Chapter 9

Merryn has her daggers back. (chap 9) They have a tracking spell on them. ooh now readers know why she got them back so easily. Solves the problem of Maxwell always knowing where she is too.

One form of weakness is to injure the character – the movie The Usual Suspects famously uses a fake limp to make a character seem less dangerous than they actually are – but it may actually be more effective to hurt the villain right in front of the reader. Hum.

Merryn, Parcival, Han, and even Maxwell haven't had sleep in DAYS. They all need to get to an inn and collapse.

The sun warmed grass tickled her feet. - deep pov as far as you want to do it (easily. The deeper style look it up and save for very important spots.) Remember you shouldn't to use deep pov all the time, would be nice if writers of the damn articles had said so in the first place. Finish this book then start the outline for two more, mark the notes and build them both up quickly. Search for simple and quick plots keep the book at around 90k words and rap up the journey. A few nice novelettes

Merryn followed as he went to another room further into the mansion. Thankfully he let go, for a second there it looked like he wouldn't. Han was right Maxwell was twisted, it was hard to know just what he'd do next. She rubbed her sore arm and sat in a chair near a fireplace. Pew, what is that? She wrinkled her nose. "There's a strong odor."

"Nice try. Shut up and listen," he said. "I'm being kinder than you know. The others, how much do you trust them?" He went to several candles upon the fireplace and lit them then sat on the ordinate chair. He eyed her for a bit, then he looked away and back again.

"Far more than you." She rapidly blinked while inhaling. So, strange and at odds with how he was, as to exactly what it was it was hard to know.

He grunted. An emotion flickered past, the usual demented aura smoothed, then the wall went up again. A wolfish point brought up the corners of his eyes.

"What's with you?" Shifting in the chair she crossed her legs. A trick it must be, he's trying to get the upper hand! That's why he's acting so well, sane.

She frowned. "I'm to sit and listen to some blather about why you did all this?"

"Everything you've been told is a lie." He pushed his palm near her face.

She nodded. Can't do anything else now, anyway. She shook her head. "You just said you wanted me to die, why bother telling me all this?"

"You and your people have been lied to. Unnamed is not what you think he is. He wasn't always like he is now."

"That's a bunch of—"

His eyes narrowed. "Silence. Quit interrupting. My temper may have gotten the better of me."

Her brows crinkled, and she pinched the bridge of her nose. "Fine." Blinking, she had to concentrate on what he was saying. Her eyelids kept trying to slam shut. Not now, wake up! Inclining her head now and then seemed to help.

Before he could reply there was shouting from below, and screams. "The fates seem intent on interrupting me today." He rubbed his forehead.

She jerked her head in the direction of the screams. Come on think! Ugg. There it is again. She drew in short breaths. Something started bashing down below the empty chairs near wobbled. She gasped.

On getting up, he pushed her back down. He called the gods a few long names and a few shorter ones for good measure. His face red and flushed and stance like he wanted to kick something. "Stay here for a moment. Always interruptions." He left the room, slamming the door as he went down the stairwell behind her.

Her ears burned the curses like a spell of power.

Maxwell shouted below: "—down here now. Hurry it up.

"Oh, lovely." Getting up was a chore she stumbled into the chair before regaining her footing. Stay here he says. She snorted. Through it all the god hardly woke. Suppressing it wasn't easy and was taking a toll, the lack of sleep didn't help. She followed him with less than quiet steps then stomped down the blasted steps two at a time.

The walls rough with exposed brick dotted with pegs and chains that dangled from them. Part of the stairwell shook and fissures crumbling under her feet, she hopped to the side hanging on the banister. What kind of lousy craftsman made this? She blew out her cheeks. A cloud of dust blasted from below filled with grit coating her face, she blinked it away.

Flickers of light shone through, exposing a nasty shadow of a large creature or object. More of the dust settled and showed it was busy in a corner snapping at something. On the left a broken doorway, light crammed through the large cracks.

Han was near the creature pressed against the wall.

Stopping a minute later on the landing a grotesque dusk-rat parted through the dust, standing on its hind legs. And gods, its skin was the worst all hairless and wrinkly like rotted meat it was an effort not to become ill. A vat further back had cracked and spilled out, the puddle hadn't reached out more than a few feet.

The dust settled after a moment. The rat's tail was wrapped around Maxwell's midsection and lifted him near its face.

"Stupid lump!" His staff zipped down from upstairs and hovered near him. He whispered an incantation and it glowed a faint blue, as the water swirled around the claw. Bursts of water rammed the creature's muzzle. It screamed in pain as it's eyes swelled and reddened but didn't drop him.

Claws clicked on the stone tiles coming closer and sniffing while it elongated its neck toward him, a strand of putrid saliva dribbled from its maw on his cheek. No difference in this rat, none. Except with its slimy fangs and stop thinking about it! She forced her feet to move, stepping slowly toward it. Glancing on the side, Han gestured to further back where Parcival was.

Now! She ran from side to side and bent down sliding under the rat's tail to Han and drew in several breaths.

He glowered something awful almost to the point of exaggeration. "There's a sizable reason we stayed."

After a moment she smiled a little. He had to be teasing. He never teased.

Parcival was plastered against the wall behind the rat near the cages.

Maxwell screamed as the rat bit into his solder, blood sprayed out into a fine mist. His hands shook as he reached into his robe tossing a shining blade her way.

Catching it she ran over and sliced at the beast's leg, then sank the dagger in deep. "I'm not helping you I'm just getting my dagger back."

Maxwell's eyebrows disappeared into his hairline. "You'll never find out more if you don't do something." His staff dulled then clattered to the floor and he passed out his limp body still trapped by the tail, the blood dripped faster now. This wasn't funny, not one bit. Should just let him die. She ground her teeth and pushed the dagger in further twisting it.

The rat screeched, dropped Max, and snapped in her face.

Jumping back she sliced the air near it and it backed away.

Han all this time had crept back behind the rat near the ceiling. Pulling himself paw over paw on the wooden pegs that hung unused lamps and chains. He strained to reach for a long one near the ceiling. He jumped pulling it off.

"Catch!"

She held a hand out. "Toss it."

He heaved it over.

She missed it and it clattered in a pile near the rat. The rat swiped at it with its paw and slid it under its body.

Crud.

It sat on its haunches as if it was waiting.

As she ran then slid under the rat. Han hoped down running over to Parcival. She stuck out her arm, pulling Maxwell out of the way dragged his ungodly body closer to the stairway. The rat squeaked an all too human sound of surprise, spun around, and whipped its tail in her face.

Han scooted over and Parcival walked behind him with carefully measured steps. He didn't seem as bad off as before.

"What next?"

The rat crept back over whipping its tail about, spraying dirt where it struck.

Maxwell groaned then sat upright, his staff hummed glowing again as it floated to his side. He shouted out a quick spell in the old tongue. The words became visible surrounded by a flaming rune, this zeroed in on the rat settled on its face, and set it aflame. Its screams were horrible. It thrashed about slamming into pillars causing chunks of the wall to fall. It wheezed and fell near the exit; still.

All the adrenaline left, it was hard to stand. She tilted her head back and closed her eyes. Please, not now body, not yet. Sliding along the wall she sat near and propped her head back and eyed him.

He squeezed his eyes shut, his arm limp at his side, blood dripping on the floor. "We'll finish our chat later." At the top of steps his staff floated down and it continued where it stopped at his side. Taking it he pulled up, and stood.

Then vanished.