posted
Iron Rat stood watching Doctor One cleaning up the mess in his lab, as Harbinger and Invisible Brainiac talked with Elagabolus. Cobalt Kid stood next to him, waiting for him to take in everything he saw before they started figuring out what the next move would be. Cobalt relieved the Empress to go enjoy her night, since enough LMBers would be around for the rest of it, and Numf-El decided to go grab a few pints as a preview before the real drinking began. Lardy ‘ported out too for the time being, but told them to call him as soon as the needed help. He and Cobalt had been longtime friends, and he reminded Cobalt that anytime he needed someone to back him up, there was no need to hesitate in asking.
Stu went through the day’s events in his head as Cobalt had told them to him. Apparently, this boy Elagabolus was much, much more than any of the LMB had guessed. Where they initially thought he had the ability to make plants grow, they learned that he had the ability to heal, to make things healthier. In a sense, the ability to provide life. Further, after having witnessed the boy destroy a creature that had given six LMBers a tough time, two of whom were Lard Lad and the Emerald Empress, the boy apparently now possessed another power, the power to destroy and disintegrate, possibly the power of death. Life and death…a dichotomy of a power that was threatening to anyone’s sanity, let alone a young child. It was far too powerful a power for any man or woman, and now this ten-year old kid controlled such forces. There was no question that this was the reason for the attacks on him, although they would now have to find the motives behind why these particular creatures had attacked him. They were magical, that much he knew as fact, and upon meeting the boy, Stu had immediately used a spell to detect magic on him. And the boy registered as being as magically powered as anything that he had ever seen in his life.
Most LMBers did not understand magic; that was pure fact. He was the only one for sure who understood it completely, although he had the distinct advantage of being trained as a mage. Stu came to the LMB in its third year, and fit right in, creating fast friendships. He had been leader of the LMB twice before this, one term split with Lucien Lad and two deputies, and now was leader of the LMB once again, although this time he was also the second leader of Legion World, now that the lines between both titles had been blurred. Since joining, he had been a stalwart LMBer, someone everyone could rely on. He had his own distinct outlook on life, much of it influenced by his daily use of magic. Stu understood the basic nature of magic: to understand the world in a different way from science. Since Cobalt’s return to the LMB, Stu and he had become good friends, better than they had been before. They operated in secret often, as leader and security chief, and had grown to trust one another implicitly.
“What do you think Stu?”
“He’s magical Des,” replied the mage. “Extremely. There is enough power emanating from him to make me unsure of how much power he has. Which means a lot. Which means that it’s an awful lot for a ten year old kid to handle.”
“Kind of puts a big spin on the whole farm boy who can make plants grow angle”
“Big time. This boy is immensely powerful, and we can’t underestimate it. This is the power of life and death. Who knows what he could do if he knew how to harness it…” he said trailed off.
Cobalt knew what he was thinking. “Stu, we need to protect this boy. People can’t get attacked here on Legion World, it destroys the dream we built here as a safe haven.”
“I agree.”
“I’ll make sure he’s alright for the time being. I’ll personally protect him, with various LMBers, not just Security Officers, on regular shifts. I’ll also hunt down whatever info I can from both the boy and from my sources.”
“Agreed. I’ll do what I can in the magic world to learn what is happening here. Cobie, this might be a problem you don’t know how to deal with,” he said suddenly turning to face him.
Cobalt nodded silently. “I know. Magic isn’t my forte at all. You have a lot of responsibility as leader these days…”
“You can count on me. I have He Who Wanders ready and Princess Crujectra is always ready to step back in and help out. So I’ll do what I can, I’m the only with the necessary experience I think.”
“And the boy then? Keep him protected as planned on Legion World, with the LMB as his guardians? Even though that makes Legion World a target?”
“Yes. If that is the price…of his security” said Stu grimly.
From: If you don't want my peaches, honey... | Registered: Sep 2003
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posted
Cobalt Kid looked across his desk at the boy Elagabolus. The boy looked scared and like he really didn’t want to be there. The boy was ten, or at least that was what they thought, and a bit smaller for his age than other ten year olds. Cobalt felt a bit uncomfortable too, he wasn’t used to young children and found them a bit unnerving at times. He reasoned that he felt this way after what had happened to all his children: three turned out to be demons or future world conquerors, and two were thrown through time, Numf-El and Umber. When his arch-nemesis, Dr. Albert Hoffman had captured him all those years ago, he told him that he would curse him to never be able to bear a healthy child and that he could never enjoy watching his children grow. At the time, Cobalt didn’t give it much though. Now he regretted it every day, regretted how screwed up his life had been because of that man...
Cobalt snapped back to the present situation. Every so often he would catch himself brooding about what he’d been through, the mental and physical torture, Dr. Albert Hoffman, his lost children and the death of his wife Fiona, the LMBer Space Tart. This wasn’t the time however, because this boy looked frightened beyond all belief and Cobalt was only making it worse. “Elag, this is hard for me,” began Cobalt. “I…I don’t have a lot of experience with kids, I’m not like Harbinger. I…I want to help you. I want to be your friend. You’re…you’re in trouble, there are people who are trying to hurt you, and I’m not going to let them. But I need you to help me. Can you help me?”
“Y-yes” replied the small boy.
“Ok. Good. We’ll make a deal then. I promise that I’ll protect you, and you promise to tell me everything you can about your powers, the things that attacked you, and what you know…about magic. Does that sound good Elag? Deal?”
Cobalt looked at the boy who looked at him. He felt bad again, Elag looked like he was going to cry. Did he scare him? Was he too hard? Elag suddenly stood up. He walked over to Cobalt, and put his arms around him, squeezing him in close. He hugged him. Cobalt was surprised, but he put his big arms around him. He hugged him back and tightly. “It’s OK buddy, you’re with me now. I’ll protect you…” He could hear the boy sniffle, as tears rolled down his eyes. “I’m here…” Elag held him tightly.
“I’m scared,” he said.
“I know.” Cobalt replied
“The deal sounds good,” said the boy.
