Prologue
It was cold. At least, to anyone who happen to be in the area, the temperature was at a decidedly lower-than-comfortable level. Still, the raccoon that was currently traveling through the small clearing in the woods paid no attention to the ambient temperature, as it searched for some food to eat. However, unbeknownst the the furry creature, fate had deemed the clearing more important than a feeding ground, at least for tonight. a slight breeze began, slowly building up force untill it had become a strong wind. The Raccoon, having noticed somethign was "not right" about the wind, had scurried of into the underbrush. The wind, now a strong gust, converged on one point, and began spiraling upward, into the sky. Suddenly, from the clear sky, lightning flashed, scorching the earth where it connected. A second and third bold soon followed, and suddenly, out of nothingness, a sphere of luminescent black appeared. It was pearlescent in the moonlight, and the energy it gave off seemed to pull at the very fabric of space and time itself.
Chapter 1
Magus, Dark Sorceror, Son of Zeal, Prince of a fallen kingdom, smiled. He wasn't particularly ugly, in fact, one could go so far as to say he looked good, in a mysterious elven sort of way. However, one look into his eyes and one could see that there was something festering in him that had taken all the jubilant mirth from his soul. The smile was a smirk, a grin twisted by darkness into a sneer of self-appreciation. He'd completed his spell, and after the final incantation had been uttered, the final hand motion completed, he knew that he'd been successful, and that his search would continue.
Throughout the Ages, man has wondered about the possibilities of time travel. However, a select few had managed to make that dream, the fantasy of a time-spannign voyage, a reality. Magus was one of those select few. And after the defeat of Lavos, the destroyer of the world, Magus set out to search for the one thing he held more precious than himself. Schala, Daughter of Zeal, his only family (Zeal, Queen of Zeal, didn't count. Magus knew she'd died long before Zeal, fell) lay somewhere out there, and Magus was determined to find her. However, search as much as he had, he'd found no trace of her. Through time itself, he'd traversed, first through the gates Originally used to defeat Lavos, and then, through portals he had crafted (at mo small magical expense). Finally, he had begun to give up on finding Schala, when he found the Parchment.
The wrinkled tome had literally fallen apart when he had opened it, but he knew that, somewhere within it's pages, he'd find something helpful on his search. The feeling had prompted him to enter the decaying ruins, and search out whatever it was that seemed to have called him here. After a lengthy search, he had found the entrance to this dank room, and all that was in it. His hope died as he saw that most of the books had been eaten by something or another, and the shelves they sat upon were creaking, agend timbers, rotting, and sagging, as though the weight of a grain of sand would break them. Some of them had already snapped. Magus frowned, and looked at the shelves, determined to get something out of this side-trip. Finally, he spotted it, a crumbling section of wall, that seemed newer and older at the same time. He held his hand out towards the wall, and pushed. The wall blew inward, and he moved through the corridor, to an even deeper, darker room. On a lone pedastal, surrounded by a chalked, decayed pentagram, sat an old tome, radiating power.
It wasn't a spell book, as he had hoped. It was a Journal. But the story it told rocked Magus to the very core. Untill this point, he had firmly believed that the only gateway traveling he could do was through time. However, if what the author of this journal described were true, Magus knew his search was in vain. Patience, fortunately, was a virtue Magus knew well, and he continued reading, untill the book closed before him. pages from within littered the floor, where their binding had worn out, and his page-turning had loosed them, but the knowledge he needed was already tucked into the organized recesses of his mind. The final page, however, held something he needed. He tore it from the book carefully, and tucked it carefully away within his clothes, so as not to damage it. With this done, he turned to leave, the pages of the tome and the book itself, bursting into flames, and dissapearing into the night as ash, never to be read again.
Chapter 2
Magus stepped from the portal, and glanced around. The clearing was cold, but well lit by the moonlight.He moved off in a direction he chose at random, and thought back on what the tome had said.
