Changeling the Lost Short story
So our forum rejects my post, and i'm going to post it here because i know that three of the narrators will see it
For everybody else not in the know, this is a downtime scene for our larp at the MSU
hopefully raina gets the problem fixed soon
and then it can be cut and pasted there
The downtime's title is Hide and Seek
"As you entered the lobby there was an inscription
'In the absence of light, darkness prevails'
there are things that go bump in the night agent myers,
make no mistake about that
and we are the things that 'bump' back"-Professor Trevor Bruttenholm;Hellboy
Allen street,Burton MI,November 18,12:45 AM,2007
People are missing, I don't like that.
Three of our kind that came across the Hedge failed to show for court two days ago.Gizmo,Skree,and Malchor. I've been wondering about gizmo and skree since we parted ways. They seemed to have taken things the hardest, well..except for blue eyes that is, but he at least had been accounted for. These three however, could possibly come to harm if left to their own devices. Malchor seemed like he handled things O.K., but I get the feeling that he might cause trouble of a far different stripe if he isn't checked in on and brought up to speed.Nobody at court seemed to notice or comment on their absence So I guess now it's up to me to track these guys down and see what's what.This should be pretty routine work though, i've got a fairly good idea of where to start looking for Malchor. Gizmo and skree? Hrmm.... I guess i'll just search until i run across them, Mouse ears of that size should be relatively easy to spot. No need to bother Phobos until i fail to turn up anything,
because if i don't turn anything up.... That means more than likely, one of the 'Others' might have reclaimed them.and that doesn't sit well with me
Not at all.
I would hate to think that if i had gone missing, nobody would bother to look into my absence, and i feel partly responsible for these guys safety,like it or no. And if there IS indeed one of the gentry in the Hedge trying to recapture us, my motley is sworn to do something about it.I'm going to have to get the rest of us involved in this as well, i'll call Aden tomorrow.
I toss my pencil down on the table and begin to drum my fingertips on the notepad i use for ideas on the comics i've been working on in my spare time. It was pointless to try to create anything tonight though,i've got too much on my mind.
I exhale slowly and push myself away from the dining room table,it's getting late and i've still got work to do.Fortunately my shift at the comic store doesn't start until eleven tomorrow, so that gives me a few hours to look for them, and to harvest.I've just got to gather my tools.
I get up and make my way to the living room closet,open the door and flip the light switch on.
I grab my trenchcoat off of one of the hangers,put it on and then reach up to grab the shoe box on the top shelf of the closet. It's a little weighty due to the contents inside.
I take the box back across the living room and sit down on the couch placing it on the coffee table and opening it.
The Hockey mask stares back at me, it's been painted bright orange with black triangles over the eye holes and a grinning jack O' lantern smile where the mouth should be,The mask also has a pair of holes cut into it to provide for my horns. I set the mask on the table next to the box and begin removing the rest of my tools;
Gloves,a pair of lead pipes, my wrist rocket, and a bag of ball bearings. I put the gloves on and then begin to stuff the rest of my tools into the pockets of my trench. I pick up the first of the pipes and test it's heft, it should do.
I get up and clip the mask to my belt underneath the trench. and then proceed to leave the house, pausing at the doorway to grab my
Louisville slugger out of the umbrella stand by the door. it's going to be a busy night.
Downtown flint,1:30 AM,November 18,2007
"I told you guys i don't have any money" the bum's pleading voice is followed by the sound of breaking bones, his shrill cry of pain,
And the smug laughter of his assailants. And overpowering it all is the heady,rich flavor of fear induced glamour.
"Well then, you'd better find a way to get some for the next time we drop by,unless you want more of this" one of the thugs growls from below, followed by what sounds like a kick to the poor guys ribs.
I'm perched on top of a fire escape looking down on this atrocity in the alley below me, waiting to make my move.
In comic books you'll often see the hero vaulting from roof top to roof top before finally discovering crime and dropping down a ridiculous amount of stories to the ground to confront the bad guy. well, i can tell you from experience that that's a load of crap.
I've tried the whole roof top leap thing and unless it's five feet or less, it doesn't work. I barely managed to grab the side of the building that i was aiming for and pulled my arm out of it's socket in the process. Thankfully Vince was still awake and was able to put it back into place for me, though i could've done without the encouraging back slap afterward, and he DID say that he was sorry.
So now i stick to small jumps from fire escape to fire escape, those i can handle.
It occurs to me that i may have let this go on for too long, down below i can hear the bums pained sobs, and his oppressors muted conversation between themselves,as i've been too busy Harvesting the glamour. You see, humans are emotional creatures. they feel things quite keenly, and when under duress or ecstatic states they bleed off emotional energy that the 'Others' and we changelings as well can absorb and use to fuel our contracts and seeming blessings.We call it Glamour. It can be aquired by other means and in other forms, but is most easily gained by human interaction. Like what's happening below for instance.Waves of exquisite fear are resonating up to me from the bum causing my eyes to roll back into my head as i soak it in.The feeling produced by harvesting glamour is unlike any other, and the different emotions carry different 'flavors' as well. From below i sense that the bum is reaching his peak,his emotions shifting from terror to resigned sorrow at his fate. my muscles tense in anticipation, it's time to make my move.
