From alt.pub.dragons-inn Thu Jun 1 08:40:04 1995 Xref: netcom.com alt.pub.dragons-inn:8477 Path: netcom.com!csus.edu!csusac!zimmer!nic-nac.CSU.net!newsserver.sdsc.edu!news.tc.cornell.edu!caen!reeve.research.aa.wl.com!WS008013F18C2D!simonj From: simonj@rh.wl.com (Jeff Simon) Newsgroups: alt.pub.dragons-inn Subject: [Jake Shade] The rest of Chapter 5 Date: Wed, 31 May 1995 04:52:52 EDT Organization: Parke-Davis Rochester Lines: 307 Message-ID: NNTP-Posting-Host: 198.205.215.16 Summary: That's the last time I write a chapter that long! X-Newsreader: Trumpet for Windows [Version 1.0 Rev B final beta #4] ******************************************** The story that was too big to die!!! Read the prior section 'Fortune's Hand' first, or be damned to eternal confusion! ******************************************** Chapter 5b: Plotus interuptus Yvette let the door slam behind her. She angrily wiped the tears from her eyes. 'I should be used to disappointment by now,' she thought. She headed down the avenue towards the Low City and home. With her head hung low, she did not notice the man blocking her path until he seized her by the arm. "Hello, pretty." The voice had an electric effect on the girl. Her head snapped up to look at the tall swordsman who had way- laid her. "Grace!" "So you remember me after all," the Lieutenant laughed. "It must be true what they say about a girl's first love." "You bastard!" Yvette produced a stiletto from somewhere and struck with the speed of a striking snake. Her blade streaked straight for the Lieutenant's throat. Fast as the girl was, Grace was faster. He leaned away from the wicked stroke, and dealt her a vicious back-hand blow. The stiletto went flying, and Yvette slumped into near un- consciousness. "Affectionate as ever, I see." Grace remarked. He leaned over her semi-conscious form and violently ripped her tunic down the middle. Something gleamed in the moonlight, momentarily distracting him from the glory of her exposed breasts. "The talisman!" **************************** Tad staggered to his feet and followed after the outlander, intent on helping anyway he could. Shade was moving quickly, he had to hurry to catch up. The man assaulting the girl heard them approaching, and straight- ened up, turning towards them. He yanked the girl to her feet by her wrist. A nasty bruise discolored her left cheek. Shade felt a shock of recognition as the woman's brilliant blue eyes - now dazed and unseeing - met his. It was the girl from the Fortune Teller's. Suddenly the girl's eyes cleared. "Please help me sir, he's going to kill me!" she sobbed in terror. Shade turned and regarded the man holding her. Her attacker was much taller than the outlander, at least six foot three. He had the long arms and a ropey musculature that Shade recognized as the perfect build for a swordsman. The man had long black hair bound up into an immaculate ponytail. His gray eyes looked at the outlander with a mixture of annoyance and disdain. "Uh, oh." Tad gulped, recognizing the man. Shade ignored him. "Having a little trouble finding a date tonight?" Shade inquired politely. Behind him, Tad hissed loudly, trying to get his friend's attention. Grace looked at the outlander in anger. "This is official Watch business. Move along, citizen." Shade showed no sign of obliging. "Is that an 'official' bruise on her cheek?" he asked curiously, stepping closer. "If you're a member of the Watch, why aren't you wearing one of those pretty costumes I always see them mincing around in?" Shade continued. Grace looked at Shade in disbelief. "Do you know who I am, maggot?" "I'd say you're a leprous bag of pus who's going to be minus a hand if you don't let go of that girl." Shade was about to expand upon this theme when Tad's constant hissing finally got his attention. "WHAT!?!" he shouted in annoyance. Tad motioned him to step aside for a private consultation. "Would you excuse me for a moment?" Shade asked the tall man. He turned away and joined Tad before the man could answer. "What is so goddamned important that you've been imitating a punctured air-bladder for the last two minutes?" Shade demanded, highly annoyed. "That's Grace!" Tad whispered urgently. "He's a Lieutenant in the Watch. He's also a bad-ass in the first degree when it comes to blades. He's killed thirty men in legally sanctioned duels. We do not want to mess with this guy!" Tad was relieved that his sometimes hot-tempered friend seemed to be getting the message. Shade's eyes were wide; he was obviously impressed. Tad watched as the outlander turned to apologize. "My friend says that you really are a member of the Watch." Shade informed Grace solemnly. The Lieutenant nodded, his eyes slitted. "My friend also says you've killed over thirty men in legal duels." Shade continued, as if he could not believe the enormity of his own folly. Grace nodded again. "That's right. If you don't want to be the thirty-first, I suggest you find someplace else to be." the Lieutenant growled. Sure thing, officer." Shade acknowledged, turning to go. Yvette sobbed, her brief hope of rescue dashed. Then Shade turned back towards the Lieutenant. "My friend also said you put on a dress and turn tricks in a brothel after your shift is over. Is that true too?" "Oh, shit!" Tad breathed, backing away from the scene. Grace let go of the girl and drew his sword in a move so smooth and rapid it was almost invisible. "I'm going to enjoy cutting that tongue out of your mouth," he told Shade. Now that Shade had Grace's full attention, he