The walls of the Tavern were dimly lit with candles.
One of the D'Sarian Knights, that were to be ceremonial guards for Darkstar when the auction started, sought an audience with the Lord of darkness.
"Sire, if I may be so bold?" The mystic warrior began, " If all this treachery is going on...why are you wasting time at this auction?"
D'Sar blinked a moment, then patted the cheek of the Knight. "Because, my honorable warrior... As ever, I have a plan. And I would advise you never to dispute my actions again."
Darkstars eyes grew glowing red with that statement. Then he smiled in a mocking fashion, however annoyed he may have been at the question the officer was so improper to ask.
The bastion of the bats decided to become unto shadow and disappear into the darkness within, undetected for the moment as he walked into the Tavern and saw many a mortal milling about. He saw other gods in the transparent etherworld, cloaked from mortal eyes in their plane of ectoplasmic existence... for the moment. The auction was about to come under way. He saw the slavery vouchers at a guarded table. He sauntered over and stared at them... The name he was looking for was there. "Splendid" was his exclamation as he squinted his eyes. "I will enjoy this... And buy a few for spare. I see, Crimson, husband of Kioska is for sale along with herself. I think I would have more fun debasing her husband in front of her, and her newborn than owning she, herself..." He chortled.
He tipped his hat to the other gods of the nether realms, then sat with them, wary of Ahriman, the Dark Liege, unknowing if he knew of the recent events between the allied clans. Whom to trust was now the issue. He made small talk with them, inquiring upon the mysterious huge black monolith that had recently appeared in Kjeldoran.
When the auction started, all the immortals of the worlds came into view, stepping out of the nether-mist.
Bidding was slow at first but by nights end, D'Sar, in a bidding war with the kitten goddess, won his prize. Ihsahn a.k.a. Squiggy was his property now. His glee was silent, but inwardly ecstatic! He had also aquired Ezekiel and Crimson as desired. The purchase of Crimson was simply for the joy of torturing the Misfit demon-cat by owning her husband. "Perhaps I'll order the Crimson dragon to eat his own newborn child..." he chuckled and bemused in one of his twisted thoughts of evil.
The oddest twists of the eve, were the charity event sales. Immortals of the realms were up for sale. To own an immortal for a day was a dream for many mortals. Of course, the mortal was limited in what they were allowed to order this "slave" to do, as in ordering a god to slay an enemy clan or wanton destruction of a village, but to own a god-servant for a day was a once in a lifetime chance for greatness in the realms. All the proceeds went to help the realms orphans.
As the voucher for the Lord of the Undead went into bidding, he chided in jest for mortals not to buy him as he was a "terrible window washer" and that he'd "burn your breakfast!" Ever the showman is he. Not often does evil allow laughter. Yet in Darkstar's case, he enjoyed humour as long as it was dark.
The bidding was over and the winner was sauntering up to get the prize Darkstar Slave Voucher. Now this was irony at its best, as the strife between Kioska and her Misfits Hideout Clan and Darkstar would come to a head. For you see...as Darkstar had purchased the husband, the wife had purchased the purchaser! The conundrum in itself is odd enough to boggle the mind.
Darkstar pondered that for a moment, yet he had more pressing issues. He wanted to deal with his plan for the safe return of Alfred, his faithful yet kidnapped butler which Kali had him kept prisoner serving the vile disgusting Den of Iniquity clan. The debasement was far more than a man of his breeding could possibly handle.
D'Sar walked over to "Squiggy", his new aquisition, gave him a ridiculously silly looking large red bow to wear around his neck and commanded him to don it. He then ordered him to go and kneel before the kitten goddess. Sauntering over to Kali, he grinned wryly. "A gift for you...use him in good health...under one condition... Return my gentlemans gentleman to me if you please..."
She looked puzzled for a moment. Then waved her hand for one of her priests who produced an orb of allsight. Within it was an image of Alfred, with deer antlers rosined to his forehead, wearing tattered clothes and covered in a foriegn brown matter, holding his nose and stumbling into the gates of the Tower and being recieved by Tower gatekeepers.
Evidently, he was already in the process of being freed. "Hmmph!" thought D'Sar, " what a waste of 100,000 platinum." He nodded at the panel of gods, left his slave with Kali, and left with great anxious haste to see his long lost, trusted confidente.
The next few days should prove quite ...amusing.
27 hours later, while Darkstar walked the grounds to inspect the repairs, a frantic Knight of the brood approached him in a fervor.
"My Lord!" the Towerian knight said as he bowed, there's been a development. Captain Kurgan was attacked. He lays nearly dying, if not dead already, in an alley in Midtown Kjeldoran!"
