"Failures!" shouted Malevolent Drake as he hurled a gold goblet full of fine wine at Turney. The red wine splattered all over his woolen robe and the goblet cluttered on the floor. Turney knew better than to react. He stood perfectly still with his head bowed down. Malevolent was in one of his dangerous moods, and Turney was not about to make things worse.

They were in the drawing room of Drake Manor. The walls were richly ornamented with accents and portraits of the Drake ancestors lined the walls. Thick woven plush carpets lined the floors while a stone fireplace kept the room warm. There was a coffee table in the middle of the room with sofas and armchairs with cushions arranged around the table. The windows displayed the illuminated skyline of White Harrow, as Drake Manor was placed on the highpoint of the city, and had a magnificent view.

"I sent four of you to look after my son; my own flesh and blood. And what do you do?" His nostrils flared up as he shouted. "The entire search party gets sent to the infirmary except for you!"

Malevolent extended his right arm in a choking gesture and Turney felt his throat tighten. "Not for long though... perhaps you should join them." Seconds felt like hours as Turney struggled for breath, finding it increasingly hard to breathe.

"Tell me Turney, was it the Izenth? Did they interfere with our search and capture operation?" Malevolent tightened his grip and the pressure on his windpipe increased. He choked and quickly nodded his head as life started to drain from his face. With a simple flick of his hand, Malevolent released his choke grip on Turney and flung him into one of the finely decorated massive mirrors hung in the Drake Manor. The mirror shattered on impact and shards of glass rained down on the floor.

"Be gentle with the décor, your roughhousing will destroy my antiques!" Lady Edith appeared in the doorway, more distraught by the sight of the broken mirror rather than Turney. She loved her fine tapestries and intricate antiques and was terribly protective of them all.

Malevolent Drake turned his steely eyes towards her. It was a warning glare. Lady Edith shrank back, looked down and left without another word.

"Now, where were we before we were so rudely interrupted?" Malevolent turned his attention back to Turney. "How many Izenth bypassed your impenetrable flame protection wards and stormed your mansion? Was it an army?" Malevolent crossed his arms over his silk robe. It had the Drake family crest of a crimson dragon displayed on its back. It was his standard evening wear, comfortable yet debonair.

Turney was kneeling on the floor gasping for air. He had hatred in his deep red eyes for Malevolent Drake but dared not look in defiance before the powerful man who stood before him. "Two," he rasped. "Two Izenth Exiles and one commoner..."

"Two?" Malevolent asked with an incredulous expression on his face. He did not know if he wanted to laugh or cry. His face contorted in disgust. "My own son could take out two Exiles on his own. Commoners can't even wield weapons, let alone fight."

"Well actually, two of the Exiles were unconscious; so, technically it was the commoner who put Waldo in the infirmary." It wasn't the smartest thing to say, but Turney secretly enjoyed seeing Malevolent Drake lose his cool.

Malevolent stepped on Turney's back and pushed him flat onto the floor. Small shards of glass inched into his robe and felt like pins on his chest. Turney clenched his fists as the glass shards started to pierce his skin; he refused to allow Malevolent to see his pain.

"Explain."

"Well, first we captured one Exile who was snooping around our camp at night – a young girl. The next day, another Exile and commoner came to the camp, no doubt to look for her. Obviously we took down the Exile first with a paralyze spell but he managed to take down Gene and Lockheed with his Exile weapon before the spell took effect. After he was unconscious, we captured all three of them in the prison room of our camp..."

Malevolent motioned for him to continue impatiently.

"Well, the two Exiles remained unconscious as planned. However, the commoner somehow managed to break out of his cage. He then took out Wille & Waldo while I was out scouting the perimeter."

"So they were gone by the time you got back?" Malevolent asked.

"No." The glass crunched and made several deeper cuts in Turney's chest as Malevolent pushed his foot down, driving Turney towards the floor.

"I'm growing impatient with this pointless and pathetic story. Why did you not capture them then?"

"The commoner shot a bolt of lightning from his hand and disappeared with the two Exiles," replied Turney through gritted teeth. His chest felt like it was burning.

Malevolent was speechless for a split second. He bent down until he was face to face with Turney. His harsh cold eyes stared into Turney's, making a shiver run down Turney's spine. He was so close, Turney could feel his breath on his face. "You are expecting me to believe, that a commoner somehow managed to use magic?"

Turney paused and considered his answer. "No, it wasn't magic. I did not see any magical implements – no wands, no scrolls, no incantations. This was something else entirely."

"Lies, bald faced lies!" Malevolent shouted, showering spittle all over Turney's face. His own face started to flush as blood pumped through his veins. He then kicked Turney's side, making Turney groan in pain. Turney chose to remain silent.

