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 Posted: Wed Jun 03, 2009 11:12 pm
As she saw rather than felt Kyil gently catching her and easing her stiff body to the floor, Haellara found herself prey to all sorts of emotions that seemed to be vying for position, now that she could only voice them with her eyes. She was glad that Kyil had not let her smash to the floor, yet disgusted that he would touch her at all, holding her in his power, for that was surely the case now. She was helpless, and knowing that she was made her feel as though she would literally fall to pieces with shame and hate. Even now she focused on giving Kyil her most menacing stare, trying to mask the fear that was welling up inside of her. What was he to do now? Did he intend to use her? Kill her, for her threats on his life? Something she had yet to imagine?
When she barely felt Kyil manipulating her hand in order to make her let go of the potion, a tear of anger slipped from the corner of her eye. Stop it! she cried out in her head, the shrill scream of a frightened child. You cannot treat me this way! You have no right, you stupid male! My body is my own, not anyone else's and especially not yours! Stop it I say! Stop!! None of these sounds escaped her throat, and she felt herself panicking anew, almost to the point where were she able to speak, she might have even begged Kyil to release her. She hated being so helpless, so at the mercy of another. It stressed her survival instincts to the point where she wanted to just scream.
She heard every word Kyil said, though she wished she could have stopped her ears, or even caused his mouth to melt shut. She did not want to hear it; all the sentimental mush that she knew was the opposite of what a true drow was. She felt anger at having tried to show Kyil the slightest bit of mercy in keeping him alive, and here he acted as though it was the most henious thing she had ever done. She agreed wholeheartedly when Kyil stated that she knew nothing of love. Love was a weak thing, a bond that could be broken as easily as breadcrust. It clouded judgement and made one do foolish things, and even worse, it was able to make one put another's well-being before their own, and that was something she would never be willing to do. In the Underdark, nobody was worthy of that kind of attention.
Suddenly, she saw Kyil tilt the bottle in her direction, tilting the bottle in her own mouth. Her eyes widened slightly, the only movement she could make, and she felt fear well up inside her like a tapped spring. No! she screamed inside of her, You cannot do this! For the first time, there was raw panic in her eyes, the same kind she had seen countless times before in the faces of all those she had brought hurt upon, all those she had punished. Please, no! was the last despairing wail as she felt the hateful brew pool into her mouth. She felt no amount of gratuity as Kyil stroked her throat in order to make her swallow; had she the movement, she would have gladly spat the stuff out in the impudent male's face. Though she did not taste it, she could feel it beginning to take effect; her rage and fear beginning to fade in the background and being replaced by a strange sensation that left her feeling warm all over, as though she had a mild fever.
Before long, the rage and fear left her eyes, giving way to calm, then respect, and then......her eyes began shining with the adoration she felt coming out of nowhere for her strong, comely captor. She was still unable to move, but the view suited her just fine. Such lovely pink eyes! Such a stern yet gentle face! Where had he come from, and what was that bottle he had in his hand? Something urgently whispered in the back of her mind that his name was Kyil, and there was something else.....something she ought to be remembering...... But whatever it was, it was fast drowning in a sea of a strange, new emotion that she had never felt before. It was as though someone had placed a gently smoldering coal inside her breast, replacing her heart and blazing whenever her eyes roved across Kyil's face or stared into his eyes. She suddenly felt as though she WANTED to comply with this male; to do whatever it was he asked of her, even if it meant taking herself to the nearest abyss and casting herself down into it. She would do anything for him, if he would only let her up to do it.
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Posted: Thu Jun 04, 2009 5:53 pm
What he was doing was immoral...not that such a thing should have bothered him after all he had been through. It only borhtered him a little, as he easily saw the fear and anger in haellara's eyes fade away. She had intended to make him feel happy for..well..as long as she would have allowed him to live. For that...he should have been grateful. But this was just...it was a horrible means of manipulation. Kyil pulled the bottle from her lips, and he allowed the empty glass to roll away. There was a different glaze to her eyes. The potion had to be taking effect now...could he honestly act as cold as he had intended in the first place? Could he purposefully shun her and make her feel that pain?
Probably not... Kyil slipped his arms under Haellara and carefully lifted her. With her unable to fight or protest, it was easy enough for him to carry her to her bed, and he laid her down upon the soft covers. What should he say? What parting words? Kyil glanced down at haellara, and he sat himself next to her on the bed. By placing one hand gently beside her head, he leaned forwards to peer into her face.
"I do not love you Haellara. I never loved you. You are the only Mistress I did not desire to please. You have filled my life with more pain and agony then all my past days combined...but I do not Hate you Haellara. I understand why you did as you did. I understand why you treated me so poorly. I can accept this. It was my place after all. But I can not allow this to become my life. I...I do not want to belong to you anymore. I belong to Mikaril now. I know eventually you will overcome this. And I know that you will be angry. But.."
Kyil lifted his hand, and he began to gently stroke his fingers over Haellara's cheek in a slow circling motion. "Before I flee I will share with you something now. I will share this feeling you so scorn and give you a better glimpse of it's power. It has freed me after all."
Kyil leaned himself forwards then, and he placed his lips over Haellara's own. As he did, his hand slipped from her cheek and to her neck. Very gently, as he deepened his kiss, he pressed the release upon her neck. The sensation of feeling would shortly return to her body, but not control. Not yet. He could not risk Haellara doing something to him before he could free Mikaril...but he could do this certainly. Kyil's other arm moved to slide under Hael's upper arms to pull her limp form against his chest.
