So there we were sitting on top of what looked to be a burned several story apartment building of some kind. So as far as I could tell we were now on a hill top within the region of the mainland known as Central City. From what we had already learned was that this town was a combination of all the known factions on the planet which for us was a good thing since we seemed to be acquiring enemies at every turn. The downside of course was that we were now in an area where it seemed that anything goes which for me seemed like a good place to be plenty of angles to work to our advantage. And while tumbling is perhaps my favorite solitary hobby since in my line of work it helps to be flexible I figured depending on if Big Vic proved to be a further hindrance or help would be answered soon enough since we seemed to be in his back yard as it were. I looked around at my current companions Nialla the Conflicted Warlock and her new Nor-Vi companion Scrounger, Morgan the Iron Willed Nimble Ninja, Shiron the Bloodthirsty Merciless Kensai, Buerick the Stoic Druid and Erik the Just Dragon Shaman and Viking and wondered about their disguises. I would no doubt need my hair dyes, combs and brush’s for I would need to modify the looks of everyone. Scrounger had told something else as well that I needed to consider we seemed to have a different scent then the locals and I was going to need to find a way to fix that if I expected any long term disguise to ever hold up. So I figured I would soon be charming a weak willed Central City native to aid us in our transition into the Central City Underworld. For while I have committed myself to being righteous and I only plan to commit murder or wholesale slaughter if absolutely necessary nothing is going to stop me from a little morality bending for the cause and the end result being the saving of Hyboria.
Well as I was working on my next masterpiece which for the moment was Erik the Dragon Shaman and since it was smoldering hot up on the roof top I had decided to slip off my mithral top and slip into something a little more comfortable like my white silk chemise. I was able to accomplish this with little effort with the help of my Hat of Mystery and my Backpack of Containment and in no time at all I could feel the exquisite fabric caress my body as I circled Erik and matched his appearance to the natives of Emerald. I had to admit I was feeling quite excited and I was not surprised to find my nipples hard as he skin of our new dragon as well as his physique and by Aphrodite his looks were starting to drive me wild even without the benefits of the Stone of Tongues. I was beginning to think about what a great time Morgan, Nialla, Erik and I could be having right now back in the Realm within the Stone. As I circled and continued my work I was sure to let Erik feel my hard nipples beneath the silk and I figure perhaps I might take Erik for myself first but then I figured why be so greedy and it’s not that I am not but to be honest I did not want to wear myself out for the next day so I figured why not share the love so I figured I would seek out Nialla and see what we would see.
To bad it my plans remained only a dream. For while I had hoped we might be spending a nice quiet evening on the building top and perhaps enjoy a little star gazing as I continued to talk with Erik I barely noticed Morgan slip away to scout out the area below. It would seem that directly below the abandoned building in which we were squatting sat almost directly above sprawling interconnected mansions below. I heard but did not see Morgan as he called out that he was going to take a quick look and be right back. I was at the moment spending my time talking with Erik and while he admitted he was Asgardian and to be honest from touching his hair and skin I knew there was a bit more to his heritage that he was choosing to reveal. Well the fact that in my past I had lived amongst Asgardians and while there learned the Draconic language I had become aware of a varied sect known as Dragon Shamans. So while I knew that Dragon Shamans were devoted to a particular type of Dragon and in Erik’s case I would have to assume a good one that really left far more questions than answers. In other words I knew he would have a breath weapon but of what kind be it fire, ice or lightning I would have to wait and see. On another note what I really looked forward to was learning more about the aura’s he should be able to project that could aid us as well as if he was powerful enough to ever heal us if the need ever arose. Sadly my beauty was wasted on him as were my subtle sexual comments well as least as it was concerned toward him revealing anything about himself. Well at least we were talking and while his tone was of the harsh variety it reminded me of the way Ares must sound to Aphrodite and honestly I was once again glad that I was no longer affected by the Stone of Tongues because if I had with Morgan, Nialla and Erik around I might have really gotten myself into trouble. So at least he was talking to me which was a good sign and I could tell baring the use of magic I was going to have to this the old fashioned way. I had asked Erik what had Malcolm had to say about us and told me basically that he was told the group was a dangerous bunch of guys. Finally something to work with and I could tell from his tone that he was not at the moment in a forgiving mood. So I felt compelled to reveal to him about how the situation arose that placed the others in the situation where they had felt compelled to commit murder. I also confided that Morgan in the past when I was around was not as bloodthirsty as he had seen and I informed him that if Morgan had killed then he must have felt that their lives jeopardized our mission which was to save our planet of Hyboria. And while I admitted I would have attempted to have taken prisoners like I had in the past due to circumstances beyond my control the others had been left alone and without my abilities I felt they believed they had few options or at least Shiron had. While I had to concede his point that Shiron and Buerick were both of a neutral demeanor and their actions threatened our own moral standing. I assured him that Nialla and Morgan were good at heart and that in situations where they either had more time or other options presented to them I felt confident they would take them. It seemed I had been engaged with Erik for longer than I had thought or else Morgan must have run into something. Morgan had actually run into something and he was consulting with the others about it and Nialla offered to come with him to assist him if necessary. Morgan looked to her and told her “You will need to be as silent as I am if you can manage than you are welcome at my side.” Nialla looked to him with that look of superiority that she carried so well and merely said with complete confidence in her abilities “I will be alright lead the way.”. I was so happy that Nialla was going with Morgan I could have danced and tumbled around the whole for by Nialla’s actions she was perhaps in a small way forgiving Morgan. I separated myself reluctantly from Erik and crossed the distance to Morgan and Nialla and I told them to both be careful and to not do anything I would not do. Shiron smiled and Buerick did as well as he said “That would be hard to do.” I said “Well Morgan would not know for he had already turned me down when he had the chance.” I then said to everyone “To be honest while I have to admit I might prefer Morgan, Nialla and Erik I would definitely be willing to have a good time with everyone once we had taken care of business.” I even concluded “Sure I would not have a problem having a good time up here but I understand priorities.” Morgan looked at me and said to me “You know I am on a mission.” and I only looked at him and turned away as I realized as a Ninja he would always be on a mission and said “Be careful Morgan and may the Gods I revere protect you.” and with that Nialla and Morgan faded from view into the shadows and vanished within the depths of the building.
