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Barsoom Tales II: Romance, Revolution and BLOODY REVENGE!!! -- COMPLETE
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<blockquote data-quote="barsoomcore" data-source="post: 3721013" data-attributes="member: 812"><p><strong>Another Fine Mess: 7</strong></p><p></p><p>In the midst of battle, of wild desperate combat, there are occasional moments of lucidity and calmness that startle the one who experiences them.</p><p></p><p>It seemed to Elena that for just a heartbeat, the world slowed down and she had time to look around at the pandemonium that had engulfed their campsite, see the defenceless merchants and children cut down, hear their screams, and think very clearly to herself that she had more than heard enough of innocent people dying.</p><p></p><p>Blood splashed on the sand in thick cascades. Blades bit into bodies, cracked on bone, and tore leather and fabric.</p><p></p><p>Guns went off, Isaac cursing and scrambling backwards from a massive heavy-muscled figure with a two-headed axe. Elena caught a glimpse of Nevid holding the staff he'd taken from Essermane Varag's tomb, fending off another one of their attackers while an old woman wailed behind him.</p><p></p><p>Elena had a chance to reload her crossbow and she put a quarrel into the man attacking Nevid. He dropped, kicking and spasming, and she saw another collapse to the sand in front of Isaac. She set about reloading, steadying her nervous hands.</p><p></p><p>Children were still screaming.</p><p></p><p>*****</p><p></p><p>Fayeeda shot to her feet at the voices. Shadows swirled and somebody laughed. She heard the butcher shock of steel on flesh. Naridic people were dying.</p><p></p><p>Her father, knocking her down and calling her names. Her uncle Tariq's foul cruelty. Crucified children crying helplessly. The Shaeric captain and his laughing assault.</p><p></p><p>Fayeeda had had enough. She grabbed a stick of firewood and charged.</p><p></p><p>"God is great!"</p><p></p><p>She never saw the axe. The first thing Arrafin saw upon waking was Fayeeda's head tumbling to the sand.</p><p></p><p><em>Of course, Fayeeda. You can come with us.</em></p><p></p><p>*****</p><p></p><p>Etienne woke up to the sudden shrieks. Down below him, he could make out swarming chaos in the camp. Furious that enemies had somehow got past him, the half-Kishak drew both knives and plunged down the side of the dune, silent in the soft sand.</p><p></p><p>He saw the woman standing with her arms held out, watching the battle with satisfaction, and rushed towards her, ready to take her unawares, plant his blades in her kidneys. He wasn't sure what she was doing, exactly, but she looked just like an evil sorceress ought to look.</p><p></p><p>He might possibly have been distracted by the provocative getup. Or it might have just been the wild swirl of the melee, Isaac's guns going off, or the darkness. Whatever the cause, he almost completely failed to notice the large Hinsuan man with his equally large polearm. Only a last-minute flash of steel saved Etienne's life, and even as he dodged aside, he felt a banging impact and hit the ground heavily, his knives falling from his hands.</p><p></p><p>The woman turned and saw him for the first time.</p><p></p><p>"Well done, Deepek. Now find the Talon."</p><p></p><p>She laughed and held up what to Etienne's dazed eyes looked like sewing needles.</p><p></p><p>"Embroidery?"</p><p></p><p>*****</p><p></p><p>Isaac held his sword out, staring down the other guy and trying not to shake. Killing the first one had cost him and he knew he was bleeding badly. Elena was somewhere behind him.</p><p></p><p>"What the hell is the Talon of the Raven?"</p><p></p><p>"How should I know?"</p><p></p><p>He took a second to consider their situation. Not great. But they'd been in worse spots, he decided, remembering the horror of their flight from the town of Chimney. At least these guys COULD be killed.</p><p></p><p>Two of the bad guys were down, leaving two still standing, as well as the slutty-looking Lohanese woman who seemed to be boss. </p><p></p><p>Nevid was alive, having suffered one of his rare bouts of courage. He crouched behind a dead gallo, with some survivors huddled beside him. Bodies lay strewn around the campfire. Isaac couldn't see Etienne anywhere.</p><p></p><p>"Three against three, lady. You still like your odds?"</p><p></p><p>Arrafin stood up. Her eyes burned.</p><p></p><p>"Four against three."</p><p></p><p>The Lohanese woman smiled. Isaac just had time to note the flash of metal in her hand before she gestured at him. Searing bolts of pain tore through him as tiny wounds opened in his arms and torso. He fell to his knees, unable to remain standing. Teeth gritted, he groaned against the agony stabbing into him.