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Posted: Thu Jun 04, 2009 6:47 pm
Had she been able, Haellara would have felt herself relaxing and thoroughly enjoying herself as this drow whom she now loved picked her up as gently as a human her sleeping child and carried her over to her bed. She felt her pulse quickening, jarring her beneath her frozen body. This was it; he was going to be here with her, he was going to take her, and by Lolth she would let him do so! Here was the one she had been searching for all her life, though she had not realized until now that she had been searching for anything. If only she could move! She would show him how dedicated she was to making this work, for in spite of his position as a lowly male, he had found such favor in her sight!
But her elation leaked out of her like water through a sieve as his words came forth......and kept coming. How he did not love her, how he never did and how he planned to go away and not be hers anymore. She could not feel anger, only a deep sense of loss that hurt her more than anything she had ever felt in her life. It was as though someone had reached into her chest, found her heart and was squeezing the very blood out of it. Her breath became harsher, and her eyes filled with tears, turning Kyil's handsome face into a blur of colors. She wanted so badly to say that she wanted him to stay, that she would make it all up to him, that she would do anything for him, if he would only stay and love her in return.
The tears leaked out of her eyes and cleared her vision just in time for her to see Kyil's face coming closer to hers, and she could almost feel the soft touch of his lips on hers. She felt her eyes wanting to close with the sweet joy of the moment, but they, like the rest of her body, refused to respond. She wanted to return the gesture, more hungrily than he. She wanted the moment to last forever, or at least long enough for Kyil to reconsider and say that in reality they did belong together, and would be so forever. She wanted to hear those words, instead of the hateful echoes of what had been said before. The word 'Mikaril' seemed especially persistant; what was it about her brother that nagged her so? Did he have feelings for Kyil as well? She felt a familiar twinge of savagery; he could not have him! Kyil was hers, her own, her one true love! Only SHE was allowed to love Kyil; no one else could.
She took a deep breath in as the kiss grew stronger, and she half-felt the probing fingers pressing into her neck. Her body was slowly becoming awash with sweet warmth, as though she were stepping out of a hot bath. She felt her entire body go limp like a deboned fish, finally free of the accursed stiffness. She moved to embrace Kyil, but her arms still refused to respond. She found herself filled with bitter sadness, fueled in force by the potion; why was her body acting against her? She loved Kyil, and if she did not respond, he would surely leave! She felt him lift her up, and she breathed in his scent, traces of the perfume still clinging to him from the wedding; that's funny, who's wedding had they attended? She finally felt her mouth move in response to her persistent commands, and she struggled to make her vocal cords work. "K...kyil......I...I love......I love....." No more would come forth, and though it brought a fresh wash of anguish, it summed her distress perfectly. She loved.
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Posted: Thu Jun 04, 2009 7:18 pm
He held her gently in his arms...and out of the line of her sight...Kyil's pink eyes bore a terrible hardness and his mouth was fixed into a dark scowl. His hand stroked up and down haellara's back, his fingers passing over the soft and feeling flesh. He heard her whisper her words. Forcing them from her lips with such a desperate note. it did not please him to hear her speak those words. And it hardly pleased him to know what she had to be feeling for him.
She deserved so much worse. She deserved to be hurt as deeply as she had inflicted upon him. He could do it. He had her in his power right now. He was the one in control. Kyil tilted his head to place a pair of small kisses upon Haellara's neck. But...as angry as he felt in this moment...he found himself still unwilling to do anything more. It wasn't him. It wasn't like him to take such complete advantage of someone else. Gently Kyil began to relower Haellara to the bed. His pink eyes flickered over her face as he laid her properly down and brushed his fingers over her hair to smooth it away.
"Do not fear. The paralysis will last only another twenty minutes. When it fades though, I will be gone. This is the last you will ever see of me. Of this I promise. I hope you carry this lesson with you the rest of your life Haellara... this is all because of your choices and your actions. It did not have to be this way. Honestly...you are intelligent and beautiful enough..I could have learned to love you too on my own if you had not been so set on your path..but...these are the choices a matron must make I suppose."
Thus spoken, Kyil inhaled deeply, and placed his hand across haellara's breast. He would take one more thing from her before he left...her magic. As he had that one time taken her spell in demonstration while they laid together..now though..he took more. Pulling the magic from Haellara's prone body, he used it to bolster his own lack of magical energy. There...that was all he needed now. Kyil withdrew his hand, a sparkling glow of blue lights flickered from his fingertips, then he vanished from Haellara's sight. Invisibility would forever be his favorite spell. With it he could slink from haellara's room, and down the hall with the scurrying servants.
Kyil counted the seconds in his head as he made his way down to the Playroom. Opening the door, he let himself in, and dropped the spell the moment he was inside. "Master Mikaril?"
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Posted: Thu Jun 04, 2009 7:46 pm
"No..." The word was little more than a whisper, a puff of air leaving her mouth with traces of the potion coursing through her veins, making her heart race with what she thought was the truest of love. He could not do this; Kyil could not leave her here on the bed, cast aside like a garment that one decided they were not going to wear after all. She wanted to feel him embrace her once more, for all eternity, not hear the harsh, unfeeling words that reached her ears. Why could he not just love her the way she was? SHE loved HIM in spite of all the flaws she was sure he had.....somewhere.
"Don't....go....." she managed with some diffculty. "Love......Kyil....." She saw him come back, and hope shone in her eyes. Had he seen the truth at last, that they belonged together? She felt his hand on her chest; by Lolth, she FELT it!; and sighed at his warm touch, not caring about where it was. Suddenly, she felt something distinctly flowing out of her body, pooling itself into her chest where Kyil's hand was, and then simply...vanishing. The sensation left her feeling cold, and vulnerable, and frightened. She watched the glow of blue light dancing around her love's fingers, and her mind struggled to comprehend. Why had Kyil stolen her magic? Unless....unless he really was going to leave and he needed her supply of it.
