Cool
Is it me, or did Teesh loose her accent when she put the 'crown' on?
Crown
Moderator: Moderators
And here's the next bit.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Pyra gritted her teeth, both hands on the boiler.
├óÔé¼┼ôHe's gonna be fine,├óÔé¼┬Ø George said, shoveling some more coal into the boiler. Pyra nodded, sweat running down her brow. Her flames burned bright and hot, pushing the boiler above it's maximum capacity. The wood and metal frame of the Blimp started to groan in protest.
├óÔé¼┼ôIs she gonna hold?├óÔé¼┬Ø Pyra asked, not slowing down.
├óÔé¼┼ôBetter,├óÔé¼┬Ø George said.
├óÔé¼┼ôOr else?├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôOr else we all die,├óÔé¼┬Ø George grinned. Pyra sighed, shaking her head.
Teesh loaded the machine gun with Amni's new shells. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhere did you cook these up, Amni?├óÔé¼┬Ø Teesh asked, looking at the small woman.
Amni was wiping down her surgical tools, her cloth coming away dark with blood. She shrugged.
├óÔé¼┼ôHope they work,├óÔé¼┬Ø Teesh muttered, looking at one of the bullets. The tips, instead of lead, were a semi-clear looking material that glowed inside. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat do they do again?├óÔé¼┬Ø
Amni put her tools in her bag, standing and walking to Teesh. She leaned on the machine gun barrel, causing it to tip slightly.
├óÔé¼┼ôBoom,├óÔé¼┬Ø She said. Then she walked towards the living quarters.
Teesh shrugged and started loading the machine gun again. Because the bullets weren't in a chain, like most machine gun rounds, she had to put them in the barrel one at a time.
Kint stood at the helm, looking at the map, at the wheel, then over his shoulder in that order. Behind them, Pirata and Jerman ships chased them, occasionally firing shots at one another. But they seemed more interested in the Blimp than each other.
├óÔé¼┼ôTeesh,├óÔé¼┬Ø Kint said, walking down to the machine guns. ├óÔé¼┼ôI've extrapolated...and, using my memory alone, I've noticed that we're heading straight to the...the...what did they call it?├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôMount Doom,├óÔé¼┬Ø Teesh said, grinning. The crown glinted in her hair.
├óÔé¼┼ôYou're still wearing that?├óÔé¼┬Ø Kint asked.
├óÔé¼┼ôIt's amazing...it's just the amazing bit is kinda being muffled by a pillow.├óÔé¼┬Ø Teesh said.
├óÔé¼┼ôWhat?├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôNever mind. You can't understand.├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôWell I could always try it on,├óÔé¼┬Ø Kint said, grinning.
├óÔé¼┼ôNO!├óÔé¼┬Ø Teesh grabbed his shoulders, dropping one of Amni's 'special' bullets. ├óÔé¼┼ôNever, ever, ever, ever, ever, EVER put the crown on!├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôO...kay,├óÔé¼┬Ø Kint stammered. ├óÔé¼┼ôI was just joking. Doesn't look like it'll fit me.├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôGood,├óÔé¼┬Ø Teesh said, picking up the bullet. She held it in her hands, looking at it. Then she slid it into the machine gun. ├óÔé¼┼ôNow...you think we're heading to Mount Doom? Well good. Because that's where we're heading.├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôWell we've been to the Cursed City...so that leaves Mount Doom, the sacrificial pits of the New World, aaaaand the Dragon Dens of Mor'goth.├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôWell, Mor'goth is an army base now and the Sacrificial Pits have been open for tourism for the past two years.├óÔé¼┬Ø Teesh jammed another bullet into the gun. ├óÔé¼┼ôSorry, but it's just Mount Doom for us.├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôDid someone say Mount Doom?├óÔé¼┬Ø Bester asked, hobbling onto the deck. He was bent over a crutch, his side bandaged.
├óÔé¼┼ôYeah.├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôThe ancient volcano? The home of the God of Death and Destruction.├óÔé¼┬Ø Bester hobbled next to the machine gun.
├óÔé¼┼ôIt's an in-active volcano,├óÔé¼┬Ø Teesh said, rolling her eyes. She tapped the crown. ├óÔé¼┼ôAnd this has shown me everything I need to know.├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôAnd can someone please explain that to me?├óÔé¼┬Ø Bester asked.
Teesh glared at him, her ears flattening back to her head. Bester shrugged and started hobbling away.
├óÔé¼┼ôThat's something I was going to ask you,├óÔé¼┬Ø Kint murmured. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat...is that?├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôIt's the Crown,├óÔé¼┬Ø Teesh said.
├óÔé¼┼ôOf?├óÔé¼┬Ø
Teesh shrugged.
├óÔé¼┼ôWe can do without two Amni's around here,├óÔé¼┬Ø Kint muttered, walking back to his wheel.
├óÔé¼┼ôOh, and Kint,├óÔé¼┬Ø Teesh called after him, loading another round into the machine gun. ├óÔé¼┼ôIf we survive to the end of the week, I'm going to ask you a question.├óÔé¼┬Ø
Kint stared at her.
├óÔé¼┼ôAnd you're going to say yes, m'kay?├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôUh...well...that depends on the question,├óÔé¼┬Ø Kint said.
├óÔé¼┼ôJust say you'll say yes.├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôOooookay,├óÔé¼┬Ø Kint said. ├óÔé¼┼ôTeesh, when are you going to stop being mysterious?├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôNever...if I stopped, I wouldn't be fun anymore, would I?├óÔé¼┬Ø
Kint supposed that she was right. He moved back to the charts and continued extrapolating. Something exploded in the distance. He looked over his shoulder and saw one of the two remaining Jerman airships slowly start to fall behind, it's side smoking.
├óÔé¼┼ôNow there are three,├óÔé¼┬Ø Kint muttered.
├óÔé¼┼ôBester!├óÔé¼┬Ø Teesh called, walking to the front of the ship. ├óÔé¼┼ôCan you fly?├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôNot now.├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôCan you fly later?├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôI don't know...how much later?├óÔé¼┬Ø
Teesh looked over her shoulder at Kint, cocking an eyebrow. He held up two fingers.
├óÔé¼┼ôTwo days?├óÔé¼┬Ø Teesh said.
├óÔé¼┼ôMaybe,├óÔé¼┬Ø Bester felt his side. ├óÔé¼┼ôAmni did a good job fixing me up.├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôGood,├óÔé¼┬Ø Teesh said, grinning. ├óÔé¼┼ôBecause we're going to even the odds a bit.├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôHow so?├óÔé¼┬Ø
Teesh grinned. ├óÔé¼┼ôYou're girlfriend.├óÔé¼┬Ø
Pyra collapsed into bed, sweat beading over her forehead. She felt a strange mix of sensations. On one hand, she felt a rush of energy...of sheer power she had never had at the academy. On the other, she had never felt more tired. It was all she could do to keep her eyes open.
She held up her arms, which felt like lead, and stared at them. The flames had reached her elbows, licking up to her fingertips. Pyra concentrated and the cat formed in the palm of her hands. The strange cat she had seen in her dreams. Teesh. It had to mean Teesh.
But what about the card and the symbol on it? It had meant Queen, hadn't it?
Pyra sat up, her brow furrowing.
Queen...crown. She was about to slide out of bed, to what ends she didn't know, when the door opened.
├óÔé¼┼ôHey Pyra,├óÔé¼┬Ø Teesh said, sticking her head into the room. ├óÔé¼┼ôI need you to check this.├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôWhat?├óÔé¼┬Ø Pyra asked, standing.
Teesh stepped in...and Pyra gaped at her. The beastling wore a strange harness, with straps that closed about her stomach, thighs, breasts even. On the front, a large socketed appliance that looks like it was supposed to plug into something hung.
├óÔé¼┼ôWhat do you think?├óÔé¼┬Ø Teesh asked, grinning.
├óÔé¼┼ôUh...it looks like something one of those weird naked people in Zander's magazines would wear.├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôWho?├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôA kid I knew back at the Academy,├óÔé¼┬Ø Pyra said, leaning over to examine the thing.
├óÔé¼┼ôWell you get to wear it,├óÔé¼┬Ø Teesh said, slowly and laboriously yanking the harness off. She handed it to Pyra.
├óÔé¼┼ôWhy?├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôWell...unless you have a dragon in your pockets, your the best way to send some people to a watery grave.├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôWatery grave?├óÔé¼┬Ø Pyra asked. Teesh walked out, laughing to herself. ├óÔé¼┼ôBut we're a mile and a half up!├óÔé¼┬Ø
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Pyra gritted her teeth, both hands on the boiler.
├óÔé¼┼ôHe's gonna be fine,├óÔé¼┬Ø George said, shoveling some more coal into the boiler. Pyra nodded, sweat running down her brow. Her flames burned bright and hot, pushing the boiler above it's maximum capacity. The wood and metal frame of the Blimp started to groan in protest.
├óÔé¼┼ôIs she gonna hold?├óÔé¼┬Ø Pyra asked, not slowing down.
├óÔé¼┼ôBetter,├óÔé¼┬Ø George said.
├óÔé¼┼ôOr else?├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôOr else we all die,├óÔé¼┬Ø George grinned. Pyra sighed, shaking her head.
Teesh loaded the machine gun with Amni's new shells. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhere did you cook these up, Amni?├óÔé¼┬Ø Teesh asked, looking at the small woman.
Amni was wiping down her surgical tools, her cloth coming away dark with blood. She shrugged.
├óÔé¼┼ôHope they work,├óÔé¼┬Ø Teesh muttered, looking at one of the bullets. The tips, instead of lead, were a semi-clear looking material that glowed inside. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat do they do again?├óÔé¼┬Ø
Amni put her tools in her bag, standing and walking to Teesh. She leaned on the machine gun barrel, causing it to tip slightly.
├óÔé¼┼ôBoom,├óÔé¼┬Ø She said. Then she walked towards the living quarters.
Teesh shrugged and started loading the machine gun again. Because the bullets weren't in a chain, like most machine gun rounds, she had to put them in the barrel one at a time.
Kint stood at the helm, looking at the map, at the wheel, then over his shoulder in that order. Behind them, Pirata and Jerman ships chased them, occasionally firing shots at one another. But they seemed more interested in the Blimp than each other.
├óÔé¼┼ôTeesh,├óÔé¼┬Ø Kint said, walking down to the machine guns. ├óÔé¼┼ôI've extrapolated...and, using my memory alone, I've noticed that we're heading straight to the...the...what did they call it?├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôMount Doom,├óÔé¼┬Ø Teesh said, grinning. The crown glinted in her hair.
├óÔé¼┼ôYou're still wearing that?├óÔé¼┬Ø Kint asked.
├óÔé¼┼ôIt's amazing...it's just the amazing bit is kinda being muffled by a pillow.├óÔé¼┬Ø Teesh said.
├óÔé¼┼ôWhat?├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôNever mind. You can't understand.├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôWell I could always try it on,├óÔé¼┬Ø Kint said, grinning.
├óÔé¼┼ôNO!├óÔé¼┬Ø Teesh grabbed his shoulders, dropping one of Amni's 'special' bullets. ├óÔé¼┼ôNever, ever, ever, ever, ever, EVER put the crown on!├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôO...kay,├óÔé¼┬Ø Kint stammered. ├óÔé¼┼ôI was just joking. Doesn't look like it'll fit me.├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôGood,├óÔé¼┬Ø Teesh said, picking up the bullet. She held it in her hands, looking at it. Then she slid it into the machine gun. ├óÔé¼┼ôNow...you think we're heading to Mount Doom? Well good. Because that's where we're heading.├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôWell we've been to the Cursed City...so that leaves Mount Doom, the sacrificial pits of the New World, aaaaand the Dragon Dens of Mor'goth.├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôWell, Mor'goth is an army base now and the Sacrificial Pits have been open for tourism for the past two years.├óÔé¼┬Ø Teesh jammed another bullet into the gun. ├óÔé¼┼ôSorry, but it's just Mount Doom for us.├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôDid someone say Mount Doom?├óÔé¼┬Ø Bester asked, hobbling onto the deck. He was bent over a crutch, his side bandaged.
├óÔé¼┼ôYeah.├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôThe ancient volcano? The home of the God of Death and Destruction.├óÔé¼┬Ø Bester hobbled next to the machine gun.
├óÔé¼┼ôIt's an in-active volcano,├óÔé¼┬Ø Teesh said, rolling her eyes. She tapped the crown. ├óÔé¼┼ôAnd this has shown me everything I need to know.├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôAnd can someone please explain that to me?├óÔé¼┬Ø Bester asked.
Teesh glared at him, her ears flattening back to her head. Bester shrugged and started hobbling away.
├óÔé¼┼ôThat's something I was going to ask you,├óÔé¼┬Ø Kint murmured. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat...is that?├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôIt's the Crown,├óÔé¼┬Ø Teesh said.
├óÔé¼┼ôOf?├óÔé¼┬Ø
Teesh shrugged.
├óÔé¼┼ôWe can do without two Amni's around here,├óÔé¼┬Ø Kint muttered, walking back to his wheel.
├óÔé¼┼ôOh, and Kint,├óÔé¼┬Ø Teesh called after him, loading another round into the machine gun. ├óÔé¼┼ôIf we survive to the end of the week, I'm going to ask you a question.├óÔé¼┬Ø
Kint stared at her.
├óÔé¼┼ôAnd you're going to say yes, m'kay?├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôUh...well...that depends on the question,├óÔé¼┬Ø Kint said.
├óÔé¼┼ôJust say you'll say yes.├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôOooookay,├óÔé¼┬Ø Kint said. ├óÔé¼┼ôTeesh, when are you going to stop being mysterious?├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôNever...if I stopped, I wouldn't be fun anymore, would I?├óÔé¼┬Ø
Kint supposed that she was right. He moved back to the charts and continued extrapolating. Something exploded in the distance. He looked over his shoulder and saw one of the two remaining Jerman airships slowly start to fall behind, it's side smoking.
├óÔé¼┼ôNow there are three,├óÔé¼┬Ø Kint muttered.
├óÔé¼┼ôBester!├óÔé¼┬Ø Teesh called, walking to the front of the ship. ├óÔé¼┼ôCan you fly?├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôNot now.├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôCan you fly later?├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôI don't know...how much later?├óÔé¼┬Ø
Teesh looked over her shoulder at Kint, cocking an eyebrow. He held up two fingers.
├óÔé¼┼ôTwo days?├óÔé¼┬Ø Teesh said.
