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 Posted: Sun Jul 12, 2009 8:00 pm
Even as he lay there recovering, Mikaril had no concept of the passage of time, nor did he care to try. Most of his time was spent on the cot, making up for all of the sleep he had lost. At first his dreams had been mostly disturbing; ones of Haellara discovering their sanctuary and stuffing Kyil into his satchel while he watched as the magic twisted his friend's body into an unrecognizable pile of red, or him climbing up through a tiny hole toward an impossibly high ceiling studded with inviting and twinkling lights only to be literally swarmed by spiders and dragged back down into the depths from which he was trying to escape. But gradually they gave way to calmer dreams, or even a sort of oblivion where he didn't dream at all, or if he did, he never remembered what they were about.
During the times when he was awake, he would often watch Kyil as he moved about. Much of the time he saw him with his face in one of his spellbooks, absorbing the incantations like food and mouthing some of the words. Other times he would not be in the room, and Mikaril would wait for him to return before even thinking of drifting off again. Often he would smile as he saw Kyil returning with armfuls of treasure. He had to hand it him; he had good taste in what he was making off with. He would even tell Kyil when he would come in with something that he personally had put into the vault, telling him about how he had gotten it and where it had come from. In turn, Kyil told him that no matter what he brought in, it was one more piece of treasure for them, and one less for House Torlyl, which since he was ready to officially disown, suited Mikaril just fine.
They had no trouble with provisions, and though Mikaril did his best to take what Kyil made for them, he stubbornly refused any red meat. The incident with Kyil's ribs was still too fresh in his mine; every time he saw a slab or even a small strip of cooked rothe meat, all he could see was the meat coming off of Kyil in bloody strips, being cut off by a demonic little drow with a maniacal smile. That image coupled with the memory of how much he had enjoyed it when he was unaware of what it was made his stomach sour, and he would apologize to Kyil and beg him to take it away. But he had no such feelings for anything else, and would dutifully finish his portion before continuing to rest.
When he finally felt rested enough to leave the cot, the first thing he had done was see to his roses. He had asked Kyil to replace the tiny sun crystal that had been giving light to the little plant, and as he had approached it, his nose told him what his eyes then took in; the two shy little buds were beginning to open. Tiny red petals poked through the dark green casing, looking like little rumpled bits of red silk, which he knew Kyil would love as soon as he saw them. Already the scent was beginning to fill the corner with its gentle perfume, so much easier on the nose than any incense. He was just so glad that a little life had still remained in his plant, a small scrap of life that he loved as dearly as if it were a familiar.
Finally, he began to exercise once more, doing small stretches and even walking in place, since there was little room for jogging or even walking about. His skin still felt a little tight in places, particularly down his front, where Haellara had burned him. The scars had turned a bit lighter, cascading down part of his chest and stomach like pale smoke. In a way he was almost glad of it; after years and years of suffering at her hands without leaving a trace of what went on in her playroom, it seemed like a badge, like proof. He had proof of Hael's games, and despite the fact that few cared, it mattered to him somehow.
Mikaril was busily trimming the dead limbs from his rosebush, in order for all of the plant's nutrients to go right to where it was needed, when he found himself turning toward Kyil, almost the same way he had back in the cave, when this entire disasterous trip had started. And lo and behold, he was reading his books, just as he had before. Dismissing the growing discomfort of such deja vu, he cleared his throat to get Kyil's attention. "I've been thinking......about how much longer we're planning to stay here. Do you think the excitement has died down enough for us to attempt an escape?"
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Posted: Tue Jul 14, 2009 8:05 pm
He felt like a dragon. As both a form of exersize, and an attempt to do harmless damage to the House, Kyil had broken up the days by visiting the vault and carrying as much treasure as he could back to the sanctuary. Whenever Mikaril would make mention or notice a piece he had added personally, Kyil would sit and listen with rapt attention. Following which he would make room in their prepared travel bags for the item. He was determined to leave nothing behind of Mikaril's that he could manage. The rest of the time he spent trying to get Mikaril to eat well, so as to better hurry his healing along..and studying. He could understand Mikaril's relculance to eat the meat provided, so he did not push hard at him. He just accepted it and slipped his own portion of non-meat into the meals for Mikaril while he took the meat for himself. A little lopsided dineing would not hurt them for now. When Mikaril spoke, he was always keen to lift his gaze and give his friend his undivided attention. It had been a horrible ordeal being unable to just...see Mikaril. Speaking with him and being in his presence were things he had missed too much. So now that he could once more, Kyil focused upon Mikaril when there was opportunity and reason.
Kyil carefully closed his stolen spellbook and pressed it down into his nearly full bag. He kept it always at hand, and always fully stocked in the event they had to leave without a moments notice. "We have been here a while master." Kyil replied at first with the slightly formal title he attached rather often now. Kyil lifted his pink eyes frm his bag and shifted his seating on the pile of coins that he had been lounging against. Thus was the source of his dragon fantasy. "When I have slipped out into the vault I almost always hear footsteps pass by at least once, so it seems to me that there is still activity. I do not believe it is bound to lessen either, since such diligence has carried on. Haellara may not be able to see the reason in relaxing the search's, no matter how much time passes for now." Kyil unfolded his legs and rose to cross the way to Mikaril. "I was thinking we would only hole up until you were recovered enough to make a run for it. We will carry enough wealth with us to tide us over I believe. All we would need is gather enough supplies to last the trip over the Sea. Once we reach the other side we can stop at that city and stock up properly. I still believe a Lizard would be a good idea, and perhaps...we ought to see about joining a caravan. You are well known for running the underdark alone. If we change up our appearances and join the caravan we may further hide our passage. With your glamour spell, you could hide the color of my eyes, and perhaps we could change the appearance of your armor while we are in the city. Once we leave I do not believe such hideing will be neccessary though... " His head tilted to one side and pursed his lips as he looked over Mikaril. "I am afraid I have been dwelling on this far too long...what do you think master?"
