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Sophia's Choice...


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Yep, been there done that with the alcoholic scene... I took your advice and ran for the hills, wolfie. I'll never deal with it again.

 

Oh yea, Aegis, I'll buy you a McDonald's Happy Meal if you follow through with eating the gravy-topped ice cream.

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Yeh.. I kinda wish I had the sense to take my own advice.. Lived with a certifiable nutcase alcoholic bimbo for 2 years. It was anything but fun.

 

You KNOW you're in deep Shtako* when you find yourself asking yourself WTH you've gotten yourself into on the day you move in...

 

But anyhow... You gotta offer Aegis something a bit better reward... Seriously? A crappy meal? Make it something worth the trouble of going thru the exercise. At least offer him a Big Mac meal. :4rofl:

 

 

 

*Shtako = Defiance word for feces

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Yeh.. I kinda wish I had the sense to take my own advice.. Lived with a certifiable nutcase alcoholic bimbo for 2 years. It was anything but fun.

 

You KNOW you're in deep Shtako* when you find yourself asking yourself WTH you've gotten yourself into on the day you move in...

 

But anyhow... You gotta offer Aegis something a bit better reward... Seriously? A crappy meal? Make it something worth the trouble of going thru the exercise. At least offer him a Big Mac meal. :4rofl:

 

 

 

*Shtako = Defiance word for feces

 

But dude, it's a crappy meal with a very cool Barney the Purple Dinosaur toy inside! :lol:

 

20r9ooy.jpg

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It's one of those mysteries that we probably really don't want an answer to. Guessing he was trying to spare you from actually trying gravy topped ice cream by giving you a hideous disincentive...

 

At any rate.. Sorry for the delay folks. This chapter didn't quite start off the right way. I got part of it written and the further I got into it, the more I realized I was going up the wrong path. Don't fret - the stuff I wrote will be useable - much later on, but it's something best left for an epilogue - not for the middle of the book (give or take a chapter or two)...

 

So I had to start over to a degree. I kept the first part - which was good to go, but had to rewrite the rest. Anyhow.. We're back on track.. :D

 

---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ----

A Frosty Idea


Sophia made her way to the tower’s medical bay and found Manda getting ready to leave.


“Greetings Manda!” Sophia said.


“Greetings Sophia! I was just on my way to grab a bite to eat.” Manda said.


“Great! I’ll likely join you, but before we go – how are Lurinda and the guard?”


“They’re actually doing a lot better. Both are conscious and are able to eat on their own. They’re even able to remember a few things here and there, but they will still need more time to recover fully.”


“Well that IS good news.” Sophia said. “I take it it’s still too soon for a visit?”


“All in all, I think it would be better if we waited a day or two longer.” Manda replied.


“I think I can wait. There’ve been a lot of things I’ve come across that I need to talk to Lurinda about. Stuff like that hologram projector in the main hall... There have also been a few phrases that people have used that have reminded me of things – stuff I should know.”


“Like what?” Manda asked.


“Like Smitty – he said ‘by the Creator’s seven inner minions’... I feel I should know them. Not so much that I should just know their names, but that I should know them – like I know you or Smitty or anyone else.”


“That would be kind of silly, the earliest memory any Seraphim has remembered came after planetfall.”


“Yeah. I know that. Still... I have this feeling that there’s something I should be remembering. Something important.”


“I’m sure it’ll come to you eventually.” Manda consoled. “Meanwhile let’s get some food before Loromir and Orphas eat all of the gravy!”


“Let’s go!” Sophia laughed in agreement.

 

---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ----


Following dinner, Sophia and Manda went their separate ways – Sophia to her quarters while Manda went back to the Medical Bay.


Sophia decided it would be prudent to get some rest – while there was the opportunity to do so. She checked her quarters for spies and got ready for bed.


She fell asleep hoping tomorrow would bring answers to the problems of today.

 

---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ----


Sophia woke with a start. Someone was pounding on her door.


“Enter!” she said.


The door opened and Karem entered and she was highly excited. Far more than Sophia was ready for. “Sophia! You’ve got to come with me! Quickly!” Karem announced.


“Unh... Slow down,” Sophia said, still half asleep. “Start at the beginning and tell me what is going on.”


Karem took a deep breath and gathered thoughts, giving Sophia a chance to shake off the effects of her sleep. “Hurry! It’s Smitty!”


“What’s wrong with him?” Sophia said her dread building.


“Nothing! It’s just that he’s come up with something you’ve got to see!” Karem replied.


“Um... OK, but can you tone the enthusiasm down a notch? I’m still half asleep here.” Sophia said as she dragged her sleepy self out of bed and started getting dressed.


“Whoops! Sorry! But this IS important!” Karem said slightly apologetically.


Sophia got her armor on and followed Karem to Smitty’s lair. All the while, Sophia really hoped Karem’s enthusiasm was warranted.


They arrived shortly thereafter and found Smitty running around a bit like a headless chicken. He was bouncing back and forth between a large drawing table, checking a drawing that was pinned to it and a workbench, full of bits and pieces that were coming together in a rather peculiar configuration.


“OK... I’m here. Where’s the fire?” Sophia asked.


“I’ll be with ye in just a moment,” Smitty said, “I just need to double check a few things to make sure they will work properly. Wouldn’t want any accidents.”


“Um... No. we surely don’t want that.” Sophia confirmed.


“OK... I think we’re almost ready – at least in theory.” Smitty announced.


“Ready for?” Sophia asked.


“Well... I’m glad ye asked!” Smitty replied. “For a weapon that could change the war!”


“Um... A weapon that could change the war?”


“Aye! Behold the blood gun! Or if ye prefer, the Bleeder!”


“OK...” Sophia said, with more than a hint of skepticism.


“It’s the answer to how to save the Dragons!” Karem said.


“OK. You lost me. Start at the beginning.” Sophia said, stifling a yawn.


“Och. Right. Well, we were finishing up making the last of the sprayers and we were discussing the dilemma of how to save the rest of the Dragons. And then it came to me out of the blue. As ye might know, we Dwarves are rather fond of pistols, rifles and other such arms. Since we’ve got some rather obvious physical limitations, we don’t do well with the sort of ranged weapons that Elves, Humans and Orcs are more famous for using like bows and the like.”


“OK, so what’s this thing do?” Sophia said somewhat impatiently.


“Och, I’m gettin’ to it! So anyhow, I figured out how to apply some Dwarven technology to the problem of how to get the Dragons to get a taste of Seraphim blood. The problem is, Dragons in their normal form aren’t likely to be lollygagging about waiting for ye to ask them nicely to hold their mouths open so you can put a drop in their maws.”


“That’s true.” Sophia agreed.


“Nor would it be good to have them bite ye either.”


“No, that would be very bad.”


“And walking up to them to do it – unless they were asleep – would not likely be possible.”


“Again, not likely.”


“So the solution would be to use a ranged weapon that shoots blood.” Smitty concluded.


“OK...” Sophia said, giving in.


“The problem is – as with the sprayers – the range isn’t all that great. It may spray a few feet from the nozzle, but beyond that it would be useless.”


“So...”


“So, the solution lay in figuring out how to make a drop of blood fly more than a few feet and stay together in one drop.”


“And the solution to that is...” Sophia said,


“...Freezing the blood nearly solid!” Smitty finished.


“Um... OK Except wouldn’t that take some sort of huge contraption – like the one used to keep food cold in the kitchen area?”


“Och, no! It can be done on a far smaller scale. There are a few things we would need, however.” Smitty said.


“Such as?” Sophia prodded.


“Such as an everfrost crystal and a vial of T-energy.”


“T-Energy – that stuff is dangerous!” Sophia exclaimed.


“Indeed it is, but it can be handled with relative safety, if ye know what yer doing. Take off that crown on yer head.”


“Why?”


“So ye can take a look at it, of course.”


Sophia did as Smitty asked and looked at her helmet.


