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| The Dupe | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| A standalone story | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Author: ShyWillow | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Feedback: Love it! | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Distribution: Feel free just let me know where. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Rating: PG-13 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Pairing: Connor/Holtz (Son/Father) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Category: S/Adv | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Disclaimer: Connor and Holtz are own by Joss Whedon, David Greenwalt & Co. I own the rest. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Summary: This story takes place in Qourt'off. Connor is having a training lesson but Holtz has a hidden agenda. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| The Dupe� | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| � Connor waited tied to a tree until sunset as he had been instructed to do. With a simple tug of his arms he was freed from the ropes that bound him and went off in search of his father. As was their custom Connor was to pursue Holtz as a way to hone his tracking abilities. Using his sense of smell as well as his heighten night vision Connor followed his fathers' trail. He sniffed the air to give himself an idea as to which way he should go to start his search. Connor closed his eyes and as he turned himself in a circular motion he smelled the air. When slight scents of his father reach his nose he immediately stopped, opened his eyes and set out in the direction of the sent. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ���� It was becoming easier for Connor to track all manner of creatures, but tracking his father was beginning to be too easy for him. He was all too familiar with his father's habits, as well as his scent, to make the training exercise not worth doing in Connor's opinion but he always did as his father said without question. He had been following his father's' rail easily for an hour or so, almost becoming complacent about the task he was performing, when he heard an unusual noise coming from his right. A Tormine demon leaped from the bushes and landed right in front of Connor. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| � "Destroyer," snarled the Tormine, "I will kill you as you killed my family and my people." | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| � Connor sneered at the demon with hatred, "Not if I kill you first." | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| � The Tormine demon lunged at The Destroyer but Connor was ready. With a high kick to the demon's chest Connor sent the demon flailing to the ground. Before the demon could get back on his feet Connor was on top of him. The Destroyer straddled his prey and with his knife held high in his hands Conner brought it down in one swift motion impaling the creature through what passed for a neck. As he felt the tip of his knife strike the Tormine's spine he summoned but a fraction of his strength and drove the blade home brutally severing its backbone. The creature's life essence flowed freely from the horrendous gash onto Conner's hands and he held them up in the dying light to study the patterns the flowing blood made as it dripped down his hands. With a lightning quick series of motions Connor sliced the demons ear off and added it to the strand of trophies that hung around his neck. He stood up searched for his fathers' scent once again, located it and continued on his way. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ~*~*~*~*~ | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| � "My Lord, a sentry just spotted The Destroyer approaching the village," announced Aplass' advisor. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| � He had just sat down to his evening meal when his advisor rushed in with this most disturbing news. The morsel of food that the Yusloff lord had been in the process of swallowing now lodged in his throat making him choke. "Are they sure?" he sputtered. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| � "Yes my Lord." | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| � "By the gods," Aplass exclaimed as he stood, "what have we done that he should seek us out and ravage his wrath upon us? It must surely be the Canwynn's who have sent this creature upon us. Send word to all the clan that The Destroyer is at our door step!" | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| � He watched as his advisor left to warn his people. When he was sure that he was alone in the dinning hall Aplass sank to his knees and grasped his head in his hands. As he knelt there sobbing Aplass prayed that his death would be a quick one. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ~*~*~*~*~ | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| � As Conner arrived in the village his was met by three Yusloff demons with a dozen more bearing down on him. With an inhuman swiftness Connor unsheathed his sword and swung out in front if himself taking the demon's head, who stood before him, off. Ramming his elbow into the throat of the demon to his right knocking it off balance, he then trusted his sword into the belly of the one to his left. Then the one to his right came at him again but before he could do any damage Connor took him out. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| � With the first three of his adversaries taking care of, Connor shifted his attention to the ones coming toward him. Before he drew his crossbow from his back he took one final look at the dead Yusloff. Loathing washed over him at the sight of the demons and it wasn't long until a veil of rage descended on Connor's soul. He looked back at the onslaught ahead of him, drew his crossbow, took aim and was able to take out a couple more. He dropped his crossbow, unsheathed his sword and ran head long into his opposition with a roar of fury issuing forth from him. On and on went the massacre until Connor had killed every Yusloff demon in the village. No one survived. Every man, woman, and child now lay dead littering the ground of their village.� Now that he had taken care of the obstacle that had stood in his way Connor continued with the task of tracking his father. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ~*~*~*~*~ | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Holtz sat a couple of miles outside the Yusloff village waiting for his son to arrive. He was startled when the bushes | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| behind him shook and a Canwynn | demon step out of them. Holtz nodded in greeting as the Canwynn demon took a seat beside him. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| � "I am pleased to see that you have kept up your end of our deal." The demon said to Holtz. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| � "As I told you Stephan is an exceptionally effective weapon." | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| � The Canwynn demon nodded. "Indeed he is. I watched him from a distance as he slew the entire population of the Yusloff village. Your payment is well deserved. Perhaps we shall do business again in the future." | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| � "And perhaps we will be at your disposal." Holtz held out his hand to collect his payment. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ~*~*~*~*~ | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| � His father's scent was getting stronger. Connor knew that he would find his father in a matter of minutes. Holtz was getting good at covering his tracks but not as good as Conner was getting at following them. He finally reached the clearing where his father was waiting for him. When he step into the clearing he saw that a Canwynn demon as seated beside Holtz and seemed to be giving his father something. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| � "Father what's going on?" Connor asked. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| � "Ah, good, Stephan you found me. Very well done," Holtz smiled at his son. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| � "What is that thing doing here?" Connor could not hide the animosity he felt toward the fiend from creeping into his voice. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| � "He was just paying off a debt that he owed me. Nothing to concern yourself with." | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| � Connor grunted and stared at the demon in disgust. Seeing that his business with Holtz was concluded the Canwynn left the clearing the same way he had entered. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| � "Shall I go after him father?" | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| � "No that won't be necessary Stephan," Holtz put his hand on Connor's shoulder and led him out of the clearing, "not necessary at all." | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| The End | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||