</p><p></p><p>Elena's crossbow went off and suddenly there was a quarrel sticking out of the woman's side. She gasped and fell back, caught by one of her guards. Her hand flew out in a gesture and dark shadows coiled around her. Elena heard Arrafin cry out in warning but then the sand erupted at the woman's feet. Like the bow wave of an invisible ship the explosion tore through the desert floor straight at Elena.</p><p></p><p>She felt the ground beneath her ripple and fling her into the air, her arms pinwheeling in helpless circles. Her impact with the ground knocked the wind out of her.</p><p></p><p>*****</p><p></p><p>Sorcery. The woman was a sorceress.</p><p></p><p>A sorceress of power. Arrafin stared as the Lohanese sorceress cast some kind of spell that sent Elena flying, her concern for her friend lost to her excitement at the thought of new spells.</p><p></p><p>She faced the sorceress, who was sagging now from Elena's crossbow quarrel.</p><p></p><p>"You want the Talon? What is it? Why do we need to fight?"</p><p></p><p>The woman laughed again, but a little less smugly this time. She pointed.</p><p></p><p>"That. My mistress demands it."</p><p></p><p>Arrafin turned to see the nine-foot-long, cloth-wrapped sword that Elena had been carrying since Chimney. It lay propped against a pile of firewood.</p><p></p><p>"How many spells do you have?"</p><p></p><p>The woman stared.</p><p></p><p>"You know sorcery, child? Who taught you?"</p><p></p><p>"I taught myself."</p><p></p><p>"You taught yourself? Interesting."</p><p></p><p>"Hold a minute. Maybe we can reach an agreement."</p><p></p><p>Elena had gotten shakily to her feet and turned in astonishment at Arrafin's suggestion.</p><p></p><p>"First, release our friend."</p><p></p><p>The woman waved a hand and Isaac collapsed, moaning. Arrafin watched for a second as her friend pushed himself up. He stumbled to where Arrafin and Elena stood, the three of them opposite the campfire from the woman and her guards.</p><p></p><p>"Arrafin, what are you doing?"</p><p></p><p>"We don't have to fight. We could give it to them."</p><p></p><p>Isaac groaned.</p><p></p><p>"But they're bad guys, Arrafin. We don't give ancient magic weapons to bad guys."</p><p></p><p>"How do we know they're bad guys?"</p><p></p><p>"'We're going to kill you all' was the first thing they said."</p><p></p><p>"But they didn't know us."</p><p></p><p>"I think that strengthens my argument, not yours."</p><p></p><p>Arrafin sulked.</p><p></p><p>Nevid stood up from behind the dead gallo and stepped forward.</p><p></p><p>"Madam, is it necessary that more people die?"</p><p></p><p>The woman stared at him for a second. A look of shock came over her face and she burst into laughter.</p><p></p><p>Elena's eyebrows rose.</p><p></p><p>"Maybe she does know us. At least, Nevid."</p><p></p><p>The woman pointed at Nevid and said something incomprehensible. She turned to her guards and exchanged quick words.</p><p></p><p>"You will surrender the Talon to us? There need be no more fighting."</p><p></p><p>Elena shrugged.</p><p></p><p>"Arrafin, you really want to just give it to her?"</p><p></p><p>"No," Arrafin shook her head, "I don't."</p><p></p><p>She turned to the Lohanese woman.</p><p></p><p>"We won't give the sword to you."</p><p></p><p>The woman frowned.</p><p></p><p>"We'll trade it to you. We'll trade it for spells."</p><p></p><p>Elena nudged her friend.</p><p></p><p>"Uh. What did you just say?"</p><p></p><p>Arrafin ignored her. She kept her eyes on the woman, ignoring the corpses and groaning injured around them. Ignoring Fayeeda's severed head. This was about power. The power to resist the Tyrant's Shade.</p><p></p><p>"Is it a deal?"</p><p></p><p>Elena tried again.</p><p></p><p>"Look, ask her what's up with Nevid."</p><p></p><p>"You ask her."</p><p></p><p>"Hey. What's up with Nevid? Why did you laugh at him? I mean, besides the obvious."</p><p></p><p>"He is. He possesses something I recognize."</p><p></p><p>"A ring? A hairstyle? A certain stylish charm?"</p><p></p><p>The woman chuckled.</p><p></p><p>"Nothing like that. It's hard to explain."</p><p></p><p>"Oh."</p><p></p><p>"So will you trade? Spells for the sword?"</p><p></p><p>The woman nodded at Arrafin's insistent questions.</p><p></p><p>"I think so. But I must speak with my mistress first."</p><p></p><p>She looked over Nevid once more, then turned her attention back to Arrafin.</p><p></p><p>"But perhaps she will find you interesting."</p><p></p><p>Something made her smile, a wild and savage smile that raised the hairs on the back on Isaac's neck.</p><p></p><p>"Yes. I'm sure she will."</p><p></p><p>For a second Arrafin's certainty foundered.</p><p></p><p>"Oh. Uh. Who is your mistress? Is she a sorceress, too?"</p><p></p><p>The woman laughed.