Thursday, March 21, 2013

A Strange Tale Part 2

"Yer Solo, den...I'm...unimpressed. Der Crescent King makes ye sound like a boogity beast." Yammered the lad.

Solomon looked at the boy and contemplated responding to his taunt, but there was no time to waste and much to learn, "Am I to understand the Crescent King is behind the murder of my comrades?"

"Herherherherherhehee....what need of der King to extinguish two humans?" Barked the boy.

"Then why are you here and more importantly why were you hiding?" Solomon narrowed his eyes and began to mentally unlock one his spells.

"Now, now...Solo...no need for ye necromancy. Der King knows that all hell's a coming to town and he's gotten wind that ye Silvacloaks have been chosen as der First. Ye can calm thyself." The boy's tone began to turn more solemn, almost respectful and he added, "ye can't expect me to rest atop der corpses, can ye?"

"Did you see the murderer? Can you identify him? They are to be the First? But the stars are not right!" Solomon was beginning to lose patience.

"Aye...but none a dat's yer concern now, der King needs you off der board. He wants ye to remember ye owe him. Ye canna refuse, I'm supposed to say. The First will fall, stars or no stars... it's not ye fight. He says ye will pay him off when ye answer der dwarf's call'." The boy looked confused and nervous now.
It was at that precise moment when the jolt went through Solomon's body. Strange heard her whisper in his ear and understood her need. He reached into one of his coat's many pockets and found the penny. The Slayer's own bloodoath was calling him to her.

"So I'm to answer this call and then your King and I are square?" Strange asked, anger rising in his chest.

"Aye." Answered the boy.

Strange stared first at the coin and then at his fallen comrades. In paying back two debts, how many more would he incur? It was not time for the First to fall and someone had to stop it. But if the Slayer called him, her need was great. He turned to Codex and began to speak, just as the spell hit him. Solomon jerkily turned back to see the ring the black-eyed child had produced from his trousers. Strange felt himself begin to be teleported away, he could not let his fellow Watchmen continue to die.

He unleashed his spell then, uttering the command, "Boy. I know you now and you will reveal yourself to Codex and give a full account of who or what you saw slay both Silvercloaks, you will answer any and all questions he has for you. And when he releases you, and only when he releases you, you will stand and watch the sun rise and be burned finally and fully from this world. This, I command."

And then Solomon Strange disappeared through a door to a city far from Jarlsburg, yet close to everywhere else.

The only thing the dark-eyed boy could do was part the Veil and say, "Aye", then he looked at Codex and said, "I have been commanded to answer any and all of your questions."

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