The Master of All Magicks was not pleased.  He'd reported to
the one who called himself The Master, and that one had chosen to meet
this Takar.  Why?  Mordath had already agreed to serve that one, for
the power he would gain as a result.  In addition, his "cousins"
Jardek, Lorrithan, and Kharazz were sworn to serve.  And there was
the human, Rhiannon - Mordath had to admit that his powers were useful.
Star magic; in the time Mordath was human, such things would not have
been dreamt of.  But he had gone beyond that, of course.  In time he
would learn this magic as well... but it would be easier with Rhiannon's
aid.  Reason enough to keep him alive for now.  In a mere century, he
would die of age anyway.
	He put Rhiannon from his mind; that was not why he'd come here.
There was another new type of magic, very concentrated, that he'd felt.
His position demanded that he discover the source of the new magic, and
master it as he had the others.  Even the Gold magic had not eluded him.
He briefly smiled, contemplating the addition of the sixth and seventh
runes to his circlet.  Star magic, and... this.
	This place was not where he would expect to find a concentration
of such powerful magic.  It was run-down, in polite terms.  The kind of
place he, as an Archmage, had always avoided as beneath him.  When he
found the source of the magic, he would burn it, he decided.  Flare,
Nuke, Fire 3, Megaflare, Merton, Devastator... the wonderful possibilities
ran through his mind as he searched...
	There.  A tall, white-haired man, and a young red-haired girl,
both dressed in dark colors.  Would-be Black mages, no doubt.  Well,
soon they would give away the source of their powers.  Hidden by his
Vanish spell, he had no fear of discovery.  He stood carefully out of
the way and prepared to watch this pair.  Perhaps with the power he
would gain, he would no longer need "The Master" as an ally... although
that one's legions of wraiths had their uses.  Perhaps...
	He smiled again to himself, and waited.