Newsgroups: alt.pub.dragons-inn
From: bdavis@pepper.cray.com (Brent G Davis  {x67000 CF/ENG})
Subject: [Kal&Co]: Inn-satiable
Message-ID: <1993Feb19.101642.20262@walter.cray.com>
Date: 19 Feb 93 10:16:41 CST

   Powerless to move, each member of the group gazed frozen at the
creature near the door.  Where only seconds before stood an attractive
woman, there now towered a disgusting hag.  As her razor-sharp claws reached
up and parted the filthy hair covering her face, the fear in most of the
members became almost deathly.  Only E'Karam had been unaffected by the
aura conveyed by the witch's mere appearance, but he had fallen victim to
a more sinister power, his own lust.  Why his mind flayer hormones would
be affected in this way could only be guessed, but the fact remained;
E'Karam was love-struck by this dreaded beast.

   "Oh my love, I have waited for you for my entire life.  I am yours.  I
will be your love slave upon your word.  Make violent love to me where
all the world can see and they will rejoice in our eternal passion..."
E'Karam had dropped to his knees and stared wide-eyed at this vision
of beauty.  His tentacles waved in slow graceful arcs as he spoke.

   "You will be silent!," the hag commanded.

   "Nothing could silence my love for you.  Your hair is like ground beef, your
eyes like moldy onions, your skin like a three week old corpse.  Let me feel
your scales and kiss your nose and rejoice in the carnal pleasures of life..."

   "SHUT UP!" She shouted.

   "Never again will I look upon another face such as yours.  For all others I
am ruined..."  He babbled on.

   "You say you are my love slave, correct?"

   "I would gladly serve you until the sun loses its light and all is cold and
dead... I would..."

    "Then I command you to be quiet!"   Thankfully, E'Karam shut up.

   "Were it not for powers that bind me, I would slay all of you, little
ones!"  The hag cackled an evil laugh.  "Oh Sisters, how can I contain
myself.  Seeing this prime flesh is almost overwhelming."  She reached out
and stroked Kevin's cheek with one of her claws.  "It is not too late to
turn away; we are not known for our loyalty."  She squeezed Kevin's arm,
as if testing it.  "Let me eat this one sisters, and I'll bring the rest
back for you to feast upon."

   She stopped momentarily, and closed her eyes.  Then with a noticeable
jerk, she released Kevin's arm and walked over to the bed.  As she surveyed
the nude body of Kalendraf, she poked one of her deadly claws into her own
hand, drawing blood.  "Qevax guvf, phefrq bar," she instructed and placed
her bleeding hand over Kal's mouth.

   Although he could not move the rest of his body, Kalendraf was able to
use his mouth.  The green liquid burned a with a bitter taste, and he
grimaced as he swallowed it.  The burning turned to fire which spread
through his entire body.  Kal awoke from his blackout only to realize he
was tasting the blood of this vile hag.  "Njnl, jvgpu!"

   The witch pulled her hand back and drew a pendant necklace from a fold
of her cloak.  After placing the necklace over Kalendraf's head, she caressed
his throat with the backside of her claws.  "Fvyrapr lbhe gbathr, Onavfure,
be V jvyy grne vg bhg naq rng vg!  Gur oybbq lbh'ir qenax jvyy erfgber lbhe 
fgeratgu.  Be jbhyq lbh cersre sbe zr gb bcra lbhe guebng naq fjnyybj vg 
onpx!"  Then she stepped into the center of the room and made a few quick
gestures, invoking a spell of some type.

   "You can all understand me now.  Yes, even you Earthling."  She gazed
into Kevin's eyes, deepening the fear that was already there.  "There is
little time for this message, so it needs be brief.  Kalendraf, you must
regain the item that brought you here.  Only after that will you be able
to free yourself of its curse upon you.  It feeds on the water in your
body, and it blanks your mind to conceal itself.  This charm I have given
you will prevent the mind-blanking, but you must still supply it the water
it seeks.  Try bathing or swimming often, as it can absorb the liquid
through your skin just as easily and far less noticeably."

   "That explains it," muttered Kalendraf finally realizing the connection
between all of his blackouts.  "Then I shall ask the Wyeriun to return the
horn to me."

   The hag wheeled and stared at Kalendraf.  She spoke with an even
angrier tone, "The task is much more difficult.  Your foolish generosity
has seen to that, little one."  She raised a hand as if to strike Kalendraf,
and then merely relaxed.  "The new bearer seeks to unleash its powers, but
the horn has instead placed even darker curses upon him.  In time he will
lose himself to it, and his paranoia will turn to madness.  I tell you
this, because already he and others seek to destroy you, Kalendraf."

   She moved toward the window, and gently creaked open the shutter.
"Even now forces are gathering just outside this very Inn to capture you."
She turned and faced Denner and Meran.  "To cover their tracks, it is likely
you all will suffer the same fate."
   
   "uh...we're just innocent bystanders, really."  Denner was once again
attempting to use his diplomatic skills, but obviously, they needed honing.

   "Fates have strange ways of paying their dues, death dealer.  Perhaps
this is how you will pay yours for your poisonous trade."  The witch's
warted nose nearly touched Denner's face, and just the thought made his
skin twitch. 

   "What more must I tell them, Sisters?  My hunger grows as I look upon 
these tender morsels.  Soon it must be satiated."  Again she closed her eyes
and appeared to meditate.  Slowly, the aura of fear surrounding her seemed
to lessen.

   Outside the room, came the sounds of heavy feet trudging up the stairs.
The handle of the door wiggled, but the bolt held it secure.  Loud voices
were followed by strong echoing blows against the door.

   "We're trapped!"  E'Karam quickly pointed out.  "Let me defend you,
my darling," he offered, boldly stepping between the door and the hag.

   Quicksilver transferred most of his conscience back to his form in the
room, then moved to the closed window, and thrust it open.  Below he could
make out several huddling figures, attempting to remain in the shadows,
along with a small dog wagging its tail.  "She was right.  We're surrounded
by armed men."  'I should know', he thought; 'One of them just petted me.'

   Kalendraf, just now noticing his nakedness, grabbed some garments setting
on a night stand and began to don them.  Even wearing them, he still felt
naked without a blade.  "Would there happen to be an extra sword or dagger
handy?"

   Denner and Kevin teamed up, sliding a large dresser to block the door.
Within a few moments, the others joined them in piling every available object
behind the door. 

   E'Karam stood back and admired their work, and then realized, "We're still
trapped!  How can we escape?"  Then another brilliant idea occurred to
him, "Help!  Help!  We're trapped in here!"  The rest of the group tried
to stifle the crying mind flayer, although no one dared get too close to
his tentacles.

   Meanwhile, the guards were making serious progress in battering down
the door.  With a few more tries they would break through.  Suddenly,
the hag awoke from her trance.  "Leave now, before my sisters release me.
Save yourselves!," she shouted.

   "But...how?," Denner asked.  The rest of the members muttered words to
the same affect, and they all turned to the hag with bewildered looks.

   "The narrowness of the humanoid mind never ceases to amaze me.  Why do
you always limit your thinking to two dimensions?"  With her powerful claws,
she reached up and ripped a sizable hole in the ceiling, showering the
room with dust and debris.

--
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