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[Galathan]

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“What is it, exactly?” He asked, his curiosity piqued. The white powder looked innocent enough, like sugar or flour.
“It’s something that you’ll love, I promise.” Her lips brushed against his ear, making the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end. The tip of her tongue briefly caressed the side of his jaw.
“If you do that again, I would snort a grizzly bear if you asked me to.”
Her child-like giggle caused her locket to dance to and fro like a ballerina, reflecting the small amount of light in the cavern entrance. Her hand slid along the small of his back and she nuzzled the side of his neck with her nose, tickling him with her warm breath. “Please? Try it for me?”
He looked at the white substance on his finger and brought it closer to his nose. She looked at him with the utmost fascination, like a child waiting to open presents on Christmas. Her eyes were pleading, begging him to try it. He could not disappoint such a lovely creature. He raised the substance closer to his nose so that if he but inhaled, it would be gone.
“I just know you’ll love it.” She whispered, barely audible.
He looked into her eyes and smiled. “What is in it, again?”


* * *


The sizzling, snapping aromatic smell of smoked bacon wafted upon the air, as well as the unmistakable smell eggs frying on the top of a wood-burning stove. There was something else in the air, something that Galathan could not quite put his finger on. It was a stench akin to ignited hair and fingernails. It was not until the flames had crept up to his sleeve did he realize that his hand was precariously sitting atop the hot stove. The burning sensation was not but a most dull sensation; a slight variance in the environment to most people, unperceived by the conscious mind.
Galathan removed his hand from the stove, looking at his palm, the skin charred and flaked with bits and pieces of scuffed metal reflecting the rays of the morning sun beneath.
“Oh you silly billy.” Galathan mused to himself . “You gone and done it again. Stoves are HOT! HOT! They burn things, including flesh, even if you can’t feel it. When will you learn?” He gave a good-natured laugh and shook his head. It certainly was not the first time that such an incident had occurred. He peered into the nearest mirror as breakfast cooked unabated by the misplaced hand. Running his non-burnt fingers through his hair, he straightened out several out-of-place locks, making perfect his coif of blonde hair. “You are a god among men, and all the ladies say so.” He gave himself a wink before turning back to his breakfast.


* * *

Scribbles and notes filled the pages, one after another in an unending stream of thoughts, ideas, and concepts. The writing was almost illegible, as writing with leather gloves on was far more difficult than with the unobstructed hand. However, Galathan did not want to reveal the result of his breakfast accident to the patrons of Hanse’s Hostel, even if there were almost none around.
“Hey there, tall, dark, and handsome.” A soft voice crooned from behind Galathan. He turned around, as there could only be one possible person she could have been referring to. The delicate curves of a red-headed lady greeted his eyes, and a smile danced on her lips. She was sitting at the nearest table. Her gentle fingers played absently with a locket around her neck.
Galathan, never losing an opportunity to strike up a dialogue with the fairer sex, took a seat next to the woman. “Well, hello there m’lady.” He grinned.
Her smile was innocent and sweet, but her eyes had a more seductive nature to them. “What’s your name, good-looking?”
“You can keep calling me Tall, Dark, and Handsome. Can I get you a drink?” Galathan ran his fingers through his hair, several strands moving out of place.
“Oh, I don’t need any of that.” Her fingers gently massaged the sides of her locket.
“Then let me rephrase . . . Is there anything you would like?” He could not help but to take note of the position of the locket, nestled into the comforts of no-man’s-land.
Her eyes twinkled and had the look of a cat ready to pounce upon a mouse. She leaned closer to Galathan, her arms pushing her chest out slightly as if to accentuate some point. “What I would like is for some strong man to help me get to Umbra.”
Galathan pointed to a man in the corner of the room who was adorned in the colors of Sanctus. “That man there looks pretty strong.”
She twirled a ribbon of hair around her finger; the visage of a young girl buttering up her father for something that he would most likely disagree to. “But I don’t want him. I want you . . . To go with me to Umbra.”
“What is in Umbra anyway?”
Her coy grin was more sharp and well-aimed than any blade ever could have been. He knew that no matter what he did or said, he was going to be going with her to Umbra.



