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Hidden Blade.
 Slashing Weapon: standard (rank 1)
He wasn't disappointed. The instant he turned his back, Black had called up one of his familiars. A creature of shadow that absorbed eldritch energies and used them to grow bigger....And deadlier. A being as imbued with magic as Carcaros was as good as a feast to it and noiselessly, it zoomed toward the necromancer....Big mistake.
His expression of cruel amusement changing to shock, Black blinked as he noted his familiar fading away with a shriek...And Carcaros wielding a sword, hidden in the staff that he unlocked to kill the familiar. Noting his look, Carcaros laughed and held the blade up for inspection.
"Magic isn't all powerful my apprentice. For creatures immune or created out of eldritch energies, five feet of pure, holy silver will do the job....You had no idea this was in, did you?"
At his grin, so maddening to him on top of his failure, Black whispered an incantation and held out his hand as he attempted to use another favorite method of his...Mind Crush, grasping his opponents mental faculties in his hand and squeezing.... Reducing people to a mere vegetable state. It worked wonders during his earlier reign of terror. Against this one though.....
Mind Blast.
 Mind Control: superior (rank 2)
His smile fading, Carcaros spoke almost musingly as he tapped his foot.
"Hmmmm.....Not bad. Not bad at all. You show much better then a majority of people and demons I could name. But your doing it wrong....THIS is how you do it."
Then repeating Blacks motions, Carcaros extended his hand towards Black....And Blacks mind felt like it was on fire. His every motion, controlled. His breathing, regulated by another....Only his thoughts were his and within the prison that his body had become, he was screaming profanities, curses....When his body was suddenly released and he slumped to the floor, gasping aloud as he sank to one knee, ashamed of showing weakness.
Almost desperate now, he sent out another blast of raw magic at the other....
Necromancers Might.
 Eldritch Energy: standard (rank 1)
Carcaros would be engulfed in the mystic flames, his body on fire as he writhed and twisted. Black would smile as he stood back up and brushed himself off as watched in sadistic glee.
"Ah, no! The pain-Ok, I think that's good enough."
And to Blacks subsequent horror, the burning figure stood up and quite unconcerned about the flames, brushed himself off before looking at Black and smiling.
"Nice trick, huh?"
And holding up a hand, all the mystic fire retracted to Carcaros palm....Before he flung it at Black and only by ducking quickly, was Black able to avoid it before he summoned up one of his skeletal warriors....A fact which made Carcaros laugh uproariously.
The Staff of Carcaros.
 Necromancer: standard (rank 1)
"You still using dead bodies boy? Fun as they are....I gave up those toys a long time ago. What you really want are these...."
And with a casual flick of his hand, he tapped the staff on the floor once as his shadow twisted and cackled before launching itself at the skeleton, which fought bravely...But what use is a sword to a shadow. Gesturing to the one-sided battle, Carcaros spoke.
"When using Necromancy boy, its always best to use the real thing....Not just the bodies...But the souls. Useful not only for raw power....But you twist them enough, and they'll do anything for you....."
Black could only watch. Exhausted, his bag of tricks reduced to cantrips by this odd man who claimed to be one of the most dangerous Necromancers in history....Before he sighed and slumped to the floor....Hearing the footsteps come closer...Before a hand was laid on his shoulder.
Master and Apprentice.
 Ally: standard (rank 1)
Black blinked in surprise as he looked up at the other....And realized with a start what Carcaros was. From a distance, he looked human....Up close? He was just a blur....A shade, connected to this world via some kind of object...Heavily reduced in power, and almost incapable of affecting the physical world....And he beat him. He shuddered to imagine what he must have been during his heyday and he listened carefully...
"You got talent. I'll admit that. And you can see just how....Reduced I've become. Though thanks to your power as well as the souls you trapped in that staff....I've come back....In a manner. So here's my proposition for you....You work on bringing me back to life....And I'll teach you everything I knew. Everything I ever was....A fitting gift for my chosen successor....So we have ourselves a deal?"
Black was quiet for a long time....Before he smiled and grasped the others hand.
"Of course....Master Carcaros."
Carcaros laughed and pulling Black to his feet, slapped him on the back in a degree of familiarity that made him wince.
"Great! So lets take a trip you and I....I hear Africa is great this time of year."
And drawing Black with him, both necromancers walked into the shadows, leaving the room empty and deserted....Until the specter of A.Vimes appeared in the armchair with a frown.
"Oh bloody Hell....No afterlife is worth this."
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