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Part 25: A night in the lonesome October
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Part 25 - A night in the lonesome October by Dworkin (GM)
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There is no rain or storm here, though the grass is damp, sparkling in
the setting sun like a field of rubies strewn across the glade by a
careless jeweller. The sky is a blaze of crimson and vermillion,
banded with gold and black cloud.
The place is deafeningly peaceful after the chaos of the Devil's
Needles. The only sounds are the songs of birds settling down for
the evening and trickling water, heard faintly in the distance.
The trees seem to burn, their autumnal colours brought to fiery life by
the dying rays of the sun as it kisses the western horizon
With no breeze to speak of, it is not cold on the hilltop, just pleasantly cool.
One end of the roughly circular clearing is open, giving a view down
into a forested valley, where the roof of a small house can just barely
be seen among the trees.
Some evenings it feels good to be alive.
Especially if you've just stepped out of Hell...
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Re: Part 25 - A night in the lonesome October by Cyan
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...flare of rainbows...
...brief roll of thunderous noise, carried over, startling the birds...
Figures appear, stumbling slightly. Ithilinaur describes a shimmering arc in the air before vanishing into a crude,
wooden scabbard with a click. Cyan stumbles, then catches herself
against a tree, glancing over her shoulder. THX 1138.
Jack. Kia, carrying Berd. All of them.
Struggling for breath, the Bard gasps, then breaks into laughter.
Sapphire eyes close as she strains for a moment, leaning against the
tree, then snap open as the noise cuts off, strangled by an act of
will. Alive!
Another near thing. Part of Cyan's mind absently wonders how many more times their luck and skill will hold.
"Is...is everyone well?" One hand reaches out, touches THX 1138. I am here. We are all together, THX 1138. You were flawless.
Pushing herself up, she moves to where Jack stands, reaching out and
gripping him by the shoulder. "Jack, are you injured? Or
merely exhausted?"
The bard's gaze falls on Kia, then, and a small smile grows on her lips
as she sees the still form of Berd, barely breathing, in her
arms. "Thank you, Kia." The girl has been fantastic,
leaping in without an instant's hesitation, doing what was needed
without being asked, assisting them in an unknown conflict without
argument. Perhaps NOW Jack will see that she belongs here, where she chooses to be.
"If...if the cabin still stands, we can rest there," the Bard
manages. "Or elsewhere - wherever I can bring you, it matters
not. I needed a place and this-" she holds up Kirilinde, sheathed, "-has only one destination."
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Re: Part 25 - A night in the lonesome October by Jack
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Jack stood silent as cyan
look around talking on riding her wave of emotion. As he touched him
his knees trembled and he crumpled onto his rump dazed and
exhausted. He had supplied the fire power for them to win the
battle. He blinked a couple of time and spoke in just as dazed of a
voice. “Yea. . . Um yea I’m fine. . .You, Kia, Berd. . . Are you okay?”
He asked
It didn’t seem like Jack was going to be quick to be on his feet after
all of this, he even needed at least a few moments before he could move
on to the cabin.
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Re: Part 25 - A night in the lonesome October by Dworkin (GM)
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With a few moments to get his breath back, and to shake off the icy
chill that seems to have taken hold deep in his bones, albeit briefly,
Jack is soon able to continue down the trail. Cyan supports him,
while Kia carries Berd, twitching and whimpering like a dreaming
dog. Still, if he's dreaming, then at least he's not in a coma,
and he's going to be alright.
Right?
The cabin is still there, substantially unchanged. A few more
cobwebs in the corners, a cracked windowpane, a loose shingle on the
roof, dimly seen in the gathering dusk.
It doesn't take long to start a fire in the stove, and to light a few lamps against the dying of the light...
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Re: Part 25 - A night in the lonesome October by Cyan
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"Everyone, please relax...somewhere." Cyan glances around at them
worriedly. Kia and THX 1138 seem to be in the best possible
shape. Jack is exhausted to the point of sickness, and Berd is
completely drained. She, herself, feels like there are lead
weights at the ends of her arms. "Sit, and I shall make a
meal. THX 1138, what sort of nourishment do you require?"
As the room heats up, Cyan manages to find the makings for,
unsurprisingly, a stew, and sets it to bubbling on the stove.
Quietly she pours some boiling water into a small, double-walled copper
pot and, moving to the near asleep Jack, puts the pot beside him and
covers both he and the pot with the blanket. For a moment, her
amber eyes rest on him, and one finger touches his cheek, before she
puts a cup of heated, spiced wine before him. "I cracked one of
the few bottles I have here," the Bard explains softly. "Age has
improved it, rather than turning it to vinegar. Lucky, I suppose."
Moving to where Kia sits with Berd, she places another cup of hot, spiced wine before the girl. Girl? She may be older than I; only she knows that for truth.
"Is there aught that anyone requires?"
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Re: Part 25 - A night in the lonesome October by Jack
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Jack walked the trail as lost in though as the last time he had walked
it, tired, beaten. His deep blue eyes now carried a haunted aspect to
them as he contemplated life. A love lost, along with a life he could
have had. The chance of seeing his daughter grow up, a chance he never
had. A people saved as the Gatherer still continued to ravage a
world. Jack could not shake the feeling that the world it’s self was
alive as he half remembered it screams. The buildings themselves
certainly showed signs of life.
THX’s world, he had not finished the job. He
had wanted badly to seal the breaks that grown there due to the broken
god. Not just undo the work they had done, but fix the world as well.
The extra power he had would have made that easy, but the confrontation
with the Archon and Warrior had destroyed that possibly for the
moment. Even breaking the reign of the Archon’s. . . How many
thousands of worlds along the fault line? They had one today, but
it was a drop in the over all bucket.
Yet he had his vengeance for the
loss of his love, the loss of his life, the loss of his time. Still he
felt so hollow and empty. . . As if there was nothing but great cold
lump in his gut. Much like the orbs, eating away at him from
within. How much destruction would be wreak before it fill that
emptiness? How much havoc would he deal out? Could he put his
friends and family through this again? No, he could have lost or been
the down fall of any one of them with his mad drive for revenge. He
could not do this to them again. They had enough, it was time to go to
Amber and tells Cyan’s Prince what they had, everything that they knew.
They did not have the means to fight this battle time and time again.
He might, if he wanted to save Amber he had better.
Jack let himself lean
on Cyan on the trek back to the cabin, some times she caught some of
these stray thoughts and his defenses were definitely not up to
par. Once at the cabin he flopped down on the sofa half nodding
by the time she brought the blanket and wine. When Cyan touched his
cheek he looked up into her eyes and softly said “Thank you.”
Cyan could feel a longing for security and comfort in those haunted
eyes of Jacks. He seemed now more than ever like a man on the edge,
rather than the relief he sought in vengeance.
As she moved away to take care of
Kia, Berd and the stew Jack spoke after sipping the mulled wine. “Tell
me of yourself Cyan of Nowhere in particular. It is strange, everyone
is from somewhere. You have a cabin here and here is somewhere. You
have seen much by your tales and yet you are young enough to be
defensive about it. You tell much of yourself, without telling
everything. Prize honesty and truth in it whole enough to believe in it
totally and faithfully. Yet you still have your mysteries and
secrets. No one pays them any attention though. . . Because you
are who you are, quiet, polite, in the back ground while being open
about it. Tell me of you.” he was already half nodding again by the
time he finished the question.
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Re: Part 25 - A night in the lonesome October by Cyan
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Cyan glances up at Jack as he speaks, cocking an eyebrow over a
curious, topaz eye. She knows of some of his thoughts from the
walk here. The grief. The despair at ever completing this
cursed war that stretches from one pole of the Worlds to the
other. The feeling of helplessness. The empty satisfaction
at vengeance applied with a brutal fist.
The knowledge that revenge would never, ever be enough.
Giving the stew a stir, she laughs, quietly. There is little
humor in the sound; a touch, but perhaps that would be enough.
Perhaps she can take his mind from his woes, for a time.
"What shall I tell you of myself that I have not told before?"
Curiousity spikes her tone, and Cyan taps a finger on her lips before
deciding that none of them are ready to eat quite yet. Exhaustion
and desperation puts a clamp on hunger for most. Pulling the stew
to a warm part of the stove, where it will heat, but not burn (with
some, small attention), she moves to her pack and takes out the small,
nearly empty bottle of brandy. Pouring a small snifter, the Bard
walks slowly around the room, touching the art on the wall.
"Young I am...my time has not been measured in centuries as has yours
and Aaron's; I am no Man of Westernesse, to have a life as such.
My age is much as you can see - I shall reach my third decade next
year." Cyan pauses, frowning. "Or...perhaps the year
after? Berd would know." She nods, satisfied at least that
she has made her point.
"Here is my life - I was born to this world, Jack," the Bard continues,
with a glance at Kia as the girl cradles Berd. She moves back to
the sitting 'area', pulling a chair from the table and swinging it
easily around to sit on one corner, elbows finding her knees as she
leans forward. "I grew up in the cabin - Berd and I found it, and
Berd tells me it may have belonged to my parents." There is a
flicker of uncertainty, but then the red-haired woman gives Jack a wry
smile. "I never knew them. Here, on this world, is where I
learned of palanquet from a small, scaley teacher, did my education, took my exams at the
Bardic College. Even then did Berd and I range far and wide,
stepping forth through the curtain between the world, finding friends
elsewhere, aid we could give. After I graduated, at a young age,
I travelled more, from the World where my friends were found, to other,
further Worlds...as you likely know, being a Walker yourself, time
functions oddly..." She pauses, then looks to the ground, misery
at Jack's loss in her eyes.
"I am sorry."
After a moment, Cyan gathers herself together and continues. "My
friends were unaging, though, and I was always welcome to their tables
and to assist. That is until the day I returned to find Menegroth
in ruins, shattered and destroyed at the hands of the Naugrim, the
people of Doriath fled, Mablung of the Heavy Hand slain at the
gates...Nargothrond suffered the same fate under the talons of Glaurang
the Golden, and that story claimed the life of another for whom I
cared. Beleg Cuthalion." Taking a small sip of the brandy,
Cyan stares into the distance. "I believe...I might have been
twenty-five." For a long, painful moment, she sits silent before
continuing.
"So you see, while I was born of this World, and sometimes live in this
cabin, it is not my home." The Bard glances to Jack for a
momnent, then looks at the floor with a faint flush. "And thus,
my rather ridiculous appelation...it has become habit, though. So
I returned here, but could not stay away, and arrived in the teeth of
time to espy, at some distance, fortunately, the end of the War.
It was then, as we watched the Hosts of the Wests tear the Iron Prison
asunder, topple the Mountains of Doom and chain the Lord of Fetters,
then that Berd told me of Amber, a place like none other. I had
heard legends of it, but always Berd would say that I was
ill-prepared. When I asked him why, now, he replied that this was
adequate; our journey would complete my education."
Another sip. "I did not realize how long the journey would
be. Berd follows a...meandering trail, and we found ourselves
embroiled in many a story along the way. Aid, assistance, we give
those freely to any who ask - it is what Berd has taught me." For
a moment, her eyes fall upon THX 1138. "I would not let any
suffer, if I had my way. In pain, under a yoke, or fallen to
despair. And so we heal, we fight, and we sing." Cyan
laughs. "And, as you can see, we are fond of melodrama. But
to return to my story, we finally came close, as close as we ever had
to Amber, even to the Forest of Arden...and you know what happened
there. So we never truly reached that city, and now I wonder,
with the remainder of my education, if I wish to go. Perhaps that
was ever Berd's intent."
Silence, as Cyan rises to stir the stew, then moves to pull her chair
beside Jack's seat on the crude sofa. "And you, Dominique.
Will you speak to us of yourself? I have heard some of your tale,
but not all. I know you ruled as Prince, and you...well, there
has been tragedy trailing your footsteps like a sadly loyal hound, but
I know not of the time between your leaving the World of your birth and
our discovery of you in the Sands of Lazarus' World. What, if
anything, do you recall of your life? Could you tell us, myself,
your daughter, and THX 1138, whose world you have saved from
slavery?" Sorrow passes over Cyan's features like a shadow.
"Or has your mind still forgotten its past?" Reaching out, she
places one hand upon Jack's knee, squeezing it gently in reassurance.
"It does not matter if you cannot recall, Jack. You are who you
are, and I know that man. You will remember, someday," the Bard
says quietly. "I do not believe that the spirits would allow such
as man as yourself to be tormented so, forever." Moving over, she
slips behind the couch and puts her hands on Jack's shoulders, rubbing
them carefully, turning her head to look at Kia with worry in her
eyes. "Exhausted," the Bard mouths to the younger girl. Jack's powerful shoulders feel like knotted wood.
