Simon stalked through the oak savanna like a hunting cat. The night was freezing cold but this only served to sharpen his senses. It was only in times like these that he was truly alive, no more concerned with the complexities of existence than a wolf was.

He had been denied this for so long, denied his true self. His personality locked within his mind, forced to exist as a living ghost. Now he was fully himself again and his once dull senses refined to a predator's sharpness. He relished the cold air in his lungs and the blood rushing through his veins. 

He could feel the magic in this place buzzing in the air. The trees seemed breathe puissance here. His puissance. Everything in this genius loci rightfully belonged to Simon. Now he had use for it.

Simon's destination was a group of standing stones overlooking Grenadier Lake, which the night had colored a starry black. The High Park Cairn was a crossroads of ley lines. It was a naturally occurring genius loci and this made it attractive to all manner of dangerous magical creatures, let alone rogue wizards. For this reason it was defended by the Tower Council day and night.

Three was a number of great power, and so three was the number of mages that guarded the High Park Cairn. The first two, Reggie and Sai, sat on the rocks, playing cards and sharing a lumpy cigarette. The third, Astrid, sat on the ground leaning against the largest central stone and listening to music on her MP3 player.

None of them were expecting anything more than another boring night. They were paying their dues so that one day they might be given some real responsibility. Worst case scenario: goblins steal their socks.

"I tap three mountains," said Reggie, "and goblin king."

He turned several of his cards sideways and placed a his new goblin king into play.

"I'm sick of these goblins," said Sai. "Everywhere I turn goblins are ruining my day."

"Do you two have to yell?" asked Astrid. "I shouldn't be able to hear you over my song."

Simon watched the three from the cloak of the night, completely unnoticed. It was a pathetic display, these so-called guards. The Tower Council were a bunch of children playing at being mages. They could never comprehend the mysteries of the Tower. He was the Tower. Their presence within it was an intolerable violation. Their agents without worthless pawns.

It was amazing that the city was able to hold together at all without his strength. It was probably half vampire territory by now.

Well, Simon would put all that to rights soon enough.

Simon was confident he could kill all three of the Council mages without them ever becoming aware of his presence but that wasn't the point. That wasn't the point at all. It would be wasteful.

Simon stepped into the light cast by the three guardians' small portable electronics. He appeared to them as a silhouette.

"Hello children," said Simon, "I believe that's my genius loci you're squatting on."

When he spoke his breath was a white fog.

"This place is under the protection of the Tower Council," said Astrid, standing and removing her earbuds.

"That's debatable," said Simon. "I suppose it all comes down to one's definition of 'protection'."

"You need to leave," said Sai, also standing.

"I don't need to do anything," said Simon, stepping closer and revealing more of his predatory angles to the light. "I own this city. I own this genius loci. I want the power that is here and I am going to take it because it belongs to me."

All three dutifully avoided eye contact.

"Who does this guy think he is?" asked Reggie.

"You need to leave," said Astrid, "or you will be made to leave."

"I disagree," said Simon.

Astrid looked Simon in the eyes and he happily met her gaze. 

"Leave," she said. It wasn't a question, it was a spell. 

Astrid immediately gasped and coughed up blood. Her internal reservoir of puissance had been instantly burnt away by Simon's resistance. 

Using the total control over his own body that Simon possessed thanks to his mastery of Body Magic, Simon hyper-pressurized the blood in his eyes until it erupted out in two jets travelling at a significant fraction of light speed. They tore through Astrid's body with such force that being solid would have been redundant. His eyes slurped back to normal.

"What in the goddamn-" Reggie shouted, dropping his cards.

Without turning to look at him Simon reached out towards the man, and his arm elongated unnaturally to fill the distance between them with a preternatural burst of speed. His hand transformed into a claw and by the time it reached the man's neck it was able to tear out his throat.

Simon's arm instantly snapped back to normal, covered in blood.

The last of the Cairn's guardians began to back away from Simon frantically, desperately trying to avoid eye contract while still keeping him in his line of sight. He fell to the ground backwards.

Sai made the mistake of looking Simon in the eyes.