Welcome to Gaia! ::

Lous watched with strange fascination. Sometimes the pages would be covered in diagrams and strange numbers. Some were almost completely blank. Lous caught sight of a sketh that detailed how to remove a soul next to what appeared to be nothing more than an ink blot. He shook his ehad when a new diagram caught his eye. "Wait a second." He reached over and flipped the page back. "Does that look like a summon to you?"

Lous reached over and handed the piece of charcoal to his brother. "Who wouldn't want a dragon at their disposal?" He smiled. "And even if it doesn't obey us, I'm sure it won't be so strong that we couldn't teach it a thing or two."

Lous thought it over for a moment, scenes of fire raging behind his eyes. "That would be so cool." Then he crinkled his brow. "No. That would be bad. Dang." He looked down for a moment, then smiled. "We'll just do what Father does. Roll with whatever hand Fate deals us."

Lous stumbled back, moving against the walls as the canles lit, sliding into place and the incense began to burn. He looked around wild-eyed. "What is going on?"

The symbols began to glow and pulsate, beating slowly at first, then faster and faster, like a heart beat. Slowly, bits and pieces of dust and sand began to crawl across the floor, picking up speed as they went. They came together, sticking by some invisible force to form a pair of feet> Soon after came a pair of spindly legs, a thin torso, stick-like arms, and then a head with hair like fire, dacning in some eerie wind. THe body stretched and cracked until it came to a halt at it's full height. Then Hermant opened his eyes, the flames dancing like an inferno. He looked down at his body, curling and uncurling his four-jointed fingers. Then he threw his head back, opened a wide mouth full of sharp teeth, and let out a piercing high-pitched laugh. The Puppetmaster was back.

Far away, in his blank hell, Vaarn had devolved into a nearly feral state of insanity. He took a sword and ramed it into the ground. Then he slowly began to back away from it, making sure that he could always see it. Step after step he made his way slowly backwards, until the sword was nothing more than a sliver in the distance. Then he felt himself bump against something. Momentary excitement gripped his fevered mind, and he whirled around to confront the thing in this devoid land of nothing. Instead, he came face to face with his sword. He sank to his knees letting out a shreik of anger and dismay. He collapsed forward, squeezing his yellow eyes tight. But sooon the echo of his shriek became laughter. Vaarn sat up on his knees. He knew that laughter. And he knew what it could mean. Then he sat back and began to laugh, a horrible cackling sound. That laughter seemed to restore his sanity; it brought the hope of freedom. And so he crossed his legs and sat back against his sword: waiting.

Hermant turned with his usual puppet-like movements. He tilted his head to the side as he studied Fahr, smiling. "I thank you good sir." He seemed to sniff the air for a moment before swiveling back to face Lous who was by now standing with his own wings out. "Good sirs." He smiled, licking his thin lips. "You've done me a great service by pulling my from the Otherworld."

Lous only nodded. He was content to let his brother speak for him, especially to the high-voiced and generally eerie Puppetmaster.

Hermant smiled widely, turning back to Fahr. "No, it seems nothing is free. Nothing in life, nor in death." He cracked his many knuckles. "So," He bent one knee over the other, collapsing into a sitting position, looking mroe puppet-like than other. 'What can I do for you Fahr, younger brother of Lous, nephew of Vaarn." He smiled as he heard the tiniest amount of shock register over Lous' face. "Don't be so surprised Lous. You look quite similar." He swivled his head aaround to smile at him. "I'm sure the two of you will make wonderful rulers."

Lous stared back at the Puppetmaster, meeting his fiery eyes dead on. "That's what the prophecy says."

Hermant smiled at him. "I'm not surprised it does." He swiveled around to look back at Fahr. "Your price?"

Hermant smiled wider. "You certainly aren't foolish." He tilted his head to the side for a moment, ceasing to move. For a moment, it was as if all the life had gone out of him and he was nothing more than an puppet with its strings cut. Then his head abruptly jerked back up. "Bodies." He smiled. "My choice of who and what I want as mine." He smiled wider, seeming to relish the idea.

Hermant smiled, tilting his head to the side. "Sirs," He extended his strange little hand, the extra joints making his fingers stick out extraordinarly far from his hands. "You've got yourselves a deal."