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Silver Aegis


 Subject: Silver Aegis # 14 “Slowly Making Way to The Tomb of the Ü-Wolf!”
Posted Sun Feb 28, 2010 at 04:31:58 pm EST (Viewed 40 times)

Posted with Microsoft Internet Explorer 8 4.0; on Windows Vista

Silver Aegis # 14 “Slowly Making Way to The Tomb of the Ü-Wolf!”



The Story So Far: Someone, or something, is stalking the Stavrosos Clan of Chaney Shores. Is it an Old World enemy, Jäger Räuberischer, the Unkillable Ü-Wolf; or a less legendary, but just as dangerous threat, the canny crimelord Augustus Waddel? That is what Silver Aegis seeks to learn. Helping him with this task are two special women: ace reporter Josie Hart and Desmerleda, princess of the Romany family under fire. Currently they are attempting to hire a boat to travel to what is supposedly the final resting place of the Ü-Wolf, in hopes of discovering the monster’s true fate.


“So ye wish to venture out to Nightmare Reef?” Captain Oliver Hazzard Quinto leaned back on his stool and considered the stranger before him. Tall, athletic, with a shock of unnaturally ashen hair, the man looked back earnestly.

“Myself and two friends. We need to rent your boat for the day, and bring along diving equipment,” Silver Aegis explained to the porcine man in the short sleeves and watch cap.

“I ain’t running a cruise line, now, Mister… Scoggins, is it? When I heave anchor it’s for the bugs, not to escort a trio of lubbers to a spot they ain’t got the sense to avoid. The reef be cursed, haunted by the damned souls of the men who could not free themselves from Davy’s grip.”

“You can still drop your pots while we’re aboard, captain. On my word we’ll stay out of you and your sternman’s way.”

“Yarr! Captain Quinto has no call to employ a coolie to fish these waters ‘adays. Deuces and jumbos are too scarce for such extravagance,” the old man scratched his ill shaven jowls, “Tell ye what, Mister Scoggins: I’ll take the fare, on your word I’ll not be held responsible for any calamity that befalls yerself or your mates. Savvy?”

“Agreed,” Scott said, before the two men shook on it.

*****


It might have been considered unbecoming for a king to be digging a six foot hole in the bottom of an already twenty foot deep abandoned well, but that’s exactly what Rajko, ruler of the Stavrosos Clan, was doing. This was a labor he could entrust to no other.

The shovel hit something. Rajko crouched down and swept away the remaining dirt. With a tug he uprooted the bundle which he had sought. He used his knife to cut the cord that held the oilskin cover in place, then unwrapped the item slowly, almost fearfully.

It was a copy of the Chaney Shores phone directory.

“No!” Rajko hissed, “Foolish girl, what have you done?!”

Climbing out one hole Rajko then exited the other, holding the book between his thighs as he pulled himself up the rope line he had used earlier for his descent. The athleticism he showed belied his age of nearly sixty. The man started to return into the pit for his tools when a voice stopped him.

“King Rajko! King Rajko! Come quickly!” a man in priest’s vestments implored as he stumbled into the forest clearing.

“What is it, Father Jean?”

The holy man stooped to catch his breath, so fast he had rushed to find his highness and give him the news, “There are men here from the bank. They say our loan is due, and are demanding payment!”

If possible, Rajko’s face became even more grim, “Of course. I should have expected this,” he thought before telling Father Jean, “Bring me to them. I wish to look into the eyes of Chaney’s agents. Then, they will discover the price of their perfidy.”

*****


Josie Hart’s eyes narrowed when she saw who already occupied the taxi she had hailed outside the Chaney Shores Town Hall, “Hello,” she grunted to Desmerelda Stavrosos as she slid into the back seat beside her.

“Hello,” the zaftig maiden greeted back, choosing to conceal her antipathy towards her fellow traveler, at least for the moment, “On your way to the docks to meet up with Scott?”

The features writer for the Parodiopolis Times-Picayune nodded and checked her cell phone for messages. After a fruitless attempt to get a quote from the Town Manager about recent land public land sales to the Waddell Development Group, she had hoped her call to the Kiwi’s attorney would have at least produced results. No such luck, “Yes, maybe this lead will pan out, unlike everything else I’ve tried today.”

“Well at the very least you managed to find a new swimsuit,” Desi noted the shopping bag Josie had set on the cab’s floor before holding up an identical one from the same upscale boutique, “We must have just missed each other.”