I lower the mask to cover my face and pull the hood on my sweater over my hair, tucking the pony tail inside of it. I'm playing a very dangerous game here, and it won't do at all if i'm recognized.
I inhale deeply and vault from where i'm perched down to a lower section of the fire escape on the building across from me, my trenchcoat flapping out behind me in response to the momentum of my jump.
We of the autumn court deal with fear on two basic levels, external and internal. We evoke the emotion in others, usually through rumors or veiled deceptions, but what i'm in the process of doing works just as well too. And we explore our own fear.
I can feel my fear building within me as i land in a crouch on the fire escape, a freezing lump in the pit of my stomach that begins to send it's icey tendrils throughout my body seeking to overwhelm my senses with visions of what i fear most right now.
The fear of getting shot, those goons down there very well could have guns. One well placed shot and no more simon. that elicits another fear, what would happen to karma and cinder if i died tonight?
I mount the railing and vault back across to the next lower area on the previous fire escape. I'm getting closer.
I've learned to work with my fear, overcoming one's personal fears is discouraged in my court. We instead seek to master it, make it work for us. I use my fears to focus myself.To give me a kind of hyper clairity about my surroundings and what i'm doing to insure
that what i fear doesn't come to pass.
"Did you hear that?" one of the goons exclaims and i know i'm had. They realize that they're not alone now.
"Fuckin' A, i heard that, look! up there!!" the other replies as he points upwards in my direction.
They look like your typical gangers Fubu jackets, saggy hip hop style pants and bandanna's covered by baseball hats worn in any direction but the proper one. i tense as they reach inside their coats and pull out pistols.
Damn, i knew it. but i've taken precautions for instances like this.
People who use guns are cowards. I duck back into the recesses of the fire escape and reach into my coat pocket to grab my wrist
rocket as the first shots whine off of the guard rails that surround me.
"Crazy Ass Pumpkin faced Mutha' Fucka!" i hear from below "Come on out and get a cap busted in yo' sorry halloween town ass!"
I exhale slowly and load the ball bearing in my hand into the wrist rocket, it's now or never.
I step out, lean over the railing and launch the ball bearing at thug number two's pistol.My crappy aim however yeilds unexpected results. instead of hitting the gun the ball bearing strikes him in the wrist and i hear the satisfying crunch of broken bone followed by the clatter of his gun hitting the concrete and his yowls of pain. beneath my mask i allow myself a satisfied grin as i vault back across
the alleyway to the next lower section of fire escape. Thug number one takes a few shots at me and i hear the angry buzz of a bullet speeding past, coming far too close to my ear for my tastes.
I land on the fire escape and draw one of my lead pipes from my trench and throw it as hard as i can at thug number one. It sails downward in a spinning arc to strike the thug between the eyes. He yells and drops his gun as well as grabbing his nose with both hands
"Mutha Fuggin dose.. Sun Bitch broke by dose"
The grin beneath my mask widens, i can feel the fear emanating from them both, mixed with a healthy dose of wrath. Mmmmm spicey.
I notice that thug number two has recovered enough to make a go for his pistol so i drop the final five feet to the alley floor and draw my remaining lead pipe.
"I've got you now bitch" he growls as he brings his pistol up with a shakey hand.
"your move" i intone with an icey edge to my voice,spreading my arms wide,fingers on my right hand splayed open. This could go way wrong really fast, we're about five feet apart and he needs no real skill to put a bullet in me. but he's scared and in pain, that and he's using his off hand. I'm betting that he won't even get close.
He pulls the hammer back and takes his shot.
The alley reverberates with the sound of the handgun's discharge and i feel my trench tug and smell the burning cloth indicative that he at least hit my jacket.
in response i swing my arm up and around in a downward thrust to send my last lead pipe spinning towards his hand knocking the gun from his grasp a second time. i crouch and then spring at him, connecting with a vicious headbutt that knocks him cold. Another reason i wear the mask,being made of plastic hard enough to deflect hockey pucks it serves as an excellent cover for the fact that i have horns.
I rise and turn towards thug number one, who is seated against the alley wall holding his ruined nose and mumbling curses
"Dub Ass Fugga, no idea who your bessin' wit." he's scared however, despite his bravado. I can feel it, and it feels sublime.
I recover the first of my lead pipes from the unconcious thug and walk over to place a swift kick into the still concious one's ribs.
I'm rewarded with a spike of fear as he curls into a fetal position. "Don gill be ban" he pleads nasally.
