On the dark side of a moon orbiting a gas giant in a desolate solar system, four humanoids walk with the only female among them providing their sole source of illumination emanating from her hand. In such utter darkness, the light only casts them as vague shadows within the larger shadow.
“Let’s stop for a moment,“ says one of the men suddenly, “I’m getting a strong feeling that we’re close.”
“Where, my love?” says another of the men to the first.
“Yes, where?” prods a third impatiently, “we’ve been on this rock for nearly three hours!”
“Leave him alone!” the second yells to the third. “This moon is rife with magical defenses, hexes, curses and cloaking spells! It is taking all the skill and effort my husband can exert to--”
“It’s okay, lover…over there!” the first interjects.
The lone woman shines her light in the direction the first man indicates and finally rests on a stone marker adorned with alien glyphs.
“That’s it!” the third man yells. “It must be!” And all four approach it.
Within moments the first man kneels down and reads the marker, its strange language familiar to him. “Yes,” he proclaims after a moment, “this is the place. The artifact we need is buried underneath.” Then he looks in the direction of the second man. “My love?”
“Yes, husband” is the response, and the second man concentrates for a moment and touches the ground in front of the marker. Concentrating intensely, he produces the object of their desire causing the ground itself to bring it forth.
“Now,” the third man says, “we have only to send it to Zerox to set the plan into motion.”
The woman asks, “but how will we get it there? The Sorcerer’s World has many defenses--I don’t see how they would allow an object of such power and evil to even come near to their space!”
“My dear,” laughs the third man, “you haven’t been in our circle very long, so we’ll forgive you your ignorance. Suffice to say, the way will be made clear. They will accept our ’gift’ quite willingly! And once Zerox falls, our power will be consolidated and the United Planets, already reeling from their war with the Khanate of Sol Invictus, won‘t know what hit them! They’ll find they were unwise to turn their back on us!”
“But what of me?” the woman presses. “When will I have the power you’ve promised me?”
“Very, very soon, my dear. In the midst of all the chaos to come, our ‘ally’ will be deposed and you will be put in his place.”
“My rightful place,” she corrects.
“Yes,” the third man indulges her, “but first thing’s first--we need to start with this artifact and its destination. Only then can the gears begin to turn.”
“What of my ’brother’ and his precious LMB?” the first man asks.
“Ah, the LMB…by the time they attempt to intercede, it will be too late for them to affect anything. But hopefully…hopefully, we’ll be able to throw some of their dead bodies into the crucible we’ll create in the process!”
At that, all four share a disturbing laughter that rings through the hollow darkness they dwell in.
[ July 11, 2007, 01:55 AM: Message edited by: Lard Lad ]
Posted by Lard Lad on :
ACT ONE: SARCOPHOGUS
From the Encyclopedia Galactica: Zerox, commonly referred to as the ”Sorcerers’ World”, is the most mysterious and inaccessible member of the United Planets. Its traditions are kept secret and visitation by non-residents is very strictly regulated. What is known is that Zerox is governed by the Council of Seven, a collection of mages who are each foremost in a different magical expertise. The exact makeup of the current Council is unknown, with the exceptions of Prime Councilor Arun Nal of Naltor, a seer who doubles as Zerox’s diplomatic representative, and Dru of Rudlab, a reformed villainess whose appointment to the Council was highly publicized following her wedding to LMB founder Lard Lad.
Zerox, the Isle of Wisdom, Councilor Dru’s Suite
Now
Dawn breaks through the open windows of the bedchambers of esteemed Councilor Dru and her husband Anthony. In another life he was Lard Lad, one of the founders of the Legion of Message Board Posters, the peacekeeping force of super-powered individuals based in the United Planets. Now, ten months after resigning from the LMB to build a new life with his bride, the once volatile man has found inner peace for, perhaps, the first time.
The light from the rising sun first touches Anthony’s face, and his eyes flutter and open in reaction to the glare. He smiles as he awakens and remembers how he spent the better part of a decade with the LMB and never once awoke before noon of his own free will. Crazy how finding love can change a man, he thinks.
At that thought he turns his head slightly to the left and rests his eyes on the lovely woman sleeping and resting her head on his chest, as she ‘s been accustomed to doing since they married. He adoringly kneads her long silver hair through his fingers and admires every strand as they fall back down. This has become his favorite way to wake up. Every morning on Zerox is just as perfect as this one. He wakes up the same way every morning and savors this sacred feeling and counts his blessings. Few in life find a true soul mate. He counts himself among those lucky few.
He continues manipulating her hair until, suddenly, he inadvertently catches a tangle, and she wakes with a start.
“Ouch!” she yelps.
“Sorry, babe,” he chuckles, “got a little carried away, I guess.”
“mmm…what time is it, hon?”
“Just after dawn, babe. Council business on the itinerary, today?”
She rubs her face on his chest as if to think. “Mm. Sort of. I’ve got an appointment with the Magical Artifacts Division. Have to go through some of their latest acquisitions with the curator.”
“They need you for that?”
“Each councilor has different duties. One of mine is to determine whether any of the objects pose any threat. They rarely do, but I’m very adept at counter-curses should they be dangerous. It was my best subject when I studied here years ago and the expertise for which I was specifically chosen to be a Counselor.”
“So I don’t need to worry about you, then, babe?”
“Not hardly. In fact, why don’t you meet me there at noon-sharp for lunch? Unless you have something planned…”
He chuckles. “Yeah, I’ll try to make time for you in my busy calendar!”
Dru frowns slightly at that and lifts herself up to rest on her right elbow. “Anthony, I hope you’re not bored here…I know it’s a huge change going from being a galactic adventurer to, well, a house-husband.”
He smiles gently and strokes her cheek. “Not at all, baby! I thought it would be hard to adjust, but it’s really been smooth-sailing for me. My life had been, well, basically hellish turmoil for a longtime, and now…now, I’m at peace. Truthfully, when Cobalt called in that favor a couple months ago and I saw some action, I couldn’t wait to get back! I love him like a brother, and I’ll always have a fondness for the LMB…but that’s behind me now. And I’m positively elated to be your ‘house-husband‘! I don’t need to be Lard Lad anymore.”
“I love you, Anthony.”
“And I love you. Now…how about a little…‘breakfast’?”
She smiles and straddles him in response, kissing him hard. Then, she pauses for a moment. “You think,” she says tentatively, “ we might get to the point where we’ll… start a family someday.”
Ponderously, he looks up at her and into her eyes.
“Oh!” she apologizes, “honey, I didn’t mean to--”
“Yes,” he interrupts, “I think some day-- perhaps some day very soon--we definitely will.” And a huge smile comes across his face as her eyes widen.
She sees the sincerity in his face, and she’s overcome with emotion. Tears streaming down her face, she kisses him passionately.
And Dru will arrive significantly late for her appointment.
[ July 11, 2007, 01:56 AM: Message edited by: Lard Lad ]
Posted by Lard Lad on :
Legion World, Peace Gardens
As Anthony and Dru are reveling in their passion, many light years away another committed couple is enjoying a picnic in a newly-completed park dedicated to the heroes and the lessons learned from a two-pronged attempt to destroy their artificial world. They are two of Anthony’s former comrades in the LMB, Cobalt Kid and Spellbinder .
Cobalt is voraciously eating the sandwiches he made for them. As he does, he smiles to himself, knowing that though his soul mate means more to him than anything in all the universe, she’s not much of a cook! In fact he’s made a habit of inventing excuses for avoiding any Crujeckie-cooked dishes. Any time he can’t wriggle out of eating them, he seems to come up with a mysterious stomach ailm--
“Ow!” he cries as his shoulder starts stinging from a sudden, sharp pain in it as Crujectra's given him a sock.
Unfortunately, his one true love can read minds--and with their soul-link permanently in place, he can never turn it off!
“Hey! What was that for!” he laughs.
“I try very hard when I cook for you, Cobie!” she frowns.
“Baby, I don’t hold it against you or anything…I mean you can’t help you’re a princess and had chefs cooking for--oh…oh my…”
Crujectra ceases her playfulness as she senses a sudden change in her mate. “Cobie! What’s wrong? Are you all right?”
He strokes his forehead a little trying to process what he’s feeling. “I--I’m alright, I think. In fact suddenly I’m feeling really, REALLY good!”
She concentrates on his thoughts for a moment, then suddenly blushes. “Cobie! You devil--we can’t do that right now! This is a public place!”
His eyes a little distant, Cobalt says, “babe, you know I’m always up for that, but…I dunno, this feels…external, somehow.”
“External? Like…it‘s not your own thoughts or feelings?”
“Yeah, like that.”
“But, Cobie…you’re not psychic. The only external thoughts and feelings you can pick up are mine through our soul-link.”
“I know. But over the last year I’ve been getting these, like, twinges. And gradually they’ve been getting a little stronger. But this is the strongest one yet--by a mile!”
“Why haven’t you told me about them?”
“Like I said, they’ve been pretty mild and very infrequent. Mostly, I forget about them soon after I had them. Like a dream or something. But this flash is so strong, it kinda jarred my memory about the other ones. And I’m still feeling it a little.”
Concentrating more deeply, Crujectra says, “oddly enough, Cobie, I’m not really feeling the flash itself, just your reaction to it. Whatever it is, I can’t read it or determine its source.” Suddenly, a thought occurs to her, “Cobie, could you be picking up on Lardy’s feelings?”
“Lardy?” He ponders that for a moment. “Y’know, that just feels right somehow. But--how could I be picking up on what he’s feeling? Unless…”
“.. unless it’s the piece of his soul he gave to you,” she finishes for him. And she remembers when that came to be:
quote:..."for this spell to work, you'll both have to willingly sacrifice a piece of your souls to Cobalt Kid, as only people who truly love him could...[...]...the biggest, most certain effect is that small piece of your soul will become forever a part of Cobalt Kid, and it can never be restored to you..."
The spell Dru performed healed Cobalt of mortal injuries sustained during his fight with Superboy-Prime during the Dark Oval’s invasion of Legion World…a year ago. The price that both Crujectra and Lardy freely paid for his restoration was a part of each of their immortal souls.
“Cobie, you’ve been having these…’twinges’…for about a year, you say? The timeline seems right.”
“Yes, it is,” he agrees. “I think this is a side-effect of that ‘soul transfusion’. And it’s been building over time. I wonder how far it will go?”
“Hard to say. Maybe I’ll ask Maxx to look into that..”
“Well, one thing‘s for sure,” Cobalt grins, “my old pal’s life is still on the upswing!”
Posted by Lard Lad on :
Zerox, the Isle of Meditation
His arrival announced by the faint pop that is a signature of his ability to bend space for teleportation, the man formerly known as Lard Lad arrives for his daily session. Late.
“Sensei!” he yells, seeing his teacher sitting serenely, legs crossed and eyes closed, atop the hill where their sessions usually take place. “Sorry I’m late!”
Casually, the sensei opens his eyes. “Really?” he quips. “I hadn’t noticed.”
Lardy grins. “Sarcasm ill becomes you, sensei!”
“The mark of a bad attitude is seeing sarcasm in what one hears when what was offered was simple truth. By the way, your fly’s open.”
Lardy blushes and corrects the situation immediately. “Sorry, sensei…my wife and I were, uh, celebrating life.”
“Uh-huh. My wife and I like to ’celebrate life’ too, but it doesn’t keep us from fulfilling our other commitments in a timely manner.”
“Perhaps, sensei,” Lardy laughs, “you should learn to be more spontaneous with Mrs. Armorr!”
“Oh, don’t let her hear you call her that! Jeckie’s Queen of Orando and a member of Zerox‘s Council of Seven--if anything, I’m Mrs. Projectra! And we are spontaneous…just within certain parameters.”
“Whatever, Val. So is today a wash or what?”
“No, my friend. Let us do our exercises.”
Within moments the two are sitting, their eyes closed, legs crossed and palms held outward.
“Is your mind clear, Anthony? Have you found your center?”
“Yes, sensei.”
“Then reach out with your Lard Force. Let it connect with your ch’i. Lose your self within its embrace. That’s it. How do you feel?”
“Good, sensei. Peaceful.”
“Good…good. Feel the balance between the positive and negative energies within you. ..the yin and yang…the night and the day. Imagine them in perfect harmony. To do so, you must accept the night along with the day, embrace it. If you don’t, the night will rule your life. Only by balancing the night and day within you, can you achieve the peace you desire.”
Lardy’s brow begins to perspire. In his mind’s eye he sees the abyss within him, and he stares it down. “You don’t own me,” he tells it.
And at once the abyss morphs into female form. She is a dark woman with jet-black hair and eyes, and she’s clothed in the darkness of the abyss itself. He recognizes her instantly; he could never forget the woman he murdered in cold blood. “M-mordra!” he gasps and struggles to maintain control of himself. He approaches her cautiously. While on the hill on the Isle of Meditation, his physical body shakes and sweats profusely.
As he approaches, Mordra extends her hand to him. “Take it,” she urges, “and embrace me as a part of yourself once and for all. His hand reaches for hers, but it stops just a fingertip away when he hears something.
“No! Don’t!” cries another voice from behind him. He turns around and sees a beautiful blonde woman dressed in blinding whiteness, as if her dress was a star. “She murdered me!”
“Leelee!” Lardy cries as he sees his first love, the woman murdered by the one whose hand he was about to take. The woman who he avenged, at long last, by murdering the other.
“No!” Mordra implores, “I’m a part of you, and you must accept me, as well as her!”
“It’s a trick,” Leelee urges him. “All she ever did was lie to you! If you take her hand, you will be lost forever!”
“B-but, I‘m supposed to take her hand,” he pleads with his dead love as hot tears stream down his face. “It’s the only way I can be whole, Leelee!”
“Look at her again,” Leelee moans, “and tell me how wrong I am before you take her hand.”
He does, and all the hate rushes back to him as he looks into the soulless eyes of the woman who murdered not only his first true love, but his innocence as well.
“Nooo!” he screams and blasts the side of him that manifested itself as Mordra. Before she disappears, Mordra’s eyes well up in tears. Then he turns around, and Leelee is gone as well.
And then Lardy opens his eyes.
His sensei is staring back at him.
“I…failed, sensei,” Lardy whispers, “again.”
“It’s alright, Anthony. Nothing worth winning is easily won. But I think you are getting closer, my friend. We will engage in our exercises for the next six days and try this again on the seventh day. I will see you tomorrow, Anthony…hopefully, on time.”
As his sensei walks off, Lardy sits there shivering, chilled by the wind brushing against his sweat-soaked clothes. As far as he’s come all these months studying with Val Armorr, he wonders if he’ll ever be able to take that hand.
Posted by Lard Lad on :
Zerox, the Isle of Wisdom
In the building that houses the Magical Artifacts Division of the Zeroxian government, Dru is going over the latest finds with Curator Zhiz.
“Well, Zhiz,” she says, “I’d say that this toilet is definitely a toilet. It may or may not have been a receptacle for the bodily wastes of the ancient dark wizard Felix Faust…but it definitely poses no threat. So--is this the last of them? I’m expecting my husband for lunch very soon, and--”
“Nay, Councilor,” Zhiz corrects, “there be one more to survey. It appears to be a sarcophagus.”
“Great,” she sighs with derision. “Take me to it.”
She follows Zhiz to an adjoining room that’s just as cluttered with dusty old relics as the other one. Finally, they come to an ornate coffin covered in strange engravings.
Dru’s eyes widen a little. “Now, this looks interesting!”
“This language is a little familiar,” she says. “It looks like its roots…are in some of those used in the systems near…Rudlab.” As that last word leaves her lips, she trembles slightly.
