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Abstraction (M)

Started by Valtxr, August 05, 2017, 09:38:03 AM

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Valtxr

   Ansgar's mercy, the woman could literally see eye-to-eye with Cherno. That...that never happened before. Well, maybe that was a good thing. Cherno got winded pretty quick—possible flaw in the whole plan there—but maybe she was just like him. Especially with all that armor on. Seems like she'd get tuckered out well before Cherno. Hopefully. He'd never done any military service or training at all. But that alone didn't give people endurance superpowers. Or...did it?
   Whatever. On with the show.
   She took the box out from behind the altar. Opened it. And...what the fuck. Guess Graven wasn't kidding. And, even for a Mordecai/Knight, the woman acted awfully careful around the thing.
   Alright. Just don't look at it too much, even with all the anti-magic fields around.
   Let's get started.
   A sharp intake of air through the nose. Conveying a little bit of surprise. Pretty genuine, didn't really have to fake it.
   He brought a fist up to his mouth. Spared a few seconds of looking at the dagger. Pretended to think.
   He paced to the left. Then to the right. Another look at the dagger.
   A slight cock of the head. As if an idea had come to him.
   Cherno slowly reached his hand out. Held it several inches above the dagger. Grimaced slighted, then drew his hand back.
   Brought his fist back to his mouth. Uncurled his hand and rubbed his chin.
   Alright, that seemed good enough.
   Helena suggested an escort out. To the palace. Fuck the escort and fuck the palace, but getting out of the church and into the open air of the city was welcome. His opportunity to leg it awaited outside.
   Cherno carefully closed the box and redid the clasps on it. Picked it up with both hands; all went well, she wouldn't take issue with "the priest" handling it.
   Then he nodded to her.

HighLordMhoram

This priest certainly was a strange one. Helena watched as he paced back and forth, seeming to try and study the dagger. Fair enough, perhaps he was simply trying to verify its authenticity. Although how anyone could be uncertain when the thing practically oozed evil was beyond her. Finally, the man took the box and nodded at her suggestion of an escort. Helena motioned to two of her men, who took up flanking positions beside the priest as he began to make his way towards the exit.

And, as misfortune would have it, Cherno came face to face with a man entering the church garbed in priestly robes. "What is the meaning of this?" the man snapped. "I was told by the Bishop that the duty of handling the artifact was to fall to me!" The men accompanying Cherno froze, and Helena straightened with shock. She looked from Cherno to the newcomer and back again, the pieces starting to slide into place.


Graven swore quietly as he saw the second priest enter the church. "Looks like we may have a fight on our hands soon, boys. And girl," he added, glancing at Aura. "Tell me, kid, can you really wield magic within a mordecai's field? Because it looks like we're going to have to test that theory soon."

Valtxr

   Okay. Okay...
   ...
   FUCK.
   How did this keep happening? First with Major Kilandre, and now this? Fucking Ansgar, smuggling was so much easier than being a straight-up thief. Cherno had no idea how pro-thieves could manage it. Damn, this was awkward as all hell.
   Alright. Relax. Relax, big guy. Figure some shit out.
   Not busted yet. This priest guy here is just miffed that somebody else took his job. For all he knows, some other Bishop sent another priest. The Church was a big organization, after all. Sometimes the left hand didn't talk to the right. And...hey, weren't Graven and Aura supposed to run interference on this guy? How the fuck did they miss him? Damn it, all Cherno needed was another few seconds. Just a few more seconds, and he'd be outside.
   Worst case scenario: jump through one of the windows. Ditch the damn dagger if necessary. Fucking glass'll cut him up good probably, and yeah, Graven'll be mad if he lost the dagger, but all that was better than the alternative.
   Still. Not busted yet. Play the part. Hope Graven and Aura come through with something if shit goes down.
   Cherno stood his ground. Held the box with one hand and put the other on his hip. Tried to match the other priest's own indignation for a moment. Then he pointed to the box, and jerked his thumb back into his own chest.
   My duty. Not yours.
   Hopefully that was the message.
   This vow of silence thing was actually way harder than Cherno thought. Really out of his element here.

