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<blockquote data-quote="Hairy Minotaur" data-source="post: 4281957" data-attributes="member: 11574"><p><strong>A bard in Hell part 1</strong></p><p></p><p>Haimish arrived back in Croy with much less fanfare this time, his now insipid colored hide hid the humanity beneath it well. Like a wet heavy blanket, Haimish found that no matter which way he shrugged or stood; its influence clung to him. The stench of decay and sweat oozed from his pores, the cologne of death calling her handmaiden home. Haimish winced at the bright sun, the bloated ball of light furrowed his blackening soul taunting his humanity with memories of daylight and summer rains. </p><p></p><p> Haimish lurched from the teleport circle and willed his moldering body down the white marble steps and onto the ironwood walkway that guided guests around the island. He picked a direction and headed off on its worn path, not knowing when his prey might sense him or if the artifact would finish its job; transform him completely and rid him of this useless conscious a vestige of humankind that kept his desire to tear into the throat of every being he passed along the trail in check for now. </p><p></p><p> Haimish withdrew the jar of Kalen’s grave dirt from within his backpack; he noted the level of dirt was about half the jar. Far less than when he had first visited the island, Haimish knew his remaining teleports would need to count as he did not want to be stranded in a place on this island with no way out. Haimish thought about trying to see if concentrating on his query would bring either himself to the hunted or the hunted to him but the awkward meeting in the middle of the path would bring unwanted eyes upon him. He needed to hide, this form disgusted him and his will to remain human took over and forced the new personality to the side of head subconscious. </p><p></p><p>An elven mage sauntered by Haimish’s decrepit form and the bard smelled blood as the elf passed by. Haimish found his mouth over salivating and he began to drool uncontrollably. He ears picked up on the fluttering beats of the elven heart; his hearing was picking up the elven’s heart’s chambers as blood rushed from side to side in the mage’s chest. His sight watched with delight as the elven’s throat veins pumped in time with the beating of his heart. Haimish reached out with his creative mind to envision what his attack upon the man’s throat would look like, feel like, and taste like. Yes, the taste warm and salty with a strong copper taste, as if licking the stew residue from the bottom of a new copper pot. Haimish found himself staring at the back of the man as he walked away, his jaw slack and saliva dripping off his graying desiccating chin. He quickly slammed his teeth shut and forced himself to turn away from the elf, looking back up the walkway, Haimish could feel the heaviness of a dozen stares as they watched the intriguing man amble on. </p><p></p><p> Haimish walked another hour under the oppressive sun, his body begged him to seek shelter, and his soul begged him to fly towards it. Haimish found himself back at the dinner spot where he handed over the blood rock only days ago. He sank into a chair and waved off a waitress. Staring out over the reflective water, Haimish reached into his pocket and pulled out a slip of paper Menthos had given him in the dark of the White Dragon’s treasure cave. Haimish twisted and turned it in his fingers, letting his mind wonder his body took it to dark places that involved slowly killing the tiefling by gouging out an inch of skin a day and using those pieces to recreate a outward map of Menthos’ body right in front of the tiefling so he could watch himself slowly teleport. Haimish felt the skin on his face crinkle as he realized he was smiling. Shoving that though into the recesses of his mind, Haimish shook his head and slouched back into the chair again. This time however his contemplation was interrupted by the padding of leather boots coming up from behind him. Haimish could smell the creature intensely, a smell that gagged his soul but energized his body.