This is powerful stuff!

Janus coming to terms with what he is, not what he thinks he is, is potent writing.

Melisande is effective as the catalyst in this scene.

A nit:

I think you meant whose

Again, a great chapter!

I have really enjoyed the expansion of Melisande's character and role and nice work on dealing with Janus' role/character/realization.

Although I am now stuck with the phrase "Janus' juices" in my head. I can't unlearn that. :stare:

:read: Wonderfully done, again mALX!

You really got inside the heads of Janus and Melisande with some beautiful depth and insights. :nod:




This was so neat! What a picture. :flame:


This is beautiful. The last part of this was so poignant, insightful and true.

Transcendently moving and thoughtful. There are many powerful moments in this one, so much so that I will dust off an ancient fan-fic phrase-

S.G.M

That is brilliant writing mALX. Sends a shiver up the spine.
It shows that you are truly at one with your story.

Epic. :bowdown:

I once commented on your amazing ability to identify the humanity that lies within even your most inhuman characters. You have really exercised that ability in this chapter. Even though I know what Janus has done, and even though I want to see him suffer for it, I still find myself feeling sorry for him.



Simply amazing.

@ RemkoNL - Thank you so much! I think Melisande is a good influence, lol.
***
@ Hauteecole Rider - Thank you very much!! I went back and forth on which to use, ROFL !!! Just could not remember the rule on that one.
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@ Leydenne - ROFL !!!! He is a juicy guy, lol. Thank you Leydenne, You ROCK !!!
***
@ Acadian - Thank you Acadian, you are greatly appreciated!
***
@ Treydog - Thank you very much Treydog, and for letting me know what that meant too! I have something very special coming up for you and Mrs. Treydog - just to get a laugh, no work this time! ROFL !! Thank you again, you are Awesome !!!
***
@ Winter Wolf - I can never thank you enough for all your support and encouragement! You are the inspiration behind more than you realize in this story!
***
@ Destri Melarg - Thank you very much Destri - that part was powerful for me when writing it. I free typed that, and got chills when I read it. Janus is one of those characters that takes over the keyboard and tells his own story. This is one of those places where that happened.

Chapter 74: Blood Of The Witch


"Janus, we really need to go. There is a crucial time frame we have to work within here."

"I am ready. I have been steeling myself for getting back in the sunlight, and will try not to yell; but as good as my resolve is while under this canopy of trees, it may not last when my skin is sizzling and bubbling."

"I saw an Imperial Legion ride by just a short time ago, you could take his horse and ride back to Skingrad. I will meet you there."

"Steal a horse? It was hard enough to break into Maxical's room, if we hadn't needed that dagger?"

"Timing is crucial and I need your help. I will go on ahead and you just catch up any way you can then. Just don't follow me howling. Get with the times Janus, this is the third era for gods sake! I was raised the same time you were and pick locks when needed, and I guarantee you Maxical has picked a few in her day."

"I know she has; she is but a child. I am a Count, what if I was caught? Have you ever stolen a horse before?"

"No, and if you don't keep the horse afterward then you are just borrowing it. I will make you invisible so they can't possibly know you are a Count unless you are stupid enough to talk to them. "

"That is what Maxical said once."

"What, that you are stupid?"

"No. She said if you don't keep the horse, you are just borrowing it."

"Well, she was right. She stole a horse? Never mind, there is no time now." Melisande cast a chameleon spell on Janus and then began walking toward Skingrad at a brisk pace.

Janus's howling had the effect of causing the Legionnaire to dismount, looking for the wolf he clearly heard. Janus leapt on his horse quickly and rode up to Melisande, reaching down and grabbing her arm to pull her up behind him. She quickly cast the chameleon onto herself and swung up behind him. They galloped the whole way to Skingrad more from the poor horse's fright at hearing the howling coming from his back than from Janus urging it.

At the Castle gates they dismounted. Janus turned the horse back and slapped its rump so it would travel away from the castle and hopefully find its way home.