* * *


Her nostrils flared and her eyes seemingly rolled back into her head as the white substance disappeared from her finger in one quick inhalation. She squeezed her eyes shut and trembled a little, as if shook by a non-existent breeze.
“What is your name?” Galathan asked.
“Daey. Everyone calls me Daey, so call me Daey.”
“I’ve never seen sugar have that effect on someone before, Daey.” He said with a wry grin.
“Sugar?! Hah!.” The words lazily oozed from her lips. She appeared almost out of breath, her chest heaving slightly. After she re-opened her eyes, she stepped close to Galathan, pressing the locket snuggled against her chest into him. “It’s Euphoria, and you simply must try it.”
“But what about getting to Umbra?” Galathan asked with the conviction of a man who truly did not wish to go to Umbra at that point.
“I said that just to get you here . . . Alone.” She trailed a finger down the center of his chest. The waves of her red hair framed her face, perfectly complimented by the light coming from the entrance to the cavern near Sanctus.
“And now that you got me here, what do you intend to do with me?” He hoped for something to do with whipped cream.
Her delicate, rose-petal lips caressed the side of his jaw. “I really want you to try this. That is what I truly want.” Her fingers traveled to her locket again. The locket opened and a small amount of white powder was inside.
“What is it made out of?”
“Nothing too bad . . . Mandrake, herbs, and stuff . . .”
“Well, that doesn’t sound too bad.” Galathan’s hand trailed along her back slowly.
“Then try it. Please. For me.”


* * *


Galathan took off his gloves and wiggled his fingers. “I can feel them . . . I can really feel them!” The burned portion of his hand throbbed in pain, the blackened skin sending small waves of affliction up his arm. “It’s amazing . . . After all this time, I can finally feel them again!”
Daey looked at Galathan a bit curiously. “You couldn’t feel them before?”
Galathan started laughing. The laughter felt almost uncontrollable. “Hahahahaha! No!” His fingers traveled along the length of the meat cleaver’s blade. “I could not feel them before . . . Hahaha!” His fingers wrapped around the handle and he raised the cleaver up into the air.
“No!” Daey shouted as the cleaver came swinging down. A loud metal on metal clang echoed through the cave. The cleaver had chopped squarely into Galathan’s arm, but instead of rending flesh, it ricocheted off of metal. “Biproducts of technomancy, you see. I couldn’t feel a thing before, but now I can and it feels . . . It feels exquisite.”
The pain from the split skin over the metal felt nearly pleasurable after years of not feeling almost anything at all. Galathan’s laughter filled the cavern as he babbled almost to himself. “My prowess as a fighter was never a credit to my skill or equipment, but to my inability to feel.” He paused for a moment, catching his breath between fits of giggles. “It was not because I was good. It was because I could endure through the hacks and slashes. The stab of a sword felt like nothing more than a dull prick of a tailor’s needle.”
Daey grinned widely at Galathan. “So it makes you feel . . . I bet it feels good, doesn’t it?”
“Yeah. Very good.”
“She grinned and leaned close to him. “Just call for me if you want more. Especially when you start going . . . Down.”
The words bounced off of Galathan, barely registering.


