Kereth
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Because 'stabbity, stabbity, stabbity' is a punchline.
Posts: 222
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Post by Kereth on Sept 6, 2006 20:15:37 GMT -5
Chapter Twelve: The Rajians Part Five: The End of a Sanctuary
"There you are, novice," came a small voice, "I've been looking for you."
Nihan turned to face the speaker. It was Naomi, the First Ward and now Guildmaster. She fluttered down the corridor toward her. As she approached, Nihan could make out a stack of documents clutched in the atomy's hands.
"What do you need?" Nihan asked, giving the guildmaster a slight bow.
"I have an assignment for you," Naomi said. She flipped through the papers briefly before selecting one and continuing. "Your master, the Imam, has requested you accompany him on a mission. He feels its time you got some more field experience. You are to leave as soon as you are ready."
Nihan nodded, holding back her surprise, and Naomi resumed shuffling through papers. It was a bit sudden. Nihan had just been on her way to get some dinner when Naomi had stopped her. Dinner could wait. Nihan could stand to skip a meal now and then if she had to, so long as she didn't allow her blood sugar to get too low and hurt her endurance. A little hashish and an encouraging vision could do wonders for one's level of energy, if it came down to that. Besides, she was about to get an opportunity to spend an extended period of time alone with Huja. She wasn't going to mess that up by dawdling.
"What should-" she began, but Naomi seemed to have found the page she was looking for.
"He recommends you bring two pairs of daggers," the atomy woman recited, "changes of clothes to last you for several days, any equipment you require for a long journey, something warm, something you can fight in, and 'that dress you wore the other day' (I assume you know what he's talking about. I don't.) in case you should need something nice to wear. He also requests that you not inform anyone unnecessary of your departure. The mission is diplomatic in nature and is to be kept as confidential as is conveniently possible. The estimated time to your return is eight days."
Nihan took it all in as quickly as she could. A diplomatic mission? That was new, though it would certainly explain why she might need to wear something nice. She also made a mental note that he seemed to have liked the dress. "Something warm" though. . .
"Where will we be going?" Nihan asked.
"Elysium," said Naomi, "Will there be anything else?"
Elysium. Nihan's eyes widened slightly and her heart raced at the sound of the word. She wasn't sure if she had ever expected to return there. She would have to one day, of course, but so soon. . .? She felt immediately dazed. "I- No," she said, "Thank you."
"Then get your things," Naomi said, "Your master will be meeting you by the cathedral gates." She fluttered away, flipping to the next set of documents.
Elysium, Nihan thought. Elysium.
She turned, heading back to her quarters. As she did, a single word began repeating itself over and over in her mind. That word will not be mentioned here. It is, as it happens, a rather impolite sort of word. --------------------- Next time, on "Not Only Raji...": Sikkar's Teachings ---------------------
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Kereth
Storymaster
Because 'stabbity, stabbity, stabbity' is a punchline.
Posts: 222
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Post by Kereth on Sept 11, 2006 19:36:08 GMT -5
Chapter Thirteen: The Incursus Part One: Set in Order
"The fifth degree rejects revealed religion and the observances of the literal interpretation of the Holy texts, which are for the ignorant masses who could not understand Hand principles. The candidate's mathematical and numerological knowledge is deepened and its magical value stressed. Some claim that it takes three years to train the mind, repeating the magical word AK- ZABT-I, to allow the Hand to influence others with thought alone." -Ciang, Eighth Degree, Hand Guildmaster
Following their graduation from the Novice rank and promotion to the Fidai status, members of the Hand Guild, are permitted to expand their skills in whatever way they deem fit and in whatever area they feel will best compliment their existing talents. Some train their bodies, others their skills, and others still train their magic. Huja followed an altogether different course when his time came: he trained his mind, following in the steps of an elderly anakim he met during his travels. He became, as the anakim man called it, a member of the "Ordo Incursus." His skills benefit him greatly, serving as an alternate means of attack in combat, as well as allowing him to read other's thoughts, and even, when necessary, convince them to completely overlook his presence.
Because of that second power, as Naomi approached him that morning with a summary of recent developments regarding other leaders, he already knew everything she was going to tell him. Of course, he let her say it anyway. It was good for her to get it out like that; it helped the rest of the conversation go more smoothly.
"I have the reports back on those three leaders you asked about," she said. Huja nodded, indicating for her to continue. "Nebu has already arrived," she said, "the air city floats above us as we speak. They asked for a delay of three days before they will meet with you- You know how they just don't like to rush anything. Next one to get here will be King Odie, believe it or not. I didn't actually expect him to respond so politely. His usual tactic is a bit more. . ." She trailed off into something incoherent.
Huja just nodded. "He's frightened," he said, "Sometimes, fear is enough to make us all forget our pride and do what is necessary. What is the word from Elysium?"
Naomi winced slightly. She clearly didn't relish telling this last news, which was ironic, as Huja already knew it. "They're not being. . . quite so cooperative," she said. Huja stared at her patiently. She sighed. "Abraham refuses to come here. He offers us his aid, but he insists you must come there yourself and request it." She watched Huja's lack of expression worriedly. It had been a presumptuous response. Ordinarily, such an answer would have warranted the leader's elimination by a member of the guild, but that would start all sorts of trouble in this case, and trouble between the Hand of the Black Rose, and the Sikkaran Order at Elysium. . . well, let's just say that nobody wanted that, not on either side and especially not right now.
