Kereth
Storymaster
Because 'stabbity, stabbity, stabbity' is a punchline.
Posts: 222
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Post by Kereth on Oct 19, 2006 11:05:43 GMT -5
Chapter Fifteen: The Mullah Part Five: Bird's Eye View
"I. . . I see," Khalid said. It was quite a revelation. The source of all their trouble came from within the guild? The source of all this destruction was. . . a Hand?
The guild stressed the importance of loyalty above and beyond almost all else. To actually be betrayed by one of their own. . .
Huja was not to be stalled by Khalid's incredulity. "What about the other vision?" he asked.
"Huh?" Khalid said, snapping out of his thoughts, "Oh, right. The second vision." He shook his head slightly to clear it, trying to remember every detail he could manage. "It wasn't so long and complicated as the first," he said, "More just a passing view, but it was real like the other vision and came immediately afterward, not just some illusion created by the hash."
Huja nodded. "What did you see?" he asked.
Khalid closed his eyes. "It was strange," he said, "not like most of my visions. I was in a strange land. The air was thick and buoyed me up. Islands flew free in the sky, revolving around a rainbow sun, and there was no ground visible anywhere. It seemed to be a moment of great peace, not unlike the silence in the wake of a terrible storm. It was the kind you can feel, as survivors gather to view the aftermath with newfound awe and respect for nature.
"The whole world seemed engulfed by this silence. I cast my eyes toward the alien sun, and to my astonishment, I beheld great flocks of birds pouring forth from the light. They spread forth in every direction, and some drew close to me. As they did so, I saw that they were more than just birds, like men in avian form. Many bore wounds and all carried the remains of primitive weapons. The weapons were broken. Some of them seemed to have been damaged through use, while others had been shattered deliberately.
"They all passed me, weaving on their way to places unknown even to themselves. I watched them for a time, then turned my gaze back to this strange sun. It seemed to me that I was waiting for something to emerge from it, something that had descended there and not yet returned to me. Before I could discover what it was or how it fared, the vision ended. I do not know if that thing ever came."
Khalid fell silent, and the Imam was silent also, deep in contemplation. The Mullah let several minutes pass, and Huja did not speak.
Finally, Khalid chose to speak himself. "That was the end of my vision," he said, in case the clarification had somehow been needed. Huja remained silent.
"So what is the interpretation?" Khalid asked after several minutes more. The Imam's eyes were closed. He was still considering, and his thoughts were not to be disturbed.
Khalid decided he would wait.
He waited for seven hours.
"Huja?" he asked at length, wondering the Imam had fallen asleep, "Well?"
Huja's eyes opened, eyes not laden with sleep but weary with thought and meditation. His eyes met Khalid's and there was another, long and pregnant silence.
Huja's lips parted, and he spoke.
"I don't know." --------------------- Next time, on "Not Only Raji...": That same day. . . ---------------------
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Kereth
Storymaster
Because 'stabbity, stabbity, stabbity' is a punchline.
Posts: 222
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Post by Kereth on Oct 24, 2006 11:44:07 GMT -5
Chapter Sixteen: The Gardeners Part One: The Scientific Method
The rain itself was not unusual. Rain was a common occurrence on any planet, and its intensity was no more than could be expected, just a moderate drizzle over the port-side town. The color wasn't even that unusual, although it was yellow. Yellow rains were just a thing of life on Raji. "Ishtar's urine," they called it, and the kids caught the drops in their mouths just the same.
No, what made the rain unique was the fact that it wasn't falling down by Suthnas or to the far, far east by Nineveh. It wasn't falling on Scotland or over by Babyl. No, this rain was so unusual because it was falling on Shara, and to the inhabitants of the desert port city, rain was never a good omen.
You'd think they'd be glad of it though, wouldn't you? It was only once in a year at best that a storm came over the arid land. The water ought to be their salvation, their livelihood, but no. Water meant flooding, usually, and thus the people learned to detest it.
There would be no flooding now though. The ocean was gone anyway, and all the water would just empty out into the holes.
By one such hole, just a half mile out to what was once the sea, a lone atomy sat, drenched in the odd-colored rains and puzzling relentlessly over the situation. It was Sadam, and he couldn't figure out these holes for the life of him.
It had been almost three weeks since Sadam had heard of the Imam's return from Elysium, and the holes were everywhere now, just like the ones down in the guild that he had studied with Salem. It was no longer a secret. Some sort of energy was just spewing from the center of the planet, eating away at everything. The energies didn't even have to rise up and grab things anymore. Bits were falling off into whatever that was down there, the shell that was now Raji collapsing under its own weight. The world was actually vanishing away and there was nothing Sadam could do to stop it.
He had tried everything he could think of. Wards and damage resisting enchantments of every variety had been applied to various random bits of debris, rendering them impervious to all known sources of harm, and they had been hung over the holes to be struck by the energy. Various types had tried being left out one at a time to see which would be destroyed, but to the horror of all participating in the test, even pieces that had been warded against everything vanished in the blink of an eye, never to be seen again.
Whatever this stuff was, it was an energy type they had no experience with. The things that were hit did not just get vaporized or burned away, even disintegrated. They were just gone, with no trace behind to show what had become of them.
The little atomy shivered from the cold and inched closer, peering down over the ledge. Water cascaded across the rim of the wide, 30 foot diameter gap in the once-ocean floor. Beneath was nothing, just an endless field of shuddering lights, into which the hissing rain and yellow water drained without abandon. A bit of the rock fell away from the edge of the hole, plummeting into the aurora. In frustration, Sadam cast an attack spell, blasting an even larger chunk of rock down in after it. It was all so stupid! What was he supposed to do, sit back and wait for everything to die?
