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<blockquote data-quote="Feir Fireb" data-source="post: 4825561" data-attributes="member: 14074"><p><strong>Excerpt from "The Unscholarly Journals of Darren the Senalline": Unexpected Company</strong></p><p></p><p><strong>IT IS WELL</strong> that the Imperial Family of Xaiman values the lives of its members, or I might be dead by now. <em>Okordo</em> would have been easy enough to use in that needle trap and would have killed me swiftly. But as I expect the passage was primarily designed for use by the Imperial Family itself, a lesser but still dangerous poison would allow a friend of the Palace to seek aid in the event of a mishap. Based on my description of the substance, my most dedicated reader informs me that it was actually <em>zheido</em>. But even though I responded better to the poison this time around, it was enough to drag me within a few inches of Shinjed’s realm. [Marginal note: I am reminded that most readers know him as Yanluo, but our closest encounters with him were in Kardei, and I use the Kardei name for him by habit.]</p><p></p><p>[Map: passages within the Imperial Palace]</p><p></p><p>The stairs curled downwards to a passage that went straight on for a length embedded in the Palace wall. The walls had no lit torches, but discreet cracks in them allowed a modicum of light from the moons to barely illuminate the pre-dawn passage. "I can hardly see a thing," Atrix whispered. I drew my dwarrow amulet from its safe location in my tinker's pouch and placed it about my neck. The passage came alive with light and color, as did the very air itself. I could now hear the clinking of the artificial menagerie and the twittering of real birds drifting in through the cracks. "Keep going forward", I told Atrix. "We'll need to move quickly; it will be 20 or 30 minutes before the amulet begins to give me a headache and I need to take a break. But don't go so quickly that I can't look for traps or other hidden doors."</p><p></p><p>I limped along, leaning on Atrix's shoulder as the poison continued to burn in my veins. The designers of this passage had fortunately thought a trapped, concealed door in the Gardens sufficient to keep out intruders at this end of the passage. We went along a little ways before I heard something. "Shh," I said, tapping Atrix's shoulder. We stopped, silent. "Footsteps, they'll be upon us soon. Four, maybe five."</p><p></p><p>"I don't believe it," Atrix whispered in consternation. A pause: "We've got to hide." </p><p></p><p>I scanned the narrow, largely featureless hallway in frustration and tossed a longing glance at the stairs distant behind us. "Where?"</p><p></p><p>"I need a weapon. Darren, give me your thickest, sturdiest pick. Preferably one with a handle and a point."</p><p></p><p>My heart racing, I reached into my pouch and found the very one he'd requested. I handed it to Atrix as he gritted his teeth.</p><p></p><p>Torchlight crawled through an intersection ahead, followed by the glint of spearheads and then armor. Atrix eased me down from his shoulder and against the wall. Four Spear Path guardsmen rounded a corner to face us and Atrix charged at them. </p><p></p><p><strong>CATCHING THE SHEEN</strong> of torchlight on his swiftly approaching body, they lowered their spears to receive his charge in surprise. Atrix seized the tip of a spearshaft with his off-hand and vaulted against the guard's weight. In the same fluid motion he planted himself in their midst with all the grace of a dancer and planted my pick deep in the eye of a guard. Hoping Atrix had their complete attention, I crawled into the corner between the wall and the floor, inching towards the fray in silent anguish.</p><p></p><p>As their eyeless compatriot slumped to the ground, bleeding and twitching, the three remaining guards turned to face Atrix, their spears clattering against each other and the close walls. Atrix threw himself furiously into another guard, slamming him against the wall and stabbing repeatedly in his side around the edge of the lacquered chestplate. I trudged forward on my hands and knees, then gradually drew myself to standing against a wall as the other two soldiers dropped their spears and drew long knives to hack the fearless pale slave to pieces. Atrix turned to face them, waving the pick about in a futile attempt to keep both of them at a distance and one swung broadly for Atrix's bare gut. My fellow fugitive hopped backwards, deftly dodging the blade. The guard continued to press forward and on the upswing left a nasty slash in Atrix's cheek. The second guard cornered Atrix and cut a deep gash into his arm as he raised it to block. </p><p></p><p>Hurling myself from the wall, with one hand I knocked the second guard's helmet up to uncover the back of his neck just before I slammed my other fist into the point where the neck met the base of his skull. He fell into the other wall with a sickening crunch and I slid to the floor with him. The remaining guard, hearing me, whirled about and slashed his knife down hard into my side. Atrix threw a mighty jab at him that glanced from the armor but luckily didn't break the pick. Feeling the full effects of the poison, I backed off, reeling as Atrix squared off with the guard. </p><p></p><p>Atrix made short work of him. The first instant his opponent overextended on a lunge, Atrix flew nimbly at him, jabbing at his hand, side and neck. </p><p></p><p>He cleaned my pick of blood on the guard's clothes and made to hand it to me. "We need to get going before the palace begins to wake up. Hopefully nobody heard the fight. Can you move?" The still-bleeding wound on Atrix's cheek would assuredly scar, yet it would only add to his rakish charm. </p><p></p><p>I grunted in pain, lifting myself up a little. "Yes, I think so." I looked at the bodies of the guards. "Shouldn't you take a spear?"</p><p></p><p>"I'm a d'Loriad, Darren, not a mercenary. Do you think I've even been trained to use one properly? Until I get a proper sword, I'd do better with these." He picked up two daggers that had clattered to the floor and unbelted one of the guards. "You should take one, too."</p><p></p><p>I nodded and eased myself down towards another corpse to do likewise. "Clothes?"