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Post by Catmcnat on Apr 6, 2006 6:28:37 GMT -5
Dragons, beautiful and magnificent creatures, but a dying breed. Many have fallen at the hands of greedy humans who hunt them to gain status, or simply for the dragon’s gold and valuable hide. It used to be that humans and dragons co-existed in harmony, but jealous beasts caused trouble for the dragons, giving the blame to them for the deaths of humans and the destruction of their homes. Slayers found their wealth through the nobles who hired them to rid them of the dragons who were supposedly destroying the villages that they owned. Even the hatchlings that were too young to have possibly caused any form of damage were slain. The rivers flowed red with the blood of the mighty dragon, and finally, it was thought that they had become extinct all together.
But, what the humans don’t know can’t hurt them. A small religious group of humans helped the remaining dragons find refuge in the mountain cave that had already been searched. The group were called the Dragonez (Dra-gone-ez) Worshippers. They believed the dragons to be important creatures of God, and for one to kill a dragon was the worst sin one could commit. But, alas, this group was found and burnt at the steaks. These religious people were too, believed to be totally whipped out. Now, the dragons resided in the highest caves of the mountains. They hide until the day the Dragonez Worshippers would return and take them to their new land. There had been a prophecy told to the dragons by the Dragonez that a band of unlikely friends would travel to the mountains and rescue them. It is said that they will free the dragons and take them to the Promised Land in the South called Arnatia, where dragons could live in peace, undisturbed by humans. But, in order for the band to help the dragons, they would have to find a powerful beast to help them. His name was Sirrush and he was an ancient. A powerful dragon created at the dawn of time by the dragon Lord Draco himself. Ancients were like normal dragons in general appearance, but they had two differences. They were a lot larger and stronger, but the main thing that made them stand out was their unusual markings. Their entire bodies were covered with detailed Celtic markings. Gold coloured for females and silver in colour for males. Sirrush was a very old male, and his delicate markings entwined all over his large frame. His scales were as black as the night’s sky in colour and his eyes were an eerily deep red. He resided in a cave not far from were the dragons took refuge, and was easy enough to find. It was gaining his trust that was hard.
The most recent chapter in our story starts in the large bustling town of Pertreat. The unlikely band of friends will meet for the first time in a pub on the edge of town called ‘The Purple Boar’. Flyers had been posted for miles around in a strange language. The ones meant for this quest would be able to understand it without realising they can do. It is written in the old dragon language so normal humans and other races will not understand it.
The Purple Boar is a friendly little place where almost anyone is welcomed. The building consists of one large room, with a bar at the wall farthest from the door, many tables and chairs in the middle, and a large open fire place for friends to share a story round.
The time was nearing midday on a crisp winters day. Spring was late this year, never a good sign for the farmers and villagers. Birds still sang in the winter’s breeze on their snowy branches, trying to lure the weather into the correct season. Many folk took a quick pace through the town, wanting to finish the morning’s business and go for a warm lunch. The town was friendly, but homed many thieves and pickpockets, which is why the people had such a fast pace. ‘The Purple Boar’ was readying to open for its daily business. Everyone in the town carried on with their tasks unaware the band would soon embark on an important task.
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Post by Catmcnat on Apr 6, 2006 6:28:57 GMT -5
ooc: Anyone may join, but I don't want more than one of each race. An elf, a theif, a dwarf, a mage/wizard/witch, etc. Think of something else you want to join as, just ask ^_^
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Post by Phoenix on Apr 6, 2006 6:29:33 GMT -5
“Avariella, a pretty name for a very pretty young woman” The woman’s lip curled slightly, patronizing old fool, oh well he would pay the price. She turned to face the man in the cobbled street and smiled batting her eyelashes. After a pause she said, “I’m sorry, I don’t recall seeing you before sir, mightn’t I ask how you know my name?” A honeyed southern accent was wrapped caringly around these words whilst an innocent and questioning look found a place in her large dark eyes. The white haired man paused for a moment and smiled indulgently, “Well let’s just say I was an old friend of your father’s.” Her demeanour changed the moment this was said and an adoring look took the place of the innocence that had previously been displayed “Garath. No it can’t be, why didn’t you say so you silly old fool?” Her accent was lost on these words and she threw her arms around the old man kissing him on the cheek fondly. Then she took him by the hand and pulled him towards the inn, “Come and tell me some stories and I’ll buy you a drink.”
