Dark Tidings

Chapter 36 - If I Ruled the World

Sir Samuel Buckingham sat in his plush office and pondered on some of the strange events which had occurred in his city. There was powerful magic afoot and it brought into clear focus the truth of the ancient legends and prophecies. It also offered a stark reminder of the actual purpose of the organisation he led, a purpose which had somewhat faded over the last few centuries.

His world had changed dramatically in the short time since the strangeness had begun. The uncharted and rollercoaster life which undoubtedly lay before him would frighten most men but he wasn't most men. He wasn't frightened, he was excited. His whole body buzzed and his soul tingled.

Could I be the Great Grand Master who recovered the Scroll? What a fantastic legacy that would be. It would mean so much for the Occultus Populous as an organisation but it would mean so much more for him as an individual.

His immense affluence and power left little room, nor desire, for more money or for any further trappings of wealth. The staggering family fortune had been amassed over many centuries but its true origins were known only to him. The other family members knew about the vast sums of money but none knew the source of their immense privileges.

Buckingham, as current Baronet, had been given the ancestral tome when he acceded to the baronetcy upon the death of his father. He therefore knew the whole story, and what an utterly fantastic story it was.

The ancient book traced the family name back to the year 1360 when they adopted the surname Buckingham for all future generations. The book also mentioned the earlier years and charted their ancestry back to a great wizard, Gravalar, the first Great Grand Master of the Occultus Populous. Their lineage spanned over twenty generations and was better documented than many of the great royal dynasties. However their ancestral philosophy was to be prominent but never overtly great, hence they had chosen the baronetcy in the sixteen hundreds rather than any grander title or any tight connection to royalty.

There were many benefits to a baronetcy and it had been a wise choice which had served the family well. It enabled the hereditary title of 'Sir' and officially documented their genealogy but it kept them below the radar of most snooping commoners.

The centuries had been kind to the family, although the family had not been particularly kind to the centuries. They had been responsible for many atrocious acts over the last millennium. These acts had been typical of the elite lineages; each act designed to enhance their wealth regardless of the consequences to others. They had caused wars, famines and global financial crises but each great event had been engineered to reinforce their enormous wealth and power, and help keep the common man in his place.

So, he wondered as he reflected on his current status and standing, what could the Scroll bring to a man who had everything; a man who had everything yet a man who craved for more?

He answered his own question almost immediately, the Scroll brought infinite opportunity. In a world where true magic was practically non-existent, he would have control over a spell which could create any and all of the great ancient spells. Those spells combined with the enormous global power of the Occultus Populous would bring about the fulfilment of the ultimate dream where the elite would totally control the planet. And he was the elite of the elite.

It would have sounded egomaniacal to most but he knew it was the truth, he could literally rule the world.