Armageddon Gospel: Thy Kingdom Come

[Guest]

In the beginning, God...

I have read and re-read this book countless times in my days on this earth and I have found that this is the only statement within it that I can completely beleive. If there ever was a beginning to anything, I truly beleive that God was there.

I have held to the teachings of the book I hold in my hand all my life. Even as the truth that it concealed from me tears me apart, I still walk the path that it sets for me.

I want to believe that once upon a time everything was perfect and there was no war. I want to beleive that heaven is a place filled with beauty and love and that hell is as different from it as any one thing can be from another.

I was taught that God created the heavens and the earth. I was taught to love Him above all things and I, in turn taught others to love him.

I brought children to Him.

I was there on the last day, when the world was sundered and the armies of light and darkness crashed upon one another like water on rock. I was there when the chosen were called forth not to paradise, but to war.

It was then that I learned the truth. From a seraphim, it's body too ruined to determine what banner it once marched under, I learned why.

One day, when I have the strength. When I can face what I have become, I will write the truth in this little book. I will write not of the beginning, nor of the end, but of the truth. I will write about humanities glorious destruction.

But most of all, I will write about why.

It will be my own gospel. My armageddon gospel.

- Caleb Walker -

 

[Guest]

Caleb

Walking slowly along a worn dirt path, the dust of a hundred miles thick against his coat, Caleb Walker takes a small book out of his pocket and begins to scribe.

The cover is leather, or was once. The pages are yellow and brittle. Caleb scribes on them slowly and gently, using a small wooden stylus with a bit of shale at the tip.

For a moment, he is happy. The simple act of scribing seeming to take away the hard cast of his eyes and for the first time in many years, a smile edges the corners of his mouth. The massive sword sheathed across his back seems, for the first time out of place and the silent threat in the pistol that hangs at his hip is mute.

But moments pass as moments do and before long, the loud and rauccous sounds of a bar drift toward him on prarie winds. Looking up, Caleb sees a small village. Taking a deep breath, the aroma of cooked meat and peppers fills his notrils with delight and his stomach with hunger so intense it nearly doubles him over.

"Well then," he says placing his book back into his pocket. "Let's see what we have here."

 

[little_golden]

Talana

The village had been her home for a score of years, yet she regarded it more as a prison. The huts were old and dirty and the inhabitants were mostly peasants used by his Lordship to work his land and man his armies. Talana hated this place and longed to be free of it.

She wiped her white face as at last she pulled up a bucket of water from the well. The day in the fields had been long and one of his Lordship's overseers had been eyeing her again. That was a bad omen and several of her friends had discovered the fate of motherhood after similar happenings.

Lacking a protector and having only an old woman to share a hut with she was very vulnerable. Should she simply agree to his advances and hope for a future or make him force her? Was it better to try for some small gifts and affection and to pretend she had been seduced? But the women in the village would no doubt gossip and call her a whore behind her back....... But at last she'd have something, instead of nothing.

Talana pushed her long blonde locks of hair behind her dainty ears. As she stood up, she reached her full height of 5'8. She was a thin woman but with ample curves. Had many of the men not been off in her Lord's army she would no doubt have a husband and the life of a peasant's wife. Yet, she yearned for so much more......

From a taverb nearby she heard the blast of a pistol.

"The village idiots" she half whispered wondering what was happening. Drunk and crazed men were a danger to everyone.....



(OCC I leave it to you to interact or not...... If you want a solo just ignore her and I'll write her out. Smile!)

 

[cats]

Celst

IC: I was lieing in this strange bed my gear piled on the floor. I couldn't help but to cry now I acted on the force that took Mark from my life. Lecherousness it never fells something comes over me and I end up in bed with some strange guy.

That foul demon I'll never forget her or that day. The day I started on my travels the day Mark was taken from me. The day I first tasted vengence a taste that I still crave. Her foul kind will be smiten from this earth, even if I must hunt down every one of them demon and angel alike. I will take back the planet and destroy the forces of good and bad.

