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World of Darkness: The Academy - Chapter 2c: The Hunt


Thomas Burke

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August 18, 2008, just at sunset

The Grove

The wind makes an odd accompaniment to the music in their heads as the men gather. It is a little jarring to realize that there wasn’t a girl among them, though there are more girls at Dalton than boys. They were also all physically fit.

As the last member who didn’t resist joins the group, the music stops and the five look at one another. None of them were sure what to say, or why they’d walked out here.

Click to reveal..
Sorry to hijack your post, Thomas. Needed to happen, though. Wit+Composure check, please.

Thomas arrived her without knowing why? What was that song? Were had he eard it and why was it so familiar? Hell, at this universtiy, you had to wonder if this was a DeeK Attack - a kind of pharmacological violation were the treat always seemed great duringing inception tha the final executation.

Thomas really wished he hadn't given up smoking. Okay, he wished the'd started so he could really miss it at times like this. Burke pulled out his lighter and flicked it one cone, waving the flame about gently in the night air.

Nope, no hallucinations.

He heard someone else coming up and toyed with the idea of just beating feet, but ... odds are these would be students and he owed it to them to hang around on the off chance he wasn't a kill joy.

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The Grove

Jason had been feeling sick all day, but he wasn't going to let that stop him going in after the weirdness the other day. Indeed after that he had started wearing his pistol rig into school under a jacket, and a decent knife joined his Leatherman and Swiss Army knife on his belt.

When the music started he thought it was some trick of Deek's to start with, something with low power speakers around the school controlled to draw people in one direction. However, with his job he had access to the ladders and stuff to check that theory out and when it proved unfounded he guessed it had to be linked to the weirdness the other day.

Spotting the new teacher who had been stabbed, Burke, heading in the direction he also seemed to be drawn Jason pasued only long enough to grab a gardening tool belt and to load some of the empty pockets with some first aid essentials before following the music out into the woods.

Eventually he found himself arriving in a grove within the woods, with Burke there ahead of him.

"Thomas isn't it? How's the shoulder now?"

Click to reveal..

Wits + Composure = 5 dice

(01:55:59) ChatBot: (Jason) rolls 5d10 and gets 8,2,2,5,8.

2sux

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Even though Sean wasn't feeling well, he wasn't going to miss a day off. Besides, a little upset stomach was easy for him to ignore. Fight through the pain... and the sick. He spent some time in the gym, expelling some of last night's aggression on the the punching bag. Later in the afternoon, he spent some time running his own drills in the field.

As the sun was setting and he headed to take a shower, he heard an insistent music comeing from... nowhere, and yet it was pulling him somewhere. He shrugged it off. As he took a long shower, the music became ever more insisent. He dried off quickly, black hair still wet,and slipped on a silk soccer jersey and a pair of khaki shorts.

The music pulled him North then East pass the track. As he approached a clearing, he realized that there was already people there. Sean stepped pass the last of the screening trees, the fading sunlight throwing long shadows, reminiscent of a recently seen sword. "Jason, Thomas, what are you doing here? Did you hear it too?"

Click to reveal..
Wits+Composure

1d10=1, 1d10=4, 1d10=9, 1d10=7 = 1 success

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Micah slowly makes his way from the football field, where he was doing some wind sprints, over towards the woods where the music is apparently coming from. He tries to whistle along to the odd music but fails at keeping in sync. His feet are sure, and he smartly makes the trip to the location the music is focused upon. He comes to the grove and looks around, noticing Jason, Thomas and Sean. "Looks like a party... hopefully it'll end better than the last one."

Click to reveal..
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Click to reveal..

(20:52:40) ChatBot: (Thomas) rolls 6d10 and gets 5,3,3,7,3,9 = 1 successes


"Thomas isn't it? How's the shoulder now?"

That's Mother Natures way of tellin me not to date ouside my speicies without luring her through Airport Security," he joked. He still managed to rub the bandage on his shoulder."