   Only a glimpse. A man. Entering the church.
   But Graven saw him. Said a fight might happen soon. She looked up at him, then back over at the church.
   "Yes."
   Not truthful. Not exactly. Her mind could reach out and touch many things. Connections. Made through perception. Ready to be made.
   Nine times five is forty-five.
   But there was something in the church. Breaking them. Something her mind couldn't touch. Something that made other things immune as well. A small field of immunity. Not miles wide. But potent. Made her powerless against all inside it.
   And it was close to Cherno.

HighLordMhoram

The priest clenched his fists, clearly furious. "Don't tell me that Bishop Attimar sent someone as well. This duty was specifically given to Bishop Folst, who chose me as his representative. I will not allow this...this disgraceful deceit to take place!"

Helena took a step forward. "Fathers, please, don't fight in here. This is the house of Ansgar. We can discuss this rationally..." her voice trailed off as she stared at the back of Cherno's robes, eyes widening in shock. Then her eyes narrowed dangerously. "You know," she said, voice suddenly smooth and calm as she slowly drew her sword. "I almost bought into your act, 'father'. Cleverly done. But perhaps the next time you stab a priest in the back, you'll do it in a place where I can't see the tear in the robes." She took a step towards the thief.


Graven saw the knight draw her sword through the window and swore. "His cover's blown. We have to move, now!" He nodded to his men, who at once set off through the crowd towards the building. He then turned to Aura. His pale eyes bored into her as he said, "How close do you need to be to do your thing, child?"



Valtxr

   Discuss this rationally. Easy for the two people who can actually talk to—
   Uh oh. Why'd her voice change?
   Shit. Sword's coming out of sheath.
   And...busted.
   Strangely, there was an odd sense of relief that came with it. It wasn't like the feelings of "Oh shit" and "Goddamn it" weren't there, but the relief was like a tiny silver lining along it all. Being busted wasn't nearly as bad as anticipating being busted. Less nerve-wracking. At least now Cherno knew for a fact that he was fucked.
   He raised his hands up slowly and carefully, in a surrendering fashion.
   And what a fuckin' asshole, that Orson guy. Could've at least told Cherno about the apparently gaping hole in the back of his robes. Even better, go get that shit fixed for fuck's sake. How long did he have those robes, anyway? And he couldn't find one damn tailor who needed the money and didn't ask too many questions? That fuckin' guy.
   Cherno glanced at the Knight. Shrugged his shoulders and said, "Let's be fair...somebody else stabbed him."

   Graven saw it. It was hard for Aura. Too many people. And she was too short. Only occasional glimpses.
   But Cherno was in trouble. The holy men were onto him.
   She needed to listen. Listen to Graven. Do what he said. That's what Cherno told her.
   Five times twelve is sixty.
   A question. She looked up to him.
   "I can't get too close," she said. Watched Graven's men charge forward.
   Couldn't risk being inside that field. Couldn't affect anything inside it. Best to stay back. There were a lot of things around she could use. Wagons. Barrels. Doors. People. Pick them up with her mind and launch them at the holy men and the church. Let simple momentum bypass the field.
   She moved her fingers rhythmically. Curling and uncurling them. Eyed various things along the street. Preparing to make snap connections to a variety of objects with her mind.
   On Graven's command.

HighLordMhoram

The rage in Helena's eyes could have melted through steel. She raised her sword and and leveled it at his neck. "You are under arrest for the murder and impersonation of a holy agent of Ansgar," she said coldly. "Surrender at once, or I will kill you." The mordecai under her command had begun to crowd around them, pushing the real priest behind them for safety as they hemmed Cherno in. No gaps in their formation, no way out except by fighting. In other words, he was fucked unless something happened within the next ten seconds.

"Do it now," Graven said.

