Memoirs of a RAFian

[Cloak]

New chapter.

CHAPTER SIX:
Too Late

"STOP RIGHT THERE!!" Faerie screamed.

Salem was just leaving her thread, adding to the sense of violation. In his hand, he held the item, freed from its packaging and wrappings. Red magical mist curled over his hand as he gripped the thin shaft of the prized artifact. To the casual observer, it looked like an average, run-of-the-mill, black branding iron or a rubber stamp with an handle elongated into a shaft. The stamping end had two symbols resembling the Elder Futhark rune Odal and the Anglo-Saxon rune Ing, but not quite.

And, yet, that was one of the little idiosyncrasies to magical artifacts. They always look so mundane, so commonplace, that someone without foreknowledge of such an item would not know the kind of power they possess. And this branding iron has a very unique abiliy, one of which that was the reaso. Salem desired it so badly.

"I really should charge you with death -- dah, I mean theft -- for taking the Brand from me." Salem said pragmatically. "Now that I have taken what you took --"

"You stole in the first place from that wealthy, old dude." Faerie countered.

"He didn't deserve it," Salem said, without hesitation.

"It isn't yours!"

"It is now." Salem said, his grip tightening.

"Like Hell it is!!" Faerie roared, launching herself at Salem, who looked unconcerned and unintimidated. Salem vanished in a way that rather looked like a shimmer from "Charmed". Faerie, unable to stop her own momentum, slid along the ground, messing up her clothes, causing small tears here and there.

"No!" Faerie screamed to the seemingly abandoned forum. "No!"

Faerie was in crisis. She had succeeded for months in keeping the brand safe. Years, even. Faerie noticed that Salem didn't seem to age a single day, but that wasn't important. The band in that boy's hand is a very dangerous situation to be had.

But how did he get in? Code Avalon was up! Faerie looked around surreptitiously and suspeciously. Her eyes narrowed as she noticed that Code Avalon was down. It could be simply a bug, a malfuction, a hiccup in power, or . . .

It was Rotiart's turn for security detail again. This was still very a conversational move, and Faerie were one of the ones who thought that Rotiart shouldn't have gotten out of it because that would have been a reward, not a punishment.

She was regretting her arguments at the moment.

[Cloak]

Hafta rest my back, so . . .

New chapter.

CHAPTER SEVEN:
Uncage the Beast

Salem did not go very far, and he could quite clearly hear Faerie's panic-induced rageful tirades quickly dissolve into despair and depression. He took a savage, masochistic pleasure in it.

Serves her right, he thought maliciously. For stealing MY stuff. Turnaround is fair play, after all. No matter how cliche, the addage still works.

He walked on hard flooring of the rather constricted room. Through his magical connection with Saberhagen, he was marginally surprised to discover that his feline familiar was having difficulty defeating that loser with the cloak! Well, this was unprecedented.

So, Salem just imparted some of his own magic from his own magical reservoir to his familiar feline, allowing the further change. He tsk-tsk-tsked as he proceeded forward with his plan. He held the brand firmly in his right hand, his dominant hand.

The cage was largely unnecessary anymore since the beast within had mellowed out considerably. But it remained as a precaution, remaining fairly well-maintained despite the superfluous need for the cage. The cage bars had some sort of rubbery, purple lacquer painted rather liberally on them.

The beast was currently slumbering in the far corner of this cage, seemingly not minding the cage at all. It would occasionally give a snorting snore, but not be roused by it. It just shifted position, wiggled its long, black-tipped, yellow ear, and then peacefully slumbered on.

Yes, Salem thought, as an exuberant sense of excitment filled him. Like a greedy child at Christmastime, he eyed this beast hungrily. Its might soon will be his to command as he saw fit. Yes, this creature is worthy of being my beast. It will do as I say, without question, thanks to this reliquary!!

Salem approached the cage door, and examined it thoroughly, especially the lock. It looked like a simple combination lock, all metal with a black dial and white numbering. Salem spun it, and tried to put in 19-1-12-5-13, as the beast's ear gave the slightest of twitches.

