Post by Emma on Feb 13, 2011 12:59:31 GMT -5
A quiet snuffling awoke me from a disturbing dream.
I sat bolt upright, tore a long dagger from underneath my pillow, and held it in front of me, all in one motion. The room was dark, the only light from two narrow windows just underneath the ceiling. It was late afternoon, and the shadows were long. However, I saw no one among the crates and barrels, and the only movement was dust dancing in the shafts of light. Narrowing my eyes, I used a move Tox had taught me shortly after he’d made me his servant- I turned away and began to lay down, as if I had assured myself that nobody was there. But then, just before my head touched the pillow, I turned round again, my blankets twisting around my legs as I tossed the knife. It almost hit two small animals by the bed. They squealed in terror and scampered up onto the nearest crate.
“Awh, how cuuute…” I said sweetly, leaning closer. Then my face contorted into a scowl. “A couple of rodents lookin’ for a theme park.”
“Who are you calling a rodent, sister?” one of them declared. He twirled round and pointed proudly at his fluffy rear. “I’m… a bunny.”
“An- and I’m his gopher!” exclaimed the other.
“I thought I smelled a rat,” I sighed, reclining on my mattress again. But before I could relax, a familiar figure materialized in the shadows. I rested my chin in my hand. “Well, well. Speak of the devil.”
“Good evening to you too, dearest,” sneered Tox as he sauntered through the room, already fully dressed. He turned his attention to the shape-shifters as they morphed into human form. “Right on time, boys. I’m assuming you have the goods?”
“Signed, dated, and even written in the ancient language,” said the one who’d snuck in as a gopher- I hadn’t bothered to memorize either of their names. “They’ll let you into the castle before nightfall! Now, our payment? I- HEY!” he protested as I snatched away the slip of parchment, gluing my eyes on the paper.
“Tox and I don’t know the ancient language,” I said. “How do we know this is what we’re paying for?”
“You dare besmirch my honour as tradesman?” gasped the bunny-man. “I’m insulted! Appalled! Thunderstruck! Consternated! A mere mortal-”
“Agh, just pay him, Anck. Yeesh, what a stickler for cash. You prolly had to look those big words up, didn’tcha?”
“Uh-huh,” the bunny said cheerily as I pressed some silver into his hand. “But you have to admit they’re good.”
“Right.”
“It was a pleasure doing business with the lovely lady and the, uh… swamp monster. Toodles!”
Flames exploded from a snarling Tox as he swung his claws at the two forgers. They shifted back into their animals of choice and bounded off and away unscathed, back up the steps leading to the main floor of the abandoned warehouse. I ducked, pulling my dark hair down over my shoulder to avoid it getting singed. It was a natural reaction to Tox’s temper tantrums by now. Once the inferno had receded, I sat back up again as the vampire turned and stomped off to the back of the room where I’d exiled him to when we’d arrived here yesterday morning. He promptly began violently rummaging through our packs, muttering and swearing. I didn’t know what we were going to accomplish at the castle so late in the day, but Tox was clearly not in the mood for talking.
I stood up, reaching into my own pack and removing an elegant dress made of triple-layered silver satin. The girl in me had me sitting there for a few moments, just ogling the gown and running my fingers down its shiny texture. It was sleeveless with a halter strap, and full-skirted. The bodice was embroidered with lace, and the trailing skirt with pearls and silk braid. Along with the dress came a pair of silver slippers. Tossing off my robe, I set about struggling into my corset and loincloth, both of which were white and unobtrusive, and then began to dress myself in the gown. Crashing noises and more swearing suggested that Tox was doing something other than getting ready. I ignored it for now, sitting down in a chair opposite a tarnished crystal mirror.
As I gazed at myself in the shattered reflection, I touched my throat where I’d been gashed days before. I’d been injured by one of the Richards’ guardsmen after Tox and I had fled Carvala’s palace with, as usual, the law right behind us. The disturbing events of the Renaissance Gala had done nothing to make Nayeli in particular forget her vengeful rage, and both Tox and I agreed that avoiding Carvala at all costs was in our best interests right now. Shortly after stealing onto a North Sea ferry to Ceunon, he’d professed his desire to go and meet Veela Venali- something that I personally thought could only end in calamity, but Tox was itching to see his mother. I continued rubbing my throat, despite the fact that the wound had already healed over with magical aid.
“Anck, remember, we’re visiting the aristocracy, so don’t wear anything too appealing. And don’t- ooh.”
“Way ahead of you,” I said as he came over to gawk at the dress. I began to brush my tangled hair.
He leaned over me curiously. “You look tense. Something up?”
“Just a bad dream.”
“Uh-huh. Well…” he dropped his hands on my shoulders. “Finally, we can get outta this basement! Let’s go, let’s head. And it’s minus a million degrees out there, so wear something warm over that pretty dress, huh?”
“You forgot your mask again, ‘Tox.”
“Huh?” he looked at himself in the mirror. “Oh.”
