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Into the Moral Darkness: (Now a Completed Story!)
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<blockquote data-quote="Nonlethal Force" data-source="post: 3549273" data-attributes="member: 35788"><p><strong>Chapter Nine: ESSENTIAL FACULTIES</strong></p><p></p><p>Charis knew the world was wavering around her. She had done this several times before, and by now it had become routine. The feeling of disorientation would only last a half of a second if she kept her eyes closed. For her, the secret to minimizing the teleportation weakness was not watching it happen.</p><p></p><p>They had met in Master Searthu’s office. The priest of Reah had a small ring of crystal balls which apparently acted as routers for the spells that he was using to see Ophee’s equivalents in the various cities of Tongra. The crystal balls reflected the arcane sight perfectly and allowed the six travelers to familiarize themselves with the location to which they were headed.</p><p></p><p>Charis knew that she was teleporting into a back alley behind the building that her mark was living in. He didn’t currently appear to be involved in the work of the wizard, and as far as Master Searthu and Charis could determine Haroth was actually in his apartment. Bacrothen was a large enough city that Haroth would not likely work in the same space as he lived.</p><p></p><p>Charis ran through the mental checklist as she opened her eyes and realized that she was in the back alley. The magic that dwelled inside of her pulsed with each beat of her heart. As her footsteps lead her to the side of the building, her body released adrenaline and her heart rate increased even more. Her right hand slipped to her side and felt the handle of the war hammer dangling from her belt. Her left hand felt the corresponding location along the opposite side of her belt and felt the leather grip of her favorite weapon. <span style="color: Orange">“Hopefully it won’t come to that.”</span></p><p></p><p>Charis closed her eyes as she approached the front of the building and offered a short prayer of blessing. <span style="color: Orange">“May Bemme protect us both, and may Reah lead Haroth to the light of understanding.”</span></p><p></p><p>She opened her eyes once more and turned the corner. She left the darkness of the alley behind her and quickly strolled to the front door of the building. Master Searthu had already used his arcane sight to make sure that the door was not locked, so when the door opened easily under Charis’ touch she was not surprised. Her eyes quickly found the stairs and she ascended them in pairs.</p><p></p><p>At the top of the stairs she spun on her heels quickly and found the door that she was looking for. <span style="color: Orange">“Apartment five. Here we have Haroth’s current residence.”</span> She breathed in deeply before curling her fingers into a fist and using her knuckles to rap against the wooden door. The door was solid.</p><p></p><p>There was a tired reply from the other side of the door. <span style="color: Red">“Hold on, I’m coming.”</span> Heavy footsteps approached the opposite side of the door where Charis stood.</p><p></p><p>The door jerked open, and a large man stood on the opposite side of the threshold. His eyes looked over Charis and he grunted. <span style="color: Red">“I don’t need no saleswoman, lady.”</span></p><p></p><p>Charis smiled, and tried to remain diplomatic. <span style="color: Orange">“Well, perhaps not. But it sounds as though someone to help you with your grammar might not be a bad idea. But that isn’t why I’m here, either.”</span></p><p></p><p>The man sighed and rolled his eyes. <span style="color: Red">“Make it quick, lady. It’s my day off, and I’m trying to enjoy it by catching up on some sleep.”</span></p><p></p><p>Charis continued to smile. <span style="color: Orange">“Is that the job that you do on behalf of the wizard in Eberdeen?”</span></p><p></p><p>She could tell that her question had caught the man off guard. His eyes looked more seriously upon the woman standing before him. He realized that she was well armed and looked as though she knew how to use what dangled from her belt. <span style="color: Red">“What’s this about, lady?”</span></p><p></p><p>The smile vanished from Charis’ face. <span style="color: Orange">“I know one of your associates. Your master in Eberdeen has no doubt a spoken of her. She goes by the name Opheiluka, and she does in Fignerdale what you do here for the wizard.”</span></p><p></p><p>Haroth stepped backwards one step. <span style="color: Red">“So what does this have to do with me? You got a problem with Opheiluka, seek her out. You got a problem with her master, go through her.”</span></p><p></p><p>The grin returned to Charis’ face. So far, she was actually enjoying this. She liked being able to keep Haroth off his guard by revealing information that she knew about his line of work. <span style="color: Orange">“My problem isn’t with Opheiluka. I’m actually quite concerned about you, to be honest. You see, my associates discovered that Opheiluka had been brainwashed by the wizard that you serve.”</span></p><p></p><p>The man looked into Charis’ eyes. His focus narrowed. With a sudden flash of speed his hand reached behind the door and his body spun around. His hand held a kukri, and the sharp inner blade caught the outside of Charis’ arm. The handle of the kukri was thick and made of some kind of engraved white horn. Were it not for the man’s skill at weilding the sharp weapon, the blade would have appeared entirely ceremonial if hung from a wall. The thick false edge of the weapon glistened as the man followed through with the attack.