"You should have a hot bath, Jack." And then sleep.
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Re: Part 25 - A night in the lonesome October by Jack
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Jack sits half nodding and sipping wine as he
listened to the tale, he know knew what they meant by to tired to
sleep. Beside he was afraid of the prospect of sleep. If he was this
bad awake, there was no telling what how bad the dreams would be. He
reached out and patted Cyan’s hand “I’m sorry, most of my memories are
missing or still tainted I suspect. I still half remember Antoine being
someone else, yet I can remember him being me as well now thanks to Kia
and you. I still remember Kalika dying in the car blast, yet I can now
remember her being here as well.” Jack hung his head for an moment. “I
still remember the shower. . . Vague versions of both.” he bit
his lip and shook his head as if to clear it.
Looking back up after a moment, he sighed
and continued on. “If I remember correctly nothing happened between
when I left my world and when you all found me where you did. I had
lost someone dear in an assassination attempt . . . I remember it
being Kalika. . . We were to be married, there was a war between
members of my family and I killed one of my brothers. After that I
became a recluse on a mountain where my Pattern is. I could no longer
deal with family and world politics, all of the constant in fighting
and one upsmanship. Each trying to set themselves up to be next in
line, willing to do what ever was needed for power. Lie, cheat, steal
or kill. Eventually I realised I was tired of that world and walked my
Pattern to it’s center, and teleported not caring where I went. Looking
for relief from the pain, next thing I remember is opening my eyes and
looking into Kalika’s.”
A confused look crossed his face as
he realized the fact the she was supposed to be dead but he had awoken
looking into her eyes. He continued on shaking off the confusion
“That was the beginning for me. . . How many days ago now? Everything
that happened, happened before that. See I was younger than you when I
found my pattern while hunting, a land slide had uncovered a cave with
strange etchings on the floor. I stepped on it moving to the center of
the cavern and couldn’t step off until I had made it to the
center. I followed my nature and went exploring using my new
found power. It took me over a century to master my power and find my
way home. A century of everything I tried being cursed by the
power of my pattern. A century of wars, storms and the worst
things the worlds could throw at me. 100 years of pain and suffering
through the worlds and before I found my way back. In that century I
had aged but a couple of years and only a few years had passed on my
world.”
“Oh the celebration at my return, my parent
were overjoyed to find me alive. I met someone. . .I though. . .I mean
we fell in love, we were inseparable. . . Then came the rest of the
story. The bomb, the war, the murder of my brother. . . Self imposed
exile, walking the pattern again, then blackness. There I was, reborn
as Jack. . . I suppose that is why I can not stand the intrigue and
games so many of the people we have met favor. I’ve had my fill. Now I
have nothing but more intrigue, more war, more pain and suffering. I
have lost Kalika twice and all I have is the ever present question of
where does it all end?” Jack finished the last of his wine and
sat the cup down. “I’m sorry I am such poor company. .. But yes a bath
would be nice, perhaps put me in a better mood, maybe even relax me
enough to sleep.” he rolled his head down and closed his eyes
giving in to the massage Cyan was giving him. He didn’t realize
how tense his muscles were until she started working on them. It
was a simple comfort, the touch of a friend. . . It was the
simple things in life that would sustain him through this time.
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Re: Part 25 - A night in the lonesome October by Cyan
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Cyan flushes as Jack notes how he can recall the shower, but hangs her
head sadly at his words. The story is much as he described
before, but in greater detail. "Yes," she says quietly, still
working on his shoulders. "Except the first woman you loved was
not Kalika. That is confusion - it was a different woman, but
from what you have said, from what you did, you loved her very much."
This is a man who throws all he is into anything he does.
Somehow Jack has managed to love not just once, but twice...and lost
both. His heart must be slivers of broken glass, cutting him
every time he moves.
And it sounds as though he does age...but only at the speed of the time
of his world. I wonder if his world is slow, compared to the
others, and that would explain his age...or is it merely an effect of
his Broken Pattern?
Curse that thing! It has brought him nothing but heartache!
"A bath, then. There are hotsprings nearby; we channel the water
into the side room, and through it." Reaching out, she snags the
bottle of wine, pouring Jack another glass, knowing that in his
weakened condition, it might only take an entire bottle to make him
drunk. "A moment..." Moving to the stove, she pauses to
stir the stew, then pull it off the hot area. "I will take you
there, show you how to operate it. It is simple, really.
THX 1138, Kia, I will return momentarily." Giving the two of them
a strained smile, the Bard moves to where Jack is slumped and helps the
big man to his feet. "Here, now, come with me."
Supporting Jack, Cyan moves through a small doorway in the far wall,
into an even smaller room. It measures only ten feet by ten feet,
and most of that eight feet is taken up by the massive bowl in the
floor. Jack has to step down to get into the room - it is set at
least three feet below ground level, with the bowl even deeper.
The rock itself appears to have been melted and fused into the shape of
a bowl. There is a small hole, about halfway up the bowl on one end,
and two trenches carven into the lip. The one above the small
hole leads out of the room, in a channel to one wall. The other
trench leads to a smaller hole at the base of the wall.
Cyan hurries back with some towels, and crude soaps, putting them down
beside the bowl. The Bard points to the bottom of the bowl, where
there is water, cold, old water, up to the level of the first, small
hole. "That needs be washed away." Gripping a winch at the
side wall, she slowly begins to turn it. At first, there is a
small trickling noise that grows into a low gurgling, followed by a
rushing sound. Water, steaming and smelling slightly of mineral
sulphates, begins to pour in from the second trench, opposite the first
and the hole. It swirls around, rapidly filling the bowl, even
though it is obvious some of it is being drained away by the hole a
third of the way up.
"Berd did this," Cyan says softly, looking into the steaming
water. "The water will flow quickly into the bath, washing it
out, until it reaches the level of the lip. There, the second
trough will carry it away. When it is clear, and that will be
soon...ah, here we are...one simply uses the winch and reduces the
flow." She does so, and the water continues to pour in, more
slowly, steam rising from the swirling bowl. "The hole in the
middle carries away some, and will mostly empty it when you are
finished, and we close the influx. It will continue to replenish
itself, so you will not be sitting in cold, soapy water after a short
time." Stepping back, she helps Jack sit down and pulls of his
boots, almost slipping in the humidity. Pushing a sodden lock of
hair from her eyes, Cyan steps up to the wall and opens a window.
"I do not wish the rest of the house to become a sauna," she notes,
turning back to Jack.
"I will deal with your boots," the Bard says. "You...well, the
bath is yours. Take as much time as you will." Placing the
mug down on a handy stone shelf, Cyan pours some wine and puts the
bottle down next to it. "If you require anything," she finishes,
"call out."
The bowl is obviously large enough for a bath, a comfortable one, and
there are even small 'shelves' jutting from the sides. Seats,
apparantly.
It is a remarkable feat of engineering - doubly so, when one considers
how ridiculously SIMPLE it is. Likely as not people would have
made something like this far in the past, before pumps and copper
piping...if they could find ways to channel hot springs, and bore neat
holes through granite.
By now, the water in the bowl is as clear and fresh as hot springs can
be. It steams, but is not above a comfort zone of heat.
Apparantly Berd has arranged for a lengthly cooling channel as well.
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Re: Part 25 - A night in the lonesome October by Jack
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Jack Stood having gained some strength
again even from this minor rest, though he did not argue with Cyan’s
help. A smile broke when he saw the bath, it was a mirthless smile but
a smile none the less. “I would kill for a long soak in a hot
bath.” He said as Cyan hurried off to get the towels and soap,
realizing just how poor of taste the joke was in considering how man
had died this day. By the time she had mad it back he had pulled off
his cloak and sweater, having folded both neatly. He sat the rolled up
cloak by the tub as a head rest. Now listening again to Cyan
explain the workings of the tub and it’s Aqueducts.
It didn’t lake much for Cyan to lead
him into sitting down so she could pull off his boot, Jack muttered
something about “God’s bless ya Berd.” as she did so. When she
almost slipped his hand came up to steady her. His blue eyes were
on her as she brushed the stray lock from her face a half smile playing
on his lips. This time there was some simple pleasure there. The
hand that had came to steady her was pulled back slowly from her
shoulder. “Be careful Red, it would be a shame for you to make it
unharmed through the war only to break your tail on the bathroom floor.”
With his feet now free of the boots
he sighed seeming to deflate and relax a bit and wiggled his toes a
moment before standing. “Thanks Cyan, you’re a dear. This is just what
the doctor ordered, I think I got it from here.” Jack said
unbuckling his belt he slid out of his dark cargo slack kicking them to
one side unconcerned with anything but the water. Then he slowly
stepped down and sank into the steaming water with a long slow intake
of breath. His eyes closing as he leaned back and relaxed, a look of
contented bliss on his face at the simple pleasure of a hot bath. His
eyes opened slowly again and he glanced over at Cyan and added “Cyan,
thanks for everything. Thanks for saving me, thanks for being there.”
Taking a brief sip of wine he laid his head back again and let the
warmth shake off the last of the chill in his bones from the dead
Archon.
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Re: Part 25 - A night in the lonesome October by Cyan
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Cyan spins away, heat rising in her face as Jack doffs the rest of his
clothing. "Take your time," she stumbles, managing to get the
words out through her embarassment, listening to the sound of him
slipping into the water. She nods, quickly, at his final words,
then gives the door a slightly twisted smile. "Of course,
Jack. I...it was my pleasure. Truly."
I will always be there, Jack, one way or another.
"Rest a while, Jack," she says over her shoulder. "You have earned it."
Wiping her ruby eyes, Cyan slips out of the hot room, into the
house. "Sorry," the Bard says. "Jack will be using the bath
for a time - when he is finished, others may use it as well. Is
everyone...are you all comfortable?"
Sitting down on the 'couch' where Jack so recently rested, Cyan lays
her head back. "THX 1138, if you wish you can sit up here.
It is comfortable, and I...well, I feel alone, myself." A brief
glance at Kia, and a smile. "Not that I do not find myself in
good company, but...there is a hollowness, after what we have
done." Silently, Cyan studies the girl, wondering how she is
handling everything. And there is so much to handle - Jack's
daughter has been thrown into a whirlwind of confusion.
I should work on a palanquet for her, and another of myself for Jack.
With a soft groan of annoyance, the Bard hops up, getting to her pack
and dragging it back to the couch. Bringing out her inks and
paper, she begins to work on another sketch of herself. Prime has
her palanquet - now Jack will need one, as well.
I cannot very well continue to hand him my shirt! the Bard considers, flushing again.
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Re: Part 25 - A night in the lonesome October by Jack
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Jack frowned for a moment, not understanding what
got into Cyan through his tired haze. He let it go with a shrug,
thinking nothing of it. A soft humming tune could be heard coming
from the bath. . . For those that could recognize it, it sounded very
much like seasons in the sun. Even that ended soon enough as the warm
waters and wine worked their insidious spell. Soon Jack was asleep in
the tub an empty wine cup held in one hand. Now lost to the world of
the waking, but open to the world of dreams.
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Re: Part 25 - A night in the lonesome October by THX 1138
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THX 1138 huddles close to Kia and Berd, by the stove. One limb
touches each of them, lightly, barely noticeable, yet the spider thing
draws comfort from the contact. Eyes glow a dim green as it
rests, feeling the flow of thoughts and emotions as little more than
background noise, but it is there, and for a creature used to the
hive-mind, which has suddenly found itself isolated, that is the
important thing.
There is an odd aroma in the air, and the spider uses a wide array of
senses to analyse it: complex organic compounds, water, certain
minerals, most notably sodium chloride, but even that in small
quantities...
When Cyan reenters the room and sits down to sketch, THX 1138 speaks, "Zyan. Apologiez vor thiz dizturbanze, but I believe I can conzume the zame zubztanzez az you do, among many otherz."
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Re: Part 25 - A night in the lonesome October by Cyan
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"Oh, dear, THX 1138," Cyan says, slowly putting her book down and
standing. "Stay right there. My apologies. I should
have offered...I was not aware you were hungry." Flushing now
with shame, Cyan hurries to the stove, picking up a bowl and ladelling
a large amount of stew. Fortunately, there IS a large
amount. The humming from the bath has ceased - Jack has probably
fallen asleep. I
shall give him some time, then...well, someone will have to pull him
out, and I cannot ask his daughter to do that. She barely knows
him.