"What IS it with alleys in Kjeldoran these days?" D'Sar thought to himself. "Where is he? Bring him to me!"
"Milord, I don't think he has much time. You may have to get in your good-byes in the alley", the honorable bastion of the Tower implored.
"You speak nonsense, warrior. He will NOT reach unlife on MY watch!" glared Darkstar.
The Darklord homed in on the psionic mental patterns of the Kurgan whose unlife force was waning away. He then commanded dark sorcerers to cast a spell of transportation. A fire and brimstone explosion appeared before him as a fading Kurgan layed at his feet, a broken skeleton, black rotted marrow type goo oozing from his broken bones. The concerened General knelt down to speak to the fallen Captain. "What happened there, old chum?" he queried.
Kurgan choked up a bit of black goo and grabbed at Darkstar's robe and whispered two words. The skeleton coughed, "Helllll....fiirrrrre...." as he slumped back. Kurgan was gone... Or was he? The wounds were critically severe. There was quite a bit of damage.
D'Sar grimly lifted his faithful officer and closed his eyes. The Tower Protectors there on the scene keeping watch, shielded their eye's from the blast of imploding smoke as the two disappeared into nothingness.
The dark duo, with a cloud of black smoke, reappeared moments later in the Creation Station, where most of Darkstar's most heinous creatures are brought to life. It was the birthplace for the likes of Gothrax, Anthraxia and the Dark Governess. The smoke cleared from their arrival as D'Sar, mildly drained from teleporting so far with a passenger, barked at his sorcerous lords. "Attend me! The Captain needs your aid! He has scant seconds on this plain!"
Together they stood around Kurgan on the slab that many have become animated on. This was the same slab Kurgan was resurrected on once already. For this to happen again, one would not think at all possible.
Darkstar stood upon the ceremonial symbol of darkness and began an impromptu incantation.:
"Kali, child of Norlondar, Daughter of Morakai, Goddess of all that is these realms... Here my plea... " The Darklord began to pray. "Your favourite soldier of darkness, Kurgan, has fallen to treachery and betrayal. In the name of balance and Morakai I beseech thee to grant me the powers of Morakai to restore unlife once again as you have in Kurgans case before!"
The circle aound the sinister star on the floor that was the symbol of the D'Sari, glowed pink. The aura began to manifest itself into a humanoid form. All that could be discerned was cats eyes, pointed ears and a tail. The manifestation nodded at D'Sar and a bolt of energy shot from it's eyes. It was the blessings of Morakai. The demon lord of darkness took the energy into his chest as his eyes began to glow bright red. He then placed his hand upon the head of the Captain. The pink energy now faded to purple as Darkstar's hand glowed an erie blue, infusing Kurgan with the energies of unlife, boosted by Morakai's blessing of life itself. The Kurgan would return to battle again one day... Yet that day would not be today.
Slightly weary from the energy transfer, his hair disheveled and clothes distraught and soiled from dealing with the oozing skeleton that is Captain Kurgan, he wiped his brow and motioned for the sorcerers to take over in the healing.
"Hmmmph... I've gotten quite a bit unkempt, haven't I?" Darkstar bemused of himself. " Alfred, I'll need to...damn." He stopped,shaking his head in frustration, realizing that in his distraction, he'd forgotten that Alfred was not there. He simply responded in reflex action. His trusted assistant is still a prisoner of Norlondar. "I have to get to the auction! It's the best plan to recover Alfred yet!" Leaning over Kurgan he whispered, "You're in capable hands now, old chum." Looking dead in the eyes of his head sorcerer and pointing to Kurgan, he made the threat: "He dies...?" then pointed to the priest, "YOU die."
Closing his eyes in transport again. The fire and brimstone about his body faded as he stepped from it's cloud and found himself transported to his chambers, as desired. A cloak and vestments were quickly pulled from his wardrobe by slave girls. Diligently he changed for the auction event and dispensed with the pleasantries of grand entrances in horse driven carriages, especially what with this recent treacherous developement.
An incantation of interdimensional transport was tonights desired travel option. A red portal full of plasmic energy opened before him and he stepped through, sliding through the folds of space and time, to exit near the door of the Kjeldoran Tavern in the darkness.
The auction was almost ready to begin as D'Sar appeared just outside the doors. He found a pair of the Towers knights there to ceremoniously act as his body-guards. They had a worried look on their faces with concern for Kurgan. "All will be well with your commander. In the meantime...we are at yellow alert. It is suspected that the treaty of the Dark Alliance between Hellfire and ourselves has been broken. You will find Captain Garrett and alert him that he is now on full active status with double duty as his command partner has fallen. "
He began to turn into the tavern when he was stopped by his guards...a pressing question was on their minds...
