Upon reaching the tunnel's end, Balon awkwardly lingered on the precipice even after Enly'air left the ledge to swim to her master. The giant's huge size and heavy armor made swimming rather difficult; he usually just walked on the sea floor. After all, he hadn't been created with a need for air, so when he traversed a body of water there had never been any point in staying near the surface. 

However, with his armor now reduced to bits and his new master waiting for him to approach, Balon decided to swim. The attempt was clumsy, and his brawny arms the size of tree trunks flapped like the wings of a bird. In a fashion that was neither graceful nor intimidating, the giant made his way to the center of the sunken chamber. As he flailed in an attempt to suspend himself near Xir'ain, his jerky motions stirred the waters. Though he hadn't intended to do this, he made no effort to stop. Xir'ain would no doubt be fine, and seeing the intolerable girl propelled into a wall by the waters would be amusing. 

No hint of exertion in the giant's face even as thrashed in the water, he bluntly responded to Xir'ain's offer, [b]"Yes, though I doubt you could do it." 

"One of my eyes was blinded in battle. The milky one that is nearly split in half. A well-aimed javelin found its way there shortly before I tore in half the man that threw it. The other was blinded by my own plague. Restoring it would require you to cleanse my entire body, something that could be beyond even your powers."[/b]
Having his blackened, withered eye repaired would have the side effect of removing his lethal gaze, as well as the toxic nature of his flesh and blood. Still, Balon reckoned that was a price worth paying. Restoring his powers would be easy enough now that he knew how to recreate his plague. He would not make the mistake he had made the first time, that cost him the sight of an eye. Alas, the old king was getting ahead of himself - he could be right in assuming that Xir'ain did not currently have the power to remove the plague.

Xir'ain watched as Balon's crude attempt at swimming caused Enly'air to be thrown about. He doubted the giant could stay afloat if not for his flailing though. Such trivial things. Splaying his fingers apart, the black waters recedded from around the three, forming a bubble that was slightly flatter on the bottom. Enly'air and Xir'ain fell to the bottom of the bubble, as it had expanded to encompass the giant's body. The sides were solid black, impossible to see out of. Xir'ain didn't need any more of his minions to die because Balon happened to look in its direction.

The dark master thought about it for a moment only. "Then I will not restore sight to that eye. A gaze of death is more than worth a single one eye, especially considering you have three." Xir'ain flippantly sent a wave of golden lighting through Balon's body as he spoke, causing the injured eye to rebuild itself in moments. "But I will require you to hide that eye, at all times unless I say so." Black water rose from the bottom of the bubble around Balon's feet and covered his body like a wave. The water turned darker and draped over the giant's body like a cloak. He looked for all the world the part of death, his spear only needing to be changed to a scythe. Enly'air doubted anyone would complain about that as it destroyed their body in one lightning-like strike.

"How does that feel?" Xir'ain asked Balon. "It should act as a suitable substitute for the armor you wore, with the benefit of covering more of your body." The master raised his hand, and a hood of the black watery material came up over the giant's head to cover his putrified eye. "And it lets you hide that when you need to not kill everything you see." Enly'air was confused at Xir'ain's words, but unsure as to why. The way he spoke, did it seem more human?

Balon's attention was suddenly lost shortly after the arc of golden light entered his body. The giant slumped backwards in the bubble, disorientated and nauseous. Though there was not much to see save the glow of Xir'ain's eyes, the giant's head was spinning. Everything looked strange, distorted. Four golden eyes met the giant's stare, rather than two, and they hypnotically moved back and forth. He heard Xir'ain continue speaking, but it was hard enough to focus on his words, let alone respond.

It took a minute, but Balon began to recover. He quickly realized the cause of his disorientation had been one of his blinded eyes recovering. It would take some time to get used to this new perspective, but whenthe giant finally did he would no doubt be grateful. With only one eye, depth perception had been somewhat difficult.

