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Quezo entered the doorway of the great chamber where he was awaited, a darker shadow against the blackness without, and looked within. The cavernous hall was dimly lit by guttering torches hung all about the room, each emitting a pale light that failed to reach the arched ceiling high overhead.
“Come,” boomed a voice, originating from deep within the chamber. To Quezo, it was felt rather than heard, yet he was used to this; he had been here before.
“Yes, lord,” he responded in his customary sibilant tones. He then scuttled quickly towards the altar where he knew he was awaited, anxious yet afraid to arrive. He was barely heard as he padded up the centre row, his small, sinuous stature a sleek advantage.
“You summoned me, lord?”
Just then, a pyre that had previously gone unseen on the altar burst into flame, and within was five figures. Each was so distinct as to have been alive. Quezo moved closer so as to get a better look, being careful never to touch the flames lest he be burned.
The first figure was a tall woman of noble bearing, her night black hair only relieved by streaks of the same deep purple as her eyes. The second was an elf, tall and graceful like all of his kind, bearing a magical staff and with an air of power about him. Third came a boy with a certain look of cunning in his eyes and a mischievous grin that portended trouble. The fourth was a mori girl of obvious royalty, her aquatic eyes gazing at the instrument she bore. The last, though, seemed quite unassuming compared to the rest. However, when Quezo took a closer look at his eyes, he saw there a look of such purity, such innocence to the world, such complete happiness that it made him sick.
“Mark them well,” came the voice within his head. “Especially the last one.”
“The last one, master?”
“Yes. He bears the one thing in this world that I desire above all else. Mark him well!”
“What would you have me do, lord?”
“You will seek them out,” came the reply. “You will find them and observe their progress. Hamper them, as you will. You will be contacted to make your reports and to receive further instructions.”
“I understand, master,” came the hissed response.
“And above all, they must not know you are there. YOU SHALL NOT ALOW YOURSELF TO BE SEEN!”
This last boomed within Quezo’s mind, searing him with it’s deafening silence. When he had finally recovered, he bowed his way towards the door and out of the room. Just as he was exiting the chamber, he looked up to see two glowing eyes staring back at him: the eyes of Lord Talan.
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