Master of Games
A gleeful chuckle bounced about the walls of a cluttered workshop well below the second grandest palace ever to exist on the world of Two Moons. "At last, at last, at last," the creature known to Grohmul D'jun as his Master Builder cackled while he put the finishing touches on yet another execution device. The Builder had designed many throughout the years, but he never grew bored with them. Designing mechanisms for ending life was easy enough, but the artificer enjoyed the challenge of finding innovative, surprising, and above all, entertaining new ways to publicly snuff the flames. It was said that the ingenuity that went into these mechanisms of murder, just like the artistry of the D'jun's palace itself, was far beyond the capability of any mere mortal mind.
And that's close enough to the truth Two-Edge chortled to himself as he laid his parchment flat and stepped back to admire his handiwork. Two-Edge was probably not mortal, and certainly not human. He wasn't quite sure what he was - those blasted elves had ruined the outcome of that particular game - but 'not human' was a valid descriptor.
Two-Edge smiled. Tomorrow, once the ink was dry, he would present his latest plans to the D'jun. The D'jun wouldn't see him, of course; to the human, Two-Edge was nothing but a voice in the wall, heard and never seen. So long as Two-Edge's designs worked and brought him power, though, the D'jun didn't care. And Two-Edge? He just laughed.
Humans' minds are as small as their lives are short! the half-troll, half-elf, thought to himself. He thinks I serve him. He counts himself my ruler! But I make the designs. I tell him what to build, and he builds it. Who rules whom, hmm? Who rules whom?
And the D'jun had built such a fine castle for Two-Edge, stocked with the grandest of toys and devices, although always there are secrets that even the cleverest of humans are unaware. Tunnels and sliding panels ran all about the castle, allowing Two-Edge to come and go as he pleased. Nothing went on in the stronghold that Two-Face didn't hear about, and so he had heard that Grohmul D'jun had taken on a new advisor, of sorts. Her fingers were five, her eyes small as humans' were, but Two-Edge wasn't fooled by this Lady Venovel for a moment. She looked like a human, but she moved like an Elf.
"Welcome, mother," Two-Edge chortled softly in the privacy of his workshop. "Ready for the game?" The board was built, the pieces set in place, but only Two-Edge knew the rules.
End.
Author's notes: Brief character sketch of Two-Edge taking place just before the events of Shards. Written during a fic challenge. I got to choose between one of the following two prompts:
1. Elfquest! Two-Edge, preferably.
2. Cops.