It had been a couple hours, the twins had moved to playing some kind of rock game (I didn't understand the rules, though I was busy deciphering the bottom parts of the wall), I was a bit worried they'd trigger a trap of some kind, but Trix wasn't worried and unless she was a complete crazy person she would be if they were in danger. I had deciphered most of the wall, it spoke of the Fire Mother's gift to the people here and how it changed their way of thinking (fat lot of good it did them since you know I was reading it in a dead language in a ruin that no one really cared about). I could think of only one thing that the Fire God would give a disciple (and not fire you jerk, by the time this was carved they already had fire) and it was a weapon, that's all she gave anyone, she was very good at doing that. I'd actually heard of several groups "graced" by her prescense that went on to murder their neighbors using something she'd granted them. What kind of weapon was not written down.
"You are just stalling aren't you?" Trix apparently had caught on to my lie I didn't know how to open the door.
"Can you read this? Because I'm pretty sure I'm the only one." We were whispering, not that the twins really cared either way.
"I could always find a way to open the door without you, I had planned on it anyway."
"Explosive bullets? Not a great plan, seems like there is a trap on the other side just for that." There wasn't, but she didn't know that.
"Why the delay?"
"Because I know you're lying to me, you aren't a simple looter, and I know that the Fire Mother is the Fire God, so why don't you come clean and tell me you work for the Followers and we can move this conversation forward."
"Figured that all on your own did you?"
"Despite my appearence I'm not an idiot." She sucked in her breath as if to deliver another insult, I let it slide.
"I'm not with the Followers."
"Right and you just happen to want one of their artifacts from Ronerawth territory that they are banned from being in." I weighed my option, the twins weren't paying attention, but I didn't think she could shoot me before I killed her, if it came to that, I tried to hide that I was gathering a bit of power.
"I can give you a cut of the profit." She had changed her posture, I figured there was some hideout pistol she was reaching for.
"I don't want a cut of the profit, I want to know what you're after and why you want it, relics like thsi are dangerous."
"You don't even know if its here." We sat in silence for a moment and then I opened the door. I had figured out the lock hours earlier, but wanted to see her reaction to me calling her out. It had been about what I expected, but it was nice to hear she was a simple mercenary and not a true believer (well I was wrong about that, but I'll get to that ok sheesh).
"Are there any other traps deeper in?" The twins had noticed the door was open and came to stare at the corridor beyond, which unlike the earthy cave we were in, was entirely carved stone with more writing on the walls.
"I have no idea, it didn't list any beyond curses on the walls, but its not like they didn't put traps before it." And with that Trix got beyond the door and into the tomb of the Fire God's gift, and me and the twins followed like the adventurers we were. Well I was an adventurer the twins were more bored girls dragged their by their crazy surrogate father, but I like to think they learned something ok... Again I'm writing this, and bang they just did!
Friday, May 18, 2012
Thursday, May 17, 2012
Caves Are Dangerous? You Don't Say
"Watch out for traps." Trix had been leading us into the cave mainly because she seemed to know where she was going.
"Seriously traps? They are so not a real..." I had pushed past her and was about to explain that traps are something people made up to keep others from looting their tombs, until a spike almost impaled my hand. "And thats what a stupid person would say, see girls you have to be careful in ruins," Trix gave me a look and I'm sure Sara and Jara weren't exactly buying it, but hey I'm delusional I can say they were and bam they totally were. I let Trix lead on since she seemed adept at spotting traps and she knew where we were going until we came to a dead end scrawled with ancient text.
"Tell me you aren't completely useless." I could hear Jara and Sara laughing under their breath.
"I'm not completely useless, in fact quite the opposite, but I'm not entirely sure what you mean here? I can't move walls on my own." Well not without blowing them up, but even then that requires something to explode them.
"So show me, read this language." She said it with a bit of a smirk, like she didn't expect it could be done. Ordinarily with anyone else she'd probably be right, but with my level of knowledge and uhh acquistion of knowledge, I'm not a normal ruin wanderer.
"Its ancient, older than Ronerawth and they are pretty old in their own. Looks to be from a tribal group that I believe moved up to the Red Hand."
"I'm impressed."