Tears sprang into her eyes; she was glad to give him something of hers to take with him; may he treasure it and use it to stay safe and alive! But she would never forget him, never love again, not like she had loved him....dear, beautiful Kyil. Why? She watched him vanish, and she felt an honest-to-goodness sob in her throat, and as the warmth of the feeling returning to her body began sweeping over her like a blanket of comfort, she fancied she was being covered in blood, blood that oozed from her shattered heart. "Kyil!"
Pain mixed with happiness was an interesting mixture, but Mikaril felt it keenly. He had taken enough time to have grown accustomed to the uncomfortable stretching of his arms and legs, and the burns that ever so often sent up messages reminding him that a healing would not go amiss. But most of his feeling was inner, and had nothing to do with his body.
Kyil had been freed; he had done it all by himself. He was going to meet Lolth alone, but he didn't care. Now that the ownership papers were gone, even if Hael killed his friend for his part in the embarrasment in the throne room, without that claim, Kyil would not be winging his way to the Demonweb Pits. He was a wholesome soul; he just knew a god or goddess more suited to him would come and claim him. If not, he would at least end up in a purgatory realm, away from Lolth and her eternal torment. He made sure that his friend would be forever out of Hael's reach.
But what had become of him? He had vaguely heard Haellara ordering him to be taken to her room. He had faith that Kyil would find a way to escape, now that her hold on him had been broken, but would he run, or would he foolishly stay and try to take him with him? Would he have forgotten that he could not be moved from the rack, and trying to do so would only make him lose precious time that could be spent getting as far away as possible? No, he thought with a small smile that was more like a grimace; Kyil was clever, and more conniving than anyone in this stupid House gave him credit for. He would find a way, and Mikaril would always be with him in spirit.
He was contemplating life in the Demonweb Pits when he heard something that made his heart stop; the door opening behind him. He felt a stab of panic; surely it wasn't night yet! Had Haellara already done something terrible to Kyil and was coming here to gloat about it? Or was it Kyil himself, foolishly coming to rescue him? As Kyil's voice reached his ears, he felt relieved, though at the same time he fought down even more panic. If Haellara should find him now..... Fighting to turn his head in Kyil's direction, he called out in a panicked whisper. "Kyil! What are you doing here? You must leave, quickly; if Haellara finds you here now, we'll both die!" He silently added, and it should only be me.
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Posted: Thu Jun 04, 2009 8:05 pm
Kyil felt some relief once he was in the room and he heard Mikaril's voice. But..time was ticking by quickly, and they had so little of it before Haellara would be able to move. She'd come looking for him he was certain. Or at least she'd come here to see if he was present. Kyil swallowed the lump that had started to form in his throat, and he quickly crossed the room to look down upon Mikaril.
"Master.." He spoke with a choked voice. She hadn't even healed him! She had just left him like this as she came to claim him...Came to make him drink and be her's... Kyil's ears teared as he reached to loosen Mikaril's bonds.
"No..no she won't. I have dealt with Haellara." He spoke ith a shake in his voice, and his pink eyes blinked the tears away. he needed to focus. he needed to find some way to help Mikaril now. Not dwell on the situation. "We do not have much time. I have her store of magic to bolster me but I have had no time to prepare...I should have been prepareing for this..." Kyil lamented his short sightened actions before placeing his hands upon Mikaril's shoulders.
"I...I don't know how else to get you off this thing master. I am sorry... I can not leave you behind though. There is your room that you said Haellara would not be able to find right? After I get you free, do you think you can lead me to it? We must hide until you are capable of fleeing and here is much we need...it makes no sense to escape with nothing to help us survive."
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Posted: Thu Jun 04, 2009 8:36 pm
Mikaril couldn't deny that the easing up on his arms and legs felt wonderful as Kyil hurried about to unfasten his bonds. His skin seemed to almost sag as it fell back, and he took a precious moment to feel the sudden absence of the pain. Mostly because he knew what would be forthcoming. Kyil was here to rescue him, against Mikaril's own better judgement, and if what he said was true, that he wouldn't leave without him, he would have to get him off of this rack. And seeing as Haellara was.....elsewhere, it would have to be done the old-fashioned way. Why was it, he mused, that the old-fashioned ways were always the more painful ways?
"You....dealt with her?" He longed to hear more, to know of just how it was that Kyil was able to make it all the way here without Haellara, her guards or her new patron stopping him. But time was of the essence, and hopefully he would be able to hear more about it later, when they were both safer. It wasn't as though the memories of this place were going to fade right away. He could only hope that whatever it was his friend had done to Haellara, it would leave her incapacitated long enough for them to hide.
He nodded as he prepared himself, taking comfort in Kyil's firm grasping of his shoulders. "I can lead you there. And tell you how to bypass the traps. All we have to do is make sure that no one sees us entering the treasure room. The rest should be easy." He found himself wondering for an instant if he had forgotten the ways of making it through safely, since he had been gone for so long. He dismissed the thought immediately; that place had been his sanctuary for so long, kept him sheltered from all of the chaos that he couldn't control or feel happiness for; he would just as soon forget Kyil.
Feeling the grip on his shoulders tighten, Mikaril looked at Kyil steadily. "Just keep pulling; don't stop, no matter what, okay?" He was hoping that no matter how much he screamed, Kyil would still find the strength to keep pulling, even if it seemed as though he was dying. Better to die with no hateful magical monstrosity on your back like a leech, sucking you dry. Gritting his teeth and squeezing his eyes shut, Mikaril prepared for the pain as Kyil began to pull him forward, off of the hooks that bound him to the rack. It went against every instinct he had, letting Kyil separate him from this thing, but if any drow could do it besides Haellara, his friend Kyil could.