Huja already knew what his response must be. Abraham Ben- Levi's place in Khalid's vision had been too prominent for him to be simply left out of the picture, along with his people. If the man was going to be stubborn, Huja had no choice but to play along for the time being, even if he had to have the man dealt with later on.
"Will he accept any other delegate, or must he meet with me personally?" he asked, seeing the answer in Naomi's mind. There would be no substitute. The atomy shook her head accordingly.
"Only you," she said.
"Very well," said Huja, "I will visit him personally. You and Sadam must meet with the emissaries while I am gone. Also, send word to Miss Bath-Asher to accompany me. I think she would benefit greatly from the experience." It was all he could do keep the edge of nervousness from reaching his voice at that last. That was it, though, the order had been given. It was too late to go back on things now.
Naomi nodded, eying him curiously as he passed her an atomy- sized, already filled out form, detailing Nihan's orders for the assignment.
That's right, he told himself, it is too late to go back on it now, but are you sure you've made the right decision?
Cyllyl only knew he'd never find a better option. --------------------- Next time, on "Not Only Raji...": Huja changes his mind. ---------------------
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Kereth
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Because 'stabbity, stabbity, stabbity' is a punchline.
Posts: 222
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Post by Kereth on Sept 13, 2006 20:42:14 GMT -5
Chapter Thirteen: The Incursus Part Two: "I have"
Feathery wings unfurled backward and nimble fingers entwined, arms directed skyward, as the young, anakim woman stretched her body serenely, casting a lithe silhouette against the sunset desert sky. Huja watched her quietly.
They had set out from the cathedral late in the evening, not wasting any time by delaying until the onset of the new day. The result was that as the Imam called for them to stop and make camp, just a few hours later, they had not even cleared the desert, nor caught their first glimpse of the towering peaks to the north.
Actually, Nihan was rather curious as to why he chose to set up camp so soon. There was still another half hour or so left of daylight ahead of them. If they were going to waste that much time anyway, why had they bothered departing so hastily?
Not that she would question him on it. He was the Imam, and he knew best, and she was certainly not going to complain about an extra half hour doing nothing at his side before time came to turn in, provided he didn't have anything else in mind for the time. She looked over at him and was pleased to find his eyes were already on her. Well, that was progress, she thought, flashing him a smile.
She strolled over to him confidently and sat down across his lap, leaning on his shoulder and looking off toward the sunset. He seemed different somehow. Tense? She put her arms around him, considering this.
Moments later, Huja put his arms around her in return.
Her heart fluttered with surprise. Strange that from a man who never returned her advances, the slightest sign of affection should seem so enticing.
"H- have you given any more thought to that proposition I made you?" she asked him, cursing herself inwardly for the nervous stutter.
Huja's reply was slow in coming. "I have," he said.
Promising too, but she knew she mustn't let that get her hopes up. He gave the same response last time she had asked him, and then only to confirm that he hadn't decided yet. Besides, something about his posture was bothering her. He was so stiff, and she could swear she could feel his hands trembling just ever-so- slightly as he held her. "And," she asked hesitantly, "have you come to a decision yet?"
Was he. . . nervous?
"I have," he said, and Nihan's heart stopped cold. --------------------- Next time, on "Not Only Raji...": "I've decided to become a eunuch." ---------------------
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Kereth
Storymaster
Because 'stabbity, stabbity, stabbity' is a punchline.
Posts: 222
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Post by Kereth on Sept 15, 2006 21:56:46 GMT -5
Chapter Thirteen: The Incursus Part Three: Answer
The silence was agonizing, broken only by the faint, airy breath of the desert wind. The two anakim sat close together, holding one another in their arms. The rock upon which they sat and their packs of supplies, abandoned a few feet to the side, were the only other features to be glimpsed beneath the Sharan sunset. Hot, orange sands stretched out to the horizon. They were alone.
"And," Nihan said at last, struggling against the tremor in her voice, "what have you decided?" She raised her head, gazing almost fearfully into her Lord Imam's eyes. Huja's eyes.
He stared back at her blankly. She felt so alone in that moment, so vulnerable.
He knew that she did. He could sense it, even without his talents. It actually pained him to see her like that, pained him to look into those deep, sapphire eyes and gaze into a heart that the eyes feared he might shatter. He wanted to answer her, to tell her what he decided, but could not remember of the words for the life of him.
He knew the things he wanted to express to her, to explain to her. He had gone over them all in his mind earlier. He wanted to explain it to her logically, to tell her how he had watched her and tested her, had seen her abilities, had been charmed by her beauty, had been impressed with her strength of character and devotion. She was something of a miracle to him, a woman who had come into the guild and developed every skill and talent they had offered as if they had come to her by pure instinct, like being a Hand was something she was made for, was bred for, like the blood of a Hand already flowed in her veins, just waiting to be passed down to the next generation, the next Imam. . .
Logic. Reason. He could go on for hours like that, dictating a thousand good reasons for his choice, yet for some reason, now, as he looked into her eyes, he couldn't remember a speck of it.
Her lips moved slightly, trying to say something, but she could not even find her meaning, let alone how to say it. Huja fairly panicked. It was frightening to him, explaining this, like somehow he gave up some critical protection or made some part of himself vulnerable in doing so.
