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 Posted: Tue Apr 29, 2008 1:18 pm
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Posted: Tue Apr 29, 2008 1:19 pm
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Posted: Tue Apr 29, 2008 1:20 pm
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Posted: Tue Apr 29, 2008 1:21 pm
~An overdue visit to Parvana~
((Done via AIM. I ain't transcribing that crap, as it's super-long.))
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Posted: Tue Apr 29, 2008 1:22 pm
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Posted: Tue Apr 29, 2008 1:23 pm
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Posted: Tue Apr 29, 2008 1:24 pm
Affinity/Aversion Quest (?)
Flitch will be surrounded by books for his quest, too. He'll be going to a library instead of a book store, and instead of finding books, he'll be reading them. A group consisting of four loud and annoying toddlers is waiting for him. Flitch must help each of them find a book they're willing to listen to him read to them.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- It was noisy. Flitch didn't like that. Especially in a library. That was just plain rude.
He was in his usual haunt of the library, hidden beneath an impressive stack of books and reading. Or at least, trying to read. Flitch was not having a good time of it, however. The library, while supposedly a quiet haven for book lovers such as himself, was today even noisier than the situation at home. Aside from him, there were four other little beings in the children's section of the library, neither of which were much older than his brother Iyachtu. They were all noisier than him, however, and that... well, that was certainly saying something.
As of this moment two of the four were fighting over a book, the other two noisily cheering on the spectacle. Flitch had peered over the rim of his current read to see that the two fighting were holding the book and pulling at it. In opposite directions, no less.
... That did it. Snapping his book shut with a firm thump, the little blue-haired Sin'aeis rose from his seat and stalked over to the four, his usually friendly smile replaced with an unusually stern expression. Clearing his throat, Flitch placed his hands on his hips and glared at the four.
"Stop that!" he exclaimed. "You'll tear the book."
Caught off guard by Flitch's intervention, the four fell instantly quiet, the straining hands on the book slackening. All four faced him, three boys and a girl. With a sharp wrench the girl finally managed to get the book and peered curiously up at Flitch. " We e'nt. I got it now."
Flitch frowned, his head tilting to the side slightly. "You were going to if you kept that up. Then you'd have to pay."
"Nu-uh!" one boy retorted. "Li-berries are free!"
"Unless you break the books. Breaking things is bad, don't you know?"
"They free! I broke one last time. I din' pay."
"Your parents did..." Flitch blinked. "Say, where are your parents? They should tell you to be quiet in a library... and not fight."
"Out." the girl said defiantly. "They go out and we stay here. And we can be loud if we want to! You can't boss us! You're a kid!"
Parents... abandoning their kids like this? Correction. Little brats like this? Shouldn't they be telling their kids not to be bad? Sure, Flitch had come here alone since he was their size, but that was different! He came here to be quiet and read. Not... not dumped to be bad! It was utterly mind-boggling to him, this situation. "I am a kid, yes. But! I'm a big kid who knows about libraries and--"
"Li-BERRIES!" one angrily yelled in correction.
"Li-BRARIES," he corrected back. "I come here a lot and know that you're breaking the rules by being noisy and bad. How about... how about I read you some books until your parents get back?"
"YEAH!" They exclaimed, followed by... well, it could only be described as a brawl. "I PICK THE BOOK! I PICK THE BOOK! MEMEMEMEMEME!"
Stars and stones. What had he just done? "Hey!" Flitch exclaimed loudly, attempting to pull the miniature brawlers apart. "Stop that! Stop!" It took several minutes to stop the four from fighting (in which he received several stray blows, bites, and scratches). After that little mess was over (and earning several disapproving glares from the other library-goers), Flitch had generated a bit of an idea on how to deal with these miniature savages.
"Hey! How about you all go choose one different book, and I read them all one by one? Everyone gets to hear a book they like that way..."
"YEAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!" They cried in unison, obviously pleased with the notion.
Ten minutes later, after much biting, screeching, fighting, whining, and attempts to curb said behaviors by Flitch, the five had managed to form a semicircle, with four little books stacked neatly beside Flitch. For now, at least, things had calmed a bit.
"All right!" Flitch began happily, glad things were quieter now. "Let's get start--"
"NO! NOT THAT ONE.READ MINE FIRST."
"YOUR BOOKS ARE STUPID, ROBBIE. MINE FIRST."
"NOOOOOOOOOOOOO. HE PICKED MINE."
"HEEEY! MINE'S BEST! READ IT READ IT READ IT."
Unsurprisingly, the four once again threw themselves into another fight, this time screeching at who got their book read first. Lord, what a headache Flitch felt coming upon him. "STOP!" He snapped, his patience all but gone at this point. "We're reading the books in the order given to me, you will ALL be quiet while the stories will be read, and if you DON'T be quiet, I am CALLING YOUR PARENTS. Do you understand me?"
The threat was (naturally) a lie, but it had the desired effect. The four instantly shut up and disentangled themselves from one another, staring at Flitch with wide eyes. It was a cheap move to play on the gullible nature of small children, but they were so bad this route was justifiable.
