March 27, 2010 Issue
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
A Note from the Editor
UPDATES FROM THE STAFF:
Code and Area Updates
LegendMUD Calendar of Events
PLAYER NEWS:
XP Achievements
The Pkill Front
PKill Tournament Follow-Up
Clan News
Description Change:
Risay
Varik
Player Submissions
How Not To Summon A Demon by Leatrix von Dietrich
From the Fire, Into... by Zillah Grey
Making Things Happen by Lime
A Strange Encounter by Thaniel Wooding
Untitled by Caja
A Trial of Courage
Letters Between Siblings
Where is the Knight?
Mama's Little Boy
Bittersweet Symphony
In His Stead by Nineveh
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
A NOTE FROM THE EDITOR
HEYYYYYYYYY YOUUUUUUUUUU GUYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYS. So, I know it's been over
a month since the last LT was out. My baaaad. Real life, you know? I'm sure
you do. But! Since it took me so long, I have like fifty billion player
submissions, which is great. And you pkers out there?
W.O.W. That's all I have to say there.
So, read on, my friends, and enjoy!
-Lamia
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
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/__| Updates from the Staff |__\
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AREA UPDATES
Area & Code Updates (2-19-10)
-------------------
Greece:
better wording on the wrestling teacher's acts.
'gate' kw added to gate guards.
Fixes for a couple of the chant messages also went in this week.
We're welcoming Joule back to activity after a long time away. Joule's
office is located on the PR floor. Please give her some time to
get reacquainted with things.
Area & Code Updates (3-19-10)
-------------------
Building:
Malta - Fixed the trees so that they will fletch quivers correctly.
Typo fixes in Dartmoor, Svart.
Straussy is back to work on the Titanic.
Coding:
Fix for fletching. Will not be able to fletch negative quivers. The tree in
question will submit a bug report for the builders.
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
LEGENDMUD CALENDAR OF EVENTS
[All times are system time unless otherwise specified]
March 2010
Su Mo Tu We Th Fr Sa
1 2 3 4 5 6
7 8 9 10 11 12 13
14 15 16 17 18 19 20
21 22 23 24 25 26 27
28 29 30 31
Thursday, March 11th, 7:30 pm Q&A in the OOC Auditorium
Saturday, March 13th, 4:00 pm Insanity's PK Moneypalooza
Wednesday, March 17th, Happy St. Patrick's Day!
7:00 pm Pub Crawl
All Day Shamrock hunt
Thursday, March 25th, 7:30 pm Q&A in the OOC Auditorium
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
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/__| Player News |__\
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XP ACHIEVEMENTS
Ameera has reached 100 million experience!
AwesomeDude has reached 100 million experience!
Gumby has reached 100 million experience!
Kezia has reached 100 million experience!
Serpentarius has reached 100 million experience!
Serpentarius has reached 200 million experience!
SexyShark has reached 500 million experience!
Asterix has reached 700 million experience!
Psylin has reached 800 million experience!
Vogue has reached 800 million experience!
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
THE PKILL FRONT
The 'wow' from earlier? I'm totally carrying that over to here. You guys and
gals who PK are amazing. I mean, there were over 50 characters who PK'd over
the past five or so weeks, and so that puts the total number of PKE fights and
duels near 300-ish.
Let's start out with the people who didn't lose a single fight. Melody won all
12 of her battles, Dirge won 10 out of 10 of his, Macphisto won all 6 battles
that had an end, and Ire won 3 out of 3. That's very impressive, guys. You
should definitely keep up the amazing work.
So should these people who participated in over 20 fights: Divine (61),
Reddeath (89), Artis (62), Fawkes (50), Linx (21), Necrox (70), Psylin (35),
Caja (39), Zoroaster (20), and Boosh (50). The balance of wins vs. losses was
definitely mixed within that batch, but the fact that they're participating
that much is very, very impressive.
Make sure to check out the LegendMUD forums for PK discussions and logs.
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
PKILL TOURNAMENT FOLLOW-UP
We had a total of 12 people show up for the single elimination 1 vs. 1 pkill
tournament.
First round, we had Rump beating Linx, LebronJames beating Asterix, Artis
beating Necrox, Opie sniping Psylin, Fawkes beating Reddeath, Liel beating
TheWatcher!
Second round we had Fawkes beating Liel, Artis beating Opie and Rump beating
LebronJames!
Because there were three left (Rump, Artis & Fawkes), we had 3 remaining
fights where each of them fought each other, with the results of those fights
as follows:
[Arena]: Rump has been killed by Artis!
[Arena]: Artis has been killed by Fawkes!
[Arena]: Rump has been killed by Fawkes!
In honor of the 2010 Winter Olympics, each of the final three were awarded
medals!
Rump received a bronze medal for third place!
Artis received a silver medal for second place!!
Fawkes being the winner of the pkill tournament received the gold medal!
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
CLAN NEWS
The Infernal Knights formed by Artis.
The The Grand Academy of Magic was disbanded by Menhit.
Abaddon was formed by Xyn.