I rolled to my side seeing my exusted lover. Poor fool I'll be gone before he awakes, but thats the way he probably planed it. Well maybe he planed on leaveing the red headed girl in the mourning but now I'm the blonde I normally am.

It's a sad thing that I must rely on such a power given to me by an enemy. She knew this would happen thats why she smiled at her death. As long as I live I'll carry this sorrow she planed her trap all to well. Her vengence was complete but mine is not. Enjoy oblivion bitch.

I got up and reached for my cloathing. Once I get dressed I can leave behind the sarrow of the night I just had. This shame will stay with me still though it never goes away but it's this shame that fuels my hatred of this war.

As I button up my shirt I think back to the beginings of my travels and of Marks end. I figured I was comeing along as a feind slayer truth be told my magic had grown but that was it. My speed and reflexs kept me alive but just barely and my strength often proved my weakness. 'Get out of this job while you still can.' was what Mark would say. He was there to help me though and thats what kept me in this line of work.

'Tomorow I hunt a local demon a mean omne too. It's killed all the men sent after it.' I thought about it for some time and decided it could be the time to go out on my own. I hadn't the skill to be a feind slayer and I knew it.

Mark was a bit of a ladys man. He'd never go for some one as much younger then him as I was. At the table that night was the big breasted red head demon herself. I should of known she was evil she had a smile on her that said she was hunting. Still I disregarded her look thinking she simply was lacking the company of a man. Oh how I wished I knew better.

I was outfront of the local end rethinking my decesion again and again but for one strange reason or another I didn't want to leave but the conflict was I knew I needed to. It wasn't late in the night the sun had set only an hour or so ago. I walked up to his room to anounce my decsion of leaveing.

As I opened the door I first noticed the pile of cloathing on the floor. The black widow was upon his chest faceing his now limp body. The sheets of the bed half way up her body. I could see the blood stains along the red trail driping down his arm. As I moved in for a closer look she turned her nude body towards me and I could see her leaning against the dager in his chest.

She began to laugh, at the fact I had walked in. She wasn't worried not in the least. She calmed her face and stood up as I recklessly charged her. With one hand she threw me back donw to the floor. I looked up at the advanceing hell witch. She had a calm look about her face. 'I think I'll kill you with my barehands she said.

She came face to face with me and with a calm look upon her souless eyes she began to strangle me. I punched her in her gut but it dead me no good my hands began to search and under a pair of pants and a broken bra they found what they needed. The Katar Mark always used. With this weapon I stabed right threw her chest with my second punch.

Her soulless eyes lit up with anger and then she let go backing away looking at her mortal wound. She then looked at me with pure hatred in here eyes. Then she smiled the same hunting smile she had when she was at the table with Mark. I was her prey and she had cought me. Now I walk into a bar and sit by men as I hunt them with lust in my heart and that same smile upon my face. She shaped me after her and she knew she would have her revenge.

 

[Jacobo_Curious]

Trudge, trudge, trudge.

At this point, that might be the story of his life.

Trudge, trudge, trudge.

He pulled his dark green bandana lower. He wasn't used to this prairie. There were few forests left in the world, but whenever a man or woman wore green dye, one could be certain that trees still lived...

Trudge, trudge, trudge.

The rest of his clothes were dark green and brown as well; soft cloth and leather for easy movement and minor protection against knives, perhaps. Nothing against a gunshot -- but who would waste a precious bullet on somebody like him? Not as if anyone went guano hunting anymore (hadn't for as long as his grandfather had been alive) for gunpowder, and refinable ore was hard enough to find, let alone confronting those things that lived in the caves...

His short, blonde ponytail swung slightly in the breeze. He was handsome, yes, and quiet. His name was Glenn Ronson.

And he was tired of life.

People ahead.

"I smell it," he murmured.

Good boy. Perhaps we'll hear of some spirits haunting the place. I'm still impressed you beat Scorpion, you know.

"Animal spirits are a dime a dozen."

It is a shame we could not find Horned Man before we fled the forest.

