03-13-2017, 05:31 PM
„Sera, Malon? Are you two awake?“
“Yeah, we are…” said Malon, looking at the spot from which she presumed Carmelita was speaking. Again the fox was invisibly sneaking around the hideout and had gotten past the guard to them. “What happened? Everyone left yesterday.”
“There was an ‘accident’ with a pair of magic constructs going rogue. A number of the bandits got injured or killed.”
“How many?”
“Three deaths and three injured, plus those constructs. We still have ten or so guys to deal with.”
“And there’s something else... I heard one of them speak about... uhh, hold on. The White Marsh? Someplace else.”
“The Pale Moors maybe?”
“Right, that was the one. They said that some prisoners are being escorted to the capital. Criminals who were caught when attempting to sneak to the Moors... they’ll be trialed. But Scar might try freeing them to bolster his forces. Probably very soon.”
“Mierda... then we have to act sooner than that, before they can move out. I have to steal a key first... can you try to lace their dinner today with what you found?”
“Of course. And Snake is having me bring food to her chambers personally. Maybe I could...” The glimmer in her eyes and a glance towards the bandana on her arm told Carmelita enough to interfere immediately.
“Chica, you’re dealing with a professional robber and killer. I know you’re getting confident, but don’t stretch it... let her go to sleep like the others, and flee the scene.”
Malon rubbed her forehead. “... sorry. I’ll... okay, I’ll avoid unnecessary conflicts. What will you do now?”
“I have a few plans to separate the bandits and break us out.” A few tubes of vitamins materialized out of thin air, next to Sera who swiftly hid them in her robe. “Here’s the last dose for today’s meals. Hopefully it’ll give you all enough energy to keep going until we’re out.”
“Got it... thanks, Carmy.”
When the fox didn’t reply anymore Malon presumed that she had gone back to her work. And not a minute too soon, for Sera and her were soon called up along with the others to help with breakfast. An uneventful day. Sera slipped the concentrates given to her into the watery soup when she could while Malon focused on Snake’s work. The bandana was tightly around her head, clearing her mind of the unnecessary. Focusing her thoughts. Concentrating her mind onto the task at hand. But she started to realize that this was not enough. Her words to Carmelita came back to her mind. How she had thought of taking an opportunity. How she had promised to avoid unnecessary conflict.
When she looked up a figure stood on the opposite side of her table, looking at her. Or did it? It was like a mannequin with no facial features. Only smooth dark blue and black skin covered the egg-shaped head... and a bandana just like the one Malon was wearing on her head, dark wine-red and with a sort of flame pattern on it.
“You are starting to understand”, the figure spoke. Its voice was the same as Malon’s.
“Who are you?” she asked. She did not feel afraid... for some reason the realization that she was hallucinating was calming her, when anyone else would have told her that she was descending into insanity.
“Do you not already know the answer? I am you, of course.” The figure’s features began to shift and swirl as if it was an image beneath a body of water that someone had tossed a rock into, then reformed into Snake. Still wearing the bandana. “I am still you.” Now it had Snake’s voice.
“No, you are Snake now.”
“I am still you”, the figure repeated itself.
“I could look like her. I could take her essence.”
“You will have to kill her. You will have to break your promise to do so.”
“No, I won’t. I don’t have to get into an unnecessary conflict with her.”
“You could wait for her to fall asleep and slit her throat. Then you will steal her skin.”
Malon nodded. The figure took a step backwards and observed as she finished her work. She tugged the bandana off her head and looked back. Snake was now gone. The only one nearby was Sera, eyeing her worriedly.
“Is everything okay, Malon? You stood there for a minute and stared into space.”
“I’m fine. I was just... lost in some thoughts. Let’s go serve breakfast.”
“Yeah, we are…” said Malon, looking at the spot from which she presumed Carmelita was speaking. Again the fox was invisibly sneaking around the hideout and had gotten past the guard to them. “What happened? Everyone left yesterday.”
“There was an ‘accident’ with a pair of magic constructs going rogue. A number of the bandits got injured or killed.”
“How many?”
“Three deaths and three injured, plus those constructs. We still have ten or so guys to deal with.”
“And there’s something else... I heard one of them speak about... uhh, hold on. The White Marsh? Someplace else.”
“The Pale Moors maybe?”
“Right, that was the one. They said that some prisoners are being escorted to the capital. Criminals who were caught when attempting to sneak to the Moors... they’ll be trialed. But Scar might try freeing them to bolster his forces. Probably very soon.”
“Mierda... then we have to act sooner than that, before they can move out. I have to steal a key first... can you try to lace their dinner today with what you found?”
“Of course. And Snake is having me bring food to her chambers personally. Maybe I could...” The glimmer in her eyes and a glance towards the bandana on her arm told Carmelita enough to interfere immediately.
“Chica, you’re dealing with a professional robber and killer. I know you’re getting confident, but don’t stretch it... let her go to sleep like the others, and flee the scene.”
Malon rubbed her forehead. “... sorry. I’ll... okay, I’ll avoid unnecessary conflicts. What will you do now?”
“I have a few plans to separate the bandits and break us out.” A few tubes of vitamins materialized out of thin air, next to Sera who swiftly hid them in her robe. “Here’s the last dose for today’s meals. Hopefully it’ll give you all enough energy to keep going until we’re out.”
“Got it... thanks, Carmy.”
When the fox didn’t reply anymore Malon presumed that she had gone back to her work. And not a minute too soon, for Sera and her were soon called up along with the others to help with breakfast. An uneventful day. Sera slipped the concentrates given to her into the watery soup when she could while Malon focused on Snake’s work. The bandana was tightly around her head, clearing her mind of the unnecessary. Focusing her thoughts. Concentrating her mind onto the task at hand. But she started to realize that this was not enough. Her words to Carmelita came back to her mind. How she had thought of taking an opportunity. How she had promised to avoid unnecessary conflict.
When she looked up a figure stood on the opposite side of her table, looking at her. Or did it? It was like a mannequin with no facial features. Only smooth dark blue and black skin covered the egg-shaped head... and a bandana just like the one Malon was wearing on her head, dark wine-red and with a sort of flame pattern on it.
“You are starting to understand”, the figure spoke. Its voice was the same as Malon’s.
“Who are you?” she asked. She did not feel afraid... for some reason the realization that she was hallucinating was calming her, when anyone else would have told her that she was descending into insanity.
“Do you not already know the answer? I am you, of course.” The figure’s features began to shift and swirl as if it was an image beneath a body of water that someone had tossed a rock into, then reformed into Snake. Still wearing the bandana. “I am still you.” Now it had Snake’s voice.
“No, you are Snake now.”
“I am still you”, the figure repeated itself.
“I could look like her. I could take her essence.”
“You will have to kill her. You will have to break your promise to do so.”
“No, I won’t. I don’t have to get into an unnecessary conflict with her.”
“You could wait for her to fall asleep and slit her throat. Then you will steal her skin.”
Malon nodded. The figure took a step backwards and observed as she finished her work. She tugged the bandana off her head and looked back. Snake was now gone. The only one nearby was Sera, eyeing her worriedly.
“Is everything okay, Malon? You stood there for a minute and stared into space.”
“I’m fine. I was just... lost in some thoughts. Let’s go serve breakfast.”