Drusilia Naïlo: The Making of a Watchman
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Drusilia Nailo
First Post
Horacio said:That was a short update
Heh. Here's a longer one, to make up for that little teaser from yesterday! I wanted to post something, but since we were actually playing the Freeport game, didn't have as much time at my disposal. Enjoy!
Drusilia Nailo
First Post
Dru turned to face the people in the front room. There were three men, dressed in rough leathers, hastily pulling swords from sheathes and rising to their feet. One of them blustered, "What the h***l is going on here?" He was obviously the leader. This must be Merck. His face was reddened, and he stared at Dru incredulously. His gaze went over her then, fastening on Papa. He paled.
Dru growled, and charged at him. How dare he be more frightened of Papa than of her! She thrust her rapier into his midsection, and then viciously ripped it back out. "You tried to have me killed, pathetic human scum!"
He looked momentarily surprised, and then sneered through his pain. "Tensin, I'm so glad that you decided to give your daughter up to me," he said, stabbing towards Dru with his blade, missing.
Papa didn't say a word to him, but instead hurled one of his throwing knives across the room. The thin flying blade sunk deep into a warrior's eye. The warrior staggered, and then fell, stone dead, to the floor.
Kennic moved in, his rapier flashing outward with great speed, dropping the other warrior with two rapid strikes.
Dru stabbed at Merck again, her blow a weak one that he was easily able to parry.
"You should never send a child to do a man's work," said the man contemptuously, slicing into Dru's shoulder deeply with his blade. He grinned as her shoulder was engulfed in red. "I might even let your daughter live if you take her and get out now," he said. "Of course, there will be certain consequences for this...invasion."
Papa's response was to hurl another throwing dagger at him, around his daughter. The blade found its mark in the man's stomach, piercing through his leather armor as if it wasn't there. "I do not believe that there is anything that my daughter has to worry about," he coolly informed the human thug.
Dru scowled, irritated that this Merck had swept her aside so easily, and so contemptuously. She thrust her rapier at him again, while he was distracted by Papa's dagger. This time her blade struck him, in the groin.
He paled, bending over from the pain of it. "B***h!"
Like lightning, Papa was across the room, pulling the man's head back, exposing his throat. "Cut it," he said to Dru, over him. "Make an example out of him."
Dru looked at the man, at the loathing in his eyes, and felt a twinge of regret. She'd never killed someone in cold blood before. She looked down at her wounds, and then stiffened. He had made two attempts to kill her, and would likely keep trying. She sheathed her rapier, and pulled a dagger. Taking a step forward and drawing in a deep breath to steady herself, she slashed his throat. "No one f***s with a Naïlo," she said, voice shaking. "With any Naïlo."
"Very good," said Papa in satisfaction, dropping the body to the floor without ceremony.
The trio of elves moved quietly amongst the fallen bodies, moving towards the hall. "Be careful," whispered Kennic.
Dru moved up to the first door, and nudged it open with her toe. It swung open silently, revealing an empty room, filled with shelves, and food. "Pantry," she muttered quietly, walking to the next door.
The next door revealed what had to be a bedroom. There was a human woman standing there, wearing nothing but a nightgown. She had a dagger clenched in her hands, and she glared at the girl. "Who do you think you are? You killed my husband!" She launched herself at Dru, knife first.
Surprised as she was at the spirited if not talented charge, Dru was able to step aside at the last moment. The women went careening into Papa, and then crashed to the floor, blood gushing from her throat.
Papa looked down at her impassively, watching her die at his feet. "I think that we've killed everyone here," he said to Dru. "There might be a remnant of his gang somewhere, but I do not believe that they will survive without his leadership, such as it was." He kicked aside the woman's limp body to clear a path, and then turned to regard his daughter's stricken face.
"You - just killed her."
"Yes," he said, his tone implying that he didn't see what the problem was. He took Dru's arm, and pulled her around the body, and out of the room. "Come. We should go home. I have scheduled us for a dinner with Judge Merin, and it's important that we look good."
Dru let herself be led from the house and up the street. She felt stricken, wondering if she truly knew her father at all. She was starting to believe that she did not. As they approached the kesir, she started to steady herself a little, and by the time that they approached the Naïlo compound, she felt that she could function again. "Well, I certainly hope that I started to build my reputation," she said brightly, at a loss of what else to say.
