Sickerton
Content Creator
- Joined
- Sep 10, 2015
Heyo, everyone! I've been meaning to write several 'short' stories pertaining to The Blades of Kreigmar, a setting the good fellow @Idoro has created, so here I finally am with the first in that particular set. These will probably have no real rhyme or reason to them, with no connection to each other besides the setting and possibly characters, as well as varying degrees of ryona content and hardness.
This one I'm starting off with, as a matter of fact, is fairly light in that regard. Testing the waters a bit, so to speak. Anyway, enjoy!
Trili Van Maja pulled the edges of her cloak in to better shield herself from the rain, shivering from far more than the cold.
By all metrics of reason she should have been snug and asleep under the blankets of the slightly dingy but adequate bed she had rented for the night; especially because she had used up almost all of what remained of her funds to do so. But despite - or quite possibly because of that - she found herself restless and needing someplace to wander.
It had been five months since she had set out under cover of night to become an adventurer... and two months since she escaped the bandits that had all but scooped her up as soon as she left her father's well maintained doorstep. But despite the troubles and tribulations, the nights she jolted awake in a cold sweat and the weeks spent tending to both physical and emotional wounds, it all came down to this: This was the last time she would be able to afford a room on her saved funds. The girl who spent many an evening wrapped between satin sheets with a book about heroes to read would soon - as one - have only the cobbles and a cold twinkling sky.
So caught up in this dark inevitability, she almost overlooked the odd sight that waited for her at the lip of an alleyway.
Almost.
Trilli stopped mid stride, then rewound her steps to peer once more into the side passage. It was not exactly an alleyway proper, sloping downwards at a fairly steep angle. Apparently to better guide the rainwater into whatever aquaduct served this city, although it was not doing too well of a job here. For some reason - probably a blockage of some sort down the line somewhere - the lowest portion of the 'alley' was not draining as fast as a large hole gushing rainwater poured in; creating a temporary standing pool of sorts in this little cubbyhole.
Closer to the entrance was a second hole; of the same size, but seemingly sloped internally so whatever water it caught flowed inwards instead of outwards.
And perhaps the queerest sight of the bunch: A woman wearing a ratty wide brimmed hat and matching ratty coat, cross legged and dozing beside the closer portal. Nailed above her was a clearly makeshift sign, the letters shaky and slightly smudged:
[KLEPTRAN WATERSLIDE RIDE: 1 COPPER PIECE]
Curious, Trilli took a few cautious steps closer... which, despite the pouring rain drowning out nearly everything, was still enough to rouse the other woman from her nap.
"Whuh, err..." she mumbled, her eyes blinking lazily for a few seconds before snapping to Trilli. Weeeell, that wasn't exactly true. This woman's left eye did so, sparkling like a sapphire as it did so, while her foggy right eye remained unfocused and uncomprehending.
"Weeeeell then, a customah!"
The ratty woman sprung to her feet with surprising quickness, moved to put out a hand to shake... then apparently thought better of it, instead removing her hat with a practiced motion and holding it to her chest as she bent in an obviously practiced bow. It was a flattering display, if made just a tad absurd given the circumstances.
"Very happy to see ya here, lass!" the woman continued, smooth as silk. "The name's Deja! Deja La Chance! And, by chance, could I treat ya to a ride this fine evenin'?"
Trilli shifted her gaze from the woman, to the sign, then over to the open hole in the wall. "So... what is a..."
"Kleptran waterslide!" "Deja ended the girl's sentence. "Wonderful lil' thing from my homeland, thought I'd share the fun with you folk."
Seemingly considering enough prostration had been done, Chance rose up to full height and set her hat back up on her head. Then, drawing forth a cigarette and a match from somewhere in her coat, she set to work on attempting to light the damn things as she continued her pitch.
"Back in Kleptro, We had ta get creative when it came ta making fun. No trading outposts, no visitors, no escape, that sorta deal. Sooo, when a good storm came in we made these."
Still busy trying to get a flame going in this damp world, she nodded over at the two holes and makeshift pool.
"Y'see, what I've done here is opened and closed tha drainage pipes here until one long, windy tube was left. Then I clogged up a few key areas at a good chokepoint, meanin' that ya get a good deep stretch a' water. Then I went through the inside o' that tube I made and scratched down lots o' little gravity runes; Not good for pract'cal use, but here they'll make sure ya keep speeding up no matter what angle yer goin'."
Finally getting the match - and soon after her cigarette lit - Deja took a drag and leaned in almost conspiratorially.
"Know what that means?"