Erik and I shared small talk as it were for the time that Morgan and Nialla were occupying themselves with scouting or at least I hoped it was scouting. I will admit I just might lose my temper if they came back flustered and mildly exhausted yet refreshed all at the same and had not come back to invite me to the festivities. When they did make their appearance I could see Nialla’s eyes were glowing and there was a dark aura surrounding her which I will admit I found incredibly sexy and hot. What can I say I still have a thing for the exotic as well as the mystical and Nialla was sure looking the part and by the Demoness Malcanthet was she tempting. So much so that as they started talking at first did not catch everything for it seemed that her and Erik were getting into a heated discussion about a group of ghouls that were below and Nialla informing us that they were freelancers who worked for the highest bidder and were safe. Erik had gone on to relate how they were evil creatures that needed to be destroyed and I tried to calm him by telling him that Nialla herself was a Warlock who used the evil forces within for good and that perhaps she might be able to influence them. At which point the discussion between Erik and Nialla got worse where Erik accused her of being and evil Witch and Nialla saying that she would use that evil to one day rule a plane of the Nine Hells I could only look in absolute amazement which I of course concealed for it seemed that Nialla’s ego was perhaps as big as mine. I managed to cool things down but the worst had already been done for Erik wanted to head down there and destroy the Undead before they rose up and destroyed us a point for which I could agree on for if there was one thing I did not find attractive and actually loathsome it was the disgusting and vile Undead. This of course lead to my thought that perhaps another building would be a better place to camp and I asked Nialla and Morgan both for any additional details about their encounter with the Undead. As it had turned out Morgan no doubt owed his life to Nialla since he had found himself surrounded by five ghouls who it seemed were hungry and seemed ready and willing to enjoy my succulent Morgan for an evening snack. At least until mystically exotic Nialla had spoken to them and managed to calm them down and they stood down and she added that they had said that their number ranked above forty and close to fifty. I knew in my mind that as far as timelines go I was making a change that would change events but I was still keeping the knowledge we had gained fresh in my mind for knowledge was knowledge and an old sweet Mage friend of my Godren had instilled in me it’s better to be forewarned than to be unwarned. I therefore brought to the others my concerns about staying on a building with a large group of ghouls below us. Nialla, Morgan and Erick were on board or at least could have been. While Buerick and Shiron seemed to believe that staying were we were would be safer. Nialla had said she could fly us over since Buerick had expended his shape shifting abilities for the day and it seemed all was going to go my way. But alas Shiron, Nialla and Morgan and the end felt they would be fine. Which was about the time the Erik said he was heading below to deal with the ghouls and he asked me if I was going with and I said I would but I would prefer if we used the Stone of Tongues to enter the Realm within instead and from there we could watch the group and be available to assist them if necessary. Thankfully he agreed and we entered the Realm within the Stone before any more arguments could continue for from what I could tell Erik was managing to pick a fight with everyone except myself so I was glad to actually get him away. I had considered heading to the Keep within the Realm within the Stone but I had not yet figured out if there was a scrying area in the Keep so for now the stream near the viewing Arch would have to do. So I informed the others we would see them in the morning and we vanished.