"Good. Now, we're going to start with the truck book. then the fairy tale, then the ghost story, and then the dinosaur book. And no complaining, remember? Now scoot in close so that we can all look at the pictures..."
And from there, things went... well, they didn't go terribly well, but they didn't go horridly bad, either. There was some complaining from the boys at the fairytale, but that was handled easily enough. At last the books had been read through, and a glance at the library's clock told Flitch that he should be heading home if he wanted dinner on time.
Closing the books and placing them neatly upon the table, Flitch gathered up his own stack of books. Looks like he'd get to read them at home. "Well, that's it for me. I have to head home before my family gets worried."
"Do you gotta go?"
"Mm-hmm," he responded with a nod. "I have to, or I'll get scolded. Be good, and don't fight!"
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Posted: Tue Apr 29, 2008 1:25 pm
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Posted: Tue Apr 29, 2008 1:26 pm
~Teen Quest: Good News!~
It was one of those unusually warm winter nights where Flitch was allowed to sit out on the back porch whilst Anvion and Varlen put the remaining boys into bed, the quartet happily full from dinner and worn out from a long day of play and mayhem. Iyachtu was the primary source of the mayhem, but that did not stop Mengde, Amaris, and Walter from joining in on the fun. After all, the pile of feathers earned from shredding the couch pillows was indeed a fun plaything.
Yet that mayhem was now over, and Flitch was allowed to savor the quiet of the house from the porch, blue eyes looking with the mildest of interest up at the stars. Mikael was out with him tonight, though the canine hybrid was always so quiet that it was easy to forget he was even there.
“Hey you two,” Anvion sighed in greeting as she slipped through the open porch door to crash in between the two upon one of the wooden chairs. She was tired, Flitch could see. But she always seemed to be tired these days.
Flitch smiled and offered a greeting back. Mikael, after realizing that she had come out, gave out an incoherent sound that passed off as friendly. His ears picked up a little as well, and when Anvion gave the canine a pat on his head, his dark tail wagged slightly in pleasure.
“Stars and stones, am I tired,” she sighed, slumping back in her seat. “Those boys are a real handful. And here I thought fighting evil sorcerers and the like was tough.”
At the mention of evil sorcerers and fighting, Flitch instantly perked up. “Like the time you fought the necromancer lord of Xvim? When you and Varlen had to chase him all across the Sword Coast and finally defeated him in the city square at Waterdeep?”
Anvion laughed, though her eyes darted quickly to Iyachtu’s room, her eyes flashing slightly. “Yes indeed. Though Flitch, there’s something I’ve been wanting to talk to you about...”
“’bout what?” he asked, ears perking up.
“Well... How to put this... Hm. You see, you’re growing up. It’s wonderful and all, but Varlen and I have been talking. You’re going to be an adult soon enough, and what he has brought up is that you lack, well...”
“Lack what?”
“Practical experience” she finished. “You’re a damn smart kid, Flitch, but your knowledge so far has mostly been confined to books. You can’t live in the books forever, and since I don’t know too many people around here in Gaia, I’ve gotten in contact with some old friends of mine in Toril, and you, my dear, will be heading there for an apprenticeship.”
Flitch was speechless. Him? To go to Toril? TO be an apprentice? COOL.
Anvion laughed, pleased by the openmouthed reaction she had received. “Yup. You’re going to be able to go on real adventures and everything.”
“I... I do...?” When the realization finally sunk into him, Flitch let out a loud cry in delight, flinging himself into Anvion for the biggest hug he could hope to give someone. Going on a REAL adventure! IMAGINE. REAL ADVENTURES. He had never been happier in his life. “Thank you, Anvi! Thank you!”
The elf let out a little “oof!” as the Sin’aeis slammed into her, but laughed regardless and hugged him back. “You’re welcome. But you’d better behave yourself, hear? Lord Davos is doing me a huge favor in this, so I want you to be the best squire you can be. He yells a lot and is very stern with his squires, but they’ve all become very notable knights. You should be proud he’s accepted you to squirehood. He hasn’t had one since... oh, since before I knew him. It’s quite the honor.”
Again, Flitch was struck speechless, though he recovered far more quickly this time. “Lord Davos... Hightower? Commander of the—“
“Former Commander of the Hand of Tor,” she finished with a nod. “The very same. Now, keep in mind he may not make you a proper knight. He’s going to keep you around for a few months before deciding if you’d be best suited for something other than knighthood. But at the very least you’ll get some good education from him, both in combat and in other matters.”
Nodding rapidly and eagerly to all this, Flitch rose from Anvion’s lap. “Yes! I’ll be the best ever! And I’ll write lots and go on cool adventures like you did!” A pause. “When do I get to go?”
“Four days,” she said as she rose as well, Mikael copying her motion of rising. “Best get packing and saying your good-byes to all your friends. You’re going to be gone for a while. Oh, and Flitch?”