</p><p></p><p>“What took you so long; I’ve been on the island for over an hour and had to walk all the way here before you could grace me with your presence.” Haimish asks</p><p></p><p>“When my associates told me you were back, I prepared myself to cripple you for eternity, when they told me what you had apparently come back as, I found that I could not contain my laughter for quite some time.” Kalen answered</p><p></p><p>“I missed you too, I want to make a deal with you; take this sphere off my hands and then let me go in peace.” Haimish offers</p><p></p><p>Haimish produces the dull light absorbing orb, much to the amazement of Kalen. The vampire stares in disbelief wondering if it really is what Haimish thinks it is. </p><p></p><p>“How did you come about ownership of that?” Kalen inquires</p><p></p><p>“A nice dragon gave it to me in exchange for ridding his lands of lederhosen wearing orcs with curly hair.” Haimish answers</p><p></p><p>“What makes you believe you have any bargaining power at all?” Kalen accuses folding his arms across his chest </p><p></p><p>Haimish stands up, shoving his chair out of the way, a week ago Kalen stood six inches over Haimish; now the distance had halved, “Because when this thing gets done with me, I’ll be more powerful than you’ll ever hope to be and my legions of the damned won’t be content to sit on a rock in the middle of an ocean whittling their tongues away while you pine for days gone by where a master of the night actually operated at night!” Haimish fired back</p><p></p><p>“Ha! I have more power than you know wannabe. The more you posture the funnier you get.” Kalen answers</p><p></p><p>Haimish pulls out his ace card and hopes it’s enough, “I know who you bow to, I know the pain that was wrought when you went home empty handed without the rock. I know what he’ll do to you when you don’t come back with the sphere.” </p><p></p><p>Stunned silence and fear washed over the vampire’s face, Kalen reeled in the level of understanding Haimish seemed to pull out of his arse, Kalen thought over Haimish’s words, seeking some form of redemption. He would not be beholden to Haimish any further. The bard’s taunting call and memory needed to be dealt with permanently. However the sphere could not be used again until it had finished with Haimish. There had to be another way, and Kalen would need to keep Haimish preoccupied until then.</p><p></p><p>“Not here, I will not discuss terms with you out in the open. Follow me.” Kalen says and walks off towards the coast to the east.</p><p></p><p>“Huh uh, I don’t trust you. There’s no way I’m going anywhere with you that doesn’t include the descriptors public and busy.” Haimish retorts</p><p></p><p>“Well, you’re going to have to trust me there’s not really an option for you.” As Kalen completed his sentence, Haimish’s body jerkily waded towards the vampire.</p><p></p><p>“What?” Haimish says trying to will his feet to a stop</p><p></p><p>“You forget your place child of the night, for I was elder before they called it that, and you are merely a pawn, for my master.” Kalen answered</p><p></p><p>“It is you who are the pawn; I have no free will to choose my path. Apparently you fear my potential so much that you will destroy me when I offer you the gift freely. Your master must be pleased with the hands off control he has over your thoughts.” Haimish responds</p><p></p><p>Kalen smirks, “You still try to bore a hole in a vacuum looking for water.” </p><p></p><p>“Earth without water becomes dust for the wind to use to sculpt the defiant to nothing.” Haimish replies</p><p></p><p>Kalen ponders the thought for a moment temporarily releasing Haimish from his control. The bard stumbles backwards and falls over as he violently regained control over his legs and threw them in reverse as quick as he could. Haimish could only hope Menthos was right and this was the way to Kalen’s buried reasoning. </p><p></p><p>“Remember why you sought to harness the sunlight? Was it because Ina-Herit needed you during the day or was it because you needed the day?” Haimish spoke</p><p></p><p>Kalen’s eyes went reflective and Haimish couldn’t discern whether it was the comment itself or whether it Haimish confirming to Kalen that indeed he knew who Kalen got his marching orders from and exposing that relationship would likely not win him any friends amongst the populace of Croy. </p><p></p><p>Kalen looked back at Haimish; the bard had felt that look before, only this time it held no power, Haimish could not say whether that meant Kalen put nothing behind it or whether Haimish’s transformation had progressed to the point of where it no longer held sway over Haimish.</p><p></p><p>“Follow me.” Kalen said</p><p>Haimish threw a party in his head at those words as the two men walked south along the coast, parallel to a reddening sun.</p><p></p><p></p><p>Dalhgren floated down towards the fallen Adokul and set Aust down alongside the downed mage. Adokul looks up at the floating Dahlgren.