January 28, 2005
Outrageous betrayal.
“How could it happen again??!!?” The demon lord exclaimed in dismay. “Betrayed yet again by Triston ?!?! "
*Editors note: Confused? See: "Traitors cannot usurp the path to endarkenment." *
“But HOW My Lord?” said Alfred. They were alone in his chambers. But it seems to be that it’s hard to trust ANY situation in these realms. “Where-bats” and Hellhounds are dispatched to survey the compound.. They are given strict instruction to sniff out, seek out or hear out anything that seems awry.
“I just don’t know. Triston had been slain by the Kitten Goddess Kali herself for his treachery. His assuming the guise of two of my officers was betrayal enough, but to rise from the dead and do it again??!?!? HOW!?!?!?” He exclaimed pounding his fist on the desk. The blow so hard with frustration, his muscles rippled with demonic fire as he smashed the hardened redwood desk into splinters. He was quite perturbed. Pulling a pencil sized splinter from it’s newly imbedded home in his forehead and flicking it away, Alfred stared at D’Sar with a forlorn look, partly in concern for the violent display the demonic master was showing.. Darkstar slumped in the desk chair to brood what was happening.
“Dulthail!” Darkstar snapped as if a light had gone on in his head.“He’s … a god of phoenix resurrection! As the patron of the Stygian Temple, our sworn enemies...he MUST be the key to Tristons return! What’s worse, he betrayed me in the guise of Gartue. I’ve never been more disgusted in the security around here.”
Speaking of security, just at that moment, a “where-bat’ flitted through a small opening in the wall and alighted itself upon D’Sar’s shoulder, where it squeaked it’s flying mouse code to the ears of the man-bat. This was a messenger class bat. He relays the messages from the main “where-bats” that are much larger, from the Pteropus conspicsllatus class which stalk the night betwixt a 5 foot wing span. This tiny die fledermaus was merely relaying their alert. Murders of crows were seen about the compound, along with strange hounds who would satiate themselves on Citadel carcass fodder, cast away in the trash. These are reported not to be strays. Alas. They were too well trained. They carried an enchanted aura and had a distinct scent. The citadel was leaking security and something was to be done about it.
D’Sar’s eyes shifted from left to right. As he listened to the report they grew into that all too familiar menacing red glow again.
“ Crows…” he muttered. "Only one being uses crows… that cretinous magpie, Navarre. Evidently he hasn’t let bygones be even in his return. Surely his Crusaders are in cahoots with the Temple. It’s too coincidental”
Snarling in annoyance, he sprang from his chair to grab for a bell ribbon. “Sound General Quarters! Lock this complex down! Summon my officers to the war room for a briefing in one hour! Oh…and get someone to clean up this mess and get me a me new desk. “ He exclaimed to the D’Sari Knights who snapped to attention upon the bells ring to hear his orders.
“MY LORD! YES MY LORD!” They answered in vehement unison. Snapping to attention, they turned on heel to heed his orders.
“Alfred old boy... he continued to his confidante, “I need you to clear the area surrounding. Stay in the shadows. Look for ANYTHING that seems out of the ordinary. It’s hard to know who to trust now a days… But you my friend… at least I have you… And Commodore Kurgan. It seems this war is bigger than we thought. “