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Description Change: Risay
My life has been spent in study, the constant desire for more knowledge,
more....power. Well I have finally found that and grown strong from the long
hours of practice and training.
Did I give up my studies once I had mastered my arts, hardly...I continued to
delve into the workings and teachings of those who have come before us. What I
discovered has changed not only my path but my ethos. I now know where the
true power lies, and I shall follow the teachings of my elders to the letter,
no more shall I tolerate your intolerance, I issue this fatwa upon thee.
No longer shall I sit idly by and observe while I practice my craft. No longer
shall I watch as you slaughter my countrymen, your reign has come to an end
and I am that end. No longer shall I be known as a disinterested necromancer,
I shall now be known as:
Short: an Islamic extremist
Long: Eyes darting about the room, an Islamic dissident tries to put you at
ease.
My personal Jihad has begun.
Risay Salim Umayyah
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Description Change: Varik
My journeys have taken me far and wide through these lands, I have lost much
but gained more. My life as it has been has at times been trying, I have lost
many friends over the years and alas I fell in to a state of depression where
I was lost for a time, I became known as an inconsolable slob.
Having flung myself from the pit of despair, I landed among the honorable
Japanese, and was taught many things, first by the monks, they taught me inner
peace, whit that I grew stronger. Then amongst the bushi, whom I have the
utmost respect for, they have re-energized me in the ways of warriors, I have
come to know them as brothers.
Lastly but by no means the least, I was introduced to the elite, the samurai,
they taught me how to conceal my true intent while ever working towards my
goal thus I shall shake off my former life of an inconsolable slob, take on
the names given to me by my masters. I shall henceforth be known as:
Short: a polished rogue
Long: Checking his surroundings with great care, a polished rogue creates
trouble.
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______________________
/ \
o O | Wonder what folks are |
`\|||/ |doing over at LegendMUD?|
(o o) \_______________________/
ooO_(_)_Ooo________________________________________________________________
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'How Not To Summon A Demon'
by Leatrix von Dietrich
Leatrix cursed softly as a scalding droplet of wax landed on the back of her
hand.
'Stupid candles,' she complained to no one in particular. 'Why should a demon
care what colour your candles are? Suppose they won't be summoned because
you've got the wrong kind of drapery for the season, or you put out the tea
without a doiley!' With this last outburst, she tossed her ladle back into the
pot of melted wax, crossed her arms across one another on the table, rested
her forehead on her arms, and breathed a deep sigh. She supposed if Adrion
were here, he would be laughing at her. But Adrion was not here, had not been
here since their disagreement, and besides she had decided that she was going
to do her best to put him out of her mind.
Leatrix had been busy making arrangements to summon her very own pet demon for
months now. Since she had been expelled from the school of alchemy her brother
had packed her off to last spring, it had been her only interest. The only
trouble was finding all the ridiculous ingredients and accessories that her
demonology books demanded - the proper sized altar, the ritual knife with a
translucent edge, and of course, these black candles.
These damned, stupid black candles.
Leatrix lifted her head and began picking at the edges of the mold, peering in
at the wax she'd poured. It had taken several tries to find ingredients that
demons would like and turn the plain beeswax a sufficiently dark shade. She
frowned. The wax was starting to dry a cakey, off-colour hue. It was mostly
black, she decided. Maybe a little on the red side.
'Oh, bugger it anyway,' she muttered, standing. 'If this colour isn't good
enough for them, they can stay in Hell for all I care.'
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
From the Fire, Into...
by Zillah Grey
This must be what it feels like to be born.
And by that I mean if the womb is made of white-hot brimstone, the birth canal
is lined with shards of glass, and the light at the end of the tunnel is
somehow even worse than where you're coming from. That's the situation I found
myself in just moments before I hit the floor.
At first, I thought it would be better not to get up. I was laying in some
blood, but that seemed pretty usual given where I'd been. And besides, the
cobbles I was laying on were rounded, not filed to sharp points: an
improvement already. But I could hear panicked shifting somewhere near me, and
a sharp intake of breath. My curiosity got the better of me, and I turned my
head, just slightly. My eyes lolled about for a moment, getting used to light
and trying to gain tracking again. Everything seemed very... soft. Especially
the woman standing off to the side. I tried to focus on her for a moment.
She seemed tall, but I was also laying face-down on the floor. Her eyes were
dark and tilted, and her hair was flying wild in snow-white ringlets.
Actually, except for the stupid expression of shock on her face at the moment,
she was pretty. At that moment, I did not care about pretty. With a groan, I
started to stand.
My movement prompted a shriek from the female observer, and she backed away
another step.
'Don't move!' she demanded. Strangely, my muscles cramped as she spoke, and so
I turned my gaze back to her, stuck in that awkward position.
'Who are you!' she barked. I remained motionless.
A pause. 'Answer me!'
'I am called Hellhound. Or sometimes, Asmodeus.'
'Asmodeus. Hah!' she pointed a long, slender finger at me. 'Not so. You're
merely a knave - and you're playing a horrible prank on me. I demand an
apology for this!'
