Part One The land cruiser moved steadily down the Main Avenue of Hub, passing throngs of eager onlookers as it progressed toward the Psyonian Palace at the far end. Although seeing the Royal Cruiser pass through the city was, by far, a common occurrence, it wasn’t every day that it carried such a variety of celebrities.
Cobalt Kid looked out from the open-roofed golden cruiser at the cheering passersby, his eyes hidden behind mirrored sunglasses. He reached out for Crujectra through the telepathic link they shared. :Does Hub have a higher than normal teenage population, or is this because of us?:
Crujectra smiled. :Guilty as charged, dear. I’m afraid that Mykel and I are sort of like popstars here. We have fan clubs devoted to us, and fans show up at every public function we attend. I can only guess that word got out that we were coming home for a visit today, and our fans are out to greet us.:
Cobalt Kid laughed, imagining a Crujectra poster on some lovesick teenaged boy’s bedroom wall. He sometimes forgot that she was so young. She came across as being far older, but the twins were barely in their twenties. So young, and yet so powerful. He doubted that many people twice their age could shoulder the responsibilities that they did.
He looked forward to the other passengers in the cruiser. Crujectra’s twin, Prince Mykel (otherwise known as the Crusader of the LMBP) was seated next to his husband, Maxx the Sorcerer. In the foremost passenger seats were their friends, Beagle Boy and Nightcrawler. The Royal Chauffer was in the driver’s seat, and on the seat next to him was Bob the Cat, who was looking with some distaste at Beagle Boy’s faithful sidekick Piddlin’ Pup, who was happily hanging his head over the side of the cruiser, tongue lolling out and drool whipping back in the wind.
They had come to Psyonia to attend a Royal Gala being hosted by King Hrold and Queen Suzyn. The twins and their significant others were there as royal representatives. Beagle Boy and Nightcrawler were there representing the LMBP. It was also a sort of mini-vacation for the group of friends, and a chance for them to see the sights with the twins acting as tour guides.
The cruiser passed through the outer gates of the Psyonian Palace, and a sort of apprehension settled over the twins. There had been ill feelings between the twins and their parents not so long ago, due to their learning that their parents had kept certain secrets from them in regards to their recent power boost. Fences had been mended between them, but still they feared that meeting face to face might prove tense. That was part of the reason why they had asked their friends to join them.
The castle was impressive to behold. It was built atop a rocky spire that shot up from a huge crater in the center of Hub. The only way to reach the Palace was by the long bridge that stretched from the outer gates to the courtyard gates. The castle itself was made of ancient white stone, with several wings stretching outward from the central building, and turrets reaching upward toward the sky overhead. The castle had been the ancestral home of the Jectra family for over four hundred years, ever since the family was chosen to rule over the Psyonian people. It had withstood wars and invasion attempts, and had become a symbol of the Psyonian spirit.
The cruiser slowed to a halt in the courtyard, coming to rest at the foot of the stairs leading up to the main entrance to the castle. Although hidden from sight, Crujectra could sense numerous watchers lurking behind the high vaulted windows overlooking the courtyard. She sensed nothing worse than curiousity, but then this was home, and why should there be anything worse?
Cobalt Kid offered a hand to Crujectra as she stepped down to the cobblestones. She looked up the stairs and smiled to see the elderly man making his way down to them. With a quick smile to her boyfriend, the princess rushed up the stairs to meet him, embracing him warmly. She turned toward her friends, who were walking up the stairs to meet them, one arm still wrapped around the gentlemen.
“Everyone, this is Beran, the Psyonian Palace’s Seneschal. My father may run the planet, but Beran runs the Palace. And he kept Mykel and I out of mischief when we were younger.”
Beran smiled affectionately the twins, who were now flanking him. “Well, I certainly did my best, although the two of you gave me quite a challenge.”
“Beran, may I introduce you to my significant other, the legendary Cobalt Kid.”
Beran reached forward to shake Cobalt Kid’s hand, a knowing look in his eye. “Ah yes, I have heard many things about you, Master Cobalt.”
Cobalt Kid looked a little uncomfortable, and pulled nervously at his collar. Crujectra leaned forward and winked. “Don’t worry, dear, he heard them all from me, so you’re safe enough.”
Cobalt Kid smiled sheepishly. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Beran. I’ve heard nice things about you from Crujeckie… err… I mean, Her Highness.”
Prince Mykel laughed lightly at his friend’s discomfort, and decided to take pity on him. “Beran, these are our dear friends, Beagle Boy and Nightcrawler of the LMBP.”
Beran reached forward to clasp their hands warmly. “Your exploits are legendary, young sirs.”
Bob the Cat moved forward to sit in the center of the group. “Hey Beran, how’re they hanging?”
Beran frowned down at the cat, clearly a little discomforted by the cat’s presence. “That’s Pooping Pup over there.” Beran looked a little dismayed at the introduction, probably thinking of priceless carpets all over the Palace.
“Be nice, Bob,” the princess admonished. “His name is Piddlin’ Pup, Beran, but that’s just a name. He has impeccable household manners.”
Beran looked relieved, but still frowned down on Bob. He recovered quickly and cast a sweeping gesture up the stairs. “Any friends of Their Royal Highnesses are friends of mine. I bid you all welcome to the Psyonian Palace!”
-------------------- Some people are like slinkys: not really good for anything, but they bring a smile to your face when you knock them down a flight of stairs
From: Penthouse atop Levitz Hall, LMBP Plaza, Embassy Row, Legion World | Registered: Jul 2003
| IP: Logged |
Cobalt Kid stood in the center of his guest suite, a little awestruck by the sheer opulence of the room. He knew that Psyonia was the wealthiest of the United Planets, but even so he hadn’t expected quite this much luxury. The sitting room featured a huge ornate fireplace, with plush couches and chairs forming a sitting area before it. An antique writing desk was against one wall, next to the doorway leading into the bedroom area. The paneled walls boasted priceless artwork, and a crystal chandelier hung in the center of the room.
Cobalt Kid turned at the sound of someone entering the room from the bedroom area, and he turned quickly in surprise. A beautiful young woman, dressed in a formal maid’s uniform, walked into the sitting room and stopped suddenly. “Oh! I beg your pardon, sir!” she said, blushing slightly. “I didn’t realize that you had arrived. I was just unpacking your things for you and putting the final touches on things.”
Cobalt Kid grinned at the young woman, casually shifting into what Crujectra referred to as “Charm Mode.”
“That’s quite all right, miss. We only just arrived, and Beran suggested that we might like to see our rooms and freshen up before our audience with the King and Queen.”
The maid curtsied demurely, looking up at the LMBPer through lowered eyelashes. “My name is Nessa, sir, and I will be your chambermaid during your stay at the palace. I there is anything at all I can do to make your stay more pleasurable, please don’t hesitate to ask.” She smiled seductively.