</p><p></p><p>“How is it you’re still flying?” Adokul asks</p><p></p><p>“My ability comes from a different source than yours; it does not need the same inherent base.” Dalhgren responds</p><p></p><p>“Silly human, the underdark is for drow. Once again the surface dwellers try to invade below only to end up all wet face down in a ditch wondering why life isn’t fair, when you really should be asking why the torch bearer doesn’t get fed up with your stupidity and turn your bowels into a crock pot of dinner surprise. Now you think about that when the drow are getting their feet licked clean by your grandchildren.” Aust offers</p><p></p><p>“You have a great deal of anger dark one, maybe one day you will learn to stop internalizing it and start using it to get from whiney to mighty.” Adokul responds</p><p></p><p>The mage gets up and wipes the excess water from the front of his robes, “Dalhgren, could you be so kind as to alight me to the crystal’s surface?” the mage asks</p><p></p><p>Dahlgren concedes and as the mage moves to take hold of Dalhgren’s hand, Aust trips the mage causing him to fall backwards into the stream this time, “loser.”</p><p></p><p>“That was uncalled for.” Adokul says</p><p></p><p>“Yes is was, I do not believe you requested it, however it was on the menu and I felt compelled to give you the full meal.” Aust answers</p><p></p><p>“I’ll take Doopa; you can carry Kourk down the side.” Eeyore offers</p><p></p><p>“Fine, but when you fall, make sure Doopa loses his weapon first. Otherwise he’s likely to make a pillow out of you before you even reach halfway to the group.” Menthos comments</p><p></p><p>Eeyore dismisses the tiefling with a hand gesture and wraps the ogre’s arms around his neck and begins to spider climb down the top of the crystal. </p><p></p><p>“Well, you ready?” Menthos asks</p><p></p><p>“You won’t drop me to save a perceived threat to your hairdo again will you?” Kourk asks</p><p></p><p>“Please you’re the only one that could heal me if I were to fall.” Menthos answers </p><p></p><p>Kourk readies himself and climbs aboard Menthos’ back as the warlock begins to descend the crystal as well. After about ten feet Kourk adjusts his grip and moves to grasping Menthos’ neck with his hands.</p><p></p><p>“Ack! You’re choking me!” Menthos gasps</p><p></p><p>“You’re going to fast, you’re going to slip and fall! Dwarves weren’t made to descend this way it’s undignified.” Kourk replies</p><p></p><p>“We are going to fall if you don’t let go!” Menthos gasps</p><p></p><p>“I can’t this is the best grip I can find.” Kourk replies</p><p></p><p>“Is that what your kind are calling it these days? Choking the tiefling? If you can’t wait until we’re both on solid ground to find your happy place then we’re both going to die.” Menthos wheezes.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Hairy Minotaur, post: 4281957, member: 11574"] [b]A bard in Hell part 1[/b] Haimish arrived back in Croy with much less fanfare this time, his now insipid colored hide hid the humanity beneath it well. Like a wet heavy blanket, Haimish found that no matter which way he shrugged or stood; its influence clung to him. The stench of decay and sweat oozed from his pores, the cologne of death calling her handmaiden home. Haimish winced at the bright sun, the bloated ball of light furrowed his blackening soul taunting his humanity with memories of daylight and summer rains. Haimish lurched from the teleport circle and willed his moldering body down the white marble steps and onto the ironwood walkway that guided guests around the island. He picked a direction and headed off on its worn path, not knowing when his prey might sense him or if the artifact would finish its job; transform him completely and rid him of this useless conscious a vestige of humankind that kept his desire to tear into the throat of every being he passed along the trail in check for now. Haimish withdrew the jar of Kalen’s grave dirt from within his backpack; he noted the level of dirt was about half the jar. Far less than when he had first visited the island, Haimish knew his remaining teleports would need to count as he did not want to be stranded in a place on this island with no way out. Haimish thought about trying to see if concentrating on his query would bring either himself to the hunted or the hunted to him but the awkward meeting in the middle of the path would bring unwanted eyes upon him. He needed to hide, this form disgusted him and his will to remain human took over and forced the new personality to the side of head subconscious. An elven mage sauntered by Haimish’s decrepit form and the bard smelled blood as the elf passed by. Haimish found his mouth over salivating and he began to drool uncontrollably. He ears picked