The inn was warm and loud with the smell of freshly baked bread and roasted meat swirling appetisingly about the place. Above the bustle, laughter could be heard from a table in the corner. At the table an old man was talking rapidly pausing only to either take a swig from his huge jug of mead or to snigger. However a young woman with long deep red hair had tears rolling down her heart shaped face, she clutched at her stomach as if it would burst and once she had calmed down she wiped them away and shook her head disbelievingly. “No that’s not true, how could he have been that stupid. He went to all the trouble of breaking into a house with two huge dogs.” She looked to him questioningly and he nodded in answer with a smile on his face. “Got to the room where this man hid all of his money, found the hiding place and then left all of it?” There was an unbeleiving pause but once again she broke into peals of laughter. “In his defence he’d never seen it before, nobody had paper money where he was from there were only coins.”
They talked late into the night and the customers thinned until only the people with nowhere to go remained. Garath had drunk a great deal of beer and was laying face first in a puddle of it on the wooden table. Having nothing better to do the barmaid made her way over to the table to take away the glass and collect the money that was owed. “Four silver pieces please.” She said brusquely and Avariella almost choked on the sip of wine she had taken, the barmaid raised her eyebrows haughtily. “Of course.” Avariella replied with an air of negligence, she turned brazenly and removed the mans heavy purse, taking what she needed as well as a little extra and paid the huffy woman.
You see Avariella had no conscience, it was a commodity one could not afford in her line of work. She came from a long tradition of them and all thieves, the good ones at least she thought fondly as she looked at the snoring old man, knew that they should never be unconscious in public.
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Post by Catmcnat on Apr 6, 2006 6:29:56 GMT -5
/Good, the thief has arrived/ she thought as she sat in her corner of the tavern awaiting the band that would soon embark on a rather interesting adventure. /I wonder if the other members whom where destined to join us will take long. Perhaps the thief and I could leave and allow the others to catch up? / Thoughts flowed through her head as she observed Avariella’s actions and slowly sipped her glass of wine. The cool liquid passed effortlessly over her soft lips and slipped down her throat. The drink certainly quenched her thirst as well as starting to induce the desired effect of Dutch courage.
With her wine finished, the woman in the corner began to move into the light. She slowly stood whilst dropping a few bronze coins onto the table with her empty glass. She was a rather short woman only reaching around 5ft3”. She was curvy but slightly under weight due to her moving about the land so much. She wore a short black skirt, which rested half way down her slightly muscular thighs leaving a little bit of horribly pale flesh on show. She wore knee high leather boots, which had been lined with doeskin to make them wonderfully soft. The woman also wore a loose white shirt, which was slightly dirty, and a tight bodice that was red and had black lace tying it up and adding detail. She had a black, hooded cloak resting on each shoulder and held together by a simple silver chain. Underneath her cloak on her right hip was her brown leather bag that was held in place by a strap that rested over her left shoulder. She kept all her possessions in this little bag, money, a flask and various other little bits and pieces.
The woman moved further into the tavern and the light fell upon her face. Curly blonde hair hand been loosely tied up, but several strands still managed to escape and flow down and round her pointed chin. Her cheekbones were very accentuated by the light and the fact she was slightly undernourished. Upon her right cheek was a peculiar marking. It was only small, but if one were to look at her closely, they would see a small Celtic dragon tattooed there just underneath the centre of her eye. Her hair bounced gently as she walked over to the table at which Avariella sat. Her deep green eyes locked on her and her play red lips curved up gently into a slight smile.
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Post by Phoenix on Apr 6, 2006 6:30:17 GMT -5
Avariella was dressed rather finely even if she did say so herself. It made a change to her usual travelling clothes anyway. She had taken advantage of a very quiet clothes shop, owned by a very sweet and near sighted old lady. Terrible? You forget this young lady had no conscience. As a consequence of this little event she was now dressed in a very nice dress. It was of the current style with a boned bodice and a loose flowing skirt which took full advantage of her athletic figure. It consisted of ebony lace and emerald green silk, yes it was most unlike her normal attire and she could easily get used to it, that is as long as she did'nt have to get a litlle rough in it.