was once more the picture of wide-eyed innocence. "It's just a rumor we heard!" the outlander protested, his hands spread wide. Grace closed the distance between them with two sliding steps. His sword pricked Shade's chest through the outlander's tunic. Tad turned and ran away as fast as his legs would carry him, weaving slightly. Shade watched him retreat with a saddened expression. "It looks like your friend is wiser than you are," Grace observed with a chuckle. "Apparently so," Shade agreed in a bland voice. He turned his attention back to the Lieutenant. "What puzzles me is how you could have amassed such a dangerous reputation by beating up women?" Grace twitched his wrist and the tip of his rapier flicked up with invisible speed. Shade felt the side of his face soak with blood from the cut. Grace had slashed his cheek to the bone. "Draw your weapon," Grace instructed him, "and you will learn first-hand how I earned my reputation." "Why would I want to fight you?" Shade asked, bewildered. "While you've stood there posturing mightily, the girl has made her escape." Grace whirled to discover that the outlander's state- ment was true. He cursed, spinning back towards Shade. His face was livid with rage. "Well, what the hell did you expect?" Shade asked, wiping blood from the side of his face with his sleeve. "Maggot, you just cost me a lot of time and effort," Grace informed him. "You'll pardon me if I have to kill you to make myself feel better." "Why Lieutenant," Shade replied, "is this an 'official' murder?" His tone was sardonic. As Grace raised his blade to cut the outlander down, both men's attention was suddenly attracted by a noisome mob which suddenly broiled out into the street. At its head was a certain silver-haired mage. "There they are!" Tad shouted to his friends, pointing to the pair of them. Grace backed away from the outlander as the crowd drew near. Nearly a score of men and women surrounded the two men, muttering angrily. All of them were armed to the teeth, their hands near the hilts of their weapons. From the look of their armor and gear, Grace guessed them to be adventurers from the Dragon's Inn. "I got help as fast as I could," Tad told Shade breath- lessly. The mage bent over with his hands on his knees, sucking in air as fast as he could work his lungs. Shade patted him on the shoulder, looking around with a puzzled air. A blond woman in blue and white silk robes stepped forward. "We hear you ve been overstepping the bounds of your legal authority again, Grace." she said in a firm voice. Before the Lieutenant could retort, a large man with steel-gray skin stepped forward too, flanked by a woman with strawberry-blond hair and a sword tattooed on one cheek. "Maybe it would be best if you moved along, Grace." the big man suggested. The woman tapped her sword into her palm suggestively. Grace stood his ground, glaring at the crowd that ringed him. For a moment it looked as if he were consid- ering taking on the lot of them. Then, bowing to the inevitable, he resheathed his sword. He looked at Shade - who was enjoying some private joke - and caught his eye. "We ll meet again, outlander." he promised. The Lieutenant turned and shouldered his way through the crowd. Tad and Shade watched as Grace stomped off. When he had disappeared from view, the crowd of bold adventurers surrounding the two of them began to take on an oddly transparent look. They continued to fade slowly, then abruptly vanished. Tad looked at his outlander friend and grinned. "Say goodbye to our rescuers." Shade was impressed. "That was very smart thinking, Tad." The young mage grinned sheepishly and sketched a clumsy bow. "What's the good of being a Dreamweaver if you can't cook up an army of illusionary vigilantes now and then?" "I especially liked the lady with the sword tattoo," Shade commented. "She looked pretty tough for a frail." Tad clucked his tongue in disapproval. "Jake, your unenlightened and prehistoric attitude regarding women is bound to get you in trouble here in Generica." Shade grabbed the young mage and put him into a ruthless headlock. "You are the last person who should be lecturing me about women and trouble, Master Tad." The outlander applied a vicious knuckling to his young friend's head before releasing him. "That's Tadmaster," Tad reminded him. Laughing, the two of them headed off in the direction of the Academy. From the shadows of a nearby doorway, Yvette watched them with thoughful eyes. "Say Jake, you didn't think I'd run off and abandon you, did you?" Tad asked suddenly. "Not even for a moment," Shade lied. *********************************************************** Jake Shade and all the other characters in this story with the exception of Futuria Crystalshard are copyrights of Jeff A. Simon, 1995. All rights reserved. Futuria Crystal- shard appears courtesy of some dude I don't know and who probably doesn't know I borrowed him. However I tried, so tough rocks. Any resemblance in the illusionary mob to real characters found in the Dragon's Inn was completely intentional, but you'll never prove anything. The reprint- ing of this or any other Jake Shade tale for profit is strictly prohibited without the express permission of the author. This chapter dedicated to Jon Mason, who's positive feedback was appreciated. *********************************************************** -- The opinions expressed in this message are mine alone. This message does not necessarily reflect the positions or opinions of my company or organization.