| Welcome to the ninth annual Honorary Monstergirl Competition! The rules of the contest are as follows: 1) ALL entries must be of roughly the same power levels as the girls that are legal to use as companions. No reality warpers, physical gods, or mountain-eating invincible powerhouses! Entries at the upper end of the companion power scale are allowed. Entries that have lots of story potential are encouraged! 2) Entries cannot be simple reposting of entries from previous contests; all entries must provide some measure of originality. The new entry may be a variation on a previous entry or an exploration of the same theme, but the new entry MUST bring something to the table that the previous version did not. 3) Multiple entries of the same mamono are allowed if they are sufficiently different (see above). In the event of two entries that have the same name the judge will consult one of the contestants about a name change, with the shared name going to the entry that was submitted first. 4) Entries must be formatted as official MGE entries. If you're not sure about the classification of your entry (i.e. family and type) feel free to ask for advice. If you're worried about spoilers before official contest start you can ask by PM. All entries will be edited for grammar by the judge. 5) Send your entries to me by PM, up to four entries per contributor. I will arrange them into polling brackets. Once a poll is up and running it will have a limited voting period, after which a winner will be advanced to the next round. This will continue until we have a final winner. 6) In the event that two (or more) entries are tied when voting for the bracket closes the winner will be decided by an H-off! Each contestant must post something brief (try not to go over 500 words) describing how his/her entry would be the most fun to “experience.” This can be in essay form or a brief h-scene. The judge (moi) will decide the winner based on commenter’s reactions. 7) Bonus: Name That Mamono! You are encouraged (but not required) to create a sample character of the species -- nothing fancy, just a short paragraph describing her appearance, personality, and skills. In particular you should describe how she exemplifies or differs from the species' usual. To be counted for H-offs all vignettes/essays for the species should include this character in some way (at least a mention). The contest is live as of this post, but voting won't start until July. Until then, feel free to revisit the Build a Monstergirl Workshop tutorial if you need some help coming up with ideas. And for further inspiration, I have prepared a Pinterest gallery with images of possible honorary monstergirls. If you want to use one of these as the image for your entry PM me with the image name (they've all been named) and I'll mark it as claimed -- anything with a black star in the lower right corner is claimed, white star is fair game. All images are first come, first served. There are a hundred images there, so one of them is bound to spark an idea. I would also like to solicit one or two volunteer back-up judges at this time. This is an excellent opportunity for those who don't feel that they can come up with good entries to have some active involvement in the contest. |
| "When you have bought your own load of hooey, you know exactly what it is worth." -- Bruce Sterling |
| Very Nice :) I'm looking forward to this year's entries! |
| Five days in, and we already have five completed entries and two more in the works. Keep 'em coming! |
| "When you have bought your own load of hooey, you know exactly what it is worth." -- Bruce Sterling |
| At the one week mark we have seven entries. If we can get at least five more we have a proper contest, but I'd like nine more (16 is a good number). Of course, if y'all are feeling especially creative, I can make it work with 20, 24, or 28. |
| "When you have bought your own load of hooey, you know exactly what it is worth." -- Bruce Sterling |
| We have a proposed modification on board. One of the contestants has sent entries with two pictures -- one for the species in general, and a second one specific to the Name That Mamono section. I happen to think this is a great idea. So if anyone would like to do that for their own entries, I'm all for it. The person who came up with this has asked not to include the second pics unless everyone does it, though, so if you'd rather not go to the trouble of finding two illustrations let me know. |
tygertygerMay 29, 2022 9:45 PM
| "When you have bought your own load of hooey, you know exactly what it is worth." -- Bruce Sterling |
| Currently holding at eight entries |
| "When you have bought your own load of hooey, you know exactly what it is worth." -- Bruce Sterling |
venomwolf said: Working on two more of my own I look forward to them! With those and the one I got today that'll put us at 11 entries. |
| "When you have bought your own load of hooey, you know exactly what it is worth." -- Bruce Sterling |
| We are now at 10 entries, and I'm told there are more coming. I'm hoping to get to at least 16 this year. |
| "When you have bought your own load of hooey, you know exactly what it is worth." -- Bruce Sterling |
| 16 entries would be nice indeed! |
| We are now at 12 entries, with at least one more on the way! WOOT! |
| "When you have bought your own load of hooey, you know exactly what it is worth." -- Bruce Sterling |
| We are currently sitting at 12.5 entries (I've received a 13th, but it needs some finishing touches), and I've been told of three more coming. When all of those are in we'll be at 16 entries. If we have any volunteers for backup judges, please ping me. I'd like to have them in place before we need them. |
| "When you have bought your own load of hooey, you know exactly what it is worth." -- Bruce Sterling |
| We now have 13.5 entries and one backup judge. I would like to have one more backup judge in case there's an h-off between the two current judges' entries. I'm told that there are two more entries on the way. With those and the entry that needs to be completed that will give us 16. Looks like we'll have a full house. |
| "When you have bought your own load of hooey, you know exactly what it is worth." -- Bruce Sterling |
tygertyger said: Nice! It's good to see we might make it to 16 entries. That's four more than the last one IIRC. Also I volunteer as third back-up judge just in case of a rather specific h-off :-)I'm told that there are two more entries on the way. With those and the entry that needs to be completed that will give us 16. Looks like we'll have a full house. |
| Excellent! Now all we need is the remaining 2.5 entries (more like 2.25, really). |
| "When you have bought your own load of hooey, you know exactly what it is worth." -- Bruce Sterling |
| Currently holding at 14 entries. Imma give it another week or two before I close entries. |
| "When you have bought your own load of hooey, you know exactly what it is worth." -- Bruce Sterling |
| We are now 14.5 entries in (just waiting on pics and the NTM). We are well on track to have 16 entries. |
| "When you have bought your own load of hooey, you know exactly what it is worth." -- Bruce Sterling |
| We are now going into the last week of June. I will do final edits and start the voting with whatever entries I have by 12:00 a.m. CDT on Saturday 07/02. |
| "When you have bought your own load of hooey, you know exactly what it is worth." -- Bruce Sterling |
| Are we still sitting at 15 entries? |
| Yep |
| "When you have bought your own load of hooey, you know exactly what it is worth." -- Bruce Sterling |
| Let us hope the 16th entry can be completed before then, but otherwise I suppose one bracket will have to have one fewer entries. |
| I can start with three brackets of five. Eliminating one from each leaves 12, and I can go to 4 brackets of 3 from there. I would rather have 16 to start with, though. |
| "When you have bought your own load of hooey, you know exactly what it is worth." -- Bruce Sterling |
| Voting is now open! It's three brackets of five each -- last place is eliminated, the other four move forward. Bracket 1: https://myanimelist.net/forum/?topicid=2027431 Bracket 2: https://myanimelist.net/forum/?topicid=2027430 Bracket 3: https://myanimelist.net/forum/?topicid=2027428 |
| "When you have bought your own load of hooey, you know exactly what it is worth." -- Bruce Sterling |
| Shame we couldn't make it to 16 entries, but I suppose for next round we'll have four brackets anyway. Some very interesting concepts again this year and quite varied in nature. Curious to see how it will play out :) |
| Voting is proceeding apace! I'll keep the voting open until 12:00 a.m. CDT on Saturday 07/09. And would I leave you without Worldclock to help out with time zone conversions? Of course I wouldn't! https://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/ |
| "When you have bought your own load of hooey, you know exactly what it is worth." -- Bruce Sterling |
| We're coming up on the end of voting for round 1, and it looks like brackets 1 and 3 are decided... but will we have an h-off in bracket 2? Stay tuned! |
| "When you have bought your own load of hooey, you know exactly what it is worth." -- Bruce Sterling |
| Round 1 voting is completed, and it's time to fire the cannon in honor of the fallen: The uruk goes down, down to Goblin Town... The ghost ship has sailed... The siabrae hears the call of the wild. I'll put up the round 2 voting brackets on Saturday evening 07/09. |
| "When you have bought your own load of hooey, you know exactly what it is worth." -- Bruce Sterling |
| Round 2 voting brackets are now live, and will remain so until 12:00 a.m. on Saturday 07/16! Bracket 1: https://myanimelist.net/forum/?topicid=2028959 Bracket 2: https://myanimelist.net/forum/?topicid=2028961 Bracket 3: https://myanimelist.net/forum/?topicid=2028963 Bracket 4: https://myanimelist.net/forum/?topicid=2028966 Worldclock: https://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/ |
| "When you have bought your own load of hooey, you know exactly what it is worth." -- Bruce Sterling |
| Round 2 has ended -- let us take a moment to honor the fallen. The grahana walks into the light; The Oorgolian soldier fades away; The living filigree goes for baroque; The mephista gets a raw deal. Round 3 will go live in a day or two depending on my availability. |
| "When you have bought your own load of hooey, you know exactly what it is worth." -- Bruce Sterling |
| We come to the end of the quarter-final round. Let us bid farewell to those who won't be moving on. The folidota doesn't come out of her shell; The laak fades into the background; The murden has to eat crow; The capybara gets swamped. I'll get the voting for the semifinals up in a day or two. |
| "When you have bought your own load of hooey, you know exactly what it is worth." -- Bruce Sterling |
| Voting for the semifinal round is now live! Be sure to vote in both brackets. Bracket 1: https://myanimelist.net/forum/?topicid=2033184 Bracket 2: https://myanimelist.net/forum/?topicid=2033182 |
| "When you have bought your own load of hooey, you know exactly what it is worth." -- Bruce Sterling |
| A little late to the party. And lord, bracket 1 is really hard. Need to gor for the Plant goddess and Majin though. keep it up yai \o. |
| We come to the end of our semifinal round. Let the cannon sound to honor the fallen: The golthiar withers; The windsbruid is gone with the wind. Voting for the final round and The People's Choice will go live tonight 08/01 or tomorrow night 08/02. |
| "When you have bought your own load of hooey, you know exactly what it is worth." -- Bruce Sterling |
| We still need more votes in both brackets! Make your voice heard! Final Round: https://myanimelist.net/forum/?topicid=2035017 People's Choice: https://myanimelist.net/forum/?topicid=2034991 |
| "When you have bought your own load of hooey, you know exactly what it is worth." -- Bruce Sterling |
