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The Lie We Seek (M)

Started by Valtxr, May 22, 2017, 03:45:53 PM

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Valtxr

(((Nah, that was for you to decide if they got affected by the spell or not :D )))

   Sharon blinked rapidly. It was still dark and dim around her, but the nightmare was over. Her body quivered hard one last time, then she got a look around.
   Merissa, down on the floor too, coming around as well. Volkhard and Otto in front, ready to fight. And Strathus, standing his ground by the altar.
   On instinct alone, Sharon reached for the dagger on her belt. Unsheathed it. Armed herself.
   She needed Strathus' help. But she didn't want to die down here either.

   "Ah, now I see," Strathus said. "My dear Merissa, you are real. As is your companion. But you are being haunted by two illusions. Powerful spells, these phantasms. Their likeness to the real uncanny."
   Strathus brought his right hand to his chest, and the sight of him flickered. His body blurred, and the very air around him distorted. Three copies of Strathus now stood before the altar, all moving in unison.
   "But I have fought against spells before. And I shall do so again."
   "Strathus, no!" Merissa yelled.
   All three images of Strathus lifted their hands. Aimed them at Volkhard and Otto, without much of a care that Sharon and Merissa were in the line of fire.
   Large shards of ice shot out from the hands of the images. Flying and spreading haphazardly across the room and toward the group.
   Sharon and Merissa both covered their heads and stayed flat on the floor.

Elector Count of WAAAGH!

Volkhard did not waste his time, immediately stepping forward with his shield to meet the incoming attacks. Those shards aimed for his face and upper body bounced off or was shattered by the shield, the rest plinked off of his armor like stones.

Otto mean while nimbly sidestepped the incoming projectiles, in the process his back turned towards his allies. When his body swung back into view, he quickly threw three knives in seemingly one throw at the three separate images.

Valtxr

   The real Strathus staggered as a knife sunk into his chest, and the two images faded and disappeared. A rush of air from the mask's intake valve.
   "Petty iron," he said, despite the blood that accumulated on his robe. "It penetrates flesh, seeking to bring about a mundane death. But I do not fear death. Death...fears me."
   With that, Strathus' skin and muscles melted from his body and splashed to the floor. He waved a skeletal hand and the wooden boards of the floor transformed in an instant into muddy dirt.
   And the first zombified arm burst through the soft ground.
   Then another.
   Then a dozen more.
   Sharon shrieked in terror as one of the arms grabbed her left ankle, and another grabbed her right arm. She feverishly began to saw away at the zombified hand grasping her arm, trying to cut herself loose.
   "Strathus, stop this nonsense!" Merissa shouted as she jumped back to her feet, standing behind Volkhard and his shield again, looking more at the ground to avoid the grasping hands than at Strathus. "We're all real, dear! And we only want to talk!"
   "The deceived cannot know the deception that plagues them." He said as the temperature started to plummet in the room. "Not until it is purged."
   The zombified hands grasped for the legs and ankles of Otto, Volkhard, and Merissa. Ice started forming on the walls and ceilings of the room.

Elector Count of WAAAGH!

"Greeeat, zombies." Volkhard said as he crushed one of the hands beneft his both. "Been a while since I fought a necromancer..." it was then he looked up at the icicles up above. "...not to mention a ice mage, get over here!"

Volkhard dropped his mace, the strap dangled the mace to his hand, as he raised his shield,grabbing Sharon in the process and began to pull. One slash from Otto's new knife set her free, before he grabbed what seemed like a potion bottle and threw it to the ground. Upon meeting the ground, the bottle immediately imploded into a cloud of orange-red dust. To the living skin it and all other objects this had no effect, but the burned away at the rotten flesh underneath.

This momentarily gave the group a space to breath, as a circle of dust on the ground burned away at the hands.

"Explain to me how he is suppose to "help" us again?" Volkhard said in a loud voice to Merissa, only glancing back at her as he held Sharon under his shield.


