Post by gathera on May 21, 2007 21:57:00 GMT -5
The line
It was a dangerous game to tack up the posters so many of those who spoke out against Lord Jorias simply disappeared into the Hall of Justice never to be heard from again. More than a few of my friends thought I was mad to even try. I smiled to myself; I never was one to listen to advice anyway. I knew in my heart of hearts that more than a few citizens had listened to what I had to say. Troubled by the changes of the new régime my words found fertile ground. To many the desecration of the Red Mist temple was shocking. Some had simply even refused to believe that such a thing was even possible. I had heard a chorus of “surely such desecration could never happen here” in my wandering about town. Yet the chapel bells of mornings’ call had remained quiet for weeks now. The bells also silenced like so many other.
It was market day in Red Mist and although fewer merchants remained the streets than in the cities heyday it was still a bustling beehive of activity. The square was alive with the clamoring shouts of vendors hawking their wears; ales from Turmish furs from Skull Craig even dyes from distant Sembia. Even the very air was alive with a cacophony of scents that made my mouth water and my stomach grumble. My eyes fixed longingly on a pan sizzling sausages sizzling so invitingly away. I stood still for a moment hungrily savoring the cooking aroma. I was awoken from my warm daydream by the sudden rude jostling of the crowd. Annoyance crossed my face at the prospect of having been swept up into yet another line. I stretched out stifling a yawn. Lines for bread, lines for work, lines to leave. Some wag had claimed the only real freedom in Red Mist now was to stand in line. The suns heat was merciless and the slow shuffling progress of the line did little to abate the dark mutterings of the people waiting. It was a ballad of dark curses accompanied by the ever-present drone of biting midges. I stood quietly, my eyes half closed lulled into a stupor by the day’s hard labour. With a slow measured sigh I counted my blessings that one of my enchantments protected me from the wrath of the swirling flies. Still my back throbbed in agony and countless blisters stung my hands. It had been hard days work not helped at all by my accident. Still with a small sleepy grin it must have been hilarious to see me slip like that mucking the stall. Rising up sputtering more than just curses. I grimaced and spat, still tasting the bitter foulness in my mouth. Still on the bright side no one here cared to press up to close. I shuffled moving along with the crowd my head bowed and hidden by a voluminous cowl. It was the sudden shrill shriek of a woman’s voice that snapped me from my day dreaming reverie.
“Please, please Sir, I beg you I am not her, ask anyone, anyone", a thin lithe darkly tanned woman stammered cowering before the Red Watch. One of the guards snapped the pommel of his sword about hard striking the woman full in the face," Silence whore". She crumbled collapsing into a sobbing shivering heap. She clutched at her face moaning trying to staunch the slow trickling of blood.
A tall muscular man immaculately dressed in the red and black of an officer of the Red Mist Watch approached quickly. His crisp blood red cape snapped briskly about him, his uniform immaculate gleaming stark black. With a thin cruel mouth curled up into a mirthless smile he in one fluid motion slapped the woman’s hands away and tightly grasped her hair. With an effortless quick snap of his wrist the officer harshly wrenched the woman’s head up. Clear cold cobalt-blue eyes took her measure, "Your pretty enough my dear, but clearly you are not...her". With that said he let her head drop a nasty smirk crossed his face "See that this citizen is to be sent to the Hall of Justice for further...questioning". With that one of the accompanying men at arms stepped foreword and savagely kicked the woman" You heard the Lieutenant whore, move". The officer scanned the line with a cold calculated gaze settling on me. "You, woman, I will see your face next". He motioned the other guard forward.
"Corse m'lord n here me fresh from da fields” my hands trembling as I moved to lower the cowl. I thanked Tymora that I had managed to sequester a small amber vial into the palm of my hand.
“Jus be a hot one ta day eh”, I replied rapidly draining the draught. As the sweet amber liquid trickled down my throat my form shimmered in the air rapidly growing dim as the liquids’ enchantment quickly spreading through my limbs. "Quickly fool, seize her" screamed the Lieutenant. The guard sprinted forward his hand quickly snaking out to seize me but I danced nimbly his fingers slithering off my muck-slicked robe as I darted away blending into the crowds.
The guard stood dumbfounded “Where, what, she’s gone?” I kept walking slowly merging with the throng focusing my thoughts to gather the ethereal threads of the weave about me. I whistled the lilting playful lyrical melody that would draw and bind the zephyrs winds about me. Even now I could feel the cooling breezes swirling about me lending me a pre-natural quickness.
