Gone Fishing

Waiting for a trap to be sprung is one of those things you just can't rush. As much as you want whatever horrible thing to just happen, you can't just force people/creature in hiding to make their presence known, you have to let them toy with you. In this case it meant I explored a lot of empty houses and wondered what in the gods name had happened to everyone. I did find some decent food and made myself a really big sandwich because why not the food was going to waste if I didn't eat it! I did notice everyone's door were unlocked, which seemed extra odd (extra odd  in the face of everyone missing so helpful to me but still strange).

I did pick up a habit of talking to myself again (I swear I do this every time I'm alone for extended periods of time, in prison I had three separate personalities I would converse with, I think I scared the one guard who checked in on me, but I can't say for sure). It was a way of passing the time, at first I was talking to Carlina because she was my most recent companion and I needed someone to blam me for everything that had happened (yeah I'm more than a little screwed up). It was in the midst of one of these conversations I ran across another person. At first I thought my auditory hallucinations had moved on to being visual ones, but he was dressed so weirdly and doing something so boring I couldn't even dream up (fishing) that I had to take him at face value. Though he didn't accept me, which is kinda hilarious.

"You aren't really there." It was his first words to me as he kept fishing (have I gone over fishing before? Very quickly, extremely boring hobby people have where they use a stick with line tied to it haul in animals too stupid to live, there I've explained fishing). Next to his tackle box and bucket for his catch was a rather large hammer, no firearm but he was pretty tall and muscular I could only assume the hammer ended most conversations.

"I assure you sir I'm real." I suddenly felt very unarmed next to the fisherman, sure I had my magic, but no sword or firearm of my own, why it almost seemed like I was completely unprepared for everything on this trip, which goes counter to my usual over preparedness.

"No you aren't, because everyone here is gone." His voice sounded resigned like he'd had this conversation before. He had red hair like I used to have, and we both had dark skin, which showed we might have even been from the same place once upon a time.

"I'm not from here, I just arrived with a companion who has gone missing do you know what happened?" He sighed and kept fishing, he hadn't even really turned around to talk to me, which is kind of rude.

"You're companion is gone and you will be too Mister, I don't know what gets people but it doesn't miss you for long, you'll be the third person I've talked to about this, and you'll be the third person I've seen disappear in thin air."

"Maybe you should stop fishing and help me?"

"Help you what disappear?" He had a slow way of talking, like that sentence took about a minute for him to say, forgot to mention that earlier. I sighed and looked to the sky, I could tell it was going to be hard to convince the fisherman to help me, but for some reason I knew I needed his help. Because I'm an idiot you see.

It's Empty, Too Empty

Everyone was gone. Everyone! It was completely unsettling. There weren't any bodies, there wasn't any evidence of conflict or evacuation. Everyone was just gone. An entire populace of people completely missing. Even Carlina seemed unnerved by this. Me I could sense something wrong, not just because the sisters saw things differently, but there was a strange magical essence in the air. It's hard to describe, its like a really bad smell that was being masked by a lighter smell. I could tell something was wrong and it was awful, but I couldn't actually make it out because something was hiding it. We were driving down the empty roads, no cars or trucks were out, no commerce. At the first town we arrived at it was all empty, whatever had happened had taken everyone with it. Carlina stopped at the fuel station and filled up her car, I looked around. The station was as empty as everywhere else and I was about to turn back to the car when I caught something out of the corner of my eye. It was only there for a moment, but what I could make out was like a bad shadow, well either that or I was going crazy, either or.

"There is something here." I said upon getting back to the car, Carlina was gone. I hadn't been gone for that long, I never heard a gun shot or any commotion but she was gone. And in that I felt really alone. Also extremely terrified, because if something could have taken Carlina so easily, it could also have gotten me. But the question I had was why it hadn't gotten me. If anything I was the more dangerous person, I mean I've destroyed armies and gods, I'm really dangerous!!! I swear this being ignored by ancient evils hurts me as a person!

Wait shit thats a bad idea, nevermind.

A Time When Bombs Won't Work

"I think there is a flaw in this plan." Carlina had exploded three different packages of various explosives (powdered, liquid, something that looked like clay) all of it to no effect. I don't know what that gate is made out of, but blowing it up apparently was not going to work. That didn't seem to dissuade Carlina, I think she used up all of her explosive, each explosion getting bigger and louder, but having no discernible effect on the wall. Frankly I was surprised that all the booms and bangs hadn't brought someone out, it was getting a little scary that no one was at home. From my memory of the sisters coming through the divide, there were people there, there should have been! So where were all of them? WHERE?

"If you are not going to help me than try and find an alternative solution here Mr. Lorentino." Her voice was more gruff and exasperated, clearly not able to open this gate was pissing her off. She was over in the car trying to rummage up something new and I walked up to the gate and knocked on it. I mean there were lots of blackened marks from the explosions but overall it didn't seem that beat up to be honest. The knock resonated in a weird hollow metal way and despite all the explosions this put me more on the edge, I think because when Carlina was blowing it up I was further away and now I was front and center and if something bad was to happen it would happen directly to me. Nothing happened at first and then the seemingly impenetrable gate just opened. Like I heard the bolts locking into place the gate swung open and we could suddenly cross. There were still no people there, I saw no one who operated it, but it was open. I peered through and could see the other side. Carlina looked at me in disbelief.

