247 lines
7.7 KiB
HTML
247 lines
7.7 KiB
HTML
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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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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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| <a href="about.html">About</a>
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<header id="title-block-header">
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<h1 class="title">00002. Meadowgloom</h1>
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<p class="subtitle">Fucking Blackguard</p>
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</header>
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<p>“You really don’t know where Blackguard is,” asks Maddox.</p>
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<p>The four of them are sitting around a table in the safe house.
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Maddox, the bone doctor, Iofi, and Meadowgloom.</p>
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<p>The bone doctor, summoned by Other Maddox, is extraordinarily pale.
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They have just finished stitching Maddox up, and are now wrapping them
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up in a bandage. They also set out some salve for Iofi, who is rubbing
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it into her boney forearms. They ache deeply from when she took the
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brunt of the blow from the axeman.</p>
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<p>“I really don’t,” confesses Meadowgloom in his high, soft voice.</p>
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<p>Meadowgloom is Blackguard’s <em>majordomo</em>, head of his household
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staff. Up until recently he was quite happy and content with his
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job.</p>
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<p>That was before, of course, he was detained and threatened with
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bodily dismemberment by three thugs who broke into the Blackguard house.
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Before being rescused by the tall dark haired woman and the short fair
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haired man, both of whom command strange magicks and are also quite
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handy with a hammer and a knife, respectively. Which makes them in some
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ways even scarier than the burglars were. And ultimately they also
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eventually threatened him with violence.</p>
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<p>All because of Blackguard.</p>
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<p>Blackguard, whose investments, speculations, and ventures have made
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him one of the most conspicuously wealthy merchants in Kriteach.
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Possibly on the entire island.</p>
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<p>Blackguard, who over the last month started becoming increasingly
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anxious and secretive. Holding meetings at odd hours behind closed
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doors. Spending more and more time alone with his books. As though he
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knew the net was tightening, drawing closed around him.</p>
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<p>Blackguard, who disappeared three days ago and left Meadowgloom
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holding the proverbial bag. After years of service and loyalty.</p>
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<p>Fucking Blackguard.</p>
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<p>“I don’t,” continues Meadowgloom. “But I can recreate his final days
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in the house for you. I can give you access to his books. His
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correspondence. Everything.”</p>
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<hr />
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<p>Meadowgloom’s confidence starts to waiver as the three of them walk
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back to the Blackguard house. It was his sanctuary mere days ago. But
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now the illusion of safety has been shattered, and when he thinks of
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returning he feels a knot of dread in the pit of his stomach. He doesn’t
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think he’ll ever feel at peace there again.</p>
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<p>He doesn’t know how right he is about that.</p>
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<p>The street is blocked off. The house, in the middle of the block, is
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collapsed in on itself and continues to smoke and smolder slightly. It
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is blackened by soot, gutted by fire, and utterly soaked from the
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efforts of putting out the blaze.</p>
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<p>The fire brigade is now focused on putting out a neighboring
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apartment.</p>
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<p>Meadowgloom moans helplessly and wordlessly. He was already mourning
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the psychological loss of his home. But he wasn’t prepared for its
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physical loss.</p>
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<p>“Shit,” curses Maddox.</p>
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<p>Iofi looks at them and frowns.</p>
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<p>“It’s a setback,” she offers.</p>
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<p>“It was our best and only lead,” they counter.</p>
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<p>Meadowgloom moans again and rushes past the barricade toward the
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house. He is stopped by the brigade, who won’t let him advance. Maddox
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gives him a moment, and then steps forward and gently pulls him away.
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They walk back in the direction from which they came. Meadowgloom,
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silent and dejected, flanked on either side by Maddox and Iofi. Nothing
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else to be done here.</p>
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<p>“You’ll stay with us,” Iofi pats Meadowgloom on the arm.</p>
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<p>Maddox mumbles something under their breath and nods.</p>
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<p>“It’s the least we can do given the circumstances.”</p>
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<p>EOF</p>
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