“The big blue glow in the dark thing in the front – that’s got T-Energy inside.” Smitty said.


“I see.” Sophia said, more than slightly worried.


“There’s nothing to worry about Sophia,” Karem added, “Maria wore that crown for a very, very long time and nothing bad ever happened to her from wearing it. The Volunteers have created a number of weapons for our teams that are based on T-Energy.”


“True enough. So I suspect we’ll need to contact Testa?” Sophia asked.


“Well... Um... Do we have to?” Smitty asked.


“Smitty, your idea is actually quite brilliant. But I’d like him to take a look at what you’ve got. He might be able to maybe give you some valuable insight. He IS, after all, the smartest man on Ancaria since the Creator.”


“Aye, I suppose he is.” Smitty agreed.


“Good. Now, on your own, how long would it take you to get this thing put together and make it work?” Sophia asked.


“Maybe a few days – but no more than a week.”


“OK. But I want that weapon done yesterday. We’ve been detoured and sidetracked enough. I am sick and tired of it. I want to take the fight to the Carnach and end this war once and for all!”


“Aye... I see yer point.” Smitty grudgingly admitted.


“Good. So in the morning, I’m going to pay a visit to the Volunteers and we’ll get the ball rolling.” Sophia said. “In the mean time, if no one has any objections, I’m going back to bed. And I suggest you two get some rest as well. If this idea of yours works – and I’m sure you’ll get it to do so, I want to produce enough of these to arm every team that goes out and that, I’m sure that will keep you two so busy you won’t have time for any rest. Best get what you can while you have the chance!”


“Aye... We’ll get some rest.” Smitty said,


“Yes Sophia!” Karem added.


“And on that note, have a nice rest of the night.” Sophia said as she made her way to the cavern exit.

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It had not occurred to me to work in guns. Interesting.

 

Yah. But it kinda makes sense - given in Sacred 1, the Dwarf is the only one who gets to use firearms...

 

It needs to be a BFG: 'Blood-Firing Gun'

:mafia:

 

Yeah... But there already is a BeeEffGee... Can't get them confused. Gotta give it a cool name - like 'The Bleeder'...

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Welp.. It's been a while but I think this installment is worth the wait. The delay for this chapter had to do a bit with it's length, but mostly because I had a few thoughts and insights into a character that will become clear and I wanted to make sure I got it right. We first get a tour of central Artamark north of Black Oaks and find the beginnings of the religion of the Sacred 2 era...

 

And then, we get to meet Mer-Kil - a main quest character from Sacred 2... And we find he's not quite what Sophia had him figured for...

 

---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ----
An Unexpected Complication


Sophia woke what seemed like only moments after her head hit the pillow even though she knew she had been asleep since the middle of the night. She looked at the window and noticed it was just after dawn. She knew she didn’t have time to lounge about today – there was plenty of work to be done. She had to pay a visit to Testa at his lair, and depending on what he had to say, likely needed to hunt up some everfrost crystals. Those wouldn’t be easy to get. Those were only available in the northern most climes of Ancaria. Finding a genuine everfrost crystal amongst a land that was covered in ice and snow would be a challenge.


An idea struck her. She would need to take a detour to the library – this time to borrow Bethusela from library duty. Bethusela would be better suited to the cold climate than Loromir and Orphas. But they could handle the chilly but less than arctic conditions of the library for a short amount of time.


Sophia got dressed for the visit to the Volunteer’s lair in the human region. They’d done rather well for themselves in the last decade. The castle they moved into had all of the amenities needed – nearby food sources, water, a working portal and of course, shelter where they could relax during their off hours. It also was a very well fortified location. There was a human army based there with them – to man the defenses as well as procure food.


The castle also gave the Volunteers a place to hide from the sometimes overly grateful fans that had been popping up over the past decade. They had even gone as far as creating shrines to each one of the heroes along the path between the castle proper and the nearest town to the south – Black Oaks. Black Oaks, meanwhile had become a Mecca for pilgrims who came to the region to catch a glimpse of their favorite Volunteer.


Sophia got dressed and got something to eat at the mess hall. None of Sophia’s usual crowd were in evidence so she ate quickly and quietly, then left for Smitty’s lair. When she arrived, she found the cavern to be quiet.


“Greetings!” Sophia announced herself.


“I’ll be with ye in a moment.” Smitty called from somewhere in the cavern.


Sophia stood and waited as Smitty finally came around the bend, still tugging his pants up.


“Everything all right, Smitty?” Sophia asked.


“Aye. Just got done with my morning business.” Smitty said.


“Ah... I see.” Sophia said. “So... Are we ready to go?”


“Er... Go?” Smitty asked.


“Yes, I figure it would be easier to go to them rather than have Testa come up here.”


“Aye, but I thought I was supposed to be yer secret weapon. They have a blacksmith or two at their lair.


“Hmm... Good point. Very well, get what you’ve got together and I’ll go get him. I’ll be back shortly then.”


“I’ll be here...” Smitty said.


Sophia left the cavern and made her way to the portal. She dialed the Volunteer’s lair but the portal shut itself down.


“That’s odd,” the guard said. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen that happen before.


“There may be something wrong with their portal. I’ll just go to Black Oaks and walk.” Sophia said.


“Are you sure, my queen? Alone?” the guard asked.


“Yup. I’m sure. There’s just too much to do and too little time to do it in.” Sophia answered as the portal came back to life and she stepped through.

 

---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ----


Sophia arrived in Black Oaks moments later. The village was still relatively quiet with only a few people wandering about, doing their early morning chores. Sophia turned toward the eastern gate of the village of Black Oaks and headed east along the road. She took a left at the intersection of a dirt path and the main road as the dirt path lead to the castle proper.


Along the way, Sophia noted another dirt path breaking off the main path toward the right. Sophia decided to take a short detour – just for the sake of curiosity. She was curious about these shrines. She walked along the path until a Human man approached her.


“Greetings and Salutations!” the man said, “Welcome to the Shrine of Testa! I am Korvan, keeper of the Shrine!”


“Greetings and Salutations,” Sophia replied. “I am Sophia.”


“My queen! It’s not very often that we get such nobility visiting my humble shrine.” Korvan said, quite pleased with himself.


“I’m merely curious about these shrines.”


“I see. And what is it you hoped to find at these shrines?”


“Honestly, I have no expectations. I believe in the Creator.”


“In that case, I sincerely hope you have no plan to judge neither myself nor my followers.”


“Judge you? Why would you say that?” Sophia countered.


“Because many followers of the Creator are, shall we say, quite upset with those of us who have decided to follow a different path. There have been incidents in Black Oaks where those who are loyal to the Creator quite zealously have come to blows against the followers of the Volunteers.”


“I see.” Sophia said. “On what basis?”


“They claim that we are heretics for not following the teachings of the Creator. But I say, what has the Creator done for us lately? On the other hand, these six beings have come to us from out of nowhere with power that more than rivals those of the Demons and Dragons have been plaguing Ancaria in the past decade and that they have used their power to defend all of the races against them!”


“Indeed, they most certainly have.” Sophia agreed. “At any rate, I must get going. I have business to attend to elsewhere...” She added as she noticed a small group emerging from the forest.


“By all means!” Korvan said as Sophia turned away and made her way back to the main path.


Sophia decided she would have to keep an eye on these people, if for no other reason than for their own good. She wasn’t entirely comfortable with the idea that people would stray from the path of the Creator’s teachings, she had to admit that Korvan had a point. The Creator had been absent for a very, very long time.


Sophia walked along the main path and saw numerous other branching paths with signs pointing the way to the various shrines, Kybele on the left, Lumen to the right, Forens again on the left and finally Kuan on the left again. She could see the castle looming ahead.


She turned from the main path onto the path leading up to the castle gates. There didn’t seem to be much of any activity inside the fortress nor without. She grabbed the big knocker on the gate and banged on the door.


No answer.


She stepped back away from the door and looked up at the parapets to see if there was any sign of life.


