Now then. Ah well. He called in a flask and took a long pull before offering it.
"So back home there is a witch named Kermilla who if she ever shows up, will trigger quite the show of temper. Mine. One of the many things she did happened when she was visiting Dena Nehele. She somehow got it in her mind that having a Sceltie companion would make her a more desirable Queen. She somehow managed to miss the fact that they are people and free to choose who they serve. She sent one of her males to kidnap her a Sceltie from my friend Cassidy's Court, because a dozen Scelties lived there. You met a few in the dream, though they are older now." A small smile.
Then the smile faded. He sat back on the air, as if there were a chair there. It held his weight.
"Kholie was seen as an easy mark, I guess. Or maybe just that he was still heading to where Vae was waiting and so was alone. I don't know. Maybe the ***** just sensed that he's... fragile. I hadn't wanted to even send him to Eyota in the first place. I was overruled." A bit of grim anger there. He shook it off. "I did turn out to be wrong, in the end. Kholie found his humans and is very happy now. But then..."
A hardness where there was usually humor. "The ******* grabbed Kholie by the neck before anyone knew anything was wrong. Before anyone noticed a stranger in the village. He was sight shielded. As soon as he pocked up Kholie, the dog seemed to vanish too. But Vae had been looking right at him, and once they realized the person they couldn't see was a stranger, the Scelties were on the move."
"Some defended the vulnerable. Vae and two of the others harried the ******. Kept him dodging. Kept him from being able to catch the Winds and vanish. They were setting him up for Darkmist. Ranon, one of Darkmist's humans, came running out. The sigh shield broke, still not clear on who did that exactly. Ranon faced off with the ***** and was about to kill him when Darkmist made it on the scene, from behind the would-be kidnapper. He leapt. THROUGH the *****. A clean pass. Except for one thing. When he came out on the other side, he had the ******'s heart in his jaws. Before the man would even realize he was dead Darkmist exploded his brains and skull, but left the skin and eyes intact. He was gone before he hit the ground." And the look on Khary's face of grim satisfaction made it clear that he did NOT think the violence excessive. At all. It was a glimpse at the man under his humor.
Curufin had seen a hint of it before, of course. And Romeo had. But this was closer to what Romeo had seen than what the elf had. This was a vicious man who accepted killing when he felt it was needed. Who grew up in a world where murder was discouraged, but not illegal.
"If those in Eyota had left the man alive, I assure you, those of us in Kaleer would not have. I don't know if Darkmist left enough of the Self to become a Demon. Uncle Saetan never told us." And frankly, none of them had asked.
Warning to all who read - gore. And spoileHey, I have one for Kaeles. I could do one for Ladvarian.
"So back home there is a witch named Kermilla who if she ever shows up, will trigger quite the show of temper. Mine. One of the many things she did happened when she was visiting Dena Nehele. She somehow got it in her mind that having a Sceltie companion would make her a more desirable Queen. She somehow managed to miss the fact that they are people and free to choose who they serve. She sent one of her males to kidnap her a Sceltie from my friend Cassidy's Court, because a dozen Scelties lived there. You met a few in the dream, though they are older now." A small smile.
Then the smile faded. He sat back on the air, as if there were a chair there. It held his weight.
"Kholie was seen as an easy mark, I guess. Or maybe just that he was still heading to where Vae was waiting and so was alone. I don't know. Maybe the ***** just sensed that he's... fragile. I hadn't wanted to even send him to Eyota in the first place. I was overruled." A bit of grim anger there. He shook it off. "I did turn out to be wrong, in the end. Kholie found his humans and is very happy now. But then..."
A hardness where there was usually humor. "The ******* grabbed Kholie by the neck before anyone knew anything was wrong. Before anyone noticed a stranger in the village. He was sight shielded. As soon as he pocked up Kholie, the dog seemed to vanish too. But Vae had been looking right at him, and once they realized the person they couldn't see was a stranger, the Scelties were on the move."
"Some defended the vulnerable. Vae and two of the others harried the ******. Kept him dodging. Kept him from being able to catch the Winds and vanish. They were setting him up for Darkmist. Ranon, one of Darkmist's humans, came running out. The sigh shield broke, still not clear on who did that exactly. Ranon faced off with the ***** and was about to kill him when Darkmist made it on the scene, from behind the would-be kidnapper. He leapt. THROUGH the *****. A clean pass. Except for one thing. When he came out on the other side, he had the ******'s heart in his jaws. Before the man would even realize he was dead Darkmist exploded his brains and skull, but left the skin and eyes intact. He was gone before he hit the ground." And the look on Khary's face of grim satisfaction made it clear that he did NOT think the violence excessive. At all. It was a glimpse at the man under his humor.
Curufin had seen a hint of it before, of course. And Romeo had. But this was closer to what Romeo had seen than what the elf had. This was a vicious man who accepted killing when he felt it was needed. Who grew up in a world where murder was discouraged, but not illegal.
"If those in Eyota had left the man alive, I assure you, those of us in Kaleer would not have. I don't know if Darkmist left enough of the Self to become a Demon. Uncle Saetan never told us." And frankly, none of them had asked.