The demon was actually quite small. Perhaps a little bigger than human Rupert, but thinner. Almost like one of the smaller Sidhe he’d seen in Hoggensforth. However, this demon had cat-like eyes, a small beard and mustache and rather small bat-wings. He was also dressed. The little demon was wearing some sort of leather vest and pants. How very strange.
“Yes?” Tom asked, “Can I help you.”
“Sorry to interrupt. However, I’ve been trying to meet you for some time now, with little success.”
“Really? And who might you be?” Tom asked, Rupert looking on.
“Antefalken’s the name. Barding’s the game.” The small demon smiled with a slight bow, “Actually, I at least think you’re who I’ve been trying to meet. You are,” he glanced between Rupert and Tom, “the demon called Tom?”
Tom nodded, “That’s me? I might ask how you know me, not to be rude, but paranoia does not seem completely out of the question at the moment.”
“Certainly true! Especially with all the individuals involved in the situation, right now. However, let me assure you, I mean you no harm. I’m a friend of Boggy’s and he told me all about you.”
“Boggy? I haven’t seen him in a while either. Not since he parted ways with his master.”
“And parted his master,” Antefalken added, “at least as I heard it from him.” Tom just nodded.
“So then? Now I know why you know me. Mind if I ask why you want to find me?” Tom hated to sound so suspicious, but he was a little leery anymore of strange demons.
“My understanding is that you work for Lenamare?”
“Work, may not be the correct term. However we do seem to have a one-way binding contract that seems to benefit him more than me.” Antefalken smiled at Tom’s joke.
“Ah then I heard right. You see, I am involved, indirectly, with resolving a dispute between Lenamare and Exador and was trying to gather independent evidence to help in the ruling.”
“Like an independent counsel? Investigator?”
Antefalken nodded, “Precisely, in fact I work for a member of the Wizard’s Council in Freehold.”
“Really? Lenamare and Exador are there to fight their battle in court then?”
“Yes.”
“I’d suggest your court put up concrete shielding in that case.”
Antefalken looked alarmed. “Why? Are they planning something?”
“No,” Tom shook his head, “nothing like that. It’s just that whenever those two get together, lots of violent and explosive things occur.”
“Like the explosion that took out the school?”
“Yeah, like that. Seems to have been a nuclear blast of some sort. Severe radiation and all. Not exactly a safe place to be these days. However, Exador’s people seem to want to stick around. For their sake, I hope Exador understands what he’s dealing with.”
“Why?” Antefalken asked. “Is there some delayed effect spell in progress?”
“No, not a spell really. It’s just that when you set off a nuclear blast, you release a lot of radiation, gamma rays and such. This does a lot of damage to people immediately, but it also makes things nearby radioactive. If you stay around them too long, you get sick and can die from it. It also makes people sterile.”
“Hmm,” Antefalken rubbed his chin. “I wasn’t aware of this.”
“Yeah, well if Exador’s not doing something to protect them, he should evacuate from the area. When I was last there, they were sitting in the middle of the crater on a peninsula. Not a good idea.”
“That was certainly a nasty spell that Lenamare got off.”
“Lenamare seems to like overkill from what I can see.” Tom stated, “Doing anything small is not his idea of doing something.”
“From your tone of voice, I take you don’t care for the man?” Antefalken asked.
Tom just grimaced at the demon as if he were crazy. “To use the popular expression, he’s my accursed master. By definition, I hate him. Besides that even, I don’t particularly care for his attitude.” Tom laughed internally at his use of ‘by definition’ thinking of his argument with Jenn.
Antefalken nodded, “So you think Exador’s in the right then?”
Tom shook his head. “I didn’t say that at all. I’ve never actually met the man, but as far as I can tell he’s at least as crazy and probably a lot more unpleasant than Lenamare. After all, he drug an army through the Abyss to make a sneak attack on Lenamare. Further he rules his army through fear and intimidation.” Tom said, thinking of what Gastropé had said about Exador. “He’s got all the makings of a classic fantasy villain. Lenamare’s just an asshole, with a really snotty bitch.”
“Drug an army through the Abyss?” Antefalken was taken aback. “How did he do that?”
Tom shrugged, he didn’t want to sound ignorant, all he knew was what Gastropé had told them, so he spoke with more authority than he really felt. “Abyssal Switch spell; it interchanges Astlanian real-estate for Abyss land, and anything on that real-estate. Do a couple cycles, get everyone here, cycle them back in reverse to someplace else in Astlan. Highway through Hell rather than Highway to Hell.” He tried to make it sound common place and simple.