Suddenly, there was a rather large flash of red overhead, flying south. She turned to follow the object. It was already merely a speck in the distance. It could be only one thing – a Dragon!


Sophia made a mental command that traveled up from her mind, through her wings up toward the heavens to a nameless satellite somewhere above that summoned a BeeEffGee as she had done many times in the past. She leapt in the air as it materialized overhead and landed neatly with the weapon at the ready.


The BeeEffGee was a Seraphim’s biggest, most powerful weapon. It was as long as a Seraphim was tall and shot powerful bolts of energy at whatever target the wielder aimed it at.


Sophia wished that she could be on the other side of the wall – so she could be at a greater elevation, preferably on the wall of the castle itself so she could have a better shot at the attacker.


The speck in the distance was approaching the castle again – this time from the south. Sophia aimed her weapon toward the midmorning sky and waited until the big brute came closer. As the Dragon came into range, Sophia tried her best to judge the speed the beast was traveling towards her. She adjusted the aim of her gun to ahead of her target’s path and fired twice in rapid succession. Bull’s-eye! She hit the right wing of the Dragon and which howled in pain and nosedived toward the ground. At the last moment, the Dragon managed to open its other wing fully and that slowed the descent a bit.


Even still, the beast crashed into the relatively soft ground with a sickening thud. Sophia dismissed the weapon back to its home on the satellite above and ran quickly to where the red brute landed. She pulled her small dagger from its sheath, ready to make a small cut on her finger to draw her blood. She knew she had to move fast – to get to him before anyone else did if she was going to liberate the Dragon from the Carnach’s clutches.


She approached the big beast cautiously. She could see he was still breathing – though the breathing was labored, the fall stunned him thoroughly and she could only imagine how much more damage the crash dealt him, yet, she felt the need for a cautious approach.


“Greetings.” Sophia said. “I mean you no further harm!”


No response. The beast just lay there, wheezing.


“Open your mouth!” Sophia ordered as she got to the side of the beast’s head.


No response. Sophia noted that this Dragon was much bigger than Loromir or Orphas by almost half again their size.


A movement in the corner of her eye caught Sophia. It was a soldier from the castle running up to the fallen beast with a bow and an arrow in hand.


“Step back from the beast!” the soldier commanded with a winded voice.


“Halt!” Sophia countered, “Stay your bow!”


“No! The beast must be killed! Allow me the honor of dispatching this foul monstrosity!”


“There will be no more bloodshed here today, soldier!”


“I claim vengeance! This foul beast killed my father and my sister!” the soldier yelled.


“I said STOP!” Sophia put her foot down, using her most commanding voice. “If you don’t drop that bow now I will drop you where you stand!”


The soldier’s resolve wavered slightly.


“Will killing this Dragon bring your family members back from the dead?” Sophia asked.


The solider blinked for a moment. “Don’t be daft! Of course not!” he replied, still highly agitated.


“Then what will you gain by killing him?” Sophia asked.


“Peace of mind!”


“Do you really think so?” Sophia stepped toward the soldier, keeping herself between the arrow’s tip and the dragon.


“YES! My family will be able to rest in peace!”


“Then you’ll have to strike me dead with that arrow first, but think carefully. If you do kill me, there is no place on Ancaria where you can hide. I will haunt you until your dying day. And you can bet that my sisters will avenge my death by hunting you wherever you might try to hide.” Sophia swore as she closed the distance slowly between herself and the soldier.


The man’s resolve wavered slightly again as Sophia stopped directly in front of the arrowhead. Sophia made her move by grabbing the bottom end of the bow and lifting it up and moving it to the side. Sophia then swung a roundhouse right hook and cold cocked the soldier who promptly crumpled to the ground, unconscious.


Sophia turned her attention back to the Dragon. She moved back to the same spot she was before the soldier arrived. Sophia noticed the Dragon’s head moved from its previous position.


“I see you’re not completely out of it. Good. You can at least tell me your name.” Sophia said.


“End me...” the Dragon said.


“I think not.” Sophia replied. “I spared your life for my own reasons.”


“You do realize that should you heal me, I will likely kill you.” the Dragon said, “therefore the smart thing for you to do would be to kill me outright.”


“Hasn’t there been enough senseless killing?” Sophia asked.


“You call it senseless, but I wouldn’t. I would call it displaying our power and putting the fear into your hearts.”


“And yet, ten years later, we still resist. Do you not know who you are up against?” Sophia asked.


“Of course we know – a bunch of insects who think they can vanquish the power of the Carnach,” the Dragon replied.


“No. We are Seraphim and we KNOW we WILL vanquish the Carnach!”


“HA! Oww...! You shouldn’t try to make me laugh little insect,” the Dragon screamed in pain and raised his massive head, slightly opening his jaw.


This was just the opening Sophia was hoping for. In one swift move, she pricked a finger on her right hand and flicked a drop of the blood directly into the beast’s maw.


Sophia again summoned her BeeEffGee. She had a feeling the soldier had friends who would come looking for him – and a quick glance over her shoulder confirmed her suspicions. Two soldiers came running up with their swords drawn. They didn’t appear to be very happy.


Sophia turned to face them and aimed the BeeEffGee over their heads.


“HALT!” Sophia said with her most commanding voice. The two soldiers stopped in their tracks.


“You,” Sophia said as she pointed her gun at the one on her right, “Go back to the castle, and open up the portal. I want you to go to Seraphim Island and I want you to send a message to Manda, the healer. Have her come out here as quickly as possible. Tell her we’ve captured another Dragon.”


“I think not, guardian. There is a bounty on that beast’s head and we aim to collect!” he sneered.


“Really? You guys want to go up against me?” Sophia asked.


“I don’t see why not. There’s two of us and only one of you.” he replied apparently unaware of the power the weapon Sophia was holding.


Sophia wasn’t in the mood to be challenged. She aimed her gun just to the left of the soldier’s right shoulder joint and fired one quick shot. The soldier screamed in pain as the energy bolt struck his trapezius muscle and dropped his sword. She then pointed the weapon at the other soldier, this time aiming squarely between his eyes.


“Now then, you... You heard my orders – go carry them out! And amend the message that there is a soldier that was wounded and needs attention.”


“Um... I can’t.”


“Why not?” Sophia asked.


“Because none of us know how to do it,” he replied. “And Testa and his group aren’t in just now.”


“How do the Volunteers return when they’ve gone out somewhere?” Sophia asked


“I don’t know. He’s the only one who knows how to do it.”


“I see, then your orders are as follows – go to Black Oaks, take the portal there to Seraphim Island and fetch Manda, the healer.”


“Very well.” the soldier said as he trotted off slowly toward Black Oaks.


“And make it snappy! Your friend’s life may be at stake!” Sophia yelled after him. The soldier redoubled is efforts and ran faster.


Sophia turned around and saw the Dragon lurching towards her. She jumped quickly out of the way, narrowly missing the beast’s left arm that crashed down where she was just standing. The Dragon howled in pain.


“That certainly isn’t any way to treat someone who just saved their life!” Sophia said to the irate beast.


“Do you really think I wanted such help from you?” the Dragon wheezed.


“Such an ingrate!” Sophia replied. “And to think I was hoping we could be friends.”


“Why would I want to make friends with bothersome insects?” The Dragon replied, wheezing.


“Even insects can be beneficial.” Sophia replied.


“Only if you think swatting at them to be useful,” the Dragon said as he took another swing at Sophia.


“Exercise is a good thing. Keeps you limber and spry.” Sophia countered as she easily dodged the blow.


“Stand still already! I tire of this charade! Submit to your rightful master!” the Dragon said as he took one last swing at Sophia’s head.


“I am a free Seraphim. I will not submit to evil or those in the clutches of evil!” Sophia replied as she easily ducked below the Dragon’s claws. She realized this opponent wasn’t going to give in, though Sophia was quite puzzled as to why this was. Loromir, Orphas and Bethusela stopped behaving as if they were possessed by the Carnach’s evil almost immediately after being given Seraphim blood and yet this lizard was still determined to take her head off.


