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Shadows Chapter 18
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Shady Stoat



Joined: 02 Oct 2005
Posts: 2950
Location: England

Posted: Wed May 10, 2006 6:27 am    Post subject: Shadows Chapter 18  

Chapter Eighteen

Keli gave one last glance to the running evictees from the city. She wanted the company of other normal people. Other – not to put too fine a point on it – humans.

From what she’d seen of the rejects from Old Shift, though, ‘humans’ was likely to be only an approximation, at best. They were more likely to be half-castes, outcasts and criminals. Strength in numbers was all very well, but where was the strength if there was no trust in each other?

She turned back to Shakal.

“You’re right,” she said. “Where should we go?”

“Off the road,” replied Shakal, promptly. “We need to stay out of the way of any city patrols. They may search for you – or me – once they get the remainder of the city under control.”

“You lead,” said Keli, simply, “I’ll follow.”

“That will be a novel experience,” Shakal commented, dryly.

Keli was so surprised at this first hint of humour from the wolf that she couldn’t think of anything intelligent to say in reply. She followed in silence as the wolf headed toward the rise of the hills, off-road.

As the ground became slightly boggy and uneven, Keli felt the stiffness caused by hours of motionless study in Maurice’s cellar. Her calf muscles burned and her shoulders ached. But the freedom of being out of the watchful eye of the city was exhilarating enough to make up for all of that and more. No more being hunted, wherever she went. No more waking suddenly to wonder who was after her this time. And, most importantly, no more snatching at minutes to study what she needed.

When she returned, she would be ready to face Itharien and his cult on her own terms.

It was noon before the two of them were truly out of sight. Despite heading cross-country, they couldn’t help but cross paths with the other people who had been leaving Shift City in droves. Those with supplies or foraging skills seemed to have decided as Shakal and Keli had, to keep out of the way of those who might hunt them down.

As they sat on a rocky hillside ledge to share out the first of their biscuits and water, Keli thought about the immediate future, for the first time since their escape.

“Where shall we go?” she asked the wolf, wiping crumbs from her mouth.

“To my people,” replied Shakal, promptly.

Keli felt her heart sink. Shakal may have been looking forward to returning to the Were camp – but Keli remembered the welcome she had received last time. The wolf people had no time for humans, and the last time she had met them, they had been talking of war.

Besides, heading South seemed so much like crawling back to Great Lake, where she had started the journey. Although she logically knew that wasn’t true, it still felt like the cowardly option.

“Isn’t there anywhere else?” she asked, a trifle rebelliously.

Shakal turned amber eyes upon her.

“Where would you suggest? The next town or village perhaps? Or should we stay out in the open, where one or other of us would have to be awake at all times, to guard from attack? Given time, I may be able to secure a camp for us. How much time would you like me to spend on prioritising your safety above your learning?”

Abruptly, Keli felt small and foolish. She felt the flush in her cheeks – a hot reminder that she was a child no longer, and couldn’t afford to let her wants get in the way of her survival.

“You’re right,” she said, trying not to sound resentful. “We should go to where it’s safe.”

“Safe?” repeated Shakal, her teeth baring in the parody of a grin. “Safer, perhaps. I think you and I will not find safety now until the war has ended. Nevertheless, my people will protect you as best they can, for the Oracle’s sake.”

“Then that’ll have to be enough,” sighed Keli.

For the rest of the day, they circled around the city walls. The journey that had almost destroyed her feet last time was almost pleasant on the way back. Keli’s boot-leather had become softer with wear; and, although her companion was the same one as last time, this time she knew that Shakal, for all her strangeness, was to be trusted. Even the sun shone warmly in a blue sky, as if to celebrate her escape from the church’s influence.

All too soon, though, the light began to fade and darkness drew on. They had done little more than travel from the Northern edge of Shift, to just past the borders of the Southern edge, but it was time to make camp.

More biscuits that dried the mouth and parched the throat, with nothing but water to wash them down with. Keli found herself hoping that the fare at the wolf-camp would be more palatable. To take her mind off the food, she broke the silence between herself and Shakal.

“Which watch do you want me to take tonight?” she asked.

