Newsgroups: alt.pub.dragons-inn From: penny@agora.rain.com (Penny Hutchison) Subject: [GATM] Recipe: Br'Nai en croute, ala El'n Message-ID: Date: Fri, 17 Sep 1993 06:30:59 GMT [ADMIN] In case this doesn't get the right attributions, it's by Penny Hutchison, with the usual group edits, by Rick Jones, Dreamer, and ol' whatsisname. Sorry this has taken so long, folks... "Davrah. Pssst. Hey, Davrah, you're needed. Wake up!" "Huh?" Davrah blinked sleep-encrusted eyes. It wanted a few hours until dawn, so he could barely make out the face of his interrogator. But the voice was really familiar. Where had he heard it last? That's right, the day of the Storm. So it had to be... "Kachin? Is that you?" "Sure is. And I'm afraid I need your help again." "But I...I'm not even worthy enough to be housed with my Order. They said it would be a few more years before I could even be allowed within the gates . They said I was lucky to be allowed to beg and sleep outside their walls. You want the Hierophant!" The young man laughed and his eyes flashed silver in the dim light. "Her? She can't even summon up enough power to say grace, let alone defeat a godling! We need _your_ power." Davrah gulped. "My power? Godling? Are you drunk, Kachin? Or are you just crazy?" "Listen, man. Remember the Storm? Remember what you did and how it felt? Don't you remember what Father Howard told you afterwards?" A smile came to Davrah's face. How could he ever forget? The power that corruscated through his body so strongly that his very skin felt scorched. How those holding his hands on either side looked at him with surprise, then respect. How the holy man who had gathered the whole motly crew of priests, clerists, and preachers, hugged him afterwards and whispered words of blessing to him that had since been Davram's only bulwark against despair. "Yes, I remember," he answered softly. "Well, come on. Get up. I need you to help me gather the others. This is going to be the best adventure yet!" Davram panted a bit as he followed Kachin down towards the Street of Affordable Gods. "Kachin? Why so excited?" "Oh, I'll be going away, really soon now. I'm joining a new family, and I'll have to leave Generica. I couldn't ask for a better send-off than this!" "Oh, a spiritual re-birth?" "You could definitely say that. Here's our next stop." Thus in the pre-dawn light, those with the Power, not necessarily the powerful, were being gathered. Davram leaned against a pillar, rubbing his sore thighs and trying not to gape at the crowd. There wasn't a single temple without at least one representative, but what surprised Davram the most was how few of them were dressed in robes and uniforms of high rank. Then he forgot all else as Father Howard raised his hands for silence. "My sisters and brothers in Faith," his quiet voice carried easily down the Street, "thank you for your willingness to help. I can only promise you that you all will be doing the children of Generica the greatest possible service. Now follow me. We are needed deep in the heart of the Low City!" ******************************* Taryn hoped her stomach wouldn't growl. El'n had told them they needed a day of fasting and prayer for this morning's work, and while Taryn's spirit thrived on this discipline, her adolescent body had a mind of its own. She looked surreptitiously at the other sisters. None of _them_ looked hungry. Their hands were raised, their lips murmured this, their last prayer before the battle ahead. Taryn squirmed, hoping a new position would help her concentrate. Then she felt a light touch on her shoulder and looked up. It was El'n's Acolyte, now motioning Taryn to follow her. Taryn got up and trailed her down the hall, miserable. "Have I done it this time? Have I failed, proved unworthy? And in front of _her_, of all people. She's so beautiful. I didn't know a holy woman could be beautiful, too. Wonder if she's that way because of the Powers? Is it a gift you get if you're good enough? I wish...oh NO! Now I've done it! I bet I'll get it now! Vanity, and envy and hungry and... She's going to tell me to leave, I know it!" Taryn's brain whirled in tighter and tighter circles, keeping her from noticing where the Acolyte was leading her. Suddenly, she realized the Acolyte had stopped, and blinking in surprise, found out she had been led to the Haven's kitchen. And the Acolyte was handing her a mug of fresh milk. With her own shapely hands! "Dear Taryn, we didn't mean for _you_ to fast the whole day! Just skipping dinner would have been more than sufficient." Taryn blushed as she drank thirstily. The Acolyte continued, "Your self-sacrifice is commendable, but we want you to be with us a long time, and you're not at the right age to be able to fast without hurting yourself. Are you done with that milk? I want you to drink this soup now, every drop." Taryn fumblingly took the proffered mug, tried to sip it, realized she was still holding on to the mug of milk and looked about wildly for a spot to put it down. She almost dropped everything as the Acolyte chuckled and took the mug gently from her sweaty grip. Taryn gulped and with all her courage, lifted her head to look the Acolyte in the eye to apologize and offer her resignation. But not a word left her lips as she lost herself in the Acolyte's steady, even loving gaze. "How could eyes be so velvety brown and silver at the same time? I can almost see myself..." Taryn's thoughts were once again interrupted by the Acolyte. "You know, I think you need to take a break after all this is over. I've got some very good friends I'd like you to meet. They'll help you to remember that it's good to play, as well