Newsgroups: alt.pub.dragons-inn
From: aaron@space.ualberta.ca (Aaron Humphrey)
Subject: [KQ] Maleiu[Inn->Warehouse]: Life Is Motion, Move On
Message-ID: <1992Aug5.161532.16562@kakwa.ucs.ualberta.ca>
Date: Wed, 5 Aug 1992 16:15:32 GMT

Marcel and then Thk joined the party at the table, Thk resplendent in scaled
armour, and Marcel talking more intelligibly in Common than he had been the
night before.

Captain pledged an oath of fealty to Azzar, who appeared to be some kind of
noble...and Maleiu detected something behind the oath.  Something that made
him think first of Lyono, and then of Mistletoe...and then he ruthlessly shoved
both thoughts to the back of his mind.

There was much discussion of the exact details of the assault on the Joystix
factory, including a daring plan by Colin and Thk to melt their way in to the
place from the side, rather than taking a frontal approach.  Finally Kron said,
"Enough talk for now.  Are we call clear on the plan?  Then let's go, before it
gets too late."  It was barely noon...a few of the lunchtime regulars(Maleiu
recognized a pair called Cliffie and Norm, in particular)were starting to show
up.

They waved to Littlefair and Serene, and made their way out of the Inn and back
into Low City.  There was little hope that they would escape total notice,
especially after the events of the past day, but those same events, and the
surely by-now-exaggerated accounts of those events, would probably guarantee
that they would remain unharassed.

Well, almost.

As they entered one narrow alley that Kron swore was the best way to their
destination(that didn't go right past the Scrappy Ram), there was a sudden
piercing whistle from above.  Suddenly forms were dropping down at either end
of the alley, and more were visible over the edge of the rooftop.  They all
seemed to be young, and most were either human or half-orc, though one dirty
elf was visible.  The apparent leader, a human with a shaved head, swaggered
toward them.

"Well, if it isn't those Dragon's Inn pansies we were all hearin' so much of
the past little while.  And even Mr. Big Man Creft-killer.  Think you can take
care of us as easy as you did Creft?  You don't outnumber us, Big Man.  C'mon,
what d'ya think?  You wanna share some of those Dragon's Inn riches with us?"

His eyes fell on Azzar.  "Ooh, we got a pretty lady here, too.  C'mon, pretty
lady..."

That was as far as he got.  Captain pulled out his sword and grabbed the rogue
with his free hand, slamming him against the wall and putting his sword to the
youth's throat.  "As Lady Azzar's sworn sword, I must ask that you apologize
for your behaviour.  Or you're going to have two grins above your shoulders."

The youth gulped and looked askance at the rest of his gang.  They looked
unsure what to do.

Then the adventurers decided to make up their mind for them.  Colin pulled out
his katana, and Lady Azzar her two-handed sword.  Rhoan had an arrow nocked and
aimed at the rooftops.  Marcel also had his sword out, and he looked eager for
some trouble.  Thk brandished his trident and hissed menacingly.  And Maleiu
had his spear ready to throw(yes, he brought a weapon this time--he decided
that just looking tough was not sufficient).

Kron walked up to the other toughs and said, "Go on.  Beat it.  Unless you want
your leader and yourself to end up like Creft did."  And he put on the biggest
Guard sneer he could manage.  Then he beckoned the rest forward.  "Let's go,
guys."

Captain stayed where he was until Thk and Maleiu, who were bringing up the
rear, had gone by.  Then he removed the sword from the gangleader's throat and
applied the pommel forcefully to his head.  He rejoined the group and they
proceeded onward.

A short while later, they reached the nondescript two-story building that Kron
swore was the warehouse they sought.  "All right, time for the plan," he said,
motioning Thk forward...

ADMIN: Hope I didn't take too many liberties with anyone's character.  But I
suddenly figured getting harassed in Low City would make things a bit more
interesting, and resolving it in the same post would keep it from slowing us
down too much.  And now, here we are at the warehouse, ready for action.

So what is the plan, anyway?

--
---Alfvaen(a.k.a. Aaron V. Humphrey, Page of Newts)
Canadian Network For Space Research, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
"John Wayne in a slip?  Now _that_ would be silly."  Axel Fusco
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