├óÔé¼┼ôMaybe,├óÔé¼┬Ø Bester felt his side. ├óÔé¼┼ôAmni did a good job fixing me up.├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôGood,├óÔé¼┬Ø Teesh said, grinning. ├óÔé¼┼ôBecause we're going to even the odds a bit.├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôHow so?├óÔé¼┬Ø
Teesh grinned. ├óÔé¼┼ôYou're girlfriend.├óÔé¼┬Ø
Pyra collapsed into bed, sweat beading over her forehead. She felt a strange mix of sensations. On one hand, she felt a rush of energy...of sheer power she had never had at the academy. On the other, she had never felt more tired. It was all she could do to keep her eyes open.
She held up her arms, which felt like lead, and stared at them. The flames had reached her elbows, licking up to her fingertips. Pyra concentrated and the cat formed in the palm of her hands. The strange cat she had seen in her dreams. Teesh. It had to mean Teesh.
But what about the card and the symbol on it? It had meant Queen, hadn't it?
Pyra sat up, her brow furrowing.
Queen...crown. She was about to slide out of bed, to what ends she didn't know, when the door opened.
├óÔé¼┼ôHey Pyra,├óÔé¼┬Ø Teesh said, sticking her head into the room. ├óÔé¼┼ôI need you to check this.├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôWhat?├óÔé¼┬Ø Pyra asked, standing.
Teesh stepped in...and Pyra gaped at her. The beastling wore a strange harness, with straps that closed about her stomach, thighs, breasts even. On the front, a large socketed appliance that looks like it was supposed to plug into something hung.
├óÔé¼┼ôWhat do you think?├óÔé¼┬Ø Teesh asked, grinning.
├óÔé¼┼ôUh...it looks like something one of those weird naked people in Zander's magazines would wear.├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôWho?├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôA kid I knew back at the Academy,├óÔé¼┬Ø Pyra said, leaning over to examine the thing.
├óÔé¼┼ôWell you get to wear it,├óÔé¼┬Ø Teesh said, slowly and laboriously yanking the harness off. She handed it to Pyra.
├óÔé¼┼ôWhy?├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôWell...unless you have a dragon in your pockets, your the best way to send some people to a watery grave.├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôWatery grave?├óÔé¼┬Ø Pyra asked. Teesh walked out, laughing to herself. ├óÔé¼┼ôBut we're a mile and a half up!├óÔé¼┬Ø
HA! I bet you thought I was dead or something.
But I'mmmm not!
Night fell. Teesh leaned on the railing, watching the Jerman and Pirata ships fall back behind them. They were busy shooting at one another, their cannons booming in the distance, flashes of light.
├óÔé¼┼ôTeesh,├óÔé¼┬Ø Kint said, his voice carrying dimly from the wheel. ├óÔé¼┼ôLook at this.├óÔé¼┬Ø
Teesh looked over her shoulder. Bester, Amni and Kint stood at the front of the ship, staring into the night in front of them. Teesh walked to them, then saw what they were staring at.
A belching flame smoked in the distance, a darkish red smear on the horizon. The stars that should have glimmered above it were blotted out by a black smear of smoke.
├óÔé¼┼ôWhat the hell is it?├óÔé¼┬Ø Kint asked when Teesh moved next to him.
├óÔé¼┼ôIt's Mount Doom. I thought that was obvious,├óÔé¼┬Ø Teesh said, glancing at him.
'No, no...that doesn't track,├óÔé¼┬Ø Kint said. ├óÔé¼┼ôMount Doom is an extinct volcano. It hasn't flamed in centuries.├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôIt hasn't flamed since the Elderlings were scattered by the beastlings,├óÔé¼┬Ø Teesh said, sighing.
They all stared at the volcano in silence. The silence was shattered by another round of cannon fire.
├óÔé¼┼ôSo,├óÔé¼┬Ø Kint said, ├óÔé¼┼ôMy calculations show that we should get there in a day, maybe two. Assuming, of course, the Jermans and the Piratians don't do something crazy like team up on us-├óÔé¼┬Ø
A cannon shell whistled by in the darkness. The explosions that had launched them sounded moments later, echoing.
├óÔé¼┼ôBester, head to the machine gun. Make sure nothing gets close to us all night. In the morning, have Kint or me relive you,├óÔé¼┬Ø Teesh said. ├óÔé¼┼ôAnd someone get Pyra up here. I think strength will be more important than speed tonight.├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôWhy? Can't we out run them?├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôNot in the long run,├óÔé¼┬Ø Teesh said. ├óÔé¼┼ôWe're going to wake them up. Amni, come with me.├óÔé¼┬Ø
Dawn broke and Bester shook himself. He had been staring at the deck in front of him for so long he had almost dozed off. He looked around, blinking. A loud snapping sound woke made Bester almost jump out of his skin. He spun around and saw something drift away from the back of the ship. It dangled from a balloon, rapidly falling behind the Blimp.
Bester stared at it. Amni and Teesh stuck their heads out of the living quarters and peered over the edge of the ship.
├óÔé¼┼ôWhat is-├óÔé¼┬Ø Bester started before his voice was drowned out by a roaring explosion. A massive orange cloud expanded between the two enemy airships. They wheeled away, turning to get away from the explosion that hung in the air between them. Fires caught on their decks, but not their balloons to Bester's frustration.
├óÔé¼┼ôWoo!├óÔé¼┬Ø He cried. ├óÔé¼┼ôThat's really something you cooked up there, Amni.├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôThanks,├óÔé¼┬Ø Amni murmured.
├óÔé¼┼ôNow that'll buy us some good time.├óÔé¼┬Ø Teesh grinned. ├óÔé¼┼ôSomeone wake Pyra up. We're gonna need to grab the opportunity.├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôAnd get someone else on this gun,├óÔé¼┬Ø Bester said, tottering on his feet.
├óÔé¼┼ôI will in a second,├óÔé¼┬Ø Teesh said, turning back to the living quarters. She heard a thump. Teesh turned around and saw Bester laying on the deck, sleeping.
├óÔé¼┼ôRight...Amni, you handle the gun.├óÔé¼┬Ø Teesh nodded. ├óÔé¼┼ôAnd where did I put Pyra?├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôI'm right here,├óÔé¼┬Ø Pyra said. Teesh nodded, not turning around. ├óÔé¼┼ôCome with me!├óÔé¼┬Ø
Teesh ran to the side of the deck, where a rope ladder dangled down to the makeshift aircraft launching sheet. ├óÔé¼┼ôCan you climb down the ladder without burning it?├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôYeah,├óÔé¼┬Ø Pyra said. ├óÔé¼┼ôThis has something to do with the harness right?├óÔé¼┬Ø
Teesh paused. Then nodded.
├óÔé¼┼ôDoes it have something to do with the thing you put on the wing last night?├óÔé¼┬Ø
Teesh nodded.
├óÔé¼┼ôThis is going to be fun.├óÔé¼┬Ø Pyra muttered, putting her foot on the railing, ready to haul herself over the top.
├óÔé¼┼ôAren't you forgetting something?├óÔé¼┬Ø
Pyra paused. ├óÔé¼┼ôThe harness, right?├óÔé¼┬Ø
Teesh nodded.
├óÔé¼┼ôOkay.├óÔé¼┬Ø Pyra said, walking past the sleeping Bester, to stairs. ├óÔé¼┼ôThat didn't happen.├óÔé¼┬Ø
She dissapeared down the hole as George appeared, holding a flask. ├óÔé¼┼ôDid someone ask for wake up juice?├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôBester did,├óÔé¼┬Ø Teesh said. George nodded, walking to the prone Bester. He opened Bester's mouth and tipped the pungent smelling flask down his throat. Bester sat up and spewed, hacking and coughing.
├óÔé¼┼ôHoly...Gods! What the hell is-├óÔé¼┬Ø He stood and ran to the side of the ship, vomiting. ├óÔé¼┼ôNever do that again!├óÔé¼┬Ø He shouted, waving his finger at Teesh.
├óÔé¼┼ôI didn't do it,├óÔé¼┬Ø Teesh said. ├óÔé¼┼ôGeorge did.├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôOh...NEVER DO THAT AGAIN!├óÔé¼┬Ø Bester shouted. Pyra reappeared, wearing the vest.
├óÔé¼┼ôWhoa...kinky,├óÔé¼┬Ø George murmured.
├óÔé¼┼ôShut up,├óÔé¼┬Ø Pyra murmured, tightening a part of the vest. She walked to the ladder and vanished over the side.
Bester coughed, blinking. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhy am I so awake?├óÔé¼┬Ø he asked.
├óÔé¼┼ôAre you ready to fly?├óÔé¼┬Ø Teesh asked, smiling.
Bester nodded, blinking. ├óÔé¼┼ôI...think so.├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôGood. Because I'm sick of these stupid gods damned Jermans and Piratans. So go and kill them!├óÔé¼┬Ø
Bester blinked, surprised by her vehemence.
├óÔé¼┼ôWhat?├óÔé¼┬Ø Teesh asked, seeing his expression. ├óÔé¼┼ôThey've almost killed us too many times to think about. You don't want to see them dead?├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôNot really,├óÔé¼┬Ø Bester said. ├óÔé¼┼ôI just want to get paid and marry Pyra.├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôMarry?├óÔé¼┬Ø
Bester puffed up his chest, proudly. ├óÔé¼┼ôMy family is of noble blood.├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôReally?├óÔé¼┬Ø Teesh asked. She looked around at Amni, Kint, George, Bester and Pyra, who was hanging onto the rail, tapping her finger impatiently. ├óÔé¼┼ôWho here is of noble blood?├óÔé¼┬Ø
Amni, Kint, Bester and Pyra raised their hands. Pyra slipped, almost falling. She grabbed the rail and said, ├óÔé¼┼ôNow that that's out of the way, can we get going!├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôRight,├óÔé¼┬Ø Bester said, walking to the side. He followed Pyra. Teesh followed him to the ladder, sticking her head over the side.
├óÔé¼┼ôKill them,├óÔé¼┬Ø She said. ├óÔé¼┼ôOr at least damage their engines till they can't move.├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôYes sir,├óÔé¼┬Ø Bester muttered, vanishing under the ship. A moment later he shouted, ├óÔé¼┼ôRelease the plane!├óÔé¼┬Ø
George ran to the engineering decks. A moment later and the Kitty Hawk II shot out from under the ship. Teesh could see Pyra strapped near the center of the wing, to avoid unbalancing the plane too much. It arched around and sped towards the enemy air ships.
Teesh grinned. ├óÔé¼┼ôWith a pyromaniac like Pyra with Bester, those airships don't stand a chance.├óÔé¼┬Ø
Four buzzing dots moved out of the enemy air ships and shot towards the Blimp and the Kitty Hawk II. They were joined by six more dots. They formed into a flying wing, swelling to be three tri-planes, two one wingers and five normal bi-planes. Some were painted Jerman gray, others Pirata green.
Teesh slipped into her native language. ├óÔé¼┼ôOh shazbot.├óÔé¼┬Ø
But I'mmmm not!
Night fell. Teesh leaned on the railing, watching the Jerman and Pirata ships fall back behind them. They were busy shooting at one another, their cannons booming in the distance, flashes of light.
├óÔé¼┼ôTeesh,├óÔé¼┬Ø Kint said, his voice carrying dimly from the wheel. ├óÔé¼┼ôLook at this.├óÔé¼┬Ø
Teesh looked over her shoulder. Bester, Amni and Kint stood at the front of the ship, staring into the night in front of them. Teesh walked to them, then saw what they were staring at.
A belching flame smoked in the distance, a darkish red smear on the horizon. The stars that should have glimmered above it were blotted out by a black smear of smoke.
├óÔé¼┼ôWhat the hell is it?├óÔé¼┬Ø Kint asked when Teesh moved next to him.
├óÔé¼┼ôIt's Mount Doom. I thought that was obvious,├óÔé¼┬Ø Teesh said, glancing at him.
'No, no...that doesn't track,├óÔé¼┬Ø Kint said. ├óÔé¼┼ôMount Doom is an extinct volcano. It hasn't flamed in centuries.├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôIt hasn't flamed since the Elderlings were scattered by the beastlings,├óÔé¼┬Ø Teesh said, sighing.
They all stared at the volcano in silence. The silence was shattered by another round of cannon fire.
├óÔé¼┼ôSo,├óÔé¼┬Ø Kint said, ├óÔé¼┼ôMy calculations show that we should get there in a day, maybe two. Assuming, of course, the Jermans and the Piratians don't do something crazy like team up on us-├óÔé¼┬Ø
A cannon shell whistled by in the darkness. The explosions that had launched them sounded moments later, echoing.
├óÔé¼┼ôBester, head to the machine gun. Make sure nothing gets close to us all night. In the morning, have Kint or me relive you,├óÔé¼┬Ø Teesh said. ├óÔé¼┼ôAnd someone get Pyra up here. I think strength will be more important than speed tonight.├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôWhy? Can't we out run them?├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôNot in the long run,├óÔé¼┬Ø Teesh said. ├óÔé¼┼ôWe're going to wake them up. Amni, come with me.├óÔé¼┬Ø
Dawn broke and Bester shook himself. He had been staring at the deck in front of him for so long he had almost dozed off. He looked around, blinking. A loud snapping sound woke made Bester almost jump out of his skin. He spun around and saw something drift away from the back of the ship. It dangled from a balloon, rapidly falling behind the Blimp.
Bester stared at it. Amni and Teesh stuck their heads out of the living quarters and peered over the edge of the ship.
├óÔé¼┼ôWhat is-├óÔé¼┬Ø Bester started before his voice was drowned out by a roaring explosion. A massive orange cloud expanded between the two enemy airships. They wheeled away, turning to get away from the explosion that hung in the air between them. Fires caught on their decks, but not their balloons to Bester's frustration.
├óÔé¼┼ôWoo!├óÔé¼┬Ø He cried. ├óÔé¼┼ôThat's really something you cooked up there, Amni.├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôThanks,├óÔé¼┬Ø Amni murmured.
├óÔé¼┼ôNow that'll buy us some good time.├óÔé¼┬Ø Teesh grinned. ├óÔé¼┼ôSomeone wake Pyra up. We're gonna need to grab the opportunity.├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôAnd get someone else on this gun,├óÔé¼┬Ø Bester said, tottering on his feet.
├óÔé¼┼ôI will in a second,├óÔé¼┬Ø Teesh said, turning back to the living quarters. She heard a thump. Teesh turned around and saw Bester laying on the deck, sleeping.
