As Adonis is approaching a small, spring-fed pond, he hears them. Horses.
And no doubt they'll be wanting to drink at the pond. Adonis steps a few paces off the path to where he's not actually hidden but not immediately obvious with ready access to cover and waits patiently. When he has more information, he'll make a definite decision to hide in the undergrowth or engage in conversation.
They walk past Adonis, apparently unnoticing. One, two, three, four. They are headed for the pool, as you surmised. They are moving at a slow, steady pace, as if they do not have a schedule to meet. They are a tall, bronzed men not given to excessive body hair or clothes. The horses are unshod and the horses have bridles and blankets, but not saddles or stirrups.
You've never seen their like in Arden.
Once they're past him, Adonis checks there are no others trailing these four before stepping forward to walk behind them as they approach the pond. He's done this sort of thing before; when they notice he's there, they'll think he just appeared from nowhere - all part of the art of godhood. Adonis' skin is more Meditteranean olive than bronze but he also lacks body hair and he reckons he has a good chance of being regarded as one of them.
Of course, language might be a problem but he'll tackle that when it turns up.
They have dismounted and are watering the horses when they notice Adonis. The one you'd tentatively call 'the oldest' says, in simple Thari, 'greetings, stranger'.
Adonis raises his free hand in a still wave as he leans on his staff, "Likewise, well met!" He doesn't introduce himself; though in some cultures, the man's greeting might be an invitation to exchanging names, in others it can be impolite to bandy personal details on first meeting and he prefers to wait for things to become clearer. Instead he pauses to look down the trail and up at the Sun. "May I beg of you some information? Could you tell me if I am on the right path to Amber?"
He stays far enough back that their horses are unlikely to respond to his aura; no need to spook the locals needlessly.
[GMs]
He looks confused at first, then smiles a watery smile. The others also
smile and nod.
"Thank you!" Adonis pauses a moment, smiling at the scene, mentally noting their weapons [do they include missiles?], then he chooses a path taking him wide around the pond, again in deference to the horses, before continuing his progress.
"Wait! We take you to Amber, man."
Adonis halts his minor circumnavigation and directs that intensity of stare upon the speaker for some seconds; a smile belieing any hostility. He considers the offer without approaching or committing himself in any way. When he speaks, he keeps his words simple and his sentences short.
"Warriors! You are far from your tribe. You do not go as go those seeking war,...nor as those seeking game. Who do you seek in Amber?"
"We hunters. Our village is close."
The former is not a complete truth, The latter is true.
[Time for a raised eyebrow, I think.] "Hunters?...And what do you hunt?"
"Deer. We found none. Come, you will meet Buck."
Adonis smiles. "I would like that." He goes with them.
It is not far along the trails to a campsite. The people are at least semi-nomadic and do not seem to have domestic animals. You are certainly the buzz of the moment as they lead you into the temporary village. People stop and stare, and then move quickly away from you. The village has a wooden palisade that looks hastily erected. You see some signs that it has been under attack, but you cannot determine how recently.
You are led to a hut that is filled with cloying smoke. The vapors have a slight soporific effect. As you go towards the back you see a gnarled old man, one eye milky and unseeing. He is sprawled across a low chair, and is leaning over a pot of simmering water. He looks over at you with his good eye.
If Adonis has observed anyone making a particular gesture of greeting or respect to the old man, he'll copy it. Otherwise he'll just stand before him, waiting for a formal greeting to come his way before assuming a seated position, etc, using the time to peruse his surroundings.
"Hello Amberite." He says in perfect Thari. "Are you another settler lost in the Greatwood, or are you something different?" For all his physical decrepitude, he seems alert and even guarded.
"I do not believe I am lost so I must be something different." Adonis finishes his inspection of the interior of the hut and turns his rapt attention to his host and smiles warmly. "Greetings! I confess to having inadvertently misled you; I am not of the City, though I know...knew it well. Whom do I have the honour of addressing?"
"Me? I'm Buck, and if you think you can get to Amber from here, you're lost, indeed..."
Buck breaks out in a brief coughing fit, then returns his gaze to you.
Waiting for Buck's fit to pass, Adonis sits on the floor. "All roads lead to Amber, so they say, but perhaps Amber has, for the moment, forgotten the sayings. Still, I am not lost, merely...misplaced. You may call me Adonis, for the moment. Tell me, Buck, what brought you here; why do you seek Amber?"
Adonis' manner is respectful but similar to any very young person asking a very old man of times distantly past.