Rudlab. Dru’s father, the evil and incredibly powerful sorcerer Mordru the Merciless, had conquered that sector a century ago and used it as his powerbase. Then, twenty years ago, he mysteriously disappeared without explanation. And Dru stepped in and claimed her birthright as Mordru’s successor.
A year ago, everything changed when the Dark Oval involved itself. Dru had left her world to intervene in the political wrangling between Legion World and the Oval for her own selfish purposes. But her siding with Legion World opened Rudlab up to the Oval’s expansion goals. So while Dru was focused on the conflict on Legion World, the Dark Oval viciously attacked the under-defended Rudlab and completely annihilated it, leaving no survivors. Unopposed, the Oval then annexed the entire Rudlabian sector.
Dru failed her people, and despite all the happiness she’s found with her husband, that failure haunts her to the core of her being.
“Councilor?” Zhiz inquires as Dru’s silence lingers. “Be you well?”
“No…not really,” she admits, “but I’ll try a decrypting spell to decipher the glyphs.”
She mutters something , and a white glow extends from her hand to the sarcophagus. The moment the glow completely surrounds the object, Dru feels a backlash. Defensively, she tries to break contact, but some unknown force won’t let her. Suddenly, a dark energy fills the glowing aura from Dru’s spell surrounding the sarcophagus, then travels up the chain toward Dru. Frantically, Dru shouts different counter-spells she can think of, but to no avail. Inevitably, the dark energy connects to her person
She screams and drops into a dead faint. And at once, the link is broken, and the dark aura that had surrounded her and the sarcophagus vanishes.
“Councilor!” Zhiz cries.
Posted by Lard Lad on :
Zerox, the Isle of Wisdom
Anthony, having just arrived at the Magical Artifacts Division for his lunch date with Dru, hears a scream and immediately recognizes it as his wife’s. A wave of panic washes over him. He pushes it back and reaches out towards Dru with his power to locate her.
The next instant Curator Zhiz, already shocked at the Councilor’s turn of events, stumbles and falls on his behind as Anthony appears by her side.
“Dru!” the newcomer yells. “Can you hear me, baby?” No reaction. Anthony fights back the panic welling within him, and tries to stay calm. He puts two fingers to her neck. Nothing.
The fear pushes harder. It wants to take over.
“No,” he whispers to himself and pushes it right back. Closing his eyes, he reaches out with the Lard Force...
“Oh, no,” Zhiz cries, “is she…dead?”
“Shut UP!” Anthony barks at the curator who’d interrupted him. Zhiz backs off and cowers in a corner. “I need to concentrate…”
Again, he closes his eyes and reaches out with the Lard Force which is his to command. In his mind’s eye, Anthony sees his wife, not as a physical being, but as a light source. The light is dim, but not gone.
“Yes!” he exclaims, then puts his right hand on her forehead and the left on her chest. His eyes still closed, Anthony concentrates on the right hand first and emits a purple burst of energy from it. “Give her brain a boost…then…” he emits a more powerful burst from the left hand that fires straight to her heart.
For a moment all is silent in anticipation until, suddenly, it’s broken by a loud gasp of breath. Dru breathes!
“Wh-what happened, Anthony?” she manages, gasping as if she’d never breathed air before.
He smiles in relief and wipes away some of his own stray tears. “I don’t know, my love, but we’re going to have the healers look at you!”
He gently kisses her forehead, and half a second later, they’ve disappeared, leaving a bewildered Zhiz behind.
[ July 17, 2007, 12:47 AM: Message edited by: Lard Lad ]
Posted by Lard Lad on :
Legion World, penthouse apartment atop Levitz Hall in Legionnopolis
Having settled into bed after a long exhausting day of doing nothing but being a couple for a day, Cobalt Kid and Spellbinder lie fast asleep, their bodies entwined in postcoital bliss, until suddenly...
Cobalt bolts upright, unintentionally casting his lover off, and screams, “shut UP! I need to concentrate…”
“Cobie, what--?” Spellbinder asks him in dazed bewilderment.
Apparently not hearing her, Cobalt concentrates on something only he can see, and his hands start to glow.
COBIE! She’yells’ telepathically WAKE UP!
“Ungh,” he mumbles then falls back on his back.
“Cobie, are you okay?”
Now conscious of where he is, Cobalt nonetheless has a haunted, faraway look on his face. “Yeah…I think so,” he whispers, “but Lardy…”
“Is that what happened Cobie?” she infers with a hint of anger in her voice. “Did you get another flash?”
“Yes, I did,” he replies as he continues to process what happened, “and something’s wrong…with Dru.”
“Cobie, how can you be sure? I mean, just this afternoon, you said they were fine. Maybe he’s having a nightmare.”
He ponders that idea for a moment, then shakes his head. “No, it really happened. I‘m sure of it. She was attacked or something.”
“Well, is she okay?”
“I think so. I…he…saved her life.”
“Well, then everything’s all right.”
“No, it isn‘t,” he asserts, then looks her in the eyes for the first time since this feeling woke him up. “Something’s wrong on the Sorcerer’s World, Jeckie. That kind of thing isn’t supposed to happen here…there, I mean. Something’s up. Big time.”
Princess Crujectra braces herself at that. She knows what’s coming next. “And you’ve got to go help your friend, right?”
“Yes.”
She tries to fight saying what comes out next, but she knows if she doesn‘t say it, he‘ll pick up on it through their soul-link, so: “Look…Cobie…you don‘t owe him anything! After what you did for him, rescuing him from the Dark Oval…helping him cover up for those murders…healing him after he nearly died during the Invasion. And that‘s not even mentioning what he told you he did to incite war between the Dark Oval and the Barbarian Hordes--all the ramifications that caused…” Seeing his eyes turn downward, she concludes, “he’s a grown man, my love. And he’s surrounded by powerful sorcerers as allies. Let him fight his own battle, for once.”
Cobalt rubs his temples and looks at her again. “I hear you, honey…but he’s my friend, pure and simple. Since he left the LMB and expressed his desire to leave ‘Lard Lad‘ behind forever, he nevertheless helped me out twice since…because I needed him. He needs me now--I can feel it! And I’m not turning my back on him, now. I can’t!”
Resigned, she says, “then I’m coming with you.”
“That’s my girl!” he grins, gives her a quick peck and rushes off to gather some clean clothes.
Spellbinder remains in their bed for a moment longer. “I hope you appreciate his devotion, Lardy,” she whispers to herself.
Posted by Lard Lad on :
Legion World, LMB Hanger, Legionnopolis
An hour later, Cobalt is checking the exhaust manifolds of his personal cruiser while the Princess waits patiently inside. He knows nothing’s wrong with them, but he’s expecting somebody.
“Cobie!” exclaims a breathless voice. “Thank goodness I didn’t miss you, my friend! I just got your message from the Rookery and hurried as fast as I could…”
“Glad you made it, Rocky,” Cobalt grins at his Pyngwyn friend Rockhopper Lad. “I suppose I could’ve left you a message, but I really wanted to tell you this in person.”
“What is it, Cobie?”
“Lardy’s in trouble on Zerox.”
“Oh, my. What sort of trouble?”
“That’s just it, Rocky…I don’t know exactly. I’ve been having these empathic flashes--long story. Anyhow, I don’t know what he’s facing exactly, so I can’t just call the whole LMB in on it. We’re stretched pretty thin these days--I can’t just send us on a snipe hunt. So Crujectra and I are going to investigate.”
“If your 'Cobie Sense' is tingling, I know from experience that it's usually right--I’d be happy to come with you!”
“I know, Rocky, but that’s not what I need just yet.” And Cobalt takes out an Omnicom. “I need you to take this. It has a list of LMBers I know will be useful and amenable to helping Lardy out if it comes to that. Get with them and prepare them to move at a moment’s notice. I’ll contact you if I need to call them in.”
Rocky looks at the list, recognizes a certain commonality and frowns, “but Cobie…my name isn’t on this list. It belongs there!”
“Look, I know Rockhopper Lass is missing.* I didn’t want to--”
“It’s okay, Cobie,” interrupts Rocky, “I don’t know where Adelie is, and I can’t explain it…but I’m quite certain that she’s alive and in no immediate danger.”
Cobalt smiles gently, “then that’s good enough for me. Consider yourself on the list!”
The two exchange a quick hug, and Cobalt enters his cruiser.
As he watches the cruiser take off, Rocky says, “you can count on me, my friend.”
The two part, and soon after, the cruiser takes off and escapes Legion World orbit. Suddenly struck by another empathic flash, Cobalt puts it in auto-pilot.
Spellbinder senses something’s wrong as he rubs his temples and retires from the cockpit. “What is it, Cobie?” she asks, following him. “Another flash?”
“Yeah, Crujectra…something bad’s happened.”
{*This will be the subject of an upcoming story.}
[ August 02, 2007, 09:59 PM: Message edited by: Lard Lad ]
Posted by Lard Lad on :
Zerox, Isle of Healing
Moments before Cobalt Kid receives his latest flash, Anthony is waiting outside his wife’s exam room. A man enters and sits down next to him. The man is very tall, about thirty years Anthony’s senior and bald but sporting a neatly-trimmed beard. Anthony recognizes him immediately as Dru's fellow Councilor, Romaltus.
“Romaltus! How is she? I revived her, but she was burning up.”
“Doctors Halfus, Drollux and myself are working very hard to bring down her fever and make her more comfortable, but--”
“But what?!” Anthony pushes frantically. “You’re a healer, possibly the best magical healer in existence--heal her!”
“It…it’s not that simple. You see, what is ailing her is neither infection nor injury. Whatever enchanted that sarcophagus apparently put some kind of curse on her. We’ve got some of our best analyzing both the object and your wife, but they’re not getting anywhere. Ironically, your wife was…is…our absolute best at countering curses. For…whatever it was…to get past her defenses is incomprehensible. Theoretically, she would have been the least likely in our whole community for this to have worked on.”
“But, Romaltus, they’ll find the counter-curse…right?”
The older man’s eyes avert Anthony’s gaze, then return to it. “She’s running out of time. If we can’t get her fever down, or if they don’t find the counter-curse very quickly…she’ll die within days.”
“Nooo!!!” Anthony wails and blasts a hole into the nearest wall.
And many light years away, Cobalt feels his pain.
End ACT ONE
[ July 17, 2007, 03:00 AM: Message edited by: Lard Lad ]
Posted by Lard Lad on :
ACT TWO: SHADOWS
Three Months Ago
Dark Oval Space, Hrykosian Sector
Collus Hrykos, Supreme Commander of the Hrykosian Empire sits in his ready room studying tactical readouts and weapons manufacturing updates.
“Yes,” he says to the computer, continuing his personal log, “we are growing ever closer to achieving our goals. Last year, Hrykosia suffered tremendous losses during our invasion of Legion World and Earth. But now, in a very short time, we are back to nearly 80 percent of what we were prior to those losses. We’ve acquired many slaves who’ve been conscripted to rebuild our fleet and serve as foot soldiers for us. Very soon, we’ll be able to exact revenge on Cobalt Kid and Lard Lad for their roles in embarrassing us. Then, within another year, we will be able to reassert ourselves as the foremost power among the Dark Oval. Those other fools think they’re in control…let them! For one day, very soon, I will--!”
“ahem” interrupts a voice from behind him.
“What? Who dares!” And Hrykos whirls around to see, “Kalla Hryl!”
“In the flesh, so to speak.”
“Traitor!”
“Oh, really?” she says with derision.
“How DARE you! You worked with that scum Lard Lad to frame Hykrosia for an attack you orchestrated on the Barbarian Hordes! By doing that, you forced us to pull back from sure victory during our offensive against Legion World and Earth to defend our border against the Hordes! No Hrykosian ever betrayed the empire before you!”
Still speaking calmly and with a condescending tone, Kalla replies, “you dare chide me for betrayal? Come on, Collus…you and dear, departed Damyen were the experts in that field. Look how you treated your own sister.”
“You…you are not--!”
Finally, anger flashes in her, and solid light flares from her hand that holds him helplessly to the floor. “Yes, I am, Collus! I have the same father as you and Damyen! Before he ever married your mother, he had a passionate love affair with my mother, and I was born of that union! But because my mother was not of pure Hrykosian blood, he wasn’t allowed to marry her! Our grandmother killed my mother as insurance. But our father brought me into his home and raised me with his new wife and sons, even though he couldn’t officially acknowledge me as his daughter…couldn’t even give me his last name!”
“You are a bastard child, Kalla Hryl, and a mongrel at that!”
She walks up to him, bends down and shows him a scroll. “Do you know what this is?”
His response is to spit in her face.
Ignoring that affront, she continues, “it’s our father’s Will. In it, Collus, he both acknowledges me and names me his successor!”
“An obvious forgery,” he sneers.
“Liar!” she screams, then punches him across the face. “You know it’s real! It has the seal of High Legate Hronmyr--you remember: the man you and Damyen murdered when our father died? Somehow, you and Damyen found out about this, but you were never able to find the document…Hronmyr wouldn’t talk before you killed him. That’s because our father gave it to me on his deathbed. And when I was sent to exile…sent to work in a manufacturing plant, of all things, I held on to it because I knew if I was ever to use this, I would have to return with power to back me up--power, which I now have!”
“You’re mad, woman!”
“Oh, not anymore. You see, I’ve been through quite the journey the last few years. I found solace in religion, and I found love with another ‘mongrel’--Huldnaf--who Damyen made the huge mistake of killing in an act of senseless cruelty. That sent me on quite a spiral. Lard Lad approached me with the idea about framing Hrykosia for attacking the Barbarian Hordes. Then, I followed him to Legion World and encountered a more extreme sect of my Church. That sect helped me gain the powers of their avatar. But with it came a certain madness that lead me on a suicide mission. Luckily, the plan failed, and I survived. When I was rescued from the prison, the madness was gone, and I knew the time was ripe for me to claim my birthright. Then I reconnected with an ally I had made during my time on Legion World, and the path was clear.”
“Foolish wench! Our people will never accept you as their ruler!”
“Yes, they will, Collus. Not only do I have the scroll, but you’ve made a huge mistake over the last year…Hrykosia’s slave population now exceeds its population of purebloods. I will give them equality at long last, and any pureblood holdouts will be forced to fall in line!”
“Blasphemy! You would betray all that Hrykosia holds dear?!?!”
“How can I betray it if I’m a ‘mongrel’, Collus? It’s time for Hrykosia to move forward, and you won’t be a part of it! Goodbye, ‘brother’!”
Collus Hrykos screams in agony as his flesh and muscle are burned off by Kalla’s light. Soon, all that’s left of the Hrykosian Supreme Commander is dust.
Smiling from ear to ear, she takes the chair that had been Collus Hrykos’s and flips a switch. “Kalla Hryl here. Phase Two is underway. We should be ready to mobilize within three months, as planned. I just have to…tidy things up here politically. Kalla Hryl…no…Kalla Hrykos…out.”
Playfully, she gets up and kicks the pile of dust that had been her half-brother.
Posted by Lard Lad on :
Now
Zerox, Receiving Zone
After having gone through the Sorcerers’ World’s own version of excruciating red tape to gain entrance to the notoriously reclusive planet, the cruiser carrying LMBers Cobalt Kid and Spellbinder is conjured into a receiving area. Exiting the cruiser, the couple is met by a lone wizard, a bald, aged human with long white hair and a well-groomed white beard.
“Greetings, friends,” the man says with some exuberance. “I’ve been looking forward to meeting the two of you for quite some time…” and his gaze fixes on Cobalt, “…or in your case, young Desmonius…renewing our long-lost aquaintance.”
Cobalt is taken aback by this stranger’s use of the name he’d renounced years ago. Wordlessly, Cobalt regards the man, a glint of familiarity sparking in his memory.
