Troy stared as the scenes went away in the orb.
It had been horrible. Watching all those people die…and rot…was gross. The phoenixkin wanted to know why Dolan had showed him this. Why would he paint himself as a villain?
“You…You’re a monster!”
“I showed you the unvarnished truth. I am an evil man, Troy.” True Prime Dolan said. “But when you make a deal with me, you should know my measure.”
“So you caused all of this?” Troy spat. “Why? What’s wrong with a bright future? With not having to watch the planet die, with ending war, with immortality?”
“Because it’s boring.” Dolan shrugged. “I simply couldn’t cope with such inanity. Why not be a God and do whatever the hell I wanted for an eternity than be forced to live in some pansy world with fake fucking smiles?”
“Oh.” Troy rolled his eyes. “There’s no way to lose and you’re a gambler.”
“No, it’s the basic human need for conflict.” Dolan spat. “Fuck peace!”
“So now you’ve won. What happens?”
“The world gets more interesting. I like collecting things and I like games of chance and skill. That should be what my world is like.”
“I couldn’t even imagine it.” Troy swallowed.
“You could. Now the real question is: Do I freeze you as a trophy or let you go?”
“You want to freeze me?” Troy rolled his eyes. “Why? I haven’t even been able to enjoy myself once since I started my existence!”
“Oh?” Dolan’s eyebrows rose.
“I’ve been used by everyone. You, Xarxos, they all wanted something from me. Fuck it, who ares, turn me into a goddamn desk ornament.” Troy snapped his beak angrily.
“You have been rather ill-used. That’s true.” Dolan stroked his long white mustache. “How about this: A proper life? I’ll regress you, you can be king shit of Myth City?”
“Seriously?” Troy said excitedly. “I’d love that!”
“Well, just wait for-”
Troy’s phone rang.
The phoenixkin looked up apologetically and turned it off. “Sorry, continue?”
“Just wait-”
The phone rang again.
“Really, you’d think they-”
“No, go ahead, answer it.” Dolan rolled his eyes. “Who your provider? I can’t get shit for cell service down here.”
“Berizon.” Troy said and answered the phone hurriedly. “Hello?”
“Hello, Troy.” Feng-err, Xarxos’ weathered voice drifted out of the phone’s speakers.
“What the fuck do you want?” Troy snarled, beak snapping angrily.
“I order you, as my Familiar, to point at True Prime Dolan and keep pointing at him however you can no matter what. I order you to pretend to be accusing him of something vile. I order you to conceal that you are my familiar. I order you to take his Book as soon as the deed is done and bring it safely to me.” Feng hung up
Troy stared at the phone in shock.
“S, Feng is telling you he is losing the floor battles, eh?” True Prime chuckled.
He clearly hadn’t overheard what Xarxos had just said. Troy’s finger rose to point at Dolan. He twisted his face into one of furious anger.
“You lied to me!” Troy spat.
“About what dear boy?” Dolan chuckled bemusedly. “Please, show me how I’ve misled you.”
“You know exactly what you’ve done!” Troy jabbed at Dolan with his finger. “I can’t believe I actually trusted you!”
“You really shouldn’t have, although…I must say, I’m at a loss as to what you think I’ve done beyond what I’ve already shown you?” Dolan said, reaching into his pocket to wipe sweat from his brows.
Troy swore the man was shrinking, his feet rounding and swelling, body growing more…cylindrical. Dolan didn’t seem to notice, just seemed more amused than anything at the moment. Troy marched up to him and prodded his increasingly rubbery chest.
“You lied to me about what you really are!” Troy thundered, towering over the shrinking man.
“And…what might…that be?” Dolan gasped, looking up at Troy, his grin stretching wider across his face as it began to grow bulbous.
“You’re nothing but an old, well-lubed buttplug my husband gave me as a gift when I was 21!” Troy replied, hefting up Dolan.
Dolan’s eyes went wide then stretched across his featureless Minotaur-shaped cockhead. The large black rubber dildo was oozing lubricant as it flopped on the floor and wriggled violently for a few moments. Then it went still.
Troy stared at the buttplug for a moment. Then he dropped his pants to the floor, shook out his tail feathers, and promptly shoved the former Book owner straight up his ass, all the way to the hilt. The phoenixkin made sure it was clenched in nice and tight. Then he pulled up his pants, moaning as the buttplug stretched him out nicely, and picked up the Book of Time from the floor.
He walked up the stares to give the Book of Time to Xarxos, as he’d asked. However, inwardly, he was furious. How dare Xarxos order him around like some…some dog at his beck and call! He was going to figure out a way to get rid of him. Somehow, he needed to weasel out of the wording of the orders. There had to be something!
Wait, that wording…’Bring it safely to me’…that was pretty vague. Could he, perhaps, make sure it was safe by placing Xarxos or Feng or whoever the fuck he was at the moment and place the Book in his hands? He’d be very safe then.
Troy clacked his beak happily and waited for the elevator to bring him back to the main floor.
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
“What, really, that was it?!” Xavier blinked, looking around. “You won just like that?”
“Of course.” Feng smirked. “People over complicate things. Dolan loved winning and gambling and gloating. I knew they were attempting to groom Troy to betray me. I needed to alienate Troy just enough that he stopped holding a Book publicly.”
“So you intentionally pissed off Troy so he would get close to the real Prime Dolan and then you sprung your trap?” Xavier shook his head. “Fuck…I thought we were going to have to play the casino games.”
“Never even intended to, save for a whim. A bad decision, as it turned out.” Feng shrugged. “But you can’t argue with the results.”
“But will he forgive you?” Xavier murmured.
“Not yet.” Feng replied. “Ah, there he is!”
Troy strode from the elevator, Book of Time in hand. He marched over towards Xavier and Feng where they watched the poker games. Feng eyed him carefully and moved around the room, circling to the doors of the casino. Troy shook his head in annoyance and followed him.
The phoenixkin closed the distance and began to raise his finger.
“Stasis yourself.” Feng smiled.
“Stasis!” Troy spat. “You-”
He froze, hand outstretched, finger uncurling to point.
Feng moved back around Troy and waited behind him, hand on the Book of Time. Five seconds later, Other Xarxos walked in, a determined expression on his face. He looked around and saw Troy.
“Dispel!” Xarxos shouted.
The Stasis spell was removed. Troy’s finger uncurled.
“Stasis!” Troy shouted angrily.
Xarxos froze.
“Stasis.” Feng said quietly, jabbing Troy in the stomach.
He picked up the Book of Time, walked over to Other Xarxos, and picked up the Book of Arcane.
Xavier clapped. “Holy shit. How?”
“Divination. Picked it up from the table upstairs.” Feng explained. “Figured I’d take them both out. Hold on.”
“Dispel.” Feng said, undoing the stasis on Troy.
“What?” Troy sputtered, “What’s going on!”
“We won. I used you as bait.” Feng replied. “Sorry.”
Tears welled up in Troy’s eyes and he ran off, sobbing. Feng and Xavier watched him go. The elderly dragon sighed.
“That went well.” Xavier crossed his arms.
“As well as it could. Now let’s get rid of this mess.” He placed all the Books together, allowing them to merge. “Mass Dispel!”
The casino wavered.
“Mass Dispel!” Feng shouted.
The room began to wobble.
Feng took a seat, feeling exhausted. “Mass Dispel!”
The world vanished in a bright flash of light and a thunderous roar.