</p><p></p><p>Charis stepped back into the hallway and began to cast a spell. Her heart leapt with excitement as the blade was brought forth. She had been hoping that violence would not have been necessary, but she couldn’t deny enjoying the thrill of combat. <span style="color: Orange">“Daancrah Pashor Shintar.”</span> She knew that the spell would take a moment to resolve itself, and she would have to be careful in splitting her concentration between the spell and her opponent.</p><p></p><p>Haroth pursued Charis into the hallway, and the narrowness of the area meant that Charis didn’t have many places to run. Turning her back to Haroth and descending down the stairs was simply not an option. Haroth easily closed the distance that she had put between them and he slashed again with the elongated and bent knife. Once more the blade caught Charis and drew blood. Fortunately, Charis had braced herself against the blow and was able to continue to focus on the developing spell.</p><p></p><p>Charis stepped backwards once more and found herself against the wall. As soon as she moved, her earlier spell resolved and the magical energy brought three golden beetles into existence. The beetles that had been conjured into existence were no simple garden variety of beetles, however. Each of these beetles likely weighed thirty pounds or more, and their thick shells glistened with a faint pale glow. </p><p></p><p>One of the beetles appeared between Haroth and Charis, while the other two appeared behind him. Each of the beetles jumped up to use their strong jaws to latch onto his midsection, but only one was able to bite hard. Haroth managed to fend off the other two attacking beetles with quick use of the flat part of the elongated blade as a shield.</p><p></p><p>Charis knew that the Haroth’s attack on her had twice been successful, but she was not yet worried about her injuries. They were only flesh wounds at this point. In a bit of an unusual tactic for Charis, rather than pull out her hammer or pick she pulled the composite bow off of her back. In an instant she had an arrow knocked on the string. The arrow flew through the air and clipped the man in his shoulder. The blow was no worse than the pair he had already given to her. The arrow stuck out from his shoulder as if she had shot it into a bail of hay.</p><p></p><p>Haroth slashed at the beetle between himself and Charis, and his thick blade managed to catch the beetle between two of the protective pieces of chitin on its back. The armor of the beetle was strong enough to keep the blade of the kukri from digger in far enough to puncture any vital organs. As he attacked, Haroth growled at Charis. <span style="color: Red">“You were supposed to be dead, you slave trading fiend! People who do what you do in life do not deserve to live!”</span></p><p></p><p>The beetles attempted to strike once more, and again only one of the beetles managed to land a successful blow. As the beetles jumped to Haroth and were aggressively repelled, Charis’ mind churned with Haroth’s words. It appeared the he had been fed the same lie about the party as Ophee.</p><p></p><p>Charis replied again, holding the draw of another arrow into a ready position to strike. <span style="color: Orange">“I do not traffic slaves! Ophee was told the same lie, and she has since come into the truth. Lay down your blade and I’ll call off my beetles and refrain from firing upon you!”</span></p><p></p><p>Haroth paused, taking inventory of the fact that the battle had not gone well for him. He lifted the blade into the air slowly and raised both hands above his head. The beetles relaxed in posture the second that they were no longer threatened by Haroth’s blade.</p><p></p><p>Charis smiled at the beetles and knelt to the ground. She continued to speak to Haroth, however. <span style="color: Orange">“I serve Bemme, and to a lesser extent, Reah. You should be able to tell that much by the glow of my friends here. I am not a force of evil; my friends and I are a force of good that has been manipulated like you to serve the wizard in Eberdeen. If you give me your blade, I will tend your wounds and demonstrate my servitude to Bemme and Reah.”</span></p><p></p><p>Haroth slowly knelt to the ground and slid his blade towards Charis. <span style="color: Lime">“You have bested me in combat, anyway. To continue would have only brought death.”</span></p><p></p><p>Charis lifted the blade off of the ground and slipped it underneath her belt in a fashion that didn’t risk the edge slicing through the belt. She looked to the beetles and spoke to them. <span style="color: Orange">“Tinko, Hubrah, and Di-Ehlah: you have served me well. Please give my regards to Bemme as I send you back. I appreciate your coming to my need and leaving the service of our goddess for a short time.”</span> Charis closed her eyes and the beetles blinked out of existence.</p><p></p><p>Haroth looked to Charis. <span style="color: Lime">“Is Opheiluka still alive? She is with you?”</span></p><p></p><p>Charis rose to her feet and slowly approached Haroth. <span style="color: Orange">“She is, although we all almost died at the wizard’s hands. Once I have healed your wounds I would like to take you to see her.”</span></p><p></p><p>Haroth rose to his feet and held his hands out as an indication that he didn’t plan to struggle any more. Charis had free access to the wounds from the beetles and the arrow shaft. She reached for the arrow shaft, but Haroth pulled away.</p><p></p><p>The man spoke quickly as he jerked backwards. <span style="color: Lime">“If it is all the same to you, I’ll do it myself. Then you can heal me.”