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She jumped over the back of the seat and ran for the balcony. Looking back she saw a couple of guards grabbing for Elvos and Adren as well. |
"Elvos, Adren! Run! Follow me!" but they didn’t seem to hear her and Elvos threw one aside, casting some sort of spell. |
He knows magic?! |
Storm thought in surprise. Maybe more had happened since the barbarians than she thought. But she couldn’t dwell on that thought for long. The group of guards was still right behind her. One threw his spear, and it barely sliced through the skin on her arm, leaving a small cut that turned a small spot of her fur red. |
Storm pressed her hand to it but kept running. She ran out onto the balcony and looked down. It was a steep drop but she spotted something. A cart, with a red cloth tied over it on posts. The vendor was an elderly man, selling apples, and other various fruits. |
Storm took a deep breath, and leaped over the railing. She landed on the cloth, bouncing from it to the balcony of the next building. |
It was tall and mainly made of stone, except for some wood panels attached to the walls in a pattern. The railing wobbled a little as Storm landed on it, but it seemed to be able to hold her weight. |
She turned around to see that the guards were going down the stairs to the first floor to follow her. Thinking quickly, Storm dug her claws into the wooden panels and started to climb up the wall. She clambered up as fast as she could and when she tried to put her foot on a stone sticking out of the wall, it crumbled a... |
She pulled herself up quickly and rolled onto the roof, panting. |
Storm stood up, looking back down the wall, and saw with surprise that several guards had been climbing after her. They were having a lot of trouble though, slipping and falling back to the ground. One was getting close to the roof, and Storm kicked him back down. |
He fell and slowly got up with a grunt. She turned to see Elvos and Adren furiously fighting off the guards attacking them. Elvos hit one with his staff and Adren cast some sort of spell that sent a white light at a guard, sending him tumbling back. |
They both know magic?! |
Storm turned and ran to the middle of the roof. She stood there and pulled out her dagger. Her tail swished back and forth as she turned to see more guards clambering up onto the edge of the roof. She tensed, preparing for a fight. |
I can’t take on all these guards by myself. |
Storm turned to run but was stopped in her tracks. More guards were standing behind her, as well as more climbing up the roof. They raised their spears and Storm bared her teeth as she realized, she was surrounded. |
She unsheathed her claws and growled as a soldier, the same one from before, stepped forward. |
"Storm, by order of the king, you must come with us. Please come willingly, or we will be forced to resort to physical measures." Storm growled softly to herself and held her stance, remaining silent. |
The guard narrowed his eyes at her before rushing forward. He thrust his spear in his direction but Storm stepped quickly to the side, avoiding it. Several others rushed at her as well, but she was ready. She ducked under the first one, and then grabbed for another, throwing him into a third. |
Storm raised her dagger, preparing to strike another when someone grabbed her from behind. |
The guard locked his arms around her and Storm dropped her dagger. It clattered to the ground, but the guard ignored it as he kept a firm hold on Storm, with a spear at her throat. She dug her claws into the guard’s arm, hoping she’d release him, but he just winced, keeping his grip. Storm hesitated, thinking about wha... |
Storm loosened her grip and lowered her head, pretending to be defeated. The guard made a sound of satisfaction, and Storm tensed. |
She threw her head back, hitting the guard behind her. He let out a cry and stumbled back. Turning around Storm saw that his nose was bleeding, and the red liquid dripped onto his breastplate. |
Storm quickly ran towards a guard, and dropped down to the ground. She slid through his legs and off the edge of the tile roof, landing on her feet on the ground. A shock rippled through her as she landed; she hadn’t expected it to be such a long drop, but she managed. |
Not wasting a moment, Storm ran. She ran down the street, looking for somewhere to hide, but the guards were on her tail in a second, and there was nowhere she could go without them seeing her. Storm didn’t know how far or how long she ran, but she felt herself growing tired. |
