EarthDawn: A Brave New World - [ED] Catslayer

[Atomicweasel]

The Catslayer was dancing against the shadows of his imagination. He spun and twisted, jerking back with a swift shuffle of wings and feet, then twirled and drove his blade into the heart of some phantom foe. Like his short unkempt hair, The Catslayer’s weapon was as white as snow—though it was now ages past since any in Kaer Nilak had seen snow. The sword flashed as it rose and dipped and struck at nothing. It seemed a part of Catslayer’s arm, it seemed a part of his soul. Every movement begun with the sword. Every movement ended with it. The Catslayer’s light marble red skin shone with sweat. His dark brown eyes were fixed with murderous intent, staring a challenge at the unseen enemies that surrounded him. He wore big leather boots with straps and buckles and dark bravo-style pants accented with a sash the color of a blood orange. Around his neck there dangled a massive hooked tooth from a leather cord. The Catslayer was a fearsome sight to behold...as Windlings went.

A small group of children sat watching, trying to follow the ebb and flow of The Catslayer’s slashes and parries and ripostes. They strove to see the same invisible ruffians, cutthroats and bandits upon which The Catslayer waged his brutal war. “Cut their edds off, Catslayah!” one of them cried.

“Put their eye out!” Shouted little Beren, whose mother had often warned him against just such a peril.

[Stargaizer]

One by one the shadow men fell. It wouldn't be fair to say that they didn't stand a chance, but Catslayer cut them down with precision and efficiency. There were only two left when he heard a sound that he would never forget. It was a deep, gutteral growl and all the children gasped in fear. Around the corner prowled a giant cat, half again taller than Spooky had ever hoped to be, and blacker than the kaer with no lights. His eyes literally burned with green flames that licked and danced as he moved, and around his neck was a collar with a large golden disk that read Spooky the Horror in small bones.

This was a 'show' that Catslayer and the windling illusionist Gothrick put on occasionally for the youngsters, when enough of them were drawn to Catslayer's practice.

All of the younglings shrieked, some in genuine terror, and others in the giddy fright of someone who knows that they're safe but is scared anyway. For his part, even knowing it was an illusion, his heart quickened, his adrenaline started pumping, and Catsbane longed for the illusory blood that pumped through the phantasmal veins of the apparition in front of him.

growling cat short.mp3

[Atomicweasel]

With a mighty roar—insofar as a Windling is capable of a roar—Catslayer launched himself into the air like a missile. “Creature! In my hand I hold your fate!” Catslayer shook his sword at the black beast below him, jinking sharply to one side as it hissed and swatted at him, tail lashing back and forth in the direction of the younglings. “This is Catsbane and I am The Catslayer! This night we shall spill your blood so that you may never again spill ours!”

While Gothrick fought to stifle his chuckling, Catslayer lanced down at the enormous Spooky. Sword clashed against claw and improbable sparks flew. Slowly, Catslayer was driven back, dodging and slashing and stabbing as Spooky growled and raked his claws and swished his tail and opened his mouth wide to show the rows of glistening white fangs. When Catslayer took to flight, Spooky leapt after him, forcing him to veer sharply back to the ground. In this way they danced, almost but never finding the mark with their flurry of strikes, until, at last, Catsbane swung in an upward arc, shearing the snarling beast’s right ear in twain.

The massive black cat howled with rage and slammed a paw into Catslayer’s chest, sending him smashing to the ground and skidding into the circle of children. There it pounced, landing atop its prey and shrieking furiously as illusory blood ran from the ragged flap of ear. A winded Catslayer recovered just as Spooky made to bite off his head, and drove the deadly sharp tip of Catsbane into the neck of his eternal foe.

The children were treated to an arterial spray of blood that spurted out all over them, hot and wet and sticky. Catslayer planted both feet and shoved, tipping Spooky’s corpse off to one side. He scrambled shakily to his feet just as the illusion disappeared and the children’s horrified screams turned to cheers. He had run the performance with Gothrick dozens of times, maybe hundreds—usually for the paying customers of the Hammer—but he never got used to the raw and terrible fear. It stuck with him, setting his heart to racing even as he smiled for the young Windlings and struck a heroic pose with his blade.