"Reader.. hear ye this: the world is not alone. factually, the world is on a plane of existance. preceeding our home, is a plane, located above us, and proceeding us, are two more, what you could call "under-worlds." I come from one such "under-world." To me, reader, you are an overworlder, a being of greater power than I could ever hope to posess. but, I degeress. This is my journal, and I shall tell you about my past. My world. And the battle of good and evil thet, to this day, takes place.
The lord of our worlds, the four planes, is, to those of my realm, know as the Lord of Nightmares. She rests in teh Sea of chaos, which everything comes from, and to which everything shall return. in each plane, she created a god, and a demon. The two are to fight, and the winner shall decide what is to become of the world. For if the Monsters, herefore referred to as Mozaku, as they call themselves, win, the world on which they fight is to be cast back into the sea of chaos. If the gods, the Dragons, win this struggle, the world will forever live on in peace.
My world has had it's share of conflicts. The Dark lord Shabranigdo, and the Dragon god Ceifeed, battle on, to this day. Both relying on their underlings to finish the battle. We humans, the inhabitants of all planes, yet masters of none, are caught in the middle of this struggle, swearing allegiance to neither side, yet sometimes fighting for good, sometimes for bad, and always, ultimately, for ourselves.'"
Magus pushed the last branch from his path, and stared at the town before him. The sun was close to breaching the horizon, and a pink glow tinted the land to the east. He stopped a few roads into the town, and looked around. Untill now, he had constantly considered this was his world. Now, however, he knew the truth. He had done it. He stood in a town on the first world, the world the Journal's author had described.
"You look lost." a voice said to him, from his left. Magus turned to look, and saw a man standing there, his purple, bowl-cut hair shining in the soft morning light, and an ungodly smile adorning his face. His eyes were closed, but he was observant enough, having caught Magus staring off into space for a brief second, considering his options. Magus frowned, and turned away. Foolish morons such as this man were not worth wasting breath on.
Xelloss, however, was no mere human, and the man standing before him was delightfully mysterious. He stepped towards the man, and watched, in more ways then one. Suddenly, he realized that the person before him was much more than he appeared. Much more. Xelloss Grinned. Today wasn't going to be as bland as he had thought, after all.
"You know, Most overworlders at least merit me with some verbal response..." Xelloss Baited. Magus whirled, and glared at Xelloss. "Untill now, you merited no response." He finally replied.
"Hmm... And I do now?"
"Perhaps."
"Well I assume you have a purpose here. Perhaps I can be of assistance." Xelloss offered, alterior motives firmly in place.
"I'm looking for someone." Magus stated.
"Oh?" Xelloss said, trying to get more out of this man. For the first time in years, Xelloss was starting to feel the tingle of frustration. This Overworlder talked less than Sirius.
"Yes." Magus said, then turned, and started walking away.
Xelloss stared at the person -No.. wizard..- Xelloss corrected himself, then teleported to a rooftop, ahead of the stranger. He realized the overworlders astral body was here, too. So he was here, fully, not just projected into this world, like Almayce and the others had done. Xelloss concluded that this was the only way the overworlder could stay here as long as he wanted, without expending any energy other than what it required to get here. And considering how much energy was required to get from one world to another, this... human wizard had managed to, seemingly by itself. "Interesting..." Xelloss said to himself. He teleported away to Wolfpack island, to tell his superiors what fate had dropped into their lap.
Chapter 3
Magus was annoyed. after touring the town, and buying the herbs he needed to make a few potions and ethers, he had left, taking a well-worn path towards, what he hoped, was a large city, waht this worlds inhabitants called Seiruun. However, this was the fith gang of bandits that had jumped out of the bushes (after giving themselves away with much brush rustling) and threatened him. The last 4 gangs had sucumbed to his lightning spell, but this was it. He didn't move, or say anything, but began to float up into the air. Suddenly, from his body, came multiple bolts of lightning. they circles him, electrocuting all the bandits the electric tendrils fingered in passing. The bandits fell with a collective shout, and Magus found imself back on the ground. He sneered at the bandits bodies, and searched them, taking what little gold they had. He'd only brought so much, and their incompitence cost them a lot, considering the ether's he'd need, later on.