“Thank you, dear,” an amused voice said through the open outer door, “but I’ll take care of Cobie’s pleasures.”
The chambermaid looked startled. “Begging your pardon, mistress. I meant no disrespect.”
Crujectra moved to Cobalt Kid’s side, possessively slipping her arm into his. “Of course, dear. That’s quite all right.” She raised one eyebrow speculatively. “I trust you have duties that you need to attend to…”
“Of course, Your Highness,” Nessa said, curtsying again before scurrying from the room.
Crujectra turned to look at Cobalt Kid as the outer door swung closed. “You can close your mouth now, dear,” she said sweetly.
“Crujeckie, you know that I don’t… I wasn’t…” The princess laughed and turned to hug him. “Cobie, you know that I’m only teasing you. The others back home go on and on about your ‘exploits’, but I don’t pay them any attention.” She placed one hand on his chest, over his heart. “You are my SoulMate. I trust your love and commitment to me completely. But I also love your flirtatious nature, and have absolutely no problem with you flirting with other women, because I know that’s all it is.”
Cobalt Kid smiled and brought his mouth up next to her ear. “You know that you’re the only woman for me?” he whispered into his ear.
Crujectra laughed lightly, pulling her head back and looking into his eyes. “Tell me that again after we finish our audience with ‘The Parents’.”
-------------------- Some people are like slinkys: not really good for anything, but they bring a smile to your face when you knock them down a flight of stairs
From: Penthouse atop Levitz Hall, LMBP Plaza, Embassy Row, Legion World | Registered: Jul 2003
| IP: Logged |
The Informal Audience Chamber was impressive, regardless of the fact that it was much smaller than the official throne room. King Hrold and Queen Suzyn sat upon small thrones at the far end of the room, a tapestry featuring the Jectra Family Crest spread out on the stone wall behind them. A red carpet bridged the distance between the entrance and the thrones, and rows of high-backed chairs flanked either side of the carpet.
Sunlight streamed in through the windows, the heavy curtains having been pulled open. One might think that the large number of windows in the castle might have made it cold or drafty, but the Psyonian Palace was not as technologically bereft as one might think. Behind the stone walls there were state-of-the-art environmental controls, which regulated the temperature and kept the air pure. Sophisticated surveillance systems monitored activity all over the castle. And computer stations were hidden behind secret panels in every room and hallway.
Cobalt Kid and Princess Crujectra entered the chamber arm in arm, each having changed out of their LMBP uniforms and into elegant formal wear. Cobalt Kid was impeccably dressed in an expensive tuxedo, and Crujectra wore a flowing lavender gown. Her long blond tresses spilled down over her bare shoulders, and she wore a thin silver circlet as a sign of her royal station.
There were a handful of people in the room. Nightcrawler and Beagle Boy were there, dressed in their formal LMBP uniforms and speaking quietly with the King and Queen. Maxx and Prince Mykel were dressed in formal attire similar to Cobalt Kid’s, and were seated off to the right, deep in conversation with Beran. Piddlin’ Pup was nowhere to be seen, but Bob the Cat sat in the middle of the red carpet, licking his butt and clearly unimpressed by his surroundings.
Crujectra and Cobalt Kid stepped around Bob and approached the thrones. Cobalt Kid bowed deeply and Crujectra gracefully curtsied, heads bowed low. King Hrold rose from his seat, arms spread wide. “Now, now, you two,” he said, a smile on his face. “We’re family and behind closed doors… there’s no need for formality.”
Crujectra moved forward to embrace her father. To the casual observer, it looked like a parent and child happily greeting each other. Cobalt Kid, however, knew the young princess very well. Even if he didn’t share the soul-link with her, he could have detected the slight stiffness to her spine and barely detectable distance in her eyes. Things were better between them, but there was still some issues to work through.
It hadn’t really been that long since the twins had found their power levels spontaneously boosted. As they struggled to control them, they had learned that their parents had been aware of their increased potential for their entire lives, having placed psionic dampers on them at a young age to limit their powers until the twins had grown old enough to handle them. It had been done with good intentions, but the omission of truth had been hard for the royal siblings to take, and it had caused a slight rift in the Jectra Royal Family.
Maxx and Cobalt Kid had been doing their best since then to heal that rift. This gala was to be the first test of their success.
Suddenly, every Psyonian in the room stopped suddenly, a distant look on their faces. Cobalt Kid moved closer to Crujectra, his hand reaching to her arm. :Is something wrong, Crujeckie?:
The Princess turned to look at her soul-mate, and smiled warmly. :Sorry, dear. We were getting a telepathic message. We have guests arriving, and they were just asking for permission to enter:
Cobalt Kid raised a single eyebrow. :They’ve never heard of knocking?:
Princess Crujectra laughed, and then pointed toward one of the room’s tall windows. Suddenly, the view of the garden outside began to shimmer and shift, swirling into a kaleidoscope of color. The window frame began to glow, pulsing like a heartbeat. Slowly, the swirling began to slow, and the view through the window began to reform. However, the window was now gone, and the view was not the garden any longer. Now, the window frame was a doorway into another chamber, and there were three cloaked figures moving forward through it. As the figures stepped through into the audience chamber, they floated through the air, cloaks billowing around them, and then settled to the floor not far from the thrones.
The foremost figure raised an outstretched hand toward the window, calling the energy around it back toward him. As the energy faded, the window returned to normal, and the garden came back into view. The three figures pushed back the hoods of their cloaks. The two front-most figures were a man and woman, perhaps in their mid-forties. Each had brown hair lightly streaked with silver. The third figure was a female in her early twenties, auburn hair spilling out over her hood. She looked vaguely familiar to Cobalt Kid.
Maxx stepped forward to greet them warmly, and then turned to face the assembled guests. “My friends, may I introduce my parents, High-Mage Jorge and High-Mage Luceal, and my older sister, Mage Lizbet.”
Maxx’s parents bowed to them, and Lizbet removed her cloak. As the cloak fell toward the floor, it faded from sight. Beneath the cloak she wore a tight-fitting dress, cut deeply in the front to accentuate her ample bosom, and slit high to reveal a generous amount of leg. Cobalt Kid looked nervously from Lizbet to Crujectra. He noticed a slight frost in Crujectra’s eyes.
Jorge and Luceal welcomed their son and son-in-law into a warm embrace as Lizbet cast her gaze upon Crujectra and Cobalt Kid. A mischievous smile crossed her face as she moved toward them, hips swaying suggestively as she walked across the room.
“Crujectra dear, how lovely to see you,” Lizbet said, blowing fake kisses at the princess. “You’re looking well, cousin. Well fed and healthy.”
