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Aphonion Tales (New posts 6/13, 6/15, 6/19)
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<blockquote data-quote="Ladybird" data-source="post: 2975281" data-attributes="member: 10689"><p>Another day’s ride south, and they saw it. </p><p></p><p>An enormous wooden fortification rose up from the southern plains, surrounded by another several layers of outbuildings, tents, and makeshift stables. Dust wafted through the air, churned up by hundreds of feet as an enormous group of slaves, bound and shuffling and downcast, was herded out through the open gates of the stockade. Through another gate, a smaller group, only a dozen or so, was being driven raggedly into the slavers’ camp at the hands of two mounted uruks, whipping them brutally forwards. Above the wooden rim of the stockade fluttered the distorted, black-winged form of a tiefling.</p><p></p><p>The group hung back behind the crest of the hill, watching warily for a few minutes. Finally, Sir Toby broke the silence, his booming flamboyant voice slightly subdued. “Shall I scout ahead?”</p><p></p><p>“That means being <em>stealthy</em>,” Kit said, shooting a pointed look at the ruffled musketeer, and recovering her skepticism along with her equilibrium. “Are you sure you can do that?”</p><p></p><p>Sir Toby drew himself up with a plumed huff. “Certainly! In fact, I can be more stealthy than anyone else! If necessary, I can be invisible!”</p><p></p><p>Kit hesitated for a moment longer, glancing towards the others. Alessandre, deep in distressed prayer as she watched the procession of downtrodden slaves, offered no reaction. Honore, skeptical but resigned, pointed out gently, “It <em>is</em> an asset.” Jet, just skeptical, shrugged. Finally, Kit nodded. “All right. But be <em>careful</em>. Here – I’ll keep a Mindlink running with you. If anything bad happens, let us know – and get out of there, quick!”</p><p></p><p>“Fear not!” Toby declared, with another flourish of his hat. It turned into a confused shake of his head halfway through, as the unfamiliar sensation of the Mindlink sank in, but he waved his hat and musket aloft, and trotted off down the hill.</p><p></p><p>**</p><p><em>Eeeeeek! ahem. I’m all right, I’m all right! Never fear!</em> Sir Toby’s thoughts came over the Mindlink in scattered bursts. <em>That was rather close, but everything is all right. They seem to have put up some fascinating traps around the perimeter of the encampment. Oh, look, caltrops! How shiny! And quite effective.</em></p><p></p><p>Still visible for now, the musketeer crept closer to the slavers’ fortified camp, unnoticed among the chaotic shuffle of prisoners, bandits, tieflings, and captors. “Hm,” he murmured out loud. “That’s an unusual design for a trap.”</p><p></p><p>“Ooooh.” A slow, sultry feminine voice came from behind Toby’s shoulder. “What are you looking at?”</p><p></p><p>Toby straightened up. The voice belonged to a woman, nearly as tall as Toby himself, with flowing black hair…and flowing black wings. There was something slightly wrong about the set of her bones, and her eyes glowed faintly red.</p><p></p><p>Over the Mindlink, Kit’s thoughts started to grow more agitated the minute she received the image. <em>Toby, Honore says that that sounds like a tiefling. Get out of there!</em></p><p></p><p>Toby didn’t respond to the frantic thoughts pounding in his mind, but he did talk back to the black-winged woman. “It’s a trap! Fascinating, isn’t it? Look how the little bolt goes this way and that!”</p><p></p><p>“You’re rather fascinating yourself,” the tiefling drawled, moving a little closer to Toby. “What are you doing so far from home? You’re not one of us. Who are you, little feathery one?”</p><p></p><p><em>Toby, get out!</em></p><p></p><p>A strange, unfamiliar emotion tugged at Toby, holding him back from answering the winged woman. Could it be…caution? “But who are you, fair lady? Er. Dark lady?”</p><p></p><p>“I asked first,” she replied, with a slanting smile. One elegant hand lifted, and flickered in the familiar-looking motions of a spell. If she’d succeeded, Toby wouldn’t have known what it meant – but he was able to resist, and realized that the winged woman was trying to Charm him.</p><p></p><p><em>Get out get out get out!</em></p><p></p><p><em>If this is where Whimsy has sent me, then I must follow!</em> Toby thought back, over the Mindlink. And then, just to himself, <em>But that doesn’t mean that I need to sit here and wait while she tries to Charm me.</em> Toby stepped back and lowered his gun, carefully taking aim at the winged woman.</p><p></p><p>BANG! A fruitcake shot out of the end of the musket.</p><p></p><p><em>Woooooo! I am the Voice of Whimsy! And I say GET OUT!</em></p><p></p><p><em>Now that’s just silly,</em> Toby thought back reproachfully. Before the tiefling could finish her next spell, Toby was already casting one of his own, and in a tiny puff of feathers and cake crumbs, he vanished.</p><p></p><p>The tiefling let out a low chuckle. “Ooooh, this game is fun,” she drawled. She vanished too, except for her lips, which remained, red and full and hovering ever closer to the invisible form of Toby.</p><p></p><p>Toby darted around to the side, and took aim again at the predatory lips. With a whiff of gunpowder, he became visible again, but this time, the bullet found its mark. The tiny pellet of metal didn’t appear to have hurt the tiefling woman much, but a second after it hit, the bullet’s other effect took hold. The red lips parted – in laughter. Hysterical, uncontrollable laughter seized the tiefling, and she shimmered into visibility again, doubled over and unable to do anything but laugh.