Josie smirked, “What a shame. I could have helped you in picking one out, given what I’m assuming to be your inexperience in making such a purchase. A gal needs to be careful to make sure to strike the right balance when buying a bathing suit; to showcase her assets without going too far overboard, while simultaneously covering her flaws.”

Clicking her tongue with irritation, Desmerelda cocked her head and asked, “And just what are your flaws, Miss Hart?”

“Well, I’m addicted to caffeine, follow professional wrestling religiously, and, just sometimes mind you, can be a bit brusque in my social interactions. But otherwise I’m perfect.”

“I see.”

“If you’d like, I could tell you what your flaws are,” Josie offered helpfully.

“No thank you,” the Roma princess turned to look out the cab window, “I am well aware of my faults.”

“Including the fact you’re a terrible liar?”

“I wouldn’t see that as a fault, even if it were true.”

Josie was ready with a reply when the taxi pulled into the parking lot set across from the dock from which the next part of their journey would begin. Any further discussion on the topic would have to wait until they were all at sea, where the reporter hoped many secrets would be revealed.

*****


The Amity was a thirty three foot Pot Luck design lobster boat, its stern crowded with a conglomeration of wooden traps and fiberglass buoys.

“This must be hard work for you to do by yourself, Captain,” Scott observed as he set down his rented diving tanks on deck.

“Aye. For going on thirty years I’ve cast me traps. It’s gotten so I can do it barefoot and blindfolded. Of course,” Quinto paused, “It helps to have a system, one that shouldn’t be interfered with by passengers that don’t know their crown from their dungbie. Savvy, Mister Scoggins?”

Silver Aegis grinned, “We’ll stay clear of you while you’re working, sir.”

“Ye better. One last query, ‘fore we settle accounts: these two guests of yours: do either of them happen to be of the feminine persuasion?”

“Both of them are. Is that a problem?”

“We’re already sailing into cursed waters, lad,” Captain Quinto doffed his hat and gave his scalp a consternated rub, “To travel with sallies aboard is tempting fate.”

“I wouldn’t have thought you were the superstitious type, Captain, given you’re the only man willing to take us out to Nightmare Reef,” Scott noted as he studied the man’s perplexed expression.

“There’s calculated risk, and then there’s spitting in the eye of Old King Neptune himself. Perhaps its best if they stay behind.”

“Trust me,” the Righteous Ranger of the Republic assured Quinto, “You will be asking for more trouble if you refuse to let Misses Hart and Stavrosos aboard.”

The lobsterman jammed his cap back on and sneered, “Is that a fact? Well, I’ll tell ye what, me bucko, there ain’t a woman alive that can tell Captain Ollie Qunito how he runs his ship! The one who tries will find herself kissing the gunner’s daughter, Begad!”

Out of the corner of his eye Scott saw both his comrades exit the taxi that had parked in the lot adjacent to the wharf. It was clear even from this distance that Josie was arguing with the cabbie, possibly the fare, while Desmerelda looked on. It seemed likely that any dealings with their subsequent exporter would be no less rocky.

*****


“So it’s not enough that Ronald Chaney sends thugs and police to threaten my people,” King Rajko opined coolly, “now he unleashes the lawyers.”

“Accountants, actually,” one man, who hadn’t stopped smirking since he had arrived in the gypsy camp, corrected, “and it was the bank that sent us, Mister Stavrosos.”

The second man, who appeared far more reluctant to undertake the task that was before him and his partner, explained further, “Mister Stavrosos, due to the inclement economy, First Parodiopolis Bank has no choice but to invoke the early termination clause in the loan you had taken with us.”

“Meaning what?”

“We want our money back. All of it. Which, according to our figures, comes to $31, 497.51,” the first man produced an envelope, which he offered to the thunderstruck Rajko, “Here’s all the pertinent whys and wherefores. Er, you can read, right?”

Rajko’s face darkened, “You are not accountants….you are assassins!”

“Now, sir, there is no need-“ the less glib executive held up his hands pleadingly.

But the King of the gypsies had had enough. Rajko may not have been able to stop the monster that was threatening his family, but this was one threat that, at least temporarily, he could address. Wrapping a powerful arm around each man’s neck he frog-marched the duo back to their car. A curious, appreciative crowd that had gathered followed their leader.

“Ugh! Let us go!”

“You can’t do this!”

WHUMPF! Rajko unceremoniously dumped the men onto the graveled parking lot.

“You bent my glasses,” one of them muttered, inspecting the stem of his spectacles dourly.

