Hey loyal Nifty readers, I'm glad you decided to read my story (for those who've read the first part, a special thank you for your responses)
A little reminder, if you've ever read a Nifty story, go ahead and skip on down to the asteriks (*)
If you are underage, do not go any further. If it is illegal in your area to read this material, do not go any further. If you aren't into this kind of thing, do not go any further.
(My personal opinion) If you like this kind of thing go on ahead. If you are underage who cares? (just don't get caught) If it is illegal who cares? (just don't get caught)
Thank you all for asking about what was going on, and wanting me to continue. I know it sounds paltry, but your responses are what I'm writing for. Thank you so much again, and sorry for the delay...
-------- The Book --------
Chapter 4 : Chance Encounters
"Well, Matt," began Judas, "You're certainly in a fine pickle today." Judas and Matt were joking around in the Third Atrium of High Tower, an area restricted to all but those of highest rank. Judas and Matt, who had met 2 months earlier when a renegade mage had taken Matt captive, were now the best of friends, and partners for missions on many occasions. The Guild had promoted Judas to Resident Guardian, and Matt was his Resident Watcher (Judas' former position). The two had caused quite a bit of ruckus when they were promoted, both of them only 18, it set a record for youngest to hold such exalted positions.
Today Judas and Matt had declared an off-day... at least for themselves... and were reclining in the Atrium, not thinking of anything in particular, and talking much nonsense. There was no better place to do so than in the Third Atrium. High Tower, home of the rulers of Faerun as well as its protectors, was taken care of a nearly invisible race of pixies known as Vronaar, who also served its residents (taking care of virtually every need). The Third Atrium was the sole exception, for this was under the strict care and guardianship of the Sylvan Elves, who kept it in bloom all year round and harvested the herbs for the Alchemists and Doctors.
The Atrium was, predictably, phenomenally fragrant, though not one unpleasant odor could be detected. The lampflowers were in bloom now, so despite the overcast skies Judas and Matt were enveloped in a twilight-like atmosphere. The glass roof, a marvel of technology, enable the two to recline on the stone benches and simply stare at the sky, which was what the two were doing right now. Nothing could calm the pair like a session of cloud gazing, but they were not allowed to do so on enough occasions. This was what led to their off-day, and if both pulled their rank, they could do virtually anything except things regarding the military, so one off-day was hardly a problem, and didn't even rank as a topic of gossip for the day.
"What do you mean, Judas?" Matt finally responded, watching as the clouds rolled by.
"Young Ardanas seems to be quite smitten with you." said Judas, stifling a chuckle. Ardanas was a young woman whom had Manifested quite early, and the Guild had high hopes for her power, although she utterly lacked control, being mercurial in temper and violent in protests. Ardanas had taken one look at Matt her first day at High Tower (as a mere apprentice) and was immediately enamored of her ranking officer.
Matt groaned, Ardanas had been the cause of many of his recent headaches. The girl had all the inhibitions of a mink in heat, and all the subtlety of an orc proposing marriage (the orcs had never strayed from the ancient tradition of clubbing their prospective mates over the head and dragging them off). Ardanas also could not, or perhaps would not, get a clue that Matt had no interest whatsoever in the 13 year old. Matt had tried flat out telling her he had no feelings for her, to which she responded, without fail, "What do you mean? Oh, you're playing hard to get!" followed by redoubled efforts to win his heart.
"Must you remind me?" Matt whined, burying his face in his hands, "I can't stand the girl, and if it weren't for the fact that she's utterly impeccable when other supervisors are around, I'd have her thrown out in an instant!"
Judas only laughed in response.
Matt turned onto his side to face the laughing youth and frowned. "Judas, honestly, I've seen her picking fights with the other apprentices, the ones older than her. She can, more often than not, beat them, and then she begins mocking them until she provokes them into another fight." That got Judas' attention, who rose on his side and looked at Matt's sober expression.
"Can you get any other apprentices to tell this to the Masters?" he queried.
