From: xxlucianxx@aol.com (XxLucianxX)
Date: 10 Oct 1998 20:23:05 EDT
It was late, and Valjean paced quietly through the halls of the chateaux. Three lay dead outside in the murky depths of the moat, and those would not be the last.
He had made the trip to England without notice or preplanning. An offhanded comment from a boy at the docks was all he needed to be set in motion. Within an hour after hearing the boy's story he had gained passage on a boat, having agreed to work as a member of the crew for payment. Not too long after he had arrived on England's shore, he knew the rumors to be true.
The man known as Reynolds had indeed passed through this port, and mere days before. Lucian wasted no time making contacts with his friends, calling in every favor he could. Not two days after he had landed in England, Lucian had found where the bastard was staying. Having not had a minute of sleep since he arrived, he took the first break after his successful location of his target.
On the morning of the third day he awoke late, nearly noon. Reynolds's chateaux was Not two days march from the town, and Lucian did nothing more than polish his sword and get a pack of rations to last through the two days. One way or the other, he'd not need to carry any more. At first, he jogged along the rough trails, and then when he was too tired to jog anymore, he walked. Then sun had taken its rest, but Lucian would not take his. He
ate as he walked, not allowing his pace to slow. As the sun rose once more, Lucian's vision was wavering, but his resolve was firm. In the numbness which came he found strength, jogging once more. His feet were swollen and blistered, he was weak and tired, he didn't think he'd be able to walk on any longer. He wouldn't have to. The chateaux was in sight. Lucian smiled for the first time in many weeks.. just as he collapsed to the earth.
Hours later he awoke in darkness, in the same patch of wood that he had given in to. He looked on, seeing the lights of the chateaux. All of his food was gone, and he looked quite haggard. That was of no concern. His sword was sharp, his resolve was firm, and his senses acute. Adrenaline rushed through him like a river as he approached the chateaux. He took the cloth that had held his food, wrapping his sword in it to conceal it from the
two guards who stood at the portcullis.
"Please, kind sirs.. could you spare lodging for a cold, tired man..?" Lucian stumbled towards the two men with an appearance of feebleness.
"Go away, you vagabond. Lord Reynolds gives not hospitality to scum like you."
The guard shoved Lucian back a few steps. Lucian dropped to a knee. "My most humble apologies, noble lords," he said, the groveling tone appealing to the two lackeys. "I have but one thing to offer," said Lucian. In the pale light perhaps a flicker of steel was seen, perhaps not. Within less than a second, it was the guard to Lucian's right on his knees
and Lucian taking pleasure in the helpless moans. By the time the other guard had realized what had happened, a single flash of steel had ended his life and he too dropped to the ground, clutching his throat in a vain attempt to hold back the flow of blood issuing forth. "This is the beginning of a glorious evening," said Lucian, who for the first time in years felt the bloodlust from days of old. He spitefully kicked the bodies, rolling them into
the dark moat. Lucian took several steps back, examining the portcullis.
Lucian knew Reynolds's megalomaniacal impulses would leave this place underguarded. Reynolds thought of himself as nigh invincible, and maybe he ways. Lucian, however, suffered from no such delusions. He quietly rapped the pommel of his sword upon the iron bars. "Ey," said Lucian in a scratchy voice.. "Time ta change tha guard, open up.." Slowly, the portcullis rose. Lucian could see the booted feet of the one operating the mechanism.
"That actually worked? Where does Reynolds find these incapable bastards?" Lucian muttered. As soon as the gate had risen enough for him to do so, Lucian rolled underneath, quickly killing the operator of the mechanism with a thrust through the abdomen. He then looked up at his victim. It was a member of the housekeeping staff. Lucian pulled the old woman off his blade, and rolled her outside into the moat. "No time for remorse, Valjean, barely
enough time for revenge."
The Downward Spiral
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From: xxlucianxx@aol.com (XxLucianxX)
Date: 10 Oct 1998 20:25:02 EDT
One door.. two doors.. three doors and then a left. Valjean turned down the corridor, trying to remember the route after so long. He doubted that anyone would be roaming the halls this late, but just in case his sword was drawn. No time for play, he would kill now and sort them out later. As he reached the end of the couloir, he looked left, and then right. For a long moment he sat and thought.. One way lead to the armory and the guards
chambers, and the other lead to the library. A small smile crossed his face as he remembered the long days he spent in that library. He opened to door to the right, and after a few more steps down the hall he stepped into the library.
