treave
Arcane
- Joined
- Jul 6, 2008
- Messages
- 11,370
The Maiden in the Mansion
Bandits and rival pugilists were one thing, but could you defeat a ghost with your fists? You are unsure… but surely you have more guts than this? Drawing a deep breath and suppressing your trepidation, you summon all of your courage and knock on the door. The sound of splashing water stops. A voice calls out sharply: “Who’s there?” You are unsure how to answer. It sounds like a rather familiar voice, one you have heard recently. It also sounds nothing like how you think a ghost would sound, being full of warmth and life and very hostile suspicion.
“I beg my pardons for intruding on your bath, but-“
“I do not recall seeing any male attendants when I arrived. Who are you?” the voice repeats, more menacingly this time. Water splashes onto the floor of the room as the person inside gets up from their bath in a hurry. You can hear the ruffling of clothes. Well, it is only good manners to allow her to get dressed, you supposed. While waiting, you continue to explain yourself.
“I am but a humble traveller, lost in this storm. Could I-“
“I don’t think so!”
The door bursts open suddenly. There is a loud crack – the tail end of a whip wraps itself around your wrist. You would never have been caught this easily were you prepared, or had you been in top condition, but right now… With a sudden jerk you are brought down, falling painfully against the wooden floor. A foot lands on your neck before you can move an inch.
The girl calls out in an imperious voice. “You are an orthodox pugilist sent to pursue me, aren’t you? You… wait, you? From the tournament?”
You finally recognize that voice. Nameless. The Holy Maiden of the Fire Cult.
“Hello, princess,” you say, twisting around and trying to get a glimpse of her. Her foot presses down even harder on your neck, telling you that it is a bad idea. You give up for now and slump loosely on the floor like a downtrodden worm. “Fancy meeting you here.”
“Don’t give me that, Man Tiger Pig. What are you doing here? Did you come to peek, like the lecherous, perverted pig that you are?”
“I swear, the thought never crossed my mind,” you say quickly. “I am a gentleman of the highest order.”
“Oh, of course I believe you,” laughs the Holy Maiden sarcastically as she grinds her heel on the back of your neck. “Answer my question. Why are you here? I did not think you were working with the orthodox sects.”
“It was just coincidence, that’s all,” you reply. “I had no idea you were here. I would have steered far away from this place if I knew. Your company is entirely unpleasant to me. Now, let me up or I’ll have to get serious. I’m not here to fight with you.” She is a tough opponent for you even at your best, but if she found out that you had been severely injured, any negotiations from now on would be severely lopsided in her favour. Besides, you aren’t lying: you would have to get serious. A quick grab at her sensitive spots should do it, though you might get an arm broken for your efforts. You feel the pressure on your neck lessen as she lifts her foot. Massaging your sore neck, you sit up, groaning all the while.
“I think that was a bit uncalled for,” you say, looking up at the beautiful girl standing warily in front of you. She shrugs. “You just have that sort of lecherous look that deserves a beating. Now, can you tell me why you are here?”
“I will, but I want to know why you are here after I finish,” you say. She nods once, keeping her eyes pinned on your hands even as she does so. It looks like she still doesn’t trust you.
“I’m here ghost-hunting.”
Her face pales visibly, but she keeps her self-assured tone. “Ha ha. A good joke, Man Tiger Pig. What do you mean, ghost-hunting? There aren’t any ghosts here. I was received by the lady of the mansion just yesterday, and treated kindly.”
“Are you blind? Look around you.” You gesture at the ominous strips of cloth, at the darkened hallways, and at the dusty floor. “No matter how you look at it, it’s clearly not normal.”
“Well,” she replies, a nervous tone creeping into her voice. “I don’t see anything out of the usual. Everything is norm… is… is…” Her eyes widen, as if seeing the place revealed in truth for the first time. “What is…” She is frozen, stock still for a moment. The lights in the room behind her flicker. For a brief instance you see two rooms overlaid upon each other – one bright and cosy, the other dark and creepy.
“Here’s my chance!” You whip out a talisman from your clothes and plant it right on the middle of her forehead, keeping it pressed there with your fingers. “Begone, evil spirit!” She stares back at you, having regained her composure. “What do you think you are doing?” she asks sweetly.
“Uh… exorcising a ghost?”
“I-I’m not a ghost!” she yells, striking out at you. You barely evade her attack in time, leaping back. The talisman flutters to the floor between the both of you. Either it is a useless fake, or she is not a ghost at all. You are not sure which is the correct answer. Suddenly, the flickering lights are blown out, leaving your candle as the only source of light in the darkened hallway. The Holy Maiden gives a short, girlish shriek, rooted to the spot. You hear a light, haunting laughter of a woman surrounding you, murmured words that you cannot make out.