“Add it to your tally. Then leave. Go tell your coward of a master that King Rajko Stavrosos mocks this latest effort to destroy him. My people have lived through leaner times than this! We will survive, and thrive, as we always have. This, I swear!”

The bankers beat a hasty retreat. Rajko adjusted the sleeves on his tunic and faced his people.

“Usim, where is my daughter?” he demanded.

“We, uh, can’t find her, King Rajko. No one has seen her since yesterday, and she has not answered her door.”

“It is worse than that,” the Widow Magda stepped forward and gestured for her majesty to stoop down so she could whisper in his ear four fateful words, a declaration that would confirm Rajko’s greatest fear:

“My besom is missing.”

Next: Terror at the Tomb of the Ü-Wolf











Visionary 

Moderator

Member Since: Sat Jan 03, 2004
Posts: 2,131
 Subject: I both envy and pity that cabbie. [Re: Silver Aegis]
Posted Sun Feb 28, 2010 at 07:13:00 pm EST (Viewed 451 times)

Posted with Mozilla Firefox 3.5.8 on Windows Vista

This story continues to be great fun! Nice job on the lobsterman's dialog Really all of the cultures colliding in this tale have been well sketched and really added to giving this series such a unique feel.

My favorite scene was easily the cab ride, with the banter between the would-be rivals. I'm sure it only got more interesting as things went on. Of course, I should probably envy the ship captain more, since neither woman was yet in their new bathing suits for the cab ride...

I look forward to secrets coming unraveled at Nightmare Reef...




HH


 Subject: Slow but interesting though. I'm happy for you to take your time. [Re: Silver Aegis]
Posted Sun Feb 28, 2010 at 10:24:13 pm EST (Viewed 4 times)

Posted with Microsoft Internet Explorer 6 on Windows 2000

Scooby Doo wants his sea captain back. If that guy turns out to be the U-Wolf in a rubber mask I'm coming over there with a big stick.

Anyhow, very enjoyable stuff, especially the two female leads.




Anime Jason 

Owner

Location: Here
Member Since: Sun Sep 12, 2004
Posts: 2,834
 Subject: They could have just rented a speedboat, but that wouldn't be quite as funny. [Re: Silver Aegis]
Posted Mon Mar 01, 2010 at 12:23:07 am EST (Viewed 362 times)


anime.mangacool.net (10.0.255.1)
using Apple Safari 4.0.4 on MacOS X (0 points)





Al B. Harper


 Subject: At last! It continues. [Re: Silver Aegis]
Posted Mon Mar 01, 2010 at 05:22:35 am EST (Viewed 4 times)

Posted with Mozilla Firefox 3.5.8 on Windows XP

Long time coming, but worth it for the fun banter in the back of the cab, to the well deserved shove in the gravel of the bankers.

Looking forward to more down at Nightmare Reef (they call it that for a reason you know). Besom or nay.

Al B.




Rhiannon


 Subject: For some reason I can't load this story. [Re: HH]
Posted Mon Mar 01, 2010 at 11:50:12 am EST (Viewed 6 times)

Posted with Microsoft Internet Explorer 6 on Windows XP

I can read it in the replies though and enjoyed it even with that difficulty.




Anime Jason 

Owner

Location: Here
Member Since: Sun Sep 12, 2004
Posts: 2,834
 Subject: What happens when you try to load it? [Re: Rhiannon]
Posted Mon Mar 01, 2010 at 12:28:10 pm EST (Viewed 449 times)


anime.mangacool.net (10.0.255.1)
using Apple Safari 4.0.4 on MacOS X (0 points)





HH


 Subject: Re: What happens when you try to load it? [Re: Anime Jason]
Posted Mon Mar 01, 2010 at 05:50:18 pm EST (Viewed 7 times)

Posted with Microsoft Internet Explorer 6 on Windows 2000

It's a plain black page in IE 6 or 8 with Windows 2k or NT with cookies and java disabled. It's fine for me in Firefox with them on.

The black screen may just be a different manifestation of a recurrent and annoying problem we've been having in the Watson hosuehold with all PV pages for the last couple of weeks or so. PV server response is very sluggish. Most pages require three or four attempts to load, getting the "page cannot be displayed" sheet. A lot of pages load incomplete; the one I'm typing on now hasn't downloaded background, for example. Many reply pages don't download formatting so that the quoted text of a whole story escapes from the scroll-down box and is listed in full before the respondent's comments. Some generated reply pages are all centred text. Around 1 in 3 replies I send to the PVB are lost in transit.

This is a real pain.




