feat: drafted three and four

This commit is contained in:
D. Moonfire 2019-06-30 01:40:29 -05:00
parent 8a3e990bd2
commit 71a592f527
5 changed files with 181 additions and 1 deletions

View file

@ -2,6 +2,8 @@
title: The Wait title: The Wait
--- ---
> Genetic magic created the slather as a dog-like beast that preys on the vulnerable populations of a city. The nest size rapidly increases as the slather use their victims as food for their young. --- *Illegal Creations of Genetic Magic*
With a groan, Karin twisted her arm to scratch her back. The spot that itched remained just out of her right, in the spot above her right hip and far enough back she couldn't use her other hand to reach it either. She had to lean into the warrior next to her to get the angle to drag her nails along the bloody bandage that wrapped around her waist. Underneath the fabric, the three gashes continued to throb despite her efforts. She pulled her hand back and looked at the tips, only a little blood had seeped through her bandage. With a groan, Karin twisted her arm to scratch her back. The spot that itched remained just out of her right, in the spot above her right hip and far enough back she couldn't use her other hand to reach it either. She had to lean into the warrior next to her to get the angle to drag her nails along the bloody bandage that wrapped around her waist. Underneath the fabric, the three gashes continued to throb despite her efforts. She pulled her hand back and looked at the tips, only a little blood had seeped through her bandage.
"You are going to open it up again." "You are going to open it up again."

View file

@ -2,6 +2,8 @@
title: Interruption title: Interruption
--- ---
> Though frequently dismissed as just nerves, those in constant threat of battle share many common traits when forced to deal with the relative peace outside of war: nightmares, heavy drinking, and depression. --- *The Hidden Costs of War*
Karin woke up with a start. Her heart pounded in her chest as she looked around for a monster about to attack. Her hand reached down for her sword, but only brushed against bandages and dried blood. Karin woke up with a start. Her heart pounded in her chest as she looked around for a monster about to attack. Her hand reached down for her sword, but only brushed against bandages and dried blood.
With a whimper, she grabbed her other side, clawing for her backup weapon. She must have dropped it. Half-blinded with exhaustion, she leaned over to find it. When her knuckles brushed against the wooden floor, reality came crashing in and she remembered that she was in a pubic hall. With a whimper, she grabbed her other side, clawing for her backup weapon. She must have dropped it. Half-blinded with exhaustion, she leaned over to find it. When her knuckles brushed against the wooden floor, reality came crashing in and she remembered that she was in a pubic hall.