“Yeah?”
“You must keep in mind- adventures are fun, but they aren’t always like the tales I tell you. Be prepared for anything. Okay?”
“Of course.”
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Posted: Tue Apr 29, 2008 1:27 pm
~Teen Quest: And So It Begins...~
The final days before Flitch’s departure passed in a flurry. There was lots of packing, a good number of letters to write to friends, and Anvion’s endless stream of warnings and advice. It was good advice really, but it was getting annoying to have her warn him about this temple or that city district, and who to keep an eye out for in Athkatla, and so on and so forth.
Due to numerous constraints (most notably Iyachtu for reasons upon which Anvion would not say), she would be unable to accompany him on the voyage to Lord Davos Hightower’s residence in Athkatla. Varlen would accompany him to Waterdeep, and from there he was to be flurried through a system of old allies and friends until he reached Lord Davos. It was all so terribly exciting!
At long last, the big day arrived. It came upon them faster than felt normal, yet at the same time today could not come soon enough for Flitch. The goodbyes amongst the family were short and tearful, and even before they left Anvion could not help but remind him once again that Adventures were not always fun and games. Naturally, Flitch took the advice as best as an excited child could take such a warning. He nodded and swore to remember it empathically, then almost promptly forgot about it.
When it was finally time to go, Flitch skipped upstairs to head through the door that led to Anvion’s library, where Varlen was waiting. The library was not connected to the house, as it was far too large to even consider moving from house to house. Instead, all the books were permanently placed within a great keep that overlooked the city of Neverwinter, located within Toril. While Varlen could have been able to cast a spell that took them directly there, he and the government of Amn were certainly not on the best of terms, leaving them to take the long way. No matter. He had business to deal with in Waterdeep, anyways.
The tall drow cast Flitch an appraising look as he entered, one silvery-white eyebrow raised. “Ready?”
“Yep” came the cheerful response, Flitch’s excitement over the affair overriding his sadness at having to leave home for so long. After all, this all was a big adventure in itself! “Let’s go!”
Varlen’s crimson eyes narrowed at the amount of enthusiasm in Flitch’s voice, yet nodded. “Good. Now remember we are to move quickly. The cities may be all pretty and interesting, but keep in mind we have a tight schedule to keep. No dawdling and no complaining. Understood?”
“Uh-huh.”
The drow nodded, satisfied with the response. “Good. Then let’s go.”
The portion of the trip with Varlen was quiet, almost boring. The drow was never a chatty or friendly sort, but Flitch didn’t mind. Less talk meant he could look around more, though he never dared wander far from Varlen’s side. Too dangerous, he had been warned. They did not stay long in Neverwinter, for the ice in the bay had thinned enough for them to charter a merchant vessel to Waterdeep.
While the notion of sailing was an exciting prospect to Flitch, the boat journey proved to be an incredibly dull one. The sailors wouldn’t let him join in with helping, declaring that he was too small. Varlen had confined himself to their quarters during the duration of the voyage, but it wasn’t like he would be much fun anyways. There were no books aboard, so Flitch had to content himself by watching the faint outline of the coast pass by from the deck. Boooooring.
Thankfully, the ship journey was a short one, and in four days the pair arrived at Waterdeep. Flitch couldn’t wait to get off the ship, and was the first to scuttle off the gangplank when they finally docked.
“All right,” Varlen explained as the pair moved through the crowded city streets. “We’re meeting up with two friends of Anvion’s—Buenor and Jaya. They’ll be your next pair of escorts until you three reach Baldur’s Gate. Write to me as soon as you reach there. I will be remaining here for a time.”
Nod, nod. Yes yes, this was explained already. Flitch was getting impatient by now. “I remember. Then at Baldur’s Gate we meet with Kalais, Osha, and Myrielle. With them we get to Davos in Athkatla. I remember.”
“Good.”
Again silence lapsed over the pair, and they did not speak until they reached the tavern in which they were to meet with Buenor and Jaya. The place was called The Laughing Minstrel, and even from outside Flitch could hear the noise of merriment and revelry from within. It seemed a very inviting place, and he couldn’t help but grin from ear to ear as the pair entered.
It did not take them long to spot their contact. Or rather, it did not take long for their contact to spot them.
“Varlen, you sour old spider!” A dark-skinned woman called out jovially mere moments after they stepped in through the front door. She waved merrily at them, and while Varlen’s expression immediately turned distasteful, he moved to the table that the lady was occupying.
“Jaya,” he greeted curtly, taking a seat and eyeing the flashily-clad woman in obvious dislike. “Where’s Buenor?”
“Out somewhere,” she shrugged. “Getting us another horse. One of our pack horses got lamed by some rock on the way. Recovering, but in no shape for the trip. He should be back soon, though.” Another shrug, and then the woman’s dark eyes locked onto Flitch. “Is this him?”
“Yes.”
Jaya made a cheerful sound, then slid around the table to examine Flitch. “Oh, he’s ADORABLE. You look just like your mother! Same pretty blue hair and everything. Oh Varlen, how’d you two get so lucky in having such an adorable little boy?”