Cobalt smiled at the little guy, for being so honest and trying to act adult. He felt good, like he could help him, for an instant he felt like that deep down when it came down to it…maybe he could be a good father. “OK then, tell me everything.”
The boy sat back down, although Cobalt moved his chair in closer to him, so that the big desk wasn’t stuck between them. “What were those things?”
“I-I don’t know. But it’s the wizard, the one from my dreams. He said his name is Septimus…he’s a wizard. He told me that he wants me to…be a bag guy. He said that I’m evil, that I should believe him…that I’m evil and that I need to be who I am…I didn’t know what he meant…I was so scared…I don’t want to be evil…”
Cobalt put his hand on his shoulder. “OK, that’s good. That’s a start. It’s OK big guy, we’re here, and we’ll protect you. Now look at me.” The boy looked at him, teary eyed again. “You are not evil. Do you hear me? You’re just a boy, and you need to hear this: you are not evil.” “Ok” replied Elag.
“Let’s go get a hot chocolate, ok?” said Cobalt. “Does that sound good?”
“Yeah,” smiled the boy. “Cobalt Kid…can I call you Cobie?”
Cobalt half-smiled. He couldn’t even remember how that nickname started, but he’d grown to like it over the years. “Sure you could. Only my friends can, so I guess that makes us friends.”
From: If you don't want my peaches, honey... | Registered: Sep 2003
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posted
Iron Rat entered his mansion, and immediately began walking up to the second floor. Deep within his mansion, Stu had created an inner sanctuary, a place completely for himself. There, in his sanctum sanctorium, he practiced the arts of magic. Once he arrived on the second floor, Stu followed his private path around the bends of the hallway. One misplaced step could screw up the spell, for the only way to find an entrance to his inner sanctuary was to walk the right path that had been set by the boundaries of his ward spells. For Stu, it was second nature now. He crossed into the next hallway, and the door was there, the door that only appeared when Stu walked the right path, the door that appeared for no one else.
Stu entered, and shut the door behind him, the door disappearing afterwards. He walked to the center of the room, where a podium stood with two candles on either side. Using a small cantrip spell, Stu lit the two candles with a blink of his eyes. The room lit up immediately, and the candles lit off an aroma that swirled throughout the room. Stu knew that a good mage never rushed, but he was powerful enough these days to be able to disobey that rule a tad. He uncovered a crystal ball that had it’s own place further into the sanctuary. Then, he took out some powders, various colored things, and what looked to be some twigs and spices. Stu knew perfectly what they were, although he would never tell another. He decided long ago that he would not take an apprentice, as he was once taken by a great mage, the world of magic was far too dangerous and demanding, nothing was given for free, and the price was often far too great. It was a potent life to live in the world of magic, but Stu had never meant a mage that didn’t eventually pay a price that was far too great for something as benign as magic.
Levitating off his feet a bit, Stu closed his eyes, as a pentagram slowly lit across the floor. Other symbols grew in flame slightly, including a large triangle, the ancient symbol for the male, which Stu used to power himself as male mage. Stu had learned some time ago that an easier way to cast spells and make the world around him more susceptible to magic was to polymorph himself into an animal, such has a dog or duck. By doing so, it allowed him to shut the world off around him easier, making his spells even more potent and powerful. Here in his sanctum, however, he had no need for such things.
The process of casting the spell seemed to wear on, and Stu was thankful for not having eaten yet today, fasting was often a potent way to strengthen his own will, the most important part of spell-casting. His crystal began to glow blue. He uttered the words outloud: “Elagabolus”. Images began flashing across the crystal. Then, Stu turned to a larger mirror on the ceiling, that was almost unnoticeable before. “To the Haven.” He said aloud, and the mirror began to swirl. Suddenly he was gone.
Iron Rat transported himself to another plane, a place where he could converse with other magic-users, some mages, some centaurs and elves, some things with no name at all. There, these beings could answer questions of him, especially those who owed him favors, of which there were many. And he would learn the story of Elagabolus.
From: If you don't want my peaches, honey... | Registered: Sep 2003
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posted
Cobalt and Elagabolus entered Café Cramer, seeing a fair sized crowd gathering for some late night snacks. Cobalt smiled, remembering that he accidentally created what he called a ‘hot chocolatte’ a few months earlier, and after trying them out, had opened up a small shop called chocolatte with Stu, although neither had the time to maintain it for long amounts of time. Cobalt didn’t mind though, he enjoyed the atmosphere of Café Cramer immensely, mainly do to the pleasant nature of it’s owner. Elag, shy as ever, stood close to Cobalt, behind his legs, so he was hard to see.
“It’s OK Elag,” said Cobalt, “everyone is a friend here.”
The boy moved further into view, as a beautiful young blonde woman walked past them. She had a blue and red costume with a mini-skirt and a cape, and she smiled at Cobalt as she walked by. “Hi Cobie” she said a bit shyly, causing Cobalt to smile and respond “Hi Kara.” She kept walking, as Cobalt smiled to himself, causing Elag to wonder who that was. The two approached the counter, and a young woman with auburn hair and a green blouse looked at them and smiled.
“Hi Ann, how are you?” said Cobalt with a smile, causing the young woman to blush.
“Hi Cobalt,” she smiled, “what can I get you?”
“Just a coffee for me, black. And a hot chocolate for this young man, although you can make it one of those nice concoctions that Cramey had cooked up.” Turning to Elag, he asked “are you hungry?”
“Yeah” said the boy meekly, almost a whisper.
Cobalt smiled. “There’s no need to be shy Elag, it’s OK. He’ll have some of those raspberry pancakes Ann” he said turning back to the girl. As she went to get them he added, “busy later tonight?” with a half-smile.
Smiling herself now, she replied “I don’t think so…what are you doing tonight?”
“Well, if you’re not busy, maybe I could drop by and we can figure something out?” Cobalt was suppressing a grin now, and Elag could tell the girl was flustered.
“That sounds good” she said smiling.
“OK then, I’ll see you later” he smiled, and brought the boy over to a table. “OK, here you go” he said to Elag, giving him his food.