* * *


Somewhere far to the west, Tai Kwan Leap had recalled into Sanctus. Galathan could hear the light bouncing off of Tai’s bald head. Galathan wandered aimlessly out of the cavern entrance, looking at the ground and chortling. Every speck of sand, dirt, dust, and rock stood out prominently, as if they were all painted by a master artist.
“We’re best friends, right?” A deep, yet quacking voice beside his ear asked.
“Of course we are, Bubbles. Best of the best.” Galathan said, smiling to the fluffy green baby duck perched on his shoulder. Bubbles’ little webbed feet curled into the cloth of Galathan’s shirt. “The very best of friends in the whole wide world!”
Galathan kneeled down on the ground, running his good hand over the dirt, feeling the flakey chalkiness of dust between his fingers for the first time in ages. He scooped up a palm-full of dirt and let it slide through his fingers before doing it again and again.
“Look here, friend!” Bubbles said happily. He hopped from Galathan’s shoulder and landed a short distance in front of him. Bubble’s little feet stepped in beat to an unheard rhythm and he wiggled his itty-bitty baby wings while bobbing his head. Radiant light emanated from Bubbles like miniature wisps, circling the duck momentarily before drifting upwards into the sky.
Galathan could not contain his laughter. “Hahahaha! Dance, Bubbles, Dance!” The laughter was so hard that tears streamed down his cheeks and his ribs and abs pained him when he tried to gasp for breath. The laughter turned into near choking as air became scarce. He heard a loud ringing resonating in his ears, as if someone clanged two metal pans inside his head. Soon, Bubbles faded, as did the dirt and grass and everything else around Galathan and he fell into a darkness. The darkness of sleep.
_________________
Galathan
"Survivor of Ormus"

[Daeynaries]

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All was going according to planned. More and More people where beckoning her for -it-. The gold started pouring in and she was elated. Soon the word would spread from kingdom to city and all that Jovrick said would come to pass. Daeynaries giggled to herself as she leaned back in her chair. The tavern in Umbra was deathly quiet, but she wasn't complaining. The silence was just what her headache needed. Her migraines were growing more powerful as her addiction grew. Coming down was absolute hell, but she gladly paid the price. Suddenly the tent flap opened and a figure in all black appeared.

"This MUST be it. Not like the locals were friendly in pointing it out." Galathan said glancing around the tent. He wiped his nose with the back of his gloved hand.

"Oh hello Tall Dark and Handsome." Daeynaries replied with a coy grin.

"You said to call apon you.." He trailed off almost not wanting to meet her eyes.

"So you need something of little ole me?" She gave him a sarcastic grin in response.

Galathan stepped closed to where she sat and brushed his fingertips along the top of her arm. "Only to -feel- again."

Daeynaries pulled her arm away and smiled ever so sweetly. "I told you last eve.. One thousand gold peices per half-stone, but I do recall you saying you could easily -take- it from me.."

Galathan grinned broadly at her and said, "And risk marking up that beautiful face?" He tossed a bag on the table and soft clanging followed.

"Now your speaking my language." Daey grabbed the bag off the table and opened it, glancing inside for only a moment before closing it. She rummaged through her backpack, then pulled out a similar bag to what Galathan had given her. She tossed it on the table watching him scramble for it.

"I trust it is like last time?" He asked her questioningly.

Daey fingered the locket around her neck and replied, "Mmm Just as potent and sweet as before. That should last you a

few days provided you don't snort it all away." Daey chuckled rather coldly.

Galathan grinned wickedly at her. "If a man who had been blind all his life one day finds that he can see, would he not want to see the world?"
She shrugged her delicate shoulders in his direction. Galathan held the open bag towards her. "Perhaps you can be so kind as to assist a man with his hands full?"

Daey slid from her chair and dipped her pinky in the sacheal. She pulled out a small nail-full and brought it to his nose. He inhalled the scent on her wrist before inhalling the substance on her nail, then started giggling madly. Daey took a few steps back, just shaking her head. Galathan stopped laughing suddenly and started staring at something unseen by Daey. She followed his gaze but saw nothing.

"Come bubbles! The night is ours!" He laughed hysterically. "You do crack me up." He said to the night air as he almost skipped out of the tent.

Daey took a seat, draping her leg on the corner of the table. She leaned back, rocking the chair back and forth on its pegs. It was all falling into place. She smiled wickedly and let out a loud omnious laugh..
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Deadly Vixen
Dark Knights of Chaos, (DKC)