Author Topic: Light of shadows... (Read 7625 times)

Kassil · « **on:** March 18, 2003, 08:09:29 PM »

Deep within the mountains, far from civilization, an ancient power stirred restlessly, pulsing as it gathered strength to itself in drips and scraps, slowly gaining might for the day when it could make a bid for the place it knew rightfully belonged to it.

All along the mountain's slopes, strange creatures moved, gathering lesser creatures to carry back to the restive power's heart, that they might join the quest to help that power ascend to dominance. So far from civilizations of men and dwarves and elves, the mountain seemed the perfect place for gathering a secret army to conquer the world, the perfect fortress for the power to hide within while it grew.

-----

Far away from that mountain, a strange beast, shaped as a lizard who had chosen to walk like a man, shook his reptilian head ruefully as he looked upon the bones and flower petals scattered before him. In a rasping, harshly accented form of the common language, he spoke to nothing in particular. "Thhiss iss nhot good... The ssleeperr uf the mountainss stirsss... It musst be stohpped..."

Gathering up the bones and petals, the lizard-creature stowed them into a crude pouch of woven hide, slung around his shoulders like a satchel, and picked up the spear lying next to him - unlike the crude leather, the spear was a ork of art, carefully shaped from the wood of a sacred tree and fitted with a spearhead made of carefully worked cold iron, and a bronze cap fitted the other end as a counterweight.

Looking behind himself at the marshlands which had been the home of him and his people for generations beyond counting, he slipped off through the trees, to find those the augury had spoken of...

Ria Hawk · « **Reply #1 on:** March 18, 2003, 08:58:14 PM »

Mikka wandered along the edge of the marsh, singing to herself. Some folk said that the marsh was dangerous, but she didn't think they were as dangerous as others thought. And anyway, it was better if she stuck to deserted areas, at least until things cooled off for her. Steal a lousy gem from a lousy diplomat, and that makes you public enemy number one. But it was a fine thing. She pulled it out of her pocket to look at it. It was bright blue, and flashed in the sunlight. It would fetch a fine price when she sold it, if she ever did. She might just keep it. But for now, back in the pocket.
She walked along a while longer. Suddenly, something like a wave of vertigo hit her, and her knees buckled. Fortunately, a convenient branch kept her from falling. It passed as quickly as it had hit, but it still worried her. That had been happening a lot recently. It wasn't something she could really explain, not even to herself. It just seemed like there was a definite wrongness present that caused it.
She shook her head to clear it, then noticed someone coming out of the marshes. The fellow resembled nothing so much except for a giant lizard on its hind legs. She hailed him cautiously. She had heard tell that folk like that had lived in the marshes for ages, but no one had seen any for a long time. He didn't seem like he meant harm, but growing up in the streets had taught Mikka the value of caution.

Kassil · « **Reply #2 on:** March 18, 2003, 09:35:11 PM »

The lizard-man flicked his tail in irritation as he emerged from the swamp's borders; he'd cast another augury as a curiosity, and it had been vague about those he would need to find. Still, it had indicated one, a sly one, being somewhere close.

His attention was attracted by a movement and sound - a biped of the soft-skinned races. Allowing himself a satisfied flicker of his tongue, he shifted his grip on his spear, and stepped across the soft ground towards Mikka - so well-adapted to the marshes that his taloned feet left behind next to no impression in the mud.

"Hthhh... Hhail to yhou assss well..." The lizard-mans's voice was deeper than might be expected, and the accent was thick, but understandable. "Dho yhou know uf ohne whho might hhelp one ssuch assss I? A ssly ohne, whho cahn ssslip through darknessss without sssound..."

Ria Hawk · « **Reply #3 on:** March 18, 2003, 09:54:24 PM »

The lizard-man greeted her and asked her a question. As soon as the meaning of the question hit her, she laughed. She couldn't help it. As soon as she cuaght her breath, she said, "Sorry. You do ask direct questions, don't you. I wasn't laughing at you. Just fate, cause it's a peculiar beast when it wants to be. See, I'm a thief most times, and I'm pretty good at being sneaky. 'Course, I may not be the right thief for the job, but I could probably find one who is." She was a little astounded at herself, being so free with her occupation. But still, "a sly one who could slip through the darkness without sound" was a pretty accurate description of a thief. And if he felt the need to turn her in, well, she was pretty good at hiding too. "I'm Mikka."

Kassil · « **Reply #4 on:** March 18, 2003, 11:53:26 PM »

"Dihrect iss thhe ohnly way to assk, fhor my peopless." As Mikka introduces herself, the lizard-man performs a weird half-salute with his spear, the gleaming iron edge flashing in the sunlight. "Techha iss thhe word whichh my peopless call me."

Lowering his spear again, Techha dips his head. "Be wahrned, Mikka. Thisss pathh whichh I sseek iss dangerouss. A thhing uf ffear growss ssstrong, ahnd musst be sstohpped. I sseek to sstohp it, yet companionss I nheed."