"Of course not," scoffed Matt, "What apprentice would be willing to swallow his or her pride and admit to falling prey to insults, then to losing to one with less training?"
"A good point," conceded Judas, "But we cannot allow this to happen, if resentment is building between the apprentices, it could mean the ruin of Faerun."
Matt laughed uproarously, "Judas, aren't you taking this a bit too seriously? How can a little resentment bring down our great nation?"
Judas simply stared at Matt gravely until Matt took a big swallow and managed to calm down. "Think about it, Matt," began Judas, "These apprentices will one day be Protectors of the Peace, and will definitely have to work with one another at one time or another." at Matt's nod of comprehension, Judas continued, "Now, if they secretly dislike each other, they may... no, let me rephrase that, they will undermine each other's authority out of sheer spite, and then..."
"The people are given free rein because every Caster at High Tower is too busy trying to outdo each other." finished Matt, complete understanding dawning at last.
Judas nodded. "So what are we going to do?"
"Catch her in the act, and haul her off to the Masters."
Matt sighed, "So much for our off-day..."
Judas chuckled sadly.
The catching of Ardanas was simple, for she had a favorite target, an older boy who had Manifested at the unusually late age of 16 (Ardanas was at 8) and who was still mastering the basics. The boy was farmstock, and as such did not have the benefits of Ardanas, who was born to a noble family. Matt and Judas simply waited until Ardanas believed she was alone with the boy, and sure enough, she began to challenge the boy to a Duel Arcane. The boy, nobody's fool, refused, and Ardanas looked furious. She send a bolt of power at the boy's unprotected back, which Judas blocked with a simple shield. That was exactly what Matt and Judas had been waiting for, so they walked right up to Ardanas, Sealed her powers temporarily, and dragged her kicking and screaming to the Masters. There she was tried, and expelled from High Tower and had her Powers permanently Sealed. Ardanas was the first in over a century to be expelled from High Tower.
Ardanas shivered in the cold of the outdoors. She had never experienced harsh weather without more than enough clothing and protection. Bad enough she was kicked out of High Tower, but at the Guilds orders, her family had disowned her. Anger, black rage, stirred deep in her breast, and she gave it vent. She unleashed her full Will, and...
--Nothing happened...
She suppressed a sob, for she had not been without her powers for 5 years, and could scarcely believe that she was now to live without them, not to mention her family and the wealth and security they promised. The black rage rose once more as she contemplated at how she had been wronged. :That bastard, Judas, must have convinced my beloved Matt that I was a threat: she fumed, :Matt would never betray me otherwise... He loves me! He... he... : memories of Matt dragging her to the Masters rose up, but she rebuked them with blind faith, and all her rage, all her passion turned in an instant to Judas. The face of Judas, smug with self-satisfaction as the Guild sentenced her to the harshest of punishments, branded into her mind, and her vision turned red.
:I'll get even with that Judas no matter how long it takes me...:
Just then, a snowstorm began. Ardanas began wandering blindly, and ran directly into a wandering man.
"Get the hell out of my way, old man!" she shrieked.
"What did you call me?" the voice was calm with deadly rage. Ardanas stepped back an involuntary step as she saw what the man was wearing.
"Who are you? Where do you come from?" she asked, bewildered at the man's very foreign garb and unusually accented voice.
"I come from Los Angeles, in the U.S." he replied. Ardanas simply scratched her head.
"Are you simple or something?" she scoffed, "There is no such place, there is only Faerun."
"Fey roon," the man said, butchering the name with his accent. "You must show me around, be my guide to this place."
"What makes you think I'd do that?" sneered Ardanas, "I have more than enough problems of my own to deal with poor simple beggars like yourself."
The man pulled out a black object that resembled an L with unusual carvings on it, "Do it or I blow your brains out."
"With what? That object? What a joke!" Ardanas laughed
The man, in response, pointed the object at an owl who had perched on a tree branch some 50 yards away, a deafening <BANG!!> ensued, and the owl was reduced to blood and feathers.