</span></p><p></p><p>Charis shrugged; it didn’t matter to her who inflicted the pain of removing the arrow. Haroth clenched his teeth and pulled the shaft of the arrow straight out from his shoulder. He never spoke a sound, although the look on his face told Charis that the act was quite painful.</p><p></p><p>Charis reached up with her hand and once more called upon her magical power. This time her magic was not used in self-defense. It was time for her magic to heal a wound before it could fester. Charis couldn’t help but smile as she hoped her healing of the physical body would go far in healing the domination that the wizard had over Haroth. <span style="color: Orange">“Bondras-tol Egro.”</span> The familiar yellow glow passed from her hands and into Haroth’s wounds.</p><p></p><p>[Sblock=Color-Free Speech Section]</p><p>Chapter Nine: ESSENTIAL FACULTIES</p><p></p><p>Charis knew the world was wavering around her. She had done this several times before, and by now it had become routine. The feeling of disorientation would only last a half of a second if she kept her eyes closed. For her, the secret to minimizing the teleportation weakness was not watching it happen.</p><p></p><p>They had met in Master Searthu’s office. The priest of Reah had a small ring of crystal balls which apparently acted as routers for the spells that he was using to see Ophee’s equivalents in the various cities of Tongra. The crystal balls reflected the arcane sight perfectly and allowed the six travelers to familiarize themselves with the location to which they were headed.</p><p></p><p>Charis knew that she was teleporting into a back alley behind the building that her mark was living in. He didn’t currently appear to be involved in the work of the wizard, and as far as Master Searthu and Charis could determine Haroth was actually in his apartment. Bacrothen was a large enough city that Haroth would not likely work in the same space as he lived.</p><p></p><p>Charis ran through the mental checklist as she opened her eyes and realized that she was in the back alley. The magic that dwelled inside of her pulsed with each beat of her heart. As her footsteps lead her to the side of the building, her body released adrenaline and her heart rate increased even more. Her right hand slipped to her side and felt the handle of the war hammer dangling from her belt. Her left hand felt the corresponding location along the opposite side of her belt and felt the leather grip of her favorite weapon. “Hopefully it won’t come to that.”</p><p></p><p>Charis closed her eyes as she approached the front of the building and offered a short prayer of blessing. “May Bemme protect us both, and may Reah lead Haroth to the light of understanding.”</p><p></p><p>She opened her eyes once more and turned the corner. She left the darkness of the alley behind her and quickly strolled to the front door of the building. Master Searthu had already used his arcane sight to make sure that the door was not locked, so when the door opened easily under Charis’ touch she was not surprised. Her eyes quickly found the stairs and she ascended them in pairs.</p><p></p><p>At the top of the stairs she spun on her heels quickly and found the door that she was looking for. “Apartment five. Here we have Haroth’s current residence.” She breathed in deeply before curling her fingers into a fist and using her knuckles to rap against the wooden door. The door was solid.</p><p></p><p>There was a tired reply from the other side of the door. “Hold on, I’m coming.” Heavy footsteps approached the opposite side of the door where Charis stood.</p><p></p><p>The door jerked open, and a large man stood on the opposite side of the threshold. His eyes looked over Charis and he grunted. “I don’t need no saleswoman, lady.”</p><p></p><p>Charis smiled, and tried to remain diplomatic. “Well, perhaps not. But it sounds as though someone to help you with your grammar might not be a bad idea. But that isn’t why I’m here, either.”</p><p></p><p>The man sighed and rolled his eyes. “Make it quick, lady. It’s my day off, and I’m trying to enjoy it by catching up on some sleep.”</p><p></p><p>Charis continued to smile. “Is that the job that you do on behalf of the wizard in Eberdeen?”</p><p></p><p>She could tell that her question had caught the man off guard. His eyes looked more seriously upon the woman standing before him. He realized that she was well armed and looked as though she knew how to use what dangled from her belt. “What’s this about, lady?”</p><p></p><p>The smile vanished from Charis’ face. “I know one of your associates. Your master in Eberdeen has no doubt a spoken of her. She goes by the name Opheiluka, and she does in Fignerdale what you do here for the wizard.”</p><p></p><p>Haroth stepped backwards one step. “So what does this have to do with me? You got a problem with Opheiluka, seek her out. You got a problem with her master, go through her.”</p><p></p><p>The grin returned to Charis’ face. So far, she was actually enjoying this. She liked being able to keep Haroth off his guard by revealing information that she knew about his line of work. “My problem isn’t with Opheiluka. I’m actually quite concerned about you, to be honest. You see, my associates discovered that Opheiluka had been brainwashed by the wizard that you serve.”</p><p></p><p>The man looked into Charis’ eyes. His focus narrowed. With a sudden flash of speed his hand reached behind the door and his body spun around. His hand held a kukri, and the sharp inner blade caught the outside of Charis’ arm. The handle of the kukri was thick and made of some kind of engraved white horn. Were it not for the man’s skill at weilding the sharp weapon, the blade would have appeared entirely ceremonial if hung from a wall. The thick false edge of the weapon glistened as the man followed through with the attack.