Magax's New Vow

"Hubrid Nox, why did you have to die on me?" Magax said. He stood in front of the tombstone of his nemesis. The sky was dark and gloomy, typical of Haunted Woods. "I was the one that should have defeated you, not another villain like yourself." He then sighed.

     All of a sudden, his enhanced senses told him that someone was behind him.

     "Who are you?" Magax asked, wielding the Darklight Axe in his hands and looking at his target with his red glowing eyes. The trees hid his opponent from view.

     "Don't worry. I am not an enemy," a female voice said. A muscular female Bori wearing armour and wielding a mace then came out of the shadows. She then extended her hand. "In fact I hope that you can help us."

     "Who are you?" Magax repeated, his eyes returning to normal.

     "Are you Magax?" the female Bori responded.

     "Yes, that's right," Magax said, putting the Darklight Axe back. He then looked at the female Bori. "What do you want me for?"

     "My duty here was to find the great nemesis of Hubrid Nox," the female Bori said. She then looked at the tombstone. "Instead I find him standing in front of his tombstone sighing and moping."

     "I am not moping," Magax said. He then looked at the tombstone and then shook his fists. "He used me... for something h-horrible! I had to stop him, but-but now..." He then sighed again.

     "How will you respond if I tell you that Hubrid Nox isn't dead," the female Bori said. "Or at least he's not as dead as you think." Magax turned around, looking shocked.

     "What are you talking about?" Magax asked, sounding surprised. "Of course I didn't see what happened but I'm sure that if he was still alive, I would've known it by now."

     "You're a hero of Neopia yet you haven't noticed the growing darkness in the world?" the female Bori said, looking upward. She then looked down at him again. "Or have you been so absorbed in your misery not to notice?"

     "I'm not miserable," Magax said, pouting. He then looked straight at her. "But what does this growing darkness have to do with Hubrid Nox?"

     "I'm not saying it has anything to do with him," the female Bori said. "But do the names of Lanie and Lillie sound familiar to you?" At that, Magax's eyes popped open.

     "How-how do you know them?" Magax asked.

     "Ah so you do know them!" the female Bori exclaimed. "A giant obelisk appeared one day in Tyrannia emitting great power. Various groups fought against each other seeking to be the first to unlock its power. Lanie and Lillie were the leaders of one of those groups."

     "There was a war?" Magax said, sounding surprised. "Can you explain more about this?"

     "As I said, a giant obelisk suddenly appeared at Tyrannia one day," the female Bori said. "Various groups from all over Neopia came to fight to be the first to unlock its powers. My own group tried recruiting people from all over Neopia to take part but we were still outnumbered. Another group, the Sway, won the right to be the first to access its powers but it only released the spirit of an oracle who gave everyone boons. There have been minor skirmishes since then but we still don't know as to the real reason why the Obelisk appeared."

     "Interesting," Magax said, thinking. "So you don't think Lanie and Lillie could be the true leaders of their group then? I admit that seems to be odd for their character. They're so... juvenile."

     "We fought them many times on the battlefield," the female Bori said, looking down at her mace. "They were the most powerful in their group for sure. Everyone in their group were monsters- mummies, zombies, ghosts and others."

     "That sounds like my fellow former minions," Magax said. "But that itself doesn't prove that Hubrid Nox is alive."

     "Even so," the female Bori said. "Was he not a wizard?"

     "Sorceror," Magax corrected it. "What of it?"

     "Did he not know necromancy?" the female Bori asked. His eyes then lit up.

     "Of course!" Magax replied. He then shook his head. "But he couldn't revive himself! Necromancy is reviving of the dead and requires a reviver first!"

     "Do you know someone else who could have done it?" the female Bori asked. Magax thought for a minute.

     "I thought that Brains Mortigan was interested in necromancy but the last time I heard he was a member of the Haunted Woods Yooyuball team," Magax said, looking upward as he thought. "It's possible that Hubrid Nox knew that someday someone would try to kill him and left his plans to someone that could revive him. Maybe he gave them to the twins." His eyes then lit up. "That sounds exactly like something he would do!" He then looked back at the female Bori. "Did you see him at all at Tyrannia?"

     "No," the female Bori said. She then narrowed her eyes. "But something... dark seemed to be present with the Awakened."

     "I see," Magax said. "He couldn't have been resurrected as a person so you think that he was revived as a spirit?"

     "It's possible," the female Bori said. "He doesn't need to be physically present to exert his influence on his subjects does he?"

     "True, but even if that's possible, do you really think that Hubrid Nox is the real leader of the Awakened?" Magax asked. He then went closer to her. "Can it just be someone else that's doing it under his name?"

     "It's possible but even so, we need to be on guard," the female Bori said. She then looked more intensely at him. "My group have been trying to recruit more people all over Neopia. We're still fighting for the boons. We definitely could use someone skilled at magic, and one that has battled the forces of darkness for many years. My own commander is interested in this affair since he fought against the Wraiths at Faerieland under King Altador and has his own suspicions about what really happened to Hubrid Nox-" Magax then looked straight at her.

     "Did you say he was at Faerieland?" Magax said. He then went toward her. "I need to know more about what happened there!"

     "If you join us I am very sure that my commander will be happy to tell you," the female Bori said, extending her hand again.

     "What's your commander's name?" Magax asked, looking suspiciously at her hand. He then looked up at her again. "And what's your name? You never bothered to tell me."

     "My name's Alhana and my commander's name is Flint," Alhana said. "If you agree to join us, I'll take you to him at once. I wasn't there so I am not able to provide you with any information myself."

     "What's your group's name?" Magax asked.

     "We're called the Brutes," Alhana replied.

     "Doesn't 'Brutes' sound mean though?" Magax asked. Alhana grunted.

     "Why do people associate 'brutes' with being mean?" Alhana said. "We have dedicated ourselves to stop the growing darkness no matter what. So will you join us?" Magax thought for a moment. He then smiled and took her hand.

     "I'll join you," Magax replied. "If Hubrid Nox's still alive somehow, I need to know. And if he somehow regained his power, I have to stop him." Alhana turned sideways and looked back at him.

     "Then follow me, my new comrade," Alhana said. "I'll take you to Faerieland- it crashed not far from here but the faeries are rebuilding it again. The Brutes are using it as a base for now. Commander Flint shall await you." She then walked off.

     'Yes,' Magax thought, following her. 'I have to get to the bottom of this. If Hubrid Nox has been revived, then I'll put his soul to rest. If not, I shall get to the bottom of this and stop the true leader of the Awakened. That's my new vow.' He then followed Alhana to his new life path.

The End