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Posted: Wed Jul 15, 2009 9:14 pm
Taking all of Kyil's words into consideration, Mikaril began musing aloud as he continued to trim his rosebush, smiling at the added image of Kyil sitting atop the gold like a little pink-eyed dragon. "Well, that's to be expected I suppose. Having the both of us escape under her nose doubtless hit Hael hard; she would have to catch us to save face, though I did hope she might tone it down, once we hadn't been found for a while." He smiled as he held out at arm at full length and stretched it out, listening in satisfaction as the elbow popped. "I'll probably be no good at long distance sprinting, but I think I might be able to manage it soon; if anything, a change of scenery might give me the edge I need. Much as I love this place, knowing Hael could be prowling around just outside of it, looking for us, makes me more than a little nervous."
He smiled encouragingly as Kyil moved to join him. "Now that we have more tradeable goods at our disposal, we can probably afford a riding lizard, and it wouldn't take as much to bribe a caravan to let us join them; most of those who travel the Underdark are glad of extra eyes and ears to watch for trouble and danger." At the mention of the glamor spell, Mikaril looked momentarily sheepish. "Well, the thing about that is when I learned it, I only learned how to do it for my ears. I'm not sure how to go about doing eyes, or even if it's the same spell. Is there any mention of them in your book? Perhaps if I was certain I wouldn't be doing you harm with a mis-cast spell, I could do that for your eyes. I wonder if I could risk removing the armor altogether until we leave the city...my cape might suffice to stop any stray darts, and I would be less noticable, as you said...." In honesty, he really did want to keep his armor on; anything that sufficed to keep his blood inside of him where it belonged gave him an especial masure of comfort just then.
He turned and looked Kyil right in the eyes. "There's no such thing as giving it too much thought. You obviously planned it out when I was unable to offer any input, and I find your conclusions well-thought out. It relieves me, because I really wish to be gone from this place, the way we should have been long ago." He turned back to his rosebush, letting the sweet perfume drift past his nose. "You know, I think my rosebush likes you; I've never seen the blossoms bloom so quickly after a simple watering." He turned his head sideways to smile and wink at Kyil. "You didn't give them any magic while I was sleeping, did you?"
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Posted: Sat Jul 18, 2009 8:44 pm
Kyil shifted with a sense of discomfort as Mikaril would speak of the slight paid to Haellara by the pair of them escapeing her. He still had not...filled his friend in on some details concerning their escape. He was uncertain if he ought to explain in detail why Haellara's thoughts might be askew... It could lead to dengerouse choices if Mikaril did not know that Haellara most likely was not in her normal state of mind.
"Master...I am not certain it is saving face that she might be most concerned with. Or even your escape." Kyil knelt slowly so he could rest his knee's on a pillow, and he reached a hand up to brush a strand of his bangs back from his face. "When Haellara came to deal with me, she said she was going to make it that I would never be unhappy again. She said she was doing me a favor...a kindness. And in a horribly misguided way I believe that she honestly felt that is what she was doing." Kyil made a small gesture upwards towards himself and his lips.
"Haellara attempted to force me to drink a Love Potion. I managed to subdue her though, useing a Touch that rendered her incapable of movement.I was...I was very distraught Mikaril...." He paused and his features grew drawn as he lowered his hand to grip lightly at the material of his shirt before continueing. "I was so upset...she thought that by taking away my love for you she would be spareing me future pain. I wanted her to see how terribly wrong she was...i wanted her to know the feeling as I felt it. So... I made her drink the potion. I made her drink all of it and I watched as her eyes reflections changed. I placed her in her bed and gave her a kiss, before explaining to her that I did not love her and I was leaving. I left her there, unable to move, and came to collect you." Kyil's head slowly shifted back and fourth as he felt a faint weight in his chest.
"I did not have to be so cruel to her. Is hould have just left without saying a word. I fear how I may have hurt her and what it may do to her. I know the love is false and magical, but that is what makes memost concerned. If it was natural I know that she would only have natural responses, but this is a magical effect, meant to overwhelm the imbiber. If she expected it to overcome my thoughts and feelings for you to the point I would no longer care about you or even recognise you...then how must this have effected her? This is why I am concerned that her search for us will not have lessened since our vanishing. I am not certain Haellara will be thinking clearly enough to feel the natural sense of laxness that follows with time."
Kyil paused and exhaled slowly, his eyes closed as he mulled over Mikaril's glamour spell. "I have a simple answer to this then. You shall cast your spell as normal upon your ears. I will steal the enchantment off you, and recast it upon my eyes. We can repeate this process twice, in order to conceal your armor as well." His eyes slowly opened then, and he made a effort to smile. "No master. I have done nothing to your plant. Though I have noted it is starting to look more pleaseing and there is a pleasent aroma to it. I am eager to see what it looks like healthy and recovered." Kyil shifted back to his feet and allowed his eyes to sweep the room. "Shall we plan to leave then in a few hours? Will that be enough time for you to prepare your plant and self for our final escape of this place?"