| Voting is still going on in the people's choice awards, soo... wink wink, nudge nudge https://myanimelist.net/forum/?topicid=2034991 On the prowl The huntress stalked silently through the bushes and she took pride in producing not a sound. Her eyes constantly scanned the underbrush for signs of prey as she moved forward. She disregarded the tracks of smaller animals; rabbits, porcupines, even a deer was not what she was after today. Today, she wanted something more challenging. A bear perhaps. Yet, as she mused about the possibilities, her eye caught something entirely different, but of no less interest: multiple sets of tracks belonging to a different kind of prey. A smile stole onto her face as she adjusted her heading. She moved swiftly, but quietly through the dense forest as her mind played through the possibilities. Men did not often wander by themselves, especially not through these woods, not in Kaori. Though she had to admit, a man being chased by three mamano without regard for who might see their trails seemed reasonable enough for the place. Following the trail of the mamano was easy enough, two of them were stomping about without heed, while one of them moved with lighter footsteps. The man’s trail seemed to indicate some experience with moving with care. Still, even had his tracks not been trampled over, the huntress could have followed them with ease. It took her perhaps two hours to catch up with the pursuers. Two ogres and a nekomata, much like she had guessed. The two ogres were responsible for creating the more than easy to follow trail, while the nekomata was in front, leading the other two along the man’s trail. The cat was either not in a hurry or perhaps having some trouble following the trail, as she led them on at a manageable pace. The huntress silently observed the group for a moment as she creeped after them, weighing her options. She could easily outpace the three and catch up to their mark. Would the nekomata be able to follow her while she carried the man? She could take them down right now, though with no backup or other distractions, that seemed needlessly foolish. The huntress was fond of a fight, but needlessly going up against three unknowns, without a suitable distraction or carefully prepared kill zone was not her way. A smile stole onto her face as she made her decision, passing by the three mamano unseen. Following the man’s trail was more difficult, but still easy enough for her. She had a good idea of where he was heading in any case. She caught up after about another hour. She smelled him before she caught a glimpse of him. The smell of man-sweat was difficult to mistake and quite pleasant. He wore worn down, travel stained clothes and looked haggard enough that the huntress couldn’t help but wonder how long the chase had lasted. Although, considering the care with which he picked his way through the underbrush, perhaps he was not aware of his pursuers at all? In any case, his pursuers would be catching up soon enough. Meanwhile, the huntress was content to stalk after him and observe. Aside from his current haggardness, he was well built. Tall, for a human, and with enough muscle on him to suggest that he had not spent his life sitting inside being taken care of. Every now and again, the man would stop to listen into the wilds, looking around carefully. Of course, he neither heard nor saw her, but she knew that some humans claimed to be able to feel when they were being observed. If such was the case, it was certainly a useful ability for an outdoorsman. Less than half an hour after she’d caught up with the man, she began once more hearing the trio of mamano trampling their way through the forest. She watched the man intently, curious how long it would take him to notice. That moment came quicker than she’d anticipated, as after once more careful scrutinizing his surroundings, a look of mild panic entered his rugged face and he picked up the pace, throwing caution to the wind. The huntress knew there was little use in that though. The nekomata at the very least had probably smelled him already and predictably the sounds of snapping branches and rustling leaves were joined by thunderous footfalls. “Fuck, fuck, fuck,” she heard the man mutter as he let any pretense of caution fall and broke into a dead run. Of course, a human was never going to outpace a running ogre, much less a nekomata, who was the first to catch up with him and tackle him to the ground. With the chase concluded, the huntress strung her bow and watched as she waited for her moment. “Was it worth it?” The lead ogre was asking the man after throwing him to the ground and grinding his head into the dirt with her foot. “Did you really think you’d make it to Amarante?” “Lead you on quite the merry chase, didn’t I, you stupid cunt?” The man shot back. The huntress suppressed a chuckle. She liked men with spunk. The ogre, evidently, did not. She was pressing her foot down on his back, making him groan in pain. The huntress frowned. The other two made no move to stop their leader, merely watching. The huntress gnashed her teeth. The plan had been to take them in the night, but she also did not want the man to suffer too much harsh punishment. After a few more moments of deliberation, she stuck three black-feathered arrows into the ground in front of her and drew back with a fourth. She fired in rapid succession, yet the smaller of the ogres still managed to jump in surprise after the first shaft took the nekomata in the neck and so was shot in the lower back. The larger of the ogres had managed to whirl around and the huntresses third shaft was protruding from her left forearm. The huntress frowned, drew a bead with her fourth arrow and finished off the smaller ogre with an arrow to the neck. By then, the larger one had grabbed hold of the man and was holding him in front of her as a shield. The huntress frowned, drew back once more and let fly, but the arrow she had meant to put through the ogre’s leg was deflected by her shin. “Come out,” the ogre bellowed. “Come out now or I’ll snap him in half.” The huntress frowned as she considered her options. Experience had shown that she was not the greatest of warriors and she did not relish the thought of engaging an evidently experienced ogre up close. But running away here would bring shame not only upon herself, but her tribe as well. She adjusted the holsters that held her claws secured to her belt and moved them behind her, where the ogre might not see them immediately. Then she stepped out of the thick brush that had concealed her. “Who the fuck are you?” The ogre asked, her voice tinged with surprise. “Nazsnaga,” the huntress replied coolly. “What the fuck do you want to fucking cunt? You know who this belongs to?” The ogre shook the man violently. “Gila Bittersoul does not appreciate thieves coming after her property. Now throw away your weapons if you don’t want your tribe to die along with you.” Nazsnaga frowned, then unclasped the quiver from her belt and threw both it and the bow into the brush. Next, she drew her long hunting knife and tossed it aside as well. Meanwhile, the ogre had started creeping closer to her, still holding the man up in front of her. “You want this?” She demanded, shaking the poor man once more. “Well, catch him,” She bellowed as she threw him at her. Nazsnaga quickly dashed backwards to avoid the human projectile as the ogre charged at her, heedlessly trampling over the man who had crumpled where he fell. As she moved backwards, Nazsnaga slipped her fingers into the grips of her hand-claws hidden behind her back. The ogre came on fast, swinging a hatchet she had conjured from somewhere. Heavy drops of dark blood fell from her wounded forearm. She dodged two swings and revealed her own weapons, swiping at the scantily clad woman and drawing lines of dark red along her green skin. As the fight progressed, Nazsnaga came to realise she may have overestimated her opponent. The ogre’s strength was certainly impressive, but her technique and speed were lacking. She’d probably spent her life terrorising people who dared not fight back or who, in any case, could not fight back. More and more dark red lines adorned the ogre’s arms, legs and torso “Think this is enough to kill me you fucking cunt?” Her opponent bellowed at her as she continued her assault. Nazsnaga had to admit that, in addition to being strong, the ogre was also tough. The sharp blades of her hand-claws did not penetrate deeply. She’d have to put a lot more strength into her strikes for that and that would put her in very real danger of finding out first hand what a serious strike from this opponent would feel like. Then she looked behind her opponent and her eyes went wide. “You think I’m stupid enough to fall for that shi- argh,” the ogre was cut off as the man’s knife entered her lower back. Not wasting the distraction, Nazsnaga shot forward and embedded her right claw in the ogre’s abdomen, cutting upwards. Blood sprayed out of the wound as her opponent let out a whimper and dropped to her back, burying the man beneath her. Nazsnaga quickly slashed her throat for good measure. Then she watched for a few moments to be certain the ogre wouldn’t suddenly grab her and crush her skull, before rolling her off of the man. Up close, she saw that he was younger than she had estimated earlier, though that could be written up to being covered in blood, grime and weariness. --- John felt at his aching ribs as the weight of the cursed ogre bitch was finally lifted from him and let out a pained hiss. Then his eyes darted to the uruk, who was standing a few steps away and looked at him with a passive expression. Her sharp features and tight lifted ponytail gave her a fierce viage, not to mention the specks of blood that covered her face and tightly fitted light leather armour. His mind was not put as ease by her appearance. After all, in Kaori you could never be quite sure what someone was about. He pulled the hunting knife from the ogre’s back and pushed himself to his feet, holding out the knife threateningly. The uruk raised an eyebrow at that, but made no other move as he slowly backed away from her. When he had produced some distance between them, she stepped over to the fallen ogre and cleaned the blood off of her claws using the scant clothing the dead woman had worn. When she was done, she holstered the weapons, which put some of his worries to rest and finally spoke. “No need for the knife now.” “I think I’ll be the judge of that,” he wheezed. “You can barely stand straight,” she remarked. “I’m not going to hurt you.” “So if you wanted to hurt me, you’d tell me so, huh?” “If I wanted to hurt you, you’d be hurt. Or more hurt, I guess.” “Fair enough,” he had to admit. Based on what he’d seen, the woman had little need to trick him, even if he didn’t have trouble standing up straight. He didn’t know much about uruk’s, though he thought he remembered that they cared about honour. His own interpretation of honour didn’t align with shooting dead unsuspecting women. Still, given the circumstances he could look past that. His fingers let go of the blood slick knife-handle and he let himself sink to the ground. With his resistance, his strength also seemed to have left him. She was beside him in a heartbeat. He tried to rise once more, but she sternly kept him down and began to probe at his bruised torso. “I’m Nazsnaga, what do they call you?” She asked as she carefully prodded at him. “John,” John winced as she poked at a bruised rib. “Nothing’s broken, so you got lucky,” she announced as she finished her quick evaluation of his condition. “What will you do now?” A loaded question if ever there was one, was all John could think, but said. “I’m gonna press on.” She frowned at that. “You won’t make it to Amarante in your condition.” “How do you know I…?” He demanded, but was cut short. “Your heading and general circumstance,” Nazsnaga shrugged. “I could take you back to my people.” “Yeah sure, and I’m sure you’ll let me get on with my business once I’m all better?” “Can’t promise that,” she said with a shrug. “Depends on you.” He sighed as he considered his options. The fact she was offering him a choice at all spoke well for her. “Fine,” he finally said and hung his head. “Good,” was all she had to say as she rose and headed off to the brush where she’d earlier thrown her weapons. He forced himself to his feet and stumbled over to the fallen ogre. “Knew you you were a dumb fucking cunt, Kuuzir. Now you’re also a dead fucking cunt, good riddance,” he spat on her and turned to the uruk who had impassively watched his little rant. “Personal?” She asked. “Something like that,” He grunted. “Let’s go then.” He motioned for her to lead the way, but she snorted and lifted him off his feet. “Not gonna make you walk if you can barely manage it,” she scolded him and started walking. The trip was less than comfortable, though far more so than if he had had to walk. In spite of her stern visage, Nazsnaga took care to be reasonably gentle as she made her way through the forest. At night they lay together without doing anything and John had to admit that it felt quite nice. Not as nice as home, but far nicer than the last week on the run. Nazsnaga demanded to know how he’d come to be chased by the party of three and, with some initial reluctance, he told her that he came from a small, poor village. Life hadn’t been easy, but it was a life. Until Kuuzir had come to the village and declared that the warlord Gila Bittersoul had demanded a concubine and their village had been graciously chosen to volunteer him as a candidate. That, or she’d return with reinforcements. He left out how she’d killed his adoptive mother. When they saw no feasible alternative, the villagers had handed him over. Later, while en route to the warlord’s keep, he’d convinced the stupid ogre that he was enamoured with how she’d shown her dominance and quite eccstatic about his future with Gila Bittersoul and, not seeing him as much of a threat anyway, she’d acquiesced to his request to have his hands untied. A mistake on her part as it turned out when he knocked her out cold with her own mace as she was sleeping. Given the thickness of her skull, he observed that he must’ve been quite lucky to knock her out at all. Probably he should have killed her then and there, but instead, he’d unshackled his ankles, tied her up, stole such supplies as he could carry and threw the rest down a ravine before