Valtxr

   With a pull from Volkhard and a slash at the hands from Otto, Sharon found her feet again. She stood close behind Volkhard, her left hand on his back.
   "Thanks!" she said, her breath visible in the cold.
   The dust from Otto's bottle purged the zombified arms around the group, sizzling and eating away at the undead flesh. An alchemical reaction, sparkless, no fires. And the arms all but disintegrated within seconds.
   Volkhard's prompt got Merissa thinking quickly. The room was getting colder and colder by the second. She had some history with Strathus. Knew him as a friend, before he disappeared down into the murky depths of his own arcane research and experimentation. He was a young man once, just as she was a young woman. Perhaps there was something they still had in common.
   "Strathus, dear," Merissa said from behind Volkhard, her voice and body shivering, "surely this can wait until later. Yes, I know, you're concerned about these illusions, but they're really no trouble. Come now, we simply must have that cup of tea. Catch up. Talk about the old days and what's happened as of late."
   Sharon quivered. Her shirt felt wet. A quick glance. Purple-colored droplets of liquid were forming on her sleeve and soaking into the cloth. The gases from the Ignis Root and Crystal Vane mixture in the walls were becoming liquid from the cold.
   Time was running short.
   "Merissa, what are—?"
   Merissa raised a hand behind Volkhard's back.
   And she continued, doing her best to keep her voice level and unshaken, "You remember the good times, yes? The daring days of heists and good, clean thievery. Back when the coffers of nobility were overflowing before all this civil war nonsense. You remember Charles, our old nemesis, hmm? Funny how life turns out, but I married him, you know. Settled down quite a bit. Had a son that looks just like him. Niko."
   Even in his lich form, Strathus seemed caught by surprise. His interest piqued. "A son?"
   The cold continued to intensify. Droplets of the liquefied gases collecting on the muddy floor and the walls and dripping from the ceiling.

Elector Count of WAAAGH!

Otto backed up to the group, backed stright into Sharon then stopped. His eyes were darting back and forth, as if looking for somthing.

"What ever your saying keep it up, he seems intreasted." Otto hissed at the group, not turning his head back for a moment. "Hurry! The potion's effect will not linger forever."

"You heard the man." said Volkhard in the booming voice. "Keep going! I will be your shield!"

Valtxr

   Sharon flinched when Otto bumped into her. Did a double-take just to make sure it was him. And she joined him in scanning the room once he mentioned the effects of the potion being short on time.
   Merissa shifted closer to Volkhard, pressing herself against his body for the meager warmth. Her head poked out from behind his shoulder and arm to keep eye contact with Strathus. It must of looked awfully strange from the sorcerer's perspective, had he the wherewithal to notice.
   "Oh yes. A son, if you can believe it. Imagine me, a mother." She laughed. A strained and almost tortured sound as the intensifying cold drove icy daggers into her throat and lungs. "And what of you, Strathus? Dare I say it, but you sounded like you've settled down some."
   A quick change.
   Strathus' skin reformed on his bones. The zombified hands sank back into the muddy ground, and then the ground itself morphed back into wood. And the cold dissipated in the span of a few seconds, the liquefied gases evaporating near instantaneously.
   All was normal again. And Strathus seemed to have forgotten all about the "illusions", his mind focused now on a different subject.
   "I, too, am not above the temptations of the flesh, for I also have a son," he said. "One that I had not mentioned when we worked together. One that has of late...distanced himself from me." A glance to Sharon. A rush of air into the intake valve of his mask. "You said that you have come here to speak? That you wished to ask something of me? Yes. Yes, perhaps something could be arranged."
   A sigh of relief from Sharon. "Yes. I do need ask something of you. Is it possible for you to remove a curse? From a friend of mine?"
   "Tell me the nature of this curse."
   "It..." Sharon thought hard on how to word it, "...is some kind of black magic, or magic that turned her skin black. On her chest. Her heart, specifically. It's contained by some—what do you call 'em—runes? Runes. The mage who cursed her said the runes will break if she kills anyone, and that she'd be consumed by the magic."
   "Tell me...did your friend accept this curse upon her soul willingly? Or was it done against her will?"
   Sharon swallowed. Unsure if the answer would ruin her chance of getting Strathus' help. "She...willingly. She accepted it willingly."
   Strathus tilted his head up. "Ahhh...perhaps we can make an exchange."
   Sharon stepped out in front of the group. "Please, I'll pay you whatever you want."
   "I have no need for money, young girl. Know that I have all of the necessary reagents for the incantation your friend requires. All except...one. And this is where you can do something for me."
   "Alright. I'll get it. Tell me. What's the one thing you're missing?"
   The slow hiss of an exhalation from Strathus' mask valves. "An unwilling soul."
   Sharon slowly turned her head. Glanced over her shoulder back at Merissa and Volkhard and Otto. Even in the dim light, the worry and apprehension on her face plain as day.