In the midst of counting the pilfered money Avariella stopped, intrigued by the shadow that had fallen over her. However this was only a small presence and was not a threat, so instead of the innocence that she would have used on a suspecting law enforcer she simply looked up at the woman and asked, "Can I help you?"
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Post by RuThor on Apr 6, 2006 6:30:37 GMT -5
“Are you sure about this, Khaid?”
“How many times do I need to tell you, this isn’t a pub like you think of it. It’s not like that one in Atria, this one’s good.”
“That’s what you said before,” accused a mousy-haired, pale-skinned boy, crossing his arms as he stood firmly outside of the Purple Boar. “But it wasn’t, was it? I almost got robbed!”
“This one’s different, I promise. No mistakes this time.” On the boy’s shoulder sat a raccoon; it bent its head towards the boy’s ear to whisper into it. “And I suggest you hurry up and go in, we’re getting weird looks.”
“So why didn’t you take the form of a fly, or something inconspicuous?”
“Because I’m showy like that. Come on, this one’s going to be fine. But if you’d rather we passed through-“ “Fine, fine. But if one thing goes wrong, I’ll… um…”
“Stutter at me?”
The boy was prevented from replying as he stepped into the pub, the raccoon on his shoulder vanishing as he passed under the doorway and reappearing as a small monkey, its tail wrapped around the boy’s elbow. “Quit worrying, Ru. Honestly, you’d think every person in any given village was out to get you,” the monkey chattered quietly in his ear.
“I’m not worrying,” Ru replied, just a quiet.
“Then stop biting your lip and relax for a change.”
Ru snorted and shook his bangs out of his green eyes, giving the monkey a sharp tug on the tail as he did so. “Khaid, you’re as bad as an older brother, you know that?”
”Mmm-hmm. This whole protection thing isn’t any fun for me, why should it be for you?” The djinni shifted his position on Ru’s shoulder, gesturing towards a table. “Sit down and get something to eat. Mind you pick something out for me, too, I doubt anyone here’s going to let a monkey buy anything, and I can’t change form now that we’re inside.”
“You could’ve just been a person to begin with.”
The pair continued bickering in undertones, even when Ru had taken a seat with a somewhat large bowl of stew in front of him and a smaller saucer of the stuff for Khaid.
All in all, a monkey sipping quite mannerly from a small bowl of stew is not something one sees everyday, but the djinni didn’t seem to care, and Ru was left feeling quite foolish as he folded his legs onto the chair beneath him and raised his spoon to his mouth.
Ah, hell. No one was going to take notice of them, anyway.
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Post by Catmcnat on Apr 6, 2006 6:31:01 GMT -5
She stood gazing at the woman for a few more moments before actually forming some sort of reply to the question. “I hope you can,” she said softly as she moved a few steps closer until she was standing over the seated Avariella. “I must ask you something…” she paused “Do you understand the words I speak and do you have any memory of the tattoo upon my face?” Came quiet words from the woman. She had spoken in an ancient form of the dragon tongue. The form was quite similar to the old Elven language but the pronunciation was different. It flowed beautifully like the Elves’ language but had many hisses and growls added in.
The woman stood eagerly awaiting a reply. Her eyes also flicked round the room to see if anyone else had understood her words. If this was so she would usher them off to talk in private.
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Post by RuThor on Apr 6, 2006 6:31:22 GMT -5
As Khaid continued his rather unpleassant consumption of the stew before him, Ru found his mind wandering. He glanced about the pub, somehow not very hungry. As his ears tuned in and out, sometimes listening to one conversation, sometimes another, he blinked, his head turning in the direction of two females at a table.
Khaid, his monkey's tail twitching, noticed nothing.
Ru frowned, his gaze still upon the two women. That was surely an odd question to ask to anyone- perhaps the other woman was foreign? Somehow, he doubted it. The youth scratched his nose, frowned at his stew, and looked back over at the women.
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Post by Phoenix on Apr 6, 2006 6:31:44 GMT -5
Avariella could not help but notice the womans strange manner, she hoped that this was not someone that she had robbed. Her face was not familiar.