Anime Jason 

Owner

Location: Here
Member Since: Sun Sep 12, 2004
Posts: 2,834
 Subject: Re: What happens when you try to load it? [Re: HH]
Posted Mon Mar 01, 2010 at 07:22:12 pm EST (Viewed 422 times)


anime.mangacool.net (10.0.255.1)
using Apple Safari 4.0.4 on MacOS X (0.46 points)


I have the feeling I'm going to have to bother Support again.

Do you know how to do a traceroute to mangacool.com and email it to me or should I build a tool to do that in reverse?






Hatman


Member Since: Thu Jan 01, 1970
Posts: 618
 Subject: I'd buy more Cap'n Crunch if he talked like this guy [Re: Silver Aegis]
Posted Tue Mar 02, 2010 at 10:53:27 am EST (Viewed 386 times)

Posted with Mozilla Firefox 3.5.8 on Windows XP

Excellent job on the dialogue with the sea captain, I thought he was really well done. Well, the whole story was really well done, but the captain was pretty awesome.

If only the rest of us could just manhandle the bean counters when they sent us bills we don't like eh?

Nice job!

~Hat~




HH


 Subject: Re: What happens when you try to load it? [Re: Anime Jason]
Posted Tue Mar 02, 2010 at 11:58:02 am EST (Viewed 3 times)

Posted with Microsoft Internet Explorer 6 on Windows 2000


    Quote:
    I have the feeling I'm going to have to bother Support again.



    Quote:
    Do you know how to do a traceroute to mangacool.com and email it to me or should I build a tool to do that in reverse?


I did a traceroute and I've e-mailed the results to you.




CrazySugarFreakBoy!


Member Since: Sun Jan 04, 2004
Posts: 1,235
 Subject: Good to see this continue, with another great archetypical character and promising setup. [Re: Silver Aegis]
Posted Wed Mar 03, 2010 at 01:50:28 am EST (Viewed 404 times)

Posted with Microsoft Internet Explorer 7 4.0; on Windows Vista






Nitz the Bloody


Member Since: Mon Jun 21, 2004
Posts: 139
 Subject: Very interesting tone. do you have an archive of all this? [Re: Silver Aegis]
Posted Wed Mar 03, 2010 at 10:06:24 pm EST (Viewed 396 times)

Posted with Apple Safari 4.0.4 on MacOS X





www.rubysworldcomic.com
killer shrike


 Subject: If you do a search and put "Silver Aegis" in the author field and set the time frame for one year, you get all the posts that cover the story [Re: Nitz the Bloody]
Posted Thu Mar 04, 2010 at 06:24:40 am EST (Viewed 1 times)

Posted with Microsoft Internet Explorer 8 4.0; on Windows Vista





killer shrike


 Subject: Thanks. [Re: CrazySugarFreakBoy!]
Posted Thu Mar 04, 2010 at 06:25:24 am EST (Viewed 1 times)

Posted with Microsoft Internet Explorer 8 4.0; on Windows Vista





killer shrike


 Subject: Maybe Captain Quinto should consider a change in careers [Re: Hatman]
Posted Thu Mar 04, 2010 at 06:26:37 am EST (Viewed 1 times)

Posted with Microsoft Internet Explorer 8 4.0; on Windows Vista





killer shrike


 Subject: For the moment [Re: Al B. Harper]
Posted Thu Mar 04, 2010 at 06:27:34 am EST (Viewed 1 times)

Posted with Microsoft Internet Explorer 8 4.0; on Windows Vista





killer shrike


 Subject: Fair enough [Re: Anime Jason]
Posted Thu Mar 04, 2010 at 06:28:15 am EST (Viewed 1 times)

Posted with Microsoft Internet Explorer 8 4.0; on Windows Vista





killer shrike


Subject: I'm quite happy to take my time as well [Re: HH]
Posted Thu Mar 04, 2010 at 06:29:12 am EST (Viewed 1 times)

Posted with Microsoft Internet Explorer 8 4.0; on Windows Vista





killer shrike


 Subject: Glad you liked it [Re: Rhiannon]
Posted Thu Mar 04, 2010 at 06:29:50 am EST (Viewed 1 times)

Posted with Microsoft Internet Explorer 8 4.0; on Windows Vista





killer shrike kids; the plot is sprawling enough as is


 Subject: We'll have to work him into the story at some point [Re: Visionary]
Posted Thu Mar 04, 2010 at 06:31:52 am EST (Viewed 1 times)

Posted with Microsoft Internet Explorer 8 4.0; on Windows Vista






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