Chapter 38: The Bard’s Lament
Anni sat facing the mirror, examining the mark. One could say it was rather like a tattoo, but it was not. They had tried dispelling it but it didn’t do any good. It should have come off, Jaheira and Anomen tried their best spells but nothing. It was a magical mark, that much they knew. It covered her left breast, right over her heart. They had even tried taking a knife to it but it proved that it would hold up to even the Chaos blades. Well, the truth was they couldn’t get a blade near it, it had a small but strong enough repel on it that it was like trying to connect magnets together. The only thing it let near was Anni’s hand.
She had finally had enough of it and asked everyone to leave her. Once they had left she tried talking to Bhaal but he didn’t answer her. Well something answered her, it had a high pitched voice and gave her the vague impression that she knew it. It said, “The great and almighty Bhaal cannot answer at the moment, oh yes! Please try back later. Time for the shiny ones.” Sighing with defeat she decided to turn to the one person who might know what was going on. Taking out the music box that had been given to her, she wrote on a scrap of parchment a plea of help and inserted it inside, closing the lid, she turned the charm. It played a pretty song. It always played something different when it was played. This time was no exception. She didn’t know the song, he must have been listening to something new.
“The human animal is a beautiful and terrible creature, capable of limitless compassion and unfathomable cruelty. If you wish to find that which becomes the dividing line between mankind and other biological classifications, it rests not in brain size, dominance, or even emotional capability, but lies in the unique capacity for human beings to reflect on their actions and show regret, what is most certainly the ability to empathize, that gives them their position. All animals understand love and affection, but only man shows the propensity to place himself into the shoes of another life form. Losing this capability, among individuals of this species, reduces them below their much heralded position, and readies the climate for the likely fall of man, the fall from grace.” He said from behind her. She turned and stared. “But you are neither human or elf. So what does that set for you?”
“I know that I have a good capacity for compassion and I have been cruel in the past. But I don’t know... Is that quote from any place with elves?”
“Sadly no. All the elves on that world have died. You called for a reason I assume.”
“I didn’t know who else to turn to. Bhaal’s not answering and I slept through the dawn. I don’t know what to make of what happened with Edwin, it feels like there is a part of him inside of me, and this mark. What is it?” He knelt down and looked at the mark. It was a perfectly detailed tattoo of Edwin, with some exceptions. He had a red and gold wing and horns, he was naked, laying on his side, one hand on his chest, while the other was held out to the viewer.
“An incubus. How imaginative.”
“Is that what it is? How do I get rid of it.”
“How did you get it? This should be impossible, at least for your kind.”
“It was a spell that he got from the book of Kaza. I can’t tell them apart, I don’t know which one it was.”
“Kaza? Do you have the book?” She handed it to him. “Ah, Kaza wasn’t just a wizard, he was Virrcan.” He flipped through the pages of the old book. “He wrote this to better understand his ‘condition’. He wanted to share his works with the world, only it was forbidden. Virrcan secrets are closely guarded. I’m guessing that Edwin has done what only a Virrcan male can do.” He sighed.
“What has he done?”
“He has bound himself to you. That there is his mark. His inner self.” She sighed as she closed her robes and stared at him.
“What can I do?”
“You can kill him.” He said tonelessly.
“What!? No!” He looked at her and sighed. “Just tell me what this does.” She demanded.
“All men elf, human, Virrcan, etc, will see this and know you belong to him.”
“He did this to keep me from sleeping with another man?” She asked in a deadpan voice. “He’s the one that can’t keep his thingy in his pants.”
“You mean, cock? And last time I looked he was wearing robes.” She blushed. “At any rate it’s more than just that. You have some of essence, what makes him him.”
“I have his memories, they are of a few people in his life, but nothing of me.”
“Do you worry that he never loved you?” He inquired.
“Yes.” She whispered.
“When a Virrcan uses this spell, usually the male is marked too, but you didn’t let down your shields to allow him to, did you?”
“Shields?”
“Metaphysical. They always come crashing down between two people during the height of passion.” She was blushing.
“You mean when... towards the end?” She stammered.
“I forgot how wonderfully shy you can be.” He chuckled. “But yes.”
“Well, Edwin did, but before I could Ly came in and separated us.”
“So wonderful that drow was around...” He had a strange look on his face. Taking the book of Kaza, he opened it and looked at one of the old pages. “Edwin must have used this spell. Do you have his translations?” She handed him his spell book, opening it to the right page. He chuckled as he read it. “He put the “to” in the wrong place. The book’s spell is “Enslave to a female.” His translation is, “To enslave a female.” He wanted you to his self without anyone being able to separated the two of you.” He paused. “This spell has two parts, the giving and accepting. He gave but you didn’t accept. If you had, his soul would be yours now. He would be bonded so tight to you that you wouldn’t know where you left off and he began. As it is, you’ll be able to hear his thoughts, rather his emotions, his memories are now yours and he will be drawn to you as a moth to a flame.”
“How do you reverse it?”
