109 lines
4.9 KiB
Markdown
109 lines
4.9 KiB
Markdown
---
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title: 00071
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created: Thu, 09 Mar 2023 21:05:50 -0700
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updated: Thu, 09 Mar 2023 21:05:50 -0700
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public: yes
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syndicated: yes
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---
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### 00071 {#00071}
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Neddas loves mortals. Possibly more than they love themself. It's why
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they've diminished their own divinity over the eons by freely giving
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parts of themself away---gifting tiny aspects of themself to the
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mortals. Part of their constant delight in doing so is that even with
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their divine wisdom they can never quite be sure what any mortal or
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mortals will actually do with a sliver of godhood, with a divine
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spark. Consequently they have a lot of experience with giving what
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they thought is a perfect gift only for it to be misused, or for it
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to backfire in some unexpected way.
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The Sword of Y'aml is a prime example. Justice without Wisom turned
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out to be a cruel weapon, seeing evil everywhere and smiting it on
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sight. And Wisdom itself proved as impotent as Justice was
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overzealous: it became as cold and as cruel in its own way, locked
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away in ivory towers, refusing to intervene, made lame by theory and
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academia.
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So now, in this moment, Neddas watches closely to see if they finally
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got it right. Does this mortal have not only the Wisdom to know what
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to do, but also the Courage to do it in the name of Justice?
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> Alex rushes to Marvelo's side and quickly begins to administer
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> medicine to him. "Sorry old friend, it's not much considering the
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> wound, but it should help you at least stay lucid" Alex says as he
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> administers the medicine Inky gave him. He takes quick stock of
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> Marvelo's wound, most of his teeth are gone, his jaw is horribly
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> disfigured, it's doubtful if it'll heal properly. At best he'll need
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> prostethics, potentially a full mechanical jaw. It is essentially a
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> death knell in this kind of work, the perfect normality Marvelo had
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> always strove for would be forever marred by his sudden abnormality.
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> Alex shakes his head, "It's fine Marv, I'm positive we can get this
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> fixed, no worse than at wound Agent 3 took in Cosovo, remember that
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> one? Hell of a thing that" Alex grins grimly, casting a glance over
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> his shoulder. "Alright, you should be set old friend, best I can do
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> for now." Alex hands him back his blaster and sits him up against the
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> wall, the bleeding staunched, but the magled jaw not much better.
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>
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> Alex stands, reloads his pistol, and turns to face the malevolent
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> apparition.
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>
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> "I don't know who the fuck you think you are, or what the fuck you
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> think you're doing. But nobody, and I mean nobody, messes with my
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> agents, my friends." Alex approaches the apparition, pistol gripped
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> in one hand, and the crystal pendant Neddas gave him held tight in
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> the other. "Alright Neddas, you said you'd give me something I could
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> protect my friends with. Don't think I believe in it much, but I'd of
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> said until about 15 minutes ago that candles don't produce macabre
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> dentists either." Alex stands before the apparition, daring it to
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> move, come and try me if you dare.
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Alex faces down the howling apparition---pistol in one hand, amulet
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in the other---daring and defiant.
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The wind engulfs him, swirls around him, wraps him in its embrace,
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and presses him to its bosom.
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> While Master Alex faces the screaming presence overhead, Inky steps
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> over to where Marvelo is slumped against the wall. Working quickly,
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> they wipe the blood on the agent's face with a clean kerchief and
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> antiseptic, then gently realign the shattered jaw, wrapping bandages
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> around his head to hold it in place. They pull a blanket laying on
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> the ground nearby over his body before getting to their feet again.
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>
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> At the mention of Neddas, they tense minutely before turning away to
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> stand in a corner, gloved hands in their coat pockets, a quiet
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> witness to the ensuing confrontation.
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Inky continues to patch up Marvelo and watches as the nightmare
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chooses its new vessel.
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Flesh and bone start to materialize around Alex as the Nyxmaer tries
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to encase him in its ribcage and grow a new body.
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The creature starts to take shape, but falters at the threshold of
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creation. It appears to you as though through a smoky haze, or from
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the bottom of a murky well. Something is holding it back from
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materializing.
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It thrashes and redoubles its efforts, desperate to be born. Alex
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stands still in the eye of its storm. You see the Nyxmaer's tiny face
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take shape in the small cyclone. It roars as Alex lifts the amulet,
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and fires his pistol.
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The demon's pinched face wails as the wind no longer presses in on
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Alex from all sides but is suddenly *yanked* toward him. The
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struggling body collapses and folds in on itself. The wind goes out
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of the room as the amulet inhales the Nyxmaer and all its fury.
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And then all is quiet.
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Marvelo looks up at Inky and whimpers.
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A heavy paper envelope, disturbed by the wind, settles to the ground.
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It was torn open in the commotion, and two tickets spill out: "The
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bearer of this ticket is entitled to an all expenses paid trip to the
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moon." It is signed by Blavin Blandfoot and bears the seal of the
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Benefactor.
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WHAT DO YOU DO
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