[Stargaizer]

The children all laughed and cheered and huddled around Catslayer asking everything from if that was how it really happened to if he could take care of the monster under their beds. They hardly noticed as Gothrick came out from around his corner and took a bow. When he didn't get the same mob as his partner, he heaved a mock sigh and fake pouted for a moment before breaking out in a smile and laughter at the sight.

As grateful as Catslayer was for the attention, it was also a relief when the parents came in and ushered the children away for lunch, a bath or some other activity.

It was only then that Gothrick came up and put his arm around Catslayer's shoulder, laughing again. "That never gets old, does it?"

[Atomicweasel]

“Old?” The Catslayer watched the children depart for their lunches and baths. Their little wings hummed frantically as they raced one another, dipping and rising and cutting through the air. How could a child imagine herself dead? Catslayer thought. She couldn’t, with her mind so preoccupied with the smallest joys and simplest challenges. The smell of a pie. The feel of the earthy dirt between the toes. Some misperceived slight from a little friend. These were the cares of a child. Not dark and horrible beasts with the reek of death on their tongues.

“How could I ever grow weary of slaying such a monster?” Catslayer wondered whether Gothrick could smell the stink of his fear. He spun away before the tremble in his shoulders could betray him, and slapped his friend’s arm. “Have a drink waiting for me at the Hammer. I feel a hero’s thirst.”

The Catslayer’s sash swirled as he turned and walked away from Gothrick. There was nothing awaiting him at his home, save the sad eyes and empty silences of his wife, Semaki, but he went there anyway. The divide between them had become a gulf, the chill a permafrost. And still, as he alit onto the landing shelf his modest home was built upon and pushed past the beaded curtain that marked the door, The Catslayer allowed himself to hope. In life, his daughter Luna had filled the house with her gleeful shrieks, the music of her laughter, the magic of her playfulness. In death, she filled the house still. With the loneliness of her absence. With the terrible sweet scent of her that lingered on the blankets. With every fine memory of her that struck from nothing—there might come an image of her fencing with a spoon, or fleeing her mother round the house, or tucked up tight and slumbering—like an arrow.

“I’m home,” Catslayer announced.

[Stargaizer]

The house was immaculate, it always was. There was also a dreariness about it, Semaki for all her beauty and Catslayer for all his flamboyancy both seemed to suck the light and warmth out of it.

There was a slight flutter of wings, as the temperature dropped a few degrees. "Well, well, the great hero has nothing better to do? Or are you just stopping by for another change of clothes?" As she flitted through the entryway, drink in hand, her perfume mixed with the smell of her cooking wafted across his face. "I didn't know you were coming back today, so I didn't fix you anything." There was no apology in her silky voice nor in the way that she held her stunningly gorgeous body.

There had been a time when the mere hint of her perfume made his heart pump and the sight of her took his breath away. Now, the smell of her slightly turned his stomach and the sight of her made images of Luna dance before his eyes, breaking his heart all over again.

The pain of it all almost brought a tear to his eyes; and it made that 'hero's thirst' of his multiply tenfold.

[Atomicweasel]

“Ah. There you are.” The Catslayer wanted nothing better than to cross the short distance to his wife and take her in his arms. With a kiss the like of which has only been known in legend he would melt the ice of her heart and mend the rent in his own. Such a simple thing to hold her and love her again and close the rift between them once and for all. He had only to reach out for her. To speak a kind word...but pride held his limbs fast and sharpened his tongue. “I had wondered from whence that frosty breeze. As for supper you needn’t bother yourself Precious,” Now Catslayer did move. Breaking free of his paralysis he leapt past Semaki, snatching the drink from her hand and twirling away as he gulped down its contents. So quick was he, so nimble, that a snake might have looked slow beside him. He slapped the empty drink down on a shelf and puffed out his bare chest. “I’ll take my meal at the Hammer, where I’m less likely to find ground glass mixed in it.”

He squinted at Semaki, an unspoken challenge. “What of my dueling scarves? Do they remain unfixed as well? Or by some small grace of fortune have they found their way to a washing?”