"Shall we go?" I was being courteous and letting her go ahead of me.

"How? How did you do this?"

"I knocked, I guess we should have tried that to start?" She turned away from me and went back to her car and started it up. We made it through the tunnel and into the open (she gunned it down the tunnel in case it suddenly closed but it did not). As soon as we were through I wished I had never knocked at all. But that is of course next entry!

No One's Here Time To Go

It had taken us four days of driving to reach the divide (I don't remember it being that far away, but I'm terrible with maps and distances as this journal is further proof of every day!) When we arrived at the divide there was no one there. I don't mean no one trying to get in, or no one waiting around, there was literally not a soul around. No guards, no one watching the gate, it was all just shut down and not a living soul around for what felt like at least a mile (we had parked the car and walked up so as to be ready for a non existent ambush). I couldn't see a way around the wall. The normal entrance was locked up tight with securing bolts and what looked like complicated machinery. Carlina spent the better part of two hours sizing up the situation and came to the same belief. I was overjoyed it looked like our dumb journey was over!

"Well we tried, but we can't get beyond this wall so there is no point in trying something dumb." Carlina looked at me like I just told her I killed the fire god (so slightly annoyed, also known as how women generally regard me).

"Get my bag we're going to blow the gate open."

"Oh this will not go well." And for once I was completely wrong, it actually worked out exceptionally well. Well sort of. Next entry you know the drill by now!

Trains Don't Run There Anymore

We had been driving for a few hours (I say we, but it was Carlina apparently I'm not to be trusted with driving, so I've never done it and roads looked to have some kind of rules I didn't follow, I still should have been allowed to give it a shot!). It occurred to me we hadn't taken a train. Now certainly we were driving a car down there, and perhaps trains don't have a spot for cars like they used to for horses (because as things change they become less convenient this is true and you know it in your heart to be so!) But it was strange it wasn't even in the discussion to take a train, so I broke up the scintillating no conversation to ask why we weren't doing this the easy way.

"Why didn't we take a train?" Carlina didn't even look over, I mean on one hand I could appreciate her focus on the driving (there were other cars we were driving near and I would hate to collide with one, but still you could at least cast a casual glance in my direction to acknowledge I said something!).

"You have good luck with trains? I've heard the opposite." True last time I was coming this way I was blown off the train by a cult of weirdos, but you know that was just fate trying to tell me to go home!

"Well its a lot easier on my ass than these seats, when we had horse drawn carriages they used to have shocks to absorb some of the road, this car appears not to have anything."

"Comfort was not essential to our mission Mr. Lorentino, perhaps you should learn to accept that." Carlina was a fount of helpful advice like this.

"You still didn't answer my question."

"Trains don't run to the divide anymore, there was a massacre there a couple years back, people trying to run from the conflict, got to the divide, got shot up, so they stopped sending trains that way."

"Well that makes this whole mission sound easier." I sat in my seat a bit more dejected, I hadn't even thought about what they would do if they shot us before I could even try and talk my way in, and I had no idea how Carlina thought she would get all of our supplies past their gun lines (boats were out they guarded the ghost zealously). Carlina did not seem fazed by this thus is the dangerousness of zealots who always trust their cause is just.

"If it was easy, it wouldn't be worth doing." It was the last word on the topic and it didn't make me feel any better, if anything it made me feel worse! So many things are easy that are worth doing, like ripping off stupid people or sleeping with loose women! Only idiots think difficulty has anything to do with legitimacy!

Whatever Happened To Ronerawth?

"I'm not going." They were packing gear, Valerind wasn't leaving, he was too old even he admitted that, but he could still help Carlina get ready and he was. I saw a lot of bullets but not a lot of food in his preparation, explosives too.

"Yes you are, we can't track the rest of the nest without you." Carlina was speaking but she sounded exactly like her father and it was weird.

"I have a court date, if I miss that I'll go to real prison!" Not that particularly concerned me considering recent history, but still it was a valid point I don't think was being properly addressed!

"You won't in a few hours." Valerind's statement was part threat, part he knows he can resolve things without much effort. Honestly of all the people in the world who makes statements like that Valerind Mordere seemed the one most likely able to deliver.

"This is madness you guys have no idea what its like down there, the bleedings alone!" At the mention of bleedings they both stopped.

"Continue."

"Magic became an obsession for Ronerawth, I didn't see much in my time in the tower, but they bled the crap out of me, seemingly every other day they'd have a needle in my arm and pulling blood out of it, from what I could see and feel down there, that whole country was running on the juice, now with the sisters memories it was worse than that, they are addicted to magical power, to the extent they were using creatures like these to capture creatures, magical users, damned near anything to feed their addiction, its madness down there!" I didn't know it at the time, but Ronerawth had become completely isolated from the rest of the world, Hanlon's airship rescue of me was looking more and more crazy based on what I now knew of the country.