Nope. Still locked.

He tried to put in 13-1-7-9-3. The beast seemed to be roused by this.

Nuh-uh. Still securely locked.

He tried to put in 16-15-15-20-1-14-7. The beast rose into a sitting position, as it blinked its glowing red eyes blearily. It was almost like it needed a cup of coffee to wake up in the morning.

After a fleeting moment where Salem thought he heard a click, but it was still locked. Now Salem was getting ticked off. He decided to magick the lock open.

"Kcolnu uoy diputs kcol!!" he shouted. But this caused some magical interference as the blocks came into effect, causing the spell to rebound on Salem. Fortunately, it didn't have much the terms of power, so Salem survived fhe feedback.

"Open, damn you!" he shrieked, attracting the Pootang's attention, and smacking the lock with the brand. The lock popped open and fell to the ground. "Uh . . . I meant to do that."

[redtailedsaffa]

Why is Rotiart still on the roster again.

[Cloak]

Don't worry, Saffa, pretty soon . . . he won't be.

New chapter.

CHAPTER EIGHT:
Branding the Beast

A lowl growl. The Pootang was getting crankier, irritated by this whimpy thing made out of toothpicks carrying a black toothpick waking it up from its nap. It didn't like being woken up prematurely, as it got real lazy lately.

Salem readied himself for the brutal charge that he was informed about. He was eager to witness firsthand the brutal savagery, the unrestrained ferocity, the sheer show of power. It was like someone watching a really good monster movie for the first time, at they pointjust before they reveal the monster in its full glory, when the viewer is not expecting or even considering disappointment.

The Pootang walked up the cage door while upright, taking its time. This languid walk caused some of the excitment to leave Salem like a slowly-deflating balloon. This was the fearsome monster Malice had described? Salem couldn't help but wonder if he hadn't been swindled on this account.

The Pootang approached Salem as imperously as he could. Its strides suggesting a ****y swagger. The beast wasn't impressed by the scrawny boy with the Mandark haircut. It felt that it could destroy the pathetic creature before him with minimal effort.

"Ha!" Salem shouted, as he leaped up pulling his arm back and the branding iron with it. He struck! When he landed, the magical mark appeared on the Pootang's forehead. Salem stood up, sniffed, and straightened out the Puritan-style clothing he was wearing, while the Pootang simply just stood as if it was going, "Duuuuuuuuuuuuuuh . . ."

"Come out." Salem commanded. Then he tapped his foot impatiently as the Pootang complied sedately. "Well, hurry it up!"

The Pootang complied, with a growl of dissonance.

"Now, now," Salem said, authoritatively, "none of that. None of that sass."

The Pootang complied, with a mutinous gleam in its eyes. Salem clapped his hand to the rabid Pikachu, and vanished with the monster to a destination known only to Salem himself.

[Cloak]

New chapter.

CHAPTER NINE:
Conflicting Marks

The two appeared back in the center of the forum. A rather brazen move on Salem's part, as Faerie was still in the forum. Sure, she had given into despair, but she was stil as strong as she ever was. But Salem was acting on pure arrogance and a childish need to flaunt his victory.

"Come," he commanded to the Pootang, who growled in defiance but complied.

"Now, now. None of the sass, if you please."

They continued to walk to the exit, walk in an overtly sedate manner. Salem's sheer overconfidence and obvious ****iness was really evident in his decision to do this. This was a victory for him, and he believed that he needed a victory march. It wasn't much of a victory, this was true, but it was a big one to him. After all, he was just a boy, in body and behavior at the very least.

It had crossed the little witch boy's mind to use the Pootang as a mount, but he decided against this because he simply didn't feel like it right now. Besides . . . there was another reason that he wanted to go to the forum and walk serenely towards the exit. A punishment he sought to dole out.

Suddenly, a silhouette in the dim light. Salem reacted quickly without thinking, without considering. He wielded the brand rather like a dagger, held blade down. He plunged the brand on the forehead of this newcomer, assuming it to be Faerie. But it wasn't.