"Oh, I stopped seeking Amber some time ago, sonny. What brought me here is what brought a lot of people here; I didn't believe I would be one of the ones who disappeared. One day, I was just another poacher, the next, I'm here.
"These people. cough! These people aren't very bright, but they're good. There are some other 'settlers' who are more ambitious. You'll steer clear of them, sonny, if you're smart. They're not so polite as we are."
"Good manners are gold, but since I am not 'smart', I will have to meet them." Adonis shrugs fatalistically. "Tell me, Buck; the warriors that brought me here, they said they would 'take me to Amber'. Since you imply Amber is in some way more difficult to find than it used to be, does this phrase have some meaning other than that I originally took it for?"
He manages to sound both bitter and amused at the same time. "They don't know much Thari. Some they got from me, some they picked up from escaped slaves. It ain't a happy tongue, hereabouts." Buck spits on the floor, noisily.
"Slaves!" Adonis puts no inflection on the word, as if merely testing the sound. "It would seem things have changed greatly since I was last in these parts. Perhaps you could enlighten my ignorance as to the local political geography? - In return, of course, for whatever favour I might be able to do for you."
"You are one stubborn cuss, sonny...."
Adonis nods in distracted agreement; Buck isn't the first to mention this, but he's too interested in Buck's reply to comment.
"'Round Amber things don't change in parts, you just find you've gotten to parts that is different. And you can't get back. I wasn't the first to end up here, just the first that couldn't stand what they was doing and was cussed enough myself not to let anyone kill me. I think I may be these folk's pet, or good luck charm, or omen or some such, leastways that's what they think.
"Bout 15 miles downstream is a camp of what you might call refugees from Amber. They live better than I do, physically, but I have no truck with slavers. Seen that when I was a sailor, I did. We sailed into some nasty harbors. All armed in our best uniforms, we were."
He trails off, apparently lost in a seafaring memory.
Adonis leaves him a little time to his memories, then..."Please forgive me, I have been away for some time and am unaware of recent history or current events. Who were 'they' and what was it 'they' were doing?"
Buck coughs, wetly. "I done told you once. Some others who slipped here from Amber, and they're lording it over whoever they can catch. They just come in and put themselves at the top. Trowel and a few others, they're mean. Eventually, these savages will get tired of being slaved up and they'll end up with their throats all slit. When what goes around comes around, it'll be hell to be them."
"Indeed! Yes that seems a very shortsighted policy; I'm sure you're right." Adonis remains thoughtful. "Tell me, you have described how you think the future is likely to go, how would you prefer it to go - both for the 'savages' and for yourself?"
"Woolgathering! I'm content to die here, it's as good a place as any. Trowel and his lot will be sorted out eventually and the savages will take care of theyselves. Ain't enough of us to really change their ways. The worst that could happen would be iffen Amber found this place and propped up Trowel's lot or, if they was too late, 'avenged' 'em."
"Mmm! Well I'm sure a member of the Royal family will happen this way sooner or later but tell me, why should they do either of those things?"
"If I knew why they did what they do, I'd be a rich merchant in Amber and wouldn't have been in the woods to get lost, would I? They'll do what they do, and they'll reward their friends as they will. Trowel's camp isn't that much different from what we do in some of the less-nice places the Navy visits, the ones that don't get talked about much."
There's a long silence. From Adonis' point of view, it's a companionable silence, not uncomfortable at all, but it's possible Buck may think otherwise. It's dark in the tent, and smoky. Adonis' eyes gleam through the murk, perhaps Buck can see them regarding him, perhaps not. After several long minutes, Adonis speaks.
"Tell me, Buck, what is the worst thing you have ever done? What are you most ashamed of?"
"Once I wasted an entire hour talking with a hardheaded young whippersnapper, when I could've been drinking and smoking." His gaze and his jawline harden. "My sins is my own, and I've no truck with confession or other religious nonsense. It leads to folk thinkin' they're better'n other folk and to slave-keeping."
"Does it?" pause "Well for that matter," Adonis smiles, "I would welcome the chance to drink and smoke in your company." Buck might just make out a quizzical expression on his guest's face but if he can't the tone of voice conveys the same: honest enquiry, with an intent to improve Buck's 'comfort level'.
"Smoke away, sonny, if you've got any. This is a bit too medicinal to share."
Adonis scans his birthday suit and shrugs - it is dark. "How disappointing - it smells quite...interesting."
Buck calls out in a harsh, gutteral language that is not Thari. "I've sent for some drink. That, these people know how to make. It's like nothing you've ever tasted.
"I shall look forward to it." Replies Adonis, licking his lips. Then, after a short pause for thought. "Would you find it easier to talk to someone older?"