Hearing enough, Malevolent walked back to his armchair and sat down, leaving Turney on the floor. He crossed his arms and furrowed his brow; deep in thought. The fireplace in the corner of the room was crackling with life. He truly hated when things did not go his way. He had promised publicly that whoever tried to escape the commoner camp would be put to death in the most painful way. This particular commoner however – Amadeus, was quite frustratingly elusive. If this little pest was not put to death as a lesson to the rest, it would make him look weak.

Minutes that seemed like hours to Turney ticked by. Turney remained motionless, waiting to be released from questioning.

"Upon reflecting," Malevolent started. "Perhaps this is my fault. This commoner outsmarted Waldo once before, and I sent Waldo and you buffoons to capture him. I had every intention of sending the battle-wizards but my fool of a child begged me to let him go capture the commoner instead. I should not have overestimated your capabilities and insisted on my way." He nodded to himself. "Yes, yes, this required a much more sophisticated solution."

Turney slowly lifted himself up from the ground and knelt down before Malevolent Drake. "I live to serve; give me your command."

"No, you had your chance at glory. It was a simple task and you mucked it up. Your task now will be menial. Just watch over Waldo in the infirmary and ensure he makes a full recovery." Malevolent emphasized further, "Do not leave his side until he is well once again. I hear he got impaled by one of those blasted icicles. Do this simple task and you will be forgiven for this failure. However, if anything happens to Waldo, it's your head on a pike."

"As you command Lord Drake," acknowledged Turney, getting up to his feet.

"Now get out of my sight." Turney did not need to be told twice. He hurriedly limped out of the room to the White Harrow Infirmary.

What has happened to the mighty legacy of the Drake Family? Malevolent thought to himself as he plopped down to rest on his favorite armchair. The crackling fireplace brought him back to the night of the Purge.

A warm fireplace burned in the corner while an elderly man wrote carefully on a parchment, forming each letter with purpose. The door creaked open and a much younger Malevolent peeked into the room.

"Arthur," Malevolent started.

"It's Crowne," the older man interrupted, visibly upset. "Must I remind you that we are to always use our code names? If the council catches us, you know very well it's the death penalty."

"Forget about the council. Those fools can't see magic if it danced in front of them in and spit in their faces."

Arthur ignored his remark and continued writing on the parchment. "It's almost done, Drake. One more day, and the Purge will commence. The wizards in the other strongholds have been informed by crow. I sent out the official order to their leaders."

Malevolent watched as Arthur finished writing his letter. The chair slid against the cold floor as Arthur stood up and walked to the fireplace. He melted some wax upon a seal and stamped it upon the completed letter. The seal was a symbol of a crown.

"This goes out to every wizard in our own stronghold. Soon, I will rule over White Harrow with you by my side. It's finally time, Drake."

"That won't be necessary Crowne."

"What do you mean?" Arthur asked, with a puzzled look on his face.

"I already initiated the Purge."

"You did what?" Arthur shouted angrily. "You can't do that. You don't have the authority!"

"The wizards of White Harrow are under my command now. I'm in charge. You can get out or die." Malevolent's voice remained cold and calm.

"But I-I-I... y-y-you were like a son to me. How could you?"

"I've outgrown you, Crowne. You bore me now. Your principles are archaic and no longer relevant."

Arthur was a better wizard and knew that he would definitely defeat Malevolent in a one-on-one fight. "Do you really think you can defeat me?" he retorted, as he lifted one open palm. A ball of energy formed on the surface and gleamed brightly.

Malevolent snapped his fingers, and a dozen other wizards filed into the room with hoods drawn. "Out of respect, I'm going to allow you to leave; alive."

"Where will I go?" Arthur asked, the sting of betrayal visible in his sad eyes.

"The wilderness... or wherever else. I don't really care."

Arthur sighed and shook his head in disappointment. "You're mistaken if you think you can overpower me. I'll take all of you with me!" He stared daggers at Malevolent and gripped his hands into fists. The entire room immediately grew cold and a layer of ice formed on the sides of the walls.

"Think about your family Arthur. It would be unfortunate if anything would happen to them."

Arthur paused; hesitation lingering on his face. "Fine," he replied and the layer of ice covering the walls started to recede. "You take White Harrow. I'll just take my family to one of the other towns. I have nothing to do with you any longer." He spat on the floor and started to make his way out of the room. It was in this very room where the wizards of White Harrow had used as a secret meeting place. It was in that very room that he had spent hours training Malevolent in the dark arts of magic.

As he walked past, Malevolent put a hand on his shoulder to stop him. He turned to look at Malevolent questioningly.

"I don't like loose ends. Did you think I would actually let you leave alive and come back for revenge? Malevolent broke out into deep laughter as Arthur's eyes widened in realization. "In fact, consider this a favor. I'm going to send you to meet your family in the afterlife."

"You treacherous snake!" was all Arthur managed to say before a dozen kill spells pierced his body.

Malevolent smiled, waved his hand. The fireplace fizzled out, leaving the room in darkness.

"Call me Drake, Malevolent Drake."