The rock fell, and a plume of light rose up to meet it, surrounding it and hiding it from the atomy's vision, then the light receded, and it was gone. Not a trace of it, just like a man or woman vanishing into the portals of the core rift transport, only to pop up in another city clear across the globe an instant later. The only difference was that this rock wouldn't be popping up again somewhere, or at least nowhere that any of them knew of, at any rate.
Seriously though, the core rift wasn't a lot better. They had needed to close it off just a few weeks prior to all this nonsense starting, and with the world coming down around their shoulders, well, fixing it hadn't exactly been a priority for them, had it? Anyone wishing to try it now might as well just jump in these holes, for all the good it would be doing them. Sadam blasted another piece of rock into hole, considering.
The rock vanished, surrounded by a halo of sparkling water and phantasmal lightning.
But what if. . .?
No, no, that was too stupid. If it had been anything to do with that, they would have figured it out right away. Some of the greatest minds on Raji were working on the problem, after all! Even if Sadam had been so clueless as to overlook something like that. . . surely. . .
Another rock. Another disappearance.
Surely. . . --------------------- Next time, on "Not Only Raji...": I mean, "Shirley. Shirley Jones." We went to alchemist school together, don't you remember her? ---------------------
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Kereth
Storymaster
Because 'stabbity, stabbity, stabbity' is a punchline.
Posts: 222
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Post by Kereth on Oct 26, 2006 17:40:43 GMT -5
Chapter Sixteen: The Gardeners Part Two: Intimidation
The interrogations were brief, individually. They were also carefully disguised and hidden. As far as any member of the guild knew, it was a general research project on the developing phenomena behind the holes. Each member of the guild in descending order of rank was brought before the leadership and questioned for any and all information they might have about the situation.
Each came forward in turn, explaining everything they knew. They did not know that their minds were being read as they did so, nor that their every phrase and gesture was being carefully studied by some of the most enlightened minds on Raji. They most certainly did not know that they were being inspected to see, not only what they knew of the situation, but whether they were, in fact, responsible for it.
A few were left out, but not many. Time was short, and any reasonable exceptions that could be made from the examination lists had been made. Naomi, Khalid, Huja himself, and Nusrat, for example, were all present for the questionings, and thus were not interrogated themselves. The most choice and loyal among their apprentices were also excused, on the grounds that after so much training under their masters' constant scrutiny, they would have had little chance to cause such mischief undetected, and anything they would have managed not to expose previously would doubtless remain undiscovered here. On top of that, three higher ranking members of the guild, whose reputations were beyond repute, were also excused from the questioning. This included Tevfik, Tayyar and Kamber: an atomy, arcanus, and suula, respectively, each of the Fifth Degree (All currently striving for the higher degree that would allow them to become Dais and thus to take over the position of guild mentor from Nusrat, who was scheduled to be promoted to First Ward.)
Regardless of corners cut, over two weeks had already gone by, in which time most of the guild had been processed, and no indication had been given of who the perpetrator, this worm of the vision, might be. The leaders were getting restless. It had to be someone, didn't it? Only a handful were left, most of the newbies. The tension began to show through in their questions.
"Your name?" Naomi asked. It was a bit of a squeak, really, but to the atomy she was addressing, it carried all the power and authority that it needed.
"Yaman," the atomy replied, eying the onlookers with abject terror.
"Yaman. . ." Nusrat started, searching through some papers, then shaking her head, shoving the papers away. "What am I looking for? I know you. You're a Fidai. You just graduated from your training period a month ago. Quite clever, but not much good at the spiritual side of things. You proved yourself quite adept at stealth, scouting skills, and precision combat. Almost stereotypical for your race, actually, but you were-"
"We get the picture," Naomi snapped. Yaman's little chest had begun puffing up with pride and now suddenly deflated, and he hunched over, looking for all the world as if he were going to be smacked. "Yaman, tell us what you know of the phenomena with the development of the holes. Be thorough."
Yaman gave a quick double nod and launched into a description of their appearance and their basic behaviors. He got about thirty seconds into it before Khalid cut him off.
"We know all that," he said, "Beyond appearance and obvious behaviors, what do you know?"
Yaman winced and switched tracks, bouncing from one detail to the next, each time cut down by the Mullah. How about their locations? "No, we know their locations. Any pattern to them you've noticed?" He had noticed no pattern. They seemed connected to the earthquakes. "We know about the earthquakes. Do you know where the quakes come from?" No, he didn't know where they came from. "How about the holes? Do you know where the holes come from?" No, he didn't know about that either. "How about the lights? The changes in suula storms? The thickening of the air streams?" No, no, no, he didn't know about any of that. "Are you sure?" Khalid asked. Of course he was su- "I said, ARE YOU SURE?"
The atomy stared at him in terrified silence. What else could he say? Of course, he was sure, but. . .
"Khalid." The Imam's voice was sure and strong, like a restraining hand on the jinn's green shoulder. "He's sure," Huja said. He turned to Yaman. "I'm sorry for the difficulty," he said, "You may go, and please, send the next one in after you."
The little atomy bowed gratefully, muttering obeisance and starting hastily for the door.
Before he reached it, the wooden door exploded, and a figure emerged through the opening. --------------------- Next time, on "Not Only Raji...": The worm. ---------------------
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Kereth
Storymaster
Because 'stabbity, stabbity, stabbity' is a punchline.
Posts: 222
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Post by Kereth on Oct 29, 2006 10:38:15 GMT -5
Chapter Sixteen: The Gardeners Part Three: Fuss
"Sadam?" Naomi's voice shrieked across the room. "What do you think you're doing?"
Sadam froze in midair and almost dropped before he managed to restart his wings. He had only made it about a foot beyond the opening and former door before Naomi interrupted him, spoiling his entrance with her sudden outburst.
