Damon’s eyes widened as he comprehended what was happening to him. The glass of wine slipped from his limp fingers and shattered on the ground. He staggered backwards as he stared unbelievingly at his best friend. He attempted to form an incantation to expel the poison from his body, but was unable to even access his power. His legs gave out and he fell to his hands and knees on the cold stone floor.
A wide grin split Belrick’s face as he set his own glass down onto the table. “Don’t even try,” Belrick advised, “This is one of the six heavenly artifacts made from the sap of the god tree in centuries past. It was thought to have disappeared from this world long ago. Luckily I came across this beauty, because I was having quite a bit of trouble coming up with a suitable plan to kill you. This incurable toxin has many properties and one of which is the ability to block the meridians of the victim, making them incapable of using magic of any kind.”
“Why?” Damon gasped as he felt the poison work its way through his body, “How could you do this to me?”
Belrick smirked and said, “No hard feeling Damon, but I guess my lust for power was a little stronger than our bond of friendship. I really must thank you though, for bringing me this far. The people will be so sad to hear that the Arch Mage Fehrier, was poisoned by assassins. I guess I, your second in command, will have to take the burden of ruling the kingdom in your stead.”
“You bast-” Damon shouted as he coughed out a mouthful of blood. Hate filled his eyes as he glared at Belrick. “I… I trusted you,” he wheezed, “Were all of those years meaningless to you?”
Belrick snickered as he gave a deranged smile back at Damon. “Do you know how much I've longed for this day to come?” he asked. “Of course these past years weren’t meaningless. They helped me pave the way to this glorious day!” he exclaimed in triumph. Belrick strolled over to the immense window and gazed out at the snow coated castle below. With towering walls and soaring turrets, it was the largest and strongest castle in all of Dragnier. Hundreds of armies had broken on the walls throughout the years like water on stone. But who would've thought the first attack to succeed in the thousands of years since its construction, would come from within. “Goodbye old friend,” Belrick said not bothering to turn around, “You can explore the other side before me. I won’t be joining you for many years to come.”
Damon collapsed to the floor, for he could no longer even support his own body weight. He attempted to open his mouth to call for help, but the poison lived up to its name and was not something a mere mortal could resist. Regret was etched into Damon’s face as he looked at the room, for perhaps the last time. His remorse did not stem from the fact that he had not yet reached his 40th name day, but rather that he had left so much unfinished and most of all that he could not get revenge on his so called friend. He regarded the aged ornate book shelves, that dozens of Arch Mages before him had used as well, and widened his eyes as a shadowy figure ambled into view. Despair filled the pit of his stomach, because he then realized the legends were true. Staring into the empty sockets of the unearthly being before him, he knew he truly was about to die. Death only visited the wizards who would soon perish, in order to bring them personally to the land of the dead.
As Death drew closer the ancient coin, Damon had adorned around his neck for years, began to grow warm. At first he chalked it up to his imagination, but it soon got to a point where he couldn’t ignore it any longer. Death seemed to have noticed as well, for he stopped his movement forward and turned his head down toward his chest. Though Death had no eyes, it seemed he saw the coin through the layers of clothing covering it. Damon could feel Death’s gaze on him and it sent shivers down through his body. He then could feel Death look past the coin and bore into his very soul. After a few moments Death looked back into into his eyes and gave crackled laugh.
“You have done well,” Death praised, “I will take this Heavenly Artifact, God Coin, as payment and give you what you wish.” Death’s stark white skull was the final thing Damon saw, as he took his last breath and closed his eyes.
Damon opened his eyes once again. Except he was no longer Damon, for the eyes that opened were not his own.