We All Fall Down....
Aladdin watched as Mozenrath fell to his knees, tiredly as he felt himself
do the same. Somewhere in his mind he knew what was happening, he knew what
he was about to see. He just wish he didnt want to......
Once again, Aladdin found an image from a memory that wasnt his come into
focus. It was of Mozenrath and a newly familiraized sorcerer step out of a
curious blue rip in the air. Mozenrath stepped out, or rather fell out from
the blue mana portal, landing on his hands and knees.
Destane looked down with light amusment, watching as the young prince
coughed and sputtered to regain his breath.
"I should have assumed as much, you havent even mastered how to guard your
breath when traveling via mana. I have to say, I expect a challenge with
you..."
Mozenrath glared up from the queer looking black sand resisting the urge to
suggest a less than pleasent place for Destane to shove his mana portals. He
got up embaressedly and dusted himself off with busy flustered movements.
"Well, If you think you can muster the strength to follow me...."..Destane
said flippantly as he turned motioning for Mozenrath to follow.
Mozenrath cursed under his breath, and as he followed the man he was growing
to dislike more and more, he found himself unwillingly take in the city with
awe.
Despite what seemed like permanenet overcast that shadowed the dunes and
steely gray buildings, the city was a grand and impressive place. The
no-nonsense style of the artchitecture spanned for sheer miles on end. The
city was clean cut and sharp, smart and sensible, impressive with their
incompromising fortitude.
Destane hummed gently, watching the young mage.
"This my dear Mozenrath is the Land of The Black Sands"
Mozenrath looked up, obvious he had forgotten Destane was there,
"Is there any particular reason the sands are black?"
"These sands are forged atop the ancient shorelines of a long dead sea, that
was plundered and drained as grains of obisdian remnants washed up with the
tides. The civilization flurished, that is, until they found the dust the
rocks gave off was toxic", He smiled at Mozenrath with way too pleasent an
expresssion.
Mozenrath raise one perfectly arched eyebrow,
"But surely a mere toxin couldnt finish off a whole community off
settlers?.."
"Perceptive, child. No, the people of the land and coast disbanded, with
excellent timing as dust storms such as hell fury would beam upon thrust
itself upon the land."
Destane cast his hand carelessly over a patch of sand before him.
"And this is what you see before you, mostly solid sand as the winds build
upon it, just do take caution little kitten when walking, as many sodden
soil pits can suck you in with no hope of escape."
Mozenrath watched as a pair of children laughed and chased after one
another, far from the safety of their homes...
"Do the people of the city know this?", he asked, honestly unsure what
Destane's answer would be.
"Dont be ignorant, the older ones do of course, thats what experience does
for you"
Mozernath stared, so if a young couple were to just waltz in, if those
children were to...He was no saint but still.....
Destane turned to him.
"Mozenrath listen, why would anyone want to own such a forsaken land as
this?"
Mozenrath remained silent so Destane took that as his cue.
"The bodies of those who died before, the victims of the sea's posion, are
still buried under this very ground, incorperated with the corpses of those
past in each grain. This little kitten, is the land of the dead. Im a
necromacer, and necromacy itself ,as an art, flourishes in the prescence of
the dead. Do you realy think a few more dead bodies will hurt?"
They walked in silence after that.
Mozenrath stared at the mans back before him.
He was evil, he knew this. His mother was no nun, and he himself wasnt a
Saint Joseph himself, but at least they were sane. But maybe that was the
problem. No doubt Destane was sane,at least that, and he was intelligent
too, perhaps too calculating, dangerousely efficent.
Mozenrath shuddered and hopped he would not fall to the fate of becoming
just another gear in this man's machine.
But he cant think like this. No, he'd learn what was neccesary, please mommy
dearest, command his stature once and for all, but most importantly, get
back to Ahhmal.
Mozenrath felt a small pang.
Had Mirage realy explained to him? Would Ahhmal forgive him? How long would
it take to get back.....?
Destane could catch a glance of the boy sorcerer behind him in the
reflection of the glass windows of the homes nearest his home.
His head was down and his brow was furrowed. Destane watched as he bit his
lip, the childs steps almost mechanical.
-Its time to bring him down to Earth, so far I've gone easy on him,
regardless of how entertaining it is. I do hope the little kitten can handle
the real world...._
Mozenrath looked up as he was jolted from the sudden stop by Destane, and
when he looked up, he found himself gazing up at something truly imposing.