As more arrive, he nods to each but murmurs,
"Let's see who else comes to this ... well ... whatever this is. Maybe someone will show up who knows something about the trail down here and the music."
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Jason nods to the others as they arrive from behind him, he moves around to the other side of the Grove keeping an eye out for any other strangers/strangeness to appear.

"Evening Sean, yeah I guess we all heard it. Micah, I certainly hope it wont turn out like that."

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Ryan lounged against the tree's trunk and tried to figure out where he'd heard the music before. It felt familiar and strange all at once. When the new teacher showed up Ryan was about to call out to him, maybe he had heard the music too, but instead others started to trickle into the glade and Ryan sat, perched really, high above their heads in the tree.

Originally Posted By: Thomas Burke
"Let's see who else comes to this ... well ... whatever this is. Maybe someone will show up who knows something about the trail down here and the music."

Ryan leapt down from his perch, bouncing off tree branches to mediate his descent until he hit the ground in a tumbling roll and came up on his feet as easy as could be. "Look out below!" he cried as he did and watched as they scattered and made an opening for him.

Click to reveal..

Stealth

(10:22:39) ChatBot: (Ryan_Jackson) rolls 8d10 and gets 2,10,1,6,1,8,3,10.

(10:22:47) ChatBot: (Ryan_Jackson) rolls 2d10 and gets 9,2.

Result = 4 sux

(10:25:41) (Ryan_Jackson): Athletics to climb/jump down, using Parkour 4 to make it a rote action

(10:25:47) ChatBot: (Ryan_Jackson) rolls 8d10 and gets 2,5,1,9,8,3,4,10.

(10:25:59) ChatBot: (Ryan_Jackson) rolls 7d10 and gets 3,3,2,1,10,4,8.

(10:26:04) (Ryan_Jackson): pop the 10s

(10:26:08) ChatBot: (Ryan_Jackson) rolls 2d10 and gets 2,6.

Result = 5 sux

Wits + Comp

(10:29:35) ChatBot: (Ryan_Jackson) rolls 5d10 and gets 8,4,2,10,4.

(10:29:38) ChatBot: (Ryan_Jackson) rolls 1d10 and gets 9.

Result = 3 sux

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The man stepped out of the concealing shadows, hands open before him. He wasn't like the intruders from last night, though he had some similarities. His long hair was dark, but he didn't have the milk-white skin; his tone was an odd gray, as if he were very sick from some wasting disease. Despite this odd tone, he moved easily, showing no signs of sickness, and stood tall and slim. His clothes were a dark, rich brown, finely made but oddly archaic. His open hands displayed two tattoos, one on each palm: his right hand held a stylized raven, while the left was decorated with strange symbols*.

His eyes were just as odd as last night's invaders; the sclera was darkened, yet the pupils and irises were white. It created an odd sense of vertigo, as if his eyes were pulling you into them.

"I come in peace, to help. My name is Brahn," he said, his voice a pleasing baritone. "You may examine me for weapons, if you desire. I am unarmed, as a sign of my good faith."

Click to reveal..
If you want a shot at discerning what the symbols on his left hand are, roll Intelligence + Academics, specialties in any of the Eastern European countries or Russia apply. To memorize the symbols is the same roll, while to catch the details of the raven marking is Wits + Crafts, specialties in tattoos, drawing or tribal art apply. Alternately, if your character can read Bulgarian, Russian, Belarusian, Serbian, Macedonian, or Ukrainian, you don't need to roll for the left hand; let me know and I'll PM you about what you do need to do. wink
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Ryan saw the strange man as he came out of the shadows. No way that was what it looked like. Maybe I am sick. The symbols on his left hand looked like some foreign language but the right hand, that was a Raven of some kind. Ryan stepped closed and took a long look, something familiar tripped in his mind as he looked at the man's hand.

Click to reveal..

(14:50:59) (Ryan_Jackson): Raven

(14:51:02) ChatBot: (Ryan_Jackson) rolls 2d10 and gets 5,10.

