Steelhead Adventures: Journey to Fusang Part Twelve Thirteen

Heh. My lucky number!

The Dungeon of Fusang Castle

"WAIT" the first guard called out, stopping the second from punching Purdie "We shall try a different measure."

A door opened and two more guards walked in, dragging Koen behind. They threw Koen up against a wall. The first guard turned to Purdie and smiled.

"Now," he said "tell us what we want to know.....or we torture him."

"No" Purdie whispered as the guards moved closer to Koen.

Oh no you don't.

The guards looked to each other in bewilderment as the neko vanished from their grip like smoke. His shackles clattered to the ground.

I should have killed them all, but Time Lords are squeamish about that sort of thing and I'd need the ride home.

Koen landed on the shoulders of the two henchmen, his red paws balancing himself effortlessly and flexing, digging in claws just enough of a grip to slam their heads together.

I've been tortured and killed enough times. I'm not falling to these goons. Not to anyone.

As the men fell, he released his grip and sprung towards the guards that held Purdie with a roar. One of them turned to face him, reaching for the sword in his belt.

I may not be the Vortex any more. But I still know magic. And in this life? I have these.

Curved claws extended from his fingertips. One hand gripped the swordsman's wrist, sinking deep into the flesh. He howled in pain as Koen threw him across the room onto the other two guards.

Hotspur risked his life to save me. Of course I'll return the favor. After what Father did to me? That's another story.

Koen growled long and deep before flashing his fangs at the trembling guard, who now held Purdie in front of him as a shield.

"You have a choice," Koen said as he advanced slowly. "You can give me the keys, or you can give me your heart..."

Mrrrf...

So the Novem thing didn't work out last night. Oh well. At least I got to talk to Kira for a while. I breezed through Steelhead and felt real hungry, so I fell into an old habit. Unfortunately the rat I caught was clockwork. I know Emilly's store sells them, but there's something familiar about this gear setup. I'm not a Spark so I gave it to Lunar for Tensai to look over. (Back from the future already, apparently.)

Purdie gave Fuzz a mini-Tardis that almost protects him from bullets. Which it did. Personally? I'd take a mirage maker that makes the bullets miss you completely. So what if it makes you look like you're dancing out of sync? The laws of physics are so screwed up in this realm it looks like you and your partner are dancing with ghosts instead of each other half the time anyway!

Meanwhile that magic poison-proof cup thing is still missing. And if you assume I'm probably the only one looking for it, I've got a bridge in Steelhead to sell you.

sinking, thinking and drinking

Ash and I took it upon ourselves to give that lobster-demon a decent burial. Ash got a lot of funny looks as we carried that coffin through town with the Foundation flag on it, especially from the SWAT team. To be honest he gave me a start myself when I saw him. (I'm not gonna steal his thunder. You just have see him for yourself.)

We both knew enough about Ereb'ai customs. An aquatic species like his would want a burial at sea. The Styx is a ways off, so the Pacific will have to do. We had time for small talk. Ash and I talked a lot as he stuck his propeller hand in the water at the back of the rowboat and pushed us out of sight of land. We talked about deep, personal stuff. I told him it's every person's mission to figure out who he is. And since he's my brother I'll support him every step of the way. He told me it's only logical that I make time for myself and those I care about.

We both admitted we felt that Instinct before Aunt Lumina took the title of Regent. Yes, I thought about become Regent myself. But the brilliant part is giving it to someone who won't abuse the title like Demonfather did. Yes, she's got that glow that stops evil in its tracks, but is a figurehead enough to keep the family together?

We did agree on something. We can't let Qlippothic and Nova hang out together. With that eye of Yogga-Wogga or whatever it is and them both hearing the call of the Old Ones...well no campsongs around the fire for them.

We found a good spot, and Ash found a dedication (what passes among in Hell for "prayers" aren't repeatable topside) for the most loyal of fallen servants. The coffin slid past the flag as we tilted the coffin. There was a quick splash we lost sight of it under the waves.

I mentioned how Tensai had a time-travel accident. There wasn't much we could do with the GT still crippled, except for Qlippothic and her Eye. But that might be risky in itself.

