A/N: I know you all (my few readers, anyway) will be disappointed to hear this, but this is the last chapter that I have written. Past this, I'll actually have to write them before I can post them, so I won't be updating daily like I have been. Sorry. I'll get around to it soon, though.
Chapter Four
When Enakhra teleported back to Ghorrock, the place was in uproar. She made her way to the center of the fortress where all of the present Mahjarrat were gathered. Pushing her way to the front of the — admittedly very small — crowd, she saw Lucien and Zemouregal in the middle, glaring at each other.
So Lucien had finally showed up. She'd been wondering if he would. He was enough of an idiot that she'd half expected to find out that he thought the Staff of Armadyl would give him enough power to skip the Ritual, which of course was very far from the truth. It didn't matter what shiny new toys you had, being a Mahjarrat meant taking part in the Ritual or slowly losing your power. There was really no way around that.
"So you decided to join us after all, I see," Zemouregal said. "I was wondering." Enakhra suddenly wished that she hadn't been thinking the exact same thing. There was nothing in all of Gielinor that she wanted to share with Zemouregal, even passing thoughts.
"Of courthe, couthin," Lucien said. "How could I mith it?"
Enakhra heard a few snickers from the assembled Mahjarrat, and although she didn't show it outwardly, she quite agreed with them. Lucien's lisp was something of a running joke among them all. How could you take someone seriously when they couldn't even say their own name properly? Unfortunately, Lucien was growing powerful enough that they may just need to take him seriously at some point.
Zemouregal shrugged. "You really couldn't, but I think we were all wondering if you might anyway. I've heard that newfound power has a way of going to your head, if you catch my drift."
"Yeth," Lucien said, his tone somewhere between haughty and indignant, "but I am above all that, tho you needn't worry."
Dead silence, approximately equivalent of a nice dot-dot-dot, as they all wondered just how naïve Lucien was.
"Cousin," Zemouregal said finally, "you are a fool."
Lucien seemed to be attempting to formulate a response to that, but luckily for him, he didn't end up needing it. Just then, two shapes materialized above the group and fell gently down to land on the snow next to them.
Enakhra stared. Azzanadra, she supposed she should have expected, but Sliske? That was definitely a surprise. She hadn't seen him in a very, very long time. If it hadn't been for the fact that she could still sense his presence somewhere on Gielinor, she would have thought he was dead. But he needed to attend the Ritual just as much as the rest of them, so perhaps it really wasn't that surprising.
"Well, hello." Akthanakos, the only other Zarosian Mahjarrat currently present, was the first to greet the newcomers.
Sliske, who had never really been one for making small talk, simply raised his hand in a mild greeting. Azzanadra didn't even bother responding to Akthanakos' words. He just scanned the crowd, his gaze stopping on Lucien.
"Lucien," he said, "I wish to speak to you."
Remembering her meeting with him in the desert, Enakhra watched Azzanadra carefully. His voice still seemed to hold the same odd cadence that it had then, and there was definitely still something a bit off about him. She may not like him, but she did know him, and she could tell that something was definitely not right. She only wished she knew what it was. Her curiosity often got the better of her, and right now, it was definitely piqued.
Lucien seemed a bit surprised to be singled out like that, but he nodded anyway. "Okay," he said. "I gueth." He followed Azzanadra and Sliske away from the rest of the Mahjarrat, just far enough to be out of earshot.
Frowning, Enakhra looked around. She wanted to share her observations with someone else and see if they agreed with her, but she didn't particularly want to talk to any of the others. Zemouregal got on her nerves, Akthanakos was obviously not someone she'd ever go to talk to, Hazeel was too much of a moron to be of any help…
After a moment's thought, she settled on Bilrach. He had a nasty temper, but if you didn't anger him, he could be okay. She headed over to him.
"Hey, Bill," she said, trying to make sure that her tone didn't give him any reason to be annoyed at her. "You got a minute?"
"Of course," he said. "What do we have but time these days? Bloody Ritual involves an awful lot of waiting. Why do you ask?"
She glanced around to make sure no one would overhear her, then said, "Does Azzanadra seem a little… odd to you?"
