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Cards Reshuffled 260


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#1 Laufey

Posted 23 July 2005 - 08:28 AM

Cards Reshuffled 260 – Hidden Motives

In any vendetta, knowing your enemy is of great importance. The intervention of the unknown outsider is highly disturbing, seeing that you cannot guess his intentions. However, it is even more disturbing when you cannot guess your own.

Excerpt from ‘Interview With An Assassin’


“WHAT DO YOU MEAN ‘HE ESCAPED’?!” Bodhi’s eyes had taken on a dull red gleam, her fangs were bared and her face twisted into a mask of rage.

“You heard me the first time,” Aerie replied, her voice cool. Inwardly though, she was seething. “When I returned, having been unable to find you anywhere and having learnt that you were instead out shopping for more of those…unique…outfits of yours, he was gone. Missing. Disappeared.”

The vampire’s fangs actually seemed to extend even more as she digested this, and she was fairly quivering with fury to the point where she seemed about to pop out of her peculiar leather-strap outfit. Which I wouldn’t mind, Aerie thought. It might fluster her enough that I could further press my advantage.

“How could he disappear?” Bodhi hissed, glaring directly into the Avariel’s face. “Have you truly become the simpering little ninny that you are so fond of pretending to be, that you could be so easily tricked?”

“Strange,” Aerie said in her sweetest, most innocent voice. “And here I thought you had told me that you had…what was it again…’absolute and complete control’ over your vampire servants. Yes, I must have been very silly indeed to have believed that, and trusted that one of them would indeed be your loyal servant rather than a treacherous renegade who had entirely slipped past you.”

The vampire’s eyes narrowed, and she took a step closer, raising her hand to gently touch the other woman’s cheek. Aerie didn’t flinch – Bodhi was a powerful vampire, and she would prefer not to fight her, but if it came to that, then so be it, she would place her faith in her Goddess as she had always done. “Don’t play cute with me, little birdie,” Bodhi flatly said. “I can easily make you regret it. Now describe this vampire to me.”

Aerie did, and Bodhi listened attentively, but with a puzzled look on her face. “I have no servant like that,” she said once the Avariel had finished. “He is not one of my fledglings.”

“Then who is he?”

“I don’t know. A renegade of some kind, most likely. But the important thing is, he should never have been able to get in here without my Children noticing. The outer tunnels perhaps, but not here deep within the inner chambers. Vampires are very aware of other vampires, even more than of humans. I don’t like this at all.”

Aerie pondered this for a moment, as she watched what lay before her. A large stone tomb, heavy iron chains still attached to it. There were some dark stains as well; blood that still hadn’t entirely dried. Of the prisoner who should have been there though, there was no sign. Curse him. “More importantly,” she said, “what does he want? Whatever it is, it cannot be good.”

“No,” Bodhi agreed, smoothing back her short black curls as she also stared at the spilt blood. Idly, she traced a pale finger through it, then licked it clean. “Mmm…not bad. Dibs on getting first blood when we get him back.” She licked her lips. “And we will, if he’s still alive. My Children will know to look for him now, and for this strange vampire as well.”

“And you will reinforce security here as well?”

A mock sweet smile. “Of course, darling. Whatever I can do to ease your fears. Want me to hold your hand as well?”

Aerie chose to ignore the taunt. “My hands will be quite busy elsewhere,” she said. “And if you were planning to lick that blood up, you may forget all about that. I have a use for it, and you must not distract me.” A small smile curled her lips. “Scrying spells, after all, take some concentration.”

-*-

“What do you mean, you ‘don’t remember’?” Yoshimo sounded both shocked and a little offended, something Dekaras hardly thought was fair. It wasn’t exactly as if he had made a conscious choice about all this, after all.

“I told you already,” he wearily repeated, and leaned back against the pillows. Yoshimo had helped him get out from those stinking tunnels, more or less carried him back to his rooms, then sent for a cleric of the Ilmateri temple, sworn to secrecy. He was very grateful for that. If it hadn’t been for Yoshimo, he knew he would most likely be dead by now. Still, he was quite exhausted, and didn’t really wish to even think too much about his ordeal just yet, far less discuss it. “I was in Bodhi’s lair, being tortured. That is the last thing I remember before waking up in the room where you found me, with that vampire. In-between, there is nothing. Absolutely nothing.”

But he felt fine, at least now the cleric had seen to him. Weary, yes, terribly exhausted, but the healer had said that would pass in a day or two and was a natural reaction to such a complete healing. Apart from that, there seemed to be nothing wrong. So why couldn’t he remember? Was it the result of the trauma, a kind of shock? Or something else? Something worse?

“Vampires can control people,” Yoshimo said, looking him straight in the eyes. “He could have done something along those lines, making you forget.”

“Yes, he could. But why? Just what would he want me to forget?” It wasn’t a comforting thought, not at all. Suppose he did something to me? Something that is still there inside me, like a trap waiting to snap shut? “And why did he rescue me anyway, not to mention send for you to remove me from him?” If it is a trap, then whom is it meant for? Zaerini. It had to be. Everybody was interested in her, after all. Not…no, not Edwin surely. He knew his child’s capacity for making enemies, but there had been no renegade vampires mentioned. Still, it wasn’t much of a comfort. As if he had never seen them before, he looked down at his own hands, resting on the blankets. Hands trained to kill, capable of doing so in an instant. An icy dread coiled around his heart as he contemplated the logical implications of his chain of thought. If something was planted inside of me…I wouldn’t even know it, and I might not be able to fight it off. I could kill them, and not even know what I was doing until it was too late. “I think,” he said, trying to coerce the flickering panic back inside the deepest hollows of his mind, “that I ought to see another healer. One used to dealing with mind damage.”