Darkstar stood with a blank look on his face. He was in utter shock at what the Governess had done. She looked at him on the rooftop as he stared into one of her giant blue eyes and sighed. Still covered with grime and dust, she averted her eyes downward, sheepishly. "Forgive me milord...I have a problem with being entombed."
He blinked a moment and thought..."She's over 100 feet tall. What the bloody hell would she be afraid of entombing her?"
"Governess," he said, "don't act out of turn again. Is that understood? Had I needed your help, I would have asked for it.
"Yes milord." She pouted.
"Well I suppose, no harm, no...fowl" he chortled, then he stopped, while leaning down to look over the ledge of the rooftop. "Governess, are you standing on my prize black roses?"
He rolled his eyes and rubbed the back of his neck. "I'm sorry, My Lord..." she whispered. Slumping a moment, He took a deep breath, then turned on his heel to walk towards the roof door, shaking his head. Retracting his bat wings, the slurping sound of melding meat sloshed, then stopped as the limbs of flight ended into his body.
"Captains! Attend me!" the Dark Lord bellowed.
"Yes SIRE!" the heucevan hulk of a skeleton, Kurgan was first to snap to attention. He and a band of counter- strike knights were laying in wait on the roof top, in case they were summoned to retaliate.
" My friend..." said the hell-bat,turning in Kurgans direction, " I want YOU to go into town to the Market Square and seek out what information you can shake down on why there is so much trouble about. I want you to go in, with minimal arms and armor, with a ceremonial blade only, peace tied. There's enough Hellfire clannies about to keep you safe from worry of attack as our alliance will keep you safe from their advances and skirmishes between the Obsidian Order. I want you to appear as if the Tower and the Dark Alliance is so strong it could walk nearly naked through town. The primary objective is to find out what caused that blasted blackbird to attack us..." he mused. "Captain Garrett, your mission will be dispatching a clean up detail for the compound and replacing our slain members. Begin recruitment immediately."
"SIR! Yes SIR!!" Kurgan and Garrett bellowed as they snapped to attention and saluted.
"I'll be in my chambers...at the scrying pool...then I must peruse the purchase voucher list for the slave auction...dismissed." said the frazzled vampire as he didn't even salute back. He more or less just waved his hand half heartedly into the air as he turned his back and walked away. He'd had a rough day.
In the scrying room, D'Sar made his incantation and homed in on his where-bats that circled above the alleged landing area of the Raven god... Only, they didn't see anything. Save for newly crumpled, broken branches,an extra scattering of freshly fallen leaves and an occasional black feather. He rubbed his chin and raised his eyebrow... "Where the blazes IS that bird?" he thought to himself. "The Governess whip couldn't have sent him THAT far. I suppose he's had enough and will be done with it, as will I. I should hope the Silent Ravens Clan doesn't figure on tussling with the Dark Alliance out of some preposterous sense of vengeful balance... Ponderous...however..." he stopped and raised his eyebrows in a lifting of spirits and smirked, "I've a slave auction to plan a strategy for..." he muttered to himself as he sauntered off to a bath drawn by slave girls.
Meanwhile...Kurgan took the long walk into Kjeldoran alone. Pondering the past events still so fresh in his mind, he thought of how close he had become to the Dark Lord in his relationship to his god.*
Captain Garrett had barked his orders to many a slave and worker alike to get the grounds back to normal. The black rose bed was first on the list.
Back at the dark chambers of the god of darkness, Darkstar relaxed in a bath drawn of milk and rose petals to unwind and heal from the prior altercation. The milk would soften his hardened undead flesh as he was a vain sot.
His hair was washed by one slave girl and his shoulders massaged in tandem by another. The Dark Lord was one for pampering his stresses away. One slave girl, who could read, read the list of names of those to be auctioned that dark eve. She reached the S list in the alphabetical order and spoke the name "Squiggy" amongst others. Eyes lulled to a dull look by the pampering, they suddenly spring open! He sprang up and exclaimed! "Ihsahn!" he shouted.
Ihsahn, also known as "Squiggy" to his clanmates was an Obsidian Order officer that he realized was up for auction. "EUREKA!" he snapped as best his slogging milky fingers could. With a grin as wide as the sea he blurted, "Oh ALFRED, dear friend! You're coming HOME!!!"
It seems our milk covered bat has a plan...
*Editors note: Continue the Kurgan Journey into deception in the Blogs of Role-play blog : "Kurgans Journal" entry: "Dark days, in a Dark time"
* Editors note*:Those readers curious as to the final outcome of the battle with Navarre, click here: from the "Purrs of the Kitten Goddess Blog by Kali entry named: "Of Reunions, Battles, Birds, Bats & Banter"