Still writing folks, even though this place doesn't get much love. I've reached Chapter 8 of Dashing Swordsman, but then got stuck by another project. It wouldn't leave my mind. In fact, it was bad enough to hog itself a soundtrack!
And, as you well know, only one man could mess with my mind so much! ;P Oh yes, there's another Fezim Aulm text right behind. This one comes right after the last played part - meaning he just surrendered to Jessana and agreed with Celdur to fake his death.
As for Celdur, well, he isn't my character. I hope this doesn't overstep anything and that I did it right. :x (There is one thing wrong about it: Celdur has the same speech colour than Yultes. Weeeiiird.
Here goes!
***
I mentioned a soundtrack, didn't I? Well, the tune that played on loop while I wrote this is A Criminal Mind, from Gowan (and now Styx too). Anyway, I figured I could include it under!
And, as you well know, only one man could mess with my mind so much! ;P Oh yes, there's another Fezim Aulm text right behind. This one comes right after the last played part - meaning he just surrendered to Jessana and agreed with Celdur to fake his death.
As for Celdur, well, he isn't my character. I hope this doesn't overstep anything and that I did it right. :x (There is one thing wrong about it: Celdur has the same speech colour than Yultes. Weeeiiird.
Here goes!
***
Jessana stomped back up the hill, her brown mane flying behind her. She had taken the time to strap her armour back on properly and clutched her Heironeous symbol tightly. Part of her thick hair clung to her forehead, the rest fizzling around her shoulders. Her face was flushed from a mix of emotions: anger, embarrassment, confusion, hatred... So many feelings running through her head that even half a hour alone had not sufficed to put them in order. Truth was, she doubted years alone would help any. Thirty minutes had been enough to make her decision, however, and that was all duty would allow.
“He will be brought to trial,” she declared in a level, barely-controlled voice. “In Reverence, where charges for rape await him.”
The tall, blonde-haired paladin nodded sharply. Celdur's face was pale but resolute and Jessana was glad to note he hadn't taken off with her captive. She had not truly believed he would but since dealing with Fezim Aulm, she had trouble trusting anyone but herself. She sighed, noting that while the Enchanter had a few more red rashes than when she'd last see him, he could still talk.
“You didn't gag him?” she exclaimed, control leaving her voice instantly. “By the Archpaladin, he's a wizard! What were you thinking?”
She walked straight up to the Enchanter, who reflexively took a step back and glanced at the bloodied sword tied to her side. She ignored his reaction and grabbed his sleeve. Fezim's eyes went wide.
“Surely there is no need for this,” he mumbled, biting his lower lip for what was sure to come.
“There is every need,” she replied through clenched teeth, not looking up at him. Her two hands set firmly on the robes' soft tissue and she began pulling with all her strength. The fabric gave off a loud, resounding ripping sound and Fezim cringed as she tore his sleeve all the way up to his elbow.
“Bloodied and torn... This really isn't – hmmff!”
Fezim never got to the end of his thoughts, interrupted by Jessana's sudden stuffing of his robe's sleeve into his mouth. Her movements were quick and forceful and as the gag touched his mouth, he was glad Celdur had used his magic to clean him. Blood and vomit was not something he wanted to spend days tasting.
“That is much better,” Jessana commented. She stepped back and let out a heavy sigh. Her eyes searched for the Enchanter's pack. “We leave in but a few minutes. Celdur... I thank you for your guidance in this matter. May both Pelor and Heironeous guide your steps.”
“Wait, I'm not going anywhere,” Celdur said. “I was not pursuing any particular endeavour. I will accompany you.”
“You want to come?” she asked, visibly surprised. She had always been alone in pursuing Fezim and it had not crossed her mind for even a moment another paladin would want part of this.
“Of course. I go where my help is needed, Jessana,” he answered softly.
“I don't need your help!” she retorted angrily, striding to Fezim's pack and looking away to hide her flush. Celdur sighed.
“You are fatigued physically and emotionally. Chasing him must have been long and hard, but you still must bring him to Reverence. You cannot watch him all-day long. You will need to sleep, at the very least,” Celdur replied without backing down for a single second. “There is no need to do this alone.”
“I'm not alone...” she replied softly, her fingers touching her bloodied holy symbol. “But you are right. Two cannot be too many to watch him. I would be... honoured to have your help.”
Celdur smiled but Jessana was not looking at him. She bent over, picked the magical sack and silently wished for its content to spill out. Everything crashed on the ground, with multiple wine bottles rolling down the rocky slopes and breaking upon a rock. These weren't what Jessana was looking for, although she did throw them a disdainful glance. Instead she reached for a dark purple tome engraved with an arcane symbol. Fezim had stared at his feet as his best wine bottles were destroyed, but he snapped his head up as he noticed she carried his spellbook.
Jessana glanced at him and threw the book further off, away from the rest of his equipment. She then picked one of the few intact bottles and smashed its top on a nearby rock. Fezim bit his lower lip but, mustering every bit of control he still had, he remained still and silent. Jessana advanced on the purple tome with the smashed bottle and unceremoniously dumped the wine on the spellbook. Fezim frowned, unsure of what she was trying to achieve – he had long ago learned to remove wine smears from the precious pages.
The paladin reached out in one of her pockets as the enchanter waited, barely breathing. Celdur had stepped closer to him and although he would never openly admit it, the tall man's presence felt somewhat reassuring. He'd convinced Celdur that his plan was the best course of action to adopt – for once, he had an ally in his scheme. An almost sadistic smile reached Jessana's face and she brought a tiny tinder twig out of pocket. Fezim heart stopped beating: he could clean pages, but he would never recuperate burnt ones. Jessana scratched the tinder twig and lit it up, flicking it at the spellbook.
