The Center Cannot Hold: Maralda and Lahm 3

Previous Part (2)

8511 slowly explained to Lahm and I why she had been wandering the sewers.  She kept the details the

Cuz I can't afford to commission pics
of Maralda and Lahm yet.

vague.  She clearly was nervous, the result of spending all her time around people like Professor Maxmidan.  She'd been treated like a tool and nothing more.

She flinched every once and awhile too.  Each time she did, I could a little bit more smoulder in Lahm's devil-eyes.  The Tiefling boy I knew didn't like women of any kind- his boyfriends he kept away from me, something he didn't want to share.  He wasn't interested in 8511, although some get attracted to Androids that way, no, my friend's empathic streak made him sympathize so much he wanted to kill off all her enemies.  But when anyone wasn't treated right, Lahm's eyes would do that flicker.  It meant it pissed him off.

Lahm's a great guy, really he is.  Its great in a fight.  But when he gets angry...

"8511, we aren't going to punish you for coming back."  I told her carefully.  "Not everyone likes to punish Androids.  Sometimes we like to ask, you know what I mean?"

8511 nodded.  Lahm stewed quietly for a moment.  8511 looked nervously at Lahm's silent raging.  I thought I might try to stop her from thinking I was lying to her.  Hopefully I could get Lahm to help me keep her from screaming or something.  The last thing I needed was to be accused of stealing an Android from a Professor.

"Right Lahm?"  I asked him.

My Tiefling friend threw a rock.  His eyes glowed a bright red, highlighted by the emotion in his throat.  Although only a Rogue, I knew what his wrath and rage looked like.

He spun on me.  "He made her go alone.  Into the catacombs.  For what?  Something important?"

Lahm spat.

"Lahm, calm down."  I tried, uselessly to get him to listen and shut up for a moment.

"No, the crazy old bastard thinks the best thing to do to some innocent with no clue about the Catacombs is to send her after some stupid necklace.  Did she drop it at least?"  Lahm shook his head, kicking more pebbles off of Bellamy's Stair.  "Of course not.  Maxmidan probably expected her to die in the looking.  Cruel bastard.  Twins-damn him."

"Lahm."  I grabbed his arm.  "Shut up.  You're scaring her."

Lahm paused.  He looked down at me, then over to 8511.  The Android clutched tightly to her mirror.  Her eyes were wide in terror and tears.

Then the Android broke away from us running.

"Twins-damnit."  Lahm and I said in unison.  We sprinted after her, up Bellamy's Stair.

Next Part (4)

*****

Thanks for reading.  Comments are asked for, but not necessary.  Even if you are just poppin' in to say hi, that's kewl.  Suggestions are considered, good ideas stolen, great ideas treated as though I had created them in the first place.  Maralda and Lahm is a short story set in Crux, the City of Curses, a rpg setting I've been homebrewing based on a wild mix of Napoleonic history and dark fantasy.  Hope you enjoyed it!