The night attendant was in fact still here, even at this late hour. The old man looked up, spotting Valjean. "Lad.. why.. what..how did you come here..? They'll show no mercy on you! Flee while you can!" "Hush, old man," said Valjean. "I'm the one who come to show no mercy. Is he in the study?" The old man stammered, unwilling to betray his master, "I.. he.. Why, why are you doing it, Valjean..? Surely you'll be killed.. I can't allow
you to g-.." The old mans protests were cut short by a swift blow to the back of his head. Valjean stood over the unconscious form a moment. The old man would not awaken for several hours, but when he did he could betray Valjean's assault and cause unwanted pursuit. So far there were no witnesses, and with a stomp of his booted foot upon the old librarian's throat, he kept it that way.
Valjean walked over to the east wall, examining the lined bookshelves. Finally he reached the second to last of the large shelves along the wall. He shook his head with a half grin. "The Sleeping Wolf, what a corny fool." Lucian pulled the book out of it's place on the shelf, releasing the latch behind it. He pushed upon the shelf and it easily turned, granting him access to the small room before Reynolds's quarters. He wiped his
sword clean of blood, and traced a Rune upon the entrance of Reynolds's chamber. It glowed a pale blue, and the door swung open slowly without a sound. Lucian entered, glancing around the chamber. "What an arrogant fool, leaving himself unguarded.. he has gotten soft and weak," Lucian thought to himself as he saw nothing else in the room save a nearly
extinguished candle and the sleeping form of Lord Reynolds. With catlike grace and motion, he slid slowly over to the man's bed. Looking down upon him in his helpless state, Lucian smiled, ready for the duel he had so long anticipated.
Valjean knew his newfound Gods would forsake him for doing anything less than the honorable. Odin had not given him the Runic powers so that he may sneak in like some thief or assassin. To honor his god, Valjean knew he would have to awaken the sleeping man and slay him in fair combat. He raised his blade above the sleeping form, knowing he could just end the man's life with but a single stroke. With a deep sigh, he prepared himself for
the consequences, slowly lowering his blade...
Date: 10 Oct 1998 20:25:02 EDT
One door.. two doors.. three doors and then a left. Valjean turned down the corridor, trying to remember the route after so long. He doubted that anyone would be roaming the halls this late, but just in case his sword was drawn. No time for play, he would kill now and sort them out later. As he reached the end of the couloir, he looked left, and then right. For a long moment he sat and thought.. One way lead to the armory and the guards
chambers, and the other lead to the library. A small smile crossed his face as he remembered the long days he spent in that library. He opened to door to the right, and after a few more steps down the hall he stepped into the library.
The night attendant was in fact still here, even at this late hour. The old man looked up, spotting Valjean. "Lad.. why.. what..how did you come here..? They'll show no mercy on you! Flee while you can!" "Hush, old man," said Valjean. "I'm the one who come to show no mercy. Is he in the study?" The old man stammered, unwilling to betray his master, "I.. he.. Why, why are you doing it, Valjean..? Surely you'll be killed.. I can't allow
you to g-.." The old mans protests were cut short by a swift blow to the back of his head. Valjean stood over the unconscious form a moment. The old man would not awaken for several hours, but when he did he could betray Valjean's assault and cause unwanted pursuit. So far there were no witnesses, and with a stomp of his booted foot upon the old librarian's throat, he kept it that way.
Valjean walked over to the east wall, examining the lined bookshelves. Finally he reached the second to last of the large shelves along the wall. He shook his head with a half grin. "The Sleeping Wolf, what a corny fool." Lucian pulled the book out of it's place on the shelf, releasing the latch behind it. He pushed upon the shelf and it easily turned, granting him access to the small room before Reynolds's quarters. He wiped his
sword clean of blood, and traced a Rune upon the entrance of Reynolds's chamber. It glowed a pale blue, and the door swung open slowly without a sound. Lucian entered, glancing around the chamber. "What an arrogant fool, leaving himself unguarded.. he has gotten soft and weak," Lucian thought to himself as he saw nothing else in the room save a nearly
extinguished candle and the sleeping form of Lord Reynolds. With catlike grace and motion, he slid slowly over to the man's bed. Looking down upon him in his helpless state, Lucian smiled, ready for the duel he had so long anticipated.
