2 days later the guard caught the Lost One walking along, on the roof, 3 floors above his room. He was not doing anything but walking, along the side of the building, like he was standing on the floor. Took them a bit to talk him in to returning to his room. Stating that having him walking along the walls was hard on Thier nerves got him to go back inside at least.

4 days later he got out again. No one saw him leave. So either invisiblity or he figured out teleportation. At least that is what the guards claim.

They found him in the kitchens, helping himself to the servants foods as he was not really eating anything they sent him in his rooms. He was dressed like a servant and really had not someone who knew what he looked like, not recognized him, he may have gotten away. Or cleaned out the pantry he was in really.

So new things learned. Master of Disguise, magical abilities, lighting and wall walking, Master level mage, though he has not been using that at present. At least no one thinks so.

On the food, turns out what they have been serving him was high in pork, which is a popular food at court. HE does not eat pork, religious reasons he states. So to get something he can eat he raided the pantry.

Emperor Johnson was just tickled cause no one thought to even ask him about such things.

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Day 6, they found my clothing I had and left with them. I don't know why, as those were my actual clothing and not 'costuming' items they claim I have. They keep putting me in these hideous 'appropreate' outfits.

I feel stupid in them. High stockings, short tight leggings, tops bigger around than I am in hideous colors.

I use a tracking spell to find my stuff, then an improved invisibility spell to slip out and steal them back before these uppity people can throw them out or worse. Bunch of high minded thieves in my opnion.

This time I just put my clothing in to my magic bag so they can't get them from me again.

After that I try to find the exit, but this place is a bigger maze than Kreelyn Hollow was, I think it's actually Bigger than that whole town really.

I really thought I was going to make it this time when while walking across a wide hall, my spell failed. Pop there I am, with a good few people in assorted Fugly clothes seeing me just 'THERE'. I sigh as the guards come running. Again.

This time something different happens though. A well dressed man in a red cloak and silver, almost armor looking shirt, steps between the guards and me, "Gentlemen, what is the problem here ?"

One of the guards nods at me, "He got out of his rooms again."

The man, whose voice is strangely familar ask, "Is he under arrest ?"

The guard, "We were told he is not to be wandering the palace. He tends to get in to things when not being watched."

I sigh, "They kept trying to poison me with their bad food, so I escaped and found the kitchens. Then some other servants came in and stole all my clothes and were trying to throw them out. I JUST managed to save them from being destroyed because apparently Middle class style is not good enough for these hoaghty toaghty types." I grouse. The man turns and smiles at me and I almost faint. He is a Dead Ringer for Tim Curry, well a young Tim Curry.

Especially with that shark like smile of his. I stare at him as he comes over, "Poison you with the food ?"

"I can't eat pork, vow I took you see." He nods, "So day before yesterday I slipped out and managed to find the kitchen and some food that was not against my diet. They told me I was 'dressed as a servant'. I find that mildly offensive as I was just wearing my normal clothing. Which is middle class level stuff, at least in the southern part of the Empire."

He nods, "I see. Difference in styles in different parts of the Empire can get confusing. Ah, I am Randolph Curry, High Priest of Jro-daan, God of Death and Record Keeping."

I stare some, "Your a dead ringer for a younger form of my favorite actor from back home. His name was Tim Curry, even got the same voice. It's spooky."

He laughs, "Well, maybe we are related ?"

"You a lost one ?" I ask.

"No." smile in place.

"Then highly unlikely as I am a Lost One. Still the resembalance, and having the same voice and facial expressions, spooky but in a nice way."

He chuckles, "Ah then you must be Rob, the mage who shrank those upstarts who tried to take us over."

"Mystic, I am a Mystic, not a mage." I correct.

His eyebrows go up, "Mystic, Really. Oh my I have not met someone like you in some time. It's a difficult thing to study. So which Pantheon do you follow ?"

"Presently Balance and Lady Luck. I am not sure of the names of most of the Gods in this reality, so I can't put a name to them here. I only know Lady Lucks name here as she sent an avatar, who told me. See I cast a complex spell, that called on her perview, that combined several things while trying to remove a nasty curse from a man. Something in the mans possessions blew up. I lived, as did his horse. Him not so much."

He chuckles through my animated telling and wording of my misadventure. "That was just day 2 of my being in this world. My first week was a tad eventful." I state with narrowed eyes.

He nods, "Well it ending with a massive army trying to conquor everything and your inventive spell that shrank them all."

"Shrinking threats is my go to spells actually. But I mix arcane and priestly magics for most everything I do. So I gets more interesting results."

He nods in understanding.

"Though the more I learned After that about these St Bonehead people the more I wish I had used a different unit of messurement in the shrinking curse. I know the faith they are trying to bring to this world. Its very evil and really needs to be forced out of this reality. They push for one god, and will torture people to death to get them to convert."