“You sleep tonight,” replied the wolf, evenly. “Tomorrow, we will arrive back with my people. Then we can both rest.”

“But I…” began Keli, worried. Shakal interrupted her.

“I am your guide,” she said, a bite in her voice, for all that it was quiet. “Would it harm you so much to follow my wishes, just for once?”

Keli opened her mouth to retort on how unfair that accusation was. She had followed Shakal’s guidance ever since they had escaped from the Oracle Building, even if she had questioned it from time to time!

Perhaps, though, Shakal did not see it that way. Perhaps the wolf was just as tired as she was; just as helpless in the wake of events, and just as dissatisfied with her present situation. For the first time, Keli began to see the similarities between herself and the wolf. Two not-yet-adults, forced away from their families, manoeuvred into situations that seemed way beyond their abilities. Two survivors, being hunted simply because of they way they had been born.

If only they could find a way to get along, this ongoing horror might seem a little more bearable.

“Wake me if you change your mind,” she said, at last. With that, she lay on her side and closed her eyes.

Surprisingly, sleep came easily. Too easily, perhaps. She writhed, captured in nightmare, as her dreams filled with the stench of smoke and blood, with the screams of those that fought and those that were sacrificed to the soul-stones. One by one, their faces contorted in pain and death, only to give way to the next. She was unaware of the wolf warming and watching over her, as her body quivered in its tortured sleep. Their sweat mingled, and Shakal’s lips twitched with the second-hand pain of the visions, still shared by the mingling of their blood.

For the wolf, though, there was no rest. Her eyes remained open and watchful until the sun rose again at dawn.

-----------

Keli’s eyes opened. Sweat was drying, cold clinging to her skin. The wolf shifted against her back, a welcome reminder that she was not alone.

She sat up, taking deep breaths to dispel the images of her dreams. Immediately, Shakal rolled away from her and stood, shaking grass off her cloak.

“Eat something,” she instructed Keli. “We must set off as soon as possible.”

Keli dipped into the now-detested biscuits and nibbled unenthusiastically. Shakal was already moving around, packing their belongings back into their packs. Within a few minutes of waking up, the two of them were on their feet and making their way South again.

Shakal set a hard pace. The sun stayed hidden behind clouds which burst in periodic showers, drenching them and making the ground swampy with mud. Keli found the travelling energy-sapping, but she understood Shakal’s reasons for wanting to get home to her family. She uttered no protest and endured the aches and the chill of the rain.

The effort paid off. After far too many hills and muddy copses, they began to approach the wetlands between Shift and Great Lake. The daylight was greying as they trod through sludge and marsh.

Shakal’s spirits seemed to rise as they approached the old camp. Seeing this, Keli decided to venture a question that had been preying on her mind since the day before.

“Shakal?” she began, timidly.

“Yes?” replied the wolf, scenting the air.

“What did you mean, when you said your powers were waning?”

Shakal’s pace slowed a little. Silence descended, as she seemed to debate whether or not to answer Keli.

“I told you, when we first met, that Weres could be attacked, despite their magic,” she said, at last. “Our powers are strong with the moon. You crossed the camp just after the full moon. Now that its light disappears from the sky, so does my magic. Mine and that of my family.”

“Is it the same for all the Weres?” asked Keli, curious.

“Other races have different ways.” Shakal said, walking alongside her. “Some are ruled by season, others by weather, daylight, location or even proximity to others of their kind. With wolves it is the moon.”

“Just like the myths,” said Keli.

Shakal nodded. “I would advise you not to bring such matters up with the others. They will not be as…”

“Hold!” A voice hailed them from the shadows of a nearby tree. An almost transparent shape stepped out from behind the trunk.

It was a good disguise. Now that she knew their powers were on the wane, though, Keli could see that the invisibility that had left her perplexed a week ago was only camouflage now.

Other wolves faded back to full visibility as they ran to the source of the call. Keli waited nervously for the accusations to begin. They did not – but neither did the welcomes. As more wolves appeared, Shakal was welcomed back with cuffs and buffets and rough embraces. The girl was left on the outskirts, looking in at a happy family that was not her own.

