Newsgroups: alt.pub.dragons-inn
From: bfish@sequent.com (Brett Fishburne)
Subject: [KQ] Captain [near Spitting Cobra] : Snakes?!?  I hate snakes.
Message-ID: <1992Jul10.140919.11740@sequent.com>
Date: Fri, 10 Jul 92 14:09:19 GMT

Characters: Captain, Azzar, Rhoan, cc: Kron Questors

> Captain with a look of chagrin on his face (he had been so hopeful that the
> brick would work) mutters so that Azzar can barely hear, "It looks like we'll
> have to do it the hard way...frontal assault through the house.  I hate frontal
> assaults!"  This last is said quite passionately.

> Azzar grins mischieveously at him.  "Since when did you like to take the easy
> way out of anything?"  She grabs her pack, and Captain's arm and heads toward
> the front door of the house.

Coming around the front of the house, Azzar and Captain stood to one side of
the window beside the front door.  After a few furtive glances inside, it did
not appear that anyone was on the ground floor, even though there seemed to
be a fire burning somewhere in the back of the house (presumably the kitchen).
If the house was empty now, someone had been there in the last few hours to
feed that fire.

As Azzar drew her weapon, Captain pulled out the sword he had been leant,
LightBringer.  The sword seemed warm to the touch and it became clear that the
sword had an otherness to it that made Captain uncomfortable.  Even as he 
brought the sword up, it seemed to move slightly on its own in a smooth figure
eight pattern.  It was a tad eerie and Captain resheathed the weapon 
uncomfortable with it out unless there was a fight.  Azzar looked askance at
him as the sword slid back into its sheath, but Captain wasn't interested in
trying to explain the eeriness of the weapon.

"Look, I know that the long sword is not the type of weapon you are used to.
All the same, I think you will find it quite a help in a fight.  It senses
objects which can not be seen and will help you slay those who are truly
evil even more than normal.  There is a command you must give should you
desire to see that which can't be seen."  Azzar pronounced the word slowly
and carefully.  Captain started to repeat it, but Azzar cautioned him that
the word would invoke the power only if the sword was out of its scabbord.
She then made him repeat the command until he had it right.  All of this
delay made Captain uncomfortable, after all, frontal assaults were not his
forte.

Captain resolved to leave the sword in its scabbord until it was needed as
the two warily approached the front door.  "I'll kick in the door and you
follow quickly behind me in case there are some nasties inside,"  Captain
proposed.  Azzar smiled and countered, "Why don't you see if the door is
open first?"  She reached out and gently turned the handle.  To Captain's
surprise the door started to open smoothly at Azzar's gentle insistence.

Suddenly, Captain was falling.  The ground he had been standing on moments
before reached eye level before he finally reacted.  Grabbing for the soil
at his face with one hand and Azzar with the other, Captain managed to 
catch hold of both.  The fingers of his left hand seemed to have grabbed
hold of some sort of lip on the edge of the pit they had fallen into.  His
right hand had hold of Azzar's sadly abused tunic.  As she fell, Azzar had
uttered a shout of surprise which still rang hollowly in Captain's ears.
Looking down, He realized that they had almost met their maker -- sharp,
shiny points of steel reached up towards Azzar who dangled inches from
their cold embrace.

Azzar recovered quickly and reached up to grab Captain's leg as a rent formed
in her tunic.  The cloth gave way and both were pulled closer to the wall
by the sudden jolt.  Azzar let out another shout as her leg grazed one of the
steel points and oozed out some of her life's blood.  Captain grabbed hold
of the lip with his right hand, but things didn't look good.  While he was in
shape for a seamen, he was in no shape to support himself and Azzar until help
(in the Low City?  yeah, right) arrived.  

Azzar was all action.  While Captain contemplated his imminent demise, Azzar
started to scale Captain as though he were a ladder.  The sides of the pit
were too slick to afford any purchase, so she was unable to climb those like
she was the brick wall of the house.  She inched her way up until she too
had hold of the lip of the pit.  Pulling herself up in a feat of strength
which Captain could only admire, Azzar dragged herself out of the pit.  

Reaching down, Azzar helped pull Captain out as well.  The two took a minute
to regain thier composure.  "Guess we'd better go a little slower," Captain
said mopping the sweat off his brow and face.  Azzar gave a nervous laugh
and gestured toward the room which was before them.  Not to be fooled twice,
Captain picked up a rock from the ground nearby and tossed it into the room.
Nothing happened as the rock skidded across the stone floor.  Captain started
to step into the room, but before he could do so, Azzar grabbed his shoulder.
She was staring intently at the stonework in the floor in front of the door.
Taking off her pack, she dropped it onto the stone Captain was about to step
on.

*THWOCK*  A crossbow bolt buried itself in the open door.  "Sh*t!  Somebody
really wants to make sure that Rhoan doesn't get out of this place!" 
exclaimed Captain.  He moved to take a step back away from the door and if
Azzar hadn't prevented it he'd have had spikes growing out of his chest in
the bottom of the pit behind him.  Fear started to gather under his armpits
and he felt it trickle down his sides.  The smell embarrased him and 
emboldened Captain to a new approach.  "That bolt seemed to be aimed for a
man's chest, so if we duck down we aught to be able to make it across to
the next room."  Azzar agreed with a grim look of determination.

Captain positioned himself so that he was between Azzar and the wall which
had just spit out the crossbow bolt.  He hefted the pack with his left hand
and dropped it on the next stone in the room.  Nothing happened.  Captain lifted
the pack and dropped it ahead another stone.  Nothing happened.  Gingerly
stepping on the first stone that was safe, Captain motioned for Azzar to
follow in his footsteps.  He crouched down as he stepped so that if the
stone was atuned to a heavier weight, the bolt would sail over his head.

Stone by stone Captain and Azzar made gradual progress across the floor.  As
they neared the kitchen, Captain slipped stepping from one stone to another.
*ZINNG*  a crossbow bolt put a new part in his hair.  Fortunately, no damage
done.  Once Captain started breathing again he was ready to move on.

Having finally passed through the living room, Captain and Azzar stood in the
kitchen.  Smiling at Azzar, Captain said, "Well, they may be smart and sneaky,
but it looks like they won't stop us from this rescue!"  Captain puffed up
his chest and stood a little taller.

-- Captain