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Anne Lauten

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A girl raced along the narrow street. Her dark brown hair was wet, and drooping down her back like a dead thing. It was raining, with the mounds of garbage lying by the sides of the road sending up a powerful stench. It wasn't a good part of town, mostly poor people lived there, and they were willing to do anything for money--even murder a girl for the few coins in her pockets. The girl herself didn't seem to be unduly worried, just rushing faster as dim forms reached out their hands to stop her. One took hold of the shawl the she cluched about her, and with a nimble twist she evaded capture, leaving only her shawl in the ragged man's hand.

On she ran, soon reaching the more prosperous section of town. Houses were lined up in neat rows, the garbage had disappered, and flowers bloomed in many yards. She was shivering, the loss of her shawl taking with it her dryness. The rain still fell, hard and cold, as she kept going. Soon the houses of the rich came into view, Dukes, Lords, cousins of the King or Queen.

She turned in at the third-to-last house, a good-looking place with neatly tended gardens, stone walks, and tall green bushes hiding the other houses from view. A stuffy-looking doorman glared at her, taking in the muddy, stained skirt and the absence of any method of waterproofing.

"Yes?" He growled.

"I'm here to see Mealon Kartel, please."

The doorman blinked, then decided that she was mostly likely going to ask for money. "He is not at home."

A look of frustration crossed the girl's face. "I KNOW he's at home, he just sent me a message! Go tell him that I'm here."

"I'm sorry, Miss."

"Oh come on! He wants me to help him with something, and
I've brought it here for him. It won't take you long to ask him if he wants to see me."

Fine, thought the doorman. I'll go ask and then I can get rid of her. "Your name, Miss?"

"Thosa Manteron."

09-Jan-2007 15:26:09 - Last edited on 11-Jan-2007 00:17:52 by Anne Lauten

Anne Lauten

Posts: 3,830 Adamant Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile

The doorman went inside, carefully closing the door behind him. Soon he came out, looking slightly sheepish. "Master Kartel will see you." He held the door open for her, deciding not to guide her through the house, then went back to his duties, wearing a dirty expression that forbade trouble for the next visitor.

The girl stepped through the door, then took off her muddy shoes, and walked down the corridor. It was quite obvious that she had been there before, as she knew the twists and turns, and made her way to the main room even without the doorman's help.

The person that awaited her wasn't a person--he was a gnome. "Shalana!" He cried, trotting over to her. "Did you get it?"

"Yes, I did, but I had a darn hard time getting past your doorkeep. Thank God you gave me a false name."

"Yes, I'd never hear the end of it if word got out that the Cheif Enchantress's daughter was coming to my house. So, how'd it go?"

"Fine. I found the gang's place fine, nipped down and grabbed the box." She grinned. "They were plenty ticked, and one of 'em tried to stick me with a dagger. I bespelled the thing though--you should have seen his face when the dagger retracted into it's hilt like a toy."

He smiled at the thought, then looked back at her. "Let's see it."

She pulled a box out from under her robes. It was small and greeny-brown, with inlaid gold patterns that moved if you looked at them to long. "They acted scared, like it was going to blow up or something. I'm not sure what's in it, but it's most likely dangerous."

He frowned. "I'll open it. You shield me with your spells, okay?"

"Yes. I've got a good spell--protects a person from any magic whatsoever. Whatever's in here is magic, otherwise the Silent Shadows wouldn't be so scared of it."

After handing the box to Mealon, Shalana drew a small grey jug from her pocket, uncorked it, and let the smoke that came from it float up.

09-Jan-2007 15:26:16 - Last edited on 09-Jan-2007 15:26:53 by Anne Lauten

Anne Lauten

Posts: 3,830 Adamant Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile

Soon she recorked it, and made gestures with her hands while muttering, "Dhaleom, dalour, dahango, dhaleom, dalour, dahango, dh.." over and over again. The smoke swirled, then floated into a hollow ball which encircled the gnome. "Ready."

Mealon opened the box, his hands shaking slightly.

A thick brown substance poured out, falling to the floor.

It licked at Mealon's smoke shield, then drew back. As Shalana watched, it began a slow trickle towards her. The brown thing lengthened, forming a line that rolled to her. She backed into a corner, trying fearfully to conduct the same spell that she had used on Mealon. The smoke came from her jug, and was just swirling down to her when the line of brown reached her legs.

