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Throne Of Cards 23

May contain traces of blood.

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#1 Laufey

Posted 14 October 2014 - 06:10 PM

Author's note : Yes, I got this done before Halloween! Fair warning, there's a tiny bit of gore in here. If you want the appropriate theme song, here's the one I was listening to on repeat as I wrote this:

 

http://www.youtube.c...h?v=hhtK2FviGVU

 

Enjoy!

 

Throne Of Cards 23 – Flashback

 

Being afraid of seeing a ghost is silly. It’s the ghosts you don’t see who are really dangerous.

 

Excerpt from ‘Ruminations Of A Master Bard’

 

 “Eddie? Minsc?” Zaerini waited, holding her breath for a reply. There was none. Her companions had been right next to her as the darkness fell, but now they were nowhere to be seen. Softy? She waited a heartbeat, two, three, for the familiar’s touch against her mind, but there was only silence. She’d asked Softpaws to remain outside the area of magical contamination, for fear that she’d get hurt. Still, it should have been possible to reach the cat through the familiar link. That it wasn’t…well, that wasn’t a reassuring sign.

 

I’ll have to find them. That’s all.

 

First, she’d have to get her bearings. Magelight flared from her fingertips, conjuring a steady orange flame which floated in the air over her shoulder. Now she could see a little more, at least. She thought she was still inside the ruined warehouse, but it was…different. It wasn’t ruined anymore, for one thing. The walls were intact, and there were heavy crates and bales piled high to the ceiling. Speaking of the ceiling, it had previously been an open hole, gaping mindlessly at the night sky. Now it was whole, and there were windows out there, letting in pale little slivers of starlight.

 

Did I go back in time, somehow? Or is it all just an illusion?

 

She carefully tapped her fingers against one of the crates. It felt solid enough, down to the nasty little splinter which promptly lodged itself in her fingertip. Cursing quietly she managed to get it out, and then licked the blood off her finger. No illusion, then. Or at least not a simple one. She kept walking, moving as silently as she knew how. Even so, she winced every time her feet inadvertently scraped across the rough floor, and the sound of her breathing seemed as loud as a storm in the oppressive silence which surrounded her.

 

Ok, this isn’t very nice. But it could be worse. I could…

 

Somewhere behind her, there was a noise. A small, quiet noise, as of somebody slowly exhaling. If it hadn’t been for her better-than-human hearing, she didn’t think she’d have heard it at all.

 

…be stalked.

 

Should she turn around, and confront whatever was behind her, or continue onwards? She knew she was pretty powerful now, she had weapons and magic at her disposal, not to mention the Slayer if things went really bad. Even so, she hesitated. She was pretty powerful, yes, but there were still things she’d have a hard time defending herself against, such as those horrible wraiths in the Forest of Mir. No, she’d continue onwards for now, and hopefully find the others before whatever it was found her. Feeling her way along the crates, she walked along for another couple of minutes. She had just begun to relax slightly when her fingers touched something wet and sticky. Startled, she raised them to her face. They were covered with something dark, almost black, and there was a wet smear on her sleeve as well, a little gelatinous lump which she scraped off with a grimace of disgust. More dark wetness clung to the crate she had touched, had run down along it to form a pool on the floor, a pool she was standing in.

 

Blood. A lot of it. But where’s the body?

 

Then she turned the corner, and wished her question hadn’t been answered.

 

-*-

 

Edwin was, not for the first time in recent days, wishing that he’d studied Divination. True, it wasn’t as impressive as certain other schools of magic, and in combat it was of course entirely feeble compared to say Conjuration or Evocation, but right at this particular point in time, a seeking spell would have come in very handy. This place was a labyrinth, and the building seemed vast, far bigger on the inside than on the outside.

 

A dimensional shift of some sort, I wager. This would have been an interesting case study if I hadn’t happened to be right in the middle of it. He kept walking, trying to tell himself that he was bound to run into the others any time now. He’d deemed it unwise to yell at the top of his lungs, but surely they couldn’t be that far away. Unless we’re all in dimensional pockets separate from each other, his treacherous mind told him. And what if there is no way out? What if this space closes in upon itself, like a loop? No. He couldn’t afford to think like that. He had to focus, to keep to his purpose. Speaking of which…what would his Father have done in this place? Edwin tried to cling to that thought, to let it guide him through the darkness. He wouldn’t keep running around blindly, for one thing. When under pressure, and when unable to simply slip away, he’d have found himself a spot which could be used for an ambush and he’d have waited there to pick some of them off before moving on. He could almost hear Dekaras’ voice right now, next to his ear.

 

Never let your foe choose the battleground if you can help it, Edwin. You should always aim to be the one who picks the time, the place, and the method.

 

It was still good advice. And there was something in here with him, something hostile. He could hear the whispers on the edge of his mind, sense their presence in the crawling shadows. He couldn’t make out the words, not yet, but he knew them for the threat they were.

 

I will show them. I will show them all, and they will fear me.

 

-*-

 

Minsc felt no fear. Boo was with him. Boo would know what to do.

 

-*-

 

The dead woman on the floor was staring sightlessly at the ceiling, her dark brown eyes glazed over and filmy. Her skin was pasty, a pale yellow which was utterly lifeless.