The second cleric was another Ilmateri, an elderly man with a short white beard and very thick spectacles. “What I do is not mind reading as such,” he assured his patient. “I am no psionic, and you needn’t worry about me seeing your deepest secrets. The scan I will perform on you will simply reveal if your mind has been damaged or tampered with in any way.”

Dekaras forced himself to try to relax. He didn’t like this, not at all, but he knew it was necessary. As instructed, he closed his eyes and lay perfectly still as the cleric went to work on him. It didn’t hurt, not at all, and there was no sense of horrible invasion, not like there had been when…

When what? For a second there he’d almost thought he’d remembered something, but now it was gone again. “Well?” he asked the cleric, sensing that the man had finished.

“Peculiar…” the Ilmateri said, frowning.

Peculiar. That is never a good word coming from a healer. “What is peculiar?” he said, trying to keep his voice calm. “Did you find something?”

“Well, yes and no. Your mind hasn’t been recently damaged as such, and I can find no traces of tampering such as implanted commands. But there are anomalies. A small area is closed off, tied in on itself, and cannot be accessed. That would account for your memory loss. And there is some form of old injury, certainly severe enough…”

“But no implanted commands? You are quite sure of that?”

“Oh yes. What has been done is far too subtle for that. However, I fear I cannot undo it.”

“Why not?” Yoshimo suspiciously asked. “Have we not paid you enough?”

“My dear sir!” the healer said, sounding deeply offended. “That is not the issue. The problem is that this…this blocked-off node resembles nothing I have ever seen before, despite my forty years in the field. It’s too intricate, and yet so simple. And there are safeguards. If I try to unravel them, I fear I may cause irrevocable damage.”

“Then don’t,” Dekaras said. “Keeping my brain intact is something I care deeply about. As long as you are absolutely sure that I won’t suddenly be faced with an irresistible urge to tap-dance, go on a murderous rampage or pretend to be a dog.”

“Oh no, sir. There are no such things in there, of that I am sure. Whoever did this simply didn’t want you to remember something he said or did.”

“Well, this has to suffice,” the assassin wearily said once the healer had left. “And now, I believe we have other things to discuss, don’t we?”

Yoshimo nodded. “Yes, esteemed colleague. I believe that we do. What the Avariel said about you – it was true, yes?”

The assassin nodded, looking the other man straight in the eyes. “It was. And I now know whom exactly that Geas of yours is focused around, and how the wizard set things up from the beginning.” He paused. “I cannot allow her or her companions to come to harm, especially not my student. However, I still wish to help you.”

The Kara-Turan relaxed then, a minute shift in posture that was nevertheless obvious if you knew what to look for. “I am glad,” he simply said. “I had thought…”

“That I would kill you? I thought about it. But I have had more time to think since then. You…haven’t been entirely free to make your own choices about this, after all. And also, I owe you a life debt now. I will do what I can to repay it. So…since I’m under healer’s orders to stay in bed until tomorrow at the least, why don’t we have a little talk about your Geas? I’ll need something to occupy my mind anyway.”

By now Yoshimo was smiling. “You must understand,” he said, “that there are limits to what I am allowed to speak of. But there are also limits to how constrained I am. Ask me the right questions, and I will answer.”

Dekaras nodded, giving him a faint smile in return. “Guessing games – yes, that should keep me from getting too bored. But before we start, I would like to ask you to do something for me. You did bring my clothes and things along from that vampire’s lair, did you not? Good. Then please hand me my left boot, would you?”

The bounty hunter raised an eyebrow quizzically, but he did as he had been asked without asking questions. “I knew there was a risk that she might capture me,” Dekaras absently said as he ran his long fingers around the folded down rim of the boot. “And although it seemed unlikely that I would survive such an event, it seemed best to be prepared for the eventuality.” He found the hidden pocket sewn into the boot’s lining, inserted his fingers into it, and drew out some heavily folded sheets of paper. “Ah, here we are.”

Yoshimo was grinning openly now. “The Spellhold plans.”

“Yes.” The assassin held his hand out. “So, if you so choose, we are still very much in the game.”

Yoshimo grasped his hand, even as he politely inclined his head. There was a new determination in his eyes, paired with relief. “Yes,” he said. “Let us play.”


Next: Finally Valygar gets what he wants - it's time to visit the Sphere.
Rogues do it from behind.

#2 Guest_Kulyok_*

Posted 23 July 2005 - 08:50 AM

“WHAT DO YOU MEAN ‘HE ESCAPED’?!” Bodhi’s eyes had taken on a dull red gleam, her fangs were bared and her face twisted into a mask of rage.


Ah, our dear Bodhi. :) At her best, too.

“You heard me the first time,” Aerie replied, her voice cool. Inwardly though, she was seething. “When I returned, having been unable to find you anywhere and having learnt that you were instead out shopping for more of those…unique…outfits of yours, he was gone. Missing. Disappeared.”

The vampire’s fangs actually seemed to extend even more as she digested this, and she was fairly quivering with fury to the point where she seemed about to pop out of her peculiar leather-strap outfit. Which I wouldn’t mind, Aerie thought. It might fluster her enough that I could further press my advantage.


I... feel... slash... :twisted: :twisted: :twisted: Oh my... Bodhi-Avariel... :roll:

“I don’t know. A renegade of some kind, most likely. But the important thing is, he should never have been able to get in here without my Children noticing. The outer tunnels perhaps, but not here deep within the inner chambers. Vampires are very aware of other vampires, even more than of humans. I don’t like this at all.”


