Decadents and Dropouts IC

[DormantEvil]

The Narrator

Blades and Mad Dog watched on, but soon grew bored of the gate nobody seemed to be trying to flee out of. And since nobody was paying them a substantial enough bounty they moved on into the mansion. They ignored all the people trying to flee, that didn't worry them. Only when someone tried to fight them specifically did Blades intervene. Like the dutiful bodyguard that she was. Mainly because Mad Dog was one person that could easily dispatch her. He was just quiet.

They moved into Marcus' private study, and begun to search. Several people ran past them. But none payed them any attention until Marcus himself stumbled in.

He saw them just before they saw him. But he reacted far to late to leave the room again. With the wave of an arm, Mad Dog closed the doors and they made a clicking sound as they locked.

Blades put down the pile of paper she had been looking though and walked over to him. Withdrawing her daggers rather relaxedly. She circled around him several times before whispering into his ear.

"We'll leave this place, and leave you with your life if you have someone of equal value?"

With a smile she ran the tip of her blade down the side of his neck. He smelled like sex, sweat and fear. Perhaps they had interrupted him entertaining.

 

[DeathsKnight]

Marcus

He had no idea how to get out of this situation, but he didn't want to die at all

"We...we had three guests here...they were...is...was...monsters...or at least two of them was"

He gave a gasp as the blade ran along the skin of his neck

"A...a gorgon and a...huge fellow...had a tough skin, slit eyes and fangs...called himself Gryph"

He was sweating profusely now, hoping that would at least give him some sort of reprieve

"This Gryph has a backpack...he had gold in it...close to...at least six bags"

 

[Belinda35]

Phyliss Ovida

Phyliss was quite happy when she found Gryph, or rather was found by him. For the moment they felt safe here. Anyway, out here in the garden she could always melt with the ground and just wait until everything was over.
"One moment...this are not just the common peasant looters who sack a place just out of hatred, driven by envy, intolerance and greed. I know that kind of scum. They have no proper weapons or armor, just feeling strong if they are in large numbers be rats. They are to well equipped, and the mercenary tried to tackle me." She looked up to Gryph. "You know, anyone who is sane and would surprise a gorgon from the back, would try to stab or club her. But he tried to capture me alive. There is only one reason for this... Haerdon! He is a barbarian, and he knows my powers and Verialyns as well. He would know better then to come just here with trained fighters. He probably has found a mage to support him... I don't know how good you are against that?"

 

[DeathsKnight]

Gryph

"I never had gone up against a mage, I am rather resistant to certain types of magic, but if the mage can handle fire it would be foolish to attack them"

Gryph tested the edge of his sword

"But then again...a mage without guts is one that can't cast a spell"

He frowned

"You mentioned barbarian? I came across one such on the second floor and we had a little talk. My fist spoke to his head, I think he would be coming down those stairs in anger"

Gryph looked at Phyliss

"Want me to kill them?"

 

[Belinda35]

Phyliss Ovida

"Killing him, yes, no bad idea..." Phyliss frowned an thought a moment.
"No, we should not go back. We do not know how much support we have. We better make it out of here. North is blocked by the overhanging rocks behind the wall, and I am not sure what is behind the wall in the west. If we go to the east, where the stables seperate the areal from the gardens, we could sneak through the small passage between the stables and the mansion. Then we have to make it to the wall, which is not so far away, and then get somehow over the wall, and we will be right in the little forest. From there we could go on to the forges... I wonder where Verialyn is. Have you seen her?"

 

[DeathsKnight]

Gryph

"Verialyn?"

Then it dawned on him

"Oh the vampire lady? She was entertaining our generous host, I warned her so I am much certain that she is making her way away from the estate"

Gryph looked at the wall

"If it's as big as the walls at the gates I'm sure that I can boost you over...I'll find a way to get over the wall though"

 

[Belinda35]

Phyliss Ovida

The gorgon looked around; she could see quite well, even in darkness. But it was not realyy dark yet, so that humans might see them as well. But waiting much longer would do no good, because sooner or later the party would search the garden. "I hope Verialyn will make it, I really don't want to leave her behind..." Phyliss looked back to the mansion, but it would be insane to go back there, besides they could not know where the vampire would be by now. The house was very large, and Verialyn moved very fast; maybe she left the building already. Phyliss picked up her bag with her clothes. "O.K. We better get moving now. I hope you have gathered your gold, or the looters will steal it as well." Phyliss started walking to the garden, because she knew the way better then Gryph. She wondered for a moment, if he would fit through the narrow passage, but he just had to.

 

[DeathsKnight]

Gryph

He grunted

"I have what I had left after I paid for the damages, the rest..."

He shrugged and grinned

"I guess that is not my problem anymore"

The gap that Phyliss spoke of was narrow, too narrow for him to fit through, luckily the stable's wall wasn't of the thickest.

