No subject

to always know how to fight in hand to hand combat, so as to keep a warrior=20
from overpowering you.=20

The other is to always have a weapon of some kind available, because not all=
=20
taverns make you check weapons on entry, and not all warriors play fair.=20

Jono has another thing to thank the Curse for besides his restored voice;=20
he's a big cat, and big cats have very sharp claws. So he knows exactly what=
=20
to do when the Lutin charges. He takes a sidestep and swoops in close to the=
=20
charging Lutin before it can swing, catches the hand with the sword in it=20
with one paw, and with the other unsheathes his claws and guts the Lutin fro=
m=20
top to bottom in one powerful stroke.=20

The lutin hasn't even hit the ground yet before Jono has turned and yelled=20
"Derek! Get to the gate! RUN!"=20

***=20


"PERRY!" Jo cries. "That's not-"=20

But Perry has already noticed and is charging forward, one hand on his sword=
=20
hilt at the Lutin band further up down the hall. "For the Duke! For Metamor!=
"=20
he cries, leaping at them and curling into a rolling ball headed straight fo=
r=20
them.=20

Perry, as a contrast to Jono and Jo, has never been outside of the Keep. He=20
was born and raised in the Metamor village, watched his parents go off to th=
e=20
Battle Of Three Gates and saw only his mother - now his father - return, and=
=20
became a prickly beast a year later at the remarkably early age of 13. A=20
quarter of a year later he became one of the youngest new members of the arm=
y=20
of Metamor. In keeping with generations of his predecessors, he's been=20
fiercely loyal to the Keep and to the inhabitants within, and he would=20
willingly die to protect any Keeper, so he throws himself in this fashion=20
towards the enemy while Joanne is getting the kids to safety in Jono's rooms=
.=20

Ultimately, though, he prefers not to die; he figures he can save more=20
Keepers if he's alive. Which is why his usual method of attack involves=20
taking advantage of what the Curse granted him.=20

Four of the eight Lutins fail to get out of the way and fall as he plows=20
through them, stuck dozens of times by the spines and left bleeding on the=20
ground. Then when his feet touch ground again he leaps up into a somersault,=
=20
landing away from the remainder, turning and drawing his sword. He doesn't=20
bother wasting breath with words; instead, he swings at the first Lutin to=20
charge, catching it along the side of the head and splitting the skull.=20

The three left seem a little more swift than the fallen - obviously in both=20
dexterity as well as mental agility, else they'd be with their fellows on th=
e=20
ground - and don't all charge at once. Instead, one steps forward and takes=20=
a=20
swing while the other pulls and throws a knife at his leg. Perry manages to=20
quickly parry both blows (sword with sword, knife with spikes), but it's=20
clear that he's suddenly out of his league.=20

Fortunately, he's not alone.=20

Joanne has been travelling with Jono for a good part of her life, and his=20
too, ever since they were both young children not much older than those=20
rushing into Jono's rooms now. She lost her entire family - including both=20
her parents, her brother and sister, and the Apothecary they all ran - to a=20
marauding Inquisitioner band when they discovered that her Lothanasi mother=20
was trying to reconcile the two religions, and no true Inquiusitioner could=20
dare allow that, of course. She met Jono that very night of her escape,=20
travelling with his parents, and since then has been using her knowledge=20
gained in the Apothecary to keep Jono healthy after particularly rough shows=
,=20
and occasionally even assisted him in the performances. And in living=20
alongside him, and treating his wounds, she's also learned to keep a weapon=20
always close by - preferably one that will keep the enemy from using his=20
weapon back against you.=20

Therefore she's very glad of what she escaped her burning home with all thos=
e=20
years ago. She had only three things - her life, her clothes, and a pair of=20
throwing daggers that she retrieved from behind her father's desk while he=20
fought off the Inquisitioners, yelling at her to run.=20