making for the amarantian border. He hadn’t thought that she could track him, but she seemed to have gone in search of support before entering into her pursuit, which explained the other two women he had not recognized. They arrived with Nazsnaga’s people after two days and, finding himself still not raped, his estimation of Nazsnaga had grown considerably. The place they arrived at was more an accumulation of tents than anything else, but he heard that uruks usually lived nomadic lifestyles and so it was not much of a surprise. Surprisingly enough, none of the other roughly 40 uruks tried to rape him either, which raised them even more in his estimation. He thought that was quite the civilized thing to do and stood in contrast to their people’s barbarian reputation. That was not to say that they were unenthusiastic about his arrival. They simply did not try to get in his pants immediately. Nazsnaga put him in a tent and told him to rest easy until he felt up to determining his future. Whatever that meant. He was tended to by Nazsnaga and a man named Johnny-boy. “So, Johnny-boy, eh?” John asked the man. “That’s what they call me,” the man grinned, showing off a prominent gap where one of his front teeth should have been. “So, can you tell me what she meant by ‘determining my future’?” “Don’t know much about dem uruks, do ya?” he asked, with a feigned tsk tsk tsk. “Well, I can tell ya, been here a year, still don’t get ‘em.” “I see,” John said disappointedly. “Can tell ya ye’re gonna have ta fight Nazsnaga though.” “Fight her?” he demanded. “Why?” “Well, if ya win, you’re free ta go. Or ya can make her yer bottom bitch wife.” “So it’s some kind of ritual combat?” John asked. “What happens if I lose?” “Then you’ll be the bottom bitch hubby, I guess.” Johnny-boy said thoughtfully. “If she’s interested, that is. Otherwise some of the others’ll take care of ya.” “I see,” he replied, somewhat confused by Johnny-boy’s shambolic explanation. Perhaps sensing his doubts, Johnny-boy helpfully elaborated. “See, Johnson’s married to Urlgan. She whooped his ass, but also fancied his ass, sa now she gets ta bruise his pelvis however she sees fit. Then there’s Johnson; He wiped the floor with Murbol, so now he gets ta gape her ring however he wants and she has ta suck it up.” To illustrate, he formed a ring shape from his thumb and index finger and peeked through it. Then he leaned in and whispered. “I heard a rumour she lost on purpose.” “Johnson and Johnson?” John asked, getting more confused. “Aye,” Johnny-boy confirmed. “Ok then. How about you?” John demanded. “Oh, I disgraced meself,” Johnny-boy said off-handedly. “So any of them get to bruise me pelvis whenever they see fit.” “And how did you do that?” “Told Nazsnaga I’ll lick her cunt if she promises not ta hit me,” he shrugged. “Apparently that’s not honorable or something. But I’m a lover, not a fighter.” What can you tell me about Nazsnaga then?” John probed. “Ah, yeah. She’s popular with the folks ‘round here, I can tell ya. Brought in both me and Johnson. Bit of a weirdo though if ya ask me. Sometimes calls herself ‘the huntress’ or somethin’. Is out in the forest a lot, always huntin’, not too much talkin’ out of her. Not too much fuckin’ either, actually.” Just as Johnny-boy filled his lungs to continue, he heard his name being shouted from outside and he bowed with a crooked grin. “Duty calls.” A week passed during which John was allowed to move freely through the makeshift tent-village and talk to the uruks that inhabited it. He also received a much more sensible explanation of what was going to happen next from Nazsnaga. They would be fighting an honor duel to decide his future position within the tribe or outside of it. If he somehow won, Nazsnaga would at the very least escort him to the amarantian border. He could take her as his wife or challenge one of the other tribe members for the same right. If he lost, she’d be free to take him as her husband, if she wanted him. Johnny-boy’s explanation of becoming a bottom bitch hubby had left him somewhat unsettled, but after meeting the Johnsons, he was somewhat assured that both of them were being treated well enough, pelvis integrity not-withstanding, as he did not check for that. It seemed more a matter of who’d be wearing the proverbial pants in the bedroll and the choice of partner that were at stake here. She also, none-too subtly, asked him more about himself. Where had he learned to move well in the forest? Was he a hunter himself? Was he fond of hunting? Did he want to become a better hunter? In retrospect, she was asking a lot of hunting related questions. Perhaps Johnny-boy was accurate in his assessment that she was slightly weird. John found it endearing though and preferred to think of it as unique. Stalking the forest together with Nazsnaga didn’t seem like a bad thing to him at all. Probably a better life than he’d have led back in the village. Certainly better than being Gila Bittersoul’s concubine. And Amarante? Hadn’t that just been a pipe dream anyway? He stewed over his options as the days passed. Nazsnaga had graciously allotted him a few days even after his bruises had mostly cleared up, but finally the day of the challenge had come. Stripped to the waist, he stood opposite of Nazsnaga, who had decided to forego all clothing and stood naked in the circle of onlookers. By John’s reckoning, most of the tribe was present, including Johnny-boy and Johnson & Johnson. John limbered up and tried not to be too distracted by Nazsnaga. He’d only seen her fully covered up so far. Her breasts were bigger than he’d thought and now the distinction between her and most of her tribe-sisters were even more apparent. She stood about as tall as himself, though that made her a fair bit shorter than the average tribe member. She was also more limber than most of the others, most of whom were packing more bulk than Nazsnaga, marking perhaps the distinction between hunter and warrior. Still, she looked far from weak as he had seen firsthand when she slew Kuuzir. He took a bold step forward. If Johnny-boy was to be believed, the most important thing for now was that he did not disgrace himself. He simply had to deliver a good showing. The corner of Nazsnaga’s mouth lifted a little as she mirrored his step. When they were in range, Nazsnaga threw a lazy punch, which he deflected and responded with a few jabs, which she blocked with her forearms. They continued exchanging blows, but John got the distinct impression that she wasn’t being serious. She was probably just testing him. Well, then let’s make you regret that. He darted in for a series of quick jabs and punches, then went in close to grab hold of her head and smashed his forehead into her nose. She stumbled back, more in surprise than in pain. He forced himself to keep up the attack in spite of his spinning vision. He came in low and tackled her midsection, hoping to throw her to the ground and perhaps make her concede, but to his surprise, she remained quite stationary. Not only that, but she prized his arms from her waist and held them out wide, moving leisurely forward until he stumbled backwards and lost his footing. She forced him on his back and bound his arms by placing a knee on each of them. He looked up at her, her small tusks poking out from her bottom lips thanks to the grin plastered on her face. A small trickle of blood was flowing from her nose, but she seemed not to mind. She placed her hands on the side of his face and bent down to whisper in his ear. “Some hunts are more enjoyable when you let the prey get close to you first.” She righted herself and asked in a clear voice. “Do you give up… husband?” She smiled down on him once more. Whoops and cheers came from the watching crowd that had thus far been watching silently. Not exactly how I hoped this would end, but…. he thought and returned the smile. “Unless you wish to continue… wife?” |
| That was freakin' awesome! Small confession here; I had planned to include Nazsnaga in a vignette regardless of where she placed in the standings, that's how interesting I found her. So I am very pleased to see this little story. |
| "When you have bought your own load of hooey, you know exactly what it is worth." -- Bruce Sterling |
tygertyger said: That was freakin' awesome! Small confession here; I had planned to include Nazsnaga in a vignette regardless of where she placed in the standings, that's how interesting I found her. So I am very pleased to see this little story. Glad you liked it :) I'd be pleased, of course, to see Nazsnaga in another vignette :P |
mugen91Aug 7, 2022 1:33 PM
| Ladies and gentlemen, we have a winner -- and a tie! The runner-up for this year's contest is the hummingway, which makes our winner... [drum roll] THE HESPERID! As for the Peoples' Choice, we have a tie between the golthiar and the grahana, which means an h-off (like we'd get through the whole contest without one)! Authors, start your engines! |
| "When you have bought your own load of hooey, you know exactly what it is worth." -- Bruce Sterling |
| This is a bit redundant, but I decided to move all of the vignettes into this thread. Since they'll all be part of one story it'll be easier to follow the storyline if all of the parts are in one place. The Sun Also Sets In retrospect, I had to admit that lifting that purse might not have been the smartest move I’ve ever pulled. Its owner had seemed deliciously distracted with her discussion though, so who could have known she’d notice some sticky fingers? I probed my ankle and winced. Jumping off that roof might have been another move I’d sooner not repeat. At least that grim-looking woman wasn’t on my tail anymore. One good thing about this world was that there always seemed to be someone to intercede on your behalf. If I ever met that plant woman again I’d have to buy her a drink to repay her for buying me enough time to make my getaway. I jingled the purse and then took a look inside. I couldn’t keep the grin off my face as silver and gold smiled back at me. In spite of everything this had been well worth it. I took a step forward and nearly fell straight on my face -- the ankle was worse than I had thought. With some reluctance I went over my options for medical care. I’d have to part with a portion of my ill-gotten gains, but I also didn’t cherish the thought of limping around Alnor for an extended period of time. I dimly remembered a mamano in a bar telling me about a friend of hers who was running a small clinic not too far from the harbour district. I could always go to one of the bigger thoroughfares and ask for assistance, but considering the apparent nature of mamano any such help would likely entail more of a commitment than I was currently comfortable making. That and some patrolling guardswoman might by now have heard of a pickpocket matching my description running around with a hefty purse of gold and silver. With limping steps I made my way through mostly empty backstreets towards the harbour district and, with the sun signaling a few hours until dusk at most, I found myself standing in front of a diminutive two-story building. I took a careful look around. There were a few mamano walking by. Like almost everywhere I went I received gazes ranging from superficial to the much more common longing stares, but for now none of them made any move towards me. If the few men I had met in this strange world so far were to be believed appearing in Alnor had actually been something of a stroke of luck for someone like me who wasn’t seeking any strong attachments. Most women out in the wilderness would likely have been far more straightforward in their attempts to secure me for their own or perhaps not even cared much about any attempts on my part to dissuade them. Of course, I couldn’t deny that it was flattering to have so many gorgeous women vying for my attention, and I had enjoyed myself a few times when I was reasonably certain that my horizontal tango partner knew that it was a one time affair. Finally I decided that I had looked at the small abode for long enough and carefully made my way to its rustic looking door and gave it a knock. “Come on in, it’s unlocked,” I heard an inviting voice cheerfully answer from the inside. I pushed open the door and stepped into a mid-sized room. White plaster covered the walls, and some parts of the room on the left-hand side were cordoned off with curtains. The rest of the room was filled with a few cabinets, a table and chairs, a reclining chair of sorts and a sizable sofa on which a positively radiant woman sat and just now put away a book she’d been reading. She rose to her feet and produced a smile that increased the effect of her radiant appearance even more. “Hello stranger, what can I do for you on this beautiful day?” I took a second to collect my thoughts. “Hi, I heard that this was the place to go for some medical care?” I said somewhat dumbly, still trying to get a clear bearing on the woman. I saw no horns, no scales, no furs, no tails nor claws. In fact, I saw nothing out of the ordinary. What I saw was perfectly bronzed skin, unusual white hair, golden eyes and that radiant smile. Was this one of the rare human women of this world then? “Of course, my