Newsgroups: alt.pub.dragons-inn
From: arsmith@nyx.cs.du.edu (Alan Smith)
Subject: [NTY]  Hunting for hunters.
Message-ID: <1993Jun1.151244.24573@mnemosyne.cs.du.edu>
Date: Tue, 1 Jun 93 15:12:44 GMT

'Now,' Palandun thought, 'If I were a spirit, where would I be?  Be careful
what you wish for, Pal, you may get it.'  Palandun suddenly remembered he knew
exactly where a drainer was...

The Statue of Norad the Watchful hadn't changed at all since Palandun had last 
seen it.  The half a body which was supposed to be there yelling insults at him
had left, though.  In it's place was a full-bodied figure, lying face up in the 
half-shadows.  Either the Drainer had found a victim or was laying out a trap.
Or both.  Palandun drew Gynsoo and swiftly yet cautiously approached the
body.

"Are you okay?" Palandun asked, keeping his distance.  He was answered by
a moan.  Experimentally, Palandun pinked the body in the forearm: red blood.
Either the most healthy drainer on record or a real victim.  In either case 
pretty harmless.  Gynsoo was left out, but Palandun managed to sling the person
over his shoulder.  He swiftly exited the area, not wishing to search for the
drainer, the victim was very short on time.

But he would have to wait a little while, the temple of Ilmater was under siege.A force of demons had surrounded it, they couldn't get in, but neither could
anyone else.  A large number of watchmen had surrounded the demons but weren't
taking any positive action.  Palandun was headed off and told to place his
victim in the medical staging area, a stretch of sidewalk slightly cleaner than
the rest.  There was no healer in attendance, as they all were inside.  By
the use of judicious credential-flapping, Palandun managed to obtain an audience
with the captain in his command post, a corner table of a nearby pub, equipped
with runners, maps, and the odd mug of beer.  "Ah, ambassador, how nice to see
you." A lieutenant said, "I'm the Public Representative.  I'm afraid the Captain
is busy right now."
  "What's the captain planning?  What action will he take?"
  "The captain plans to wait until morning."
  "I don't think that'll work, you have wounded that won't last the night."
The lieutenant rolled his eyes, he was used to pushy spectators.  "May I
at least see the map?  I promise I won't get in the way."  The PR let him
in.
  The map had symbols indicating demons and watchemen on it, and one of the
watchmen counters was being moved to the injury staging area.
  "Did lieutenant winters seal off the gap?" The oldest man at the table asked.
  "Yessir, Captain, I'm worried about the wounded.  Some may not make it
till the siege lifts."  Something on the map caught Palandun's eye.
  "Casualties of war, Winters." The captain remarked.
  "Not neccisarily." Palandun said.  "Look, a secret entrance."  He pointed to
the map.
  "We looked at that, the demons are there too."
  "Draw them off with a diversionary attack on the main gate."  The two of them
spent the next fifteen minutes arguing if the plan was feasable or not.
  "Captain." A voice said.  It was Melwis' aide.  Palandun suddenly realized    
that he'd really lost this time.  "You will extend to ambassador Palandun
any aid he requests."

The Demon leader first noticed that the injured were being put on stretchers and
moved out.  He rightly concluded that something was about to happen,            
anticipating an attack on the main gate, a desperate shove to get the injured   
through.  Sure enough, the guardsmen attacked in force pretty soon, and the     
front had just stabilized when a report came in, the guards had attacked 
elsewhere simultaneously and broken through, injured were going through a 
heretofore secret entrance.  He redeployed, a skeleton group holding back the
watchmen while the major part of his force went to the breakthrough.

The last thing the leader heard was a "NOW!" and the musical thrumming of
a volley of arrows being launched.