up on the fluttering beats of the elven heart; his hearing was picking up the elven’s heart’s chambers as blood rushed from side to side in the mage’s chest. His sight watched with delight as the elven’s throat veins pumped in time with the beating of his heart. Haimish reached out with his creative mind to envision what his attack upon the man’s throat would look like, feel like, and taste like. Yes, the taste warm and salty with a strong copper taste, as if licking the stew residue from the bottom of a new copper pot. Haimish found himself staring at the back of the man as he walked away, his jaw slack and saliva dripping off his graying desiccating chin. He quickly slammed his teeth shut and forced himself to turn away from the elf, looking back up the walkway, Haimish could feel the heaviness of a dozen stares as they watched the intriguing man amble on. Haimish walked another hour under the oppressive sun, his body begged him to seek shelter, and his soul begged him to fly towards it. Haimish found himself back at the dinner spot where he handed over the blood rock only days ago. He sank into a chair and waved off a waitress. Staring out over the reflective water, Haimish reached into his pocket and pulled out a slip of paper Menthos had given him in the dark of the White Dragon’s treasure cave. Haimish twisted and turned it in his fingers, letting his mind wonder his body took it to dark places that involved slowly killing the tiefling by gouging out an inch of skin a day and using those pieces to recreate a outward map of Menthos’ body right in front of the tiefling so he could watch himself slowly teleport. Haimish felt the skin on his face crinkle as he realized he was smiling. Shoving that though into the recesses of his mind, Haimish shook his head and slouched back into the chair again. This time however his contemplation was interrupted by the padding of leather boots coming up from behind him. Haimish could smell the creature intensely, a smell that gagged his soul but energized his body. “What took you so long; I’ve been on the island for over an hour and had to walk all the way here before you could grace me with your presence.” Haimish asks “When my associates told me you were back, I prepared myself to cripple you for eternity, when they told me what you had apparently come back as, I found that I could not contain my laughter for quite some time.” Kalen answered “I missed you too, I want to make a deal with you; take this sphere off my hands and then let me go in peace.” Haimish offers Haimish produces the dull light absorbing orb, much to the amazement of Kalen. The vampire stares in disbelief wondering if it really is what Haimish thinks it is. “How did you come about ownership of that?” Kalen inquires “A nice dragon gave it to me in exchange for ridding his lands of lederhosen wearing orcs with curly hair.” Haimish answers “What makes you believe you have any bargaining power at all?” Kalen accuses folding his arms across his chest Haimish stands up, shoving his chair out of the way, a week ago Kalen stood six inches over Haimish; now the distance had halved, “Because when this thing gets done with me, I’ll be more powerful than you’ll ever hope to be and my legions of the damned won’t be content to sit on a rock in the middle of an ocean whittling their tongues away while you pine for days gone by where a master of the night actually operated at night!” Haimish fired back “Ha! I have more power than you know wannabe. The more you posture the funnier you get.” Kalen answers Haimish pulls out his ace card and hopes it’s enough, “I know who you bow to, I know the pain that was wrought when you went home empty handed without the rock. I know what he’ll do to you when you don’t come back with the sphere.” Stunned silence and fear washed over the vampire’s face, Kalen reeled in the level of understanding Haimish seemed to pull out of his arse, Kalen thought over Haimish’s words, seeking some form of redemption. He would not be beholden to Haimish any further. The bard’s taunting call and memory needed to be dealt with permanently. However the sphere could not be used again until it had finished with Haimish. There had to be another way, and Kalen would need to keep Haimish preoccupied until then. “Not here, I will not discuss terms with you out in the open. Follow me.” Kalen says and walks off towards the coast to the east. “Huh uh, I don’t trust you. There’s no way I’m going anywhere with you that doesn’t include the descriptors public and busy.” Haimish retorts “Well, you’re going to have to trust me there’s not really an option for you.” As