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<blockquote data-quote="barsoomcore" data-source="post: 4528870" data-attributes="member: 812"><p><strong>What A Woman's Got To Do: 13</strong></p><p></p><p>"Listen, guys, just try to hold it together. Please? We need to check this out. It could be important."</p><p></p><p>Arrafin and Elena burst out laughing at the pleading look on Etienne's face. Arrafin was particularly unstable and stood slumped against her friend, shaking with laughter.</p><p></p><p>Elena tried to compose herself. She twisted her neck to look over where Etienne was pointing.</p><p></p><p>At the gate of the Blood Council sanctuary, two armed Lohanese men stood watchful and alert.</p><p></p><p>"There're guards. Guards. There."</p><p></p><p>"Right. Look, there are never guards at a Blood Council sanctuary. Not men, that's for sure."</p><p></p><p>"Okay."</p><p></p><p>Isaac blinked a few times, trying to keep up with the conversation.</p><p></p><p>"What's going on?"</p><p></p><p>"Shh!"</p><p></p><p>"But I want to know why we left that place with the girls. What the hell?"</p><p></p><p>Etienne gritted his teeth and pulled his drunk friends further back into the alley.</p><p></p><p>"Look, there's something wrong here. We have to find out what's happening inside that place."</p><p></p><p>Elena giggled and gave Etienne a friendly shove.</p><p></p><p>"You're into Lohanese chicks, aren't you?"</p><p></p><p>"Elena. Guys. We need to get inside there. Well, I need to get inside there. Stop laughing, Elena. Once I'm in, I can assess the situation and stop laughing, Elena, and if I need help I'll let you know. But I need someone to distract those guards."</p><p></p><p>Arrafin pushed past everyone else and staggered towards the sanctuary.</p><p></p><p>"No problem. I mem'ized a spell. Stand back."</p><p></p><p>"Uh, Arrafin, maybe that's not such a--"</p><p></p><p>Etienne jumped back in alarm as Shadow erupted around the Naridic girl, licking outwards in hungry curves before settling back into her slender body.</p><p></p><p>"It's a dancing spell. Cause 'lena said we were dancing n' I don' know how. To dance. So dancing spell. Watch this."</p><p></p><p>Arrafin's walk lost all its stumbly gawkiness and with a fluid, sensuous sway, she strode across the street towards the guards.</p><p></p><p>They stared as she began gyrating and writhing before them, her hips rolling and her back arching as she rode the rhythms of the music coming from distant streets.</p><p></p><p>Her friends stared in just as much astonishment. Especially when she dropped her outer robes and began to undulate in nothing more than a linen shift.</p><p></p><p>Elena smacked Etienne.</p><p></p><p>"Yes, Arrafin's a girl. You wanted a distraction, half-breed, get to work."</p><p></p><p>"Right. Right."</p><p></p><p>Etienne shook his head and slipped through the shadows towards the gate. Elena looked over at Isaac who was still staring, mouth agape, as Arrafin continued to writhe and twirl in the street.</p><p></p><p>"Yeah. She's a girl."</p><p></p><p>***</p><p></p><p>Breaking into a Blood Council sanctuary, even on the instructions of a Blood Council sister, was not the sort of thing Etienne really felt confident about. If there was one thing every thief he'd ever met agreed on, it was don't break into Blood Council sanctuaries. Nobody who did so was ever seen again.</p><p></p><p>Etienne huddled inside the gate, listening carefully and scanning the darkness for any signs of movement. </p><p></p><p>Nothing.</p><p></p><p>He whispered to himself, "Blood Sister, I could use a little help right now."</p><p></p><p>Still nothing. Etienne rolled his eyes and pressed further into the compound. The low buildings and thick gardens revealed no sign of trouble, but the very lack of activity kept the half-Kishak alert. On his previous visits to such places, there were always servants bustling about, tending the gardens or cleaning or some such servant-like occupation, but here... nothing. Silence.</p><p></p><p>He reached the main building and crept up onto the wide verandah that stretched around its exterior. The wall panel before him slid aside at his touch and he slipped inside, waiting for a moment to let his eyes adjust.</p><p></p><p>"Meat. Meat."</p><p></p><p>"Oh, no."</p><p></p><p>***</p><p></p><p>"Should we do something?"</p><p></p><p>"Huh? Hey. Elena. Hi."</p><p></p><p>"Stop staring at Arrafin for a second. We could take those guards now. You take the one on the left, and I'll take the one on the other left. Okay?"