Kereth
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Because 'stabbity, stabbity, stabbity' is a punchline.
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Post by Kereth on Nov 30, 2006 22:05:28 GMT -5
Chapter Eighteen: The Fifth of the First Cycle Part Five: Geared Up
"Everything ready?"
Sadam turned at the sound of the voice to see Huja striding down the corridor toward him. "Not a lot left to prepare," he said, "But I have everything."
Huja nodded, walking up to the wavering silhouette of the Philosopher. The world beyond the atomy was gone, nothing but a bright, shimmering mass of complexity and colors. "So what have you got for me?" Huja asked. A strange looking belt and some sort of lens lay hovering on a disc near the atomy's head, and the Imam eyed them dutifully.
The Philosopher was choosing to eye the Imam instead. It hadn't been as clear from a distance, but now that Huja got up close, Sadam could make out the shape of some sort of thick, leather armor worn beneath the Hand's usual outfit. But of course, the Imam wouldn't have come expecting a peaceful solution- Hands didn't work that way. There were doubtless daggers concealed all over the anakim's body. Sadam turned his attention to the disc.
"Well, first we have the belt, I suppose," he said, gesturing to it. It was a thick, leather belt with several small, metal boxes sticking out from the strap, scattered haphazardly along its length. Huja knew better than to ask about the design.
"I guess I've already explained the belt's function," Sadam said. "It's the one I referred to earlier. We do have another that will be finished any moment now though. Are you absolutely sure you-"
"Yes, Philosopher," Huja interrupted, "I will be going alone." He lifted the belt, finding it featherlight and flexible. "Do I just put this on normally?" he asked.
"Like any other belt," Sadam confirmed, and the anakim proceeded to do so.
"And the lens?" Huja asked.
"A useful piece I use in my experiments," Sadam said, "I find it helpful in examining magical structures in the same way suula are able to do naturally. I generally employ it as something of a screen or looking glass, really, though to you, it might better serve as a monocle."
Huja nodded, picking up the lens and fitting it into his eye. It fit, just a little loosely. The already peculiar lights from the chasm before him became infinitely more strange and complicated. "What do I need it for?" he asked.
"To find the center of all this, I'm afraid," Sadam said. "It will be right at the core of the planet, but once you get down there, I can't guarantee gravity will work the way you're used to, so you might need some other reference to locate the middle of things by, rather than simply 'down.'"
Huja nodded, checking the position of everything and moving over to the rim of the opening. "Is there anything else I need to know?" he asked Sadam.
"Nothing I can tell you," Sadam said. "I wish I could give some advice on how to deal with whatever people you find down there, but fighting alone against a group is your own field of knowledge, not mine."
"There will only be one person down there," Huja said.
Sadam blinked, double blinked. "How do you know that?" he asked.
"Because I know who it is," Huja said.
The atomy gaped in awe at the Imam for a long, tedious moment. There was silence then, save for the perpetual rumbling of the abyss below them. Sadam asked the only question that anyone could reasonably think of.
"Who?" --------------------- Next time, on "Not Only Raji...": "Sikkar." ---------------------
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Kereth
Storymaster
Because 'stabbity, stabbity, stabbity' is a punchline.
Posts: 222
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Post by Kereth on Dec 4, 2006 21:44:17 GMT -5
Chapter Nineteen: The Worm Part One: Premeditation
Hot and cold winds whipped through the Imam's attire, as Huja plummeted ever-downward through underworld phantasm that had once been subterranean Raji. A great plume of light arched toward him, and the Imam sailed through it heedlessly.
He had dodged the first few plumes out of habit, but he quickly abandoned the effort. There was no way he'd be able to avoid them forever. The monocle he wore showed that they all converged near the core, growing denser and denser as he moved in. If they were going to do something bad to him, they might as well do it sooner, rather than later.
The sight of it all was rather spectacular. The world below looked through the monocle like a great, writhing, multicolored fuzz ball. It was beautiful and mesmerizing in its own way, but Huja's experience had taught him well that even the pretty things can be deadly. Cyllyl was beautiful and mesmerizing too. . .
Now, to say that the sight was beautiful and mesmerizing is no understatement, but no matter how beautiful a thing may be, if one is left with nothing else to look at for an extended period of time, even that most beautiful thing might quickly get old and tiresome.
For Huja, that was most certainly the case. You see, planets are big things. Taking a trip from the surface of a planet down to its core, even at terminal velocity, can still take a considerable period of time. Huja was falling at well over terminal velocity at the moment, propelled by the speed of Cyllyl and the tireless beating of his own wings, but had Sadam not warned him before departure, Huja might very well have tried covering the distance in freefall, an effort that Sadam assured him would take about two to three days.
Still, even with all his efforts behind it, Huja could not raise his speed sufficiently to even cut that time in half. He had a long drop left ahead of him.
This did not bother him unduly, however. Yes, time was critical, and every second wasted could come at the cost of countless lives on the surface, but Huja also had a battle ahead of him, a fight he wasn't entirely sure he could win.