“Talismans!” shouts the girl. “You have them, right? Use your talismans!” You draw out another talisman, waving it around in the air helplessly. How were you supposed to use one of these things? Suddenly, the talisman catches fire. You drop it before the flames reach your fingers. As it burns to ashes on the floor, the darkness seems to retreat. The lanterns come back to life with their steady glow, though the gloomy, dusty demeanour of your surroundings remain. You suppose those talismans do work after all.
The girl breathes heavily, having sunken to her knees in fright. “What, is the Holy Maiden scared of ghosts?” you say, though your heart is gripped by a small chill too. “Shouldn’t you have some sort of holy light to chase away spirits?” She stares at you angrily, but you wonder if she didn’t have some sort of innate protection – after all, things only started getting really strange after you mentioned ghosts to her, shaking her composure. Well, what’s done is done.
“So, you still haven’t told me why you are here,” you say cheerily, peering into the room she was bathing in; there is still a rusted tub inside, but the water is brackish. You probably shouldn’t tell her to look at the room again.
“The machinations of the so-called upstanding orthodox sects,” she says with a look of disgust. “Vahista insisted on stopping a while at Wufushan for you, thinking that there was a chance you might come. I have no idea why he would invite such a lout, but it turned out badly. More than a hundred orthodox swordsmen attacked us there, separating us. My handmaidens then acted as a decoy so that I could escape alone, while they led the enemy on a merry chase.”
“Alone? You mean you came here alone?”
“Yes. I was caught in a sudden storm and needed shelter.”
You vaguely recall seeing four horses out in the courtyard; it was likely that one of it was hers, but who did the other three horses belong to? You are certain they were not the Taoist’s.
“Anyway,” you sigh, moving forward. “What do you know about this mansion? You said that a lady invited you in.” She follows you, a reluctant look on her face. “That’s right. Lady Mi, who is living here with her maids. That is why I said I did not see any men around. You were acting suspiciously from the start – no, you have always been a suspicious fellow, so it was only natural that my keen senses picked up on your perverted desires.”
“I’m not, not at all. You are just a paranoid girl. Did you inhale too much smoke from worshipping that fire of yours?”
You dance away from the crack of her whip, keeping your candle steady. “Watch it!” you shout. “I wonder just who taught you to be so rude,” she says, an angry grin on her face. “You aren’t any less rude yourself,” you retort.
“Only to lowly, insolent dogs like you, who don’t deserve mercy.”
“Yes, yes, lowly insolent dogs like me who so happen to have the talismans that can chase away ghosts.” You flash a talisman at her, grinning as you step out of range of her whip. A look of fear passes over her face as she hurries to catch up to you. “R-right,” she says, “I suppose I can tolerate your presence for now. Not because of ghosts or anything like that, but because you would be too scared to proceed without my companionship. I will do you a favour, Man Tiger Pig.”
“Of course you will,” you sneer, glad at having gotten one over her this time. You should probably lord it over this arrogant girl while you can. “By the way, you have been here longer than I have, with those ghosts,” you say, enjoying the look of discomfort on her face. “Can you tell where we are?”
She looks around her. “This place seems a bit bigger than I remember, but the layout appears to not have changed too much. I suppose we are in the west wing. If that is the case…”
***
There are a few interesting rooms that you can reach quickly from here. You decide to visit:
A. The library chambers. There might be some things of interest that you can find in the library. Perhaps the scholar will be there, too.
B. The kitchen. You are feeling rather hungry. Sure, you might not be able to find any food here, but no harm looking. Besides, you have heard before that a kitchen is the least haunted of any place… you think.
C. The main foyer. You are heading straight for the main exit. Best to make sure you can escape first. It is too bad about Xiahou Yu and Zhong Hai, but you can come back for them after looking around outside.
***
“All right, that’s decided then,” you say. “Let’s head there.”
The two of you walk slowly and quietly along the hallways. The storm is still going strong outside, with frequent flashes of lightning illuminating your path harshly. The candle has melted down to about half of its original length – it probably will not last another hour, but at least the corridors are lit dimly by the lanterns. Suddenly, the girl behind you speaks up.
“Say… what is your name?”
“Well, that is rather sudden,” you say, not looking back. “Don’t you just call me by Man Tiger Pig? Why do you need to know my name?”
“I was just wondering,” she says, “since there was this… boy that I once knew. You remind me of him.”
“Oh? A childhood sweetheart?” you laugh.
“Of course not,” she snaps. “He was just as vile and crude as you are. I swore that if I ever saw him again I would cut him into eighteen pieces and feed him to the wolves.”
“Well, that gives me no incentive to admit that I was the boy even if I actually were him. What are you, stupid?”
You prepare to duck a blow from the violent girl, but she doesn’t respond to your taunt.
