Not caring to waste any more precious time admiring the admittedly artificial landscape, Exador proceeded through the gold silk curtains draping the single entranceway. Through the entranceway was another large chamber, apparently some form of antechamber. Along each of the walls were more columns, similar to those outside. Directly opposite the portal through which he’d just come, was a set of closed double doors. To the left and right of the large doorway stood minor demons of about the second order. Exador marched directly towards them. They came to attention as he approached. Apparently, however, they were expecting him, as the one on the left opened the doors before him.
Exador kept right on marching, ignoring the demons, and went into the room beyond. As he stepped into the room, the doors closed silently behind him. This room was smaller, but by no means could it be considered ‘cozy’ by human standards. It was approximately twenty feet on a side and square, with no other visible exits. The floor had an inlaid geometric design of black and white marble with inlaid gold. Exador quickly assessed the design, and determined it was not used in any sort of magical trap. Turning his attention from the floor, he noted the walls had relief carvings of people and animals doing all sorts of things, including coupling. In the center of the room was a large marble table, with no chairs around it.
Across the table from Exador was the first of his ‘allies’ and to the left side of the table was his second. Both, were most unusual looking allies. The one straight ahead was obviously male, of gigantic proportions. He was approximately nine feet tall and built literally like a god. His skin was a brilliant bronze color that almost glowed of its own accord. His eyes were a piercing, brilliant deep black, with almost no pupil. For clothing, he wore more jewelry than actual clothes. His actual clothing was limited to a silk loincloth held up by an intricately carved, large golden belt. On his head and shoulders he wore what his ally described as a ‘pharaoh’s crown.’ What exactly a pharaoh was, Exador did not know, but presumably, it somehow tied in with the landscape.
In any event, it was a gold crown that streamed down the side of the man’s head onto his chest, with a large gold striped white cloth covering the rest of his head. In addition the man was wearing golden wrist and ankle bands and a large pendent with a truly massive ruby in it. Not to be outdone by his own looks, the man, who’s ego was probably even greater than Lenamare’s, had styled himself Ramses Maximus. Exador, knew of course that it was completely fictitious. He had little patience for the panopolistic games Ramses Maximus liked to play, and so simply called the man RM, which tended to annoy him.
His other ally, the one to RM’s right, was not quite so ostentatious in attire or attitude, but was, in fact even more striking. She, and she was unquestionably a she, was only six feet tall, but her appearance was even more radical than RM’s. For one thing, she was completely nude, except for an exquisite golden collar that while good sized, was not out of proportion to her body.
Bess, as she liked to be called, was the perfect figure of the ideal, shapely woman. Perfectly proportioned and completely sleek. Her skin color however, was ebony. Not ebony as in human black, but true ebony. She looked like an ebon statue. Her very skin was shiny and smooth like a statue yet incredibly flexible and lithe. Her skin however, was not her most unusual feature. Her most unusual feature was her head. Bess, had the head of a cat. Or rather, Bess had the head of an ebon statue of a cat. She had no hair like a cat, but rather her face appeared to be that of a cat’s carved in ebony, with small pointy cat ears on the top of her head.
Both of his allies’ forms were as artificial as their calling names and as artificial as the grounds around them. Exador had little patience for such games. He much preferred shape changing others rather than himself. Unfortunately, sometimes one had to take one’s allies as they came. At least until they could be disposed of. Exador braced himself for the question he knew was to come, and looked Ramses Maximus in the eyes.
The question came, however, from Bess. “So, Lenamare got away? We thought you said you could take him with no problem?”
“I said,” Exador corrected, turning his eyes to Bess, “that I could take him. That it might take time, but in the end, I could take him and get the book.”
“It appears, however, that he’s gotten away from you,” stated RM.
“It appears,” Exador retorted, sarcastically, “that he took out most of OUR army, and escaped with the book.”
“Yes, that was most annoying.” Bess purred.
“He’s made it to Freehold, and is petitioning against me in the courts. The petitioning is just a stalling game, to give him time in the relative safety of Freehold.”
“Time?” asked Ramses.