as pray. There's even some children there close to your age. Would you like that? Good. Now finish this and meet us back in the chapel. We have to be out on the streets within the hour." The Acolyte capped off Taryn's astonishment by giving her a gentle hug and a light kiss on her cheek, then left her alone with her chaotic thoughts and her soup. ******************************************************* It was a dark and stormy dawn; a fine scatter of rain fell from the clouds looming overhead -- except at occasional intervals, when it was driven by a violent gust of wind which swept up the streets (for it is in Generica that our scene lies), rattling along the housetops, and fiercely agitating the scanty flame of the lamps that struggled against the night's last darkness. Lady Ale had spent her money well. The streets were mostly clear by the time of false dawn. And those who weren't moved by the offer of cash were quick to be elsewhere when they saw the nuns and priests converge onto the Avenue of Unforgotten Heroes. Sister El'n came from the north, leading eight somberly-dressed women. Father Howard walked up the Avenue from the south, with his small army of priests flowing in from behind. The two leaders met in the middle, embraced, then spoke together quietly for a few moments. Then they separated. El'n positioned the women into a hand-holding crescent, and placed herself forward at the focus of the crescent, facing the oncoming storm. Howard and Kachin herded the priests into forming an open square behind the Sisters. As soon as all were in place, a silence throbbing with massed energies filled the air, as they awaited the signal. Suddenly, the ground shook with the screams of thwarted hunger. A huge, snarling, scaly purple head filled with teeth loomed above the street heading towards the Avenue, avidly chasing its lost meal, a terrified sprinting hobbit. He tore down the street, directly towards Sister El'n. "Heads up, Sister, comin' through!" he panted, as he ran into, and through, her body. The scaly purple head was followed by a horrific, purple and green body, as something like a Tyrannosaurus Rex (but larger) burst up onto the street from the sewers below. The giant lizard stomped into the Avenue, only to be caught in a network of brilliant red, blue, yellow and orange lines of force. The monster was stopped so abruptly that it just kept from falling backwards onto its tail. El'n stepped forward, raising her hands. "Cease thy progress, beast of the abyss. Thou art held and thy power is cut off from thee," and the chant was repeated in turn by each of the women in the inner crescent, then again en masse by the priests in the outer crescent. As they spoke, the monstrosity was frozen, quivering with rage, until the initial binding finished. The lizard shrilled an incoherent curse, but it had no effect on the priests who held it trapped. It began to twist inside the network of lines, causing sparks to fly off where its scales brushed the lines. "All gods forbid thee the power thou dost steal," El'n intoned, and it was taken up as a chant by the priests, repeated, weaving a web of sound that further imprisoned the writhing monster. Just at that moment, two figures materialized to one side of the boxed and chanting priests, one GREY, the other BLACK. "Wow." "Yeah! I didn't think Howard could get half this many priests." "I've never seen that kind of power before." Lex grinned, "That's what ya get for not going to church. Hold on, I've gotta record this for the Guild." He removed his BLACK hood and took out a pendant, grasping it in his right hand. "Hold on, lover, this is going to be good." BLACK and GREY hands reached out and intertwined tightly. "One more thing, Lex." "Yeah? What's that?" "What IS that silver thing that El'n's wielding? A sword?" "Erik my own, don't you know a ruler when you see one?" "A _ruler_?!?" El'n spoke again, "All The One who bestows Powers forbids the Gifts thou hast sullied", and the holy people echoed the refrain. The great purple-and-green lizard lunged forward against the bonds, her giant razor teeth snapping in the air above her head, gnashing closer and closer. There was a blinding flash, a loud THWACK -- the lizard recoiled, a scorched spot on the end of her nose where El'n brought the ruler down hard. "Behave yourself, foul reptile!" The lizard explored the end of its nose with its ridiculous, stubby arms. After a shocked moment, the great purple lizard roared at El'n. "YOU! I KNOW OF YOU. YOU WERE THE WARRIOR AGAINST MY MASTER." "No. In this role I am the Godcaller and the Invoker of Powers. I know you as well. You are an aberrant from the fallen MAR. And you have failed to name me. I now name you. You are Br'Nai." At that, the force lines visibly tightened around the thrashing goddess. She screamed in pain and fear. "YOU WIZEN HAG. FEAR ME. I AM GROWN FAT WITH AUTHORITY OVER ONES SUCH AS YOU." "Your scales are greasy with the fears and grief of children. And I tire of this. Br'Nai," the goddess shrieked again as the shining lines tightened even further, "I offer you one, and only one chance. Willingly free those you have fed upon, and the Powers will transform you into a being greater by far than you have ever dreamt of becoming. What say you?" "LET ME LOOSE AND I WILL SHOW YOU. YOU WILL BE MY NEXT FEED, THEN THAT MISERABLE HOBBIT WILL BE NEXT." El'n sighed. "I was afraid you'd say that. Very well." The sister raised her ruler high, and it flashed wickedly silver-bright, causing all but El'n herself to cover their eyes. Br'Nai's head thrashed as her green scales began to bubble and her purple scales smoked. The pungent aroma of