully recruit them to their side at all, that is. He was holding out hope that they would have nothing to bargain with and the Jade Dragons would hopefully reject their offer to work together and leave in peace, or at least stay out of the way.

Of course, he was well aware that this was likely only wishful thinking. This was still their turf, after all, and they were all encroaching upon it. He only hoped he could survive long enough to at least finish off the Death Eaters entirely. That way, if he were to die tonight, he could do so in peace knowing that he had accomplished his mission.

Getting to his feet, he slipped on his invisibility cloak and disappeared completely from sight. His boots, which he had purchased on a trip to Japan to chase down two Death Eaters that had holed up there a few months ago, were enchanted to be silent, featherlight, and to boost his agility and jumping ability. It had been expensive, but well worth it.

The shopkeeper who had sold it to him had said it was once an heirloom for a reputable family of ninjas that had fallen on hard times and was forced to sell some of their treasures to survive. Coupled with his invisibility cloak, the Shadowhunter Boots, as they were called, allowed him to travel undetected by everyone he had thus far encountered.

The entrance hall was completely empty, with only the lit magical braziers and lamps indicating that someone had been there. He hurried onward, moving deeper into the temple and navigating a small maze of empty corridors before arriving at an inner courtyard.

A perfectly round hole had been carved into the ceiling, extending straight up into the mountainside. Water flowed down from the sides of the hole and into a large pool of water, creating an interesting manmade waterfall. A few plants somehow grew into the soil around the pool. A few flowers and bushes.

What really drew his eyes were two trees with thin, pale white trunks and even thinner limbs that looked almost like vines. They grew in a slanted and twisted way around the pool, their branches intertwining with each other to form a circular canopy that followed the round edge of the pool.

The way the trees were positioned seemed unnatural, as if they had been coaxed and molded into their current form by an external force. Magic, undoubtedly. Though the manner of magic that was capable of such a thing was alien to him.

When his gaze swept the ground, he froze for a moment as he caught sight of the unmoving bodies of four Death Eaters. They were so still he had missed them at first. There appeared to be no signs of struggle. Either they had been taken by surprise, or they had been taken down so quickly they couldn't even react. Their wands lay next to their bodies, and it looked like their valuables were still on them, so they had not been looted.

He quickly approached one to check for signs of life, then checked the rest. There was no doubt about it. They were all dead. A closer look showed blood trickling from their mouths and into a small pool beneath their heads.

A dispute with the Jade Dragons, perhaps? Or an internal matter? He wondered what could have set them off, but decided he didn't much care. He now had four less Death Eaters to worry about.

Checking around once more to make sure he hadn't missed anything, he moved on down what looked like a main passage heading deeper into the temple, ignoring the smaller side passages that led out from the courtyard. If he had the opportunity, he would explore those later.

Before long, he emerged into a grand inner hall. The ceiling was at least a hundred meters high, held aloft by round columns of smooth stone thick enough around that it would take at least ten of him together with arms stretched out to completely encircle one.

There were numerous carvings on the walls, long since faded over time but still somewhat visible. He did not look too closely. He had little interest in them.

At the end of the hall was what looked to be a grand altar, raised on a platform about halfway up the height of the hall. A long staircase ascended up towards the altar, and on it were several torn and bloodied bodies. More Death Eaters, judging from the masks he could see.

On the altar were the three people from the Jade Dragons. The shorter ones to either side held weapons dripping with blood—one had a spear and the other a curved sword. The tallest one, who was likely their leader, was choking the life out of what appeared to be the last remaining Death Eater.

The tall one held the Death Eater aloft with one hand as easily as if he were only holding up an apple. The Death Eater struggled against the thick arm that held him, legs flailing beneath him. No matter how hard he tried, he could not escape the grip of the one who held him.

"You overstep yourself. Your master is dead," said the tall figure in a deep, rumbling voice. "And now, so are you."

With a resounding crack that echoed through the hall, the man's head snapped to the side and his entire body went limp. The leader of the Jade Dragon group let go, and the Death Eater fell to the ground heavily, never to get up again.

"Let's go." The tall man began to descend the steps. When he encountered a body that was lying in his way, he simply kicked it off, but the amount of force was surprising since the body flew and smacked into one of the stone columns before falling to the ground. This man's physical strength was far greater than normal, to the point that he could even be said to have super strength.

How is that possible? Hiding beneath his invisibility cloak, he carefully moved to the side to avoid being accidentally run into as the trio walked through the hall towards the entrance.

When they walked past him, he slowly made his way towards the altar. Even though he knew he was completely invisible and his steps were silent, he still moved carefully. It was all for naught.

"Who's there?" said the tall one. He stopped right at the entrance, turning around. The other two stiffened and readied their weapons, eyes searching for an opponent they could not see.

A minute passed. Nothing happened. Yet the trio were still on alert.

"You're very good at hiding," said the tall one. "I cannot hear your steps. Nor can I see you. But you failed to hide your scent, faint as it is." He made a show of sniffing the air. "I know you're here."

Swallowing hard, he quickly moved behind the closest pillar in preparation for a fight. He remained beneath his invisibility cloak for now. Perhaps they would give up if they could not properly find him. He cursed inwardly at the oversight about his scent. This was the first time he had encountered someone with a sense of smell so sensitive as to figure out he was there even without seeing or hearing him.

Thinking quickly, he looked for alternative routes to leave the hall. There were two side passages in the middle of the hall. Though where they led was a mystery. It was possible they led to a dead end, and he would be trapped in a more enclosed space. But there was also the chance that he could find a way to escape to the outside, and once he was outside the temple, he was confident he could outrun and lose them.