:You two are cousins?: Cobalt Kid asked.
:No, we’re not. Lizbet views her family as “sorcerous royalty”. No one else does, of course, but she’s always had delusions of grandeur:
“Always a pleasure to see you, Lizbet. You should be cafeful, dear. After all, it is autumn, and your outfit is significantly lacking in material. I would so hate to see you catch something.”
Lizbet let forth a throaty laugh, but her eyes held no amusement. “Oh cousin, always the witty one. Never fear, though… I can always find ways of keeping warm.” Her eyes shifted immediately to Cobalt Kid.
Cobalt Kid shifted nervously. “Errr… if you ladies will excuse me, I need to be… somewhere else.” He darted over to where Maxx and Crusader were taking to the elder mages and the Royal Couple. Lizbet made as if to follow, but stopped suddenly as Crujectra raised an eyebrow.
“I really wouldn’t do that, dear.”
-------------------- Some people are like slinkys: not really good for anything, but they bring a smile to your face when you knock them down a flight of stairs
From: Penthouse atop Levitz Hall, LMBP Plaza, Embassy Row, Legion World | Registered: Jul 2003
| IP: Logged |
The guests had moved to a private dining room, where they are treated to a buffet of delicacies from around the solar system. Although the dinner had begun festive enough, the topic of conversation had taken a decidedly more serious turn.
“How many mages have gone missing now, Jorge?” King Hrold asked.
“Well, so far we are only sure of about twenty missing mages,” High-Mage Jorge replied, his expression grim. “Of those twenty, eight were High-Mages, and the rest were Journeymen Mages from the Academy. They were all off on tours around the planet, a part of the Academy Training Program. We lost touch with them about two weeks ago.”
Beagle Boy coughed uncomfortably. “Begging your pardon, sir, but I didn’t realize that there were so many wizardfolk on Psyonia. I guess I always figured that most of y’all were psychics.”
Crujectra spoke up. “That’s a common misconception, Beagle Boy. Most United Planets citizens think that Psyonia is just another Titan, but to be honest, the majority of our population have no powers whatsoever.”
Crusader continued. “Psyonians as a race are born with the genetic potential for what we call ‘gifts.’ They can range from such mind gifts as Telepathy, Telekinesis, Healing, Empathy, FarSight and ForeSight, to the very rare MageGift. For a great number of Psyonians, these gifts are only there in potential; they will never manifest themselves.”
“The most typical gift is Telepathy,” Crujectra said. “Most Psyonians who manifest become telepaths. Sometimes we will also manifest a second gift as well. The second gift is usually the stronger, and will often dictate our career choices. Healers will of course become our primary medical providers; Empaths will most often become diplomats and ambassadors; Seers will often work in our military branches.”
“The Royal Family of Psyonia has always manifested more than the usual amount of gifts,” Crusader continued. Luckily everyone was used to the twins’ habit of completing each other’s sentences. It made this tennis match of storytelling easier to follow. “Commonly, they will manifest three or four gifts. Crujectra and I are rare, in that we manifested all of the available gifts, with the exception of the MageGift.”
Maxx decided it was time for a new voice in this story. “We have schools devoted to the teaching of how to use these gifts. Healers Collegium is here in Hub, as is the Psionics Academy. Mages have always existed a bit apart from the rest of the populace. The Mage Academies are hidden away in the mountainous regions of Psyonia, far away from the cities, which is probably for the best due to the nature of our powers.”
Crujectra looked up, a sad expression on her face. “I think that this separation has both helped and hurt our communities. While it has protected us from the somewhat volatile nature of Wild Magic, it has also created a rift between those with Mind Gifts and those with Mage Gifts.”
Jorge nodded his agreement. “It is not only rifts between mages and psychics, Your Highness. Of late, rifts have begun developing between wizarding communities, as well. There are some serious differences in opinion regarding the focus of our communities. Many of us believe that our focus should be healing the land and maintaining the leylines of magic energy flowing through Psyonia. There are others who, unfortunately, have become drunk on the power at our disposal, and have sought to pool that magic energy, hording it for personal use.”
Luceal made a slight noise, distaste on her face. “It’s disgusting the foul ways that these other mages have begun to pervert our ways. They’ve turned their backs on hundreds of years of beliefs.”
Jorge sighed, reaching over to place a hand upon his wife’s. “It is our fear that this rift might be behind the recent disappearances in our community. We are afraid that the missing mages might have fallen victim to this search for power.”
Nightcrawler leaned forward in his chair. “I realize that we are outsiders here, but know that the resources of the LMBP are at your disposal. It’s the least we can do after all that the Psyonians have done for us over the years.”
-------------------- Some people are like slinkys: not really good for anything, but they bring a smile to your face when you knock them down a flight of stairs
From: Penthouse atop Levitz Hall, LMBP Plaza, Embassy Row, Legion World | Registered: Jul 2003
| IP: Logged |
The six LMBPers soared high over the ground, leaving the civilized center of Hub for the wilder forests beyond the city walls. The trees were so dense that they could barely make out the ground below them. Even the caravan routes through the woods were almost undetectable. “How in the world do y’all manage to travel through all that?” Beagle Boy asked, his trusty companion Piddlin’ Pup flying by his side.
“To be honest,” Crusader said, looking over at his friend, “Psyonians rarely travel on the ground outside the walls of our cities. We either use transport shuttles or transmitter portals to get from one city to another.”
Nightcrawler raised an eyebrow, although no one could have seen that through the shadows that naturally cover his face like a domino mask. “You don’t have suburbs around here?”
“Not really. Some of the wealthy do maintain private estates, but even farms and country homes exist behind walls.”
Crujectra flew closer. “I think the practice originally grew out of having telepathic neighbors. Most of the Psyonian telepaths have limited range, so for the sake of privacy you would surround your land with walls to keep out prying minds. I think that went a long way toward developing the “aloof attitude’ that our people are famous for.”
Crusader nodded, a look of sadness on his face. “For a world where our very powers should have made us closer, Psyonia is at times a very lonely place.”
Maxx looked down at the woods below. “Over the years, though, the leylines of Wild Magic flowing through Psyonia has vastly changed many of the wild animals that call these woods home. It’s no longer safe to live outside the walled areas of the planet.”
Nightcrawler’s offer of assistance had been accepted, and they were now traveling into the mountains toward the location of the last disappearance. Krystall Lake was hidden away in the Northern Mountains, an aquatic oasis in the midst of virtually impenetrable mountains.
“What exactly were these mages doing up here?” Nightcrawler asked.
“Journeyman mages must spend up to a year traveling around the planet with teachers,” Maxx replied. "They are responsible for any number of training exercises, from monitoring the activities of the magical Changebeasts to testing the levels of the mystic leylines. The higher ranked journeymen are often charged with the creation of power nodes as their graduation exercises.”