It was Demos.

Demos was branded as Pootang was, but Demos was sentient and possessed a Mark. The Pootang did not possess a Mark, and the question of its sentience was up for debate, which made its compliance to Salem all the easier. This struck an interesting quandary, as the Mark was supposed prevent such a controlling influence. Granted, it got a bit muddled in the case of Myitt, and her host Tara, and other Yeerk RAFians and such.

"You are under my control," Salem said, imperiously. "You must do as I say."

"That's debatable," Demos said, though he sounded pained.

"No sass, mister!"

"Where's the fun in that?"

"You must obey me, demon!"

"Whatever." Demos said. He was feeling pain due to the conflict between his brand mark and his Mark of a RAFian.

[redtailedsaffa]

Don't tell me the Mark breaks.

[Cloak]

Hmmmm . . . can't say.

New book ideas!

• Book DCCLXX: "Usurpation of a Role" -- Another child is born into RAF.
• Book DCCLXXI: "Underseen's in Love" -- Underseen gets a love interest.
• Book DCCLXXII: "Wright Out of His Mind" -- An old foe of RAF gains a power that he can use anywhere.

New chapter.

CHAPTER TEN:
Childish Chaos

Salem had taken the Pootang and Demos to the city, as night continued to fall. The street lamps had come on. Salem still managed to maintain his iron grip on the brand, and enabled his control (tenuous control in Demos's case). He allowed himself to cut loose a little, and be a child.

"Hurry up, you two!" Salem shouted.

"Yeah, yeah," Demos said, snarkily. "When I'm good and ready."

"Do not speak to me in such a way, demon."

"Make me," Demos replied, caustically.

Salem raised the brand.

"Oh," Demos said, "right."

Then they came upon an ice cream truck, parked in an alleyway. It looked abandoned, which would make sense, because who would want ice cream in this kind of frigid weather? They were nearing year's end, and it was still winter.

Salem didn't care. He was essentially a spoiled brat, though the way he acted and behaved at odd times, indicated otherwise. He ordered Demos and Pootang to crack it open, wanting vanilla ice cream, or something similar.

"Well?" Salem said. "What are you waiting for?"

The Pootang punched a hole in the side of the van, and teetered it so that it rested on two wheels, so that the treats within would tumble out. Nothing poured out.

"What?" Salem said, sounding haughty and scandalized at the same time. "What is this madness?"

"It's winter, little boy," Demos said acidly. He didn't seem too bothered by the cold, which could be considered on considering what Demos was. "Ice cream is a summer treat."

"How dare you disrespect me, you -- ooh, cake!" Salem began before being distracted by a cake store display. He turned to the two he branded. "You know what to do."

"Normally, I'd be up for a little mindless destruction," Demos said, as the Pootang immediately complied. "But, little boy, you take all the fun out of it."

"Stop calling me 'little boy'." Salem demanded, with threatening tones. But something was taken out the threat when one saw that his face below his eyes was smeared with frosting and cake crumbs.

Instead of being intimidated, Demos was just repulsed. It was at this moment, Saberhagen appeared out of nowhere, and leaped in Salem's waiting arms, worming his way to be around his neck, as if he were a fur to be worn.

[redtailedsaffa]

So the brand worked in spite of the Mark?

Book DCCLXXI: "Underseen's in Love" -- Underseen gets a love interest.

And Saffa learns that jealousy is not actually a myth, and Memoirs becomes a sitcom.

[Cloak]

Not quite. It's more like thebranding is influencing Demos to obey Salem, not directly compelling him to do it. Namely it's only barely working. Demos, if he displayed sufficient willpower, could break it, but he is curious on how this whole thing with Salem will turn out, so that's why he's going along with it.

And now that I think of it, this book isn't as dark as I thought it would be. Not a bad thing, though. Especially considering some later books. Er, wait a minute . . . I may eat those words sooner than I thought . . .

New chapter.

