The door to the dark lords chamber opened abruptly as Julie came back in, her hips sashaying hypnotically and her sword
clicking against her belt as she found Kenan on his throne bent over the large crystal ball.
"Not all villains have women sidekicks you know." She began indignantly, "Dr. Venture had Brock Samson, Dr. Evil had Mini
Me. Both of them were guys, but nooooo, I have to be a chick. How am I supposed to protect you when I have more skin
showing than a taxidermists convention."
Kenan did not lift his head from the crystal ball but he raised an eyebrow at his friends remark, "You're saying you'd
rather be a midget than a woman?"
Julie gave a little exasperated huff and wandered around Kenan's dark throne. There was never any way to deal with him, why
should she expect any better now that he's some dark wizard... thing. She leaned over her friend and masters shoulder and
looked into the cloudy depths of the crystal ball to see a small village surrounded by a stone wall.
"What's that?"
"Facile Victum, it's a fishing village just on the coast and practically right across from us too.
Julie considered the determined look in her friends eye and then looked back at the cloudy image of Facile Victum, "What are
you gonna do?"
Kenan waved a hand over the ball and the clouds swirled and opened to reveal what looked like the deck of a boat filled with
lizardmen, "I'm going to capture it." He said simply.
"Capture it? Why?"
"Strategy, because of how close it is, Facile Victum could be used as a staging area for an attack on this tower. Also under my
control, the village can quickly become my very first fortress on the mainland, and may be used to quell attacks on me before
they even reach this island."
"Wow... uh... anything I can do?"
Kenan motioned to the crystal ball which became an overhead view of the villages harbour, "They've just landed." In the
swirling mist, the dark lords boat rammed into a dock, crushing it to kindling as lizardmen in shinning black armor leapt out
onto land, swords flashing in the setting sun. Soon sounds of terror and cries for help drifted up from the ball as houses were
set aflame and the village militia were silenced at the hands of the fierce reptilians.
After mere minutes the villagers were rounded up in the town square.
Kenan raised his eyebrows and smiled gleefully at Julie, "Show time."
In a great 'whoosh' Julie and Kenan were swept up in a swirling, black vortex. Instantly their feet reconnected with the
ground and they found themselves before the frightened villagers in the square, some recoiled in terror, some just starred on,
wide-eyed. Julie turned to her friend and saw his hood was drawn up over a featureless black mask. She smiled slightly at his showiness before turning back o the frightened people. When the dark lord spoke it was in a deep, booming voice:
"I am the dark lord Kenan, hear my words and obey. Facile Victum is now under my control and will become my first trophy,
be honoured. Your men will join my ranks as soldiers, your women will work in my dark tower and your children will rebuild
this village into a nigh impenetrable fortress. If any of you so much as thinks to rise up against me and my orders, you will be
struck down without remorse."
As Kenan finished the lizardmen stepped in and began separating the villagers into three groups, they shouted and kicked
and screamed but were no match for the size and strength of Kenans soldiers. Julie turned and saw Kenan talking to a
lizardman with a red sash across his chest.
"Take the men and children to the customs house, that will be our conversion center, the women will go on the boat to be
shipped back to the tower."
The lizardman nodded and went off to fulfill his orders when it happened. Only a brief flash but Julie saw it clear as day,
a man had stepped out of the crowd and flung a dagger straight at her master with surprising accuracy. With inhuman
accuracy Julie thrust into the air, grabbing the dagger and landing on the ground she rolled into a fighting stance.
Kenan rounded on the bewildered man, Julie knew that under his mask his face was contorted with anger.
"You DARE make an attempt on my life?!" Kenan raised his hand and the man floated up into the air and hung before the dark
lord. "You will suffer for your insolence!"