</p><p></p><p>"She is Madame Yuek Man Chong. She is alabaster death. Come. I will take you to her."</p><p></p><p>"Okay."</p><p></p><p>Etienne lifted his head.</p><p></p><p>"Gonna need a little help here. Axe. Or something."</p><p></p><p>Isaac watched Nevid, Arrafin and Elena step forward and took one last stab on the part of sanity.</p><p></p><p>"Arrafin. Bad guys. Bad idea."</p><p></p><p>"No, Isaac. This is important."</p><p></p><p>Arrafin turned back to Isaac, her eyes pleading. She ignored Fayeeda's body still oozing blood into the sand. The desert had soaked up far more in its ages.</p><p></p><p>"Please. This is power, Isaac. Don't you understand?"</p><p></p><p>"Nope. I don't."</p><p></p><p>The big Saijadani sighed as he helped Etienne to his feet.</p><p></p><p>"But that's never stopped us before."</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="barsoomcore, post: 3721013, member: 812"] [b]Another Fine Mess: 7[/b] In the midst of battle, of wild desperate combat, there are occasional moments of lucidity and calmness that startle the one who experiences them. It seemed to Elena that for just a heartbeat, the world slowed down and she had time to look around at the pandemonium that had engulfed their campsite, see the defenceless merchants and children cut down, hear their screams, and think very clearly to herself that she had more than heard enough of innocent people dying. Blood splashed on the sand in thick cascades. Blades bit into bodies, cracked on bone, and tore leather and fabric. Guns went off, Isaac cursing and scrambling backwards from a massive heavy-muscled figure with a two-headed axe. Elena caught a glimpse of Nevid holding the staff he'd taken from Essermane Varag's tomb, fending off another one of their attackers while an old woman wailed behind him. Elena had a chance to reload her crossbow and she put a quarrel into the man attacking Nevid. He dropped, kicking and spasming, and she saw another collapse to the sand in front of Isaac. She set about reloading, steadying her nervous hands. Children were still screaming. ***** Fayeeda shot to her feet at the voices. Shadows swirled and somebody laughed. She heard the butcher shock of steel on flesh. Naridic people were dying. Her father, knocking her down and calling her names. Her uncle Tariq's foul cruelty. Crucified children crying helplessly. The Shaeric captain and his laughing assault. Fayeeda had had enough. She grabbed a stick of firewood and charged. "God is great!" She never saw the axe. The first thing Arrafin saw upon waking was Fayeeda's head tumbling to the sand. [i]Of course, Fayeeda. You can come with us.[/i] ***** Etienne woke up to the sudden shrieks. Down below him, he could make out swarming chaos in the camp. Furious that enemies had somehow got past him, the half-Kishak drew both knives and plunged down the side of the dune, silent in the soft sand. He saw the woman standing with her arms held out, watching the battle with satisfaction, and rushed towards her, ready to take her unawares, plant his blades in her kidneys. He wasn't sure what she was doing, exactly, but she looked just like an evil sorceress ought to look. He might possibly have been distracted by the provocative getup. Or it might have just been the wild swirl of the melee, Isaac's guns going off, or the darkness. Whatever the cause, he almost completely failed to notice the large Hinsuan man with his equally large polearm. Only a last-minute flash of steel saved Etienne's life, and even as he dodged aside, he felt a banging impact and hit the ground heavily, his knives falling from his hands. The woman turned and saw him for the first time. "Well done, Deepek. Now find the Talon." She laughed and held up what to Etienne's dazed eyes looked like sewing needles. "Embroidery?" ***** Isaac held his sword out, staring down the other guy and trying not to shake. Killing the first one had cost him and he knew he was bleeding badly. Elena was somewhere behind him. "What the hell is the Talon of the Raven?" "How should I know?" He took a second to consider their situation. Not great. But they'd been in worse spots, he decided, remembering the horror of their flight from the town of Chimney. At least these guys COULD be killed. Two of the bad guys were down, leaving two still standing, as well as the slutty-looking Lohanese woman who seemed to be boss. Nevid was alive, having suffered one of his rare bouts of courage. He crouched behind a dead gallo, with some survivors huddled beside him. Bodies lay strewn around the campfire. Isaac couldn't see Etienne anywhere. "Three against three, lady. You still like your odds?" Arrafin stood up. Her eyes burned. "Four against three." The Lohanese woman smiled. Isaac just had time to note the flash of metal in her hand before she gestured at him. Searing bolts of pain tore