"I'll meet you on the other side"

He entered one of the stalls and tapped the pommel of his sword against the wall, he would need space. He opened the door and slapped the horse on the rump, sending it galloping off. Storming the length of the stall he threw himself against the wall, there was a loud thump and a few chunks of the plaster fell off.

"Boom boom boom called the harbingers of doom"

Again he rushed the wall and this time he broke through sending pieces of wall flying in all directions. Picking himself up he dusted off his clothing and grinned at Phyliss

"Sorry about the noise, didn't have much of a choice"

 

[Belinda35]

Phyliss Ovida

Phyliss was quite impressed. She could walk through the path without even touching the walls. But seeing Gryph simply burst through the walls of the stable, gave her more confidence.
"It would be great if we could take some of the horses. But then we have to make all the way back past the mansion and the guardhouse until we reach te big frontgate. If we decide to make it to the woods, we just go on straight for about 30 yards to the wall." She ponted to the wall, that was about 12 foot high.
"It is not so high on the other side, in the woods. I think it is just a bit more then 6 foot there." Phyliss looked around. It had become completely dark now, which ws not a problem for her, and probably not for Gryph. It was very quiet now, even the sounds of fighting had stopped. It was much to quiet for her taste. What was going on?

 

[DeathsKnight]

Gryph

"We have to get moving now, this silence is unsettling"

Gryph had whispered and he knew that it would take close to super hearing to heave heard his words. He silently moved into the direction that Phyliss had indicated where the wall would be lower.

 

[Belinda35]

Phyliss Ovida

Phyliss hurried over toward the wall. She knew she could never climb it in her fine dress, but she relied that Gryph could easily lift her upward enough to get over the wall without getting dirty. She turned around, looking through the dark once more, hoping to see Verialyn, but she was not that lucky.

 

[DeathsKnight]

Gryph

He stopped next to the wall, he could actually see the top, the wall was not very high here. He picked the gorgon up and placed her on the top of the broad wall, using a little hop, he gripped the top of the wall and lifted himself up, swinging himself over he dropped to the other side and held out his hands to help Phyliss down.

 

[Belinda35]

Phyliss Ovida

The gorgon stood on the wall, until Gryph came up. She dropped her bag over the wall and waited until he helped her down. She could have jumped without problem, but she found it this way nicer for both of them. She looked around and could not see anyone. Did they really get away that easy? But in fact, they were not away yet. The could not go further nort, because there was the rocky cliff above them. There wasn't much to go to the east, either. They had to walk south, along the the wall, and then they had to made it around the main gate, to get to the road towards the forges. Phyliss had forgotten the name of the city, but she knwe the rough direction; just along the road. She wisphered to Gryph.
"We have to go down there, and then sneak around the maingate. Maybe they still search for us on the estate."

 

[DeathsKnight]

Gryph

He grunted softly

"I have traveled through this forest, I know a way that will bring us out further away from the estate and then we can move along the road to the town"

He sniffed the air, magic that he was not familiar with had been used and it really unsettled him

"Let's get moving, we can secure a horse for you at some later stage, first we must get away alive"

 

[Belinda35]

Phyliss Ovida

"I guess you are right." said Phyliss. She looked back to the estate, another broken paradise. She was most concerned for Verialyn, although she was probably the only one who had a chance to get away. "Poor Aron." she whispered. "And poor Marcus, he was so generous and good to everybody..."
She started walking, because she knew Haerdon would not give up that easily. Even without a proper mage, he would most likely follow their trace sooner or later, and then he would be aware that Gryph was with her.

 

[DeathsKnight]

Gryph

As they walked Gryph thought about everything that had happened the day, he stuck his hand inside his pants and felt Phyliss' silk panties still there. He smiled and decided to give it to her as soon as he got the time

"You know these barbarians, how did you get to meet them? And why does it sound like they are after you?"

 

[Belinda35]

Phyllis Ovida

"We encountered them in a bar, where som etradeslavers set an eye on us. we just them to sneak out, and they turned out to be pretty violent. But we were able to overpower them, but we let them alive. Probably this was a mistake. We took their horse and fled." Phyliss listened, but was relieved as she only heard her voice and Gryphs heavy steps on the ground. "One of them Haerdon, who was after me, even intruded on the estate and looked for me, but Verialyn found him. She let him escape - a horrible mistake. Now he came back. He has his horse back, I guess, but he is full of hatred."

 

[DeathsKnight]

Gryph

He chuckled

"I think that you petrified him and he didn't really take kindly to that and the theft of his horse"

 

[Belinda35]

Phliss Ovida

"Yes, I did." said the gorgon. "I should have used my snakes on him instead. Now he has his horse back, and he took what he wanted anyway, so he should have no reason to complain, but these barbarians are ignorant and vindicative." She hissed. "BUt let us not talk about that, for now. We are gonig to the forges, and I hope we wil find Verialyn, and Canut, the kobald, although I fear he wont be there."