For her part, Crujectra stands back and reaches out with her telepathy. She senses no panic on her lover’s part nor ill intent on the old man‘s, and so she stays out of it for the time being.
“You use a name that I no longer go by, stranger, one I’d prefer you didn’t. I go by Cobaltus, now…what should I call you?”
“I apologize, young man, for that is what you were called when I knew you. As for me, I am called…Romaltus.”
“Romaltus?” Cobalt puzzles. “That’s a Ggrrggian given name.”
“Yea, it is. And I, like you, am native to our recently-destroyed homeworld. I left Ggrrgg long ago, when you were a child. You see, Desmon--Cobaltus…I am your uncle.”
Posted by Lard Lad on :
The Rookery, Legion World
Rockhopper Lad is studying the Omnicom Cobalt Kid gave him days ago. He examines the list and ponders those LMBers he’s been unable to speak with as yet.
“My,” he sighs, “it’s really been difficult lately to get together with most of the LMB lately. We’re stretched so thin from…”
His musing is interrupted by the cheerful chime of the Rookery’s visitation signal, or as Rocky calls it…his ‘doorbell‘.
Leaving his study, Rockhopper goes toward the Rookery’s vestibule, checks the outer vid feed for a moment, grins and says, “enter, my friend!”
The door slides open and in walks the familiar figure of the pale-complected, darkly robed and tattooed current LMB Deputy Leader, Dedman.
“Deddy!” Rockhopper Lad greets cheerfully, “what brings my successor of the hallowed position of LMB Deputy Leader to the Rookery this evening? This is so fortuitous--I’ve been trying to get in touch with you!”
“Sorry, Rocky, I’ve been a little incognito the past few days. I need your advice as a former Deputy.”
“You’ve come to the right guy, Deds…as the most recent former deputy, I’m the current chair of the Legion of Former Deputies…a chair you will hold after the next election!”
“Yes, I know. And I appreciate being allowed to sit in on meetings. It’s helped me get a grasp of the Deputies’ traditional role of caretaker while the leader is distracted by all the mission assignments, and especially lately, all the political mumbo-jumbo…”
“So I take it something’s bothering you?”
“Definitely.”
“Then, spill, Deds!”
“Well, as you know, the war between the U.P. and the Khanate of Sol Invictus has been dominating everything we’ve been doing lately.”
“Without a doubt.”
“And now, we’re getting reports that the Dark Oval is building up their forces near the part of their borders closest to where many of the border skirmishes are occurring between the U.P. and the Khanate.”
“Yes,” Rockhopper ponders, “we‘re constantly sending huge LMB mission teams to assist the U.P. there, mostly to protect nearby civilians and help with medivac.”
“Of course. And the Order of the Space Knights Templar are fighting with the U.P.”
“So what’s you’re concern, Deddy?”
“Fat Cramer’s looking to send more LMB out there, now, because of the potential for the Oval inserting itself into the conflict.” Dedman’s eyes lock with Rocky’s. “Problem is, I’m not buying the Oval swooping in. I don’t see what’s in it for them--it benefits them most to just bide their time and let the two sides wear each other out, especially after the losses the Oval suffered during their Invasion last year.”
Rockhopper then suggests evenly, “they could just be looking to protect their interests should the conflict spill over into their domain…”
“Yes, they could be, but…”
“…but you think their real interests lie elsewhere?”
“Exactly, Rocky!”
“Any ideas where?”
Dedman smiles, a rarity for him, and pulls a small holographic projector out of his coat pocket. He activates it, and a fairly detailed map of the U.P. appears highlighting the areas bordering Dark Oval space. One particular sector flashes orange.
Rockhopper studies it. “Epsilon Sector?” he says. “Why that one in particular?”
“Well, it borders the Hive sector of the Dark Oval which we’ve recently gathered some intelligence on. It suggests some of the most significant warship-building activity in the Oval has been in the Hive’s shipyards. Also, it’s the sector farthest away from the U.P./Khanate war activity and therefore, one of the ones with the least military presence.”
Rockhopper thinks for a moment. “Epsilon Sector…that one contains the systems with U.P. member planets Naltor, Orando and…”
“Zerox,” Dedman completes. “The main flaw in my theory, I guess, is that Zerox is home to the galaxy’s greatest mages. I guess they wouldn’t necessarily need a militia to protect them, but--”
A look of alarm paints Rockhopper’s face. “Zerox? My goodness, that can’t be a coincidence. I‘m going to need to step this up and quickly!”
Puzzled, Dedman asks, “what are you talking about, Rocky?”
Rockhopper smiles and looks at Cobalt’s Omnicom. “You know, Deds…there’s something I’ve been meaning to talk to you about…..”
Posted by Lard Lad on :
Zerox, Receiving Zone
“My uncle?” Cobalt says confused by the wizard Romaltus’s claim as he struggles to grasp the memory fragment that is buzzing his thoughts.
“Yes, Cobaltus. I am your father Marius’s younger brother. Though you don’t remember me, we were acquainted until you were about the age of five.”
Cobalt eyes develop a distant look to them as he struggles to recall this man. Then all at once, a flash of memory comes to him and his jaw drops. Crujectra, still standing silently behind him, experiences the memory also through their soul link and smiles at the warmth of it. “U-unca…Romey?” he finally says.
“Ah, nephew…your memory is formidable! My name was one of the first few words you ever spoke. Livia and Marius were quite aghast that you’d identified me verbally well before ever uttering ’mama’ or ‘da-da‘!” And the older man chuckles at that. “You and I were quite close for a time...”
All at once, millions of questions flood Cobalt’s mind, but then he remembers why he’s here. “Romaltus…we definitely have some catching up to do…but I’m here to check on my friend Lardy…er, Anthony, that is--he’s Counselor Dru’s husband, if you don’t know.
The old man’s face darkens noticeably. “Yes, I know full well of whom you speak, nephew.”
“ He and I, well, we share some kind of psychic link, and…I’m feeling he or Dru are in major distress of some sort. I’m here to see if I can help them.”
“Oh, yes, Cobaltus. He is definitely in distress. You see--his wife is dying…”
“Dying?” Cobalt and Crujectra exchange a quick, worried glance.
“What has happened to her?” Crujectra presses.
Grimly, Romaltus recounts, “she’s been stricken by an unknown curse. We’ve been unable to affect it, despite all our efforts.”
“Please take me to them, uncle--I may be able to help!”
“For their sakes, I hope you can,” he says, then turns and beckons them to follow his lead. “This way, nephew.”
Posted by Lard Lad on :
Zerox, Isle of Healing
Dru lies unconscious on her hospital bed. Her husband is right there with her. His head bowed and eyes closed as if in prayer, he holds her hand in his and presses it against his forehead.
It is that tableau that awaits Cobalt as he quietly enters the room.
Suddenly, Dru’s husband’s eyes open wide, and he says, “Des!” even before he sees Cobalt. He stands up and gently releases his wife‘s hand and embraces his very best friend. “Thank the gods--my prayer has been answered! I…I was told there was…no way any message I would send could arrive on Legion World quickly enough for you to get here…in time…”
“Lardy, we apparently have a comm system between us that’s faster than light!” Cobalt says as they release. Making eye contact, Cobalt sees his friend’s desperation. “But we’ll talk about that later…I need to heal your wife, so the two of you can get back to the happily ever after.”
“Please help her Des…even Zerox’s best healer, Counselor Romaltus couldn’t help her…”
Cobalt starts for a moment. Romaltus is a healer? he thinks. For the moment he shakes that off. Later, he notes mentally. “I’ll give it everything I have, Lardy…and more.” And he approaches Dru’s motionless form.
He takes Dru’s right hand into both of his and closes his eyes.
Cobalt’s mind’s eye visualizes Dru’s life energies similarly to how he sees magnetic fields, as a cascade of flickering colorful wavelike forms. As he’s learned to do in this type of healing exercise, he looks for the energies that are in discord with the other ones. In this case it’s not difficult to find at all--the discordant wave, which Cobalt’s mind perceives as a deep violet shade, greatly dwarfs Dru’s harmonious green ones.
Cobalt wills his healing energy into the violet leviathon. It resists his advance, so he pushes. In response it pushes back. Fiercely.
Back in the hospital room, Crujectra suddenly rushes in and pushes a startled Lard Lad aside to reach her soul mate. Having sensed his distress from outside the room, Crujectra goes to Cobalt to give him a psychic anchor. Immediately she is hit with the backlash of the force Cobalt is facing.
Cobalt and Crujectra start to show visible persperation on their foreheads. And Cobalt’s nose starts to bleed.
Crujeckie…he telepaths to her via their soul link. I’ve never felt this before trying to heal someone--what is it?
She reaches out with all her formidable skill and telepaths back, I’m not completely sure, Cobie…but I think it’s a presence…another mind.
Another mind? Could it be some defense mechanism of Dru’s perceiving us as invaders?
I don’t think so, Cobie. Her defenses have been devastated, and I sense her own faint thoughts as a kind of background static. If there’s an intelligence resisting us, it’s foreign.
All right, Jeckie…whatever it is, I’m about to try another offensive--I’ll need every ounce of psychic anchoring you can muster…and bring Lardy in, too. His power might be needed.
Tacitly, she complies and brings Lardy in with a simple expression of her psychic mastery as he‘s a more-than-willing participant.
All right guys, Cobalt telepaths, here goes!
And Cobalt pushes with his reinforced energy into the foreign presence with the comparative force of a battering ram. The presence buckles slightly from this resolve before countering with tremendous force of its own. Cobalt’s nose begins to bleed more profusely than before, and those of Crujectra and Lardy start to bleed also.
Give me all you have, guys--Lardy, send some Lard Force through!
Lardy complies and reinforces Cobalt’s field with an expression of his considerable power.
But as their field strengthens, the foreign one does as well and starts to push back harder. Cobalt resolves to make another offensive, stronger than the others. Jeckie senses this and focuses all her will and channels Lardy’s to help power it.
But just as they are about to strike, their physical bodies are hurled backward hard into the walls of Dru’s room, stunning the trio.
“Grife--what was that?!?!” Lardy yells, staggering back to his feet as he wipes blood from his nose.
Dazed, Crujectra answers, “It was that presence…it’s definitely a mind…it did that!”
“What? She’s being possessed by someone?!?” Lardy screams in frustration. “We’ve got to go back in and kick it the hell out of there!”
Cobalt gets up gingerly. “Right away, Lardy. I’m not gonna let that thing lick me!”
The three rush back to Dru’s side. Lardy and Crujectra place their hands on either of Cobalt’s shoulders for the extra physical connection. Cobalt lays his hands on Dru, but…
“Nothing,” he says dumbfounded.
“What do you mean, Des--“ Lardy protests, “she’s not…?”
“No, not that,” Cobalt replies, “she hasn’t passed. But my power’s been…negated…by that presence. I-I can’t access my power. Oh gods, Lardy…I…I can’t do anything.”
Softly, the desperate husband can only manage a hoarse whisper: “no…”
[ August 02, 2007, 10:17 PM: Message edited by: Lard Lad ]
Posted by Lard Lad on :
Zerox, the quarters of Councilor Romaltus
“Nephew,” Romaltus says to his guest, “I’m so pleased you would join me after your ordeal.”
“I…hope I did the right thing,” Cobalt replies wearily. “Lardy needs some space, I think. Jeckie’s working to bring Dru out of her coma long enough…long enough for her and Lardy to speak one last…gods, I can‘t believe I failed them.” And Cobalt slumps over.
“You’ve nothing to be ashamed of, Cobaltus. I am supposed to be the foremost Healer among our community, but I wasn’t any more successful than you.”
Cobalt perks up at that. “Yes, Lardy mentioned that! How--?”
“I’ve had the gift of healing ever since I can remember. In fact I healed several cuts and scrapes, and even a broken bone or two, of a certain rambunctious toddler before I left Ggrrgg and developed the talent here on Zerox.”
“So that’s why you left? Why did my parents never mention you? Why didn’t you keep in touch?”
“Developing my talent is not even the main reason I left, nephew. Knowing Ggrrgg culture the way you do, is it difficult to imagine why I had to leave? As you know, the men of our now-destroyed world were bred to be warriors and leaders, not healers. That was a role proscribed to women, or men not able-bodied. I was considered a disgrace to our prominent patrician family, Cobaltus…laughed at, called ’effeminate’. And to be an outspoken pacifist on top of that? It’s a wonder they didn’t stone me!”
Shrugging at his dead world’s cultural flaws, Cobalt comments, “yes, it’s a wonder. I’m surprised my parents let you have contact with me.”
“Around the time of your birth, your father was the target of assassination attempts by a rival patrician family. Having a healer around at that time was considered beneficial, as you might understand, so Marius let me back into his home for a few years. But when your father finally eliminated the rival family, I was quickly cast back out. He did, however, provide me with transport to Zerox as payment. I was happy to leave, but I missed you and the bond we forged immensely.”
“It’s odd that I would end up a healer, also.”
“Is it?” the old man challenges.
“Well, yeah…I mean, I acquired that power through Elagobolus. I wasn’t born with it.”
“Perhaps, so, but I would argue that perhaps Elagobolus couldn’t have passed that ability on to just anyone! Cobaltus, I have researched our family’s bloodline and found that the healing ability wasn’t isolated to me. Having dug very deeply, I’ve found that the ability may appear as often as once in every generation. I don’t believe in coincedence, nephew. Magnetism and healing have been linked in holistic medicine--you acquired the magnetism and you acquired the healing. I’d argue that you had a predilection for both, and both are essentially the same! Yes, they are more powerful because of the ways you acquired them, but I assert that they would have manifested eventually…likely weaker than they are, but still inevitable.”
Cobalt shrugs a little. “Well, I’ve learned to never dismiss possibilities, uncle, so that certainly sounds feasible. But right now…I don‘t seem to have any power since I went against that presence that‘s possessing Dru.”
Romaltus frowns, a look of surprise paints his face. “’Possessing’ her?” he presses.
“Yes, Crujeckie detected an unknown presence within Dru causing her…condition. None of the mages have realized that?”
“…no…” Romaltus replies distantly, his expression unreadable, “…does your lady have any idea what the presence is?”
“No, she doesn’t,” Cobalt says, perking up a bit. “We informed the mages at the healing center of our findings, but they couldn't comment on how that might affect her prognosis. But…you seem moved by the news--does that mean there’s hope?”
“I’m not sure, nephew…but, nevertheless, I must speak to the mages at the Healing Center immediately! I hope you’ll excuse me as I investigate further. You understand, I presume?”
“Definitely! If this means you might be able to save her, please do!”
With a nod and a whispered incantation, Romaltus vanishes.
“All right!” the now-alone Cobalt says, fist pumping. “Maybe we'll pull this one out, yet!"
Posted by Lard Lad on :
Zerox, Isle of Healing
Eyes closed, Princess Crujectra concentrates on the unconscious Dru until…
“There,” Crujectra says to Dru’s husband and opens her eyes, “Dru will awaken in amoment, Lardy. I’m…not sure for how long. I-I’m so sorry.” She touches Lardy gently on his shoulder and leaves the room. He barely reacts, his gaze intent on his wife.
“A-Anthony?” Dru says weakly as her eyes open.
“Yes, Dru,” he whispers, “I’m here, my love.” And he takes her hand.
“Honey, I’m so sorry…”
“Don’t be, baby…ev-everything’s gonna be fine,” he assures her, fighting back tears.
“I want you to know that…I love you with everything I am, but…please don’t let l-losing me destroy all you’ve fought to get back--don’t let it consume y-your heart.”
“Dru, please don’t talk like that…there’s still hope.”
“Anthony…I felt what you and Cobalt and Crujectra tried to do, and I’m grateful. But…there’s nothing else left to do.”