Ardanas didn't even flinch, but was impressed by what she saw.
"Now, unless you want me to do that to you, you do as I say." said the man, with a sneer to match Ardanas'.
Ardanas replied slowly, her mind already whirling with possibilities for the lightning gun. She walked towards the man, "I believe we can help each other, in this case...."
"M'lord!! M'lord!!" Tobias raced down the halls carrying a letter sealed with crimson wax, signifying the utmost urgency. He raced into his master's quarters and began shaking the bed, where Judas lay blissfully ignorant. "M'lord!! Emergency, m'lord!!"
"Huh, wha?" muttered Judas, refusing to believe Tobias had risen him at 3 Midnight Bell.
"M'lord, it's crimson wax!!"
Judas rose with a gasp, and snatched the letter away from the Brownie, he broke the seal with a flicker of thought, and unrolled the parchment, scanning quickly. He read it through once, then comprehension dawned, and his eyes widened, he read it through again, to make sure of it, then lept out of bed.
"Tobias!!" he hollered, "Wake Matt, and tell him to get his Runecasters! We're going to need them for this Mission!!"
Tobias all but sprinted from the room.
One candlemark later (two candlemarks too long for Judas' liking) the two were saddled up on Draecon and ready to head out. Matt, still half asleep, was not in the best of moods, and asked Judas why in the name of the Havens he had risen so early.
"It's the Masters of the Guild," Judas said, hardly coherent in his haste, "They've found the bodies of several Dragons, slain by what a witness says looked like a Runecaster."
Matt was unimpressed, "So what, Dragons die all the time, and by Runecaster isn't any different than by Sorcery. What does this have to do with us?"
"One of the Dragons killed was Draconir," Judas replied grimly, "The Dragons are threatening war if we cannot find a murderer."
Matt gasped, Draconir, while not the king of Dragons (there really wasn't one), was the undisputed leader and spokesman for Dragons, as well as several other races, in Faerun. His apparent assassination would not go well with anybody, even those races he didn't represent.
"So..." Matt managed to murmur, horrified that anyone would do such a thing.
"We must find the murderer and bring him to justice before all the countryside lay in ruin from rioting." Judas muttered grimly, sending Draecon winging into the dawn with a light spur.
At the cave of Draconir, the pair found the most hideous of spectacles. There was just enough left of Draconir to be recognized. Matt studied the carcass with practiced ease, for Runecasters, more than most, had to keep their emotions locked down. Judas began to sob, for he and Draconir were, while not quite friends, substantially more than mere acquaintances. He couldn't stand to see his companion reduced to this, and excused himself (audibly sick) to relieve himself in the snowy outdoors.
As Judas was just finishing his task, Matt emerged from the cave, his expression unreadable.
"Wh-what is it?" stuttered Judas, wiping from his mouth the remnants of his task.
"His gallbladder is missing," replied Matt monotonously, "As well as one eye, and a tooth."
"W-we need th-those damn Alchem-mists." muttered Judas. "What kind of potion would require these kinds of potent ingredients?"
"No, we don't need the Alchemists," said Matt, his expression becoming very agitated, "I remember reading about a potion that required those exact three ingredients, and it's the only one I've ever seen that uses them."
"Well, wh-what's the spell?" asked Judas, not liking Matt's expression.
"It's to break a Seal..." Matt said. "The Sealing of Powers..."
"What do you mean?" asked Judas, perplexed.
"Ardanas." Matt said shortly, "If she can complete this potion her powers will be unlocked entirely, as well as some latent talents, the translations were unclear."
"Shit!" cursed Judas, "But how did Ardanas collect these ingredients without her Powers?!"
"She must have gotten outside help..." began Matt.
"That's obvious! What else does the spell need?!" interrupted Judas impatient at Matt for stating what seemed to be blatantly obvious to him.
"The still-beating heart of one present at her Sealing." Matt said, growing pale.
"But you and I were..."