toasting goddess filled the Avenue. Br'Nai stopped struggling -- or so it appeared. Her bright lizard eyes glinted with a wicked cunning. She began to croon a counter melody, trying to slip it in among the chant of the priests. At El'n's signal, they changed the cadence and the tones. But still, the reptilian croon managed to match, every few seconds, and each time, El'n shuddered under the impact as the imprisoning lines grounded through her. Howard's eyes narrowed. He separated out three of the priests, and began a second chant, a prayer of protection. The power began to build, but it was slow, terribly slow in coming. El'n was wracked again, the red lines fading almost from visibility as Br'Nai weakened her bonds. Taryn gasped, almost breaking from her place in the prayer. She knew, somehow, that whatever was happening must not be allowed to finish. She felt a squeeze of her hand, the older sister at her side encouraging her. She resumed the prayer chant, feeling the Power coming to her call and pouring through her, shaped by the prayer. Beside her, the older sister blinked in surprise at the fierce torrent that was cascading from the youngest trainee. The protective prayer was almost finished, when the lizard croon changed pitch again, and Howard and his three companions were thrown back by the redirected flood of Power, their carefully constructed protective structure in shambles. Br'Nai's high-pitched song changed to a smug chortle, and she waited a single heartbeat for the mass of priests to see the hermit fall back, then when their chant faltered, she howled a counter into the center of it. The sisters in the inner crescent maintained their chant, but the priests in the outer crescent were stunned, all but two voices, the pre-initiate monk Davrah, who stood at one end, and Kachin, who was at the other. They kept the chant, and Br'Nai howled in anger, thrashing at her bonds. El'n continued her own chant, but her fingers were growing grey, and her voice was beginning to grow thin. The lizard-goddess made a last effort, a sickening-sweet croon that made a harmony with the sisters' chant. El'n staggered, falling to her knees. Taryn gasped, "No!" and somehow, without crossing the space between, she was standing beside the Sister, holding her up. Br'Nai tried again to break free, but El'n was drawing strength from the young novitiate and the imprisoning lines of power grew bright again. A second voice rose in descant as El'n was joined by her acolyte, and a web of white lacework formed around the terrible lizard's head, muffling the sounds from within. Father Howard re-formed the outer crescent, and the priests resumed their chant, restoring the restraining red lines of power. Smoke again poured off the trapped goddess, and her massive form slowly began to become transparent. Lex grinned in approbation. Then his eye was caught by a figure diagonally across him behind the priests, joining in with the small group of watchers who sought shelter there. She was wiry, with black hair and pale white skin with a tinge of blue-green betraying a bit of sea-elf in her blood. Her violet eyes were focused on Br'Nai, and her lips were moving in prayer. He watched the ragged stranger for a few more moments, memorizing her features, and shrugged when it looked like she wasn't about to interfere openly -- and her prayers seemed to be helping a little. Knowledge flooded into his head, against his will, giving history and name and strengths and weaknesses, and he shook his head in pain and blinked and set his attention again on the Br'Nai trapped in the web of Power. Br'Nai's body was almost totally wrapped in force-colors and smoke by now. El'ns voice boomed across the Avenue as she spoke the last invocation. Darkness gathered on the horizon, the red of dawn smoked as the clouds fought against the coming sun. "By my power and by the power of the greater and lesser Servitors of those One Who Are Creators, I command you, Br'Nai, to release those you have eaten and to return those Gifts which you have stolen. The Gift of Childhood. The Gift of Innocence. The Gift of Nascent Sexuality." As El'n named each Gift, Br'Nai ululated in outrage and growing agony. Her scales began to separate and fall as a brilliant light grew within the lizard-goddess. The rays shot through the separations, becoming wider and brighter, making the monster's body pulsate. "And now, Br'Nai, I banish you to beyond from whence you were created. You are nothing and will be less than nothing. In the fullness of time there will not even be any memory of your existence, and it will be as if you had never been. BEGONE!" With that, the sun lanced through the clouds, a single ray striking the great lizard like the fist of the Powers. The purple scales burst silently outward and dissolved into sparkling motes of dust. The lines of power disappeared. Where the monster had been standing, a collection of bewildered, shell-shocked children stood, too stunned even to cry. El'n lowered her hands and bowed her head tiredly, and the nuns and priests broke formation. Dragging Erik by the hand, Lex pushed through the milling crowd towards Howard and Kachin. Lex squeezed Erik's hand reassuringly, then flung his arms around the jubilant Kachin, thumping him hard on the back. "We did it, dude, we freakin' did it!" Kachin grinned and shook his hair out of his eyes. "Yeah, and now it's time to party!" "You've got that right. Wanna come along with Erik and me to the Lighthouse?" Kachin's smile became smug and secretive. "I'll catch up with you later, Lex. I've got a private celebration to go to, after we help these kids. And don't you peek, either!"