Hurrying back, Cyan places the bowl in front of THX 1138. "Do you
require utensils? I don't know how you will eat it, that is all,"
she explains, hoping to not give offense.
Grabbing her pens and inks, the Bard quickly moves to sit on the floor
near the trio, where she can be part of the little 'group' they form,
both for THX 1138's benefit, and her own. Inside, Cyan chastises
herself for being a poor host, even though she knows there is simply no
way to keep up with everything at this moment. "Kia, if you
require anything, please let me know."
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Re: Part 25 - A night in the lonesome October by THX 1138
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"It iz no divviculty, Zyan. I can conzume many thingz. I could have obtained zomething vor myzelv."
THX 1138 crouches over the bowl and there are mechanical clicking and whirring sounds from somewhere beneath the spiderling.
Neither Cyan or Kia can see what is happening, and it's perhaps just as
well. Within seconds the creature moves aside, revealing the
empty bowl, spotless and polished.
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Re: Part 25 - A night in the lonesome October by Cyan
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"Good...but this is my house, and you are my guest, THX 1138," Cyan replies quietly. "It behooves me to treat you well."
On the page before her, the image is starting to come clear. Herself...she will need at least one of these, possibly more.
Then I shall make one of THX, and ask Kia if she has any prohibitions against them.
A good plan.
Blinking at the speed at which THX ingests the food, Cyan raises one
eyebrow. "Do you wish more? My supplies are not infinite,
but they are plentiful. For the moment." She stares with
some concern at Berd, then reaches out and touches the small dragon
while he sleeps.
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Re: Part 25 - A night in the lonesome October by THX 1138
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"More will not be nezezzary. My zystemz are
very evvizient. There waz zuffizient there to lazt vor zeveral
eightz of dayz."
Kia finishes her stew at a more leisurely pace and leaves Cyan to tend to Berd while she helps herself to more. "Sorry, Cyan, but the stew is very good." the girl says, quietly, "Too good to only have one bowl. And shifting makes me hungry."
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Re: Part 25 - A night in the lonesome October by Cyan
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Cyan pulls out of Berd's mind, blinking. Well. That was...interesting.
She doesn't know whether to be shocked or puzzled. At least the little dragon is...all right. Sort of.
"Take as much as you wish, both of you," the Bard murmurred, settling
down again, Berd in her lap, sketchpad on her knees. "THX 1138,
I'll be here for a bit, if you want to rest. Then I shall check
on Jack, then come back."
Time passes, as is its wont. Cyan sketches furiously, trying to
get as many done as she can in about an hour. Herself, THX 1138,
Jack...if she somehow manages to get those finished, she begins work on
manifesting the power of the palanquet in the sketch of herself, completely. But only for an hour.
After that, blinking, she slowly gets to her feet, excusing herself
quietly, putting Berd carefully down beside the mechanical
spider. Silently, the Bard slips into the bath, and a small smile
touches her face. There is Jack...fast asleep. And now what will I do with him?
Though her strength is not the equal of a Prince of Amber, Cyan is,
nonetheless, far, far stronger than is the norm for most worlds,
including her own. Picking up a robe, she places it on her own
shoulder, then takes away the wine and glass. Bending down, her
feet on the lip of the bath, the Bard slips both hands under Jack's
arms. "Jack," she whispers in his ear. "Relax. It is
me." Her mind echoes the sentiments, gently, so as not to disturb
him.
Then, with a smooth movement, Cyan lifts Jack from the water, settling
the groggy man on his feet, holding him up. Quickly she drapes
the robe over him, flushing furiously while preserving his modesty, and
closes it, tying it from behind him. One arm under his, she helps
the exhausted, more-than-a-little tipsy man from the bathroom, face
still reddened, amethyst eyes glancing ruefully towards Kia and
THX. The hot water hasn't helped, making Jack even more heavy
with sleepiness.
Bringing him into the only bedroom, humming a quiet lulaby, both
physically and mentally, Cyan sits Jack down on the bed, then turns
back the covers. The robe has not gone over his arms; she gently
helps him to lie down, still humming, then pulls the robe away
carefully...once he is under the flannel sheet. Gently, Cyan
brushes the hair back from Jack's forehead. "A little damp, but
the bed is dry, Jack. Sleep now. Rest. We are just in
the other room."
If Berd were well, she would ask the drake to keep watch. As it
is...bending, Cyan touches her lips to Jack's forehead. "You have
done enough, enough for three lifetimes. Now it is time to sleep."
When his breathing deepens, the Bard slips back into the living room
and sighs, pouring herself a glass of brandy before slumping down in
her last position, beside the couch where Kia sits, Berd rests, and THX
1138 awaits.
"It has been a long day," she admits, suddenly feeling close to weary
tears, glancing back to see if Kia is sleeping. Both her and Jack
worked very hard in using the power today...it is possible it has
overcome her, as well. Cyan and THX 1138 were but the moderators,
the guides, rather than the workers.
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Re: Part 25 - A night in the lonesome October by Kia
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(NPC'd)
Kia blinks sleepily at Cyan, and stifles a yawn. "Will he be alright?" It isn't clear from her question if she means Berd or her father.
===========================================================
Re: Part 25 - A night in the lonesome October by Cyan
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"Berd will recover, if that is what you are asking," Cyan replies,
cudgeling her tired brain in to some kind of wakefullness. Two days? Three? How long since I slept?
It's no wonder Jack is out - between their breakneck pace, his torments
such a short time ago, and then his explosive effort...He may be out for a full day. "I think...he has never gone so deeply before."
She looks with emerald eyes towards the bedroom. "Jack...he is
exhausted, mind, body, and spirit. And wounded, all three.
Not long ago, days only, he was struggling to survive a torment so
terrible...the scars on his back, even with preternatural
healing, bear witness to the damage his body suffered. So,
too, did his mind; it was shattered, Kia, by the torment the Archons
committed upon him. And then there is the matter of your mother."
It comes to Cyan, suddenly, that Kia may not be aware that her mother is dead. Aged, yes, but dead?
"He misses her, terribly," she whispers. That is for Jack to tell, unless Kia inquires.
"And so his spirit is wounded as well, and in so many ways, by so many
blades. Will he recover? I believe so...but fully?"
Cyan shakes her head. "That may take years, if ever."
Running fingers through her hair, she looks down at the inked picture
before her, colours already beginning to appear. Herself.
The Bard wonders how this one will turn out - the background has begun
to appear, and she shivers, once.
It looks...broken. Jagged. The Mountains of Tyranny, after the fall of the Maw of Blackness.
Still, it is enough that the sketches are done.
"Sleep if you wish, Kia...I have no other bed, but the couch will
do." Reaching for the chair, Cyan grips a pillow and pulls it
over, sitting on it crosslegged. "I will rest my eyes for a
moment."
Setting down the pad, the Bard runs her hands through her hair and puts her face into her palms. Just for a moment.
Perhaps more. Four hours, no more.
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Re: Part 25 - A night in the lonesome October by Dworkin (GM)
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Cyan and Kia sleep, as does Berd. Deep slumber for all three of
them, whle THX 1138 sits, legs neatly folded, where it can touch all of
them if need be. For an hour after the two women drift off, the
spider thing does not move.
Then eyes flare brighter, and it carefully moves away, crossing the
room almost silently. It scurries up the wall, with no more
effort than it took to walk across the floor, and stops near the top in
one corner of the room.
A quiet purring sound issues from the metal body, and the green glow of THX 1138's eyes light up the ceiling in that corner.
Three hours later, when Cyan wakes, the spider creature is back in place, looking as if it has never moved.
===========================================================
Re: Part 25 - A night in the lonesome October by Cyan
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Cyan slowly cracks an eyelid open, glancing around. Everyone
seems alseep...save for THX 1138. She can't tell when it comes to
the spider.
The Bard sits for a time, relaxing, slowly shifting almost noiselessly
to regain feeling in certain sleeping portions of her body. Then
she rises, still quietly, and steps over to the door to the bedroom.
Pushing the curtain aside, Cyan peers within with worried, amber eyes.
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Re: Part 25 - A night in the lonesome October by THX 1138
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It is still dark, not even near midnight yet, and Cyan is up and
about. Her movement causes THX 1138 to stir too, and the
spiderling follows her across to the bedroom door. Strange senses
reach out to Jack, and the odd mechanical voice says, "He iz well, Zyan. He did much in the tower. Hiz energy waz depleted, but conzumablez and rezt are replenizhing it."
The creature turns towards the front door of the house, "I
need to go outzide. Pleaze zhow me how to operate the
entranze. I will almozt zertainly be outzide vor zome time, and
would not wizh to dizturb you, iv you are rezting when I return."
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Re: Part 25 - A night in the lonesome October by Cyan
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Breathing a sigh of relief, Cyan drops the curtain back and walks over
to the spider. "Thank you...here, I shall demonstrate."
Moving to the door, she works the latch, showing THX 1138 the simple
mechanism. "There you have it," Cyan states happily, sapphire
eyes flashing in the dim light. "Be careful outside...what is it
that you require?" she inquires, genuinely curious. "May I be of
assistance? I know this world."
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Re: Part 25 - A night in the lonesome October by THX 1138
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THX 1138 stands on the wall and uses two limbs to operate the latch a couple of times, then ponders Cyan's question."I
do not believe you can azzizt me with thiz. It would be better iv
you remained with Berd and Jack. Iv there are hazzardouz animalz
nearby, I will avoid contact with all animalz."
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Re: Part 25 - A night in the lonesome October by Cyan
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Frowning, Cyan considers the answer. "Is this a secret?
Something you are not willing to share?" She sighs. "Very
well - as you wish. I only ask that you do nothing that will
disturb the inhabitants of this world." It is rather odd, how THX
1138 is acting - prior to now, it has been more than willing to divulge
all manner of information to her.
"Do not go far," Cyan requests, then moves back to the couch.
Sitting down, the Bard picks up her inks and reccomences work on the palanquet of herself.
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Re: Part 25 - A night in the lonesome October by THX 1138
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Time passes and Cyan works, and finally she looks at the image in the
pale light and decides that it's finished. Then, with a start,
she realises that the light is grey.
Dawn.
And THX 1138 has not returned.
Just then the door opens, and the spiderling appears, dew glistening on
its metal carapace. Green eyes regard her for a moment, then, "You are awake, Zyan. I need your help with underztanding a thing I have zeen. It iz outzide."
Without waiting to see if she will follow, it turns around and scurries out of the door again.
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Re: Part 25 - A night in the lonesome October by Cyan
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Frowning, Cyan glances around with emerald eyes that match THX 1138's
own, in intensity if not luminousity. With a faint groan, she
pushes herself to her feet, briefly checking Berd (who is still
asleep). There is no sound from Jack's room...yet. The palanquet is in her hand - it needs only to be 'finished' by Berd. Placing it on the ground, she rises, one hand absently gripping Kirilindë as she goes to the door.
Stepping out, Cyan smiles down at THX 1138. "I hope you completed
what you were doing...with what did you require assistance in
understanding?"
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Re: Part 25 - A night in the lonesome October by Dworkin (GM)
-----------------------------------------------------------
"Thiz... "
The spiderling gestures with two limbs towards the nearer trees,
shrouded in cold morning mist, and at first Cyan cannot see what it
means. Then she blinks, and everything suddenly jumps into focus
as she realises exactly what she's looking at.
There is a perfect orb web there, strung between two ancient
sequoias. Each strand, dripping with dew, is as thick as her
thumb, and the whole web must be nearly eighty feet across.
"I do not underztand the purpoze ov zuch a
ztructure. Lazt night, in your dwelling, I zaw a creature like
myzelf, but zmaller, build a zimilar thing. It waz...
interezting. I had a compulzion to mimic it, to try to determine
itz vunczion."
The toneless mechanical voice actually manages to convey a sense of forlon confusion, as the spider creature speaks. "It
iz not evizient az a zhelter, and dezpite a zupervizial rezemblanze to
an antenna, it doez not zerve zuch a purpoze. I do not
underztand. The creature waz zmall and exzpended much energy to
manvacture the ztructure, and while it did have an aezthetically
pleazing azpect, it haz no other vunction that I can determine."
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Re: Part 25 - A night in the lonesome October by Cyan
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Blinking topaz eyes furiously, Cyan stares at the glittering sight
before her. "Oh, my...THX 1138, this is beautiful. You made
this?" Wandering forward, she stares with fascination. I wonder...is it sticky?
