Jon Potter
First Post
Cool!
And see if you can't convince Dru to post an update to her story hour as well.
drnuncheon said:
And see if you can't convince Dru to post an update to her story hour as well.
drnuncheon's Freeport Story Hour - Book II: Inheritance
drnuncheon
Explorer
Prologue, Part II
It had been a nice nap, but it was time to wake up. The creature known as Delithrawien stirred in her lair, eyes opening just a slit. Muscles moved under her skin as she stretched, lifting herself off of the cool stone that had served as her bed. Delithrawien raised herself majestically to her feet, and surveyed her domain. Something had awakened her...ah yes, the sound of footsteps. Men were coming, which was good. Delithrawien was hungry.
She watched them enter, unaware of her presence. The first to come smelled of sweat and stone. Plates of metal wrapped his legs, but his dusky, broad feet were bare, and slapped the stone like hammers. The voice that accompanied them was a basso profundo rumble like a distant rockslide. "Good. Nobody here," it said.
Next came two pairs of boots: one with solid footsteps - although not so solid as the ones they followed - accompanied by the jingling of chain, the other light and near silent, like Delithrawien's own. A second voice spoke, a female this time, but still low. "All right. I've got the layout of the place from Reed, and a map of the surrounding streets. Ashrem?"
The voice that answered was clear and precise, with just a hint of an accent - the musical voice of an elf. "They've been holed up in there for three hours with...with their hostage, so they'll have had plenty of time to set up defenses. The windows are all covered, of course, so we've got no way of knowing what's going on inside."
Delithrawien's eyes narrowed. They were all ignoring her.
More footsteps sounded from the corridor, hesitant and uncertain. "...don't like this. I don't like this at all," said their owner.
"I don' like it either, Jemis," agreed the first voice. More footsteps - rapid and light, like running prey - underscored the words.
Delithrawien crept forward. She would teach them to ignore her!
The running footsteps came closer, a pair of tiny legs pumping for all they were worth - and then four pillars of wood slammed to the stone in front of Delithrawien's face, and the legs vanished upward with barely a pause. She leapt back in surprise, bumping into the boots of the elf. From above her, a chuckle, and then she was lifted into the air.
"I think this is yours, Glunnyn?" The elf deposited Delithrawien on top of the table with a grin. Ears back, she growled, deep in her chest, and started to slink away.
The tiny wizard leaned across the table from his perch on the tall stool, dragging his familiar to him. "So that's where you got to," he said, stroking her long fur absently.
Delithrawien pffed. Now her coat was mussed, and she'd need to spend the afternoon grooming. She ignored the babblings of her wizard, as she usually did - he thought there was something important about the piece of paper, but wizards were notoriously poor judges of both priority and propriety. On the other hand, they were handy for doing the work that only opposable thumbs could accomplish...
"Remember, everyone." It was the woman. "We have to treat this just like any other operation...even if it is Captain Donnach that they've got in there." The room was silent for a moment.
"Not Captain Donnach I'm worried about," muttered the one called Jemis. Nobody commented, but all seemed to silently agree.
Finally, the woman spoke. "All right. Let's go."
The five filed out of the room and disappeared down the hall. Delithrawien stared after them. There was something horribly wrong.
None of them had stopped to feed her.
It had been a nice nap, but it was time to wake up. The creature known as Delithrawien stirred in her lair, eyes opening just a slit. Muscles moved under her skin as she stretched, lifting herself off of the cool stone that had served as her bed. Delithrawien raised herself majestically to her feet, and surveyed her domain. Something had awakened her...ah yes, the sound of footsteps. Men were coming, which was good. Delithrawien was hungry.
She watched them enter, unaware of her presence. The first to come smelled of sweat and stone. Plates of metal wrapped his legs, but his dusky, broad feet were bare, and slapped the stone like hammers. The voice that accompanied them was a basso profundo rumble like a distant rockslide. "Good. Nobody here," it said.
Next came two pairs of boots: one with solid footsteps - although not so solid as the ones they followed - accompanied by the jingling of chain, the other light and near silent, like Delithrawien's own. A second voice spoke, a female this time, but still low. "All right. I've got the layout of the place from Reed, and a map of the surrounding streets. Ashrem?"
The voice that answered was clear and precise, with just a hint of an accent - the musical voice of an elf. "They've been holed up in there for three hours with...with their hostage, so they'll have had plenty of time to set up defenses. The windows are all covered, of course, so we've got no way of knowing what's going on inside."
Delithrawien's eyes narrowed. They were all ignoring her.
More footsteps sounded from the corridor, hesitant and uncertain. "...don't like this. I don't like this at all," said their owner.
"I don' like it either, Jemis," agreed the first voice. More footsteps - rapid and light, like running prey - underscored the words.
Delithrawien crept forward. She would teach them to ignore her!
The running footsteps came closer, a pair of tiny legs pumping for all they were worth - and then four pillars of wood slammed to the stone in front of Delithrawien's face, and the legs vanished upward with barely a pause. She leapt back in surprise, bumping into the boots of the elf. From above her, a chuckle, and then she was lifted into the air.
"I think this is yours, Glunnyn?" The elf deposited Delithrawien on top of the table with a grin. Ears back, she growled, deep in her chest, and started to slink away.
The tiny wizard leaned across the table from his perch on the tall stool, dragging his familiar to him. "So that's where you got to," he said, stroking her long fur absently.
Delithrawien pffed. Now her coat was mussed, and she'd need to spend the afternoon grooming. She ignored the babblings of her wizard, as she usually did - he thought there was something important about the piece of paper, but wizards were notoriously poor judges of both priority and propriety. On the other hand, they were handy for doing the work that only opposable thumbs could accomplish...
"Remember, everyone." It was the woman. "We have to treat this just like any other operation...even if it is Captain Donnach that they've got in there." The room was silent for a moment.
"Not Captain Donnach I'm worried about," muttered the one called Jemis. Nobody commented, but all seemed to silently agree.
Finally, the woman spoke. "All right. Let's go."
The five filed out of the room and disappeared down the hall. Delithrawien stared after them. There was something horribly wrong.
None of them had stopped to feed her.
Jon Potter
First Post
Fabulous
You've baited the hook admirably.
I'm ready to hear more.
Hurry up and PLAY already!
You've baited the hook admirably.
I'm ready to hear more.
Hurry up and PLAY already!
drnuncheon
Explorer
paulewaug said:
Thank you. (And welcome to the Story Hour!)
Both of my 'test subjects' for that bit were convinced that lil' Del was a big dragon...until she got picked up.
I kept wondering if anyone would notice that all she seemed to see of people were feet and voices...I guess it just goes to show you how cats think of themselves.2 days and counting...
J
Jon Potter
First Post
Make that three
I thought exactly the same thing as I was reading it.
Very well done.
drnuncheon said:
Both of my 'test subjects' for that bit were convinced that lil' Del was a big dragon...until she got picked up.
I thought exactly the same thing as I was reading it.
Very well done.
I love it. Go back and read it again and it takes on an entirely different tone. When I first read it, it was a menacing, dangerous creature (for some reason I was thinking a Naga at first, guess because of the previous books Serpentmen), but, reading it a second time, and it is amusing to see how there is nothing menacing in there at all.
BRAVO!
BRAVO!
Thorntangle
First Post
Fantastic update! The familiar piece was very nicely written. I just got caught back up and I can't wait to read more.