“I am not evil nor am possessed by it! I am master of my own destiny and my destiny is to rule this world!” the Dragon replied and took another lurching swing at Sophia’s head.


“Anyone who does not recognize the rights and freedom of others and other species and seeks to destroy them is evil. Anyone who follows the Carnach is likewise evil.” Sophia said as she dodged out of the way.


“The Carnach? He means nothing to me. He is just a means to an end!” the Dragon exclaimed, once again swinging at Sophia furiously.


“You don’t seriously believe that, do you? The Carnach is using you as his puppet and you don’t even realize this or you’re too wrapped up in your own delusions of grandeur to see it.” Sophia said, dodging all the way.


Sophia almost instantly regretted that last part. She definitely struck a nerve. The Dragon reared slightly onto his hind legs and tried to inhale deeply. Sophia recognized this as a Dragon’s most fearsome weapon – fire. She jumped forward and swung a fist directly at the Dragon’s now exposed chest, knocking the wind out of the beast. She jumped free as the unconscious Dragon came crashing down in front of her and took a deep breath.


Just as she exhaled, she heard a voice calling in the distance. She seriously hoped it wasn’t another group of soldiers. She turned to take a quick glance and noticed it was Loromir, Orphas, Torik and Manda approaching from Black Oaks along with the guard she sent to fetch them.


Sophia made a fist and pumped it – a universal sign amongst Ancaria’s troops to stop where they were. She eased back away from the fallen Dragon and made her way back to where her companions were waiting.


“Sophia! Are you mad?” Manda said.


“Shhh! The big red Dragon over there is taking a nap and I’d really rather not wake him at the moment.” Sophia replied. “You, soldier, very well done. Go retrieve your comrades. And no, Manda, I’m not insane. I have everything under control. Mostly.”


“Mostly? You look a mess!” Manda replied.


Sophia smiled. “No more a mess than when I was summoned to Maria’s side when she was dying and I’m still in one piece. I’m glad you brought the guys along, though. I’m not quite sure what to make of him over there.” Sophia said as she pointed over her shoulder towards the Fire Clan Dragon lying on the grass.


“What do you mean?” Loromir interjected himself into the discussion. Manda meanwhile moved off to help the wounded soldiers.


“I gave him some of my blood – and he still kept trying to kill me.” Sophia said, “That didn’t happen with you two, nor when we liberated Bethusela.”


“Let us have a look.” Loromir said as he focused his mind on the slumbering giant. Orphas too focused on the big red brute.


“Fascinating!” Loromir replied.


“Indeed!” Orphas concurred.


“You know I really hate when you two do that.” Sophia said.


But it was Torik who spoke up, “They’re amazed that you survived the encounter. The Dragon lying over there is Mer-Kil, the oldest Dragon.”


“You know him?” Sophia asked, mystified.


“Of course I do.” Torik replied. “I knew him for many thousands of years in the past. Come to think of it, he is the reason why I died and came to be in this body.”


“You remember all of that?” Manda asked with much amazement.


“Of course I do. Master Orphas has helped me remember much of what happened in the past.”


“I do not believe he is possessed by the Carnach’s taint – not in the way Orphas, Bethusela and I were.”


“Loromir is correct.” Torik said. “Mer-Kil was not touched by the Carnach the way all of the other Dragons were.”


“You mean he willingly made himself an ally of the Carnach?”


“Yes,” Torik continued, “The Carnach made Mer-Kil an offer and Mer-Kil did not refuse.”


“What sort of offer?” Sophia asked.


“It was the one thing Mer-Kil had always wanted - the kind where he would rule over all of Dragonkind – Fire, Frost, Magic and Poison Clans.”


“And in return?” Sophia prodded.


“And in return, Mer-Kil would lead the Dragons to war.” Torik finished.


“So that’s what he meant by what he was ranting about.” Sophia said.


“What did he say?” Orphas asked.


“He was going on about how it was his destiny to rule Ancaria,” Sophia replied, “and that the Carnach meant nothing to him and was only a means to an end.”


“This sounds very much like the Mer-Kil of old.” Torik said. “He is insane.”


That explains why the blood didn’t work on him.” Sophia said. “It can free you from evil, but it can’t cure insanity.”


“There often is a fine line between the two – just as there is often a fine line between insanity and genius.” Torik said.


“So what do we do with him?” Sophia asked. “Do we kill him as he wanted?”


“No!” Torik replied. “To do so would only allow the madness to run free. In much the same way I was reincarnated into this Elf child, he would be free to reincarnate into someone else. It’s best to keep a leash on such insanity for as long as possible. In the mean time I will do what I can to repair the damage.”


“No, Torik, I will do it.” Orphas said. “It is far too dangerous!”


“I beg to differ, Master Orphas. I am the most logical choice. If I recall correctly, I taught you everything I knew in my past lifetime. I am still in the process of learning most of those things all over again. Should I fail, I only have lost a small fraction of our old knowledge, but should we lose you, we lose everything.” Torik said, matter-of-factly.


“The boy has a point,” Loromir said.


“Very well,” Orphas conceded. “But be careful!”


Sophia laughed, “Don’t you just hate it when you’ve been out logicked by a 10 year old?”


“Indeed!” Orphas snorted.


Torik went cautiously up to Mer-Kil’s unconscious form. He stood and stared in amazement at the size of his huge head.


Torik reached out with one hand and touched the center of Mer-Kil’s head between the two ridges above each eye. His diminutive size made it a bit of a stretch, but he somehow managed.


Sophia had a really bad feeling about things. She certainly didn’t trust the old Dragon. The boy was in a very dangerous spot. Mer-Kil could wake up at any moment, open his jaws and snap the boy in two.


Orphas could sense Sophia’s tension. “Relax, Sophia, young Torik will get things done. I have faith in him.”


“It’s not Torik I’m worried about. Mer-Kil, on the other hand, is sneaky and I trust him about as far as I could throw him.”


Orphas merely laughed, “You know, Loromir, you’re right about her. She really is a quick study. She’s figured Mer-Kil’s bag of tricks out after only a relatively short battle with him.”


“Indeed, brother, I did tell you as much.”


“So exactly what is Torik doing to Mer-Kil?” Sophia asked.


“That would largely depend on what he finds inside Mer-Kil’s mind. Most likely he will try to put him into a more cooperative state.”


“Good,” Sophia said, “I would like to find out just how much he knows about the Carnach and his plans.”


“I wouldn’t trust much in what the Carnach has told him,” Loromir said. “He may be a devout follower of the Carnach, but I doubt Mer-Kil would be privy to much of importance.”


“Why do you say that?” Sophia asked.


“Mostly because Mer-Kil isn’t under his thrall and the Carnach likely knows Mer-Kil isn’t to be completely trusted. Mer-Kil has ambitions of his own that the Carnach knows are contrary to his own objectives.”


“Maybe so. But then he might also know where your brothers and sisters are deployed. If we can get him to tell us that much, his capture is of value,” Sophia said.


“Indeed. In the meantime, we will have to sit and wait to see what Torik can do.” Orphas said.


“In the meantime, maybe we should figure out what to do with him should he survive.” Loromir countered.


Orphas looked at him as if he had just said something offensive.


“Really, brother, what if he wakes up before young Torik is done and tries to eat your apprentice? And if he succeeds, what then? We can’t bring him to our lair. He isn’t trustworthy. I doubt you would like to see either Smitty, Karem, or either of us come to harm while we slept.”


Orphas raised an eyebrow and considered Loromir’s comment. “I suppose you have a point.”


“I have an idea on what we can do. There are some islands to the north that are unpopulated. We can take him there. How far can a Dragon of his size and stamina fly without resting?” Sophia interjected.


“Hard to say, fully fed, maybe twenty or thirty miles.” Orphas said. “That would also depend on how many thermals he could ride.”