</p><p></p><p>Charis stepped back into the hallway and began to cast a spell. Her heart leapt with excitement as the blade was brought forth. She had been hoping that violence would not have been necessary, but she couldn’t deny enjoying the thrill of combat. “Daancrah Pashor Shintar.” She knew that the spell would take a moment to resolve itself, and she would have to be careful in splitting her concentration between the spell and her opponent.</p><p></p><p>Haroth pursued Charis into the hallway, and the narrowness of the area meant that Charis didn’t have many places to run. Turning her back to Haroth and descending down the stairs was simply not an option. Haroth easily closed the distance that she had put between them and he slashed again with the elongated and bent knife. Once more the blade caught Charis and drew blood. Fortunately, Charis had braced herself against the blow and was able to continue to focus on the developing spell.</p><p></p><p>Charis stepped backwards once more and found herself against the wall. As soon as she moved, her earlier spell resolved and the magical energy brought three golden beetles into existence. The beetles that had been conjured into existence were no simple garden variety of beetles, however. Each of these beetles likely weighed thirty pounds or more, and their thick shells glistened with a faint pale glow. </p><p></p><p>One of the beetles appeared between Haroth and Charis, while the other two appeared behind him. Each of the beetles jumped up to use their strong jaws to latch onto his midsection, but only one was able to bite hard. Haroth managed to fend off the other two attacking beetles with quick use of the flat part of the elongated blade as a shield.</p><p></p><p>Charis knew that the Haroth’s attack on her had twice been successful, but she was not yet worried about her injuries. They were only flesh wounds at this point. In a bit of an unusual tactic for Charis, rather than pull out her hammer or pick she pulled the composite bow off of her back. In an instant she had an arrow knocked on the string. The arrow flew through the air and clipped the man in his shoulder. The blow was no worse than the pair he had already given to her. The arrow stuck out from his shoulder as if she had shot it into a bail of hay.</p><p></p><p>Haroth slashed at the beetle between himself and Charis, and his thick blade managed to catch the beetle between two of the protective pieces of chitin on its back. The armor of the beetle was strong enough to keep the blade of the kukri from digger in far enough to puncture any vital organs. As he attacked, Haroth growled at Charis. “You were supposed to be dead, you slave trading fiend! People who do what you do in life do not deserve to live!”</p><p></p><p>The beetles attempted to strike once more, and again only one of the beetles managed to land a successful blow. As the beetles jumped to Haroth and were aggressively repelled, Charis’ mind churned with Haroth’s words. It appeared the he had been fed the same lie about the party as Ophee.</p><p></p><p>Charis replied again, holding the draw of another arrow into a ready position to strike. “I do not traffic slaves! Ophee was told the same lie, and she has since come into the truth. Lay down your blade and I’ll call off my beetles and refrain from firing upon you!”</p><p></p><p>Haroth paused, taking inventory of the fact that the battle had not gone well for him. He lifted the blade into the air slowly and raised both hands above his head. The beetles relaxed in posture the second that they were no longer threatened by Haroth’s blade.</p><p></p><p>Charis smiled at the beetles and knelt to the ground. She continued to speak to Haroth, however. “I serve Bemme, and to a lesser extent, Reah. You should be able to tell that much by the glow of my friends here. I am not a force of evil; my friends and I are a force of good that has been manipulated like you to serve the wizard in Eberdeen. If you give me your blade, I will tend your wounds and demonstrate my servitude to Bemme and Reah.”</p><p></p><p>Haroth slowly knelt to the ground and slid his blade towards Charis. “You have bested me in combat, anyway. To continue would have only brought death.”</p><p></p><p>Charis lifted the blade off of the ground and slipped it underneath her belt in a fashion that didn’t risk the edge slicing through the belt. She looked to the beetles and spoke to them. “Tinko, Hubrah, and Di-Ehlah: you have served me well. Please give my regards to Bemme as I send you back. I appreciate your coming to my need and leaving the service of our goddess for a short time.” Charis closed her eyes and the beetles blinked out of existence.</p><p></p><p>Haroth looked to Charis. “Is Opheiluka still alive? She is with you?”</p><p></p><p>Charis rose to her feet and slowly approached Haroth. “She is, although we all almost died at the wizard’s hands. Once I have healed your wounds I would like to take you to see her.”</p><p></p><p>Haroth rose to his feet and held his hands out as an indication that he didn’t plan to struggle any more. Charis had free access to the wounds from the beetles and the arrow shaft. She reached for the arrow shaft, but Haroth pulled away.</p><p></p><p>The man spoke quickly as he jerked backwards. “If it is all the same to you, I’ll do it myself. Then you can heal me.”