After a somewhat long wait, Balon came back to his senses. He struggled to recall what his new master had just asked. Something about armor, and the effect that his sight had on other creatures? The giant then realized that he was now covered in some sort of strange new attire. The oily fluid that came into contact with his skin and undergarments clung onto his body before rapidly hardening into armor. The leftover material simply flowed down his body. The result was that he wore a billowing, thin robe, complete with the hood that Xir'ain had shaped. Beneath the sleeves and folds on his robe, a tight-fitting breastplate, greaves, boots, and gauntlets had been formed. The outer robe had the benefit of disguising just how powerful and huge the body within it was, but better yet it left a small space between his two layers of armor. That layer would help insulate him from magic or harsh conditions, as well as make it harder for projectiles or attacks to penetrate all the way to his flesh.

While some more conventional warriors might have felt ridiculous or underprotected, Balon was wise enough to see the value in this new equipment. Though not as extravagant as his old suit, it was nonetheless superior in most ways. It was nice to have the burden of finding enough blacksmiths to enslave taken off the giant's shoulders. Having a new metal suit made would have been a nightmare.

[b]"I will endeavor to not harm the other denizens of this tunnel, provided they do not provoke me."[/b] Balon paused for a moment, then answered Xir'ain's question, [b]"This suit feels...satisfactory."[/b]

"You misheard me," Xir'ain spoke. The soft golden light blowing like a solar wind from another world hardened into something more dangerous. "I order you to cover that eye of yours at all times, whether you are in my presence or far away or alone. Should I wish it uncovered, I will order you to do so. Until then..." The edge of the black hood frayed apart, the strands of black water stabbing like needles into the giant's skin and sewing the watery hood to his scalp, sealing the deathly orb in its folds but leaving the two seeing eyes uncovered.

Xir'ain turned his gaze on Enly'air next, and her armor of black water fell away with a splash against the bottom of the bubble before sinking through. She took a shaky breath and opened her eyes, her vision suddenly feeling so narrow. The dress was back, falling away from her skin and back into the relaxed folds that it was meant for. Yes, she much prefered being like this. Enly'air bowed her head to Xir'ain, not saying anything as he had already turned back to the beast.

Bah! He had just given Xir'ain his word not to kill the wretched worms that inhabited the tunnels, yet the keeper had still deigned it necessary to sew the hood over his eye. The giant snorted with contempt, or perhaps he had simly grunted in pain upon feeling the needles. It was hard to tell the difference.

Balon glanced over at Enly'air, now in a dress. The form that had been revealed once the black armor melted away was small, flimsy. Unable to exercise restraint, Balon felt the need to ask, [b]"What exactly do you keep this...thing for?"[/b] The girl's pitiful appearance suggested that she might not fare so well against a few of the eels, even. As soon as he spoke, Balon suspected that he knew the answer. His first instinct was to assume that she was a slave, or perhaps some sort of pet. However, her arrogance and the way she carried herself through these tunnels suggested otherwise. Was she perhaps a concubine?

Xir'ain cocked his head to one side, puzzled. "For? For nothing. I created her." He turned his black face towards the unseeable sky. "No, that's not right. She was already created, I merely fixed her after..." He stopped. Enly'air looked confused. What had he been about to say? Xir'ain didn't know how much of her memory he had missed when he'd tried rewriting her mind. It would be best if she didn't hear anything that might act as a trigger. Besides, he didn't need to explain himself to this creature. "She's my construct, and she is your equal. That is all you must know."

[b]"My equal?"[/b] Balon guffawed. [b]Will I be leading a charge alongside this girl? Let me make of her a meal to your more...useful minions. They seem rather ravenous, and it is not as if she would be suitable for greater things."[/b]

Xir'ain was bored. He decided that this new being was too strong-willed. Should he punish it? No, that would be useless; he'd already proven that he could beat it easily. At least as long as he was inside his dungeon. The creature seemed to have some grudge against his construct though.

"Enly'air," his dark voice slithered through the air differently from how it acted in water, but she still heard it inside her head.

"Yes master?"

"Show me that thing you called magic once more."

