Newsgroups: alt.pub.dragons-inn From: hutch@agora.uucp (Steve Hutchison) Subject: Re: [Z] Zia: [ummm..] Death postponed. Message-ID: <1992Jul18.065636.27332@agora.uucp> References: <1992Jul15.070554.5305@uniwa.uwa.edu.au+ Date: Sat, 18 Jul 1992 06:56:36 GMT gujn@uniwa.uwa.edu.au (Jeremy Nelson) writes: +ADMIN: OK, Zia's deathwatch is being postponed, 'cause some of + people are busy in other threads. So I thought I may as well + make a decent story of it. :) Ack! OK, I'll add the necessary hooks for our side of it... TIME: Late the day after the mob-riot CHARACTERS: 'Raelf, Kadrys, miscellaneous witnesses. +The sun is setting ... a pool of flame. +Up on the tower of Celstrion, Zia has awakened for, she hopes, the last +time. Finally after all this time, she is ready to die. +She begins to remember her past lives... +And there are other things, connections, understanding... +Lost in the wonder of it, she remembers other times, other places, other +people. She remembers her friends. She remembers her enemies. +And her enemies remember her. +--- IN the Dragon's Inn, 'Raelf has become quite thoroughly prepared for a traditional deathwatch. The tradition calls for the participants to undergo a change of heart as the celebrant dies. 'Raelf has chosen one of the accepted changes, reflecting the understanding gained in the crucible of grief. He is quite thoroughly drunk; at the end of the deathwatch he will be blindingly sober. He calls for another pitcher of mead, whispers the spell that calls on fire and water, converting it to almost pure alcohol. He drinks. She'll be here soon. Around him are the noises of life. The giant, somehow in reduced circumstances, recruiting his help to find a lost dragon. The eager noises of planning and preparation, negotiating and recruiting. +The sun sets. +And as the last rays disappear over the horizon a grinning visage makes +her show at the Dragons Inn. +Zia, transparent, but most certainly Zia, stands in the doorway, +grinning. +Tears stream down her face, and she is surrounded in a halo of light as +she waves. 'Raelf looks up, blearily. Kadrys pushes his chair back, and stares. Something is not right about this. She should be walking inside, leading them to their appointed rendezvous. +'Goodbye my friends.', and she laughs. +'In this final matter, I misjudged. Goodbye my friends, for I am dead. +Fare thee well.' +...and fades from sight. Kadrys blinks, and becomes very quiet. 'Raelf blinks again, unbelieving. The others at the table, the giant, the escaped slave, the woman of mystery, the green knight, after pondering for a moment the mysterious apparition, return to their planning. 'Raelf sits, staring at the fire. The escapee, sitting next to him, suddenly feels waves of heat. The giant asks him a question, and when their eyes meet, sees behind them as though he were looking into a furnace. Even the shifting patterns on the blond man's clothing are patterns of fire and smoke. All the traces of intoxication seem gone, burned in the furnace in those eyes. Abruptly 'Raelf stands. "She should not have died alone." He looks to Kadrys. "Please, there is something I need to ask you in private." Kadrys stands, numbly, and follows to an unoccupied table (it's in the center, not a corner). A murmured exchange, back and forth, and a look that might almost pass for hope crosses Kadrys' face. 'Raelf holds his hands out, and Kadrys grasps them just below the elbow - the clasp is returned, and they vanish like a candle flame being blown out. Only to return again, three breaths later. Kadrys has a shaken look on his face, and 'Raelf looks grim but satisfied. They return to the table and sit down. Planning resumes - life's demands still continue for the living, and for some who are not.