The pain was excruciating; he could feel the hooks almost angrily digging their barbs into his flesh, unwilling to give him up. He could feel the unreal feeling of his skin coming away in tatters and blood beginning to slick up his back like a terrible sweat. He tried to hold his scream in, but it came forth anyway, and his hands reached up and actually covered Kyil's upon his shoulders, telling him with gestures what words could not; to keep pulling no matter what. As the hooks slowly began to come away one by one, Mikaril wondered just how much of the liquid pain had seeped down into the jar. He contemplated kicking it over as they walked out, leaving Haellara with no more of his essence to out to her freakish uses, but decided then that it would just be another second lost to petty revenge, and every second counted.
When he felt the last hook giving away, he felt himself propelled forward, falling onto Kyil. Surprisingly, he felt his entire back succumbing to one massive, dull ache; hardly the terrible pain he had thought. But one look at his hands, which were shaking like an old man's, told him why; he was obviously in shock. He had to act fast if he was to keep his head clear long enough to lead Kyil to his sanctuary. Panting from the scream he had put forth, he carefully eased himself up and shuffled over to the cupboard, where he knew his clothes and armor had been stashed. Since Kyil hadsafely hidden all but his underclothes, which he had specifically asked him to leave behind for such a time as this, there they were, waiting on him. He gingerly pulled his pants back on; luckily they were easy, designed more for comfort than looks, but instead of putting on his long-sleeved shirt, he carefully draped it over the gaping wounds in his back and tied the arms around his neck. He hoped it would serve to keep dust out and soften the blows should he accidentally bump it someplace.
Turning to Kyil, shuffled back over to him, just in time to catch a hold of him as he felt himself teetering. Fighting to maintain focus, he raised his hand and gestured to the door. "Once we're in the hall, take the left corridor and go down the second set of stairs we meet. The next floor down is where the treasure room is. It's the big double doors to the right.....decorated with gold leaf."
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Posted: Thu Jun 04, 2009 9:05 pm
He wanted to stop the moment he heard the first scream break Mikaril's lips. But he dared not. Minutes were passing. Haellara would soon be able to move. What were the effects of a love potion? How deeply would it effect her? What would her mind push for her to do? After he had left her, surely that would have a negative effect on her? Did she know he had gone to Mikaril?
Kyil did not pull quickly on Mikaril, out of fear of making the wounds worse then they could be. Still...he could smell the blood's strong metallic scent in the air. Oh Mikaril! he wished depseratly there had been a better way to do this! The pulling seemed to take forever, in truth the hooks were only so long, after all, they would have reached into vital organs if they had been too long. Still.... The sight of them, hanging there red and with scraps of flesh caught in their sharp teeth... Kyil could not take his eyes away from them once they were revealed.
He was a terrible fool for that. He ought to have helped Mikaril, rather then waiting and staring at the rack. It was when Mikaril grabbed him, to help keep himself from falling, that Kyil was able to refocus on his master. Immediatly he reached to take Mikaril by the shoulder, and he turned to kneel before him.
"Here. Lie on my back. I will carry you. I can place a invisibility spell over us so we will not be hindered. You can speak your directions in my ear. We have...only a few minutes left before Haellara will come and we can not be slowed." He waited a few moments to feel the weight lean upon his back..and he felt his stomach lurch at the lack of weight. Mikaril was so light...he would hardly be a burden in the least. Kyil reached one hand back to provide a support for Mikaril and he rose.
First things were first...Rather then casting the invisibility right away, Kyil crossed to the door and cracked it open. A glance out revealed a empty hall. Everyone was probably in the chapel now. Well then...soon some would be running down here... Kyil exited the room, and turned to face within. His hand lifted and he began to gesture. "Close your eyes master." He spoke with a strange note of command to his words. A glowing ball...so similar to the one Hael had used upon Mikaril formed in his palm..and streaked into the room towards the hateful rack. Kyil used a foot to kick the door closed, and it slammed shut in time for a muted explosion to sound within the room. Yes...that would be bound to catch some attention he was certain. Kyil quickly followed with the invisibility spell to cloak himself and Mikaril, then turned to allow the weak drow to direct him to this safe haven.
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Posted: Thu Jun 04, 2009 10:16 pm
Any other time he would have felt a twinge of indignation being carried around on someone's back like a sackful of mushrooms, but at that moment Mikaril found himself complying almost mechanically, as though any idea sounded good right at the moment. He couldn't deny that he was glad for the chance to be off of his feet; it even served to clear his head a little, now that there were two less things to move and therefore push more blood to. At least this time around Kyil didn't seem to be having any trouble with him; he remembered the last time Kyil had had to carry him; he had been in full armor and undoubtedly much heavier than he was now. Of course, he knew it wasn't just his lack of armor taht contributed to his lightness. Ah well, he thought, one must take their small favors wherever they are.
When Kyil had ordered him to shield his eyes, Mikaril had complied without question and keenly heard the whoosh of the fireball, then the slamming door and the muted explosion contained within. He opened his eyes and looked at the doors in astonishment. All of Haellara's carefully constructed tools, her creatures, her rack.....some of the potions on those shelves had been there when he was a child! If Haellara ever discovered this, there would be no stopping her wrath at whoever was responsible. He hoped that for both of their sakes, by the time his sister discovered the smoking ruins of her playroom, they would both be safely away.
He watched keenly as Kyil dashed down the corridor in the direction he had indicated, confident that the invisibility spell would hold. The world shook with Kyil's movements, but he was able to identify the stairs and cling to Kyil as he quickly and smoothly descended. When they reached the bottom, Mikaril whispered for Kyil to go left now, watching for any signs of guards or servants. There didn't seem to be any; they were all probably up on the main floor, trading gossip and story versions of the incident in the throne room. So much the better, he thought as the large double-doors of the treasury came into view. After making sure that no one was watching, he bade Kyil to enter.