A bright flash.

The brown disppered, leaving Shalana staring at her hands. Mealon ran to her. "Look," she said, holding her hands out to him. He jumped back. Shalana's hands were growing grey hair, and the nails were growing as well.

"What the.."

"Gah, I know what's happening. This a hard spell to take care of, but not impossible. Will you send someone with me to take care of it?"

"What's happening?"

"I'm turning into a wolf. I've seen this before, and it's nasty. Don't worry, I'll stay humanish for at least the rest of today. The only way the get this to go away is to get another one of those boxes. The Silent Shadows have more of them, so I have to go in there again. I need somebody to come with me if I want to have a chance."

"I'm sorry that I can't come, but I'll send Daliea with you."

"Sure. I understand that you can't come, if the Head Archer get killed it'll be disaster. And what's Daliea?"

"She's a cat."

"Alright."

Mealon took off one of his many necklaces and handed it to Shalana.

09-Jan-2007 15:26:17 - Last edited on 09-Jan-2007 15:27:16 by Anne Lauten

Anne Lauten

Posts: 3,830 Adamant Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile

In his spare time, he was adding to his collection of street animals, giving them a necklace that enabled humans to hear what they said (as long as the human wore another necklace), and hiring them as staff. Better spies and message takers you couldn't find.

----

Ten minutes later. Shalana left Mealon's, acompanied by Daliea, a small brown, black, and white cat. They started down the way that Shalana had come from, with the rain still coming down, but more of a mist now. "Ready?" Shalana asked, "We're going to have to run for a while."

"Sure, I'm fine with that. Why so quickly though?"

"I'm slowly turning into a wolf. I need to get a box from the place we're going to, which is the hiding-place of the Silent Shadows gang, before I DO turn into a wolf."

Daliea looked worried. "Wow. Well, make sure not to eat me or anything, okay?"

"Don't worry. I won't."

Soon, Shalana took off running, Daliea close behind. They retraced the route the Shalana had taken earlier, although this time the trip was without incident. Shalana turned in at a shabby brown house with a slumping roof and non-existent windows. "Kind of a strange place for a gang," Daliea said, looking doubtfully at the run-downess of it.

"The gang's in a big basement under that thing. The house is just sort of so nobody bothers them."

"I'll go in first?"

"Sure."

Daliea crept in, her tail lashing from side to side. Shalana followed, moving more quickly. The interior of the building was empty and damp, rotting wood crumbling under their feet. "Here's the entrance," Shalana said, jerking on the rusty handle of a trapdoor. It folded back with much less noise than it looked like it should make, and a set of stairs decended into darkness below. Shalana went first, a couple of words making light shine around her. In the light the change in her appearance was drastic, fur dotted her cheeks and her teeth were becoming longer and sharper.

09-Jan-2007 15:26:26 - Last edited on 09-Jan-2007 15:27:36 by Anne Lauten

Anne Lauten

Posts: 3,830 Adamant Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile

Daliea jumped lightly from stair to stair, holding her tail high in cat fashion when discovering a new place. The room below looked like a regular basement, with earthen walls, smashed crates, and that damp smell that all basements seemed to have. Daliea looked suprised at the normality, then trotted over and sniffed at the broken crates.

Shalana walked to the far wall. "Not when I come now but when I come again, let this door be opened then," she recited, then walked to the stairs. When she walked back, the wall opened inwards for her.

Daliea looked up, licked her paw, and spoke, "Is it dangerous in there?"

"Not if they don't know that we're there. I'm putting a spell on this door, so it'll be open if we have to get out. We are going to go in, and take the second door on the left, from there, the third on the right. From there, the first on the right. Then we'll find ourselves in a room with boxes, I'll bespell one, letting me pick it up. When I pick it up, we both run as fast as possible back through here, and to Mealon's."

"Why do you need me, and why run?"

"I need you to keep a lookout. Last time I was suprised by the second-in-command coming to check. These boxes are something that the gang leader has been working on for ages, and I was sent by Mealon to see what they are. Once I heal myself, I'll get Mealon to get the army mages to blow up these boxes. The Silent Shadows won't be expecting us because they think going to be to frantic to come back, and they don't know I'm with Mealon. A random thief would hardly return, right? And we have to run because when you pick up one of those boxes an alarm goes off."

