From: jcp@trident.usacs.rutgers.edu (Jonathan Petersen) Newsgroups: alt.pub.dragons-inn Subject: [Ga] Sunrise Message-ID: Date: 18 Feb 93 21:30:48 GMT [ADMIN: the following is a collaboration of the authors of both characters involved.] Mathew slowly awoke. Though he was up much of the night, joining in the festivities, life on the farm had left him conditioned to wake up before dawn each morning. Now that he had left the farm behind, he was finding old habits hard to break. The young man rolled over quietly to face the camp. He saw that he was not the only one up at this hour. Zebron Twilight, the mysterious drow mage, was rummaging through his own pack, his back to Mathew. His bleach white hair was dripping wet, and the light blue tunic he wore was wet in patches too. "Well met, Mathew," said the elf without turning around, "There's a spring fed pool of water ten minutes south. Water's cold, but it's better than nothing." "How did you -?!" Turning around, Zebron explained, "Dusk told me." Mathew looked around the camp and found the raven on a tree branch nearby. Zebron was drying his hair with a towel from his pack when Mathew turned back to him. "Dusk and I share a unique partnership. He's more than a mere familiar, you see. It all started back when I thought I could parlay my way past a black dragon. Unfortunately for me, 'twas no dragon, but a dracolisk!" Zebron paused for dramatic tension, "I was turned to stone before I could remedy my mistake. "He was my familiar at the time, and I don't know how but, my mind was shunted into Dusk's, and for a while we shared his body. Dusk and I together got my body back to normal, how we did that is a different story better left for another time. But after I got better, we were closer than before. The empathy we had before became a sort of telepathy. I can see through his eyes, and he through mine." Fairly dry now, Zebron put down the towel and took another tunic out from his pack. Turning his back to Mathew for privacy, he undressed and donned this new tunic. Mathew averted his eyes as was customary with men, even though they behaved as if they didn't care. But Mathew could help to notice the scars on Zebron's back. The usual nonchalant attitude was replaced with shock, as he gaped at what he saw. Some looked like whip marks, others like little bites of flesh had been taken away. "It's not polite to stare. But go ahead, I'm used to it," the dark elf stated. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to offend you, but who di-" "Remember when I told you that you were lucky to have parents that loved you? I wasn't so fortunate." "Your parents did that?" his eyes wide with disbelief. "Well, from what I figure, my father was tortured and put to death right after I was born, because he couldn't sire a female. My mother hit me with a whip of living snakes because I was male. You see, males are nothing to the Venom Queen." "You mean Ll-!?" Dusk swooped down from the tree branch and flapped his wings in Mathew face before he could complete his sentence. "NEVER! Never say that name!" Zebron's voice was cold and hard. Mathew spat out feathers as Dusk calmed down and Zebron continued, "The demon you were about to name is very particular about who names her. She'll know exactly who and where you are if you _ever_ utter her name aloud. And that is something you don't want her to know, especially if you consider me a friend. "And I hope you do." "Of course, I do. Even though I've only known you for about three days now, I feel like you and Brent are as close to me as my brothers used to be." Knowing Zebron had just told him a bit about himself, that he probably hadn't told others before, he felt like he needed to tell him a little about who he was too. "I was the oldest son of three. My brothers died along with my mother about 8 years back. I was 16 years old then and in my final year at a training school for Paladins. They were about 14 and 12." Mathew smiled in recollection "We used to have a lot of fun together. We used to get into a lot of trouble together. Good natured stuff, you know the kind of stuff kids get into." Mathew stopped realizing that Zebron probably didn't know about that kind of life. "A plague ripped through the village, some wizard had accidentally unleashed something nearby and I lost them. I was sent back home to help out my father with the farm. Dad was pretty devastated, but we endured. I got really strong taking up the brunt of the farm work that my brothers use to do." "I continued my studies to become a Paladin proper like but it was real slow doing it on and off again and working on the farm and all. I was away on one of my weekend training exercises when my father was cursed by who ever plagues you guys." Mathew's brow furrowed with anger "Whoever is responsible for this is going to meet the justice of Tyr. I'll make sure he doesn't escape like the wizard did that killed my brothers and mother." "Justice? Or revenge?" ask Zebron. "I've worked with paladins before, and for all their training, very few knew the difference. Before you walk towards a destination, know what road you travel upon. "And, believe me. It does matter which road you take." Mathew fell silent in his brooding and tried to relax a bit as the sun slowly worked its way over the horizon. Zebron turned to face the sunrise. "I heard what you said at the battle, about not wanting to die," he told Mathew. Mathew looked shamefaced, he had hoped nobody had heard him cry out. "Don't worry. It's nothing to be ashamed of, and even if you are, I doubt the others heard you. I was afraid to die at one time, myself. But I've done it twice and it isn't so bad." Mathew looked confused by the last remark by Zebron, but before he could ask Zebron continued. "Look at that sunrise. Isn't it beautiful? Smell that fresh air! Look around you, Mathew, and see what freedom is. Taste it on the wind. "Every morning I look out and see a beautiful day, a day full of life and adventure. And every morning I say to myself that 'Yes, today is a good day. A very good day to die.' "Every action I do, every word I say, every breath I take, every day I face; I live as though it was my last. I regret none of my actions. I am so thankful for having lead the life I have, that if my time is up, I couldn't imagine asking for another chance. "Of course, I've had more than my share of chances. When I was turned back from a statue, it was too much for my system, and I died. I faced Tymora and was sent back because I had 'unfinished business'. When a dragon turned my friends and I to molten flesh, I gambled my very soul to come back. I beat Tymora at a game of chance." He added a little softer "She probably let me win." "See - well, it's hard to explain. Hmm. Okay. If you found out that today was going to be your last, that you will die at sundown, would you act differently than you would otherwise? What would you do? That is a question I ask myself with every step. My life is like walking a razor's edge. I can't afford to make a misstep. Every step could be my last." Zebron turned to the camp and stoked the fire. Mathew remained behind, looking at the sunset. He breathed in deeply. "Yes, today is a good day to die." Mathew looked around `Zebron is right, I should live each day like there is no tomorrow' he thought. He smiled and said "Sure is!" and got up to make breakfast for his new friends with a little more joy in his heart. -Jak & Joe