[h3][u][color=D8BFD8]Nero -=- Midtown Magnolia[/color][/u][/h3]

Though in a heroic effort to pursue the rampaging manticore the dark mage successfully avoided repeated impalement, tripping, collision with lampposts, and frowning, all without allowing his penguin friend to slip out of his clutches, he proved unable to avoid a impersonal but nevertheless painful slap to his cranium.  Instantly, his eyeglasses popped off, Free squirmed out of his grip, his new porkpie hat fell to the ground, and it was difficult to tell which upset Nero more.  [color=D8BFD8]“Noo!”  He cried, in an exaggerated falsetto as the spectacles hit the pavement, shattering one of the lenses.  If looks could kill, the back of the darkly-clad entity's head would have been obliterated by the younger wizard's affixed glare, who gave a short, wry laugh. [color=D8BFD8]“[i]Now[/i] how am I going to read your epitaph?”[/color] he admonished.

Rather than responding, the ominous intruder released a spell.  Nero smirked when he heard the lost magic's telling incantation.  Spells whose incantations exactly revealed what they were and what they did combined a lack of creativity with a lack of forethought.  Spending little time ruminating about the marauder's choice of words, Nero turned this way and that, searching for his slippery companion.  He spotted Free waddling at breakneck speed toward a nearby shop, and watched with no small amount of amusement as the penguin tried the door, failed, and resorted to diving headfirst into an empty plant pot to conceal himself.  His good mood restored, Nero turned back to see the troublesome manticore stopped cold, literally frozen mid-roar.  It took a lot of effort to resist the temptation to transmute the icy prison into a veil of stone, thereby entombing the monster, but Ginger probably didn't deserve such a fate.

Instead, Nero approached the spot where he glasses had cracked against the street, scooped them up, and placed them back on his head.  A rogue chip of glass toppled from the frame and cut a light scratch across Nero's cheek, but if the dark mage took any notice of this, he said nothing.  Instead, he cupped his hands around his mouth and called, [color=D8BFD8]“Cool spell!  No, really.  N-ice of you to step in and catch the monster!”[/color]  Nero doubled over laughing at his own puns.  [color=D8BFD8]“Shouldn't kill her though,”[/color] he recovered quickly, [color=D8BFD8]“This week's my murder break.”[/color]  The unmistakable sound of incantation kept him from continuing, and as he watched, some crazy lady raced across a nearby roof, firing a slew of arrows coated in pale, frosty glow.  All Nero could think was '[i]genius[/i]' before the projectiles unceremoniously smacked into the already-thoroughly-frozen manticore, adding another layer.  The new ice, judging by its glossiness and greater transparency, looked by all accounts inferior to the outsider's Ice of Time, to boot.  With the beast incapacitated to an even greater degree, Nero decided to spend a moment or two making sure that the newcomer knew exactly how silly she was.

[color=D8BFD8]“Good grief!  [b]Ice!?[/b]  What an original and useful spell!”[/color]  Nero placed a palm to his head, using his other to wipe off blood from his cheek as a more sentimental gentleman might wipe off a tear, and chuckling in a mixture of hilarity and disbelief all the while.  [color=D8BFD8]“Since you're so eager to contribute,”[/color] he yelled, [color=D8BFD8]“Why don't you watch her 'til she calms down and turns back?  Should only be a minute or so, I wasn't really trying this time!”[/color]  Nero waved with both hands, span around on his heels, and waltzed over to where Free still struggling.  He grabbed the penguin's feet, one with either hand, and yanked the bird out of his plant pot.  Free squawked in outrage but could only flap his flippers feebly as Nero tucked him under his arm and started back toward Mayford Inn, the forlorn porkpie hat lying on the pavement forgotten evermore.

He walked quickly, not wanting to encounter either the shadowy brute or the scatterbrained archer before he had wrapped up his business.  Fortunately, York -still very much a dwarf- had followed him to the inn's entrance a few moments ago, and now stood there watching.  [color=4169E1]“Why did you curse us if you were going to turn on them the whole time?”[/color] he demanded.

Nero held up two fingers.  [color=D8BFD8]“Three reasons.  One, I wasn't going to turn on them until Ginger threatened to shoot me.  Two, cursing is awesome.  Three, I wanted to make everyone happy.”[/color]  York, full of indignation, tried to interrupt, but the dark mage steamrolled over him.   [color=D8BFD8]“The way I did that was by fulfilling the goon squad's horrible wishes, giving them a few moments of sadistic pleasure, and then satisfied your desire for retribution -or justice, take your pick- by cursing them as well.  Plus, I'll bet they'll figure out in ten minutes or so when their curses wear off that messing with someone they didn't understand was a bad idea.  Anyone who figures that out is happier in the long run.  By the way, I expect you to become normal-sized any second now.  Your chick will as well, but if you want a honest guy's honest opinion, she pulled off the adorably-plump thing pretty well.”[/color]  As always, it was tough to tell if he was serious.  Leaving York behind, he exited Mayford's destroyed front porch and returned to the street.  Free squawked again, and Nero ruffled his feathers.  [color=D8BFD8]“Yours is gonna last a little bit longer, li'l buddy.  It's time you had some positive influence in your life.”[/color]  After taking a moment to consider the irony in his statement, Nero cracked up yet again.