Ria Hawk · « **Reply #5 on:** March 19, 2003, 12:27:49 PM »

Mikka shrugged. "I'm used to dangerous. The type of life I lead... Well, let's just say that I'm not likely to see old age. Your cause seems as good as any, and better than most. And if you think I can't cut it, well, we can work it out." She started walking along with Techha, amazed at how at ease she felt with this creature. It was very unusual. "So. You've got me. Do you have any idea who else you need?"

Kassil · « **Reply #6 on:** March 19, 2003, 05:33:43 PM »

"A hhunter of ssortss, ahnd the sspiritss sspoke uf a ssorcerer of ssortss..." Techha started walking again, the curious joints of his legs giving his stride a strange, bobbing movement, as if each step were more of a small leap. "Passt thiss, I cahn not be ssure..."

After about half an hour, a pair of horsemen came into sight, thundering down the road with an apparent goal; neither seemed particularly special from a distance, aside from the swords bouncing along at the sides of each rider...

Ria Hawk · « **Reply #7 on:** March 19, 2003, 07:16:56 PM »

Mikka frowned. By nature people who used swords made her nervous. And considering her present situation, it might be a good idea to find out what the two approaching riders wanted. "Maybe we should get off the road," she murmured. "I don't have a good reputation with authority figures."

Kassil · « **Reply #8 on:** March 20, 2003, 04:35:23 AM »

A sharp, statacco series of coughs broke from Techha's throat as the lizard-man flexed his legs and leaped a good twenty feet into the bushes off to the side of the rose; his equivilant of a laugh, as it were. "My peopless, perhhapss, whould be sstranger to thhem thhan a 'thhief'..."

As the two hid in the bushes, the voice of the two men thundering past became audible, as they shouted to each other. "What d'ye think, Jer? Th' King's mad, I tell ye!"
"Mayhap, mayhap. But still, we be sworn t'his service. Even if it do mean ridin' t'tell th' army t'pull back from the border an' abandon th' mines."
"I dinnae like it, still. Leavin' th' mines t'trolls - what then? Have th' army ride out w'copper blades, 'stead of stout iron?"

Ria Hawk · « **Reply #9 on:** March 20, 2003, 11:25:50 AM »

Mikka glanced at Techha as the riders went past. "I really don't like the sound of that. Perhaps it has something to do with what you're after, maybe? If it does, we might be on a deadline." As long as she could remember, there had been soldiers on the border. And now the king was suddenly pulling them back. It did not bode well. Suddenly, another wave of whatever-it-was-that-seemed-like-vertigo-but-wasn't hit her again. She grabbed hold of a branch for a moment until she got her balance back. She wished she knew what was going on with that, because it was a bloody nuisance.

Kassil · « **Reply #10 on:** March 21, 2003, 07:40:53 AM »

"Perhhapss... Yet I thhink nhot. Let uss sseek thhe capital of thiss land... Hhhsss... Ssomethhing tellss me thhat all iss not well thhere." As the riders disappeared from view, Techha leaped again, catapulting himself back onto the road; perhaps the bizarre way his legs bent did have merit to it...

"Chome, Mikka. Hhhsss... We needsss musst hhurry, befohre more ssoliderss passs through hhere."

Ria Hawk · « **Reply #11 on:** March 21, 2003, 07:44:08 AM »

Mikka scrambled out of the bushes after him. She had a feeling he was right about the capital, and anyways, hiding from soldiers was not her idea of a good time.

Kassil · « **Reply #12 on:** March 22, 2003, 12:14:59 PM »

A few hours later found the pair approaching a village - nothing major, just a simple town on the main road between the border with the Orcish Alliance and the capital building. As such, it routinely saw odd things, but a lizard-man from the swamps - particularly one carying a weapon with metal on it... That was news. By the time Techha and Mikka had made it into the town square, everyone not occupied with a job had stopped what they were doing to watch the strange pair.

"Hhsss... Ssuch troublesss, thiss attention iss. Needsss musst find ssome clothh to dissguisse mysself withh... And perhapss find the otherss ouhr quesst needsss."

Ria Hawk · « **Reply #13 on:** March 23, 2003, 07:24:11 PM »

Mikka agreed with Techha about a disguise. She slipped away and quietly liberated a hooded robe from a clothesline. "Here. I keep forgetting not everyone is as openminded as I am." She handed it to him. "That should do." She thought for a moment. "Where d'you think we should look for any others? Me, I'd go for the tavern, but that may not be a good idea."

Kassil · « **Reply #14 on:** March 23, 2003, 09:37:31 PM »

"Hhsss..." Techha sighed as he pulled the cloak over his reptilian body, and tugged it closed, allowing only the spear to project outside the cloth's boundaries. "Thiss place iss closser to yourss thhan mihne... If a 'tahvern' iss ssuggessted, a 'tahvern' it isss..." As he spoke, the lizardman looked around, his eyes gleaming faintly in the shadows of his hood. "Perhapss luck sshall find uss... Or if nhot, we sshall mhove on, once we hhave ssuppliess..." Once finished speaking, Techha turned, and began to walk towards the nearby tavern, only the odd swaying of his cloaked form giving any hint to the fact that a reptile walked there rather than a human o demihuman.