(14:51:05) ChatBot: (Ryan_Jackson) rolls 1d10 and gets 1.

(14:51:10) (Ryan_Jackson): symbols

(14:51:13) ChatBot: (Ryan_Jackson) rolls 2d10 and gets 7,6.

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Sean took a startled step back, then grinned as Ryan came hurling down from the trees. Damn thats cool.

Looking at the people gathered in the clearing, something began percolating through Sean's head, resonating with the odd melody. "Uh guys, didn't we all get numbered by Streaky? I got one, Micah got three, Jason four, and Ryan got tagged with eight. How about you Thom, did yo--" He shut his mouth abruptly as Dark Man stepped out of the concealing shadows. Stepped out of the shadows...? Whoa! His eyes!

Feeling a little bad for how things turned out last night, Sean was willing to give the Stranger the benefit of the doubt... for now. "I'm willing to take you at your word, until you prove it worthless or otherwise. Why are you here? Something to do with the Swordmaiden and the Douchebags Three?"

Sean noted some of the details of the raven; Carleton University, whose team was the Ravens, had sent a scout to see him. The odd symbol on Dark Man's hand however, inexplicably drew instant recognition. What the fu...?

Click to reveal..
Strange Symbol (Int + Academics)

1d10=8, 1d10=9, 1d10=10 = 3

1d10=7 = 0

3 total successes

Memorize Symbol (Int + Academics)

1d10=10, 1d10=2, 1d10=9 = 2 successes

1d10=6 = 0 Successes

2 total successes

Raven Details (Wits + Crafts)

1d10=6, 1d10=3, 1d10=10 = 1 success

1d10=6 = 0 successes

1 total success

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At the first sounds of movement in the tree above them jason was rolling across the ground and drawing his weapons. By the time that Ryan reached the grounds he was facing one of Jason's pistols in one hand and a combat knife in the other. The butt of another pistol could also be seen inside his open jacket.

Recognising who it was Jason slowly put his weapons away as he shook his head at the athletic young man, "That prank almost got you killed Jackson, I'd advise you to make your presence known around me in the future."

When the stranger appeared he almost drew again, but seeing the differences from the intruders the other day and his empty hands Jason decided to give the guy the benefit of the doubt. The images on his hands immediately drew Jason's eyes and he wracked his brain for there meaning and associations.

Click to reveal..

(20:31:35) (Jason): Int + Academics = 3dice

(20:31:40) ChatBot: (Jason) rolls 3d10 and gets 8,7,10.

(20:31:48) ChatBot: (Jason) rolls 1d10 and gets 7.

(20:31:55) (Jason): 2 sux

(20:32:36) (Jason): Int + Academics = 3 dice to memorize the symbols

(20:32:47) ChatBot: (Jason) rolls 3d10 and gets 7,2,10.

(20:30:24) ChatBot: Error: Connection status: 12152

(20:33:13) ChatBot: (Jason) rolls 1d10 and gets 7.

(20:33:28) (Jason): 1 sux

(20:33:53) (Jason): wits + crafts for Raven = 5d10

(20:34:01) ChatBot: (Jason) rolls 5d10 and gets 7,5,9,7,8.

(20:34:11) (Jason): 2 sux

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Thomas' hand went to a space under his left arm a shoulder holser might have concealed a gun, but nothing 'interesting' came out to meet Ryan.

He was getting ready to aske some probing questions himself when another God-Damn newcomer made is appearance.

Click to reveal..

(17:56:11) ChatBot: (Thomas) rolls 4d10 and gets 4,10,10,4.

(17:56:23) ChatBot: (Thomas) rolls 2d10 and gets 8,9 = 4 successes.

Memorization automatic.

Damn if things haven't gotten more fucked up here. Maybe we hould have all gotten guns upon arrival here.

"Okay, since no one claims credit for this guy ... Guy, I'm telling you to stand face first up against this tree." God, I feel like such an idiot. "place your hands against the tree above your head and your feet spread."