“What’s a power node?” Beagle Boy asked.
“Power nodes are a collecting point for magical energy,” Maxx explained. “Think of it in terms of water. A leyline is sort of like an invisible river of magical energy, flowing through the planet. A node would be like a lake into which a leyline flows and collects. The nodes are highly useful for a mage, because of the large amount of available energy.”
“I never realized how much magic there was on Psyonia,” Cobalt Kid said. “To be honest, I didn’t think there really was much of a magical community outside of the Sorcerer’s World.”
“It’s not really something we advertise,” Maxx replied solemnly. “The mages of Zerox tend to be a little overbearing. I think they want to control the magical community around the United Planets.”
The six heroes touched down in a clearing on the edge of the lake. From the looks of it, it had served as a camp site many times in the past. There was a fire pit ringed with rocks, as well as eight tents pitched nearby. Or at least they most likely used to be tents. They were torn to shreads, with strips strewn all over the campsite. A casual glance at the ground showed signs of a struggle of some form, and there were darkened patches in the dirt that looked a lot like dried blood.
“Well, this doesn’t look promising,” Nightcrawler said, kneeling down beside one of the ruined tents, a three-fingered hand carefully pulling the torn fabric aside.
“It looks like a wild animal tore through this place,” Beagle Boy said, a slightly queasy look on his face. “Bob! What are you eating?!?!”
Bob the Cat looked up from the lump of something he was nibbling at by the fire pit. “Relax, Kid Flash,” the cat said, a sarcastic look on his face. “It’s food, not wizard kibble. I’m not totally without conscience.”
Crujectra gave the cat a haughty look. “No, but your manners are questionable.”
In response, the cat turned back to his snack and raised his hind quarters in a form of salute.
Maxx moved into the center of the clearing. “I’ll need everyone to stay back,” he cautioned, raising his arms out to either side and closing his eyes. Suddenly, a pentagram blazed to life on the ground beneath his feet, the outer edge of which formed a ring around him with a ten foot diameter. He spoke in a level, clear voice, speaking an incantation in a language older than most civilizations. He opened his eyes, and the world around him changed.
Ghost-like figures took shape: four figures sat around the campfire, which now blazed with an eerie light. The two adults were middle aged, a man and a woman dressed in non-descript gray robes. The two teenaged boys with them looked to be in their late teens, and were dressed in green robes.
“What are we looking at, Maxx?” Crusader asked, walking slowly around the scene.
“This is an ancient spell designed to let you look back in time. It’s tricky, but I’ve used this one before.”
The ghost figures continued to converse around the campfire, but the topic was unknown since the spell allowed them to view the scene, but not to hear it. At first it didn’t seem as though anything was going to happen, when suddenly the fire exploded upward in a blinding flare.
The mages got quickly to their feet, but before they could react, spears of eldritch flame burst from the trees around them. The female Adept was struck first, her robes bursting into flame as a look of pain and horror crossed her face. Her adult counterpart reached out to her, his lips moving as he tried to cast an incantation. Before he could finish it, he was also struck from behind.
The two teenagers struggled to raise mage barriers to protect themselves, but were unable to raise shields strong enough to withstand the mystical attack. They fell to the ground, writhing within bands of binding that now encircled their bodies.
From out of the darkness stepped four figures cloaked in black, their features hidden beneath hoods. At their sides were strange creatures: walking on four legs, they stood waist-high; thick, dark fur covered their bodies, except for the heads, which were covered in hairless skin pulled tight against their skulls, protruding veins pulsing as their lips pulled back over snapping jaws. Long crawls scratched at the ground, showing their impatience.
The captured teens were lifted into the air and dragged after the cloaked mages as they returned to the forest. Once their masters were gone, the creatures attacked the campsite, reigning destruction down on both the campsite and the corpses of the fallen mages. Once finished, they trotted off into the woods after their masters. The ghost images faded from sight as the spell ended.
The sickened Legionnaires looked at each other, horrified looks on their faces. Cobalt Kid regained his composure first. “What in the hell happened here?”
Bob the Cat, seemingly unmoved by the events that he had witnessed, stopped licking his butt and looked up at the heroes. “The creatures were Hrondas. Once upon a time, they were kind of canine creatures, sort of like a big wolf. They were Changed by the Wild Magic in the mountains, though, mutated into what you saw in the flashback.” He looked down, as though puzzling something out. “It’s strange, though. They are pack creatures, and highly territorial. I’ve never seen them work with any other creature before, least of all a human.”
“What’s Piddlin Pup doing?” Spellbinder asked. The other heroes turned to follow her gaze. Beagle Boy’s sidekick was sniffing the ground furiously, at just about the spot where, in the flashback, the cloaked figures had re-entered the forest.
“He’s probably found some carrion to roll in,” Bob replied. “You know how dogs are.”
“Shut up, Bob,” Maxx said sharply, obviously still disturbed by what his spell had shown them.
Beagle Boy knelt beside his faithful companion, resting one hand on the beagle’s back. “Whatcha doin’, buddy? You got a scent?” The excited dog began to whine, his tail wagging furiously. “Guys, I think he’s got the scent of those murdering bastards. I think he can lead us right to them.”
“Or maybe he’s just looking for a good place to pee,” Bob muttered.
Cobalt Kid cast a withering glare down at the cat. “I say let’s follow P-Pup,” he said, moving forward. “If he’s got their trail, let’s see where it leads. Maybe those poor kids are still alive.”
The heroes all moved forward, following the little dog into the woods. Bob the Cat looked as though he wanted to say something, but instead got up and followed them.
-------------------- Some people are like slinkys: not really good for anything, but they bring a smile to your face when you knock them down a flight of stairs
From: Penthouse atop Levitz Hall, LMBP Plaza, Embassy Row, Legion World | Registered: Jul 2003
| IP: Logged |
The heroes moved quietly through the underbrush, the twins using their telekinetic abilities to gently make a path through the trees. Piddlin Pup moved quickly, his sure nose seemingly to add uncharacteristic haste to his short legs. It was as though he sensed the urgency of their mission, and was pulling out all the stops.
Bob the Cat followed the group quietly, having left his usual quips behind at the campsite. It was as though something was troubling him, but he wasn’t yet ready to discuss it with the humans. He was a cat, after all, and cats were notoriously secretive.
:What could those mages have wanted with those kids?: Cobalt Kid asked, walking quietly behind Crujectra.
:I don’t know, Cobie, but I’m afraid for them: Cobalt Kid sent love through their soul-link, but unfortunately he had no words of comfort to offer. He was afraid for the young mages, as well.
Suddenly, Crusader stopped walking, holding up a hand to halt the others. “There’s someone following us,” he whispered softly, looking back into the trees behind them. “I can sense… something… but whoever they are, they are shielding. I can’t sense who it is.”
