[h3][center]Zeki Glaedwine & Szayeis Demons Among Men. Loom- Night[/center][/h3] In Loom, a gang of three headed down the streets, looking for a certain man. What would be weird was that only two of them would be able to be felt by those good with essence, weak and just a little bit weird. One man, with something in his shadow, and one woman, who looked 20. The 3rd was like a ghost, not there, or rather everywhere. Either way, it could not be pinpointed in his base of Loom, making him show up as an anomoly to those who could feel essence. Tipping his hat with his cane, he stopped as he saw the man he was looking for. The tipping was half a weird gesture of the demon Zeki, and half having his 'weapon' infront of him. Most people would hardly consider a cane a dangerous weapon, but Zeki was hardly most people. [color=a187be]"Szayeis, how have you been? I've been looking for you."[/color] His form laid with back against a wall, feet planted on the ground, arms crossed and eyes closed Szayeis had hardly expected company. Nonetheless, he had [I]seen[/I] them coming. One eye flashing open for a brief moment, revealing its stirring white iris. Szayeis had acknowledged their presence and once he had his eye shut once more,[b] [color=#00001A]"Fine, Zeki. What is it you require?"[/b][/color] While he spoke his attention was in thousands of other places. He was using shadows as a conduit for his perception. It was an advanced form of shadow sense. So many things to keep track of, he could not waste a single moment. Zeki sighed. Such a hard man to deal with. His two shopkeepers were wide eyed at the event. They didn't know too much of essence but they could feel something was wrong. Zeki however KNEW what a monster was, and talking with one hardly aggrevated him. Not after how long he'd been alive. [color=a187be]"Not very talkative, are you? I don't know how you've stayed sane all these years. Fine, skip the friendly hellos, and we'll get down to business. What I 'require' is how to use the gift you gave me. It took me months to learn how to use this phone, I'm not exactly 'hip' with tech. How do I know when I've found a fragment?"[/color] Though while it was true that Zeki was older than alot of technology, and therefore not the fastest with them(He still couldn't understand the fascination with cats on the internet), it was more the fact that he hadn't tried to use the orb. He'd pawned it off to his new male assistant, Scott Johnson. Zeki was smart with magic, he probably could have figured something out with enough effort. A small smile spread over Szayeis' lips as Zeki asked the question, [b][color=#00001A]"What are you playing at, Zeki?"[/color][/b] He pushed himself from the wall, his eyes opening as he turned to the man, [b][color=#00001A]"You've been alive far too long to be this inept. I would not have come to you were you useless,"[/color] [/b]he said, a small measure of amusement in his voice, accompanied closely by condescension and curiosity. He strolled towards the demon, his eyes briefly glancing over the two who walked alongside him. There was a flicker of interest in his eyes, but barely for a moment. Zeki shrugged. [color=a187be]"I guess being up here so long's made me dull. I couldn't possibly hope to keep up with the likes of you, Lord of the Western Realm, Terror of the Night, Lord of Fear, Master of- shut up and give me an example of how this works. You still haven't proven to me your story is true, that's what I'm playing at. This is the fastest way. You get my trust, you get access to my full abilities. [/color] [color=a187be]"Scott, come here."[/color] Zeki motioned with his cane to come. [color=a187be]"Come on, he's a big friendly guy, look at that smile."[/color] Zeki's voice had hints of frustration. Scott whispered to Maria. "Are his dealings always so scary?" She shook. "Not generally this bad. Go on, you don't want to see Mr. Glaedwine angry, nice as he is." Scott shook his head, and walked forward. Zeki poked his shadow with the top of his cane, and the orb started to float out of it. [b][color=#00001A]"Your trust, eh? Amusing,"[/color][/b] the lord responded, appearing to have ignored everything else, including the man's jab--if you could call it that. He didn't elaborate as to whether he believed Zeki or not, nor as to why he found the statement amusing. Instead he motioned for Scott to come closer, the Orb would move ahead of him, beckoned by the same hand motion that the lord was using to invite Scott. Raising his other hand to chest level, palm facing upwards, he closed his fingers around his palm, then opened them in a swift motion. A shadowy essence manifested, billowing up from his hand as if it were smoke. He gestured towards the orb and the shadows moved, not that he needed to, it was all an act. Just as the shadows touched the orb it began to release a faint glow, which gradually increased in its intensity. Then the small wisps of darkness expanded in a split second, engulfing all of them. Zeki's unfortunate employees would be veiled in Szayeis' Dread Aura while the lord stared his [I]ally[/I] down, his expression no longer amused. [b][color=#00001A]"I admit, you are a skilled actor, Amrit, but this truly is no time for your little games,"[/color][/b] he stated plainly, all sound outside the darkness which surrounded, but did not touch them was muted almost entirely. Scott and Maria would be unable to hear or see anything within the mire