Chapter Four: The Changeling Light
The golden orb sat in a silver base, clutched in a blue serpent's claw. Being a full foot in height, it nevertheless seemed to loom over those gathered, as though it were sentient, and more powerful than even Rugudorull.
"This is it," said Galuff, eyes twinkling in the soft glow.
"Sure it is . . but why the interest? A glow doesn't seem to be terribly - "
"Don't underestimate a Rabaran glow," interrupted Rasha, eyes glowing but with a much different light than Galuff's. "Even Rugudorull would have a hard time against these creatures - the general consensus is that the Rabaran -began- the War of the Magi, using agents from within the court itself."
An eerie silence spilled over the room until Miguel chuckled to break it. "She's been studying again."
Lyle nodded, murmuring something quietly.
The Wiggan caught it, ears perking up with curiosity.
"I've heard of the Rabarans," he said slowly, shaking his head as if to forget. "They're a legend to spook children from running through too many corridors. They still do, though," he smiled.
"The Rabarans have no magic of their own, so says the legend - rather, they steal it from everyone else. Rugudorull's Muppets were merely an offshoot of the Rabaran's originals - they remove their slaves' brains, rendering them utterly mindless, and replace them with a glowing orb like this here."
"Rugudorull never got that far," said Ihrie quietly, "but someone certainly did. Why else would the light be on?"
No one had an answer to that.
The golden orb sat in a silver base, clutched in a blue serpent's claw. Being a full foot in height, it nevertheless seemed to loom over those gathered, as though it were sentient, and more powerful than even Rugudorull.
"This is it," said Galuff, eyes twinkling in the soft glow.
"Sure it is . . but why the interest? A glow doesn't seem to be terribly - "
"Don't underestimate a Rabaran glow," interrupted Rasha, eyes glowing but with a much different light than Galuff's. "Even Rugudorull would have a hard time against these creatures - the general consensus is that the Rabaran -began- the War of the Magi, using agents from within the court itself."
An eerie silence spilled over the room until Miguel chuckled to break it. "She's been studying again."
Lyle nodded, murmuring something quietly.
The Wiggan caught it, ears perking up with curiosity.
"I've heard of the Rabarans," he said slowly, shaking his head as if to forget. "They're a legend to spook children from running through too many corridors. They still do, though," he smiled.
"The Rabarans have no magic of their own, so says the legend - rather, they steal it from everyone else. Rugudorull's Muppets were merely an offshoot of the Rabaran's originals - they remove their slaves' brains, rendering them utterly mindless, and replace them with a glowing orb like this here."
"Rugudorull never got that far," said Ihrie quietly, "but someone certainly did. Why else would the light be on?"
No one had an answer to that.