Newsgroups: alt.pub.dragons-inn From: penny@agora.rain.com (Penny Hutchison) Subject: [AU] Questions and some answers Message-ID: Date: Sun, 1 Aug 1993 02:50:31 GMT [ADMIN] This is a joint post by Chris Meadows and me. PREVIOUSLY: ar'Elya has just managed to confuse Andrea by changing personas and telling her to be on her guard against handsome unicorn stallions. And now... Andrea gave up trying to understand ar'Elya (again) and instead walked over to where Kardia was sitting, talking to Jay. They were leaning against a tree, the two of them, with Sheryl lying on the ground between (in the best position for being petted, of course). Kardia and Jay were discussing Generica. Jay wanted to know what it was like and how far away it was--he apparently wanted to get there. Well, he's going to get the chance to go, whether he likes it or not, Andrea thought wryly. Jay looked up at Andrea's approach. He was still somewhat unsure about her--what WAS she, a human thief or a unicorn?!--and also didn't know what her intentions were regarding himself and Andrea. "Hey, I don't bite," Andrea said. "Do I, Sher?" Sheryl looked up, snorted, tossed her head, and then reached out to grab a mouthful of the nearby grass. Jay patted Sheryl on the neck, then looked up at Andrea, still not entirely convinced. Kardia got slowly to her feet. "I'm going to go see if breakfast is ready. Excuse me." She walked off toward the cook fire, and Andrea sat down in the spot she had vacated. "It looks like Sheryl's made a new friend," Andrea remarked. Sheryl whinnied vehemently, and Andrea didn't need to call up her unicorn side to understand the implicit meaning in THAT remark. "What exactly are you?" Jay asked. "Are you a unicorn, or are you a human?" "Funny thing about that," Andrea said. "The lines tend to blur somewhat. With Sheryl and me, anyway. Let me tell you why..." She looked over at Jake Pitzar; he was asleep. She considered trying to wake him, but sometimes interfering with spells could have unpredictable effects. She'd just have to tell him the story some other time. "When I was young, I had a younger sister..." Andrea began, and told Jay the tale of Sheryl's transformation from a young girl into a young unicorn; their subsequent flight to Selactica and hence to the Thieves' Guild; Andrea's apprenticeship and graduation; their search for a cure for Sheryl's condition; Kardia's curse-breaking; the old booby-trapped house Andrea had bought for a fraction of its value; the attack by Raykor; the flight to the country; and on up to the present. Jay listened raptly, entirely forgetting his fear of Andrea in finding out why she changed and who Sheryl was. "I didn't know you were human," he said, glancing at Sheryl. Not that it mattered one whit to him. Sheryl snorted, having heard the tale a few times too many (and worse, having LIVED it). "The rest you know," Andrea finished. "You see, you don't have to be afraid of me." She patted Sheryl on the neck. "Yes, I know all about what you two have, and I would never think of breaking it up even if I could." Jay looked relieved; Sheryl didn't change her expression since she'd known that all the time anyway. "BUT, Sheryl is my sister, so if you think for one moment that you two are just going to wander off somewhere together, think again." She smiled, lessening the harshness of her words. "No, not until you're older," Andrea said. "In the meantime, I'm just going to have to train YOU--" she pointed at Jay, "in how to be a thief." Jay's jaw dropped. "You mean you'd take me on--as an apprentice thief?" Andrea nodded. "Who else am I going to teach my skills to? Sheryl?" Sheryl snorted. Just then, there was some sort of a commotion around the sleeping Jake Pitzar. Andrea looked up. It seemed an imp had arrived and was attempting to shake him awake, despite Kardia's protestations. Andrea got up and walked over, followed by Jay and Sheryl (who was a bit reluctant to get up), in time to see Jake open his eyes, sit up, blink the sleep out of his eyes, and take the scroll. The imp promptly disappeared, and Jake opened the missive and read it. "I have to go," Jake said. He got up and left, saying, "I will be back." He turned and walked away, not saying goodbye, not looking back. Andrea recalled an old saying she'd read somewhere: "Never say goodbye, for if you see that person again it becomes irrelevant, and if you don't it doesn't matter." It could have been written about Jake, she thought. "Come to my house any time when you're in Generica, and you'll always be welcome!" Andrea yelled after him. She didn't know whether he heard her or not; he walked around a bend and was soon out of sight. After breakfast, Andrea sat in the shade of a sturdy oak tree, sorting through the spare equipment she kept in her backpack. She knew that SOMEWHERE in there, she had to have equipment suitable for a young apprentice. So far, she'd found a couple of daggers, and was looking for a spare set of lockpicks. Taking a momentary break from her search, Andrea gazed around the clearing. 'Raf and ar'Elya were being strange again, as usual. 