At length, Shakal remembered her and wrestled her way out of the latest clinch. She walked back to Keli, putting a well-muscled arm around the girl’s shoulder.

“Take us back to the camp,” she said. “We have much to tell you.”

“Malkai will not…” began one of the wolves.

Shakal overrode him. “Malkai will want to hear what the Oracle had to say.”

Quick glances were passed between the wolves, as if they were shocked at the mention of the Oracle in front of a human. However, the challenger merely nodded, turned and started to lead the way.

Shakal followed. So, too, did Keli, having little choice in the matter. She was feeling increasingly uncomfortable though – the uninvited and unwelcome guest.

Thankfully, it was not far to their camp. Keli was more than ready to rest by the time they had got there. The smell of roasting meat was tantalising after days of nothing but dry biscuits.

A hot meal seemed a distant dream, however, when Malkai came bristling out of the camp to meet them. His dark fur seemed to stand out and everything in his posture, from the lunging run to the lips drawn back from his teeth, seemed to indicate his fury.

He halted less than a foot from Shakal, towering over her.

“So,” he snarled. “Our wanderer has chosen to return.”

“I have,” replied Shakal, meeting his eyes just long enough to show that she was neither afraid of him nor challenging him.

“And the hour of your choosing is late.” Malkai’s voice was, if anything, deeper and more menacing.

“You asked me to travel to Shift City and consult with the…”

“Enough!” roared the leader. “You were honoured with a task vital to the pack. Instead, you return, late and with your mission incomplete. Not only that, but you are trailing the same rag-tag human that took our meat and our money, only to…”

For all of its quiet, Shakal’s voice penetrating the ranting of the wolf-leader.

“I have seen the Oracle,” she said, calmly. “Would you like to hear his telling?”

For a moment, there was a flicker of doubt in Malkai’s eyes. Then they hardened again.

“Send that away,” he ordered, his gazed grazing contemptuously over Keli, “and then you will give me a full report.”

There was a long pause.

“No,” murmured Shakal at last.

The blow knocked her from her feet and drew ragged welts against her jawbone. The camp immediately descended into chaos. Some of the wolves rushed to fill the space between Malkai and Shakal. Others (including one that Keli thought she recognised as Renau) went immediately to tend to and defend the wolf-child. A third camp took their place behind the leader, hackles raised.

Shakal ignored them all, never letting her eyes leave those of her pack leader. She spat blood, then spoke, loud enough for all to hear and understand.

“I serve the leader,” she said, with just a hint of anger now. “I serve the pack. At your bidding, I went to glean advice from the Oracle, so that we may follow his bidding. And the Oracle bade me to guide and protect the human child, before all other things.”

The muttering of the other wolves increased in volume. Hackles began to raise visibly again when Shakal held up a hand.

“This was the best advice Erath could give me, to protect the Were-pack. Protect and guide the child. This I intend to do, even if it means that I must leave this place. Must I, Malkai?”

The dark leader snarled. For a moment, it looked as if he was about to launch himself at Shakal again. Then, without a word spoken, he whirled and strode back towards the huts.

Keli realised she was shaking. Although she’d had no dreams of a warm welcome here, she had not expected to cause such a titanic rift! Even now, she hardly dared to meet the unfriendly glares that surrounded her. Instead, she kept her head low and focused on her friend, who was rising from where she had landed after being struck.

Nobody tried to restrain Shakal as she wandered back to Keli and began to guide her to one of the huts.

“You must be wary,” said the wolf, softly, as they entered one of the huts. “Malkai may grow to accept you once his anger has calmed. Just as likely that he will not, though. He reacted too quickly to your presence, and now his pride will make it difficult for him to reverse his judgement upon you.”

“Maybe we should just leave,” suggested Keli, hopefully.

“We need my family’s protection,” answered Shakal, “and you shall have it. Now, I will get you something to eat and drink, before you sleep.”

She paused at the doorway. “Your visions,” she began, hesitantly. “Are they always so…”

Keli waited, but the wolf seemed unable to phrase the question that was on her mind.

“I’ve always had them,” she replied at last, unsure whether this was what Shakal wanted to hear. “They always show what’s happening, or what will happen. Although I think the future can be…”

“Do you always see sadness?” interrupted the wolf. “Always despair? Is there no joy in your visions?”