Glenn narrowed his eyes. "It's lucky we survived. Few others did."

Yet those few survived, thanks to you. You are indeed a Wise Warrior, my dear Glenn.

"Thank you, Mastress."

It was a bit of a joke. Sometimes Wise Warrior appeared as an old, grizzled man, or a younger dark-skinned one with a spear -- sometimes a beautiful armored woman, or a keen attractive lass. Spirits tended to be sexless.

Glenn found it passingly amusing, though. After all, it did sound a bit like "mattress."

I heard that, student.

"Heh," said Glenn, smirking. He cracked his neck, his somewhat strong build twisting sinuously as he did so, his two sheathed knives visible on his belt. Other than those, he carried no real weapon, no sword or axe or bow. Yet the insightful, dark glance in his eyes betrayed a frighteningly powerful soul.

According to Wise Warrior, he was zir student, learning to become a skilled and wise warrior himself. Apparently, he displayed the appropriate attributes, though for the life of him, he couldn't think of much good to say about himself. Or anything else, for that matter. But as Wise Warrior grew stronger, and stole the soul energy from the spirits that had incarnated along with zir, Glenn learned more tricks...

It was a symbiotic relationship. When or if Wise Warrior left, after becoming extraordinarily powerful, Glenn would still have learned as much as humanly possible from this spirit, on tactics, strategies, and necessary virtues. While Wise Warrior had a human host, on the other hand, it was far easier to force other spirits to submit and give up their life energy.

They weren't exactly friends, so to speak, though Glenn would laugh at the word anyway. But they got along fairly well. And Glenn would miss zir if zie left.

They approached the small town slowly...

 

[Guest]

Caleb

*Kapow*

Caleb didn't even flinch when the bullet shatered his smoking pipe.

Moments before, when he'd made his way down from the low hills into the town's only bar, he'd seen the threat in the old man's eyes. He hadn't ignored it entirely, but explosive violence was something he'd associated with younger men. Inside the tavern were mostly old men. Caleb didn't let their age lull him into a false confidence however. These were hard times and old age was a gift bestowed upon few.

Sitting in a corner, drinking beer from a filthy glass that sat atop a scarred wooden table, one of the towns grandfathers had given Caleb a hard stare. Caleb noticed him the instant he entered the room.

But, he hadn't suspected the old-timer might have a gun hidden somewhere in those rags he wore in place of clothing. Hell, even if he had seen it, he never would have supposed that it would have fired. Such weapons weren't exactly rare, but with most of them the quality was so poor that you might as well save yourself the trouble and just blow your own fingers off.

Oh well, live and learn.

Slowly removing the remains of his pipe from his mouth, (pity...it had taken him almost a month to carve that) Caleb set the wooden stem down on the bar next to his tobacco pouch. Turning to face his attacker, his hands hanging casually at his sides, Caleb prepared himself for battle.

 

[cats]

Celst

IC: I was out infront of the inn. I was tucking in my shirt not quite satisfeid with how I had but to impatent to stay. If I stayed the man may feel some obligation to me, or worse not care for me at all. I didn't like either idea and that why I left all the men I had been with in last year behind and moved on. This town had trouble all right but so did every where, so leaveing was a luxary I could aford.

I looked at the scars acorss my hands. My palms were burnt from the handles of Mark's twin blades. With ,my powers I should be able to heal the burn, but some how I can't. The scars weren't just one burn no they where many. I had burnt my hands with the weapons in many of the battles.

When I first picked up Mark's weapon it didn't burn me. I had no clue it could do such a thing infact. Mark's hands were soft but stron with out a mark upon them. I had held the weapon many times before I first weilded them and yet they never burned me but when I struck down that red haired viper they began to burn. I had a scar on my right hand from that fight. As she stared at me with her evil smile the weapon began to burn in my hand. Now that hand had many scars from the use of the wonderous tool.

