| Logs |
2002 December 08
| Idlewild |
| Realms |
Retired
| Reality Fault |
General Info
 |
| Realms: Idlewild Logs |
December 8
Steven's fist knocks the elf Seodil out, and he turns to his companions. Lotte says, "So! Now we can talk." She looks over at the giant wolf Aiden has become, and says, "Um."
Aiden pads over to Rui and settles down on his hauches, fixing her with his unblinking gaze. He whuffs.
The pale winged elf Lotte called Rui smiles at Aiden, blood-red eyes wide. "You did well, wolf," she says in a musical, bell-toned voice.
Steven folds his arms a bit. "So... uhm, can we get Aiden back? to normal?"
Rui smiles. "You can. Aiden can, himself-- though it may take practice."
The white woman says to Aiden, "Remember yourself as you were, and try to stand on two legs as you reach to cast the wolf-skin off."
Aiden pads off to a corner of the room and turns his back to everyone in the room. He tries to focus on what it's like to have two legs and two arms and a voice! He tries to stand up and focus on pulling the wolfskin off. To make it easier, he plays it out in reverse in his mind.. First pull back the head, then slip off the rest. He actually manages to turn back successfully! Wow.. I feel great. Can still taste that bastard's blood in my mouth. He deserved so much more..maybe later I can eat him.
Aiden looks over at Steven. "So.. Who do you suppose the "children" are, hmm? Us or Sol and Lua?"
Steven shakes his head. "I'm not sure. I'm inclined to think 'us,' but... it's possible it's Lua and Sol. Who are their parents? Are they anyone whom someone would refer to Sol and Lua as their children automatically?
Aiden frowns. "Sol told me that their Uncle had them curse with their shapeshifting. At least, I'm almost certain it was their uncle. They were heirs to the throne.."
Aiden's eyes suddenly widen. "Just a second. Did he say the King was "Haasha"?"
Lotte blinks at Aiden. "Why would you say that? If Haasha was the king, why would his people have to make deals with him?"
Steven shakes his head, then blinks. "No... he said they had made some sort of contract with someone named Haasha... and we've heard that name before....
Aiden nods, "Isn't Haasha apparently our father?"
Steven nods slowly, frowning. "Yes... yes, he is.... At least if Birch was telling the truth..."
Lotte says, "When we arrived, we were supposed to be taken to him... he was a wizard, right?"
Steven bobs his head, "Yes, that was his name...."
Aiden nods, "That's what Birch said. But she killed him. So, either Birch didn't kill him, or he made this deal before he died."
Lotte nods, "Well, we all got pulled here at once. Maybe it was to settle Haasha's end of the deal."
Steven says, "That's certainly possible." He frowns. "Thanks a lot, 'dad,'" he adds."
Aiden says, "So, they promised the children in exchange for weapons of iron and warriors that could wield them. Sol and Lua obviously aren't the warriors, they can't touch iron."
Aiden says, "Remember,Birch offered us the "opportunity" to become Generals in her army. I have this feeling that we're the warriors."
Lotte snorts at Steven, then frowns thoughtfully at Aiden. "Just add magic, and you've got warm bodies that can touch iron to go do your dirty work for you?"
Steven frowns. "That means we were brought in to wield these Grey World weapons. Also would explain why Sol got sick when he ate that Twinkie, and the stone guy said that would make his kind sick."
Aiden nods at Steven and Lotte. "So. Are Sol and Lua the "children"?"
Aiden pauses, then adds, "And what does Haasha want with them?"
Steven says, "That sounds like the way it is. So... we were brought here as a commodity to be given to these elves for Haasha. Was Haasha an elf?"
Aiden tugs on his ear, "One of our parents was.."
Lotte nods firmly to Aiden. "We're all part elf."
Steven glances to Aiden, frowning. "I don't think either of mine was...? Though...." He glances down at his bare, mulatto arms. "I...guess we are, at that...."
Lotte frowns. "You know, we look nothing alike, and only Aiden is pointy. I wonder..."
Aiden frowns. "I'm certain Sol said that his uncle wanted to kill them, but that they got away with just the curse. Do you suppose he wants them badly enough to make a deal with Haasha?"
Aiden looks over at Lotte.. "Finish that thought...?"
Lotte says, "What if Haasha's like a genetic engineer and he's not actually related to any of us, nor we to each other, except that he 'built' us all out of whatever he had handy, and stuck us in the world to grow up and be... harvested?"