“No!” Fezim called through the gag and even with the sound muffled, all understood the exclamation perfectly. He tried to dive forward but Celdur put a firm hand on his shoulder, keeping here where he'd stood. The pressure was just enough to restrain him without being forceful and Fezim understood he was better not leaping into the fire. He watched silently as the flames engulfed his spellbook but soon couldn't bear it. In a few seconds, Jessana had annihilated years of work.
“Let's go,” she said, her tone calm and level. No overall satisfaction or pleasure came through her voice and if she did feel excited about what she had just done, she kept a tight rein on her emotions. Slinging her pack over her shoulders, she motioned for Celdur to follow her down the mountainous trail.
“He will be brought to trial,” she declared in a level, barely-controlled voice. “In Reverence, where charges for rape await him.”
The tall, blonde-haired paladin nodded sharply. Celdur's face was pale but resolute and Jessana was glad to note he hadn't taken off with her captive. She had not truly believed he would but since dealing with Fezim Aulm, she had trouble trusting anyone but herself. She sighed, noting that while the Enchanter had a few more red rashes than when she'd last see him, he could still talk.
“You didn't gag him?” she exclaimed, control leaving her voice instantly. “By the Archpaladin, he's a wizard! What were you thinking?”
She walked straight up to the Enchanter, who reflexively took a step back and glanced at the bloodied sword tied to her side. She ignored his reaction and grabbed his sleeve. Fezim's eyes went wide.
“Surely there is no need for this,” he mumbled, biting his lower lip for what was sure to come.
“There is every need,” she replied through clenched teeth, not looking up at him. Her two hands set firmly on the robes' soft tissue and she began pulling with all her strength. The fabric gave off a loud, resounding ripping sound and Fezim cringed as she tore his sleeve all the way up to his elbow.
“Bloodied and torn... This really isn't – hmmff!”
Fezim never got to the end of his thoughts, interrupted by Jessana's sudden stuffing of his robe's sleeve into his mouth. Her movements were quick and forceful and as the gag touched his mouth, he was glad Celdur had used his magic to clean him. Blood and vomit was not something he wanted to spend days tasting.
“That is much better,” Jessana commented. She stepped back and let out a heavy sigh. Her eyes searched for the Enchanter's pack. “We leave in but a few minutes. Celdur... I thank you for your guidance in this matter. May both Pelor and Heironeous guide your steps.”
“Wait, I'm not going anywhere,” Celdur said. “I was not pursuing any particular endeavour. I will accompany you.”
“You want to come?” she asked, visibly surprised. She had always been alone in pursuing Fezim and it had not crossed her mind for even a moment another paladin would want part of this.
“Of course. I go where my help is needed, Jessana,” he answered softly.
“I don't need your help!” she retorted angrily, striding to Fezim's pack and looking away to hide her flush. Celdur sighed.
“You are fatigued physically and emotionally. Chasing him must have been long and hard, but you still must bring him to Reverence. You cannot watch him all-day long. You will need to sleep, at the very least,” Celdur replied without backing down for a single second. “There is no need to do this alone.”
“I'm not alone...” she replied softly, her fingers touching her bloodied holy symbol. “But you are right. Two cannot be too many to watch him. I would be... honoured to have your help.”
Celdur smiled but Jessana was not looking at him. She bent over, picked the magical sack and silently wished for its content to spill out. Everything crashed on the ground, with multiple wine bottles rolling down the rocky slopes and breaking upon a rock. These weren't what Jessana was looking for, although she did throw them a disdainful glance. Instead she reached for a dark purple tome engraved with an arcane symbol. Fezim had stared at his feet as his best wine bottles were destroyed, but he snapped his head up as he noticed she carried his spellbook.
Jessana glanced at him and threw the book further off, away from the rest of his equipment. She then picked one of the few intact bottles and smashed its top on a nearby rock. Fezim bit his lower lip but, mustering every bit of control he still had, he remained still and silent. Jessana advanced on the purple tome with the smashed bottle and unceremoniously dumped the wine on the spellbook. Fezim frowned, unsure of what she was trying to achieve – he had long ago learned to remove wine smears from the precious pages.
The paladin reached out in one of her pockets as the enchanter waited, barely breathing. Celdur had stepped closer to him and although he would never openly admit it, the tall man's presence felt somewhat reassuring. He'd convinced Celdur that his plan was the best course of action to adopt – for once, he had an ally in his scheme. An almost sadistic smile reached Jessana's face and she brought a tiny tinder twig out of pocket. Fezim heart stopped beating: he could clean pages, but he would never recuperate burnt ones. Jessana scratched the tinder twig and lit it up, flicking it at the spellbook.
“No!” Fezim called through the gag and even with the sound muffled, all understood the exclamation perfectly. He tried to dive forward but Celdur put a firm hand on his shoulder, keeping here where he'd stood. The pressure was just enough to restrain him without being forceful and Fezim understood he was better not leaping into the fire. He watched silently as the flames engulfed his spellbook but soon couldn't bear it. In a few seconds, Jessana had annihilated years of work.
“Let's go,” she said, her tone calm and level. No overall satisfaction or pleasure came through her voice and if she did feel excited about what she had just done, she kept a tight rein on her emotions. Slinging her pack over her shoulders, she motioned for Celdur to follow her down the mountainous trail.
***
I mentioned a soundtrack, didn't I? Well, the tune that played on loop while I wrote this is A Criminal Mind, from Gowan (and now Styx too). Anyway, I figured I could include it under!