He takes a breath and sighs, "Not the first faith to try that. But their making up this army that just seemed to come from nowhere. That took some massive planning."

"From what little I know, they have been working on it for some time. Undermining the country, putting out counterfiet coinage, enslaving minor nobles, sending them to Thessnia for 'training'. I only know about that as I stumbled on to a group being sent there and managed to free them as well. The highest ranking person in that group is a Count. Which reminds me I should find a way to check on him and his family. Also the guards who were in on the plot were being paid in those counterfiet coins I mentioned." I play that back in my head and decide it's not To confusing a story. "Yeah, I am bad about slipping in to tagents when talking, or thinking." Deep breath then sigh cause I lost my train of thought.

He chuckles lightly and nods, "Not an uncommon problem really. I see it quite a bit around here truthfully." I nod and then as almost an after thought I scan his aura. The words manipulative and shifty come to mind. Not someone to be trusted, though he will do his best to come across as trust worthy and friendly. Villain is how I catagorize him. Which fits with how I see his character to. The arch villain from the 3 Musketteers. Richelieu - now in the role of a priest of Death and Bureaucrats.

I keep looking around as we talk and am especially watching the guards, I seriously don't trust them, given my experience with guards since I have been in this world, it's really very understandable.

Richelieu, um Priest Curry, "So what are you doing out and about ?"

"Looking for the exit, but this place is a bloody maze. I really need to leave. I have things I need to take care of and being here makes that quite difficult." I explain to him.

The guards, "The Emperor says your to stay, you stay."

"Not my country and really I am not someone you want irked with you. I don't take such treatment at all well. The few thousand tiny people can explain that to you if you need further proof of what happens to people who irk me." I point out to them.

The priest nods, "He makes a good point. I for one don't desire to learn what it's like to be under 6 inches tall."

"The smallest size my spells are set for are dust. The tiny almost invisible sized version. I call it 60 microns." I nod as I tell them that. I am not sure it would work, but I state it in such a way that I am sure it will. "To give you some idea on how small that is, a single human hair averages at 75 micros wide."

'Richelieu' pulls out a hair and looks at it's width and I can tell he is getting an idea on just how small he would be if I got really Irked with them. The reduction of the invading army really adds a certain weight to my threat.

Head guard smiles, "Won't work in this hall. No magic works in this hall, that is why your invisiblity failed."

I hold up my hand and let my lighting play across it, "Hm, no MY magic is working just fine." I smile, very shark like, "But I work a mix of arcane and priestly so apparently only certain kinds or types of magic are blocked here."

Guards are backing up fast. Man can pull up Lightning and they wear metal chest pieces over chainmail. So not what you want to be wearing with someone using lightning.

'Richelieu' chuckles, "Priestly magic works fine in this hall. Mage magic fails. That is so the healers can use their skills if needed in here."

I nod though I am just using my mutant power.

Pretty girls voice comes from behind us, "Oh nice someone else who can use magic in here."

I look around and see this girl with horns, and holding up a fireball around her hand. She is walking toward us. Curry does not look happy to see her.

She smiles at me, "Hello, I am Astrix Flamesoul, one of the court mages here."

I nod, and switch to fire myself, rolling it around my hand, "Rob, unintentional visitor here."

She chuckles, "Not limited to one element I see. I am a fire specialist myself."

"I prefer not to specialize if I can help it, so much wider available abilities." I hold up my other hand, ice forms around it and the cold breeze coming from it makes a nice counter to the flames.

Astrix smiles wider then looks at Priest Curry, "We putting you off Master Curry ?"

He sighs, "I am just not one to show off my abilities." he states in a bored tone.

"Right, hard to show off high organizational skills." She teases.

"Depends if he does card tricks or not. Those take allot of skill at organizing to do really." I state.

'Master' Curry chuckles at that, "True, but that is slight of hand not real magic."

I shrug, "I wonder about that sometimes. Seen quite a few masters of sleight of hand who you would swear were using real magic. But then in the universe I come from, there is not much magic. So the few of us who practice at all, become abhorently powerful when we come to worlds like this one. At least to start. Not used to the more plentiful magical fields. Which is one reason I have been avoiding the war spells."

The girl nods, "Bigger booms cause you put to much power in to them."

I nod, "I had a bad experience on my first night in this world. Slavers, I did not think, just reacted, one less group of slavers and one fewer building to. Spell count showed 21 dead in the radius of effect."

Both of them flinch slightly at that.

"The real bad part, it was only a level 2 spell, meant to be more a flash and disable, not blow up type." Astrix makes an EEE face and nods. Curry seems to be thinking, "How much was left of the bodies ?"

