THANK YOU FOR THE REVIEWS!! *glomps all reviewers* I will give you another
chapter as a Christmas present ^^
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"Ayame, what did you do?" came the first cry. Then she was surrounded by clamoring incredulities, continuously firing at her one after another after another. She tried to tell them that she didn't know, had no idea what she'd done, but she couldn't be heard over the noise. Finally they were silenced by a furious bellow.
"Let her alone!" Liam exclaimed. "Poor girl doesn't know any better than you what she did, can't you see that?"
With a low cacophony of grumbling and muttered grievances, the clan drifted away to resume their march to Muscadet. "So are you all right?" Liam asked her quietly, because her skin was pale and clammy. "That was quite an attack you pulled off there."
She glanced down at the dagger, so harmless in appearance in its leather sheath. "I'll be fine, but I still don't understand what happened. The attack was called 'Swiftnight,' which I've never heard of."
He frowned. "Neither have I. But then I've never seen a sword like that, either." They fell into a deep, uneasy silence that lasted all the way to Muscadet. Once there, Liam sent the clan off to get some food, but took Ayame with him to the Card Shop.
It was a small, musty place, decorated with false elaborateness in the form of threadbare, gold-tasseled curtains, tables edged with peeling gilt, and flickering brass sconces. A rather plump Nu Mou was seated at a low table, shuffling through a stack of grubby cards. As the couple entered, he raised his shrewd tawny eyes and hopped off the chair.
"Liam!" he exclaimed, his voice disproportionately deep to his squat form. "It's been a few months since you've dropped in! Who's your girlfriend?"
"She's not my girlfriend, Balez," he answered sharply, causing the Nu Mou to wink knowingly at Ayame. "But it was in connection with our. . .relationship that I came to see you."
Balez suddenly looked interested. "Oh? I'd hoped perhaps you'd help my pocketbook out and buy a few cards, but a bit of gossip is not below me. So, what is it you want to tell me?"
Liam glanced at her at the same time her eyes flickered over to him. For a moment, they held each other's gaze, then made a mutual agreement. "Balez, Ayame is the one that Yilga prophesied."
For several long moments the shop was utterly silent as the Nu Mou's eyes bulged nearly out of his head. "You're kidding, of course," he announced as soon as he had control of his tongue, only to be stopped short by Liam's shaking head. "But her. . .she's such a scrawny thing!"
Ayame bridled, but Liam laid his hand on her shoulder. "They were holding her in the palace. I think they wiped her memory, although the amnesia may have been caused by a bump to the head; though what from I couldn't guess. We know now that we have to stick together to fulfill this prophecy, but we don't know what to do or where to go next."
Balez stroked one of his velvety ears thoughtfully. "I can't help you much on that one, mate. Of course, there's always the crystal to go after."
Both of them stared at him, nonplussed. "But. . .Marche destroyed all the crystals nearly five hundred years ago, didn't he?" Liam asked uncertainly. "There aren't any more."
"Ah, but that's where you're wrong," the Cardkeeper informed them. Furtively he looked around, then moved a bit closer to them, lowering his voice. "There was one more crystal. It wasn't guarded by a Totema like the others, because it was believed to be insignificant and hold no real power. But when they realized how much power it truly held, the palace went to great lengths to keep it safe. Recently there's been a group of people who've started attacking them, presumably to get at the crystal, in a strange hit-and-run stratagem. That's the reason for this great army they're building. This resistance they've met-the Elddir, they call them-is growing stronger by the day.
"Nobody knows of this, of course, and don't ask how I know because I won't tell you. But the best advice I can give you now is to find these Elddir and join them. Destroying that crystal may be your only hope." Balez stepped back, his face crinkled in satisfaction.
Liam and Ayame were staring at each other in horror. "Is there no alternative?" Ayame asked weakly, but she already knew the answer. "We must go tell the clan," Liam murmured. "Thank you, Balez." Ignoring the Nu Mou's fervent pleas for a donation, they left the shop, making for the pub where their clan was quartered.