'I am sorry,' I replied. But I really wasn't bloody sorry, and I had no idea
why I didn't tell her so right then and there. The apology had slipped out of
my mouth before I could stop it, but it had a softening effect on the female;
she slumped a bit, and her eyes became less hard.
'Why don't you stand up? Have you hurt yourself?' she asked, pouting. I had
clearly disappointed her, but in what, I wasn't sure quite yet. I wasn't even
sure this wasn't just a new level of Hell.
'I'm...' I thought about this a moment. '... not entirely sure.'
'Well, try it then. Come on, stand up. Let's have a look at you, if you want
to play a stupid prank like that on me. I can't even imagine how you managed
to find your way in here. Who sent you here, anyway?'
I stood, and studied her as she studied me. She reminded me of someone else
from my life, with that honey skin and those dark, tilted eyes. I tried to
reconcile the pert English accent with her appearance; something about the way
she was speaking to me felt familiar, but every time I felt I'd almost gotten
it, the memory flit out of reach again. I hated it.
'You did,' I finally answered, but she huffed and threw herself into a nearby
chair. 'I did!' she exclaimed incredulously. She regarded me as one might
regard a servant, or a child that had been misbehaved. As if she were trying
to decide what she'd do with me. 'I was bringing someone here, but it
certainly wasn't you. And now you've ruined it, and I shall have to start all
over.'
'Well.' I looked around the room, slowly, because if I turned my head too
quickly I thought I'd be sick. 'In that case, I may as well go. Suppose you'd
tell me where we are?'
She narrowed her eyes at me. 'Where did you really come from?'
'Hell.'
Her expression brightened. 'Hell! So you ARE a demon after all! You don't look
like I expected you to. But, oh--! A demon, and Asmodeus no less -- I really
have done it!'
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Making Things Happen
by Lime
It's been so difficult without him. The last time I saw him at the Gates of
Hell, he wasn't even himself and the seriousness of the situation fell upon my
shoulders like a brick.
I can't find anyone... no one who will help. It's as if no one cares. No one
cares that my Zillah is without a soul and trapped in Hell. After everything
he did for our friends, they aren't there when he needs them the most.
So I'm going to fix this myself. I have to. There's no other way.
Yesterday was a strange turn of events when I saw him in London. I was
surprised to see him, but not really surprised when he barely glanced at me.
Not even a glint of recognition in his limey and purpley eyes. It took all I
had not to hurl myself at him, so I composed myself, tried to look nonchalant,
and sat by the fountain column. I pulled this little trick to capture his
attention my sisters and I used to play when we were younger. The engagement
ring he gave me still sits close to my person, and because of its size, it
reflects light quite nicely. With a little bit of angling and turning, I was
able to reflect the light from the sun and water over the square and then into
his eyes. He noticed me then, shuffling about, wringing his hands, and looking
overly anxious. He approached, obviously not recognizing me, and spilled some
information I wasn't ready to accept, but I played it off like I wasn't
committed to what he was saying. Apparently he's a slave... or errand boy of
sorts. He was delivering a letter to someone I've met recently, and if Zillah
were the Zillah I've always known, he wouldn't go within 100 yards of this
vampire.
He didn't even know his own name.
Is he that far gone? Is there a point of return?
It's easier for me to play this role. Get the information now, don't ruin it
by controlling the situation immediately. I have to know who he is now so I
can get him back to who he was. Throughout the encounter, I coyly refused to
tell him my name. I want him to remember me like I remember him.
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
A Strange Encounter
by Thaniel Wooding
I slowly traversed the twilit forest, following deer trails which, I hoped,
would lead me to my destination. My steps lagged more and more as the night
crept on a pace, and the rope across my shoulders grew heavier with each step.
Each of the game birds I'd tied to it earlier that day seemed to weigh like
stones. I'd been out hunting, but the evening had come on faster than I'd
expected, catching me unawares while I was still in the depths of the wood. I
wished with all my heart that I could find the cabin where I was temporarily
lodging in order to set down my burden and fill my aching belly, but it seemed
to elude my every attempt to reach it.
The forest--any forest--had always been home to me. I was happiest when roaming
acres wild in search of healing herbs or food for the pot. But on this night,
perhaps because I was so tired and footsore, it seemed a desolate, forbidding
place. I was unnerved by things which I would normally attribute to ordinary
night-time activity, mistaking each shadow for an eldrich, alien presence,
each crack of a branch or snap of a twig for foreboding footsteps. Just as I
despaired of ever reaching my goal, and prepared to roll up in my cloak and
sleep the night out under a tree, an eery cry came wafting through the air.
Turning in the direction from which the sound had come, and casting about with
eyes which had finally become accustomed to the dark, I spied a strange sight:
a ragged child crouching over a patch of wildflowers in a clearing not far
away. She was sobbing, her tears falling onto the flowers at her feet. It
looked to me as though the blossoms were stretching upward on their long
stems, trying to reach out to the child as if to touch or comfort her. I
couldn't tell how old she might be she was small and frail-looking, perhaps
anywhere from six to ten years old. Her dark hair was full of leaves and
brambles, her elfin face smeared with dirt and tears, and her dress rent in
several places, exposing her skin to the chilly spring wind.
