[Mkguild] Plain and Simple part 3

[Mark Lee]

So what is George going to be? A furry? a woman or a child? I think he would
be a furry and he'll be a Rhino.
 If this is your plan,then go for it!

On Tue, Feb 3, 2009 at 9:58 PM, Chris <chrisokane at verizon.net> wrote:

>
>   George and Misha made their way slowly through the hallways and
> corridors of Metamor. The old bandit took a close interest in every
> person they passed especially all the animal morphs.
>
>   "Is there any limits to the species?" George asked as they passed a
> female zebra walking with a pair of human looking children.
>
>   Misha shook his head. "No. Any species is possible including griffons
> and several that no one has seen except in old stories and legends from
> far distant lands. And at least a dozen are thought to be extinct in the
> wild."
>
>   "Where does the curse get it's power from?" George asked.
>
>   "The Keep itself rests on a powerful magical nexus," Misha explained.
> "Basically it's a natural magic source. Somehow the curse has become
> intertwined with it and the Keep itself."
>
>   "Somehow?" George asked sarcastically as he dodged a fast moving
> servant headed in the opposite direction. "Meaning the mages have no
> clue what happened."
>
>   Misha gave a yip of laughter and wagged his bushy tail in delight.
> "Correct. Seriously though from what little I know of magic it might
> take them a century or more to fully understand what happened. Right now
> all they can do is make guesses."
>
>   The fox stopped in front of a door. It was a plain wooden door with
> writing on it that George recognized. It read "Misha Brightleaf."
>
>   "You live that close to the Duke?" George asked.
>
>   "No," the fox explained and rested a had on the door knob. "Remember
> that Metamor is magical and the interior moves around almost
> constantly."
>
>   "How do you find your way in a building that is always moving?"
> George asked shaking his head..
>
>   "You don't. You just picture in your mind where you want to go and
> start walking. Soon enough you arrive."
>
>  George looked at him dubiously. "That makes no sense," the bandit
> commented.
>
>   "I know but it works."
>
>   "Fair enough. That's what matters."
>
>   Misha nodded and opened the door. "You'll get used to it soon enough.
> It took me a few days at first. And this is what I call home!" he
> exclaimed and stepped through the door.
>
>   The room was surprisingly large. George had expected Misha's room to
> be like most rooms he had seen in castles and fortresses; small, cramped
> and cold. This one was huge with a bed large enough for two people, a
> desk, a good sized table, several cabinets and even a fireplace.
>
>   The old bandit spied a door set in one wall and opening it he saw a
> small but well stocked workshop which shared the fireplace with the
> first room.
>
>   "I'm impressed," George commented as he looked around.
>
>   "Where did you think I was living? A hole in the ground?" Misha
> picked up a small bell that was sitting on his desk and rang it. "Make
> yourself comfortable. I'll get us both a meal and we can plan our little
> outing."
>
>   There was a soft knock on the door and a young girl of about fourteen
> entered. "Sir," she said softly.
>
>   "Dinner for two," the fox ordered. "Veal, vegetables, bread and ale."
>
>   "And wine!" George added.
>
>   "Lots of wine," Misha finished.
>
>   The girl left as quietly as she had arrived.
>
>   "All this and a servant too?" the man kidded.
>
>   "That girl is a page in the Duke's service. She probably rides better
> then you and me," Misha explained. The fox made his way to a cabinet and
> pulled out a bottle and some cups.
>
>   "Women knights?" George said. "I didn't think Thomas was that open."
>
>   The vulpine nodded in response and placed the bottle of wine and the
> two cups on the table. "The curse changed the gender of one in three at
> the Keep. It's hard to be biased against a woman when SHE was once a HE
> and is better with a sword and lance than you are."
>
>   "How are people handling the changes?" George asked.
>
>   Misha shrugged. "Mixed. Some love it, others hate it. The rest are
> somewhere in between. Everyone is coping with it."
>
>   "And you?" George asked.
