Norris's avatar stood silently, its expression unchanging. But inside, Norris's mind was racing.
Norris's avatar spoke with confidence, its voice steady. "I'm not the first living mage to come to the Death Realm and won't be the last. Organizations composed of the living can even be found in the Death Realm. I don't think the fact that I'm alive is anything to fuss about," it said, the words echoing through the dark chamber.
The Noble's eyes narrowed, his voice growing colder. "Fuss? You underestimate the gravity of your presence here. The living are an affront to the natural order of this realm." The Noble's gaze lingered on Norris's avatar, searching for any hint of fear or weakness. But Norris's soul fire remained steady, his emotions locked behind a mask of calm.
Despite his bold words, Norris's mind was racing with doubt. He had researched the laws of the Death Realm, and he knew that the living were scorned by the dead. But he had also stumbled upon a theoretical loophole—by assimilating his body to the plane's rules, he might be able to exempt himself from the usual scorn.
However, now that he was face to face with the Noble, Norris wasn't so sure. What if there were unspoken rules? What if his research had missed something crucial?
Frustrated by his inability to read Norris, the Noble shifted his attention to the surroundings. With a wave of his hand, a spectral map materialized before Norris's avatar, displaying the twisted landscape of the Death Realm.
"You see, Mr. Mage, my domain is not isolated," the Noble said, his tone dripping with satisfaction. "The neighboring nobles and I... understand each other. We have arrangements in place, mutually beneficial agreements that ensure our cooperation."
The Noble's gaze seemed to bore into Norris's avatar, his eyes glinting with amusement. "If you were to try and escape, you would find that the surrounding domains are not... welcoming. My neighbors would be happy to detain you, and they would certainly try to persuade you to join them, just as I intend to do."
As the Noble continued to speak, Norris's avatar remained engaged, keeping the Noble busy with a show of interest. Meanwhile, Norris's physical body, now a mere shell, blended in with the surrounding undead, its lack of consciousness masking its true nature. He made sure to slowly escape the noble's mystical domain.
The Noble's soul fire shone with excitement as he began to speak like it was a done deal, "Mr. Mage, as my court mage, you'll have access to the most forbidden and ancient secrets of the Death Realm. The knowledge of the ancients, the secrets of the underworld, and the mysteries of the afterlife will all be yours to uncover."
He leaned forward, his voice taking on a conspiratorial tone. "You'll have access to the vast and untold riches of the Death Realm, where the shadows themselves hold secrets and the very air is thick with the essence of the dead. The resources here are boundless, and you'll have the freedom to explore and exploit them as you see fit."
The Noble's gaze bore into Norris's avatar, searching for any sign of temptation. "You'll have influence and prestige within my range of influence in the Death Realm. My word carries weight, and as my court mage, you'll be able to wield that influence to further your own goals."
As Norris listened he felt a sense of déjà vu.
The noble tone became brisker, "And, of course, you'll have the freedom to pursue your own research, to conduct your own experiments, and to follow your own interests. You'll be able to tap into the vast network of... acquaintances I've cultivated over the years, and you'll have access to the many and varied wonders of the Death Realm."
It must be a tried and tested strategy. Norris remembered facing this kind of offer from The Duke just a week ago. Do all Nobles use this strategy to bind mages?
The Noble leaned back in his throne, a self-satisfied smile spreading across his face. "So, Mr. Mage, what do you say? Will you join me as my court mage?"
Norris's avatar bowed its head respectfully. "I'm honored by your offer, Noble," it said. "Your benefits are indeed tempting, and I'm moved by the possibilities you've presented. However, my goal for coming to the Death Realm is clear, and I fear that accepting your offer would divert me from my purpose."
The Noble's smile faltered, and his eyes burned with fury. The air around him grew colder, the shadows deepening and twisting into malevolent tendrils. The soul fire within him pulsed with increased intensity, casting flickering shadows on the walls.
"Foolish mage," he spat. "You think you can refuse me? What gave you the illusion that I was giving you an option? You dare defy my will?"
The Noble raised his hand, and a crystal orb began to glow with an eerie, otherworldly light. The air around it rippled and distorted, like the surface of a pond on a summer's day.
A dreamy, ethereal beam of energy erupted from the orb, filling the air with a maddening, surreal glow. The beam was huge, filling the entire space, and it vibrated with an immense, crushing mental weight.
Norris's avatar stumbled backward, its form beginning to distort and writhe under the onslaught of the beam.
Norris looked at the noble and started having second thoughts. Maybe it won't be so bad to join. He'd get resources—rare resources. The noble is also domineering. He must have his own strengths. He looks relatively straightforward. With a little thinking I can outsmart him?
The noble looked on with a sneer, "You don't join me willingly, then join me 'willingly' after I've changed your mind".
Norris snapped out of it looking at the orb in fear. The orbs influencing power on Norris dampened as a result of him being away.
Norris however had no intention of letting his avatar fall under the Noble's influence. Looking at himself, he was increasingly distorted. Eyes perfectly adorned his bones, blinking furiously. Maggots fell from his eye sockets-- like tears.
Norris was horrified.
With a thought, he triggered the avatar's self-destruct sequence. The avatar exploded in a burst of energy, releasing a flood of information into Norris's mind. The final burst of informations and speculations was received by Norris.
And with that knowledge, Norris fled, disappearing into the shadows of the Death Realm.
The Noble was left with a sense of unease,. While he had not thought of allowing Norris to leave today, having already prepared flight and teleportation prohibitions against the mage, The mage had still outmaneuvered him.