Hmm.. I remember reading the guess that vampire=Mind flayer, but 'tis would be too easy, wouldn't it? Ah, let us wait, anyways.

Aerie pondered this for a moment, as she watched what lay before her. A large stone tomb, heavy iron chains still attached to it. There were some dark stains as well; blood that still hadn’t entirely dried. Of the prisoner who should have been there though, there was no sign. Curse him. “More importantly,” she said, “what does he want? Whatever it is, it cannot be good.”


Famous words... Well, Aerie, perhaps he wants to make a woman of you or some such?

Aerie chose to ignore the taunt. “My hands will be quite busy elsewhere,” she said.


:oops: :oops: :oops: That was Evil... :twisted:

“And if you were planning to lick that blood up, you may forget all about that. I have a use for it, and you must not distract me.” A small smile curled her lips. “Scrying spells, after all, take some concentration.”


And he's weak, too! They may well get him! :twisted:

“Yes, he could. But why? Just what would he want me to forget?” It wasn’t a comforting thought, not at all. Suppose he did something to me? Something that is still there inside me, like a trap waiting to snap shut? “And why did he rescue me anyway, not to mention send for you to remove me from him?” If it is a trap, then whom is it meant for? Zaerini. It had to be. Everybody was interested in her, after all. Not…no, not Edwin surely. He knew his child’s capacity for making enemies, but there had been no renegade vampires mentioned. Still, it wasn’t much of a comfort. As if he had never seen them before, he looked down at his own hands, resting on the blankets. Hands trained to kill, capable of doing so in an instant. An icy dread coiled around his heart as he contemplated the logical implications of his chain of thought. If something was planted inside of me…I wouldn’t even know it, and I might not be able to fight it off. I could kill them, and not even know what I was doing until it was too late. “I think,” he said, trying to coerce the flickering panic back inside the deepest hollows of his mind, “that I ought to see another healer. One used to dealing with mind damage.”


Dekkie, relax. You've probably watched too much X-Files... :twisted:

Dekaras forced himself to try to relax.


The phrase sounds somewhat awkward; perhaps it would be better if "to try" was omitted?

“Well, yes and no. Your mind hasn’t been recently damaged as such, and I can find no traces of tampering such as implanted commands. But there are anomalies. A small area is closed off, tied in on itself, and cannot be accessed. That would account for your memory loss. And there is some form of old injury, certainly severe enough…”


Odd injury? The one from his past, when magic was taken from him?

By now Yoshimo was smiling. “You must understand,” he said, “that there are limits to what I am allowed to speak of. But there are also limits to how constrained I am. Ask me the right questions, and I will answer.”


By the way, I remember that about a hundred chapters ago, someone has asked you whether Yoshimo will die in your story, and you've said you haven't decided yet. Er, what about now? :)

Next: Finally Valygar gets what he wants - it's time to visit the Sphere.


Oh dear... You know, even when my party was high enough level, it was difficult to kill that demon to get his heart. Good luck to your party. :D Hope Edwin won't want an Adamantite Golem for a pet... :wink:

#3 Guest_Tulkas_*

Posted 23 July 2005 - 11:25 AM

I can't quite put my finger on the exact reason but there's just something about the Dekaras-Yoshimo team that's so...cool :oops:

Nice chapter. This novel just keeps getting better and better :D

#4 Guest_Theodur_*

Posted 23 July 2005 - 01:39 PM

“WHAT DO YOU MEAN ‘HE ESCAPED’?!” Bodhi’s eyes had taken on a dull red gleam, her fangs were bared and her face twisted into a mask of rage.


“You heard me the first time,” Aerie replied, her voice cool. Inwardly though, she was seething.


Wouldn’t Loviatar be displeased about that? :oops:

The vampire’s fangs actually seemed to extend even more as she digested this, and she was fairly quivering with fury to the point where she seemed about to pop out of her peculiar leather-strap outfit. Which I wouldn’t mind, Aerie thought. It might fluster her enough that I could further press my advantage.


:D So you decided that Aerie-Bodhi slash would be a good idea after all?

“I don’t know. A renegade of some kind, most likely. But the important thing is, he should never have been able to get in here without my Children noticing. The outer tunnels perhaps, but not here deep within the inner chambers. Vampires are very aware of other vampires, even more than of humans. I don’t like this at all.”


Probably another hint that this new player isn’t someone to trifle with!

Aerie chose to ignore the taunt. “My hands will be quite busy elsewhere,” she said. “And if you were planning to lick that blood up, you may forget all about that. I have a use for it, and you must not distract me.” A small smile curled her lips. “Scrying spells, after all, take some concentration.”


I cannot see a moment of peace in Dekkie’s near future, I’m afraid. :P

“Yes, he could. But why? Just what would he want me to forget?” It wasn’t a comforting thought, not at all. Suppose he did something to me? Something that is still there inside me, like a trap waiting to snap shut?



That is really the logical thought, because otherwise it makes sense for the vampire to release him so easily.

“And why did he rescue me anyway, not to mention send for you to remove me from him?” If it is a trap, then whom is it meant for? Zaerini. It had to be. Everybody was interested in her, after all. Not…no, not Edwin surely. He knew his child’s capacity for making enemies, but there had been no renegade vampires mentioned.


With Edwin’s skill of pissing people (creatures) off, I wouldn’t be surprised if he hadn’t stepped on some vampires toes!

“Peculiar…” the Ilmateri said, frowning.


Peculiar. That is never a good word coming from a healer.


Nope! :D Just like it’s not a good sign to hear your surgeon say “Hmm, I wonder where this part should be connected?”