 

[DormantEvil]

The Narrator

Blades thought about his offer for a few moments, two lives and that much gold would possibly be of equal value. He gave himself too much credit of course. One bag of gold would be all Blades needed to feel equal value had been traded. But then again, she didn't feel like letting him be without some sort of present in return for his information.

With a quick flick of her wrist, she engraved his neck with the letter B. A memento. Before both Mad Dog and her left him in his study alone.

They would follow Gryph, but they were not ones to hurry. He may learn of their existence at a later date. For now he could be left alone.

 

[Belinda35]

Phyliss Ovida

Phyliss kept talking as she walked on. She was by no means so strong like Gryph or Verialyn, but she was certainly tougher then her feminine, slender body would let anyone expect. An talking kept her from worrying.
"I should tell you, that I have wandered lost and abandonded through the wilderness after I had to leave a place because it became unbearable because of the ignorants of some peasants. I havent't met anyone for days and was hungry and cold, when I met Canut, the kobald. He was quite grumpy in the beginning and, if I think so, all the other time as well, but a good and trustful friend. Then we met a drow, whom I found quite handsome in the beginning, but he started to act strange when we reached a tavern and he was suddenly gone. I am not sure, but maybe he betrayed us to the slavetraders that run the tavern. Then we met Verialyn in the tavern, who I knew from some years earlier. We teamed up and escaped the slavetraders and also had the encounter with the barbarians then. Sadly Kanut picked up that silly dog-creature at the same occasion, and it drove him apart from us. Of course, I never ever thought of having him as lover, so I would not be jealous, but I miss him. We traveled on and a drow-slut tried to ambush us, but we defeated her. The others accepted her as a new member of our party, so I had to go along with that. Then we were picked up by Marcus, and the drow dissapeared in the night. You know the rest."
Phyliss put her bag with clothes on her other shoulder.
"Oh, I forgot the most important part. Shortly after I met Kanut, we discussed our plan to find a spot were people of our kind could live in peace - those who are pursued and hated because some ignorant humans call them monsters. I thought of starting it like something of an Inn with room for newcomers, and later we could transfer it into a settlement and maybe oneday a city. But we realized it would be more realistic to get an old, but large enough riverboat for the beginning, so that we can move on if necessary. But of course, none of us could afford that. I am really out of money, and the only one who had some gold was Kanut, although it was not enough. So he proposed that he would work in the forges for some time, and we all gather at that place to make our plans. I wonder if he still renembers after that blasted doggie puzzled him so much, and I am even not sure if we find Verialyn again. So after all, maybe I have lost all my friends."
She looked up to gryph, wandering if he would see her face in the dark.
"So, maybe you are the only one I have left."

 

[DeathsKnight]

Gryph

He grinned, he was sure that in the dark she could see his face, but it was a good natured grin not one at her expense.

"Well my dear, I think I'll stick with you and see how it pans out"

He sniffed the air and frowned, it smelled like stale blood and he could almost hear the flies buzzing. That wasn't a good omen.

"Let's move along as fast as we can, we can both see in the dark and I just have this strange feeling that trouble is coming our way. I intend to be with my back against something solid when it happens"

 

[Belinda35]

Phyliss Ovida

Phyliss looked around and could not see anything suspicious, but she was alarmed nevertheless. Her senses was sharp, sharper then that of an ordinary human woman, but it took some more moments until she smelled the stench. She was impressed by Gryphs abilities, probably he could match any dog, probably better then Kanuts annoying creature. She moved closer to Gryph. Her magic shield would protect her against magic attacks that would do only physical harm, and it protected her against all injuries that would be caused by impact of blunt, sharp or pointed weapons. But even if she could not be slain, stabbed or shot for some time (the shield would collapse if there were to many attacks in short time), someone like Haerdon could simply turn her neck until it would brake.
"What is it?" whispered the gorgon very low.

 

[DeathsKnight]

Gryph

"I can not be sure, but it is not natural. Prey that have been caught by an animal would not be left like that...also after an escape, getting wind of a smell of death...it's just not a good omen and I have had my share of omens in the past"

He walked a bit faster, the gorgon could keep up, or ask him to slow down if the pace was too much for her.

 

[Belinda35]

Phyliss Ovida

Phyliss was a good walker, but she could not keep up with Gryphs long legs, beside she was not really dressed for the wilderness, her long dress was to tight to make big steps. But know it was no time to get a change. She clasped her bags and kept very close to Gryph. Although she was rather well protected by her shield and her extraordinary selfhealing spell, she felt a little frigthened, especially after all what has happened. And Haerdon would be really furious if he failed again in catching her, despite all his men.