"D'you leave a brother behind in the woods?" he says, shaking his head. "I'm not talking to ye for my benefit, sonny. I'm trying to do two things. One, tetch you what you need to know to stay alive and/or free, as you choose. Two, help these folks decide if you need killin.' You can think of me as a Magistrate, if you will."
"Ah! So you are judging me; I see." There's just a touch of 'goose and gander' in Adonis' voice. "Well, let me see, now." He pauses for a moment, thinking. "You might say that I have a certain interest in 'life'...and I most certainly would not want any of these villagers to be hurt trying to kill me, so...what do we say to each other that no one gets hurt?"
"Mostly they're lookin' for reassurance that you're not gonna help Trowel. I've been places where they'd just've killed you rather than face the risk, but them places had had bad examples for longer, I think. Are you?"
If Buck's aged eyes can pierce the gloom, he sees his first julianic eyebrow. "I see no reason why Trowel should need or receive my help in enslaving people if he is so adept without it." Adonis' tone is cold.
"You're from Amber," says Buck.
Adonis shakes his head minimally. "I'm afraid you're a poor guesser...but I admit I've been there."
"Close enough. This isn't a bargaining situation, Sonny, even if all Amber thinks everything is part of some deal or another."
Adonis is about to reply, but....
A middle aged woman comes in, carrying a clay jug, which she places before you. She speaks rapidly in an unknown tongue to Buck, who seems to have trouble getting a word in edgewise.
Adonis takes the opportunity to smell the contents of the jug, taste and then take a full swig [assuming his senses tell him it's wise to do so]. What is it like?
The clay jar is filled with excellent poteen. (Or some kind of white lightning, anyway.)
Excellent! Adonis takes a deep draught.
Tasty. Whatever spices they used only enhance the burn of the alcohol.
Although his attention appears to be fully on the liquor, his ears listen to the tone of the conversation, trying to piece meaning from the form and grammar of the words and the correspondents' body language.
She is definitely talking about Adonis, although her tone is not hostile.
He smiles inwardly as he drinks. When he's taken the edge off his thirst, he lowers the jug, keeping his face raised. The firelight glistens on his wet lips but the smile he gives the woman is one of gratitude, not seduction. When the dialogue pauses, he raises an interrogative eyebrow to Buck.
"She axed me," he says, "if we should have th' healer see to your wound."
"I tole her that it was still undecided, on account of you still using slippery weasel-words instead of just agreeing not to attack these folks nor help their enemies."
"Tell her that I am most grateful for her concern but it is healing well enough for the moment." Adonis says this while smiling warmly at the woman. Then he takes another sip of the drink [while hopefully Buck translates honestly]. Adonis judges Buck's faithfulness by her reaction before continuing the conversation...
Probably. They exchange a few words. She smiles at you and nods, once.
Adonis nods back, courteously.
"Weasel-words?" He returns his attention to the old man, voice calm, emotionless. "Your manner is insulting, master Buck, and you should consider youself fortunate that you do not address certain others of my relatives in such a tone." Adonis sips again. "I came harbouring no ill-will toward these people nor do I yet, no thanks to you. Understand that the concern of one good woman has done more to convince me of their worth than all your hectoring and threats."
"Hmf. I've always been too blunt for me own good.. Won't change for you, sonny. Give me an honest man any day over a smooth talker."
"You have heard my reply and, as you have said, there is no reason to bargain." Adonis stands gracefully, staff in one hand, jug in the other. "I have no particular love of slavery nor any particular hatred, but for the sake of one good woman, I will tell you how you may destroy the slavers if you so wish. All you need do is ask."
"I'll not, and if you tell it t' these folk some other way, I'll vote agin' it in council."
Adonis nods slowly in an 'I thought you'd say that' way.
Buck sits, quietly, radiating displeasure for a few moments and finally he sighs. "You kin go. Iffn you want a healer, I'll let Ray know. Don't make me regret not having you killed."
"Oh, please don't put yourself out on my account." Adonis moves nearer the exit but halts next to the woman, regarding the old man quietly. "I have heard people say a man's conscience is like a nagging wife. Tell me, Buck; how many nagging wives have you walked away from?"
Buck looks angry, and Adonis can tell that there is something about family that upsets him mightily. "Git, Amberite. No one 'll bother ye iffn you don't come back with a slaver party." Buck coughs, wetly. He does not sound at all well.
Adonis leaves the hut/tent without further comment. If he's given the opportunity, he'll take a turn around the village, seeing people, being friendly, etc, before resuming his journey. If he doesn't get that opportunity, he'll just start off right away.