I pulled a leather glove over the palm of my hand. Each burn to my hand hurts when I grip things the leather glove was a deturent greatly reduceing the burns that never seem to completely heal. But I also wear the gloves to hide my weakness to the weapon I weild, not from my foes, but from myself. If I'm ever to let Mark rest in peace I must surpass him on all fronts, and I hate the fact I have yet to do this.

 

[Guest]

Caleb

"If you would live to see another winter grandfather, it would be best that you lay your weapon down."

Caleb couldn't feel his hands. He knew they were preparing to cut the old man down and there was nothing he could do to stop them. He felt a twinge of pity for the old-timer, who was quivering and weeping even as he pointed his rusty (and apparently trusty) old pistol at Caleb's heart.

"You killed my family. Both my sons."

To this Caleb had no answer. Although he couldn't remember having been in this town before, he'd kicked the dust of many places like it off his boots. There were few places he'd been where death had not crouched in his shadow. This man's grief, his anger, could be fully justified.

"I have no idea who your sons may be grandfather."

"You don't deny your evil then!"

It was more an exclamation than a question, spoken more to himself than anyone else. At this the tavern, it's occupants having been mute thus far, began to murmur and circle in closer to Caleb.

Caleb's body slunk into it's attack position. His back bowed and his hands rose to rest in front of his face. He appeared low and cowed to the tavern and they began to press in on him.

"Ware me curs! Ware me well! You play loose with your lives this night."

 

[cats]

Celst

IC: As I reached the end of town I herd a gone fire off behind me. I wanted to leave and knew I had to but still a gone shot this early in the mourning was an odd thing. Guns go off all the time but never in the mounring.

Against what may very well been my better judge ment I turned around and headed back into town. I hadn't walked far I walked to the local tavern where most of the comtion in town would likely be.

I walked in threw the door and an old man was there holding a weapon no doubt older then me. I turned to the right and passed him by. He was pointing his gun at a man armed with a dark blade.

I knew who would win this fight if the old man was smart he'd know to but ignorance to the world now is common place and libel to leave you at a burning steak. I pooled up a stool and gave a look to the bartender to him I hadn't even come in.

I ponded on the old wood bar three times before he noticed. He almost didn't care about me here. Now at days a bar was the one establishment that had no fear of needing costumers. "Can I order a drink or not?"

 

[Jacobo_Curious]

"...a shot?"

Glenn concentrated.

"Where's it coming from?"

The tavern in that town, responded Wise Warrior after a moment. Wisdom dictates two choices: we either do not get involved or hope getting involved earns us some allies.

"Who cares about wisdom?" snorted Glenn, stomping toward the town. Wise Warrior seemed hurt, but he continued."It's a tavern. Somebody's got to have heard of a spirit haunting these parts. You want that, right?"

...Glenn... you can't lie to me. I'm inside you.

The young man stopped.

"Alright, alright," he hissed, "I care. I'm sorry. My compassion gets in the way of being a Wise Warrior. And I lashed out at you."

Yes. I forgive you. Others will not... but your level of insight is impressive as always. Stay Wise, Glenn.

"...yeah," he muttered, "you just don't want me to die cuz you'll lose everything."

Do you ENJOY insulting me, Glenn?

Chuckling mirthlessly, the handsome young man strode towards the town and pushed open the door to the bar. At this point, people weren't sure who to pay attention to -- strangers and a fight at the same time! But the attention irrevolably returned to the standoff.

"Warrior, sense," whispered Glenn, and he clenched his fist, letting sparks of magic fizzle quietly around his hand, tucking it away so nobody would notice.

Old man wants to fight. Man with dark sword feels... strange. So does that girl, but to a lesser degree. Wise Warrior seemed nervous. This is a fight about ordinary things, methinks, but the characters... are anything but ordinary. It would be pertinent to withdraw. We'll find spirits elsewhere, and these people are not in need of protection.

"Maybe they are, maybe they aren't. Curiosity has gotten the better of me again," whispered Glenn in response, and he slouched against the wall, watching the situation quietly. "We'll see who deserves help, and the Wise Warrior shall avenge."

You aren't the boss of me, Glenn.

"I was talking about myself."

You and your ego.

