ChaosLenny
04-18-2010, 04:18 AM
The Pan
Again, I love the idea of twisting classic characters. That’s the thing that draws me to the Malifaux setting the most. Awhile back I wrote the Lost Marshal that some folks like, a twist on the Lone Ranger. I thought another cool idea would be a Neverborn based on Peter Pan. I know it sounds kind of silly, but I wrote a little teaser story to show where I’m going with the idea. Hope you guys like it, and again thanks to the folks at Wyrd for such an awesome setting.
“Wendy.”
Wendy Masterson’s eyes opened from her slumber at the sound of her name being called, and a gentle tapping on her bedroom window. The notion disturbed her as her eyes adjusted to the darkness of the room. The room itself was on the third floor of a recently renovated red brick building in the downtown quarter of Malifaux. It had been refurbished into apartments and rented out to low level Guild functionaries. Which was exactly what Wendy Masterson was she had recently come through the Breech to serve in one of the Guild established drinking halls to pay off debts her father had incurred before he passed away. Wendy had consigned herself to her fate, a young woman not yet twenty five who could have had her pick of husbands Earthside was now on an alien world, in a forbidding city, being groped nightly by filthy Soulstone miners. None of this mattered to Wendy at the moment she was more concerned by the tapping at her window.
“Wendy,” again the voice said. Softer than a whisper but she was sure it was coming from beyond her room. Through the darkness she could make out the shape of a man outside of her window, gently tapping at the glass. Her heart skipped a beat and sunk in her chest. There was no balcony or ledge outside of her window. Yet she could plainly see the shape of a man gently bobbing outside. “It’s all right Wendy,” the voice whispered again soothing and sweet. She clutched her covers to her chest in fear despite the serene tone of the voice.
“Who are you?” Wendy said softly, trembling in fear. As if in response to her question a pale violet light began illuminate the darkness outside the window. She could clearly see the figure now. It was a handsome young man no older than twenty. He was well built and bronzed skin which was apparent as he hovered outside of her window his chest bare and dressed in tight leggings stitched together from different fabrics and colors, a long knife hanging from his belt. His golden blonde hair flew about in the breeze as he regarded her with handsome boyish features and a sly grin set below his almost glowing green eyes. Despite the situation Wendy could not help but be taken with the young man, he was almost angelic in his beauty.
“Let me in Wendy. I’ve watched you for so long,” the young man continued who was the obvious source of the whispering she heard. Perhaps it was his looks or the seductive pull of his whispering voice, but her fear subsided. She pushed off her covers and crossed the floor to open the window. The lure of the young man’s whisper overpowered Wendy’s modesty. She was oblivious the flimsy night gown she was wearing that revealed her shapely body, her pale face framed in her long dark hair cascading down her shoulders. Still breathing heavily Wendy opened the window. The cool night air of Malifaux flooding her room.
He flew in deftly. Grabbing Wendy in his strong arms and pulling her close to him. Despite her fear she melted into him, his smell was madding to her like the musky incense that they would burn in the opium dens in the slums. They floated above the hardwood of the bedroom floor twisting slowly in the breeze. The young man keeping her close gently stroked her black hair with his free hand as they rocked gently in the air. She saw the source of the violet light. Darting about the room, flying were small creatures. They looked like tiny young women incredibly pale, no more than two or three feet tall, they were graced with large butterfly like wings marked in strange patterns of black and purple that flapped quickly shedding motes of violet light that sparkled brightly before fading away just before hitting the ground. They giggled and whispered unintelligibly filling the room with the purple glow. There was something frightening about them despite their smiling faces; they had pure black eyes gleaming like onyx stone.
“Pay them no head, sweetest Wendy,” the young man said. He pulled her even closer to him she found herself resting her head on his chest entranced by the rhythmic beating of his heart. “I’ve watched you so long. I’ve thought of nothing but you. It’s rare I find a young woman with such desires to sate my hungers.” Wendy could feel her blood burn for this man, his voice, the scent of him, and the feel of his skin against hers. “Say you’ll be mine Wendy darling, say you’ll give yourself to me and I’ll take you to place like none you’ve seen before,” he whispered gently in her ear.
“Yes,” Wendy almost moaned. “I’m yours,” she continued this stranger this angel form the night and his little fairies had come to answer her prayers and take her to a place far from Malifaux. No more leering stares from the miners and workers, no more debts to be paid. She would be free with her handsome prince who had come to save her. She noticed the giggling of the fairies grow louder and their pace become more frantic as she looked up at him with her large brown eyes. His gaze joined with hers and she saw darkness come over his expression. His grin had almost a sadistic cast to it. She felt the fear she had when she first awoke tonight wash over her yet again. Her breath quickened and her heart raced.
“Thank you Wendy my darling,” the young man said coldly. The giggles of the fairies twisted into cruel laughter. “Try and think on happier thoughts and it will not hurt as bad sweetest,” the handsome stranger continued his whispering voice turning into a hiss. In one swift motion his hand grabbed her hair roughly and jerked her from him throwing her against the wall of her bedroom. She slumped down to the floor she tried to scream but could find no voice. She felt warmth run down her chest. Her eyes widen in horror. Looking at the young man, still calmly hovering before her, his slender knife gleaming in the pale light, blood dripping slowly from the blade. Glancing down she saw the crimson stain of blood flowing down her chest as her life blood ran from the slash across her throat.
