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 Posted: Wed Oct 14, 2009 7:12 pm
You have no honor, do you?
The pendant flared into life, warming beneath Zach's fingers, the touch activating the emergency precautions set into the skull-shaped charm.
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Posted: Wed Oct 14, 2009 7:48 pm
"None whatsoever." Ivan smiled in response and touched the necklace.
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Posted: Wed Oct 14, 2009 7:55 pm
Emma's body moved at last as silver-blue magic enveloped her, closing the wound with remarkable speed. It was the faintest stirring of her limbs, but as the light faded she gasped and sat bolt upright, both hands flying to her throat. Her fingers curled around the warm silver instinctively.
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Posted: Wed Oct 14, 2009 7:57 pm
"Oh, good," Ivan clapped for Emma and smiled. "It worked. Now you can start explaining things."
Zach's expression turned from joyous to cold and serious in an instant.
"Like what the hell were you doing that caused you to receive a cursed wound?"
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Posted: Wed Oct 14, 2009 8:02 pm
"Playing canasta.", she replied with a grimace, her words dripping with sarcasm.
Her strength was returning quickly, but her magic was taking its own sweet time.
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Posted: Wed Oct 14, 2009 8:03 pm
"No one likes a smartass," Ivan growled, his voice and Zach's voice starting to become one again. "I'm being serious here. What was the sword? Who was using it? Why were they using it?"
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Posted: Wed Oct 14, 2009 8:05 pm
"Why on earth do you need to know?" Her hands uncurled from around the necklace, settling into her lap with all the grace and poise she could muster.
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Posted: Wed Oct 14, 2009 8:08 pm
"Well," Ivan thought for a moment. "I guess I'm curious. It's not every day you encounter someone with decent mastery over curses. Also I'd like to thank the person, because seeing you injured like that made me all smiley inside."
The truth was that Zach's consciousness was rubbing off on Ivan over the years and he was worried for Emma's condition despite himself. Oh, and the curiosity thing was true too.
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Posted: Wed Oct 14, 2009 8:12 pm
"If you want a demonstration of a curse I can certainly oblige you." She growled, omitting the fact that she had enough sorcery in her system to boil water.
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Posted: Wed Oct 14, 2009 8:18 pm
"Oh, please do," Ivan taunted her. "I'd love to see what you can whip up after an injury like that. I bet you could style my hair with a nice breeze. That'd be fantastic."
He stood up and offered Zach's hand to Emma.
"Don't bother trying to scare me," he said sternly. "You're old, I'm old, we both know the score."
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Posted: Wed Oct 14, 2009 8:22 pm
She took the offered hand, getting to her feet with only slight difficulty. Aristocracy practically radiated from her tiny frame.
"You might find it returns faster than you think."
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Posted: Wed Oct 14, 2009 8:28 pm
"I know I'm safe for the moment," Ivan sighed. "I know, for a fact, that even with this body I could curse you back onto the floor and there's nothing you can do about it. So stop acting so tough and talk."
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Posted: Wed Oct 14, 2009 8:32 pm
"The blade was not enchanted specifically for me, but the curse did well enough for me as well. Mingling magics and such. I do not know the wielder, an assassin of some sort. As to why, I do not know why for certain."
Her eyes flashed with fury.
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Posted: Wed Oct 14, 2009 8:34 pm
The sickness Gallon felt in the pit of his stomach returned when he saw the bird playing pool.
Somehow, he just knew it was the pink space marine despite the difference in size and species.
That bird is strong, Stranger thought, astonished by the way the sparrow smashed the cue.
Straying from the spectacle, Gallon turned in his stool, and failed to witness Vii disengage the thorn from his feathers.
Instead, Stranger began staring at his reflection in the mirror behind the bar.
Looking at the imitation he couldn't help but notice how tired he appeared, and soon his mind drifted.
To the place where he lost his arm. Where he had gained a different purpose, a new existence.
And then the questions came back, swallowing his mind and taking him into contemplation.
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Posted: Wed Oct 14, 2009 8:44 pm
"Okay, now we're getting somewhere," Ivan clapped Zach's hands. "C'mon, let's take a seat and talk about why someone would choose to assassinate you, of all people."
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