Book 2 Teaser
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Winterhawk99
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Book 2 Teaser

Post by Winterhawk99 »

In the first book I put out a chapter section as a teaser. It was the introduction of the characters Fawn (Sierra), Shaia and the twins Randyl and Seryne in chapter 4. That way I wouldn't give out any storylines about the book but it still gave folk a little bit of feel for it. Again I am putting out a teaser for the second book. Yes it has a long way to go and everything will need to be edited for a few months before the book is put out, but I think most people will like it.
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Winterhawk99
Posts: 1629
Joined: Thu Oct 08, 2009 12:00 am
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Re: Book 2 Teaser

Post by Winterhawk99 »

Most Honorable Ran Tarim of house Sator comes out of her trance and goes above decks on the sleek Schooner that the group she’s with uses. The ship is small and sleek with room for no more than a crew of twelve. It cuts the water with a speed almost unheard of. The roll of the boat makes her feel strange almost sick as if her stomach is rebelling after eating human food.
As she steps up on the deck she is met by a tall stocky human woman with red hair leaning against the rail of the ship.
“Hello there, I see our guest is up and about. I am Phillipa. It’s a pleasure to meet you. Welcome to our merry band: The Nine.”
Ran appraises the woman. She is in heavy plate armor. A long sword is belted to her. A dagger is also jutting out of her war belt. Arms are displayed on her leather over-coat and there is a badge sewn on its shoulder. Her silver spurs mark her as a knight of some distinction from what Ran can discern. The woman shows no reaction to Ran’s face or aura at all. The distinguishing thing Ran marks about her is her piercing blue eyes that seem to look at Ran with an insidious humor and an unwanted interest: as if she were studying an insect to determine if it should be killed or if worthy of some usefulness.
She bows, “Most Honorable Ran Tarim of house Sator.” She walks over beside Phillipa leaning against the rail partially to strike up a conversation, partially to ease her rolling stomach.
“A lengthy title. You must be important where you come from. A leader of Elder Fey’ri. Tell me; how does it feel to be a refugee on the prime?”
“I will tell you this Phillipa but first tell me how a disgraced Paladin of Torm becomes a member of Velvet’s team?”
“How quickly you have learned the ways of our people, Most Honorable Ran Tarim. The short of my story is I once lived in a dream of pageantry, Lords, Ladies and all the finery of life. Then one day my eyes became unclouded. I saw the world for what it was and found an answer on how to improve it. All the derelict, deficient, unwanted, undesirable people and races need to be cleansed from Toril. When that happens, society will become a perfect model; with everyone left adding to the future of the whole. The clergy and the God Torm took offence to my actions as I slaughtered every halfling, every blind person, every person too stupid, sick or crippled to make a contribution for the good of society. I was disavowed and cast out. I continue my mission here with sweet Velvet guiding my sword arm.
Now, Ran, I have told you my story.” She smiles, “tell me yours.”
“The short of my story, Lady Phillipa, is that once upon a time I was a leader of my people. Others of my rank found out that I did not worship exactly as they did. They branded me a heretic and banished me from their lands to die in the wastelands. As you can see I did not.”
“I think we will get along just fine. Most Honorable Ran.”
Ran smiles showing her fangs but whether in pleasure or anger no one would know, “And I think you would make an excellent member of my society Lady Philippa or at least a model citizen of the nations. Who are these other members of your team?”
Phillipa points to the wheel where a tall pale woman with blonde hair and brown eyes mans the station. There is a scimitar belted to her midriff, several draggers line the outside of her leather armor and a hand crossbow is holstered on the offhand side of her belt. She wears a wide brimmed felt hat with many peacock feathers attached at the band, “That’s Pale Lori. Once she was an extremely successful pirate. Rumor has it that when she decided to retire she took her ship to a deserted island somewhere south of Meztica. There she buried it.
But that’s not the end of the story you see. After the crew tired with the hauling and digging, she gave them a three-day revelry on the island. She opened the rum barrels, kept poppies in the fires and had the cooks making grand feasts for them. As they reveled she fucked every single one of them much to their pleasure.
On the third night the crew was so drugged, drunk and spent that not a one cried out when she put her cutlass into their guts and murdered them. In the morning she cut off their heads and out their hearts. She took her gruesome trophies and opened all the rum barrels still sealed. Pickling her gruesome trophys in the barrels she buried them around the treasure so that the ghosts of her crew would always guard her stolen booty.
They say that she left one cabin boy alive to tell her tale after putting out his eyes with a hot stoke and leaving him on a distant shore. When the authorities caught up to her she fled to the Katana and now she runs the ship for the Nine for none of the other members will associate with her.