Steven blinks to Lotte, and frowns again. "'Harvested.' I'm really sure I don't like that.
Aiden frowns, "Oh great. Now I like him even less than I did an hour ago."
Lotte adds, with a worried frown, "What if we're not the only ones? What if Birch and us are just the ones he got back at the same time?"
The redheaded bard says, "I mean, four people isn't exactly a cleansing crusade army."
Aiden frowns, "Maybe.. we can only hope that Birch murdered him before he managed to get any more of us."
Aiden says, "I don't know though. It seems to me that Birch was here for a lot longer than we were. I mean, how many mallrats do you know that would get to a new world and immediately decide that this was theirs to conquor. Most mallrats I'm acquainted with would be like "great! a new place to shop!".."
Steven deadpans, "No, definitely not. We aren't a crusading army. Odd, though... this guy sounds like some kind of elfsupremacist. What were they going to do with us when they finished with 'cleansing the animals?'"
Lotte makes a face, but nods to Aiden's hope regarding Haasha's murder. "That's horrible... but..." She changes topics. "I betSol and Lua know more about Haasha, and maybe about what their uncle would want badly enough to trade them in for us, for..." She nods to Steven. "Didn't Seodil treat Otter like an 'animal?' Maybe he's elves-or-nothing. Or just on an elven power trip."
Aiden says, "I suspect that after the obsticles were removed, they'd consider us little better than animals, Steven."
Aiden looks around, "Speaking of which.. Lotte, did Sol follow you? Steven and I took the.. erm.. express route
Lotte obviously wants to disagree with Aiden's first comment, hopes of a life at elven courts drifting in her eyes, but nods, regretfully.
The bard blinks at Aiden. "Sol? No, I haven't seen him since you all ran off and I took the dry road."
Lotte looks thoughtfully at Aiden. "I wonder if you could talk to him as a wolf, when he's, you know."
Steven nods quietly, frowning. "Yes, he did treat her pretty badly.... It seems like he's a 'elfist' or somesuch...." He blinks. "I hope Sol's all right...."
Aiden blinks at Lotte, "I hadn't even thought about that.. Though.. He should be back to the Elf-form now. The sun has to be down. It feels like we've been down here for days.."
Lotte yawns suddenly. "You're right.. I'm tired. We need to rest, and Rui is hurt. She needs healing."
Steven nods worriedly, "And Lua would be in her greyhound form..."
Lotte frowns and says, "Maybe she'll be safer that way. Faster, smaller..." She trails off, uncertain.
Steven says, "But that leaves Sol, now...."
Lotte says more firmly, "At least Sol can talk to us when we find him."
Aiden looks back towards the other cavern. He goes over to the prone elf and searches him for something to cut Otter's ropes with.
Aiden doesn't find a weapon on the elf, but does relieve him of two pouches. One of them has a fine powder and the other has a bone wolf figurine, some coins and a few gems. He looks over at Rui and then walks over to her, "Where's that dagger? I'm going to go get Otter."
Rui looks up at Aiden from where she'd been leaning against the wall, eyes closed, and hands him the dagger in question.
Aiden takes the dagger and sets the two pouches down out of the Elf's immediate reach. "I'll be right back." He walks out of the room, back into the corridor that leads to Otter.
Otter is not there, though her ropes lie in a heap.
Aiden swears.
Splashing comes from the direction of the underground river.
Aiden looks over towards the river, wary..
Steven blinks at the swearing. "Aiden?"
It's darker near the riverbank, but something smallish seems to be moving. Quiet splashing continues.
Aiden calls back to Steven. "I'm fine.." He walks over towards the river, looking around carefully.
A small, lithe shape is playing in the water, slipping easily in and out of the light current. When it sees Aiden, it pops underwater, then surfaces by the riverbank and slithers out. For a moment, it's a dark, sleek otter. A moment later, Otter's furless face peers up at Aiden as she gets up from hands and knees, stark naked and glistening wet. "Heya, nice elf. Thanks for rescue." She seems sincere, not angry that he didn't finish untying her before running off.
Aiden nods at her, keeping his eyes firmly on her face, a light blush touching his cheeks. "I just came back to finish the job. Glad you got out.."
Otter smirks up at him cheerfully. Her wounds seem to be healed. "Slippery, we are. Just needed little bit help."
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