Turning back to the lost and confused spider, she moves over to where
it stands and sits down beside it, heedless of the damp grass.
One hand lays on its back to give reassurance. "Well, it IS
beautiful...but you are correct, that is not the purpose. The
spider within my house creates such a web for a different
reason." She waves her hand up towards THX's creation.
"Such a web, formed of the liquids of its body, allows it to ensnare
prey. A spider feeds on small insects - it uses webs to trap
them. The web is sticky, and when the spider captures its prey,
it consumes them. In the evening, the spider then consumes the
web, or as much as it can, in order to regain the energy used in the
making." She glances down at the huge arachnid beside her.
"That is the web's purpose. It is an elegant, beautiful
trap. All things in this world must feed - plants feed on the
soil, on the air, on the sun - some animals feed on the plants, other
animals feed on animals. Their remains return to the soil, where
they feed the plants."
===========================================================
Re: Part 25 - A night in the lonesome October by Jack
-----------------------------------------------------------
At some point through the night Jack
had started to toss and turn, becoming entangled in the covers. He
awoke with a start, haunting images still dancing in his minds eye and
unremembered words of great power unsaid on his lips. Looking around he
found himself deep in the grand cavern, the blanket wrapped around him
like a toga as his only covering. Sparks danced around him where
he lay on the edge of the familiar broken pattern. No choice, he had to
go to it’s center. It never offered you a choice.
His feet moved forward in the
comforting exercise if walking the pattern, the pressure building
intently as he neared the first veil. A vision came to him. . .
Kalika in all her wild beauty, stunning as ever, coming to him. Without
warning she was ripped away, aging and crumbling to dust before his
very eyes. Suddenly there was a sideways lurch as he slid the first
break, bypassing the veil and drawing closer to the center. Something
was wrong! The comforting darkness of the break was strange and alien,
even hostile. When he came to rest on the pattern again, it was no
longer the same. Grander then before, it was of monolithic proportions
now, making him feel insignificant on it, no more than the size of a
small child. Massive walls rose up that were not there before, defining
the edges and walls of the pattern.
He saw a living black light shining
up from the distant center, inside that black light a one eyed older
man waited on him, he knew to hold their final battle. . . Here and
now, in the dark well. Though now that sight was lost behind the walls.
The Cavern brightened as a flaming Archon flew over, lighting the
ceiling it showed hundreds of the spider warriors, ready to strip the
flesh from his bones. He spun to face the Archon trying to track it’s
path, but the thing was so fast that it made it seem as if he were
moving in slow motion. A sudden burst of fire lit up his back,
reopening the scared wounds.
+ + I SAID YOU WOULD PAY A THOUSAND TIMES OVER!!! + +
+ ++ RUN! ++ +
Jack flung him self
down the Patterns corridor , moving for all he was worth despite the
searing pain. Sparks flying from his feat, as the foot falls landed on
the pattern. The patterns pressure building against him as he moved,
making it seem as if he were trying to run in wet cement. An all to
common effect of walking the pattern, any pattern. All of the
angels and forms of the pattern now seemed alien and wrong, as if hand
now been warped into a malignant thing. Slowly the flaming wheel
drifted down toward him, small flaming spears lashing out to burn
and pierce his flesh in many minor painful wounds.
+ ++ WHAT
HAPPENS IF YOU DIE ON THE PATTERN SHADOW MAN? DOES IT CAUSE
BREAKS? WILL IT DESTROY YOU WORLD? FIRST YOU, THEN YOUR FAMILY,
LASTLY YOUR FRIENDS + ++
An vision of Cyan and Kia held and tortured as he had been smacked down on him with the weight of the Archons mind.
“NO!” Jack yelled and launched himself at his burning tormentor.
===========================================================
Re: Part 25 - A night in the lonesome October by THX 1138
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Cyan can see now that the web is made of glass, not silk. A small
bird, a thrush, glides in and perches on one of the strands for a few
moments, then flies off again.
THX 1138 studies the web for a while, then turns to face Cyan, "We
do not hunt creaturez vor zuztenanze. We conzume wazte
matter. Dead plantz and animalz that are vound on the edgez ov
the Hive. I did not know that organic vorms zimilar to mine
exizted. It could not zpeak to me, zo I could not underztand itz
purpoze in building the ztructure. Thiz world iz ztrange to me,
Zyan, and to all my kind. It iz good that I came here. I
have learned a thing that will be ov interezt to Prime and to the
otherz."
A pause, while the silvery spider thinks. Strange clicks and whirs from inside it, then, "We
do not know how we came to be, Zyan. Even Prime doez not
remember. There iz nothing like uz in all the world. We are
clearly not organic, we are mazhinez. I conzume organic material,
and even zertain inorganic onez, and they vuel a vurnaze ov zortz
within me, which givez me energy to work."
"There iz not even anything that haz thiz zhape. Our origin iz a
myztery. But now I have zeen that there are otherz like uz on
other worldz. In zome wayz the little one iz more advanzed than
I. I could not have devized thiz ztructure without zeeing the
other one. It iz zmaller, and organic. It livez by killing
other creaturez, and yet it vitz pervectly into the zycle you have
dezcribed, at peaze with the world around it."
"Mozt importantly, it wearz my zhape, and it conztructz,
uzing a material that it createz inzide itz own body, juzt az I
do. I have vound a creature which iz akin to my own people here,
on a ztrange and diztant world. We are no longer alone,
Zyan. There are otherz like uz, zavely removed vrom the threat ov
the Archonz. Even iv they zeek vengeanze againzt uz, creaturez ov
our vorm will zurvive elzewhere, beyond their invluenze."
"Thiz newz will bring hope to my people."
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Re: Part 25 - A night in the lonesome October by Cyan
-----------------------------------------------------------
Still with her hand atop THX 1138's back, Cyan slowly nods. "You
are welcome," she says, "to travel with us as long as you can.
Perhaps you might learn something of World Walking as you do - that
happens, often. Crossing the Curtain strengthens some people, as
it did me. I, for one, would be happy to have you along, and we
can even create a means for you to transmit any and all information
back to Prime."
She stares at the web for a long moment, amethyst eyes wide with
fascination. "You certainly have outdone yourself...all creatures
have a purpose, THX 1138. Yours do as well - do not sell
yourselves short. Obviously you fit into your own world, but in a
fashion that is incomprehensible to you. In some ways the spider
is superior to you...and in other ways, not. Is that not the way
of all beings, even between you and I?" The Bard shrugs. "There
are some things, I believe, that we are not meant to know.
Perhaps you came from outside your world, and settled there...and there
is nothing wrong with that. Perhaps, somewhere in infinity, there
is another World, from whence you came. Perhaps we will stumble
across it. Who can say?"
Radiating reassurance, the Bard hops up to a crouch. "If the
Archons return, THX 1138, we will deal with them. But I do not
think they will. They suffered a crushing defeat - they will seek
to lick their wounds elsewhere, and find easier places on which to
settle. Eventually, they may turn their attention back to
you...but, hopefully, by that time we will have ferreted out their
plans, and ruined them and their masters, too. And your people
will never, ever be forgotten. Not by me. And I will die
before I stand aside and allow them to be destroyed." Lips
thinning, Cyan stares at the web.
Something from inside alerts her. She stands, senses on
edge. "Did you hear that?" the Bard whispers, her ears straining
for a second sound.
Jack?
===========================================================
Re: Part 25 - A night in the lonesome October by Jack
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Burning pain as flesh was
seared by the contact, Jack hit the floor of the pattern with a thump
and a shower of sparks rising up around him. He could not move
his legs or one of his arms, and knew for certain he would die here on
the patter. Dragging himself along the flow he waited for the killing
blow, knowing that the flame was coming for him. Slow closer and
closer, ever nearer his burning end creeped. No matter how hard
he pushed or how fast he crawled, it was there tormenting him in it’s
dragging this out.
Looking behind he saw the tongue of flame lashing out, in a desperate
bid for life he rolled towards a crack that he had never explored
before.
===========================================================
Re: Part 25 - A night in the lonesome October by Cyan
-----------------------------------------------------------
That was definitely something! "Something is wrong!
Jack!" Spinning, Cyan sprints back towards the house, wondering
if one of the Archons has somehow found them - No, the sounds would be louder. Has something attacked Jack? Or is he mad, again?
Eschewing the front door, she skids around the side of the structure, slipping Kirilinde into the small gap between the shutters on the bedroom window and
flipping up the latch. The sword is resheathed as they slowly
open, and Cyan moves to look in, ruby eyes catching some of the morning
sun as her vision adjusts.
===========================================================
Re: Part 25 - A night in the lonesome October by Jack
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Jack lays on the floor entangled in the blankets, with only one
arm free. Occasionally he twitches or whimpers softly, caught in the
throws of a dream.
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Re: Part 25 - A night in the lonesome October by Cyan
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Kirilinde falls with a soft thud on the bed as Cyan, with
unaccustomed clumsiness, scrambles through the window. She
catches her foot and almost falls into the room, but lands on her hands
and feet like an animal. With a sinble bound, she covers the
distance between herself and Jack, settling down beside him.
Were Berd here, he would warn her of the dangers inherent in touching a
possibly hysterical man with Jack's prodigious strength, but....
Carefully, Cyan places one hand under Jack's neck, pulling his head off
the ground, and tugs at the blankets with her other hand, struggling to
undo them a trifle, to give Jack some freedom, not to pull them
off. Emerald eyes flash with concern and sorrow as she cradles
the man. "Jack...Jack...it is but a dream. Wake now,
please...." the Bard whispers, voice rough with fear and sorrow.
===========================================================
Re: Part 25 - A night in the lonesome October by Jack
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Cyan quickly realized it was
less the covers that bound him then just that special stage your body
goes through while dreaming. That point where biochemical and brain
functions turn inwards against the body, locking up what they can
to keep a parson from hurting their selves. Of course in
superstitious societies, this would be called Hag Ridden or
riding a Nightmare.
As Cyan speaks moving Jack
carefully, his brow furrows. Her voice invading his nightmares and just
not quite bending with the scene well and adding to the confusion and
he was slid along the dark break of the pattern . Reaching for solid
ground on the pattern again. Cyan watch as Jack hand curled and
uncurled ever so slightly. In the dream he heard Cyan
calling to him, but now his mind had interwoven the input from the real
world with that of the dream. They had Cyan and she was calling to him
as the current of the brake was pulling him under, choking on the black
filth of the flaw.
Cyan sat with Jack, but he started to
coughing and gagging in her arms. She heard him raggedly mutter
her mane as he drifted closer to consciousness. Suddenly his eyes snap
open confused and dazed with the cry of her name on his lips. “Cyan!”
rolling away he tried to come up only to have confusion and covers
bring him stumbling to the floor again. His eyes swam into focus on
her, his chest heaving for breath, but already starting to calm.
“You’re alright? What about Kali? Where’s Kali?”
===========================================================
Re: Part 25 - A night in the lonesome October by Cyan
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Cyan jerks back as Jack pulls away from her, not wanting to restrain
him against his will. Wincing as he falls, she moves forwards
again when he leans against the bed, reaching out with a hand, almost
by not quite touching his arm. "Jack...a dream, nothing more,"
the Bard whispers.
Silent for a moment, Cyan regards Jack, both of them sitting on the
floor. She swallows, sapphire eyes downcast. "Kia...your
daughter, she rests in the other room, with Berd. THX 1138 is
without, likely at the window. We are at my home, on my
world." Cyan's lips thin for an instant as she steels her
resolve. "Kalika...I do not know if Kia knows, but I think
not. Kalika has passed, Jack, as you know. Age took her,
after a long and good life in her world. Do you recall?" she
whispers gently, pulling the blanket over to cover him, and settling
beside him, one arm across his shoulders, sitting with her back to the
bed.
===========================================================
Re: Part 25 - A night in the lonesome October by Jack
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“A dream. . .” he half asks and half says
softly as it all starts to swim back into focus now. “Kia. . .
THX. . . The Battle.” his eyes focus on Cyan when she mentioned that
Kia may not know. Jack and tried to tell her, but she had not wanted to
deal with anything dark. Nothing so sad to upset her world, how much
must her tired old broken father be bringing her down. “Yes. . .
I recall. . .all to well. Sometimes I think it would be better if I
didn’t. Life was so simple when I didn’t remember.”