Even on such tiny features, the way the color drained from Sadam's terrified face was visible to all in the room. Noami had been angry with him before, he remembered, and under remarkably similar circumstances too. The Philosopher was in no hurry to repeat what had happened then.
Fortunately for him, Naomi seemed too overcome by shock at his actions to settle on attacking him just yet. He hastily attempted to answer her question, explaining himself.
"I- I- I was just..." Okay, not good. He drew a sudden blank as to what exactly he was doing there. A few more seconds of stammering ensued while Naomi's temper escalated visibly, and then his mind caught up with him. "Oh! Yeah. I was out examining-" His mind took another leap forward still, noticing the unfamiliar atomy in their presence. Yaman still hovered in the middle of everything, looking baffled. "I had an important message for the Imam," Sadam finished carefully, "and I was hoping to deliver it as quickly as possible."
Naomi looked for a moment as though she were going to shout something more at the alchemist, then she froze, and the aggressiveness oozed right out of her posture. She sat back in her chair, looking remarkably subdued. She, too, remembered a similar occasion from before. Sadam had brought another message for the Imam, and she would not soon forget what her delaying of that message may have cost them.
The others in the room were silent, choosing to observe for a moment, rather than intervene. "Fidai Yaman," Naomi said, her voice barely audible, "You are still dismissed, but don't worry about sending the next person in here after you."
Yaman nodded and made a hasty exit, gliding through the remains of the blasted door.
Sadam was looking equally subdued, his thoughts turned to prior instances as well, but her instructions snared his attention.
"You- You were almost done anyway?" he asked.
Naomi looked a little disoriented, and Huja took command. "We were," he said, "But no real harm done, I hope." He gave the doorway an uncertain glance. The pair of guards had recovered from the blast and were peering in at them now, wondering if they ought to intervene. "I don't suppose you can fix that door before you explain," Huja commented.
"Yeah," Sadam said quietly, looking around at the bits on the floor. "I guess I wasn't in that big of a hurry after all. . ." He fluttered around for a bit, gathering up the debris from the explosion. Once he had enough to satisfy his needs, he began shaping a little pile from the remains. A few moments later, the fragments of wood joined together and sprung to life. Sadam gestured toward the door, and the miniature golem strode over to it, hopping up into the hole and folding its arms defiantly.
There was a moment of silence while everyone waited to see what Sadam was going to next. When it became obvious that this was the full extent of his plan, Huja spoke.
"Very well," he said, "Nusrat, have our guards make sure everyone is cleared away from at least sixty feet of the doorway, would you? I'd rather whatever Sadam has to say not be heard by anyone unnecessary."
Nusrat nodded, striding over and having a word with the guards. Khalid gave the golem an appraising sort of look. "An alchemist perhaps, but not a carpenter, eh?" he said, giving Sadam an amused look.
Sadam only shrugged, no longer in the mood to be concerned with his dignity. Outside, the guards were repositioned and the crowd cleared. All eyes turned back to the alchemist.
Suddenly, Sadam wondered if his discovery was all that important after all. . . --------------------- Next time, on "Not Only Raji...": A totally insignificant discovery. ---------------------
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Kereth
Storymaster
Because 'stabbity, stabbity, stabbity' is a punchline.
Posts: 222
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Post by Kereth on Oct 31, 2006 0:00:37 GMT -5
Chapter Sixteen: The Gardeners Part Four: Explanation
Eight eyes settled onto the atomy. Sadam hesitated. Naomi, Nusrtat, Huja, and Khalid were all watching him. Was it really such a big deal what he found? Well, it was, but any way he thought to start explaining it sounded dull. Dull and insignificant.
He hung his head for a moment, then stared up at them apologetically. "I feel like an idiot," he said.
Khalid looked like he was about to say something clever but decided against it. Sadam gave him a weak smile of gratitude.
"Many generations ago," Sadam began, "The Alchemist Guild revolutionized trade and commerce across Raji with the invention of a new transportation system. We called it the 'core rift.'
"It was a simple enough design. By channeling the right energies through the core of our planet, we could send people, animals, merchandise. . . pretty much anything, gliding along the elemental plane into one of several key destinations around our world, depending upon the fundamental we sent them with. Raji has always been diverse enough of a world that a key seat of almost any fundamental power can be found somewhere on its surface. It was theorized at the same time that a spell could be developed to allow individual alchemists to travel around the world this same way at will, but it was never successfully tested, and let's face it, why would we bother? We could just take the rift. No point in developing new spells for the function, right?" Sadam gave them all a weak grin.
"The design was flawless," he said, "understand that as we proceed: it was absolutely flawless. Nothing could go wrong with it. All one had to do was walk in with an ice fundamental and they'd pop out in Elysium. Take a flame fundamental in, and they'd land near Shara. Take a void fundamental, and they'd get to Suthnas Lake. Take an antimatter fundamental, and they'd pop up in the Air City, wherever it was at the time. Take a cloud fundamental, they'd wind up by Babyl. It was all perfectly arranged. There was no reason to mess with any of it. For some reason, someone decided to anyway."
The four listeners were giving Sadam patient looks. At least a few of them had no idea at all where this was going. He went on.
"We checked for elemental energies across the fields the anomaly projects. We found none. We couldn't understand what it might be. Now I know. My good Hands, this is telemantic energy." From there, Sadam had meant to continue his explanation without interruption, but. . . The Imam's expression shifted slightly at the term. The Imam's expression never changed! Did he recognize the word? But how could he? No, the Imam was a skilled warrior with only the most basic understanding of magic. Surely- No, no. Sadam went on with his explanation.