of shadows. [b][color=#00001A]"Do not presume to be able to [I]trick[/I] me Amrit. It was not I who coined the title, 'Master of the Game,'"[/color] [/b]he stated matter of factly, his voice cold and unforgiving. Zeki looked at his fingers as he spoke, which were drumming on his cane. [color=a187be]"You seem to have broken my assistants." [/color] A blue light started to light the darkness, a faint blue will-o-wisp, before more and more started to show. They started flowing in and out of the shadows, and several sucked from the realm Maria and Scott were in, and the two would feel a burning pain before passing out. Zeki continued to drum his cane, his gaze fixed on it. [color=a187be]" 'Master of the Game', I prefer to be called Mr. Glaedwine. Perhaps Zeki, should one know me. You haven't spoken with Amrit. You've never met Amrit. "There are things that you don't know about in this world, Lord of Hell. Old things, ancient things, from our time, not the time of these humans. And it is their time now, not ours. It's been their time ever since Judas Iscariot proved they are not weak cockroaches. I don't know of any similiar fame from the Western Lord. Doesn't that just eat you?"[/color] All across Loom, people felt a burning sensation as the drain of essence increased, all of them customers of Mr. Glaedwine, and all of them felt the burning start at their contract stamps. Inside Szayeis shadow, more and more will-o-the-wisps floated harmlessly around. Zeki stopped drumming, and looked up at Szayeis from behind his glasses. [color=a187be]"So, [i]I[/i] will ask you one last time. I have ' truly no time for your little games'. Will you show me this orb's workings, and save this world of magnificant humans, or continue to pout that a simple business man has seen your little show one too many times, and isn't amused?" [/color] Szayeis grit his teeth, sensing the wisps floating about within the darkness, his face a glower. He took in a deep breath and then smiled. As he did so the shadows began to dissipate, though their voices remained muted to anyone nearby, not that there were many. Szayeis had picked this spot because it was seldom traveled. [b][color=#00001A]"You must be losing your edge, Vital Sovereign,"[/color][/b] the smile didn't reach his eyes despite his words. He could have made it do so, but he wasn't trying to fool the demon, it wasn't worth the effort. [b][color=#00001A]"I already showed you. Proximity will cause the orb to react,"[/color][/b] he stated, laying the palm of his hand over the surface of the object. It began glowing, the glow increasing in its intensity the longer his hand was on it. [b][color=#00001A]"I know you're up to something, [I]Glaedwine[/I],"[/color][/b] he stated with an eerie calm, his emotions unreadable behind the smiling facade he wore, [b][color=#00001A]"Oh and I haven't broken your...minions. They'll remember this for a long time though,"[/color][/b] [I]longer than you think.[/I] Glancing at the wisps that surrounded them, now in plain sight, the Western lord let out a small chuckle, [b][color=#00001A]"You don't scare me, not in the least, but don't let that fool you Sovereign. This isn't me underestimating you,"[/color][/b] [I]it's my forcing you to, in anger, reveal the cards you have in hand,[/I] [b][color=#00001A]"...as I don't make a habit of doing something so foolish, you are the Sovereign for a reason. We've faced one another before, but know this. Should you stand in my way, the outcome will not result in your survival this time. If you wish to contact me again, touch the orb."[/color][/b] He turned from the man, [b][color=#00001A]"Oh...and do it yourself. Anyone else who touches it will meet an untimely [I]end[/I],"[/color][/b] he lied seamlessly, his head turning slightly as if he were looking back at Zeki. It was only half true. Others wouldn't die, but they would be pulled into the orb, and thus into Szayeis. They would be [I]his[/I] and that was a fate far worse than death. His attention shifted and he walked away, his smile fading to a subtle grin, though the look of his eyes was hard, his body language tense. His hands made to clench and relax repeatedly, as if restless. He wasn't. Zeki walked forward at the demon infront of him. The one who uttered word after word. He tipped his hat downward, before thrusting his cane forward. Resting right below the orb, he picked up with the top curve of the cane, never touching it himself.Not a word he had to spare for Szayeis. He walked towards where he felt his contracts, and therefore employees. Zeki sighed as he saw the two of them. [color=a187be]"You two aren't going to be very happy when you wake up. Still, you'll be alright. You humans are magnificant, I doubt you'll break. More magnificant than any demon. You make the world worth saving. If it was for all of hell, I just might be tempted to let it burn..."[/color] Zeki put the orb back into Scott's shadow, then managed to stick his cane in Scott's belt loop, before throwin him over his shoulder. Struggling as he held him fireman style, he bent down towards Maria. [color=a187be]"You had better not be eating the Golden Taco, chica." [/color] He grunted as he grabbed her as well. A few of the wisps entered his body, taking with them essense from his various contracts. He didn't turn to face him even now, and simply continued towards his shop [color=a187be] "Crow, I really hope you bring your friend some good news soon." [/color]