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Post by The Horned King on Nov 5, 2019 18:11:42 GMT
The Horned King stared back, taking in the glare of the boy in blue. Such confidence, such conviction, in his words. There was certainly a power emanating from Mozenrath, the king would make no false judgments in that.
But the king knew a charade when he saw one.
Why else would the boy fall back to referencing the Lord of the Dead? Simply to get a rise out of the king, to flaunt that he was already higher in the pecking order than the lich? No, no... The Horned King knew his type - he would have made it more public, more grandiose. And clearly, the maze of thorns and vines was no place for an audience.
...then, why was Mozenrath here in the first place? If his words were anything to go by, was it... punishment? Even as herald to Hades, as he claims? What foolish blunder could he have possibly done to warrant being placed in a place like that? Perhaps the boy's warning of those above them was legitimate.
Either way, they were not here now. Only the king and the boy. And the king wasn't without his own claims of power to reveal.
"Make no mistake, I have nothing but the... upmost respect for our mistress. I was about to face oblivion when her magic intervened - one so powerful is surely worthy of... temporary servitude. Though we are but mere pieces on the board for Maleficent for now, she would not have gone to such lengths to bring us all under one roof, wouldn't you think?"
The king paced slowly about Mozenrath, taking deliberate, slow steps - both to see how the sorcerer would react, but also to avoid falling victim to his own warning he made previously about the thorns. "I cannot speak for your hotheaded boss, but Maleficent herself is far more accommodating than I could have imagined. Why, we had such an engaging conversation not too long ago about how to strengthen our forces here."
He placed a jagged finger on his chin. "Oh... how did she put it now? Making my proposed mission the... 'top priority?' Oh, yes, that was it."
"First objective" was the actual wording, but semantics mattered little in the world of intimidation.
"Tell me, Mozenrath. What imperative errands has Hades, O Supreme God of the Underworld, sent you on?" He cast a glance around the area, the smallest of smirks creeping upon his horrid face. "Trimming the hedges?"
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Post by Mozenrath on Nov 6, 2019 1:33:49 GMT
Mozenrath pivoted to follow the Horned King with his gaze, glaring at him in what he believed to be righteous anger. How dare he speak to Mozenrath in such a condescending tone? He was playing the same game ("top priority," ha!) and Mozenrath knew it.
He would have let the Horned King have an earful if not for the fact that the man still...unnerved Mozenrath. As he turned, he shifted back slightly, putting distance between himself and the lich no matter what direction the latter faced.
Well, he couldn't tell him what had just happened now. But there was nothing wrong with talking up in advance a mission he was sure to receive later, right?
"Actually," he said, "I wrangle monsters. A few names I'm sure you know: the Hydra, the Chimaera, Ladon. I keep them in line for Hades, and I keep their leashes short...until there should come an appropriate time to sic them."
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Post by The Horned King on Nov 6, 2019 4:21:06 GMT
"Ah... I see..." The Horned King breathed, noting the slight movements Mozenrath was making to get ever further away from him. Was there the possibility that their were monsters in this maze of jagged thorns and sprawling vines? Maybe. Did the king believe Mozenrath was here on Hades' orders? Not at all. Even if the lord of the dead was keeping such dangerous creatures in this place for one of the new recruits to simply run into and meet a gory demise, in a garden this large surely there would have been a roar or a screech of a creature looming off somewhere within the underbrush. But the only hissing the Horned King could hear was that of Mozenrath himself.
The lich could almost call this situation amusing. Both sorcerers believed they themselves have the upper hand in this little verbal sparring. Candy, Varian, Jones... they were quite personable despite their status as fellow villains. They went along with whatever the king had strewn forward, whether out of fear or cooperation.
Mozenrath was playing a far more intriguing game by snapping back. And it had been sometime since the Horned King had played.
