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Even though darkness had descended upon Britain, it did not deter the most resolved citizens from performing their duties; everything from scurrying about like rats on errands for the merchants, to dividing up vast hordes of treasure in the building colloquially referred to as "Brit Bank". Bawdy laughter and rosy light spewed from the building, creating a pleasand and inviting scene.

How Marius hated them all.

Like a savage fury, the bats swirled around the town, a crecendo of high-pitched squeals echoing bitterly from a vortex of tiny, black bodies. The effect itself was mostly ignored, given that very few people dared raise eyes to the sky. Those who did, paid little heed. Such was their folly, Marius knew, that would allow him to execute his plans without interruption.

Spearing through the night towards the castle, the bats swept before the gatehouse of the castle, causing a newcomer to the lands to alight with fear as he was surrounded with little feral, dark bodies. The newcomer was left bewildered as the creatures shot through the castle doors.

Though, it was not the bats who entered the walkway, but Marius, fluidly becoming whole again in a motion that was most unsettling to watch. A mocking bow preceeded his entry into the grand throne room, where heroes had been recognised countless times. A place where honour and virtue were celebrated almost every day. A place where Queen Lissar herself, bastion of all that Britannia stood for, served her people.

A place where Marius would realise his destiny.

Queen Lissar had known of his coming. It wasn't hard. For the enlightened, and the powerful, keeping tabs on one another was as simple as watching for the signs. Each villian had a way of doing things, and certainly Marius' registered highly on the 'extravagant' scale. Even now, he was bedecked in his finery, elegant black and silver clothing that only accentuated his sinister appearance. Marius' glittering grey eyes hardened to stone as he approached the throne, the only noise in the whole castle, the rapping click of his staff against the floor.

"Welcome, Marius." Queen Lissar said, breaking the silence, and the tension - a game to which she was most accustomed to. "Why have you come before me?"

In those words, Marius found the spark of conflict within him. How easy it would be to kill her, to lay her vulnerable mortal form low and take the crown. But was that the true way of a Master villian? It certainly reeked of pettiness and a warlord mentality. Marius blanched inwardly at the thought, before wetting his lips and constructing a eloquent reply.

"Certain events have eluded to the movements of beings that are a detriment to your cause." He said, in a neutral tone that left no clue as to the always-present double meaning.

"Yourself included?" She asked plainly. Certainly, there was no love between the two, and they spoke plainly and directly, and though neither would admit it, with respect for the other.

"Certainly not." Marius responded cooly, letting his eyes wander to the throne. He looked back as he continued, "I speak of otherworldly beings. Demons."

"Britannias' finest heroes have already countered that threat, Marius." Lissar said, elegantly placing herself upon the throne, hands clasped in her lap. "Though I appreciate your concern."

A wry smile appeared on Marius' face. However much he desired to contest the issue, he decided against it. Let 'Britannias finest' deal with the coming incursion. "I see." He said, again taking upon a neutral tone.

"You did not come all this way to warn me." She said.

"No," Marius allowed, "I did not. I --"

Marius the Black had not noticed two guards coming to stand behind him. Halberds upright and sure of eye, they each placed a hand upon his shoulder. Marius bristled with anger, both at his failure to notice them, and at their perceived disrespect.

"I will not tolerate this." Marius hissed.

All at once, the guards moved to attack, but Marius was too swift. Violently spitting the words of a spell, he stretched his hands outright. A savage blast of black energy shot out from his body, throwing the guards against the wall.

Next, he crossed his hands over his chest and splayed his fingers towards the unconscious figures. The black, crackling tendrils of energy that lingered over their forms convulsed, before flowing back to Marius. Entwined with the blackness were two, glowing, helpless souls. They screamed their damnation as the Necromancer absorbed their life forces, shuddering with power.

And then all was deathly still. Lissar, accustomed to hardship and battle, had never seen such a display of violence and brutality. The dessicated husks of the guards fell to the floor. As pale with horror as she was, she remained sitting, and her voice level.

"Such injustices I cannot allow." She said cooly.

"Allow?" Marius spat. Here he raised his staff high, and the ground thrummed with power. Like a creeping mist, spirits were drawn from the nether, standing in the throne room like some morbid assembly. Each wore a look of betrayal and pain.

"You allow the wanton murder of innocents by those you call 'heroes', my lady." Marius said, maintaining his rage, but unable to keep fierce vindication out of his voice. "Every passing day sees innocents slaughtered by those you reward, even as the people cry out!"

Lissar moved to speak, but Marius lowered his staff, levelling his gaze at her.

"There has already been one rebellion." He warned.

Lissar kept her gaze on Marius. There was truth to his words, she reasoned, but it was skewered in a way she could not understand. While he certainly had a perspective on the matter, she was certain it wasn't the right one. It couldn't be.

"Not everyone is a murderer, Marius." She countered, gazing upon the faces of those slain. "There is more virtue here than this 'evil' you speak of."

"I was unaware that virtue made allowances for evil." Marius rebutted, holding his staff with both hands now.

"We make allowances for you, do we not?" She queried.

"That is different," Marius began, "as while you would have your lackeys and fawns label me evil, the truth of the matter is that I would do anything to restore this land to a place of peace and security. That I would lay it low, and scour the land of it's wickedness, and build a better realm."

Here Lissar paused, considering his words. Filled with such conviction and purpose, she would allow - if even for a moment - that his dreams were possible. At the same time, she knew him to be wrong. His twisted perspective of the world would certainly fall in on itself, and Britannia - for better or for worse - would definately be never more.

"I cannot agree to what you say, Marius." She said, rising slowly from her throne. A twinge of sadness filled her voice, "I will stand against *your* world, your world of dreams that will never be."

Marius simply smiled darkly, slowly raising his staff.

"I'm afraid, my Queen, that you have little choice."

(Continued in part VI)

Ah, anticipation....

Well done, Marius--always leave 'em wanting more!

As far as beating the genre` to death goes, I'm quite enjoying writing these little chapters as I go. It's more an exercise in creativity than anything else - and if a few people enjoy reading them, then so much the better.

-M

I love your stories please keep writing them.

[quote="Marius the Black"] and if a few people enjoy reading them, /quote]
More than just a few