“My dear sir!” the healer said, sounding deeply offended. “That is not the issue. The problem is that this…this blocked-off node resembles nothing I have ever seen before, despite my forty years in the field. It’s too intricate, and yet so simple. And there are safeguards. If I try to unravel them, I fear I may cause irrevocable damage.”


This is creepy – Dekkie is now almost like a walking time-bomb, not knowing when he’ll blow up and who the target might be. Whatever that vampire said to him, won’t lead to something good, even if those aren’t direct orders to kill someone.

The bounty hunter raised an eyebrow quizzically, but he did as he had been asked without asking questions. “I knew there was a risk that she might capture me,” Dekaras absently said as he ran his long fingers around the folded down rim of the boot. “And although it seemed unlikely that I would survive such an event, it seemed best to be prepared for the eventuality.” He found the hidden pocket sewn into the boot’s lining, inserted his fingers into it, and drew out some heavily folded sheets of paper. “Ah, here we are.”


Yoshimo was grinning openly now. “The Spellhold plans.”


So they have them – but the price was high, and we don’t even know the full extent of how high it is!

Next: Finally Valygar gets what he wants - it's time to visit the Sphere.


Ah, back to the group – I love the Dekkie/Yoshi mystery chapters, but I’ve been also missing someone else lately. :P

#5 Guest_Wyvern_*

Posted 23 July 2005 - 04:35 PM

A mock sweet smile. “Of course, darling. Whatever I can do to ease your fears. Want me to hold your hand as well?”

Aerie chose to ignore the taunt. “My hands will be quite busy elsewhere,” she said. “And if you were planning to lick that blood up, you may forget all about that. I have a use for it, and you must not distract me.” A small smile curled her lips. “Scrying spells, after all, take some concentration.”

The Bohdi/Aerie alliance is not exactly based on friendship. Those two better hope they don't kill each other before they catch their prey.

“I think,” he said, trying to coerce the flickering panic back inside the deepest hollows of his mind, “that I ought to see another healer. One used to dealing with mind damage.”

Dekkie's 'rescuer' might be powerful, but not too bright. If he can erase memories, he should have been able to plant false ones to keep his tampering secret.

“But no implanted commands? You are quite sure of that?”

So, whatever the Vampire told Dekaras to do is something he'll do out of his own free will.

#6 Guest_Serena_*

Posted 23 July 2005 - 05:51 PM

Hey Laufey!

Sorry for not commenting in a long while, my summer job seems to eat up my time. *grumble*

Interesting . . . I wonder how sure they are about there being no implanted commands or anything like that. . . *raises eyebrow*

And to echo Tulkas, Yoshimo and Dekaras are a really neat team. :D

And I do like your Aerie and Bodhi paring, it's proving to be really interesting. :oops:

#7 Guest_AlphaMonkey_*

Posted 23 July 2005 - 11:08 PM

“WHAT DO YOU MEAN ‘HE ESCAPED’?!” Bodhi’s eyes had taken on a dull red gleam, her fangs were bared and her face twisted into a mask of rage.


As in "He got away..." as in "He is no longer in your custody..." as in "You got played for a sucker..." as in "Wow, do you ever suck... and I don't mean that literally..."

Something that is still there inside me, like a trap waiting to snap shut?


For some reason, I'm reminded of Alien... you know, the movie... and the little critter bursting out through someone's gut... :D

Peculiar. That is never a good word coming from a healer.


Pffft. No kidding.

Almost as bad as

Surgeon: "Well, we've finished stitching you up... funny thing, though, there were some pieces left over..."

:P

A small area is closed off, tied in on itself, and cannot be accessed. That would account for your memory loss.


Well, clearly, you're going to need a Revan with a really high repair skill to fix this one. :P

As long as you are absolutely sure that I won’t suddenly be faced with an irresistible urge to tap-dance, go on a murderous rampage or pretend to be a dog.


Stewie (The baby) and Brian (The dog) are apparently on stage under the control of a hypnotist; they're kissing each other.

Hypnotist snaps his fingers.

Brian: "Wow... were... were we just hypnotized?"

Stewie: "I don't remember a thing... uh... why do I taste crotch?"

:oops:

#8 Sandalwood

Posted 24 July 2005 - 01:02 PM

Hey Lauf! :P

just letting you know that I'm still following Cards whenever I can.

Your tallent for bringing up visual images with your writing is, as always, top notch. Love what you're doing with all the characters in the series too. I'm really quite curious about what you'll do with Yoshimo for example - and Dekkie... always full of surprises. :D Aerie... I just love her. :oops:

“Peculiar…” the Ilmateri said, frowning.

Peculiar. That is never a good word coming from a healer. “What is peculiar?” he said, trying to keep his voice calm. “Did you find something?”


I tend to use "interesting", but I guess we all have our favourites, eh? :P
"This one doesn't have time for your solid waste excretions." - Blasto, the first hanar Spectre.

#9 Guest_Kendris_*

Posted 24 July 2005 - 05:06 PM

Still trying to catch up on the back chapters...damn, but there are a lot of them!

I'm getting a serious kick out of Aerie; turning everyone's (least) favorite wimp into one of the villains was sheer genius.

Loved the dialogue between she and Bodhi in this chapter...you could almost smell the venom in the air!

