Prompt 1

A quick paced patter races through the eroded cobblestone floors of his keep. "My Liege I bring news on the anomaly." A rather small hobbit at 2 feet tall bows before the towering figure.

"Speak pet." He says calmly while admiring his familiar a raven. The hobbit finds itself waiting for the bird to say something. "Did I stutter?" He then squats down eye level with his servant the deep eye contact striking fear into the small creature's heart.

"When he did arrive, he brought something through with him. A consumption, tearing through our reality. Nothing against you, the might Sorcerer." The hobbit bows yet again.

"Interesting. I must see this for myself, where was this counterpart last seen?" The Sorcerer stands again throwing his bird to the air before walking off. The hobbit follows closely fidgeting with their hands as they walk down the hall.

"My last report said it was entering the dark forest just north of what is left of Minstrel. I would suggest going to the city first." A wicked smile finds its way onto the Sorcerer's face.

"Why would you suggest this?" An almost condescending tone pours down onto the hobbit's ears.

"To better asses the power of your prey."

"Your lessons are starting to show, soon enough you'll be quite the strategist."

"Thank you master, I'm nothing without your guidance."

"After I leave I want you to go to the library and pull the journals from the Minotaurs of Minstrel, look for anything like this. If anyone knew anything about this it would be the Minotaurs." With a flick of his wrist a black fog asperates from the floor surrounding the Sorcerer as it creeps up his legs then his chest, eventually engulfing his form just to dissipate leaving no trace of the powerful caster left behind.

Far away in the remains of Minstrel a similar fog appears as the Sorcerer walks out from it seeing the destruction left in this monster's wake. Literally nothing was left but the dirt. Not even a blade of grass was alive within the city's plot. 'What could do this much destruction?' he thinks to himself. 'The only person I've seen with such awesome power was Grandfather, but even he wouldn't do this'. He ponders his questions as he walks through the cleared area hoping for some clue to be left. Looking out into the surrounding forest he realizes that it was still seemingly intact. 'Why destroy the city, but not the woods? It must be something he can activate, which could make it a valuable ally.' The Sorcerer then starts to draw sigils and markings into the dirt below. After some thirty minutes of just marking the grounds he pulls out a knife to cut open the palm of his hand letting it drip into his work as he chants. The power emitting light from his eyes, stuck in a trance he watches to see where the monster fled to when he recognizes a group appearing just before. 'The College? What does the Headmaster think he can do?' The Sorcerer shares a quite chuckle with himself before breaking the trance. At the center of what once was Minstrel his eyes lock on the Beast's pathing, on the prowl.

Not until the full moon is high in the sky barely lighting the forest floor through the foliage does he catch up to his prey. He watches for a moment, the gaunt seven foot tall creature looked like a stretched human, perched over what seemed to be a mushroom. 'Could this have been one of the forgotten creations of Grandfather? Awoken suddenly?' The Sorcerer steps out into the Beast's line of sight, for a moment both give each other a curious look with slightly cocked heads. "What do I call you?" The Beast leans in after hearing the Sorcerer's voice. 'What must it be thinking? Does it even speak?'

"No." It barks back after a moment of thought.

"No? No what?" The Sorcerer replies.

"You do not call me."

"You wont tell me your name? Why?" Pressing for answers. The Sorcerer is one of the oldest living creatures in the multiverse and this pest thinks he can refuse him, and with such disrespect.

"Name? We have none." The Beast stands now towering over the Sorcerer. "What is your name?"

"Mine? Aristodemo, though I must request you tell none."

"Why do you not fear?"

"Fear? You?"

"Yes, all fears us. The things we touch are lost forever to the void. Why do you not fear?"

"Let's just say I've been around long enough to know the void can't reach me."

"We know it comes for you soon." It looks away almost as though listening to a whisper. "Your Author, once he is ours you will cease."

"The Author, that is your prey?"

"We are his end. Unfortunately yours as well." The Sorcerer quickly and calmly raises his left hand pressing his middle and ring finger to his thumb before whispering some ancient word of power. The grass below the Beast rips open with a red orange glow coming from the rift it's creating.

"You have declared war then. May the best man win." The Beast caught off guard by the Sorcerer's actions it frantically scratches and claws as the remaining earth as it slips into the tear in reality falling beyond.