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Posted: Sun Jul 19, 2009 9:46 pm
At the beginning of what was to be Kyil's recounting of just what had taken place in his sister's bedroom, Mikaril listened with keen interest, expecting some confession of a fleeting feeling of longing or desire as he had managed to escape from Haellara. His feelings toward her notwithstanding, she was an attractive female, and it wasn't unheard of seeing even his older brothers giving her oddly covetous stares when her attention was diverted elsewhere. But he was entirely unprepared for what Kyil told him. As he told of her attemtping to ease his pain with a love potion, he couldn't resisit a pang of bitterness; that one gesture of kindness, albeit poisoned kindness, was more than anything she had ever done for him, her brother, and more than likely any of the others, adding them mostly for Treil's sake. She must have really wanted Kyil, for she could not possibly comprehend the concept of love or friendship, to give him such an escape. But it also made him simmer with anger, his insides feeling as though they were being burned anew; knowing full well that he would have been sacrificed that night, and not missing such an opportunity to fill him with despair, she would have dragged poor Kyil out in full view of him, made him watch as she killed him, hoping to make Mikaril despair over his only friend being lost forever. No, he saw the act for what it really was. Haellara had no real love or compassion for Kyil; it was just another way to spite him, as she had done so many times before.
As Kyil mentioned turning the tables on Haellara and literally making her drink her own medicine, Mikaril couldn't supress a big, mischevious smile. In spite of all the terrible things that had come about during their stay in his house, it seemed as though Kyil had gotten quite bold and daring. First sneaking out to see him as he lay on the rack, sneaking him food, then stealing lotion from Haellara's own bathroom, and now making her drink her own love potion! Kyil could lament his 'uselessness' all he wanted; such bold acts were not the work of someone useless. His friend had shown remarkable bravery, and more guts than even Mikaril himself had ever displayed. He could picture her then, laying on her bed, helpless, thoughts and feelings so foreign to her dominating her mind and roiling within her the way the poisonous liquid pain had roiled inside of him, and doubtless hurting just as much. No, he could not bring himself to feel sorry for her, not a whit.
He reached out and put a hand on Kyil's shoulder as he expressed his fears. "She had it coming to her. Think of all the pain and misery she has caused, and not just to the two of us. There is so little real justice in our world; it seems twice as right to me when someone finally does reap what they sow. Better her than you; had you come out of it only to remember yourself unable to react as I had lain there on the altar.....in this case it's a 'better him than me' scenario, and sometimes you have to choose that road. One thing I learned before I knew what real friendship was, and it helped keep me alive so that I could eventually have a friend, was that if you don't look out for yourself, than nobody will." He smiled his most reassuring smile at Kyil. "You did nothing wrong. When it came down to it, it was all self-defense, and whatever you told her, I'm sure it was nothing but the honest truth."
He removed his hand from Kyil's shoulder and looked thoughtful. "Though it does seem a problem if she is still looking for us. Still, her sudden infatuation with you might still cause just enough confusion to allow us to slip out." He smiled and nodded. "That sounds like a good idea, and I hadn't thought to use the same spell upon my armor. Hopefully despite all of that magic, I'll still seem inoffensive enough not to warrant a closer look at me, and thus at you." He smiled fondly at his blossoming plant. "The flowers are finally blooming; I bet by the time we get them to the cave, they will have blossomed fully their first day there. Hopefully it will recover enough to be like it was before, covered in blooms and perfuming the air." He gently stroked one of the petals before getting up and stretching the kinks from his legs. "The sooner the better I say; going off of what you have told me, even the most potent love potions only last so long. Any time where she might rather try to just stop you rather than kill you sounds like the perfect time to escape. I'll prepare the rosebush and get my things together, and if you still need help by then, I'll help you put all of that treasure away." He felt a small twinge of sadness at the realization that he could be very well looking at his sanctuary for the very last time.
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Posted: Mon Jul 27, 2009 8:50 pm
At Mikaril's touch, Kyil felt a sense of calmness spreading out under that hand. Just looking into Mikaril's face assured Kyil that all was well. Mikaril was unconcerned, and thus Kyil would no longer be concerned either. "You are most likely correct Mikaril. I suppose a small part of me likes the fact she would be feeling such emotions for me as well. It is gratifying to know that at least for a short period of time Haellara will find me pleaseing." Kyil's eyes lifted upwards to glance at the ceiling above him as he considered Mikaril's words a bit more. "Yes... I had no desire to fall under that spell. It was frightening actually." Self defense... The mere thought of his actions being such made him feel weird. A strange sense of uneasy pride came with those words of Mikarils. Still..he knew what was making him feel so ill. It was the comment about the alter made by Mikaril. "I do not believe I would have been able to deal with that master. Now that I know what it is to be able to act on the behalf of another, to have stood and done nothing would have driven reason from my mind I am sure. I mean...I destroied that horrible room in a fit of mindless aggression. I did not have to do that...I should not have done that...there was no purpose in it. She can easily rebuild it after all, and this will give her more fule in hunting us down later."
Kyil paused then, to consider the merits of Haellara's curseing rather then all the problems. "Well...she should not be so inclined to order us dead on sight I suppose. And if we fail in our escape I could possibly convince her to release us by telling her it would please me greatly. It would not be a lie, and perhaps the potions strength would be enough to move her to comply with such a request." His head tilted a little as he glanced towards the exit of the room. "This may, in fact, be the best time for our escape after all."
Yes, now might be the best time indeed for their escape. Kyil turned and crossed to where his messengerbag laid flopped against the floor. It's sides bulged a bit, and as he slipped the strap over his shoulder he could easily feel it's weight. The magical bag was full as it could possibly be at this point. "I am looking forwards to returning home and finding a good place for your plant master. Perhaps with what we escape with, we shall be able to properly outfit and fortify our cave. I would be so grateful for a real bed." He spoke with a lightening tone. Kyil adjusted the strap on his shoulder, and turned to smile at Mikaril as he hovered over his prized possession. "I have been ready for days now master. I wanted to be prepared in case we were accidently discovered some way."