Darkened by the black tint of its stone, and gleaming against the rought
stones that marred its edges atop its cliff, the Citadel he looked upon was
a head rush to look at the top of, scraping sick clouds with its jags.
He jumped a bit as he heard Destanes voice.
"Mozenrath!", Destane said firmly.
"Sir?", the unexpected affirmation of authority made Mozenrath cautious.
"Give me your hand."
-Excuse Me?-
"Please dont make me loose my patience with you this early in the game
little kitten, Give me your hand"
Mozenrath looked at the man with his own palm out ready, forcing himself to
swallow any questions and look less than brave, he extended his hand.
Quick as lightening, is wrist was secured in an iron grip.
Fightening the urge to yank it back, Mozenrath took a step back. He looked
up alarmed when Destanes other hand began to glow its signature magic color,
blue, crackling as it formed a black sheet of sparking light, almost
tangible.
"What are you doing?!" Mozenrath demanded, now fully struggling in the hold
Destane had on him.
"Hush little kitten.", Destane said softly as he forced Mozenrath's palm
wide open.
Mozenrath gasped in pain as the sliver of black Destane had formed earlier
made contact with his skin. It burned, it sliced, it mutliated the
sensations in his hand as Destane forced in deeper below the pale skin on
the struggling palm, like a deformed splinter.
In sunk deeper into flesh until it disappeared alltogether.
Mozenrath hadnt known he had been yelling until he was let go off suddenly
and fell, squashing any more noise.
He clutched his hand to his chest, looking up betrayed and violated, ready
for murder or a particulary fierce rant.
"Calm yourself little kitten. I only gave myself a little insurance that
your trust in me wont break and youll go running off, Im sure you
understand."
Mozenrath wanted to scream, wanted to accuse, to do something but all he
could do was look up wide eyed and still.
Destanes eyes roved over the flustered teen still not upright in his
posture, he laughed, a now airy, flippant sound.
"Well isnt that interesting?", he quipped.
Mozenrath felt his tail curl protectivally around his waist and knew that
the experinece had caused the all too frequent change in his body's
structure.
He blushed without knowing why.
Destane smirked victoriousely.
Mozenrath shot Destane a dirty look as he picked himself back up once more
and shivered against his will as he was lead inside the heavy leaden doors.
He instantely felt the shadowed walls of the Citadel swallow him enitirely.
He felt a light pressure at the small of his back and realized Destane was
urging him out of the doorway.
Destane considered him for a moment as he stood there, looking massively out
of place.
He regarded him one last time before sighing knowingly,
"I do believe your about ready to collapse on this floor arent you little
kitten?", he asked.
Mozenrath managed to blink at him, the only thing his exhausted mind and
tired body would let him.
Destane laughed at his expense once more..
"Follow me little kitten to your room "
He turned and walked down a large hallway that spidered off from the main
throne room, or entrance hal, or whatever---
At this point Mozenrath didnt care.
Too much had happended too fast and he hadnt slept since------
Well his head hurt to count the hours.
Destane stopped at a simple room at the begining of the corridor.
He stepped aside and motioned for Mozenrath to go in.
Simple truly was the best description of the room.
Small and with bare white walls, a an equally humble bed in the corner of
smooth sheets.
And that was it.
But when your tired, anything does fine.
Mozenrath made to go to the bed, but turned as he found Destane still
there....
"Arent you going to leave?"
Destane smiled a posionous smile.
" Do forgive me if I sound cross, but I just keep forgetting...."
Suddenly, like a rattllers strike, he had Mozenraths arm in his hand and
yanked him forward.
"Wtf?"
A gloved hand gripped his cheeks hard and he fought as Destane hissed.
"You see, one of the things I cant tolerate is bad language."
He let go but kept his painfull grip on Mozenraths upper arm.
"Another thing is this, if you disrespect me, you'll be punished. Its as
simple as that, understand?"
Mozenrath was silent, gaping at him for this unexpected show of violence.
Destane jerked his arm.
Mozenrath winced.
"Understand?!"
"Yes!"
Destane smiled again.
"Smart boy", he patted Mozenraths cheeck a little too roughly.
Mozenrath winced and watched as he left.
As soon as the door shut,
Mozenrath rubbed his sore jaw and cursed Destane in every language he'd been
taught....
