Under A Darksun: PART I SEGMENTS 1-124
megamania
Hero
UNDER A DARKSUN
SEGMENT 064
“Page From The Future’s Past”
It has been a day now. Cosa has talked quietly and calmly to him the entire time. She “read” the section about Fairies to him. He suspected she was making it up but didn’t care. It was clumsy at best, but he tried to depict one by cutting at the moss as she had done of the noble creature. It looked more like a bug that was splatted by a large flat club against the wall. But they laughed. It was pure and good.
She then proceeded to sort books and maps and scrolls and trinkets and so on and so on. It seemed she wanted to carry the entire room with her. Mania tried to convince her otherwise but she just smiled and whistled a tune suggesting “You’ll see”. If her magic was as strong as her personality he knew he would do well with her.
Do well with her.
It was then he realized he had just given his complete trust into a woman he not only knew little about, but also prided herself in keeping up false illusions of herself. Was she a mage? A rogue? Both? Heck- was she a she? Like her, he was beginning to enjoy the game. Isn’t that what he once referred life as…a game? Why should it be any different now? He had someone whom understood him for himself. She may even know him better than he knew himself.
Why is that? It was not until last meal before resting that he found the strength to ask that.
“You spoke of a prophecy. A child of a Sorcerer-king would either end or renew everything. Where did this prophecy come from?”
“The lumpy stuff looks like crap but it’s tasty and good for you. Eat.”
“No. Seriously, if I am to follow you, I need to know more.” He looks at her sternly trying his best to intimidate her into telling him more. She sees through it as part of the game they are playing. She knows it is truly not a game, but if that is how he wanted to proceed….
“Eat. I’ll tell you after. I’ll show you something I found.”
The moss was not tasty. In fact he had tasted better sand and dust at the gith ruins. The water was good. It was clean, magically clean. Food finished, she waved a quick gesture and some strange phrase and the food bits fell off of the clay bowls as if self-cleaning. She then said something else and motioned the bowls away and they floated away to the shelf with other bowls.
She changed into her sleeping gown and came out after waving at the blue symbols once more on the doorway that separated her bedroom from the rest of the sanctuary. She held a large book in her arms. She opened it carefully to a page which had a carefully folded piece of paper held. She carefully unfolded it and turned it to show Mania.
It was a series of drawings with unknown runes on it. The picture (OOC- I’ll scan a depiction in soon) showed a large armored man and a female figure then a child. “How does this suggest it’s me?”
“I have yet to decipher it but it according to those that know the language, it depicts a sorcerer-king’s child.”
Mania stares long and hard at it. He tries to memorize it as completely as he can. He is no mage or has the skills of many rogues but he is not stupid either. He knows he is gifted. He knows there had to be a reason. He didn’t ever suspect it to be this however.
“Where did you get this?”
“I told you- in some ruins.”
“Riiiight.” Mania agrees to play the game. So long as it is a game the reality and pressure of it will not get to him.
They talk a bit longer about life, childhood and dreams. He has never been more comfortable with anyone before. It is strange.
He catches himself staring at her eyes. Her hair. Her skin and the crazy freckles. Her bare leg and hip…exposed….Mania shakes his head then realizes she saw but is pretending not to see. She is looking down at his hands smirking the way she does. The smirk is driving him crazy.
She gets up and suggests it is time to rest. Tomorrow they need to decide what to pack for him. She waves her hand and goes through the blue arch. Mania stares at its receding glow with a smile. He understands now.
Ten minutes go by and he finds he can’t sleep. He rolls over and stares at the blue runes.
In her bedroom, she looks at the runes herself. She rolls over smirking, understanding a private joke. She closes her eyes. Then she feels a soft touch on her hip. She turns with her eyes closed and kisses him.
“Burnt hair…riiiight” He says.
The rest of the night is blissful for each of them.
SEGMENT 064
“Page From The Future’s Past”
It has been a day now. Cosa has talked quietly and calmly to him the entire time. She “read” the section about Fairies to him. He suspected she was making it up but didn’t care. It was clumsy at best, but he tried to depict one by cutting at the moss as she had done of the noble creature. It looked more like a bug that was splatted by a large flat club against the wall. But they laughed. It was pure and good.
She then proceeded to sort books and maps and scrolls and trinkets and so on and so on. It seemed she wanted to carry the entire room with her. Mania tried to convince her otherwise but she just smiled and whistled a tune suggesting “You’ll see”. If her magic was as strong as her personality he knew he would do well with her.
Do well with her.