She looked a great deal like a child I knew, so I hurried over as fast as my
tired limbs would allow.
'Defrin?' I queried hopefully. 'Is that you?'
The little girl sniffed and shook her head. 'N-no. Defrin's my sister.' I
could see at close quarters that this girl was indeed not Defrin her hair
colour and facial features were somewhat different.
'I see,' I replied. 'You must be the girl who ran away, then. Did you get
lost? Are you looking for the cabin Defrin found? I'm looking for it myself
she invited me to stay there when I'm in the area.'
'No... I was just there, looking for Defrin,' the girl replied, wiping away
tears with a tattered sleeve. 'She was s'posed to deliver a letter and come
back to where I was in three days, but it's been more'n that now... almost a
week. I thought maybe she went to the cabin first, but I can't find her.'
I scratched my head in puzzlement. 'That's odd... I saw her a few days ago.
She came to visit me and see my new animals. I wonder what can have happened
to her.'
The girl bowed her head. 'I dunno, but I guess it's my fault, like everythin'
else. I agreed to let her deliver my letter.' Her shoulders slumped and she
sighed forlornly.
'Defrin can take care of herself pretty well, I think,' I replied. 'I worry
about her sometimes too, but as you probably know, she's been gifted with
magic. I'm sure she'll be alright, and if she's not, it's certainly not your
fault.'
'Everythin' is these days, mister. Bad stuff always happens to people I love
when I'm around. That's why I ran away. I thought people'd be safer or happier
if I wasn't there.'
'Nonsense. People would be much happier to know that you are safe, I'm sure.'
The child cast her eyes downward and slowly shook her head, but not, it
appeared to me, out of stubbornness. There was a sadness and cynicism in that
gesture which should not have appeared in one so young. It seemed to me then
that her fragile body was bowed down by a grievous burden of guilt and
suffering. 'Nothin' ever goes right when I'm around... I always mess up.
I should never've let her deliver that letter... She wanted to, but I
should've done it myself. Then anythin' bad would've happened to me. People're
always gettin' hurt 'cos a' me, and I just want 'em to be happy.'
I sighed, massaging my aching legs. 'I tell you what... I'll help you look
for Defrin. I'll head back to my home in case she went there, and you look in
all the inns between here and wherever you think she was heading. I'm sure
we're making mountains out of mole hills and that she's perfectly alright, but
she's like family to me now that my parents are gone, and you've got me feeling
concerned. If she's not at either my camp or my cottage, I'll check all the
places where I've seen her before and I'll send word to the inns if I find
her. Will that make you feel better?'
The girl nodded mutely, climbing to her feet and dusting herself off. She waved
to me and headed off along one of the deer trails, but not alone. Hardly
believing my own eyes, I saw that the patch of wildflowers from which she had
been taking comfort moved along beside her, keeping pace. Their roots moved
through the ground as though it were liquid and not solid earth. I blinked,
rubbed my eyes and looked again, and there were the flowers, still moving
along beside the child as she trudged along. I thought for a moment that I was
so tired I must be seeing things, but when I looked down at the place where the
flowers had been, they were gone. There was nothing but a bare patch of earth
at my feet.
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Untitled
by Caja
'Milady...you seem... well you seem a bit thoughtful today, pensive.'
'What should I do? I keep wondering what to do about Azim. He's been gone so
long. What if he returns? Will he sometime in the future surface again? My
heart is so heavy with worry. I don't know what to do.'
'Milady...my sympathies, Milady. As your Solicitor, and your most humble
servant, I feel most competent to advise you.'
'Yes, yes. I know. I know. I have been running our estate by myself since he's
been away at war. But not a word has come back from the battlefield. Did he
die in battle? Has he just abandoned me?'
'Milady, please allow me to explain what I've done. I've thought about this
for quite some time now. I feel that....you most definitely should have Azim
declared dead. I hope you will forgive me, Milady, but I've known that this
was coming so I took liberties and took care of everything for you. I drew up
papers, presented them to the Royal Court, and the judges have reviewed them.
All we need now is your signature to finalize it. Then the judges can make a
public proclamation of their judgment.'
'You did this for me? But why?'
'Yes, Milady. I could see that you were suffering. You, Milady, as any man
with eyes can see, you are still a beautiful woman. I hear that you are most
desired by many. You may in the future fall in love with someone else, start
anew. Please do this for your future, especially now while you are still
desirous. Do you know that I've heard... but you know how rumors are, that a
gentleman, a man of great means, that he wishes you could marry him? And, I'm
told that a man of magic, Milady, is leaving love notes all over the kingdom
professing his love for you. Milady, you need to move on... Take some of these
suitors up on their requests to spend time with you. All you need do is sign
these, and all will be done and complete. You are so brave to do this,
Milady.'
Lady Caja Valor sighed a deep sigh as she took the papers from her Solicitor.
With tears welling in her eyes, she signed the papers, gave them back to the
Solicitor, and retreated to her chambers...sad and alone.
Days later, the Official Proclamation was made...