CHAPTER ELEVEN:
Alerted

"Wait," Cloak said, peering around peevishly. "Where did he go?"

"Does it really matter, Cloak?" Mr. Guy said. "We're lucky that these rich bastards are so self-important dicks that they didn't notice the two large bipedal felines going at it outside their gala."

"Gee, dear brother," Horse said, affecting an innocent tone, "tell us how you really feel."

"Never mind that," Cloak said, not willing to be deterred. "He probably went back to that witch boy. The cat must be his familiar."

"Familiar what?" Shadow asked.

"Later," Cloak said, brushing the question aside. "I've got the cat's acrid scent. Let's go."

Cloak did not wait for them to give there consent to the spontaneously-made plan, but headed out immediately.

***

The antics of Salem and his two branded minions did not fail to attract the attention of the RAFians. Faerie quickly filled in the only other RAFians who weren't currently on missions of their own or on personal business: Broken, Gaz, Laserbeak, and Sakki.

"Why did you safeguard it?" Gaz said, as they dashed toward the coordinates.

"Um," Faerie said, sarcastically feigning ignorance, "because I didn't want this to happen?!"

Laserbeak squawked angrily in defense of Gaz.

"You misunderstand me, Faerie," Gaz said, keeping her cool. "What I meant is why you didn't just destroy the brand."

"This brand, I take it that it doesn't work like a Horcrux," Broken said.

"It's not a Horcrux," Faerie said, gliding in front of them. "It's just imbued -- or imbibed, I can't remember -- with some serious dark, chaotic magic."

"That's why simply destroying the item, the reliquary, housing the evil magic would be pointless." Broken said. "The magic itself would not be destroyed with the item. It would have to go somewhere."

"The magic itself is indestructible?" Sakki inquired.

"No, but it can be purified, transformed." Broken replied. "Or, if it could not find a suitable housing to contain it, it just might dissipate -- but that would be exceedingly unlikely."

"'Exceedingly unlikely' is our bread and butter," Gaz said dryly.

[redtailedsaffa]

Sheesh, Guy.

[Cloak]

New chapter.

CHAPTER TWELVE:
On the Scene

The branded minions and Salem had finished with the cake store, and Salem went about looting toy stores, blowing up a movie theater sign showing a sequel that he didn't like, destroying a noisy car in desperat need of a muffler that annoyed him with the noise, and the like. This made them rather easy to find, as Salem had thrown caution to the wind as soon as he branded the Pootang.

"You've done enough damage for one night, young man," came a voice.

Salem looked around and immediately saw a figure silhouetted against a rising moon. The figure was obviously wearing a cloak. The figure leaped of the short, squat building and landed almost daintily in front of the boy.

Behind him was Mr. Guy and Horse. Shadow was standing in her uncle's shadow.

"You think that you're going to stop me?" the boy sneered at the very thought.

"Yes."

The smug smile on Salem's face evaporated. "No one's talked to me like that in so long."

"Then it was overdue." Cloak said, with a Batman-like seriousness. "And get used to it."

"I'd rather not! Teg eht tniop!!" Salem said, his smug smile returning.

Nothing happened.

"What?" Salem said, his smile pulling a Houdini again.

"Clearly, no one had informed you about Realm Walkers." Cloak said. "We're magic-proof."

"Well, this went south rather quickly," Salem said. "Slaves, get over here!"

The Pootang and Demos appeared at Salem's side.

"Demos, what do you think that you're doing?!" Sakki demanded, as her group arrived on scene.

Demos didn't answer, being too curious how all this would play out. The brand was subtly influencing this decision, otherwise Demos would have already attacked Salem, and threatened to dine on his entrails.

"Don't you dare ignore me, Demos!!" Sakki demanded.

"Attack!" Salem ordered his two minions.

[redtailedsaffa]

Shadow was standing in her uncle's shadow.

This is so meta.

[Cloak]

New chapter.

CHAPTER THIRTEEN:
Sakki's Slap

"Why aren't you attacking?!" Salem demanded of Demos.