111
chapters/chapter-03.md Normal file
View file

@ -0,0 +1,111 @@
---
title: Injured
---
> Magic reacts poorly with magic. The more powerful someone is, the more they respond to others with incompatible resonance. While it is possible to create a tight-knit team of compatible talents, there will always be painful disruptions. --- *The Curse of Power*
Karin hissed in pain as she peeled her breastplate off. The alchemically-treated leather had one puncture hole along the side. She didn't need to see the skin below to know how deep the wound went. The large opening pierced clear through her breast and scraped against the bones of her sternum. If it wasn't for the heavy padding, she probably would have bled out before the damn monster was killed.
Tossing her armor aside, she inspected the thick padding underneath. The white fabric had turned red from her injury. She reached for her first aid kit and pulled out one roll of fresh gauze. After a second, she grabbed a second.
"Damn the Couple, that looks nasty," Roal said as he sat down on the log next to her.
She cringed as her seat shook. She grabbed her breast to avoid pulling out the padding before she was ready and glared at him.
"Here, let me."
Karin sighed and handed him the gauze.
"You take the anti-venom?" There was a moment of concern before he pulled a face. "I hate how it tastes but that is---"
"Of course I did, I'm not stupid. Except for the puncture wound, I'll live."
His rough fingers peeled back her padding and her underclothes. His fingers were scrubbed clean, revealing the pale skin that would be underneath all the dried blood and mud that covered the rest of him.
Hot crimson dribbled down her side and soaked her waist. She wanted to shove his hand out of the way, but he needed to look at the injury to see how bad she got nailed.
"That asshole got you good. You might lose the titty."
"Why do you care? You aren't getting it." Her eyes blurred with the pain.
"None of your peaches are going to get anymore of this," he said as he held her naked breast. His warm grip was steadier than her as he twisted from one way to another. He poked along the wound channel, working his way until he found where it had scraped her bones.
Sharp agonies of pain crawled across her chest. She wanted to lash out at him but she knew that he was inspecting the wound.
"Oh, that's really deep. You're going to need the alchemical pack."
"Shit."
"I know, old woman, but you're going to lose the titty if you don't."
"Fine. Those things hurt forever."
When he looked at her, she shook her head. "Just get it over and stop pawing me."
Roal chuckled and called over his shoulder. "I need a pack, who is carrying?"
On the other side of their camp, Stac raised his hand before digging into his large travel packs. He pulled out a copper-inlaid capsule about a foot long and four inches across. It had runes embossed into the copper but they weren't magical.
He threw it over the fire and Roal caught it. He planted it on Karin's thigh before opening it. Inside was a glass syringe with a blunt-ended needle. A glittering green and yellow liquid swirled inside the container.
As soon as the capsule was opened, everyone started to squirm. She could feel the energies of whatever was inside scraping against her bones and throbbing in her joints. Her ears pounded by the presence of the magic that radiated.
Roal groaned and twisted. "I hate this damn stuff."
"G-Get it in. Now!" she snapped.
From around the fire, other hunters said much of the same thing. No one liked the way the alchemical resonance felt against their magic.
Shoving the needle into the puncture wound, Roal depressed the plunger and forced the contents into the bloody wound.
Despite knowing how much it would hurt, Karin still screamed out in pain. The agony burned along her chest as she was forced to experience the same deep puncture again, this time with the sensations of a thousand needles tearing her out from the inside.
She grabbed Roal's arm and yanked it up toward her face.
He clamped his hand over her mouth, muffling the noise as she dug her finger into his arm, her nails indenting the leather armor. He finished emptying the syringe and shoved everything aside to hold her still.
After an eternity of agony, the piercing pain faded leaving only a burning sensation across her entire chest, the feeling of a thousand knives digging into her breast from the inside, and a throb deep inside her joints.
Panting, she pushed his hand away. "T-Thanks," she gasped.
Roal grunted and twisted. "Sorry."
"My fault."
"No, it's that asshole mage who let his entire menagerie of monsters loose."
"Y-Yeah," she groaned. "Damn him for having a heart attack, dying, and then having no one check on his mansion for a year. We got the nasty one first, like that slather next last year." She scratched at her arm, trying to get the itch that throbbed from her joints. She knew that feedback from the alchemical mixture would cause her pain for a month but the knowledge didn't stop the maddening itch that sparked along her arms.
Maril walked behind them. The bottom of her longbow smacked against the wooden log they were sitting on."If you two are done making out, get the hell out of range before I hit you."
Roal chuckled. "You know she ain't got a thing for me, Mar. You should be the one worried."
Maril's lip curled back. She turned to glare at both of them while walking backwards toward her tent. "She isn't getting in my bedroll with that crap in her veins. You know the rules, you get packed, you're trunked for a month."
Roal turned back with a sympathetic look. "Sorry. She's right."
Karin gingerly cupped her bared breast. It was tender and still burning but at least there was no chance of an infection eating it out from the inside. "I know. We got the bastard, so as soon as I get paid, I'll head over to Marowmoth. They have a cheap place I can hole up."
"Speaking of which, you remember those slathers?"
Karin glanced at him. "Y-Yeah? What about them?"
"The Village of Barnsveld is only thirty miles south of here."
"Barnsveld? Why would I go there? I'll just hole up at a cheap inn in Marowmoth. That's just down the road. Same as last time."
Roal smiled. "Yeah, but I remember a certain cute peach at the Barnsveld Inn."
She frowned. A peach? There was a woman she was interested in? Then she remembered the freckles. A smile crossed her face. "I thought you made a pass at her."
He waved his hand dismissively. "I gave you first shot."
"Plus you damaged your leg pretty badly and couldn't do half the things you pretend you do."
His smile grew a little forced. "Do you want to head over there or not? You got a month to kill with that damn crap saving the girl. Even if she's not really a peach, at least she's pretty on the eyes."
"Ten leagues just to pine after a girl?"
"Two days of misery. Besides they had those soft beds on the second floor and that local whiskey---"
"Deal."

