Newsgroups: alt.pub.dragons-inn From: jcarl@jabba.ess.harris.com (Darvos Metnar) Subject: [BBD] Stop those fiends... Message-ID: Date: Sat, 17 Apr 1993 14:50:54 GMT [ADMIN: Thanks go to Mike Sander, and the Dreamer for all the help they put in to generating this story line. Mike Sander deserves a lot of credit. Thank you both!] [ADMIN: What has gone before Our 4 heros (Little Rat, Darvos, Lancos, and his cat Bast) have finally tracked down Lissa's whereabouts after being abducted by the Gutt Man.] The wind was reaching gale force now and the rain was coming down like a water fall on the trio of Darvos, Lancos, and Little Rat. Amazingly Bast was still following Lancos even though it now looked and felt like a drowned rat. The heros felt little choice though and only through the aid of Darvos' magic could the still pursue the Gutt Man. Darvos had feared the elven vampire that had attacked Lissa in the first place would try to seduce the child again one night, and he had taken the precaution to link her soul to his in a minor fashion so as to be alerted should something go wrong. Little Rat was soaked to the bone and feared she'd catch the sniffles after this, but continued on for her friend Lissa's sake. Vision was limited, particularly with the coming of night. Flashes of lightning lit the alleys they were trudging, and the clap of thunder reverberated down the corridors. Wind blew in their faces, and crept inside their clothing, chilling them to the bone. Nevertheless, they moved on, slowly, but with determination and fortitude, spurred on by the need for shelter as well as the desire to rescue Lissa shelter. It wasn't too much longer when Darvos' spell had led them to a store. The proximity indicated by the spell indicated Lissa was inside. The front door was locked, and Little Rat had trouble picking the lock due to the storm's fury Finally the reassuring click of the lock as it unlatched brought a smile to Little Rat's face. Which was quickly replaced with a frown when the door still wouldn't open. Darvos spoke up "Allow me". He balled his hand up into a fist, and bent his arm and wrist in towards his body. Then with a violent lashing out as if with an underhanded blow, his fingers flexed in the extension a flash of lightning punctuating the motion, the door flung open. Almost at the same time Darvos screamed out in pain, "AAAAaaahhh". He crumpled to the ground wracked with pain. A massive backlash of magical energy had traveled back down the fragile soul-link between Lissa and himself. The link was destroyed and Darvos could no longer tell if Lissa was nearby. Before Lancos or Little Rat could do anything to help him he said "He's hurting Lissa with Magic, quickly _you_ must save her" Little Rat and Lancos looked through the now open door into the building. It appeared deserted at first but when Lancos moved in warily, he noticed a strange flickering light under the door across the room. Apparently the storm's range had drowned out the sound of the door being blown open by Darvos' spell. Little Rat helped Darvos to his feet, the effects of the other wizard's spell backlashing through the soul link was wearing off, but he was still weak. Using hand signals, Lancos indicated there was someone on the other side of the door. Pointing to where he wanted the others to take up positions he kicked open the door and caught the people in the room by surprise. The wizard was in the middle of an incantation, but had little choice but to finish it. He had to trust that the Gutt Man with his new powers would be able to hold of the intruders until he could finish. The Gutt Man was caught by surprise, as he was enjoying the show the wizard was putting on. The slow cuts that were being ministered to Lissa's body was exciting him and he was unprepared for Lancos' attack. Darvos put a restraining hand out to tell Little Rat not yet, as he prepared a spell. Using two weapons, short sword in his left hand and scimitar in his right, he charged in towards the Gutt Man. Using the moment of surprise, Lancos swung his short sword, cleaving it into the Gutt Man's right knee. The Gutt Man was quick to react and the scimitar went high. The Gutt Man's new black dagger flicked up into a defensive position, but now it glowed with a blackish light. It seemed to shimmer with heat, both the Gutt Man and Lancos looked at it with surprise. A split second latter they both resumed the fight, but Gutt Man had a grin of superiority on his face despite his wounded knee. The Gutt Man's magically increased speed kept the two evenly match and the dual reach a stalemated pattern of defensive swipes and swings. The Gutt Man flashed his knife back and forth and dodged with a wild abandon feeling the vigor of his new powers. Lancos parried and tried to take advantage of the holes in the Gutt Man's defense, but they closed before he could make good the blows. Bast, Lancos' new friend, avoided feet and swiped a paw at the Gutt Man when it could, hissing anger the whole time. Lancos had the advantage in attacks even thought he couldn't match the Gutt Man's speed. And seeing as he already had given better than he got, he felt he could outlast the child-killer's speed and wildness, if he did things correctly. Darvos used the same tactics he had the last time someone stood over Lissa. Separate the man from the child, and then cripple him. Only this time he knew he would use deadly force. The first spell hit as expected, and the other wizard was shoved back almost at the same time he had completed his incantation. With an evil grin, he prepared a defense to Darvos' upcoming attack saying "You're too late, I've got what I want now". He ran his fingers in front of a series of vials full of blood. "Join me friend, and revel in immortality." Darvos eyed the vials trying to decide whether to blast the vials or the wizard in front of him. His eyes turned to Lissa lying on the table. She was pale but still breathing, the incision marks all over her body made up