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On the Trail of Copper Bloodhounds… [16August06]
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<blockquote data-quote="Monty Tomasi" data-source="post: 2904193" data-attributes="member: 40137"><p>Part X:</p><p></p><p></p><p>Perrin stormed along the corridors of the Barracks with his square jaw clenched. Along the way to the dormitory wing he stopped by the armoury and picked up a man-catcher that the surprised quartermaster handed over gleeful smile. Turning a corner he ran in to two new recruits who were wrestling with each other each trying to learn how to incapacitate an opponent.</p><p></p><p>“Simple,” Sergeant Perrin responded after they asked him to demonstrate the head-lock technique. He kicked one of them hard in the shin and spun the other one around face-first in to the wall using the pole-end of the man-catcher. </p><p></p><p>“On the streets of Sigil it matters only that you survive. Honourable combat is for jousts, drop any pretensions of fighting fair now and you’ll live through tomorrow… maybe.”</p><p></p><p>Perrin left the two groaning recruits and entered the dormitory wing. Heading for the sleeping chambers reserved for injured officers - he nodded to several of the healers passing by. Suddenly there was a shout from the room at the end of the corridor and healers converged on the room. An arc of black lightning shot outwards from the room, sending several of the healers and orderlies flying.</p><p></p><p>“How’s she doing?” Perrin asked as he helped one of the healers to her feet.</p><p></p><p>“Not good,” the woman said staring glumly at her feet. The symbol of St. Cuthbert that hung from her neck had absorbed the brunt of the discharge but had become a molten lump as a result. “The magic inside her is raging out of control.”</p><p></p><p>“Hmm, so I take it Cuthbert has nothing to say on the issue?”</p><p></p><p>The healer looked up, her eyes blazing and her hand unconsciously reaching for the charred holy symbol. “I will thank you not to make disparaging comments on matters that you do not understand Sergeant, especially when your remarks are bordering on the blasphemous. We’re doing the best that we can, but what she needs is help getting herself under control and that is something that at the moment eludes us.”</p><p></p><p>“I see,” Perrin remarked quietly.</p><p></p><p>“Truth is Sarge that only her iron will is keeping her here with us. What little control she can exert is enough to keep her alive, but we don’t know for how long.”</p><p></p><p>“Thank you priestess, “ Perrin said laying a hand on her shoulder. “I will only be a few moments and then I’ll send someone who will be able to help her better than I.”</p><p></p><p>The priestess looked in to Perrin’s eyes and then away at the wall. She sighed and waited outside the room whilst the Harmonium officer carefully placed his man-catcher against the wall before going inside to the room where the copper haired woman lay tied to the bed. The tangled sheets smouldered from the black lightning that arced at random intervals along the sleeping woman in the bed. The copper-haired woman’s eyes moved rapidly behind closed eye-lids and she silently mouthed words that only those living in a world of dark, twisted nightmares could comprehend.</p><p></p><p>The priestess caught a glimpse of the Harmonium officer bending down to whisper something in to the ear of the sleeping woman, but she could not make out the words. Moments later the copper-haired woman visibly relaxed and the black lightning did not return.</p><p></p><p>“What did you say?” the priestess asked, her voice rising.</p><p></p><p>Perrin winked and brushed past her, grabbing his man-catcher that he’d lent against the wall before going inside.</p><p></p><p>“That was not a question Sergeant Perrin,” the priestess said, pulling rank. “That was an order. What did you say to her?”</p><p></p><p>Perrin stopped in his tracks and turned slowly. “I asked her if she knew the difference between a succubus and an erinye?”</p><p></p><p>The priestess furrowed her brow and crossed her arms. “I can tell that I’m not going to like the answer.”</p><p></p><p>“The succubus is a cheaper thrill.” The Harmonium officer replied, but neither Perrin nor the priestess broke out in to a smile. “It’s Hiver humour Ma’am, reminds her of her childhood and a more harmonious time in her life.”</p><p></p><p>“But surely that was before she joined our faction?” the priestess asked.</p><p></p><p>“Indeed Ma’am, I understand that it does not reflect well on us but right now I am most concerned with keeping my officer alive. Even if that means going counter to some of our training; in the long run she’ll be revealed to be a great credit and example of what it means to be a member of the Harmonium.”</p><p></p><p>“You’d stake your reputation on that would you, Sarge?”