Newsgroups: alt.pub.dragons-inn From: clayton@austin.ibm.com (Clay Colwell) Subject: [ex-TW] The Dragon Awakes Message-ID: Date: Tue, 8 Jun 1993 21:49:58 GMT Eski edged further into the recesses of the building wall, utterly paralyzed. The sight of the bloated, pustulent dragon filling the street in front of him robbed his limbs of strength, his legs of flight. He could do nothing but stare at the dragon and REMEMBER: He was younger then, new to the adventuring trade. Excitement beckoned, and the chance to find his twin brother, who went out into the wonderful maze of planes and dimensions ahead of him. Meeting a youngling human mage face-to-face for the first time: Htiek by name, gangling, moody, but good with a spell. They'd hitched up together, caught with a small adventuring band in a misguided transportation spell. They'd wound up in the most beautiful set of caverns Eski had ever seen. Delicate crystals, bright and iridescent, coated the cave walls wherever he'd looked. Colors bloomed and sparkled in torchlight, glowed and shimmered in mage- light. Heartbreaking beauty, exquisite webs of light. They sat as they arrived, lost in the scenery, when the dragon came. Its claws crushed the crystal, its ebon leathery wings scraping and shattering the gleaming walls. It spat hot acid, spraying the company. Htiek screamed as the caustic liquid burned off his robes, shredded the flesh of his fingers as he frantically cast a dying spell. The acid splashed into Eski's eyes, BURNING BURNING BURNING "LIGHT!" Eski screamed into the night, the tears streaming. "LIGHT!" The sword, falling from his fingers, broke forth in a blue blaze of glory. It took shape, a broad-bladed needle of cobalt, and dove into the eyes of the dragon, which screamed in agony. Its shape melted, the dragonform sluffing off, the true body of the demon exposed. In the meantime, Eski, crazed, signed frenetically, his pudgy digits moving as deftly as they did speedily. A crystal rod rose from his robe unbidden to rest in his palm. Eski smote both hands together, the rod splintering in his hands, bringing forth blazing blood. He stretched both hands behind him, then flung them forward, palms out toward the wailing demon. Bright beams of color, blood-red mixed with sun-yellow, gushed forth, bathing the demon form. It screamed once again, a harsh guttural wail, then exploded. The beams dribbled away, then faded. Eski knelt in the street near a puddle of smoking ichor. The short sword lay on the cobblestones, bright and satisfied. The gnome held his face in his bleeding hands and wept. And wept. And wept. -- Clay Colwell "If homosexuality is a disease, then let's all call archmage@vnet.ibm.com in queer to work." - Robin Tyler IBM Austin, TX Disclaimer: This is *Clay* talkin', not IBM.