</p><p></p><p>He shook his head. "Getting them out from under the armor will take time that we don't have. Let's move." </p><p></p><p>With that, we hoisted ourselves to standing. I took the support of his shoulder again and limped hurriedly, trying to keep up with him.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Feir Fireb, post: 4825561, member: 14074"] [b]Excerpt from "The Unscholarly Journals of Darren the Senalline": Unexpected Company[/b] [B]IT IS WELL[/B] that the Imperial Family of Xaiman values the lives of its members, or I might be dead by now. [I]Okordo[/I] would have been easy enough to use in that needle trap and would have killed me swiftly. But as I expect the passage was primarily designed for use by the Imperial Family itself, a lesser but still dangerous poison would allow a friend of the Palace to seek aid in the event of a mishap. Based on my description of the substance, my most dedicated reader informs me that it was actually [I]zheido[/I]. But even though I responded better to the poison this time around, it was enough to drag me within a few inches of Shinjed’s realm. [Marginal note: I am reminded that most readers know him as Yanluo, but our closest encounters with him were in Kardei, and I use the Kardei name for him by habit.] [Map: passages within the Imperial Palace] The stairs curled downwards to a passage that went straight on for a length embedded in the Palace wall. The walls had no lit torches, but discreet cracks in them allowed a modicum of light from the moons to barely illuminate the pre-dawn passage. "I can hardly see a thing," Atrix whispered. I drew my dwarrow amulet from its safe location in my tinker's pouch and placed it about my neck. The passage came alive with light and color, as did the very air itself. I could now hear the clinking of the artificial menagerie and the twittering of real birds drifting in through the cracks. "Keep going forward", I told Atrix. "We'll need to move quickly; it will be 20 or 30 minutes before the amulet begins to give me a headache and I need to take a break. But don't go so quickly that I can't look for traps or other hidden doors." I limped along, leaning on Atrix's shoulder as the poison continued to burn in my veins. The designers of this passage had fortunately thought a trapped, concealed door in the Gardens sufficient to keep out intruders at this end of the passage. We went along a little ways before I heard something. "Shh," I said, tapping Atrix's shoulder. We stopped, silent. "Footsteps, they'll be upon us soon. Four, maybe five." "I don't believe it," Atrix whispered in consternation. A pause: "We've got to hide." I scanned the narrow, largely featureless hallway in frustration and tossed a longing glance at the stairs distant behind us. "Where?" "I need a weapon. Darren, give me your thickest, sturdiest pick. Preferably one with a handle and a point." My heart racing, I reached into my pouch and found the very one he'd requested. I handed it to Atrix as he gritted his teeth. Torchlight crawled through an intersection ahead, followed by the glint of spearheads and then armor. Atrix eased me down from his shoulder and against the wall. Four Spear Path guardsmen rounded a corner to face us and Atrix charged at them. [B]CATCHING THE SHEEN[/B] of torchlight on his swiftly approaching body, they lowered their spears to receive his charge in surprise. Atrix seized the tip of a spearshaft with his off-hand and vaulted against the guard's weight. In the same fluid motion he planted himself in their midst with all the grace of a dancer and planted my pick deep in the eye of a guard. Hoping Atrix had their complete attention, I crawled into the corner between the wall and the floor, inching towards the fray in silent anguish. As their eyeless compatriot slumped to the ground, bleeding and twitching, the three remaining guards turned to face Atrix, their spears clattering against each other and the close walls. Atrix threw himself furiously into another guard, slamming him against the wall and stabbing repeatedly in his side around the edge of the lacquered chestplate. I trudged forward on my hands and knees, then gradually drew myself to standing against a wall as the other two soldiers dropped their spears and drew long knives to hack the fearless pale slave to pieces. Atrix turned to face them, waving the pick about in a futile attempt to keep both of them at a distance and one swung broadly for Atrix's bare gut. My fellow fugitive hopped backwards, deftly dodging the blade. The guard continued to press forward and on the upswing left a nasty slash in Atrix's cheek. The second guard cornered Atrix and cut a deep gash into his arm as he raised it to block. Hurling myself from the wall, with one hand I knocked the second guard's helmet up to uncover the back of his neck just before I slammed my other fist into the point where the neck met the base of his skull. He fell into the other wall with a sickening crunch and I slid to the floor with him. The remaining guard, hearing me, whirled about and slashed his knife down hard into my side. Atrix threw a mighty jab at him that glanced from the armor but luckily didn't break the pick. Feeling the full effects of the poison, I backed off, reeling as Atrix squared off with the guard. Atrix made short work of him. The first instant his opponent overextended on a lunge, Atrix flew nimbly at him, jabbing at his hand, side and neck. He cleaned my pick of blood on the guard's clothes and made to hand it to me. "We need to get going before the palace begins to wake up. Hopefully nobody heard the fight. Can you move?" The still-bleeding wound on Atrix's cheek would assuredly scar, yet it would only add to his rakish charm. I grunted in pain, lifting myself up a little. "Yes, I think so." I looked at the bodies of the guards. "Shouldn't you take a spear?" "I'm a d'Loriad, Darren, not a mercenary. Do you think I've even been trained to use one properly? Until I get a proper sword, I'd do better with these." He picked up two daggers that had clattered to the floor and unbelted one of the guards. "You should take one, too." I nodded and eased myself down towards another corpse to do likewise. "Clothes?" He shook his head. "Getting them out from under the armor will take time that we don't have. Let's move." With that, we hoisted ourselves to standing. I took the support of his shoulder again and limped hurriedly, trying to keep up with him. [/QUOTE]
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