Jack intertwined his arm with Cyan’s laying it
across her shoulders and giving them a hug. How much he must be
bringing them all down. How much of the weight has Cyan had to carry
since he fell. He studied Cyan for a moment before asking “How is Berd
doing?”
===========================================================
Re: Part 25 - A night in the lonesome October by Cyan
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"It would not be better," Cyan chides, but quietly and gently, knowing
full well that Jack is only speaking from despair. He knows
this. "Would you trade your memories of her away? I think
not." With a sigh, she rolls her head back against Jack's arm,
allowing her hair to spill onto the bed for an instant, staring up at
the ceiling as her back presses against the wooden frame.
Then the Bard pulls her head back, sighing, sitting up straight
again. "I fear there will be more pain in the future...Jack,
there are times when I want to lay this down and say 'let another take
up our course'. Surely...ah, I am being foolish." At Jack's
tug, she rests the side of her head on his shoulder for a moment.
One, weak moment. Then Cyan shifts slightly, mindful of Kia in
the other room, and of Jack's bleeding spirit.
"Berd...Berd is well. He has odd dreams, but other than that, I
suspect he will rejoin us. Whether or not he will return to us
fully...when Berd and I have expended too much of our strength in the
past, it has taken time to recover." Turning her head, the Bard
meets Jack's pale gaze with her own dark, ruby one. "Sometimes it
has taken him nearly a year."
The Bard shrugs. "We...shall see," she states, voice strained
with worry. "There is food, Jack...you must be hungry."
===========================================================
Re: Part 25 - A night in the lonesome October by Jack
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“No not hungry.” depression had strange
effects on people, some it made them eat. Jack he couldn’t eat. He sat
meeting Cyan’s Gaze, “I fear you are right, they will be looking for us
now. The Archon’s and The Broken God. I don’t know how much if any we
gained information wise from the assault. Calliso, a unicorn. . .
The glimpse of a one eyed Broken God. . . I have not done so well in
finding information. What are we going to do Cyan? We need. . .I don’t
know. . . Maybe, I can help heal Berd, like I did with your finger.”
Jacks arm slid away from Cyan’s shoulders. He rose, reaching down for
Cyan to help her up.
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Re: Part 25 - A night in the lonesome October by Cyan
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"Well." Not entirely certain what to say to Jack about his
hunger, Cyan switches topics. "What we must do now is get the
information to those with power, those who sent us upon this
quest. Well, me," she clarifies.
It's a horrifying realization that she is the only one left of the original group. The Bard blinks. When...will it be my turn?
Shaking her head, she takes Jack's hand and stands, easily, his strength casually lifting her to her feet. Shockingly powerful....
"THX 1138 - I am going into the main building, now," Cyan calls out the
window, her amber eyes catching the rays of the sun. "So," she
continues, more quietly, tugging Jack towards the main room,
"Amber. The Lords of the Pattern should be informed. Then,
should we perish," here, her mouth twists, "at least all we have
discovered will not come to naught. And I have misgivings about
Amber itself...the palanquet would no longer function there,
when last we spoke with them. The first rule, when invading, is
to cut off your enemies." She frowns, pushing aside the curtain
into the main room.
"If Amber...if Amber has fallen, we shall travel far to reach the other
end. As for Berd," Cyan says, studying the unconcious dragon, "I
would suggest leaving him as yet. This is no physical injury, but
something deeper. Can you heal breaks of the spirit, Jack?"
Cyan gives Kia a lopsided smile, and a nod.
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Re: Part 25 - A night in the lonesome October by Jack
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Jack followed Cyan into the main
room Finishing tucking the blanket around him like a toga. Leaning down
over Berd he examines the drake as he stroked the little dragon. “In
theory yes I can mend breaks of the mind and spirit. Anything that that
is broken can be mended. . . In practice. . . Berd is very broken, both
old and new. It- if I tried it could come out like your finger and it
would bring a break out in what ever world I tried it in. The price
paid. Even then it could be malformed and still not whole. Malformed
fingers are one thing. . . A malformed spirit or mind. “ Jack shook his
head “You are correct, it is best not to try.”
As he looked the drake over, so small
and vulnerable. Jack swore he would protect Cyan and Berd for as long
as it to the drake to heal. Turning he stood and looked at Cyan,
“So when do we go and see this Amber Prince of yours? Also I will need
to borrow your sketch book, I still need to warn Aaron of the Fault
line in his world.”
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Re: Part 25 - A night in the lonesome October by Cyan
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Cyan nods sadly, looking down at Berd and Kia. "It would be best
to leave him to his own healing. Berd is...an odd creature, of
whom, I have discovered of late, I know less than I thought.
Broken of old...indeed. I suspect you may know more than I,
now." For a long moment her amethyst eyes study his face, then
she turns back to the Drake. "He has gone deeply before, though
perhaps not this far. We shall have to see." She glances
sadly at Jack for a moment before fumbling around on the ground beside
the sofa.
"I have completed a few more sketches that I will use to create more palanquet.
Hopefully Aaron's will still function. It may not - it is a
sketch, and if Aaron has significantly changed from what he was before,
it will fail," Cyan notes carefully. She pauses, wondering for a
moment if she should ask Jack not to bring Aaron here, then
shrugs. Whether or not Aaron enters this house is unimportant to
her. Then another idea occurs to her. "Try - perhaps with
your power, you can analyze and discover how to circumvent the
changes." Carefully, Cyan tears the sketch of Aaron from the
book. Pausing again, she waves her own, almost finished palanquet in front of Jack. "I am preparing another one fo these for
myself, to allow quicker communication should we become separated,
Jack. I have one of you, already." Her lips thin.
"There are many more I need to finish...."
Handing him the sketch, the Bard heads back into the bathing room and
collects his clothing. They go into the bathtub, and Cyan begins
to pour in hot water. "Your clothing is in need of cleaning,
Jack, and without Berd, there is no quick method. Go ahead with
Aaron - I will take care of this."
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Re: Part 25 - A night in the lonesome October by Jack
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Jack took the sketch from Cyan and glanced at it. It
would just have to do he though as he followed her into the wash room.
He had something more important to deal with right now, he had a dear
friend that he could see sorrow in her every move. Jack came up
behind Cyan and slipped his arms around her as she worked. Pulling her
close he kissed the back of her head before speaking “Cyan,” he
whispered her name “It will be alright.” It may have been a lie, but it
was one he had to believe.
Berd was in the condition he was in because of Jack and
his need for revenge. Cyan was so sorrowful because of him and the way
he was being. The needed him here and thinking clearly as he could.
Each of them, Berd, Cyan and Kia. They needed Jack to be stronger then
ever and someplace he had to find that strength. Jack kissed Cyan
again on the nape of her neck, brushing the hair aside. “It will be
alright dear Cyan. Wait and see.”
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Re: Part 25 - A night in the lonesome October by Cyan
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Pushing the clothes around in the water, Cyan freezes when Jack's arms
come around her. Soaking hands come up and grip his own for a
long moment, and her head bows when his lips touch her hair.
Tears threaten in her ruby eyes.
There has been so much. And so much more for Jack. She
shouldn't burden him. But ever since the attack on their
campsite...Ares...his slow death...Kalika's eyes....Jack's capture and
torture...Aaron's abandonment of them...the arguements with
Leonardo...then the desperate search, culminating with news of Kalika's
death, and the sudden, terrible war that has left them all hollow, and
Berd far, far away. They are broken as Jack's pattern, and Jack
worst of all. Even Kia's arrival cannot stem the flood of pain
that must be tearing him apart.
Jack's heart bleeds. Berd cannot advise, cannot comfort, and
perhaps will not recover. THX 1138 is unaccustomed to helping,
and is lost without his people. Kia must be told that her mother
has died.
The Bard is not yet thirty years old.
A shiver runs through her as Jack's lips touch the back of her neck
this time, and for an instant, Cyan yearns to twist in his arms and
press her own mouth to his. Desperate comfort, from the one
person she would accept such. But her mind is full of thoughts of
Kalika - her friend as well, now gone, and so raw in Jack's thoughts -
Kalika and her bravery, Kalika and her pledge, Kalika and all the
losses she suffered. Jack, and all of his own losses, in these
last few days. The storm inside is too much - never with a good
grip on her own emotions, Cyan fumbles for control, catches it with the
fingertips of her will, and loses it an instant later.
Her back is pressed against Jack; one hand comes up to cover her eyes,
the other clenching fingers around his wrist. Silently, her body
shakes once, then again, and Cyan draws in a shuddering breath,
continuing to sob without a sound. THX 1138. Berd. Kalika. Kia. Jack. Patterns and threads of sorrow, confusion, and loss.
===========================================================
Re: Part 25 - A night in the lonesome October by Jack
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Jack gave cyan a quiet hug from
behind before silently turning her around and pulling her to him.
Letting her head rest on his chest. He murmurs quiet words of comfort,
finding clam stability where he thought there was none, nor ever would.
He found strength in being needed. “There, there Cyan. . . .It’s okay.
Go ahead and let it all out. I’m here, I have you, you are safe
now.” As he spoke he let his head tilt forward and rest against
hers and simply held her, being there for her. Occasionally he would
stroke her hair or pat her back as he stood there gently rocking her.
Some how he found as much comfort and
consolation in comforting Cyan as she found in him. No everything may
not be alright, but it would be. They would continue, hopefuly the
Amber prince could help. It did not look like it was broken it's self
when he looked at it. They needed to find hope again to continue. Some
how he had to find hope within himself.
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Re: Part 25 - A night in the lonesome October by Cyan
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Cyan falls into Jack's arms like a dying woman might crumple, stabbed
through the heart. One of her arms stays in front of her, palm
against his shoulder but not pushing away. The other snakes up
around his neck as she shakes, violent, silent sobs wracking her.
The Bard is tall, but Jack is taller, and broader; she simply rests in
his arms for a long moment, feeling oddly secure amidst the tides of
loss. She can't quite hear what he says, but the tone gets
through, and Cyan just stands, leaning into Jack, the emotion pouring
out of her like water.
A long moment passes, and the hitching of breath slows. The
ragged inhalations grow smoother. Cyan's shoulders relax under
Jack's hands, and her breath against his neck comes less in puffs and
gulps, and more in a constant flow, in and out.
She can feel his own breath, against her hair. Soothing, that.
"S-sorry," Cyan manages to whisper, one hand still against Jack's
shoulder, along with her cheek, face to his neck. "I feel
so.... Everything. I feel everything so much." Why?
Why is this so? Why do I look at people different than myself,
and always see people? Why do I care so much - I was raised
alone, was I not?
Why does this have to be so painful? Why do so many have to
die? Why must we kill? Why did Kalika have to go away, and
live a life alone, far from Jack? Why does Jack have to hurt,
over and over and over again, until it burns scars into his spirit?
She doesn't ask any questions aloud, though, knowing that the answers
are simultaneously far too simple and complex - a paradox, and the
nature of reality.
Feeling Jack's care, Cyan blinks reddened, amber eyes. The Bard
knows she is a sight - some women can weep gracefully, maintaining a
porcelein visage. Cyan is not one of them. Grief marks
her. But Jack's emotions are close to the surface now, and Cyan
can feel them bleed through the physical contact. Her arm around
his neck tightens. "How you are so strong," she whispers, "I know
not. Jack...I wish I could do more for you."
But he grieves. His soul is in agony.
With a sigh, Cyan rests her cheek against his shoulder, still staring
into his collar. She could stay here all day, but there is Jack's
pain to consider, and Kia in the living room...and Berd, and THX
1138. And death, and war...curse it all.
"Thank you, Jack. For being here, to help me," she whispers to him, aching to let him know what she feels. Thank you, Cyan thinks in the hidden depths of her mind. Thank you, Jack, whose touch gives me comfort beyond any other. And pain, too, for I feel yours.
But that is something she will not say.
So, "Thank you," and her hand comes up to brush gently at his hair,
smoothing it. Inside, she marvels at the feeling, but holds the
fascination down. In her state of mind, Cyan could stand all day,
playing with Jack's hair, if not careful.
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Re: Part 25 - A night in the lonesome October by Jack
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Jack smiled a sad
smile, a mixture of grief and amusement. “Don’t be sorry,” He said
softly, soothingly “It’s good to feel.” His big hand
stroked up and down Cyan’s back softly “We need to feel or we discount
all that have been, all that have given. A short sharp laugh escaped
his lips when she spoke of his strength. The irony was he saw himself
as anything but strong, he had given in to bad choices each step of the
way. Only managing to make a few good choices, only having the strength
of character a few times.
