Role

Chapter 2

The dusty and rickety old furniture of the sitting room in the old mansion had been turned
over and thrown about in a state of disarray. Blood spattered the walls and was smeared
in a trail behind the battered necromancer who crawled across the floor like some sort of
grotesque slug.

Bartis had been tracking this wizard, Izzato, for several days, finally catching up with
him in an old mansion hidden deep in a gloomy and secluded forest. A battle had ensued
when Bartis surprised the mage, interrupting some sort of sick corpse animating ritual.
The fight had been fierce at first, however, Bartis, now a seasoned mage killer, had
gained the upper hand quickly and pummeled Izzato to within inches of his life.

As Bartis walked across the floor behind the necromancer and reached down with one
hand to grab a hold of Izzato and prepared to unleash death with his other fist, the dark
mage coughed up blood in some sort of tired attempt at a laugh. Perplexed, Bartis stayed
his hand for a moment, which caused the man to gurgle a louder laugh and then he tried
to speak.

'You can kill me *bloody cough* but I know about you! I know about your brother!
*bloody cough*', Izzato weakly groaned in an attempt to hurt Bartis with the only tool he
had left at his disposal, knowledge. 'I know many thi- *cough* things. I speak to the
dead! I know about him! He is- *cough* is imprisoned. Tha- That isn't all! His soul is
tied to a- *cough* a mage. You cannot save him without saving the mage!!!' Izzato wetly
cackled with all the energy he had left, feeling dark satisfaction through the pain of his
injuries upon seeing the shock, fury and sadness that washed over Bartis's face at the
revelation of this truth.

Bartis roared in fury and raised his fist in hatred to pummel the last ounce of life out of
the bastard mage for speaking of his brother, but, it was too late. Izzato had expired with
the exhalation of that last maniacal cackle, stealing from Bartis the pleasure of unleashing
his rage on him one final time.