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Post by Deleted on Mar 24, 2014 18:32:06 GMT -5
336 words! Would have been more, but people needed my attention. But at least I got an RP reply done, and chipped away at Worth Searching For. I'm about to write one of the best reveals of the plot. *rubs hands together maniacally*
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Post by Kiddo on Mar 24, 2014 18:34:40 GMT -5
1,567 words. That's, uh... actually kind of bad for me. During NaNo I was getting about 1,000 in fifteen minutes. But I was being super-competitive at the time. This was more relaxed. Rachel wouldn't allow Quix and myself to be present in the same room without a reason. However, I couldn't quite guess what it was. Perhaps something to do with Aaron? Did she suspect? No. If that were the case, she would have taken steps to isolate Quix from us, so that she could question the weaker immortals without his interference. I tried to calm my nerves as I walked down the hallway to her office.
My shadow did not help. He slunk along at my side, his elbow almost touching my own, and I felt the hair on the back of my neck stand on end. I saw, briefly, the hallway wreathed in darkness, as if night had fallen and someone had stolen away the stars and the moon. I saw dark stains on the carpet. Old stains. Old blood.
“Miss Keck?”
Jonathan had paused and I gave a start, realizing I'd stopped walking.
“Seeing things,” I muttered.
His brow furrowed with concern, but he did not seem surprised by this. I could see Quix's pleased smile out of the corner of my eye. It seemed I was getting too confident for his liking. He'd not inflicted me with the visions as of late.
We found Rachel in front of her desk for a change, sitting in a chair that had been positioned near one of the windows. Another young woman sat opposite her, knees drawn together, clearly uneasy. There was a third chair there and Rachel gestured for me to sit. I turned to regard the three immortals. There was no place for them.
“Don't do anything,” I hissed at them, my gaze focusing in particularly on Mackt.
The young blood immortal just looked at me, eyes wide, bewildered. Then he looked sideways at Quix.
“Seriously, don't,” Quix agreed.
“What?” he protested. “I haven't done anything!”
“Yet,” Larinst muttered under his breath.
“Problems?” Rachel asked cordially as I walked over and seated myself.
“Yes,” I replied grimly. “Nothing that couldn't be handled. It seems my ritualist is a bit... trigger-happy.”
“We can't have that.”
“Oh?” I fixed her with a cold stare. “Didn't you want us to make a mess?”
Rachel's gaze slid over to the newcomer and I took the moment of silence that followed to study the girl. She was younger than I'd originally thought. Perhaps nineteen or twenty. Her hair was braided tight along her head and knotted at the nape of her neck. She was clearly uncomfortable being here, frightened, and she kept glancing over to Rachel, as if for reassurance. I caught her eyes darting over to steal covert looks at my three immortals, then her gaze fell on my wrists for a moment. Making note of the tattoos branded there.
“This is Tabitha,” Rachel said, her tone casual and unconcerned. “She's a student at the state university. Freshman. Focusing in languages, correct?”
“Yes,” Tabitha replied, her response clipped and her hands twisted in her lap. Like a caged bird.
“You're recruiting her young,” I said in an undertone.
“I recruit a lot of our members young,” Rachel replied. “She came into power at twelve years old. Her parents reached out to us and asked if we could help. I assigned her a mentor and while I would have liked to keep her out of the household, officially, until she at least graduated – well – I have need of her sooner than that. You see, Tabitha aspected to blood.”
Ice settled into my stomach. Tabitha was looking away again, over to where Mackt stood, and I caught the rituatlist staring back with an intent look on his face. Similarly, Quix and Larinst had also focused in on the conversation, and the shadow seemed torn between apprehension and amusement.
“Seeing as your immortal can't actually use magic,” Rachel continued, “I've brought Tabitha in, as she is my only available blood mage. While she is still learning control and technique, she has raw strength, and with the ritualist controlling the direction of the spells she doesn't need to have a lot of expertise. She only needs to activate the rituals he creates. This solves our problem quite nicely, don't you think?”
No. It didn't. It just pulled someone else into this mess, someone that was barely an adult, and had no business being here. I took a deep breath. I remembered Jonathan's words back in the car – this was just going to get worse and worse the longer my immortals were bound here. Perhaps he was right. Perhaps we'd all be better off if I were dead. I exhaled slowly, trying to force some measure of calm into my emotions. I wasn't done here. Not yet. Perhaps someday I could consider a way to end all this... but not yet. My attention focused in on Rachel and I remembered, vividly, the illusion Quix had forced into my mind.
Rachel's office, awash in blood. Myself reigning over it all.
