From: rigler@galileo.ifa.hawaii.edu (Michael Rigler) Newsgroups: alt.pub.dragons-inn Subject: [KQ] [Factory]: Always guard your flank! Message-ID: <1992Sep2.233459.25447@news.Hawaii.Edu> Date: 2 Sep 92 23:34:59 GMT JOYSTIX FACTORY LEVEL 1: The Kronquestors pause to catch their breath in the central chamber housing the large spiral staircase leading down to the second level. The Captain of the Guard, Wernher, lies dead at Colin's feet, and the rest of the day shift of the Elite Guard have either surrendered or have faced The Slayer this fine afternoon. Kron and Maleiu emerge from the short hallway leading to the barracks, where they have just finished tying up the last of the guards. Strange sounds are coming from below. Kron steps in front of the eastern hallway (unexplored) and glances down it warily. He gestures towards the western hallway -- now littered with bodies -- down which they have come. "Lady Azzar and Captain, please guard our backs." He turns to Colin. "What's going on downstairs?" Drawing on his elvish genes, Colin tilts his head and listens. There is a sound of steel on steel. To the ears of a swordsman, it sounds like two heavily armored knights hacking away at each other and the intervening furniture with bastard swords. Then there is a crash as of a large metal structure (a catwalk?) collapsing. Then shouting and cries for help. Colin looks up to Kron to make his report, and his eyes widen in surprise, as deep in the shadows of the hallway behind Kron, a patch of warmth detaches itself from wall and moves forward towards Kron, swiftly and noiselessly. The ranger reflexively hisses "Mordenkoth!" but it all happens too fast! Kron has seen Colin's gaze of alarm, and though he doesn't recognize the Elvish word for "assassin", its meaning is quite clear. The grizzled ex-Guardsman twists aside, fearing a backstab, and just manages to bring up his sword point as the steel garrote loops down over him. The razor- sharp loop is held mere inches from his throat by the flat of his sword. From behind, there is a sharp squeel of frustration, and the garrote is released. Kron whirls to see a shadow retreating back down the hallwaay accompanied by the soft patter a feet. Colin arrives at his side. "Maleiu, Colin, let us after him!" Kron hisses. "Lady, Captain guard our backs! Rhoan watch the stairs!" The three move warily down the hallway. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Lady Azzar and Captain peer down the hallway. Neither has infravision. "You see anything, Captain?" "No. I expect the guards upstairs to start pouring down the ladder any minute. We should hear them." Rhoan mutters. "I wish Kron and the others would hurry." An arrow is alread fitted to Azzar's bow, and now she draws it back in readiness, focussing her aim on a pillar at the farthest range of her vision. Suddenly, from down the eastern hallway, comes a prolonged shriek which trails off and ends in a death gargle. The sound is so horrible, that Azzar, Captain and Rhoan look away in that direction. And that is why they fail to see the forgotten rookies of the Elite Guard, Jalbar and Halbar, come bolting out of the darkness of the western hallway. The brothers are blitzed out of their minds on Joystix, and are expecting to find their compatriots lying in wait with padded swords. Instead, they find Azzar's longbow. * Tizzzzzzzzz--SPAK!* "GLEAARRHHHHHHH!!!" Jalbar goes down with an arrow in his throat. But Halbar races forwards in berserker fury, his wooden sword raised for a death blow to Azzar's cranium. The Lady knows she is fast, but not this fast. Nevertheless, her body takes her through the smooth motions of plucking an arrow from the quivver, fitting it to the string, and drawing it back, while her eyes are locked on the tip of the descending club. Time slows for her. Will she make it? The club descends...she draws the string back...At the last moment, she realizes she is meant to die today -- * THUK !!! * She opens her eyes to see the berserker lying at her feet in a quivvering mass, with the Captain standing proudly over him. As he withdraws his cutlass from the dying man's body, he feels Lady Azzar's lips press against his cheek. "Break it up you two!" Kron yells. "There's more work to be done." Maleiu and Colin dump the body of the assassin/scribe San Gosti on the floor near the staircase. Maleiu's spear is bloody. The Dark Hunter flashes a grin at Colin. "That was a fine piece of team work. You were my eyes, and I was your spear." The Ranger smiles. "Too bad we had to kill him. He might have known something." At this statement, Kron lifts the flap of his leather jerkin, showing it to be peppered by blowgun darts. "We had to kill him! Let's get moving people!" The KronQuestors move to the staircase. Behind them, the trap door from the upper level slams open, and the day shift comes pouring down...