DualJay

Remember that amulet I gave you for protection from Lesdin?

*shifts nervously* I would say yes... but that image...

yeah

everybody change your avatar to that until raz does

I didn't agree to those sessions! I only went along with it so you'd stop bothering me!

Don't touch that!

YES.

True story.

Chapter 17 [spoiler2]Abandoned Warehouse “You’re getting better.” Simon’s destroyed voice came from the corner, directed at Ahab who was currently melting an iron bar in his hands, while hovering in the air. “Being able to do multiple feats at once is key to being a warlock.” “You’ve only said that one hundred times,” Ahab growled. “It bears repeating.” Simon waved a root-like arm. “Form it into a sword.” Ahab focused... and fell to the ground. “I’m strong enough to beat Ziller! This is wasting my time!” Simon laughed. “He would kill you in a moment. He has the strength of absolute conviction and single-mindedness. You may shatter his body, but you lack the strength to break his soul.” “I don’t need to break his soul, I just need to kill him!” “Can you do one without the other?” “I break his soul by killing him!” “To do one, you must do both. The Surgeon’s masterpiece, after incapacitating Munda, fought him for sixteen minutes before finally casting him down. Because he would not die. He refused. Death could not claim him!” “I can’t sit here any longer! I am a man of action!” “I know,” the broken man said, “which is why I have a task for you.” ************************** Huff’s Mansion Nici slipped her bathrobe on. “Silent, has Ben called?” He shook his head. She don’t know how she knew - he was in a room down the hall - but she did. “Okay, wake me if he does!” ************* Ahab could hear Silent tapping away on his keyboard and Nici’s gentle breathing. He could feel the slight tremors of their heartbeats, traveling through the floorboards. He laid a hand on Nici’s bedroom door. It swung open, soundlessly. Silent as death itself, he stalked up to her bed. Gently, he placed a hand on her forehead. Nici’s eyes opened for a brief moment - and all though vanished from them as he imploded her brain. ************* Silent rushed down the hall. Something had told him that something was utterly wrong - Nici’s door was lying open. No. Her rushed to her bedside. Blood was trickling from her eyes, ears, nose, and mouth. He placed a hand on her neck - no no no no no - no pulse. He felt a hand on his shoulder. ************* Ahab spun Silent around, his right hand whipping across his face, crushing the bodyguard’s skull in. He dropped to the ground with a thud. Ahab grinned. ************************** Simon’s Abandoned Warehouse Simon grinned, as best he could with his mutilated face, and reached through the astral realm to snatch Nici’s soul - something shoved him aside. He growled, lashing out at the mind in his way. Promptly, he felt a return assault - the other one. Fear gripped his heart. He knew this one. Panicked, he struggled to retreat, but grasping tendrils of guilt and fear held him down. He waved his root arm, frothing at the mouth. Hello again, Simon. Remember me? He screamed, calling upon all of his reserves, flinging countless captured demons - his decimated voice was extremely effective against them - towards the psychopath with jack-o’-lantern eyes. That won’t work, Simon. I’ve got one of your fingers here! Pain burned through his root-arm. Foam poured from his mouth, and one of the nubs on his freak-hand split, blood welling out, filled with black flecks. With a shriek of pain, rage, and fear, Simon tore away from the monster’s grasp and fled back into his body. Come back soon! ************************** Jay’s Office Jay grinned, satisfied. Oh, Simon was making everything easier. He emptied the two souls he had captured into a stone totem - those would come in handy. He half-hoped that Simon would take another astral journey - he couldn’t go long distances over the astral plane without hitching a ride. Now, he had a law of nature to violate. Morphing into darkness, Jay slipped out the window.[/spoiler2]

Raz. New avatar. Do it.

Anything is possible.

Who knows what will happen? Besides me, of course.

lolaol If you have an aol CD, does it still work?

Does it matter?

I what You what We all what For caliborn

Who?

"Mr. Bones"? Seriously?

