Arcanon's Story

Arcanon turns back and stares at him for a long moment, then begins to laugh. The laughter ringing around the gardens as Arcanon was overcome by humour. The mighty Ezrael, who couldn't even find his way around! The laughter slowly died away to a small smile as Arcanon bowed, coming up with an idea that was even more hilarious. "Follow me then, how about I show you how to get to your workshop?"

Arcanon's eyes wandered as he surveyed the new workshop. It was certainly an improvement over the last one. He itched to go wandering the depths of it, to find out exactly what his new 'accomplice' had hidden around here, but he restrained himself and his curiousity. That could wait for another time, and he wouldn't want to go upsetting Ezrael now, he wanted his chance to work on the artifact to turn it into the idea they had thought up.

But when his eyes finally alighted on the rod itself lay on a bench, his mouth twitched into a smile. His imagination was already imagining the effect it would have upon any who gazed upon it or it's wielder. It would be able to turn someone from a peasant into a lord. Yes. The idea was most favourable. "So this is to be the rod of fear?" He asks, attempting to sound disdaining while his eyes lit up.

Arcanon smiled slightly. He would cheat as well, but it was a good thing he brought up those points. It wouldn't stop Arcanon from cheating still, but he wouldn't have such an easy time of it. "The specifics of the arcane are questionable. It matters how well it holds up to the initial enchantment, and then after the start of the dual-bind." He nods, that part of the proceedure hadn't been specified, but that doesn't mean it couldn't be messed with. "And the fear should radiate away from the holder, therefore it would not effect the holder."

"Adversary indeed." He nods, acknowledging the unusual name the gives respect between these two. "The effects themselves vary in power level, it is, as I said, a matter of what I can do after the other effects have been implemented." He turned his head to the artifact, the fire of insane excitement flaring behind the coldish eyes. It would be a legacy, to craft an artifact of this kind. An unrivalled achievement. Mortei slowly flickered open, the light of his demonic runes flaring in the darkened shed. "Let us begin then, to craft an artifact that will never be forgotten." But there was always a cost to power, whether Arcanon knew it or not.

The light of his magic brightened, runes seemingly becoming physical from the page. The chanting started next, harsh and gutteral as marks seemed to flow like liquid onto Arcanon's skin. Mortei's pages seemed to lazily flicker every few seconds, as if searching for a rune hidden somewhere in the book, calling it forth then searching for another. The runes themselves inspired fear to the average watcher, and yet the harsh chanting seemed to sooth the mind, lulling it to sleep which would only contain terrible nightmares. It was a potent combination, but not one that could not be resisted. His hands caressed the rod, as if touching something far too prescious to even show to the light of day, the runes on his arms slowly running down like a liquid stream. His eye's seemed to be full of intoxication, ecstacy. As if nothing was as lovely as the work of magic he could feel coursing through his body. First Fear, to call forth the terror in all that beheld this item, to all that would survey it. Here is where any backdoor must start, the affinity for Arcanon, therefore not effecting him, slipping in disguised by the Runes of Terror. Despite the light created by the magic, the shed almost seemed to darken. And when not looking directly at him, it would almost seem that ther was a hunched, cowled man standing behind Arcanon, chanting in rhythm to the chant and turning the pages of Mortei.

When he moved onto the dual-bind, it was tellable in the sudden change in the feel resonating from the magic. Terror no longer resounded from the very symbols and sweat beaded on the face of Arcanon, as if he were forcing something into place that didn't want to go. His teeth gritted, his hands now contorting and forcing the symbols to be arrayed in a certain pattern, unlike the casual spread he had been doing before. He could now understand why Dual-Enchantments weren't so usual, the effort required to enchant twice within a few seconds wasn't a light load. He uncapped and drunk from the well of strength that was Mortei, his eyes now glowing as he forced the runes to his will, enchanting the second layer of runes on.

These were less clear cut than the other runes, the roughness speaking to their unrefined form of magic. Forcing them once more into place. His sweat beaded hands twisted again, even Mortei's strength pushed dangerously close to it's limit in it's form of a book, his will keeping his in control as he forced the last layer of runes on. He was sure that Ezrael hadn't ever dealt with even minorly refined arcane power, and had added some things onto this that wouldn't be apparent. Not unless they were pointed out. "It is finished." He gasps out as the last of the runes slide on, then solidify on the weapon. The light flashing for a brief moment before going dark again. His body went rigid for a moment before Arcanon gasped again, and collapsed to the floor.