Elector Count of WAAAGH!

Volkhard lowered his shield near his upper body, but his body position indicated that he was at the ready, watching the mage closely with a strong grip on his mace.

"I can bring you several." Otto said, rather boldly one might add. He had taken a step forward as he said that, his chin held up. "Granted there are no restriction to who this soul is?"



Valtxr

   "Yes. It must be my son, Michael," Strathus said to Otto, his mind having entirely drifted from the notion that the man was an illusion. "I wish for him to be returned to me. And he will bear this curse in the stead of the friend in question."
   Thoughts raced through Sharon's mind. A conflict: Disbelief, that Otto would simply play into the mage's sick demand, coupled in the very same moment with a solid respect for Otto's willingness to do what seemed necessary.
   If only it were so easy for Sharon.
   But she could already feel herself slipping inevitably down. Sinking into the murk of what she knew she would do. Of the moral line she knew she was all too willing to cross.
   Still, she fought against it.
   "No," Sharon said firmly. "There has to be another way."
   "This is the way."
   Her nostrils flared. "Bullshit."
   Merissa glanced at Sharon. An uncertain look.
   And then Sharon whipped out her pistol. Snapped the dog's head back. Raised the gun into the air, her finger on the trigger. Prepared to fire. The deadly spark it would produce a threat to everyone.
   "You have to do better than that, mage," Sharon said, her mouth twisting into a vicious snarl when she spoke the last word.
   Merissa, an actual look of nervousness ruining her normally unflappable demeanor, said cautiously, "Sharon, we can simply—"
   "I will not allow you to infect an innocent man, your own son, with that vile magic," Sharon said to Strathus, interrupting Merissa. "You can cure it from my friend. I know you can. Don't lie to me. There must. Be. A way."
   A rush of air from his mask. And Strathus, unfazed by the threat of the gun in Sharon's hand, said, "Perhaps there is. Perhaps there is not. It changes nothing. This is the offer you have been given."
   Merissa looked to Otto. To Volkhard. Unsure, for once, of what to do.
   Sharon's hand shook with a growing rage. The pistol trembling in the air.
   No one deserved a fate that horrible, to be eaten alive by black magic. That's what Sharon told Gabriel over two months ago about the very same curse. And even if Strathus' son, Michael, was the most gentle man who ever lived and would never harm a fly and thus would never break the seal on the curse, simply having that vile magic, that darkness deep inside your own heart, was still too much. Horrific in its own right. A sickening taint that would scar the soul.
   Sharon thought all this about Aven's curse, and now Strathus, this repulsive mage, wanted her to willingly put that curse on someone. To actively participate in his disgusting arcane wiles.
   Sharon clenched her teeth. Pursed her lips.
   And she knew she would.
   She knew this was the evil she was willing to commit. The necessary evil that would allow her to do what she felt was good and righteous.

Elector Count of WAAAGH!

Sharon would feel a hand resting on her shoulder, it was from Otto.

"You're not going to help your friend if he's dead...or we're blown to kingdom come." He said, his tone still remaining as raspy.

Normally he was never the one to really talk, he never had to with his business, but at the moment it seemed that thing they were after here was about to be splattered against the walls if he did nothing.

Otto stared at the mage with a dead stare. "What has your son done to warrant this?"

