Escape

Lord Regent Mangal smiled triumphantly. His family had perfected their subjugation ritual through countless trials and errors. No monster could resist their compulsion once bound, the only downfall was that they could control but one at a time. Still, compared to a normal tamer, unique monsters like Pena or this D would be far more valuable than a couple of Wargs or similar other lesser monsters. As the prismatic shimmering runes burned into the beast's scales Mangal's eyes grew more excited as it swelled in size. As the fabric of his robe shredded D grew in size until even kneeling he towered over the group of arch mages. 'Yes! This is truly incredible. I might even be able to kill off both Sa'dali and Hess with this thing under my control.'

Beneath D's scales, a strange purple glow dimly seeped through before slowly starting to grow brighter. D's flailing around grew wilder forcing the group of foreign mages to back up, Hess and Sa'dali giving Mangal an annoyed look. Mangal watched with a sadistic grin on his lips as D suffered trying to pointlessly resist the spell. Suddenly, D bashed his own face into the floor with enough force to shatter the polished stone tiles. Looking up, his scaled lips were pulled back from the wide serrated teeth in a grimace as the black gem-like center of his eyes vibrated in their silvery pools.

"Stupid beast! Stop resisting! I'll treat you well, have no worries. You will find nothing but joy in servitude to me!" Mangal growled out to the beast more to reassure the other mages and hide his own growing fear. Every few moments the glow seeping from between the monster boy's scales seemed to grow brighter with a pulse. The prismatic runes continued to smolder against his scales yet they had still not fully bound to the beast.

Even through the blinding pain D refused to give up. While his body struggled to resist the foreign power seeking entry through the burning runes, his mind scrambled to analyze the ward attached to the bronze rod the arch mage had used. Yet, try as he might there was no way he could focus on such a complex ward through the blinding pain. So, D remained stuck in the seemingly endless painful struggle for his own body and mind.

Mangal's eyes shimmered and he raised the bronze rod again trying to force more power into the binding ritual. With each pulse of increased power, there was an answering pulse from within D causing the violet light to grow stronger. With a sharp sound cracks formed in many of the thick scales covering D's body and his cries of agony only grew louder.

Sa'dali divided their attention between Mangal and Larian ready to exploit any opportunity she found. She could care less about the monster and was hesitant to betray Mangal just yet despite the new god being within sight. What bothered the withered old woman the most was that the notorious Larian Skyfall hadn't made a move yet. It looked like he was comforting a child at the moment, yet Sa'dali couldn't figure out what his ploy was. Certainly, the monster he'd released had been his trump card but when Mangal started the ritual no counter attack had come. Looking from Larian to Mangal a troubling thought was born, could this be a trap? Taking a few steps back when she heard the cracking sound she licked her shriveled lips nervously.

Mangal's confidence started to falter as D continued to resist the ritual. No matter how many times he activated it, how much power he poured in the monster would not submit. The odd glow coming from it also started to unnerve him. But when the scales on the monster started cracking a relieved smile spread across his face once again. "Finally!" As the cracks spread faster to encompass more of the monster Mangal cackled. "Now Arch Mage Larian. What will you do?"

Larian stood up from kneeling in front of the slightly dazed looking Jane and dusted off the knees of his pants. "Nothing just yet. But give it just a…" With a deep wumph sound that was felt in everyone present's chest the smoldering prismatic runes burning their way into D were blown apart as all the scales covering D's body exploded out. Larian raised a hand releasing a shimmering wall of golden light that shielded himself and the girls from a spray of smoking scale fragments. Sa'dali threw out a handful of what looked like sand that floated in the air making a copper colored shield that shed sparks with each fragment that struck it. While Hess's plump figure was encased in a milky white bubble that shifted fluidly as it absorbed each blow. Only Mangal standing close and focused on his ritual wasn't able to raise a magical barrier in time. Still, his enchanted robes were for more than just show as countless runes flared as his body was peppered by the fragments.

From the towering mass that had been D a much smaller form, close to his actual size thumped to the ground. Covered in what looked like small delicate scales his form was sleek in appearance lacking hardly any features. Sitting up with blood trickling down the side of his cheek Mangal stared at the vastly different form the monster had taken. It took the monster expert only a moment to realize what had happened. The beast had evolved, molting its old form like a snake shed its skin or a caterpillar becoming a butterfly. Excited, he raised his runed bronze rod again eager to capture the beast while it was still in its weakened state.

Golden sparks flew free of the copper colored barrier of floating sand that intercepted the lance an instant before it struck Mangal. Sa'Dali mentally cursed herself slightly for shielding Mangal on instinct, only consoling herself with the knowledge that it might actually take all three to beat the Del Denote Arch Mage.

"Sorry but that's all I needed your help with. Thank you for helping to push him through his first evolution!" With those words, a wall of golden light so dense it was almost opaque rose up to separate the three mages from the rest of them. Gentle currents of air lifted the limp form of D who'd fully reverted back to being human before drifting over to the rest of them. "Pena, Jane do take D with you. Just head back down the hallway and take the first left. Then the third right and you should make it all the way out. By the time you get there, your ride will be here. Just let them see D and tell them I told them to get you out. Jane, don't forget what I told you!" Larian looked at the two girls supporting D's unconscious form between them. His eyes settled on the boy and he chuckled some. 'Who knew that day in Pentok that you'd bring so much excitement! I really should thank you.'

Turning back to the barrier he could see huge ripples from the impacting attacks spreading across it. Already he could see through it to make out the angry expressions on the three foreign arch mage's faces. "Hurry along now. I'll deal with these half baked mages!" Larian reached out his hand and plucked from seemingly nowhere an estoc.

Rachel wanted to complain about the mage sending them off on their own but a flash of light brought her attention to the barrier being attacked by the three other mages. Hugging the pale girl to her tighter she turned calling for the girls to hurry. D looked no different now than before although his being naked was causing some distress for Jane. Together they managed to drag him along, lucky that his evolution had shed much of his body's extra density. Following Larian's instructions, the girls were relieved that no other enemies appeared. Their trip was actually almost eerily quiet as if the castle was now completely devoid of life.

Emerging from the castle they looked around for their supposed ride and finding no one a sense of dread started to permeate the group. Just as the panic started to creep in they caught the sound of hooves on stone and from the night's darkness around them emerged a simple wagon.

Mil gripped his wand tightly in his hand as he rolled up to the castle entrance spotting a group up ahead. His tense expression shifted to a confused one finding a group of children and a woman standing there. "By the king, what be going on here? Are they taking in… hey, what are you doing? Get out of my… Wait I know that boy." Mil started to complain to the group that as soon as he stopped without asking started clambering into the back of his wagon. When he spotted the naked D his frown grew. "That is D! What is he doing here? Where is the mage… Larian, yes Larian where is he?"

As if summoned by his question a resounding explosion erupted causing the ground to tremble and Mil to struggle to control his horses. Beside them, the Gelian royal castle exploded out sending huge chunks of stone flying free only to freeze in place for the blink of an eye before everything was sucked back in. When everything was pulled in there was a dull shockwave that tiled the wagon up onto two wheels before it came crashing back down. In terror, the horses bolted dragging the wagon along with its new passengers into the war torn night.