Valtxr

   The order. Given. Time to act.
   Something quick. Devastating. Extreme violence of action.
   Aura eyed a wagon passing by the church. Fully-loaded with barrels and crates. Loose rolls of cured leather and iron ingots. Even an anvil. It would do nicely.
   Aura brought her left hand up. Curled her fingers some. Imagined the wagon in her palm. And her mind connected with it. She felt the wooden wheels rolling along her skin. The sheer weight of it a burden in her skull. Bearing down on her whole body.
   She grit her teeth as she raised her left hand a little more.
   And the wagon, some distance down the street, started to float off of the ground. The driver glanced around in bewilderment. The horse strapped to the wagon threw its head around in a growing confusion and frenzy.
   Now.
   Aura imagined the wagon bolting up into the air, and its real counterpart obeyed, arcing from the street to just above the church. As with Pritchard's wagon before, the people on the street screamed and pointed and ran. A wave of panic. Infectious.
   The driver fell from the wagon and plummeted to the street. A bone-crunching thud on the cobblestone.
   Five times six is thirty.
   She jerked her left hand down once the wagon had reached thirty feet in the air, and the wagon violently changed direction. Straight down. It rocketed toward the roof of the church. Near the front. She broke her mental tether with the wagon. Gravity would do the rest.
   And the wagon, horse and all, crashed through the tiled roof and fell into the building. Thunder and clamor as the roof partially caved in from the collision.
   Blood ran down from Aura's nose. Over her lips.
   She gasped. Doubled over. Hands on her knees.
   Three drops of blood fell from her chin to the ground.

HighLordMhoram

Even Graven was shocked when that cart flew into the air. He turned to stare at the little girl as she manipulated the thing, eventually throwing it into the church. "How...we're in a mordecai field. How can you do that?" he demanded. Instead of answering, the girl doubled over and began to dribble blood out of her nose. Swearing, he knelt beswide her and pulled out a handkercheif, dabbing at her bloody face while her placed a hand on her back to steady her. "You alright? Can you walk?" he asked urgently. His men, unfazed by the sudden and unexpected attack, continued towards the church without pausing. Ansgar only knew what was going on inside.

Just as Helena was about to step forward and render the imposter unconscious, the screaming began. "What the hell is going on?" she snapped, just before a market day cart crashed through the roof of the church and buried two of her mordecai under a pile of debris. She and the remaining four mordecai all turned to stare, surnned, at the rubble under which two of their comrades had just died. It was only a momentary distraction, but it caused the mordecai at the door to take an ever so slight step apart, leaving only the priest blocking the way. It was the only opening Cherno was liekly to get.

Valtxr

   Uh oh. Sounded like Aura was doing her thing. Better watch—
   Cherno staggered back and nearly dropped the box as a portion of the roof imploded. He instinctively made a quick move to cover his head. For all the good that would've done. Just ask those two poor saps who had the wagon come down on top of them.
   Jeez, what the fuck was it with that girl and tossing wagons and carriages into the air? And did she know she wasn't going to crush him with that? Did she? And she left the horse attached on this one too? What a fuckin' mess. Could at least use her mind bullshit to cut the damn horse free first.
   Whatever. It worked. Took that Knight and the surviving Mordecai completely by surprise. And there was Cherno's opening.
   He bolted forward, sprinting past the wreckage and throwing a big shoulder into the priest to knock him out of the way. Free hand to open the doors of the church.
   Out onto the street. Ansgar's mercy, what a panic. Commoners and bystanders of all stripes running every which way. Aura had a real knack for causing those.
   No time to waste. Cherno filtered in the civilians running in the same direction as him: toward the spot with Graven and Aura.

   Aura struggled for breath. Swallowed. Took in another big gulp of air.
   Her body shuddered when she felt Graven's hand on her back.
   "I'll be fine," she said.
   Lots of exertion. Strenuous. But good practice. A flexing of her ability. A developing skill, steadily growing better. No squandered potential.
   She straightened up. Again, with clenched teeth. Fists. Felt the few bruises from the internal hemorrhaging. One on her leg. Her back. Two on her arms. They would heal. Soon enough. No concern. Especially once she improved.
   Today, such a feat was difficult. Tomorrow, trivial.
   She looked for Cherno. Tried to see him through the stream of fleeing people.
   "Can you see him?" she asked Graven.