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Posted: Mon Jul 27, 2009 11:42 pm
As he gently opened the bag and placed his recovering rosebush in the magical bag that would suspend it for as long as it remained inside, Mikaril supressed a smile as he remembered all that he could about when Kyil had destroyed Haellara's playroom. He knew it distressed Kyil to have done something so aggressive, but he would be lying if he said he was sorry that the deed had been done. That room had been the source of many a bad dream, tens of thousands of aches and pains, millions of drops of spilled blood, and so many hours of anguish and silent begging for death. No, he wasn't sorry the room was destroyed, even if Haellara did rebuild it. She could never make it a hundred percent like the way it was before. It was as though the very stuff of his childhood nightmares had gone up in smoke along with the playroom, and it felt....cleansing. Like being scrubbed with sand. Aloud, he mused to Kyil as he tied off the bag, "Look at it this way; in destroying that room, you've bought many an unfortunate soul several more weeks or even months of life. It will take her at least that long to replenish half of that stock. There was only evil in that room, and it was only evil that you destroyed."
Noticing that Kyil was pretty much already packed, Mikaril gathered what little he had, and all too soon he found himself straightening up and looking around. How sad and empty the room looked without all of its beautiful glowing pieces adorning the walls and shelves. He looked down at his satchel and for the first time, deliberated leaving it there, for another drow to find, the same way that he had. He was even in the act of unslinging it from his shoulder when he paused to consider. Would any brood of Haellara's ever find this place? And suppose, just suppose, somewhere in their travels they could find a way to isolate the satchel's magic and use it to create a portal back here? After all, it was still undiscovered and by far the safest place in the entire house. He replaced his satchel on his shoulder and took one last look around, saying quietly under his breath, "Thanks OWS, for everything." Then swallowing a lump in his throat, he turned and walked to the puddle of shimmering black, hoping as he stepped through it that this would not be his last visit to the only place in his house that had ever felt like a home.
Part of him wanted to linger as he passed by the room of many chains, and even the dusty old corridor that connected the place with the treasure room. He suddenly found himself outside the sanctuary and into the treasure room, and immediately he knew that the time for reminiscing was past, and now they had to focus on survival more than anything. Turning, he whispered to Kyil, "We should probably use invisibility for as long as we can; hopefully the spell will hold out for as long as it takes to make it to the gate. If not, we can find a pocket to regenerate, but I'd rather we not stop." That being said, Mikaril twirled his cape until he could look down and not see himself. He turned around and saw, or rather did not see, Kyil with the same invisibility enchantment. Gesturing for Kyil to follow, Mikaril eased open the door to the treasure room with painful slowness and slipped through.
He didn't know how long it took them to navigate through the house; since they didn't need to renew their spells, it couldn't have been more than an huor or so, but it seemed like an eternity as they slipped through corridor after corridor, taking great care to avoid bumping the servants that seemed to have tripled during their absence, as well as the guards that seemed to be jumping at every tiny sound and investigating every shadow. Several times he was certain they had been discovered, only to escape by the narrowest of margins. It was enough for Mikaril to feel crazed, as though he were getting a fever from all of the tension. He knew that his nerves still weren't the best, but he kept silently assuring himself that he would have all the time in the world to rest once they were away from his sister's poisonous aura.
Suddenly, as they slipped carefully out through a door as a guard was coming in, they found themselves outside the house, with a large courtyard standing between them and the gate. Excitedly, Mikaril looked about before turning to where he thought Kyil was. "We're almost there Kyil; it's just a straight sprint to the gate. Hopefully it will still recognize me as a member of the house and let us through." It was a lot to hope for, but it was all that he had. Taking a steadying breath, he began to run toward the gate, the world seeming to slow as he put one foot in front of the other. He could hear Kyil's steps just behind him, and he felt his spirit soar as he heard no sound of challenge. They were going to make it!
He was halfway across the courtyard when he suddenly felt his boot catch onto something, and he felt himself being propelled forward. He landed hard upon the stone, feeling his body shouting in protest and his mouth getting choked with dirt. He raised himself up shakily and saw with alarm that he could see his arms in front of him; his fall had negated his invisibility! He felt rather than saw Kyil returning for him, and as he struggled quickly to his feet, he heard an unmistakeable sound behind them. No! he thought, not now! Not when we're this close! He gasped out, "To the gate! Quick!" and he got up and ran as fast as he could to the gate, hoping against hope that they could still make it.
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Posted: Tue Jul 28, 2009 12:07 am
Hours passed by, and still Haellara sat there on her bed, decked out in her best clothes, waiting patiently for a lover who would not come. Nuumia, sweet, gentle Nuumia, had been by numerous times to check on her. Always she had been sitting there, her love for Kyil swirling around in her mind and filling it with hope and longing. Would he ever return? Would Nuumia find him? And if so, would he love her, though he had said he did not? Her moment of clarity had become lost amid the swirl of false but passionate urges that filled her thoughts with nothing but fantasies of her and Kyil, in their own wonderful world.
She slowly rose and walked over to the window of her room, which commanded a lovely view of the courtyard and the gate beyond. Funny, but she couldn't remember when Kyil had first walked through those gates. Had he been here that long? Surely not.....but there were many other things she was having trouble remembering. Ah well, they would come to her in time. Perhaps Nuumia would help her with them. He was such a helpful little thing; he knew his place well. Had she not been so enamored with Kyil.....