Janus hurried inside, but Melisande stayed by her cart, pulling her heavy cauldron off the back and setting it up in the courtyard. She gathered sticks and branches from the plateau around the castle and lay them beside the cauldron. Then she went inside, following the wending corridors down to the wine cellar.

"Janus, the night this ritual is performed there must be no one at the castle to see what occurs. You must send all but your bodyguard away for at least a week. Have your cook prepare some meals ahead for your 'honored guests' and give everyone orders that take them elsewhere for that period. We must take no chances. It may be best to bring her with us and travel as we did to the forest, doing this ritual elsewhere."

"I will get rid of everyone. I don't want her leaving here." Janus left to give the orders.

He was no sooner gone from the room when Melisande told the bodyguard to find him and remind him that she had need of certain ingredients right away. She shoved a scribbled list into the bodyguard's hands. He left, sealing the exit. Quickly Melisande lifted her dress and ripped two strips of lacing off her petticoat and tucked them into her waistband. The large end of a wine bottle could be seen sticking out the top of her boot when she lifted her petticoat. She pulled it out and then hurried to the other end of the crypt and returned with another wine bottle she had hidden in the far corner. Hannibal stood at the front of the cell watching her.

"I need your assistance quickly. We cannot allow Maxical to only be given Janus's blood. She will end up being his slave, which I think he knows. We must protect her from that. Traven, you must draw some blood from me and fill it into these wine bottles. Move quickly before he returns."

"I cannot?" Traven began.

"Don't tell me you have never bled a patient before, it is just a bottle instead of a bowl. Now hush and hurry! There is no time to be lost! If he comes back you must hide these bottles, and keep them corked so the blood stays clean. Place them as close to the wall as possible to keep them chilled." Melisande pulled the cork out of the first bottle and held it in her mouth with the side that would go into the bottle sticking out of her mouth.

"Hurry Hannibal! You move like you are 100 years old!" Melisande said almost unintelligibly around the cork in her mouth. "And whatever you do, neither of you touch around the mouth of that bottle for any reason."

Reluctantly Hannibal took the bottle from her. He poured the wine out into his and Marie's metal drinking mugs, giving Marie a wink as he did. Marie smiled up at him, but remained on the mattress with a blanket pulled snugly around her. Her breath was leaving a light trail of vapor in the air from the chill of the crypt. What was left over in the bottle he started to pour down the drain hole in their cell that they had been using as a toilet before Janus had sent an urn down for their use.

"Pour it over your fingers Hannibal, that wine has been fortified. The alcohol will help kill germs."

Melisande went to her pack of supplies and very carefully removed a roll of thick velvet. She unwrapped it as quickly as possible while still taking great care not to damage it. When it was finally unraveled she held a tiny and delicate piece of cut glass that glowed with a blue light. She carried it to the front of the cell and stuck her arm through the bars.

"I?I don't know what you want me to do." Hannibal said, eyeing the strange contraption.

"I will talk you through it. First off, only touch it right here in the center, never on either end. The tiny point goes into my vein. You hold it just like this along my arm; just like I am showing you. Pierce the vein right here. As soon as you feel it break through - now watch carefully how I do this. Lower the back and put your thumb on here and push it toward my upper arm. You will feel it slide, and then make a slight clicking sound. You will know you have done it right if this lower chamber turns brown. The blood will come up into this tube. I will hold it after that, I just can't get it into my own arm. Marie can stand ready with the bottle."

"I am not used to fancy contraptions, I usually just do this with a silver knife and a bowl." Hannibal said. He carefully took the contraption, and Melisande talked him through each step. The bottom of the glass object seemed to turn a dark brown, but the top of the tube shape remained glowing blue.

"You did it! See the brown in the lower chamber? Not bad for your first time Hannibal, I may think of you next time I need bloodletting!"

Hannibal smiled.

"Okay, now we have to hurry before they come back here. Hold the bottle right here in front of me and tip it toward my arm slightly. Okay, now without touching the tip of the tube, poke it into the bottle - gently! Okay, now see this turnkey thing here? Very gently turn that, do not jar it!"