Nightcrawler’s yellow eyes narrowed slightly as he looked back. “Leave them to me,” he said simply. He turned and leaped upward, scaling the nearest tree with ease. As he entered the darkened branches, he faded from sight, blending in as though turning invisible. The Legionnaires stood silently, waiting for a signal.
They heard an explosion of air and a distinctly feminine gasp somewhere behind them. Suddenly the air before them was filled with a cloud of smoke and the smell of brimstone. When the smoke cleared, Nightcrawler stood before them, holding a struggling figure before him, his prehensile tail wrapped arounfd a hood-concealed neck.
Spellbinder scowled as the cloak parted slightly to reveal an expanse of bare leg. She stormed forward and jerked the hood back off the captive’s face. “Lizbet, you little fool!” she hissed, blue eyes blazing in anger. “What are you playing at, girl?”
The young witch stopped struggling, lips drawn up into a mocking grin. “Don’t get your crown in a bunch, Cousin. I thought that my assistance might be required.” She look pointedly past Crujectra and at Cobalt Kid.
Maxx stepped into her line of sight, hoping to diffuse the situation before his sister-in-law did something rash. Not that she probably didn’t deserve it. “Lizbet, it’s not safe to be traveling alone out here. Don’t you realize that if twenty mages could go missing that you were most likely going to be in danger?”
Lizbet looked coldly at her brother. “I can take care of myself, brother dearest. I may not have left Psyonia to trot along after the LMBP, but I am a more than capable mage.”
“Let’s hope so, dear,” Spellbinder said seriously, turning her back on the mage and pushing forward into the trees again.
-------------------- Some people are like slinkys: not really good for anything, but they bring a smile to your face when you knock them down a flight of stairs
From: Penthouse atop Levitz Hall, LMBP Plaza, Embassy Row, Legion World | Registered: Jul 2003
| IP: Logged |
The nine companions crouched low, peering through the bushes and down into a small ravine. There was a large cave mouth set into the rocky side of a small hill. Flanking either side of the opening were two black-robed figures. Piddlin Pup moved quickly from side to side, clearly impatient at being held back when he was on the trail.
Crusader reached out telepathically and linked them all together.
:Well, this certainly looks like the right place: Beagle Boy thought, one hand resting on Piddlin Pup’s back to hold the beagle in place.
:Maxx, can you tell if there’s anything guarding that cave entrance besides those two guards?: Cobalt Kid asked, kneeling next to Crujectra.
The sorcerer closed his eyes, reaching out gently with his MageSight. He would have to keep his probe extremely light to avoid detection. He could “see” magical glyphs on the frame of the cave mouth, but they appeared to be inactive. Most likely the guards would trigger the glyphs in case of attack, thereby activating some sort of defensive barrier over the opening. He couldn’t tell without probing deeper, but the spell would mostly likely do anything from stun an intruder to incinerate him.
:There is an inactive defensive barrier, Cobie. We’ll have to take out those guards fast. I doubt that it takes much more than a single Word to trigger the spell:
Cobalt Kid smiled and looked over at Beagle Boy. :Oh, I think we can do fast:
There was nothing to betray Beagle Boy’s actions. Even if you didn’t blink you would have missed it. In one instant the guards were standing at their posts, and in the next they were falling to the ground, unconscious. He was simply that fast. Nightcrawler darted forward and knelt down between the guards, placing a hand on each of them. In an explosion of air and smoke, they were all gone.
Less than three heartbeats later, Nightcrawler was back among them. :I can do fast too: he thought, the smile on his face revealing his slightly fanged canine teeth.
Cobalt Kid looked over to Crujectra, easily falling into the role of leadership. Even though he hadn’t been LMBP for several years, the team always seemed to look to him for guidance when he was present, and often deferred to his leadership in field assignments. :Crujeckie, can you sense anything inside that cave?:
The young princess cast a serious glance at the hillside, reaching out with her FarSight. She should be able to follow the cave opening into whatever lay beyond it with her psionic sight, but she couldn’t see anything beyond the cave opening. It was as if there was nothing there.
:Sorry, dear: she replied, eyes narrowing in frustration. :They must have some amazing shielding on that place to keep out my FarSight:
Lizbet looked slyly at the princess. :Perhaps you’re just losing your touch, Cousin:
Spellbinder turned to look at the mage, fire in her eyes. :Lizbet, I would tread very carefully if I were you. I think you are forgetting your place:
Cobalt Kid leaned forward, putting himself in between the two women. Even for such a former womanizer, he was proud of himself for what he felt was an act of sheer bravery. :Uh, maybe we should focus on the more immediate problem, ladies:
Crujectra looked at him sternly for a moment, but then her gaze softened, and she looked down at the ground, obviously embarrassed. :You’re right, of course, Cobalt Kid. My apologies for my behavior: He turned to look at Lizbet, who simply rolled her eyes and turned away with a huff. And that, Cobalt Kid thought to himself, is the different between a Princess and a Poser.
Bob the Cat sat on the ground beside the Crusader, his eyes never leaving the cave mouth. His hackles were raised slightly, and his ears lay back against his skull. :What’s wrong, Bob: he asked in Private-Mode. :You’ve been acting weird ever since we left the campsite:
:It’s nothing. Forget it:
Mykel seriously doubted that it was nothing, but decided not to pry. Yet. He just hoped he wouldn’t regret that decision later.
-------------------- Some people are like slinkys: not really good for anything, but they bring a smile to your face when you knock them down a flight of stairs
From: Penthouse atop Levitz Hall, LMBP Plaza, Embassy Row, Legion World | Registered: Jul 2003
| IP: Logged |
The tunnel led deeper and deeper into the hillside, angling downward at a constant slope. It felt as though they had been walking for hours, but it had really only been a fraction of that time. Nightcrawler ranged out slightly ahead of the others, his ability to take advantage of the shadows helping to conceal him as he scouted for danger. The twins and the mages probed ahead gently with MageSight and telepathy, but to no avail. There was something in these caves that was blocking their efforts to scan ahead.
Bob the Cat walked along at the front of the group, whiskers twitching and eyes darting from side to side. Suddenly he stopped, back arching as he let out a surprisingly loud hiss. “Watch out!”
Before the heroes could react, the walls ahead of them began to move. At first, it seemed as though large boulders were detaching themselves from the rocky walls, but then the mound of stone began to bend and twist. Thick arms and legs became more pronounced as the creatures freed themselves. Round heads swiveled around, glowing red eyes opening within their sunken sockets.