"YES!! YOU WERE THERE!!" the screech of rage was barely recognizable as human. Matt and Judas whirled about to see Ardanas standing with a middle-aged man in foreign clothing.
Matt whipped out his Runecaster from his backpack as quick as thought, and Judas crouched low to the ground, his hands crackling with power. Ardanas laughed madly, any trace of sanity long since gone, and pointed at Judas.
Ardanas looked terrible. Her hair streamed and was tangled. Her clothing was scarcely more than rags, and she had a strange aura about her that disconcerted Judas.
"GIVE ME YOUR HEART!!" she screamed, hardly coherent at all, and leaping towards Judas. Judas simply side-stepped with a wicked grin and Ardanas crashed into a pile of snow. She rose from the snow, suddenly calm, as a result of her flighty attitude, and seemingly perfectly sane. She looked at Judas, and began to laugh... her laughter was not so sane...
"What's so funny, bitch?" asked Judas calmly, glaring at the young woman.
"You thought that since I had been Sealed I was helpless, didn't you?!" she hissed, "Well, I've found a new path of Magick, that requires no Talent!" she then howled a name, the greater name of the God of Oblivion, and Judas felt sick to the stomach as a black rush power came pouring out from Ardanas and flowed into the cave of Draconir. "Necromancy!!" she screamed triumphantly, raising her hands to the heavens.
The earth began to rumble, and out of the cave walked...
-Draconir-
Still the butchered thing Judas and Matt had found, Draconir was walking as if he still had an entire body, rather than a messy half. He opened his mouth and green bile burst forth towards Judas. Judas leapt to the side, as the bile hit the earth and began sizzling as it ate through the snow. Judas' heart ached, but years of training took over, and he let loose with a blast of fire, the reputed destroyer of the undead, towards the zombie of his former companion.
Meanwhile, Matt and the stranger squared off.
"I don't know what you have there, stranger, but I don't think it can hold a candle to a gun!" laughed the man, not taking Matt's Runecaster very seriously.
In lieu of a response Matt Channeled some energy into the Runes and let loose with a hail of stone from the heavens.
"SHIT!!" cursed the man as a rock struck him on the hand, causing him to drop his own wand. The man dove after it and tumbled, coming to his feet and fired a shot. Matt saw it coming, heard the sharp <<BANG!!>> as it exited the object. He began to leap to the side, but in vain...
--Matt took the bullet directly in the chest.--
He stared dumbly at his own chest as blood began to ooze from the wound. Then, pain, agonizing pain, spread through Matt's body like a plains fire, but he knew that he had better take this man with him or Judas' odds of surviving were significantly lowered. His training took command, as it should, and he fought to focus his eyes through his rapidly hazing vision, and Channeled the last of his energy in a burst that reduced the stranger to ashes, howling in agony. The strange wand the man wielded fell into the snow, smoking.
"NOOOO!!!!!!" howled Judas, as he saw Matt crumple to the earth, a scarlet stain spreading beneath the young man on the snow.
"MATT!!!!!!" it was Ardanas, her eyes filled with all of Hell. She sank to her knees in shock, and Draconir abruptly lost his animation, and stood, stunned.
Judas' agony rose from the heart as he saw his good friend fall. Judas' eye's blazed crimson, then black, his hands flared with dark light, and he cupped his hands together. Within his hands a ball of not-light was growing, and with an agonized screech he sent it blossoming towards the stunned Draconir and dumbfounded Ardanas. There was an explosion of not-light, as Oblivion reclaimed his new priestess and Draconir found the peace he deserved.
Judas sprinted to where Matt lay sprawled on the earth, and gathered the limp body to his chest, sobbing uncontrollably...
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Judas woke drenched in sweat... again. His dreams these last months had him waking in a sweat, a hot one, as opposed to the cold sweat of fear. Each dream was different, but shared a common theme. In every one, the adrogynous creature would come from the mists and train Judas in a new form of combat. Every time Judas would wake up he would forget exactly what he had "learned" in his dream. He had considered seeing a psychologist, but as soon as he did, the dreams stopped for 2 weeks. Now they were back with a vengeance, and he had to get to school.