"Oh, when I'm good and ready," Demos said, noncommittally.

"Now! Minion, now!"

"When I'm good and ready," Demos said, with a shrug.

"Don't you sass me!"

"Who's sassing?"

"UGH!!!"

Salem turned to the Pootang, and commanded, "Take 'em all down. Without mercy."

With an almighty roar, the Pootang charged forward, being reminiscent of the charge of a grizzly bear. The RAFians began to battle the Pootang, and it seems to go fairly well, in favor of the RAFians.

But then Saberhagen decided to enter the fray as well. And Salem imparted some of his magic reservoir into his familiar, resulting in the black Ultimate Appoplexian-like form. This complicated things on the RAFians' side. But they managed to hold their own. They were out-of-practice when battling the Pootang, having grown all too accustomed to its new docile demeanor.

Sakki wasn't fighting, though. She had just about enough of Demos standing on the sidelines, watching, waiting to see how everything played out. She strode directly towards, him, ****ing her hand back.

SLAP!!

Sakki had smacked Demos acrossed his left cheek with all the strength she could muster. The brand in Demos's forehead shattered, and all the influences that it had over him.

"What?!" Salem shouted, realizing what happened. Then Salem pour some of his magic reservoir into the brand and, thus, transferring it to the rabid Pikachu. Then he entered the fray himself.

[guitarhero01234]

Whoa, huge influx of new chapters lately. Not that I'm complaining

[Cloak]

All because I hurt my back at work and the doctor told me that I had to stay home, at least until my recheck later today, GH.

*doesn't look Gaz in the eye*

Um . . . sorry, Gaz. . . .

New chapter.

CHAPTER FOURTEEN:
Alas, Poor Laserbeak

The battle actually began to fair poorly for the RAFians.

The combination between the two brutes of the Pootang and Saberhagen, as well as the ranged combat of Salem seemed to prove to be a pretty solid team. Salem still held onto the branding iron, with a tight fist.

Cloak couldn't react fast enough to effectively enough to battle the two brutes, still feeling tired from his previous battle with Saberhagen. Whereas the feline familiar had recouped some energy when it transformed back into its housecat form. Cloak hadn't had such a method to recoup his energy and strength. He was the foe that Saberhagen primarily focused on.

Shadow tried to mimic her uncle, but found herself being forced to dodge too many times to be of any real offensive use to the battle. So, she played defense.

Horse was easily overlooked by Salem and Saberhagen, but the Pootang was well-versed in seeking seal prey. Though it, too, was out of practice in this endeavor.

Mr. Guy was doing the best he could with a found weapon, an old, forgotten, rusty pipe. But he wasn't making much headway. He had to be careful not to hit his allies, as thjs was a rather chaotic battle.

Broken was trying alleviate the problems that Salem was causing magically. Salem took childish offense at this, at Broken not letting him win. Broken wasn't impressed by Salem's whining.

Sakki had entered the fray, using a narrow-"beam" sonics on the three. It backfired as it just make them angrier and more irritated. However, Sakki wasn't a one-trick pony. She was a fairly adept hand-to-hand combat.

Demos was targeting Salem, for the indignity of branding him. Of course, he was risking being branded again. Demos was being brashly careless, and he knew it, but he was in the throes of his demonic nature.

Gaz was firing Laserbeak, in his gun mode, but did not make a single hit. Everyone was moving too much. She was reluctant to shoot an ally, and unwilling to take a shot that ran that risk. Unfortunately, she didn't notice that Saberhagen was going to bring down its twin claws down on Gaz, and Salem was aiming a large energy sphere at her.

With a squawk, Laserbeak transformed back into parrot mode and flew directly into the path of both. He took both attacks . . . and fell to the ground.

"Beaky!" Gaz shouted, her cry momentarily causing the battle to cease.

Laserbeak fell, broken.

"B-Beaky?" Gaz stammered.

Laserbeak laid on the ground, unmoving.

"Beaky?"

Dying.