The Black Hand of Fate - Ratty Jack

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Grunelda
Sojourner
Posts: 47
Joined: Sat Sep 07, 2002 5:01 am

The Black Hand of Fate - Ratty Jack

Postby Grunelda » Thu Apr 03, 2003 5:07 pm

Dawn was breaking over the distant walls of Waterdeep when Grunelda found her way to the boisterous party in the southern alleys of the city. Cloaked and hooded she kept her eyes turned downward, only raising them for a moment to meet the gaze of the man watching the door of the abandoned home that these late night rabble rousers had invaded. With the door guards appraisal, Grunelda beamed a smile at the man - just a glimpse of her face

Just enough to get in the door.

After visiting all the bars and dives in Waterdeep, she was about to give up on her search. A search that required a specific component to be successful. She moved through the room, awash with flickering light from low burning fires crowded with men of dubious repute and stature. Amongst the men wandered women of even lesser repute. Ignoring the gropes and cat-calls aimed at the women of this den of vice, she worked her way to the only darkened corner available. Pulling her cloak around her tightly, she began to watch the crowd of thirty or so of the grittier citizens of Waterdeep.

The scene before her brought back tainted memories of her life in Bloodstone Keep, a life left far behind when she met her Master Arilin - one she was not eager to return to. "Its too easy to fall back into the old ways of survival.", Grunelda whispered to herself. A few backward steps were a small price to find the whereabouts of her Teacher and erstwhile friend. She suppressed a small laugh at the thought of any cry of conscience. After all she hated the idea of returning to places like this, to consorting with people like these, when the component she required would probably be viewed by others as a act of murder. An act that Grunelda relished, for it was the power of her long sought after art that would be tested tonight.

A dirty man smelling of urine and the cheap grainy grog of the night, slept in the adjacent corner. He was bearded, hair matted into spikes from the boiled gruel laying spilled by his side. Although he would be easy to manipulate, he was too large for the job at hand.

Her appraisal was interrupted by the bellowing bark of a over drunk ship hand, directed at another of the detritus of Southern Waterdeep. A quick flash of a small blade and the room erupted in gasps as one man fell to the ground clutching his throat - lifeblood pumping from between is paling fingers at a furious rate. Grunelda pulled herself deeper into the shadows. "Fooking Hell!, screamed a little wiry man with a face like a rat. "Grander you foul oaf you kilt anuder of meh patrons!" , bawled the rat-faced man as he raced accross the room to the scene. "Juz! Kalin! get yer butts in here and clean up dis mess.", commanded the ring leader of the impromptu poor mans Pub. The ship hand quickly cleaned his blade on his shirt tail and tucked the shiv back into his belt. "A job well done, in me book.", he muttered as he grabbed up his cup and clutched at the woman that had obviously been the reward for his quick actions. Unworried about repercussions, there were never any repercussions in the shadowy world of alleys, thieves and killers. A murderer would be perfect for her needs! Her needs would provide a just consequence for his passionate actions. Grunelda, moved closer to the man. Carefully spanning the distance avoiding the touch of all that reached out for her, "Damn your fat soul." hissed Grunelda at the sight of the killers girth. "Too fat for my needs."

"Doubtful your needs will be met here M'Lady", smiled the rat-faced man, broken teeth flashing in a smile - of sorts. For a moment Grunelda stood startled. She was unaware that the man had crossed the room and come so close. "The tale of yer fine clothes, the shine on yer shoes and the smell of fresh flowers about you tell me you don't belong at one of meh swarees."

It only took a moment for Grunelda to cast off the old feelings and characteristic of her hag disguise. Now wandering the streets at her real age. With all the weapons given a young woman, she opened the front of her cloak and pulled back her hood slightly. Putting a lily white hand to her breast she replied breathlessly, "Sir, you may be quite right. However I seem to have gotten myself into a position that I cant get out of with out assistance."

Rat Faces smile widened, as he moved closer.

A full head shorter than Grunelda he spoke directly into her breasts, "Aye M'Lady a helping you will be getting from meh!" Brazenly he dropped his gaze to the fullness of her hips as he offered his thin boney arm to her. Taking his arm in the gentile way of Waterdeeps ladies, Grunelda whispered in his ear, "But yet. Is it too late to fill all my needs? This place is obviously not for the likes of us."

With a frenzied high pitched yell Rat Face screamed, "Juz! Kalin! get yer butts in here and clean up dis mess."

As the two door guards entered the room, the hurriedly began to drag the body out the back door, as Rat Face guided Grunelda through the room and out the unguarded front door.

"I've got a mind fer wut yer lookin fer meh Lady." "It wont be the first time one of the H'Born of the Deep came south lookin fer the talents of o'Ratty Jack!" Almost wheezing he finished, "And I got a fine little flop to be tak'un ya to fer safety."

The dark, long alley Grunelda had used to spy on the setting of the Ratty Jacks establishment was coming up quickly. "Give me the honor of a new excitement tonight, My Jack", moaned Grunelda. "Take me to the near alley and be my guardian in that dark place?"

