As I had expected the Master and I were projected into another of what I have referred in the past temporal flashes. In reality as the Master had seen in other flashbacks that had occurred it seemed that the Zombie filled Megalopolis was actually a portrayal of the souls of those who were joined in the soul link So it seemed that the tasks laid before us to rescue any survivors while also defeating the Mage who resided within a grand tower in the center of the Megalopolis was in reality more that it had seemed. It truth the enter reality it would prove to be a representation the souls of the link and stood as a graphic representation of our situation. Somehow the conflicts that seemed to plague Justice of which the Master found unfortunate and counterproductive were in reality feeding Narvada and making him stronger and the Spirit that was the link was doing its best to issue a warning the Master and I knew might be difficult for the those within the link to heed. The Masters had many concerns regarding that warning and set me to the task of finding a solution.
Suffice to say we had arrived within the Megalopolis and the Masters translocation and divination related magics had been hindered. In addition to his Mindsight being blocked there was also a limitation on flying that seemed more a compulsion than exactly a hindrance or block more like an irritation that warned of imminent danger. Meanwhile the Master had saved two people a woman and a man who had been brought to him by Demon servants who had been summoned by the Mistress. The Master realizing that Kameron was nearby that we needed to reach him had me open the bag of holding and the humans were told to enter. Along with the beautiful female Air Elemental the Master had summoned we were soon on our way down the building and using the soul link as a guide we departed.
The Humans with the bag were able to breathe because I had left a small aperture open so air could enter. The Master had protected us both with a veil and shroud of undeath along with elemental protections so I felt assured it would be unlikely we would encounter anything that would slow us down. Of course I was wrong for as the Air Elemental carried us thru the city in the direction of Kameron we were literally frozen in our tracks. The Zombies were childlike and blew from their lips the death of winter which literally encased us in ice and would have soon started to stop our life processes if we had not been protected from the elements. Thankfully the Master was able to break free of the ice prison with his strength alone. He then cast command upon the three childlike Zombies and with two in his thrall ordered them to contain their resistant friend so we could withdraw.
We had also encountered a large rampaging Zombie and found it about to prey upon a woman with two small children which we rescued and also placed with the portable hole as we had moved on. Eventually we reached a sprawling complex where we found Drago who looked like he had been beaten to within an inch of his life. In itself that was worth noting but the Master had bid me to us a scroll to heal him as one never knew what new danger might arise or at what moment. For that matter Drago had even said that at that very moment he was being chased by a persistent Zombie who was likely to catch up with a few minutes. At least Kameron was inside but Ti it seemed had been pulled away from us to deal with some other conflict and Mordalfus was still nowhere to be found so we were on our own.
We entered the complex and soon once the link confirmed his direction the Master was able to communicate with Kameron. He seemed to also have suffered at the hands of the mysterious realm in which we had found ourselves. It seemed the Zombie he had fought had left him with four festering wounds which would not heal and upon examination we in fact cursed. Of course Kameron had not come prepared and at the time I had again wondered how Justice had faired before the Masters arrival. The Master of course had requested that I provide Kameron with four potions which would remove the curses that had been laid upon him. He had wished to offer me payment which I knew the Master would refuse since as far as the Master was concerned it was a Justice Matter and the Master still felt the scales were not yet balanced. Thankfully Kameron insisted not really understanding the Masters reverence for the Drow system of favors since as far as I am concerned favors to not always equate to profit.
Along with those who were being protected by Kameron our number of saved had grown to twenty. It was something the Master noticed that began to reveal our purpose in this realm. He noticed that everyone we had rescued seemed to be someone from his past who he had shown a liking to in the past whose lives he valued. That by all grounds should have been impossible so the Master had checked with Drago and Kameron only to find out that they saw entirely different people. The Master began to piece it together that we were within a construct build of the souls of those within the Justice spiritual link. The Zombies were therefore manifestations of the conflict within the link. Narvada on the other seemed to be the malignant force within that fed on that very conflict. So the mission to destroy the Tower and rescue those who survived within began to take on a whole new meaning.