</p><p></p><p>“I already have Ma’am, my commission as well.” Perrin saluted the priestess and marched away in search of his remaining offcer. He found Oho several minutes later sitting in one of the chapels in meditation.</p><p></p><p>“Bhott Atcha,” Oho said by way of greeting.</p><p></p><p>“Oho,” Perrin said as he sat down in a pew behind the kneeling monk. “I need you to do something for me, it’s not going to be pleasant but it’s something right up your alley.”</p><p></p><p>“Sure thing,” Oho replied finishing his meditative exercises. He stood up, shook both his legs and smoothed his simple red shirt. His white spiky hair had the ash and soot washed out and the Harmonium officer had replaced his simple garments for a fresh set. “Just ask and I’m there. Who are we going up against?”</p><p></p><p>“I need you to sit with Fey,” Perrin said looking up at Oho. “I need you to sit with her, talk to her, tell her jokes and be there for her should she wake up.”</p><p></p><p>“But Sarge you know how I feel about her.”</p><p></p><p>“I do.”</p><p></p><p>“Then you know that my being there will just drive her barmy. She hates to even have me around never mind having much of a conversation with her that does not involve both of us screaming at the top of our lungs. Once our throats are worn out we often resort to whispering caustic insults that’d strip the paint of the wall of the infirmary.” Oho shook his head and placed his hands on his hips. “We don’t get on, simple as that. If I go in there and talk at her for awhile she’s likely to wake up in a foul mood and we’ll just end up fighting.”</p><p></p><p>“That’s what I’m counting on Oho,” Perrin smirked and rose to his feet. “Fey is a fighter, it’s what she’s had to be all her life. It’s just lucky for you that she hates your guts otherwise I’d have to hire some bleaknik artists to wake her from her reverie. Then you’d really learn what misery is. It’s still a matter up for debate whether she hates you or the fensir twins more.”</p><p></p><p>“Sarge, I understand what you’re trying to get at but I don’t think that it will work. Even if it does it’s not a great idea… in my opinion, of course, Sir.”</p><p></p><p>“Noted,” Perrin responded. “Still, you have your orders so get to it.”</p><p></p><p>Oho saluted and headed for the exit of the deserted chapel. “Sir, if I may ask about the case that we’re investigating… what is the connection between the Godsmen being abducted for their previous lives, the gems that the erinye trades in and them kidnapping Valori.”</p><p></p><p>“Good question Oho.” Perrin stood up, lent the man-catcher in the crook of his arm and lit the stubby end of a black-weed tar cigar. “That’s what I plan to find out. Whilst you’re busy sweet-talking Fey I’ll be out on patrol with the Baatezu. We’ll start at the Foundry and interview each of the Believers of the Source that claims to have been kidnapped.”</p><p></p><p>“You don’t believe that they were all kidnapped?”</p><p></p><p>“No,” Perrin responded as he puffed on his cigar. “I’ll have the testimonials sent around for you and Fey to go over. In the mean time I’m stuck with the barbazu but perhaps that’s not such a bad thing after all. I can always use him to get the Godsmen riled up good and proper.”</p><p></p><p>Oho shook his head and walked out of the chapel at a leisurely pace towards the dormitory wing. Perrin left the Barracks through the main entrance, met up with the barbazu waiting patiently outside and the two set off for the Lower ward without a word passed between them.</p><p></p><p>After some time they arrived at the gates of the Foundry and the guards initially refused them entry. After some pressure from Perrin and some none too subtle threats from the barbazu the unlikely pair were greeted by a high-up who greeted them and promised full cooperation.</p><p></p><p>The factol led the pair around the Foundry and stood close-by whilst the interviewed several of the Godsmen who’d claimed to have been abducted and then had their past lives stolen. </p><p></p><p>When Perrin mentioned a few names of Godsmen that they’d not interviewed the factol gave an evasive answer about many of their members having taken a leave of absence whilst they waited for the trouble to subside. Neither the Harmonium nor the Baatezu could get anything further off use from those that they interviewed and after a gruelling day they retired back to the Barracks. The barbazu gave Perrin a mocking salute and marched off. </p><p></p><p>The next day when Perrin set out to interview more of the Godsmen who worked outside of the Foundry in the nearby artisan workshops. Along the way he was joined by the barbazu, but neither spoke a word of greeting. Together the interviewed two dozen Godsmen without uncovering any further information.</p><p></p><p>When Perrin checked in at the end of the day on Oho and Fey, he found that the copper-haired Harmonium officer had regained consciousness and was in the midst of a heated argument with the blonde-spiky haired officer.