As if realizing what he was trying to do, the tall one gestured with his head, and the other two moved with frightening speed, appearing in front of the side passages he had been eyeing, blocking off escape.

Damn. There was only one possible route left. Up on the raised platform, there had to be a passageway that led elsewhere. Whatever leaders this temple once had back in the day, they likely did not want to have to walk up and down all these steps in view of everyone. That was something for their subordinates to do, not them. So, there was likely a passage up there.

"If you won't come out, then I'll have to make you," said the tall man threateningly.

No time to waste. He left his spot behind the pillar and moved as quickly as he could. He made it a few steps up the staircase before he heard the man speak again.

"I found you." The tall man sounded so confident that all he could do was quicken his pace up the steps. "Dark Hand of the Void!"

A wave of powerful magical energy rushed outward, passing over the staircase from the direction of the tall man.

Having made it almost halfway up the staircase, he turned in time to see a massive hand made of pulsating purplish-black energy reaching for him, fingers spread and ready to grab and crush him. It was moving fast enough that he knew he could not escape it. He had to fight. Throwing the invisibility cloak off and revealing himself finally, he swished his wand and a bright bluish-white shield appeared in front of him.

The hand slammed against the shield, and the shield nearly buckled from the impact, cracks forming already. Cursing under his breath, he poured more magical energy into the shield. The fingers of the hand gripped the edges of his magical shield and in a matter of seconds the hand formed a fist, crushing his shield in an explosion of magical energy.

Knocked onto his butt halfway up the steps, he quickly regained his footing just as the hand unfurled its fingers again and came at him once more. This time, he cast the most powerful protective shield he could think of. He had seen Flitwick cast this during the Battle of Hogwarts before, and though it was certainly a major risk to try and cast such an advanced spell without proper knowledge or experience, he had little choice.

Recalling how Flitwick had cast the spell in his memories, he conjured up a much smaller version of the protective dome shield that had briefly kept Hogwarts safe during that final showdown with Voldemort.

"Protego Maxima! Fianto Duri! Repello Inimicum!"

The shield held firmly against the dark energies of the large, disembodied hand. Fingers pressing around the shield, the shield began to crack, but much slower than the first shield he had cast.

The two other Jade Dragons at the wings suddenly began to move.

"Don't interfere!" barked the tall man, and the other two immediately stepped back and stood down.

He could only stare at the hand that threatened to crush him to death, trying to wrack his brain for a way out of his predicament. He looked past it and saw the tall, hooded figure with his hand outstretched, as if the magic hand was an extension of his body.

Looking back at the hand, and the dark energies that it appeared to be made out of, he could think of only two possible spells he could use. The first would be more of a test, but if it worked, even minimally, then perhaps the second spell would be able to save him.

Pointing his wand at the palm of the dark hand, the shield crackling and sputtering with energy around him, he said, "Lumos maxima!"

A blinding beam of light emitted from the tip of his wand and hit the hand, where the dark energies seemed to writhe and even weaken, but the hand did not dissipate. From the corner of his eye he saw the tall man stumble back as if in surprise.

Cancelling the powerful light spell, he smirked. This was his last chance. Looking around, he at least felt alright dying since all the escaped Death Eaters were finally gone from the world.

"Expecto Patronum!"

Another blinding white light burst forth from his wand, except this time instead of a beam of light shooting out there was a massive stag of pure white energy that emerged. Its horns lowered, it butted against the dark hand and immediately pushed it back.

Thanks again, dad, he thought as he recalled the number of times this spell had saved him in the past.

With the stag now keeping the hand at bay, and even pushing it back as it stepped as if it was on solid ground in mid-air, he quickly turned and fled up the steps. He knew well enough when he was overmatched, and now that his quarry was dead, he had no reason to fight to the death against an enemy he knew nothing about. Escape was his main priority now.

Arriving at the altar, relief flooded through him when he saw a narrow opening off to one side. Just wide enough for someone to walk through without their shoulders touching the walls. He ran down the passageway and emerged into a back corridor slightly larger than the passageway he had crossed.

Left or right? A hearbeat later, he decided to go left.

Sprinting down the corridor, he did not make it far before an explosion boomed and the entire temple shook violently. Stumbling and barely able to stay on his feet, he panicked and looked up at the ceiling above him as it cracked and crumbled in a matter of seconds. It was all he could do to raise his arms up in a last ditch effort to protect himself before he was engulfed in debris.

Pain exploded across his body before darkness took him, and he knew no more.

-=H=-

It took some time before a body was placed at his feet. His two subordinates told him that a back passageway had caved in, and the boy was found beneath the rubble, already dead. The cave-in was likely due to the explosion of magic from when the patronus and his own magic obliterated each other.

The tall, hooded man peered at the body and shook his head sadly. Such a waste.

He had not meant to kill the boy, let alone hurt him. He had only wished to test the boy's skill. Despite the boy's limited physical ability and the weakness of his magic, he had shown promise. Especially after all he had done thus far. It was enough for him to consider asking the boy to join the Jade Dragons. But now all he could do was offer his condolences to the poor boy's soul.

Hopefully, his master would not be overly punishing for his mistake. The boy was far from the greatest potential recruit to be found, after all.

"I am truly sorry for what happened," he said quietly, kneeling down to fold the boy's broken arms over his still chest. "Rest in peace now, Harry Potter."