I kneel down next to him and whisper "I'm not going to kill you, but i want you to remember this the next time you're out on the streets after dark" i punctuate that statement with a punch to the gut. "I want you to remember that i'm out here. and i want you to be afraid"
I punch him again, harder this time"Very Afraid"
The thug's having a bout of wracking coughs now,spraying blood from between his fingers that still clutch his broken nose. i shake my head and produce the bag of ball bearings from my trenchcoat's pocket and strike him across the back of his neck knocking him cold as well. i spend the next several minutes collecting my things.The other lead pipe,my ball bearing that rests on the alley floor. and i take the time to snap pictures of them both with my cellphone. from behind me i can hear the ragged gasps of breath from the bum that these jokers were picking on and i turn to see him rising up to one elbow, regarding me with wide eyed terror. he's just as scared of me as he was of them.
"You should really find a shelter to stay in." i say,breath pluming out of the holes in my mask in the chill night air "these streets are dangerous, with all of the lunatics roaming about"
"No shit" comes his reply, i take a picture of the bum as i begin the climb back up the fire escape. from beneath me i hear his voice call out.
"Thank you"
I turn and look down on him,holding a single gloved finger to my mask over the grinning smile "Shush....If you're truely thankful, you'll pretend that you were knocked unconcious and didn't see me at all, let this be our little secret"
i toss him roughly fifty bucks down to the alley floor"go to emergency and get those broken bones checked on"
The bum nods and staggers to his feet, presumably to head for the nearest hospital, and i continue my climb back towards the rooftops above. all in all not a bad start for the evening. A quick fix of glamour, and now the search for my missing friends can begin in earnest.
The orchard of Wilhelm,Archibald and Gort,Flint's Hedge, 3:00AM, November 18,2007
"I'm looking for a large Green mouse windrunner kith changeling.... he may have had an ogre in tow with him, something that looks like a cross between a dragon and a wolf. Any chance you've seen either?"
The goblin narrows his eyes and regards me suspiciously. He's a short fellow, probably about four foot tall. with green knobby skin
a Hooked nose,and beady amber eyes with a mop of greasy balck hair on top of his bulbous head. his wide lips curl into a sneer revealing flat yellowed teeth. He calls himself gort.
"Nope, haven't seen either of them" he replies as he folds his stubby arms across his chest and leans against the goblin friut tree
"Not at the markets, not travelling the Hedge. haven't seen em."
"I see. well, how about a leechfinger darkling, he looks kind of vampire-ish,He goes by the name of malchor."
Gort frowns and then fishes into his overalls, producing a large stubbed out cigar and lighter.
He puts the cigar in his mouth,lights it and exhales. filling the air with the aroma of burning diapers
"What do i look like, A friggen' babysitter? you think that maybe gort takes time to question every person wandering the Hedge that he sees. just in case,you know, maybe elf with horns and privacy issues will come along demanding to know their location?"
Gort rolls the cigar between his teeth and blows a smoke ring in my direction."that sound right?"
This is getting frustrating, i've been walking the Hedge for the past hour or so, hunting out possible hollows that gizmo,skree,and malchor could be sheltering in using the pathfinder clause of my dream contract. Trying to find something...anything that will help me track them down.And that's how i came here, to the orchard of Wilhelm,Archibald, and Gort. Goblin entrepenuers extrordinare, at least that's the way gort bills it.Though it looks like this is a dead end as well.
"I do not have privacy issues" i reply,mentally counting to ten.
The goblin shrugs "So then you're freakin' nosey, i was trying to be polite" He grins and blows another smoke ring my way
"besides what do you care about those schmoes anyhow?" suddenly gort's face contorts and turns an uglier shade of green with what i assume to be gobiln rage as he whirls around to his right bellowing"Hey! you two there!!! Get back to friggen' work! those stabapples aren't just gonna pick their goddamn selves!!!" punctuating each curse with a stab of his tiny finger in the air.
I let my gaze wander over to a pair of goblins who have apparently just been given a renewed sense of vigor, as they are using teamwork, one standing on the others shoulders, so that they can pluck the fruits off of a rather thorny looking tree, while trying to avoid being skewered by the foot long barbs protruding from it's branches.
"Goddamn stabapple trees" Gort mutters,turning back towards me"Nobody want's to pick em, it's always OOOH My Eye! the tree just put out me Fookin' eye!" he spits on the ground and sneers contemptuously."Friggen sissies, now.. where was we?"
"Those schmoes, as you call them, happen to be my friends. they failed to show for court two days ago, and since i helped them escape from arcadia, i feel responsible for their well being. Nobody get's lost on my watch."
"I can count at least THREE people that got lost on your watch" gort replies pointedly "not very good at our job are we?"
I feel the muscle beneath my right eye twitch and extend my count to twenty. Gort's really starting to piss me off, but if i'm going to find them, or gain any kind of information about the doings of the Hedge i'm going to need an ally on the Hedge side of things,
even if that ally happens to be a surly goblin that i'd love to throttle.
Then i notice something, in the center of the orchard there is a small garden filled with flowering plants. and an idea strikes me
"hey gort, what are those?"
"Those? oh, those are amaranthine,We've got five of em,they're pretty rare. They also happen to be one of our biggest cash crops, your kind will pay through the nose for em' they heals wounds in an instant what normally takes a week to fix" Gort frowns "Though my partner Archie planted em too late this year and now we won't have any for sale...stupid bastard."
