DualJay

Random coincidence.

Sorry, saw a great bargain on a book.

Story is over. You cannot stop us now.

Chapter 12 [spoiler2]Dmitri’s House Ahab placed his palm on Dmitri’s front door. A gentle push told him it was heavily reinforced. A less-gentle push knocked it off of its hinges. “I’m back, Dmitri! And there will be HELL to pay!” Ahab roared. When he kicked down the door to Dmitri’s bedroom, he was instantly met with a sucker punch right to the solar plexus. Despite being winded for a brief moment, Ahab had enough momentum to carry through into a plier hand on Dmitri’s throat. His massive hand squeezed, blocking Dmitri’s airflow. Even intoxicated and lacking oxygen, Dmitri put up one hell of a fight. His fist drove into Ahab’s face - that’ll be a black eye for sure - but Ahab blocked the kick to his groin with his thigh. “Wait...” Dmitri struggled for air. “Please...” Ahab loosened his grip slightly and shifted his grip, pinning Dmitri to the ground. “I didn’t mean to...” “You split with the book!” “I had no choice... I was gonna find you. I s-swear.” “LIAR!” Ahab grabbed Dmitri by his face, lifted him, and slammed his head into the wall. Despite being in the slums, the house was built like a fortress - probably with Ahab in mind. Look at all the good it did. Rage pumped through his veins. Again and again, Ahab crushed Dmitri’s skull against the wall. Blood and cranial fluids spurted out from the back of his head. “Damn... you... to... hell!” The corpse fell from his hands. The bloody pulp that had once been Dmitri’s head had been too slippery to hold on to. Breathing heavily, Ahab stared down at the cadaver for a few seconds. Or maybe an hour. Slowly, he walked into the study where he knew Dmitri had his safe. The safe was open. There was blood on the ground and signs of a fight in the room. No. A strongbox that had been inside the safe had been ripped open, and cash had spilled out the floor. For someone who lived in a slum, Dmitri had been well off. But the one thing Ahab had been here for - well, besides revenge - was gone. The Warden’s Tale had been taken. ************************** Slums of SPUF City Jay tore through back alleys and byways. He lunged from rooftop to rooftop, desperate to shake his pursuer, never letting go of the small brown book in his hand. He was nearly out of the slums. He could lose his tail on the skyscrapers. His form blurred, as if he was only half-real, he scaled the skyscrapers at impossible speeds, sparing a brief glance back. Looked like his pursuer was too real for seemingly-sheer glass surfaces. ************************** Binary’s House Beep. Beep. Beep. Rammite slammed his fist into his alarm clock. Time to go to work - wait. It was Saturday. Dammit. He must’ve set his alarm by mistake. No way he’d get back to sleep now. Might as well... get some reading done? Where did that book come from? Curious, he looked at the cover. A Warrior’s Tale. Rammite opened it, and began to read. ************************** Dmitri’s House There was no sign of where the thief who’d taken his book - and whoever attacked him - had gone. Ever the practical one, Ahab kneeled and began to sort the Dmitri’s papers. He gathered the money from the strongbox, when he saw it. An ash-grey book. No. Immediately, he felt the Compulsion. He had to act fast - if he read it, his knowledge and understanding of the books would drain away. But he couldn't resist. Even as one hand reached for the book, the other scrambled for a pen and paper, desperate to write down what he knew before it was lost. He wasn’t fast enough. He sat in Dmitri’s creaking office chair and began to read. [/spoiler2]

No. Also, two chapters today because 11 was short.

What makes you think you're the mutilated guy? Wait, hold on...

You'll see.

No dialogue, the reason this one is so short is because I needed to get back in my writing groove. Next chapter, Ahab vs Dmitri. It gun be gud.

d'etre.

No.

