Newsgroups: alt.pub.dragons-inn From: s9100433@win4.vut.EDU.AU (Duncan M Jurisic) Subject: [L] History of Jabu Message-ID: Date: 9 Aug 92 22:13:45 GMT "I think about the present and the future. I'd prefer to not talk about my past," replied Jabu. "But since we don't know anything about each other, I'll make an exception." "Anyone hungry yet?" asked Firecat. Helen and Jabu nodded. "Ok, I'll make something." "No, let me. I like talking while I'm cooking." said Jabu. Jabu prepared his cooking utensils, poured some water and salt into a pot, and stretched back, waiting for it to start boiling. "As a little boy, I lived a happy life." Jabu began. "My father was a farmer, we had everything we wanted on our farm. The taxes were high, and I remember my father always complaining about it, but our farm was productive enough to supply our family with more than enough of everything. My brother and I used to help my father with the land. One spring, after we planted everything, there were a few days of extreme cold. Everything we planted froze, and died. My mother and father worked very hard that year on the land. One day, they had to work while it was raining heavily. They insisted that we, children, stay inside away from the bad weather, regardless of how much we insisted to help. A few days later my mother fell ill, and her health only got worse as time passed. Not long passed, and she couldn't get out of bed. We tried everything. Not one doctor knew what was wrong, and nobody knew how to make her better. Before the year was over, she passed away. I was ten years old at the time, and my brother fifteen. We suffered very much, and my father took to drinking. Every day, he was more miserable. Not long passed, before my brother left home. He wanted to find a job, and become independent. I guess he did. I never saw him again. I was left alone with my father. He didn't care about anything any more, and lost all interest in life. All he did was drink. We soon lost all of our money, and our farm was not being productive any more... nobody to work it. Some time passed, and my father passed away as well. I feel guilty that I didn't feel sorry, but I knew that he willingly brought it on himself. He had no desire to live any more. Sometimes I think back, and I realise that I hated him, because instead of getting on with his life, taking care of my brother and I, he drowned his sorrows, and killed himself with it." The water was boiling, and Jabu eyes seemed lost. He was looking at the pot yet, he looked distant. Shadow sneezed, and Jabu came out of his stare. He placed some dried meat from his bag into the pot, together with some dried vegetables and spices. "This doesn't look too good yet, but I guarantee you a perfect stew!" said Jabu. "You see, even though they are all dried now, they will absorb their moisture from the water, and they will taste just as good." "What happened when you were left alone?" asked Helen. "Well," Jabu continued. "I buried my father, placed a cross overlooking his grave, gathered some of my belongings and food, and left. I figured that there was nothing left for me to do at that house, and so I decided to try my luck in the world. I finished my food, and then I used to steal food out of other people's gardens at night, since I didn't have any money to buy any. I kept moving from place to place, mostly through the little villages, so as to find farms. Winter came, and there was no more food in the farms. I asked a few people to feed me sometimes, but they just chased me away, thinking I was a trouble maker. I began to steal from people's shops, houses, and pockets. I was caught many times, but all I got was a good beating, since they couldn't punish a kid any other way. Moving on, I reached a larger town. There, I made some friends. They were in the same situations as I, so we were all forced to steal for food. We never stole too much though, just what we though we needed. The oldest boy in the group was eighteen, and liked me. He said that I reminded him of his younger brother which died a while back, killed while performing something during a circus show, which his parents used to run. He said that he used to be in the circus. He taught me many tricks, and I learned very quickly, eager to learn anything. I found that some of the acrobatic movements that he taught me helped me to steal. A few years passed, and I started saving some of the money I stole. When I thought I had enough money saved, I left the group, and wanted to look for a job and live like any commoner. While moving around, I met up with a magician. At first, I didn't know he was a magician. We became good friends. He was old, but didn't look like a magician. I had always thought that magicians wore long, black hats, and had a magic wand, and wore long black coats. He looked like any ordinary man. Anyway, he helped me much, and offered me a job. A magician apprentice. At first I thought that he was mocking me. Later on, he told me that he actually picked me out after a few years of searching. 