He had instructed Nihan to remain behind, and thus, there would be no one there to give their life for him when the time came. The opponent who awaited him would be no easy target, no matter how much he tried to let on that way to the others. He might succeed, yes, or he might simply die here.
Whichever way it was, he took comfort in knowing that he was as prepared as he could be.
And he really did work better alone. --------------------- Next time, on "Not Only Raji...": Reinforcements! ---------------------
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Kereth
Storymaster
Because 'stabbity, stabbity, stabbity' is a punchline.
Posts: 222
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Post by Kereth on Dec 7, 2006 20:25:11 GMT -5
Chapter Nineteen: The Worm Part Two: Left Behind
Sadam stared off for some time into the glowing abyss where the Imam had vanished. His floating disc sank lower and lower to the ground, until finally, it vanished too.
The Imam had not answered his question, but Sadam hadn't really expected him to. Whoever it was down there, perhaps it was enough that Huja knew who he was after, and that Huja could plan how to deal with them accordingly.
Still, the Imam was a warrior first and not a magician at all. Sure, he practiced some magics, but they were of another variety, the type that, off all the races on Raji, only the anakim seemed to be truly proficient in wielding. Those were the magics of the gods, the spirit, and the mind. They were something completely different from what Huja's opponent was certainly versed in.
It was all the Philosopher could do not to go flying off after that other belt, attempting to wrap it around himself like a cocoon, and following the anakim down there. Only two things stopped him. Well. . . three things.
The first thing was that Sadam knew that Huja was far better acquainted with the situation than he himself was, that Huja perhaps knew it from both sides even better than their mutual opponent did, and as such, Huja must have some sort of plan, a plan that the Hand must know would work and a plan that the alchemist would only be interfering with if he tried to help. Sadam had no choice but to trust his fellow guild leader in this.
The second thing was that he had other work to do here, which he must not allow himself to get taken away from. A Hand would be saving Raji today, yes, but it would be the Alchemist guild that would keep the planet intact until he had done so. That guild needed leadership. There was a lot of planet to save and a distressingly small number of alchemists working on saving it. Here was where Sadam was needed. He must leave matters of the core to Huja.
The third reason (and one which the atomy would be sure not to list were he ever required to explain his motivations to anyone) was that the idea of charging down into battle against a foe that was capable of destroying an entire world at his leisure, all the while sporting a horrid leather-and-metal abomination that was meant to be a belt for a being many times his size, was not only unspeakably terrifying to the atomy, it was also an unpardonable affront to his dignity.
Alien lights flared and swirled in the depths, and Sadam turned away at last.
Huja had insisted on going alone, and alone was how he would go. There would be absolutely nobody following him.
Sadam was going to make sure of it. --------------------- Next time, on "Not Only Raji...": An unsurprising development! The worm's identity concealed! ---------------------
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Kereth
Storymaster
Because 'stabbity, stabbity, stabbity' is a punchline.
Posts: 222
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Post by Kereth on Dec 9, 2006 4:13:15 GMT -5
Chapter Nineteen: The Worm Part Three: Spells and Portals
A lone figure stood, feet firmly planted on shimmering air, standing strong amid a bright and well-ordered chaos.
Almost done. . .
Carefully, he scanned the area around him, waiting for the next one to manifest. For a time there was nothing. . . nothing. . .
. . .and then. . .
A spark caught his eye. He rounded on it immediately, gesturing in frantic discord and chanting out the arcane lyrics he required to encourage its opening. The spark expanded, turning flat, round, stretching out. . . Hastily, the figure hustled forward, taking a deep breath before peering through the shimmering portal.
Darkness. Fields of starlight. The figure was lucky to pull back as soon as he did, for the cold and inhospitable world beyond was already causing unspeakable trauma to all parts of his flesh he exposed to it. He cringed in agony as he tore himself away.
No, he thought.
The skin of his brow had turned hard and brittle as ice. He chanted something, closing the portal, then withdrew a number of shrunken heads from his belt pouch.
That wasn't it, he thought to himself, that one was definitely not it.
He concentrated on the heads, draining away their energies and relieving his wounds. Another spark appeared.
He spurred into action immediately. Again, the spark expanded, flattening. Again, he dared to peer beyond.
This one was safe. He even recognized it from an assignment two years ago with the Hand guild. It was an old, abandoned warehouse, somewhere near the middle of Suthnas.
It wasn't what he needed, he decided, withdrawing from the portal, but it couldn't hurt to keep it. He made a few, quick gestures as he chanted at it. The image of a city appeared over the portal, and the portal drifted slowly away.
A portal labeled and kept, though, even if not the one he needed. . . That meant he had a few minutes before the next was formed. Surely, that next would be the last he would need, and there was a very good chance he'd be right.
A few minutes to rest though. He could use that after all this hard work. He almost sat down.
The reason he didn't was because he spotted the intruder.
Well, well, well. . . was all he thought, feeling either profoundly impressed or surprised (he wasn't entirely sure which). Broad, white wings beat through the air, and the newcomer alighted on the thick air before him.