“Well, crap,” Cobalt Kid said as the creatures moved forward with surprising speed. He took the first creature, reaching out with both hands. In his mind’s eye he looked at the magnetic fields available in the tunnel, and made an instant decision made possible by years of training. Bending the fields to his will, he wrapped them around the creature, magnetically grabbing every fiber of metallic ore in the creature’s body. Rolling backward to the floor, he hurled the rock man with a surge of magnetic force. The attacker rocketed up the tunnel from where they had come, possibly even out through the cave mouth.
Maxx and Lizbet gestured toward the next creature, simultaneously shouting an incantation. Eldritch energy pulsed forth from their outstretched hands, bridging the distance between them and their quarry in a heartbeat. The energy wrapped around the rock being, and suddenly he began to transform. The bits of mud and dirt that was holding it together began to break apart, and suddenly limbs began to drop from it’s torso. When the head rolled off it’s shoulders, the rest of him dropped to the floor in a pile of rubble.
Spellbinder and the Crusader stood side by side, facing another of the rock creatures. They needed no Words of Power or fancy gestures to attack their prey. All they needed was the strength of their minds and the force of their will. The rock being stopped suddenly before them, held in the invisible vise of their combined power. Less than a handful of heartbeats later, the being exploded, the shards of rock stopping before they had traveled more than three feet from the explosion. Less than two heartbeats later, all of the debris dropped to the floor of the tunnel.
Piddlin Pup ran up to the final assailant, tail wagging. He turned to the side and lifted a hind leg. Suddenly, a deluge of urine coated the creature’s legs, and the mud and dirt holding it together began to break up. The creature fell to the ground as it’s legs gave out under it. Suddenly, Beagle Boy was there, vibrating so fast that it was almost impossible to see him even moving. He used his vibrations like a jackhammer, dismembering the creature with surgical precision.
Crujectra wrinkled her nose in distaste. “I think Piddlin Pup might need a change in diet, dear.”
Beagle Boy grinned up at the princess. “We can’t all have fancy powers, Your Highness.”
Nightcrawler suddenly appeared, dropping out of the darkness. “I don’t suppose you guys could make any more noise back here, could you?”
Cobalt Kid cast a look of annoyance at the LMBPer. “Tell you what, Nighty… you can handle the next batch.”
“Since we have most likely lost the element of surprise,” Spellbinder interrupted, “I suggest that we move as quickly as possible, and be prepared for the worst.”
-------------------- Some people are like slinkys: not really good for anything, but they bring a smile to your face when you knock them down a flight of stairs
From: Penthouse atop Levitz Hall, LMBP Plaza, Embassy Row, Legion World | Registered: Jul 2003
| IP: Logged |
The tunnel opened into a large cavern, larger than a football field. It curved downward like a bowl, it’s base nearly one hundred feet below the tunnel entrance. A narrow path led down into the cavern, curving around it along the cave wall. Stalactites hung down from the cavern roof like dragon’s fangs, any one of them large enough to crush a man beneath their weight.
In the center of the cavern floor arose a temple. It was square in shape, with sloping walls and pillars spaced evenly around it, forming a kind of porch on all sides. It looked to be made of marble, with glowing symbols adorning it’s walls, giving it a decidedly arcane appear. Where most temples gave off an air of peace and hope, this temple reeked of wrongness. Whatever was going on in there, it was definitely unwholesome.
“Anybody getting anything yet?” Cobalt Kid asked as the assembled heroes stood just inside the tunnel opening, looking down into the cavern.
“Death,” Crujectra said, her eyes taking on a haunted look. “There is something very bad here.”
Maxx nodded. “Old Magic… Dark Magic… Power twisted into something evil and unnatural.”
Lizbet hugged herself tightly, a look of distaste on her face. “This cavern is heavily shielded, which is why we couldn’t detect anything from the outside. Layers and layers of protective shielding, so that nothing could seep out. And something else…”
Maxx gasped. “A node! A magical power node, buried deep beneath that temple. It’s huge, bigger than any node I’ve encountered on Psyonia.” He reached up as if touching the air. “Blood Magic has corrupted it, and there are at least ten leylines being routed into it.”
“Sooooo, we’ve got Big Bad,” Cobalt Kid said, a look of determination on his face. “Big deal. We’re the LMBP! We eat Big Bad for breakfast.” With that, he moved forward and began the descent into the cavern. He didn’t need to check to make sure that the others were behind him. Of course they were. The LMBP had followed him into Hell and back. That’s what they did. Regardless of what else they might be, at their core they were heroes. They would do what needed to be done to protect the innocent.
The dragons were a nice touch, though.
Columns of fire rained down on the heroes as four dragons swooped down on them from above. They were huge, blood red creatures, covered in thick scales. Wide wings beat the air savagely as they rocketed toward the Legionnaires. Custom saddles were strapped to their backs, specially made to carry the black cloaked mages on their backs.
Maxx raised his hands above his head, shouting the incantation. Suddenly, the air above them shimmered and pulsed as a mage barrier formed over them, deflecting the dragon fire. “Lizbet and I will be little help against dragons,” he shouted out over the roar of the winged beasts. “Dragon scale is highly resistant to magic.”
The twins looked at each other, a thought quickly passing between them. “Well then, let’s see how resistant they are to other things,” Crusader said grimly as he and Spellbinder leaped up into the air.
The twins dodged around the dragons’ attack as they hurtled upward toward the cavern roof. They would have to be careful. After all, collapsing the cavern wouldn’t be wise, and most likely unhealthy for any hostages inside the temple.
Reaching out with their minds, they began snapping stalactites off from the roof. The stony missiles began dropping heavily like a barrage of arrows. The dragons roared in fury and they were put on the defensive, forced to avoid the new attack.
One dragon was not lucky, as a stalactite speared through one of its wings, ripping a huge tear in it. The great beast began spiraling downward, unable to remain aloft. It struck the ground with a deafening thud that could even be heard above the sounds of stalactites impacting with the cavern floor.
The remaining dragons began moving off, seeking to put distance between them and their attackers, much to the ire of their riders.
The twins dropped down to land beside their teammates. “So let me get this straight,” Beagle Boy asked, a look of disbelief on his face. “Y’all have dragons here?”
Maxx smiled. “Well, we have wizards and castles, Beagz. The dragons should have been a given.”
Cobalt Kid looked grimly at the temple, which was now which one hundred yards. “Any suggestions on how to proceed from here?”
Nightcrawler looked at the building, eyes narrowing. “There’s no point in trying to sneak up on them at this point.” He looked at his teammates. “I don’t suppose a probe is going to happen?”
Crujectra closed her eyes briefly, and them sighed as she opened them again. “Sorry, Nighty. The temple is shielded.”
Nightcrawler smiled. “Of course it is.”
“Where’s Bob?” Crusader asked suddenly.
The Legionnaires looked about quickly. The cat was no where to be seen.