He smiled at the familiar piles of gold and treasures, even recognizing a few pieces that he was particularly proud to have stolen, including the chalice of the second house. But now was not the time to reminisce; in spite of his not running, he was beginning to find focusing hard, so he concentrated more on the west wall, looking for just the right mural..... "Move closer to the west wall," he whispered in his friend's ear, and as Kyil complied, he immediately spotted what he had been looking for; a delightfully macabre scene where surface elves were being torn apart by spiders of every size and description. He raised a hand and pointed at one of the larger ones beside a statue of Lolth portrayed as a nearly naked female drow; it was a widow spider, it's hourglass mark distinctly visible. "Stab it," he mumbled, "use a dagger, stab it and turn." He figured that in spite of Kyil's reluctance to hold a weapon, surely he wouldn't mind harming a rendition on a wall! Sure enough, he felt Kyil shifting around beneath him, as if searching for something that would serve to stab the spider. He didn't see what his friend had used, but he heard the familiar click as the implement was turned in the barely-perceptible slit that rested in the very center of the hourglass. He heard the statue move to one side, exposing the doorway behind it. He bade Kyil to walk forward, and listened with satisfaction as the statue moved back into place behind them. No one had seen them; no one knew they were here. So far so good.
He saw the very faintly illuminated room up ahead, and tugged on Kyil's clothing urgently. "There are chains ahead.....don't touch any of them....we might have to crawl." He felt Kyil lower his body and was glad; he remembered the first time he had encountered these chains, cursed with the most powerful freezing spell he had ever seen. Were it not for one scrap of intuition, he would have probably lost his fingers, to say nothing of the additional curses that adorned every chain except one; the one that when pulled would reveal the way to the sanctuary. It was hidden in plain sight, among hundreds of similar chains draped from the ceiling, almost all hanging from the same length, but spaced apart in a higgledy-piggledy way that seemed to have no discernible pattern. None but to those who knew how to look. Even as he lay on Kyil's back, Mikaril could see what he needed to by looking up. This way, the chains vanished behind the end ornaments, making them look like a bunch of pinpoints; one bunch in particular took the form of a winding serpent, its coils looping all around the room in a dizzying pattern. Mikaril spotted the one chain that from that vantage point composed the snake's head, and he pointed it out to Kyil. "That one there.....grab it, but protect your hands....it'll freeze you...." Knowing that Kyil would heed him, Mikaril dropped his head back down for a moment, almost closing his eyes and letting sleep take over. It had been too long since he'd had real sleep.....
The grating sound of the staircase appearing within the floor jolted Miakril back from the edge of sleep, and he pointed at the spot where there was now a perfectly round hole, where pieces of the sun-shaped mosaic had lowered themselves to form stairs. "Down," was all he said before clinging tightly to Kyil as he felt them descending. The hole was small and had not been meant for anything particularly large; Mikaril felt the top of the hole just slightly bump into his back, and he was glad he had decided to cover it up. He smiled as he looked around the room, so ordinary compared to the trials above. How this room had frustrated him when he had first come here! He had been there for hours before the answer to proceeding had finally come to him.
He urged Kyil on to what appeared to be a blank wall, and on the floor in front of them was a pool of what appeared to be finely crushed and liquified onyx, making a tranquil puddle all the way to the wall's edge. Mikaril leaned his head close to Kyil's war and whispered. "See the puddle? It may sound crazy, but we have to walk through it. It won't hurt you, but you can't breathe it, so you have to hold your breath. Just keep walking in the puddle until you reach the other side. It's going to feel funny because it takes magic away while you're in it, but you get it all back once you're out. I've been able to walk through it without stooping; I think it's just deep enough for you to not have to crouch. Ready?" Hearing the confirmation, Mikaril waited until the wall was just inches away, and the black glittery mess was right up to his face before he took a deep breath and shut his eyes tight. As he was submerged, he could hear nothing but the pounding in his own ears. To some, this would be the most frightening part, but to him, this puddle of magical negativity was like an old friend. He had come to learn that in spite of its gritty appearance, it only seemed malevolent toward magic. He didn't even feel a speck of it worm its way past his shirt to dig into his open back.
Then suddenly, he could hear again, and he opened his eyes to a sight that gladdened his heart. Here was his refuge, just the way he remembered it. The earthy brown walls did well to mute the glows and glimmers that came from everywhere; trinkets that nestled in their own special niches in the wall, or scattered thoughtlessly onto a shelf, and even a few emanating from a large pile in the middle of the floor; the spoils that in all his absence Mikaril had failed to return and put away. Laying almost at the top of the pile were the solid mithral bracelets and the gold ring with the purple stone; the spoils from his ill-fated bathhouse robbery. Hiding shyly in a corner was what appeared to be a bulky tent, obscuring something that gave off a glow much different from the calming blues and greens of the magical items; a hot, yellow light that made ones eyes water. The ony furniture in sight was a dusty bookshelf, empty save for a few sheets of paper, a cot, and a table and chair. to him, it was grander than the best palace in Undrek'Thoz, though it was only a small room.
Confident that they were now the safest they could be in his sister's house, Mikaril lowered his head and closed his eyes, murmering in Kyil's ear. "We made it; we're here. We're both safe now......." He wanted so badly to take one more look; to at least see how his roses fared, but his mind stubbornly refused to process anything other than, "You need to sleep. Now."
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Posted: Thu Jun 04, 2009 11:14 pm
Mikaril's voice was all that he heard. His eyes were focused only on the path directed before him. Kyil had not gelt so..strong before. So very determined. He was doing this. He was saving Mikaril. he was escaping with him. Together they were going to make it out of this demons den. As Mikaril revealed to him the way, Kyil did his best to move with a urgent speed. They needed to reach safty before Haellara came to look for them. She knew he was invisibile by now and he would not doubt she'd be hitting any sort of magic she had to dispell such hidden things. How many minutes had passed? Was she free already? And Mikaril..he needed to tend to his wounds quickly...
