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Message: <blockquote data-quote="el-remmen" data-source="post: 1002" data-attributes="member: 11">Session #12 (Part II)“Yes, Jana. It is I, Arnold,” he who had formerly been Garcon said.  “I have watched and waited. Letting one love die and another come to grow in my heart for you, Jana. All for you,” Arnold said. “Your skin like the caramel sweets sold in spring market, and eyes that shine like the waters of the Wizard’s Sea. I dream of you all the time, and I awake in the morning and see you again and I thank Isis that she allows my dreams to bleed into my waking life.” “What are you doing here? Where did you come from?” Jana asked. “From the moment I first looked into your eyes I knew there was something special about you. When I came to the Slim Stiletto (5)  to meet you and found out you were coming here, I decided that a change would be a good thing and that I would come too and prove that I too can be heroic, and make you love me,” explained Arnold. “You have to leave right now,” Jana pushed him towards the screen. “Don’t play hard to get,” Arnold said, falling to one knee. “Let me recite a poem I wrote for you.” “Jana, it’s time,” a voice said softly, as the screen was being pulled back. Markle stepped in and his eyes narrowed as he saw Garcon/Arnold there. “What’s he doing here?” “He’s crazy. I don’t know,” Jana replied flustered. “What is he doing here?” Arnold asked, and then turned to Markle. “Don’t think I won’t fight for Jana’s love, because I will.” He reached for his rapier. “Arnold, stop!” said Jana with a hiss. “And be quiet, you will wake people.” Markle sneered, “Just take care of it. I don’t care what you have to do, and if I were you I’d stay in here for at least ten minutes. Until we meet again.” Markle slipped away. “He is lucky he left, or he would have seen that I really am a great swordsman,” Arnold said. Jana momentarily ignored Arnold/Garcon, and with a mental command her little green companion slipped out from under the pillow up the wall, across the ceiling, and through the crack of the door. “To Jana, my love…” Arnold was starting his poem. “Arnold, you have to keep it down,” Jana whispered. Arnold quieted his voice and continued, “As I turn my mind to the thought of the warmth of Ra’s Glory reflecting off the surface of the blue-green sea, I am reminded of a similar warmth that comes from basking in your presence…” He continued on and on and Jana allowed him, if only to keep him busy, but suddenly there was a thump and muted growl in the hallway, and in a moment her familiar came crazily scurrying back into the room, the voice in Jana’s mind was a scream, “Big animal! Big animal! Big animal!” The tiny lizard slid up Jana’s leg and took her normal spot of safety under the collar of the witch’s blouse. Kazrack awoke, thinking he heard voices coming from behind the screen. Jana covered Arnold’s mouth, “Shh! Don’t speak. Let me just look in your eyes for a moment.” The dwarf walked over the screen, “Jana?” “Huh?” Jana said in her best groggy voice. “Can I talk to you about something?” Kazrack asked. “Can’t it wait `til morning?” Jana replied. “I guess,” the dwarf walked back to bed and laid down, sleep enveloping him again. But now Ratchis stirred as there was another sound from the hallway. Arnold pulled his mouth free, “What was that? Are those villains up to no good? I will check and prove myself to you.” “If you want to make me happy you will stay where you are,” Jana told Arnold. Ratchis sat up and rubbed his eyes, but remained in bed, just listening. “I knew you’d come around,” said Arnold leaning forward for a kiss. “Uh, read me some more poetry,” Jana said, dodging the smooch. “Just do it quietly.” “Certainly,” Arnold/Garcon replied. ------ Beorth woke with a start, someone was shaking him. “Beorth, weck op!” Chance was saying. “Somethin’ strange is hoppening.” “What is it?” said Beorth, suddenly alert. “Ah heard some strange nuzzes from the hall,” Chance replied. The paladin of Anubis got out of bed and went to the door with Chance close behind. He paused and listened, hearing nothing. He slowly pulled the door open. The hallway was very dark, with only the slightest light coming from a sconce much further down the hall. Beorth placed one foot out into the hall to get a better look to the left and right, and felt something sticky and slick under his foot. He paused and stooped down, and ran his finger along the substance. “Blood,” he said, in his typical passionless voice. “Wake, Jeremy and the others. This seems to be smeared all up