“Bob!” Maxx called softly, trying to pitch his voice so that it wouldn’t carry too far.
“Give me a minute,” came a muffled reply from behind a nearby boulder.
Crujectra rolled her eyes. “I cannot believe that he’s doing that now.”
Bob the Cat came strolling out from behind the rock, a look of satisfaction on his face. “Next time I’ll do it by your feet, Your Royalness. If we’re going into battle, I’ll need to travel light, and that snack I had back at the campsite was weighing me down.”
-------------------- Some people are like slinkys: not really good for anything, but they bring a smile to your face when you knock them down a flight of stairs
From: Penthouse atop Levitz Hall, LMBP Plaza, Embassy Row, Legion World | Registered: Jul 2003
| IP: Logged |
In the end, it probably wouldn’t have mattered how they had approached the temple. Stealthily, boldly, well prepared or off the cuff, the trap still probably would have worked. Cobalt Kid struggled back to consciousness, and then struggled against invisible bonds. The former he accomplished, but the latter proved to be beyond his abilities.
The Legionnaires hung immobile against the inner temple wall, the air around them crackling with arcane energy. Cobalt Kid remembered entering the temple through the only outer door visible, and even as Maxx was shouting a warning electric energy coursed through him. He had no idea how long he had been unconscious, but he supposed it was lucky that he was alive at all.
The temple stretched out before them, a central aisle running parallel to the wall against which they were being held. Stone benches lined either side of the aisle, all facing toward a raised altar in the front of the room. Black robed figures sat on the benches, murmuring softly as one. On the altar stood a tall, broad figure, his features hidden like the others beneath a hood.
Ranged out against the wall behind him were twelve teenagers, each one chained to the wall, vacant looks upon their faces. They looked none the worse for wear; apparently their captives had wanted them more or less intact. Each one was wearing a crystal adhered to their foreheads, each crystal glowing a blood red.
There were two stone tables on the altar, one on either side of the broad hooded figure. Maxx was laying on one, and Lizbet was on the other. They didn’t appear to be conscious yet, and both of them glowed with the same arcane energy that held the rest of the Legionnaires. Cobalt Kid looked to the side and saw that his teammates were also now awake, and were watching the scene before them with great concern.
The man on the altar looked over, red eyes glowing within the darkness of his hood. He was holding crystals in each of his clawed hands, apparently preparing to accessorize the unconscious mages. “Ah, our uninvited guests have awoken. And what guests they are! The Royal Twins of Psyonia, and the youngest members of one of the planet’s oldest wizarding families. How fortuitous that you should stumble into our hands.”
Suddenly the energy around Crujectra and Mykel flared outward slightly. A surge of electrical energy pulsed through the captives and the energy returned to normal. They could hear the humor in the voice of the faceless mage before them when he spoke. “I wouldn’t try to escape again, Your Highnesses. The spell that is holding you is designed to reflect any power directed against it back on you. The harder you struggle, the more pain will be inflicted on you. Ingenious, is it not?”
“It’s a real peach,” Crujectra said through clenched teeth.
“Who are you?” Crusader asked, fists clenched in frustration.
A voice came from the back of the temple. “His name is Bearath,” Bob the Cat said, leaping up onto the farthest stone bench. The Legionnaires looked at him in surprise, thinking that he had been captured along with the rest of them. “He is a second… no, make that third rate conjurer that’s been alive far longer than anyone deserves.”
“Who dares speak to me so?” Bearath asked, anger creeping into his voice.
Bob leaped down to the floor and circled around the benches toward the altar, keeping far from the seated mages. “Oh, think of me as an old acquaintance, Bearath. Although I certainly never would have expected our paths to cross again. We both should have died over one hundred years ago.”
The man on the altar pushed back his hood. His head was devoid of hair, covered instead with golden scales. Red reptilian eyes stared unblinking just above a lizard-like snout. Only the mouth seemed human-shaped, but then reptilian lips would never have been able to form incantations. “Let’s just say I’ve had some work done, Cat.”
“Bearath, you fool,” Bob said, shaking his head. “What have you done?”
“I’ve done what I had to in order to gain the power I craved. Human bodies are fragile. In order to be able to channel the power of the nodes, I needed to make certain modifications to myself. Even that wasn’t enough, though.” Bob looked at the chained Journeymen at the back of the altar, realization dawning. He sniffed the air and hissed. “You’ve used Blood Magic to make these kids into magical batteries.”
Bearath crossed his arms. “Node magic is stronger than I anticipated. Even my new form couldn’t channel enough of it to gain me the power I craved. However, using these Journeymen as filters allows me to draw more node energy than I could do alone.”
Cobalt Kid had a look of horror on his face. “They figured out what you were doing, didn’t they? Those Adepts that you killed, they had stumbled upon the leylines you were re-routing to power your node.”
Bearath looked up with his cold, emotionless eyes. “They could have shared in the benefits, as my other followers do. All they would have had to do is give up these Journeymen and join me. They had to be eliminated.”
Bob turned his head, tail twitching from side to side. “They never would have given up these kids to you, so you wiped them out before they could raise a defense against you.”
Bearath smiled smugly. “And with Maxx and Lizbet added to my collection, there will be no one who can stand against us.”
Bob licked a paw casually. “Oh, I wouldn’t say that.”
Suddenly, lights flashed around the temple. As the bursts of energy faded, in their place stood animals: cats, owls, falcons, spread out all around the temple. The seated mages rose to their feet. Bearath laughed. “Pets? You think that I can be stopped by pets?”
Bob stood up, feline eyes narrowed slightly. “Allow me to enlighten you, Black Mage. When worthy Psyonian Adepts die, they are offered a choice. They can either go on to their AfterLife, or they can come back to serve Psyonia in a new form. That’s what I did, over one hundred years ago, when the elderly mage Boraz passed on. I chose to return when called to become a Guardian of Psyonia.
“When Crujectra and Mykel needed guidance in the use of their powers, I was reborn as Bob the Cat so that I could once again serve the Royal Family. That is what you gave up, my former protégé, when you chose to turn your back on everything I tried to teach you to become this abomination that you are today.”
“Boraz? Can that truly be you?”
Bob nodded his head slightly. “I, too, have changed a bit since last time you saw me, Bearath. Of course, the last time you saw me you had just murdered me, but no one looks good slaughtered.”
“No matter, teacher,” Bearath said coldly, stepping out from behind the tables. Bob could feel the power in the node awakening. This was going to be tricky, but failure was not on option. As Bearath began to raise his arms, Bob spun around, mystic energy coursing through him. The wall behind the Legionnaires exploded inward, the debris striking the captive heroes and hurling them farther into the room. As they fell to the floor, the energy around them began to fade.
