There are just some days that whatever you try and do, it all goes wrong and nothing goes right. Those are the kind of days, where if you could, the only course of action would be to go to bed and go into a kind of lock down.
If you don’t do anything and hide from everyone, then things will not go wrong.
Sadly life is not like that. The opportunity to run and hide is denied us.
Sometimes if we try and hide trouble finds us.
This seems to have happened to Janine Sedlacek of the former Entity Affairs Directorate. On the instruction of Brigadier General Samuel Peters, she was whisked away by Cornish pixies from action against magic using humans who have ceased power in the UK, and dumped in a meadow.
Janine has been trying to find her way back to civilisation, only to be tracked down by the leader of the invasion force, who holds her responsible for the death of one of his mercenaries, who had been taken out by a former clean up squad…
+ + +
A woodland
Location Unknown
Two other men in similar clothing emerged from the strange red vortex, each with a crossbow aimed at her.
“Kneel wench” the man with the foil ordered, “You will show your unworthy position before I run you through with my blade”
Janine looked at the two other men beside the man with the foil; they were getting ready to shoot.
In terror Janine dropped to her knees as she was ordered.
The man with the foil walked up to her in a menacing way.
Suddenly he smashed his fist into the side of her head, knocking her to the ground. Before Janine could get up, she felt the cold hard boot of the man with the foil as he placed it on her head.
“You are lower than dirt wench” the man with the foil growled, “I am not sure if you are worthy of my blade” then the man with the foil yelled “There are plenty of trees here, do any of you have any rope”
“I have sire” Janine heard one of the other men answer above the sound of the strange vortex, “But isn’t Quaylong waiting our return at the Palace of Westminster?”
“Leave Quaylong to me, and make a noose and string it over one of these trees” the man with the foil ordered, “I want to use it to throttle the worthless life out of this vile wench by hanging her as an example to others. Then we can return to Westminster”
Janine listened in horror as she could only see a limited view of the man with the rope as he prepared the noose and threw the rope over a tree branch.
The man with the foil then pulled her up sharply by her upper arm.
Only now could Janine see the noose that she was to be hanged by.
“Nagal” the man with the foil ordered the other man, “give me your scarf so I bind her hands”
The other man removed the scarf and handed it over to the man with the foil. The man with the foil pulled Janine’s hand behind her back and tied the scarf around them tightly, and marched her to the noose.
Suddenly the red swirling vortex collapsed, and there was the sound of two supressed rifle shots.
Janine watched as the two men accompanying the man with the foil sank to the floor, dead. As they did their bodies started to smoulder and then burst into flames, just like she had seen a barbarian do when he had been gunned down at the abandoned factory where Kevin had been murdered.
It was then that Janine noticed the American from the old Inter Dimensional Entity Control, Brigadier General Samuel Peters. She also saw two drow accompanying him. The Brigadier General was carrying a sniper rifle.
The man with the foil drew his dagger and placed it at Janine’s throat, “What is the meaning of this outrage” he shouted out.
Suddenly the dagger flew from his hand and was caught by one of the drow.
“A mere dispel magic incantation” the other drow sneered.
“My next shot will be at your head Sir Timous” the Brigadier General told the man with the foil, “At this distance I can’t miss”
“You will pay for this” the man with the foil sapped back, “do you know who you are dealing with?”
“I know that you are a dirt bag just like your long dead counterpart on this world” the Brigadier General replied as he pointed the rifle at the man with the foil, “Now release her”
The man with the foil shoved Janine away from him; the drow who had spoken came across and untied her hands.
“I thought you guys were evil?” Janine found herself saying in confusion
“The drow grinned in what seemed like a sinister manner, “you have been listening to too many elves”
“Brigadier General” the drow then said to the Brigadier General, “We need to leave, that spell was a localised one, and the magic user who opened the dimension gate may soon be working out how to overturn our incantation”
“Of course he will” the man with the foil growled, “Quaylong is one of the best magic users on our world”
“But still no match for the drow” the drow who had spoken sneered back.
The Brigadier General handed some handcuffs to the other drow who came up to the man with the foil and handcuffed his hands behind his back.
“You will pay dearly for this insolence” the man with the foil protested.
“We need to get back to DC” The Brigadier General told the two drow.
“What about Miss Selacek” the drow who had spoken asked.
“She’s a civilian now” the Brigadier General replied.
“Please, you can’t leave me in the open like those pixies did” Janine pleaded.
“Can we not take her with us to DC” the drow asked, who until now had not spoken.
