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First Whispers ~ Part II
In which Morgan is shocked, several times.
Solo Roleplay 11




The next sensation was the feeling of cold stone underneath her and a barely there breeze that ceased once she stirred. Morgan’s palms came to rest on the stone floor and she pushed herself up enough to look around. The path was straight forward and back as far as she could see, beyond that was darkness. Where...where am I?

Get up; reach the end of the path and you’ll have your answers.

She pushed herself up further and got to her feet, examining her dark surroundings further as she brushed off her hands on her pants. As if a thought had triggered them, small torches blazed alight.

Now move.

Huh?

A small shock emitted from the floor and raced up her legs.

“SONOFA-“

And again.

“Alright already! I get the point!”

With that Morgan started down the path to the right, muttering to herself, shaking her feet in a feeble attempt to return a little more feeling to them when she hit another floor panel that sent a shock up her leg. She jumped backwards, ending up a few panels back, in a near crouch position and glanced about the hallway. The walls and floor of the hallway were seemingly bare, with the exception of the torches in braziers at set intervals along the walls.

Look closer.

Morgan scanned the path ahead of her again; nothing changed except the stone in the floor that she had stepped on had turned a shade darker than the others surrounding it. Something about this scene was particularly familiar to her and it took a few moments of studying the floor to recall the source.

Electrified Floor.

Finally, her brain seemed to be kicking in. It was a trap, meant to catch the unwary and overconfident who thought they could just stroll into a place. She was such an idiot, thinking that this was too easy.

Now what was the easiest way to pass safely through an electrified floor?

Something off to the side caught her eye. It was a plain staff, resting against the wall just a few feet away from her. Though, Morgan would swear up and down it hadn’t been there only moments before when she had looked.

Best not to look a gift horse in the mouth.

Morgan got to her feet and picked up the staff. When more closely inspected the staff appeared to have small haphazard swirled carvings on it, reminding her of smoke in some old Chinese prints she had seen. She twirled the staff in her hands a little to test its weight.

It was certainly very light and would likely break if it crashed into something too hard, but it would work well enough for what she needed at the moment.

She started walking again, testing each of the stones head of her in the hallway. It was a tedious process, but well worth it to avoid being shocked again because there was no telling how long this trap went on for and there would only be one safe path through it.

First Whispers ~ Part III
The Rain of Needles.
Solo Roleplay 12



Having finally left the electrified floor behind with only a few more small shocks Morgan continued on her way down the path at a brisker pace, making sure to keep an eye out for anything odd, as finding one trap usually meant there were a lot more.

An eerie impish giggle reached her, causing her stop dead in her tracks and send a shiver down her spine. She had a feeling the sound of the laughter might have been the other voice she heard earlier.

“Who in the hell are you!?”

What’s the first lesson to learn, when you have a Rogue for a dungeon master?

The voice seemed to have ignored her question entirely, only letting out another giggle.

Look everywhere.

Morgan’s gaze darted about again and she found her heart racing. Had she missed something important while she was walking along; A trigger, a door or an exit maybe? The search of the walls and floor were fruitless and she cursed silently, thinking the voice was simply toying with her to get her to panic.

Never forget to look up.

Remembering one of the oldest pieces and one of the most important pieces of advice she had ever received, she froze. Morgan cursed herself silently; she had forgotten to look up. Her gaze drifted to the ceiling and she swallowed hard as her eyes searched the ceiling for anything.

The ceiling was made of stone blocks, same as the floor under her feet the only difference was the small irregularities in the seams between the stones. Some seemed a little more sunken in than others. Was it a conscience or another trap?

She continued to nervously eye the ceiling for a few moments longer before making the decision to move forward. There wasn’t really another choice if she wanted to get out of this place, wherever it was.

Be quick on your feet.

For a moment her heart stopped as little telltale clicks came from the ceiling. She looked down at her feet; the stone her left foot rested on was pressed down slightly.

Damnit.