"Marie, come and hold this bottle for me, just like I have it. That's a girl." Hannibal very carefully turned the key on the tube and was amazed to see the glowing blue tip turn brown and the bottle begin to fill up with Melisande's blood. "What is this thing Melisande?"

"That was a 'Sky Child,' magic from the sky. I believe you know it as a Welkynd stone. I had someone who was very skilled in cutting and shaping them make this for me a long time ago in Morrowind. He was making tiny and delicate figurines and dotting his window with them. I asked him if he could design one that would serve a certain purpose. I won't go into my reasons for needing it with you; suffice it to say I had cause to need this. And obviously it is a good thing I did, as I see no other way in your supplies to transfer the blood from Janus to Maxical."

"I had no idea how we would be able to do it either, but hoped to buy some time from Janus. Are you saying that you can actually use that device to place blood inside her?"

"Not this one. This removes the blood. It has a twin that we will use on Maxical. That one will connect to a bottle, or can connect to this one for a more direct transfusion. These are made of enchanted meteoric glass that releases Magicka into the body. As my blood travels through the tube it is gaining in magicka. When we drain the blood into Maxical, the tube that goes into her arm will do the same. It will give her a tremendous boost of magicka which she will need to spark her organs back to life. Once a normal Welkynd stone is used they crumble to dust and can never be used again. But this man was an ancient, and knew a secret on how to cut them just right so they could be re-used. He went to his grave with that secret. I was lucky to get this from him before he passed on."

"We must be quick! Marie you must empty this other bottle and put the cork back in the top so it stays clean. When we cork this bottle hide it against the wall where it cannot be seen or damaged. I need you to clean up the blood that spurted so there is no evidence we have done this." Melisande called out orders to Marie while she watched Hannibal massage her arm to increase the blood flow. "You have good hands Hannibal." She said in a distracted voice.

Marie quickly stood up with the bloodied straw in her hands and eyed Melisande.

"Hurry Marie! There is no time to be wasted!" Melisande urged in a gentle tone. Oh dear, she thought. This was no time for Marie to begin having jealousies over her.

Since I've been accused of this, I can say it.

Ahhhh, you're writing faster than I can read.. :ahhh:

:goodjob:

I have only two nitpicks;
1st: wine isn't strong enough to effectively clean a wound, only spirits (>38%) are. Brandy would have been a better choice. Too bad there is no Wodka in Tamriel, that would have been ideal (because of the cleanliness)
2nd: Don't you mean Welkynd stone rather than Welkland stone?

Loved it!

:read: Well done again, mALX!

I've thoroughly enjoyed every minute of where you have taken us, even a wonderfully integrated side trip to decimate the DB. Nevertheless, I must admit it is nice to be closer to our kit and bringing her back to us.

So, not only is Janus an ancient vampire, we learn here that Melisande is an ancient witch. Makes perfect sense, of course and adds a whole range of possibilities and mystery.

I am fascinated by where you are leading us - the mystical process of bringing Maxical back to life. My goodness, you have really thought this through, and I love how you are approaching the process. I can't wait to see it unfold. I have no doubt, knowing you my friend, that there will be twists and turns ahead. :nod:

As always, what a joy your stories are to read!

:rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

And Melisande FTW!

There is the irreverent humor that I love so. But it also conceals Melisande's more serious purpose, to ensure that the Maxical who returns is fully autonomous. The "surgical apparatus" is a brilliant stroke.

If you want to change the wine (due to the low alcohol content issue), brandy will work, as will fortified wine.

Brilliant work, yet again.

Interesting chapter!

Wonder what Melisande is going to do with her own blood? Is that a back up treatment in case Janus's blood doesn't work? I guess I will have to wait and find out.

As for sterility, alcohol is not recommended in open wounds, as they dry out the tissues and interfere with normal healing. Sugar (not the moon variety) or salt (ouch!) is actually better. Of course, in the TES universe, we have healing spells and potions, so salt and sugar are not needed.