I nod, the corners of my mouth curving into a grin."So... what would you say if i told you that i could help you and your brothers with this financial setback?"
The goblins amber eyes glint with avarice "I'd say that i'm listening"
The orchard of Wilhelm,Archibald and Gort,Flint's Hedge, 3:30AM, November 18,2007
"You drive a hard bargain Buddy" gort says as he stares gleefully over the baskets full of what appear to be small red eggplants.
"It was nothing" i reply as i inspect my cut of the harvest,five amaranthine fruits. Using the basic clause of my eternal autumn contract;Last Breath Isaac and a few moments concentration i brought the amaranthine plants full cycle to their ripest point of the year, now they'll sleep until spring when they can begin anew. That would have normally cost a lot of Glamour, but i convinced gort to allow me to harvest one fruit off of each plant, thus fulfilling the catch in the contract.That took some doing in itself, goblins being very tough negotiators.And gort himself was no slouch.
"So, is there any way i can talk you into selling those amaranthine back?" gort says, his eyes wandering to the small basket i'm holding
"Big tough guy like you probably never gets hurt at all, just wasting them" He pauses for a few moments in contemplation " i can get you into the goblin market, where you'll find a thousand unamed delights and terrors, all waiting to be had....for the right price.Contracts unknown to your kind for sale...cheap, items of wonderous power....at cost." he grins and blows yet another smoke ring my way
and i wonder just how long it's going to take for him to finish that damn thing.
"I could be persuaded to sell back four of them" i reply, my interest piqued by the goblin market. I've never been to one. Wyatt has though, and he says that it's a truely amazing experience. "I'd like to keep one, as i have acess to a hollow with a small orchard of my own and if these things are so rare..." I notice the baleful look that crosses gort's face when i mention my orchard and i quickly add "Not that i'd be attempting to compete with your business,perish the thought"
He nods "Go on"
"like you said, i'm a big tough guy who hardly ever gets hurt. so if i were to plant this in my hollow, i could provide you with the fruits i don't use... cheap"
Gort's eyes glint and he smiles "and your price?"
"we work together, you keep an eye out for the folk that i'm looking for. get me in to the goblin markets if i need to, and generally
keep an ear to the ground for me in the Hedge of strange goings on. That sound fair?"
Gorts brows knit together and he rolls the cigar between his teeth for what seems like an eternity before finally grunting and looking up at me.
"Deal" he says extending his hand.
"Deal" i echo grasping his hand and shaking it.
I reach down into the basket and remove one of the amaranthine fruits before handing it back to him. putting it in the inside pocket of my trenchcoat.
"you'll remember what they look like right?"
Gort nods "Yeah, Yeah. Giant green mouse, Ogre wolf dragon, and vampire-ish guy. Right, I haven't seen the vampire guy. But the other two i've seen wandering the Hedge here and there, i think i overheard them talking about Gyshaal greens...whatever those are.
I'm also pretty sure that they've got a hollow around here somewhere with some pretty decent wards, We tried to track em' once. figured that mebbe they were poachers, your kind often tries to steal our fruits from this orchard, that's why i got bessie here."
he pats the stock of the ridiculously huge arquebus slung across his back and grins.
"any way, we tried to track em' and after a while they just up and disappeared, we searched the area but couldn't find any entryways or exits. so the wards on the hollow must be pretty damn good."
"What? But you said that you...I...How the?....WHAT!?!" i stammer, nonplussed.
Gort frowns and shakes his head in disappointment "Tsk, Tsk,Tsk. Nosey hornhead elf, I was having you on. when you arrived here you had nothing to barter with. And, as everybody knows, you don't just shell out information for free. That's just bad business. But now we're partners and you've paid in full. By the way, you got a name?"
"Simon" i reply, still somewhat taken aback.
"Well then, Simon i'm looking foreword to doing business with you. And if you need any goblin fruits in the future...At cost, you know where to find us. But it's getting late and i'd really like to go home and get some sleep..."
He curls his lip and looks towards his workers again"That is if those lazy bastards over there would hurry the fook up and get those goddamn stabapples picked!"
"Right...I'll be in touch" i reply as i shake his hand one more time and turn to leave the hollow. as exasperating as the conversation with Gort had been, i can't help but feel elated. The goblin was able to at least confirm Gizmo and Skree's whereabouts in the Hedge, so they hadn't been reclaimed. Now i just have to find their hollow and stop by for a visit, a task easier said than done.That just leaves Malchor, but that will have to wait until tomorrow night. I'm getting tired myself and i've got to be at work in seven and a half hours.
From behind me i hear gort's voice through the entranceway to his orchard.
"Oi! That fruit's only got a shelf life of three days so you better plant it quick. And the next time you come here bring a Goddamned rake with ya'! Now what am i gonna do with all of these fookin leaves?"