We arrived in the Realm and I once again felt the warm and comforting breeze and I realized that while I might not be able to make some time with Erik and once again it might be a solo evening I was alright with that plan at least for now. For to have to strong and vibrant Dragon Shaman nearby would be comfort enough for a night. Erik and I talked into the night and I had changed into my night cloths and it felt good to be here with someone with whom I could relate. As the Stone of Tongues language ability started to wear off I switched to Draconic so that I could better relate my thoughts in a manner that Erik might find appealing. I could just have well have been speaking to a stone wall for while I shared much about our group well to be honest not much really about myself since he did not ask. I found that he would not give me the most important piece of information that I needed which was his Dragon totem which would have give me some insight into his abilities. I noticed clouds forming in the sky so I rose and I figured if I searched I could find a natural shelter I mean after all this was realm created to assist us and in no time at I all I found a natural created tree home which matched almost exactly the designs with which the Elven Master Builder DuEvel had crafted from the living tree back home in the Elven Realms. As Erik and I climbed up the natural inclinations along the tree we entered a two story tree house and continued our discussion on the balcony of the dwelling and believe it or not we were still in sight of the Arch which seemed to enlarge the view so we could see or companions from our new vantage point. It was ironic here I was with a handsome Asgardian and you would almost think I was losing my touch but actually I was thankful for it was a good thing after all for my friends to not be pawns who swooned over my every word. So while spoke of my comrades in the best light and shared with Erik that they were my friends as I hoped for him to be. He took that in stride and implied to me that if he was not interested in being friends we would not still be talking. I almost could not believe it Erik was playing hard to get and I will admit it almost worked. I let him know that I would have faith in him and let him show us his abilities in his own time but I told him to remember I can’t figure out if you might be able to help us solve a problem if I was unsure of how he could help us but that I was confident that his intentions were good. Small talk covered a little more time as I continued to watch my friends relax on the building and said a silent prayer for them to Aphrodite that while we might not know what dangers lay ahead that at least for now all of us were alive and if I had anything to say about it love and beauty would prevail over violence and evil.
I awoke early as usual and rose to look outside and saw that my friends were still sleeping well of course with the exception of Buerick and Morgan since they only need four hours of trance in order to be refreshed and ready to go. I walked back to Erik’s room and called to him and told him that it had stopped raining and that I was going back to the stream to wash up and that he was more than welcome to join me. I was actually glad when he joined me and while I did not expect anything to happen a woman could dream but as I expected as Malcolm had in the past he treated me as just another person who was sharing a stream with him not a vibrant stunningly attractive available woman. Well two could play the hard to get game if that was his choice and so in short order we were both refreshed and ready to exit the Realm with the Stone and rejoin the others on building top. By the time we arrived the others were now all up and it seemed with the exception of a little war that seemed to have been happening down on the street all had gone well overnight. I had actually dressed up for the occasion this morning and while I expected to be going shopping today I had worn my own cloths my own stylish version of an explorers outfit complete with my matching dimension boots. I had actually acquired the outfit just to match the boots and since I was now no longer playing the seductive Markessa role I figured it was time to put on some cloths. I of course hid my cloths under an illusion provided courtesy of my Hat of Mystery but who needed to know. I figured I would be acquiring new cloths soon so I figured why not get comfortable before I had to get used to the hellish fashion sense of this world. As it would turn out that seemed to be exactly the topic of current discussion for it had been surmised that the mansions below belonged to none other than Victor. Buerick had made note that there was a lot of activity going on down below last night that only just reached an end this very morning. For what it was worth the streets were now crowded with people who were obviously awake and going about their own business. I figured it was time to go to our well of information the Nor-Vi bound familiar of Nialla known as Scrounger. I asked him to come out of the bag and when he did I asked him what he could tell us about the citizens of this area of Central City. To begin with he confirmed that there were indeed forty or so ghouls sharing the building with us which I did not find comforting. I asked him to elaborate and he let me know that there was also a creature know as a Migo in addition to around sixteen thousand (16,000) plus or minus Hyborians on or around the hill on which we were now perched. I was going to inquire more on that mystery but Shiron took that moment to let us know he had finished the Book of Ves over the night and had found a great deal of information about possible gates between this world Emerald and our own Hyboria. Well that was interesting and added strength to my recent desire to remain her on Emerald once our mission was complete even if we did find a way back for with the exception of the fashion sense of the place it was starting to grow on me far more than my oppressive homeworld. So as I had expected Nialla was working to once again trying to use the Scroll of Seeming to conceal us all and enable us all head to the street below and acquire clothing. I was glad the Shiron was also in opposition to the idea for in my mind we had yet to scout the area and for all I knew we could head down there and find nothing that we could use. So at Shiron’s prompting I made everyone aware that I could indeed disguise everyone once I had acquired cloths for everyone and I could perhaps take one person with me down below to attempt to acquire clothing for everyone. I suggested Nialla just in case as she wanted let Scrounger get a feeling of the street and see if he could get a better idea on the snake population or in case we headed to the mansion I wanted Nialla to be the first to speak with Victor since I did not have a desire at the moment to build such a strong acquaintance. If Nialla could just act normal long enough for Victor the lay an eye her I was sure he would be smitten but a lot rode on Nialla ability to blend in and if she failed than I needed to be ready to step in. So not really being in the hiding mood I took off my Hat of Mystery while at the exact time focusing my will to modify my own appearance with an illusion of my own design. For the most part I kept it true to form with the exception of my Backpack of Containment and I then placed the Hat on top of Nialla head and instructed her how to focus her thought to alter her outer appearance. I took a few moment for her to pick it up the whole while Erik eyed us like we were pieces of meat or in reality like the Hat of Mystery was and I could not blame him really for I knew that Dragon Shamans were drawn to items of power that they could hoard to better protect and defend their charges as well as increase their own prestige. It was odd I had told Nialla the two of us would go and she seemed to think that Morgan would be coming with us. I looked at her like perhaps she was reading too much into Morgan’s feelings for me. For I for one had begun to realize that while I longed to be held down by his strong arms and be taken and give myself totally to him he did not seem to have the same feelings for me. For once again last night he had the chance to come into the Realm within the Stone and comfort me to my heart’s desire but instead he left me barren with another man no less. So I actually laughed at the suggestion that Morgan would feel the need to follow me anywhere and I even told her so that Morgan had only been with in the past because we knew each other and before everyone else had vanished. Morgan never said anything to dismiss my beliefs so with Nialla and I looking the part strange cuffs on our wrists and all we headed downstairs and finally I would get a few moments alone with Nialla.