“Who was that girl?” asked Elag. “And the other girl too?”
“Well, the other girl is Kara, an…old friend of mine,” replied the Security Chief, “and Ann is a girl I’ve just recently meant. Invisible Brainiac has a crush on her younger sister, who also works here, and that’s how I meant Ann. She’s cute, isn’t she?”
“It seems like you know a lot of girls” said Elag in a disapproving way.
“Well!” smiled Cobalt. “Not your style I see. Eat up, and I promise I’ll stop flirting with girls if you want.” They both smiled a little. “Here comes FC”
Fat Cramer, the owner of the establishment made her way over to Cobalt and Elag, hopping into the booth they were sitting at, next to Elag. Fat Cramer was a feline, a soft and pretty cat, who had come to Legion World with the LMB. She was sweet and gentle, and everyone on Legion World who talked to her instantly fell in love with her. She also had a rugged side too, and Cobalt pitied the moron who angered her and ending up on the receiving side of her claws. More importantly, Fat Cramer was immensely knowledgeable, and knew a great deal about a vast array of subjects. Cobalt had come to greatly respect this side of her personality, and he often came to her to discuss intellectual and cultural matters. Recently, he was delighted to here her take on a communist historian of the past and a political analyst named Noam Chomsky.
The reasons for coming to Café Cramer were threefold: to make the boy comfortable with food and a hot chocolate, to get FC’s perspective on what the boy’s possible story was, and for FC to talk to the boy to make him feel more at ease. She was naturally easy to talk to, so she could help put this very scared and shy boy in a more comfortable positon.
“Hiya Cobie,” she said while hopping up. “Hello, you must be Elagabolus. Welcome to my Café”
“Th-thanks” he smiled, realizing he was talking to a cat.
She smiled at him. “I know what you’re going to ask, so yes, I’ll let you pet me. But this is a rare thing” she added, making Cobalt smile.
Cobalt watched as FC put the boy at ease. His plan was working, and he waited a few minutes before getting into it. “OK Elag, why don’t you tell me exactly what the story is with you and Septimus.”
From: If you don't want my peaches, honey... | Registered: Sep 2003
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posted
Fat Cramer and Cobalt Kid listened as Elagabolus once again went through the story of how Septimus had visited him in his dreams. This time, Cobalt had him do it very slowly though, having the boy go through ever detail that he could remember. Fat Cramer talked to the boy, using her charm to get him to stop being shy and have a conversation with them. Eventually, it began to work, and Elagabolus began telling them what had happened.
The boy had known he had some kind of power, but he wasn’t sure what it was. In his dreams, the man called Septimus would visit him, and often just stare at the boy, giving him a queasy feeling in his stomach. Finally, the bearded man would talk to him.
Immediately, Elag had known that Septimus was a mage of some sort, he could feel magic emanating from him, even though he didn’t know what the word “magic” meant at the time. Septimus was a bearded man with black hair, with lines around his eyes that made him look tired and older than he was. And Elag could sense another foul stench off of him, something that told him that this was a bad man…and evil man.
Septimus would ask the boy to consider his future, a future where he could control the world. Septimus offered to train the boy, to get him to understand his power. The words he used were “to understand your nature.” Elag would cry himself to sleep at night…he had begun to believe he was evil.
In telling the story, Cobalt could see Elag getting visibly upset in recalling those feelings. FC comforted him, telling him that he was only what he made himself to be, and that evil is not something that someone was born with. Yet Elag told her that he secretly felt that he was both good and bad, that he constantly felt like he couldn’t help being both of those things.
“Elag, there is something about you that makes you different,” said Fat Cramer, “but these things you feel are things that everyone feels at one point or another. In that sense, you’re no different than me or Cobalt, than anyone in this Café”.
“FC,” began Cobalt, “you are better read on magic than I am. I hate the notion of magic, that much is plainly known. But Stu is convinced that Elag has some sort of power that is based on magic, making it hard for someone to understand who can’t understand magic. But he has the power to create and destroy, of life and death, at least, according to Doctor One and Stu. Do you think, the things that Elag has felt are connected…?”
Fat Cramer knew what Cobalt was getting at, although he was clearly beating around the bush. Could Elagabolus’ powers of life and death be causing these feelings of being good and bad? Was there truly a war raging inside the boy between good and evil? “Maybe” was all she could think to reply.
“And you’ve never heard of a Septimus before?” he asked.
“No, I haven’t. Although I’ve just thought of something. Esk comes in here all the time, and you know that she dreams of things to happen in the future. Lately, she told me that she’s been having nightmares, about some great evil. Maybe you should talk to her, maybe it’s related. The timing of these two things might not be coincidence.”
“Thanks FC, I will.” Elag smiled at her too, and pet her again. “Hold on guys, look” said Cobalt suddenly, as they turned to see Invisible Brainiac walk in. The young man walked over to the counter and began talking to a girl behind it. “That’s Sara, Ann’s sister. Watch, he really likes this girl, and it’s plain that she adores him, with his being a security officer and bonafide LMB hero and all, but they’re both still nervous around each other! I love it!”
“Oh Cobie…” said FC. “ The things that amuse you boys…”
From: If you don't want my peaches, honey... | Registered: Sep 2003
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posted
Iron Rat appeared in deep concentration, in the plane that was without a name, where he could converse with other magical beings who were powerful enough to travel there. Here, no one could touch or harm another, and information was currency that mattered most.
Stu was worried about the recent events with Elagabolus and this Septimus character. Was the cost for this boy’s security the endangerment of Legion World? He could only hope it wasn’t.
Suddenly, Stu sensed another presence. In front of him was a pale white elven woman, with a hood covering her head. Her teeth looked sharp like razors. “Rat-Mage…long has it been since you have come to the Traveler’s Plane”.
“Not long enough Jocelyn Moonstar, although I come seeking information.”
“You know the price of information around here. Tit for tat they say, and what is it that you could ever hope to offer” she smiled moving forward to Stu so that he could see her tattered robes. Her eyes remained hidden by her blue cloak.
