A single water drop fell from the cavernous ceiling of the Door. It fell for an eternity, dropping through shadows and silence until it broke the crystal perfect mirror of the endless lake that filled the Door. The ripple spread slowly and serenely out, jarring the reflections of the cave walls into a myriad of bizarre shapes. Face├óÔé¼Ôäós, both ancient and young flashed across the surface of the door, each there for only second then lost for all eternity as the waters stilled once again.
In the darkness of the deepest cave on Shamazad a small dimple appeared in the water, but it did not grow nor did it shrink. In stead it simply speared out a distortion that caused the air to warp, the very dim light of the cave bending around it. The distortion then reached the top of the massive cave, and began to inch outwards. A half a million miles away, a single human woke from a troubled sleep.
Garret woke, a fierce itching in his palms jarring him from a dream├óÔé¼┬ª something about a cave. It was then he noticed a slight crunch on the gravel out side his house. His arm slowly slid to his pillow, grabbing at the gun he had hidden their. It was an old flintlock, one that he always kept powdered and loaded in his pillow, and it felt so natural in his hand that he barley register its presence. Then he brought it to his cheats and lapsed into a semblance of sleep.
The window pane slid open, a almost imperceptible grating slide. Armature├óÔé¼Ôäós thought Garret dismissively. A padded foot fall sounded in his -------, and then it went silent. Garret listened for another telltale sound, but the intruder must either be still, or silent. He was about to open his eye├óÔé¼Ôäós before he heard a slight, ever so slight, groan from his door.
Garret fired his pistol straight through the door way, and a wet snap resounded. A stifled curse and a whizzed past his ear told him that the intruder had been hit, and had thrown his weapon narrowly missing Garret. Garret got up and snapped his lamp shade off, revealing a black clad figure clutching his stomach. Blood, black and brackish, flooded from the wound that the pistol ball had punched straight into the Kia├óÔé¼Ôäós stomach. Garret reached him as he was trying to pull out a sword while keeping pressure on the wound, and to stop any more assaults on his person, put his boot on the Kia├óÔé¼Ôäós sternum.
├óÔé¼┼ôWho are you├óÔé¼┬Ø said Garret, aiming his two shot pistol at its face ├óÔé¼┼ôand why are you here?├óÔé¼┬Ø. The lizard like face of the Kia was long, and not apt for sneering, but the Kia put on a heroic attempt. ├óÔé¼┼ôThe Balters want your head on a pike and your gonads on their wall├óÔé¼┬Ø the Kia hissed. Garret sighed and let his foot up. ├óÔé¼┼ôLet Lord Balter know that I simply did a job, and his son will recover├óÔé¼┬ª I don├óÔé¼Ôäót know about his pride though├óÔé¼┬Ø Garret walked away from the Kia as it staggered to its feet. ├óÔé¼┼ôHis son should learn that you never keep money from a Talan├óÔé¼┬Ø continued Garret as the Kia struggled his rapier out of his scabbard.
├óÔé¼┼ôHere├óÔé¼┬Ø said Garret, tossing some balms and bandages to the Kia. The Kia dropped his rapier and slapped the Knitting balm onto the wound. His sibilant hiss as the balm started to bring the hole together. ├óÔé¼┼ôStings, doesn├óÔé¼Ôäót it├óÔé¼┬Ø said Garret, picking up the Kia├óÔé¼Ôäós rapier. ├óÔé¼┼ôCrappy model├óÔé¼┬Ø he sniffed. ├óÔé¼┼ôItsss a Takashima!├óÔé¼┬Ø hissed the Kia, offended. ├óÔé¼┼ôWell, I prefer a Hammerstein, but a Takashima is okay if your not up against a broad sword, or an ax├óÔé¼┬Ø
The Kia was on him in a flash. Garret forgot how quickly they healed, and underestimated the fanaticism of this one. The claws raked into his chest as the Kia grabbed him into a fierce bear hug. Garret still clung to his gun, and backed into the wall, smashing the Kia into it. The claws simply dug in deeper. So Garret simply relaxed, turning his body into a lump of limp muscles. No one could hold onto that with just pressure alone, but the Kia tried very hard. Garret thumped to the flood and brought his foot into the lizard├óÔé¼Ôäós groin. The Kia doubled over and Garret fired his pistol. The massive ball blew the Kia├óÔé¼Ôäós head off, blasting brains all over his wall, turning lime green wall paper into a dark black mess. ├óÔé¼┼ôDamn├óÔé¼┬Ø sighed Garret, standing up and feeling the claw marks on his chest. They where longer then they where deep, and the Knitting balm would fix it up fast, but the balm was too valuable to waist on minor wounds like that.
Garret pulled on his shirt and buckled his sword to his side. Then he grabbed his feathered hat, and cloak. He checked himself in the mirror and was sure he cut a dashing figure. Then he grabbed his pistol, jammed a powder packet in his pocket and clipped his ammo bag to his waist. Then he slid his pistol into his belt and walked into the night.
The stars where, of course, laced with the Rings. Each was a thin band, Terrix was brownish red, while the Twin├óÔé¼Ôäós where both stark white. The rest of Emperryon was curving gracefully up into the sky, and added some yellow stars to the sky, all centered at the sister city of the capitol, Phoenix. Garret strode through the dark streets; his single blood red feather marked him out to both the Balter and the Xue families. Garret is a Interpreter, a third party sword for hire. He tried not to favor either family too much, or his work source would die with the family he was against. Both Lords knew it, but they still kept him about because Garret had amassed fame about him quickly due to his swordsmanship and his steady aim.
├óÔé¼┼ôLords! Ladies!├óÔé¼┬Ø Lord Balter bellowed, his ponderous bulk rising from his chair ├óÔé¼┼ôToday is an auspicious day├óÔé¼┬Ø. The gusts to his banquet all turned looked at him. Lord Balter was by no means a thin man. His body was swathed in vivid green cloaks, jackets and shirts, so that many men jested (far from any of his family members) that it was hard to tell when man ended and clothes began. ├óÔé¼┼ôToday marks the first day of my son├óÔé¼Ôäós man hood! If it where not for Xue treachery, he would be here right now! No├óÔé¼┬ª rather he wastes way in the hospital, still in agony over the wound inflict-├óÔé¼┼ô
├óÔé¼┼ôBALTER!├óÔé¼┬Ø shouted Garret, bursting through the door way ├óÔé¼┼ôHave you forgot the code of the Three?├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôMongrel!├óÔé¼┬Ø shouted Balter ├óÔé¼┼ôYou worked for me, and yet you took a job from that BASTARD Xue to attack my son!├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôI tied him up to a flag pole by his undergarments, as the contract requested! Lord Xue was in hysterics as he gave me the mission├óÔé¼┬ª I actually thought the joke wasn├óÔé¼Ôäót sophisticated enough for me├óÔé¼┬Ø said Garret, his hand casually bringing his cloak aside to show everyone his sword and pistol. A hush fell over the gusts. Garret smiled. ├óÔé¼┼ôThe code states clearly that if any Interpreter is attacked by any one family that he has worked for, then he is honor bound to sever relations with that family and to get recompense for damages to either his person or estates. I need to clean Kia brains off my wall├óÔé¼┬Ø Garret stepped closer to Lord Balter├óÔé¼Ôäós table. ├óÔé¼┼ôThat will be 50 gold├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ô50 GOLD!├óÔé¼┬Ø blustered Balter, practically frothing at the mouth ├óÔé¼┼ôThat├óÔé¼Ôäós a swindle to clean off a wall├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôI also have to buy some more powder to replace that which I lost, as well as two perfectly fine pistol balls├óÔé¼┬Ø explained Garret ├óÔé¼┼ôBut if you don├óÔé¼Ôäót want it, ill take it!├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôYou have no RIGHT!├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┬ØNo, you have no right! You entered into a contract with my guild, and I am perfectly with in my rights to make you give me that gold!├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôThe Guard will-├óÔé¼┼ô
├óÔé¼┼ôThe GUARD!├óÔé¼┬Ø Garret laughed ├óÔé¼┼ôThe Guild OWNS the guard! You and Xue can do as you like, play out your little vendetta, and we will supply our services├óÔé¼┬Ø Garret pulled out his pistol in one smooth move and shot the Lord in the kneecap. It fractured with a loud snap. ├óÔé¼┼ôNow you have about three hours before the green rot sets in, and I suggest you lend me that gold so I can call the Medicals├óÔé¼┬Ø
Lord Balter gasped in pain, reaching for his wallet. Garret grabbed up the coins, and then noticed the Balter Family ring. It was a green emerald, with a silver snake coiled around it. ├óÔé¼┼ôI think you need to learn the same lesson as your son, Balter├óÔé¼┬Ø said Garret. He pulled the ring of the fat man├óÔé¼Ôäós finger and walked out the door. ├óÔé¼┼ôY-you├óÔé¼Ôäóll pay!├óÔé¼┬Ø shouted Balter through the pain of his bullet wound. The gusts looked at him; their face├óÔé¼Ôäós quite grey as blood coursed out of the massive wound in his leg.
Garret reloaded the first chamber on his gun, checking the ring after he was done. It would fetch quite a price, if he could find any one who would not shy away from buying som- I AM HERE! Garrets spine straighter as the voice ripped into his mind. It clawed at it like a vulture, and it took all his will to not soil him self. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat the fu-├óÔé¼┼ô he managed to gasp out before a image floated across his eye├óÔé¼Ôäós. A scene from a night mare confronted him and Garret screamed into the cold night, oblivious to the two people that looked at him with concern.
A face, withered, timeless. Its eye├óÔé¼Ôäós however where gone and red blood dribbled down the side├óÔé¼Ôäós like a sick parody of crying. The same horrible voice said YOU WILL COME and Garret collapsed, his legs giving way as image after image assaulted his eye├óÔé¼Ôäós.
A woman, blond hair flowing from her head. A man, kissing her. A chapel, some kind of wedding. A deep saddens and an unquenchable anger
├óÔé¼┼ôare you okay!├óÔé¼┬Ø
A war, a massive war.
├óÔé¼┼ôCome on, get his feet, and we can get him inside├óÔé¼┬Ø
A city, razed, its populous slaughtered in the worse way imaginable. Their faces had each been├óÔé¼┬ª cut off, muscles still red and bleeding in the flickering light of the fires of their houses. A single child wandering the streets, looking for his mother
Garret forced his eye├óÔé¼Ôäós awake and someone was trying to kill him.
Rings
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Archangel of Death
- Posts: 854
- Joined: 28 Jan 2005, 18:15
Ok, I'm going to seriously critique this as best I know how, because it has so far amazed me.
I bet you already guessed there are some spelling and grammer errors in there. There are actually only a couple spelling mistakes, like the last couple sentences in the second paragraph, register should be registered and I think cheats should be chest. After that point I hardly noticed such mistakes, too enthralled. A few misschosen words, I think mostly in the second half.
I'm only bringing this stuff up because, as I said, this story already seems amazing. Not a humorous story like the Zombie Extermination Team, that was written in such a way that misspellings and the like fit, and it wouldn't have been the same without it. But this one has a much more serious note to it, so fixing such mistakes gets rid of the slight interruptions while reading.
Well, thats it. I have not been so, captured I guess is an almost good enough word, by a story in several months. I eagerly await the next chapter. So much so that if its a choice between fixing small mistakes and writing the next, go for the latter please
.
I bet you already guessed there are some spelling and grammer errors in there. There are actually only a couple spelling mistakes, like the last couple sentences in the second paragraph, register should be registered and I think cheats should be chest. After that point I hardly noticed such mistakes, too enthralled. A few misschosen words, I think mostly in the second half.
I'm only bringing this stuff up because, as I said, this story already seems amazing. Not a humorous story like the Zombie Extermination Team, that was written in such a way that misspellings and the like fit, and it wouldn't have been the same without it. But this one has a much more serious note to it, so fixing such mistakes gets rid of the slight interruptions while reading.
Well, thats it. I have not been so, captured I guess is an almost good enough word, by a story in several months. I eagerly await the next chapter. So much so that if its a choice between fixing small mistakes and writing the next, go for the latter please
.
...wow, i hope noone screw at you about your spelling because that is gold. when's the next installment?Well I try REALLY hard to find and kill spelling mistakes (if you could kill them, that is) and if a few slip through its mainly because of two reasons
A) I cant spell very well
And
B) When i write i see what is happening when I write it, and get really excited and into it. Then i write really fast, and miss words that are blatantly misspelled.
But I├óÔé¼Ôäóm heartened you like it, and this might run a bit longer then the ZET, what with a massive scope to the story line.
EDIT: The next installment is when I finish it!
A) I cant spell very well
And
B) When i write i see what is happening when I write it, and get really excited and into it. Then i write really fast, and miss words that are blatantly misspelled.
But I├óÔé¼Ôäóm heartened you like it, and this might run a bit longer then the ZET, what with a massive scope to the story line.
EDIT: The next installment is when I finish it!
Garret reacted instinctively, brining his knee up to contact with his assailants chest. The person holding his arms down was off balanced by this blow, so Garret could arch his back and fling his assailant off of him and onto the floor. A resounding crash sounded, and the smash of broken crockery. Garret rolled off of the cushions he was on, and fell smack into the floor, which was stone and cold.
Muffled swearing told him where his enemy was, but when he reached for his sword, a lamp shade was pulled off and the room he was in was filled with candle light. A smallish bed, surrounded by a hard wood frame sat between two small tables. One of the tables however had been smashed by a thin looking man, after Garret shoved him into it. The lamp that provided the light was being held by a tired looking woman. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat├óÔé¼Ôäós going on in here?├óÔé¼┬Ø she asked.
The man got up, and grabbed a glove from the bed, using it as a makeshift napkin to keep blood from splattering his cloths. ├óÔé¼┼ôUhh, Wendy, I found this here man out side, twitching and the like├óÔé¼┬Ø he said, gesturing at Garret. Garret noticed that the woman was wearing the red and black colored uniform of a servant bound to the Xue family. ├óÔé¼┼ôSee, he was kicking at screaming├óÔé¼┬Ø continued the man, blood dribbling from a broken nose despite his best efforts with the glove. ├óÔé¼┼ôHere├óÔé¼┬Ø said Wendy, pulling out a napkin from her pocket, handing it to the man. ├óÔé¼┼ôSo I tried to keep him still on the bed, cause he was thrashing and all├óÔé¼┬Ø the man said, quickly tossing the bloody glove out the window ├óÔé¼┼ôbut then he woke up and smashed me into the table with the lamp├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôSorry├óÔé¼┬Ø said Garret, noticing that he still had his money pouch ├óÔé¼┼ôWhere am i?├óÔé¼┬Ø he asked the man. ├óÔé¼┼ôUhhh├óÔé¼┬ªyour in Salem, capitol of the Empire!├óÔé¼┬Ø he said wonderingly ├óÔé¼┼ôNo, not the city! The building! Whose house is this?├óÔé¼┬Ø snapped Garret, frustrated.
├óÔé¼┼ôLord Xue├óÔé¼Ôäós inn, that├óÔé¼Ôäós what it is├óÔé¼┬Ø the man said after a short pause.
├óÔé¼┼ôWhere are my weapons?├óÔé¼┬Ø Garret asked
├óÔé¼┼ôI put them down by the door├óÔé¼┬Ø said the man pointing. Wendy noticed them too, picking them up and handing them to Garret.
├óÔé¼┼ôWell, tell lord Xue that I was pleased to share his hospitality, farewell├óÔé¼┬Ø said Garret, walking round the bed. ├óÔé¼┼ôBut├óÔé¼┬Ø said the man before Garret leaped out the window.
He rolled when he hit the ground, sliding into an ally way behind the building. It was a squat, one story house, but it made up for its height by expanding outwards In the other directions. ├óÔé¼┼ôInn indeed├óÔé¼┬Ø scoffed Garret, noting how many lights where on at this late of an hour ├óÔé¼┼ôMore like a bordello├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôSir, you├óÔé¼Ôäóll be wanting your hat├óÔé¼┬Ø said Wendy, leaning out of the window. ├óÔé¼┼ôThanks├óÔé¼┬Ø said Garret, before flashing his most dashing smiles. Wendy looked unimpressed and tossed the hat to him. Garret caught it and slid it onto his head before turning and walking out of the ally.
Once he was out of sight, behind the corner of the ally, Garret leaned against the wall. His head seemed like it was splitting open. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat was that?├óÔé¼┬Ø he asked to himself. A ghost of an answer wafted through his mind the past. ├óÔé¼┼ôGet out of my head!├óÔé¼┬Ø he shouted to the darkness of the night. Then he tried to remember every thing he knew about the Necromantic Wars, but none of them had anything like what he had seen. But Garret knew who he had to find.
The library was the oldest building in Salem, massive and ancient. The twin statues out side its front where the twin angels of Lore and Wisdom that had given men the sword and the mind to use it when necessary, said the legends and between them stood the massive entry way to this place of learning. Garret had only been in here when he was a student, 10 years ago, learning the ancient arts of sword play.
When he walked in the same feeling of ancient wisdom overwhelmed him momentarily. The massive bookshelves towered so high that the books themselves where taken down by an ancient mechanical system, created tens of thousands of years ago. Garret walked to the front desk where a disappointingly shrew like woman looked up from her book at him. ├óÔé¼┼ôCan I help you?├óÔé¼┬Ø she asked in a flat tone of voice. ├óÔé¼┼ôuh Yes, I would like to see Historian Book├óÔé¼┬Ø Garret said, leaning nonchalantly on the desk. ├óÔé¼┼ôBook please├óÔé¼┬Ø said the attendant into a horn that connected to a pipe that connected to an amplifier that sent the sound up another pipe into a room, where it came out of another horn.
Garret looked up to the room the pipe went to and saw a short little man waddle down the stairs. ├óÔé¼┼ôGarret?├óÔé¼┬Ø he asked, squinting through his spectacles ├óÔé¼┼ôGarret! It is you!├óÔé¼┬Ø he said excitedly. ├óÔé¼┼ôYep, its me Book├óÔé¼┬Ø said Garret, walking over to meet him. ├óÔé¼┼ôWell well! What do you want to know now?├óÔé¼┬Ø Book asked, always to the point quickly. ├óÔé¼┼ôI need to know about the past├óÔé¼┬Ø said Garret. ├óÔé¼┼ôGood! Good! Come into my office├óÔé¼┬Ø said Book, leading Garret up the stairs into his office.
├óÔé¼┼ôNow├óÔé¼┬Ø said Book, sitting down in a massive plush chair that stood behind his desk ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat brings you to the Library?├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┬ØI need to know about a war├óÔé¼┬Ø said Garret, sitting down in the far smaller chair that visitors use.
├óÔé¼┼ôWitch one? I mean, there are two wars in the recent past and an uncountable number in the far past├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôWell its none of the Necromantic Wars├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôWell that narrows It down to far past├óÔé¼┬Ø Book sniffed and pulled out a massive tome labeled in an ancient tong. ├óÔé¼┼ôThis is a record, maybe one to two thousand years old? Its not the most reliable because it was written in the Dark Age but we can see what we can see├óÔé¼┬ªany major signify events in the war?├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôUmmm a major city was razed to the ground├óÔé¼┬Ø Garret said, leaning back and remembering the images he had seen.
