The view was quite impressive. Looking out from the Sondecki temple, John gave a long sigh. Oh how he longed to be among his own kind once again! Of course the people of Metamor were more than hospitable. But it just wasn't the same.
"Hello John. Might I ask what you're doing here?"
"I'm just reflecting, Matthias. Say, haven't you ever... Misha? I thought Matthias was supposed to be here."
"He called in sick today. I'm taking his place."
"Oh, okay. Anyway, haven't you ever felt the need to find others like yourself? To share your secret desires with someone else who would understand?"
"Have you tried Tapestries?"
"Hey, come on. This supposed to be a serious scene."
"Sorry."
"Ehem. I'll never find the right kind of person to share my intimate secrets with."
"Don't let this happen to you! Find that special someone with Date Line! Just dial 1-900-555-DATE. $4.99 a minute, must be 18 or older."
"Misha."
"Sorry."
"I wish there were other Trilarian mages around. You all would have liked my kinsmen."
"Say, wasn't the name Trilarian already taken by 'Master of Orion 2'?"
"Um, that's beside the point. The name came to the author and he thought it sounded cool. It was only later that he realised it was taken."
"Just where did you get that kind of a name anyway?"
"Er, I'll just explain it away as an elvish tongue. Yeah, that's it."
"You forgot to put an 'a' with an a cirlce on top in front of elvish."
"The auther is using a word processor that won't let you do that, alright?! Man, this scene is ruined!" With a heavy sigh, the mage leaned back against whatever was behind him. He looked back as an afterthought and saw he was about to set his hand down on the Sondecki alter. John recoiled in a bright flash of red light and a shower of sparks.
"Argh! &$%##*@! #$(#@^! #&%#&#^$@!"
"Funny, I thought the author's word processor wouldn't handle special characters."
"Erg. That smarts!" John commented with a sigh. "That's it. I'm headed down to the lab."
"What lab? The only lab we have is Pascal's."
"Guess what."
"Yeah, yeah. We've got one now, I know the drill."
Both characters left the room to explore their new lab. But Misha held back for a second.
"Wait... Wasn't touching the alter supposed to be fatal to non-sondecki?" With a shrug, he left the shrine.
"Sorry about the leg."
The wolf with his leg in a cast was coming near them. He hobbled a little past them before slamming his foot to the ground and lifting the crutch. A hail of arrows impacted the target he was aiming at.
"What did you say?"
"Um, nothing."
The wolf reached down and pulled the cast off his leg and turned to formally greet the visitors.
"Oh hey John. I finally got those 'magnets' that you wanted."
"Do you know what this means?!" John called out excitedly.
"We've got a new toooOOOoooy!" John and three other lab workers called out in unison.
"Anyway, this here is Misha. The coonboy is Rickkter, and the skunkette is Kayla."
"Huh? What are these things."
"Um, we received the curse of the second gate." Misha commented to the confused lab worker.
"Curse?"
Rickkter pulled John aside.
"What's with him?"
"The answers lies in two inventions. This one here creates food and drink. This one here..."
John sets the iron circlet on Rickkter's head.
"Wow! This is fantastic. It's like I'm really there... Uh... It's Kayla... And she's naked... we're... eh... uh..."
Rickkter's mouth hung open as drool slowly started to make it's way down his muzzle. The skunkette quickly grabbed the circlet off his head.
"You don't need this Rickkter. I think I better keep it safe."
Kayla promptly placed the circlet on her own head. Rickkter was quick to repeat her gesture.
"That's an interesting mark you've got on your hip Rickkter."
"KAYLA!"
"Needless to say" started John, "No one's set foot out of here after that was invented."
They walked past workers busily blowing things up in creative fashions. A shower of plaster particles blew over them, which John casually brushed off. They walk past one person pouring a powder on a plant. The plant promptly grew a tenticle which grabbed him and slinged him around the room. A big contraption on wheels crashed into the wall infront of the undead mage, totalling the invention and nearly caving in the masonery. John promptly stepped over as though it wasn't there. Then he suddenly rushed over to an assistant.
"Are you nuts! Becareful with those magnets, you'll drop them!"
He snatched the bag and gently set it on a table.
"Um, so what are you working on?"
"Oh, the stuff in this container is..."
Off in the distance, a female ripped out of her clothes and grew to about thirty feet tall. She curled into a ball to keep from busting out of the room, pushing over tables and equipment as she expanded.
"Helen, we supposed to test all growth potions in that empty space over there."
"Sorry, I thought this was the fruit juice."
John glanced at the commontion, then turned back. "Anyway, this is a...um...what is this again? Hey! Who let out the army of Al Gore zombies?"
"Sorry, I'll get them back into containment immediately."
