[center][h2]The Influence of Madness[/h2][/center]
[center]Lazarus[/center]
[center][i]Themerlinhawk[/i][/center]
[center][color=silver]Day 2, The Witching Hour[/color][/center]


Shaylee had crashed hours ago from the work she was doing with Khepri. It would be a hundred years or so before Khepri even approached the energy stored in Dracul. Lazarus stood looking at the painting of Solus and Hazumi in his study. Dracul hung from his hip and he gently rest his left hand on it. On his right hip hung Dragon’s Sire where his right hand rested. Anduriel rest on his upper chest as he contemplated the two portraits silently. What he was about to do could easily unravel all of Hazumi’s work but know what was coming made this all the more important. There was no way she’d have let him do what he was about to do if she knew or could stop him. Smiling grimly Lazarus turned to the desk and connected a series of essence lines in the desk. The pattern was incredibly complex, failing to do it in the correct order would turn Finch’s Loft into a self contained deteriorating Quantum Singularity which would slowly bleed itself out over the next 800 years. 

There was simply no way he could let what was kept here fall into anyone else’s hands. With slow methodical steps he descended the stairway into the dark beneath the desk. The Academy thought it was still locked in its Vaults under heavy guard. Anduriel had made short work of its defenses. Which on its own was kind of frightening but then again Anduriel was something else entirely. Stepping out from the shadow of the stairway Lazarus approached the massive crystalline tube in the middle of the room. The layers of protection which had been put in place over it were more numerous than the Resurrection room and were easily ten times that of what Dracul made use of. Between the technology he had acquired from the  Blood Reaver and the magic he’d stolen from the Children as well as their ancient technology he’d been able to craft a prison which was arguably overkill but that was something which could be easily understood. 

[i]That didn’t take too long[/i] 

The voice scraped at the edge of his brain but he drew up the essence stored in Dracul and the wards around his mind flared to life throwing the voice back. It was no use listening to the fragment. Soon it would be gone, well the personality at least. The research had been harrowing to say the least and it had to be done in between teaching Shaylee and pretending like he’d put down all his weapons for good. That had been his intention but things had started to go south and it no doubt had to do with what he’d been shown. Not even Hazumi knew; hell she had been the one who’d pulled this damn thing from him but he’d kept the knowledge close. There was something moving out there in the nothingness and it was malignant beyond words. 

Sending an intricate series of essence through the safeguards he partially dislodged his soul to use as a key for the locks. The barrier shimmered and with a smooth motion Lazarus drove both his swords into the living rock of the floor and extended his warded will and grabbed the chuck of Influence. 

[i]What are you planning on doing with me Finch? You know you can’t resist.[/i] 

With a surge of Essence Lazarus compressed the matter in the air around the [i]thing[/i] before he stepped over to a table. “Oh I found quite the use for you.” It had taken almost two years to build it from ancient texts and stolen technology from places unmentioned but he’d finally been able to build a vessel. It was unlike any weapon he’d crafted before and it would never be done again if he had a say in it. Strange wards that defied the senses, slithering as though they were alive, crawled up the outside of the staff. With a wrenching shove of essence he forced the Influence into the staff. The Wards along the staff flared to light with a shimmering sickly orange light casting crazed shadows across the room. Picking the weapon up he as but recoiled as a strange silver green blade grew from the end of it. Transforming the staff he held in his hands into a spear. A spear to pierce the night. A piece of the looming darkness beyond. 

“Oh yes you monster. Now you will serve me. And then when this is all over I will cast you into the abyss between the stars.” 

With another sick look Lazarus set the weapon down. With that he collected Dracul and Dragon sire before ascending the stairs again.

That night he tossed and turned. Dreaming of Hazumi.