Xelloss, from behind a tree scarred by Magus' lightning attack, grinned. So.. he IS as powerfull as that. Lord Beastmaster was right. He teleported a hundred feet ahead, and rested against a tree. Magus soon appeared, and glared at him.
"Nice to see you again, mister..." Xelloss said, a smile adorning his face once again.
"Magus. Just Magus." Magus replied, not bothering watch his step. His foot landed on Xelloss' leg, and he kept walking, his muddy footprint left on Xelloss' leg.
"Oh my. Such a rude man you are, Magus. Is that any way to treat a friend?"
"I have no friends." Magus said, not bothering to turn around. if he had, he'd have seen the stain on Xelloss' leg dissapear.
"..." Xelloss began to speak but realized that he was caught short. What was there to say to this man, now? For the first time, Xelloss had been stunted. By a Human. An overworlder, for sure, but still, he was Human, and this wasn't like them. With a sigh, he decided to give up one secret, and teleported right infront of Magus.
"You know..." Xelloss began, then opened an eye, as Magus brought a scythe he hadn't seen before up under his neck, and rested it against his flesh. Xelloss could feel the magic radiating from the black blade, and realized he might of made a mistake.
"You," Magus said, glaring at Xelloss, "are too curious for your own good. What interest can you possibly have in what I'm doing here. You're powerfull, but apparently stupid, because anyone should have seen by now that I don't want to talk." Magus hid the scythe wherever it was he had produced it from, and continued walking. Xelloss started to follow. After a mile or so, Magus whirled on him, Scythe once again poised high.
"Even someone as thickheaded as you should have taken my last hint. What do you want!?" Magus asked.
"What do I want? Well... " Xelloss said, each word quiter than before. By the end of his sentence, Magus was leaning forward, to hear what he was saying. "... that is a secret." Xelloss grinned. He had been waiting for an opening. Magus swung the scythe, and Xelloss teleported a few feet away, out of the weapons range. Magus glared, then cast fire, the orb missing Xelloss as he teleported away and bo, so it traveled through him. The tree it hit, however, was not so fortunate. Xelloss turned to look at the tree, and waited for Magus to attack again. He was dissapointed. Magus was walking away again. Xelloss looked harder, and realized he was hovering away. Not in fear, However. Magus drifted away, and radiated amusement. Perhaps, Xelloss though, I will bait my prey after all."
Chapter 4
Sairuun was a big city. Bigger than Truce, or Medina, it was a kingdom the likes of which Magus had never seen before. Still, the overly cheery attitude wore away at him, the mirth something he didn't enjoy much at all. He turned away from the castle, home of Prince Phil and his daughter, and snorted. "Imbicile. He could easily call himself King, but instead, he maintains an innocense wholly corrupted by his appearance." From what he understool, Amelia, the daughter, was about as bad as Marle was, when comparing cheery-ness. Fortunately, Marle didn't make speeches, as passer-by's had said Amelia was want to do.
Magus detested Sairuun. After hours of searching, he'd found no clue of his sister's whereabouts, but plenty of smiling faces, and decidedly happy individuals who knew nothing of pain other than a stubbed toe. Xelloss, from above, felt a similar loathing towards the inhabitants. Watching Magus had been interesting, untill he had reached Sairuun. Now he had to deal with all these happy people. Ironically, he noticed Magus act as he would, had he been down on the streets. "Soo... Mister Wizard doesn't like happy people any more than I do. How... illuminating." Xelloss dissapeared again.
Magus looked up, feeling eyes on him again, but seeing nobody. I have to get out of this city. Schala's not here, and if I see one more smiling face, I'm going to disembowel someone. He turned, and began walking, only to be stopped by a large man.
"You look like you're not having any fun!"
"Go Away."
"Aww.. surely you can be cheered up!"
"... Did you not hear me?"
"Let me tell you a joke! Once there was this man..."
"Are you stupid or something?"
".. He went to a bar.. yeah.."
"..."
"And ordered a drink. Eggnog! Yeah. Eggnog. So, anyways.."