The young man let out a sharp whistle. All of the shadows in the room seemed to come together and form into something like a dark swirling copy of the young man, only in shape though as if his shadow had come to life. The shadowy creature walked slowly to Wendy as her life ebbed from her. It picked her up roughly by the arms, pulling her close. Then in a quick motion the shadow figure engulfed her. In her last moments of sanity she realized the eternity of hell her soul would endure as food to this creature of darkness. In a moment Wendy Masterson was gone not even the blood that spilled from her throat remained. Only a few drops from the young man’s knife dotted the floor as evidence of the woman.
The shadowy figure and young man faced off against each other. Floating a few feet above the ground and the fairies circled about them motes of violet and silver cascading about them. “Are you satisfied now,” the young man said an almost whimsical tone in his voice. The shadow nodded at him. “Good, then get back where you belong,” the young man continued to the shadow putting his hands on his hips. The dark copy of him shrugged and shrank away flowing behind the young man taking his place as the young man’s absent shadow.
The young man which was sometimes called the Pan straightened his back and licked the blood from his gleaming blade before putting it back in its sheath at his waist. He noticed the sun was beginning to rise turning the darkness of the night into a lighter predawn grey. Throwing his shoulders back he let out a great crow that woke the residents of the building and several other folk nearby. “Come little ones,” he said to the swirling fairies about him. He flew quickly out the room turning and looking back briefly. “Poor, poor Wendy, but when my shadow goes off on his own there really is no talking to him. I’m sure you understand,” he said his sly grin never leaving his face. He closed his eyes he could almost hear her screams in the dark realm the Shadow took all of its playthings. The Pan’s smile grew and he shrugged; flying off away from the city his fairies trailing behind.
***********************************************
“What do you make of it,” the Guild officer said. He stammered a bit still in awe that he was in the presence of the famous Neverborn hunter. “Another young woman gone missing and not a bit of evidence except for a few drops of blood,” the officer finished. He scrunched his eyebrows frustrated with yet another disappearance.
“Si,” Perdita Ortega replied. The Guild had called her as more and more women had disappeared under similar circumstances. She was no closer to an answer but she swore her and her family would find this demon and bring it to justice. She was no closer but the fiend was getting more frequent in its attack. “Vios Con Dios,” Perdita whispered in the room knowing Wendy Masterson was no longer in this world. She turned back to the Guild officer. “Add this as another lost girl.”
Again, I love the idea of twisting classic characters. That’s the thing that draws me to the Malifaux setting the most. Awhile back I wrote the Lost Marshal that some folks like, a twist on the Lone Ranger. I thought another cool idea would be a Neverborn based on Peter Pan. I know it sounds kind of silly, but I wrote a little teaser story to show where I’m going with the idea. Hope you guys like it, and again thanks to the folks at Wyrd for such an awesome setting.
“Wendy.”
Wendy Masterson’s eyes opened from her slumber at the sound of her name being called, and a gentle tapping on her bedroom window. The notion disturbed her as her eyes adjusted to the darkness of the room. The room itself was on the third floor of a recently renovated red brick building in the downtown quarter of Malifaux. It had been refurbished into apartments and rented out to low level Guild functionaries. Which was exactly what Wendy Masterson was she had recently come through the Breech to serve in one of the Guild established drinking halls to pay off debts her father had incurred before he passed away. Wendy had consigned herself to her fate, a young woman not yet twenty five who could have had her pick of husbands Earthside was now on an alien world, in a forbidding city, being groped nightly by filthy Soulstone miners. None of this mattered to Wendy at the moment she was more concerned by the tapping at her window.
“Wendy,” again the voice said. Softer than a whisper but she was sure it was coming from beyond her room. Through the darkness she could make out the shape of a man outside of her window, gently tapping at the glass. Her heart skipped a beat and sunk in her chest. There was no balcony or ledge outside of her window. Yet she could plainly see the shape of a man gently bobbing outside. “It’s all right Wendy,” the voice whispered again soothing and sweet. She clutched her covers to her chest in fear despite the serene tone of the voice.
“Who are you?” Wendy said softly, trembling in fear. As if in response to her question a pale violet light began illuminate the darkness outside the window. She could clearly see the figure now. It was a handsome young man no older than twenty. He was well built and bronzed skin which was apparent as he hovered outside of her window his chest bare and dressed in tight leggings stitched together from different fabrics and colors, a long knife hanging from his belt. His golden blonde hair flew about in the breeze as he regarded her with handsome boyish features and a sly grin set below his almost glowing green eyes. Despite the situation Wendy could not help but be taken with the young man, he was almost angelic in his beauty.
“Let me in Wendy. I’ve watched you for so long,” the young man continued who was the obvious source of the whispering she heard. Perhaps it was his looks or the seductive pull of his whispering voice, but her fear subsided. She pushed off her covers and crossed the floor to open the window. The lure of the young man’s whisper overpowered Wendy’s modesty. She was oblivious the flimsy night gown she was wearing that revealed her shapely body, her pale face framed in her long dark hair cascading down her shoulders. Still breathing heavily Wendy opened the window. The cool night air of Malifaux flooding her room.