Valtxr

   Sharon's finger slipped away from the trigger.
   Otto was right. Strathus either saw right through her bluff or wasn't intimidated in the slightest. A feeble play on her part, a futile struggle against giving in to the deal. Against doing something she felt to be utterly reprehensible.
   She closed her eyes for a moment. Lowered the pistol back down to her side and carefully rode the dog's head forward with her thumb into the safe position and holstered the gun.
   This was the one path forward. This is what she warned Siro about. This is what Sharon feared might happen today.
   Even good deeds could you cost a part of your soul.
   Strathus swept his hand in a slow and wide gesture as he replied to Otto. "He has drifted from me. I wish for him to be my apprentice, to learn the crafts that I have mastered. He has always been resistant to my will, but it is when he married his wife, Emogene Armstrong, that he truly distanced himself from me—even taking on her family name." A hiss of air flowing into his mask. "And she converted him to Ansgarism. An abhorrent faith, intolerant of the true nature of this world."
   He looked to Merissa. To Volkhard and Otto. And to Sharon. "Michael has been in contact with the Reajh military. Telling them of the men and women like Fallah, and of the mages they hide. And today, he will tell them about me. A minor inconvience for me, but an opportunity for you."
   "Fine. We'll do it," Sharon said, the words bitter in her mouth. "Tell us everything you know."
   A rush of air from his mask. "Of course. Michael has indeed promised to tell the military about me, but he is fearful. For his family. And for his soul." A stifled laugh. "He desperately wishes to confess his so-called sins at the Church of Ansgar's Eternal Glory before he imparts my location to the military. But he fears a retaliatory strike from the hidden mages of Reajh and from myself, and has been in the protective custody of a heavy cavalry unit named Ansgar's Hand."
   Sharon's eyes went wide. Ansgar's Hand. The unit Aven had infiltrated. And there was no telling how deep his corruption went.
   Strathus continued. "Today, Michael will be exposed. He and his family will be escorted through Reajh by a small squad of these Ansgar's Hand cavalrymen to the Church. Steal him away, return him to me, and I will perform the ritual you desire."
   Lacking any of her earlier hesitation, Sharon glanced at both Otto and Volkhard. "Listen, I know neither of you signed up for this. Attacking a military convoy. I get it. But I need you on this. I'll pay you both double."
   "Sharon, dear," Merissa said, "Take a moment to think—"
   "This is what I have to do, Merissa. And I'm doing it."
   Sharon already knew what concerned Merissa. Mr. Winters' rule: Reajh authorities were not to be killed, or even harmed, by anyone in his employ; it brought too much heat to his criminal business. Anyone who broke this rule would be marked for death, simple as that. And it wasn't just Sharon and Merissa who would be in danger, either. Charles, Niko, and Siro's lives would be forfeit if Sharon and Merissa were discovered attacking members of Ansgar's Hand.
   The first step on a long and dangerous road.
   But a step well worth taking.

Elector Count of WAAAGH!

Otto took a moment to stare at Sharon. There was something about her that he almost could say that he admired, that determination...pity though, brave and logic are a rare pair.

When she looked back at Otto, he took his hand off of her and took a step back. When Sharon was talking to Melissa, Otto glanced at Volkhard, who was giving him just as much of a questionable look.

"I believe we need a minutes to ourselves to think about this." This time, Volkhard was the first to speak up. "Tell you what, why don't you let us go for now. We come back with your son, you know what we want. If the guards come for you first, well then you know we've turned you down...not that be a problem for you. It's a minor inconvenience, as you say."

Valtxr

   "Of course," Strathus said. With a quick hand gesture, the iron door swung open on its own. Then, particularly to Sharon, he said, "But you will be back. Because you desire something that only I can provide."
   Sharon's lips curled in disgust, but she said nothing. Only turned and left.

   Sharon climbed up the ladder to the shop's back room, followed by Merissa. Fallah, who stood by the door and had it cracked open slightly for the light, lit the lantern in her hand once she saw them.
   "You can't do this, Sharon," Merissa said.
   "You're wrong," Sharon said. "Because I can. I have to. And I will."
   A tired smile. "I can hardly imagine that you'd be helping anyone if you wound up dead, Sharon. Didn't our dear friend Otto say something similar only moments ago?"
   Sharon shook her head. "You weren't there. In Cerenis. You didn't see that fucking dungeon with your own eyes. Maybe you'd understand if you did."
   A strained effort to remain cordial from Merissa. "Sharon. You know the rule, dear. We cannot harm any Reajh authorities. That's the end of the story. A dreadful thing, that curse on Ms. Rains, but unfortunately Strathus is unwilling to bargain—"
   "What happened to you, Merissa? Huh? The "legendary" thief you claimed to be? You lose your damn spine? Or were you always so yellow?"
   "Be careful with your words, Sharon. I may very well be one of few friends you can truly depend on in your little endeavor."
   Sharon scoffed. "That remains to be seen, doesn't it?"
   Merissa turned to Volkhard. "Volkhard, dear, my sincerest gratitude for your services today. It is most unfortunate that Strathus happened to be so obstinate, but such is life. Sharon will be along shortly to provide payment for services rendered."
   Sharon turned to Otto. "Don't listen to her. We're not done here, okay? This isn't about what's directly in front of us; it's about the big picture. This is the first step on the road to something that will do Reajh a whole lot of good. It's an ugly first step, for sure, but I can't do what I need to do without Jessos' know-how. And if this is what it's gotta be, then so be it."
   Merissa. "You're a good man, aren't you, Volkhard? Surely you know that this is a fool's errand. Our mistake, to think that Strathus would demand something reasonable for his services. My apologies for wasting your time."
   Sharon. "Otto. Look. You were ready to hand over an unwilling person to Strathus. Didn't even think twice about it. What difference does it make if the one person Strathus wants happens to have a little guard force with him? If we pull this off right, they won't even know what happened. No one will."
   Sharon and Merissa glanced to one another. At-odds looks from each.

