The Storage

Well…this whole nightmare, just continued to spiral into awfulness. While his bite had managed to get a reaction out of the Raccoon, allowing Percival to get a hit in, it had barley done anything to really effect Ruddiger. And as if that wasn't bad enough, that FOOL Negaduck had decided to steal the crystal again and directly taunt the very beast, that was currently chasing him. This in tern had gotten Mozenrath to start to turn on the duck and caused Ruddiger, to resume chasing him at top speeds. Ratigan, did not know what the duck was planning, if he had a plan at all, but as he tried to hold onto the rampaging monster, running at top speeds, he was suddenly feeling a lot less guilty about betraying him.

The Horned King narrowed his eyes. This mortal... this... McLeach was the kind that the lich could stand the least. Loud. Disrespectful. Having compassion in the wrong places. 

Fearless. 

It was that last one that made the king the most perturbed. Only fools would dare stand up before the king. Yet McLeach clearly cared not for rank, position, notoriety - in his eyes the king and he were on the same level. 

That was worse than having his insipid lizard step on his feet. And it would have to change. Immediately. 

"Save your anger for the meddling fowl, and put that blasted contraption down," the king spat, batting the gun's barrel towards somewhere that wasn't king. He scowled down at the unconscious Joanna. What he was about to do wasn't in his nature at all. But the hunter needed to be shown where he lay on the totem pole in this gathering of rogues. 

"Remember this moment well." 

With a horrid sneer, the lich extended his hand over Joanna, which began to glow a faint light. It passed over the entirety of McLeach's pet, a warmness enveloping the creature. Healing magics weren't particularly his forte (after all, who was even worthy of the consideration of being healed by his hand?), but any good sorcerer worth his salt would know the bare bone minimum of what the arts can allow. 

After a few moments, the light died down, and the lich took his hand away from Joanna. He did not look back at McLeach. "The creature... she will live." 

"Spare me your thanks," the Horned King hissed. "Despite the insipid infighting that has transpired, it would do us no good to be forever at each other's throats. If you were called here by Maleficent then you must be worth something."

He met the hunter's gaze. "But you certainly are perceptive. I healed your pet - you are now in my debt. I know not what I will have you do, but when the time comes, you will respond to my summons." 

It certainly would be simple to just bring McLeach on the mission to claim the Black Cauldron, end the dept right there. However, there was certainly enough able bodies on that trip already. Certainly, in the future, the king could make use of the hunter's skills for something more... malicious. 

Those thoughts would have to be for another time, as an exasperated and befuddled Varian came blustering onto the scene, bombarding the king and the hunter with questions. It was not surprising - he had missed much. McLeach explained most of the situation to the alchemist, then the king chimed in. 

"Mozenrath's gem, the Crystal of Ix, is a rather useful item of power. I would imagine that its properties are vast, if Mozenrath's desire to reclaim it is anything to go by," the king mused to Varian and McLeach. "I would not doubt that it is what caused your dear pet to grow in strength and size."

Though not particularly appreciative of McLeach explaining to Varian how the lich healed Joanna (the king refused to be mistaken for the compassionate type), there were more serious matters to attend to and discuss.

"Negaduck has become far too unruly. His selfish desires jeopardize the stability of our faction. We must resolve this before the Five take notice and lose faith in all of us." 

He paced. "However, the problem becomes locating Negaduck and the others. They surely have not left the castle grounds yet, but that still leaves too wide of a breadth for us to track..." 

If only they had something of one of the chasers to use, preferably Mozenrath's. His magical signature would be simple to lock onto, and the king could transport the three of them to wherever he may be. 

...


Ah.

The lich turned back to the storage room. There was something... someone they could use, couldn't they? 

The Horned King stalked back into the storage room, scanning the room. It mattered little if Varian or McLeach understood his plan - they'd realize soon enough what he meant should he find his quarry. There was a chance the eel had disappeared after the lich lost his grasp on him, which would certainly make locating the others more toilsome. However, the king remembered the fearful cries Xerxes had made towards Joanna when he was still in the lich's grasp. The Horned King was betting on those same weak emotions. 

He spread his arms out, and called out into the storage room. "Come out, come out, little eel. I had no intentions of meaning you... too much harm, I assure you. What with all the commotion that happened, your master has just been so... busy, and I wanted to look after you for when things calmed down." 

A half lie, of course. But what came next was the important part in persuading the eel to come out.

"I even healed your friend after she was struck by that nasty old duck. The very same duck that your master is after right this very moment. Now, we can reunite you with him AND get vengeance for dear Joanna against the duck that's caused such harm to everyone here, but I need you to come out to us. Otherwise, who knows what may befall Mozenrath, Ruddiger and the others." 

And with that, the bait has been set. 

Now come out, you miserable little wretch. 

That was terribly easy, though the Horned King preferred that than having to search any more of the castle grounds. Weak minds are always so easy to jump to conclusions when they think with their hearts instead of their brains. Though, the lich wasn't exactly sure how much of either the eel had, but that wasn't important. What was important was the creature's magical signature.

Without missing a beat, the Horned King stalked up to Xerxes, and without so much as a smirk or a warning, snatched the eel out of the air. "Your assistance is appreciated, little one."

The king could feel Mozenrath's specific brand of magic simply from holding onto his pet as he returned to the outside of the storage room, where Varian and McLeach were waiting. Using Xerxes as a tuner and his memory of the castle's layout, the king felt the flow of magic lead all the way to the thorn gardens. How comical - the one place Mozenrath would least like to return to.

"Mozenrath lies within the thorn gardens - that must be where Negaduck must have led him and the others to," the king stated, looking from the alchemist to the hunter. "I can transport us there, if you are prepared."