“No, Dru…I won’t accept that--there’s got to be hope!”
“There is hope, honey…but not the way you think. Look…the contact the three of you made helped me see what’s going on…”
“Great! Then we can--!”
“No, Anthony…listen. As Crujectra found out, there’s a malevolent presence inside me that’s been masked by a spell…I’m not sure how. Anthony, if it kills me, the presence will take my place using my body and soul as a sacrifice…”
“No! I won’t let that happen, Dru! I‘ll--!”
“There’s only one way to stop that, Anthony…”
“Tell me! I’ll make it happen!”
“Anthony…to prevent the presence from taking my place and to allow my soul to move on…you’ve got to kill me…before it does.”
“Wha-?! No, Dru, that’s crazy--I couldn’t--!”
“Anthony, you’ve got to! If you don’t, some horrific evil will be unleashed on the universe…and my soul will be destroyed…”
“I don’t accept that! There has to be another way--!”
“Th-there is, my love. I-if you can’t kill me…g-get someone else to. It-it’s the only way, honey.”
“I-I can’t…”
She caresses his face and says, “I-I’m starting to l-lose consciousness. But I…I know you’ll do what’s right…I..love you…so much…”
And Dru’s hand falls limp as she loses consciousness.
“Dru! Please wake up--the-there must be another way…” And hot tears burn his eyes as he watches her breathe shallowly. “G-got to be another…way…”
Posted by Lard Lad on :
Zerox, the quarters of Councilor Romaltus
An hour after he departed, Romaltus returns to find his nephew Cobalt Kid still there.
“Ah, you’re still here, Cobaltus…” Romaltus says, looking a little frazzled and taken off-guard.
“Didn’t really have much choice, there, unc…your place doesn’t have any doors!”
“Yes…doors…I’d almost forgotten about those. They are hardly necessary to mages.”
“Well,” Cobalt presses, “ were you able to help Dru?”
The older man looks a bit uncertain for a moment, but then replies, “no, nephew, I’m afraid not. I…spoke to her doctors about my thought’s on Dru’s condition as it related to what you said about possession. But I’m afraid there is nothing that can prevent her death.”
“Damn!” Cobalt yells and slams his fist hard against the nearby stone wall. Then, he winces in pain--he’s broken his hand.
“I understand your frustration, young one, but no one can save everybody all the time…not even yourself.”
His face turning red, Cobalt yells, “I can’t save anybody--not even my best friend’s wife! And now, that…that thing inside Dru has taken all my powers!”
“Oh, I doubt that, nephew. Most likely it simply suppressed them…” And he walks over to Cobalt, who is rubbing his injured hand. “Give me your hand.”
Cobalt extends the injured hand, though the pain radiating through it is excruciating. But the moment his uncle puts his two hands on Cobalt’s, the pain starts to subside. Moreover, Cobalt feels his own power activate almost instantly, working with Romaltus‘s power. Within seconds his hand is completely healed.
Withdrawing his hand, Cobalt reaches out and feels his magnetic field restored around him. Just like that, all of his power is back.
“Thank you, unc--now I can go back and try again with Dru!”
Shaking his head, Romaltus reminds him, “nephew, I told you that nothing can save her.”
“With all due respect, unc…I have to try! Giving up is just not in my nature, especially when my best friend’s involved!”
Romaltus smiles indulgently at him, “very well, nephew. I will help you on your way.”
And with a wave of his hand, Romaltus provides his nephew with the quickest means to get where he needs to be, and Cobalt disappears.
Left alone now, Romaltus sits down. And waits.
[ August 02, 2007, 10:26 PM: Message edited by: Lard Lad ]
Posted by Lard Lad on :
Zerox, Isle of Healing
A shellshocked husband sits next to his dying wife’s hospital bed and stares at something he holds in his hands. He’s been staring at the object for quiet some time.
Looking up, he notes that her breathing is becoming more and more shallow. Touching her forehead with the back of his left hand, he knows her fever has risen even further than it had the last time he checked. Measuring her life force with his power, he confirms what he already knows.
It’s almost time. Dru’s life will expire in a matter of minutes. The question is not if she will die, it is when and by what means.
Anthony raises his right hand and looks at the object and sees his reflection in it. It’s a dagger. He retrieved it from their quarters…what they’d jokingly referred to as their “love nest” up until two days ago.
Was it really such a short time ago that they had their whole lives ahead of them? That they’d broached the subject of starting a family? Just four days ago?
Now, he’s sitting here next to his wife trying to get up the nerve to honor her final wish. To take her life before some invading entity consumes her body and soul in order regain its lost power and wreak untold evil upon the cosmos.
When did his life become the punch line for the biggest, most sadistic cosmic joke ever told?
It takes all the effort he can muster to shake himself out of this miasma. It’s time now to honor his wife the only way he can before it‘s too late.
He stands up, gives her a gentle, unreciprocated kiss on her lips and whispers, “I love you so much, Dru…I do this as the only way I have left to honor that love…” He raises the dagger and wraps both hands around its hilt, preparing to strike a fatal blow into her heart. He closes his eyes, gathers his will and starts to bring the dagger down--
“Lardy! What the hell are you doing?! Are you crazy?!?!” the just-arrived Cobalt screams and uses his magnetism to force the dagger from his friend’s hands.
Anthony scowls and boils over with a thousand emotions. “Butt out, Des--it’s what she wanted!” And he blasts Cobalt clear through the wall. Frantically, Anthony looks around for the dagger. “Where is it, dammit? I-I don’t know if I can bear to smother her or use the Lard Force to--oh god!” The panic begins to swell within him when, suddenly, he spots the dagger. He grabs it and rushes over to her bed to finish what he started.
“D-don’t do it, Lardy!” Cobalt yells as he staggers back into the room.
Holding the dagger over her, Anthony looks back at Cobalt over his shoulder. “Don’t stop me, Des…this is what she told me to do when Jeckie revived her. If I don’t, she’ll be--”
“Give me another chance to try my power…I can--”
But Cobalt stops talking as he notices Dru is suddenly glowing brightly.
Anthony looks back toward her and is surprised to see her eyes open. Taken aback, he’s frozen in his spot as she whispers, “oh, gods, no…it’s--it’s him…” Then her head slumps to the side and her eyes are left open, lifeless.
“NO!” Anthony cries.
But suddenly the glow expands and violently knocks Cobalt and Anthony to the floor, stunning them.
Dru’s body rises from the bed and is engulfed in an eldritch, magenta flame which burns so bright that the two witnesses have to shield their eyes. Moments later, the flame subsides, and Dru is no longer there. In her place is a man with long, white hair and a matching flowing beard. He wears a winged helmet on his head and is garbed in a magenta tunic and green leggings.
He opens his eyes. They radiate malevolence and power.
His voice booms as he speaks, “I have feasted on the body and soul of my first-born! At long last--I am free! Let the cosmos, once again, tremble before the might of--
MORDRU!!!”
And in the next moment, the Healing Center is reduced to rubble with Cobalt and Anthony still inside…
End ACT TWO Posted by Lard Lad on :
ACT THREE: PRESTIGE
Twenty Years Ago
On the dark side of a moon orbiting a gas giant in a desolate solar system, ten mages face down one whose might may overshadow all of theirs combined.
The one, Mordru, is momentarily stunned as his ten opponents have cast a spell bringing them all to this remote stage for their last stand. The spell was designed to use Mordu’s own power to charge the teleportation. That, and the nature of the location itself, have weakened him.
“Yes!” cries one master mage who appears to be in command here.. “The spell has worked and all is as I’ve foreseen! Sh’al--ready the sarcophagus! The other six of you who drew the lots, join her--surround it, and start the incantation! We have very little time!”
Sha’l uses a spell to create a deep hole in the ground beneath her. She lowers both herself and the coffin into the hole, then opens it. The other six speak a spell, and their bodies become incorporeal. They coalesce into a purple mist that becomes infused with the object.
The master mage‘s face becomes pale as he watches them give themselves to defeat this great evil. He gathers himself and yells to the remaining two, “Come, apprentices--we must insure their sacrifice was not in vain!”
As Mordru begins to regain his composure, the three converge on him and inundate him with eldritch bolts of magic.
“That’s it!” he urges them. “Push him toward the sarcophagus!”
“No!“ Mordru screams. He fights them as hard as he can, but in his weakened state, he is soon overwhelmed. As he is pushed down the hole and into the sarcophagus, he gives the female apprentice an angry glance. Sh’al closes the sarcophagus shut right after he falls in, then takes out a sword and impales herself. As her life blood spills onto it, the sarcophagus glows.
“D-Do it,” Sh’al says as the life drains from her.
With heavy hearts the three remaining mages oblige her and use a spell to bury her and this new prison of Mordru’s deep under the moon’s stagnant soil. As Sh‘al dies, Mordru’s body is suddenly reduced to ashes inside his prison. But his consciousness survives and will be trapped, perhaps forever.
“A-and that’s it,” the master mage says. “So much sacrifice…” And he faints.
“Master!” the male apprentice cries and attempts to revive the older man. The female apprentice helps as well.
Abruptly, he awakens. “I…I’ve had a vision of the future--a map of the next twenty years!”
“What is it, master?” the female asks.
“We…we will honor those who sacrificed themselves today, young ones. Zerox will from now on be governed by a Council of Seven, representing those who died today. You two and I will be three of that body. But only the three of us will know the rest of what I have to tell you tonight…”
And the two apprentices listen with their rapt attention…
[ August 02, 2007, 10:30 PM: Message edited by: Lard Lad ]
Posted by Lard Lad on :
Zerox, Isle of Meditation
In their private chateau Queen Projectra of Orando (also a member of Zerox’s Council of Seven) and her consort Val Armorr share a private moment. They’ve just finished a workout consisting of Val’s own amalgam of yoga.
“Oh, Val, our stay on Zerox has been so peaceful. I daresay that I don’t look forward to returning to Orando.”
“But all is not well here, Jeckie,” Val interjects. “Councilor Dru's in dire straits from what I hear. And the circumstances around her ailment are very disturbing.”
“Yes, Val, you are right. It certainly feels as if she was targeted. And what of your student? As her husband, this is bound to be a trying time for him.”
“Definitely. I fear this will test Anthony’s progress to the breaking point. He’s come a long way, but I don’t know that he can bear her loss if she doesn’t pull through. Also, if she dies, what will this mean to the Counsel?”
“I am not sure…we’ve not met since the crisis began. Romaltus has been overseeing her care. Arella has been off world for months now. If Arun has had any visions about her fate or the nature of the threat, he’s not informed us. Danyul is apparently en route from Psyonia. And Zataka has been busy with some things on Earth. Obviously, if she dies, as callous as this sounds, we will need to find another replacement.”
“Another wild card…”
“Val, that’s oversimplifying it!”
“Well, Jeckie, the Counsel essentially has five traditional seats--one representative each from the five major worlds that historically produce the greatest sorcerors: Zerox, Orando, Naltor, Psyonia and Earth. The other two seats are wild cards, the best representatives not from the traditional worlds--currently Romaltus and Dru…”
“And that’s how it’s been, Val, since seven sorcerors, including my grandfather, willingly gave their lives twenty years ago to save the galaxy from…Mordru…” And Projectra’s eyes glaze over and become distant.
“Jeckie?” Val says, trying to shake her out of the apparent trance she’s in. “Jeckie! Are you all right?!”
She blinks and snaps out of it. “Oh, Val…he’s back--I’m getting flashes from other mages all over the place!”
“Who’s back?”
Before she can answer, the entire island begins to shake. Indeed all of Zerox is trembling.
And Val’s question is answered as a voice is heard reverberating throughout the planet announcing his rebirth:
“MORDRU!”
“Mordru?” Val repeats in disbelief after their home stops shaking. “But how?”
“How is not important, Val…Zerox, and the universe, face the deadliest dark mage ever to exist! I must marshal our forces and do everything we can to stop him.”
“I…know, Jeckie,” her husband answers and takes her hands. He then kisses his wife tenderly. “I’ll do what I can to help. Maybe I can get to Anthony and send for some LMB help.”
“Be careful, my love…” she says as they embrace.
“You, too.”
And Queen Projectra flies off into the maelstrom.
Val takes a moment to pray to whatever forces he believes in, then sets off.
Posted by Lard Lad on :
Dark Oval Territory, just their side of the border to the United Planets’ Epsilon Sector
Harold Ryan Wyandotte, an alternate Earth’s evil version of Lard Lad, stands on the bridge of his flagship. Having used his powers of mental domination to control its Queen, Wyandotte rules the Hive, a world of insect like creatures that comprises one fifth of the Dark Oval’s member powers.
“Yes!” Wyandotte proclaims, examining an encrypted message he just received. “Our plan has come to fruition! Mordru is loosed on Zerox and wreaking havok!”
He turns and smiles at the other three sentients who accompany him on the bridge, who represent two of the other fifths of the Dark Oval‘s elite powers: Kalla Hrykos (formerly Hryl) newly established ruler of Hrykosia. Evil Emperor Pyngwyn, a parallel universe duplicate of the LMB’s own Rockhopper Lad who rules the dimensionally-displaced Earth-4 which though presumed destroyed by the LMB, has secretly been installed as a replacement for the former Oval power Black Sun . And Blaine Fey, the Pyngwyn’s husband and second-in-command.
Of the four known Oval powers, only the Dominators are unrepresented. Six months ago, it was this quartet that unearthed Mordu's sarcophogus.
“Indeed, Wyandotte,” the Pyngwyn replies. “All these months of preparation are about to pay off!”
“I can hardly believe the true nature of the sarcophagus went undetected on a world full of mages,” Kalla adds.
“Oh, we had some high-placed help, dear lady,” Blaine laughs.
And on cue, another person joins them on the bridge.
Recognizing her, Kalla gasps. “Oh my! That’s--!”
And the newcomer, a gray-haired woman, middle-aged in appearance, completes Kalla‘s thought. “Yes, I am Arella, a member of Zerox’s own Council of Seven. I helped make your plan possible.”
“A traitor to the Council of Seven?” Kalla probes.
“That would depend on your point of view,” laughs Arella.
“You have much to learn about the true scope of this plan, Kalla,” Blaine explains.
“Yes,” says Wyandotte, “ you will learn all soon enough. To this point it has been necessary to leave you out of the loop as it involves...the Dark Oval’s secret fifth power!”
Kalla’s heart beats fast at that last statement. The identity of the fifth power has been kept a secret to all citizens of the Oval to the point where most believed it to be a myth. “Please,” she says eagerly, “tell me more!”
“Momentarily,” Wyandotte chides her and turns to his tactical display, “but first thing’s first!” Pressing his communications control, he says, “Wyandotte to Dark Oval fleet: commence the operation!”
And at once, the fleet crosses the border into the United Planets’ Epsilon Sector and heads for Zerox. An audacious act of war.
“Oh, this is an historic day, my love!” Blaine exorts to his husband.
“Indeed!” the Pyngwyn replies.
“The vaunted Sorcerer’s World will be helpless to deflect this attack from without and within!” Wyandotte adds.
And all five laugh as those anticipating certain victory can.
Posted by Lard Lad on :
Zerox, all over the planet
Within an hour of Mordru’s rebirth, the Sorcerer’s World is consumed in a conflagration of chaos. Using his unmatched power, Mordru is concentrating on disrupting the planet’s environment in every way possible. Earthquakes rock several continents. Volcanoes erupt that had long been dormant or even non-existent prior to this day. In some zones gravity itself has gone haywire. Hurricanes, tornados, tsunamis--every disaster imaginable awakes and pounds Zerox and its citizens.