'Whereas, Azim Valor has disappeared,
Whereas, Azim Valor has not been seen nor heard from,
Whereas, Azim Valor is rumored to have died on the Battlefield,
Let it Be Proclaimed throughout this land,
From now and henceforth, that Azim Valor is legally declared dead.'
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
A Trial of Courage
The sun was setting in a late March afternoon while Serpentarius quietly made
his way through the forest, enjoying the sights and sounds of the Nature he'd
been torn from for millenia.
Upon nearing his destination he encountered a curious figure, somewhat
humanoid but shrouded in a golden light and with a ram's horns sprouting from
his head. Serpentarius, of course, recognized him immediately. 'Aries...'
Serpentarius hissed, glancing around the area. '...you are here alone?'
Aries grinned, amused by the curiosity of his former friend. 'Of course. The
others insisted on standing around deliberating, but I was never one for that
sort of thing. I just want to fix this problem myself.' His expression then
turned almost as cold as Serpentarius'.
Why are you here, Serpent King? There's nothing on this world for you. Only
mortals,' Aries warned, keeping his eyes on Serpentarius and, more
importantly, his nasty-looking scythe. Serpentarius however, wasn't fooled.
'If there is nothing here, then I need no explanation. I am merely on my way
to meet some pitiful mortal.'
Aries sighed. 'So you know of what happened to Virgo.. so be it. There is
nothing you can do now. Even if you slay every mortal who has inherited her
essence, you can never bring her back. Besides... what happened was-'
'What happened was YOUR fault! All of you!' snapped Serpentarius, trying to
suppress the fury raging within him.
'What happened was a necessity,' finished Aries. 'But I accept my share of the
blame, and thus I am here; to give you my power, if you are worthy.'
After a few moments to calm down, Serpentarius simply smiled. A strange sight
indeed. 'You mean, to end your existence with honour instead of being hounded
to the ends of the Cosmos.'
Aries nodded, and began changing to his true form - a gigantic golden ram,
towering over Serpentarius and the forest itself. 'Are you ready, my friend?'
Serpentarius grinned and nodded, drawing his scythe and readying for battle.
In a flash, Aries had charged forward, slamming his horns into the ground,
obliterating the trees where Serpentarius had been standing a millisecond ago.
Flying through the air on his dragon wings, he landed atop Aries' horns and in
a flash of light, sliced them off with his scythe.
With an earth-shaking scream of anguish Aries reared back violently, the force
sending Serpentarius flying to the ground. He barely maked it onto his feet
before Aries' hooves slam down upon him, reducing him to dust.. or so Aries
had hoped. In another flash of light, Serpentarius had flown up through the
sky, spinning in a swift circle with his scythe and with a horrifying ripping
sound, sliced right through Aries' heart and out the other side.
Defeated, Aries fell to the Earth, leaving a giant crater. Serpentarius flew
down through the dust to see his fellow Zodiac resume his humanoid form. A
smile returned to the face of Aries. 'Interesting.. though we weakened you,
your power seems to be growing with each moment,' Aries commented. 'You have
passed the trial of Courage and I will give you my power. Though you hardly
need it with such a strong ally watching over you..'
Aries then vanished before Serpentarius could respond, leaving behind his
power in the form of a golden aura around the Serpent King and one last word
of warning: 'The past must never be repeated..'
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
To Laria de'Dannan
c/o the Library of Alexandria, Egypt,
I wouldn't break years of silence and risk a threatened vendetta if I didn't
think it was important. I know you remember pa's old knight buddies; their new
young whippersnapper of a leader went through a lot of trouble to track me
down and show me a glass orb. Damned thing's got a soul in it for sure, and
claimed how it belonged to some kind of fey, don't rightly know what clan, but
tell me if this sounds familiar: a child stealing sadist with a penchant for
control. My money's on the Unseelie, but I acquiesce to your scholarly
authority.
You remember our run-ins with them; if they're on the move, the world ain't
ready for it. If it's someone working alone, then they should be easier to
deal with.
Last time we talked things were said that shouldn't have, on both our parts.
If you have to, think of this as a favor for dad's clan.
Your brother,
Rowane de'Dannan
P.S.
Before you ask, no, I ain't heard from Titania. She and I parted even less
amicably than we did. Also, I've put the orb for safe keeping inside of the
homunculus courier. His name is Tim, you'll have to gut him to get it out.
-----
Dear Rowane,
Yes, I do remember the Knights of old. They were kind to us when we were
children. I've researched the orb you sent to me with Tim. (I do not
appreciate your forcing me to violence in order to retrieve the orb by the
by!) I also remember, on the subject of remembering, the fallout that we had
and you are correct, we did not end on the best of terms. However, bygones are
bygones and what have you.
Yes, the orb has a soul in it, and I do believe it isn't just any soul, but a
very important, particular soul that we do not want to see released. (I see
that there is a crack in it, what exactly were you doing with it?) The
information I have is very sensitive however and should this letter be
intercepted before it can reach you I suppose you'll be in for an interesting
surprise, that is for sure. Oh, right. I am coming to you with the
information.