“Thermals?” Sophia asked.


“Thermals are updrafts of air – usually from the sun heating a patch of ground. That heat haze you see when it gets really hot – that’s the bottom end of a thermal.” Loromir explained.


“I see. Then in that case, I think those islands would be perfect. There’s about twenty-five miles of open, deep water between the northern coast and the island in question.”


“In that case, I’d cut his maximum flight to maybe fifteen miles.” Orphas corrected himself. “Water doesn’t exactly absorb and reflect heat quite the same as land.”


“We will also need to install a portal on that island. I doubt there is much in the way of food on that island. I would hate to have him starve to death.” Sophia said. “Not to mention we need to figure out how to get him there.”


“Indeed.”


Meanwhile, Manda approached the group. “The solider you cold cocked should be fine. A bit of a concussion, but a few days worth of bed rest and he should be fine. The other solider – the one you shot... What were you thinking? He won’t be of much use to anyone for quite a long while.”


“I did what I had to. He wanted to get himself killed by trying to go up against Mer-Kil with his buddy. And at the time, the old Dragon was trying to sneak up behind me and kill me. I really wasn’t in the mood to deal with either.”


“Hmph... Then I suppose he’s lucky to be alive.” Manda said with a laugh.


Torik removed his hand from the old lizard’s head and backed slowly away until he was out of the red Dragon’s range. He turned around and made a beeline to the group.


“I’ve done what I can. However, I am not entirely certain how much good I’ve been able to do.”


“What were you able to do?” Orphas asked.


“I managed to calm him down considerably, Master Orphas, and I believe I’ve been able to convince him that the Carnach considered him to be expendable. And that his best interests are not in following the Carnach to his certain doom. But...”


“There always seems to be one of those...” Sophia said.


“But, I was not able to change his nature. He is still Mer-Kil. And as such, he is not to be entirely trusted.”


“I see. That was to be expected,” Orphas said.


“We’re going to need a big cart and a team of horses...” Sophia said.

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I was waiting for the moment when you would finally write about the blood backfiring (or rather the blood doing nothing since this dragon wasn't under the Carnach's thrall to begin with). And of the dragons chosen, appropriately it was Mer-Kil. Also nice to see the beginnings from worshipping the Creator to the Volunteers.

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Yah.. well there is method to the madness. (pun intended) As Torik pointed out - killing him would allow him (and his insanity) to escape. It would be a logical assumption therefore that Mer-Kil would be familiar with the concept... I went through the part of Sacred 2 where he puts the hit out on the Carnach and thought to myself - that bit about him and the Carnach's power exceeding his seemed a bit too convenient...

 

Then there's the parts leading up to that - where Dragons are supposed to be cunning and crafty. So what's a little psychosis thrown in for good measure?

 

It also helped watching some WW II documentaries at about the same time. If anyone was flipping insane with delusions of grandeur that could get an entire nation to follow him into war and ruin - Adolf Hitler was a natural. So I kind of modeled Mer-Kil's personality a bit after his. The only real difference - Hitler didn't have the Carnach enthralling the masses - Hitler did that on his own with his propaganda machine.

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GRRR!

 

I was just passing through Castle Kufferath just moments ago and an odd tool tip popped up for a moment when I passed the mouse over the front doors.

 

It says "Fortress of Heroes"...

 

Gotta LOVE it when your instincts pay off... In case anyone missed it - Castle Kufferath IS the Volunteer's home base and the current location of the action in the story thus far.

 

Gotta HATE it when the game inconsistently gives you something one moment and then takes it away the next. I was trying to get a screenshot of this tooltip but moving the mouse made it go away and now I can't find the right spot to save my backside.. GAAAAAAH!

 

Edit: AH HA! It wasn't the door but something just outside the front door - namely the mile marker thing just outside the front gate of the Castle proper.

 

post-14586-0-71395900-1368325992_thumb.jpg

Edited by wolfie2kX
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Today's installment is a bit on the dry side. But, it's a necessity. Gotta get from point A to point B somehow... At least, I did make a bit of an effort to make it somewhat interesting.

 

---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ----
The Road to Artamark’s Gate


“We’ve got a fairly large wagon in the castle,” the soldier who went to fetch Manda and the Dragons said.


“Very good, soldier. What’s your name?” Sophia said.


“I am Sergeant Lepto, mum,” he introduced himself.


“Very well, Sergeant, hitch a team of horses to it and bring it here. We’re going to need it to move that big lizard out of here.”


“You’re really going to save that monstrosity?” Lepto asked.


“Yes. I am. Do you have a problem with that?” Sophia countered.


“Um... No mum, I don’t quite understand why.”


“That’s simple enough. Dragons are an intelligent and noble species. Most of them aren’t evil. Not even Mer-Kil over there. His problem is a bit different from the others. Most of the Dragons are possessed by an evil being known as the Carnach. Mer-Kil over there is one of his minions – though he is doing the Carnach’s bidding by choice. He is insane.”


“Forgive me, mum, I’m even more confused. If this beast is insane, then why spare him?”


“Because he might have valuable information as to the location of the other Dragons and I need that.” Sophia explained.


“Hmm... Why do you need that?” Lepto asked.


“Because we’ve discovered the means to free the Dragons possessed by the Carnach.”


“OK... So why do you want to free them from the Carnach’s possession? Aren’t they out to eat us all?”


“Hardly. Truth be told, some of them can be a bit cranky and irritable, but all of the ones we’ve liberated so far are actually good and intelligent beings and I have it on good authority they happen to have a taste for wild boar.”


“Wild boar? I suppose we’ve got plenty of them running loose in Artamark and from what I’ve heard down south in Tyr-Lysia and Nor Plat. Not so sure about Bengaresh, though.


“Yup – and there are plenty of them on the Eastern continent as well. And the best thing about wild boar – they breed like crazy – so food supply shouldn’t be a problem.”


“I suppose. Wild boar tend to be pests to many of the farmers in the area.” Lepto added.


“Exactly – so it’s a win-win-win situation. The Dragons get to eat, farmers get to grow their crops unmolested, and people get fed. Everybody, except maybe the wild boars who become Dragon chow, win.”


“That makes sense I suppose.” Lepto said. “But I’m still not so sure about the farmers...”


“In what way?” Sophia asked.


“Well, mum, think about it. You’re hard at work behind a plow and suddenly you see a rather large shadow overhead.” Lepto said as he pointed upwards. “Seeing something that big overhead could scare the crap out of you – even if it’s after wild boar helping themselves to your crops... And let’s not forget the last ten years where these Dragonfolk have been terrorizing everybody.”


“You make fine points, Sergeant. I’ll be sure to keep that in mind.” Sophia said.


“So once we get big red over there loaded, where do you want us to take him?”


“Artamark’s Gate, I think. We’ll need a big ship with provisions to get him to a special place I have in mind just for him.”


“Will do, mum.” Lepto said as he ran off to get the wagon.


---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ----


Lepto returned a short while later with a huge wagon. It was the sort that could carry twenty or so soldiers and its metal sides would give them moderate cover from arrows and other projectiles being lobbed in their direction. It was wider than the standard horse drawn conveyance likely so the troops it would normally carry would have room for their gear and other supplies. It was also the type of wagon that, under normal circumstances would require a draft team of at least six sturdy war horses to pull. Except that it was rolling toward Sophia, the Dragon and the rest of the group under its own power. It was the sort of thing you’d expect to come from Testa’s mind.


The driver of the wagon had a small, yet fairly well armored compartment in the front – for the driver’s protection. An odd noise was coming from the various wheels. It was the perfect sort of thing for hauling one large Dragon to Artarmark’s Gate.


Sophia looked at the self powered device with admiration.


Orphas was looking at the device with a rather puzzled look on his face. “Um... Exactly how does this thing move by itself?”


“The device uses something called technology.” Sophia replied. “But you’ll have to ask Testa exactly how this works.”


