War of Emperium

Ghosts Of The Inescapable Past

Nerva opened his eyes weakly. His head felt like it was going to cleave apart, and the creature inside him was going haywire again. He was submerged in water. Bubbles emanated from the corners of his lips. But strangely, he breathed normally. He held up his hands and touched the glass panes of his watery prison. His vision was still blurred. His chest wanted to explode. A trickle of blood escaped from his lips and dispersed into the water like a ghastly red snake.

He had never felt so weak before. All of his energy was pouring out of his body and into the water that surrounded him. Then he realized it was no ordinary water. It was liquefied Mana. Liquefied Mana obtained from the Well of Asgard. No wonder he was feeling weak. Any magical creature, once submerged in liquefied Mana, was deprived of his magical powers.

Nerva strained to see beyond his tank. He could see working tables, bookshelves and books. He could also make out the fuzzy outlines of funnels and flasks on the tables, all simmering with some unknown magical potion. Where the hell was he?

The sound of an opening door alerted his ears. Nerva turned to his right and opened his mouth, where a large bubble popped out instead of the word, "You!".

Lothair grinned broadly as he surveyed his greatest rival inside the tank, now completely in the palm of his hands. He pointed to himself.

"Me." He sneered.

"Oh, evil me."

Nerva started to pound the glass, cursing. But bubbles that took their place in his mouth drowned the words out. Lothair laughed like a little boy surveying his new toy. A new toy he was going to destroy eventually and enjoy doing it.

"I know you are wondering why you are here, my brightest apprentice." Lothair sneered further, surveying Nerva as he struggled in the tank and against the Manas power.

"I brought you here or rather, I had people bring you here."

Nerva remembered the Assassin who sneaked upon him back in Al de Baran.

"You know, Nerva, bright as you are, like everyone else you have an inescapable past." Lothair went on as he paced, his Arc Wand making odd sounds as it collided with the cold stone floor of his lab.

"And, as you undoubtedly know, there are many ways a man can be destroyed, without any physical weapons used."

Nerva froze. What did Lothair mean? What was he going to do to him?

"But, Nerva, before I do that, I want to have fun first." Lothair smiled evilly. 

"It's your judgement day, you hooligan, and you shall regret you ever came to our soil and donned that Eyes Robe."

"Fuck you!" Nerva shrieked, only to have his voice killed by bubbles once more. Lothair laughed.

The High Elder continued his pacing, tapping a gnarled index finger on his wrinkled chin. His eyes were staring up at the ceiling. Nerva started to pound the glass panes of the tank to no avail. A single blast of Napalm Beat could destroy these panes, but with the liquefied Mana bathing him it was impossible to utilize even the tiniest drop of magic in the back of his head. He was completely defenseless.

Lothair stopped. He turned and faced Nerva as if he just realized the young man was there. His smile got crazier. He raised his arm, the orb of his Arc Wand gleaming ominously under the torches glare.

"LIGHTNING BOLT!"

A violent bolt of lightning materialized out of thin air and zapped the tank, the blue sparks of electricity crawling both in the liquid and the metal frames. Bubbles frothed crazily as Nerva twisted and writhed like mad, screaming but not really hearing his voice. Electricity surged through his body in torrents, destroying and burning, white-hot pain stabbing him outside and inside. The Mana flooded through his lungs, making breathing hard. He convulsed and twisted, his eyes rolling into his head.