As the woman moved forwards Avariella leant back in her seat to maintain their eye contact. As the question was asked a hungry look swam into the womans eye's and almost greedily she spoke the confusing words. A lone eyebrow was raised unbelievingly by the thief, "What kind of a question is that? Do you think I'm a half wit? Why..." However Avariella stopped abruptly, that tattoo did seem strangely familiar. Avariella looked down at her hands that were clasped on the table, it swirled in and out of her memory like a dream she could not quite remember. Then it hit her like a bolt of lightning, her father who had died when she was very young, had the strange marking on the inside of his wrist.
Deciding to play it cool she simply looked nonchalantly at the woman. "I've seen it before yes. Why?" The question was demanding as the long time thirst to know about her father ate away at her.
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Post by Catmcnat on Apr 6, 2006 6:32:07 GMT -5
The woman’s lips curved up into a small smile. “You must have seen the sign on a parent.” The woman stated as she took a seat next to Avariella. “It is no coincidence that you know this mark and that you are here today.” As she started to converse more with Avariella, the woman’s eyes flitted over a young boy who had apparently been listening to what had been said. The woman had not noticed the small boy at first and held her attention with Avariella. She bent over slightly and rested both her slender hands on the table. She locked her gaze with Avariella and starred deeply into her eyes. It was if she were attempting to look into her soul the stare was so deep.
Her attention wavered as she felt eyes upon her back once more. Someone had tuned into their conversation. This could be dangerous or it could be a positive happening. Another of the band could be sat in this very room; she just might not have noticed them. But if it were a spy of the King’s…the woman turned her attention to the room and her eyes fell upon the boy and his monkey. She tried not to draw any more attention from the drunks in the tavern as she sat down. Her eyes remained on the boy and she repeated the same question to him that she had asked Avariella. “Do you understand the words I speak? If so, come over to this table.” She said as quietly as she could but still making it audible to the boy.
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Post by RuThor on Apr 6, 2006 6:32:30 GMT -5
"Khaid..."
The monkey paid no attention, still immersed in his food.
"Khaid!"
"Mmm?"
"I think... I think she's talking to me." He nodded his head towards the woman, still keeping his eyes on the djinni.
"Is she the one with the hissing and spitting? Tell her to shut up. I can't think right."
"It's not hissing and spitting, she just asked me to- you can't understand it?" Ru stared at Khaid with blankness in his gaze.
"Nope." Khaid had his attention on the boy now, his tail swinging back and forth. "What's she want?"
"She wants me to go over there- if I could understand what she said."
The djinni leapt up onto Ru's shoulder, his strong toes grasping tightly. "Go on, then. If it's anything troublesome, I'll shove a Detonation down her throat."
"Please don't." With a grimace, Ru slid his chair back, making his way hesitantly over to the woman's table.
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Post by Phoenix on Apr 6, 2006 6:32:49 GMT -5
How strange, she had come in here on a whim yes but ... no it was not fate, she did not belive in it. Besides even if it was, she had never known her father, or what he did. No she would go her own way when she had the chance!
However once again Avariella was stopped in her tracks as the stranger spoke the same words to a young boy. The boy apparently understood her as well and then spoke to the small monkey that was eating beside him, Avariella pinched herself hoping that she to had not fallen asleep.
The womans question seemed to be attracting a few confused looks from the drunks, this was all she needed. However she could nothelp but watch intently as the young lad came hesitently to their table. What was happening?
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Post by Catmcnat on Apr 6, 2006 6:33:09 GMT -5
“Perhaps now that I have the attention of the boy we could leave for somewhere more private?” the woman said to Avariella in the normal tongue. She had noticed the reactions they were beginning to get as well and was becoming extremely paranoid.
She got up without making a single noise except from the chair scrapping across the wooden floor slightly. Slowly and steadily she began making her way to a small door in the backhand corner of the room. Without waiting for the others she reached out a hand and turned the rusty metal doorknob so she could enter the room.
The small room was clearly only used for private functions, and not very many at that. It was dark and smelt dingy and damp. As soon as she entered, the woman walked across the room and pulled out a tinderbox so she could light the fire in the corner of the room. She had left the door slightly ajar whilst in wait of the others, but also to try and air the room a little. She lit two old candles in the centre of the room that were rested on a small wooden table. Eight chairs were placed around the table and the woman took the chair at the head so she could look down and see all. She had clearly expected more ‘guests’ but concern did not show on her face at the present time.