He ignored the boy's obvious threat regarding the beasts and continued. "But to have already been handpicked by Hades himself, one of the Five and second only to Maleficent herself, you must be truly powerful indeed. That or very persuasive, but even young Varian vouched for you, saying you should be the first I sought out - surely, there must be more you are seeking out of this alliance than pet sitting for a god?"
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Post by Mozenrath on Nov 6, 2019 5:07:30 GMT
"What Hades wants is what I want," Mozenrath said flatly. "Power, conquest, dominion. Not to mention I have...shall we say an interesting relationship with death. Flirting with it, you could say."
He realized how that had sounded.
"Not...that I flirt with Hades. I DON'T DO THAT."
(Which wasn't to say that Hades wasn't attractive, but you just don't do that to ultra-powerful gods you serve!)
"But working with him ensures I get to take control of some things I really want and watch people suffer because of it. And isn't that all anyone ever wants out of life?"
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Post by The Horned King on Nov 6, 2019 6:09:14 GMT
Aside from the continued reference to their shared servitude under the Five and the whole... flirtation comment (how many years... decades... centuries had it been since the long-dead heart within the king's chest last beat?), the Horned King did actually have to agree with Mozenrath. The power of the cauldron, the conquest of taking Prydain, ruling over it, and watching the faces of his foolish foes writing in agony and despair...
Now there's a thought that could make a decaying heart beat with anticipation.
"Well said, young Mozenrath. We seem to share the sentiment that, at the very least, the Five our granting us opportunities to seek out what we most desire."
With a sort of common ground established, the lich believed is was about time to reveal the reason for his apperance to Mozenrath.
"That said... I believe that further... cooperation amongst the rest of us under the Five will undoubtedly bring us closer to those desires... which is the main reason why I sought you out."
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Post by Mozenrath on Nov 6, 2019 6:21:01 GMT
Well, now Mozenrath was interested. It seemed the Horned King wanted something out of him besides his own demise after all.
It rather sounded like treachery.
But was he not a villain? And if he didn't like what he heard, couldn't he just report it on up to Hades? There was no way to lose here. In fact, Hades was probably quite incensed (literally) with him at the moment. If the Horned King was offering a backup alliance, he'd have a safety net...and if it didn't sound solid, well, Mozenrath had leverage to trade to Hades for a lighter punishment.
"I'm listening," he said with interest.
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Post by The Horned King on Nov 6, 2019 15:12:40 GMT
The Horned King narrowed his eyes. That was a rather quick turnaround from Mozenrath. What was little mind thinking of without even hearing the proposal?
No matter. The lich already had Maleficent's approval for the task at hand - there would be no treachery or double crossings before the plan was even put into action.
"Though skeptical you may be, I spoke no untruths regarding our mistress' goals. I desire to reclaim what is rightfully mine back in my world, and upon relaying such information to her, Maleficent deemed it useful to her own machinations."
He clenched and unclenched his hands, his mind forever and always imagining having the cauldron's power back within his grasp.
"The Black Cauldron, an ancient crucible with limitless power and potential. I used it to create an army of the undead, the Cauldron-Born, and I shall do so again, only this time no meddling heroes or disgusting selfless creatures will stop its power from flowing from world to world."
The king waved a hand towards Mozenrath. "Of course, though as powerful as I am, some able-bodies to assist me would make reclaiming the cauldron a far less stressful endeavor. The young alchemist Varian and the good captain Jones have already pledged themselves to the task. In return, the cauldron and I shall grant them assistance in what they desire most.
"And though Varian's modern alchemy and Jones' prowess with the blade shall surely come to fruition at such a task, I would much like to have another... experienced sorcerer to join my ranks."
The Horned King met Mozenrath's gaze. "So I come to you with the same proposal - take the cauldron back with me, and you will be awarded some... compensation, for your efforts."
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Post by Mozenrath on Nov 6, 2019 19:52:21 GMT
Well, this sounded a lot more appealing. After all, if it were a trap, then Mozenrath wouldn't need to outrun the Horned King - he would just need to outrun Davy and Varian, and he would get away.