A whizzing sound was heard next and a small thin object plummeted down, clattering onto the stone just behind her foot. Morgan had a good idea of what it was, as she had used this trap often, to test how observant others were.

Rain of Needles.

She took off in a sprint as the needles started falling from the ceiling. Most of them clattered harmlessly to the ground, doing little except making it difficult to run while others caught her clothes and a few made it as far as skin.

Morgan only hoped they weren’t poisoned as well.

Only when the telltale clattering of the needles was far behind did she stop, resting hands on her knees trying to catch her breath and stop her heart from racing. She attempted to pick the needles from her clothes and herself where she was able, but some needles she just couldn’t reach easily.

The thin needles stung but thankfully didn’t impede her movement. Though, some felt rather deep and maybe shouldn’t be pulled out just yet.

She righted herself and stared down the path where she had come from and the small sea of needles glinted in the torch light. The sight sent a shiver down her spine.

That was too close.

Indeed. Continue on, not much remains.

She froze, gaze darting around when she heard the voice again. Where was it coming from anyway…or was she imaging it?

I’m definitely not from your imagination.

Morgan shook her head and continued on, trying to ignore the stinging of the remaining needles in her flesh.

First Whispers ~ Part V
Of Water and Keys.
Solo Roleplay 14






It was several minutes before Morgan peeled herself from the pathway floor to look ahead. Not far off was a doorway that lead to a room with a ladder in it. She chewed on her lower lip, considering the situation for a moment.

That was either the next, or simply the door to another level.

It is the exit, but you have to open the door yourself.

”What exactly do you mean?”

Go see for yourself.

Morgan started toward the door; she was determined to get out of here and find out what this was all about.

Be warned, once you pass that doorway, you cannot go back again.

She ignored the warning and passed under the small stone archway and she heard a loud almost mechanical click, only turning in time to see a large heavy iron door slide down into place.

“SONOFABITCH.”

Morgan snorted in annoyance and started toward the ladder, which was obviously the only other way out of the room.

“Figures…all this better be worth it.”

I tend to think it is, but you may have a different view. Focus on the task at hand.

She began her ascent of the ladder grumbling the whole way, toward the trap door in the ceiling, which was a fair distance up. However, halfway through her ascent the sound of rushing water began to echo in the room, almost as if it was close by…behind the walls.

Morgan looked down in time to see one of the lowest stones in each wall of the room disappear and water began to run in.

“s**t.”

Not good. Not good. NOT GOOD.

Her mind was racing now and she sped her ascent up the ladder, finally reaching the trap door at the top. First she tried the obvious and pushed on it, but the door wouldn’t budge.

The water had covered the floor by now and was making it’s way up toward the first wrung of the ladder.

It was only then that she noticed small lock on the trap door.

Damnit…where’s the key!

She clung to the ladder and looked around in a panic and a small glint of silver caught her eye from the far wall of the room.

The key!

Morgan went down the ladder in a hurry, jumping off a few wrungs up into the water that was rapidly beginning to rise and at the moment was up to her knees.

Great. Just great.

She sloshed through the water, eventually reaching the silver glint she had seen from the top of the ladder. It wasn’t just a key; it was a key ring, with quite a few very similar keys on it! It would take time to try all of these and that was something she was rapidly running out of.

Panicking now will only get you killed.

“You think I don’t know that!”

Morgan clutched the key ring and headed back to the ladder and hastily been climbing. Her jeans were soaked to mid thigh, the water had risen rapidly since she had jumped off and had continuing, following her up as she climbed.

When she reached the trap door the water was halfway up the ladder, getting dangerously close to her. Trying to ignore the cold she felt from the soaked denim she tried key after key.

This is taking too long!

She began searching the key ring for a key similar in style to the lock when the water reached the bottom of her feet. Only a few minutes left…and too many keys!

Her hands were shaking as she began trying keys again; the cold water was lapping at her calves. The shock from the cold caused her to grip the ladder tighter and steady her nerves just enough to get her to work faster.

