Another old friend gone.

[Michael T]

As many have already seen Ihad an unexpected disapearance, I had gone to a place of power to recharge some of my talismans. It is so much easier when the power spikes during certain times of the year, less stress on me. While there I bumped into an old friend, a young woman who was studing under my mentors closest friend. Amanda was the kind of person you almost immeditately liked, very out going and friendly. She and my wife were best of friends, and both loved to torture me when we were young. I have keep inm touch with her since my wife's passing, and she has always been a source of stregth for me when I was down.

I greeted her as she walked up.

"Hello Michael, I see your still investing your free time in talismans." she answered with an impish grin I was all too familar with.

"Yeah, easier to be able to stand in for a long fight or big ritual. How have you been?"

We caught up on her recent activity and the joys of a messy divorce from a very unfaithful ex. We almost seemed able to relive the care free youth, when our biggest worries were if we would be able to pass a test in our latest lessons. I confessed alot of the recent goings on in my life with out adding any thing specific or names.

"Sucks to be nearly depleted of back ups, I've been there done that." she said chuckling.

The flame blast from her sent me flying a few feet back, my armor spell held but the heat nearly dropped me as I inhaled. Amanda came on with no mercy, spells flew between us as fast as we could cast them. I had no qualms about trying to end this fast and by any means needed, this was not my friend in my opinion at the time. I ran dry of spells and talismans before her, I got hit with a glanceing strike of lighting.

"What's wrong Michael? You always loved to use the call lighting spell on your foes, not so good to be on the reciving end huh?" she taunbted moving in with another force bolt.

I rolled over and pushed to a sitting position.

"Why Amanda? Why are you doing this?"

"Power of course. Most of the people we know are gone now, myu mentor and his newest students, most of the other young people we trained around and even a few of thier mentors. I claim all thier spell knowledge and thier items they've collected through the years, and grow more powerful with ever one destroyed. It's your turn now Michael, and I get all of you and your mentors knowlege." she almost purred as shew raised her hands to cast.

I don't think she belived I had won even as she sank to the ground and died. I felt sick to my stomach and my ears rang painfully. I reloaded the hand gun I have been carring for awhile now and slowly moved over to check her. She looked at peace, nothing like the woman who only a few seconds ago was trying to kill me. I called Skullcrusher to me and then teleported us to the small mourge I have in one of my homes, after Amanda was turned over to my staff I teleported home.

I checked on her home and her mentors, her mentor and students were where she had left them. I found a diary of targets and have been verifying the list in it, it seems 7 mages of varies experince have been removed from the world by her. None of them were evil by our definition. Some days the weight of the world is hard to bear, this is one of those moments.

Michael T

[Kolya]

That is all kinds of suck.

Sorry to hear it, but glad you came out victorious.

[Ron Caliburn]

Power corrupts - the power of magic corrupts faster than most.

Also a fast draw beats a fireball - remember that.

[Bert_the_Turtle]

I'm sorry about that Michael.

Power corrupts. Yeah. I'm sorry man.

[GhostSpider]

Power can currupt, yes. Which is why I love this quote "To educate a man in mind, and not morals, is to create a menace to society." Teddy Roosevelt.

Wisdom must be learned hand in hand with power. I'm sorry your friend never recieved that lesson.

[Kolya]

Or at least could have learned it in another format.

[DarKnyht]

Nothing sickens you more than having a friend turn on you. That feeling of betrayal unfortunately stays long after.

Even now I get sick when I think of Slater.

[Ron Caliburn]

Having warn the shame of a traitor, I can say they deserve what they get.