“Lucky find,” was the terse reply from the drow, whose attentions were obviously more focused on the door than the conversation.
Jaya’s eyes rolled, but she made no comment. Instead she simply turned back to Flitch. “So Flitch, you excited? Your mom was so excited when she was telling me about this, I could barely understand her. She’s so proud of you, you know that?”
“Uh-huh,” came the response, as Flitch was unsure on how to reply to something like that.
Beaming, Jaya leaned back towards Varlen. “Such a pity you can’t come, dear. But no worries. We’ll—Oh! Buenor!”
She waved to a newcomer into the tavern. He was a dwarf, and looked like a solid wall of muscle to Flitch. He nodded gruffly to Jaya and Varlen, who also returned the nod of greeting. Then the dwarf turned to Flitch, giving him an appraising look.
“So, yer Flitch, eh?” The dwarf broke into a friendly grin, his white teeth flashing out from the tangled iron-hued beard. “Heard a bit about yeh. Look just like yer mum.”
Flitch opened his mouth to clarify that he wasn’t her biological son, but an even glare from Varlen made him change the protest smile instead. “Thanks.”
Climbing into his seat and calling for a tankard of strong ale, the dwarf then leaned in towards the table, as if to disclose some secretive information. “Werd says that there’s been sightin’s of bandits along the road south as of late. I think we should charter a ship fer safety sake.”
“Don’t be ridiculous,” Jaya said with a wave of her hand. “The Sea of Swords is far too treacherous this time of year. And besides, we can fight off the bandits if they attack. We can’t do the same with treacherous winter currents.”
Buenor, though he looked unhappy with the woman’s reply, nodded in assent. “I s’pose...”
“See? It won’t be bad. We’ve dealt with worse before.” Smiling disarmingly, the woman gave Flitch a small shooing motion. “Now you head on up to bed while we grownups talk a bit. Your room’s the last door on the right. Go on now, darling.”
What? Miss out on the fun talking and stuff? That was no fun! Desperately Flitch looked to Varlen for a hope at getting to stay, but Varlen shook his head.
“Do as she says. I’ll see you off in the morning.”
Awwww, not cool at all. Flitch gave the other three at the table a dejected look, but nonetheless murmured a halfhearted goodnight as he rose to go to bed. Drat. Oh well. Maybe they’d tell him all about their planning in the morning...
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Posted: Tue Apr 29, 2008 1:28 pm
~Teen Quest: Captured!~
The next day, Jaya woke Flitch just as the sun was peeking over the horizon. “Flitch,” she called quietly, shaking his shoulder. “It’s time. Get dressed and we’ll be waiting downstairs.”
Flitch, who was wide awake the instant Jaya’s fingers brushed his shoulder, was out of bed and ready to go in less than teen minutes. So excited was he to get going that the little fish all but flew down the steps, stopping just short of bowling into Jaya and Buenor. The dwarf gave a grunt and nod, whilst the dark-skinned woman beamed.
“My, aren’t you fast! This all must be very exciting for you, so let’s not dawdle any longer.”
The trio left the city just as it was finally stirring into wakefulness. Flitch was a little surprised that Varlen hadn’t turned up to offer a good-bye or anything of the sort. Ah well. He would probably been more surprised if the drow had shown up, to be honest.
As the sun climbed into the sky, the three rode along the southern road towards Baldur’s Gate, meeting a scant amount of travelers. Jaya remarked that the usually busy road was probably so empty because of the winter. Buenor reminded her that it was probably because of the bandits and that they should keep a careful eye.
Bandits! How exciting! Flitch imagined them to be like Robin Hood from the tales. Only instead of robbing from him and the others, they’d let them join for a little and they’d do sneaky but heroic things… like rob an evil noble’s castle or something. Just like in the stories! Curious with this prospect, Flitch’s eyes were kept wide open, peering around to keep watch for the bandits.
For a long while he saw nothing. Then, just as he was about to give up, Flitch spotted something move. Huh? What was that? Squinting, he tried to get a better look at the perceived movement. Yet for as long as he looked, Flitch saw nothing. Huh. Maybe it was a deer or a critter of sorts. How not fun.
With a sigh he turned to stare dejectedly at the expanse of empty road ahead of them, but then—another movement! And most certainly a humanoid this time. Flitch had caught the flutter of fabric as it ducked behind a thick patch of vines. “Hey!” he said, pointing. “I saw someone!”
“Hm?” one of Jaya’s dark eyebrows arched, and she peered at where Flitch pointed in mild interest. “Was it a deer, perhaps?”
“Nu-uh. Person. I saw something flutter.”
Buenor, who had been silent for almost the entire journey, scowled. He hefted himself down from his sturdy garron, pulling out a heavy axe. “I’ll look. Yeh both stay together. If—“
Buenor never managed to finish the sentence. Something whistled through the air, and what looked like a small stick shot itself into the dwarf’s neck. A fountain of red exploded from where the stick hit. The dwarf fell, Jaya screamed, and all hell broke loose.