Without further preamble he pats down the guy while talking to him.

"So, buddy, were did you get the Ink ... the tatoos. What do they mean?"

Might as well give the guy some rope to hang himself by.

Click to reveal..

Wits+Investigate (18:03:18) ChatBot: (Thomas) rolls 5d10 and gets 8,3,2,8,4 = 2 successes for patting him down.

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Micah stared at the man as he emerged from the shadows, shaking his head. While the rest of the group seemed to accept the intruder, Micah clearly had some trouble adjusting to his sudden appearance. He walked up to the "man" while he was being frisked and whispered something in the intruder's ear.

Click to reveal..
Whispered: "How in the hell did you just do that, and why should we listen to you?"

Micah stands back and crosses his arms across his chest, awaiting the "creature's" response.

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Brahn did as Thomas asked, his strange eyes giving away no emotion. He seemed utterly relaxed as he was frisked down. Thomas found nothing dangerous on him. "The tattoos," Brahn said as casually as if they were sitting down to tea, "are personal marks of power. I could explain, if you have a few weeks to spare." The last was said without arrogance, merely a simple statement.

Micah's whisper brought those strange eyes flicking over to him. "That is a gift of my nature," he murmured back, then his voice rose as he added, "and you should listen to me because I have information about the invaders who were here last night."

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Sean nearly freaked when he saw Jason pull out the gun. After a moment, with his heart beating hard, counterpoint to the fey strains of music, he thought maybe the gun wasn't such a bad idea after all. He walked out of a fucking shadow! He folded his arms, hands fisted as Thomas frisked the Raven.

Raven and Zkran, gotta remember that. "I'm sure we would all like to know that, and where they, and you, come from. And what ever the numbers that one ass gave us mean."

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"Jason, put away the weapons. We have non student peoples whose guardians pay our salaies pesent, please."

He sighes leans up against the tree sighns.

"First off, Whomever you claim to be, I can't say we readily believe what the crazy woman and her three cronies blathered on about last night. Oh," he gesiticulates, "we are now sure she' bonkers, but that's not the same thing as being right. That being said, let's get some ground rules out of the way so we don't complicate this matter too much."

"All students, ask your questions to myself or Jason. We may have a limited number of questions we can ask, so let's not waste them. If Jason or I like the question, we will ask Mr. Whomever he is. If I or Jason has thier own question, we ask the other to ask the question for us, so we aren't total douches."

"Everyone good wit this being this way? After all, I have a first question and that is - How many questions can we ask of you?"

Thomas looks to Jason.

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Sean turned from the Raven to look at Thomas, one brow raised quizzically. Only a limited number of questions? What is he talking about? "Uhm, sure, okay. I don't know what you're talking about Thom, but whatever. Here are my Questions. One, what do the numbers that the guy with the streaked hair mean? Two, who and what are they? And three, where do they come from?"

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Thomas snorts. He follows up with an explaination.

"Last night our visitor upstairs only could provide us with two answers. One of us did gangbusters with the first question, then ... I sort of blew the second on the trying to calm her down phase."

"I'm trying to save all of you from ending up looking like me," he smiles.

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"I'm no Caramine, to weigh out each give and take like a tinker weighing scrap iron," Brahn said quietly, and there was a hard intensity to his voice. "I know you didn't mean offense, but implying to a Lhesi that he is acting like a Caramine is a grave insult."

He paused and drew a deep breath, regaining his calm. "I will answer any questions you put before me, but you must make a choice. Right now, Relana and the Shovat's Hounds are here; Shovat Kytan repaid their loyalty with abandonment. I can tell you where they are, or I can answer your questions. I cannot guarantee that I will find them later." His weird, dizzying eyes stared at them, as he finished, "What do you wish to do? Talk, or hunt?"

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Micah gets an evil look across his face, "Hunt. I will make those that hurt the teachers and students here feel that pain tenfold." He reaches up and breaks off a large branch, testing the heft for a club. "What do you guys say?" Micah turns and looks each of the others dead in the eye. His eyes convey a message of intensity only his teammates have seen before.