Dean
Aladdin watched as Mozenrath fell to his knees, tiredly as he felt himself
do the same. Somewhere in his mind he knew what was happening, he knew what
he was about to see. He just wish he didnt want to......
Once again, Aladdin found an image from a memory that wasnt his come into
focus. It was of Mozenrath and a newly familiraized sorcerer step out of a
curious blue rip in the air. Mozenrath stepped out, or rather fell out from
the blue mana portal, landing on his hands and knees.
Destane looked down with light amusment, watching as the young prince
coughed and sputtered to regain his breath.
"I should have assumed as much, you havent even mastered how to guard your
breath when traveling via mana. I have to say, I expect a challenge with
you..."
Mozenrath glared up from the queer looking black sand resisting the urge to
suggest a less than pleasent place for Destane to shove his mana portals. He
got up embaressedly and dusted himself off with busy flustered movements.
"Well, If you think you can muster the strength to follow me...."..Destane
said flippantly as he turned motioning for Mozenrath to follow.
Mozenrath cursed under his breath, and as he followed the man he was growing
to dislike more and more, he found himself unwillingly take in the city with
awe.
Despite what seemed like permanenet overcast that shadowed the dunes and
steely gray buildings, the city was a grand and impressive place. The
no-nonsense style of the artchitecture spanned for sheer miles on end. The
city was clean cut and sharp, smart and sensible, impressive with their
incompromising fortitude.
Destane hummed gently, watching the young mage.
"This my dear Mozenrath is the Land of The Black Sands"
Mozenrath looked up, obvious he had forgotten Destane was there,
"Is there any particular reason the sands are black?"
"These sands are forged atop the ancient shorelines of a long dead sea, that
was plundered and drained as grains of obisdian remnants washed up with the
tides. The civilization flurished, that is, until they found the dust the
rocks gave off was toxic", He smiled at Mozenrath with way too pleasent an
expresssion.
Mozenrath raise one perfectly arched eyebrow,
"But surely a mere toxin couldnt finish off a whole community off
settlers?.."
"Perceptive, child. No, the people of the land and coast disbanded, with
excellent timing as dust storms such as hell fury would beam upon thrust
itself upon the land."
Destane cast his hand carelessly over a patch of sand before him.
"And this is what you see before you, mostly solid sand as the winds build
upon it, just do take caution little kitten when walking, as many sodden
soil pits can suck you in with no hope of escape."
Mozenrath watched as a pair of children laughed and chased after one
another, far from the safety of their homes...
"Do the people of the city know this?", he asked, honestly unsure what
Destane's answer would be.
"Dont be ignorant, the older ones do of course, thats what experience does
for you"
Mozernath stared, so if a young couple were to just waltz in, if those
children were to...He was no saint but still.....
Destane turned to him.
"Mozenrath listen, why would anyone want to own such a forsaken land as
this?"
Mozenrath remained silent so Destane took that as his cue.
"The bodies of those who died before, the victims of the sea's posion, are
still buried under this very ground, incorperated with the corpses of those
past in each grain. This little kitten, is the land of the dead. Im a
necromacer, and necromacy itself ,as an art, flourishes in the prescence of
the dead. Do you realy think a few more dead bodies will hurt?"
They walked in silence after that.
Mozenrath stared at the mans back before him.
He was evil, he knew this. His mother was no nun, and he himself wasnt a
Saint Joseph himself, but at least they were sane. But maybe that was the
problem. No doubt Destane was sane,at least that, and he was intelligent
too, perhaps too calculating, dangerousely efficent.
Mozenrath shuddered and hopped he would not fall to the fate of becoming
just another gear in this man's machine.
But he cant think like this. No, he'd learn what was neccesary, please mommy
dearest, command his stature once and for all, but most importantly, get
back to Ahhmal.
Mozenrath felt a small pang.
Had Mirage realy explained to him? Would Ahhmal forgive him? How long would
it take to get back.....?
Destane could catch a glance of the boy sorcerer behind him in the
reflection of the glass windows of the homes nearest his home.
His head was down and his brow was furrowed. Destane watched as he bit his
lip, the childs steps almost mechanical.
-Its time to bring him down to Earth, so far I've gone easy on him,
regardless of how entertaining it is. I do hope the little kitten can handle
the real world...._
Mozenrath looked up as he was jolted from the sudden stop by Destane, and
when he looked up, he found himself gazing up at something truly imposing.