├óÔé¼┼ôRight...Amni, you handle the gun.├óÔé¼┬Ø Teesh nodded. ├óÔé¼┼ôAnd where did I put Pyra?├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôI'm right here,├óÔé¼┬Ø Pyra said. Teesh nodded, not turning around. ├óÔé¼┼ôCome with me!├óÔé¼┬Ø
Teesh ran to the side of the deck, where a rope ladder dangled down to the makeshift aircraft launching sheet. ├óÔé¼┼ôCan you climb down the ladder without burning it?├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôYeah,├óÔé¼┬Ø Pyra said. ├óÔé¼┼ôThis has something to do with the harness right?├óÔé¼┬Ø
Teesh paused. Then nodded.
├óÔé¼┼ôDoes it have something to do with the thing you put on the wing last night?├óÔé¼┬Ø
Teesh nodded.
├óÔé¼┼ôThis is going to be fun.├óÔé¼┬Ø Pyra muttered, putting her foot on the railing, ready to haul herself over the top.
├óÔé¼┼ôAren't you forgetting something?├óÔé¼┬Ø
Pyra paused. ├óÔé¼┼ôThe harness, right?├óÔé¼┬Ø
Teesh nodded.
├óÔé¼┼ôOkay.├óÔé¼┬Ø Pyra said, walking past the sleeping Bester, to stairs. ├óÔé¼┼ôThat didn't happen.├óÔé¼┬Ø
She dissapeared down the hole as George appeared, holding a flask. ├óÔé¼┼ôDid someone ask for wake up juice?├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôBester did,├óÔé¼┬Ø Teesh said. George nodded, walking to the prone Bester. He opened Bester's mouth and tipped the pungent smelling flask down his throat. Bester sat up and spewed, hacking and coughing.
├óÔé¼┼ôHoly...Gods! What the hell is-├óÔé¼┬Ø He stood and ran to the side of the ship, vomiting. ├óÔé¼┼ôNever do that again!├óÔé¼┬Ø He shouted, waving his finger at Teesh.
├óÔé¼┼ôI didn't do it,├óÔé¼┬Ø Teesh said. ├óÔé¼┼ôGeorge did.├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôOh...NEVER DO THAT AGAIN!├óÔé¼┬Ø Bester shouted. Pyra reappeared, wearing the vest.
├óÔé¼┼ôWhoa...kinky,├óÔé¼┬Ø George murmured.
├óÔé¼┼ôShut up,├óÔé¼┬Ø Pyra murmured, tightening a part of the vest. She walked to the ladder and vanished over the side.
Bester coughed, blinking. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhy am I so awake?├óÔé¼┬Ø he asked.
├óÔé¼┼ôAre you ready to fly?├óÔé¼┬Ø Teesh asked, smiling.
Bester nodded, blinking. ├óÔé¼┼ôI...think so.├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôGood. Because I'm sick of these stupid gods damned Jermans and Piratans. So go and kill them!├óÔé¼┬Ø
Bester blinked, surprised by her vehemence.
├óÔé¼┼ôWhat?├óÔé¼┬Ø Teesh asked, seeing his expression. ├óÔé¼┼ôThey've almost killed us too many times to think about. You don't want to see them dead?├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôNot really,├óÔé¼┬Ø Bester said. ├óÔé¼┼ôI just want to get paid and marry Pyra.├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôMarry?├óÔé¼┬Ø
Bester puffed up his chest, proudly. ├óÔé¼┼ôMy family is of noble blood.├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôReally?├óÔé¼┬Ø Teesh asked. She looked around at Amni, Kint, George, Bester and Pyra, who was hanging onto the rail, tapping her finger impatiently. ├óÔé¼┼ôWho here is of noble blood?├óÔé¼┬Ø
Amni, Kint, Bester and Pyra raised their hands. Pyra slipped, almost falling. She grabbed the rail and said, ├óÔé¼┼ôNow that that's out of the way, can we get going!├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôRight,├óÔé¼┬Ø Bester said, walking to the side. He followed Pyra. Teesh followed him to the ladder, sticking her head over the side.
├óÔé¼┼ôKill them,├óÔé¼┬Ø She said. ├óÔé¼┼ôOr at least damage their engines till they can't move.├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôYes sir,├óÔé¼┬Ø Bester muttered, vanishing under the ship. A moment later he shouted, ├óÔé¼┼ôRelease the plane!├óÔé¼┬Ø
George ran to the engineering decks. A moment later and the Kitty Hawk II shot out from under the ship. Teesh could see Pyra strapped near the center of the wing, to avoid unbalancing the plane too much. It arched around and sped towards the enemy air ships.
Teesh grinned. ├óÔé¼┼ôWith a pyromaniac like Pyra with Bester, those airships don't stand a chance.├óÔé¼┬Ø
Four buzzing dots moved out of the enemy air ships and shot towards the Blimp and the Kitty Hawk II. They were joined by six more dots. They formed into a flying wing, swelling to be three tri-planes, two one wingers and five normal bi-planes. Some were painted Jerman gray, others Pirata green.
Teesh slipped into her native language. ├óÔé¼┼ôOh shazbot.├óÔé¼┬Ø
-
Forboding Angel
- Evolution RTS Developer
- Posts: 14673
- Joined: 17 Nov 2005, 02:43
Thanks!
But was there a specific reason, or am I just awesome?
Lol, actually I have some really neato news.
Number 13 has been sent off to magazines.
What's Number 13, you might cry. Number 13 is, to put it frankly, 6000 words of pure awesome and win. Or at least that's what I think, and this preview will no doubt make you agree...I hope: (WARNING: LONG SYNOPSIS.)
├óÔé¼┼ôEarth is being sucked into a deadly war against the Chi-Can, an implacable alien enemy that has bombarded our cities and occupied our asteroid belt. The war is taking it's tool on the entire continent of America, leaving major cities in ruins and creating swarms of refugees. Europe is nearly uninhabited. Russia and East Asia have fallen into anarchy. The only things left is the skeletal defense forces around earth, flinging nuclear missiles at the enemy in a desperate attempt to slow them. Stopping them was out of the question.
Until Eve. A genetic hybrid of alien tissue and human tissue, Eve was born, bred and raised to be the ultimate weapon against the Chi-Can. Trained to operate every weapon known to man, and equipped with deadly telekinetic and regenerative powers, Eve is one of the last hopes of mankind. She is also a near psychopath, a killing rage built by twelve years of harsh training and deprivation. So one day, when offered the chance, she lops off her creator's hand and kills the Corporate Sponsor that was in the base at the time. She flees into the area near the bombed out ruins of Chicago...and blunders onto a highway, where she is hit by a car.
The family who ran her over takes her to a doctor, who (like most of the citizens of the somewhat backwater town New Hope) mistrusts and even fears the government, or Gov, and he convinces the man who hit Eve, Chuck, to take her home. What Chuck doesn't know is that he's brought a deadly, regenerating human alien hybrid, trained to locate, assess and destroy any thing she decides is an enemy.
The story is only the first part of Eve's life, which is long and very very painful. She has other adventures, most in her mid twenties as she struggles to survive in bombed out Chicago and the refugee camps that circle it.
Oh and no this isn't in the Darkside universe. It was at first, but broke off somewhere around line three.
But was there a specific reason, or am I just awesome?
Lol, actually I have some really neato news.
Number 13 has been sent off to magazines.
What's Number 13, you might cry. Number 13 is, to put it frankly, 6000 words of pure awesome and win. Or at least that's what I think, and this preview will no doubt make you agree...I hope: (WARNING: LONG SYNOPSIS.)
├óÔé¼┼ôEarth is being sucked into a deadly war against the Chi-Can, an implacable alien enemy that has bombarded our cities and occupied our asteroid belt. The war is taking it's tool on the entire continent of America, leaving major cities in ruins and creating swarms of refugees. Europe is nearly uninhabited. Russia and East Asia have fallen into anarchy. The only things left is the skeletal defense forces around earth, flinging nuclear missiles at the enemy in a desperate attempt to slow them. Stopping them was out of the question.
Until Eve. A genetic hybrid of alien tissue and human tissue, Eve was born, bred and raised to be the ultimate weapon against the Chi-Can. Trained to operate every weapon known to man, and equipped with deadly telekinetic and regenerative powers, Eve is one of the last hopes of mankind. She is also a near psychopath, a killing rage built by twelve years of harsh training and deprivation. So one day, when offered the chance, she lops off her creator's hand and kills the Corporate Sponsor that was in the base at the time. She flees into the area near the bombed out ruins of Chicago...and blunders onto a highway, where she is hit by a car.
The family who ran her over takes her to a doctor, who (like most of the citizens of the somewhat backwater town New Hope) mistrusts and even fears the government, or Gov, and he convinces the man who hit Eve, Chuck, to take her home. What Chuck doesn't know is that he's brought a deadly, regenerating human alien hybrid, trained to locate, assess and destroy any thing she decides is an enemy.
The story is only the first part of Eve's life, which is long and very very painful. She has other adventures, most in her mid twenties as she struggles to survive in bombed out Chicago and the refugee camps that circle it.
Oh and no this isn't in the Darkside universe. It was at first, but broke off somewhere around line three.
Did I do it? Did I really just do it? What did I do...you're going to have to read to find out.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
├óÔé¼┼ôThis is going to be fun!├óÔé¼┬Ø Bester shouted, looking over his shoulder. Pyra gave him a thumbs up. Two enemy one winger's zipped forward, going faster then the rest of their friends. They started firing, their machine guns chattering. Bester jerked on his stick and the Kitty Hawk II danced in the air, bullets zipping around them. Pyra pointed and a tongue of fire burst from her hand. It split and struck both planes in their cockpits.
They exploded and fell out of the air. Pyra grinned. The five bi-planes split into five different directions, each one coming at the Kitty Hawk from a different angle.
├óÔé¼┼ôHOLD ON!├óÔé¼┬Ø Bester shouted. He cut his engines and angled forward. The Kitty Hawk dropped like a rock. ├óÔé¼┼ôNow...├óÔé¼┬Ø Bester kick started his engine. It coughed and did nothing.
├óÔé¼┼ôOh shit,├óÔé¼┬Ø Bester murmured. Pyra threw a bolt of fire upwards. An enemy bi-plane fell out of the sky. Bester kicked the engine starter again. It prop jerked, the engine stalling. The ground got closer. Bester kicked the engine again. Pyra fired two more bolts of fire. A bi-plane fell out of the sky and another peeled away, smoking. One was left, firing it's machine guns.
Bester kicked the starter. A bullet whizzed by. He grunted, pulling up on the stick. The Kitty Hawk leveled out a bare foot over the trees. The Kitty Hawk's frame groaned in protest. Something snapped. Bester pushed forward on the stick, teeth straining in effort. Blood trickled down the corner of his mouth. He saw a patch of ground and set the plane down. It bounced, slowed, then smashed into a tree.
Pyra jerked on her harness, screaming. The socket sticking her to the wing snapped and she flew off the wing, smashing into the ground and rolling. She came to a stop, wheezing. Her ribs felt bruised...she stood and her lungs seized up. Maybe broken.
├óÔé¼┼ôBester,├óÔé¼┬Ø Pyra coughed, standing. It hurt like hell...she'd worry about that later. Pyra staggered to the plane. The Kitty Hawk's propeller was smashed, it's front completely ruined. One wing had snapped off and flew into a nearby tree. ├óÔé¼┼ôBester!├óÔé¼┬Ø
Pyra ran to the cockpit, ignoring the pain in her ribs. Bester was hunched over the stick. Dark liquid was splattered over the dashboard. Pyra stopped, the air in her lungs rushing out. Please let that be oil.
Please.
Teesh peered through her seeing tube. Nothing! NOTHING!
├óÔé¼┼ôGods damn it!├óÔé¼┬Ø Teesh shouted, folding the seeing tube closed. The Kitty Hawk was down and three planes were coming at them. ├óÔé¼┼ôKint, put on full speed, head for Mount Doom!├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôWha...what about Bester and Pyra?├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôI know!├óÔé¼┬Ø Teesh shouted. ├óÔé¼┼ôI know what I'm doing. Just put on the speed and someone get on the damn machine gun.├óÔé¼┬Ø
Amni took up the machine gun, swinging it around. Three tri-planes came at the Blimp, each from a different angle. They were slow, so slow that Amni wondered what the point of the third wing was. She shrugged and opened up with the machine gun. The first tri-plane didn't expect that, so it took four rounds on it's wings. Each round exploded, like a mini-cannon shell. The tri-plane folded up and fell out of the sky. Amni brought the gun around to another tri-plane and opened fire.
The plane spun out of the way, twisting and spinning in the air like a snake. Amni tried to catch it, but it spun and turn in the sky, as nimble as anything she'd ever seen.
Then it turned back into one of her bullets. The cockpit exploded and the tri-plane plummeted. The last tri-plane opened up. Bullets traced their way over the deck. One hit one of the chains anchoring the balloon. The entire deck lurched to the side, tilting madly.
├óÔé¼┼ôPut her down! Put her DOWN!├óÔé¼┬Ø Teesh shouted. Kint reached for the emergency landing switch. He flipped it. The other chains groaned, each one stressed beyond what it was supposed to hold. The Blimp started to get closer to the ground. The Tri-plane opened fire. Blood splattered and Amni fell bonelessly.
├óÔé¼┼ôAmni!├óÔé¼┬Ø George shouted. A second chain snapped and the deck became horizontal. Teesh grabbed onto the rail, holding on with all her strength. The ground was getting close. Too close. Kint fell into the rail next to her, then almost rolled over the edge. Teesh grabbed him, groaning wit the effort.
Teesh saw George sticking his head out of the stair well, pulling Amni next to him.
├óÔé¼┼ôTeesh!├óÔé¼┬Ø He shouted.
Teesh was about to say something when the railing gave way. She fell. Hit a tree. Fell. Hit a branch. Fell. Grabbed a branch. Teesh's shoulder screamed and she hung there. Her fingers slipped. Fell. The ground was hard. Blackness.
Kint woke up, groaning. Something bright...in front of him. Flickering. Heat...smoke...
FIRE!
Kint stood up, his head pounding. He was laying next to a tree, next to a thistle bush. A flaming bit of wreckage lay in the tree a few feet in front of him. The tree was burning and the fire was spreading.
├óÔé¼┼ôTeesh...Amni...George...ANYONE!├óÔé¼┬Ø Kint shouted. This couldn't be the end. It couldn't! ├óÔé¼┼ôTEEEEESH!├óÔé¼┬Ø
A groan. Kint spun around and ran to a nearby thistle brush. There lay Teesh, her shirt ripped and her tail twitching listlessly.
├óÔé¼┼ôTeesh! Oh god Teesh,├óÔé¼┬Ø Kint knelt next to her. He kissed her, holding her close. Teesh groaned, shifting. She sat up, pushing Kint away from her. She looked around.