 

[Guest]

Caleb

"There's more of 'em!"

Caleb paid little heed to the newcomers in the tavern. It wasn't until he could feel a familiar thickening in the air that he realized that his situation may have gone from bad to worse.

The new arrivals were a man and a woman. The woman was beautiful, but not in any conventional way. Her only remarkable feature was a shock of flaming red hair that fell between her shoulders in a thick, crimson cable.

From her radiated a crackling aura of power. Caleb could feel it coming from her like fever heat and so, he noticed, could others in the room.

A young boy was with her, or perhaps he'd walked in just behind her. He was dusty from the road, but aside from that seemed otherwise comfortable and relaxed. This despite the fact that a small, angry mob had just turned it's attention on him.

Caleb could sense turmoil in him and he could sense a powerful entity surrounding the boy. Just barely, he could hear voices whispering to the boy. Caleb would have thought himself over-imaginative if not for the fact that the expression on the boy's face suggested that he was listening to them.

As he locked eyes with the newcomers, he wondered if the air between them would turn into tigers as they cut through these poor souls to have at each other. Or, had they simply been as unfortunate as he had, weary travelers who had stumbled into an unusual situation.

Calebs hands twitched...eager for battle, as he waited for the strangers to make their move.

 

[Jacobo_Curious]

Wisdom suggestion discretion. However, the Warrior is noble. Mediate the conflict.

"Hey," he said finally, stepping forward. "What's going on, here? No reason to pull guns in a public place, right?"

Prepare yourself in case, Glenn...

 

[cats]

Celst

IC: "What buiness is it of yours. If this is what Humanity is comeing to then we should be going with them. Let them make there desisions...." I gazed at the bartender. "I ORDERED A DRINK, GOD DAMN IT!" I then looked back at my hands and finished. "Your one person not the whole. So let the other people be human and have there weaknesses." I turned and looked at the crowd as I leened against the bar. They seemed suprise for such a small girl to yell so loudly. "The service is bad here."

 

[little_golden]

Talana

Talana had hesitated for several moments before her overwhelming curiousity took over. She was tempted to use her small magical gifts to eavesdrop on the happenings in the tavern but resisted. It scared people too much. Some people took great delight in killing those cursed like her with special magical gifts.

Walking down the street she paused as she listened at the door of the tavern. As she put her ear to the door a patron pulled open the door and she stumbled inside her long blonde hair temporarily covering her face and blocking her view.

Quickly she brushed back her long blonde locks and looked around the room...... In the faces of the men she could see some of their lust for a thin blonde woman. This wasn't a place where she should be....... or was it.

 

[Wylds Lil Toy]

Xian

Roused from my gin-induced slumber by the unmistakable crack of gunfire, I leave my room above the tavern, walking carefully down the hallway toward the noise below. At the bottom of the stairs, I see a a familiar silhouette.

"Hey Manuel, what's happening?"

A filthy hand nearly touches my face as Manuel whispers over his shoulder in a tone that he thinks is low and conspiritorial.

"It is him, senora. The skinwalker."

Across the room, a mob of trunken townspeople were closing in on some poor traveler. Judging from the wicked look of the sword he wore on his back, that was what most likely got him in trouble. It had the look of the devil about it and it was forged from some unknown metal. Poor bastard probably picked it up off some battlefield hoping to look tough and avoid situations just like this one.

Chuckling to myself, I clap Manuel on his back, rousing a cloud of dust that had been sitting there for at least a few days.

"You die the death you earn amigo, eh?"

"Aye, es verdad, senora. It is true."

Warming to this bit of entertainment, I lean against the banister leading to the rooms upstairs and watch.

"Let's see how this turns out."

 

[Guest]

Caleb

"Tell me monster...why did you take my wife and kill my son? He was but a boy."

Caleb looked over his shoulder into the eyes of yet another villager. Although unarmed, the look in the man's eyes said that he would have broken Caleb in two if that were possible. Judging from the man's size, Caleb guessed that would be possible on any other night.