Kyil found himself looking upon a disturbing image, but he did not allow it to cause him to balk. Even as he heard Mikaril's command to stab it, he only paused to shuffel about in search of something. Stab...stab..what could...Ah! From the pile of gems and jewels Kyil lifted a long hair pin shaped in the manner of a throwing dagger. He flipped it carefully in his palm and stabbed it unhesitatingly into the painting. He turned it swiftly, and watched as the way was revealed before him. Kyil pulled the hair pin from the painting...and carried it along with him. It wasn't exactly a dagger after all and it did look rather pretty...
He soon found himself carefully slinking through a room of dangling chains. What were these? He could...magic..the place practically thrummed with it. If he did not already have Haellara's magic within him he'd have felt tempted to drain a spell or two away for his own use. Instead though he crept along until Mikaril pointed out a specific chain. He had little means to protect himself as Mikaril cautioned him...but he had the hairpin still. Kyil tugged his shirt down over his fingers and gripped the hairpin in his fist. Useing it's point, he stabbed it through one of the chain links and pulled upon it. He felt the chill effect the hairpin, and his fingers felt rather numb afterwards.
Navigating the pit was troublesome, as Kyil had to hold onto Mikaril as he descended and keep him from scraping the wall. It seemed like a very narrow staircase! When he reached the bottom, kyil spared no glances about him, but walked unhesitatingly into the puddle. Even if Mikaril had not warned him, he would not have stopped at the weird feeling of the puddles negative effects. He pushed on, his pink eyes closeing and his breath held as he swept through the darkness. It was...extremely uncomfortable for him though. Magic nullified? Kyil could literally feel the magic within him dampened and almost extinguished. It was with great relief that he pushed through the puddle.
The room was most likely very interesting. But that meant nothing to Kyil at this moment. The second he heard Mikaril's words whispering they were safe, he glanced about for a place to lay his master. The presence of the cot was a welcome sight, and Kyil crossed to it so he could transfer the wounded male down upon it. "If we are safe then I will now attend your wounds. Ah...Are there healing things here Mikaril? What about a healing potion?" Was he still with him? His voice had grown so faint during the trip...Haellara had to be up by now and looking for them...and he still needed to go back and get their satchels!
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Posted: Fri Jun 05, 2009 7:54 pm
Dancing along the edge of a realm of half-sleep that was drastically different from the pain-induced sleep he had become so accustomed to, Mikaril found himself slipping in and out as he felt his body being lowered until he was on his front on what he presumed was his cot. The prostests from the burns on his front were muted, and he found himself blinking back into a world of lights that glowed a serene blue and green, a small world that he had grown to love. He could make out Kyil's silhouette, a looming black shadow save for the glowing pink eyes, which he had to say went rather nicely with the other various glowing things scattered all around the room.
"Healing....things....." he mumbled, trying to remember. DID he have healing things here? He ought to have; he vaguely remembered a time where he had retreated here after Haellara had given him a particularly nasty round of play that had left him feeling like a doll that had been badly sewn together. He had had a pack with bandages, and salves; nothing quite so extravagant as a healing potion; he had always preferred the slower but more thorough natural healing that true sleep provided, so often as he could get it. But where had he stashed the stuff once he had finished? Had he had any left over? He thought he had, but he couldn't be sure. Well, there were only so many places one could hide something in a single room, especially when the item in question was so different from anything else there. He tried to imagine himself back then, sitting on the edge of the cot, grimly wrapping a bandage around his forearm and wondering for the upteenth time what he had done in a past life that angered the gods so much that they had seen fit to put him and Haellara in the same family.
He drew in his breath sharply, the answer dawning on him. Moving his left arm, he let it drop down beside the cot, and pointed to the space beneath it. He had stashed the remains of the medicinal items down there; stood to reason having them close by for when he needed a place to rest and recuperate. He knew there were definitely bandages, but try as he might he couldn't remember anything else. Much of what he tended to use was for sore muscles, not burns or open wounds, but seeing as he couldn't even remember where he had obtained that pack from, probably stolen from someplace, it might very well contain things that he thought he would never really use. Why not, he figured; they had hit the bottom of the luck barrel; now was as good a time as any to make their way back up.
He wanted so badly to sleep, but he was genuinely afraid that if he did, he might never open his eyes again. While he couldn't think of a better place to die, surrounded by the things that had offered any pleasure to him in his bleak existance as a Torlyl, he knew that it would be nothing short of devastating to Kyil. Not to mention the fact that as much as he was glad that Kyil was no longer facing a miserable afterlife as Haellara's pet, he was in no great hurry to meet Lolth or see her realm. He tried shrugging his shoulders, and the simple motion brought him awake enough to elaborate to Kyil. "There might be something underneath the cot; wrappings for sure, but I don't know what else....it's been so long since I used it last."
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Posted: Sun Jun 07, 2009 8:20 pm
It was curious in a way. Kyil felt a distinct lack of fear. he felt no uncertainty. What he felt was a urgency and a calmness settled upon him. How had this come about? Only yesterday he had felt weak and helpless. What had caused this change? What was the turning point? He could not determine it. Perhaps it was a collection of little things that had brought this about? Kyil's thoughts only half focused on these wondering things. The rest of his mind was rather keenly intent on his current task. Kyil knelt beside the cot after he heard Mikaril's words. That last bit had sounded more coherent, and he found comfort in that.
Beneath the cot Kyil found first a layer of dust. Sweeping it away with his forearm, he gave no thought to the pretty cloths he was dirtying up. They most likely had blood stains down the back anyways. And..they were bought for him by Haellara. He felt a flicker of confusion for a moment, but then he pressed it away. He had something else to focus on. His thought should not have been distracted by the fate of the woman outside these rooms. Kyil's fingers caught on the objects beneath the cot and he dragged them out to meet his knees. Yes...there was some sort of pack here. Upon opening it he was relieved to find rolls of clean bandages and some other objects he was unfamilar with. However he would do this. How much skill did it take to notice a wound and clean it? A furrther search of the bag turned up a slender glass tube with a familar glowing blue liquid. Kyil's lips turned happily upwards and he set it to the side. A healing potion! Well then! That would go a long ways to healing Mikaril up. Though...there was so little of it.