However, for sterilization of intact skin (i.e. prior to venipuncture) spirits would be effective, hence Cyrodiilic brandy or Nord whiskey would be fine. Actually, Nord whiskey may cause frostbite! Warts, begone!

I'm missing my favorite albino kit. Please bring her back soon!

treydog beat me to the line that I was going to quote, so I'll just add my laughter to his. :rofl:

I agree with Acadian. The detail you are going into with this whole process is truly impressive. If I am reading it correctly, it seems as if Melisande is attempting to merge her own blood with Janus' in Maxical's resurrection. I can see some interesting possibilities down the road. Will this course of action save Maxical from becoming Janus' slave? Will she be equal parts slave to two masters? Are Melisande's actions as altruistic as they seem? Will I stop asking questions only mALX can answer? Don't slow down your output, we're on pins and needles here! :read:

I'm finding it harder and harder to keep up with so many excellent threads but yours is one I wouldn't miss. Is it possible for Maxical to be aware within that black soul-gem? If so, I'd sure like to know what she's thinking before she exits.

HA HA! After two days of reading I am caught up! Ah...Feels good...Malx...Wonderful story. I shall continue to read as long as I am able.

Oh..And hello all....Arcry has returned!

Wow. The background detail was great. I assume that you and Van Helsing went to the same medical school? :nod:

I remember what happened to Lucy in the Bram Stoker novel. Many so-called 'good' men gave up their blood also to no avail.
My heart will break if our cat-girl has to go through step number 2 if she is cursed ...... no, no, that is too horrible to consider

@ Old Andy - Nobody writes as fast as you! I just started earlier, lol.
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@ RemkoNL - Fixed both, and thank you so much !!
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@ Acadian - Only nine more chapters when this next one posts - and maybe a few twists, can't say...Lol. Thank you, Acadian!
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@ Treydog - That was my favorite line, although the wolf ones ran close, lol. - Thank you very much for that "Fortified" I used it !!
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@ Hauteecole Rider - She is coming soon - Yeah !! Thank you for your tips, I may have to give someone a wart so I can have them freeze it off now !!!
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@ Destri Melarg - You hit right on some, and some you intrigued me with ideas for future stories, lol. On that line - I laughed writing it, and with each edit, that was my fave, as I told Treydog - the wolf lines ran a close second. Thank you very much Destri, and for the wonderful help too!
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@ Bobg (Master Po) - I have considered that possibility via dreams/nightmares later on - but need to wait till she is back. I have the chapters written right up to her return to the living, too much needs to happen . I am fighting very hard against any sidetracks right now. My mother has written me numerous emails wanting Maxical back, lol. Thank you Master Po.
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@ Arcry - It is so good to have you back, and I loved the updates you sent through the two days - especially when you got to the part where Eyja was dismantling your beloved Dark Brotherhood! You have been missed!
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@ Winter Wolf - (starts lining up vids of Wolves howling), lol. Oh dear... - but no situation is hopeless, if she can make it back from the dead, she can make it through anything! Thank you Winter Wolf, and I swear I am not trying to give you a bad year

Chapter 75: Of Blood And Games


"Melisande, your blood flows too slowly now, let's switch to the other arm." Hannibal said, ceasing his massage efforts. "Marie, come help me with this." His voice showed the unconcern of a person used to authority; automatically assuming their requests were being complied with. Marie hurried to his side.

Hannibal corked the bottle tightly and handed it to Marie. "Hide this bottle against that back wall where it is coldest, then bring me the other bottle."

Marie stowed the bottle against the back wall, covering it with the bloody straw from cleaning the floor.

Melisande handed him a piece of torn petticoat and he tied it tightly around her arm, pulling her sleeve down over it.

She switched arms quickly. "Okay Hannibal, just like the other arm. Remember, when you feel it break the vein, point the tip upward. Use your thumb to slide it into place. Listen for the click. You did it! See the lower chamber filling up? Now get the bottle."

"This contraption is amazing! I could use something like this at the Arcane for bloodletting the students." Hannibal said, then called over his shoulder, "Marie, I need that other bottle now. Hold it just like you did the first one. Oh dear, I've spilled some. Will you clean that up for me?" Hannibal winked at her.

