Unlike the tales he had heard, the city was far from it. Had it not been for the way magic itself seemed to ooze from the land, Zed would have believed himself to have been in the wrong place. But there was something about it that struck his very core. A gut feeling that told him this was where he was supposed to be. That the very energy that was radiating from the ruins was exactly what he had been looking for. His steps were careful as he moved himself around the outskirts of the ruins. His gaze flicking over the creatures that resided within it trying to gauge the best way to go about this.
They were unlike most things he had seen before. Made of pure energy - magical essence their very being. It was oddly familiar to the clones he created with his own magic. But it was different. They were no mere mimics using dark magic that were controlled by a living being. They themselves were the living beings. It made him curious how such things came about to be. But there were many things in these lands that should not be - and yet they existed and thrived. It was no surprise to him that these things managed to survive though. They were certainly a threat despite their worker like movements. It would be best to stay hidden for now.
His steps through the ruins were calculated, trying to stick to the shadows and keep himself hidden best he could while he searched for any being that may be out of place. That may seem to be stronger than the others. He knew he was looking for a magical energy being, but other than that he had nothing to go off of. So it seemed he would have to investigate and do a bit of slinking around to try and find the answers he wanted.
And as though some unseen all powerful force had known what he was searching for his head snapped up at the sound of something commanding the others. His gaze flickered to find the source of it, and finally settled on the massive energetic being. The chains that bound him seeming to be the only thing holding his form together. A part of Zed wondered that if it were not for that metal that the energetic force would be chaotic and out of control. A volatile force that would be unstoppable if unbound.
That seemed to be what - or rather who he was looking for.
Zed began to move closer. Settled on his goal now as he moved, avoiding the energy pulsating from the land. And then he found himself freezing in his steps as the being turned its attention toward him. He wasn’t sure how but it had picked up on his presence. Something that he was quite impressed with. It was not often that others could sense his approach, that they could tell where he was before he was in their personal space. His mind mulled over the ways to approach this as he felt that gaze from the being boreing into him. One wrong move, and he feared that his journey here may be for nothing.
So he chose to speak - “ I come seeking answers. About the Darkin. About Rhaast. ” He could only hope that this was who he had been seeking, and that the ancient being had the answers he was searching for.
Murderous intent filled Xerath’s thralls as they surrounded the newcomer. It seemed as though they were all ready to unleash their power on Zed the instant their god gave the command. The only reason he hadn’t yet was because, despite this man being a trespasser, the Magus was genuinely somewhat impressed the stranger managed to get this far undetected. His very essence seemed to be composed of pure darkness, and yet he somehow kept it contained...
Then the man spoke, and while the self-proclaimed deity lacked a proper face with which to convey surprise, what he said certainly caught Xerath off-guard. “Rhaast?” Xerath waved his hand, and the murderous intent of his followers seemed to lessen as they backed off. “Explain yourself. Who are you, and for what purpose do you seek the Darkin? If you desire power, then you will not find it with those pitiful failures.”
