Cam's Connection

Betrayal Chapter 4 ~ Tyran Affairs There were strange rumours spreading through the streets of Tyra. Street urchins and pickpockets whispered about dangerous magic as they huddled together in the gutters, and wealthy merchants secretly worried about an attack as they warmed themselves in front of roaring fires in their safe townhouses. But were the rumours true? No one knew for sure. It all started when the Scanran warlord Maggur Rakhausak sailed his fine ships into the Tyran port with jewels, rums and silks from the Yamani Islands. Probably stolen or plundered from coastal villages, but that could be overlooked by wealthy and greedy traders. They let the Scanran in and after he arrived subtle changes started happening. Maggur visited Ulric, the King of Tyra and they discussed several boring topics of conversation over tea biscuits and coffee. Ulric was wary of Maggur because he had heard of how ruthless he was in battle and what a powerful warlord he was. Ulric didn't want to make Maggur an enemy of Tyra. Their country was so small and weak! Although they were rich, they could easily be taken in open warfare. So the last thing Ulric was expecting was for Maggur to offer Scanran troops for the Tyran king's command as a token of peace between their two nations. He readily agreed and accepted the troops without seriously considering the implications of the deal he had made. His end of the bargain was to help out Scanra in a time of need. It seemed like a small trivial thing, but who really knew what Maggur's definition of 'help' was? Little did Ulric know that powerful mages were stowed away in the hold of the Scanran's ship. They were very busy cooking up a powerful spell that had never been tried before. When it was finished it would slowly seep into the very ground beneath Tyra and enchant the whole country. It had been bewitched to head straight to the palace and target the King... The magic would make anyone possessed by it very calm, docile and agreeable. They would do anything you asked them to and would be completely under your power, without looking like minions who had no thought patterns of their own, which would give away that something was going on. The next day the mages finished their spell. They held hands and strengthened the bond of power between them. They called up magic and elementals from the earth and summoned a deep supply of powerful magic that they didn't know they had. They danced in a slow circle, getting faster and faster until they were whirling around the bubbling cauldron in a race against time. Slowly, an incandescent rainbow of power appeared from the rim of the cauldron. It bubbled and produced a heated humming noise. It formed into a broad dome and expanded outward until it was a huge bubble. Then it popped and exploded into the ground and headed beneath the Tyran king's feet. From that day on Ulric was completely under Maggur's sway. Maggur controlled Ulric's mind and forced him to change Tyran laws. Taxes were increased to make Maggur richer, enemies of Scanran were quietly murdered without a fuss to be made and an inquiry by the police group. Just little things. No one suspected anything until Maggur made a mistake. He made a big change, something that Ulric would never have done. He used Ulric to declare war on Tortall and then the rumours started flying. Nobles and merchants were a bit confused. Ulric had been acting completely out of character lately and he seemed odd. But they kept quiet and listened to the worsening reports that came out of the castle every day. People who spoke up about what was happening or voiced their opinions died mysteriously on foggy nights, a fate they didn't want to befall them. But one thing was for sure. The Tyran king was possessed and there was nothing anyone could do about it! ~*~ Lady Delia of Eldorne paced restlessly through her narrow, smelly and slimy cell. A cold rain drizzled over the desolate land and a purplish mist covered the green hills. If only she could escape this dismal and sorry excuse for a life. It would be better to have been executed than brought to this hellhole of a prison by the Tusaine border. The only pleasures she ever had were the occasional times when she was younger that she could use her beauty to seduce the guards and provide herself with a pleasurable experience. Now she was getting old, and she was just handsome not pretty. Years of bad conditions, bad food, treating her body wrong, melancholy moods and days of doing nothing but stare longingly out the window had rotted her beautiful body in a scarred old hag. She wasn't exactly old, but her breasts were saggy and lumpy, her posture was tired and crooked and her once beautiful skin was turned wrinkly and sallow. What life could she have outside this prison anyway? She was widely regareded