The flow eventually dwindled down to a trickle. "We can't get anymore from you, should we draw from Marie next?" Hannibal asked, still manipulating Melisande's arm.

"No, we cannot mix our blood, it could kill Maxical. Janus's will mix with anything, being immortal. Drat, I was hoping to fill three bottles. I feel quite woozy and lightheaded and we barely have two."

Hannibal stopped massaging. "We better stop then. Marie, come help." He called over his shoulder as he corked the bottle.

He handed it to Marie, who had been closely watching what they were doing, a handful of straw from her clean up efforts held loosely in one hand. Pieces of red straw were sifting down to the cell floor.

"Hide it good so Janus can't find it! He may not kill us till we have brought Maxical back, but that is not a guarantee if he is angry. We must protect Maxical, as none of us know if we will be left alive when this is over." Melisande hissed.

Marie burst into tears and was sobbing as she hid the bottle with the other and covered it with the red straw in her hand.

Hannibal glared at Melisande for frightening Marie, he had been leading her to believe Janus would release them unharmed when this was over. He had barely tied the strip of petticoat around Melisande's arm and pulled the sleeve down when footsteps were heard on the stairwell leading down to the wine cellar.

"Hurry Marie, get that straw away from the front of the cell, the red can be seen!" Melisande ordered, her head reeling from the loss of so much blood. "Hannibal, give me one of those cups of wine you poured!"

Melisande threw the wine on the floor at the front of the cell where the blood had stained the stones and handed it back to Hannibal.

The smell of wine was strong in the crypt. Janus's superior scenting would detect it easily. Melisande looked around quickly, and spotted an old empty wine bottle laying on the floor against the wall of the crypt. She grabbed it up and was teetering back when Janus came around the corner.



***



Janus was sniffing the air as soon as he entered, then honed in on the red stain in the front of the cell.

"What happened here?" His voice sounded suspicious.

"I tried to give Traven a taste between the bars. The man has never been to a bachelor's celebration before." Melisande quipped, reeling slightly.

"This is no time for a party!" Janus snapped, spinning around toward the cell mid sentence. He seemed to be following a scent, sniffing till he got to the bars of the cell.
"Why am I smelling blood in here? What is going on? I demand an answer!"

Melisande had a look on her face like she was searching her mind for an answer. Hannibal looked like a man on his way to the gallows. Marie stepped forward, her eyes swollen and red; her face streaked with tears.

"It is me - mine. I have been visited by my monthly?friend." She sobbed, sounding frightened.

"You're lying! No visitor could get in here, the vault was sealed! I want the truth!" Janus roared.

"It was my 'Aunt Flo'." Marie almost shouted, giving the cowl a tearful, frightened glance.

"First you said a friend, now a relative! Tell the truth! What's going on here?" Janus reached in his pocket and drew out the key to the cell.

Hannibal stepped in front of Marie.

"Have you gone berserk Hassildor? She is spoultry! Berry sundae! It is her menses, menstruation, her monthly time! Don't you remember anything about females?"

Janus took a quick step back, a revolted look on his face and dropped the key back in his pocket.

"Dear gods, why didn't she just say so? I have no time for word games! That explains your hang-dog face Traven, and why you feel the need to drink; but I am relying on you to save Maxical! You can't be drinking now!" Janus sounded livid, but stayed well clear of the cell after that.

Melisande spoke quietly, trying to diffuse the tension. "You don't understand what we face. We are not immortal and could die in the process of helping you. We really must begin gathering your blood. Get some bottles of that fortified wine in here - not to drink, we just need the bottles!" Melisande added as Janus began sputtering a tirade. She carefully turned away from Janus so he wouldn't see the gaps in her petticoat from the missing strips she had already pulled and used on herself.

She ripped two more strips, the act of bending over to get them causing the lightheadedness to worsen. She needed Janus to believe she was drunk, and realized she did not smell of the alcohol. He would notice.