Yet Nihan needed an answer. Any answer. She needed some acknowledgment, some confirmation that it was all okay. Down in her heart, she knew that this could end no other way, but still, when it came down to it, she was able to doubt that certainty.
What if. . .?
There was nothing he could say, nowhere he could begin, yet he was determined to make her understand, even if it meant doing it the only way he could.
He leaned slowly, imperceptibly forward and kissed her.
She seemed startled at first, but soon she was kissing him back warmly, eagerly. It was all the answer she needed. The kiss grew in intensity, becoming something desperate and passionate. Hands caressed each other's bodies, exploring, fiercely throwing themselves forward into something they had waited too long to repeat.
It wasn't until several minutes later, rolled off from the rock and sprawled out with her master in the hot, desert sands, that Nihan finally broke off the kiss, only for an instant. She gazed up into his eyes, her chest rising and falling in unparalleled relief and excitement. He stroked her cheek tenderly.
"Seven times?" she asked him breathlessly.
"Seven times seven," he said in reply.
And they both lost themselves in the moment. --------------------- Next time, on "Not Only Raji...": Hot anakim action! ---------------------
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Kereth
Storymaster
Because 'stabbity, stabbity, stabbity' is a punchline.
Posts: 222
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Post by Kereth on Sept 19, 2006 12:36:01 GMT -5
Chapter Thirteen: The Incursus Part Four: Sneaky Heads
The men gathered close, traipsing silently across the mountain land. Their feet touched the ground daintily, making no noise that might alert their quarry. These were men on the hunt, men at one with their most primal natures, yet these were no ordinary men; they were ettins!
Master hunters they were, and the most talented stalkers of prey. None could escape from their cleverly laid snares. Their proficiency for stalking and killing (most especially killing) was unmatched in all of Raji. Vicious, they were, men of action and power. Four eyes watched and four eyes waited, and no two- legged snack stood a chance against their brilliant schemes.
Two heads, as they say, are better than one. . .
Their targets this morning were a pair of anakim who had wandered in from off the desert the prior evening. The two had been up late, and the ettin horde needed only note the location of their camp site and then return early the next morning to ambush their soon-to-be meals. (It was a brilliant strategy their leader had come up with several weeks before. He called it "saving dinner for breakfast." The other ettins merely worshiped his brilliance.)
They approached now with stealthy strides, coming up on the tent from all directions and holding their clubs high. There wasn't a sound to be heard. All the world was stillness. They creeped closer and closer. . .
They could almost reach the tent. The beings inside had not even begun to stir.
"And remember!" their leader's second head bellowed, shaking the whole clearing. Flocks of birds tore loose from their perches, screeching their mingled calls across the air. The other ettins paused their approach to listen as the second head kept right on shouting at them, "Once we start to get close, nobody is to make a sound, you hear me? One peep could alert them of our presence, and then we might actually have to fight these things! Not. One. Word. Alright?" The other ettins nodded rapidly and quietly to show that they understood. The shouts echoed back to them over and over across the mountainside. The subordinate ettins kept right on nodding.
"Exactly what he said!" the leader's first head insisted, "Just like I told you earlier (dang copy cat). Now let's hit these things and get some food!"
In unison, eight heavy clubs descended upon the little, canvas tent, smashing it into the ground.
It took them a full minute to realize the tent was empty. By that time, something cold and sharp had already dragged its way along through the soft, tender tissue between the head ettin's two necks. Blood began bursting from the wound in a fantastic, crimson geyser.
"And remember," the second head began to say again, but by then, it was already too late. --------------------- Next time, on "Not Only Raji...": Second breakfast. ---------------------
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Kereth
Storymaster
Because 'stabbity, stabbity, stabbity' is a punchline.
Posts: 222
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Post by Kereth on Sept 21, 2006 15:18:19 GMT -5
Chapter Thirteen: The Incursus Part Five: Soloing
"And remember, once we. . . uh. . ."
For those unfamiliar with the experience, whether from having less than two heads or from never having an artery severed near the surface of the flesh between them, it is important to note that the sharp pain experienced, combined with the rather unique feeling resulting from turning to look at your other face and having your vision obscured by spouts of your own blood, can be a rather disorienting experience. Disorientation, of course, makes it rather difficult to think properly, and when thinking was never one's strongest suit to begin with (a condition rather common among people with the multiple heads required to get into this mess in the first place) then an injury such as the one described can go from being simply a bleeding to an outright crippling wound.
The ettin chieftain was in just such a situation. He turned about, trying to keep the blood out of his eyes and generally failing to make heads (no pun intended) or tails (no legendary vulpins were harmed in the making blah blah) of his dilemma. His assailant, fortunately for him, had made no attempts to disguise her identity or hide her presence from him beyond the initial assault, so it was significantly easier for the chief, as he turned about, to identify the female anakim, standing squared off to him in a defensive posture and bearing two daggers (one covered in blood), as not only a potential food supply, but as an enemy.
The smell of blood was. . . well, it was a little disturbing, actually. Ordinarily, the chief would have been thrilled by the scent, but this was his own blood he was smelling, and as he had turned both heads to examine the wound, he had gotten quite a bit of it up each nose (most unpleasant). He sneezed, squinted, and raised his club high to defend himself.