Ciao~
Laria de'Dannan
P.S.
Why would I want to hear from that cow? Cow is still used as an insult, right?
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Where is the Knight?
'You really shouldn't cry.' Xyn was knelt in front of the far smaller child,
standing on a dirty side street in Dreux. 'It's unbecoming, especially of
someone like you.'
But Kendrew just hunched over, his face buried in to his hands as he sobbed,
shaking his head sharply.
'Come now, don't cry.' Were he some other man, and this some other situation,
passing people might have been correct. He was simply attempting to console a
distressed child. But no, he was terrorizing the boy. His pale hand came up,
long fingers brushing across the boy's face until he had him by the ear. He
took hold hard, jerking Kendrew in to him, their faces close. 'Tell me.'
'N-no..!' Kendrew begged. 'Please, no..!'
With his opposite hand Xyn produced a small, black kitten. 'Kendrew...' he
warned. 'Don't be difficult.'
'No, no! Please don't!' Kendrew begged. 'Please don't, please! Please!' his
hands flew up and he reached for the kitten, but Xyn stood and kept the
squirming animal just out of reach. 'He didn't do anything wrong, please
don't!'
'No, he didn't do anything wrong, did he?' Xyn agreed. 'But sometimes when
other people are very bad, like you... people that didn't do anything wrong
get hurt. Like your cat. You know Kezia, don't you?'
'Please leave him alone! Please!' Kendrew begged. 'Please, I'm sorry!'
Xyn sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose. He hated children, and this
particular one was going to get him in trouble with all of his mewling and
begging right there on the street. He should have known better. And with a
disgruntled sound he grabbed Kendrew's hair and pushed him toward a small,
abandoned shop. Once inside the prince picked his prey up and set him on top
of a counter, giving them a better chance at being eye level on his terms.
'Now, Kendrew. You know Kezia, don't you?' he repeated.
'Y-yes,' Kendrew sobbed.
'You like her, don't you?' he took a tighter hold on the kitten when Kendrew
nodded, and held the cat up in front of the boy. 'Well.. if you do not tell me
where Lucas is going to be this evening then this will happen to her.' And in
an impressive display of strength he squeezed. Loki let out one pathetic
sounding mew before something cracked, and the cat's eyes bulged briefly.
Kendrew screamed, his hands flying to his ears, rolling forward while trying
to push against Xyn. It was useless, and he was too small. Xyn grabbed his
chin, jerking his face upwards, locking eyes with the child.
'Where... is... Lucas?' he seethed, setting the dead animal on the counter.
'H-h-he--- he-- he-'
'Spit it out, boy!' Xyn snarled. 'I haven't got all day!'
'Here...' Kendrew sobbed. 'He'll be-be here...!'
'See now..?' Xyn asked quietly, stepping back as Kendrew reached a trembling
hand around to touch his dead kitten. 'If you'd simply do as you're told..
this wouldn't happen. Perhaps, even, if you'd never left the grotto... we
could have avoided this. Next time you'll listen to Vittorio, won't you?'
He stepped out of the shop, leaving the sobbing child behind.
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Mama's Little Boy
Pain.. everywhere, pain, and white hot light. His everything hurt, in places
that he wasn't aware harm could be brought. Was there blood in his lungs? He
swore it was watery as he took a breath, greeted by the faint scent of poppy
flowers.
'You've caused me great trouble, Lucas Wylder.'
Lucas flinched. It was his name, sure, but he wasn't fond of it all the same.
Lucas had never heard the voice before, smooth as velvet but cold as ice.
There was something ethereal, and melodic to it, almost soothing. Trying to
open his eyes he was greeted with miles of familiar green and red.
'Poppies...' he wheezed.
'They were her favorite, you know.'
The man - was he a man? Or a boy? He was stunning regardless, practically
glowing as he crouched down in to Lucas' line of vision. There was something
familiar about him, like a distant cousin of someone he already knew, pale as
moon petals with a willowy frame and long silver locks. He was beautiful and
the Knight wondered briefly if he was hallucinating. '..who?'
He moved with fluidity and grace deserved only to those not human. Lucas
wracked his brain, he'd seen someone that looked like this man before that
shifted their positions so fast that he was on his back, and the beautiful
youth was sitting on top of him. He was disoriented, trying to wrack his brain
as his head throbbed. 'Don't be daft, little knight...' the beautiful young
man leaned in, brushing his long and elegant fingers along bruised flesh. He
was dirty in comparison, covered in blood and mud, with sticks in his hair
tears in his clothing. He was darker skinned with red eyes, staring back in to
liquid blue. 'Think.'
Sidhe. He was a Sidhe, there was no other explanation, he was too beautiful
not to be. He looked like Nineveh, with more definition. Were they related?
'Xyn..'
'Clever Knight.' he leaned in and pressed his forehead to Lucas'. 'You turned
the children against me and stole my mother. You've ruined everything, you
know.' He stroked the young man's cheek again, dragging his nails along the
skin. Something burned. 'But perhaps in the process you made it easier...
