Bracad the Mangler, a story of lost ears

[Anonymous]

Bracad told you 'Greetings.'

Bracad told you 'We trust you are well?'

You told Bracad 'I'm having a bad day.  A horrible day'

Bracad told you 'That is unfortunate.'

Bracad told you 'Anything we might do to aid you?'

Bracad told you 'Or make your day better?'

You told Bracad 'Sure, find a way to remove my ears'

Bracad told you '....'

Bracad told you 'An odd request, for us.'

Bracad told you 'Why would you wish your ears removed?'

You told Bracad 'I tried to have Achistad do something about it.  That never happened.  So, I'd rather just not hear them anymore'

Bracad told you 'Do something about what?'

You told Bracad 'He was suppose to come purify our estate, but of course, he wasn't allowed'

You told Bracad 'I'm tired of all the whispering'

You told Bracad 'Sometimes it feels like I'm just talking to myself'

Bracad told you 'The whispers are your own voice?'

You told Bracad 'Of course not!  I'm not crazy'

Bracad told you 'You mentioned you feel as if you are talking to yourself, hence why we asked our question.'

You told Bracad 'Venni threw me out of the bank thinking I was talking to myself.  That's why'

Bracad told you 'Which estate might you be referring to? One of you and or your families?'

You told Bracad 'The Zelcharis estate of course.  We are Miruvhor nobility'

Bracad told you 'Indeed. You hear the whispers in your estate? Could it be just the... discussions of your staff?'

You told Bracad 'No, I'm not crazy.  They aren't following me around all over whispering'

Bracad told you 'Then where do you hear this whispering?'

You told Bracad 'In the very things I want removed, my ears!'

Bracad told you 'Oh my. This does sound serious.'

Bracad told you 'Not to invite negative thoughts but, what if removing your ears does not make the whispering go away?'

You told Bracad 'How can I hear whispering without ears?'

You told Bracad 'Now you sound crazy'

Bracad told you 'We profess, when it comes to magic, we have more limited experience and knowledge. However, we have witnessed terrible and strange afflictions from it.'

Bracad told you 'If this is such an affliction...'

Bracad told you 'We certainly would not wish it on you or anyone, but such a step as removing your ears may not be a cure.'

You told Bracad 'My father's a clergyman.  If it was magic, I'd know it wouldn't I?  No, it's these stupid ears'

Bracad told you 'Ahh. Well, that certainly adds to the mystery then.'

Bracad told you 'Have you encountered others who are similarly afflicted. Perhaps in your family?'

You told Bracad 'You're kidding, right?  Tell me you're kidding.'

Bracad told you 'Kidding?'

Bracad told you 'We are confused.'

Bracad told you 'On such a serious topic, we would not jest.'

You told Bracad 'I'm not going around asking people if they hear whispering.  That would get me locked up in the asylum'

Bracad told you 'Ahh, we see. Your point is not lost on us... now.'

You told Bracad 'I'm just frustrated.  Ignore that.'

Bracad told you 'Well. We are not unwilling to help you. However, we feel it prudent to understand. You must understand, we are no surgeon. Although our aim is precise.'

You told Bracad 'Damnit!  They were at least quiet for a while'

Bracad told you 'Quiet. That is good...'

You told Bracad 'But it is not quiet....'

You told Bracad 'I'll find a scalpel myself!'

Bracad told you 'Well, perhaps you did not hear us?'

Bracad told you 'We offered to do it, but offered a word of caution.'

Bracad tells you 'wEh ahhreh nOo sSsurGeoOonnn.'

Bracad tells you 'thaough WEh ahhreh quitEh preCisse with our aaim.'

You tell Bracad 'Hard to tell if your talking or the whispers.  You'll slice them off?'

Bracad tells you 'Dao thheh whHIZszpers ofFer tao zjuT oofFf yaouR EAhRsSz?'

You tell Bracad 'They did!'

Bracad tells you 'hmMmmmmm.....'

A small, nearly invisible, creature on Uricharis' shoulder whispers 'So, a little slice here?' into her ear.

AAAAAARRRRRRGGGGGGHHHHHH!!!!!!

You tell Bracad 'I was just going to get mab's blade.  I heard it was nice and sharp'

Bracad tells you 'szsHAhRp..... yeZSs.'

Bracad tells you 'ahhlThoOouhHghh aimMInNngh Aht OonesSz Hhehaad mmahhY bE quhHIite tHhE sjhahllEhnge.'

Bracad tells you 'YOu caouLd easSzIiLy TaKe mmore Thaan yaour earsSs..'

You tell Bracad 'Oh yes, a surgeon's knife!'

You rest on a large marble fountain.

Bracad tells you 'hrMmMphH. szseemsSz the GoOolden drahgonNn iZSs NnO loonNnger ahhpaort Of thhe kuueZSst.'