But tonight he'd set his sights on Caleb.

"Watch your tone with me good sir," Caleb hissed. "I have taken as much of this towns courtesy as I care to. I am no murderer of children and I have never disgraced a woman in my long life. I have killed however, and shall do so again if I am further encouraged."

From a far corner of the tavern, an old man...older than the one who'd fired the pistol at Caleb, stood up and shouted.

"Fools...you're all fools!"

"Quiet McGinty," the old-timer with the pistol croaked through his sobbing. Though Caleb would have cut the man in two if it came to that--and do so without hesitation, his heart ached at the depth of the old man's grief.

"Dag-blasted fools all of you," McGinty said. Adding, gently as he addressed the one with the pistol "None more foolish than you brother."

Walking towards Caleb, the crowd before him parting like earth before the plow, McGinty extended his hand to be shaken. Caleb accepted it, but his iron gaze continued to scan the mob for any sign of a sudden attack.

"You're probably wondering what all of this is about aren't you? Have a drink and a smoke," McGinty said offering Caleb some tobacco, rolled in paper.

"It all happened some years ago...

 

[Guest]

Old Man McGinty

It all happened some years ago...

That was when some outlanders decided to dig saltpeter out of the mines north of this village. The hills used to give up silver once upon a time before any of us were born, but for as long as anyone that walks the earth today can remember, there's been nothing coming out of those caves but bats.

Well, gunpowder is hard to come by in most parts. Personally I think that's a good thing. No offense stranger, but pistols is the most cowardly weapons ever made. I lost a son to one back when bandits roamed these parts so I suppose my opinions been colored a bit.

(McGinty wipes his eyes)

Don't pay attention to an old man's pain, it's all old men have and we nutrure it. Take my brother for instance. His sons were the first ones to try and stop the thing in the caves. They went alone, without nary a fare-thee-well from the folks they were goin' off to protect.

It's something my brother has been slow to forgive.

(McGinty glares at the townspeople huddled around him, his gaze lingering on a few of the men. Men with frost in their hair and their belts under their bellies, but men who were undoubtedly strapping in their day)

But anyway, the trouble began when those fellers went into the hills with their picks and their shovels. It took them almost a month to set up their little campsite outside of the hills. But when they finally went in to get to work, not a one of them returned.

Well...some did. But they'd been changed. Their eyes shone like a coyotes at night. They scrounged around the dumps eating our garbage. Some prowled the graveyard to the south...I won't tell you what those poor souls lived off of.

Small towns keep their secrets mister. I don't know if it's allus right or not, but we've kept others and we kept this one. We ignored the things--for they weren't men no more, that crept in the shadows around the town. They were easy enough to scare off and really weren't no worse than possums or 'coons at first. You might find one in your trash-pile, but they'd never come too close to anything that might have a harsh word for them.

Yes, we keep our secrets. Sometimes though, our secrets keep us.

There were a few other towns around these parts. We didn't know it at the time, but those towns were getting visited by the men-things too. We call 'em skinwalkers, because they look like people...from a distance. But up close, you can tell there ain't no human in 'em. That's why these fools shoulda known better about you.

Well, these other towns were getting visited by the skinwalkers and the things stalking their alleys and graveyards weren't like no harmless little possums. These things were mean mister. They would hunt, striking from the shadows. Sometimes they'd steal a person, sometimes they'd kill 'em outright. There was no way of telling. Sometimes the people they'd took would get found out in the hills somewhere, eaten down to the bone. Other times, the people they'd took would come back...skinwalkers themselves.

Like I says, small towns keep their secrets and they keep to themselves. We didn't know about the skinwalkers until they came here. The cowardly little garbage-eaters had been keping track of us. I suppose the little monsters had done the same in the other villages, but we didn't know about them other villages until we tried to run for help ourselves. That's how Pete over there lost his wife and little boy. Cut down in the pass between here and the next town.