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Post by Phoenix on Apr 6, 2006 6:33:25 GMT -5
Avariella had always been a sceptic, religions were all the same; a place to gain money for greedy and overzealous priests. They were the only people that benefitted from it all anyway. Nobody was looking down and helping her, she had been theiving and deceiving all of her life because she had to, otherwise she would starve and die, just another unimportant nobody.
Though she couldn't pretend, it had become an artform that she was particularly impressed with. She could steal anything, includind the words right out of your mouth and she could hoodwink just about anyone. A scoundrel through and through and she enjoyed it terribly.
Avariella watched as the woman walked to the other side of the room, passing the boy who had hardly reached the table. The boy looked as clueless as she felt and she returned his questionning look with a shrug of her shoulders. As the boy turned to follow the woman that Avariella suspected had just been released from some kind of assylum she made her move. She stood up to go to the door, and that was the first time that she questioned her very staunch belief that fate was some silly idea cooked up by a mad monk. A man that she had ... introduced to her trade in the previous night had entered looking thouroughly displeased.
She had no choice and so turned on her heel and walked as quickly to the door as she could. Once there she threw herself inside the room and shut the door behind her. Standing with her back against the door she saw the pair sitting, their faces wavering in the candle light. "So what was it you wanted to talk about ... Miss?" She said with feigned interest as she took a seat that was as far away from the door as possible.
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Post by Calypso on Apr 6, 2006 6:34:00 GMT -5
Calypso entered the Purple Boar a few moments after the man Avariella had robbed. He had been careful before entering. His cloak looked a little shabbier than usual, and his surly posture, hands shoved into trouser pockets, made him seem an unwelcome companion. With any luck he'd be able to listen around and yet avoided being unduly noticed.
He wanted badly to know what the hell those posters meant. He'd checked them only out of habit, to make sure that his picture hadn't been updated since he'd got his scars - but they hadn't been wanted posters after all. And if there was one thing he hated, it was being told to do something he was going to do anyway. What sort of advertising campaign put out flyers that simply said, "Come to the Purple Boar"? Admittedly, it had worked well enough - here he was, curious and thirsty. But, looking around, he could see that there weren't that many others in the main room. That was confusing.
He absently brushed his long blond hair back behind an ear, and ran a finger down the zig-zag scar on his cheek. Enough considering, he decided, and headed over to the bar.
Ordering his drink, he glanced around again, then headed over to sit down for a little while, picking a table on the far side of the room from the front door. He noticed that there was another door a little over to his left, but though he frowned, trying to catch the thread of some sudden, lost thought, he paid no more attention to it.
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Post by RuThor on Apr 6, 2006 6:34:34 GMT -5
As Ru settled himself into a seat near the door, Khaid clinging in monkey form to his shoulder, the little brown creature leaned its head up and began whispering intentedly into the boy's ear.
"If it's a cult, say no."
"I know."
"If it's a job, say no."
"I know."
"If it's a-"
"Khaid, would you just be quiet? I know what to do; as if you hadn't told me a million times!"
Seeming rather flustered, the monkey scrambled down from Ru's shoulder and perched itself on the chair directly beside him, looking thoroughly bemused. Ru turned his attention to the two women, sitting at an odd angle on his chair as though he expected that he would have to hurry away at any moment.
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Post by Gabriel on Apr 6, 2006 6:35:01 GMT -5
(Do we need to have new characters accepted before we can use them? If so I will remove this post and go set something up for him.)
The window was always a nice place to look; people always thought somebody looking out a window was day dreaming, or deep in thought. When a man sat glancing around the bar, people kept an eye on them; thought that they were up to no good. Nobody suspected this man of wrong doing, but perhaps they would think it odd if he turned his face to them and saw that his eyes were bandaged. A thin strip of linen was wrapped around his face multiple times, covering his eyes. This was because he was blind; his eyes sliced across with a dagger many years before. Newcomers probably did not know this, but those who had lived in the town their whole lives knew of the incident very well. It was something he shared with ease – he had foreseen the death of a newborn prince, and had visited the Lord’s castle to tell him of what he saw. The king scoffed at the idea, sending the man away as quickly as he let him in the throne room.