handsome stranger. Tell me your name and tell me what ails you and I’ll make it all better.” She stepped closer as she spoke and finally came to a stop right in front of me just as she finished. A gentle scent like a summer breeze seemed to surround her and was quite pleasant. Still, I kept my wits about me and said. “The name’s Michael. I seem to have screwed up my ankle and hoped you could help me out with that.” I let my gaze drift down to my left foot to let her know where the issue lay. “Of course,” she said blithely. “Why don’t you have a seat and I’ll have you running around again in no time.” I hobbled my way over to the sofa and sank into the soft cushions. As I let out a satisfied groan, she sat down beside me and pulled the offending limb off the ground and into her lap. As she gently maneuvered my foot out of the prison of its boot I decided to learn a bit more about this most enchanting woman. “I’ve told you my name and yet I don’t yet know yours.” She smiled that radiant smile again and said. “My mother named me Lux, Lux Noctis.” With my foot freed from its boot she grasped it with strong hands. I braced for the pain, but none came. A gentle light suffused my limb and her hands and the pleasant fragrance of summer intensified. I looked on in fascination. “I didn’t know you’d be able to do magic,” I whispered. “Do you think I could learn it as well?” A shadow of confusion washed across her face, but then she sadly shook her head. “I’m afraid that men are unable to use magic under normal circumstances.” “Oh,” I replied, somewhat saddened. Seeing a human woman like her work magic had rekindled the hope that had been dashed so quickly after my arrival in this world. But there was no use in crying over spilt milk. “There,” she then said. “Your ankle is all better now,” in spite of her words, she maintained a grip on it. She gently stroked it up and down and held my gaze with her golden orbs in a manner that was difficult to misread. Well Damien. I don’t know what it is, but you certainly got it. Even the human women can’t resist you in this place. Mamano were enticing and all that, but the prospect of being with a woman who couldn’t bend me in half with one hand tied behind her back held an appeal I could not quite deny. Especially if that woman was as radiant a beauty as the one sitting beside me. ”Radiant” might even be quite literal, I thought as I considered her. The sun’s almost down and she seems to be glowing brighter and brighter. Is this also a side effect of her magic? There was a certain pleasant warmth suffusing me now, and Lux seemed to look more beautiful by the second. I gently disentangled my foot from her grasp and turned to her. Her lips parted just barely as I leaned in. A joyous spark entered her golden orbs as our lips touched. One of her arms snaked around my back, while the other gently held the back of my head. I kept pushing forward and she gently leaned back until her back lay flat on the sofa and I was atop her. Our lips parted and I let loose a heavy breath. It had been a while since I had desired someone the way I desired her right now. “Almost exactly like I always dreamed…” Lux whispered, her long white hair splayed out around her. “What?” I asked. “Nothing,” she assured me and drew me in for another kiss. My tongue gently pushed against her lips and she granted me entry. My hands eagerly started to roam across her well formed curves. From the corner of my eye, I could see the last few rays of sunlight disappear. Lux broke our kiss and guided my head down to her modest breasts. I gently freed them from the dress she wore and began lavishing attention upon them. With the sun having finally sunk down beyond the rooftops of the city, the light rapidly faded from the room. Even the radiance that had thus far wreathed the woman beneath me seemed to fade. Of course, I was quite beyond caring about such minor details at this point. That was, until the minor details were not so minor anymore. It became dark in the room. Not dark as in the sun just went down, but rather pitch black. “Uhmm…” I said, momentarily distracted from Lux’s breasts. At least she, as well as the sofa, was still there. “Keep going, dear,” Lux replied, but there was something different now. Something that I could not quite put my finger on. She was still below me and she felt the same, yet everything felt different all of a sudden. One of her hands gently stroked my head and he quickly felt his calm returning. As the darkness slowly began to recede, I became aware that Lux’s fragrance seemed to have shifted just slightly. As if her scent had become more subtle -- all the notes were still there, but there was new quality to it, almost as if it were suddenly more pure. Then, as the darkness finally gave way enough to let me see once, I got quite the shock. It seemed I’d been quite mistaken in thinking that Lux was a human woman. Either that or she was even more special than I’d given her credit for. Laying beneath me now was the palest woman I’d ever seen. She was unmistakably Lux, as the contours of her face were left unchanged, but everything else had changed. Her white hair had turned to darkest black, her skin as pale as though she’d never even heard of the sun and her golden orbs were now all black, from sclera to pupil. I also realized now that the dark had quite literally receded as a slightly ominous shadow now billowed around her and the sofa in the most unnatural fashion I could imagine. “What seems to be the matter, Michael?” she asked soothingly. Even her voice had taken on an entirely new quality. Her tone was different, as was her enunciation and even her diction. “Hmmm, or perhaps I should call you Damien?” The breath caught in my throat. “How do you know that name?” Was this all some elaborate trap I still didn’t understand? She chuckled wryly. “Don’t worry my dear, this is no trap. You are safe here with me. No one will do anything to you that you yourself do not wish.” “Then you’ll let me go if I ask for that?” He asked. She sighed wearily. “I would if that is what you truly want. But is that what you truly want, Damien? You’ve been running around the city ever since your arrival. Lifting purses and living day to day. Tell me, Damien... aren’t you tired of running? Wouldn’t you like a chance to actually rest?” |
| "When you have bought your own load of hooey, you know exactly what it is worth." -- Bruce Sterling |
| A Budding Romance The last couple of days -- not to mention nights -- had been… interesting. I had decided to stay with Lux for a while to get my footing on this world, and in exchange she asked only that I help out around the clinic. I’d started by upgrading the locks on the ground floor. The ones on the doors hadn’t been very good, and the so-called locks on the windows had been a joke. Lucky for the good doctor I, like many burglars, had studied locksmithing. Upgrading her locks from laughable to, “Don’t even try it, kid,” had been the work of a single afternoon. I’d promised Lux that I’d do the same for second floor windows tomorrow. That sort of thing was what her day self requested, of course. What her night self wanted, I was only too happy to provide. The mind reading was unnerving, especially for a habitual liar like me, but there’s something to be said for having a sex partner who knows exactly what you want. I was resting up from my labors while Lux was out making a house call. One of her patrons had suddenly taken ill from what Lux was sure was food poisoning. The patient’s home was across town in the prime target part of the city, so she said she’d be an hour or two. Being Lux she suggested that I go on to bed… but being a mamono she hinted that she would be waking me up when she got home. So here I was, fresh out of the bath, lying in bed naked waiting for sleep or my hostess to claim me. Sleep was winning the race when I heard a sound at the window. It was faint, quiet enough that I almost dismissed it, until the larcenous part of my mind reminded me of the sort of sounds I made while breaking and entering. I quickly slid my hand under the pillow and gripped my knife while pretending to be asleep. With my eyes shut I heard the unmistakable sound of a blade being slipped between the window and the frame to pop the latch. The casement swung open with hardly a sound -- the intruder had probably oiled the hinges first -- and I heard the near-silent tread of bare or soft-shod feet on the carpet. The window closed, and the intruder stood there for a moment assessing the situation. Then a familiar voice chirped, “Hiya, cutie! No need to pretend, I can tell by your breathing that you’re awake.” My eyes flew open, but I didn’t sit up; I didn’t want to reveal my weapon just yet. “You! I never thought I’d see you again.” There before me was the plant girl who’d saved me from the orc-looking woman whose purse I’d stolen. She wore a dark gray hooded cloak, a mid-thigh length sleeveless tunic in the same color, and a pair of black suede ankle boots. Not a bad outfit for second story work, and it didn’t hurt that she looked cute as hell in it. As I watched she lowered the hood and shook out the leaves that served her as hair. Her skin was a lovely shade of green, and I couldn’t help but notice how much of it her outfit left on display. Green eyes, too, and while they didn’t literally glow they were bright with amusement. “I’m not surprised, you’re a hard man to track down.” she unclasped her cloak and let it drop to the floor. “It took me two days to find you, and it was only that short ‘cause this neighborhood loves to gossip.” She kicked off her boots and continued. “Everybody had an opinion about ‘the doc’s new man.’ You’re the talk of the town, Damien Fox.” She then bent over, reached under her tunic, and shimmied out of a pair of black cotton briefs. She let them drop to the floor and stepped out of them. “By the way, my name’s Licaria. But my friends call me Carrie.” “Pleased to meet you, Carrie,” I said, “Though I’m not sure I would call us friends, seeing as we’ve only just now been introduced.” “What do you mean? We cooperated on a job, of course we’re friends!” She pulled the tunic over her head and dropped it atop her cloak. Her breasts were perfect handfuls for my modestly sized hands, and the dark green of her aureolas did nothing to hide how hard her nipples were. The pedantic part of my mind tried to protest that a plant didn’t need mammary glands, but the horny part of my mind shushed it and enjoyed the view. I did note that I’d never before seen as literal an example of a neatly-trimmed bush. “Oh, the uruk -- her name’s Nazsnaga -- says she’ll need that money back, so I hope you haven’t spent too much of it.” “Uh… hardly any, actually.” I shifted slightly as Carrie lifted the sheet and slid into bed next to me. “Umm… so you talked to this -- Nazsnaga -- after distracting her so I could get away?” Carrie’s smile grew even broader. “Sure! I explained that my boyfriend is new to this world and doesn’t know any better. I promised her I’d get her money back, and while we talked we discovered that we have problems we can help each other with. So we made a deal; you help me, and I help her, and she doesn’t, y’know, beat you within a finger’s breadth of your life.” I swallowed nervously. “That… sounds like a good deal. So what is it I’m supposed to help you with?” Carrie ran a finger down my chest. “I’ll tell you later. Right now you owe me for saving your hide.” She moved her hand lower and said, “Now, how about you let go of that weapon under the pillow and I take hold of the one under the sheet?” She took my member in hand, and her expert ministrations soon brought it from half-mast to fully erect. When she leaned in to kiss me she tasted faintly of mint and lime, and the subtle hibiscus scent of her “hair” wormed its way into my brain and grabbed me by the libido. Well,, I thought, A man should always pay his debts. That was the last coherent thought I had for some time. *** Afterward we lay intertwined with Carrie’s head nestled under my chin. “So let me sum up,” I said. “Your sisters were in jail in this Teremir place, but they’re being moved to… Kaori, you called it?” “Mmm-hmm,” Carrie answered. “There’s still five years on their sentence, but a merchant from Alnor -- a fat danuki -- paid their way out for an indenture contract. Now she’s moving them to a mining camp. But once they’re in Kaori they’re pretty much slaves. So we have to spring them before they get there.” “And Nazsnaga’s helping because this same merchant has her husband,” I added, “So by helping you she helps herself.” I kissed the top of her head and asked, “But as much as I enjoyed paying off my debt, why’d you pick me to help with this caper?” “Three reasons,” said Carrie. “One, you’ve got nimble fingers…” she leered, “Which I was glad to find out are good for more than lifting purses. Two, you’re bold. I mean, stealing from an uruk? When she’s already cranky from being in civilization? That takes balls. As for three,” she tilted her head up to kiss me and said, “You’re really, really cute.” I chuckled at that. “Not the first time a woman has wanted to work with me for that reason.” I sighed and shook my head. “But even with my nimble fingers, your gift of gab, and Nazsnaga’s brawn, I don’t think the three of us will be enough to pull this off. We’re going to need some brains for this operation. Got anyone in mind?” As if on cue the bedroom door opened, and a cloud of shadows rolled into the room with Lux in its wake. She speared me with an icy glare and said, “I will deal with you shortly.” Then she turned to Carrie and said, “As for you, we need to have a talk about the trouble you are trying to get my man into.” |