Amid all the chaos, Queen Projectra organizes as many mages as she can muster to challenge Mordru. At one point she finds Curator Zhiz of the Magical Artifacts Division. She enlists his help in researching the spells that were used twenty years ago to fell Mordru. She hopes that such a desperate, costly measure will prove unnecessary, but she has to have this ultimate option available as a backup.
Soon she rallies many of Zerox’s citizens to challenge Mordru head-on while she gathers an elite force for a more organized assault. She tries hard not to think of this first wave as cannon fodder, but deep down, she knows it’s true and a necessary aspect of her strategy. She prays to her Orandan gods that most will survive, or at least, die without pain. She knows neither scenario is likely.
The first engagement occurs high in Zerox’s atmosphere where Mordru is directing his environmental assault. Twenty young mages, the cream of this year’s senior class of Zerox’s Academy of the Mystic Arts, charge head-on into battle with him with all the bravado that comes with their youth.
Within minutes, each and every one of them fall miles to the ground below, but not before they are slowly consumed by a mystical fire that burns them from the inside out.
Projectra mourns them quietly as she plots with the elite mages she’s gathered. But she knows they are but the first casualties in a war that none of them may live to tell about.
Posted by Lard Lad on :
Zerox, the Isle of Healing
Val Armorr makes his way through the rubble that was Zerox’s medical center. He has just found two bodies. He recognizes them as two of this facility’s foremost healers, Halfus and Drollux.
Examining them, Val muses, “that’s odd…these two healers show signs of having been dead hours before Mordru awoke…”
But before he can explore this mystery further, Val hears moaning coming from beneath some nearby rubble. Val begins moving debris from that area until he uncovers: “Cobalt Kid!”
“Ungh…yeah. I appreciate you digging me out…could hardly use my magnetism to free myself. Too…out of it. Right after Mordru rose, he…blew up the place…”
“Is Anthony…your LMB’s Lard Lad…nearby?”
“Crap! Lardy!” And Cobalt’s head clears up all at once as he tries to feel his friend‘s presence through their empathic bond. “There!” he exclaims and magnetically lifts a section of rubble up. The two rush to the site and find their friend wedged into the rubble in such a way as to actually have been shielded in a protective canopy.
“Lardy!” Cobalt yells. But his friend is unresponsive, his eyes staring at nothing.
“He’s catatonic,” Val assesses.
Cobalt hangs his head, “I guess the trauma of seeing his wife die and then being consumed by the rebirth of evil incarnate was too much for him. Hell, it’s almost too much for me…” And then his eyes flash to the sky. Feeling her presence before actually seeing her, Cobalt feels some degree of relief as he greets, “Crujectra! Thank goodness you’re okay!” He feels a little guilty saying that as he looks toward his catatonic friend.
“Cobie!” she shouts. “We’ve got to help the mages fight Mordru! The losses they’re taking…”
“I can imagine, hon.” He turns to Val and says, “take care of him…please.”
“He is my student and friend...I think I can help him,” Val responds.
“We’ve never met, but I’ve a feeling you can,” Cobalt says then turns to his soul mate. “C’mon, hon! Maybe we can find Romaltus and the other Councilors!”
As they fly off, Crujectra says, “I wish we’d time to call in some LMB backup.”
As she says that, a signal comes from his wrist. He checks it, smiles slightly and says, “way ahead of you, babe.”
Posted by Lard Lad on :
Zerox’s orbit
Rockhopper Lad and Dedman are first to arrive and await the others accompanying them on this mission to come out of warp drive.
“I’ve just signaled, Cobalt, Deds,” Rocky radios to his friend’s starship. “He should know we’re here now.”
“Good,” replies the LMB’s current deputy leader, “it looks like we’re here in the knick of time. Sensors show that Zerox is in turmoil!”
“Any idea what the source is?” Rocky asks. “I’m not seeing any of the warships we were speculating might be here.”
Dedman closes his eyes and concentrates. “Rocky, all I know for sure is that there’s a tremendous death toll…countless souls are crossing over...violently.”
“Oh, no! I’ve got to hail Cobalt and find out what we face!” Then Rocky’s face darkens. “Are our guys okay?”
Already ahead of Rocky‘s request, Dedman concentrates. “Crujectra and Cobie are still among the living…Lardy--he’s alive, but I don’t think he’s doing too well…”
“And Dru?”
“She’s…gone,” Dedman says with some effort.
“Oh…poor Lardy--they-they were so happy…” Rocky manages. His thoughts turn to his loss of his own true love, Earth-4’s Blaine Fey. “Lardy must be devastated…”
Suddenly, the proximity alert goes off and the two note that their allies have arrived.
“All right, Rocky…they’re all here and accounted for,” Dedman assesses, checking his tactical screen, “all LMBers…or more specifically, LFDers! Hmmm, there’s no response from Cobie, so we’ll all just have to--”
But he’s interrupted again by the shipboard computer’s proximity alert.
“Grife! We’ve got bogeys!” Dedman yells.
“It’s a Dark Oval invasion force--about 200 warships!” Rocky shouts, then turns quiet and looks toward the onscreen image of the ranking member of this mission.
Dedman meets Rocky’s eye and orders over his comm array, “Alright, LMBers--we’ve gotta stop that invasion force! All those designated this mission‘s ‘Heavy Hitters’ exit your cruisers and engage using Defense Strategy Alpha! Those remaining form a defensive grid around Zerox with your ships--we’re not letting any of those warships through!”
And at once, all the LMBers do as they’re told and prepare to fight this deadly onslaught with all they have.
“You made the right call, Dedman,” Rocky smiles slightly and places his hand to the viewscreen.
“I hope so, Rocky,” he replies and reciprocates with his own hand. “Send out a distress call to the LMB, the U.P., the Space Knights Templar…anyone who’s in range.”
“Aye, sir,” Rocky acknowledges, “for now, the assembled might of the Legion of Former Deputies will have to hold the line!”
Dedman whispers to himself, “Cobie, I sure hope you and those sorcerers have some tricks up your sleeves…”
Posted by Lard Lad on :
Zerox, Isle of Wisdom
Cobalt and Crujectra have just finished searching fruitlessly for any sign of his uncle when…
“You two…LMBers! Have you found my fellows?”
Crujectra squints at the new arrival and says, “Projectra? Is that you?”
“Yes, cousin--it is I! It’s been awhile. I only wish we’d renewed our acquaintance under different circumstances.”
Cousin? Cobalt asks his soul mate telepathically.
Figure of speech, Cobie. Projectra's the Queen of Orando, and and our royal families are acquainted. And with the similiarity of our names, it's kind of a joke between me and her.
Oh, he telepaths back, then says aloud to the newcomer, “it’s good to meet you, Majesty. Crujectra has told me all about you.” He bows and Crujectra gives him a little mental kick for his half-fib.
“Charmed,” Projectra responds curtly, wishing to get to the urgent matters at hand. “Have you seen Romaltus…or Arun?”
“No cousin, you’re the first Counselor we’ve found.”
“Damn! I need their power and input! I’ve gathered as many surviving elite mages as I could muster, but I need those two to assure I can recreate the spell properly that vanquished Mordru twenty years ago!”
“There’s been no sign of them, Majesty,” Cobalt informs her.
“Mordru may have gotten to them already,” Crujectra offers grimly.
“We may have to assume this,” Projectra concludes. “I will have to proceed without them. With that in mind, I must ask if the two of you can assist me with my plan.”
The two LMBers nod and listen to her closely.
[ August 07, 2007, 12:51 PM: Message edited by: Lard Lad ]
Posted by Lard Lad on :
Zerox’s Orbit
The assembled might of the Legion of Former Deputies (Shady, Crusader, Dev-Em, Beagle Boy, Faraway Lad, Pov, Omega Man, Freekinos, Eryk Davis Ester, He Who Wanders, Outdoor Miner, Ultra Matt and Kent Shakespeare--along with Rockhopper Lad and current deputy Dedman) face seemingly overwhelming odds against an invading armada. Of all their membership, only Grey Birdboy, Harbinger and Stoopid Cat are not in attendance. Grey and Harbinger have both been on extended leave and Stoopid Cat has been held hostage at Slim‘s in the midst of a standoff with the LMB for awhile. Even under these desperate circumstances, Rockhopper Lad’s heart swells with pride at the LFD’s efforts. He only hopes the two LFDers planetside, along with Spellbinder, are holding up.
Rocky studies his tactical display: Crusader, Dev-Em, Pov, Omega Man, He Who Wanders, the Boy with Ultra Powers and EDE’s luck lord are all fighting in open space as Dedman’s designated “Heavy Hitters”, while the others, including EDE himself, fight along inside some prototype star fighters designed by LMB scientist Doctor One. There are 16 star fighters in all, the 8 left unoccupied by the Heavy Hitters being operated by electronic Smart Pilot programs. These prototypes are noteworthy for their speed and their extraordinary (for their size) firepower and force shield strength. Doc had been developing them since the war with the Khanate was imminent.
While the other Heavy Hitters use their physical abilities to disable the attacking warships, Crusader, Omega Man and EDE’s Luck Lord execute their duty (as designated by their power coding in Defensive Strategy Alpha) to construct a telekinetic/magical force shield to repel those that get past the physical attacks. The third and final line of Zerox’s defense is with the LMBers in the starships, who disable any warships that get past the physical assaults and force barrier.
After blasting the nacelles of a stray Dark Oval warship, Rocky checks his tactical display. “Oh my,” he reports to Dedman, “our strategy is working quite well, so far! That was only the fifth vessel to get past the second line so far. I must say, Doctor One’s prototypes are performing very well!”
“Right on, Rocky!” exhorts EDE in response from his starship. “The Smart Pilots are working like a charm, too--you were the first sentient pilot to shoot one down!”
“We’ll be back and drinking some port in no time,” Faraway jokes. “And let’s not forget that I’m the double threat, here--while I man my starship, I’m also helping the lads in the front line by teleporting some of their ships… ‘faraway’!”
“You?” EDE scoffs. “I’ve got the luck lord out there!”
“Boys!” Shady derides.
“Ahem,” Miner interjects, “face front, LMBers. In case you haven’t notice, ten more just slipped past the barrier!”
And all sixteen fighters converge on the interlopers and soon take them out.
Soon, however, at the second line, the defenders are showing signs of wearing out.
Telepathically, Crusader tells the other two, “I don’t know how much longer I can keep this up with my TK--the strain is tremendous!”
“Yeah,” Omega Man adds, “my mystical nads are nearly spent!”
EDE’s luck lord sighs, “don’t worry, your inexhaustible magical genie-like friend is here!” And he sends a little luck their way to replenish their power reserves.
And on the front line, the Heavy Hitters are taking a beating.
“Dev-Em’s down!” Ultra Matt shouts.
“Kent--Help Dev!” Pov says to the LMB field medic.
“Alright--cover me, Wanderer,” Kent yells to He Who Wanders. HWW obliges and clears Kent a path to Dev.
Assessing Dev quickly, Kent says, “he’s okay…just stunned. Far, do you read me?”
“Way ahead of you, mate,” replies Faraway Lad and he teleports Dev to Freekinos’s starship to recover.
“Got him,” Freekinos says upon reception.
From his ship, Beagz transmits, “I got one, guys…but not before he disabled my shields!”
“Roger that, Beagz,” responds Dedman, “Far, get Beagz to one of the Smart Pilot ships, STAT!”
“Done,” replies Faraway and just in time...Beagz's former ship is incinerated a moment later by another rogue.
“Whew!” Beagz exclaims as he disables the rogue from his new home.
“Rocky--any news about reinforcements?” Dedman asks.
Looking at his monitors, Rocky replies, “Cramer’s gathering up what reinforcements she can, but…oh…”
Bracing himself, Dedman asks, “what is it, Rocky?”
“Just got a report from the U.P…Naltor and Orando are under assault from the Dark Oval, too…what U.P., Knights Templar and S.P. help we were hoping for are being redirected there. With the Khanate War already occupying them, we can’t expect any military backup for…a week…LMB backup is at least a day away. And…oh…my…”
“What…what is it, sweetie?” Shady presses over her commlink.
Rockhopper Lad gulps, “more bogey blips just appeared on tactical…two...hundred more….”
[ August 25, 2007, 11:03 PM: Message edited by: Lard Lad ]
Posted by Lard Lad on :
Zerox, Isle of Wisdom
“Where is she?” Mordru screams as he rips apart the museum of the Magical Artifacts Division. “I sense her hand in this!”
Suddenly, an object that had been brushed aside in Mordru’s search sparkles. The next moment, the object, a garment common in ancient Earth stage performance tradition for a trick involving rabbits, has a wearer.
The man wearing a tuxedo with his rumpled top hat quickly assesses the situation and incants, “Luynad! M’i ereh! Kcol ni no em!”
The next moment, a man dressed in a maroon cloak appears next to the first. They are two members of the Council of Seven. The first man is Zataka Zatara of Earth, the latest in a long family line of "Homo Magi" who speak their incantations backwards. The second is Danyul of Psyonia, a wizard particularly skilled in elemental manipulation. Though normally isolationist by custom, the mage portion of Psyonia's population has begrudgingly maintained a representative on the Council.
The two quickly assess the situation as they are momentarily unnoticed by Mordru in his rampage.
“It is as I feared from the portents of the oracle,” Danyul laments.
“Should we try to take him by surprise?”
“No, Zataka, I think we need to find the other Councilors and--”
But Danyul can’t finish. Mordru has noticed them and binds them with eldritch chains before they can react.
“I sense great power in the two of you! Perhaps you can tell me before you die...where is she? Where is my traitorous bitch of a wife? Where is Mala?”
The two exchange a confused look before Zataka incants, “sniahc raeppasid!” and the two are freed once more.
Mordru laughs. “A reverse incantator--HA! How quaint! I know just how to fix you: kaeps ylreporp!”
At the same time, Zataka says, “Urdrom tsrub…into...flames? What?!? I-I can’t--!”
“--can’t speak backward?” Mordru taunts. "I'd say that's a crippling weakness, eh?" And their earsache with his booming, mocking laughter.
“Behind me, Zataka,” Danyul orders, “I’ll take care of him!” And water from the surrounding ocean rises and becomes a huge fist hurtling down toward the dark mage.
“An elemental sorcerer, eh?” Mordru observes. “Perhaps you haven’t heard that’s where my greatest skill lies?”
Mordru gestures and wrests control of the fist from Danyul and sends it hurtling back toward the pair. Danyul concentrates on taking back control of it but staggers into Zataka as his considerable control proves inferior to Mordru‘s.
“You are but moths compared to Mordru!” laughs the dark mage as he suspends the watery fists above the Councilors. “See what happens when moths fly too close...to the flame!”
And with another gesture, the fist super-heats into a deadly cloud of steam and descends on Zataka and Danyul. They scream as the steam burns the flesh off their bones.
And just like that, Mordru disposes of two of the galaxy’s premier mages.
“That was mildly entertaining,” Mordru sighs, then his mood darkens. “WHERE IS MALA?!?!?" his voice booms. "BY THE STONE OF AMETHYST, I’LL TEAR THIS ENTIRE PLANET APART IF MY WIFE ISN’T DELIVERED TO ME!!!!!”
And in his terrible fury, Mordru obliterates Zerox's Isle of Wisdom and all the poor souls with it who had still survived on the island up until that moment.
[ August 08, 2007, 06:31 PM: Message edited by: Lard Lad ]
Posted by Lard Lad on :
Zerox, Isle of Healing
Val Armorr has been helping the surviving healers set up a makeshift triage tent across from the rubble of the Healing Center. He helped recover all the survivors from that facility’s destruction and has helped administrate all the incoming casualties in the ongoing fight against Mordru.