Chapter 11 [spoiler2]Boat in the bay of SPUF City Carol drummed her fingers nervously against the edge of the boat. “What’s got you all up in a knot?” It was ‘Guilty’ Ahab, her de facto bodyguard. “Umm, nothing. I mean, it’s my home city and all, and I’m excited...” The big man grinned. “Who’s waiting for you?” “How-” “I’ve traveled farther than your average deep-space probe. I know these kinds of things.” Ahab patted her shoulder. “Best of luck to you.” ************************** Office of Dual & Cube’s Consulting The bell rang just before closing time, and Cube glanced up from his book. A young woman wearing a low-cut sailor outfit strode in, with a distinct seafaring swagger. “What is it with cosplayers walking into my office? I mean, not that I have a problem with it. By the way, I’m Octavius Cube.” “What?” She looked confused. “You know what, nevermind. Does Jason Dual work here?” “Yeah, want me to call him down?” “Can I go up and talk to him?” Octavius eyed her momentarily, as if judging her mettle. “I wouldn’t recommend it. But, if you must, up the stairs, first door on the left.” She nodded, wondering why he wouldn’t recommend her meeting Jay. “Thanks.” ************************** Byron’s house The figure slipped silently through the window to Rammite’s (temporary) room. For a moment, he watched the police chief sleep for a moment. Ah, the sleep of the innocent. It stalked up to Rammite’s bed, and gently laid a small blue book on top of his covers. There. The man slipped back out the window he had come through. Now, on to the hotel room. ************************** Unknown Location The mutilated man bowed, face touching the stone floor. “My lord,” he rasped, “two of the books have been put into play.” A shadowed-wreathed leviathan of man stared down from its massive bone-wrought throne. “Which books?” It spoke in a voice of raw, ancient, bone-numbing evil. “The warrior’s and the white mage’s, my lord.” The ancient, vile thing on the throne was silent for a moment, considering countless thousands of possibilities and contingencies. “Put the warlock and the assassin into play.” It was silent for another moment. “Find the warden’s book.” “It shall be so, my lord.” The mutilated man crawled away, bowing and scraping, before fleeing the chamber. ************************** Office of Dual & Cube’s Consulting Carol knocked gently on the door to Jay’s office. “Hello?” No response. She knocked again. Nothing. She pushed the door open, and stopped dead. Books were lying open on the floor, next to jars of blood, scattered bones, and strange symbols painted onto the tile. Formulas and words were scrawled on all of the walls. Maps lay haphazardly, and in the very center of the chaos there was a red notebook. Jay was not in the room - at least, so far as she could tell. She took another step in, nervous. The temperature dropped twenty degrees and something hissed. On second thought, better to leave. ************************** Carol’s Hotel Room She closed the door behind her, still shaken from her experience in Jay’s office. He’d always been strange, but that... Her thoughts were interrupted by the sight of a small white book lying on her bed. She gently picked it up. A White Mage’s Tale. Hmm. Not exactly a standard hotel-room book, but she was bored, didn’t like to watch TV, and was too wired to sleep. She opened the book, and began to read. ************************** Cavera’s (New) Apartment Silence, except for the soft breathing of Cavera. The door opened, but did not disturb the silence. A man slipped through Cavera’s apartment, into her bedroom. He stood over her bed, briefly, and then carefully set a small black book on her covers. Sparing a glance at her exposed upper body - she slept naked, apparently - the man slipped out the way he had came. ************************** Dmitri’s House Guilty Ahab stood in front of Dmitri’s house and cracked his massive knuckles. The drunken bastard had evidently survived an attack by some sort of freak recently. He wasn’t going to be so lucky this time. Ahab always paid his debts.[/spoiler2] Name Explanations: [spoiler2]Carol is Cuttlefishes - over Christmas, I told him his christmas name should be Carolfish, and I used Carol because why not. Guilty Ahab is Moby the Duck/guil13st, because Ahab > Moby and I always read guil13st as "guiltiest". And dmitri = d'etre[/spoiler2]

b&

Got over my writer's block, ch11 is beginning. Also, exams and stuff are next month, so expect unpredictably timed chapters.

I'll shoot you first.

Good luck. I can grow poison spines. I think.

Pffffffffffffffffffffffffffft

pffffft Ask Corvette how many Maidssassins I've killed.

Another fair warning: I might go psycho and pick off all of you one by one.

Nothing of use. All of you are going to die.

Still not sufficient to make me believe that you 'Maidssassins' are more than a silly bedroom roleplaying club.

I know, right? I mean, they break my Minecraft server every time they update that game!