| "When you have bought your own load of hooey, you know exactly what it is worth." -- Bruce Sterling |
| Across the River and into the Mines I knew it was going to be an interesting day -- in the “something bad is about to happen” sense -- when the Lonely Knight came into the library. The armored figure sat in a carrel muttering about “The fox, the vine, the arrow, the moon…” while flipping through books on prophecy and symbolism. I didn’t find out how interesting the day was going to be until late in the afternoon when one of the junior librarians rushed up to me in obvious distress. “What is the matter, Epiphany?” I asked. Epiphany stopped before me and wrung her hands. “A group of visitors has arrived, maestra, she said. “They are asking for detailed geographic surveys.” I frowned at this; surely I had trained my subordinates to handle such a request. “And this matter requires my attention because… ?” “One of them is a Kaorian savage, maestra, Epiphany said, “And another is a suspected criminal. Yet Dr. Noctis is with them. I fear she may be in danger.” “Shame on you, my dear,” I said. “You should know better than to make judgments about someone based on their nationality or ancestry. As for alleged criminality, I must point out that allegations are not crimes.” I rubbed my chin and added, “And yet, Dr. Noctis being in such company is most unusual. Take me to them at once.” “Yes, maestra, said the younger hummingway with visible relief. She turned to go, and I followed her to the reception area. The visitors were every bit as suspect as Epiphany had said. The Kaorian, an uruk, looked as if she would welcome an excuse to gut someone while the golthiar was indeed wearing garb suitable for thievery, and to my practiced eye the man with them seemed to be of dubious character. Dr. Noctis was of impeccable reputation, however, so I was willing to give them the benefit of the doubt… for now. “Good afternoon, ladies and gentleman. I am senior librarian Aisha. How may I be of assistance?” Dr. Noctis stepped forward with the glow of her day self politely banked. “Good afternoon, Lady Aisha. We require information about the Amarante-Kaori border, specifically crossing points.” She leaned toward me and lowered her voice to a conspiratorial tone. “We are looking into a matter about which the participants would like to be discrete, so an emphasis on little-known crossings might be helpful.” Ah, I thought, They want to know about sneaky crossings. I could not believe that Dr. Noctis would condone slaving, but a need for rare medicinal herbs might cause her to look the other way in regard to smuggling. I made a show of thinking about the matter and then said, “I believe I can help you. Please follow me. Epiphany, we will be in the map room if I am needed.” Epiphany bowed and left, and I led my guests to the map room. On the way there we passed the study carrels. The Lonely Knight looked up as we drew alongside, and I could see the armored form stiffen in surprise. Dr. Noctis and the uruk offered polite nods while the wiry young man tipped an imaginary hat and the golthiar gave a jaunty wave. I felt the knight’s eyes on us as we trooped past but saw no reason to comment on it. Once within the map room I gestured the patrons to seats while I stepped up to the rostrum. I held my hands wide apart to define the map plane and said, “Show me the Drake’s Vulva.” My guests gasped as a translucent image of the requested region from a harpy’s eye view appeared above the rostrum. I added, “Highlight target area,” and a region shaped vaguely like a narrow ellipse became shaded in pink. “For the sort of business I suspect is at hand this area is the most likely crossing,” I said. The man extended a hand toward the floating image. “That’s amazing. How does it do that?” “The rostrum is enchanted to recall maps that are fed into it,” I answered, “And it can use illusion magic to display them.” “But why would… the parties we’re dealing with… use this area to cross the border?” the uruk asked. I indicated the eastern edge of the highlighted area. “This is the current course of the Drake River,” I said. Then I pointed to the western edge. “And here is the river’s previous course from one-hundred and eleven years ago. By treaty this arm of the Drake River marks that section of border between Kaori and Amarante, but the river changing its course has created an administrative gray area. Technically this land is now in Amarante, but Kaori is understandably unwilling to relinquish her claim.” “So in practice neither lord’s power is uncontested there, so neither set of laws is being fully enforced,” said the good doctor. “Which makes it a good place for shady business,” the young man finished. “This tracks with what we learned from the caravaneers. I think we’ve found our crossing.” “Now all we need is a plan for handling… the exchange,” said the golthiar. I held up my hand. “I must ask you to stop there. While I would not presume to accuse you all of anything untoward, I am sure you appreciate that I cannot be involved in any questionable dealings.” The man nodded. “Plausible deniability. Got it.” He turned to his companions and said, “Let’s head back to the clinic. We can talk details there.” As the quartet rose to leave the door opened and in strode the Lonely Knight. “Uh, excuse me, ma’am, we were just leaving.” “I’m no ma’am,” said the knight. The gauntlet-clad hands came up and, for the first time within my memory, removed the helmet. I had always thought that the Lonely Knight was a mamono, so imagine my surprise when I saw a man in that armor -- and a ruggedly handsome one, at that. “I am Sir Colin Greatwood,” he said. “Greatwood? I’ll just bet,” the golthiar muttered. Crass as that was, I could not fault her for it. At the sound of that deep voice, unmuffled by the helmet, liquid warmth pooled in my belly. And when I remembered the many afternoons that the knight had spent in my library filling his mind with knowledge that warmth moved lower and started throbbing. Truly, I appreciate broad shoulders and a strong chin as much as the next girl, but put those on a man with a scholar’s mind and you couldn’t pry me off of his rod with two ogres and a crowbar. The Lonely Knight strode up to the doctor and her companions and walked down the line addressing each in turn. “The Changing Moon,” he said to Dr. Noctis. To the golthiar he said, “The Climbing Vine.” He smiled at the man and said, “With those shifty eyes you must be the Wily Fox.” He stopped before the uruk and asked, “Milady, would you perchance happen to be an archer?” The uruk’s eyes narrowed, but she replied, “I am… but I’m no ‘milady.’” The knight gave a contrite nod. “Which makes you the Savage Arrow.” He took a step back and surveyed the group. “I believe that you are the people the oracle sent me to find. With your permission I’d like to accompany you to someplace where we can discuss what I suspect is our mutual problem.” The four companions looked at each other. The uruk and golthiar shrugged while the man cast a deferential glance at Dr. Noctis. “I will make you a counter-proposal,” she said. “It is almost time for supper, so let us first enjoy a meal at one of the city’s excellent eateries.” At a dubious look from the knight she added, “My treat, of course. Then we’ll proceed to my clinic and talk.” “Acceptable,” said the knight. He turned to me and took my hand. “Lady Aisha, thank you for your invaluable assistance. Please convey my gratitude to your staff.” He raised my hand to his lips and gently kissed it, and I felt the jolt from that contact down to the backs of my knees. I would rather convey my gratitude to your staff, I thought. Out loud I said, “You are quite welcome, Sir Colin. I am always happy to help patrons of the library… in whatever ways they require.” The doctor’s smirk showed that she had seen the demure lowering of eyelashes that accompanied this statement, but if Sir Colin had noticed my subtle flirting he have no sign. The Lonely Knight paused to put his helmet back on before the now-quintet allowed me to escort them from the library. I watched wistfully as they walked away toward the restaurant district. When the five companions were out of sight Epiphany sidled up to me and asked, “Is all well, maestra? “Indeed,” I replied. “I am confident that the good doctor is in no immediate danger. Someone else might be, though.” I chuckled at my private joke. As attractive as I found Sir Colin it would have been remiss of me to warn him that Dr. Noctis’s dinner invitation had been a ruse to buy time until nightfall; the grahana’s night self would soon ferret out anything he tried to hide from her. Ah well. Perhaps he would come back here in need of consoling. In the meantime, however… “I believe that Special Collections has grown disorganized again,” I said. “I will handle the reshelving personally. I am not to be disturbed for anything short of an actual emergency.” Epiphany gave a knowing smirk. “Understood, maestra," she said. None of the librarians was any stranger to “reshelving,” and we all knew that Special Collections was the most soundproof room in the library. “No doubt you will soon have everything sorted.” “No doubt.” I proceeded to Special Collections trying to look as if I wasn’t hurrying, but it was a challenge -- it had been quite some time since I had allowed myself such an indulgence. Perhaps when whatever business was at hand was completed Sir Colin would return. For now I could only… reorganize my bookshelves… and dream of helping the Lonely Knight to be less lonely. |
tygertygerSep 17, 2022 10:49 PM
| "When you have bought your own load of hooey, you know exactly what it is worth." -- Bruce Sterling |
| Whew, the plot thickens and a plan seems to be forming. I think it was a really neat idea to have all the vignettes from this year form a cohesive story. |
| Took me a while to get this where I wanted it. I'm still not 100% satisfied, but this at least tells all the story I wanted it to tell... and it has reached the point where further revisions would not necessarily be further improvements. How Carrie Got Her Grove Back “How long is this gonna taaaaake,” Carrie whined for the umpteenth time. I couldn’t blame her for being impatient; I was tired of waiting myself. While hiding among the trees the hours had passed like hours. It wouldn’t have been so bad if it had been just me, Lux, and Carrie, but with Nazsnaga and Sir Colin with us it was rather crowded. “As long as it takes, tumbleweed,” the uruk said. “Now quiet. It’s almost high-sun, so our prey should be here soon.” No sooner had she finished speaking than we heard a raven’s call from up the road. It was soon followed by an eagle’s cry from the opposite direction. “There are the signals,” said Sir Colin. “Your two tribe-sisters have spotted the targets. Let’s get into position.” The archer and the Lonely Knight slipped out of hiding and dashed across the road to hide among the trees on the opposite side. Lux took a moment for a last-minute review. “Let us go over the plan one more time. Licaria, you don’t go out until Katarin has her payment. Distract them long enough for Damien and me to get lined up on the wagon with the prisoners, then give the signal for Nazsnaga to start shooting.” Carrie rolled her eyes. “I know the plan, doc. Sun and soil, why would you think I wasn’t paying attention to the briefing?” “The way your hand kept straying to Damien’s lap might have given me doubts,” the grahana said. Carrie opened her mouth to argue, so I headed it off before they gave our position away. “Keep it down, you two. They’re here.” My girlfriends immediately hushed as a pair of wagons came into view from the direction of Amarante. A look in the opposite direction showed a dozen horses coming from the Kaori side. We all hunkered down to await the cue for action. The two parties met about thirty feet down the road from our position. The Kaorian party consisted of a mixed group of amazons, goblins, and oni led by a satyr. The lead wagon of the Amarantine contingent was a luxurious affair suitable for transporting a VIP, which Katarin no doubt considered herself. The second wagon had a squad of seven orcs and a high orc leader atop a wheeled cage pulled by a pair of dispirited pubescent centaurs. When both parties came to a stop a door on the side of the lead wagon opened as the Kaorians dismounted. An ogre and a salamander stepped out, nodded greetings to the Kaorians, and surveyed the area. Katarin’s bodyguards must have been satisfied with the security, because the salamander soon knocked on the wagon door. “Here she comes…” Lux whispered. The door opened again, and out stepped the fattest mamono I had ever seen -- three-hundred pounds if she was an