He flew in deftly. Grabbing Wendy in his strong arms and pulling her close to him. Despite her fear she melted into him, his smell was madding to her like the musky incense that they would burn in the opium dens in the slums. They floated above the hardwood of the bedroom floor twisting slowly in the breeze. The young man keeping her close gently stroked her black hair with his free hand as they rocked gently in the air. She saw the source of the violet light. Darting about the room, flying were small creatures. They looked like tiny young women incredibly pale, no more than two or three feet tall, they were graced with large butterfly like wings marked in strange patterns of black and purple that flapped quickly shedding motes of violet light that sparkled brightly before fading away just before hitting the ground. They giggled and whispered unintelligibly filling the room with the purple glow. There was something frightening about them despite their smiling faces; they had pure black eyes gleaming like onyx stone.
“Pay them no head, sweetest Wendy,” the young man said. He pulled her even closer to him she found herself resting her head on his chest entranced by the rhythmic beating of his heart. “I’ve watched you so long. I’ve thought of nothing but you. It’s rare I find a young woman with such desires to sate my hungers.” Wendy could feel her blood burn for this man, his voice, the scent of him, and the feel of his skin against hers. “Say you’ll be mine Wendy darling, say you’ll give yourself to me and I’ll take you to place like none you’ve seen before,” he whispered gently in her ear.
“Yes,” Wendy almost moaned. “I’m yours,” she continued this stranger this angel form the night and his little fairies had come to answer her prayers and take her to a place far from Malifaux. No more leering stares from the miners and workers, no more debts to be paid. She would be free with her handsome prince who had come to save her. She noticed the giggling of the fairies grow louder and their pace become more frantic as she looked up at him with her large brown eyes. His gaze joined with hers and she saw darkness come over his expression. His grin had almost a sadistic cast to it. She felt the fear she had when she first awoke tonight wash over her yet again. Her breath quickened and her heart raced.
“Thank you Wendy my darling,” the young man said coldly. The giggles of the fairies twisted into cruel laughter. “Try and think on happier thoughts and it will not hurt as bad sweetest,” the handsome stranger continued his whispering voice turning into a hiss. In one swift motion his hand grabbed her hair roughly and jerked her from him throwing her against the wall of her bedroom. She slumped down to the floor she tried to scream but could find no voice. She felt warmth run down her chest. Her eyes widen in horror. Looking at the young man, still calmly hovering before her, his slender knife gleaming in the pale light, blood dripping slowly from the blade. Glancing down she saw the crimson stain of blood flowing down her chest as her life blood ran from the slash across her throat.
The young man let out a sharp whistle. All of the shadows in the room seemed to come together and form into something like a dark swirling copy of the young man, only in shape though as if his shadow had come to life. The shadowy creature walked slowly to Wendy as her life ebbed from her. It picked her up roughly by the arms, pulling her close. Then in a quick motion the shadow figure engulfed her. In her last moments of sanity she realized the eternity of hell her soul would endure as food to this creature of darkness. In a moment Wendy Masterson was gone not even the blood that spilled from her throat remained. Only a few drops from the young man’s knife dotted the floor as evidence of the woman.
The shadowy figure and young man faced off against each other. Floating a few feet above the ground and the fairies circled about them motes of violet and silver cascading about them. “Are you satisfied now,” the young man said an almost whimsical tone in his voice. The shadow nodded at him. “Good, then get back where you belong,” the young man continued to the shadow putting his hands on his hips. The dark copy of him shrugged and shrank away flowing behind the young man taking his place as the young man’s absent shadow.
The young man which was sometimes called the Pan straightened his back and licked the blood from his gleaming blade before putting it back in its sheath at his waist. He noticed the sun was beginning to rise turning the darkness of the night into a lighter predawn grey. Throwing his shoulders back he let out a great crow that woke the residents of the building and several other folk nearby. “Come little ones,” he said to the swirling fairies about him. He flew quickly out the room turning and looking back briefly. “Poor, poor Wendy, but when my shadow goes off on his own there really is no talking to him. I’m sure you understand,” he said his sly grin never leaving his face. He closed his eyes he could almost hear her screams in the dark realm the Shadow took all of its playthings. The Pan’s smile grew and he shrugged; flying off away from the city his fairies trailing behind.
***********************************************
“What do you make of it,” the Guild officer said. He stammered a bit still in awe that he was in the presence of the famous Neverborn hunter. “Another young woman gone missing and not a bit of evidence except for a few drops of blood,” the officer finished. He scrunched his eyebrows frustrated with yet another disappearance.
“Si,” Perdita Ortega replied. The Guild had called her as more and more women had disappeared under similar circumstances. She was no closer to an answer but she swore her and her family would find this demon and bring it to justice. She was no closer but the fiend was getting more frequent in its attack. “Vios Con Dios,” Perdita whispered in the room knowing Wendy Masterson was no longer in this world. She turned back to the Guild officer. “Add this as another lost girl.”