A Walk in the Dark Chapter 17

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A Walk in the Dark
Chapter 17

by Maggie Finson

 


Now What?

“Are you sure you want to wear that?” Sam questioned when I emerged from our bed chamber with my maids.

I looked at my reflection in the mirrored surfaces of the stone that made up the walls of our home, and nodded. I was wearing a backless gown that barely covered my front. So almost all the supernatural tattoo I had showed. It was also a delicious ice blue silk that felt wonderful whenever I moved.

“Yes, Sam.” I answered after admiring myself for a few seconds. Okay, okay. I was vain now. Give me a break here. I went from an average guy to being a wet dream come to life and was just getting used to the idea. I call it immersion therapy. “They colluded in my making, and yours. They should know what they got out of it.”

I didn’t mention that the tattoo didn’t like being covered up. That was just too weird.

“Okay.” He shrugged and grinned. “Just don’t kill any innocent guardsmen or servants for salivating when they see you like this.”

I shrugged, causing things I hadn’t had so long ago to move in very delightful ways, though I wasn’t about to admit that one out loud. “I am what I am, Sam. Would you have me hide that from normal sight when the ones we’re going to see would see it anyway?”

“Good point.” He nodded while enjoying the view of my barely clad body in front of him. The skirt did reach my ankles and was a bit more substantial than those loin cloth things I’d been forced to wear earlier. But where they had been opaque, what I was wearing now was almost translucent. So I’m a show off, sue me. I was beautiful, sexy, knew it no matter how much I would have once protested or wished otherwise, so it just made sense to work with the assets I’d been given. “You are freaking gorgeous.”

“And I’m all yours, darling.” I smiled and wrapped my arms around his neck while pulling myself up to give him a long, sensual kiss. When he recovered from that I smiled and gestured to the door. “Shall we go?”

“If we don’t do that now,” he shuddered, “we might not make it at all.”

“That’s my man.” I grinned and let him lead me out of our chambers.

* * * *

Now that was interesting. Instead of running, people were walking into walls, falling down stairs, and other stuff that had to hurt while we walked to the meeting chamber. Not just guys looking at me, either. Sam was having that effect on the girls. Wow.

And he was MINE. By now I didn’t even wonder why that made me all tingly in places Dylan had never imagined having.

* * * *

“Welcome, Lady Dahlia Saa Llolth.” Kevin greeted us as we entered the room. Alis and Kae’song echoed that then added. “And to you Lord Samthien the Defender.”

“Cut the crap.” I told them while seating myself and waiting for Sam to sit down. “Please don’t remind me about that just now.”

Once they got situated, which included Kevin and Kae’song pulling their tongues in, I pleasantly started the conversation. “So I take it you heard? News travels fast around here. Did SHE put you three up to all this?”

“SHE suggested that we find two souls ready to migrate.” Alis nodded and couldn’t help but stare at Sam. I felt a tiny twinge of jealousy there, but shoved that back to join all the other things that were clamoring to drive me insane at the moment. “And that SHE would provide the essence to form the beings needed.”

“Why?” I questioned bluntly. “Why did you go along with a goddess who is demonstrably evil?”

“Even gods change with time and need.” Kae’song shrugged. “The goddess of Dance was once the god of War. And there is an imbalance that must be addressed, lady.”

“So you’ve been telling me since I got here.” I nodded, trying not to be boggled at the idea of a really buff tough guy becoming a svelte, graceful female dancer. “And just what, exactly, is it that you three expect me to do now that I’m here?”

“Your Mother has surely told you that.” Alis answered.

“My mother lives in Kansas.” I shot back. “Not in some spider infested cavern.”

“The mother of your present body does reside in that cavern, lady” “Kevin calmly told me. “Nothing any of us could do will change that.”

“Yeah, like I said already, don’t remind me about that just now.” I waved that aside. “Back to my original question here, if you don’t mind?”

“Think of it this way, lady.” Kae’song answered. “If there is always light, it will burn everything alive. If there is always dark, nothing will grow. It is the play between the two that allows life to exist at all. If one side becomes ascendant, then life itself will suffer and might die. We only wish to prevent that from happening. If your race dies out, the balance will shift drastically and that could well be catastrophic for the entire world. We answered the goddess’ call because of that. And so you and your consort were made.”