He bowed to the anakim respectfully. "Greetings, my Most Holy Imam," he said, "It is a pleasure to see you once again."
The Imam slumped slightly as he landed, then righted himself, panting with the effort of his travel. He gave a cold, hard look to the other figure.
"I wish I could say the same to you," he said, "Salem." --------------------- Next time, on "Not Only Raji...": The worm's motives remain a mystery! ---------------------
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Kereth
Storymaster
Because 'stabbity, stabbity, stabbity' is a punchline.
Posts: 222
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Post by Kereth on Dec 11, 2006 23:48:34 GMT -5
Chapter Nineteen: The Worm Part Four: Wrong
Salem bowed apologetically. "I'm sorry to hear the feeling isn't mutual," he said, "Is there something amiss that might cause your displeasure?"
Huja was very tempted to scowl, but longtime habit and an unwillingness to give those around him any advantage resisted the temptation. "You're destroying Raji," he told the arcanus.
Salem stared back at the Imam, his expression just as momentarily blank as Huja's own. ". . . how so?" he finally asked.
Huja kept his gaze locked with Salem's. He was humming almost imperceptibly as he linked his mind with the arcanus. Sure enough, he quickly realized, Salem's befuddlement was genuine. He had no idea what he was doing. "Literally," Huja said.
"Literally." Salem repeated. He clearly expected Huja to correct him, as if the very idea that Raji were being literally destroyed was so ridiculous that the man must have somehow misheard.
Huja was surprised. He had expected Salem, yes, but he hadn't expected this. He had developed many theories, some about Salem's mind being corrupted by his magics, some about him being a psychopath that had opposed them all along, some even in which Salem wanted to hold the entire planet for ransom, or was making some desperate grasp for Paradise. Somehow, it hadn't occurred to Huja that this might all be an accident.
"Salem, what are you trying to do here?" Huja asked.
Salem's face brightened somewhat. "I'm. . . well, I'm doing a lot of things, I suppose," he said, "I'm upgrading the rift, I'm opening a door between Raji and the rest of the solar system, I'm paving the road for a golden age of travel and commerce, and I'm making the way for Hands, that all of Her agents may go forth, spreading Her teachings and Her Will to the five other worlds."
"And you're destroying Raji," Huja said.
Salem shook his head. "I can see how you might think that way," he explained, "but I assure you that I have taken precautions. The energies will never reach all the way to the surface. Gravity might be reduced a little in the end, but the attractive forces of the rift should mostly counteract that."
Huja shook his head. "You messed up then," he told Salem, "most of the planet's surface must be gone by now. You-"
"No." Salem said, "My calculations were flawless. I took every precaution. However you left things before you came here, I assure you they have proceeded no farther. The loss of some of the guild's lower tunnels was unfortunate, but I came down here and fixed that. The surface will remain completely untouched."
He was so confident. . . "Salem, your precautions aren't working," Huja insisted, "I've spoken with Sadam, and he's affirmed it."
"Sadam knows nothing of these matters!" Salem said, "My Lord Imam, trust me! I alone understand the spells I am working here. My whole life has been working toward the completion of this. I'm going to make something great for Raji, for everyone! You have to trust me."
"Is that why you didn't tell anyone about this? Why you didn't ask for anyone's help?" Huja asked, "You just wanted to do this by yourself?"
Salem nodded reluctantly. "More or less," he said, "I thought this was my chance to make my life count for something meaningful."
The irony was staggering. That so many hundreds of millions of lives could be lost because one, powerful man had a mid-life crisis. . . If Khalid were here, he'd probably comment on that. Huja wasn't in the mood. "Salem," he said, "I meant what I said before. It isn't working. You need to shut it down. People are dying because of this. Lots of people."
"I swear to you, Huja," Salem said, "It's perfectly safe."
"You're wrong," Huja said.
And then something flashed in the arcanus's mind. Anger. Anger like white-hot iron from a forge. He glowered at Huja, spitting out a set of words that only a Hand could truly catch the significance of.
"No, my Lord Imam," he said, "you're wrong." --------------------- Next time, on "Not Only Raji...": The inevitable can be avoided. ---------------------
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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 Dec 14, 2006 15:06:36 GMT -5
Chapter Nineteen: The Worm Part Five: "Let's"
Huja stared at Salem, and the arcanus stared back defiantly. "What did you just say?" Huja asked.
"I said you're wrong, Huja," Salem replied.
The staredown continued. Both understood the implications of what had been said, and thus they had no need to discuss it. To outright contradict the Imam like that. . . to go against the Executor, and the recipient of Cyllyl's Reason. . . in the Hand religion, it was the nearest thing to be found to the concept of heresy.
"Salem, why won't you shut things down?" Huja asked.
"I've spent my whole life building up to this project," Salem said, "If I stop it now, I cannot restart it. I still have one portal left to find, the gateway to one more world to open. Were I to abandon that, that planet might remain forever out of our reach. Out of my reach."
