Please note that I do not own Dungeons and Dragons,their relevant editions, Pathfinder or Harry Potter. Dungeons and Dragons are owned by Wizards of the Coasts, Pathfinder is owned by Paizo and Harry Potter and its franchises are owned by JK Rowling. The following story is just for my enjoyment and hopefully yours as well.
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Chapter 9: Confluence
Ira floated the golden egg while lounging by his lake in Sia-Treskri. Around the small lake, peach trees ringed it, impossibly growing but nothing was impossible with magic. Around him his apprentices were being instructed by undead wizards, some of them rotting corpses, skeletons and incorporeal ghosts. They were mages who were specialised in different schools of magic whom Ira had painstakingly collected over many decades.
Some were liberated from catacombs, tombs and shallow graves while others Ira had duelled with over arcane lore. Ira placed the egg away and watched his students who sat at tables and chairs carved from sturdy blackwood, copying notes from their respective specialists tutors. Some of them were clearly excelling than others such as Hermione who had showed a fearful expression at the ghoulish teachers but after finding out they didn't mean her any harm, she was fascinated.
The tutors were intelligent and able to carry a conversation more so than the ghosts of Hogwarts moreover Ira's servitor undead were much more civil –which Ira attributed to them being wizards despite their undead nature- and able to innovate new magic. Neville also was scared but slowly he grew to accept the teachers who accepted the task of tutoring without little complaint.
Draco had taken to them readily and was not afraid in the slightest. He had been shock but he overcame the sensation quite quickly and was now plumbing the secrets of Conjuration. Luna was intrigued by the undead but was ready to learn arcane magic. The undead illusionists wove subtle and sometimes overt illusions for her to practice discerning.
Harry on the other hand seem to tackle the study of Abjuration with an almost militaristic mind-set. The boy had the will and drive to study as well as the need to protect others which was in some ways the mantra of an abjurer. He wasn't scared of the tutors and readily learned from them and Ira supposed that was the important bit.
Meanwhile the egg and the tournament were a vexing matter. Ira hated having to squander time on such a paltry game but he would have to endure it. He already knew what he needed to do next as he had spied on the other contestants. Apparently there was going to be possible some water related challenge next. Moreover he would have to keep watchful eyes –both physical and mental- on his apprentices. Snape was beginning to snoop around in his own way, suspicious as to why Ira was keeping Draco after classes not to mention the implicit threat of the poem sung by the egg.
Ira clapped his hands bringing his students to attention, "That will be all today. We wouldn't want to be missed now would we?"
His apprentices seem to groan at having to go back to Hogwarts and that made Ira inwardly beam with pride. He led them through one of his Mirror of Mental Prowess, conveniently placed near the lake and picked up the egg, following them. Once they entered the classroom, they dispersed to go to their respective classes or activities.
Ira placed the egg on his table and went back to Sia-Treskri. There was still so much to do when a voice spoke into his ear from the air, It's Syril, I'm in trouble and really need your help, I'm here [planar coordinates], come for me, please, just one last time. Ira almost doubled over, Syril's lilting tone just as sweet as Ira remembered. He licked his lips and found them dry of all a sudden, replying, Yes I'm coming and the message fluttered back to Syril.
Why, now of all time would Ira be called? Syril must have really desperate to seek Ira's help. The had parted disastrously and Ira supposed that the past would always be just that. He would help the incubus because in the lust demon's own way, Syril had helped Ira. Ira quickly left for the Palace, intent on finding out more.
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Syril heard the words and relayed it to his mother who gave a vicious smile, "Yes! All seems to be coming together! Well, except for our present predicament," Tatiana motioned to the demonic parties that now took up residence in the spacious cavern.
Tatiana, Moroc, Syril, two goristros –hulking minatour-like demons- and half a dozen shadow demons –known as an invidiak on many worlds- occupied one corner. At the other end, a nascent demon lord by name of Kurkaliz and one of her hated rivals Sanafra waited with their demon lackeys.