ounce. The danuki wore fine silks, bejeweled shoes, and rings on every finger, but the most vulgar display of wealth was the muscular young man matching Nazsnaga’s description of John trailing behind her. He wore nothing but a cloth-of-gold loincloth, fine sandals, and a brass slave collar attached to a chain held in Katarin’s pudgy hand. Carrie hissed through gritted teeth at the sight of the danuki, and I could feel her readiness to pounce beneath the hand I placed on her shoulder. “Easy, luv,” I murmured, “Wait for your cue.” The golthiar flashed a weak smile and squeezed my hand before pointing at the wagon. “See how they have the wagon covered? They’re keeping my sisters light-starved. Probably dehydrated, too.” “I’ll take care of that,” Lux said softly. “Just stick to the plan. You’ll have your chance at her soon.” Carrie nodded, then we all settled down to wait. Lucky for us our quarry was easy to hear. Katarin gave an elaborate bow and flashed a smile too big to be sincere. “Greetings, my friends! Welcome to Amarante!” The satyr laughed and said, “Funny. I was about to welcome you to Kaori.” She dismounted, and her companions followed suit. “So, danuki, did you bring the goods?” Katarin’s smile took on a predatory edge. “That depends, satyr. Did you bring the money?” The satyr signaled, and the two amazons lifted the saddlebags from their horses and walked over to drop them at Katarin’s feet. At the danuki’s gesture the salamander inspected the loot -- gold, silver, and jewels. The salamander nodded, and Katarin turned to signal her guards. The orcs lifted up one side of the tarpaulin and revealed the prisoners; three young holstaurs, a bedraggled harpy, a teenaged werebat, and four mamono with a clear resemblance to Carrie. “As you can see, all top merchandise in good condition. You might want to keep the green ones out of the light until you’re ready to put them to work, though.” “I’ll keep that in mind,” said the satyr. “But the deal was for a dozen. Where are the other three?” “The centaurs pulling the wagon are also part of the deal,” said Katarin. “I’ll even throw in the wagon.” “How generous… but that still leaves one unaccounted for.” “As to that…” Katarin jerked the chain, and John stumbled forward. “My sources tell me that my good friend, your boss Gila Bittersoul, is in the market for a concubine. I thought she might like this strapping fellow. What do you think? Is he up to her exacting standards?” “If he’s not, I’ll gladly take him off her hands.” The satyr licked her lips, and John shuddered. “Well, then, you’ve delivered as promised. If your guards would get their fat asses off that wagon we’ll take our merchandise, you can take your payment, and we’ll all be on our way.” The orcs started climbing down from the wagon while the salamander stood up and slung the saddlebags over her shoulders. That was Carrie’s cue to move. The golthiar gave me a quick kiss and burst from the trees. “WAIT!” she shouted. “Oh, please, wait!” The satyr said, “What the…” before shouting to her troops, “Don’t just stand there, idiots! Grab her!” A goblin and an oni intercepted Carrie before she got within stabbing range of the party leaders and roughly searched her. After confiscating her shortsword and dagger they marched her over to Katarin and the satyr. The goat woman glared and asked, “Now who the hell are you, girlie?” “Just a poor wanderer, miss,” Carrie said. “This is all a misunderstanding! My sisters were falsely imprisoned, they are innocent of any wrongdoing!” Lux and I got into position directly opposite the cage wagon while Carrie laid it on thick. “The dwarves hate our kind for our willowy height -- they fear that our sensuous long limbs will tempt their husbands away!” Carrie fell to her knees, and though I couldn’t see her face from my position I could hear the catch in her voice as she turned on the waterworks. The eye roll suggested that Lux heard it, too. “Oh please, ma’am, I beg you to end this injustice! For two long years I have prayed to be reunited with my sisters. Won’t you hear my plea?” Katarin’s expression softened, and she reached down to stroke Carrie’s cheek. “My poor child. Such a sad story, and so moving. It pleases me to see that your prayers are answered.” To her guards she said, “Put her with the others.” The oni and goblin started dragging Carrie toward the cage, but the golthiar sadly shook her head. “Shoulda just let us go,” she sing-songed before giving off a flash of light. I knew it was coming, but even with my eyes closed and covered I still got a bit dazzled. Lux grabbed my hand and made a run for the wagon, and I could hear arrows slamming into flesh as Nazsnaga opened fire. The fight was on, now it was up to Lux and me to free the prisoners. The spots had cleared from my eyes by the time we reached the wagon. The yelps of pain from the Kaorians and the orcs let me know that they weren’t so lucky -- blinded people don’t dodge well. I whipped out my tools and started picking the lock. “Hurry,” said Lux. “They’ll regain their sight within a hundred heartbeats.” While I worked the grahana lit up with a golden glow, and the four imprisoned golthiar immediately perked up. “Sun and soil, that feels good,” said one of the plant women. “I thought they were going to starve us!” “Now all we need is a few sips of water,” one of the others declared. Lux passed a large waterskin between the bars, and the prisoners passed it around after each taking a deep draught. I soon had the lock open, and I swung the door wide. “Everybody out!” The golthiar sprang out while the holstaurs helped the harpy and werebat. As they cleared the door the bird-girl screamed and pointed behind me. I turned to see the ogre and salamander bearing down on us with swords raised. I thought it was the end until an armored form stepped between us. “Sheath your weapons and leave, and you can keep your lives,” said Sir Colin. The two mamono started to sneer until the Lonely Knight’s armor began to sparkle more than the noonday sun could explain and ominous red runes lit the length of his blade. “Is that… living armor?” said the salamander in awed tones. The ogre’s eyes went wide. “That’s a cursed sword.” She shook her head and snarled, “But you die anyway!” She leaped to attack but only succeeded in impaling herself on the knight’s sword. The salamander tried to attack from the flank, but Sir Colin’s armor deflected her strike. After a brief exchange he took her head, and by the time the body hit the ground the sounds of battle had died down. We came around the wagon to survey the scene. The Kaorians and orcs all lay dead, either pierced with arrows or sporting blade wounds -- Colin and Carrie had been busy. Katarin sat on the ground, not breathing, with John’s slave chain wrapped around her neck. The young man snarled when Lux tried to approach him, so she backed off. John knelt behind the danuki’s corpse, face painted with fear and rage, until Nazsnaga walked up to him. She gently placed her hand on his face and drew him up into an embrace. While he shuddered in her arms -- no tears, though, an uruk’s husband wouldn’t shame her like that -- one of Nazsnaga’s tribe sisters went through Katarin’s robes and retrieved a small brass key. The archer took it and removed the collar from around John’s neck. “Just like a man,” she said. “I was looking forward to avenging you, and here you’ve gone and avenged yourself. A girl likes to feel needed, you know.” “Sorry. Next time I get kidnapped I’ll let you kill the culprit,” said John with a grin. “Now, I don’t suppose you brought me some clothes? This outfit is a bit drafty.” At Nazsnaga’s blush his grin grew wider. “But I suppose I could keep it for special occasions.” “I would… like that,” the uruk stammered. Her tribe sisters had the good grace to not snicker, but it was clearly a struggle. With this tender reunion over Carrie walked up to me and returned her extra knives to their hidden sheaths. The other golthiar armed themselves from the weapons of the fallen. “Well, that was fun! So what do we do with the bodies?” Nazsnaga shrugged. “This is Kaori, or might as well be. The scavengers will be here soon enough.” “I’m more concerned about what we’re going to do with the other prisoners,” said Lux. “We can’t very well leave them here.” Sir Colin looked up from the self-appointed task of giving the centaurs food and water. “They go with us,” he said. To the horse-girls he added, “I’m afraid we must ask you to pull the wagon again.” “A-alright,” one of them replied. Poor things could barely speak aloud, and neither of them would meet Colin’s eyes. Not surprising if, like me, you’d noticed the whip scars on their backs. No one else was mentioning the elephant in the room, so I guess it was up to the Wily Fox. “What about the loot?” “We already got some weapons,” said one of the golthiar. “And I got Katarin’s coin purse,” said Carrie. Carrie’s sisters gasped and rushed to check the bodies. Lux sighed and shook her head. I wisely didn’t mention that I’d also thought of that. “As for the horses,” said Nazsnaga. “You’ll need two of them to help pull the wagon. My sisters and I will take the rest.” I nodded. “That just leaves the saddlebags.” “The rest of you may divide the silver, jewels, and other valuables however you wish,” said Sir Colin, “But I require all of the gold.” Carrie started to protest, but Lux interrupted. “We could not have done it without him,” she pointed out. Carrie sighed and said,“Oh, well. I suppose the silver and jewels will be enough.” It took the better part of an hour to gather the horses and divide up the loot. The uruks took most of the food and water from Katarin’s wagon -- they had a long journey to get back to their tribe. The gold had fit into one set of saddlebags, which Colin now held, while Carrie and I and each of the former prisoners now bore a purse full of silver and jewels. We had also harnessed the two horses from Katarin’s coach to the cage wagon to help the centaurs pull. As the uruks and John mounted up the werebat ran up to them and said, “I don’t belong in the city! I am a daughter of Kaori! Can I go with you?” Nazsnaga looked the werebat over, nodded in approval at something she saw, and said, “You may come with us… as long as you pull your weight.” The girl smiled and climbed onto a horse. “And now we return to our tribe,” Nazsnaga said. To the golthiar she added, “You five are warriors. If wish you can also come with us. I’m sure you could win yourselves a place in the tribe.” Carrie and her sisters looked at each other and spoke in a silent language of flickers. When they finished Carrie said, “Thank you, but we can’t accept if it would mean leaving our place in Alnor.” Then she turned to me and asked, “We do have a place in Alnor, don’t we?” I looked over at Lux. The good doctor smiled and said, “I suppose I could use some help around the clinic -- security, deliveries, light maintenance. If you are willing to do that I can offer you room and board plus a small stipend.” “Deal!” Carrie yelled. “Hear that, girls? We have an honest job… and a husband!” The golthiar cheered. My reaction was a bit more subdued. “I am not thrilled about that development,” said Lux, “But seeing you go pale like that is almost worth it.” “Six wives?” I groaned. “Oh, no. When am I going to get to sleep?” “After what you put me through today? Not tonight,” the grahana said with a smirk. “If we’re all through flirting, it’s a long ride back to Alnor,” said Sir Colin. We took the hint and boarded the wagon. The uruks waved and rode off to the east, while the centaurs guided the horses in turning the wagon around. The ladies stayed inside the wagon while Colin sat in the driver’s seat and I rode shotgun. Colin didn’t look like he was in the mood for conversation, but I figured I’d try anyway. “So, Colin, what are you planning to do with all that gold?” Not much of the knight’s face was visible with the helmet on, but I could see the grin in his eyes. “So, Damien, what are you planning to do with all those wives?” “Ugh, don’t remind me,” I said. “At least my life won’t be dull.” Sir Colin turned solemn and said, “Neither will mine.” “Hmm,” I said, “Sounds like there’s a story behind that.” “There is,” said Colin. After a moment’s thought he added, “I suppose there’s no harm in telling it to you. It’s been some time since I had anyone to talk to about it.” And with that he began telling me the tale of how he became the Lonely Knight. |
tygertygerSep 18, 2022 7:22 PM
| "When you have bought your own load of hooey, you know exactly what it is worth." -- Bruce Sterling |
| I enjoyed this part of the story as well. Good to see how you incorporated everyone's area of specialty and idiosyncrasies to contribute towards the ambush. Sir Colin actually wielding cursed armor and sword was a nice turn I did not anticipate and it seems he's had ample amount of practice. I dare say I have an idea what good Sir Colin needs all that gold for and my guess is that this year's winner will be the benefactor of that particular windfall :) I'm still curious what for exactly that oracle sent Sir Colin to find the group for? A way to procure enough gold? Or perhaps something else? |