Darkened by the black tint of its stone, and gleaming against the rought
stones that marred its edges atop its cliff, the Citadel he looked upon was
a head rush to look at the top of, scraping sick clouds with its jags.
He jumped a bit as he heard Destanes voice.
"Mozenrath!", Destane said firmly.
"Sir?", the unexpected affirmation of authority made Mozenrath cautious.
"Give me your hand."
-Excuse Me?-
"Please dont make me loose my patience with you this early in the game
little kitten, Give me your hand"
Mozenrath looked at the man with his own palm out ready, forcing himself to
swallow any questions and look less than brave, he extended his hand.
Quick as lightening, is wrist was secured in an iron grip.
Fightening the urge to yank it back, Mozenrath took a step back. He looked
up alarmed when Destanes other hand began to glow its signature magic color,
blue, crackling as it formed a black sheet of sparking light, almost
tangible.
"What are you doing?!" Mozenrath demanded, now fully struggling in the hold
Destane had on him.
"Hush little kitten.", Destane said softly as he forced Mozenrath's palm
wide open.
Mozenrath gasped in pain as the sliver of black Destane had formed earlier
made contact with his skin. It burned, it sliced, it mutliated the
sensations in his hand as Destane forced in deeper below the pale skin on
the struggling palm, like a deformed splinter.
In sunk deeper into flesh until it disappeared alltogether.
Mozenrath hadnt known he had been yelling until he was let go off suddenly
and fell, squashing any more noise.
He clutched his hand to his chest, looking up betrayed and violated, ready
for murder or a particulary fierce rant.
"Calm yourself little kitten. I only gave myself a little insurance that
your trust in me wont break and youll go running off, Im sure you
understand."
Mozenrath wanted to scream, wanted to accuse, to do something but all he
could do was look up wide eyed and still.
Destanes eyes roved over the flustered teen still not upright in his
posture, he laughed, a now airy, flippant sound.
"Well isnt that interesting?", he quipped.
Mozenrath felt his tail curl protectivally around his waist and knew that
the experinece had caused the all too frequent change in his body's
structure.
He blushed without knowing why.
Destane smirked victoriousely.
Mozenrath shot Destane a dirty look as he picked himself back up once more
and shivered against his will as he was lead inside the heavy leaden doors.
He instantely felt the shadowed walls of the Citadel swallow him enitirely.
He felt a light pressure at the small of his back and realized Destane was
urging him out of the doorway.
Destane considered him for a moment as he stood there, looking massively out
of place.
He regarded him one last time before sighing knowingly,
"I do believe your about ready to collapse on this floor arent you little
kitten?", he asked.
Mozenrath managed to blink at him, the only thing his exhausted mind and
tired body would let him.
Destane laughed at his expense once more..
"Follow me little kitten to your room "
He turned and walked down a large hallway that spidered off from the main
throne room, or entrance hal, or whatever---
At this point Mozenrath didnt care.
Too much had happended too fast and he hadnt slept since------
Well his head hurt to count the hours.
Destane stopped at a simple room at the begining of the corridor.
He stepped aside and motioned for Mozenrath to go in.
Simple truly was the best description of the room.
Small and with bare white walls, a an equally humble bed in the corner of
smooth sheets.
And that was it.
But when your tired, anything does fine.
Mozenrath made to go to the bed, but turned as he found Destane still
there....
"Arent you going to leave?"
Destane smiled a posionous smile.
" Do forgive me if I sound cross, but I just keep forgetting...."
Suddenly, like a rattllers strike, he had Mozenraths arm in his hand and
yanked him forward.
"Wtf?"
A gloved hand gripped his cheeks hard and he fought as Destane hissed.
"You see, one of the things I cant tolerate is bad language."
He let go but kept his painfull grip on Mozenraths upper arm.
"Another thing is this, if you disrespect me, you'll be punished. Its as
simple as that, understand?"
Mozenrath was silent, gaping at him for this unexpected show of violence.
Destane jerked his arm.
Mozenrath winced.
"Understand?!"
"Yes!"
Destane smiled again.
"Smart boy", he patted Mozenraths cheeck a little too roughly.
Mozenrath winced and watched as he left.
As soon as the door shut,
Mozenrath rubbed his sore jaw and cursed Destane in every language he'd been
taught....
Dean