Chapter One

"For by the will of the gods, Fate hath held sway since ancient day." Aeschylus

Dendoro Mts. 598 AD.

Autumn had come. That was a more then apparent fact as the wind raked through the countryside and disturbed the outside work of many farmers in the small province of Domino Village. The wind took on a coldly bitter chill and it was only to be expected that soon the chill would spread to frost. It was frost that would eventually cover the crops and vegetation. Animals would start their hibernation for the winter and become scarce. Woe to the person that had neglected to set store for the cold months for indeed it would be doubly harsh.

The Dendoro Mountains were the one part of the countryside unaffected by the wind, at least to every appearance. It stood facing the coastline, looking out in the direction of the Medina Continent and if any place could laugh then it certainly would, after all didn't the wind whistle along its pine-scented sanctuary with temptuous glee? Most certainly the wind could be felt within its confines. Leaves escaped from trees and twirled around in the perfect ballet of nature, The howling of the wind was the eerie resemblance of the high pitched screech of a child. It was no wonder why the rumors circulated around the village tavern that evil spirits haunted this forested mountain.

It was a day in which no visible life dared to come out, it was safer by far inside where the wind and elements could not touch anyone. However toward the summit of the majestic mountain two figures fought their way against the wind in a valiant effort to make it to the top. One was riding astride a stately stallion and he was clad in armor of the most luminous platinum. No part of his body could be seen save the penetrating gray eyes that peeked out from the semi-raised visor. To his left a young man trudged alongside. He wasn't as showy as the man atop the horse, after all his garments were of mere leather compared to the knight's shining mail but in his eyes lurked a sincerity that well coupled itself to the knight's stoicism.

"How long will it be till we reach the top, Cyrus? It seems as if we have been riding for eternity and I am starting to grow tired." The young man said and then promptly started into a coughing fit that was spurned on by the particles of dust that lingered in the air.

Cyrus looked down at the boy from his perch and smiled though one could not see it underneath that visor and his eyes were not tell-tale for they constantly remained enigmatic. He pointed toward a clearing in the distance and nodded to communicate that they would soon reach the end of their journey. The boy sighed in relief and pressed on though he was cold, tired and weak from hunger, Surely he thought that the cheese and bread in his pack would taste good after such a trek as this.

Many would call them crazy for being out in such weather and coupled with the precarious terrain of the Dendoro Mountains they would be considered doubly stupid. However they were on a special quest to retrieve something that had belonged to their kingdom for quite some time and had been recently stolen. Both had doubts and fears but they couldn't be detected. Sir Cyrus never showed his emotions to any one.. And the boy, well he tried so hard to be like the knight beside him.. his role model.

After long last they came to a small clearing on the summit that bordered a cliff of ivory. In the center was a pool of still crystal waters and a few weeping willows were scattered about. It was an altogether surreal atmosphere. Strangely as they passed into the clearing the wind mysteriously halted though they could still hear it's haunting whistle.

The knight dismounted his horse fluidly and took off his helmet with surprising quickness. He shook out his long blonde hair and then wiped the sweat from his brow, surveying the area around them with eyes that were purely analytical. Some would say he was a pretty man with that long hair, high cheekbones and perfect lips, but sensitivity and emotional behavior wasn't his fine point.

"We made it, Glenn." Cyrus said as he proceeded to lead his horse to water in order to drink. Glenn plopped himself down on the grass and hugged the ground weakly.

"Oh, Cyrus! My muscles ache beyond compare. Please say we don't have to go home so soon after we obtain the Hero's Medal." Glenn pleaded with wide naive green eyes, though he knew that would never work on Cyrus.

"I am sure we are entitled to a few days rest. Hopefully Magus will come through with it." Cyrus kneeled down on the ground and cupped his hands to scoop up some water, hoping to soothe his parched throat. He gulped it down greedily and cherished the clean taste of it.

At the mention of Magus, Glenn's brows furrowed and a small frown crossed across his lips. He brought himself to a sitting position and folded his arms across his chest. "Do you think we should really be putting our trust in Magus? He -is- the enemy of Guardia." A shiver ran up his spine at the rumors he had heard, granted he never actually met the aforementioned man but he dreadfully anticipated the meeting that would take place in a few scant minutes.