as a traitor against Tortall, many thought she should have been executed instead of put in a heavily guarded prison. They claimed it was a waste of resources to feed, clothe and enslave her. She agreed with them. Stupid bastards. Just then there was a quick knock at her cell door. The guards had gotten so lenient they closed the door and left her to her own devices and let her choose whether she wanted to be bothered with them. Foolish idiots, Delia thought with a smile. I could have escaped a thousand times before, but I stayed because at least here I always know where my next meal will come from. She lazily got to her feet and took her time getting to the door. This made her guardians think she couldn't walk. They were very unobservant. When she looked into the corridor her eyes met with a terrified man named Francisco who was hired to make sure she didn't escape during the summer months. "Yes?" she asked coldly, her eyes icy. His face was contorted in pain, it was turning white. His hands scratched in vain at something invisible on his neck and he was quickly turning white. Several horrified shrieks escaped from his throat before he was silenced. This man was being killed by unseen hands. Slowly the man turned blue, then purple and his prostrate form dropped to the floor. A lustrous sparkle of moving colour filled the air and a tall man with a red beard appeared in Delia's doorway. It looked like the very particles of his being were being pulled out of thin air. Any person but Delia would have screamed and thrown themselves out of the first window they came to, so they could escape from this horror. Delia didn't. She exercised extreme self-control and hid her emotions and directed her icy gaze at this man instead. He looked Scanran to her... What could a tall, bearded Scaran who had an evil glint in his eye possibly want with her? A mystery! And Delia of Eldorne loved mysteries. "My name is Maggur Rakhausak and I have come to save you from this dismal place." He certainly didn't seem to waste any time getting to the point, Delia thought with an inward smirk. "I am a powerful sorcerer who can give you many things in exchange for you co-operation in several matters. If you help seed my diabolical plan, it will shake the very foundations of Tortall and throw this stupid country into turmoil that will last a century. I can promise you your youth back and many other things that can only be accomplished using magic." This man reminded Delia strongly of Roger. There was something wildly appealing about him, but maybe it was just that he was the first mildly attractive male she had seen in about twenty years. She decided whatever his earthshaking plan was, it must be better than what she spent her time doing now... But she wouldn't let him know the way she felt. She would worm some more information from him and extract a promise. "What makes you think I will go with you, mister Maggur?" she asked in a silky voice. "I am quite happy in prison" This sounded ludicrous but the fools disguised as guards believed it. "I know for a fact you are not. You detest living here but think there is nothing better available for you. You are waiting for a perfect chance to sow more evil and wrong over Tortall to get back at them for the wrongs they have done to you, but you haven't found a good opportunity. I won't waste time here trying to convince you. I have discovered terribly dangerous new kinds of magic and at this moment I have Tyra in my grasp and soon Tortall will be mine as well. I have already killed Thayet, that bitch of a queen. I can read your mind Delia and I know you want a promise. But Maggur Rauthasak does not give promises. I give orders. Come with me now!" Delia's mind was spinning quickly. Resistance would be futile. This man did seem to be a golden opportunity for her, but he was dangerous and he didn't seem to care about her all. And reading her thoughts... That was scary. If he knew exactly what she was thinking how could she trick him into getting her way like she had done with Roger? "I cannot be manipulated by the seductive charms you sluts use on men to gain power for yourselves. But I can see you have some capabilites that will be useful in my reign of terror." Delia was getting angrier by the second. If this man could see straight through her could others? Had she lost the ability to seduce men? But whatever was happening she couold see it wouldn't be wise to contradict this man. It would be worth a try to be pretend to be his lover anyway. Even if he didn't believe her, he might fall prey to erotic fantasies and sexual pleasures... "This sounds exciting!" she purred softly, her hands automatically reaching out to stroke his hair lovingly. She caressed him and pulled him closer to her. "There are also many things I have the power to give you..." Chapter 5