“I… no… I…” Keli stammered, taken aback. By the time she had formulated an answer, though, the wolf was gone.

When she got back with the meat and drink, neither brought up the subject again. Lying down that night, though, Keli found it hard to get to sleep. In the end, exhaustion took her where her mind was unwilling to go.

-----------

Blood and death. The screaming of sacrifices on the dark stone alter as the soul-stones eat them from the guts outward.

How can these stones be neither good nor evil? Keli’s mind churns with the paradox of the Oracle’s words. This is not the work of good, or even neutral influences. This is body-burning torture. Agony at its most exquisite. The stone consumes all it touches, leaving nothing but death and ash behind.

If that is not considered evil, then what is? She believes the Oracle spoke truth… and yet…

Where does the truth lie? How much agony must she witness before she sees the meaning behind those words?

With her new skill, she turns away and seeks other dreams, better places…

----------

The Imperial Gardens again. The wall, for all of its rumblings and quakings in the last dream, still stands with the sunlight reflecting off its damp stonework.

This time, she can feel a presence within, pushing her away – diverting her attention away from the enclosure and what lies within.

She takes a step closer to the wall.

“What is this place?” asks a voice behind her.

She turns. The pale-haired boy again, peering around as though through a great gloom.

She cannot help herself. “Why are you here?”

“I followed you,” he says, simply. “You called me.”

“Who are you?” she asks, knowing that she should keep her distance, knowing that Shakal will be angry with her later.

“My name?” He frowns, appearing to have difficulty with the question. “My name… is Art. Art. Yes. Nobody calls me that any more. Nobody calls me anything. What’s your name?”

Keli hesitates. She should not be here. But he seems so alone, so wistful. Surely a name will do no real harm? She has his, after all.

“Keli,” she says, reluctantly.

“Keli,” he repeats, and suddenly, his face brightens as if a cloud has been removed.

“I see this place now,” he says, excitedly. “It’s beautiful. Can we stay here? Please?”

Already, though, the dream is fading, leeching to blackness…

Blackness and screaming and blood on a golden mosaic floor…

-----------

She opened her eyes, choking on her own fear. Although the light was streaming in through the chinks between roof-branches, she felt as if only minutes had passed since she had fallen asleep.

There was no sign of Shakal.

At first, she felt relieved. It seemed that her dream of the boy would not lead her into a fight with the young wolf, just yet. Then, as she began to remember in whose camp she was sleeping, she began to feel nervous.

It turned out that she needn’t have worried. A couple of minutes later, as she was crawling out of her blankets and into her boots again, Renau appeared with meat and rice.

“Where’s Shakal?” asked Keli, feeling comfortable questioning her original ally.

Renau crouched and set the tray on the floor.

“She is talking to Malkai and the other elders,” answered Renau with a faint smile. “They wish to know every detail of her journey.”

“They want to know why I’m here,” interpreted the girl.

“Among other things.” The wolf regarded her with wise eyes. “You have caused a stir, young one. There are those that think you bring salvation, and those that think you bring disaster. Some question the truth of Shakal’s testimony, others wonder whether Malkai’s question to the Oracle was the right one to ask. Most of us, though, trust Erath and his words. If you are the one who will break Itharien, then no more needs be said on the subject. You have my support, and the support of many others here.”

Keli felt abruptly close to tears. Shakal’s questioning the night before and Renau’s simple faith this morning had left her strangely shaken.

Once Shakal returned, though, there was little opportunity to reflect on words or conversations of any kind. The wolf set about her tutoring tasks with a kind of stubborn zeal that had been unapparent until now. She would neither answer questions about what had been said between Malkai and herself, nor allow herself to be distracted by the day-to-day companionship of the other wolves.

Dream control became easier, allowing Keli to begin getting the better of her night terrors. Her mind became a navigable labyrinth, allowing her to throw her shadowy presence into any aspect that she wished to view. She was balked only by lack of knowledge about which subjects to focus on, and the swiftly branching splits when her dreams ran to future predictions.

