Alright, I'm starting this thread to get people who are interested into writing. Really, ideas come if you write...
Just remember: just because two immortals meet doesn't mean they have to fight.
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“Does anybody remember what brought about the end of the Western Roman Empire?” A number of hands shot up across the wide lecture hall. Matthias, with the same hand in which he held the piece of chalk that had written “LATE ROMAN ANTIQUITIES” on the black board, indicated one student near the back.
“They were conquered”, the young man smartly answered.
“That's correct”, Matthias replied, “by the Visigoths. For years they had sieged the city while Emperor Honorius sat placidly, trying to rally as much support as he could. Eventually, the food supplies were near depletion, and a desperate, starving man opened the gates of Rome. For the first time in almost eight centuries, enemies gained purchase in the city. What's most interesting is that this sack was rather mild, and saw most churches and other religious statuaries unharmed. The real damage was psychological. The repercussions of this sack were felt from Britain to Jerusalem as the confidence of the Roman people was severely shaken. It marked the beginning of the end for the Roman empire.
But this class isn't about the revolutionary change in warfare that came after Rome fell, the Romans didn't much care for psychological warfare like Sun-Tzu. They won their battles with superior numbers, superior training, and superior tactics. The greatest Roman generals were like masters of draughts, viewing the battlefield in terms of regiments rather than individuals. Does anybody know the one exception: the individual they did care about?”
Again, multiple hands went up. This time Matthias selected another student.
“The enemy commander”, came the smart reply.
“Very good”, Matthias confirmed. “Let's look at Augustus, the first official emperor. His rival, Mark Antony and his consort, Cleopatra, had command of Egypt's considerable navy. The battle of Actium might have been won by Antony and Cleopatra if one of Antony's generals, Delius, hadn't defected to Augustus with Antony's battle plans. Able to tailor a counter-strategy, Augustus' appointed general, Agrippa, won the battle of Actium and Augustus was able to consolidate power in Rome. This marked the end of the Roman Republic and the beginning of the Roman Empire”, Matthias slid the foremost black-board aside, revealing another blackboard on which had been drawn detailed map of the Meditteranean and surrounding area, coloured in to mark the political boundaries of the ancient Empire, “which came to rule most of the known world at the time and irreversibly affect the world's history”.
**
“Professor Cole! Professor Cole!” Matthias turned and slowed his pace to allow the caller to catch up. The young man, who wore the uniform of a student, was so laden with books that he seemed to constantly teeter on the brink of disaster.
“Call me Matthew”, Matthias insisted, using his current alias, “can I help you?” The immortal adjusted the shoulder-strap of his own bag in case the student proved unable to maintain hold of his tower of literature.
“I have my term paper for your class”, the student panted, still winded from his chase.
“It's not due until next week”, Matthias reminded.
“I know, sir”, the student replied, “but I won't be able to attend so I've completed it early”. Somehow, the young man managed to produce a document of considerable size. Tentatively, Matthias accepted it as he took a better look at the young man's face.
“You haven't been to any of my lectures, have you?” he pressed, not recognizing any feature on the student's face. The young man turned his gaze down sheepishly.
“No”, he managed. Matthias handed back the term paper and resumed walking.
“Wait, professor!” the student called after the moment of shock settled.
“If you aren't interested in attending my lectures”, Matthias reasoned, “why would I be interested in reading your papers?”
Slightly choked, the student somehow managed to get in front of the immortal.
“Please, sir”, the young man began. Matthias stopped paying attention after that, as a darkly familiar sensation washed through him. He had sensed it countless times before, and it prompted a quick inspection of the area around him. The sand-stone portico ran the length of the hall in which Matthias held his classes, with the support pillars carved into robust arches. Focusing on the sensation, Matthias searched it for any particulars that might identify the other immortal. He was sometimes able to pick out what he believed to be strong feelings associated with the other immortal he was sensing, though even after two thousand years it still wasn't an exact science. This particular immortal had a weaker Quickening than most, but size didn't always indicate skill.
As the sensation dulled, Matthias became aware that the student had stopped talking and was holding out his paper with a pleading expression. With a sigh of resignation, Matthias took the paper and resumed walking.
Once out of sight of most wandering eyes, Matthias turned for a secluded area of the campus, reasoning that whoever was around would have a basic knowledge of the local topography. Passing through a break in the tall hedges around the small park, Matthias drew his Roman spatha from its concealed location within his coat and eased his way into the clearing.
“I am Matthias, son of Orias”, he called out, keeping his blade at the ready.