</p><p></p><p>"What?"</p><p></p><p>"I said stop staring. On the left, okay? Get him."</p><p></p><p>Arrafin threw her hands up in the air and shimmied as best as her physique would allow. She was having a blast, dancing like this and feeling so lovely and hilarious and...</p><p></p><p>Then there was screaming and blood and Isaac and Elena were grinning at her and she felt very very self-conscious and grabbed at her robes, blushing furiously.</p><p></p><p>"Let's go."</p><p></p><p>"Lemme get dressed first."</p><p></p><p>"It's okay. Isaac doesn't mind."</p><p></p><p>Still protesting, but too drunk to efficiently clothe herself, Arrafin stumbled after her friends, who pushed open the gate and looked around the empty courtyard beyond.</p><p></p><p>"The screaming, I guess. That sounds like Etienne."</p><p></p><p>***</p><p></p><p>The misshapen, lurching figures could only have come from Shang. Their hissing cries and slashing talons surrounded Etienne in a knot of horror, but they fell apart when Isaac and Elena blundered into the room, laying about them with heavy swords.</p><p></p><p>One creature staggered backwards, right through a paper wall, furniture crashing aside as the twitching figure clawed at the floor mats. In the room beyond they saw a middle-aged Lohanese woman, bound and gagged.</p><p></p><p>"Sister Morikage? We're here to help. Sister Torokan sent us."</p><p></p><p>"She did?"</p><p></p><p>***</p><p></p><p>"A magic teacup."</p><p></p><p>Elena tried not to groan. Her drunk had worn off and her head was beginning to pound. Arrafin had passed out and lay sprawled behind them, snoring quietly.</p><p></p><p>They sat in a pristine reception hall with Blood Sister Morikage, who had turned out to be a quavery woman without any of the stern uprightness of character Sister Torokan always displayed. The Lohanese woman smiled encouragingly and nodded at Elena's disbelieving comment.</p><p></p><p>"Exactly. To restore the Sancuary of the Mother, you must pour out white tea on the ground from this cup. It originally belonged to the first Blood Mother, Hsia Lin. Until the First Sanctuary is restored, the Blood Mother cannot be brought back."</p><p></p><p>Isaac had one hand pressing at his forehead, and scowled at the floor as though it were responsible for his present discomfort. He winced and looked up at the older woman.</p><p></p><p>"Where is the First Sanctuary?"</p><p></p><p>"In the midst of the ruins of Zuyang, the city destroyed and cursed to eternal damnation by the Demon Goddess. The souls that died there still hover over the ruins and tear the spirits of any who enter."</p><p></p><p>"Oh, great. So let me get this straight. We take this... magic teacup... into a ruin haunted by thousands of angry homicidal ghosts, find the one patch of ruins that's your precious First Sanctuary, and then make a cup of tea."</p><p></p><p>"Exactly."</p><p></p><p>"I guess we look like suckers."</p><p></p><p>Arrafin sat up.</p><p></p><p>"The spikes. Farouk."</p><p></p><p>"Bad dream, Arrafin? Maybe you should lie down again."</p><p></p><p>"No, no," the Naridic girl pressed forward, suddenly animated. "Don't you see? Farouk can find the people with the spikes. Spirits can do that. Remember the Tarn? And Kaley? Farouk can find all the other people who have bits of the Blood Mother's soul. So we can bring them all together."</p><p></p><p>"Yeah, in this First Sanctuary. Then what?"</p><p></p><p>"Man Chon -- I mean, Madame Yuek -- can do the spell that will bring her back. Her soul."</p><p></p><p>"That sounds like a plan. At least, I assume it does. I don't think I've ever heard a plan before."</p><p></p><p>Sister Morikage's face darkened.</p><p></p><p>"You must not speak of the Demon Goddess so lightly. She has struck again, we know."</p><p></p><p>"Struck? Again?"</p><p></p><p>"Thousands are dead in Kish after she destroyed a massive portion of the city. Smouldering ruins and tortured souls are all she leaves in her wake."</p><p></p><p>Elena looked over at Arrafin as she spoke.</p><p></p><p>"Thousands, you said? She killed thousands of people? Were they all evil Nevakada agents, by any chance?"</p><p></p><p>"Of course not. She levelled entire city blocks in her rage. Half the city is still burning."</p><p></p><p>Elena's eyes drew narrow in anger.</p><p></p><p>"Interesting we didn't hear anything about this before now."</p><p></p><p>Arrafin swallowed and forced a yawn.</p><p></p><p>"Boy, I sure am tired again. I'll be lying down over here."