[center][h1][color=a36209][b]Flight of the Morningstar[/b][/color][/h1][/center]

She could understand the king wanting to bring everything he could to bear at Garlock, or even just to spitefully shout at him for daring to undertake the task of replacing him.  Heaven and hell knows, he deserved all he got.  Garlock was a sinister creature, a beast of deviousness and plot crossed with a sheer destructive force and an anger towards lesser beings.  Morningstar was certain that if it did not belong to the feline persuasion, he cared literally nothing for it.  Of course, she had no way to tell that that was not technically true, but then...Star had never known his full background.  Only Daryl did, and he was gone now.  It was terrible, having to keep remind herself.  It was one of the reasons why, when she got in Lucius' way and explained that he was her prisoner, she was somewhat subdued in her speech.  She brightened up after seeing his reaction, though.

[color=a36209]"Oh [i]yes[/i].  For surviving one of my attacks, you've [i]definitely[/i] earned the right."[/color]

Go on, Lucius.  Try to imagine what fighting this girl in earnest is like.  It'll take your mind off of immediate concerns, like how lucky you are to actually be alive.  No, wait.  That would actually [i]focus[/i] you onto that.  This girl's attack strength was as devastating as that mace, which clearly withstood a terminal velocity strike.  Having grabbed the crownless king by his armor to pull him along, Star now spun her Morningstar alot like Thor from the Marvel Cinematic Universe and propelled them high into the sky, where she spread wings to fly along at a great speed.

[center][youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RD4r8ufspg0[/youtube][/center]

No longer scouting at this time, Star would bring him back towards Dead Moon Cathedral directly.  Lucius would get, of course, a HIGH view of the surrounding territory as they moved towards a structure that he knew damn-well hadn't been there before.  Uhhh, she was coming in awfully fast.  Umm, slow down?  Slow down?!  HEY, WHAT'RE YOU DOING?!  Star had taken a dive straight towards the Cathedral, then allowed her wings to catch the wind about 300 feet up to glide down to the ground.  She would land soon after with Lucius.

[color=a36209]"Hellooo!  Lord Volaris!  Anyone else!  I brought a prisoner!  He's a bit thrashed, but he's still in one piece-ish!"[/color]

One piece-[i]ish?[/i]  So, who's about right now to hear Star calling out?

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

[center][h1][color=9e0b0f][b]King Garlock[/b][/color][/h1][/center]

The walk was sadly tedious for him.  Garlock could not amuse himself while playing the wounded king of wherever the hell Lucius ruled.  He had to keep acting like a man who's grimly set upon making his way home on foot, because he can't go wingy and fly off.  He had to keep pretending that he was a king returning from a battle harsher than he'd ever imagined.  At least he had time to contemplate how he was going to play this out.  The cat magus did not know much about the lands at all.  The less he actually said that could be checked on or countered, the better.  At least...so long as he knew or did not know things.  What he did not know filled an ocean.  In fact, he didn't even know where the nearest ocean WAS.  That could put a severe damper on things.

Still, it was not long before he came upon something most unexpected: A big wall.  He would call it impressive, but it was useless against a race of flying people, unless their enemies had no such power or simply did not need to build a high wall because it had magic shields or something.  For now, though, he could clearly see one thing that it DID have: Guards.  Several such guards were on duty right now, and two of them with...let's call him captain, for now...flew directly to him.  They were shocked by his condition, the condition which the real Lucius was currently in.  Garlock idly wondered if Star was going to heal the [i]real[/i] Lucius, since she had nothing to fear from his comparative lack of strength.  He grunted as two soldiers now helped him along, the third one addressing him.  He spoke in Lucius voice, speaking in a manner strained from pain and exertion, but still with the flames of life in it.

[color=9e0b0f]"We had them, dead to rights.  It was almost over before it began.  But there was someone among them, a stranger.  Either he was a caster-turned-demon or he was [i]always[/i] a demon.  Either way, one-such beast stood in our midst, all of a sudden.  With so few of them left, it must have been a last-ditch effort at defiance, bringing in an outsider.  Perhaps he WAS a devil.  He tore into us all, men torn limb from limb in a single swipe of its claws.  However..."[/color]

And here, he put on the Lucius charm by smiling just a little, just a hint of his vicious self.

[color=9e0b0f]"...we still killed it."[/color]

He then went a bit grim, after that, though.

[color=9e0b0f]"We swarmed over the beast with many attacks, all of us determined to end it before it ended us.  Every last one of them died to cause the creature wounds, and in the final moments, my captain threw herself in its path and bade me to deliver the killing blow, though she might die in the process.  My sword struck true, but then as the demon expired, it exploded in some wrathful combustion, leaving me in this state.  My sword is sadly missing, either thrown clear or destroyed.  I did not find it."[/color]

And so, Garlock told a clever yarn with details mainly focused upon a foe that would test the fullness of Lucius' power, one which would account for his severe state.  As he had done so, there was a feeling about him, a presence.  It was...familiar.  Had he waltzed himself into the scouting patrol area of one of the others?  They would have to talk, provided of course some privacy or some line of communication could be established.  Hmmm, no...  Volaris had specifically demanded no magical communication.  And even if he decided to break that rule himself, whoever was literally shadowing him now would not.  So, 'till later, then...