Elector Count of WAAAGH!

Otto was the first to pop out of the hole, followed by Volkhard and his clanking armor. The two stood side by side, watching the two women go at each other. When they had stop, the two men looked at each for a brief moment, before looking back.

Once again, Volkhard was the first to speak. "Although I no longer believe in the church, but uh...your asking me to attack fellow countrymen; military personnel, heavy cavalry no less."

"The man has also done nothing wrong." Otto said as Volkhard finished. "The men I've elected to bring here have done far worse; they would've have ended up as examples to the rest..."

"Besides, might lose my credibility with the military lads here if I'd just up and attacked one of they're unit's, never mind it being a suicide mission with just 4 of us." Volkhard said, at first frowning, before he gave a sigh. "What exactly happened to your friend that cursed her? Or him?"



Valtxr

   Sharon tossed her hands up in an exasperated way when Volkhard asked his question. "Unbelievable. I already told you. Remember? A mage named Aven Alveron attacked us and put that curse on Jessos." And with a quick glare to Otto, added, "And she didn't deserve what happened to her either. I don't fucking feel good about Michael and what Strathus wants. Not one bit. But I'm not only doing this to help out a friend in need, I'm doing this for a larger. Cause. Okay? More important than either me or Jessos."
   Merissa, feeling vindicated that both Volkhard and Otto had opted for her restrained approach, said with confidence, "Sharon, surely there is another way. Perhaps we—"
   "You were the one who suggested Strathus to me, Merissa! And now we know he can do what I need! This is it!"
   "You need Jessos' experience. Her advice and guidance. That's the end game here, not Michael. Perhaps we can simply talk to her. Convince her—"
   "That won't work. One, because she hates my guts for what I did in Cerenis, and second, because she won't settle for just being an adviser. Not after what Deegan did to her. I need to give her back what she lost, what I had to take from her to keep her alive. Purpose. Purpose, Merissa. You understand?"
   Merissa opened her mouth to speak again, but Sharon held up her hand. Interrupting her.
   "Listen. Volkhard. Otto. This doesn't have to be a suicide mission. I wouldn't even give it a moment's thought if I thought it was one. But we can do this. We can come up with a plan. Disguises. A distraction. Something. Whatever it takes to be in and out like ghosts. Okay?"

Elector Count of WAAAGH!

"Alright lass, slow down." Volkhard said as he brought his mace onto his shoulder. "Again, I don't think assaulting heavy cavalry, heavy armored cavalry, on foot. Even if we did have a plan, 4 is still to low of a number for us to pull off anything effective."

Volkhard looked between the two women as he said the next part. "Have you thought about other options? Going out of the country to seek help? Maybe Serendipity? I'm pretty sure there are stronger mages there who'd work for less."

