"Where Angels Dare"

[*Pashan01]

"Mister Zzzizt agreed ta wear pink
Negotiatin' with me not ta charge jink
Gave him staff fer pink-spell
Tho the fella stank ta hell
His gob 'n oozyiness makin' even this 'tink' blink"


Piri shot off to play with her cousin Tixie after making the deal. That rastaf......that large staff had been weighing heavy in her invisible packs for a while now. A nice piece...a very nice piece...she liked it very much but it just wouldn't fit in her tiny hands and got in the way of her wing movement. Unless she figured out how to shrink it to size.....ah well....

Hearing the fella, mister pooey Zzzizt had lost his, had her a-thinkin. He was 'that' desperate for owning one that she, slyly, offered the deal of hers for him to have her place her spell-o-pink upon his robes. For such a staff, a hood or hat was not enough.

Full robes or nuthin!

He was nowt too pleased but accepted and likely sidled off to the depths of undersigil to hide his smelliness for a week until the extended spell wore off.

[*Pashan01]

I remembering offering help to Zilvai against these foe of the multiverse, the Vorare. Even if I could not, should not bear weapon throughout it all, I could surely manage to follow others into battle and applying healing. Better that way. I did not want the blood of allies upon my hands. Zilvai has changed, she seems less of the young happy girl I first remember arriving in Sigil, buying meal for Kelth and I...seems so long ago now.

A brush of wing as I was talking quietly with Zilvai...was it breeze or something else? "Who dares to touch me?!" I whirled around, scythe still to my hand. It could have been the hot air of the cavern or the insects I frequently feel crawling about me. The voice later beside me or was it in my head talking of death...was that real or part of this curse?

I ran from it all, leaving Zilvai and Animus and his companion, heading back half flying half running past, cambion and devil, not even thinking. I had spent only a short time out in the Abyss before I felt the weariness and control I had over mind begin to slip...best lock myself in room, I didn't want to hurt anyone.

Oh Kelth!...I miss you....but....I will not disturb you with any of this, nor my father, nor Barratiel, who occasionally returns. He notices the shadows under my eyes but their duty is more than to me and is far afield.

Pelor give me guidance and find the right help to purge this curse...

Sophie told me that she and Raymond had attempted to find cure but I have not heard from Raymond in a long while. I will bear what I must but if what in my heart I know is true, that he is returned then this curse is but the smallest bug in a great nest of the worst kind of vermin.

[*Pashan01]

A simple spell of removal Sophie had tried but to no avail.

My finger nails scoring the itch failed too so I tried a slick of sharp knife which left a small wound but did not remove it.

I have even tried that greasy tattooist in the Hive Ward, but he had taken one look at the mark upon my lower back (I cringe remembering him getting rather close to wing and person in order to inspect) and stated that to attempt to remove it using his techniques would simply transfer it to himself and he bluntly refused. The quiet elf girl sweeping floor nearby seemed interested but kept herself to herself. If a skilled tattooist has no solution, I am stumped.

I have sent a letter to this enchanter crafter Shiv. Perhaps he has idea. No harm to ask surely, and it seems I have something he wants. Always good to have something to bargain with I feel, though my ability as merchant-negotiator is pretty poor. I have to try and will save such a meet for a lucid moment.

[*Pashan01]

....her hands shackled to the bed, she watched the creature dive clawlike hands into her stomach, digging through her innards to find the choiciest parts, it had no eyelids, was lipless as if they'd been cut away and its mouth was stretched to a continual grimace, its whole being looked like some monstrous abomination of body parts stitched together...

...the leather hides that surrounded the room turned into dripping swathes of flesh, a lair that enclosed upon her, the walls lined with veins, pulsing with blood in the fleshy lumps, but she could also see remnants of what had been, the cupboard, Kelth's writing desk...as if teasing her with their reality to the one she was visioning...

....a lock of black hair with bell attached, a fleshy mound with plaid attached, a torn off boot still lay to the floor in the corner where the beast devoured and gnawed at the remains of.... Naya screamed out loud in her agony, thrashing her head about as she lay to the bed, this vision the most monstrous of the lot, her body heavy, the imaginary shackles of pain and exhaustion, the paranoia of her mind keeping her from rising and pushing the images away ... the monstrous bulbous creature was making meal of her beloved and she couldn't save him....couldn't rise...too late...too late...

...she heard voice, soft, gentle, murmuring and repeating telling her of how she is abandonned, weak and alone again, no one cares, no one knows her, she should hide again, cover her wings.....no one would help, no one cares, they left her, abandonned her....she was right to feel despair, agony, fear, hatred, frustration...trust no one...alone..