She seemed hesitant, but she complied. Enly'air brought her fingers together and focused on making a spark, just as she had the last time. As her fingers separated, something resembling white lightning arced between them, something she hadn't noticed the first time. And then it exploded. Xir'ain's bubble contained the power this time, and he limited how much energy she used, making the blast much smaller but also keeping its drain on his body to a minimum. "Still think she's only what she seems to be, giant?"

The giant eyed the girl suspiciously as she brought her fingers together, though the result was anticlimactic. She made a spark. Balon stubbornly responded, [b]"You think a little sparkle in her hand could stop an arrow? A spear? My fist? She'd be dead in a minute, if ever she was in a real battle."[/b]

Xir'ain groaned inside. He wanted to take the giant apart. But then he wouldn't know how its magic worked. Magic. Xir'ain was beginning to feel the appeal in even the word. He wondered what he could do if he learned how to wield such a power. "But she won't need to stop any of those things. That's what you are for." Xir'ain's insideous voice sounded amused. "Who would attack a lone girl when there is a giant attacking?"

[b]"Who would send a lone girl to help a giant? If she managed to survive, it would only be because she cowered in my shadow. Look at her,"[/b]Balon spoke. He outstretched his hand towards the girl, snatching her up as there was nowhere to run. His massive hand easily wrapped around her entire torso. [b]"She is fragile. Brittle, like glass. You do not send fragile things to fight."[/b]

The giant's body split in two pieces. Enly'air fell free of the dead hand's limp fingers and fell to the floor of the bubble. She said nothing, though three of her ribs felt cracked just from the brute's grip. The blade of black water retracted back into Xir'ain's open palm. "And what does that make you?" 

Balon howled in pain, though his will was still far from broken. His previous master hadn't been much kinder upon hearing that he had unleashed a plague and deserted his post. [b]"It makes me big. Big enough for arrows to be like gnats, spears like thorns, and fists like gusts of wind. It also makes your armor worthless,"[/b] the giant replied, looking down at his robe that had been sliced through like paper.

"My creations are perfection," Xir'ain said, and the garment pulled itself, and its wearer with it, back together. "You annoy me, Balon of the legends. I want to kill you. I want to take you apart. But I will restrain myself because you play a vital role in something that just happened to appear inside my head a short while ago." 

Though the bubble hadn't appeared to be moving, the ceiling and walls suddenly fell away, and the three were standing on the surface of the black lake. Xir'ain felt something calming about the endless rolling grasses. But he had something more important on his mind now, and the golden grasses couldn't dispell the ominous feeling that filled his... heart? Did he have a heart? Maybe he should dissect himself and see? No, distraction! Xir'ain pointed up into the sky, at the sun. It burned red. "Balon. Enly'air. Do you know why the sun has turned to this color?" It was the one unknown variable in his plans, and he wanted it gone.

Balon thought for a moment. He hadn't seen the sun turn red, it must have done so after he had fallen into Xir'ain's hellhole. At last, he had an answer. [b]"The same reason that my shackles rusted. The same reason that I escaped from my prison and clambered onto the surface once more. My enslaver and prior master has perished, and good riddance."[/b]

Xir'ain ignored the giant. It was obvious that he was an idiot. "Enly'air?"

She looked up, startled. She was holding her side still. "Oh, no. I don't know anything about it."

Xir'ain stared into the crimson star's depths. What was it's secret? When he became god of this new world, he would take apart the star and make it speak. "I guess it doesn't really matter," he said, though his tone said that it still bothered him. He hated not knowing. "Now, I'm going to need both of you to cooperate. We have some things to discuss." A black throne rose from the surface of the lake, and the master sat himself down in it. "First, Enly'air, I want you to tell me about the place you mentioned before. Ensis'Lucas."

Enly'air stood up straight. "It's a city, the largest one for many miles. It's famous for its blacksmiths, but I've never actually seen any of them, and it's..."

"What does it look like? How is it defended?"

"Defended? It's a massive tiered city with gigantic walls. No one would dare attack it. No one has ever even broken the first wall, and there are three more!" She had forgotten her place as she'd spoken and had risen her voice at her master. "I'm sorry. It cannot be attacked."

Xir'ain leaned back and looked at Balon. "Well?"