“Let me see” the Brigadier General asked, “The daughter of that Scum bag Sir Sidney Gerald, who once worked for him and was once convicted of conspiracy to commit murder, I doubt US immigration will allow that”
“I find your immigration laws” the first drow replied, “harsher than reputation we were given by those slanderous elves”
“Sorry” The Brigadier General insisted, “But the Vice Admiral insisted, this is a US operation, they don’t even want Doctor Henshore as part of the team now”
“Because of short sighted elements on your Capitol Hill” the first drow countered, “but were it not for Miss Sadlecak here acting as bait we would never have captured this Sir Timmous character”
“I don’t make the rules” The Brigadier General sighed
The man with the foil laughed, “That wench is so wretched even her own kind want shot of her.” He sneered, “Why don’t you make use of that noose we provided and rid this world of her once and for all”
“Quiet you” The Brigadier General countered.
“What are you waiting for heretic” the man with the foil snapped back, “Use your heretical death stick and kill me, just like you murdered my men”
“Oh no” the Brigadier General replied, “You are too valuable”
“You won’t get a word out of me” the man with the foil sneered back, “I would die first”
“We won’t need to” the first drow countered, “I am a master of the art of the dark space. One way or another, you will reveal what we need to know” the first Drow then turned back to the Brigadier General, “Are you sure we cannot take Miss Sedlacek with us”
“It’s not up to me or Walter” the Brigadier General replied.
“We can’t leave her here” the drow insisted, “Those looking for our friend here will come back here, and home in on her. I suspect they used a divination spell to locate her, if we have her with us, we can use our magics to lay a trap for this Quaylong should he try”
“We’ll take her to Dublin” the Brigadier general replied, “There are some refugee pixies there that may be able to put up some magical defence”
“Pixies!” the man with the foil retorted, “Quaylong will easily annihilate that scum”
“I am afraid he is right” the first drow replied, “Whether those imbeciles on Capitol Hill like it or not, it would be best if she were with us. If you cannot explain it to them, I will”
With that the two drow started to chant, and then the woodland vanished from Janine’s view.
+ + +
The Houses of Parliament
London, England
Quaylong the magic user stumbled backwards before he could steady himself and then he sat down on one of the benches in the chamber of the House of Commons.
“That is not possible” Quaylong muttered, “I have never known another magic user who could collapse one of my dimension door spells”
Another man, who was wearing a leather cloak, entered the chamber he noticed that Quaylong was sitting down and looking drained and so approached him. Quaylong looked up and saw him coming.
“What brings you here Jamaal?” Quaylong asked, “I thought you had returned to your work on our world as an assassin”
“Our real employer Lord Samail asked me to come” Jamaal answered, “Even though he trusts Sir Timous to get the job done of bringing destruction to this heretical world, he was concerned that his thirst for avenging the blood of Travis might cause issue”
“You are here to dispatch him should that be the case?” Quaylong asked
“Should it prove necessary” Jamaal answered.
“It may be too late” Quaylong said as he stared at the benches opposite, “He insisted on going after that wench who was there when Travis was slain. I found her and he insisted on going to retrieve her. I kept the dimension door open as long as I could”
“But it proved beyond your endurance” Jamaal interjected
“No!” Quaylong shook his head, “Someone used magic to collapse it. I fear that Sir Timous has been captured”
“That would not be good” Jamaal voiced, “They could find out our plan to destroy this world”
“The humans on this world were probably aware of that anyway” Quaylong answered back, “Especially as the prisoners including that double of our employer were spirited away by the pixies”
“Then they would be after details” Jamaal suggested. Then after a few seconds paused, “There is of course another possibility”
“What?” Quaylong asked
“Another overlord?” Jamaal asked, “You know that Lady Sharlane of the Heana-Shores is visiting our employer. If Lord Samail is capable of destroying this heretic world and so deny it to our troll enemies, his influence will increase and the other overlords may not like that. If it were not for the fact that Lord Samail hired me first, I probably would be having him as one of my targets”
Quaylong shook his head, “I know of the other magic users employed by the other overlords. I am even aware of Lady Sharlane of the Heana-Shores own magical ability. None of them could collapse a dimension door the way it was done, plus we would know if they crossed to this world”
“Then we must establish who” Jamaal insisted
Quaylong closed his eyes and gave a small chant.
Then he opened his eyes and to Jamaal they seemed like brightest crimson. Then the colour faded and Quaylong began to cough violently and then struggling for breath for a few seconds before he recovered.
“I cannot believe this” Quaylong spluttered
“What?” Jamaal asked
“The one who collapsed the dimension door” Quaylong whispered, “was not human”
“Not human?” Jamaal queried, “But the non-human races do not use magic, they use technology”
Quaylong looked up at Jamaal, “Then Lord Samail has not told you of that other world”
“What other world?” Jamaal asked
“It is one where trolls, elves and orcs exist” Quaylong began, “But these one use magic”
“Magic using trolls” Jamaal asked further.
