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Message: <blockquote data-quote="BSF" data-source="post: 1514648" data-attributes="member: 13098">RainmakerJake was drunk when he first saw Sheryl.  Of course, Jake was always drunk lately.  Last month, he had spent nearly 3 full days sober.  He was trying to do better this month by only being sober for the two days when his pension checks came in.  Jake wouldn't need to sober up until next week.  Sheryl was standing on a low wall at the edge of the beach passionately deriding Rainmaker Inc's monopoly on rain across the nation.  In the past three years, Jake had seen a half dozen other wannabe young activists doing the same thing.  They would come down to the gulf on spring break, or autumn break, or for a weekend getaway, or something similar.  They would get boozed up and sooner or later a storm would move in off the gulf.  They would stand there in the pouring rain, realizing that a Rainmaker rep hadn't been paid to make water fall from the sky and finally understanding why the small 2 mile band inland from the sea was called the Free Rain Zone.  Some of them would feel an upswell of grassroots indignation and they would spend the rest of their vacation playing part time environmentalist and champion of the oppressed.  Rah rah, shish boom bah.  Then, when their vacation was over, they would return to school, or their jobs, and forget about the whole thing.  Jake had seen it plenty of times.  But Sheryl was different.  She was beautiful and her speeches were eloquent with simplicity.  And, they were filled with Spirituality.  Instead of trying to build the group into a fervor, she coaxed it to a slow simmer, almost as if she knew that most of them would forget her words in a week.  She weaved stories about how the earth was formed, lovingly, by earth goddesses.  Water and rain was a Sacred gift and no company had any right to claim it as their own.  No company had any right to decide who would and would not have rain on any given day, or in any given season.  Even to Jake's bitter ears, her words rang true.  Sheryl truly believed her stories and she believed that Rainmaker must be stopped.Jake waited when everyone else left the beach, muttering softly amongst themselves. Jake's eyes followed her past each streetlight as she walked in his direction.  Her dark hair trailed behind her.  In the shadow of a building, Jake made his move."Senorita, you speak pretty words, but you cannot break the back of a beast like Rainmaker."Sheryl stared at Jake, noted his three-day stubble and his dark tan.  His blond hair was shaggy beneath his tattered straw hat and he was swaying on his feet.  Her eyes took in the beer bottle in his hand, as well as the 4 empty bottles and the last beer in the cardboard holder in his hand.  She smiled.  Jake smiled back and held up the last beer.  "Cervezza?"They sat on the beach and watched the sun come up.  Sheryl Maria Lujan was determined to save the world from the evil that was Rainmaker Inc.  Jake tried a dozen ways to talk her out of it, to no avail.  "You do not understand senorita, companies like Rainmaker Inc. employ people to keep their enemies out of the way.  Bad people, senorita, very bad people.  With your crazy talk, they are going to think you are an enemy."Sheryl would just smile and laugh.  "You do not understand Jake, they must be stopped.  Who will stop them if I do not?  I cannot tolerate their violation of the Sacred Earth.  They anger the Sky Father and the Earth Mother.  I will fight because I must.""Senorita, you are young.  Go live life first, Rainmaker will still be here later.  Fight your battles then.""I am not as young as I look Jake.  I know Rainmaker will be here if I do not fight them!  That is why I must.""But, senorita … they have bad men that will stop you.  Do not anger these people.  They will do bad things.""Tell me Jake, how do you know what they will do?"Jake fell silent and finished his beer.When he awoke on the beach, he felt dangerously close to becoming sober.  Sheryl was nowhere to be found.  He staggered a mile down the beach until he came to his shack, a 1250 square foot beach house with glasteel windows and scry proof walls.  When he found his money, he staggered down to the local store and bought a few more cases of beer.  He tipped the apprentice mage generously for using a floating disk to help bring the cervezza back to his beach house.  Jake didn't see Sheryl again until that evening, she was on the wall telling stories about the Sky Father.  That night, they didn't talk so much.  Every time Jake would try to tell her not to fight Rainmaker, she would ask him how he knew what the bad men would do.  It was easier to drink the beer and watch the stars.  The sunrise was especially beautiful, but the buzz was wearing off.  Jake lay back on the sand and closed his eyes.  When he awoke, Sheryl was gone.The third night, Sheryl met him at the wall.  This time she wasn't preaching.  "Come Jake, go for a ride with me."She had convertible with an elemental engine.  Jake was about to make a snide comment on captive elementals when Sheryl stopped and prayed, then greeted the fire creature, he almost passed out when the elemental returned her greeting.  Bound elementals can't talk and any time an elemental broke free, it went on a rampage in retribution for it's captivity.  