</p><p></p><p>“Get out of my room, you sodding berk. All you do is read through those stupid scrolls and leer at my chest.”</p><p></p><p>“Pike it, “ Oho retorted using the little Cager slang he’d picked up. “Sarge has given me explicit orders and I am following them to the letter. He said nothing about leering, which by the way, I was most definitely not doing. The fact that you insist on sleeping in next to nothing is not my problem.”</p><p></p><p>“Look, just get out will you? Or so help me, by Shekinester, I’ll climb out of this bed and knock you in to next week. You, you….you hag-spawned, sorry excuse for a spiky haired, maggot!”</p><p></p><p>Perrin stood with his back against the wall listening to the exchange. Suddenly black lighting discharged arcing out of the room and he heard Oho yelp in pain.</p><p></p><p>“Serves you right,” Ella said triumphantly in a weak voice.</p><p></p><p>“Uh, that’s the sixth time today.” Oho groaned. “And look… You’ve just burnt another hole in bed sheets.”</p><p></p><p>“GET OUT!” Ella yelled.</p><p></p><p>“Lucky for the both of us the healers left a pile of fresh bedding materials.” Oho commented in a resigned tone. “Sarge is going to owe me big time for all the baby-sitting that I’ve been stuck with.”</p><p></p><p>As Perrin walked away he heard Ella let rip with a string of expletives that set the hairs on the back of his neck on edge. Oho’s peels of laughter drowned out the cursing and he then retorted with a slightly-longwinded but very graphic set of descriptive insults in return involving lightning mephitis cross-breeding with eladrins.</p><p></p><p>However Perrin’s mood was destroyed when he retuned to his room to find a note on his bed. From the smell of the note it had been penned by a fiend and after opening the letter Perrin was unsurprised to see barbazu’s spidery writing on the parchment.</p><p></p><p><em>Considering the lack of further abductions since your officer was taken, I have requested that this investigation be shut down. According to our contract you and your team are to hand over all evidence collected during the course of the investigation.</em></p><p><em></em></p><p><em>As a gesture of goodwill the Harmonium will be compensated for the loss of its officer in the line of duty…</em></p><p></p><p>Perrin did not bother reading the remainder of the small print of the letter. With slow and deliberate care he carefully balled the letter up and threw it in to the hearth. </p><p></p><p>“This isn’t over,” Perrin stated. “This is far from over.… One minute you stab one of my team, then you force us to work alongside you and now you want to pull the plug, well it isn’t that easy... I’ll see this investigation through to the end and I swear by all the archons on Mount Celestia that I’ll get Valori back even if I have to go to Nessus personally to do so.”</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Monty Tomasi, post: 2904193, member: 40137"] Part X: Perrin stormed along the corridors of the Barracks with his square jaw clenched. Along the way to the dormitory wing he stopped by the armoury and picked up a man-catcher that the surprised quartermaster handed over gleeful smile. Turning a corner he ran in to two new recruits who were wrestling with each other each trying to learn how to incapacitate an opponent. “Simple,” Sergeant Perrin responded after they asked him to demonstrate the head-lock technique. He kicked one of them hard in the shin and spun the other one around face-first in to the wall using the pole-end of the man-catcher. “On the streets of Sigil it matters only that you survive. Honourable combat is for jousts, drop any pretensions of fighting fair now and you’ll live through tomorrow… maybe.” Perrin left the two groaning recruits and entered the dormitory wing. Heading for the sleeping chambers reserved for injured officers - he nodded to several of the healers passing by. Suddenly there was a shout from the room at the end of the corridor and healers converged on the room. An arc of black lightning shot outwards from the room, sending several of the healers and orderlies flying. “How’s she doing?” Perrin asked as he helped one of the healers to her feet. “Not good,” the woman said staring glumly at her feet. The symbol of St. Cuthbert that hung from her neck had absorbed the brunt of the discharge but had become a molten lump as a result. “The magic inside her is raging out of control.” “Hmm, so I take it Cuthbert has nothing to say on the issue?” The healer looked up, her eyes blazing and her hand unconsciously reaching for the charred holy symbol. “I will thank you not to make disparaging comments on matters that you do not understand Sergeant, especially when your remarks are bordering on the blasphemous. We’re doing the best that we can, but what she needs is help getting herself under control and that is something that at the moment eludes us.” “I see,” Perrin remarked quietly. “Truth