"Please, this is nothing, though I'm a bit worried by what it says." She turned away, the mark of someone about to lie to you, I should know, I do it all the time.
"Why what's it say?"
"It mentions a gift from the fire mother and how its sealed here, and guarded by curses."
"So you're worried the tomb has something to steal in it?"
"No I'm worried about the curses."
"Ha the man who laughs about traps is worried about some old words." She laughed, and I felt a bit of anger at her casual dismissal.
"Just words? Please curses are some of the oldest function of magic, even before people could effectively channel magic they could make curses, and some of these older ones are nasty as all get out."
"Ok aside from the curses and boogeyman does it say how to open it?" She was way too eager to get it open. The twins probably hadn't heard of the Fire God, she wasn't a religion in their land, and most people had never heard of her called the Fire Mother, but I knew of her early names (studying up on the various gods has become a habit of mine for obvious reasons). So while I could easily see how to open the door (and it was a door not a wall), I did not see what this object the fire god had given them was, and I wanted to read the entire inscription.
"I'm getting there, you guys might want to get comfortable my decription here is a little rusty, I think this is 'The' and I'm hoping this is door..." All three of them sat with a harumph and I smiled to myself, sometimes its way to easy to fool people when they don't understand a thing you are reading. Its why I write this journal in a language no one speaks anymore!
"Seriously traps? They are so not a real..." I had pushed past her and was about to explain that traps are something people made up to keep others from looting their tombs, until a spike almost impaled my hand. "And thats what a stupid person would say, see girls you have to be careful in ruins," Trix gave me a look and I'm sure Sara and Jara weren't exactly buying it, but hey I'm delusional I can say they were and bam they totally were. I let Trix lead on since she seemed adept at spotting traps and she knew where we were going until we came to a dead end scrawled with ancient text.
"Tell me you aren't completely useless." I could hear Jara and Sara laughing under their breath.
"I'm not completely useless, in fact quite the opposite, but I'm not entirely sure what you mean here? I can't move walls on my own." Well not without blowing them up, but even then that requires something to explode them.
"So show me, read this language." She said it with a bit of a smirk, like she didn't expect it could be done. Ordinarily with anyone else she'd probably be right, but with my level of knowledge and uhh acquistion of knowledge, I'm not a normal ruin wanderer.
"Its ancient, older than Ronerawth and they are pretty old in their own. Looks to be from a tribal group that I believe moved up to the Red Hand."
"I'm impressed."
"Please, this is nothing, though I'm a bit worried by what it says." She turned away, the mark of someone about to lie to you, I should know, I do it all the time.
"Why what's it say?"
"It mentions a gift from the fire mother and how its sealed here, and guarded by curses."
"So you're worried the tomb has something to steal in it?"
"No I'm worried about the curses."
"Ha the man who laughs about traps is worried about some old words." She laughed, and I felt a bit of anger at her casual dismissal.
"Just words? Please curses are some of the oldest function of magic, even before people could effectively channel magic they could make curses, and some of these older ones are nasty as all get out."
"Ok aside from the curses and boogeyman does it say how to open it?" She was way too eager to get it open. The twins probably hadn't heard of the Fire God, she wasn't a religion in their land, and most people had never heard of her called the Fire Mother, but I knew of her early names (studying up on the various gods has become a habit of mine for obvious reasons). So while I could easily see how to open the door (and it was a door not a wall), I did not see what this object the fire god had given them was, and I wanted to read the entire inscription.
"I'm getting there, you guys might want to get comfortable my decription here is a little rusty, I think this is 'The' and I'm hoping this is door..." All three of them sat with a harumph and I smiled to myself, sometimes its way to easy to fool people when they don't understand a thing you are reading. Its why I write this journal in a language no one speaks anymore!
Wednesday, May 16, 2012
Will The Real Looters Please Stand Up
You know when accusing someone of being a looter to try and distract her from killing me, I would never have imagined the real looters would then show up. Its such a strange thing, like a horrible self fulfilling prophecy (I've tried this "power" with calling up good things, still waiting on those). The men advancing on us looked like the kind of unsavory sorts that you'd make up to scare children, not be real people who are somehow within Ronerawth territory (and not near a border, so they slipped across somehow without alerting ANYONE? Seems really confusing). I had the girls grab the horses and move them into the cave (at the time I was thinking for them to get eaten by something in the cave, I'm really cynical about horses I'll admit). Trix took her holsters off her horse and had them laid out flat in front of her, I'm sure there was a system there, but not being one to use different types of ammunition, I couldn't tell you what it was.