The two throwing daggers are rather remarkable, however; they're an old=20
family heirloom, owned for generations, and kept about them at all times. Th=
e=20
reason for this is pretty simple; they are immensely powerful magical=20
artifacts. She almost never tells people about them, however; the only=20
presumably other living beings who know of them are Jono, and one of the Gle=
n=20
scouts named Marcus, to whom everyone seems to think she's betrothed. (She's=
=20
not, but they've discussed it.)=20

As a result, when she flings one of the daggers at the rearguard Lutin, and=20
it becomes a bright streak of flashing light that drives through the Lutin=20
first on the way there, then again on the way back to her paw within a very=20
brief flicker of time, everyone is caught off guard.=20

They're used to it by the time she uses it again on the second Lutin,=20
however. Excepting, of course, the third Lutin who was in front of Perry, wh=
o=20
barely has time to note the fall of his fellows before Perry's sword cuts=20
down through the top of his head, dropping him instantly.=20

"Perry!" Jo yells, re-sheathing her dagger. "C'mon!"=20

The hedgehog evidently doesn't need the encouragement, as he quickly sheaths=
=20
his sword and runs quickly back towards Jono's rooms as the last few kids=20
enter, with Dana among them.=20

***=20

=A0=A0End part 10a=20




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<HTML><FONT FACE=3Darial,helvetica><FONT  SIZE=3D2>
<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
<BR>12/24 - 8pm=20
<BR>
<BR>
<BR>I whimper, and look to the hole in the wall that lets light in. =A0The=20
<BR>wall-that-I-can-see-through has been moved a little, so that I can smell=
 the=20
<BR>cold air, but He has made me stay inside. =A0He is bigger, so I must obe=
y him.=20
<BR>=A0=20
<BR>But I do not like it. =A0I should be with Him, and His mate, and The Fem=
ale. =A0I=20
<BR>should not be alone.=20
<BR>
<BR>And no matter how much His mate cuffs me, scentmarks are good things.=20
<BR>
<BR>I smell a little of Him through the opening to outside, though not as mu=
ch as=20
<BR>there is in here. =A0I can almost smell His mate. =A0They smell happy.=20=
=A0But I=20
<BR>cannot smell The Female. =A0She is still not here.=20
<BR>
<BR>Then, I smell something else. =A0It is not Him, or Her, or His mate.=20=
=A0It is not=20
<BR>food. =A0What is --=20
<BR>
<BR>My tail curls under as I remember the smell. =A0Badsmell. =A0Badsmell br=
ings=20
<BR>Badthings. =A0Badthings that can hurt, and kill, and ...=20
<BR>
<BR>I scratch at the movingwall, but it does not move. =A0He has made me sta=
y away=20
<BR>from the wall-I-can-see-through, so I cannot go through there. =A0I must=
 get to=20
<BR>Him! =A0I must tell Him! =A0Badthings are coming!=20
<BR>
<BR>Someone moves the movingwall from the other side, and I am free! =A0I fo=
llow=20
<BR>His scent and His mate's, to the eatingplace, and lose them. =A0Too much=
 scent,=20
<BR>too many! =A0Too much!=20
<BR>
<BR>Noise! =A0Fightnoise! =A0But He is not here! =A0Where ... ?=20
<BR>
<BR>Her! =A0I must go to Her! =A0She is My Female, and I must protect Her!=20
<BR>
<BR>I scatter the others as I run through the caverns to the specialplace wh=
ere I=20
<BR>remember Her. =A0Her and ... the Other. =A0But She must be protected!=20=
=A0She must=20
<BR>be warned!=20
<BR>
<BR>I turn one more corner, skittering on the smooth notground, and run insi=
de=20
<BR>the specialplace. =A0She is there, and I place my paws upon Her and give=
 the=20
<BR>whuffle of parentcall. =A0I must protect you, Female! =A0Badthings come!=
=20
<BR>BADTHINGS COME!=20
<BR>