He rolled over, groaning, and snuck a look at the clock... 10:24 AM.
"SHIT!!!!"
Judas leapt out of bed and into the bathroom, brushing his teeth and doing his morning routine in record time... 10 minutes. He struggled into his clothes :am I getting fatter?: and raced into the kitchen. As he always did after one of those dreams, Judas was famished, so he grabbed himself 2 PopTarts, a glass of milk, toast, and a banana for breakfast, then was off to school at 10:50 AM... school began at 11:00 AM. He groaned as he raced out the door... :Looks like another detention for me...:
RING!!!!
Judas sat in class, hardly believing his luck. He had arrived at school at 10:55, when it normally took him nearly 15 minutes to get to school. He had raced down the halls at a speed he never knew he could achieve, and was in his seat a good 2 minutes before the tardy bell. Matt, who sat in front of Judas, turned enough in his chair to flash his friend a supportive grin, for today was Monday, and the teacher had scheduled a test this very day.
Judas looked at the first question, and sighed :I should have actually tried to study some....:
"Hey! Judas!" Matt called out to Judas as Judas exited the lunchline, looking for Matt.
Judas looked around for a second, a little bewildered at the sudden migration, and found his friend at a table on the other side of the lunchroom.
"What are you doing sitting over here?" Judas asked, not really caring where they sat, but definitely curious.
"HEY HEY!!! IT'S MY MAN JUDAS!!!" the booming voice could only have one source: Billy "BoBo" Bobcat. The loudest and most obnoxious kid in school who fancied himself popular and well-liked. Billy walked up to Judas from behind and reached out to give him a friendly "pat" on the back...
-Judas whirled with preternatural speed and caught his hand before it could impact.
"Shit!" cursed Billy as Judas' hand caught his own. Everyone at the table could hear the crack of Billy's knuckle and winced in sympathy. Then realization dawned at what Judas had just done, and all turned to look at him.
Judas, on the other hand, was staring down at his fist as if he were surprised that it was really his own. He flexed it, once, as if testing if it still worked, his eyes wide with wonder. Billy shook his injured hand and nursed it, and walked away, cursing under his breath.
"How did you--"
"Did you just--"
"What in the--"
"SHUT UP!!" yelled Matt, raising his hands for order.
"Uh... Judas?" the soft voice was barely recognizable for the normally carrying tone of Matt. Judas turned in the hall, a little upset, because he really didn't want to talk about what had happened at lunch. Matt walked up tentatively to Judas, which disturbed Judas. Judas didn't like being treated differently, and Matt's current behavior bordered on fear, which sickened Judas.
"Yes?" Judas tried to be as charming as he could, flashing a bright smile with false cheerfulness.
"Um... I want you to look at this..." Matt held out his sketchbook (he's quite an artist) for Judas to see. Inside was a series of symbols that almost looked like pictures...
"What am I looking at?" asked Judas, scrutinizing the paper.
"These symbols!" shouted Matt, "I don't understand any of them, but they look so deliberate. And..." Matt grew silent.
"What?" asked Judas, his curiousity piqued.
"I swear to you, Judas, but after I finished this last one..." Matt pointed to the bottom right symbol, "It started glowing green. I know I know it sounds crazy but I swear to you it's true You can ask Melidy who sits next to me in Art Class She saw it and she--"
"Wait!" interrupted Judas desperately, for Matt was beginning to babble like a brook. "You're telling me those little pictures on that paper started glowing, as in like a light?"
"Yes, I knew you wouldn't believe me!" cried Matt, very upset.
"I didn't say that!" rebuked Judas sharply, "I don't know what to think right now... first that incident in the lunch room, then your Runes..."
"What did you say?!" Matt hissed a wild look in his eyes not entirely sane.
"Your scribbles!" corrected Judas quickly, "I don't know why I said Runes..."
