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<blockquote data-quote="Jon Potter" data-source="post: 1251167" data-attributes="member: 2323">[PLAIN][Draelond #7a] Caveat Emptor II[/PLAIN]For Draelond waking was like struggling to the surface from the depths of the Tyredemia Sea.His first conscious indication that he might yet live was the acrid smell of burning incense that reached his nostrils. The sensation of cold stone pressing against his back and the prickly scratch of a fur blanket covering him from chin to toe came next. He saw the dim glow of candle light through his eyelids and heard the muttering voices a moment later. He groaned and tried futily to raise his hand.&quot;I think I saw him move!&quot; a female voice said excitedly. &quot;It worked!&quot;&quot;Of course it worked!&quot; replied a male voice. &quot;Did you doubt me?&quot;&quot;Well.., the woman answered and then there was laughter.&quot;You have to admit, Harcourt, this wouldn't be the first of your schemes to come up short,&quot; another woman chuckled. The male voice huffed.&quot;Enough with the short jokes!&quot; another woman said sharply.&quot;Azril smiles on this endeavor,&quot; Harcourt answered petulantly. &quot;It's the ultimate trick.&quot;&quot;I thought stealing the Godstone was the ultimate trick?&quot; another man said and there was more laughter.&quot;Hush, Chemb,&quot; Harcourt said quickly. &quot;This will be different.&quot;Draelond groaned and forced his eyes open. He was lying on his back in a room with an exposed beam ceiling.&quot;He's opened his eyes!&quot; one of the women exclaimed and Draelond heard clapping and the rustling of clothing as someone moved about to his left. &quot;Quick! Fetch the mirror!&quot;A halfling popped into Draelond's field of vision and studied him critically. &quot;He looks right,&quot; the halfling told the others and from his voice, Draelond knew that he was Harcourt. The halfling then directed his speech to Draelond. &quot;How do you feel?&quot; he asked.&quot;I-I-&quot; the warrior rasped and Harcourt nodded sagely.&quot;This is all perfectly normal,&quot; the halfling said and then turned to his side. With an air of importance, he announced, &quot;Claret, the mirror!&quot; A round, steel mirror was passed into his little hands and Harcourt held it such that Draelond could see himself in its surface.Of course, it wasn't himself that stared back at him from the mirror's depths. The face that confronted him was human, clean-shaven and tanned, framed by thick brown hair. Piercing gray eyes flanked a nose that had been broken at least once. There was a glimmer of panic in those unfamiliar gray eyes, and an instant later Draelond heard himself shriek. The cry was answered by laughter from somewhere nearby.&quot;Sheesh!&quot; Harcourt winced. &quot;There's just no pleasing some people!&quot;</blockquote>

[QUOTE="Jon Potter, post: 1251167, member: 2323"] [b][PLAIN][Draelond #7a] Caveat Emptor II[/PLAIN][/b] For Draelond waking was like struggling to the surface from the depths of the Tyredemia Sea. His first conscious indication that he might yet live was the acrid smell of burning incense that reached his nostrils. The sensation of cold stone pressing against his back and the prickly scratch of a fur blanket covering him from chin to toe came next. He saw the dim glow of candle light through his eyelids and heard the muttering voices a moment later. He groaned and tried futily to raise his hand. "I think I saw him move!" a female voice said excitedly. "It worked!" "Of course it worked!" replied a male voice. "Did you doubt me?" "Well.., the woman answered and then there was laughter. "You have to admit, Harcourt, this wouldn't be the first of your schemes to come up short," another woman chuckled. The male voice huffed. "Enough with the short jokes!" another woman said sharply. "Azril smiles on this endeavor," Harcourt answered petulantly. "It's the ultimate trick." "I thought stealing the Godstone was the ultimate trick?" another man said and there was more laughter. "Hush, Chemb," Harcourt said quickly. "This will be different." Draelond groaned and forced his eyes open. He was lying on his back in a room with an exposed beam ceiling. "He's opened his eyes!" one of the women exclaimed and Draelond heard clapping and the rustling of clothing as someone moved about to his left. "Quick! Fetch the mirror!" A halfling popped into Draelond's field of vision and studied him critically. "He looks right," the halfling told the others and from his voice, Draelond knew that he was Harcourt. The halfling then directed his speech to Draelond. "How do you feel?" he asked. "I-I-" the warrior rasped and Harcourt nodded sagely. "This is all perfectly normal," the halfling said and then turned to his side. With an air of importance, he announced, "Claret, the mirror!" A round, steel mirror was passed into his little hands and Harcourt held it such that Draelond could see himself in its surface. Of course, it wasn't himself that stared back at him from the mirror's depths. The face that confronted him was human, clean-shaven and tanned, framed by thick brown hair. Piercing gray eyes flanked a nose that had been broken at least once. There was a glimmer of panic in those unfamiliar gray eyes, and an instant later Draelond heard himself shriek. The cry was answered by laughter from somewhere nearby. "Sheesh!" Harcourt winced. "There's just no pleasing some people!" [/QUOTE]

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