Uricharis sits calmly, almost serenely calm and places the torch on the ground.

A small, nearly invisible, creature on Uricharis' shoulder whispers 'This will be entertaining' into her ear.

You tell Bracad 'Hrmm?  What dragon?  Are we after dragons now?  I thought we were lopping off ears?'

Bracad tells you 'we aaREh..'

Bracad tells you 'apPAREhnTly..'

Bracad tells you 'whehREh ZSshawll we mEEt youhH?'

Uricharis continues to turn the tip of the surgeon's knife over the torch, making it red hot.

You tell Bracad 'I'm just sitting here heating up this surgeon's knife'

Bracad tells you 'Where?'

You tell Bracad 'Right where I was, silly.  I came back to Maelbrim'

Bracad nods.

Bracad looks at you.

Bracad nods.

Bracad says 'It is well to see you.'

The red hot tip of the surgeon's knife begins to glow as Uricharis continues to turn it over and over.

Bracad says 'Please. Let us help you.'

Uricharis looks up at Bracad.  'I can't keep heating this forever'

Bracad nods.

Uricharis stands up and stamps out the torch over which she was heating the surgeon's knife.

You stand up.

You stop using a surgeon's knife.

Uricharis flips her wrist and extends her hand towards you, holding the HOT end of the knife.

Bracad stares at you, the shapes in its eyes coalecsing into dagger like shapes.

Smoke is rising from Uricharis' fingers as she says 'Gonna take it or let me burn?

Bracad reaches out and takes the knife. 

You give a surgeon's knife to Bracad.

Bracad wears a necklace with a lion charm around its neck.
Bracad's eyes harden as bloodlust overtakes it.

Uricharis pulls back her hair to show her ear clearly.  'We can start here!

Bracad slowly examine's the knife, taking its time to examine the blade.

Bracad nods.

A small, nearly invisible, creature on Uricharis' shoulder whispers 'This will be really entertaining' into her ear.

Uricharis grimaces and says 'Hurry!  Before it starts yapping again!

Producing a small unassuming bucket, Bracad gestures to you to sit. 'Here.

Uricharis quickly clamours over and plops down on the bucket.

Uricharis tilts her head to the side and braces herself.

Standing before you, the creature seems to slightly shrink in size and gets in your face. Bracad asks, 'Your ears. What do you want done with them, after?

'I don't care'  Uricharis exclaims 'Just get rid of them

Bracad nods.

Bracad says 'Very well.'

Uricharis starts tapping her foot, obviously impatient.

With a mechanical precision, Bracad grabs the top of your head aligning it straight. He aligns on your left ear and makes a deft slice.

Catching the ear, Bracad tucks it away and places its hand on your head, against aligning it.

Wincing in pain, Uricharis squirms and holds her head up straight in your grasp.

Blood burbles out of the wound left from where Uricharis' ear was sliced clean off.  You swear you hear 'We were right!  That was entertaining!' come from the burbles.

Bracad says 'If you are not able to hear after this.... Watch our hands.'

Uricharis grumbles and then screams.  'Quick!  Quick, the other one too!

Nodding at you, Bracad ensures alignment, slicing again, the searing blade separates flesh with deft percision.

Bracad standing back, both ears in hand. Bracad tucks them away beneath its frame.

Blood now streaming down both sides of her head, Uricharis cries tears, but has a serene almost insane smile upon her face.

Bracad nods.

Bracad says/mouths 'The deed is done.

Uricharis leans for a moment on the fountain, steadying herself.  'It's clear' she breathes.

Uricharis looks up to you with a weak smile.

Bracad says in a volume barely above a whisper, 'And... your hearing?

Bracad looks at you, a strange... desparation? in its eyes.

Uricharis squints at you, looking specifically at your lips.  'Hearing?' she questions.

Bracad nods.

Bracad says slowly, mouthing each word, 'Hearing, yes. You understand?

A little wriggly maggot appears in the bloody wound on the right side of Uricharis' head.  'That was really entertaining.  We'll have to repay you for that

Uricharis blissfully smiles as if she hears nothing at all.

Tilting its head to the side, observing the maggot, Bracads' focus seems lost.

Bracad says 'Theres...'

Uricharis squints at your lips again, trying to understand what your saying.

You say 'Can you hear me?'

You say 'It is really hard to read your lips.  I can't even tell if they're lips or not'

Taking notice of your question, Bracad repositions itself to look at you. 'Yes.

Bracad nods its head.

A little wriggly maggot appears in the bloody wound on the right side of Uricharis' head.  'The deaf trying to talk.  This is priceless!'

Blood begins to leak down across Uricharis' sashes.  'I'm going to have to clean up

Uricharis looks down at herself, smiling wistfully almost oblivious to the pain.