I was able to find out that Nialla was concerned about our situation but it seemed she was more than willing to attempt to lure Big Vic as he was known into her sphere of influence. I tried to calm her and advised her to relax for I told her even now we were changing things. She was not so assured and while I did not reveal the exact nature of either my old or new abilities I did let her know that for one I was completely different. I shared with her that I had cleansed myself and embraced my true heritage and that now because of that everything would be different for I had in all of the Moonbeasts visions ever done this before. Nialla smiled but she still seemed skeptical so I figured I might as well show her so I withdrew my concealed dagger and with one stiff motion I thrust it into my chest and watched her amazement as the blade glanced off of my perfect and flawless skin. I told her once again as she looked at me and I could see realization finally seeming to come into her eyes “Like I said before different and the changes are more than just skin deep.” she nodded and let Scrounger go to acquire a quick look as the city and to gather information from the local snakes. When he returned a few moments later while Nialla and I stayed within the confines of the inner doorway so we could see out but still remain unseen had acquired information that made me realize that we might have to wait make do without changes of attire or might need to risk an illusion to conceal us. Scrounger let us know that the local snakes had filled him in and that there was nowhere in town to buy cloths and that everyone headed downtown to do that. I asked him how far and he said over a three hour trip by cab which told me that option was out since we had at best a little less than an hour before we lost the ability to speak the language. The one bit of good news was that the mansions across the street did indeed belong to Big Vic the gangster and Underworld Boss of the town which was perfect. So I looked to Nialla and while I would have loved to have spent a little time exploring the city with her I realized that we were on the sundial and the sooner we filled the others in on our situation the better for time as I figured it was not exactly on our side.
There was of course shock that we had returned empty handed and I had recovered my Hat of Mystery from Nialla on the way up and I was focusing instead of the eighty or so feet that covered the distance from the deserted building entrance to the entrance of Big Vic’s mansion. Nialla broke the news of our clothing situation as well as congratulating Buerick on his picking the exact hill and building right next to Big Vic’s mansion. I did find it interesting that the spot where Morgan had been lounging at our departure was now vacant and in truth he was nowhere to be found. While some might have been worried by such a revelation I actually found comfort in it for I knew that if I could not see Morgan any enemy that ever approached would have him to contend with. Perhaps like Nialla had said he had chosen to follow us which in truth would have surprised me since the way I saw it we might have been friends but he seemed to be focused on whatever mission he was on and seemed to not really care that much for my feelings. I did not hold it against him for I did have faith in him after all but none the less it was frustrating. I was of note that Scrounger revealed another tidbit of information regarding activity between outsiders, the ghouls and the gangsters loyal to Big Vic. It seemed there was some sort of attempted abduction that had been foiled buy men loyal to Big Vic. Shiron was determined to speak with Victor now since he was so close and Nialla seemed to be alright with the idea. I had noticed that Buerick seemed a little unsettled and I inquired into what seemed to be his concern. He related to me that he was wondering how Big Vic played into our current situation and I reminded him that while in the past quite influential what happened now would be something new. He asked me how I came to that conclusion and I related to him how I had changed and the reasons why basically focusing on how I saw the entire group as friends and in every other scenario of which there were many everyone died except myself. He asked me how he was to meet his demise and I relayed the issue of how the Treant was due to fall under the control of the Dreaming God at which point it would no longer be our ally and our enemy and it was due at some point in the future to slay him. When he told me he was unable to contact the Treant I informed him that was as I might have suspected. I reminded him that I was sure the Stone of Tongues was created with the aid of all of the Gods of our realm in order to give us a fighting chance against a threat that threatened them all otherwise how else would could be explained how everyone on our world was alerted at the same time and the sundial was marching. Given the firmness of my logic Buerick seemed a little more relaxed while Nialla and the others seemed ready to make the journey to meet Big Vic and the next phase of our destiny. We might have delayed but before we left our location a thought came to be regarding magic I was about to cast the spell myself but then I remember Nialla’s innate ability to do so and I asked her if she could check the building for magic. It was strange for I suddenly felt an emanation roll out from Nialla as if it were a pulse of some kind. Nialla sensed it as well and I had a feeling that there might be some kind of detector zone in the area or Nialla’s magic was triggering something. I had noticed I had not felt anything when casting my illusions but there field might be either Warlock or Divination specific either Nialla made the other aware of what had happened and so if not before then now was the time to be moving before as they say the noose was tightened.
