From alt.pub.dragons-inn Fri Dec 3 07:42:11 1993 Newsgroups: alt.pub.dragons-inn Path: netcom.com!netcomsv!decwrl!decwrl!nic.hookup.net!europa.eng.gtefsd.com!howland.reston.ans.net!math.ohio-state.edu!news.cyberstore.ca!nntp.cs.ubc.ca!unixg.ubc.ca!kakwa.ucs.ualberta.ca!alberta!amisk.cs.ualberta.ca!aaron From: aaron@amisk.cs.ualberta.ca (Aaron V. Humphrey) Subject: [Colony] Low City Mobilizes Message-ID: Originator: aaron@cab017.cs.ualberta.ca Sender: news@cs.UAlberta.CA (News Administrator) Reply-To: aaron@amisk.cs.ualberta.ca Organization: The Anna Amabiaca Fan Club Date: Wed, 1 Dec 1993 20:38:28 GMT Lines: 144 ADMIN: All of the characters used in this are mine, barring a couple who are mentioned but not seen. Like most others in the Buff', and indeed in Low City, Nirvan was awakened by the sound of the explosion. Jacinthe awoke instants later. "What the hell was that?" Nirvan asked, as did many others. Then he noticed that he could see a bright light through the window. His first thought was that the Shunned Center had erupted somehow. But no, that window was the one that faced out of the Buff'. Sleep driven entirely from his mind, he slipped out of bed and started to dress. "Darling?" Jacinthe said. "You should get dressed," Nirvan told her. "If that was what I think it was, then there's going to be wounded." Agoust poked his head out of his room. "What was that?" he asked. "Go make sure Drew's awake," Nirvan said instead of answering. "I doubt any of us slept through that, except maybe Aushan, and even she might have felt it. But he should get everyone organized." Agoust scampered off, not even pausing to dress. "He's not going to want to help," Jacinthe said. "If no Buffers were hurt, then everything will be fine as far as he's concerned." "Yeah, well, that's Drew's problem. It's time we started thinking on a larger scale." *** It was worse than he had expected. Several buildings had been levelled, and a couple were still aflame. "Those sons of bitches," he said. "Couldn't even wait to move us out, could they?" He heard footsteps behind him, and turned to see Tangas, leader of the Flame Brands, standing behind him with several of his gang. "You were right," Tangas said simply. "Any of your boys in there?" Nirvan asked. "A few," Tangas said. "Need any help?" "All we can get," Nirvan said in relief. "Let's get those buildings out." *** Hercli had seen the flash of the explosion from a rooftop on the other side of Low City. He'd also been one of the few to see the object that caused it fall out of the sky. He ran back to the Buff' as fast as he could, hardly paying attention as he passed through gang territories. Even the Chaos Creating Crew knew to leave him alone, since the commodity he bore--information--was valuable to all, and couldn't be taken from a corpse. The first thing he saw was the flames. Then Nirvan was hailing him. "'Bout time you showed up, kid. Your brother's running off his feet. Go get Delmara, and anyone else she can find. We got a lot of wounded, and Jacinthe can't handle them all." Hercli nodded and dashed off. *** The visit by the priest of Ilmater earlier that day had taken Delmara by surprise. It's not that they avoided Aditi's temple, but they normally didn't pay much attention to it, choosing larger concerns instead. And the message had been cryptic. "If you hear about anything bad tonight, let us know right away. It's important." She'd exercised her own judgement in not rushing to tell them about Aprili's miscarriage--somehow she didn't think it warranted the attention. But when Hercli arrived, out of breath, and gasped out his news, her blood ran cold and she realized that they had meant. They had foreseen something, and that somehow she would be involved. Aditi was slightly better-regarded in Low City than Ilmater, the latter having somehow upper-class connotations to most. Delmara knew better, but it made sense that they would come to her first if there was trouble in Low City, and especially in the Buff'. Aitreni had been awakened by Hercli's arrival, and quickly went to wake her brother Jad. Then she started to prepare the store of dressings and salves, although by Hercli's news those would be pitifully inadequate. But she was developing the right instincts, bless her, Delmara thought. "You get all ready to go," she said. "I have to go to the Temple of Ilmater--hopefully I won't be long. If I am, you go with Hercli and see what you can do until I get there." Aitreni nodded and Delmara drew on a cloak and set out. *** The priest who received Delmara nodded grimly at her news. "We expected something of the sort. Several of our best healers are ready to leave right now, with plenty of medicinal supplies." "Then there's no time to lose," she said. "Especially if that fire starts to spread." *** Low City knew what to do about fires. If they hadn't, most of it would have burned down several times over. Differences were put aside as buckets were filled and passed up and down the line. The Flame Brands showed that their name hadn't been chosen idly, dashing into the flames with soaked cloths over their faces and bringing out those still alive. It also helped that the buildings in the area had mostly been rebuilt after the Storm, from slightly better, more fire-resistant, materials. The clay and brick structures of the Buff' were in no danger, either. Nirvan directed matters almost by default--he was one person most people knew, or at least knew of, and was trusted. It was he who vouched for the priests of Ilmater when they arrived in Delmara's company and relieved a flagging Jacinthe. Soon he started to flag himself, though. He kept himself going until the fires were contained, though, and then nearly collapsed. "Take over," he gasped to Tangas as he was half-carried to a clear spot where he could sit. His mind was still working, though. How could the "High Citiers" do this to them? How could they be so callous? Hercli had told him enough to know that the rock had come from the northeast, which meant the center of town. Could that be just coincidence? He stood up and stumbled back into the Buff'. He'd taught himself to read and write long ago, when he found out how much information was written down. He never used it much, but he still knew how. Jacinthe had some paper and ink somewhere. Hell, if necessary he'd write it in charcoal. They damned well had enough of that. Once he'd found everything he needed, he began to write. *** Agoust dropped Nirvan's letter off at the Examiner just as the sun was starting to rise. -- --Alfvaen(Editor of Communique) Current Album--Rosanne Cash:Hits 1979-1989 Current Read--Arthur Conan Doyle:The Original Illustrated Sherlock Holmes "What you just spoke--was that a parable, or a very subtle joke?" --CTD