Interlude:

A figure in a worn and tattered cloak gracefully slipped across the landscape, easily avoiding the small hazards that threatened to twist an ankle or could announce his presence. His attention swept over everything, missing not a single detail as he searched for signs of his quarry.

He was a hunter, by nature if not by class. And at that moment, he was hunting the most dangerous prey of his life. He was hunting something that was every bit as determined to take him down.

The cloaked figure suddenly noticed something. He paused and crouched down, examining the ground and carefully sniffing, though he wouldn’t expect much scent. After a few seconds, a faint smile formed on his scaled lips.

“It was here,” he whispered.

The target was more spiritual than physical, so it left few physical signs of its passing, and what few there were, were quickly erased by the Labyrinth. The discovery of even one footprint was evidence that the creature was getting tired and sloppy.

“Or,” the figure reminded himself, “it’s trying to lead me into a trap.”

That was a definite possibility, though the figure didn’t know how likely it actually was. Most primals were predictable. They fell into specific categories that defined their powers, desires, and very natures. If you knew what kind you were dealing with, then you also had a good idea of what you were dealing with. However, not all primals were so easy to define.

This primal was different. It seemed to be equal parts natural, elemental, and some other type that the figure had never encountered. That made it unpredictable, and therefor, more dangerous.

Of course, the figure had been chasing and fighting Big Bad for long enough that he had developed some understanding of the creature. In many ways, it behaved more like a natural primal than like any other kind. But unfortunately, the figure was not sure how much of that was the primal’s true nature, and how much could be an act to manipulate him. To make him assume…incorrectly…that he knew what it was going to do.

“It’s a hunter,” the figure thought aloud. That much, he was sure of. “And it has its own preferred prey.”

He had seen that much with his own eyes, confirmed it with his own experience. Big Bad liked to hunt other primals. It liked to consume primal energy. This much, he knew for a fact.

While the figure crouched beside the footprint, he considered the other clues he’d seen. That he’d smelled. And perhaps most importantly, what he’d felt in the air. Big Bad was still evading him for the moment, but it wasn’t simply running away. No, it had another goal. Then, he realized what it was.

A moment later, the figure stood up and slowly turned around to face the monster that had been trying to sneak up on him. He’d been aware of it the entire time but had been too busy to deal with it until then.

The monster was about nine-feet-long and looked like a cross between a salamander and a ferret. It’s slimy skin was changing colors to blend into the surroundings, though that did little to hide it from the cloaked figure. As soon as the monster realized that it had been noticed, it let out a warning growl as it prepared to launch an attack.

The cloaked figure growled back, making a noise that was deep and menacing. Black smoke began to swirl around his body, with tendrils of it reaching out towards the monster. The monster tensed up, then abruptly turned and ran.

Once the monster was gone, the figure turned his attention back to what he’d been working on. Big Bad. From what he’d seen and the traces of primal magic in the air, it was clear that his target had found new prey of its own. It was on the hunt again, and this time, it was after an invoker.

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Michaelangelo had been a brilliant artist. He’d been a painter, sculptor, poet, and architect, a true master of his craft. The stocky man at the work bench aspired to be such a master of his own craft, which was why he chose to use the same name.

The man who now called himself Michaelangelo hunched over his latest piece, one that was a far cry from the masterpiece he wanted to create. However, he didn’t yet have the skill or resources he needed for such an undertaking, but until then, this would pay the bills and help to gather those resources.

A loud knock shook the door. Michaelangelo stood up straight and glared at the door, annoyed at the interruption. Before he could say anything, the door opened and a man stepped into the workshop.

The newcomer was tall and muscular, with dark brown skin, a shaved head, and a perfectly trimmed white beard. With that physique, Michaelangelo would have expected the man to be dressed in barbarian garb and wielding an oversized weapon. Instead, he wore an expensive suit and held a staff in one hand.

“Maestro,” Michaelangelo greeted the man, carefully keeping the annoyance out of his voice.

He and Maestro had a professional relationship, a business relationship which served both parties quite well. It was Maestro and his people who supplied Michaelangelo with the resources he so desperately needed.

“I bring a delivery,” Maestro announced as he set a shoe box onto the bench.

Michaelangelo opened the box and silently examined the contents. There was a piece of white metal that shimmered with all the colors of the rainbow. He immediately recognized the material as ‘unicorn bone’, a unique metal which could only be found deep inside the Labyrinth. Beside the unicorn bone was a small chunk of unobtainium and a couple gemstones.

“One of our teams just returned from the Labyrinth,” Maestro told him. “And I expect Frank’s team to be back in another week or two.”

“Good,” Michaelangelo said with a nod of approval. “I can use this.”

He looked over the new resources and almost smiled. Most of this would be processed and used to make new artifacts, then given back to Maestro. However, Michaelangelo would be able to use some of it for his personal projects. He was especially interested in the unicorn bone for that.

“Did they bring back any interesting artifacts?” Michaelangelo asked.

“Nothing that you haven’t already seen before,” Maestro answered with a faint smile.

“Too bad,” Michaelangelo responded with a grunt. It was hard to improve his craft if he didn’t have new examples to study. “One of these days, I hope that your people will bring me a soulbound item to study.” Then he grinned as a touch of manic excitement lit his eyes. “Imagine what I can make for you if I learn how to make soulbound items.”

“That would be quite impressive,” Maestro agreed, absently stroking his beard as he did so. “But you know how rare soulbound items are...especially ones that are unbonded.”

“Yes, I do,” Michaelangelo agreed with a grunt of frustration. He’d spent years inside the Labyrinth, and he’d never come across an unbonded soulbound artifact. “If you at least let me study Frank’s axe…”

Maestro shook his head. “While I would have no problem letting you study her axe, Frank has made her refusal perfectly clear, and I value her too much to press the issue.”

“Understood,” Michaelangelo responded, keeping his frustration tightly controlled. He hadn’t expected anything different, but it had seemed like a good opportunity to bring up the subject again. “Then, I have something for you.”

With that, Michaelangelo picked up a small box from the other end of his work bench, one which had three recently completed scepters laying inside. These were not his best work. In fact, these were the equivalent of some early level scepters that could be found inside the Labyrinth, but they were ones that he’d made himself.

“This is all I have for now,” Michaelangelo told Maestro. “I’ll have another one finished by tomorrow.” He looked at the scepter that he’d been working on before Maestro interrupted him. Then, his eyes went to the unicorn bone and he smiled again. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have work to do.”

“Of course, Mike,” Maestro responded. “I’ll leave you to it.”