"Judas... I-I'm scared..." Matt said meekly.
"Matt, there's nothing to worry about..."
RING!!!!
"Except that we're late for our last class!!!!"
Mr. Glupnik was in a predictably irritable mood, for not only was Judas late, but Matt, his ordinarily prize student, was also late. He, of course, issued them both detentions after class, and, as he always did, made them feel bad again and again about being late. The two suffered silently through class, but suddenly, after class, Mr. Glupnik had an abrupt change of heart, or he suddenly took pity, but he discharged them without forcing them to serve their detentions. The two took off before he could change his mind.
As the two walked home from school there was an eerie silence that both boys were hesitant to break. Finally Judas spoke up...
"I don't know what's going on, Matt, but this goes perfectly with these wierd dreams I've been having lately..."
"Wierd dreams?" retorted Matt, his voice high-strung and his demeanor very submissive.
"Yeah, in these dreams, like, this guy... or girl, I can't tell which," Matt got a very unusual look in his eyes, "and it teaches me how to fight, but once I wake up, I can never remember what it taught me..." Judas had to literally force that out, for he was not exactly eager to tell what his dreams were about.
Matt nodded knowingly, "I know, in my dream it--"
"It? You mean you had this guy/girl in your dreams too?"
Matt nodded again, "Well this guy taught me all these symbols but it never told me what for. But once I wake up all the symbols, or as it... and you called them, Runes, get all jumbled up. Now that you bring it to my attention, these symbols..." Matt pulled out his sketchbook, "Are exactly the same as some others I remember studying..."
"I have to admit, I'm damned confused and freaked out right now..." began Judas.
"You'd be a fool not to be," retorted Matt, "If you weren't a little bit scared by now then you're just not taking it seriously enough."
The two boys walked along the street, for once the awkward silence was gone, both boys wanted to just walk in comfortable silence until they got to Judas' home (Judas lived closer to the school). Just as they turned onto Judas' street, however, a cloaked figure suddenly shoved the two out of its way.
"Hey!" exclaimed the two. Matt, the more forward of the two (once he had regained his composure, that is) grabbed the figures shoulder and wrenched him around...
--and froze--
The figure was not human, that could be told by simply the eyes. The mouth was also a bit of a giveaway, being full of 3 rows of razor sharp teeth. The two boys stepped back.
"At ease," it hissed, "I mean you no harm..."
The figure recoiled.
"You!!" it cried, looking directly at Judas, "I'll kill you for what you've done!!" It reached under its cloak and pulled out a wicked looking scimitar, which gleamed in the sunlight.
Judas wanted to give a yelp, wanted to dive out of the way, but something took over his body. He whipped his right foot out and knocked the scimitar 20 ft to the right, and bringing down his right snap-kicked the creature with his left, hurling it 3 feet into the air before it slmmed into the earth with a dull <<THUD!!>> Judas, wanting some answers and not about to lose his only possible source so far, grabbed the neck of the creature and gave it a squeeze. The creature opened its eyes, and hissed in fear, flailing arms and legs trying to escape.
Judas fairly ripped off his belt and bound the creature. He got very, very close to the creature's face, to the point where their noses could touch, if they so desired. Judas let the creature look him in the eye, and smiled a bloodthirsty grin.
"Now, I need some information..." he began...
Behind Judas, and unbeknownst to him, Matt clutched his chest, and collapsed silently on the ground, his white shirt rapidly turning scarlet red...
Thus ends Chapter 4, section 3 =P I gotta fix that, 'tis confusing...
Well, you all know what to do now, right? If you do, CYa later, you can stop reading right... NOW!
Since you're still reading I assume you've never read anything of mine (the whopping 2 other parts...) so...
#1. If you absolutely abhorred it, please write and tell me what I'm doing wrong.
#2. If you absolutely L-O-V-E-Dit, feel free to write and lemme know you do.
#3. If you are sorta undecided..., please write and tell me how to get you to #2 =)
Peace outy,
Matt