“I offer you more information for your endless search for your lover, information to where he is now.”
“Do you? That is worth something then…so I may one day meet him again and make love to him one more time before I cut his body into pieces…” she responded slowly. “And in return?”
“In return I ask for information on Elagabolus and Septimus, whether you know either name.”
“Very well, I freely give you this: Septimus is a mage unknown to you and many others, for he is too frightened to leave his castle. But he is strong and wise and old and smart. And he craves the end of all things, driven mad long ago by his magic. He searches for the next son of Magic, to have the prodigal rid the world of itself. This I give to you, now tell me what you know…”
“I know this: that your lover has long ago made himself a eunuch, so that you could not use him to sate yourself ever again, this way, he knows you’ll be unable to end his life. He lives as all great eunuchs do…as a King’s Vizier.”
“NOOOO!” screamed the Pale Elven Witch! “No, that is unacceptable! You lie! You-“ and suddenly she was gone.
“Such is the way of this place,” thought Stu, “after an exchange there can be no more talking…”
Suddenly a great green blob appeared in front of him, shocking Iron Rat back! A large mouth opened, and hundreds of flies flew out, revealing disgusting yellow teeth and a ravenous pink tongue.
“Glorgylith! I did not know you traveled through here…” said Stu, suddenly aware that he was very afraid.
“I do flesh-meat, and I can sense your fear. But you know you have no need to fear me, your are full grown now. What is it you wish to know?”
“I…” hesitated Stu, unsure what to do, “I ask what you know of Elagabolus and Septimus.”
“Elagabolus? You ask wisely, for you know that I search for the flesh of children to feed myself. Elagabolus is but a boy, and would be a great dinner indeed. He is the new Nexus of Magic, the new Merlin, the new Atlantis. He has arrived in this world and magic comes and goes through his existence. He is both black and white, dark and light, proud and humble. If I meet him, I will devour him.”
“The new Nexus…” thought Stu, suddenly aware that he knew what Elagabolus was. And what Septimus was trying to do. “And Septimus?”
“Too late Rat-Mage, I have given you the currency required. Now it is my turn, and you must answer, such is the price for traveling in this realm. I ask you to tell me where Elagabolus, the light of magi lives!” yelled the giant mouth with a snort, suddenly laughing loudly, feeling a triumph as he now realized that he could have the tastiest meal in centuries in mere moments.
Stu suddenly realized that he had made a mistake. And this beast was far too powerful to fight alone. He spoke finally. “You have erred great beast, for the child lives nowhere. He lives far away with his grandfather, just a small boy unaware that he has any strange abilities. In all of this time, he has never come to accept any other place as his home. He ‘lives’ nowhere now, he can only be located in certain places.”
“Trickery! You dare to use trickery here!”
“There is no trickery! You know the rules of this realm. I have given you an answer specific to your question!”
“And you have made a grave enemy today Rat-Mage. Be weary that one day I find out where you live, and children begin disappearing from your home…”
As the beast faded away, Stu suddenly realized that he should no longer continue. He had more than enough information to know what was happening, and had now made a great and terrible enemy. Better to leave now than to make another. Concentrating, Iron Rat slowly left the realm of travelers and information.
Waking back up in his sanctuary, Stu leaned forward and blew out his candles. Picking himself up, he slowly crept over to a bed laid out on the floor and laid in it, completely exhausted
From: If you don't want my peaches, honey... | Registered: Sep 2003
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posted
Cobalt Kid and Elagabolus walked through the streets of Legion World, noticing that there was still a lot of activity despite it being a very dark night. Cobalt was more at ease however, since Elag seemed more at ease, without any doubt being the comforting nature of Fat Cramer. Cobalt was glad, since the poor kid seemed so nervous all the time. In fact, he figured it probably wouldn’t be a good idea to bring Elag with him to see Esk, just in case she had anything to say that might frighten the boy. That was the last thing that he needed.
Up ahead he saw Poverty Lad coming towards them, with a grin on his face. Cobalt recognized that grin well, and it was usually followed by a ‘uh-oh…’. Known for his humor, Pov constantly made Cobalt laugh, even though he was the butt of a good deal of his jokes. Cobalt didn’t mind though, he always could take a joke as long it was funny. And Pov usually was. They had become fast friends easily, and Cobalt realized that Pov could watch Elag for a second while he talked to Esk. Pov was not only known for joking around, he was a tall Martian and was strong enough to fend off any attacks.
“So, little man, have you seen Cobie’s statue yet?” smiled Poverty Lad, to which Cobalt let out a groan. That could only mean trouble.
“You have a statue?” asked the boy.
“Two of them,” replied Pov for them, with a wide grin setting in.
“Great. Elag, whatever he says, don’t listen. And don’t believe any stories about cheerleader outfits, Gary Coleman and sheep either.” Said Cobalt, as Pov walked off with Elag for a few minutes.
Cobalt Kid turned and entered where Esk was quartered, an area that was where most of the newer arrivals to Legion World lived. She was new to both Legion World and the LMB, although her power of foresight had been useful. Cobalt greeted her with a smile, but decided to cut through a lot of the small talk. He hadn’t really had the chance to meet her yet, but it was getting very late and he was curious to know what she was dreaming.
“As usual,” she began, “I can’t remember most of what I dream. Although lately I’ve had recurring nightmares, and certain things stick out in my mind. Five years later. Something about Lardlad. Something about a great evil and the end of the LMB…”
“Five years from today?” asked Cobalt
“No…five years after the end of the LMB. Something about the LMB ending because of a great evil, and five long years of suffering for all of us. The evil is what caused the end…that’s what I keep dreaming about. Something about magic and friends turning on friends…”
“Magic?” said Cobalt aloud. Both were quiet for a minute, Esk trying to remember more, Cobalt trying to figure out what she meant. If what she said was accurate, she was having dreams about something far more serious than anything any of them were aware of. The end of the LMB? Impossible. What could possibly lead to that?
Finally, she broke the silence. “There was a name that kept coming up too…something evil…the enemy, it was the name of the enemy…”
“Was it Septimus?” said Cobalt suddenly concerned that this mage who was visiting the boy may be a bigger enemy than they realized.