"Salem, I've told you that millions are dying. I have told you that it isn't working right. I have ordered you to stop. When did you stop trusting me on that? When has Cyllyl's word ceased to be enough for you?"
"You don't understand everything," Salem said, "Reason is useless if you do not have the proper information to reason upon."
"That's a crude justification, Salem," Huja said, "You know that."
"I'm not entirely sure I care, Huja," Salem said.
Silence for a moment, save the ever-present rumbling and a strange, unpleasant warping of tones from the rift.
"Is there no way to convince you?" Huja asked.
"I'm afraid there is not," Salem said.
Huja nodded resignedly. "Then I suppose you know what we must do now," he said.
Salem nodded in return. "I do," he said.
More silence. The shuddering, sliding chaos of their environment proceeded. It was Salem who spoke next.
"Well, my Lord Imam," he said, "We must do what we must do." He raised his empty hands in the air before himself, adopting a fighting stance. "Shall we?" he asked the anakim.
Huja matched his posture, and two long, slender daggers seemed to appear magically in his palms. "Yes, Salem," the Imam replied, "Let's." --------------------- Next time, on "Not Only Raji...": One of these statements is true! ---------------------
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Kereth
Storymaster
Because 'stabbity, stabbity, stabbity' is a punchline.
Posts: 222
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Post by Kereth on Dec 19, 2006 2:54:31 GMT -5
Chapter Twenty: Khalid Part One: A Day That Will Live in Alchemy!
The main hall of the cathedral was packed with them. Khalid hovered over the masses, looking down and waiting. It didn't matter that they were so crowded in here. They'd be okay. Besides, most of them were leaving soon anyway. . .
"Okay," Sadam said, "now slowly this time, explain to me what happened to the other belt."
The atomy woman peered at him through bug-eyed spectacles. "Well," she took a deep breath, "I thought Humam had it, but he said it was with Dhabia, but Dhabia said she hadn't seen it, but I knew what a airhead Dhabia can be sometimes, so I asked Farid if he had seen Dhabia with the belt, but he said he hadn't, but he offered to look around to find it for me, and he did, and meanwhile, I went and asked Ramez, who was just getting back from below, but Ramez said it had no idea what I was even talking about, so-"
"Okay, stop," Sadam interrupted her. "Forget going over it again. Just get to the bottom line. Where is it? I need to make sure it's locked up and secure."
"Somebody," the atomy woman said, "said the anakim already came and got it."
"Somebody was wrong," Sadam snapped, "The anakim in question already left, and I gave him that belt personally." He glared at the woman. "Now where is it?"
"I-" the woman hesitated, "I don't know."
"So you lost it," Sadam sighed. "Very well, then, I-"
"Well, not me personally," the woman said indignantly, "but I certainly don't know where it ended up."
Sadam glared at her. "You interrupted me," he said. She averted her eyes in apology. "I'd fire you," he explained, "But we're already undermanned here for some reason. I want you to get below with anyone else who is capable. Remember those heavy weight spells you've been studying. I don't want anyone getting zapped off. Why am I even explaining this? You all know the drill. Featherweights and floating discs and whatever else you can think of to keep this rock suspended. Those who can't fly will do what they can from above." He darted past the woman and began shouting to the few hundred gathered alchemists. "Everybody get this cleaned up and move! The Sharan plate will be breaking free any minute now, and I'm not to keen on going down with it!" Most of those gathered wouldn't have heard what he said, he knew, he was just too quiet, but he felt better for having shouted at them. Those who had caught the message would relay it to the rest. He hesitated a few moments, watching as alchemist after alchemist loaded up his, her or its satchel and prepared to move out.
A little flicker of pride welled up in his chest. These were his people, and they were about to save the day for everyone. They were the best this world had to offer, and they were gonna' show just how good they could be.
Some would work below and others above, but nobody had ever figured a way to suspend such a large mass of rock before, and there was no time to figure it out now. This was a time for experimentation, and it was a time for tinkering. This was a time for what alchemists did best.
A little voice coughed behind him. "Umm . . . sir?" it asked. Sadam turned to find the same atomy woman watching him uncertainly.
"What is it?" he asked her.
"What do we do about the belt?" she asked.
Sadam shrugged. He knew where it was, but the answer wouldn't help him. Some junior alchemist had either slacked off studying the heavy weight spell or was too lazy to keep recasting it, and they had probably borrowed the belt to keep them protected while they worked. Typical. "I'll let the Hands know it's missing," he told her, "I'm sure the Mullah will see to it that it's taken care of if it turns up."
She nodded and went off to pack up her things. Sadam fluttered higher and stared down at his little army, feeling himself every bit the maniacal overlord, sending his minions forth into battle.