She soon came to learn that not all of her dreams would come true, as she had previously believed. The wisdom of the Weres was that predictive visions were merely warnings about what would happen if life was allowed to continue without the Oracle’s guidance. With enough warning, any prediction was subject to alteration.

Keli wondered. Did that mean the sand-haired boy – Art – would not be sacrificed? Did it mean that she had the power, somehow, to stop that from happening? And if she could stop him from suffering, what about the rest? Was there a way? Or did they all have to die so that she could triumph over Itharien at last?

Shakal’s words continued to haunt her as well. Why was it that she could find no joy in her visions? Was joy so rare an experience that it simply didn’t figure in the future? Was it part of her magic that she was meant only to prevent disaster, not to enhance future happiness? Would the nature of her visions change after she had completed her task against the Cult and found some measure of peace for herself?

She wished she knew.

Her studies in the world of spirit-travelling continued slowly and unrewardingly. Over the course of almost a month, she learned only to detach her consciousness from the rest of her body, to travel only as far as her eyes could see. Shakal grew increasingly frustrated with her.

“This should be simple,” she complained, after one particularly unsuccessful morning’s coaching. “Just use your shadow eyes. Stop relying on your body so much.”

“I’m not!” insisted Keli – yet still her travels were snapped back, as if by an invisible piece of elastic, whenever she got too far out of range.

Other advanced techniques – the ability to see through doors and walls – the ability to gain a wider scope of vision without human optic restrictions – all remained beyond her. Even dual possession seemed impossible. Maintaining control of her own body and the possessed one seemed such a complicated task that she could do little more than stay upright with her own while operating the possessed form, or vice-versa.

Still, her possession skills continued to improve. She had a natural ability and an enthusiasm to match. Once she could reliably find a way past all of Shakal’s barriers, other, older and more experienced Weres volunteered to be ‘practiced’ upon. Each put up different barriers, presented a different problem to solve. Keli revelled in the riddles that they represented, solving each one meticulously, step by step.

It was at that point that Shakal insisted on teaching her how to stab and slash. How to use whatever was at hand to hit with, and how to make sure that the hit disabled first time around. She learned how to draw a knife quickly and without fumbling. She learnt basic throws and defences, against those with more weight and muscle-mass than herself.

Despite her revulsion at the subject, Keli understood that there would be bloodshed before the end. She knew that this was a necessary part of her training. What she understood less was why Shakal moved so quickly from one weapon to the next, giving her a shallow overview of techniques, rather than focussing on one aspect of the training and letting Keli excel.

“I don’t need all of this!” she complained again to the wolf, after the first weeks had passed.

“You have no idea what you will need in the future,” retorted Shakal. “I cannot teach you what you think you need to know. Not in the time we have. If you can possess a target, you will be able to surprise their comrades with a single blow. If that fails to work, no amount of training will make you able to defend yourself against multiple attackers with skills and experience.”

So, rebelliously at times, Keli continued to learn what Shakal would teach.

The third branch of the magical training was Item Communication. Although, at first, Keli saw no point to the tedious exercises that Shakal set her, she soon found that she had some aptitude for it. Within three days of arriving at camp, she was able to close her eyes, enter a concentration trance and identify a single object, dropped into her hands. Easy items at first, like a belt buckle or a bootstrap. Then a coin, where she had to tell Shakal what type of metal it was made from. More magical challenges, where a shelled nut was dropped into her palm, and she had to examine the type of nut, and whether it had fallen from the tree, been picked by the Weres, or buried by a squirrel and dug up again for the test.

None of it felt like magic. Just like deep relaxation and the free-roaming of her imagination. Yet, more and more often, she was right about the visions she received. Shakal seemed pleased as her progress with the skill grew.

And all the while she was training, the tension in the wolf-camp blossomed. Whenever she came out of the hut, eyes followed her progress. Some looked at her with near-awe, others with obvious loathing. Malkai, for his part, threw brief but bitter glances her way every time he was forced to encounter her. Whenever they met, both would hurry in different directions as fast as they could find excuses to do so.

