Chapter 2
Disclaimer: I do not own Dragonlance. (I forgot to put this on my 1st chapter. Sorry)
Raistlen steadied himself and slipped his silver dagger into his hand, preparing to stab the advancing Shade. His gold-cast hand moved like lightning, the knife shining as it arced toward the other mage's heart. A hairsbreadth from Shade's chest, the blade stopped its downward descent. Raistlen snarled in anger and tried to pull his wrist out of the firm grip of Kaos, who had rushed foreword to stop his wife's attacker. "Harm her and every moment you live will be agony!" The blond man hissed, disarming Raistlen with a twist of the mage's wrist.
"What makes you think I do not know live in pain?" Raistlen said, rubbing his wrist. "Don't touch that-"He snapped, watching as Shalar reached to take up the Staff of Magius, which Raistlen had dropped by mistake.
"Or you'll do what, mage?" Shalar growled, wrapping his night-black hand around the staff. "Agh!" He dropped it and fell back, clutching his hand, which was faintly smoking.
"I warned you." Raistlen said coolly. "Foolish demon...does your master's staffs not also burn you for touching them?" He looked back at Shade and Kaos, who were staring at their bodyguard, who staggered to his feet. "No...our staffs do not have such power." Shade said. She narrowed her eyes as she stared at Raistlen. The hourglass eyes stared coolly back at her. Raistlen did not tell her that he saw her beautiful alabaster face aging and decaying, though he was mildly surprised to see that Shalar's face did not change, retaining youth as his masters died. He shook his head to clear the visions from his eyes. "My Lady asked you a question." Shalar growled, green eyes flashing.
"Ah yes...my name is Raistlen Majere." Raistlen said. "Member of the Order of Red Robes-"Though not for long, he added silently. "And a Mage of the Tower of High Sorcery...as I am sure all of you are." He picked up his staff and wiped the mud from the glowing crystal. When he turned back to the trio in front of him, he saw to his surprise that all were looking rather blank at the name. "You are not...?"
"No. What is this Tower of High Sorcery?" Kaos asked, suspicious. "What is the Order of Red Robes?" His hand went to his sword-hilt and Raistlen was reminded strongly of Caramon.
"Red Robes? They are the order of mages who walk on either side. Neither Light nor Dark." He gave Kaos a look of shock, thinking the man stupid. "Between the White Robes and Black Robes?" He rolled his eyes. "What kind of mages are you people?" "I could ask you the same, Raistlen Majere. I have not heard of any of these places or Orders." Shade said looking at Raistlen in utter bewilderment.
"In the name of the Gods!" Raistlen snarled in exasperation The snarl turned into a violent and bloody fit of coughing, which caused him to double over and spit blood. Shade and Kaos took this momentary reprieve from the mages explanations to talk.
"He seems harmless. Look at him...I've never seen anything so sickly in my life." Shade said.
"I have. And I don't trust him, Masters." Shalar said, rubbing the burn on his hand. "One moment he is so ill that he cannot breathe, next he is trying to knife my Lady. He cannot be trusted."
"Think of what we could learn from him! He knows of a league of mages of whom we have never heard!" Shade cried. Kaos nodded.
"They could be powerful allies. And we need all the power we can get with-"The man's musings were interrupted by a loud scream and one of the cat-demons landed ungracefully in the mud, splashing the couple. This one was bigger than the others Raistlen had seen and sported more ornaments and tattoos. The creature dipped its bat-wings in a sort of bow and made several gestures with six-inch claws. "My Lord! My Lady! Theeey have beeeen dissspatched. Theeey will be on usss on a moment. You mussst go! The army isss already through...you mussst go!" It howled urgently, tail lashing the mud and a poisonous looking-fluid dripped steadily from its fangs. Shalar nodded.
"Thank you Tigris. Go back and tell the Razzarn to be ready, we'll be coming through the Portal, not the Gate."
"Yesss. I will go." Tigris took off, winging his way- Raistlen presumed- to the Gate that was mentioned. Shade pulled herself onto one of the flesh eating stallions and grabbed her staff.
