Chapter CLIII: Ode to Hammurabi’s Code ~Multehx

 

 

Nictem growled. He shook his fist in rage before pounding the door hard. There was a metallic echo of impact, but it remained firm and unscathed. He snorted angrily, eyes narrowing.

“First that miserable human steals my very witty remark, then he locks me out! This is an OUTRAGE!!” He yelled furiously, pummeling the door for a bit.

This yielded something akin to the square root of zero. He was pretty much worn out by now and he collapsed against the door. It slowly swung open and he crashed to the floor of the room. He blinked, then stood up, grinning widely.

“Man, I AM a genius!” he said to himself.

He surveyed the room, then noticed a pool of…well, it looked like water, but all the blackness was reflecting and making it look like strained oil. He rubbed his chin in thought.

“The energy trail leads in there. So he probably went that way. Now, why would he do that?” The Twilighter began to pace as he thought aloud. “Hmm, probably has some ace up his sleeve on the other side. He probably WANTS me to follow him.” Nictem looked at the pool, smirking hautilly. Heh, yeah right. I’m not walking so blindly into a trap.”

He raised his hand and it took on a yellow glow. “But…” he quietly said, waving his hand in a circle.

A yellow, metallic cover appeared over the pool, reaching from one side to another. It appeared to be half a foot thick, and riveted. He snickered, taking up his cane again.

“Ought to let him get nice and cozy with his Calvary, let’s say…forever?”

He laughed, exiting the chamber, sure in his knowledge that there would be no escape now, save his overlooking of the fact that logic and Kyanosa Canopus tended to go together like charcoal and an acorn.


***

 

Nictem stopped on the way out of the cavern. He turned and stared at the entrance for a moment. He rubbed his chin again in thought, then shrugged, grinning.

 “What the hey?” he asked, waving his staff and grinning.

A green gale of wind struck the cavern, causing a shower of rocks and pebbles to jar loose and fall to the entrance floor. In moments, it was barricaded, and there was no sign of there ever having been a cave entrance or a few there. Nictem chuckled, turning and walking away.

“That’s for Cydak,” he said before vanishing in a yellow pillar of fire.