I risked a quick glance back craning my neck to gain a glimpse. Several of the guards futilely pressed into the crowd roughly shoving aside citizens in a desperate attempt to gain a glimpse of me. The Lieutenant remained back aloof, standing stock still with the look grim determination crossing his features. His lips moved in a silent supplication his attention riveted on to his hands clasped tightly together. Even to my eyes I could see, if not sense a small malevolent darkness growing deep within the shadow of his cupped hands. My eyes were drawn towards a lurking tiny twisted withered hand. The blackened entity slithered out, half-crawling forth from between his clasped fingers. The twisted skeletal entity paused as if to sensing my bearing. Its boney digits flexed taught for a moment then the hand leapt into the air arcing towards me. Wide eyed I gazed numbly as the hand struck me square in the chest. I staggered backwards as searing white pains lanced through out my body. My heart slowed struggling to beat against the hands icy grip. Sparkles danced about my eyes as the market place dissolved into a shimmering mosaic of black and white stars. I stumbled forward drawing ragged short breaths, my ears echoing from the hammering of my heart. I couldn’t stop here, not here not now. Just one foot step more. I could see the gate ahead, freedom. Each half step brought me that bit closer to blessed freedom. With each step torrents of white-hot needles driven into my heart. My eyes bulged, watering from the agony but still one step replaced the next quicker now.
“Shoot her you fool, she is escaping” The Lieutenant screamed out. "Sir I can not get a clear shot n she moves like the wind n I kin barely see her.”
It was like a pebble thrown into the pond, a wave of chaos was overtaking the market place and I was riding that wave. Behind me others were trying desperately to escape the watch. The angry shouts and the dull roar of the crowd drown out everything in a cacophony of noise. I could still get a glimpse through the press of the crowd of the Lieutenant now gesturing frantically. His hands held aloft beseeching the heavens were wreathed in a nimbus of argent luminescence. Twisting streaks of a pulsating darkness lit the aura with a malevolent tinged light.
My head snapped back suddenly. My breath left my lungs as with a bone-jarring thud as my progress quickly switched direction. Like a pebble bouncing off a boulder I was sent tumbling across the square. The unfortunate burly fellow that I had collided with staggered several steps forward roaring out black-curses all the while. Frantically flailing both arms he wind milled about in a frenzied attempt to regain his lost balance. With desperation born of necessity he managed to snag one of brightly coloured canopy shading a merchant’s stall. A quick grin crossed his face as he tugged firmly to right himself. It was but a moment brief respite as the telltale ripping of cloth sealed his final fate dropping him into square into the vendors’ melons. My cheeks felt flush and pang of guilt stung me as I glanced over at the poor fellow. I scrambled panic-stricken to my feet.
A sudden wave of heat washed over me singing my hair as a pillar of ebon tinged flame erupted from the ground where scant moments ago I had been. The square erupted in madness as smoke and flame spread quickly. A chorus of screams and "fire" rang out across the market. Even the guards at the gates began to swarm out buckets in hand like ants from an anthill that had been kicked. I would not receive a better chance to escape. Only scant steps from the freedom of the countryside and in the confusion even the gate had been left unguarded. I ran full tilt my heart-pounding ricochet past bursting out into the freedom of the countryside. I made it I had escaped.
It was a dangerous game to tack up the posters so many of those who spoke out against Lord Jorias simply disappeared into the Hall of Justice never to be heard from again. More than a few of my friends thought I was mad to even try. I smiled to myself; I never was one to listen to advice anyway. I knew in my heart of hearts that more than a few citizens had listened to what I had to say. Troubled by the changes of the new régime my words found fertile ground. To many the desecration of the Red Mist temple was shocking. Some had simply even refused to believe that such a thing was even possible. I had heard a chorus of “surely such desecration could never happen here” in my wandering about town. Yet the chapel bells of mornings’ call had remained quiet for weeks now. The bells also silenced like so many other.
It was market day in Red Mist and although fewer merchants remained the streets than in the cities heyday it was still a bustling beehive of activity. The square was alive with the clamoring shouts of vendors hawking their wears; ales from Turmish furs from Skull Craig even dyes from distant Sembia. Even the very air was alive with a cacophony of scents that made my mouth water and my stomach grumble. My eyes fixed longingly on a pan sizzling sausages sizzling so invitingly away. I stood still for a moment hungrily savoring the cooking aroma. I was awoken from my warm daydream by the sudden rude jostling of the crowd. Annoyance crossed my face at the prospect of having been swept up into yet another line. I stretched out stifling a yawn. Lines for bread, lines for work, lines to leave. Some wag had claimed the only real freedom in Red Mist now was to stand in line. The suns heat was merciless and the slow shuffling progress of the line did little to abate the dark mutterings of the people waiting. It was a ballad of dark curses accompanied by the ever-present drone of biting midges. I stood quietly, my eyes half closed lulled into a stupor by the day’s hard labour. With a slow measured sigh I counted my blessings that one of my enchantments protected me from the wrath of the swirling flies. Still my back throbbed in agony and countless blisters stung my hands. It had been hard days work not helped at all by my accident. Still with a small sleepy grin it must have been hilarious to see me slip like that mucking the stall. Rising up sputtering more than just curses. I grimaced and spat, still tasting the bitter foulness in my mouth. Still on the bright side no one here cared to press up to close. I shuffled moving along with the crowd my head bowed and hidden by a voluminous cowl. It was the sudden shrill shriek of a woman’s voice that snapped me from my day dreaming reverie.
“Please, please Sir, I beg you I am not her, ask anyone, anyone", a thin lithe darkly tanned woman stammered cowering before the Red Watch. One of the guards snapped the pommel of his sword about hard striking the woman full in the face," Silence whore". She crumbled collapsing into a sobbing shivering heap. She clutched at her face moaning trying to staunch the slow trickling of blood.