Janus had signaled the bodyguard who went to the wine cellar and returned with several bottles. Melisande took one and emptied it into a bowl, dipping her hands in it. With her back to Janus, she swiped the back of her hand across her mouth a couple quick times so Janus would smell the wine on her.

Melisande pulled Maxical's dagger from the pocket of her dress and dipped it in the bowl. "Sit down here and roll your sleeve up." She said, fighting the lightheadedness.

"Silver! Isn't that deadly to vampires?" Janus asked, pulling his arm away.

"You are immortal! Well? it may burn a bit." She added after a moment's thought.

"Now turn your head. We can't afford for you to jump and spill any of that precious blood." Melisande spoke softly in a distracted voice.

Making sure Janus's head was turned, Melisande switched out the blade for the Sky Child and rapidly poked it into his arm before he could turn and see it already contained blood. She didn't position it right, and an arc of blood shot into the air. The bodyguard fainted, his armor making a loud clatter as he crashed to the ground.

"Look what you've done now!" Janus roared. "You wasted?I should not have let you do this drunk!"



***



Janus nearly had three bottles filled when his blood dwindled down from both arms. Melisande corked the bottles and lay them against the cold wall of the crypt, hitting each with a frost spell.

"Hannibal, we need that concoction to build Janus's blood back up, and we will need it for Maxical too, so make a lot." Melisande stuck the mortar and pestle between the bars and the satchel of ingredients from the Arcane.

"Come here Marie, I'd like you to watch this. It will be invaluable to you as a healer. You will have to shell the nuts of course. One of the privileges of being Arch Mage is that Julienne Fanis shells the nuts before she gives them to me." Hannibal said, moving over to make room for her on the mat beside him.

He filled the mortar with nuts and threw a small handful of salt over them, then passed it to Melisande. "Cast fireballs over the mortar."

A wonderful aroma arose from it. "That's good." Hannibal said, taking it back from her. He ground them into a thick paste, adding sugar to it. He ladled it into a clean jar, then locked the heavy glass lid down on it with a metal bracket.

Hannibal ran his finger around the mortar to scraqe some onto his finger, then held it out to Marie.

"Taste this and tell me what you think." He watched her face as she tasted it.

"Mmm, this is good Hannibal! It sticks to the roof of my mouth though, and makes me thirsty."

"I make a special drink to go with it. They help the blood regenerate itself. If you have someone come to you that has bleeding problems you can make this up in minutes for them." Hannibal leaned closer to Marie and whispered, "I'll show you a little trick later with this."

Melisande smiled, but Janus leapt up.

"Oh no you don't Traven. This is for Maxical, and me so I will have more blood to give her. When this is over you can make however much you like for your fun and games. Hand over that jar!" Leaving a trail of blood droplets, Janus stomped over to the cell and stuck his hand out. Hannibal placed the jar in his hand.

"Sorry Hassildor. Lost my head for a minute." Hannibal said, but obviously thought something opposite.

"All right, that is it. Hand over that bag of supplies you have there. None of this will be wasted on you two. Did you forget I can read minds? Give it here Traven!" Janus scowled through the bars and stuck his hand out again. "I watched you make it, and can do it myself now. You will not get these back."

Janus went out to the wine cellar and got a bottle of his best wine and slipped it through the bars of the cell. "Here, Traven. I apologize for my temper. But I am still hanging on to those ingredients."



***



"Janus, we must continue. If you feel lightheaded from the blood loss, you must eat some of that paste. Spread it on a piece of bread and eat it quickly, we must go." Melisande was loading her pack. "Better go get your armor and weapon, and a warm cloak."

When Janus left the crypt Melisande peeked down the corridor to make sure the bodyguard could not see, then quickly ran to the front of the cell.

"Give me those bottles of my blood! Hurry!" She hissed into the cell. She grabbed up two of the bottles of Janus's blood and poked them through the bars. "Hide these along that back wall!" She grabbed the two bottles of her own blood and placed them along the crypt wall next to the remaining wine bottle filled with Janus's and quickly cast each with a frost spell. Then she cleaned off the pestle with her finger and ate what paste she could get from it.

