A Familiar Adventure, Ch 2: The Enemy of My Enemy Is My?

Nestor · Post by **Nestor** » Thu Oct 14, 2010 8:38 pm

[Okay, fess up. Was that your plan in the first place, or did I give you the idea?

]

Dustland · Post by **Dustland** » Thu Oct 14, 2010 8:55 pm

(Yah it was always a sleeping potion but I didn't expect Kerbi to take it without first investigating what it was; I really didn't expect him to skip the meeting with Sloat either. Oh well, should make for an interesting chapter, don't yah think?)

Nestor · Post by **Nestor** » Fri Oct 15, 2010 5:05 am

[Heh, I've never met a dog that wouldn't willingly eat or drink anything you gave him without hesitation.

Looking forward to where we'll go from here.

]

Dustland · Post by **Dustland** » Fri Oct 15, 2010 3:07 pm

[Ooh, good point. Way to play out the mental malfunction!]

Dustland · Post by **Dustland** » Sun Oct 17, 2010 4:33 pm

+2 Character Points for everything leading up to here

You feel a heat pierce through your deep slumber; it starts as a point on your forehead then washes over your body from muzzle to tail. Just as quickly as you fell to sleep, you're awake, eyes trying to focus in a dimmly lit room.

The first thing you realize is that you're no longer in Red Coin's lair. The second is the mildew and rat liver stench of Sloat. Somewhere behind that stench is another familiar smell, Father Truefield. You raise your head and look around what must be a small shack.

Kneeling in front of you is the vampire hunter, his tattered brown cloak gathered around himself, his face as pale as the dead that he hunts. "Care to explain yourself Kerbi?" he asks as he tosses you the empty flask.

"How did you get this? Me? Where...?"

He cuts you off, "Sloat went in and got you. Nearly killed himself doing so. So once again, why did you drink this? Why did you ignore the plan?"

You look over at the fire and see Sloat laying there, his breathing shallow and weak, his body flickering in and out of sight, as though he were constantly slipping into and back out of the shadows. You don't smell blood, but he doesn't sound very good either.

"He's not strong enough to drag something as big as you through the shadows as far as he did. He did it anyway. The White willing, he'll come around eventually."

Dustland · Post by **Dustland** » Thu Oct 28, 2010 8:17 pm

Do we need to call this game done?

Nestor · Post by **Nestor** » Fri Oct 29, 2010 5:25 am

[Ach! Sorry! I somehow missed your update and was wondering when you'd get back to me on this game.

I'm typing this on my cell phone which isn't easy so let me get back to a real PC and craft an intelligible response.]

Edit: [And I'm back on a real machine. Sheesh! Those smartphones are nice for web browsing, but using them to type is a pain in the tuchis!]

Nestor · Post by **Nestor** » Fri Oct 29, 2010 7:01 am

Kerbi rises into a crouch, feeling for the reassuring heft of the halberd on his back.

"You need to explain yourself first, priest," Kerbi growls. "Your so-called potion was just a drug to put me under. Did you plan to go in and murder my mistress as part of your plan? Is that why you felt it necessary to keep me out of the way?"

Nestor · Post by **Nestor** » Sat Nov 13, 2010 5:08 pm

*taps microphone hesitantly*

"Hello? Anyone there?"

Dustland · Post by **Dustland** » Sat Nov 13, 2010 5:26 pm

Gah, hadn't gotten back to look at what you posted here. My bad.

Father Truefield doesn't show any emotion at your charge. "Yes Kerbi, I needed a way to keep you from obeying the commands of your master for a short while. It was the only option I had, putting you to sleep. Sorry for the subterfuge, but I didn't know if you would agree with my strategy."

His tone doesn't sound very apologetic you think, but then again, nothing this vampire hunter has ever said sounds heartfelt.

"As to your mistress, the plan was to destroy Redcoin. If that failed to release the bonds of evil from about her soul, well, she can't be allowed to continue doing what she's been doing. You must understand that Kerbi. She's a monster."

