The Well of T'Prunh
The Never Ending Quest - Episode 11538
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Lady Andrea Croix was seriously considering fleeing as they walked.
Jarlath was clearly unstable, and couldn't be trusted. However, the
hulking man towering over her quite surely prevented her from escaping.
Even the rush of ecstatic freedom that was her wolfish form was no match
against these titans. Looking around, the young noblewoman saw that they had reached their destination. It was an immense hole in the ground, ringed by heavily runed masonry. Fell mists welled up from the stony depths, almost having a life of their own. Joab of the Rephaim seemed extremely agitated, edgy. "Now," he rumbled, "now I get my due," and with that, he pulled out a knife easily as large as a broadsword and lunged at Andrea. Andrea shrieked and cowered, but the impact never came. Looking up, she saw why. The blind madman stood over her, facing the giant. He was calm, and his hand was held in a gesture of warding. The giant was frozen in place, a confused look on his face. "You foolish brute," Jarlath the Finder said, "you can't cut her with that! She'd never survive!" Andrea sighed in relief at this. Perhaps the prodigal son of House D'Honaire did have her best interests at heart. Then, however, dread creeped in as she heard the lunatic's next words. "We do this with my knife, or not at all," Jarlath uttered gravely. With that, Jarlath turned to her and drew a wickedly sharp ceremonial dagger, bending over her, he whispered to her. "Trust is an important thing to learn..." It was then that she saw Jarlath's other hand produce two vials from the folds of his rags. One held a substance that was obviously blood, and the other held something less identifiable. Taking the vial of blood and bending so close that she could feel his hot breath on her cheek, he pantomimed with the knife while spilling the blood on her. Then, taking the second vial, he turned to the giant. "Now it is done. Now you have what you want," he said, wiping the blood off his knife and pulling out a second silk pouch, "Brains and nail clippings, just as you asked," and with that, he handed the two to Joab. The titan opened the pouch and vial clumsily, then eagerly devoured the contents of both. Then, oddly enough, he began to shake and cough. "P-p-poison?! You poisoned me!" he roared, sputtering, "where is my bezoar? Once I cure myself of this, you will die!" "Looking for this?" Jarlath said, holding up a small dull-looking rock, "Well, your belly-stone won't do you any good, Joab, you should know better than to sleep that soundly..." The last remaining Rephaim clutched at his chest and gave one final bellow before he fell to the ground, dead. "Goat's blood and goat brains steeped in Chaioth root. Poor oaf." "But why? Why didn't you tell me?" "Well, partly because Joab would have overheard us...and partly..." Andrea became gradually aware that one of the standing stones seemed to be moving. Straining her eyes, she saw that it was not a stone, but rather, a third giant, different from the other two. He looked ancient, wizened, and he seemed to stand up straighter, carry himself with an odd forlorn dignity as he walked towards them. "...partly because during the days you spent recovering, I was parlaying with an interested party...meet Mahmoud the Elder..." "Indeed," the old giant boomed, "and you have done well, Finder. The Rephaim are no more. Now only two things remain. You will go and slay Ishmael of the Anakim, and when you are done, you will kill me. Then will the shame of the tarnished glory of the Nephilim be finished, and this city will house only ghosts and faded dreams of fire and splendour, as it should..."
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The Traveler
7/28/2000 7:18:44 AM
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