| Yes, seeing all the vignettes being part of an overarching story is a really nice touch. I liked that a lot. I do question the judgement of that salamander and ogre still charging when most of their allies were already dead, but then again they were probably not hired for their big brains. Sir Colin has me intrigued though. He is the Lonely Knight, yet it seems he carries both a living armour and a cursed sword right on his person. That kinda suggests he shouldn't be that lonely. Unless there is something going on with those two. I wonder if we'll get to see them in their humanoid forms for the last vignette. |
MetallumOperatur said: Sir Colin has me intrigued though. He is the Lonely Knight, yet it seems he carries both a living armour and a cursed sword right on his person. That kinda suggests he shouldn't be that lonely. Unless there is something going on with those two. I wonder if we'll get to see them in their humanoid forms for the last vignette. There is definitely a reveal coming about that. I'm still revising to make sure that Aurelia is consistent with her NTM entry, though. |
| "When you have bought your own load of hooey, you know exactly what it is worth." -- Bruce Sterling |
| Worth the Weight We abandoned the wagon and set the horses free five miles outside of Alnor; entering the city with property last seen in the possession of someone we’d killed was probably a bad idea. From there we caught a ride into town on a trade caravan. From the harbor district it was quite a walk to Dr. Noctis’s clinic, and a fair bit out of my way, so I said my goodbyes in the caravanserai. The good doctor presented her hand for me to kiss while Licaria and her sisters claimed hugs. At the last Damien extended his hand, which I shook with more enthusiasm that I expected to feel. “Well, Squire Fox, we have had quite an adventure. I am honored to have had a companion such as you on it.” “Back at ya’, Sir Colin,” he said. “And if you every want to get a beer or something… give up the whole Lonely Knight thing… look me up.” Despite my usual aloofness I allowed the warmth I felt at this offer to show on my face. “I’ll do that.” I looked back at the half-dozen girls waiting behind me and added, “But first I have to get these young ladies to the safe haven I promised, and then I have a quest to complete. Meet me for drinks in a fortnight or so?” “You know where to find me… and the first round’s on you,” Damien said with his characteristic smirk. I felt myself return the smile. “Of course.” To the group I said, “Farewell, friends! May prosperity find you every sunrise and ill fortune forget your name.” “Farewell to you, Sir Colin. May you find the happiness you seek,” said Dr. Noctis. I nodded my thanks, then I hefted the saddlebags onto my shoulder and gestured for the rescued damsels to follow me. My destination was close by. The inn wasn’t luxurious, but it met my lady’s humble needs. The streets here were spotless -- unlike most this close to the harbor district -- and the guards were both discreet and numerous enough to deter all but the most foolish thieves. None challenged me as I approached; each of them either knew me or was under the supervision of one who did. We walked through the gate and up to the front door, where the hakutaku concierge was waiting. No doubt the guards on the wall had informed her of my arrival while I was still a way off. “Welcome, Sir Colin,” she said. “I see you have brought additional guests.” “Good evening, Evanthe,” I replied. “I rescued these young ladies in the course of my latest endeavor. Those who still have homes to return to will need assistance reaching them. For the rest I had hoped that the lady could find a place for them in her house.” “Very well, sir knight,” Evanthe said. “We anticipated your return today, so I have already prepared a room for you and ordered the servants to draw a bath. The lady is in an important meeting now, but she has invited you to join her for dinner.” “Most excellent, thank you.” To the girls I said, “This is Evanthe, concierge of this inn. Go with her and she will see to your needs.” The girls chorused their thanks and followed Evanthe to the servants’ wing while I proceeded to my room. An hour later I was freshly bathed and shaved and had availed myself of a change of clothes -- it had been days since I’d been out of the armor. I stepped out of the bedroom to find a gray-plumed owl harpy seated on the divan next to which my armor and sword lay. I bowed and said, “Oracle, this is a surprise! To what do I owe the pleasure?” “Even one as busy as I is permitted the occasional social call.” At my skeptical expression she giggled and confessed, “Oh, all right. I foresaw your arrival today and came to bear witness to quest’s end.” She stood up and opened her arms. “Now come over here and greet me properly, young man.” I smiled and stepped into her embrace. I allowed myself to enjoy being wrapped in the warmth of her feathers, but I had yet to lose the habit of holding her gingerly. The oracle tutted and said, “Come now, I am no fragile chick.” I chuckled and squeezed the way she liked. We stayed like that for some time, long enough to melt away the tension that had been with me so long that I often forgot it was there. When at last I relaxed the oracle released me and motioned for me to join her on the divan. “Now that your quest is over, I suppose you would like to inquire about your companions?” “Yes, oracle,” I said. “Have you found a cure for them?” “I have indeed,” the owl harpy said. “Thankfully the curse that robbed them of their womanly forms and most of their minds inflicted no permanent damage. Restoration will be difficult and time consuming, but when it is done they will once again be as they were.” “That is good news,” I said. For three long years my panoply had been my only companions, and I owed them my life many times over. “How long before I can take them home?” The oracle sighed and said, “A month, at least. I can perform the ritual within three days, but it will be over a fortnight before achieving its full effect. Once that is done they will be free to rejoin their wife.” “They will like that.” I took the sword into my lap with one hand and caressed the armor with the other. “I confess that I will miss their silent presence, and the dream images that they sometimes send, but I look forward to meeting their true selves.” “As do I,” said the oracle. “I will see to the preparations, then, so that you can soon take your friends home.” “My only friends, for so long,” I said. “And whose fault is that?” the oracle chided. “I dubbed you the Lonely Knight because of the loneliness of your armor and weapon, Sir Colin. I never said you had to pursue your quest alone. That was your choice.” The harpy took my head in her hands and kissed my forehead. “Now run along to your date. You are not the only one who has waited three years for this day.” “Yes, oracle.” I set the the sword next to the armor and rose from the divan. I bade farewell to them and to the oracle, took up the saddlebags, and strode out the door to my dinner with Aurelia. A quick stop at the front desk confirmed that Aurelia was staying in her usual room, so I proceeded there and knocked. My breath caught in my throat at the sweet sound of, “Come in” wafting from inside. Three years we had known each other, and the sound of my lady’s voice still thrilled me more than the touch of any other woman could. I stepped inside and closed the door, and when I turned to face my hostess my heart leaped at the sight. Aurelia reclined on a divan wearing a white silk chemise that looked like something a bride would wear on her wedding night. Ivory bangles adorned her wrists, and her sun-colored hair was arranged in a single braid artfully draped over one shoulder. Her golden skin shone as if it had been polished, and the crown growing from her scalp had indeed been polished. She held her feet in solid form rather than the molten pool that was their resting state, no doubt because I’d once said that her toes were pretty. I took a moment to savor the view before I crossed the room and knelt before her. “My lady,” I whispered. I kissed the back of her hand and then, feeling bold, placed another on the inside of her wrist. The smile this brought to her lips told me that it had been the right move. “My knight,” she replied. “Eagerly have I awaited your return.” Her formal tones might have been off-putting to a man of lesser breeding, but as a noble I knew this coyness for the subtle flirting that it was. “As have I,” I responded. I released her hand so I could lay the saddlebags at her feet. “And as promised, I come bearing gifts.” “They are much appreciated… but there can be no greater gift than your presence.” She leaned down and lifted the bags just enough to test the weight. “I will need to put it to the scales, of course, but this feels like enough to complete your quest.” I allowed myself a smug grin at this. “I have already weighed it, milady. It comes to two-thousand, one-hundred and thirty-three shekels, slightly over the remainder if memory serves.” “So much,” she said, “And so soon.” She set the saddlebags down and sat back. “So, in accordance with our agreement, I declare your quest complete. Over the course of three years you have brought me four times my weight in gold, and as promised I am now your wife.” “Should we not have a wedding first?” I asked. Aurelia shrugged, and that gesture emphasized how low-cut her garment was. “Were I Amarantine registering our marriage would require a tedious amount of paperwork, but since I am a citizen of Ahmose we need only declare ourselves wife and husband and it is so.” “That’s convenient.” I shifted to sit on the divan -- cleverly taking the opportunity to take Aurelia’s feet into my lap -- and asked, “Will you tell me now why the quest? I knew three years ago that you loved me, yet you required this task before we could be together. Why?” Aurelia kissed my hand, both the back and the inside of the wrist. “The oracle… the nightmare of Ahmose, not the owl harpy of Amarante… told me that becoming a bride before restoring my family’s fortunes would end in my tragic death. To avoid that fate she said I would need a champion to bring me gold, though the amount was my idea. My weight in gold to lift my house out of destitution, and that much again so that I could continue to help others with my wealth.” I’m no mathematician, but even I could tell that didn’t add up. “That only accounts for half the gold I brought you. What of the rest?” “Well…” my new wife smiled and pulled herself into my lap. “I’m sure you recall that a woman of my kind must consume her weight in gold to be able to bear a child.” “I do remember you telling me that,” I said. “But we have twice that amount.” I grinned as it occurred to me what she was getting at. “What are we to do with the rest?” Aurelia’s smile grew sultry as she drew close to kiss my cheek. She nibbled her way to my ear, gave the lobe a playful nip, and whispered, “How do you feel about twins, my love?” My answer was to lift her up and turn her so that she was straddling me before pulling her into a deep kiss. There wasn’t enough room on the divan for a proper wedding night -- at least, not one as vigorous as I had in mind -- so we retired to the bedroom. There we spent the rest of the night proving that the Lonely Knight was lonely no more. |
| "When you have bought your own load of hooey, you know exactly what it is worth." -- Bruce Sterling |
| A nice finale to the tale. Bringing Aurelia four times her weight in gold sure is quite the quest and achieving it in a mere three years is quite impressive of the lonely knight. I'm still curious about the cursed sword & rrmor. It appears they are married to another woman, yet Sir Colin is the one wielding them. Since he doesn't know about their female forms, it seems he only partnered up with them after whatever curse forced them into their inanimate forms took hold. Does this wife of theirs perhaps have some involvement with Aurelia and thus granted Sir Colin the armor and weapon that helped him achieve his quest? |