HighLordMhoram

The priest shrieked as the big man bowled him over onto the street, and Helena whirled to find her target rapidly vanishing into the crowd. "Come on!" she snapped to her six remaining men, and as one they raced out after Cherno. Fortunately for the thief, the crowd worked for him on this occasion, and even with people trying to get out of the way of a Knight of the White Lily the crush was too much for his pursuers to make much headway. For now.

Orson and his comrade suddenly appeared from the crowd at Cherno's side and began shoving people out of the way when they were unfortunate enough to stumble in front of the trio. Gradually, the gap between pursuer and pursued was widening.

Graven peered over the heads of the crowd, scanning for Cherno and his men. Finally, he managed to spot the thief's head poking slightly above the rest of the civilians. "I see them," he said. "They're headed this way." Then he caught the flash of red hair and silver armor behind them. Helena had forged ahead alone, leaving her mordecai to struggle through the crowd as best they could. "And they're not alone," he added. On impulse, he scooped Aura up and sat her on his shoulders, giving her a perfect view of the pursuit. "Can you stop her? Toss her around? Pulverize her bones?" the mage demanded.

Valtxr

   Cherno didn't think he'd be so glad to see Orson. Well, if the guy was good at something, it had to be putting in work for his boss. And that work just so happened to involve bailing Cherno out of this jam. So cheers for that.
   "Let's get the fuck out of here!" Cherno said to the man, raising his voice over the panicked screams and yells around them.
   And Cherno was right on Orson's heels. Right on them. A shady military buddy of his had a saying for being so close in formation to another soldier: "Nut-to-butt". Well, this was a nut-to-butt sort of situation. Cherno'd be goddamned if he fell too far behind in the crowd and got caught again. Nope. Not happening. Not today.
   Box tucked firmly into his chest with both arms, Cherno followed Orson's lead. Didn't hazard a look back at all.

   There. Graven saw them. A modicum of relief. Good. They should be back—
   Aura's eyes widened as Graven lifted her off her feet and sat her on his shoulders. Mild disorientation. Unexpected. She placed her hands on the top of Graven's head for balance. Hardly necessary. Instinctual.
   An odd sensation overcame her. A small moment apart from all that was happening around her.
   And she smiled. Just a little.
   That was.
   Actually.
   Kind of.
   ...
   Fun.
   And Graven said something. Snapped Aura back to reality. Distraction gone.
   Aura saw the 'her' he mentioned. Tall. Red hair. Silver armor. A holy knight. Despicable as the rest.
   But something was wrong. Aura couldn't make any mental connection to the knight's body. Or...to anyone close by her...
   She was the one. She was the one blocking Aura's power. What was she? Aura knew of the Mordecai. Had heard of their reputation long before seeing one today. But this was different. Like a Mordecai. But more potent.
   A tiny tremble of fear. Memories. Back in Hyoite. Before she discovered her power. Subject to the whims of her caretakers. Their admonishments and their prodding. Their cruel intentions. Umbridge. Smithfield. Pritchard. And all the rest. As powerless before them as she was powerless before the knight now. A mere thing. Not a girl. But a thing.
   She couldn't let that happen. Not again.
   "I can't," Aura said. "Not against her."
   Gravity. Momentum. They would work where her power failed. Once more.
   Aura glanced to her right. Made a grabbing motion with her right hand, and her power latched onto an overweight merchant in the crowd. A heavy one. Good.
   She felt the fabric of his clothes. The hairs of his beard. His frantic heartbeat. All in the palm of her hand.
   Nine times seven is sixty-three.
   "No, no, no!" the merchant yelled as he levitated high off the ground. He flailed his arms and legs in vain.
   A flick of the wrist. And the merchant went sailing over the heads of all the other commoners. Soaring in a shallow arc on a collision course with the red-haired knight.
   A sharp pain in Aura's chest.
   She covered her mouth with her left hand. Coughed.
   Felt a spot of blood against the skin.