Kassil · « **Reply #15 on:** March 26, 2003, 03:55:38 PM »

The tavern was relatively quiet at this time of day; most of the townsfolk were busy with their jobs, leaving the interior of the room relatively calm, quiet, and free of smoke. A few barmaids loitered around, waiting on the handful of people in the main room, only one of them looking like she wasn't easily pushing middle age and too many children.

Techha regarded the chairs around the tables with distaste; moving one aside, the lizard-man crouched in the space, giving the appearance of being seated at the table with the way the borrowed cloak flared around him; his spear came to rest on the floor next to him, the iron spearhead under the table where none would step on it.

Ria Hawk · « **Reply #16 on:** March 26, 2003, 10:07:46 PM »

Mikka looked around. It looked like a fairly respectable establishment, but that might not mean anything later. The people that would be the right sort wouldn't be around til the evening. But that was okay. She had learned from experience that as long as you didn't cause trouble, the people who owned taverns usually didn't care how long you stayed.

Kassil · « **Reply #17 on:** March 27, 2003, 12:01:08 PM »

(OOC: ...If anyone else cares to join, this would be an ideal place for it...)

Kassil · « **Reply #18 on:** March 27, 2003, 12:07:14 PM »

Techha eyed the barmaid who came to their table - the youngest-looking one, who couldn't possibly be more than 14 years in age - before carefully requesting an order of beef and a flagon of what passed for the town's ale. When the girl turned her back, one scaled hand flickered out from beneath the cloak, placing a fat coin of worked gold in the center of the table to await the girl.

"Hhsss... Thhiss whill be dhifficult... Sspeaking sso my bhreed iss nhot sshown..." The lizard-man shook his head slight, and gave what passed for an irritated scowl among his people - baring his sharp predator's teeth. "Thhiss place... Whill it hhave thhe peopless we nheed, Mikka?"

Ria Hawk · « **Reply #19 on:** March 27, 2003, 01:28:39 PM »

"Quite probably. There's like some unspoken agreement that business deals are initiated in taverns. And even if no one that we can use is here, there's sure to be someone who knows where we can find them. I've found that the people who risk their lives on a regular basis are the sort that need a stiff drink now and then." The girl returned with Techha's order and Mikka's own drink. As she left, Misska eyed her. "She looks too young to be working in a place like this. But at least she's not on the street." She glanced back at Techha. "If talking makes you uncomfortable, you could just tell me whatever it was, and I could relay it."

Kassil · « **Reply #20 on:** March 27, 2003, 01:52:05 PM »

"Thhe talking iss nhot thhe problem... Hhsss... It iss thhe accent I hhave, whhichh markss me more ssurely thhan if I sstrode thhrough thhe sstreetss..." Techha paused, as the girl came back, swaying in an attempt at imitating the sashay of the older barmaids, and deposited the food and drink; when her eyes lit upon the gold coin, they nearly doubled in size, and after a moment's hesitation she carefully scooped it up and scurried off with it, all pretense at acting like the older barmaids forgotten.

"Hhsss... Ssad, thhiss iss. Yhoung oness ssuchh ass her sshould nhot be sslaved to placess ssuchh ass thhiss..." Carefully watching to ensure that no one could see his hands, he began ripping pieces loose from the beef on the plate and devouring them. "If thhiss quesst did nhot require uss to sseek dangerss, I whould almosst be tempted to assk hher to join uss..."

Ria Hawk · « **Reply #21 on:** March 27, 2003, 08:36:30 PM »

"I'm not sure I'd call this slavery. Drudgery maybe. I don't know. But I've seen what slavery is like." For a moment, her eyes flashed. Then she shrugged. "Anyway. A young person is capable of more than you night think. I mean, I'm only twenty. Although she doesn't look much like she could readily handle what we're probably going to be facing." She fell silent, thinking.

Kassil · « **Reply #22 on:** March 31, 2003, 04:33:12 PM »

Techha says nothing for a moment, only watching the girl as she hurries to change the coin the lizard-man left upon the table. Then, with a swish of his tail beneath the cloak - the equivilant of a shrug among his kind - he snatches another shred of meat and chew on it. "Perhhapss... Sstill... Thhiss iss thhe clossesst my peopless hhave sseen to sslavery - your peopless are thhe only oness whho ensslave othherss... Nhot mine..."

Ria Hawk · « **Reply #23 on:** March 31, 2003, 05:22:17 PM »

Mikka looked around. "I'm not arguing with you. Sometimes the depths to which humans will sink astounds me."

Lady Wiccan Wolf · « **Reply #24 on:** April 02, 2003, 02:21:00 AM »

*Sitting in the farthest corner of the tavern, tucked away from all the other customers, a young woman sat alone at a small table. A green, hooded cloak was draped over the back of her chair; she worn a brown tunic of cloth, soft leather pants, and animal hide boots that reached midway up her calves. Behind her, leaning against the wall, was a sturdy quarterstaff engraved with Runes.*