"Hey, I'd love to go with ya, boss," said Mirage. "But if I go, I'll be sleeping on the couch when I return."
Cole smiled at his friend. "I can understand that. I've been on the verge of that particular punishment a few times."
Both men started laughing. "I've missed you, man," said Mirage. "It's not the same without you and the others."
Cole patted the Pirate Lord on the back while they walked. "I've missed you guys, too." The two of them stopped and looked out over the lake not too far away from Vane. "I almost forgot how beautiful this place was."
"You'd never know it was almost destroyed," commented Mirage.
Cole loosened the neck of his green tunic and sighed. The Blue Star hovered above the two men as the night moved in. Mirage turned and looked back in the direction of Vane. "Come on, boss. It's getting late, and we'd better get back. Some of the surviving Viles still hunt at night."
Cole nodded, and they started back. "So what's been happening here since I left?" he asked after a few minutes.
"Well," began Mirage. "Stamaria is back on stable ground. Some of the noble houses are competing for the throne. Until a new king is chosen, the military is going to maintain its leadership role. Tollssa is being ruled by an elected council. Since it went democratic, it's been growing steadily stronger. Pakkar has fallen to pieces. After the death of the Queen, a few power hungry generals broke it into several smaller nations. Fummara is still Fummara. Its Merchant princes can make a profit off of anything." He scratched his small beard and continued to speak. "Like I said before, the Viles are still around, but without a leader they're pretty nomadic."
"And what about you?"
Mirage smirked. "I'm all right. A little bored and restless, but okay."
Cole exhaled a deep breath. They started to walk up the path to Vane. "I guarantee you'd be a lot less bored on the Blue Star."
"Don't play that kind of game, Cole," warned Mirage. They reached the top and headed for the Guild Mansion. "Listen, I'll try and talk to Carla, but I can't make any promises."
"Just don't get yourself thrown on to the couch," was all Cole said.
"No, Mirage!" shouted Carla. "I'm not going and that's final!" She stormed out of their room. "Oh, and you can make up the couch because you'll be spending a lot of time there!" she called through the door.
Carla heard the Pirate Lord groan and curse as she headed for the roof. The small Premier opened the door to the landing on top of the Mansion and walked out into the cool spring night. She hugged herself as a small breeze blew past. Why did everything always have to be so difficult? She looked up and scowled at the Blue Star. "This is all your fault," spat Carla.
Her eyes softened slightly and took on a glazed feature as she watched the clouds swirl across the surface of the hovering planet. The cool breeze stopped, and the night went silent around Carla. All light around seemed to be extinguished, except for the Blue Star. The clouds started to move faster across the planet's surface. Then, the clouds dissipated and Carla was given a clear view of the continents. They were lush and green with life. Suddenly, they began to take on a dark gray color. Slowly, the grayness spread over the entire Blue Star. The ocean's disappeared and the world became a dried up husk.
But the gray tinged death didn't stop on the Blue Star, soon it spread to Lunar. The small planet was overcome by death and decay. People died in the streets, rotting from diseases. Famine was wide spread. Armies of darkness flowed over the land like the spirit of death. Finally, a third planetoid appeared in the heavens. Bathed in chaotic forces, it released something of unbelievable power.
A bug stung Carla on the arm, and the Premier was pulled back into reality. The awe of what she had just seen made her go pale. There was no doubt now. The dark haired mage had to go back with Cole and try to prevent the vision she had just seen. With a determination born of fear, Carla ran back to her room. She burst through the door just as Mirage was about to leave for the couch. "What?' he asked.
The fear obvious in her eyes and her actions, Carla began to pack her bags. "Go to the lab and tell Connery that we're going on a trip. Then go tell Cole that we'll be ready to leave by mid-day tomorrow."
Mirage saw the look behind her eyes and didn't even question her change in attitude. He quickly changed into a white tunic and blue pants before running out the door. He stopped at the door and looked back at her. "Are you all right?"
She stopped packing and looked back at him. "I don't know. But one thing's for sure, we have to go to the Blue Star."
Scorn pulled his tattered robes closer to his frail looking body. The Dragon of Pestilence hobbled down the alleys of Lucitania, completely unnoticed by the common population. They took one look at his ragged appearance and assumed him to be a normal bum. Oh, how wrong they were. He stopped at an alley's edge and peered out on to the crowded street. Men and women on their way to work pushed past without paying him any heed. As a man hustled by, Scorn quickly brushed the man's exposed forearm with his blistered hand.
His blistered and cracked lips parted in a small smile. Now that he had accomplished the first part of his mission, he had but only one thing left to do. With a thought, the Demon Dragon shapeshifted into a fat, gray rat and scurried off.