Newsgroups: alt.pub.dragons-inn From: tkelly@unix2.tcd.ie (Mithrandir-the-Love-Stricken-and-happy) Subject: [Sorc] Dark nights. Drake's Night. Message-ID: Date: Mon, 17 May 1993 12:05:08 GMT Fireworks exploded and glittered all over Generica. There were people running all about, children playing, songs being sung and a copious ammount of wine being drunk by all. Happiness reigned supreme after the trials of the storm and other such things. Yet, as often did happen right the way across the world of Nexus, there was trouble brewing beneath the veil of happiness. This trouble had a name. That name was Drake's Carnival. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ "Roll up!! Roll up!! Come one, come all. Welcome one and all to the Carnival, the extravaganza, the beauty that is Drake's Carnival!!" A man in a bright red long-tailed jacket, white trousers, black boots and a top hat was announcing to the crowd. "We have got extravaganzas from far and wide!! Shows to amaze you!! Trinkets to amaze you!! Animals of far and wide origins, strange exotic beasts to amaze you all. Welcome all to Drake's Carnival!!!" He looks energetic, professional, elegant, and has the crowd in the palm of his hand. He has a short well-trimmed beard and an air of mystique that no-one can quite put a finger on. "And now, for your entertainment ... Madame Zorba the Fortune Teller and prophet ..." An outburst of applause rings over the area of the Market Square where Drake's Carnival has settled. A short plump woman arrived out from behind a curtain. She was dressed in millions of bracelets, and a dress covered in flowers. She looked darkly at the crowd, and sat upon her chair. "Who would wish that I, Madame Zorba, would delve into their futures, seek out their goals and dreams and tell them what was to come of it, eh?" Her voice was strangely seductive, alluring, like a temptress or a hypnotist "Do any of ye dare to come forth?" Fellamar the Merchant, a sucessful man of many years trading through Generica's streets decided that he really did need to know the future. He raised his hand. "Ah, we have a subject, then", the woman smiled and the crowd applauded. He walked over to the table and sat down. "Am I supposed to pay ye in silver, madame?" he asked, reaching for his purse. "No, no, payment can be handled ... later I think" she chuckled, making him feel at ease. He sat there and watched as she closed her eyes and appeared to enter into a trance, and she turned her head left and right in a swinging left and right slowly and methodically. Then she opened her eyes. To Fellamar, they had an oddly glowing quality to them, a baleful glint of green. He squirmed in the seat, but did not shake her gaze. "Fellamar the Merchant ... " she began and a murmur went up around the crwod instantly. Fellamar was scared now. "Fellamar the Merchant , I see troubled times ahead of you. You may find yourself in dire straits or you may find yourself sucessful. It depends on your wife, Fellamar. She mourns for you, calls for you." Fellamar started to say something "But my wife died-" "Silence Fellamar. She calls to you from beyond the grave. She beckons you to come to her, to meet with her, and to be with her. Your future will depend solely on whether you choose to join her Fellamar. Laura needs you." Fellamar was fretting, sweating. His hands were nervously shaking. Madame Zorba came out of her trance and looked around. At first slowly, then more assuredly, the crowd were clapping, applauding her efforts. Those who knew Fellamar knew she was authentic and clapped the hardest. Fellamar started to rise, to leave, but suddenly found he couldn't move. He felt like he was fighting for air, but wasn't moving at all. A voice enterred his mind, bypassing his ears completely. "Payment, Merchant ", he knew it was her voice, but it was far more bestial, far more cruel. Suddenly, he felt himself being torn in a thousand diffrent diirections at once. He felt as though he was being subjected to the most horrible tortures, the Iron Maiden a thousand-fold. Then he was out. He could see the world as a whitish, misty place without detail. The crowds' clapping faded, become less and less with each passing moment. He saw his body, and he saw the dark thing, the hideous midnight creature standing beside it, waiting. It sat down, enterred his body. He saw himself move, but he had a glint in his eyes, a baleful green. "No!! Help Meee !! Help meeee!!!" Spiralling down and down, the laughter, the simple chuckle of the woman, Madame Zorba, the creature, Madame Zorba, the devil, Madame Zorba. He could only look down and see the fires that awaited him below .... Fellamar the Demon arose from the table and went back into the crowd unnoticed by all. The man in the Red Coat came back out. "Thank you, Madame Zorba. The Madame will be taking more fortunes in her tent over there for very little cost indeed." He simply smiled. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Click. See the woman walking down the alley near the Low City. See her boyfriend, big and strong. See the bottle of wine in their hands. See the face in the shadows beyond. See the clown emerge from the shadows beyond. See the grin upon his face. See the clown approach the couple. See the clown sneak behind. See the clown smile, cold , cold, cold. See the couple startle by the clown. See the clown smile and talk. See the clown talking of marriage. See the boyfriend tell the clown See the boyfriend, poor as beggar, he cannot give a ring See the woman sad for she cannot have a ring for marriage. See the clown smile suddenly and laugh See the clown reach into his pocket and bring forth a ring. See the ring, gleaming in the midnight air. See the man take the ring and shout with joy. See the man proclaim his love. See the man put the ring on her finger See the clown smile the wicked smile. See the woman turn on the man, a Beast See the Beast shred the man. See the hatred that was the woman. See the Beast return to woman, yet not woman See the clown smile. He has many more rings. Ring a ring a rosie, Pocket full of posie A tissue A tissue We all fall ... down. Click. -- Mithrandir [tkelly@unix2.tcd.ie] Bill has loads of guns, and bombs, and more guns, and is dead cool. How is dat for Carictar Devleopment -- Alan O'Dea