Not much left in her, Rini thought, feeling a little lightheaded. The woman was wearing a simple but well made magerobe, pale blue with a fine white linen shirt under shorter sleeves. Its entire front was covered with blood, black and sticky, soaked all the way through. It wasn’t dripping anymore, but it was still moist, with even nastier thicker clots here and there. No prize given for guessing the cause of death, Rini thought as she stared at the corpse. The woman’s head was lolling to one side, bent at an impossible angle. A second mouth, a lunatic’s bloody grin gaped wide beneath her chin, her throat slit with such force that her head was halfway severed. Well, we wanted a corpse, the half-elf thought, fighting back a slightly hysterical giggle. Only, I’m not sure this is really and actually real… Then she paused. What had she been thinking? Of course this was real, horrifically real. Something was definitely off, however. She couldn’t quite seem to remember where she was, or how she had got here. She’d been doing something…looking for something. It was important, she knew that, but it kept slipping away from her. And there had been others, friends, but who were they? She couldn’t remember that either. One thing was true beyond a doubt though. There was a monster somewhere in this labyrinth, and it was deadly. She paused, motionless, holding her breath. Was that a faint noise, somewhere in the deep shadows to her left? Yes. A gasp, and a gurgle. She could guess only too well what that meant. Another corpse, or soon to be corpse. And I’d better move right now, or I could be next. She set out as quickly as she dared, gingerly stepping across the corpse and moving off as quietly as she could. She couldn’t hear any footsteps behind her, no whisper of a breath, but deep down, in the icy pit of her stomach she knew that meant nothing. Death walks softly.

 

-*-

 

There was a web around him, closing in. Edwin could almost see it in the air, bright red threads trembling and quivering, dripping fresh blood. The smallest movement, the smallest touch, and he’d set the entire web ablaze, and whatever fat and bloated spider lurked in the middle would know exactly where he was and head directly for him. So, I will not play their game.

Who ‘they’ were, he did not know, but he knew without a shadow of a doubt that he couldn’t allow them to catch him. There had been something else before, companions, somebody dear to him, but right this moment he was alone and content to stay that way. I have always worked best alone, with nobody to get in the way. Let them come, they will find me waiting. The thought felt strangely remote, as if it wasn’t entirely his own. But that was nonsense, surely. Who else could it belong to?

 

The wizard settled down on top of a pile of large crates, reaching almost all the way to the lofty ceiling. There were occasional rays of moonlight to avoid, but between those there were lovely patches of deepest shadow, offering safety and bliss. It seemed a long way down to the floor, and he blinked as he realized that he couldn’t remember climbing up here in the first place. He wasn’t even all that skilled at climbing, was he? No, that couldn’t be, that had to be wrong. At any rate, here he was, in the perfect place for an ambush. That was the important thing. That, and the whispers.

The whispers were closing in, crawling along the strands of the web, scratching at his mind, trying to edge inside. Renegade. Slayer. Monster.

 

Edwin smiled, his eyes cold and distant. Hurry up, little girls. Let us dance.

 

-*-

 

Minsc walked through the shadows. He was not lost. Boo knew where to go.

 

-*-

 

There was a faint, thumping sound up ahead. Zaerini carefully crept closer, wary of what she might find. Still, moving on felt better than staying put and waiting for the killer to come at her from behind. Thump. Scrape. Thump. Scrape. Closer and closer, and now she was turning the corner, peering around a tall stack of crates. A sharp breath escaped her, air whistling almost painfully into her lungs as she beheld the sight in front of her.

 

This corpse hadn’t bled out, no. It was hanging by its neck from the rafters above, heavy boots bumping into the surrounding crates now and then as it swung gently back and forth. Thump. Scrape. Its face was a dark purple, its swollen tongue bitten almost clean through, its sightless eyes bulging from the head. It had been a muscular man in life, powerful and strong, and there was still a sword hanging from its belt.

 

When the monster caught up with him he didn’t even have the time to draw it.

 

Thump. Scrape. She stepped closer, closer. Did she know this man? She wasn’t sure. Everything was so blurry, everything but the sharp reality of the shadows, and the hidden monster in the shadows. Fascinated she stared at the dead face, tattoos almost invisible against the darkened skin. Thump. Scrape. Thump. Scrape. The corpse was still swinging. Too late, she realized what that had to mean. No wind in here to make it move. If it’s still moving, then that means…somebody only just put it there. Put it there as a distraction.

 

The garrote snaked around her throat, and she was yanked backwards, struggling helplessly in a powerful grip, her fingers scrabbling in vain as her breath was cut off and her field of vision was filled with swirling stars.

 

-*-

 

They were still coming, faster and faster. Edwin’s fingers danced through the motions as he wove his next spell, his tongue reciting the proper words even as his brain was already going through his next possible move. Faster. He had to be faster than them. A vaguely female face raced towards him, followed by another, and another. They were white as paper, smooth as eggs. There were no eyes, no noses, no ears, only too wide lipless mouths filled with razor-sharp fangs and long, cleft tongues dripping poison. Poison tongues. Liars, all of them. They always lied, all of them did. The sudden angry thought flashed through his mind like a rock dropped into water from far above, and sank to the bottom. Not his thought, not exactly, but he didn’t have the time to worry about that or the way his vision had gone strangely double as if he were two people at once. Each hissing, screaming face was surrounded by impossibly long hair which flowed and floated as if underwater, confusing his aim. Each head was attached to a thick, red, pulsing tentacle, disappearing off into the distant shadows. There had to be a body in there somewhere, a single entity controlling them all, but it was out of sight and out of reach. All he could do was take the heads out, one by one and many together, and pray that it would be enough. All he had to do was to be faster than them, every time. Unfortunately, all they had to do was to be faster than him one time. Lightning arced from his fingertips, shriveling three screaming heads at once, making their white skin char and their hair blaze.

 

“Ha!” Edwin hissed. “Take that, you witches. You’ll never…”

 

Renegade. Slayer! MONSTER!

 

Edwin faltered as he saw two new heads grow back from each severed tentacle. This was new, and it wasn’t reassuring.

 

There are too many of them.