His smile warms when she
thanks him and brushes his hair, his eyes closing for a moment. When he
opened his eyes he found that he had leaned closer to her, his face
ever so close to hers. Looking into those tear washed ever changing
eyes. No she did not cry gracefully or well, but as always there
was something so human about her. . . So real. . . Like. . .
Without realizing it he brushed his lips
against hers, only to be washed over by a wave a guilt and
confusion. He had no right! Cyan had a chance at a happy life!
Their group had suffered nothing but pain since he had showed up on the
scene. Jack pulled back apologizing “Cyan, I’m sorry” Sorry
that I am finding comfort in your arms? . . Sorry that I brought
nothing but grief to your life, Kali’s life, and the group? Sorry that
she is second fiddle to your dead Kalika? Sorry that you feel guilty in
touching her, because you may be using her to escape the hollowness you
feel inside? Sorry because you care and everyone you care fore dies?
What are you sorry for Jack. Or are you just sorry that she can never
have a life with you? Are your sorry for her Jack or sorry for
yourself? That you are nothing more then a king of pain? “I had better go.” he said not letting go yet, not able to quite pull away.
===========================================================
Re: Part 25 - A night in the lonesome October by Cyan
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Jack's face is suddenly close to hers. Too close. Cyan can
feel his breath on her lips, the heat of his face warming her
coldness. A flicker of something in his eyes, then his mouth
touches hers, all too gently. The tingle in her lips turns to
flame as it runs through her cheeks and into her spine, and Cyan stares
with suddenly opalescent eyes, blinking once as Jack unexpectedly pulls
back.
He's...sorry? Turmoil, confusion...for a wonder, this time
they are not hers. The contact feeds the feelings through to her
in a tangled mass. She can't read his litany of regrets but the
regret itself is there. He wants to go. Cyan
doesn't know why he regrets, and for an instant, doesn't care.
She goes with the fire and pushes forwards, pressing her lips into his.
For a long moment, the copper-haired woman holds the kiss, one hand still caught in Jack's hair.
Kia...Kalika.... With a gasp, Cyan jerks back, pulling
free of Jack's arms. Her opal eyes are wide and staring, and the
heat has risen in her cheeks. "I-" Mad fool! Control yourself! See what you have done - don't you think before you act?
No. Thinking was Berd's perogative. Not hers.
Her backside hits the doorframe, and Cyan pivots like a machine,
slipping back out past the blanket, walking quickly to the stove.
Wondering what to say to Kia, if she is awake. If she senses
anything. Wondering what to say to Jack, how she will explain
herself.
On the couch, Berd's eyes slowly open to stare blankly at the wooden
roof. Dull, they are the colour of copper, verdegris-shaded.
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Re: Part 25 - A night in the lonesome October by Jack
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Surprised at Cyan’s kiss as he had pulled
back, Jack had found himself returning it. Left even more surprised and
confused when she pulled away just as quickly and slipped through the
door.
“Cyan. . . “ Jack calls softly as she slips out,
but he lets her go without chasing. He moves up to the wall and lightly
thumps his head against it a couple of times in the hopes of knocking
some sense into working order. Standing there he remembers that time in
the shower that never was, that will never be. “Jack you idiot.” he
whispers as he thumps his head a last time on the timber wall.
Coming out of the bath room he moves for the
door glancing at Cyan “I’m going outside to try and contact Aar. . .
What’s this then?” His glance had moved to Kia and Berd, and now
he was following that glance. “Berd? Are you okay?” He asked softly
moving over to the drake.
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Re: Part 25 - A night in the lonesome October by Berd
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Berd shakes himself, blinks sleepily and yawns. He sniffs the
air, then he crawls across to the stove, stopping half way to stretch
and scratch, clambers up it with a distinct lack of grace, and falls
face-down in the stew pan.
There are strange sounds from the pan, and the drake twitches and jerks
occasionally, claws scrabbling as he tries to reach further.
Eventually he gives up and climbs right in.
===========================================================
Re: Part 25 - A night in the lonesome October by Cyan
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Jack's call to her is lash on her spirit - Cyan can't help but duck her
head, wondering how that must have hurt him. The man is confused,
in agony, and she just added to it, kissing him then running
away. Fool. Fool's fool, when will you learn?
Pausing at the stove, she gives thanks she just finished weeping - the
hollow space within her isn't condusive to another storm, just yet.
As she stands before the stove, indecisive, caught between actions and
feeling, Jack exits the room. The Bard forces herself to meet his
gaze, flushing in shame and embarassment, with eyes of darkened
jade. Going to contact Aaron. Remote, businesslike...
Then Jack notices Berd. As Cyan turns, the little dragon begins
his trek. Horrified, Cyan watches him; in any other circumstance,
it would be amusing. He looks like a drunk, and acts like one,
too, as she has seen in countless taverns and the occasional moving
picture. But the dull eyes, the lack of coordination...it's all
too familiar to her, though the Bard hasn't seen it in a long, long
time.
Now he's in the pot, no doubt covered in the leftovers of cold stew,
and she can hear him consuming it with his customary lack of
grace...but without the appreciation. The drake is like a
starving animal, stuffing himself, and nothing more.
Walking over, Cyan looks down into the pot and blinks a few times. "Berd?"
The little dragon's head comes out of the pot on his long neck, barely
reaching. There's some stew smeared on his jaws, and across one
eye orbit. The dragon stares at her blankly for a long moment,
then disappears back into the stew.
The Bard hangs her head for a moment, hair almost reaching the pot. This goes from bad to worse. "I...you had best contact Aaron. Berd, I suspect, is no longer capable. Not for some time, perhaps."
A loud belch rings from inside the pot, but the sound of feeding does not abate. Cyan winces.
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Re: Part 25 - A night in the lonesome October by Jack
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Jack watched Berd cross
the floor, so wretched, so pathetic. Every fiber in Jacks being
screamed to go to Berd, to help him. He hesitated, no telling how Berd
would react. Though Jack had to try and help, he had to proceed
with utmost caution. He moved up behind Cyan, his hand finding
her shoulder without thinking. “Aaron can wait. . . “ The standard
litany any more “Should I- Shouldn’t we try to help Berd?” he asked not
knowing Berd nearly so well as Cyan or what they could do. Still it
seemed like they could do something. “I will not heal his breaks, and I
am hesitant to use the power word of life on him with your
permission. I would be worried about making mental contact with him
myself, but I remember how important the mental contact with you was to
my recovery when I was broken.” You still are broken Jack!
“Perhaps working together, both of us can
help sooth his mind. . . Perhaps by looking for the breaks in him, I
could use the power word to see what breaks are healed by it and heal
those same breaks to give him strength and vitality again. If the body
recovers, it may not heal the mind and spirit, but it can certainly
help. I just plain can’t sit here feeling helpless and not doing
anything to assist him Cyan.”
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Re: Part 25 - A night in the lonesome October by Cyan
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"He...he..." Cyan struggles, trying to find the proper
metaphor. "When a fire burns too hot, it leaves nothing but ashes
and a few, scattered coals. That is Berd, for now." Jack's
hand on her shoulder pauses her, and for an instant, hope runs through
her - hope that things have not been irrevocably ruined between
them. If I lost his friendship, too, it would kill me.
"I...your words of power might assist, Jack - I cannot see that they
would not. Healing his breaks might not be a good idea, as we
discussed before. Berd's spirit is odd, stranger than one I have
seen. You should look at it, try to determine if it is possible,
first. I welcome you to do that, though!" Cyan is anxious
that Jack realize she does not dismiss his idea; it is merely that she
is concerned about its use. Odd is the least strong word you
could use, concerning Berd's mind and spirit.
"He will recover," she continues, sapphire eyes reddened but dry.
One hand steals up and lies atop Jack's on her shoulder. "In
time, fuel falls upon the dying coals, leaf by leaf, twig by
twig. The fire flickers and begins to burn. Small but
steady. More wood falls...perhaps your words of power will be
that tinder, come to him early. He can speak, in his fashion, but
it is confused and garbled. He remains a reasoning creature,
but...not so much as before. Right now, his mind screams of
hunger to me, moreso than usual. His energy has been drained - he
needs reserves as well as your words of power."
"Thank you," Cyan whispers. "I know you care for him, and it
hurts so much to see this. It has happened. Once, twice
before, but this is the worst I have seen. Go - contact
Aaron. Berd will eat, and after eating, he will sleep. Then
we may attempt, gently, to assist him."
There is another scrabbling sound from the pot, as Berd turns around in it, much like a cat in a box.
===========================================================
Re: Part 25 - A night in the lonesome October by Jack
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Jack slipped his arms around Cyan
giving her a hug for the briefest of moments. “He’ll be alright Cyan. I
have a few ideas that may help him yet. Let me go talk to Aaron and do
a little shopping. I’ll be back as quick as I can with some things for
our little friend.” As he stood there Jack examined Berd through
his lens, trying to determine his physiological make up as best he
could. and pondering the problem at hand.
Then he silently slipped away from
Cyan and the drake, stepping out the front door of the cabin. Finding a
quiet place he sat down with legs crossed and focused on the sketch of
the Amber man. Trying to will the image to work, even trying to combine
it’s use with his own tendril to enhance the power of it. Aaron, are you there you stubborn mad man?
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Re: Part 25 - A night in the lonesome October by Cyan
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Wishing she could stay there forever, Cyan relaxes into Jack's hug for
the instant it holds her. When he releases the Bard, she sighs,
nodding, and stares moodily down at the little dragon as he consumes
the last of the stew.
The door closes behind Jack, and Cyan's shoulders slump. She
doesn't dare look at Kia, for fear that her emotions and guilt will
shine forth from her ruby eyes.
"Come one," the young woman whispers to Berd, gently picking him out of
the pot while he stares at her with a sleepy, quizzical
expression. "Bath - hot bath," she amends when the drake
tenses. Berd immediately quiets, sighing and then belching a
large, bright purple puff of smoke. Cyan's lips thin and,
cradling the dragon gently, she heads into the room of the bath.
A moment later, there comes the sound of running water, and loud, contented chirping noises.
===========================================================
Re: Part 25 - A night in the lonesome October by Jack
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As soon as Aaron spoke Jack grabbed and held the contact
with all he had, not letting it fade and release when the Amber man let
it go. Refusing to let go of the ol’ pain in the ass.
Jack didn’t like that feel of what Aaron said, something was wrong “CYAN!” He called out figuring he needed someone better with these damnable
drawing then himself. In the mean time he would just have to do
what he could. Jack sent a tendril and lens sliding through the tenuous
contact so he could see what was happening. <I>Okay Aaron
what are you up to?<I>
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Re: Part 25 - A night in the lonesome October by Cyan
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Seconds pass, then Cyan explodes out of the front door, carrying a
still dripping Berd. The Bard is dripping a little herself, arms
soaked up to the elbow (though, oddly, her shirt seems to shed the
water like a duck's feathers).
"Jack! What is it?" Kirilinde is in her left hand, still
sheathed, a silent counterpoint to the aggrieved dragon in her right
hand. No danger...here, she realizes, her brilliant sapphire eyes scanning the clearing and finding nothing save Jack, bent over the sketch. With Aaron, then.
Hurrying forwards, Cyan places one hand on the Palanquet sketch, initiating psychic contact with Jack (Berd hits the ground with an indignant squwak). "Jack! What is it?"
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Re: Part 25 - A night in the lonesome October by Jack
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Jack does not hesitate to accept Cyan’s contact Arron
in some kind of combat, I couldn’t see. He told me that the blood of
Amber will destroy the orbs and then tried to drop contact. Can you
open a gate or hold this contact so I can send a tendril through and
see what is going on?
Jacks brow in creased with effort as he tried to hold the rump contact and send a tendril lens through as well. Something is off, he sounded strange! I must see what is going on. She could feel Jack buring curiosity pressing him on, even a little worry for the Amber man.
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Re: Part 25 - A night in the lonesome October by Cyan
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Despite the intense feeling of anger that flashes across the link at
the thought of Aaron, Cyan instantly does as Jack asks, frowning with
concentration and attempting to force contact. "It
is only a sketch, Jack - I may not be capable. I am not as
skilled as Kendall - forging a gate from this is beyond my power.
But if I can gain contact with him, I can send you to him, and myself
as well!"
Berd slowly climbs up her leg, hunting for his customary position on
her shoulder - for the moment, Cyan ignores him, then sends a terse
query his way.
The little dragon clambers into position, stares at the sketch for a
moment, then opens his eyes, wide. Tiny sparks, so tiny, begin to
dance there.