*******
ST Notes:
Resolve actions this week:Train Harvest (emotions) merit, and Train/aquire(?) Allies-Goblin Market merit
For everybody else not in the know, this is a downtime scene for our larp at the MSU
hopefully raina gets the problem fixed soon
and then it can be cut and pasted there
The downtime's title is Hide and Seek
"As you entered the lobby there was an inscription
'In the absence of light, darkness prevails'
there are things that go bump in the night agent myers,
make no mistake about that
and we are the things that 'bump' back"-Professor Trevor Bruttenholm;Hellboy
Allen street,Burton MI,November 18,12:45 AM,2007
People are missing, I don't like that.
Three of our kind that came across the Hedge failed to show for court two days ago.Gizmo,Skree,and Malchor. I've been wondering about gizmo and skree since we parted ways. They seemed to have taken things the hardest, well..except for blue eyes that is, but he at least had been accounted for. These three however, could possibly come to harm if left to their own devices. Malchor seemed like he handled things O.K., but I get the feeling that he might cause trouble of a far different stripe if he isn't checked in on and brought up to speed.Nobody at court seemed to notice or comment on their absence So I guess now it's up to me to track these guys down and see what's what.This should be pretty routine work though, i've got a fairly good idea of where to start looking for Malchor. Gizmo and skree? Hrmm.... I guess i'll just search until i run across them, Mouse ears of that size should be relatively easy to spot. No need to bother Phobos until i fail to turn up anything,
because if i don't turn anything up.... That means more than likely, one of the 'Others' might have reclaimed them.and that doesn't sit well with me
Not at all.
I would hate to think that if i had gone missing, nobody would bother to look into my absence, and i feel partly responsible for these guys safety,like it or no. And if there IS indeed one of the gentry in the Hedge trying to recapture us, my motley is sworn to do something about it.I'm going to have to get the rest of us involved in this as well, i'll call Aden tomorrow.
I toss my pencil down on the table and begin to drum my fingertips on the notepad i use for ideas on the comics i've been working on in my spare time. It was pointless to try to create anything tonight though,i've got too much on my mind.
I exhale slowly and push myself away from the dining room table,it's getting late and i've still got work to do.Fortunately my shift at the comic store doesn't start until eleven tomorrow, so that gives me a few hours to look for them, and to harvest.I've just got to gather my tools.
I get up and make my way to the living room closet,open the door and flip the light switch on.
I grab my trenchcoat off of one of the hangers,put it on and then reach up to grab the shoe box on the top shelf of the closet. It's a little weighty due to the contents inside.
I take the box back across the living room and sit down on the couch placing it on the coffee table and opening it.
The Hockey mask stares back at me, it's been painted bright orange with black triangles over the eye holes and a grinning jack O' lantern smile where the mouth should be,The mask also has a pair of holes cut into it to provide for my horns. I set the mask on the table next to the box and begin removing the rest of my tools;
Gloves,a pair of lead pipes, my wrist rocket, and a bag of ball bearings. I put the gloves on and then begin to stuff the rest of my tools into the pockets of my trench. I pick up the first of the pipes and test it's heft, it should do.
I get up and clip the mask to my belt underneath the trench. and then proceed to leave the house, pausing at the doorway to grab my
Louisville slugger out of the umbrella stand by the door. it's going to be a busy night.
Downtown flint,1:30 AM,November 18,2007
"I told you guys i don't have any money" the bum's pleading voice is followed by the sound of breaking bones, his shrill cry of pain,
And the smug laughter of his assailants. And overpowering it all is the heady,rich flavor of fear induced glamour.
"Well then, you'd better find a way to get some for the next time we drop by,unless you want more of this" one of the thugs growls from below, followed by what sounds like a kick to the poor guys ribs.
I'm perched on top of a fire escape looking down on this atrocity in the alley below me, waiting to make my move.
In comic books you'll often see the hero vaulting from roof top to roof top before finally discovering crime and dropping down a ridiculous amount of stories to the ground to confront the bad guy. well, i can tell you from experience that that's a load of crap.
I've tried the whole roof top leap thing and unless it's five feet or less, it doesn't work. I barely managed to grab the side of the building that i was aiming for and pulled my arm out of it's socket in the process. Thankfully Vince was still awake and was able to put it back into place for me, though i could've done without the encouraging back slap afterward, and he DID say that he was sorry.
So now i stick to small jumps from fire escape to fire escape, those i can handle.
It occurs to me that i may have let this go on for too long, down below i can hear the bums pained sobs, and his oppressors muted conversation between themselves,as i've been too busy Harvesting the glamour. You see, humans are emotional creatures. they feel things quite keenly, and when under duress or ecstatic states they bleed off emotional energy that the 'Others' and we changelings as well can absorb and use to fuel our contracts and seeming blessings.We call it Glamour. It can be aquired by other means and in other forms, but is most easily gained by human interaction. Like what's happening below for instance.Waves of exquisite fear are resonating up to me from the bum causing my eyes to roll back into my head as i soak it in.The feeling produced by harvesting glamour is unlike any other, and the different emotions carry different 'flavors' as well. From below i sense that the bum is reaching his peak,his emotions shifting from terror to resigned sorrow at his fate. my muscles tense in anticipation, it's time to make my move.
