Newsgroups: alt.pub.dragons-inn Message-ID: Date: Thu, 2 Jul 1992 22:54:10 -0400 From: "Mark A. Baxter" Subject: New Character, Prologue PROLOGUE THE FIRST, A JOURNEY ENDED AND ALSO BEGUN "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry my brave companion." The speaker rested his hand on the great bulk as he addressed it. Beneath his hand the creature shivered. Resembling most closely a beetle, if beetles could grow to twenty cubits long by six cubits wide, the creature broadcast it's pain to it's master. Pain was something the master had become all too familiar with in the recent past. Not his own, though he wished it were, his own pain was easily dealt with. No, much more difficult was the pain of his companions, as they were killed in futile resistance, and his queen, as she bid him on his way. NO! The resistance was NOT futile, it was his duty to make sure of that. His debt to all of those who had died and were certainly dying still. As gently as possible he added to the list of his debtors the gentle behemoth that had spent itself carrying him across distances unimaginable to him. He reached down, picking up the satchel that contained the only coin which would satisfy his debt. Slinging it over his back he travelled swiftly away from the cooling body of his onetime steed. He looked skyward quickly, fearfully, but saw nothing in the heavens. No indication of the pursuit that was surely making up the time his mount had gained him, bought at cost of it's life. In all likelihood he would never see his pursuer. Not until it such time as it was too late. If that time had not arrived already without his awareness. He broke into a lope across the wooded terrain, toward the city where he had been told he might find allies. GENERICA. Not the most welcoming name, but with fortune it would prove to be more welcoming than the name suggested. Above him, the heat of the sun blistered down. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~ A CURSE upon the foolish nymph of a pilot who had tried to bar her from her mission!! And one upon the Queen, for not recognizing when her people's star had set while her Mistress' was only finally waxing!! And a curse upon the breeder who had cultivated the pathetic excuse for a WarT'kn she now drove onward. A slow and stupid creature which, after the minor injury it had suffered in the battle, now responded even more slowly and sluggishly than before. She ranted at the WarT'kn "Does it HURT!?! I'll show you what REAL pain is!!" She lashed out at the WarT'kn, driving talons of pain into it. There was a short burst of speed in response but it soon returned to it's slow movement. The WarT'kn was almost beyond pain at this point. It came from doughty stock but it had bled most it's life out into the void it had travelled. Fortunately it's pilot was no longer paying attention. She looked out through the WarT'kn's view. Finally, her destination had come into sight. A shitball of a planet, but certainly the more beautiful for meaning an end to this horrid trip. As she hove closer she searched the planet closely for the location the spy had indicated. Eventually she found it. There, where a great river emptied into the ocean. She directed her **Mdo'sx SLOW** mount to the swamps northwest of the city. And, then, just to show who was in control, she sent flares of pain through it again. The WarT'kn trembled uncontrollably. Startled the pilot ceased her punishment. Still the steed began to shake. The pilot exerted her control over the steed, but that also did not help. The great creature had begun to veer ever so slightly. Now the planet was filling the view. The rider now no longer cared if the beast landed in the swamps to the northwest or in the veni^uop of the town's y'ral, so long as the landing left her alive. She told the WarT'kn to concentrate on controlling it's descent. She was now tearing through the outer atmosphere. The hull sounded with the air screaming by. The great beast plummeted down. It was NOT decelerating quickly enough. The huntress's heart stopped as the green of the ground filled the view, greater detail quickly becoming available. I'm going to die and it won't even be in battle. The thought offended her. NO!! Rather than focusing the ships energy on fruitless decceleration she pushed herself east in what could be the final gamble of a life filled with long odds. Suddenly, she was aware of the blue wall rushing to meet her.