"We don't have a choice! We have to take him, gods only know what Aurorous will do if he finds him here!" She said hurriedly. "Kaos, you open the Portal, Shalar, keep our backs. I'll go first." There was a crack that sounded like thunder and silver lightning split the sky- from the ground up. Shade brought he mount to Raistlen's side. "Climb on!" She cried "We must flee."
"From what?" Raistlen said, raising an eyebrow and taking several deep breaths. Whatever was coming, it had Shade scared to death. "You'll find out! Get on!" The woman screamed as another lightning bolt illuminated the four people. Kaos shouted and a large black-red hole appeared in the air. Shade pulled Raistlen up behind her. "Gods, you're light." She remarked, kicking her stallion in the ribs. The demonic horse screamed and ran for the Portal. There was a few seconds of wind and noise and then the huge horse's cloven hooves struck stone with a dull thump and all was silent. Moments later, Kaos and Shalar came through and the Portal closed. Raistlen slid from the stallion's back and leaned heavily on the Staff of Magius. Kaos dismounted and helped Shade to the ground. "Did anything follow us, Shalar?" He asked, looking nervously about.
"No, my Lord." The demon said, sheathing his weapon. "Except for THAT." He said, pointing to Raistlen.
"May I remind you I did not follow you? I was brought here. For some reason." Raistlen said, looking at Shalar with an expression that could have frozen fire. The demon glowered at him before turning away. Shade rolled her eyes.
"Please forgive my servant, he is...very protective." She said. "Kaos? Shall we return to the Palace? I think Master Majere is wanting an explanation for his...non-hostile kidnapping." She smiled at Raistlen apologetically. "Come, we will tell you everything." She began to walk up the obsidian-paved path, motioning for Raistlen and Kaos to follow. Raistlen looked up and gasped. A great black castle, standing menacingly against a pewter sky awaited them. "Welcome to the Nightmare Realm, Majere." Said Kaos, gesturing to the castle.
Disclaimer: I do not own Dragonlance. (I forgot to put this on my 1st chapter. Sorry)
Raistlen steadied himself and slipped his silver dagger into his hand, preparing to stab the advancing Shade. His gold-cast hand moved like lightning, the knife shining as it arced toward the other mage's heart. A hairsbreadth from Shade's chest, the blade stopped its downward descent. Raistlen snarled in anger and tried to pull his wrist out of the firm grip of Kaos, who had rushed foreword to stop his wife's attacker. "Harm her and every moment you live will be agony!" The blond man hissed, disarming Raistlen with a twist of the mage's wrist.
"What makes you think I do not know live in pain?" Raistlen said, rubbing his wrist. "Don't touch that-"He snapped, watching as Shalar reached to take up the Staff of Magius, which Raistlen had dropped by mistake.
"Or you'll do what, mage?" Shalar growled, wrapping his night-black hand around the staff. "Agh!" He dropped it and fell back, clutching his hand, which was faintly smoking.
"I warned you." Raistlen said coolly. "Foolish demon...does your master's staffs not also burn you for touching them?" He looked back at Shade and Kaos, who were staring at their bodyguard, who staggered to his feet. "No...our staffs do not have such power." Shade said. She narrowed her eyes as she stared at Raistlen. The hourglass eyes stared coolly back at her. Raistlen did not tell her that he saw her beautiful alabaster face aging and decaying, though he was mildly surprised to see that Shalar's face did not change, retaining youth as his masters died. He shook his head to clear the visions from his eyes. "My Lady asked you a question." Shalar growled, green eyes flashing.
"Ah yes...my name is Raistlen Majere." Raistlen said. "Member of the Order of Red Robes-"Though not for long, he added silently. "And a Mage of the Tower of High Sorcery...as I am sure all of you are." He picked up his staff and wiped the mud from the glowing crystal. When he turned back to the trio in front of him, he saw to his surprise that all were looking rather blank at the name. "You are not...?"