<BR>The movingwalls behind me come together with a noise like many rocks.=20
<BR>
<BR>**=20
<BR>
<BR>12/24 - 8pm=20
<BR>
<BR>At first, the sound was greeted with confusion -- it had been seven year=
s=20
<BR>since the general alarum had last been sounded, and there were many Keep=
ers=20
<BR>in the temple tonight who had never heard it before today. But then the=20
<BR>shouts and screams of battle began to echo up from the curtain wall belo=
w,=20
<BR>and confusion rapidly turned to fear, stunned disbelief, then anger.=20
<BR>
<BR>"Stay calm, everyone!" Raven called out, using one of her favorite cleri=
cal=20
<BR>tricks to make her voice echo unnaturally through the room. "No one move=
! We=20
<BR>do not want anyone getting hurt! =A0Stay put and listen to me!"=20
<BR>
<BR>The trick worked: all eyes turned toward Raven. For ten seconds, nobody=20
<BR>moved.=20
<BR>
<BR>In the space of those ten seconds, a terrified and very familiar-looking=
 wolf=20
<BR>came racing through the doors of the temple, yowling as if every daedra=20=
in=20
<BR>all nine hells were on his tail. He raced down the center aisle, heedles=
s of=20
<BR>everyone there, and made a line straight for Raven.=20
<BR>
<BR>He was halfway to her when the outer temple doors swung shut with a=20
<BR>thunderous boom.=20
<BR>
<BR>The people in the audience jumped at the roaring crash and turned to loo=
k at=20
<BR>the doors as if they had betrayed them. =A0The wolf raced the rest of th=
e way=20
<BR>towards Raven and began pawing at her frantically. He was whining forlor=
nly,=20
<BR>desperately, and Raven's arms went up in an instinctive defensive postur=
e.=20
<BR>Her ears flattened, and her lips began to curl back in a snarl.=20
<BR>
<BR>"Wand'rer!" Lurene called, rushing to the animal's side. She wrapped her=
 arms=20
<BR>around his neck and held him back, giving Raven the time she needed to r=
egain=20
<BR>her composure. Placing a hand on his head, she drove a shaft of consciou=
sness=20
<BR>into his mind like a sharp grey knife.=20
<BR>
<BR>"Relax!" she ordered, forcing the thought into the middle of the swirlin=
g=20
<BR>torment of his mind. =A0Immediately the wolf stopped struggling, fell to=
 the=20
<BR>floor with a soft whuffle, and fainted.=20
<BR>
<BR>"That was a bit much," Lurene observed.=20
<BR>
<BR>"He'll be fine," Raven said curtly, turning her attention back to the=20
<BR>panicked audience. By now some were pulling desperately on the outer doo=
rs,=20
<BR>trying to get out, but the massive wood-and-metal panels refused to budg=
e. =A0=20
<BR>They might as well have tried to pull open a piece of the stone wall.=20
<BR>Stretching out her arms, the Lightbringer raised her voice and addressed=
 the=20
<BR>crowd.=20
<BR>
<BR>"Listen to me!" she shouted.=20
<BR>
<BR>For the most part, they did. =A0After a moment, she continued.=20
<BR>
<BR>"Metamor is under attack by Nasoj," she said, in a voice that brooked no=
=20
<BR>argument. "Even now, an army is storming the Keep. Kyia, the Spirit of=20
<BR>Metamor, has sealed the temple and placed a warding spell around it. Not=
hing=20
<BR>can get in, and no one can get out."=20
<BR>
<BR>Voices were raised in protest at this, but Raven silenced them with an=20
<BR>uplifted hand. "After the Battle of Three Gates, we made provision for t=
he=20
<BR>temple to serve as a sanctuary should something like this ever happen ag=
ain.=20
<BR>=A0=20
<BR>In our storerooms are food and drink enough for everyone here, and we ha=
ve=20
<BR>access to a cistern for all the water we need. There are mats for those=20=
most=20
<BR>in need of them, and blankets for everyone. We are well prepared, I assu=
re=20
<BR>you."=20
<BR>