Nearly three weeks after she had arrived, Keli found herself itching to leave. She had been continuing to dream about Art, holding furtive conversations with him in the vision-world that they seemed to inhabit together. Increasingly, he was a friend, despite the guilt she felt at having him around. They never talked about anything much, but both of them were obviously alone and scared. Sometimes, he would just rock in the corner of her dreams, tears running down his streaked face. Sometimes she would sit with him and talk about old family meals and arguments. The games she had played when life was safe and normal. The simple chores and the day-to-day sameness of village life. She never mentioned names or specifics, but her stories seemed to comfort him.

As the nights had gone on though, she had begun to feel a darkness surrounding his presence. Not the presence of evil, in itself – more a suggestion of evils to come. It was time for her to go back. The instinct born of her magic told her so.

That was the same evening that Malkai came to call, for the first time since she had arrived.

“Still here, I see,” he announced gruffly, pushing his way in without asking invitation.

He turned to glance at Shakal. “You may leave us.”

To Keli’s surprise and alarm, the young wolf merely bent her head in compliance, before rising and leaving the hut.

“What are your plans, human?” demanded the leader, as soon as she was gone.

Keli attempted to adopt the manner she had seen Shakal use on their arrival here. She glanced at Malkai, forcing her gaze to meet his.

“I plan to return to Shift,” she said, keeping her voice low and quiet. She was dismayed to hear it shake.

“And then what?” he snarled. “Attack the human priest, in his own stronghold? Have you the power for that, little whelp?”

She forced air into her lungs. “I have to try.”

“Eventually, perhaps,” he sneered. “When you have grown fat from our food and our drink. I tell you this, ape-child – you have no real power. My people have aided you in your feeble attempts to master Oracle magic – but why have you never attempted to master our ways? We have strengths – weapons that could make you strong against the monkey-priest. Weapons that would enable you to fight!”

Keli’s mouth felt dry.

“I will teach you what Were-magic is all about,” he continued, eyeing her narrowly. “If you have the courage. Meet me at the edge of the copse, tomorrow at dawn. Alone.”

Before she could answer, he had risen and left the hut. She exhaled a shaky breath and wondered what to do next…
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Chinaren



Joined: 05 Sep 2005
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Location: https://www.NeilHartleyBooks.com

Posted: Wed May 10, 2006 6:44 am    Post subject:  

Still here Stoat? I thought you were off to the Tower? ;)

Well, says I. Accept the challenge why not? She is becoming more confident. One last training session before returning to Shifty Stoat city. What harm could it do? :shock:
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Solomon Birch



Joined: 22 Nov 2005
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Location: England..... but Japan beckons.....

Posted: Wed May 10, 2006 7:09 am    Post subject:  

Damn good chapter Stoatlyone! I'm glad Keli is finally warming to Shakal, properly. I can see the begginings of a beautiful dysfunctional relationship blossoming there. :D

Now, I agree that she could try and learn some of the Were magic, though Malkai's offer is a tad suspicious. I think she should agree, so not to furthur his anger and so that she can at least attempt to learn something, but I think she should secrely tell Shakal. Shakal's public statement that she is going to protect the girl to whatever ends should mean that she will be the right person to confide in.

But what's niggling in my mind is this boy Art....

Could she tell Shakal about her visions, and that she is worried about him. I think she should return to her home and see if she can learn anything about his fate. Maybe he's still there, though it's unlikely. He was that nasty Itharien man's servant, if I remember correctly, so its doubtful he is still there.

But the frequency of her visions must mean something, and Shakal should also recognise this. I think that they should finish up the rigourous camp training and put it to use trying to infiltrate her old home to learn about the boy. Not only can she still train along the way, but she can attempt to use the skills in the 'field' as it were. For example, she could use her Item Communication to learn something about his fate from some manacles in the cellar. Or something. :D

*holds breath* :shock:
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Tazgirl180992
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Posted: Wed May 10, 2006 8:31 am    Post subject:  

Brill! Fab chapter! but the choice....


Hm.. i admit Birch's ideas are good! I agree that she should secretly tell shakal, Malkai's offer doesn't seem right in a way. He hates her because she's human and eating the groups food ect. Shakal will know him better and knows if this is a trick to kill keli or him actually helping her. But no one else should know.

