DIR Return Create A Forum - Home
---------------------------------------------------------
Dragonbane
HTML https://dragonsbane.createaforum.com
---------------------------------------------------------
*****************************************************
DIR Return to: Creative Corner
*****************************************************
#Post#: 166--------------------------------------------------
Black Ties: Part 4
DIR By: Gallowtree
Date: September 27, 2020, 7:01 pm
---------------------------------------------------------
4
Gage turned back at the last moment with a shrug, dropping the
crowbar to the snowy earth. Tuskboy had his arms up, his
grotesque hands poised to tear Gage in two. There was no fear
on her face, however; she bore a serene look that I remembered
seeing on a buddha statue. As Tuskboy swung his arms down to
crush her in his charge, Gage leapt up and swung, using
Tuskboy's arm as a handhold, and landed on his back. Tuskboy
stopped cold, swinging around to try and grab her. She held on
with one hand on his jacket, her feet dug into his ribs, and
swung the lower part of her palm in a precise blow to his
temple. Once, twice, and again. Tuskboy struggled, but just
couldn't shake her. She knocked him out. As he collapsed to
the ground, Gage flipped off of him, and landed gracefully on
her feet a couple of paces away.
“Showoff,” Dante muttered, holstering his pistol.
“Sorry, demonboy,” she said, walking over to her bag, “I had to
think fast and let the reflexes do the work...I'm sure you know
how it feels to let something take you over.”
Dante bristled, the lines twitching. Oh lord, blessed are the
peacemakers.
“Yeah, so I'm sorry about the late notice about the iron, Gage.
Why didn't you let us know you were following the other
beastman?” I asked.
“Mmm? I actually came to find you, and I guess you took off
with the other one. It's no big deal, Max; we got the job
done.”
I raised an eyebrow, but I let that slide for now. Bromwell
would no doubt rake us over the coals for the overall
sloppiness, but we did capture the beastmen. Gage would learn
how things worked in the Black Ties eventually; she was too used
to being a one-act show, but our asses were on the line with
her, and nobody was going to let me down like that (again).
Gage pulled out two plastic waterbottles filled with coloured
goo from her bag, and also produced a pen-knife from her pocket.
Gage opened each bottle, and circled around each beastman,
dripping the goo carefully to form a solid circle. She then
pricked her finger, and planted a drop in each circle...I felt
the circles close with a snap and a hum.
“Koolaid?” Dante asked.
“And cornstarch...makes a more solid seal over uneven surfaces
like snow or mud,” Gage responded.
“Neat!”
Gage and I exchanged a look, and she rolled her eyes.
“Oh c'mon guys!” Dante moaned, “I didn't grow up with this crap!
The closest I ever got to it was a lousy magician my mom got
for my birthday when I was, I dunno, eight! You two take all
this neat ritual and power stuff for granted – seriously.”
I thought about that for a second...Dante must really feel like
an outsider sometimes, being a regular human being that can't
relate with other human beings because of the whole demon thing,
and then being shackled with people whose concerns are entirely
about something that takes place at another level – one he
doesn't know jack-all about. However, as much as I needed to
get along better with Dante, I also needed to consider how to
put things in order here.
“Gage...let Brom know we are ready here. Dante, will you join
me and circle around? I just want to make sure we didn't leave
anything behind.”
Gage spoke into the stone, using a codeword to alert Brom that
we were ready. Dante came over to me, a doubtful look on his
face.
“Are you sure there's a point to this Max?”
“Yes. Follow me.”
After a moment's hesitation, Dante followed me down the path.
*****************************************************
Page 1 of 1