"Telemancy is an old, theoretical magical field concerned with using magic in the moving of objects, people, and so forth, much as the rift does. We've never yet really had any success with it, beyond the spells that move things across the elemental planes, as I said, and that only with the rift. Nobody has quite mastered the manipulation of telemantic energy, and thus we had no way to test and prove that that's what it was we were dealing with. We've since corrected that oversight." He gave them a triumphant look, but. . . no, they were still staring at him patiently. Figures. He was too used to explaining things to other alchemists who would be able to take the given information and follow it to the natural conclusion. These concepts were too foreign to Hands. Only Salem, of all them, might have understood where he had been going. It was a shame. Maybe if Salem were still alive, they would have figured this out sooner. . .
"The core rift has been tampered with," Sadam patiently explained, "And it is now eating our planet from the inside out. The telemantic energies are sucking our world out of the known limitations of time and space and into random, unknown parts of our universe. That's where all these lights are coming from, what has created these holes, and what happened to everything that has disappeared down there." Sadam watched them all with a look of sublime tolerance.
"We gathered that much from your explanation," Huja said, "Now how do we fix it?" --------------------- Next time, on "Not Only Raji...": Dead men tell no tales. ---------------------
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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 Nov 2, 2006 13:32:53 GMT -5
Chapter Sixteen: The Gardeners Part Five: Course of Action
"Right," Sadam said with a sigh, "Now comes the tricky part."
The atomy looked about himself, seeking something. What he was looking for, as it happened, was paper and writing implements or perhaps a blackboard or just anything he could grab to draw a diagram on to demonstrate what he was about to explain. He didn't see anything like that anywhere nearby. On reconsideration, that wasn't necessarily so bad- he wasn't really sure what he would have drawn on it anyway. He was just used to employing illustrations with his lectures and to have the means to do so readily available would have provided a measure of comfort for him.
"As I explained earlier," he said at last, "The rift is perfectly stable. It is just a physical manifestation of a transport spell grounded into the core of the planet itself. The only way for it to be changed is for someone to be deliberately altering the structure of it. It simply takes so much effort to alter it at all, let alone on this large of a scale, that it is nigh-impossible for such a thing to occur by accident. Also, any alterations made would be relatively minor. To drive the spell from its simple origins to this massive cataclysmic anomaly that is devouring the world would require the constant addition of large quantities of energy, as well as, for the first and final stages of the alteration, require constant attention from the tamperer in order to prevent the spell from collapsing back on itself and reverting to its original form."
Sadam twitched slightly. Really, he needed to draw some of this. If only he had something. . .
"So what you're saying," Naomi interjected, "Is that someone must be working hard to make the rift do this, even as we speak, and that if we remove this person, we can put things back the way they were?"
Sadam stopped and considered her summary. Yes, that was pretty much what he was saying. He gave the woman an appraising look. She was smarter than he gave her credit for. "Yes," he said, "That's about the gist of it."
"So how do we find this person?" Huja asked.
Sadam shrugged. "It could be one person or several. In order to actually keep the process up, they need to spend a great deal of time in close proximity to the core itself, though not necessarily all of their time. It could be one person commuting back and forth during the day or a number taking shifts, even a group living out their time in the planet's center. Either you can search among those on the surface- the whole world over- to find out who is heading down there periodically to make the changes, or you can head down into the core itself and find out who's showing up to get the work done."
"Well, sorting through those above has been unfruitful, and going on a world wide search is out of the question in the time we have," Nusrat said, "so how can we get down to the core to look?"
"You can't," Sadam said.
There was a long and awkward silence.
"But you just said-" Khalid started.
"I said it was the only other way to do it," Sadam said, "The rampant magical energies make any kind of divination impossible, so the only way to actually figure out what might be going on down there is to go there in person and check, but that doesn't mean there's any way to actually do so." Everyone stared at him. "Well, not yet, anyway. I mean, we're working on developing some sort of spell that will protect a person from those energies, but we haven't had much luck. Like I said, telemancy is a very theoretical branch of magic. It could take us months to figure out how to ward someone against it, and-"
"Ask Salem," the Imam interrupted.
Salem?
There was another long and awkward silence. It was Sadam who broke it this time. "Salem's dead, my Lord Imam," he said softly. Huja merely nodded.
"Yes," Huja said, "but he was also a skilled telemancer. He developed much in the field of magic by himself. If anyone could tell you the spell you need for such a thing, I'm sure he could."
More silence. Sadam shook his head. Certainly, that was impressive, but. . .
"But he's dead," Sadam reasserted.
"But he kept notes," Huja said, "and I can arrange for you to be given access to them. Naomi can take you to Salem's quarters right away, if you wish, and can show you where all his things have been stored. That is, assuming there isn't anything more important you wish to bring up here."
So it was Salem who would help them out of this after all, Sadam thought. "No, nothi-" he began, "Well, yes, I mean. Just that there was somebody looking for you before I, er, entered this meeting. She said it was important, but not so urgently so as my message. Shall I send her in to speak with you as I go?"
Huja's face was blank but inwardly he was surprised. Looking for him? Sure, he had been a bit preoccupied, but he should have detected anyone seeking him. Even now, he sensed no one. Whomever it was had closed their mind to him expertly, becoming completely unreadable, undetectable. . . "Who was it?" he asked.
"Your apprentice," Sadam said. "I believe her name is Nihan, isn't it?"
Huja nodded. "Then yes, by all means," he said, feeling strangely distant, "send her in." --------------------- Next time, on "Not Only Raji...": The plot maintains chronology! ---------------------
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Kereth
Storymaster
Because 'stabbity, stabbity, stabbity' is a punchline.