Five or six figures erupted from the brush, all armed, all of them pointing their weaponry at the pair on horseback. Buenor was in his death throes, the armored figure jerking and twitching. Flitch could only watch the other figure die in a horrible sense of fascination. Part of him wanted to retch, but the attack had put him in some brief state of shock. All he could do was watch Buenor, his twitching weakening, before he finally lay still…
Flitch suddenly found himself being jerked ahead, the Sin almost falling off the horse at the sudden movement. Jaya had obviously taken over the situation, and had grabbed the reins to Flitch’s horse, kicking her own into a full run. The two mounts and riders broke through the loose ring of bandits, and charged wildly ahead, the band letting out shouts of frustration and rage as their prey broke loose. He was too scared to know what to do, too shocked to scream, too numb to even cry.
Oh gods. This wasn’t like the stories at all.
Flitch last all sense of time as Jaya led both horses as fast as they could go through the woods. All he could do was cling as tight as he could to his mount’s mane; eyes watching the scenery pass without actually registering any of it. This was just too much for him. Far, far too much.
Although the mounted pair crashed and stumbled through the forest as best they could, the shouts of the bandits did not lag far behind. In fact, now that Jaya had gone away from the road and into the thickets, the sounds were growing louder. The bandits were catching up.
Jaya seemed to know this, for she brought the horses to an abrupt stop. Flitch nearly tumbled from the unexpected stop, but somehow managed to retain his grip. Shocked, he looked up in time to see Jaya dismounting. “Down, Flitch,” she breathed, dark eyes grim. “Quick. No arguing.”
Numbly, Flitch did as he told, scrambling down. His wide blue eyes turned behind him, just in time to catch flickers of movement in the far distance. He did not need Jaya’s urging to run. The two tore off as best they could through the dry thicket, paying no heed to concepts like stealth, or even worrying about the fate of their mounts. The brambles and underbrush were growing in far too thick for their horses to be of any use, thusly leaving them wide open for easy targets.
Best to run. Run, before they were caught. But where to go? Even in his state, Flitch dully wondered where to run TO. Did Jaya know these woods? Were they near safety? He didn’t know. He didn’t care. Just run and stay with Jaya.
Although the panicked sprint had given the two a slight gain I the lead, the inevitable noises of the bandits approaching slowly grew louder once more. Oh gods. They were going to die here, weren’t they? Tears streaked down Flitch’s face. He was going to die out here. No chance to say goodbye to anyone, and no… this wasn’t how adventures were supposed to work!
So badly was Flitch’s vision marred by tears and panic that he accidentally slammed into Jaya as the woman came to a sharp stop. Eyes as big as saucers now, Flitch looked up and opened his mouth to protest, but Jaya shushed him before a word could get out. Instead of explaining her actions, she shoved Flitch into a large, somewhat hollow tree, pushing him out of immediate sight.
“Stay here and stay quiet,” she breathed quietly as she scattered leaves and twigs on his head to better conceal the bright blue hair. “I’ll draw them away. Wait before heading back to Waterdeep for help.”
And with that, she took off once again. Half-grateful for the option of hiding, half-terrified out of his wits at the fact that he was a single immobile target (hidden or not), he did nothing but hunker down and hide like he was told. And he kept quiet. Of course he kept quiet. If he opened his mouth, he knew he’d be shot like Buenor… or worse. He didn’t know what was worse, but he didn’t want to find out. At all.
He listened. The sounds of their pursuers grew louder, then quieted a little. They had passed without seeing him. More noises, some ringing of steel, then a woman’s scream.
All went quiet.
Not exactly quiet. Flitch’s pounding heart and rapid, shallow breaths both hammered in his ears. Oh gods. Ohgodsohgodsohgods.
“Hey!” a voice rang after several minutes of relative silence, making Flitch jump. “Found the last one!”
Flitch, whose face had been buried in his arms, looked up just in time to see a hand shoot out and grab his tunic, dragging him roughly out from the hiding spot. “Mavra!” his captor, a lithe young man called out. “I found the little girl!”
Little girl? Even as panicked as he was, Flitch still found the spirit to shoot a look at the man. Little girl? He wasn’t!
Several more figures appeared at the call, jeering almost lewdly at Flitch as he half-dangled helplessly from the man’s grip. A woman, obviously the leader of the bunch, pushed through carelessly and nodded as she appraised Flitch. “Good. The boss will like this one.” A pause as she eyed Flitch over more closely. “Mm-hmm. Odd-looking child. That may get us extra in Skullport. Quiet, too.”
…So he wasn’t going to die? He was just going to be sold off by slavers? Well, he’d just found out what could be worse than dying. Slavers were bad news, no matter which two ways you put it.
Perhaps he could escape somehow? The thought flickered through Flitch’s head, though he mentally batted it away. No. No way. Not now, at least. He was so scared he could hardly move, and as of now all attentions were focused on him. No way would he be able to flee, short of a miracle.