├óÔé¼┼ôhmmm├óÔé¼┬ª that happens a lot in war, and might happen again if Stelvi Pass falls├óÔé¼┬Ø Book said, flipping through the page├óÔé¼Ôäós
├óÔé¼┼ôRight├óÔé¼┬ª├óÔé¼┬Ø said Garret ├óÔé¼┼ôThe people in the city each had their face├óÔé¼Ôäós removed├óÔé¼┬Ø
Book gasped ├óÔé¼┼ôThat├óÔé¼Ôäós├óÔé¼┬ªthat├óÔé¼Ôäós the ancient past!├óÔé¼┬Ø he squeaked excitedly. He shoved the book away and tapped a code into a small array of buttons. Garret looked at them, and noticed each one had a number running from one to thirteen but his view was obscured when Book started clacking away at them. After about ten clicks of the buttons being depressed, a loud clang echoed out of the wall. Then a sires of clicks like a clock, then the sound of gears and tumblers turning. Then a loud rolling should. Then a smash sounded out and Book grabbed something that fell from a large slit in the wall. Then he turned back to the desk and laid the tome in the middle. ├óÔé¼┼ôThis├óÔé¼┬Ø he said quietly ├óÔé¼┼ôis the oldest book in the library├óÔé¼┬Ø. Garret looked at it. It seemed to be brand new ├óÔé¼┼ôIt doesn├óÔé¼Ôäót look old├óÔé¼┬Ø he said, noting that the title had been ripped off ├óÔé¼┼ôWhy is the title not their?├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôDon├óÔé¼Ôäót know├óÔé¼┬Ø said Book before opening the massive text. ├óÔé¼┼ôBut the magi up in the keep tell us that a massive magical presences surrounds this book, and we figure it├óÔé¼Ôäós a time warding spell├óÔé¼┬Ø
Garret whistles appreciatively ├óÔé¼┼ôThat├óÔé¼Ôäós some wizardry├óÔé¼┬Ø he murmured as Book began to read.
Date: 21/12/9010
My brother has been at work in the outer holdings of my empire. His research continues un abated, and he tells me that soon the powers of Necromancy will become as strong as the other magic├óÔé¼Ôäós of this day.
Date: 01/13/9010
My eye has caught a courtier today. She was the fairest, most beautiful woman that I have ever seen. However she seemed distracted when I spoke to her, and I could not get her to pay more then cursory attention to me. She barely managed to tell me her name before retiring for the night├óÔé¼┬ª
├óÔé¼┼ôThe name├óÔé¼Ôäós are untranslatable, I├óÔé¼Ôäóm afraid├óÔé¼┬Ø said Book looking up from the tome.
Date: 06/13/9010
I have been trying to expand the city up ward, now that the glorious ring has been filled. The Guilds all bicker├óÔé¼┬ª and yet my mind is still distracted by <untranslatable>. My brother├óÔé¼┬ª he has visited me more then usual this past ( ├óÔé¼┼ôThey used a ten day week instead of our thirteen├óÔé¼┬Ø said Book ) Week. I wonder├óÔé¼┬ª is he trying to find the new program?
Date: 17/13/9010
Damn him! My brother├óÔé¼┬ª I saw him with <untranslatable>, walking through the garden. How can she be attracted to him, he who controls the ice and the desert of the outer holdings, and yet ignore me? The ruler of the entire Empire! I must have her
Date 20/13/9010
The New Year draws near. They are getting married at the dawn of the new year├óÔé¼┬ª I must have her├óÔé¼┬ª├óÔé¼┬ª
Date 1/1/9011
They where married today. She and my brother will pay. How can I even call him that while she├óÔé¼┬ª
Date: 10/2/9011
The populous has reacted with the same horror as I have. My brothers so called Experiments are abominations. They have no mind and yet├óÔé¼┬ª he is a good actor. Many believed that he was truly aghast. I know the truth, even if my people do not├óÔé¼┬ª
Date: 11/2/9011
I am ecstatic! It was a narrow vote, but to end those abominations the Senate has voted to raise an army. We march next month. The project is almost done too, and once it is no army, dead or alive will be able to stop us.
Date: 1/3/9011
The army is ready. Six thousand strong, all armed with the new weapon. They are called LongShots, and can hit an object at 500 yards with the power of a long bow at 10!
Date: 10/3/9011
The first battle has gone out way, and the enemy has fallen quickly before us. The Kia and the Dragons both sided with us, and out army has swelled to ten thousand!
Date 21/3/9011
We have captured a major pass in Terrix. It has been named after the General who planned and lead the attack , Stelvi.
Date 09/4/9011
I am surrounded by traitors! Stelvi has gone to the other side! He said he could see madness in my eye. I know it was because he wanted control of an army that never sleeps. Maybe he will become one of the abominations we have been fighting├óÔé¼┬ª it will serve him├óÔé¼┬ª
Date: 11/4/9011
Incompetent fools! The new general is an idiot, and the army has been broken at the first of the Dark Twins. I will lead the army. My ministers say that the public is turning against me├óÔé¼┬ª but they are probably under the sway of my brother too├óÔé¼┬ª I must have her
Date: 9/5/9011
Terrix has fallen, the undead taking the entire place under their dark sway. My brother say├óÔé¼Ôäós he will not harm the civilians, but I know that they have joined in his flag. Some of his monsters have been seen with long shots
Date: 1/6/9011
They are here. I can hear them pounding on the door. It sounds like polite knocking, but I know that it is my brother. Wait├óÔé¼┬ª I hear her voice. She is coming!
Book closed the text. ├óÔé¼┼ôIt ends there├óÔé¼Ôäó he said quietly. ├óÔé¼┼ôBut there is still hundreds of page├óÔé¼Ôäós left!├óÔé¼┬Ø said Garret surprised. ├óÔé¼┼ôIf the blood stains are anything to go on, the writer is probably dead├óÔé¼┬Ø said Book, getting up.
├óÔé¼┼ôHe was most likely the Unnamed Emperor, who lead the ole empire into ruin├óÔé¼┬ª however, it was his Dark Brother who razed the city. Its hard to tell who was at fault for the Dark Age, but I├óÔé¼Ôäód say they where both driven mad by her├óÔé¼┬ª the Queen├óÔé¼┬Ø Book quietly put the tome into the slot and ancient machinery brought it back into the depths of the Library.
├óÔé¼┼ôThe Dark Twins are still clouded with Necromantic Power, which the necromancers tapped and have been using against us for the last three decades├óÔé¼┬Ø Book said, sitting down. ├óÔé¼┼ôAnd the Ole Empire has become nothing more then a memory, and then the memory has been forgotten├óÔé¼┬Ø
Garret mulled over this. ├óÔé¼┼ôWitch City was Razed?├óÔé¼┬Ø he asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôThis one├óÔé¼┬ªexcept back then, this city was a massive, bejeweled wonder. Now it is a mockery of that great place├óÔé¼┬Ø Book said quietly ├óÔé¼┼ôWell├óÔé¼┬ª I think I know where I have to go├óÔé¼┬Ø said Garret. ├óÔé¼┼ôGo?├óÔé¼┬Ø asked Book. ├óÔé¼┼ôYes├óÔé¼┬ª the only people who will know what I saw would be at the Dark Twins, right?├óÔé¼┬Ø
Muffled swearing told him where his enemy was, but when he reached for his sword, a lamp shade was pulled off and the room he was in was filled with candle light. A smallish bed, surrounded by a hard wood frame sat between two small tables. One of the tables however had been smashed by a thin looking man, after Garret shoved him into it. The lamp that provided the light was being held by a tired looking woman. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat├óÔé¼Ôäós going on in here?├óÔé¼┬Ø she asked.
The man got up, and grabbed a glove from the bed, using it as a makeshift napkin to keep blood from splattering his cloths. ├óÔé¼┼ôUhh, Wendy, I found this here man out side, twitching and the like├óÔé¼┬Ø he said, gesturing at Garret. Garret noticed that the woman was wearing the red and black colored uniform of a servant bound to the Xue family. ├óÔé¼┼ôSee, he was kicking at screaming├óÔé¼┬Ø continued the man, blood dribbling from a broken nose despite his best efforts with the glove. ├óÔé¼┼ôHere├óÔé¼┬Ø said Wendy, pulling out a napkin from her pocket, handing it to the man. ├óÔé¼┼ôSo I tried to keep him still on the bed, cause he was thrashing and all├óÔé¼┬Ø the man said, quickly tossing the bloody glove out the window ├óÔé¼┼ôbut then he woke up and smashed me into the table with the lamp├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôSorry├óÔé¼┬Ø said Garret, noticing that he still had his money pouch ├óÔé¼┼ôWhere am i?├óÔé¼┬Ø he asked the man. ├óÔé¼┼ôUhhh├óÔé¼┬ªyour in Salem, capitol of the Empire!├óÔé¼┬Ø he said wonderingly ├óÔé¼┼ôNo, not the city! The building! Whose house is this?├óÔé¼┬Ø snapped Garret, frustrated.
├óÔé¼┼ôLord Xue├óÔé¼Ôäós inn, that├óÔé¼Ôäós what it is├óÔé¼┬Ø the man said after a short pause.
├óÔé¼┼ôWhere are my weapons?├óÔé¼┬Ø Garret asked
├óÔé¼┼ôI put them down by the door├óÔé¼┬Ø said the man pointing. Wendy noticed them too, picking them up and handing them to Garret.
├óÔé¼┼ôWell, tell lord Xue that I was pleased to share his hospitality, farewell├óÔé¼┬Ø said Garret, walking round the bed. ├óÔé¼┼ôBut├óÔé¼┬Ø said the man before Garret leaped out the window.
He rolled when he hit the ground, sliding into an ally way behind the building. It was a squat, one story house, but it made up for its height by expanding outwards In the other directions. ├óÔé¼┼ôInn indeed├óÔé¼┬Ø scoffed Garret, noting how many lights where on at this late of an hour ├óÔé¼┼ôMore like a bordello├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôSir, you├óÔé¼Ôäóll be wanting your hat├óÔé¼┬Ø said Wendy, leaning out of the window. ├óÔé¼┼ôThanks├óÔé¼┬Ø said Garret, before flashing his most dashing smiles. Wendy looked unimpressed and tossed the hat to him. Garret caught it and slid it onto his head before turning and walking out of the ally.
Once he was out of sight, behind the corner of the ally, Garret leaned against the wall. His head seemed like it was splitting open. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat was that?├óÔé¼┬Ø he asked to himself. A ghost of an answer wafted through his mind the past. ├óÔé¼┼ôGet out of my head!├óÔé¼┬Ø he shouted to the darkness of the night. Then he tried to remember every thing he knew about the Necromantic Wars, but none of them had anything like what he had seen. But Garret knew who he had to find.
The library was the oldest building in Salem, massive and ancient. The twin statues out side its front where the twin angels of Lore and Wisdom that had given men the sword and the mind to use it when necessary, said the legends and between them stood the massive entry way to this place of learning. Garret had only been in here when he was a student, 10 years ago, learning the ancient arts of sword play.
When he walked in the same feeling of ancient wisdom overwhelmed him momentarily. The massive bookshelves towered so high that the books themselves where taken down by an ancient mechanical system, created tens of thousands of years ago. Garret walked to the front desk where a disappointingly shrew like woman looked up from her book at him. ├óÔé¼┼ôCan I help you?├óÔé¼┬Ø she asked in a flat tone of voice. ├óÔé¼┼ôuh Yes, I would like to see Historian Book├óÔé¼┬Ø Garret said, leaning nonchalantly on the desk. ├óÔé¼┼ôBook please├óÔé¼┬Ø said the attendant into a horn that connected to a pipe that connected to an amplifier that sent the sound up another pipe into a room, where it came out of another horn.
Garret looked up to the room the pipe went to and saw a short little man waddle down the stairs. ├óÔé¼┼ôGarret?├óÔé¼┬Ø he asked, squinting through his spectacles ├óÔé¼┼ôGarret! It is you!├óÔé¼┬Ø he said excitedly. ├óÔé¼┼ôYep, its me Book├óÔé¼┬Ø said Garret, walking over to meet him. ├óÔé¼┼ôWell well! What do you want to know now?├óÔé¼┬Ø Book asked, always to the point quickly. ├óÔé¼┼ôI need to know about the past├óÔé¼┬Ø said Garret. ├óÔé¼┼ôGood! Good! Come into my office├óÔé¼┬Ø said Book, leading Garret up the stairs into his office.
├óÔé¼┼ôNow├óÔé¼┬Ø said Book, sitting down in a massive plush chair that stood behind his desk ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat brings you to the Library?├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┬ØI need to know about a war├óÔé¼┬Ø said Garret, sitting down in the far smaller chair that visitors use.
├óÔé¼┼ôWitch one? I mean, there are two wars in the recent past and an uncountable number in the far past├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôWell its none of the Necromantic Wars├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôWell that narrows It down to far past├óÔé¼┬Ø Book sniffed and pulled out a massive tome labeled in an ancient tong. ├óÔé¼┼ôThis is a record, maybe one to two thousand years old? Its not the most reliable because it was written in the Dark Age but we can see what we can see├óÔé¼┬ªany major signify events in the war?├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôUmmm a major city was razed to the ground├óÔé¼┬Ø Garret said, leaning back and remembering the images he had seen.
├óÔé¼┼ôhmmm├óÔé¼┬ª that happens a lot in war, and might happen again if Stelvi Pass falls├óÔé¼┬Ø Book said, flipping through the page├óÔé¼Ôäós
├óÔé¼┼ôRight├óÔé¼┬ª├óÔé¼┬Ø said Garret ├óÔé¼┼ôThe people in the city each had their face├óÔé¼Ôäós removed├óÔé¼┬Ø
Book gasped ├óÔé¼┼ôThat├óÔé¼Ôäós├óÔé¼┬ªthat├óÔé¼Ôäós the ancient past!├óÔé¼┬Ø he squeaked excitedly. He shoved the book away and tapped a code into a small array of buttons. Garret looked at them, and noticed each one had a number running from one to thirteen but his view was obscured when Book started clacking away at them. After about ten clicks of the buttons being depressed, a loud clang echoed out of the wall. Then a sires of clicks like a clock, then the sound of gears and tumblers turning. Then a loud rolling should. Then a smash sounded out and Book grabbed something that fell from a large slit in the wall. Then he turned back to the desk and laid the tome in the middle. ├óÔé¼┼ôThis├óÔé¼┬Ø he said quietly ├óÔé¼┼ôis the oldest book in the library├óÔé¼┬Ø. Garret looked at it. It seemed to be brand new ├óÔé¼┼ôIt doesn├óÔé¼Ôäót look old├óÔé¼┬Ø he said, noting that the title had been ripped off ├óÔé¼┼ôWhy is the title not their?├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôDon├óÔé¼Ôäót know├óÔé¼┬Ø said Book before opening the massive text. ├óÔé¼┼ôBut the magi up in the keep tell us that a massive magical presences surrounds this book, and we figure it├óÔé¼Ôäós a time warding spell├óÔé¼┬Ø
Garret whistles appreciatively ├óÔé¼┼ôThat├óÔé¼Ôäós some wizardry├óÔé¼┬Ø he murmured as Book began to read.
Date: 21/12/9010
My brother has been at work in the outer holdings of my empire. His research continues un abated, and he tells me that soon the powers of Necromancy will become as strong as the other magic├óÔé¼Ôäós of this day.
Date: 01/13/9010
My eye has caught a courtier today. She was the fairest, most beautiful woman that I have ever seen. However she seemed distracted when I spoke to her, and I could not get her to pay more then cursory attention to me. She barely managed to tell me her name before retiring for the night├óÔé¼┬ª
├óÔé¼┼ôThe name├óÔé¼Ôäós are untranslatable, I├óÔé¼Ôäóm afraid├óÔé¼┬Ø said Book looking up from the tome.
Date: 06/13/9010
I have been trying to expand the city up ward, now that the glorious ring has been filled. The Guilds all bicker├óÔé¼┬ª and yet my mind is still distracted by <untranslatable>. My brother├óÔé¼┬ª he has visited me more then usual this past ( ├óÔé¼┼ôThey used a ten day week instead of our thirteen├óÔé¼┬Ø said Book ) Week. I wonder├óÔé¼┬ª is he trying to find the new program?
Date: 17/13/9010
Damn him! My brother├óÔé¼┬ª I saw him with <untranslatable>, walking through the garden. How can she be attracted to him, he who controls the ice and the desert of the outer holdings, and yet ignore me? The ruler of the entire Empire! I must have her
Date 20/13/9010
The New Year draws near. They are getting married at the dawn of the new year├óÔé¼┬ª I must have her├óÔé¼┬ª├óÔé¼┬ª
Date 1/1/9011
They where married today. She and my brother will pay. How can I even call him that while she├óÔé¼┬ª
Date: 10/2/9011
The populous has reacted with the same horror as I have. My brothers so called Experiments are abominations. They have no mind and yet├óÔé¼┬ª he is a good actor. Many believed that he was truly aghast. I know the truth, even if my people do not├óÔé¼┬ª
Date: 11/2/9011
I am ecstatic! It was a narrow vote, but to end those abominations the Senate has voted to raise an army. We march next month. The project is almost done too, and once it is no army, dead or alive will be able to stop us.
Date: 1/3/9011
The army is ready. Six thousand strong, all armed with the new weapon. They are called LongShots, and can hit an object at 500 yards with the power of a long bow at 10!
Date: 10/3/9011
The first battle has gone out way, and the enemy has fallen quickly before us. The Kia and the Dragons both sided with us, and out army has swelled to ten thousand!
Date 21/3/9011
We have captured a major pass in Terrix. It has been named after the General who planned and lead the attack , Stelvi.
Date 09/4/9011
I am surrounded by traitors! Stelvi has gone to the other side! He said he could see madness in my eye. I know it was because he wanted control of an army that never sleeps. Maybe he will become one of the abominations we have been fighting├óÔé¼┬ª it will serve him├óÔé¼┬ª
Date: 11/4/9011
Incompetent fools! The new general is an idiot, and the army has been broken at the first of the Dark Twins. I will lead the army. My ministers say that the public is turning against me├óÔé¼┬ª but they are probably under the sway of my brother too├óÔé¼┬ª I must have her
Date: 9/5/9011
Terrix has fallen, the undead taking the entire place under their dark sway. My brother say├óÔé¼Ôäós he will not harm the civilians, but I know that they have joined in his flag. Some of his monsters have been seen with long shots
Date: 1/6/9011
They are here. I can hear them pounding on the door. It sounds like polite knocking, but I know that it is my brother. Wait├óÔé¼┬ª I hear her voice. She is coming!
Book closed the text. ├óÔé¼┼ôIt ends there├óÔé¼Ôäó he said quietly. ├óÔé¼┼ôBut there is still hundreds of page├óÔé¼Ôäós left!├óÔé¼┬Ø said Garret surprised. ├óÔé¼┼ôIf the blood stains are anything to go on, the writer is probably dead├óÔé¼┬Ø said Book, getting up.
├óÔé¼┼ôHe was most likely the Unnamed Emperor, who lead the ole empire into ruin├óÔé¼┬ª however, it was his Dark Brother who razed the city. Its hard to tell who was at fault for the Dark Age, but I├óÔé¼Ôäód say they where both driven mad by her├óÔé¼┬ª the Queen├óÔé¼┬Ø Book quietly put the tome into the slot and ancient machinery brought it back into the depths of the Library.
