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 Posted: Wed Apr 25, 2012 9:33 pm
The Lady gave the machine a gentle smile then looked over his shoulder to watch the goblin tug at his gear. Skurk found himself oddly unable to pull any of his explosives let alone hurl them at the demon even before Castor stood up with a growl. And, strangely, after the initial outburst of anger even Castor calmed down. The hatred seeped away and glow dimmed from his eyes as his body relaxed. No longer the nightmare, just a young man looking a little drained as the Lady watched him with a knowing smile. Peace echoed in both their minds.
"The city is burned," the Lady spoke slowly looking back to Mac. "The Temple in ruins. You have come on a dark day but maybe it was meant to be," the Lady gave a nodding smile toward Castor before looking back to the machine. "It has not been since the last time the Seals were broken that I saw one like you," the chorus spoke softly to the robot. "And that is a time beyond counting," she shook her head slowly then stepped toward the unicorn. "Perhaps the gears have come full circle," she seemed to be talking to herself now, or maybe the unicorn as she stroked his silken mane. "Perhaps they may finish what we started. . ." she trailed off and leaned against the unicorn. He looked away from his glaring at the goblin to give her a concerned stare and nudge her arm with his nose.
The Lady smiled weakly, looking tired, as she reached up and petted the unicorn gently as she murmured in those thousand voices, "Maybe it is time the Gate is opened."
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Posted: Wed Apr 25, 2012 10:05 pm
The Lady seemed intent on exacerbating Castor's crisis of faith as she entered his mind, calming him. It wasn't absolute, but it helped- it wouldn't do well to get angry at Skurk, considering their current predicament. It would only make everything much harder. Castor relaxed, his glare vanishing, his shoulders slumping in something almost resembling relief. Castor turned back toward his Lady, pondering the mystery that was her for a moment or two.
She was so powerful, and yet so gentle. Forgiving. Insulting Ahura in the manner that Skurk had offended her was a quick way to lose one's head somewhere in their digestive tract. He was a god, yes, but Castor pondered this once again. Even Susano had called itself a god, though its powers were nowhere near the capacity of Ahura's or the Lady's- powerful enough, but still.
Perhaps it would not truly be blasphemy to call the Lady a goddess as well. She had certainly earned the respect necessary, anyway.
Castor decided to ignore the issue for the time being, and concentrate on what his Lady was saying- though it made his blood run chill as she spoke. As she rambled on, the memories Castor had gleaned from her flooded him once again, always ending with the cold, black blade through his heart, and that grinning Wolf-faced demon. But as he listened, his heart sank even more. The way she speaks about it... it could have happened today, or yesterday. Was it really so short a time ago? It felt like ages ago when I saw it in her mind. Castor blinked as she mentioned the last part.
"" he suddenly spoke up, taking a few tentative steps toward his Lady- he still wasn't sure her steed would regard him favorably, regardless of their shared services. He risked a glance sidelong at the unicorn, then back at the Lady. He was curious about this Gate that had been mentioned.
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Posted: Thu Apr 26, 2012 2:39 am
Skurk hissed, then spoke in his native tongue as he forced himself to his feet:
☼ I know not what remains of your mind, but know this: this thing before you is an evil most foul. Anything it says is suspect; its heart is full of the will to dominate others. It sees mortals as playthings if we're lucky and as pawns or meals if we are not. If you allow such a thing access to your mind, you'll pay the price. The only reason you might disagree with me is if you're too far gone already, anyway. ☼
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Posted: Thu Apr 26, 2012 7:49 am
The forest still smelled of smoke and somewhere through the twilight dim was a flickering glow of distant fire through the trees but the memory did seem old, so very old, and fractured. Castor faltered at the thought of it, felt the pain again faintly in his chest. Not just one pain but many. Not just one death but several. The demon's black blade was only the most recent.
"Children," the Lady spoke softly, the thousand voices singing. "As all things, children," she watched Skurk with a gentle smile. "Young and new and small. Naive," she purred slightly leaning against the unicorn that went back to his glaring. "But you show wisdom," the Lady nodded almost a slight bow at the goblin. "I apologize for calming you but it was for your own protection. And for theirs," she turned slightly to smile at the mage and machine, reached out a hand toward Castor slightly, holding it out to him with a casual grace as she spoke.