"All the more reason for us not to delay Trezlan, especially if the sisters as you call them had infiltrated their government, things are going to get a lot worse." Valerind nodded at his daughter and she took the supplies and made for their car. I just sighed and went along, clearly I was not going to convince them they were wrong, because they weren't. See that's the problem with the world in danger, someone has to save it, and that someone is more than often someone like the Mordere's a vile murderous psycho with a heart of cold iron. Which sounds a lot like a lot of the women I date (no I didn't attempt to put the moves on Carlina she'd have shot my balls off).

Incomplete Genocide

"They were here for you actually." I had come to terms with most of the memories of the sisters, they were all weird, because they were illusionists. And in their mind you could see the illusion, and the reality at the same time. How they made due with this is beyond me, I wasn't a weird snake life stealing thing.

"Makes sense, I thought I'd killed all of them a couple years back, must have missed a couple." He said it casually while sipping a drink. His daughter was sitting next to him not drinking anything.

"Yeah you missed a couple." He had given me shoes and clothes from his back room, nothing he had worn so I could only imagine these were dead men clothes. At least they were in style.

"We all make mistakes Trezlan, and I sent Carlina here to save you, so I think I we're even." I felt we were a long way from even, I mean I had the memories of those horrible creatures, that was way worse than a lot of things, but I knew arguing that point was moot. I did have to say I was intrigued into how Carlina lost an eye, I knew it was probably taken from her by her father, but I hoped he did it when she was an adult and not when she was a scared child, that I couldn't say either way spoke to so many horrible things about Valerind I didn't want to vocalize it.

"Is she your only child?"

"No I have several children, most of them are grown adults, Carlina is my last one though." She nodded to this and I was reminded that for the Followers of Fire having children was pretty much required, and even a cold bastard like Mordere could find a willing partner or partners. Still sad that the girl probably never had a good child hood (I didn't either but you know I still think kids shouldn't be raised to be flat out murderers!)

"Scary."

"That I have children or that I determined Carlina to be my last?"

"That you have children."

"No scary would be you with a child Trezlan, I raise mine to be good and strong and what they take out of the world is worse than what I put into it. Carlina is an accomplished sin and barely twenty five, you're hundreds of years old and got easily conned by those creatures." He had a point, but still he could have been nicer about it!, "All that aside Trezlan, you have knowledge of those things, where they came from correct?"

My head hurt, I was suppressing most of the images, but at his mention they came back, "Yeah I know where they came from."

"Where?"

"Ronerawth." The lands had changed, even during my imprisonment they had changed, but I could still make out landmarks, and they were definitely from there. And what I saw of their time there was terrifying.

"As I thought." He sat back in the chair and sighed.

"Well then I guess we'll have to put the rest of the nest down for good." Carlina making her first entry into the conversation and the one I didn't want. I knew things about Ronerawth, even without the sisters knowledge, I knew things were wrong down there, things were broken, and now it sadly looked like I would be the one to fix them.

Sinplinations

"You just can't go around shooting people." The conversation was going on in the next room, I was just coming to grips with all the horrible that the sisters had in store for me. In the room I was in men in uniforms were removing the bodies and trying not to vomit. I was naked, which made it really awkward to be laying naked next to the corpse of a snake creature (like not the worst situation I've been in, but not the best). I could hear Dupont from the next room, thankfully it seemed the woman had put out her cigarette (it was stinking something awful). I got to my feet and wandered in to the discussion, because I was already screwed, might as well get involved.

"If I had shot people this would be an issue, I didn't shoot people these things are clearly not people, I think you and I can arrive at this fact."

"You sins are all the same, you think because you have a membership and are allowed to kill people the law does not apply to you, you listen to me Mordere, I'm letting you have this one as it looks like a straight shoot, but you pull this shit again and I'll have you in front of a firing squad." It was odd for him to call the woman Mordere, but I could put two and two together and figure out why. "And you Lorentino! Gods be damned you're facing one murder charge already and got involved in something else?"

"Look I'm the victim here." I was indeed the victim here. Well one of them, the other ones they were carrying out in leather bags to keep the general public from vomitting.

"Find some clothes and get out of my damned sight, swear to gods now I know why Therod said shoot you on sight." He left to go talk with someone else, I shrugged at Mordere and she shrugged right back. I found a coat among the chaos and some pants, sadly there were no shoes so I had to walk on barefeet, and the ground outside was very cold. I didn't have anywhere to go so I followed Mordere, and she didn't have a problem with it, in fact it came out that was exactly what she wanted. We arrived at a small brick house in what used to be a crappy part of town but looked a lot more built up than the last time I was in the area. When she opened the door Valerind was there giving me the worst I told you so glance in all of time.

"Come on in Trezlan you look cold." It was the warmest thing he said while I was there.

