December 7, 2008
Episode 22: Followed
11:31 PM | 
Posted by
pcbutler |
As they walk down the road (it could only be called a 'road' because it lay between buildings),Richard keeps looking nervously down side streets. As they get closer to the Sickle and Scythe, Richard pulls Catherine up by her arm. They stop just outside the entrance.
"Here Catherine, Take this..." He hands her a few coins. "Go in, Get a room and head straight to it. Lock the door and wait for me. Don't let anyone else in. I mean ANYONE."
Catherine looks confused by this, but does as he asks. Richard heads back up the road and turns into an alley. He removes the bandages covering his face and hands, lowers his hood and stands up straight. As he does, the sound of slipping and cracking vertebrae, echo in the general area. He stretches his arms, twists his neck and stands against a wall.
In a flash he whips his arm around the corner, grabs a hold of cloth, hair, flesh and muscle, pulls with all his strength, twists and pins his quarry against the wall. A tall, yet stocky man, clean shaven and wearing light leather armour. His face has a curious, long look to it.
With Richards forearm pressing against the man's throat and his other holding a sword to his belly, Richard leans close to the man's face. "Who are you and why are you following me? Who do you work for?"
The man lets out a few gurgles as his face starts to turn blue. Richard lets some pressure off the man's throat and he takes a gulp of air. "I.. I don't know...cough... what you're..."
As Richard grows angrier, his facial features start to deepen. His eye's become deep-set and the colour fades from them. His nose shrinks back to it's bridge and his lips curl over his gums. Even in the low torchlight, the man can see Richards skin lose it's pallor and turn gray. Small pieces of skin fall off, exposing muscles and tendons.
"I'll ask you once more," Richards voice becomes low, and half filled with gurgling noises. "WHY ARE YOU FOLLOWING ME?"
Strangely, while the man is having trouble breathing, he is not showing any shock over Richards sudden change. Richard gives the man room to breath, but keeps him pinned.
"Are you mad? Get a hold of yourself and turn normal?"
Richard, unsettled by this turn of events, releases him and steps back. "Obviously you're not human. What are you? 'Thrope? 'Pire? Did the elders send you?"
The man rubs his neck. "I'll tell you anything you need to know, but for the gods sake man, change! If anyone sees you.."
Richard takes a quick step forward, prodding him in the belly with his sword. "If anyone sees me, we're both dead."
Richard takes a deep breath and starts to calm down. Insects and beetles crawl out from the gutters, and like tiny carpenters, they start to repair Richards face and body. Within a minute, Richard looks normal again.
The man's face looks like he's about the vomit. "Urrmm, I will never get used to you Revs doing that. My name is Coltan. I'm Lycanthran working for the elders of the White Wind cadre."
"White Winds? They're a cadre of information gatherers, spies?"
"Yes, I suppose you could call us spies. Look," He beckons Richard to leave the alley. "I know your companion has gotten a room. Perhaps we should talk there. I'm sure the information we can exchange would best be said in private."
"Agreed."
They head toward the Sickle & Sythe. Where Richard was standing lay the empty, withered remains of the beetles and insects, blowing softly away in the breeze.
"Here Catherine, Take this..." He hands her a few coins. "Go in, Get a room and head straight to it. Lock the door and wait for me. Don't let anyone else in. I mean ANYONE."
Catherine looks confused by this, but does as he asks. Richard heads back up the road and turns into an alley. He removes the bandages covering his face and hands, lowers his hood and stands up straight. As he does, the sound of slipping and cracking vertebrae, echo in the general area. He stretches his arms, twists his neck and stands against a wall.
In a flash he whips his arm around the corner, grabs a hold of cloth, hair, flesh and muscle, pulls with all his strength, twists and pins his quarry against the wall. A tall, yet stocky man, clean shaven and wearing light leather armour. His face has a curious, long look to it.
With Richards forearm pressing against the man's throat and his other holding a sword to his belly, Richard leans close to the man's face. "Who are you and why are you following me? Who do you work for?"
The man lets out a few gurgles as his face starts to turn blue. Richard lets some pressure off the man's throat and he takes a gulp of air. "I.. I don't know...cough... what you're..."
As Richard grows angrier, his facial features start to deepen. His eye's become deep-set and the colour fades from them. His nose shrinks back to it's bridge and his lips curl over his gums. Even in the low torchlight, the man can see Richards skin lose it's pallor and turn gray. Small pieces of skin fall off, exposing muscles and tendons.
"I'll ask you once more," Richards voice becomes low, and half filled with gurgling noises. "WHY ARE YOU FOLLOWING ME?"
Strangely, while the man is having trouble breathing, he is not showing any shock over Richards sudden change. Richard gives the man room to breath, but keeps him pinned.
"Are you mad? Get a hold of yourself and turn normal?"
Richard, unsettled by this turn of events, releases him and steps back. "Obviously you're not human. What are you? 'Thrope? 'Pire? Did the elders send you?"
The man rubs his neck. "I'll tell you anything you need to know, but for the gods sake man, change! If anyone sees you.."
Richard takes a quick step forward, prodding him in the belly with his sword. "If anyone sees me, we're both dead."
Richard takes a deep breath and starts to calm down. Insects and beetles crawl out from the gutters, and like tiny carpenters, they start to repair Richards face and body. Within a minute, Richard looks normal again.
The man's face looks like he's about the vomit. "Urrmm, I will never get used to you Revs doing that. My name is Coltan. I'm Lycanthran working for the elders of the White Wind cadre."
"White Winds? They're a cadre of information gatherers, spies?"
"Yes, I suppose you could call us spies. Look," He beckons Richard to leave the alley. "I know your companion has gotten a room. Perhaps we should talk there. I'm sure the information we can exchange would best be said in private."
"Agreed."
They head toward the Sickle & Sythe. Where Richard was standing lay the empty, withered remains of the beetles and insects, blowing softly away in the breeze.
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