<BR>A few swords and other weapons were raised above the crowd, "We've weapo=
ns,=20
<BR>Lothanasa, let us out so that we can help!" a panic-edged voice cried ab=
ove=20
<BR>the mumblings of the crowd.=20
<BR>
<BR>Raven was thankful for that small blessing, but not for the would-be her=
oes=20
<BR>among the crowd. =A0"Now, I shall do my best to find out what is going o=
n, and=20
<BR>what we can do about it. =A0But until we know our situation I cannot ope=
n those=20
<BR>doors. =A0I ask you to keep your heads and respect those around you.=20=
=A0Those=20
<BR>with weapons I ask to form a watch and prepare to defend us should the t=
emple=20
<BR>come under attack. =A0Celine?"=20
<BR>
<BR>"Aye, Lightbringer?" the blonde girl replied.=20
<BR>
<BR>"I want you and the other acolytes to begin leading people down to the=20
<BR>Archives -- there will be more space for everyone down there, and I want=
 this=20
<BR>level cleared within the half-hour. Take people down to the second level=
 if=20
<BR>you must, but no further. As for the rest of you," the priestess added,=20
<BR>turning her attention to the townspeople, "I expect you to listen to Cel=
ine=20
<BR>and the other acolytes and do exactly as they tell you. I should have mo=
re=20
<BR>information for you in the morning. Acolytes, meet me back here as soon=20=
as=20
<BR>the temple is cleared. That is all."=20
<BR>
<BR>Celine and the other acolytes moved swiftly into action, directing small=
=20
<BR>groups of people out of the hall, down the corridor and into the side=20
<BR>passageway that held the staircase to the Archives. The townsfolk follow=
ed=20
<BR>quietly, numbly, most of them still in shock over this frightening turn=20=
of=20
<BR>events. =A0Raven watched them go, then turned her eyes upward to the cei=
ling.=20
<BR>
<BR>"It was only a matter of time," she sighed. "He was bound to try this ag=
ain."=20
<BR>
<BR>"Can we win?"=20
<BR>
<BR>The Lightbringer turned her gaze on Lurene. The young woman looked more=20
<BR>frightened than ever.=20
<BR>
<BR>"I don't know," she said, honestly. "But by all nine hells, he shall not=
 find=20
<BR>us an easy target. You are new to Metamor, Lurene, and you have not seen=
 the=20
<BR>tenacity of a Keeper whose home is under attack." Her voice and eyes gre=
w=20
<BR>hard, as her mind drifted back to the battle of seven years ago. "We wil=
l=20
<BR>fight with every weapon at our disposal, down to our very teeth and claw=
s if=20
<BR>needs be -- every ounce of strength, every drop of blood -- and we will=20=
make=20
<BR>him pay dearly for every inch of ground he takes. And if we fall..." Rav=
en=20
<BR>turned and looked out the window. Beyond that veil of snow lay the Giant=
's=20
<BR>Dike -- and beyond that, the domain of Nasoj, full of dark and evil crea=
tures=20
<BR>eagerly awaiting the chance to storm through the lands of men.=20
<BR>
<BR>And Metamor Keep was the only thing that stood in their way.=20
<BR>
<BR>"If we fall," Raven murmured, "the world will tremble at our passing."=20
<BR>
<BR>**=20
<BR>
<BR>
<BR>=A0=A08:05pm.=20
<BR>
<BR>The lutin is a pretty sizable one; fairly large compared to most. He's=20
<BR>missing the tip of an ear through circumstances that are unknown and=20
<BR>currently unimportant. He has a large, nasty looking scar on the side of=
 his=20
<BR>face, partially obscured now by the remnants of a small child's snowball=
.=20
<BR>
<BR>He's also got a very, VERY big sword. And he doesn't look very happy at=20=
all.=20
<BR>
<BR>Jono also discovers pretty quickly that this lutin is plenty fast, too;=20=
he=20
<BR>doesn't even have the time to yell out a warning to Derek before it char=
ges=20