I lower the mask to cover my face and pull the hood on my sweater over my hair, tucking the pony tail inside of it. I'm playing a very dangerous game here, and it won't do at all if i'm recognized.
I inhale deeply and vault from where i'm perched down to a lower section of the fire escape on the building across from me, my trenchcoat flapping out behind me in response to the momentum of my jump.
We of the autumn court deal with fear on two basic levels, external and internal. We evoke the emotion in others, usually through rumors or veiled deceptions, but what i'm in the process of doing works just as well too. And we explore our own fear.
I can feel my fear building within me as i land in a crouch on the fire escape, a freezing lump in the pit of my stomach that begins to send it's icey tendrils throughout my body seeking to overwhelm my senses with visions of what i fear most right now.
The fear of getting shot, those goons down there very well could have guns. One well placed shot and no more simon. that elicits another fear, what would happen to karma and cinder if i died tonight?
I mount the railing and vault back across to the next lower area on the previous fire escape. I'm getting closer.
I've learned to work with my fear, overcoming one's personal fears is discouraged in my court. We instead seek to master it, make it work for us. I use my fears to focus myself.To give me a kind of hyper clairity about my surroundings and what i'm doing to insure
that what i fear doesn't come to pass.
"Did you hear that?" one of the goons exclaims and i know i'm had. They realize that they're not alone now.
"Fuckin' A, i heard that, look! up there!!" the other replies as he points upwards in my direction.
They look like your typical gangers Fubu jackets, saggy hip hop style pants and bandanna's covered by baseball hats worn in any direction but the proper one. i tense as they reach inside their coats and pull out pistols.
Damn, i knew it. but i've taken precautions for instances like this.
People who use guns are cowards. I duck back into the recesses of the fire escape and reach into my coat pocket to grab my wrist
rocket as the first shots whine off of the guard rails that surround me.
"Crazy Ass Pumpkin faced Mutha' Fucka!" i hear from below "Come on out and get a cap busted in yo' sorry halloween town ass!"
I exhale slowly and load the ball bearing in my hand into the wrist rocket, it's now or never.
I step out, lean over the railing and launch the ball bearing at thug number two's pistol.My crappy aim however yeilds unexpected results. instead of hitting the gun the ball bearing strikes him in the wrist and i hear the satisfying crunch of broken bone followed by the clatter of his gun hitting the concrete and his yowls of pain. beneath my mask i allow myself a satisfied grin as i vault back across
the alleyway to the next lower section of fire escape. Thug number one takes a few shots at me and i hear the angry buzz of a bullet speeding past, coming far too close to my ear for my tastes.
I land on the fire escape and draw one of my lead pipes from my trench and throw it as hard as i can at thug number one. It sails downward in a spinning arc to strike the thug between the eyes. He yells and drops his gun as well as grabbing his nose with both hands
"Mutha Fuggin dose.. Sun Bitch broke by dose"
The grin beneath my mask widens, i can feel the fear emanating from them both, mixed with a healthy dose of wrath. Mmmmm spicey.
I notice that thug number two has recovered enough to make a go for his pistol so i drop the final five feet to the alley floor and draw my remaining lead pipe.
"I've got you now bitch" he growls as he brings his pistol up with a shakey hand.
"your move" i intone with an icey edge to my voice,spreading my arms wide,fingers on my right hand splayed open. This could go way wrong really fast, we're about five feet apart and he needs no real skill to put a bullet in me. but he's scared and in pain, that and he's using his off hand. I'm betting that he won't even get close.
He pulls the hammer back and takes his shot.
The alley reverberates with the sound of the handgun's discharge and i feel my trench tug and smell the burning cloth indicative that he at least hit my jacket.
in response i swing my arm up and around in a downward thrust to send my last lead pipe spinning towards his hand knocking the gun from his grasp a second time. i crouch and then spring at him, connecting with a vicious headbutt that knocks him cold. Another reason i wear the mask,being made of plastic hard enough to deflect hockey pucks it serves as an excellent cover for the fact that i have horns.
I rise and turn towards thug number one, who is seated against the alley wall holding his ruined nose and mumbling curses
"Dub Ass Fugga, no idea who your bessin' wit." he's scared however, despite his bravado. I can feel it, and it feels sublime.
I recover the first of my lead pipes from the unconcious thug and walk over to place a swift kick into the still concious one's ribs.
I'm rewarded with a spike of fear as he curls into a fetal position. "Don gill be ban" he pleads nasally.