├óÔé¼┼ôThe Dark Twins are still clouded with Necromantic Power, which the necromancers tapped and have been using against us for the last three decades├óÔé¼┬Ø Book said, sitting down. ├óÔé¼┼ôAnd the Ole Empire has become nothing more then a memory, and then the memory has been forgotten├óÔé¼┬Ø
Garret mulled over this. ├óÔé¼┼ôWitch City was Razed?├óÔé¼┬Ø he asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôThis one├óÔé¼┬ªexcept back then, this city was a massive, bejeweled wonder. Now it is a mockery of that great place├óÔé¼┬Ø Book said quietly ├óÔé¼┼ôWell├óÔé¼┬ª I think I know where I have to go├óÔé¼┬Ø said Garret. ├óÔé¼┼ôGo?├óÔé¼┬Ø asked Book. ├óÔé¼┼ôYes├óÔé¼┬ª the only people who will know what I saw would be at the Dark Twins, right?├óÔé¼┬Ø
that was sooooo quick!├óÔé¼┼ôThe├óÔé¼┬ª the Dark Twins?├óÔé¼┬Ø Book asked incredulously ├óÔé¼┼ôyou cant be serious!├óÔé¼┬Ø he said as Garret began to walk out of his office. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhy do you want to go there? Who can tell you what!├óÔé¼┬Ø Book continued to say at Garret, who stopped and turned towards Book. ├óÔé¼┼ôBook├óÔé¼┬ª├óÔé¼┬Ø said Garret ├óÔé¼┼ôDo you believe in Divination? Visions?├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôNo├óÔé¼┬Ø Book said, thinking it over
├óÔé¼┼ôGood, cause neither do I├óÔé¼┬Ø said Garret ├óÔé¼┼ôBut last night I have a vision of the war is recorded in that book├óÔé¼┬Ø He pointed at the massive tome and sighed ├óÔé¼┼ôI├óÔé¼Ôäóm tired├óÔé¼┬Ø
Book looked at Garret bemusedly
├óÔé¼┼ôI├óÔé¼Ôäóm tired of running errands for two spoiled brats that just want to see the other dead! I├óÔé¼Ôäóm tired of seeing what this Empire has become├óÔé¼┬ª We are a JOKE├óÔé¼┬Ø Garret├óÔé¼Ôäós voice rose ├óÔé¼┼ôLook around! The only reason the Kia and the Dragons fight with us is because if the Talan and their undead break through Terrix they will be just as dead as us! The only reason the Magi create spells for us is because they get a profit. We are nothing more then a small city living in fear of imagined gusts in the ruins outside├óÔé¼┬ª and I├óÔé¼Ôäóm tired of this world├óÔé¼┬Ø Garret├óÔé¼Ôäós shoulders slumped momentarily then straightened ├óÔé¼┼ôAlso├óÔé¼┬ª Book├óÔé¼┬Ø he looked up to the historians face ├óÔé¼┼ôI need some one who speaks Kia and the Elder tong├óÔé¼┬Ø
Book blanched.
├óÔé¼┼ôIt will├óÔé¼┬ª certainly be an adventure├óÔé¼┬Ø said Book slowly, getting to his feet. Garret smiled and they both walked down the stairs. ├óÔé¼┼ôBook!├óÔé¼┬Ø said the attendant ├óÔé¼┼ôWhere are you going? You can├óÔé¼Ôäót leave!├óÔé¼┬Ø She got up and Book simply said ├óÔé¼┼ôI quit├óÔé¼┬Ø then he and Garret where gone.
Garret├óÔé¼Ôäós house was surrounded by Guardsmen, and from the body bag that two Medicals where carrying out, someone had smelt the Kia├óÔé¼Ôäós body. ├óÔé¼┼ôHey! That├óÔé¼Ôäós my house!├óÔé¼┬Ø said Garret, making sure to show his red feather to the captain that was examining the front door. ├óÔé¼┼ôOh├óÔé¼┬ª Well I├óÔé¼Ôäóm sure it was a legitimate affair my lord├óÔé¼┬Ø said the captain, bowing to Garret. Then he left, and the Guards shooed away the curious crowds that had gathered round the building.
├óÔé¼┼ôWhat the hell happened here?├óÔé¼┬Ø asked Book, his nose wrinkling as he smelt the Kia├óÔé¼Ôäós rotting corpse. ├óÔé¼┼ôSome Kia was sent to assassinate me├óÔé¼┬Ø said Garret as he took out a back pack. ├óÔé¼┼ôHuh├óÔé¼┬Ø said Book before walking off to help Garret get two more pistols, some more gun powder and bullets. ├óÔé¼┼ôI cant use a sword!├óÔé¼┬Ø said Book when Garret shoved a double edged short sword. ├óÔé¼┼ôLearn├óÔé¼┬Ø said Garret as he handed the pistols to Book. ├óÔé¼┼ôI can├óÔé¼Ôäót shoot!├óÔé¼┬Ø said Book, holding the pistols gingerly. ├óÔé¼┼ôLearn!├óÔé¼┬Ø snapped Garret as a jar of Knitting Balm fell from the top of the counter onto his hand.
The two walked out wards to the gate of the city. ├óÔé¼┼ôSo├óÔé¼┬ª how are we going to get wherever we are going?├óÔé¼┬Ø asked Book as Garret and he shoved their way through the crowd. ├óÔé¼┼ôHire a cart and get to a Port├óÔé¼┬Ø said Garret as a man holding a verity of knick knacks shoved them in his face and babbled about their ├óÔé¼┼ôlow low prices!├óÔé¼┬Ø. Garret punched him in the stomach and continued ├óÔé¼┼ôWe can then get an Air ship; head to Terrix then see the war first hand├óÔé¼┬Ø. Book gulped ├óÔé¼┼ôYou do know that we are barley holding the Pass?├óÔé¼┬Ø he asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôYeah, but seeing as how I want to talk to the necromancers, is doesn├óÔé¼Ôäót matter all that much├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôY-YOU WHAT!├óÔé¼┬Ø shouted Book, causing many people to look at him in surprise. ├óÔé¼┼ôKeep it down├óÔé¼┬Ø murmured Garret as they got to the Gate. ├óÔé¼┼ôI need to know about these visions, then I can kill the Necromancers├óÔé¼┬ª all of them├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôLet me get this straight!├óÔé¼┬Ø said Book, his voice raising in pitch as he counted things off on his fingers ├óÔé¼┼ôWe are going to go THROUGH a war zone! Then we are going to ask one of the Thirteen Necromancers what your probably false dreams are├óÔé¼┬ª then you are going to kill each of the most feared men and women in the entire Empire, single handed! This is INSANE!├óÔé¼┬Ø Book turned, but he ran smack into a towering man in green. His pants had silver lining too, and a winding snake ran up his left arm.
├óÔé¼┼ôYou├óÔé¼┬Ø he said dully, pointing at Garret. Garret turned and his eyes noticed the four pistols that lined the man├óÔé¼Ôäós belt and the hefty two handed sword that lined his back. ├óÔé¼┼ôYou insult Lord Balter! You die!├óÔé¼┬Ø he said, pulling out two pistols with his massive hands. Garret noticed that ten more people had turned to look at him, and they each had a snake on their left arm. Garret ducked and closed his eyes as two pistols went off at close range. Two bullets blasted into the stone tiles behind him, and Garret felt burning heat scorch his hair. Garret then opened his eyes and noticed that a cloud of smoke concealed the man and him quite well. The crowd was a black mass that Garret could barley see, and the screams covered any sound his assailant might make. Suddenly Garret felt two hands on the scruff of his neck and the man threw him forward. Garret hit the ground rolling, but he was stopped by a wooden cart filled with fruit. Garret hit it hard, and the breath was whiffed out of him. He pulled out his pistol and tried to aim it as the huge man that was charging him.
The man got to him before he could get a good shot, and a massive fist smashed into Garrets side, and with a sick crack, broke one of his ribs. Garret slid along the floor and wheezed. The man stood above him, his massive bulk blotting out the sun. ├óÔé¼┼ôNow you die├óÔé¼┬Ø he said, pulling out his pistol and aiming it at Garret├óÔé¼Ôäós face. A loud BANG sounded out though, and the man├óÔé¼Ôäós stomach seemed to be pulped by a wall of lead. Blood splattered and the man collapsed to the ground. Garret slowly got to his feet and saw Book holding the pistol he had given him ├óÔé¼┼ôI knew It was a good idea to give you a blunderbuss├óÔé¼┬Ø wheezed Garret as he got to his feet. Book looked at the man, and his face went grey.
├óÔé¼┼ôuhh├óÔé¼┬Ø said Garret as the other tattooed men began to advance. ├óÔé¼┼ôBook├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôeh?├óÔé¼┬Ø Book said, still trying to keep his eye├óÔé¼Ôäós off the man├óÔé¼Ôäós stomach
├óÔé¼┼ôRUN!├óÔé¼┬Ø shouted Garret, shoving Book down an ally way and following him as a volley of pistol fire cracked into the quickly emptying streets. Garret and Book ran in the ally, coming out into another street, spurred on by the men that rushed after them. As Book exited the ally into a crowded bazaar, Garret turned and aimed at the onrushing men. The front man pulled out his pistol, but Garret was faster. The bullet hit him in the neck, and the spray of blood obscured his upper body for a few seconds as Garret ducked out of the ally and into the Bazaar.
As he and Book ran down the streets, planning to double back and get to the gate, a man jumped out wearing a lurid green tabard. He pulled a long sword from his scabbard and twirled it in an impressive display of swordsmanship. Garret sighed and fired his second shot into the man, who collapsed backwards into a stand selling news papers. Then he and Book continued.
They came round the bend at the end of the rode, and once again the gate was in sight. But as they ran towards it five of the tattooed men came in front of them. Book turned and saw four the other four come round the back corner. ├óÔé¼┼ôGarret├óÔé¼┬Ø he whispered. ├óÔé¼┼ôI know├óÔé¼┬Ø said Garret, before pulling his sword from its scabbard. ├óÔé¼┼ôNow├óÔé¼┬Ø he said to the men that started to advance on him and Book ├óÔé¼┼ôWe can all be gentlemen, right? Why dose your master with ill of me and my friend?├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôare you slow in the head?├óÔé¼┬Ø asked one of them ├óÔé¼┼ôYou shot Lord Balter in the kneecap, and he had to get his leg amputated├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôSo?├óÔé¼┬Ø asked Garret before flicking his sword expertly out to cut across the closest man├óÔé¼Ôäós throat. That man collapsed to the ground, blood flowing from a slashed jugular. Garret then brought his sword up to parry a chop that came from the right. He stabbed back, his sword sinking into the fleshy part of his assailants arm, causing the man to drop his sword in pain.
Garret kicked another man in the crotch, and with his left hand grabbed a unused pistol from his belt. Then he slid his sword through the man├óÔé¼Ôäós chest, making sure he didn├óÔé¼Ôäót come back up. The he heard some one behind him yell a war cry. He aimed at the noise and fired with out turning around, and the splattering sounds meant that he must of hit something vital. Garret had no time to check before he had to block two swords at once as two men attacked him. He slashed across one of his attackers legs, causing him to drop in pain. The other attacker brought his unused pistol out of his belt, but Garret slid his sword along his wrists laterally, causing blood to spurt from the arteries. The man dropped his pistol and clutched his wrists before Garret stabbed him in the stomach.
The man on the ground seemed to be out of the fight, but Garret kicked him in the face, just to be sure. Then he was distracted by a grunt from Book. Garret turned and saw an assailant skewered on Books short sword. Books face had gone quite grey again, and the blood was running down the sword onto his hands. However, Garret had to fend off the last three men who where still alive, and so was distracted from Book throwing up his lunch. The first man to rush at Garret had his sword deftly parried to the left before his heart was punctured by Garrets sword.
The other two backed off and Garret thought that the where running. But each pulled pistol, and pointed them at Garret. Garret dropped his sword and put his hands up ├óÔé¼┼ôI surrender├óÔé¼┬Ø he said. The two men looked at him and then at each other. Then Garret dived forward, his shoulders smashing into their legs and bowling them over. Garret was faster, and had trained at bare hand techniques for years. So with a quick and efficient move he grabbed one of the men and snapped his neck. The other took this as an opportunity to grab him in a bear hug. Garret tried to escape like he had with the Kia, but the man was too strong and gravity was working against him.
Garret felt the air rush out of his lungs as the man squeezed harder and harder. His broken rib had started to throb, the adrenal painkiller wearing off. Garret desperately felt around and found the man that he had just killed pistol. He pulled it out and put it to his enemy├óÔé¼Ôäós temple. ├óÔé¼┼ôBye bye!├óÔé¼┬Ø he croaked before firing. The resulting explosion this close to his ears causes his head to reel. The splatter of bone and bits of brain flying out from the man├óÔé¼Ôäós skull where sickening, even to one as used to death as Garret was and the resulting mess was indescribable.
Garret got shakily up, ignoring the twinges from his ribcage. ├óÔé¼┼ôBook?├óÔé¼┬Ø he asked wirily. ├óÔé¼┼ôUgh├óÔé¼┬Ø moaned Book, still wrenching in a trash bin. ├óÔé¼┼ôSTOP!├óÔé¼┬Ø shouted someone. Garret looked up and twenty of the Guard rounded the building. They would arrest him, only because by now his Guild must of figured that he was leaving town. He knew that they wouldn├óÔé¼Ôäót be so happy with him, but twenty guardsmen? That seemed excessive. ├óÔé¼┼ôBOOK!├óÔé¼┬Ø shouted Garret, grabbing Book by the arm as the Guard ran straight at them.
The two ducked into the ally again and ran out even as half the guard went for them, and the other half doubled back. Garret ran straight for the vender whose job it was selling carriages. He smashed his foot into the door and burst in, Book at his heels. ├óÔé¼┼ôGet in a cart, and drive it out front├óÔé¼┬Ø Garret said, slamming the door he had just broken and pulling out his pistol. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhen your there, yell├óÔé¼┬Ø Garret said, and Book nodded reassuringly as he ducked into the stables
Garret quickly powdered and loaded his gun├óÔé¼Ôäós twin chambers, readying it for when the guard burst through the door. They did so, four of them smashing it in with unnecessary force. The first one in had his head half removed by a bullet, while the second one through had his stomach holed by a second bullet. Their corpse fell backwards, blocking the door long enough for Garret to close it again. He was half way through loading the first chamber when the Guard burst through again. He kicked at the first that came through, and that smashed the guardsman into the wall. Garret heard Books yell and ran into the stables. The Guard followed him, swords and pistols drawn.
Garret jumped into the back of the carriage and Book whipped the horses, driving them along the rode as the guard spilled into the clearing that spread before the city walls. They let fly a volley of pistols, but at the range the cart was when they did, the only shots that hit only slightly scarred the paint work. Garret sat down in a couch that lined the left wall of the carriage and looked around. A miniature bar was folded in the corner, while the rest of the carriage had couches in it with a small table placed at the end. ├óÔé¼┼ôWas this the best you could find?├óÔé¼┬Ø he asked Book, before fainting.
├óÔé¼┼ôNo├óÔé¼┬Ø Book said, thinking it over
├óÔé¼┼ôGood, cause neither do I├óÔé¼┬Ø said Garret ├óÔé¼┼ôBut last night I have a vision of the war is recorded in that book├óÔé¼┬Ø He pointed at the massive tome and sighed ├óÔé¼┼ôI├óÔé¼Ôäóm tired├óÔé¼┬Ø
Book looked at Garret bemusedly
├óÔé¼┼ôI├óÔé¼Ôäóm tired of running errands for two spoiled brats that just want to see the other dead! I├óÔé¼Ôäóm tired of seeing what this Empire has become├óÔé¼┬ª We are a JOKE├óÔé¼┬Ø Garret├óÔé¼Ôäós voice rose ├óÔé¼┼ôLook around! The only reason the Kia and the Dragons fight with us is because if the Talan and their undead break through Terrix they will be just as dead as us! The only reason the Magi create spells for us is because they get a profit. We are nothing more then a small city living in fear of imagined gusts in the ruins outside├óÔé¼┬ª and I├óÔé¼Ôäóm tired of this world├óÔé¼┬Ø Garret├óÔé¼Ôäós shoulders slumped momentarily then straightened ├óÔé¼┼ôAlso├óÔé¼┬ª Book├óÔé¼┬Ø he looked up to the historians face ├óÔé¼┼ôI need some one who speaks Kia and the Elder tong├óÔé¼┬Ø
Book blanched.
├óÔé¼┼ôIt will├óÔé¼┬ª certainly be an adventure├óÔé¼┬Ø said Book slowly, getting to his feet. Garret smiled and they both walked down the stairs. ├óÔé¼┼ôBook!├óÔé¼┬Ø said the attendant ├óÔé¼┼ôWhere are you going? You can├óÔé¼Ôäót leave!├óÔé¼┬Ø She got up and Book simply said ├óÔé¼┼ôI quit├óÔé¼┬Ø then he and Garret where gone.
Garret├óÔé¼Ôäós house was surrounded by Guardsmen, and from the body bag that two Medicals where carrying out, someone had smelt the Kia├óÔé¼Ôäós body. ├óÔé¼┼ôHey! That├óÔé¼Ôäós my house!├óÔé¼┬Ø said Garret, making sure to show his red feather to the captain that was examining the front door. ├óÔé¼┼ôOh├óÔé¼┬ª Well I├óÔé¼Ôäóm sure it was a legitimate affair my lord├óÔé¼┬Ø said the captain, bowing to Garret. Then he left, and the Guards shooed away the curious crowds that had gathered round the building.
├óÔé¼┼ôWhat the hell happened here?├óÔé¼┬Ø asked Book, his nose wrinkling as he smelt the Kia├óÔé¼Ôäós rotting corpse. ├óÔé¼┼ôSome Kia was sent to assassinate me├óÔé¼┬Ø said Garret as he took out a back pack. ├óÔé¼┼ôHuh├óÔé¼┬Ø said Book before walking off to help Garret get two more pistols, some more gun powder and bullets. ├óÔé¼┼ôI cant use a sword!├óÔé¼┬Ø said Book when Garret shoved a double edged short sword. ├óÔé¼┼ôLearn├óÔé¼┬Ø said Garret as he handed the pistols to Book. ├óÔé¼┼ôI can├óÔé¼Ôäót shoot!├óÔé¼┬Ø said Book, holding the pistols gingerly. ├óÔé¼┼ôLearn!├óÔé¼┬Ø snapped Garret as a jar of Knitting Balm fell from the top of the counter onto his hand.
The two walked out wards to the gate of the city. ├óÔé¼┼ôSo├óÔé¼┬ª how are we going to get wherever we are going?├óÔé¼┬Ø asked Book as Garret and he shoved their way through the crowd. ├óÔé¼┼ôHire a cart and get to a Port├óÔé¼┬Ø said Garret as a man holding a verity of knick knacks shoved them in his face and babbled about their ├óÔé¼┼ôlow low prices!├óÔé¼┬Ø. Garret punched him in the stomach and continued ├óÔé¼┼ôWe can then get an Air ship; head to Terrix then see the war first hand├óÔé¼┬Ø. Book gulped ├óÔé¼┼ôYou do know that we are barley holding the Pass?├óÔé¼┬Ø he asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôYeah, but seeing as how I want to talk to the necromancers, is doesn├óÔé¼Ôäót matter all that much├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôY-YOU WHAT!├óÔé¼┬Ø shouted Book, causing many people to look at him in surprise. ├óÔé¼┼ôKeep it down├óÔé¼┬Ø murmured Garret as they got to the Gate. ├óÔé¼┼ôI need to know about these visions, then I can kill the Necromancers├óÔé¼┬ª all of them├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôLet me get this straight!├óÔé¼┬Ø said Book, his voice raising in pitch as he counted things off on his fingers ├óÔé¼┼ôWe are going to go THROUGH a war zone! Then we are going to ask one of the Thirteen Necromancers what your probably false dreams are├óÔé¼┬ª then you are going to kill each of the most feared men and women in the entire Empire, single handed! This is INSANE!├óÔé¼┬Ø Book turned, but he ran smack into a towering man in green. His pants had silver lining too, and a winding snake ran up his left arm.
