Helpful Guide to Character Names:
The Trickster: Alazon
The Crooner: Azazek
L'Innocent: Cade
The door is open.
He can feel it—like some lock inside himself has opened, and he can feel the Trickster's being flood into him as it often does, but it's different this time. It's bright, joyful, ecstatic, even. Nothing like the cruel and vicious thoughts he's used to. For a moment, he even feels… warm. It's a terrible feeling, one that the Crooner hopes he'll be able to destroy—not just for him, but for the godling that controls it, too.
The skeletons are chattering, and the Crooner lets out a cackle—Oh, Alazon just made it too easy! Kooza was open, and his for the taking.
"Bring me the scepter!" He shouts, fingers curling as if the fine piece were in his bony hands at the moment. It would be soon, of course. He would take the only source of magic the Trickster had left, and with it, his last hope. His precious kingdom was going to come crumbling down.
A flick of the wrist, and he takes almost a hop forward, bristling with excitement. The light blinds his ruby eyes, cold bones heating up as he continues to walk forward. The passage between worlds—a blinding corridor. The Crooner knew the path well.
The heat began to fade, and he could hear the jitters of the skeletons around him. It wasn't often that they were able to move around freely, and all were anxious to begin. They'd go crazy when the light faded, like a pack of starving dogs with a bone dangled in front of their noses. He had no intention of stopping them, of course. They could burn Kooza to the ground for all he cared. All he needed was that scepter, and every last barrier placed on his world, every last protection spell would be gone and Azazek would take everything.
It was an incredible feeling, knowing he was going to destroy the Trickster.
The light was fading now, and they would reach Kooza soon. It was a miracle the barrier hadn't been forcefully closed while they were inside (perhaps it was too much strain on the Trickster—there was only so much he could handle with that curse, after all), and the Crooner couldn't help but laugh. He was so close.
Except, when the light faded and his vision returned, the man he had expected was nowhere in sight. Instead, all there stood was a little boy with a kite on his back, trembling as he clutched the scepter close to his chest, as if it were some kind of lifeline.
For a moment, Azazek was shocked. Had Alazon truly managed to find the single descendant which could harness his magic? It was a once in an immortal's lifetime chance—one that he had tried with all of his might to prevent. Plagues were rather pointless if you didn't manage to wipe out your enemy's bloodline, though. Although, one more look at the boy was enough to make the demon burst out with laughter. Oh, he was an absolutely pathetic, sniveling mess. Even if this boy did hold the power of a godling in him, he was far too inexperienced, and far too terrified to make any use of his magical abilities. There was no way for him to fight back against the Crooner.
And even more so, he was another one of Alazon's little toys that he could crush.
Author's Note: Super short. Rewatching the Kooza Dance when a sudden Crooner muse hit, and I couldn't ignore. I've never really explored the Crooner's mindset himself, so this was mostly just that.
Essentially, what I imagined happening when L'Innocent brings about the Dance. There are certain barriers that the Trickster placed around Kooza, to keep unwanted guests out. When L'Innocent uses the scepter, he uses such a sporadic and unconsecrated amount of magic (due to lack of training) that the barriers simply fail, the magic that kept them intact simply bouncing off the walls with every other ounce of magic. With the barriers down, the Crooner wastes no time slipping into Kooza
Why does he want to destroy Kooza and the Trickster? I could give a lengthy reason, including his backstory (which I fully intend to write; also yes, it does include the Trickster's 'curse' that I mentioned) but I'll leave that for (hopefully) another day.
I may keep updating this with just little drabbles about the Crooner and his time in Kooza, as I was already writing a confrontation between him and the Trickster (which would take place after my 16-Papillion story)