</p><p></p><p>Charis shrugged; it didn’t matter to her who inflicted the pain of removing the arrow. Haroth clenched his teeth and pulled the shaft of the arrow straight out from his shoulder. He never spoke a sound, although the look on his face told Charis that the act was quite painful.</p><p></p><p>Charis reached up with her hand and once more called upon her magical power. This time her magic was not used in self-defense. It was time for her magic to heal a wound before it could fester. Charis couldn’t help but smile as she hoped her healing of the physical body would go far in healing the domination that the wizard had over Haroth. “Bondras-tol Egro.” The familiar yellow glow passed from her hands and into Haroth’s wounds.</p><p>[/Sblock]</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Nonlethal Force, post: 3549273, member: 35788"] [B]Chapter Nine: ESSENTIAL FACULTIES[/B] Charis knew the world was wavering around her. She had done this several times before, and by now it had become routine. The feeling of disorientation would only last a half of a second if she kept her eyes closed. For her, the secret to minimizing the teleportation weakness was not watching it happen. They had met in Master Searthu’s office. The priest of Reah had a small ring of crystal balls which apparently acted as routers for the spells that he was using to see Ophee’s equivalents in the various cities of Tongra. The crystal balls reflected the arcane sight perfectly and allowed the six travelers to familiarize themselves with the location to which they were headed. Charis knew that she was teleporting into a back alley behind the building that her mark was living in. He didn’t currently appear to be involved in the work of the wizard, and as far as Master Searthu and Charis could determine Haroth was actually in his apartment. Bacrothen was a large enough city that Haroth would not likely work in the same space as he lived. Charis ran through the mental checklist as she opened her eyes and realized that she was in the back alley. The magic that dwelled inside of her pulsed with each beat of her heart. As her footsteps lead her to the side of the building, her body released adrenaline and her heart rate increased even more. Her right hand slipped to her side and felt the handle of the war hammer dangling from her belt. Her left hand felt the corresponding location along the opposite side of her belt and felt the leather grip of her favorite weapon. [Color=Orange]“Hopefully it won’t come to that.”[/Color] Charis closed her eyes as she approached the front of the building and offered a short prayer of blessing. [Color=Orange]“May Bemme protect us both, and may Reah lead Haroth to the light of understanding.”[/Color] She opened her eyes once more and turned the corner. She left the darkness of the alley behind her and quickly strolled to the front door of the building. Master Searthu had already used his arcane sight to make sure that the door was not locked, so when the door opened easily under Charis’ touch she was not surprised. Her eyes quickly found the stairs and she ascended them in pairs. At the top of the stairs she spun on her heels quickly and found the door that she was looking for. [Color=Orange]“Apartment five. Here we have Haroth’s current residence.”[/Color] She breathed in deeply before curling her fingers into a fist and using her knuckles to rap against the wooden door. The door was solid. There was a tired reply from the other side of the door. [Color=Red]“Hold on, I’m coming.”[/Color] Heavy footsteps approached the opposite side of the door where Charis stood. The door jerked open, and a large man stood on the opposite side of the threshold. His eyes looked over Charis and he grunted. [Color=Red]“I don’t need no saleswoman, lady.”[/Color] Charis smiled, and tried to remain diplomatic. [Color=Orange]“Well, perhaps not. But it sounds as though someone to help you with your grammar might not be a bad idea. But that isn’t why I’m here, either.”[/Color] The man sighed and rolled his eyes. [Color=Red]“Make it quick, lady. It’s my day off, and I’m trying to enjoy it by catching up on some sleep.”[/Color] Charis continued to smile. [Color=Orange]“Is that the job that you do on behalf of the wizard in Eberdeen?”[/Color] She could tell that her question had caught the man off guard. His eyes looked more seriously upon the woman standing before him. He realized that she was well armed and looked as though she knew how to use what dangled from her belt. [Color=Red]“What’s this about, lady?”[/Color] The smile vanished from Charis’ face. [Color=Orange]“I know one of your associates. Your master in Eberdeen has no doubt a spoken of her. She goes by the name Opheiluka, and she does in Fignerdale what you do here for the wizard.”[/Color] Haroth stepped backwards one step. [Color=Red]“So what does this have to do with me? You got a problem with Opheiluka, seek her out. You got a problem with her master, go through her.”[/Color] The grin returned to Charis’ face. So far, she was actually enjoying this. She liked being able to keep Haroth off his guard by revealing information that she knew about his line of work. [Color=Orange]“My problem isn’t with Opheiluka. I’m actually quite concerned about you, to be honest. You see, my associates discovered that Opheiluka had been brainwashed by the wizard that you serve.”