All he could do was hang there limply, and let the bandits/slavers/killers do as they wanted. He offered no resistance when he was bound and gagged, and limply let them start dragging him off to… wherever it was they were. Tears still flowed down his cheeks, and Mavra noticed. Her eyes narrowed, ever so slightly.
“Cry all you want, child,” she said as she fell in step with the nameless bandit who carried him like a sack of flour. “It will do you no good. But,” she added, her sharp features hardening “Do not even think of screaming or escape.”
She smiled, a sharp smile that made the blue-haired Sin’aeis inadvertently flinch. “If you do, I will cut your throat without a thought. Understood?”
A nod.
“Good. I am glad we understand each other.”
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Posted: Tue Apr 29, 2008 1:29 pm
~Teen Quest: The Boss~
The journey to... wherever… turned out to be a long, boring one. Flitch was carried most of the way, alternated between the members of the bandit gang. It was probably so that he wouldn’t run, but Flitch had no intention of doing so. At least, not for now. Especially not with Mavra watching.
It seemed like Mavra was watching the whole time. The woman walked behind the rest of her party, but her cold grey eyes never once wavered from Flitch’s face. She never spoke a word since the capture, either. She just moved along like some sort of silent wraith.
Creepy.
At last the gang passed through a large pair of gates that lead to a city. Darkness had settled in, making it difficult for Flitch to determine where they were exactly. Waterdeep, maybe? That was the closest place he could think of. But this wasn’t the way he and the others had left, so he had little idea as to where he was. Riding backward over someone’s shoulder didn’t really help, either.
Yet once in the city, Flitch was set down for walking. It was a relief at first, until Mavra herself came to clamp a small but iron-like hand over Flitch’s wrist. He flinched at the coldness of her skin, but the woman seemed to not notice.
“Keep up and stay quiet,” she commanded, and Flitch was more than happy to comply with her.
They went along a veritable maze of twisting windy roads, all of which were unfamiliar to Flitch… not like that was a real surprise or anything.
The trail eventually led to a surprisingly brightly-lit street, crammed with gaudily-dressed women and men of all walks of life. More women hung out from the windows, chatting and shouting out their wares. It didn’t take a genius to figure out where they were now. Flitch flushed at the mere thought of being in this place.
As they progressed through the streets, the members of the little raiding band diffused within the crowds, their numbers dwindling. By the time they reached a large but quiet building, only Mavra was present, still clinging to Flitch’s wrist like a vice. Without a word the woman pushed the door open and shoved Flitch in, pushing him up a flight of narrow stairs.
Flitch was trembling at this point. With only Mavra and her wordless path, his unknown destination was becoming more and more frightening with each step, fueled by his imagination and terror. Imagine his surprise then, when the woman dragged him through a gambling den on the second floor, pushing him into a small back room that was… well, it looked like a cozy little study. Old-fashioned, of course, but it seemed a comfy enough place.
There was only one figure in the room—a man, approaching middling years, with the clothing and build like a man who had once lived harshly, but had come across an easy lifestyle within the last few years.
He looked up as they entered, and smiled. “Mavra!” he exclaimed, rising in greeting. “How have things gone? I see you brought a little surprise. Come closer child, and let me look.”
Flitch was shoved towards the man, whilst Mavra responded in a flat but businesslike tone. “Raiding went well. My men are selling off the material wares as we speak. Thought you would want to look her over for a possible Skullport trade.”
The man nodded, circling Flitch slowly. “Hmm. She’s an odd-looking little thing to be sure. Pretty, though. Perhaps I’ll keep her for here. How good are you with money, girl?”
“Money? I, uh—“ stumbling over the words, Flitch tried to find a proper answer. “I’m pretty good at it. And math too... And reading…”
He almost added on a part about NOT being a girl, but the man’s sharp bark of a laugh cut him off. “Hah! Read, can you? Let’s see about that.”
He turned and rummaged through a mess of a bookshelf, idly chatting to both Flitch and Mavra. “If she can read and handle money, we can keep her for the den. Lann’s been complaining about lack of hands.”
“Lann’s always complaining,” Mavra interjected.
“So he is, so he is. But if she can’t read, you can do as you want with her. She’d probably fetch a decent price in one of the whorehouses or Skullport. Long as we turn a profit. Ah!” he pulled a leather-bound book from the shelf and handed it to Flitch. “Read a bit out loud like a good girl.”
Flitch took the book cautiously, wide eyes glued on the man. He seemed jovial and nice enough, but since he was a sort who consorted with these murderers… Tearing his gaze away, Flitch looked down at the book.
And gasped.
“What?” The man asked, is voice growing sharp. “What is it, girl?”
Fearful of holding an answer back, Flitch looked up with a surprised look on his face. “This is a copy of Volo's Guide To All Things Magical. Do you know how much this is worth? Anvion would kill for a copy of this…” he trailed off, flipping the book open and rifling eagerly through the pages, failing to notice the sudden tension in the room when Anvion’s name was mentioned.
