Mordeki bent down getting a more focused look at the tavern floor. Stains from tracked mud, spilled drinks, and who knows what. Mordeki was focused on a single drop of freshly dried blood.
He hovered his hand over it as a slight red light began emitting from it. "This one walks a path of fire leaving cinders in their tracks." He chanted. Suddenly a fire emerged scorching the image of a boot print on the wooden floorboards. It was Dian's size. "Show me their path to the pyre." He finished, more fires lit in quick succession marking Dian's trail out of the inn and out into the street.
Mordeki opened the door to be assaulted by cold wet winds as rain came down heavy from the midnight sky. The street was only illuminated by the scorching footprints that trekked through the mudded street. He closed his leather spell book and moved out into the dark street.
He followed the trail to the edge of town, at which point the spell started failing as the flames could not resist the natural rainfall. There would be no way for him to pick up the trail again. He stood trying to figure out where to go, but was interrupted by a figure bumping into him.
Mordeki turned to see the small frame of a halfling man. "Oh! Excuse me mister." He was wearing the cultist robes that the innkeeper had described to him. Mordeki seized the opportunity that was laid before him. "Give me memories unlike my own!" Mordeki chanted as a purple rune formed in the palm of his hand pressing it against the halfling's forehead.
Both his and the halfling's eye pulsed purple as Mordeki started receiving flashbacks from the halfling's recent memories. He watched from the man's perspective, himself being carried into town by Dian. He felt the adoration of the halfling. Next the cultists gathered reporting the arrival of "The Masked Matron"; their idol. Cheers and merriment resounded. Their divine purpose could commence. Mordeki could tell by the surrounding that they were in some sort of barn.
The cult was gathered again outside the inn, magical torches lit with arcane fire to give light in the rainy midnight. They demanded their idol's presence, and finally she answered. Mordeki shook as he watched Dian willingly leave with the cult. "She wasn't stolen away. She... She joined them..." He figured. Mordeki began feeling an intense pain in his head as the flashbacks became a static white. "Dammit, I stayed too long! I need to cut off the spell!"
Mordeki pulled his hand from the halfling's head as he got knocked backwards by the neural backlash. He fell into a thorn bush getting pricked in several places. He stood to his feet and became suddenly livid. "How dare she betray us in such a way!" He thought. His eyes began turning a shade of red. "All she did was use me..." He barred his teeth in anger. "...just like 'Her'." His eyes turned an even deeper red as he knew only murderous fury.
XXXXX
"What are you doing here!? Aren't you supposed to be attending some party!" Dian yelled through the storm to Gala.
"There was a change of plans! Mordeki is trying to kill you!"
"What?"
"I said Mordeki is trying --"
"WHAT!?"
"OH GOD DAMMIT!" °Mordeki is trying to kill you!°
°What the... Why do I hear you in my head?°
°Telepathy... duh. Anyway, something has happened and Mordeki is going to kill you or something.°
°I hope you have an explanation why.°
°Haha. Nope. I just know I'm the only one who can save your life.°
°That's a funny joke; you saving my life.°
°It's true! I bet my life on it.°
°If that's the case, then if someone else saves they day. You owe your life to me.°
°Uh... ha ha.°
Gala laughed nervously in her head at such a tantalizing prospect. She's had possessive wives before, but not someone who 'owned' her. Though Gala was here on business, she might as well make it about pleasure too.
°I accept, but if I am the one that saves you... I get to have a date with you.°
°What? That's it?° Dian chuckled in both their heads.
°Yeah! Do you accept or not?°
°Sure, I accept.°
They both ran from the barn in the torrential downpour. They could see a bright light through the rain. Figuring it was light from the town they moved for it. They were right about it being a light, but wrong about everything else. Mordeki stood there holding up a large blazing red rune above his head. His frills outstretched in an intimidating manner. The storm died for a moment as the eye was just above them.
"Mordeki! You need to calm down!" Gala yelled down the path to the large lizard.
"SO YOU'VE ALLIED YOURSELF WITH THE CULT AS WELL!?" He shouted.
"What?" Gala said turning back to Dian who was behind her.
"I'll explain later. Now do the whole life saving thing you're supposed to do."
"She's a demon, can't you see!? Why else would she hide away behind a mask!?" Mordeki accused.
"You know nothing of my lineage!" Dian suddenly bit back. Spite grinding between her teeth.
"Don't trust her! She's been lying to us this whole time! A demon like her must be put down!"
Gala was frozen. She didn't know who to trust. Mordeki had such conviction in his voice, but she knew there was no possiblity at it being true. She felt a firm grip on her shoulder. She turned to see Dian. A determined, angry, demonic look on her face, but the moment Gala saw a single tear fall down Dian's cheek, she knew where her loyalties lie.
With the sexy elven babe!
"That's not going to happen, Mordeki!" Gala yelled standing infront of her chosen wifey.
"THEN YOU SHALL PARISH WITH HER!" He shouted pulling the rune down pointing it in their direction. A deep whistle range out as a red beam of fire shot at them.
Everything went slow motion as both Gala and Dian thought it was the end, but then they saw the glint of rose gold metal. Ag took the full force of the spell straight to the mouth as he jumped in the way. Everything went dark as he lied on the ground. A moment of silence...