About Art, I think she should ask him questions about his past and his power and things like that. It'll make him upset to 'relive' his torture, but maybe keli could get some knowledge about what she is up against, wether the Irathel (sp?) has a weekness and things like that.
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DukeReg
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Posted: Wed May 10, 2006 6:53 pm    Post subject:  

I agree that Shakal should be told about Malkai's challenge. Whether she says it is folly, or agrees that Keli would benefit, Keli should take her advice.
If Shakal is indifferent about whether she goes or not, Keli should go at least once to find out if it will be good for her or not.

Once Keli decides to leave, she should make a real, solid plan about how to defeat Itharian, or at least make some progress towards that goal. No more of this running off and improvising; that almost got her killed more than once.
Edit:
Not that she had any choice other than to improvise most of the time, but now she has time she should use it.
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ethereal_fauna
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Posted: Thu May 11, 2006 5:00 am    Post subject:  

Great chapter! I agree that she should accept the training, but confide in Shakal before the meeting.

Does she still have the picture of the boy? Is Art the same boy in the picture? Her item communication might reveal something from the image if she tried, although the echoes might be faint or marred by this time.
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Shady Stoat
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Posted: Fri May 12, 2006 2:35 am    Post subject:  

Solomon Birch wrote:
Could she tell Shakal about her visions, and that she is worried about him. I think she should return to her home and see if she can learn anything about his fate. Maybe he's still there, though it's unlikely. He was that nasty Itharien man's servant, if I remember correctly, so its doubtful he is still there.

Just to clear matters up - and it's probably confusing a lot of people, because this part of the plot began many chapters ago...

The portrait cube shows brothers. Art, and presumably a very similar looking boy.

One of them was a little bit crazy, repeating 'not dead' a lot and staring vaguely past people.

The slave-boy that Keli dreamed about, in Itharien's care, seemed more articulate and rational. She can't be sure whether Art is one or the other, or both.

There may be a connection to him, back in Great Lake - but it certainly isn't something she could count on.

In response to Ethereal's question though - she does still have the portrait cube, with both boys pictured in it :D
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ethereal_fauna
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Posted: Fri May 12, 2006 3:03 am    Post subject:  

She should see what she can get from the portrait then, beyond what a visual inspection offers. That might help her make her decision regarding further training, plans for proceeding against the church, continuing to contact this boy and whether she should tell Shakal about her associations with him so far.
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Shady Stoat
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Posted: Fri May 12, 2006 3:11 am    Post subject:  

DukeReg wrote:
Once Keli decides to leave, she should make a real, solid plan about how to defeat Itharian, or at least make some progress towards that goal. No more of this running off and improvising; that almost got her killed more than once.
Edit:
Not that she had any choice other than to improvise most of the time, but now she has time she should use it.

I'd be very happy to hear more planning about a return to defeating Itharien.

If left to the author, Keli will improvise at the last minute. If the players can come up with a solid set of strategies, that should cut down on the chance aspect of the storygame significantly.

Good thought, Duke :D
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DukeReg
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Posted: Fri May 12, 2006 3:20 am    Post subject:  

Me come up with plan? This isn't what I had planned! ;)

Well I'll come up with suggestions once Keli has decided once and for all that its time to leave the were camp and get the defeating of Itharien underway.
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Solomon Birch
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Posted: Fri May 12, 2006 5:46 am    Post subject:  

Hm, well, I agree that its a slim chance of him actually being there, but I think Keli would like to investigate anyway. Maybe she can tell herself that it would be proving to Shakal, and herself, that she is capable of what the oracle claimed she was, before actually going against the Itharien untested. And it would help set her mind at ease about Art and why he is in her visions so much. She is getting them constantly, so it must mean something, and because the only link she has it Great Lake, I think she should do some 'vestigating. :D

*holds breath* :shock:
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Mother Goose
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Posted: Fri May 12, 2006 7:53 am    Post subject:  

It seems Malkai has some doubt about whether Shakal has reported the message from the Oracle correctly. How serious are his doubts, enough to make him actually go against the message and attack Keli as he "shows" her the were power? Maybe Shakal knows him well enough to discern whether it is safe to meet him at all.
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Smee
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Posted: Fri May 12, 2006 9:19 am    Post subject:  

Great chapter - her magic is certainly shaping into something very useful now.