"Jara lay down a field of ice." A bullet wizzed past my ear, I didn't think they were close enough, but my almost gone ear seemed to say otherwise. Jara nodded and conjured a moderate bit of ice (she was still a novice at magic, despite having had some practice fighting the flesh creatures).
"Sara?"
"Burn them all down?" Sara was a bit over eager in the fire magic, which in a world that is afraid of magic users could get her killed, or at the very least locked up forever.
"No you don't have the skill to even approach that," I'll admit kind of an ass as a teacher, " Need you to burn the grass between us and them."
"And mess up our sightlines?" Trix seemed completely ok with the magical usage until it messed up her shooting.
"And theirs, what, are you worried about them getting close? I'll protect you."
"The protection of an old man with his daughters? Man I feel so safe, I don't even know why I brought a rifle." Her sarcasm was wounding, wounding, I may have even shed a tear. Though that was more because of the smoke from the burning grass than actual sadness. I also didn't have time for a biting remark because the first looters had come through the ice and grass fire (I won't remark on what happened to the horses when they hit the ice, just think that they all went to sleep...) Trix did better than my expectation of hooker who stole someones horse and killed a couple right off the bat, one of them even exploded after the fact due to one of her weird bullets. I for my part didn't want to be shown up by a woman (not because I'm a sexist, because I'm self centered, in the story of Trezlan I am the main character, literally in the case of his journal). I brought a couple down with pistol shots and then scorched a couple more. I was about to trumpet my success when a couple of Trix's explosive bullets killed four guys entirely. We actually dealt with the looters so fast I didn't even have to reload (I say we, but I kind of really mean Trix did it much to my chagrin).
"You were waiting for those guys? They seem kind of buffoonish not that dangerous."
"Well they did have numbers, but you and your girls weren't entirely useless Trezlan."
"Thanks... I think?"
"Now if you'll excuse me Trezlan, I need to get back to doing what I was doing before you showed up."
"Turning tricks?" Cheap shots they are what I'm best at.
She scowled at me and Sara and Jara laughed (at least someone found it funny), "If you must know I'm looking for a relic here."
"Excellent so are we." I wasn't actually looking for anything, the ruins were supposed to be mostly empty and this was really a chance to get away from Ronerawths eyes and have the twins dig in something and not cause any harm to the real world. Alas as most of my plans what I wanted to happen, and what did happen were two vastly different things. But thats for tomorrows entry!
"Jara lay down a field of ice." A bullet wizzed past my ear, I didn't think they were close enough, but my almost gone ear seemed to say otherwise. Jara nodded and conjured a moderate bit of ice (she was still a novice at magic, despite having had some practice fighting the flesh creatures).
"Sara?"
"Burn them all down?" Sara was a bit over eager in the fire magic, which in a world that is afraid of magic users could get her killed, or at the very least locked up forever.
"No you don't have the skill to even approach that," I'll admit kind of an ass as a teacher, " Need you to burn the grass between us and them."
"And mess up our sightlines?" Trix seemed completely ok with the magical usage until it messed up her shooting.
"And theirs, what, are you worried about them getting close? I'll protect you."
"The protection of an old man with his daughters? Man I feel so safe, I don't even know why I brought a rifle." Her sarcasm was wounding, wounding, I may have even shed a tear. Though that was more because of the smoke from the burning grass than actual sadness. I also didn't have time for a biting remark because the first looters had come through the ice and grass fire (I won't remark on what happened to the horses when they hit the ice, just think that they all went to sleep...) Trix did better than my expectation of hooker who stole someones horse and killed a couple right off the bat, one of them even exploded after the fact due to one of her weird bullets. I for my part didn't want to be shown up by a woman (not because I'm a sexist, because I'm self centered, in the story of Trezlan I am the main character, literally in the case of his journal). I brought a couple down with pistol shots and then scorched a couple more. I was about to trumpet my success when a couple of Trix's explosive bullets killed four guys entirely. We actually dealt with the looters so fast I didn't even have to reload (I say we, but I kind of really mean Trix did it much to my chagrin).