“Ah yes, mechanical tools and the like,” Orphas said. “We don’t have much use for that sort of thing.”


“I suppose not – especially when you’ve got that sizeable bag of magical skills.” Sophia replied.


“Too true – at least for the Magic Clan. The Fire Clan never was very proficient when it came to their magic skills. Which is why, I believe Mer-Kil doesn’t have the ability to change into a man like figure. Of course, the Fire Clan were almost always able to make up for their magical shortcomings with other things – namely their ferocity and guile.”


“So how do we get Mer-Kil on the wagon?” Sophia asked.


“Leave that to me.” Orphas said. “Loromir – if you could, direct the driver to line up with Mer-Kil’s tail and tell him to drive forward under him when I lift him up.”


“Right, brother!” Loromir replied and went to talk with the driver.


“Maybe Manda should have a look at the old lizard before we leave.” Sophia said. “Just in case he starts complaining.”


“He is fine for the most part. His right wing is damaged somewhat, and you certainly knocked the wind out of him with that punch to his chest bone, but he hasn’t broken any bones.”


“I was certain he broke something when he fell from the sky. He did hit the ground fairly hard.”


“A Dragon can hit the ground fairly hard and still not have much in the way of damage to his bones. Especially if he managed to open his left wing to slow him down a bit. We Dragons are a sturdy lot.”


“Come to think of it he did do that...” Sophia said.


The wagon meanwhile wound up behind Mer-Kil’s tail.


“Excuse me for a moment; this will require my full concentration.”


Orphas closed his eyes for a moment and steeled himself for the task at hand. He reached out with his mind and created a huge hand that he slipped under the unconscious Mer-Kil. He lifted the big brute until the bottom of the big Dragon cleared the top of the wagon.


Loromir meanwhile signaled the driver to move forward until the wagon was directly beneath its floating payload.


When the wagon was in position, Orphas eased Mer-Kil’s bulk onto the transport.


“That was amazing!” Sophia exclaimed. “How did you do that?”


“Actually, I can try teaching you, later. I’m not entirely sure this would be the appropriate time for that.”


“True enough. Maybe after we deliver our cargo to the final destination and get back.”


“Agreed.” Orphas said.


The driver of the wagon threw sturdy straps over Mer-Kil’s back and secured them on the other side so his wings wouldn’t flop out of the wagon and cause unneeded injuries. He then tied his tail end up so it wouldn’t drag on the ground. Even though the wagon was longer than most, the tail end still hung off the back. He then climbed back into his cabin.


Sophia climbed up onto the bed of the wagon near Mer-Kil’s head – just in case the old beast woke up and decided to thrash about and cause problems. Loromir joined her just as the driver applied power to the drive wheels and the wagon lurched slightly and moved forward.


“Orphas and young Torik will be meeting us in Artamark’s Gate, near the docks.” Loromir said.


“Good.” Sophia replied.


The wagon lumbered east past the front of the castle and turned toward the north. Once past the hill to the east of the castle, the wagon turned northeast and headed toward the road.


As the wagon hit a bump on the ground, Mer-Kil stirred slightly. “Wha... Where am I?” he said grumpily.


“You’re on a wagon being taken to Artamark’s Gate.” Sophia said. “From there we’re taking you to a nice, tropical island where you can live out the rest of your days in peace. And I wouldn’t try getting loose. My swords are ready to slit your throat if you try.”


“You wouldn’t dare. I am far too valuable to you.” Mer-Kil replied.


“You’re mistaken. You see, we don’t really have any reason to believe anything you have to say. Your master knows you’re not under his thrall, so we don’t think he would tell you anything of any importance because he, quite rightly, would think you would tell us any and all information you might have in an effort to have your wretched life spared,” Loromir added.


“And how would you know that?”


“It’s only logical.”


“HA! You speak of logic? The Carnach is a being of chaos!”


“True, but even madness has its method.” Loromir replied.


That seemed to shut Mer-Kil up for the moment. The wagon rolled on and met the road, near where the East and West Skookumchuck rivers merged. The wagon rolled on eastward toward the bridge that crossed the river.


As the wagon reached the triangular crossroads, Mer-Kil suddenly lurched, trying to tip the wagon over. The driver hit the brakes and stopped the wagon. Loromir kicked Mer-Kil on the side of his sizeable neck. Mer-Kil gagged and suddenly went still.


“You’ll have to teach me that trick...” Sophia said as she motioned the driver to move on.


“Gladly! All you have to do is hit a Dragon in the right spot – where the big artery goes up to the head. It’s right about here,” Loromir said as he pointed to a spot on the side of his neck. “It stuns them and knocks them unconscious for a good while.”


“I see. Good to know.” Sophia said as the wagon lurched forward and lumbered across the bridge and followed the road east.


When the wagon reached the next crossroads, the driver turned the vehicle toward the north and Artamark’s Gate.


A pair of familiar figures appeared ahead – Orphas and Torik. Sophia motioned to the driver to stop for them.


“Greetings!” Sophia said.


“Greetings!” Orphas replied. “We have a bit of a problem.”


“We do?” Sophia replied.


“Indeed. Our goal is in the harbor getting ready for a maiden voyage; however, the people of Artamark’s Gate aren’t going to allow our wagon and cargo through the front gates.”


“Why not? He’s quite unconscious.” Sophia replied.


“I’m afraid it’s my fault. I was talking to the captain of the new ship in front of one of the crew who must have said something to someone else. The news likely spread like a wild fire. The mayor found me and told me that neither we, nor our cargo were welcome. They’re afraid that he will cause problems and kill people once he gets inside the gate.”


“I see. Well, nothing more we can do about that. Any ideas on how to get him on board?”


“There’s a path between the city walls and the cemetery just to the west of it that leads to the beach. From there, it’s just a matter of getting past the wall and getting him loaded on board.” Orphas said.


“Did you get all of that?” Sophia asked the driver of the wagon.


“Right-O! Left at the path and follow it to the beach! Got it!” the driver replied as Orphas and Torik clambered on board.


Sophia signaled the driver once again to start. The wagon rolled forward toward the city.

Edited by wolfie2kX
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Today's installment is a bit on the dry side. But, it's a necessity. Gotta get from point A to point B somehow... At least, I did make a bit of an effort to make it somewhat interesting.

 

Dry or not, it's still fast paced reading without a lot of overly descriptive fluff that Stephen King, Dean Koontz, and a few other authors I've read tend to use to fatten their novels with.

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Today's installment is a bit on the dry side. But, it's a necessity. Gotta get from point A to point B somehow... At least, I did make a bit of an effort to make it somewhat interesting.

 

Dry or not, it's still fast paced reading without a lot of overly descriptive fluff that Stephen King, Dean Koontz, and a few other authors I've read tend to use to fatten their novels with.

 

Yeah... That IS something I'm a bit worried about - for 2 reasons.

 

1.) The book as it is right now - without all that extra fluff and padding is already getting close to 250 standard 8 1/2 x 11" pages in length. That's with most of it in 11 point font - the exception are the titles which are at 22 point. The last installment brought the total to 249 pages. I kinda have a feeling if one of those guys were writing this - the story would already be up to 500+ pages.

 

2.) I figure the descriptions should be enough for those who have been thru the games at least once or twice. I try to leave enough clues in the game to give people enough idea where things are happening..

 

But what about those who have never played - or rather even (gasp! the horror!) played Sacred or Sacred 2! I worry that those who are uninitiated wouldn't have the vaguest clue.

 

Don't forget - those authors - the ones who cram their stories full of overly descriptive fluff - are also some of THE most successful authors around. They must be doing SOMETHING right.