Quaylong shook his head, “The race I felt was like elf, but not like elf”
“What do you mean” Jamaal asked, “elf, but not like elf, that does not make sense”
“It would if they were a kinsman race” Quaylong answered, “I believe on the world of our enemies they are referred to as drow”
“But the drow are weak and cowardly” Jamaal said with contempt, “They even tried to get the trolls to make peace with us”
“I know” Quaylong agreed, “But this felt like a drow”
+ + +
A wilderness cave
The Walong Mountains
The Mystical Realms
Meetal found his master Madron, once formally known as the Lord Low Troll, standing outside of the cave staring into the night sky. He was obviously still upset by his son’s continuing hostility, in spite of his best overtures.
“It getting late sire” Meetal ventured quietly
“I know” Madron replied, “But what do I have to get up early for, apart from feeding our livestock who are usually still sleeping when we tend them”
“You are upset with how the Clan Chief of the Manjura treats you?” Meetal asked
“Maybe I brought it on myself?” Madron ventured, “I put politics above my own daughter Brameana and she succumbed to hatred and corruption which killed her. I did the same to Padow and he cannot stand to be in the same cave as me let alone the same dinner table”
“But master” Meetal insisted, “You had to do what you had to do. You said it yourself to your son, He did not have to deal with the internecine fighting amongst the troll clans that we had to contend with”
Madron sighed, “I know my old friend, but I keep wondering if I should have found some other way. Maybe even my twin brother Midah might have been alive”
“You know that is not true” Meetal insisted, “I hid in the shadows for you running errands and getting evidences on those who plotted against you and your Manjura clan. I know what it was like, there was no other way”
“You are so right my old friend” Madron conceded, “Also it was wrong of my son to accuse you of what humans would call war crimes”
For a moment there was silence between the elderly troll and his faithful kobold companion, then Meetal broke the silence, “Could the Clan Chief of the Manjura really put me on trial for my life?”
Madron shook his head, “Not with our deal with the Drow High Council, they have promised to oppose any prosecutions provided we stay here in the Walong Mountains and do not attempt to exert any influence beyond our gardens and vineyards. I for one am happy with this exile. I no longer have to worry about plotters and following tedious protocols to keep the various races from killing each other.”
“I don’t want to go back to the Central City either sire” Meetal sighed, “The kobolds there now do not understand the ways of covert honour. Plus that human female who went with Major Bolak to rescue your son told us it is still ruled over by what the humans called techno-trolls from another world”
Madron looked down at the ground and shook his head again, “When we discovered that our world had been formed from the human collective unconscious and that in theory it could still affect our world, we all thought there were just our two worlds. Then with the humans creating devices that could enter our world, that link seemed to be effectively broken and we could all go our separate ways. I never dreamed that somehow this could all have been as the humans put it, mirrored”
Meetal looked confused, “Mirrored?”
“If I understand what that female human by the name of Doctor Henshaw told me” Madron went on, “They believe there was some kind of balance in what she called the cosmos, I believe she called super symmetry, A world of humans with technology and our multi-racial world which embraced magic, countered by a world where our races use the technology and humans embraced magic. Thus those two other worlds are as mirror images of our world and that of our human allies”
“I wonder how they are getting on” Meetal mused
Madron was silent for a moment.
“I bid you good night” Meetal then said before returning to the cave.
Madron stared into the night and then wondered, “Yes, I wonder how things are going too”
Madron pulled from his pocket a small orb that he had hidden from the drow who over saw his and Meetal’s exile. It was one of the few magic items he had left after they had confiscated a number of items. Not that he ever used them; they were just items that had been taken with him when he got out of Central City before the start of the civil war in which his twin brother had been executed by some believing it was him.
Madron said an incantation and then peered into it.
Suddenly he saw something unexpected, and then the orb started to heat up, so much that Madron was forced to drop it.
Quickly he recited the incantation to close it down. The orb returned to its blue green colour, but Madron was not sure if it was too late. It seemed that someone out there had spotted his attempt to scry, someone who was supposed to have been long dead, for real.
+ + +
The Drow High Council chambers
The Mystical Realms
Marshall Dacron felt drained as he reeled from defending against the probe of the scryng device that had locked on to him. He had tried to carry out the spell that would have shattered the scrying device, and thus killing it’s operator but the person using it was too quick and more skilled in the use of magic items than the average low grade magic using elf or troll.
But this user was a troll, and Dacron knew exactly who he was as the other members of the Drow High council knew of this troll. This was the supposedly dead Lord Low Troll.
But why was he scrying him, and what had he learned?
From what he had been told by the fools on the Drow High Council, was that this elderly troll had been instrumental in reversing the efforts of his wayward daughter, the renegade Hadreth drow Vabalavich and some very powerful entities from outside both the world of humans and the Mystical Realms. He had even indirectly helped in the overthrowing of the Hadreth Order that Dacron secretly belonged to. It was for that reason when they learned that the Lord Low Troll was still alive and they honoured the deal brokered before time had been rolled back. He was not to face prosecution and be allowed to live out his days in the wilderness of the Waylong Mountains, in return he was to give up all aspirations of resuming his position of Lord Low Troll.