 

That was another one of those oddly intruding thoughts from the other presence with him, a stab of sharp despair followed by the determination to go down fighting, to take as many with him as he possibly could. They were upon him now, grasping, choking, but strangely enough not biting. Why not biting?

 

Because they want me alive.

 

And at that realization, both Edwin and the other voice in his head had to choke back a scream.

 

-*-

 

Minsc was getting closer now. Boo told him so.

 

-*-

 

Alive, against all odds, Zaerini fell to her knees, hands clasping her burning throat. She’d been sure she was done for this time, but the pain biting into her throat had simply…disappeared, along with the killer. Her breath was rasping, loud and desperate, as she turned around. No, there was nobody there, only the shadows. Where had the monster gone? Was it simply toying with her? Or was there something else at play here? She thought she could sense something else now, another presence, this one composed of many entities. Sisters? Yes. That felt right, somehow. There were others, here with her, close by. All of them hunting the dangerous monster, but being hunted by it at the same time. She could feel them all around her, bolstering her strength, a shimmering web running through her mind, connecting her to the others. There was safety in numbers, but she needed to find them in the physical world, not just through the spell or she’d still be an easy target.

She kept walking, pushing through the shadows. They seemed even deeper now, almost solid, black fluid running down the walls, crawling across the floor. There was the hint of hissing laughter at the edge of her mind, mocking her. Try to run, the shadows said. Try. You cannot escape me. Nobody can.

 

It was a wraith, she was sure of it, it had to be. A twisted monster, made up of shadows, delighting in blood and death. Her foot nudged something soft, another corpse, a tall woman with only a bloody socket left where her right eye had been. Something had pierced clean through her skull and straight into her brain. She looked…surprised. She’d never seen her death coming. Zaerini shuddered, hurrying on. She was moving on pure instinct now, with no idea where she was going, knowing only that she needed to get away, now. Desperately, she reached out, her mind seeking the welcoming web.

Sisters!

 

Be calm, sister, a soothing voice whispered from inside the web. Do not be overcome by fear. The renegade is strong, yes, but there is but one of him, while we are many. Know it. Feel it!

 

New courage filled her, flowing into her from the web, telling her what to do, where to go, what to think.

 

“Renegade…Slayer…Monster…face me! Face the dead!”

 

She turned a corner, and yes, there it was. The creature was all shadow, humanoid but with no proper features to make out, its form constantly flowing, changing, with tendrils of inky darkness creeping along its edges. It had its back to her, it was fighting already. Her sisters! Bravely fighting, that she might strike the fatal blow! Her heart swelled with pride and joy as she readied herself. A deep wellspring of magic was there for her, deeper than she alone could muster. The circle of sisters was supporting her, lending her their strength. The magic gathered, flowed through her. The creature turned, amber eyes burning, opening a snarling mouth. It lunged for her even as she struck.

 

-*-

 

It was almost too late. Edwin struggled weakly within the grasp of the surrounding foes, refusing to give up, as hopeless as it all seemed. He’d managed to kill more than he’d thought possible, but he knew now, knew with the clarity born of despair that it was in vain. There were simply too many of them, their web too strong to escape. And here was a triumphant cry behind him, one of them come to gloat. Their leader, most likely.

 

That was a mistake, girl. You never ought to do that while your target is still alive, and only rarely afterwards.

 

A smile not his own twisted Edwin’s face as he turned around, the strangling tentacles slipping away as new, cold strength shot up through his spine, steadying him. He had magic still to spare, but no…that felt…wrong somehow. As if it wasn’t his, not anymore. Never mind. There were other options available. He reached for his belt. Always, always keep a spare weapon. Preferably several. This one was enchanted, and quite sharp. The hilt sat in the palm of his hand as if it was a part of him, needing no conscious guidance. His arm moved, so fast it blurred, and let the magical dagger fly, straight for the heart.

 

-*-

 

Minsc had arrived, just as Boo had told him he would. He did what he had to do.


Rogues do it from behind.

#2 Theodur

Posted 15 October 2014 - 11:36 AM

Wow, that was certainly very Halloweenly and creepy! I'm not entirely sure what to make of it all just yet, though. I have theories, but they're vague and don't explain everything. It kinda seems as if in this twisted reality Rini is acting like one of the Witches while Edwin reprises the role of his father. I mean Edwin going for a dagger and actually throwing it with any sort of accuracy? Yeah, right. Sure enough, it has to be Rini sneaking up on Edwin there by the end, but just how Oluara (for I assume it is her) is controlling them I have no idea.

 

Minsc seems to be doing just fine, though. Zero imagination and blind faith in a miniature giant space hamster will get you through any troubles. :) Don't leave us hanging too long on this cliffy, please!


The future teaches you to be alone
The present to be afraid and cold


#3 Laufey

Posted 15 October 2014 - 03:20 PM

Wow, that was certainly very Halloweenly and creepy! I'm not entirely sure what to make of it all just yet, though. I have theories, but they're vague and don't explain everything. It kinda seems as if in this twisted reality Rini is acting like one of the Witches while Edwin reprises the role of his father. I mean Edwin going for a dagger and actually throwing it with any sort of accuracy? Yeah, right. Sure enough, it has to be Rini sneaking up on Edwin there by the end, but just how Oluara (for I assume it is her) is controlling them I have no idea.

 

Minsc seems to be doing just fine, though. Zero imagination and blind faith in a miniature giant space hamster will get you through any troubles. :) Don't leave us hanging too long on this cliffy, please!

You're on the right track. :) Rini and Edwin are definitely both being influenced, just as you suggested, if not exactly by whom you suggested. It should all become clear next chapter. Glad you enjoyed it!


Rogues do it from behind.

