Newsgroups: alt.pub.dragons-inn
From: mwasson@uhunix3.uhcc.Hawaii.Edu (Mike Wasson)
Subject: [Amaliza] The Hunt
Message-ID: <CF5yvp.4K1@news.Hawaii.Edu>
Date: Tue, 19 Oct 1993 21:40:36 GMT



[SYNOPSIS: Edwin, Roger, and Endo have narrowly avoided death
in the assassin's coven. Traveller was taken prisoner; he has
escaped, but the other three do not know this.]

The wine quickly went to his head, and Edwin suddenly realized just
how tired he was. The room was dim and the air close, and he felt
himself growing sleepy. He tried to shake himself awake.

"We're up the arse of the devil himself, as we say back home."

Roger smiled. "But with life and limb intact, and that counts for
something."

Edwin scowled. "Life and limb, eh? And then what about Traveller?" He
spat onto the floor. "I'd like to pay back those bloody rotters in
kind."

Endo stirred from his place in the corner. "Don't be so sure Traveller
was killed, my friend. Even outnumbered he's more than a match for our
enemies. In any case we had best devise a plan. It's only time before
our hiding place is found out."

			    *     *     *

Endo could not know how truly he spoke. For even as the three huddled
together to formulate plans, the enemy was afoot. Assassins were
sweeping the corridors in silent pairs, stalking their prey that had
hidden itself somewhere in the recesses of the coven. The prey could
only evade them for so long. In the meantime, the Master must be
appeased, for he was growing ever more impatient.

The dark figure paced up and down the narrow empty room, rubbing his 
hands together. He had the apprehensive look of someone who thinks he 
mightbe watched. The candles flung darting shadows across the wall as 
he paced, but the corners of the room remained plunged in murk. 

"Victor."

The voice was low, like the whispering of rushes by a lake at
midnight. The dark man looked up. The room still seemed empty -- but a
second shadow had joined his own on the bare stone wall. He shuddered.

"Victor," the voice continued. "I grow weary of these games of
hide-and-seek. I want the other humans, Victor."

Victor strained his eyes and thought he could make out in the gloom
the dim outline of the Master. He said nothing. The Master faded and
was gone. Just then, there came a brief knock at the door. The door
swung inward, and a robed assassin entered. 

The assassin bowed slightly. "Commander, the captive has escaped."

Victor's cheeks flushed. "Escaped?" he barked. "Escaped -- bungling
cretin! Escaped -- bastard son of a diseased whore ..." His tirade
choked off, as if his fury rendered him speechless.  

The assassin seemed unperturbed, voice perfectly level. "Those
responsible have been dealt with, Commander. And we've narrowed the
search for the other three to the south-west wing."

Victor relaxed slightly. "And the exit out into the sewers?"

"Guarded. We've got them cornered, Commander. Now it's simply a matter
of flushing them out."

Victor dismissed the man with a curt nod. The door shut, and he
resumed his nervous pacing.


Brian, Dennis, Mike
(comments welcome!)

--
|Mike Wasson/mwasson@uhunix.uhcc.hawaii.edu ** University of Hawai`i |
|(setq *std-disclaimer* t) **** "The state government will spare no  |
|expense to build a stadium ... while gutting academic programs and  |
|instituting hiring freezes on professors." Sinikka Hayasaka, UHPA   |