#10 Laufey

Posted 24 July 2005 - 06:12 PM

[quote][quote]“WHAT DO YOU MEAN ‘HE ESCAPED’?!” Bodhi’s eyes had taken on a dull red gleam, her fangs were bared and her face twisted into a mask of rage. [/quote]
[/quote]

[quote]
Ah, our dear Bodhi. :) At her best, too.
[/quote]

She's just a teeny bit upset. :D


[quote]
The vampire’s fangs actually seemed to extend even more as she digested this, and she was fairly quivering with fury to the point where she seemed about to pop out of her peculiar leather-strap outfit. Which I wouldn’t mind, Aerie thought. It might fluster her enough that I could further press my advantage. [/quote]
[/quote]

[quote]
I... feel... slash... :) :twisted: :twisted: Oh my... Bodhi-Avariel... :)
[/quote]

LOL! You know, I honestly didn't realize I'd put in all this subtext until after I'd written the chapter, but now I'm honestly tempted to write some Bodhi/Aerie slash. :D

[quote]
[quote]Aerie pondered this for a moment, as she watched what lay before her. A large stone tomb, heavy iron chains still attached to it. There were some dark stains as well; blood that still hadn’t entirely dried. Of the prisoner who should have been there though, there was no sign. Curse him. “More importantly,” she said, “what does he want? Whatever it is, it cannot be good.” [/quote]
[/quote]

[quote]
Famous words... Well, Aerie, perhaps he wants to make a woman of you or some such?
[/quote]

Well, in my ToB games, Aerie always wanted to have her debut in the Saradush vampire tunnels...it has to mean *something*.

[quote]
[quote]Aerie chose to ignore the taunt. “My hands will be quite busy elsewhere,” she said. [/quote]
[/quote]

[quote]
:roll: ;) :) That was Evil... :shock:
[/quote]

:oops:

[quote]
[quote]“And if you were planning to lick that blood up, you may forget all about that. I have a use for it, and you must not distract me.” A small smile curled her lips. “Scrying spells, after all, take some concentration.” [/quote]
[/quote]

[quote]
And he's weak, too! They may well get him! :roll:
[/quote]

Vadrak Dekaras: Need you really sound so enthusiastic?


[quote]
[quote]Dekaras forced himself to try to relax. [/quote]
[/quote]

[quote]
The phrase sounds somewhat awkward; perhaps it would be better if "to try" was omitted?
[/quote]

You're right. That sounds better.

[quote]
[quote]“Well, yes and no. Your mind hasn’t been recently damaged as such, and I can find no traces of tampering such as implanted commands. But there are anomalies. A small area is closed off, tied in on itself, and cannot be accessed. That would account for your memory loss. And there is some form of old injury, certainly severe enough…”
[/quote]
[/quote]

[quote]
Odd injury? The one from his past, when magic was taken from him?
[/quote]

Yep!

[quote]
[quote]By now Yoshimo was smiling. “You must understand,” he said, “that there are limits to what I am allowed to speak of. But there are also limits to how constrained I am. Ask me the right questions, and I will answer.”[/quote]
[/quote]

[quote]
By the way, I remember that about a hundred chapters ago, someone has asked you whether Yoshimo will die in your story, and you've said you haven't decided yet. Er, what about now? :)
[/quote]

Still haven't decided...I have some ideas though.

[quote]
[quote]Next: Finally Valygar gets what he wants - it's time to visit the Sphere.[/quote]
[/quote]

[quote]
Oh dear... You know, even when my party was high enough level, it was difficult to kill that demon to get his heart. Good luck to your party. :D Hope Edwin won't want an Adamantite Golem for a pet... :)[/quote]

Edwin would prefer the demons of the Abyss, I think. :)
Rogues do it from behind.

#11 Laufey

Posted 24 July 2005 - 06:16 PM

I can't quite put my finger on the exact reason but there's just something about the Dekaras-Yoshimo team that's so...cool :)


Thanks very much! :twisted: They do work well together, I agree.

Nice chapter. This novel just keeps getting better and better :twisted:


Happy to hear it! :shock:
Rogues do it from behind.

#12 Laufey

Posted 24 July 2005 - 06:21 PM


“WHAT DO YOU MEAN ‘HE ESCAPED’?!” Bodhi’s eyes had taken on a dull red gleam, her fangs were bared and her face twisted into a mask of rage.



“You heard me the first time,” Aerie replied, her voice cool. Inwardly though, she was seething.


Wouldn’t Loviatar be displeased about that? :)


Possibly. :roll:


The vampire’s fangs actually seemed to extend even more as she digested this, and she was fairly quivering with fury to the point where she seemed about to pop out of her peculiar leather-strap outfit. Which I wouldn’t mind, Aerie thought. It might fluster her enough that I could further press my advantage.


:oops: So you decided that Aerie-Bodhi slash would be a good idea after all?


I swear to you, I did *not* notice the subtext until after I'd posted! :)


“I don’t know. A renegade of some kind, most likely. But the important thing is, he should never have been able to get in here without my Children noticing. The outer tunnels perhaps, but not here deep within the inner chambers. Vampires are very aware of other vampires, even more than of humans. I don’t like this at all.”


Probably another hint that this new player isn’t someone to trifle with!


Oh yes. :twisted:

Aerie chose to ignore the taunt. “My hands will be quite busy elsewhere,” she said. “And if you were planning to lick that blood up, you may forget all about that. I have a use for it, and you must not distract me.” A small smile curled her lips. “Scrying spells, after all, take some concentration.”


I cannot see a moment of peace in Dekkie’s near future, I’m afraid. :roll:


Not really, no. :twisted:



Peculiar. That is never a good word coming from a healer.


Nope! :) Just like it’s not a good sign to hear your surgeon say “Hmm, I wonder where this part should be connected?”


I'm guilty of saying similar things myself - well, not the thing about the parts. :)


“My dear sir!” the healer said, sounding deeply offended. “That is not the issue. The problem is that this…this blocked-off node resembles nothing I have ever seen before, despite my forty years in the field. It’s too intricate, and yet so simple. And there are safeguards. If I try to unravel them, I fear I may cause irrevocable damage.”