Eye Might have a Problem

The screaming was immense and ear piercing. I had to think the snake creatures were somehow linked and that's why when one of them had their head exploded they all reacted so awfully. I would almost feel pity if I hadn't been chained to a bed and had my life slowly sucked out of me. What was weird is I knew the weapon being used, even though it had changed itself entirely, going from a single action revolver to a magazine fed modern hand gun, the Hand of the Fire God had an unmistakeable magical aura around itself, and when it roared to its purpose you just couldn't miss that's what it was. Perhaps it was also my connection to the weapon itself that had me know what it was, all I knew is that it was in the lair of these creatures and its connection to the Fire God was strong.

Not Nancy was the next of the creatures to die, I could barely make out the shooter from outside the frame of the room I was in, but I could see the results. Six shots pierced the creature, opening up huge burning wounds on her torso as they tore through its flesh. Nancy seemed to swell as her sister fell becoming more hideous and terrifying. She pulled me up from the chains on the bed and held a long claw under my throat. The attacker entered, she was a woman missing one eye and smoking a fragrant cigarette. It was strange for a woman to be the one responsible for all the carnge, because I'm a sexist and it shocked me. She was also dressed as Valerind did, so in a way I almost though he had somehow changed his sex and gotten younger.

"Drop it." Nancy drew blood from my neck to show she was serious. The one eyed woman laughed and shot through me, not around me mind you, but through me, the bullet hit just below my left shoulder and blew off Nancy's arm (conveniently the one holding me up) the pain was indescribable, part burn, part just tremendous hole in my body.

"Take her life or you'll lose hers, her magical hold on you is gone." The smoking one eyed woman said it with all the emotion of reloading her pistol, which is what the did at the same time. I did as I was told, Nancy tried to say something to me in a tongue I didn't understand, but I was beyond listening to lies. I pulled the life out of her and I could feel my body realigning it was extremely painful, as was seeing all the memories of horrible Nancy and her sisters had inflicted. Lets just say I got a new set of nightmares (couldn't take the force without getting the memories I was too hurt, and too old to take enough to get by). The action was so painful and sudden I actually lost conciousness. When I awoke Captain Dupont was there and there was plenty of explaining to do.

Chains are Changes I Don't Appreciate

"I heard you had an incident at the market Today." Nancy was the only girl in the house, the other two were out. I was in bed completely naked.

"Just an old asshole I knew from back in the day."

"I don't want you seeing that man ever again." It seemed strange her tone had changed from her usual young woman voice to something harsher meaner. I noticed she was looking at me in the mirror she was staring into.

"Why are you jealous of him or something?" I didn't see the chains on the bed but in an instant they were there and I was trapped, they pulled at my flesh like wild animals, Nancy also shimmered and was replaced by a creature I hadn't ever run across before part woman, part reptile she was odd looking to say the least. I could tell the chains suppressed my magical abilities, and I had to wonder if they weren't always there and I was just now noticing them.

"Were almost finished with you necromancer and I don't want him interrupting, you've been good Trezlan and I want to savor every bite." With the word bite she snapped her jaws and I could see wicked black teeth in her mouth. The other two girls were there as well, I don't know if they had been summoned by the illusion falling away or they just wanted to taunt as well. The room had changed, gone was the luxury, the walls were coated in flesh, broken bodies had been twisted into the various furniture items, the bed was all bone and I have to say I felt really really stupid.

"Come on girls lets not go this way I can still be useful." I felt really really old too, I couldn't see all of myself, but I could definitely tell from what I could see that Mordere was right, I was hella old now.

"As much fun as its been pulling the life out of you Trezlan, we're about done with this town." They came close I could feel my life force being drug out of me when the door bell rang.

"Saved by the bell Trezlan, Shanly see who that is." I breathed a sigh of relief, but still thought I was pretty screwed. Until I heard a gunshot, and I thought Mordere had come to save me. And I was right! Sort of, more on that next entry!

We'll Never See Eye to Eye

In one of my few moments being away from the ladies (again another bad sign I missed) and out and about I went to the market to I have no idea laugh at people who were not me? I can't recall really but while I was there I met someone I was shocked was still alive. Well still alive was a nice way of putting it, Valerind Mordere had seen better days (though not with both eyes, BOOM IN YOUR FACE YOU ONE EYED ASSHOLE!). He hadn't exactly looked great before with all his scars and poor clothing choices, but now as an old man with wrinkles and frailty he looked worse. Clothes were still as awful as before too, like I don't think he ever changed outfits ever, it certainly smelled that way. I did notice he no longer had the hand of the fire god, he had replaced it with a more modern magazine based weapon (though its not to say that the Hand hadn't also upgraded itself but more on that in a later entry...)

"Trezlan, I heard you were in town, you look awful what are you doing to yourself?" It was frank, I mean he always was but when you get older you get to be a bigger asshole and Mordere had taken full advantage. I was personally insulted.

"Says the one eyed man who looks like he's knocking on death's door, and for your information I look fantastic." I admit my outfit was a little gaudy but awful was just mean.