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Jason gives Thomas an appraising look having spotted the hand in his jacket, but doesn't reply to his comments as he had already put his weapons away.

When given their options by the stranger Jason no more hesitates than Micah does, "Hunt, this school is under my protection as it was under my grandfathers. However, we will still need much information to understand the nature and abilities of our quarry."

Turning to Thomas he continues, "I can't see any of those that caused injuries to people yesterday being here for any good purpose, can you?"

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As Ryan landed Jason's gun was out and in his face almost immediately. "JeeeeSUS Christ! Dude, chill the fuck out, if I wanted a beating I wouldn't have said 'Look out below'. Sheesh ..."

****

"Umm as one of the people who got hurt, got CHEWED ON, I'd rather not go after those creeps. Strength in numbers or not I think I'd rather avoid that tango again thanks much." To emphasize the point Ryan pulled up the leg of his shorts, showing the white bandage dotted with red in an elliptical pattern that spoke of biting jaws.

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"I'm sorry, I cannot help directly, or I would already be acting." Brahn looked upset, frowning and blinking - which is when everyone here realized that's the first time he blinked. "Lhesk has a non-aggression treaty with Caramine, and if I were to directly attack the Shovat's Hounds and the First Wing, I would risk my entire nation. I confess that I am here, in part, to ally secretly with Dalton. My aid tonight is to both show our willingness to help and what we can offer as potential allies."

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Several thoughts go through Thomas' head, most of them ending up with his dismissal in short order. Lit and History are not his strong suits, he knows but something one of his Late Modern European and American history professors had tried to beat into him came came hacking its way like a lost explorer returning to the cabana of civilized thought with this gem of an idea.

"We go hunting tonight and we we've learned that we've captured one of them. Learn about them and we will be capturing one every night on our own."

"Gents, its not a matter of fear or revenge - it's a matter of what's doing better for the students and the school they reside in. This is not a democracy, but I think I'm making sense. I'm willing to listen to someone making more sense because I'm far from perfect."

Thomase turns to Raven,

"Can you do that? Can you train and prepare us for fighting them on our own? Sorry for the earlier words of offense - not knowing the script and all I'm/we'll be likely to make them from time to time. Oh, and thank you for your help. It seems you have your own reasons being here to ... ummm ... gain you pound of flesh from these ... otherworldy invaders, but what help we can get is appreciated."

The budgetting here must be outrageous because this is moving way beyond an Indie film. I haven't seen a camera I would recognize yet. Occam's Razor is beginning to cut a different way and I'm not liking the look of that stitch one bit.

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Jason gives Thomas a long evaluating look, "Are you really willing to stand and talk while the woman with the sword and the two animalistic things have free reign over a school full of sick people? Even if it might be marginally better in the long run you are willing to potentially sacrifice peoples lives tonight?"

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Thomas spares a quick glance to Jason, shaking his head. Didn't he get it that these were kids they were talking about using to hunt down other people with? This wasn't a game.

To Ryan,

"Relana chose to draw her blade before anyone threatened her. She chose to stab Syl - Ms. Dorn didn't do a damn thing to get stabbed in the gut. This goes way beyond bad manners."

It goes way beyond having any kids searching through the grounds at night. This sounds much more like a job for the sheriff, some deputies, and some hound dogs.

Now they had someone else caught up in their insanity, claiming to be our friends. As long as his delusions fit into our scheme of things, Thomas was willing to play along with this. Save lives and get results. Didn't anyone realized that he fit the Generally Friendly Mentor/Teacher role? This being in charge sucked.

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Ryan waves his hand in a gesture that speaks of agreement and disagreement both. "Sure, sure. Point is a MAN turned INTO a DOG and bit me. Some crazy lady stabbed you and Ms. Dorn. Now unless somebody slipped something in the brownies again this year there is some crazy shit going on." He turns to the stranger, the shadow man, "How did all of this start?"