'Raf was in a form similar to the satyr-like shape he'd been wearing lately, only it had four legs and a vaguely horse-like lower body. He was apparently drilling Clyde in the use of the bow. Andrea watched as they drew and shot, drew and shot, muscles rippling as they pulled back on the heavy bows. Clyde seemed to be a natural, from the looks of the target. Then her eyes wandered over to another part of the clearing, where the same robed cleric who had seen to their protection the previous night was changing the dressing on Kardia's side. She had removed the old bandage, and now took a new one from the hands of a young robed acolyte who stepped out from behind a tree. She applied this, made sure it fit, and then lowered Kardia's shirt over it. Then the cleric stood up straighter, and became that tall, red-headed Valkyrie again. "How on Nexus do they DO that?" Andrea wondered. Then she realized that maybe she could find out. When she'd used her unicorn-sight, she'd been able to see things more clearly. She suspected that if she tried, she might be able to see more than just what they looked like. Andrea concentrated, bringing up her unicorn abilities. Her eyes shaded to electric blue as she turned her gaze toward the others in the clearings. The first thing she saw was the auras. Kardia's aura was relatively bright, dim in some areas, such as on the side where she was wounded, and partially obscured by her shawl. Clyde's was also fairly bright, though not as bright as Kardia's, and it pulsed brighter in places as he aimed and released his arrows. ar'Elya's aura was about as bright as Kardia's, perhaps a little brighter, and it sparkled. 'Raf's was of a similar intensity, but it seemed...fuzzy? Andrea blinked, but it didn't clear up. Probably just one of those little ideosynchrosies which marked some people as individuals. Then Andrea looked deeper, and her jaw slowly dropped. 'Raf looked like a being of stone--no, that wasn't right. He looked like--like stones, or a rockfall, viewed through a window the shape of his two-legged satyrlion form. There were also aspects of the elements of Air, Water, Fire, and the Void around him, but these were minimal. ar'Elya looked like a huge multi-dimensional snowflake of glass, with that red-headed Valkyrie reflected in its many facets. There seemed to be more than the normal three dimensions there, and looking at her gave Andrea a similar feeling to the sensation she'd had looking at two mirrors which were in near-perfect alignment. Feeling dizzy, Andrea closed her eyes and sank back against the tree. When she opened her eyes, her vision had normalized and she saw everyone as their "normal" shapes again. And she noticed that ar'Elya was coming over toward her. "Are you all right?" ar'Elya asked. "You look a little pale." "I'm all right," Andrea said. "But what--what ARE you?" "Hmmm," ar'Elya placed her hand on Andrea's forehead. "You've just been using magic, haven't you? The red-haired warrior-woman disappeared, and the blonde lady was in her place. Dragonets *POP*ed all around and a few of them flew up to Andrea and snuffled at her. "Magesight, I see. Or, at least the unicorn equivalent." The lady took Andrea's hand and looked deeply into her eyes. As had happened once before, Andrea saw images of herself, but this time they were different. One image was a unicorn with a strong aura of goodness and purity, the other was a furtively moving, dark clad figure being followed by something...something horrible. She couldn't help but shudder. Blinking, she shook her head. The blonde lady was gone. Kneeling next to her was ar'Elya as Andrea first knew her, auburn-haired and grey-eyed. "You were looking at 'Raelf and me with unicorn eyes, weren't you? And you were frightened by what you saw?" Andrea shook her head. "Scared? No, I wasn't scared," she said. "But it was...disturbing. And you still haven't answered my question." "I'll answer anything you like, but I think you'd feel better with some company. Oh, Kardia," ar'Elya raised her voice, "would you please come over here?" Kardia waved her hand in answer and sat down next to them. "Oof, still a little sore. So what's up?" she looked at them both inquiringly. "Oh, just some long-due explanations and a little trust-building," ar'Elya smiled and brushed her hair away from her face. "First of all, Andrea, you know that Sheryl is right over there and won't let anything happen to you, OK?" Andrea nodded, but stiffly. "I'm sorry that you haven't had an explanation about us yet, but I'm afraid that 'Raelf has been doing most of that here. Let's see... 'Raelf and I are members of a race called 'kan. Our home plane is very, very far away from here. It is also a very harsh environment. Neither of you would be able to survive there more than a few moments, and," ar'Elya grinned, "neither would I, in this form. That's why we appeared the way we did when you used your magical sight." "So you _aren't_ human. Are you some sort of monster, then?" Andrea's right hand rested on the hilt of her knife as if for comfort, while her left hand grasped the locket around her neck. She took her eyes off of ar'Elya long enough to glance over at Kardia. How could she sit there so calmly as if this was nothing special? ar'Elya's eyes glinted. "You do know that unicorns are considered monsters, don't you? And in our language ''kan' means 'human'." Feeling suddenly ashamed, Andrea muttered an apology and tried to relax. Get a grip, she scolded herself. They've done you nothing but good so far. Why am I so easily rattled? Kardia took out some wool and a spindle and started to make thread. Andrea found the sight to be soothing somehow. "So tell us, ar'Elya how the two of you came to be here," Kardia asked. "Well, most of us are quite happy to stay at home. But there are some of us cursed with wanderlust, or too curious for our own good," ar'Elya glanced fondly over in 'Raelf's direction. "Those of us who want to travel off-plane go to Traveler's College. That's where 'Raelf and I met, by the way. After many years of very thorough training, we're ready to go." "So you just use magic to look like us, so you won't frighten others?" Andrea asked. "Not exactly. 'Kan are divided into different clans, with different skills. 