It was then he realized he had just given his complete trust into a woman he not only knew little about, but also prided herself in keeping up false illusions of herself. Was she a mage? A rogue? Both? Heck- was she a she? Like her, he was beginning to enjoy the game. Isn’t that what he once referred life as…a game? Why should it be any different now? He had someone whom understood him for himself. She may even know him better than he knew himself.
Why is that? It was not until last meal before resting that he found the strength to ask that.
“You spoke of a prophecy. A child of a Sorcerer-king would either end or renew everything. Where did this prophecy come from?”
“The lumpy stuff looks like crap but it’s tasty and good for you. Eat.”
“No. Seriously, if I am to follow you, I need to know more.” He looks at her sternly trying his best to intimidate her into telling him more. She sees through it as part of the game they are playing. She knows it is truly not a game, but if that is how he wanted to proceed….
“Eat. I’ll tell you after. I’ll show you something I found.”
The moss was not tasty. In fact he had tasted better sand and dust at the gith ruins. The water was good. It was clean, magically clean. Food finished, she waved a quick gesture and some strange phrase and the food bits fell off of the clay bowls as if self-cleaning. She then said something else and motioned the bowls away and they floated away to the shelf with other bowls.
She changed into her sleeping gown and came out after waving at the blue symbols once more on the doorway that separated her bedroom from the rest of the sanctuary. She held a large book in her arms. She opened it carefully to a page which had a carefully folded piece of paper held. She carefully unfolded it and turned it to show Mania.
It was a series of drawings with unknown runes on it. The picture (OOC- I’ll scan a depiction in soon) showed a large armored man and a female figure then a child. “How does this suggest it’s me?”
“I have yet to decipher it but it according to those that know the language, it depicts a sorcerer-king’s child.”
Mania stares long and hard at it. He tries to memorize it as completely as he can. He is no mage or has the skills of many rogues but he is not stupid either. He knows he is gifted. He knows there had to be a reason. He didn’t ever suspect it to be this however.
“Where did you get this?”
“I told you- in some ruins.”
“Riiiight.” Mania agrees to play the game. So long as it is a game the reality and pressure of it will not get to him.
They talk a bit longer about life, childhood and dreams. He has never been more comfortable with anyone before. It is strange.
He catches himself staring at her eyes. Her hair. Her skin and the crazy freckles. Her bare leg and hip…exposed….Mania shakes his head then realizes she saw but is pretending not to see. She is looking down at his hands smirking the way she does. The smirk is driving him crazy.
She gets up and suggests it is time to rest. Tomorrow they need to decide what to pack for him. She waves her hand and goes through the blue arch. Mania stares at its receding glow with a smile. He understands now.
Ten minutes go by and he finds he can’t sleep. He rolls over and stares at the blue runes.
In her bedroom, she looks at the runes herself. She rolls over smirking, understanding a private joke. She closes her eyes. Then she feels a soft touch on her hip. She turns with her eyes closed and kisses him.
“Burnt hair…riiiight” He says.
The rest of the night is blissful for each of them.
megamania
Hero
UNDER A DARKSUN
SEGMENT 065
“Pack Heavy- Travel Light”
He couldn’t believe it. She had a total of ten books she insisted on bringing plus a dozen scrolls. She has magic fruits and various other odd things he couldn’t even describe. She referred to them as Wondrous Things. Yeah- like that helped. She organized things into specific piles according to size, weight, use and practicality. All he saw was a cloak, a set of nicely woven leather boot-like leggings, a set of bracers and a thin wrap she was to wear as a belt. Also a staff.
He sat there slack jawed as she placed fruit, scrolls and small items into hidden openings in the fabric of her belt. While she went to get MORE stuff, he lifted up the fabric. He couldn’t find anything under it. Where did it go?
“I really need to work on your magic item recognition. I can’t believe you are who you are yet know nothing about magic or magical items.” She smiles at him as she says this. Mania takes no insult from it. He is beginning to wonder about his thoughts and emotions. Keela used love to control him, is Cosa? No. This is too pure. Too good. But she is a master con with awesome magical abilities to perplex even the most observant.
He had believed her story of the magical runes until he remembered she never had turned them off when he had the nightmare. He suspected she made them glow through a separate spell- just to make it more realistic. She didn’t seem to mind that he figured it out. Perhaps it was a test or at least another part of the game. Good game.
“This is a belt that functions much like the pouch you “borrowed” from me as I pretended to be unconscience. There are dozens of small dimensional pockets hidden within the lining and folds. Potions and fruits are on the inside row. Then scrolls and material things I need for my arcane talents. The outer pockets hold other small things.”
“Like this dagger?” He reaches to place into a seam.
