literature

Shadows of a Lost Mind, Chapter 18

Deviation Actions

KinaKalamari's avatar
By
Published:
395 Views

Literature Text

Chapter Eighteen

Enakhra was fairly certain that Bilrach was about two growls of frustration away from giving the whole enterprise up and teleporting back to Daemonheim. As far as her own frustration went, she was keeping most of it at bay with the almost-certain knowledge that Sliske was just in the Shadow Realm and would be back as soon as he had figured out whatever it was that he needed to. He was sly, but she was sure he wouldn't leave this endeavor, especially now that they knew who had really been behind the plot all along.

A small part of her was tempted to leave due to a wholly different frustration, however — Zemouregal seemed determined to keep her engaged in some kind of conversation. An even smaller part of her admitted that she had moved far enough through hating his company that she had popped out the other side and was actually starting to enjoy it, and that mostly she was just annoyed on principle. That very small part of her was quickly gagged, bound, and put in a dark corner infested with spiders.

When a shadowy rip opened in the space at the center of the temple, Bilrach swore in shock, Lucien stumbled backward and tripped over the altar, and Zemouregal's eyebrows rose. Enakhra wasn't surprised, as she had been expecting it for a little while, and Azzanadra — Zaros, she reminded herself — simply looked mildly pleased that things were progressing again.

Enakhra watched with little interest as Sliske stepped out of the portal, but she felt shock course through her entire body when someone stepped out behind him.

Some warning might have been nice!

She propped herself against the wall behind her, feeling dizzy.

For once, Enakhra was too absorbed in her own reaction to notice anyone else's. All of her attention had been bent toward one person, giving her a strange sort of tunnel vision that she was very unaccustomed to.

She closed her eyes, trying to regain some composure and objectivity. You knew this was coming, she told herself. So what if the moment arrived slightly sooner than you expected? Get over it.

She took a deep breath and reopened her eyes.

During her small "absence", the others had gotten over their shock as well and there was now a conversation occurring about how this had happened and why in the name of the cabbage god Saradomin had shown up as well.

"It was an accident," Zamorak was insisting. "I don't want him here any more than you guys do."

"I assure you," Saradomin said, "were it my choice, I would still be among the trees and the sun of the Plane of Detachment."

"Oh, will you stop that!" Zamorak said angrily. "It was your choice!"

Bilrach's expression was strangely devoid of the irritation that was usually present during those sorts of exchanges. "Not to interrupt, My Lord, but what is our next course of action, considering this new development?"

Wow, Bilrach really was as bad as Azzanadra. "Zamorak's lapdog", indeed.

"Course of action?" Zamorak asked. "I don't know. Ask him."

All of the eyes in the room followed his finger until they landed on Azzanadra, although Enakhra was fairly certain that Zamorak was in fact pointing at Zaros.

"I mean," Zamorak continued, "this whole thing was his brilliant plan." He raised his fists, a smirk on his face, and directed his next sentence at Zaros himself. "Were you thinking we would just fight it out here and now?"

"That would hardly be satisfactory," Zaros said.

"I agree," Zamorak said. "As much as I've always wanted to beat Azzanadra up, it really would be better if you were yourself."

The expression on Azzanadra's face didn't change, but they could all tell that Zaros had been caught off guard. "I do not know to what you are referring."

"Oh, come on," Zemouregal said. "The charade is over. How well did you think that inhabiting him and then being intelligent was going to work?"

"It was Azzanadra," Zaros said angrily. "I knew something was not right. He told you all."

Enakhra didn't know why she decided to defend the idiot, but her mouth opened and she said, "He didn't need to. The change in mannerisms was obvious."

"Look, it doesn't matter," Zamorak said. "Bill, you wanted a course of action, here it is — split up. I'm not discussing any plans with a whole bunch of my enemies."

Zaros held up a hand. "First, I issue you a challenge. We shall each gather an army of our most loyal followers, and in two weeks' time, we shall meet for battle. In this way, we will finish what was started at the end of the second age."

"If I may interject…" Saradomin looked around at the group, and finding nothing but blank stares, continued, "It seems to me that what was begun in the second age also ended in the second age. You, oh Empty Lord, were defeated. This is not a continuation, but rather a revisiting."

What with their tendency to be utterly against each other, Enakhra frequently forgot that Zamorak and Saradomin had in fact teamed up in order to eradicate Zaros' empire. Perhaps they had an ally that none of them had given enough consideration.

"I think I would call it a rematch," Zamorak said, "and I accept your challenge."

He was definitely hiding triumph under his mostly calm exterior — Enakhra could see the hint of a cocky smile coming through. He probably thought that he had already won. Since the second age, most of Zaros' forces had scattered, died, or defected, whereas there were a great many people who were loyal to Zamorak.

Zaros nodded once. "Good. Take those who wish to follow you and get out of my temple."

"Jutht a moment, pleathe."

Many dubious expressions turned toward Lucien's voice. He was standing behind the altar, looking rather like he had a plan. Which was unusual for him.

"What?" Zamorak asked. "Who are you even siding with?"

"I should think he's siding with us," Sliske said, "given his plans."

"Thideth are irrelevant," Lucien stated.

"That's ridiculous," Zemouregal said. "Of course they're not."

Lucien held up his right hand as though he was going to grab something, a look of intense concentration on his face.

"What the hell is he doing?" Bilrach asked.

All of the light in the room seemed suddenly to bend toward Lucien's outstretched hand, and then with a resounding pop, he was holding the Staff of Armadyl.

This caused an outbreak of incredulous staring.

In the lull that followed, Lucien swung the Staff sideways toward the symbol that topped the altar. There was a crack as the symbol came free. It flew a good twenty feet, landing in one of the pools of magma.

Zaros lunged toward Lucien with a snarl, but before he could take more than a step, Azzanadra's body collapsed onto the floor of the temple.

Enakhra had a moment to admire the fact that he had fallen nearly dead-center on the inlaid symbol on the floor, and then things began to happen that completely reallocated her attention.
I mentioned this when I posted this chapter on FanFiction, and I figure I should mention it again here to dissuade any possible nitpickers: The "Zamorak's lapdog" comment was actually from the Postbag, but I really wanted to use it, so I'm essentially pretending that Azzanadra made it in-game at some point.

----
[Previous Chapter] | [Next Chapter]
© 2013 - 2024 KinaKalamari
Comments6
Join the community to add your comment. Already a deviant? Log In
ToasterStroodleItami's avatar
"During her small "absence", the others had gotten over their shock as well and there was now a conversation occurring about how this had happened and why in the name of the cabbage god Saradomin had shown up as well."

" why in the name of the cabbage god Saradomin had shown up as well."

"in the name of the cabbage god"

"cabbage god"

FJUID NFSJKDLFSCHGUCHZSLNHDMCZSHFNXDJVSMDXFBGVXJHCBKSAMNDCHZJCBFSDNCFJDSZXHGFBSDANHKJ