Papa smiled at her, opening the door. "You have," he said. "Fortunately, you are getting an early start." He paused, and put a hand on her shoulder. "I am proud of you. You are strong."
Dru felt a glow of pride then, which at least for the present, overwhelmed her shock at Papa's casual brutality. "I can be ready to leave shortly," she told him, walking past the guards, back to the room that she was using as her own. It was time to switch roles, into that of doting and ladylike daughter. She sighed. This was not something that she'd ever been good at...
Dru growled, and charged at him. How dare he be more frightened of Papa than of her! She thrust her rapier into his midsection, and then viciously ripped it back out. "You tried to have me killed, pathetic human scum!"
He looked momentarily surprised, and then sneered through his pain. "Tensin, I'm so glad that you decided to give your daughter up to me," he said, stabbing towards Dru with his blade, missing.
Papa didn't say a word to him, but instead hurled one of his throwing knives across the room. The thin flying blade sunk deep into a warrior's eye. The warrior staggered, and then fell, stone dead, to the floor.
Kennic moved in, his rapier flashing outward with great speed, dropping the other warrior with two rapid strikes.
Dru stabbed at Merck again, her blow a weak one that he was easily able to parry.
"You should never send a child to do a man's work," said the man contemptuously, slicing into Dru's shoulder deeply with his blade. He grinned as her shoulder was engulfed in red. "I might even let your daughter live if you take her and get out now," he said. "Of course, there will be certain consequences for this...invasion."
Papa's response was to hurl another throwing dagger at him, around his daughter. The blade found its mark in the man's stomach, piercing through his leather armor as if it wasn't there. "I do not believe that there is anything that my daughter has to worry about," he coolly informed the human thug.
Dru scowled, irritated that this Merck had swept her aside so easily, and so contemptuously. She thrust her rapier at him again, while he was distracted by Papa's dagger. This time her blade struck him, in the groin.
He paled, bending over from the pain of it. "B***h!"
Like lightning, Papa was across the room, pulling the man's head back, exposing his throat. "Cut it," he said to Dru, over him. "Make an example out of him."
Dru looked at the man, at the loathing in his eyes, and felt a twinge of regret. She'd never killed someone in cold blood before. She looked down at her wounds, and then stiffened. He had made two attempts to kill her, and would likely keep trying. She sheathed her rapier, and pulled a dagger. Taking a step forward and drawing in a deep breath to steady herself, she slashed his throat. "No one f***s with a Naïlo," she said, voice shaking. "With any Naïlo."
"Very good," said Papa in satisfaction, dropping the body to the floor without ceremony.
The trio of elves moved quietly amongst the fallen bodies, moving towards the hall. "Be careful," whispered Kennic.
Dru moved up to the first door, and nudged it open with her toe. It swung open silently, revealing an empty room, filled with shelves, and food. "Pantry," she muttered quietly, walking to the next door.
The next door revealed what had to be a bedroom. There was a human woman standing there, wearing nothing but a nightgown. She had a dagger clenched in her hands, and she glared at the girl. "Who do you think you are? You killed my husband!" She launched herself at Dru, knife first.
Surprised as she was at the spirited if not talented charge, Dru was able to step aside at the last moment. The women went careening into Papa, and then crashed to the floor, blood gushing from her throat.
Papa looked down at her impassively, watching her die at his feet. "I think that we've killed everyone here," he said to Dru. "There might be a remnant of his gang somewhere, but I do not believe that they will survive without his leadership, such as it was." He kicked aside the woman's limp body to clear a path, and then turned to regard his daughter's stricken face.
"You - just killed her."
"Yes," he said, his tone implying that he didn't see what the problem was. He took Dru's arm, and pulled her around the body, and out of the room. "Come. We should go home. I have scheduled us for a dinner with Judge Merin, and it's important that we look good."
Dru let herself be led from the house and up the street. She felt stricken, wondering if she truly knew her father at all. She was starting to believe that she did not. As they approached the kesir, she started to steady herself a little, and by the time that they approached the Naïlo compound, she felt that she could function again. "Well, I certainly hope that I started to build my reputation," she said brightly, at a loss of what else to say.
