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Post by Hammett on Jul 21, 2022 2:30:35 GMT
"I'm thinking I'd be careful what you wish for. Any side I'm on ain't likely to remain the "winning side". Not if history is anything to go by."
He shrugs, "but I'm also wondering what your connection to the man with the purple flames might be? 'Cause he's caused me nothing but problems and you seem to have the same source of power as he does."
Hammett wasn't 100% sure this "Edmund" was evil or working with the Purple Man, heck lots of bad people had walked The Pattern and used that for evil, so these powers might be neutral. But still, un-dead Edmund was a gamble, of course "pump station" construct was a gamble as well.
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Post by Katerina on Jul 21, 2022 6:23:00 GMT
Edmund's tone had taken a distinctive turn against her. Not something Kat liked. She didn't even have any idea what this was all about nor what Hammett's talk of purple meant.
"You can't tell who the winning side will be in the end and much of it will depend on the allies that you bring to the conflict. No one can tell the future accurately. All your telling me is that you are overconfident and that you want to bully people into your way of thinking. So tell me Lord Edmund, just exactly who is your side and why we should be joining it?"
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Post by Admin on Jul 22, 2022 7:01:22 GMT
#s://i~ibb~co/18nVMHw/edmund~png "If you want to meet the Purple, then do what I ask and take control of this construct.
"Believe me, pal. The powers are at war, and if we can't unite, then we will be torn apart," Edmund tells Hammett. He raises a hand and points at Kat. "This is adult talk. No time for kids. Shouldn't you be doing your geometry homework instead of hanging around in caves?"
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Post by Katerina on Jul 22, 2022 7:30:04 GMT
Edmund had not only threatened the Mirror Maze, but also had gone out of his way to personnally insult her.
"Does having the Purple may you go crazy and not see sense any more? Because that's what its looking like to me. I can show you some spectacular geometry if you'd like Lord Edmund. Reflections rely on it and well, the Mirror Maze is the master of those. You're now right next to the centre of its power. Ever felt like living for an eternity inside a mirror?"
She wondered whether she could really trap Edmund in a mirror. It was not something she'd ever done before but she was close to the Mirror Maze and it sounded like a good threat. The Hall of Mirrors could do it, so she was pretty sure that the Mirror Maze could probably do it too. After all the Guardians inside were ensnared.
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Post by Hammett on Jul 22, 2022 15:23:01 GMT
"So you want me to walk it, gain its power, like walking the Pattern, but how would I ever be able to control it? How could anyone control such a thing?"
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Post by Katerina on Jul 22, 2022 15:45:49 GMT
Kat makes a realisation. Edmund is afraid of what the Mirror Maze can do and is trying to get someone else to do what he can't or is to afraid to try.
"Apparently a silly little girl can do it, but he can't. Which is why he's trying to persuade you to do his dirty work for him Lord Hammett. I figure that you're smarter than that though." Kat interjects.
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Post by Admin on Jul 25, 2022 1:07:06 GMT
#s://i~ibb~co/6b62WnY/small~jpg "Nah, if Hammett wants to join up, he needs to bring more than just a shelf full of drinks."A shadow falls across the adit of the cave. "Damn, I didn't expect it to be Grand Central Station in here," the man says. Hammett recognizes the voice. It is Merlin.
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Post by Hammett on Jul 25, 2022 3:52:17 GMT
Now Merlin was here?
This was getting out of hand, which could be advantageous if Hammett played his cards right. Or even more deadly if his luck stayed as bad as it usually did...
He calls out to Merlin, "Don't mind us. Just having a bit of a chat. You're welcome to join if you like."
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Post by Katerina on Jul 25, 2022 6:22:57 GMT
Kat doesn't recognise the newcomer and for once she is quiet, intent on seeing which side of the fence this new person will fall and also seeing whether he is another threat to the Mirror Maze.
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Post by Admin on Jul 26, 2022 3:54:00 GMT
#s://i~ibb~co/6b62WnY/small~jpg "Like hell I will. Get out. All of you. We've got business to take care of."
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Post by Hammett on Jul 26, 2022 4:32:52 GMT
Well that definitely sounded like something Merlin would say. Hammett didn't really know him, only brief introductions at events in the castle, but he had always seemed a bit standoffish at those times. Hell, he had never even swung by Wormwoods. Martin spoke well of him, but Hammett couldn't see why.
"Um, no. First come, first serve. Besides, the Princess here is the Guardian of the Mirror Maze, so this her turf, she says who can stay or go. BUT--" he hurries on before anyone overreacts, "no need to get all uppity over it. Let's all just talk and figure out why and how we all ended up here at the same time. There has got to be a reason beyond simple coincidence."
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Post by Katerina on Jul 26, 2022 6:58:12 GMT
Kat still has no idea who this man was, but she didn't like his threatening tone. However she didn't really want any more enemies here right now.
"I can tell you now I won't be getting out. What else we do really depends on the nature of your business Sir. If you have come to defend the Maze against those that want it destroyed then you are welcome. If your business involves helping those that want to destroy it, then I'm afraid we are not going to be friends. So please state your business clearly and we can decide what to do about it."
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Post by Admin on Jul 26, 2022 21:30:02 GMT
#s://i~ibb~co/VVJgGZv/jurt~png Merlin looks at the girl. "These two want to destroy this broken - er, Maze, as you call it?"He then looks down at Hammett and Edmund. His hand moves to rest on the grip of his sword. "Best to move along boys. No one is destroying this artifact. Consider it under my protection."Edmund growls and brings his hands down to grip the hafts of his axes. "Damn titles and a flying wheel don't mean shit to me, Merlin," Edmund replies. A sudden change comes over Merlin. He covers his eyes and lets out a string of profanity unknown to the others. All here know Thari so that they can make out some of the words, but others are probably demonic body parts unknown to humans. Eventually, the outburst ends. "Does everyone everywhere already know Merlin? Can't I get anywhere first? I should kill you all just to clear his memory from this shadow."
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Post by Katerina on Jul 26, 2022 21:48:56 GMT
Kat brightens at the man's sudden change to wanting to protect the Maze. Then she realises that he has named himself Merlin .... Corwin's son and the King of Chaos.
"Princess Katerina of Eshanta at your service. Well looks like we'll be friends then and no I didn't know you till Lord Edmund said your name? Only he has so far professed to wanting to destroy the Maze." She says with a smile to Merlin and shifts away a bit from Edmund's axe. "And if you need someone to make him forget about this place, then hold him down and I'm your girl for that."
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Post by Hammett on Jul 26, 2022 22:13:51 GMT
Hammett backs slowly away from Edmund, Kat and the General, which means he is backing up closer to the entrance of the maze. He was already close before, now he is right at the threshold.
"I don't think that is Merlin," He says quietly to the others, "Either someone is in control of his body, or shapeshifted to look like him."
Of course he also didn't think Edmund was Edmund, and he had no idea if Kat was really Kat. He was going to need to find out answers soon, or people might think his paranoia was getting out of hand.
He begins channeling energy into his eye and powering up his mental defenses, and gets ready to retreat into the maze.
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