This is creepy – Dekkie is now almost like a walking time-bomb, not knowing when he’ll blow up and who the target might be. Whatever that vampire said to him, won’t lead to something good, even if those aren’t direct orders to kill someone.


It certainly seems ominous enough, doesn't it?



Yoshimo was grinning openly now. “The Spellhold plans.”


So they have them – but the price was high, and we don’t even know the full extent of how high it is!


:shock:


Next: Finally Valygar gets what he wants - it's time to visit the Sphere.


Ah, back to the group – I love the Dekkie/Yoshi mystery chapters, but I’ve been also missing someone else lately. ;)


She'll be back. :)
Rogues do it from behind.

#13 Laufey

Posted 24 July 2005 - 06:26 PM

Still trying to catch up on the back chapters...damn, but there are a lot of them!


Afraid so. :)

I'm getting a serious kick out of Aerie; turning everyone's (least) favorite wimp into one of the villains was sheer genius.


Thanks very much! :twisted: I have to say, she's one of my favorite characters to write, she's so refreshingly evil.

Loved the dialogue between she and Bodhi in this chapter...you could almost smell the venom in the air!


Glad you like it. :twisted:
Rogues do it from behind.

#14 Laufey

Posted 24 July 2005 - 06:30 PM

Hey Lauf! :oops:


just letting you know that I'm still following Cards whenever I can.


Hey, happy to hear it! :roll:

Your tallent for bringing up visual images with your writing is, as always, top notch. Love what you're doing with all the characters in the series too. I'm really quite curious about what you'll do with Yoshimo for example - and Dekkie... always full of surprises. :twisted: Aerie... I just love her. :)


*bows* Nothing like writing Aerie, that's for sure. :shock:

“Peculiar…” the Ilmateri said, frowning.


Peculiar. That is never a good word coming from a healer. “What is peculiar?” he said, trying to keep his voice calm. “Did you find something?”


I tend to use "interesting", but I guess we all have our favourites, eh? :twisted:


I always feel *very* guilty when I accidentally say something like this. :roll:
Rogues do it from behind.

#15 Laufey

Posted 24 July 2005 - 06:31 PM

“WHAT DO YOU MEAN ‘HE ESCAPED’?!” Bodhi’s eyes had taken on a dull red gleam, her fangs were bared and her face twisted into a mask of rage.


As in "He got away..." as in "He is no longer in your custody..." as in "You got played for a sucker..." as in "Wow, do you ever suck... and I don't mean that literally..."


:twisted:

Something that is still there inside me, like a trap waiting to snap shut?


For some reason, I'm reminded of Alien... you know, the movie... and the little critter bursting out through someone's gut... :roll:


I see what you mean! I can safely promise that Dekkie's gut will remain unbusted - only question is, what will happen to his head? :shock:

Peculiar. That is never a good word coming from a healer.


Pffft. No kidding.


Almost as bad as


Surgeon: "Well, we've finished stitching you up... funny thing, though, there were some pieces left over..."


;)


:twisted:

A small area is closed off, tied in on itself, and cannot be accessed. That would account for your memory loss.


Well, clearly, you're going to need a Revan with a really high repair skill to fix this one. :)


Oooh, I can easily see Dekkie walking around muttering about 'meatbags'. :oops:

As long as you are absolutely sure that I won’t suddenly be faced with an irresistible urge to tap-dance, go on a murderous rampage or pretend to be a dog.


Stewie (The baby) and Brian (The dog) are apparently on stage under the control of a hypnotist; they're kissing each other.


Hypnotist snaps his fingers.


Brian: "Wow... were... were we just hypnotized?"


Stewie: "I don't remember a thing... uh... why do I taste crotch?"


:)


How...er...cute? :roll:
Rogues do it from behind.

#16 Weyoun

Posted 24 July 2005 - 06:44 PM

“WHAT DO YOU MEAN ‘HE ESCAPED’?!” Bodhi’s eyes had taken on a dull red gleam, her fangs were bared and her face twisted into a mask of rage.


LOL! Baby getting angry? :twisted:

“You heard me the first time,” Aerie replied, her voice cool. Inwardly though, she was seething. “When I returned, having been unable to find you anywhere and having learnt that you were instead out shopping for more of those…unique…outfits of yours, he was gone. Missing. Disappeared.”


Laska : They look better on Phaere. :twisted:

The vampire’s eyes narrowed, and she took a step closer, raising her hand to gently touch the other woman’s cheek. Aerie didn’t flinch – Bodhi was a powerful vampire, and she would prefer not to fight her, but if it came to that, then so be it, she would place her faith in her Goddess as she had always done. “Don’t play cute with me, little birdie,” Bodhi flatly said. “I can easily make you regret it. Now describe this vampire to me.”


I like your Bodhi. She's bold, twisted and foul. Perfik! :)

Aerie pondered this for a moment, as she watched what lay before her. A large stone tomb, heavy iron chains still attached to it. There were some dark stains as well; blood that still hadn’t entirely dried. Of the prisoner who should have been there though, there was no sign. Curse him. “More importantly,” she said, “what does he want? Whatever it is, it cannot be good.”


Don't tell me the Camarilla are moving in. :roll:

“Yes, he could. But why? Just what would he want me to forget?” It wasn’t a comforting thought, not at all. Suppose he did something to me? Something that is still there inside me, like a trap waiting to snap shut? “And why did he rescue me anyway, not to mention send for you to remove me from him?” If it is a trap, then whom is it meant for? Zaerini. It had to be. Everybody was interested in her, after all.


Everybody and their dog is interested in Rini. You'd expect bards to like being the center of attention. :shock:

“Peculiar…” the Ilmateri said, frowning.