[/Color] The man looked into Charis’ eyes. His focus narrowed. With a sudden flash of speed his hand reached behind the door and his body spun around. His hand held a kukri, and the sharp inner blade caught the outside of Charis’ arm. The handle of the kukri was thick and made of some kind of engraved white horn. Were it not for the man’s skill at weilding the sharp weapon, the blade would have appeared entirely ceremonial if hung from a wall. The thick false edge of the weapon glistened as the man followed through with the attack. Charis stepped back into the hallway and began to cast a spell. Her heart leapt with excitement as the blade was brought forth. She had been hoping that violence would not have been necessary, but she couldn’t deny enjoying the thrill of combat. [Color=Orange]“Daancrah Pashor Shintar.”[/Color] She knew that the spell would take a moment to resolve itself, and she would have to be careful in splitting her concentration between the spell and her opponent. Haroth pursued Charis into the hallway, and the narrowness of the area meant that Charis didn’t have many places to run. Turning her back to Haroth and descending down the stairs was simply not an option. Haroth easily closed the distance that she had put between them and he slashed again with the elongated and bent knife. Once more the blade caught Charis and drew blood. Fortunately, Charis had braced herself against the blow and was able to continue to focus on the developing spell. Charis stepped backwards once more and found herself against the wall. As soon as she moved, her earlier spell resolved and the magical energy brought three golden beetles into existence. The beetles that had been conjured into existence were no simple garden variety of beetles, however. Each of these beetles likely weighed thirty pounds or more, and their thick shells glistened with a faint pale glow. One of the beetles appeared between Haroth and Charis, while the other two appeared behind him. Each of the beetles jumped up to use their strong jaws to latch onto his midsection, but only one was able to bite hard. Haroth managed to fend off the other two attacking beetles with quick use of the flat part of the elongated blade as a shield. Charis knew that the Haroth’s attack on her had twice been successful, but she was not yet worried about her injuries. They were only flesh wounds at this point. In a bit of an unusual tactic for Charis, rather than pull out her hammer or pick she pulled the composite bow off of her back. In an instant she had an arrow knocked on the string. The arrow flew through the air and clipped the man in his shoulder. The blow was no worse than the pair he had already given to her. The arrow stuck out from his shoulder as if she had shot it into a bail of hay. Haroth slashed at the beetle between himself and Charis, and his thick blade managed to catch the beetle between two of the protective pieces of chitin on its back. The armor of the beetle was strong enough to keep the blade of the kukri from digger in far enough to puncture any vital organs. As he attacked, Haroth growled at Charis. [Color=Red]“You were supposed to be dead, you slave trading fiend! People who do what you do in life do not deserve to live!”[/Color] The beetles attempted to strike once more, and again only one of the beetles managed to land a successful blow. As the beetles jumped to Haroth and were aggressively repelled, Charis’ mind churned with Haroth’s words. It appeared the he had been fed the same lie about the party as Ophee. Charis replied again, holding the draw of another arrow into a ready position to strike. [Color=Orange]“I do not traffic slaves! Ophee was told the same lie, and she has since come into the truth. Lay down your blade and I’ll call off my beetles and refrain from firing upon you!”[/Color] Haroth paused, taking inventory of the fact that the battle had not gone well for him. He lifted the blade into the air slowly and raised both hands above his head. The beetles relaxed in posture the second that they were no longer threatened by Haroth’s blade. Charis smiled at the beetles and knelt to the ground. She continued to speak to Haroth, however. [Color=Orange]“I serve Bemme, and to a lesser extent, Reah. You should be able to tell that much by the glow of my friends here. I am not a force of evil; my friends and I are a force of good that has been manipulated like you to serve the wizard in Eberdeen. If you give me your blade, I will tend your wounds and demonstrate my servitude to Bemme and Reah.”[/Color] Haroth slowly knelt to the ground and slid his blade towards Charis. [Color=Lime]“You have bested me in combat, anyway. To continue would have only brought death.”[/Color] Charis lifted the blade off of the ground and slipped it underneath her belt in a fashion that didn’t risk the edge slicing through the belt. She looked to the beetles and spoke to them. [Color=Orange]“Tinko, Hubrah, and Di-Ehlah: you have served me well. Please give my regards to Bemme as I send you back. I appreciate your coming to my need and leaving the service of our goddess for a short time.”[/Color] Charis closed her eyes and the beetles blinked out of existence. Haroth looked to Charis. [Color=Lime]“Is Opheiluka still alive? She is with you?”[/Color] Charis rose to her feet and slowly approached Haroth. [Color=Orange]“She is, although we all almost died at the wizard’s hands. Once I have healed your wounds I would like to take you to see her.”[/Color] Haroth rose to his feet and held his hands out as an indication that he didn’t plan to struggle any more. Charis had free access to the wounds from the beetles and the arrow shaft. She reached for the arrow shaft, but Haroth pulled away. The man spoke quickly as he jerked backwards. [Color=Lime]“If it is all the same to you, I’ll do it myself. Then you can heal me.”