People are curious-from-a-distance. Adonis shares no common words with most of them, so they do not develop any deep rapport. Adonis can sense a certain relief when he exits their hastily-built stockade. Of course, not every people are comfortable with Gods walking amongst them.
Indeed! On the other hand, they invited him in so perhaps they are looking for something or someone like him. Who can tell? He wishes them well, anyway. They seemed a nice people from the little he saw of them.
Of course, the problem is whether to believe Buck's claim that the route to Amber is closed. The man's nature seems to be that of someone who slowly drifts away from negative stimuli but Adonis is inclined to believe that he has tried to get back in the past.
On the other hand, heading back where he came from doesn't exactly have much going for it either, so with a shrug Adonis resumes his course, attempting to walk to Amber. Only, because he doesn't want to be distracted by meetings with slavers, he'll take care to remain hidden for the next few miles, till he judges the danger's past.
Once his wound is heeled enough, he'll start jogging. Any chance of a medical bulletin?
The wound is clean and healing, but don't drive or operate heavy machinery for a few days, and don't drink alcoholic beverages for 36 hours.
Too late! Well at least there's no chance of it messing with any antibiotics. ;-)
Adonis walks on for some time, breaking into a steady job when he feels up to it. He heads north and west, which, if he is in Arden, will take him to the northern hills, the city, or Garnath. After a time, Adonis comes to a river, broad and slow and muddy and flowing to the east. It is many times wider than the Oisen and there are no obvious places to cross.
And from Adonis' recollection, shouldn't be there. Mmm!
Right! Either he has a broken recollector (are they stored just above the kidney?), he's not in Arden, or it's really changed...
His cranial muscles have never been as strong as the rest of him but it seems unlikely he could be this wrong.
If the wound is healed enough [ie closed] he'll swim the river, possibly in a suitably shapechanged form if he thinks it's necessary. Otherwise he'll wait for the wound to close and then cross.
If he has to wait, he'll take the time to discretely explore the locale, live off the land, etc.
Adonis crosses the river, swimming. It is an effort and he arrives, at dusk, in marshy reeds in a slow spot along the river. He pulls himself from the water and sees, before him, what look to be the remnants of a stone road. If it came to a bridge at the riverbank, the bridge is long since gone.
Curious! No road on the far side [where he's just come from]; one might almost think this is a different place - or 'shadow' as 'Pater' would call it. Oh well, no point trying to go back: everyone's got to be somewhere and Adonis had better come to wherever that is for him.
Dusk? Well normally he'd not let that stop him but he's just swum a major river with what was a very serious wound indeed a couple of days ago so he'll continue to take things easy for tonight. He'll scavenge some food: roots, fungi, small game, invertebrates, etc, and find himself a suitable spot for a kip - a little distance from the road but close enough to hear any traffic that might happen on it.
Since it is evidence of people around somewhere, he'll construct a few small piles of stones who's disturbance may warn him if people or things come a furckling. He'll stash any food he doesn't eat in a tree. If it's still there in the morning, it'll make a nice breakfast.
Assuming the night passes without event, he'll continue his jogging progress in the morning. If the road goes his way, he'll jog parallel to it. Eventually he must get somewhere.
The night passes uneventfully. As Adonis prepares to depart he hears a snort and turns to see a one-horned creature retreating behind a rise.
Momentarily entranced, he drops his staff and the half-eaten wild parsnip he was nibbling for breakfast. Then suddenly he's running; ignoring the pain in his side, he hares off up the rise. As he crests the top, his head looks one way and another, frantically seeking...
He's not really looking where he's going and it's quite possible he'll be surprised on the other side. [Yup, the old 'unicorn decoy' trick works again. ;-)]
The herd creatures that Adonis sees as he crosses the ridge are only Unicornoid to a first approximation: Four-legged, one-horned creatures with long, narrow heads. The one Adonis first spied is a few dozen yards from down the slope. The herd seems to be moving towards him, not fleeing. They are a wide variety of brindled colors. They do not seem to be running, but they are spreading out a bit.
Adonis wonders if the word 'pack' would be better than 'herd.'
[Note to GMs: the following applies unless Adonis has any particular reason to think his 0pt power won't protect him but even then he'll just put a little more effort into defence.]
Adonis has no fear of animals at all, large or small. He stands, radiating disappointment, while regarding the creatures for a minute. He instinctively reads their behaviour and physiology [not that he'd use that word].
