NetNews Usenet Archive 1992 #27/NN_1992_27.iso/spool/alt/pub/dragons/4180

Internet Message Format | 1992-11-18 | 11.1 KB

Path: sparky!uunet!munnari.oz.au!metro!grivel!neumann.une.edu.au!cgirard
From: [e-mail] (Timelord Cgirard Rollik)
Newsgroups: alt.pub.dragons-inn
Subject: [T&R]4.11: CONCLUSION
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>
Date: 18 Nov 92 11:26:47 GMT
Sender: [e-mail]
Lines: 195


>  Roaring with fury, the undead stone giant charged Timelord.  Seeing this
> Rollik sheathed his rapier, gripped the rope in iron hands, and launched
> himself into space.

    Rollik swung smoothly through the air, the air rushing past his face
as he closed the gap between himself and the pulsating spherical source of
Ak'lssh's power.  He landed with practiced grace ten feet from the circle of
mages, his left arm extended towards the orb, the rose flaring angrily to
life on the ring.
    "BRIBARBIK!" he shouted triumphantly, and the thorn shower flashed into
being, hurtling towards the glowing globe of magical focus.
    And having no effect whatsoever.
    The thorns detonated in the same way the deathwalker had, then were
lost with Rollik's last hope.  Had the old man been wrong, Rollik wondered, or
had he been meaning something else?  What then was the Healerharmer?
    He rushed to his friends side, the ashes of defeat hot in his mouth,
wishing only to sell his life as dearly as possible, for there was no way
possible to defeat Ak'lssh, leaving no recourse but a valiant death, side
by side.
    That's when something in his pocket twitched.

                ++++++++++

    The stone giant towered over Timelord, its eyes glowing an evil red.
Flesh hung in tatters from its body, showing massive bones underneath.  The
creature was a stone grey all over, the bones slightly lighter than the
remaining flesh, but still it gave out a horrid graveyard stench.
    Timelord's mind raced as he sized up his opponent.  He saw immediately
that he could not match it physically; it would take all his cunning and
skill to even have a chance at defeating it.
    As the giant came in range Timelord slashed at its leg, hoping to
slow or even topple the creature.  But although the edge cut through the
flesh easily, it made no impact on the bone, merely glancing off as if he
had struck some huge granite block.  The giant swung one huge fist at
Timelord, who managed to avoid the blow, but could feel the air rushing past
his vulnerable head.
    This was going to be no easy fight.
    From behind him he heard Rollik cry out "Bribarbik!"  Looking round
he saw the thorn shower hit the globe of power, then detonate with no effect.
With a look of dismay, yet overshadowed by determination, Rollik raced over
to his friend's side.
    "This may be it, my friend," Rollik said sadly, "at least we shall.."
    He broke off, frowning, and stuck his hand in one of his pockets.
    "What *is* that moving in my pocket?" he mused, drawing out the item
in question.
    It was the jade hand they had found in the library, but now it was
moving, the fingers writhing and extending, as if the were itching to grab
hold of something.
    Suddenly there was a cry of fear and anger from behind them.
    "NOOOOOOOOOOOO!" cried Ak'lssh. "Sieze it, my undead servant!  I
command it!!"
    A light dawned upon Rollik.  This was the healerharmer!  He turned
towards Timelord.
    "Keep him busy," he said curtly, indicating the giant.  "I have
something to take care of."

    The misty, swirling figure that was Ak'lssh recoiled at the sight
of what Rollik now held threateningly. The jade hand seemed to be reaching
for the composite being, grasping for him. If Ak'lssh had a face it would
now hold an expression of terror, Rollik inwardly bet himself.
    Or perhaps anger. There was a crackle of blue energy from the
"fists" of the whirling shape, and blindingly fast bolts flew toward Rollik.
Ak'lssh was in the mood for entertainment no longer. The magic bolts did
not strike the swashbuckler, but instead flew to the hand and were absorbed
without a sound. Rollik then knew that Ak'lssh's magic was harmless to them
as long as the hand was in the room. He was powerless.
    Unfortunately, his servant wasn't.
    As Rollik stood in triumphant safety from the killing bolts a massive
fist slammed into him from behind, throwing him across the room. He landed
hard and winded, still clutching the hand tightly.
    "KILL HIM!" Ak'lssh cried in many voices. "KILL HIM!!".the undead
stone giant obeyed, making its hulking way across the room and paying no
heed to Timelord's attempts to regain its attention. Rollik backed away as
it came toward him, only to find the solid wall at his back. He started
to the right, and the advancing giant changed direction instantly, matching
in turn Rollik's attempt to escape to the left. He was trapped, and needed to
think fast.
    "HA HA!! IT IS MINE!!" came a voice from somewhere behind the looming
death.
    With a burst of inspiration and a quick prayer that such a foolish
plan would work, Rollik drew his rapier and placed the hilt in the jade hand.
The talisman grasped the grip as if it knew what he was planning, and stayed
firm while Rollik threw the rapier left and ran to the right. The stone giant
payed him no heed as it lumbered toward the hand, and once he had escaped the
trap he willed the rapier to his hand. With a flash weapon and hand were his
again.
    "NO!" Ak'lssh screamed.
    The giant swung around and started its great strides toward Rollik
once more.
    "Timelord!" he shouted.
    Rollik threw the hand.