"We don't have an option at this point. We are here and he will be arriving soon." Cyrus said softly as he rose back to a standing position and straightened out his armor, making sure to wipe off even the merest speckle of dust on it.

"I don't see how we can trust him when he was the one that took the Hero's Medal in the first place, and well blast it all, Cyrus.. I just have a bad feeling about this." Glenn crawled over to the bank to get himself some water, lapping it up with little concealed thirst.

"I am indebted to King Roland and Queen Leene. They are both counting on me and I won't let them down." Cyrus said matter-of-factly as he patted his horse down. Therein lay a sense of obligation and duty and Glenn very much admired that. That was why he wanted to be like him but then he was only a scrawny and inexperienced page. Glenn had a long way to go even though his heart was definitely in the right place. "Its just like you to think of other people. I don't think I could aspire to be that noble." Glenn said somewhat regretfully for he was remembering the many things that he forgot to do. It was the little details that sometimes mattered, at least in his opinion.

Cyrus noticed Glenn's saddened expression and felt bad for all the little dreams that he knew Glenn fostered in his heart. He realized the substance of those dreams and truly did wish that they were reality, perhaps the world would be a better place if they were. However Cyrus had much expirence in the way that the world worked. He himself knew the games being played almost as if they were second nature. "Glenn, don't believe in anyone save yourself. To put too much faith in man is to make a mockery of the gods." Cyrus said and looked out toward the horizon.

"What does that mean, Cyrus? I don't get it. You and the Knights of Guardia, I know you guys will come through, you always do." Glenn said matter-of-factly. He had seen them do so much, he had never seen them fail. Why not bet on a sure thing, right?

"We won't be here forever. Neither my troops nor me. I doubt even Guardia will last that long." Cyrus said as he looked up at the trees that sort of flanked the entrance to the clearing. They looked ominous and of course he had a strange feeling about this meeting but he didn't want to scare Glenn.

"How can you say that about our homeland?!" Glenn said though he was not unused to Cyrus's occasional black moods, this was no doubt just one of those.

"Because I know." Cyrus said, his voice almost hollow as he stared past the trees. His eyes were not focused on anything in particular save that there was a far-away haunted quality that lurked on his features. Glenn saw it and it somewhat scared him. His teeth bit down firmly on his lower lip as he retreated into thought. Silence was the best thing right now especially when things seemed so uncertain.

The wind picked up and started to shrill around them in the small enclosed clearing. The waters lapped against the banks with increased violence and the leaves started a ghostly dance around the little pond. Cyrus rose from the ground and stood firmly and Glenn scrambled up himself with less grace then Cyrus but he did get up nevertheless. He was more then scared at the ominous signs that nature was giving them.

It rose to a deafening roar complete in its rage and it was all that they could do not to cover their ears in protection from the noise. Cyrus's cape whipped back behind him and almost struck Glenn down however he dodged out of the way just in time and had to catch hold of a nearby tree, clinging to the trunk with fearful tenacity. Cyrus just stood there as an indestructible pillar against the wind.

Suddenly all was silent, the wind died down just like that and with no warning whatsoever. No birds chirped in the trees and there was no sign of life.. even the trees looked dead. Glenn took a deep breath after he realized that he had been holding his breath for a minute or so. "This is getting creepy, Cyrus." Glenn whispered hushedly, suddenly it became even more of a bad idea to even be here.

"Please Glenn, I have to do this. Go if you must but I will stay." Cyrus murmured, his eyes never leaving the now rippling pool in the clearing. Glenn looked at his mentor with desperation and then felt bad when he detected no fear in him. He straightened his spine and took his place by Cyrus, shaking his head.

"I can't leave you here. And I won't." Glenn stared out at the pool with the same resolution that Cyrus had etched on his face.. His jaw dropped however when he saw the clearing become consumed in a huge ball of purple light, himself and Cyrus being covered by it. An overwhelming heat emanated from its core and Glenn stepped back out of defense and instincts.

There was a blinding flash and both men started backwards, even Cyrus couldn't keep his calmness for long. They fell to the deadened grass and shielded their eyes though it was useless for their sight had temporarily fled them. Maniacal laughter filled the air, ghoulish and fear inspiring.