"Why you want them ? I got them. Seems when I appeared in this world I got a magical storage space that sucks up anything my magic kills and the surrounding stuff. Got a burning door in there, or that is how it is listed. 21 dead bodies, with names and levels listed to. 20 guards and some minor mage called Fernjan, level 8, lots of magical toys though, which I also got." I got one eye closed and am stareing at the list in my minds eye.

Astrix coos, "You got a Garage Bag ? Ooo those are rare items." looks at Curry, "They are soul bound to their owners and completely unstealable as they are not a physical object. Different ones have different limits though, both in size of things with in them as well as how much they can hold. But anything that goes in to them stays just the same as it was the moment it went in."

"Kind of a time stop effect. But I understand some of why it works that way. Has some lovely features to. Identifies anything that goes in to it. Who made them, if they are blessed, cursed, magical or mundane. I can sort stuff to some degree to. Can't seperate coins from a purse, but I can remove weapons and armor from a body. Little odd on how that works. Seems the smaller the item the harder it is to manipulate." I am lying a little here. I got no such limit, but I get the feeling if either of these people knew about just how versitile it is the more they will want to control me. And they both are trying to work out how to do that. Aura sight is a wonderful tool. Helps me see the Truth about people.

Curry is a bit afraid of me, but to he seems to think he is smarter, or at least more experienced than me. I let him think that, acting more like the scared person than I really am. Cause if I really wanted to leave, well I can fly. That is how I been sneaking around really. Combination of invisiblity and my flight power.

I see a wall of not metal type guards marching in behind Curry, "And they sent in people with magic dampening armor it seems." Curry looks around and sighs, "Paladins of the God of Order. Bunch of bullies really. Think their magic proof armor gives them an advantage over magic user types."

I nod, "So just aim around them, take out the floor, walls or cielings and let the mundane rules do the rest." I look at these two, "I used to do a lot of war games when I was younger. One of the tricks was to work out how to use your surroundings in helping you face an enemy. Was all simulation using minituar figurines and maps, but pretty good way to teach stratagy to the young."

Curry nods, looking impressed, "Yes that certainly sounds like a fine idea for teaching such things. Make it fun and the young seem to take it in better."

"Make it fun and most people young or old take it in better." I point out, "Something about how the mind works, certain chemicals in the body are released and it increases memory retention and such."

They both nod, understanding what I am saying even as the slow moving 'moron squad' is getting closer.

I look at the two next to me, "So how much trouble will I get in to if I resist going with them ?"

Curry sighs, "Makes little difference really, they are likely to try and beat you to teach you your place. That is why I called them bullies."

Astrix sighs, "He is right. Unless your a noble or high ranking member of court, they will try and bully you in to submission."

I nod and sigh. "Right, know the type. Hate bullies and I am really beginning to hate guards in this world. Almost all my troubles start because of some low life or high minded guards think they can bully me or push me around." my eyes are narrowed and I have subtly changed my stance.

The Paladins of Order march up to me, "You are to return to your rooms NOW! Failure to comply will result in you being taught your place."

I look at Curry, "So are you a functioning priest, prayers for the dead and all, or more of a political functionary kind ?"

"Both really. Your going to hurt them aren't you." he says it like a question, but it's a statement more for the Paladins benifit.

Astrix wishes me luck and makes room, as does Curry.

These bruisers pull out clubs and make like they are going to smack me around. I on the other hand just smack them with my TK, set at the half ton setting. 1000 lbs of invisible force. Boom, they are one with the walls. All 12 of them. I turn to Curry, "Got healing spells ? They need them. I am not limited to magic. Because of the world I come from, I am more a Psion and That was telekinesis, on a low setting. My high setting and they would be quite dead and paste."

And That made a definite impression on everyone why I am Not someone you want to be on the wrong side of. These bastards are the worst of the worst around here, and I smacked them down with out speaking or moving.

Astrix just nods, I think she gets what I am saying, "So Master Rob, what level are you anyway ?"

"I believe, 11. I could be wrong though. I have no idea how to check for that on my own." I tell her. She nods, "There is a level 4 spell that can show you your level and some of your abilities. Supposed to be a level 7 or 8 spell that does a more complete scan to. But that is beyond me as I am only level 10."

I nod, "Ok now I got to find said spells. I been using a primer I found and a much damaged grimiour and lots of prayers really. Mostly I hear the Goddess laughing when I do something and live through it."

Curry smiles widely, I think He understood that better than most.

Ah of the guards. They are looking over the squished paladins. True to my word, I did not kill any of them, but they are in no shape to fight either.