"Where's the real Al Gore? Did we ever return him to Washington?"
"Um, I don't remember."
"Oh well, no one will know the differance either way."
John set down the container and pulled out a notepad. He gives a quick look to a lab worker thrown over his head from across the room before determining what the vessel holds. Misha picked it up and gave the lid a twist. It popped up with a hiss.
"That's right. It's a deadly plague will exterminate all life on the planet if it's ever opened." commented John.
Misha froze, scared to move lest some of the floating death escape. John simply took the bowl from this hands and looked inside.
"No wait, this is my lunch. The bowl over there is the plague."
A demon erupted from the floor in the middle of the lab.
"Muwahahaha! This world is now mine!"
"Yeah sure, whatever. That's what they all say. GuuuUUUuuuys, I thought we agreed not to free any more imprisoned demon ancients!"
"Let's get out of here!" Kayla urged in a worried voice. Rickkter and Misha vehemently nodded. They all but ran to the door. John followed then at a leisurely pace.
The room was dark and moody. Well, more of a dimly lit. Okay, Okay, it was bright and not that atmospheric. Anyway, the important thing was that in this room was a solitary figure. He was shrowded in blue robes so that not a part of him showed save his eyes. And in his hand was an odd device. As if on cue, the bottom of the device split into three legs. The tripod was set down as the protective shield at the top opened to reveil the large jewel. John set his hand on it producing that shrieking hum that all movies associate with futuristic/alien technologies that have crystals. Form the tripod erupted a sphere of water. The water slowly receded. The tripod was there. John was not.
John slowly opened what pasted for eyes now. Gone were the walls of Metamor. It was all replaced by swirls of power and edies of consious minds. John was seeing the world as manna, instead of matter.
"Hey."
"Yo."
"How's it going?"
"Well, since we were freed from our prison, I've found some very willing and very sexy fellows. I've spent the last week yiffing my brains out."
"You haven't changed a bit I see."
"Of course! And how have you been."
"I've made three inventions, I think I've discovered a new field of science, and I found and fixed one of those pesky temperal rifts that threatened to destroy all life as we know it.
"You haven't changed a bit I see."
"Of course!"
"Great to see you again!"
"Yeah. It's been too long."
The two glowing energy signatures came together in a mutual show of affection. At long last, John and his tril Sezer were talking face to face.
"So, when are you going to introduce me to the other energy beings?"
"As soon as the author askes what the other authors want their names, elements, color, and personality to be like."
"Makes sense. Anything interesting happen?"
"There is an intended plot advancement."
"Well then, let's get started, shall we?"
"It's over here."
"Hmm, this is that ambassidor fellow, what was his name? Yonson. That's it. Where was he from again?"
"Look at him and see."
"Whoa... Marzec? What's Marzec want with Metamor?"
"We don't know. What do you think about this?"
"Well, given that I'm a liche, I don't think I can say much without being a total hypocrit."
"Well said. But we can use him to introduce what you're capible of in a combat situation."
"Good idea. It shouldn't be too hard to get him to do a mage duel with me."
"Have we reviewed what we are capable of?"
"Check."
"We don't seem like a powergamer?"
"Check. Well... No more than Rickkter."
"Do you have a protection from Deranged Kitsune spell ready for when he reads that remark?"
"Check."
"Alright then, go kick some ass."
"Will do."
"..."
"..."
"The scene hasn't ended."
"Um, no..."
"We're through with the script."
"Guess we should adlib."
"Even better, we'll madlib."
"Okay. I need two nouns, a verb, and three adjectives."
Drone 1645 active.
Model: Ix Drone make 12b.
Destination reached.
Lutin base identified.
Four buildings identified.
Twelve tents identified.
Six artillery units identified.
Fifty-two lutin units identified.
Waiting for further orders.
Preparing for transfer.
Transfer in progress.
Orders recieved.
Scanning Lutin base for target.
Target aquired.
Target is located in building three.
Preparing to destroy all non-target units.
Bombarding buildings.
Buildings one, two, and four destroyed.
Bombarding tents.
All tents destroyed.
Bombarding artillery units.
Artillery units destroyed.
Eleven lutin units are advancing on my position.
Lutin units destroyed.
Proceeding to building three.
Thirteen lutin units are moving to intercept.
Lutin units destroyed.
Twenty-five lutin units are guarding building three.
Engaging lutin units.
Damage Report: Left leg has take minor damage.
Damage Report: Right shoulder has taken heavy damage. Right arm is no longer functional.
Lutin units destroyed.
Confirm self-termination of damaged units.
Waiting for authorization.
Authorization denied.
Continuing with mission.
Entering building three.
Target located.
Lutin mage unit has been captured.
Returning to base.
Ceasing communication to avoid detection.