[Stargaizer]

Semaki jumped a little as Catslayer grabbed the drink from her hand. She watched as he downed it with little regard for what was in it and put it on the shelf, then she walked up the stairs, pushed by Catslayer just slightly, grabbed the glass and headed back into the dining room to top it back off.

The press of her against him, even if it was angry, fanned the flames that still burned in Catslayer. In fact, the headiness of it distracted him to the point that he didn't even notice that she slowed as his words sunk in. He didn't even notice as she spun on her heels and threw the glass at his head. It took the glass shattering against the wall and the sharp pain as shards of glass nicked him and tiny flecks embedded themselves into both his skin and his clothing.

Her voice quickly rose to a screech loud enough that any horror within a mile of the kaer would probably hear. "Glass in your food?! You think I want you dead?! I don't want you dead! I WANT YOU HERE!" With that she collapsed on the ground in a heap, racked with her sobbing. Her next words came between sobs, just barely audible after the mighty shout that had just emanated from her small, lithe, seductive frame.

"Curse you... and your... tainted scarves... go... be with... your mistress..."

Of course, by mistress she meant Gothrick, the Hammer, his Discipline, and everything that kept him away from her. It wasn't the first time she had referred to them as such.

And, of course, his dueling scarves were hanging up, in his room. Perfectly in place, perfectly clean, perfectly pressed, and just basically, perfect.

Despite the ache in her heart after having lost both a child and a husband, Semaki never failed in her duties as a wife. Truth be told, for a good long while after Catslayer had started taking his meals at the Hammer he would come back home and find a cold plate of food waiting on him; and every time that there was a chance he might be home for a meal, he found one waiting on him still. She made sure that the only thing her husband wanted for... was his wife...

...but of course, it seemed as if that was the one thing he didn't want anymore...

[Atomicweasel]

I am the villain. Not her. The epiphany struck Catslayer with the suddenness of shattered glass. Long had he blamed Semaki for their estrangement. She had seemed distant and curt and sharp-tongued when he had wanted her warmth and comfort. He had blamed her, most of all, because she seemed to have recovered from Luna's death. Instead of hurling herself at monsters, real and imaginary, she had gone on with the little details of living. He saw now that she had not, as he had loathed her for doing, moved on...she had simply kept going. And if she had not reached out to him and embraced him during the worst of his sorrow it was because he had decided not to share that sorrow with her. Instead he had shouldered it himself, and the only thing he had given his beautiful wife in the long years since Luna's death was his back. What fault of hers was it that his love for her had died with Luna? What fault of hers that she was the last link to his old life? He had re-invented himself. Re-Named himself. Because I am a coward. Because I cannot face the past as she can, I despise her and I run from the memories we share.

This realization stuck in Catslayer's craw as he watched his weeping wife. He pushed his tongue against his tooth as if the feeling were something he could dislodge, like a bit of stuck potato. I ought to go to her. I ought to hold her and tell her that I love her and that all be well and we will be together again as we once were.

"Well." The Catslayer heard himself say. The voice he spoke with sounded distant and small. The word hung in the air. He licked the dryness from his lips and opened his mouth, but there was nothing more to say. Why should he add being a liar to his faults. He could tell Semaki that they were young. That there was still time to have more children, but even the thought of it curdled like spoiled milk. He wanted no other child. He wanted Luna and nothing else. "I had better go then." he concluded lamely. He went to his room and fixed the bright white scarf in place with trembling hands. Moments later he had flown past Semaki, whose hunched shoulders still shook from silent sobs, and out the door.

At the Hammer he would find warmth, camaraderie and adventure--even if it was make believe.

[Stargaizer]

As the Catslayer flew towards the Hammer, the sobs of Semaki assaulted him far longer than his ears were able to hear them. In fact, he was tormented by them until he noticed other strange happenings. There were more police around than he had ever seen, and he could hear whispers of 'mad wizard', 'might've killed someone' and several variations of exploding something.