Naya tossed and turned as the negative energies burned to her back and body, battled against the positives and confused her being, drawing the curse of the mark out but leaving her worn and more paranoid than before. The sleeping draught that Zilvai had brought her after casting the ballard energy had long since worn off and the nightmares returned a thousand-fold stronger. Zilvai had warned her the situation would get worse before it got better. Naya had born the pain as she had born that of her deformity and mending of wing, stoically.

Two days and two nights she lay, sweated to her bed, heavy and tied up in the bedclothes, agonising over those images of all she held dear being mauled by abominations, her own voice taunting her in her despair.

On the third day, weak, she finally opened her eyes again to see once more the room as it had been, the surrounds of the hides, the fire only smouldering logs and the furniture in place, no signs of blood, creature or remnants of her husband to the floor....and quiet, only the muffled sounds of movements below in the Inn. She looked to her back. The tattoo was gone, but in its place was a burntlike mark, it still hurt, but her mind was now clear at least. Slowly, feebly, she rose to take bath and light meal, to drink water and prepare to join the madness that was Sigil, no longer feeling the madness to her mind.

[*Pashan01]

"I know you are there"

She heard the familiar gentle buzzing noise and the faintest of giggles. A quick turn of her head and she caught a glimpse of something flit between the two palm trees behind her, a glimmer of a small wing, too large for a dragonfly but the same translucent colouring.

"Piri, I know its you, come on... show yourself"

That tinkling giggle again.

She smiled but turned instead to look out across the sea, her eyes upon that bright light island in the distance, while remembering a similar sound, sense and occasion well over a year ago now.

The gentle seabreeze ruffling the top-most feathers of her outspread wings as she offered them to the sun's embrace, free and wellformed no longer bound.

"You like it here in Sigil don't you Piri?" her voice soft, coaxing.

"Yep yep, its fun! Lots of fun people to play with. You don't?" came the squeaky voice and the the pixie darted out from her hidey spot to flit over and sit upon Naya's shoulder, her tiny fingers immediately tangling within the lush golden hair, playing and teasing a few ends to knots.

Naya avoided the question, and after a short pause she spoke again.

"Piri....sweetheart....I have been thinking....I...I release you from the bond to me, to my family...you are free, I set you free...not that I've called you to me in a long while now...." Naya smiled kindly, yet with a sad look at her pixie friend. "But I promise, I won't call upon you, summon you to my side again"

"Huh?! Whacha mean? whacha doin' Naya?" but despite her questions, Piri had a wide beaming grin upon her face, the grin stretched from ear to pointy ear.

The half-celestial lifted her goldentanned hand to touch the pixie girl's cheek gently. "Something I should have done along time ago....that is all...just tying up a few loose ends"

The pixie frowned, but was soon distracted by the sound of a tinkling bell, as her fingers tugged at a knot of not-her-own-making, a goldenbraid bearing small bell tied at the end.

"Hummm" Piri wiggled her pert nose and unusually for her, responded to her companion's melancholy mood and settled more quietly atop Naya's shoulder as they spent afew more hours watching the sun set across the isles and horizon of Thalasia.

[*Pashan01]

The melancholy mood of the day before passed for a while and was brightened when I no longer found myself wandering the Abyss alone attempting to retrain but shared company with two like minded souls. Plunging scythe, spear and light hammer together in glorious battle reminiscent of times past yet different for the characters involved. A little aid for one here, a supporting hand or spell there, a common cause.

Dear Sophie. I get to like her more and more. She does wonders in the guard, I see her watching out, looking listening, observing, noticing, more than I ever can or do. She picks up on things quickly and is ready to help. I hope she will stick it out and there is scope for a deeper friendship should we find ourselves with the time to explore that.

The other, a gentleman, Talek Waynolt, courteous to a fault, yet not pious like some of faith, nor zealous, just faithful and favoured of his god channelling the electrical forces about him with expertise. I enjoyed his company enormously both singly and as threesome when Sophie joined. The three of us took refreshment to the Inn and Talek honoured Sophie and myself to a view of his collection of 'weapons gathering dust'. I admired one scythe and it was given to my collection, Sophie was offered a lovely weapon for a paladin and he would hear nothing of payment from either of us though Sophie insisted on passing over a few gems. So generous. But I have something in mind as favour in return. I will need Piri to craft something for me first.

Talking of Piri, she finished the simple scythe in darksteel that I had asked her to forge. Difficult for her I know given the size, but she came through and passed it to me via a cleric of Pelor, Conrad. Apparently he too has joined Zilvai's cause. We are quite the group now.