├óÔé¼┼ôYou├óÔé¼┬Ø he said dully, pointing at Garret. Garret turned and his eyes noticed the four pistols that lined the man├óÔé¼Ôäós belt and the hefty two handed sword that lined his back. ├óÔé¼┼ôYou insult Lord Balter! You die!├óÔé¼┬Ø he said, pulling out two pistols with his massive hands. Garret noticed that ten more people had turned to look at him, and they each had a snake on their left arm. Garret ducked and closed his eyes as two pistols went off at close range. Two bullets blasted into the stone tiles behind him, and Garret felt burning heat scorch his hair. Garret then opened his eyes and noticed that a cloud of smoke concealed the man and him quite well. The crowd was a black mass that Garret could barley see, and the screams covered any sound his assailant might make. Suddenly Garret felt two hands on the scruff of his neck and the man threw him forward. Garret hit the ground rolling, but he was stopped by a wooden cart filled with fruit. Garret hit it hard, and the breath was whiffed out of him. He pulled out his pistol and tried to aim it as the huge man that was charging him.
The man got to him before he could get a good shot, and a massive fist smashed into Garrets side, and with a sick crack, broke one of his ribs. Garret slid along the floor and wheezed. The man stood above him, his massive bulk blotting out the sun. ├óÔé¼┼ôNow you die├óÔé¼┬Ø he said, pulling out his pistol and aiming it at Garret├óÔé¼Ôäós face. A loud BANG sounded out though, and the man├óÔé¼Ôäós stomach seemed to be pulped by a wall of lead. Blood splattered and the man collapsed to the ground. Garret slowly got to his feet and saw Book holding the pistol he had given him ├óÔé¼┼ôI knew It was a good idea to give you a blunderbuss├óÔé¼┬Ø wheezed Garret as he got to his feet. Book looked at the man, and his face went grey.
├óÔé¼┼ôuhh├óÔé¼┬Ø said Garret as the other tattooed men began to advance. ├óÔé¼┼ôBook├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôeh?├óÔé¼┬Ø Book said, still trying to keep his eye├óÔé¼Ôäós off the man├óÔé¼Ôäós stomach
├óÔé¼┼ôRUN!├óÔé¼┬Ø shouted Garret, shoving Book down an ally way and following him as a volley of pistol fire cracked into the quickly emptying streets. Garret and Book ran in the ally, coming out into another street, spurred on by the men that rushed after them. As Book exited the ally into a crowded bazaar, Garret turned and aimed at the onrushing men. The front man pulled out his pistol, but Garret was faster. The bullet hit him in the neck, and the spray of blood obscured his upper body for a few seconds as Garret ducked out of the ally and into the Bazaar.
As he and Book ran down the streets, planning to double back and get to the gate, a man jumped out wearing a lurid green tabard. He pulled a long sword from his scabbard and twirled it in an impressive display of swordsmanship. Garret sighed and fired his second shot into the man, who collapsed backwards into a stand selling news papers. Then he and Book continued.
They came round the bend at the end of the rode, and once again the gate was in sight. But as they ran towards it five of the tattooed men came in front of them. Book turned and saw four the other four come round the back corner. ├óÔé¼┼ôGarret├óÔé¼┬Ø he whispered. ├óÔé¼┼ôI know├óÔé¼┬Ø said Garret, before pulling his sword from its scabbard. ├óÔé¼┼ôNow├óÔé¼┬Ø he said to the men that started to advance on him and Book ├óÔé¼┼ôWe can all be gentlemen, right? Why dose your master with ill of me and my friend?├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôare you slow in the head?├óÔé¼┬Ø asked one of them ├óÔé¼┼ôYou shot Lord Balter in the kneecap, and he had to get his leg amputated├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôSo?├óÔé¼┬Ø asked Garret before flicking his sword expertly out to cut across the closest man├óÔé¼Ôäós throat. That man collapsed to the ground, blood flowing from a slashed jugular. Garret then brought his sword up to parry a chop that came from the right. He stabbed back, his sword sinking into the fleshy part of his assailants arm, causing the man to drop his sword in pain.
Garret kicked another man in the crotch, and with his left hand grabbed a unused pistol from his belt. Then he slid his sword through the man├óÔé¼Ôäós chest, making sure he didn├óÔé¼Ôäót come back up. The he heard some one behind him yell a war cry. He aimed at the noise and fired with out turning around, and the splattering sounds meant that he must of hit something vital. Garret had no time to check before he had to block two swords at once as two men attacked him. He slashed across one of his attackers legs, causing him to drop in pain. The other attacker brought his unused pistol out of his belt, but Garret slid his sword along his wrists laterally, causing blood to spurt from the arteries. The man dropped his pistol and clutched his wrists before Garret stabbed him in the stomach.
The man on the ground seemed to be out of the fight, but Garret kicked him in the face, just to be sure. Then he was distracted by a grunt from Book. Garret turned and saw an assailant skewered on Books short sword. Books face had gone quite grey again, and the blood was running down the sword onto his hands. However, Garret had to fend off the last three men who where still alive, and so was distracted from Book throwing up his lunch. The first man to rush at Garret had his sword deftly parried to the left before his heart was punctured by Garrets sword.
The other two backed off and Garret thought that the where running. But each pulled pistol, and pointed them at Garret. Garret dropped his sword and put his hands up ├óÔé¼┼ôI surrender├óÔé¼┬Ø he said. The two men looked at him and then at each other. Then Garret dived forward, his shoulders smashing into their legs and bowling them over. Garret was faster, and had trained at bare hand techniques for years. So with a quick and efficient move he grabbed one of the men and snapped his neck. The other took this as an opportunity to grab him in a bear hug. Garret tried to escape like he had with the Kia, but the man was too strong and gravity was working against him.
Garret felt the air rush out of his lungs as the man squeezed harder and harder. His broken rib had started to throb, the adrenal painkiller wearing off. Garret desperately felt around and found the man that he had just killed pistol. He pulled it out and put it to his enemy├óÔé¼Ôäós temple. ├óÔé¼┼ôBye bye!├óÔé¼┬Ø he croaked before firing. The resulting explosion this close to his ears causes his head to reel. The splatter of bone and bits of brain flying out from the man├óÔé¼Ôäós skull where sickening, even to one as used to death as Garret was and the resulting mess was indescribable.
Garret got shakily up, ignoring the twinges from his ribcage. ├óÔé¼┼ôBook?├óÔé¼┬Ø he asked wirily. ├óÔé¼┼ôUgh├óÔé¼┬Ø moaned Book, still wrenching in a trash bin. ├óÔé¼┼ôSTOP!├óÔé¼┬Ø shouted someone. Garret looked up and twenty of the Guard rounded the building. They would arrest him, only because by now his Guild must of figured that he was leaving town. He knew that they wouldn├óÔé¼Ôäót be so happy with him, but twenty guardsmen? That seemed excessive. ├óÔé¼┼ôBOOK!├óÔé¼┬Ø shouted Garret, grabbing Book by the arm as the Guard ran straight at them.
The two ducked into the ally again and ran out even as half the guard went for them, and the other half doubled back. Garret ran straight for the vender whose job it was selling carriages. He smashed his foot into the door and burst in, Book at his heels. ├óÔé¼┼ôGet in a cart, and drive it out front├óÔé¼┬Ø Garret said, slamming the door he had just broken and pulling out his pistol. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhen your there, yell├óÔé¼┬Ø Garret said, and Book nodded reassuringly as he ducked into the stables
Garret quickly powdered and loaded his gun├óÔé¼Ôäós twin chambers, readying it for when the guard burst through the door. They did so, four of them smashing it in with unnecessary force. The first one in had his head half removed by a bullet, while the second one through had his stomach holed by a second bullet. Their corpse fell backwards, blocking the door long enough for Garret to close it again. He was half way through loading the first chamber when the Guard burst through again. He kicked at the first that came through, and that smashed the guardsman into the wall. Garret heard Books yell and ran into the stables. The Guard followed him, swords and pistols drawn.
Garret jumped into the back of the carriage and Book whipped the horses, driving them along the rode as the guard spilled into the clearing that spread before the city walls. They let fly a volley of pistols, but at the range the cart was when they did, the only shots that hit only slightly scarred the paint work. Garret sat down in a couch that lined the left wall of the carriage and looked around. A miniature bar was folded in the corner, while the rest of the carriage had couches in it with a small table placed at the end. ├óÔé¼┼ôWas this the best you could find?├óÔé¼┬Ø he asked Book, before fainting.
A sharp bump in the rode smashed Garrets head against the table in the carriage, snapping his awake. He swore loudly as he got up, his rip hurting more then it should be. ├óÔé¼┼ôGarret!├óÔé¼┬Ø called Book. ├óÔé¼┼ôYeah?├óÔé¼┬Ø Garret asked, sitting down and leaning back, trying to get in a comfortable position. ├óÔé¼┼ôAre you all right?├óÔé¼┬Ø Book shouted. The carriage hit another pothole and bumped up. ├óÔé¼┼ôI think your going a little to fast├óÔé¼┬Ø said Garret, gingerly climbing to the driver├óÔé¼Ôäós seat. Book held the reigns in a death grip and looked at Garret. ├óÔé¼┼ôI have been trying to keep them on the rode for the last hour├óÔé¼┬Ø he said.
├óÔé¼┼ôJust pull back slightly├óÔé¼┬Ø said Garret, grabbing the reigns from him and slowing the horses. ├óÔé¼┼ôNow├óÔé¼┬ª lets see where we are├óÔé¼┬Ø He said, looking around. The rode was built by the ancients and stretched through the forest for miles. It was made out of a silver colored material, and only had a few potholes where the weather had worn the rode away. The tree├óÔé¼Ôäós crowded around the rode, obscuring the ruins that stretched for miles in both directions. Garret spotted a tall tower, barfly piercing the canopy, and saw a light flicker in the highest window.
├óÔé¼┼ôNow├óÔé¼┬Ø said Book, also looking around, ├óÔé¼┼ôI think the Port is in that direction├óÔé¼┬Ø he pointed down the rode. Garret shrugged and sped up the horses to a fair pace. The carriage sped down the rode, following its relatively straight path through the forests. Garret looked to the left and right, catching glimpses of half buried structures and ruins that seemed to be only half real in the fog and dark of night.
├óÔé¼┼ôFrom my map├óÔé¼┬Ø said Book. Garret turned to look at him. ├óÔé¼┼ôSince when do you have a map?├óÔé¼┬Ø he asked Book. ├óÔé¼┼ôWell it├óÔé¼Ôäós a small pocket book I like, see├óÔé¼┬Ø Book showed the miniscule book that had the rode system of Emperryon, complete with the major towns and the twin capitols. ├óÔé¼┼ôNow, as I was saying├óÔé¼┬Ø said Book, pointing out a rode that was marked in red ├óÔé¼┼ôThis is the rode we are on, and a port is about thirty miles down it. There is a small town on the way, about ten to fifteen miles, so I think we should stop at the town and├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôLOOK OUT!├óÔé¼┬Ø shouted Garret, yanking the reigns to the side as a massive monolithic object loomed out of the fog. The horses turned sharply and the carriage veered and tilted onto two of its wheels. Garret jumped off, trying to fall into the soft loam on the side of the rode. Book followed as the carriage fell on its side and the horses ran off, trailing several severed ropes behind them. Garret groaned and got up, gingerly feeling his side. ├óÔé¼┼ôI really need to see a doctor about this rib├óÔé¼┬Ø he moaned. Book sat up and brushed some grass of himself ├óÔé¼┼ôWell, how are we going to get to the town now?├óÔé¼┬Ø he asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôWalk├óÔé¼┬Ø said Garret, getting to his feet. ├óÔé¼┼ôBut your rib will need to heal! If you don├óÔé¼Ôäót heal it properly you will have to have a Magi fix it, and I don├óÔé¼Ôäót think you have the money for that├óÔé¼┬Ø Book said, following him.
├óÔé¼┼ôWell, I suppose I will just have to avoid any fighting the death├óÔé¼┬Ø said Garret, opening the back door to the overturned carriage and grabbing his pack. Inside were his pistol and some food. ├óÔé¼┼ôLet├óÔé¼Ôäós go├óÔé¼┬Ø he said to Book, and they began to trudge along the rode. The night only got darker as the walked along, and the stars above them sparkled. Terrix and the Dark Twins laced the sky above them, easy to see at this time of year. ├óÔé¼┼ôThink we can spot Stelvi?├óÔé¼┬Ø asked Garret. ├óÔé¼┼ôI doubt it├óÔé¼┬Ø muttered Book as Garret began to stair upwards at the ring.
They walked for another two hours, Book chattering about how the previous two Necromantic War├óÔé¼Ôäós had been won, when Garret stopped dead. ├óÔé¼┼ôListen├óÔé¼┬Ø he said, holding up his hand to stop Book. They both listened and heard a low moan in the distance. ├óÔé¼┼ôProbably a wolf├óÔé¼┬Ø Book said as Garret pulled out a torch stick and lit it with a match. The torch flared to life as the moan came closer. Garret heard whispers on the wind, ethereal voice├óÔé¼Ôäós that stayed just out of the firelight.
├óÔé¼┼ôBook├óÔé¼┬Ø Garret said. ├óÔé¼┼ôYes├óÔé¼┬Ø Book answered, clutching his book tightly to his chest. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat are those?├óÔé¼┬Ø Garret asked, gesturing to the voice├óÔé¼Ôäós that had slowly begun to increase in volume, and half corporeal shapes began to form outside the firelight. A singsong voice began to whisper at the two, and Garret felt the torchlight begin to flicker lower and lower. Book clamped his hands to his ears as the forms began to solidify into definable shapes. ├óÔé¼┬ØWe are going to get you├óÔé¼┬ª.├óÔé¼┬Ø whispered the voices and Garret snapped. ├óÔé¼┼ôSHUT UP!├óÔé¼┬Ø he shouted, throwing the flaming torch into the closest of the solidifying forms.
The torch smashed through it, scattering it like fog. The voice├óÔé¼Ôäós where suddenly stilled, and Garret and Book hurried to pick up the torch. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat where those?├óÔé¼┬Ø Garret asked Book. ├óÔé¼┼ôWell I remember some story├óÔé¼Ôäós about ghosts, but I just thought they where story├óÔé¼Ôäós├óÔé¼┬Ø Garret shrugged and pulled out a second torch, handing it to Book. ├óÔé¼┼ôIf those things come back, let├óÔé¼Ôäós just keep walking, and don├óÔé¼Ôäót give them time to form├óÔé¼┬Ø he said. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat happens if they form?├óÔé¼┬Ø asked Book. ├óÔé¼┼ôI don├óÔé¼Ôäót want to know├óÔé¼┬Ø Garret said, walking towards the town that he knew was in the distance.
The dawn creped into Emperryon, bringing light to Garret and Book, who where both still clutching their torches. They where both tired, but they had reached a sign that said ├óÔé¼┼ôFear not the voice├óÔé¼Ôäós in the woods, for they are only memories. Village 1 ml├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôWell, at least we can rest there├óÔé¼┬Ø Book said brightly. ├óÔé¼┼ôAssuming nothing happens, like Lord Balter sends goons after us, or some unnamable horror jumps out and eats out souls!├óÔé¼┬Ø joked Garret, feeling much better knowing a bed was close.
The ├óÔé¼╦£Town├óÔé¼Ôäó was a total of four cottages, and a ring of un-lit torches surrounding them. The citizenry where still asleep when Garret and Book walked in, so they sat down and decided to wait till someone got up. The morning light from the sun was refreshing, and the sun was already a half crescent in the air. Shamazad, the inner ring, blocked part of the sky, but because all rings spun around the sun at different angles they all got light. Garret saw a woman open the door of her cottage and peer out. She spotted Garret and Book, and her door slammed fast.
├óÔé¼┼ôwait here├óÔé¼┬Ø Garret said to Book, getting up and walking to that cottage. He rapped three time├óÔé¼Ôäós on the door and it slowly opened. A large man, maybe six feet in height, pointed a flintlock pistol at Garret├óÔé¼Ôäós head. ├óÔé¼┼ôHands up├óÔé¼┬Ø he grunted, and Garret raised them. ├óÔé¼┼ôNow├óÔé¼┬ª what are you doing here with out a carriage?├óÔé¼┬Ø he asked.
├óÔé¼┼ôOur carriage crashed into a broken tower that seems to have fallen over the road, and then we began to walk here├óÔé¼┬Ø Garret said, lowering his hands slowly. ├óÔé¼┼ôNo don├óÔé¼Ôäót do that!├óÔé¼┬Ø the man spat, his finger getting dangerously close to the trigger. ├óÔé¼┼ôSorry├óÔé¼┬Ø said Garret, raising his hands high and continuing with his story. ├óÔé¼┼ôWe where surrounded by theses├óÔé¼┬ª things. Voice├óÔé¼Ôäós in the night├óÔé¼┬Ø. The man grinned and lowered the pistol. ├óÔé¼┼ôGood├óÔé¼┬Ø he said, clapping Garret on the back. Garret slowly lowered his hands. ├óÔé¼┼ôNow├óÔé¼┬ª you said we├óÔé¼┬Ø the man said, letting Garret walk into his house. ├óÔé¼┼ôThat├óÔé¼Ôäós right, my friend Book is over there├óÔé¼┬Ø Garret said, pointing at Book who began to walk over.
├óÔé¼┼ôNow├óÔé¼┬Ø said the man, reclining in a wooden chair as Book and Garret made themselves comfortable ├óÔé¼┼ôthose phantasms that you met in the woods can posses you, if they get solid├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôWhy docent anyone at the city know this?├óÔé¼┬Ø Book asked as Garret shifted his position so his rib didn├óÔé¼Ôäót twinge uncomfortably.
├óÔé¼┼ôThose city folk always use a carriage, and carriage├óÔé¼Ôäós are loud and have lights. Too much life for these things, and anyone who has crashed so far├óÔé¼┬ª well├óÔé¼┬Ø He looked at them both. ├óÔé¼┼ôTheses force will do anything to get inside a man├óÔé¼Ôäós house and then into his head├óÔé¼┬Ø he sat forward ├óÔé¼┼ôWe got three woman last week who had been taken by these things. They almost killed Maggie, the third farmer here, but we shot em right through the brain pan!├óÔé¼┬Ø he slapped the table, spilling a mug of coffee.
├óÔé¼┼ôNow we KNOW that your one of them if you don├óÔé¼Ôäót mention spirits and you├óÔé¼Ôäóve walked. That means they got inside you, and your already dead├óÔé¼┬Ø the farmer leaned back again ├óÔé¼┼ôNow the ring of torches keeps them too far away to any damage. They try to entice us out to them, but only the week willed go out to them. Then about ten of them try to get inside him at once and rip the poor person apart├óÔé¼┬Ø He sighed. ├óÔé¼┼ôIt happened to my son, last year├óÔé¼┬Ø he said ├óÔé¼┼ôThought id taught him better then that├óÔé¼┬Ø.
