Any Excuse

Any Excuse is the nineteenth chapter of Tales of Sheol'gotha:  Shadow of the Abaddon.

Synopsis
Kareshh, Boor and Ayalesh, following their drinking and storytelling with the guards, find Flagstone suddenly besieged and plunged into chaos all around them. Swept up into the merriment, the group soon finds themselves hiding in an alley while the celebration goes on around them. Ayalesh, staring at the skies, wonders aloud whether there are more demons beyond Sheol'gotha, which Boor chastises him for. When the shifter complains about the cold and goes for a blanket, Kareshh takes the moment to instruct Ayalesh on how he interprets the wills of the gods, and how he believes that any path is open to them so long as they commit to it.

Kareshh takes the moment to try and find out more about Kareshh's history as a witchguard, but Kareshh refuses and Boor returns with a sack for a blanket, claiming to have just 'bumped' into a gita rider. When pressed on the details, Ayalesh and Kareshh joke that Boor may have suffered the same fate as Odo, which prompts the shifter to point out that Kareshh had his own bad experience at Halwen. Kareshh frowns, but refuses to tell an eager Ayalesh any details regarding that story either.

The group is suddenly interrupted by a gita rider making her way through the group, checking everything is all set up. She identifies Boor and demands he join her, as he left before she was satisfied. When the shifter shows reservation she informs Ayalesh that he should take up the mantle instead. After a pause, Ayalesh moves to join her but is pulled back by Boor who suggests he's not ready for the demoness. He joins her in the street behind her gita, and Ayalesh frowns resentfully. Kareshh points out that Ayalesh currently has a choice, and that there is ample opportunity if he wants to seek it. Kareshh sends him out, ordering him not to return and wake him up unless he got lucky and has a good story to share.

Unlucky Odo Spineback
Unlucky Odo Spineback is a drinking song sung by many of the revelers in Flagstone.

“Odo banged at all the doors,

Shouting loud his proud decree.

Drink in hand, with bearded foam,

‘The Spineback at last returns from sea!’

‘Clear the way for me, you whore,’

he ordered, forcing his way through,

‘It comes time to remember home,

so I shall have my way with you!’

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;text-align:center;"><span style="font-size:14.666666666666666px;font-family:Georgia;color:#000000;font-weight:400;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">He gulped his drink, eager for more,

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;text-align:center;"><span style="font-size:14.666666666666666px;font-family:Georgia;color:#000000;font-weight:400;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">And forced the whore upon her bed.

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;text-align:center;"><span style="font-size:14.666666666666666px;font-family:Georgia;color:#000000;font-weight:400;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">He bared himself as hard as stone,

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;text-align:center;"><span style="font-size:14.666666666666666px;font-family:Georgia;color:#000000;font-weight:400;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">Her pleading words were left unsaid.

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;text-align:center;"><span style="font-size:14.666666666666666px;font-family:Georgia;color:#000000;font-weight:400;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">He shed his clothing ‘pon the floor,

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;text-align:center;"><span style="font-size:14.666666666666666px;font-family:Georgia;color:#000000;font-weight:400;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">And spread her wide without a pause,

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;text-align:center;"><span style="font-size:14.666666666666666px;font-family:Georgia;color:#000000;font-weight:400;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">Thrusting in despite her groans,

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;text-align:center;"><span style="font-size:14.666666666666666px;font-family:Georgia;color:#000000;font-weight:400;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">And holding tight with dire claws.

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;text-align:center;"><span style="font-size:14.666666666666666px;font-family:Georgia;color:#000000;font-weight:400;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">Long time at sea and not on shore,

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;text-align:center;"><span style="font-size:14.666666666666666px;font-family:Georgia;color:#000000;font-weight:400;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">Left Odo’s stamina short and dry,

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;text-align:center;"><span style="font-size:14.666666666666666px;font-family:Georgia;color:#000000;font-weight:400;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">And rolling off with one long moan,

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;text-align:center;"><span style="font-size:14.666666666666666px;font-family:Georgia;color:#000000;font-weight:400;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">He saw the portrait that hung nearby,

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;text-align:center;"><span style="font-size:14.666666666666666px;font-family:Georgia;color:#000000;font-weight:400;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">‘I have not seen that face before,

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;text-align:center;"><span style="font-size:14.666666666666666px;font-family:Georgia;color:#000000;font-weight:400;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">I sense a familiarity, though.’

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;text-align:center;"><span style="font-size:14.666666666666666px;font-family:Georgia;color:#000000;font-weight:400;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">The whore smirked, and in quiet tone,

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;text-align:center;"><span style="font-size:14.666666666666666px;font-family:Georgia;color:#000000;font-weight:400;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">said ‘tis me from many years ago.’”