I looked at all three of them for a few seconds. And knew he was telling the truth with more certainty than I’d ever had about anything before in my life.

“You have started to exercise your goddess given powers, I see.” Alis gave me an approving smile. “You can detect even the smallest lie if someone tries it with you.”

She was right. I could see, feel, and literally knew that all three of them were on the level about what I’d just been told. As an afterthought, I wondered why they had frightened me so badly when I first met them. Oh no, not going there, not accepting what ‘Momma’ had given me, I was my own person and would deal with things as myself. Not as some avatar or representation of some goddess I didn’t even particularly like even if she did claim to be my literal Mother in this world.

“Mother and I are barely on speaking terms.” I told them all. “Leave HER out of this and let’s focus on just what, exactly, Sam and I need to do here, okay?”

“You have to go out into the world and show people that your race isn’t one that should be killed on sight.” Kevin answered.

“While finding those of your kind you can and convincing them to give up some of their ‘excesses’.” Kae’song added.

“While gathering allies who are not of your people.” Alis finished.

“You guys got a manual for this ‘world changing’ stuff?” I grumbled.

“I’m sure you’ll be able to work things out as you go, lady.” Kae’song answered. Just then I really did wish I was on better terms with ‘Mom’. I’d have had her send several of her scarier minions to eat him alive.

“Thanks for your confidence.” I answered then sighed. “Now all I need to do is figure out just how in the NINE HELLS I’m going to manage to do that!”

They didn’t have an answer for that one. Dammit.

This was evidently my show, my choreography, or whatever. Yeah.

You know? Sometimes being perceived as evil isn’t all that bad. I could kill someone just now and people would just shrug and say things like, “It’s in her nature.”

Grrrrrr.

* * * *

“What are we doing out here again, Dahlia?’ Sam questioned as we both tried to stare down the fifteen or so really nasty looking guys who were, incidentally, armed to the teeth and seemed determined to show us just how good they were with those weapons.

“I think, Kae’song said something about winning the populace’s good will.” I shrugged. “Political crap, you know the drill on that stuff. If you really believe that, you’re either a Saint, inhumanly committed to doing good, deluded, or a damned fool.”

“So which category do we fit into?” He questioned while carefully loosening the blades slung over his back with a casual looking shrug.

“Damned if I know.” I shrugged in my turn and my ‘tattoo’ moved in response. Okay, that’s too weird for just now, I thought. “I’m pretty sure the saint thing is out, and really hope the ‘damned fool’ thing is too.”

“So now what?’ He questioned as the nasty guys started closing in.

“I guess we start ‘winning the hearts of the people’ I grimaced and with an almost negligent wave of one hand put out the fires those other guys had set in the large farmstead we had found them raiding while trying to wave the farmers and their families into whatever shelter they could find with my other one. “This is going to get kind of messy, I think.”

“Again with the understatement.” Sam grumbled and with a motion too fast to follow without special equipment, had both his swords out and at the ready.

“Nice move.” I complimented him then turned my attention back to the band of brigands with a shake of my head and a little, unpleasant smile. “You know, you guys could just turn around and run now.”

“No, they can’t.” Another voice, a feminine voice, interrupted that potential happy circumstance as a cloaked female form stepped out of the shadows to look at me. She threw her hood back to reveal snowy white hair and vivid blue eyes set in a delicate face that was black as coal. Oh boy, my first time out and I just had to run into another Dhro’aaa female. “These Humans answer to me, not you.”

“Then call them off and let’s talk.” I suggested and she did so with a slight flick of a hand while still watching me carefully.

“What do these worthless humans matter to you?” She questioned and made the race name sound like something dirty and useless with a slow smile that was not at all nice to look at. “More importantly, why do you interrupt my sport?”

“They matter.” I told her with a shrug. “And slaughter isn’t something I’ve ever considered a sport.”