As we entered the street entryway of the building I stopped everyone and let them know I would be creating an illusion which I hoped would conceal our journey to the entrance of Big Vic’s mansion. I let the others know I would be modifying their appearance and to not disturb me since I would be concentrating on maintaining the illusion. I reminded them to remember what they say was an illusion and to just go with it but to feel free to disbelieve what they saw if they wished. With that said I cast the spell and we crossed the street and while I had a feeling that a few may have noticed something I had faith we were secure. The main thing I noticed which was starting to really grow on me was how the people here looked exactly like Asgardians from Hyboria with the exception of the local cloths they were wearing I was indeed feeling that I was looking at my new home. So as we arrived at the entrance to the mansion Nialla stepped forward right out of my illusion and activated her strange charismatic aura and I only say strange because I have known a few Warlocks in the past and their connection to their powers did not cause their hair to whirl or eyes to glow like hers. Alas we did regardless manage to enter the foyer of the mansion where our appearance caused the well dressed by this worlds standards anyway which I will admit at least as far as the men’s clothing was starting to grow on me. The gangster thug who was assisting us was named Apex and after taking a look at us he decided that perhaps it would be a good idea to wake Big Vic. I was playing a quite role since of the entire group I was the only one who was actually dressed the part I was doing my best to just seem like I was with the group of to them strangely dressed visitors. Apex led us to a large chamber with several inside entrances that resembled a large arena of sorts but completely enclosed. Before Apex left to check on Victor I asked him if he would have refreshments delivered and he replied of course. When I turned I noticed something that seemed to be already gathering the attention of Erik and Buerick. There was what looked like a Hyborian Priestess frozen in ice in the middle of the room with a holy symbol of a god I could not recognize underneath the block of ice she was frozen within. I noticed that Buerick and Erik were trying to confirm if she was still alive and I overheard Shiron say something about a vision he had had of many of our patriots being frozen in similar blocks of ice. Well not the best way to go to be sure but then again she might very well still be alive but I had other things on my mind and I will admit Big Vic does run a class establishment for within moments a cart of hot and cold food was rolled on a cart and everyone ate I of course waited until Nialla had tried her food first before I started eating mine. I even noticed that there was an abundance of wrapped food bars which I took the time to add to my Backpack of Containment just in case Nialla, Morgan or I needed a snack later. Morgan decided to separate from us and took up a position some thirty feet away or so and leaned casually against the wall looking always dashing and poised sometimes I just want to throw a dagger at him the way he teases me but it would not doubt miss anyway and it might instead make him angry but then again that just might make him notice me perhaps he likes it rough. Perhaps I will have to put that to the test one of these days. We waited for around fifteen minutes and Big Vic entered from another entrance at the front of the room with four additional gangster thugs including Apex and crossed to us. No doubt he had heard how many of us there were and he was just being safe I don’t blame him really and I could see how Markessa would have loved it. But as I was not longer playing that role I looked at it for what it was an opportunity that could lead to violence if we did not play it right. Well for what is was worth Big Vic was a sight to behold over six feet tall and pure looked to be pure Asgardian with perhaps a little extra thrown in and I had to admit he looked quite dapper in his well tailored suit and tie. But I kept my face neutral better to remain silent and allow others to assume what they will than to reveal to much early and spoil the surprise my Mother always used to say. So I let Nialla and Shiron take the lead while I just listened just in case I needed to add any useful information or to ask a question that they might miss. Well everyone just started going right into everything including the Lightning Gun of which Victor was clueless and to be honest I was a little shocked and it seemed so was Victor for within moments he had dismissed five of his other gangster thugs which left him with what I had to believe were his two most trusted men one of which included of course Apex. After which point Victor seemed to really open up and I could see how I might indeed find him an interesting distraction but for now I was leaving that on the back burner. The topic of discussion shifted from our Hyborian frozen possible priestess to a Scientist who would be arriving in a few day to inspect the body. It even included Morgan letting Victor and his associates know that we were Hyborian. Which concluded with Buerick and Morgan revealing their ears which strangely did not even cause them to bat an eye. I had to ask since the mystery was eating me alive “What to believe them to be.” as I pointed to Morgan and Buerick and Victor responded “Why ghouls of course.” Now that did not sit too well with Morgan who obviously felt the need to state “I am not a ghoul I am an Elf!”Which led Victor to reveal the notes that he seemed to be collecting of interesting information and of which he