For their part, they may be confused by their 'prey's' obvious lack of fear but if any come to close, Adonis will take on his godly aspect and presumably they'll abase themselves.
None of them come close enough to make Adonis want to do this. They stay at a distance and do seem confused. They have all the physical indicators of pack carnivores. It is only from a distance that they resemble gazelles with horns.
Whatever they do, Adonis eventually turns and starts jogging on his way. He's disappointed but resilient - perhaps they are an omen?
Perhaps. However, Adonis remembers a conversation with a drunken philosopher in Amber one evening who explained (several times with less coherency each time) that "any omen which is clearly an omen is clearly not an omen, d'ye see?" It was unclear if he was Zen or merely potted.
No reason why anyone can't be both - but as it's by no means clear at all what's going on here, Adonis will do what he usually does in these circumstances, remain slightly more alert for a while until something happens that he can metaphorically or allegorically link with it - or he gets bored waiting.
As Adonis looks past them, he notices that he is being observed from the far side of the clearing.
Ah-ah!
He spots a man, dressed in simple, homespun clothing, at the edge of the forest. The man is carrying something in one hand and seems to be motioning to Adonis. It is not clear what he wants. He is almost directly opposite the pack from where Adonis is standing.
With a shrug, Adonis walks toward the man - and straight through the middle of the pack.
They mill about at a certain range. Once Adonis is through the middle and walking away, they turn to each other voicing highly relieved 'well we certainly saw him off in no uncertain terms' yips, while studiously avoiding each other's eyes.
Once Adonis is well past, the pack thunders away to the East, parallel to the river. The man drops what Adonis can now see was a lasso and steps into the clearing. "Well, that didn't go as well as I wanted it to. I was hoping you'd drive 'em my way."
Adonis nods considerately while appraising the man close with his usual casual intensity. [Age, appearance, apparell, demeanour, etc?]
The man is human/Amberite of that middling age that happens between the end of youth and the effects of aging. In Amber this could be anywhere between 27 and 2000. (He certainly doesn't look older than Benedict...)
He is wearing homespun clothes and is tan and moves easily. "I've been trying to catch one of them for about a week. Recon I'll have to keep trying." He grins at Adonis, seemingly not noticing his (usual lack of) clothes.
Adonis smiles back gently. "I'm sure you will do it eventually; all you need is faith." He nods courteously. "Well I must be on my way. Good hunting!"
And unless the man comes up with some more riveting conversation, Adonis starts jogging eastward. This may not be the direction he was heading before he met the Carnivorous Gazellicorns but an omen is probably as good as a compass at the moment.
Adonis begins his job, turning his back on the stranger. He heads east, in the tracks of the beasts, which look more like cat pads than hooves. He considers the sky and the sun and attempts to determine if they are different from Amber's. The dull impact between his shoulder blades is more attention-getting than anything else, and brings him back from his woolgathering. As the loop of the lasso drops over his body, it becomes clear to Adonis what has happened, and that he cannot avoid what will happen next.
The lasso is jerked back, as predicted and Adonis falls, avoiding injury, to the ground. He hears running feet from behind him, possibly two sets. He may be able to free his ankles before his assailants arrive.
Did the lasso fall to his ankles even though he's holding a staff in one hand?
If so, he uses one hand to ensure a modicum of slack and slips the noose off deftly, taking stock of his assailants to guage his next move.
If no one's actually pulling on the rope, I assume he can remove it with relative ease.
You can remove it with relative ease and look back or roll over to see the homespun dude running at you with a club over his head.
Behind him come two more guys. One with a net and one with a sword. He seems somewhat surprised that you are not at least stunned.
Responding instinctively, Adonis times his rise and sidestep to make the onrushing homespun clubber miss his mark. As the man goes past, he swings his staff hard across the man's legs, aiming at the nearside knee.
[assuming homespun clubber goes down with a shattered kneecap or some such.]
He goes down, curls up and holds his knee. Adonis doesn't know from shattered, but nothing good happened to the knee from the knee's point of view.
If the knee's shattered, the guy shouldn't be a problem but Adonis avoids him for the rest of the fight just in case he still feels aggressive. Even if not broken, with any luck the man won't be able to do more than hobble for the time it takes Adonis to take the other two.
Adonis then turns to face the other two. Realising pretty quickly that the net could be a real nuisance, he manouevres to keep the swordsman between him and the netsman as much as possible.
Obviously, it's impossible to plan further ahead than this but Adonis' strategy is to take down the swordsman while avoiding getting netted. If he gets a spare moment, he'll throw stones. He'll maintain a maddeningly languid smile at all times. [Remember, he doesn't want to kill them unless he absolutely has to.]