Something this troll for some strange reason was happy to do so.
The Drow High council had even extended this protection to his former kobold servant, whose name escaped Dacron.
Kobolds were nothing, if not sword fodder for many low level adventurer and of little consequence
Maybe it was time for this elderly troll to come to his end of days, prematurely
Dacron thought for a moment, should he hire a doppelganger assassin?
No!
This was a job for a drow, one of the Hadreth order, and he knew who.
+ + +
Central City
The Mystical Realms
The drow officer came into Padow’s office in the Central City’s Hall of Justice and was surprised to find the troll still at work at his computer.
“I thought the agreement with the Troll High council meant you were leaving our world” the drow queried.
Padow looked up at the drow and glowered at him, it stuck in his throat that the leader of the Troll Council on his world had sullied himself by making deals with one of the races on this backward world, behind his back. It also stuck in his throat that when he thought he might be leaving this awful world his arch rival Strang had effectively blackmailed him into staying put in this desert city, while his rival returned as Regent High Troll, in order to deal with the leader of the troll council, and reinstate the bioweapon to eradicate humans from every world they populated.
“I will be staying behind” Padow said through gritted teeth, “While my deputy is regent in my place back home”
“I thought even the leader of your own troll council agreed you were all to pull out of our world” the drow pressed.
“And subcontract the ruling of this world to the drow” Padow replied
“Yes that was part of the deal” the drow agreed, “But you leader said” the drow went on before Padow angrily cut him off
“THAT TROLL IS NOT OUR RULER” Padow shouted, “I am” Padow then continued, “He is just the leader of the troll council”
“None the less” the drow pressed, “he is the one who made the deal and got you to agree to it”
Padow sighed, nothing more would have pleased him than to return home were it not for that grubby pact he had had to make with Captain Strang. “Well you can see all our troops have returned to our home world to deal with the human menace” Padow growled, “I am here alone as a figurehead for those back home, to prove I am no coward running away from the difficult issue of running the Manjura Empires latest asset, our only success since the humans invaded our world”
“I will need to consult Marshall Dacron about this” the drow said with irritation.
“Do what you will” Padow growled, “I will not interfere in how your race chooses to be stewards of this latest part of the Manjura Empire. Is that not the spirit of the agreement our leader of the Troll council brokered with your Marshall Dracon?”
“Agreed” the drow replied, “I will consult Marshall Dracon” he added before turning around and leaving Padow’s office.
“I just hope you fulfil your part of this Strang” Padow muttered to himself.
+ + +
The Houses of Parliament
London, England
“Have you recovered sufficiently?” Jamaal asked Quaylong
Quaylong dropped his head slightly, “I am not sure” he replied, “When another magic user disrupts a spell you are doing it can take it out of you in ways a non-magic user cannot understand”
“Well that cannot be helped” Jamaal insisted, “We need to locate Sir Timous before they can locate the vessel that will be firing on that place Sir Timous selected”
Quaylong lifted his head up to look at the assassin, “You mean that realm we assessed would retaliate and thus trigger this Mutual Assured Destruction?”
“Indeed” Jamaal answered back, “The vessel that goes beneath the waves must not be stopped from initiating this as Sir Timous has promised Lord Samail”
“I will try a location spell similar to the one that I used to find that wench” Quaylong offered, “assuming it is not blocked”
“By a weakling drow?” Jamaal said with disgust.
“I know it sounds strange Jamaal” Quaylong protested, “But it felt more like a drow than an elf who collapsed my dimension door spell, and a powerful one at that. Maybe the drow on that other world have powerful magic”
“Maybe you are losing your edge” Jamaal growled
“I am not losing anything!” Quaylong growled back, and then began to chant
After a few seconds he stopped and shook his head, “The drow is blocking me, I cannot locate him on this world”
“The wench?” Jamaal then asked
Quaylong shook his head slightly and started to chant again. After a few seconds he gave up. “They must have two drow” Quaylong told Jamaal, “she is protected too”
Jamaal thought for a moment, “Maybe we need to try another approach” Jamaal said to Quaylong
“Like what?” Quaylong asked
“Remember the attack on the base of the heretics” Jamaal asked.
Quaylong nodded.
“Was there not more than one wench in the party that ran to that other world?” Jamaal asked, “The naked one and the one with the very white hair”
“I remember those two, Jamaal, but we have no way of knowing if they are on this world or that other world” Quaylong protested, “even if they are they may not be where Sir Timous is being held and they may not know”
“Maybe so” Jamaal replied, “But it is all we have”
+ + +
The Drow High Council chambers
The Mystical Realms
Marshal Dacron stood before the emergency meeting of the Drow High Council. It had been called due to the assassination of Golpin the leader of the Drow High Council.
“We all know how a number of moon cycles ago our world was invaded” Marshal Dacron began, “Trolls from another dimension, who use technology just like the humans do, invaded our world”
“But what has this to do with the murder of Leader Golpin?” a female Drow member of the council asked.