Valtxr

   Sharon shook her head, a plain look of loathing spreading across her face.
   Useless. All three of them. Volkhard refused to think outside the box, Otto—surprisingly—was too caught up in Michael's innocence, and Merissa worried about getting caught too much to even try.
   And try going out of the country? Sharon could barely stomach meeting one mage in the middle of Reajh, much less traveling abroad again to lands full of them and disgusting non-humans. And how could she even convince Jessos to travel with her on an uncertain mission into unfamiliar lands to meet random unknown mages in the vague hope that one of them might be able to do what was necessary? Or, worse, what if Sharon did find such a mage? If Jessos—in all likelihood—wasn't with her, then Sharon would have traffic a filthy mage into Reajh, and she'd be responsible for making Reajh that much worse with the presence of more vile magic.
   No. Sharon would have none of it.
   So she scoffed. Raised her hands up in a dismissive manner. Said, "You know what? We're done here." She turned swiftly on her heel and started toward Fallah and the door. "Come on. Back to Reajh's Finest; that's where your payments are stashed. You two can take your money and run with your tails tucked between your legs."
   Sharon pushed past Fallah, almost knocking the woman over, and shoved the door open. Stormed through the front of the shop and shoved the front door open and stepped outside onto the street.
   And she pinched the bridge of her nose with her index finger and thumb.
   So this was how it was going to have to be. Once she ditched Volkhard, Otto, and Merissa, she'd have to figure out a way to extract Michael from the Church and the Ansgar's Hand soldiers.
   By herself.

   Merissa watched Sharon push past Fallah and storm out of the shop.
   And she looked up to Volkhard. A motherly look, one of clear disappointment for what she had witnessed. She sighed. "It would seem that the fires of youth burn a bit too brightly, at times."

Elector Count of WAAAGH!

"Can't say I'd disagree with ya. I've seen men in their youth think that they'd be invincible enough ta take on the world." Volkhard said, giving another sigh.  "It was back in the army...needless to say it did not end well."

Otto had put away his knife and now had his hands in his pockets. He said nothing, as he stared ahead after Sharon.

"Keep an' eye on her." said Volkhard directly to Melissa."Make sure she ain't doing anything she'd regret."

Valtxr

   "I'll have a little chat with her," Merissa said. Then she gestured her head toward the door leading out of the back room. "Shall we go then? We've still got the small matter of your payment to attend to."
   With a smile, Merissa walked out of the back room and out of the shop.
   And Fallah watched her go. Didn't think too much about what might of happened down there with Strathus.

* * * * *

   Back to Reajh's Finest.
   In addition to providing a secure place to conduct secret meetings, the proprietors of the inn also offered to hold onto sensitive and valueable items for their clients. It was often the case with such meetings that neither party wanted to arrive with their respective items or currency on hand. Only when some form of cordial agreement had been met was it safe to show the goods, and that's when the proprietors would withdraw the items from their hidden cache.
   Merissa had done this with Sharon's money, the payment for Volkhard and Otto. So she went inside the inn while Sharon waited outside, in the same spot beside the front doors as earlier in the day.
   Sharon didn't bother to try to hold a conversation with either Volkhard or Otto. Didn't even look at them. Too busy thinking. Planning. The walk from Fallah's Remedies back to the Finest gave her plenty of time to test out a variety of strategies in her mind. And one stood out as being the most viable for a solo mission.
   She couldn't go in and try to grab Michael covertly. Not during the convoy to Church nor when he was in the Church itself. Too many people would probably be present. Needed an elaborate distraction and/or disguised accomplices running misdirection and playing key parts in a well-thought-out ploy to get Michael out without being noticed.
   No. As crazy as it sounded in her head, she'd have to go loud. Violence of action from the start. Generate as much chaos as possible. Slip away in the confusion.
   And Strathus had just the thing for the job in his lair.
   Crates and crates of highly explosive Ignis Root-Crystal Vane mixture.
   And as Sharon thought about it.
   She smirked.
   Ever so slightly.

Elector Count of WAAAGH!

Volkhard sat their, counting his coins, seperating them out from the rest of his payments.. After a bit of time, he pushed a few into his palms, before pocketing them into his own money bag.

He then took the rest of his payment, and tossed the money bag back at the two women. "Keep the rest, I only need a few for eating and sleeping, maybe the occasional polish for the armor and a drink for this old soul."

Otto had already pocketed his share without a word or bother to count the coins. He just sat at the table, arms folded, a untouched mug of alcohol in front of him, as he stared at Sharon without a word.

"Money ain't much to an old soldier like me." said Volkhard as he grabbed his mug from the table. "Don't have much to spend it on...though, a good story to humor me is something I value a little more."

He took a swig from his mug, before looking over. "This Aven fella, ya said he had something to do with the Hand of Ansger?"

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