“No!” She reaches out and stops him. No- Sharp things can tear through the inner wall destroying the pouch. I’m not sure if the entire belt would be undone but I would rather not find out. The same goes for your pouch. You may keep it…consider it a gift.”
Mania looks across the room to his worldly possessions. A large club and an empty looking pouch. A few clothes here and there. “You mentioned picking up some stuff for me to use. Will it be magical also?”
“Assuming no one has found the Vault, yes.”
“The vault? You have a vault?”
“Before you say it- no- I’m not rich.”
He looks into her eyes smiling and pleading with his eyes to say more. She does.
“I have been known to…find things on my travels. I keep them hidden in a dry well near here.”
“Find things…I’m sure.”
“I’m no common thief mind you!”
Taking her into his arms he brings his face close to hers- “There is nothing common about you Cosa. Nothing.” And they kiss.
The next day, they head out to find the well. There are signs of travelers in the area. There is still a bit of stench of the abyss as they move from one section to another using original passageways or recently dug out ones.
She slowly glides down the dark hole. Mania tries to climbs down. He is less than graceful and will leave tracks and a trail detectable by most trackers and searchers but that is okay. Pursing her lips, she knows the sacrifice she must make. She will never be able to return to this place again. Possibly to all of Nibenay itself. It comforts her little knowing she would do it again.
In her deep thought, she doesn’t realize someone else is here. Someone alerted by Mania’s clumsy attempt at climbing down.
SEGMENT 065
“Pack Heavy- Travel Light”
He couldn’t believe it. She had a total of ten books she insisted on bringing plus a dozen scrolls. She has magic fruits and various other odd things he couldn’t even describe. She referred to them as Wondrous Things. Yeah- like that helped. She organized things into specific piles according to size, weight, use and practicality. All he saw was a cloak, a set of nicely woven leather boot-like leggings, a set of bracers and a thin wrap she was to wear as a belt. Also a staff.
He sat there slack jawed as she placed fruit, scrolls and small items into hidden openings in the fabric of her belt. While she went to get MORE stuff, he lifted up the fabric. He couldn’t find anything under it. Where did it go?
“I really need to work on your magic item recognition. I can’t believe you are who you are yet know nothing about magic or magical items.” She smiles at him as she says this. Mania takes no insult from it. He is beginning to wonder about his thoughts and emotions. Keela used love to control him, is Cosa? No. This is too pure. Too good. But she is a master con with awesome magical abilities to perplex even the most observant.
He had believed her story of the magical runes until he remembered she never had turned them off when he had the nightmare. He suspected she made them glow through a separate spell- just to make it more realistic. She didn’t seem to mind that he figured it out. Perhaps it was a test or at least another part of the game. Good game.
“This is a belt that functions much like the pouch you “borrowed” from me as I pretended to be unconscience. There are dozens of small dimensional pockets hidden within the lining and folds. Potions and fruits are on the inside row. Then scrolls and material things I need for my arcane talents. The outer pockets hold other small things.”
“Like this dagger?” He reaches to place into a seam.
“No!” She reaches out and stops him. No- Sharp things can tear through the inner wall destroying the pouch. I’m not sure if the entire belt would be undone but I would rather not find out. The same goes for your pouch. You may keep it…consider it a gift.”
Mania looks across the room to his worldly possessions. A large club and an empty looking pouch. A few clothes here and there. “You mentioned picking up some stuff for me to use. Will it be magical also?”
“Assuming no one has found the Vault, yes.”
“The vault? You have a vault?”
“Before you say it- no- I’m not rich.”
He looks into her eyes smiling and pleading with his eyes to say more. She does.
“I have been known to…find things on my travels. I keep them hidden in a dry well near here.”
“Find things…I’m sure.”
“I’m no common thief mind you!”
Taking her into his arms he brings his face close to hers- “There is nothing common about you Cosa. Nothing.” And they kiss.
The next day, they head out to find the well. There are signs of travelers in the area. There is still a bit of stench of the abyss as they move from one section to another using original passageways or recently dug out ones.
She slowly glides down the dark hole. Mania tries to climbs down. He is less than graceful and will leave tracks and a trail detectable by most trackers and searchers but that is okay. Pursing her lips, she knows the sacrifice she must make. She will never be able to return to this place again. Possibly to all of Nibenay itself. It comforts her little knowing she would do it again.
In her deep thought, she doesn’t realize someone else is here. Someone alerted by Mania’s clumsy attempt at climbing down.
megamania
Hero
UNDER A DARKSUN
SEGMENT 066
“Thieving Shadows”
“Belluca- hurry with that lock!”
“No need to worry Brother Shadow- I will have it in a moment more.”