The skinwalkers have been at us mister. There's few left here but useless old men and a handful of womenfolk. I hate to be the one to tell you this, but you're most likely in for it too. The garbage-eaters have probably already told the thing in the mountain about the fresh meat that just arrived. Its almost dawn now, but tomorrow night, they'll descend on this town like a shadow.

I see a lot of new faces in here. I'm sorry friends, but today is most likely your last day on earth.

 

[cats]

Celst

IC: Skin walkers? I've never herd of such a type of beast, or prehaps they where some type of zombie or other form of undead? Coarse I've never actully seen skelitons or zombies. For the most part I thought the undead was just a rumor spread from town to town, and this seems to be real.

Prehaps I would of seen one by now if I didn't fly from town to town. Flight seemed a faster way to travel from place to place. I should leave this place but something Mark told me was to watch for new unusal things, if you don't nip the force while it's weak they have a tendency to come and nip you when it's strong.

"I don't know about useless old men but I think you speack a bit harshly of women folk. I handle myself quite well as I see it. Still I could handle mysefl better." I turn to the bartender who seemed much to lazzy to hold any job at this point. "For the last time I want my drink."

 

[Guest]

Morgan

"Sorry ma'am, got caught up in the excitement is all."

Moving quickly, Morgan prepared a tall, frothy mug of beer. Then, after downing it, he turned to Celst and offered her his biggest smile.

"Now that that's that, what can I do for you ma'am?"

 

[Guest]

Caleb

Taking a deep drag on the tobacco roll McGinty gave him, Caleb exhaled a thin plume of smoke before speaking.

"You said that this man's sons," indicating McGinty's brother "went into the caves on their own. Were they hunting the skinwalkers?"

"Nay, this was afore they come down on us in force." McGinty seemed uncomfortable talking about this somehow, though he'd been more than forthcoming before.

"So if the Skinwalkers weren't the problem they'd gone to solve, what was?"

"Well, we don't rightly know," McGinty said. "There'd been kids gone missing around that time. They was last seen around the deserted campsite the outlanders set up."

"They could have fallen victim to the skinwalkers," Caleb said, unmindful of the effect his words would have had on the children's parents who were mosty likely in the audience.

"That's not what we thought at the time, but you could be right mister." McGinty seemed satisfied at this, as if a question had been answered for him. he started to rise.

"What lived in those caves before the skinwalkers came along? What danger did you let those poor souls blunder into," Caleb asked.

"I'm sorry mister," McGinty lied. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Well if that's the case, I'll be leaving. This town has been inhospitable for as long as I've been here. I'm sure I'll find better neighbors elsewhere."

 

[cats]

Celst

IC: I smiled as the bartender readied a bear. I pulled a hand threw my long blond hair and then placed it on my slender side. I waited for him to turn around and hand it to me but he apoligised first.

I stood there still smileing but my patencce wareing thin. Thats when he downed the entire glass. "SON OF A BITCH!" I began to jump over the desk to slap the amn silly when the boy next to me grabed hold and held on for the bartenders dear life. "YOUR ASS IS MINE BARTENDER!" I strugled to try and get close enough to strangle the jerk.

 

[Guest]

Morgan

"Ay wot's that!"

Morgan tried to push the woman off him, but found there was far more strength in her lithe body than he'd expected.

"Ay lads, gimme a hand with this one!"

A few older gentlemen laughed and watched Morgan take his beating.

"Serves you right, card cheat," said a voice from the back of the tavern.

Suddenly the mood was lightened a bit as the tavern had a good laugh at Morgan's expense.

 

[Jacobo_Curious]

"...hmph."

Glenn glanced around. "Hey! SHUT UP!"

The tavern blinked and glanced at him. He stepped forward, and his eyes flashed; and for the slightest moment, everyone could have sworn they saw the wavering blue image of a helmet-wearing, spear-wielding woman smiling down at him.

Even without the woman-spirit, his aura commanded attention.

"Grandfather," he said to McGinty, the term respectful but his tone rather icy, "you said these corpse-possessing spirits came from a cave? Are you sure you don't know what came before? What caused the birth of these trash-eating zombies?"