"You are lost here. All of you, in this distant place. But we are together on this dark day. The Fates have put you here. You child of Magic" she smiled fondly at Castor then turned to Mac. "Child of Science," the choir purred then she looked to Skurk again, "And of . . ." she trailed off a moment before her lips curled in a wry expression, "the Wild." She let that linger a while, let the choir settle and silence fall before she went on, looking at all three now but speaking in a distant tone, as if to memories.
"The gears are turning now, after so long a rest. The Temples burning. I need your help," she breathed the last a whispered plea directed at all three of them. "My Seal has been stolen. I must have it back. You must find it for me." She paused to look between them, "In return I will send you home."
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Posted: Thu Apr 26, 2012 8:14 am
And so the time passed in the desert sands, telling stories and watching the women dance around the warm fire at the oasis edge. The young one reveled in the merchant's tales, asking questions of the world beyond the sand, of cities and oceans and fields and forests and all the people within them. He was excited by the chance to hear of things he obviously didn't know.
The other men were wary but they did join in telling their own stories of distant places. The boy was obviously sheltered, even for a Faerin. He was also obviously the master of this camp. Only Wadi, the guard that had first spoken to the travelers, ever questioned the boy and even he backed down to the child's whim when reminded of his place. And that place was protecting the boy. He stayed close, always at the child's left side and watching the strangers suspiciously - Quintus in particular.
As the fire died down the dancers and other men wandered off to tents for sleep. The circle of guards around the camp were replaced by others freshly woken from tents to take their place. The boy yawned and Wadi mentioned something that likely translated to sleep.
"I suppose," the boy mumbled, rubbing his eyes, then flashed a fanged grin at Sam. "You will stay the rest won't you?" he asked excitedly, "You may sleep in my tent and we can continue telling stories when we wake."
This suggestion did not please Wadi but the boy didn't give him time to complain before he said something even worse. "Maybe you can come with us to the Temple" the boy beamed at the idea but Wadi shook his head.
"No," the guard cut in firmly. "You have fed them. Let them wash. They can sleep by the fire or in the servant's tent but they are not coming to the Temple."
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Posted: Thu Apr 26, 2012 8:34 am
Pango rolled hazel eyes at the paladin again and turned away with a sigh to lead the quiet companions through the roses and toward a large double door at the back of the garden. The youth did not offer explanation beyond the reminder to Alex of why they were here, which meant nothing to the others, but Pango moved with purpose opening the heavy iron and oak doors with a grunting shove then walking through to another vaulted hall.
Their footsteps echoed in the empty dark of what looked to be a cathedral chamber. Tall, arched ceilings were held up on fluted columns and lit only dimly by softly glowing torches every ten paces or so. The chamber was silent, the quiet of a sleeping place, but there was a lived in quality to it. The floors and corners were clean, not a single cobweb, and small tables between columns were decorated with fresh flowers, books, statues, and other trinkets that made it feel more like a home. Painted portraits of noble men in shining armor hung above the little tables and brass plaques labeled them great knights and paladins of The Order.
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Posted: Thu Apr 26, 2012 10:54 am
A logic gate popped and a quick memory scan was made. Yes, this fit the description perfectly. Mystic speech largely relegated to a realm beyond the real one. Simple but elegant vestments. Yes, Mac knew what this woman was. She was a pastor.
In short, most of the conversation had probably been metaphorical. She had still been remarkably unhelpful, but perhaps that would change here, shortly. Of course, here was the trouble: She wanted something. Protocol was extremely clear on this. Only those at the peak of the chain of command were authorized to negotiate on any matter regarding government time.
Of course, at this particular moment, Mac was at the peak of the chain of command.
"<>" Mac informed her, "<>"
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Posted: Fri Apr 27, 2012 12:12 am
"Huh. No women," Linda observed as she looked at the portraits. Clearly, in her mind, this order must have been very bad at magic (for where she came from magical affinity was much stronger in women than men) if they had such an array of notable members without a female portrait in sight.
Skurk narrowed his eyes. ☼ Cute bit, the flattery, but I know better than to believe the sincerity of someone who calls goblins wise. ☼ He crossed his arm. ☼ If you explain what this Seal is, where we might find it, what Temple or Temples you speak of, what the Seal does, why you need it, and how you're going to send us back- ☼ He'd raised his thumb and the two following fingers then lowered them as he indicating each item on his list. ☼ Then, after that, the offer will be in consideration while we determine if your statements can be corroborated by someone or something. ☼
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Posted: Fri Apr 27, 2012 8:56 pm
The Lady smiled at the two non-believers and shook her head slowly as she gently stroked the unicorn's forelock. "An artifact, little one," the chorus purred. "An object of great power from my Temple. One of the Nine that protect this world. And that is what it does, why I need it. To protect my forest. This world. And with it I can send you home." She smiled sweetly then gave Mac a sorry look.