In order to ensure the potion was the most effective, Kyil chose to tend to Mikaril's wounds in a mundane manner first. He peeled the bloody shirt from his back, and useing folded bits of bandages and some clean water he dabbed the holes in Mikaril's back clean. The burns...the best he could do is not irritate them he supposed? Kyil plucked the healing potion from the ground by his knee, and he gently twisted the cork off. if he applied the magical elixer directly to the wounds...perhaps this would cause it to be more effective? It would not be wasted going through the whole of his body and it would only work on the effected bits. leaning forwards, Kyil expirementally dripped a few drops into one of the ragged raw and bloody gaps in Mikaril's back.
"I hope this is effective master." He quietly spoke as he dribbled only small amounts into the wounds. He would use half the slender vial on Mikaril's back. Then, once he judged he had tended to the worst of the wounds, he held the glass vial around and up to Mikaril's lips. "Here...drink this..."
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Posted: Sun Jun 07, 2009 9:45 pm
Mikaril found that he could not pay much attention to Kyil's rummaging around beneath the cot. As he turned his head toward Kyil to watch what he could, he saw little puffs of dust billowing up. He smiled inwardly; had he been gone that long, that so much dust could settle over everything? He found himself wondering absently how much dust was on all of the various slowing items, and if they were brushed, how much brighter the room might be. He fancied he could almost smell the perfume his roses were giving off, but he knew that it was probably his imagination. If he had been gone long enough for the medical pack to collect dust, then the water supply that he had set up for his roses had probably dried up; for all he knew, the tiny artificial sun was shining upon a dead bush. He really hoped that there would be something left; the first thing he wanted to do once he found he could leave the cot was to check. Or perhaps he could ask Kyil to check when he was done with him.
He felt the shirt being peeled from his back, and he felt the small chill of his wet back being exposed to the air. He felt the wet cloth being dabbed on one of his gashes, and turned his head so that Kyil couldn't see all the faces he was pulling as a result. Hearing his friend's whisper, he turned his head back around to offer him a smile. "It feels as though it's doing something, so whatever you're doing, it must be working." Had he been able to see his back, he would have been delighted as the largest of the gashes were beginning to close, leaving behind paler skin that with a little more time would retain its inky color.
Seeing the vial being held to his mouth, Mikaril moved one hand around to steady it as he drank. It was little more than a single swallow, but he could feel it working almost immediately. Almost as though laying on his front was making the magic focus more onto his front, he started to feel the burned parts of his front itching; it was all he could do to keep from scratching at it. Instead, he moved his elbows beneath him and raised himself up slightly, in order to give the burns more air as they healed. He could feel them healing over, flakes of black falling off like a molting bird to reveal healing skin. When he felt the burns on his arms beginning to follow, he lowered himself and moved carefully onto his side, where he wouldn't be lying on anything and irritating it while it was healing. He knew it would probably take longer since there was less of the potion, but he found that he didn't mind; he needed the sleep anyway, and he might as well be healing properly.
No longer worrying about falling asleep and not waking up, Mikaril looked at Kyil's glowing pink eyes. "Thank you.....I think I can manage some sleep now. I'm sorry there's not much to do here, but it's safe; Hael won't find us here. I hope we can......recover your books soon....we will as soon as it's safer....I promise...." The urge to let his eyes close came back stronger than ever. A small voice inside his head piped up, 'What about the roses?', but before he could voice that request to Kyil, sleep finally won out, and he let one of his arms dangle off of the edge of the cot as he willingly let sleep take him.
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Posted: Tue Jun 09, 2009 9:30 pm
It was working. Kyil could not put into words the amount of relief he felt as the wounds in his masters back began to knit shut. Soon his back would beak healed. Soon he would be capable of moving on his own. "I believe it is healing. I susupect applying the healing potion directly to the wound has helped it be more effective. We should remember this for the future, though I pray we will never have to make use of this knowledge." Kyil's pink eyes watched as Mikaril's hand steadied the vial and tilted it back into his own mouth.
Silently he hoped that this would prove enough to save his master of any more pain. Seeing him in such a damaged state. It was painful. Kyil set the bottle down as Mikaril informed him of their safety and apologized. "Please master. Do not apologize. There is much that can be done while you rest." Kyil attempted to sooth Mikaril as he watched the other drow shift himself about on the cot. The way the burned skin flaked from his chest..it reminded him of blackened paper in a eerie manner. Kyil lifted a hand and half reached for Mikaril's chest, then hesitated. He slowly lowered his hand back to his side. Mikaril most likely would not want Kyil brushing the dead skin from him as if he were dusting him. It would make him feel more foolish or weak. A dirty child being brushed off after a hard day of play. No...he could wait until Mikaril was completely asleep before he would begin to fuss over him.
"I believe you master. Rest now. I shall be here when you waken." Kyil urged Mikaril with a softer voice. He needed sleep. Real sleep. Restful in the dark comfort of safety. A healing sleep if ever there was one to be gained. Who knew how often Mikaril would be able to sleep like this once they left after all?
Kyil's attention was drawn to the dangleing hand. Mikaril must have fallen asleep so quickly. he reached his own hand forwards, and gently took Mikaril's fingers between his own. They were so thin...so weak looking. All of this time had worn heavily upon his master.