You know it's true but it burns like a knife in your chest to hear it.

Nestor · Post by **Nestor** » Mon Nov 22, 2010 7:42 am

[Okay, something is screwy here. I'm not getting notices that this thread is updating. I guess I'm just going to have to check it manually every time I'm on the boards.]

Kerbi grits his teeth, illogically angry at the priest for the truth in his words.

Unwilling to cede the argument, he inadvertently blurts out, "He's trying to reverse the process." He's shocked to hear the words come out his mouth, but even as he does, he realizes the truth of them.

He repeats to himself in muted surprise, "That's what he's doing. He's trying to become human again. That's why he recruited Summer, to learn the magic he needs."

He stands, his face furrowed in thought, dumbfounded by his epiphany.

Dustland · Post by **Dustland** » Mon Nov 22, 2010 5:24 pm

The man's brows furrow as he turns the idea over in his mind.

"And what does that mean Kerbi? What should I do? Hope he gets it right sooner rather than later? How many more people must they devour before he is able to inact this spell? I don't see how this changes anything."

Nestor · Post by **Nestor** » Mon Nov 22, 2010 5:33 pm

Kerbi faces the priest squarely.

"Give me a chance to talk to him... to them," he offers grimly. "If there is a chance for this to end without more bloodshed, is that not a worthy goal?"

Dustland · Post by **Dustland** » Mon Nov 22, 2010 7:07 pm

"If you think that I am concerned about shedding the blood of those who walk the path of the red, you are mistaken. I am willing to wait, for a day perhaps, if it means a way to reverse the process. As soon as Sloat is ready to fight, we will come Kerbi, and we will kill every vampire we meet, and everyone who stands in our way.

"Pray that this Redcoin has found the spell he seeks." With that, the robed man rises and walks the short distance to the door, opening it to the night beyond. Does this man know no mercy? You growl deep in your chest, but going back seems the only way to save your master.

"Where am I? How do I find my way back to them?" you ask, refraining from yelling in anger at the cold vampire hunter.

"As soon as you cross this threshold, you will be free of the white's protection. I don't think you'll have any problem finding your master; vampires have a way of calling their slaves back to them."

You roughly shove past the man, trying to decide if you should strike him for his insult. As soon as you pass through the door, the decision is made for you. Immediately you feel the call of your master, as your very soul is pulled towards the dark horizon to the north.

Dropping to all fours, you run.

(cont. later)

Dustland · Post by **Dustland** » Sun Nov 28, 2010 5:34 pm

You pace back and forth in the cage, trying to understand how a simple, loyal dog like yourself got in such a huge mess. You reach to tap your glaive out of habit, only to remember Summer took it from you, right before she threw you behind bars. You fur bristles and you growl. Life shouldn't be this complicated. Because you're a dog.

Needless to say, Summer and Redcoin weren't too happy when you returned. Thanks to the empty vial and the keen noses of the wolves, they quickly deduced what you were up to, at least in part. They knew the vial had been handled by the vampire hunter, that you had made contact with him, and that the smelly cat that keeps popping up is somehow involved in all this.

The only good thing is that Mable seems to have cleared out, gone to ground, whatever. At least the wolves weren't munching on her when you showed up.

You sigh deeply, willing yourself to lie down and try to formulate a plan beyond bite Redcoin and run. Just then, Mr Redcoin walks into the room where your cage sits, a small cave connected to his laboratory where his vampiric rats chatter and moan horribly.

"Well Kerbi, looks like you did it this time, eh? Summer's gone to town, said she couldn't stand to look at you, didn't want to deal with the situation right now. Only problem is, this needs to be dealt with as quickly as possible. No time for a confused young woman to run around, red with anger, to figure out what should be done.

"I thought we had a bit of an understanding. So before I end this nonsense, you want to explain yourself?"