(Why did he actually not like the thought of doing that to either of them, though?)
"I must say this compensation you're offering is enticing," Mozenrath admitted, "and I'm flattered you recognize my prowess as a sorcerer, though I couldn't help but notice that you mentioned the other two would be getting what they desired most, and you didn't happen to apply those words to ME."
A pause. After all, he'd dealt with the whole "undead army" thing before. And he needed to be assured of one very important factor.
"On that note, are the Cauldron-Born...stupid?"
He was already really enjoying life without tripping over the Mamluks, and he wasn't in the mood to be constantly launching the undead from the highest gable for interrupting his experiments again.
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Post by The Horned King on Nov 7, 2019 3:14:48 GMT
The Horned King refrained from grating his teeth - the boy wanted to haggle. But of course he did. It couldn't be easy like it had been with the other two. There repayments were easy to accommodate (revenge and material wealth normally are).
Mozenrath wanted more. How annoying... yet not altogether unexpected from one of his ilk.
"No... the Cauldron-Born are not... stupid," the king hissed. "I presume you refer to other resurrected creatures within the same realm of necromancy, but no. Upon returning to life, there is nothing to shackle them down. They think and act only upon the word of their master, and they shall follow through with whatever task is assigned to them. It is as simple as that.
"And If it will ease you, boy, young Varian desired assistance from the Cauldron-Born to help craft his own army of mechanical contraptions to lay siege against the land who betrayed him, and Captain Jones will have his crew and his vessel at his command once again. And, of course, the Cauldron-Born will be at my command to add to the power of this castle..."
He grumbled the last portion: "At the price of allowing our mistress some control over them..."
The lich sneered at Mozenrath with vicious teeth and hollow eyes, annoyed upon having to remember that one fact. Loaning the Cauldron-Born - HIS warriors - to the dark faery, even though she has all the power of the cosmos. Could she not summon any number of beast or buffoon to charge into battle for her? Why must she deprive him of his ascent to godhood?
The king's normally low tone now reached a terrible growl. "When all things are said and done, the Black Cauldron is the ultimate prize, and I WILL have it once more. Make your demands, if you must, child, whether they be petty or grandiose - but know this: the cauldron will be mine again, with or without you. Do you understand?"
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Post by Mozenrath on Nov 7, 2019 4:39:59 GMT
"Okay, fine, fine!" Mozenrath scoffed. "I get it! Your way or the exist-no-more way!" He folded his arms. "But if I'm going to be in on this scheme, I want my dues, especially if the other two are getting what they want for doing HALF of what I can."
His right hand seized into a fist. "I want more territory: a land to call my own, within the reaches of our masters' empire. I want access to artifacts of incredible magical power, and no, you can NEVER have enough. And, most importantly, I want Aladdin DEAD."
He relaxed somewhat. "My terms."
(Hopefully he hadn't just made the worst mistake. But surely Hades was keeping tabs and would intervene if the Horned King were about to actually harm him, right?)
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Post by The Horned King on Nov 7, 2019 6:04:11 GMT
"BAH!" The Horned King spat, angrily casting a hand towards Mozenrath as if swatting a fly. "Irksome boy, what do you take me for... a wish-granter of sorts?"
He turned away from Mozenrath, his gaze attempting to look past the bramble and bush of the gardens and into the world beyond the keep, but lo, nothing but a dark, unrelenting darkness enveloped everything from his angry sight. Though his spoiled desires irritated the king, the sorcerer revealed something that had not been mentioned yet. The land of which the villains' castle was upon... Maleficent had not revealed its location. Was it on her own homeworld, or were they located in some other realm? It would make sense to have a base of operations far removed from the intervention of meddling do-gooders, but now the Horned King grew suspicious.