With a strange delicate, but precise movement, Bracad plucks the Maggot from your head and produces it before you.

Bracad says 'Here'

Bracad says 'Maybe this is the... voice?'

Uricharis looks at you carefully, looking at what you're presenting, but not -seeing- it.

The wiggling maggot says 'You know, she's not going to see us, right?' it says as it then chuckles at Uricharis.

A frown shown on Bracads face.

Bracad looks at the maggot. 'Hrmm. Are you... of the Nexian thing?

Uricharis climbs off of the bucket and walks a few steps closer to you squinting her eyes at your hand and then looking at you strangely.

The little maggot you plucked from Uricharis says 'Nexian?  Please, don't insult us'

Uricharis looks at you strangely as if you are talking to yourself.

Uricharis tries to says 'Are you O.K.?

Taking a moment, Bracad reflects on the situation. Glancing at you a flash of concern. Then back at the maggot, 'We mean no insult.

*Just now understanding you chopped off a girl's ears, in public, right in front of the marshall in the forum?*

Bracad nods at you in agreement.

The wriggly little maggot suddenly pops out from your grasp in a puff a smoke and reappears resting on Uricharis' shoulder.

The wiggly maggot says 'You've done your part.  Now, shoo!' then begins crawling back towards Uricharis' head.

Bracad nodding at Uricharis, 'Where do you come from. What... is your purpose here?

The wiggly maggot stops for a moment and then turns to you saying 'Wouldn't you like to know?' then continues on its path back to Uricharis' blood earstump.

Seating itself back inside Uricharis' ear, the wiggly maggot whispers 'I'm sure you'll find out'

Bracad says 'We aided you. Yet you see no reason to give us this?'

A little wriggly maggot appears in the bloody wound on the right side of Uricharis' head.  'Aided us?  Please, you just entertained us'

Uricharis' smile hasn't faded at all during this entire conversation.

Bracad motions towards your ears. A finger gesture, moving along the ground in a worm-crawling fashion.

Bracad stands upright. Gesturing a slice across its neck.

Uricharis scrunches up her face, but maintains her smile and mouths the words -worm- before she asks 'A worm?

Bracad nods at you in agreement.

Bracad again gestures at your ear.

Uricharis looks at you strangely for a moment.  'Are you alright?' she asks as she stands here bleeding from both earstumps with blood running down her sashes.

Bracad sighs.

Bracad nods.

A little wriggly maggot appears in the bloody wound on the right side of Uricharis' head.  'You really think she's going to listen?  That's hilarious'

Bracad fishes around in its packs, producing a large amount of sterlized cloth.

Uricharis looks at you oddly, perhaps she is woozy from the bloodloss.

Picking up some of the cloth, Bracad looks at you, with a half outstreched hand filled with cloth. It asks, 'May We Help?

Looking at your strangely, Uricharis asks 'Help?  Why would I need help?' as she backs away from you slightly.

A little wriggly maggot appears in the bloody wound on the right side of Uricharis' head.  'This is priceless!  Priceless I tell you!'

Extending one of its fingers down to the blood dripping from you, a drop formed on the tip, Bracad presents it to you. 'Help.

You hear an odd munching sound coming from Uricharis.  It sounds squishy and moist, almost as if something is eating something.

Bracad gestures dabbing the cloth at its own ears.

Uricharis looks down at the blood on the cloth and then wideyed stares back at you.  'What are you trying to do to me!  Get away' she screams as she leaps over to the other side of the fountain.

Uricharis shouts 'I'll' then stammers 'I'll call the guard you brute!

Bracad stands, holding its hands up. 'We mean no harm.

Bracad shakes its head.

Uricharis glares at the Marshall with pinpoint eyes and says 'You see he's trying to hurt me, don't you!  Look at him!

Bracad says 'Friend... friend.'

Uricharis cowers on the other side of the fountain, maintaining her distance from you.

Bracad stops using a surgeon's knife.

Bracad wields the Stormbringer.

Uricharis now even backs away from the fountain further as you wield a large mace.

Bracad looks down at the ground before you.

Uricharis screams at the Marshall 'What good are you!  You see he's menacing!

A little wriggly maggot appears in the bloody wound on the right side of Uricharis' head.  'Just priceless!  I'll have food for days!'

Looking up at you,Bracad draws an ear forth from its chest plate. It whispers into it. 'Hear us you. Your enemies are not what you think.

Bracad tucks the ear back into its place.

Uricharis feels a drop of blood on her arm and looks down to see blood on her bracelets 'My god, what did you do to me!' almost oblivious to your explanation

Bracad turns and stalks off.

Bracad flies west.

Uricharis points to the west and screams 'You're just going to let him get away!?

Screaming again, Uricharis exclaims 'Useless.  Every last one of you!