“How do you know Anvion?” the man asked, suspicious. Flitch looked up and shrugged, unaware of the spark the name had sent through the room.
“She’s my mom. Kinda. She sent me here for—what? Why are you looking all funny?”
The man smiled and shook his head quickly. “Nothing. So you can read well enough it seems. And you know a bit about prices?”
Flitch shrugged. “I suppose. I’ve always been good at knowing how much something is worth.”
“Good, good…” the man nodded. “Little girl, it seems you’ll be working for us from here on out. You will answer to Lann for work, but we’ll have Mavra give you your orientation and,” a cough “training.”
…So he wasn’t going to get killed or sent to Skullport or another bad place? The offer seemed nice enough, but Flitch was suspicious, now that his brief bout of giddiness was wearing off. But then again, did he really have much choice?
And getting trained by Mavra? That was enough to make him shudder involuntarily.
However, he could not argue, as the man dismissed them with a lazy wave of his hand. “That’s enough now. Mavra, you know what to do with her. And I want the profits on my desk by midday tomorrow. That is all.”
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Posted: Tue Apr 29, 2008 1:30 pm
~Teen Quest: Training~
After the meeting was concluded, Flitch had little choice but to follow Mavra back out into the gambling then. Few paid him much notice, which was a good thing. Mavra received a few words of greeting and waves, though she simply brushed them off with a curt nod. She did not have to steer the fish this time, as the large room was tightly-packed with members of the organization. Flitch knew he’d be cut down the instant he tried to bolt.
He was led to yet another flight of stairs, yet this one was narrow and twisty, spiraling downwards in a tight arc. It led to a large underground room—obviously it was supposed to be used for storage, but it had instead been transformed to a functional underground training area. From what Flitch assessed, this was probably where Mavra and her cohorts operated from.
And on that note, he wondered what the man upstairs meant by ‘training.’
Mavra answered the silent question soon enough. “You will be working for Lann. He is in charge of the gambling den upstairs, so you will do whatever work is needed in the den. It’s simple work, but Auster also likes to employ a little trick to ensure his greasy hands fall upon a lot of money.”
“I don’t want to steal anything!” Flitch protested.
“You will,” Mavra responded in a firm tone. “Or Auster will sell you. That man let you off easy in there, so you’d best comply if you want life to remain easy.” Her eyes narrowed, almost to mere slits. “Do you understand?”
“…Yes,” the Sin’aeis unwillingly sighed.
“Good.” With that, Mavra nodded. “Pickpocketing is simple enough work, and with someone as small as you it should pose no problem. But you’ll have to worry about that and everything else tomorrow. You’ll sleep down here tonight, with the other workers. Tomorrow, though, will when it all will start. Be sure to work hard.”
And with that, she left Flitch alone in the basement, silently striding up the stairs. Once she was gone, Flitch felt a great pressure rise. What a scary woman!
But now alone, he could explore a little bit. He was exhausted, so after a quick sleep Flitch found an untidy pile of blankets. Sleeping gear for the other workers, he assumed. Good enough for him. He peeled off two from the pile, from which he made a comfortable enough bed in the corner of the room. There. Best get some sleep. Think out what’s been done and what needs to be done. Maybe… if things were like the stories… he could find a guard or person to bribe, and let him out. What then, though? That was certainly the question…
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Posted: Tue Apr 29, 2008 1:31 pm
~Teen Quest: Escape~
As Mavra said, the training began the next day. Lann came first. He was a slip of a man, with large green eyes that always seemed to pierce through anything. He was a methodical and organized sort, and instantly put Flitch onto the task of collecting money from the tables. “If you do well you’ll be put to help us sort the money,” he explained. “Until then, collect. Learn to watch and listen. The customers’ tongues can get loose, and information is sometimes more valuable than a stockpile of gold.”
And so Flitch did, dutifully circling the tables every night, listening in and giving Lann the night’s wins and whatever scrap of interesting information he had heard. He reported the information to Mavra as well, when he went down every night to practice with her before bed. She made him nervous, but still he relinquished every bit of information he could, as if hiding it would incur her wrath.
For weeks, months this pattern followed. Flitch quietly and compliantly went about his duties, doing little to attract any attention. As time went on, he slowly began to employ Mavra’s teachings, swiping the occasional coin or three from drunken customers, more intrigued in the ‘pretty little girl with the blue hair’ rather than what ‘her’ hands were doing.
It was just surprising how easy it all was. Easier still was feigning amusement in their drunken tales, prying in for anything else that might be valuable. He did well, and even with his incomes, Flitch managed to siphon away a little money here and there. He was going to find a way out, he was sure of it. And when he did, he was going to have to have enough money for getting himself back home.
More time passed. Auster was so pleased with Flitch’s results that he let the little Sin’aeis shoulder more duties. Flitch was even allowed to run up and down the city on the rare occasion. It turned out the city WAS Waterdeep, though that honestly helped little. Varlen was most likely long gone by now, and he knew none of Anvion’s or Varlen’s connections.