When he got within sight of the Hammer, he finally understood the whispers. The door was completely missing... well not so much missing as lying in splinters in the middle of the road. There were several people sitting on the opposite side of the street with healers milling about. The Catslayer wasn't able to tell the full extent of the injuries, but it looked like simple cuts and scrapes were the order of the day.

Shortly after he arrived, he noticed someone walking out, trying to draw as little attention to himself as possible. Catslayer remembered that his name started with an E, but more importantly he was the eldest son of the leader of the kaer's human wizards. Unfortunately for him though, everybody was watching every person who walked through the now empty door frame, and once the people realized who this person was, they mobbed him. It wasn't the mob as if he had caused it, but Catslayer could tell that this boy had something to do with what had happened.

Of course, the mob focusing on the eldest son of the first wizard was a perfect time for Catslayer to dart into the Hammer...

That is if he still wanted to get in.

[Atomicweasel]

The Catslayer was not one to shy away from an opportunity, or leave his curiosity unsatisfied. With the mob distracted by the boy and the police distracted by the mob, the Catslayer zipped right between a pair of legs and settled into a graceful and silent glide that took him past the destroyed door and into the Hammer. Swooping over the sawdust strewn floor, the Catslayer saw something that gave him pause. A Windling-sized body lay on the ground, covered in a white sheet. The sheet was tented by something big that stuck up out of the body, and as he watched through squinted eyes, the Catslayer saw the round circle of blood that stained the sheet begin to widen.

The sight gave the Catslayer pause, but only for a moment. In an instant, with a rapid fluttering of his wings, he had alit beside the body and bent to raise up the sheet. No. There lay his dear friend Gothrick. The second man in his one man show. His side-kick...with a shard of wood thrusting from a blood drenched chest, mouth wide with shock, eyes open and unseeing.

Then there were voices, hushed and low, coming from the back-stairs. The Catslayer dropped the sheet and flew around the kitchen. It was not until he came upon the first wizard, dragging a young boy out the back way into the alley that he realized he was holding Catsbane in his hand. His clenched fist throbbed around the solid pommel. It felt good.

"HOLD!" Catslayer cried, darting in front of the wizard and the boy and hovering before them. "Explain yourself, First Wizard, slinking from this place of foul murder like some common thief! EXPLAIN YOURSELF!" The Catslayer roared...as best a Windling can roar.

[Gamrin]

Continued from here

The young boy turned his head towards the sound of the yell. He didn't resist the man pulling him, but his eyes widened as he registered the weapon in the windlings hand. This was really, really not a great day.

Gamrin prepared himself to change direction in whatever manner his father commanded. He was not going to upset his father again over some little flutterball with an overdeveloped sense of ego. Even... gulp Even if his father was taking him to see Groon.

Not great at all.

[Stargaizer]

Renil held his ground against the accusing windling. He did, however, pull Gamrin around and behind him, putting him closer to the door and motioning behind his back for him to go on out.

To the windling, he looked shocked and taken aback. The Catslayer, however, could tell that he wasn't just standing there shocked. His hand gestures was actually him casting a spell. His entire body glowed, something that Catslayer hadn't ever seen before. In the middle of one of the gestures from his hand came a face composed of bright pastel colors that flew past Catslayer, out the door, and into the crowd gathered outside.

Once the spell had been cast, Renil's face changed to a satisfied smirk. His voice followed suit, "You might want to look behind you little flutter-fly." At that moment a human police officer came through the door, finger pointing at Catslayer.

"Hey, you! Windling! I need to talk to you!"

[Gamrin]

Gamrin took the hint, and went out the backdoor. He wasn't quite sure what was going on, but if father suggested he leave, well, he could do that. Taking one last look at the windbag, Gamrin gave in to his search for an outlet for the wonderful day he'd had so far and stuck his tongue out at it, before turning and darting out the back.

Gamrin looked about, trying to figure out where he actually was. Gamrin considered for a moment, then started walking towards where he figured Groon's home was. Walking with a purpose always seemed to keep people from bothering him, and his father could catch up with him when he got a chance. If he was going the wrong way, it would only add a few minutes to their walk, and standing where all the commotion seemed to be would probably just result in another unnecessary confrontation.