Posts: 222
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Post by Kereth on Nov 7, 2006 11:34:14 GMT -5
Chapter Seventeen: Nihan Part One: Silent Approach
Nihan Bath-Asher strolled down a lightly populated corridor in the rear section of the Cathedral of the Black Rose. True to her training, she was careful that any who were not paying proper attention would have no idea that she passed them by. Naturally, that didn't include the periodic sets of guards, who were uptight and on their toes for anyone trying to slip by unnoticed (something several Hands were sure to try and manage before the day was out, if only for purposes of style). It was an odd feeling, strolling through the halls of the guild or cathedral with no one there making a sound. Once, Nihan had sat in an empty corridor down in the guild, studying a book on anakim anatomy (for purposes of stabbing them, not to further her other pursuits). She had looked up from her text after a half hour or so to find the hallway crawling with senior guild members, all lined up outside the First Ward's office in anticipation of a coming assignment. She hadn't heard a thing of their approach.
Still, it was the sort of thing one got used to after a while. Being around enough quiet people long enough time will sharpen the senses, teaching the mind to strain for those little bits of sound subtle movements that it might otherwise miss. After a few weeks in the guild, an atomy on a cobblestone street started to sound as distinctive as a lumbering ettin.
Regardless, Nihan's thoughts were far from issues of stealth or secrecy. The way she moved was becoming second nature to her, and she had far more pressing details on her mind right then.
She had to find the Imam. She just wasn't trying very hard to do so.
Sadly, it took very little effort to locate him, and the talk she needed to have with him could not be significantly delayed. It was probably for the best. There was no sense in postponing the inevitable. Fate simply demanded that she locate him quickly.
On today, of all days, it seemed that every Hand in the guild knew exactly where to find the Imam. Nihan thought it was just her luck. The upper crust of Hand leadership was gathered together in some sort of meeting to which each member of the guild was invited, one at a time. Nihan was left out of that, it seemed, but Huja had made it clear to her that she was, in fact, being excused and not excluded.
The meetings were about some nonsense with the holes in the ground. As if they stood to find out anything new by just asking around, Nihan thought, but she kept the opinion to herself. Huja was clever, and he likely had more reasons than he gave for why he did things.
Nihan was grateful for slight delays, at least. She stopped, raising her arms high over her head as yet another set of guards padded her down for weapons. None of them had managed to find hers yet, but she had to give them credit for trying. The reason none of the guards had yet found her weapons was that too many of them were large, male, or both, and were unwilling to ask her to submit to a search of certain areas. She could see an atomy woman up next, a Fidai she recognized by the name of Esther. It was she, Nihan predicted, who would finally take them.
All the security was necessary, of course. With all the top Hands gathered to a single location and that location known to almost ever member of the guild, there was a lot at stake, and even a guild like the Hand of the Black Rose had to be wary of assassins.
The ettin and jinn guards finished their search and nodded Nihan on, allowing her to pass by to the next check point. She would lose her weapons at this one, she knew, but that was alright with her. She had only carried them with her this far because she knew that Huja would have wanted her to.
Huja. . .
Was she so sure about the things she was going to tell him? Yes, she knew, it was a little early, really, but she was certain. She might as well get it over with. --------------------- Next time, on "Not Only Raji...": Nihan reveals her message! ---------------------
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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 Nov 10, 2006 0:32:04 GMT -5
Chapter Seventeen: Nihan Part Two: Arrival
Well, that was fun, Nihan thought. The guards were still giving her unhappy looks, as they herded her off to the specified distance with the others. It was the distraction she provided that had allowed Sadam to work his magic on the door and make his entrance to the room. The guards were probably afraid they'd be blamed for the whole fiasco, and quite frankly, it was probably their fault for falling for it.
Nihan didn't mind. She'd take what was coming to her, at least. She just hoped the Philosopher's message was as important as he claimed it was. Besides, he had promised to let Huja know she was out here.
Huja, Huja, Huja. . . What would he say when she told him? That is, he would be happy, right? Of course, he'd be happy, but that didn't make things a whole lot easier for Nihan. This was what he wanted all along, wasn't it? But once he found at that she. . . Well, would he even want anything to do with her anymore? Or would he decide that she had filled her uses and was fit to be discarded, never again even looked upon?
She didn't know if she could take that, but surely she was being unreasonable. Everything was going to be fine. She just had to calm down. She just had to relax. She just had to-
Oh, Cyllyl, what was she going to do if things went badly?
The door opened, and the little splinter golem tumbled out of the hole, falling flat on its face. It quick righted itself and hopped back into the opening, gripping the sides of the door with determination. Sadam fluttered out, followed closely by Naomi. Khalid and Nusrat made their way out after that. That meant only one person was left inside. Was it time? Did he-?
"The Imam will see you now," Nusrat whispered to her as she passed, heading away down the corridor. "Good luck."
Nihan flashed her a weak smile. Good luck, indeed, she thought. Funny. . . was Nusrat just assuming she needed luck, or did she already know? Nihan wouldn't doubt the latter, if it were true. She could never seem to hide anything from Nusrat.
Nihan walked toward the open door silently, not daring to make a single sound if she could help it. She felt so alone, so vulnerable. . .
She passed through the door, closing it carefully behind her so that the golem would still keep its balance.
A lone figure stood waiting for her at the other end of the darkened room. It was him. They were alone.
"Nihan," the figure said softly to her in greeting.
She did her best to force a confidant smile at him.
"Huja." --------------------- Next time, on "Not Only Raji...": The announcement is delayed still further! ---------------------
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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 Nov 10, 2006 13:13:28 GMT -5
Chapter Seventeen: Nihan Part Three: Announcement
She stepped forward into his arms, and he embraced her warmly, holding her close for comfort. They kissed, something almost passionate, but lacking the same urgency or suggestion.