I kneel down next to him and whisper "I'm not going to kill you, but i want you to remember this the next time you're out on the streets after dark" i punctuate that statement with a punch to the gut. "I want you to remember that i'm out here. and i want you to be afraid"
I punch him again, harder this time"Very Afraid"
The thug's having a bout of wracking coughs now,spraying blood from between his fingers that still clutch his broken nose. i shake my head and produce the bag of ball bearings from my trenchcoat's pocket and strike him across the back of his neck knocking him cold as well. i spend the next several minutes collecting my things.The other lead pipe,my ball bearing that rests on the alley floor. and i take the time to snap pictures of them both with my cellphone. from behind me i can hear the ragged gasps of breath from the bum that these jokers were picking on and i turn to see him rising up to one elbow, regarding me with wide eyed terror. he's just as scared of me as he was of them.
"You should really find a shelter to stay in." i say,breath pluming out of the holes in my mask in the chill night air "these streets are dangerous, with all of the lunatics roaming about"
"No shit" comes his reply, i take a picture of the bum as i begin the climb back up the fire escape. from beneath me i hear his voice call out.
"Thank you"
I turn and look down on him,holding a single gloved finger to my mask over the grinning smile "Shush....If you're truely thankful, you'll pretend that you were knocked unconcious and didn't see me at all, let this be our little secret"
i toss him roughly fifty bucks down to the alley floor"go to emergency and get those broken bones checked on"
The bum nods and staggers to his feet, presumably to head for the nearest hospital, and i continue my climb back towards the rooftops above. all in all not a bad start for the evening. A quick fix of glamour, and now the search for my missing friends can begin in earnest.
The orchard of Wilhelm,Archibald and Gort,Flint's Hedge, 3:00AM, November 18,2007
"I'm looking for a large Green mouse windrunner kith changeling.... he may have had an ogre in tow with him, something that looks like a cross between a dragon and a wolf. Any chance you've seen either?"
The goblin narrows his eyes and regards me suspiciously. He's a short fellow, probably about four foot tall. with green knobby skin
a Hooked nose,and beady amber eyes with a mop of greasy balck hair on top of his bulbous head. his wide lips curl into a sneer revealing flat yellowed teeth. He calls himself gort.
"Nope, haven't seen either of them" he replies as he folds his stubby arms across his chest and leans against the goblin friut tree
"Not at the markets, not travelling the Hedge. haven't seen em."
"I see. well, how about a leechfinger darkling, he looks kind of vampire-ish,He goes by the name of malchor."
Gort frowns and then fishes into his overalls, producing a large stubbed out cigar and lighter.
He puts the cigar in his mouth,lights it and exhales. filling the air with the aroma of burning diapers
"What do i look like, A friggen' babysitter? you think that maybe gort takes time to question every person wandering the Hedge that he sees. just in case,you know, maybe elf with horns and privacy issues will come along demanding to know their location?"
Gort rolls the cigar between his teeth and blows a smoke ring in my direction."that sound right?"
This is getting frustrating, i've been walking the Hedge for the past hour or so, hunting out possible hollows that gizmo,skree,and malchor could be sheltering in using the pathfinder clause of my dream contract. Trying to find something...anything that will help me track them down.And that's how i came here, to the orchard of Wilhelm,Archibald, and Gort. Goblin entrepenuers extrordinare, at least that's the way gort bills it.Though it looks like this is a dead end as well.
"I do not have privacy issues" i reply,mentally counting to ten.
The goblin shrugs "So then you're freakin' nosey, i was trying to be polite" He grins and blows another smoke ring my way
"besides what do you care about those schmoes anyhow?" suddenly gort's face contorts and turns an uglier shade of green with what i assume to be gobiln rage as he whirls around to his right bellowing"Hey! you two there!!! Get back to friggen' work! those stabapples aren't just gonna pick their goddamn selves!!!" punctuating each curse with a stab of his tiny finger in the air.
I let my gaze wander over to a pair of goblins who have apparently just been given a renewed sense of vigor, as they are using teamwork, one standing on the others shoulders, so that they can pluck the fruits off of a rather thorny looking tree, while trying to avoid being skewered by the foot long barbs protruding from it's branches.
"Goddamn stabapple trees" Gort mutters,turning back towards me"Nobody want's to pick em, it's always OOOH My Eye! the tree just put out me Fookin' eye!" he spits on the ground and sneers contemptuously."Friggen sissies, now.. where was we?"
"Those schmoes, as you call them, happen to be my friends. they failed to show for court two days ago, and since i helped them escape from arcadia, i feel responsible for their well being. Nobody get's lost on my watch."
"I can count at least THREE people that got lost on your watch" gort replies pointedly "not very good at our job are we?"
I feel the muscle beneath my right eye twitch and extend my count to twenty. Gort's really starting to piss me off, but if i'm going to find them, or gain any kind of information about the doings of the Hedge i'm going to need an ally on the Hedge side of things,
even if that ally happens to be a surly goblin that i'd love to throttle.
Then i notice something, in the center of the orchard there is a small garden filled with flowering plants. and an idea strikes me
"hey gort, what are those?"
"Those? oh, those are amaranthine,We've got five of em,they're pretty rare. They also happen to be one of our biggest cash crops, your kind will pay through the nose for em' they heals wounds in an instant what normally takes a week to fix" Gort frowns "Though my partner Archie planted em too late this year and now we won't have any for sale...stupid bastard."