├óÔé¼┼ôWhat...is going on?├óÔé¼┬Ø Teesh asked, blinking. Then she stood, her tail lashing. ├óÔé¼┼ôOh god! My ship! My crew!├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôI don't know...it looks like something blew up. And I don't think it was the enemy ships.├óÔé¼┬Ø Kint sighed. ├óÔé¼┼ôI think...we're all that's left.├óÔé¼┬Ø
Teesh nodded, rubbing her eyes. Then her shoulders straightened. ├óÔé¼┼ôLet's get to Mount Doom.├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôWhat? Is that important now?├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôIt's more important than ever,├óÔé¼┬Ø Teesh said. ├óÔé¼┼ôIt's the one way we can get revenge, it's getting the Crown to Mount Doom before those bastards who shot us down!├óÔé¼┬Ø
Kint nodded. ├óÔé¼┼ôThe only problem is...we don't have the crown.├óÔé¼┬Ø
Teesh pulled it from her pocket. ├óÔé¼┼ôThink I'd leave this on the ship?├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôTeesh...I love you,├óÔé¼┬Ø Kint said, smiling. Then his smile faded. ├óÔé¼┼ôI...can't believe it.├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôWhat?├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôEveryone...is gone,├óÔé¼┬Ø He shook his head. Tears welled at his eyes.
├óÔé¼┼ôDon't cry, you bastard,├óÔé¼┬Ø Teesh murmured. ├óÔé¼┼ôIf you start crying...├óÔé¼┬Ø she sniffled. ├óÔé¼┼ôThen I'm going to start crying too.├óÔé¼┬Ø
Kint hugged Teesh and started bawling. Teesh sobbed into his shoulder and they sunk to the ground, sobbing.
Somehow Kint kissed her. Teesh's fingers dug into the back of his head. Kint's kiss bit down on her lip, drawing blood. Teesh's fingernails dragged into his skin, drawing blood in return.
├óÔé¼┼ôI love you, you bastard,├óÔé¼┬Ø Teesh hissed, breaking the kiss.
├óÔé¼┼ôYou're hurting me,├óÔé¼┬Ø Kint whimpered.
├óÔé¼┼ôYou're hurting me too,├óÔé¼┬Ø Teesh half sobbed and half laughed. ├óÔé¼┼ôWe're a bunch of nut cases, aren't we?├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôYeah,├óÔé¼┬Ø Kint moaned, putting his forehead against Teesh's. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhen...if we get back, I'm marrying you. And...fuck my parents.├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôThat wouldn't be as much fun as fucking me,├óÔé¼┬Ø Teesh said, giggling.
├óÔé¼┼ôShut up,├óÔé¼┬Ø Kint said, kissing her. ├óÔé¼┼ôWe don't have any excuse. Our friends are dead and here we are, seconds away from undressing each other.├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôWhy stop there?├óÔé¼┬Ø Teesh asked, unbuttoning her already torn up shirt.
A bi-plane, or possibly a tri-plane, flew overhead. It was invisible through the canopy...but behind it's high pitched buzz, Kint could hear the low thrum of larger engines. They were still in the distance, but they were getting closer every minute.
├óÔé¼┼ôCome on,├óÔé¼┬Ø Kint said, standing. He dragged Teesh to her feet. She buttoned her shirt.
├óÔé¼┼ôWe don't have a gun,├óÔé¼┬Ø Teesh murmured, her hand going to her revolver.
├óÔé¼┼ôLet's hope we don't need one,├óÔé¼┬Ø Kint said. He took her hand and started walking towards Mount Doom. ├óÔé¼┼ôLet's go.├óÔé¼┬Ø
A half mile thick ring of ash lay around Mount Doom. Kint and Teesh stood there, looking at the sky. The two airships floated over them, their planes darting around. They were getting closer, taking their time.
├óÔé¼┼ôWe should make a break for it when some of the planes head in for refueling,├óÔé¼┬Ø Teesh murmured.
Kint nodded. ├óÔé¼┼ôYou mean...like...now?├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôRun!├óÔé¼┬Ø Teesh said, dashing into the ash field around Mount Doom. Kint followed her. They both ran, their feet pounding into the ground, sending up tiny clouds of ash. Kint coughed as the ash filled his lungs. Teesh's foot hit something and the entire ground opened up under them. Kint dropped, screaming like a girl.
They landed in a sprawl. Normally Kint would love to have his nose shoved into that wonderful area that lay between Teesh's bottom and her tail, but it was a little uncomfortable at this current moment.
├óÔé¼┼ôOw,├óÔé¼┬Ø Teesh moaned. ├óÔé¼┼ôNormally, I'd love to have your face in my ass-├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôSo would I, so would I,├óÔé¼┬Ø Kint said, moving off of Teesh. Teesh rolled onto her back, shaking her head.
├óÔé¼┼ôWhere are we?├óÔé¼┬Ø Teesh asked, looking around where they found themselves. It was a dark chamber, with no walls. The ground was a collection of tiles. They formed a pattern of red and blue checkers. Teesh blinked.
├óÔé¼┼ôElderling symbols,├óÔé¼┬Ø She murmured. ├óÔé¼┼ôSee!├óÔé¼┬Ø
Kint looked closer. Yes. The red symbols were all Elderling symbols. The blue ones...he didn't recognize.
├óÔé¼┼ôWhat are those?├óÔé¼┬Ø Kint asked.
├óÔé¼┼ôI don't believe it,├óÔé¼┬Ø Teesh said, her tail sticking straight out. ├óÔé¼┼ôThat's...impossible.├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôWhat is it?├óÔé¼┬Ø Kint asked.
├óÔé¼┼ôGirl...Dog...Wall,├óÔé¼┬Ø Teesh pointed out blue tiles. ├óÔé¼┼ôThese are beastling words. My clan's words.├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôWhat?├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôI learned these at school...my mom taught me these!├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôWhat do we do here?├óÔé¼┬Ø Kint asked, standing. He started to pace, thinking. ├óÔé¼┼ôWe stepped on something...didn't we?├óÔé¼┬Ø
His foot sank into a red tile and the red tiles vanished. Teesh yelped, scrabbling around on the blue tiles. She almost stuck her arm through one of the new holes.
├óÔé¼┼ôWhat did you do!├óÔé¼┬Ø She shouted.
├óÔé¼┼ôI stepped on something!├óÔé¼┬Ø Kint shouted, standing on two blue tiles.
├óÔé¼┼ôWhat was it?├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôUh...it was kinda like two sgwiggly lines, making two O's, with a tail at the end...kinda.├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôHuh...it kinda looks like this symbol,├óÔé¼┬Ø Teesh said, pointing at a blue tile.
├óÔé¼┼ôWhat does that symbol mean?├óÔé¼┬Ø Kint asked.
├óÔé¼┼ôIt means...crown. Duh! Crown!├óÔé¼┬Ø Teesh pressed the tile as Kint shouted, ├óÔé¼┼ôNo wai-├óÔé¼┬Ø
They fell.
And landed in a long hallway. The celling was low for Kint, but just the right hight for Teesh. The walls depicted bizarre murals. Kint stared at them. Teesh joined him in staring.
The murals showed a city filled with men and women, wearing simple togas. They lived next to this volcano.
And they were all...beastlings. Elderling symbols were intertwined with the artwork, telling a story that neither Kint nor Teesh could read. Teesh started to walk down the hall, watching the mural. The city grew and the beastlings became more advanced. They harnessed steam, then a weird energy that flashed from their finger tips like lighting. That energy flowed into bizarre machines that started moving. They were not like the clunky steam technology that Kint and Teesh were used to. Smooth lines, biological shapes, the technology looked more alive than dead.
The city grew. The flying machines lost their propellers, instead flying with strange tubes that emitted smoke behind them. The buildings turned from snow to metal and glass. They became taller. The beastlings became more numerous. Then Kint stopped dead.
├óÔé¼┼ôHumans,├óÔé¼┬Ø He murmured, pointing. A chain of men and women, all naked, poorly shaven and chained. Beastlings lead them through the streets, whips cracking.
├óÔé¼┼ôOh gods,├óÔé¼┬Ø Teesh murmured, eyes wide. More Humans filled the streets of the city. Kint and Teesh reached the end of the mural when the chains broke. Humans swarmed over the city and the beastling's technology fell into disarray.
├óÔé¼┼ôNo,├óÔé¼┬Ø Kint said, shaking his head. ├óÔé¼┼ôThat's...that's not what happened.├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôKint...this is Mount Doom, the ancient Elderling capital. It can't be lying.├óÔé¼┬Ø She rounded on Kint. ├óÔé¼┼ôYou got it backwards. The Elderlings weren't brought down by beastlings, and you are decedents of them! The Elderlings were brought down by Humans...I...I and MY people are decedents of the Elderlings!├óÔé¼┬Ø
Kint closed his eyes. The wall at the end of the hallway opened. An Elderling symbol flashed in the air, glowing for a moment before fading.
├óÔé¼┼ôWhat was that?├óÔé¼┬Ø Teesh asked. Kint blinked.
├óÔé¼┼ôI think it was...To leave. That's an Elderling word that we've kept. Ex-it. To leave.├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôHuh,├óÔé¼┬Ø Teesh said, stepping through the door. They entered the new room.
And two people stared back at them. Kint stared...and another Kint stared back. He looked at Teesh, then at the other Teesh. The four of them all stood in the room. One of the Kint's felt his forehead, groaning.
├óÔé¼┼ôOh and this is supposed to help my migraine?├óÔé¼┬Ø
--------------------------
Did I do it? Did I actually kill everyone off?
DID I! You'll have to wait for tommorow to find out...
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
├óÔé¼┼ôThis is going to be fun!├óÔé¼┬Ø Bester shouted, looking over his shoulder. Pyra gave him a thumbs up. Two enemy one winger's zipped forward, going faster then the rest of their friends. They started firing, their machine guns chattering. Bester jerked on his stick and the Kitty Hawk II danced in the air, bullets zipping around them. Pyra pointed and a tongue of fire burst from her hand. It split and struck both planes in their cockpits.
They exploded and fell out of the air. Pyra grinned. The five bi-planes split into five different directions, each one coming at the Kitty Hawk from a different angle.
├óÔé¼┼ôHOLD ON!├óÔé¼┬Ø Bester shouted. He cut his engines and angled forward. The Kitty Hawk dropped like a rock. ├óÔé¼┼ôNow...├óÔé¼┬Ø Bester kick started his engine. It coughed and did nothing.
├óÔé¼┼ôOh shit,├óÔé¼┬Ø Bester murmured. Pyra threw a bolt of fire upwards. An enemy bi-plane fell out of the sky. Bester kicked the engine starter again. It prop jerked, the engine stalling. The ground got closer. Bester kicked the engine again. Pyra fired two more bolts of fire. A bi-plane fell out of the sky and another peeled away, smoking. One was left, firing it's machine guns.
Bester kicked the starter. A bullet whizzed by. He grunted, pulling up on the stick. The Kitty Hawk leveled out a bare foot over the trees. The Kitty Hawk's frame groaned in protest. Something snapped. Bester pushed forward on the stick, teeth straining in effort. Blood trickled down the corner of his mouth. He saw a patch of ground and set the plane down. It bounced, slowed, then smashed into a tree.
Pyra jerked on her harness, screaming. The socket sticking her to the wing snapped and she flew off the wing, smashing into the ground and rolling. She came to a stop, wheezing. Her ribs felt bruised...she stood and her lungs seized up. Maybe broken.
├óÔé¼┼ôBester,├óÔé¼┬Ø Pyra coughed, standing. It hurt like hell...she'd worry about that later. Pyra staggered to the plane. The Kitty Hawk's propeller was smashed, it's front completely ruined. One wing had snapped off and flew into a nearby tree. ├óÔé¼┼ôBester!├óÔé¼┬Ø
Pyra ran to the cockpit, ignoring the pain in her ribs. Bester was hunched over the stick. Dark liquid was splattered over the dashboard. Pyra stopped, the air in her lungs rushing out. Please let that be oil.
Please.
Teesh peered through her seeing tube. Nothing! NOTHING!
├óÔé¼┼ôGods damn it!├óÔé¼┬Ø Teesh shouted, folding the seeing tube closed. The Kitty Hawk was down and three planes were coming at them. ├óÔé¼┼ôKint, put on full speed, head for Mount Doom!├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôWha...what about Bester and Pyra?├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôI know!├óÔé¼┬Ø Teesh shouted. ├óÔé¼┼ôI know what I'm doing. Just put on the speed and someone get on the damn machine gun.├óÔé¼┬Ø
Amni took up the machine gun, swinging it around. Three tri-planes came at the Blimp, each from a different angle. They were slow, so slow that Amni wondered what the point of the third wing was. She shrugged and opened up with the machine gun. The first tri-plane didn't expect that, so it took four rounds on it's wings. Each round exploded, like a mini-cannon shell. The tri-plane folded up and fell out of the sky. Amni brought the gun around to another tri-plane and opened fire.
The plane spun out of the way, twisting and spinning in the air like a snake. Amni tried to catch it, but it spun and turn in the sky, as nimble as anything she'd ever seen.
Then it turned back into one of her bullets. The cockpit exploded and the tri-plane plummeted. The last tri-plane opened up. Bullets traced their way over the deck. One hit one of the chains anchoring the balloon. The entire deck lurched to the side, tilting madly.
├óÔé¼┼ôPut her down! Put her DOWN!├óÔé¼┬Ø Teesh shouted. Kint reached for the emergency landing switch. He flipped it. The other chains groaned, each one stressed beyond what it was supposed to hold. The Blimp started to get closer to the ground. The Tri-plane opened fire. Blood splattered and Amni fell bonelessly.
├óÔé¼┼ôAmni!├óÔé¼┬Ø George shouted. A second chain snapped and the deck became horizontal. Teesh grabbed onto the rail, holding on with all her strength. The ground was getting close. Too close. Kint fell into the rail next to her, then almost rolled over the edge. Teesh grabbed him, groaning wit the effort.
Teesh saw George sticking his head out of the stair well, pulling Amni next to him.
├óÔé¼┼ôTeesh!├óÔé¼┬Ø He shouted.
Teesh was about to say something when the railing gave way. She fell. Hit a tree. Fell. Hit a branch. Fell. Grabbed a branch. Teesh's shoulder screamed and she hung there. Her fingers slipped. Fell. The ground was hard. Blackness.
Kint woke up, groaning. Something bright...in front of him. Flickering. Heat...smoke...
FIRE!
Kint stood up, his head pounding. He was laying next to a tree, next to a thistle bush. A flaming bit of wreckage lay in the tree a few feet in front of him. The tree was burning and the fire was spreading.