“It is long, convoluted and sordid” Dacron replied, “Let me piece it together for you” he added.
There was a hush in the chamber, so Dacron continued to address the Drow High Council. “It seems” he went on, “That those invaders have been at war with another race of humans. Humans almost our equal in magical ability. Now you may ask what this has to do with Golpins murder, since we have managed to hide from the looting and exploitation of these invaders.”
Dacron paused before continuing, “I have uncovered a treacherous plot by two drow who have decided to betray all of the races on this world by becoming collaborators with this occupying force. These two drow have agreed to fight for the occupiers in their war for their own sordid gain by going up against the enemy of these invaders. Golpin found out about this betrayal and was murdered to try and silence him”
“Why would they do this” one of the other councillors asked.
“Indeed why?” Dacron answered back, “Maybe they just wish to collaborate with these invaders or worse still, maybe they are in league with the elves to make others think we are in league with the occupiers for opportunistic reasons. We all know how treacherous our elven enemies are?”
“But the elf High council was destroyed when these other world trolls first attacked Central City” the same female councillor protested.
“Only the visible Elf high council, not the shadow Elf High council that we suspect makes policy” Dacron countered and then paused. “It matters not why, but the shear fact they have betrayed us and murdered our leader to try and cover this treachery up”
Dacron paused again before continuing, “Before he was murdered Golpin was of the mind to seek out these magic using humans to form an alliance with them. To force these other world trolls off of our worlds, and then to take the war back to them, to show to them, and others you do not invade our world lightly. There was also the other matter of finally showing to the trolls and the assembly of other races, which we are excluded from, that when it comes to getting the job done of defending our world and imposing true order, the drow are the natural race for this honour, not the trolls and definitely not the elves”
“Who are these traitors?” another drow councillor asked.
Dacron shook his head in mock sorrow, “It pains me to say this but the two drow who have betrayed us all are Jaheel, Golpin’s own son, who has been led astray by none other than Major Bolak. The one who had an entire order of loyal drow wiped out, on what we now suspect was false evidence to bolster his own hatred of that order, for reasons best known to him. My greatest regret is I took part in his treacherous genocide on orders given by this council”
“You make a very serious charge” an elderly member of the Drow High council spoke up, “What proof have you got”
“We found at the scene two weapons involved in the assassination”, Dacron replied, “Jaheel’s blade along with Bolak’s dagger. It seems that Major Bolak must have insisted that Jaheel take part in the dispatching of his father along with himself.”
“How do we know that they were not just planted” the elderly drow retorted.
Dacron smiled to himself, the fools on the Drow High council were falling for this completely, “I invite you to do a psychometric reading of the weapons of assassination”
That would nail it. As nobody ever suspected that Dacron was Hadreth, they would be unaware of his ability of planting a false psychometric reading on an object
There was a noise whilst the members of the Drow High council discussed what Dacron had told them, after a while an elderly drow spoke up. “What you say disturbs us greatly if true. Whatever the motive of these renegade drow, an alliance with the invaders enemies would have been a possible way to rid our world of this occupation. We will reconvene here again at Suns up to deal with our response”
“I urge you not to delay” Dacron insisted, “They may be just two drow, but what two drow, one who had worked with humans and knows their weaknesses and the son of our murdered leader who will have intimate knowledge of this council”
“We will deal with this at Suns up” the elderly drrow insisted in a forceful manner.
The chamber then began to empty until it was finally Dacron on his own.
A young female drow servant entered the council chamber, she was completely naked as was custom for bonded drow in servitude to the Drow High Council. The reasoning was that it ensured that they had fewer places to hide weapons of assassination and it also emphasised their low status. A drow had to earn the right to cover the shame of their nakedness or be born to that privilege. It was believed that a certain Halfling clan who the drow had once dealt with had adopted this custom and adapted it to deal with elements of their society who did not conform.
To Dacron, this would be normal with standard drow females, but with this particular drow female, it was an outrage, an emotion he hid very well. This drow female was one of the few left that had escaped the purges of the drow who had a heritage of coming from Hadreth order stock.
“Quitox” Dacron said to the servant drow before she could speak
Quitox immediately kneeled before Dacron in utter submission, “I am here to serve you Marshal Dacron, even to sharing my body for your sexual and other pleasures”
“You can drop the act Quitox” Dacron said bluntly, “I can tell we are alone, and I know of your Hadreth heritage”
Quitox looked up in terror, “Please Marshal Dacron, I will serve you in whatever way I can, I will even bear you your offspring.”
Dacron put his hand out to command her silence, “I do not require you as a concubine”
“Then how shall I serve you Marshal Dacron” Quitox asked, confused by this rebuff, “what do you want with me sire”
Dacron removed a leather glove and placed his hand on Quitox’s head. Within seconds, Quitox knew she was not alone as a member of the Hadreth order.