Now, given a momentary breather between waves of patient arrival, Val takes a moment to check on his student.
“I’ve awakened him from his catatonia, Val,” the medic attending former LMBer Lard Lad tells him, “but he’s still quite despondent.”
Val nods and goes to his friend‘s bedside. “Anthony, my friend,” he says, ”things are not going so well, I fear. I haven’t heard from my dear Projectra since she went off to try to….”
“I...can’t believe she’s gone,” interrupts Anthony hoarsely.
“You’ve lost much, my friend. But there are still those who love you.”
Anthony starts as if remembering something he‘d totally forgotten, “Cobalt! Crujectra! Where are they?”
“They’ve gone off to fight Mordru, Anthony, as have Projectra and so many others.”
“Mordru!” Anthony screams aand sits up suddenly. "He did this to her--my...my wife...his own daughter! I‘m going to ki--”
“No, Anthony--you can’t do that! Remember all the progress you’ve made! Dru wouldn’t want you to--!”
“I failed her, Val! She asked me to kill her before that animal could consume her soul! I failed, and now there’s absolutely nothing left of her! I‘m going to destroy him!!!”
“You’re in no shape to--!”
“What do you expect me to do?!?!" Anthony screams into Val's face. "Nothing?! What would you do if he killed Jeckie--meditate with him?!”
“Calm down, Anthony…look, I don’t know what I’d do if I were in your place. I...hope I don't have to find out...” And he pauses for a moment and looks him straight in the eyes. “Jeckie once told me that if someone killed me…she would break his or her neck. But that’s not my way. I use my skills to best my opponent if combat is necessary, but killing isn’t the way, for me…nor for you. You’ve killed before, Anthony…you know I’m right.”
Anthony closes his eyes. They reopen with tears. “I know, sensei. But I also know I can’t just lie here while my friends get killed. I-I can’t lose them, too…I’ve got to help...any way I can.”
“Then, go, Anthony…and if you see my wife, give her my love. I’m needed here.”
“I will sensei,” Anthony replies. “I only hope 'Lard Lad' can make a difference..” And with a soft pop, Lard Lad vanishes.
Left alone, Val turns his thoughts to another matter. “There’s something rotten here", he whispers. "Dru’s death…Halfus and Drollux’s bodies…Mordru…the Dark Oval invading…I’ve got to get to the bottom of this. And I’ve a sick suspicion where I should start looking…”
And Val strides off, each step rife with purpose.
Posted by Lard Lad on :
Zerox, Isle of Fate
“Where is she?!!?” demands Mordru to no one in particular. “Where is my wife, Mala? Tell me, or I will destroy this island as well!!!
“I don’t know what you’re talking about or whom you seek, Beardru…but the hat’s just a fabulous fashion statement!” comes a feminine voice from above.
“Who dares?!?!?“ he screams and whirls around to see the twosome of LMBers Cobalt Kid and Spellbinder, the latter of which taunted him a moment earlier.
“We’re LMBers, purple-tights", Cobalt adds. "We weren’t around during your heyday, but you’re about to learn you can’t throw your weight around with us in the picture!”
“LMB?” Mordru laughs. “Only two of you? If you’re this dimension’s Legion such as I have faced in another of my aspects, I am sorely unimpressed! They would routinely send twenty or more against me! HA! I shall make short work of you two!”
“There are many more of us, ugly,” Cobalt taunts back, “but the two of us will more than suffice!”
Mordru’s reply is an angry blast of magical force which Cobalt and Spellbinder manage to dodge relatively easily because of the wizard’s sloppy rage.
The two LMBers respond with a combined TK and magnetic field that pushes Mordru back. Mordru conjures a spell that disperses the shield’s force, but they create a new one.
“Aaarggh!” Mordru screams. “Stupid little fire ants! I’ll squash you like the drones you are!”
He lashes out angrily again, but the two somehow use his force to strengthen their field.
“What?! That‘s impossible!” he shouts. “Unless…”
Mordru calms down and stops fighting the field and searches with his mind’s eye, until..
“Ah-HA! I found you!” He snaps a finger and someone gasps.
“Projectra!” cries Spellbinder, as her 'cousin', previously unseen by Mordru, collapses to the ground. Projectra had been cloaking herself and altering Mordru's perceptions with her power.
Mordru turns his attention back to the LMBers and makes a swatting motion. The two go tumbing off through the distance. Then, he approaches Projectra.
Noting the castle symbol on her cloak, Mordru chides, “how dare you, child of Orando!” Then, he gestures around and nine suddenly-unconcealed mages, (including Curator Zhiz) collapse, dead. They had committed all their energies to a specific task, and their defenses were down. “Did you think Mordru could be defeated the same way twice?” With another gesture, a portal becomes momentarily visible, then collapses. “You sought to teleport me to one of the 'Dark Worlds', perhaps even the same one I was defeated on twenty years earlier, where my power is lessened…and then perform the same spell your forebears did? PATHETIC! Did you think it would work again? HA! The combined might of you and these other nine was much less than the seven who sacrificed themselves and the three who lived…including my traitorous, unfaithful wife! Where is she, child of Orando? I know she lives! And what of her lover and the Seer? Tell me before I destroy you, as I did your grandfather!”
Weakly Projectra answers, “you m-must be demented, Mordru. Y-your wife was not one of the Three…she has never set foot on Zerox! Th-the female who helped defeat you was not her, but our own esteemed Counselor Ar--” She stops suddenly as her eyes widen at some unknown realization. She wonders if that could be why--
Mordru senses her hesitation and pulls the thought from her mind. “So that’s it!” he screams and focuses his senses outward. “I’m coming for you--!”
But he’s knocked back as Cobalt and Spellbinder have returned and assault him with a powerful force blast.
“So the ants are back!” and he hurls a host of powerful bolts their way. It takes all their concentraion to shield themselves from them. But it’s too much for them, and they fall to the ground, stunned.
“And now, ants--BURN!”
But as he prepares to kill them in a fiery conflagration, Mordru suddenly feels an all-encompassing darkness surrounding him. “No!“ he cries. “I’m…I’m buried again! I c-can’t breathe! I…” But then he pauses, “ah, good one, Projectra!” And he disperses her illusion. “Your grandfather tried that one! Tell him that Mordru says ‘hello‘ when you meet him in Hell!”
And before she can react, Projectra is felled by a dark energy bolt from Mordru. She collapses and feels her heart give out. She manages one last whisper: "Val..." and falls dead.
“No!” Cobalt yells, realizing their friend is gone. “I’ll get you, Mordru…with the iron in your blood!”
And he uses his magnetism to do just that. And Mordru screams, feeling as if his insides are imploding. Crujectra shields her lover as best she can, knowing Mordru will retaliate.
And retaliate Mordru does. Though unable to direct a spell, he instead fires random, but powerful, blasts in all directions. Unfortunately, they hit their mark, and the LMBers both sprawl to the ground, conscious but barely able to move.
“I underestimated you two, Legionnaires--I’ll honor you now with a funeral pyre!”
I fire rises around the two--but it’s immediately extinguished!
“What?!?” Mordru yells.
“Hi,” a voice says to Mordru’s left, “you've already killed my wife. I’m not letting you kill my friends, too!”
“Who are you, dead man?”
“No, I think Dedman’s up in orbit,” the new player mocks as his eyes and fists blaze with purple energy. “Me? I’m Lard Lad, and I’m taking you down!”
[ August 09, 2007, 06:27 PM: Message edited by: Lard Lad ]
Posted by Lard Lad on :
Zerox, Isle of Fate
“’Lard Lad’?” Mordru repeats. “You are a Lard Knight, then?”
“Yes, I am,” Lard Lad answers, his fists clenched.
“How quaint! I used to pick off Lard Knights for sport when I was a boy! This should be fu-!”
But before he can finish his jest, Mordru is face to face with his new opponent, who has just teleported right in front of him. With a grin, Lard Lad promptly head-butts the startled mage, stunning him momentarily. Lard Lad uses the opportunity to grab each of Mordru’s arms just above the elbows.
Mordru quickly recovers and grabs hold of Lard Lad’s arms in turn. “You want a Clench, eh? Very brave for a minor magician such as a Lard Knight! Very well!”
And the two rise up into the air, Lard Lad aglow with his purple Lard Force, Mordru with his signature violet manifestation. From a distance the energy signatures are indistinguishable.
On the ground, Cobalt and Crujectra rise gingerly from where they’d been stunned.
“Oh my God!” Cobalt exclaims. “Lardy’s up there with Mordru! I‘ve got to--” But Cobalt falls down as his knees give out.
“N-neither of us are good for anything right now, Cobie,” Crujectra says. “Lardy may be Zerox’s last hope.”
“He’s powerful, honey, but I don’t know if he’s that powerful--don’t understand why Romaltus isn’t here fighting…”
“He…he may already have fallen, Cobie…”
His tacit response is to look up to the battle waging above.
“Not bad, little Lard Knight!” mocks Mordru. “You’re holding out longer than I imagined, but I can feel you weakening!”
Teeth clinched, Lardy yells, “you took her life--and her soul! She was your daughter--my WIFE!”
“Oh, that,” he laughs. “Both of my daughters were huge disappointments--Mordra, always following her mother’s ways. And dear Whordru…she worshipped me as a child, always wanted to be just like me! She could’ve been great, but she proved too soft...fell for a pathetic weakling like you! HA! In the end she got what she had wanted as a child…I took her place--and she literally became me! Though I found her soul…lacking.”
“You’ll pay for that, Mordru!” Lard Lad screams and his purple glow erupts and takes Mordru off balance with its fury.
Mordru is momentarily rattled, but recovers quckly. “Only a fool lets his enemy unbalance him! That was a powerful wave, but you’ll only exhaust your power stores that much quicker!”
“Mordru,” Lardy says with a smile, “don’t you know that the Lard Force is inexhaustible?”
And Lardy’s fists tighten on Mordru’s arms and the impression from his fingers burns into Mordru’s skin.
“That hurt, you flea!” Mordru screams, then responds with a huge flare of his own. Lardy’s arms burn with Mordru’s fire, and Lardy feels it cascading through him. As it flares through Lardy, all pigment is drained from his eyes and hair. Mordru’s power washes over and through him--it's burning him inside and out.
“Aaaarrrggghh!” Lardy screams. The pain is unbearable. He feels his grip begin to loosen and his Lard Force begin to extinguish.
Before Lardy can regroup, the pain completely overwhelms him…
[ August 09, 2007, 06:32 PM: Message edited by: Lard Lad ]
Posted by Lard Lad on :
Somewhere in-between life and death...
Lard Lad finds himself surrounded in complete nothingness. He can see and hear absolutely nothing. In fact, he’s unsure he’s anywhere at all. He’s not even sure he has a body. He wonders if this is how he’ll spend the rest of eternity.
And he’s thinking this may be an apt punishment for all his sins.
He ponders this for--what? Seconds? Hours? Years? Eons?--when he’s suddenly sure he’s no longer alone.
“Hello, Anthony,” the foreign presence says. And at once, the nothingness wraps around a familiar female figure like a dress. He recognizes her immediately, and he suddenly becomes aware of his heart pounding, though a few moments ago, he wasn‘t aware he still had one.
“Mordra,” he whispers.
“Yes and no,” she corrects. “We’ve met many times since you came to Zerox and began studying with your sensei. I’m your dark side…your yin. You’ve attempted and failed many times to unite me with your yang, and you failed every time. This, Anthony, is your last chance to take my hand.” And she extends her hand to him.
He hesitates. “Am…am I dead?”
“That is to be decided by whether or not you take my hand.”
“If…if I take your hand, I live?”
“I didn’t say that, Anthony,” Mordra replies. “You are at the edge of life and death, right now. If you accept me now, you will be whole. If you don’t, the darkness will forever rule your ch‘i.”
“That…that just doesn’t make sense!” he shouts to her. “If I take your hand, I’m giving myself over to you! How could that possibly help?”
“Have you learned nothing from your sensei? Everyone has darkness within themselves! No one is totally good or totally evil, Anthony…all beings have both sides. Balance is the key! If both are accepted and allowed to co-exist, you will be whole. Denying one or the other is what leads us on a path of self-destruction!”
“I…I understand the concept, but…look at you--you’re everything I hate about…”
“…yourself?” she finishes. “It’s yourself you hate more than anything, Anthony…you know it’s true.” And her form morphs into his mirror image. “Can you accept…you?”
He begins to move toward himself, but pauses.
“I’ll be whole if I accept you? Then, I can go back and save my friends?”
“No, Lardy,” the image says. “If you take my hand, you’ll die…and your friends probably will, as well.”
“What?!? But you said--!”
“I said you would be whole. I never said you’d live.”
“That--that’s insane! You’re saying I’ll be whole, but I’ll die?! And I’d be dooming Des and Crujectra?!”
“Yes.”
“And if I don’t, I’ll return…and have another shot at defeating Mordru and saving my friends?”
“…yes.”
“Then, the choice is clear! I choose to go ba--!”
“Wait!” his doppelganger interrupts. “It’s not so simple! What do you think your sensei would want you to do? What about Dru?”
“They’d want me to fight and save my friends!”
“Would they?” the other said. “Do you know what it would take to defeat Mordru?”
“More power, I guess. I can--”
“And where do you think that power would come from?”
“Well, the Lard Force, of course. I--”
“And,” his image presses, “when you’ve pushed your power to such heights before, what did you learn about yourself? It consumed you! It overwhelmed you so much that you had to retire from being Lard Lad! And that dark place is exactly where you will have to return in order to vanquish Mordru! It‘s the only way you can do it!”
“No…I don’t have to…”
“Yes, you do! And you’ll never be able to attain the balance that’s within your grasp right now if you do that!”
“But if I don’t, I’ll die! And so will Cobalt, Crujectra and who knows how many others!!”
“How many will you kill when you become the Destroyer?” It morphs back into Mordra as those words are uttered. “Your friends in the LMB have met every single challenge they’ve ever faced. Trust them to defeat Mordru! They will mourn your loss and that of the others…but let them fight on in your memory! Don’t shame them by becoming something even worse than what they now face!”
He stares at her silently as she morphs back into his mirror image.
“Now…will you take my hand?”
And on Zerox, a heartbeat later, Lard Lad falls.
[ August 10, 2007, 04:10 PM: Message edited by: Lard Lad ]
Posted by Lard Lad on :
Zerox’s Orbit
As Rockhopper Lad checks his tactical display, his worse fears are confirmed. The LFD are losing. Though there’s been no loss of life so far, they are down to only seven of their formerly sixteen starships. Crusader and Omega Man have had to back off from the second wave due to exhaustion, leaving only EDE’s luck lord maintaining a weakening shield and only Kent, Ultra Matt and Pov remain active on the front lines as all the others had to retreat due to injury.
“We can’t hold up much longer,” Dedman confides to Rocky over a private link.
“I know,” Rocky agrees, “but we’ve got to fight to the last, if necessary. More lives than ours are at stake.”
“No word from Cobie and the others?”
“Nothing, Deds. Have you--?”
“--felt any of them pass? Hard to say--Lardy is…I just dunno. I choose to believe they’re still fighting.”
“Me, too,” Rocky agrees. “We sure could use the cavalry right about now…wait! I’m receiving a message from the Oval--there’s been a…cease fire!”
“A cease fire?” Dedman repeats. And he looks at his display. “Sure enough--they’re standing down! But why? They’ve got the upper hand!”
As he reads the rest of the streaming message, Rocky learns the answer.
And his jaw drops.
Posted by Lard Lad on :
Zerox, Isle of Fate
“NOOOO!” Cobalt yells as he watches his best friend go limp in Mordru’s grasp and then fall lifeless to the ground. Shakily, he stands and shouts to Mordru, “you b-bastard! You'll--you'll pay f-for that..!”