seemed to have an entire room filled with such notes. He seemed to know of the existence of our world and confirmed my suspicions about Emerald being on a different harmonic line and even the existence of free standing gates between our two worlds. He even confirmed the existence of an as yet unnamed world that he believed was being used as a staging ground for something he had yet to figure out. I felt the need to speak up at this point for I was beginning to wonder if Victor was just that connected or had a Moonbeast on the payroll. As it would turn out it was actually both for he had it seemed rescued the Moonbeast Commander from captivity within a Science Lab containment area and he had been sort of on the payroll ever since. It was shared with Victor that his religion since he seemed to be a good Ves worshipper and even let us know that the only other faith he was aware of was a cult of Bast a cat goddess on a world that did not even have any cats had been perhaps infiltrated and was being controlled. And he was actually open to the idea since he did admit that in the last few years the church was performing actions that could be drawn into question. While he did warn us against making such accusations regarding any connection between the Dreaming God and Ves public since we could find ourselves charge with blasphemy. He even continued to relate information he had learned about the three types of magic used on Emerald channeled, meta physics and Mythos magic. This was actually where the whole Bast thing had once again come up since channeled seemed to be Emeralds word for divine magic. While meta physics was the type used by the Moonbeasts and the creatures that had arrived with them to Emerald and Mythos magic was a type of magic that used either the souls of the wielder or the souls of others which was kind of what I had suspected when I saw the Abyssal symbols on the Mythos device that we had taken for a Red Menace operative. Which led me to inquire about other forces of divine nature that he was aware of and he revealed information about Ancient Ones. I figured these might very well be the giant undead skeletons that had caused Morgan’s demise in another time or reality depending on your view I suppose and Victor confirmed that they were indeed giant and skeletal. I also asked if he knew of anything that might be tracking the use of meta physical magic or any practitioners and he let us know that it all had to do with the Red Menace and that he had one meta physical wielder on the payroll. It seemed that they had tried to improve Summit City the official name of this area with new living space and even a brand new Community Center and it seemed that while doing so they were wiring the entire area with equipment that would allow them to spy on everyone. It seemed they had at this point already wired the entire city with equipment that would signal them of the presence of divination magic something that they seemed to value. Big Vic and the people of Summit City found out what they were doing about this time and that if there new buildings had been allowed to be completed they would everyone who had lived in them under the watchful eye of the Red Menace. Which of course now explained why they had been burned and left abandoned but the Red Menace it seemed were up to even more nefarious schemes. It also seemed that they were conduction raids to try and find Hyborians which I realized they were using to power their Mythos magic and they were currently targeting women. Come to think of it I found it amazing that none of the Red Menace had yet to realize that they were sitting on top of an entire community of Hyborians which was a good thing. I brought our conversation back to the Commander and I asked if he had ever spoken of us and he told us that he had mentioned something about a group he was expecting and he would let him know that we were looking for him. I remember as did Nialla that if everything was now moving according to our new schedule then the Commander would be the Moonbeast we could trust. Nialla made a move to try and get to know Victor better but he seemed more tired than anything else. The question came up regarding us assisting him with any difficulties that might come up and which point Morgan blinked and reappeared right next to Victor as if to remind him that we possessed talents that could indeed prove to be profitable. I worked to divert his actions and consulted Victor on a place to stay and items we might need to assist us in blending in while we worked to make sure that we were not jeopardizing his operations. Victor seemed confident that he had the local law enforcement as well as the other various factions in check and that putting us up in a new residence near the mansion would work out perfectly. I will admit I was skeptical for while Victor seemed to be living up to his Big Vic title his two made men seemed to remind me of a few guild thieves I had known in the past who one day thought their Boss had crossed the line and went to sleep never to wake up again. Meanwhile I spoke with Buerick about if he knew of anyway to conceal the presence of the Stone and he let us know only if it was turned off for twenty four hours. I had a feeling that we might be able to work around if I put my own knowledge, Scroungers and Buerick’s together but when I asked Scrounger about it he seemed to be eager to leave and let me know we should talk later. Victor ordered Apex to escort us to the new residence across the street which would officially still put us within Big Vic’s net of protection and he told Apex to set us up with Smiling Ed who would become our official liaison who it turned out to be his meta magic wielder ironic I thought.