through him as tiny wounds opened in his arms and torso. He fell to his knees, unable to remain standing. Teeth gritted, he groaned against the agony stabbing into him. Elena's crossbow went off and suddenly there was a quarrel sticking out of the woman's side. She gasped and fell back, caught by one of her guards. Her hand flew out in a gesture and dark shadows coiled around her. Elena heard Arrafin cry out in warning but then the sand erupted at the woman's feet. Like the bow wave of an invisible ship the explosion tore through the desert floor straight at Elena. She felt the ground beneath her ripple and fling her into the air, her arms pinwheeling in helpless circles. Her impact with the ground knocked the wind out of her. ***** Sorcery. The woman was a sorceress. A sorceress of power. Arrafin stared as the Lohanese sorceress cast some kind of spell that sent Elena flying, her concern for her friend lost to her excitement at the thought of new spells. She faced the sorceress, who was sagging now from Elena's crossbow quarrel. "You want the Talon? What is it? Why do we need to fight?" The woman laughed again, but a little less smugly this time. She pointed. "That. My mistress demands it." Arrafin turned to see the nine-foot-long, cloth-wrapped sword that Elena had been carrying since Chimney. It lay propped against a pile of firewood. "How many spells do you have?" The woman stared. "You know sorcery, child? Who taught you?" "I taught myself." "You taught yourself? Interesting." "Hold a minute. Maybe we can reach an agreement." Elena had gotten shakily to her feet and turned in astonishment at Arrafin's suggestion. "First, release our friend." The woman waved a hand and Isaac collapsed, moaning. Arrafin watched for a second as her friend pushed himself up. He stumbled to where Arrafin and Elena stood, the three of them opposite the campfire from the woman and her guards. "Arrafin, what are you doing?" "We don't have to fight. We could give it to them." Isaac groaned. "But they're bad guys, Arrafin. We don't give ancient magic weapons to bad guys." "How do we know they're bad guys?" "'We're going to kill you all' was the first thing they said." "But they didn't know us." "I think that strengthens my argument, not yours." Arrafin sulked. Nevid stood up from behind the dead gallo and stepped forward. "Madam, is it necessary that more people die?" The woman stared at him for a second. A look of shock came over her face and she burst into laughter. Elena's eyebrows rose. "Maybe she does know us. At least, Nevid." The woman pointed at Nevid and said something incomprehensible. She turned to her guards and exchanged quick words. "You will surrender the Talon to us? There need be no more fighting." Elena shrugged. "Arrafin, you really want to just give it to her?" "No," Arrafin shook her head, "I don't." She turned to the Lohanese woman. "We won't give the sword to you." The woman frowned. "We'll trade it to you. We'll trade it for spells." Elena nudged her friend. "Uh. What did you just say?" Arrafin ignored her. She kept her eyes on the woman, ignoring the corpses and groaning injured around them. Ignoring Fayeeda's severed head. This was about power. The power to resist the Tyrant's Shade. "Is it a deal?" Elena tried again. "Look, ask her what's up with Nevid." "You ask her." "Hey. What's up with Nevid? Why did you laugh at him? I mean, besides the obvious." "He is. He possesses something I recognize." "A ring? A hairstyle? A certain stylish charm?" The woman chuckled. "Nothing like that. It's hard to explain." "Oh." "So will you trade? Spells for the sword?" The woman nodded at Arrafin's insistent questions. "I think so. But I must speak with my mistress first." She looked over Nevid once more, then turned her attention back to Arrafin. "But perhaps she will find you interesting." Something made her smile, a wild and savage smile that raised the hairs on the back on Isaac's neck. "Yes. I'm sure she will." For a second Arrafin's certainty foundered. "Oh. Uh. Who is your mistress? Is she a sorceress, too?" The woman laughed. "She is Madame Yuek Man Chong. She is alabaster death. Come. I will take you to her." "Okay." Etienne lifted his head. "Gonna need a little help here. Axe. Or something." Isaac watched Nevid, Arrafin and Elena step forward and took one last stab on the part of sanity. "Arrafin. Bad guys. Bad idea." "No, Isaac. This is important." Arrafin turned back to Isaac, her eyes pleading. She ignored Fayeeda's body still oozing blood into the sand. The desert had soaked up far more in its ages. "Please. This is power, Isaac. Don't you understand?" "Nope. I don't." The big Saijadani sighed as he helped Etienne to his feet. "But that's never stopped us before." [/QUOTE]
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