Adonis realizes that it's going to be difficult to keep the swordsman between himself and the net-wielder. They are trying to flank him. He'd have to expose himself to one or the other of them to maintain that position, possibly several times. They seem to work well together. Adonis could possibly grab a stone to throw, but it might also be a risk. They are not closing the final gap, but Adonis could rush the swordsman.
If they're not closing the gap, the net must be the intended option - it's nice to know he's still more valuable alive than dead but they clearly don't respect his warrior virtues as much as they should. It's impossible say if this bothers Adonis at all but hopefully it may bother them in a bit.
Presumably, his initial attempts to put the swordsman between himself and the netsman have caused the three to circle each other, the netsman advancing as the swordsman retreats, everyone keeping their distance. Adonis doesn't really like this style of fighting, it's really not his thing, but he uses it to pull the other two away from Mr Kneecap. He doesn't want the one prone protagonist to muddy the waters of action.
As soon as he feels Net and Sword are used to the status quo, he abruptly switches to the style of combat he's most comfortable with. He instinctively feints at the swordsman to keep the man on the rear foot but instead of following up with the threatened rush, he throws his staff into the swordsman's solar plexus, hoping to wind him or at least tie him up for a couple of seconds.
The staff hits the target, but it was weaker than Adonis would've liked. Perhaps a lingering effect of his wounds. Perhaps combat is the equivalent of operating heavy machinery.
Depending on how quick the netsman is, he should either be casting his net at where he reckons Adonis was going to be in rushing the swordsman or thinking about it. Either way, hopefully he'll be a little surprised by Adonis' dive and roll that brings the two into close contact and be lacking a useful close-in weapon. Adonis, of course, has his hands, which are all he needs. Still rolling, from knee-height he delivers a vicious punch into the netsman's groin.
The net misses and sails out of this post completely. It lies on the ground and contemplates failure.
Adonis loves the close-in rough-and-tumble and is enjoying a thoroughly invigorating fight. However he is painfully aware that his back is now exposed to the swordsman, who will probably slash his hamstrings as soon as he's recovered [unless the staff did more damage than expected, which is quite possible but not probable].
The swordsman slashes at Adonis's wounded side, He connects. It is a rougher cut than Lilly's, but not so ragged as his personal efforts. It is only the strength and momentum of the Juliani that carry him through. Adonis don't think he'll pass out from it, but it's not a good thing.
[Damn! And it was healing so well and all.]
Yes, you'd worry about why it reopened twice and all, except you were there each time...
There's metals for you.
And fingernails.
Adonis uses his momentum to take him just past Mr Groin. Rising athletically...
Adonis do carry past, but are not able to do anything athletically at the moment, as his abused side causes him to reconsider. Even if he grab the (still non-functional) net man, he's not convinced he can throw him at the swordsman.
Unseen by the swordsman, Adonis' moment of shock at the feel of metal in his old wound flickers across his face for a moment but Adonis nails back the maddeningly superior grin before the swordsman gets a chance to see how hurt his is.
Adonis rises as quickly as possible, using the maimed netsman as more as a ladder than a shield but trying to make it look as much like the latter as possible.
Once on his feet, Adonis smiles insolently at his remaining opponent, holding Mr Groin as upright as he can for the purposes of support, protection and morale effect on the opposition. He can tell from swordsman's expression that he can't believe Adonis is still upright. Adonis does his best to remain insouciant and hides how much it hurts him.
"What of the hunting, hunter bold?"
"Now, take it easy, tough guy." The swordsman's eyes wander from Adonis to his captive to his wound. "Let's just see if we can reason our way out of this without anyone else getting hurt. More hurt, anyway. So, clearly, we've made an error in judgement here...."
He awaits some comment from Adonis. Or perhaps he's waiting for his friend to get his wind back.
Adonis thought he'd hit Mr Groin hard enough to homogenise his testicles but conditions weren't ideal so he carefully shifts one hand to the man's neck, placing fingers over what a surgeon would call the vagus nerve - just in case. His off hand grips Mr Groin's arm firmly. He also keeps a weather eye on Mr Knee.
The swordsman's gaze receives the full benefit of Adonis' numen. "Do you know the meaning of the word 'epiphany'? You have drawn the blood of a god; you have doomed yourself."
Observing the man's probably adverse reaction to this statement, Adonis continues in a kindlier, caring tone, much in the way of a careers advisor. "You have several futures before you, now. In one, your further attempts to overcome that which cannot be overcome lead to your maiming and a painful death shortly after. You and your companions find no rest and your bodies no graves, marked or otherwise.