#4 wrhunter

Posted 28 October 2014 - 02:24 AM

 

Minsc had arrived, just as Boo had told him he would. He did what he had to do.

 

Go for the eyes, go for the eyes, Boo!:)

A hamster' s nose is not that easy to be tricked.



#5 Laufey

Posted 01 November 2014 - 04:30 PM

 

 

Minsc had arrived, just as Boo had told him he would. He did what he had to do.

 

Go for the eyes, go for the eyes, Boo! :)

A hamster' s nose is not that easy to be tricked.

 

He just might at that. :)


Rogues do it from behind.

#6 Ophidia

Posted 06 November 2014 - 06:11 PM

 

I’ll have to find them. That’s all.

 

First, she’d have to get her bearings. Magelight flared from her fingertips, conjuring a steady orange flame which floated in the air over her shoulder. Now she could see a little more, at least. She thought she was still inside the ruined warehouse, but it was…different. It wasn’t ruined anymore, for one thing. The walls were intact, and there were heavy crates and bales piled high to the ceiling. Speaking of the ceiling, it had previously been an open hole, gaping mindlessly at the night sky. Now it was whole, and there were windows out there, letting in pale little slivers of starlight.

 

 

Ooh things go intact when it gets scary. Nice twist. Incidently, you have terrible taste in music :D.

 

Should she turn around, and confront whatever was behind her, or continue onwards? She knew she was pretty powerful now, she had weapons and magic at her disposal, not to mention the Slayer if things went really bad. Even so, she hesitated. She was pretty powerful, yes, but there were still things she’d have a hard time defending herself against, such as those horrible wraiths in the Forest of Mir. No, she’d continue onwards for now, and hopefully find the others before whatever it was found her. Feeling her way along the crates, she walked along for another couple of minutes. She had just begun to relax slightly when her fingers touched something wet and sticky. Startled, she raised them to her face. They were covered with something dark, almost black, and there was a wet smear on her sleeve as well, a little gelatinous lump which she scraped off with a grimace of disgust. More dark wetness clung to the crate she had touched, had run down along it to form a pool on the floor, a pool she was standing in.

 

Blood. A lot of it. But where’s the body?

 

Then she turned the corner, and wished her question hadn’t been answered.

 

 

 

You're one of the few people who get congealed blood correct!

 

 

Edwin was, not for the first time in recent days, wishing that he’d studied Divination. True, it wasn’t as impressive as certain other schools of magic, and in combat it was of course entirely feeble compared to say Conjuration or Evocation, but right at this particular point in time, a seeking spell would have come in very handy. This place was a labyrinth, and the building seemed vast, far bigger on the inside than on the outside.

 

A dimensional shift of some sort, I wager. This would have been an interesting case study if I hadn’t happened to be right in the middle of it. He kept walking, trying to tell himself that he was bound to run into the others any time now. He’d deemed it unwise to yell at the top of his lungs, but surely they couldn’t be that far away. Unless we’re all in dimensional pockets separate from each other, his treacherous mind told him. And what if there is no way out? What if this space closes in upon itself, like a loop? No. He couldn’t afford to think like that. He had to focus, to keep to his purpose. Speaking of which…what would his Father have done in this place? Edwin tried to cling to that thought, to let it guide him through the darkness. He wouldn’t keep running around blindly, for one thing. When under pressure, and when unable to simply slip away, he’d have found himself a spot which could be used for an ambush and he’d have waited there to pick some of them off before moving on. He could almost hear Dekaras’ voice right now, next to his ear.

 

 

...And then he'd have taken a stupid risk and almost got himself killed. Like father, like son.
 

 

Never let your foe choose the battleground if you can help it, Edwin. You should always aim to be the one who picks the time, the place, and the method.

 

 

 

 

Minsc felt no fear. Boo was with him. Boo would know what to do.

 

 

Awwww!

 

 

The dead woman on the floor was staring sightlessly at the ceiling, her dark brown eyes glazed over and filmy. Her skin was pasty, a pale yellow which was utterly lifeless.

Not much left in her, Rini thought, feeling a little lightheaded. The woman was wearing a simple but well made magerobe, pale blue with a fine white linen shirt under shorter sleeves. Its entire front was covered with blood, black and sticky, soaked all the way through. It wasn’t dripping anymore, but it was still moist, with even nastier thicker clots here and there. No prize given for guessing the cause of death, Rini thought as she stared at the corpse. The woman’s head was lolling to one side, bent at an impossible angle. A second mouth, a lunatic’s bloody grin gaped wide beneath her chin, her throat slit with such force that her head was halfway severed. Well, we wanted a corpse, the half-elf thought, fighting back a slightly hysterical giggle. Only, I’m not sure this is really and actually real… Then she paused. What had she been thinking? Of course this was real, horrifically real. Something was definitely off, however. She couldn’t quite seem to remember where she was, or how she had got here. She’d been doing something…looking for something. It was important, she knew that, but it kept slipping away from her. And there had been others, friends, but who were they? She couldn’t remember that either. One thing was true beyond a doubt though. There was a monster somewhere in this labyrinth, and it was deadly. She paused, motionless, holding her breath. Was that a faint noise, somewhere in the deep shadows to her left? Yes. A gasp, and a gurgle. She could guess only too well what that meant. Another corpse, or soon to be corpse. And I’d better move right now, or I could be next. She set out as quickly as she dared, gingerly stepping across the corpse and moving off as quietly as she could. She couldn’t hear any footsteps behind her, no whisper of a breath, but deep down, in the icy pit of her stomach she knew that meant nothing. Death walks softly.

 

 

Eeep,  I find Rini losing her memory here far more scary than noises, darkness and things hiding.

