Date: Friday, 11 Dec 1992 11:16:46 EST
From: Michael Sander <344LWKC@CMUVM.CSV.CMICH.EDU>
Message-ID: <92346.111646344LWKC@CMUVM.CSV.CMICH.EDU>
Newsgroups: alt.pub.dragons-inn
Subject: [DQ] Kadrys: Back Inn Town

[ADMIN: I love it when e-mail is delayed, don't you? (Ah, the smell of sarcasm)
 Anyway, this is posted for Andrea Evans, and should have appeared before
 "Restitutions and Resolutions" and "Memories Over Beer". Blame the lag on
 ... time distortions. Yeah, THAT'S the ticket...]

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The party turns their backs on the wilderness, heading for Generica's walls,
then following them round to the nearest gate.

The guard at the gate slowly looks the new arrivals up and down.
A blond man whose eyes glow in shifting, rainbow colors. A tall, redheaded
warrior in worn green armour. A greying, scarred fellow dressed in some sort
of bluish canvas. And someone or something hidden from view underneath a
hooded black leather cloak.

The guard sighs. More bloody adventurers. Why couldn't he see something
interesting or unusual for a change? Say, a farmer or a merchant.
"Pass..." he drawls in a bored monotone.

The party continues on inside. They all feel in need of rest, and make their
way with one unspoken accord down the Avenue of Unforgotten Heroes, towards
the Dragon's Inn. As they walk, all of them look around with a certain
eagerness at the streets of Generica, bustling with activity and life despite
the unseasonal drifts of snow. The contrast with Ack-I-Renege is both profound
and welcome. As they wend their way through the crowds at the Floating Bazaar,
Kadrys asks Lancos for a few coins, and vanishes briefly into a stall. He
emerges with a rolled bundle of black cloth under one arm. He hands the change
to Lancos, grinning wryly "It's high time I retired these..." as he pushes
back the folds of his cloak to display the tattered state of his clothing.
Lancos' glance is held by the gaping hole in the centre of Kadrys' shirt, over
his heart. The warrior sighs, inwardly resolving to do something as soon as
possible to try to make restitution for that deed.

They cross the Plaza of Glittering Steel, remembering back to when it had been
carpeted with the rubble of their fight with the gargoyles. The door to the
Dragon's Inn opens slowly before them.

Kadyrs looks around at the familiar, firelit gloom of the Inn. It seems years
since he had seen it last. 'It feels so good to be back...' he thinks,
silently astonished by the unusual emotion. 'Well, it's not that surprising,'
he adds after a moment's thought, 'This is the first place in a very very long
time where I have found acceptance, and even friendship, despite the fact that
they know my _true_ nature...'
He glances sideways for a moment at Lancos, grinning slightly at the other's
crestfallen expression at the lack of reaction to their entrance.

Kadrys goes back to scanning the tables, and his quiet smile fades a little as
he sees that several of the patrons are wounded. Evidently there had been a
battle recently. He suddenly realises, to his surprise, that Serene for once
is nowhere is sight. 'Perhaps her time has come. She seemed fairly close to
term when we left...' he thinks, hoping that there is no more unfortunate
reason behind her absence. Then, his restless gaze picks out a patch of
BLACKness bent over a wounded patron resting in one of the Inn's multitude
of Dark Corners (tm). His crooked grin returns as he moves towards that corner
with his usual stealth, reaching out his hand to tap the half-elf's shoulder.
"Still tending the wounded, I see. Ever think of becoming a Healer?" he grins.
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Michael Sander 344lwkc@cmuvm.csv.cmich.edu