<BR>him, swinging the sword in a wide arc and growling revenge.=20
<BR>
<BR>But Jono is faster still.=20
<BR>
<BR>Jonothan Hand's profession, before having his voice box burned out by=20
<BR>vengeful Inquisitioners and later restored by the Curse at Metamor, has=20=
been=20
<BR>that of the travelling tavern bard. It's a very rough-and-tumble way of=20=
life;=20
<BR>not only can the road be quite perilous for a simple pair of travellers,=
 the=20
<BR>taverns themselves can get quite rowdy. Taverns are often frequented by=20=
large=20
<BR>warriors; big, violent individuals who can alternately be the most placi=
d or=20
<BR>the most dangerous people in the world when they get into drink. And the=
=20
<BR>stories that Jono tells more often than not can sway the balance. Oftent=
imes,=20
<BR>he's able to keep crowds calm and entertained, but sometimes he makes an=
=20
<BR>error, and then he and Joanne are in serious trouble.=20
<BR>
<BR>From this, Jono has learned two major things about life on the road. One=
 is=20
<BR>to always know how to fight in hand to hand combat, so as to keep a warr=
ior=20
<BR>from overpowering you.=20
<BR>
<BR>The other is to always have a weapon of some kind available, because not=
 all=20
<BR>taverns make you check weapons on entry, and not all warriors play fair.=
=20
<BR>
<BR>Jono has another thing to thank the Curse for besides his restored voice=
;=20
<BR>he's a big cat, and big cats have very sharp claws. So he knows exactly=20=
what=20
<BR>to do when the Lutin charges. He takes a sidestep and swoops in close to=
 the=20
<BR>charging Lutin before it can swing, catches the hand with the sword in i=
t=20
<BR>with one paw, and with the other unsheathes his claws and guts the Lutin=
 from=20
<BR>top to bottom in one powerful stroke.=20
<BR>
<BR>The lutin hasn't even hit the ground yet before Jono has turned and yell=
ed=20
<BR>"Derek! Get to the gate! RUN!"=20
<BR>
<BR>***=20
<BR>
<BR>
<BR>"PERRY!" Jo cries. "That's not-"=20
<BR>
<BR>But Perry has already noticed and is charging forward, one hand on his s=
word=20
<BR>hilt at the Lutin band further up down the hall. "For the Duke! For Meta=
mor!"=20
<BR>he cries, leaping at them and curling into a rolling ball headed straigh=
t for=20
<BR>them.=20
<BR>
<BR>Perry, as a contrast to Jono and Jo, has never been outside of the Keep.=
 He=20
<BR>was born and raised in the Metamor village, watched his parents go off t=
o the=20
<BR>Battle Of Three Gates and saw only his mother - now his father - return,=
 and=20
<BR>became a prickly beast a year later at the remarkably early age of 13. A=
=20
<BR>quarter of a year later he became one of the youngest new members of the=
 army=20
<BR>of Metamor. In keeping with generations of his predecessors, he's been=20
<BR>fiercely loyal to the Keep and to the inhabitants within, and he would=20
<BR>willingly die to protect any Keeper, so he throws himself in this fashio=
n=20
<BR>towards the enemy while Joanne is getting the kids to safety in Jono's r=
ooms.=20
<BR>
<BR>Ultimately, though, he prefers not to die; he figures he can save more=20
<BR>Keepers if he's alive. Which is why his usual method of attack involves=20
<BR>taking advantage of what the Curse granted him.=20
<BR>
<BR>Four of the eight Lutins fail to get out of the way and fall as he plows=
=20
<BR>through them, stuck dozens of times by the spines and left bleeding on t=
he=20
<BR>ground. Then when his feet touch ground again he leaps up into a somersa=
ult,=20
<BR>landing away from the remainder, turning and drawing his sword. He doesn=
't=20
<BR>bother wasting breath with words; instead, he swings at the first Lutin=20=
to=20