“What do you wish for me to do to serve our order?” Quitox asked
“You as a Hadreth female have certain abilities I need to deal with a troublesome loose end” Dacron replied.
“Which one?” Quitox asked
“I need you to administer a lethal dark space, so it cannot be traced back to me” Dacron explained in a quiet but firm voice, “I want a certain troll to be found to have died in his sleep. You can do that, I know you can.”
“I have never taken life before Marshal” Quitox said with alarm, “I am not certain I will be able to do what you wish”
Dacron smiled, “It always is hard the first time you kill. Maybe I can arrange for you to kill off a fellow servant, anyone you fancy”
Dacron then walked around the young naked drow female and looked at her back at the whip marks.
Most drow servants had them, it kept them in order
“You could even kill the one who whipped your fair back” Dacron told Quitox
“It would be a pleasure” Quitox replied quietly as she remembered the pain and humiliation of being held down and punished for being the last drow servant to assemble in the hall of servants”
“Spoken like a true Hadreth” Dacron whispered, “Now, we need to avoid suspicion, I require you to come to my quarters. As far as the others are concerned you have found favour in my eyes and I wish to have you for sexual reasons. That way I may be able designate you as a concubine and thereby justify clothing you in a manner befitting a drow of the Hadreth”
“It would be an honour to be your concubine Marshal” Quitox replied, “If need be it would be an honour to bear your offspring, and I would gladly be naked in your presence if it pleased you”.
Dacron shook his head at this offer, “You also have a lot to learn about what it means to be Hadreth” Dacron then stopped and smiled, “But then pleasing others is a good way to disarm them and distract them from your true intent”
+ + +
An undisclosed location
Washington DC
United States of America
Sir Timous sat strapped to a chair in a darkened room. The only light was from above, right down onto him.
He heard a door open from behind and someone walking up behind him.
“Do your worst” Sir Timous shouted defiantly, “I told you already; you will not get a thing out of me”
“Do you think I would stoop to such an inefficient technique such as torture” Major Bolak replied
“I thought that was what a dark space was” Sir Timous answered back.
“Oh no!” Major Bolak replied, “A dark space is definitely not a torture technique, well not in the classical sense”
“Whatever it is, it won’t work” Sir Timous spat back.
“Really” Major Bolak answered back
Suddenly the chair vanished and Sir Timous was thrown forward onto the floor of this darkened room. Then he noticed that it was some kind of plane that seemed to go on forever in any direction he looked.
“We know you plan to initiate a nuclear war on this world by getting certain submarines to perform a first strike in order to elicit a response” Major Bolak said to Sir Timous as he walked around him.
Sir Timous looked up at Major Bolak, “Whatever trickery this is you will never get anything out of me”
“You have never encountered a drow dark space before have you” Major Bolak spoke back to Sir Timous
Sir Timous just looked at him with contempt.
“To over simplify this, I am in your mind” Major Bolak continued, “When we brought you to the US, that needle prick you may have felt on arrival has actually put you in a deep sleep. Your body is sleeping in a secured bed. I am lying in a bed elsewhere in the building. You will not be able to resist.
Sir Timous slowly tried to get to his feet.
“I think not” Major Bolak said and held out his right hand.
Sir Timous found himself forced back down to this eternal plane of darkness while Major Bolak approached him.
He tried to crawl away, but he could barely move. Then he remembered his amulet against magic and looked for it. He found it and held it up to ward off this drow approaching him.
“That won’t work here, it is just a memory of that trinket” Major Bolak sneered, “In fact the real one was removed from your body so I could perform this dark space.
Major Bolak reached Sir Timous and it seemed to Sir Timous that the drow’s arm extended and stretched as the drow’s hand connected with his face.
Sir Timous tried with every bit of mental discipline he could to block this drow, but this was magic he had never come up against. He wondered if even Quaylong could defeat it.
Then images of the invasion of the realm of The Yoo-Kay appeared in mid-air. Sir Timous tried to think of memories from his childhood, and for an instance they too appeared in mid-air.
“It will only be worse if you resist” Major Bolak said with contempt in his voice. This motivated Sir Timous to try even harder.
Then a searing pain went right through him as the drow increased the ferocity of this infernal probe.
Then images appeared of a map of the world of the heretics, specifically of the realm where they had sent the undersea vessels to attack.
Then there was the image of the undersea boat that was to initiate the Mutual Assured Destruction he had promised Lord Samail
Suddenly there was an intense pain that went through Sir Timous, and then it was over.
He was dead.
+
Major Bolak awoke quickly from the sleep he had used to enter the Drow dark space, and sat up on the bed. To say he was angry, was an understatement. He had felt the astral chord of this human break, killing him both in the dark space, and most likely killing his body.
Jaheel entered the room, he had been running, and it was obvious he was checking in on Major Bolak.