├óÔé¼┼ôWell├óÔé¼┬ª├óÔé¼┬Ø said Garret. ├óÔé¼┼ôWe need to stay here for a bit, and then we are going to the Port up down the rode├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôEh?├óÔé¼┬Ø asked the Farmer. ├óÔé¼┼ôIt├óÔé¼Ôäós for getting to other rings├óÔé¼┬Ø Book explained helpfully. ├óÔé¼┼ôNo that├óÔé¼Ôäós not it!├óÔé¼┬Ø said the Farmer ├óÔé¼┼ôI├óÔé¼Ôäóm not a nitwit! It├óÔé¼Ôäós just that you can get there with only two people and no carriage. You barley got here with your torches, and they look to be the only you got├óÔé¼┬Ø
Garret groaned and leaned back, then groaned and felt his side. ├óÔé¼┼ôDo you have a doctor? I have broken rib here├óÔé¼┬Ø he asked the Farmer. ├óÔé¼┼ôSure we have a doctor! We├óÔé¼Ôäód be dead without one├óÔé¼┬Ø the Farmer said. ├óÔé¼┼ôWell who is he?├óÔé¼┬Ø Garret asked getting up. ├óÔé¼┼ôDoctor Keith Macmillan, glad to meet ya├óÔé¼┬Ø said the farmer, getting up and shaking Garrets hand.
├óÔé¼┼ôJust pull back slightly├óÔé¼┬Ø said Garret, grabbing the reigns from him and slowing the horses. ├óÔé¼┼ôNow├óÔé¼┬ª lets see where we are├óÔé¼┬Ø He said, looking around. The rode was built by the ancients and stretched through the forest for miles. It was made out of a silver colored material, and only had a few potholes where the weather had worn the rode away. The tree├óÔé¼Ôäós crowded around the rode, obscuring the ruins that stretched for miles in both directions. Garret spotted a tall tower, barfly piercing the canopy, and saw a light flicker in the highest window.
├óÔé¼┼ôNow├óÔé¼┬Ø said Book, also looking around, ├óÔé¼┼ôI think the Port is in that direction├óÔé¼┬Ø he pointed down the rode. Garret shrugged and sped up the horses to a fair pace. The carriage sped down the rode, following its relatively straight path through the forests. Garret looked to the left and right, catching glimpses of half buried structures and ruins that seemed to be only half real in the fog and dark of night.
├óÔé¼┼ôFrom my map├óÔé¼┬Ø said Book. Garret turned to look at him. ├óÔé¼┼ôSince when do you have a map?├óÔé¼┬Ø he asked Book. ├óÔé¼┼ôWell it├óÔé¼Ôäós a small pocket book I like, see├óÔé¼┬Ø Book showed the miniscule book that had the rode system of Emperryon, complete with the major towns and the twin capitols. ├óÔé¼┼ôNow, as I was saying├óÔé¼┬Ø said Book, pointing out a rode that was marked in red ├óÔé¼┼ôThis is the rode we are on, and a port is about thirty miles down it. There is a small town on the way, about ten to fifteen miles, so I think we should stop at the town and├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôLOOK OUT!├óÔé¼┬Ø shouted Garret, yanking the reigns to the side as a massive monolithic object loomed out of the fog. The horses turned sharply and the carriage veered and tilted onto two of its wheels. Garret jumped off, trying to fall into the soft loam on the side of the rode. Book followed as the carriage fell on its side and the horses ran off, trailing several severed ropes behind them. Garret groaned and got up, gingerly feeling his side. ├óÔé¼┼ôI really need to see a doctor about this rib├óÔé¼┬Ø he moaned. Book sat up and brushed some grass of himself ├óÔé¼┼ôWell, how are we going to get to the town now?├óÔé¼┬Ø he asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôWalk├óÔé¼┬Ø said Garret, getting to his feet. ├óÔé¼┼ôBut your rib will need to heal! If you don├óÔé¼Ôäót heal it properly you will have to have a Magi fix it, and I don├óÔé¼Ôäót think you have the money for that├óÔé¼┬Ø Book said, following him.
├óÔé¼┼ôWell, I suppose I will just have to avoid any fighting the death├óÔé¼┬Ø said Garret, opening the back door to the overturned carriage and grabbing his pack. Inside were his pistol and some food. ├óÔé¼┼ôLet├óÔé¼Ôäós go├óÔé¼┬Ø he said to Book, and they began to trudge along the rode. The night only got darker as the walked along, and the stars above them sparkled. Terrix and the Dark Twins laced the sky above them, easy to see at this time of year. ├óÔé¼┼ôThink we can spot Stelvi?├óÔé¼┬Ø asked Garret. ├óÔé¼┼ôI doubt it├óÔé¼┬Ø muttered Book as Garret began to stair upwards at the ring.
They walked for another two hours, Book chattering about how the previous two Necromantic War├óÔé¼Ôäós had been won, when Garret stopped dead. ├óÔé¼┼ôListen├óÔé¼┬Ø he said, holding up his hand to stop Book. They both listened and heard a low moan in the distance. ├óÔé¼┼ôProbably a wolf├óÔé¼┬Ø Book said as Garret pulled out a torch stick and lit it with a match. The torch flared to life as the moan came closer. Garret heard whispers on the wind, ethereal voice├óÔé¼Ôäós that stayed just out of the firelight.
├óÔé¼┼ôBook├óÔé¼┬Ø Garret said. ├óÔé¼┼ôYes├óÔé¼┬Ø Book answered, clutching his book tightly to his chest. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat are those?├óÔé¼┬Ø Garret asked, gesturing to the voice├óÔé¼Ôäós that had slowly begun to increase in volume, and half corporeal shapes began to form outside the firelight. A singsong voice began to whisper at the two, and Garret felt the torchlight begin to flicker lower and lower. Book clamped his hands to his ears as the forms began to solidify into definable shapes. ├óÔé¼┬ØWe are going to get you├óÔé¼┬ª.├óÔé¼┬Ø whispered the voices and Garret snapped. ├óÔé¼┼ôSHUT UP!├óÔé¼┬Ø he shouted, throwing the flaming torch into the closest of the solidifying forms.
The torch smashed through it, scattering it like fog. The voice├óÔé¼Ôäós where suddenly stilled, and Garret and Book hurried to pick up the torch. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat where those?├óÔé¼┬Ø Garret asked Book. ├óÔé¼┼ôWell I remember some story├óÔé¼Ôäós about ghosts, but I just thought they where story├óÔé¼Ôäós├óÔé¼┬Ø Garret shrugged and pulled out a second torch, handing it to Book. ├óÔé¼┼ôIf those things come back, let├óÔé¼Ôäós just keep walking, and don├óÔé¼Ôäót give them time to form├óÔé¼┬Ø he said. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat happens if they form?├óÔé¼┬Ø asked Book. ├óÔé¼┼ôI don├óÔé¼Ôäót want to know├óÔé¼┬Ø Garret said, walking towards the town that he knew was in the distance.
The dawn creped into Emperryon, bringing light to Garret and Book, who where both still clutching their torches. They where both tired, but they had reached a sign that said ├óÔé¼┼ôFear not the voice├óÔé¼Ôäós in the woods, for they are only memories. Village 1 ml├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôWell, at least we can rest there├óÔé¼┬Ø Book said brightly. ├óÔé¼┼ôAssuming nothing happens, like Lord Balter sends goons after us, or some unnamable horror jumps out and eats out souls!├óÔé¼┬Ø joked Garret, feeling much better knowing a bed was close.
The ├óÔé¼╦£Town├óÔé¼Ôäó was a total of four cottages, and a ring of un-lit torches surrounding them. The citizenry where still asleep when Garret and Book walked in, so they sat down and decided to wait till someone got up. The morning light from the sun was refreshing, and the sun was already a half crescent in the air. Shamazad, the inner ring, blocked part of the sky, but because all rings spun around the sun at different angles they all got light. Garret saw a woman open the door of her cottage and peer out. She spotted Garret and Book, and her door slammed fast.
├óÔé¼┼ôwait here├óÔé¼┬Ø Garret said to Book, getting up and walking to that cottage. He rapped three time├óÔé¼Ôäós on the door and it slowly opened. A large man, maybe six feet in height, pointed a flintlock pistol at Garret├óÔé¼Ôäós head. ├óÔé¼┼ôHands up├óÔé¼┬Ø he grunted, and Garret raised them. ├óÔé¼┼ôNow├óÔé¼┬ª what are you doing here with out a carriage?├óÔé¼┬Ø he asked.
├óÔé¼┼ôOur carriage crashed into a broken tower that seems to have fallen over the road, and then we began to walk here├óÔé¼┬Ø Garret said, lowering his hands slowly. ├óÔé¼┼ôNo don├óÔé¼Ôäót do that!├óÔé¼┬Ø the man spat, his finger getting dangerously close to the trigger. ├óÔé¼┼ôSorry├óÔé¼┬Ø said Garret, raising his hands high and continuing with his story. ├óÔé¼┼ôWe where surrounded by theses├óÔé¼┬ª things. Voice├óÔé¼Ôäós in the night├óÔé¼┬Ø. The man grinned and lowered the pistol. ├óÔé¼┼ôGood├óÔé¼┬Ø he said, clapping Garret on the back. Garret slowly lowered his hands. ├óÔé¼┼ôNow├óÔé¼┬ª you said we├óÔé¼┬Ø the man said, letting Garret walk into his house. ├óÔé¼┼ôThat├óÔé¼Ôäós right, my friend Book is over there├óÔé¼┬Ø Garret said, pointing at Book who began to walk over.
├óÔé¼┼ôNow├óÔé¼┬Ø said the man, reclining in a wooden chair as Book and Garret made themselves comfortable ├óÔé¼┼ôthose phantasms that you met in the woods can posses you, if they get solid├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôWhy docent anyone at the city know this?├óÔé¼┬Ø Book asked as Garret shifted his position so his rib didn├óÔé¼Ôäót twinge uncomfortably.
├óÔé¼┼ôThose city folk always use a carriage, and carriage├óÔé¼Ôäós are loud and have lights. Too much life for these things, and anyone who has crashed so far├óÔé¼┬ª well├óÔé¼┬Ø He looked at them both. ├óÔé¼┼ôTheses force will do anything to get inside a man├óÔé¼Ôäós house and then into his head├óÔé¼┬Ø he sat forward ├óÔé¼┼ôWe got three woman last week who had been taken by these things. They almost killed Maggie, the third farmer here, but we shot em right through the brain pan!├óÔé¼┬Ø he slapped the table, spilling a mug of coffee.
├óÔé¼┼ôNow we KNOW that your one of them if you don├óÔé¼Ôäót mention spirits and you├óÔé¼Ôäóve walked. That means they got inside you, and your already dead├óÔé¼┬Ø the farmer leaned back again ├óÔé¼┼ôNow the ring of torches keeps them too far away to any damage. They try to entice us out to them, but only the week willed go out to them. Then about ten of them try to get inside him at once and rip the poor person apart├óÔé¼┬Ø He sighed. ├óÔé¼┼ôIt happened to my son, last year├óÔé¼┬Ø he said ├óÔé¼┼ôThought id taught him better then that├óÔé¼┬Ø.
├óÔé¼┼ôWell├óÔé¼┬ª├óÔé¼┬Ø said Garret. ├óÔé¼┼ôWe need to stay here for a bit, and then we are going to the Port up down the rode├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôEh?├óÔé¼┬Ø asked the Farmer. ├óÔé¼┼ôIt├óÔé¼Ôäós for getting to other rings├óÔé¼┬Ø Book explained helpfully. ├óÔé¼┼ôNo that├óÔé¼Ôäós not it!├óÔé¼┬Ø said the Farmer ├óÔé¼┼ôI├óÔé¼Ôäóm not a nitwit! It├óÔé¼Ôäós just that you can get there with only two people and no carriage. You barley got here with your torches, and they look to be the only you got├óÔé¼┬Ø
Garret groaned and leaned back, then groaned and felt his side. ├óÔé¼┼ôDo you have a doctor? I have broken rib here├óÔé¼┬Ø he asked the Farmer. ├óÔé¼┼ôSure we have a doctor! We├óÔé¼Ôäód be dead without one├óÔé¼┬Ø the Farmer said. ├óÔé¼┼ôWell who is he?├óÔé¼┬Ø Garret asked getting up. ├óÔé¼┼ôDoctor Keith Macmillan, glad to meet ya├óÔé¼┬Ø said the farmer, getting up and shaking Garrets hand.
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Archangel of Death
- Posts: 854
- Joined: 28 Jan 2005, 18:15
Sounds like this is going to be painful. Or at least, the guy I imagined wouldn't be too gentle a doctor.
Well i just wondered... dose anyone else thing that Rings is a terrible name? Cause all of my friends immediately said when seeing my story that it was. Better suggestions would be appreciated.
Also incase anyone was wondering, solar system that Rings take's place in is very odd. There are five ring worlds that orbit the sun at different angles, and each one is bigger and colder then the last. The Dark Twins are the farthest, and both are cold tundra's. Terrix is a blasted wasteland, its bleak terrain is only altered by the patch├óÔé¼Ôäós of permafrost and the odd crystal formation. Emperryon is warmer, and has dark forests filled with the ruins of an ancient city. Shamazad is the inner most Rings, filled with a humid jungle, and has only the walled city of Jane's Town to bring civilization to it. The Kia and the Dragons both came to be on Terrix, while the Talan are furred creature's from the innermost of the Dark Twin's. The outermost of the Dark twins is completely inhospitable to human life, and nothing lives there save for the Thirteen Necromancers and their undead minions...
Incase everyone already knew that, i can now use this post to check for continuity errors!.
Also incase anyone was wondering, solar system that Rings take's place in is very odd. There are five ring worlds that orbit the sun at different angles, and each one is bigger and colder then the last. The Dark Twins are the farthest, and both are cold tundra's. Terrix is a blasted wasteland, its bleak terrain is only altered by the patch├óÔé¼Ôäós of permafrost and the odd crystal formation. Emperryon is warmer, and has dark forests filled with the ruins of an ancient city. Shamazad is the inner most Rings, filled with a humid jungle, and has only the walled city of Jane's Town to bring civilization to it. The Kia and the Dragons both came to be on Terrix, while the Talan are furred creature's from the innermost of the Dark Twin's. The outermost of the Dark twins is completely inhospitable to human life, and nothing lives there save for the Thirteen Necromancers and their undead minions...
Incase everyone already knew that, i can now use this post to check for continuity errors!.
Garret screamed, the doctors tool wrenching his broken bone into a better position to be healed. Then Keith started to stitch up the wound, and Garret tried to keep from crying as his flesh was brought together. Then a massive sting spread from the area around his wound, and Garret felt the bizarre tingling that resulted from Knitting balms. ├óÔé¼┼ôOkay, that should do it!├óÔé¼┬Ø said Keith, washing his hands off in a basin of water that he had procured from the river.
Garret sat up and, clutching his side in pain, shook the doctors still red hand. ├óÔé¼┼ôWell, because it carriage├óÔé¼Ôäós only come through here every so often, I would be glad to lend you two a place to stay├óÔé¼┬Ø Keith said. ├óÔé¼┼ôSure├óÔé¼┬ª├óÔé¼┬Ø said Garret, , getting to his feet. ├óÔé¼┼ôWell├óÔé¼┬ª how much will it cost?├óÔé¼┬Ø Book asked, getting up from a chair he had placed beside the operating table.
├óÔé¼┼ôNo more then three hundred gold for the operation and maybe ten for the lodging├óÔé¼┬Ø said Keith ├óÔé¼┼ôbut it might be a few weeks. ├óÔé¼┼ôGuess id better avoid you next time I get a broken bone├óÔé¼Ôäós├óÔé¼┬Ø Garret said, smiling. Keith chuckled and gestured to the stairs, leading Garret and Book to his rooms. He opened the door to a room that sat besides his, showing Garret and Book the small but serviceable room that was available. ├óÔé¼┼ôSo breakfast is every morning, round sixth bell├óÔé¼┬Ø Keith said as Garret reached for his purse.
The sun waned, becoming a half crescent in the sky, then finally winking out and leaving only the glow of the other Rings to light the night. At the edge of the village the phantasms floated about, their voice├óÔé¼Ôäós carrying across the twenty feet of light that surrounded the village. They whispered to the children in their beds, trying to tempt them into the forest. Some stirred and glanced out to the darkness, but most simply slept through it.
├óÔé¼┼ôIt├óÔé¼Ôäós a grim wind that blow├óÔé¼Ôäós from the north├óÔé¼┬Ø commented Keith as Garret glanced out the window the slowly solidifying phantoms. ├óÔé¼┼ôYeah├óÔé¼┬ª├óÔé¼┬Ø Garret said, barely hearing the whispered promises and enticements that came from the ghosts, ├óÔé¼┼ôwell I├óÔé¼Ôäóm going to bed├óÔé¼┬Ø he said, leaving Keith to his coffee. Garret crawled into bed, and promptly fell asleep.
Keith felt a sudden warp, as if the very fabric of reality was flexing under strain. It only lasted for a split second, and he almost didn├óÔé¼Ôäót notice it beyond a faint feeling of unease. He looked up from his coffee and gasped. ├óÔé¼┼ôTHE TORCHES!├óÔé¼┬Ø he shouted, running to his door. He slammed it shut, just as the first phantasm smashed against it. The door├óÔé¼Ôäós wood gave slightly, Keith pressed his body against door as the force smashed against it again, causing a crack to appear in the wood work. ├óÔé¼┼ôGARRET!├óÔé¼┬Ø he shouted, but it was unnecessary as light flooded the room from a lantern that Garret was carrying from the upstairs. The light flashed through the cracks in the door way, and an inhuman shriek split the cold night air. The solid phantom outside evaporated into harmless fog that spread through out the night harmlessly, and Keith bolted the door.
├óÔé¼┼ôWhat├óÔé¼Ôäós going on?├óÔé¼┬Ø asked Garret, still holding the lantern. ├óÔé¼┼ôThe torches are out, and we need to get this house secure, and then wait till dawn and hope that no got possessed├óÔé¼┬Ø A sudden smash of glass heralded a rotted hand breaking through the window, and a body walked into the house. ├óÔé¼┼ôShit!├óÔé¼┬Ø shouted Keith, gabbing up a fire iron from his fireplace and smashing the person in the small of his back. The possessed person collapsed and started to twitch. Its head turned sickeningly around to face the ceiling. His eye├óÔé¼Ôäós where shot with white and small veins of red. ├óÔé¼┼ôWe shall take you!├óÔé¼┬Ø it said, its twisted throat only producing a low wheeze. Keith smashed his fire iron down in-between his eyes. Gore spat from its forehead, spraying the walls, but still the monster flailed about, pinned to the floor.
├óÔé¼┼ôUhh├óÔé¼┬ªwhere is my hatchet├óÔé¼┬Ø Keith asked himself as Garret grabbed for his sword which he had left beside the door. Garret got it and brought the blade down on the monster neck, severing its head from the body. Keith stepped in and brought a fair sized hatched down on its shoulder, severing the arm with a spray of white blood. He then proceeded to dismember the twitching corpse with surgical precision. Garret was revolted at the white and black blood and goo that spurted from the severed body parts, and his gorge rose as the thing still snarled and spurted blood, its individual parts twitching and trying to futile attack Keith and him.
├óÔé¼┼ôUhh├óÔé¼┬Ø said Keith, his face quite grey, ├óÔé¼┼ôwe need to light the house, so that a phantasm doesn├óÔé¼Ôäót get in├óÔé¼┬Ø. Garret nodded and grabbed the lantern and lit a match. ├óÔé¼┼ôIll take the lower floor, you take the top├óÔé¼┬Ø he said to Keith who also nodded. They quickly went around the house and lit all the lanterns and soon the house was flooded with light. Garret lit the last lantern that he found when a fist smashed through the wall, grabbing for his head. He jerked back as a possessed woman smashed through the relatively thing wood with supernatural strength.