"Right I thought you still practiced necromancy? Might want to take a life soon you look like you're on death's door." Now this took me a back, one he openly in front of a market of people, and two he mentioned I looked old which was not what I saw in the mirror.

"You're just mad I've got pretty ladies servicing my every need and you're dying of old age, jealousy does not fit you!" I was indignant he looked mildly annoyed. I swear nothing you say to that old killer bothers him (probably because of all the killing would be my thought). Almost as if on demand one of my ladies appeared. It was one of the few things that drew a reaction out of Mordere.

"Trezlan you need to step back." He went to drew his pistol and I pulled up some magic.

"Don't you dare threaten one of my girls Mordere or I will rip your ugly soul right out of you." It was weird, like I was angry, but for some reason it didn't feel like it came from me. Mordere also noticed the shift and put his pistol away, some of the other people in the market seemingly noticed something about to happen and had stopped to watch.

"Lorentino I know you're an idiot, but this is bad even for you." With that he left and I had to wonder what had just happened, my girl shrugged it off and dragged me home to ravish me. I wrote it off too, and would have kept writing it off right to my death had things not changed. I tell you as much as I complain about things not going my way, it always seems like something is looking out for me, just it likes for me to suffer first. Naturally.

The Corruption of The Easily Pacified

I have to admit I have a weakness, and its being powerful. Like I have always had magical power and with my necromancy I have more power than I probably deserve, but most of the time I never get to benefit from this power. I have to cow to others, I have to dance to other peoples tune. No matter how much I mess things up for other people I'm generally running from one fire to put out another. So when the four ladies of the night installed me as their leader it was really nice.

Like where they lived was a really nice building with extravagant furnishings. Everywhere I sat or slept was so soft and comfortable just thinking about it makes me sad that its gone (and its gone believe me long gone now). The food was better than anything I have ever eaten before or since. On top of that the girls would give me money, lots of money, I was sitting so high up on things I didn't even notice something was clearly wrong (even though I should have because despite all evidence to the contrary I'm not an idiot).

The first change for me was in my clothing, I went from being fairly modest, dull earth tones to reds, purples and yellows. Gone were my rougher fabric clothing I had made by hand, in was all kinds of silks and other fabric I couldn't explain (and I'm a tailor!) I also started to wear jewelery, a lot of it. Like I thought their previous pimp looked ridiculous but at the height of my power I was a lot worse. I clinked when I walked. The most striking change was all the sex.

Yes in a previous life I had turned down Nancy because she was young looking, but now in my role as their pimp I was involved in all night orgies with all four women that lasted until dawn at which point they'd leave for work. It seemed weird to spend all day sleeping and loafing about and all night involved in carnal pleasures, ok it seems weird now, back then it was awesome even if it was a marked change for me (I was not a virgin or anything, but it had also been a really long time for sexual release to not be a solo endeavor if you catch my drift...)

Again it should have struck me as odd that the girls themselves never seemed to sleep, or that they managed to get clients in the city at all hours of the day with no difficulty. I was just a fool back then telling myself that life was giving me something I should have had all along, when in reality, well I was being used for my magical power and being slowly drained of my life force. Thankfully for me all the necromancy had meant I had a lot of life force, unthankfully for me, well you'll read on and see.

Its Always Nice To Make New Friends

I had collected my effects from the clerk on the way out (which amounted to my money I didn't have anything else, you try being in jail and then in warzones see how much extra stuff you collect). They gave me a snide comment about getting ID and I told them it was in the mail and then I was outside in the streets. I didn't have a whole lot of things to do, I had to be at a court date or risk getting fined (which seemed dumb for them to do to a suspected murderer, I mean why would I care about a fine if I was about to go to jail for the rest of my life?) but other than that I had the whole city in front of me. As soon as I got out there were four ladies waiting for me. Ordinarily this would be some kind of vengeance thing, and thats where I thought the pimps former prostitutes would go, but I was as usual wrong.

"Mr. Lorentino?" It was the young girl from the night before, her friends were all as equally young looking as she appeared (and I say young looking because well I was wrong about the ages, but I'll get to that). Her name was Nancy a name that did not seem to fit her profession at all. She was dressed more conservatively than before as were her friends, but the make up and hair style betrayed the ladies of the night aspect to them.

"Look girls I'm sorry your pimp is dead, but we're right outside the jail if you want to try and kill me this is a bad place to do it." I know all about bad places to kill people let me tell you! Nancy chuckled as did the girls with her.

"No we don't want revenge Pompei was a terrible pimp, we need new management Mr. Lorentino." And here is where I should have said no, I should have said its not my kind of thing and left. But I am at my heart a man who is easily swayed by a pretty face and a welcoming entry to society, most importantly I just want to belong and in these modern times I never really felt that. So against my natural instincts I became a pimp, but as I said earlier things were not as they seemed.

So Excited To Be Here You Have No Idea

"On a scale from 1 to 10, 1 being not at all dangerous, and 10 being very dangerous how would you rate your magical ability." I was sitting at a desk with a short man in a suit with glasses that didn't fit his face and he had to keep pushing them up.

