Much of Marcus' life was tangled and attached to that of his father's, everyone around him assuming that he would one day take the throne of the Black Dragonarmy after his father deemed him ready to lead men far older than himself. From the time he could walk, his life was filled with knowledge, wisdom and power. Ramses saw to it that he received an education that would rival any noble Knight of Solamnia and so the Black Dragonarmy Keep was filled with books from ancient history dating back to before the Cataclysm and some that were written with a recent history in mind. Beyond a simple history lesson, arithmetic and reading lessons were filling his day. He learned to speak High Solamnic, Common, Draconian tongue and Celestial all before he had reached his first decade of life on Krynn.

Between his mental education, Ramses gave him a full fledged military education filled with rigorous training for his body, mind and soul. He was taught to wield a spear, sword, shield and countless harmless objects as lethal weapons to ensure that he was able to protect himself and prove his worth as a soldier. By ten years old, he was able to duel with recruits and even some veterans and come out victorious more often than not, proof of his incredible martial skills. Ramses was impressed with how well his son had taken to the weapons of war and how proficient he became in a few short years. However, even as he trained, Marcus knew that the only reason we held a sword in his hand was for self preservation and nothing else. Little did he know, his father could see it in the way he was fighting--there was a lacking passion behind the sword that left untapped potential behind, which meant he would never be able to become the best he could truly be.

At 13, Marcus was given the opportunity to join up with the Black Dragonarmy's recruits to receive the training of the Dragon Queen. Feeling the need to please his father, Marcus joined. He excelled in all aspects, proving to be a highly disciplined warrior rather than a spoiled child like many of his peers had thought him to be. Many of the men looked up to him for his skills and knowledge, but there were still some that believed he was receiving his father's favor and not the Dragon Queen's. Marcus' rapid progression through the Black Dragonarmy's ranks were impressive, but he was making many enemies in the shadows with his talents, especially when he was given opportunities to lead other recruits in their war games. He showed that he could out-maneuver and defeat even some of his trainers and officers, which didn't help his situation with the growing jealousy of some of the recruits. The officers respected his talents and skills and could see that Ramses had trained him well and given him all the tools he needed to rise to Highlord one day, but the jealous recruits knew nothing more than he was the Highlord's son.

One night, after enjoying potatoes and mead from Otik's Inn of the Last Home, several drunken recruits attempted to jump Marcus and teach him a lesson. Never before in his entire life had Marcus ever felt the need to draw on everything he had to win--fight dirty if he had to, until that moment. 7 drunken recruits turned into 7 unconscious fools after they jumped him, the fight lasting less than a minute. Several of the guards witnessed what had happened and reported them all to their senior sergeant. Once the recruit's wounds were tended to, it was obvious to Marcus what was happening behind his back with the men he trusted and before he could hear what the senior sergeant had to say, he removed his rank and turned in his armor, determined to seek out something more that held honor, rather than selfishness.

Turning back to his books of the old gods, he read more and more about the Knights of Solamnia and their code of honor, The Measure. Night after night he read through their books, learning of Paladine, Kiri-Jolith and Habbakuk, trying to fill his mind with enough knowledge to decide what best fit his heart and soul. As he learned of what each God stood for in the Knights of Solamnia, he saw that Paladine reflected him so deeply, it was as if he were looking into a mirror. He did not wish to draw weapons against his fellow man, but because his fellow man have drawn swords against him, he has no choice. Leaving in secret one night, Marcus traveled to Palanthas by sea, hoping to join the Armies of Solamnia where honor meant more than even their lives.

Upon arriving in Palanthas, Marcus felt consumed by the massive size of the city and the amount of people living in it. Large and glorious towers reached towards the sky, save for one dark tower that everyone seemed to shy away from. He dared not ask why and continued towards the city's center and the Palanthas Keep. He passed by thousands of people as he walked through the city, seeing life without the need for battle, just a need and a means to get by. Blacksmiths, potters, jewelers, Inns and countless other professions decorated the city, until at last his eyes were fixed on the massive keep at the city's center. The doors were large enough to allow a man three times his height to walk through without stooping over and thick enough to withstand even the mightiest blows. As he stepped inside, he felt a rush of serenity wash over him before looking to see the statues of Paladine that decorated the inner sanctum of the keep. He saw a line of men heading towards a desk, which he promptly joined. Before long he stood at the desk with a knight looking at him sternly.

"Here to join Pathanthas' armies too, eh kid? Name?"

"Marcus Fenix." Marcus said sternly.

"Fenix, eh? Any relation to the Highlord Fenix?" Asked the Knight

"Well....yes, sir. He's my father." Marcus replied

"Hm? Well no matter, good to see that you've decided to fly right. Here's your paperwork. Go and see the Master-at-Arms and he'll set you up with armor and weapons, then it's off to the barracks for bed assignments. Command Sergeant will wake you boys up bright and early tomorrow morning for your first day of training....hopefully you are ready Fenix."

"Yes, sir." Marcus said with a grin, grabbing his paperwork.