Invictis: Eaternum Five

Chapter 2

"In the hearts of the people there was an extreme reverence for the clan leader, the Velorum, an Aurigan who had proven himself loyal to the clan in battle, leadership and more importantly, loyal to the people as individuals." —An excerpt from The Historical Record of the Rygans, translated by Chilna Stazi.

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"Subconscious levels rising rapidly they will be up soon, and may even be able to hear us now."

"...Fifty-five units of Crystocre, I don't want them up yet, the disorientation will be too great for them here. The conditioning must be tightly controlled or the memories will come uncontrollably and we may lose the specimen."

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Zanamir Alphard was a short man with a far receded hairline who carried himself with such self-confidence that he was considered arrogant by the majority of his fellow officers, and feared by his subordinates. That was how he liked it, to be in control at all times.

His broad nose was the dominant feature of his round face, and his eyebrows formed a never-ending scowl. He was dressed in the typical dark grey Rygan tunic and trousers and a blue sash from his right shoulder to his left hip embroidered in gold. His long jet-black hair was tied securely to his back in a very uninhibiting manner, as was the acceptable style of the Rygan Hierarchy.

He had clawed and scratched his way near to the top of what had been an extremely capable military force, under the leadership of Cephus. All of which was now threatened by Cephus' incompetent son Menkar. Zanamir's life, and indeed many whose lives were given or dedicated to the protection of the Rygan people for the past thirty years would have been wasted if Menkar had his way.

Zanamir was accompanied by Cent Jarad, who in contrast was a much younger and well-mannered officer who had earned his position as Trieste, the second in command of the military, by demonstrating uncommon valor and spilling his blood in defense of his people many times on the battlefield.

He would have been considered a handsome man if he were ever to be seen wearing a smile. His grim determination overshadowed his demeanor, which kept most people at arm's length.

Beside the throne was Menkar's most trusted servant, Iiso. He was the Carisa, the personal servant of the Velorum. Although merely a servant and thus not truly a part of the ruling class, because the Carisa had the constant ear of the Velorum he was considered the second highest person in the Rygan Hierarchy.

He wore a carin, the traditional symbol of the servant caste. It was a thin circlet of silver around his throat. It's small size, atypical composition and the cerulean colored gem at its center conveyed that it was no mere symbol of his caste but rather of his honored position. His hair was long, straight and black and he wore a long silver laced white robe with a black sash from his right shoulder to his left hip.

Menkar himself, was a young man, as Velorum go; he was the youngest Velorum ever in Rygan history. He was tall with the brilliant white hair typical of the ruling family into which he had silver laced and banded together with the same, hanging over his left shoulder. He had the distinctly Rygan family look about him and many commented on how alike he was to, Riphaeus, Ryga's father.

He wore a loosely fitting tunic of bright blue that reached to the middle of his thigh and matching breeches, and held the symbol of his authority in his hand, the Syrtusian staff.

The staff was made of the wood of a Curthax tree, indigenous to Syrtus, the region that they had ruled over on Aurigius, the Aurigan home world and from which the Rygans had been banished long ago. Being made from this tree symbolized the living aspect of the Velorum, for it was far more than a mere office.