Nihan had been waiting for the strike to be launched, and she was able to dodge it quite easily. The ettin was a little unsteady like this, and his aim was already awful. She hopped forward, slashing him twice before pulling away in anticipation of the next attack. Flecks of blood dabbled the anakim's cheek. The next blow landed firmly on the dirt, actually missing its target by several furlongs, and Nihan closed again, taking another pair of gruesome slashes.
It was entirely too easy. At the chieftains back, the rest of the pack ran about in confusion, wounds popping up on their sides seemingly at random, and Nihan led the chief carefully away from the rest, only dimly aware of the fight that was ensuing among them.
The chief took another swing with the club, this time flying level and catching only air with its charge. Nihan moved in again, opening more wounds and taking a sturdy hack at the ettin's left thigh, just in back the knee. She felt the hamstring split wide and the creature tumbled forward helplessly. She bounced out of his way, preparing for another assault.
The ettin's body burst into flame.
Surprised, the novice Hand moved away from the bonfire and examined her environment hastily. There was no sign of any alchemist presence, so how did-?
Huja stood alone in the midst of the demolished campsite, surrounded by the dead and bleeding bodies of the other ettins. He was staring directly at the chieftain's remain, eyes looking squinted and focused.
Nihan didn't know whether to be stunned, indignant, or grateful. She couldn't know what he had done or how he had done it, but she knew he had helped her, even though she had been handling the situation perfectly. It was a little insulting, and she felt a bit pouty at the intervention. Did he think she was still incompetent? She-
"I know, Nihan," the Imam said, "you could have handled it yourself, but we are in something of a hurry, and I want to get on the move as soon as possible. I'll clean up the camp. Get the heads cut off of these while I do so. Take the right one only. The second heads are too hollow to be worth anything."
Nihan only hesitated briefly, and as Huja turned his back to her, she smiled. He called me Nihan, she thought as she set to work. Finally. I will be known as 'Miss Bath-Asher' no longer. . .
Two days later, they would reach Elysium. --------------------- Next time, on "Not Only Raji...": Cheerful family reunion. ---------------------
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Kereth
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Because 'stabbity, stabbity, stabbity' is a punchline.
Posts: 222
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Post by Kereth on Sept 25, 2006 23:27:19 GMT -5
Chapter Fourteen: The Bath-Asher Part One: Warm Welcome
Closed doors and locks are not the way of Sikkar.
Nihan pulled her parka closer around herself. She had been too long spoiled by the desert heat. Strange to think she had been gone only few months now, only the last month or two of which had actually been spent at her destination. The others had been spent trying to locate the Hands, proving her loyalty and winning her way into their ranks. It was an easier job for some than for others. For the eldest child of the Rajian High Priestess of Sikkar, it had been exceptionally difficult. Still, for such a relatively short time away, she had lost her ability to handle the cold fairly quickly.
A stiff wind whistled across the icy-white fields of Elysium, brushing through the city. Nihan folded her wings close and hugged herself for warmth as she made her way toward her destination. She would have still been with Huja, if she had any say in the matter, but Abraham Ben-Levi, the accursed Elder, had insisted on meeting with the Imam alone, and requested that he dismiss his "entourage." Huja had instructed her to go catch up with her family. . .
Nihan gritted her teeth as she approached the dwelling. A ridiculous structure. Nihan felt it was a mockery to just about everything, an architectural endeavor to make a building as large as was reasonably possible, while still giving the appearance of a modest and simple household. A "humble" home. . .
She scoffed at the concept and pushed the front door open quietly. She would have knocked, ordinarily, as she no longer felt that she lived there, but such was not the tradition of Elysium. All were to be welcomed in the love of Sikkar to any place that they should seek access. Were the climate warmer, it was unlikely that the buildings would even be made with front doors. One did not need permission to call upon a friend but merely had to step inside their house and greet them.
There were exceptions, of course. Lavatories and the bedrooms of married couples were never to be entered without warning, but it was commonplace to stroll into the open living room of a neighbor without so much as a by-your-leave. That was just how things were in Elysium. They may have built their city on top of a glacial ice sheet in their planet's polar region, but they did everything in their power to make the environment as warm and as friendly as possible.
Tolerant, on the other hand. . .
Nihan stepped through a small, unfurnished entryway, not bothering to remove her warmer clothing. She hoped to be coming back this way as soon as possible anyhow. The next door parted easily before her, bearing with it a hint of firelight and surge of hot, dry air.
The main room of the house spread before her. It was just as she remembered it. A veritable mansion room, loaded with artifacts and fine decoration that was expensive but could not be readily identified as thus, except by the eye of a skilled antiquarian. A double staircase led up to the next level, and fire burned cheerfully by one wall. In front of the fire, several, comfortable, no-less- antique reading chairs had been pulled up to accommodate the weary and deliberately-obviously welcome traveler, and in the largest of these, a young, blond, modestly dressed anakim girl sat quietly, reading a book by the firelight, distinctly unaware of her visitor.
Nihan made a point of holding the door open as long as possible, until a cold wisp of arctic wind rustled by the younger girl's pretty features. She looked up from her book in surprise.
Her eyes met Nihan's, and for a long moment, neither spoke.
