by The Duelist » Wed May 21, 2003 7:52 pm
(Sorry...Real Life hit me pretty hard...)
A strange tune floated through the air as Rick walked toward his inn. Well, that was unsurprising. It sounded like any other stringed instrument, and inns had yet to completely settle down.
It was a light tune. It seemed as though it flirted with existence itself as it lightly skipped back in forth down the ranges of sound a stringed instrument could make. For a moment, Rick couldn't help but stand there, taking in this strange melody. He sighed, life just didn't seem that bad when he listened to this stuff.
Suddenly, it felt as though it were getting closer to him, as though with each note were a step, and each step was flying inexhorably faster toward him.
Instantly he was on guard. His saber flew from its scabbard, and his body assumed a fighting pose. The sound came to a point where it felt as though it was standing directly in front of him...and then...it slowed...and stopped.
For a moment, Rick stood there, confusion written on his features...then, a smile broke over his face. He closed his eyes as he replaced the sword in its proper place. There was only one man who could play music like that, and that man was also the only one who would play a joke like this. After a moment, his eyes opened, and there standing before him was the figure of the prankster.
His clothes were a source of confusion to those who came across him. Clad completely in a shade of light green, he had a strange sort of cape draped over his left shoulder. It covered the left side of his body down to his knees, easily covering the majority of the mandolin he held in his brown gloved left hand, which quietly strummed the strings. It seemed to be held in place by a piece of thread which was attached at a point on his right shoulder, coming around the front of his body, connecting to the cape with a silver, spherical device. Along the cape at various points were silver lines, all moving vertically along it. On his head, he wore a matching green, wide brimmed traveler's hat, with a single, white feather sticking out of it. A smile was written all over his seemingly normal, healthy looking face. His eyes were closed, as though he was caught up in his own private game.
If a fool had passed the two, he would have seen some damn performer confronting a swordsman. But had a wise man passed, he would have looked upon the stranger, and have seen many things. He would have heard the music, and the man's voice as he spoke.
"So, still trying to save the world?"
Then this imaginary man would have seen something which could only mean one thing. He was looking at a miracle, a phenomena which had sprung forth for all to see once in their lifetime...that they might never see again.
It opened its eyes, eyes whose irises were ringed with silver, and smiled.
Rick nodded, "Yes, but only while off duty."
The two began walking back toward the inn.
Rick asked, "You kind of caught me while I was in the middle of something. What's the deal?"
Max's nonchalant reply took him off guard, "Well, while you were busy making nice with a trio of demons..."
Rick interrupted him, "How did you, and what do you, know about that."
Max shrugged, "Do you want the convenient lie, or the sordid truth?"
Rick's face broke out into the grin that Stephan had once called "Custom built."
"What the hell, give me both."
Max nodded, "Well, the Convenient lie is that I read it off your mind...but you know I can't do that."
Rick grunted in acknowledgement. He knew that Max was probably the only part-human in the world with Muse-blood in him, but even that gave him only so much power. Max did have something though, something that was far more powerful than the ability to pick up stray thoughts. Max could read the heart and soul of any creature alive. What they dreamed, what they really believed in, where their inspiration focused...it sometimes made Rick wonder why the man hung around with HIS people.
Max continued, "The truth is that I was listening to your conversation as it happened."
Rick shook his head, "Bullsh-t. Max, I don't doubt your ability to vanish, but if I was going to create a mercenary business on an island like this, I'd have at least a dozen different traps set up for an intruder, not to mention that the Mage would have probably sensed your aura."
Max agreed, "Yes, she would have spotted me, if nothing else did. Actually I borrowed a...telescope I think its called...yes, a telescope...well, I borrowed one from your knight, Marcus I believed. I only need to see them to know them, I simply read the conversation of you as you heard it. Probably the only real mind trick I know."
Rick sighed. Was nothing secret? "And how exactly did you find them?"
Max nodded, "Well, when I went to find you, the first place I checked was the nearest bar. When I couldn't find you, I immediately knew what had happened."
Rick rolled his eyes, "Please inform me of your *new* psychic talents."
Max shrugged, "Nothing like that, although I could have asked for help from a muse that was a few realms higher at the time. No, it was a bit more mundane. I immediately knew that you had gotten another quest to deal with, because you always seem to meet your partners in bar fights."
Rick's voice seemed slightly sheepish, "Not *always*."
Max stopped to think for a moment, "No...sorry, actually I *am* wrong. There've been a couple times where you've met a suitably pretty damsel in distress as you were *leaving* the bar."
Rick immediately snapped back, "Get to the point."
Max grinned, "Very well, Oh Highest and Mightiest among the high and mighty. Demonic beasts are easy to track, and I found your little war-party. Three demons, an envoy who is decidedly *much* more than an envoy, and a maidservant who is *definetely* not a maidservant...but wait, you knew that already."
Rick's reply sounded rather surly, "And of course, you won't tell me what exactly they are, because you want me to find out on my own."
Max said, "Bingo. Glad you have me figured out at this point. I'm guessing that I get the lovely job of helping your boys run interference while you get to be Rick the Mighty: Master of Disaster?"
Rick massaged his eyelids...he didn't know what was worse, the fact that he put up with this, or the fact that Max was right.
"I won't ask how you learned THAT. Frankly, I don't think I want to know. But yes, you are. And I *know* what will happen if they find out that I've agreed to help demons, so you aren't going to breathe a word about *that*. They’re just a couple of *normal* people who need our help. Got it?"
Max replied with a series of mocking salutes, "Yes sir. Right away sir. Three bags full sir."
Rick, ignoring the last sentence, moved on.
"Now, WHAT was it that needed my immediate attention?"
Max nodded, the tempo of his song speeding up, "Right then. Andre summoned a pissed off serpent."
Rick's head slowly turned in the direction of Max, "...What?"
Max continued on, as though he had simply remarked upon the weather, "They've barracaded it in the basement of the inn, but they aren't quite sure how long they can hold it down there..."
Rick was already running.
Max yelled back to him as he disappeared off into the distance, "You gotta lighten up! You got a big day tomorrow, and...aww screw it."
Max couldn’t help but grin. They were fine. If they weren’t, he probably would have had to run into that place where Rick had been and physically pull him out. Now, all that was left for him to do, was get some sleep, and prepare to make a serious pain in the ass out of himself when the time came to deal with the enemy.
As for Rick? Well, Max knew that after dealing with THIS incident, he would probably spend most of his time of the skiff asleep. Oh well. He’d manage. He always did.