├óÔé¼┼ôTeesh...Amni...George...ANYONE!├óÔé¼┬Ø Kint shouted. This couldn't be the end. It couldn't! ├óÔé¼┼ôTEEEEESH!├óÔé¼┬Ø
A groan. Kint spun around and ran to a nearby thistle brush. There lay Teesh, her shirt ripped and her tail twitching listlessly.
├óÔé¼┼ôTeesh! Oh god Teesh,├óÔé¼┬Ø Kint knelt next to her. He kissed her, holding her close. Teesh groaned, shifting. She sat up, pushing Kint away from her. She looked around.
├óÔé¼┼ôWhat...is going on?├óÔé¼┬Ø Teesh asked, blinking. Then she stood, her tail lashing. ├óÔé¼┼ôOh god! My ship! My crew!├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôI don't know...it looks like something blew up. And I don't think it was the enemy ships.├óÔé¼┬Ø Kint sighed. ├óÔé¼┼ôI think...we're all that's left.├óÔé¼┬Ø
Teesh nodded, rubbing her eyes. Then her shoulders straightened. ├óÔé¼┼ôLet's get to Mount Doom.├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôWhat? Is that important now?├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôIt's more important than ever,├óÔé¼┬Ø Teesh said. ├óÔé¼┼ôIt's the one way we can get revenge, it's getting the Crown to Mount Doom before those bastards who shot us down!├óÔé¼┬Ø
Kint nodded. ├óÔé¼┼ôThe only problem is...we don't have the crown.├óÔé¼┬Ø
Teesh pulled it from her pocket. ├óÔé¼┼ôThink I'd leave this on the ship?├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôTeesh...I love you,├óÔé¼┬Ø Kint said, smiling. Then his smile faded. ├óÔé¼┼ôI...can't believe it.├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôWhat?├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôEveryone...is gone,├óÔé¼┬Ø He shook his head. Tears welled at his eyes.
├óÔé¼┼ôDon't cry, you bastard,├óÔé¼┬Ø Teesh murmured. ├óÔé¼┼ôIf you start crying...├óÔé¼┬Ø she sniffled. ├óÔé¼┼ôThen I'm going to start crying too.├óÔé¼┬Ø
Kint hugged Teesh and started bawling. Teesh sobbed into his shoulder and they sunk to the ground, sobbing.
Somehow Kint kissed her. Teesh's fingers dug into the back of his head. Kint's kiss bit down on her lip, drawing blood. Teesh's fingernails dragged into his skin, drawing blood in return.
├óÔé¼┼ôI love you, you bastard,├óÔé¼┬Ø Teesh hissed, breaking the kiss.
├óÔé¼┼ôYou're hurting me,├óÔé¼┬Ø Kint whimpered.
├óÔé¼┼ôYou're hurting me too,├óÔé¼┬Ø Teesh half sobbed and half laughed. ├óÔé¼┼ôWe're a bunch of nut cases, aren't we?├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôYeah,├óÔé¼┬Ø Kint moaned, putting his forehead against Teesh's. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhen...if we get back, I'm marrying you. And...fuck my parents.├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôThat wouldn't be as much fun as fucking me,├óÔé¼┬Ø Teesh said, giggling.
├óÔé¼┼ôShut up,├óÔé¼┬Ø Kint said, kissing her. ├óÔé¼┼ôWe don't have any excuse. Our friends are dead and here we are, seconds away from undressing each other.├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôWhy stop there?├óÔé¼┬Ø Teesh asked, unbuttoning her already torn up shirt.
A bi-plane, or possibly a tri-plane, flew overhead. It was invisible through the canopy...but behind it's high pitched buzz, Kint could hear the low thrum of larger engines. They were still in the distance, but they were getting closer every minute.
├óÔé¼┼ôCome on,├óÔé¼┬Ø Kint said, standing. He dragged Teesh to her feet. She buttoned her shirt.
├óÔé¼┼ôWe don't have a gun,├óÔé¼┬Ø Teesh murmured, her hand going to her revolver.
├óÔé¼┼ôLet's hope we don't need one,├óÔé¼┬Ø Kint said. He took her hand and started walking towards Mount Doom. ├óÔé¼┼ôLet's go.├óÔé¼┬Ø
A half mile thick ring of ash lay around Mount Doom. Kint and Teesh stood there, looking at the sky. The two airships floated over them, their planes darting around. They were getting closer, taking their time.
├óÔé¼┼ôWe should make a break for it when some of the planes head in for refueling,├óÔé¼┬Ø Teesh murmured.
Kint nodded. ├óÔé¼┼ôYou mean...like...now?├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôRun!├óÔé¼┬Ø Teesh said, dashing into the ash field around Mount Doom. Kint followed her. They both ran, their feet pounding into the ground, sending up tiny clouds of ash. Kint coughed as the ash filled his lungs. Teesh's foot hit something and the entire ground opened up under them. Kint dropped, screaming like a girl.
They landed in a sprawl. Normally Kint would love to have his nose shoved into that wonderful area that lay between Teesh's bottom and her tail, but it was a little uncomfortable at this current moment.
├óÔé¼┼ôOw,├óÔé¼┬Ø Teesh moaned. ├óÔé¼┼ôNormally, I'd love to have your face in my ass-├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôSo would I, so would I,├óÔé¼┬Ø Kint said, moving off of Teesh. Teesh rolled onto her back, shaking her head.
├óÔé¼┼ôWhere are we?├óÔé¼┬Ø Teesh asked, looking around where they found themselves. It was a dark chamber, with no walls. The ground was a collection of tiles. They formed a pattern of red and blue checkers. Teesh blinked.
├óÔé¼┼ôElderling symbols,├óÔé¼┬Ø She murmured. ├óÔé¼┼ôSee!├óÔé¼┬Ø
Kint looked closer. Yes. The red symbols were all Elderling symbols. The blue ones...he didn't recognize.
├óÔé¼┼ôWhat are those?├óÔé¼┬Ø Kint asked.
├óÔé¼┼ôI don't believe it,├óÔé¼┬Ø Teesh said, her tail sticking straight out. ├óÔé¼┼ôThat's...impossible.├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôWhat is it?├óÔé¼┬Ø Kint asked.
├óÔé¼┼ôGirl...Dog...Wall,├óÔé¼┬Ø Teesh pointed out blue tiles. ├óÔé¼┼ôThese are beastling words. My clan's words.├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôWhat?├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôI learned these at school...my mom taught me these!├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôWhat do we do here?├óÔé¼┬Ø Kint asked, standing. He started to pace, thinking. ├óÔé¼┼ôWe stepped on something...didn't we?├óÔé¼┬Ø
His foot sank into a red tile and the red tiles vanished. Teesh yelped, scrabbling around on the blue tiles. She almost stuck her arm through one of the new holes.
├óÔé¼┼ôWhat did you do!├óÔé¼┬Ø She shouted.
├óÔé¼┼ôI stepped on something!├óÔé¼┬Ø Kint shouted, standing on two blue tiles.
├óÔé¼┼ôWhat was it?├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôUh...it was kinda like two sgwiggly lines, making two O's, with a tail at the end...kinda.├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôHuh...it kinda looks like this symbol,├óÔé¼┬Ø Teesh said, pointing at a blue tile.
├óÔé¼┼ôWhat does that symbol mean?├óÔé¼┬Ø Kint asked.
├óÔé¼┼ôIt means...crown. Duh! Crown!├óÔé¼┬Ø Teesh pressed the tile as Kint shouted, ├óÔé¼┼ôNo wai-├óÔé¼┬Ø
They fell.
And landed in a long hallway. The celling was low for Kint, but just the right hight for Teesh. The walls depicted bizarre murals. Kint stared at them. Teesh joined him in staring.
The murals showed a city filled with men and women, wearing simple togas. They lived next to this volcano.
And they were all...beastlings. Elderling symbols were intertwined with the artwork, telling a story that neither Kint nor Teesh could read. Teesh started to walk down the hall, watching the mural. The city grew and the beastlings became more advanced. They harnessed steam, then a weird energy that flashed from their finger tips like lighting. That energy flowed into bizarre machines that started moving. They were not like the clunky steam technology that Kint and Teesh were used to. Smooth lines, biological shapes, the technology looked more alive than dead.
The city grew. The flying machines lost their propellers, instead flying with strange tubes that emitted smoke behind them. The buildings turned from snow to metal and glass. They became taller. The beastlings became more numerous. Then Kint stopped dead.
├óÔé¼┼ôHumans,├óÔé¼┬Ø He murmured, pointing. A chain of men and women, all naked, poorly shaven and chained. Beastlings lead them through the streets, whips cracking.
├óÔé¼┼ôOh gods,├óÔé¼┬Ø Teesh murmured, eyes wide. More Humans filled the streets of the city. Kint and Teesh reached the end of the mural when the chains broke. Humans swarmed over the city and the beastling's technology fell into disarray.
├óÔé¼┼ôNo,├óÔé¼┬Ø Kint said, shaking his head. ├óÔé¼┼ôThat's...that's not what happened.├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôKint...this is Mount Doom, the ancient Elderling capital. It can't be lying.├óÔé¼┬Ø She rounded on Kint. ├óÔé¼┼ôYou got it backwards. The Elderlings weren't brought down by beastlings, and you are decedents of them! The Elderlings were brought down by Humans...I...I and MY people are decedents of the Elderlings!├óÔé¼┬Ø
Kint closed his eyes. The wall at the end of the hallway opened. An Elderling symbol flashed in the air, glowing for a moment before fading.
├óÔé¼┼ôWhat was that?├óÔé¼┬Ø Teesh asked. Kint blinked.
├óÔé¼┼ôI think it was...To leave. That's an Elderling word that we've kept. Ex-it. To leave.├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôHuh,├óÔé¼┬Ø Teesh said, stepping through the door. They entered the new room.
And two people stared back at them. Kint stared...and another Kint stared back. He looked at Teesh, then at the other Teesh. The four of them all stood in the room. One of the Kint's felt his forehead, groaning.
├óÔé¼┼ôOh and this is supposed to help my migraine?├óÔé¼┬Ø
--------------------------
Did I do it? Did I actually kill everyone off?
DID I! You'll have to wait for tommorow to find out...
Teesh still has an accent. I just don't write it. Why?
Because I am lazy.
-------------------------
├óÔé¼┼ôWhich one of us is the real one?├óÔé¼┬Ø One of the Kint's asked, looking at his Teesh.
├óÔé¼┼ôYou are,├óÔé¼┬Ø The other Kint said, pointing. ├óÔé¼┼ôI'm the reflection.├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôWell that clears things up,├óÔé¼┬Ø Kint said. He looked around the room. There was no door behind them, and no door in front of them. ├óÔé¼┼ôSo...what do we do?├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôWhat do we do? What do we do? You never know what to do, do you?├óÔé¼┬Ø The other Kint asked, stepping forward, pressing his finger into Kint's chest.
├óÔé¼┼ôWhat!├óÔé¼┬Ø Kint asked.
├óÔé¼┼ôSee?├óÔé¼┬Ø
Kint looked over to Teesh...but she wasn't there.
#
├óÔé¼┼ôHi?├óÔé¼┬Ø Teesh asked, waving at her double.
├óÔé¼┼ôHi? Why don't we skip the formalities and just cut straight to the point, whore.├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôWhore!├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôHow many people did you sleep with to get your ship?├óÔé¼┬Ø
Teesh crossed her hands over her chest. ├óÔé¼┼ôKint-├óÔé¼┬Ø Kint wasn't there. ├óÔé¼┼ôKint?├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôMore than your pretty navigator. I bet you told him he was your first.├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôShut up.├óÔé¼┬Ø
#
├óÔé¼┼ôShut up!├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôSure, hypocrite,├óÔé¼┬Ø The mirror Kint said, nodding.
Kint glared at him. ├óÔé¼┼ôHypocrite?├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôYou like to think how much better you are than the rest of your family, than your brother. But you're not, not really. You've fallen in with criminals, Kint. Nasty people. Beastlings.├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôYou're a bastard, did I ever tell you that?├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôI'm you,├óÔé¼┬Ø The other Kint said, grinning. ├óÔé¼┼ôI'm the part of you who misses the house, the money, the respect.├óÔé¼┬Ø
Kint bit his lip, balling his fists. He took a half step forward, ready to deck this impostor.
├óÔé¼┼ôThe respect...I bet that really hurts. Your parents spit on your name. Even Pyra had heard of your disgrace, and the Davidson family is one of the lesser houses. You've lost the respect of even the commoners.├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôI don't care about that.├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôSuuure you don't.├óÔé¼┬Ø
#
├óÔé¼┼ôLet me see, there was the young man in the Inn who promised you so many things. He was the first wasn't he?├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôShut up.├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôAnd then there was that Pirata officer who promised you a posting in his ship. You still hadn't learned not to trust people then.├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôShut up!├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôThen, then it was Kint. And you...ruined him.├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôSHUT UP!├óÔé¼┬Ø Teesh pulled her revolver...then remembered it wasn't there.
├óÔé¼┼ôYou killed his reputation deader than dead, and it was just because you wanted your ship, wasn't it? You think you love him, but you really just love your ship.├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôListen, bitch!├óÔé¼┬Ø Teesh said, grabbing her double and lifting her off the ground. ├óÔé¼┼ôYou're a lying little cunt, that's what you are!├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôI'm you,├óÔé¼┬Ø The other grinned.
├óÔé¼┼ôA small, small, small part,├óÔé¼┬Ø Teesh said.
The other shrugged. ├óÔé¼┼ôOne step closer.├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôAnd...you're still wrong. I love Kint.├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôMore than your ship?├óÔé¼┬Ø
Teesh paused, her jaw dropping open. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat are you, stupid?├óÔé¼┬Ø
The other laughed. ├óÔé¼┼ôGood job.├óÔé¼┬Ø
Teesh wasn't holding onto anything any more. She looked at her hands, brow furrowing.
├óÔé¼┼ôTeesh?├óÔé¼┬Ø Kint asked. His eyes were red. ├óÔé¼┼ôAre you okay?├óÔé¼┬Ø
Teesh brushed her shoulders off. ├óÔé¼┼ôFine. You?├óÔé¼┬Ø
Kint sniffled. ├óÔé¼┼ôA bit.├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôAre you okay?├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôYeah, I'm fine,├óÔé¼┬Ø Kint said, nodding.