<BR>charge, catching it along the side of the head and splitting the skull.=20
<BR>
<BR>The three left seem a little more swift than the fallen - obviously in b=
oth=20
<BR>dexterity as well as mental agility, else they'd be with their fellows o=
n the=20
<BR>ground - and don't all charge at once. Instead, one steps forward and ta=
kes a=20
<BR>swing while the other pulls and throws a knife at his leg. Perry manages=
 to=20
<BR>quickly parry both blows (sword with sword, knife with spikes), but it's=
=20
<BR>clear that he's suddenly out of his league.=20
<BR>
<BR>Fortunately, he's not alone.=20
<BR>
<BR>Joanne has been travelling with Jono for a good part of her life, and hi=
s=20
<BR>too, ever since they were both young children not much older than those=20
<BR>rushing into Jono's rooms now. She lost her entire family - including bo=
th=20
<BR>her parents, her brother and sister, and the Apothecary they all ran - t=
o a=20
<BR>marauding Inquisitioner band when they discovered that her Lothanasi mot=
her=20
<BR>was trying to reconcile the two religions, and no true Inquiusitioner co=
uld=20
<BR>dare allow that, of course. She met Jono that very night of her escape,=20
<BR>travelling with his parents, and since then has been using her knowledge=
=20
<BR>gained in the Apothecary to keep Jono healthy after particularly rough s=
hows,=20
<BR>and occasionally even assisted him in the performances. And in living=20
<BR>alongside him, and treating his wounds, she's also learned to keep a wea=
pon=20
<BR>always close by - preferably one that will keep the enemy from using his=
=20
<BR>weapon back against you.=20
<BR>
<BR>Therefore she's very glad of what she escaped her burning home with all=20=
those=20
<BR>years ago. She had only three things - her life, her clothes, and a pair=
 of=20
<BR>throwing daggers that she retrieved from behind her father's desk while=20=
he=20
<BR>fought off the Inquisitioners, yelling at her to run.=20
<BR>
<BR>The two throwing daggers are rather remarkable, however; they're an old=20
<BR>family heirloom, owned for generations, and kept about them at all times=
. The=20
<BR>reason for this is pretty simple; they are immensely powerful magical=20
<BR>artifacts. She almost never tells people about them, however; the only=20
<BR>presumably other living beings who know of them are Jono, and one of the=
 Glen=20
<BR>scouts named Marcus, to whom everyone seems to think she's betrothed. (S=
he's=20
<BR>not, but they've discussed it.)=20
<BR>
<BR>As a result, when she flings one of the daggers at the rearguard Lutin,=20=
and=20
<BR>it becomes a bright streak of flashing light that drives through the Lut=
in=20
<BR>first on the way there, then again on the way back to her paw within a v=
ery=20
<BR>brief flicker of time, everyone is caught off guard.=20
<BR>
<BR>They're used to it by the time she uses it again on the second Lutin,=20
<BR>however. Excepting, of course, the third Lutin who was in front of Perry=
, who=20
<BR>barely has time to note the fall of his fellows before Perry's sword cut=
s=20
<BR>down through the top of his head, dropping him instantly.=20
<BR>
<BR>"Perry!" Jo yells, re-sheathing her dagger. "C'mon!"=20
<BR>
<BR>The hedgehog evidently doesn't need the encouragement, as he quickly she=
aths=20
<BR>his sword and runs quickly back towards Jono's rooms as the last few kid=
s=20
<BR>enter, with Dana among them.=20
<BR>
<BR>***=20
<BR>
<BR>=A0=A0End part 10a</FONT><FONT  COLOR=3D"#000000" SIZE=3D3 FAMILY=3D"SAN=
SSERIF" FACE=3D"arial" LANG=3D"0"> </XMP></FONT><FONT  COLOR=3D"#0f0f0f" SIZ=
E=3D3 FAMILY=3D"SANSSERIF" FACE=3D"Arial" LANG=3D"0">
<BR>
<BR>
<BR></FONT></HTML>

--part1_102.7945e5a.28af4d82_boundary--