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We're All Doomed


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#1 Guest_Bibbi_*

Posted 21 March 2004 - 01:53 AM

Aerie suppressed a sob as Iranie’s limp form fell to the ground. The wizard wiped his hands and turned back to Xan, examining the elf for signs of change. “I have never seen a wizard’s reaction to his familiar’s death,” he spoke aloud, more to himself than his prisoners. “It is less spectacular than I was hoping.”

Xan hung from his manacles, face down and unmoving. He had been unresponsive to any outside stimuli for the last few hours, but Aerie knew he was still breathing from his emaciated frame’s occasional shudders. He hadn’t even moved when their captor had slaughtered the small familiar in front of them. None of his experiments had had much effect on the elf.

Since Aerie’s arrival, the wizard has performed several tests on her body, measuring an avariel’s response to those of a regular elf. His spells still lingered in her mind, nasty worms crawling through her brain. As long as the wizard remained in control, she was unable to use her magic to wipe away any trace of his filth or try to heal herself or Xan. She had given up hope that anyone else remained alive in this place, or they would have rescued her by now. Worse yet, they might be in the same circumstances, torture by another demented wizard, perhaps Irenicus himself.

The wizard turned back to the table with their equipment and his tools. He went to the cage now holding only Quayle, and Aerie’s heart raced. She couldn’t let him harm the creature, she wouldn’t. Desperation created an idea, and she shouted to the man, her voice raspy from screaming.

“I have- I know something you want.”

The wizard turned to her, leering at this display of helpfulness. “Do you, my dear? Have I found the weak spot to threaten you with? You hold more care for your familiar than the silly elf with his. Very well, I’m listening.”

Aerie bit her lip, knowing that if the wizard believed her, she would lose something valuable to her, but if he didn’t, she would most likely die. “I carry a scroll with me which is- is very valuable. It holds much power in it about- about flight. I was going to use it, myself, but if you will release us, I will give it to you.”

The wizard sneered at her. “What’s to keep me from taking it now? What power do you have, here? Foolish elf.” He opened her pack and searched through it, discarding potions, amulets and the like until he pulled a scroll from a case and scanned its surface. “Hmm. A transformation scroll. And quite powerful, too. Were you planning on ascending to lichdom, little girl? Do you think one as weak as you would survive the process? Only a gifted wizard such as I could hope to survive such a ritual.”

He cleared his workspace and prepared to cast the ritual contained on the scroll. After some time, he had gathered all of the necessary materials and spread the scroll on a table to perform. He had apparently forgotten about his prisoners, intent on the ritual as he was. “Once I gain my undeath, not even Master Irenicus will be able to stand against me,” he gloated to himself. “We’ll see who is worthy of wielding powerful magic, then.”

The wizard read from the scroll, adding gestures and materials occasionally, until the scroll crumbled and he recited the last few words. “I can feel the change coming!” he shouted. “I feel- I feel-” His mouth had shrunk by this point so that no words were possible. In fact, his entire body had shrunk as soon as the scroll had been destroyed, changing shape and appearance as he became smaller. In less than a minute, the wizard’s body was replaced with that of a goose. The fowl honked once in astonishment before waddling out of the room, startled by its own voice.

As soon as the transformation had taken place, the manacles holding the two elves opened, no longer restrained by the wizard’s spells. Aerie slumped to the floor in relief, amazed that her trick had worked. She vowed never to perform magic without proper planning and research. A small pang raced through her as she acknowledged that her last chance of flight was probably gone, but she had come to the conclusion that life on the ground might not be impossible to accept.

She crawled to Xan’s side after the initial rush of enthusiasm, checking on the gravely injured elf. He hadn’t made a sound for some time, and she hoped he would be all right. “Xan?” she asked gently, reaching for his shoulder.

He whispered something and she bent close to hear. “I knew this would end badly.” He smiled wryly, his eyes closed.

“We’re free, Xan,” Aerie argued. “This isn’t the end! We will face Irenicus and make him pay for what he has done to all of us. Then we’ll go on and lead our lives again.”

He shook his head. “I’m doomed. This is the end. I can’t make it any further.”

“That sounds like the old Xan,” she said with a slight smile. “Now let’s find the others.”

She tugged at him but he refused to move. He opened his eyes and stared at her. “I cannot, Aerie. I have seen much pain in my life, but none so horrible as the torture on this island. I will not go on to see more. The afterlife calls and I will not ignore it. I die free, for that I thank you.” He brushed her cheek, almost shyly, before coughing and turning to spit blood. “Take all that I own. You are now the wielder of the Moonblade; use it well. I trust you to use it well, and for our people. Don’t cry, Aerie. You should envy me; I’m leaving this hollow world to go onto another realm. That one will be pointless and dull, as well, but it will be a change.”

Aerie smiled through her tears and stroked his hair as his eyes closed for the last time. She laid his body down and chanted a prayer for his soul. She wished she had been able to heal him, but all of her magic had been drained after her capture, and she had no healing potions to give him. The best she could do was wish his spirit an easy journey to the elven lands.

She stood and gathered her equipment, girding the Moonblade to her side. She would not let this sort of evil flourish anymore. She had not truly understood the depravity some people could be capable of, but now that she had, she wanted nothing more than to see it erased from the face of the earth. “I will not let your death be in vain,” she whispered to Xan. She took Quayle from his cage, undisturbed as he slept soundly, and left the room to find the others and gain revenge.




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