    The jade hand arced through the air towards Timelord, turning end over
end.  He flung out his left and and wrapped his fingers around the precious
talisman, just as Ak'lssh launched a solid ball of flame at him in an attempt
to kill him before he could grasp it.
    Too late.  With the healerharmer in his left hand, the fireball veered
towards the idol and was instantly absorbed without a trace of heat.  Grimly,
Timelord advanced on the source of Ak'lssh's power, the hand held before him
like a standard of battle.
    Desperately Ak'lssh flung images and inhuman barriers at Timelord,
but all melted and were absorbed at the touch of the hand.  Sheets of
varicoloured flame, shrieking gales, slavering jaws of demons, all were
nothing before the power of the healerharmer.  Timelord continued to approach,
feeling none of the heat, none of the cold, his mind protected from the madness
the images projected.
    He was now at the circle of mages, or more accurately, what remained
of the ten who had joined their minds to create this being of evil.   He passed
through their ranks, and stood finally before the glowing orb set in the floor.
    He sheathed his katana, and knelt before it.  This close to the orb
he could feel the waves of evil emenating from it, and he found it difficult
to go any closer.  But over and above the evil he could sense the fear Ak'lssh
felt, fear of the total oblivion that Timelord held in his human hands.
    "What you took from Hyala," he whispered, "I now take from you!"
    He thrust healerharmer upon the orb.
    Ak'lssh screamed, a shocking, inhuman sound, as healerharmer came
fully alive, its fingers digging into the crystal.  The many voices of
Ak'lssh thundered through the cavern as the hand dug deeper, twisting and
turning, as if to try to crush the orb into nothingness.  The essence that
was Ak'lssh began to be inoxerably drawn downwards, into the hand and crystal.
    "I cannot die!!" cried Ak'lssh in agony, "I will live forever! I
will......AAAAAAIIIIIIIIIEEEEEEEEEEEE!!"
    With a final wrench the fingers of the hand met, shattering the
crystal.  Ak'lssh's final, despairing cry was cut off as all of his being
was absorbed into the healerharmer, which lay on the floor, glowing.  In the
sudden silence, the only noise was the rustling of cloth as the robes that
once held the mages crumpled to the ground admist the dust and decaying bones.
    Timelord reached out to the healerharmer, whose glow was slowly fading.
He picked it up, and noticed that instead of being jade it had been transformed
into emerald, its form now that of a clenched fist.
    Suddenly a groan filled the room, and Rollik and Timelord looked
at each other, then around the room for the source of the sound. The guards
had fled and the stone giant had crumpled to the floor with the death of its
source of animation. Then Rollik realised what it was, the roof supports
were creaking.
    "This place was built with his magic" He cried. "It's dying with
him!"
    "Come quickly." said Timelord, and they ran.
    Timelord led them up the stairs and out past the library at a fast
pace, the vibrations in the floor making the footing unsteady.
    "Where are we going?" gasped Rollik.
    "The eatery" Timelord replied. "The map gave us a way out."
    They ran through the dining area, past plain wooden tables and
plates. Through the door to the kitchen. Out the back of it to a small door
halfway up the wall.
    "Quick!" said Timelord. "Dive in!"
    Rollik obliged without pause, flinging himself headlong through the
door into a small chute. His face immediately became smeared with once-edible
refuse.
    "The garbage chute." he spluttered.
    For the second time since his arrival in the complex, Timelord found
himself rushing down an almost vertical chute. Rollik's voice floated back
up the shaft.
    "Where does this come out?"
    "The underground river" he shouted back as he heard the splash.

                         ******************
    The door to the inn opened, and the patrons turned to see who had
returned to them.
    A man limped in slowly, wearing clothes that were once fine, but
now looked as though they belonged where they had just come from. Small
bits of garbage stained Rollik's clothes, his hair was a mess, and he looked
tired and weary of travel, fighting, and anything else that involved
physical activity. He seemed not to notice the chorus of stares.
    "I need a drink" said Timelord behind him, looking in much the
same state.
    "Indeed" Rollik nodded, and collapsed on the floor.
    "Gee, he didn't even give his dramatic entrance" Timelord said
with regret.
    Many glares told him otherwise.
                         *****************
    Much resting, healing and storytelling (not to mention several baths)
later, the two stood at the door to the inn. Timelord addressed the crowd.
    "My dear friends" he said. "Though we have known some of you just
this short time, we have come to know some of you well".
    "And so it is with hearts heavy indeed" Rollik continued "that we
tell you of our need to leave this land for a time. We hope that in our
defeat of Ak'lssh we have done the citizens of Generica some small service,
and ask no payment but that they remember us until we come again. Farewell,
friends and comrades, until we meet again." with a graceful bow, he stepped
out the door, and the two left to mixed feeling of the patrons of the
Dragon's Inn.


ADMIN: we're not kidding, guys! Tomorrow we both leave until february next
year! :-( :-(
It's been SO much fun adventuring with you all and we WILL be back. It's
gonna be hard being without the inn stories to lighten your day for so
long.
this post has been our first JOINT posting. We both got together for this
bit and did it in one sitting. I (Cav, [e-mail])
will still be able to read my mail once a week after I go home until 4 Dec
when my account will be killed, so any feedback, writing tips or tearful
goodbyes will reach me. Goodbye from us both!!