Looking about, I pick a direction and start walking. My shields are up now to. I really don't trust Anyone here. At all. I am not liking this world, save for the magic. That I like, but everything and one else all seem to ready to commit violence to get their way. I don't like who I am becoming because of that either. I am not normally a violent person. Not a pasifist either, but I would rather talk things out that hit someone.

And I ended up walking in a long effing circle, coming back to that room from a different passage than the one I entered by. I really hate this place.

I pick another passage, that I have not used and go down that one. End up in the bleeding dungeons, not a place with good memories, for anyone really but especially me. But at least the guard down here directed me to the gardens, which I tell him I was looking for originally but keep getting lost.

It's almost dinner time by the time I find them. One of the few nice places around here that is open to the public but has enough 'hidden' benches and such that a person can rest in some peace.

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Spy report on foriegn Hero.

Emperor Johnson, in his study, going over the daily paper work, when a shadow steps out from the wall.

"So how is our guest doing ?" he ask the shadow.

"Poorly I am afraid. Many here had family in the invading army and even though they disagreed with their motives they are still family. So they are punishing the Hero. Little things mostly, poor quality food, some maid keeps putting rocks in his bed, so he can't sleep well. Another maid found where he was washing his personal clothing and took them to 'dispose of them' by trying to toss them in a garbage fire. He just managed to save them from that fate. The Palace Guards have decided he needs to stay in his rooms and wander no where else 'to keep him out of trouble'. Does not help that he is a high level type who knows flight and invisibility spells. It's how he has been out manuvering the guard really. Though he spends a great deal of time getting lost while trying to find a way outside.

He was in the Halls of the Grand Checker when his invisiblity failed, so at least we know your great uncles spell canceling magics are still in effect in there.

He met Curry and Astrix there. Curry intercepted the guard and was trying to get the man in his good graces. Interesting note, apparently Curry resembles someone famous from the Hero's home realm. Same last name even. He, the Hero, commented on that. They talked for a bit, then the guard made one of their threats and pointed out that Magic does not work in that hall. The Hero brought his hand up and lightning played across it. Made a comment that His magic worked just fine. Curry found that amusing and pointed out that Priestly magics work well in the hall. That is when Astrix came over, showing off her fire magics. The Hero, well he switched from lightning to fire, then made ice appear around his other hand."

The Emperor sits up straight at stares at the shadow, "Oh my."

The shadow nods, "About that time the Paladins of Supreme Order were coming up the hall. Apparently one of the guards sent for them as they were in their anti magic armor. They told him to return to his room or they would 'Teach him his place'. Curry and Astrix said something I missed as everyone was giving them a great deal of space.

The Hero asked Curry if he was a functioning priest, prayers for the dead and all or a political functioning sort. Curry answered Both, then asked if he was going to hurt the Paladins while giving them room to face off.

With out a word or gesture, the Hero slammed the Paladins in to the wall, using telekinesis. He pointed out, due to being from a low magic world most magic sorts in his world are really high functioning Psions. Which is what he just used on the Paladins. Did not kill them, but they were in no shape to fight.

Astrix had the presence of mind to ask him his level. He stated he believed it was 11 but was not totally sure as he can not check on his own. She told him of the existance of 2 spells that can do that but not their names. Only the levels 4 and 8. He commented he is going to have to look for those now.

Then he wandered off, ended up going in a circle, then in the dungeons, where one of the nicer guards gave him directions to the Grand Pallasade gardens. He is there now. Found a nice secluded bench and well fell asleep."

Jacob Johnston nods, "Well from the sounds of it he needed that nap. Probably sleep better out there then in his own bed. Unfortunetly I can't do much about the maids except change them out again. I get the feeling Some force is working against him, making people angry with him and getting some petty revenge."

The Shadow Nods, "True. Micheals servent spirits are all over this place, whispering in peoples ears and causing more mischief than usual. Gods servants do things like that all the time and their are to many of them for the rest of us to do much of anything about them. Your new Hero though, HE could probably do something about them. He is a high level Spiritualist on top of being a rather powerful Mystic. Ah, He corrected Curry when Curry called him a mage. He refers to himself as a Mystic. Curry seemed to understand what that means."

The Emperor nods, "Mage craft, crossed with priestly craft, crossed with Psionics. A very powerful and dangerous person indeed. May have to teach him the Self Identifer spell, just so I can learn what his baseline stats are. Hm, how do you know he has spiritualist abilities ?"

"He has seen us, talked to a few spirits, who as you know are terrible with directions. Though it was through them that he learned where the kitchens were. Really most places he finds are by asking the spirits, very well worded questions. The man knows his stuff there. Speaks of a lot of experience."

Emperor Johnston nods, that it does. He sits back thinking. Thinks about a nice walk in the gardens and what items he should take with him for an 'accidental' meeting with this new strange hero. Hm.