Part XLVI: Watching Shadows
Date: Yippah 14th, 114 A.U.
Caiman suddenly snapped alert, instantly looking around the hall before he made sure there were no approaching threats. He glanced at the other guards, but they remained alert and resolute. One glanced at him with a look that told Caiman that he should have been paying more attention.
Caiman stifled a yawn; it was his first day in this portion of the guard after all. Caiman had been recently moved up here due to an unexpected shortage of guards for Jaigran—and because Caiman was one of the better ones in his division. There was always a shortage of guards for Jaigran. Caiman had yet to discover if that was due to more guards needed or if the guards mysteriously disappeared in some incident with the Emperor. Caiman hoped it wasn’t the latter.
Trying to keep himself awake in the middle of the night, Caiman bounced slightly on his heels before one of the guards glared at him. That’s right. He was supposed to be resolute and stiff. Caiman tried to stand stiffly, barely looking at the other guards. He was beginning to wish he had been able to stay in his division—more relaxed and carefree with his friends—instead of having to be super-on-duty here both since they were guarding the Emperor and since they were outside the Mothership in some fast crusier that the Emperor was using to go somewhere.
The Emperor never went anywhere.
Caiman wondered how his fellow guards would take a prank. One look at his fellow guards and he immediately dismissed the idea.
Playing a prank on one of them would be a baaaad idea.
At that moment, there was a scream from inside the Emperor’s chambers. The guards instantly leapt up and rushed for the door, Caiman getting into the mob. The door opened first and Emperor Jaigran leapt out, his face as pale as chalk and a… a golden corsha spear in his hand? Caiman had thought that the Emperor had long ago dismissed them as aged weapons that were no longer good… But then again…
“My Emperor!” the tallest and eldest-looking guard cried. “What is it?”
The short emperor’s gaze didn’t leave the room. “Turn on the lights.”
“Excuse me?”
“Turn on the lights you blasted idiot!” Jaigran said, moving back. “I want all the lights on! Purge the darkness! NOW!”
The guards immediately bustled over each other to move in to turn on the light. Caiman tried to peek over their shoulders to see what was in the room, but he couldn’t see anything in it—anything out of the ordinary that is.
“What is it, my Emperor?” the eldest guard asked.
“A Sla’ad,” Emperor Jaigran said, clenching his teeth. “There was a Sla’ad in there that tried to murder me.”
The guards moved further into the room. “I don’t see anything…” the eldest guard began.
Jaigran’s wings unfurled and Caiman had just felt the rushing air pushed back by Jaigran’s wings when Jaigran had flown into the room and hovered face-to-face with the guard, his corsha spear outstretched.
“ARE YOU CALLING ME A LIAR?!”
“No, my Emperor!” the guard said, backing up. “I just thought-”
Jaigran dropped to the floor. For some reason that Caiman couldn’t figure out, it seemed that Emperor Jaigran actually enjoyed being so short. Maybe it was because he could still order people around. Or maybe it was because… Caiman bit his lip to keep from laughing as he remembered a dirty joke that one of his friends had told him to humorously explain the reason.
“You didn’t think,” Jaigran snapped. “There was some Sla’ad abomination in here that tried to murder me.” His eyes flitted from side to side and then he drew back. “The shadows…”
“The what?”
“The Sla’ad conceal themselves in shadows!” Jaigran roared. “Get lamps in here! Purge the darkness from the corners! He could still be in here!”
Caiman somehow wondered that in the far places of the room there could a Sla’ad hidden but he moved to do as he was told and came running back with a couple lamps to search the room.
“Search around the edges—now!” Jaigran said, moving to the center of the room away from the shadows. “Search every dark spot for the Sla’ad! He can’t have gotten out of here!” Caiman nervously searched, but thankfully found no trace of a Sla’ad.
“We can’t find any trace of one… sir…” the eldest guard said.
“There was a Sla’ad here,” Emperor Jaigran said, a strange look in his eyes. “He was here. He tried to kill me.”
“Sir, I-”
“There is a new change in regulations,” Jaigran said, his gaze darting around the room. “From henceforth there are always to be two additional guards around me with fire-poles.” Caiman had heard of fire-poles. They were long staffs that fire-orcs made that had a fierce light glowing at the top of the staff. “Wherever I go, I will be so accompanied,” Jaigran quickly said. “There will be no shadows nearby me for a Sla’ad to hide in.”
“Sir… you really don’t think that-”
“Shut up!” Jaigran yelled. “There is a Sla’ad stalking me! I thought I had seen glimpses—snips of something in the shadows watching me—waiting its time for the right moment to strike—Now do it! Or I’ll make you my living fire-stick.”
“Yes sir,” the guard said. “Caiman! Get over here and go find some firesticks!” Caiman nervously hurried over to the door as the guard held it open. Caiman glanced back at Jaigran who was putting away his weapon.
“Is there really one,” Caiman said. “Or did he dream-”
“Just get the fire-sticks,” the guard said in a low voice. “The Emperor’s word is the Emperor’s word. If he believes his dream, it is our job to do the same.”
“Wh-”
“Go.”
