Post by Morec0
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Just kidding, its not done yet. I just thought I'd post this to mess with you guys.
When the page is done I'll edit this. Okay, this is for real this time.
Page 20))
- Nilon had never quite seen any ship like the
Bobbing Blossom. It was mostly metal, and Nilon wasn't sure how it managed to stay afloat. Its most prominent feature, however, was that it lacked sails, oars or any other kind of visible source of power. Sprixx explained that the source of the ship's movement was a type of propeller system, similar to what Gnomish submarines and flying machines used.
- "I'd prefer to use Goblin technology for my vessel," Sprixx had said, "But it's a bit too unstable, and too many other ships have been lost to unfortunate incidents by using it."
- They had been at sea for a few days now, constantly moving due to the ships unconventional source of power. And, according to Sprixx, they were about halfway to their destination.
- Nilon and his allies had been given transport, yes, but they hadn't, exactly, been given first class quarters. In fact, they had been ordered to stay up on the top deck, forbidden to enter the inner parts of the ship where the captain and crew had their quarters and where their "precious cargo" was stored.
- Food was brought out to them on a regular basis, though, so Nilon didn't complain too much.
- And so there they were, relaxing on the deck, the ship going at a moderate pace. The days were incredibly dull, but they also gave Nilon plenty of time to meditate on the Light's virtues.
- As he did, though, the ship began to slow against the force of the motor. Sprixx - who had been on the upper deck of the ship at the time - was sent flying over the railing and landed next to Nilon.
- What just happened?" Nilon asked the Goblin.
- "Nothing that I did," Sprixx said as he fixed his hat and retreived his cane. "I'll go down into engineering and see what's going on."
- "Wait," Nilon said as a familiar stench filled his nostrils. "Oh no."
- Just as he finished speaking several Naga appeared on top of the deck in a flash of light. They were lightly armored, so Nilon figured that they were spellcasters. The only problem with that being that there were both male and female Naga in the group. And Nilon noticed something else strange. The scales of the Naga - male and female both - lacked the bright color that he had seen during his earlier encounters with the creatures. In fact, they were faded, almost chalk white like Scalebender's. Perhapes albino Naga wern't as rare as he had thought?
- There was a clanging noise, and more Naga - this time wearing armor and wielding weapons - made their way up the metal sides of the ship onto the deck. Again it was a combination of both male and female, and - again - their scales lacked luster.
- Then another Naga pulled himself up the side of the ship, but with obvious effort. Several of the warrior Naga rushed to his side to aid him. When he was finally on the deck Nilon got a good look at him. The Naga's face was horrendously disfigured, with various multi-colored, cancer-like growths all over his scaled face. His left eye was pushed back into his skull by these growths, making it considerably smaller than the other, normal eye.
- Even the creature's body was mutated, the growths dominated it, and the creature's entire right arm - from shoulder to hand - was bloated beyond any apparent use. Large shells were fused to it as well, giving the Naga an even more hostile apperance.
- It eyed the freightened crew with obvious contempt, and then let out a call. "Proto!" it yelled. "Come here!"
- Immediately the disguised Scalebender slithered foreward. "I am here, master," he said, flipping back the hood that hid his face.
- "I've had a Naga on my ship this entire time!" exclaimed.
- "Silence, Goblin," Scalebender's apparent master ordered.
- Sprixx didn't take kindly to this. "Now see here! No one can give me orders but-."
- "I told you to be silent!" the Naga hissed. "Now you must be punished." He motioned to one of the mages. Immediatelly it cast a spell upon Sprixx that caused the Goblin to double over in pain.
- Seemingly oblivious to the Goblin's response, the mutated Naga continued. "You have failed me again, Proto. You have failed to bring me the Silzzorthess Idol!" Nilon had seen Celen's eyes when the Naga had said 'the Silzzorthess Idol.' Did she know something about this?
- "Forgive me, Leechfinn," Scalebender said, "I had some minor setbacks, but-."
- "Master," the Naga Scalebender had called Leechfinn, corrected, "You refer to me as master."
- Scalebender bowed his head. "Forgive me, master," Scalebender seemed to choke on the word, "but, as I was saying, all my plans are back on track now."
- "Is that so?" Leechfinn questioned, "From what I see you are surrounded by surface-dwellersw on a slave ship. If all plans are 'back on track' why is this so?"
-
Slave ship? Nilon thought. That would explain it, explain why Nilon and his companions weren't allowed further into the
Bobbing Blossum. Couldn't they be on a normal ship, just for once? If they got out of this alive, he would have to have a talk with Sprixx about this turn of events. And, judging by nervous look on that crossed his face when Leechfinn had spoken, the Goblin knew that too.
- As for Scalebender, the words struck him like a knife. "L- master, I decided that this mision required a certain level of subtley. I have learned of its location, and was on my way to retrive it with the help of these-."
- "Surface. Dwellers." Leechfinn interupted Scalebender again. "They are sickening surface dwellers, nothing more. To put your faith in them is to put you faith in the thought that the oceans shall freeze over." His eyes narrowed. "And now I see that my choice to put
you in command of this opperation was just as much a mistake. You are hereby relived of whatever command you have left, and are to be sent back to the Laberatories for continued testing. I will finish this mission myself."
- "You have no authority to do this!" Scalebender hissed.
- Leechfinn smirked. "Ah, but I do. After all; I created you." The mutant Naga raised his groteusctly overgrown arm and brought in down on Scalebender. The force from the blow knocked Scalebender to the floor - but no qwite into unconciousness. Two warrior Naga slithered up and collected the Battle-Mage.
- Then Leechfinn began to eye his new captives. "Yes, yes, these specimens will do nicely. Prepare them for transport to Nazjatar, they will help advance my reasearch."
- "So, this is what it comes to," Nilon yelled to Scalebender, even thought the Battle-Mage couldn't respond. "This was your plan from the start, wasn't it!"
- Leechfinn laughed. "Foolish Elf, you attempt to understand a plot far beyond even your inamination. Proto, the pathetic worm, was supposed to bring me an item that would have set into motion a set of events that would bring an end to your pathetic civilizations."
- "And what exactly are these 'events' that you plan to set into motion?"
- "To understand that," Leechfinn said, "you must first understand the history of the item of which I speak. So listen well, Elf, to a tale long forgotten by historians of both the Depths and Surface."
- And so, Leechfinn began his tale.