He closed his eyes, apparently thinking hard.

"I'm... looking for... a certain type of person. I want you to tell me... what was there before."

Glenn, I'm proud of you and your foresight -- if we do nothing, the villagers will be overrun, and everyone will hurt. But be prepared! If this spirit can create minion-spirits, we're in for some trouble! This being will not be so easily absorbed as a mere animal totem! For all we know, this master being is a minor god.

That's a risk I'll have to take, thought Glenn. After all, these townsfolk may be worthless, even all put together -- but that only makes my life all the more worthless. I might as well spend it doing something worthwhile... or at least as worthwhile as ANYTHING is in this world.

Glenn... I merely want to advise you.

Yeah, yeah. You just don't wanna die.

The good-looking young man glanced up again. "Yes. I might be able to help you face these creatures."

 

[Guest]

McGinty

"Hmmm, a strange wind blows tonight," McGinty said thoughtfully as he rolled himself another tobacco roll. "Lots of new faces in town."

"Well," The old man began. "We never took much stock in it before, but--"

"Don't tell, McGinty." This from Pete, whose wife and son had been killed by whatever lived in those caves.

"I'm tellin'," McGinty said forcefully. "I know I swore more than anyone that I'd take this secret to my grave, but I'd planned on resting easy in my grave, not having my old bones worried at by those damned things out there after I'm gone.

To this, the tavern had no response.

"It was a long time ago. None of us had anything ta do with this mind you. I was but a pup and it was my own grandmother what scratched that sigul in the dirt. She was good with spells and such. She used to do little things for the village folk. Mend bones in a night, make crops grow, get babies birthed without no pain on the mother. We used to be friendly to folks like you back then."

McGinty smiled at the boy and continued, not much surprised that his smile hadn't been returned.

"Well anyhows, we had a hellsmouth opened up in them caves. It wasn't a big one, but it was a hellsmouth just the same. The stink that come up outta that pit was awful. Cows gave bad milk, babies born with cauls, coffins bust open every night. My grandfather said he saw his baby brother, dead seven years by then, singin' outside his bedroom window one night.

"It was then that our grandparents and great-grandparents took it upon themsleves to try and close the hellsmouth. During the bindin' spell, some of 'em took mad but the hellsmouth got closed just the same.

"Everythin' was back to normal but for the ones what took crazy. They had to be tied to their beds for fear that they'd run up into the mountains. They was allus tryin' to get back up there.

"Then one night, they was set loose."

McGinty looked up pleadingly at the strangers in the audience, hoping to find understanding in their eyes. Most of his fellow townspeople wouldn't look him in the eye. Those that did held nothing but open contempt for him.

"We done what we thought was best. They was our grandfolks, our kin, but they was tainted. Even my grammy had to be let loose eventually.

"One by one, we gave our elderly to the hills."

McGinty had tears rolling down his cheeks as he finsihed his story.

"We never checked to see if they was allright. We never even said words over 'em once we was sure they was passed on. We just forgot about them, as if they never were. And after they'd saved us."

Unable to continue, the old man broke down, his smoke burning itself to ash between his fingers.

 

[Jacobo_Curious]

Glenn is quiet.

"...I'm sorry."

He bows his head slightly.

"...I am sorry if I have shamed you. You are... a brave man, to tell me this."

In the quiet tavern room, the sudden sound of his fist slapping against his palm is harsh and startling.

"I will avenge your elders, Grandfather," said Glenn, his eyes blazing, figuratively and, to a slight degree, literally. The spark of spirit within him was now obvious. "I may die, and the hope that lies in my breast may die with me, but your elders will be avenged."

Hope that lies... Glenn, you're talking about me. What do you mean? You know I can take control of you as soon as I grow more powerful. You cannot use me, but I will not use you, because mind control is unwise. Yet... what plans for me do you have?

As soon as I'm strong enough, Mastress, thought Glenn, maybe I'll make this realm a little less worthless.

Glenn... be careful where power leads you.

Glenn glanced up at Caleb.

"Shall I do this alone?"