</p><p></p><p>"You do that, Arrafin. Blood Sister, can you tell us anything about Isaac's mother?"</p><p></p><p>"What? Hey, Elena, stick your nose in other people's business much?"</p><p></p><p>"Shut up, Isaac. Blood Sister, we found a room with a cage and carpet of bodies. What the hell is going on with his mother? Is she dead?"</p><p></p><p>The Blood Sister sighed and bowed her head.</p><p></p><p>"I am not in possession of all the facts about your family's history, Senor del Valençia, but I can tell you this: your mother is not dead. You will know the moment she dies."</p><p></p><p>"Great. Thanks. Elena, shut up."</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="barsoomcore, post: 4528870, member: 812"] [b]What A Woman's Got To Do: 13[/b] "Listen, guys, just try to hold it together. Please? We need to check this out. It could be important." Arrafin and Elena burst out laughing at the pleading look on Etienne's face. Arrafin was particularly unstable and stood slumped against her friend, shaking with laughter. Elena tried to compose herself. She twisted her neck to look over where Etienne was pointing. At the gate of the Blood Council sanctuary, two armed Lohanese men stood watchful and alert. "There're guards. Guards. There." "Right. Look, there are never guards at a Blood Council sanctuary. Not men, that's for sure." "Okay." Isaac blinked a few times, trying to keep up with the conversation. "What's going on?" "Shh!" "But I want to know why we left that place with the girls. What the hell?" Etienne gritted his teeth and pulled his drunk friends further back into the alley. "Look, there's something wrong here. We have to find out what's happening inside that place." Elena giggled and gave Etienne a friendly shove. "You're into Lohanese chicks, aren't you?" "Elena. Guys. We need to get inside there. Well, I need to get inside there. Stop laughing, Elena. Once I'm in, I can assess the situation and stop laughing, Elena, and if I need help I'll let you know. But I need someone to distract those guards." Arrafin pushed past everyone else and staggered towards the sanctuary. "No problem. I mem'ized a spell. Stand back." "Uh, Arrafin, maybe that's not such a--" Etienne jumped back in alarm as Shadow erupted around the Naridic girl, licking outwards in hungry curves before settling back into her slender body. "It's a dancing spell. Cause 'lena said we were dancing n' I don' know how. To dance. So dancing spell. Watch this." Arrafin's walk lost all its stumbly gawkiness and with a fluid, sensuous sway, she strode across the street towards the guards. They stared as she began gyrating and writhing before them, her hips rolling and her back arching as she rode the rhythms of the music coming from distant streets. Her friends stared in just as much astonishment. Especially when she dropped her outer robes and began to undulate in nothing more than a linen shift. Elena smacked Etienne. "Yes, Arrafin's a girl. You wanted a distraction, half-breed, get to work." "Right. Right." Etienne shook his head and slipped through the shadows towards the gate. Elena looked over at Isaac who was still staring, mouth agape, as Arrafin continued to writhe and twirl in the street. "Yeah. She's a girl." *** Breaking into a Blood Council sanctuary, even on the instructions of a Blood Council sister, was not the sort of thing Etienne really felt confident about. If there was one thing every thief he'd ever met agreed on, it was don't break into Blood Council sanctuaries. Nobody who did so was ever seen again. Etienne huddled inside the gate, listening carefully and scanning the darkness for any signs of movement. Nothing. He whispered to himself, "Blood Sister, I could use a little help right now." Still nothing. Etienne rolled his eyes and pressed further into the compound. The low buildings and thick gardens revealed no sign of trouble, but the very lack of activity kept the half-Kishak alert. On his previous visits to such places, there were always servants bustling about, tending the gardens or cleaning or some such servant-like occupation, but here... nothing. Silence. He reached the main building and crept up onto the wide verandah that stretched around its exterior. The wall panel before him slid aside at his touch and he slipped inside, waiting for a moment to let his eyes adjust. "Meat. Meat." "Oh, no." *** "Should we do something?" "Huh? Hey. Elena. Hi." "Stop staring at Arrafin for a second. We could take those guards now. You take the one on the left, and I'll take the one on the other left. Okay?" "What?" "I