A visit to see old friends

~she nodded and adjusted artimus on her shoulder and followed louis back to the house. Once inside the house she used her foot to drag out a chair and set art on the chair. she grabbed some rope and tied him to it.~

~she remember the stories about art so she made sure she did a through job of checking for weapons she was quite enjoying running her hands all over him checking for weapons she pulled his boots off cause she knew he would probably have daggers or other things in them. Took off his belt with his sword on it. she gathered up the weapons a boots and placed them in a chest on the other side of the room. She stood up and walked over to and slapped his face.~

"Wake up sunshine."

Artimus shook his head as he started to come too, blinking against the light. His head still hurt from earlier, and he could feel a new lump on the back of his head. He groaned slightly as he woke, realizing his hands were tied. Another day in Salarain, another bondage experience. He turned to look at his captor just as she slapped him again, and he felt his head shoot around to the side.

Ow! I'm awake, I'm awake.

He looked around, trying to take in his surroundings. It looked like an ordinary room you would expect to see in any house. Nothing fancy or ornate, but nothing too cheap. It looked familiar to him however, but he couldn't put his finger on it right now.

Then he looked at his captor. The dirty blonde hair, the disguised leather outfit... yes, it was the girl he'd bumped into earlier, who was obviously the same person who needed his help. Great going Artimus, you walked into a trap.

Bit extreme reaction to me bumping into you in the street, isn't it? I said sorry, didn't I?

His next concern was for Jade. Was she alright? Was she here? He couldn't see her, but she may be in another room. Maybe she had been left behind on the street and was looking for him right now.

He guessed this woman was a friend of the Healer and her brother, looking to finish what they started.

~They reached the house and he took his capture upstairs to the bedroom. He dropped her onto the bed and grabbed a small chair, then sat her in it. He grabbed his pair of manacles and threaded the chain through the back of the chair, then manacled her hands together. Then he took a few scarves and tied her ankles to the legs of the chair.~

~He double checked her for any weapons, finding a dagger hidden in her boot, and another near her side. She had quite a good body for a girl of her age.~

~Finally he blindfolded her, then sat on the bed waiting for her to regain conciousness~

~she smirked at him~

"Oh you have no idea what we have been thru."

~stood in front of him as she pulled off her disguise and wiped off her face. and straighten her hair out and pulled it back in a ponytail~


"So still running around with young girls. and I bet she has green eyes too." ~she watched him closely~

~after all this time he was here in front of her after all her and louis had been thru. She was going to enjoy this.~

~she started to come to she shook her head and she wiggled her hands manacles... thank you dad for the lessons on those...she tilted her head alittle to see if she could peek under the blindfold. damn no...she tried to wiggle her feet damn tied down...but not with manacles. she wiggled in the chair after testing things she sat still and listened. There was someone here.

" Who is there? and what do you want?"

No idea what they've been through? What was she going on about? He was sure he was frowning and tried to straighten his face.

Ok, so you've got me. He gave a small pull on his wrists. Felt like rope. That was good. His boots had been taken again - what was Salarain's obsession with his boots these days?

And talking of young girls.... How is she? Have you cut her into little pieces yet?

Green eyes? Did everyone know about this? Was ti some secret joke that everyone on Aegis seemed to know?

And suppose you want me to talk?

Maybe if he kept talking he could bore her into submission...

~He remained sitting on the bed, watching her struggle, testing her bonds and trying to see out of her blindfold.~

"Yes, someone is here. Now, are you with that man by choice?"

~she tilts her head~

"Yes I am. we were going to visit some old friends of his." ~she was trying to figure out how far away he was.~


"What have you done with him?"

~she chuckled it was more of a darker chuckle with alot of pain behind it.~

"Yes Louis told me about your obession with young girls and green eyes and no she is fine so far course no telling what Louis is up to in there."

~she got close to him and looked him in the eye.~

"Yes I would prefer you to talk. I will get you to one way or another." ~she knew he had been thru all the guard training louis had fill her in on all things dealing with this man.~

Jade Blake wrote:

"Yes I am. we were going to visit some old friends of his."
"What have you done with him?"

"Friends? In this city? I don't think he has any left, not after what he did. I'm surprised he came back at all."

~he paused for a moment~

"And the question you should be asking isn't what have we done to him, it's what ARE we going to do..."

~His gravelly voice lowered in tone~

"I intend to have my revenge on him. He has torn my family apart, and I want to tear HIM apart!"

Artimus wasn't exactly panicking, but he was realizing once again he was helpless, for the moment. He still had no idea who this woman was, although she was ringing a bell. The room as well was familiar, but he couldn't quite place it.

So, what do you want to talk about?

He risked a mind link to Jade.

"Jade, where are you? Are you safe?" He could feel her somewhere nearby.

I could tell you about this little unicorn I saw once. It was very cute.

~she ml back~ "Am in some room with a guy i can't see anything cause am blindfolded and chained to a chair. what the hell did you do to this guy.. he basically just said that you torn his family apart and he is looking for some revenge. which doesn't sound good to me."