“No…not Septimus. Something else…Ela…Elag-“
“Elagabolus?!!” yelled Cobalt suddenly, unaware that he had raised his voice or had cut off Esk. “Was the name Elagabolus?”
“Yes! That was it. How did you…do you know the name?”
Cobalt felt a lump in his throat and sat down slowly. He wasn’t looking at her anymore, but just staring at the wall of her room. Elagabolus? The great evil that would destroy the LMB? The boy? That poor, scared kid? But…how? He felt his heart sink, and realized that he didn’t know what to do. This boy was a nice kid, he hadn’t done anything wrong…how was it that fortune would lead him to become an evil man? It wasn’t fair. Was his fate pre-ordained? ------------- Cobalt walked out of Esk’s quarters, his head pounding, his emotions swirling within. He felt a bit sick, like someone had just kicked a puppy for no reason, that there was no justice in the world after all.
Up ahead, he saw Pov walking back with Elagabolus, both smiling and laughing. “The boy was” laughing Cobalt realized. Pov got the kid to finally stop acting scared and start having some fun. How could this sweet kid be laughing and running around happy, and then one day try to kill them all?
“Cobie, we just made you a new statue!” yelled Poverty Lad, “You’ll love it!” “Don’t be mad at me though Cobie,” smiled Elag, “he made me do it”.
Up ahead, Cobalt could see a large statue of a bidet in the street. Blocking traffic. Causing a ruckus. He shook his head. Another statue of a bidet. He tried to stop it, but a large smile crept up across his mouth. He started laughing too, as Elag ran over.
“I hope you’re not mad,” the boy smiled.
“Of course not!” laughed Cobalt, as he grabbed Pov in a bear-hug and the two wrestled around, “but at this guy…” he said as they all laughed.
But in the back of his mind, Cobalt looked at the boy and wondered…
From: If you don't want my peaches, honey... | Registered: Sep 2003
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posted
A short time later, Cobalt and Elagabolus walked to their last destination, the quarters of Grey Birdboy. This would be the last stop for the night, before Elag would get the chance to take it easy (under serious guard) and Cobalt would go out for the night. Both were exhausted anyway, so they were ready to call it a day.
Greybird was a long-standing LMBer, known for his golden skin, large wings and love of flying. He was further known to be immensely articulate, with an incredible degree of knowledge stored in his head. Cobalt knew that Grey might be able to shed some more light on the mystery of this boy, he had come to Grey before on numerous occasions to talk about things and Grey was often able to supply some information on very obscure subjects that Cobalt had never even heard of before.
Entering his aerie, Cobalt called out loud to Greybird, wondering if he was flying up above. Elagabolus looked around in amazement at such a place, excited to feel the energy in the room exuding from someone so content in flying. Greybird suddenly flew down.
“Can I help you amigo?” he said with a rueful grin.
“Maybe,” replied Cobalt, who learned long ago that matching wits with people was nowhere near as fun as acting silly among serious people and serious among silly people. “This is Elagabolus, the boy who has recently come to Legion World”
“I got attacked by a fire-dog” said the boy.
“Ah, I see,” smiled Greybird. “Nice to meet you.”
“I’ll get right to the point Grey, I’ve explained this story too often lately. Recently, the boy had been visited in his dreams by a mage named Septimus. This afternoon, he was attacked by the servants of the mage here on Legion World. We know next to nothing about this Septimus character and were wondering if you had ever heard of him before?”
“Hm…Septimus?” replied the winged LMBer. “Yes, I have heard of him.” “You have?!” said Cobalt suddenly. “Really?!”
“Yes, really” Greybird grinned, “the mage who refuses to leave his castle. It’s an old tale, but then again, he’s an old mage. I’ve heard the story before, long before I ever meant any of you LMBers”.
“The tale? How does it go? What do you know of him?” asked Cobalt.
“It’s an old tale, and like most old tales, must have some degree of truth. Septimus is what the mage is called, and he is very old and very powerful. And he is very mad. He lives in a castle and cannot leave it, for fear of being destroyed by the world. So in return, he wants to destroy the world instead. That’s about as much as I’ve ever learned about it, although I have to admit, I’ve never but much effort in learning more. It was told to me one day while traveling, among one of the many inns that exist around the universe. Nothing like your favorite Hootchie Hut, mind you, but just a normal inn where many Bards had come one night. One Bard told that tale.”
“You have no idea where this castle is?” asked Cobalt.
“None. Like I said, that’s all I know”.
“Grey, you’re the best! At least we have some kind of start now…” said Cobalt, although the words of Esk suddenly went through his head for some reason or another.
“You OK?” asked Grey.
“Yeah, I’m good. Thanks Grey”
“Mr. Grey Birdboy?” said Elag. “Can you hold me up while you fly for a lil’ bit?”
Cobalt turned to him, surprised. Grey looked surprised too, but then smiled. “Of course. Everyone should have the chance to fly once…”
From: If you don't want my peaches, honey... | Registered: Sep 2003
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posted
Nighttime - Time moves and the evening becomes night. The night life on Legion World has quickly become famous for it’s entertainment. SHAKES, the bar started by Semi-Transparent Fellow and now co-owned by Varalent is widely recognized as the star attraction on Legion World, for it’s comfortable atmosphere and pleasant company. Shameless Hussies exists down the street, known for a more hedonistic crowd and risqué atmosphere. The Beacon serves as the most renowned dining establishment on Legion World, where many of the most famous inhabitants of Legion World come to dine, Fincluding Princess Crujectra, the legendary hero Cobalt Kid, and the most famous and widely sought-after LMBer of all, Lash Lad. All of these places, and many others exist as a way to maintain a warm atmosphere on Legion World.
------------------------
SHAKES - Behind the bar, Icefyre smiled, flirting with Quislet Enq., the customer in front of him. Drinking a ginger ale, Quis laughed, as Icey’s charm set in. At a table, Kid Prime enjoyed a drink with Outdoor Miner, after a witty comment from the bug in response to Harbinger pouring a beer on Abin Quank’s head.