├óÔé¼┼ôNever mind then,├óÔé¼┬Ø Teesh said, looking around the new room. It was larger than any of the others, but it was mostly dark. ├óÔé¼┼ôSure is dark in here-├óÔé¼┬Ø
Lights exploded into being. Four columns of fire shot up, each in a corner of the room. They hung in the air, glowing brightly. In front of Kint and Teesh was...a throne. A huge, finely sculpted throne of pure ice. It glimmered in the light of the fire. It also had a hole in the seat, right where a tail would be on a beastling.
├óÔé¼┼ôI think we're here,├óÔé¼┬Ø Teesh said, gulping.
├óÔé¼┼ôWhere?├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôHere,├óÔé¼┬Ø Teesh said, awe spread over her face. She took a step forward, heading towards the throne.
Kint followed her. BANG! Kint staggered. Then he looked down. A red stain started spreading over his shirt.
├óÔé¼┼ôI've been,├óÔé¼┬Ø He started, before collapsing. Teesh spun around, her hand going for the revolver that wasn't there.
A small party of two Pirata men and a single Sigilian stood at the back of the room. One of the Pirata men was a much lower rank than the other, but the Sigilian was definitely Davidson.
And he held the smoking revolver. Davidson walked forward, his face set. ├óÔé¼┼ôYou have been a big, big pain in my ass,├óÔé¼┬Ø He said. ├óÔé¼┼ôWho are you anyway?├óÔé¼┬Ø
Teesh didn't respond, dropping to her knees and crawling to Kint, panic filling her. He was still alive...thank the Gods. Teesh put pressure one the wound, blinking away tears. A revolver pressed into the back of her head.
├óÔé¼┼ôGive me the Crown,├óÔé¼┬Ø Davidson said. ├óÔé¼┼ôWe have medical supplies. Let's say you and you're friend get to live, if you give me the Crown.├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôWhy do you want it!├óÔé¼┬Ø Teesh sobbed.
Davidson blinked. ├óÔé¼┼ôI'd think you'd know.├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôNo!├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôThen...why are you here.├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôBecause you're battle, your search for this stupid thing killed my mother...and now it's killed my friends!├óÔé¼┬Ø
Davidson laughed. ├óÔé¼┼ôGive me the Crown.├óÔé¼┬Ø
Teesh handed it to him, numbly. ├óÔé¼┼ôIt won't work without the liquid that I recovered from the Cursed City.├óÔé¼┬Ø She didn't know how she knew it. She just did.
├óÔé¼┼ôWe have some,├óÔé¼┬Ø Davidson said, taking the crown. ├óÔé¼┼ôRecovered it from the wreck of your ship, actually. Had to pry it out of your chemists hands.├óÔé¼┬Ø
Teesh's fingers dug into Kint's chest and a tear leaked down her cheek. Her shoulders shook with fury. Then she realized that she was hurting Kint. She stopped gouging him. Davidson walked past.
├óÔé¼┼ôThis Crown will make me king,├óÔé¼┬Ø Davidson murmured, looking at the crown.
Something sparked in Teesh's mind. She didn't know where it came from. But suddenly she hoped...prayed that this idea was true. She put more pressure on Kint's wound.
Davidson got to the throne and sat down. He hissed with pleasure, tapping his fingers on the armrests. ├óÔé¼┼ôI feel it,├óÔé¼┬Ø He murmured. Smoke began to rise from his shoulders. He took the crown and pulled out the vial of fluid. Teesh felt as if her entire body was shaking. It was as if her bones were shaking. She drew in a short gasp of air, her lungs not quite working right.
Davidson poured the liquid over the crown. The crown glowed brightly, brighter than the sun. The light filled the room, making Teesh look away. Davidson dropped the crown on his head.
The light dimmed. Davidson's grin faded. The crown was a simple dull thing, no longer glowing.
├óÔé¼┼ôWhat...what?├óÔé¼┬Ø Davidson took the crown off. ├óÔé¼┼ôIt's not working...it's not working!├óÔé¼┬Ø
Teesh grinned.
Davidson shrieked. ├óÔé¼┼ôMy...fingers...gods!├óÔé¼┬Ø
Teesh stopped grinning. Davidson's fingers were slowly turning blue, starting at the tips and working inwards. They reached his wrists and Davidson stood, trying to drop the crown, but his hands were frozen. He staggered into the middle of the room, screaming. Then his feet stopped working, ice rushing up his legs, sticking his cloths to his body. His arms froze. Davidson looked at his arms, then down at his chest, which was freezing faster.
He looked at his friends, one last piteous glance. Then his head froze.
├óÔé¼┼ôHoly hells,├óÔé¼┬Ø The Pirata Capitan said. He drew his pistol. ├óÔé¼┼ôYou did this!├óÔé¼┬Ø
Teesh shook her head. The Pirata Capitan leveled his pistol at her.
Teesh dove to the side. The bullet bounced off the floor next to her. Now both Pirata men were aiming guns at her. She dashed forward and put Davidson's frozen body between her and them. Two bullets struck him and he shattered into a thousand shards. Teesh stood, covered in a fine coat of ice dust. The crown clattered to the ground in front of her.
The two Pirata men aimed their guns at Teesh's head. Teesh ducked and grabbed the Crown, rolling aside. Glowing light filled the room and both men shouted, covering their eyes. Teesh slammed the crown over her head...
And the world expanded. The light vanished, but the crown kept glowing. It was everything Davidson had wanted it to be...and more. The two Pirata men shouted, aiming their guns at Teesh once again .
Teesh waved her hand and one of the columns of fire in the corner of the room grew a long tentacle. The tentacle went through the first Pirata man, shooting through his heart and bursting out the other side. The man combusted, flames filling the air. The tentacle wrapped around the Pirata captain's neck and decapitated him. His body burst into flames as it collapsed, burning.
Teesh giggled. The power...was...she blinked, trying to bring her mind back to her body. It was as if she was the entire mountain, and lines beyond, lines of machinery and buried cities long forgotten by Humans and the Beastlings. Elderling technology was at her finger tips, forces beyond anyone's imagining.
Kint. Teesh turned around and focused on Kint. The floor turned to a liquid, flowing around Kint's body and lifting him into the air. The liquid squeezed off in the middle, making a floating platform that slid out of the room. It reached the doorway, then vanished. Teesh concentrated and appeared where the platform had gone. The tablet floated in a spherical chamber, thousands of tiny arms jutting out of the walls. They descended on Kint and Teesh was worried that they'd tear him limb from limb.
Then the arms drew away. One dropped the bullet into Teesh's hand. Others closed the wound, then slapped a bandage on it. The hands vanished and Kint sat up, groaning.
├óÔé¼┼ôTeesh, what the hell just happened?├óÔé¼┬Ø Kint asked. Then he saw Teesh, standing next to the tablet.
Teesh was floating a full inch off the floor, the glowing circlet nestled in her hair making her look vaguely angelic. And her face bore a look of complete serenity, as if she was completely at peace with the world.
├óÔé¼┼ôOh gods,├óÔé¼┬Ø Kint murmured.
├óÔé¼┼ôWhat?├óÔé¼┬Ø Teesh asked. Her lips didn't move. Rather, her voice came from every side at the same time, as if she was everywhere.
├óÔé¼┼ôTeesh...you're...you're...beautiful.├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôReally?├óÔé¼┬Ø Teesh's lips curved into a smile. Then her face became shocked. ├óÔé¼┼ôI can see myself...do I really float like that?├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôIt's amazing,├óÔé¼┬Ø Kint said, slowly sliding off the tablet. His wound complained slightly, but, over all, he could ignore the pain. It was quite amazing. ├óÔé¼┼ôTeesh...can I touch you?├óÔé¼┬Ø
Teesh dropped to the ground, her eyes opening. ├óÔé¼┼ôOf course you can, silly,├óÔé¼┬Ø She said, her lips moving with her words. She leaned in and kissed Kint.
Because I am lazy.
-------------------------
├óÔé¼┼ôWhich one of us is the real one?├óÔé¼┬Ø One of the Kint's asked, looking at his Teesh.
├óÔé¼┼ôYou are,├óÔé¼┬Ø The other Kint said, pointing. ├óÔé¼┼ôI'm the reflection.├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôWell that clears things up,├óÔé¼┬Ø Kint said. He looked around the room. There was no door behind them, and no door in front of them. ├óÔé¼┼ôSo...what do we do?├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôWhat do we do? What do we do? You never know what to do, do you?├óÔé¼┬Ø The other Kint asked, stepping forward, pressing his finger into Kint's chest.
├óÔé¼┼ôWhat!├óÔé¼┬Ø Kint asked.
├óÔé¼┼ôSee?├óÔé¼┬Ø
Kint looked over to Teesh...but she wasn't there.
#
├óÔé¼┼ôHi?├óÔé¼┬Ø Teesh asked, waving at her double.
├óÔé¼┼ôHi? Why don't we skip the formalities and just cut straight to the point, whore.├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôWhore!├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôHow many people did you sleep with to get your ship?├óÔé¼┬Ø
Teesh crossed her hands over her chest. ├óÔé¼┼ôKint-├óÔé¼┬Ø Kint wasn't there. ├óÔé¼┼ôKint?├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôMore than your pretty navigator. I bet you told him he was your first.├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôShut up.├óÔé¼┬Ø
#
├óÔé¼┼ôShut up!├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôSure, hypocrite,├óÔé¼┬Ø The mirror Kint said, nodding.
Kint glared at him. ├óÔé¼┼ôHypocrite?├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôYou like to think how much better you are than the rest of your family, than your brother. But you're not, not really. You've fallen in with criminals, Kint. Nasty people. Beastlings.├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôYou're a bastard, did I ever tell you that?├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôI'm you,├óÔé¼┬Ø The other Kint said, grinning. ├óÔé¼┼ôI'm the part of you who misses the house, the money, the respect.├óÔé¼┬Ø
Kint bit his lip, balling his fists. He took a half step forward, ready to deck this impostor.
├óÔé¼┼ôThe respect...I bet that really hurts. Your parents spit on your name. Even Pyra had heard of your disgrace, and the Davidson family is one of the lesser houses. You've lost the respect of even the commoners.├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôI don't care about that.├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôSuuure you don't.├óÔé¼┬Ø
#
├óÔé¼┼ôLet me see, there was the young man in the Inn who promised you so many things. He was the first wasn't he?├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôShut up.├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôAnd then there was that Pirata officer who promised you a posting in his ship. You still hadn't learned not to trust people then.├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôShut up!├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôThen, then it was Kint. And you...ruined him.├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôSHUT UP!├óÔé¼┬Ø Teesh pulled her revolver...then remembered it wasn't there.
├óÔé¼┼ôYou killed his reputation deader than dead, and it was just because you wanted your ship, wasn't it? You think you love him, but you really just love your ship.├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôListen, bitch!├óÔé¼┬Ø Teesh said, grabbing her double and lifting her off the ground. ├óÔé¼┼ôYou're a lying little cunt, that's what you are!├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôI'm you,├óÔé¼┬Ø The other grinned.
├óÔé¼┼ôA small, small, small part,├óÔé¼┬Ø Teesh said.
The other shrugged. ├óÔé¼┼ôOne step closer.├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôAnd...you're still wrong. I love Kint.├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôMore than your ship?├óÔé¼┬Ø
Teesh paused, her jaw dropping open. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat are you, stupid?├óÔé¼┬Ø
The other laughed. ├óÔé¼┼ôGood job.├óÔé¼┬Ø
Teesh wasn't holding onto anything any more. She looked at her hands, brow furrowing.
├óÔé¼┼ôTeesh?├óÔé¼┬Ø Kint asked. His eyes were red. ├óÔé¼┼ôAre you okay?├óÔé¼┬Ø
Teesh brushed her shoulders off. ├óÔé¼┼ôFine. You?├óÔé¼┬Ø
Kint sniffled. ├óÔé¼┼ôA bit.├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôAre you okay?├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôYeah, I'm fine,├óÔé¼┬Ø Kint said, nodding.
├óÔé¼┼ôNever mind then,├óÔé¼┬Ø Teesh said, looking around the new room. It was larger than any of the others, but it was mostly dark. ├óÔé¼┼ôSure is dark in here-├óÔé¼┬Ø
Lights exploded into being. Four columns of fire shot up, each in a corner of the room. They hung in the air, glowing brightly. In front of Kint and Teesh was...a throne. A huge, finely sculpted throne of pure ice. It glimmered in the light of the fire. It also had a hole in the seat, right where a tail would be on a beastling.
├óÔé¼┼ôI think we're here,├óÔé¼┬Ø Teesh said, gulping.
├óÔé¼┼ôWhere?├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôHere,├óÔé¼┬Ø Teesh said, awe spread over her face. She took a step forward, heading towards the throne.
Kint followed her. BANG! Kint staggered. Then he looked down. A red stain started spreading over his shirt.
├óÔé¼┼ôI've been,├óÔé¼┬Ø He started, before collapsing. Teesh spun around, her hand going for the revolver that wasn't there.
A small party of two Pirata men and a single Sigilian stood at the back of the room. One of the Pirata men was a much lower rank than the other, but the Sigilian was definitely Davidson.
And he held the smoking revolver. Davidson walked forward, his face set. ├óÔé¼┼ôYou have been a big, big pain in my ass,├óÔé¼┬Ø He said. ├óÔé¼┼ôWho are you anyway?├óÔé¼┬Ø
Teesh didn't respond, dropping to her knees and crawling to Kint, panic filling her. He was still alive...thank the Gods. Teesh put pressure one the wound, blinking away tears. A revolver pressed into the back of her head.
├óÔé¼┼ôGive me the Crown,├óÔé¼┬Ø Davidson said. ├óÔé¼┼ôWe have medical supplies. Let's say you and you're friend get to live, if you give me the Crown.├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôWhy do you want it!├óÔé¼┬Ø Teesh sobbed.
Davidson blinked. ├óÔé¼┼ôI'd think you'd know.├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôNo!├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôThen...why are you here.├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôBecause you're battle, your search for this stupid thing killed my mother...and now it's killed my friends!├óÔé¼┬Ø
Davidson laughed. ├óÔé¼┼ôGive me the Crown.├óÔé¼┬Ø
Teesh handed it to him, numbly. ├óÔé¼┼ôIt won't work without the liquid that I recovered from the Cursed City.├óÔé¼┬Ø She didn't know how she knew it. She just did.
├óÔé¼┼ôWe have some,├óÔé¼┬Ø Davidson said, taking the crown. ├óÔé¼┼ôRecovered it from the wreck of your ship, actually. Had to pry it out of your chemists hands.├óÔé¼┬Ø
Teesh's fingers dug into Kint's chest and a tear leaked down her cheek. Her shoulders shook with fury. Then she realized that she was hurting Kint. She stopped gouging him. Davidson walked past.
