Newsgroups: alt.pub.dragons-inn
From: aaron@loki (Aaron Humphrey)
Subject: [KQ] Maleiu[Nesters]: A Warrior Never Shows Weakness
Message-ID: <1992Sep24.024333.14793@kakwa.ucs.ualberta.ca>
Date: Thu, 24 Sep 1992 02:43:33 GMT

Kron had come downstairs, voracious after his earlier collapse, and Thk had
returned from his fight in the sewers.  Rhoan had just left to re-equip
himself.  Maleiu was watching with morbid fascination the writhing of the
finger on the table when he felt a sudden sense of wrongness.

He tried to trace the feeling, and found that it led back to Mistletoe.  He had
discovered love for her--but what of her feelings for him?  True, she had
flirted with him before, but he had always responded reservedly.  And they had
been separated for weeks now.  She was with Ornigan.  Surely it was only
natural that those two would turn to each other, seeking comfort in each
other's company--and perhaps more than comfort.  Or perhaps some handsome
Rameshander had captured her attention.  Despite Mistletoe's garrulousness, it
always seemed that she asked more than she revealed, and Maleiu still knew 
little about her.  It had been days before he had found out her real name.

He saw nothing before him but a bleak future.  Mistletoe would probably spurn
him, or not return his love.  And he no longer cared whether he returned for
Lyono or not.  He had spent almost a decade now in travelling--first on the
Dark Continent, and then on this one.  And he had more yet to go, before he
could cover all the shores of the world.  And for what?  So he could return to
Nariawah?  He thought of his home village with sudden revulsion for its
insularity, its backwardness.  No.  But if he abandoned his quest, then what
else could he do?  He knew nothing else but wandering, and he had not yet found
any place he would want to settle and stay.  His life was meaningless--his
quest meaningless.

He realized that his cheeks were covered with tears, and the shock and
embarrassment of that fact brought him partially back to himself.  He pushed
back the emptiness of his existence and realized that his companions had gone
mad.  Colin had leapt up and was shrieking and laying about him with imaginary
weapons at imaginary opponents.  Azzar had stripped her clothes off and was
doing a sinuous dance, to the catcalls of Nesters other patrons.  Captain was
white-faced with anger and glaring menacingly at the patrons.

Then Kron shook his head savagely.  "Maleiu--Captain--Thk.  Get on the other
side of Colin and Azzar.  Keep the others away from them."  Maleiu and Captain
blinked and stood up to comply; Thk also did so, although he seemed a little
unsure of what exactly the problem was.  Rhoan, who had just returned from his
errands, also assisted.

Marcel bent over Azzar and did something that Maleiu couldn't see, and she
fell unconscious.  He restrained Captain from lunging at the knight as he
picked her up, and then--

--Maleiu's mind snapped back into focus like a bowstring being released.  He
realized the foolishness of his earlier self-pitying emotions, and returned to
the pragmatic hunter's philosophy of taking each day as itself.  Captain
relaxed under his grip, and Colin came out of his fit, somewhat bewildered.

Marcel carried Azzar upstairs, and the rest followed, unsure of what else to
do.

--------

They sat, not talking, in the small room, and watched as the light outside
faded to twilight.  As it grew darker, Maleiu realized that the others would
probably have trouble seeing, and lit a lantern.  That action seemed to bring
them all out of their immobility, Azzar included.  Her eyes flew open and she
looked around at the rest of the party, seeking some sign that they had lost
their respect for her.  All she saw was concern, and more than that in
Captain's eyes...she smiled, and sat up, then realized her state of undress
and pulled the sheet up.  The rest left the room and returned downstairs,
followed by Azzar, fully dressed this time.  Once Azzar was seated, Kron
started to speak.

He mentioned the feeling of being watched, of there being something out there
taking a decided interest in their actions, and how this something seemed to be
connected somehow with Kron's sister Cheyenne.  But he also mentioned the risk
of madness, of loss of self, that they had gotten a taste of that day.  He
conluded by saying, "If you want ouy, say so now.  I'll understand."

Nobody said anything.  Maleiu felt ashamed enough of the weakness he had shown
with the tears earlier.  He was not about to show weakness now by backing out
on his comrades.  Even though Maleiu, used to combat of the body, was more
terrified than he would ever admit of losing control of his mind, he would not
let that fear affect his actions if he could help it.  He was sure that
others there were thinking and feeling the same things, although for Rhoan and
Thk it surely lacked some of its immediacy, since they had not directly
experienced the influence, whatever it was.

Kron smiled at the lack of response.  "Good.  I'll need your help, now more
than ever!

"Shall we?"

As one they nodded, somewhat grimly.  They stood up and Azzar paid their bill
from the gold Thk had brought.  The innkeeper looked suspiciously at the
patina on the coins, but shrugged when Thk tried to explain the effect he had
on metal.  "As long as it's gold underneath," he said pragmatically, but he
didn't turn down the extra coin Azzar proffered him.

As they left the Inn, Kron said, "That Illithid, Quruuminias, somehow gave me
all the information about this place directly into my head.  I think that this
place is right by the Shunned Center--what better place for such a hideout?
There's one less direction they have to worry about people sneaking up on them
from.  I have no idea how many of them will be there--we may have another big
fight on our hands.  If we do--remember, we need Seer alive."

--
---Alfvaen(Canadian SF Quasi-Activist)
"Yesterday I saw a subliminal advertising executive--just for a second."
   ---Steven Wright
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