The woman├óÔé¼Ôäós fingernails raked his face, drawing deep gouges down it. He slashed through the ribs with his sword, half way severing the woman├óÔé¼Ôäós torso before his sword was stopped by the cartilage and thick meats of the inner body. He kicked wildly with his leg and the woman flew backwards out of the hole she had ripped in the wall. She got up, her body hanging sickeningly away from her legs. Garret slid his sword expertly through the monsters neck and severed is head from its body. Then he took a match, lit it and shoved it into her clothes.
The possessed woman lit up slowly, but once her clothes and flesh where alight,
She collapsed in a pile of flaming skin and bones. Garret shoved her out of the house with his foot, the sickening smell clogging his nostrils. The burning corpse lit up a large area, keeping the phantasms backs an even farther distance. Garret ducked back inside as he head Keith├óÔé¼Ôäós yelp. He saw the large man bury his hatchet in a possessed childes head, and then tossing the little body out the window that it had crashed through. Keith vomited on the floor, mixing it with gore that seemed to flood the floor. Garret was about to comfort him before a loud smash from the ------- took his attention. ├óÔé¼┼ôCome on├óÔé¼┬Ø he said to the still wrenching Keith.
Garret saw five men and two women smashing at the wall, breaking through as easily as the woman who had attacked. The swarmed the area and Garret ducked back into the room with Keith. He grabbed a lantern and tossed it at the crowd, spreading the fire over most of them. ├óÔé¼┼ôGET BOOK!├óÔé¼┬Ø he shouted as a monster came at him. Garret simply shoved him into the growing inferno that was the -------. Keith ran up to get the still sleeping Book from his room.
Garret ran up after him as flames began to consume Keith├óÔé¼Ôäós house. Book and Keith ran to him as they rushed out of the burning house. The flames and the wood collapsed after a few minutes, causing the entire area to be lit, forcing the hungering phantoms back. Keith looked at Garret. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat now?├óÔé¼┬Ø he asked as Garret held his sword out to the evil that surrounded him.
Then, as if the phantoms had been given horrific form, the monsters that had once been Keith├óÔé¼Ôäós friends advanced. ├óÔé¼┼ôBook!├óÔé¼┬Ø muttered Garret ├óÔé¼┼ôDo you still have the blunderbuss?├óÔé¼┬Ø he asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôNo, it was in the house├óÔé¼┬Ø said Book who was brandishing the gore steeped fire iron. The first monster reached him though, and he skewered it through the stomach before Garret loped off its head. Keith ran. ├óÔé¼┼ôGET BACK HERE YOU!├óÔé¼┬Ø shouted Garret, but he was cut short as another monster attacked him and Book at the same time.
Garret punched his away and cut its left arm off before slicing its head from its body. Book smashed his away with the fire iron, but suddenly another one grabbed him from behind. Then its head was caved in by Keith├óÔé¼Ôäós hatchet! The still twitching corpse was pushed away by the doctor, then the three lanterns that he had grabbed where placed on the ground. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhere did you get those?├óÔé¼┬Ø asked Book as the ten remaining possessed women and men surrounded their bright circle of light.
├óÔé¼┼ôBack porch!├óÔé¼┬Ø gasped Keith, tired from running around his burning house. Then the monsters attacked in a horde. Keith threw his lantern on them and the fire spread through them like a plague. The horde still advanced, and Keith, Garret and Book all ran, grabbing the remaining lanterns as they did so. The monsters followed, but one by one they dropped to the flames and the trio escaped into the woods.
Dawn was sickly and red. Keith, Book and Garret all walked down the rode together, warily eyeing the woods for any more monstrosities. ├óÔé¼┼ôKeith├óÔé¼┬ª are you okay?├óÔé¼┬Ø axed Garret. The doctor├óÔé¼Ôäós eye├óÔé¼Ôäós had been fixed on his bloody hatchet, but they turned to Garret. ├óÔé¼┼ôYeah├óÔé¼┬ª but├óÔé¼┬Ø he trailed off. ├óÔé¼┼ôI want to see any more of theses things DEAD!├óÔé¼┬Ø he burst out. Garret turned to him as Keith stopped in his tracks. ├óÔé¼┼ôCome on, we need to reach the Port by night fall├óÔé¼┬Ø.
├óÔé¼┼ôWe cant do that, as I said!├óÔé¼┬Ø Keith said, his eye├óÔé¼Ôäós popping. ├óÔé¼┼ôWE├óÔé¼┬Ø Garret put emphasis on we ├óÔé¼┼ôcan do it if we try!├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôWhat do you want at the port, anyway?├óÔé¼┬Ø asked Keith, starting to walk again
├óÔé¼┼ôwe are going to the Dark Twins├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôWhy?├óÔé¼┬Ø
Garret started to explain, glad to distract the large man from his town. The story wound long into where they created makeshift torches by grabbing branches and wrapping parts of their clothes around them. Then the story ended about half way through the night as the phantasms floated around the moving party. ├óÔé¼┼ôThat is some story├óÔé¼┬Ø said Keith after listening to Garret├óÔé¼Ôäós end ├óÔé¼┼ôhow do you hope to get your information?├óÔé¼┬Ø he asked.
├óÔé¼┼ôDon├óÔé¼Ôäót really know, cause see├óÔé¼┬ª I am improvising├óÔé¼┬Ø said Garret, painfully aware of how badly he had planned this out. ├óÔé¼┼ôBut see, next time im going to learn about local hazards and bring more ammo├óÔé¼┬Ø he said, as a distant bell sounded. ├óÔé¼┼ôHey├óÔé¼┬ª that├óÔé¼Ôäós the ports bell!├óÔé¼┬Ø said Book, his eye├óÔé¼Ôäós gleaming in the torch light. ├óÔé¼┼ôYeah├óÔé¼┬ª we are almost to safety and bed rest!├óÔé¼┬Ø said Garret, still trying to keep every one else├óÔé¼Ôäós attention away from the ghosts that still floated around them.
They arrived at the twelve bell, at the stroke of the Witching Hour. Keith, Garret and Book however, where immediately taken to prison. Garret was a known fugitive from the lawful abiding citizen, Lord Balter, who had graciously told the guard about his numerous transgressions against his noble family.
Garret sat up and, clutching his side in pain, shook the doctors still red hand. ├óÔé¼┼ôWell, because it carriage├óÔé¼Ôäós only come through here every so often, I would be glad to lend you two a place to stay├óÔé¼┬Ø Keith said. ├óÔé¼┼ôSure├óÔé¼┬ª├óÔé¼┬Ø said Garret, , getting to his feet. ├óÔé¼┼ôWell├óÔé¼┬ª how much will it cost?├óÔé¼┬Ø Book asked, getting up from a chair he had placed beside the operating table.
├óÔé¼┼ôNo more then three hundred gold for the operation and maybe ten for the lodging├óÔé¼┬Ø said Keith ├óÔé¼┼ôbut it might be a few weeks. ├óÔé¼┼ôGuess id better avoid you next time I get a broken bone├óÔé¼Ôäós├óÔé¼┬Ø Garret said, smiling. Keith chuckled and gestured to the stairs, leading Garret and Book to his rooms. He opened the door to a room that sat besides his, showing Garret and Book the small but serviceable room that was available. ├óÔé¼┼ôSo breakfast is every morning, round sixth bell├óÔé¼┬Ø Keith said as Garret reached for his purse.
The sun waned, becoming a half crescent in the sky, then finally winking out and leaving only the glow of the other Rings to light the night. At the edge of the village the phantasms floated about, their voice├óÔé¼Ôäós carrying across the twenty feet of light that surrounded the village. They whispered to the children in their beds, trying to tempt them into the forest. Some stirred and glanced out to the darkness, but most simply slept through it.
├óÔé¼┼ôIt├óÔé¼Ôäós a grim wind that blow├óÔé¼Ôäós from the north├óÔé¼┬Ø commented Keith as Garret glanced out the window the slowly solidifying phantoms. ├óÔé¼┼ôYeah├óÔé¼┬ª├óÔé¼┬Ø Garret said, barely hearing the whispered promises and enticements that came from the ghosts, ├óÔé¼┼ôwell I├óÔé¼Ôäóm going to bed├óÔé¼┬Ø he said, leaving Keith to his coffee. Garret crawled into bed, and promptly fell asleep.
Keith felt a sudden warp, as if the very fabric of reality was flexing under strain. It only lasted for a split second, and he almost didn├óÔé¼Ôäót notice it beyond a faint feeling of unease. He looked up from his coffee and gasped. ├óÔé¼┼ôTHE TORCHES!├óÔé¼┬Ø he shouted, running to his door. He slammed it shut, just as the first phantasm smashed against it. The door├óÔé¼Ôäós wood gave slightly, Keith pressed his body against door as the force smashed against it again, causing a crack to appear in the wood work. ├óÔé¼┼ôGARRET!├óÔé¼┬Ø he shouted, but it was unnecessary as light flooded the room from a lantern that Garret was carrying from the upstairs. The light flashed through the cracks in the door way, and an inhuman shriek split the cold night air. The solid phantom outside evaporated into harmless fog that spread through out the night harmlessly, and Keith bolted the door.
├óÔé¼┼ôWhat├óÔé¼Ôäós going on?├óÔé¼┬Ø asked Garret, still holding the lantern. ├óÔé¼┼ôThe torches are out, and we need to get this house secure, and then wait till dawn and hope that no got possessed├óÔé¼┬Ø A sudden smash of glass heralded a rotted hand breaking through the window, and a body walked into the house. ├óÔé¼┼ôShit!├óÔé¼┬Ø shouted Keith, gabbing up a fire iron from his fireplace and smashing the person in the small of his back. The possessed person collapsed and started to twitch. Its head turned sickeningly around to face the ceiling. His eye├óÔé¼Ôäós where shot with white and small veins of red. ├óÔé¼┼ôWe shall take you!├óÔé¼┬Ø it said, its twisted throat only producing a low wheeze. Keith smashed his fire iron down in-between his eyes. Gore spat from its forehead, spraying the walls, but still the monster flailed about, pinned to the floor.
├óÔé¼┼ôUhh├óÔé¼┬ªwhere is my hatchet├óÔé¼┬Ø Keith asked himself as Garret grabbed for his sword which he had left beside the door. Garret got it and brought the blade down on the monster neck, severing its head from the body. Keith stepped in and brought a fair sized hatched down on its shoulder, severing the arm with a spray of white blood. He then proceeded to dismember the twitching corpse with surgical precision. Garret was revolted at the white and black blood and goo that spurted from the severed body parts, and his gorge rose as the thing still snarled and spurted blood, its individual parts twitching and trying to futile attack Keith and him.
├óÔé¼┼ôUhh├óÔé¼┬Ø said Keith, his face quite grey, ├óÔé¼┼ôwe need to light the house, so that a phantasm doesn├óÔé¼Ôäót get in├óÔé¼┬Ø. Garret nodded and grabbed the lantern and lit a match. ├óÔé¼┼ôIll take the lower floor, you take the top├óÔé¼┬Ø he said to Keith who also nodded. They quickly went around the house and lit all the lanterns and soon the house was flooded with light. Garret lit the last lantern that he found when a fist smashed through the wall, grabbing for his head. He jerked back as a possessed woman smashed through the relatively thing wood with supernatural strength.
The woman├óÔé¼Ôäós fingernails raked his face, drawing deep gouges down it. He slashed through the ribs with his sword, half way severing the woman├óÔé¼Ôäós torso before his sword was stopped by the cartilage and thick meats of the inner body. He kicked wildly with his leg and the woman flew backwards out of the hole she had ripped in the wall. She got up, her body hanging sickeningly away from her legs. Garret slid his sword expertly through the monsters neck and severed is head from its body. Then he took a match, lit it and shoved it into her clothes.
The possessed woman lit up slowly, but once her clothes and flesh where alight,
She collapsed in a pile of flaming skin and bones. Garret shoved her out of the house with his foot, the sickening smell clogging his nostrils. The burning corpse lit up a large area, keeping the phantasms backs an even farther distance. Garret ducked back inside as he head Keith├óÔé¼Ôäós yelp. He saw the large man bury his hatchet in a possessed childes head, and then tossing the little body out the window that it had crashed through. Keith vomited on the floor, mixing it with gore that seemed to flood the floor. Garret was about to comfort him before a loud smash from the ------- took his attention. ├óÔé¼┼ôCome on├óÔé¼┬Ø he said to the still wrenching Keith.
Garret saw five men and two women smashing at the wall, breaking through as easily as the woman who had attacked. The swarmed the area and Garret ducked back into the room with Keith. He grabbed a lantern and tossed it at the crowd, spreading the fire over most of them. ├óÔé¼┼ôGET BOOK!├óÔé¼┬Ø he shouted as a monster came at him. Garret simply shoved him into the growing inferno that was the -------. Keith ran up to get the still sleeping Book from his room.
Garret ran up after him as flames began to consume Keith├óÔé¼Ôäós house. Book and Keith ran to him as they rushed out of the burning house. The flames and the wood collapsed after a few minutes, causing the entire area to be lit, forcing the hungering phantoms back. Keith looked at Garret. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat now?├óÔé¼┬Ø he asked as Garret held his sword out to the evil that surrounded him.
Then, as if the phantoms had been given horrific form, the monsters that had once been Keith├óÔé¼Ôäós friends advanced. ├óÔé¼┼ôBook!├óÔé¼┬Ø muttered Garret ├óÔé¼┼ôDo you still have the blunderbuss?├óÔé¼┬Ø he asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôNo, it was in the house├óÔé¼┬Ø said Book who was brandishing the gore steeped fire iron. The first monster reached him though, and he skewered it through the stomach before Garret loped off its head. Keith ran. ├óÔé¼┼ôGET BACK HERE YOU!├óÔé¼┬Ø shouted Garret, but he was cut short as another monster attacked him and Book at the same time.
Garret punched his away and cut its left arm off before slicing its head from its body. Book smashed his away with the fire iron, but suddenly another one grabbed him from behind. Then its head was caved in by Keith├óÔé¼Ôäós hatchet! The still twitching corpse was pushed away by the doctor, then the three lanterns that he had grabbed where placed on the ground. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhere did you get those?├óÔé¼┬Ø asked Book as the ten remaining possessed women and men surrounded their bright circle of light.
├óÔé¼┼ôBack porch!├óÔé¼┬Ø gasped Keith, tired from running around his burning house. Then the monsters attacked in a horde. Keith threw his lantern on them and the fire spread through them like a plague. The horde still advanced, and Keith, Garret and Book all ran, grabbing the remaining lanterns as they did so. The monsters followed, but one by one they dropped to the flames and the trio escaped into the woods.
Dawn was sickly and red. Keith, Book and Garret all walked down the rode together, warily eyeing the woods for any more monstrosities. ├óÔé¼┼ôKeith├óÔé¼┬ª are you okay?├óÔé¼┬Ø axed Garret. The doctor├óÔé¼Ôäós eye├óÔé¼Ôäós had been fixed on his bloody hatchet, but they turned to Garret. ├óÔé¼┼ôYeah├óÔé¼┬ª but├óÔé¼┬Ø he trailed off. ├óÔé¼┼ôI want to see any more of theses things DEAD!├óÔé¼┬Ø he burst out. Garret turned to him as Keith stopped in his tracks. ├óÔé¼┼ôCome on, we need to reach the Port by night fall├óÔé¼┬Ø.
├óÔé¼┼ôWe cant do that, as I said!├óÔé¼┬Ø Keith said, his eye├óÔé¼Ôäós popping. ├óÔé¼┼ôWE├óÔé¼┬Ø Garret put emphasis on we ├óÔé¼┼ôcan do it if we try!├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôWhat do you want at the port, anyway?├óÔé¼┬Ø asked Keith, starting to walk again
├óÔé¼┼ôwe are going to the Dark Twins├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôWhy?├óÔé¼┬Ø
Garret started to explain, glad to distract the large man from his town. The story wound long into where they created makeshift torches by grabbing branches and wrapping parts of their clothes around them. Then the story ended about half way through the night as the phantasms floated around the moving party. ├óÔé¼┼ôThat is some story├óÔé¼┬Ø said Keith after listening to Garret├óÔé¼Ôäós end ├óÔé¼┼ôhow do you hope to get your information?├óÔé¼┬Ø he asked.
├óÔé¼┼ôDon├óÔé¼Ôäót really know, cause see├óÔé¼┬ª I am improvising├óÔé¼┬Ø said Garret, painfully aware of how badly he had planned this out. ├óÔé¼┼ôBut see, next time im going to learn about local hazards and bring more ammo├óÔé¼┬Ø he said, as a distant bell sounded. ├óÔé¼┼ôHey├óÔé¼┬ª that├óÔé¼Ôäós the ports bell!├óÔé¼┬Ø said Book, his eye├óÔé¼Ôäós gleaming in the torch light. ├óÔé¼┼ôYeah├óÔé¼┬ª we are almost to safety and bed rest!├óÔé¼┬Ø said Garret, still trying to keep every one else├óÔé¼Ôäós attention away from the ghosts that still floated around them.
They arrived at the twelve bell, at the stroke of the Witching Hour. Keith, Garret and Book however, where immediately taken to prison. Garret was a known fugitive from the lawful abiding citizen, Lord Balter, who had graciously told the guard about his numerous transgressions against his noble family.
Garret was thrown into the cell none to lightly, the guards shoving him almost through the thin matrices that covered the wire bed frame. Garret extricated himself as the guards tossed Book into a cell to the right, and Keith into the cell that opposed Garret├óÔé¼Ôäós. Then the five guards walked away, laughing.
├óÔé¼┼ôYeah, you├óÔé¼Ôäód better run├óÔé¼┬Ø Garret muttered to himself, smiling lightly. ├óÔé¼┼ôThis is just great!├óÔé¼┬Ø moaned Keith, burying his face into his pillow. ├óÔé¼┼ôYeah├óÔé¼┬ªit is├óÔé¼┬Ø replied Garret, smiling. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat!├óÔé¼┬Ø snapped Keith and Book at the same time. ├óÔé¼┼ôYeah, just wait├óÔé¼┬Ø Garret told them ├óÔé¼┼ôand get some sleep, we are safe├óÔé¼┬Ø. Book grimaced as a rat scuttled out of the matrices he laid down on ├óÔé¼┼ôYeah├óÔé¼┬ª this is a strange meaning of the word safe that I have never herd before, I├óÔé¼Ôäóm guessing├óÔé¼┬Ø.
Garret was already asleep.
His eye├óÔé¼Ôäós darted around underneath his eye lids, the blackness that consumed them deeper then any natural night could. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhere├óÔé¼┬Ø he asked the blackness ├óÔé¼┼ôam i?├óÔé¼┬Ø. The blackness seemed infinite but Garret could see himself easily. ├óÔé¼┼ôMust be drea├óÔé¼┬Ø he muttered, but was cut short as horror gripped his chest as tightly as a drum. He gasped and felt a cold sweat break out on his forehead, fear causing his mind to freeze. He knew, not knowing how, that whatever lurked in the darkness could not be allowed out. He put his hand out, and felt a silk cloth that hung before him. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat├óÔé¼┬Ø he muttered to himself, the terror in him lessening.
He knew that whatever it was, behind the curtain, it could not be allowed into the light. His hand reached out. It grasped the curtain, and started to pull it back. Garret knew he shouldn├óÔé¼Ôäót, be a fascination that bordered on an obsession to see what it was, gripped him. The curtain pulled back to revile a single black boot, and Garret screamed in agony as pain shot through his foot. Garret sank to his knees and the foot disappeared. Garret wondered where it had gone before it drove into his face.