Magus, having no more patience after this stupid joke teller screwed up the most simple of jokes, reduced him to ash.
"Does anyone else have a joke to tell me?" The crowd, staring at the horrible spectacle, scattered.Magus grinned, finally, and started to go.
"You'd best leave the area, Magus. Otherwise, you'll be in for a world of pain."
Magus turned to see Xelloss standing there, smilign at him. His eyes were opened however, and the new look wasn't the mirthfull one he'd seen before. Instead, in his eyes, Magus read cunning, viciousness, and determination. something in him warmed up just the faintest bit to the purple-haired stranger before him.
"You hate it here as much as I do, don't you?"
"Oh, it's not so bad..." Xelloss responded, watching Magus intently. Magus knew he was lying. The man was watching him totally, but before, he had glanced around in annoyance, much like Magus had been earlier.
"You lie." Magus turned, and began to leave, only to hear the sound of armor and horses hooves approaching.
"You," Xelloss said, watching him, "took to long. here comes the princess."
"Who are you?" Magus finally asked, tightening his gloves, and taking one of the ether's he had made.
"Call me Xelloss." Magus nodded, and turned towards the sound of the footprints.
he didn't have long to wait. Before him, now stood twenty soldiers, dressed in full armor, and a young girl with black, short hair, wearing white clothes. Magus blinked. The little girl pointed at him.
"You, who would kill an innocent man for telling a joke in the city of Sairuun, are Evil! And I, Amelia Will Telsa Sairuun, shall punish you, in the name of justice. Stand fast, evil-doer, as the Hammer of Justice strikes you where you stand!" Magus stared some more. Finally, he grinned to himself. Amelia was still standing there, pointing her finger at him accusingly.
"You know, where I come from, a vigilante is a villain, just like a thief or a murderer. And by attacking me, like you plan to do, without holding trial or anything, that would make you as evil as that man" he motioned towards the ash pile, "that tried to steal my money."
Amelia blanched. Her? And Evil Doer? "But... I.. err... " she tried, desperate to keep her head working straight.
It was cold. At least, to anyone who happen to be in the area, the temperature was at a decidedly lower-than-comfortable level. Still, the raccoon that was currently traveling through the small clearing in the woods paid no attention to the ambient temperature, as it searched for some food to eat. However, unbeknownst the the furry creature, fate had deemed the clearing more important than a feeding ground, at least for tonight. a slight breeze began, slowly building up force untill it had become a strong wind. The Raccoon, having noticed somethign was "not right" about the wind, had scurried of into the underbrush. The wind, now a strong gust, converged on one point, and began spiraling upward, into the sky. Suddenly, from the clear sky, lightning flashed, scorching the earth where it connected. A second and third bold soon followed, and suddenly, out of nothingness, a sphere of luminescent black appeared. It was pearlescent in the moonlight, and the energy it gave off seemed to pull at the very fabric of space and time itself.
Chapter 1
Magus, Dark Sorceror, Son of Zeal, Prince of a fallen kingdom, smiled. He wasn't particularly ugly, in fact, one could go so far as to say he looked good, in a mysterious elven sort of way. However, one look into his eyes and one could see that there was something festering in him that had taken all the jubilant mirth from his soul. The smile was a smirk, a grin twisted by darkness into a sneer of self-appreciation. He'd completed his spell, and after the final incantation had been uttered, the final hand motion completed, he knew that he'd been successful, and that his search would continue.
Throughout the Ages, man has wondered about the possibilities of time travel. However, a select few had managed to make that dream, the fantasy of a time-spannign voyage, a reality. Magus was one of those select few. And after the defeat of Lavos, the destroyer of the world, Magus set out to search for the one thing he held more precious than himself. Schala, Daughter of Zeal, his only family (Zeal, Queen of Zeal, didn't count. Magus knew she'd died long before Zeal, fell) lay somewhere out there, and Magus was determined to find her. However, search as much as he had, he'd found no trace of her. Through time itself, he'd traversed, first through the gates Originally used to defeat Lavos, and then, through portals he had crafted (at mo small magical expense). Finally, he had begun to give up on finding Schala, when he found the Parchment.