"Well, well, well," said the girl in the chair at last, "The prodigal daughter has returned. Have you really seen your error so soon?"
"Charming as always, Naomi," Nihan said, smiling insincerely, "It's good to see you again, too."
"And you also, of course," said Naomi with an equivalent lack of sincerity, "Always a pleasure to welcome my dear sister home on a warm and frosty day." --------------------- Next time, on "Not Only Raji...": Subtlety. ---------------------
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Kereth
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Because 'stabbity, stabbity, stabbity' is a punchline.
Posts: 222
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Post by Kereth on Sept 28, 2006 1:40:01 GMT -5
Chapter Fourteen: The Bath-Asher Part Two: Seeing Eye-to-Eye
The two sisters looked one another in the eye and smiled meaninglessly.
It is often said that those trained in the light of Sikkar possess a singularly exceptional ability, namely to look into another being's eyes and thus peer down into their soul. They say that when a paladin, for example, looks another man in the eye, he discovers everything about him. Every act ever committed, every thought ever thunk, and every sin to ever stain the man's hands are laid bare for the paladin's viewing, preparing the man to be judged of Sikkar for his deeds, be they good or evil.
Nihan did not believe in such powers, and so she met her sister's penetrating gaze without a hint of fear or hesitation. She was not to be cowed by simple rumors or the parlor tricks of confessionals. She was a Hand, and that meant intimidation was her own forte.
She slipped her hands from her gloves and unfastened the front of her parka slowly. It would take too much time to remove it all the way, and she did not want to take the time to get back into it as she went out. Not that it was such a huge hassle, really- a set of buttons trailed from the top of her wings to the center of the chest on either side, so the stubby wing-sleeves could be opened and slipped away rather simply. The trouble was that it was just too difficult to look dignified while putting the thing back on: when fully unfastened, the upper back of the coat was a separate flap all by itself, and it was hard to hold it up on one's own while buttoning everything into place, and there was certainly no way Nihan was asking for help from her sister. . .
The thick, padded fabric fell open at the front, making the heat from the fireplace more bearable. Actually, this was about what she was used to. These clothes couldn't be much hotter than Shara at noon day, if anything could really be said to compare to that.
She tucked the gloves into one pocket, not taking her eyes from her sister's through the entire exercise. Her smile broadened just a little as she greeted her.
"So tell me, Naomi," Nihan asked in the most harmless tone she could muster, "How goes your training to become an arrogant hypocrite?"
"Oh, not bad," Naomi replied with a shrug. . .
"How goes your training to become a harlot?" --------------------- Next time, on "Not Only Raji...": Politeness. ---------------------
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Kereth
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Because 'stabbity, stabbity, stabbity' is a punchline.
Posts: 222
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Post by Kereth on Oct 1, 2006 17:32:34 GMT -5
Chatper Fourteen: The Bath-Asher Part Three: Happy
That was too much for Nihan. "Why you-" she began, and the rest of her statement will be edited out for conserving what aspects of this account's rating that we can. Naomi just watched her calmly, a look on her face that bordered near on triumph.
Nihan ranted for a few moments more before she managed to calm herself. Naomi was clearly amused. "Whatever," Nihan said, "I'm not going into this with you. Are mother and father in? I want to get this little reunion over with as soon as possible, so I can get out of here again."
Naomi's face fell abruptly. She did not respond.
"Well?" Nihan asked, "Where are they?"
Naomi's eyes dropped to the floor. An uncomfortable, creeping sensation settled over Nihan. The silence held on for a few more moments, and Naomi turned her face completely away from her sister.
"Naomi?" Nihan asked again, more slowly, "Where are mother and father?" --------------------- Next time, on "Not Only Raji...": Good news. ---------------------
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Kereth
Storymaster
Because 'stabbity, stabbity, stabbity' is a punchline.
Posts: 222
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Post by Kereth on Oct 3, 2006 0:03:41 GMT -5
Chapter Fourteen: The Bath-Asher Part Four: Disunity
"Dead," said Naomi simply after a long, long moment. "Or at least we assume so. We can't really be sure what happened to them, but it's clear that there's no way to get them back." She shut her book, setting it down beside her chair and turning to look into the fire. Tears glistened in her eyes.
Nihan was speechless. A few months gone and. . . she really didn't expect something so drastic to have changed. Anakim were known to live for almost eight hundred years. You don't just expect them to. . . "I- I didn't know," she said.
Naomi shrugged, obviously trying to sound and act casual about the situation, but her tears betrayed her, and her voice cracked lightly as she spoke. "I thought that was why you came home," she said, "but I suppose not. We would have notified you, of course, but all you 'sneaky Hands'. . . well, you didn't exactly leave a forwarding address, did you?" She even made the little quotation mark gesture with her fingers as she talked. A tear ran down one cheek and she forced a painful smile.
"I'm. I'm sorry," Nihan said. Ordinarily, she might have expected that Naomi was lying to her about this, putting on the show of emotion and fake tears just so she could tease her for it later, but now. . .? No. From the moment she heard the words, Nihan simply knew it was true. "When did it happen?" she asked.
"Just a few days ago," Naomi choked. She was breaking down visibly. Her cool exterior crumbled and tears began to flow more and more freely. "I just-" her words became sobs, "I tried to be strong about this. I know they're in a better place and everything. I tried to be happy that they've moved on, but-" She turned her face away again and shoulders trembled slightly.
