The Phantom Man 2 - The Book of the Dead

VI - Klaus' Past

Far from the jail, a devilish warlock was prowling around the Ottoman encampment, setting up an ambush that would annihilate another wizard. Once all wizards had been wiped out, Klaus would go after the one that had escaped from his very hands in the last moment. Considering Klaus' immortal nature, there would come the day when they would surely meet again.

While Emperor Sallufar was sleeping, Klaus entered his tent. A whirlwind of black smoke followed the warlock. He passed his evil hands over the emperor's head and made him dream of his counselor's treason. During the nightmare, Osman was having a conversation with the King of Austria, and then he pointed his index finger towards Sallufar. Looking at the Ottoman ruler, the Mongol wizard walked in his direction, and then stabbed him on the back as soon as the emperor was distracted. As Sallufar felt Death taking his soul, he woke up terrified, with his eyes wide open.

There was no one inside the tent but him.

"That bastard is a traitor! Allah has just revealed his plot against me," he shouted with anger. "Guards! Bring me Osman! Now!"

As soon as Osman arrived, he asked, consumed by curiosity, "What's the matter, Your Highness?"

"You thought you could fool me, but God has revealed your treason."

"I'm afraid I don't know what you mean, Your Highness!" he couldn't quite understand why the king was so exasperated.

"Guards, arrest him now! I don't want to see that scoundrel in front of me another second. He must be executed tomorrow. I want his head ripped off! I knew I should not trust a wizard. There's a reason why the West inquisitors hunt your kind."

"Milord, please let me know what has happened, so that I can show you the truth."

"No more words, insolent traitor!"

And then Sallufar ordered the guards to take Osman.

As Klaus watched the guards take Osman away, the Doppelgänger arrived. He had just scouted many large European troops led by a Polish king arriving in Austria on an aiding mission. Once Klaus had been warned, he took immediate precautions.

"If the enemy army arrives, they might save the prisoner."

The creature narrowed its eyes waiting for new instructions. However, Klaus decided to solve the problem himself, so he went straight to Osman. When Klaus arrived, he threatened the chained wizard by saying, "I've come here to take your soul. There can be no wizards but me."

"Apparently, everyone decided to have me killed today. May I ask you what exactly you want from me, sir?"

"I am Klaus Rizonni, a Basnet warlock. I've come to take your vital force."

"I have never heard your name before. If it's money that you want, I can give you a great number of gold coins; you just have to take me out of here. As you can see, I am in no condition to bargain, but I'm perfectly able to assist you in other ways."

The Doppelgänger was near to Klaus', showing his sharp, pointed teeth avid for blood.

"Are you mocking me?" Klaus asked, and then turned to Fratello. He put his finger on his throat and then moved the index from side to side in a killing gesture. "Finish him off, Fratello!"

"Wait..." Osman said, absolutely scared as he realized that the threat was real.

"What else do you want? Do you want to bribe me, perhaps?"

Klaus shifted into Osman's shape and smiled smugly.

"There must be something that I can do for you. I can see that you are a warlock of great power. You can even shift into someone else's body perfectly," the wizard reasoned, awed by the way that Klaus had produced a perfect copy of him.