SHAMELESS HUSSIES - Numf-El, Space Ranger and Lard Lad enjoyed a night of hedonism, after renting out the back room with ten ‘dancers’ to keep their attention. In an adjacent room, a large group of males held hopes that Lash Lad will put an appearance in to satisfy his fans.
The Beacon - Cobalt Kid enjoyed a conversation with Anne, the girl from Café Cramer, as they await their delicious dinner. A few tables over, Lightning Lad and Saturn Girl enjoyed a quiet dinner to themselves, as Ultra Matt and Princess Crujectra smile to a young couple who beg them to sign an autograph.
Cafe Cramer - Fat Cramer smiled to Arachne, as they share a private choke after watching Invisible Brainiac and Sara, the young girl who works at the Café, get a cup of coffee together and start having small talk by the widow. After making a few jokes about Eyrk Davis Ester’s renowned bad luck, IB comfortably put his hand on Sara’s.
LMB Headquarters - Danny Blaine turned to Sonnie Bloke, with a half-smile on his face.
“How is it, that we get stuck having to watch this kid when all of the LMB is out partying?” asked Danny, half serious, half joking. Handsome and charming, Danny is not only known for being a great writer, but also a very caring LMBer, causing Sonnie to know that he’s joking.
“Well, there are some more fun things we can do while we’re waiting” replied Sonnie, also known for his fun-loving charm and skills as an artist. “Unless you’re waiting for Raging Bull to stop by again…”
Danny blushed quickly and then replied smiling with a “Shh! Elag might still be awake, he’s only been in there for a half hour.” Turning to look through the small window on the door, Danny made sure that Elag was still in bed, tucked under the covers as they’d left him. After spending most the evening with Cobalt, the young boy was exhausted and pretty much ready for bed. It didn’t take much for him to doze off after laying down and being tucked in by Danny.
After the first attack, Stu had decided to have a constant watch on Elagabolus all night long, and all day too, with a constant rotation of LMBers. Picking their names randomly, He Who Wanders, who was in charge for a few hours while Stu attending to his own magic investigations, put Sonnie and Danny on the first watch. So far, the night had been slow and boring, although both were thankful for the others company. They hoped that it would stay that way. --------------------- Up in a vent, overlooking Sonnie, Danny, and Elag’s room, Vee smiled and turned to Semi, who was by his side. “Maybe they have the right idea?”
“I think so,” smiled Semi back, “but we have to watch out in case anything happens”.
Known by their fellow LMBers as being two of the nicest and friendliest LMBers, both Semi and Vee were loved by everyone they met on Legion World. Semi-Transparent Fellow, a true gentleman and loyal friend, had the power to turn invisible (or at least semi-transparent). Varalent, who was brave, confident and just as charming had the ability to shrink himself and other things. Their powers were remarkably compatible, and they made the perfect team for espionage. In fact, both were secretly members of Cobalt Kid’s security team, although on an ultra-secret squad that dealt specifically with espionage. Being the owners of SHAKES, the premier establishment on Legion World, gave them unlimited access to information that might be passed along by their patrons. Combined with their powers, this gave both Semi and Vee the ability to subtly ensure the safety of Legion World.
In addition to the compatibility of their powers, the two were also known to be compatible as human beings, and had enjoyed a wonderful relationship. A true love story for Legion World, they made the perfect pair. Cobalt had come to them privately and asked if they could secretly watch Elag tonight, to give a little extra security for the boy. Both accepted this without a second thought, leaving Icefyre in charge of SHAKES for the night.
“Well Semi-Sweets?” smiled Vee. “I am getting a bit cold over here…”
Semi smiled. “We can’t have that, can we?”
------------------------
The Mansion - Stu awoke from his quick sleep, refreshed from being exhausted after using his magic. He knew he had to act quickly. He needed to talk to Cobalt, to He Who Wanders, and maybe even to the LMB founders and Legion World founders. If what he had learned about Elagabolus and Septimus was true, things were a lot more dangerous for all of them.
[ January 18, 2004, 03:40 PM: Message edited by: Cobalt Kid ]
From: If you don't want my peaches, honey... | Registered: Sep 2003
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posted
Across space, on a planet blanketed in fog, a crooked castle stands tall, through the clouds that hang low over a dark and bleak land. Long lost to space-faring adventures, this planet no longer has any name that it can be called. However, the castle is known to some as Irrunila. It is home to Septimus the Black, the mage who fears life so much that he seeks to end everything.
“We will have him tonight” said the mage to the shadows in his throne room. “I have waited long enough for his coming, and now that we know where he is, it shall end. Bring me the boy, and kill anything that threatens to hinder you in doing this.”
“It shall be done” replied a voice, as a skinny tall man stepped forward. Dirty yellow eyes lit up as he spoke to his master, and the Vampire known as Severus appeared out of the shadows. “The boy shall be ours and blood will be spilled.”
“Good. The shadows…” said the wizard, looking at his shadow-demons move across the walls, living shadows whose touch burned human flesh, “…work well, and their mindless devotion is their greatest asset. Yet, they lack the ability to think overtly…which is where I will need your services. Take your warriors and go. I will be there in spirit.”
“It shall be done” replied the Vampire again, as he moved back into the shadows.
Septimus stared into the fog of the night unsmiling.
From: If you don't want my peaches, honey... | Registered: Sep 2003
| IP: Logged |
posted
Wiping the grogginess from his eyes, Stu poured himself a hot cup of water and placed a tea bag into it. He knew that he should be moving fast, but it was important to take enough time aside for getting his wits back about him. His journey into the Traveler’s Plane was draining, and left him both starved and exhausted. After a brief slumber, he awoke with a renewed vigor, although he widely acknowledged that this vigor was purely based on will, since his body was still exhausted.