Her eyes suddenly blinked rapidly as she caught movement down in the courtyard. Her jaw dropped as she saw her brother Mikaril appear seemingly out of nowhere, tumbling in the dirt and laying there in a cloud of dust. She peered ahrder at him, feeling a sudden upsurge of rage that conflicted with the gluey lovetorn emotions that were ruling her mind. Shewatched as he struggled to his feet in an odd fashion, almost as though..... Her eyes grew huge, and she raised a hand, sticking it out of the window, and pointed a finger at the faraway figure of Mikaril. Through the haze of the revealing spell, she saw a second figure moving to assist her brother, one who's very sight made her heart leap to her mouth and her body to tremble with desire. It was he! He was there! But.....he was leaving. He and her brother were leaving!
It was as though a void had opened up inside of Haellara, and a simmering puddle of acid was growing inside of her, eating away at her heart. How dare he take the one she loved! How dare he even think of leaving! Oh, if she could just....! Trembling with emotion, she turned her head from the window and screamed as loud s she could. "NUUMIA! NUUMIA! IT'S HIM! KYIL! HE'S OUTSIDE; HE'S TRYING TO GET AWAY WITH MIKA! IN THE COURTYARD! STOP THEM! STOP THEM!" She then leaned out the window, calling out to Kyil. "Kyil! Don't leave! Come back; I love you! I want you to stay! Give me your word and I'll not harm Mika! Kyil!"
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Posted: Tue Aug 04, 2009 1:08 am
Escapeing the house was just as nerve wracking as sneaking around collecting supplies had been. Only now it was even more nerve shreading then before. Now he had to worry about Mikaril getting caught along with himself. Those few close calls had seemed more terrifying then anything else they had yet faced. Kyil felt sick with exhaustion by the time they reached the courtyard. It was true, he was probably acting a bit less cautious then he ought to have at that point. The looming gateway to freedom and the chance to rest was such a temptation. He only wanted to get out. To be free of all of this. Kyil so desperatly wanted to close his eyes and let the tense muscles in his body relax. Such danger was not a thrill for him. He found no joy in dodgeing guards and narrowly squeezeing past wandering drow. All he wanted was the warm safety of a bed and a locked door and perhaps some flavored tea to chase away all the anxiety throbbing between his temples.
When Mikaril gave the go ahead for the final rush, Kyil was more then happy to make the mad dash across the courtyard and for the gate. He felt more then heard Mikaril's faltering when they reached the middle of the open stretch. His steps had carried him a good three strides ahead before he managed to skid to a stop. Kyil felt the thin fabric of his slippers tear beneath his heels from the swiftness of his sudden stop. Twisting about, he felt a sour sensation grip his stomach. He could see Mikaril. See him far more clearly then the spell he had cast would have allowed him to. Which meant everyone would be able to see him. Kyil crossed over to Mikaril and knelt to grasp him with his invisable hands to help him rise. "We are nearly there!" He spoke with a note of desperate pleading in his voice. He prayed that Mikaril was not hurt. It would just... Kyil felt he would just break into tears of frustration if that were the case. He so desperatly needed this nightmare to be over!
However, the nightmare seemed determined to grow darker. Kyil's heart faltered as he felt something touch over his skin and leave behind a tingleing sensation. The hairs on the back of his neck rose as haellaras cry rose loud and shrill from above. Kyil tilted his head up with one hand still gripping Mikaril's arm, though now his grip felt weak and his fingers chilled as he glanced up to peer at Haellara's form leaning out the window. "I..." He felt the word catch in his throat at the image of the love besotted matron begging him to stay...proclaiming love in such a... Kyil felt a sickening guilt at what he had done to her. "I never should have done that to her... It's not right. This isn't right." He whispered half to himself as he continues to look up at her. This wasn't what she was really like, and this..it was far more of a stronger reaction then a drow truely in love would exhibit. He had ruined her... he shouldn't have made her drink the potion. Or at least not so much of it. Just a swallow...not the whole bottle. What had he done to her?
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Posted: Tue Aug 04, 2009 1:09 am
Nuumia had not had a moments peace. Not a hours rest. He had diligently remained working to preserve Haellaras reputation, and repair what damage he could. He whipped the guards verbally to remain diligent in their search of the halls. He didn't care if a room had been searched just hours ago. He wanted it searched again. He wanted all closets open and all the curtains looked behind again and again. Nuumia was a determined and very focused male in this search. At times he slipped away from the search to look in on Haellara or to focus on cleaning out her torture room. As of the current day he had managed to completely clean out the rubbage. Now what remained was to figure out what sort of items she had stocked it with.
In order to do this, he had ordered for all purchase records to be brought to him in his private rooms. Nuumia had begun to search back through the records for items he believed had been ordered for Haellara's play room, and began to re-order the items to refurnish the room. Nuumia was carefully searching the purchase records when the cry came loud and clear from haellara's room. Instantly the hair on the back of his neck prickled with a eerie concern. Oh Goddess save him...he was going to have to kill everyone now for certain. He'd been fortunate thus far to have only had to kill the pair of guards..and a servant that had gotten too close to the doors for his likeing. Nuumia leapt up from his chair, sending carefully sorted papers fluttering to the floor as he raced through the halls. Haellara had seen Kyil? She had seen Mikaril? Oh Goddess please please... don't let her have a fit... With these words echoing in his head Nuumia dashed from his room and to a window in the hall. It only took him a single scanning of the courtyard to see the forms of Mikaril and Kyil below.
