The New Darkness (Unnatural Selection and Valerian)
<h1 id="title">Elliquiy Role Playing Forums</h1>
		<h2 id="linktree">Play-By-Post: Bondage, D/s, S&amp;M =&gt; Bondage: Human Solos =&gt; Topic started by: Unnatural Selection on 03-11-2007, 18:12:34</h2>
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			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>The New Darkness (Unnatural Selection and Valerian)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Unnatural Selection</strong> on <strong>03-11-2007, 18:12:34</strong>
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				Part One; Uneasy Dreams<br><br>In all the years of its malevolence, the Serpent had never inflicted on any of those that had opposed it a fate as cruel as the prison which now contained it.&nbsp; A cage of nothingness restrained it; surrounded by nothing, supported by nothing, the cold void between the stars made the walls and bars and shackles of the Serpent's cage.&nbsp; &nbsp; <br><br>Once, it had been magnificent, a shadow on the world that, it was remembered in lengend, had once threatened to trap all of creation in its coils, though whether it was a metaphor for global dominance or a more literal interpretation of the title that had become a name, none could remember, in the hundred generations that had passed since the Serpent's power had been broken, and its spirit driven into the outer darkness, and its form destroyed beneath the swords and lances of the heroes.<br><br>Dead, dreaming, the Serpent, after a limitless, torturous era in the frozen reaches of sensationless <em>nothing</em>, felt something, for the first time in forever.&nbsp; Felt...something of the flesh.&nbsp; Felt something other than its own hunger devouring itself.&nbsp; Felt something familiar.&nbsp; <br><br>Weaker than a worm, the Serpent, who, by legend, had once been a man, once been a god, once served a god in former the world itself, but had been cast down, merely whispered with the hush of a dying star, and said, "Who are you?"
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				Title: <strong>Re: The New Darkness (Unnatural Selection and Valerian)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Valerian</strong> on <strong>03-11-2007, 18:59:44</strong>
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			<dd class="postbody">
				In a very different sort of prison, very far away from the Serpent's cage, a young girl lay sleeping.&nbsp; Her prison was very much made of things, though some, like honor and duty, were no more tangible than the bars that held the serpent.&nbsp; Others, like the clothes she wore -- the finest she was allowed to wear, given her rank -- and the bed she slept in -- the grandest her father could afford -- were all too solid.<br><br>She knew she was lucky.&nbsp; Though her father was only a baronet, the family was well-off, and unlike many girls her age, she would never have to work for her food or be without a roof over her head.&nbsp; But in exchange for these blessings, she carried what seemed to be, at sixteen, a heavy burden.<br><br>Her father wished to raise the family's status, and the best way to do that was through a judicious marriage.&nbsp; And since she was an only child (thankfully a pretty one, with a slim figure, straight blonde hair, and clear blue eyes), that meant her marriage.&nbsp; As far back as she could remember, her parents had negotiated with other families, haggling over dowries and tracing lineages of potential grooms.&nbsp; Every month, it seemed, there was a new prospect, and she'd long ago lost track of all the candidates.<br><br>Also as far back as she could remember, she had been carefully schooled in the arts and skills of a noblewoman.&nbsp; She could draw and paint, stitch beautifully, do fine beadwork, balance household accounts, plan dinners for fifty guests, ride a horse, dance gracefully, and sing and play the lute -- in fact, she was almost too good at the latter two skills, her mother insisting that she mustn't sound too <em>professional</em>.&nbsp; At her own insistence, her parents had even unbent so far as to allow her to learn Latin, along with the other more usual languages for ladies, and, very grudgingly, something beyond basic math and even a little astronomy.<br><br>She knew she'd been lucky in her education as well.&nbsp; But someday -- someday soon -- she would have to marry a stranger, possibly a man much older than herself.&nbsp; And it simply wasn't fair.<br><br>For now, she simply slept, unthinking... but not without dreams.&nbsp; She dreamt of endless darkness and bitter cold, her body hunching under the bedclothes.&nbsp; Then there was a voice, distant and strange, barely a whisper, and it asked her a question.<br><br>In the dream, she responded automatically.&nbsp; "I am Lady Elizabeth Langham.&nbsp; Who are you?"&nbsp; She felt no uneasiness, for she was a practical young lady in many respects, and she knew there was nothing to fear from dreams.
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			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The New Darkness (Unnatural Selection and Valerian)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Unnatural Selection</strong> on <strong>03-11-2007, 19:28:00</strong>
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			<dd class="postbody">
				Eight words called back to it from the endless night, eight words, the first that it had heard in centuries beyond the ravishing shrieking echoing in its own starved mind, but even madness had been no escape, for the Serpent had known, even as it endured with less substance than the meanest ghost, that it was alone in its torment, could not even reach out to those that had once worshiped it.&nbsp; But now came an answering voice, and eight words, and something more.&nbsp; That word, Langham.<br><br>Langham.&nbsp; It carried with it...memories.&nbsp; A field of dry grass, burning.&nbsp; A man standing over a dying horse, with a broken spear in his hand, wearing a squire's tunic.&nbsp; The Serpent trembled.<br><br>Elizabeth Langham.&nbsp; How could she reach him in his banishment?&nbsp; The Serpent, so much less than it had been, turned the question over, pouring turgidly over a chain of reasoning.&nbsp; The bearer of the blood must, must hold the key, when the stars were right.&nbsp; Oh!<br><br>"I am...lost, Elizabeth.&nbsp; Where are you?&nbsp; It is so dark...so dark," it whispered.&nbsp; It would not name itself, perhaps it could not name itself, but if she knew him...it...of old, then she would have been prepared to resist him.&nbsp; "Where are you?" it whispered again.
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			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The New Darkness (Unnatural Selection and Valerian)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Valerian</strong> on <strong>03-11-2007, 19:49:49</strong>
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			<dd class="postbody">
				It was indeed dark, and now Elizabeth frowned faintly in confusion, perhaps distantly realizing that this was not the sort of thing she generally dreamt of.&nbsp; Her mind was usually full of gallant knights and handsome princes, coming to her rescue and falling madly in love with her.&nbsp; This black void began to feel unsettling.<br><br>"My home," she said after a pause.&nbsp; Surely the question meant something more than that, but she could not quite grasp what.&nbsp; "What is this place?&nbsp; What is your name?" she asked again, suddenly realizing that her earlier question had gone unanswered.
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				Title: <strong>Re: The New Darkness (Unnatural Selection and Valerian)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Unnatural Selection</strong> on <strong>03-11-2007, 19:58:32</strong>
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				"Your home?" the Serpent said, its mind focusing like a shattered mirror; all brilliant and sparkling and sharp, but very, very broken, and the black emptiness was gone, replaced like an empty stage made into a royal palace by a simple painted cloth.&nbsp; It seemed that the word, spoken by them both, hung a veil over the emptiness, made it a shadowy echo of the room in which she slept.<br><br>And standing in the room was a...a man, small, while frightfully pale skin, dressed in tatters of what might once have been black robes.&nbsp; His feet were bare, and his head bald, his skull gleaming, his body small and thin, like a starvation victim, and he teetered, placing his hand on a chair to steady himself, and gazing at hand and chair alike as if he had never seen either.<br><br>"Nag," said the Serpent.&nbsp; He trembled for a moment, then looked at Elizabeth, and she saw that his eyes were cold, and slitted.&nbsp; "I am Nag."
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			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The New Darkness (Unnatural Selection and Valerian)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Valerian</strong> on <strong>03-11-2007, 20:10:09</strong>
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			<dd class="postbody">
				As the room, or rather a shadow of it, appeared, Elizabeth clutched at her skirts, suddenly frightened without quite knowing why.&nbsp; He was clearly weak, all but helpless.&nbsp; Then the strange little man turned and her eyes met his, and she shivered.&nbsp; They were the eyes of a reptile, a snake, cold and lifeless, and had no place in the face of a man.<br><br>"Nag," she echoed, breathing the word very quietly.&nbsp; Again it seemed wrong somehow, and only pride kept her from backing away.<br><br>She stood a little straighter, eyes flickering around to take in the vague reflection of her own room, and this also had no place there.&nbsp; "What is this place?&nbsp; What-- what is happening?"&nbsp; Something of a tone of command crept into her voice.&nbsp; It was all bluster, but it was also instinct.&nbsp; She was not used to being made uneasy in her own home, not in this way.