 

But if you really want fluff and padding... try some of L. Ron Hubbard's stories (yeah, THAT one.) like Battlefield Earth. Now that is one thick book! Oddly enough, it's not a bad read - it's just a really long story. It also helps to have read at least the first half or so of the book before seeing the movie (the part the movie covers) It doesn't quite suck nearly as badly then. There's a bajillion or two details in the book that the movie (for the sake of brevity) had to leave out - stuff that went to building the character and story that just would be difficult if not impossible to convey in your standard 2 hour run time. And even then, the movie only told roughly 1/2 of the story.

 

So, fluff and padding IS a good thing sometimes. There are a few points I think in my story that need some padding... Something I think an editor worth his/her salt would kind of insist on...

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I don't consider 'fluff' or 'padding' to necessarily be a bad thing so long as they serve a point to them, and not simply put there to pad your chapters. The really good writers can use that length to add depth to the pages and engross the readers within the descriptions (almost like poetry or modern Shakespeare as a friend of mine put it), making length a moot point. The not so good ones make the pages drone on and on, even if the writing in itself is good. Hence why Stephen King and Dean R. Koontz are so great, since I don't think of their padding as padding when I read their stuff.

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There are some of Stephen King's/Dean Koontz's books that I am very partial to, and others I am not so partial to, those being the ones where the story isn't very interesting to me AND there's too much descriptive over-kill.

 

That's why my fav author is F. Paul Wilson. His books are generally fast paced and to the point.

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I'm not quite so big on reading much these days - I already spend most of my time doing just that - forums, posts online, etc... As such, I'm only familiar with Koontz and King by name. Never heard of Wilson. I did look him up on Amazon - What exactly kind of books does he write?

 

In the meanwhile... Time for yet another installment... #48 in case you're wondering and this one takes the story past the 250 page mark...

 

And this chapter brings about a few rather um... interesting surprises. Mind you, this chapter is probably best considered NSFW... That said, it's probably best to keep this part from the kiddies...

 

---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ----
Artamark’s Gate


When the city gates hove into view, a pair of guards ran forward to meet the wagon. Sophia again signaled a stop.


“HALT!“ one of the guards said.


Sophia stood and jumped off. Loromir followed suit.


“In the name of the Mayor of Artamark’s Gate, you will NOT bring that hideous monstrosity into the city!” the guard continued.


“I have no intention of doing so. In fact, I am planning on going around your city to the nearest pier to the city wall. We will transfer our cargo and he will be taken far away from here. And your people will be perfectly safe.”


“You misunderstand. The piers are within the city limits. We can not allow you to pass.”


“Take me to the mayor.” Sophia said.


“I’m sorry; but his lordship is quite busy today. He’s got appointments all day long.”


Sophia had quite enough of the stalling. “Look, solider. Do you have the vaguest idea who I am?”


“Actually, no, not really. You’re a Seraphim, I get that. But that doesn’t change a thing.”


“Then allow me to introduce myself. I am Sophia, Queen of the Seraphim and you will bring his lordship the mayor here. NOW!”


This seemed to have thrown the two soldiers off their game. They didn’t quite know what to make of that revelation. The two backed off so they could confer with each other alone – just out of earshot. One nodded to the other and ran off for the city gates. The remaining guard returned to Sophia and Loromir.


“He’ll be right back,” the guard said.


“Good.” Sophia replied.


Moments later, the guard returned with another Human.


“I am Deputy Mayor Shran. What seems to be the problem?” he said.


Sophia took a moment to size this Deputy Mayor Shran up. He seemed to be a fop. He was dressed elegantly in silk finery as if to show off that he was of high station and that he was in charge.


“And I’m Sophia, Queen of the Seraphim. I require access to one of your piers so I can load my prisoner onto a ship currently docked in your port however...”


“Ah yes, the big flying beast – you may pass through our fair city any time you’d like, your highness, but that big monstrosity is not welcome.”


“Why is that? He’s quite unconscious, therefore quite harmless.”


“We do not agree with that supposition. The people of our fair city have been harassed by his kind for the past decade. Many of our citizens are of a delicate nature and would be harmed by his mere presence. We do not wish our children to have any nightmares because they’ve seen that – that – that monstrosity!”


“I see. We do have the option of taking the path to the west of the town and reaching the coast that...”


“No. That will not do either. Word will get out and people will want to see the spectacle of this monster being loaded aboard the ship.”


Sophia’s patience with Shran was near its end. That was the second time in as many sentences where he cut her off. Not only was this popinjay uncooperative, he was downright rude.


“Deputy Mayor, if you interrupt me one more time, I will personally cut your tongue out and feed it to that big red Dragon over there. Do I make myself clear?”


“Y-Yes!” he replied.


“Good. Now then - you will go fetch the mayor himself. NOW. I have more important things to do – like saving Ancaria so you can have a place to live.”


“That – That’s not possible! His lordship, the mayor is quite busy and can’t be bothered.”


“Really? I find that hard to believe. Let me put it this way, if I have to go into town and knock on every door and turn your town upside down to find him, I will. And then I’m going to drag his sorry hide along with yours out into the middle of town and show the people how you’ve been spending their taxes.” Sophia said as she reached out and touched his exquisitely tailored shirt. “Somehow, I think that little disruption to day to day life will have more of a far reaching effect – for you and the mayor – than allowing us passage to the port.”


“Very well, but his Lordship won’t come out to see you. He is quite busy...”


“Then you WILL take me to him. NOW!” Sophia commanded.


“BUT!” Shran interjected.


“NOW!” Sophia countered.


Shran finally resigned himself to the fact that Sophia wasn’t going to take ‘no’ for an answer and turned to lead Sophia and Loromir into the town.


“You do realize I am likely to be fired for what I’m about to do.” Shran complained.


“Consider yourself lucky then.” Sophia replied.


“LUCKY?” Shran asked with indignation. Clearly this Seraphim had no idea how difficult it was for a man such as himself to find work he was suited for doing. He was not of the sort who could just do anything.


“Yes, lucky. I knew a few high and mighty types who had their underlings executed for disobeying orders.”


“EXECUTED?” Shran shrieked like a little girl.


“Indeed. I’ve known several tyrants who had the bad taste of executing people who gave them bad news. Have no fear, if the lord mayor decides to try anything, I’ll personally come by and avenge your death.”


“You don’t know how little that goes toward reassuring me.” Shran said.


They walked in silence as the group passed through the gates. Shran led them all the way through the town and then turned right. The group followed the coast to a large two story house with an ornate fountain in the front yard. Shran opened the door and went inside. The lower floor of the house was full of all manner of loot – gold, silver, all manner of gems and statues from all over Ancaria littering the various tables and shelves. There were paintings of all sorts, including a portrait of Maria on the walls between the book cases.


Shran led the group toward the stairs. He turned around on the bottom step and nervously said, “I really don’t think this is such a good idea. The lord mayor really doesn’t like being interrupted.”


Sophia gave him a dirty look and said, “March!”


Shran turned and climbed the stairs and arrived on the top floor.


The sight that greeted Sophia as she arrived was mind numbing. There were about twenty people – men and women, all stark naked, lying on what had to be the biggest bed Sophia had ever seen. The Lord Mayor of Artamark’s Gate was busy partaking in an orgy in the most literal sense of the word. The whole room smelled of perfume and sex. There were moans of passion coming from the bed.


“I um... told you it wasn’t a good idea.” Shran said nervously licking his lips.


Loromir looked around the scene, most perplexed.


Sophia sent a mental command to the satellite overhead and summoned a BeeEffGee. As she landed on the floor, she aimed the weapon at a window and shot it out. Someone in the bed screamed – due in part to the sudden bright light filtering into the room, the rest due to the sound of weapons discharge and the shattered glass that caught them by surprise.


“Which one is the mayor?” Sophia demanded.


“Um... I’m not entirely certain. At least, I don’t see him. He might be on the bottom of the pile.” Shran replied. “It’s hard to tell from this angle.”


“I’m looking for the Lord Mayor of Artamark’s Gate. You have to the count of three to get out of this pile and show yourself before I go over there and start pulling the lot of you apart.” Sophia ordered.