'You have what it takes' he used to tell me. I never could believe that, because no matter how much I tried, I could never do the things he was trying to teach me. It was as if there was an inner resistance to the way I was trying to do things. I couldn't understand that, because I followed the exact steps that my master was telling me." "Magic is not what it seems." Firecat interrupted. "Sometimes you have to do things your own way. You have to discover that way. It usually differs for each person. There are certain paths that one must follow." "Yeah, that's what he used to say." replied Jabu. "At times, he used to tell me not to stop trying, because he could see the inner strength within me. I never stopped trying, and eventually I began to show results. He was very pleased with me, and told me to follow the path that took me to achieve those results. The problem was that I didn't know what that particular path was. I seemed to be able to achieve great levels of strength in magic only at times, mostly when I was scared. My master told me to seek within me, and to find what is making me achieve all those levels when I'm scared. I did that, and I got frightened. What I found inside me was pure hatred for this world. I found myself thinking at those times how much I would like to be out of this world, I found myself thinking about how my mother died, how my father died, how my brother left me, how I had to steal for food, how I had to fight with other boys for places to sleep on the street. I ended up being scared of myself. I was afraid that I might hurt someone I didn't want to hurt. So, I left the magician, to his great disappointment. He told me to seek him again when I had found inner peace. I was seventeen when I left, again homeless, moving through the world like a stranger. I ended up being in danger many times, and I had used what my master had taught me about magic to save myself. Realising that with a little practice I could master my emotions, and I could master my inner strength, I started practicing a little, always away from people so as to not hurt them by accident. In the fields, in the forests I used to practice, and I had found that I could do things that my master didn't teach me. I found that there was limitless power to this inner strength, and all that was required was a great amount of inner strength and imagination. Mind you, things often turned out for the unexpected! I am still practicing though, and it seems that once I perfect something, I can always do that thing at any time. It's new stuff that backfires sometimes. As I was moving from place to place, I made some money with a few deals, and I used to trade much. Usually in very small, valuable objects, because I don't like carrying around a large load. Sometimes, I have to get away quickly, and having much to take with you slows you down. As I travelled, I learned many languages, having to deal with so many races. I also learned a lot about different cultures and races. That often kept me out of trouble. So, that's about about all my life." "That stew smells wonderful!" Helen complimented Jabu. "It could be better." replied Jabu, modestly. He poured some of hot stew in four plates. He handed the first to Helen, not forgetting his manners. Then to Firecat, and placed the third in front of Shadow, who was lying beside the fire, sleeping lightly, aware of every single sound. Shadow slowly opened his eyes to the plate of stew, and lazily got up to eat. The last plate, Jabu kept for himself. "That was great!" said Firecat, finishing his plate. "I learned how to cook out of need." replied Jabu. "There was nobody else to cook for me, and the better I made it, the more I enjoyed it." They all smiled, and drank out of a water container which Jabu passed around. "Well, it's dark enough to go on with our journey. How about we pack our things and leave?" suggested Jabu. "Yeah, great idea." replied Helen. They all cleaned the food utensils, and packed everything away. Jabu put out the fire, covered it with earth, placed some rocks carelessly on it, and made it look as if nobody had ever been there. He realised that Helen and Fire- cat were looking curiously at his handywork. "I am used to covering up my tracks." he explained. "Ok, let's go." said Firecat. They all picked up their things, when Jabu motioned them all to be quiet. Shadow was fully alert, having heard the same thing that Jabu had. Firecat and Helen hadn't yet heard anything, but they all slowly moved to see what it was that Jabu and Shadow heard. It was too dark to see though, and when the sound finally reached Helen and Firecat's ears, they all realised that whatever it was, was moving towards them, with great speed. "What is it?" asked Firecat, noticing the hair on Shadow's back standing. "I don't know, but whatever it is, it knows we're here." replied Jabu. "I think I know what it is, but I hope I'm wrong, because if I'm not, we're all in trouble! Let's make a run for it, and maybe on open ground we have more chances of killing it!" ordered Helen, already breaking into a run. Shadow was quickly gaining up on Helen, with Firecat on its back. Jabu quickly followed, catching up with Helen as well. They all ran together. "You said 'it' Helen. What did you mean?" asked Jabu between breaths. -- This is my .sig until further notice... Mail s9100433@win4.vut.edu.au with any comments, opinions, statements, or even facts.... Also known as: Fablox, Snowlock and Duncan .....in many different places...