From: kylinn@aol.com (Kylinn) Subject: IC: Wolves Glen Pub Date: 21 Oct 2000 00:00:00 GMT Message-ID: <20001021092127.06123.00000259@ng-cj1.aol.com> Organization: AOL http://www.aol.com Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.storyteller X-Admin: news@aol.com ---------------------------------- [Stalks Hidden, having been attacked by a homicidal (lupuscidal?) sidhe knight out of nowhere:] >She calls out in Garou (can anyone understand her but >Mahri and Pearl?) {"Beware all: silver and cold iron >knives!"} As she turns and darts around to prepare for >the knight coming back again, she yells, still in Garou, >{"Can anyone here take her down without killing her?"} Maia might not understand the words, but gets the general idea, stands up, spreads her ams and begins speed chanting. As she does so her hair rises up in best 'psychic hair' effect style and she's surrounded by an aura of blue light. Suddenly finishing the incantation she quickly moves her hands together until they're about 10cm apart, the blue aura bleeding off to form a small ball of energy between them.... Alan has gotten back onto his feet after being bowled over by Pearl and sees this game of "chase the Wolf". When it becomes obvious that this attacker won't slow down for anything short of the death of her target he closes his eyes, concentrating, feeling out his target... and almost seems surprised, puzzled, at what he finds.... Meanwhile, Pearl continues to advance with balled fists and Mirabelle continues to back away, her blades forward, both warriors warily eyeing the other for the next move...Mirabelle suddenly turns sharply to meet a leaping attack from Stalks, swinging outwards with her blades and meeting empty air as Stalks adeptly leaps out of the way ---Mirabelle side steps to dodge a second attack by Pearl --- twists backward to meet another challenge from Stalks --- Pearl and Stalks fight together as if with one mind, yet Mirabelle is up to the inhuman tempo. It has become a dangerous dance at almost blinding speed, the massive Crinos warrior and fleet-footed Hispo circling the steel-clad Knight, leaping in from the edge of the circle to attack and the Knight dodging and ducking less like a fighter and more like a dancer of the blades. Perhaps a half-dozen feints and attacks a minute, as if all of the participants were running on purest instinct...evenly matched, even at two to one. But then, Pearl and Stalks are trying not to kill the knight. And as Mirabelle dances, she begins to sing, under her breath, tracing geometric patterns in the air...and a web of lines of fire begins to form in front of Mirabelle even as she weaves around the attacking Garou. Speaking quickly but clearly, in tones enchanting and powerful and fraught with magic, she sings out, "Though Birnam wood come to Dunsinane, And thou opposed, being of no woman born, Yet I will try the last. Before my body I throw my war like shield. Lay on, MacDuff! And Damned be him that first Cries, HOLD, ENOUGH!!!" Mirabelle cries-- ---as stops, thrusts her blades at Pearl, and a massive wave of Glamour storms forth, the awesome power of Sovereign and a Sidhe's will focused squarely on Pearl. Even from the side, the majesty and power that is a Sidhe's alone fills the room, making the weaker-willed want to kneel and tremble in homage and giving Stalks a moment's pause. The wave of magical fire hits Pearl full force -- and Pearl bursts through the wave of Glamour and draws her wakizashi. Stunned at the ease with which Pearl shrugged off the chimerical attack, Mirabelle takes an involuntary step back as Pearl advances, ready to meet the followup attack that Mirabelle will launch. It does not come in a flash of silver blades. "SHAZAM SHAZAM SHAZAM!" Mirabelle shouts, screwing her eyes shut and turning her head away, and suddenly a blinding burst of light explodes out from her belt like a million watt flashbulb. Mirabelle's back is to the Pub patrons, shielding most of them from the brilliant light. But Pearl has but a fraction of a second to throw her hands in front of her face ....and when the light clears, Pearl staggers back, half blind and out of the fight. "Would someone please stop that woman!" Pearl shouts.... Mirabelle has already shifted focus to meet Stalks. Mirabelle twists around, slashes, and Stalks easily dodges. Mirabelle advances, attacks and misses again. Stalks lopes back a short distance, whirls around, turns, drives forth...and this time, Mirabelle drops to her knees, extends her right arm pointing it right at Stalks, jerks her fist down suddenly... and Stalks winces as the darts from Mirabelle's concealed launcher drive themselves into Stalk's flank... and Stalk's feet stumble. Poison.... Mirabelle seizes the moment; in a flash, she's up on her feet, leaps.... and goes nowhere, as the circlet of energy between the Hermetic Mage's hands grows brighter. Mirabelle tries to throw one of her blades at the still unsteady Stalks ... and the moment the blade leaves Mirabelle's hands, it goes nowhere. It's almost like Mirabelle was trying to move not through air but through molasses, as if someone --Maia-- was bleeding the all the kinetic energy from her... ...and Stalks takes this moment to strike again. Stalks leaps -- Mirabelle is just barely able to bring her arm up -- and Stalks closes her massive jaws around Mirabelle upper arm, seeking to disable the dart launcher strapped there. The sound of crunching steel..and two soft explosions as the ammunition explodes in the magazine. As Stalks pulls back unsteadily, Mirabelle tries one last time to dive after Stalks --- and Maia's spell makes a mockery of Mirabelle's attempt. Finally realizing the true threat, Mirabelle struggles against the spell to bring her left arm up, pointing it past Stalks right at Maia...a sudden high-pitched whine, and energy crackles off of the end like a cannon preparing to fire-- "ENOUGH!!!" Alan shouts. Everyone in the same part of the room as the knight feels a crawling sensation in their nerves --and the Unseelie Knight falls to her knees, grabbing her head in pain. Which finally gives Mahri the moment she needs to leap out, Medusa in hand, from where she had been stealthily moving up behind Mirabelle. Totally blindsliding the knight, a expertly delivered from the hilt of the long sword, and Mirabelle goes down... Mahri kneels, blade at the ready, to check that Mirabelle is well and truly unconscious, then, satisfied, rises and motions with the great silver blade, the runes on it's length flashing in the Pub light, towards where the rules of the Pub are posted. "I -said-," she notes sardonically to the unconscious Unseelie Knight, " *No* fighting in the Pub..." Then Mahri turns her attention to see who needs help... --------------------- Ky -- Life is complex: it's partly real and partly imaginary.