"10." I was one of several people in the large room being processed for magical ability. I had shackles on, but others did not, I guess because they weren't prisoners and were just signing up like good citizens.

"You realize this will mark you as very dangerous, its not some kind of system for bragging to your friends." He repeated that like it was a prepared speech, probably because it was.

"Little man if I didn't have these shackles on I could burn down the entire building with everyone inside and not worry about any kind of corruption." I leaned back after my little dramatic speech and he didn't seem fazed just marked something down on his clipboard.

"So I'm to assume you have a fire magic ability?"

"That is correct."

"Any other abilities?"

"Just my natural good looks."

"So that would be a no." I frowned and he went through the rest of his form. There was a waiting time on getting registered of course, I would have to wait two to three weeks for my official card to come in the mail, until that point I was considered an unregistered magic user and using my abilities could land me in prison for unregistered use of magic (despite of course having already done that and facing prison for murdering someone). When he was finished writing his thing out, one of Duponts men came by and picked me up and drove me back to the jail and into the cell I had become used to. Thankfully I was only a few days before I was released (my killing was justified even if my use of magic was not) when I got out to say I had an interesting group of people waiting for me is an understatement!

And Here I Thought We Were Friends

The modernization of the guard from captains to people who "police" things was a little alarming. Gone was the charming cells right next to desks, in was different processing areas with coordinated locking iron bars controlled by electric machinery (steam was replaced with electricity while I was out, there are power lines running everywhere). There was just a whole sterilization. The cells were all white, they didn't even look lived in! This was even the temporary facility where people awaited trial, the real prisons I was told were a lot more uniform and boring (told because thankfully I didn't end up there). Even the new captains of the guard were all uniform, wearing similar outfits, name tags, and weaponry. It was enough to bring me down! Their leader was a tall thin man with a mustache named Dupont, he looked around thirty and spoke with a slow dragging everything out way of talking, I couldn't place his accent, but from his mannerisms I guessed he used to live away from cities until very recently.

"My predecessor left a note about Trezlan." I was in the back of the jail area, no other prisoners were in the cells with me I felt like my own special snowflake.

"Is that why I'm getting the executive treatment back here? I have to say its quite nice I hate being put with the drunks." Even though I was tispy I was not drunk, as much, since processing took a bit of time (a new wrinkle to incarceration you have to get "processed" which basically means they take down all your information for future stays in jail).

"Not exactly, but she did tell me to shoot you on sight should you come back."

"And here I always thought she liked me." It hurt to hear I should be killed upon my return, but it wasn't exactly a huge surprise (I mean I'm a terrible person who should I return would be the result of my horribleness).

"What are you Mr. Lorentino, I know the shorty who runs the bar is a magical something who does not age, but I've heard you do age, just slower than others, but you look young to me now, so what are you?"

"I'm magic." It was of course true, but not what he wanted he frowned.

"You'll be taken to court for the death you caused, you'll claim self defense and thats fine, the trial will let us determine your level of magical ability and assign your number same as everyone else, you are not a registered magic user in our system, but you will be Mr. Lorentino, and until you are this jail cell will be your home." He whistled as he left and I felt a little sad. I thought I already was registered! I mean how many times must I travel down the legal system of the lands of the Guard before someone/anyone actually marks me down? Not that I necessarily want that since you know I don't age and I'm a terrible person.

The Devil Is in the Pimptails

"Calm down young man just calm down." I was trying to handle the situation though when I attempted to stand up I almost fell down, I had perhaps drunk too much (as if such a thing was possible). He stepped back, even though he had a pistol and it was just Valrym and me in the bar, he apparently felt threatened.

"You owe me you sick old bastard." I didn't feel sick so I could only imply he thought I was sick for taking the young lady to a show which seemed off.

"I paid the lady for her time young man I think this is unnecessary." I didn't want to have to kill him but he was pointing that fancy pistol at me. His manor of dress was all over the place, I guess pimps in these modern times had changed their dress from fancy, to ridiculous. I can't even begin to explain the horror just know bright, garish and showing skin like he himself was also a prostitute.

"Now she doesn't want to work! YOU OWE ME!" He fired a shot, it went wild and hit some kind of animal that had been stuffed behind me. I'll admit I acted more on reflex than anything else and I burned him to the ground where he stood. Which was not the smartest move as the gunshot had alerted the authorities who promptly arrived and arrested me, because of course they did. Thankfully things got sorted out, sort of, look next entry as usual.

Who's Fault Is it Anyway?

"And so I'm worried about the no magic in the west." I had finished all of my whining and complaining and Val finished pouring my latest drink. He seemed to wait a bit before weighing in, he had surprisingly been really helpful with me coming to terms with feeling out of place in a society I wasn't a part of.

"Trezlan what happens when you dig a hole and never fill it up?" It seemed an odd question after what I had just asked.

"It will eventually fill with water if left alone I believe." I hadn't dug any holes and not filled them up with a body (another sad admission).