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				Title: <strong>Re: The New Darkness (Unnatural Selection and Valerian)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Unnatural Selection</strong> on <strong>03-11-2007, 20:21:23</strong>
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			<dd class="postbody">
				She did not know!&nbsp; Hope, that most precious of all gifts, filled the Serpent.&nbsp; The stars were right, she was of the blood that had banished him, she held the keys to his return, and <em>she did not know</em>!&nbsp; It was all he could do to laugh in triumph, not only because it would betray his intentions; he felt (and though feeling was so glorious after so...long...of nothingness, as if it might break his delicate frame, and that was the truth.&nbsp; Nothing of his strength was in this, this shadow of his former self.<br><br>But his mind was his, or becoming more so every passing moment that she did not turn away from him.&nbsp; Yes, the Serpent could feel that.&nbsp; "Elizabeth," he whispered.&nbsp; "I need your help.&nbsp; I am weak.&nbsp; I am almost forgotten, and I am so cold.&nbsp; I was a king once, a very long time ago, and a scholar, and a very minor magician.&nbsp; Something happened to me, and I was...not killed...but banished.&nbsp; I did not always look like this," he said with an apologetic smile, and a wave of his pale, slender hands over his ruined body.&nbsp; "I was handsome once.&nbsp; So long ago.&nbsp; Please help me, Elizabeth."
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				Title: <strong>Re: The New Darkness (Unnatural Selection and Valerian)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Valerian</strong> on <strong>03-11-2007, 20:46:15</strong>
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				"You were ensorcelled?" Elizabeth asked in surprise.&nbsp; It was like something from one of the tales her old nurse had told her, filled with wizards who used their powers as they pleased, for the greater good or the most heinous evil, as the whim took them.&nbsp; Mere mortals were helpless before them -- except of course for the brave hero or heroine, who, by luck or skill or brains or some combination of those things, were able to defeat the evil ones at the last moment.<br><br>But after a moment's thrill, reality returned.&nbsp; Such tales had been old in her grandparents' time, and now they were all but unheard of.&nbsp; She was no princess, to be singled out for such a dramatic and wondrous fate.&nbsp; And real as it was beginning to seem, there was still the nagging awareness that this was only a dream.<br><br>"How could I help you?&nbsp; I am no wizard, and even if I was, the lands have held little magic for many years past.&nbsp; I doubt there is anyone living today who could break such a powerful spell.&nbsp; I am sorry," she added, feeling a pang of sympathy for the hunched and miserable figure before her.
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			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The New Darkness (Unnatural Selection and Valerian)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Unnatural Selection</strong> on <strong>03-11-2007, 21:12:52</strong>
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			<dd class="postbody">
				"I was," the Serpent answered, and, seeming to read her thoughts, but in actuality merely following with a hunter's attention the play of emotions on her face, said next:&nbsp; "This is a dream Elizabeth.&nbsp; But it is not just a dream.&nbsp; This is the only way I have of reaching back into the world.&nbsp; Please help me."&nbsp; So, he had become, he suspected, the stuff of legends.&nbsp; How long had that taken?&nbsp; The mark he'd made on the world, as he slithered among his memories of atrocity like the bones of old prey he'd regurgitated, should have echoed into nightmare for a thousand thousand years.&nbsp; And if he had been forgotten, or at least, the truth of him had been forgotten, might he not simply declare himself before this girl to a look of blank ignorance?&nbsp; No, he told himself.&nbsp; Keep your name hidden, though he now wished he had been more aware than to call himself "Snake" in another tongue.&nbsp; Why not his name which had been...<br><br>Which had been...<br><br>He could not remember.&nbsp; The knowledge terrified and enraged him in a distant, cold way, and never once showed on his face for Elizabeth's benefit.&nbsp; No, he would not unmask yet.<br><br>"Please," he said again.&nbsp; "You must believe me when I say that you are the only one who can help me.&nbsp; I am cold, and I hunger, and my pain is beyond your imagination, child.&nbsp; Even if you are correct, and this is only a dream, only a phantom plaguing your sleeping mind, what does it say to let me suffer like this?"
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				Title: <strong>Re: The New Darkness (Unnatural Selection and Valerian)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Valerian</strong> on <strong>03-11-2007, 22:30:59</strong>
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				Elizabeth shivered as he spoke of dreams.&nbsp; Could all this be true?&nbsp; Could <em>she</em> be marked out as a heroine, to become part of one of the tales she'd heard so often?&nbsp; As a little girl, she'd often imagined herself in such a role -- and sometimes much more recently, too, when the day to day routine became too much.&nbsp; But she'd always known those were only imaginings.&nbsp; This... this was something very different.<br><br>She looked around again, taking in her strange surroundings.&nbsp; The man's eyes were cold, it was true, but surely that was only part of the spell.&nbsp; His words were not unkind.&nbsp; He was polite, even in his misery, asking rather than demanding.&nbsp; Perhaps, just perhaps...<br><br>"I-- I believe you," she finally said, her voice shaking faintly.&nbsp; "Indeed, you have my deepest sympathy.&nbsp; But how-- how could I possibly help you?&nbsp; I will do what I can, but that must be next to nothing."&nbsp; It was difficult to meet those frightening eyes, but she did her best.
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				Title: <strong>Re: The New Darkness (Unnatural Selection and Valerian)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Unnatural Selection</strong> on <strong>04-11-2007, 05:07:40</strong>
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				<em>I believe you</em>, she said, and Nag stood straighter.&nbsp; <em>I will do what I can</em>, and his eyes closed as a warmth washed over him, and the room about them, spun of the faintest hope and last lingering threads of magic left in him, settled more firmly into place, like a reflection in a rippling pool of water that grew still.&nbsp; It was not what she did, but rather the symbolism of her willingness to aid him that mattered.&nbsp; The smallest amount of his old power came back to him from the words, but it was not enough, oh no, not nearly enough.<br><br>"I am a beggar come to your door," Nag said.&nbsp; "The night is cold.&nbsp; Will you give me food and drink, and a place by the fire, may I come into your house?"&nbsp; His voice was still a whisper, still coiled around her ear with the treacherous ease of a false lover's promise, but it came stronger, and she no longer needed to strain to hear him.<br><br>"Morning almost comes.&nbsp; And by day, you will dismiss this all, dismiss me, even, as <em>just a dream</em>.&nbsp; What token may I give you that will keep your belief in me, until you sleep again?"
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				Title: <strong>Re: The New Darkness (Unnatural Selection and Valerian)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Valerian</strong> on <strong>04-11-2007, 14:53:07</strong>
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				"Of course," Elizabeth said instantly.&nbsp; Her father was almost overconscious of his position, but one good thing that came out of that was the fact that he was very charitable, and had taught his daughter compassion for the less fortunate.&nbsp; So in spite of her vague misgivings, it never occurred to her to deny such a request.<br><br>Only a moment later did she realize that this was not truly her home, and she could not quite offer the usual hospitality.&nbsp; The fire was only an image of a fire, and there were no servants about to fetch food, nor even wine on the table.&nbsp; But she gestured to him to sit, then frowned faintly at his question.<br><br>Poor as he was, he would surely have no physical token to give her.&nbsp; She paused, considering, then finally ventured, "A piece of knowledge, perhaps, sir?&nbsp; Something that could not have come from my own mind... something I could find also in my father's library, perhaps, so I might know it is true and not merely my imaginings.&nbsp; My father's library is very fine," she added modestly.
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			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The New Darkness (Unnatural Selection and Valerian)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Unnatural Selection</strong> on <strong>04-11-2007, 21:07:38</strong>
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				"Yes," he said.&nbsp; It seemed that she had only to mention the library before he could sense the shape of it in her mind, and the small room seemed to expand, with pantry and kitchen and library as she thought of each in turn, and he was able to draw upon the tiny bit of power she had unwittingly given to him by her offer of hospitality to draw the knowledge of what the library contained into himself.<br><br>He sat in front of the fire, warming his hands before it, though she herself could feel no warmth, he seemed to relish some sensation coming from the quietly burning logs.&nbsp; "Your family," he said, slowly, choosing the piece of knowledge with care.&nbsp; "Was once greater than it is even now.&nbsp; Never kings or princes, but Dukes, certainly, and terribly powerful and wealthy.&nbsp; This you know, I suspect, but a serious decline in the fortunes and standing of your line occurred three centuries ago, when Mani, an ancestor of your line, was found to have been practicing sorcery at a period in which it was particularly unpopular, leading to much loss of face."&nbsp; <br><br>Nag turned to the shuttered windows, and saw the silvery light that came before the red dawn shining through the slats.&nbsp; "You will wake soon, Elizabeth.&nbsp; I cannot tell you how much it means to me to speak with you, to believe I am not beyond hope, even yet.&nbsp; Believe me, trust me, and I will never forget it."