"You were waiting for those guys? They seem kind of buffoonish not that dangerous."
"Well they did have numbers, but you and your girls weren't entirely useless Trezlan."
"Thanks... I think?"
"Now if you'll excuse me Trezlan, I need to get back to doing what I was doing before you showed up."
"Turning tricks?" Cheap shots they are what I'm best at.
She scowled at me and Sara and Jara laughed (at least someone found it funny), "If you must know I'm looking for a relic here."
"Excellent so are we." I wasn't actually looking for anything, the ruins were supposed to be mostly empty and this was really a chance to get away from Ronerawths eyes and have the twins dig in something and not cause any harm to the real world. Alas as most of my plans what I wanted to happen, and what did happen were two vastly different things. But thats for tomorrows entry!
Tuesday, May 15, 2012
Trix Me Once Shame On Me
"There's another horse there Trezlan." We were approaching the ruin (which was a couple columns and then a cave leading deeper in, so hardly a ruin more like a marked cave in the middle of a meadow) and Sara called out another horse happily eating grass.
"Thanks Sara I know I'm old, but I'm not blind," Never let the young make fun of your age, because once that starts forever will they do it.
"Thought you said looting is illegal in Ronerawth." That was Jara, they always rotated talking, it was kind of weird.
"It is illegal, though I don't see any guards posted here so its not like they can strictly enfore it or anything stay back." I dismounted and the twins stayed on their horses. I had my sword and one of my revolvers (because I'm old fashioned) at the ready, but hoped it was just a couple or something that were out to find a secluded place to have sex and not be interrupted.
The strangers horse kind of dispelled that notion, I noticed a bandoleer loaded with rifle bullets, seemingly marked for different uses (some gunmen carry different kinds of ammo to use for different situations included magically enchanted bullets), and some supplies showing that whoever they were they came from far away and packed only for necessity. The twins wanted to speak up but I held my hand up and made my way to the mouth of the cave, I could see tracks in the dirt. One pair, but it was hard to guage if that didn't just mean whoever was here had come single file (of course if I was a better tracker I'd have known that even walking single file more than one person has their feet closer together/on top of each other, where as these tracks were just spread apart for one person).
I drew my revolver and stepped inside, the cave was dark no torches lit up, so I had to go off ambient light from the day (it was around noon on a sunny day so I had that going for me). By the time my eyes adjusted I was under the distinct impression someone was behind me, I turned around to be staring down the barrel of an ornamented rifle, the not grinning lady behind it told me all I needed to know about how much shit I was in.
"Lootings illegal in Ronerawth." I held my revolver hand up, though I still had my magic, her rifle looked like the sort to be enhanced to have my fire not do as bad, she could pull the trigger before I could burn her, and at this range it wouldn't matter what she hit.
"Are you telling me that so I can bring you in for a reward?" Voice was light, more of a singers than someone hardened riflelady, but the rifle spoke differently.
"Look one of us can be here and the other can't, so if I were you I'd put the rifle down, my back up is just outside."
"Trezlan! There are some men coming get out of there!" Sara and Jara in unison.
"Back up? They sound like kids."
"Never underestimate the effectiveness of children."
"Whatever, those men are what I'm here for, and since you stumbled into this, you'll be helping me now, the name's Trix, and I hope you're better with that pistol than you are with your bluffing." She took her rifle off me and we went outside the cave, Sara and Jara had dismounted and met me taking a moment to look at Trix, who was dressed a little light for the murdering (she had on a corset like blouse and a short skirt, looked more like a prostitute than a rifle lady). The men the twins had called out looked like a pack of twenty, all hard charging on horses of their own and they had rifles and pistols brought to bear.
"Well shit." And the battle was joined.
"Thanks Sara I know I'm old, but I'm not blind," Never let the young make fun of your age, because once that starts forever will they do it.
"Thought you said looting is illegal in Ronerawth." That was Jara, they always rotated talking, it was kind of weird.
"It is illegal, though I don't see any guards posted here so its not like they can strictly enfore it or anything stay back." I dismounted and the twins stayed on their horses. I had my sword and one of my revolvers (because I'm old fashioned) at the ready, but hoped it was just a couple or something that were out to find a secluded place to have sex and not be interrupted.