Children are such nuisances, aren't they? I never wanted to be a father, and
love neither of them as a father should. I never wanted Defrin, she's useless,
a stain on the world. Children like her should be killed early, they have no
purpose. Briony I took for her power. Between she and Nineveh they can break
the seal.'
'Why do all the bad guys gotta tell their plans...' Lucas mumbled, not really
focusing on Xyn, but more on how sluggish he felt.
'I wanted to detach Setheus from his soul,' Xyn admitted with a hint of
dismay. 'I'd tried so hard to mortalize him, but even ripping off his wings
did nothing but make him something else. A monster. It had never been to make
you suffer, but simply an experiment to see just how far the power could be
taken... The Sidhe are immortal in their own right, after all, and my mother
was removed from her shell... so why not an angel?'
'Why are you still talking..'
Xyn reached out and grabbed a hold of Lucas' chin to force his gaze back when
his head lolled to the side. 'Have you ever snapped a bird's wings? The hollow
crunching sound as they're separated from its back. It's disgusting, almost
sickening.. And the resounding echo in an empty room? Imagine that, only so
much louder, echoing through the empty hillside. Can you smell it? He bled
everywhere. The poppies grew splendidly after that...'
Lucas squeezed his eyes closed and Xyn laughed. 'Every time you see him you'll
imagine it, you know.'
Lucas suddenly rolled his hips up, rather violently trying to buck Xyn off of
him. Instead he moved in the opposite direction and slammed down on top of the
smaller man beneath him, slamming his forearm in to his neck. Sputtering and
gasping for air Lucas twitched hard, gritting his teeth. 'I suppose you're
special. You're very highly spoken of after all. I'd like nothing more than to
kill you...' He leaned in, his lips a breath away from Lucas' own, 'But why
would I rob Vittorio of that?'
Lucas became aware of how wet his entire backside was as Xyn drew back and
lifted him up slowly, helping him to his feet. His captive cried out as soon
as he found his feet, and mercilessly the Sidhe prince withdrew from him,
watching as he immediately collapsed back to the ground, sobbing. 'What's the
matter...?' Xyn purred. 'You can't get up?'
'What did you do to me!?' Lucas cried, snapped back to reality by the searing
hurt shooting through his legs, up in to his back.
'I am fairly certain that I severed some very important equipment on the backs
of your legs... Now I'm no doctor..' He drew forward, taking Lucas by the
hair. 'But I think you need them to walk.' And he started dragging his captive
toward some stairs that looked naturally carved from the rock in the wall.
Every hit was agonizing as he was dragged in to a room familiar only because
of his own snooping around. The orb he'd taken from Defrin was propped up
under the wings Briony had been so sincere existed, that they had been unable
to find. They were spread across the wall, the ends stained with blood. Lucas
couldn't help it, he gave a strangled sob, which made his head throb.
'I think you fell and hit your head,' Xyn explained, dragging the still
bleeding Lucas up another flight of stairs and down an already bloodstained
hallway. Was that his blood? He felt sick and dizzy, wanting nothing more than
to vomit, though he wouldn't beg. 'When I cut your heels...'
His response was a pained grunt, and the prince chuckled as he hoisted his
captive up. He was terrifyingly strong for as delicate as he looked and Lucas'
head's lolled back as the world began to spin again with the sudden shift in
positions. He'd fainted at some point between where they'd left, and where
they'd ended up, but Xyn was pulling a carpet aside when he came to again,
drawing back a dull and creaky sounding trap door. His hand shot out and took
Lucas by the front of his shirt, dragging him across the floor.
'I heard she tasted like honeysuckle.' he purred against Lucas' ear, nibbling
on the lobe. 'Guess you'll never know though.' And suddenly he was falling
through the darkness. The ground rose up to meet him suddenly, and the last
thing he heard was the sound of that trap door slamming shut again before he
went limp again.
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Bittersweet Symphony
'I can't..' Lucas squeezed his eyes closed and pushed his face against his
arm. 'Please don't ask me to do it.'
'I already did..' came the breathless whimper of words. 'I did and I am going
to keep asking. Oh please, you've got to, I can't take it..! It hurts so much.
Lucas please.'
He bit back a sob and shook his head so hard he made himself dizzy. Something
outside of the cell moved and both held their breaths, waiting for it to pass.
A shadow crossed the little line of light beneath the door and stayed for only
long enough to look at something and then whomever was gone. Sansa's arm
dropped away from her forehead and she began to cough rather violently,
shuddering. Lucas looked up to see her crying. 'Please don't..'
'I can't!' Sansa just about screamed. 'Lucas it hurts, just make it stop! I
know I was horrible to you but do I really deserve to suffer like this?! Do I
really deserve to die like this?!' She was bleeding out just enough that she'd
be gone within two days, and would suffer terribly up until that point. It
would only get worse as time passed and neither Xyn, nor Vittorio, would
bother to save her.
'No you'll live...' Lucas whispered, using his elbows to crawl toward her. He
had become numb to the pain in the backs of his legs, but learned early on
that he would probably never walk again with the positioning of the cuts. 'You
won't die. They're coming..'