"In another, you turn and run for home, where my curse finds you in a day, a week, a year; a viper bites your face in your sleep, perhaps, or a child places a scorpion in your codpiece for a 'joke'. Most likely you'll take a minor hurt, a scratch, which will fester and turn gangrenous. Again you die in pain and misery; you know better than I if you will receive burial but your soul will face a lonely eternity filled with the pain of its last hours.
"Or you may choose to cast aside your blade, foreswear the life you've led and pray for forgiveness...Now! At the least you will receive a quick, clean death. Perhaps, if you impress me, I will be merciful; I am not my mother, after all. The choice is yours."
He hesitates and the tip of his sword is not steady. Adonis thinks that if he says "Boo!" with any force, the man would run. He is not sure if he believes Adonis' curse, but he is not sure he doesn't.
Adonis sniffs the air delicately. "Dear me! Do I sense a crisis of faith?
"Dharma, seek and you will find truth within your mind, Dharma. Dharma, each to his own we say, together we'll end astray, Dharma. Truth is like freedom, it doesn't fool me. Be true to yourself, never think that you're free. Dharma will come eventually."
[The man's] sword is definitely moving now, but is still held, very defensively, in front of him.
Adonis pauses after his chant to give the swordsman time to ponder his situation, then [if the man is still hesitating]..."Of course, if that is not enough, I could offer a demonstration...the power of Life and Death, perhaps?"
"Wait!" the swordsman cries out. It is perhaps the bravest thing he's ever done. "Don't kill him. Please? What do you want?"
Another pause, this time for Adonis to ponder the swordsman's reaction while counting to ten. He resists rolling his eyes in exasperation, using the instinct to check Mr Knee out the corner of his eye.
"You are brave, I'll say that for you, and it is to your credit that you show such concern for your friend, but your own plight should be your first concern." - beat - "I understand it is common practice among those of your profession to hamstring or kneecap runways." another, pointed, glance at Mr Knee, "I also understand troublesome livestock are sometimes castrated to make them easier to work with" a nod of the head to Mr Groin, "Blessed is he who finds private pleasure in his work but there is always the danger of your past deeds catching up with you, don't you think?
"Slavery is the commonest of institutions and takes many forms; ideally, every man should be a slave to his own conscience, as I have said, though perhaps you weren't listening - that is your wont, I think?
He looks confused and terrified.
"Of course, many men have trouble hearing their consciences and it can fall to others to show them the errors of their ways. I have already stated what I want from you but since you seem undecided, I offer a demonstration - to take, and return, a life. I believe that is the usual agreement, even here; miracles in return for devotion?"
He is breathing heavily and you think he's probably not thinking too clearly at this point. The sword has wandered off-line and is pointed more to the ground than at you.
Adonis gentles his voice, removing the mocking tone. "Calm yourself! Breathe deeply! In...through the nose" - sharp, powerful inhale - "...and out through the mouth" - long, relaxed, sighing exhale - "...in...out...in...out..." [assuming the man follows his lead] "...That's it! Feel the fear fade...hear that still small voice within. It wants to be heard...and you want to hear."
While calming the nearly hysterical swordsman, Adonis remains aware of his environment, especially Mr Knee but not overlooking possible reinforcements from further off. Then, when he thinks the man's not about to throw a screaming fit...
"Now! Why don't you tell me how you want to resolve this situation?"
"You let us go and we limp away."
"Precisely! But what can you offer to induce me to let this happen? I am not averse, you understand, but I have been assaulted, hurt; you have spilled my blood. Just letting you 'limp away' doesn't seem quite fair from my point of view, does it?
"Listen to that voice within: how would you feel in my position? Ask yourself; why should I spare you?"
This pretty much overtaxes whatever calming effect the chanting may have had. Adonis is not convinced he could answer this even if he was calm, though. "I..." is as far as he gets. He seems overawed by Adonis' godhood and will not be able to reason with him.
Adonis waits for him to complete the sentence. After a few seconds, it becomes apparent he never will complete it and Adonis has to hide his disappointment and embarrassment - his mother is right, his sex really is the weakest. However, he feels he has broken through some some sort of barrier, the swordsman is now soft clay, maleable, waiting to be shaped. When next Adonis speaks, his voice is soft, calming, even kind.
"So you want you, your friends and relatives to live and leave here in peace? Mmm! A tall order, but I'm sure we can come to an agreement." A note of command comes into his voice. "Put away your blade; you won't need it anymore!