The people on the bed scrambled for some semblance of decency and tried to cover up the best they could.


“ONE!” Sophia said.


People struggled to uncouple themselves the best they could while they continued covering themselves.


“TWO!” Sophia said.


A few near the edge managed to clamber off of the bed and grab clothing as they went downstairs. The final threesome left on the bed was still seemingly oblivious to everything going on. The man in the group had a pillow partially covering his head as he was continuing his activity...


Sophia took a shot at another window, blowing out the glass panes as she said “THREE!”


The other male in the group pulled himself away from the woman as he finally noticed Sophia and the other intruders in the room. The woman screamed as she too took note of the sudden lack of privacy.


Sophia hopped onto the bed and removed the pillow from the last man’s face with the tip of her BeeEffGee. She was surprised to find the final participant to be none other than Vlad DeMordrey, Esquire.


She kept the point of her BeeEffGee pointed at DeMordrey’s head.


“Do you mind?” DeMordrey said peevishly. “I wasn’t quite finished.”


“No, you’re quite finished here. You’re coming with us, DeMordrey.”


DeMordrey took stock of the situation and realized he wasn’t going to get his way. “Can’t a man enjoy a little debauchery in peace?” he said as he made his way past Sophia and her weapon.


“I take it you’re the mayor of Artamark’s Gate?” Sophia said, unperturbed.


“As a matter of fact, I am.” DeMordrey said as he found himself a robe to cover himself up. “What of it?”


“How exactly did you get out of prison?” Sophia asked.


“Prison?” DeMordrey laughed. “Whatever are you blathering about?”


“I witnessed you and another individual arrive on Seraphim Island on the day of Maria’s funeral. You were detained for questioning. The following day, another pair of humans broke into the prison and took several people hostage including my second in command. In that chaos, you somehow managed to escape from the island.”


“Preposterous! I haven’t left these city walls in months!” DeMordrey dissembled.


“Doran, is this not the same man who we greeted on Seraphim Island?”


“He certainly looks like the same one – perhaps he has a brother?” Loromir/Doran said with a raised eyebrow.


“I most certainly do not have any siblings! As I said before, I haven’t left here in months. Why would I, a lowly official of this city go to pay my respects to someone I never met or had anything to do with? Wouldn’t it make more sense to have higher ranked politicians show up for that sort of thing?” DeMordrey said.


“And yet, you or your identical twin brother arrived on Seraphim Island for the funeral.”


“And I keep telling you – I don’t have any brothers – twin or otherwise!” DeMordrey declared.


“Doran, go trade places with him.” Sophia ordered.


“Will do!” Loromir/Doran said and left the bedroom.


“While we’re waiting, I have a cargo I need to load on a ship docked in your harbor.” Sophia changed the subject.


“And? Why are you bothering me with this?” DeMordrey said.


“Because your deputy insisted that we were not allowed to pass through or around your city to get to the docks – on YOUR orders.” Sophia replied.


“What sort of cargo is it?”


“A live, but unconscious Dragon.”


“You mean one of those large flying beasts – the ones that have been attacking all of creation for the past decade?”


“As a matter of fact, yes. We captured one and are planning on taking him somewhere where he can’t bother anyone ever again. He is to be imprisoned far away from anywhere.”


“Then why not just portal him there?”


“Two reasons – one – he’s too big to fit through the portal and two there are no portals at the destination.”


“Hmmm... Yes, I suppose that would make portal travel rather impossible. Very well – you may pass. But – make it quick.” DeMordrey said. “Shran! Get your worthless hide moving and go fetch a pass so they can get through the gate with their cargo.”


“Y-y-yes, m’lord!” Shran stammered.


“See... I’m most reasonable. Meanwhile while we’re waiting for Shran to get your papers drawn up, I don’t suppose you’d care to join me?” DeMordrey suggested – as he pointed towards the massive bed.


“Um... No. I think not. Seraphim do not have sex.” Sophia replied, revolted by the thought.


“You don’t? How odd. How do you..?”


“We don’t.” Sophia replied.


“Pity... You look like you would be a lot of fun.” DeMordrey said lecherously as he mentally undressed Sophia.


“Keep looking at me like that and you won’t have any eyes to see with.”


“By all that’s holy... Can’t blame a guy for trying?”


“Only if you don’t take ‘NO’ for an answer.” Sophia said as she pointed at his waist where his robe seemed to have taken on a life of its own.


Fortunately for DeMordrey, Shran had managed to return to the bedroom, bearing a sheet of paper. DeMordrey looked it over. “This should do,” he said as he tipped a candle to spill some wax onto the bottom of the page. He took his signet ring and mashed it into the rapidly hardening wax. He pulled the ring out and inspected the mark. Finding it satisfactory, he handed it to Sophia.


Sophia took a moment to peruse the document. As promised, it was an order from DeMordrey allowing them passage through the city gates down the western road to the docks. It also specified that they had to be finished and the wagon and the ship had to be out of the city by sundown.


“Yes, this should do.” Sophia said.


Orphas arrived looking exactly as he had when he and DeMordrey arrived on Seraphim Island.


“Who’s this?” DeMordey asked.


“This is the man you arrived with. Don’t you recognize him?”


“No. I’ve never seen him before.” DeMordrey replied.


“What about you? Have you seen this man before?”


“He looks exactly like the man I arrived with for the funeral.” Orphas said, “But it’s not the same man.”


“How can that be?” Sophia asked.


“I don’t have an answer for that.” Orphas said.


“A better question would be why he’s wearing that armor?” DeMordrey added.


“What do you mean?” Sophia asked.


“That insignia isn’t one of mine. Come to think of it, I’m not sure who that insignia belongs to.


“Well, who would know?” Sophia asked.


“Shran – look up that insignia and be quick about it!”


“Yes my lord!” Shran said and ran downstairs to fetch the book of heraldry and shortly returned hauling a large and thick tome which he placed on the bed. He got out of the way as DeMordrey knelt down in front of the book. He opened it and began flipping through the pages.


“AH! Here we are. That insignia is that of a soldier of the Barony Hagelstein.” DeMordrey said.


“Hagelstein?” Sophia prompted.


“Yes, they’re to the east and slightly south of Artamark's Gate. They’re an odd lot – an enclave of mages – among other things. We don’t have much to do with them. They’re not exactly the friendliest crowd.” DeMordrey said.


“I see. In that case we’ll have to investigate. In the mean time, we have to get our cargo loaded and the ship out of port by dusk. We have much to do so we will take our leave.” Sophia said.


“Have a nice day.” DeMordrey said.


Sophia and Orphas made their way down the staircase. On their way down, they could hear DeMordrey say, “Shran... On your knees, you filthy worm!” They made it out the door. On the way out, the bumped into some of the people they had rousted out of the Mayor’s bed on their way back inside.


They retraced their steps to the front gate and handed the document to the guard in charge of the gate who then ordered both gates to be opened wide.


Sophia motioned to the driver of the wagon to bring it forward. The wagon started moving forward just as Mer-Kil chose that moment to wake up. Loromir kicked him in the neck again and the big brute fell unconscious again.


The wagon squeaked through the gate with inches to spare and began moving down the street. A few soldiers ran ahead of the wagon’s path, clearing the way of curious onlookers. Sophia and Orphas climbed up onto the wagon as it passed by their position. Most of the people didn’t really bother gawking. The exceptions were some younger boys who were wide-eyed in wonder, looking at a real life Dragon – the very stuff that many stories (real or exaggerations) were made of.


“It seems the Deputy Mayor’s fears were unfounded.” Loromir said.


“Indeed.” Sophia said. “But what I’m more curious about – who was the Human who arrived on Seraphim Island with Orphas?”

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Btw... In case anyone might be wondering.. The part of DeMordrey - should this be made into an actual movie - only ONE name pops to mind - Tim Curry.

 

The part of Shran, the sniveling fop goes to Jordan Gavaris from Orphan Black - he just fits the part naturally...

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