She couldn’t do this for much longer. Eventually, she came to a street, where each building was a store or restaurant. Storm ran down the road, shoving through passersby and glancing around wildly. She turned a corner and saw something that made her stop in her tracks. |
A large wooden building stood in front of her, a large sign on its front. From the dim light of the lanterns at the door, Storm read out "Ander’s Smith shop." |
Storm thought. Without wasting a moment, she stepped inside before the guards could follow her around the corner. The inside of the shop was small and square with wooden walls and floors. It was lit by lanterns along the walls, and a set of small double doors hung in the back. |
Probably leads to his workplace, |
Storm thought. A blueish carpet covered a section of the floor, disappearing under a desk in the corner where a tall half-elf was standing. |
She looked up as Storm walked inside with her leather hood on and walked over to a wall with various pieces of armor hanging from it. She proceeded to pretend to look it up and down, studying the pieces. The half-elf got up and walked over to Storm. |
She had short hazel-brown hair and freckles along her face. She wore a short blue dress and dark blue leggings. |
"Can I help you with anything?" she asked. A confused look on Storm’s face before she remembered she was supposed to be a customer. Without turning, she responded as quickly as possible. |
"Um, I’m all right," she told the half-elf. "I was just here to see how things are doing. I know the owner." Storm realized too late that she’d said too much. The last thing she wanted to do was start a conversation with a stranger, while she was being chased by the palace guards. Then again, maybe she’d look less susp... |
"Oh, you do?" Storm turned to the half-elf and nodded. |
"Are you a friend of his?" The half-elf asked. |
"Something like that." Storm murmured. The half-elf hesitated but didn’t seem to be suspicious of Storm as she went on. |
"You know, Adren is a good friend of mine. I helped him start this store when he first came to the city, and now I help him with it in my spare time. We go way back." |
Storm relaxed a little at that. If she was a friend of Adren, chances were, Storm could trust her. |
"Well, that’s good. Nice to know someone else is looking out for him." The half-elf smiled. She turned, walked back to the desk, and pulled out some papers. Storm turned to leave and walked hesitantly out the front door. Her ears twitched as she listened for any noises, but no unusual noises could be heard. |
I must have lost them by going into the store, Storm thought. The streets had a few people walking along them, and Storm walked by a small group as she made her way back to her shop. She passed an alley and something clattered to the ground as a couple of mice skittered by Storm. |
She kept walking until she made it back, and by the time she did the sun had moved past its highest point, and was starting to dip into the horizon. Her store was dark and empty, but Storm’s sharp eyes pierced through the dark easily. |
She slowly turned around and in the dim light, made out a faint silhouette. Storm’s fur stood on end and she looked closer. Standing in the middle of her shop, was a short human, fiddling with an arrow. It was made of dark wood, with a shiny metal band wrapped around the end and a black metal tip at the front. |
She walked over to her desk and sat down. |
"Storm." Storm looked up and saw the human slowly walking over to her. There was a soft |
as she slid the arrow back into the bin where it was kept. "It’s about time you showed up." Storm tensed. How could she know her name? |
"And you are?" Storm asked, hiding her surprise. The human smiled, and stopped in front of the desk. |
"Don’t you know?" she asked slowly. "I’m here to collect your tax." Storm stared at her in confusion for a moment, although she didn’t let it show, before finally remembering. Storm’s shop was a rented building. |
She thought to get a place of her own was a waste of money, and all the good places for town were around the middle of town, too busy for Storm’s taste. She preferred somewhere a bit more quiet. |
Not on the edges though of course, where there was practically no one. She needed to make a living somehow. |
People still bustled around the streets, but at least they weren’t packed. One of the renter’s assistants came to collect the rent every moon. Storm returned her attention to the human. She was staring at Storm with an expecting expression. Storm sighed. |
"Yes, I remember now." The human paused, as if thinking and then answered with something sly in her voice. |
"Well you can pay the |