The water continued to rise and finally she was nearing the end of the key ring. The water had reached her shoulders by now and with the cold it was becoming harder to breath.

When she finally made it to the last key the water was nearly at her nose as she forced into the lock. She was freezing by now and it was hard to force her muscles to work enough to turn it.

Morgan took one last breath and turned the key in the lock just as the room filled up completely with water. She let go of the ladder feeling herself slip away.

A little too close for comfort, but well done.

And suddenly there was a rush of awareness again as she woke up underwater, having slid down too far in the bath. She reached up and struggled to pull herself up above the water again, gasping for air...

All That's Left
The Trickster's shadow appears.
Solo Roleplay 15




The look on Tian Yue's face when he saw the tiger's eye gem nearly broke her heart. It was something she would remember for the rest of her...well...for as long as she had to live. Shaiming had been right after all this time. This gem, whoever this was, was the one who had really brought her here; finding Crispin and the Dragon King had just been a happy coincidence while they waited for the opportune moment.

Morgan made her way to her room after spending more time in Tian Yue's arms. Had he been willing she would've remained in his embrace the whole night, curling up with him in his bed rather than her own. His sheltering warmth keeping all the sadness at bay. With his distance though, solitude seemed the better choice for this evening.

The nerdling fell asleep when her head hit the pillow, after everything that happened she felt beyond entirely exhausted, she felt drained. Before she could fall into restful slumber however, something was waiting just on the edge to catch her. At first Morgan lay stock still, unsure of what was there.

You asked for answers.

I did. Even her own voice in her mind trembled....was this?

A shadow sat beside her on the bed, its shape was vaguely feminine though nothing else was clearly discernable. It moved to lean over Morgan, seeming as though it might be examining her to some degree. It chuckled when, likely out of reflex, Morgan pulled away; drawing herself up and back against the wall and very nearly hiding under the covers, not unlike a frightened little child might have.

It took a few moments of gathering courage, suspiciously eyeing the shadow that was far too close for her liking. What’s your name?

Tien, the Commedia Dell'Arte.

Wha? By the sigh Morgan heard, clearly the shadow of this 'Tien' was not impressed.

Trickery.

Morgan didn't dare move to lay back down until the shadow settled back into a seated position on the far side of the bed.

I need your help.

Like I have a choice in the matter? It was true, Harmodius himself had fused the Tiger's Eye gem to the flesh of her arm.

In answer something flashed by her eyes and Morgan froze instantly, gaze sliding to the side after a moment to a knife buried up to the hilt in her pillow.

Do not be smart with me. It is not simply a matter of restoring glory. I wish it were only that easy.

Then what else is there?

Finding what I’ve lost…all you see here is what remains.

The shadow pulled the knife from the pillow and it faded away as quickly as it had appeared and the 'hand' that held it came to rest on the bed, not far from Morgan's.

Perhaps you’ll be able to help me find the missing pieces.

Morgan stretched out her fingers, with the intent of resting them on the shadow’s hand, letting out a little sigh when they went through it. She should have known that would happen, it only made sense after all.

I asked for help, not sympathy. Now sleep.

I’ll do what I can.

Morgan felt herself drift again as the shadow of 'Tien' released her. She returned to the realm of wakefulness rather than that of dreams, rolling over in bed to let her fingers brush against the bandage that covered the gemstone and claw scars on her arm. It was likely she would find no peace tonight.

Firstly, Criticism
A lecture from the Trickster.
Solo Roleplay 16



Morgan lay on her back staring at the ceiling of her small room while Ser slept soundly on the floor. It was times like this that she envied her friend and her lack of another presence invading her mind. Tien seemed to have taken to jolting her awake at odd times during the night, whether it was done by accident or not remained to be seen. Not that it was likely the Trickster would tell of course.

A flutter of wings and the sound of a serpent’s tongue further punctuated the silence in the room, announcing that her miniature menagerie had awakened. A shudder shot through her at the feeling of a snake scales brushing against the bare skin of her arm, near the goddess' gem.