[/Color] Charis shrugged; it didn’t matter to her who inflicted the pain of removing the arrow. Haroth clenched his teeth and pulled the shaft of the arrow straight out from his shoulder. He never spoke a sound, although the look on his face told Charis that the act was quite painful. Charis reached up with her hand and once more called upon her magical power. This time her magic was not used in self-defense. It was time for her magic to heal a wound before it could fester. Charis couldn’t help but smile as she hoped her healing of the physical body would go far in healing the domination that the wizard had over Haroth. [Color=Orange]“Bondras-tol Egro.”[/Color] The familiar yellow glow passed from her hands and into Haroth’s wounds. [Sblock=Color-Free Speech Section] Chapter Nine: ESSENTIAL FACULTIES Charis knew the world was wavering around her. She had done this several times before, and by now it had become routine. The feeling of disorientation would only last a half of a second if she kept her eyes closed. For her, the secret to minimizing the teleportation weakness was not watching it happen. They had met in Master Searthu’s office. The priest of Reah had a small ring of crystal balls which apparently acted as routers for the spells that he was using to see Ophee’s equivalents in the various cities of Tongra. The crystal balls reflected the arcane sight perfectly and allowed the six travelers to familiarize themselves with the location to which they were headed. Charis knew that she was teleporting into a back alley behind the building that her mark was living in. He didn’t currently appear to be involved in the work of the wizard, and as far as Master Searthu and Charis could determine Haroth was actually in his apartment. Bacrothen was a large enough city that Haroth would not likely work in the same space as he lived. Charis ran through the mental checklist as she opened her eyes and realized that she was in the back alley. The magic that dwelled inside of her pulsed with each beat of her heart. As her footsteps lead her to the side of the building, her body released adrenaline and her heart rate increased even more. Her right hand slipped to her side and felt the handle of the war hammer dangling from her belt. Her left hand felt the corresponding location along the opposite side of her belt and felt the leather grip of her favorite weapon. “Hopefully it won’t come to that.” Charis closed her eyes as she approached the front of the building and offered a short prayer of blessing. “May Bemme protect us both, and may Reah lead Haroth to the light of understanding.” She opened her eyes once more and turned the corner. She left the darkness of the alley behind her and quickly strolled to the front door of the building. Master Searthu had already used his arcane sight to make sure that the door was not locked, so when the door opened easily under Charis’ touch she was not surprised. Her eyes quickly found the stairs and she ascended them in pairs. At the top of the stairs she spun on her heels quickly and found the door that she was looking for. “Apartment five. Here we have Haroth’s current residence.” She breathed in deeply before curling her fingers into a fist and using her knuckles to rap against the wooden door. The door was solid. There was a tired reply from the other side of the door. “Hold on, I’m coming.” Heavy footsteps approached the opposite side of the door where Charis stood. The door jerked open, and a large man stood on the opposite side of the threshold. His eyes looked over Charis and he grunted. “I don’t need no saleswoman, lady.” Charis smiled, and tried to remain diplomatic. “Well, perhaps not. But it sounds as though someone to help you with your grammar might not be a bad idea. But that isn’t why I’m here, either.” The man sighed and rolled his eyes. “Make it quick, lady. It’s my day off, and I’m trying to enjoy it by catching up on some sleep.” Charis continued to smile. “Is that the job that you do on behalf of the wizard in Eberdeen?” She could tell that her question had caught the man off guard. His eyes looked more seriously upon the woman standing before him. He realized that she was well armed and looked as though she knew how to use what dangled from her belt. “What’s this about, lady?” The smile vanished from Charis’ face. “I know one of your associates. Your master in Eberdeen has no doubt a spoken of her. She goes by the name Opheiluka, and she does in Fignerdale what you do here for the wizard.” Haroth stepped backwards one step. “So what does this have to do with me? You got a problem with Opheiluka, seek her out. You got a problem with her master, go through her.” The grin returned to Charis’ face. So far, she was actually enjoying this. She liked being able to keep Haroth off his guard by revealing information that she knew about his line of work. “My problem isn’t with Opheiluka. I’m actually quite concerned about you, to be honest. You see, my associates discovered that Opheiluka had been brainwashed by the wizard that you serve.” The man looked into Charis’ eyes. His focus narrowed. With a sudden flash of speed his hand reached behind the door and his body spun around. His hand held a kukri, and the sharp inner blade caught the outside of Charis’ arm. The handle of the kukri was thick and made of some kind of engraved white horn. Were it not for the man’s skill at weilding the sharp weapon, the blade would have appeared entirely ceremonial if hung from a wall. The thick false edge of the weapon glistened as the man followed through with the attack. Charis stepped back into the hallway and began to cast a spell. Her heart leapt with excitement as the blade was brought forth. She had been hoping that violence would not have been necessary, but she couldn’t deny enjoying the thrill of combat. “Daancrah Pashor