***
A. You give her your name.
B. You don’t give her your name.
Bandits and rival pugilists were one thing, but could you defeat a ghost with your fists? You are unsure… but surely you have more guts than this? Drawing a deep breath and suppressing your trepidation, you summon all of your courage and knock on the door. The sound of splashing water stops. A voice calls out sharply: “Who’s there?” You are unsure how to answer. It sounds like a rather familiar voice, one you have heard recently. It also sounds nothing like how you think a ghost would sound, being full of warmth and life and very hostile suspicion.
“I beg my pardons for intruding on your bath, but-“
“I do not recall seeing any male attendants when I arrived. Who are you?” the voice repeats, more menacingly this time. Water splashes onto the floor of the room as the person inside gets up from their bath in a hurry. You can hear the ruffling of clothes. Well, it is only good manners to allow her to get dressed, you supposed. While waiting, you continue to explain yourself.
“I am but a humble traveller, lost in this storm. Could I-“
“I don’t think so!”
The door bursts open suddenly. There is a loud crack – the tail end of a whip wraps itself around your wrist. You would never have been caught this easily were you prepared, or had you been in top condition, but right now… With a sudden jerk you are brought down, falling painfully against the wooden floor. A foot lands on your neck before you can move an inch.
The girl calls out in an imperious voice. “You are an orthodox pugilist sent to pursue me, aren’t you? You… wait, you? From the tournament?”
You finally recognize that voice. Nameless. The Holy Maiden of the Fire Cult.
“Hello, princess,” you say, twisting around and trying to get a glimpse of her. Her foot presses down even harder on your neck, telling you that it is a bad idea. You give up for now and slump loosely on the floor like a downtrodden worm. “Fancy meeting you here.”
“Don’t give me that, Man Tiger Pig. What are you doing here? Did you come to peek, like the lecherous, perverted pig that you are?”
“I swear, the thought never crossed my mind,” you say quickly. “I am a gentleman of the highest order.”
“Oh, of course I believe you,” laughs the Holy Maiden sarcastically as she grinds her heel on the back of your neck. “Answer my question. Why are you here? I did not think you were working with the orthodox sects.”
“It was just coincidence, that’s all,” you reply. “I had no idea you were here. I would have steered far away from this place if I knew. Your company is entirely unpleasant to me. Now, let me up or I’ll have to get serious. I’m not here to fight with you.” She is a tough opponent for you even at your best, but if she found out that you had been severely injured, any negotiations from now on would be severely lopsided in her favour. Besides, you aren’t lying: you would have to get serious. A quick grab at her sensitive spots should do it, though you might get an arm broken for your efforts. You feel the pressure on your neck lessen as she lifts her foot. Massaging your sore neck, you sit up, groaning all the while.
“I think that was a bit uncalled for,” you say, looking up at the beautiful girl standing warily in front of you. She shrugs. “You just have that sort of lecherous look that deserves a beating. Now, can you tell me why you are here?”
“I will, but I want to know why you are here after I finish,” you say. She nods once, keeping her eyes pinned on your hands even as she does so. It looks like she still doesn’t trust you.
“I’m here ghost-hunting.”
Her face pales visibly, but she keeps her self-assured tone. “Ha ha. A good joke, Man Tiger Pig. What do you mean, ghost-hunting? There aren’t any ghosts here. I was received by the lady of the mansion just yesterday, and treated kindly.”
“Are you blind? Look around you.” You gesture at the ominous strips of cloth, at the darkened hallways, and at the dusty floor. “No matter how you look at it, it’s clearly not normal.”
“Well,” she replies, a nervous tone creeping into her voice. “I don’t see anything out of the usual. Everything is norm… is… is…” Her eyes widen, as if seeing the place revealed in truth for the first time. “What is…” She is frozen, stock still for a moment. The lights in the room behind her flicker. For a brief instance you see two rooms overlaid upon each other – one bright and cosy, the other dark and creepy.
“Here’s my chance!” You whip out a talisman from your clothes and plant it right on the middle of her forehead, keeping it pressed there with your fingers. “Begone, evil spirit!” She stares back at you, having regained her composure. “What do you think you are doing?” she asks sweetly.
“Uh… exorcising a ghost?”
“I-I’m not a ghost!” she yells, striking out at you. You barely evade her attack in time, leaping back. The talisman flutters to the floor between the both of you. Either it is a useless fake, or she is not a ghost at all. You are not sure which is the correct answer. Suddenly, the flickering lights are blown out, leaving your candle as the only source of light in the darkened hallway. The Holy Maiden gives a short, girlish shriek, rooted to the spot. You hear a light, haunting laughter of a woman surrounding you, murmured words that you cannot make out.