lolno

Chapter 16 [spoiler2]Carol’s Apartment Ahab’s body burned with fire as he lifted Rammite’s limp body over his head. Lightning flashed, briefly illuminating the rooftop of the skyscraper they stood on. They were surrounded by corpses. Ahab prepared to cast Rammite down, and- Carol woke in a cold sweat. A foul permutation of truth had filtered through her dream, which was what terrified her most. Ever since Rammite had told her she was a white mage, her dreams had taken on a whole new level of meaning. Logic check. Why would Ahab kill Rammite? They didn’t even know each other. Why would he be covered in flames? He wouldn’t be able to stand. It was all impossible. It was just a nightmare. Wasn’t it? ************************** Lesdin’s Mansion Gates sat, cool as a cucumber. The police were coming, intent on making his arrest. He smirked. That wasn’t happening any time soon. The presence hit him like a sledgehammer, nearly driving him to his knees. Lesdin Gates. “My lord,” he gasped. Have you recruited the warlock? “Yes.” Is he progressing well? “Yes.” The voice in his mind had pinned him to the ground. The Broken Man is coming. Are you prepared to... provide for him? “Yes, my lord.” Do not disappoint me. Just as quickly as it had come, the presence left. A swift glance to his mirror told him he’d better wash up before the cops came. ************* Byron prepared to knock on the door, flanked by Rammite, the two consultants, a ‘specialist’, as Jay had called him, and several standard policemen. Cube looked about nervously. “He’s a sorcerer, all right.” He and Jay had spent nearly two hours preparing them, Cube teaching them techniques to resist mind control and Jay had been fiddling with small paper strips, which were now folded up and stored in a locket on a chain around each SPUFer’s neck. Moments before Rammite could knock, the door swung open. ************* “A drink for our guests.” Lesdin waved his hand magnanimously. “We’re not here to chat.” Byron paused and raised an eyebrow as the doors swung shut. “You’re under arrest, Mr Gates.” “Please, call me Lesdin.” “You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to speak to an attorney, and to have an attorney present during any questioning. If you cannot afford a lawyer, one will be provided for you at government expense.” “Tsk, tsk. You insult me, Mr Aery. By the way, how’s Ms Summers?” Byron’s fist tightened. “If you’re trying to win us over, then you’re not doing so great. Now, come with us-” He was cut off as a rippling wave of magic tore from Lesdin. “You don’t need me to come with you.” Briefly, Byron struggled under the pressure, then shoved it off. He pulled out a pair of infractium-reinforced magic-nullifying handcuffs. “What a shame.” Lesdin raised a hand. The squad men Rammite and Byron had brought turned on them, and promptly collapsed, a jolt of energy from the amulets Jay had provided incapacitating them. Lightning arced between Lesdin’s massive hands as he stood. Rammite was in front of him, magnum barrel pressed to the sorcerer’s head. The lightning fizzled out. “How-” He hadn’t even seen the police chief move. Gates’s eyes narrowed. “The warrior’s book. You’ll be useful.” Whatever he was about to do was cut off as Cube snapped the handcuffs onto his wrists. “Ya shouldn’t focus on a single thing so much.” The damn telepath had been directing his attention! A putrid, ravaged voiced slithered into Lesdin’s mind. There has been a change of plans. Go with them. It is where the master wants you. ************************** Lesdin’s Mansion - Hidden Cellar Ahab focused, condensing all of his might into his right palm. Intent, he stared at the cinder block in front of him... and gently laid his hand on it. The cinder block shattered. “I would applaud,” said a ravaged voice from behind him, “but it would hurt too much.” Ahab whirled and saw an utterly broken man. “Lesdin has... other business. I will take over your training, for now.” “Who are you?” Ahab prepared an assault in case he didn’t like the answer. “My name is Simon. Pleasure to meet you.” [/spoiler2]

Writer's block is over.

inb4usernamedtheinternet

Short chapter because A) dramatic ending 14 was longer than usual and C) I got writer's block Chapter 15 [spoiler2]Byron’s House “Is it cursed?” Jay turned the shuriken over in his hands, red eyes glowing from under the shadow of his hood. “Yes. An odd curse, though...” “Will she be all right? What does the do? Who cursed it?” Byron peppered Jay with questions, anxious to know exactly what kind of weapon had been used on Skyla. “I’ll figure it out. Over the phone, you said Carol had healed Ms Summers?” “Yeah, she’s at her apartment now.” Rammite looked anxious. “She said she wasn’t feeling well.” “Mage shock combined with the emotional exhaustion that follows healing major wounds.” “Mage shock?” “First time a mage uses magic, they get magic shock. Nothing dangerous, just headaches and fatigue.” Jay looked piercingly at Rammite. “How’d you meet Carol Arraina?” “I was taking a walk in the park two weeks ago, and she ran into me. Literally. She was apparently being chased by some... shadow things. I took her to get some coffee and find out what happened, and, well, it just took off from there.” “Hmm. Byron, Ms Summers will be fine. She’s a air mage, so she’ll have some resistance to the curse, which I’m fairly sure is an infection curse. Not so effective in this modern day and age, and even less effective when there’s a healer nearby. If she starts getting very sick, just take her to a normal hospital.” Byron nodded, relieved. “Okay. Good. Any idea who placed it?” “Hex magic, so I probably can’t trace it. But I’ll try.” ************************** The Drunken Whaler Ahab sat down, considering. He felt like someone had taken a scalpel to his memories, then given him new understanding in place of what had been removed. He understood how things - energy, motion, existence itself - worked, in a manner of speaking. It was instinctive, natural. After some experimentation, he’d found he could shoot flame from his fingertips and send concussive blasts through the air, along with who knows what else. He felt stronger than ever before, ever since he’d read... he couldn’t seem to remember exactly what he’d read. A massive black man in a suit sat down next to him. He was well-dressed for a place like this - The Drunken Whaler didn’t officially exist. “Mr Ahab, I presume?” “Why?” He eyed the stranger suspiciously. “My name is Lesdin. We need to talk. I have... a job offer for you.” “Lesdin, as in Lesdin ‘fire-and-brimstone’ Gates?” The massive man chuckled. “Yes, that Lesdin. I understand you’ve read a very good book.” Ahab stiffened. “What’s it to you?” “I am a sorcerer of considerable power. I don’t know much about the books, beyond that they give their readers power. But I can... help you develop as a warlock, to an extent. Our gifts are similar enough for that.” “Whaddaya want in return?” Ahab was wary now. “I’m not joining a cult or anything.” “The fire and brimstone is a facade. My master needs a warlock, and the pay is good. And we both know you want revenge against those who have wronged you. And I can help you get that revenge. With my help,” Gates leaned in, “you can kill Ziller.”[/spoiler2]

wot 5wot