I nod, the corners of my mouth curving into a grin."So... what would you say if i told you that i could help you and your brothers with this financial setback?"
The goblins amber eyes glint with avarice "I'd say that i'm listening"
The orchard of Wilhelm,Archibald and Gort,Flint's Hedge, 3:30AM, November 18,2007
"You drive a hard bargain Buddy" gort says as he stares gleefully over the baskets full of what appear to be small red eggplants.
"It was nothing" i reply as i inspect my cut of the harvest,five amaranthine fruits. Using the basic clause of my eternal autumn contract;Last Breath Isaac and a few moments concentration i brought the amaranthine plants full cycle to their ripest point of the year, now they'll sleep until spring when they can begin anew. That would have normally cost a lot of Glamour, but i convinced gort to allow me to harvest one fruit off of each plant, thus fulfilling the catch in the contract.That took some doing in itself, goblins being very tough negotiators.And gort himself was no slouch.
"So, is there any way i can talk you into selling those amaranthine back?" gort says, his eyes wandering to the small basket i'm holding
"Big tough guy like you probably never gets hurt at all, just wasting them" He pauses for a few moments in contemplation " i can get you into the goblin market, where you'll find a thousand unamed delights and terrors, all waiting to be had....for the right price.Contracts unknown to your kind for sale...cheap, items of wonderous power....at cost." he grins and blows yet another smoke ring my way
and i wonder just how long it's going to take for him to finish that damn thing.
"I could be persuaded to sell back four of them" i reply, my interest piqued by the goblin market. I've never been to one. Wyatt has though, and he says that it's a truely amazing experience. "I'd like to keep one, as i have acess to a hollow with a small orchard of my own and if these things are so rare..." I notice the baleful look that crosses gort's face when i mention my orchard and i quickly add "Not that i'd be attempting to compete with your business,perish the thought"
He nods "Go on"
"like you said, i'm a big tough guy who hardly ever gets hurt. so if i were to plant this in my hollow, i could provide you with the fruits i don't use... cheap"
Gort's eyes glint and he smiles "and your price?"
"we work together, you keep an eye out for the folk that i'm looking for. get me in to the goblin markets if i need to, and generally
keep an ear to the ground for me in the Hedge of strange goings on. That sound fair?"
Gorts brows knit together and he rolls the cigar between his teeth for what seems like an eternity before finally grunting and looking up at me.
"Deal" he says extending his hand.
"Deal" i echo grasping his hand and shaking it.
I reach down into the basket and remove one of the amaranthine fruits before handing it back to him. putting it in the inside pocket of my trenchcoat.
"you'll remember what they look like right?"
Gort nods "Yeah, Yeah. Giant green mouse, Ogre wolf dragon, and vampire-ish guy. Right, I haven't seen the vampire guy. But the other two i've seen wandering the Hedge here and there, i think i overheard them talking about Gyshaal greens...whatever those are.
I'm also pretty sure that they've got a hollow around here somewhere with some pretty decent wards, We tried to track em' once. figured that mebbe they were poachers, your kind often tries to steal our fruits from this orchard, that's why i got bessie here."
he pats the stock of the ridiculously huge arquebus slung across his back and grins.
"any way, we tried to track em' and after a while they just up and disappeared, we searched the area but couldn't find any entryways or exits. so the wards on the hollow must be pretty damn good."
"What? But you said that you...I...How the?....WHAT!?!" i stammer, nonplussed.
Gort frowns and shakes his head in disappointment "Tsk, Tsk,Tsk. Nosey hornhead elf, I was having you on. when you arrived here you had nothing to barter with. And, as everybody knows, you don't just shell out information for free. That's just bad business. But now we're partners and you've paid in full. By the way, you got a name?"
"Simon" i reply, still somewhat taken aback.
"Well then, Simon i'm looking foreword to doing business with you. And if you need any goblin fruits in the future...At cost, you know where to find us. But it's getting late and i'd really like to go home and get some sleep..."
He curls his lip and looks towards his workers again"That is if those lazy bastards over there would hurry the fook up and get those goddamn stabapples picked!"
"Right...I'll be in touch" i reply as i shake his hand one more time and turn to leave the hollow. as exasperating as the conversation with Gort had been, i can't help but feel elated. The goblin was able to at least confirm Gizmo and Skree's whereabouts in the Hedge, so they hadn't been reclaimed. Now i just have to find their hollow and stop by for a visit, a task easier said than done.That just leaves Malchor, but that will have to wait until tomorrow night. I'm getting tired myself and i've got to be at work in seven and a half hours.
From behind me i hear gort's voice through the entranceway to his orchard.
"Oi! That fruit's only got a shelf life of three days so you better plant it quick. And the next time you come here bring a Goddamned rake with ya'! Now what am i gonna do with all of these fookin leaves?"
*******
ST Notes:
Resolve actions this week:Train Harvest (emotions) merit, and Train/aquire(?) Allies-Goblin Market merit