The alchemists began to move out. --------------------- Next time, on "Not Only Raji...": Umm. . . *not* Ol' Jaf? ---------------------
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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 Dec 21, 2006 1:28:57 GMT -5
Chapter Twenty: Khalid Part Two: Faith
The last of the straggling alchemists had finally vanished, and the cathedral hall was looking significantly more empty. Khalid glided along near the floor, surveying the scene. An arcanus woman appeared at his side, virtually out of nowhere, which was quite a feat for someone who's twelve feet tall and blue. Khalid had been expecting her though, and he did his best not to jump.
"Mullah Khalid," she greeted him, giving a slight bow.
"Rafeek Kamile," he said to her, giving a nod. "What do you have to report?"
"They seem to have stabilized things, sir," she said, "The shelf broke off about half an hour ago, and the desert and city are now floating free with no signs of dropping. The land is still crumbling away along the edges, however, and the alchemists have been able to do little more than to slow things down in that regard. They say they're spread too thin as it is."
"How far is the rim from the city?" Khalid asked.
"About half a mile and closing quickly," Kamile replied, "They don't know if they can hold it that way. Would you like to begin the evacuation?"
Khalid hesitated. That was distressingly close already, but. . . no. Huja's instructions were clear. Only by maintaining faith in Cyllyl could they hope to preserve the guild and cathedral. Evactuation. . . that was surely an act of doubt in her protection, wasn't it? "No," Khalid shook his head. "We will hold here. Cyllyl will protect us so long as we remain faithful."
A trace of a smile was visible. "Of course," the arcanus woman said, bowing more deeply, "I shall pass the word along."
Khalid watched her as she vanished. There was not a hint of doubt in those eyes. He just spoke, and she was so sure that Cyllyl would do as he said. Where did she get such confidence from, and would Cyllyl really reward it? Salem had possessed such confidence. . .
He continued his trek around the hall. All these people here held such faith, he imagined. It was as if he alone could doubt. Or perhaps only he had both a reason to doubt and a reason to come to the cathedral.
Whispered prayers and solemn faces were everywhere, but one voice in particular caught Khalid's attention as he drifted along. Ah, he thought, here also was a voice that was troubled, a voice that was not so resolute and undoubting as the others. He followed the voice to its source.
An atomy knelt beside an ornamental vase, muttering pleas beneath his breath. Khalid watched him for a time, and at last, in a moment or respite, the atomy glanced up and saw him.
"Oh, I beg your pardon," the little man squeaked, "I- er-" he broke off, eyes straying across the jinn's neck. He recognized the tattoo there, perhaps, or perhaps he just noticed how it was different from all the others. Clearly, this was a jinn with authority. He averted his eyes quickly. "Ummm. . . I'm sorry?" he finished.
"You're just fine, my friend," Khalid said, "What's your name?"
"Ol' Ja-" the atomy began, "I mean, Jafar. My name's Jafar. I really hope I wasn't offending you in any way with my prayer. I've never really learned how to pray to your goddess before, and I just kinda' went with what came natural."
Old Jaf? Khalid thought. 'Old' was really a relative term among races like atomies or jinn. The man before him looked barely into adulthood, though for all Khalid knew, he could be easily a few dozen millenniums in age. The title of 'old' no doubt was assigned to him for other reasons. "You were a little off," Khalid said, "But I'm sure She understands just the same. What were you praying for, might I ask?"
Ol' Jaf shrugged. "Oh, pretty much everything," he said, "I haven't much else to do lately. At first I prayed for my ship to get fixed and for the oceans to come back and just for everything to go back the way it was. After a while, I started to settle on just having the oceans returned or just making all the holes go away. Now, I'm just down to pleading that we'll all get out of this alive. It's frightful uncomfortable seeing the world disappear from beneath you like this, you know?"
Khalid nodded wisely. "I know exactly what you mean, my friend," he said, "and you are praying for a good cause indeed. Keep it up. We could use all Her help we can get. . ." --------------------- Next time, on "Not Only Raji. . .": All accounted for. ---------------------
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Kereth
Storymaster
Because 'stabbity, stabbity, stabbity' is a punchline.
Posts: 222
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Post by Kereth on Dec 23, 2006 3:44:02 GMT -5
Chapter Twenty: Khalid Part Three: AWOL
Naomi sighed, fluttering across the hall toward the Mullah. "Khalid," she asked, "Have you seen Nihan around?"
He shook his head. "Not recently," he said, "Why?"
Naomi sighed again. "Huja just wanted me to make sure she was getting rest. He has her on maternity. Unfortunately, I can't seem to figure out where she is." She closed the remaining distance to the jinn, coming to rest on his shoulder.
Khalid grinned at her. "Well, if you can't find her, then how do you know she isn't resting somewhere?" he asked. Naomi looked distinctly unamused. Khalid straightened out his expression. "Sorry," he said, "would you like me to. . . ?" He trailed the suggestion off vaguely, unsure of what exactly Naomi would expect him to do. She had almost as much authority here as he did, and his was only temporary.
"No," Naomi shook her head, "just bothered by her absence. I worry she'll try something foolish, like head out after the Imam."
"How would she even know where he went?" Khalid asked, "I'm sure she'll be safe enough, even if she tries to track him. Even knowing where he has gone, there is no way that she would have the skill required to track down the Imam."