Garret jerked awake and stared at his left foot, which still had a sharp pain running through it. ├óÔé¼┼ôYou all right, Mr. Prisoner?├óÔé¼┬Ø asked a guard that leered through the grate├óÔé¼Ôäós at Garret. His face seemed to be green and decaying, but when the guard stepped away from the bar├óÔé¼Ôäós the light showed a weasel faced man who seemed to be continually gripping his sword hilt. ├óÔé¼┼ôLooked to be a bad dream├óÔé¼┬Ø he said, his face splitting into a wide grin. ├óÔé¼┼ôDose the lady of the night visit here?├óÔé¼┬Ø asked Garret. The guards grin vanished faster then shadows when a candle is lit.
├óÔé¼┼ôWhat did you say?├óÔé¼┬Ø the Guard asked his face suddenly slack and gaunt. ├óÔé¼┼ôI asked you if the Lady of the Night visits here.├óÔé¼┬Ø Garret repeated, staring the dumbstruck man in the eye├óÔé¼Ôäós. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat do you know of├óÔé¼┬ª the Lady?├óÔé¼┬Ø asked the Guard, walking towards the bar├óÔé¼Ôäós again. ├óÔé¼┼ôI am in her favor├óÔé¼┬Ø Garret said, his eye├óÔé¼Ôäós still locked with the Guard. ├óÔé¼┼ôKay..├óÔé¼┬Ø the guard said, unlocking Garret├óÔé¼Ôäós door ├óÔé¼┼ôbut please, don├óÔé¼Ôäót knock me out, the entire garrison here is loyal to her├óÔé¼┬Ø he grinned again. ├óÔé¼┼ôLet my friends go to├óÔé¼┬Ø Garret said, getting out of his cell and stretching. ├óÔé¼┼ôKay, but they better be in favor with her├óÔé¼┬Ø the Guard said, unlocking Book├óÔé¼Ôäós and Keith├óÔé¼Ôäós cell├óÔé¼Ôäós quickly. Keith was staring at Garret, wonderment on his face.
Garret ushered them both out into the cold night, looking furtively around for anymore guards that might do something stupid. Some still clung to the law they├óÔé¼┬ª exclusively enforced and made trouble every now and then. Garret, Book and Keith, though, where all ushered out of the prison with out trouble.
Garret pulled his clothes tighter against the chill of the night and looked around. The city was grimy, with dirt and slime caked on the walls. The place reeked, and the only laughter, or sound for that matter, came from a Inn that rested about two blocks down the street from Garret. ├óÔé¼┼ôLets go├óÔé¼┬Ø he said to Book and Keith.
They walked into the Inn, and found it to be a smoky, loud place. Men drank deeply from their tankards and a thick smoke clogged the air, emanating from an open fire pit. Book started to cough convulsively, while Garret quickly found a empty table in the darkest corner of the large room. A waitress spotted them, and walked over to their table with a large serving tray. ├óÔé¼┼ôPleased to be taking your orders├óÔé¼┬Ø she said, standing next to the table expectantly. ├óÔé¼┼ôWater please├óÔé¼┬Ø said Book. ├óÔé¼┼ôNot thirsty├óÔé¼┬Ø said Keith, distractedly. ├óÔé¼┼ôUhh├óÔé¼┬ª do you know of where I can find a ship?├óÔé¼┬Ø Garret asked.
The waitress snorted. ├óÔé¼┼ôYou├óÔé¼Ôäód need to look hard to NOT find a captain of a ship here! The rest would probably be the crew├óÔé¼Ôäós that constantly come through here├óÔé¼┬Ø she said. Garret thanked her and ordered water. Raucous laughter came from the fire pit as a large bullish man seemed quite taken with a scrawny Kia├óÔé¼Ôäós joke. Garret├óÔé¼Ôäós eye├óÔé¼Ôäós roamed the entire room, spotting out a strange figure. It was a Kia, but unlike most Kia that had green to brown scales, this one was shimmering white. It├óÔé¼Ôäós eye├óÔé¼Ôäós where a striking red, and it├óÔé¼Ôäós entire body was adorned with tattoo├óÔé¼Ôäós, each a lurid, acidic green.
But the thing that made Garret walk over to it was of course, a ceremonial sword that all captains had. This sword was a dragon claw, he noticed as he got closer to the table that the Kia sat on. The claw was adorned, like the rest of the Kia, with green markings, but the claw had a flowing dragon etched in it. And from what Garret knew about dragons, it was probably incredibly sharp. The Kia looked at him as he sat down at the table, its eye├óÔé¼Ôäós lazily blinking at him. ├óÔé¼┼ôMight I be right in thinking that you├óÔé¼Ôäóre a captain of a ship?├óÔé¼┬Ø Garret asked the Kia.
├óÔé¼┼ôWhy, yes, I happen to captain a vessel├óÔé¼┬Ø the Kia said, leaning forwards slightly. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhere can you go?├óÔé¼┬Ø Garret asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôAnywhere, as long as you can pay├óÔé¼┬Ø it said.
├óÔé¼┼ôOh, but I can├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôI see├óÔé¼┬Ø the Kia leaned back again, its eye├óÔé¼Ôäós half closed as if it was bored with the conversation. ├óÔé¼┼ôI├óÔé¼Ôäóll pay five hundred├óÔé¼┬Ø Garret said evenly. The Kia looked as if it was hit in the face with a hammer. ├óÔé¼┼ôReally?├óÔé¼┬Ø it asked, leaning forward, all trace of boredom gone from its eye├óÔé¼Ôäós. ├óÔé¼┼ôYes, but├óÔé¼┬Ø Garret said.
├óÔé¼┼ôBut! But what?├óÔé¼┬Ø asked the Kia.
├óÔé¼┼ôI need to get to Stelvi├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôAhhhhh!├óÔé¼┬Ø hissed the Kia ├óÔé¼┼ôStelvi pass is being hit hard by the Talan, I here, and that new sorcery├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôWhat new sorcery?├óÔé¼┬Ø asked Garret.
├óÔé¼┼ôSo you haven├óÔé¼Ôäót heard?├óÔé¼┬Ø the Kia said, surprised.
├óÔé¼┼ôNo I have not├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôIt happened├óÔé¼┬Ø the Kia said ├óÔé¼┼ôTwo day├óÔé¼Ôäós ago, at night. The Thirteenth Necromancer was seen at Stelvi by a scout. As we all know, where Sara walks is cursed ground, so the scout reported back quickly. When he got back and tolled General Peter, the camp was mobilized to see if they could capture the Necromancer. But she had finished her spell before that!├óÔé¼┬Ø the Kia snapped its teeth. ├óÔé¼┼ôa Pox on Sara for what she had unleashed!├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôWhich is?├óÔé¼┬Ø asked Garret, wondering if it had anything to do with Keith├óÔé¼Ôäós village.
├óÔé¼┼ôShe cast a spell that will take action on any corpse in every Ring. If it was dead or dying before what she cast, then it stayed down. But know they get up! The news has spread through out the empire, and it is only good that action was taken quickly. Every person that has died in the last day was cremated, to prevented it from flocking to Terrix and joining the Necromancers├óÔé¼┬Ø
Garret leaned back in his chair and sighed. ├óÔé¼┼ôThat├óÔé¼Ôäós not good├óÔé¼┬Ø he said. ├óÔé¼┼ôNo its not├óÔé¼┬Ø said the Kia ├óÔé¼┼ôDo you still want to go to Terrix?├óÔé¼┬Ø the Kia asked ├óÔé¼┼ôor do you want to go somewhere else, like maybe Salem?├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôNo├óÔé¼┬ª I think I need to go to Terrix even more now├óÔé¼┬Ø Garret said, standing up ├óÔé¼┼ôBut if you don├óÔé¼Ôäót want the job, why don├óÔé¼Ôäót you sat so?├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôFAH!├óÔé¼┬Ø shouted the Kia, standing up to ├óÔé¼┼ôThey don├óÔé¼Ôäót call me Felix the Bold for nothing!├óÔé¼┬Ø it said, grabbing Garrets hand and shaking it. ├óÔé¼┼ôThanks├óÔé¼┬Ø he said ├óÔé¼┼ôNow, how much will it cost for me to take another person├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôAnother Five hundred, id say!├óÔé¼┬Ø said Felix, his long mouth splitting into a grin. ├óÔé¼┼ôSure├óÔé¼┬ª I think I can afford that!├óÔé¼┬Ø said Garret.
├óÔé¼┼ôGood├óÔé¼┬ª meet me at the Docks tomorrow, and ill show you my ship├óÔé¼┬Ø Felix said, sitting down again.
├óÔé¼┼ôBe seeing you├óÔé¼┬Ø said Garret, turning back to his table.
├óÔé¼┼ôHey Book├óÔé¼┬Ø Garret said once he reached his table ├óÔé¼┼ôLets go├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôWait!├óÔé¼┬Ø said Keith ├óÔé¼┼ôwhat about me?├óÔé¼┬Ø. Garret looked at him. ├óÔé¼┼ôSorry Keith, but this isn├óÔé¼Ôäót your fight├óÔé¼┬Ø he said, and he and Book walked out. Book looked back to see Keith sit down dejectedly.
├óÔé¼┼ôYeah, you├óÔé¼Ôäód better run├óÔé¼┬Ø Garret muttered to himself, smiling lightly. ├óÔé¼┼ôThis is just great!├óÔé¼┬Ø moaned Keith, burying his face into his pillow. ├óÔé¼┼ôYeah├óÔé¼┬ªit is├óÔé¼┬Ø replied Garret, smiling. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat!├óÔé¼┬Ø snapped Keith and Book at the same time. ├óÔé¼┼ôYeah, just wait├óÔé¼┬Ø Garret told them ├óÔé¼┼ôand get some sleep, we are safe├óÔé¼┬Ø. Book grimaced as a rat scuttled out of the matrices he laid down on ├óÔé¼┼ôYeah├óÔé¼┬ª this is a strange meaning of the word safe that I have never herd before, I├óÔé¼Ôäóm guessing├óÔé¼┬Ø.
Garret was already asleep.
His eye├óÔé¼Ôäós darted around underneath his eye lids, the blackness that consumed them deeper then any natural night could. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhere├óÔé¼┬Ø he asked the blackness ├óÔé¼┼ôam i?├óÔé¼┬Ø. The blackness seemed infinite but Garret could see himself easily. ├óÔé¼┼ôMust be drea├óÔé¼┬Ø he muttered, but was cut short as horror gripped his chest as tightly as a drum. He gasped and felt a cold sweat break out on his forehead, fear causing his mind to freeze. He knew, not knowing how, that whatever lurked in the darkness could not be allowed out. He put his hand out, and felt a silk cloth that hung before him. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat├óÔé¼┬Ø he muttered to himself, the terror in him lessening.
He knew that whatever it was, behind the curtain, it could not be allowed into the light. His hand reached out. It grasped the curtain, and started to pull it back. Garret knew he shouldn├óÔé¼Ôäót, be a fascination that bordered on an obsession to see what it was, gripped him. The curtain pulled back to revile a single black boot, and Garret screamed in agony as pain shot through his foot. Garret sank to his knees and the foot disappeared. Garret wondered where it had gone before it drove into his face.
Garret jerked awake and stared at his left foot, which still had a sharp pain running through it. ├óÔé¼┼ôYou all right, Mr. Prisoner?├óÔé¼┬Ø asked a guard that leered through the grate├óÔé¼Ôäós at Garret. His face seemed to be green and decaying, but when the guard stepped away from the bar├óÔé¼Ôäós the light showed a weasel faced man who seemed to be continually gripping his sword hilt. ├óÔé¼┼ôLooked to be a bad dream├óÔé¼┬Ø he said, his face splitting into a wide grin. ├óÔé¼┼ôDose the lady of the night visit here?├óÔé¼┬Ø asked Garret. The guards grin vanished faster then shadows when a candle is lit.
├óÔé¼┼ôWhat did you say?├óÔé¼┬Ø the Guard asked his face suddenly slack and gaunt. ├óÔé¼┼ôI asked you if the Lady of the Night visits here.├óÔé¼┬Ø Garret repeated, staring the dumbstruck man in the eye├óÔé¼Ôäós. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat do you know of├óÔé¼┬ª the Lady?├óÔé¼┬Ø asked the Guard, walking towards the bar├óÔé¼Ôäós again. ├óÔé¼┼ôI am in her favor├óÔé¼┬Ø Garret said, his eye├óÔé¼Ôäós still locked with the Guard. ├óÔé¼┼ôKay..├óÔé¼┬Ø the guard said, unlocking Garret├óÔé¼Ôäós door ├óÔé¼┼ôbut please, don├óÔé¼Ôäót knock me out, the entire garrison here is loyal to her├óÔé¼┬Ø he grinned again. ├óÔé¼┼ôLet my friends go to├óÔé¼┬Ø Garret said, getting out of his cell and stretching. ├óÔé¼┼ôKay, but they better be in favor with her├óÔé¼┬Ø the Guard said, unlocking Book├óÔé¼Ôäós and Keith├óÔé¼Ôäós cell├óÔé¼Ôäós quickly. Keith was staring at Garret, wonderment on his face.
Garret ushered them both out into the cold night, looking furtively around for anymore guards that might do something stupid. Some still clung to the law they├óÔé¼┬ª exclusively enforced and made trouble every now and then. Garret, Book and Keith, though, where all ushered out of the prison with out trouble.
Garret pulled his clothes tighter against the chill of the night and looked around. The city was grimy, with dirt and slime caked on the walls. The place reeked, and the only laughter, or sound for that matter, came from a Inn that rested about two blocks down the street from Garret. ├óÔé¼┼ôLets go├óÔé¼┬Ø he said to Book and Keith.
They walked into the Inn, and found it to be a smoky, loud place. Men drank deeply from their tankards and a thick smoke clogged the air, emanating from an open fire pit. Book started to cough convulsively, while Garret quickly found a empty table in the darkest corner of the large room. A waitress spotted them, and walked over to their table with a large serving tray. ├óÔé¼┼ôPleased to be taking your orders├óÔé¼┬Ø she said, standing next to the table expectantly. ├óÔé¼┼ôWater please├óÔé¼┬Ø said Book. ├óÔé¼┼ôNot thirsty├óÔé¼┬Ø said Keith, distractedly. ├óÔé¼┼ôUhh├óÔé¼┬ª do you know of where I can find a ship?├óÔé¼┬Ø Garret asked.
The waitress snorted. ├óÔé¼┼ôYou├óÔé¼Ôäód need to look hard to NOT find a captain of a ship here! The rest would probably be the crew├óÔé¼Ôäós that constantly come through here├óÔé¼┬Ø she said. Garret thanked her and ordered water. Raucous laughter came from the fire pit as a large bullish man seemed quite taken with a scrawny Kia├óÔé¼Ôäós joke. Garret├óÔé¼Ôäós eye├óÔé¼Ôäós roamed the entire room, spotting out a strange figure. It was a Kia, but unlike most Kia that had green to brown scales, this one was shimmering white. It├óÔé¼Ôäós eye├óÔé¼Ôäós where a striking red, and it├óÔé¼Ôäós entire body was adorned with tattoo├óÔé¼Ôäós, each a lurid, acidic green.
But the thing that made Garret walk over to it was of course, a ceremonial sword that all captains had. This sword was a dragon claw, he noticed as he got closer to the table that the Kia sat on. The claw was adorned, like the rest of the Kia, with green markings, but the claw had a flowing dragon etched in it. And from what Garret knew about dragons, it was probably incredibly sharp. The Kia looked at him as he sat down at the table, its eye├óÔé¼Ôäós lazily blinking at him. ├óÔé¼┼ôMight I be right in thinking that you├óÔé¼Ôäóre a captain of a ship?├óÔé¼┬Ø Garret asked the Kia.
├óÔé¼┼ôWhy, yes, I happen to captain a vessel├óÔé¼┬Ø the Kia said, leaning forwards slightly. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhere can you go?├óÔé¼┬Ø Garret asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôAnywhere, as long as you can pay├óÔé¼┬Ø it said.
├óÔé¼┼ôOh, but I can├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôI see├óÔé¼┬Ø the Kia leaned back again, its eye├óÔé¼Ôäós half closed as if it was bored with the conversation. ├óÔé¼┼ôI├óÔé¼Ôäóll pay five hundred├óÔé¼┬Ø Garret said evenly. The Kia looked as if it was hit in the face with a hammer. ├óÔé¼┼ôReally?├óÔé¼┬Ø it asked, leaning forward, all trace of boredom gone from its eye├óÔé¼Ôäós. ├óÔé¼┼ôYes, but├óÔé¼┬Ø Garret said.
├óÔé¼┼ôBut! But what?├óÔé¼┬Ø asked the Kia.
├óÔé¼┼ôI need to get to Stelvi├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôAhhhhh!├óÔé¼┬Ø hissed the Kia ├óÔé¼┼ôStelvi pass is being hit hard by the Talan, I here, and that new sorcery├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôWhat new sorcery?├óÔé¼┬Ø asked Garret.
├óÔé¼┼ôSo you haven├óÔé¼Ôäót heard?├óÔé¼┬Ø the Kia said, surprised.
├óÔé¼┼ôNo I have not├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôIt happened├óÔé¼┬Ø the Kia said ├óÔé¼┼ôTwo day├óÔé¼Ôäós ago, at night. The Thirteenth Necromancer was seen at Stelvi by a scout. As we all know, where Sara walks is cursed ground, so the scout reported back quickly. When he got back and tolled General Peter, the camp was mobilized to see if they could capture the Necromancer. But she had finished her spell before that!├óÔé¼┬Ø the Kia snapped its teeth. ├óÔé¼┼ôa Pox on Sara for what she had unleashed!├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôWhich is?├óÔé¼┬Ø asked Garret, wondering if it had anything to do with Keith├óÔé¼Ôäós village.
├óÔé¼┼ôShe cast a spell that will take action on any corpse in every Ring. If it was dead or dying before what she cast, then it stayed down. But know they get up! The news has spread through out the empire, and it is only good that action was taken quickly. Every person that has died in the last day was cremated, to prevented it from flocking to Terrix and joining the Necromancers├óÔé¼┬Ø
Garret leaned back in his chair and sighed. ├óÔé¼┼ôThat├óÔé¼Ôäós not good├óÔé¼┬Ø he said. ├óÔé¼┼ôNo its not├óÔé¼┬Ø said the Kia ├óÔé¼┼ôDo you still want to go to Terrix?├óÔé¼┬Ø the Kia asked ├óÔé¼┼ôor do you want to go somewhere else, like maybe Salem?├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôNo├óÔé¼┬ª I think I need to go to Terrix even more now├óÔé¼┬Ø Garret said, standing up ├óÔé¼┼ôBut if you don├óÔé¼Ôäót want the job, why don├óÔé¼Ôäót you sat so?├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôFAH!├óÔé¼┬Ø shouted the Kia, standing up to ├óÔé¼┼ôThey don├óÔé¼Ôäót call me Felix the Bold for nothing!├óÔé¼┬Ø it said, grabbing Garrets hand and shaking it. ├óÔé¼┼ôThanks├óÔé¼┬Ø he said ├óÔé¼┼ôNow, how much will it cost for me to take another person├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôAnother Five hundred, id say!├óÔé¼┬Ø said Felix, his long mouth splitting into a grin. ├óÔé¼┼ôSure├óÔé¼┬ª I think I can afford that!├óÔé¼┬Ø said Garret.
├óÔé¼┼ôGood├óÔé¼┬ª meet me at the Docks tomorrow, and ill show you my ship├óÔé¼┬Ø Felix said, sitting down again.
├óÔé¼┼ôBe seeing you├óÔé¼┬Ø said Garret, turning back to his table.