'Your Knights aren't coming, Lucas.' Sansa looked toward him with a bitter
expression. 'They would have come long ago if they were. They probably think
you're no better than Ransom you know... an old man that doesn't know what he
wants, can't find himself, and wanders relentlessly, forever. Eventually you
will find your way back to them...' she coughed again. 'And they will follow
you just as they did him, sheep over a cliff. But you won't be coming back
this time either. You'll be here...'
'Stop!' Lucas hissed. 'They aren't idiots!'
'Please..' her hand reached toward him. 'Please just kill me. Don't let them
do it. Don't give them the satisfaction.'
He reached a dirty hand out, blood stained fingers curling around hers. It was
caked under his nails and along curves of his joints and knuckles. What wasn't
blood was surely dirt. They curved around hers, and he kissed her knuckles. 'I
would have given you the world, you know..' he whispered to her, blinking back
those hot, harsh tears. 'In a heartbeat.'
'I know..' she whispered back, looking at him.
'I would have done anything for you... anything you wanted. Everything.'
'I know.'
He shifted his weight around, almost collapsing on top of her as he eased
along, managing to awkwardly straddle her hips with his knees. Seering pain
shot down through his calves and in to what he could feel of his toes, and he
tumbled forward on top of her, briefly dazed as his forehead slammed in to
hers. They each groaned in pain, Lucas rolling to the side but forcing himself
upright again as soon as he got his bearings. 'Tell me the tales that to me
were so dear...' he whispered, closing his eyes. 'Long, long ago, long, long
ago...'
'It's okay..' Sansa whispered, her hands lifting to rest against his stomach,
her fingers curling around his tattered shirt. 'It's okay, I promise it's
going to be okay.'
'Sing me the songs I delighted to hear, long, long ago, long ago..' his hands
slid up her arms, and along her shoulders. His hands, much larger in
comparison to her petite frame, eased around her neck and she smiled at him.
'It's really okay. Look at me. Look, please..' she begged him, and reluctantly
he opened his eyes. She was smiling at him, but he couldn't help it, and found
himself unable to smile back. 'Keep singing to me. I love it..'
'N-now..' he stuttered, choked, then had to start again as his palms closed
against her neck as tight as he could, tight enough to cut off her air supply.
'Now you are come all my grief is rem-removed..'
Her back arched as best as she could, Sansa's mouth opening in an inaudible
gasp. He immediately jerked his hands back and she squeaked. 'No don't stop!'
And after a moment's hesitation his hands wrapped around her neck again.
'Let me forget..' he whispered, 'that so long you have roved. Let me believe
that you love as you loved... long, long ago...' And this time as she began to
struggle he held on tight, forcing her to stay still with his backside pressed
to her pelvis to keep her from bucking her hips. Eventually she stilled, but
he continued to hold on. Thirty seconds.. sixty... 'Long, long ago..' Three
minutes, five... Eternity. 'Long ago.' he uttered, choking out the last two
words, hunching over her still form, gripping the front of her dress. He bit
back a sob, his shoulders shaking.
'I love you.'
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
In His Stead
by Nineveh
Ishrael finally woke, ran away with me from Prince Xyn's awful underground
fortress. Ishrael did not blame me, but I still know that it was all my
fault that he slept for so long. Enchanted. Xyn told me that I could have
made Ishrael wake up, but I was too frightened and too weak to save him.
It didn't matter. Ishrael came away with me back to our park, so that we
could listen to the birds in the tall trees and sleep in the soft grass
under all those distant stars.
He promised to stay with me this time. 'Always,' said Ishrael.
It's not Ishrael's fault what happened yesterday. We went to find some
plants I need that I can only get from the desert peoples. I cannot go
often because the sun is too strong for me, but we traveled at night.
Ishrael is clever, he knows how to protect me from the things that I
cannot bear, just like Miah used to - when the sun was out he wrapped me
up in a blanket and hid me away in our tent.
In the market... I can't bear to think of the market now. I had all my
plants and herbs out on the blanket, I was sorting them before we made our
trip home. Ishrael heard the merchant there selling pomegranates.
'Pomegranates!', and Ishrael started to go. 'Don't go,' but Ishrael only
chuckled and tousled my hair. His teasing glance, for worrying too much.
Fear for him. Fear to be alone. But I do not argue with Ishrael because he
is good, and especially good when he smiles.
Then there was the Prince - terrible, beautiful Prince. Sidhe Prince.
Evil Prince, come to hurt us. Threats to hurt the children - Briony,
Defrin, Kendrew. Threats against others too. Worst, threats to hurt
Ishrael. Why won't the Prince leave Ishrael alone? Because Xyn must use
Ishrael to bring me to him. What does Xyn need me for? Twisted words.
Confusion. If the Prince will never hurt Ishrael again, I could be brave.
I could go with Xyn. For Ishrael. For the others.
The heat shimmers in my eyes. 'Save Ishrael,' I say. Xyn smiles his cruel
smile. 'Yes,' and then the sun was too bright, the heat too intense. All
swam into blackness - Ishrael out of reach of the Prince now.
Me, in his place.
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
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