rent, or you could give m-, us that little diamond you got there. We’ve started accepting gemstones as payment as well." Storm looked down and saw the small diamond poking out of the bag. This was very strange, considering money would be much more practical for the situation, and her renter had never taken gemstones b... |
It was also quite specific. She gave the human a suspicious look and a flash of emotion crossed the human's face before quickly disappearing again. |
Storm had gotten pretty good at reading emotions over the years. It came in handy for knowing what to do in whichever situation. And, she could smell the slight yet familiar stench coming from this human. |
Worry, and... guilt? |
That usually meant only one thing, lying. |
"Really?" Storm said, pretending to look convinced. "Well, I guess I could. It’d save me some trouble." Again, a look of relief flashed across the woman’s face. Now Storm was sure. |
This thief must be an amateur, |
if they think they can score as easy as this. |
It’s just a bit strange, that the owner would start accepting gems, he’s not one for beauty." The woman tensed, and Storm added, "Besides, I don’t think I’ve ever seen |
here before." |
"You-you know the owner?" The woman asked. Storm nodded. "I-um, I have to go actually. Something’s just come up for me." She started to walk towards the door hastily, when Storm grabbed her arm. |
"Who said you were going anywhere?" The human struggled but Storm dragged her over to a room. She pushed her inside and locked the door. |
"Hey! Let me out of here!" A muffled voice came from behind the door. Storm normally would’ve let a thief go. She knew what it was like to have nothing, to be desperate. But this |
was wearing fancy clothes, expensive jewelry, and shiny shoes. She didn’t need to steal, she had simply decided too. And this wasn't stealing, this was a scammer, a liar, a cheat. |
Storm felt a twinge of guilt at the fact that what the thief had asked for, she had stolen. No, she had needed it. Besides, that prince had obviously been rich and spoiled, and yet hadn’t decided to give a single copper to someone in need. |
came from the door behind her, and she stopped listening. |
Storm didn’t have to worry about her. There was a bed in the room, along with a bowl of fruit, if Storm remembered correctly. |
The human would be fine until morning, when Storm could ask the Adren about her. |
But until then, I can get some sleep. |
Storm usually stayed up late, but after the day she just had, she felt she could use some rest. |
As she climbed onto her sleeping bag and stared at the ceiling, sleep came quickly, and for once, she simply let it take her. |
Astarion had been having the most amazing week. |
Yes, there was an Illithid worm hitching a ride behind his left eye that could turn him into a mindflayer any day now, but even still it had been the greatest week of his existence. |
He could walk in the sun! That by itself was a minor miracle; he hadn’t squandered a moment of sunshine on his pale skin since he came-to outside the crashed Nautilus and realized he wasn’t burning. He had been conveniently lost from the Szarr "family’ allowing him to be his own person for the first time in two hundred... |
He should hunt soon. It was his turn to take over the watch, so it was the perfect moment. He had done it every night since the Nautiloid and it had been working. He had exchanged his leathers for basic black pants and shirt, he would be invisible and silent once he entered the dark forest. He ruminated on the feeling ... |
Suddenly it all seemed pointless. Expelling more energy for increasingly little payoff. Thou shalt not drink the blood of thinking creatures. Cazador’s rules echoed through his mind. Thinking creatures clearly held more powerful blood than baser animals, else it wouldn’t be forbidden. He was certain that merely a ta... |
They were friends, there was trust... he could hear the steady thrum of her pulse and he was salivating. He threw more wood on the campfire, then stared down in shock. Why was she asleep by the fire and not in her tent?No matter. He could be silent. No one would know.He was so hungry. |
Eilistraee help her exhausted body, Tav couldn’t seem to find peace in reverie that night. Perhaps over tired, over stimulated, or was it the tadpole swimming through her brain. Or it could have been her Goddess watching out for her after all. Cool breath ghosted across her neck and her eyes snapped open to find Astari... |
"... Shit." the pale elf uttered quietly as he backed away from the fierce anger apparent in Tav’s pale blue eyes. "No, no. It’s not what it looks like, I swear!" he placated, rising to his feet and casting a cautious eye to the sparkle of electricity dancing across the Sorcerer's clenched fists as she too rose from th... |