She looked at me carefully, and by looking at her I could see, somehow, that her caste was lower, much lower, than my own. Then she asked almost curiously, “How is it that you are alive, bitch? High Caste renegades are usually killed immediately.”

“Friends in low places?” I answered without saying anything else. This one had power, yes, but nothing compared to what I could call if I needed it. Did I call on that? Come on, I was still getting used the ‘daughter’ thing and still wanted nothing to do with ‘Mommy’ just then.

“No matter.” She shrugged. “But returning your dead body should get me a substantial reward, possibly even the restoration of my own status.”

“Well, from one outcast to another,” I told her while working for time so the farmers could at least be mostly out of the way, “I think that’s kind of a pissy attitude to have.”

She paused at the unfamiliar expression, and I gave Sam a quick look as she did. “You’re going to have to handle the guys for a while here. Think I may be a little busy with her.”

“You do that.” He nodded without taking his eyes from the men who were still around us in a threatening ring. “I’ll do what I can until you finish.”

“Fool of a youngling!” The other female in the area gloated. “I was and still am a priestess of our goddess even if our people cast me out. I will feed your soul to HER this night.”

Okay about then I’m supposed to get this ‘god-like’ glow and overawe her, right? Think again. But I did know she was one who depended on her magic and wasn’t all that conversant with other ways to hurt people…

I did a quick dodge and roll to avoid the blast she had aimed at me while hearing the clangs, dings, thunks and general swearing under the breath that men fighting always seem to do. After that a quick swing from a convenient awning and one of my daggers was already drawing a bead of blood from her throat while my arm held her in a grip I was surprised I had strength to hold. “What is your name lost one? My Mother would like to know who I’m sending to her tonight.”

“I won’t give you that, bitch!” She screamed and kicked back to hit one of my shins with a booted heel. Okay that one hurt, a lot, but I didn’t relax my grip.

“Suit yourself.” I shrugged and rammed the dagger home into her jugular and held her until I was sure she was too weak to do anything else. “Pathetic. Mother will eat your soul and still be wanting more when SHE is finished with you, tell her I said hello once you get there.”

I dropped the now lifeless body and decided I’d better wait a bit before being sick. Sam was handling the opposition, but come on, no matter how fast, or how deadly someone is, fifteen to one odds are not a good thing. Though by the time I managed to look the odds were down to more like nine to one. I had the inane thought, That’s my man! And felt a surge of pride for him before taking out three of them with throwing knives, then another from behind with a really nasty and unfair kidney strike.

Hey, you want a fair fight stay on the playground with referees around.

I hadn’t seen a guy in a striped shirt with a whistle, had you?

By then, Sam had finished off the other five and didn’t even seem to be winded. Oh he was bleeding in a few places but I could tell it was nothing serious.

He glanced at the bodies and shrugged. “Amateurs.”

“You’re really kind of scary, you know that?” I told him while healing the minor injuries he’d sustained.

“Uh, me?” He looked at the body of the Dhro’aaa female, now withered and looking like a thousand year old mummy, and shook his head. “When we get home, look in a mirror.”

“Not sure I really want to do that.” I told him seriously then turned my attention to our surroundings and raised my voice. “Okay, the danger has passed though I know none of you will believe that right now. We’ll be leaving because we know you are afraid of us. I can’t blame you for that at all. But if you are threatened again in this place, my name is Dahlia. Call and I will come.”

Okaaay. Just WHERE had that one come from?

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Comments

winning hearts and minds

is going to be tricky. but i have a feeling they are up to it....

"Treat everyone you meet as though they had a sign on them that said "Fragile, under construction"

dorothycolleen

DogSig.png

Maybe,

But it isn't going to be easy.

Maggie

Particularly since Dahlia and Sam

... are essentially Drow ringers representing seemingly non-existent qualities in that race. Unless there is already an underground movement already in place, our heroes will be starting from less than scratch. And unless they can show that they can get more Drow to join them first, it would be deceptive of them to recruit non-Drow races to support a hopeless cause.

Kim

Hearts and Minds-

-one bloody fight at a time. The good news is that the neutral three forces will leave them be. However, the other rulers likely won't be so understanding. I can just see the first Paladin charging in. Okay, I'm evil, but not really bad, so back off bozo!