“It does,” I replied evenly. “I think I understand the situation perfectly. However, if we're going to involve Tabitha, I would like to be kept apprised of everything we'll need her for. I do not want a repeat of what happened to Lee and the less we can involve her, the better.”
Rachel's face darkened and Tabitha glanced between us in confusion.
“What about Lee?” she asked. “Have I met him?”
“I ripped his chest open,” Quix supplied from the other side of the room. “Just because.”
Tabitha went utterly still, like a mouse in a field seeing the hawk's shadow. Her eyes were wide and locked on Quix. I felt a sudden stab of sympathy for her. She had little choice in this matter, just as I had no choice. This was the price of Rachel's ambition.
“It's okay,” I said softly. As reassuring as a monster could be. “We'll be keeping you away from the immortals and they'll have strict orders not to harm you.”
“I am glad to hear that,” Rachel said tightly. “I was hoping that introducing the two of you would impress upon you the need to keep those things under control. Tabitha, you can go. I need to talk to Miss Keck about what ritual I'll be requiring and I think the less you're involved, the better. I'll tell you only what you need to know, okay?”
Her tone had gone gentle. Tabitha nodded sharply, bobbing her head, and stood stiffly. She had to walk past the immortals to leave, I realized. I saw her come to the same realization and she hesitated, visibly, and then drew her shoulders back and raised her head. Forced herself to take a step and keep walking, even, measured paces, that took her right past the three immortals, each standing shoulder to shoulder and watching her. Mackt had a hungry look on his face.
She almost made it out the door. At the last moment, Quix reached out and touched her shoulder. That was all he needed to do and she froze in place and I heard a sharp gasp from her as she inhaled and held it, stock-still and staring directly ahead at the door. Quix leaned in close to her, whispering something in her ear. I felt like I was made of glass in that moment, my heart pounding in my ears, terrified that something – anything – would go wrong in this moment. I remembered how quick Lee had died.
And I remembered how gently Quix had held Mackt when he was summoned, whispering and reassuring him that he would be safe. It was too much to hope that same sympathy extended to humans – and yet -
Then Quix let her go and stepped back. She shivered, once, then hurried from the room. I could hear her footsteps vanish down the hall, moving as quick as dignity allowed. For a long moment, the room was silent after.
“Don't screw this up,” Rachel said evenly, finally breaking the silence. Her voice was hard. “I need you alive, Miss Keck, and your immortals may protect you – but I swear I will find ways to make you suffer if something happens to her.”
“If something happens to her,” I hissed in response, “it will be on your head, not mine. You're the one that wanted the immortals summoned. You're the one that brought her here, knowing what could happen. Don't you dare try and blame me for your ambition.”
For a moment, we just glared at each other. Rachel's gaze was cold and predatory, holding a savage glint that reminded me of the numbing cold, of the dark, of the crushing weight of the deep. Inexorable. Inescapable. Despite my anger, I was the first to look away.
“Three days from now,” Rachel said, as if nothing had happened between us, “we'll be receiving guests from the Carcer household. Three of their key members, including their second-in-command, subordinate only to the head of the household himself. They're to stay for the space of a few days while we discuss this matter of the rogue summoner...”
And she gave me a thin smile, one I did not return. They were going to discuss how to kill me.
“...and in that time, I intend to have them subdued and then bound to a geaes. Ritualist! Are you familiar with what I speak of?”
“Uh,” Mackt whispered, sounding startled. “Yes. Of course. But-” |
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Post by Deleted on Mar 24, 2014 18:40:53 GMT -5
I seem to always get distracted whenever I sit down to word war. xD Alas. That's awesome that you can write so much so quickly. Oooooh yours is awesome. You write some great characters. Very engaging. Here's mine: RP reply: (Italics denote a different language being spoken.)
Arin preferred working on her assignments alone, or with Jaxon when he was available. As they grew older and he grew more popular, that availability waned. He noticed, and tried to solve the problem by attempting to bring her into his circle of friends, but that had backfired horribly since they were young, so she had retreated more and more into her archives.
She watched Velibor, her eyes wide as he explained the lower city. "Doesn't sound like a pleasant place," she muttered to herself. Even in the hot sun, hearing him talk about it, especially about what it entailed for humans, sent shivers up her arms and spine.
She glanced over her shoulder at Nonine. "I cannot remember," she admitted. "It might have been from them." Things were still really fuzzy on how they fit in to Bykendi's life and how the three of them had gotten so close, but from previous conversations she understood that it was a special topic and she would wait to hear it from them rather than try to pry.