“You can’t. There is nothing to do about it now. All you can do is live with it. Send him away if you must but he’ll never be able to sleep with another woman without thinking of you. He has forced love on himself.”
“You know this spell personally don’t you?”
“Afraid I do. I am a god as you know, there is a counterpart to me, a goddess. She is everything I am not. We fought each other at first. We didn’t want anything to do with our godhood, much less each other. I wanted to be the ‘good’ god and told her to give her right as goddess up. When she didn’t I killed, I killed her family. She then started to kill my people. It was a mess.” His wings hung down to the floor behind him.”
“What happened?”
“Annalesca, the name means, ‘The goddess’. That’s why I was so interested in you. I thought you might be her. I want her back so badly. I messed up, I want another chance. I can’t find her though, the real Annalesca, all I’ve found are ones with her name and her looks, like you.” He continued before she could speak. “I gave my being to my Annalesca and now she’s gone, I can’t tell the difference between a depecha or an Annalesca. All I know is I’m drawn to women with the name Annalesca. And they happen to all share features.”
“What are you getting at?”
“Seeing Edwin’s mark on you fills me with rage. I want you as my own. I’ve always wanted you as my Annalesca. I couldn’t test and see if you were the real one as you were too young. But you are a woman now, I can only come to you if you invite me. I can take away the curse of Bhaal, I can make you Virrcan. I promise to make you beyond happy. Just say yes.” He was one his knees in front of her, he held one of her hands to his face, his black eyes searching hers for some hope.
“Why don’t you tell her what will happen to her baby if she agrees, Simon?” A voice came out of the darkness as a bolt was drawn back in the silence. Ly stepped forward aiming her crossbow at the god.
“Nothing made on this world can kill me.”
“Good thing it wasn’t made on Abeir-Toril.”
“You’re bluffing.”
“Am I?” Simon stood and let his wings open. He looked quite menacing, at least to Anni but the drow didn’t flinch.
“Who do you serve? You cannot lie to me.”
“Two gods, that neither have nor want worshipers. One wants what you want, the other wants you gone.” She said, the words jerking from her mouth as if it hurt to tell the truth. “Of course, now that you made me tell that, I’m torn with who to shoot or with what.”
“Ly!” Anni was shocked.
“Sorry, but neither one of them want you changed in any way. So back to the baby question, tell what would happen to her baby if she did say yes.”
“Simon?”
“You would lose the baby. Transformation is... difficult on the body.” He admitted reluctantly.
“Why don’t you tell her the rest about your people? Like how the females can only get pregnant if they have a male bind themselves to her, much like dear Eddie has done. Most of your kind see his mark and they’ll think she’s a Salvous. No man would want her. Then one day in her long and lonely life, you would find the real Annalesca and you would abandon her. And let’s not forget that time moves differently on your world, if she wanted to come back, she would find this world changed.” Ly smirked at the god.
“Simon, how could you ask me such a thing? And what is a Salvous?” Anni demanded.
“A soul collector.” Simon said sullenly. “You’ll lose everything if you stay here, including your malk-“ A bolt was fired at the music box, splitting in half. A portal of darkness opened and Simon was sucked into the void. Anni could only stare in shock.
“I lied, the bolt was just a normal one, but without his conduit to this world he can’t stay.”
Misery & Happiness 38
Started by
Guest_IriaZenn_*
, Jul 31 2007 07:38 PM
6 replies to this topic
#2
Guest_Silver_*
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Posted 31 July 2007 - 07:49 PM
Heh, I'm commenting, just like you said. 
I liked it, as always.
This was absolutely my favourite bit. It made me laugh very hard.
I liked it, as always. Well something answered her, it had a high pitched voice and gave her the vague impression that she knew it. It said, “The great and almighty Bhaal cannot answer at the moment, oh yes! Please try back later. Time for the shiny ones.”
This was absolutely my favourite bit. It made me laugh very hard.
#3
Guest_IriaZenn_*
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Posted 31 July 2007 - 08:13 PM
ThankeeHeh, I'm commenting, just like you said.
Well something answered her, it had a high pitched voice and gave her the vague impression that she knew it. It said, “The great and almighty Bhaal cannot answer at the moment, oh yes! Please try back later. Time for the shiny ones.”
This was absolutely my favourite bit. It made me laugh very hard.
Yes I thought it was rather amusing too.
#4
Guest_Tenfoot_*
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Posted 31 July 2007 - 09:03 PM
I can't really pick this one apart and comment, as I think a lot of the subtlety of the interaction was lost on me (I'll have to start from the beginning to get a lot of the character interplay, I think), but the conversations were compelling nonetheless, and the mis-translation of a spell was a very intriguing idea. 
I also enjoyed Cespenar as the Lord of Murder's Answering Machine.
I also enjoyed Cespenar as the Lord of Murder's Answering Machine.