>
>   Misha opened the wine and poured some into both cups. "I love it! You
> can't imagine what it's like. I have my human mind combined with a fox's
> superb senses. I even have a fox's bite." He pulled back his lips
> revealing a muzzle full of long, sharp teeth.
>
>   "Do you chew on a bone to keep those clean and sharp?" George
> commented laconically as he picked up one of the cups.
>
>   Misha didn't speak but bared his sharp teeth and snapped them
> together.
>
>   George sipped the wine slowly. "Nice." He nodded his head. "Good
> vintage. Where is it from?"
>
>   "From the Giantdowns," the fox explained.
>
>   "I thought there were only Lutins in the north?" the old bandit asked
> as he sipped more wine.
>
>   "Most of it belongs to the Lutins but there are quite a few human
> settlements up there too. Unfortunately all of them belong to Nasoj at
> the moment."
>
>   George held up the bottle of wine. "And how did this get here?"
>
>   "Smuggled of course. Every so often a few merchants wander into one
> of the villages north of here with goods to trade. At least that's what
> the villagers claim." Misha gave a short bark of laughter. "There's
> always been some form of smuggling and trade going on with the Lutins.
> Even during the days of the Seuliman." The fox shook his head. "But not
> lately. The only Lutins coming here have been raiders not traders."
>
>   "Why barter for what you can steal," George said between sips of
> wine. "What is it like here? What do I have to work with?"
>
>   The fox scout took a large, rolled up piece of parchment from his
> desk. "There are some good people here George. They've been fighting the
> Lutins for centuries and they're good at it. What they need is
> organization and good leadership. Most of the good leaders were killed
> during the siege and we've just never recovered." He unrolled it onto
> the table between them revealing a large, very detailed map.
>
>   "This is Metamor Pass." Misha explained. "The valley is about twenty
> miles long. The width varies from several miles to less then half a mile
> here at the Keep. The southern part of the valley is pretty safe. But
> north of the Keep is pretty wild and dangerous. Few settlements and
> those that there are seem to be constantly under attack by raiders. The
> raiders themselves are mostly Lutins backed by some humans."
>
>   George traced his finger along a line at the northern mouth of the
> valley. "What's this?"
>
>   "Giants Dike," Misha answered. "The remains of the old Seuilman
> wall."
>
>   The bandit took a drink of wine. "Anything left?"
>
>   "Nothing but a few ditches and some piles of stone. Nothing we can
> use."
>
>   "Shame. A nice tall wall would be easy to defend."
>
>   Misha nodded. "I doubt the Duke would have enough people to man
> something that long," the vulpine scout commented. "It took the empire
> two full legions and what the Duke has isn't even equal to half a
> legion."
>
>   "There are just a handful of nobles left north of the Keep. On the
> west side is Lord Barnhardt. He has a good sized castle built on a lake
> and three or four small villages," Misha explained. "None are very large
> and all have been raided at least a half dozen times. One, Glen Avery
> has been hit so many times they've given up on regular buildings.
> They've dug the whole town into the ground like a badger hole."
>
>   "Makes sense. Can't burn dirt!" George commented and nodded his head.
>
>   The fox tapped the map of one side. "On the east side we have Lord
> Cybury of Mycransburg. They were hit very hard during Nasoj's last
> attack and they still haven't really recovered."
>
>   He placed his finger on the map just above the Keep. "Directly north
> of the Keep we have Tarrelton at the crossroads. It's only a dozen
> houses surrounded by a palisade plus a tumbled down, old Seuliman
> tower."
>
>   "They haven't been hit," George said. It was a statement not a
> question. "Too close to the keep. Barely an hour's walk. Cavalry can
> cover that in a few minutes and slaughter any raiders."
>
>   The vulpine nodded in agreement. "They've had some sheep and cattle
> thefts," the fox added. "But nothing worse."
>
>   "In some places cattle stealing is a local hobby," George commented.
> "You're not considered a man till you've stolen someone's cattle."
>
>   "Except here they kill the cattle herder instead of just beating them
> up."
>
>   George tapped a small green square with a red x through it that was
> just to the south of the Giants Dike. "And this is?"