"So... how much does the city know about the rebels?" she asked him. "Did you know?" Surely all of their activities could not have gone unnoticed, but on the other hand, they hadn't been eliminated yet. Worth Searching For: (They've been kidnapped by pirates.)
It turned out Terra was right. It was a long trip. And service was lousy.
She and Pharazon were left alone in the dark for what felt like hours. Sometimes she could ignore the discomfort enough to sleep, and sometimes she would offer Pharazon a few words of consolation, but he rarely replied with more than one syllable and she began to worry.
“I’m fine,” he assured her in a low, weary voice. “Just… tired.”
She didn’t know what to say to make him feel better after that. It didn’t help that they were both hungry and thirsty. Terra retreated into her thoughts, finding her happy place on the white-sand beaches of Altador. There wasn’t much else she could do to pass the time. Do you feel like going again? |
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Post by Kiddo on Mar 24, 2014 18:46:02 GMT -5
Do I spot a neopets fic? Awesome! I like the wry humor there.
Sure, I'm game for another round. Same as before, on the hour, for half an hour? I need to take a moment to at least pretend I'm getting stuff done today. Maybe fold my tent. It's covering the living room right now. Literally the entire living room. It's a 14 foot diameter canvas pavilion tent sooooo it's kind of huge. I have a big living room too.
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Post by Deleted on Mar 24, 2014 18:52:46 GMT -5
Thanks! It's the sequel to a series I have running in the Times right now (the last part's coming out on Friday). Because when you fall in love with your own characters enough, and leave tantalizing plot threads dangling in the original, you write sequels.
Sounds good! Wow, that is a large tent. I'm going to go watch a movie with the family at some point tonight, but I should be available for at least a little while longer, and probably for a while after we're done.
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Post by Deleted on Mar 24, 2014 19:33:00 GMT -5
512! Not too bad! I will celebrate small victories. xD At some point, Fumei came back in with a bowl of vinegared rice and a flask of water. She fed them by hand, simply stuffing their mouths full of rice until they began to gag, laughing as they coughed grains back onto the floor and struggled to get the food down their throats. She was no gentler with the water.
“Okay, I hope that’s the only in-flight meal we get,” Terra mentioned once she had gone again.
Pharazon simply sighed in response.
“Perk up, buddy,” Terra said. “I know my optimism is obnoxious, but you’re going to worry yourself sick.”
“Terra, what if… what if it’s Dr. Sloth?”
A sickening jolt of panic flooded Terra’s body. “It wouldn’t be Sloth,” she insisted. “He’s out in the farthest reaches of space, and probably still trapped in that amulet, remember? Also he thinks Hyren is dead.”
“But what if it is?”
“I don’t think Sloth’s the kind of guy who hires pirates when he has a spacefleet at his disposal,” Terra pointed out. No, this didn’t smack of Sloth in the least. And that bothered her. At least with Sloth she knew what to expect. She’d escaped from him before, after all. Of course, that time she’d had Hyren and Blynn with her, not Captain Ulcer and his astounding powers of incompetence.
“I’m just so tired of waiting,” Pharazon groaned. His tail thumped against the floor and his twitching wings, restrained as they were, still threw out a few sparks.
Terra tried the ropes around her wrists, ankles, and middle again. Still too tight. And the pirates had been smart enough to make sure Pharazon’s claws couldn’t reach her ankles. “We could play twenty questions. I’m thinking of a Petpet.”
“Gwyneth.”
“The object of the game is to guess what I’m thinking of. And it was Plushie Selket, sorry.”
“I don’t want to play this game.” The irritation in his tone was evident.
“Sorry.” Terra curled her knees closer to her chest. She was going to be so sore after this. “If it’s any consolation, I’m pretty sure sky-ships don’t take more than a day or two to go halfway around Neopia, at top speed. So wherever we’re headed, we should find out relatively soon.”
“Lovely.” The Draik did not exactly sound enthusiastic.
Terra felt another wave of frustration well up in the back of her head and she took a few deep breaths of the stale air to calm herself. “Okay. Let’s try to get more rest.” That was her polite way of saying she would shut up now.
The day - or night—it was very hard to tell due to a lack of windows - dragged on in silence. Their meager meal did very little to quell their stomachs’ protests. Pharazon did not say another word, and Terra spent her time mentally going over training sessions with Hyren. She breathed in time with her memories as, in her mind’s eye, she clashed blades with him, learned parries, and solidified her stances. The fact that he was half her height did not make him any less of a formidable opponent. She would expect no less from him. As she shifted her thoughts to the times they’d spent meditating on the garden terrace overlooking the sea, she felt the sting of tears welling. He and Blynn had to find them. It couldn’t end any other way. She refused to allow for that possibility. |
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Post by Kiddo on Mar 24, 2014 19:36:35 GMT -5
1,537. Huh. 30 words difference from the previous one. At least I'm consistent? “Good. It will be an open gaeas and Tabitha will maintain it. You will have the basement to setup in. What will you require?”