In later talks with Cobalt, he’d learn that what he had found out was absolutely true. At this time however, he never bothered to doubt himself or the word of Jocelyn Moonstar or the Beast who devoured children. Elagabolus was a rare entity, a type of being that came into existence every few millennia. A Merlin. A Nexus of magic, where a person is born that has the inborn ability to sense and use magic. These mages were legendary, and many questioned their existence, although the oldest and most powerful wizards knew that they lived occasionally. Elag had the power of life and death, and was by far the most powerful being that Stu had ever encountered.
Septimus was a powerful mage, a man who was black-hearted and evil, with no love for the world. And he was going to try and use Elag by pushing the boy to his darker nature, by influencing the war going on within the boy’s inner-being. By making Elagabolus a Merlin that had succumbed to the darker-side of his magic, Septimus would unleash the most potent challenge to humanity that he could ever wish for.
Still starving, Stu ignored the hunger-pains. A quick incantation brought him the magic artifacts that he used, his robe, his rings, his pendant and his necklace. Stu had long ago learned that by turning himself into an animal, he could focus his magic more easily and make his spells more potent. He began preparing a simple spell for such a transformation, but decided to hold off for a small amount of time before the spell would take affect. This was no problem for him, a mage of his ability could create a spell and then have use a simple word to trigger the spell when it was needed. In the meantime, he quickly teleported out of the room, and to the Mission Monitor Board at LMB Headquarters.
He Who Wanders, the deputy leader, jumped at the sight of Iron Rat suddenly ‘popping’ into the room beside him. The deputy had decided to take monitor duty for himself tonight since both Danny and Sonnie had already been assigned to watch over Elagabolus. Never one to ignore his duty, He Who Wanders thought nothing of doing the grunt work despite his current high rank in the LMB.
“Stu? You look like hell! What’s the matter?”
“Quite a bit my wandering friend….do me a favor and get a hold of the people watching Elagabolus, and the Princess Crujectra, and Cobalt. And…a big gun too, we need to be more careful…” ------------------ The streets of Legion World remained crowded, as the people continued to enjoy the nightlife as time faded into the later hours of the night. Lamp posts lit up the main streets of Legion World, and young men and women enjoyed each other’s company and the feeling of a good buzz.
In an alley way off of a main street, shadows began to stir, as the horde of Septimus arrived on Legion World. The Vampire Severus, blending in with the shadow spoke first.
“The boy is near. We kill all in our way.”
From: If you don't want my peaches, honey... | Registered: Sep 2003
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posted
Cobalt looked across the table at the young girl in front of him. He was enjoying her company even more than he thought he would, which was a pleasant surprise for him. Her auburn hair and beautiful green eyes were what first attracted the young man to her, but he was more impressed with her intelligence and wit, and her ability to carry on a good conversation.
Still, he felt bad for Anne. He wasn’t exactly the most pleasant company tonight. His mind kept wandering back to Elagabolus and the premonitions that Esk had told him of earlier in the night. The initial shock had warn off, but the very idea that poor Elag, the boy who could barely talk to a stranger without shaking in fear, would one day be responsible for the destruction of the LMB was horrific to him. Suddenly he looked up and saw Anne looking at him quizzically.
“Anne, I’m sorry, I-“
“Don’t worry about,” replied the young woman. “I know that you have ‘super-hero’ stuff…” she smiled.
“Security stuff” smiled Cobalt back. “We’re not officially ‘super-heroes’”
“Oh please,” she replied, “then why is there a statue of you overlooking the Town Square? Unless you had them put that there?” Her smile now broke into a wide grin.
Cobalt smiled back equally as wide. “Well according to Abin Quank and Pov, that isn’t the right statue. But if we’re on the subject of ‘super-hero’ stuff, I think you’re sister is a bit smitten with a certain young security officer…” -----------------
Sara and Invisible Brainiac walked down the street of Legion World, holding hands an enjoying each other’s company. They were quiet for a moment, letting a comfortable silence seep in. IB remembered something Princess Crujectra had said to him earlier, that you know when you’ve met someone special when you both can just be silent for a second.
Up ahead, he saw a few figures moving around, and recognized Outdoor Miner and Kid Prime. Both were laughing pretty hard at something, and IB realized that they were getting close to SHAKES and they might be a bit drunk. He finally saw Eyrk Davis Ester, another LMBer, getting up off the ground, after tripping.
“You’re famous luck has struck again EDE” smiled KP.
“Who would have thought that mongoose who have confused you big toe for a baby snake?” continued Outdoor Miner.
“Haha,” replied the bad-luck LMBer. “There wasn’t a mongoose, I thought for a minute that a shadow was coming out at me.”
“Are you sure you haven’t been drinking EDE?” smiled Kid Prime, “cuz if you’re going to talk nonsense, you might as well have a beer in your hand.”
Invisible Brainiac slowed for a minute walking with Sara, unsure whether he should just hang back for a second. “Anything wrong?” asked the young lady.
“No, I just don’t want them to come over and start bugging us…” IB said, suddenly trailing off. “Is that shadow moving up along the wall?” ---------------------
Danny Blaine and Sonnie Bloke sat on a couch in the room outside of Elagabolus’s room. Watching a movie, both had began to grow tired, as the night continued on. “Shift’s not over for a few more hours” thought Danny to himself. “Maybe I should have just had Mantis come over and do this while I slept in her universe…” he smiled, then adding, “…but I’m too nice for that. Too bad though.”
Sonnie suddenly stirred. “Do you feel that? The cold?”
“Yeah,” replied Danny. “It did just get cold in here. Thats strange. What’s…that noise?”
“It’s Elag. He’s crying. He must be having a nightmare or something.”
“Yeah, I can hear him now. Poor kid, let’s make sure he’s OK, he sounds terrible…”
“Yeah, let’s-“ started Sonnie, as he reached for the handle of the door. Things happened so quickly that Danny had little time to react and had to adjust to his surroundings. Leaping out of the shadows, the Vampire Severus lept onto to Sonnie’s back, holding by the throat with his pale long-nailed hands. His mucus-yellow eyes stared at Danny with a sneer.
“Fight all you want, the boy is ours” said the voice.