The strangers horse kind of dispelled that notion, I noticed a bandoleer loaded with rifle bullets, seemingly marked for different uses (some gunmen carry different kinds of ammo to use for different situations included magically enchanted bullets), and some supplies showing that whoever they were they came from far away and packed only for necessity. The twins wanted to speak up but I held my hand up and made my way to the mouth of the cave, I could see tracks in the dirt. One pair, but it was hard to guage if that didn't just mean whoever was here had come single file (of course if I was a better tracker I'd have known that even walking single file more than one person has their feet closer together/on top of each other, where as these tracks were just spread apart for one person).
I drew my revolver and stepped inside, the cave was dark no torches lit up, so I had to go off ambient light from the day (it was around noon on a sunny day so I had that going for me). By the time my eyes adjusted I was under the distinct impression someone was behind me, I turned around to be staring down the barrel of an ornamented rifle, the not grinning lady behind it told me all I needed to know about how much shit I was in.
"Lootings illegal in Ronerawth." I held my revolver hand up, though I still had my magic, her rifle looked like the sort to be enhanced to have my fire not do as bad, she could pull the trigger before I could burn her, and at this range it wouldn't matter what she hit.
"Are you telling me that so I can bring you in for a reward?" Voice was light, more of a singers than someone hardened riflelady, but the rifle spoke differently.
"Look one of us can be here and the other can't, so if I were you I'd put the rifle down, my back up is just outside."
"Trezlan! There are some men coming get out of there!" Sara and Jara in unison.
"Back up? They sound like kids."
"Never underestimate the effectiveness of children."
"Whatever, those men are what I'm here for, and since you stumbled into this, you'll be helping me now, the name's Trix, and I hope you're better with that pistol than you are with your bluffing." She took her rifle off me and we went outside the cave, Sara and Jara had dismounted and met me taking a moment to look at Trix, who was dressed a little light for the murdering (she had on a corset like blouse and a short skirt, looked more like a prostitute than a rifle lady). The men the twins had called out looked like a pack of twenty, all hard charging on horses of their own and they had rifles and pistols brought to bear.
"Well shit." And the battle was joined.
Monday, May 14, 2012
Don't Let a Ruin Ruin a good Adventure
"Aren't you supposed to be helping a prince?" Sara was asking me from her position in our little convoy. I had bought the twins a couple of horses to go along with mine on our new adventure, they had both given them cutesy sounding names, I tried to not tell them in my experience horses didn't last long around me, because reality should never interfere with children.
"Nonesense I told them I needed a vacation and they agreed, so here we are off on adventure!" I was trying to give the girls a good time, despite their assertion it was fun at the circus, I just could not believe that. So to show them a great time I was dragging them off to a dusty ruin that was within the new Prince's lands I had always wanted to check out, but never found the time.
"I don't see how a ruin is adventure..." That was Jara she was doing her best to freeze every insect we came across. Despite my insistence they be careful with their powers, they both tended to use magic more often they should. I feared the corruption, but to their credit neither seemed afflicted.
"Ruins are full of adventure! Things to explore, learn, treasures to aquire, what little girl doesn't want to explore a musty old ruin?" I didn't have to see them both to see the look they were giving me was not one of confidence.
"Aren't they dangerous?" Sara again.
"Ha no, if they were dangerous they wouldn't be called a ruin Sara, because they are ruined! Now if they were called a complete or a functioning, then I'd be a bit more worried."
"That doesn't make any sense."
"Doesn't it?"
"No." They said that in unison and I smirked.
"TO ADVENTURE!" And I kicked my horse forward forcing them to keep up. The statement about ruins was a lie of course, they are very dangerous and lots of evil things are in them, but so are horses and the girls had no problem giving them stupid names! Besides this ruin wasn't even dangerous... the person we met there was the real problem. But! That's for as always tomorrow!
"Nonesense I told them I needed a vacation and they agreed, so here we are off on adventure!" I was trying to give the girls a good time, despite their assertion it was fun at the circus, I just could not believe that. So to show them a great time I was dragging them off to a dusty ruin that was within the new Prince's lands I had always wanted to check out, but never found the time.