Bob leaped forward as twin bolts of magefire struck the floor where he had been standing. Chaos erupted all around the room as the familiars moved into action, unleashing spells against the Dark Mages. Bob couldn’t spare a moment’s attention on them, however. Cats could move quickly when necessary, but Bearath had become one fast Change-Beast. The cat dove behind an overturned bench and summoned power again.
Bearath pointed at the bench and with little more than a thought he sent node energy blasting toward it. The bench exploded in a shower of rocky debris, but the noise wasn’t enough to cover the snarl that came from behind it. Bob the Cat leaped forward, growing in size from a small tabby cat to a panther-sized predator, claws extended as he leaped to the altar.
Crujectra struggled to rise from the floor where she had landed. Although she wanted to desperately to check on her friends, she knew her priorities must lay with stopping these mages. She reached out with her mind to touch the thoughts of the familiar. Bob’s orders came flooding into her quickly, and she knew what must be done.
Spellbinder and Crusader marshaled their wills as they turned toward the altar and the unconscious mages lying upon its sacrificial tables. With a surge of telekinetic force, they wrapped Maxx and Lizbet in cocoons of mental power and pulled them from the altar. “Nightcrawler!” Crujectra called urgently. “Can you teleport?”
Nightcrawler stumbled to her side, looking a little stiff but otherwise unharmed. “I think so, Princess.”
“Get them as far away as possible,” she ordered as the two unconscious mages landed softly beside them. “I don’t know long we were out, but we can’t risk Bearath using them to draw on the node.”
Nightcrawler placed a hand on each mage and the trio disappeared in a cloud of smoke.
Crujectra turned to her remaining teammates. :We need to free the kids and get them out of here. The familiars are taking care of the mages, but we need to limit how much node energy they can access. The kids are holding too much energy in them, and those crystals are keeping them submissive:
Cobalt Kid reached out, warping the magnetic fields in the temple, bending them to his will. The chains binding the Journeymen tore loose, and rather than waste handy ammunition, he showered the Dark Mages with shrapnel. Crusader and Spellbinder sent a surge of psionic force against the back wall, and it exploded outward. The four heroes rushed forward to collect the twelve Journeymen and carry them out through the hole in the wall.
Bearath turned in anger to stop the abduction of his extra power supply, but a mage bolt from Bob returned his attention to the battle at hand. “Pay attention to the threat at hand, pupil.” Bob nodded in satisfaction as he noted that the node energy was beginning to lessen. He could sense the influx of leyline power stopping, and knew that his plan was working.
“What have you done, Boraz?”
“Nothing too interesting, pupil,” the cat said conversationally, erecting a shield to absorb the blast coming toward him. “I gave Nightcrawler a little instruction before he left with the magelings. Once he woke them, he told Maxx and Lizbet to begin cutting off the leylines that you had re-routed here. Once this is done, the Psyonian mages can put them back the way they should be, but in the meantime I do believe that I have severely depleted your energy supply.”
“Fool of a cat! Do you think that you can match my power? You have cut yourself off from that same energy supply.”
Bob laughed. “I’m sorry, old boy. Did you think I was drawing from your node?” He reached outward, drawing extra energy into himself, feeling the other familiars doing the same. “When the first Adept made his bargain with our Gods, he became one with Psyonia so that he could defend her after his death. So it has been with all familiars ever since. We are the Guardians of Psyonia, and as such we are linked directly into her power.”
As one, the familiars attacked, sending pure magical energy coursing into the Dark Mages like an erupting volcano. Unfiltered energy tore through the mages’ channels, searing them as they became overloaded. The mages screamed in agony as the channels that allowed them to process magical energy were savagely ripped to shreds.
One by one the mages dropped to the floor. Some writhed in pain, while others moved beyond pain into unconsciousness. Only Bearath, the most powerful of them all managed to retain some semblance of coherence, although Bob knew with dread certainty that the mage would never again be able to move magical energy through his damaged channels.
“We don’t need your node, pupil. We are Magic.”
-------------------- Some people are like slinkys: not really good for anything, but they bring a smile to your face when you knock them down a flight of stairs
From: Penthouse atop Levitz Hall, LMBP Plaza, Embassy Row, Legion World | Registered: Jul 2003
| IP: Logged |
The Psyonian Guard took the critically injured Dark Mages into custody, loading some into confinement cruisers and others into ambulances. The familiars were nearby, watching calmly as the Journeymen were examined by Healers. The first thing that the familiars had done after defeating the mages was remove the submission crystals, freeing their minds. That was when shock had set in, but by that time the Healers were on the scene and ready to take over.
The Legionnaires stood nearby, having been joined by the King and Queen, as well as Jorge and Luceal. They were listening intently as the heroes relayed the events of the last few hours. They took it all in calmly, not interrupting once until the story was told.
“Why were we never told the truth about the familiars?” Jorge asked Bob, who sat uncharacteristically still.
“It was determined long ago that things were better should the truth be kept secret,” the cat replied. “There are limits to our involvement in the affairs of mankind, and in all honesty we never felt that people could be trusted not to become dependent on us is they realized how powerful we were.”
Jorge nodded, grudgingly admitting that would probably have been the case should the truth have come out. He didn’t have to like it, though.
“So where do we go from here?” King Hrold asked.
Bob looked up at the king thoughtfully. “The secret must remain. The Dark Mages are in no condition to pass on what they know, and by the time they have recovered enough to say anything we will have taken steps to adjust their memories of these events.
“As for the rest of you… I am willing to take you at your word that you will keep your silence on this.”
“What about those dragon-rider mages?” Beagle Boy asked.
“We have people working on rounding them up,” Jorge replied. “There are still more Dark Mages out there who were working with Bearath and his followers, but now that we know what we are dealing with, we should be able to take care of things.
“What about the Journeymen?” Nightcrawler asked.
“The Guardians will be taking care of them,” Bob answered. “They will handle their recovery, and make sure that there are no lasting effects from their ordeal. Once they feel that there charges are recovered sufficiently, the Guardians will move on to new tasks.”
“Will you be returning to Legion World with us, Bob?” Crujectra asked, leaning against Cobalt Kid, whose arm was wrapped lovingly around her waist. She smiled smugly at Lizbet, who was watching them with a sour expression on her face.
“I think that’s for the best,” the cat replied. “It is my mission to protect the best interests of Psyonia, and I think that includes keeping a watchful eye on the Royal Twins.” He looked critically down at an outstretched paw. “Besides, I have an appointment to keep with a masseuse back there, and it would be rude to cancel my appointment at this late date.”
-------------------- Some people are like slinkys: not really good for anything, but they bring a smile to your face when you knock them down a flight of stairs
From: Penthouse atop Levitz Hall, LMBP Plaza, Embassy Row, Legion World | Registered: Jul 2003
| IP: Logged |
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