"Wait a minute. A random thief would hardly know how to open this door."

09-Jan-2007 15:26:26 - Last edited on 09-Jan-2007 15:27:57 by Anne Lauten

Anne Lauten

Posts: 3,830 Adamant Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile

"Nope, almost everybody knows. They don't come here though, because the people that DO come here are never heard from again. And the gang has thought about making another code, but they can't because this door doesn't have two-way magic programming, They'd have to get another door, and they're kinda lazy about that stuff."

Daliea looked amazed, evidently thinking that gangs were supposed to be more organized than that. However, she stepped through the doorway with Shalana close behind.

After that, Shalana led, counting, "Second on left, third on right, first on right, second on." There were no hitches, and they got to the box room without any problems.

With Daliea keeping watch, Shalana began her spells. Green light shot from her paw-hands, enveloping the nearest box, which for some reason had what seemed to be a purple-colored shell around it. The light slowly faded into gold, then green, then blue. It was just turning to silver when Shalana uttered a curse. Whatever had happened was unknown, and she kept going. The light turned from silver the gold, then faded away altogether. "Here!" She whispered, "Daliea!"

"Yes?"

"Come here!"

"Okay, why?"

"Hold this stick!"

"Sure."

Daliea took the light golden rod in her mouth, and a string of golden light oozed from the end of it, as Shalana chanted. The light made a golden cage around the box. Then suddenly the light vanished, along with the purple aura around the box. "Quick, give me the stick!" Whispered Shalana urgently. Daliea spat it out, then ran to the door.

Shalana shoved the stick in her pocket, grabbed the box and followed quickly.

They sprinted down the stone corrider, whipping around the corners and through the doors with the sound of running feet behind them. Daliea bounded ahead, but Shalana was finding in hard to run on two feet, what with her fast-growing wolven joints and legs.

09-Jan-2007 15:26:26 - Last edited on 09-Jan-2007 15:28:26 by Anne Lauten

Anne Lauten

Posts: 3,830 Adamant Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile

As they sprang though the last door, it became painfully obvious that they weren't going to make it. Shalana turned, baring her teeth at the door. Recovering use of her human brain, she cast the most powerful shutting spell she knew. Silver-green light jumped to the door, grinding it slowly shut. The Silent Shadows yelled on the other side, banging on the door with fists and feet. Shalana and Daliea skidded to the door into the basement of the house, only to stare in horror as it slammed shut.

A burst of grating laughter sounded from behind them. They both turned to see the floor slowly parting, a rift opening from which anything could come. Shalana snarled, then shook her head. "Stand there," she said quickly, pointing with one claw the the space in front of her. Deliea, looking alarmed, and with every hair on her back standing up, complied. "Now I can't cast any of my spells like this," she half-growled. "You're going to have to. I'm giving you my powers and the knowledge on how to use them. when you've gotten out of here, take me with you and unwolf me, okay? And I'm also...," her words trained off. A black mist surrounded both of them.

When it cleared, a beautiful young woman with white skin, black hair, and soft brown eyes stood beside Shalana. The woman wore sparkling silver and black robes, and a bright golden sash. She turned to Shalana, and white light flowed to the wolven girl, causing her to crumple to the stone floor, asleep. Meanwhile something was coming from the rift, slowly raising up.

A man rose, dressed in black robes. He was quite good-looking, with blue eyes and warmly tanned skin. He held a long wizard's staff in one hand. "Hello," he said, waving a hand at the floor, which sealed back together as though nothing had happened. "My name is Drasaris Androso. Perhaps you have heard of me? The leader of the Silent Shadows gang." After waiting for a response, he spoke again, "Can you talk?"

09-Jan-2007 15:26:27 - Last edited on 09-Jan-2007 15:28:43 by Anne Lauten

Anne Lauten

Posts: 3,830 Adamant Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile

"Yes," said the girl, in a low, soothing voice that sounded a bit like purring. "I have heard of you. My name is Daliea Tantilin."