"What are you going to do? " ~she made it sound like she wasn't scared at all she could do this her mind was going thru all the different things she could do.~


"And am glad he came back!" ~she tried sink in her chair alittle just enough to get to her hair..she had a pin she could use if she could just get ahold of it.~

~she punches him in the nose.~

"So former Captain Morningstar. Why the hell did you come back here..after you left. You know what kind of damage you did!"

~she got close to him looking at him you could see the battle scars around her face and arms. Her piercing blue eyes watch him to see if he would remember.~

~Although the girl wouldn't be able to see, he frowned as Artimus sent the mindlink. Artimus had spent so long getting the guards to practise linking that it was very easy for him to "hear" what was being said. Of course he couldn't hear the reply, but half a conversation should be enough. He reached over and patted her leg.~

"Don't worry Jade. He'll still be in one piece. Mostly."

~he got up and walked to the door, opened it and walked down the stairs. He stayed out of view of the other room, to avoid Artimus seeing him.~

"The girls name is Jade, and she seems to care about him. He also seems to care about her."

~he called through to Erika, not wanting to rish a mindlink himself in case the same happened.~

Artimus wanted to rub his nose, he could feel blood starting to trickle out of it already. He was just thinking up a clever retort as he heard someone moving around upstairs. The person came down the stairs and spoke.

He knew that voice! It sounded like a slightly calm Tiberious, or a slightly angry Mac. Dammit, was this they're idea of a joke?

Then the room fell into place. This was Mac and Jesse's house! He'd been here before not long after they moved in.

Then he placed the woman. He couldn't remember her name, but her and Tiberious had smashed the throne room up one night, and the last he heard she had run off to Salarain to be with Louis.

Louis! Could that be Louis?
His last conversation with Louis hadn't gone well at all. In fact, Artimus had suspended him from duty. Was he still holding a grudge after all these years? And how had his firing ripped their family apart? Louis never was any good at playing jokes on people. Maybe this wasn't a joke after all. This was serious.

He started to run his options through his mind. It seemed Louis could read his mindlinks. That would be a distinct disadvantage, but rule 37 of the Morningstar Survival guide said "Turn every disadvantage into an advantage".
He still had a way out of the ropes, although he was loathed to use it again after what happened last time. He also had one more advantage up his sleeve. Well, not his sleeve as such. He didn't need to glance down to know it was there. It was always with him.

He risked another mind link, hoping Jade understood.

"Listen to me Mary Jade Caladore. I will get you out of this mess. I have to, otherwise your father will be mad with fury, and you know how upset he can get. Now, just stay there, don't do anything stupid and leave it all to me."

And then he started to laugh.

You know, I usually pay good money for a leather-clad woman to tie me to a chair. How much should I leave you?

~she nods and winks to louis~

~stood in front of him and glared at him and punching him in the head with a left hook.~

"So her name is Jade. Your new alittle girlfriend? "

~she was left alone that is all she needed. she got the pin and got to work on the manacles greatful for the lesson. she got she had popped the lock. she quickly moved to her feet and untied them~

~then she got the ml she raised an eyebrow. It was too late she was already doing stupid. She popped off the blindfolded. and got off the chair and looked for something she could use to him she just grabbed the chair and stood behind the door. waiting. ~

He rocked in the chair as the impact of the punch knocked him. Tis was getting beyond a joke. He had to get them out of this.

You know me, I like them young. And with mage powers. You know, you made two fatal mistakes tonight. You left my special amulet on. With that amulet I can gather large amounts of magic and channel it through the girl. I suspect she has already taken Louis out of the game. Yeah, it is Louis isn't it. It's not his house - does his brother know he's got it? You know the other mistake you made? You didn't check to see if anyone was watching our backs. Right now my wife is poised, ready to strike outside. You remember my wife, don't you? Indis Blake?

He gave his cocky smile to her.

~He intercepted the second mind link, his face falling. The girl was Rensains daughter? Never mind, he went back up the stairs, ready to gloat.~

~he opened the door and walked in~

~she looked at him and looked at the amulet. trying to tell if he was lying or not.~

"I remember her. And I know she died at that golden library place its was all over about that."

~she gets real close to him~

"So you put it all together did you? You know when you left you distroyed his family. And for that you have to pay. You and her and everyone that is special to you."

~she waited until he came in and swung the chair at him full force~

~As he entered the room he instantly saw something was wrong - the chair and the girl were missing. A fraction of a second later, the chair came crashing down on him, knocking him to the floor. He sprawled down onto the floor, glancing over to see her boots~

Damn her, he thought. He listened to her confirming that it was Louis, and cursing that she wasn't doing what he wanted her to.

How in the nine hells did my leaving affect his family? And as for having anyone special - you'll never find them, because they don't exist.

He heard a crash from upstairs, and hoped Jade was alright. He didn't dare risk another mind link. He looked the woman in the eyes, blue eyes staring hard into her blue eyes.

You here that? That's the sound of Louis being taken down. I used to hear that sound a lot when I was training him.

He wiggled slightly in his chair, wondering if he could get the amulet to turn around.

(^--louis)


~she kicks her right leg towards his head to see if she can make contact.~

~He puts his hands up to protect his head, and she kicks his hands. He makes a grab for her boots as they make contact~