HighLordMhoram

Helena saw the merchant sail through the air, shrieking in terror as he went. Without thinking she dove forward, and the fat man flew over her head to land with a sickening splat on the cobble behind her. "See to him!" she shouted to her men as she surged to her feet and continued after the thief. Cold rage filled her as she closed on them. There was a mage here, somewhere, and that mage had just injured and possibly killed an innocent person, one of the very people Helena was sworn to protect. Her sword sang as she ripped it free of its scabbard once more.

"Stop her," Orson told his companion simply. He knocked one last person, a pretty young woman with a basket of flowers in her hands, aside with the back of his hand, then shoved Cherno forward. "Run!" he shouted. Orson's companion turned to face Helena. Raising his pistol he aimed at the knight, but she was too close. With a hoarse cry, she slammed into the once-dead, barrelling him over. The bodyguard was on his feet in an instant, his own blade whispering from its sheath. Steel met steel as the knight and the zombie exchanged blows. Once, twice. Helena backed up, keeping her sword between herself and her enemy. The bodyguard lunged forward, stabbing at her. She batted his blade aside, seized his wrist, and dragged him forward onto the point of her sword. The man gasped in agony, blood gushing from his mouth. with agonizing, deliberate slowness, Helena withdrew her sword, the blade making a scraping sound against his spine as she did. Then she let go of the man's wrist and dropped the lifeless body on the ground.

Orson and Cherno had reached Graven and Aura at last. The crowds were clearing now, giving them a good view as Helena eliminated Graven's man. "Shit," the mage swore. "You have the box, Cherno? then let's go." He lifted aura off of his shoulders. "I think you'll need to carry her. she doesn't seem to be well. Give me the box."

Valtxr

   Didn't have to tell Cherno twice. All he heard was the clashing of swords behind him, and he didn't need any of that in his life. Let Graven's henchmen take care of the Knight. That's what they were here for anyway.
   Shit, Cherno was so glad he didn't become a mercenary. Risking way too much for a pitiful payout of coin; that was no way to live. But that was apparently what Orson and his buddy signed up for. And the buddy just drew the short straw this time.

   Cherno stopped once they reached Graven and Aura again. Eyes narrowing in puzzlement.
   Huh. Now wasn't that somethin'. Aura on the man's shoulders. Like a kid. A real kid, without the spooky powers and creepy personality. Cherno didn't think she'd...well...allow that to happen. How about that? Learn something new every—
   Then Graven swore. Looked back at something.
   Cherno glanced over his shoulder. The waves of panicked civilians were all further down both ways of the street now, leaving a lot of open ground between them and the Knight. Who had just taken out Graven's man.
   "Fuck!"
   And Graven got Aura off of his shoulders, and boy did she look worse for wear. A little woozy. Streak of blood from the nose down to her chin. Some on her hand. She must've been hard at work.
   "I'll be fine," she said. "I can walk. I can—"
   "Walk? We gotta run!" Cherno thrust the box to Graven. "Here! Take it!" Then he scooped Aura up in his arms. Good thing she was all of about ninety pounds soakin' wet. He'd be able to run reasonably fast and far carrying her.
   Then, to Graven, "Alright, let's go! Let's go! I'll be right behind you!"

HighLordMhoram

Graven opened the box and smiled, the first time since meeting the thieves that he had made such an expression. He plucked the knife up and tossed the box carelessly to the side. At Cherno's words, he nodded. "Orson, take up the rear." And with that, he turn and ran down into the alley, knowing it opened up onto another street where, hopefully, there were still crowds around to slow their pursuers.

Helena stepped over the corpse of her vanquished foe in time to see the three men racing into the alley. The false priest was carrying something in his arms...a child? The thought that those thugs might have taken a child hostage filled Helena with rage. Sheathing her sword, she sprinted after them, years of training making her heavy armor feel feather-light on her shoulders as she pursued her targets.

HighLordMhoram


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