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			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The New Darkness (Unnatural Selection and Valerian)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Valerian</strong> on <strong>04-11-2007, 23:09:24</strong>
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				Now the room slowly began to seem more solid, and Elizabeth looked around in wonder.&nbsp; But Nag's voice soon reclaimed her full attention, and she listened carefully as he spoke.&nbsp; She knew the stories of her family's greatness, of course.&nbsp; Her father knew all those details, and had been more than willing to share them over and over.&nbsp; But though he'd mentioned many reasons for the family's decline, this Mani had not figured in any of the stories.&nbsp; Embarrassment, perhaps, at the lingering taint of sorcery?&nbsp; Even now it was frowned upon, though no one could cast any true spells anymore.<br><br>"Mani," she repeated, fixing the name in her memory.&nbsp; She hesitated, feeling suddenly overwhelmed with the responsibility of it all -- and, truthfully, unsettled at all of these events.&nbsp; It was a romantic tale come to life -- but she could not quite convince herself that such a thing could really be happening.<br><br>"Do not give up hope," she said, sincerely.&nbsp; She told herself not to become too wrapped up in it all, reminded herself that she would need to know much more.&nbsp; But this was already a thrill such as she'd never thought she'd experience.<br><br>Then the room shimmered suddenly, the light from the windows growing brighter.&nbsp; "I will see you again tomorrow night, then?" she asked anxiously.&nbsp; It would not do to lose the chance of these adventures, not now that she'd seen such hints of great things ahead of her...
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			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The New Darkness (Unnatural Selection and Valerian)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Unnatural Selection</strong> on <strong>04-11-2007, 23:38:56</strong>
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			<dd class="postbody">
				Conversely, as the world beyond the windows grew brighter, the room itself, and, especially, the chair in which the Serpent sat, grew all the more darker, shrouded in shadow that was not merely a physical darkness, but a cold, evil emptiness that was made all the more stark for the sight of his glittering eyes within the darkness.&nbsp; "I will return, if you wish it, Elizabeth.&nbsp; I will tell you more, when you believe me.&nbsp; I will teach you the truth about your nanny's legends of magic.&nbsp; I will teach you..."<br><br>And then came the light of day, and the tenuous connection between them was severed as her mind roused from its slumber, and the Serpent was hurled back into its prison.&nbsp; But it was no longer dumb and mute, raging into the empty void and feeding upon itself.&nbsp; There was a substance to his prison now, a substance to he himself, made possible by Elizabeth's fueling of his shade.<br><br>The Serpent stood in a vast gallery, that resembled something he felt he should remember, with a carpet of black and gold and blue atop the stone, and bare stone walls hung with torches that burned with neither heat nor smoke.&nbsp; He moved in the gallery, and, yes, remembered.&nbsp; Langham.&nbsp; The man with the broken spear, defending a dying horse in the bloody, burning grass.&nbsp; Who had slain him, driven him into the formless dark, and who held the key, along with the heirs of his blood, to his return.<br><br>The Serpent stopped in pacing the gallery where he remembered a chair had been, and sat, finding it appear to receive him, and ran his hands along the blasphemous carvings in the arms of pain-writhing figures.&nbsp; It seemed as if, though he could not influence the world he had glimpsed through Elizabeth's dream, he could hear it, if he concentrated...
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			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The New Darkness (Unnatural Selection and Valerian)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Valerian</strong> on <strong>05-11-2007, 00:01:30</strong>
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				Elizabeth rose slowly, hardly aware of what her body was doing, as her mind turned the memories of her dream over and over.&nbsp; Some of the details had faded, but it was much more fixed in her memory than was usual for a dream.&nbsp; <em>It was true.</em>&nbsp; She hardly dared to think as much in so many words, but the more she thought it over, the more she knew that it had been no dream.&nbsp; And once she accepted that, she had to believe everything else that Nag had told her.<br><br>Nag.&nbsp; An odd name, that.&nbsp; Perhaps she could also find some record of him in the library.&nbsp; Suddenly energized, she astounded and annoyed her maid by rushing through dressing and fidgeting impatiently while her hair was styled.&nbsp; Her father would have been still more astounded, had he been there to see her eventual mad dash into the library -- she was quite studious for a girl, but this was excessive, even for her.<br><br>Her hands traced over the rows of books, eyes skimming the spines, until she found what she sought -- a large history of the family, commissioned by her grandfather when he was young.&nbsp; Her father had often read from it, but she had never delved into it herself.&nbsp; She'd never needed to, having assumed that her father had already shared every fact between its covers with her at least five times.<br><br>But now she discovered otherwise.&nbsp; It did not take long to find the relevant chapter.&nbsp; Mani had been an ancestor of hers, a many-times-great grandfather, whose career and influence had ended abruptly, leaving his son to restore the family name as best he could.&nbsp; The long-ago historian who'd written the book had been discreet of course, knowing full well that noble patrons must always be humored.&nbsp; The cause of his disgrace was only hinted at in the most veiled terms.&nbsp; But there were enough clues for her to piece it together, and she read the brief entry twice, feeling that faint thrill run down her spine again.<br><br>"It's true," she murmured to herself.&nbsp; "It's true."&nbsp; She broke into a smile, nervous but excited, reading the page one last time before carefully putting it back on the shelf.&nbsp; Now she would look for some mention of Nag himself, for she was terribly curious, but in that moment, she believed every word he'd said had to be the plain and utter truth.
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			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The New Darkness (Unnatural Selection and Valerian)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Unnatural Selection</strong> on <strong>05-11-2007, 00:15:23</strong>
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			<dd class="postbody">
				The maid that did her hair, he was aware of, and he found himself irritated, and angry with her, wanted to reach out and rend her mind and leave her a howling, broken thing, and that was when the Serpent realized that his window into the world he had once strode upon like a colossus was through Elizabeth, and it had been her own impatience with the maid that had colored his own mood.&nbsp; Oh it was maddening to be so ignorant!&nbsp; He had never planned for being reduced to...this...never thought there was any that could do him such harm, he who had slain kings and crushed entire armies beneath his foot.&nbsp; What need have he to consider the ways by which he might, once vanquished, return to life, when he'd never thought there existed any that could vanquish him.<br><br>Responding to his thoughts, a board appeared before him, checkered white and black tiles, and a piece in his hand, carved with crude details the features of the maid.&nbsp; Another piece, her father.&nbsp; Another, her mother.&nbsp; And lastly Elizabeth herself, in the style of a queen as relating to the others.&nbsp; His resources would grow in time, but for the moment they seemed limited to a young girl, her parents and a household servant.&nbsp; Could he...Nag drew upon the too small bit of power, and reached out, beyond Elizabeth's immediate presence, tried to find the maid, but could manage no further than a few feet away.&nbsp; Even that effort left him spent, and he felt himself drawing back against his will, back to listening and feeling dimly through Elizabeth.<br><br>He sighed.&nbsp; Patience.&nbsp; Even this was more than he'd known in the thousand years before, and more would come, he was certain, the more Elizabeth gave to him.&nbsp; He would woo her more carefully this evening, woo her with sweet words like a lover, and think through the ways in which he might be free again.<br><br>"Soon, Elizabeth," he promised.
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			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The New Darkness (Unnatural Selection and Valerian)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Valerian</strong> on <strong>05-11-2007, 00:26:28</strong>
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			<dd class="postbody">
				A rather wild search of the library revealed nothing of anyone named Nag, and Elizabeth sighed in deep frustration.&nbsp; Still, she could learn about Nag from the man himself -- though that meant waiting hours until it was time to sleep again, and this brought another plaintive sigh.&nbsp; It wasn't even noon yet!&nbsp; She would go mad with waiting.<br><br>She threw herself into her assigned household tasks, but accomplished little.&nbsp; Her needlework progressed not at all, for she found herself pulling out nearly as many stitches as she made, since she was too distracted to do them properly to begin with.&nbsp; She could not sit still long enough to practice her music, and her mother and maid were both driven to distraction, scolding her as though she was ten years younger.<br><br>She went to her old nurse, now pensioned off to a cottage on the estate, demanding more of her stories.&nbsp; For these she was a little calmer, but the nurse was still surprised at how restless Elizabeth was, she who'd always been such a polite and thoughtful child.<br><br>As soon as she possibly could, she pled a headache and retired to her bed.&nbsp; The maid hardly bothered to hide her relief, and Elizabeth apologized suddenly but sincerely before she left.<br><br>Then she laid there, staring up at the ceiling.&nbsp; How terrible it would be if after all this, she couldn't even sleep when she needed to most!&nbsp; She forced her eyes closed, making her breathing slow and even, fighting her excitement every instant as she tried to relax.