It is much the same with the rest of the Nine. We are the misfits that no one wants except of course sweet commander Velvet.”
Ran ignores the inferences and points to a huge human in animal skins holding a kitten with a tattooed face, “Who is the big fellow over there?”
“Ah yes, Zor. They say Zor has heard voices since he was but a small child. He killed his priest that had been beating the darkness out of him. Then he killed his parents and the entire village he lived at. He set sail to Lapis port following his voices one to which he swears is his god Cyric, but there are more, much more. Sometimes we hear him talking to them in his cabin or on the road. Reaching Lapis Zor caused all kinds of havoc pitting family against family. He likes to watch others kill each other instead of doing it himself. Once he inflamed the Radiant Order against Cyric’s priesthood. They fought a battle all the while he sat on a hill getting drunk and watching with delight as the two factions killed each other. Zor disappeared for near fifteen years. By that time Lapis had caught on to his various machinations. When he returned Darias gave him a choice a deep prison cell for the rest of his life or become a member of the Nine.”
Phillipa pauses a moment and looks around, “And over there we have doc. Warrior/Priest of the god of necromancy: Valsharoon. Doc as we all do has an interesting story. Shortly after coming to Lapis he was inducted into the Katana where he fought and healed people as one of the guild, but then again Doc has an odd habit. He likes to dig up graves and pull bodies from the battlefield. He would take them apart and make what he called artful statuary by combining several bodies into one form then try to animate them. Unfortunately, he has never gained the power of animation. When his attempts failed he decided that experimenting on living subjects was much more fruitful. Doc was very cautious in not raising any alarms. At first, he would only experiment on Orcs and other misbegotten degenerates. That way he could keep his fancies concealed. When some of his various experiments started to work for more than a few days the temptation of using humans, elves and dwarves was just too much for him. He was caught and now he is our healer. I would be careful to keep a clear head when he works on you, Most honorable Ran.” She smiles
Ran nods to her taking in the man. A tall lanky human with good muscle form. He is middle aged and bald with brown eyes. He doesn’t carry any weapon that she can discern from her vantage point. Looking around again she points to a female Dwarf holding of all things what looks like a babe in her arms.
Phillipa laughs, “Before I tell you about La Lola; I want something from you Most Honorable Ran. Tell me: What gave you that scar across your face?”
Ran was tiring of Phillipa’s condescending attitude, however she needed information on the group and could pierce Phillipa’s mask eventually by speaking with her, so she acquiesced, “I and my sister were sent to the blood wars in our youth. Both of us had just acquired our eyes. The People were stationed at the right flank of the army as you would say the pivot point. A most dangerous place. We were winning the battle keeping formation and slaughtering demons as we went. Their army could not break us and flank the rest of our forces. They grew desperate and called forth a Giant Fire Demon.
It began to savage our ranks. None could stand before it. As others backed away from it I knew that working together with our powers my sister and I could possibly defeat the Tanar’ri. Using our new powers, we combined our attacks. All the others stepped out of the way because two young Samurai had challenged the beast alone. The battle was fierce, but the beast could not regenerate against our attacks as it could with others. We killed it. When it died; it exploded in a great fireball. I was prepared for something like this to happen shielding myself from the worst of the explosion. My sister however was unprepared and much closer to the giant. She was engulfed in flame. That is where this scar came from.”
“What do you mean by eyes? When you say sister, you say it quite differently than one would a sister. Why, Most Honorable Ran?”
Its Rans turn to smile, “I have answered your question, Lady Phillipa.” Her eyes dart to the dwarf, “Now, La Lola?”
Phillipa hesitates a moment while watching Ran’s face. She nods and continues, “La Lola started out in the Katana as a mercenary. She liked to read about various legends of Lapis port. In fact, she is very good on the local history of our home. She came to revere The Dwarven pale master Tagnar, who disappeared decades before.
Finding she has some magical talent she went to the new school of the arcane to study. There she met a young dwarven professor, fell in love getting pregnant in the process. The professor knowing her ambition of becoming a pale master reviled her when she came back to him pregnant. He disavowed her and her unborn baby. She became incensed and quite crazy leaving the school.
A year and a half later after the baby was born she came back to the school. She was now a full-fledged Pale Master. She found the room where the professor taught his class. Walked in, magically sealed the door, and proceeded to slaughter him and all his students.
They found her dancing among the dead bodies singing a lullaby while slowly re-animating her victims. The new born in her arms: a zombie.”
Ran nods watching the dwarf then she catches an elf with dark brown skin coming up on deck from the other side. She looks over to him then to Phillipa.
