>>5575715Suddenly, you feel your muscles tighten on their own, tensing and readying to spring. Your mana is depleted an infinitesimal amount—the <Danger Sense> takes a negligible toll with the Red Dragon King’s mana added to your own.
“I was not controlled by the demon, no influenced ‘unconsciously’ by it. In truth… I was so relieved to be freed from that vile, demon-diddling pervert’s control that I failed in my due diligence. I didn’t realize that a fragment of the demon’s ectoplasm still lived within me until it was too late.”
There are footsteps behind you, coming down the long hallways which led you to this subterranean chamber—nearly drowned out by Archmage Henzler’s drawling voice, but not quite.
“I had no intentions to bother exposing you reptilian dullards,” the Archmage continues. “Genuinely, I did not care about your conspiracy against humanity, partly for the reasons I stated and partly because I do not expect it to succeed. But others… Others weren’t so willing to leave it to chance.”
The footfalls… You recognize that sound. Armoured boots. Were the Tower Guardians armoured? No… Not heavily, not heavy enough to explain that sound. And that slight rattle with each step—someone fully armoured, in plate and mail.
“He must have taken control of the demon when he slew your mother,” Henzler speculates aloud. “He used it to find me. He couldn’t control me, or perhaps he’s holding THAT ability in reserve for if I ever disobey his orders. But he knew what I had done, or enough to ruin me. He didn’t expose me, though, just asked my cooperation.”
“Code Olivine,” you say through gritted teeth, remembering the words this woman spoke to her subordinates above.
“A green mineral, given to the formation of scale-like patterns through the process of ‘serpentinization’,” she says, with the smallest smile. “‘Code Green’ seemed too obvious.”
Code Green… To alert the Green Knight.
[END]