"That was quite an entrance master... hehehehe"

"Oh please tell him to shut up, Master" Came a whining effeminate voice.

"Silence! Both of you."

Glenn was the first to get his sight back and blinked rapidly to speed up the process. He saw 3 figures on the other side of the lake, standing their watching them with bemusement written all over their faces. On one side was a round and plump green cretin. His eyes a shifty gold color that shined cruelly, even Glenn could tell that much. He wore white priest like robes that were meant to cover his obesity but instead marked it out. Around his neck he wore a heavy silver amulet and in the center the eye of some creature, it looked big enough to have been a small dragon.

To the other side was a curvaceous female clad in skin tight white silk, her breasts jutted out and the curve of her hips seemingly flowed from underneath barely there waist. She had exotic almond shaped eyes and long beguiling lashes that fluttered rather coyly. She wore a leather belt around her hourglass figure waist and her long auburn red hair was drawn up on top of her head in a braided ponytail, the length going all the way down her back til it reached her ass. There was nothing weak looking about her and she seemed to give off the impression that she could hold her own in whatever circumstances that were presented to her.

The one in the middle stood out the most though it wasn't by his appearance because he looked as strange to Glenn and Cyrus as the others did. What made him stand out was the invisible shield that seemed to be wrapped around him, the distance in his demeanor coupled with the cool way with which he regarded the two men across from them. Everything about him was remarkable to say the least. His hair seemingly spun of titanium for all the hues you could detect in them and the waves fell down his back like a refreshing waterfall and even sparkled in the sunlight. Eyes so coolly gray that it was quite possible to catch a distinct chill just from looking into them It was from him that Cyrus and Glenn received the most trepidation.

Cyrus rose to his feet after only a moment passed and rested his hand against the hilt of his sword just in case anything happened or there were any sudden moves. He cleared his voice and spoke with startling clarity that echoed across the pool and toward the group that lay on the other side. Glenn quickly scrambled up frantically and sort of peeked out from behind Cyrus with wide eyes.

"Lord Magus of the Medina Continent I presume." Cyrus called out curtly

"People -have- called me that." Magus said diffidently and leaned up against the pole of the scythe that he had his long fingertips wrapped about. A dark purple cloak wrapped up his entire form so that he appeared like the calm messiah of death, the grim reaper that all the villagers whispered spirited away the souls of the dying.

At the sound of Magus's voice, the girl standing by his side started to titter uncomtrollably as if she couldn't stop. The green cretin rolled his eyes and reached behind Magus in order to smack the girl over the head with his chubby arm.

"Shut up Flea, you giggle like a girl. It will annoy the master."

"I can do what I want Ozzie."

"Silence I said!"

"It would be lovely weather if not for the sudden gusts of wind." Cyrus said as he pointedly attempted to ignore the bickering among Magus's followers. It was something that he didn't want to get into. He had a mission and nothing would pull him away from it.

"I think we should cut with the petty talk about the weather and get down to business. I am sure that is what you want as well. I understand you are prepared to meet the terms I have outlined.?" Magus said with a clipped voice that meant all work and no play. Cyrus let his hand slip away from the hilt of his sword and he nodded ever so slightly in response to Magus's commanding voice.

"Terms? I wasn't aware of any terms. What terms are those?" Glenn whispered curiously as he tugged on Cyrus's arm. Cyrus shook his head and smiled slightly before shaking Glenn away, not out of cruelty but perhaps kindness.

"Don't worry about it. They are not important." Cyrus murmured back to Glenn and then took a few steps toward the pool in front of him till the water almost lapped against his armoured feet. He stood straight and tall and he met Magus's gaze with unfaltering lucidity. "I agree to your terms. You have my word on my honor as a Knight of Guardia." Cyrus said with a serious incline of his head. A lock of gold brushed across his cheek as a gentle breeze was initiated aside from the quiet solemnity that had previously existed.

"Honor as a knight.. but what of the man?" Magus inquired with a sardonic smile. It was the first display of emotion other then coldness that passed over his face. He seemed to find what Cyrus said funny in a remote way and it made Cyrus realize that he didn't know exactly -who- he was dealing with. For all that he knew, Magus could be a madman in the disguise of rationality. A shiver ran through him though, vaugely uncomfortable and he knew exactly why. Because what Magus spoke had some grain of truth to it.