Gamrin nodded to himself, and settled a look of concentration on his face, moving at a steady but not swift pace.

[Atomicweasel]

The Catslayer did not turn to look behind him. He did not acknowledge the boy who taunted him--that affront he would tend to later...If I live to cure the first... His eyes stayed fixed on the First Wizard. "I have no need to look behind me, murderer. It is true, you are ugly beyond measure, but I shall not turn away." The Catslayer answered, his voice steady and cold. "You have shown yourself for what you are. My people are flies to you, to be killed without a care? Well, now I shall give you a care, filth. Dog. Donkey-bred effluence. I shall give you what you never gave Gothrick, you low base coward. You goat lover." The Catslayer spoke more quickly now, sensing the policeman coming up behind him. "I shall give you a chance to defend yourself."

Even as he uttered this last bit of venom, the Catslayer lunged, feinting low and then--with a fluttering burst from his wings--stabbing high at the wizard's neck, seeking his enemy's lifeblood with the deadly kiss of Catsbane...

[Stargaizer]

Gamrin's walk was fairly uneventful until he was stopped by a pair of elven police. "Are you Gamrin Bharit D'Nelin? Come with us please."

Meanwhile, back at 'The Hammer'

Catsbane did indeed taste blood, human blood this time. Catslayer's strike was right where the collarbone and sternum meet and went right through robe, chainmail, flesh and sinew. All the way down to bone.

It was then that everything changed.

The first wizard's eyes burned with the fire of a noble spurned by a commoner. Without even a word, his entire pattern flared astrally as he forced more power through himself than was safe.

That flare of power coming towards him was the last thing that Catslayer saw before he realized that he was so very tired and passed out into a deep, deep sleep.

-----------------------------

The police officer who was ready to jump in and break up the fight caught the falling windling before he hit the ground and hurt himself. But, by the time that he looked up, Renil was gone. That was ok though, they knew where he lived. He'd be questioned later. First things first; it was time to take this windling where he was supposed to go.

[RushingMountain]

Gamrin was starting to get worried when his father hadn't caught up with him yet. This was really not--

"Are you Gamrin Bharit D'Nelin?"

Gulp "Yes?"

"Come with us please."

Gulp "Okay."

What had happened to father?

[Stargaizer]

The two police officers led Gamrin away, towards the center of town without saying anything more.

To Be Continued...

[Atomicweasel]

The Catslayer rose unsteadily to his feet. He stood inside the Hammer, in a small circle of faint torch light. How he knew it was the Hammer he could not have said; the place was wreathed in black shadows. Darkness clung from the walls and the ceiling, blackened the windows and blotted out the door and stairway. And yet he knew this was the Hammer. It was not safe to fly in so much dark, so the Catslayer began to walk, reaching out cautiously to feel for the wall.

"Come and get your dinner. It's going cold." Semaki's voice rang out from the darkness. The Catslayer paused, looking up. Her voice seemed to come from the balcony of the second floor. "It's your favorite," she added as the Catslayer started uncertainly for the stairs. "stuffed potatoes."

Why can I not see? The Catslayer wondered. Even with his second sight, the darkness covered everything. Like a black fog it spread, washing over the tables and chairs, rising over the Catslayer's head. An inexorable tide. "I am coming." He called to his wife, but the darkness seemed to swallow his words. Only his mouth moved and the sound reached no further than the inside of his head.

"Cat got your tongue?" The voice was ancient and terrible, a rusty nail of a voice that wormed its way under the Catslayer's skin. It was a voice he had heard only once before, but could never forget.

He spun, and in the perfect dark there floated two glowing green eyes. "I killed you!" The Catslayer hissed in angry disbelief. Like a petulant child, he insisted, "I killed you! You're dead!"

"Haven't you heard, Flutterfly? We cats get nine lives..." The eyes lurched upwards as Spooky launched into his pounce. The Catslayer's hand flew to his scabbard...and found nothing. Catsbane was gone. He was defenseless.

*****

"NO!" The Catslayer awoke with a start, shivering, his heart in his throat.