From: dnichols@engr.latech.edu (Dennis Nichols)
Newsgroups: alt.pub.dragons-inn
Subject: [Amaliza]
Date: Thu, 23 Sep 1993 14:36:32 GMT
Message-ID: <dnichols.15@engr.latech.edu>

   The man they carried was heavy. It was not worth the effort to carry 
him. They would kill him as soon as the master was finished with him, if he 
wasn't killed before then. He and his friends were not ordinary fighters,
they were better than most. They had killed several of their comrades. It 
would be a shame to see ones such as these destroyed. 

****

   Traveler was barely aware of being carried down a hall. He had a dull 
throb in the back of his head, and he wasn't entirely sure of where he was, 
what he was supposed to be doing, or even who he was. He knew he wasn't free
to move, there was a slight pain in his wrists and ankles whenever he tried 
move his feet or hands. The only thought that ran through his mind was Got 
to stay calm, got keep going.

****

   The Dark figure hurried down a dark corridor. He was excited for a 
change. He had some good news to tell the master. He entered the room with 
the caldron and almost shouted, but caught himself short. The fear slowly 
crept into his bones at the prospect of having to deal with him again. 

"Are You here?", he timidly called out.

There was a sound of rushing wind, though he didn't feel any breeze, and a
chill filled the room. Another figure was in the room. The dark shadow of a 
figure floated across the room towards him. 

"What is it?", hissed the figure.

"The ambush was successful. They captured one, and the rest are lost in the
caverns." he said.

"I am disappointed", the figure hissed, " I wanted them all dead. It is a 
good thing that you have captured one of them, at least. Bring him to me at
midnight. I want him awake and in good health when I see him. It has been a 
long time since I had a good feeding."

   "As you wish", the figure replied with a trembling voice. He thought to 
himself: I hope I don't have to stay and watch another feeding.

****

    Traveler was aware of being tended to as he lay on the cold floor 
of a dungeon. Nothing was removed from his body except for the most notable 
weapons. Traveler was tied down to a chair and given a drug that immediately 
brought him to his senses. A bright light was immediately placed in front of 
him and the other lights in the dungeon were put out. Traveler was blinded, 
it would take a few minutes before his night vision would clear. A door shut
and he could tell that he was alone in a cell. He was aching from the fight, 
but his wounds had been bandaged. That was a strange thing to do unless one
wanted to keep a prisoner alive for a purpose at a later date. Traveler had 
a forboding feeling that told him he needed to make an escape as quickly as
possible or never see the outside again. Traveler noticed that the assassins 
had left the knife he kept tucked in his belt. He worked it out and began to 
cut the ropes which bound him to the chair. Someone was coming toward his 
cell. They opened a door and flashed a bright light in Traveler's face. He 
was once again blinded. Footsteps were coming toward him, Traveler's mind 
raced. Was this the only chance he would have to escape, even though 
Traveler was blinded he was able to go into battle mode when his captor was 
close enough, and take him out without to much noise. Traveler had to worry 
now if there was anyone with him.  When no one else attacked, and he heard 
no alarms, he turned away from the light and checked out his captor. He 
quickly donned the clothes of his captor and tied  him up in his stead. He 
quickly went through his clothes, found a few minor trinkets and some keys, 
He took it all and left. Traveler quickly glanced both ways down the hall 
and headed down one way hoping it to be the right way. Traveler heard voices 
coming down the hall. He quickly  ducked through an open door. The voices 
past the door and moved on down the hallway. Traveler heard one say, "I sure 
hope we don't have to watch the feeding tonight, the last time nearlymade me 
sick. You know, It sure seems a waste to drain the life out of sucha brave 
fighter." Traveler leaned back with a knot in his stomach. He had the 
feeling that he was to be dinner tonight. He turned and looked around the 
room. An object in the center of the room caught his attention. It was not 
so much the object itself that caught his attention, as what was in it. The 
object was a huge caldron, and in it was a bubling solution that seemed to 
have a life of its own...