| Sir Colin did indeed partner with the sword and armor after they were cursed. As to how Colin found them, that has yet to be revealed (read: Tyger hasn't thought of it yet). And now, here is some bonus story for you! Chronologically this happens shortly before "Across the River and Into the Mines." The Maltese Harpy Part I The city of Alnor glistened like a shiny red apple, but not until you took a bite would you learn about the worms hiding inside. The shops of so prosperous a community offered almost anything that one might want to buy, but to the city’s shame justice was also one of the commodities on sale. My name is Sara Underwood. My business is getting justice for those too weak to fight for it or too poor to buy it… and because the world is a lousy place, business is good. I don’t normally travel outside Kaori, let alone by ship, but this case was special… special enough that the office of the Lord sprung for a vessel to take me to Alnor. The ship slid into port smooth as a new husband slipping into an eager bride. I waved to the captain as I stepped to the gangplank. “Keep a weather eye out, Stormy. I might come back here with my tail on fire.” “No worries, landlubber,” said the busty redhead as she touched the brim of her tricorner hat. “I always keep a fair wind in me sails in case I have ta weigh anchor in a hurry.” She winked and added, “And I promise ye, the meter’s always runnin’.” “Good thing the fare’s not coming out of my shallow pockets, then,” I said with a smile. I tipped my fedora and strolled down the gangplank. The Alnor harbor district isn’t a place that out-of-towners can easily find their way around, so I was glad that the locals had sent me an escort. When I reached the bottom of the gangplank I found a salamander wearing the uniform of the Alnor police waiting for me. She threw me a questioning glance and asked, “You Underwood?” “Depends,” I replied. I pulled a rolling paper out my trenchcoat pocket, filled it from a pouch on my belt, and rolled myself a cigar. “Who’s asking?” “Criseis, daughter of Criseis, sergeant, Alnor PD.,”she answered. She pointed at the cigar with her chin and said, “That smells like dreamweed. You know that’s a controlled substance in Amarante, right?” “I have a prescription.” I took a puff and made a point of blowing the smoke away from Criseis. “Besides, I already cleared it with your chief.” The salamander shrugged. “Above my pay grade, then. So, you ready to see the crime scene?” “Lead on,” I said. Criseis turned and started walking, and I followed. I’ve been in the detective game long enough to know that small talk is a good way to get information. As a cop Criseis probably knew that, too, but it was worth a shot. “So… Criseis, daughter of Criseis? That must have been confusing at home.” The salamander smirked and threw me a knowing glance, but she played along. “Mom and dad mostly call me ‘Junior.’ I’m Cris to my friends, though.” “I’ll remember that if we get to be friends,” I said. “But it’s nice to hear that your parents are still alive.” Criseis chuckled and said, “The chief was right, you don’t know how to turn it off. How about using those finely-honed detective skills to find out about the crime?” Heh, I thought, Right to business it is, then. Out loud I said, “I already know the basics. Any information that you haven’t released to the public that I should know about?” Criseis scowled and said, “Only that we already have a suspect.” The look on her face was a red flag. This case had just started, and already I could see it was going to be a pain in my lusciously rounded ass. “You mean, you haven’t revealed the identity of the suspect, or you haven’t revealed the fact that you have one?” “We haven’t released the suspect’s identity,” Criseis said. “It’s… sensitive information.” “Meaning the suspect is someone rich or powerful?” “Meaning the suspect is someone I’ll let the chief tell you about.” With that the salamander slammed shut like a Teremir vault door, and we passed the rest of the walk in silence. Criseis led me to a tavern near the edge of the harbor district. The building was roped off and clearly closed for business -- much to the owner’s chagrin, I’m sure -- and my practiced eye spotted a dozen guards stealthily patrolling the area. When we walked up to the front door Criseis flashed her badge to the guard on duty. Once inside she led me to an upstairs room where a black-haired devil waited. She wore markings on her uniform that indicated her rank as police chief and a scowl on her face as she regarded a featureless translucent figure on the floor where the victim had no doubt been found. Without looking up she said, “Glad you could make it, Underwood. This case is more frustrating than a husband with a limp rod, no mistake. I’m happy to have the services of a master detective on this.” I chuckled. “You didn’t waste any time deciding the new arrival was me, Chief… ?” The devil turned to me and said, “Ruthless, Vindictive’s daughter. Blond kejorou wearing trenchcoats and fedoras aren’t exactly thick on the ground, and dreamweed is illegal in these parts, so you stand out a bit.” Her expression took on a sympathetic air as she indicated my cigar. “I know about your condition -- we researched you pretty thoroughly. Tell me, does that actually help?” I took a puff and exhaled the smoke through my nose. “It takes the edge off.” I kept the part about “sometimes” to myself. I pointed at the figure on the floor and said, “Either your forensic illusionists need retraining, or the victim’s appearance has been deliberately obscured. Since we both know it’s the second option, you mind telling me who died?” Chief Ruthless grunted and nodded. To Criseis she said, “Take a walk, sergeant.” The salamander saluted and left the room. When she was gone the chief said, “Tell me, Miss Underwood, how much do you know about inter-realm politics? Specifically relations between Amarante and Kaori?” “Enough to know when a Kaorian trade consul goes missing while on a diplomatic mission to Alnor,” I replied. “So, you’ve confirmed that the victim was Councillor Bayalag?” “I’m afraid so,” said the captain. “She was killed by a single thrust to the heart. The coroner found no trace of metal or bone in the wound, so we know the weapon was enchanted or conjured. There are no other signs of a struggle, so she either knew her attacker or was caught completely by surprise. We don’t want to believe it was the person she came to meet with, but frankly there’s no reason to suspect anyone else.” The part of my gut where the ulcer would someday grow gave a twinge; here was the part of the case where the real trouble lay. “And that person was… ?” Ruthless sighed and looked away. “Sophia, daughter of Carissa,” she said, “Oracle of Amarante.” *** The chief offered to put me up at an inn, but I opted to stay aboard the Sanguine Storm. Nobody looking to dissuade the master detective from the case with a dagger between the ribs would be able to sneak past the captain. I sat on the floor of my cabin, stripped to my skivvies, with pages of notes and sketches arrayed around me. I’d been poring over them long enough to know that I wouldn’t learn anything more about Sophia this way, but I still didn’t know enough. Damn, why did all the oracles have to be so mysterious? I stretched and winced at the twinge of pain it brought. I considered using one of my precious opium cakes but decided against it. I only had three, and while in Amarante I had no way to get more. Not even drugs that potent made the constant pain from the symbiote go away; at most they would dampen it enough for me to sleep. If things got bad enough I could visit a brothel for some real relief -- I’d heard good things about the League of Upstanding Gentlemen -- but I feared getting attached, and there was no way I could afford to buy a man. I could barely afford to rent one. So for now I had to soldier through. I caressed the tendrils that crisscrossed my body in preparation for rubbing one out so my roommate would let me sleep. At least, that was the plan before the spectral form of the ship’s captain floated through the door. I shot her an annoyed glance and said, “Don’t you knock?” She chuckled and said, “I be the ship, lass. I’m aware of anything ye do here if I bother ta pay attention.” “Here’s hoping you’re not always paying attention, then.” I stood up and started putting my notes away. “So, why are you interrupting my ‘me’ time?” “Somebody just came up the gangplank,” she said. “Big girl wearing plate armor. Thought ye’d like ta know.” I nodded. “Thanks, Stormy.” I donned my trenchcoat and hat and went out to meet the new arrival. When I reached the deck I found an armored figure about to ring the ship’s bell. I called out, “No need, we already know you’re here.” The steel-clad arm jerked back from the bell and twitched toward the handle of the sword slung across her back. She didn’t draw, though, so I didn’t have to show her why attacking me was a bad idea. “I’m detective Sara Underwood. I suspect you’re here to see me.” “That I am.” The tension left the armored body with a visible exertion of will. “Is there someplace private where we can talk? What I have to tell you should be kept safe from prying ears.” “Sure, we can go below decks.” I turned and led the way. I wasn’t worried about having the stranger at my back; Stormy was at hers, after all. Once we reached the hold I faced my guest and said, “All right, let’s start with who you are. And be warned that I’m a truth-mage, so don’t bother lying to me.” That last part was a blatant lie, but no one but an actual truth-mage would be able to detect that. The stranger chuckled. “I’m surprised you haven’t already figured out who I am. I am somewhat famous, after all.” I started to remark on people with overly high opinions of themselves when the tiny voice at the back of my mind drew my attention to my guest’s equipment -- armor that glinted a bit more brightly than the moonlight would explain and a sword of black metal with reddish runes. Living armor and a cursed sword. Well, now, I thought. This case just got a lot more interesting. “The Lonely Knight. I thought you were a legend.” “Many people do.” The knight reached up to remove the helmet, and I got my second surprise of the knight; the face staring back at me was that of a man. I prefer men with dark hair and eyes, but blue-eyed blondes can be appealing, too. This one certainly was. “Sir Colin Greatwood, at your service.” Don’t I wish. Out loud I said, “A man. That explains some of the tales told about you.” I sat down on a supply crate and gestured for Sir Colin to do the same. “So, did you witness the murder?” The knight shook his head. “No, but I did witness the kidnapping that followed.” At my arched eyebrow he continued. “I heard the oracle would be at that tavern, and I had a problem I wanted to consult her about. When I arrived there was a dead oni on the floor and what looked like a woman made of shadows dragging an owl harpy to the window. I head a voice in my head say, ‘Starpoint’ before the shadow woman pulled the oracle outside and flew off. I didn’t want to get dragged in for questioning -- I often travel alone, and that would be much more difficult if it became common knowledge that I’m a man -- so I fled the scene and left the police an anonymous tip.” I took a moment to think. I’d heard rumors about a nictomancy school of magic, but they were unconfirmed. I filed that bit under the heading of “need more info” to get back to later. “I can’t see why the kidnapper would tell you where she was taking her victim, and owl harpies are known to be telepathic, so I think the oracle was telling you where to go to rescue her. Thanks for passing that on. I’ll tell the police, and we’ll check it out.” “I must go with you,” the knight said. “I don’t know why the kidnapper took the oracle, but I know who does. Besides, this is a delicate situation… I heard that oni was someone important from Kaori. The Kaorians won’t let their enemies in Amarante handle this.” “What makes you think they’ll let you handle it?” I asked. Sir Colin smiled. “I’m an outlander. Diplomatically I’m as neutral as one can get. Besides, I have a reputation for being honorable.” He leaned forward and said, “Face it, detective, you can’t handle this alone, and I can’t let anything happen to the oracle. We need each other.” I racked my brain looking for alternatives, but I couldn’t find any. Sir Colin was right, especially about how Kaori would want this handled. “All right, Sir Colin, you can come along. You’d just follow me if I refused, and this way I can at least keep an eye on you. But it’s my show, so you follow my lead. Deal?” “Deal.” He extended his hand, and we shook on it. “In the morning I’ll come back and take you to the person I mentioned.” “Why wait?” I said. “Let’s go right now.” I led my new partner up to the deck and yelled, “Captain! We’re off to run an errand. If we’re not back by morning you know what to do.” Stormy manifested a spectral form before me, which got a satisfying look of surprise from the Lonely Knight. “Aye, boss! I’ll keep it warm for ye, never fear.” She leered at Sir Colin and added, “I’ll keep it warm and moist for ye, if ye like.” “Take a cold shower, Stormy,” I admonished. “We have work to do.” “Awright, awright, ye bloody spoilsport,” said the ghostly sailor. “Just be careful, will ye? I don’t get paid if ye get killed.” “Your concern is touching,” I said wryly. I gestured to Sir Colin, and we walked off into the night. |
tygertygerOct 17, 2022 7:25 PM
| "When you have bought your own load of hooey, you know exactly what it is worth." -- Bruce Sterling |
| Today seems to be content day in the club here. Been a while since this much has been posted in such a short time frame. Seems very interesting, I'm guessing there will be a part 2? Now your comment on my vignette makes a lot of sense :P |
More topics from this board
» HMG XI Round 2 is Live!tygertyger - Sep 15 |
0 |
by tygertyger
»»
Sep 15, 2:04 PM |
|
Poll: » HMG XI Round 2 Bracket 1tygertyger - Sep 15 |
0 |
by tygertyger
»»
Sep 15, 1:56 PM |
|
Poll: » HMG XI Round 2 Bracket 2tygertyger - Sep 15 |
0 |
by tygertyger
»»
Sep 15, 1:49 PM |
|
Poll: » HMG XI Round 2 Bracket 3tygertyger - Sep 15 |
0 |
by tygertyger
»»
Sep 15, 1:40 PM |
|
Poll: » HMG XI Round 2 Bracket 4tygertyger - Sep 15 |
0 |
by tygertyger
»»
Sep 15, 1:26 PM |