“That’s Karasin the last original member of the nine. He doesn’t speak but does obey sweet Velvet’s orders. The only thing I know of him is how he became a member. Karasin likes to hunt. His favorite prey are humans, elves and any other of the major races on Toril. He would taunt them first. Sending them letters telling them how many days they had to live.
At first his prey took little notice the kills started to become easy for him. After word of the murders got around those who got his letters took precautions, fled or set up their own defenses to challenge him. All failed. He uses various and means to kill them, Bows, poison, traps, He even killed one with her own crochet needle. Eventually one of the victims did get away and could describe him. The Katana took him in and placed him in the original team.
If you join the nine don’t expect to live a long life. There are few benefits, but they are better than a death sentence or a life in a dark prison cell.” She smiles mischievously turning her head as another person approaches from below. “There are also a few other benefits worth it. We may discuss it later.”
A blonde haired green-eyed human like creature in aristocratic clothing walks up on the deck. He is six-foot one inch tall. The odd thing about him other than his good looks are the two brown horns coming out of his temples swaying back over his head. He looks as if he will simply walk by the two women when he suddenly stops in front of Ran. Bends over so that his nose is close to her shoulder. He takes a long sniff smelling her scent. He starts to rotate past her ear and up to her head but stops cold for a razor sharp wakizashi suddenly appears at his throat.
His eyes dart to hers. They stare coldly at one another as he speaks, “Married twice, four lovers, six children, too old, too ugly.”
Ran responds, “Sleep lightly Tanar’ri.”
He gives her a crooked smile, “Sleep deeply, Baatazu, and our time together will be a glorious adventure in dream.” Taking a leather glove, he moves the small sword away from his neck, turns and continues on his way.”
Phillipa shows an evil grin as she describes Velcar, “Velcar the triefling is the son of Velcar the incubus. Like his father he has a talent for charming young beautiful women and slowly draining their souls as they engage over the next few months. He marries the most beautiful perfect specimens. On their wedding night before the last of her soul is consumed he takes the that last bit of it and through some magic ritual traps it within her wedding veil. The woman becomes something in-between life and death. She is not fully alive nor is she dead. She becomes something not unlike a zombie completely dependent and subservient to her master, yet she is not quite undead either.
No one knows how many wedding veils he has tucked away in secret places, or how many women lay comatose in some forest cabin awaiting him to come back and command her will. They even say some of them wasted away in lonely abandoned buildings waiting for him: long forgotten. If you see a corpse of a woman on a bed in some lonely place It may be one of Velcar’s forgotten brides.
They found him through rigorous divination, after several women about the area of Lapis Port disappeared. Ever since he has been here.”
Ran looks around, “That is seven including you Phillipa. Who are the two others?”
“First tell me, Ran. What did if feel like: being branded a heretic and being cast out by the very people you led? Did you cry for your people? Did you cry for yourself and your new-found position in life?”
“I am Samurai, Lady Phillipa I do not cry over my position nor my people. Most Elder Fey’ri do not even have the capacity to make tears so militant our race. As to your question I did cry. Not for country. Not for myself, but for my husband who preformed the ritual of seppuku over my disgrace.”
Phillipa casts upon Ran a knowing smile before she speaks. This is when Ran knows that Phillipa is a true psychopath that likes to twist people for her own benefit with no feelings whatsoever for others. She either uses them or crushes them and the ones she uses she destroys after she has squeezed all the benefits she can from them.
“Well, Most Honorable Tarim, we now know you can count. A sophisticated intelligent leader. You are dangerous. Almost as dangerous as one of us.” She smiles a moment then continues.
“There is little Tamara. She doesn’t come above decks except for when sweet Velvet calls her directly. You see Tamara is only twelve. When she was a toddler of four she was bitten by a rat. Afterward every time Selune, our moon, shows her full face to us Tamara turns into a rat. She hates the sunlight and is often carried in one of Velvet’s pockets when we make a land venture.
She kept her affliction a secret even to her parents for she liked to hear and see things no one else would tell or let a child see of that age. When she was eight she fought with her parents imparting things to them no eight-year-old should know. They sent her to her room after spanking her without supper. Now in full control of her lycanthropy she took a dagger that she stole changed into a rat and scampered into her parents’ bedroom. She slit their throats and lapped their blood up.
Over the next month she gnawed all the flesh of their limbs. You see Tamara found out she had a taste for human flesh.
At first the Lapis Port militia thought that Tamara was a surviving victim of some creature. They put her with another family to be raised. When that family and those around them mysteriously died the same way, the authorities figured out her problem and placed her with us. Now we are her parents and teach her the things she needs to know to be successful in life.”
As Ran nods to her. Phillipa is disappointed by her reaction. Velvet comes on deck from the captain’s quarters unmasked. Phillipa now notices that Ran has a strong reaction to his face and not what she expects it is quite negatively visceral.