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			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The New Darkness (Unnatural Selection and Valerian)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Unnatural Selection</strong> on <strong>05-11-2007, 01:14:19</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				There was never a moment in which she passed into dream.&nbsp; She lay there in the deepening darkness, her mind racing and wild, feeling that sleep would never come, when, suddenly, in the dark came a quiet, hissing voice, <em>his</em> voice, speaking to her from a shadowed corner.&nbsp; "Elizabeth," he said.<br><br>He stepped forward, and his appearance was much changed.&nbsp; His robes were clean and mended, and while still thin to the point of starvation, his skin had lost its scaly grayness.&nbsp; Though pale, it was not as alien and menacing as it had been, and his eyes, while cold, while glittering, had round pupils and a color of light blue.&nbsp; He indicated his transformation, a glamor he had thrown over the more extreme of his aberrations.&nbsp; "I felt it, when you found what I promised you, and you believed in me.&nbsp; I will tell you of myself tonight, my history, and how I came to be banished and broken, and then I will ask you to help me design a plan so that I can return.&nbsp; You were not...troubled, I hope, in finding the lore you sought?&nbsp; None thought your sudden curiosity...amiss?"
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The New Darkness (Unnatural Selection and Valerian)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Valerian</strong> on <strong>05-11-2007, 02:09:51</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Elizabeth gasped at finding her wish granted, though it was a bit unnerving to find it happening so suddenly, without even any consciousness of having fallen asleep.&nbsp; She whirled towards Nag's voice, her eyes widening to see him changed.&nbsp; "The spell is breaking," she breathed.&nbsp; It was so much like the stories...<br><br>"Yes, tell me everything," she said breathlessly, leaning forward.&nbsp; "I fear I troubled everyone else in the house, rather than the reverse," she admitted.&nbsp; "I have been so anxious to find out more.&nbsp; But they thought only that I was restless."&nbsp; Then she paused, and added doubtfully, "Is it better not to speak of this?"
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The New Darkness (Unnatural Selection and Valerian)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Unnatural Selection</strong> on <strong>05-11-2007, 14:35:24</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				"They will know in time, I am certain," he said.&nbsp; "But until you are able to demonstrate that our...visits are anything more than the intense dreams of an impressionable, lovely young woman, it might be best to be discreet."&nbsp; His voice was honey as he dropped the compliment, almost offhandedly, with a quiet smile on his thin lips.<br><br>"Your nanny told you stories of a long time ago, when wizards commanded the respect of kings, and the world itself seemed too small a stage to contain them."&nbsp; He moved a high-backed, cushioned chair from in front of the window to beside her bed, seating himself with a sinuous fold of his legs.&nbsp; "I cannot say which of the stories were true, which were false, which exaggerated and had in them both truth and falsehood.&nbsp; What is true that, in my day, magic was a very real thing that no one doubted existed.&nbsp; Even those that had no power in themselves could see the workings of it, and they were many, and they were splendid.<br><br>He spent some time spinning fairy-tales in the air for her, of fantastic creations, great cities that were built on the clouds, men made of clay and given the breath of life, jewels that burned the night away with the stored warmth of the sun, and more.<br><br>"Now I am going to speak to you as peer to peer, for you are intelligent and wise beyond your years.&nbsp; I will not overly explain myself, but if you wish me to elaborate at any point, please ask.&nbsp; <br><br>Now, the learned among us could not deny how powerful our magics were, but they were troubled.&nbsp; Our power was only accomplishing the merest fraction of what our histories told us was once possible, and it seemed like more and more of our energies went into mastering sorceries that we had once found elementary.&nbsp; Of course, we did not share these discoveries, for the path of magic is a solitary one, rife with jealousy and rivalry, and no one wanted to admit weakness.&nbsp; At a banquet with empty plates, we each began to starve, not realizing that no one else had a morsel on their plates, either."
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The New Darkness (Unnatural Selection and Valerian)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Valerian</strong> on <strong>05-11-2007, 15:22:22</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Elizabeth had been complimented by the best during her parents' long matrimonial quest on her behalf, so his words didn't perhaps affect her as much as they might have.&nbsp; But no girl of sixteen could be immune to such sincere-sounding words, and as he began to tell his tales, he had her rapt and undivided attention.<br><br>Many of his stories did hold echoes of the tales she knew -- some were jumbled together in different ways, some had grown more wild with each telling, other less so, but always there seemed to be some tantalizing familiarity, and it fascinated her.&nbsp; She was an intelligent girl, and she had learned her lessons well, so the scholar in her, the seeker of knowledge, was truly entranced.<br><br>She'd also heard all the stories of how magic had faded away, and bitterly lamented its loss.&nbsp; But it was even more poignant to hear it from one who had witnessed its decline, who had been there at the end, and she leaned forward, hanging on his every word.&nbsp; "It must have been terrible," she breathed.&nbsp; "Go on."
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The New Darkness (Unnatural Selection and Valerian)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Unnatural Selection</strong> on <strong>05-11-2007, 22:16:04</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				It was a good story, in the sense that it fit together well bearing all of the elements of a suitable epic.&nbsp; If only a word of it were true, it might have even been a fine tragedy.&nbsp; Nag spun pure fantasy by her bed, his pale hands dancing to emphasis his points or reinforce moments of intensity, even as his voice grew deeper, more forceful, in the stillness of her bedchamber.&nbsp; "I was not the first willing to break the silence, but I can say that it was my idea to consult certain reputed mystics of a tribe called the Telosians.&nbsp; They lived far, far to the East, in the snow covered mountains that towered above even the most distant of clouds, where the air is so cold, it is said, that even mead will freeze up in a bottle and shatter its container.<br><br>"Two years, or a little more passed on my journey to consult with the tribesman and shamen.&nbsp; In a goatskin tent, drinking rancid tea, they told me what all of the civilized wise men that had been my companions and courtiers could not divine.<br><br>"Magic, they said, was like gold, or better yet, coal.&nbsp; A resource that, for all its seeming abundance in certain places, there existed a limited amount thereof.&nbsp; And the more that was taken, the more that was burned for fuel, the less was left for later years plunder, and the more impurities existed in what remained, leading to weaker fires, more imperfections, the very degradation we had noticed in our marble towers."
