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<blockquote data-quote="Lazybones" data-source="post: 7517158" data-attributes="member: 143"><p>One final cliffhanger; see you in December.</p><p></p><p>* * * </p><p></p><p>Chapter 226</p><p></p><p>In a dismal chamber far under the streets of Li Syval, a man knelt in front of an altar of ancient stone.</p><p></p><p>The air was stale and thick with foul odors, the floor slick with muck and filth, but the man paid no attention whatsoever to his surroundings. A metal grate in the ceiling let in shattered fragments of light, just a faint glow that filtered down from somewhere above, but the man’s eyes were well-used to the near-darkness. A steady drip of water could be heard from somewhere nearby.</p><p></p><p>The man was clad in old rags that gave him a hunched and harmless appearance. The reality, however, was far from that impression.</p><p></p><p>He spoke quietly to himself as his hands traveled over the altar. Runes had been etched into the stone, so weathered that even his sensitive fingers could only barely detect them. The center of the stone had been hollowed out so that it formed a sort of font. It was currently empty, though there were old stains around the edges of the bowl that suggested at what it had once held.</p><p></p><p>The man rose slowly, the creaking of his tired muscles no affectation, and stepped around the altar to a shallow alcove in the wall behind it. The stones there had been carved to form dozens of small cubbies. The light was just barely enough to reveal that there were small objects in those niches. Most of them were gray and blended in with their surroundings, but here and there a flash of color was visible.</p><p></p><p>The old man’s eyes passed over the niches as if they were old friends. He stopped at the one he was looking for and reached into to withdraw the object. For a moment, as he held it up, the light caught it and revealed its form.</p><p></p><p>It was a tiny statuette, no more than a finger’s length in height. For something that small it was incredibly detailed. It depicted a small person, a woman. It had been painted with such intricate care that the clothes she wore looked almost like real fabric, and her hair looked almost as though it would sway in a breeze. But the weak light also revealed other features, tiny white horns that curled up from her head and skin that was too red to be human.</p><p></p><p>The old man stared at the tiny figure with rapt admiration. “My beautiful child. I’ve waited so long for you to come back to me.”</p><p></p><p>A sound from the corridor outside the room drew the old man’s attention. It was not much, just a soft scrape on stone, but he quickly turned and tucked the figure into his fist before concealing it against his body.</p><p></p><p>“Come in, my lovelies,” he said, beckoning with his other hand.</p><p></p><p>Two figures shuffled into the room. At first glance they looked as physically disparate as two beings could be. One was a huge, thick-limbed hulk, his head almost reaching the upper lintel of the doorway. That head seemed to be perched directly on his broad shoulders, his neck all but invisible under cords of muscle. For all that his tread was surprisingly soft; his steps made only the faint sounds that had alerted the old man.</p><p></p><p>The brute’s companion was his opposite in every regard. He was thinner even than the old man, his arms hanging from his body like gangly reeds. He walked hunched over, his palms touching the floor as if seeking the reassurance of the solid stone. His jaw hung at an odd angle, causing one side of his face to droop slightly.</p><p></p><p>As the two figures came toward the light—not quite entering the radius of the illuminated area—some features became visible that suggested that they were not as different as first appeared. Their skin bore a tint, a mottled gray that wasn’t entirely due to the washed-out light. Both had slightly pointed teeth and ears, and prominent, ridged brows that culminated in small black horns that stuck out from the sides of their temples.</p><p></p><p>The two watched the old man in silence. Finally, he said, “I have news, my pretties, important news. One of our lost sheep is returning to us.”</p><p></p><p>Still the pair did not react. The old man waved a hand, and an image swirled into view in front of him. It showed the same figure represented by the statuette in his hand, a woman of the same mixed heritage as the unlikely duo.</p><p></p><p>“Find her. Bring her to me, unharmed.”</p><p></p><p>“Where should we look, Master?” the smaller one asked. His deformed jaw added a slur to his words, but they were understandable.</p><p></p><p>“Keep an eye out for ships coming from the mainland,” the old man said. “Remember, do not be seen.”</p><p></p><p>The pair turned and left.</p><p></p><p>The old man watched them go, then turned and put the figurine back into its place in the alcove. Behind him, a shadow stirred in a corner of the room, where two walls met the ceiling. It dropped down and crept forward almost to the edge of the light, almost where the smaller of the two tieflings had stood. It was a spider, fat and hideous, roughly the size of a small cat. It moved with an odd gait, as it was missing one of its legs.</p><p></p><p>For a moment it just watched the old man, who was still staring at the niche in the wall. Then it spoke.</p><p></p><p>“They won’t find her,” it said. “They can barely find their own arses to scratch, that pair.”</p><p></p><p>“Don’t be harsh, Zuvox,” the old man said without turning. “The twins have given loyal service.”</p><p></p><p>“Unlike some others I might mention,” the spider said. “Whatever brings her back here, she won’t be stupid enough to reveal her true identity, or let herself be seen by the likes of them.”</p><p></p><p>“That is why I am sending you as well, my loyal servant,” the old man said.</p><p></p><p>“Even if you do get her back, it won’t be like it was before,” Zuvox said.</p><p></p><p>“I know that!” the old man said angrily, turning to face the creature. With an obvious effort he mastered himself. “She is special,” he said. “We need her. Long have I waited for one of my children to return. We cannot afford to miss this opportunity. Find her, Zuvox. Guide the twins to where she is, and help them bring her to me.”</p><p></p><p>The spider made a halting bow. “As you command.” It stepped back and shimmered, its form blurring until a moment later a large raven was there. It hopped awkwardly; in this form too, it was missing a leg. It turned around and spread its wings, launching itself into the air. Within a moment it was gone.