57
chapters/chapter-04.md Normal file
View file

@ -0,0 +1,57 @@
---
title: Checking In
---
> Who is the child who walks into death? To risk everything in search of those single points in time when life on the razor's edge? Who knows, but there is always a need for more to join the ranks. --- *Slaves of War and Blood* (Act 2, Scene 4)
By the time Karin stopped in front of the Barnsveld Inn, she was thoroughly tired of riding on horseback and through the rain. Thirty hours didn't sound so bad, but after the fact, it felt like thirty days.
The pain from her puncture wound had settled across her entire chest. Both breasts and her chest ached with tenderness with the left side adding an uncomfortable lump of the alchemical pack that filled the wound. Every time her horse hit a rough patch of road, the jostling of her breasts caused renewed pains to tear through her senses. Even her nipples rasping against her underclothes were a torture for the last few hours.
The idea of spending a week without clothes kept her going.
She groaned as she leaned to get off the horse. With one arm across her breasts to prevent them from bouncing, she slid off gracelessly and hit the ground hard.
A hand rushed up. "Let me get that, madam. Staying for the weekend or longer?"
"A month and don't call me madam."
He nodded. "I'll take of her. Your name?"
"Karin Bedosen of the Rat Hunters."
The hand's eyes grew wide. "Rat Hunters? You were the ones that took out the slather nest. You lost... you lost one of them. I'm sorry."
It had been a while since she thought of Booker. He was a young, foolish man who had dreams of opening a business of his own. A momentary pang struck her. The hunters lost someone every few months while on the job, it was brutal and risky.
On the other hand, they also gained recruits looking for a few months of dangerous but high-paying gigs before retiring. Six years ago, after Karin realized she wasn't interested in her husband as much as he wasn't interested in her either, she had joined for a suicidal thrill. She almost quit after the first time she saw her intestines. Or when she broke her leg. However, she kept coming back and taking the next job the moment she recovered. The thrill of survival and the huge stack of crowns dump in front of her after a job well done was enough to keep her going.
She sighed. There wasn't much a thrill when her chest ached and her joints burned from having another mage's magic stuffed inside her. With her thoughts dark, she headed into the inn.
It was late morning and all of the nightly guests had left. The public hall only had a pair of folks cleaning the tables. The innkeeper that she remembered from the last time sat at one of the tables, working through piles of paper and accounting.
Karin headed over. "You have a room open for a month?"
The innkeeper didn't look up. He was bald with a short trimmed hair over his ears. He was probably in his sixties. "You a heavy drinker?"
"Give me a double bed on the second floor, probably some laundry service, and a bottle of whiskey a night and I'm not going to cause problems."
"Can't give you a bottle. Town law."
"I remember. Just keep my glass full and I'll keep my head down." Karin knew what he was trying to find out. "I couldn't brawl even if I wanted to. I got hurt badly in the last hunt and I'm not up to any trouble."
"Hunt?" The innkeeper turned to her. "You are one of the Rats?" His face brightened. "You were. I remember you."
She nodded.
"A month you said?"
"Yes."
"Normally, it's thirty a night. Fifty days in Punmahik, so fifteen hundred."
"I can pay that." She could easily afford a year of the inn before having to cash in scrips. Her job had paid well and she didn't have anything else to spend it, so she kept it squirreled away for when she did retire.
"You helped this town so I'll throw in a bottle's worth of the local whiskey in. And laundry, as long as it isn't blood or vomit. Deal?"
"Deal. Cash okay?"

View file

@ -1,9 +1,17 @@
{ {
"knownWords": [ "knownWords": [
"Barnsveld",
"Bedosen",
"Garafin", "Garafin",
"Maril", "Maril",
"Maril's",
"Marowmoth",
"Punmahik",
"Roal", "Roal",
"Roal's", "Roal's",
"Stac" "Stac",
"alchemical",
"alchemically",
"trunked"
] ]
} }