Apex had summoned a small force to escort us across the street to our new abode and I will admit it was an interesting little building. It had four bedrooms, two bathrooms, a kitchen, television, telephone, and of course a radio. Apex came into the room with us while the other thugs left and he told one of the men to bring Smiling Ed to the house. While we waited Nialla, Morgan and I searched or new temporary abode Morgan found a hidden entrance to a tunnel on the floor while Nialla and I were preoccupied with the devices in the room and the only one that I will admit was giving me trouble was the telephone. Well before I could begin to become obsessive about it Smiling Ed arrived and he looked to be Half-Elven and when questioned about it as I suspected he claimed to be half ghoul due to his ears and now that he had arrived Apex excused himself and left. It seemed Smiling had little memory of his childhood but that he let us know when prodded that he was indeed a practitioner of meta-physical magic. Nialla had asked him about the Red Menace sensory net and it he might be able to show her where it was so perhaps she could find a way to circumvent it I am sure. I was more focused on our attire and other necessities since I remember Victor saying it would be arranged and Smiling Ed let us know that shopping would be necessary since we would need an assortment of cloths everything from business, casual, to church attire and since Apex had already arranged for the delivery of two cars to be at our service Smiling Ed said he would make the preparations and be back shortly to take us on a journey downtown to the shopping district. Before he left I asked Smiling Ed where he would be staying and he said at his own home and I asked him about the telephones. He explained how they worked by dialing his home number and in answer to my next obvious question told me they were secure from surveillance. Well wonderful I thought as he left and I went to check on the fridge to see what kind of snacks had been left for us and I found Erik already there and I had to suppress a shudder for a moment as my mind briefly wandered to the bedroom arrangements for the coming evening. I struck up a conversation with Erik as I was once again going to make an attempt to sway his opinion of Morgan whom he still felt the need to call an assassin and while I knew Ninja could serve if the need be as assassins or spies I did not see Morgan as the assassin type and since I had yet to figure out who he served but I hoped and prayed to Aphrodite that my beloveds Lord or Lady was benign. Well I soon found out just who the Lady he was serving was and if I have never been more shocked my life even the Moonbeast incident paled in comparison. For while Erik and Morgan batted back words over duty, evil and even a subtle threat on Erik’s life by Morgan which I persuaded him to take back. Erik stood fast to the ideal that those who use evil means to defeat evil are not better than those they would destroy. Morgan on the other hand fell back on the statement that had rocked my world for he said “I made the sacred oath to Lady Drusilia Nailo that I would protect her ward with my life.” He concluded by telling Erik that he felt leaving the others alive would have put my life in danger which could have violated his oath. At which point Erik returned with an argument about how Morgan could use me as a crutch to commit evil acts. I will admit I was still a little floored and while my face did not show it my mind was racing for if I had just heard Morgan right he had just said that basically Lady Drusilia Nailo my Mother was the Lady he served and that he had taken an elven sacred vow to protect my life which meant that if ever he willing let me come to harm by his inaction then he risked his very spirit being forfeit. Now I understood another reason why my Mother had forbid me in my youth from pursuing Morgan for while she may have wanted me to learn the value of friendship she had also beguiled both Morgan and myself. Morgan by making him a Ninja swear such an oath he would be duty bound to protect me and if he did harbor feelings for me his willpower and the sacred vow would no doubt combine to prevent us from ever being together. While I had been compelled to believe that Morgan should only be my friend and had therefore wasted five years being swayed by my then dark and lustful nature when if I had known the truth I could have confronted my Mother and made her release my Morgan from his vow. Now I was trapped for I did not even know the fate of Hyboria or the fate of my Mother and I had actually been seriously considering not returning even if the others chose to but if that were the case then Morgan my beloved might be forever be beyond my reach and that brought a true sadness to my heart that I would have to conceal from everyone.
