"You will scourge and despoil them all, impregnating each with a litter of malignant imps that will grow to overrun and destroy Good King Leopold's royal dynasty for ever!"

Vulkan grinned lasciviously as he visualised the task ahead.

"May I ask what Leopold has done to so earn your enmity my master?"

Malpurgo sat down in a large throne like chair carved from an ancient block of dense, dark wood and smiled almost pleasantly at his creation.

"Two summers ago Dashane's northern borders were plagued by nomad raiders who struck deep into the rich cantons of Muck, Haldane and Showa; murdering, raping and plundering. Always they struck at night and by the time Leopold's knights would arrive, the raiders were always long gone, disappeared into the mountains from whence they came. Leopold appealed to me to use my powers to divine the secret hiding places of the nomads, saying that I could name my own reward if I served him truly, which I did and he led a great campaign to wipe them out. When the King returned victorious, I duly attended his Court and applied for payment in the form of the hand of his daughter the Princess Flamia."

Malpurgo grimaced at the still bitter memories.

"Leopold refused, saying that I was attempting to trick him to demand such a precious prize. Whilst the Queen publically branded me a pervert and a fool and ordered the guards to flog me out of the palace. And so it transpired, with the young Flamia and all of the assembled nobles of the court laughing and scoffing at me."

The wizard's smile was corpse-like as he relived the disagreeable encounter.

"On that day, confident Leopold's largesse, I had neglected to forearm myself with sufficient care and my magic failed to save me – a mistake I will never make again."