Nihan didn't even stop to think about it. For all her obnoxiousness and self-righteous ranting, this was still her little sister. She strode forward and enfolded the weeping girl in her arms.
"You miss them," Nihan said, "I do too. It's okay to do that." Tears were coming to her own eyes now. The shock wore off and the emotions flooded through her.
"I just saw you there," Naomi whispered, "and I found out you didn't know, and I couldn't hold it back any longer."
"It's alright," Nihan said.
"I wanted to protect them, to heal them," Naomi whimpered, "But I- I- It was all so fast!"
More tears. The two resentful siblings held each other fast, keeping to an unstated truce for their time of grieving. Comforting words were exchanged, but it was several minutes before their speech really became coherent again. When it did so, Nihan asked the one question left that had been troubling her.
"How did it happen?" she said.
Naomi sniffed, looking up at her sister with trembling lips. She looked away again, unable to speak, then let her gaze travel to the floor and then the fireplace before returning to her sister. She stood, heading for the doorway.
"Come on, help me on with my coat," Naomi said, "and I'll show you." --------------------- Next time, on "Not Only Raji...": A new peril. ---------------------
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Kereth
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Because 'stabbity, stabbity, stabbity' is a punchline.
Posts: 222
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Post by Kereth on Oct 5, 2006 17:43:59 GMT -5
Chapter Fourteen: The Bath-Asher Part Five: Disappearances
One no longer had to come to rim of the long, narrow chasm in the ice sheet, not to see the marvel that lay at the bottom of it. The surrounding field now dimly glowed with its peculiar energies, and the anomaly was made famous for miles. The two sisters approached the edge of it anyway.
The crevasse was located many leagues to the north of Elysium proper. The city was actually relatively new and deliberately distanced from any imperfections on the icy plains. Nihan and Naomi's own mother had been a little girl at the city's founding and had told them such details as she raised them. Now she was a detail of that history herself.
Naomi lighted down first on the ice, she having led the way to this place, although by the time they came into sight of the area, Nihan had no doubts about their destination. The landscape shone like a spawning suula, drawing all eyes upon it.
"Down there?" she asked her younger sister tentatively, glancing into the shimmering depths.
Naomi nodded. She explained everything.
When the lights had first been discovered, along with the vast cavern from which they emanated (then deep within the chasm and almost unseen to the passerby) all manner of young and reckless anakim had set forth to explore them. None of those had returned, and others went seeking them, most just as unprepared and unequipped as the first had been. No one came back. Naturally, Abraham put a stop to the expeditions immediately. No unauthorized persons were to attempt to explore the strange light- cave beneath the surface. Those who had vanished already, however, could not simply be abandoned.
The girls' mother, Mary, being the high priestess, was deemed qualified to lead a group of hand picked paladins down into the depths to determine the fate of the others, to rescue them if necessary and to vanquish any evil force responsible. They went in the strength of Sikkar, and as such, nothing could stop them. All of their greatest and most notable were among their ranks: Rachel Bath-Judah, the priestess, Joshua Ben-Hur and Moses Ben-Levi (Abraham's great grandson), both mighty paladins, with even the two girls' father, Asher Ben-Asher, among them.
That expedition had vanished also. Now all were forbidden from following. The people of Elysium were to do nothing but sit and wait now, until their leaders better understood the phenomenon or until the Will of Sikkar inspired them to try again.
It tore Naomi's heart out to do it, but she obeyed, waiting patiently like the others.
Still, anything she could learn that might teach her of her parent's fate. . .
"So do you know anything about this?" Naomi asked her sister. "Anything from your experience as a Hand?"
Nihan shook her head. "No, nothing," she answered honestly, helplessly, "but I'll make sure to mention it to the Imam. . ." --------------------- Next time, on "Not Only Raji...": Critical success on a stealth check. ---------------------
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Kereth
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Because 'stabbity, stabbity, stabbity' is a punchline.
Posts: 222
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Post by Kereth on Oct 10, 2006 0:13:11 GMT -5
Chapter Fifteen: The Mullah Part One: In a Hurry
"Khalid! Mullah Khalid!"
Khalid turned about in the air, looking toward the source of the voice. He now hovered several hundred feet above the top of the grand cathedral. He had been up there for days, watching for the return of the Imam. He did not need food or sleep, being a jinn, and so his watch had been uninterrupted. Still, the odds of actually seeing the Imam return were. . . "slim" was being vastly overgenerous. If he were lucky, the Imam would notice him hovering there and approach him, not the other way around.
The leader of the Hands was not expected to be easy to spot in a crowd.
Khalid finished his turn, and the speaker came into full view. It was Naomi, the newly appointed guildmaster. "Hail, Guildmaster Naomi," he said to her. "Any word yet?"
It was strange to call anyone but Salem "guildmaster." The word of his death had come as a shock to them all. "Fallen in combat doing the will of Cyllyl," they had said. Hard to believe indeed. Salem was almost unmatched in combat, and his spells besides. . .
And, of course, Khalid had his vision of the hallway to throw further doubt upon the circumstances, but he kept his mouth shut. Secrets were kept secret for good reason, and those who brought secrets to light were looked upon very unkindly around here.