Hugs!
Grover

reigning in the extemists...

would seem to be a good move. Even if they're not extreme, by current Dhro’aaa standards.

But sooner or later, I bet she's going to have to do something at least a LITTLE evil, just to keep her 'street cred'...

I think-

-that might be what the tattoo is for. Sic-em girl!
Hugs!
Grover

PS: That is a good point. What is our heroes alignment right now? She is fighting to stay true to her upbringing, but there is undeniably a bad girl inside. Neutral Evil maybe?

Alignment

There's two things, what their alignment actually is, and how they're behaving.

So they may BE of evil alignment at the moment, likely Neutral Evil, perhaps Chaotic Evil. That's where all the evil impulses come from. Or perhaps from being Dhro'aaa.

But their actions so far have not been evil. I wouldn't go so far as Lawful Good, cause assassination just can't work with that. But imagine a Neutral Good character, imprisoned, and magically compelled to carry out orders. You've been told to assassinate someone, and you have no choice about that. So you pick the the most evil person you can find, and kill them painlessly.

Today's events don't conflict with that. Her options were to kill, or dissuade. She couldn't dissuade, and not being in any way related to the law, she couldn't arrest the priestess. At best she could have imprisoned her in the castle, which would not only be unlawful, it would be torture. Keeping that priestess imprisoned would have been difficult. So she killed her opponent, which is what a lot of good characters end up having to do anyway.

If they have an evil alignment, they're in for an alignment shift if they keep acting this way. This used to be heavy duty stuff in the old D&D editions, and even now, I believe an assassin shifting to good would lose their special skills and become a thief. But she seems to be a Priestess/Assassin, and this world may not work by those rules. She might become a good Priestess/Assassin.

I look forward to reading this story each day and check often for installments. I'm really enjoying it, and I'm VERY intrigued by the polytheology of gods changing with the times. Cool stuff, thank you for writing this. :)

Assassin

An assassin is definitely not lawful, but can be good. I would place them at chaotic good right now. That fits well with their attitude about their self-proclaimed goddess.

How can an assassin be good? By killing evil, of course. Getting rid of evil characters reduces the amount of evil that is perpetrated, and many lives are saved by the killing. Not lawful, but definitely pragmatic,

Alignment restrictions

This is an example for how the D&D alignment system is far too confining. According to the 3rd Ed rules, the "Assassin" prestige class is restricted to any Evil. There was an "Avenger" prestige class release on the Wizards website that has the restrictions of non-chaotic, and is basically a "non-evil" assassin.
http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/prc/20070401a

"Lawful" had somewhat of a change with 3rd Ed; no longer was it simply defined as "following the laws of the land," but expanded to include having some form of personal code that you followed, even if that code doesn't mesh with society. Thus the Organized/nonsocial offenders type of serial killers could be considered Lawful Evil. While certainly not following the laws of society, they are meticulous, organized and plan their killings out.
Still, people are far more complex than a simple alignment, and "evil" can often depend on your perspective. Historical personalities that we see today as "evil" were not always seen as such in the past, as have been many cultural practices.
I'm not saying there isn't some objective meter to measure actions by (I oppose Cultural Relativism), but the alignment system of D&D is overly arbitrary and too pigeonholing.

Well, yeah.

She is what she is, after all.

Maggie

She has the power.

Even though she is trying really hard to ignore that just now. Go figure.

Maggie

Too bad that Dahlia was not

Too bad that Dahlia was not able to find out who the other woman was and why she had been casted down to a much lower status, if she, as she claimed, had been a priestess. It might have helped Dahlia and Sam know more about what was going on around them.

...

I'm not saying anything except, Oliver Twist. I hope you get my meaning.

If it was easy, what fun would that be?

I am very impressed at this story! I really enjoy reading it. I think Dahlia and Sam would change the world even if they were not on a mission. I do wonder, though-if they are trying to save their new race, perhaps not killing the ones they meet might be helpful? I understand that in this case it may have been unavoidable, though.
Such a good story! I really want to read more!