Kalen completed his sentence, Haimish’s body jerkily waded towards the vampire. “What?” Haimish says trying to will his feet to a stop “You forget your place child of the night, for I was elder before they called it that, and you are merely a pawn, for my master.” Kalen answered “It is you who are the pawn; I have no free will to choose my path. Apparently you fear my potential so much that you will destroy me when I offer you the gift freely. Your master must be pleased with the hands off control he has over your thoughts.” Haimish responds Kalen smirks, “You still try to bore a hole in a vacuum looking for water.” “Earth without water becomes dust for the wind to use to sculpt the defiant to nothing.” Haimish replies Kalen ponders the thought for a moment temporarily releasing Haimish from his control. The bard stumbles backwards and falls over as he violently regained control over his legs and threw them in reverse as quick as he could. Haimish could only hope Menthos was right and this was the way to Kalen’s buried reasoning. “Remember why you sought to harness the sunlight? Was it because Ina-Herit needed you during the day or was it because you needed the day?” Haimish spoke Kalen’s eyes went reflective and Haimish couldn’t discern whether it was the comment itself or whether it Haimish confirming to Kalen that indeed he knew who Kalen got his marching orders from and exposing that relationship would likely not win him any friends amongst the populace of Croy. Kalen looked back at Haimish; the bard had felt that look before, only this time it held no power, Haimish could not say whether that meant Kalen put nothing behind it or whether Haimish’s transformation had progressed to the point of where it no longer held sway over Haimish. “Follow me.” Kalen said Haimish threw a party in his head at those words as the two men walked south along the coast, parallel to a reddening sun. Dalhgren floated down towards the fallen Adokul and set Aust down alongside the downed mage. Adokul looks up at the floating Dahlgren. “How is it you’re still flying?” Adokul asks “My ability comes from a different source than yours; it does not need the same inherent base.” Dalhgren responds “Silly human, the underdark is for drow. Once again the surface dwellers try to invade below only to end up all wet face down in a ditch wondering why life isn’t fair, when you really should be asking why the torch bearer doesn’t get fed up with your stupidity and turn your bowels into a crock pot of dinner surprise. Now you think about that when the drow are getting their feet licked clean by your grandchildren.” Aust offers “You have a great deal of anger dark one, maybe one day you will learn to stop internalizing it and start using it to get from whiney to mighty.” Adokul responds The mage gets up and wipes the excess water from the front of his robes, “Dalhgren, could you be so kind as to alight me to the crystal’s surface?” the mage asks Dahlgren concedes and as the mage moves to take hold of Dalhgren’s hand, Aust trips the mage causing him to fall backwards into the stream this time, “loser.” “That was uncalled for.” Adokul says “Yes is was, I do not believe you requested it, however it was on the menu and I felt compelled to give you the full meal.” Aust answers “I’ll take Doopa; you can carry Kourk down the side.” Eeyore offers “Fine, but when you fall, make sure Doopa loses his weapon first. Otherwise he’s likely to make a pillow out of you before you even reach halfway to the group.” Menthos comments Eeyore dismisses the tiefling with a hand gesture and wraps the ogre’s arms around his neck and begins to spider climb down the top of the crystal. “Well, you ready?” Menthos asks “You won’t drop me to save a perceived threat to your hairdo again will you?” Kourk asks “Please you’re the only one that could heal me if I were to fall.” Menthos answers Kourk readies himself and climbs aboard Menthos’ back as the warlock begins to descend the crystal as well. After about ten feet Kourk adjusts his grip and moves to grasping Menthos’ neck with his hands. “Ack! You’re choking me!” Menthos gasps “You’re going to fast, you’re going to slip and fall! Dwarves weren’t made to descend this way it’s undignified.” Kourk replies “We are going to fall if you don’t let go!” Menthos gasps “I can’t this is the best grip I can find.” Kourk replies “Is that what your kind are calling it these days? Choking the tiefling? If you can’t wait until we’re both on solid ground to find your happy place then we’re both going to die.” Menthos wheezes. [/QUOTE]
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