Uh, that's doctor-speak for 'you've got less than two minutes to live', right? :)

“Then don’t,” Dekaras said. “Keeping my brain intact is something I care deeply about. As long as you are absolutely sure that I won’t suddenly be faced with an irresistible urge to tap-dance, go on a murderous rampage or pretend to be a dog.”


Or become stiff as a board so that a fat guy can put you between two chairs and sit on you to entertain the children. :oops:

I'm not kidding. This actually happened to Snape in a really bad Harry Potter fanfic I read a while back. ;)

“Yes.” The assassin held his hand out. “So, if you so choose, we are still very much in the game.”


Wink there. :roll:

Yoshimo grasped his hand, even as he politely inclined his head. There was a new determination in his eyes, paired with relief. “Yes,” he said. “Let us play.”


Hmm, nice little mystery you've got going on here.
TnT Enhanced Edition: http://www.fanfictio...rds-and-Tempers

---
Sith Warrior - Master, I can sense your anger.

Darth Baras - A blind, comotose lobotomy-patient could sense my anger!

---

"The New Age? It's just the old age stuck in a microwave oven for fifteen seconds" - James Randi

#17 Laufey

Posted 24 July 2005 - 09:33 PM


“WHAT DO YOU MEAN ‘HE ESCAPED’?!” Bodhi’s eyes had taken on a dull red gleam, her fangs were bared and her face twisted into a mask of rage.


LOL! Baby getting angry? :)


She sure is! :( I got your mail btw - will reply tomorrow, since I just got back from watching Sin City.



The vampire’s eyes narrowed, and she took a step closer, raising her hand to gently touch the other woman’s cheek. Aerie didn’t flinch – Bodhi was a powerful vampire, and she would prefer not to fight her, but if it came to that, then so be it, she would place her faith in her Goddess as she had always done. “Don’t play cute with me, little birdie,” Bodhi flatly said. “I can easily make you regret it. Now describe this vampire to me.”


I like your Bodhi. She's bold, twisted and foul. Perfik! :D


Thank you! :D


Aerie pondered this for a moment, as she watched what lay before her. A large stone tomb, heavy iron chains still attached to it. There were some dark stains as well; blood that still hadn’t entirely dried. Of the prisoner who should have been there though, there was no sign. Curse him. “More importantly,” she said, “what does he want? Whatever it is, it cannot be good.”


Don't tell me the Camarilla are moving in. ;)


Or the Gangrel... *howls!*


“Yes, he could. But why? Just what would he want me to forget?” It wasn’t a comforting thought, not at all. Suppose he did something to me? Something that is still there inside me, like a trap waiting to snap shut? “And why did he rescue me anyway, not to mention send for you to remove me from him?” If it is a trap, then whom is it meant for? Zaerini. It had to be. Everybody was interested in her, after all.


Everybody and their dog is interested in Rini. You'd expect bards to like being the center of attention. :twisted:


Rini: I've got my limits, you know.


“Peculiar…” the Ilmateri said, frowning.


Uh, that's doctor-speak for 'you've got less than two minutes to live', right? :)


Well...er...sort of. Sometimes. ;)


“Then don’t,” Dekaras said. “Keeping my brain intact is something I care deeply about. As long as you are absolutely sure that I won’t suddenly be faced with an irresistible urge to tap-dance, go on a murderous rampage or pretend to be a dog.”


Or become stiff as a board so that a fat guy can put you between two chairs and sit on you to entertain the children. ;)


I'm not kidding. This actually happened to Snape in a really bad Harry Potter fanfic I read a while back. :)


That's...that's just sad. :)


“Yes.” The assassin held his hand out. “So, if you so choose, we are still very much in the game.”


Wink there. ;)


No, I'm not about to write Dekkie/Yoshimo slash. ;)


Yoshimo grasped his hand, even as he politely inclined his head. There was a new determination in his eyes, paired with relief. “Yes,” he said. “Let us play.”


Hmm, nice little mystery you've got going on here.


Thanks! :) More on this later.
Rogues do it from behind.

#18 Guest_Melle_*

Posted 25 July 2005 - 06:49 AM

The vampire’s fangs actually seemed to extend even more as she digested this, and she was fairly quivering with fury to the point where she seemed about to pop out of her peculiar leather-strap outfit. Which I wouldn’t mind, Aerie thought. It might fluster her enough that I could further press my advantage.


Need I say it? Slashfic!

The vampire’s eyes narrowed, and she took a step closer, raising her hand to gently touch the other woman’s cheek.


I feel proud to have introduced this insidious meme into the population, I really do. :)

Aerie chose to ignore the taunt. “My hands will be quite busy elsewhere,” she said.


Posted Image

“And if you were planning to lick that blood up, you may forget all about that. I have a use for it, and you must not distract me.” A small smile curled her lips. “Scrying spells, after all, take some concentration.”


Uh-oh... Didn't Rini sort of mess up Dekkie's protection in that area?

“Yes, he could. But why? Just what would he want me to forget?” It wasn’t a comforting thought, not at all. Suppose he did something to me? Something that is still there inside me, like a trap waiting to snap shut? “And why did he rescue me anyway, not to mention send for you to remove me from him?” If it is a trap, then whom is it meant for? Zaerini. It had to be. Everybody was interested in her, after all. Not…no, not Edwin surely. He knew his child’s capacity for making enemies, but there had been no renegade vampires mentioned. Still, it wasn’t much of a comfort. As if he had never seen them before, he looked down at his own hands, resting on the blankets. Hands trained to kill, capable of doing so in an instant. An icy dread coiled around his heart as he contemplated the logical implications of his chain of thought. If something was planted inside of me…I wouldn’t even know it, and I might not be able to fight it off. I could kill them, and not even know what I was doing until it was too late.