</p><p></p><p>The old man remained in the dank chamber for a few moments longer. He raised his hand and summoned the glowing image of the woman once more.</p><p></p><p>“You will be mine again, my dear one,” he said. Then he let the image fade and strode out from the room.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Lazybones, post: 7517158, member: 143"] One final cliffhanger; see you in December. * * * Chapter 226 In a dismal chamber far under the streets of Li Syval, a man knelt in front of an altar of ancient stone. The air was stale and thick with foul odors, the floor slick with muck and filth, but the man paid no attention whatsoever to his surroundings. A metal grate in the ceiling let in shattered fragments of light, just a faint glow that filtered down from somewhere above, but the man’s eyes were well-used to the near-darkness. A steady drip of water could be heard from somewhere nearby. The man was clad in old rags that gave him a hunched and harmless appearance. The reality, however, was far from that impression. He spoke quietly to himself as his hands traveled over the altar. Runes had been etched into the stone, so weathered that even his sensitive fingers could only barely detect them. The center of the stone had been hollowed out so that it formed a sort of font. It was currently empty, though there were old stains around the edges of the bowl that suggested at what it had once held. The man rose slowly, the creaking of his tired muscles no affectation, and stepped around the altar to a shallow alcove in the wall behind it. The stones there had been carved to form dozens of small cubbies. The light was just barely enough to reveal that there were small objects in those niches. Most of them were gray and blended in with their surroundings, but here and there a flash of color was visible. The old man’s eyes passed over the niches as if they were old friends. He stopped at the one he was looking for and reached into to withdraw the object. For a moment, as he held it up, the light caught it and revealed its form. It was a tiny statuette, no more than a finger’s length in height. For something that small it was incredibly detailed. It depicted a small person, a woman. It had been painted with such intricate care that the clothes she wore looked almost like real fabric, and her hair looked almost as though it would sway in a breeze. But the weak light also revealed other features, tiny white horns that curled up from her head and skin that was too red to be human. The old man stared at the tiny figure with rapt admiration. “My beautiful child. I’ve waited so long for you to come back to me.” A sound from the corridor outside the room drew the old man’s attention. It was not much, just a soft scrape on stone, but he quickly turned and tucked the figure into his fist before concealing it against his body. “Come in, my lovelies,” he said, beckoning with his other hand. Two figures shuffled into the room. At first glance they looked as physically disparate as two beings could be. One was a huge, thick-limbed hulk, his head almost reaching the upper lintel of the doorway. That head seemed to be perched directly on his broad shoulders, his neck all but invisible under cords of muscle. For all that his tread was surprisingly soft; his steps made only the faint sounds that had alerted the old man. The brute’s companion was his opposite in every regard. He was thinner even than the old man, his arms hanging from his body like gangly reeds. He walked hunched over, his palms touching the floor as if seeking the reassurance of the solid stone. His jaw hung at an odd angle, causing one side of his face to droop slightly. As the two figures came toward the light—not quite entering the radius of the illuminated area—some features became visible that suggested that they were not as different as first appeared. Their skin bore a tint, a mottled gray that wasn’t entirely due to the washed-out light. Both had slightly pointed teeth and ears, and prominent, ridged brows that culminated in small black horns that stuck out from the sides of their temples. The two watched the old man in silence. Finally, he said, “I have news, my pretties, important news. One of our lost sheep is returning to us.” Still the pair did not react. The old man waved a hand, and an image swirled into view in front of him. It showed the same figure represented by the statuette in his hand, a woman of the same mixed heritage as the unlikely duo. “Find her. Bring her to me, unharmed.” “Where should we look, Master?” the smaller one asked. His deformed jaw added a slur to his words, but they were understandable. “Keep an eye out for ships coming from the mainland,” the old man said. “Remember, do not be seen.” The pair turned and left. The old man watched them go, then turned and put the figurine back into its place in the alcove. Behind him, a shadow stirred in a corner of the room, where two walls met the ceiling. It dropped down and crept forward almost to the edge of the light, almost where the smaller of the two tieflings had stood. It was a spider, fat and hideous, roughly the size of a small cat. It moved with an odd gait, as it was missing one of its legs. For a moment it just watched the old man, who was still staring at the niche in the wall. Then it spoke. “They won’t find her,” it said. “They can barely find their own arses to scratch, that pair.” “Don’t be harsh, Zuvox,” the old man said without turning. “The twins have given loyal service.” “Unlike some others I might mention,” the spider said. “Whatever brings her back here, she won’t be stupid enough to reveal her true identity, or let herself be seen by the likes of them.” “That is why I am sending you as well, my loyal servant,” the old man said. “Even if you do get her back, it won’t be like it was before,” Zuvox said. “I know that!” the old man said angrily, turning to face the creature. With an obvious effort he mastered himself. “She is special,” he said. “We need her. Long have I waited for one of my children to return. We cannot afford to miss this opportunity. Find her, Zuvox. Guide the twins to where she is, and help them bring her to me.” The spider made a halting bow. “As you command.” It stepped back and shimmered, its form blurring until a moment later a large raven was there. It hopped awkwardly; in this form too, it was missing a leg. It turned around and spread its wings, launching itself into the air. Within a moment it was gone. The old man remained in the dank chamber for a few moments longer. He raised his hand and summoned the glowing image of the woman once more. “You will be mine again, my dear one,” he said. Then he let the image fade and strode out from the room. [/QUOTE]
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