"I'll get right to the point," Drasaris said, "what are you doing in my house? And do you have anything to do with the stealing this morning?"

"Well, yes and no. I came here with the person from this morning, not knowing what she planned to do. But your spell thing worked quite quickly, and she couldn't get out. So she gave me her powers, and here I am. I was supposed to kill you, but I don't think I will."

"Good. I don't want a battle, because it would mess up my stonework here. Problem is, I can't trust you. I'm not sure if you're going to try to kill me the minute I turn my back, so I'm not sure what to do with you."

"Don't worry. I promise that I won't try to kill you."

Drasaris looked unconvinced.

"Can you please get your men to stop knocking on that door?" Daliea asked, waving at the door that Shalana had bespelled. As he looked, a bolt of grey shot from her hand, and his staff fell from his hand and clattered to the floor. Blue light followed, and formed a net around his body. He fought it, but it seemed that whatever power he had had come from the staff. "I'm sorry," she said, "but I have to do this. You seem sort of nice, but I don't suppose that I'll be seeing you again. This spell will come off in ten minutes. Bye." She sent a red light, which opened the door. Picking up Shalana, she left the chamber.

Daliea raced along the narrow street. Her black hair flew behind her with her speed. She had cast another spell, allowing her to carry Shalana without being weighed down. The garbage by the side of the street didn't bother her much, and she supposed the it was because her sense of smell was much duller then it had been before.

09-Jan-2007 15:26:28 - Last edited on 12-Jan-2007 00:27:45 by Anne Lauten

Anne Lauten

Posts: 3,830 Adamant Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile

As she ran, hands reached out for her robes, but she evaded them with ease. The rain had stopped, and the sun was peeping its face out of the clouds.

On she ran, soon reaching the more prosperous section of town. Houses were lined up in neat rows, the garbage had disappered, and flowers bloomed in many yards. She was warm from the run, and carried the body of Shalana without effort.

She turned in at the third-to-last house, a good-looking place with neatly tended gardens, stone walks, and tall green bushes hiding the other houses from view. The doorman looked at her, taking in her rich robes, golden sash, and beauty. "I'm here to see Mealon," she said breathlessly.

"Yes, miss, right this way." He took her to the main room, bowing as he left her with his Master.

Mealon trotted over to her, eyebrows up quizzicly. "Who would you be? Is that Shalana?"

"I'm Daliea. Shalana gave me her powers when she got too wolfish to use them. So now I have to change her back." Daliea laid Shalana on the floor, put the new box next to her, and took a step back. "Move back," she cautioned Mealon. He did, and she began. Slowly a brown goo slid from Shalana's body, trickling slowly into the box. As it went, Shalana began to lose her wolven features. In ten minutes it was all gone, and Daliea looked satisfied. "Now I can wake her up." White light moved over Shalana, and she awoke.

"Good job!" She said, standing up. "I wasn't sure you'd be able to do it."

"Well, I did."

"So I see. Would you like to stay human? I mean, I couldn't have gotten that box without you, so would this be a good reward?"

"I'd love to."

"Alright then. I can't change you all though, so your cat from will still cling to you. On the plus side, this means you can change into a cat whenever you wish."

"Fine with me."

09-Jan-2007 15:26:28 - Last edited on 09-Jan-2007 15:29:16 by Anne Lauten

Anne Lauten

Posts: 3,830 Adamant Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile

----

In a few days, there was a headline in the newspaper: 'Head Archer Mealon Kartel enlists young Enchantress Shalana Tyranveld to help save the city!' The paper said that 'all the boxes had been destroyed', and also 'notorious 'Silent Shadows' leader Drasaris Androso had been captured, and was awaiting execution'.

Two days later another headline: 'Notorious 'Silent Shadows' leader escapes!'

Drasaris was never seen again--although some people said that he was still alive, and indeed married. Also, a couple sources claimed that with his new wife, he had built a brand-new shelter for street cats--but nobody believed them.

And nobody ever found out how he had escaped, even though he must have had help to pick the lock of his door and sneak out past the watchers. The only thing one guard remembered was throwing a rock at a small black, brown, and white cat that was loitering by the gate...

09-Jan-2007 15:26:28 - Last edited on 12-Jan-2007 00:30:21 by Anne Lauten

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