"But I am afraid I do not know who took it or why," she frowned slightly and shook her head. "A paladin came. Left. The demons came. . ." she drifted off with a look of concern.
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Posted: Fri Apr 27, 2012 9:12 pm
☼ Oy, hold off a second. ☼ Skurk frowned. ☼ Protecting them from what? And what's this about paladins and 'demons'? You really are going to need to lay out all the information for us to go about this. We don't even know what this Seal looks like. ☼
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Posted: Fri Apr 27, 2012 9:21 pm
It took the Lady a moment to react to Skurk's further questioning. She had been lost in some distant thought, staring over the water of the forest's lake as smoke curled over its surface. But she did, after that pause, blink and turn emerald eyes on the goblin with a subtle frown. "From the Nothing" she answered as if that had meaning, "The Seals keep the Gate closed so it may not enter. If they are lost, they are broken and the Nothing may seep in. Like a disease," her lip curled slightly in a sort of sneer.
"It must not be allowed," she finished with an authoritative voice that tugged against their wills - Castor and the goblin's at any rate.
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Posted: Sat Apr 28, 2012 11:30 am
The thing about copper, silicon, and steel is that they tend to react to magic in different ways than flesh, blood, and nerves. No synapses to tweak, merely transistors. And at the moment, Mac was incapable of accepting a new chain of command. Even were he to recognize the Lady as a goddess, he could not accept her authority. It was not possible.
These new concepts were similarly metaphorical. Nothing was not a thing that could seep in. It was, in fact, the absence of things, and implied that other things seeped away. So it must be a metaphor for something or someone else. Paladin was not a word Mac could parse. Demon was a thing of legend. Net result, best guess: She just wanted some Seal for religious purposes. Many people were motivated thereby. Mac could appreciate that.
"<>" Mac observed. Evidently it had been stolen to make this person unhappy, a way of making a point, like stealing the Cross from the Prophet. That had happened, once. No one involved had been left alive, of course.
---
Quintus smirked. It had been an amusing evening, and he had put them all on edge. So simple, it was. And now he was thinking that if they didn't want them in the Temple, there was probably a reason for it. Could be that they just didn't like people stepping on their sacred ground. Could be that there was something important there. Worth checking out either way.
"You'd deny us that?" Quintus observed. "I'd hate to have to think you don't like us." His hat was once again tipped low, half-covering his eyes, his mouth curled up as before. "We'll stay, certainly, either way, but, well. I thought we were friends. I certainly hope so."
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Posted: Mon Apr 30, 2012 11:09 am
The Lady gave the machine a warm smile then slowly shook her head. "It is not a simple thing to describe," the chorus spoke almost apologetically. "Its true form is a portion of another, part of the Wheel, but it may change shape to suit its. . . user." She paused with a weak smile then turned to Castor with a fond smile and lightly brushed a hand against his cheek. "He will know it when he sees my Seal," she purred to him then looked back to the others. "He will lead you to it."
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Posted: Mon Apr 30, 2012 11:23 am
The guard's eyes narrowed to slits and Quintus heard a deep growl in the man's chest reminiscent of a large cat before he turned sharply and reminded the youth, "Outsiders are not allowed in the Temple." His voice still growled though not as harshly.
"It's a stupid tradition," the boy grumbled back, "One my father was a fool to uphold. But I am not my father. I have no intent-"
"This is not tradition," the guard cut in sharply and the boy flinched with an offended look. "This is law and not one you can change. Now. It is time for rest," Wadi growled at the boy and stared him down, threateningly now. He'd run out of patience but the boy wasn't done testing it so the two stood staring each other down while the others around them, even the guards, grew tense and wary.
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Posted: Wed May 02, 2012 7:12 am
Skurk hissed in displeasure. The words he spoke next translated to:
☼ What do you mean the Seal changes shape? And how does someone use it? And what for? Every sentence you speak introduces more jargon and then you don't elaborate at all on the definitions. Would it be too much to ask for you to define and explain each thing that might be useful for us to know, as well as giving us information necessary to be fully informed about those things, so that we don't do what amounts to raw nitroglycerin? Because, really. Assuming you aren't lying through your teeth, if you want us to succeed, then making sure we don't do anything horribly wrong with it is probably a good idea. ☼
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