I agree on consulting Shakal if possible, I wouldn't put attack past the leader. If we go for the lesson we should be prepared to take control of Malkai at the first sign of attack. Learning the were-magics would be great, every little helps.

Happy Writing :)
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Shady Stoat
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Posted: Sun May 14, 2006 11:56 am    Post subject:  

Since most people seem to be in favour of asking Shakal's advice (with a generally positive outlook for going-and-seeing about Malkai's offer), I'll assume that part of the poll is unnecessary.

Instead, I'll concentrate on what Keli's likely to do about her dream-boy, Art.

The poll will go up tomorrow. Any last-minute suggestions, to go with these?

Tell Shakal about Art, then return to Great Lake to chase up leads on him.

Don't tell Shakal about Art. Use Dream Control on the portrait, to find out what you can, first.

Tell Shakal about Art and ask her advice about how to handle him.

Question Art about his past/background/magic
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Shady Stoat
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Posted: Tue May 16, 2006 1:22 am    Post subject:  

Poll's up for 3 days :D
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Solomon Birch
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Posted: Tue May 16, 2006 4:15 am    Post subject:  

Voted for telling her and then returning to Great Lake, though I don't think the concesus view is for that. Ah well, its just like voting Labour... ;)
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Mother Goose
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Posted: Tue May 16, 2006 6:47 am    Post subject:  

Shakal is much more of an ally now. She may not know much about Art but I would be inclined to get her take on the matter. She might advise trying one of the other choices of the poll (dream control, etc.).

I don't think I want to go back to Great Lake yet though.
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DukeReg
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Posted: Tue May 16, 2006 2:52 pm    Post subject:  

I voted to ask Shakal's advice on the matter. Returning to the Great Lake is not necessarily a bad or extremely dangerous thing to do, but I don't see the point of it either. It would probably not give any leads, since as I remember the boy who gave Keli the amulet was new to the area, rather disturbed, and close to one of Itharien's nasties.
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LordoftheNight
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Posted: Tue May 16, 2006 5:25 pm    Post subject:  

Woo. *Sighs* Eighteen chapters in one neat sitting. Now I'm tired.

I'd agree with people saying to take the Were-Training, and voted for Keli to talk to Art in her dreams.

We already know Shakal's view on that dream, and she seems to adivse against, well, dreaiming it. Therefore I'd avoid mentioning it to her.

And that's another Story all caught up on then, nearly finished Fantasy and MEH, and then I can work on Sciffyville. All in a (very long) days work.

EDIT: A word of advice, the parts were you had grouped the chapters together, 1-4, 5-8, 9-12, were very useful when just reading the story. I'd advise doing it again for 13-16, and then 17-20 when you get there. I know I found it helpful.
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Chinaren
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Posted: Tue May 16, 2006 5:26 pm    Post subject:  

Quote: Woo. *Sighs* Eighteen chapters in one neat sitting. Now I'm tired.

Isn't it like, three in the morning there Lordy? No wonder you are tired!
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LordoftheNight
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Posted: Tue May 16, 2006 5:29 pm    Post subject:  

No, it's only half two. Not that late yet.
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Shady Stoat
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Posted: Wed May 17, 2006 12:32 am    Post subject:  

lordofthenight wrote:
EDIT: A word of advice, the parts were you had grouped the chapters together, 1-4, 5-8, 9-12, were very useful when just reading the story. I'd advise doing it again for 13-16, and then 17-20 when you get there. I know I found it helpful.

Thanks Lordy. I've just done 13-16, and now that I know it's useful, I'll continue to do it with 17-20 :D

I've made the synopsis more readable as well, for new people who want to catch up. It's down to less than a screen, plus a few details of major characters and phrases that keep getting re-used.

And well done for catching up. All in one night too - I'm impressed! :shock:
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Shady Stoat
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Posted: Thu May 18, 2006 12:14 pm    Post subject:  

Chapter 19 up. Locking this topic :)
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