#5
Guest_IriaZenn_*
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Posted 31 July 2007 - 09:23 PM
Thank you! Simon comes in at chapter 7 I think and leaves in chapter 8, Ly is first seen in chapter 15 with Yuri, then appears for a moment in chapter 19 and full comes in to play in chapter 24.I can't really pick this one apart and comment, as I think a lot of the subtlety of the interaction was lost on me (I'll have to start from the beginning to get a lot of the character interplay, I think), but the conversations were compelling nonetheless, and the mis-translation of a spell was a very intriguing idea.
As far as Edwin messing up another Nethese spell, I thought it would be something he would do as he messed up the Nether Scroll and we all know what happened then.
I also enjoyed Cespenar as the Lord of Murder's Answering Machine.
Thanks!
#6
Weyoun
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Posted 12 August 2007 - 06:39 PM
Chapter 38: The Bard’s Lament
Anni sat facing the mirror, examining the mark. One could say it was rather like a tattoo, but it was not. They had tried dispelling it but it didn’t do any good. It should have come off, Jaheira and Anomen tried their best spells but nothing. It was a magical mark, that much they knew. It covered her left breast, right over her heart. They had even tried taking a knife to it but it proved that it would hold up to even the Chaos blades. Well, the truth was they couldn’t get a blade near it, it had a small but strong enough repel on it that it was like trying to connect magnets together. The only thing it let near was Anni’s hand.
I suppose that'd come in handy in a scrape.
Laska : Looks really cool too.
“I know that I have a good capacity for compassion and I have been cruel in the past. But I don’t know... Is that quote from any place with elves?”
“Sadly no. All the elves on that world have died. You called for a reason I assume.”
Laska : A world without elf? Hm, that'd be a sucky place. Do they, at least, have booze?
“All men elf, human, Virrcan, etc, will see this and know you belong to him.”
Laska : Okay, that thing just stopped being cool...
“Seeing Edwin’s mark on you fills me with rage. I want you as my own. I’ve always wanted you as my Annalesca. I couldn’t test and see if you were the real one as you were too young. But you are a woman now, I can only come to you if you invite me. I can take away the curse of Bhaal, I can make you Virrcan. I promise to make you beyond happy. Just say yes.” He was one his knees in front of her, he held one of her hands to his face, his black eyes searching hers for some hope.
Okay, scratch that again. That thing is handy to have around in case of stalkers.
“Simon, how could you ask me such a thing? And what is a Salvous?” Anni demanded.
“A soul collector.” Simon said sullenly. “You’ll lose everything if you stay here, including your malk-“ A bolt was fired at the music box, splitting in half. A portal of darkness opened and Simon was sucked into the void. Anni could only stare in shock.
“I lied, the bolt was just a normal one, but without his conduit to this world he can’t stay.”
Not a nice situation to be in.
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
---
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
#7
Guest_IriaZenn_*
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Posted 12 August 2007 - 06:48 PM
Chapter 38: The Bard’s Lament
Anni sat facing the mirror, examining the mark. One could say it was rather like a tattoo, but it was not. They had tried dispelling it but it didn’t do any good. It should have come off, Jaheira and Anomen tried their best spells but nothing. It was a magical mark, that much they knew. It covered her left breast, right over her heart. They had even tried taking a knife to it but it proved that it would hold up to even the Chaos blades. Well, the truth was they couldn’t get a blade near it, it had a small but strong enough repel on it that it was like trying to connect magnets together. The only thing it let near was Anni’s hand.
I suppose that'd come in handy in a scrape.
Oh yes it will be very handy in the future.Laska : Looks really cool too.
“I know that I have a good capacity for compassion and I have been cruel in the past. But I don’t know... Is that quote from any place with elves?”
“Sadly no. All the elves on that world have died. You called for a reason I assume.”
Anni: Yes they have booze. And some really hot chicks that are just waiting for you LaskaLaska : A world without elf? Hm, that'd be a sucky place. Do they, at least, have booze?
“All men elf, human, Virrcan, etc, will see this and know you belong to him.”
Anni: I know what you mean.Laska : Okay, that thing just stopped being cool...
“Seeing Edwin’s mark on you fills me with rage. I want you as my own. I’ve always wanted you as my Annalesca. I couldn’t test and see if you were the real one as you were too young. But you are a woman now, I can only come to you if you invite me. I can take away the curse of Bhaal, I can make you Virrcan. I promise to make you beyond happy. Just say yes.” He was one his knees in front of her, he held one of her hands to his face, his black eyes searching hers for some hope.
Yes just flash them the mark that's on her chest.Okay, scratch that again. That thing is handy to have around in case of stalkers.
“Simon, how could you ask me such a thing? And what is a Salvous?” Anni demanded.
“A soul collector.” Simon said sullenly. “You’ll lose everything if you stay here, including your malk-“ A bolt was fired at the music box, splitting in half. A portal of darkness opened and Simon was sucked into the void. Anni could only stare in shock.
“I lied, the bolt was just a normal one, but without his conduit to this world he can’t stay.”
Not a nice situation to be in.
Nope. But he was only trying to keep her from getting hurt. Or at least no for a very long time.
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