 

There was a web around him, closing in. Edwin could almost see it in the air, bright red threads trembling and quivering, dripping fresh blood. The smallest movement, the smallest touch, and he’d set the entire web ablaze, and whatever fat and bloated spider lurked in the middle would know exactly where he was and head directly for him. So, I will not play their game.

Who ‘they’ were, he did not know, but he knew without a shadow of a doubt that he couldn’t allow them to catch him. There had been something else before, companions, somebody dear to him, but right this moment he was alone and content to stay that way. I have always worked best alone, with nobody to get in the way. Let them come, they will find me waiting. The thought felt strangely remote, as if it wasn’t entirely his own. But that was nonsense, surely. Who else could it belong to?

 

The wizard settled down on top of a pile of large crates, reaching almost all the way to the lofty ceiling. There were occasional rays of moonlight to avoid, but between those there were lovely patches of deepest shadow, offering safety and bliss. It seemed a long way down to the floor, and he blinked as he realized that he couldn’t remember climbing up here in the first place. He wasn’t even all that skilled at climbing, was he? No, that couldn’t be, that had to be wrong. At any rate, here he was, in the perfect place for an ambush. That was the important thing. That, and the whispers.

The whispers were closing in, crawling along the strands of the web, scratching at his mind, trying to edge inside. Renegade. Slayer. Monster.

 

Edwin smiled, his eyes cold and distant. Hurry up, little girls. Let us dance.

 

 

He sounds...not entirely sane! I wonder what the spider's web is?

 

Minsc walked through the shadows. He was not lost. Boo knew where to go.

 

 

I have this feeling Minsc will stay sane throughout this and save everyone.

 

There was a faint, thumping sound up ahead. Zaerini carefully crept closer, wary of what she might find. Still, moving on felt better than staying put and waiting for the killer to come at her from behind. Thump. Scrape. Thump. Scrape. Closer and closer, and now she was turning the corner, peering around a tall stack of crates. A sharp breath escaped her, air whistling almost painfully into her lungs as she beheld the sight in front of her.

 

This corpse hadn’t bled out, no. It was hanging by its neck from the rafters above, heavy boots bumping into the surrounding crates now and then as it swung gently back and forth. Thump. Scrape. Its face was a dark purple, its swollen tongue bitten almost clean through, its sightless eyes bulging from the head. It had been a muscular man in life, powerful and strong, and there was still a sword hanging from its belt.

 

When the monster caught up with him he didn’t even have the time to draw it.

 

Thump. Scrape. She stepped closer, closer. Did she know this man? She wasn’t sure. Everything was so blurry, everything but the sharp reality of the shadows, and the hidden monster in the shadows. Fascinated she stared at the dead face, tattoos almost invisible against the darkened skin. Thump. Scrape. Thump. Scrape. The corpse was still swinging. Too late, she realized what that had to mean. No wind in here to make it move. If it’s still moving, then that means…somebody only just put it there. Put it there as a distraction.

 

The garrote snaked around her throat, and she was yanked backwards, struggling helplessly in a powerful grip, her fingers scrabbling in vain as her breath was cut off and her field of vision was filled with swirling stars.

 

 

I think I can see where this is going now- the're going to be convinced to kill each other. Let's see if I'm right.

 

They were still coming, faster and faster. Edwin’s fingers danced through the motions as he wove his next spell, his tongue reciting the proper words even as his brain was already going through his next possible move. Faster. He had to be faster than them. A vaguely female face raced towards him, followed by another, and another. They were white as paper, smooth as eggs. There were no eyes, no noses, no ears, only too wide lipless mouths filled with razor-sharp fangs and long, cleft tongues dripping poison. Poison tongues. Liars, all of them. They always lied, all of them did. The sudden angry thought flashed through his mind like a rock dropped into water from far above, and sank to the bottom. Not his thought, not exactly, but he didn’t have the time to worry about that or the way his vision had gone strangely double as if he were two people at once. Each hissing, screaming face was surrounded by impossibly long hair which flowed and floated as if underwater, confusing his aim. Each head was attached to a thick, red, pulsing tentacle, disappearing off into the distant shadows. There had to be a body in there somewhere, a single entity controlling them all, but it was out of sight and out of reach. All he could do was take the heads out, one by one and many together, and pray that it would be enough. All he had to do was to be faster than them, every time. Unfortunately, all they had to do was to be faster than him one time. Lightning arced from his fingertips, shriveling three screaming heads at once, making their white skin char and their hair blaze.

 

“Ha!” Edwin hissed. “Take that, you witches. You’ll never…”

 

Renegade. Slayer! MONSTER!

 

Edwin faltered as he saw two new heads grow back from each severed tentacle. This was new, and it wasn’t reassuring.

 

 

 

It's a hydra! How do you kill those? I can't remember.

 

There are too many of them.

 

That was another one of those oddly intruding thoughts from the other presence with him, a stab of sharp despair followed by the determination to go down fighting, to take as many with him as he possibly could. They were upon him now, grasping, choking, but strangely enough not biting. Why not biting?

 

Because they want me alive.

 

And at that realization, both Edwin and the other voice in his head had to choke back a scream.

 

 

Noooo not good!

 

Minsc was getting closer now. Boo told him so.

 

 

I hope Minsc is the one who saves them. I love the rapidly switching scenes between the three of them.

 

 

It was a wraith, she was sure of it, it had to be. A twisted monster, made up of shadows, delighting in blood and death.

 

 

Yep, it's what we do. They. What they do.

 

Her foot nudged something soft, another corpse, a tall woman with only a bloody socket left where her right eye had been. Something had pierced clean through her skull and straight into her brain. She looked…surprised. She’d never seen her death coming. Zaerini shuddered, hurrying on. She was moving on pure instinct now, with no idea where she was going, knowing only that she needed to get away, now. Desperately, she reached out, her mind seeking the welcoming web.