is Sarge that only her iron will is keeping her here with us. What little control she can exert is enough to keep her alive, but we don’t know for how long.” “Thank you priestess, “ Perrin said laying a hand on her shoulder. “I will only be a few moments and then I’ll send someone who will be able to help her better than I.” The priestess looked in to Perrin’s eyes and then away at the wall. She sighed and waited outside the room whilst the Harmonium officer carefully placed his man-catcher against the wall before going inside to the room where the copper haired woman lay tied to the bed. The tangled sheets smouldered from the black lightning that arced at random intervals along the sleeping woman in the bed. The copper-haired woman’s eyes moved rapidly behind closed eye-lids and she silently mouthed words that only those living in a world of dark, twisted nightmares could comprehend. The priestess caught a glimpse of the Harmonium officer bending down to whisper something in to the ear of the sleeping woman, but she could not make out the words. Moments later the copper-haired woman visibly relaxed and the black lightning did not return. “What did you say?” the priestess asked, her voice rising. Perrin winked and brushed past her, grabbing his man-catcher that he’d lent against the wall before going inside. “That was not a question Sergeant Perrin,” the priestess said, pulling rank. “That was an order. What did you say to her?” Perrin stopped in his tracks and turned slowly. “I asked her if she knew the difference between a succubus and an erinye?” The priestess furrowed her brow and crossed her arms. “I can tell that I’m not going to like the answer.” “The succubus is a cheaper thrill.” The Harmonium officer replied, but neither Perrin nor the priestess broke out in to a smile. “It’s Hiver humour Ma’am, reminds her of her childhood and a more harmonious time in her life.” “But surely that was before she joined our faction?” the priestess asked. “Indeed Ma’am, I understand that it does not reflect well on us but right now I am most concerned with keeping my officer alive. Even if that means going counter to some of our training; in the long run she’ll be revealed to be a great credit and example of what it means to be a member of the Harmonium.” “You’d stake your reputation on that would you, Sarge?” “I already have Ma’am, my commission as well.” Perrin saluted the priestess and marched away in search of his remaining offcer. He found Oho several minutes later sitting in one of the chapels in meditation. “Bhott Atcha,” Oho said by way of greeting. “Oho,” Perrin said as he sat down in a pew behind the kneeling monk. “I need you to do something for me, it’s not going to be pleasant but it’s something right up your alley.” “Sure thing,” Oho replied finishing his meditative exercises. He stood up, shook both his legs and smoothed his simple red shirt. His white spiky hair had the ash and soot washed out and the Harmonium officer had replaced his simple garments for a fresh set. “Just ask and I’m there. Who are we going up against?” “I need you to sit with Fey,” Perrin said looking up at Oho. “I need you to sit with her, talk to her, tell her jokes and be there for her should she wake up.” “But Sarge you know how I feel about her.” “I do.” “Then you know that my being there will just drive her barmy. She hates to even have me around never mind having much of a conversation with her that does not involve both of us screaming at the top of our lungs. Once our throats are worn out we often resort to whispering caustic insults that’d strip the paint of the wall of the infirmary.” Oho shook his head and placed his hands on his hips. “We don’t get on, simple as that. If I go in there and talk at her for awhile she’s likely to wake up in a foul mood and we’ll just end up fighting.” “That’s what I’m counting on Oho,” Perrin smirked and rose to his feet. “Fey is a fighter, it’s what she’s had to be all her life. It’s just lucky for you that she hates your guts otherwise I’d have to hire some bleaknik artists to wake her from her reverie. Then you’d really learn what misery is. It’s still a matter up for debate whether she hates you or the fensir twins more.” “Sarge, I understand what you’re trying to get at but I don’t think that it will work. Even if it does it’s not a great idea… in my opinion, of course, Sir.” “Noted,” Perrin responded. “Still, you have your orders so get to it.” Oho saluted and headed for the exit of the deserted chapel. “Sir, if I may ask about the case that we’re investigating… what is the connection between the Godsmen being abducted for their previous lives, the gems that the erinye trades in and them kidnapping Valori.” “Good question Oho.” Perrin stood up, lent the man-catcher in the crook of his arm and lit the stubby end of a black-weed tar cigar. “That’s what I plan to find out. Whilst you’re busy sweet-talking Fey I’ll be out on patrol with