"Cyrus is one of the most noble men that I know! I suggest you back down on that remark!" Glenn said as he withdrew his short sword like it would do much good against the three figures that combined magic power could no doubt destroy all of Dendoro Mts.

"Being a hero and being noble are not one in the same granted many men have painted it so throughout myths and legends." Magus said as he reached into the inner folds of his cloak and drew out a luminous medallion. The Hero's Medal of fabled lore, a relic blessed with the ability to grant the wearer strength both inner and outer. It hung from a golden chain and he started to swing the medallion back and forth much like the pendalum of a clock. "Of course if you chose to believe that Cyrus is honorable then I will not shatter the illusions of the young."

"All we have come here for is the Hero's Medal. Let us discuss it without the terms of ethics or nobility else we would be here all night." Magus however raised his hand to silence Cyrus and then even the breeze stopped.

"Before the actual transaction takes place I would like to discuss a few things that have been on my mind concerning your -honor-. You no doubt recall when I had kidnapped Queen Leene and stored her away in the cathedral, hmm?"

"Yes. I do." Cyrus said with gritted teeth and he felt his fists clench at his sides in an entirely involuntary gesture. He had felt rage even then when the Queen had been abducted but then how could it be different, everyone else had been equally worried.

"Master, I don't see why you have to bring up that annoying girl." Flea intercepted as she crossed her arms over her chest. Her behavior mirroring a petty jealous streak.

"She is more of a girl then you are, har!" Ozzie wheezed before Flea swapped him in the head with her long braid.

"Be quiet!" Magus shouted out to his minions before continuing. His voice was edged with more then a little annoyance though he tried to veil it. "I learned quite a few things from your precious Queen. She is precious to you I would imagine." He said quite conversationally.

"She is precious to everyone in the kingdom." Cyrus countered though there was the tremor of a falter that ran against his voice. "We were all very thankful that you didn't harm her in any way."

"That makes no difference however what would -you- have done if I had?" Magus said with a raise of his silver eyebrows as he walked around the lake, leaving his group behind in order to approach Cyrus face to face. Soon he was standing 4 ft away from Cyrus, close enough to touch, close enough to see every nuance of emotion that pased across the knight's face.

Cyrus's voice became nothing more then a low modulated growl. "I would of ripped your god-forsaken heart out." Came the answer. Glenn's jaw dropped. Never once had he heard Cyrus speak with that much passion.

"You really are a selfish man, Cyrus. Selfish in the aspect that you stand beside the king of Guardia, act as his best friend. Claiming all the laurels of honor from the kingdom as your own, all of them stemming from the opportunities that -he- gave you. And then there you are, perfect little knight, fucking the King's wife. I can't decide if I should condemn you for hypocrisy or cowardice. Perhaps both would be most suitable"

Glenn was speechless and so was Cyrus. The expressions on their faces could only attest to their surprise. Glenn didn't know if he could believe what this man was saying, after all Magus was the enemy of Guardia. When Glenn chanced a glance at Cyrus's visage, he knew that there was indeed a ring of truth to it though he did not know in which direction it lay.

"I did it for love." Cyrus whispered softly and the guise of his stoicism dropped as he stared at Magus. "You did it for lust. There -is- no such thing as love." Magus countered with all the cunning of a predatory cat

"I did it for Leene."

"Then why wasn't it you that saved her instead of a group of ragtag kids?"

"Touche Master!" Flea started to jump and down, acting the willing cheerleader before Ozzie once again elbowed her in her stomach.

"Damn it Magus.." Cyrus turned around and started to walk toward the trees to somehow get his rationale back. "I had a duty, I had to guard the King. The rest of the knights could of taken care of it."

"And in doing so you betrayed the one that you betrayed the King for. Some loyal and noble knight you are." Magus said as he started to focus some energy into his hand. It started out as a seed of royal blue that glowed even in the direct sunlight. As it fed off the energy of all that surrounded it, it gradually grew bigger and bigger. An arcane whisper filled the air and Cyrus turned around more in curiousity then in anything else. He didn't flinch when he saw the orb that now whirled about Magus's hand and he acted as though he had been expecting it all along; what Magus was doing now.