Years later, when the boy was a toddler, the prince died from a high fever that the doctors could only explain as poison. The king, who suspected that the oracle man who had visited him before was the cause of his son’s death, ordered that the man lose his sight, so he may never see the smile on a child’s face again, just as he could never see the smile on his son’s face again. Thus, Judas was blind, but that did not keep him from using his other senses. What he could not see, he could hear (he had exceptional hearing); plus, of course, he was a clairvoyant. He could see into the future – sometimes a short time in the future, and sometimes a long time. Other times he just knew something good or bad was going to happen, but could not say what it was, when it was coming or where it was going to come from. He couldn’t do these things on command; it came in flashes, as though they were memories suddenly coming back to him. As well as this, he was known to be a very wise and well spoken man, which often served him as he tended to be a mediator in conflicts or while he was trying to gain a person’s trust. Being a well educated man, he could understand and speak many languages, though he could not write (or read, obviously).
Judas did not fight often, but when he did it was with a long, slender staff that he always kept with him. Sometimes it was used as a walking stick, if the terrain was not familiar, but for the most part it was there just in case. This staff, made of silver and steel with intricate carvings throughout; a strip of leather wound about it tightly about a third of the way down, was leaning against a nearby wall. The man rested his head on his hand, the bristles of a face needing a good shave digging into his finger tips; it was just starting to gray around the chin, but the rest of it was the same black color that topped his head. The man’s hair was kept fairly short, as long hair tended to annoy him. His clothing was simple; a dark red robe with white around the hem, neck and around the bit that reached his hands and a dark gray hooded cloak.
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Post by Catmcnat on Apr 6, 2006 6:35:35 GMT -5
The woman took a few moments to gaze at the two sat in the room with her. She then took a few moments to examine the boy’s monkey but paid no heed to it.
“I know you wonder why you are here and that you most likely think I’ve been out in the sun with no hat for too long, but I have you here for noble reason with great rewards.” The woman started with a gentle voice as she removed her cloak.
“As I said to Avariella, you are most likely to recognise the tattoo upon my cheek. It is also likely that you have the same mark somewhere upon your skin even if you have never noticed it before. It will either be the same size as mine or much smaller.”
She got up from her seat and walked the length of the table several times. “I am disappointed that more have not joined us,” she mumbled half to herself. She slowly walked to the small door of the room and opened it ever so slightly. Out of the slight crack came the hissing and growling the drunks would have heard before. “Are there any that understand me? Any that understand my words and wish to know why? Would you like to find yourselves in this room finding answers?” Were her words. She then moved back into the room but left the door as it was. “Perhaps others will find us.”
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Post by Calypso on Apr 6, 2006 6:36:02 GMT -5
Calypso looked up, startled, as the woman spoke so close by him. What was that supposed to mean? Any that understood her? She was hardly speaking a foreign language!
He looked around, frowning, but only a couple of half-drunk mercenaries sitting nearby him reacted immediately. Looking confused and a little scared, they vacated their seats and moved to the other side of the room, muttering about wild beasts and madmen. The weather mage stared after them, then glanced back at the door standing so tantalisingly ajar. Were they joking, or could they really not understand what the woman had said?
Dear gods, what was he thinking, he wondered as, not even bothering to finish his drink - though he had a vague feeling that in a little while he'd regret not getting as drunk as possible - he got up.
One step. It was a trap. Somebody had figured out what he looked like now and tracked him down. He was a dead man the moment he walked through that door.
Two steps. There really was something deeper behind this weirdness. The posters, the idea that he could understand some strange language without even realising it... It was all part of something much bigger. If he went into the room he'd find... what? His destiny?
Three steps. It didn't matter what the truth was. The only thing that really counted was that if he didn't go for it, he'd never know.
Swearing softly under his breath, cursing curiosity and whatever circumstances had got him here in the first place, Calypso gently pushed open the door and walked through.
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Post by RuThor on Apr 6, 2006 6:36:23 GMT -5
By now, Ru was feeling extremely confused, and was beginning to wonder if he should have ignored the woman when she spoke to him.
But then... the tattoo the woman had mentioned did look rather familiar, but Ru hadn't the foggiest idea where he might have seen it before.
His gaze snapped to the door as a new man entered, and Khaid leapt back up onto his shoulder. "Batty, I'll bet she is," he chattered softly into Ru's ear, so quietly that he could barely hear himself. "Completely batty."
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