"GUARDS!" He bellowed with a sharp and surpriseingly loud voice. "Detain them! Do not let them leave the courtyard! I'll have the left hand of every male that allows them to get past!!!" Nuumia cast his gaze to the left and right as he debated running down the stairs and to the floor. No...he could not waste such time in getting down there. He dared not take his sight off Kyil now! There was the answer to everything! The answer to fixing Haellara! Or at the very least keeping her calm and compliant! If he captured them both, he could force Kyil to pretend to love Haellara on threat of Mikaril's death. At least until he could break the curse on her. Nuumia placed his hand on the windowsill, and leapt through the opening and onto the slim ledge. With a recklessness that even made him question his own sanity, Nuumia half leapt half fell down the side of the wall and to the courtyard. He could see the guards swarming the courtyard, and the pair of males within it. Perhaps it was Hael's cry...perhaps it was his threat... He suspected that their quick response was due to his insistance of keeping them on active searchs through the House.
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Posted: Sun Aug 09, 2009 9:51 pm
As he sprinted toward the gate as fast as he willed his body to go, Mikaril felt his aches markedly lessen. He supposed it was that final rush of adrenaline, when the goal was so near that nothing else mattered. The words sounding from above only willed him to go faster; any other moment and he would have doubled over with laughter hearing his sister pine after a male like that. If they were recaptured, and time would be given for the potion to wear off, to say that Haellara would be a little angry would be like saying one of Lolth's yochlols was just a little ugly, or the resulting punishment upon both of their heads would be just a little severe. He would probably be the best off; an outright slaying; but poor Kyil would have his punishment prolonged. He, after all, was responsible for her current humiliating state.
After what seemed like an eternity, he saw the gate coming nearer and nearer, but out of the corners of his eyes he could also see guards, running impossibly fast from both ends to cut off their escape through the gate. No! he cried in his head as he forced himself to go faster; why wouldn't his body go faster?! He reached the gate after what seemed like an eternity and was in the very act of reaching for the latch that would open the gate, when he saw at least four poisoned darts ping off of the gate just an inch above his hand, and he withdrew it and whirled around to find both him and Kyil surrounded by guards. They formed a thick half-circle around them, each and every crossbow aimed at the pair. Mikaril pulled out his dagger, just in time to block another dart fired by a guard who had seen the sudden movement and reacted to it. No more came, however, and he moved to stand in front of Kyil, looking desparately for a way to reach the latch without getting himself pumped full of sleep darts. His eyes suddenly widenened as he heard additional shouts and saw movement along the walls of the house, and then down into the courtyard, like a gigantic spider...... rothe-s**t! It was Nuumia, the house's patron! If he reached them, it would all be over. They would be captured again, and new measures would be taken to ensure that they never had the chance to leave the house again. They would be locked away forever, never see each other again.....
Feeling sick with sudden desparation, his mind oddly enough went to another time and place, where he had felt equally scared of what was to come, how he had closed his eyes and prayed ferverently to his Goddess to stay a curse that would have doomed him. He knew that praying to her now would do no good; even if she gave a damn about a male, the very situation of House Torlyl had been given her blessing, and therefore any such disruptors of that would be counted as her enemies. Ot would they? She DID love chaos, after all. He remained vaguely aware of the sneers and the dozens of darts just waiting to be let loose, of the Patron getting closer, of the latch, their only link to escape, seeming so near and yet so far. Dare he not try that one last road?
Fighting to keep his breathing steady, he squeezed his eyes shut and willed his voice to sound in his head. Please, if there is anyone out there that sees us and has the slightlest shred of pity or opportunity, please I beg of you, help us! We cannot go back to the House, we will not! Please don't let all we've been through be for nothing! Someone, anyone, help us, please!
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Posted: Sun Aug 09, 2009 10:04 pm
Nearly leaning out her window with anticipation, Haellara watched the entire thing unfold beneath her; the pair quickly surrounded, discouraged from using the gate to leave, and she turned her head at movement along the wall and was just in time to see Nuumia jump down and move to join the thick ring of guards surrounding the two hapless males below. She felt her heart tripping oddly beneath her breast; this was it! They would be caught and brought back to her, Kyil would be made to love her.... She wrinkled her forehead as that thought whirled through her head. No, she thought, he shouldn't be made to love her. It shouldn't work that way. Why not? a voice suddenly sprang up, unbidden. You are the Matron of the House. Every male obeys your every whim. If you commanded them to lick dung off of your shoes, they ought to do it; it's your right, and every male still alive in your house should know this.
Why then, she thought, did Kyil not seem to know? She did not like stubborness as a general rule; this much she remembered, so why was she permitting it to flourish in Kyil? Had she not known before that it was this powerful? Yes, that sounded right. But why had she let him get so close to her without being so sure of his loyalty? She remembered her lie-detecting pendant; her hands even now strayed down to finger the unremarkable stone; why then had she not used it on him? So much of the past several days was so foggy and puzzling, and she knew that the universal answer to it all was down in the courtyard, being 'protected' by her idiot brother. She smiled happily as she watched it all happening down below. Soon, she thought. Soon everything she had been striving for these past several days will come to pass in a few moment's time. Kyil would be hers to love again, Mikaril would be locked somewhere where he would never again escape, and she would finally have all of the answers. She couldn't see anything that could possibly go wrong.