We tried to figure out what lobster-boy was doing in Steelhead to begin with. Ash tells me he was the Sommelier, the winemaster on board that demon-ship. He should have been wearing a tastevin, a small cup on a necklace chain that they use to take a good look at wine before they pour it for the King. He said with his station in the Court, his tastevin would have been enchanted to protect him from poison...in the court of Erebus, spiking each others' bottles was a common pastime.

I think this is starting to make sense now.

~K the K

A funny thing happened on the way to the wake

Gem called me crying to ask me to take over as she was winding down. As I'm creepin' down Laudanum I see none other that Aleister himself! Out in the open. I step out of the shadows and have a chat.

"I am here to pay my respects to the Founder. I have no threats or deceptions this night." He says this in his Swiss/Belgian accent that I'm too lazy to write out.

"Fair enough" I say. "You've had some staffing problems lately haven't you?"

He rolled his eyes at me. "For that reason I have abandoned my plans to take Winterfell by force. And now with the Hydra freed, we have a common enemy far more dangerous than we are to each other. I wish to arrange a détente."

Then he tells me that he still supplies most of Winterfell with bloodwine which is why a sparsely populated region like this is crawling with vampires and the human population is neither dying off nor constantly anemic. If we kill him off, the vamps might get hungry and wander south into Caledon for midnight snacks before they find new suppliers. Furthermore he'll start supplying Dr. Mason again for his Reanimation Serum ingredient as long as he leaves him alone.

"You mean I didn't have to hunt game for blood??"

"You staked me before I could tell you."

Grrrr...

He couldn't come in when he saw Lumina's glow through the window. It's that sunlight thing.

"An excellent choice...for you. I have one warning before I leave. Your sister, Qlippothic. She is in league with the Old Ones. She uses the Eye of Yog Sothoth to circumvent the Edict on the Masons against time travel! Mark my words! She must be purged of her madness or she will unleash horrors upon us far more dangerous than the Hydra!"

Before I could voice my opinion he vanished in the mist. Such Drama.

Oh, I updated the Heroes and Villains entries. Look down.

~K the K

The Founder is Dead...

I never moved so fast in any of my lives. I kept both hands on my sachel. I kept to the shadows, past where I'd seen the Sheriff fall. I saw Jobias and Dr. O in the saloon, crouched over a table gloating in the over a couple glasses of red. I could have slit both their throats right then and there, but there were bigger things at stake.

I should have realized it before, why the Hydra kidnapped Lumina. Why an ancient creature was so scared of one woman as to imprison her with magic, but unwilling...unable to kill her outright.

I straightened up and rang my Aunt's doorbell. I smiled weakly, squinting at first from her glow. She hugged me and told me to come in. I asked to sit down with her.

We needed to talk.

clones clones clones clones....

So I drop this lady off in Steelhead and it's drama central. Jobias is strutting around and Dr. O is complaining about the rain on his joints. No sign of Malegatto though. I was hoping for her autograph.

What I can figure out Genie was in heat and built a clone of the Baron that's now in the hooskow. I thought he already was a clone to be honest. How can he be hanging out in Steelhead and arguing with New Babbage's Ann Coulter/Paris Hilton fur on the Ning when there's all that craziness going on in Europa?

I also heard St. Kitt blew up. Too bad, I used to go on vacation there with Mom back when the neko ruled the island. We had so much fun setting up those moai...then the humans cam and put lawn chairs all over them! *sniff!* Well, that's one prophesy off the list. Too bad the Middlesea Fleet was busy with it, they had to break off chasing the Midas...

Aw crap, the Midas! It's over Winterfell? Darien and Ash are still on it? Gem and Ama are fighting Loli Ogre Ninjas? *sigh* I should get over there...

I'm out standing in my field

In Steelhead I saw the priestesses (Oh, you call them nuns? Whatever...)pounding on door after door looking for silver bars. I also saw them cordon off the old Lighthouse before Tensai demolished it. I felt a lump in my throat, and a tightness in the air like the Universe was holding its breath...

I visited Kira. I told her best I could what happened to us up there. She told me best she could what's changed down here.



So...I'm waiting in Victoria City for...something...important?















What's with all these mushrooms, anyway? And what's wrong with that bunny? Why is it red? Is it ready to catch on fire or something? I'm not used to standing out in the open like this! Daylight doesn't match my coat at all...