Glenn's Anguish Part IV
The Mystic's Plot
By Star Kitten
Unbeknownst to the two, someone had been watching their every move in those woods. Listening to every word, and carefully observing every action. With a hissing laugh, the spy left the woods shortly after the travelers did. It silently slithered through the shrubs and grass, eager to tell it's master of what it had saw.
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Gazing blankly into the darkness, enwrapped deep in thought; the one who had become known as the Magus wondered what reason there was to anything anymore. He held the chalice of wine tightly in his hand, his trusty scythe in the other.
The lowly creatures of the island and beyond worshipped him as a god. Building may shines and statues in his honor. And for what? So he could sit in the darkness and ponder the very meaning of his shattered existence?
"No…" He muttered aloud. "It's not that at all…" What had it been now? Fifteen years? More than a decade in this blasted century, when he really ought to be long dead. Then maybe that would be better, at least he'd be with… Again his thoughts returned to the same subject. He shook his head and scuffed at his own morbid musings. She's not dead… He told himself. She's still out there somewhere…or sometime…waiting…
That had been probably the only reason he had kept going all those years. Just because of some stupid hope for the impossible did he keep on living the lie that had become his life. Yet one day… he would find her. Then he could leave all of his 'blind' subjects and be with the only person who had ever really cared. Only then could he truly be at peace with himself. Only then.
"Sir!" A hoarse voice called out from the darkness. Magus stood up and glared at it's owner. "Damn you Ozzie! I told you never to come here without my word!" He snapped. A fat silhouette emerged slowly from the darkness. Cloaked in fine robes and hovering nearly a foot off the ground. The old fool had grown so fat he could not even use those stubby legs anymore. The reptilian general greeted him with a toothed smile and a bow. "A thousand pardons; o dark one… o lord of the shadows… o exalted-"
"Shut up and get on with it!" Magus yelled angrily. Ozzie jerked back, and nodded as if his head may have snapped clear off. "There have been reports of two soldiers from Guardia who are searching for the Masamune…" He sighed. "What?!" Magus cried, standing from his throne.
Ozzie cringed, but continued talking. "O-one of the vipers of the Cursed Woods has reported they have intentions on…defeating you…" He cowered away, expecting to be yelled at again. Instead, Magus laughed. It filled the quiet chamber, echoing throughout it ominously. "The Fools wish to challenge me?" He chuckled arrogantly. "Do the fools have a death wish then-?"
Ozzie grinned again, regaining some of his confidence. "Surely no human could dare challenge the great Magus and live!" The hopeless suck-up of a General cooed.
"Did I ask your opinion?!" Magus snapped
"Uh, n-no Sir. Nevermind."
"Fine then, so what shall we do with them?" Magus wondered aloud. "I'm in no mood for a fair fight… And with that sword they may just raise the odds to their favor."
"Oh, Sir Magus! Please do not say such things!" A female voice called out. In a flash of light, the sorceress, Flea, appeared beside Ozzie. Her cape billowed around her as if blown by some unfelt wind. As she bowed before him respectively. Ozzie greeted her with a nasty look.
She smiled at her fellow Mystic. "You're not the only one around here who can suck up." She whispered.
"Flea, what brings you here?" Magus inquired. "I had thought you went away with Slash."
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"She did." Another voice replied. The swordsman, Slash sauntered into the chamber. A large sword still dripping with some blood was held in his hand. "We were…'recruiting' new troops…" He said as he motioned from behind in the shadows. A small group of skeletal figures lumbered into the room. Their eyes, or eye sockets at least, were glowing with an odd light.
"Skeletons-?" Ozzie muttered uncertainly, eyeing the zombies in disgust. "But of course!" Flea replied cheerfully. "Shattered souls make the best soldiers! They'll do as they're told with out having to… 'break their spirits', so to speak." She grinned and turned to Slash.
"Besides." He added. "Why just leave the human bodies to rot than to make use of them?" Flea laughed at Slash's words, "It's a novel idea!" She cried.
Magus was growing tired of hearing the two ramble on about the topic. "That's all fine…" He sighed. "Do as you please with them. Right now we have more important issues to tend to."
"Ah, yes. Those two idiots." Said Flea. "I didn't think any human would have the guts to make the track to Mount Denorado…" She mused thoughtfully.
"If I had my way…" Slash interjected. "Those morons wouldn't even have any guts left!" He waved his sword as if fighting an opponent. Again Flea's airy laughter filled the air. "Yes, what fun that would be!" She remarked.
"Is that all you two care about?" Ozzie suddenly snapped. "Fun?!" The two instantly fell silent. Flea muttered something under her breath, and turned attention back to the problem at hand.
"If we're gonna stop the fools, then we might as well take this seriously!" Ozzie screeched in annoyance. "It's the damned Masamune we're talking about here!"
Flea scowled, but nodded in agreement anyway. "Do what you want then Ozzie…" She mumbled. "I prefer something that would at least involve a challenge." Ozzie sneered and gave the sorceress a lewd gesture for her trouble. She glared bloody murder at him and a ball of light began to form in her hands. In a split second, the General had levitated high above the floor. "Ha! You wouldn't dare!" Ozzie taunted her. "Just try me!" She snapped.
"Enough of this!!" Magus cried out. The two were suddenly hurled clear across the room and slammed into each other in mid-air. Slash stared at the spectacle with wide eyes as they slammed into a marble pillar. For a moment, the was nothing but dead silence.
Flea groaned and pulled herself up from the floor, slowly stumbling back up to her feet. "My liege…forgive me…" She gasped, and fell to her knees at his feet. Magus scowled at looked up to all three of the Mystics. "I am going to take care of this myself!" He announced adamantly. "Ozzie shall accompany me while you two stay here and rally more soldiers. That's final!"
With a wave of his hand, the infuriated Warlock disappeared from the huge chamber. Leaving the three Mystics alone with the newly acquired 'soldiers'.
"What's with him…" Ozzie muttered, rubbing a large bump on his head. "Just be glad he didn't decide to do anything more than slam us across the room." Flea replied. "Anything more?" Ozzie echoed with a nervous shake of his head.
"Shouldn't you be going now anyway, lard butt?" Slash said with a sneer.
"Can't you show some respect?!" Ozzie retorted.
"Not to you at least." He replied with a grin.
Ozzie growled in annoyance. "Well fine, have fun with you zombie buddies there."
In a flash he was gone, just as Magus was. The undead skeleton soldiers stared at the two Mystics uncertainly. "What're you staring at?!" Flea snapped. "Mess with me and all make you after-lives even more of a living hell! Now get outta my sight"
The soldiers all scrambled from the door at her words. Slash gave her a side long glance. "Was that really necessary?" He asked her skeptically. Flea grinned, "Works for me… So we might as well show 'em who's boss."
Slash nodded and smiled. "Maybe you're right, Flea." He sighed, "….For once"
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