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 Posted: Fri Feb 24, 2017 7:41 am
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Posted: Wed Mar 01, 2017 1:43 pm
"Well...?" Stepping under the archway, the lion finally made his presence known. Their camp had moved, but rather than move their's into the open like Tethys had elected, the Collective had once again shrouded themselves from view. On this occasion they had taken to Suu'marle's chosen territory, deep within the forest. Admittedly, it was so heavily fortified by unseen traps and allies that even a phantom might think twice about invading. If they did attempt to do so, then they were likely to find themselves dying a slow and painful death.
"I got the message, but it was a little sparse on the details," he added. Coming to a halt, he closed his eyes briefly and waited. In the relative silence he could hear the faint whisper of wind and the occasional crackle of the vipers that moved beneath the undergrowth. However it was the other soft murmurings that he waited for, and only opened his eyes when he had gained an understanding of where the poison mistress had chosen to make her lair.
He soon found himself face to face with the lioness who provided him with a measured, if grim stare.
"You are late," she chastised him, though she knew this was unreasonable. All things considered, Havase had been called from a significant distance and had made good time. She was however, very tired, and this was perhaps one of the few very rare occasions in which she was completely and utterly emotionally drained. It would be good to have another by her side, one to bounce ideas off, one who understand the more benevolent aspects of her field.
"I have settled him," she continued and gave a nod, it was with this that she turned round and moved further into her warren, taking several turns until she had reached her place.
"Him...?" Havase murmured and shook his head as he followed the lioness into the depths. It was there that they were both greeted by the sight of what he, at first, thought was a slumbering lion. Yet as he drew nearer it became clear that this lion was not sleeping.
...Oh no, on the contrary, Spectre was staring at Havase as he entered the den, his jaw stiff and eyes hard. He'd been paralysed, some way, somehow, the poison mistress had rendered him incapable of movement. To say that the skeletal line did not appreciate the sentiment was a severe understatement and had done little more than to confirm his suspicions. Devoid of the ability to move or talk however, the lion was utterly at their disposal and completely vulnerable.
To Spectre, this was his worst nightmare, and one he assumed would come to an end soon enough. Though neither of these two lions were the monsters in his dreams, he had no doubt that they had already let the wraiths know where he was. He was their bargaining chip, he would be traded, and then that would be the end. While he hadn't seen this yet, and hadn't experienced another of his ever insistent visions, the lion could only assume that this was merely because it was inevitable now...
"Spectre...?" Havase asked incredulously as he gazed at the skeletal male. He hadn't seen this male in many years, and even then, Havase had been but a teenager at the time. Scarcely out of his trials, he had come face to face with his very first Sleeper. It had been Spectre; while Adar had shown up shortly after to offer his congratulations, it had been the white lion that had dressed his wounds.
"He can't speak," Suu'marle warned. "He was being erratic, and he has a tendency to lash out without warning," she continued. "Thus I have had no choice but to sedate him to the point that he has no power," she shook her head and frowned. "However it does not last as long as it should..."
"I imagine that is because he has a resistance to it," Havase replied as he strode towards the white male and lowered his head. He glanced towards him and then shook his head. "He is a Sleeper, Suu'marle... if you thought your normal potions would work..."
"It's hard to remember what he is," she stated grimly.
She was met by the steely gaze of the white lion, lips still clamped shut as he leveled his stare upon her. It was enough to make them both squirm, while he might not recognise either of them, he still had the capacity to look towards them both as though they were the greatest traitors in existence - complete sell outs.
Fortunately for him, he was already beginning to feel his toes again, and provided that he was patient he would eventually be able to move again. The green lioness had tried more than her fair share of potions on him, each had limited effect, and the skeletal male was certain this would be no different...
"Regardless, I'm in need of your assistance," she said as she turned back towards Havase and pursed her lips. "As you have said, traditional methods are having a limited effect and eventually they will fail completely," she took a breath and then promptly sighed. She was out of her depth, completely out of it, and she sincerely hoped that her more benevolent companion would have something up his sleeve...
If he didn't, well then, they were going to have to reconsider their options. Words (Havase): 362
Words (Spectre): 285
Words (Suu): 259
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Posted: Wed Mar 01, 2017 2:06 pm
"What did you have in mind?" Havase ask, glancing down briefly towards Spectre as he saw a toe move. He afforded just a touch of a smile, a brief instant and then it was gone. He couldn't say he was surprised that whatever Suu'marle had used was already beginning to wear off. It would only be a matter of time before the ghostly male was on his paws again, and at that point, it would be Havase's strength (and health) that would be the only thing that would get him back down again...
"You have been at this longer than I have," she said finally as she began to pace back and forth in the den, flicking her gaze briefly towards the skeletal male as she saw his toes move again. A brief moment of exasperation flickered across her features, it had barely been any time at all since she had sedated him and he was already recovering. She had to wonder just what some of the older Sleepers had put themselves through during their periods of respite... She was beginning to suspect that like her, none of them really knew how to stop being what they were.
...All impeccable actors, but never truly 'asleep'.
Perhaps that was what made them so good at what they did, even if it was to the detriment of family life, friends and so on.
"Standard poisons aren't working to sedate him and I'm concerned that prolonged exposure to them will do more harm than good," she shook her head. "We need more benevolent herbs, something that settles him, something that will give us the opportunity to talk to him."
"You are labouring under the illusion that something like that exists," Havase replied, and with only the subtlest flick of a paw, pressed it against the skeletal lion's neck to prevent him from moving any further. "Let's start from the beginning," he continued. "We will determine everything that you have used and from there we will be able to ascertain if there's something -" he shook his head. "We'll think of something," he reassured her.
"I have used everything bar the toxins the scourge use," Suu'marle snapped and shook her head. She was truly incredulous, in truth she had never been permitted to test the endurance and resistances of her fellow Sleepers. It had always been something she had wanted to do, she'd always wanted to prepare them and she'd never been given the permission. Now she knew why; they'd all already done it, she had to give credit where it was due.
"And if we use those, we are in to truly uncharted territory," she stated softly.
It was as they spoke that the lion continued to subtly test his movements, though he didn't understand the entirety of what they were saying, one thing was clear. They intended to use more of their potions - these ones had failed, but as he began to break free of this particular concoction he had already been restrained. The skeletal lion had to admit that he was impressed, or at least a part of him was, by the manner in which the male had managed to press at his spine just right to prevent him from moving any further...
These individuals were certainly skilled, but if they believed they could really hold him, they were in for a surprise.
No, who was he kidding, they would be able to hold him. They were already holding him now, they would have just preferred that it was easier for them.
Alas, even as he allowed his muscles to flick, twitch and flex, he could do nothing more than listen to their idle chatter as they discussed the possibilities. Perhaps whatever they used on him this time would fail as well, and when they made to regroup, then he would be able to escape? Rather than waste his energy on attempting to speak, he merely watched them with the same unyielding stare. Everyone had to sleep eventually, and despite what Suu'marle might have thought, not all of his faculties were gone.
He was still wiley, even if they didn't see it...
"Uncharted in what sense?" Havase asked.
"I don't know how to break its hold," she confessed. "At least not yet I don't..."
"I see..." Havase murmured and closed his eyes. "Then perhaps we should consider the remaining alternatives first," he advised.
It was a conversation that would last for quite some time...Words (Suu): 294
Words (Havase): 204
Words (Spectre): 249
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Posted: Wed Mar 01, 2017 2:08 pm
Final Words Count:
Suu'marle: 553
Spectre: 534
Havase: 566
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