Huja understood it immediately when he saw her. Well, he didn't really understand it, but at least he got the feel of things. He couldn't read her thoughts at all. Something about her. . . just when he'd try to turn his mind her way, to concentrate on her. . . he couldn't concentrate at all then. His own feelings got in the way, and he couldn't focus, no hopes of scanning anyone's thoughts. It was a problem he'd never encountered before, and he suspected he would have no choice but to deal with it for the time being. It was comforting, at least, to know that she wasn't shielding her mind from him on purpose.
The kiss ended, and Nihan leaned her head down, burying her face against his neck. She couldn't look at his face, not now. Ordinarily, she thrilled in it. It was a handsome face, with deep, penetrating eyes and. . . but right now, the characteristic blankness of his expression was too much for her. She could not look into those eyes and even think for a moment that he might really be feeling nothing. Not now. Not now of all times.
She was all too keenly aware that she was trembling.
Huja kept her close to him, hoping to provide some comfort, to make her feel more secure. He couldn't tell exactly what was wrong, but her uncertainty, her anticipation. . . he didn't need to read her mind to be aware of it. He wished so badly that he could just look into her mind to see what was happening. She wasn't characteristically this emotional. If only there was something he could do to help her, without making her explain it out loud. . . Reason dictated that there wasn't.
"What's wrong?" he asked softly, stroking her hair with one hand.
She did not answer him right away, just leaned into him more, and they enfolded one another with their wings. Was she really so ready to tell him? Of course she was. There was no point in delaying like this. Was she sure? Of course she was. She knew the signs, recognized the changes. Was he going to be happy about it? Yeah. Of c- course he was. Right?
C'mon, Nihan, she thought, You've just got to buckle down and say it.
"What did you want to tell me?" he asked again.
He could feel her taking a deep breath to calm herself. Her whole body strengthened a little, steeling for the things she would speak. She took a few more calming breaths. . .
And then she uttered two words that he would not forget for the rest of his lifetime.
"I'm pregnant." --------------------- Next time, on "Not Only Raji...": ". . .with twins!" ---------------------
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Kereth
Storymaster
Because 'stabbity, stabbity, stabbity' is a punchline.
Posts: 222
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Post by Kereth on Nov 14, 2006 12:55:16 GMT -5
Chapter Seventeen: Nihan Part Four: Need
There was quiet in the wake of the announcement. Nihan buried her face deeper against his neck. His hold around her did not falter, nor did the gentle brushing of his hands across her back hesitate in the slightest, but in her mind, she imagined she could feel him growing cold.
He wasn't saying anything. Was it just the surprise, or was he trying to figure out a way not to hurt her feelings? No, no, it had to be the surprise! It was all in her head. He didn't just do these things because he needed her for his own purposes. He really cared! Surely, he cared. Right now, though. . .
Her arms tightened around him fearfully. He just had to be happy about this and. . . and he just had to! She didn't want to look at his face, was afraid that she couldn't take it if she just saw the usual blankness there, but she had to know. He wasn't saying anything, and she needed to know how he felt.
She let another moment pass anyway. She could feel the heat and unshed tears pulling at the corner of her eyes. She couldn't take it anymore. She pulled away, just a little, and looked up into his face, searching. . .
Their eyes met, hers looking tear-stricken and his openly dazed and bewildered. The eyes searched each other, wondering and in wonderment.
At least they weren't blank. Still, it wasn't. . . it wasn't enough! He looked into her eyes, just surprised, only surprised, and she thought she was ready to break down on the spot. The tears built up. Her body became steadily weaker. She didn't want to lose her composure in front of him, but. . . but. . .
He wasn't. He just wasn't. . . why wouldn't he. . . Oh, Cyllyl let him please. . .
A thick, hot tear burned down her cheek. It was just too much for her. She couldn't take the hesitation, the uncertainty. She needed an answer from him, an answer even though she had asked him no question. She needed him to let her know. She needed him to show her. She needed him to. . . to. . .
Huja shushed her softly, kissing her forehead, and a hand came up, a firm, gentle hand, and carefully wiped the tear away from her cheek.
She tried to force a grin at him, weak as it might be. She tried to look encouraging and confident, to prompt him toward what she needed. She couldn't manage it. She just wanted him to. . . dearly hoped that he would. . . She just needed him to. . .
He smiled. --------------------- Next time, on "Not Only Raji...": The silence continues. ---------------------
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Kereth
Storymaster
Because 'stabbity, stabbity, stabbity' is a punchline.
Posts: 222
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Post by Kereth on Nov 17, 2006 14:48:07 GMT -5
Chapter Seventeen: Nihan Part Five: Origin of the Number
Nihan beamed at him. They kissed again.
"That's wonderful news," Huja told her. He found her a seat and held her hand as he drilled her for details.
"How long ago have you known?" he asked.
"Not long," she replied, "I suspected for a few days now, but I only recently found out for certain."
"Does anyone else know yet?" he asked.
Nihan shrugged. "Nusrat might," she said, "but only from being perceptive. I haven't told her anything."
"Well, I'm sure she'll be happy to hear, if you'd like to tell her," Huja said.
Nihan smiled at him. He smiled back.
"Out of curiosity," Huja asked, "Do you have any idea. . . you know. . . which time. . .?"
Nihan smirked. "Not exactly," she said, "but I suspect it was the twenty first. Though on the other hand," she winked, "that might just have been my favorite."
Huja grinned. "The last of the third cycle, then?" he asked, "Truly a holy number indeed. . ."
They talked for some minutes more, but at length, Huja decided that Nihan should get some rest, and that he ought to return to his business and the interrogations. He bid her a tender farewell, and she departed.
She exited the room, and at last, Huja's smile faltered.
There were so many things he could have thought about right then, but as usual, it is the unpleasant thoughts that come most quickly to mind, despite the circumstances. Huja was, on the overall, thrilled by this development, and ecstatic on several different levels, not all of which he was prepared to admit.