Valjean knew his newfound Gods would forsake him for doing anything less than the honorable. Odin had not given him the Runic powers so that he may sneak in like some thief or assassin. To honor his god, Valjean knew he would have to awaken the sleeping man and slay him in fair combat. He raised his blade above the sleeping form, knowing he could just end the man's life with but a single stroke. With a deep sigh, he prepared himself for
the consequences, slowly lowering his blade...
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From: xxlucianxx@aol.com (XxLucianxX)
Date: 10 Oct 1998 20:25:20 EDT
... into the man's chest, plunging it down into the heart. Reynolds awoke stunned, his eyes wide, but he was unable to even gasp his last breath. Valjean grinned a feral grin. "Know the face of your assassin, Reynolds. And know that your masters will share your same pathetic fate." Valjean knew Reynolds had heard as he let the body slowly slide off his sword. And as simple as that, it was over. With but one stroke in the cover of
darkness he had felled the bastard, and had now but to make his escape. As Valjean reached the door to exit, he noticed there was no longer the glowing Rune upon its surface, and he sighed deeply.
He know there would be no sudden retribution from Odin, now bolts of lightning, no valkyries, not even so much as an ominous cloud. Nothing. He had forsaken his savior and God, and had received the same in return. Forever in that place he once held hope in Odin, there would continue to be simply what he had accepted, nothing.
As he slipped back into the library, he pulled the copy of The Sleeping Wolf free of the mechanism as a momento of his victory. "It's not as if you'll be reading this one again, Reynolds," he muttered with a dark chuckle. He stepped over the body of the old man without a second glance, running now, knowing that soon enough *someone* was going to notice that no one was guarding the front entrance and begin to investigate. Lucian
walked back through the forest along the same path he had taken there. He was unable to take a leisurely pace, knowing that soon a few men would be sent out to scour the wilderness for the mysterious assailant who had felled the great Lord Reynolds. Valjean could but smile to himself as he made the long trek, this time stopping just long enough to grab some edible berries for nourishment. As he escaped the woods without incident and returned to
docks, he had but to relax until he set sail for home.
And thus it was done.
Date: 10 Oct 1998 20:25:20 EDT
... into the man's chest, plunging it down into the heart. Reynolds awoke stunned, his eyes wide, but he was unable to even gasp his last breath. Valjean grinned a feral grin. "Know the face of your assassin, Reynolds. And know that your masters will share your same pathetic fate." Valjean knew Reynolds had heard as he let the body slowly slide off his sword. And as simple as that, it was over. With but one stroke in the cover of
darkness he had felled the bastard, and had now but to make his escape. As Valjean reached the door to exit, he noticed there was no longer the glowing Rune upon its surface, and he sighed deeply.
He know there would be no sudden retribution from Odin, now bolts of lightning, no valkyries, not even so much as an ominous cloud. Nothing. He had forsaken his savior and God, and had received the same in return. Forever in that place he once held hope in Odin, there would continue to be simply what he had accepted, nothing.
As he slipped back into the library, he pulled the copy of The Sleeping Wolf free of the mechanism as a momento of his victory. "It's not as if you'll be reading this one again, Reynolds," he muttered with a dark chuckle. He stepped over the body of the old man without a second glance, running now, knowing that soon enough *someone* was going to notice that no one was guarding the front entrance and begin to investigate. Lucian
walked back through the forest along the same path he had taken there. He was unable to take a leisurely pace, knowing that soon a few men would be sent out to scour the wilderness for the mysterious assailant who had felled the great Lord Reynolds. Valjean could but smile to himself as he made the long trek, this time stopping just long enough to grab some edible berries for nourishment. As he escaped the woods without incident and returned to
docks, he had but to relax until he set sail for home.
And thus it was done.