“Quiet!” Ducranean hisses. “I hear something.”
A pebble strikes the ground and bounces a few times. Each of the three Shadows hears a female voice calling to another person. Silently like the name they have borrowed, the three Shadows move to the sides of the room. Ducranean holds back still within the vault they had just discovered. The other two crouch down by the doorway awaiting a target to strike. They rub a foul looking cloth with an icor on it across their blades. They wait…silent and prepared.
Cosa continues to levitate down. The light on her staff is now revealing a bottom to this dry well. Just as she bends her knees to land gently two flashes of metal streak out at her. One strikes her leg and the other harmlessly strikes the wall and breaks from the impact. “Thieves!” yells Cosa as she drops into a defensive position.
Mania begins to glow and looks down. He sees two figures dressed in black move lightning fast towards her. He sees her swinging her staff trying to keep the thieves beyond striking range. “Boo-Yah!” Mania screams as he pulls back his arms and legs and drops straight down. He hits lightly on the sandy bottom and tumbles by the amazed thieves. He comes up reaching for his Club, which is glowing also.
A dagger seems appears out of no where nearly striking Mania. Instead it bounces off of his drawn club. He can’t help but think that looked planned and smooth- not just dumb luck. He strikes one thief even as everyone begins to do a dance of sorts in the 25x25-foot space. Each tries to avoid the other while remaining in striking distance.
Cosa is hit by the third thief whom she was unaware existed. Her arms feel heavier and slower quickly. Mania, ticked that he couldn’t shield her well enough, swings and breaks the arm of one thief about to throw his dagger at him. Seeing an opening, he swings again breaking the jaw and neck of the thief. The swing continues onward and hits the next surprised rogue square in the face. Even in the darkness, his face cowl looks slick with blood as he slumps to the floor defeated.
The leader of the three, Ducranean, sees he can not win so he tries to escape but leaping to the wall and begins to climb quickly. Even feeling sluggish, Cosa easily zaps him with twin magic missiles of energy. He grunts in pain and loses his grip. He seems to dog paddle at the wall trying to reclaim his grip but fails and fails back down. He is knocked unconscience by the fall.
“Damned Shadows- this makes the third time they found my secret hiding place.” replies an unhappy Cosa.
SEGMENT 066
“Thieving Shadows”
“Belluca- hurry with that lock!”
“No need to worry Brother Shadow- I will have it in a moment more.”
“Quiet!” Ducranean hisses. “I hear something.”
A pebble strikes the ground and bounces a few times. Each of the three Shadows hears a female voice calling to another person. Silently like the name they have borrowed, the three Shadows move to the sides of the room. Ducranean holds back still within the vault they had just discovered. The other two crouch down by the doorway awaiting a target to strike. They rub a foul looking cloth with an icor on it across their blades. They wait…silent and prepared.
Cosa continues to levitate down. The light on her staff is now revealing a bottom to this dry well. Just as she bends her knees to land gently two flashes of metal streak out at her. One strikes her leg and the other harmlessly strikes the wall and breaks from the impact. “Thieves!” yells Cosa as she drops into a defensive position.
Mania begins to glow and looks down. He sees two figures dressed in black move lightning fast towards her. He sees her swinging her staff trying to keep the thieves beyond striking range. “Boo-Yah!” Mania screams as he pulls back his arms and legs and drops straight down. He hits lightly on the sandy bottom and tumbles by the amazed thieves. He comes up reaching for his Club, which is glowing also.
A dagger seems appears out of no where nearly striking Mania. Instead it bounces off of his drawn club. He can’t help but think that looked planned and smooth- not just dumb luck. He strikes one thief even as everyone begins to do a dance of sorts in the 25x25-foot space. Each tries to avoid the other while remaining in striking distance.
Cosa is hit by the third thief whom she was unaware existed. Her arms feel heavier and slower quickly. Mania, ticked that he couldn’t shield her well enough, swings and breaks the arm of one thief about to throw his dagger at him. Seeing an opening, he swings again breaking the jaw and neck of the thief. The swing continues onward and hits the next surprised rogue square in the face. Even in the darkness, his face cowl looks slick with blood as he slumps to the floor defeated.
The leader of the three, Ducranean, sees he can not win so he tries to escape but leaping to the wall and begins to climb quickly. Even feeling sluggish, Cosa easily zaps him with twin magic missiles of energy. He grunts in pain and loses his grip. He seems to dog paddle at the wall trying to reclaim his grip but fails and fails back down. He is knocked unconscience by the fall.
“Damned Shadows- this makes the third time they found my secret hiding place.” replies an unhappy Cosa.
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