The wrinkled tome had literally fallen apart when he had opened it, but he knew that, somewhere within it's pages, he'd find something helpful on his search. The feeling had prompted him to enter the decaying ruins, and search out whatever it was that seemed to have called him here. After a lengthy search, he had found the entrance to this dank room, and all that was in it. His hope died as he saw that most of the books had been eaten by something or another, and the shelves they sat upon were creaking, agend timbers, rotting, and sagging, as though the weight of a grain of sand would break them. Some of them had already snapped. Magus frowned, and looked at the shelves, determined to get something out of this side-trip. Finally, he spotted it, a crumbling section of wall, that seemed newer and older at the same time. He held his hand out towards the wall, and pushed. The wall blew inward, and he moved through the corridor, to an even deeper, darker room. On a lone pedastal, surrounded by a chalked, decayed pentagram, sat an old tome, radiating power.
It wasn't a spell book, as he had hoped. It was a Journal. But the story it told rocked Magus to the very core. Untill this point, he had firmly believed that the only gateway traveling he could do was through time. However, if what the author of this journal described were true, Magus knew his search was in vain. Patience, fortunately, was a virtue Magus knew well, and he continued reading, untill the book closed before him. pages from within littered the floor, where their binding had worn out, and his page-turning had loosed them, but the knowledge he needed was already tucked into the organized recesses of his mind. The final page, however, held something he needed. He tore it from the book carefully, and tucked it carefully away within his clothes, so as not to damage it. With this done, he turned to leave, the pages of the tome and the book itself, bursting into flames, and dissapearing into the night as ash, never to be read again.
Chapter 2
Magus stepped from the portal, and glanced around. The clearing was cold, but well lit by the moonlight.He moved off in a direction he chose at random, and thought back on what the tome had said.
"Reader.. hear ye this: the world is not alone. factually, the world is on a plane of existance. preceeding our home, is a plane, located above us, and proceeding us, are two more, what you could call "under-worlds." I come from one such "under-world." To me, reader, you are an overworlder, a being of greater power than I could ever hope to posess. but, I degeress. This is my journal, and I shall tell you about my past. My world. And the battle of good and evil thet, to this day, takes place.
The lord of our worlds, the four planes, is, to those of my realm, know as the Lord of Nightmares. She rests in teh Sea of chaos, which everything comes from, and to which everything shall return. in each plane, she created a god, and a demon. The two are to fight, and the winner shall decide what is to become of the world. For if the Monsters, herefore referred to as Mozaku, as they call themselves, win, the world on which they fight is to be cast back into the sea of chaos. If the gods, the Dragons, win this struggle, the world will forever live on in peace.
My world has had it's share of conflicts. The Dark lord Shabranigdo, and the Dragon god Ceifeed, battle on, to this day. Both relying on their underlings to finish the battle. We humans, the inhabitants of all planes, yet masters of none, are caught in the middle of this struggle, swearing allegiance to neither side, yet sometimes fighting for good, sometimes for bad, and always, ultimately, for ourselves.'"
Magus pushed the last branch from his path, and stared at the town before him. The sun was close to breaching the horizon, and a pink glow tinted the land to the east. He stopped a few roads into the town, and looked around. Untill now, he had constantly considered this was his world. Now, however, he knew the truth. He had done it. He stood in a town on the first world, the world the Journal's author had described.
"You look lost." a voice said to him, from his left. Magus turned to look, and saw a man standing there, his purple, bowl-cut hair shining in the soft morning light, and an ungodly smile adorning his face. His eyes were closed, but he was observant enough, having caught Magus staring off into space for a brief second, considering his options. Magus frowned, and turned away. Foolish morons such as this man were not worth wasting breath on.
Xelloss, however, was no mere human, and the man standing before him was delightfully mysterious. He stepped towards the man, and watched, in more ways then one. Suddenly, he realized that the person before him was much more than he appeared. Much more. Xelloss Grinned. Today wasn't going to be as bland as he had thought, after all.