"He arrived home almost an hour ago, it seems," Naomi said, breathlessly. She had obviously made a great effort to get the message to Khalid with all speed, an effort he greatly appreciated. "He's in his chambers right now, debriefing his apprentice on their mission. I'm sure he will speak with you afterward."
Khalid nodded gravely. "I must hurry then. Seven days have passed already, since the visions. The time for their fulfillment must be soon upon us."
Naomi nodded, choosing not to get involved. "Do what you must," she said, "I've informed you, and now I must get back to my duties." They saluted one another, then parted.
Wind rushed by the Jinn's ears. He streaked downward through the sky with all the speed he could manage. Mustn't delay. The Imam must be notified immediately. Who knew what time remained or what the slightest hesitation could cost them?
Moments later, Khalid closed on the doors to the Lord Imam's personal chambers. Huja rarely locked the doors. Anyone entering without permission had either missed him entirely or was dead where they stood, unless they had a very good reason. Khalid knew he had a good reason. He seized the handles, preparing to throw the doors open wide. . .
That was, until he heard a noise.
It was- Well, it was- There must be a more delicate way of putting this. Let me see. . . ah! Firstly, it was Nihan. Beyond that, we will merely say that being a novice Hand and having been thoroughly trained in the arts of stealth. . . well, it doesn't mean you have to be dead silent ALL the time. Sometimes, in fact, you can be very, very noisy. This was one of those times.
Upon reconsideration, Khalid decided that his message could probably wait a few more minutes. --------------------- Next time, on "Not Only Raji...": "Time's up! I'm coming in!" ---------------------
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Kereth
Storymaster
Because 'stabbity, stabbity, stabbity' is a punchline.
Posts: 222
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Post by Kereth on Oct 12, 2006 0:58:53 GMT -5
Chapter Fifteen: The Mullah Part Two: Serious Conversation
At length, the Imam emerged from his chambers.
"You have been waiting to speak with me for some time," he said to Khalid, after the two exchanged greetings. It was not a question. "Walk with me, and tell me what has happened."
You have been. . .? Khalid hesitated a moment. Indeed, it was not a question. Huja had known he was looking for him, and yet he had still seen fit to put these. . . other matters before their meeting? Did the Imam so underestimate the importance of the Mullah's tidings, or had the need to proceed with such. . . other matters been so pressing that it could not have been delayed a few more minutes?
On closer inspection of the situation, Khalid came to the conclusion that Nihan must be far more persuasive than he gave her credit for.
Strangely, Khalid didn't even feel up to making a joke about it.
"A little over three weeks ago," he said, "you stripped my tattoo from me and left me alone in the guild with a supply of hashish potions. You were rather stern with me and said I was to remain there and drink them until I had received a vision from Cyllyl."
Huja nodded. "I am sorry for that," he said, "but the need for Her counsel was great, and your behavior was quite inexcusable."
"I understand that," Khalid said, "and I regret the acts I made that caused such steps to be necessary."
"It is forgiven," said Huja. They proceeded around a corner in a moment of silence then, passing into a hall that led them deeper into the cathedral's rear corridors.
"You instructed me," Khalid said after a time, "That I was not to emerge or to contact you again until I had seen such a vision from the Divine."
"Then you have received one?" Huja asked.
"I have," said Khalid, "received two."
Huja nodded. "This is good news," he said, "I'm fed up with all this investigation. Tell me everything. I only hope Cyllyl will bless me with foe that I can really sink my dagger into at last."
Khalid smirked.
"What?" Huja asked.
Okay, Khalid thought, Perhaps he did feel like making ONE joke. . . --------------------- Next time, on "Not Only Raji...": Two visions walk into a bar. . . ---------------------
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Kereth
Storymaster
Because 'stabbity, stabbity, stabbity' is a punchline.
Posts: 222
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Post by Kereth on Oct 13, 2006 20:17:27 GMT -5
Chapter Fifteen: The Mullah Part Three: Gardening Flames
The Imam did not look amused. That was alright, as far as Khalid was concerned. He hadn't really expected him to be. He just smiled at the anakim patiently, feeling rather smug.
"Good to see you're still the same Mullah I remember you as," Huja said.
"I have been wandering this world since before you were born," Khalid said with a bow, "It would take more than a few visions to change me."
"Indeed," Huja said. He gestured to a room they were passing, and the two stepped inside. Huja locked the door behind them with a click. It was a barren room, currently unassigned to any one use but easily adaptable to many (a good sort of room to have in a building that is expected to serve for generations without remodeling). It was dimly lit. A chair sat in one corner, a table in another. The two men ignored both, Khalid hovering to the center of the room, and Huja pacing around its edges thoughtfully. He always thought better on the move, and he expected to do a great deal of thinking now.
"So," he said to the jinn, "tell me about these visions."
Khalid nodded, closing his eyes and remembering. "It began, as many visions do, in the desert of Shara." Huja nodded. "The land was barren and dry, baked by sun and torn by the beating winds. No soul was visible anywhere.
"From the edges of my sight, figures began to emerge, converging on the desert from every direction. Men and women of every race. They bore bags and the tools of gardening. From the bags, they withdrew handfuls of seeds, which they planted everywhere. They tilled and tended the desert soil, and miraculously, a vast, lush garden sprouted into view.