"I don't see how a ruin is adventure..." That was Jara she was doing her best to freeze every insect we came across. Despite my insistence they be careful with their powers, they both tended to use magic more often they should. I feared the corruption, but to their credit neither seemed afflicted.
"Ruins are full of adventure! Things to explore, learn, treasures to aquire, what little girl doesn't want to explore a musty old ruin?" I didn't have to see them both to see the look they were giving me was not one of confidence.
"Aren't they dangerous?" Sara again.
"Ha no, if they were dangerous they wouldn't be called a ruin Sara, because they are ruined! Now if they were called a complete or a functioning, then I'd be a bit more worried."
"That doesn't make any sense."
"Doesn't it?"
"No." They said that in unison and I smirked.
"TO ADVENTURE!" And I kicked my horse forward forcing them to keep up. The statement about ruins was a lie of course, they are very dangerous and lots of evil things are in them, but so are horses and the girls had no problem giving them stupid names! Besides this ruin wasn't even dangerous... the person we met there was the real problem. But! That's for as always tomorrow!
Friday, May 11, 2012
Hello Traitor My Old Friend
My accomodations were better, the room was actually some kind of sitting room in the palace (I had been escorted to the capitol since incarceration, still shackled, so they weren't super polite, but since the rifle butt to my stomach I hadn't been assaulted). The palace looked better from when I'd been here before, nice wooden book cases lined with books, the desk I'd been placed before was of solid construction with an elaborate carving on it. I didn't think I was in the emperors sitting room, but probably some lesser official. Which was a good sign. There also weren't guards watching me, so all in all things were looking up.
The official I was waiting on showed up a couple hours after I'd been sitting in the room, he had a stack of papers with him and a hurried look on his face. The suit he was wearing wasn't tailored very well and loooked cheap, implying he wasn't high up the food chain and had been given the assignment of dealing with me probably in retaliation for some other screw up.
"Trezlan Lorentino." He extended his hand and then took it back when he saw my shackles, I could almost hear the curse under his breath when he took his seat at the desk. The chair was too big for him and he looked like a child in his dad's study.
"No named government guy who's going to tell me how things go."
"I see from our files on you, you have quite the history with Ronerawth, some could call you a hero and a traitor depending on how they view your record." He shuffled the papers trying to imply there was something of importance in them, to be honest the only record you need is in this journal.
"The same could be said of a lot of people, though most don't have my longevity."
"Yes I see that you are suspected of being some kind of Necromancer, whats that mean you sleep with the dead?" It was intended on being a joke, but it didn't bother me, I've heard it before.
"Well your mother has no complaints." Did I mention being an asshole is my favorite past time, because it totally is.
"Mr. Lorentino I took this meeting for your benefit, there are some that would see you executed for your actions." He was flustered, I guess mom jokes were not his thing.
"I can't really say I'm that worried about myself, ain't my first go round, hell even recently."
"Indeed, you have quite the recent record of treasonous activity, though you are also responsible for exposing the traitors, even if in the course of your actions you freed countless depraved murderers."
"Wasn't my intention, but you know sometimes you have to just get things done. I might have been able to things with a bit less destruction if I had been included in the loop that the Prince was a true traitor, but instead I was set for execution."
"An unfortunate underestimation by someone who is now facing the gallows himself."
"Shame." It really wasn't, but you know you have to say that to be nice or something.
"You are being let go Mr. Lorentino, you'll be under observation obviously, but you'll be allowed to once again provie assitance to the prince of territory you seem to now live in, should you show signs of betrayal you'll be summarirly executed, no trial, no showy execution, just dropped to your knees and shot in the head. Am I clear?"
"Perfectly, one question?" I could see the perturbed look on his face, when I said I had a question but he allowed me my moment.
"Go ahead."
"Can I take a vacation?" He sighed and looked at me with contempt, and then left the room. A short time later a couple soldiers came in, undid my shackles and showed me out (back entrance probably used for mistresses and foreign diplomats who shouldn't actually be there, but were). They did give me back my stuff, which was nice. I would find out later all record of Leland and his band of shorties helping me was erased. Officially I had become a deep cover operative with Ronerawth to take down traitors from within. Leland for his part was given a deal to keep quiet and some crimes his circus had been accused of wiped off the books. The twins were waiting for me back home when I got there, they had learned to steal things effectively (great use of their magical talents let me tell you) which caused me no end of trouble in the ensuing years (and money having to pay for the things they took).