Don’t be such a puss.

You know I hate snakes.

You sleep with a Dragon King, girl.

That’s not the same at all, and none of your business!?

I’m part of you now; it’s hard to keep out of your business, even if I didn't want to. The goddess was definitely not impressed. Besides, you need to learn to be sexy, if you intend to keep that pet dragon of yours.

Morgan sputtered aloud and felt her cheeks redden. “But he said he likes me the way I am…”

Boring. A clearly unimpressed reply. Even if the notion is romantic he’ll hardly be content forever...

I won’t be around forever.

Not entirely anyway…so you might as well give him a good show in the meantime.

TIEN! Her blush deepened considerably as impish laughter rang through her mind.

It’s the truth you know it as well as I, Dragon King or not, do a routine too long and bores them, besides you are too clever to play sweet and innocent all the time. The point was serious, her tone not so much.

Have you ever loved anyone? Changing the subject! Hopefully it was a good enough dodge.

I’m not sure. An avoidant answer at best in a dismissive tone at that. But we aren’t talking about me here are we?

Apparently not good enough, another angle maybe? Both and neither, perhaps?

Don’t get smart.

Ha! I didn’t think you would be the sort to take things personally.

An annoyed snort and muttering was all that answered.

Tien?

Just get up and get dressed, no use in just sitting here doing nothing.

But Ser?

Then fetch your clothes and go the bathroom then…if your that concerned.

I just don’t want to wake her…because I can’t explain…well…

Me?

Well, yeah. How I am supposed to explain to my best friend that I’m going to die.

Stop whining, you’ll figure it out.

Now it was Morgan’s turn to snort in annoyance. Of course she would figure it out; it’s not as if there was another option at this point. Plus, she had to speak to Tian Yue again about what she had found out.

Stop brooding and focus on the task at hand, girl.

At least learn my name!

For Now, Adieu
Morgan departs, to find the Trickster and herself.
Solo Roleplay 17





Morgan had reluctantly crawled out of bed and now sat at Tian Yue’s writing desk, staring at the words on the parchment. She had penned a farewell of sorts, with assurances that she would return. Her hand shook as she set the pen down. She would leave it to the Dragon to explain to Ser where she had gone and that she did not wish to be followed. This was something she had to do on her own.

Her dreams as of late were not her own, Tien intruded often by peppering them with fragments and impressions from her limited recollection. Maybe it was the goddess’ way of asking for help, or simply it was something she couldn’t control.

Some shadows in those fragments she recognized, while others she didn’t. She had known her fate was sealed from the moment the tiger’s eye stone touched her skin, but she hadn’t been willing to accept the reality of it. That is until she saw the sadness in the Dragon’s eyes. It was all real, but she wasn't ready to disapear and leave him forever.

She didn't know if she would ever be, but what choice was there?



Morgan took one last look over the letter, only now noticing the tear stains dotting it. She folded the letter and wrote his name on the outside and pushed back the chair.

“Tien, give me the strength to do this…please…”

You already have it, go to him and say your goodbyes for now.

A sudden sense of calm settled over her as she got up from the chair and headed back to the Dragon’s bedroom. This had to be done before he woke or she would loose her resolve.

She set the letter down on the pillow beside him, where she had slept. It took all she had to keep from climbing back into bed, nestling in his arms and trying to wish all of this away.

Morgan…

“I love you…Tian Yue. Hopefully when I return, I will still be mostly myself…” Morgan whispered and felt herself start to cry. She spent a long moment running her hand through his hair and caressing his cheek.

We have to go…the aoide will be awake soon…

She gave him a soft kiss goodbye and did her best to believe that it wouldn’t be the last.

Memories in Music
Morgan meets Music and Tien recovers a memory.
Joint Roleplay 26

Introducing the Performer
Asherah explains herself and goes in search of Tien.
Joint Roleplay 27