Somehow Drago had managed to slip away much to my dismay and thankfully the Master was preoccupied with the ramifications of our situation to be that bothered. I realized he felt that if Drago was left alone he would find a way to either locate an artifact which could lead to trouble or bring trouble right back with him. The Master had not been wrong for within moment of Drago’s return he barely had time to reveal what he had discovered before it was time to leave. He of course had returned with a magically constructed spyglass and information of a construct that had runes similar to those of Narvada which had taken physical form and was on the move. Not to mention he had noticed a contingent of Zombies numbering around twenty which had been comprised of various Zombies which we had been able to identify.
We of course had to move or face being surrounded by the Zombies we had named Firemen, Ice children, Missile Men and Brawlers. The Master believed that there would be more than one force we would need to contend with. If the actions of Drago had brought about the assault could not be confirmed and Drago volunteered nothing so the Master chose to press on. The Master’s planned to capture the representations that resembled humans within bottles but Kameron was opposed to it. He even saddened by it so the Master relented and used to scrolls to create an extradimensional spaces within his portable hole and ushered the so called humans within. All that remained was for everyone to mount up on the Air Elemental the Master summoned and move out. Of course as we reached the exit of the enclosed structure we were to quickly realize as the Master had deduced we were surrounded.
There was talk of perhaps confronting one of the groups and the Master even readied his two handed sword and prepared to cast a protective magical shell or two as did Drago but their magics were disrupted from and unseen magical force. Suffice to say there were two sealed warehouses nearby and Drago and Kameron made for it and struck the wall down. I meanwhile carried the Master to the entrance and beyond and he prepared to begin creating a seal but his magics instead when to making a tunnel. For low and behold inside the warehouse were an entire mass of people who could now be seen by the growing Zombie hoard which were still massing outside. It seemed a Priest inside was able to restore the huge hole in the wall with a quick prayer. Meanwhile while the Zombies began their assault on the outside walls the Master constructed a tunnel below ground to reach the other warehouse while Drago waited behind to seal the passage behind as the over one hundred survivors followed us to the other warehouse.
Reaching the other warehouse was not all that difficult and once we had arrived with the warehouse the Master had me summon Genna the Jin from her ring to act as our eyes and ears while the Master settled the survivors in what had seemed like a lower level. Genna moved around and found a door where we could exit while the Master took the time to create another extradimensional space and escort our flock into the portable hole and it was time to set a course for the wall where the odd creature that had symbols of Narvada had been spotted. The Master figured it would be best to create a few slower moving distractions once the door was opened and so he summoned with the aid of the Staff of the Magi three Fiendish Gargantuan Spiders to go forth in opposite directions with one to attack the group still assaulting the warehouse while we departed in other directions order to create destruction.
It was odd for while we could no longer hear the noises of the Spiders we also notice no further sign of Zombie activity. As a matter of fact we were able to move directly to the edge where Drago had claimed to have seen the creature that bore Narvada symbols and what we found was not what the I had expected but did not surprise the Master. For we had found at the wall and beyond seemed to be machines mining our conflict and internal strife as well as then using to create more runes. The implications were obvious for while the Master had not until that very moment seen the internal issues that faced Justice to be little more than a mild irritation the same could not be said for Narvada. Far from it Narvada it had become apparent was becoming stronger the longer those conflicts remained unresolved. It seemed fitting then that the Master and I felt the pull of the spiritual link calling us away.
The plans of the Master to find ways to weaken Narvada had now become more difficult. I realize the Master loves a challenge but to be honest is had been rare that he has ever felt he has faced a worthy opponent. Don’t get me wrong the Master does not believe he is unstoppable. It’s just that he prefers to research his opponents so that in the end he has the advantage knowing his enemies strengths and weaknesses so that on the chance that they prove superior he can as they say stack the deck in his favor so they fall before him. It’s a plan that has worked for the Master for years but I could tell that due to a conversation he had had with Kameron regarding Tiberius who of course just happened to worship go figure the God of Strife himself Ares that the Master would have his work cut out for him. I figured so be it for the Master has never walked away from a challenge and it seemed that Narvada and Kameron were setting themselves up to be quite the challenge indeed. So of course I am not worried for as I know Hecate watches over us I also know Lord Quickshar was chosen for a reason and he has never let me down after he is the Master.
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