The Faux Black Opal.

[DoF Archive]

Date: 11/19/1998 6:45 PM Central Daylight Time
From: JadedDeath

Janella returned to the Red Dragon Inn very late after having officiated a number of fights at the Outback. The warrioress was tired and eager to get to bed. The Inn's common room was, as usual, crowded, as Janella pressed her way to the stairs, ascending to the dimly-lit corridor above. Fresh linens had been left at her door. Janella walked in with a huff, closing the door and throwing the bolt
across it with little ceremony.

They're back, Terminus. Wake up.

I know. I heard them. Do not get excited, we're not going out. It's late, and Janella is tired. It was Fists night. You know what that means... the stinking gloves had their fun while we rotted here.

Janella slid her gauntlets off and undressed, pulling a chemise on then shaking out her hair.

Ease your jealous hearts, brothers. Janella did not duel tonight.

She walked into her wash room. The sound of water was heard as Janella readied for bed. While the fighter enjoyed a bath, her weapons and gauntlets continued their telepathic conversations, quieting only once Janella reappeared, looking sultry. To their surprise, instead of taking Vendetta or Terminus up, Janella retrieved an all-too familiar black item from a hidden niche in the floor and brought it to the bed.

She prefers that insipid gem to me, now?

Vendetta, do trust me, you surely will not rust from one missed night of polishing.

Look how she adores it... and it is nothing! Compare that stone to us, would she?

Vendetta. Brother. Calm yourself. Janella merely considers it for her own plans. Never will our wielder fancy magic. Such is why we protect her, yes?

Yellow light reflected off the almost metallic shine of the faux black opal. Janella turned the false gem about in her fingertips. She marveled, with a capricious smile, at the droll situtation. This copy, this fake, had been in her possession for weeks now. She had yet to act with it, but it was becoming more apparent to her that something was neccessary. Indeed, Janella considered darkly, the more time the true opals had with the
Outback's duelists, the more risk there was for other terrible events to occur.

They had lost Shanni. Silently, Janella pointed to that as having been the beginning. She had not had the opportunity yet to see Shannon; the last time Janella had spoken to her was in the Outback, before the events which had led to Shanni's departure. Perhaps Shanni had realized the foul magicks inherent in the blue opal, which would explain her actions in destroying it. There was no doubt in Janella's mind that these rocks were ensorcelled; it
was known, afterall. At least one of them, if not each of them, had the power to charm and control. Matt was obviously under the black opal's spell, that much was certain according to Janella, and she suspected that more and more people were noticing the same. And the others, Tarl, Harris, Fala, Andrew, even Rask. The public announcement that Rask had posted in the Outback after Shanni had left? It might've just as easily been written by
one of the accursed opals themselves, so harsh, slanted and shocking it was. Janella remembered from her own personal experiences and adventures that magical artifacts had the habit of protecting themselves from harm or discovery. The opals, assuredly, were not beyond such machinations. Janella was sure that the opals would twist and force the minds of any they could. It was simply a matter of time and occasion. More hideous was the fact that no
one seemed to understand the potential ruin. No one was paying any attention to these signals, and at times, Janella suspected that any of the Outback's fighters would gladly, eagerly even, give a limb for the chance to hold an opal.

What would she, how could she, use the fake to eliminate the true?

Why should she... The weapons sneered, jealously. Let the Duel of Fists, its fighters, its Outback, its opals, be damned. Then, and only then, would Janella return to her old ways, and perhaps to the Arena, for good. For evil, my brothers, remember, for evil... .