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"Do you mean 'all of this' to be the war between Caramine and Lhesk? Or the conflict between Caramine and Dalton?" Brahn asked, moving over to a log and taking a seat on it.

"Yes," Ryan said. "Whatever is relevant."

"Very well," he said, nodding. "A moment. I will need to start at the beginning." He closed his eyes and was very, very still. With his grayish complexion, he appeared to be a corpse, propped up on a log for some macabre reason. When he drew breath to speak, the most nervous of the guys nearly jumped out of their skin.

"From what I have seen, you have no belief in magic, nor do you understand its laws, or those who live based on those laws." He held up a hand against any protest. "I believe that your world is meant to be free of magic, to have the art of science as its power. Yet this lack of innate magic does not inure you against the introduction of magic into your systems, just as there is a steam-driven mill in my father's holdings now.

"There are places where the worlds are weak, and they can flow back and forth," Brahn said, waving his hands back and forth in demonstration. "In this way, your world have become infested with things that don't belong, and indeed all the worlds. Caramine is one such world.

"I'm not sure how it started, but thirty years ago, we were contacted by representatives of Dalton," Brahn continued. "Sherry Bolling, Rodney Racker and Harvey Scherff were the three to came to Lhesk. They had heard of us through Caramine, and were eager to do business and trade. We made arrangements for some divine musical instruments, exotic fruits and a small pest-controlling animal known as a 'cat'.

"When they failed to return to complete the trade, we sent a delegation through. We arrived just after the Harvest, to find that they were sealing the way between the worlds. They were at full-scale war with Caramine. We offered what we could at that time, but they wouldn't consider leaving the way open even for the help we could provide. Elias Beckett paid us one last visit just two weeks later to tell us that they had reached a cease fire, and that the way was not only closed now, but would be destroyed.

"Then our spies in Caramine informed us that they were re-initiating contact with Dalton to resume the Harvest," Brahn finished. "We knew that we had to act, to reach out to you now, before you suffer the Harvest again." He glanced up at the moon. "If you wish to hunt, you must leave soon, or risk them getting too far away from where I last saw them."

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"Thank you for that Raven "but I think you need to understand we aren't our here tonight so we can be your instruments of justice. We appreciate the help. We capture any of these people, they get handed over to what passes for law enforcement in these here United States."

"Okay, you tell us about the trade that went on between you and the original Daltonites, but made no mention of what we traded with you in exchange. Any idea what that was?"

"Also, you mentioned The Harvest? What is it, and does it have anything to do with someone being given a number by the Shovat?"

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Brahn stood and began to walk, then paused. "Where are your weapons?" He glanced around at them, frowning. "I though Dalton was rich in weaponry."

His confusion and frown were real; he was blinking again, too. He seemed to expect them to be bristling with weapons.

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"Yeah, that would be a good question, wouldn't it Sean," Thomas says lamely.

To no one in particular,

"Exactly what are we supposed to do with these three if they are captured. Relana has a gun, swords, and daggers."

He looks to Jason,

"Planning to use one kid to draw fire while you shoot her with your pistol?"

"Sean, how far are you willing to go to make sure one of the other two comes along? Break bones? Snap his neck? Does the phrase fanatical nutjobs ring any bells?"

"Jason, Sean, Micah, and Ryan are students under our care. Sure, I would like to see those three brought in to face justice and a nice padded cell. Knife in the back, remember? I'm not going to let my anger get in the way of what I should be doing."

"Now, if you like, we can all walk back to the school right now. We can sit here and listen to what Raven of the Lhesk has to say, or we can call it a day and maybe after you three have been escorted back to dorm, Jason and I will hunt down these others."

"Raven of the Lhesk, I'm Thomas Burke. We, as a people, are armed, but see ... we don't know a war is coming. The knowledge of the Gate has been lost to us, and quite frankly, few would believe you and your tales of other dimensions and cultures. Before you pressure us about going out into the forest chasing down those who may be our mutual enemies, please understand, these three," he motions to the boys, "are not yet adults in this society. You can only imagine how well getting our young to wander off and get wounded or killed would be percieved."