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Re: Part 25 - A night in the lonesome October by Jack
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I don't care if you are not him. . . Her. . . It. . . Do what you can, Jack sent that is all I can ask. For the rest or going through, we will see once the gate is open. Jack changed tactics and focused the total of his mind on helping
Cyan’s with making contact. There was little else he could do, but once
the gate was open. . . Then he could act. Till then it was best
for focus on the task at hand and wait to see if it would work.
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Re: Part 25 - A night in the lonesome October by Cyan
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"It will not be a true gate, Jack, but if Aaron is at all conscious,
he can bring us there, or we may do the same with him...I will not
waver, this I swear...." Cyan redoubles her efforts, throwing
everything she can into regaining contact with Aaron. Her
reserves burn like tinder in the fire of her will, but while they last,
that fire grows brighter and brighter....
===========================================================
Re: Part 25 - A night in the lonesome October by Jack
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Jack wavered and relaxed back from
trying to force the contact. “He’s not answering Cyan, and it’s his
choice. Let’s let him be, as he will be as his is. He could have made
decent contact if he wanted, he could have stayed if he wanted.”
The broken man stood handing the trump to Cyan. “He was is a man of
paths and I guess I should not worry about the path he takes.”
Jack reached out for Cyan’s and the simple
comfort of contact, human touch. “Come. . . I need to talk to Kia.” he
said dreading letting her know what she had missed by coming for him, a
mother she would never get to see again, someone that she would never
get to make amends with, never get to say goodbye to. “You need to send
THX home, he will be safer there. Then I will trim up my burned hair
and clean up before we go. We need to get to Amber so we can let your
Prince know what we have found.” In some way Jack hoped the Prince
could do something with what they had found, in others he hope that he
choked on it. So many dead, so many would die. . . and there was
nothing Jack could do to stop it all. A battle won, a war lost. . .
Prices paid in blood and life, loss and suffering. Was it time to call
an end to it? How much blood would there be? Yesterday he had killed
more then Kali could have in her lifetime.
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Re: Part 25 - A night in the lonesome October by Cyan
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Cyan sighs, taking the sketch back and shaking her head.
"Well...we could have assisted him, but then what? You are
correct, Jack." Greatly daring, she accepts the clasp of his
hand, glancing away with a faint rose tinge flashing across her
cheeks. Berd makes an odd, purring sound, and Cyan reaches up,
tapping him on the end of his nose with the papers and Kirilinde's
hilt. "I am sorry, Jack," she apologizes. "He is...rather
odd right now. Still confused, and less than controlled.
Self-controlled, that is."
Gently turning the still-tired, spiritually drained man, Cyan falls in
beside him, fingers still laced through his. Human contact.
Studying him with amber eyes, the Bard nods. "Yes. You must
tell Kia...I will be there, unless you wish to say it to her alone,
Jack. Then yes, I shall send THX 1138 back to his home, but I
shall leave the palanquet with Prime. It is a risk, but I would rather she is able to reach
me than for disaster to strike, and they be left to fend for their
own." A squeeze as they reach the door of the cabin, and Cyan,
very regretfully, disengages her fingers from Jack's. He must face Kia as her father, and her father should not be holding the hand of another woman when he speaks of her mother. Whatever Jack's feelings for her might be.
His feelings...his feelings right now are ash and old blood. I
fear Jack has been crippled - savagely injured in mind, body, and
spirit. Torture and torment, abandonment and loss, a look into
the rage that remains within. What more can a man suffer?
===========================================================
Re: Part 25 - A night in the lonesome October by Jack
-----------------------------------------------------------
Jack let Cyan’s hand fall away before
he entered the cabin door, thinking of all of the comforts of society
that he was missing for a moment. That was only his way of trying to
avoid what was to come, steeling himself he opened the door. Head
drooped and shoulders hung low he crossed the room to Kia before
looking her in the eyes, his own eyes.
“Princess,” he said in what he hoped were soft
comforting tones. “I tried to tell you of this yesterday, but your
didn’t want to discuss unhappy matters.” He knelt down and took Kia’s
hand to try and comfort her. “The time lines are different across the
world. . . Yesterday when I spoke with your Mother. . .I wanted so bad
to go to her side, but she wouldn’t let me, the time lone she is in is
so much faster. It had been only two days since she left and already
she had grown so old. She would not let me come to her because she
would be dead by before I could have made it. Kalika is dead princess.
. . . I’m so sorry.”
jack fought to hold back tears as he explained it, a battle he lost.
===========================================================
Re: Part 25 - A night in the lonesome October by Kia
-----------------------------------------------------------
(NPC'd)
"My mother is... dead?" the young woman's voice is quiet, calm, but she
pauses for long moments before continuing, "Then I fear I will not be
travelling with you, Ja... Father. Although we were long
estranged, it is my duty as a daughter to ensure that her grave-wish
has been honoured. There is no other who can do this. I am
her only child."
"I will return to you, if I can. As long as you are near water, I
will find you. It has been good to meet you, Father, though
circumstances were far from ideal."
===========================================================
Re: Part 25 - A night in the lonesome October by Cyan
-----------------------------------------------------------
Cyan turns away, swallowing, as Jack spills the news out to Kia.
She can hear his voice catch in his throat, knows it is far, far too
soon for him to be feeling anything other than a tearing grief at the
thought of his love's passing, however long a life she lived, however
good it might have been.
She wants to put a hand on his shoulder, but to do so, now, during his
discussion with his daughter, would be a terrible intrusion. So
the Bard waits until Kia speaks before turning back around, watching
the two of them with sad, emerald eyes. Layers
of sorrow. Found, and lost again. Mother and Lover both
lost as well. Neither of them there, and years may have passed
before Kia arrives home, most likely, though the timeshifting between
Kia's world and this one is much, must less.
"THX 1138," she rasps through a throat grown rough. Curse it. Do not cry again, girl. "Do you wish to return to your home?"
===========================================================
Re: Part 25 - A night in the lonesome October by THX 1138
-----------------------------------------------------------
"Yez, Zyan." the spiderling scuttles forward, almost eager-seeming, but its next words belie that impression, "Though
there iz ztill much vor me to learn, and you are interezting to be
with, I zhould return with newz ov the ztructure-builder. Jack,
there iz a being here which may be akin to my own people!"
"Perhapz one day I may travel with you and Berd onze more, Zyan, though
I would not do zo alone again. It iz hard vor me to be parted
vrom my kind. Iv I travel again, I will bring at leazt one other
with me."
"Do you wizh me to dizmantle the ztructure I built? It iz an
impervect copy ov the original, but I lack the zkill to make it more
accurate."
===========================================================
Re: Part 25 - A night in the lonesome October by Cyan
-----------------------------------------------------------
Glancing at Kia, not wanting the girl to leave without saying goodbyes
(who knows how long it will be before she sees her again, if ever?),
Cyan kneels down in front of THX 1138. "I am making a palanquet of you, THX 1138. I will continue to keep contact with you, in
the future, and perhaps we may travel together - I will do so, gladly
with more of your kind as well. Perhaps, soon, some among your
people will discover the secret to Walking the Worlds - Berd has
touched them, whether or not he remembers, and if Berd brings anything,
he brings Change." Her sapphire eyes soften, and she reaches out
to touch the spiderling.
"Leave the web. It will give me something with which I can remember our times together, here in this World."
Rising, she removes the cube from her pouch, focussing upon THX 1138's broken world. "Say your goodbyes to Jack and Kia."
Berd cocks his head to the side, staring at the little spider.
===========================================================
Re: Part 25 - A night in the lonesome October by THX 1138
-----------------------------------------------------------
The spider creature turns its green eyes towards Jack and Kia, and
perfoms what can only be an arachnid bow, crouching low. "Jack,
I thank you vor all my kind. What you have done vor uz will not
be vorgotten nor diminizhed. Prime will remember alwayz, and
through Prime we will all know ov your deedz. Even thoze az yet
unborn will know ov them az iv they witnezzed them."
"Kia. Your part in thiz will alzo be remembered. How you
held the wall together when the tower threatened to vall, and how you
devended Zyan and Jack vrom the warrior. I am zorry we did not
learn more ov each other."
It moves back to face Cyan and Berd as the portal unfolds in the air.
"The Hive iz there. It iz damaged, but the
workerz are repairing it. I thank you Zyan and Berd vor your
aid. Berd, you rizked much in the battle, and were damaged.
Zyan, you promized aid, and it waz delivered. You have
demonztrated that not all outziderz are opprezzorz. You have
taught me ov the zmall creature too, and when the door waz opened,
Prime new ov it. Thiz knowledge will be ov much interezt to uz,
az I have exzplained. Above all elze, you give uz hope. We
have vriendz now, and perhapz even relativez, on other worldz, not juzt
enemiez."
"There can be no greater givt that you might have given uz. Onze
more, I thank you, though my thankz are inzuvvizient. Prime azkz
me to convey one lazt mezzage: iv you need uz, Zyan, we will come."
"Good bye."
The strange silver creature executes a bow again, and scurries through the portal.
===========================================================
Re: Part 25 - A night in the lonesome October by Jack
-----------------------------------------------------------
"We couldn't have done it without you, go
back to a heros welcom little one." Jack nodded to the small creature,
he would have promised to remember it but he was not so certain any
more. Instead he silently let it go knowing Cyan would check up on THX
and it's people to make certain they were okay. Wondering what kind of
welcome they would get if their small group ever made it there, and
seeing some good that came out of the war. A people now free.
He turned his attention
back to Kia. “Go do what you need to princess. Even if I never
see you again it warms my heart to know that you are, that Kali lives
on in you.” He looked over to Cyan adding “Cyan, can you give her my
card that you made?” Standing he looked back to Kia, “Cyan made
this for me to give to you mother as a favor. Kalika was blind by the
time Cyan finished it. If you stare at the card and focus on it, it
will open a link, a gate to me. Take it, anytime you need me for
anything. Just to talk or whatever you need, call me with it. Any
reason at all, noting is to small or to big for you Kia. Good bye my
daughter, no matter what you will always be my princess.” He gave her a
quick hug.
With that he walked away headed for the bathroom, “I need to get cleaned up, we will be leaving soon.”
Once in the bathroom he looked
around until he found a knife or scissors and a razor . Picking them up
he looked at the man in the mirror. No longer the same Jack, and it was
time to show it. He started shaving the stubble and cutting away his
hair. Need to be presentable for the royalty of Amber.
===========================================================
Re: Part 25 - A night in the lonesome October by Cyan
-----------------------------------------------------------
Cyan, stooping low, throws her arms carefully around the arachnid. "Goodbye, my friend. I shall make a palanquet of you, and we will speak soon. It was my honor to help you, and
my honor that you consider me worthy of your friendship and
support. Please thank Prime for me."
Berd, on her shoulder, chirrups ones, and coughs out a small, thin wisp
of smoke...it floats towards THX 1138, then fades into its body.
"Goodbye," she repeats as the small being scuttles through the opened portal. Spirits...I will miss him.
Then, slowly, Cyan passes her hand over the cube, picking it up and
placing it into her pouch before turning to Kia. "Kia," she says
quietly, amethyst eyes sad. "I grieve for your loss...Kalika was
a friend, though we had our differences once - that fault was mine, and
mine alone. I miss her, terribly, and Jack...her loss has crushed
him. I only hope that you return to him, for I can see that with
you, he has found some measure of hope for his future. That he
did not leave your mother with nothing, and that he will always have
someone who is the best part of himself and her." Slowly she
takes out her palanquet of Jack. I shall have to make yet another...but Kia needs this. "Here. Take this - it is the palanquet of which Jack spoke."
"Please," the Bard implores. "Never hesitate to call upon him, and return, if you wish and you can."
===========================================================
Re: Part 25 - A night in the lonesome October by Kia
-----------------------------------------------------------
(NPC'd)
"I will call on him, if I need to. But I will try not to do it so
often that it becomes a burden or a hindrance in his efforts to resolve
the threat to the worlds." Kia says, tucking the picture of Jack into a
pouch at her belt and carefully securing the flap.
She glances towards the bathroom, "I think it would be best if I
departed now. It will only add to the sorrow if I wait to see him
again, for both of us."
Suddenly she throws her arms around Cyan, in a hug which almost dislodges the drowsing Berd, and whispers a few words to her.