Naomi nodded. "Fair enough," she said, "but she still won't be resting if she tries."
"You're a perfectionist, Naomi," Khalid said with a wry smile.
"Perfection isn't an unworthy goal, if you can manage to achieve it," Naomi said.
"Well, you won't manage it here," Khalid said, "You have too many other things to deal with. How is the sea border progressing?"
"That's another things I wanted to find Nihan for," Naomi said, looking somber, "I'm trying to make sure all guild members are accounted for. I fear we may have to evacuate." --------------------- Next time, on "Not Only Raji. . .": An easy choice. ---------------------
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Kereth
Storymaster
Because 'stabbity, stabbity, stabbity' is a punchline.
Posts: 222
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Post by Kereth on Jan 2, 2007 21:39:24 GMT -5
Chapter Twenty: Khalid Part Four: Certainty
Khalid hesitated a long moment. The idea to evacuate was easy enough to dismiss ordinarily, but coming from Naomi? Her own lack of confidence, that was enough to shake him. Of all those he knew, Naomi was always the one who. . . He shook his head.
"No," he said, "We must remain where we are and keep our faith in Cyllyl. Only by-"
"I've heard the speech," Naomi snapped, cutting him off. "Faith in Cyllyl is well and good, but she has blessed us with something beyond mere faith to guide our dealings. We're not like the Sikkarans. We have Reason, and Reason demands that we evacuate." Her voice was firm but calm. Khalid eyed her doubtfully. He would like nothing more than to run all these people to safety, but-
"Look," he told Naomi, "I'm aware that the edge will be up to the docks soon, but-"
"The island rim receded back to the edge of the docks five minutes ago, Khalid," Naomi said, "A miracle has already taken place, given that the docks haven't been peeling off yet. When I saw that, I was sure for a moment that it was all true, and that Her mighty hand was preserving us, but Khalid. . ." She trailed off. Khalid looked at the tiny woman intently.
"Yes?" he asked.
"The decay hasn't ceased beneath us," she continued, her voice starting to crack, "The alchemists have been monitoring it. They don't know for sure how much longer we have left, but it won't be gradual, like we originally thought. When Shara falls, the whole city is going to fall at once." She bit her lip, falling abruptly silent. She stared down pointedly at the white and black tiles of the cathedral floor.
Khalid nodded slowly. All at once? If that was the case, it was all or nothing. Either Cyllyl would save them, or they were likely to lose every last person in the city. When the energies rose up about them, even those who could fly would likely have no opportunity to escape what followed.
Or they could always evacuate.
"Mullah Khalid," Naomi said, once she regained her composure, "The choice is yours. Give us the order to remain, and we will all follow you to whatever end should await us, even to the Paradise, if that is Her will. I merely ask you this one question before we do so: . . .Khalid, are you sure?"
Was he?
What Naomi said was true. Every person within the borders of this city had the faith required to place their trust and their very lives in Cyllyl's hands. The faith was there. They had that trust, but did Khalid? Even if he trusted, could he be sure this was the right course of action?
Was the city truly to be saved by Cyllyl's hand?
Or was it to be saved by her Hand?
"Khalid," Naomi asked again, "Are you sure?" --------------------- Next time, on "Not Only Raji. . .": Everyone evacuates. ---------------------
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Kereth
Storymaster
Because 'stabbity, stabbity, stabbity' is a punchline.
Posts: 222
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Post by Kereth on Jan 2, 2007 21:41:13 GMT -5
Chapter Twenty: Khalid Part Five: Evacuation
Khalid rose higher, watching down over the masses with mixed feelings. He hovered over the dome of the grand cathedral, and streaming trails of countless people wove down the busy streets.
They were evacuating after all.
There was nothing he could have done, Khalid felt, not more than he was doing. The risk was just too great. To lose the guild, that was a terrible price, but to lose all these lives when he had a chance to save them? That was an even greater price, and one that was not worth risking on his uncertainty.
Still, there was hope. Surely, there was hope.
Khalid had one last card left to play, and if it worked, it might save the guild and the city together. He could only hope it would be enough. Hope and pray.
"Mullah Khalid," a small voice said behind him. It was Naomi. Khalid turned to face her.
"Well?" he asked. She bowed deeply.
"We've evacuated them, Khalid," she said, "All we could find. There's still no sign of Nihan though. The Hands are clear of the guild and are helping escort the citizens out of town. Nusrat is leading the main procession as we speak. Two more teams await our attention, so we may sweep the remaining area for stragglers."
Khalid nodded to her. "Put Tevfik in charge of my team and move out then," he said, "There's no need to waste any further time."
"Tevfik?" Naomi asked, looking momentarily puzzled. "Khalid, if you don't mind me asking, what will you do?"
He looked her right in the eye, and she shivered noticeably.
"I'm staying here," he said. --------------------- Next time, on "Not Only Raji. . .": More excitement on the surface! ---------------------
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Kereth
Storymaster
Because 'stabbity, stabbity, stabbity' is a punchline.