One of his long delayed duties was accomplished. He had an heir. Should anything happen to him now, there would be another person waiting for the divine light to rest upon, even if that person were an unborn child. Better still, Nihan, of all women, was to be the mother of that child, that heir, that future Imam, one day to be the Sixth of the First Cycle. Words could not adequately express how much that pleased him, both the presence of the heir and the choice of the mother.
Still, there was an aspect of this that caused him unspeakable worry. The trouble came from Khalid's most recent vision.
In that vision, a young tree had intercepted a burst of flames from the worm, sacrificing itself but preserving Huja's life, allowing him to complete his mission.
That tree had been laden with fruit.
Huja knew that he was being unreasonable, but he couldn't help but feel now that he would much rather be burned himself than to allow that tree to be sacrificed. --------------------- Next time, on "Not Only Raji...": Things aren't ready to go! ---------------------
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Kereth
Storymaster
Because 'stabbity, stabbity, stabbity' is a punchline.
Posts: 222
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Post by Kereth on Nov 21, 2006 1:27:36 GMT -5
Chapter Eighteen: The Fifth of the First Cycle Part One: Go Time
"Huja!" the little voice squeaked, "I mean, 'My L-' I mean, uh. . ."
Huja turned to see the Philosopher slowing from a frantic charge across the cathedral's open floor into a hesitant flutter as he considered how exactly to be addressing his audience. "Yes, Sadam?" he asked, sparing the atomy a great deal of effort.
Sadam shook himself, dismissing the line of thought as unnecessary. "We have it," he announced.
"You have everything we need?" Huja asked, feeling suddenly excited. He asked the question in confirmation, making sure they were discussing the same thing, but a glance into Sadam's mind already told him they were. Now he only needed details.
The alchemist gave a vigorous triple nod. "Indeed," he said, "The uh. . ." He hesitated, looking around himself and wondering if it was permissible to speak freely in such a public location. Huja gestured him toward a nearby door, and they stepped inside.
It turned out to be a lavatory, one equipped with special plumbing of alchemist design. Sadam spared the facilities an approving glance as Huja made certain it was empty. The Imam signaled that it was.
"The notes Salem left behind were a gold mine," Sadam said, once he had gotten the all clear, "they had everything we could have hoped for. He even had a spell already drawn up that could protect one from telemancy, but the spell's duration was too brief, and it couldn't be reapplied without letting it fall first, which naturally would be disastrous in the given circumstances. We've reworked the spell as an enchantment now though, one that we've applied to a belt. Took us a week to get everything together, but it could have been much longer. We owe Salem a retroactive big one."
Huja nodded. He felt tremendous relief, though none of it showed through on his face. The project had been completed not a moment too soon, he was sure. Who knew how long the planet had left?
"We only have one belt so far," Sadam said, "But we'll have a second one ready by the end of the day, if you'd like to take anyone along with you. That's assuming, of course, that you're still intent upon going down personally."
Huja nodded again. "I am," he said, "and there's no time to waste waiting for another. I work better alone anyway." He was already opening the door and stepping back out into the cathedral. Sadam followed after him. "I'll take you into the guild," Huja said, "Then I want you to locate Naomi. Tell her to meet me at the First Ward's office and to bring Nihan and Khalid along with her. I want to meet with each of them personally before departing. After that, head down to the lower tunnels at the rim of the largest opening and wait for me there. Bring any equipment that I will need. I don't want to delay a second longer than necessary."
Sadam nodded, looking set and determined. Huja knew how he was feeling. The two had planned and prepared a long time for this moment. It was finally time to move out. --------------------- Next time, on "Not Only Raji...": Khalid gets an unimportant job. ---------------------
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Kereth
Storymaster
Because 'stabbity, stabbity, stabbity' is a punchline.
Posts: 222
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Post by Kereth on Nov 29, 2006 23:16:36 GMT -5
Chapter Eighteen: Fifth of the First Cycle Part Two: Things to Remember
"I will speak to Khalid first," Huja said, striding past the already- waiting trio and into the office. The jinn gave the others an uncertain glance, then floated after the Imam, closing the door behind him.
"I believe I have yet to return this to you," the Imam said, holding out something flat and paper thin to the Mullah. Khalid recognized it at once.
"My tattoo?" he asked. He extended a hand, carefully accepting the removable marking from the Hand leader.
"I removed it from you-" Huja began, "You remember the circumstances. You have improved greatly since then, and it is high time I returned it to you."
Khalid bowed gratefully. "Thank you, my Lord Imam," he said.
"You may have been told already," Huja continued, "but the alchemists' preparations have been completed. We are ready to move forward with our plan. I will be departing for the planet's core with all speed."
Khalid nodded. "I understand," he said.
"I'm leaving you in charge," Huja added.
"You're WHAT?!" Khalid gawked, "But I have no leadership experience! Isn't Naomi next in the chain of command anyway? I'm quite sure it's the guildmaster's job and not the Mullah's to-"
Huja raised a hand for silence. He received it. "Ordinarily, yes," he said, "But you are far more intimately familiar with the events to come than Naomi is. It was also you, not her, who was looking after the rose in your vision. Whatever happens while I am gone, knowing the will of Cyllyl is paramount in making any judgment, and though I will not be here to interpret for you, you have the most direct link to that will of any available. You must be open to that and act upon any visions you may receive. Do you understand?"
He did. Huja could see it. Khalid was still frightened by the prospect, though, and he needed additional guidance.
"I see," Khalid said, "Is there . . . anything . . . ?"