"You know, Most overworlders at least merit me with some verbal response..." Xelloss Baited. Magus whirled, and glared at Xelloss. "Untill now, you merited no response." He finally replied.
"Hmm... And I do now?"
"Perhaps."
"Well I assume you have a purpose here. Perhaps I can be of assistance." Xelloss offered, alterior motives firmly in place.
"I'm looking for someone." Magus stated.
"Oh?" Xelloss said, trying to get more out of this man. For the first time in years, Xelloss was starting to feel the tingle of frustration. This Overworlder talked less than Sirius.
"Yes." Magus said, then turned, and started walking away.
Xelloss stared at the person -No.. wizard..- Xelloss corrected himself, then teleported to a rooftop, ahead of the stranger. He realized the overworlders astral body was here, too. So he was here, fully, not just projected into this world, like Almayce and the others had done. Xelloss concluded that this was the only way the overworlder could stay here as long as he wanted, without expending any energy other than what it required to get here. And considering how much energy was required to get from one world to another, this... human wizard had managed to, seemingly by itself. "Interesting..." Xelloss said to himself. He teleported away to Wolfpack island, to tell his superiors what fate had dropped into their lap.
Chapter 3
Magus was annoyed. after touring the town, and buying the herbs he needed to make a few potions and ethers, he had left, taking a well-worn path towards, what he hoped, was a large city, waht this worlds inhabitants called Seiruun. However, this was the fith gang of bandits that had jumped out of the bushes (after giving themselves away with much brush rustling) and threatened him. The last 4 gangs had sucumbed to his lightning spell, but this was it. He didn't move, or say anything, but began to float up into the air. Suddenly, from his body, came multiple bolts of lightning. they circles him, electrocuting all the bandits the electric tendrils fingered in passing. The bandits fell with a collective shout, and Magus found imself back on the ground. He sneered at the bandits bodies, and searched them, taking what little gold they had. He'd only brought so much, and their incompitence cost them a lot, considering the ether's he'd need, later on.
Xelloss, from behind a tree scarred by Magus' lightning attack, grinned. So.. he IS as powerfull as that. Lord Beastmaster was right. He teleported a hundred feet ahead, and rested against a tree. Magus soon appeared, and glared at him.
"Nice to see you again, mister..." Xelloss said, a smile adorning his face once again.
"Magus. Just Magus." Magus replied, not bothering watch his step. His foot landed on Xelloss' leg, and he kept walking, his muddy footprint left on Xelloss' leg.
"Oh my. Such a rude man you are, Magus. Is that any way to treat a friend?"
"I have no friends." Magus said, not bothering to turn around. if he had, he'd have seen the stain on Xelloss' leg dissapear.
"..." Xelloss began to speak but realized that he was caught short. What was there to say to this man, now? For the first time, Xelloss had been stunted. By a Human. An overworlder, for sure, but still, he was Human, and this wasn't like them. With a sigh, he decided to give up one secret, and teleported right infront of Magus.
"You know..." Xelloss began, then opened an eye, as Magus brought a scythe he hadn't seen before up under his neck, and rested it against his flesh. Xelloss could feel the magic radiating from the black blade, and realized he might of made a mistake.
"You," Magus said, glaring at Xelloss, "are too curious for your own good. What interest can you possibly have in what I'm doing here. You're powerfull, but apparently stupid, because anyone should have seen by now that I don't want to talk." Magus hid the scythe wherever it was he had produced it from, and continued walking. Xelloss started to follow. After a mile or so, Magus whirled on him, Scythe once again poised high.
"Even someone as thickheaded as you should have taken my last hint. What do you want!?" Magus asked.
"What do I want? Well... " Xelloss said, each word quiter than before. By the end of his sentence, Magus was leaning forward, to hear what he was saying. "... that is a secret." Xelloss grinned. He had been waiting for an opening. Magus swung the scythe, and Xelloss teleported a few feet away, out of the weapons range. Magus glared, then cast fire, the orb missing Xelloss as he teleported away and bo, so it traveled through him. The tree it hit, however, was not so fortunate. Xelloss turned to look at the tree, and waited for Magus to attack again. He was dissapointed. Magus was walking away again. Xelloss looked harder, and realized he was hovering away. Not in fear, However. Magus drifted away, and radiated amusement. Perhaps, Xelloss though, I will bait my prey after all."