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Posted: Thu Aug 13, 2009 7:39 pm
Surrounded... Kyil's pink gaze swept over the throng of guards that had swarmed Mikaril and himself. When had so many of them arrived? How had they moved so quickly? Well, he and Mikaril had spent a good deal of time dodgeing and ducking them inside the House already. They were already on alert. So that explained the quick response. Still, Kyil felt his stomach clentching as they stood so close to the exit. So close to freedom. They would be struck by a deadly amount of darts for certain if either of them made a move for that handle though. Kyil supposed he could do it. He could reach and open the door. If he thought for a moment that Mikaril would carry on without him that is. He did not believe that Mikaril would escape given the opportunity and leave him behind. Nor did he believe the guards would take any chances. Should one of them move he was certain both of them would struck by darts. Kyil swallowed thickly as he glanced at Mikaril from behind.
Nuumia quickly reached the courtyard by his chosen means. He could have glanced up at Haellara at that point, but he chose not to. He had no desire to see what sort of sappy look she may have had on her face. Right now all that mattered was subdueing the pair, and getting them dragged off to their prospective ends. "You! Get some shackles on them both!" he snapped at one of the males as he pushed the larger guards aside in his determination to reach the pair. Of course, once he did manage to part the throng of taller males, he wasn't exactly happy with what he saw. none of the males had moved in on Mikaril or Kyil. The sods seemed content enough to keep them pinned down and to wait for someone else to approch them. Perhaps they were concerned over Kyil taking one of them down? He supposed the shame of being dropped in front of half the guard would be reason enough to keep ones distance. However...
Nuu shook his head with a dark scowl on his lips. " Allright. Drop...well...everything. Your bags and weapons both. I want your hands in the air or else your going to resemble a sea urchin in a few moments." Nuu commanded of both Kyil and Mikaril. He watched as Kyil glanced uneasily at Mikaril, and he lifted a hand to signal the guards to fire. Like he was really going to give them a fair chance to comply? He wanted to use any excuse to lash out at the pair at this point.
It was at that point that the swarm descended. Nuu had never seen so many moths in his life, nor of this particular kind either. Their black and purple wings clouded his sight. He felt the slightly sharp scratchy legs on his hands and face. "Fire fire fire!" He cried out while beating at the insect bodies around him. As the insects parted and were brushed away, a unexpected aura of white light shone within the fluttering insects. Nuu cried out at the unexpected light and threw his hands over his eyes to protect them from the painful lanceing that seemed to strike directly to his brain.
It was just...one of those time and place things really. There was no predestined reason that Szinaun happened to be walking by himself down that particular street. He was merely returning to the room he shared with Lird. After spending so long of a time trapped and bound, spending even a day alone in a tavern rom filled Szin's chest with fluttery panic that could only be quelled one of two ways. The first was Lird's return. The strong warrior mages presence calmed him with his presence and embrace more quickly then a puff of air could put out a flickering candle flame. The second means was just by getting out. By reassureing himself that he could still leave, that he had that control and freedom still, he was able to calm the fear that often clung to his shoulders when he was alone. Due to his dark blindness, Szin was forced to walk with a small glowing globe of pale red light. He had settled for the crimson light source after coming to the realization that the white, blue, and yellow orbs he often summoned could end up marking him. By the light of this tiny coin sized ball, he was able to make out his general surroundings.
No light was needed however, for him to pick up the sounds of something stirring. The gate was just there to his left... No more then three paces away really. Szin was able to come to a halt and see the pair of men on the other side become surrounded. Thieves maybe? The pair seemed to be carrying rather heavy bags on their shoulders, and they had brought down quite a lot of guards. It was a females voice though that sent a shiver of coldness down his spine. Come back? Spare someone? Was one of these men fleeing from a overly physical females attentions? That was the first thing that rose up in Szin's thoughts as he looked at the cornered males. Had he been on the surface he would not have hesitated this long. He would have already acted. Szin's hand fell to the sheath upon his left hip, and with a practiced flick of his finger he snapped the tie off from the handle of his battle fan. Slipping it out, he carefully fanned the thin metal blades open, and gave the weapon a slow sweep through the air.
He heard, as he waved his fan back on a return, another males voice demanding the pair of males lay down their weapons. He was uncertain why he was taking such a risk, Lird surely would be angry at him...
With each sweep of his fan, Szin had created small ghusts of wind. The wind, in turn, swirled and darkened, as small moths formed in the wake of the breeze. They tiny air elementals would be harmless under most circumstances. But as the cloud grew thicker, the swarm of thumb sized air elementals gained greater strength and greater uses. As the swarm grew to a more useful size, Szin sent them with a small flick of his fan towards the gate...and away they flew. A lovely black cloud that fluttered about the pair of males and formed a concealing mass. Szin felt the tiny flickering sensation of Moths being unsummoned, all struck by the fired darts by the guard that were attempting to hit the two men inside. Szin flicked his fingers at the crimson light, and caused it to split in twain as he hissed to the two males "You ought to run now, my moths will not hide you for much longer at the rate they are being dispersed. Come follow me." He called to the pair as he sent one of the red lights into the midst of the swarm and began to hustle down the street towards the tavern that had been his original destination. Once the light was brushed by something other then a moth, it would flare a bright white, in Szin's hope that it would blind those first few that made it through the swarm and after the males.
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Posted: Thu Aug 13, 2009 9:16 pm
Eyes anxiously darting back and forth between the guards and Nuumia, Mikaril was actually beginning to consider flying at one of the two in order to give Kyil time to pull the latch and escape, while at the same time trying to figure out how he would convince Kyil to take the opportunity. He knew he wasn't kidding anyone, but as the cry for help died inside his head and became more foolish-sounding as Nuumia's words reached him, he felt as though he would simply fly apart with the tension. This was it; the end of their road. No one had heard his prayer, either that or no one cared. He should have known; what deity up there would ever pause to consider two mere males who had dared to set self-preservation aside for the sake of each other?