Then, stepping back, she raises her head, seeming to sniff the air,
"There is a deep lake, a league or so from here in... that direction,
yes?" she points, "That will be my road home. I thank you for
your hospitality, Cyan, and wish you well in the task which you have
undertaken, and in your life. Good bye."
Kia shoulders her pack, and steps out of the door, closing it carefully
behind her, and in that last heartbeat, as she pulls the door to, Cyan
sees that the young girls eyes are filled with tears.
===========================================================
Re: Part 25 - A night in the lonesome October by Cyan
-----------------------------------------------------------
Cyan sways back and forth, surprised, and flushes, hugging Kia
back. Releasing her, she nods, ruby eyes wide, and waves in the
direction of the lake. "Yes, a lake, yes. Good-bye...Kia."
The door shuts with a clack of the latch. Cyan stares at the
wooden panel for a long moment, her arm reaching out, drawn forwards by
that last glimpse. "I have...little choice in the matter," she
whispers, her heart aching for the girl who just left. It is not much like the songs at all, is it, Cyan?
At the thought, the Bard shakes her head, knowing full well that she
learned that lesson years ago, watching the Mountains of Tyranny
crumble while recalling the broken gates of Menengroth, thrown down by
the Naugrim.
With a sign, she rubs her face and moves to her closet. Running
her hands through her hair, Cyan tries to find something to do to keep
her mind from that vision of Kia's tearful face...and her fingers catch
in a twig. With careful work, she tugs it from her hair. I...need a bath.
Gathering her toiletries, she placed them beside the door of the
bathroom. "Jack, when you are finished, I will clean myself -
quickly. Then we can be off," she notes through the curtain.
===========================================================
Re: Part 25 - A night in the lonesome October by Jack
-----------------------------------------------------------
“No problem, I’ll just be a
bit.” Jack called out, a bit latter he started whistling a tune and a
bit after that he still was not done. Perhaps about fifteen minuets
later he pulled aside the curtain and came out shaven and shorn,
flashing a smile at Cyan “It’s all yours.” he said running his fingers
through his hair to comb it into place. Looking around he noted
Kia’s absence, “She’s gone now isn’t she?” he asked moving towards the
kitchen to start making them up a meal and some toe for the road. He
wasn’t planning on much, just something they could eat on the run.
===========================================================
Re: Part 25 - A night in the lonesome October by Cyan
-----------------------------------------------------------
Cyan blinks, staring at Jack in shock. "You...cut everything,"
she states, somewhat dumbly. It doesn't look BAD, just a whole
lot different, and it throws her. He looks older - more serious. But it's still Jack, Cyan reminds herself, catching the look in his blue, blue eyes.
"Yes...yes, she left. She said she would bespeak you if she
could, but would try to avoid any distractions." Still caught by
his appearance, Cyan picks up what she needs, and backs throw the
curtain, staring with wide, sapphire eyes. "I'll just..." the
Bard begins, and promptly drops a bottle, catching it on her foot
before it shatters on the floor. Rolling it off with a muttered
curse, the Bard slips into the bathroom.
Her hands come out from behind the curtain a moment later, depositing a
disgruntled Berd on the cold ground. The little dragon glances
back into the room of the bath, then hops to the nearby chair, curling
up and watching Jack with dull, metallic eyes.
Inside the bath, Cyan quickly strips, carelessly tossing her clothes
into the deepening water. She has brought additional
underclothes, and leaves them on the ledge before slipping into the
bath, beginning her own ablutions and scrubbing the layers of
travel-dust from her body and long, copper hair. Another muttered
curse as she discovers a second, smaller twig. This is ridiculous. I spend so much time running around, I end up a terrible mess.
Well. The hair problem is easily remedied.
===========================================================
Re: Part 25 - A night in the lonesome October by Jack
-----------------------------------------------------------
“What,” Jack called through the
closed curtain as he worked making up something they could eat on the
run “Have I grown two heads or something?” Taking a moment he fed Berd
a piece of cheese and stroked under his chin. “She acts like she’s
never seen a man all cleaned up before.”
Reaching out with lens and tendril
Jack looked over the herbs in the larder and rafters, before he started
picking things out before putting them on to boil in a pot of water. He
chose seemingly unlikely looking combinations, that had healing
properties and renewed energy and vitality. He looked the drake
over for a moment with the lens to make certain it would work on it’s
system. Then pulled a bit of charcoal from the fire and dropped it in.
As he worked he focused removing the breaks from the herbs and broth as
it steeped. “A little of what looks close enough to be ground hot
peppers, some peach leaves, more hot peppers. . . Cyan what’s the
matter, don’t you like the new look? It’s certainly easier to take care
of on the road, beside you know what they say. The difference between a
good haircut and a bad one is only about three months. . . Where was I?
Oh yea, a little more hot pepper.” I wonder if Kia will be alright, or if I’ll ever hear from her again., “A little more hot pepper, remove the breaks making it more potent. . . And lets see if we can weave in a little bit of power.”
Jack continued this process, working away adding herbs and more
hot pepper, letting it steep, mending the breaks, fixing sandwiches
that would keep them going for a bit and brewing tea.
"Just yell if you need someone to scrub your back." he teased Cyan in there some place.
===========================================================
Re: Part 25 - A night in the lonesome October by Cyan
-----------------------------------------------------------
"Just...surprised, that is all, Jack. It makes you look
different," Cyan called from within the bathroom. Berd chirps
interrogatively, then curls up again. He makes an odd, purring
noise when Jack chucks him under the chin, and gobbles the cheese down,
despite his already-distended stomach.
The drake watches with interest while Jack does the work in the kitchen
area of the small cabin, dull, bronze-sheened eyes shining
faintly. There is no glitter to them, now.
When Jack calls out, the faint splashing noise stops for a
moment. Then it picks up again. "I...thank you, Jack.
I will remember that." The reply is amused, and oddly strained at
the same time. Embarassed, possibly.
In the bathroom, Cyan finally finishes, climbing out of the draining
stone bowl to stand for a long moment, allowing herself to drip.
A towel assists in the drying, and she hangs her clothing up, letting
it drip. The water seems to sleet off of the material unnaturally
quickly. Squeezing the moisture from her rather copious hair, the
Bard looks in the mirror, taking herself in with shining, emerald
eyes. Well. I certainly feel better.
There is a brief, high pitched cough from the door. A small cloud
of glittering particles floats through the air, settling on her
head. Cyan closes her eyes, and when she opens them, what little
wetness remains to her hair is gone. With a sigh, the Bard begins
to carefully braid her hair, leaving much of the front loose but
catching the majority of the sides and back and putting it into a
french braid that hangs down halfway to her waist. The tip is
tied with wire, and a copper ball as thick as two thumbs keeps it in
place.
The clothing, now dry, goes on over her underclothes, and she tightens the sash around her waist. Done.
"Finished," the Bard states, slipping back out into the cabin.
Berd chimes happily, taking her hand and climbing up onto her shoulder.
===========================================================
Re: Part 25 - A night in the lonesome October by Jack
-----------------------------------------------------------
Jack has a cup of tea waiting
on Cyan as she comes out, “What is it with you people and no coffee? he
asks handing her the cup with a half smile. “If we ever make it to
civilization first thing I’m going to do is hit a decent coffee
shop.” He moved back over to the hearth and ladled out some broth
into a bowl. “You clean up pretty good yourself bard.” He said bringing
the bowl back to the table and setting it down. He stood there staring
at Cyan long moments, then looked away quickly changing the
subject. “Let Berd try some of this, it’s something that should help
restore his energy. It’s something Grand Dame LaVonte would make for us
when we were ill, or bad, or just when she felt like being sadistic.
Still it should help.”
He moved back over to the kitchen and started packing up the food,
tucking a knife in his belt so he would have some kind of weapon.
===========================================================
Re: Part 25 - A night in the lonesome October by Cyan
-----------------------------------------------------------
"I have only tried coffee once," Cyan admits, "but I found it...well, I
found it bitter, and it gave me shakes. So I have sworn from it,
I fear. Perhaps it was bad coffee," she amends, not wanting to
give offense.
She fidgets slightly under his gaze, smiling hesitantly at his
compliment, and moves to sit at the table, dropping her eyes and
shaking her head when he turns away. Idiot. Enough mooning has gone on - best that you concentrate on business.
"Thank you...Berd will no doubt appreciate - no, silly, that is not
your bowl - will no doubt appreciate it. I hope your Grand Dame's
wisdom is sufficient to assist him." A smile touches her face at
the sadistic comment. "Seeming sadism to youngsters is often
nothing more than an attempt for the elders to keep their sanity," she
notes, smelling the soup, but waiting for Jack. "Will you not be
eating, Jack?" Cyan inquires worriedly.
The Bard watches for a moment as Jack hunts through the drawers, then
puts out an offer. "Should you require a blade better than the
carving knife," she notes, "Berd can provide. You need only
explain what sort of weapon." And hope for the best...
===========================================================
Re: Part 25 - A night in the lonesome October by Jack
-----------------------------------------------------------
“No that sounds about right for coffee.”
Jack said with a smile “No, no I’m not that hungry I, I’ll eat later or
if I get hungry on the road.” He stuffed the rest of the food in a
burlap sack and poured up some of Berds broth in a bottle to take
with them before moving to the table and kneeling down by Cyan. “ I
don’t know, a weapon and armor would be nice. . . But I couldn’t ask
Berd, he has been through so much. No I’ll make due until I can find a
forge and the materials I will need. I am going to make a weapon from
my home. A replica of the one I used to hunt with in the mountains as a
kid. Simpler times.” He looked up into her eyes for a moment
before looking away. “Cyan I-“ He started and stopped dropping it.
Jack put a hand on Cyan’s as he knelt there,
giving it a gentle squeeze as he turned his attention to the Drake.
“Drink up Berd, it will help you. We need to go as soon as you have
finished it.”
===========================================================
Re: Part 25 - A night in the lonesome October by Cyan
-----------------------------------------------------------
Cyan sips at her soup, blinking at the taste. "This is fine work,
Jack. My thanks!" She eats quickly, nervously aware of the
man sitting so close to her. "Jack...Berd can make things like
that with ease. It barely taxes him at his weakest to simply
create a blade and armor for you, though he may have trouble with the
measurements. But if you wish, we can wait. Or he can have
something ready in minutes, and you can wear it until you find a forge
to create your weapon. Your choice, as always," she finishes,
quietly.
Her deep amethyst eyes hunt his brilliant blue ones for a long moment, before he looks away. What was he about to say?
The question burns through her as he speaks to Berd, and she fights
with herself for a long moment before working up the courage. I should ask. I must ask. I must!
Then Berd looks up at Jack, and lets out another quiet belch. The
pot is completely empty, before the man finishes speaking. The
little dragon climbs up on Jack's shoulders and croons, softly,
offering dim emotions of pleasure and curiousity.
Cyan puts a hand on her brow and shakes her head. Of course.
The moment passes, and Cyan puts her other hand on Jack's shoulder,
squeezing gently. "I expect, then...that we should be going."
===========================================================
Re: Part 25 - A night in the lonesome October by Jack
-----------------------------------------------------------
Jack smiled warmly first at
Cyan’s compliment then at Berd, “Of course you and Cyan are
coming with me my friend, I don’t know what I would do without you two.
Besides, while you were resting Berd I promised you I would look
after Cyan until you were fully recovered.” He stroked the small drake.
“If you feel up to making me light sturdy quiet armor and a big sturdy
two-handed sword I would be thank full my little friend. A great bow
and arrows would be nice as well.”
As Cyan’s hand fell on Jacks shoulder he
looked back over to her, the smile becoming a little more uncertain.
“Yea, I guess we should.” He turned to look at Cyan directly in
the eyes “Before we go I just want to know. . . Back there. . . In the
bathroom. . . You. . . I.” Have
have no right to do this, she still have a chance at a normal life. She
could find a good man to settle down with and find happiness.
Everything I touch carried the curse of my power, the poison of it.
Jack glance over at Berd on his shoulder and
sighed. “Nothing. . . Let’s just go see your Prince. You open the gate
and I'll go through first.”
===========================================================
Re: Part 25 - A night in the lonesome October by Dworkin (GM)
-----------------------------------------------------------
Cyan draws out the cube, finds the right face, and pushes her will into
the image. The blue-roofed buildings, the masts of the ships
rising above the rooftops down at the harbour, the cerulean sky with
its white birds and grey clouds. All seem to flow out of the cube
to fill the room. The air fills with the scent of the sea, and of
smoke, and there are the calls of traders and the cries of the white
birds.
They step into the scene...
===========================================================
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