Jake forgot his six-packThey drove away from the coast for hours without saying a word.  At first Jake thought Sheryl was mad, but each time he caught her eye, she would smile.  They enjoyed each others company like that until morning brightened the horizon.  As the sun rose, Sheryl pointed out the fields they were driving past.  She told Jake the stories of each family that could not pay Rainmaker to make the rains come down.  Jake cried softly as he sobered up.  "They have bad, bad men senorita."Sheryl finally pulled over and took Jake's hand to lead him from the car. They walked out into a field and lay down among the nearly dead plants.  Far overhead, clouds passed from the gulf, further up north.  Dark, heavy looking clouds, but rain did not fall.  Finally, Sheryl asked, "You see the pain that Rainmaker has caused, why do you still try to talk me out of stopping them."Looking up at Sheryl's brown eyes, Jake caressed her cheek.  "Because you have beautiful dreams and a beautiful spirit, but they are too powerful.  Nobody can break them, and they have bad men…""How do you know Jake?""Because, I was once one of their bad men. But, it destroyed me to watch them destroy the lives of others.  Please senorita, you cannot break them and I do not want to see you destroyed.""Help me Jake."  Sheryl's voice was calm."What senorita?""Help me.  It will do your spirit good to cleanse yourself of this pain.  You have seen their evil, you know they must be stopped.""Yes, senorita, they must be stopped, but just the two of us?""Have faith Jake, the Sky Father and the Earth Mother will aid us."  Sitting up, Sheryl began chanting softly to the Great Spirit.  Jake watched in wonder as the clouds overhead stopped moving north and instead, hovered overhead.  Soon, small drops of water were falling from the sky.  A mischievous smile played across her lips.  "Call me Little Bird."Nobody had ever superceded the wizards at Rainmaker.  Somebody would be very angry tonight.  Jake was filled with hope.  They made love to the soft patter of rain in the fields.  It wsa still raining the next day when they left.Little Bird drove West, toward New Mexico.  She told Jake of the great buffalo that her people revered.  The buffalo represent the strength and bounty of the earth.  They churn the dirt so new plants can grow.  They give of their flesh to feed and clothe the People.  The birds of the prairie pick the parasites off buffalo, keeping them healthy.  Rainmaker Inc was just another parasite and Little Bird would pick them off to keep the earth healthy.  But first, Little Bird wished to visit her Grandfather and Auntie.  She told Jake that her Grandfather would help them cleanse themselves for the upcoming battle, and Auntie would teach Jake.  By the time they arrived, Jake was frightfully sober.  For the first time in three years, he actually enjoyed it.They walked in to the kitchen. <a href="http://www.enworld.org/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=14009" target="_blank">An old man was sitting there, petting a buffalo, a hat on his head. </a>  A picture of a young man sat on the bannister behind him.  He looked up with a smile.  "We have been waiting for you Little Bird.  Who is your scruffy friend?"  Before Little Bird could answer, Jake stepped forward and bowed his head.  "Senor, my name is Julio, but everyone calls me Jake."  The old man laughed.  "Call me Papa, this is Auntie."The buffalo looked up at Jake, sniffed him once.  "Good hunting Little Bird, this man can help you  greatly if he will shed himself of his guilt."  The buffalo butted it's head against Jake.  "We know who you are and what you did.  Now you will help us to be rid of Rainmaker Inc.  Your name is not Jake, nor is it Julio.  Come, we will find you a better name if you will serve me."  Auntie pushed Jake toward the door.Jake hadn't practiced his magic, or his martial arts for three years, he was terribly out of practice.  Auntie made him practice and taught him stories about the People and how the Spirits of the earth were displeased.  By the end of two weeks, Auntie had named him Dancing Bull.  Dancing Bull and Little Bird sat together in the sweat lodge.  Dancing Bull spoke of the magics he had been taught.  Powerful necromantic energies, coupled with quick strikes from his fists and his feet.  Evocations, enchantments and abjurations that helped turn him into a ferocious killing machine.  Little Bird spoke of clear water stretching into blue sky.  She spoke of the blessings of the Sky Father and the Earth Mother and the Great Spirit.  She spoke of walking the Great Mystery to find herself.  She said that this was just part of her journey, a stopping point along the way.  She spoke of her brother, who had lost his way, the brother in the picture in Papa's kitchen.  Little Bird missed her brother.  Dancing Bull was not sure how long they were in the sweat lodge, but when they came out Papa was there with a buffalo skin cloak.  "Auntie says you are ready and he wanted you to have this.  Wear it when you fight Rainmaker.  Come, we are having steak for dinner and you need to give your thanks to Auntie."~A week later, Dancing Bull and Little Bird were back on the beach.  Dancing Bull wanted to get his equipment.  Rainmaker had given it to him, it was fitting that it be used against them.  Little Bird wanted to eat dinner and make love on the beach.  <a href="http://www.enworld.org/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=14007" target="_blank">They were kissing outside the restaurant when Rainmaker caught up with them.</a>  The eel on the restaurant animated and bit deeply into Little Bird's shoulder.  She screamed and Dancing Bull lashed out with his fists.  The eel let go of Little Bird and she backed away into the darkness.  Thrashing against the wall of the restaurant, the animated eel was easy for Dancing Bull avoid.  His fists flashed under the light and it sounded like a wooden drum being played.  Little Bird screamed.  Dancing Bull turned in time to see her crumple to the ground, two knives stuck in her side.  "No!"  But, Rainmaker's assassins were already gone, the teltale 'pop' of a teleportation having taken them to safety.Dancing Bull cradled Little Bird in his arms, crying for his loss.  The daggers were powerfully ensorcelled with dark magic, very powerful weapons.  They had robbed her of her life force.  Rainmaker had punished her for daring to make it rain.  Little Bird opened her eyes and caressed his face as dark bile oozed out of her wounds.  "I did not know it would hurt so much."  Her voice was weak, but beautiful.  "Do not cry Dancing Bull.  I have helped to make you healthy, my job is done.  You will dance across the ground and trample the Rainmaker so that the plants will grow again.  As for me, I will walk the Great Mystery.  We will meet again one day."  Dancing Bull felt no shame for crying as he gathered the tools of death that Rainmaker had long ago made for him.  It took him three days to drive the convertible up to Oklahoma.  On the fourth day, he felt the presence of Rainmaker's Diviners.  That night, in an abandoned farmhouse, Dancing Bull slept fitfully.  How would Rainmaker deal with him?  Had they figured out who he was yet?  <a href="http://www.enworld.org/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=14008" target="_blank">The edge of the roof lifted up, huge claws, barely material, could be seen.  Then eyes and a voice filled with mania and lust squeeled.</a>"Oh Julio, come here my love.  You look tasty my love.  They tell me you have been naughty."  It was Lucille.  Dancing Bull had always hated Lucille.  The demon was insane and always hungry.  The few times he had worked with her, he had gone on a drunken binge for days afterward.  It was because of Lucille that he had learned the words that would undo the binding to this world.  As Papa and Auntie would say, Lucille was a creature of the Otherworld and did not belong here.  Dancing Bull had learned the words of dismissal just in case Lucille ever decided he looked tasty.  Rainmaker did not know that Dancing Bull had done this.  Dancing Bull rolled out of the bed and flipped across the room, his buffalo hide cloak swirling about him.  Lucille could be quick.  With a smile, Dancing Bull called out, "I always hated you Lucille!  Now be gone."  Lucille simply cackled as she pulled the roof off the farmhouse.  She was easily 50 feet tall. "Indeed little Julio, you will be gone in one little gulp."  Lunging forward, she was faster than him.  Her claws, reaching for his soft skin, were stopped by the buffalo hide.  Dancing Bull smiled and recited the incantation he had learned so long ago.  Lucille shrieked and the windows of the farmhouse shattered.He left the convertible at the farmhouse.  Uncle had given him a salve that would make him fly and he reached the far edge of Rainmaker's private lake at sunrise.  The tower at the far side of the lake used the water to enhance the arcane energies that powered their weather engines.  To protect against assault, they had surrounded the tower with anti-magic zones.  To protect against non-magical assault, they had their cadre of martial-artist sorcerers, like the man he once was.  They would soon know that Lucille had not completed her job, so they would be looking for him. Dancing Bull hoped that he could swim across the lake before they thought to look there.  He shucked his equipment into a small bag that, impossibly, held it all.  An extra-dimensional pocket that he had hidden equipment in before. Dancing Bull downed some liquid from a small vial.  Immediately, he felt his lungs constrict.  The magic demanded water to breathe, he was suffocating above water.  <a href="http://www.enworld.org/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=14006" target="_blank">The sun was shining above as he swam across the lake.</a>  He kept one eye out for any of the creatures rumored to live in the lake.  Rainmaker employees often speculated on the unspeakable horrors that were in the lake.  Dancing Bull was almost to the dam he felt searing pain in his calf.  Something unclean had grabbed him.  Turning to look he saw a tentacle wrapped around his ankle.  The tentacle disappeared into the depths, where it was slowly pulling him.  Straining against the pull of the kraken, Dancing Bull was overcome with pain.  Blacking out, he could hear the thud of buffalo across the plain.  In his mind's eye, he could see Auntie with a little bird on her back.  Whispered words in his ear.  "Have faith, you are pure open your eyes and see the world for what it truly is."  Struggling to open his eyes, Dancing Bull took a deep breath.  Tree branches?  Trees from the drowned valley were reaching up from below.  Mind magic!  Rainmaker would never put a foul beast in their lake unless it could be completely controlled.  