Balon thought to himself, [i]"She's sorry? Weak, fragile, brittle. What else had he called her earlier? Bah, it wall all true."[/i] The giant then noticed that Xir'ain was asking for his opinion. [b]"It sounds like a rat-hole. A mound of stones with lots of little scurrying humans inside. Burn its surrounding farms and villages. Blockade its port. Laugh as they starve and start jumping from their own walls, to end their pain."[/b]

"No, I don't think that is what I want. If I kill them, who will be left to call me god?" Xir'ain looked into his own reflected eyes on the suface of the black lake. For once, he actually seemed to be asking a question.

Balon's response was a shrug. Then he realized that Xir'ain expected an answer. [b]"The girl. Your monsters in the tunnels below. Whatever humans outside of Ensis'Lucas that you don't allow me to kill."[/b] Balon conveniently and rather conspicuously left out himself from that list.

Enyl'air raised a brow at the giant's words. "I agree with the beast. No matter what may happen, I and your creations will follow you. The giant is free to die attacking the walls. I suggest you send him for a frontal assault!" She'd raised her voice at Xir'ain again. "I'm sorry."

Xir'ain closed his golden eyes. When he opened them again, he was angry. A ribbon of black water encircled the two minions, tying them together. "Enough! If I hear one more comment from either of you that even hints at killing the other, I will dissect you both and reassemble you with the other's organs!" Eyeing their bodies, so different as they were in size and shape, he was tempted to do so regardless. His threat was not hollow.

As much as he would have liked to suggest torturing Enly'air instead of killing her, Balon was preoccupied with other thoughts. The idea of sieging this grand city consumed his mind...the massacring its inhabitants had the giant practically salivating. [b]"The girl agrees with me!"[/b] Balon triumphantly declared. [b]"We should siege the city. They will undoubtedly try to surrender. I suggest that we lure those who would leave the gates walk to our camp on the pretext of amnesty and warm meals, and then return them to their wretched rathole via catapult!"[/b] A cruel spark in Balon's two good eyes and a sadistic grin on his huge face revealed that he was all too serious.

The surface of the black lake vibrated, drops of water splashing up only to fall back and cause another splash. "I said no!" The ribbon of black water closed, bisecting the giant and the girl. "No siege. I will take the city in one piece. No, I won't even have to take the city. They will give it to me with a smile on their faces as they do." Xir'ain's cruel laughter shook the lake. With a wave of his hand tendrils of water pulled the halves of his construct and giant back together, their wounds bubbling black and then sealing together. "No more talk of a siege. I won't have it."

[b]"You expect them to hand their city over willingly? Send your little pet as a delegate. See how that turns out. Humans do not like submitting to three-eyed giants or walking blobs of tar."[/b] The giant thought about what he had said. No doubt another bisection was imminent. He decided to add a mocking courtesy, [b]"With all due respect, my lord and master."[/b]

"You don't grovel well, Balon. However, you raise a truth. I will have to change my image into something more... appealing. You though, I want you to look threatening. After all, you're going to be playing the evil in this farce." He looked over to Enly'air, still silent despite being cut in half and put back together. Had he put her back together wrong? "Enly'air, what part do you see yourself playing as I take over a city?"

"I am a soldier."

"Oh, is that so? No, I think you will play the damsel. A villain, a hero, a damsel." He pondered something. "Do the people of this city already have a god?" He seemed to slouch in his throne as he considered the possiblity. If they did, he would need a better plan.

"Yes, they do. Aphistos, the god of fire and earth. He is the god of the city and the reason most of its inhabitants are metalworkers. They say he gives them metals and heat for them to make his weapons, though he's never used them."

Xir'ain perked up. "Why is that?"

"Because he's just a legend. No one's ever seen him or anything. There's just some stories and statues, and everyone in the city prays to him. He's not real."
Xir'ain burst out laughing, the flat surface of the lake freezing over with black ice. "You idiotic thing. You actually had me concerned for a moment. I could not possibly lie to a god, nor could I kill one. But a legend," Xir'ain looked at Balon, "that is child's play."