Newsgroups: alt.pub.dragons-inn From: jcarl@jabba.ess.harris.com (Mathew Dawnstrider) Subject: [Ga] Mathew will be okay and so will his horse Message-ID: Date: Mon, 15 Feb 1993 17:54:24 GMT >>>"O ho! So the brave little elf is in a position to make threats. Tell us, do >>>your 'friends' know that the boy scout Zebron Twilight is actually the thief >>>known as the Jack of Spades, master cat burglar?" Mathew looked a little surprised at the last comment. Now the card he had forgotten about in his pouch pocket made sense. Mathew had always thought that the playing card with the jack of spades was Brent's calling card. He hadn't bothered to bring it up since he was starting a friendship with him, and thought another false accusation would be the last straw. He had chosen wisely for once. Zebron continued talking to the brigands that kept him pinned down, while he had these thoughts >>>"And just like us, once a double crosser, always a double crosser," one of the >>>bandits moved quickly to slit the throat of the helpless Mathew. The boy knew >>>then that he was going to die. Mathew closed his eyes expecting the blade to strike his neck. >>>Dusk cawed for a third time, as Zebron's left hand straightened out, a final >>>magical syllable escaped his lips, the crystal rod and tuft of Marra's fur >>>held in his left hand were consumed in a glint of magical energy, and a >>>forked tongue of blue-white lightning leaped from Zebron's hand to the >>>brigands amid a clap of booming thunder. Mathew started at the clap of thunder. Three bodies collapsed onto him, no longer holding him down. The blade of the double crossing thief had hit him in his collar instead of his throat. The smell of ozone was strong in the air an Mathews hair stood on end. He pushed the corpses off him and looked up a Zebron. A look of thanks was clearly on his face. >>>Charred corpses were all that was left when the spell was through. Mathew, >>>singed but otherwise unaffected by the spell, looked at his friend. What he >>>saw was not a moon elf masquerading as a drow. What he saw was a dark elf of >>>tavern tales; the dark elf of legend; the dark elf of children's stories; the >>>dark elf of nightmares. >>>"And once a mage, always a mage," said Zebron in an even tone that sent chills >>>down Mathew's spine. >>Garriot staggered to his feat wearily. His hands were covered in blood; at >>his feet, one of the weretigers lay dead, windpipe crushed. Garriot himself >>had several nasty claw wounds. In a gravelly voice, he croaked, "That was >>perhaps the most timely spell I've ever seen, Zebron. Is everyone all >>right?" Mathew checked himself over. A minor gash on his leg, a small puncture wound to his shoulder, a couple of bruises, and probably a black eye. "I'm okay" >Helping the future paladin to his feet, Zebron extracted him from underneath >a charred and blackened corpse. Then the drow calmly and coldly beheaded the >body. He had beheaded three more when he noticed Mathew looking strangely at >him. >"I read a tome of necromancy in my youth," the dark elf offered, "and while I >had no desire to continue my studies in that branch of magics, I did learn some >of the fundamentals. A beheaded corpse is a bit more difficult to animate, and >I don't like having to kill anything twice." After Zebron explained himself Mathew wasn't sure what to think. Not knowing what to make of the ways of sorcery, Mathew decideded it was better to trust the knowledge of another wizard. If Zebron thought it was wise to behead these villains, then Mathew would not stop him. But the thought of him lossing his head in battle fought with honor sickened him. But then these men did not fight with honor. It was something he would have to think on later. >Gesturing to the amulet that once belonged to Mathew's father, the drow said, >"Nice trinket. Mine is probably a little more powerful, though," as he pulled >a good-sized emerald on a chain from inside his armor. He placed the gem in >Mathew's hands, and covered them with his own as the magic stone worked its >powers, burning out the remaining poison in the boy's system. "But, you are >fortunate to have had a father who loved you. Never forget that you were, for >a brief time, so blessed," replacing his gem inside his armor, the drow rose >to his feet and walked to the next corpse to behead it. The locket Mathew was wearing slowly faded from it's bright red glow indicating poison was in his system. He looked over to where Judge had fallen. Froth was foaming from his mouth as he heaved for air. His nostril flared with the effort of his lungs trying to breath air. But the poison was slowing down even his basic motor skills. Mathew crossed over to Judge and placed his locket around its nose. He crossed the chain around the bridle harness to make sure it wouldn't fall off. The locket blazed red, and the horse started to breath easier a little while later. Judge would be okay. He sat there holding Judges head in his lap, and collected is thoughts as the others did what ever they thought was necessary. -- Joe Carl Jr. "It ain't what a man don't know that makes him a jcarl@jabba.ess.harris.com fool, but what he does know that ain't so." -- Josh Billings