├óÔé¼┼ôThis Crown will make me king,├óÔé¼┬Ø Davidson murmured, looking at the crown.
Something sparked in Teesh's mind. She didn't know where it came from. But suddenly she hoped...prayed that this idea was true. She put more pressure on Kint's wound.
Davidson got to the throne and sat down. He hissed with pleasure, tapping his fingers on the armrests. ├óÔé¼┼ôI feel it,├óÔé¼┬Ø He murmured. Smoke began to rise from his shoulders. He took the crown and pulled out the vial of fluid. Teesh felt as if her entire body was shaking. It was as if her bones were shaking. She drew in a short gasp of air, her lungs not quite working right.
Davidson poured the liquid over the crown. The crown glowed brightly, brighter than the sun. The light filled the room, making Teesh look away. Davidson dropped the crown on his head.
The light dimmed. Davidson's grin faded. The crown was a simple dull thing, no longer glowing.
├óÔé¼┼ôWhat...what?├óÔé¼┬Ø Davidson took the crown off. ├óÔé¼┼ôIt's not working...it's not working!├óÔé¼┬Ø
Teesh grinned.
Davidson shrieked. ├óÔé¼┼ôMy...fingers...gods!├óÔé¼┬Ø
Teesh stopped grinning. Davidson's fingers were slowly turning blue, starting at the tips and working inwards. They reached his wrists and Davidson stood, trying to drop the crown, but his hands were frozen. He staggered into the middle of the room, screaming. Then his feet stopped working, ice rushing up his legs, sticking his cloths to his body. His arms froze. Davidson looked at his arms, then down at his chest, which was freezing faster.
He looked at his friends, one last piteous glance. Then his head froze.
├óÔé¼┼ôHoly hells,├óÔé¼┬Ø The Pirata Capitan said. He drew his pistol. ├óÔé¼┼ôYou did this!├óÔé¼┬Ø
Teesh shook her head. The Pirata Capitan leveled his pistol at her.
Teesh dove to the side. The bullet bounced off the floor next to her. Now both Pirata men were aiming guns at her. She dashed forward and put Davidson's frozen body between her and them. Two bullets struck him and he shattered into a thousand shards. Teesh stood, covered in a fine coat of ice dust. The crown clattered to the ground in front of her.
The two Pirata men aimed their guns at Teesh's head. Teesh ducked and grabbed the Crown, rolling aside. Glowing light filled the room and both men shouted, covering their eyes. Teesh slammed the crown over her head...
And the world expanded. The light vanished, but the crown kept glowing. It was everything Davidson had wanted it to be...and more. The two Pirata men shouted, aiming their guns at Teesh once again .
Teesh waved her hand and one of the columns of fire in the corner of the room grew a long tentacle. The tentacle went through the first Pirata man, shooting through his heart and bursting out the other side. The man combusted, flames filling the air. The tentacle wrapped around the Pirata captain's neck and decapitated him. His body burst into flames as it collapsed, burning.
Teesh giggled. The power...was...she blinked, trying to bring her mind back to her body. It was as if she was the entire mountain, and lines beyond, lines of machinery and buried cities long forgotten by Humans and the Beastlings. Elderling technology was at her finger tips, forces beyond anyone's imagining.
Kint. Teesh turned around and focused on Kint. The floor turned to a liquid, flowing around Kint's body and lifting him into the air. The liquid squeezed off in the middle, making a floating platform that slid out of the room. It reached the doorway, then vanished. Teesh concentrated and appeared where the platform had gone. The tablet floated in a spherical chamber, thousands of tiny arms jutting out of the walls. They descended on Kint and Teesh was worried that they'd tear him limb from limb.
Then the arms drew away. One dropped the bullet into Teesh's hand. Others closed the wound, then slapped a bandage on it. The hands vanished and Kint sat up, groaning.
├óÔé¼┼ôTeesh, what the hell just happened?├óÔé¼┬Ø Kint asked. Then he saw Teesh, standing next to the tablet.
Teesh was floating a full inch off the floor, the glowing circlet nestled in her hair making her look vaguely angelic. And her face bore a look of complete serenity, as if she was completely at peace with the world.
├óÔé¼┼ôOh gods,├óÔé¼┬Ø Kint murmured.
├óÔé¼┼ôWhat?├óÔé¼┬Ø Teesh asked. Her lips didn't move. Rather, her voice came from every side at the same time, as if she was everywhere.
├óÔé¼┼ôTeesh...you're...you're...beautiful.├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôReally?├óÔé¼┬Ø Teesh's lips curved into a smile. Then her face became shocked. ├óÔé¼┼ôI can see myself...do I really float like that?├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôIt's amazing,├óÔé¼┬Ø Kint said, slowly sliding off the tablet. His wound complained slightly, but, over all, he could ignore the pain. It was quite amazing. ├óÔé¼┼ôTeesh...can I touch you?├óÔé¼┬Ø
Teesh dropped to the ground, her eyes opening. ├óÔé¼┼ôOf course you can, silly,├óÔé¼┬Ø She said, her lips moving with her words. She leaned in and kissed Kint.
-
Archangel of Death
- Posts: 854
- Joined: 28 Jan 2005, 18:15
A electric shock ran down Teesh's body. Kint felt it too, jumping slightly.
├óÔé¼┼ôWhat was that?├óÔé¼┬Ø Teesh asked. Another electric shock. The entire room shook this time. ├óÔé¼┼ôWe're under attack...├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôWhat?├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôWe're under attack! Come with me.├óÔé¼┬Ø Teesh said, taking Kint's hand. The room around them vanished and they appeared outside. The two air ships were firing into the mountain side, their guns putting out shell after shell. Each explosion shook the mountain. Some rocks tumbled down the side of the mountain and smashed into the ground. Teesh snarled, her teeth bared.
The mountain shook again. Rocks exploded behind Kint. Kint spun around and saw a humanoid figure climbing out of the earth itself. It was tall, taller than any man, and it's waist was thinner than any man's. It's head was long and two completely black eyes were stuck on the sides. It's shoulders were massive, like a knight's armor from an old fairy tail book.
It thumped forward, each footfall sinking part way into the ground, spreading small cracks everywhere. The Armor stood in front of Teesh and bowed, slowly.
Another volley of cannon fire made the mountain shake. Kint was not sure what the enemy intended to accomplish. A thousand guns, firing for a thousand years couldn't demolish a mountain. Mountains were strong.
Then Kint remembered that this was an ancient inactive volcano. The mountain side rumbled and a deep, reverberating boom made his hair stand on end. A gout of fire shot out of the side of the mountain, sending massive boulders flying into the near by forests.
├óÔé¼┼ôWhat is going on!├óÔé¼┬Ø Kint shouted.
├óÔé¼┼ôThe technology is exploding,├óÔé¼┬Ø Teesh said, clapping her hands over her ears. She looked at the Armor and shouted, ├óÔé¼┼ôTake them down!├óÔé¼┬Ø
The Armor shrugged, brining it's arms up, bringing them to bear on one of the airships. The wrists opened and the hands turned inside out, folding into two large cannons.
Kint expected cannon shot, or machine guns, or something recognizable.
Instead the enemy ship simply exploded, it's balloon bursting like an over ripe fruit being smashed by a sledge hammer. The flaming, mangled wreck of the hull fell into the forest with a crash. The other ship brought it's cannons to bear on a different part of the mountain, trying to figure out what happened. Kint smelled ozone in the air, thicker and sharper than he'd ever smelled before.
The Armor was about to take down the second airship when a shell from the ship landed in the mountain. Another gout of fire and a resounding boom sounded. Teesh cried out, blood trickling from her ears. The entire mountain shook and Kint fell to the ground. A moment later the Armor collapsed as well, falling at the knee joints. Something inside of it was burning, a horrible sickly scent filling the air. It made Kint gag. Teesh sank to her knees, trying to tear her crown off. Then the rumbling stopped. The mountain seemed to stabilize. The enemy gun ship turned towards Kint and Teesh. It had found them. Kint imagined the cannons turning towards them.
A line of explosions stitched their way along the side of the hull. Tiny explosions, but enough of them to make the airship turn in the air. A small bi-plane shot past. A small, familer bi-plane.
├óÔé¼┼ôBester...BESTER!├óÔé¼┬Ø Kint shouted, getting to his feet. The plane shot over the enemy airship, it's guns chattering. The balloon ripped, fire tearing through it.
With one last explosion, the enemy air ship dropped to the forest, flaming.
Teesh tore the crown off her head, breathing heavily. Her eyes widened. She ran and smashed into Kint. They both fell onto a steeper part of the mountain, rolling down the slope moments before the Armor exploded, sending bits of metal flying everywhere.
Kint and Teesh rolled to a stop where the mountain leveled out slightly. Kint panted, feeling sore all over. Teesh was on top of him, clutching the crown in one hand. Her tail tapped against his side.
├óÔé¼┼ôThanks,├óÔé¼┬Ø Kint said. A moment later. ├óÔé¼┼ôHow did you know the thingy was going to blow up.├óÔé¼┬Ø
Teesh shrugged. ├óÔé¼┼ôThis crown thing hurts.├óÔé¼┬Ø
A buzzing sound made them both look up. The Kitty Hawk two flew over head, it's pilot waving madly. The plane looped around and set down in the clear ash plain that surrounded the volcano. Teesh and Kint stood, staggering down the last bit of slope left before reaching the plane.
Bester climbed out of his cockpit, winced, stopped, and then leaned against the side of the Kitty Hawk. Pyra unstrapped herself from the wing, brushing herself off.
├óÔé¼┼ôWho is the greatest?├óÔé¼┬Ø Bester asked.
├óÔé¼┼ôYou!├óÔé¼┬Ø Kint said. He charged down and almost tackled Bester, wrapping him in a tight bear hug. ├óÔé¼┼ôWe thought you guys were dead!├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôIt'll take more than a bullet through my stomach and a holed oil line to stop Bester.├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôI did most of the work,├óÔé¼┬Ø Pyra said as Kint hugged her too. Teesh stuck to the slightly more refrained handshake.
├óÔé¼┼ôYou won't believe this,├óÔé¼┬Ø Bester said, resting against the side of the plane. ├óÔé¼┼ôAmni managed to cook up a new set of oil for the engine. With nothing more than what-├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôAmni! She's alive?├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôKinda,├óÔé¼┬Ø Bester said. ├óÔé¼┼ôSome rather sever burns on her arm and a gouged out eye. George lost a leg and is feeling a bit sore about it.├óÔé¼┬Ø
Teesh winced.
├óÔé¼┼ôBut hey, it's better than dying!├óÔé¼┬Ø Bester said, flinging his hand in a slightly over dramatic gesture. That made his wound scream at him to STOP, and Bester winced, folding up. ├óÔé¼┼ôI should stop doing that,├óÔé¼┬Ø He wheezed.
├óÔé¼┼ôSo what have you two been doing?├óÔé¼┬Ø Pyra asked.
├óÔé¼┼ôOh...this and that,├óÔé¼┬Ø Teesh said, sliding the crown onto her head. She brightened. ├óÔé¼┼ôThe Damage Control Nanobots have successfully stabilized the fusion reactor that the enemy damaged with their shells.├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôWhat the hell does that mean?├óÔé¼┬Ø Kint asked.
├óÔé¼┼ôI...don't know,├óÔé¼┬Ø Teesh said, smiling. ├óÔé¼┼ôBut the crown doesn't hurt to wear anymore.├óÔé¼┬Ø She smiled wider. ├óÔé¼┼ôAnd there's a fully functional outpost about three miles that a way.├óÔé¼┬Ø
She pointed.
├óÔé¼┼ôWhere are Amni and George?├óÔé¼┬Ø Kint asked.
├óÔé¼┼ôAbout three miles that way,├óÔé¼┬Ø Bester said, pointing in the opposite direction Teesh had.
├óÔé¼┼ôWell that figures,├óÔé¼┬Ø Kint said.
A few hours later, when everyone was gathered in the clearing that Teesh claimed was important, Kint got a good look at George and Amni.
They did look the worse for the wear. Amni's right arm was wrapped in bandages, but it smelled slightly of burnt meat. Her face was drawn and pale, half of it covered by another makeshift bandage. She smiled weakly when she saw Kint.
├óÔé¼┼ôThought you were a gonner,├óÔé¼┬Ø She coughed.
George had to be carried on a stretcher. His left leg ended at the thigh, tied off with a very shoddy tourniquet. Pyra had cauterized the wound with her hands, so it smelled like burnt meat too. George was staring morosely at the ground when he arrived, carried in by Kint and Teesh.
├óÔé¼┼ôSo,├óÔé¼┬Ø He said, ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat's so special about here?├óÔé¼┬Ø
Teesh smiled, concentrating at the ground. A moment later and the loam of the forest spread aisde. A small rectangle popped out of the ground, then expanded. A roof shoot out of the top, four beds out of each side, and a hole in two of the walls had a bunch of buttons on it, each in Elderling script.
├óÔé¼┼ôWhoa,├óÔé¼┬Ø Amni, George, Bester and Pyra murmured. Pyra walked closer.
├óÔé¼┼ôThose are Elderling symbols!├óÔé¼┬Ø She said, unnessisarily. ├óÔé¼┼ôFish. Steak. Cheese. This is food...Wine, Beer, something, water...this is drink!├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôOrder me up some water,├óÔé¼┬Ø George said as Kint and Teesh levered him onto the bed. Pyra pressed the button and a red sign flashed.
├óÔé¼┼ôOut of order!├óÔé¼┬Ø Pyra moaned.
EPILOUGE
The Douglas family had always had a somewhat interesting fractured relationship with one another. Mother and Father Douglas enjoyed throwing their best plates and bowels at each other. A good three fourths of the eight children had been killed in one battle or another. The oldest surviving child worked for someone who was most likely a criminal.
And their youngest surviving child walked in the front door, a young, very pretty woman with him.
Mother dropped the plates she had been cleaning, staring at Kint. He smiled at her, waving. A young woman stood behind him, a crown resting on her forehead. But that wasn't what made Mother so shocked.
IT was the ears. Two furry cat ears.
├óÔé¼┼ôYou...dare!├óÔé¼┬Ø Mother hissed. The entire house shook. Clomp. Clomp. Clomp. A mechanical man walked through the front door, bowing slightly to the beastling girl. It looked incredibly intimidating, not to mention incredibly...incredible, so incredible that Mother shut up right then and there.
├óÔé¼┼ôIs Brian home?├óÔé¼┬Ø Kint asked, smiling.
├óÔé¼┼ôYes,├óÔé¼┬Ø Mother said, her voice tight. ├óÔé¼┼ôFather is home as well.├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôGood,├óÔé¼┬Ø Kint said. Two men ran into the room. Brain and Kint's father, both of whom looked part alarmed and part angry.