There would be too much risk that it would interfere with the engines that powered the weather engines.  It careful swimming to make it to the access doorways on the side of the dam, but soon Dancing Bull was pulling on his trousers and a shirt.  Bracers followed and a belt.  He went barefoot as he slung the cloak around his shoulders.  Then, he pulled a tonfa out of the extra-dimensional pocket.  Rainmaker Inc's tower was nearly 400 feet tall.  A squat, fortified place that would be difficult to assault.  But, the tower was meant to keep people out.  Once they were in, there was little defense.He made it up 12 levels before any guards found him.  He had just come out of a  stairway and the guards were coming off an elevator.  He saw them first.  With a surge, he closed the distance and hit one with a flying kick.  The strength of the buffalo carried through, tossing the first guard back into the elevator.  He felt a fist graze his back as he spun around.  Suddenly, a foot connected with his stomach.  It nearly took his breath away, but he rolled with the kick and landed with a thud.  Rolling onto his side, Dancing Bull planted a heel on the knee of the nearest assailant.  Grabbing the man's ankle, he pulled and heard a satisfying scream as tendons ripped.  He then rolled out of the way just as the kicker came down from a jump.  The man's knee thudded into the floor where Dancing Bull's head had been.  Dancing Bull quickly chanted arcane syllables and slammed his fist into the man.  Immediately, the man's face contorted in anguisk before he lost control of his muscles.  The smell of ghouls filled the hallway as Dancing Bull tumbled away.  Anybody coming through the area would have to deal with the ghoul smell coming from the paralyzed man.  Dancing Bull had to fight off three more groups of guards before he was stood on the floor below the control tower.  Somebody had finally managed to trigger an alarm.  Rolling out of the stairwell, Dancing Bull came to stop against the wall.  Movement out of the corner of his eye gave him the split moment he needed to dodge backward.  A foot thudded into the wall and Dancing Bull looked up.  "Good day Julio, your dressed funny nowadays."  It was Elliot Ingersoll.  Elliot had been an upcoming assassin when Dancing Bull worked for Rainmaker.  "If I had known it was you with that girl, I would have stopped to kill you too."  Elliot drew a jet black dagger as he took a fighting stance.  "You killed Little Bird, but now I shall kill you.""How sweet, you had a pet name for your girlfriend."  Elliot struck.  He was fast, but this time Dancing Bull was faster.  Dancing Bull caught the dagger in the folds of the cloak, stripping it from Elliot's grasp.  Then, mixing arcane gestures with an attack routine, he caught Elliot by the neck.  Elliot's eyes bulged as the magic took affect.  His life force drained out of his body into Dancing Bull's.  As Elliot withered in Dancing Bull's grasp, the bruises on Dancing Bull's body disappeared.  Finally, Elliot's body fell to the floor.  Dancing Bull took the elevator up to the last floor.  The door opened and Dancing Bull gazed into the room for the first time in his life.  <a href="http://[url" target="_blank">http://www.enworld.org/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=14005]</a> Three smartly dressed wizards could be seen gazing out a scrying window at a green field.  Dancing Bull's ears could pull out the conversation."How much do you think they will pay to avoid a drought?""I don't know.  Losing those crops would mean a lot of people go hungry.  We should double our fee."Dancing Bull felt the anger well up inside him.  With a cry, he charged across the room.  The first wizard fell like a sack of oatmeal as Dancing Bull rushed into him.  The second managed to get a body shield of fire in place as Dancing Bull turned to look at the third.  He paused for a moment, he had seen that face before.  He knew it wasn't when he worked at Rainmaker.  The guards never spoke directly with the wizards.  Then, it hit him.  He remembered that face from the frame behind Papa's shoulder.  This was Little Bird's lost brother.  "That looks like Auntie's skin, who are you?"  Dancing Bull stopped.  How could this man be related to Little Bird?  He represented everything that she opposed.  It was then that he remembered what she said about the Great Red Road and how her people had to follow it.  She would prepare it for her brother.  At the time, he didn't know what it meant.  But now … she had died so she could be there to receive her brother.  He shook his head.  He was hear to eliminate Rainmaker.  "Little Bird wants to see you, she is waiting, on the Red Road."  The dagger plunged into Little Bird's brother's heart.  He fell as lightning coursed through Dancing Bull's body.  Turning to the last wizard, Dancing Bull smiled.  Blackened skin fell off his side as he pulled a scroll from the pouch at his side.  It was ancient, but he knew the words.  It would unleash a flurry of fireballs here in the tower.  Up here, where all the arcane energies are contained.  Rainmaker would be a ruined hulk in the wilderness.  His lips repeated the engraved syllables.  The wizard screamed.  Fire engulfed them all.Papa looked up as stormclouds rolled in from the horizon.</blockquote>

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