Posts: 222
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Post by Kereth on Jan 2, 2007 21:42:11 GMT -5
Chapter Twenty-One: The Mage Part One: Dueling Spells
Daggers hissed through the air, slashing away at Salem's flesh. He managed to maneuver away from most of them, so the damage was only superficial, but the pain was intense. He didn't allow it to interrupt his concentration.
Flying blades indeed, he thought, two can play that game.
"By Nature's hand, by craft, by art, what once was one, now fly apart!"
Salem knew better than to try to take on the Imam on his own turf, namely by turning this into a battle of stealth and cunning. If things turned that way, Salem was a dead man. His only hope was to try to lure the Imam out, to face him in direct combat. So far, that attempt seemed to be working.
The luring, that was. Fighting the Imam head on was still no easy task.
His spell exploded in wave of whirling metal fragments, which swept across the entire area.
Let him try to dodge that one. All Salem needed was one good spell, and he'd finish this, but the Imam moved so fast, it was just too difficult to target him. Naturally, the solution had been to attempt a spell that he didn't need to target. . .
The blades whirled forward, but next thing Salem knew, the Imam vanished.
"What in Cyllyl's name-" Salem started, but he quickly realized what had happened. An experienced Hand could even avoid the most widespread of attacks, if they were not aimed for him directly. It was a blessing Cyllyl gave to them- Her "embrace" as they called it. The power to retreat to the paradise, just briefly, in a moment of extreme peril. There was only one clear counter for it. He had to hit the Imam directly, and not just the room as a whole.
Yet to hit the Imam, he had to find him. Huja had vanished, but if Salem's experience held true, the Imam would next appear right over. . .
Salem whirled around, just in time to see the Imam closing in on him from behind.
"Dangit, Huja!" he snarled, throwing himself to the side just in time to avoid the dagger Huja tried to plant in his chest.
Huja flashed him a grin as he went by, brilliant white wings propelling him along at unreasonable speeds. Salem nearly lost sight of him in a plume of energy.
There was clearly more to this battle than Salem had anticipated. He started working on another spell. --------------------- Next time, on "Not Only Raji. . .": Ever faithless. ---------------------
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Kereth
Storymaster
Because 'stabbity, stabbity, stabbity' is a punchline.
Posts: 222
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Post by Kereth on Jan 3, 2007 20:54:15 GMT -5
Chapter Twenty-One: The Mage Part Two: Pleas and Teachings
Khalid dropped yet another rose to the ground, where it gathered in a great pile with the others. He was floating high in the cathedral's main hall, completely alone. This was desperation now- desperation on the verge of madness. Still, it had hope, and so help him, he was going to cling to that.
The rose plummeted downward, reaching its terminal velocity relatively quickly and virtually gliding the rest of the distance to the floor. It had almost struck, when Khalid finally managed a urgent, whispered plea.
"Please," he said.
His logic was relatively simple. He alone would remain in the cathedral. He would remain, because if the cathedral was destroyed, he would be also, and he was convinced that he could not die.
Well, he could, but if he did so, the world was over anyway.
He dropped another rose. The earth trembled violently, shaking his confidence and scattering the piled flowers.
It had to work. . .
He could not, or rather, he would not die, because his visions had said as much. That was what Huja had told him. The two of them were to fade in the selfsame instant: they would die at the same time. So long as Huja remained alive, so would Khalid, so long as Khalid remained alive, so would the guild, and according to the teachings of the Hand, Huja would not, could not die today.
"All the World," Khalid began, reciting, "depends upon the Imam. If he were to disappear, even for a moment, the World would spiritually cease to exist. The Divine Light is transferred to the son the moment the father dies. A minor Imam must have a relative as regent, but the Imamic line can never become extinct."
He snapped himself out of his sudden daze, glancing down just in time to see the rose closing the final inches to the floor.
"Please," he muttered again, and it landed.
The words he had spoken, he had heard many times. Because of them, he knew that Huja could not die, because he had no living heir. An unborn child in a mother's belly could not be the recipient of the Divine Light, could it? Khalid doubted it would be so. Apparently, he realized, his doubt was strong enough to stake his life upon.
"Cyllyl let it be so. . ." he whispered. He withdrew another rose and dropped it.
"Please," he muttered, before the rose hit the earth.
He dropped another and "Please" again, mere instants before it landed.
The ground began shaking, whipping back and forth with more fury than it had ever shown before, the whole world roared around the Mullah. For the faintest instant, he wanted to be afraid, but then even his fear passed from him.
"No," he said, withdrawing a final rose. No longer would he doubt. No longer would he question. His faith in Cyllyl was absolute. She knew what was Right here, and She would perform accordingly. He would place his life in Her hands, and She would take care of the rest.
The roaring, grinding chaos built up louder and louder all around him. He dropped his final rose, watching it sail steadily down toward the waiting ground, untouched by the madness to every side. He would not doubt. This was Cyllyl's hour to show Herself.