Trilli gave it a bit of thought, but in the end could only shrug noncommittally.
"It means..." Dejah picked up where she left off "...That if you go in there..."
She turned and pointed at the nearest hole, the one her sign hung next to.
"...You'll Be off on a journey slooshing aaalll around below this town, takin' every twist and turn fasta an' fasta..."
Deja gestured wildly at the ground at this point, twirling as she did so, finishing the motion pointing at the further hole gushing water into the alley-pond.
"Until ya shoot outta there like an arrow, right inta tha pool! Whoosh!"
Trilli eyed the 'entrance' to this 'ride' with caution... but, at the same time, interest. She had never actually been on such a contraption before... and it had been so long since she could just let go and have fun for a bit...
"...Are you sure it's..."
"Safe?" Deja cut in again. "Legit? My word, lass, you wound me! But still..."
The ratty woman pulled a copper piece of her own out of a pocket and tossed it into the 'entrance', then moseyed on over to the gushing exit. A few minutes passed with her just rocking on her heels, but as if on cue she plunged her arm into the torrent just in time to intercept her coin as it shot out of the pipe.
"See?" she spoke giddily, spinning the copper between her fingers as she trotted back. "Went in, came out. I'd go meself, but in these duds..."
Trili was thrilled, but stopped short of the porthole in thought. The woman did have a point there. Who would do something like this fully garbed in their good clothes? But still... and the...
"...Oh, ████ it!"
No one would be surprised more than Trilli herself at that outburst, at least normally. But the outside world had been hard at work roughing up her edges, and with this one moment to forget her woes and go back to whimsy for but a brief moment she no longer cared. To hell with manners! And to hell with Modesty!
The former daughter of a diplomat left a trail of clothes with each step; cloak training behind her, blouse fluttering in the wind, pants awkwardly hopped out of and left where they lay, until she was halfway inside the slide with nothing but her underwear... and a single copper piece clenched in one hand.
"Sold!" she called over to Deja - as if it was a question at this point - and all but chucked the coin at the lady. To her credit, though, the ragamuffin caught it well enough and her parting reply of "Cheers!" followed the girl as she pushed off into darkness.
From the third second onward Trili was blind as a bat, but if anything she felt this only enhanced the experience. It made her focus so much more on the rush of water around her, the whiplash of every turn, the feeling of metal flying by against her skin. And Deja apparently wasn't lying about those runes either; each pass growing more and more intense, building up speed even as she rose and corkscrewed through inky darkness. She felt herself twist and turn, dip and weave, spin and wheel, and for once in what seemed like ages heard the melody of her own giddy laughter.
Then a light broke in front of her, and then...
...Well, perhaps a bit of explanation would be in order here.
Remember when the engineer of this contraption threw something of hers into this slide, then caught it as it exited? Why did she not just let it drop into the pool all on it's own?
Because, like any good trick, a bit of subtlety and misdirection can go a long way.
The purpose of the experiment was to show that the entrance and exit were connected, but she made sure that it only did that. And while it would normally be reasonable that anything exiting that tube would drop down into the pool, that would also be conveniently overlooking the absolutely ludicrous velocity this ride was specifically built to have.
So Trilli did indeed shoot out of the slide exit like an arrow... and, much like an arrow, embedded herself in the opposite wall.
It went all so fast that the girl did not even have time to realize the problem, her gleeful giggling being immediately cut off by a meaty WHUMP as she pancaked against stone face and chest first. There was then a series of smaller but somehow more visceral crackles as momentum refused to give up just yet, her body flattening as much as she could against the surface in an awkward sprawl. Then, slowly, she began to slide down; leaving a crimson trail alongside a few new cracks for the building to remember her by.
Bonelessly she dropped into the 'pool'; luckily landing in such a way that she bobbed face up, for what little luck she had this evening. Through an open and gaping mouth she unknowingly wheezed, a murky red fog spreading through the water around her as her body subtly shifted with every twitch and shudder.
And from above one eye stared down at the convulsing form, with the clothing (as well as all the valuables they contained) that this girl had shed for a moment of fun tucked under one arm.
"Yep, just like old times." Dejah mused idly to no one in particular. "Ya get on the slide, and get taken fer a ride."
The ratty woman in her ratty coat watched her satisfied customer shudder for a few moments more, before coming to a decision. A proper lady shouldn't be out like this in her skivvies, all by her lonesome. The very least she could do is cover her up.
So with that in mind Dejah knelt down beside the pool, unfurled Trilli's cloak, and covered her broken form with it. There. Much better.
