The Darkness of Seduction

[BrokenDreamer]

seduction
n 1:enticing someone astray from right behavior 2: an act of winning the love of someone [syn: conquest]

The people were starving -slowly but most surely. The meat crawled with maggots, the flour filled with weevils. The crops were devoured before fragile blossoms could be born, those delicate things that were the gateway to nourishment. Those infants of foliage, birthed of the green, those that would survive the initial onslaught were only later met with a horrible fate. In the end, there was little that Myrken could spare from this tiny but large invasion to place upon their own tables.

Children cried of hungry bellies and mothers fussed over what they could not fix. At night when they thought that all within the house were asleep, when none would witness, fathers sobbed into pillows.

Woo them.

They came. These servants of the dark ones, humans who some would say have made pact with the very devil himself. They came with food. Supplies from outside of Myrken that would begin to trickle in. A caravan from here, another from there. In peace, without any show of arms and no threat. They came from this wealthy family and that, papers to prove it. Official and all quite true!

With good intentions would they journey to the far homes of farmers, slink to those within the very confines of the town, to those that suffered the most. The peasantry, the very backbone of Myrken. It was not until they darkened door steps that they whispered. They mean you well, they would croon. They wish to aid. See the bounty they supply? Untouched, untainted. No more worries. No more aching bellies. They wish only to help.

Win them.

Welcome was what the sign upon the door of the Rememdium Edificium. The building was filled between it's walls with the sick, the suffering. Certainly the had the means to heal but at what achingly slow pace?

Gifts were brought. Crates filled with relief, an elixir that would end the pains of the Bloody Flux. It would -preserve- life. See how well it works? One of their own so willingly infected by this same insect spread disease days before, one who began to show the symptoms as he sweated blood. He would drink and they would witness.

The healers would accept, or would not. Depending upon their reaction, whispers again of how the dark ones only desired to help as crates were passed within. If turned down? They would return to the homes of the farmers, seek out those that suffer for themselves. Venom poured. See how they do not care? They turn away deliverance given freely to those with little means. We care. We bring them to you directly.

Gossip is like wild fire. It takes but the right conditions for it to burn brightly, for the heat of the flames to be fanned into a great expanse.

Make them desire us. We are their salvation. I shall be their goddess.

[Biske]

The council last night had been in -deadly- earnest - in the General's mind, at least. He had a habit of filtering out the sarcasm and witty rejoinders, when they had contributed nothing.

Listen not to the Drow, he had counselled in all seriousness. But like the flames of a wildfire, the rumors spread - the General making his rounds the very next day rushed upon with open tears of joy, children who had been listless fairly bulging to where they could not move, what little stock was left replaced with -better- animals, munching contentedly on such hay and oats beyond the peasant's means, those who had suffered from the Flux, but were too far from the Rememdium, walking and joking as if they had not been dead-eyed the day before. Eagerly and with no reserve gushing words spilled from lips, telling all - even if the General could see perfectly well.

It was from Council's own lips that the girls had been detained by the will of the Drow - but never had Eriks guessed just what the Drow had offered in return. And now he saw - the Council had spoken against the drow, even in secret following their desires. What dangerous game were they playing? Was the Council last night a complete ruse, put on by Giscard? Was this all some giant ploy - and if so, was it from drow or human mind?

One thing was clear, as the General swung into the saddle - setting spurs to flank but lightly, the stallion more than eager to lengthen it's strides - the time had come.

He must choose a side.

[Rattrap]

...crush their hope. And that's exactly what the Rememdium Edificium represented to many people on many different occasions. David D'Rael was not ignorant of the fact, nor that the Edificium wasn't a safe haven. Things dark and dangerous had happened within the walls. David was somewhat surprised there wasn't more done to the building or his person, given the intelligent nature of Myrken Wood's enemies. Then again, employees did come and go - with or against their will - at alarming rates.

So when the the messengers bringing their elixir come, the Doc is a little wary - but he'd accept them anyway, having no real reason to disbelieve. The demonstration was convincing, and soon that waryness would disappear.

Still, there would be hesitation from the Doctor to distribute the elixir until he had found out what was in it, which would be the first order of business after the servants of the dark ones left; those sorts of questions would be asked when the elixir was brought, and after their departure he had his own expertise in potion brewing to verify their answers...if they weren't just impossibly cryptic to begin with.

If nothing was amiss, the elixir would certainly find its way to the later Flux patients that came to the Edificium.

(( Sorry for the late reply! ))