'Raelf's clan deals with basic elements, and my clan is skilled with archetypes. We also have individual talents. 'Raelf can use time as a tool, and he's also an excellent artificer," she gestured at Kardia's golden foot, "while I am able to be in several different places at once, and I use the archetype most appropriate for each situation." "So that's why that nun appears when you're fixing Kardia's bandage?" "That's right, Andrea." "Okay, I think I understand that. But -how- ," Andrea thumped her knee with her fist for emphasis, "do you look like you do now?" ar'Elya reached down and yanked up a piece of grass. Twirling it idly, she looked intently into Andrea's eyes. "To survive anywhere other than our home plane, we have to eat a sentient of the plane we wish to survive on." "Eat?" Andrea asked, wincing. "What do you mean, eat?" Her voice wavered a little more than she would have liked. Sheryl lifted her head and snorted, but after looking briefly at Andrea, butted her head into Jay's stomach for more ear scritches. Kardia sighed and looked at the thief in disapproval. "Really, Andrea, it's obvious that they ARE surviving here, and have for some time. Would you just stay calm and listen? I, for one, find this all fascinating. Please continue, ar'Elya." ar'Elya was picking the small daisies that dotted the grass. She placed them in her lap and looked at Andrea again. "Actually, that's a healthy fear, Andrea. Make no mistake. If you were to attack me and I had no other way to defeat you, yes, I would consider you food. But those are the -only- conditions by which I would ever eat anyone unwillingly." Andrea shook her head, bewildered. "But why would anyone want to be eaten willingly?" ar'Elya grinned wickedly, "You know that the word 'intercourse' can mean both sex and conversation? Well, to 'kan, it also means con- sumption, to absorb, and to eat. And all can be quite pleasurable experiences. I have it on very good authority, in fact. Seriously, Andrea, I don't eat anyone unless they are at the point of death, and then, only with their full and willing permission. And I'm not finishing what death started, but am asking them to become part of me, quite literally. "There are also several choices that those I consume have. Yes, they really do have choices," ar'Elya said in response to the disbelieving look Andrea gave her. "They can become part of me by personifying an archetype, they can assist and be trained by one of my existing archetypes. They can also become," here ar'Elya's face softened, "one of my children. Or, if they wish, they can pass on to their afterlife. I would never hold anyone against their will." "You... you have to eat to have children?" Andrea sputtered. "Why not? You have to do the same." "But it's not the same at all!" "Only in degree, not in type. Look, I don't do it for perverse thrills, to frighten or to have power over anyone. This is just the way 'kan are," ar'Elya explained, her hands busy with the flowers in her lap. Andrea rubbed the back of her neck and sighed. "I guess I'm beginning to understand. I shouldn't let the fact that you're so different bother me so. It _is_ a lot to take in all at once, though." ar'Elya looked up at her, "I think I know something else that would help. Why don't I introduce you to the rest of me? I deal in four main archetypes. Fighter, mage, rogue and cleric. These aren't arbitrary distinctions, but are very basic ways in which people deal with each other. These are further broken down into both male and female variants. So, without further ado..." ar'Elya was replaced by a huge, muscular red-haired barbarian. He flashed her a grin. "Call me H'ro!" Then the red-haired woman who had been on much of the journey was in his place. "I'm A'ree," she stated. She gave way to... A handsome, pale-blond young man in sorceror's robes who placed his hand on his chest and bowed slightly, "Ilya the Archmage, at your service, ladies." The blonde lady with the dragonets took his place, "In this place, I am named Leah," she said quietly. As she finished, she was gone and a small, slight man appeared. "My name is Errol. We have much to speak of, you and I," he looked at Andrea with liquid eyes. He dissolved into... A swirl of scented smoke, and the faint tinkle of bells filled the air, as a black-haired, exotic-featured woman reclined on her side in front of Andrea and Kardia. "I," she declared haughtily, "am Ale. You may call me Lady Ale." She and the smoke evaporated. An old yet wiry man was sitting in front of them as if he had been there for years. He was dressed as a wandering monk. He smiled at them. "I'm called Father Howard," he said in a voice as kind as his smile. Then he was gone. A sombre-clad, stern-faced priestess was there, the same one Andrea had seen fixing Kardia's wounds. "I am Sister El'n." The acolyte that was always with her walked up and spoke for the first time in Andrea's hearing, "I, too, am Sister El'n." The acolyte shifted her hood back and it was obvious that she was El'n at a younger age. "And we," the acolyte and priestess spoke together, "are all..." "ar'Elya," the brown-haired, grey-eyed woman spoke alone. She cocked her head inquiringly. "Did that help a little?" Andrea nodded. "So all of them almost died and you... absorbed them?" ar'Elya's attention was again on the flowers in her lap. "Oh, they all have their own stories. Ask me again tonight, they're especially good just before bedtime." She lifted her hands from her lap and handed Andrea a wreath woven of wildflowers. "Don't you think your sister would like this? Why don't we join the others, now that you're feeling better?"