Raiden: Gettie Mara
Posted: Tue Oct 06, 2009 11:08 am
A few hours ago...
Confusion. Familiar scent. Violence. Shouting. The vixen in the cage began to yip and hiss wildly. The smell of blood and the cage tumbled roughly to the ground. The cage was lifted and jostled back and forth with the rapid footfalls of escape. Friendly scent. Fingers appeared and undid the latch. Friendly face and gentle fingers caressed the vixen's soft coat and found their way to the collar...
The grey world melted into color. One body melted into another. Shaking. Just like waking up. From one dream into another... "Herrick, where am I?"
The young woman lay sprawled out in the dust, her eyes squinting in what little light came down through the overcast and evil sky. Her head was spinning with nightmares. Naked, she pressed her palms into the street and raised herself onto her haunches. A stout man dressed in wool and leather stood before her. Her vision focused and she recognized her father's retainer. "Herrick!" She lept up and embraced him warmly. Her arms were still trembling.
"Lady, I wouldn't fail you or your father," he told her as he peeled her body away from his. "Lady," he continued, "We should not dally. I have clothes for you and travel arrangments." He handed over a folded bundle of simple commoner's clothing tied with a belt and dagger.
Quickly sliding into the tunic and leggings, she begged, "Herrick, where are we? What's happened?" She knew something truly awful was happening when her eyes gazed upwards and saw a hole torn in the sky itself. It pulsed and threatened to spit out vile things beyond imagining. The tale came curtly and was finished to her satisfaction by the time her belt was tied and she slid her feet into a pair of soft mocassians.
They spent some time creeping through the streets of Raiden, investigating options for safe passage but the chaos made it impossible to be certain of anything. Hopelessness was weighing heavily and they feared they may have to pass the night in the city. Investigating one more lead, they turned down an alley and the Lady Gettie's flesh prickled.
"Herrick!" she screamed and pulled his arm but too late. A knife danced across his throat and a geyser of red poured up. He fell to his knees with a gurgle and toppled over.
An elf in a black tunic stepped from the shadows, hissing, "Bitch. Bitch vixen slut fox. I almost had a king's ransom for you." Her nostrils twitched and flared. His scent was over everything she could remember since she was taken. With a hiss of steel against leather, the elf drew his sword from the sheath and stood, just for a moment over her, gloating and savoring the moment of power. He raised his arm and then the sky above exploded into a blaze. A pillar of flame reached up and rained down across the streets. The elf looked up with his green eyes and Gettie took the moment to grab his other hand and viciously bury her teeth into his pale flesh. He shrieked, dropped his sword and jumped back, cradling his arm and shrieking horrible things at her. The tang of blood laced her mouth and they eyed each other. The air grew thick and a torrential rain broke over the city. "Bitch slut vixen," he spat out, "You're not worth my trouble anymore," and ran off through the muddy streets, knowing that dangerous magics were near and closing.
She knew she wasn't safe where she was but doubted anywhere in the city would be safer. Giving Herrick one last embrace, she pulled his purse from his belt and stole off into the rain hoping for good fortune and a blessing from Rada.
Confusion. Familiar scent. Violence. Shouting. The vixen in the cage began to yip and hiss wildly. The smell of blood and the cage tumbled roughly to the ground. The cage was lifted and jostled back and forth with the rapid footfalls of escape. Friendly scent. Fingers appeared and undid the latch. Friendly face and gentle fingers caressed the vixen's soft coat and found their way to the collar...
The grey world melted into color. One body melted into another. Shaking. Just like waking up. From one dream into another... "Herrick, where am I?"
The young woman lay sprawled out in the dust, her eyes squinting in what little light came down through the overcast and evil sky. Her head was spinning with nightmares. Naked, she pressed her palms into the street and raised herself onto her haunches. A stout man dressed in wool and leather stood before her. Her vision focused and she recognized her father's retainer. "Herrick!" She lept up and embraced him warmly. Her arms were still trembling.
"Lady, I wouldn't fail you or your father," he told her as he peeled her body away from his. "Lady," he continued, "We should not dally. I have clothes for you and travel arrangments." He handed over a folded bundle of simple commoner's clothing tied with a belt and dagger.
Quickly sliding into the tunic and leggings, she begged, "Herrick, where are we? What's happened?" She knew something truly awful was happening when her eyes gazed upwards and saw a hole torn in the sky itself. It pulsed and threatened to spit out vile things beyond imagining. The tale came curtly and was finished to her satisfaction by the time her belt was tied and she slid her feet into a pair of soft mocassians.
They spent some time creeping through the streets of Raiden, investigating options for safe passage but the chaos made it impossible to be certain of anything. Hopelessness was weighing heavily and they feared they may have to pass the night in the city. Investigating one more lead, they turned down an alley and the Lady Gettie's flesh prickled.
"Herrick!" she screamed and pulled his arm but too late. A knife danced across his throat and a geyser of red poured up. He fell to his knees with a gurgle and toppled over.
An elf in a black tunic stepped from the shadows, hissing, "Bitch. Bitch vixen slut fox. I almost had a king's ransom for you." Her nostrils twitched and flared. His scent was over everything she could remember since she was taken. With a hiss of steel against leather, the elf drew his sword from the sheath and stood, just for a moment over her, gloating and savoring the moment of power. He raised his arm and then the sky above exploded into a blaze. A pillar of flame reached up and rained down across the streets. The elf looked up with his green eyes and Gettie took the moment to grab his other hand and viciously bury her teeth into his pale flesh. He shrieked, dropped his sword and jumped back, cradling his arm and shrieking horrible things at her. The tang of blood laced her mouth and they eyed each other. The air grew thick and a torrential rain broke over the city. "Bitch slut vixen," he spat out, "You're not worth my trouble anymore," and ran off through the muddy streets, knowing that dangerous magics were near and closing.
She knew she wasn't safe where she was but doubted anywhere in the city would be safer. Giving Herrick one last embrace, she pulled his purse from his belt and stole off into the rain hoping for good fortune and a blessing from Rada.