Occupying the space facing the tunnel were a dozen succubi, all naked human females with bat wings and readied symbols holy to Malcanthet pretender Bitch-Queen of Succubi, led by another hated rival Detana and a curious female halfling walock. Front and centre, lying on a large pile of precious metals and gems –considerably larger now due to Tatiana's bribe- was the vampiric black dragon Ursula who kept careful eyes on the demonic parties.
"You are sure, Tat?" Detana pouted. Their voices carried due to the acoustics of the large lair and it allowed her to mock Tatiana, "just because your whore of a son whistles doesn't mean the wizard will come"
"Shut that shit-hole Detana! I'm not interested in your taunts! The wizard will come and when he does, he will see reason in allying with Nocticula" Tatiana growled. The black leathered succubus growled as well and said, "The day your shadowy murdering bitch takes over is the day when all of creation ends, you snivelling whore!"
They both growled at each other while their demonic followers –except Syril- growled threats and curses in Abyssal and for the lust demons they did so in many different tongues. They stopped when they heard the girlish giggling, "It's so funny the way you strive so futilely. The wizard will come to Graz'zt as all do, for after all whom among the demon lords has three layers under his thumb, hmm?" Sanafra gave them a pouting laugh, "you whores will have to lick the soles of rutterkins for position in the new order"
Moroc gave a guffaw, tinged with an animal lust, "I suppose you're right about that, not the rutterkin part though. I mean, your lord can rule three layers but he can't even get Malcanthet to share his bed?!" the incubus in orc shape gave a throaty laugh.
The Malcanthet party giggled girlish laughs as well and Detana added, "Too true! Your lord couldn't even bed the Queen and you expect him to lure a wizard to his cause?! If he cannot even bed a succubus, what kind of demon is he?!" the succubi laughed while Sanafra looked like she wanted nothing more than to wring their necks.
The demons growled invectives, snarling threats and even lewd gestures, most of them made by Moroc to the naked succubi. They returned the gestures, though theirs looked like they wanted to rip his demonic manhood off. All through the screaming, shouting and cat-calling Ursula could only hope that once the wizard came, all the demons would leave her alone. She snorted a puff of acidic gas through her nostrils; If I ever see a demon again it will be too soon she thought to herself.
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Ira gazed through the Mirror only for a few scant moments, then ended the scrying. He cursed several oaths, many of which were uttered in some planar tongue. There were unexpected company within that cave and Ira suddenly felt flustered. He had seen Syril though when it came to lust demons could anything about them be trusted? Ira snorted the thought away as he knew those canary wings when he saw them. The last time Ira had been with Syril, the incubus took on a much more slimmer figure with a head full of white-gold hair. Now it seemed Syril opted for toned and muscular and a bald pate.
Ira called for Kyrel who teleported instantly into one of Ira's newly furbished scrying chamber in the Palace. Ira related everything to his Left Hand who nodded, teleporting away to assemble a small army. Whatever was going to happen, Ira would make sure Syril and his own person would be safe.
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Ursula raised her neck and spoke above the loud insults being thrown about, "There is another, coming down the tunnel. Smells human and with the scent of magic, your wizard I presume?" she angled her horned head at Tatiana who gave a savage smile. Sanafra scoffed and whispered, "Not likely shadow whore"
Then they heard it, the rhythmic tap of metal on stone. Ira Gold appeared, resplendent in expensive silvery robes which were expertly cut for use by battle mages. Ira held some sort of silvery looking spear which radiated some sort of magic that the demons inwardly recoiled from. On his head, Ira wore some sort of circlet and his fingers were bedecked with magical metallic rings.
He wore bracers –obviously magical- and was flanked by two boneclaws, hulking skeletal-like undead that had three claw-like fingers on their arms. The claws were inherently magical as it could extend and retract if the boneclaw willed it.
Syril took in a sharp breath, dreading the moment when Ira noticed him. Emotions that were alien to him a long time ago and in many ways now, flooded his inner being. Of all the powers that filled the multiverse such as love or hate, nothing was more powerful -in Syril's opinion- than regret. It was regret that made Syril feel sad and unhappy and every negative emotion that just made the incubus want to hide. He shouldn't have struck Ira so long ago but he had and it was done out of anger. Ira had looked at him, hurt and broken and left him on that fey summer day.