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The New Darkness (Unnatural Selection and Valerian)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Valerian</strong> on <strong>05-11-2007, 22:22:18</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Elizabeth nodded, drawn into his tale more and more with every passing moment.&nbsp; His voice, the way he moved his hands, his whole presence pulled her in, though she was a most willing captive, entranced as she was.&nbsp; He might have been speaking for hours or even days, so lost was she in the words.<br><br>"And is there nothing to be done to bring the magic back?&nbsp; Has it all been burned up at last?" she asked as he paused, too impatient with silence.&nbsp; "What did you do next?"&nbsp; She had never even heard of this tribe, but she resolved to look them up in the library as well, thirsty for every bit of knowledge she could find on anything to do with Nag's fascinating story.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The New Darkness (Unnatural Selection and Valerian)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Unnatural Selection</strong> on <strong>06-11-2007, 05:12:56</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				"Patience," he said.&nbsp; "You are a step ahead of me; I see that I do not even need to simplify the concepts for you to understand me.&nbsp; You do have a remarkable mind, Elizabeth.&nbsp; So very sharp...<br><br>"To continue, yes, the Telosians knew the problem we and they faced, and the study of magic, not only its applications and ways, but its nature and origins, they had turned their wisdom.&nbsp; They had, in fact, attempted to tell us the problem and solution many times before, but we were unwilling to listen.<br><br>"You see, to keep magic in the world as a real and vital force, to replenish the stock of coal, you might say, required a person chosen by destiny to make of himself a willing sacrifice at a certain place.&nbsp; The problem lay, you see, in translation.&nbsp; The Telosian word for this agent of magic translated, roughly, as the English word for 'Source.'&nbsp; We heard it, and assumed that they merely meant a sorcerer, which as I'm sure you know is a catch-all term for any practitioner of the Art."<br><br>He had begun the story without an idea of where it would take them, for he had always worked at his best when he wasn't burdened by a script to follow, and was free to improvise the lines as he went along, but the shape of the story had taken place, and they were coming to the end of the fable.&nbsp; Add a touch of betrayal, and direct it to a plausible reason why she should be the only one that could undo the state of affairs, and it would be complete.&nbsp; It wasn't a bad deception, far from his worse, and like all of his best lies, had elements of truth in it.&nbsp; The Telosians did believe in a Source of magical power, and did believe that, for magic to survive, the Source must be born in each age and return to the Well of All Worlds, and sacrifice himself to relight the flame.&nbsp; They had only been, simply spoken, wrong about who the Source had been.<br><br>But he had two agendas to accomplish, and too little time in which to do them.&nbsp; His words were only a prelude to action he would need her to undertake, but he needed more than that.&nbsp; He heeded her to offer him succor, or promise of aid, to sup and feed and strengthen the tenebrous grasp he held on the world through her willingness to listen to him, to aid him.&nbsp; And so, smiling, he placed a hand on hers, leaning in closer as he told his tale, drawing her into his eyes with the focus of his attention. <br><br><em>Careful...she is innocent yet, and may bolt if you are too bold.&nbsp; Gentle seducing this innocent.</em>
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The New Darkness (Unnatural Selection and Valerian)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Valerian</strong> on <strong>06-11-2007, 20:33:00</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				His carefully woven spell wavered slightly as he put his hand over hers.&nbsp; Not that she was averse to the touch, but she was sitting on her bed, and she'd been brought up with extreme care as regarded her virtue.&nbsp; But when he moved no further, she relaxed, even faintly chiding herself for having thought he would take advantage.&nbsp; Anyone who spoke as well as he did would be far too intelligent to risk offering her any affront, especially as he needed her help.<br><br>She felt important suddenly, a person of significance in her own right instead of merely as a tool with which to forge a marriage alliance.&nbsp; "Source," she said quietly.&nbsp; "Yes, that makes sense.&nbsp; I understand.&nbsp; But what happened next?&nbsp; Did-- did they try to sacrifice you?" she added, eyes widening and her voice growing breathless again.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The New Darkness (Unnatural Selection and Valerian)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Unnatural Selection</strong> on <strong>07-11-2007, 14:13:23</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				"Not that kind of a sacrifice," he hastened to explain.&nbsp; "A willing sacrifice at the Well of All Worlds, something less the fate of poor Isaac's ram.&nbsp; And it is also nothing that I was unwilling to pay.&nbsp; We reach the last part of the journey, though it took the longest, there is nothing that can be said about it that would not bore you with repetition.&nbsp; We found where the Well was located, and journeyed to it; though it was less than a quarter of the distance between the snow-covered mountains than the mountains were to where we started, it took nearly twice as long, for the way was hard, and the path guarded, and we were foiled at almost every turn by agents of the Serpent, our enemy of old.<br><br>"I was so focused on the destination that I was blinded to doubt and jealousy creeping into the hearts of my companions, the western magicians that had set out with me."&nbsp; He grew half-distant, using as few words as possible, as if telling a particularly painful memory from duty and necessity, and not because he wished to share this private pain.&nbsp; "They questioned why I should be the hero of destiny, and not they.&nbsp; They saw my act at the Well as more of an apotheosis than it was, and wanted to be the Source themselves.&nbsp; And so, when we had come close enough to the Well that we could see its red glow...<br><br>"I was betrayed.&nbsp; And murdered.&nbsp; By my own friends, whose fate I know not even know.&nbsp; And that is the story of how magic died, Elizabeth.&nbsp; But it is not over yet.&nbsp; Not as long as you live, there is a chance that I may return, and do what I failed to do so long ago."
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The New Darkness (Unnatural Selection and Valerian)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Valerian</strong> on <strong>07-11-2007, 15:22:16</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				"Ohh..."&nbsp; Elizabeth let out a long, pained sigh.&nbsp; It was a terrible story, a tragic story, but at least there was still hope.&nbsp; "But your death will not have been in vain, if we can succeed now," she breathed.&nbsp; Sudden vistas opened up before her, of the stunning rebirth of magic, and the world infinitely grateful to the two of them for restoring it.&nbsp; And this, surely, would satisfy even her father's dreams of advancement, without her being forced into a loveless marriage.<br><br>She was so caught up that she didn't even think about how she sounded, assuming her agreement was a settled thing even though she hadn't yet done any of the research she'd meant to do.&nbsp; The romance of it was irresistable...<br><br>"What must be done?" she asked, realizing there were still many practical questions to be settled.&nbsp; "How can you regain your strength and power?"
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The New Darkness (Unnatural Selection and Valerian)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Unnatural Selection</strong> on <strong>07-11-2007, 22:36:42</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				<em>Mine</em> the Serpent thought with a triumphant, lustful glee.&nbsp; It would occur later to it that it perhaps should not have named itself as a player, however small, in the story, for it might occur to her to attempt to trace down, and even if she did not identify her friend "Nag" with the same faceless evil in the lie he had told, any information she had concerning it; especially any scrap of prophecy which may have survived to this desperate, pitiful age, might be dangerous.<br><br>With a small, insistent pull, the Serpent beckoned for Elizabeth to follow him to the shuttered window.&nbsp; He threw it open, mindful that the night was fleeing, the feel of dawn approached.&nbsp; He gestured across the country estate, to a pair of hills in the north.&nbsp; "I will teach you to use the power, through me at first, but later on, by yourself.&nbsp; If I am unable to reach you for half of the time, it will take twice as long.&nbsp; In those hills, behind a boulder in the shape of a woman's fist, is a tomb that has lay there for centuries.&nbsp; A forgotten king is buried there, with his arms and armor, dry as dust.&nbsp; There is something of magic in that tomb, a bit of its essence stored in a vessel or container.&nbsp; If you retrieve it, I shall show you how to harvest it, and fashion an means by which I may be with you always, Elizabeth."
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The New Darkness (Unnatural Selection and Valerian)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Valerian</strong> on <strong>08-11-2007, 13:59:08</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				<em>A quest!</em> Elizabeth thought, and her triumph was nearly equal to Nag's own, had she but known it.&nbsp; She had often suspected -- well, wished, really -- that magic could yet be saved, that the world could return to its glory of old, but not even in her wildest dreams had she imagined herself as any kind of savior.&nbsp; But here she was.<br><br>Half her mind was already busy making plans to retrieve this relic, for she would have to plan.&nbsp; It was rare for her to have so much time to herself, without maids and her mother pestering her, but she would have to be alone for this errand.&nbsp; The rest of her was formulating questions, and she asked the first one she thought of immediately.&nbsp; "Always?&nbsp; Do you mean you will be able to give yourself a physical form again with this magic?"&nbsp; She looked at him wide-eyed, reeling faintly with all the possibilities now opening to her.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The New Darkness (Unnatural Selection and Valerian)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Unnatural Selection</strong> on <strong>08-11-2007, 15:57:36</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				"That," he said carefully, "is possible, I believe, but would require more power than remains in all of the world.&nbsp; You must...understand that I am, in a sense, in the dark.&nbsp; It may very well be that I will for all time remain nothing more than a...presence, represented by proxy, but for now it is simply not given for me to know."&nbsp; He sighed, and looked once more out the window, the pale, dim light reflecting coldly on his eyes, inventorying what he had managed to take from Elizabeth's this evening.<br><br>It had been more tiring than he'd thought to maintain the illusion that masked his wretchedness from her.&nbsp; He'd still netted a gain of power, but it was too little to both appear before her as she expected Nag to seem and influence the minds he felt moving about Elizabeth, frantic and bright and small like rodents he longed to crush in his coils, fill with poison, swallow whole.&nbsp; <br><br>"It may be more...expedient to find a place for my spirit than to create a body for it to inhabit."