Papa smiled at her, opening the door. "You have," he said. "Fortunately, you are getting an early start." He paused, and put a hand on her shoulder. "I am proud of you. You are strong."
Dru felt a glow of pride then, which at least for the present, overwhelmed her shock at Papa's casual brutality. "I can be ready to leave shortly," she told him, walking past the guards, back to the room that she was using as her own. It was time to switch roles, into that of doting and ladylike daughter. She sighed. This was not something that she'd ever been good at...
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Drusilia Nailo
First Post
Darkness. As the elf came into consciousness, she realized that she was tied up, in the dark. She was lying on what felt like a pile of rags on the floor. She couldn't remember how she got here. Her head spun, and she felt weak.
She heard footsteps approaching, and then was blinded by light. She pressed herself against the floor to try to escape from it, and from the smell of burning lamp oil. "Who?"
"So, Drusilia Naïlo," said a feminine voice, speaking in elven. "What do you think of your current situation, hmm?"
My name is Drusilia Naïlo, she realized, groggily. And that voice is familiar...
"I imagine that you thought your papa would be able to protect you from this happening to you. Well, he's not so invincible after all," the voice spat.
Dru shook her head, confused. "What did I ever do to you?"
The woman laughed, and then Dru realized who she was. Meris. She had been Dru's primary bodyguard for the past month, while Kennic was off helping Papa, wherever they had been. And then she realized, in a moment of clarity, that there was nothing that she had done to Meris to earn this treatment. It was what Papa had done to Meris. She sighed, closing her eyes. Papa hadn't fallen in love with her. This was why Dru suffered now.
"But Tensin," the woman argued, "You should take the girl into hiding with you. What good is it going to do you to be constantly worried that someone will have found her?"
Dru pressed her ear against the door to her father's office, where he and Meris argued. She didn't like this Meris woman one bit, and wished that Papa would assign Kennic to her again. But it had been decided that she needed a woman's tutelage, so she was doomed to have Meris as a bodyguard.
There was a moment of silence, and then Papa cleared his throat. "Do you mean that you want for me to take you into hiding with me, Meris?"
A chair creaked, and then Dru heard Meris pacing. "Tensin, I do care about you," she said with a sigh. "I don't want to be away from you. Don't you see that we would be good together?"
Papa didn't respond for a moment, and then sighed heavily. "Meris, you are stepping beyond the bounds of our professional relationship. That cannot be."
Meris drew in her breath, and then said quietly, "I apologize, sir. My emotions overwhelmed my sense. It will not happen again."
"See that it does not," he said stiffly.
"So," said Meris, into Dru's ear. "I am going to make you pay for f***ing up my plans."
Dru shook her head, still groggy from whatever drugs she'd been given. "What plans?"
Meris snorted. "You are keeping your father from me," she said. "You keep me from my true love, and from the power that I would share with my husband."
Dru couldn't help herself. "Are you completely mad, woman, or have you been chewing kantha leaves?"
The blow came out of the darkness, rocking Dru's head back viciously. She felt her head smash into the wall, and then was aware of nothing else.
Papa and Kennic had left together, despite Dru's protests. "Meris will be here to protect you," said Kennic soothingly. "Try to like her, child. She's risen in the ranks of the organization... she's one of your father's most trusted people. She will work for you one day."
Dru felt serious reservations about that, but nodded anyway, knowing that Kennic would want to think that she would be happy while he was gone. "I'll miss you," she told him quietly. "You and Papa both," she added, though Papa was far enough away from her that he wouldn't have been able to hear her.
Meris came up behind Dru, putting a hand on her shoulder. "We'll be alright, Kennic," she said with a smile, digging her nails into Dru's shoulder to still any protests. Won't we, Drusilia?"
Kennic had not waited for a response from Dru. He smiled, reassured, and then raced to catch up with Papa. Dru watched them leave until she could no longer see them.
She heard footsteps approaching, and then was blinded by light. She pressed herself against the floor to try to escape from it, and from the smell of burning lamp oil. "Who?"
"So, Drusilia Naïlo," said a feminine voice, speaking in elven. "What do you think of your current situation, hmm?"