Chapter 4
Sairuun was a big city. Bigger than Truce, or Medina, it was a kingdom the likes of which Magus had never seen before. Still, the overly cheery attitude wore away at him, the mirth something he didn't enjoy much at all. He turned away from the castle, home of Prince Phil and his daughter, and snorted. "Imbicile. He could easily call himself King, but instead, he maintains an innocense wholly corrupted by his appearance." From what he understool, Amelia, the daughter, was about as bad as Marle was, when comparing cheery-ness. Fortunately, Marle didn't make speeches, as passer-by's had said Amelia was want to do.
Magus detested Sairuun. After hours of searching, he'd found no clue of his sister's whereabouts, but plenty of smiling faces, and decidedly happy individuals who knew nothing of pain other than a stubbed toe. Xelloss, from above, felt a similar loathing towards the inhabitants. Watching Magus had been interesting, untill he had reached Sairuun. Now he had to deal with all these happy people. Ironically, he noticed Magus act as he would, had he been down on the streets. "Soo... Mister Wizard doesn't like happy people any more than I do. How... illuminating." Xelloss dissapeared again.
Magus looked up, feeling eyes on him again, but seeing nobody. I have to get out of this city. Schala's not here, and if I see one more smiling face, I'm going to disembowel someone. He turned, and began walking, only to be stopped by a large man.
"You look like you're not having any fun!"
"Go Away."
"Aww.. surely you can be cheered up!"
"... Did you not hear me?"
"Let me tell you a joke! Once there was this man..."
"Are you stupid or something?"
".. He went to a bar.. yeah.."
"..."
"And ordered a drink. Eggnog! Yeah. Eggnog. So, anyways.."
Magus, having no more patience after this stupid joke teller screwed up the most simple of jokes, reduced him to ash.
"Does anyone else have a joke to tell me?" The crowd, staring at the horrible spectacle, scattered.Magus grinned, finally, and started to go.
"You'd best leave the area, Magus. Otherwise, you'll be in for a world of pain."
Magus turned to see Xelloss standing there, smilign at him. His eyes were opened however, and the new look wasn't the mirthfull one he'd seen before. Instead, in his eyes, Magus read cunning, viciousness, and determination. something in him warmed up just the faintest bit to the purple-haired stranger before him.
"You hate it here as much as I do, don't you?"
"Oh, it's not so bad..." Xelloss responded, watching Magus intently. Magus knew he was lying. The man was watching him totally, but before, he had glanced around in annoyance, much like Magus had been earlier.
"You lie." Magus turned, and began to leave, only to hear the sound of armor and horses hooves approaching.
"You," Xelloss said, watching him, "took to long. here comes the princess."
"Who are you?" Magus finally asked, tightening his gloves, and taking one of the ether's he had made.
"Call me Xelloss." Magus nodded, and turned towards the sound of the footprints.
he didn't have long to wait. Before him, now stood twenty soldiers, dressed in full armor, and a young girl with black, short hair, wearing white clothes. Magus blinked. The little girl pointed at him.
"You, who would kill an innocent man for telling a joke in the city of Sairuun, are Evil! And I, Amelia Will Telsa Sairuun, shall punish you, in the name of justice. Stand fast, evil-doer, as the Hammer of Justice strikes you where you stand!" Magus stared some more. Finally, he grinned to himself. Amelia was still standing there, pointing her finger at him accusingly.
"You know, where I come from, a vigilante is a villain, just like a thief or a murderer. And by attacking me, like you plan to do, without holding trial or anything, that would make you as evil as that man" he motioned towards the ash pile, "that tried to steal my money."
Amelia blanched. Her? And Evil Doer? "But... I.. err... " she tried, desperate to keep her head working straight.