>
>   "That WAS a small outpost castle. It was razed to the ground during
> Nasoj's last attack and they haven't rebuilt it."
>
>   "Why?" George asked coldly.
>
>   Misha shrugged. "I've no idea but things have been pretty unsettled
> since the curse took hold. And Nasoj really devastated the whole
> valley."
>
>   The man shook his head vigorously. "No excuse. That place controls
> half the valley mouth. From there we can stop raiders before they can
> get anywhere near the towns and villages."
>
>  The fox snarled softly and shook his head. "I've made those
> suggestions already and all I get in response is that I go back to
> killing Lutins and leave strategy to people who know what they are
> doing."
>
>   "I see your reputation with that axe of yours is still as bloody as
> before. She'll be the death of you yet."
>
>   "SHE," Misha commented angrily, "has kept me alive all this time."
>
>   "And left most people thinking you're an axe-wielding manic," George
> added calmly.
>
>   "I'm just one voice, George," Misha answered softly. "I can only do
> so much. I need someone with your leadership skills and respect."
>
>   "Respect?"
>
>   "George, you are a natural leader. When you speak people listen,"
> Misha explained and poked his friend in the chest with an outstretched
> finger. "Even Thomas recognized that and he only met you for a few
> minutes."
>
>   George smiled at the compliment. "What's Thomas like?" he asked in
> return.
>
>   Misha shrugged in response. "Decent but he definitely is no military
> genius and he certainly has no idea how to command scouts. But he does
> at least have the sense to recognize his limitations. He agrees with me
> that we need to organize the scouts."
>
>   "He just doesn't want you leading them?" George added.
>
>   The vulpine nodded his head in response. "I'm a good scout but this
> task is far beyond my skills George. I've never led an army or held the
> post of commander of scouts. You've led armies and taken cities."
>
>   "Don't belittle your own skills Misha. You'll make a good leader
> someday," George countered.
>
>   "Just not now," the fox replied.
>
>   George ran a finger around a large green patch on the map that filled
> the entire northeastern part of the valley above Mycransburg. In the
> middle of it was a large red skull.
>
>   "That is Haunted Wood," Misha said, answering the mans unasked
> question. "And yes it really is haunted. Most of it is plain forest but
> the center holds the remains of a Seuilman fortress and that place IS
> haunted. I've been there and it would scare anyone."
>
>   The man looked dubiously at his old friend.
>
>   "I've seen and heard them myself George and I'm certain that the
> Seuilman left something behind. Something very nasty."
>
>   "Any clues to what? I've seen some of the nasty things the empire has
> left behind," George asked as he settled down into a seat. "And other
> things that some stupid mage summoned."
>
>   Misha shrugged. "No idea and I'm not in the mood to get close enough
> to find out more. The wizards here haven't really studied the problem
> but they do say that it's strictly confined to the ruins and the woods
> surrounding it. I know the locals and the Lutins avoid the place,
> especially at night. Unfortunately the forest doesn't go all the way to
> the valley wall and they can easily get around it."
>
>   George nodded. "Still it does help us. It means less area to patrol."
>
>   The fox nodded in agreement. "Someday we'll have to do something
> about that but for the moment we can ignore it and concentrate on
> Nasoj."
>
>   "Not ignore," George countered. "For the moment it's a lesser threat
> but we can never really ignore."
>
>   "Of course," Misha answered, "but when the house is burning down it's
> hard to worry about the termites eating through the floorboards."
>
>   The elder scout laughed. "And what if the floor collapses while
> you're trying to put out the fire?  And if you do put out the fire the
> termites will still be there."
>
>   "I understand but that doesn't change the fact that Nasoj and the
> Lutins are our biggest threat."
>
>   The old bandit nodded in agreement. "Any threats from the south?"
>
>   Misha shook his head. "No. Most of the people just south of the
> valley are loyal to the Duke. Besides most people outside the valley are
> terrified of the curse and won't come near the valley."
>
>   The old bandit smiled. "The curse does have it's good side. But I bet
> that will change with time. The curse doesn't scare the Lutins?"