Darvos' mind, and the other wizard saw his decision in his eyes. Darvos flung a bolt of power straight for the chest, but he was ready. A small shield appeared right in the bolts path and it absorbed most of the deadly bolt's energy. Some of the energy spilled over, and flickered over the wizard's body though, and he grimaced in pain. "You'll have to do better than that my friend, unfortunately I do not have time to indulge your petty attempts". Picking up the rack of vials he smiled viciously at Darvos saying "Till we meet again" and flung a crackle bolt of blackness towards Darvos, striking him full in the chest. As Darvos crumpled to the ground by the doorway, the other wizard laugh aloud and disappeared. Little Rat ran to Lissa, and untied her. She staunched the blood flow with some cloth found nearby. Since the spell keeping Lissa unconscious no longer was being sustained by the other wizard, she was slowly coming round. Little Rat helped her down from the table. But that was about all she could do until Lissa was fully conscious. Little Rat looked towards the battle, and saw that her friends weren't doing as well as she hoped. Courage suddenly welled inside her, and she decided to act. She withdrew the knife they'd taken from the Gutt Man, and threw it at the Gutt Man. It stuck into his left leg, just above the knee. The Gutt Man flinched with in pain and felt what was close to panic, as he realized his helper had deserted him. That left him facing three opponents. Four, he corrected himself as Bast's claws cut into his right calf. But things look darkest before the dawn; this time, the dawn of an idea. He felt that he too could teleport out of the store. He broke off his attacking and ran across the room and concentrated on the effort. By the time Lancos reached the area, there was nothing left but thin air, and an unfollowable trail. Lancos scowled, but then turned his attention to the children. He found Darvos cradling some tender ribs over by Lissa. He was carefully tending to Lissa's wounds and trying to bring her to full consciousness. He was soon successful, and upon seeing Darvos Lissa hugged him with all her might. Darvos smiled broadly with joy. He hadn't felt so good in all of his life. Darvos returned the hug, and as soon as he was satisfied Lissa was well again, he asked Lancos "What do we do now?" in his peculiar accent. "We wait; we heal" Lancos spoke matter-of-factly. "We're all too tired and wet to get anywhere safely in that storm. We can spend the night here if we have to; it should be safe now". Lancos removed his drenched shirt, motioned for everyone to come out into the main room. He started to build a fire in the fireplace. Bast wasn't too far from Lancos the whole time. Darvos followed Lancos out with Lissa in his arm, Little Rat followed right behind. Darvos nodded agreement, his ability to control the magical energy was near gone. "Fine with me, it's probably best not to move Lissa after her head wound anyway." He looked at Lissa and saw that she sort of agreed, as she had fallen asleep -- this time a natural one -- in his arms. As the fire began to roar and they began to dry out themselves and their clothes, Lancos move over to Little Rat and said, "Let's leave these two alone. Besides, I want to speak with you." Little Rat followed him. Once they had their own privacy, she asked. "What izup?". "Mainly I wanted to thank you for helping us. And to give you a dagger, to replace the weapon you lost in the combat." "Why?" "Because you need it". When Little Rat didn't respond positively, Lancos decided to try another track, "and because you deserve it. For saving Lissa and facing that evil fellow." "hokay, if youse says it like dat". Little Rat took the offered dagger, and then headed next to Lissa, and prepared to sleep. `Favor swapping' Lancos remarked to himself. `I should have guessed. Still, she needs safety'. Then an idea hit him. He knew how to make her safe yet make her feel important. That would have to wait, however, until after the storm passed over. * * * * In another part of the city, BBD smiled. The storm had been very helpful to him, as he had convinced several people that all they needed to do to save their homes or businesses from destruction by the storm was turn them over to him, and he would protect them. Some were charmed, some were intimidated, others were just happy for any source of hope. And BBD didn't even lie, either -- he protected his investments well with magic, and it would take more than this squall to harm them. His revelry was interrupted by the sudden appearance of Velric. The mage's clothes had blood all over them. Velric began to speak, but BBD cut him off. "Don't bother. I can tell things weren't successful. What happened?" "Those friends of hers found the place and intervened" Velric said. "Myrnien did her part, why couldn't you do yours?" "I was drained from the ceremony... and outnumbered." "The ceremony... then I take it you were at least successful with that part of your mission?" "Yes!" Velric announced, glad to be getting on BBD's good side again. "I got a sample of her blood to be used for the immortality experiment, and as far as the Gutt Man..." As if in continuation of the sentence, the Gutt Man popped into the room. His old knife still sticking out of his his left leg, and other knife wounds criss-crossed his body. BBD smiled again. "Ah, my wonderful servant. Already I can feel you attuned to my will. That's the cost of that bracelet -- you see when you put it on of your own free will, you also lost that ability to choose to me." The Gutt Man wasn't sure how to respond. Of course, he _hadn't_ put it on himself, so he still had some free thought. But the voice was so compelling, he couldn't help but be enthralled by what was said. Besides, he instinctively knew this man could probably take away what had been given him. So for now, he would listen, and obey, but be ready for anything. -- 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