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The New Darkness (Unnatural Selection and Valerian)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Valerian</strong> on <strong>08-11-2007, 17:06:24</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				"To put your spirit into a-- an amulet, perhaps, or a book, as in the old tales?" Elizabeth asked excitedly.&nbsp; Then she grew more subdued.&nbsp; "Places like that seem such prisons, though, in the stories.&nbsp; It seeems quite cruel to trap you in such a place.&nbsp; But it does seem the only way..."&nbsp; She sighed, clearly unhappy that more couldn't be done -- she'd always though magic should be dramatic, but it appeared that would nont happen for some time, if at all.<br><br>"You must have suffered so much already... but it must be done, I suppose."&nbsp; She turned to him, eyes filled with sympathy.&nbsp; "I shall fetch the vessel for you as soon as I can -- tomorrow, if at all possible.&nbsp; I will find an excuse to send my maid away.&nbsp; Will it be difficult to find, do you think?" she added anxiously.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The New Darkness (Unnatural Selection and Valerian)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Unnatural Selection</strong> on <strong>12-11-2007, 14:30:31</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Nag smiled, and gave the young woman a half bow, letting the mockery in his grin only show to the floor as he made the seeming of paying courteous respect.&nbsp; "You are a good and dutiful maid, Elizabeth.&nbsp; Manners and virtue such as your own were rare enough in my days, and I hesitate to think of what the world has come to since.&nbsp; I cannot thank you enough."<br><br>Rising, he turned away from the window, offered Elizabeth his hand as he crossed the room to the chairs before the fire.&nbsp; "But there is one matter I must clear up.&nbsp; What you are looking to find is not the vessel I shall use.&nbsp; No, it would be too convenient to find something so suitable so near at hand now that I am once more rising.&nbsp; What you will find, and without much difficulty, I imagine, is some trinket, some enchanted object or talisman.&nbsp; A magical sword, perhaps, or a cloak or a ring.&nbsp; Something that has power stored within it, that I shall teach you to harvest and use for the crafting of a vessel for my spirit.&nbsp; Something that we can use to strengthen the bond between us..."&nbsp; He gave a vague wave of his hand, as if this was a trifle that would take no more than half an hour of time.<br><br>
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The New Darkness (Unnatural Selection and Valerian)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Valerian</strong> on <strong>12-11-2007, 15:22:54</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				To Elizabeth, this seemingly casual plan sounded like the creation of a new world -- which wasn't so far off the truth as far as anyone living in that day and age was concerned.&nbsp; &nbsp; "I hope I shall always have the grace to be kind to those in need of kindness," she said formally, though her excitement showed through the words.<br><br>"And I will truly be able to learn this?&nbsp; To use magic myself?" she asked, more than half tempted to squeal with delight.&nbsp; "Even if it is only with your help and under your guidance... that is far more than I ever imagined I would be able to do.&nbsp; This is all only the stuff of legends today... I can still scarcely believe this is really happening."&nbsp; Her face was still filled with wonder, almost not daring to accept these miracles.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The New Darkness (Unnatural Selection and Valerian)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Unnatural Selection</strong> on <strong>21-11-2007, 18:58:55</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				"If you are diligent, if you are careful, if you are dedicated, then I cannot see a reason why you could not learn to use the magic.&nbsp; But, as I am, I can only imagine, the only one in all the world that remembers the secret lore, you must of necessity, apprentice yourself to me.&nbsp; I..." he paused, deliberately, to make the feigned indecision more palatable.&nbsp; "I...never took under me a student, and the details of my own learning are vague at best.&nbsp; You shall have to attend to my instructions carefully and obediently."<br><br>Not much time left, and he hurried on.&nbsp; Stirrings of life in the land below; animals rousing from their slumber with the silver dawn.&nbsp; "We must form a pact; swear certain vows.&nbsp; They are not to enter into lightly; the consequences of breaking them are most severe.&nbsp; Are you prepared to execute the most sacred trust of any girl; no, any person of your age?"
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The New Darkness (Unnatural Selection and Valerian)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Valerian</strong> on <strong>21-11-2007, 19:54:37</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Even caught up as she was, Elizabeth still hesitated at the idea of vows.&nbsp; She had been raised to take any such promise very seriously indeed, and would have paused even without Nag's caution.&nbsp; The coming events, and her own actions, would be the most important and weighty of her life, so it was no wonder such vows might be required, but she would not be her father's daughter if she agreed unthinkingly.<br><br>"I am prepared to do what must be done," she said formally, standing a little straighter.&nbsp; "I trust these vows are not such as might dishonor my family," she added, hesitant now, and looking very young and inexperienced indeed.&nbsp; "But... I would be most grateful, sir, if you would see fit to take me as your apprentice, and I will do my best to ensure you never regret that decision."&nbsp; She looked at him intently, trying to hide her eagerness, almost trembling with anticipation.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The New Darkness (Unnatural Selection and Valerian)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Unnatural Selection</strong> on <strong>23-11-2007, 02:45:48</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Daylight came, the sun rose in the east, bathing the chamber fully in its light, and driving Nag away like a haze of mist twining about the hills and valleys of the land, and he felt his spirit once more returning to the place that had been prepared for him, the dark prison so near, so far.<br><br>But he did not go alone, shriveled and weakened.&nbsp; Power was in him, more than he had thought possible, and in the palace that grew about him like a living edifice of stone and mortar, he reached a hand out, caressing the boundaries that still, for now, made him a prisoner, and the Serpent thought he felt the tiniest tremor, the most minute weakaning, of his prison.<br><br>Turning his mind once more to Elizabeth, the Serpent considered his next course of action.&nbsp; Excitement and adventure, those words had come from her mouth, the desire for them was plain.&nbsp; So too did she find his attentions and flattery attractive.&nbsp; He concentrated, and sent across the Veil to the waking girl a caress, a feeling of his presence in her chamber, the suggestion of his hand on her brow.<br><br>The effort weakened him, but not so much that he lost his tenebrous connection to the world that would be his again.&nbsp; He felt himself drawn away from her bedchambers, drawn to the shadowy places of the forest and glen, where dark minds rested fitfully, where there would be those of furtive dispositions nad weak wills, creatures that he could turn to his purposes.<br><br>Adventure, she craved?&nbsp; Did not a God have an obligation to grant its worshipers what they wanted?
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The New Darkness (Unnatural Selection and Valerian)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Valerian</strong> on <strong>23-11-2007, 03:34:28</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Elizabeth woke with a lingering sense of wonder unlike anything she'd ever felt before.&nbsp; Her mind was still racing, still sorting through everything that had happened and its significance, and the more she thought about it, the more thrilled she was.&nbsp; Out of all the people in the world, she was the one who was going to help reshape everything, to restore the lost magic, and it was almost too much to contemplate.<br><br>She put a hand to her forehead, feeling Nag's presence so strongly that she was sure she would see him standing there when she opened her eyes, but of course there was nothing.&nbsp; Until she had completed her first task, he could not enter her world at all.&nbsp; He was dependent on her, and that made her even more aware of the enormity of her responsibility.<br><br>Her distraction was plain, and when she pleaded restlessness and expressed a longing to go out for a long ride, no one made any objection, ready to try anything that might restore her to her usual self.&nbsp; Of course a maid was sent with her, but as she'd hoped, it was Alyse, who was being courted by a farmhand who worked along the route they would take to reach the tomb, and Elizabeth had little trouble persuading Alyse to wait there with him, leaving Elizabeth free for her mission.<br><br>She was soon well past the area she usually explored on her rides, but this only added to the excitement.&nbsp; It took a bit longer than she'd hoped to spot the boulder he'd described, and probably Elyse would have begun to worry well before she could get back, but that couldn't be helped.&nbsp; Once she had her direction, she rode briskly, preparing herself for the adventure ahead.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The New Darkness (Unnatural Selection and Valerian)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Unnatural Selection</strong> on <strong>27-11-2007, 18:39:00</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Perhaps the ways and mores of the people that had lived here before her kin had settled the lands had been the subject of study in the course of her education; perhaps she was in ignorance.