All in all Ronerawth had welcomed me home with a boot to the face and I was quite displeased with the event, but on the plus side the new Prince was less of an ass than the old one, and I did get to see that jerk get ripped apart by horses for my trouble (I told you he came to a bad end). So it was like 50/50 between horrifically awful, and why do I even bother!
The official I was waiting on showed up a couple hours after I'd been sitting in the room, he had a stack of papers with him and a hurried look on his face. The suit he was wearing wasn't tailored very well and loooked cheap, implying he wasn't high up the food chain and had been given the assignment of dealing with me probably in retaliation for some other screw up.
"Trezlan Lorentino." He extended his hand and then took it back when he saw my shackles, I could almost hear the curse under his breath when he took his seat at the desk. The chair was too big for him and he looked like a child in his dad's study.
"No named government guy who's going to tell me how things go."
"I see from our files on you, you have quite the history with Ronerawth, some could call you a hero and a traitor depending on how they view your record." He shuffled the papers trying to imply there was something of importance in them, to be honest the only record you need is in this journal.
"The same could be said of a lot of people, though most don't have my longevity."
"Yes I see that you are suspected of being some kind of Necromancer, whats that mean you sleep with the dead?" It was intended on being a joke, but it didn't bother me, I've heard it before.
"Well your mother has no complaints." Did I mention being an asshole is my favorite past time, because it totally is.
"Mr. Lorentino I took this meeting for your benefit, there are some that would see you executed for your actions." He was flustered, I guess mom jokes were not his thing.
"I can't really say I'm that worried about myself, ain't my first go round, hell even recently."
"Indeed, you have quite the recent record of treasonous activity, though you are also responsible for exposing the traitors, even if in the course of your actions you freed countless depraved murderers."
"Wasn't my intention, but you know sometimes you have to just get things done. I might have been able to things with a bit less destruction if I had been included in the loop that the Prince was a true traitor, but instead I was set for execution."
"An unfortunate underestimation by someone who is now facing the gallows himself."
"Shame." It really wasn't, but you know you have to say that to be nice or something.
"You are being let go Mr. Lorentino, you'll be under observation obviously, but you'll be allowed to once again provie assitance to the prince of territory you seem to now live in, should you show signs of betrayal you'll be summarirly executed, no trial, no showy execution, just dropped to your knees and shot in the head. Am I clear?"
"Perfectly, one question?" I could see the perturbed look on his face, when I said I had a question but he allowed me my moment.
"Go ahead."
"Can I take a vacation?" He sighed and looked at me with contempt, and then left the room. A short time later a couple soldiers came in, undid my shackles and showed me out (back entrance probably used for mistresses and foreign diplomats who shouldn't actually be there, but were). They did give me back my stuff, which was nice. I would find out later all record of Leland and his band of shorties helping me was erased. Officially I had become a deep cover operative with Ronerawth to take down traitors from within. Leland for his part was given a deal to keep quiet and some crimes his circus had been accused of wiped off the books. The twins were waiting for me back home when I got there, they had learned to steal things effectively (great use of their magical talents let me tell you) which caused me no end of trouble in the ensuing years (and money having to pay for the things they took).
All in all Ronerawth had welcomed me home with a boot to the face and I was quite displeased with the event, but on the plus side the new Prince was less of an ass than the old one, and I did get to see that jerk get ripped apart by horses for my trouble (I told you he came to a bad end). So it was like 50/50 between horrifically awful, and why do I even bother!
Thursday, May 10, 2012
Don't Worry About Me Or Anything
Sleeping in chains in a basement is hard. I mean I've had years of practice and still takes me a bit to adjust to all the different motions to get "comfortable" and then just when you do, something on your shackles ache or something. Eventually you sleep, but its not really that restful and you wake up feeling tired and wanting the current situation to be over. In a way its like being in a bad relationship, except you can't simply break up with imprisonment (its not me its you).