the Baatezu. We’ll start at the Foundry and interview each of the Believers of the Source that claims to have been kidnapped.” “You don’t believe that they were all kidnapped?” “No,” Perrin responded as he puffed on his cigar. “I’ll have the testimonials sent around for you and Fey to go over. In the mean time I’m stuck with the barbazu but perhaps that’s not such a bad thing after all. I can always use him to get the Godsmen riled up good and proper.” Oho shook his head and walked out of the chapel at a leisurely pace towards the dormitory wing. Perrin left the Barracks through the main entrance, met up with the barbazu waiting patiently outside and the two set off for the Lower ward without a word passed between them. After some time they arrived at the gates of the Foundry and the guards initially refused them entry. After some pressure from Perrin and some none too subtle threats from the barbazu the unlikely pair were greeted by a high-up who greeted them and promised full cooperation. The factol led the pair around the Foundry and stood close-by whilst the interviewed several of the Godsmen who’d claimed to have been abducted and then had their past lives stolen. When Perrin mentioned a few names of Godsmen that they’d not interviewed the factol gave an evasive answer about many of their members having taken a leave of absence whilst they waited for the trouble to subside. Neither the Harmonium nor the Baatezu could get anything further off use from those that they interviewed and after a gruelling day they retired back to the Barracks. The barbazu gave Perrin a mocking salute and marched off. The next day when Perrin set out to interview more of the Godsmen who worked outside of the Foundry in the nearby artisan workshops. Along the way he was joined by the barbazu, but neither spoke a word of greeting. Together the interviewed two dozen Godsmen without uncovering any further information. When Perrin checked in at the end of the day on Oho and Fey, he found that the copper-haired Harmonium officer had regained consciousness and was in the midst of a heated argument with the blonde-spiky haired officer. “Get out of my room, you sodding berk. All you do is read through those stupid scrolls and leer at my chest.” “Pike it, “ Oho retorted using the little Cager slang he’d picked up. “Sarge has given me explicit orders and I am following them to the letter. He said nothing about leering, which by the way, I was most definitely not doing. The fact that you insist on sleeping in next to nothing is not my problem.” “Look, just get out will you? Or so help me, by Shekinester, I’ll climb out of this bed and knock you in to next week. You, you….you hag-spawned, sorry excuse for a spiky haired, maggot!” Perrin stood with his back against the wall listening to the exchange. Suddenly black lighting discharged arcing out of the room and he heard Oho yelp in pain. “Serves you right,” Ella said triumphantly in a weak voice. “Uh, that’s the sixth time today.” Oho groaned. “And look… You’ve just burnt another hole in bed sheets.” “GET OUT!” Ella yelled. “Lucky for the both of us the healers left a pile of fresh bedding materials.” Oho commented in a resigned tone. “Sarge is going to owe me big time for all the baby-sitting that I’ve been stuck with.” As Perrin walked away he heard Ella let rip with a string of expletives that set the hairs on the back of his neck on edge. Oho’s peels of laughter drowned out the cursing and he then retorted with a slightly-longwinded but very graphic set of descriptive insults in return involving lightning mephitis cross-breeding with eladrins. However Perrin’s mood was destroyed when he retuned to his room to find a note on his bed. From the smell of the note it had been penned by a fiend and after opening the letter Perrin was unsurprised to see barbazu’s spidery writing on the parchment. [I]Considering the lack of further abductions since your officer was taken, I have requested that this investigation be shut down. According to our contract you and your team are to hand over all evidence collected during the course of the investigation. As a gesture of goodwill the Harmonium will be compensated for the loss of its officer in the line of duty…[/I] Perrin did not bother reading the remainder of the small print of the letter. With slow and deliberate care he carefully balled the letter up and threw it in to the hearth. “This isn’t over,” Perrin stated. “This is far from over.… One minute you stab one of my team, then you force us to work alongside you and now you want to pull the plug, well it isn’t that easy... I’ll see this investigation through to the end and I swear by all the archons on Mount Celestia that I’ll get Valori back even if I have to go to Nessus personally to do so.” [/QUOTE]
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On the Trail of Copper Bloodhounds… [16August06]
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