Post by mcian on Sept 16, 2023 22:11:15 GMT -5
Scar lay on his bed, totally exhausted. He had promised himself not to rest until he found his son but that had proved a hopeless pursuit. It had been weeks. He and his closest friends: Korbin, Itannar, Vospar, a young elf ranger named Typernion, not to mention Deminatza, had turned up nothing – no clues, no witnesses, no word of any kind. Jace’s mother, living in Delucia, when he gave her the news, became irrational, maniacal, blaming him for everything… as usual. He had taken to drinking more but worked hard to restrain the impulse as he knew he had to keep his wits about him if the search were to continue. Still, the effort was taking its toll on him. He considered asking the Fist to assist but he did not know where to begin to tell them to start.
There was one thing he considered but brushed away; it might revive the seed of darkness that lay deeply buried within his soul – he could wring information out of Thraxas even if it meant torture and death. He did not wish to do that; the thought gave him hope but repelled him at the same time – darkness beckoning him seductively but the decency of light prevailed, for now.
The search must continue as it had, but how long he could maintain this pace and keep his sanity, remained an open question.
Sooner or later, something had to break. He prayed it would not be him.
“We cannot locate him, m’lord,” the scruffy, sweaty, sleazy-looking, unshaven man reported, slowly rotating his feathered cap in his hands. “We have looked everywhere and we have paid large sums for spies to help us. It… it is as if he has vanished. We think maybe he ran afoul of the Ophidians or sank in quicksand during one of his crazy hunting ventures.” He deliberately avoided the gaze of the weird eyes of his master.
The seated man to whom he spoke stared at him. The red eyes narrowed keenly. He sighed, relaxing in his plush chair, resting his head lightly upon the index and middle fingers of his right hand. “I grow tired of these excuses. I am sure he is not dead. I am sure he is hiding. I am even more sure he has a good reason to be hiding. You must find him and you must bring him to me if at all possible. I must learn what he knows, what he has told anyone, and keep him around as insurance. Do you understand this? Is this too much for that marble-sized brain of yours to fathom?”
“I do, sir. I will continue the hunt then.”
Thraxas nodded, closing his eyes. “Of course you will. Of course you will find him. I know it because I know what will happen if you do not. Do you?”
The man nodded. “Yes, sir. He will blab all about our operation and draw too much attention to us thereby,” he explained, remembering the content of an earlier conversation with his master.
Thraxas shook his head. “No, what will happen is that I will deliver you to our friends or else the Ophidians. The brigands will have a good time with you, and may even put you to use, but the Ophidians… well, only the gods know what they will do with you. I hear they enjoy knitting human skins and using them as vests and what not. Very inventive, don’t you think? But don’t worry, I will be fair about it. I will let a coin decide.”
The man fell to his knees. “Please, sir! Give me time! I swear we will find him!”
Thraxas nodded. “You have one week from today… now get out and get to it!”
The man stood up and rushed out of the room.
These humans are such a pathetic lot! If I only had some truly skilled allies!
There was one thing he considered but brushed away; it might revive the seed of darkness that lay deeply buried within his soul – he could wring information out of Thraxas even if it meant torture and death. He did not wish to do that; the thought gave him hope but repelled him at the same time – darkness beckoning him seductively but the decency of light prevailed, for now.
The search must continue as it had, but how long he could maintain this pace and keep his sanity, remained an open question.
Sooner or later, something had to break. He prayed it would not be him.
* * *
“We cannot locate him, m’lord,” the scruffy, sweaty, sleazy-looking, unshaven man reported, slowly rotating his feathered cap in his hands. “We have looked everywhere and we have paid large sums for spies to help us. It… it is as if he has vanished. We think maybe he ran afoul of the Ophidians or sank in quicksand during one of his crazy hunting ventures.” He deliberately avoided the gaze of the weird eyes of his master.
The seated man to whom he spoke stared at him. The red eyes narrowed keenly. He sighed, relaxing in his plush chair, resting his head lightly upon the index and middle fingers of his right hand. “I grow tired of these excuses. I am sure he is not dead. I am sure he is hiding. I am even more sure he has a good reason to be hiding. You must find him and you must bring him to me if at all possible. I must learn what he knows, what he has told anyone, and keep him around as insurance. Do you understand this? Is this too much for that marble-sized brain of yours to fathom?”
“I do, sir. I will continue the hunt then.”
Thraxas nodded, closing his eyes. “Of course you will. Of course you will find him. I know it because I know what will happen if you do not. Do you?”
The man nodded. “Yes, sir. He will blab all about our operation and draw too much attention to us thereby,” he explained, remembering the content of an earlier conversation with his master.
Thraxas shook his head. “No, what will happen is that I will deliver you to our friends or else the Ophidians. The brigands will have a good time with you, and may even put you to use, but the Ophidians… well, only the gods know what they will do with you. I hear they enjoy knitting human skins and using them as vests and what not. Very inventive, don’t you think? But don’t worry, I will be fair about it. I will let a coin decide.”
The man fell to his knees. “Please, sir! Give me time! I swear we will find him!”
Thraxas nodded. “You have one week from today… now get out and get to it!”
The man stood up and rushed out of the room.
These humans are such a pathetic lot! If I only had some truly skilled allies!