Question of the Day: In light of Jaigran's paranoia, tell stories of extreme paranoia
Date: Yippah 14th, 114 A.U.
Caiman suddenly snapped alert, instantly looking around the hall before he made sure there were no approaching threats. He glanced at the other guards, but they remained alert and resolute. One glanced at him with a look that told Caiman that he should have been paying more attention.
Caiman stifled a yawn; it was his first day in this portion of the guard after all. Caiman had been recently moved up here due to an unexpected shortage of guards for Jaigran—and because Caiman was one of the better ones in his division. There was always a shortage of guards for Jaigran. Caiman had yet to discover if that was due to more guards needed or if the guards mysteriously disappeared in some incident with the Emperor. Caiman hoped it wasn’t the latter.
Trying to keep himself awake in the middle of the night, Caiman bounced slightly on his heels before one of the guards glared at him. That’s right. He was supposed to be resolute and stiff. Caiman tried to stand stiffly, barely looking at the other guards. He was beginning to wish he had been able to stay in his division—more relaxed and carefree with his friends—instead of having to be super-on-duty here both since they were guarding the Emperor and since they were outside the Mothership in some fast crusier that the Emperor was using to go somewhere.
The Emperor never went anywhere.
Caiman wondered how his fellow guards would take a prank. One look at his fellow guards and he immediately dismissed the idea.
Playing a prank on one of them would be a baaaad idea.
At that moment, there was a scream from inside the Emperor’s chambers. The guards instantly leapt up and rushed for the door, Caiman getting into the mob. The door opened first and Emperor Jaigran leapt out, his face as pale as chalk and a… a golden corsha spear in his hand? Caiman had thought that the Emperor had long ago dismissed them as aged weapons that were no longer good… But then again…
“My Emperor!” the tallest and eldest-looking guard cried. “What is it?”
The short emperor’s gaze didn’t leave the room. “Turn on the lights.”
“Excuse me?”
“Turn on the lights you blasted idiot!” Jaigran said, moving back. “I want all the lights on! Purge the darkness! NOW!”
The guards immediately bustled over each other to move in to turn on the light. Caiman tried to peek over their shoulders to see what was in the room, but he couldn’t see anything in it—anything out of the ordinary that is.
“What is it, my Emperor?” the eldest guard asked.
“A Sla’ad,” Emperor Jaigran said, clenching his teeth. “There was a Sla’ad in there that tried to murder me.”
The guards moved further into the room. “I don’t see anything…” the eldest guard began.
Jaigran’s wings unfurled and Caiman had just felt the rushing air pushed back by Jaigran’s wings when Jaigran had flown into the room and hovered face-to-face with the guard, his corsha spear outstretched.
“ARE YOU CALLING ME A LIAR?!”
“No, my Emperor!” the guard said, backing up. “I just thought-”
Jaigran dropped to the floor. For some reason that Caiman couldn’t figure out, it seemed that Emperor Jaigran actually enjoyed being so short. Maybe it was because he could still order people around. Or maybe it was because… Caiman bit his lip to keep from laughing as he remembered a dirty joke that one of his friends had told him to humorously explain the reason.
“You didn’t think,” Jaigran snapped. “There was some Sla’ad abomination in here that tried to murder me.” His eyes flitted from side to side and then he drew back. “The shadows…”
“The what?”
“The Sla’ad conceal themselves in shadows!” Jaigran roared. “Get lamps in here! Purge the darkness from the corners! He could still be in here!”
Caiman somehow wondered that in the far places of the room there could a Sla’ad hidden but he moved to do as he was told and came running back with a couple lamps to search the room.
“Search around the edges—now!” Jaigran said, moving to the center of the room away from the shadows. “Search every dark spot for the Sla’ad! He can’t have gotten out of here!” Caiman nervously searched, but thankfully found no trace of a Sla’ad.
“We can’t find any trace of one… sir…” the eldest guard said.
“There was a Sla’ad here,” Emperor Jaigran said, a strange look in his eyes. “He was here. He tried to kill me.”
“Sir, I-”
“There is a new change in regulations,” Jaigran said, his gaze darting around the room. “From henceforth there are always to be two additional guards around me with fire-poles.” Caiman had heard of fire-poles. They were long staffs that fire-orcs made that had a fierce light glowing at the top of the staff. “Wherever I go, I will be so accompanied,” Jaigran quickly said. “There will be no shadows nearby me for a Sla’ad to hide in.”
“Sir… you really don’t think that-”
“Shut up!” Jaigran yelled. “There is a Sla’ad stalking me! I thought I had seen glimpses—snips of something in the shadows watching me—waiting its time for the right moment to strike—Now do it! Or I’ll make you my living fire-stick.”
“Yes sir,” the guard said. “Caiman! Get over here and go find some firesticks!” Caiman nervously hurried over to the door as the guard held it open. Caiman glanced back at Jaigran who was putting away his weapon.
“Is there really one,” Caiman said. “Or did he dream-”
“Just get the fire-sticks,” the guard said in a low voice. “The Emperor’s word is the Emperor’s word. If he believes his dream, it is our job to do the same.”
“Wh-”
“Go.”
Question of the Day: In light of Jaigran's paranoia, tell stories of extreme paranoia
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