A deal with the Devil

Lord Darkness watched the fire intently. It was simultaneously soothing and exciting. Dessad's failure to contain the situation in the wilds meant the great secret was in danger. It had been a full day and Katsumi and even the Great Darkness through his Vessels could not find them. If they were gone for so long with teleport they could be anywhere. He knew he would have to go to him for help again. The thought of it made his skin crawl. He was Lord Darkness.

He had been loyal to the Raven before. They offered secret knowledge that he could not find outside his own realm in the mountains. They even farmed mage children for him to eat and maintain his defenses. They asked so little in return and Trevor was not a man to oppose. Darkness left the Raven when He took control of it. It was he and his friends that broke the sanctuary of his self imposed exile and unprovoked attacked and scared him. Oh how he made them pay. Laughter filled his head.

Yet, now I am here taking orders from that blasted FOX. It would not last forever. Though the fox had the urn and kept the threat of using it close and painful the Fox was no Trevor and he had not the patience of Darkness. Darkness's plan could wait if for a moment. He stared deeper into the fire. Now that I have the equation near perfection no urn and no fox will stop me.

"Lord Darkness you said you had a message for the Fox." A well dressed Genevan with lacy cuffs and curly hair approached the fireplace. It was a pity their rules forbid Tatyana to be in the room. 3 seconds with her and he would have the puppet for his own too. "Yes." He said in a cold serenity. "Is he aware the equation with the addition of the Veritas variable worked.?"

"Yes, he is. He congratulates you on your success."

"Then does he also know that it was not perfect and two Paladins escaped. They are beyond my sight now. If he wants the secret contained he will need to deal with them."

"The Black Raven has been extremely graciousness to you Lord Darkness. We have faked your death to give you privacy and safety, we have aided you in pursuit of your equation. Reunited you with lost friends and even provided the demon stone and Geneva citizens for you to experiment on. This is your mess it is our opinion that you should clean it up. Sloppy methods lead to sloppy results we are not your servants. You forget it is the other way around."

In less than an instant Darkness had the boy suspended in the air being lifted by only the one hand on his throat. "I AM DARKNESS. How dare you speak to me and do anything but coward in fear. I AM YOUR END." He released the torrents of dark hatred with in him that caused fear in even the bravest of souls until the man was shivering and losing control of his fluids. Darkness then flung him across the room into the fire. He felt it was unfortunate that his neck broke so easily he would have enjoyed watching him burn in the fire. He would pay for this he knew but such indignities could not be tolerated.

"Miriska I count on your senses to find them quickly." He spoke through the vessel that was once Duncan. She smiled rising up from her coffin ready for a fresh nights hunt.

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Everything was going according to plan. At least as far as he could tell. With plans like this you had to leave somethings running for a while unchecked but he was confident. He was far enough in now that he had a better chance of winning than anyone else. A dangerous game. He closed his eyes for just a moment listening to Mallory sing. The girl was a gift from the muses to be sure. A powerful voice, he hoped to be able to save her was it worth surviving if he couldn't take the finer things with him.

Putting down the silver cast spoon after finishing his last bite of the delicious tart Filtch focused on the task at hand. "Good evening Lord Ishmael, I was afraid you planned to keep me waiting."

Having just appeared on the other side of the room was the most beautiful man to ever walk the prime. A son of Zeus and now the leader of the rebellion against him. He was strong and capable if he could get into this room. Filtch had gathered from observation and other avenues that Ishmael, the Navigator of Chaos, was stronger then even he let on. He would have to be strong to do what needed to be done. Yet Ishmael needed him if he was to obtain his goal and Filtch new that.

"After I go through the trouble of importing some of the best wine and cheeses of the world here for us, I had expected a civil evening one where friends could sit and discuss business."

"You should know your place, you maybe a Chosen but you answer to me. Lanfear learned that lesson too well and many before her."

Chosen is what the Forsaken called themselves. Chosen to survive the Great Dark Lord's rapture and rebirth of the multiverse. He did like the connotation of Chosen more than Forsaken made him feel important. "What place have I forgotten my Lord. Simply going into the details of how I have attempted to make your visit more pleasurable."

"The only thing I need from you know is the Anti-Life you promised. Its been two days since you've said you would have it. My patience has grown very thin."

"Oh come now, you've waited thousands, millions, of years to stick it to the old man. Why the rush?"

"My reasons are my own. Do you have it?"

Filtch new he had the upper hand most Darkfriends would be killed for speaking as he did. The Forsaken would never dare and if they did, while death may not be their punishment they would wish it was. Yet, he stood there pouring another glass of brandy having leveraged all the power. He took a long sip then offerred Ishmael a drink. When he refused he pulled out a file folder and flopped himself on the dining table chair throwing his feet up to catch the table just in time to stop him and the chair from falling backward. He slip the folder across the table smoothly gliding to the far end where Ishmael stood. "There you have it. Fear negated the faith and hope as suspected. Took a couple days to get the mechanics down but you can place anyone in that variable and take over whoever has lost all hope. Now that you have the codex in your possession there isn't anywhere you can't reach with that equation is there?"

"You have done well Chosen. I will not forget it at the day of the Chaos End."

"You mean, the Dark One will not forget it when he rewards us unfaithful." Filch was fishing and got the clue he needed from Ishmael's action.

Before he left he asked the question Filtch new was coming, it was of course the source of his power, "How close are we to the seals?"

In an only slightly more than casual tone he replied while flipping a coin. "I have a way into the vault at any time. I can have them when you are ready Lord."

"It will be soon." And he was gone. This is the most Dangerous game.