“That, Most Honorable Ran,” She smiles, “Is commander Velvet.”
Ran comments, “Somewhere in that human’s linage is a higher planes creature. An angel most likely. That perfect face and hair…………. it is grotesque! Its flawlessness is an aversion to my eyes!”
Phillipa laughs, “Well then I was going to ask if you fucked him yet? but I have my answer now, don’t I? He may have and angel in his background, but our dear sweet commander is not angel; not at all.
No one knows who his parents are or were. Velvet grew up in the brothels of Waterdeep. When he was twelve. The madam of the brothel he was staying at started using him for her own personal pleasure. She molded him into a whore for all her upper crust friends.
By the age of fourteen he would steal jewelry and small items from his various patronesses for the shadow thieves. The Shadow thieves are of course the true power behind the brothels and whorehouses of Toril, and for the next six years he traveled from brothel to brothel as he was discovered to stealing. Each madam placing her very own brand or tattoo upon his body to show the world that she owned him. Various patronesses also put their marks on him.
You see Most Honorable Ran, beneath that perfect face lies a body that is scared, branded, burned and tattooed with permanent scratch marks running along his back. It is a beautiful thing to behold.
All the wile our commander was learning not only how to perfectly please a woman but how to strike deals, talk his way out of trouble, pacify the most aggressive sadistic women that he often found himself pleasuring. He is called the man with the silver tongue. That thin triangular sword he carries is called bleeder. It is said that once Velvet pierces an enemy with his blade the wound will refuse to heal even under a clerics spell. None of us has seen him use it. He has never needed too because his greatest weapon is not his sword. It is his disarming voice.
Where was I?” She muses a moment, “Oh, yes. Things got too hot for our dear commander along the sword coast. So, the Shadow thieves sent him to Kara-Tur where the slant-eyed bitches like you would have him for their pleasure with the Yakuza, but fate took a turn the ship went under near the coast of Anchorome during a storm. He washed up near lapis port.
Now if a madam wants to keep her stables together she needs something to bind them to her. On the sword coast that magical binding solution is called absinth a concoction of alcohol, wormwood and opium. Its highly addictive and our commander was vary addicted to the poison.
He started to adventure and ply his trade in Lapis. Rory thankfully took no mind of our renegade shadow thief. He fell in love with a half-dragon by the name of Celestia. With all his gifts he tried to get her to love him. She welcomed his friendship but spurned his love for many months. Eventually she grew to like him and came to Janine the local Madam to cure him of his addiction.
Janine agreed after a hefty fee and proceeded to visit our dear commander. Now Janine, even after having been paid had her very own plans for Velvet. She fed him the curing concoction every day for many months, but it was laced with a flower of love called a riln rose which induces both sextual, and intimate love in the first person one sees. Janine cut off all of Velvet’s ties with his friends until he was fully cured. When he was he was also in complete love with Janine. They married and that very day Celestia sailed back to the sword coast heart-broken.
Now Janine has a set of coins that she sells to women for twenty-five thousand gold coins. They are the only ones that Velvet beds besides his wife with two exceptions. The first is the temple of Sune’s priestesses. Velvet follows the goddess of love and the priestesses make sure that he performs the proper rites. The second is the women of the Nine. We get a free pass so to speak.” She hesitates a moment, “Call it a fringe benefit.”
Velvet is also one of only two weapons masters that Darias has personally trained. They say that if he ever does use that sword of his he is lightning fast and accurate with the blade. Not so much with his other blade.” She winks, “Slow and purposeful leaving you in total satisfaction as you drift into a deep sleep after hours of pleasurable struggle.”
Ran raises an eyebrow and states, “He can reverse Tiamat’s blessing. Then he is a dangerous man.”
Phillipa for the first time perplexed, “What to you mean Tiamat’s blessing?”
Ran smiles, “Perhaps one day I will tell you Phillipa.” And with that Ran knows that Phillipa will not try to kill her until she knows the mystery.
Velvet calls everyone up to the wheel. A young teen comes up from below decks she is scrawny with brown hair and eyes. She has no weapons. Her hair is a tangled mess.
He looks each in the eyes including Ran and says, “Our mission is to save the group comprising of Commander Randyl and Commander Seryne. If a group can capture not one but two of the Katana’s commanders, you all know we have our work cut out for us.
We have a new comrade. Her Name is Most Honorable Ran Tarim of house Sator. She is my Lieutenant and second in command. She will bring you home and I will stay with the group if we live after the venture. Have I made myself clear?”
Varies voices affirm his command in their own way. Ran a bit shocked looks upon the group wondering if she will get out of this alive.
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