Sisters!

 

Be calm, sister, a soothing voice whispered from inside the web. Do not be overcome by fear. The renegade is strong, yes, but there is but one of him, while we are many. Know it. Feel it!

 

New courage filled her, flowing into her from the web, telling her what to do, where to go, what to think.

 

“Renegade…Slayer…Monster…face me! Face the dead!”

 

 

Ohhh dear.

 

She turned a corner, and yes, there it was. The creature was all shadow, humanoid but with no proper features to make out, its form constantly flowing, changing, with tendrils of inky darkness creeping along its edges. It had its back to her, it was fighting already. Her sisters! Bravely fighting, that she might strike the fatal blow! Her heart swelled with pride and joy as she readied herself. A deep wellspring of magic was there for her, deeper than she alone could muster. The circle of sisters was supporting her, lending her their strength. The magic gathered, flowed through her. The creature turned, amber eyes burning, opening a snarling mouth. It lunged for her even as she struck.

 

 

Wake up, Rini! Don't do this.

 

It was almost too late. Edwin struggled weakly within the grasp of the surrounding foes, refusing to give up, as hopeless as it all seemed. He’d managed to kill more than he’d thought possible, but he knew now, knew with the clarity born of despair that it was in vain. There were simply too many of them, their web too strong to escape. And here was a triumphant cry behind him, one of them come to gloat. Their leader, most likely.

 

That was a mistake, girl. You never ought to do that while your target is still alive, and only rarely afterwards.

 

A smile not his own twisted Edwin’s face as he turned around, the strangling tentacles slipping away as new, cold strength shot up through his spine, steadying him. He had magic still to spare, but no…that felt…wrong somehow. As if it wasn’t his, not anymore. Never mind. There were other options available. He reached for his belt. Always, always keep a spare weapon. Preferably several. This one was enchanted, and quite sharp. The hilt sat in the palm of his hand as if it was a part of him, needing no conscious guidance. His arm moved, so fast it blurred, and let the magical dagger fly, straight for the heart.

 

 

Does he have that good an aim? Or is it magically improved? I hope he misses, anyway.

 

Minsc had arrived, just as Boo had told him he would. He did what he had to do.

 

 This is an annoying place to leave it, you evil person! I want to know what he does. Minsc the hero!



#7 Laufey

Posted 06 November 2014 - 09:57 PM

 

 

 

I’ll have to find them. That’s all.

 

First, she’d have to get her bearings. Magelight flared from her fingertips, conjuring a steady orange flame which floated in the air over her shoulder. Now she could see a little more, at least. She thought she was still inside the ruined warehouse, but it was…different. It wasn’t ruined anymore, for one thing. The walls were intact, and there were heavy crates and bales piled high to the ceiling. Speaking of the ceiling, it had previously been an open hole, gaping mindlessly at the night sky. Now it was whole, and there were windows out there, letting in pale little slivers of starlight.

 

 

Ooh things go intact when it gets scary. Nice twist. Incidently, you have terrible taste in music :D.

Those are fighting words! I'll have you know it fit perfectly. :)

 

Should she turn around, and confront whatever was behind her, or continue onwards? She knew she was pretty powerful now, she had weapons and magic at her disposal, not to mention the Slayer if things went really bad. Even so, she hesitated. She was pretty powerful, yes, but there were still things she’d have a hard time defending herself against, such as those horrible wraiths in the Forest of Mir. No, she’d continue onwards for now, and hopefully find the others before whatever it was found her. Feeling her way along the crates, she walked along for another couple of minutes. She had just begun to relax slightly when her fingers touched something wet and sticky. Startled, she raised them to her face. They were covered with something dark, almost black, and there was a wet smear on her sleeve as well, a little gelatinous lump which she scraped off with a grimace of disgust. More dark wetness clung to the crate she had touched, had run down along it to form a pool on the floor, a pool she was standing in.

 

Blood. A lot of it. But where’s the body?

 

Then she turned the corner, and wished her question hadn’t been answered.

 

 

 

You're one of the few people who get congealed blood correct!

Well, I've had experience with it after all.

 

Edwin was, not for the first time in recent days, wishing that he’d studied Divination. True, it wasn’t as impressive as certain other schools of magic, and in combat it was of course entirely feeble compared to say Conjuration or Evocation, but right at this particular point in time, a seeking spell would have come in very handy. This place was a labyrinth, and the building seemed vast, far bigger on the inside than on the outside.

 

A dimensional shift of some sort, I wager. This would have been an interesting case study if I hadn’t happened to be right in the middle of it. He kept walking, trying to tell himself that he was bound to run into the others any time now. He’d deemed it unwise to yell at the top of his lungs, but surely they couldn’t be that far away. Unless we’re all in dimensional pockets separate from each other, his treacherous mind told him. And what if there is no way out? What if this space closes in upon itself, like a loop? No. He couldn’t afford to think like that. He had to focus, to keep to his purpose. Speaking of which…what would his Father have done in this place? Edwin tried to cling to that thought, to let it guide him through the darkness. He wouldn’t keep running around blindly, for one thing. When under pressure, and when unable to simply slip away, he’d have found himself a spot which could be used for an ambush and he’d have waited there to pick some of them off before moving on. He could almost hear Dekaras’ voice right now, next to his ear.

 

 

...And then he'd have taken a stupid risk and almost got himself killed. Like father, like son.
 

 

Never let your foe choose the battleground if you can help it, Edwin. You should always aim to be the one who picks the time, the place, and the method.