“It’s about Sir Timous” Jaheel breathlessly got out.
“He’s dead, I know” Major Bolak uttered with venom, “What did these stupid humans do”
“We didn’t do anything” another voice came from the doorway. It was that of Vice Admiral Walter Quentin, “I wondered if this interrogation technique of yours had got out of hand when this Sir Timous guy spontaneously combusted.”
Major Bolak glowered at the balding man in the suit, “I am a master of the dark space” Major Bolak growled, “I know when to push in there and how to make sure I do not kill my subject. Someone else did this, or maybe someone did not do a good enough job on the outside on keeping his body alive”
“Nothing to do with us” Walter snapped back, “We have the most highly trained and thoroughly vetted medics, even Jaheel here saw what we were doing”
“That is true” Jaheel chimed in, “They did not do anything underhand, and I felt no malice from anyone there”
Major Bolak looked up at Walter, “Unless he had some kind of medical condition you all missed, he was killed by someone else, and someone with the ability to penetrate a drow dark space”
Jaheel thought for a moment, “Could it have been the other magic using humans, we know not of their full capabilities”
“I don’t know” Major Bolak replied, “if they did then we have grossly underestimated their powers”
“Why kill one of their own?” Walter asked
“To stop him from talking” Jaheel suggested
”But” Walter pressed, “If they have the ability why not rescue him”
“Maybe this way is easier” Major Bolak answered
After a pause, Walter asked, “Did you get anything?”
“Only that their target is North Korea” Major Bolak replied, “I was trying to get the name of the submarine when he died”
“Sweet” Walter said with annoyance, “The one regime we have no diplomatic relations with and the one most likely to retaliate”
“It seems” Major Bolak said slowly, “These magic using humans have chosen well”
“Can you find this one vessel with your technology” Jaheel asked.
“I don’t know” Walter replied, “The point of these submarines was that they were built for stealth, I have no idea if we can find them in time”
+ + +
Deep inside a lava tube
Inter Dimensional World 02
Marshal Dacron and Quitox arrived in the cavern from where they had been hiding out briefly on Earth.
“And that my dear” Dacron said to Quitox as he closed the blue vortex “is how you kill in a dark space. I will let you practice first on the one who marked your lovely back”
Quitox looked up at Dacron in awe, he had taken her to another world, and then taken her into the dark space of another drow and managed to kill a subject there without the other drow seeing them. So she was still to all appearances a normal naked female slave drow, he may not have given her the clothes he had promised, but what did that matter he was almost like a father figure to her, someone she wanted to please.
“Master” Quitox asked, “If it will serves the Hadreth I will continue to shun any clothing and remain your drow serving wench, but in order to maintain our cover I wondered”
“If you should have sex with me here?” Dacron interrupted Quitox.
“It would be a good cover for our trip to the world of the technological humans” Quitox suggested, “I would even allow myself to become impregnated with your child”
Dacron shook his head, “You are hero worshipping me” he told Quitox, “That can be a fatal mistake. If I wanted to have sex with you or any other drow serving wench, there are plenty of places at the high council to perform that act and nobody would question it. After all one of your functions is to keep councillors happy, and if that requires sex, willing or not, so be it. I have not yet clothed you because it takes time for the seamstress to make something befitting your new status as my new personal assistant and for the oafs in charge of the slave drows to process the request”
“Thank you sire” Quitox replied, “but if you wish me to”
“Not now” Dacron interrupted, “maybe when we return to my chambers, for appearances sake, as for bearing a child, I need you to perform this lethal dark space before that. A drow pregnancy can play havoc with psychic ability. Dacron then held out a small blue orb and chanted an incantation. Soon a blue swirling vortex appeared in mid-air, and the two drow entered into it and were gone.
+ + +
The Troll City of Power
The Manjura Empire
“And where is the Lord High Troll” the Troll Council leader demanded from Captain Strang as he found him sitting in Padow’s office
“He is overseeing how our Drow allies back on that backward world of trolls ensure that we have new recruits for our war with the humans and their resources”
“That was not the deal” the Troll Council Leader replied angrily, “His place is here, as a figurehead while our drow allies take care of things on that world”
“He feels he needs to oversee the arrangements you made, so has appointed me his regent to look after business back here” Strang said with as little emotion as he could manage, “I am the only one he can trust to run things properly from this end, and that includes reinstating the bioweapon programme.”
“There is no need for that with our drow allies promising to neutralise the human’s magic” the Troll Council leader insisted
“He begs to differ” Strang went on, “and I agree with him, we need to have a backup if things don’t work out with our drow allies”
“You cannot do this” the troll council leader insisted, “The council will not allow it”
“Good luck with that councillor” Strang retorted, “You know I still have allies left on the council” then under his breath so the council leader did not hear, “assuming that miserable excuse for a Lord Low Troll has not had them assassinated”
+ + + +
Residential area of the marine base at Quantico
Virginia, United States of America
Sarah Willows nervously peered through the spyhole in the front door of the place she was billeted in response to the doorbell.