At an uneducated guess, I'd say someone important but not personally aquinted with Dekkie is the target.

“I think,” he said, trying to coerce the flickering panic back inside the deepest hollows of his mind, “that I ought to see another healer. One used to dealing with mind damage.”


Can't say I blame him for taking precautions, though.

“Peculiar…” the Ilmateri said, frowning.

Peculiar. That is never a good word coming from a healer.


But probably better than "...oops." :)

“Then don’t,” Dekaras said. “Keeping my brain intact is something I care deeply about. As long as you are absolutely sure that I won’t suddenly be faced with an irresistible urge to tap-dance, go on a murderous rampage or pretend to be a dog.”

“Oh no, sir. There are no such things in there, of that I am sure. Whoever did this simply didn’t want you to remember something he said or did.”


Nice. That was remarkably easily-gained and reassuring news. Have the Character Tormentors Anonymous meetings been paying off or something? :)

The bounty hunter raised an eyebrow quizzically, but he did as he had been asked without asking questions. “I knew there was a risk that she might capture me,” Dekaras absently said as he ran his long fingers around the folded down rim of the boot. “And although it seemed unlikely that I would survive such an event, it seemed best to be prepared for the eventuality.” He found the hidden pocket sewn into the boot’s lining, inserted his fingers into it, and drew out some heavily folded sheets of paper. “Ah, here we are.”

Yoshimo was grinning openly now. “The Spellhold plans.”

“Yes.” The assassin held his hand out. “So, if you so choose, we are still very much in the game.”


*applauds* Go Dekkie!

#19 Laufey

Posted 25 July 2005 - 12:38 PM

[quote][quote]
The vampire’s fangs actually seemed to extend even more as she digested this, and she was fairly quivering with fury to the point where she seemed about to pop out of her peculiar leather-strap outfit. Which I wouldn’t mind, Aerie thought. It might fluster her enough that I could further press my advantage.
[/quote]
[/quote]

[quote]
Need I say it? Slashfic!
[/quote]

I repeat that the subtext was totally unconscious! Still, the idea is interesting...

[quote]
[quote]
The vampire’s eyes narrowed, and she took a step closer, raising her hand to gently touch the other woman’s cheek.
[/quote]
[/quote]

[quote]
I feel proud to have introduced this insidious meme into the population, I really do. :D
[/quote]

I'm sure. :P


[quote]
[quote]
“And if you were planning to lick that blood up, you may forget all about that. I have a use for it, and you must not distract me.” A small smile curled her lips. “Scrying spells, after all, take some concentration.”
[/quote]
[/quote]

[quote]
Uh-oh... Didn't Rini sort of mess up Dekkie's protection in that area?
[/quote]

Yep.

[quote]
[quote]
“Yes, he could. But why? Just what would he want me to forget?” It wasn’t a comforting thought, not at all. Suppose he did something to me? Something that is still there inside me, like a trap waiting to snap shut? “And why did he rescue me anyway, not to mention send for you to remove me from him?” If it is a trap, then whom is it meant for? Zaerini. It had to be. Everybody was interested in her, after all. Not…no, not Edwin surely. He knew his child’s capacity for making enemies, but there had been no renegade vampires mentioned. Still, it wasn’t much of a comfort. As if he had never seen them before, he looked down at his own hands, resting on the blankets. Hands trained to kill, capable of doing so in an instant. An icy dread coiled around his heart as he contemplated the logical implications of his chain of thought. If something was planted inside of me…I wouldn’t even know it, and I might not be able to fight it off. I could kill them, and not even know what I was doing until it was too late.
[/quote]
[/quote]

[quote]
At an uneducated guess, I'd say someone important but not personally aquinted with Dekkie is the target.
[/quote]

You'll see. Hopefully it should all make sense in time.

[quote]
[quote]
“I think,” he said, trying to coerce the flickering panic back inside the deepest hollows of his mind, “that I ought to see another healer. One used to dealing with mind damage.”
[/quote]
[/quote]

[quote]
Can't say I blame him for taking precautions, though.
[/quote]

No, I know I would.


[quote]
Peculiar. That is never a good word coming from a healer.
[/quote]
[/quote]

[quote]
But probably better than "...oops." :twisted:
[/quote]

Or 'wow, I've never seen anything that gross!'. :lol:


[quote]
“Oh no, sir. There are no such things in there, of that I am sure. Whoever did this simply didn’t want you to remember something he said or did.”
[/quote]
[/quote]

[quote]
Nice. That was remarkably easily-gained and reassuring news. Have the Character Tormentors Anonymous meetings been paying off or something? :shock:
[/quote]

Nah...just wait until Ophidia and I finish our next story. :roll:

[quote]
Yoshimo was grinning openly now. “The Spellhold plans.”
[/quote]

[quote]
“Yes.” The assassin held his hand out. “So, if you so choose, we are still very much in the game.”
[/quote]
[/quote]

[quote]
*applauds* Go Dekkie![/quote]

:wink:
Rogues do it from behind.

#20 Guest_Alyth_*

Posted 25 July 2005 - 11:30 PM

It didn’t hurt, not at all, and there was no sense of horrible invasion, not like there had been when…

When what? For a second there he’d almost thought he’d remembered something, but now it was gone again. “Well?” he asked the cleric, sensing that the man had finished.


Hmmm, sounds like when Emalen was checking Dekkie's magic ability when he was a child or maybe when the Rusalka tried to charm him. Well, at least he's still alive. For now. Yet another good chapter. :twisted:




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