Eyes closed and mouth moving as the wind picked up around him in a torrent of blackness and dark energy that throbbed with innate power just as the blue orb did. His eyes then opened and Cyrus was amazed to see that the greyness had gone, being replaced by a haunted purple.

"It's time, is it not?" Cyrus murmured. He didn't attempt to run.

Glenn saw the scene unfold and knew what was going to happen, knew the agreement and he didn't like it one bit. He started on a run toward Cyrus thinking that perhaps he could save him by pushing him out of the direction that the energy was licking towards. "Cyrus!" He shouted against the wind but the shout got stifled as he felt a body collide against his back and throw him toward the ground with surprising force. He hit the dead grass with a thud.

"Oh no you don't, big boy." Flea murmured against Glenn's ear as she pressed her body against his with surprising force for such a petite girl. "You are staying right here and keeping me company."

Cyrus and Magus faced each other for a moment and all that seperated them was a glowing ball of energy. It was a surreal moment. No one could enter into it and it held no meaning save for those two men.

"One day you will know the bittersweet taste of love. You will taste it but never completely have it. Only then will you understand.. you will understand my reasons for everything I did. I did it for love.. I did it for love." His voice faded in with the torrent of wind but it still carried to those that were the audience.

Magus released the energy and it hurtled toward Cyrus with incredible speed. It wasn't done transforming for it was aquiring energy during its journey and it didn't stop until it hit Cyrus right in breastplate. Cyrus blinked for he felt the impact but it wasn't what he expected, he expected the force alone to kill him but he was still staring at Magus. He looked down and saw that the energy centered against his breastplate but it was slowly covering his entire body like a giant energy parasite. Each spot it covered was filled with an empty numbness that he could do nothing but succumb to.

"How does it feel to lose your soul. Lose your will to fight and love." He said that word in a mockery of what Cyrus said earlier. His eyes were still purple and in them Cyrus saw a loss so great, an emptiness so wide and vast. And in this moment he pitied Magus for whatever caused him sorrow.

"Glenn... " He whispered as he felt the energy creeping and infiltrating the last regions of his body and robbing his soul of all that he esteemed in his life. "Take.. care.. of.. Leene.. please." It was a choked sob cloaked in a whisper as the will completely drained out of him and left him a hallow shell. The energy realized that its job was done and it vacated Cyrus's body in a heartbeat. It spiraled up in the air just as Cyrus's body hit the soft grass with a sickningly empty thud.

"CYRUS!!!" Glenn shouted out as he felt fragile tears rise through his eyes only to plummet down his cheeks. He tried to get up and run toward Cyrus but Flea's weight prevented him from doing it. "You bastards! Let me go! Let me go! You killed Cyrus!"

"Bingo! You are correct, kid." Ozzie said as he toddled over to Magus and stood a distance away. "Can't let such a cutie go, at least not yet." Flea said as she chanced a tentative nip at Glenn's ear. Magus stood there and looked up at the energy hovering in the sky and then he held out his hand, palm upturned. The energy took that as invitation and condensed itself till it was but the size of a seed. Then it lowered itself and hovered over Magus's hand before it gently dropped into the safe haven. Magus closed his fingers around the energy and then enclosed it in a glass sheath of his own summouning before storing it in the safe folds of his cloak.

"How very fortunate for me that one does not have to be noble in order to be a hero. He was a martyr til the very end. It was a shame that his own guilt drove him to sacrifice." Magus pondered to himself as he turned on his heels in order to view the vista that was opened up to him. It was possible to see all of Dendoro Valley, the sea and further along the horizon he could even spy the craggy cliffs of his own domain.

"You killed Cyrus." Glenn screeched as he struggled against Flea's grasp.

"And you are -very- perceptive." Magus murmured nonchalantly as he regarded Glenn with a sideways glance. His gaze raked across the boy much like one would inspect a vile insect.

"You don't think you will pay, do you? You will. As Guardia is my witness you will." Glenn vowed. "Yeah kid, you don't know you are dealing with the King of the Monsters here. Our master will Dark Matter ya if you aren't careful." Ozzie said as he started to dust off the back of Magus's cloak.

"Master! Can I keep him?" Flea giggled softly and rubbed her body up against Glenn's back provacatively and fluttered her eyelashes beguilingly. Hoping to somehow charm Magus. it didn't work for he did not give her a passing glance.