├óÔé¼┼ôHey Book├óÔé¼┬Ø Garret said once he reached his table ├óÔé¼┼ôLets go├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôWait!├óÔé¼┬Ø said Keith ├óÔé¼┼ôwhat about me?├óÔé¼┬Ø. Garret looked at him. ├óÔé¼┼ôSorry Keith, but this isn├óÔé¼Ôäót your fight├óÔé¼┬Ø he said, and he and Book walked out. Book looked back to see Keith sit down dejectedly.
awww poor keith :'( he was such a dude...can't he stowaway or something? 
A sudden shadow darkened the table, causing the small puddle of beer that Keith was absentmindedly staring at. Keith looked up at the man that stood at his table, blocking the firelight. The man├óÔé¼Ôäós face was totally in shadow, but his teeth seemed to be lit up as he smiled. ├óÔé¼┼ôHi├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôI still don├óÔé¼Ôäót think we should of left him├óÔé¼┬Ø said Book as Garret walked swiftly through the streets. The Port was clogged with pedestrians that all seemed to be trying to get to their destination├óÔé¼Ôäós as fast as possible. Garret felt a elbow shove him in the stomach as he pushed through towards the Port, but he simply barreled past the offending person. ├óÔé¼┼ôHe isn├óÔé¼Ôäót in this, and I don├óÔé¼Ôäót want to bring along every body we run into along with us├óÔé¼┬Ø. Book still seemed ready to argue, but they entered the port. It was jaw dropping
Each ship was a graceful wooden hull, slim and deep, and above each floated a massive balloon that kept each aloft. Right now, all ships where at rest with their balloon├óÔé¼Ôäós, but a multitude of people where pouring onto massive multibillion ships that carried people from Salem to the Capitol. Larger ships that had a total of eight balloons carried massive amounts off goods from Terrix and Janetown. One had a crew a ten operating a crane, lowering a massive cage that held something that could dent steel. The entire Port structure was, if anything, more impressive then the ships that where berthed.
A huge dome that was supported by massive columns arched up and a single hole in the ceiling let sunlight stream down, illuminating the port. A massive Ramp wound up and around the Dome, creating a screw like effect. At every dozen feet a port opened and a ship was berthed there. Every port was larger then the last, and at the top the massive ships where being unloaded by crane├óÔé¼Ôäós and carts that slid along tracks embedded in the ramp. A ship about mid way up unhooked itself from its berth, plummeted ten feet, then suddenly the balloon inflated and the ship was buoyed up to the hole. Then it was gone, not out of the hole, but simply gone. It was then that Garret noticed a slight distortion in the air.
├óÔé¼┼ôWow├óÔé¼┬Ø muttered Garret as he tore his eye├óÔé¼Ôäós away from the ceiling and peered around for Felix. The albino Kia was easy to spot as his clothes where a flamboyant green. ├óÔé¼┼ôHEY FELIX!├óÔé¼┬Ø shouted Garret, gesticulating. Felix turned and bounded down the long winding ramp towards them. It was a quick trip, for Felix├óÔé¼Ôäós ship was the last, smallest ship in the entire Port.
├óÔé¼┼ôHello, Hello, Hello! Welcome to this glorious, and wondrous Port├óÔé¼┬Ø said Felix, his eye├óÔé¼Ôäós running over Book├óÔé¼Ôäós face. ├óÔé¼┼ôHi, this is Book, Book this is our captain├óÔé¼┬Ø said Garret as Felix reached his claw out to shake Book├óÔé¼Ôäós hand. Book took it and shook it.
├óÔé¼┼ôwell, well! This is my fine ship The ShadowRunner, and it will get you Terrix and the Pass├óÔé¼┬ª payment please├óÔé¼┬Ø he said, turning on both Garret and Book when they got to the ship.
Garret grabbed his purse and gave it to Felix, who chattered and grabbed the bag eagerly. He then counted out the one thousand coins as Garret looked at the ship. It was black, its side├óÔé¼Ôäós narrow and deep. Five decks, if he had to guess, and maybe ten gun├óÔé¼Ôäós on each side. ├óÔé¼┼ôNice ship├óÔé¼┬Ø he said. Felix made a non-committal grunt, still looking at the money. Then he giggled and gestured them towards the gangplank, showing Garret and Book onto the ship.
├óÔé¼┼ôThis is the cargo hold, lower part of the ship├óÔé¼┬Ø said Felix, showing them an incredibly small cargo hold that held about two boxes. It encompassed about one fourth of the bottom deck, and when Felix opened the door that was placed at the end of the hold. ├óÔé¼┼ôthis is the turbine room, which powers the propeller and fill├óÔé¼Ôäós the gasbag├óÔé¼┬Ø Felix said, showing Garret and Book the large room that held not one, not two, but three medium turbine├óÔé¼Ôäós and the coal needed to run them. A stair way ran between the two rooms, and double backed several time├óÔé¼Ôäós all the way to the deck. ├óÔé¼┼ôNow, this stairwell is the only one, and so you are not allowed to run on it, lest you run into someone├óÔé¼┬Ø said Felix, showing them up to the next level.
├óÔé¼┼ôthis part is the upper portion of the turbine room and to the front of the ship is your quarters├óÔé¼┬Ø Felix showed them the rooms. The first one had two port holes├óÔé¼Ôäós that where obscured by the Port├óÔé¼Ôäós berth walls. The second one had only one port hole, but it was perched on the nose of the ship, giving the occupant a glorious view. ├óÔé¼┼ôI call this one├óÔé¼┬Ø Garret said, but Book, who seemed to have a touch of vertigo, didn├óÔé¼Ôäót object.
├óÔé¼┼ôThis level is the cannon deck├óÔé¼┬Ø Felix showed them the pitiful amount of cannons. Five cannons where spread thinly down to an ammo store at the back, while two more where clustered in a small alcove shoved in the nose. Another ammo store was in-between the stair well and the cannons, though, making reloading easier then with the main cannon deck.
├óÔé¼┼ôThis level is where you will go if you want food├óÔé¼┬Ø said Felix, gesturing towards a ------- in the nose. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhile this is the bunks for my crew├óÔé¼┬Ø he continued ├óÔé¼┼ôThat part is not strictly off limits, but the crew don├óÔé¼Ôäót like stranger├óÔé¼Ôäós in their rooms├óÔé¼┬Ø. The crew seemed to be crowded in the room, with only one in the -------. He was juggling two large and vicious looking knifes.
The deck was open, and had a swivel mount gun mounted on the front, while three where placed on a balcony that rested over the captain├óÔé¼Ôäós room. ├óÔé¼┼ôThat is my room├óÔé¼┬Ø Felix said, but that much was obvious. The massive chambers looked to be the size of both passengers├óÔé¼Ôäó room├óÔé¼Ôäós combined. A balcony sat over it, with a small station that held a navigation wheel that controlled the propellers direction. A woman with a red bandana that tied her hair up was shouting into a small horn that had a pipe leading straight down. ├óÔé¼┼ôThat is our naviga-├óÔé¼┬Ø Felix started, but the woman seemed to notice him. ├óÔé¼┼ôFELIX!├óÔé¼┬Ø she shouted pushing the horn down into a socket ├óÔé¼┼ôWhen are you going to pay us for that last job!├óÔé¼┬Ø. She began to walk towards him.
├óÔé¼┼ôUhh├óÔé¼┬Ø said Felix, his claw absentmindedly reaching for his sword before he remembered the money that Garret had given him. ├óÔé¼┼ôOh, its right here! Five hundred in gold!├óÔé¼┬Ø he said, grabbing the purse and throwing it to the angry navigator. ├óÔé¼┼ôAh!├óÔé¼┬Ø she said, grabbing the pouch from the air and pulling out a gold coin. She bit it, and assured of its quality, laughed and walked down the stairs towards the crew quarters. Felix chuckled enviously and turned to Garret. ├óÔé¼┼ôMelissa, our navigator├óÔé¼┬ª what some would call ├óÔé¼╦£union├óÔé¼Ôäó leader├óÔé¼┬Ø he said.
├óÔé¼┼ôWhat job?├óÔé¼┬Ø asked Book. Felix started, but quickly said ├óÔé¼┼ôOh nothing, just carrying some cargo├óÔé¼┬ª went bad in the selling part though├óÔé¼┬ª you know, old story, give them the goods and they pull a gun on you├óÔé¼┬ª├óÔé¼┬Ø he trailed off and showed Garret and Book back down to their quarters.
The ship├óÔé¼Ôäós moorings where taken off by the crew, and the ship plummeted with a jerk. Then the balloon inflated and the entire vessel seemed to be a feather. It rocked gently to the left and right. ├óÔé¼┼ôSTART THE PROPELLERS!├óÔé¼┬Ø shouted Melissa into the horn, and with a shuddering jerk, the propellers started to turn. ├óÔé¼┼ôThrough the gate!├óÔé¼┬Ø shouted Felix and Melissa pulled down on the wheel, causing it to lie horizontally rather then vertically. Book looked over the edge of the ship, peering at the propellers to see them point down wards. The ship tilted forward, causing one of the two propeller blade├óÔé¼Ôäós to slid down a slot, and with a loud clang, the propeller snapped into position. Then with another shuddering jerk, the turbine├óÔé¼Ôäós realigned connection to the propeller and it started to spin again. The ship righted itself, allowing Book to release the rail that surrounded the ship. Now it began to go upward at a increasingly fast speed, speeding towards the rippling distortion in the air. Garret stared up, but soon the hole was hidden by the balloon.
As the ship drew closer and closer, Felix warned Garret and Book ├óÔé¼┼ôHold on, because Gate Travel is├óÔé¼┬ª unsettling if you haven├óÔé¼Ôäót been through it before├óÔé¼┬Ø. Garret was about to say that that really did not help when you are about to fly through the gate, but suddenly it felt as if his mind was being torn in half.
Garret shouted in shock. His brain seemed to be ripping in two, along with the rest of his body. It seemed as if he was trying to be in two place├óÔé¼Ôäós at once, but suddenly he snapped like a rubber band and was in the other place, the one his other half was trying to reach. The entire ship followed too, and with a huge crackling BOOM! the ship spread through the Terrix gate.
The ship slowed down quickly, and Garret took a few seconds to get his bearings.
The world seemed to be wreathed in flame├óÔé¼Ôäós.
├óÔé¼┼ôI still don├óÔé¼Ôäót think we should of left him├óÔé¼┬Ø said Book as Garret walked swiftly through the streets. The Port was clogged with pedestrians that all seemed to be trying to get to their destination├óÔé¼Ôäós as fast as possible. Garret felt a elbow shove him in the stomach as he pushed through towards the Port, but he simply barreled past the offending person. ├óÔé¼┼ôHe isn├óÔé¼Ôäót in this, and I don├óÔé¼Ôäót want to bring along every body we run into along with us├óÔé¼┬Ø. Book still seemed ready to argue, but they entered the port. It was jaw dropping
Each ship was a graceful wooden hull, slim and deep, and above each floated a massive balloon that kept each aloft. Right now, all ships where at rest with their balloon├óÔé¼Ôäós, but a multitude of people where pouring onto massive multibillion ships that carried people from Salem to the Capitol. Larger ships that had a total of eight balloons carried massive amounts off goods from Terrix and Janetown. One had a crew a ten operating a crane, lowering a massive cage that held something that could dent steel. The entire Port structure was, if anything, more impressive then the ships that where berthed.
A huge dome that was supported by massive columns arched up and a single hole in the ceiling let sunlight stream down, illuminating the port. A massive Ramp wound up and around the Dome, creating a screw like effect. At every dozen feet a port opened and a ship was berthed there. Every port was larger then the last, and at the top the massive ships where being unloaded by crane├óÔé¼Ôäós and carts that slid along tracks embedded in the ramp. A ship about mid way up unhooked itself from its berth, plummeted ten feet, then suddenly the balloon inflated and the ship was buoyed up to the hole. Then it was gone, not out of the hole, but simply gone. It was then that Garret noticed a slight distortion in the air.
├óÔé¼┼ôWow├óÔé¼┬Ø muttered Garret as he tore his eye├óÔé¼Ôäós away from the ceiling and peered around for Felix. The albino Kia was easy to spot as his clothes where a flamboyant green. ├óÔé¼┼ôHEY FELIX!├óÔé¼┬Ø shouted Garret, gesticulating. Felix turned and bounded down the long winding ramp towards them. It was a quick trip, for Felix├óÔé¼Ôäós ship was the last, smallest ship in the entire Port.
├óÔé¼┼ôHello, Hello, Hello! Welcome to this glorious, and wondrous Port├óÔé¼┬Ø said Felix, his eye├óÔé¼Ôäós running over Book├óÔé¼Ôäós face. ├óÔé¼┼ôHi, this is Book, Book this is our captain├óÔé¼┬Ø said Garret as Felix reached his claw out to shake Book├óÔé¼Ôäós hand. Book took it and shook it.
├óÔé¼┼ôwell, well! This is my fine ship The ShadowRunner, and it will get you Terrix and the Pass├óÔé¼┬ª payment please├óÔé¼┬Ø he said, turning on both Garret and Book when they got to the ship.
Garret grabbed his purse and gave it to Felix, who chattered and grabbed the bag eagerly. He then counted out the one thousand coins as Garret looked at the ship. It was black, its side├óÔé¼Ôäós narrow and deep. Five decks, if he had to guess, and maybe ten gun├óÔé¼Ôäós on each side. ├óÔé¼┼ôNice ship├óÔé¼┬Ø he said. Felix made a non-committal grunt, still looking at the money. Then he giggled and gestured them towards the gangplank, showing Garret and Book onto the ship.
├óÔé¼┼ôThis is the cargo hold, lower part of the ship├óÔé¼┬Ø said Felix, showing them an incredibly small cargo hold that held about two boxes. It encompassed about one fourth of the bottom deck, and when Felix opened the door that was placed at the end of the hold. ├óÔé¼┼ôthis is the turbine room, which powers the propeller and fill├óÔé¼Ôäós the gasbag├óÔé¼┬Ø Felix said, showing Garret and Book the large room that held not one, not two, but three medium turbine├óÔé¼Ôäós and the coal needed to run them. A stair way ran between the two rooms, and double backed several time├óÔé¼Ôäós all the way to the deck. ├óÔé¼┼ôNow, this stairwell is the only one, and so you are not allowed to run on it, lest you run into someone├óÔé¼┬Ø said Felix, showing them up to the next level.
├óÔé¼┼ôthis part is the upper portion of the turbine room and to the front of the ship is your quarters├óÔé¼┬Ø Felix showed them the rooms. The first one had two port holes├óÔé¼Ôäós that where obscured by the Port├óÔé¼Ôäós berth walls. The second one had only one port hole, but it was perched on the nose of the ship, giving the occupant a glorious view. ├óÔé¼┼ôI call this one├óÔé¼┬Ø Garret said, but Book, who seemed to have a touch of vertigo, didn├óÔé¼Ôäót object.
├óÔé¼┼ôThis level is the cannon deck├óÔé¼┬Ø Felix showed them the pitiful amount of cannons. Five cannons where spread thinly down to an ammo store at the back, while two more where clustered in a small alcove shoved in the nose. Another ammo store was in-between the stair well and the cannons, though, making reloading easier then with the main cannon deck.
├óÔé¼┼ôThis level is where you will go if you want food├óÔé¼┬Ø said Felix, gesturing towards a ------- in the nose. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhile this is the bunks for my crew├óÔé¼┬Ø he continued ├óÔé¼┼ôThat part is not strictly off limits, but the crew don├óÔé¼Ôäót like stranger├óÔé¼Ôäós in their rooms├óÔé¼┬Ø. The crew seemed to be crowded in the room, with only one in the -------. He was juggling two large and vicious looking knifes.
The deck was open, and had a swivel mount gun mounted on the front, while three where placed on a balcony that rested over the captain├óÔé¼Ôäós room. ├óÔé¼┼ôThat is my room├óÔé¼┬Ø Felix said, but that much was obvious. The massive chambers looked to be the size of both passengers├óÔé¼Ôäó room├óÔé¼Ôäós combined. A balcony sat over it, with a small station that held a navigation wheel that controlled the propellers direction. A woman with a red bandana that tied her hair up was shouting into a small horn that had a pipe leading straight down. ├óÔé¼┼ôThat is our naviga-├óÔé¼┬Ø Felix started, but the woman seemed to notice him. ├óÔé¼┼ôFELIX!├óÔé¼┬Ø she shouted pushing the horn down into a socket ├óÔé¼┼ôWhen are you going to pay us for that last job!├óÔé¼┬Ø. She began to walk towards him.
├óÔé¼┼ôUhh├óÔé¼┬Ø said Felix, his claw absentmindedly reaching for his sword before he remembered the money that Garret had given him. ├óÔé¼┼ôOh, its right here! Five hundred in gold!├óÔé¼┬Ø he said, grabbing the purse and throwing it to the angry navigator. ├óÔé¼┼ôAh!├óÔé¼┬Ø she said, grabbing the pouch from the air and pulling out a gold coin. She bit it, and assured of its quality, laughed and walked down the stairs towards the crew quarters. Felix chuckled enviously and turned to Garret. ├óÔé¼┼ôMelissa, our navigator├óÔé¼┬ª what some would call ├óÔé¼╦£union├óÔé¼Ôäó leader├óÔé¼┬Ø he said.
├óÔé¼┼ôWhat job?├óÔé¼┬Ø asked Book. Felix started, but quickly said ├óÔé¼┼ôOh nothing, just carrying some cargo├óÔé¼┬ª went bad in the selling part though├óÔé¼┬ª you know, old story, give them the goods and they pull a gun on you├óÔé¼┬ª├óÔé¼┬Ø he trailed off and showed Garret and Book back down to their quarters.
The ship├óÔé¼Ôäós moorings where taken off by the crew, and the ship plummeted with a jerk. Then the balloon inflated and the entire vessel seemed to be a feather. It rocked gently to the left and right. ├óÔé¼┼ôSTART THE PROPELLERS!├óÔé¼┬Ø shouted Melissa into the horn, and with a shuddering jerk, the propellers started to turn. ├óÔé¼┼ôThrough the gate!├óÔé¼┬Ø shouted Felix and Melissa pulled down on the wheel, causing it to lie horizontally rather then vertically. Book looked over the edge of the ship, peering at the propellers to see them point down wards. The ship tilted forward, causing one of the two propeller blade├óÔé¼Ôäós to slid down a slot, and with a loud clang, the propeller snapped into position. Then with another shuddering jerk, the turbine├óÔé¼Ôäós realigned connection to the propeller and it started to spin again. The ship righted itself, allowing Book to release the rail that surrounded the ship. Now it began to go upward at a increasingly fast speed, speeding towards the rippling distortion in the air. Garret stared up, but soon the hole was hidden by the balloon.
As the ship drew closer and closer, Felix warned Garret and Book ├óÔé¼┼ôHold on, because Gate Travel is├óÔé¼┬ª unsettling if you haven├óÔé¼Ôäót been through it before├óÔé¼┬Ø. Garret was about to say that that really did not help when you are about to fly through the gate, but suddenly it felt as if his mind was being torn in half.
Garret shouted in shock. His brain seemed to be ripping in two, along with the rest of his body. It seemed as if he was trying to be in two place├óÔé¼Ôäós at once, but suddenly he snapped like a rubber band and was in the other place, the one his other half was trying to reach. The entire ship followed too, and with a huge crackling BOOM! the ship spread through the Terrix gate.
The ship slowed down quickly, and Garret took a few seconds to get his bearings.
The world seemed to be wreathed in flame├óÔé¼Ôäós.