a little bit of story
Sep. 5th, 2007 07:17 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
maderrfrom part III of The Sage. Just a bit of it, for the hell of it.
Part III: Ling
"Somebody get that cat out of here! Whose is it?"
"Probably belongs to a guest." Crossing the lobby, the hotel clerk bent to scoop up the cat standing just outside the police tape, peering at the bloodstains not yet removed from the dining room on the other side.
The cat dodged, turning and sprinting out the front doors and vanishing into the parking lot, slowing down as he reached a sleek black sports car. The passenger door opened and the cat leapt neatly inside. It purred as long fingers reached out to pet and stroke, sliding through his fur with familiar ease.
"So what did you learn, pretty little kitty mine?"
Ling batted playfully at his hand, then shifted back, stretching out with a long groan. Fingers slid across the bit of his stomach bared as the stretching pulled up his t-shirt. "Stop that," he said absently.
"No," Astor said with a grin, but he left off and slid his sunglasses on, then started his car and drove from the parking lot.
"They were definitely sorcerers," Ling said. "Benevolent. There wasn't a scrap of malice or dark magic in their room. Not so much as a hint of a dirty thought, let alone a dark one." He fumbled in his pocket and pulled out a leather thong. On it was a small jade pendant marked with magic symbols only they could see.
Astor hissed in dismay. "They were acolytes…and so close to finding the Sage they sought. Damn it."
Ling nodded in agreement. "Found it behind the nightstand. I think I was supposed to find it. Someone is toying with us."
"So it would seem. We should see if Shannon can get anything off the pendant."
"Yeah," Ling said, pulling his phone out. It rang once. "Shannon, got something for you from those murders. Hoping you can get something off it." He nodded as Shannon explained what to do. "Yes."
Disconnecting, he immediately took a picture of the pendant and sent it to Shannon. A minute later he accepted a text, shaking his head as Shannon's spells went to work. "He makes it look so simple."
Astor grinned. "I'm definitely glad Dragon is one of us."
Ling's phone rang before he could reply, though he agreed completely. "Get anything?" He made a face, nodding. "All right. Thank you, Shannon." He snapped his phone shut. "Nothing terribly useful, unfortunately. Whichever one of them wore the pendant, he's had it all his life. Protective spells, which we could already sense, but not enough to stop whoever killed them. It also didn't pick up any trace of whoever did this."
"Definitely left as a taunt then," Astor said grimly. "The bastard left just enough to clue us in, but not enough to tell us anything important. Doesn't bode well, given the Alchemist and the Monk have both made their opening moves."
"Yes," Ling said quietly. "Given the nature of the murders, and the way in which we are being played with…this is the Huntsman."
Fingers slid across his cheek, and Ling turned in to the gentle touch. "Look on the bright side," Astor said. "He attacked outside the city, which means he can't get into it."
"Yet," Ling said grimly, missing Astor's touch as he pulled away to shift gears. "I hope it stays that way."
"The only weak spot is the train station," Astor said, "and Dylan says they've nearly got that fixed, and will move more quickly now that these murders have appeared. The Sage is still safe, and that's the only thing that matters."
Ling nodded. "I know. Let's go get some food."
Astor nodded. "What do you want to eat?" He leered.
"Pervert," Ling replied, smiling. "Italian. My mother hates when I eat Italian, and I'm still mad at her for making me work all last night because she couldn't take it out on big brother."
"Poor Chang," Astor said with a laugh.
Ling rolled his eyes. "Given the way he's always harassing me about you, when he's now acting the exact same way over the Sage, I hope mother flays him alive."
Part III: Ling
"Somebody get that cat out of here! Whose is it?"
"Probably belongs to a guest." Crossing the lobby, the hotel clerk bent to scoop up the cat standing just outside the police tape, peering at the bloodstains not yet removed from the dining room on the other side.
The cat dodged, turning and sprinting out the front doors and vanishing into the parking lot, slowing down as he reached a sleek black sports car. The passenger door opened and the cat leapt neatly inside. It purred as long fingers reached out to pet and stroke, sliding through his fur with familiar ease.
"So what did you learn, pretty little kitty mine?"
Ling batted playfully at his hand, then shifted back, stretching out with a long groan. Fingers slid across the bit of his stomach bared as the stretching pulled up his t-shirt. "Stop that," he said absently.
"No," Astor said with a grin, but he left off and slid his sunglasses on, then started his car and drove from the parking lot.
"They were definitely sorcerers," Ling said. "Benevolent. There wasn't a scrap of malice or dark magic in their room. Not so much as a hint of a dirty thought, let alone a dark one." He fumbled in his pocket and pulled out a leather thong. On it was a small jade pendant marked with magic symbols only they could see.
Astor hissed in dismay. "They were acolytes…and so close to finding the Sage they sought. Damn it."
Ling nodded in agreement. "Found it behind the nightstand. I think I was supposed to find it. Someone is toying with us."
"So it would seem. We should see if Shannon can get anything off the pendant."
"Yeah," Ling said, pulling his phone out. It rang once. "Shannon, got something for you from those murders. Hoping you can get something off it." He nodded as Shannon explained what to do. "Yes."
Disconnecting, he immediately took a picture of the pendant and sent it to Shannon. A minute later he accepted a text, shaking his head as Shannon's spells went to work. "He makes it look so simple."
Astor grinned. "I'm definitely glad Dragon is one of us."
Ling's phone rang before he could reply, though he agreed completely. "Get anything?" He made a face, nodding. "All right. Thank you, Shannon." He snapped his phone shut. "Nothing terribly useful, unfortunately. Whichever one of them wore the pendant, he's had it all his life. Protective spells, which we could already sense, but not enough to stop whoever killed them. It also didn't pick up any trace of whoever did this."
"Definitely left as a taunt then," Astor said grimly. "The bastard left just enough to clue us in, but not enough to tell us anything important. Doesn't bode well, given the Alchemist and the Monk have both made their opening moves."
"Yes," Ling said quietly. "Given the nature of the murders, and the way in which we are being played with…this is the Huntsman."
Fingers slid across his cheek, and Ling turned in to the gentle touch. "Look on the bright side," Astor said. "He attacked outside the city, which means he can't get into it."
"Yet," Ling said grimly, missing Astor's touch as he pulled away to shift gears. "I hope it stays that way."
"The only weak spot is the train station," Astor said, "and Dylan says they've nearly got that fixed, and will move more quickly now that these murders have appeared. The Sage is still safe, and that's the only thing that matters."
Ling nodded. "I know. Let's go get some food."
Astor nodded. "What do you want to eat?" He leered.
"Pervert," Ling replied, smiling. "Italian. My mother hates when I eat Italian, and I'm still mad at her for making me work all last night because she couldn't take it out on big brother."
"Poor Chang," Astor said with a laugh.
Ling rolled his eyes. "Given the way he's always harassing me about you, when he's now acting the exact same way over the Sage, I hope mother flays him alive."