Suddenly, he started as the air was filled with a strange sort of whirring, and he found himself surrounded by thousands upon thousands of insects; moths, swarming around him and Kyil as though they were two big candles, never coming close enough to be a nuisance, but effectively hiding them from the drow on the other side of the whirring, writhing curtain. He heard Nuumia's muffled cry and then the whizzing of darts as they pierced the curtain of moths and flew about, most way ff the mark, but a few coming dangerously close. He stiffened suddenly as he heard the voice, beckoning the pair to come away while their foes were ths distracted. Certain that Kyil had heard it also, Mikaril turned to his friend and signed, We had better do what he says. Never mind that their rescuer might demand payment or some other compensation for taking an interest in their plight; anything was better than waiting to be stuck full of darts and dragged back to the House.
Reaching out and ignoring a few cobweb-like brushes of powdery wings, Mikaril pulled on the handle of the gate and watched as it swung open almost noiselessly, then tugging on Kyil's shirt as he slipped out as quickly as he could. As he reached to shut it, he saw the flash of bright light and heard the cries of the guards, and decided to leave the gate alone; that brilliant flash would distract the guards much more thoroughly than a closed gate ever could. Turning around, he spotted the retreating figure and gave chase, after pointing him out to Kyil. "That must be him; let's follow him." As he ran after the unknown male, Mikaril found himself wondering anew if this was just another trick meant to lure them into another trap. But at least here he was more in his element; the back alleys of the city, HIS city. And after all they had been through at the hands of his sister and her House, even still wanting for rest, they ought to be a match for one moth-summoner.
Haellara's eyes widened with every new step she saw Nuumia take, her pulse quickening with every command that reached her ears from his mouth. He was going to do it, the brave, clever boy. He would being them before her, and she would have her......her.....her what? Fighting the fuzz from her brains along with the persistent nagging that she was still forgetting something extremely vital, she looked down into the courtyard just in time to see the swarm of insects descend upon the renegades and seem to swallow them up in their midst. Spotting a faint red glow beyond the gate, she thought she could make out another figure, stading tall and erect as the moths seemed to emerge from him. Did Kyil know a sorcerer? How was it possible? They were only freshly escaped; how would this mysterious foe know to come and help? And was he even helping? As she watched the guards lay into the cloud of moths, she watched the area where she had seen the pair and noted their disappearance. Goddess; had the little devils eaten them? Then she noticed the gate slightly ajar and before she could take any more in, a blinding light flashed, causing her to screech in pain and bring her hands up to her eyes. Brushing the tears away, she thought she had glimpsed a flicker of her brother's green cape as he was swallowed up by the shadows of the city buildings.
Her eyes narrowed as she looked down at the guards; brave a few minutes ago and now mulling about like rats with their whiskers chopped off. They had failed her. Kyil was gone. Mikaril had been lost to the city and the numerous hiding places therein, and all she had left was a mind full of cloudiness, who's fog was taking far too long to clear. How had this happened? She had been blessed by Lolth, chosen to rule her House with an iron fist, striking terror in the minds of those who even thought to oppose her. Now she was falling apart for the loss of a slave; a mere slave, who had escaped in spite of every guard in her House trying to prevent them from escaping. The sheer weakness! It was a wonder Lolth did not strike her dead. Falling on her knees onto the floor of her room, she let out one long, loud wail, letting all of her feelings pour out of her in one haunting sound; grief, anger, shame. She let it carry on until no more noise could escape her throat, and she let herself slump down to the floor, like a puppet who's strings had been cut.
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Posted: Thu Aug 13, 2009 9:49 pm
Kyil felt his tongue growing dry and heavy in his mouth. They were caught... He knew this now and he would not let Mikaril go back to that torture. Kyils pink eyes fell upon his friend. Haellara was still in her potion induced state. He would beg for Mikarils pardon and promise to stay with her if she released him unharmed. She would of course comply, and Mikaril would be able to escape. Perhaps he had never been meant to escape Haellara. So much had happened to put him near to her. Perhaps his pennance for being a poor slave was this. Kyils failing inner strength caused his shoulders to slump slightly as Nuumia faced off against them. How could such a small and harmless male be so evil?
The air about them become filled by delicate fluttering wings with no warning. Kyil's head jerked upwards as the entier area about him and Mikaril seemed to fill with small insects. Darts were fired, and he heard many of them pinging off the gates iron behind him. "What?" he whispered softly, then turned at the soft voice that beaconed to him and Mikaril. Kyil paused only until Mikaril grasped hold of him and pulled him. With that sign, he was able to move his feet unhindered. Kyil was only vaugely aware of the flash of light behind him, as his eyes were turned after the...girl? Surely that had been a males voice that had spoken, but the drow he was following was wearing a skirt and had ribbons tied to it. Kyil shook his head slightly in his continueing bewildered state.
Szin only looked over his shoulder once to ensure the pair of males were following him. He still held his fan in one hand, just in case he needed more cover to keep any pursuers from their trail. He glanced back only twice more, to ensure the pair had not lost him as he raced down the street and around corners. It was only as they approched the tavern front door that Szin slowed. he paused to brush his fingers back through his hair...and calmly entered the tavern. It would draw notice if all three of them ran like hell beasts were on their heels through the building after all. Wordlessly Szin led the way to the single bed room he and Lird shared. Lird of course would not be present yet...but the pair could at least wait there and catch their breath for the time being right?
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