Shintar.” She knew that the spell would take a moment to resolve itself, and she would have to be careful in splitting her concentration between the spell and her opponent. Haroth pursued Charis into the hallway, and the narrowness of the area meant that Charis didn’t have many places to run. Turning her back to Haroth and descending down the stairs was simply not an option. Haroth easily closed the distance that she had put between them and he slashed again with the elongated and bent knife. Once more the blade caught Charis and drew blood. Fortunately, Charis had braced herself against the blow and was able to continue to focus on the developing spell. Charis stepped backwards once more and found herself against the wall. As soon as she moved, her earlier spell resolved and the magical energy brought three golden beetles into existence. The beetles that had been conjured into existence were no simple garden variety of beetles, however. Each of these beetles likely weighed thirty pounds or more, and their thick shells glistened with a faint pale glow. One of the beetles appeared between Haroth and Charis, while the other two appeared behind him. Each of the beetles jumped up to use their strong jaws to latch onto his midsection, but only one was able to bite hard. Haroth managed to fend off the other two attacking beetles with quick use of the flat part of the elongated blade as a shield. Charis knew that the Haroth’s attack on her had twice been successful, but she was not yet worried about her injuries. They were only flesh wounds at this point. In a bit of an unusual tactic for Charis, rather than pull out her hammer or pick she pulled the composite bow off of her back. In an instant she had an arrow knocked on the string. The arrow flew through the air and clipped the man in his shoulder. The blow was no worse than the pair he had already given to her. The arrow stuck out from his shoulder as if she had shot it into a bail of hay. Haroth slashed at the beetle between himself and Charis, and his thick blade managed to catch the beetle between two of the protective pieces of chitin on its back. The armor of the beetle was strong enough to keep the blade of the kukri from digger in far enough to puncture any vital organs. As he attacked, Haroth growled at Charis. “You were supposed to be dead, you slave trading fiend! People who do what you do in life do not deserve to live!” The beetles attempted to strike once more, and again only one of the beetles managed to land a successful blow. As the beetles jumped to Haroth and were aggressively repelled, Charis’ mind churned with Haroth’s words. It appeared the he had been fed the same lie about the party as Ophee. Charis replied again, holding the draw of another arrow into a ready position to strike. “I do not traffic slaves! Ophee was told the same lie, and she has since come into the truth. Lay down your blade and I’ll call off my beetles and refrain from firing upon you!” Haroth paused, taking inventory of the fact that the battle had not gone well for him. He lifted the blade into the air slowly and raised both hands above his head. The beetles relaxed in posture the second that they were no longer threatened by Haroth’s blade. Charis smiled at the beetles and knelt to the ground. She continued to speak to Haroth, however. “I serve Bemme, and to a lesser extent, Reah. You should be able to tell that much by the glow of my friends here. I am not a force of evil; my friends and I are a force of good that has been manipulated like you to serve the wizard in Eberdeen. If you give me your blade, I will tend your wounds and demonstrate my servitude to Bemme and Reah.” Haroth slowly knelt to the ground and slid his blade towards Charis. “You have bested me in combat, anyway. To continue would have only brought death.” Charis lifted the blade off of the ground and slipped it underneath her belt in a fashion that didn’t risk the edge slicing through the belt. She looked to the beetles and spoke to them. “Tinko, Hubrah, and Di-Ehlah: you have served me well. Please give my regards to Bemme as I send you back. I appreciate your coming to my need and leaving the service of our goddess for a short time.” Charis closed her eyes and the beetles blinked out of existence. Haroth looked to Charis. “Is Opheiluka still alive? She is with you?” Charis rose to her feet and slowly approached Haroth. “She is, although we all almost died at the wizard’s hands. Once I have healed your wounds I would like to take you to see her.” Haroth rose to his feet and held his hands out as an indication that he didn’t plan to struggle any more. Charis had free access to the wounds from the beetles and the arrow shaft. She reached for the arrow shaft, but Haroth pulled away. The man spoke quickly as he jerked backwards. “If it is all the same to you, I’ll do it myself. Then you can heal me.” Charis shrugged; it didn’t matter to her who inflicted the pain of removing the arrow. Haroth clenched his teeth and pulled the shaft of the arrow straight out from his shoulder. He never spoke a sound, although the look on his face told Charis that the act was quite painful. Charis reached up with her hand and once more called upon her magical power. This time her magic was not used in self-defense. It was time for her magic to heal a wound before it could fester. Charis couldn’t help but smile as she hoped her healing of the physical body would go far in healing the domination that the wizard had over Haroth. “Bondras-tol Egro.” The familiar yellow glow passed from her hands and into Haroth’s wounds. [/Sblock] [/QUOTE]
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