A tall muscular man immaculately dressed in the red and black of an officer of the Red Mist Watch approached quickly. His crisp blood red cape snapped briskly about him, his uniform immaculate gleaming stark black. With a thin cruel mouth curled up into a mirthless smile he in one fluid motion slapped the woman’s hands away and tightly grasped her hair. With an effortless quick snap of his wrist the officer harshly wrenched the woman’s head up. Clear cold cobalt-blue eyes took her measure, "Your pretty enough my dear, but clearly you are not...her". With that said he let her head drop a nasty smirk crossed his face "See that this citizen is to be sent to the Hall of Justice for further...questioning". With that one of the accompanying men at arms stepped foreword and savagely kicked the woman" You heard the Lieutenant whore, move". The officer scanned the line with a cold calculated gaze settling on me. "You, woman, I will see your face next". He motioned the other guard forward.
"Corse m'lord n here me fresh from da fields” my hands trembling as I moved to lower the cowl. I thanked Tymora that I had managed to sequester a small amber vial into the palm of my hand.
“Jus be a hot one ta day eh”, I replied rapidly draining the draught. As the sweet amber liquid trickled down my throat my form shimmered in the air rapidly growing dim as the liquids’ enchantment quickly spreading through my limbs. "Quickly fool, seize her" screamed the Lieutenant. The guard sprinted forward his hand quickly snaking out to seize me but I danced nimbly his fingers slithering off my muck-slicked robe as I darted away blending into the crowds.
The guard stood dumbfounded “Where, what, she’s gone?” I kept walking slowly merging with the throng focusing my thoughts to gather the ethereal threads of the weave about me. I whistled the lilting playful lyrical melody that would draw and bind the zephyrs winds about me. Even now I could feel the cooling breezes swirling about me lending me a pre-natural quickness.
I risked a quick glance back craning my neck to gain a glimpse. Several of the guards futilely pressed into the crowd roughly shoving aside citizens in a desperate attempt to gain a glimpse of me. The Lieutenant remained back aloof, standing stock still with the look grim determination crossing his features. His lips moved in a silent supplication his attention riveted on to his hands clasped tightly together. Even to my eyes I could see, if not sense a small malevolent darkness growing deep within the shadow of his cupped hands. My eyes were drawn towards a lurking tiny twisted withered hand. The blackened entity slithered out, half-crawling forth from between his clasped fingers. The twisted skeletal entity paused as if to sensing my bearing. Its boney digits flexed taught for a moment then the hand leapt into the air arcing towards me. Wide eyed I gazed numbly as the hand struck me square in the chest. I staggered backwards as searing white pains lanced through out my body. My heart slowed struggling to beat against the hands icy grip. Sparkles danced about my eyes as the market place dissolved into a shimmering mosaic of black and white stars. I stumbled forward drawing ragged short breaths, my ears echoing from the hammering of my heart. I couldn’t stop here, not here not now. Just one foot step more. I could see the gate ahead, freedom. Each half step brought me that bit closer to blessed freedom. With each step torrents of white-hot needles driven into my heart. My eyes bulged, watering from the agony but still one step replaced the next quicker now.
“Shoot her you fool, she is escaping” The Lieutenant screamed out. "Sir I can not get a clear shot n she moves like the wind n I kin barely see her.”
It was like a pebble thrown into the pond, a wave of chaos was overtaking the market place and I was riding that wave. Behind me others were trying desperately to escape the watch. The angry shouts and the dull roar of the crowd drown out everything in a cacophony of noise. I could still get a glimpse through the press of the crowd of the Lieutenant now gesturing frantically. His hands held aloft beseeching the heavens were wreathed in a nimbus of argent luminescence. Twisting streaks of a pulsating darkness lit the aura with a malevolent tinged light.
My head snapped back suddenly. My breath left my lungs as with a bone-jarring thud as my progress quickly switched direction. Like a pebble bouncing off a boulder I was sent tumbling across the square. The unfortunate burly fellow that I had collided with staggered several steps forward roaring out black-curses all the while. Frantically flailing both arms he wind milled about in a frenzied attempt to regain his lost balance. With desperation born of necessity he managed to snag one of brightly coloured canopy shading a merchant’s stall. A quick grin crossed his face as he tugged firmly to right himself. It was but a moment brief respite as the telltale ripping of cloth sealed his final fate dropping him into square into the vendors’ melons. My cheeks felt flush and pang of guilt stung me as I glanced over at the poor fellow. I scrambled panic-stricken to my feet.
A sudden wave of heat washed over me singing my hair as a pillar of ebon tinged flame erupted from the ground where scant moments ago I had been. The square erupted in madness as smoke and flame spread quickly. A chorus of screams and "fire" rang out across the market. Even the guards at the gates began to swarm out buckets in hand like ants from an anthill that had been kicked. I would not receive a better chance to escape. Only scant steps from the freedom of the countryside and in the confusion even the gate had been left unguarded. I ran full tilt my heart-pounding ricochet past bursting out into the freedom of the countryside. I made it I had escaped.