My name is Drusilia Naïlo, she realized, groggily. And that voice is familiar...
"I imagine that you thought your papa would be able to protect you from this happening to you. Well, he's not so invincible after all," the voice spat.
Dru shook her head, confused. "What did I ever do to you?"
The woman laughed, and then Dru realized who she was. Meris. She had been Dru's primary bodyguard for the past month, while Kennic was off helping Papa, wherever they had been. And then she realized, in a moment of clarity, that there was nothing that she had done to Meris to earn this treatment. It was what Papa had done to Meris. She sighed, closing her eyes. Papa hadn't fallen in love with her. This was why Dru suffered now.
"But Tensin," the woman argued, "You should take the girl into hiding with you. What good is it going to do you to be constantly worried that someone will have found her?"
Dru pressed her ear against the door to her father's office, where he and Meris argued. She didn't like this Meris woman one bit, and wished that Papa would assign Kennic to her again. But it had been decided that she needed a woman's tutelage, so she was doomed to have Meris as a bodyguard.
There was a moment of silence, and then Papa cleared his throat. "Do you mean that you want for me to take you into hiding with me, Meris?"
A chair creaked, and then Dru heard Meris pacing. "Tensin, I do care about you," she said with a sigh. "I don't want to be away from you. Don't you see that we would be good together?"
Papa didn't respond for a moment, and then sighed heavily. "Meris, you are stepping beyond the bounds of our professional relationship. That cannot be."
Meris drew in her breath, and then said quietly, "I apologize, sir. My emotions overwhelmed my sense. It will not happen again."
"See that it does not," he said stiffly.
"So," said Meris, into Dru's ear. "I am going to make you pay for f***ing up my plans."
Dru shook her head, still groggy from whatever drugs she'd been given. "What plans?"
Meris snorted. "You are keeping your father from me," she said. "You keep me from my true love, and from the power that I would share with my husband."
Dru couldn't help herself. "Are you completely mad, woman, or have you been chewing kantha leaves?"
The blow came out of the darkness, rocking Dru's head back viciously. She felt her head smash into the wall, and then was aware of nothing else.
Papa and Kennic had left together, despite Dru's protests. "Meris will be here to protect you," said Kennic soothingly. "Try to like her, child. She's risen in the ranks of the organization... she's one of your father's most trusted people. She will work for you one day."
Dru felt serious reservations about that, but nodded anyway, knowing that Kennic would want to think that she would be happy while he was gone. "I'll miss you," she told him quietly. "You and Papa both," she added, though Papa was far enough away from her that he wouldn't have been able to hear her.
Meris came up behind Dru, putting a hand on her shoulder. "We'll be alright, Kennic," she said with a smile, digging her nails into Dru's shoulder to still any protests. Won't we, Drusilia?"
Kennic had not waited for a response from Dru. He smiled, reassured, and then raced to catch up with Papa. Dru watched them leave until she could no longer see them.
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Drusilia Nailo
First Post
Dru came back into consciousness again, her head throbbing so hard that she feared that her skull must be cracked. She was still bound, still lying on the rags in a dark room. Her fear rose within her, almost too strong to be controlled. How was she going to escape from this? Papa and Kennic did not even know that she was missing, so they would not be coming to rescue her. What did Meris want to do with her? She shivered uncontrollably.
"She's down here," Dru heard Meris say, her voice suddenly loud in the stillness. A door opened, bathing the room in light.
Dru squinted her eyes closed to avoid being blinded, and listened to two sets of feet come into the room.
A male voice, human, spoke. "She doesn't look like much, does she?"
Meris chuckled. "She is only a girl, regardless of who her father might be."
"And you're certain that me having her will give me some kind of leverage over him?"
"Oh, yes," said Meris, a satisfied smirk in her voice. "Tensin Naïlo has a soft spot for his daughter. You will have all of the leverage that you want. Won't he, Drusilia?"
Dru peered at Meris through her eyelashes. "Go f**k yourself, Meris."
The human laughed, but Meris snarled at her. "Some people have not learned to mind their manners," she said, and then delivered a vicious kick to Dru's ribs with her steel-toed boots.
