A shriek is heard from within the darkened room, then a gasp of air, then a thud, as if a lifeless body has dropped to the cold damp ground. A voice whispers to you, "This is the fate of one who tried to follow the ancient ways of a dark Wizard. Tried and failed." The darkness seems to separate, as out of the shadows appears Uzbek. He gives a sly smile that causes the hairs on the back of your neck to rise.
Effortlessly he glides across the room, picks up a gleaming chalice and drinks deeply. Remembering that you are present, he lowers the chalice to size you up. You notice a line of crimson liquid dropping down his chin. "You have brought parchment and ink to chronicle my tale," he states rather than asks. He motions to a cushioned high-backed chair and you feel yourself compelled to sit to hear the telling.
"It was all tavern tricks at first ... for a gold coin, I would pull a kobold cub out of my hat, or gold out of the air. I thought my life as a magician was enough. Mopard, the tavern owner, gave me a two meals, a small room off the kitchen, and, after the evening was over, enough ale to quench my thirst. There was a steady stream of customers, so there was always need for some type of entertainment." The outline of the Wizard seems to blend in with the darkness around him as he continues. Smiling at the remembering, "Then one fateful day, she came... Morghanna." He whispers the name in reverence. "She visited the tavern one evening and I was drawn to her as the moth to the flame, uncaring if I was consumed by the dark powers of magic that shrouded her." He chuckled softly to himself. "I felt her eyes studying me from across the room as I entertained a gathering of battle-weary fighters. I felt her disapproval deep within my soul. I could hear her whisper to me, although she never moved closer. 'You waste your talents on parlor games, dear boy,' she said. 'Come with me and I shall show you what the immortal Valtera had intended for your gifts.' My entire being shook at the thought of a life beyond the smell of stale beer and the stench of warriors a month from a bath. This was more than I had ever dared to dream for myself. Without thinking, I laid the deck of cards, my flimsy Wizardís hat, and the kobold cub in the lap of an astonished warrior and never looked back."
The dark Wizard takes a final gulp of the red liquid. As he drains the chalice he sets it back upon the polished table. His eyes gleam, "Several decades did I spend in the company of my lady Morghanna. She taught me everything I know about the dark arts of magic. How to best use my magical spells, how to be in two places at the same time, how to travel through time and space," he emits a gravelly laugh, "to travel to the correct place. As a boy, I had not the faintest notion of my untapped powers, but she knew as all great warlocks and witches do. They can see into your soul and witness the dormant powers inside. When my time was due to pay back my debt to Morghanna, she told me that I must serve the Magesí Guild of Moorgate until such time as I was able to undo a spell of her own making, or it simply wore off. Unaware of the nature of this spell, I vowed that I would serve until that time. She leaned in close to me. I felt her warm breath on my face. Her cold hands embraced me as she kissed my quivering lips. When she pulled back, a smile was plastered upon my face that until this day has not 'worn off'. And, I will admit, I have not tried very hard to break her spell." His sly smile grows bigger.
"Perhaps one day you will have the fortune to meet the Lady Morghanna. And, when you do, I assure you, you shall lose your heart and soul to her as I have."
Uzbek smiles once more at you before vanishing into the shadows. The last sight to disappear is his grinning teeth.
Alley back to the library foyer.
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