 

 

 

 

Minsc felt no fear. Boo was with him. Boo would know what to do.

 

 

Awwww!

Minsc is being the sensible person in this chapter. :)

 

 

The dead woman on the floor was staring sightlessly at the ceiling, her dark brown eyes glazed over and filmy. Her skin was pasty, a pale yellow which was utterly lifeless.

Not much left in her, Rini thought, feeling a little lightheaded. The woman was wearing a simple but well made magerobe, pale blue with a fine white linen shirt under shorter sleeves. Its entire front was covered with blood, black and sticky, soaked all the way through. It wasn’t dripping anymore, but it was still moist, with even nastier thicker clots here and there. No prize given for guessing the cause of death, Rini thought as she stared at the corpse. The woman’s head was lolling to one side, bent at an impossible angle. A second mouth, a lunatic’s bloody grin gaped wide beneath her chin, her throat slit with such force that her head was halfway severed. Well, we wanted a corpse, the half-elf thought, fighting back a slightly hysterical giggle. Only, I’m not sure this is really and actually real… Then she paused. What had she been thinking? Of course this was real, horrifically real. Something was definitely off, however. She couldn’t quite seem to remember where she was, or how she had got here. She’d been doing something…looking for something. It was important, she knew that, but it kept slipping away from her. And there had been others, friends, but who were they? She couldn’t remember that either. One thing was true beyond a doubt though. There was a monster somewhere in this labyrinth, and it was deadly. She paused, motionless, holding her breath. Was that a faint noise, somewhere in the deep shadows to her left? Yes. A gasp, and a gurgle. She could guess only too well what that meant. Another corpse, or soon to be corpse. And I’d better move right now, or I could be next. She set out as quickly as she dared, gingerly stepping across the corpse and moving off as quietly as she could. She couldn’t hear any footsteps behind her, no whisper of a breath, but deep down, in the icy pit of her stomach she knew that meant nothing. Death walks softly.

 

 

Eeep,  I find Rini losing her memory here far more scary than noises, darkness and things hiding.

Excellent, that's the effect I was aiming for!
 

 

There was a web around him, closing in. Edwin could almost see it in the air, bright red threads trembling and quivering, dripping fresh blood. The smallest movement, the smallest touch, and he’d set the entire web ablaze, and whatever fat and bloated spider lurked in the middle would know exactly where he was and head directly for him. So, I will not play their game.

Who ‘they’ were, he did not know, but he knew without a shadow of a doubt that he couldn’t allow them to catch him. There had been something else before, companions, somebody dear to him, but right this moment he was alone and content to stay that way. I have always worked best alone, with nobody to get in the way. Let them come, they will find me waiting. The thought felt strangely remote, as if it wasn’t entirely his own. But that was nonsense, surely. Who else could it belong to?

 

The wizard settled down on top of a pile of large crates, reaching almost all the way to the lofty ceiling. There were occasional rays of moonlight to avoid, but between those there were lovely patches of deepest shadow, offering safety and bliss. It seemed a long way down to the floor, and he blinked as he realized that he couldn’t remember climbing up here in the first place. He wasn’t even all that skilled at climbing, was he? No, that couldn’t be, that had to be wrong. At any rate, here he was, in the perfect place for an ambush. That was the important thing. That, and the whispers.

The whispers were closing in, crawling along the strands of the web, scratching at his mind, trying to edge inside. Renegade. Slayer. Monster.

 

Edwin smiled, his eyes cold and distant. Hurry up, little girls. Let us dance.

 

 

He sounds...not entirely sane! I wonder what the spider's web is?

 

It's the Witches' web of spells. He's basically tapping into a twisted version of Dekkie's past experiences here.
 

 

Minsc walked through the shadows. He was not lost. Boo knew where to go.

 

 

I have this feeling Minsc will stay sane throughout this and save everyone.

 

As long as he doesn't find a button to push to summon a raidboss and shut everybody inside a locked room....

There was a faint, thumping sound up ahead. Zaerini carefully crept closer, wary of what she might find. Still, moving on felt better than staying put and waiting for the killer to come at her from behind. Thump. Scrape. Thump. Scrape. Closer and closer, and now she was turning the corner, peering around a tall stack of crates. A sharp breath escaped her, air whistling almost painfully into her lungs as she beheld the sight in front of her.

 

This corpse hadn’t bled out, no. It was hanging by its neck from the rafters above, heavy boots bumping into the surrounding crates now and then as it swung gently back and forth. Thump. Scrape. Its face was a dark purple, its swollen tongue bitten almost clean through, its sightless eyes bulging from the head. It had been a muscular man in life, powerful and strong, and there was still a sword hanging from its belt.

 

When the monster caught up with him he didn’t even have the time to draw it.

 

Thump. Scrape. She stepped closer, closer. Did she know this man? She wasn’t sure. Everything was so blurry, everything but the sharp reality of the shadows, and the hidden monster in the shadows. Fascinated she stared at the dead face, tattoos almost invisible against the darkened skin. Thump. Scrape. Thump. Scrape. The corpse was still swinging. Too late, she realized what that had to mean. No wind in here to make it move. If it’s still moving, then that means…somebody only just put it there. Put it there as a distraction.

 

The garrote snaked around her throat, and she was yanked backwards, struggling helplessly in a powerful grip, her fingers scrabbling in vain as her breath was cut off and her field of vision was filled with swirling stars.

 

 

I think I can see where this is going now- the're going to be convinced to kill each other. Let's see if I'm right.

Yep, you're right!