Dru curled up into a tight ball, ignoring the chafing on her wrists and ankles. When is this ever going to end? If the b***h thinks to make me submit, then she doesn't know me very well. I'll die first, before I give her that satisfaction.
"Now, don't damage her too much," scolded the man. "If she's already dead, then she's no good to us at all."
Meris leaned down closer to Dru, and spit on her. "Consider yourself lucky that I'm selling you to Pontinillo," she said, naming a minor gang leader from Scurvytown. Otherwise, I would kill you."
Dru scowled. What was Pontillo thinking? Did he even realize what stakes he's up against? "You would do better for yourself to find my father, and make a deal with him. Tell him about this traitorous b***h, and he'll make you more important than you've ever been. More important than if you-"
Dru was cut off by another vicious kick to the ribs, delivered by Meris, of course. "Shut up! No one wants to hear your blather!"
Dru gasped, trying to catch her breath. "Than if you take me hos-"
Another kick to the ribs, and Dru couldn't talk anymore, even though she desperately wanted to finish, if for no other reason, than to spite Meris. She lay there, gasping.
"Alright, Pontinillo. You have two days to get me the gold. The girl stays with me until then."
"I will have it to you," said the man. He turned away, and left the room.
"Sweet dreams," said Meris, her voice syrupy sweet, as she shut the door. Dru was left alone in the darkness again. When she was sure that Meris could not hear her, she started to sob.
Dru paced back and forth along the garden path. Her fingers itched to hold her rapier again, to spar with Papa or Kennic until she was too exhausted to move again. She eyed Meris, who was sitting under a tree, distrustfully. There was no way that she was going to ask her to spar.
"So, tell me, Drusilia, what do you do for fun? What do you and your papa do for fun?"
Dru glared at her, but answered anyway. "We fight with blades. Or go to the theater," she said. "Sometimes, we read together, or talk about the Organization."
"You're being groomed to be his successor," said Meris thoughtfully. "I had always suspected, but had never had the proof for it. Unless, of course, he gets married again. Who knows what might come of that?"
Dru snorted, not deigning to answer that.
Meris walked over to her. "I would watch the high and mighty attitude there, child."
Dru stared at her, not speaking, and then turned her back to walk away.
"How dare you walk away from me! Do you think that you're too good for me? Is that it? So good that you won't comingle your blood with mine? Is there someone else that you think would be better? Meris strode forward, grabbing Dru by the shoulder, and started to drag her towards the house. There was a crazed, glassy look in her eyes, and Dru realized, suddenly, that she was on some kind of drug.
Dru was stronger, and resisted, digging her toes into the green grass. "Let-go!"
Meris reached into her cloak, and pulled out a dagger. Before Dru could dodge or move away, Meris scratched her arm with it, not really even breaking the surface. While Dru was still trying to puzzle that out, she started to feel dizzy. A sick realization filled her. Drugged! I've been drugged! She slid to the ground, unable to focus any longer.
"Impudent," said Meris. "You're mine now," she added, gloating.
Crack! The whip bit into the flesh of Dru's back, making her wince and cry out from the pain. Crack! Crack! The blows landed one after the other, raising crisscrossed welts all over the tender flesh. Dru cried out with pain each time, wishing that she would hurry up and die. Still, she refused to beg, or even talk to her tormenter.
Suddenly, she was hauled to her feet. "What is it with you? Are you stupid enough to not know when you're outclassed?" Meris let go of Dru, whose knees gave out, causing her to collapse onto the ground, trembling.
Meris laughed aloud. "I will leave you to your thoughts. For your sake, they had better be penitent ones." And she left.
After an eternity, Dru tried to move. She gasped aloud when the welts on her back cracked and bled. She did not think that she was going to survive the two days until Pontinillo came for her again. She was going to have to escape, now.
"She's down here," Dru heard Meris say, her voice suddenly loud in the stillness. A door opened, bathing the room in light.
Dru squinted her eyes closed to avoid being blinded, and listened to two sets of feet come into the room.
A male voice, human, spoke. "She doesn't look like much, does she?"
Meris chuckled. "She is only a girl, regardless of who her father might be."
"And you're certain that me having her will give me some kind of leverage over him?"
"Oh, yes," said Meris, a satisfied smirk in her voice. "Tensin Naïlo has a soft spot for his daughter. You will have all of the leverage that you want. Won't he, Drusilia?"