"As a gesture of good will, I give you your...brother?" He slowly carries Mr Groin a few yards away and lays him next to Mr Knee. [If either look even slightly obstreperous, Adonis will surreptitiously chop their necks to KO them for a few minutes but he's hoping the recent dialogue has overawed the cripples as much as it has the swordsman.]
Adonis returns to the swordsman, coming closer than before, just in arms reach. He moves slowly to avoid pulling his reopened wound but somehow manages to make it look like languid ease to mortal gaze. His gaze is fixed on his subject but he limits the intensity of his stare, knowing the next bit is a delicate operation and he will have to be gentle. He is all compassion.
"Look at you, you're shaking! Calm yourself! I know it is painful but
the worst is over. When you emerge into sunlight after lying in
darkness, it always hurts - but once the pain fades
"Now! Listen to me! Those two committed lesser offences and have paid for their presumption so I see no reason why they should not leave and live as they are. Perhaps their hurts will remind them of those inflicted on others, or perhaps not. But they will not survive unless you help them, so you shall go too, as whole as you are now. Do you understand? Good! I shall tell you how to care for them before we part.
"Now I am being generous here, and your trespass was by far the worst so your sacrifice must be the greater but do not worry, you can afford it and in time will see this moment as a gain, not a loss. Now this is what you will do...you will listen!
"You will listen to yourself! In your profession, you have had to do...questionable things. I don't need to know what they are; you already know, you always knew they were...questionable, and to do these things, you had to lock away that little voice within so you could not hear it shouting. Now I have let it out. Now you can hear it crying at the things you made yourself watch, even as you did them."
Adonis wipes the man's face with his other hand. "Yes! Cry! It is good to cry in pain, especially pain you inflict on yourself. And you have hurt yourself so very badly. How could any god be as cruel as you have been to yourself? All that pain you made yourself inflict on others; how did you ever bare it?
"But you no longer have to hurt yourself. All you need do is listen...to that voice...your conscience. Some might tell you not to kill, not to maim, not to covet your neighbours donkey. I say you know what to do and what not to do. You are a good man; you always were. Learn to love: love the world, love others, but most of all, love yourself.
"I know all this is hard so we will start with something easy, closer to home. You want them to live? Yes, of course you do; you care for them, don't you? And this is what you must do. Examine the broken knee for protruding splinters of bone or wood and pull them free, quickly, as you would a bad tooth. Then wash open wounds with boiling water and place a bandage of moss scraped from the bark of those trees, over there.
"Next pull the limb straight, stretching the joint. He will scream and curse you but you must do this or it will deform as it mends. Strap two straight poles, ash or larch are best, on either side and lash tightly in place using torn clothing but taking care to place no knots over major veins. Do you understand? Good!
"For the other, the affected parts must be cut away or they'll blacken tomorrow and gangrene and he'll die more pitifully than you can imagine. Again he will scream and curse but you must be strong. Then also apply a bandage of that same moss but first cover it with the fine, pale silty clay from the riverbank. This will sooth his pain and cool the inflamation but remember to boil the clay first, wrapped in a shirt, then let it cool. Also boil any utensils you use and ensure your hands are clean at all times.
"If you do all these things and remember to change the bandages twice a day, there is no reason either man should not live his full span. Of course, they may not wish to and so it will be up to you to give them reason to live. That is much harder than caring for their bodies but if you listen to that voice inside yourself and have faith, anything is possible."
Adonis drops his hand, guaging his work in the other's eye. "And now for the baptism." His hand returns to the swordsman's face, this time to smear a bloody thumbprint on his forehead. "You need a new name to mark your rebirth. Mmm! Luke, I think. You look like a Luke, to me." The hand falls and Adonis steps back.
"Now, Luke, I am leaving, but I leave knowing how difficult a time there is ahead for you. It may be that you will have things to say to me. Whatever you wish to say, call me by name, speaking aloud in your prayers, and I will hear. You may wish to curse me, thank me, ask why I spared you when it would have been so much easier, for both of us, to take blood for blood - anything...I will hear. As I have found a name for you, so you will find your name for me and, when I am next this way, we will talk again." He leans forward and kisses the man on the mark. "Farewell, Luke! Remember, however bad you may feel in the next few days, you are loved."
Luke does as he is bid, and the GM's heroically refrain from having him decide that Adonis' name is "Jiminy".
Adonis, still moving slowly and carefully, coils the rope and casts it over a shoulder so as not to aggravate the wound, collects his staff and continues on his journey, walking slowly.
Last modified: 21 August 2002