So, with the satisfaction of a job well done, La Chance spun on her heels and headed out into the city proper. This change she found in her mark's pockets wouldn't buy her a room, but maybe a meal...
This one I'm starting off with, as a matter of fact, is fairly light in that regard. Testing the waters a bit, so to speak. Anyway, enjoy!
-=-
From Kleptro With Love
From Kleptro With Love
Trili Van Maja pulled the edges of her cloak in to better shield herself from the rain, shivering from far more than the cold.
By all metrics of reason she should have been snug and asleep under the blankets of the slightly dingy but adequate bed she had rented for the night; especially because she had used up almost all of what remained of her funds to do so. But despite - or quite possibly because of that - she found herself restless and needing someplace to wander.
It had been five months since she had set out under cover of night to become an adventurer... and two months since she escaped the bandits that had all but scooped her up as soon as she left her father's well maintained doorstep. But despite the troubles and tribulations, the nights she jolted awake in a cold sweat and the weeks spent tending to both physical and emotional wounds, it all came down to this: This was the last time she would be able to afford a room on her saved funds. The girl who spent many an evening wrapped between satin sheets with a book about heroes to read would soon - as one - have only the cobbles and a cold twinkling sky.
So caught up in this dark inevitability, she almost overlooked the odd sight that waited for her at the lip of an alleyway.
Almost.
Trilli stopped mid stride, then rewound her steps to peer once more into the side passage. It was not exactly an alleyway proper, sloping downwards at a fairly steep angle. Apparently to better guide the rainwater into whatever aquaduct served this city, although it was not doing too well of a job here. For some reason - probably a blockage of some sort down the line somewhere - the lowest portion of the 'alley' was not draining as fast as a large hole gushing rainwater poured in; creating a temporary standing pool of sorts in this little cubbyhole.
Closer to the entrance was a second hole; of the same size, but seemingly sloped internally so whatever water it caught flowed inwards instead of outwards.
And perhaps the queerest sight of the bunch: A woman wearing a ratty wide brimmed hat and matching ratty coat, cross legged and dozing beside the closer portal. Nailed above her was a clearly makeshift sign, the letters shaky and slightly smudged:
[KLEPTRAN WATERSLIDE RIDE: 1 COPPER PIECE]
Curious, Trilli took a few cautious steps closer... which, despite the pouring rain drowning out nearly everything, was still enough to rouse the other woman from her nap.
"Whuh, err..." she mumbled, her eyes blinking lazily for a few seconds before snapping to Trilli. Weeeell, that wasn't exactly true. This woman's left eye did so, sparkling like a sapphire as it did so, while her foggy right eye remained unfocused and uncomprehending.
"Weeeeell then, a customah!"
The ratty woman sprung to her feet with surprising quickness, moved to put out a hand to shake... then apparently thought better of it, instead removing her hat with a practiced motion and holding it to her chest as she bent in an obviously practiced bow. It was a flattering display, if made just a tad absurd given the circumstances.
"Very happy to see ya here, lass!" the woman continued, smooth as silk. "The name's Deja! Deja La Chance! And, by chance, could I treat ya to a ride this fine evenin'?"
Trilli shifted her gaze from the woman, to the sign, then over to the open hole in the wall. "So... what is a..."
"Kleptran waterslide!" "Deja ended the girl's sentence. "Wonderful lil' thing from my homeland, thought I'd share the fun with you folk."
Seemingly considering enough prostration had been done, Chance rose up to full height and set her hat back up on her head. Then, drawing forth a cigarette and a match from somewhere in her coat, she set to work on attempting to light the damn things as she continued her pitch.
"Back in Kleptro, We had ta get creative when it came ta making fun. No trading outposts, no visitors, no escape, that sorta deal. Sooo, when a good storm came in we made these."
Still busy trying to get a flame going in this damp world, she nodded over at the two holes and makeshift pool.
"Y'see, what I've done here is opened and closed tha drainage pipes here until one long, windy tube was left. Then I clogged up a few key areas at a good chokepoint, meanin' that ya get a good deep stretch a' water. Then I went through the inside o' that tube I made and scratched down lots o' little gravity runes; Not good for pract'cal use, but here they'll make sure ya keep speeding up no matter what angle yer goin'."
Finally getting the match - and soon after her cigarette lit - Deja took a drag and leaned in almost conspiratorially.
"Know what that means?"
Trilli gave it a bit of thought, but in the end could only shrug noncommittally.
"It means..." Dejah picked up where she left off "...That if you go in there..."