&nbsp; The tribes that had lived in these lands had been little more than savages, that she had been told regardless of the further extent of her knowledge in the matter.&nbsp; Elizabeth had been told never to speak with the handful of remnants of the once proud people that were sometimes to be seen, dressed in savage furs and painted blue, in brief glimpses along the road, taking their furs and crude makes to town to trade at the market.<br><br>This was one of their burial mounds, the entrance had, once, been sealed by the same stone that she knew to look for.&nbsp; Using lost arts, it had once been impossible to move from its path by any force short of a train of horses pulling at once, but magic had moved on, and the bands loosened, and there was a gap, between rocky wall and cave opening, just large enough for Elizabeth to enter, if she dared.<br><br>Unbeknown to her, the land's hunters had gathered in Elizabeth's wake, padding on four legs, cutting across the road, putting themselves between Elizabeth and her home.&nbsp; The alpha male sniffed the ground where the horse had come, and once again tried to urge his body to flee from man.&nbsp; But the force that had come into the cave of his mind with cold and moonless pain, would not let him, and he urged his pack to follow, close on the girl's heels.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The New Darkness (Unnatural Selection and Valerian)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Valerian</strong> on <strong>27-11-2007, 19:34:04</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Elizabeth inspected the gap, making sure the mighty stone was as immobile as it appeared.&nbsp; Excited she certainly was, but not so much so that she would forget the basic precautions.&nbsp; Of course dying in her quest was perfectly possible, but she would at least not give her life foolishly or unnecessarily, she hoped.<br><br>Her horse seemed uneasy, perhaps at being so far from home, but she soothed it with an apple she'd brought and tied the reins loosely.&nbsp; She'd brought candles from home, taking as many as she dared, since she didn't know how long she'd have to search.&nbsp; Really she should have had a torch, but she was ignorant of how to make a long-lasting, steady-burning torch, so candles had been her only option.<br><br>She lit one, a painstaking operation with the flint and steel she was forced to use, tucked several more into her small drawstring purse, took a deep breath, and squeezed in between the rocks.<br><br>Many candles burning merrily together make a room welcoming.&nbsp; A single candle, burning forlornly in the pitch blackness of a cave, does more to make one aware of the darkness than of the light, as Elizabeth quickly discovered.&nbsp; The air was cool and faintly damp, not at all inviting, and except for a sense of space that at least let her know that she wasn't about to run nose-first into a wall, she had no idea of how large the cavern before her might be.<br><br>Slowly, her eyes began to adjust to the dim light, allowing her to see shapes in the blackness, grey, dusty shapes that at first seemed only to be more rocks.&nbsp; Then, very gradually, she discovered a regularity to those shapes that could not have been anything but manmade, and with a growing sense of wonder and glorious discovery, she moved forward to explore them more carefully.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The New Darkness (Unnatural Selection and Valerian)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Unnatural Selection</strong> on <strong>28-11-2007, 19:10:34</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				A brief hallway, the walls lined with flakes of clear quartz, magnified the light of her candle, making the short hallway and the chamber beyond it appear as if they were bathed in starlight.&nbsp; What had been a natural recession into the face of the hill had been smoothed, floor to ceiling, and carved representations of soldiers in the wall made an honor guard on her way into the burial mound.&nbsp; <br><br>In the circular chamber stood a stone bier, upon which rested a linen-wrapped figure, mummified and emaciated.&nbsp; The smell of the spices the body had been prepared with were still present in the dry, dusty room.&nbsp; The corpse's hands held an iron sword, the point down across its body, pointing towards its feet.&nbsp; Beneath its head was a rusty shield, and at its foot was a bracelet, wide and thick and made, if she was not mistaken, out of rough, hammered gold.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The New Darkness (Unnatural Selection and Valerian)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Valerian</strong> on <strong>28-11-2007, 20:08:38</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Elizabeth blinked at the illumination, which, though neither bright nor especially abrupt, was still far more than she'd expected.&nbsp; But there was no need for her to feel her way, stumbling by the light of one flickering flame.&nbsp; She could see clearly, and though much of the color and detail was gone, what was left was captivating.<br><br>She approached the bier slowly, shaken in the presence of death, even such a long-ago one.&nbsp; Her family had always sheltered her from such things, and this and her solitude left her on edge.&nbsp; But everything was just as Nag had said, and her heart thrilled to know she was on the right path.<br><br>She drew closer, pausing for a brief curtsey to the departed king, who must have been mighty in his day, and offered a silent apology for disturbing his rest.&nbsp; Her eyes roamed over the few treasures next to the body -- a far cry from the ornate burial places of her own day, showing only the primitive but surely proud warrior heritage that must have been theirs.<br><br>It was the bracelet that claimed her full attention first.&nbsp; It gleamed even in the dim light, still shining and pure amongst the rust and decay.&nbsp; If anything was magic here, it must be this.&nbsp; She reached out quickly at first, then remembered that it was no light thing to take from a tomb.&nbsp; He might have been unlettered, even a heathen, as the stories said, but he had once lived and breathed and led his fellows.<br><br>Her purse always held at least a few coins, part of the allowance her father gave her for the relief of the poor.&nbsp; Now she scooped out those coins and laid them gently next to the bracelet.&nbsp; "It is no fair exchange, I know," she whispered.&nbsp; "But your treasure shall reshape the world, O king."<br><br>Again she reached out, letting her fingers rest very lightly on the bracelet's cool surface, holding her breath.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The New Darkness (Unnatural Selection and Valerian)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Unnatural Selection</strong> on <strong>01-12-2007, 21:03:11</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Guessing, correctly that the bracelet had been that item which she had been sent to retrieve, Elizabeth touched for the first time an object forged of the forgotten art.&nbsp; And it was like nothing she had experienced before.&nbsp; There seemed to be, like lightning in a bottle, a force trapped within the rough shape of the beaten gold, sparkling in the smooth gemstones like smoke under glass, and the touch with her skin was the bridge it needed to flow into her as well.<br><br>It was both warm and cold at once, neither dominating the experience, but flowing to unbearable warmth to bitter cold, and back again, as if there was no difference between the two sensations, while at the same time expanding to fill her, arcing between her fingertips, dancing across her lips as she let out breath.&nbsp; The rush was stronger than brandywine, headier than the thin, cold air atop a mountain, and louder than the boom of thunder.<br><br><em>Magic!</em><br><br>Whatever purpose the bracelet might once have served, Elizabeth had a sense that all she needed to do was...draw...that force within her, and her body would absorb it, store it, while at the same time depleting utterly that ancient trinket.&nbsp; 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The New Darkness (Unnatural Selection and Valerian)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Valerian</strong> on <strong>01-12-2007, 21:38:31</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Elizabeth reeled back a step, stunned and overwhelmed as the opposing sensations seemed to battle over her form, her body claimed first by one, then the other, until she scarcely knew what she felt or saw or sensed.&nbsp; But in spite of her instinctive move away, her hand still rested on the bracelet.&nbsp; Slowly, she regained some measure of control over herself.&nbsp; Her breathing was ragged and uncertain, as though she'd run all the way from home, but her mind was clear now, and she realized what she could do, what Nag had spoken of.<br><br>It was magic, and it was under her fingertips.&nbsp; Hers.<br><br>Again with an instinct that she would never have imagined she possessed, she knew the correct way to pull at the force contained within the gold, locked there somehow, long ago, in a time beyond her imaginings.&nbsp; It seemed to call to her, that force, a steady, primal tug at the back of her mind.&nbsp; <em>It was magic, and it was hers.</em><br><br>Without another thought, she drew it into her, craving again that rush of power, that feeling of joining, however humbly, with something so much greater than herself.&nbsp; Now she could at last touch that ancient knowledge she'd always craved, and she did not hesitate to do so.<br><br>Too late, she wondered if Nag should be with her for this, if he needed to guiide her in this task.&nbsp; She was untutored, and should not venture out so on her own.&nbsp; Afraid to risk stopping abruptly, she instead tried to slow the exchange, though it pained her even to do this.&nbsp; Magic was even more wonderful than she'd thought...