"I know not what lies in this land, or others beyond my own, nor what size of paltry acreage you believe is deserving of your rule. The cauldron is MINE - no other tome or item could possibly compare. And no doubt this... Aladdin of yours is the hero who gives you so much strife and aggravation in your world."
He folded his arms, clutching the sides of his robe. In his anger, the lich had only focused on how unreasonable Mozenrath's demands sounded, not if they were actually possible. Land to rule, artifacts of power, his rival dead...
...who's to say the Black Cauldron couldn't grant some of those things? There may not be much left of a kingdom for Mozenrath to rule after the Cauldron-Born was done with wherever they would be sent, but by then the king would have already kept his promise. Whether or not Mozenrath liked it or not was not of the lich's concern.
Magical artifacts were a dime a dozen, and surely there are countless thousands in the worlds now opened up thanks to Maleficent. Perhaps Varian or Jones (or... Candy...) could be of some use there. And knowing the ego on Mozenrath, when the time is at hand, he will be wanting to be the one who lays the final blow on his own nemesis.
However, this had become an aggravating series of "ifs," and the last thing the Horned King needed was to be hounded by the boy day in and day out for not holding up his end of the bargain... especially if he should he go sniveling and whimpering to Hades.
This had grown complicated. The king would have to make a decision.
"...are those terms of yours... final?"
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Post by Mozenrath on Nov 7, 2019 7:47:45 GMT
"I think they - no, wait." Mozenrath put on a show of pretending to think it over. "Yes. Yes, they are."
He couldn't help but feel he'd played right into the king's hand, left out something important, fallen for some loophole - and yet he'd given in.
Why?
Because the Horned King had ranted, then hesitated.
The Horned King wasn't sure of his own next move.
At least that was what Mozenrath thought he deduced.
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Post by The Horned King on Nov 7, 2019 15:10:28 GMT
"..."
The cauldron is everything.
The same phrase continued to repeat over and over again in the lich's mind. Was it Mozenrath's absurd desires or the king's own obsession driving him into delirium? He could not be sure - he had never had to make such a choice before. Maleficent, Varian, Jones... all their desires were aligned to his own goals.
Mozenrath was all in it for himself - even within the servitude of Hades and Maleficent, it was all too obvious he was planning ahead in the long run. And by the end of it all, the boy sorcerer could very well be standing above the Horned King, even with the cauldron at at his command.
...but...
The cauldron was everything.
"...fine."
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Post by Mozenrath on Nov 7, 2019 19:42:50 GMT
"Then we have a deal," Mozenrath told him. "Of course, this can't become a conflict of interest with my duties for Hades. You understand."
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Post by The Horned King on Nov 8, 2019 3:29:38 GMT
"But of course. Who am I to deprive the Lord of the Dead from his errand boy?" the Horned King hissed.
With a third "ally" among his hired hands (and despite his ambivalence towards this new addition) and the dealings done, the king began to think through this... partnership with Mozenrath: an adept magical user, strong enough to earn the employment of one of the Five, with knowledge of dark magics, mystic artifacts, and a seeming insatiable desire for domination and vengeance. If there was any bright side to this whole ordeal, perhaps having to repay the boy sorcerer would allow the Horned King some respite in the carnage that the Cauldron-Born would release on whatever unfortunate land Mozenrath wanted to claim for himself. A bloodbath or two would surely-
The Horned King stopped mid-thought. Something had just struck him about Mozenrath... ah... that was it.
In employment under one of the Five. Under Hades.
He hadn't considered the advantages of having to work so closely with Mozenrath in the future. Keeping an watchful eye on him in case treachery was afoot was one thing... but should he slip up and fail on the job... while the king was watching...
The king turned to face the ever-confident Mozenrath. "I do hope you will be adequately prepared for this mission. For when the time comes and Maleficent gives the command, I expect nothing less than triumph on our end. It would be a... shame to disappoint our masters, now wouldn't it?"
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