"Ah yes, I remember now," grumbled Brutus as he flipped through the pages of his Story whilst his metallic skull was propped up by his left clawed hand, "Wasn't this the world you took in that Mage, Melephas as an apprentice?" He lifted up his head at this point, and turned to stare upon his father with an odd flicker in the lights that were his eyes.

"Yes," drawled the God King, who poured himself and the other a glass of something viscous in texture, and bright gold in colour. Once he passed it to the Lich King, they did salute one another with the raised glasses, and poured a small amount down their throats.

No. The liquid did not spill out of the Skeleton, but did flow from his skull, down the front of his spine, and disappeared once it entered his chest cavity. This was much as though he had a body once again, like he had so long ago.

"A bit too young for my taste, Father," commented Brutus with a hint of disgust in his voice.

"You think so?" pondered the other as he drained the glass of the rest of the golden fluid, "Perhaps, but the process of acquiring it doesn't normally allow them to grow up too much.

"Well, in any case, what do you remember of Second Earth?"

"Besides what is within my Story?" the God King nodded once, desiring the Skeleton's answer, "Not much, only that it was when you acquired Melephas and his antics almost got him killed several times when he was alone."

"Oh?" The Ageless was quite curious, as his ears, which were normally erect and immobile, twitched ever so slightly.

"For instance..."

*****

It was after you and I had called upon our strength to summon upon the world scores of devilish monsters and my own ethereal troops. These were soon given the order to advance upon what we could have only surmised as unsuspecting troops around three kilometres south of where we saved those Beastfolk. I'm sure you remember how annoyed you were when half of their forces were slaughtered before their alarms went out and they scrambled to fight against our forces. If not, then pay it no mind, for I remember you calling them, "Pathetic."

In any case, this group of Humans contained within them around four hundred altogether. Of the four hundred, one fourth was comprised of Alchemists and Mages, whereas the rest were of pikemen and archers. I believe it was here that we learned of how to create the Elixir of Extended Mortality, as the Alchemists were conducting such experiments of the locals within the area. Which would also explain why they were attacking the Beastfolk which were supposed to come for us.

Now, from what had occurred from the time of the Humans' arrival, to the slaughtering of such people, Melephas had been hard at work. What with undermining their whole operation, and even soiling their food and water supplies many a time. Thus, the hunters within the contingent of Humans had to forage and hunt farther and farther every turn. For he would find some way to spoil the foods that were meant to last. Of which were sealed away by means of lock, key, and magickal enchantments.

Please bear in mind, Father, Melephas did all of this not to help the Beastfolk, but for his own selfish reasons. Of which were to simply attack the Humans due to them being the stronger force upon the world of Second Earth. His reasons? He stated later it was due to boredom, as well as him stating, "Why fight against something that can't fight back? There's no fun in it."

Yes, Father. He found no joy in fighting against weaker beasts such as they, and instead lashed out against a stronger foe, like the Humans, just for some entertainment. Whether or not this was the truth, however, remains to be seen.

Regardless, this was done so, and he was later caught. Of which led him to being bound by shackles, his arms stretched towards the top of a four metre high pole. This was done is such a way that he would only be able to lessen the stretching of his body by standing upon the tips of his toes. This was so, as the alternative was to just hang there and allow the chains to pull the arms right out of their sockets.

Apparently this was a painful method of torture, and I had adopted it from them. Yes. I was grateful, as I applied such tortures upon the remaining Humans that survived the onslaught of our minions.

During such a treatment, however, his body was subjected to... I believe it was fifty lashes all about his body. They called him a traitor, or something like it, and would have executed his person for it if not for one small detail.

He was a summoned "Hero" that came with the rest of them for gold in exchange of services. Of which they had various privileges and rights guaranteeing their welfare. Such as the summoned people not being executed as a traitor if they weren't a citizen of the world. Therefore, they tried to coerce him into becoming one, but came away frustrate. Thus, he was lashed many times throughout the entire turn.

It would have continued, of course, if not for our unintentional intervention. Which then led to you being brought forth to examine those Humans who were still alive. Once you came into view of the Mage, however, he called out to you by name. Yes. He was loud enough to hear by all around, and they resented him forevermore because of it. Even going so far as to pray to their Gods to smite his person for siding with the Undead over the living.

*****

"Not the most appealing of Humans, to be sure," grumbled Brutus as he flipped through the pages of his Story once more, "but you were content with his presence, suffice to say. That is, until he tried to use your name to gain preferential treatment during and after the annihilation of most of the Humans of Second Earth."

The Ageless, however, merely sighed whilst nodding his head slowly in agreement, "Yes. I took him on as my apprentice after some negotiations. However, I did not realise he would try to use it to his advantage until much later."

"Did you regret taking him on as such, Father?" The Lich King closed his Story slowly, and placed it within the pocket dimension exclusively reserved for such a thing.

"Back then?" the other leaned back into his chair, contemplating the past. For a time, he remained silent, whilst the other waited with some patience. Of which was close to breaking until he was rewarded with, "Back then it was more of a strained relationship. Now?" the Kitsune's shoulders rose up once, then dropped back down, "It is uncertain until his mind returns to something more along the lines of normalcy."

"How is he now?"

"See for yourself," the Ageless was calm as his right foreclaw dug itself into the fabric of reality, carving out a near perfect circle. Of which was only a dozen centimetres in diametre, and contained an image of an Illithid strapped to a long table by way of half a dozen magickal ropes. This being was the supposed Melephas, but contained far too many "parts" which were fighting to control his body and mind.

It appeared to them that he had many monsters' flesh, and even his bones, grafted to the body. Each was pulsating with its own life, whereas the head was still the same that they remembered. However, they soon realised that this was not so, as the eyes were of varying degrees of colour. In that the left contained an iris of a felines, whereas the right was more along the lines of an Archfiend's.

"Has he spoken since being ejected from the Plane of War?" wondered aloud Brutus, who then turned towards the other.

To which the other closed the image seamlessly, then leaned back against his chair once more, "He said he won, but wouldn't specify what. Anytime someone speaks of the Plane, he falls into a fit of giggles. Of which becomes full on laughter, of the mania sort, when asked if he beat it."

"Isn't that impossible?" Brutus's voice almost rose to a shout as he leaned in, desiring to catch even the softest of syllables spoken.

"Yes. Yes it is, but it doesn't change the fact that he hinted at such a thing," shrugged the other.

"Have you checked it?"

"The Plane of War?" Brutus nodded, desiring to know what it was that they had found, "It's still there, and ongoing as ever."

"Which means?"

The Ageless sighed, rubbing the back of his neck slowly, "Which means we don't know what had occurred until his mind becomes 'normal'."