"And so the empty lack in the west will fill up, probably with bad more than good as that seems to be the way of things, but don't blame yourself Trezlan, you're an asshole, you're a self centered complete fool who can't see the forest from the trees and you meddle with powers you can't control or can control badly." He trailed off for a moment.

"I assume this will come around to a nice thing for me?"

"You aren't malicious, and had no idea what your interaction with Oshujon would cause, not everything bad that happens to you is your fault Trezlan, but you're still a dick." He had to include the last part because we are always antagonistic.

"And you're still a shorty." He was about to parry back my insult with one of his own when a young man with an expensive pistol interrupted us.

"You old shit, did you mess up my girl? I turned half drunkenly with a grin, probably not the best move since he just pulled the hammer back on his gun.

"Is this also not my fault Val?"

"Oh no I think this is all you Trezlan."

All The Modern Comforts Of Not Home

"That was complete garbage." I was talking to a new female companion who I had regaled with my wit and wisdom earlier (also money as she was a prostitute I will not tell you a complete lie here), we had just watched a movie a rolling picture with sound (we had them back before I went away without sound, the sound was nice even if again the movie was garbage). It was a historical film about hunting monsters (the literal kind that I used to do) and it was completely wrong in every aspect, and the monsters were so fake looking like not even close to the real terror that is a monster!

"I liked it." My companion was very young, like really sadly so (I mean I'm hundreds of years old, even old ladies are young to me), it was partially one reason I bought her comfort for the evening to keep her away from some of the other shady dicks in the area (I'm a liberator you see, no I didn't sleep with her, because I'm a horrible murderer but I have standards).

"It was completely historically inaccurate! We didn't hunt monsters with brave men and swords, it was cowardly assholes with crossbows and explosives! No one charged into the middle of a group of monsters, we used bait and magic!" Not entirely true but again no one lived this like I did and the movie was completely wrong on everything! We were walking down the main drag in Rosetia things had changed a lot since I was last here but at least the general city layout was still there, I didn't realize I was walking towards my own store until I could see my name in bright yellow lights.

"You're funny for an old man, so are we going to screw or not?" I was taken a back for a moment, so young and it made me sad.

"No no we are not, here take this and thanks for your time." I handed her some of the paper money I had (PAPER MONEY WORDS GO HERE THAT EXPRESS HATRED BUT I CAN'T BECAUSE I'M SO ANGRY!) and she skipped off into the night. I suddenly felt really really old, and not just because the town I was in had completely changed. So I decided to head to the one place where things would never have changed. Val's bar.

"I figured you'd turn up again despite all my hope you got killed."

"Its nice to see you too Valrym." And so I settled into a night of drinking and feeling sorry for myself, and surpringly despite his opening Valrym actually commiserated with me. It was heart warming until someone showed up to kill me, because it wouldn't be a real night on the town without that!

See A Show Do Something

"Thank you for your efforts you have done your god proud." Hanlon was standing on the deck of the ship, he had arrived by airship, the same one that had destroyed Oshujon's ship, apparently this was his plan.

"She is done with you Mr. Hanlon, this is the last favor for you and your organization." I felt hurt that I hadn't been helped out of the multitude of favors I personally was owed by the Fire God, no apparently it was as the usual had been, Hanlon all along.

"Oh that's just what she says now, I'm sure she'll come back later when she needs a favor." I am constantly amazed at what Hanlon is. I mean he's not a person like me, or anyone else for that matter. He can manipulate his form and his enviroment at will, if he didn't make mistakes I'd say he's a god, but he apparently has limitations as my recent prison stay proved (unless of course he was punishing me for transgressions which would definitely point towards a god). Vontresa said I was welcome to remain on the ship, but Hanlon had an airship and those were much easier on my stomach from my experience so I went with Hanlon again and left.

"This was your plan the entire time." We were both safely on board and moving before I said anything, I do have to say climbing a ladder into the air will never feel safe to me.

"Not the entire time mind you, but it seemed like the best idea to get what I wanted. I figured Braidin was a trap, but I couldn't exactly bait it without the real Trezlan Lorentino, and if I told you you'd just screw it up, don't worry you weren't in any real danger most likely." He smiled at the end and I was furious. I had been used, lied to, and then cast aside like a broken toy.

"I don't even know what to say to you."

"Thank you would be fine, thanks for getting you out of prison, thanks for allowing you to keep living though you are an insult to most rational people who can think clearly, how about thanks for the ride home or the money I'm about to give you? HOW ABOUT THANKS FOR SAVING YOUR MISERABLE LIFE SO MANY TIMES I'VE LOST COUNT!" He lost his cool and for a moment I saw something behind the pressed suit, something terrifying.

"Thank you Mr. Hanlon." I was of course terrified to the core.

"You're welcome Trezlan, maybe when you get back you can take in a show or something funy I bet that would be a nice distraction." His cool had returned the facade of politeness back in place, but the damage was done, and I knew that whatever Hanlon was, it was not something I ever ever wanted to upset.