“Talismans!” shouts the girl. “You have them, right? Use your talismans!” You draw out another talisman, waving it around in the air helplessly. How were you supposed to use one of these things? Suddenly, the talisman catches fire. You drop it before the flames reach your fingers. As it burns to ashes on the floor, the darkness seems to retreat. The lanterns come back to life with their steady glow, though the gloomy, dusty demeanour of your surroundings remain. You suppose those talismans do work after all.
The girl breathes heavily, having sunken to her knees in fright. “What, is the Holy Maiden scared of ghosts?” you say, though your heart is gripped by a small chill too. “Shouldn’t you have some sort of holy light to chase away spirits?” She stares at you angrily, but you wonder if she didn’t have some sort of innate protection – after all, things only started getting really strange after you mentioned ghosts to her, shaking her composure. Well, what’s done is done.
“So, you still haven’t told me why you are here,” you say cheerily, peering into the room she was bathing in; there is still a rusted tub inside, but the water is brackish. You probably shouldn’t tell her to look at the room again.
“The machinations of the so-called upstanding orthodox sects,” she says with a look of disgust. “Vahista insisted on stopping a while at Wufushan for you, thinking that there was a chance you might come. I have no idea why he would invite such a lout, but it turned out badly. More than a hundred orthodox swordsmen attacked us there, separating us. My handmaidens then acted as a decoy so that I could escape alone, while they led the enemy on a merry chase.”
“Alone? You mean you came here alone?”
“Yes. I was caught in a sudden storm and needed shelter.”
You vaguely recall seeing four horses out in the courtyard; it was likely that one of it was hers, but who did the other three horses belong to? You are certain they were not the Taoist’s.
“Anyway,” you sigh, moving forward. “What do you know about this mansion? You said that a lady invited you in.” She follows you, a reluctant look on her face. “That’s right. Lady Mi, who is living here with her maids. That is why I said I did not see any men around. You were acting suspiciously from the start – no, you have always been a suspicious fellow, so it was only natural that my keen senses picked up on your perverted desires.”
“I’m not, not at all. You are just a paranoid girl. Did you inhale too much smoke from worshipping that fire of yours?”
You dance away from the crack of her whip, keeping your candle steady. “Watch it!” you shout. “I wonder just who taught you to be so rude,” she says, an angry grin on her face. “You aren’t any less rude yourself,” you retort.
“Only to lowly, insolent dogs like you, who don’t deserve mercy.”
“Yes, yes, lowly insolent dogs like me who so happen to have the talismans that can chase away ghosts.” You flash a talisman at her, grinning as you step out of range of her whip. A look of fear passes over her face as she hurries to catch up to you. “R-right,” she says, “I suppose I can tolerate your presence for now. Not because of ghosts or anything like that, but because you would be too scared to proceed without my companionship. I will do you a favour, Man Tiger Pig.”
“Of course you will,” you sneer, glad at having gotten one over her this time. You should probably lord it over this arrogant girl while you can. “By the way, you have been here longer than I have, with those ghosts,” you say, enjoying the look of discomfort on her face. “Can you tell where we are?”
She looks around her. “This place seems a bit bigger than I remember, but the layout appears to not have changed too much. I suppose we are in the west wing. If that is the case…”
***
There are a few interesting rooms that you can reach quickly from here. You decide to visit:
A. The library chambers. There might be some things of interest that you can find in the library. Perhaps the scholar will be there, too.
B. The kitchen. You are feeling rather hungry. Sure, you might not be able to find any food here, but no harm looking. Besides, you have heard before that a kitchen is the least haunted of any place… you think.
C. The main foyer. You are heading straight for the main exit. Best to make sure you can escape first. It is too bad about Xiahou Yu and Zhong Hai, but you can come back for them after looking around outside.
***
“All right, that’s decided then,” you say. “Let’s head there.”
The two of you walk slowly and quietly along the hallways. The storm is still going strong outside, with frequent flashes of lightning illuminating your path harshly. The candle has melted down to about half of its original length – it probably will not last another hour, but at least the corridors are lit dimly by the lanterns. Suddenly, the girl behind you speaks up.
“Say… what is your name?”
“Well, that is rather sudden,” you say, not looking back. “Don’t you just call me by Man Tiger Pig? Why do you need to know my name?”
“I was just wondering,” she says, “since there was this… boy that I once knew. You remind me of him.”
“Oh? A childhood sweetheart?” you laugh.
“Of course not,” she snaps. “He was just as vile and crude as you are. I swore that if I ever saw him again I would cut him into eighteen pieces and feed him to the wolves.”
“Well, that gives me no incentive to admit that I was the boy even if I actually were him. What are you, stupid?”
You prepare to duck a blow from the violent girl, but she doesn’t respond to your taunt.
***
A. You give her your name.
B. You don’t give her your name.
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