Mackt didn't reply. He just stared at Rachel with his rust-red eyes glittering with distaste. It was a change from his usual naive curiosity and while I noticed the subtle difference in his demeanor, Rachel clearly did not. She just regarded him, coolly, waiting for his response.
“I don't like geaes,” he finally said, his voice low.
“Duly noted,” Rachel replied and I heard a bite of sarcasm in her tone. “What will you require?”
He exhaled and I saw him look down, then sidelong at Quix. The shadow did not move or give Mackt any indication on what he should do. His expression was unreadable, flat, the black eyes narrowed and his head was ducked so that the brim of his head covered half his face in shadow. I recognized the gesture by now. He was considering something. Waiting to see what Mackt would do. The ritualist looked at me next, his eyes and lips thin with strain, and I too gave him no indication on what he should do. Finally, he relinquished, a moment of agitated concern passing through his features.
“I need blood,” he said tightly. “Lots of it. It's a big ritual. And it can't be just anybody's blood, I'll need the people that are involved in the ritual.”
“Give me names.”
“Cecelia, of course,” Mackt continued, his tone growing calmer as he thought it through. “My own. I'll need... let's see... the inner circle will be mine, Cecelia's can be the next circle as a proxy – then I'll need Tabitha's, and the next circle can be, I guess yours. You have a symbolic involvement. Three people, you said? I'll need three outlaying circles then, and we can do those last as I'll need blood from the people we're binding.”
Rachel nodded, slowly. Then she stood and smoothed out the front of her skirt.
“My blood,” she said evenly. “Very well. Go ahead and get started with the inner circles. I'll send Jonathan with you to ensure no one collapses.”
There was a wry tone in her voice.
“In the meantime,” she continued, “I'm going to do some research. Just to make certain you can't do anything else with my blood.”
I heard the warning in her voice, but Mackt seemed lost in his thoughts to refute her suspicions. Her attention focused on me a moment and I just gave a slight shrug.
“Like I know anything about magic,” I muttered.
She seemed to believe that. Why shouldn't she? My immortals had shown no outward sign of being willing to help me. She had no idea that Quix was advising me in the dark of the night, in my dreams. I walked away from her, gesturing for my immortals to follow me.
“Miss Keck,” Rachel called after me. “I'm relocating your room. I don't want any of you inside the manor when Carcer arrives.”
“Oh?”
“Jonathan will take you there when your ritualist is done with the circles. You can go.”
I knew, already, where she'd take us. To the house sitting on the edge of the property, the one that was warded against any outsiders, to the point that not even Quix could enter. Where she had her team trying to keep tabs on this situation, to discern Carcer's weaknesses and exploit them, planning our next move. My heart fluttered with excitement. No doubt they would have taken precautions to keep me from snooping about – but still – it was one step closer. My immortals trailed out of the room behind me and we found Jonathan in the hall, ready to lead us downstairs.
It was strange, being back in the room where this all started. I hung close to the wall, unable to relax, my mind replaying how I'd woken up here with a circle set into the floor and orders to summon and enslave the shadow. It felt like a different person had knelt there. Would she even recognize me now?
Mackt had a basin brought and he spilled his blood into this, then used his fingers to draw out patterns on the floor. It was intricate. Each inch of available space was covered with a rune and Mackt seemed to be whispering as he worked, talking to himself in his own language. I finally forced myself to stop pacing and lean against the wall, watching him work. I was quickly joined by Quix. Larinst remained close to Mackt, leaning over his shoulder and watching him draw. It did not surprise me. After Larinst's outburst, I was seeing the weaver in a different light. He was an artist. I saw him studying the runes with quiet concentration, a light in his pale eyes. They were lovely. I was certain their purpose was not.
“So what is a geaes?” I asked in an undertone. Only Jonathan was in the room, but he seemed disinclined to knowledgeable me and I had no desire to attract his attention right now.
“Like these,” Quix replied grimly, raising an arm so I could see the runes trailing down his forearm and the black bands around the wrist. “Only, far less open. They're typically very specific. Like an oath, only binding in blood and magic.”
“Rachel asked for an open geaes.”
Quix exhaled softly.
