2022-09-05 17:58:14 +00:00
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2022-09-18 22:52:24 +00:00
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2022-09-05 17:58:14 +00:00
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</style>
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2022-09-18 22:52:24 +00:00
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<link rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml" title="episodes" href="http://tilde.town/~dozens/clericthief/episodes.xml">
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<link rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml" title="journal" href="http://tilde.town/~dozens/clericthief/journal.xml">
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2022-09-05 17:58:14 +00:00
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</head>
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<body>
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Cleric + Thief
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| <a href="index.html">Episodes</a>
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| <a href="journal.html">Journal</a>
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2022-09-18 22:52:24 +00:00
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| <a href="about.html">About</a>
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2022-09-05 17:58:14 +00:00
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<header id="title-block-header">
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<h1 class="title">00004. Pinky</h1>
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<p class="subtitle">“wrapped around my little finger”</p>
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</header>
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2022-09-18 22:52:24 +00:00
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<p>Maddox is alone, slipping silently through the house, while Iofi and
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another Maddox wait hidden in the kitchen.</p>
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<p>In the dining hall, one of the girls startles them. But they talk
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their way past her.</p>
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<p>They climb the stairs at the end of the hall to the second level.</p>
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2022-09-18 22:52:24 +00:00
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<p>When they get to the top of the stairs, a large, beefy guard jumps
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out and swings a fist at Maddox, but they dodge out of the way. Maddox
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swipes at him with a dagger, and the guard jumps back to avoid its
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point. The guard swings again and Maddox feints and stabs. The guard
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barely avoids the attack.</p>
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<p>This time the guard lands what should be a direct blow, but his fist
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goes straight through the side of their skull. The guard stops and
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blinks a few times in confusion. Maddox whispers a single word,
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“Snap.”</p>
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<p>A second Maddox steps out of the shadows and stabs the guard in the
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ribs. Iofi lunges forward and strikes him in the head with her hammer,
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knocking him out.</p>
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<p>Maddox tries the single door at the top of the stairs. It is locked.
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Iofi lays her hands on it and opens it, and they slip through.</p>
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<p>At the end of the hallway are two guards, on high alert due to the
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sound of the scuffle. They pounce, and Maddox turns and runs back down
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the hallway. They give chase and as they pass through the hallway,
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Maddox and Iofi attack from behind.</p>
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<p>Iofi’s hammer knocks one out in a single blow. Maddox throws a dagger
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and catches the second one in the neck. He cries out, turns and jabs
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with his spear. Maddox takes a scratch from the spear, but then stabs
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again and the guard goes down.</p>
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<p>Maddox continues down the hall, leaving Maddox and Iofi behind. They
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pause to listen at doors as they go.</p>
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<p>They finally arrive at Walker’s study. The lights are on. She is
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sitting at her desk reading papers and making notes in a journal.</p>
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<p>Maddox slips silently into the room.</p>
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2022-09-18 22:52:24 +00:00
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<p>Rose Walker looks up and sets her papers down and sighs, “I obviously
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need to up my security.”</p>
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<p>“Not necessarily. There just aren’t really any doors that can keep us
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out,” Maddox replies with a nearly apologetic smile.</p>
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<p>She smiles back and folds her hands together, waiting.</p>
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2022-09-18 22:52:24 +00:00
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<p>“I’m looking for somebody,” Maddox continues. “His name’s
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Blackguard.”</p>
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<p>Walker unlaces her fingers, places her hands on the table, and
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stands.</p>
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<p>“I’ve never heard him,” she says, walking around the desk and
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standing before Maddox. “He’s not one of my clients whoever he is. So
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why are you asking me?”</p>
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<p>Maddox narrows their eyes.</p>
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2022-09-18 22:52:24 +00:00
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<p>In the hallway, Iofi holds the grimorie in both hands. Her lips move
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silently as she reads.</p>
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<p>In the study, Walker’s smile fades and she falters, hesitates. Her
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confidence is suddenly, inexplicably shaken. Maddox smirks.</p>
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2022-09-05 17:58:14 +00:00
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<p>They take a step forward. “Help us find Blackguard.”</p>
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2022-09-18 22:52:24 +00:00
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<p>“I tell you I don’t know the man!” she protests, taking step
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back.</p>
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<p>Iofi finally steps into the room. The grimorie has been placed back
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into her satchel. She holds her glass hammer at her side.</p>
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<p>“Then find out. Ask your girls.” Iofi says idly, looking around the
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room. She walks behind the desk and flips through the papers, pocketing
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one or two of them. Walker frowns.</p>
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<p>“We’ll be back in three days,” Maddox warns.</p>
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<p>Iofi crosses the room again and lays one hand on the door to Walker’s
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study. “<span class="smallcaps">This door is now one of mine</span>,”
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she says. She opens it and on the other side is the safe house.
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Meadowgloom, setting out a tea set, looks up in surprise and lets out a
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squeak.</p>
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<p>Maddox smiles. They follow Iofi through the door and close it behind
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them, leaving Walker alone once again in the study.</p>
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<p>Walker composes herself and crosses the room and opens the door and
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looks at the empty hallway on the other side, exactly where it should
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be.</p>
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2022-09-05 17:58:14 +00:00
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<p>EOF</p>
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