From: shaun@csc.liv.ac.uk (Shaun Hovers)
Newsgroups: alt.pub.dragons-inn
Subject: [G] Rebirth
Message-ID: <7544@m1.cs.man.ac.uk>
Date: 1 Feb 93 11:06:19 GMT

The scream echoed across the rocks, suddenly springing from nowhere startling
all the animals around. Even the bravest of animals whinced at the pain evident
therein. The sound finally faded out, and the predators around, recovering their
bravery went to find it's source to see if there was anything left to devour.

  Amidst a collection of rocks there lay a black figure, breathing but not 
moving. The scavengers moved closer cautiously since there was no smell of
 blood in the air to mark a death. Slowly they edged forward until they were
next to the still figure and the first of them was able to sink his fangs in
 hungrily. Only when bitten did the figure move, screaming loudly with pain 
once more making the dog like creatures around him scurry away as he slowly
stood up and looked around.                                 
 "Where?....Arghhhh!" The figure yelled with pain again as he moved too fast to
 scan his surroundings, his body producing pain for any but the most cautious
 movement. Now very slowly he took stock of his position.
 ' I've been in this place before' he thought to himself. ' Four night's ago 
 this is where I woke with the compulsion to travel to an inn. I went there,
 realised I was being forced to obey the whims of others and met more under the
 same spell. We  rode, were ambushed, camped, lost two of our fellows moved on
 and then an attack came again. It was the Black Elder, Thorr-kan vanished and
 I failed to kill him and then....I died. ' Suddenly the figure was driven to 
 his knees again, the memory of what happened to him bringing back the terrible 
 agony he had felt and then the nothingness as his life fled from his body 
leaving nothing behind. He'd died, definitely, but now he was alive again, in
 pain, but alive.
 " So they remember, even when my presence is gone they remember." The figure 
 speaks aloud again realising that he knows how his re-birth has come about, in
a way even the Elders could not stop. 
 " It seems my dear Elders, that you cannot block all of the gifts from me, 
 even on your own world. Though obviously...the effects are not complete..from
 the state my body is in." Through the pain, Wanderer smiles at himself.