“They get sealed once they're agreed upon,” he said quietly. “She's not going to seal this one. It will remain open and Tabitha will have to keep it enforced each moment. It'll consume her strength and focus and leave her drained for months to come when it's all done. It's a high price, but it'll allow Rachel to change the commands of the geaes as she wants. Basically, she'll be able to issue orders just like you order us, only they won't be able to rebel.”
“Then – why doesn't Rachel -”
It was hard forming my thoughts. The idea of such a thing terrified me. I knew just what I'd done to my three immortals and the thought of turning it on someone else, a human, was sickening. I felt Quix's eyes on me, studying my expression.
“Use it all the time?” he whispered. “Because it has to be agreed upon. The three we're binding? They have to be willing to take the geaes.”
I pressed my hand to my mouth and my gaze went to Jonathan, involuntarily.
“Oh,” I said. “Then-”
“Three days is enough time to break anyone,” Quix supplied, emotionless, “especially with a shadow and weaver working in concert. Trust me on this. I understand how these things work.”
He gave me a languid smile. There was a promise in there. I closed my eyes, my stomach twisting into knots. There was a touch against my face, his hand brushing my cheek and smoothing my hair back behind my ear.
“I am eager to show you what you have to look forwards to,” he murmured. “You won't need to order me into doing this. It would be my pleasure.”
And he walked away, leaving me shivering there against the wall.
Mackt finished the first two circles. When it came time for the second, he called me over and used Jonathan's stolen knife to cut open my arm. He pushed hard, cutting deep, and then he yelped and dropped the knife, clasping a hand over his own arm and hissing in pain as the binding forced him to experience the pain he'd just caused me. I just put my arm out over the bowl and let the blood flow down across my arm and drop inside, pattering like a stream of water. I bled until I was dizzy and Jonathan came to my side, putting a hand on my back and saying quietly that this was enough, that I couldn't give any more. He healed the cut on my arm and escorted me away. I went with him, weak and disoriented, and I saw that Mackt had begun painting again, dipping his fingers into my blood. Larinst remained with him. I did not know where Quix was.
I was taken up to my room. It seemed I wasn't being relocated, not quite yet. There, I fell asleep almost instantly, or perhaps I fainted. It was difficult to tell the difference, but at some point I woke to Jonathan insisting I eat and drink, and then I fell back into darkness again.
Larinst pulled Daniel into a shared dream without even being prompted. The mage was curt, clearly displeased to be standing on the porch of his childhood home yet again, speaking to me.
“She's stable,” he said without my asking. “The hospital is keeping her for a few more days and I have a couple people stationed over her. The rest of the family is somewhere secure.”
“And Rachel?”
“She's suspicious but has no choice to believe what I've told her. She'd have to admit some sort of involvement, otherwise. I think she'll leave your sister well enough alone at this point. It's too risky not to.”
“Not when she can bluff instead,” I muttered. “She has no idea I've contacted you.” I find it somewhat amusing that we're both writing about terrible terrible people right now. Terrible referring to your character's captors, not the characters themselves. All of my characters are terrible people. All of them. |
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Post by Deleted on Mar 24, 2014 19:43:37 GMT -5
Oooh, fascinating. And terrifying. Terrible people are interesting to write about. xD I'm actually greatly looking forward to writing another terrible character into this fic very soon. He is going to be so much fun. The Sloth thing is a red herring, sorry. Are you up for another one? |
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Post by Kiddo on Mar 24, 2014 19:50:53 GMT -5
Maybe later. I really, really need to study like a good student. Which will involve re-reading the articles and then giving up because I am soooo over this class. I'll check back in later once I'm done with schoolwork and chores. Kind of want to finish this chapter now before bed.
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Post by Deleted on Mar 24, 2014 19:59:25 GMT -5
All right. I think I need to go, too.
Thanks for the warring! Good luck with your studying!
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Post by Kiddo on Mar 24, 2014 21:34:45 GMT -5
Studying was easy. I only re-read the articles. Now I'm sitting here. Writing. Like usual.
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Post by Deleted on Mar 24, 2014 22:05:41 GMT -5
Hehe. I have some stuff I gotta take care of for now, but if you're still on later tonight I might be able to squeeze a little more in.
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Post by Kiddo on Mar 24, 2014 22:15:32 GMT -5
Eh, doubtful. I really should be going to bed as tomorrow is my really long day. Because I have class in the evening, my day goes from 7:30 am to 9:30 pm. It's exhausting.
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Post by Deleted on Mar 24, 2014 22:19:35 GMT -5
All right. Thanks for warring today! Get a good rest!
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Post by Deleted on Mar 25, 2014 18:06:24 GMT -5
Anyone up for a word war? I should be available for a little while.
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