Crujectra gingerly rises next to her man and cries the tears he is physically unable to cry.
“Yes, Legionnaire. Your friend is dead. He fought valiantly but was, in the end, no match for Mordru! Mourn not, however…for you are about to join him! But you and your friend have harmed me--you‘ll suffer a bit more before you pass!”
He makes a casual gesture, and intense pain buffets the two as they fall to the ground writhing in agony.
“Oh, yes!” Mordru laughs. “Now, that is much better! I think, yes…I think I’ll toy with you two a while longer! Perhaps--”
“Not so fast, old man!”
Cobalt weakly lifts his head and whispers, “Lardy?” And as his eyes confirm what he'd heard, Cobalt smiles. He has a good feeling about this!
Mordru turns around. “You,” he says in disbelief.
Lard Lad says, “was that all you got, Santa?” and laughs.
Lardy’s laughter enrages Mordru, and he lets loose a fireball at him that mirrors his terrible fury.
Lard Lad simply teleports behind Mordru and taps him on the shoulder. As Mordru turns, Lardy taunts, “‘Only a fool lets his enemy unbalance him’, ya know? Heard that somewhere…” And then, Lardy clocks him with a vicious right cross.
Mordru falls to the ground, wipes his bloodied nose and looks up at his foe’s mocking grin. “You…dare engage Mordru physically! Mordru is above such affronter--” But Mordru is interrupted by a kick in the face.
“Oh, I dare,” Lardy says and kicks Mordru again, this time in the crotch. As Mordu doubles over, Lardy says, “you had that coming, you sadistic, evil creep!” and kicks him there again.
Now on his knees, Mordru shakily raises his hands to cast a spell, but Lardy grabs his upper arms and lifts them both into the air. They are in the Clench once more.
"We have some unfinished business, Morry!" Lardy laughs before revving up his power--the fiercest volley yet, by a longshot-- and directing it at Mordru. Mordru finds himself bludgeoned mercilessly by it.
"H-how is this possible?" Mordru screams. "I h-had you defeated...dead--I felt it! And now...you're more p-powerful! H-how?"
"Well, ugly...you made the mistake so many have made--you underestimated the fat guy!" Then, Lardy howls with laughter and buffets Mordru with a blast three times as painful as the last.
As Mordru screams louder than ever, one that is felt across Zerox, Lardy tightens his focus and maintains concentration on his opponent. He becomes eerily calm as Mordru writhes in pain and fights back like a wolf with its leg in a trap with all the random, unfocused power he can muster.
Lardy feels Mordru's counterattack start to get through his defenses. But he retains his focus and closes his eyes. In Lardy's mind he sees Mordru’s energy and his own as two conflicting patterns. He focuses on his pattern and alters and reinforces it. As his alterations take shape, he sees the foreign energy bounce off his and redirect the other way.
Opening his eyes and grinning, Lardy taunts, “I call this one ‘the Reflecto’, geezer!”
Mordru screams in pain with tenfold volume of the prior one. In response many nearby buildings crumble and the seas around the Isle start chopping violently. Crujectra and Cobalt barely muster a combined TK/magnetic shield over themselves for protection.
Mordru knows he's losing and tries to refocus his energies on escaping the Clench. But Lardy’s got a hold on Mordru’s energy and continues to pummel him with it.
“NOOOOO!” Mordru screams as he feels all that he is begin to become unraveled. “I-I won’t be…” Mad with pain, he tries turning his power completely off to prevent it being redirected against him...but he’s fallen into Lardy’s trap--this is exactly what the LMBer wanted him to do. Grinning triumphantly, Lardy redirects his power to consume his opponent.
And Mordru experiences the sick, indescribably painful sensation of his skin beginning to melt. He looks on in horror as his arms are reduced to their bone where Lardy is grasping them with a death grip.
Mordru’s eyes return to those of his opponent. His gaze is met fully, and what he sees is frightening. Mordru has never been afraid of another sentient being in his life. But here, in his final moment…Mordru knows fear.
"Destroyer..." Mordru mouths.
In the next instant, Mordru's eyes pop and melt along with the rest of the tissue on his skull. And an instant later, Mordru is no more than a small pile of ashes on the ground below.
Lardy lowers to the ground and smiles and admires his handiwork. He can hardly believe the thoroughness of his victory. Why...he can beat anybody now that--
Then, before his amazed eyes, he sees something ethereal emerge from the ashes. As he prepares for the worst, Lardy is taken aback as he realizes the image is female and very familiar.
“Dru?” Lardy manages.
The ghost rises up silently into the air. At first, she is overjoyed to be free and lovingly meets her husband’s gaze. But in his eyes, she sees something unfamiliar…and recoils. Seemingly afraid to look back again, ethereal tears start to stream from the ghostly eyes…then Dru’s spirit turns away, rises…and disappears.
Lard Lad understands all too well what she saw and hangs his head. And he thinks of the fateful choice he made to save his friends. He wonders if it truly was the right one.
But a short moment later, he is joined by Cobalt and Crujectra who know only that their friend has won the day, and the three embrace.
“You…you guys, alright?” Lardy asks shakily.
Cobalt gasps, “Lardy, that was amazing! For a second there, I thought you were a goner! I--” But then his eyes are drawn to his friend’s face. “Your hair, Lardy…it‘s turned white…and your eyes…”
But just then, Cobalt sees a group of sentients walking up to them, a familiar man taking the lead.
“It’s over,” says the man, who they recognize as Cobalt’s uncle…the long unseen Councilor Romaltus.
[ August 13, 2007, 10:54 AM: Message edited by: Lard Lad ]
Posted by Lard Lad on :
Zerox, the Isle of Meditation
An hour later, the three LMBers are moved to the same hill where, earlier, Val Armorr had trained his student. Now, an amphitheatre is there, having newly been conjured.
Sitting shakily near the front, Lard Lad, Cobalt Kid and Spellbinder are recovering from their experience, not knowing what is going on. Spellbinder lets Lardy borrow a mirror. His eyes are now completely white with no visible corneas or pupils. And his hair…also white as snow, now...
He lowers the mirror and looks at Mordru’s handprints burnt into his forearms. He knows they’ll always be there. And Dru…
But as Lardy begins to contemplate his loss, they are joined by Rockhopper Lad and Dedman. But before they can even speak, they are approached by Councilor Romaltus and a female about the same age as the former.
“Uncle! What is going on? What’s this all about?” Cobalt asks him.
“Cobaltus, this is my wife, my fellow Councilor Arella. She returned from being offworld right as Mordru awoke.”
“It’s so good to meet, you,” she says smiling. “Your uncle is so proud of you!”
“Thanks, ma’am,” Cobalt replies hurriedly. “But, uncle, why are we here?”
But before his uncle can reply four figures have beamed down in the center of the amphitheatre.
“What?” Cobalt says recognizing them immediately. “What are they doing here?”
Lardy sees two all-too familiar faces. “Wyandotte? Kalla Hryl?” he gasps in disbelief. And some purple energy colors his eyes.
Rocky is even more shocked as he recognizes, “Evil Emperor Pyngwyn!” And Rocky's heart jumps a little before realizing that this is the evil Earth-1 version of his own lost love who is, ironically, with Rocky's own evil double. “And…Blaine Fey…wh-what are they doing here with the Dark Oval delegation? ”
Cobalt hears that and says, “Dark Oval delegation? Rocky, what is this about?”
“Cobie, we were fighting off a Dark Oval invasion force in orbit. We were losing, actually--that's why we never got down here to help you out! Then we got word of a cease fire being called…because Zerox, Orando and Naltor are…well, they’re surrendering to the Dark Oval! We…we were asked to come down and…witness it for the U.P.”
“Surrendering?” Cobalt yells angrily. “But Romaltus--Mordru’s been destroyed!”
Bowing his head, Romaltus nods and explains, “yes, nephew. Mordru’s been destroyed...but Zerox has been left decimated in his wake. Half our population is dead. We haven’t the strength to resist the Dark Oval’s forces.”
“But where have you been?”
“Arella, Arun and I engaged Mordru right after he emerged, and we were nearly killed! Once we recovered somewhat, we responded to calls for negotiation from the four Oval dignitaries that you’ve just noted. When we assessed our losses and noted the overwhelming invasion force lying in wait, we voted to surrender under our authority as the surviving Council…all of the other four are dead. Naltor and Orando had already surrendered by that time.”
“But--”
“We do this to save lives, Cobaltus," Romaltus explains earnestly, knowing this doesn't sit well with his nephew. "The Oval will annex all of Epsilon Sector but will allow us to govern under their banner. And all LMBers will be allowed to leave in peace. Those are the terms.”
“This is unacceptable, uncle! I can’t allow you to--”
“You have no say in this, Cobaltus!”
“But Uncle--don’t you see? Their attacks and Mordru’s re-emergence--this is no damned coincidence! We can’t--”
“What do you propose, nephew?” Romaltus admonishes as tears stream down the older man’s cheeks. “My adopted world has been decimated, its population halved overnight! We are in no shape to fight!” Then, Romaltus wipes his eyes, and his voice softens. “However, if you want to stay and help with the transition…help me through this…I would be honored to have my nephew by my side.”
Cobalt thinks for a moment. There’s a part of him that wants to stay with his only surviving relative. But he looks around him, and his heart warms at the faces who comprise his adopted family. Placing a hand on his uncle‘s shoulder, he says softly, “no, uncle. My place is ever with the LMB. But I will always be available for you and ready to help when the time is right…for your liberation.”
Romaltus smiles, “I’m sure you will be…I’m sure you will be...”
The two exchange a hug. Then, Romaltus excuses himself, and he, Arella and Arun Nal join the Oval dignitaries in the center of the amphitheatre to sign the document outlining the terms of their surrender.
The LMBers assembled stare disbelievingly as the proceedings conclude. And as all of them head back for Legion World, Rockhopper Lad wonders how the two believed to be responsible for Earth-4’s destruction have come to be among the Dark Oval‘s elite.
[ September 02, 2007, 02:43 PM: Message edited by: Lard Lad ]
Posted by Lard Lad on :
Cobalt Kid's personal cruiser, en route to Legion World
Having set his course in and satisfied himself that the Dark Oval is keeping its word about letting them leave unharmed, Cobalt silently exits the cockpit. No words or telepathy are needed for Crujectra to know his intent. Cobalt just nods to her and goes to join their passenger in the cruiser's lounge.
Seeing his friend sitting there, Cobalt can't help but think about a similar scene in a similar situation over a year ago, after he and Lardy had fled Hrykosia...after the last time Lardy had killed.
"How you holdin' up, man?" Cobalt asks, sitting across from his friend.
Lardy jumps slightly as if woken from a dream. "Hunh--what?"
"I was just wondering how you're doing."
"Oh," Lardy says, contemplating his answer, "as well as can be expected, I guess."
"Yeah...Lardy, I'm so sorry about Dru. I--"
"It's okay, man," interrupts Lardy, "it's...you did the best you could. Don't...don't worry about it."
"Lardy, you've just lost your wife! I'm your best friend--I've got to worry about you! It's--it's my job, y'know?"
Lardy smiles slightly and looks at him with those now featureless eyes. "Yeah, I know. Back on Zerox, Mordru had me dead to rights. But I knew your lives were on the line..." Then his eyes lock with Cobalt's. "...and I wasn't gonna let him get you. So I...I came back."
"I'm glad you did, pal." And the two exchange a quick hug.
As they break Cobalt asks his friend, "where do you want us to take you, Lardy?"
The answer comes quickly. "Back to Legion World with you."
Cobalt can't suppress a smile. "We'll be glad to have you back!" Then he adds, "for how long?"
"For as long as it'll have me, Des. I...renounced my citizenship...do you think...?"
"Not a problem, Lardy! When you left, I covered that with the Founders. They never formerly accepted your withdrawal, and no papers were filed!"
"That's a relief at least," Lardy says with a small smile. Then he frowns. "But the LMB..."
"You want to rejoin?"
Lardy nods.
"I think we can swing that one, too."
"But...Mordru...I.."
"That definitely qualified as necessary force, Lardy. Anything less, and he would've wiped out Zerox. I was there and will testify to that..." They lock eyes again. "With no reservations! And..." He broadcasts his thoughts to the cockpit for a moment. "...Crujeckie will, too..." And he receives another thought and smiles proudly, "...wholeheartedly!"
"But if they also take into account what happened on Hrykosia--"
"Look, Lardy...you and I both know what happened there--but you were formally cleared long before you left Legion World, so they can't and won't do that. And, personally, I know you've come a long way since Hrykosia, man."
Lardy says nothing in response. His mind dwells back to the inner battle he fought...and lost. And he just stares.
"You'll be among friends, Lardy. That's the best place you can be after...what you've been through. So don't sweat the details--leave that to me! Meanwhile...get some rest, okay?"
"Okay," Lardy replies and lies down as Cobalt dims the lights and returns to the cockpit.
But Lard Lad's white, featureless eyes remain open for the duration of the trip. And all those eyes see before them...is a dark abyss.
Posted by Lard Lad on :
Epsilon Sector, Wyandotte’s Dark Oval Flagship
Hours after the surrender was finalized, the Dark Oval elite host a cocktail party for their new subjects.
“I’d say it went off without a hitch, eh, Wyandotte?” Blaine Fey says.
“I’d be inclined to agree, Fey,” agrees Wyandotte. “But we certainly were ably assisted by our allies...”
“Yes,” Arun Nal speaks up, “the vision I had twenty years ago has finally nearly become complete…the vision I shared with two former apprentice mages in the wake of our battle with Mordru.”
“It was a grand vision, Arun…one Mala here and I were pleased to share,” Romaltus adds, raising his glass.
“Who knew that my mad ex-husband Mordru and my disappointment of a daughter would figure to be so useful in the long run? Well, Arun did, I guess” chuckles the woman known as Arella. “I fled from Mordru thirty years ago and changed my name, so I could go to the Sorcerer’s World and learn the mystic arts. They would never have accepted me had they known I was Mordru’s wife!”
“But you’ve been my wife since we defeated Mordru two decades ago and helped found the Dark Oval in the name of our God,” Romaltus says and wraps his free arm around her.
Kalla interjects, “I couldn’t believe it when Wyandotte told me you three had been the silent fifth power in the Dark Oval all this time!”
“Yes, we founded it, actually...at the behest of Him, the God of the Dark Oval. It was decided--destined, to be more accurate--in the beginning that we would stay secret and develop followers on the Sorcerer’s World while gaining a foothold into the emerging United Planets. By the time our long term plan involving Arun’s predictions about Mordru and Dru came to pass, we would be in a position to rejoin the Oval with Zerox, Orlando and Naltor in tow,” Mala explains. "And armed in the process with valuable inside knowledge of the power that would provide the Oval's greatest opposition."
“And Mordru unwittingly took care of virtually all of our potential opposition among Zerox’s mages and allowed us to consolidate our power,” adds Arun Nal, “while we and our followers laid low. Mala in particular had to take an extended leave before Dru’s election to the Council. Dru never met ‘Arella‘, nor had any inkling that her long-missing mother had ever been to the Sorcerer’s World.”
“And I had to tidy up a few details,” Romulus explains. “I had to arrange for Mordru’s sarcophagus to be imported without suspicion…and to personally weave a sophisticated masking spell to hide the nature of said sarcophogus and, in turn, of Dru’s malady…and to kill healers Halfus and Drollux when Spellbinder informed them of her findings about Dru’s possession.”
“Why not kill those LMBers? We had them at our mercy!” Kalla asks.