Wren

Hey!

As the saying goes... Shit happens.

Glad you're enjoying the story.

Maggie

ALIGNMENT AGAIN

There are several possibilities here. The Dhro’aaa Are Looking like Chaotic Evil - major precepts are Freedom,randomness and woe. life has no value. those of this alignment hope to gain power and such in a system ruled by individual caprice and thier own whims. I Think A racial Alignment shift slowly to true neutral is thier best bet. evil and good, chaos and Law all is a part of things and must remain in ballance. But what a long way to go!!! I love this story.

The words 'regime change'

Jemima Tychonaut's picture

The words 'regime change' spring to mind given Dahlia and Sam's mission! I can't see the Dhro'aaa high caste rolling over and embracing change without a struggle.

And the thought of the tattoo not liking being covered up is a skin crawling moment. Urrrgh!

Another enjoyable chapter!



"Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it."

The high caste?

As both the three and this rogue Dhro’aaa have said High Caste are often killed at birth.

So there likely are few and far between even in Dhro’aaa strongholds. I am guessing the moving tattoo is to prove her link to the goddess and possibly is a protective device, a real dragon that can separate from her in extreme situations.

Killing the female Dhro’aaa was okay even given the goal of saving the race. If she was so abhorrent to other Dhro’aaa that they kicked her out/or she was forced to flee, her a supposed priestess, she must have been too nasty even by Dhro’aaa standards.

Her shriveling up like a mummy after death was odd. Goddess *Mom*s retribution on her for trying to kill her daughter and having the gall to still claim she was a priestess? Our heroine unconsciously draining all the life force out of her kill? If Dhro’aaa, particularly the high caste have that ability no wonder they are feared and persecuted. Or was she very old and only her magic's kept her young. Seems to need an explanation.

I can't see the race as a *kill kill kill* for no reason people. They seem from the descriptions so far as a race that feels itself superior to the others, possibly with some justification, and do whatever it takes to get their will. If you get in their way you die. If not you don't. They don't kill from malice so much as squashing a bug, eliminating a threat/nuisance.

BTW how's our dear Deidre(?) and her hubby the new king doing in the other serial? Been awhile. A new episode would be welcome. as your muse wills.

John in Wauwatosa

John in Wauwatosa

A Walk in the Dark Chapter 17

getting better

    Stanman
May Your Light Forever Shine
    Stanman
May Your Light Forever Shine

Dhro'aaa, alignment and judgement

Evil. Chaos. Dhro'aaa. The question of their racial alignment is a tricky one, but I generally agree that Chaotic Evil is akin to what they are.

Our two souls were likely neutral good, that is - general do-gooders. However, coupled with the racial alignment influencing things, they go into a different category due to natural inclinations, even just a bit.

I partly agree with labelling them Chaotic Good, however I am more inclined to neutralise their good-evil axis. Remember, Chaotic Neutral, while the alignment of insane people, does not mean stupidity. Such a person is more likely to cross a bridge than to burn it. And, I think this will actually be the racial alignment in the end.

As it was pointed, the outcast was a priestess. That does not however mean she was too nasty for their standarts. Rather, I'd say she was too crude and was caught with her hand in a honey jar, in a manner of speaking. This is why her idea of fun is sending fifteen thugs on a farmland. As a Dhro'aaa I would have rather poisoned the well in the dead of night, with a poison that starts acting in an hour or three, paralyzes the victim, and then makes said victim die in agony. It's more, ahem, elegant.

The above is why I reserve my judgement on the Dhro'aaa as a whole. We don't have enough information to build up their racial behavior. Also, we don't know how much of their rep was made by looking at their outcasts, and how much - when dealing with members of Dhro'aaa society.

Faraway


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Where you can fool around like you want to and most you get is some bemused good ribbing!

Faraway


On rights of free advertisement:
Big Closet Top Shelf

Where you can fool around like you want to and most you get is some bemused good ribbing!

Hmm

It's going to be a challenge to find a balance. Killing the Drow while trying to save them? How many of their own will need to be sacrificed to turn the tide?

Good story. Thanks.

Jenna