part 2 of chapter 1
Mochtot's wings unfurled into their second phase as he rushed after the
king's fleeting purple robes. He reached the top step of the training
center, as Rein greeted the fat, opulant, pig-of-a-man at the gate.
Mochtot stopped near the fountain in the center of the court-yard
to listen.
"What brings you here, merchant," spat Rein.
"A little barter, a little trade," sniveled the man absently.
The merchant then opened his bag to reveal normal merchant wares.
"Nothing special there, merchant," mentioned Mochtot, floating
up beside the pair, "what are your prices?"
"Nothing much, nothing much, friends," snorted the man,
"nothing but your lives."
The short chubby man's eyes turned cold with hatred and
destruction as his body grew and changed its form. Turquoise scales
burst from his flesh; his matty brown hair flew at angles from his head
and turned hard and black, a crown of darkness; and his hands grew
talons and tendrils, changing his pudgulant hands into a pair of
vicious monsters.
Rein and Mochtot could do nothing but stand there shocked and
dismayed at the spectacle they had just seen. Only kings were supposed
to be able to morph! How could a disgusting old man do what normally
took a king almost 30 years to perfect!?
But those were only fleeting thoughts. No matter how this
creature did it, nothing changed the fact that it HAD morphed and was
standing before them, a hulking beast of a man.
Neither Rein nor Mochtot could even think of combatting the beast
on their own; and they had not yet perfected even the first kel-morph
stage. If they were going to defeat the Ba-kel, they would have to
pull off some extraordinary feats of strength and agility. But at
least they would die with honor and glory; fighting a monster at the
very gates of teh castle with the courtiers and servants watching. So
Rein unsheathed his short Kut and prepared his mind for the Japell,
the battle frenzy. And Mochtot gathered as much spirit from the
gathered servants as he could to morph into the 4th, Eletha, form.
And together they stood before the 12 foot tall tower of fury, and
prepared to go to war with their demon of death.
Rein and Mochtot could not duel morph, but they were close enough
to it that they could read each others minds. So as the Ba'kel closed
on them, Rein mentally shouted his plans at Mochtot.
MOCHTOT! Drive at his face! And try to numb his arms with
shots of Eletha needles!
shouted back Mochtot.
But as the three were about to clash, the man-beast faltered, his
eyes misted over, and his hair fell limp. He gasped, and fell to the
ground, a fat old man again. The people who had gathered to watch
collectively gasped. Then after 3 seconds of breathless anticipation,
they shouted triumphantly, thinking that Rein and Mochtot had slain
the monstrous demon. But Rein and Mochtot knew differently. They
hadn't done a thing. And they stood staring, more terrified of the
man's premature death, than they had been of his arrival. Yr was in
upheaval. Yr was doomed. But Yr was just beginning.