I would have perhaps sought comfort in Nialla company but it was not to be for duty it seemed continued to bellow like an irritating town crier. A knock was heard from the floor and I figured it could only be the Moonbeast Commander and of course I was correct. Well if this was the Moonbeast we were to trust then he sure acted like he knew what he was talking about. I will have to admit that with his arrival it finally made sense why the other Moonbeasts were in such flux for it seemed that with the exception of the Commander they actually all were. So in other words their minds did exist outside of normal space and time which in my mind could do a lot to explain their homicidal tendencies and it seemed only the Commander by hooking himself to a powerful machine could exist entirely in one time but the downside for his sanity was that he actually travelled physically thru time instead. For it seemed that he had been left a note by a future or past version of himself you take your pick I guess who have given him information that he was to deliver to us before and I use his own terms the time stream caught up with him. Now I will admit while I will always be a genius and I could even feel my mind expanding more each day since my contact with the Moonbeast I could only guess how much of all this was being picked up by my companions for with the exception of Scrounger and I hoped by extension my beloved Nialla I had a feeling a lot of it was going right over their heads. So the Moonbeast Commander laid out the information that he could for us and while he seemed to be holding something back I did not really sense it had to do with Hyboria but might have a lot to do with the fate of Emerald I realized I would have to concern myself with the fate of one world at a time. And when questioned about it he basically gave us the doom and gloom speech which actually seemed to embolden Shiron. To begin with he told us we could trust Smiling Ed and that we had altered events and put Big Vic’s life in danger and that Apex and his number three would within the week make a successful coup and no doubt topple his regime. It seemed we had as I feared revealed to much to his men and now they no longer trusted him. To top it off the Scientist would be asking Victor to bring the frozen Hyborians body to his lab in about one day would actually be setting up an ambush. He informed us that it would be to our advantage to be there and that while it would not be dangerous we might gain a lead on a group of Fascists of Emerald who could lead us to a piece of the Lightning Gun. He continued that this would be our next big move and that if we missed it we might not get another. Which lead me to wonder about something and so I asked the Commander how they had failed and he revealed due the efforts of a separate race of Psions on the planet who resided in the Pleadies who were non-violent due to their ability to share one mind. He informed us that it was actually their meddling that had allowed the Ves and Hub to gain access to the missiles that they could use to pierce their defenses. For he revealed the fleet that had been dispatched was not expecting much resistance from such a backward world and the Psions had caught them completely by surprise and sense he had been in his chamber at the time of the missile assault he was unable to warn the fleet before it was too late. Which lead me to question the Commander about the enemies we seemed to have acquired along the way which to me were giving us the most trouble currently and I knew of course that term was relative but I figured he would appreciate it. I therefore asked for more details on the Psions, Red Menace and Ves focusing on how close they were to us, where to seek shelter from them and of course general information that might assist us in staying one step ahead of them or any others as well as how many steps any of them were behind us? Well he started off with letting us know the people of Emerald for the most part were innocent and for the most part meant us no harm. The Ves were simply doing the work of the Mystery God who seemed to be controlling them by proxy and dreams I guess hence the name. In addition the cab driver had spilled everything which of course brought a curse from Shiron. The Commander also let us know that the Mystery God or Cthulhu had actually been busy and had spawned children who were wandering the world with agenda’s of their very one and they we should be prepared to have to deal with them eventually and concluded that the Starlore De’Moulay had been unable to relate enough information to her superiors to give them much. Regarding the Hub they would be days behind and that the Hub Red Menace also had an Anti-Red Menace faction that also used Mythos magic but that were not directly connected to the Red Menace of the mainland. He informed us that the one we really had to be on the lookout for were the Psions who he implied were literally almost right on top of us but that they might not actually be an enemy but did pick up the feeling that he might not be that depressed if they became so. He told us regarding the Red Menace net it did not extend downtown and if we were seeking a more secure base of operations than the recommended a section of property on the Ves beach. He told us while we would actually be right under their very noses we would actually be safer by hiding right under their very noses. Well that was the kind of information I had been looking for and now only one more vital piece remained. I needed to find out how other possible versions of myself had traveled thru time. The Moonbeast let me know that is was the power of a scroll and the way he mentioned that to use it would sacrifice a large number of souls I realized it had to be connected to Mythos magic. When he spoke of souls he spoke of Hyborians not of Hyboria and some not yet even born which lead my mind to the other enemies he was alluding to being the clones. So in other world like the first Moonbeast had spoken here was an enemy that held the power of time travel and while he claimed to not know it exact location I knew I had to find it. Erik of course looked at me and asked me if I would use the scroll if it meant the loss of innocent life and I told him to relax I just wanted to find the scroll and what I did not say was at any cost and what I did say was if I or Nialla were to need to use it than it would mean everyone else was already dead and we were going to have to try again. The Moonbeast Commander looked to us all and told us that his time was almost up and I asked if he knew if we would ever see him again and he told me he did not know I asked everyone if anyone had any questions before we lost him but everyone else seemed to be still trying to process everything they had just learned and so with nothing else pressing I said to the Commander thank you and he vanished.
Before my sense of sadness could attempt to raise its ugly head again I looked to Scrounger and asked him what he had thought. He confirmed for me that the Commander was the most sane and all there Moonbeast he had ever encountered or had any memory of. I also asked him about what he had wanted to tell us before at Victor’s mansion and he told us that he was getting a bad sense on Victor’s number two and three as I had suspected. Well that left me with a lot to plan and think about 1) Would I be able to save Victor and his organization and to what length would I be willing to go to do so. 2) Just who was Smiling Ed and was he the Half-Elf we were looking for to help us solve this puzzle. 3) Would despair over finding out how my own Mother had beguiled me cause me to do something sexual that while I would not regret might break the heart of one of my friends. Well on the first two they would be the easiest to deal with and luckily regarding the third it was still early in the day which I was sure by Aphrodite would be filled with pleasure and joy as I was sure there was light in Emerald all I needed to do was find it.
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