(Bibliophile) Hollow Souls

[Marcus Evan]

Marcus absently nods in understanding as the Librarian describes Mr. Bates' heroics.

Loyal to the end. Rest easy, Bates. Your sacrifice won't be in vain. I'll see to that.

The elemental grits his teeth as he sees the image of a tree-like man being flayed by the dragon. However, as his eyes refocus on the pulsing letters upon the page, Marcus recites word for word what he can read from it.

"...Behold! The Dragon rises from Flame and Death. In shadow, He bathes in the blood of the innocents and bequeaths His majesty on the world! Yet time is against the Weakness. Life's tune and the Spirit's voice sends Him a-reeling! Alas, Here be Dragons! The edge of the harmony when Time and Fate takes note and the Dragon screams..."

The metalflesh sighs after he reads the same cryptic mumbo-jumbo that they had found in the other book of revelations and gives Morgan a tired nod to let her know that she needn't worry about him.

Sodding prophecies...

After shrugging his permission at Daniel, Marcus looks back up at the Librarian to continue their conversation. As far as he's concerned, the less he knows about what Eddie Munster is getting up to with the dead rat, the better.

"I must have just gotten lucky, I guess. But, thank you again for your invaluable assistance, Librarian. We would have been quite lost without your expertise. I wonder if I might impose upon you for just one last piece of information. Do you know of any alternate exits from this hollow? I'm afraid that there are a great number of rather fierce-looking creatures gathering at the front door and it might be best to avoid an unpleasant confrontation by seeking an alternate way out."

The longer they are in this place, the more Marcus simply wants to go home.

[Trickster]

"Damn," Lynn shook her head at this final display of careless cruelty. At this point she was with Marcus, she just wanted to get onto the next stage of their journey; which would be just as hard as everything else that had come so far.

But they still had much to do here, so she took a step towards Marcus as he recited the prophecy. "Life's tune and Spirit's voice? I don't suppose that they include a song list or a sheaf of music, do they?" Turning, Lynn glanced at the woman kneeling on the other side of the room. "Kathryn? Are you entirely sure that your friends should stay here? It's comfortable and it's shelter, but HAL's been attacking you all since he left. And," she gestured at the tiny corpse. "It seems like there's been so much loss and pain here. Wouldn't it be better to start over, in a new place?"

[CyledyrWyllt]

The wizened's shade is silent a moment before answering Daniel's question with the cold, hard voice of the grave.

"Find the remaining books to save the freehold and slay the dragon."

After the darkling's final query, Bates' shadowy form slowly fades from sight until all that is left is a chilling memory. The automaton once again acknowledges Marcus' compliments with a bow and then points toward the back of the workshop. Although they do not see any obvious doors or windows, there is a small metal box with a glass window labeled break glass in case of emergency.

"There is the emergency exit, of course, Mr. Evan. However, be warned that it is strictly one way. Even Mr. Liebowitz himself would not be able to use it to re-enter this hollow."

Kathryn turns her tear-stained face to looks up at Lynn and Morgan.

"Thank you. You are both very kind. While the place you come from sounds wonderful and exciting, this is still our home and we will not give it up without a fight. You know he will not stop when he reclaims this place. If we run now and abandon the place of our birth, we might never stop running and hiding for the rest of our lives. I fear I would never recover from such sorrow and might be consumed with sadness and regret for the rest of my life. That is not how I choose to live. It sounds like your home is also under attack. Would you not do the same to protect those you love?"

Behind them, they can faintly hear some sort of commotion echoing from down the hallway.

You are welcome to make one last post before I narrate this scene closed. Origins Parable Trickster

[Morgan Bellanar]

So, they had a prophecy that didn't really explain what kind of music Fairweather feared, or if it was a certain song. Life and Spirit didn't narrow it done, nor did Time and Fate. Wait, weren't those two contracts? Well the latter for sure, she had it. They couldn't exactly try playing samples of various music at him to wait and see what he didn't like. "Hhhh-okay, that ain't ssspecific or clear tis it? C-can't exactly get dozens of stereos and-and play music at the dragon-bastard, n-nope. Not lest fireproof. Hmm," Morgan mumbles something about "testing shiny suits."