and down the hallway.” “Whot’s gun on?” Chance asked. “We’ll find out,” said Beorth. “I am going to wake Martin the Watch-Mage.” Chance woke Jeremy. “What’s going on?” Jeremy asked, annoyed. “There were strange noises and now there is blood all in the hall,” Chance explained. “First chance in forever to sleep in a real bed, and there are strange noises and blood in the hall. I should’ve known,” Jeremy replied getting out of bed. “The guards should be getting here soon. We should just wait before we run off doing anything crazy.” Chance ran out into the hall, trying to leap over the thick track of blood, but just ending up sliding towards the door where Ratchis and the others stayed. Jeremy stood in the doorway. “Hey, be careful, you are spreading that around,” he said pointing to the blood. Chance opened the door and went in and Ratchis immediately sat up, “What’s happening?” Chance was startled. Ratchis stood up. “Thar’s blood ol over the hallway,” Chance said. “Beorth’s gone ta wake the Watch-mage.” A handful of the lads sleeping in the room began to grunt and stir; more than one “Quiet!” erupted from the slumbering forms. Ratchis walked over and shook the snoring dwarf, “Kazrack, trouble.” The dwarf awoke, while Ratchis went to Jana. He knocked lightly on the screen. “Quiet, I’m trying to sleep!” called a groggy voice from across the room, which led to quite a few more “Shhhhhhs”. “Jana?” Ratchis said, as he pulled open the screen. “Oh, all the interruptions of my admission of love,” said Arnold/Garcon. Jana emerged from the screen. “Chance said there were noises and now blood in the hall,” Ratchis said. “Really? I haven’t heard anything,” said Jana. “Hey, whus is he doin’ in there wit’ ya?” Chance said to Jana, sneering. “A rival suitor?!” said Arnold said stepping to Chance. “Back oof, or ah’ punch ya lights oot,” said the gambler. “Arnold, stop!” said Jana. By this time a few of the others were actually sitting up in bed, “What the hell is going on?” Another voice said, “Will you shut the hell up?” In the meantime, Kazrack had moved to the door and saw the wide swath of blood in the hallway. He also saw Jeremy standing in the doorway of the other room. “Hey, I just notice that Devon and Markle and the other guy aren’t in their beds,” said Jeremy. “Oh my, oh my,” Martin the Green said, rubbing his forehead nervously as he came around the corner. He suddenly noticed his robes were dragging in the blood, and he lifted them up. Beorth followed, “The blood goes all the way up the hall, and past Martin’s door.” “It looks like it does down this way as well,” said Kazrack, pointing past towards the stairs. Ratchis came out to the hall followed by Chance and Jana. Arnold followed Jana. “Who is he?” asked Kazrack. “He looks kind of like Garcon.” Jana sighed, “Long story. What is happening?” “Someone was killed,” Beorth said. “We need to stay calm,” said Martin, nervously. “We have to find a guard or the steward and report this.” Ratchis walked past him, trying not to make tracks in the blood, “We need to see what happened first.” He kneeled down and examined the blood, as Beorth retrieved a torch. “Looks like the source of the blood is this way.” They followed the blood back to its source, which led to the room where all their weapons had been taken from them and stored. The door was smashed open, and here the blood was spattered all over the walls and door. Ratchis stepped in and saw the room had been quickly ransacked. The guard they had seen standing before the door all day was nowhere to be seen – except for the blood. “Weapons have been removed from here,” Ratchis said. “What is this door?” Kazrack asked Martin referring to a large iron-reinforced door perpendicular to that that led to the weapon storage room. “It goes to the Royal Quarters,” answered Martin. “We can’t go that way. The guards will attack first and ask questions later. We, uh… I have to go downstairs and find Daniel or the Captain of the Guards. I know where their quarters are. They are in this wing.” Martin turned, as if to go back down the hall towards the stairs and then stopped and turned back and then opened his mouth and then closed it again. Everyone just looked at him. “I, uh… Ratchis, would you come with me, and you others could you please keep people from wandering around or touching anything. The danger may not be over,” Martin added. Ratchis and Martin made their way down the stone spiral steps. The tall woodsman led the way, going cautiously. The blood continued down the stairs, but became thinner as they came to the second floor. Martin directed