"No. What is this Tower of High Sorcery?" Kaos asked, suspicious. "What is the Order of Red Robes?" His hand went to his sword-hilt and Raistlen was reminded strongly of Caramon.
"Red Robes? They are the order of mages who walk on either side. Neither Light nor Dark." He gave Kaos a look of shock, thinking the man stupid. "Between the White Robes and Black Robes?" He rolled his eyes. "What kind of mages are you people?" "I could ask you the same, Raistlen Majere. I have not heard of any of these places or Orders." Shade said looking at Raistlen in utter bewilderment.
"In the name of the Gods!" Raistlen snarled in exasperation The snarl turned into a violent and bloody fit of coughing, which caused him to double over and spit blood. Shade and Kaos took this momentary reprieve from the mages explanations to talk.
"He seems harmless. Look at him...I've never seen anything so sickly in my life." Shade said.
"I have. And I don't trust him, Masters." Shalar said, rubbing the burn on his hand. "One moment he is so ill that he cannot breathe, next he is trying to knife my Lady. He cannot be trusted."
"Think of what we could learn from him! He knows of a league of mages of whom we have never heard!" Shade cried. Kaos nodded.
"They could be powerful allies. And we need all the power we can get with-"The man's musings were interrupted by a loud scream and one of the cat-demons landed ungracefully in the mud, splashing the couple. This one was bigger than the others Raistlen had seen and sported more ornaments and tattoos. The creature dipped its bat-wings in a sort of bow and made several gestures with six-inch claws. "My Lord! My Lady! Theeey have beeeen dissspatched. Theeey will be on usss on a moment. You mussst go! The army isss already through...you mussst go!" It howled urgently, tail lashing the mud and a poisonous looking-fluid dripped steadily from its fangs. Shalar nodded.
"Thank you Tigris. Go back and tell the Razzarn to be ready, we'll be coming through the Portal, not the Gate."
"Yesss. I will go." Tigris took off, winging his way- Raistlen presumed- to the Gate that was mentioned. Shade pulled herself onto one of the flesh eating stallions and grabbed her staff.
"We don't have a choice! We have to take him, gods only know what Aurorous will do if he finds him here!" She said hurriedly. "Kaos, you open the Portal, Shalar, keep our backs. I'll go first." There was a crack that sounded like thunder and silver lightning split the sky- from the ground up. Shade brought he mount to Raistlen's side. "Climb on!" She cried "We must flee."
"From what?" Raistlen said, raising an eyebrow and taking several deep breaths. Whatever was coming, it had Shade scared to death. "You'll find out! Get on!" The woman screamed as another lightning bolt illuminated the four people. Kaos shouted and a large black-red hole appeared in the air. Shade pulled Raistlen up behind her. "Gods, you're light." She remarked, kicking her stallion in the ribs. The demonic horse screamed and ran for the Portal. There was a few seconds of wind and noise and then the huge horse's cloven hooves struck stone with a dull thump and all was silent. Moments later, Kaos and Shalar came through and the Portal closed. Raistlen slid from the stallion's back and leaned heavily on the Staff of Magius. Kaos dismounted and helped Shade to the ground. "Did anything follow us, Shalar?" He asked, looking nervously about.
"No, my Lord." The demon said, sheathing his weapon. "Except for THAT." He said, pointing to Raistlen.
"May I remind you I did not follow you? I was brought here. For some reason." Raistlen said, looking at Shalar with an expression that could have frozen fire. The demon glowered at him before turning away. Shade rolled her eyes.
"Please forgive my servant, he is...very protective." She said. "Kaos? Shall we return to the Palace? I think Master Majere is wanting an explanation for his...non-hostile kidnapping." She smiled at Raistlen apologetically. "Come, we will tell you everything." She began to walk up the obsidian-paved path, motioning for Raistlen and Kaos to follow. Raistlen looked up and gasped. A great black castle, standing menacingly against a pewter sky awaited them. "Welcome to the Nightmare Realm, Majere." Said Kaos, gesturing to the castle.