-
"Ayame, what did you do?" came the first cry. Then she was surrounded by clamoring incredulities, continuously firing at her one after another after another. She tried to tell them that she didn't know, had no idea what she'd done, but she couldn't be heard over the noise. Finally they were silenced by a furious bellow.
"Let her alone!" Liam exclaimed. "Poor girl doesn't know any better than you what she did, can't you see that?"
With a low cacophony of grumbling and muttered grievances, the clan drifted away to resume their march to Muscadet. "So are you all right?" Liam asked her quietly, because her skin was pale and clammy. "That was quite an attack you pulled off there."
She glanced down at the dagger, so harmless in appearance in its leather sheath. "I'll be fine, but I still don't understand what happened. The attack was called 'Swiftnight,' which I've never heard of."
He frowned. "Neither have I. But then I've never seen a sword like that, either." They fell into a deep, uneasy silence that lasted all the way to Muscadet. Once there, Liam sent the clan off to get some food, but took Ayame with him to the Card Shop.
It was a small, musty place, decorated with false elaborateness in the form of threadbare, gold-tasseled curtains, tables edged with peeling gilt, and flickering brass sconces. A rather plump Nu Mou was seated at a low table, shuffling through a stack of grubby cards. As the couple entered, he raised his shrewd tawny eyes and hopped off the chair.
"Liam!" he exclaimed, his voice disproportionately deep to his squat form. "It's been a few months since you've dropped in! Who's your girlfriend?"
"She's not my girlfriend, Balez," he answered sharply, causing the Nu Mou to wink knowingly at Ayame. "But it was in connection with our. . .relationship that I came to see you."
Balez suddenly looked interested. "Oh? I'd hoped perhaps you'd help my pocketbook out and buy a few cards, but a bit of gossip is not below me. So, what is it you want to tell me?"
Liam glanced at her at the same time her eyes flickered over to him. For a moment, they held each other's gaze, then made a mutual agreement. "Balez, Ayame is the one that Yilga prophesied."
For several long moments the shop was utterly silent as the Nu Mou's eyes bulged nearly out of his head. "You're kidding, of course," he announced as soon as he had control of his tongue, only to be stopped short by Liam's shaking head. "But her. . .she's such a scrawny thing!"
Ayame bridled, but Liam laid his hand on her shoulder. "They were holding her in the palace. I think they wiped her memory, although the amnesia may have been caused by a bump to the head; though what from I couldn't guess. We know now that we have to stick together to fulfill this prophecy, but we don't know what to do or where to go next."
Balez stroked one of his velvety ears thoughtfully. "I can't help you much on that one, mate. Of course, there's always the crystal to go after."
Both of them stared at him, nonplussed. "But. . .Marche destroyed all the crystals nearly five hundred years ago, didn't he?" Liam asked uncertainly. "There aren't any more."
"Ah, but that's where you're wrong," the Cardkeeper informed them. Furtively he looked around, then moved a bit closer to them, lowering his voice. "There was one more crystal. It wasn't guarded by a Totema like the others, because it was believed to be insignificant and hold no real power. But when they realized how much power it truly held, the palace went to great lengths to keep it safe. Recently there's been a group of people who've started attacking them, presumably to get at the crystal, in a strange hit-and-run stratagem. That's the reason for this great army they're building. This resistance they've met-the Elddir, they call them-is growing stronger by the day.
"Nobody knows of this, of course, and don't ask how I know because I won't tell you. But the best advice I can give you now is to find these Elddir and join them. Destroying that crystal may be your only hope." Balez stepped back, his face crinkled in satisfaction.
Liam and Ayame were staring at each other in horror. "Is there no alternative?" Ayame asked weakly, but she already knew the answer. "We must go tell the clan," Liam murmured. "Thank you, Balez." Ignoring the Nu Mou's fervent pleas for a donation, they left the shop, making for the pub where their clan was quartered.