>
>   "Unfortunately Lutins are immune to it," Misha answered. "Only human
> folk are effected."
>
>   "Shame. A little fear can go a long way to helping us win," George
> answered shaking his head. "And nothing scares better then a fear of the
> unknown."
>
>   The fox scout shrugged. "The Lutins weren't frightened by the empire
> centuries ago so why should a little magic stop them." He ran his hands
> across the map in a giant sweeping motion. "Remember they conquered all
> of the Midlands."
>
>   "A lot of folks in the Midlands don't remember that but I do," George
> said and sipped his wine.
>
>   "The Lutins have been raiding into the valley for centuries," Misha
> commented. "They have the tactics worked out very well. The only thing
> stopping them is the Keepers. The curse has made it both harder and
> easier to defend the valley. A lutin might not be afraid a man with a
> spear but they'll bolt in fear when faced with a lion!"
>
>   "Strip," George ordered suddenly.
>
>   "Excuse me?" Misha asked calmly. "Don't I even get dinner first?" he
> joked.
>
>   "If I'm going to become fuzzy like you I want to see what I'm going
> to get and you are my only example," George explained.
>
>   "The keep is full of furries like me George," the fox countered.
>
>   "But the only one I've seen nude is you," the man explained pointing
> a finger at Misha.
>
>   "Not voluntarily. I surrendered honorably and you stripped me naked."
>
>   George laughed. "It was the only way I could keep you from trying to
> escape again. And no one touched you did they?"
>
>   Misha took off his shirt and dropped it onto the back of a chair.
> "True. You always respected a person's body. No one can ever accuse you
> of rape." His pants soon joined the shirt on the chair and Misha was now
> only clad in cotton breeches that barely covered his genitals.
>
>   George looked his friend over like he was eyeing a horse before
> purchase. "You're a lot thinner but you've lost none of your muscle
> tone."
>
>   "I lost close to seventy pounds," Misha explained. "This is my
> balanced weight now. Any more and it just turns to wasted fat."
>
>   George walked up to the morph and placed his hand on the vulpine's
> head, "You're shorter too. By more then a full hand span."
>
>   Misha nodded in agreement. "Foxes are naturally small."
>
>   "Does that mean the larger species are bigger?"
>
>   "Oh yes! The medium sized species like wolves are normal sized but
> the larger species wind up bigger. We have an elephant here who is
> almost three times my height and a rat that's a full head shorter then
> me."
>
>   "I also see a few new scars," George commented.
>
>   Misha nodded. "Lutins excel at fighting."
>
>   There was a soft knock at the door and the page returned carrying a
> tray filled with platters of food. Behind her was another page, this one
> a boy carrying two bottles of wine and a jug of ale.
>
>   The girl's eyes widened slightly at the sight of the almost nude,
> male fox but she showed no other reaction. The two pages laid out the
> food and drink as Misha and George waited silently.
>
>   Misha reached for the pouch on his belt before he remembered he
> wasn't wearing his belt, pouch or anything else. He fumbled for several
> moments with the pile of clothes on the chair before producing a handful
> of coins.
>
>   The fox tossed a gold coin to each of the pages. "Thank you Cindy,
> Brian."
>
>   The boy left quickly but the girl paused at the door and looked at
> Misha for a moment, her eyes taking in the fox's seminude form. She
> smiled, then blushed from ear to ear and hurriedly left the room.
>
>   George laughed. "No wonder you get such good service if you give the
> women such a free show."
>
>   Misha gave a bark of laughter and quickly pulled his pants and shirt
> back on. "That was my only performance."
>
>   "Are you always so free with your gold?"
>
>   "Thomas pays me five gold," Misha said displaying all the fingers of
> his left hand, "for each dead lutin. And my normal pay is twice that
> each week."
>
>   The old bandit grinned broadly. "I'm going to like this horse lord."
>
>   All further discussion ended as they started to eat. They enjoyed the
> meal even if they did have to order more wine. Twice.
>
> End part 3
>
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-- =

TTFN!!!
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