As he muttered the spell that thinly veiled his features- giving his skin a more human pallor and adding a little more flesh to his sunken features- I put up my hair in a high knot, letting it flow down my back, and got to work on my makeup. Unobtrusive black kohl to line my eyes and gold minerals to sprinkle on the lids made my grey eyes seem larger and more noticeable. My lips only received a pale pink pigment that would moisturize and protect them from the dry chill of the air outside. There were few things I despised more than the winters of Saxony, and Alagaësia’s were even worse. If I didn’t maintain my outer appearance, Tox would probably think my uses had run out and eat me- giving me plenty more reason to worry about the weather than most people.
Once I was satisfied that I looked the part of minor noblewoman, I rose to my feet and picked up a thick, fur-lined coat that nearly reached the ground. I had the odd feeling of almost disappearing into the bulky article as I wrapped it around myself. Tox had already gone upstairs, so I followed, the wooden steps creaking and threatening to split as I made my way up them. This warehouse was cold and supposedly haunted, and hadn’t been touched in years after some slaughter- the main floor had been stripped clean, and there was a genuine spooky air about it. However, in the twenty-four hours I’d been here, I hadn’t met any ghosts. Tox was waiting at the far end of the warehouse, by the doorway lacking of a door. He took my arm as I approached, and led me outside.
We walked the only relatively short distance to the castle, arm in arm like a couple out for a stroll. The bitter Alagaësian winter had not prevented the merchants from seeking out the famous city and setting up shop, and we passed swathes of silk, collections of jewellery, and aromatic spices and exotic flowers, which I occasionally made Tox stop to look at. The vendors themselves were also something worth staring at- lizard-men and other odd hybrids of human and animal I couldn’t name, but others, like faeries and dwarves, I could. Eventually, Tox got annoyed and wary of a few soldiers on patrol, and dragged me off to a wide avenue leading up to the castle. The road was precarious; more ice rink than street, and it was slow going. When we finally made it to the gold-embossed gates of Castle Ceunon, both Tox and I were drooped over from exhaustion.
“Hey!” came the cutting voice of a guard. “What do you boneheads want?”
Tox straightened, marched over to the elven soldier, and proudly presented the letter. “Lord Kain and Lady Zuleika, here on an official visit to Countesses Veela and Rusalka.”
The elf took the letter and scanned it over for a few moments. Then he glanced up, and heavily whacked Tox over the head with the flat of his blade.
“GUH! The crap was that for?” he snapped, rubbing the top of his head.
“Lord Kain was assassinated two weeks ago.” Another whack.
“… whuh?”
The elf very carefully peeled at the parchment, revealing that it was actually folded over in two. Once it had been pulled apart, he thrust it in our faces. “And it’s written on the back of a poster.”
“Oh.”
“Yeah. Better luck next time.”
“Thanks, man. I guess you have to arrest us now?”
“‘Fraid so. GUARDS!”
I grabbed Tox and ran for it. We’d already discussed earlier how he was not to feed on anyone or shoot flames at anyone while we were here- after what had happened at the Gala, it was best not to draw attention to ourselves, and Veela Venali would probably take it poorly if they were reunited with her son scheduled for the gallows. We ran down the slight incline of the avenue. Not wanting to break my neck on the ice, I leapt up on a low stone wall and ran along that instead. But before we could even get out of sight of the castle, an obstacle appeared just ahead. A four-man patrol of humans were marching up the slope with a captive between them. Though he was still too far for me to pick out his features, he was clearly a man, and dressed in peasant clothes.
“Tox, they’re humans!” I hissed. “I might be able to talk to them.”
“Oh, really? So first, they stomp out the guts of us non-humans, and then they have a chat with you? Yeah, just keep running, Miss Public Relation-”
He broke off with a scream as he lost his grip on the ice, and though still upright, he slid without any viable means of control down the slope. If I wasn’t so afraid of capture right now, I probably would have laughed hysterically. The patrol came to halt once they saw Tox skating towards them, and managed to have the smarts to clear out of the way, leaving the captive alone in the middle of the street. He didn’t even have time to fling himself out of the way. Less than a second later, Tox hit him full in the front, and just kept going, although at a much slower rate. I picked up my skirt and hauled myself after them and past the shouting guards. My vampire and the soon-to-be-prisoner were locked in a very strange embrace, and as they skidded, Tox insisted on telling him his troubles.
“Master forger, he said! I mean, look at this! No, seriously, look!” He shoved the letter in the human’s face. “What is this, a budget cut? ‘If you need petty cash, just ask,’ I say, but ‘Nooo’… we were so CLOSE!” Flames from Tox’s hands melted the ice, and they both tripped and fell over each other. “So close, and we tripped at the finish line! Why? Because Mister Master Forger ran out of paper!” He sat up from where he’d fallen flat on his back, right next to the now utterly perplexed-looking human. “Fortune just takes a big fat crap on me. You know what I mean, kid?”
Character(s) Used;; Anck Seh Namun with Tox
Words;; 2000 exactly! Ftw!
Muse;; Not amazing... decent?
Thoughts;; I thought it sucked, but upon rereading, it ain't bad! Except for the meh dialogue.