When Janus returned she threw his cowl at him. "Don't forget this." she said, then held out her hands. "Okay, ready?"

"Oh no!" Janus gummed out, his mouth still filled with the sticky paste.

"Labyrinthian" Melisande's voice echoed against the stone of the crypt.


*

Congrats on having the courage to use the monthly cycle idea in your story. It fits in perfectly with the cloak and dagger dialogue that you have built around Janus for a long time. Bravo.


That is so clever.

And the ending. Wow!! Nail biting, cliff hanging, damn you.

Labyrinthine indeed! Tremendously detailed with the bloodletting, the bottles in the corner, the red straw, and Hannibal's nut concoction (which sounded suspiciously like peanut butter to me). Melisande's actions after loosing so much blood were spot on. And, of course, I would be remiss if I didn't comment on:

Seriously! :rofl:

BLOODY GOOD!

We are getting there; one step closer. I think Maxical-style antics are clearly seeping out of her soul gem and infecting those around her, especially Melisande.

A bodyguard who faints at the sight of blood. :rofl:

I need to go fix a pb&j and have some wine. :liplick:

What fun this was! I am quite excited about bringing Maxical back!

Delightful!

Marie's excuse for the bloody straw - berry sundae, really! - is outstanding and very typical of the antics we've come to expect on this thread!

And Janus's reaction when he realizes what she is talking about - idiot! - is equally priceless (and typical of a sheltered Count).

I'm with Acadian - a bodyguard who passes out at the sight of blood! Uh huh, right!

Have to agree with the Acadianator here- I think Maxical's spirit has afflicted- infected- infiltrated- influenced Melisande.

Just a brilliant mALX1 chapter here- filled with "alarums and excursions" as only you can write them. You've got me hanging on the edge of my seat!

@ Winter Wolf - I really wasn't sure how big that would go over, but just had to add it. I'm glad no one took offense - or if they did they haven't posted a comment about it, ROFL !!! - Talking about Cliffhangers, the next 8-9 chapters are going to be bad for it, there is a ton happening before she is brought to life that will change A LOT of things...can't tell...must muzzle myself! ARGH !!! Thank you so much!
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@ Destri Melarg - I cut out 1000 words to whittle it down to a readable chapter, and a LOT of that was details on all going on, I finally left in only ones that were pertinent in some way - and they are. - Yes, it was peanut butter, I went to school with a boy who had hemophelia, (commonly called "Bleeders") and he said they force fed him peanut butter and Coca-Cola to build red blood cells. Arch Mage Traven has beaten George Washington Carver to the knowledge in this story, lol. (and whoever invented Coca-Cola as well, lol. ) - PS - Yes, that was my fave part of the chapter, ROFL !!! - Thank you very much!
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@ Acadian - Yeah! You caught the hidden joke! In all these years Janus has been relying on that bodyguard to protect him, the man has never had to show his stuff because Janus never left the suite - ROFL!! So after like 50 years he finds out the guy faints at the sight of blood! ROFL - I loved that, and so glad you spotted it! - Thank you so much!
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@ Hauteecole Rider - This got cut from the final copy to whittle it down to readable size, but originally, I had Melisande watching Janus's reaction to it - Remember now, Janus and his wife were only together 1 year, and that was over 50 years ago - So can you imagine how bad Rona must have been to cause Janus to have a reaction like that over 50 years later and after only 1 year of exposure to it? - ROFL !!!! Maybe the terror that Rona became after she was attacked by vampires was easier to live with, lol. - And then one no longer wonders why Janus chose to stay alone in his suite for 50 years - ROFL !!! - That was fun for me, and I am so glad no one was offended! - Thank you so much!
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@ Treydog - Thank you very much Treydog! RE: "Alarums and Excursions" - Get ready Treydog (and EVERYONE), because that Chapter was a turning point in the story, it marked the Siege Engine beginning to turn and roll forward, the countdown to begin, the juggernaut has begun its inexorable movement toward..., etc. - it is going down, and it is starting now!
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