Ratchis to a door, and then knocked on it. “Daniel?” the young Watch-Mage called. “There has been some trouble, and perhaps a murder. Daniel?” There was no answer. Ratchis tried the door and it was locked. “Captain Merrick’s room is over here,” said Martin walking in the direction of an adjacent hall. Ratchis grabbed the shaggy-haired Thrician by the shoulder and pulled him back. “I go first,” he said. The came to another door and this time Ratchis knocked loudly, “Captain!” he called. “Captain,” said Martin. “It is I, Martin the Green, there seems to have been some kind of incident. There is trouble.” Again there was no reply. “We should go down to the ground level and see if there is anyone around,” said Martin. Ratchis led the way to the steps going down to the ground level, but at the top of the spiral steps stuck out a pair of booted feet. Ratchis crept forward and pulled the body up a bit to see the beheaded corpse of a castle guard. “OH MY!” gasped Martin covering his mouth and turning away. “Come on, we’re going back up,” said Ratchis brusquely. Upstairs, Ratchis informed the others of what they had found. By now, others of the would-be dragon-hunters were awake and displaying a mixture of nervousness and curiosity. Ratchis made his way to the weapon storage room, and began to put on his chain shirt, and grabbed his swords. Kazrack, Beorth and Chance followed suit, while Martin went back into his quarters and retrieved his satchel of components. “You shouldn’t do that,” Jeremy called from where he still stood in the door, refusing to come out into the hall. “We could all get in trouble.” “Ef something is ripping the heads uf people around here, Ah fer one want me sword n’ armor, dahm the consequences,” said Chance. “Hmmm,” Jeremy rubbed his chin. “You have a point.” And then carefully, as to not to step in blood made his way to the weapon storage room. Jana followed grabbing a crossbow and a club. “What do we do now?” asked Beorth. “We wait right here until some guards show up and we tell them what happened,” replied Jeremy, putting his chain shirt on. “There is no need to go wild, running around the castle looking for trouble.” “Normally, I would agree with you, but, uh…” Martin swallowed. “I think something is seriously wrong. I suggest we do search, but first perhaps Ratchis and I can go up to one of the towers and see if any guards are up there.” “Ok,” replied Kazrack. “We’ll wait here, for now, but if the king and others are in danger we need to act soon.” Again, Martin and Ratchis left the others and made their way to the steps that led up to the tower. Ratchis slowly pushed open the trap door and felt the cold air rush in, as something dripped on him from above. He came up to see blood splattered everywhere up here as well. The corpses of three guards were badly torn apart. Martin came up as well and muffled a cry. They could see the red glimmer of fire at the castle’s front gate to their left, and could hear the distant voices of men crying out in their attempts to deal with the flame. “There must have been some kind of attack at the gate,” said Martin. “It is a distraction for whatever is going on here in the castle,” replied Ratchis. “How…” Martin’s question was left hanging in the cold air as both he and the half-orc noticed movement in the tower across from their, closer to the front of the castle proper. A tall dark man with dark hair was climbing atop the low wall that ran around the edge of the tower, holding on to one of the four posts that held the tower roof up. He looked right at Ratchis and Martin frozen and looking, as he crouched there and then as if in slow motion to them, he let go of the post and began to tumble forward off the tower, but something even stranger was happening. The man’s skin grew darker and his arms elongated and stretched downward, as if the skin were becoming leather and growing to connect along the side of his torso. The man’s legs collapsed upward and inward, becoming short claws, and his face stretched forward, as his ears bloomed outward, and black hair grew all over his changing body. And then where a man had stood before tumbling from a tower, before Ratchis and Martin could even draw another breath, there was a huge bat with a wingspan of nearly twelve feet, flapping into the night with a screech. -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------Notes:(5) The Slim Stiletto is the Inn where Crumb’s Boys all first gathered in Verdun, and where Jana and Arnold were supposed to have a date.</blockquote>

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