Mortanius ignored the ramblings of the gibbering author, and turned away from the tower of paper on his desk, to the window that provided a view of Nosgoth, at the back of his office.  This was only slightly less depressing.  When his gaze scanned across the rural beauty of Nosgoth, it was interrupted by the same landmarks rising from the grassy planes.  Nupraptor’s Retreat.  Malek’s Bastion.  Avernus.  The Pillars.  Mortanius acknowledged that they were indeed fascinating structures, and he saw the beauty in their originality and design.  But, he resented what they represented.  His fellow circle members all lived in luxury, and they had their own fortresses.
      “Their own bloody fortresses!” he loudly proclaimed to his empty office, still keeping his gaze through the window. The office did not reply.
      Mortanius had always kept this jealousy to himself, but it burned inside of him.  What do they have? he thought.  Azimuth has got a bleedin’ big church, Ariel’s got the Pillars, Malek’s got a bloody big bastion, and as for the protector of the pillar of the mind, he has a massive skull on a rockface with balconies in it’s eyes, and a waterfall through it’s mouth!!  You have to admit, that while owning a large church is extravagant to the point of showing off, Nupraptor building and inhabiting such an intimidating structure is just taking the piss. Well that was how poor Mortanius saw it anyway.
      He continued along his stream of thought.  Bane and Dejoule have got castles somewhere to the East, Anacrothe has a castle in the south,  and as for Moebius, that manipulative little git, he has got his own industrial-strength time machine, and some nice land in Nosgoth’s mountainous territory.  And then he asked himself the question.
      “What have I got?” he asked aloud to an empty room.  Since no answer was coming, he provided his own.  “Nothing, that’s what.  I have crappy rented office, a cheap house, and a hard job.  It’s not fair!” he proclaimed, and just as this author thought he was about to stop proclaiming, he proclaimed some more.
      “Do any of those fools actually know what work is?!  They do nothing, but revel in there power.  Bastards.  I mean, who is it who has to fill in the paperwork every time someone dies?  Who has to sign endless forms and make sure that no souls are going to early, and that none are passing on to late?  Who? ME!!” he shouted, for he was an angry man.  All the stress of work would build up, and he would release it alone, by shouting at his office.  Funny, really.
      “It isn’t bloody funny, you mortal sod!” he screeched. 

      He then pondered why life was so unjust to the protector of death.  He knew, he knew all along, but acknowledging this made it all the more unfair.  It was because of his morals.  The other pillar protectors used their powers to gain profit, prestige and power.  Nupraptor was always known to charge through-the-roof prices for a hearing, and Azimuth became the Matriarch of Avernus for protecting them from harm.  Mortanius didn’t think like that.  He knew his job, and he would do it.  He wouldn’t use people, he protected them.  He made sure that they all had a trouble-free journey to the next existence, and he would never let a single person down.  He was a good guy alright, no doubt about it.  A good, but woefully sad guy.
      Awwww.

      Mortanius worked from nine till five every day except for Sundays. At five o’clock, it was time to go home.  Mortanius left his office, locked up behind him, and walked the path home.
      He and his wife lived in Uschtenheim, which was quite a walk from his office in Willendorf.  These walks were always a good thing though, as they gave Mortanius a chance to calm down before he got home.  Unfortunately, it was raining.  And he stepped in cow shit.  Twice.
      Mortanius knew that if there was a heaven, that cow wouldn’t be going there.  He would see to it.

      “KNOCK! KNOCK!” shouted Mortanius.  They had an expensive door, and his wife insisted that he not knock on it, since it might get damaged. 
      “……” went the wife.
      “KNOCK!! KNOCK!!” he yelled again.  The wife replied.
      “Hold on Frank, I’m coming.” and she did.  The door was carefully opened and a soaking wet Mortanius stepped in from the cold.  He expected some caring response from his wife, some sympathy and compassion that had been sorely missing from his day.  Here it comes he thought.
      “How…..OMIGOD!!  FRANK!! You’re treading cow mess all over the floor!!  From both feet!! Get out and wipe it off!!  These are new carpets Frank!!” she shouted to him, while shoving him back out into the rain.

[Now, to avoid confusion, it must be pointed out that ‘Mortanius’ is the sorcerer equivalent of a stage name.  His real name is Frank.  Don’t snigger like that.  It’s just his name]

      Mortanius (or Frank…..snigger) didn’t bother to yell ‘KNOCK KNOCK’ again.  His wife was a bitch and he knew it.  He just never accepted it until now.  Out there, in the rain with feet full of shit, a moment of realisation hit him.  Enough was enough!
      Mortanius clicked his fingers, and vanished.

      Edith (for that was the name of the wife) waited for her grovelling husband to yell ‘KNOCK KNOCK’ again.  She would slap him when she opened the door for ruining her new carpet.  There was no yell…

      Around Mortanius, the house, the road, and the street twisted and turned, and shifted colours to a spectrum of blues and greens.  Mortanius looked around. 
      “Not bad.” he said, since that was the first time he had used his powers in centuries.  He had not needed them since he got his office.  He looked around, and remembered the comfort of being in the spectral realm.  A nice quiet place.   He had not visited it for hundreds of years.  He considered that using his powers for anything other than his job was selfish and irresponsible, but he didn’t care, not anymore.  He was going to start living again.

      “This is the start of a new beginning.” he said.  Then, someone tapped him on his shoulder.  Mortanius turned around.
      “Hello.  I’m Hash’ak’gik.” it said.
      “Hello.” Replied Mortanius, looking up at it.
      “I’m going to possess you now.” it politely said.
      “Oh Shi…”