Still, he had hatched a plan of sorts. Guarded though he was while in the building or on the street where the den was, if he got past it he was home free. Mostly. But that was the hardest part, and if he got through with that, things should be well enough.
And to go along with his plan, he would need some help getting out. Not from a person on the inside. They were all too loyal (or frightened). No one would dare think of betraying Auster, for fear of the punishment he or Mavra would exact on them. So it was to the patrons and regulars. Even amidst all the scum of human life that came and left the building, there were a few who seemed like competent enough fighters. He was careful to pick out the dumber ones, though. Flitch suspected if he tried to play the helpless case to some of the shrewder patrons, they’d get suspicious and demand charge… or worse, turn him in.
It didn’t take him too long to find a suitable ‘rescuer.’ One of the regulars was some warrior of sorts, and while he boasted ridiculous stories, the man had proven himself a competent and capable enough fighter in several fights that had broken out here through the months (a common enough occurrence, really), and Flitch sometimes wondered how he had mastered proper speech.
Best of all, he had long fancied Flitch.
When the little fish had managed to save up a suitable amount of money, the plan was finally put into action. On a particularly busy night, he managed to sidle up to the man during a spot when Flitch’s duties were slow.
“Evening, Gregor,” he greeted with a smile. “Things going well tonight?”
This was a usual conversation starter between the two. They talked often enough, usually whilst Flitch was slipping a few coins from Gregor. The man never once noticed.
As usual, Gregor’s hard face split into a familiar grin. “Fish!”
“Flitch,” the Sin’aeis corrected. “Hey Gregor, can I talk to you?”
“Uh-huh.” The man rose, letting Flitch pull him to a quiet spot of the gambling den.
Once the pair had settled in, Flitch leaned in and let his voice drop. “Gregor, I have a bit of a problem. You see, I have a sister up a little ways north. She’s really sick, and I’m worried about her.”
“So go see her. Ask your boss.”
“I can’t,” Flitch replied with a shake of his head. “He won’t let me. SO I’ll need to sneak out. It may be dangerous, so I feel bad for asking. I’ll pay if you want, but I need help getting out. Please, would you think about helping?”
It didn’t even take Gregor five seconds before he reached his decision. “I’ll help.” Slamming his fist on the table, he nodded fervently. “I’ll help you, Fish. When do you want to leave?”
Flitch winced at the glances from the patrons that were caused by Gregor’s fist slamming, but he nonetheless smiled. “Tomorrow. While the sun’s up and the place is just opening. I have to run down the street. Meet me outside The Mermaid. We can get to the city edge from there.”
Gregor nodded. “Okay.”
“And keep it a secret!”
“Okay, Fish.”
------
The night passed quickly, and the next day Flitch was the first one up. There were a few chores to do in the morning before the den opened, and he got them tidied up quickly. His small sack of money was securely placed inside his sleeve, out of sight.
When the chores were done, he skipped down the stairs, as if he belonged there. The bouncer was at the door, as always. Seeing Flitch, his eyes narrowed.
“Where’re you goin’?”
“Boss is sending me out. Needs some stuff from the Spicers.” As proof, Flitch pulled out his little pouch of money. “See?”
The guard took it, looked at the pouches contents, and handed it back. “All right. But be quick.”
Flitch nodded as the pouch was handed back, then took off. So far so good!
As promised, Gregor was waiting in the designated meeting point. The big man grinned and waved at Flitch’s approach. “Fish!”
Flitch smiled, and couldn’t help but offer Gregor a hug. “You waited! Thank you.”
“’course.” The big man was surprised by the hug, but gave a pleased smile nonetheless. “How we gonna go?”
Hm. Small snag. “Well, we got to head north. And maybe find a horse. If you can get me to the gate, I’ll be fine on my own. Do you know the way?”
“Yeah.”
It was almost shockingly easy. Most of the gambling dens and whorehouses were asleep for the earlier hours of the day, and so there were no hidden guards of the street to accost them. All in all it took only twenty or thirty minutes to find Flitch a horse and the gate.
“Thanks,” Flitch said when they finally reached the city walls. “I really owe you, Gregor.” Reaching into his sleeve, Flitch pulled out two of his three golden coins, and offered them to the man. “There. Payment and enough to get you out of here. Auster might get mad if he finds out, and I don’t want you to get hurt.”
Gregor took it, blinking. “You offer a lot.”
“You deserve it.” Flitch grinned. “Thanks again, Gregor. I won’t forget how you helped me.”
Gregor gave a sheepish grin, tucking away the coins. “Thanks. Hope your sister gets better.”
“I hope so too. Bye!”
With a final wave, Flitch kicked his horse into a gallop, heading out the gates and to the north. From there he could find a way back to Anvion. As long as he was far away from here.
Ah, it was good to be free!
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Posted: Tue Apr 29, 2008 1:32 pm
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