Romulus speaks up. “I had no desire to kill my nephew. What I worked toward all these years, I did for the glory of the Oval and our God. In time I hope he will learn everything and see that our way is the right one. Slaughtering he and his friends would be contrary to that. We may, some day, have to destroy him and his Legion, but I would much rather convert them some day...if possible.”
“And,” Wyandotte adds, “perception is everything. The United Planets and the LMB feel they were dealt a serious blow by the Dark Oval--crushing their spirits is key! Perhaps, if they knew of the conspiracy behind it, their anger would unite them instead--a demoralized enemy is much preferable to one galvanized by their perceived righteousness!”
“Well put!” EEP agrees.
“But releasing Mordru was a dangerous gambit,” Kalla presses. “He was extremely powerful--this could all have backfired!”
“Not when you’re as great a precog as Arun Nal,” Mala laughs. “Among so many key events he foresaw, he knew every single detail of what just transpired, including how Mordru would fall to Lard Lad…after the damage had been done, of course!”
“Yes,” Arun says grimly, “including what must happen now.”
Romaltus stiffens, “what are you talking about, master?”
“Don’t toy with me, Romaltus,” Arun rebukes, “I know that you are about to kill me…with the blessing of our peers in this room.” And he looks toward Wyandotte, Kalla, EEP and Blaine. “I foresaw that twenty years ago as well.”
“And…and you went along with it?” Mala says with a hint of panic in her voice.
“I go along with nothing, Mala. Fate is my religion, my very reason for being…I can no more go against it than a flower can reject the nourishment of sunlight. All is occuring as it should. Do what you must.”
Mala is unnerved, but Romaltus’s resolve is undeterred. “Then you know it is nothing personal, Arun. The God of the Dark Oval demands you as a sacrifice to sanctify this day and to close the circle.”
“Quite,” Arun nods.
Romaltus gestures toward Wyandotte, and Wyandotte provides him with a sword. “And so it shall be!” Romaltus proclaims and penetrates Arun’s heart.
Arun falls. Softly, inaudibly, Arun whispers with his last breath what he always knew would be his last words: “enjoy it…while it lasts….”
Then, the six remaining elite of the Dark Oval fill their glasses with Arun’s blood and drain them.
Finishing the blood and refilling with Zerox’s finest wine, Wyandotte smiles and offers a final toast. “To smoke and mirrors!”
“Eh?” EEP pauses before sipping. “What kind of toast is that?”
Knowingly, Romaltus drinks and explains, “Eudyptes…in ancient Earth custom, performers devoid of any actual magical talent would perform tricks and sleights of hand to fool their audiences into thinking they were working actual magic. But it was all about deception and misdirection…colloquially and somewhat accurately said to have been accomplished using ’smoke and mirrors’.”
Blaine Fey particularly appreciates this. “Yes, indeed. It’s that brand of magic that truly bore fruit for us today! To smoke and mirrors!”
And all six repeat: “smoke and mirrors!“ and drink deeply.
End ACT THREE
{Epilogues to follow...}
[ August 13, 2007, 11:14 AM: Message edited by: Lard Lad ]
Posted by Lard Lad on :
EPILOGUE ONE
from Cobalt Kid's personal journal:
Well, it's been over a month since the U.P. lost Epsilon Sector in the Mordru incident. So far the Dark Oval has been content with just solidifying its control over the sector without taking any further aggressive action. But the whole affair and my questions about what really happened still often keep me awake at night.
Politically, it's been really trying for the United Planets. Here they are in the midst of war with the Khanate of Sol Invictus, when the Oval pulls a quick surgical strike and yanks a significant part of the U.P. right from under its eyes. And there is talk of other U.P. members seceding from that union and possibly seeking the Oval's protection instead. Hopefully, they'll stop short of that step and come to their senses.
The best thing that could happen at this point is for the U.P. to make some headway into the current standoff with the KSI. If the U.P. can either defeat them or sign a peace treaty with them, the fear of being squeezed between two aggressive rival super-powers would be alleviated and stop the secession talk.
I'm not optimistic about that happening. But I do know that progress on the KSI is far more likely than with the D.O. They're holding all the cards right now, for sure, as the U.P. and Khanate are expending massive resources in their struggle.
At this point the LMB and Legion World are still mostly neutral. Though we are aligned with the United Planets, we are still mostly offering ancillary support. But the Space Knights are more directly helping U.P. military efforts, and of course, that means my own feet are wet in this as I'm one of their leaders. But the time is coming very soon when the LMB will have to take more of a direct role to restore peace.
Meanwhile, Lardy's return to Legion World and the LMB has been even more overwhelmingly postively impactful than I ever dreamed! Never, EVER have I seen Lardy more effective in battle and more relevant to us on so many levels...not even back when he was our original leader!
I mean, all of Lardy's issues from the past that affected his performance are just...gone! The drinking and whoring are wiped out completely. He's extremely efficient in the field, to the point where sending others with him on missions is almost overkill. He's returned to the Security Office and mentoring many junior officers. He teaches at the LMB Academy. You name it--he's the first to volunteer.
I'm sure a lot of it is him throwing himself into his job to get over what happened to Dru, so he doesn't have to dwell on it. I've certainly done that in the past, and he's excelling at it!
Honestly, there's no outward reason for me to be concerned. The only thing that does concern me is that I'm no longer getting anything from our empathic bond that came from me having part of his soul. I haven't felt anything since he fought Mordru. Anything at all. It's gone. Poof! Vanished.
Crujectra thinks--and she's probably right--that all that magic Mordru threw at Lardy (and at me) might have either masked or even severed our connection. And it definitely makes sense. She says that part of his soul is definitely still there despite the disappearance of that side-effect. She can sense it. But the empathic side effects are somehow disgarded, probably for the reasons she believes.
But part of me wonders if maybe...maybe I'm not picking up on anything because...well, maybe Lardy isn't feeling anything anymore. That's my worry. But again, Crujeckie's probably right. However, like any good friend would do, I'll keep an eye on him. Be there for him, y'know?
Anyhow, I saw Rockhopper Lad today. He's now convinced that Rockhopper Lass's absence is somehow connected to Evil Emperor Pyngwyn's emergence as a Dark Oval bigwig. There's very little evidence to support that, but I've learned to trust Rocky's instincts. I've set up an appointment tomorrow for us with Matlock and Lardy for us to discuss our options.
And Romaltus...it's him that keeps me up at night most of all. He's my only known surviving blood relative, and now...now he's a subject of the Dark Oval.
Or is he? My uncle struck me as a singularly intelligent man in the brief time we had. What if he--
No, I won't entertain those thoughts overly much at this time. He was good to me, and I've no solid reason to distrust him. We'll cross that bridge if it ever gets built, I guess.
Meanwhile, hopefully some good things will be in the offing...or I may never balance this sleep deficit I've amassed!
As Pov always reminds me when I get too morbid: "Just remember, Cobie--when everything seems darkest, always remember you've got that massive hottie of a soulmate waiting for you at home!"
He's certainly right! Maybe I should get that tatooed somewhere....
Cobalt out.
[ August 15, 2007, 12:24 PM: Message edited by: Lard Lad ]
Posted by Lard Lad on :
EPILOGUE TWO
Castle Hrykos, Hrykosian District, Dark Oval space
In the suite formerly occupied in succession by her half-brothers Damyen and Collus Hrykos, Kalla Hrykos relaxes in an ornate bathing pool. She is taking her first day off since seizing power from Collus, capped by this lavish bubble bath. In her hands is a glass of Hrykosia's finest vintage wine available.
She has accomplished much in the five months since she took over. Hrykosia is more united and racially integrated than ever before. Any who have absolutely refused to let go of the old hierarchy have been either deported, imprisoned or killed. Yes, no female in Hrykosia's storied history has ever accomplished as much as she has, nor any male in such a short time.
But even here, in the throes of luxurious celebration after such accomplishment, she finds herself unfulfilled. Deep down, she'd trade all she's achieved to be with her beloved Huldnaf again. All the change she's brought about in the end is cold comfort when she has no one to celebrate it with. Indeed, it is lonely at the top.
After a while, she's drunk enough wine that her head is swimming slightly, enough to cause her to doze off a little. In her dream Huldnaf is with her in the pool celebrating her victory. He kisses her and says--
"Hello, Kalla."
Woken from her dreaming state by a very real voice, Kalla is startled and nearly chokes on some of her bath water as her head submerges momentarily. She grabs the edge of the pool, gasps for air and clumsily wipes her eyes of soap bubbles, looking for the source of the voice. At first all she sees are two, small purple lights shining brightly a few feet away. Wiping her eyes again, she realizes the purple lights are actually glowing eyes. Very familiar eyes.
"By the Blessed Void--Lard Lad!" she yells, and her hands start to glow white.
"Easy, Kalla...stand down. I'm here to talk," the LMBer responds.
"Liar!" she screams. "You're here to kill me! But you'll find my power more than--"
His laughter interrupts her.
"You DARE!" she yells as she stands up and fires a fierce solid-light blast his way. But he parries it with only a slight gesture.
"Easy, Kalla," he says soothingly as his eyes move up and down her now-exposed frame, "do you really think you can take down the dude who destroyed Mordru? If I wanted to, I could already have killed you...you're powerful, but you're no Mordru. So...are you ready to listen?"
Unsure of herself and still feeling tipsy, she nods. Then, suddenly aware of her exposed state, she sits back down and lets the bubbles restore her modesty.
"Aw," he chuckles, "you didn't have to do that on my account!"
She remains silent and simply stares at the man's disturbingly altered appearance. Especially those white eyes.
"Anyhow," he continues and approaches the pool, "recent...developments...have made it clear to me that I've been going about things the wrong way..."
Reaching the edge, he sits at the side directly opposite her, removes his boots and dangles his bare feet in the water. "Oooh...warm!" he says with a chuckle.
"What do you mean?" she asks, watching his feet kick slightly beneath the surface.
"Well," he says thoughtfully, "maybe if one needs to effect some positive change in the galaxy...well, maybe the rules of how to go about it need to be...bent."
"Bent?" she prods and looks at his face again. Though he looks fearsome, he's also still quite handsome. The beard, the physique...he's really not that unlike Huldnaf in appearance. Well, Lard Lad's skin isn't blue and scaly and he lacks antennae on his head, but...well, maybe he really doesn't look much like Huldnaf at all. But she does find him attractive. Is it just the wine? Or the loneliness?
All this flashes in her mind in an instant, and she has to force herself to focus on his answer.
"Yes, Kalla. I'd like to help you...and in return help myself! It would be our little secret..."
"Help me? I'm firmly in command here on Hrykosia! I--"
"--you are a pawn, Kalla! You're too smart not to realize that on some level! Wyandotte and the Emperor Pyngwyn used you to eliminate Collus and to solidify their dominant role in the Oval!"
"That's insane! I'm firmly in control here!"
"Here, perhaps...for now. I mean, do you really think you're that high in the pecking order? When they get powerful enough that they don't need you anymore, you'll see how highly you rank!"
"Get out of here, dammit!"
"Fine," he says, "throw away your only chance!" And he stands up, turns his back to her and disappears with a pop of Lard Force. Kalla fires a light blast after him that arrives a moment too late.
"Damn him!" she screams in frustration. A moment later she calms and stares at the boots left behind. "Grife," she says to herself, "maybe I should have--"
"Should have what? Heard me out?" says his disembodied voice. And in the next instant he appears right next to her in the pool.
"Wha--?" she says, feeling startled and...something else.
"Thought I'd gone did ya?" and he puts his arm over her shoulder. "I saw the way you looked at me," he says lifting his eyebrows at her. Then, their eyes lock. and he continues, "y'know...there could be...other benefits to the arrangement. See, I've learned a little about love recently. It's nice while it lasts, but it exposes you...leaves you vulnerable. I'd certainly be game for something more...primal, y'know...without all that crappy baggage."
She barely hears the actual words as a million different thoughts and feelings fire through her synapses at once. She's confused, but of one thing, she is certain: these feelings are her own--Hrykosians have a natural immunity to every conceivable form of mental manipulation.
This is the man whom many in her faith believe is their messiah. Their 'Destroyer'. She doesn't know if she believes that, but it makes this moment that much more exciting...and she's been so lonely...
And in the next moment she knows she needs him. She definitely needs an ally to protect her interests from the other Oval elite, for sure. But beyond that...she needs him. Now.
The next instant she locks into an embrace with him. A desperate, hungry embrace.
And in that instant, an unholy alliance is born, one rife with many disturbing implications and fearful repercussions for the future.
[ August 15, 2007, 02:12 AM: Message edited by: Lard Lad ]
Posted by Lard Lad on :
EPILOGUE THREE
a cold and lonely corner of hell
Val Armorr has lost track of the number of days and nights he's been here. He finds that he actually doesn't really care that much. After all, his inner peace has been shattered in a way it hasn't been in a long, long time.
His Jeckie's dead. He knows it. He knew it before his captors taunted him with it. He knew it the second it happened.
He had departed from the ruins of Zerox's Healing Center after helping his friend Anthony deal with his own wife's death. He'd shared all his pretentious Zen wisdom with his student, and then Val had followed a hunch he had about a conspiracy within the Council of Seven.
He knew of a special bunker the Council had for situations as desperate as Mordru's attack and went there. Sure enough, Councilors Nal, Romaltus and Arella were there. They were communicating via closed vidlink with a man highly placed within the Dark Oval's elite rulers that U.P. intelligence had identified as 'Wyandotte', along with another male, this one of the Pyngwyny race, whom Val didn't recognize. The nature of their dialogue clearly implicated a conspiracy between the Oval and those Councilors present and confirmed Val's worst suspicions. All of their plans were clearly coming together.
Val knew that he had to warn Jeckie about this before it was too late. He proceeded to exit the bunker unnoticed when suddenly...
...Val felt Jeckie die...
...and he collapsed.
The Councilors were roused by the noise this caused, and they quickly apprehended him. By that point, Val didn't really care, to be honest. His world had caved in on him.
The next thing he knew, Val was here. On a very cold world in solitary confinement.
Occasionally, the Pyngwyny male he remembered from the vidlink in the bunker would come to the cell and gloat at him or taunt him. But Val didn't pay him much mind. What more could this so-called 'Emperor Pyngwyn' do to him now that the light of his world had been extinguished? Absolutely nothing.
Some times, Val was vaguely aware of voices in the background...those, he presumed, of other prisoners. But he payed them little mind. They were probably all as damned as he, after all.
But on this day something is changed, different. The tones are altered...hopeful? And just as his interest starts to tweak ever-so slightly, he hears a petite female voice call from outside his door.
"Mister...Armorr?" the voice says tentatively.
Something about the voice strikes him. What is it about the voice? It doesn't belong to anybody he knows. Perhaps it's the...innocence in it?
"Yes," he answers after a long pause.
"Some friends and I are here to rescue you and the other prisoners!"
The next moment, the cell door glows, freezes...then shatters.
And a young Pyngwyny female steps through the exposed doorway.
"Hi, my name is Adelie. I'm known as Rockhopper Lass!"
In her eyes Val sees a heroism that sparks something inside him. A smile crosses his lips. Then he concentrates, flexes and his shackles break.
"Rockhopper Lass, eh?" he smiles as he stands tall for the first time in a long time. "I guess you can call me 'Karate Kid' then, young lady! Now what say we get the hell out of this godforsaken craphole?"
"No problem!" Adelie grins.
He follows her out, and they join several others in their exodus from hellish inprisonment.
And suddenly there is a glimmer of hope in the air on the ice planet formerly known...as Earth-4.
[ August 16, 2007, 12:11 PM: Message edited by: Lard Lad ]
Posted by Lard Lad on :
THE END!
...though you can bet your sweet bippy there'll be more to come!
![[Smile]](smile.gif)