She was incandescent with rage and hurt. She had thought them friends, bonding over the shared trauma of the tadpoles in their heads, their shared cynical outlooks and snarky banter. She had enjoyed sending him into fits of giggles in dark corners as she performed Evil Drow for the goblins. Of course, none of that was ... |
Tav returned to her bedroll, using one hand to sweep her white hair to one side as she did, exposing neck, shoulder and half her chest. She felt a twinge of self consciousness, laying herself out like a feast. "Is this right?" She whispered to the pale elf as he kneeled beside her."I - yes. Yes." Astarion replied, his ... |
He moved his body over hers in a parody of intimacy. She shut her eyes tight, braced for anguish, as his lips drew closer to her neck. He bit down in a flash of icy agony that was gone in an instant. Along with the parody of intimacy.This was intimate. This was beyond intimate.A cool hand grasped her waist, holding her... |
Astarion stole off into the woods, his composure hanging by a thread. He made it deep enough that the glow of the campfire was hidden in the trees before slumping against a tree and allowing himself to slide to the ground. |
His mind raced. That was... indescribable. He told Tav it was amazing, but it was more than that. So much more. It was sunshine, religion and sex. He was full for the first time in two hundred years - actually full! He was transformed. Astarion looked around the darkened forest in absolute wonder. Every sound was ampli... |
He had never felt this way before. It was a true gift, that she would allow him to feed from her and let him experience this revelation. She had smelled delicious; of incense, blood orange and lavender with a twist of something electric. She tasted divine. Chocolate, honey and magic. Her body had pulsed with arousal. ... |
He couldn’t let her know how deeply this little feed had affected him. |
Astarion had a plan, damn it. Earn her trust and friendship, seduce her into some pathetically saccharine emotion thus ensuring his safety. He needed her on his side in order to survive the tadpole infection and truly break free from Cazador. His true freedom was dependent on manipulating her loyalty. He couldn’t let ... |
The invigorating scent of her blood was strong in his nose; he realized there was a smear of it on his hand. He licked it off. Delight shuddered through him, doing nothing to quell his burgeoning erection. He had been painfully hard the second he had bit down upon her luscious neck. He could feel her blood running thro... |
It was absolutely vital that they do this again. |
And again. Forever. |
Perhaps this could work to his advantage. She was so gods-damned kind, helping every lost soul they encountered, from Tiefling refugees to lost dogs. He could use this situation, leverage her bleeding heart to his cause and, of course, literal bleeding as well. She just needed to think he cared as well. The strategy h... |
"Tav?" A whisper in her ear. It was still dark and she was tired. She refused to move."Taaaav." The whisper sing-songed. |
Absolutely not."Tav’ryneer Ara-" She bolted upright, ignoring her spinning head to slap a hand over Astarion’s smirking mouth. She regretted drinking with Shadowheart the first night they had camped together. It was a relief at the time, relaxing for a moment and learning superficial facts about her fellow infected. H... |
It was an obviously painful question, but one that touched an old wound. The sort of pain that had become almost a friend after long years together."People think," He explained to the crackling flames, "the biggest threat to a vampire is a cleric with a stake. It’s not. The biggest threat to a vampire is another vampir... |
"Two hundred years." Came the simple and devastating answer. He stared into the fire for a few more moments before rousing himself with a shake. |
"Back to reverie with you, darling." He drawled, back to himself once more and clearly desperate to let the horrible topic of his vampirism die. "If Gale sees you awake for his watch, you know he’ll try to chat your ear off."She shuddered, sharing a conspiratorial grin, "He keeps trying to convince me magic is better... |
This little interlude really wouldn’t help her sort out her feelings.Lady of the Dance take pity on her foolish heart. |
"Morning, Hero!" Wyll’s cheerful voice woke Tav to the dim light of dawn. "I’m on breakfast duty, so move back from the fire!" LIke Astarion, Wyll seemed to prefer calling people by pet names, though his tended to be friendly and personal, rather than flirtatious yet detached. Tav had saved two Tiefling children in two... |
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