*Burp!*
The red fire beam shot from Ag's mouth straight into the sky. The spell finally detonated in the atmosphere parting the storm above them. A blazing fireball that illuminated the town and country side. For a moment, it was armageddon above them.
"Sorry, looks like Ag saved the day." Dian snickered towards Gala.
"The day isn't saved yet..." Ag stood with the support of his longsword. "...there is still work to be done."
Reggie pulled up behind the group. "Good thing we got here in time."
"Where were you guys?" Gala asked.
"Does it matter? We're here now. I'm wonder why you're here though."
"Long story short, Mordeki is trying to kill Dian."
"Why's that?"
"It matters not..." Ag interrupted. "...Mordeki's flame burns like a black wildfire, and must be quelled." Ag was then blasted by a constant torrent of flame. "Ah! Get behind me!"
The team moved behind Ag, using him like a shield against the flamethrower-like spell Mordeki was now using against them. "I didn't think he has such a high mana reserve. I can't even cast Explosion without getting mana sickness from it." Ag said holding his forearms in a cross spreading the flames around him.
"Isn't he some kind of court mage? He has to have a massive reserve!" Dian yelled to get her voice past the sound of crackling flame.
"Think of something! I can only hold these flames for so long before it actually starts hurting!" Ag commanded, somewhat lying as the flames were already hurting.
At that moment Reggie could see a crushed rose bush next to Mordeki. Reggie instantly recognized the multicolored red-orange-yellow roses. "Devil Thorn!" He yelled.
"Devil what?" Dian questioned.
"Devil Thorn Rose! It's thorns secrete a poison that induces homicidal rage in it's victim! My guess is he's afflicted by 'em!"
"So what's -- the damn -- cure!?" Ag grunted still holding back the flame, parts of his armor were beginning to melt off.
"We either kill him, or let him kill his target. Obviously both are out of the question. I've heard there's a third way, but it involves a bunch of mind fuckery I'm not capable of."
"Damn, my hemomancy effects the body, not the mind!" Dian complained.
In that moment Gala knew her purpose here. Why Julia sent her specifically. "Reggie! Can you create an opening for me?"
"No, but I know a person who can!" Reggie looked to the side to see a fist sized rock rise off the ground slightly as it gets hurled straight into Mordeki's snout making him lose his concentration on his spell.
In his stunned moment Gala pushed past Ag and jumped at Mordeki slamming her forehead into his. Both laid on the ground unconscious from the headbutt.
XXXXX
"...Mordeki..."
"...Mordekiiiiii..."
"...Wake uuuuuuuuup..."
"Mordeki!"
Mordeki jolted awake. He felt the warm midday grass of the palace gardens underneath him as he laid on his stomach. A pint sized Vanity was sat on his back pulling on his neck frills. "Wake up alreadyyyyyy!"
"Princess... You know I don't like my frills being pulled on." Mordeki spoke softly. No hint of anger or annoyance.
"But you weren't waking up! Play with meeeeee!"
"I can't quite play with you on my back, princess."
"Yes you can! I'm not big enough to ride a horse yet, but I can ride you!" Mordeki let out a light chuckle at little Vanity's request.
"What did I say about riding court mages?"
Vanity pouted. "Court mages aren't for riding, they're for reading." She gently hopped off his back.
"Then read me a book! An adventure one! And it has to be funny too!" Vanity's playful vigor came back as Mordeki stood towering over her.
"That's quite the tall order." Mordeki hung down his hand and offered a claw at which a tiny white hand grabbed hold. "Let's go to the library then, princess."
The two walked hand and claw through the halls. Not another soul could be seen. A series of perfectly peaceful moments that couldn't be sullied by anything.
The two arrived at the library. Vanity sat up at one of the tables while Mordeki browsed the selection. He was looking for a very specific book. He found it with a chuckle having just read the title. "Donatello Paragono: The Pants Stealing Rogue"
"I got your favorite, princess." He said as he placed the book in front of her. She gasped in excitement.
"I love Don Paragon!"
"Why steal from their pockets...?" Mordeki started.
"When you can steal their pockets!" Vanity finished with a heroic fist thrust.
Mordeki picked up little Vanity, sat down in the chair, then sat Vanity on his lap. He opened to the center of the book where he had a bookmark placed.
"No! I wanna read from the beginning again!"
"Are you sure, princess? We were just getting to the best part last time."
"But I forgot everything before then! We can't start a story at the middle if I don't remember the beginning!" Little Vanity pouted as she forcibly tried to turn the pages still in Mordeki's claws. A sickening rip of paper could be heard before she realized what she was doing.
Vanity held the torn pieces of paper in her hand as tears started to well in her eyes. Whimpering could be heard from her throat. She was doing her best to not cry, and Mordeki noticed this. He placed a gentle hand on her head. "Shuuuu, shuuuu. There's no reason to cry, princess."
"B-but.. I-I-I... I ruined it! Waaaaaah!" Her cries came in full force. Luckily there was no one else around to be disturbed by the volume.
"Don't worry, princess. This is nothing a little magic can't fix." He gently took the torn papers from Vanity's hands and put them back along the tears. With a flick of his fingers the pages reconnected to the book as if they had never been removed.
"See, Princess? It's like you never touched it."
"It-It's fine? You're not mad?" Vanity sniffled.
"I could never be mad at you, princess. I promise."