"Master." Kyil spoke the word aloud and felt a prickling of wetness in his eyes. His lips lifted into a silent smile. A true smile. One that he had not indulged in since they had arrived in this city. It was as he looked upon the sleeping form of Mikaril that...so much caught up with him. Mikaril was his master again. And him? he was no longer a slave. At least not one that could be identified. His ownership papers had been destroied. He was a free drow. Free as he was though...he still wished to serve. The term 'Master' meant something so much different now didn't it? Master...friend...companion...respected teacher. Kyil's eyes watered more, and he was unashamed when the tears rolled down over his black cheeks. Master...it had once been a term of owner. Of one who he submitted to the whim's of out of a acknowledgement of position. It meant something so different now.
Kyil lifted Mikaril's hand to his lips, and he pressed a small kiss upon his knuckles, before he tilted his head to hold it to his cheek. his features were lost in a moment of such happiness. "I will serve you. My friend. My...my dear friend. I will save you and protect you. I will never be so weak again. I will never fail you Mikaril. I will die first." Kyil slowly lowered Mikaril's hand and opened his eyes. Releaseing his friends fingers, Kyil wiped at his eyes and turned to inspect the room of wonder around him. Mikaril would surely sleep for hours. All of these things were his. Though he did not have the bags of holding presently, it did not mean he could not begin gathering and preparing his masters belongings for their trip. With Mikaril as light as he was, Kyil had no doubt he could not escape with his friend. All they needed to do was get out without being caught..though..with Haellara in love with him, she might not hinder them right away....
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Posted: Tue Jun 09, 2009 11:04 pm
Had Mikaril remained awake long enough to hear what he would think of as Kyil's outpouring of sentiment, he would have probably flushed as red as his roses with a happy embarassment. But though he fancied he could almost feel Kyil's fingers touching his as the realm of sleep robbed him of feeling, he was sound asleep before anything else could resgister. Here, all was calm and quiet; there were no monsters lurking in the shadows, no promises of more pain upon awakening. There wasn't even the vague fear of Hael finding him in repose and doing something 'fun' the way she had when he had been younger and sleeping in his own room. Ever since he had found the secret room and the letter therein, he had always been confident that his sister would never come here.
Occasionally he would feel something blaze its way through his subconscious as he slept; itching from the burns healing or a twinge of old pain in his gut that caused him to curl up into a ball on the cot, but it never lasted long, and he was still so deep in sleep that he barely seemed to feel it at all; just register it's presence. It was still so calm and peaceful; he almost could imagine that he was floating on the surface of the Glimmersea, but with the ceiling gone dark; no sould reaching his ears, nothing touching him, not even solid ground to plant his feet onto. Just a void where he could float like a stray speck of dust, far away from anything harmful. He couldn't help but wonder just then if his roses would be suspended like this when he moved them to their special bag. He had learned that plants, surface world ones doubly so, could actually become stressed if they were moved around too much, and could actually wither and die. But were they floating like this, he would almost envy them their peaceful journey.
He didn't know how much time had passed, but it seemed as though he was just beginning to enjoy the dreamless quiet when he suddenly found himself blinking at a light that surrounded him and caused him to involuntarily crouch down. He heard an oozing sound at his feet as he crouched, and he looked down in surprise to find that he was up to his ankles in some sort of brown muck, spread out in patches on a ground that looked as though it was covered in furry green mold. Droplets of water were falling all around him, but when he looked up to see where they came from, all he saw was a gray haze, like light smoke. He lifted his boot, listening to the ooze squelch as it relinquished it, and he plodded slowly ahead mechanically, unaware of where he was or where he was going, only that he seemed to be exceedingly tired. His shoulders were slumping and he passed by several strange formations that seemed to be brown pillars crowned with more mold with barely a passing look. The falling water dripped everywhere, causing the mold to whisper and making more of the brown ooze than he would have liked.
He suddenly heard what was supposed to have been quiet treading of footpads, but the muck caused the noise to increase, and he suddenly looked to his left and saw a huge creature staring back at him. It looked like a large cat, much like a panther, only it had fur the color of spun gold and red eyes tinged with yellow. His sister's eyes. His breath catching in his throat, he found himself running away from the creature, his strides painfully slow. He didn't hear any sounds of pursuit, but he could feel the same piercing gaze that he had felt upon his back when he knew Hael was spying on him. He suddenly saw a dwelling through the maddeningly frequent water-drops; little more than a stone and wood building, but at that moment, he just needed a place to rest and be safe.
Upon reaching it, he pounded on the wooden door, which was answered by a drow wrapped in the shadow of a robe and hood. He couldn't see any facial features, nor could he tell if it was a male or female, and the voice that issued from it could have been either, but as it bid him welcome and invited him in, he was only too happy to do so, the door shutting out the world of ooze and mold, and the hellish creature his sister had taken the shape of. He sat down wearily at a wooden table much like the one in his sanctuary, and more of the drow in robes appeared, soothing him with the peace that seemed to emanate from each one. He saw a steaming cup set in front of him, but before he could reach for it, he heard a knock at the door, and some instinct told him just who it was that had followed him there. He felt a spasm of fear as the robed one made to answer it, but as he lowered his head in an attempt to cover his face, he heard his sister's voice saying something, and he heard the voice answer, a definite touch of strength and firmness that had not been there before. He is not here. Leave. And amazingly, the door was shut, and the unnerving presence was gone.
He sighed in relief and felt himself tingling from the sheer peace that surrounded him like a tangible mist. He could still feel it when he opened his eyes and found himself looking at his sanctuary, the familiar glow of the magical items continuing to calm him and reassure him that all was still well. He could make out Kyil's shape as he walked about picking things up and sorting them for packing. He gingerly reached his arm behind him to feel his back, and feeling nearly every wound closed, he eased himself onto his back and turned his head to the side to look over at Kyil. "How long was I asleep? Have you heard anything; do you think it might be safe to make a try for the packs yet?"
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