 

They were still coming, faster and faster. Edwin’s fingers danced through the motions as he wove his next spell, his tongue reciting the proper words even as his brain was already going through his next possible move. Faster. He had to be faster than them. A vaguely female face raced towards him, followed by another, and another. They were white as paper, smooth as eggs. There were no eyes, no noses, no ears, only too wide lipless mouths filled with razor-sharp fangs and long, cleft tongues dripping poison. Poison tongues. Liars, all of them. They always lied, all of them did. The sudden angry thought flashed through his mind like a rock dropped into water from far above, and sank to the bottom. Not his thought, not exactly, but he didn’t have the time to worry about that or the way his vision had gone strangely double as if he were two people at once. Each hissing, screaming face was surrounded by impossibly long hair which flowed and floated as if underwater, confusing his aim. Each head was attached to a thick, red, pulsing tentacle, disappearing off into the distant shadows. There had to be a body in there somewhere, a single entity controlling them all, but it was out of sight and out of reach. All he could do was take the heads out, one by one and many together, and pray that it would be enough. All he had to do was to be faster than them, every time. Unfortunately, all they had to do was to be faster than him one time. Lightning arced from his fingertips, shriveling three screaming heads at once, making their white skin char and their hair blaze.

 

“Ha!” Edwin hissed. “Take that, you witches. You’ll never…”

 

Renegade. Slayer! MONSTER!

 

Edwin faltered as he saw two new heads grow back from each severed tentacle. This was new, and it wasn’t reassuring.

 

 

 

It's a hydra! How do you kill those? I can't remember.

 

There are too many of them.

 

That was another one of those oddly intruding thoughts from the other presence with him, a stab of sharp despair followed by the determination to go down fighting, to take as many with him as he possibly could. They were upon him now, grasping, choking, but strangely enough not biting. Why not biting?

 

Because they want me alive.

 

And at that realization, both Edwin and the other voice in his head had to choke back a scream.

 

 

Noooo not good!

Very much not good.

 

Minsc was getting closer now. Boo told him so.

 

 

I hope Minsc is the one who saves them. I love the rapidly switching scenes between the three of them.

 

Thanks! I was hoping to make it feel hectic that way.
 

 

 

It was a wraith, she was sure of it, it had to be. A twisted monster, made up of shadows, delighting in blood and death.

 

 

Yep, it's what we do. They. What they do.

 

Uh huh. :) I don't know if you remember, but back when he still occasionally operated into Rasheman, the Witches used to refer to a certain assassin as 'The Wraith'.

Her foot nudged something soft, another corpse, a tall woman with only a bloody socket left where her right eye had been. Something had pierced clean through her skull and straight into her brain. She looked…surprised. She’d never seen her death coming. Zaerini shuddered, hurrying on. She was moving on pure instinct now, with no idea where she was going, knowing only that she needed to get away, now. Desperately, she reached out, her mind seeking the welcoming web.

Sisters!

 

Be calm, sister, a soothing voice whispered from inside the web. Do not be overcome by fear. The renegade is strong, yes, but there is but one of him, while we are many. Know it. Feel it!

 

New courage filled her, flowing into her from the web, telling her what to do, where to go, what to think.

 

“Renegade…Slayer…Monster…face me! Face the dead!”

 

 

Ohhh dear.

Indeed.

 

She turned a corner, and yes, there it was. The creature was all shadow, humanoid but with no proper features to make out, its form constantly flowing, changing, with tendrils of inky darkness creeping along its edges. It had its back to her, it was fighting already. Her sisters! Bravely fighting, that she might strike the fatal blow! Her heart swelled with pride and joy as she readied herself. A deep wellspring of magic was there for her, deeper than she alone could muster. The circle of sisters was supporting her, lending her their strength. The magic gathered, flowed through her. The creature turned, amber eyes burning, opening a snarling mouth. It lunged for her even as she struck.

 

 

Wake up, Rini! Don't do this.

Isn't mind control nasty?
 

 

It was almost too late. Edwin struggled weakly within the grasp of the surrounding foes, refusing to give up, as hopeless as it all seemed. He’d managed to kill more than he’d thought possible, but he knew now, knew with the clarity born of despair that it was in vain. There were simply too many of them, their web too strong to escape. And here was a triumphant cry behind him, one of them come to gloat. Their leader, most likely.

 

That was a mistake, girl. You never ought to do that while your target is still alive, and only rarely afterwards.

 

A smile not his own twisted Edwin’s face as he turned around, the strangling tentacles slipping away as new, cold strength shot up through his spine, steadying him. He had magic still to spare, but no…that felt…wrong somehow. As if it wasn’t his, not anymore. Never mind. There were other options available. He reached for his belt. Always, always keep a spare weapon. Preferably several. This one was enchanted, and quite sharp. The hilt sat in the palm of his hand as if it was a part of him, needing no conscious guidance. His arm moved, so fast it blurred, and let the magical dagger fly, straight for the heart.

 

 

Does he have that good an aim? Or is it magically improved? I hope he misses, anyway.

 

Minsc had arrived, just as Boo had told him he would. He did what he had to do.

 

 This is an annoying place to leave it, you evil person! I want to know what he does. Minsc the hero!

 

Welll....now that you've read it, I may think about getting started on the next one. :)

 


Rogues do it from behind.

#8 Silver

Posted 08 March 2015 - 02:20 AM

That was so amazingly creepy! I loved it. 

 

Minsc made me laugh. I really enjoyed his very brief viewpoints in contrast to the scenes with the other two.



#9 Laufey

Posted 06 May 2015 - 05:58 PM

That was so amazingly creepy! I loved it. 

 

Minsc made me laugh. I really enjoyed his very brief viewpoints in contrast to the scenes with the other two.

Thank you! I'm sorry I've taken so long to post more, work and other things have got in the way. Haven't forgotten though.


Rogues do it from behind.




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