Sarah had been granted asylum by the US government, since the Britain had fallen to the forces of the magic using humans, but it felt like she was not trusted by them. She was certain that the armed guards she had spotted patrolling near the apartment they had given her were there to make sure they kept tabs on her. Maybe it was because she had worked for the Entity Affairs Directorate, which had ended up taking over where the former Inter Dimensional Entity Control organisation had left off after it had been shut down by congress.
It was Doctor Charlene Henshaw, the other Brit that the US had offered asylum to
Slowly Sarah hid behind the door as she opened it a small amount
“Hi?, may I come in?” Charlene asked
“Ok” Sarah nervously replied and opened the door fully with herself still behind it so Charlene could come in.
Charlene walked into the apartment and into the lounge area. It was only when Charlene was in the apartment and Sarah had closed the door and come into the lounge, that she saw that Sarah was completely naked, she also saw that Sarah looked quite pale.
“Where are your clothes?” Charlene asked, “This isn’t the EAD”
“I thought it would be less trouble if I stripped off like I had to at the EAD” Sarah replied, again with a nervousness in her voice, “How can I help you Doctor Henshaw?” Sarah asked, again in a manner that Charlene could only perceive as one of terror.
Charlene was confused, to say something obviously did not seem right with Sarah would be an understatement “I dropped by because I thought we could go meet some of my old colleagues from the old days” she said in a questioning manner
“But I thought we were not supposed to leave the base” Sarah replied with fear in her voice.
“Who told you that?” Charlene asked.
“It was some guy in a dark suit when I first got here” Sarah answered, “He told me I was to remain here, he was very nasty about it” at that point emotion got the better of her and her voice cracked as she told Charlene, “he made me feel like dirt” At this point Sarah broke down.
Charlene came up and hugged Sarah. “Tell me the truth, did he tell you to strip off and go naked” Charlene demanded to know.
Sarah shook her head, “No Doctor Henshaw, but the way he spoke to me, I just thought if they didn’t trust me than maybe I ought to go naked so they could see I wasn’t an HIDE47”
“Well nobody has told me not to go anywhere” Charlene remarked, “Or take my clothes off”.
“Well that’s maybe because some see you as a hero” Sarah protested, “You fought the Magnus Timor, you helped defeat Brameana that troll’s daughter. I have soldiers regularly going past this place and checking up on me, it’s like being a prison, I have no idea what I will do to get groceries, I haven’t eaten since yesterday as there was no food in this apartment”
Charlene released Sarah and stepped back, “Sarah put some clothes on” Charlene insisted.
“Please, I daren’t, I don’t want to get into any more trouble” Sarah pleaded, “Anyway I’m used to going naked in front of others because I could never wear those paper smocks we had at the EAD”
“Maybe you going naked is why those soldiers patrol pass this apartment” Charlene went on
“Honestly Doctor Henshaw” Sarah said nervously, “I don’t mind if they see me naked, I will even let them take pictures of me naked, or even..”
Sarah could not finish that sentence, but Charlene could tell that Sarah was so terrified she would even offer to sleep with these yanks if they asked
“I just want them to see I’m not threat” Sarah squeaked out
“Well I do mind Sarah” Charlene countered, “I’m not having you starve yourself and being intimidated into giving these people a peep show, or giving them sexual favours just because of some guy in a suit. Now put some clothes on, we are going out to a rather good restaurant I know to feed you up. But first of all I’m taking you to the base commander to get this sorted out, then we are going to stock this place up”
“Maybe I should see him before I put anything on?” Sarah suggested, “So he can see I’m not a”
“NO!” Charlene interrupted, “You are not stepping outside this apartment without any clothes on”
“Maybe I could just wear a coat with nothing on underneath, so if they question me, I could” Sarah began, but Charlene cut her off.
“That would imply I would have to do the same, and I am not doing it and neither are you” Charlene told Sarah firmly, “Get dressed!”
BANG
A sudden explosion ripped through the lounge and both women were thrown to the floor
As Charlene lay dazed on the floor something seemed familiar about what was happening, and then she saw it, a strange red vortex opening up in the room.
Suddenly two men in leather and wearing cloaks emerged from the vortex. One was carrying a crossbow the other a staff. Both the two men approached a cowering Sarah on the floor.
“Naked just like a serving wench should be” one of the men said as he pointed his cross bow at Sarah.
“Well this serving wench” the other figure said to the first, “if you are right will be our key to rescuing Sir Timous”
Charlene saw Sarah looking up at the two invaders in terror. Sarah then glanced back to Charlene.
“So there is another one here” the first man said as he looked at where Sarah was looking, “And guess who it is”
The second man turned around and looked at Charlene, “I see, she could prove most useful to our liege as well”
To Be continued