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"Remor comes..." "The Terrible Black approaches...." "Hail the Prince of Darkness, Son of Mother Mabuka..." The Kamalas began to whisper to one another as they scattered out of the path that their leader was walking, carefully watching him. His mood could turn from peaceful to raging in no time at all, so it was best to keep out of his way and soak up the despair that followed in his wake. For too long he had been trapped to the Fifth Reality, traveling as much as he was permitted through the other Realities but always hungering for more. While the Kamalas were almost completely free to come and go as they pleased Remor was limited to very brief forays into their favored Third Reality, the Reality of Humanity. Humans were easy prey for Remor and the Kamalas, they were creatures that could be turned to hatred, despair, and agony with little effort. All it took was a little push in the right direction and even the strongest-willed human could become the prey of a hungry Kamala.
There was a different air about Remor as he walked towards a clear patch of ground atop a cliff. A brave Kamala darted forward to get a better look at what Remor was carrying, something that smelled of power was in his hands and it was too tempting to pass up. He growled at the upstart, head turning quickly to put the too-eager Kamala back in its place.
"Hail the Terrible Black!" The properly chastised Kamala offered by way of apology, returning to its fellows who all echoed the sentiment, waiting for a punishment that did not come as Remor simply continued on his way.
The cliff Remor had chosen overlooked a great expanse of water, a place that would assist him in his current endeavor. Water was one of the best conduits for planar travel. However, Remor wouldn't be going anywhere; he had chosen the site for the ease of the one he was summoning.
"Itward! Come forth!" Remor demanded, his voice projected and booming over numerous Realities. A light wind tugged at the tattered robe Remor wore as he waited.
Before long, a portal opened on the ground before Remor and a skeletal figure emerged, dressed as a nineteenth century gentleman, top hat and all. Itward, the Traveler Between the Realms, looked up at Remor and removed his hat for a moment as he bowed respectfully to the Prince of Darkness.
"Itward, at your service, your Terrible Blackness," Itward greeted, skeletal grin firmly in place.
"Save your platitudes for another time, Itward. It's time," Remor stated, the item in his hands giving a pulse that caused Itward to look at it for a moment before looking back up at Remor's goat-mask face.
"You cannot be serious.... It is nowhere near..." Itward began.
"Betwixt the two of us I am supposed to be the liar, Itward. It. Is. Time," Remor said, cutting Itward off. "I know you have made contact with a new human, begun the process of introducing them to the varied layers of Reality."
"You know what happened last time, Remor! The process did not work," Itward said, crossing his arms.
"Yes, well, if that idiot Oswald hadn't of gotten in the way we would of had our champion, wouldn't we?" Remor countered. Itward scoffed.
"Clara and Mia were not willing to accept both the dark and the light, they were too easily corrupted...." Itward said, looking away from Remor. Was it remorse Remor saw in the skeleton's eyes?
"Are you planning to defy me?"
Itward could feel the power radiating off of Remor in dangerous waves and quickly shook his head.
"No, never your Highness!" He needed Remor and Mabuka's continued good will in order to be able to wander in the Lands of Darkness and the Fifth Reality. Being dual-natured was a wonderful burden at every twist and turn it seemed.
"Good. Then you'll do as I say," Remor said, the item in his hands moving to levitate in the air as the Prince of Darkness began to reshape it into something new. "The human you have been connecting with, tell me everything...."
Itward watched as Remor worked his power to mask and transform what Itward knew were the seeds that allowed an unawakened creature, such as a human, to see into all of the varied layers of Reality. He momentarily wondered what Remor would mask them as this time before he began to speak.
"A young girl called Fran Bow, not yet eleven years old. She lives with her parents, her mother had a previous connection to Dr. Oswald before we interfered in his work... Fran is imaginative and has not lost the spark of curiosity that children carry for the first part of their lives," Itward said, part of him feeling terrible for giving this girl to Remor. But she held so much promise....
"Good... She'll make a fine opponent then," Remor said, finishing his work.
"There is one more thing... She has a little black cat." Itward could hear every Kamala in the vicinity that had been lured near by Remor's power and their own eagerness to latch onto a new source of despair take in a hissing breath.
"She has a cat!" "Little cat, little black cat!" "Cat, cat, cat!" Several of the weaker Kamalas moved to hide, hissing as the group passed the information along to one another.
"Well... We'll have to do something about that, won't we?" Remor said, his tone even and thoughful. Cats were the guardians of the veil, one of the few creatures who could see into the other Realities without assistance or training. If the girl and the cat were close then Remor would have to take steps to ensure the cat would not interfere with their plans. They were tricky animals that way. Remor finished channeling his power and handed the finished enchantment to Itward. The Traveler Between the Worlds shuddered lightly, he had never particularly liked Remor's special brand of magic, as he looked down at the innocent-looking pill bottle now in his hands. Remor just bathed in Itward's fear and awe as Itward looked back up at him.
"You will see to it that she receives my little gift. Now go, I must marshal my forces in order to ensure all goes according to plan. I want to see to it personally, but as we both know my influence in the Third Reality is limited," Remor stated. Itward nodded and disappeared though a portal that formed around his feet, leaving Remor alone with the Kamalas and his own thoughts.
The Kamalas tentatively approached Remor, excitement beginning to replace fear. When no rebuke came for their curiosity, they began to swirl around Remor, whipping up a small wind as they whispered their allegiance and gratefulness to him.
"Prince of Darkness!" "Terrible Black!" "What is thy command?" "Show us thy will..." They whispered, a hundred voices chorusing all at once in their desire to appease and please their lord.
Remor stretched forth his hand, the Kamalas continuing their dance up and around his arm, sensing his power and drinking in the comfort it gave them.
"Go," he commanded, opening a portal into the Third Reality that the Kamalas eagerly surged through, leaving Remor alone. There was the ghost of a smile on the fair face hidden by the frightening goat-mask.
"Ready or not, Fran Bow, The Darkness comes for you...."