"No you cannot keep him. Humans are not pets to be toyed with. Besides that I am quite mad at what you did to Toma last night. He was a guest, I was quite horrified when you grabbed his crotch like that." Magus said before he switched his attention back to Glenn. "I suppose I will pay...eventually. As it stands, I would like you to know that your hero's life went to aide a good cause."

"I don't care what you say, nothing can excuse you taking his life like that. Nothing!" Glenn protested and then wiggled into a sideways turn underneath Flea and then clamped his teeth over the skin of Flea's arm. Flea let out a screech and jumped up, holding her injured arm and growling at Glenn.

"You little bitch!" Flea said. Glenn scrambled to his feet and tried to remember where his short sword got thrown. He saw it off toward a boulder and lunged for it. Ozzie however caught him before he could get that far. His arms acted like clamps for Glenn and they were indeed far stronger then Flea's was.

"Now to figure out what to do with you." Magus pondered as he approached Ozzie and Glenn. He looked Glenn up and down, assessing him with an eagle's scrutiny.

"I say we Dark Matter him!" Ozzie piped up.

"I say you let me toy with him for a few hours." Flea chimed in her own request.

"Don't give him to Flea, he would only rape him."

"Him?!?!?!" Glenn spat out before he felt himself want to gag with sickness and disbelief. That was a female.. wasn't it? He took a good look at Flea and the gagging sensation was reinforced big time.

"Beauty is beauty regardless of gender. I've got it so I'll flaunt it." Flea said as he blew a kiss toward Glenn

"Flea is a male or so he/she says. I have never argued with her/him and I certainly haven't cared to explore the matter further. That is besides the point. What we need to do is figure out what to do with you." Magus explained calmly as he started to pace around Ozzie and Glenn.

"I still say we Dark Matter him. It will shut him up big time."

"I don't have enough energy to expend on that spell. The energy syphon took enough energy to send me into hibernation for a good 3 days. We can't take him home with us." Magus said as he tapped a finger against his chin. He appeared to be in deep thought.

"We can change him into something else." Flea suggested as he took a knee down on the ground and ran a hand up Glenn's calve. Glenn shuddered and tried to squirm out of his path.

"I rather fancy that plan. I think that is the best plan you have come up with in a while, Flea." Magus said as he rummaged around in one of the pouches that hung from his belt and removed 3 seperate vials. "I suppose there is a reason why I keep everything handy like this." He read the labels on the vials and started to chuckle. "And it seems to me that we have some fairly interesting choices."

"I am not being changed into -anything-!" Glenn exclaimed. "I will get out before that happens.

"Keep dreaming, young one." Magus smirked.

"What are they?" Both Flea and Ozzie chimed in unison and then glared at each other for good measure at having taken the words out of each other's mouth.

"First choice is a bunny." Magus held up the vial full of powder pink liquid.

"Oh come on, can't we think of something more disgusting and horrible then that?" Ozzie grumbled and tightned his hold on the struggling Glenn.

"I kind of like bunny rabbits. They are so cute and delicious." Flea murmured as he tickled Glenn's inner thigh lightly.

"Stop that this instant." Glenn demanded however it gave Flea more pleasure to go on.

"Bunny it -isn't-. I want him to live with his form." Magus said as he tossed the vial aside. It smashed against a tree and the liquid ran in rivulets down it. "Next choice is a woman."

"No! I hate women!" Flea said petulantly and crossed his arms over his womanly chest and sent his ardor spiraling downwards to hell.

"Certainly not disgusting or horrible but hey I like it!" Ozzie said with a lewd grimace and squeezed Glenn as if pondering the form further.

"I don't care much for women either and I certainly wouldn't want to be instrument in putting another woman on this earth so I guess that one is out of the picture too. Don't even know what I was thinking creating that potion." Magus shook his head in bewilderment and then tossed it over the side of the cliff and inadvertantly hit a straggler with it. Once that man woke up from being unconscious.. well he wasn't a man any longer, that was for sure. That is also a different story.

"Last one is the generic one. A frog. Dreadfully cliche and unimaginative but a party favorite nevertheless." Magus said as he turned the vial over in his hand and pondered it.