said stop staring. On the left, okay? Get him." Arrafin threw her hands up in the air and shimmied as best as her physique would allow. She was having a blast, dancing like this and feeling so lovely and hilarious and... Then there was screaming and blood and Isaac and Elena were grinning at her and she felt very very self-conscious and grabbed at her robes, blushing furiously. "Let's go." "Lemme get dressed first." "It's okay. Isaac doesn't mind." Still protesting, but too drunk to efficiently clothe herself, Arrafin stumbled after her friends, who pushed open the gate and looked around the empty courtyard beyond. "The screaming, I guess. That sounds like Etienne." *** The misshapen, lurching figures could only have come from Shang. Their hissing cries and slashing talons surrounded Etienne in a knot of horror, but they fell apart when Isaac and Elena blundered into the room, laying about them with heavy swords. One creature staggered backwards, right through a paper wall, furniture crashing aside as the twitching figure clawed at the floor mats. In the room beyond they saw a middle-aged Lohanese woman, bound and gagged. "Sister Morikage? We're here to help. Sister Torokan sent us." "She did?" *** "A magic teacup." Elena tried not to groan. Her drunk had worn off and her head was beginning to pound. Arrafin had passed out and lay sprawled behind them, snoring quietly. They sat in a pristine reception hall with Blood Sister Morikage, who had turned out to be a quavery woman without any of the stern uprightness of character Sister Torokan always displayed. The Lohanese woman smiled encouragingly and nodded at Elena's disbelieving comment. "Exactly. To restore the Sancuary of the Mother, you must pour out white tea on the ground from this cup. It originally belonged to the first Blood Mother, Hsia Lin. Until the First Sanctuary is restored, the Blood Mother cannot be brought back." Isaac had one hand pressing at his forehead, and scowled at the floor as though it were responsible for his present discomfort. He winced and looked up at the older woman. "Where is the First Sanctuary?" "In the midst of the ruins of Zuyang, the city destroyed and cursed to eternal damnation by the Demon Goddess. The souls that died there still hover over the ruins and tear the spirits of any who enter." "Oh, great. So let me get this straight. We take this... magic teacup... into a ruin haunted by thousands of angry homicidal ghosts, find the one patch of ruins that's your precious First Sanctuary, and then make a cup of tea." "Exactly." "I guess we look like suckers." Arrafin sat up. "The spikes. Farouk." "Bad dream, Arrafin? Maybe you should lie down again." "No, no," the Naridic girl pressed forward, suddenly animated. "Don't you see? Farouk can find the people with the spikes. Spirits can do that. Remember the Tarn? And Kaley? Farouk can find all the other people who have bits of the Blood Mother's soul. So we can bring them all together." "Yeah, in this First Sanctuary. Then what?" "Man Chon -- I mean, Madame Yuek -- can do the spell that will bring her back. Her soul." "That sounds like a plan. At least, I assume it does. I don't think I've ever heard a plan before." Sister Morikage's face darkened. "You must not speak of the Demon Goddess so lightly. She has struck again, we know." "Struck? Again?" "Thousands are dead in Kish after she destroyed a massive portion of the city. Smouldering ruins and tortured souls are all she leaves in her wake." Elena looked over at Arrafin as she spoke. "Thousands, you said? She killed thousands of people? Were they all evil Nevakada agents, by any chance?" "Of course not. She levelled entire city blocks in her rage. Half the city is still burning." Elena's eyes drew narrow in anger. "Interesting we didn't hear anything about this before now." Arrafin swallowed and forced a yawn. "Boy, I sure am tired again. I'll be lying down over here." "You do that, Arrafin. Blood Sister, can you tell us anything about Isaac's mother?" "What? Hey, Elena, stick your nose in other people's business much?" "Shut up, Isaac. Blood Sister, we found a room with a cage and carpet of bodies. What the hell is going on with his mother? Is she dead?" The Blood Sister sighed and bowed her head. "I am not in possession of all the facts about your family's history, Senor del Valençia, but I can tell you this: your mother is not dead. You will know the moment she dies." "Great. Thanks. Elena, shut up." [/QUOTE]
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