"It was a beautiful thing, like no garden I have ever seen in my waking hours. Plants of every variety and flowers with blossoms of the brightest colors flooded my land. I looked across all of it, wondering at the miracle. My eyes fell upon the center of the garden.
"There grew a magnificent black rose, small at first, but soon growing to magnificent height and prominence. Four different pairs of men came, one at a time, to tend to this rose and the plants all about it. When the last of them left, I felt it was my turn, and I came forward, and you came also to join me.
"The rose was beautiful and serene, yet deadly also with a presence as commanding as a summer storm. We did all we could for it to nurture it, to help it to grow. For a time it flourished, and then, much to our dismay, it began to wither away and die.
"We cast our eyes about, only to discover that the whole garden was withering away as the rose did. Gardeners everywhere struggled to nourish their charges, but it was vain. You vanished somewhere, working on some important errand to preserve what remained of the garden. I turned back to the rose, only to see it looking more sickly and dried than before.
"Then, to my astonishment, something began eating its way out from the inside of the bud. Tentacles appeared and grinding incisors. A small, ugly worm poked its ghastly blue head from the opening, then dropped out onto the ground, vanishing from my sight against the sand. Within moments, it was back again. Incisors spread wide, and the worm belched forth fire, swallowing the whole garden in a dreadful inferno.
"I cried out for help, but no one came. Like gardeners all over, I beat at my charge, the elegant rose, seeking to snuff out the flame. It was useless. No matter how hard I beat at the fires, the worm just kept on breathing, lighting them right back up again. I called out to you, but you didn't respond. No one did.
"I looked to the base of the rose. The plants there were yet untouched by the flames, but fires spread down the rose's stem toward them hungrily. I decided there was nothing I could do for the flower, and I hastily began transplanting the smaller greens, moving them to safety away from the blaze.
"I called again for you a third time, and you appeared at last, closing in on the worm, bent on its destruction. It turned its flames against you, seeking to protect itself, but a young sapling tree, laden with fruit, intercepted the blast, rescuing you, but being consumed by the flames in the process. You closed with the worm and destroyed it.
"Without the worm alive to fuel them, many of the gardeners managed to extinguish their patches, saving what was left of the garden. Little remained. Smoke blackened the sky. You and I were both stained by it, our faces tarnished with the soot. Our gazed returned to the rose.
"It was gone, reduced to a shell of fine ash that now stood in the burnt monolith's semblance. A wind blew, and the ashes scattered, carried away into the smoke and shadow. That was the end of my vision." --------------------- Next time, on "Not Only Raji...": The rose represents Sikkar! ---------------------
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Kereth
Storymaster
Because 'stabbity, stabbity, stabbity' is a punchline.
Posts: 222
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Post by Kereth on Oct 17, 2006 10:18:25 GMT -5
Chapter Fifteen: The Mullah Part Four: Fire Fighting
"Well," Khalid asked, "What does it mean?"
The Imam turned to look him in the eye. The earth trembled with renewed vigor.
"Many of these symbols," he began, "are obvious, I imagine, even to you." He turned his full body to face the Mullah and squared off his stance, closing his eyes meditatively. "The desert of Shara, as usual, is the world, Raji. In the beginning, it was barren and untamed, but then the founders of our civilizations, the gardeners, came upon this barren land from many places, each bringing with them the seeds that would form their people, their portion of the garden.
"Life and civilization sprung up to every side. What had once been a barren and uninteresting world was now flowering with peoples of every nature. In the midst of it all, small at first but soon growing to prominence and prestige, was the Hand of the Black Rose, the black rose you saw at the center of garden.
"Four generations went by, until you and I, the fifth generation of the Hand leadership came to take our place in the nurturing of this great beauty. All was prosperous, but then came the worm. . ."
Huja's eyes opened, burning into Khalid's own with an intense and penetrating gaze. The anakim's voice continued its narration uninterrupted, but Khalid had to repress a shiver from that look.
"Undetected at first, it began to eat at the roots of everything, weakening the garden in ways we did not recognize, but soon, it appeared, undeniable in its manifestations, carrying forth the fires that would destroy everything. The gardeners have and will continue to fight against its flames, but it is only when we have removed their source that the fires will cease to trouble us.
"You have called for me, and I have been slow in coming, for I was off upon errands that I thought crucial to the work of Cyllyl. In the end, it was here that I was needed, and my delay may have cost us all greatly. What remains to be done is to locate this worm and destroy it before it can cause further damage."
"And what of the guild?" Khalid asked him, "The rose? Is it to be burned to ashes and blown on the wind?"
"Perhaps," Huja said, "If you just keep beating the flames instead of worrying about the smaller plants, the rose will survive after all."
"What do you mean?" Khalid asked.
"Keep your eye on Cyllyl. Maintain your faith in Her. If you are interested in keeping the guild alive, then be prepared to risk letting those of lesser consequence face the flames."
"Keep faith? And just let them die?" Khalid asked.
"I can't guarantee it will work," Huja said, "but if you remain where you must and do not doubt, there is your opportunity."
"And what will you do?" Khalid asked.
"I will find the worm," Huja said, "And destroy it."
"But who is this worm?" Khalid asked, "What is it? Where does it come from?"
"It came," Huja said, "out of the rose." --------------------- Next time, on "Not Only Raji...": Further Discussion! ---------------------
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