Stand Back I'm About To Do Some Stuff

"You can't win, we've got you outnumbered, outgunned, and outwitted. Sure you killed my trap with Braidin but that was a minor setback, I can still just as easily kill your protectors and drag you back to my lands Trezlan and this time I promise the torture will be actual torture."

"Not really selling me on that come quietly thing Oshujon." I have to admit he did have the upper hand, we were on the water far from home and his ship was quite large and scary looking. I never understand why people threaten to make things worse for you if you don't do what they want because most of the time what they want is equally as awful for you.

"You will not win Oshujon the god's have taken notice of your plot and they will destroy you." Vontresa held my hand very tightly I believe it was a measure of keeping me within grasp to kill me, not you know any kind of protection. Oshujon laughed.

"I want them to notice me it makes it all the easier to kill them, now let Lorentino go and I'll send you back to your Fire God like the petulant children that you are." I didn't know if he meant send them to the Fire God by killing them or letting them go, I guessed killing them. But I was feeling tired, tired of being run around and used, so I stood up for myself, sort of.

"That's it! All of you everyone of you damned morons!" I broke free of Vontresa and looked Oshujon in the face with the best look of scorn I had (so like moderate perturbment) "Ever since I've been out of prison this world has kicked me in the balls. Everyone I liked is dead, those who aren't dead are radically changed and I can't figure out any of this! But what I do know Oshujon is we are on the water, away from you shitty land of no magic and with that I can call down a stream of fire that will destroy your ship in the blink of a damned eye, SO LEAVE NOW BEFORE I MAGIC THE CRAP OUT OF YOU!" I shouted to make my point but it was completely unnecessary as a several explosions destroyed Oshujon's vessel almost immediately upon me finishing. The explosion was so close I felt the air from each impact.

"I'm so good I don't even have to actually do my threats for them to happen anyway!" Vontresa and Timov looked at me like I was crazy, and sadly I don't have secret powers after all. No someone else as always was involved, like a jerk who takes my moment of triumph!

Tired of Being Run Around

"I just don't see why we had to leave." I didn't exactly see why I went there in the first place if we ended up leaving, but specifically what was so scary that required us to leave. Vontresa was next to me as the ship continued its voyage home, it had been a day at steady speed and I already felt tired of traveling on a ship, mostly because as always I was vomiting a lot.

"No magic." She said it like that was the only answer I would ever need.

"A bit alarming, but not workable I mean I've killed people with shackles on." A sad fact that sums up my life in one sentence in so many ways.

"Mr. Lorentino to you this is an inconvenience to me and my faith its a crisis, if Oshujon is able to use you to kill the gods the world will be without the divine light of our lord, do you understand how dangerous that is?" I recalled how she was looking at me earlier in that "I can murder you" way and decided to bite back a reply about how losing the god of war and vengeance would make the world a better place and remained quiet. I was about to say something else when I saw something behind us, a war ship and it was making good time.

"Well shit." Vontresa turned and shouted to the captain, but seeing as how the ship had caught up with us after a few days I figured it was a pointless effort and so it was, within the hour they were along side us with very large guns pointed down. Oshujon was on the bow with a large group of guards in front of him. I had Timov and Vontresa in front of me.

"Trezlan why don't you come on board and we have a chat about things." His voice sounded nice, but I knew just knew things were about to get bad and I was totally wrong! No, no I wasn't.

The Costs of War

I didn't see the fight that lead to me being knocked out (apparently I was kicked in the head to start, a smart tactical move taking out the most dangerous player!) I did see the aftermath of Timov shooting Braidin in the head and the rest of us taking off. Apparently whatever he disclosed in his final moments was enough to get both large people moving very fast to get us out of our situation. I didn't see a whole lot of the lands of the west since my last journey, but what I did see on my way out made me sad.

Previously it was a land of green and water ways. Now it was all industrialized with pock marked explosions and cast down faces. The people looked beaten even though they were fighting a war against the east, they were the ones truly suffering (which is true for pretty much all conflicts). I didn't see any real infrastructure to speak of other than war machine production (lots of factories churning out weapons, no dance clubs, parks, or even schools?) My old friend had ruined his land to bring about his dream of a godless world and it was sad (not that I'm a huge fan of gods mind you, but still obsession is never good, except for mine with killing Morley. MORLEY!!!)Eventually we came to a beach near what appeared to be a major ship yard. There was a boat staffed by Followers of Fire (for all their subtlety they still wore all red). My companions blew up their car and got on the boat and shipped off immediately.

"This seemed kind of sudden." My head still hurt from being knocked out.

"Hanlon in his idiotic wisdom almost gave the enemy of the world a gift to destroy it."

"I can't possibly be that important." I mean I think I'm that important, but you know that's also because I have a huge ego.

"You are Mr. Lorentino because you can kill a god, and for the first time in a long time that is once again possible."

"I hope that doesn't mean you guys are going to kill me or anything." I laughed but they didn't. And all of a sudden I felt like maybe, just maybe they were going to kill me. They didn't, obviously, but still!