</p><p></p><p>And <em>then</em>, Sir Toby got out.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Ladybird, post: 2975281, member: 10689"] Another day’s ride south, and they saw it. An enormous wooden fortification rose up from the southern plains, surrounded by another several layers of outbuildings, tents, and makeshift stables. Dust wafted through the air, churned up by hundreds of feet as an enormous group of slaves, bound and shuffling and downcast, was herded out through the open gates of the stockade. Through another gate, a smaller group, only a dozen or so, was being driven raggedly into the slavers’ camp at the hands of two mounted uruks, whipping them brutally forwards. Above the wooden rim of the stockade fluttered the distorted, black-winged form of a tiefling. The group hung back behind the crest of the hill, watching warily for a few minutes. Finally, Sir Toby broke the silence, his booming flamboyant voice slightly subdued. “Shall I scout ahead?” “That means being [I]stealthy[/I],” Kit said, shooting a pointed look at the ruffled musketeer, and recovering her skepticism along with her equilibrium. “Are you sure you can do that?” Sir Toby drew himself up with a plumed huff. “Certainly! In fact, I can be more stealthy than anyone else! If necessary, I can be invisible!” Kit hesitated for a moment longer, glancing towards the others. Alessandre, deep in distressed prayer as she watched the procession of downtrodden slaves, offered no reaction. Honore, skeptical but resigned, pointed out gently, “It [I]is[/I] an asset.” Jet, just skeptical, shrugged. Finally, Kit nodded. “All right. But be [I]careful[/I]. Here – I’ll keep a Mindlink running with you. If anything bad happens, let us know – and get out of there, quick!” “Fear not!” Toby declared, with another flourish of his hat. It turned into a confused shake of his head halfway through, as the unfamiliar sensation of the Mindlink sank in, but he waved his hat and musket aloft, and trotted off down the hill. ** [I]Eeeeeek! ahem. I’m all right, I’m all right! Never fear![/I] Sir Toby’s thoughts came over the Mindlink in scattered bursts. [I]That was rather close, but everything is all right. They seem to have put up some fascinating traps around the perimeter of the encampment. Oh, look, caltrops! How shiny! And quite effective.[/I] Still visible for now, the musketeer crept closer to the slavers’ fortified camp, unnoticed among the chaotic shuffle of prisoners, bandits, tieflings, and captors. “Hm,” he murmured out loud. “That’s an unusual design for a trap.” “Ooooh.” A slow, sultry feminine voice came from behind Toby’s shoulder. “What are you looking at?” Toby straightened up. The voice belonged to a woman, nearly as tall as Toby himself, with flowing black hair…and flowing black wings. There was something slightly wrong about the set of her bones, and her eyes glowed faintly red. Over the Mindlink, Kit’s thoughts started to grow more agitated the minute she received the image. [I]Toby, Honore says that that sounds like a tiefling. Get out of there![/I] Toby didn’t respond to the frantic thoughts pounding in his mind, but he did talk back to the black-winged woman. “It’s a trap! Fascinating, isn’t it? Look how the little bolt goes this way and that!” “You’re rather fascinating yourself,” the tiefling drawled, moving a little closer to Toby. “What are you doing so far from home? You’re not one of us. Who are you, little feathery one?” [I]Toby, get out![/I] A strange, unfamiliar emotion tugged at Toby, holding him back from answering the winged woman. Could it be…caution? “But who are you, fair lady? Er. Dark lady?” “I asked first,” she replied, with a slanting smile. One elegant hand lifted, and flickered in the familiar-looking motions of a spell. If she’d succeeded, Toby wouldn’t have known what it meant – but he was able to resist, and realized that the winged woman was trying to Charm him. [I]Get out get out get out![/I] [I]If this is where Whimsy has sent me, then I must follow![/I] Toby thought back, over the Mindlink. And then, just to himself, [I]But that doesn’t mean that I need to sit here and wait while she tries to Charm me.[/I] Toby stepped back and lowered his gun, carefully taking aim at the winged woman. BANG! A fruitcake shot out of the end of the musket. [I]Woooooo! I am the Voice of Whimsy! And I say GET OUT![/I] [I]Now that’s just silly,[/I] Toby thought back reproachfully. Before the tiefling could finish her next spell, Toby was already casting one of his own, and in a tiny puff of feathers and cake crumbs, he vanished. The tiefling let out a low chuckle. “Ooooh, this game is fun,” she drawled. She vanished too, except for her lips, which remained, red and full and hovering ever closer to the invisible form of Toby. Toby darted around to the side, and took aim again at the predatory lips. With a whiff of gunpowder, he became visible again, but this time, the bullet found its mark. The tiny pellet of metal didn’t appear to have hurt the tiefling woman much, but a second after it hit, the bullet’s other effect took hold. The red lips parted – in laughter. Hysterical, uncontrollable laughter seized the tiefling, and she shimmered into visibility again, doubled over and unable to do anything but laugh. And [I]then[/I], Sir Toby got out. [/QUOTE]
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