"Hmm? Ah yesss -- Zebrezza. You are sssure, Sudama?" The Anointed Finder nodded. "I sssselected her persssonally, Lord. You requesssted an extra bit of life-force, and thisss one is full of life - she bears a child." The lizardman warlock nodded and gave an absent-minded wave. "Very well then, make the arrangements." His gaze returned to the window, and he grew quiet. Sudama frowned. "Is there sssomething wrong, Lord? Zebrezza is quite plump, I believe - " "Yesss, yesss, I'm sssure she'll be quite sssucculent. Excellent initiative, I'll need the additional energy. However, I have weightier matters to attend." Lord Rakesh gestured towards the map stretched out before them. "The Isle of Uttam. For sscenturies I've failed to conquer those misssbegotten ogre half-breeds. And now the prophesscy nears fulfillment." Sudama gulped and stared at the floor. "Forgive me, Lord, but if you know the royal twins will sssomeday dessstroy you, why not kill them now before --" "Sssilence!" the warlock roared, his tongue lashing about wildly. "Do you wisssh me to tempt the gods? Are you ssso ignorant? Time and again the gods have ssstruck down those who attacked the agentsss of dessstiny." His tail thumped the floor, then he calmed himself and tapped an ancient tome. "No, the anssswer is in preventing the elementsss of prophesscy from falling into plassce. If I conquer the island now, before the Queen retires, then the twins will never come into power - the prophesscy will be nulled." The Finder remained silent, giving the map a furtive glance. "Yesss, I know. I've not conquered that particular enemy in all these sscenturies - how will I do so now?" Sudama gave a humble nod. "A reasonable question. Reasonable enough that I'll not consssider your lack of faith to be treason." Sudama turned a paler shade of green. "The anssswer is here." Lord Rakesh tapped the book again. "A curssse of formidable power, one I now have the ssstrength to use. Of course, I will require much nourishment first. How long until Zebrezza is prepared?" ==================== Trumpets sounded inside the great feasting hall. "Ladies and gentlemen of Uttam. As is customary in the House of Ajit, the eighteenth birthday is a milestone, a marker of maturation of the future ruler." Queen Ajit addressed the finely adorned crowd. "We are proud to announce this day as the Ascension of our much revered twins..." A loud roar swelled throughout the hall as Vhiramol and Dhiramol entered, sitting side by side upon the back of a brightly colored water dragon. The pair were paraded around the room by a dozen royal guards until they were placed at the foot of Queen Ajit. "May the wine over flow, the feast please your palates, and the entertainment delight your imagination, as we partake in your day of illumination." The queen mother raised her chalice towards the twins, then acknowledged the gathering. A soft "Hur hur hur" echoed in response. Drums sounded the beginning of the circus-like spectacle; acrobats, wrestlers, stilt walkers and clowns whirled into the room. The mayhem and revelry gave camouflage to Lord Rakesh, who was disguised as a happy faced tattered hobo clown. His tail tucked into a pair of baggy trousers gave him a comical figure. Rakesh stealthily made his way across the room, never taking his beady eyes off the royal couple. Casting spells of concealment around him, no one took notice as he stood a stone's throw from the queen and king. The warlock resisted the strong urge to direct his venom upon the future rulers. Before his desire got the best of him, he tapped deep into his reservoir of negative magicks. "Sslvic, b'zarsch, phlassul, mulphaa, mulphaa, maulphaa... Everyday becomes three, weak you shall be, leeching of life begins in the blood, the blood, the blood." He chanted his curse over and over in his vile mind until he saw a faint gray void settle into the royal couple. With this spell he had bought time for his escape back to Paninrath, knowing the effects would go undetected until morning. ==================== Lord Rakesh handed the scrolls to the messengers. "Sssend these out quickly. I want our forssces gathered, organized, and prepared. Sssoon Queen Ajit and her husband will be too weak to rule. It won't take long after that for their entire government to become confused and almost helplesss. When it does, we ssstrike!" As the messengers fled his presence, their tails bobbing in rhythm to their steps, the warlock king gestured Sudama closer. "Have you sssomething sssweet for me, my Anointed Finder?" The smaller lizardman stepped forward with a proud smile. "I think you'll enjoy thisss, Lord. A ssspecial treat to sscelebrate your return from that horrid land." Sudama gestured and the royal cooks began to bring forth the feast. "I thought you might need extra energy after casssting sssuch a powerful curssse, and I've Found the perfect remedy. Twins, a boy and a girl. Adolescentsss rather than young adultsss, but I thought you'd appreciate the sssymbolism nonethelesss." The warlock's tongue flicked out and caressed Sudama's face. "You have done well, Finder. A feassst in antisscipation of one to come. Most appropriate." Lord Rakesh sat and prepared to replenish his lifeforce, plans for invasion tactics and logistics already racing through his mind.