Taking Breakfast with an Evil Sorcerer [M4M] [Fantasy] [Food] [Threats] [Intimidation]

Transcript

Good timing, I was just starting to think you were taking too long asking him. Good morning, Arcanus. How do you like your new room? I trust having a bed was better than sleeping on the road, at the very least.

No? Well, are you hungry? Do you see the table here? You're welcome to as much of this bread as you like.

I thought I might eat with you this morning so that we can have a chance to converse. So please, sit. Sit.

Down. Good. Let me know if any of this is not to your taste.

I am aware that the kind of food available down here in Buttervale is a bit different from that of Oak's Reach. I'm sure I could come up with something to make this more palatable if need be. That being said, why aren't you touching anything? Are you afraid I may have poisoned it? Oh, but why would I do that? I need you alive, at least for the time being, and I can't get you around easily enough without the use of drugs.

Is it so difficult to believe that I would offer you a nice meal? We are going to be working closely together, so you will need to get used to my presence somehow. Besides, I thought it might be a good change of pace for the both of us after eating nothing but rations for the journey.

There we go. That's it. Fancy the honey, do you? You don't think it's too sweet? Well, use as much as you like, then.

Honey isn't hard to come by here, and I'm certainly not having any of it. I've been having salmon on my toast. But then again, I always prefer to stay on the savory side of things.

That liquid there is white peach juice. You can have water, if you prefer. You look like you have questions.

Good, good. Do ask them. All that I request is you ask them, one at a time.

Well, I think you can guess the answer to that one. I will let you go when I no longer need you. Whenever that may be.

All things considered, that might as well mean never for you. For the foreseeable future, your home is this fortress. Ah, but on the contrary, I can keep you here very easily.

Honestly, actually getting my hands on you was the hard part. I don't see much hope for you to escape now. If you manage to leave the grounds, I could easily hunt you down and snap you back up.

You see, there is magic pervading the depths of the valley that keeps travelers wandering in circles. It manifests in the mist that moves through the vegetation outside. If you don't have magic yourself to combat it, you can get hopelessly lost.

Until some nasty creature finds you. It is a holdover from before I moved in, when the fortress was still abandoned and the valley was the residence of fairies. It's been a lifesaver for me and my followers.

So, don't rethink trying to rappel down the window at night. And naturally, you can expect that no one is coming to rescue you either. Oh, but don't despair.

It's quite comparable here. What parts you'll see anyway. And as long as you stay on my good side, I won't make you see the unpleasant areas.

That was not your only question, was it? Hmm? I mean, nothing else comes to mind? Hmm.

Yes, indeed. My plans for you. This is something I intended to speak with you about anyway.

Though, let me share a little context first, if you don't mind. When I killed His Majesty and left the Southern Kingdom's court, I left with a contingent of soldiers who were And when I killed His Majesty and left the Southern Kingdom's court, I left with a contingent of soldiers who were loyal to me. With them, their families, and now with the surrounding villages we've captured, we've established a little kingdom of our own in the fringes.

I'm immensely eager to expand my kingdom. I want to include as much land as I can under my banner. However, with the size we are now, we are at a disadvantage in direct warfare.

Even this valley wouldn't be able to keep an army from my doorstep forever. The Southern Kingdom's succession crisis is all that's keeping my rebellion from being crushed. At the moment, to remedy this, I must expand my kingdom's military power.

And I must do it very quickly. So, I devise a plan to do just that, one that will require your help, specifically, as it involves a powerful spell. Well, yes, I didn't just take you for the pleasure of it.

And if it were just some new charms and tools I needed, I could have taken someone closer to my fortress. Like I told you before, I do have the magic potential already inside me. But I need the best Arcanist to make this spell work.

What spell exactly? Should I spoil it? I do sort of like that look of dread on your face right now.

It's like everything I do just mmm shocks and horrifies you. Oh, I do wonder what face you'd make if I told you all the little details. If I told you what you'll have to do for me.

Well, I want. .. Oh, dear Arcanist, eat a little more.

You put a quiche on your plate and I've never touched it. Good, there you go. Where was I? Yes, I want you to imagine this.

I want an army of soldiers who are imprevious to pain, who will never dissent, and who will destroy everyone in their paths. Most important, I want an army of warriors who are greater in number than even the largest standing army in the land. Now, how do you think someone like me might recruit that many people? How might I obtain the.

.. bodies? Ah, it looks like I have a good idea.

You've got it. Oh, and there's the lovely look of horror again. Is that a nice mental image I've given you? I can only imagine what you're going to look like when we actually finish the spell.

Saying no isn't an option for you. You will do this for me willingly. Or I will just make you.

Oh, I do think you are overestimating. Your willpower. But I'll.

.. I'll entertain that thought. If in the end, torturing you doesn't work, maybe I will take a trip back to Oak's Reach and see if any of your pupils survive the fire I set.

Oh, um, I'm sure at least a couple of the rats survived. I'll give them your regards. Maybe invite them for a stay here in my fortress.

Hmm, yeah, maybe a few nights. Wouldn't that be fun? None of that now.

This is my raw magic, Arcanus. How does it feel against your body? Right now, I'm barely exerting energy.

Just enough to hold you in place. But it's still so, so much for most people. Your head starts pounding, aching like it's about to burst.

Your arms become lead weights, dragging as if they're about to be ripped from their sockets. The pressure moves tightly against your chest, making it difficult for you to even breathe. Your pulse rushes in your ears as panic sets in.

You want to collapse. You feel weak. But you can't move an inch in any direction.

Hmm, I can see the look on your face. Does it hurt? I do apologize.

It's not as if I can control the amount I'm using. At least not as much as I would like. Not very finely.

Well, I could probably increase the amount. But I don't know what would happen to you then. You might get seriously injured.

I think I did tell you about what happened to some of the poor souls I used my magic on in the past. Please, he says. Please is such a pretty, pretty word.

Since you said please, I'll let it up. Just sit back down and behave. And do not lunge at me like that again.

There, there. That's better. I'll forgive the offers this time.

But let me be perfectly clear. I don't want to hurt you again. This time.

But let me be perfectly clear. I am not going to tolerate defiance from you, Arcanus. Now look at me.

Look at me when I'm talking to you. I've had to make peace with the fact that however powerful I am, I'm always going to have limits. I have to put my magic through Arcanus like you.

I don't have a choice. You paint spell symbols I can't even dream up. You write magic words I can't imagine even as I'm putting them in my mouth.

You see the echoes of spells that came before when I can only sense the energy left behind. And I've always been in awe of that. I deeply respect it.

This plan of mine wouldn't have even occurred to me without reading the research you've done on ancient magic. But my patience for being limited by other people is thin. So please, grasp your situation and cease with the theatrics.

You're only going to make yourself miserable. And, despite everything, I would love to keep your stay with me from becoming too horrible. You're trembling.

Oh. Are you afraid? Oh no.

No. I don't think that's it. You're glaring at me so fiercely.

Do you hate me? No. Do you hate me? Do you wish you could reach up and pull my hand away, push me back, put as much distance between us as possible?

Or, do you hate me so much that, now that I'm so close, you're wishing you could pick up that knife and slit my throat with it? Yes, yes. I see where your eyes are going.

Even now, your hands continue to tremble. You're welcome to admit it. I won't mind.

I bet it would feel so good. At least for a moment.