"Nice and slimy. No girl will want to get near him." Ozzie said with gleeful assurance.

"Can I keep him even if he is a frog?" Flea pleaded and looked at Glenn with a predatory gleam.

"No." Magus said simply. "However a frog will have to do since it is the only potion left." Magus said as he uncapped the vial with clinical percision.

"Damn it, you men are mad!" Glenn said as he eyed the potion with growing horror. "You will never get away with this."

"C'est la vie" Magus chuckled with amusement as he held the vial up in his hand. "Now Flea. Would you do the honors of pouring this down the young lad's throat?"

"Why of course, Master." Flea was on the ball in a matter of seconds. He took the vial and then with one hand pried Glenn's jaws open. It was a struggle since Glenn kept trying to open his mouth to protest. "Drink up, my little pet." Flea murmured, pouring the mixture down the boy's throat. Glenn felt the bitter liquidy slime drip down his throat and the bile wanting to rise up to meet it's descent.

"Do not worry. It won't hurt.. much. The thing that will really hurt is being the little frog boy, revulsed by humans and maidens alike." Glenn then felt his insides nearly tear apart from the strange substance in that potion. The pain was from the insides re-arranging to form the anatomy of the frog which was quite different from that of a human. Ozzie let go of Glenn and watched as Glenn fumbled around trying to focus in on something but it was hard because of the film that was covering over his now protruding eyes.

"Never again will you know what it is like to be accepted, always you will be the eternal outcast. Your only hope of salvation is the kiss of a maiden and that is in a world where fairy tales have lost their charm. I hope you enjoy your fate, frog boy." Magus said as he moved to lean against the rock, watching the transformation with little concealed amusement.

Glenn let out a horrified shriek as his his skin turned a pea green and the insides of his hands sprouted webbing around it. If he chanced to look down at his feet, he would of noticed that same thing was happening there. He felt a sense of revulsion for what he was becoming, what he was transforming into. It was unreal but the pain of the transformation convinced him that it was no illusion. Magus's words rang true through his soul and then he stumbled off toward the edge of the cliff. He didn't see it, he was still trying to adjust to the sight of a amphibian. He lost his footing against some rocks and before he knew what was happening, he was falling down a dark abyss of time and space. With a thump he landed at the bottom, not even a cry accompanied it. Just silence.

Magus, Ozzie and Flea were silent for a few moments as they looked down at the drop which Glenn fell to. Magus removed from his cloak the Hero's Medal and looked at it with detachment, it really was a lovely trinket. But that was all it was to Magus, a trinket.

"Fair is fair." Magus said before he threw the Hero's Medal down after Glenn. It kept falling and glittering in the sun until it disappeared from sight and it was no more. "And I am tired after this afternoon's sport. We should head back to the fortress."

"I still don't see why I couldn't of kept him." Flea pouted petulantly and tried to cuddle up close to Magus. He pushed him away and turned his back to his minions to look into the setting sun against the horizon of the sea.

"We still should of Dark Mattered him. I think that would of been quite fun." Ozzie also pouted though he didn't cuddle up to Magus which for Magus was quite the relief.

"I really think you are a masochist Ozzie. You know it is all the time that the master has given you the Dark Matter. Gods know you've recieved it enough." Flea snickered under his breath, the voice still amazingly feminine for a man, but then so was the body.

"Lets go home. I tire of this place." Magus said without answering any of his minion's questions. Perhaps it was better to just get home, ensconce himself in his library and eat the food that Slash no doubtedly had whipped up for them. He drew the circlle of the warp with his fingers and then motioned for Ozzie and Flea to enter first. They dashed into it and then he followed, his cape swirling behind him as the rainbow coloured plasma engulfed them all into its depths.

Glenn opened one eye and stared straight at the Hero's Medal that lay before him on the ground. It sparkled just as brightly for him as it had for Cyrus and it gave him hope even when his form drove him to the pits of dispair and back. Now he was forced to become a man, forced to become the man that had been his hero... Cyrus. He reached over weakly to wrap his webbed fingers around the medal and drew it toward him.

"Magus, You shall rue the day you live. My form will be nothing compared to the anguish you shall feel. Mark my words." Glenn croaked out in the the ribbity voice of a frog before he gave way to the blessed darkness of unconsciousness.