"Please," he whispered quietly, and the rose lighted upon the tile.
There was a moment of absolute silence then, and then the world around him cracked like thunder, and everything, everywhere shattered. --------------------- Next time, on "Not Only Raji. . .": Average spells. ---------------------
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Kereth
Storymaster
Because 'stabbity, stabbity, stabbity' is a punchline.
Posts: 222
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Post by Kereth on Jan 6, 2007 2:01:13 GMT -5
Chapter Twenty-One: The Mage Part Three: Circling
Silvery white wings beat calmly through the shimmering chaos. A lone figure descended amidst writhing tendrils of magic.
Almost there. . . ---------------------
Eyes like eagle's tracked the anakim across the skies, and the Imam circled his foe, darting in and out among the quivering lights, watching for an opening, as his opponent followed his movements in return, watching for openings of his own.
Strange forces assaulted Salem's mind, making it difficult to concentrate, but he focused hard, holding his attention where it belonged by sheer determination and force of will.
It was Salem who saw his opening first, albeit a small one.
Speed was important this time, a matter of getting a spell off before the opening closed on him. He had just the trick for that.
"Magic missile striking low," he chanted hurriedly, "fail me not to strike my foe!" He whipped his hands around, making the last few gestures, and the small bolt of energy whizzed out, zeroing in on Huja and striking with a zap. Huja grunted at the impact.
Was that it?
Huja could have kept up his concealment as he circled, but he was doing well in this fight, and that made him feel a little brash, a little arrogant. Reason dictated otherwise, but Huja was confident. Here was the perfect opportunity to taught the mage. Perhaps if he angered him, he might be able to hinder Salem's own judgement. Huja darted free from the waves of energy, calling out to Salem.
"You'll have to do better than that," he jeered, "You expect to beat me with a simple alchemist trick?"
He glided along, and Salem whirled on him, gesturing madly. Huja was fine. He knew enough of such spells to know that anything Salem could use to do significant damage to him would require just a little too long to cast. He could spare another moment, dodging among the lights, before he retreated.
"I expected better of you, Salem," Huja said, "You disappoint me."
Salem's hands whirled, moving at incredible speed. Really, the way he was working, he was likely to ruin the spell, not make it go faster. Huja could see his lips muttering something, but the words were lost to him.
"Come on, Salem," Huja called, "Is that the best you've got?"
. . .
"POWER WORD KILL!"
--------------------- Next time, on "Not Only Raji. . .": Nobody dies. ---------------------
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Kereth
Storymaster
Because 'stabbity, stabbity, stabbity' is a punchline.
Posts: 222
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Post by Kereth on Jan 8, 2007 22:05:54 GMT -5
Chapter Twenty-One: The Mage Part Four: Target "anakim"
"POWER WORD KILL!"
Salem shouted the final three words of his spell, releasing a tremendous blast of energy, which sailed directly for his target. His victim had no time to react. So speedy was the blast, and so potent was its energy, that not even a sizable portion of the body remained behind. All was disintegrated- arms, legs, torso, head, even right out to the snow-white, feathery wings of his prey. The spell had gone over perfectly.
Salem's only regret was that its victim had not been the Imam.
A voice screamed a name amidst the chaos.
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Huja realized only at the last possible moment that it was too late. Only at the last second did it occur to him that he would not have a chance to escape. It was all over then. He looked his death in the eye, his death and the death of all Raji along with it. He watched as Salem built up the the final lengths. . .
. . .of the spell that would doom them all.
Then Huja saw something else. A figure appeared to the rear of Salem, a figure Huja recognized immediately, and whose presence filled him with insurmountable hope, and similarly insurmountable dread. Inadvertently, he gaze flicked toward the figure, before returning resolutely to the arcanus.
Salem, unfortunately, seemed to spot the brief flickering of the anakim's gaze. It could have been a deliberate diversion, he knew, but he couldn't afford to take that chance. Huja had brought his eyes back too quickly, too forcefully. He was trying to keep Salem from noticing something. Salem rounded on whatever it was.
His mind only had an instant to process what he saw, as he spitefully completed his incantation.
"POWER WORD KILL!"
Huja screamed a name.
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Delicately, she winged her way forward, and all at once, the situation came into full view.
She knew nothing of the timing of things, not the natures of spells or the meticulous, moment-to-moment calculations and reflexes that were involved in this combat. She knew only what her eyes and her limited experience informed her of.
She saw that the Imam was exposed and vulnerable. She saw that the arcanus had his back to her. She saw an opportunity, and she took it, and she did the only thing she could do.
She held her dagger close, folded up her wings, and she dove for the arcanus.
She moved in closer, closer. . .
Until, at the last moment, the arcanus whirled about, gesturing at her, and a brilliant, red light consumed everything.
"POWER WORD KILL!" he shouted.
"Nihan!"
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Only a split second later, Salem returned his gaze to the Imam's position, but Huja was already gone.
--------------------- Next time, on "Not Only Raji. . .": Unfinished. ---------------------
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