Bilrach shrugged. "He's always seemed a little odd to me. 'Oh great Master Zaros, I would jump off a cliff if you told me to' and all that nonsense."
"Well, yes," she agreed. "Other than that, though. You don't think he seems kind of out of character?"
"I'll admit that wanting to talk to Lucien is odd for anyone," he said, "but past that, I hadn't noticed anything."
"Oh." Enakhra shrugged. "I guess I could just be losing my mind. See you later, Bill." He nodded, and she walked back over to where she'd been standing.
Despite what she'd said to Bilrach, she still thought something strange was going on, and she was determined to get to the bottom of it.
Azzanadra was rather pleased. Being around so many Mahjarrat was making it completely effortless to stay in contact with the outside world, which was definitely improving his sour mood. Yeah, being unable to control his body sucked, but if he could still see everything, he was okay. Not to mention, he had kept up a constant mantra of "I'm serving my Lord, I'm serving my Lord" all the way from Morytania. That had helped a bit too.
He had also gathered that Sliske did not know who was really talking to him using Azzanadra's mouth, as he had said things such as "like Zaros used to" and "if Zaros was here" a couple times in passing.
He doesn't know, so please cease obsessing about it.
Oh, that's right. There was someone else in his head with him who had been in contact with the world the entire time. How had he managed to forget that, exactly?
The ways of the foolish are always obscure. Now be quiet. You are distracting me.
Azzanadra quickly snapped his attention back to the conversation at hand, which was with a rather confused looking Lucien.
"What did you want to thpeak to me about?" he asked. "Ith it important?"
I hate this fool's lisp. Is there no way for him to control it?
Azzanadra was startled. Had he just overheard his Lord's thoughts? So far it had seemed as though he only heard what Zaros wanted him to hear, but this one seemed like a purely observational thought. Interesting…
"It is of the utmost importance," Azzanadra heard himself say. "I believe you will be very interested in what I have to offer."
"Offer?" Lucien asked. "What can you offer that I don't already have? The Thtaff of Armadyl ith more than anything you can give me."
"Ah, but what do you plan to use the Staff, and as I've heard, the Stone of Jas, for?"
Lucien frowned. "I don't think I want to tell you my thecret planth. You don't even like me. You might try to uthe them againtht me."
"Hardly. And I think your plans are not as secret as you believe them to be, as Sliske has already informed me that your plan is to overthrow Zamorak as leader of the Mahjarrat and, eventually, a god."
Lucien's expression was comically dejected. "Oh. I thee."
"I am simply offering that myself and Sliske try to help you. I assume that you could use the extra power?"
"No," Lucien said. "I can take him by mythelf. I am becoming more and more powerful by the day. There'th no reathon I can't do it alone."
"Perhaps not, but wouldn't you rather be sure that you can manage it? Wouldn't you rather know that Zamorak will die?"
"Die?" Lucien asked. "You're thaying… kill Zamorak?"
"Yes, that's exactly what I'm saying. Was that not actually your eventual plan?"
"Um…not really." Lucien looked a bit confused. "It'th not nethethary, ith it?"
"Necessary? No. Preferred? Of course. If you are attempting to overpower him anyway, why would you not just end it then? Why let him continue to live?"
"I… I don't know." Lucien was obviously uncomfortable now. "I gueth… becauthe he'th a god, and killing him would be really hard?"
"It wouldn't be with two more, quite powerful Mahjarrat on your side. Consider the option for a moment. Does it not seem preferable to attempting it alone?"
"You know, this sounds great and all," Sliske interrupted, "but killing Zamorak is going to be a bit difficult when he's on a different plane and not allowed to come to this one anymore."
WHAT?
Azzanadra cringed mentally. Apparently Zaros hadn't heard about that one just yet.
A/N: And this is where it ends for a bit. Reviews may make me want to write more, though. Just saying.
P.S. In case anyone who comes along and decides to read this is a Jagex purist, I'd like to state that I know Lucien does not have a lisp in-game. As I believe I stated in my disclaimer that my friends and I have different opinions. If you don't like them, go away. But review first. =P