Lynn's words snapped Morgan's attention back to their "host." The mechanical woman hadn't wanted to depart or runaway. Hadn't she wanted to leave before? Whatever. Though there was one important thing Kathryn might like to know. She tried to spin it with the most positive tone she could muster: "G-g-given sufficient time...preeetty sure the blue-doods workin' for heh-him now are gonna get mads. If ye c-can hold out, he'll repeat his fall."

HAL had neither sanity nor social skills to help him hold his demesne before. Second time should have the same result.

[Trickster]

"Take this then." Lynn knelt down and pulled a card from her fiddle case, quickly scribbling her address on the back. "If you ever change your mind, or need help, you can contact me at either this phone number or address. Or leave a message around the Freehold, it will get to me eventually." She pressed her card into Kathryn's hands.

Standing, she went over to where Marcus stood near the 'emergency exit'. Glancing down the hall at the commotion, she nodded to him. "We should probably go." She twisted slightly and carefully placed HAL's journal in her bag.

[Daniel Leto]

Daniel watched Kathryn as she spoke. She seemed more resolute in addition to changing her mind about leaving. It would be a nice thought to consider that their little temp motley had inspired her to defend her home. And maybe that was part of it. However, Daniel suspected small bit of innocence had just died inside her at what she had just seen.

As they prepared to leave he gave her an encouraging smile. You could barely notice the bit of sadness that smudged the corner.

In the end, everything dies.

[CyledyrWyllt]

Shrugging his rucksack off of his back, Marcus opens it up and removes a couple of items he had brought with him as the other listen to Kathryn. His companions might assume that he simply making room for the prophetic book, which he places inside before slinging the backpack back into place. However, the elemental swiftly unrolls his survival blanket and places it next to the corpse of Mr. Bates. After matter-of-factly rolling the wizened's remains into the blanket, Marcus swiftly secures it as best he can with some nylon cord before lifting the precious bundle and cradling the freehold's staunchest supporter in his arms as he strides over to join the others. In his current elemental form, Marcus could probably carry a refrigerator, so the burnt remains of the chatelaine weighs next to nothing in comparison.

"No way am I leaving Bates here. He's coming home with us."

Glancing back at Kathryn and the Librarian, the metalflesh's solid metal features almost soften as he addresses them before leaving them to their fates.

"Thank you for your hospitality. You have both been of great assistance to us. I wish you luck and hope you find some way to end this conflict with HAL. It might serve your purpose to let him believe that you still have the books in your possession. He seemed quite eager to get his hands on them and might hesitate at the threat of their destruction. But, if things do end up going south, you should know that the potent wards of this workshop probably consider you the owner of the hollow now. Just something to keep in mind."

After a farewell nod in their direction, Marcus motions for one of his companions to break the glass and reveal the way out of this dismal place.

[Trickster]

Lynn nodded as Marcus picked up his sad bundle and stepped into place.

"Good Luck, to all of you. Hopefully we'll see each other again."

With a glance around to make sure that everybody who was going was in range and everybody who was staying was far enough back, Lynn firmly smashed the glass to send them home.

[CyledyrWyllt]

After the sound of shattering glass, a bright light envelops the changelings and they have the distinct sensation of movement although they cannot see or feel anything around them. Afterwards, they might compare it to the feeling of riding in an elevator that has no compunctions against defying the laws of Newtonian physics as it travels through the intertwining roots of a tree. However, once they can make sense of their surroundings once more, the changelings find themselves stepping out of the doorway of Garth's trailer, back at the racetrack. After a few moments spent collecting their senses, they make their way back to Marcus' jeep and simply have to grin and bear it when the metalflesh forces those unlucky enough to sit in the backseat to hold the blanket concealing Mr. Bates' corpse on their laps the entire ride home. Once they arrive at the Quicksilver Gate, Daniel, Lynn, Marcus, and Morgan share the details of their adventure with Gianna in hopes that the courtless Gameplayer will be able to tell them what she thinks their next move should be. Unfortunately, the enigmatic wizened simply nods sagaciously before she asks Lynn and Marcus to hold onto the books in their possession for the time being and assures them that she will be in touch soon. Each of the changelings feels the unmistakable sensation that their pledge has been fulfilled and the bond between them will dissolve with the rising sun when they awaken the next morning. Even though the Fairweather Friends have accomplished their mission, they might feel the nagging sensation that the hardest part still lies ahead. No one said that slaying a dragon would be easy.

End Scene.

Good job everyone! Willpower and Glamour is completely refreshed after this scene.

The quest to slay the dragon will be continued...