Ratty Jack had survived as thief and assassin in the darkest corners of Calimport, Viperstongue and now Waterdeep for more years than this slip of a girl had total, he mused to himself. Such an obvious attempt to direct him by any other person would set off warnings. But this woman smelled of lavender, had the cleanest stockings! Stockings that would cost more than Jack scrounged stole and murdered for in a season. Her skin was pale and lovely, no sun or hard work had touched her hands or arms. She was educated, and well cared for. The finest bit of tail that he had ever been this close to.

The opportunity was too great to pass up.

"M'Lady I will guard you well in such a place, my saber is at the ready to protect you!", panted Ratty Jack.

Passionately, Grunelda grabbed the small man by the the lapels and pulled him into the inky blackness of the alley. Leaning back against the alley wall, hips thrust outwords she began a long memorized and hard learned spell, as the Rat Faced man fumbled awkwardly with the laces of her bodice.

Uneducated in the ways of fine womens clothing Jack stopped his tugging for a moment, "Lady yer song pulls at the strings of meh heart! Let me redouble meh efforts!", he gasped as he dove deeper into the depths of Gruneldas garments.

Moments later, Grunelda completed her spell. A gray sinister nimbus surrouded the little rat of a man momentarily - then disappeared. Grunelda felt the tightness in her chest grow as her spell flared around the man, knowing full well there was a new bond between them. "Ratty Jack, your soul is mine! Bound to me forever."

"Blund to yeer ferrver!", exclaimed the little man in a muffled tone.

"Let me sing my lover one last song.", offered Grunelda as reply. Then began a quick chanted spell, that was rewarded by red glowing eyes and the feeling of burning power in her slightest gaze. "Jack look into my eyes, my love." cooed Grunelda. Like the slave he was soon to be, Ratty Jack gave up his efforts to look at his lady - for one last time. As his head was freed from the confines of her dress, he looked up into a glaring death. His bones seemed to burn to the marrow as his life's blood boiled within his veins. Heart boiling, steam rising from his gaping shocked mouth. Ratty Jack, survivor of the alleyways of Calimport and Waterdeep fell to the ground dead.

"Lady!", spat Grunelda at the fresh corpse at her feet. "You have no right to call anyone lady you SLAVE! you RAT!"

Pulling the corpse by the ankles deeper into the alley was a trying experience, but once into the safety of its deepest deepths Grunelda felt safe to finish her plans for the evening. Time was short, the morning sun would soon be cresting the high walls of the alley. Hurriedly she cast several cantrips preserving the body, for great lengths of time. Pulling a silver bladed knife from her stockings she knelt before the body. Carefully placing the knife on a clean patch of ground she began a long and complicated spell. A spell, if failed could send her own soul spiraling boundlessly through the afterworld. Or so threated Arilin on many occasion!

After several minutes of casting Grunelda perspired with the effort and concentration involved in the spell, feeling her hold on the spell slipping she attempted to calm herself as she neared its end. Fearing failure, she bent low and spent the last of her energy in its completion - the body of Ratty Jack glowed as if on fire a second time. It began to tremble and shake as the soul bound to both the corpse and now Grunelda began to pull free. Fiber by fiber, the soul of Ratty Jack pulled free from the morbid fleshy temple that once held it confined to mortal Faerun.

Sitting in the filth and dirt of the alley, without the energy to stand, Grunelda admired the poper of her art. The Ghost of Ratty Jack.

Kneeling once more to the body, she took the knife tight into her grip and severed the right hand. Stuffing it hurriedly into her purse as the sun coursed over the walls into the alley. With great forethought she covered the body with the trash that littered the dead end alley.

As Grunelda stood and brushed herself off she mused. "Now Nokie, lets see if your friends and skills can hide you from me - and Ratty Jack!"

Looking at her soul bound minion she exclaimed, "by the dark of night I command you to find Nokie the Halfling Thief! Return his whereabouts to me, as we are bound, you shall - obey!"

With a forlorn look of pain and torture the Ghost of Ratty Jack faded from view, with a long moan of defiance.

Nokie was the last person to see the Master Arilin. Without knowing whether the halfling was his killer or friend, Grunelda planned on taking no chances when it came to rescuing her Master. A few sacrificed friends was a small price for her own safety. Anything that could delay, capture or kill her Master was too dangerous to under estimate.

Yawning, Grunelda headed back to her Masters apartment, "A good nights work." She congratulated herself, smiling for the first time in months.
Birile
Sojourner
Posts: 1413
Joined: Wed Dec 11, 2002 6:01 am
Location: Albany, NY

Postby Birile » Fri Apr 04, 2003 5:18 pm

VERY good writing!
Grunelda
Sojourner
Posts: 47
Joined: Sat Sep 07, 2002 5:01 am

Postby Grunelda » Tue Jan 11, 2005 10:39 pm

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