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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Tokiwong" data-source="post: 1570094" data-attributes="member: 961">Chapter 7 - Part 2A gray rat scurried down the hall skirting closely to the shifting robes of the tall gaunt man pacing down the arched pathway.  He paused and raised a thin hand adorned with a single ring of gold, a sapphire shimmered in the sunlight filtering in from the stained glass roof overhead.  Showering the long hallway in a wash of iridescent colors.To the untrained the door looked simply closed, but to the arcane vision of the gaunt man, strands of magic energy pulsed over the door in layers.  The gray rat sat up on its haunches and rubbed its whiskers quickly, waiting for its master to finish scanning the door.The figure was satisfied that none of the defenses had been disturbed and opened the door with a wave of his hand.  He walked in, the rat scurrying after him, along the soft crimson carpet and up the wide squat oaken desk.  The door closed softly behind him with a soft click and he scanned the room with his arcane sight, picking out individual enchantments carefully placed, and several more wards intricately weaved into the magical tapestry of the chamber.The man sauntered across the room and stared at his reflection in the mirror, a soft gray had set in just over the temples, marring his raven black hair that was cut short, and tapered along his slim skull.  His eyes were a steel-gray and his face was clean-shaven, and ridged with worn pale skin.  An amulet of silver with a single crimson stone hung around his thin neck, and a gold circlet adorned his head.  The man adjusted his collar, and clothes smoothing out the wrinkles as he casually attended to his effects.  The reflection in the mirror though revealed a second humanoid figure in the chamber, a gaunt towering figure of gray sinewy muscle, with large feathered wings protruding from its shoulders and sharp dagger-like talons adorning both four-fingered hands.  Its head was bulbous shaped, and a large hooked beak probed out from its hideous visage, just under its predator like green eyes.The creature bowed with contempt in its eyes speaking in a coarse whisper, “Master Bloodwin, the shipment has arrived.  Captain Celeste awaits your presence.”Master Bloodwin flicked lint from his shoulder, “We have a full accounting?”“Yes, the cargo is accounted for,” the creature hissed, evil and malice seeping from its very skin like sweat.“Then she shall be rewarded for her competence,” he replied with a flick of his wrist, as he preened himself carefully, “bring her into my audience and see to it, that my cargo is properly stored, Baathelmos.”Baathelmos seethed at the mention of his true name, the towering demon glared down at the weak fleshy human with a burning scowl.  The room filled with palpable wickedness, visibly growing darker before the hulking infernal brute flashed from sight, following the bidding of his master.The gray rat scampered about the desk in excitement, trying to do its best to not make a mess of his master’s sanctum.  The creature paused to twitch its whiskers in the air, feeding off the anticipation from his master.  The rat turned its head slowly as he watched his master saunter slowly out the room back into the long hallway, the door opening with ease.  “Come Ithela, I am finished here,” Master Bloodwin spoke.Ithela scampered off the desk and raced across the crimson carpet eager to please and follow his master.  The wizard knelt down and cupped the rat in his hands and placed it on his shoulder as he started to walk down the long hall towards the audience chamber of his estate.  The hallway did not exist in the physical reality it was but a mere pathway between two places, existing outside the normal bonds of reality.  The path between worlds connected his estate to one of the ivory towers of the Panthic Order, in particular it connected his personal sanctum with his office, and only his key provided him access to the path between worlds.  A novel discovery and application of his art that only hinted at his growing brilliance and power.  Power that his peers would soon learn to fear; it was a clever endeavor that brought a mirthful smile to the wizard's lips.</blockquote>

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