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The New Darkness (Unnatural Selection and Valerian)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Unnatural Selection</strong> on <strong>02-12-2007, 20:17:22</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				With the joy of a mother opening her arms to receive the enthusiastic embrace of a child, Elizabeth tapped into the long-stored force, and it flowed into her.&nbsp; Within the space of seconds, even as she thought better of rash experimentation, the utter limits of what had been contained within the bracelet had moved into her.&nbsp; She could feel it, spreading through her like a hot drink she had taken on a cold day; from the stomach, first, raising and lowering, bringing a flush of exhilaration to her cheeks, to the tips of her fingers, in her mouth and behind her eyes.<br><br>And, like that, the bracelet was depleted.&nbsp; Empty.&nbsp; Spent.&nbsp; It was nothing more now, she could tell, than a rough beaten lump of gold with gemstones set in it; a crude piece from a crude time.&nbsp; She had opened the floodgates, the magic had rushed, and the power had gone to her.&nbsp; <br><br>Prowling, the wolves came to the lip of the cave, where, catching scent of them, her horse shrieked in fear and pulled at its reigns, straining the branch to which it had been tied.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The New Darkness (Unnatural Selection and Valerian)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Valerian</strong> on <strong>03-12-2007, 00:12:01</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Elizabeth gasped, distantly appalled at what she'd done.&nbsp; But the rest of her, every other fiber of her being, revelled in the sudden flow of power, amazed.&nbsp; It was like feeling healthy again after a long illness, like waking from a restful sleep and wonderful dreams, energized and eager to meet the day.&nbsp; But it went far beyond those things, which seemed paltry sensations in comparison.&nbsp; Perhaps the caress of a man felt like this...<br><br>She had barely the time to blush at this thought before she heard the terror of her horse outside.&nbsp; Alarmed, almost forgetting even the thrill of the magic, she turned and hurried from the cave, leaving behind both bracelet and candle in her haste.&nbsp; Just in time, she remembered caution, slowing as she approached the mouth of the cave, peering around carefully to see what had frightened the animal.<br><br>After a moment, she caught a glimpse of a dark shape, and her breath caught.&nbsp; It was a wolf, it had to be, and she bit her lip fearfully.&nbsp; What could she do?&nbsp; They were frightened of men, but a lone slip of a girl might not alarm them enough to turn away.<br><br>She scooped up stones, filling her purse with larger ones and her hands with pebbles.&nbsp; Then she approached the horse, making as much noise as she could, screaming at the wolves to get away.&nbsp; She reinforced one yell with pebbles, flinging one handful towards the nearest shape, then reaching to loose the horse's reins, prepared to make a dash for safety if she possibly could.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The New Darkness (Unnatural Selection and Valerian)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Unnatural Selection</strong> on <strong>05-12-2007, 21:07:45</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Had this been the normal course of things, these wolves, already roused from their daytime slumber and frightened by the smell of man and old death coming from the cavern, would have fled in the face of her flailing armed, wild charge.&nbsp; But the force that compelled them was strong enough to force them to remain, and what the pack could not flee, it would fight.<br><br>The larger of the wolves snapped at her heels, and Elizabeth sensed, more than she saw, the...wrongness, for want of a better word, with the scene.&nbsp; Perhaps it was the new power flooding through her, illuminating her mind and senses, or perhaps the Serpent's touch was obvious to her, owing to their connection, but for whatever the reason, she knew that there was...something that drove these wolves to seek her, hunt her.<br><br><em>Elizabeth?</em>&nbsp; Nag's voice, distant and dim beneath the snarls and the click of the fierce jaws.&nbsp; <em>Elizabeth...must drive them away.&nbsp; Use the power!</em>
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The New Darkness (Unnatural Selection and Valerian)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Valerian</strong> on <strong>05-12-2007, 21:38:25</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Elizabeth had meant to be brave, but she could not stifle a shriek of terror as the lead wolf showed no fear -- or rather, as its fear drove it to fight instead of flee.&nbsp; She threw a larger stone, again with no response save for the creature to seem more desperately determined.&nbsp; It was clearly after something very specific, but what?&nbsp; She had no food, and in any case the wolves didn't look starved.<br><br>Then, like a small miracle, she heard Nag's voice calling to her.&nbsp; Of course the power could drive them away, she had no doubt of that, but how could she make that happen?&nbsp; Absorbing it was one thing, that had happened almost in spite of her own wishes.&nbsp; But to control it, to lash out with it in some mysterious way?&nbsp; The prospect seemed overwhelming.<br><br>But she had little choice.&nbsp; Her panicked horse had nearly pulled free, and still the wolves circled closer by the second, cautious but bitterly set on their course.&nbsp; She had to try, or her grand story would end almost before it had begun.<br><br>Forcing her mind into some semblance of calm, she reached for the power burning within her, too frightened to be hesitant.&nbsp; She tried to touch it, shape it, anything... then, remembering that the flow of power into her had seemed natural and instinctive, tried to let those instincts work again, letting her own will to survive guide her.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The New Darkness (Unnatural Selection and Valerian)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Unnatural Selection</strong> on <strong>18-12-2007, 17:13:31</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Nothing as grand or as fancy as what she imagined the ancients might have been able to do with such power occurred.&nbsp; She simply opened herself, let the magic flow from her in a blast, a wave.&nbsp; She felt diminished to be parted with even the amount she used, but even the smallest bits, it seemed, could work marvels.&nbsp; The lead wolf was thrown back as if hurled by a catapult, his snarl changing to a freakishly human shriek as he landed.&nbsp; The pack jerked backwards, but still appeared to menace her, until the smallest of the males broke, and slunk away, which quite collapsed the courage of those that remained.&nbsp; They backed down, snarling and snapping, moving towards their fallen leader and nudging him to his feet.&nbsp; Within a minute, the wolves had retreated, and she was left alone with a trembling mare.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The New Darkness (Unnatural Selection and Valerian)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Valerian</strong> on <strong>18-12-2007, 18:18:35</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Elizabeth was trembling hardly any less herself.&nbsp; She walked unsteadily to the mare, trying to soothe the animal, while her mind fought to fully comprehend all that had just happened.&nbsp; The wolves had scattered -- <em>she</em> had scattered them, had used power that had not been used in centuries, and that made her shiver at least as much as the extremely close call she'd just had.<br><br>It was growing late, and she would have some explaining to do when she returned, but she took her time soothing the mare.&nbsp; Rushing back would do no good if she only ended up being thrown from her horse.&nbsp; In any case, her maid would be too frightened of trouble to do anything but swear she'd been with Elizabeth the entire day, so she should be able to smooth things over.&nbsp; And she would be too exhausted to do anything but fall asleep early tonight, and then she could tell Nag everything.&nbsp; Perhaps, she thought with a thrill, he would even be a bit proud of her for having rescued herself this way...
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The New Darkness (Unnatural Selection and Valerian)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Unnatural Selection</strong> on <strong>26-12-2007, 20:40:56</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Terrified though her father may have been, it was almost nothing compared with the white-hot rage that gripped him when he realized, despite her efforts to persuade him otherwise, that his own daughter had come in some sort of mortal danger.&nbsp; Bad luck that he had been in the stables, talking over studding the stallions with the senior groom, and seen the evidence of her horse's lather and dried flecks of foam on the bridle and bit.<br><br>His questioning of her had lasted some time, but, sending her away from him in deepening fury after her stonewalling, he sent her to the manor house just as the sun had turned the western skies crimson.&nbsp; Elizabeth was certain the the matter was far from over, however, to judge by the speculative looks the Duke had sent way of Elizabeth's servant.<br><br>Dinner was a quiet, tense affair, with conversation dulled to only perfunctory statements, such as the saying of Grace before the meal, and requests for the steward to refill empty wine glasses.&nbsp; Finally, with the impression that she had only earned a brief respite from the sword of judgement hanging over her, she was sent with her maid to bed, found the warming plate beneath her mattress made the down comforters warm and snug, and drifted off...<br><br>..<em>images jumbled together with kaleidescopic insanity, one after another.&nbsp; A broken spear.&nbsp; An emerald, burning like a second sun in the hands of a child.&nbsp; A vast, immeasurably evil shadow, coiling around the lands like a foul mist.&nbsp; The emerald again, thundering to contain what had been thrust upon it.&nbsp; A pair of burning yellow eyes, nothing human, impotent and furious.&nbsp; Winter without the hope of spring...</em><br><br>And Nag.&nbsp; Smiling, like her own father, beckoning to her with open arms.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The New Darkness (Unnatural Selection and Valerian)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Valerian</strong> on <strong>26-12-2007, 21:29:40</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				After her father's rage and innumerable questions, the strain at dinner, and the certain knowledge that there was worse to come, Elizabeth's almost feverish dreams were no more than she expected.&nbsp; Her joy in discovery, her sense of pride in her success, were burnt away, leaving her feeling battered and helpless at the injustice of it all.&nbsp; If only her father knew!&nbsp; If only she could tell him, or anyone.&nbsp; But she held her tongue, and kept Nag's confidence.<br><br>The sight of his smiling face, appearing at last through the strange, swirling images, was almost more than she could bear -- the relief of finally being able to speak, the mere fact that he, at least, would not browbeat her or terrify her with his disapproval almost made her burst into tears.&nbsp; She went over to him unthinkingly, forgetful of how this might seem, and let him hold her for a moment, if he would.<br><br>"I hardly know where to begin," she said, torn between the excitement of success and dread of the looming difficulties.&nbsp; She finally calmed herself enough to narrate the tale of finding the cave and the bracelet, apologetically mentioning her taking of the power contained in the metal, then finishing with a rush as she explained how having done so had saved her life from the wolves.<br><br>"But there was surely something strange about those wolves, or they would never have been so determined," she added, nervously.&nbsp; "And my father... oh, my father.&nbsp; He saw how terrified my horse had been, and he has been like a thundercloud ever since.&nbsp; I could not persuade him that I had not been in some terrible danger.&nbsp; He will scarcely take his eyes off of me for an instant now, I am sure.&nbsp; Worse, he might send me off to be married!"<br><br>She paused, looking at him hopefully.&nbsp; "May we tell him, Nag?&nbsp; Not everything, of course, only enough to keep him from sending me away.&nbsp; As a wife, I will be so much less free than as a daughter, and I must help you.&nbsp; And I have no wish to marry any of those simpering noblemen, in any case," she added defiantly.
			</dd>
		</dl>
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