"Remember the visions you have had already," Huja said. "Remember the details of the events in the garden. Only if faith is kept in Cyllyl is there any chance of preserving the rose. Remember the teachings of our Goddess. Remember the passage of the Divine Light. Remember that in your first vision, the one in the desert where everyone was falling, remember that you and I both fell in the selfsame instant. We will not die separately. So long as I survive, then so will you, and so long as you survive, then I will also."
Khalid nodded, taking it all in. At length, he lifted the tattoo in his hands, applying it firmly to his neck. His gaze met the Imam's, his eyes filled with determination.
"Is there anything else?" he asked.
"Nothing else," Huja said, putting a hand on the jinn's burly shoulder. "If worst comes to worst, my friend, I will see you next in Her Paradise." --------------------- Next time, on "Not Only Raji...": An impersonal briefing. ---------------------
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Kereth
Storymaster
Because 'stabbity, stabbity, stabbity' is a punchline.
Posts: 222
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Post by Kereth on Nov 29, 2006 23:20:54 GMT -5
Chapter Eighteen: The Fifth of the First Cycle Part Three: Botched Manipulation
"Huja, what's going on?" Nihan's voice was soft and hesitant. He stepped close, wrapping his arms around her and holding her to him. Wings entwined.
"I'm going away for a little while," Huja said, "Important business. The salvation of Raji, even. I'm not sure exactly how long it will take, but I wanted you to know so you wouldn't have to come looking for me."
"So I wouldn't come-?" Nihan started.
"I just mean," he said calmly, "That you need to stay here. Take care of yourself. Should anything happen to me, you need to stay safe. You are carrying the next Imam inside of you, after all."
"Stay here? Why-"
"I just want you to-"
"Huja-"
"Please."
He placed a finger on her lips. They stared into each other's eyes for a long moment, searching. Nihan pulled his hand away gently.
"Huja, are you telling me not to follow you?" she asked.
Huja closed his eyes and swore mentally. That was exactly what he had been trying to avoid telling her. He knew full well that in the state she was in, if there was any way to ensure that she would attempt to follow him, it was to order her specifically not to.
In the vision, she sacrificed herself to save him. There was so much less chance of her being able to do that from here. If he could just get her to stay. . .
But how had he so completely botched this conversation already? It was like he couldn't even think around her anymore. He had planned very carefully the approach he needed: first, he must wait for her offer to accompany him and *then* tell her to stay behind. Only by having her believe that she was left behind due to inexperience could he be sure that she would remain.
Well, it was too late for that now, but he could still salvage things to some extent. He opened his eyes. The whole movement of closing and then opening them again took him less than a second, and he didn't miss a beat with his reply.
"Heh. That too," he said. "Mostly, I just want you taking care of yourself. Get plenty of rest. As your master, I'm officially giving you maternity leave from your training for the time being."
"Maternity leave?" Nihan asked, brow raised, "What do I look like, an arcanus?"
"Just promise me," Huja said.
"Fine," Nihan sighed, "I promise not to train while you're gone. Anything else?"
"No," Huja smiled at her, a rare gesture he had yet to bestow on anyone but her, "That will be all. Thank you."
She gave him a slight bow, then turned to leave.
"Oh, and Nihan?" he said. This was it. . .
"Yes?" she asked, looking back at him.
Their eyes met.
"I love you." --------------------- Next time, on "Not Only Raji...": Easily explained developments. ---------------------
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Kereth
Storymaster
Because 'stabbity, stabbity, stabbity' is a punchline.
Posts: 222
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Post by Kereth on Nov 29, 2006 23:22:27 GMT -5
Chapter Eighteen: The Fifth of the First Cycle Part Four: Worldview
". . .progressing at an accelerated rate, ever since I got into this position," Naomi was saying, "We're currently looking at a depletion of roughly twenty percent of the surface of Raji. If this keeps up, we'll have nothing left in a matter of days."
"Then we must hope it doesn't take that long," Huja said, "The alchemists. . .?"
"Are doing everything they can to slow the process," Naomi finished, "Hand agents are working as go-betweens for various settlements. They air city citizens still expect to just be able to float out of range, the Ninevites aren't willing to commit, Ali's city is ignoring our demands after the disappearance of their leader, (no surprise there) and the list goes on."
"How many are behind us?" Huja asked.
"Not many, overall," Naomi said, "rather surprisingly. Shara and the surrounding area, of course, as well as Suthnas, the Alchemist Guild, Scotland, Haroun, Taroudant. . . Egathorpe's decision is still up in the air. It looks like it might stay that until it's too late."
"And Elysium?" Huja asked.
"Withdrawn their support," Naomi said with a sigh, "Citing religious reasons."
Huja was shocked, but he gave no sign of it. "Elysium does everything for religious reasons," he said calmly, "Do we have any more details?"
Naomi nodded. "Our spies indicate that there was some sort of prophecy involved. One of their priestesses, a certain 'Naomi Bath-Asher,' claims to have had a vision. She says that this is not a destruction at all, but the coming of Sikkar to Raji."
Huja was stonefaced as usual, but. . . A vision? he thought, Sikkar's coming? It didn't make sense. Nihan had spoken to the girl just barely two weeks ago, and she had given no indication. . . Why would she make such a claim? Didn't she realize she was going to murder her entire city?'
"We'll have to pull things off without their support then," Huja said, "I only hope they can pull things off without ours. Everything is in place then?" he asked.
"It is," she said.
"Then I must not delay," Huja said, rising to his feet and heading for the door. "Khalid is in charge of things while I am gone, but I still want you coordinating efforts as best you can. Listen to Khalid, and listen to Reason."
"Yes, my Lord Imam," Naomi said, bowing.
"All speed to you, Naomi," Huja said.
"May the shadows watch over you, my Lord," Naomi said, "And may we meet again together before the Paradise." --------------------- Next time, on "Not Only Raji...": Shoddy equipment. ---------------------
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