Gallian tried his hardest to put on his best scared face, and then deliberately messed it up so Muertaa and Shade-Spinner would catch the sarcasm. From the returning looks he got, they caught on quick enough.
“Oh yeah?” Gallian sneered. “Well, I guess he forgot to bring his fly swatter this time, now didn’t he?” He was particularly proud of that come-back and managed to produce half a grin. “I grow bored with all of this talking, I think I’ll have to kill you. Class is dismissed for you two babies, it’s time for something new and improved.”
He was, of course, bluffing through his teeth and stalling for time. Frankly, he was shocked it was working.
“I would not speak to us in such a demeaning manner if I were you, fool Sage,” Muertaa warned again in his best scolding voice. “It would not be the wisest decision you have ever made. After all, you would not want to become the next victim of premature death, would you? Of course, your fellow Sages didn’t either, but you didn’t give them the choice, did you?”
Gallian’s face burned red and he momentarily lost his concentration. “That’s not true!” he spat at them. “It was your magic that destroyed the Sages, otherwise I could have undone it!” As he shouted and screamed, the sounds of his compatriots’ death wails filled his head again until it was all he could focus on.
Muertaa smiled. “Oh, but it is, fool Sage. Read the scriptures, you’ll find it prophesied there. In the meantime, you better act nice if you don’t want to meet the same fate as they.” His lips curled into a wicked grin.
The mention of a prophecy snapped Gallian back to full consciousness. He wondered which prophecy they were speaking about briefly but then just as quickly shut it out of his mind. He had to focus on the task at hand. His resolve strengthened, he went back to taunting his foes.
“Oh, I’m so scared, I’m shaking!” Gallian called out, suppressing a laugh and pretend-shivering. “What’s wrong? You don’t believe in sarcasm? That’s too bad.”
Sage Gallian heard Shade-Spinner spout another insult at him and was happy that he was able to distract them so easily, knowing that they were the only ones that could teleport the relics away and ruin his plan. He quickly took a look around the room to see if anything was missing, and sat back, relieved. From the looks of things, the Fhyrr-spawn had taken their time killing the Guardian Sages, which did not surprise him. In so doing, they had squandered precious time they could have used stealing relics instead. It was his goal to keep it that way.
“If you guys are so smart, why not answer me a few questions?” Gallian asked in earnest.
Shade-Spinner balked and glared back at him, blinking. “Very well, then. Ask away.”
“First and foremost, how did you get into the Great Palace of the Sages? Second, what was your reason in coming here? I am truly interested in your responses here.”
“Why should you expect us to be so blatantly stupid and tell you how we broke into this place?” Muertaa fired back. “To do so would be quite unintelligent, for it would bar future visits. Nice try, but much too blunt. As for your second question, why we are here? Why, the answer to that one is so obvious even a dim torch like you should be able to figure it out. We are here to kill all the Sages in the palace and then take the relics of the Tytins back to our master, Fhyrr, the Dark Lord, so he can use them in his ascent to the throne of the world. We’re well on our way to securing the relics, and thanks to you, we have but one Sage left to kill!” He finished off with a demonic laugh, hoping to instill fear in his foe.
Gallian did shudder slightly, but it was mostly an act. On any other day, he would have been shaking in his boots, but today had been hard enough and he had a job to finish.
“I will answer you with this,” Shade-Spinner told him, and already Gallian knew he would not want to hear it. “It is by your own hand that we were able to infiltrate the Palace of the Sages and Sanctuary. You will die with the unpleasant knowledge that, were it not for you, the relics would not have gone over to the Dark Lord.”
“You lie, Fhyrr-spawn!” Gallian shouted in absolute rage. He was infuriated at Shade-Spinner’s comments, and he foolishly let it show. The two Wyvern-Masters smiled at the response they were getting. Gallian just glared at them.
“Don’t you think I have some plan? Don’t you think that’s why I came? Did you honestly believe it would be that easy?” He spat at their feet. “You guys are pathetic, not even worthy of the title of human. That’s why you really went over to the side of dark, wasn’t it? Not because you wanted to, but because no one else would take you!”
Shade Spinner balked again at that insult. “You speak without thinking, don’t you, fool Sage?” he said at length. “Here I came, expecting a challenge, and I got you. Most powerful Sage, they say? Most powerful janitor is more like it. Please.”
Muertaa and Shade-Spinner sat there and laughed wickedly, sharing confused glances with one another while pointing at him.
Good, they’re not seeing my preparations for this spell, the young Sage thought. Just a little longer.
Muertaa turned to face his legion of Death Beasts and shouted, “Kill the fool Sage, beasts, earn your pay. Make a master proud, and take your time.”
The hungry-looking Death Beasts started a fairly slow march towards him, enough to scare