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"Uh, weapons?" Sean looked down at his fists, realizing he really hadn't thought his course of action through. What would we do if we caught them? Damn teachers and their logic. "Wait! Crazy sword chick has a gun!? Magic!? What the hell is going on?"

"You're not sending me back to my room, Mr. Burke. But I guess you have a point about trying to take these guys. I still want to hear what Brahn has to say, and we should at least find out where the Caramine dudes are, even if we don't confront them." Sean breathes deeply, his stormy eyes determined. "If you do go after them Thomas, Jason, I'm going too. This is gonna be my home for the next three years, and I'm not gonna back down."

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Brahn inclined his head as Thomas introduced himself. "Thomas Burke, I do not understand." He eyed the three teens. "They look to be of age, and certainly old enough for war," Brahn said. "And they were as old as the delegation that came through to met us. And two people may not stop a Hound. The way to defeat them will be to separate them and surround one. When you've killed him, then his brother will not rest until he finds you.

"Relana is the only one you should leave alive," he said, and his voice was strangely matter-of-fact, as if he weren't talking about planning and committing murder. "The Hounds are mongrels, disposable and renewable; plus, they are the most likely to attack for the fun of it, or start stalking students while waiting for their chance to return home. Relana has value, both as a hostage and as ransom. She will also prefer to remain hidden and watch Dalton, now that the Shovat is safely home. In that way, she is more dangerous, but the Hounds should be removed first."

Glancing at Sean, he added, "If Daltonites are excellent inventors, Caramines are perfect parasites. Their last encounter with Dalton no doubt gave them access to your guns which allowed them to copy them."

He thought for a moment. "Thomas Burke, your people have no knowledge of other cultures and dimensions, correct?" At Thomas' confirming nod, he frowned again. "Would the knowledge of such damage your culture? Or would they refuse to believe?"

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Jason bristles at Thomas acausation, "No arsehole, I don't use children, or anyone else, to draw fire for me. I suggest you stick to talking about subjects you might actually know something about, because you sure don't know anything about combat or me."

He listens carefully to what Brahn has to say before replying, "Different cultures in our world would also class these as old enough to fight at their own decision. The one we live in here does not, and Thomas here fears legal implications rather than face the reality of their lives being at risk from the Carmine."

He pauses briefly in walking, "One thing that has been refered to a number of times, but without explaination is the Harvest. What is it, and why do the Carmine think we should be subject to it?"

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"The Caramine subject all their foes and subjugated people to it. If you're under their thumb, then its called the Tithe, and it happens every five years. If you're at war with them, they subject you to it annually.

"The Shovat comes to your home and selects thirteen people," Brahn said, his voice growing angry and cold. "And later, he comes back with a strike force and removes them. Or they just show up and take people. No, I don't know what happens to them. Those who resist too much are killed, so I doubt its anything good or happy for those captured. Even the dead are taken."

There was something very much like hate in Brahn's strange eyes as he spoke. "I know our people fought back, every year, for five score years. We made them pay for the Harvest in their own blood and pain. And then we grew tired, and we swallowed our pride, and we agreed to non-aggression. And as a people, we have never been the same." He looked at each of them before saying, "And I know that Wilbur Dalton, a proud man, agreed to non-agression after only one Harvest. Elias Beckett nearly cried as he spoke of your children being dragged away by the forces of the Caramine. And he said it had destroyed Wilbur Dalton's heart, that the man aged years overnight. This is what you face again. And again. And again, until you find a way to stop them."

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"Why don' we just destroy this portal? If there's only one way for these Caramel people to come to Dalton, we wreck it. I'm no genius but it seems pretty simple. Mr. Bran? Brain?"

"Brahn."

"Mr. Brahn, where is the way that these people use. Tell us an' well break it, tear it down, whatever, we'll stop this before more people get hurt."

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