From: cam@gu.uwa.edu.au (Cameron Neylon)
Newsgroups: alt.pub.dragons-inn
Subject: [DQ] On the threshold of the portal ( Second thoughts anyone? )
Date: Wed, 14 Oct 1992 08:37:42 GMT
Message-ID: <1992Oct14.083742.3981@gu.uwa.edu.au>


The five characters stood at the threshold of the portal. Lancos as ever, 
straining to get to the front, 'Raelf standing pensively next to it. 
Shockwave and Valgar a little further back, muttering to each other, and
William standing at the back wondering what he was doing.

'Raelf was here because of his concern for the fabric of space, presumably,
and anyway, what on earth could possibly worry him, even on this Semi- 
whatever it was. Shockwave, well he was here to get his body(?) back of
course. If he didn't find Sunstorm soon they'd both be dead, and thats not
even beginning ot hink about their lifelong friend this dragon. Somehow,
the memory of the dragon, or at least the feeling of the sharp piece of 
pottery in his pocket comforted William, at least he was doing _something_
useful. 

Valgar. William, didn't know much about him, he was a very withdrawn
character, but he didn't seem the sort who was about to stay behind. But
Valgar wasn't half as strange as Lancos. Lancos had got more moody, even
in the two days William had known him. (Two days! It seems like months ;)
And his running of into this tunnel. And that amulet! Even to William's
dulled majical senses there was something very strange about that amulet,
and not just the fact that it made Lancos immpossible to touch, that was
almost commonplace. 'Raelf was also obviously worried about the amulet,
he kept looking at it and fiddling with that case of his, ( familiar
indeed! ). Ho hum.

'I can't stay here now, all those twits are going to go through, _of course_,
and I'm not staying here for anything!', he thought.

Shockwave muttered something to 'Raelf, who nodded sadly. "You're staying
here William.", the sword said bluntly, "This isn't your problem anyway."

"No f%^$#ing way!", came the answer quickly, "I've come this far, and I'll
go the whole bloody way!" Why the hell am I doing this he thought to himself.
I'll never make it back out of here anyway, the cave will be flooded in
half an hour anyway. Why O why does it always happen to _me_?

"I can look after myself", was what he said aloud. Lancos raised his eyes
to the ceiling briefly. 

"Nobody is going to call anybody a coward if they don't want to come.", 
Shockwave was talking now.

William could feel sweat beading on his back. 'Don't leave me here, please
please, please please god don't let them leave me in this place', of course
he wouldn't say it aloud.

"Anybody not want to go through", asked Lancos, though the silence was deadly.
Too deadly, the silence wrapped itself firmly around the group as the five
looked at each other.

"It wouldn't make the slightest difference", said 'Raelf, heavily under his 
breath. "Hang on dudes!", he continued louder . . . 



-- 
Cameron Neylon  cam@gu.uwa.edu.au
I can't think of anything witty enough that people 
would really want to see it time after time after . .