Arcanon was indeed awake, his arms, however, had lost a lot of motor control due to the searing power of the magic flowing through him. He was struggling to get back on his hands and knees, then probably onto his feet, but he was failing pretty badly. He was, of course, slowly regaining proper control of his body. But it wasn't a fast process. He had never done such concentrated magic before.

Arcanon's eyes fluttered open, and he groaned from the makeshift pallet he'd slept on. He still felt aweful, but he would survive. He had surpassed many powerful mages with his latest deed, and his name would live on with Arcanon's Sceptre of Fear. He grinned. Ezrael had no idea of what the mage had done, and although the Power-Whip Arcane he'd enchanted with the fear as the main body of the spell had been just about what was wanted, but contingancies were always Mortei and Arcanon's deal, he had slept while Ezrael worked last night, and it was time to see what the new day brought.

"Where else would I be? It's not like I'm about to let you go running off with the staff to do as you will." He retorts, standing up with Mortei floating from the floor to his hands. His posture indicated annoyance, quite possibly more than slight, but nothing major enough to really get him angry yet. He walked forward, indicating the staff with a languidly almost bored wave of his hand. "So, I suppose you have some ideas on what to name this artifact, considering you have put so much thought into its creation?" The sarcasm was evident, and the mage gave no attempt to hide it.

"That's a rather idiotic way to name an artifact. A name is supposed to convey meaning, meaning of the possible pain that the weapon will inflict. Like Caennas. That is a name with meaning." He shakes his head. "Honestly, for someone who came up with the idea for such a deliciously devastating creation, you have some of the stupidest ideas times." He shrugged as he leaned against a wall, a fight was not on Arcanon's mind either, but sure as hell did he want to bait.

Arcanon shakes his head. "If you're going to be lazy, why did you start doing this in the first place?" This time the comment was derrogetory. "But I will have to agree, testing out the beautiful thing is a most excellent idea." He grins, his hand holding onto his precious book tightly. The ability to activate an electric shock would be useful to anyone that the staff didn't identify as ally, and since Ezrael hadn't enchanted it Arcanon was fairly sure that he could obtain it any time he wanted to.

He smirked, striding to take the opposite side of the table. Sharing was also a foreign concept, but less so to Arcanon. "Sounds fine enough." He replied, wondering how long it would take his opposite to try and use it against him... He had no idea of the other's thoughts or intent, but he that was what he expected.

Arcanon shrugs, a superior smirk adorning his face as he lightly caresses the rod that he had enchanted. "Nothing is of grave importance, my friend, unless your life depends on it." He replies with the air of someone talking to a being of lesser importance. He couldn't wait to see the effect of the staff though, terror and energy, power of presence and power of power. What a wonderful combination.

"If you named my staff Mortalsbane, then wouldn't you fear holding it? For only the Gods are immortal, everything else can die." He replies, a grin quirking around the corners of his mouth. If this was how Ezrael wanted to play, Arcanon wasn't going to mind.

"Mortalsbane is quite literal in it's meaning." He replies, intruiged at how far this would play. "Why shouldn't I be using it? After all, you put nothing into the magical side of it's creation?"

Arcanon just merely grins, he hadn't expected the move to be this quickly, but non-the-less smiles. "Did you really think I'd enable it to effect me?" He laughs, "Surely you don't think I'm that stupid."

Arcanon just smiles at the cold stare. "I didn't, the only thing I did different to how you wanted it was make myself immune from it's effects." He bows just slightly before continuing to watch his opponent. "So, what is your compromise? I am willing to listen."

Arcanon pauses to think for a moment, but his approval of this idea is obvious before he opens his mouth. "It sounds like a fair compromise to me. I assume you are somehow immune to it's effects as well?" He asks, the lack of reluctance at letting Arcanon have it part of the time was what made him suspicious. Not that that was a bad thing, it just meant that they were pretty equal, minus of course the extra electrical shock that Arcanon could call, but that wasn't needed right now.. That probably, with the way things were looking, wouldn't be needed at all.

"Curious? How?" He asks, intruiged by this sudden change in the conversation. It was an odd question that had appeared out of nowhere, and the logic behind it didn't make much sense either. "I would've thought it natural that magic users could enchant objects, why would it be curious?"

"And even then, if we enchanted the entire planet, if it was somehow launched into space, it would no longer work if someone not from this world picked it up." Arcanon replies, with a dismissive gesture. "The idea is intruiging, but ultimately impossible." He adds, sitting back to watch Ezrael work, He quickly stomped on the idea, if he didn't watch it he'd be trying the impossible before long.