[*Pashan01]

However, earlier, I had met up with the enchanter Shiv. I must have caught him at bad time, thought a personal touch more polite to inform him that I would be keeping that Magical Electrifier given that the curse is dealt with and I rather think I will pass it on to Piri, try to encourage her to help others more.

I was rewarded with a rude word and dismissive wave despite my apology at wasting his time. I should not have bothered and written him a simple note as he said. So be it, any communication can be done in writing. So much for trying to be courteous and polite. He is not worth my time or consideration.

[*Pashan01]

I heard his deep baritone, the sound of the forge, a tinkle of bell on boot and in hair and I rushed to embrace with arm and wing his unexpected return...could not let go, didn't let go for hours in fact.

A third of the night was spent catching up, hearing his talk of battle tactic and strategy with Sorath's celestial army, his leading of the foot troops to flank and weaken, while the flying forces laid waste to the demonic enemy, swooping from above. Was a joy to hear, but a pain to bear when he spoke of his wounding and my hand traced the new scar, fingers seeking to sooth and ease. So my cursed visions were not entirely a lie. In return I told him of the curse and my thoughts on who had sent it, calming and pinning him down so that he didn't immediately go storming the Cage in search and frenzy.

He is here with me again. That is all that matters for now. The next time he is called, I shall seek to join him. I made a promise after all and I have still to keep it, to show him how a flying force can cut down the foe from above and let him experience that with me. But I am home now, he is home...and the talking was over for the time being.

They left it to the fate of the gods and Pelor's blessing, enjoying each other to the full without pause or withdrawal until the early hours found them both tangled by limb and sheet exhausted but sated, basking in their love.

The timing was such of her celestial cycle that fate smiled down upon them both, and, unbeknown to the pair then and for a while, the beginnings of a new life was conceived that night.

[*Pashan01]

I do not understand Sondaal's difficulties, this addiction to alchohol but I will try to be understanding and supportive. Kelth has more experience in that area, I know something of his times before Sigil and though he still likes his ale and that delicious firewine, he can hold his drink and doesn't go off track nor to excess.

I managed finally to see Kestal and gave her the choice of second prize in that competition, she decided on the pouch of gold in the end. so Taris is to take that enormous great sword. Which is rather ironic that Sigil will see a halfling Guvner running around with a claymore like that. I asked Kestal not to forget to record her entry to the sensory stone I gave her and then hand it in to the Society. Though I understand her reticence what with the recent thefts of afew stones from the Society's vaults.

Kelth saw something in Talek's eyes that I had not seen, indeed had been oblivious to and he made me aware. I introduced them both and called him 'friend'. I had enjoyed companionship and common cause, recieved a sensory stone from him of something I was interested in and promised a surprise favour and help for him in return - I wish Piri would get on and finish it soon. Afew meetings surely could not amount to more than friendship? Either way I am aware now of potential feelings there and I should be mindful both to Kelth and to Talek, not to encourage more than is proper in a friendship. I did however suggest to Kelth to find out for himself of the man, whom I thought to be a good gentleman and could be a good friend too.

And as regards Zilvai, her outburst a few days ago one eve caught me by surprise as it seemed like she felt the whole multiverse sat upon her shoulders. I had no answers but the least I could do was offer a comforting embrace. I asked Kelth if he had spoken with her since he returned and how things stood there, it seems all is well so I put her outburst down simply to a moment of tiredness and weakness, we all have them. I believe I felt then as a mother would feel in that situation which is interesting and hopefully a precursor to something new to me - motherhood.

Time apart has made me keener than ever to pray to the fates that be, give ourselves every opportunity and try for a child, now the desire is in my head, so I believe it is in his too. And his sensate and free spirit tries to catch me unawares about the city to explore new....the man has no shame. But I found a way to check him a little in that event, a little divine sneakiness before he gets me too carried away. I shall now try to keep him directed to our rooms....a little hibernation and nest-making might resolve this, tame that roguish will of his and enable me to keep some measure of decorum, modesty and privacy as we try.

[*Pashan01]

"No magick...she said......dun needs no magicks...jes a lil hammerin' o wood 'n metals....make a box...she said...nail in the wood 'n metal....lil flap fer a trap, place fer the bait....nuthin' to it...she said....but no magicks.....pfft....that ain no fun....gah...angel-face is getting more borin' each day...'n why do she be wantin this fer a gift fer tha fella anyways huh? "

But the pixie couldn't help but leave a trail of her dust upon the small crate and add to it something else of another of her own craft and skill as her tiny hammer pounded and shaped the metal cage about the wooden box.