Dru peered at Meris through her eyelashes. "Go f**k yourself, Meris."
The human laughed, but Meris snarled at her. "Some people have not learned to mind their manners," she said, and then delivered a vicious kick to Dru's ribs with her steel-toed boots.
Dru curled up into a tight ball, ignoring the chafing on her wrists and ankles. When is this ever going to end? If the b***h thinks to make me submit, then she doesn't know me very well. I'll die first, before I give her that satisfaction.
"Now, don't damage her too much," scolded the man. "If she's already dead, then she's no good to us at all."
Meris leaned down closer to Dru, and spit on her. "Consider yourself lucky that I'm selling you to Pontinillo," she said, naming a minor gang leader from Scurvytown. Otherwise, I would kill you."
Dru scowled. What was Pontillo thinking? Did he even realize what stakes he's up against? "You would do better for yourself to find my father, and make a deal with him. Tell him about this traitorous b***h, and he'll make you more important than you've ever been. More important than if you-"
Dru was cut off by another vicious kick to the ribs, delivered by Meris, of course. "Shut up! No one wants to hear your blather!"
Dru gasped, trying to catch her breath. "Than if you take me hos-"
Another kick to the ribs, and Dru couldn't talk anymore, even though she desperately wanted to finish, if for no other reason, than to spite Meris. She lay there, gasping.
"Alright, Pontinillo. You have two days to get me the gold. The girl stays with me until then."
"I will have it to you," said the man. He turned away, and left the room.
"Sweet dreams," said Meris, her voice syrupy sweet, as she shut the door. Dru was left alone in the darkness again. When she was sure that Meris could not hear her, she started to sob.
Dru paced back and forth along the garden path. Her fingers itched to hold her rapier again, to spar with Papa or Kennic until she was too exhausted to move again. She eyed Meris, who was sitting under a tree, distrustfully. There was no way that she was going to ask her to spar.
"So, tell me, Drusilia, what do you do for fun? What do you and your papa do for fun?"
Dru glared at her, but answered anyway. "We fight with blades. Or go to the theater," she said. "Sometimes, we read together, or talk about the Organization."
"You're being groomed to be his successor," said Meris thoughtfully. "I had always suspected, but had never had the proof for it. Unless, of course, he gets married again. Who knows what might come of that?"
Dru snorted, not deigning to answer that.
Meris walked over to her. "I would watch the high and mighty attitude there, child."
Dru stared at her, not speaking, and then turned her back to walk away.
"How dare you walk away from me! Do you think that you're too good for me? Is that it? So good that you won't comingle your blood with mine? Is there someone else that you think would be better? Meris strode forward, grabbing Dru by the shoulder, and started to drag her towards the house. There was a crazed, glassy look in her eyes, and Dru realized, suddenly, that she was on some kind of drug.
Dru was stronger, and resisted, digging her toes into the green grass. "Let-go!"
Meris reached into her cloak, and pulled out a dagger. Before Dru could dodge or move away, Meris scratched her arm with it, not really even breaking the surface. While Dru was still trying to puzzle that out, she started to feel dizzy. A sick realization filled her. Drugged! I've been drugged! She slid to the ground, unable to focus any longer.
"Impudent," said Meris. "You're mine now," she added, gloating.
Crack! The whip bit into the flesh of Dru's back, making her wince and cry out from the pain. Crack! Crack! The blows landed one after the other, raising crisscrossed welts all over the tender flesh. Dru cried out with pain each time, wishing that she would hurry up and die. Still, she refused to beg, or even talk to her tormenter.
Suddenly, she was hauled to her feet. "What is it with you? Are you stupid enough to not know when you're outclassed?" Meris let go of Dru, whose knees gave out, causing her to collapse onto the ground, trembling.
Meris laughed aloud. "I will leave you to your thoughts. For your sake, they had better be penitent ones." And she left.
After an eternity, Dru tried to move. She gasped aloud when the welts on her back cracked and bled. She did not think that she was going to survive the two days until Pontinillo came for her again. She was going to have to escape, now.
Greg Dickens
First Post
Great story hour! Whens the next update? Can't wait
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