She turned and pointed at the nearest hole, the one her sign hung next to.
"...You'll Be off on a journey slooshing aaalll around below this town, takin' every twist and turn fasta an' fasta..."
Deja gestured wildly at the ground at this point, twirling as she did so, finishing the motion pointing at the further hole gushing water into the alley-pond.
"Until ya shoot outta there like an arrow, right inta tha pool! Whoosh!"
Trilli eyed the 'entrance' to this 'ride' with caution... but, at the same time, interest. She had never actually been on such a contraption before... and it had been so long since she could just let go and have fun for a bit...
"...Are you sure it's..."
"Safe?" Deja cut in again. "Legit? My word, lass, you wound me! But still..."
The ratty woman pulled a copper piece of her own out of a pocket and tossed it into the 'entrance', then moseyed on over to the gushing exit. A few minutes passed with her just rocking on her heels, but as if on cue she plunged her arm into the torrent just in time to intercept her coin as it shot out of the pipe.
"See?" she spoke giddily, spinning the copper between her fingers as she trotted back. "Went in, came out. I'd go meself, but in these duds..."
Trili was thrilled, but stopped short of the porthole in thought. The woman did have a point there. Who would do something like this fully garbed in their good clothes? But still... and the...
"...Oh, ████ it!"
No one would be surprised more than Trilli herself at that outburst, at least normally. But the outside world had been hard at work roughing up her edges, and with this one moment to forget her woes and go back to whimsy for but a brief moment she no longer cared. To hell with manners! And to hell with Modesty!
The former daughter of a diplomat left a trail of clothes with each step; cloak training behind her, blouse fluttering in the wind, pants awkwardly hopped out of and left where they lay, until she was halfway inside the slide with nothing but her underwear... and a single copper piece clenched in one hand.
"Sold!" she called over to Deja - as if it was a question at this point - and all but chucked the coin at the lady. To her credit, though, the ragamuffin caught it well enough and her parting reply of "Cheers!" followed the girl as she pushed off into darkness.
From the third second onward Trili was blind as a bat, but if anything she felt this only enhanced the experience. It made her focus so much more on the rush of water around her, the whiplash of every turn, the feeling of metal flying by against her skin. And Deja apparently wasn't lying about those runes either; each pass growing more and more intense, building up speed even as she rose and corkscrewed through inky darkness. She felt herself twist and turn, dip and weave, spin and wheel, and for once in what seemed like ages heard the melody of her own giddy laughter.
Then a light broke in front of her, and then...
...Well, perhaps a bit of explanation would be in order here.
Remember when the engineer of this contraption threw something of hers into this slide, then caught it as it exited? Why did she not just let it drop into the pool all on it's own?
Because, like any good trick, a bit of subtlety and misdirection can go a long way.
The purpose of the experiment was to show that the entrance and exit were connected, but she made sure that it only did that. And while it would normally be reasonable that anything exiting that tube would drop down into the pool, that would also be conveniently overlooking the absolutely ludicrous velocity this ride was specifically built to have.
So Trilli did indeed shoot out of the slide exit like an arrow... and, much like an arrow, embedded herself in the opposite wall.
It went all so fast that the girl did not even have time to realize the problem, her gleeful giggling being immediately cut off by a meaty WHUMP as she pancaked against stone face and chest first. There was then a series of smaller but somehow more visceral crackles as momentum refused to give up just yet, her body flattening as much as she could against the surface in an awkward sprawl. Then, slowly, she began to slide down; leaving a crimson trail alongside a few new cracks for the building to remember her by.
Bonelessly she dropped into the 'pool'; luckily landing in such a way that she bobbed face up, for what little luck she had this evening. Through an open and gaping mouth she unknowingly wheezed, a murky red fog spreading through the water around her as her body subtly shifted with every twitch and shudder.
And from above one eye stared down at the convulsing form, with the clothing (as well as all the valuables they contained) that this girl had shed for a moment of fun tucked under one arm.
"Yep, just like old times." Dejah mused idly to no one in particular. "Ya get on the slide, and get taken fer a ride."
The ratty woman in her ratty coat watched her satisfied customer shudder for a few moments more, before coming to a decision. A proper lady shouldn't be out like this in her skivvies, all by her lonesome. The very least she could do is cover her up.
So with that in mind Dejah knelt down beside the pool, unfurled Trilli's cloak, and covered her broken form with it. There. Much better.
So, with the satisfaction of a job well done, La Chance spun on her heels and headed out into the city proper. This change she found in her mark's pockets wouldn't buy her a room, but maybe a meal...