├óÔé¼┼ôI heard foot...what the hell is that!├óÔé¼┬Ø Brian shouted, pointing.
├óÔé¼┼ôHi Brian,├óÔé¼┬Ø Kint said, waving.
Simultaneously, every other member of the Douglas Family started shouting. Kint bore it for a moment.
├óÔé¼┼ôYou think you can bring that WHORE into this house!├óÔé¼┬Ø
That made him stop bearing it. ├óÔé¼┼ôSHUT...UP!├óÔé¼┬Ø Kint shouted, pulling his revolver.
Everyone shut up. Kint realized he had drawn the gun. ├óÔé¼┼ôSorry,├óÔé¼┬Ø He said, sliding the revolver back into it's holster. ├óÔé¼┼ôI'm just used to...never mind. See I wanted to tell you that I have found a legitimate wife. One equal to my blood.├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôReally?├óÔé¼┬Ø Father Douglas said, crossing his arms over his chest. ├óÔé¼┼ôWho is it? Will you keep this beastling as your mistress, or something?├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôNo,├óÔé¼┬Ø Kint said. ├óÔé¼┼ôTeesh?├óÔé¼┬Ø
Teesh stepped forward, her gown flowing about her body in an enchanting way. She bowed slightly.
├óÔé¼┼ôMay I present to you Queen Teesh of the city of Ottomattapia.├óÔé¼┬Ø Kint smiled at the name. Teesh had demanded it, for some reason.
├óÔé¼┼ôQueen!├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôThis crown is not just an ornament. Ruben Davidson was killed trying to get this thing. It's the most precious treasure in the world, and it can be out families, if I marry Teesh.├óÔé¼┬Ø
The Douglas family stared at him. Then Mother spoke up. ├óÔé¼┼ôHow can we-├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôTeesh, show them,├óÔé¼┬Ø Kint said. Teesh didn't need to be told twice. She glanced at the Armor. The Armor smashed it's fist into the side of the wall. The wall cracked and the entire house shook. The Armor bowed.
├óÔé¼┼ôI...see,├óÔé¼┬Ø Mother said. She gestured down the hallway. ├óÔé¼┼ôWould you two like to discuss this...in a more comfortable setting?├óÔé¼┬Ø
THE EPILOUGE IS NOT OVER! There's another half left that I need to write. I'm just sleepy. It's 2 in the F!@@#!#@ !#!%!)^!6ING morning, for cjating out loud. Hwo did I type so inlegibly? I dunlow
├óÔé¼┼ôWhat was that?├óÔé¼┬Ø Teesh asked. Another electric shock. The entire room shook this time. ├óÔé¼┼ôWe're under attack...├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôWhat?├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôWe're under attack! Come with me.├óÔé¼┬Ø Teesh said, taking Kint's hand. The room around them vanished and they appeared outside. The two air ships were firing into the mountain side, their guns putting out shell after shell. Each explosion shook the mountain. Some rocks tumbled down the side of the mountain and smashed into the ground. Teesh snarled, her teeth bared.
The mountain shook again. Rocks exploded behind Kint. Kint spun around and saw a humanoid figure climbing out of the earth itself. It was tall, taller than any man, and it's waist was thinner than any man's. It's head was long and two completely black eyes were stuck on the sides. It's shoulders were massive, like a knight's armor from an old fairy tail book.
It thumped forward, each footfall sinking part way into the ground, spreading small cracks everywhere. The Armor stood in front of Teesh and bowed, slowly.
Another volley of cannon fire made the mountain shake. Kint was not sure what the enemy intended to accomplish. A thousand guns, firing for a thousand years couldn't demolish a mountain. Mountains were strong.
Then Kint remembered that this was an ancient inactive volcano. The mountain side rumbled and a deep, reverberating boom made his hair stand on end. A gout of fire shot out of the side of the mountain, sending massive boulders flying into the near by forests.
├óÔé¼┼ôWhat is going on!├óÔé¼┬Ø Kint shouted.
├óÔé¼┼ôThe technology is exploding,├óÔé¼┬Ø Teesh said, clapping her hands over her ears. She looked at the Armor and shouted, ├óÔé¼┼ôTake them down!├óÔé¼┬Ø
The Armor shrugged, brining it's arms up, bringing them to bear on one of the airships. The wrists opened and the hands turned inside out, folding into two large cannons.
Kint expected cannon shot, or machine guns, or something recognizable.
Instead the enemy ship simply exploded, it's balloon bursting like an over ripe fruit being smashed by a sledge hammer. The flaming, mangled wreck of the hull fell into the forest with a crash. The other ship brought it's cannons to bear on a different part of the mountain, trying to figure out what happened. Kint smelled ozone in the air, thicker and sharper than he'd ever smelled before.
The Armor was about to take down the second airship when a shell from the ship landed in the mountain. Another gout of fire and a resounding boom sounded. Teesh cried out, blood trickling from her ears. The entire mountain shook and Kint fell to the ground. A moment later the Armor collapsed as well, falling at the knee joints. Something inside of it was burning, a horrible sickly scent filling the air. It made Kint gag. Teesh sank to her knees, trying to tear her crown off. Then the rumbling stopped. The mountain seemed to stabilize. The enemy gun ship turned towards Kint and Teesh. It had found them. Kint imagined the cannons turning towards them.
A line of explosions stitched their way along the side of the hull. Tiny explosions, but enough of them to make the airship turn in the air. A small bi-plane shot past. A small, familer bi-plane.
├óÔé¼┼ôBester...BESTER!├óÔé¼┬Ø Kint shouted, getting to his feet. The plane shot over the enemy airship, it's guns chattering. The balloon ripped, fire tearing through it.
With one last explosion, the enemy air ship dropped to the forest, flaming.
Teesh tore the crown off her head, breathing heavily. Her eyes widened. She ran and smashed into Kint. They both fell onto a steeper part of the mountain, rolling down the slope moments before the Armor exploded, sending bits of metal flying everywhere.
Kint and Teesh rolled to a stop where the mountain leveled out slightly. Kint panted, feeling sore all over. Teesh was on top of him, clutching the crown in one hand. Her tail tapped against his side.
├óÔé¼┼ôThanks,├óÔé¼┬Ø Kint said. A moment later. ├óÔé¼┼ôHow did you know the thingy was going to blow up.├óÔé¼┬Ø
Teesh shrugged. ├óÔé¼┼ôThis crown thing hurts.├óÔé¼┬Ø
A buzzing sound made them both look up. The Kitty Hawk two flew over head, it's pilot waving madly. The plane looped around and set down in the clear ash plain that surrounded the volcano. Teesh and Kint stood, staggering down the last bit of slope left before reaching the plane.
Bester climbed out of his cockpit, winced, stopped, and then leaned against the side of the Kitty Hawk. Pyra unstrapped herself from the wing, brushing herself off.
├óÔé¼┼ôWho is the greatest?├óÔé¼┬Ø Bester asked.
├óÔé¼┼ôYou!├óÔé¼┬Ø Kint said. He charged down and almost tackled Bester, wrapping him in a tight bear hug. ├óÔé¼┼ôWe thought you guys were dead!├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôIt'll take more than a bullet through my stomach and a holed oil line to stop Bester.├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôI did most of the work,├óÔé¼┬Ø Pyra said as Kint hugged her too. Teesh stuck to the slightly more refrained handshake.
├óÔé¼┼ôYou won't believe this,├óÔé¼┬Ø Bester said, resting against the side of the plane. ├óÔé¼┼ôAmni managed to cook up a new set of oil for the engine. With nothing more than what-├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôAmni! She's alive?├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôKinda,├óÔé¼┬Ø Bester said. ├óÔé¼┼ôSome rather sever burns on her arm and a gouged out eye. George lost a leg and is feeling a bit sore about it.├óÔé¼┬Ø
Teesh winced.
├óÔé¼┼ôBut hey, it's better than dying!├óÔé¼┬Ø Bester said, flinging his hand in a slightly over dramatic gesture. That made his wound scream at him to STOP, and Bester winced, folding up. ├óÔé¼┼ôI should stop doing that,├óÔé¼┬Ø He wheezed.
├óÔé¼┼ôSo what have you two been doing?├óÔé¼┬Ø Pyra asked.
├óÔé¼┼ôOh...this and that,├óÔé¼┬Ø Teesh said, sliding the crown onto her head. She brightened. ├óÔé¼┼ôThe Damage Control Nanobots have successfully stabilized the fusion reactor that the enemy damaged with their shells.├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôWhat the hell does that mean?├óÔé¼┬Ø Kint asked.
├óÔé¼┼ôI...don't know,├óÔé¼┬Ø Teesh said, smiling. ├óÔé¼┼ôBut the crown doesn't hurt to wear anymore.├óÔé¼┬Ø She smiled wider. ├óÔé¼┼ôAnd there's a fully functional outpost about three miles that a way.├óÔé¼┬Ø
She pointed.
├óÔé¼┼ôWhere are Amni and George?├óÔé¼┬Ø Kint asked.
├óÔé¼┼ôAbout three miles that way,├óÔé¼┬Ø Bester said, pointing in the opposite direction Teesh had.
├óÔé¼┼ôWell that figures,├óÔé¼┬Ø Kint said.
A few hours later, when everyone was gathered in the clearing that Teesh claimed was important, Kint got a good look at George and Amni.
They did look the worse for the wear. Amni's right arm was wrapped in bandages, but it smelled slightly of burnt meat. Her face was drawn and pale, half of it covered by another makeshift bandage. She smiled weakly when she saw Kint.
├óÔé¼┼ôThought you were a gonner,├óÔé¼┬Ø She coughed.
George had to be carried on a stretcher. His left leg ended at the thigh, tied off with a very shoddy tourniquet. Pyra had cauterized the wound with her hands, so it smelled like burnt meat too. George was staring morosely at the ground when he arrived, carried in by Kint and Teesh.
├óÔé¼┼ôSo,├óÔé¼┬Ø He said, ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat's so special about here?├óÔé¼┬Ø
Teesh smiled, concentrating at the ground. A moment later and the loam of the forest spread aisde. A small rectangle popped out of the ground, then expanded. A roof shoot out of the top, four beds out of each side, and a hole in two of the walls had a bunch of buttons on it, each in Elderling script.
├óÔé¼┼ôWhoa,├óÔé¼┬Ø Amni, George, Bester and Pyra murmured. Pyra walked closer.
├óÔé¼┼ôThose are Elderling symbols!├óÔé¼┬Ø She said, unnessisarily. ├óÔé¼┼ôFish. Steak. Cheese. This is food...Wine, Beer, something, water...this is drink!├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôOrder me up some water,├óÔé¼┬Ø George said as Kint and Teesh levered him onto the bed. Pyra pressed the button and a red sign flashed.
├óÔé¼┼ôOut of order!├óÔé¼┬Ø Pyra moaned.
EPILOUGE
The Douglas family had always had a somewhat interesting fractured relationship with one another. Mother and Father Douglas enjoyed throwing their best plates and bowels at each other. A good three fourths of the eight children had been killed in one battle or another. The oldest surviving child worked for someone who was most likely a criminal.
And their youngest surviving child walked in the front door, a young, very pretty woman with him.
Mother dropped the plates she had been cleaning, staring at Kint. He smiled at her, waving. A young woman stood behind him, a crown resting on her forehead. But that wasn't what made Mother so shocked.
IT was the ears. Two furry cat ears.
├óÔé¼┼ôYou...dare!├óÔé¼┬Ø Mother hissed. The entire house shook. Clomp. Clomp. Clomp. A mechanical man walked through the front door, bowing slightly to the beastling girl. It looked incredibly intimidating, not to mention incredibly...incredible, so incredible that Mother shut up right then and there.
├óÔé¼┼ôIs Brian home?├óÔé¼┬Ø Kint asked, smiling.
├óÔé¼┼ôYes,├óÔé¼┬Ø Mother said, her voice tight. ├óÔé¼┼ôFather is home as well.├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôGood,├óÔé¼┬Ø Kint said. Two men ran into the room. Brain and Kint's father, both of whom looked part alarmed and part angry.
├óÔé¼┼ôI heard foot...what the hell is that!├óÔé¼┬Ø Brian shouted, pointing.
├óÔé¼┼ôHi Brian,├óÔé¼┬Ø Kint said, waving.
Simultaneously, every other member of the Douglas Family started shouting. Kint bore it for a moment.
├óÔé¼┼ôYou think you can bring that WHORE into this house!├óÔé¼┬Ø
That made him stop bearing it. ├óÔé¼┼ôSHUT...UP!├óÔé¼┬Ø Kint shouted, pulling his revolver.
Everyone shut up. Kint realized he had drawn the gun. ├óÔé¼┼ôSorry,├óÔé¼┬Ø He said, sliding the revolver back into it's holster. ├óÔé¼┼ôI'm just used to...never mind. See I wanted to tell you that I have found a legitimate wife. One equal to my blood.├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôReally?├óÔé¼┬Ø Father Douglas said, crossing his arms over his chest. ├óÔé¼┼ôWho is it? Will you keep this beastling as your mistress, or something?├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôNo,├óÔé¼┬Ø Kint said. ├óÔé¼┼ôTeesh?├óÔé¼┬Ø
Teesh stepped forward, her gown flowing about her body in an enchanting way. She bowed slightly.
├óÔé¼┼ôMay I present to you Queen Teesh of the city of Ottomattapia.├óÔé¼┬Ø Kint smiled at the name. Teesh had demanded it, for some reason.
├óÔé¼┼ôQueen!├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôThis crown is not just an ornament. Ruben Davidson was killed trying to get this thing. It's the most precious treasure in the world, and it can be out families, if I marry Teesh.├óÔé¼┬Ø
The Douglas family stared at him. Then Mother spoke up. ├óÔé¼┼ôHow can we-├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôTeesh, show them,├óÔé¼┬Ø Kint said. Teesh didn't need to be told twice. She glanced at the Armor. The Armor smashed it's fist into the side of the wall. The wall cracked and the entire house shook. The Armor bowed.
├óÔé¼┼ôI...see,├óÔé¼┬Ø Mother said. She gestured down the hallway. ├óÔé¼┼ôWould you two like to discuss this...in a more comfortable setting?├óÔé¼┬Ø
THE EPILOUGE IS NOT OVER! There's another half left that I need to write. I'm just sleepy. It's 2 in the F!@@#!#@ !#!%!)^!6ING morning, for cjating out loud. Hwo did I type so inlegibly? I dunlow
Last edited by Zoombie on 18 Mar 2007, 07:41, edited 1 time in total.