I was actually surprised Leland wasn't complaining about the imprisonment more than I was until he just disappeared. At first I thought maybe they had come down and collected him while I was sleeping, but I saw his shackles on the floor where he had been with me, so he clearly had picked the lock and just slipped off to go be somewhere else, the little jerk(-Nidget's Note- Leland explained this story a lot differently, he told me Trezlan agreed to stay behind while he went and got help, I'm more inclined to believe Trezlan's side of this story for now). I was actually worrying about what I was going to tell my captors when they came down and did not find Leland where they left him (my brilliant plan was to say I ate him, yes I realize it was a little dumb, but you never know people are afraid of magic users).
Turned out not to matter, because no sooner was I worrying about explaining Leland's absence than the warehouse was hit by what sounded like an artillery shell. Which was my plan, though I'd hoped they wouldn't freaking shell the place! See I didn't exactly trust the Prince or his allies (shocking I know) and had pre betrayed them prior to our meeting (I had slipped off claiming to get supplies but really I wrote a letter and handed it to someone at my shop to deliver in case I didn't return within a day). I was a bit surprised how long it took, but I guess my hand writing was hard to decipher (not that unbelieveable I'm sure you'll agree if you are "reading" this journal). The explosions over head worried me though, because I was UNDER THEM! Sure the basement was probably going to cushion the impacts a bit, but it wasn't like I was underneath solid stone, it was just wood, and when the shells blew through that I'd be one unlucky hit away from being splattered.
The shelling only lasted a brief moment though (its amazing that an empire would treat traitors with such open disdain as to SHELL THEIR BUILDING, its almost like they don't appreciate them or something), then there was gunfire, thuds, and military boots hitting wooden floors. The door to the cellar opened and men in purple uniforms came through it. I stood up and welcomed them with my shackled hands.
"About time you guys got ooooffff" The ooof sound at the end of that was where one of the soldiers hit me in the gut with his rifle.
"Take him." Their commanding officer ordered a couple men to grab me and away I went. See thats loyalty for you! Turn in some traitors and still get treated like one! I tell you next time I'm pretraying someone and staying the hell away from them!
I was actually surprised Leland wasn't complaining about the imprisonment more than I was until he just disappeared. At first I thought maybe they had come down and collected him while I was sleeping, but I saw his shackles on the floor where he had been with me, so he clearly had picked the lock and just slipped off to go be somewhere else, the little jerk(-Nidget's Note- Leland explained this story a lot differently, he told me Trezlan agreed to stay behind while he went and got help, I'm more inclined to believe Trezlan's side of this story for now). I was actually worrying about what I was going to tell my captors when they came down and did not find Leland where they left him (my brilliant plan was to say I ate him, yes I realize it was a little dumb, but you never know people are afraid of magic users).
Turned out not to matter, because no sooner was I worrying about explaining Leland's absence than the warehouse was hit by what sounded like an artillery shell. Which was my plan, though I'd hoped they wouldn't freaking shell the place! See I didn't exactly trust the Prince or his allies (shocking I know) and had pre betrayed them prior to our meeting (I had slipped off claiming to get supplies but really I wrote a letter and handed it to someone at my shop to deliver in case I didn't return within a day). I was a bit surprised how long it took, but I guess my hand writing was hard to decipher (not that unbelieveable I'm sure you'll agree if you are "reading" this journal). The explosions over head worried me though, because I was UNDER THEM! Sure the basement was probably going to cushion the impacts a bit, but it wasn't like I was underneath solid stone, it was just wood, and when the shells blew through that I'd be one unlucky hit away from being splattered.
The shelling only lasted a brief moment though (its amazing that an empire would treat traitors with such open disdain as to SHELL THEIR BUILDING, its almost like they don't appreciate them or something), then there was gunfire, thuds, and military boots hitting wooden floors. The door to the cellar opened and men in purple uniforms came through it. I stood up and welcomed them with my shackled hands.
"About time you guys got ooooffff" The ooof sound at the end of that was where one of the soldiers hit me in the gut with his rifle.
"Take him." Their commanding officer ordered a couple men to grab me and away I went. See thats loyalty for you! Turn in some traitors and still get treated like one! I tell you next time I'm pretraying someone and staying the hell away from them!
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