Ira approached, "Some of you are supposed to be dead and some of you are unknown to me. Tell me; is this an assassination or worse, an attempt at corruption? Because if so, don't. I already fell for an incubus's charms, I doubt anything you lot can try will win me over"
The demonic ambassadors spoke up all at once, each trying to drown the other out. Moroc telepathically sent to one of the goristros and the hulking minotaur let loose a shout, drowning out every other voice. Tatiana gave her brother a lewd wink then spoke, "Hail, Ira Gold! My name is Tatiana, ambassador to Nocticula, Our Lady in Shadows and if I'm not mistaken you know my son Syril," she motioned to the incubus, "and whatever has happened let it be the past. Today I wish to offer you the future which can be guaranteed by my Lady"
Sanafra gave a mocking laugh, "Hail mighty Wizard and what a splendour you are! My name is Sanafra and don't listen to the other bitches! You have caught the eye of my lord Graz'zt, no small feat and he wishes to offer you a chance at knowledge, magical wealth and power beyond your wildest imagining!"
Detana barked a laugh, completely at odds with her elven features, "She lies and gives you the common trite! Hail great wizard and I am Detana and I must say the rumours were quite untrue! It does not do you justice indeed," she gave Ira a lewd smile and slowly unzipped her black leather outfit, revealing her sudden disproportionately large breasts, "the Queen of Succubi has bade me give you her offer which is nothing less than worlds"
At once, screaming, shouting and cat-calls sounded through the lair and Ira noticed the black -a vampire to Ira perceptions- seem to shake its horned head in frustration. Ira spoke, "Enough! I care nothing for your offers or desires or whatever the hells you want! Tell your masters I don't want anything to do with what Dolio," he pointed at the warlock, "did or didn't do or whatever the hells you accuse her of! And if you think threats will cow me, I am transvalent. I'll let that sink it for a while, hmm"
The demonic parties seem to consider positions immediately. If the wizard was transvalent that was even better but that made him even more unpredictable since he would have access to great power. Sanafra got the wizard's attention, "Graz'zt has stores of transvalent spells, mighty wizard. He will offer you many spells of power if you will aid him!" Beside her Kurkaliz clacked his beak in distaste. So much effort for one human wizard, thought the vulture.
"Nonsense and not only that a bald faced lie," Tatiana said, "the whore of Graz'zt cannot offer you anything, Ira but I can. I am consort to a lord of the Midnight Isles who has the ear of Nocticula herself! I guarantee you that Lady Cherry will see to it you are exalted above all others!"
Detana growled, "You know both lie. One is an impotent wretch who couldn't even court a succubus and the other is a pretender whore! The Queen shall bedecked you with anything you so desire," and her tone left little to the imagination. At once, there was another round of shouted insults and Ira clapped his hand, the sound amplified with magic that carried throughout the lair.
The sounds stopped and Ira spoke, "Well it would seem that you are all at an impasse, ladies. However before we get down to it, I think I will entertain the embassy from the Midnight Isles" At that Tatiana gave a savage grin while the other lead succubi hissed in disgust.
"And what can my lady offer you, oh great wizard?" Tatiana purred but she already guessed it.
Ira scowled, "You know who I want!" Ira took a longing gaze at Syril who seem to almost blush which made Moroc almost want to heave. Detana scowled, "Malcanthet can guarantee you a million incubus to wait at your every need, lord wizard! Surely you would not content yourself with only this one?!" Sanafra made the same offer only this time she implied that Graz'zt himself would tend to Ira, which was a ridiculous lie called out by Detana.
Tatiana scowled at the other two and said, "He has chosen to entertain Nocticula and you bitches should shut it!" she turned to face Ira, the movement caused her ample curves to jiggle in their silver filigree, "before I give him to you I want to have a private conversation with you"
Ira inwardly sighed, "This wouldn't happen to be about a particular red stone now would it?" Dolio heart raced at the mention of the stone, "Where is it Ira? Where did you take it?!"
Tatiana smiled, "Perhaps, shall we talk about that?" Ira scowled, "I suppose so but you won't like what I have to say, I think"
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