Danny suddenly saw shadows swirling all around them, as he felt a sharp pain on his back, as a shadow brushed up against him. ------------------------
In his bed, Elagabolus cried in his sleep, tossing and turning to a brutal nightmare. Septimus stared at him, a huge chess board in between the two. On the board, the LMBers he had come to love were pieces, and each one was dying a hideous death. Harbinger was hung by a noose, her head twisted. Cobalt Kid knelt limply with a huge sword through the back of his neck and out his chest. And Elag realized he was the one responsible for doing it to them all. He wanted to heal them, to make it better, but Septimus stared at him, and made him so scared…
From: If you don't want my peaches, honey... | Registered: Sep 2003
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posted
Danny felt a sharp pain in his back, and then realized he’d been burnt by one of the shadow-creatures. Cobalt Kid had warned him about them before, they were the same things that attacked Elagabolus earlier. But this time they had some type of Vampire with them.
Severus held Sonnie by the throat, and the Scottish LMBer quickly felt enormous strength holding his head to the side, as hot breath fell across his neck. Almost immediately, he realized this thing was going to bite him. Straining to move, he looked Danny in the eyes.
Danny reacted in what he thought was the best way possible. Using his powers over gravity, he quickly made the floor holding them up super-heavy, until it’s weight increased to over twenty tons. The building began to shake suddenly, and the floor immediately gave out from under them. Sonnie, Danny and the Vampire fell through the floor, as the rubble and debris followed down after them. Sonnie was able to get free of the Vampire’s grasp, and by remaining calm and calculating, he grabbed Danny on the way down, hoping to use his powers to cushion their fall. He could only hope the Vampire was falling with them.
Back up top, the shadow warriors moved to the door to Elagabolus’s room. One touched it, and the door began to quickly melt. A large blast hit one of them, as Varalent suddenly grew to normal size and joined in on the battle, knocking one back with a smashing blow. Semi-Transparent Fellow remained invisible, hoping that the creatures couldn’t see him, and used a ray-gun to blast the beasts from afar. The decision of both of them to act as extra guards was well worth it, it now seemed. He hoped Danny and Sonnie were alright down there. ---------------------
Invisible Brainiac pushed Sara to the side, as he saw the shadows come off of the wall and move to Eyrk Davis Ester. Too far off to help, he watched as Kid Prime quickly rose to the occasion, flying at the two and turning his hands into cannons to blast the shadow creatures before they harm the Calamity King. Outdoor Miner suddenly popped out of existence, teleporting away.
IB turned upon hearing the sound of loud thuds, and saw a giant horse riding down the streets of Legion World. Upon closer inspection, the horse was flying, and a trail of fire followed it. Upon it rode a warrior completely covered in chain mail, with a large sword and shield held up, as if ready to plunder and pillage Legion World. It was only upon seeing a face made of skeleton and sinew did Invisible Brainiac realize that this abomination was some type of Death Knight, that dwarfed over any normal sized man. The Death Knight road at them fast, and IB heard Eyrk Davis Ester screaming for them to get out of the way, as Kid Prime defended himself against a cluster of shadows.
Outdoor Miner suddenly appeared back in view, this time with Abin Quank and Dev-Em in his hands. Before EDE or IB could say a thing, Abin used his Green Lantern’s power-ring to sweep them aside before being hurt, as Dev flew at the beast full-steam, to knock it down. Although half-Durlan and half-Daxamite, Dev’ strength proved to be potent but not potent enough, as he crashed into the shield, but was sent to the side in response.
IB looked around, and saw more shadows appearing everywhere. -------------------------
The noise outside was heard immediately inside the Beacon, and before anyone said a thing, Cobalt had already looked to Princess Crujectra to see what her move was going to be. He had known her for a long time and had long ago learned to trust her judgment, especially in these matters. She stood up and told everyone to stay calm, and for the other LMBers to come with her.
As Saturn Girl used her telepathy to calm everyone down and give everyone directions on what to do, Lightning Lad joined Ultra Matt and Princess Crujectra, as they went out into the streets to see what was going on. Ahead of them, the saw a woman dressed in silver armor, slender in figure, but with red blood painted on her face and arms. She held a large flail in her hand, with a chain linked to it, with a spiked ball at the end. She smiled at the three of them with a wicked grin and all at once Princess Crujectra realized that she was completely mad.
Cobalt turned to Anne and told her it would be OK, but to stay with Caroline. He wished he could say more, but he was moving to quickly now. He knew he could go with the Princess and Lightning Lad, but something told him there was more at stake here than just a simple attack. This had to do with Elagabolus, he had no doubt about that. Leaping out a window, he used his magnetism to ride a magnetic current and fly across the city at a remarkable speed. He had made a promise to the boy that he would protect him, and now he planned on keeping that promise. ------------------
A large group of men walked down the streets laughing and singing, enjoying the merriment of the moment. One pinched another’s behind, and they all laughed in response to that. Things seemed great, until a high-pitched sound suddenly became louder and louder. Someone was able to pinpoint what it was, it was a violin that was horribly out of tune, and listening to it was deafening.
They began to groan in pain from it, until it became apparent that they actually were in pain. One man vomited and the streaking violin continued to play, as it became horribly more loud and painful. One man looked into a puddle of his spilt beer and could have sworn that his face was melting before his very eyes. His skin felt like wax falling off a lit candle.
The song continued, horrible and painful. A skeleton walked into view, dressed in a leather tunic with bright green and blue colors on it. He carried a violin, and although his face was a skeleton, tears ran down from the eye-sockets of it’s skull. The Forsaken Bard continued to play his song, hoping to spread the pain that he still felt.
Bodies of men were left in his wake…
From: If you don't want my peaches, honey... | Registered: Sep 2003
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posted
I hope I'm not interrupting the flow of Cobie's posts, but
MORE MORE MORE MORE!!!!
Great work, Cobie! Such a great story! But I hope you haven't forgotten that I DO have light energy powers too. But this is just a minor quibble. I LOVE everything you're doing in this story!
Hyperpath: Email this page to someone!
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![[Smile]](smile.gif)
But this is just a minor quibble. I LOVE everything you're doing in this story!
