From alt.pub.dragons-inn Wed Feb 2 13:06:22 1994 Newsgroups: alt.pub.dragons-inn Path: netcom.com!netcomsv!decwrl!olivea!sgigate.sgi.com!sgiblab!twg.com!eco.twg.com!psinntp!isc-newsserver!ritvax.isc.rit.edu!ABB6731 From: abb6731@ritvax.isc.rit.edu (Mr. Sinister) Subject: [JOI] New Days Dawn. (part 1) Message-ID: <1994Jan31.173200.19484@ultb.isc.rit.edu> Sender: news@ultb.isc.rit.edu (USENET News System) Nntp-Posting-Host: vaxa-eth.isc.rit.edu Reply-To: abb6731@ritvax.isc.rit.edu Organization: Rochester Institute of Technology Date: Mon, 31 Jan 1994 17:32:00 GMT Lines: 235 [JOI] New Days Dawn. ADMIN [ This post is a joint effort from: Mr. Sinister... -- Valeria, Heather Sexauer -- "Aleric", Jackie Mondak -- Alarond, Jason Rosenberger -- Kyar, Bronwyn Boltwood -- Peregrine, Johann Hibschman -- Quaeros, Synopsis: It is time for the companions to leave Quar'tima but they are not sure what way to travel. The Lord has sent Leberenth with them on the quest his purpose still remains unknown. ________________________________________________________________________________ The morning was clear and cold. The seasons had begun to change already moving from the warm summer nights to the cool days of Autumn. The Company rose early and began readying themselves for what today would bring. Leberenth had said they had until noon and so final arrangements were made and goodbyes said. Luckily, Quaeros had reappeared the night before, looking haggard and worn. He would not say where he had been for the past few days, and he obviously did not want to talk about it. The others had quickly filled him in on the important events during his absence. For now, he was as engrossed in the preparations for their departure as any of them. Valeria was nowhere to be seen and in fact when Leberenth came for them at noon she was still not there. He seemed little concerned with it though. "Where are we to go?" asked Per. She did not trust Leberenth, and liked him even less. "The Lord says we are to set sail southward in search of a traveller who would know the location of Tilis Umgobnd. If we do not find him we must make our own way there, but how...I know not." He glared at the Company, "Come! We go to the port." Per sighed, exasperated by the dark elf's answer. But possibly Leberenth's incomplete answer frustrated him just as much. At that thought, a smile tugged at the corners of her mouth. Leaving the inn they marched down the streets of Quar'tima to the docks and a waiting ship. The streets were strangely quiet, no children were playing, no dogs barked. Kyar wondered at this, it gave him an unsettling feeling. Per nervously hummed a tune, an old children's song. Receiving a glare from Leberenth, she thought it worthwhile to continue humming. "Where is Valeria?" asked Aleric, "Is she not to join us, I thought.." After her mysterious appearance and curious knowledge imparted to the group earlier, the Lyorn figured she had a private interest involved in the matter. There was something about the girl that didn't seem quite right. "You will see her soon enough!" Leberenth cut him off, "I warrant she is already onboard the ship." "Such a harsh tongue you have, darkling!" commented Per, eyes momentarily flashing, making certain that Leberenth heard her. Leberenth turned and gave her a look that could have soured milk. Per merely gave him a dazzling smile in return and was given the satisfaction of seeing his dark face twisted into a frown, forehead furrowed. Her smile turned into a malicious grin. Aleric bit his tongue and resisted the urge to punch the dark elf. Nevertheless, his eyes flared and he said a few choice words under his breath. Quaeros watched the exchange bemusedly but kept his silence. After a few minutes of walking they reached the ship boarded and were away. An hour later they were in open sea again. The breeze was sharp and straight from the north. Kyar moved to the foredeck of the small ship, enjoying the cool sea air. He was beginning to enjoy sea travel more now that the Companions had done so much of it. He drew forth his scimitar, Terhal, and began to hone the blade. When he finished, he looked around the small ship. The companions seemed to be dispersed, most of them keeping to themselves. Ever since the loss of Elanon, and the abrupt departure of the mysterious Segoi, the companions had lost some of whatever it was that had bonded them together so strongly. Kyar felt that it was at least partly his own fault. No one had stepped forward to lead the group, and now they were taking orders from the dark elf Leberenth. But Kyar didn't feel he was meant to lead. Aleric, on the other hand, had all of the natural qualities of a born leader. Kyar's gaze fell to Aleric, leaning against the rail of the ship a few feet away. The tall Lyorn had been distant the past few days, reluctant, it seemed, to even speak to Kyar. Kyar wondered of he had done or said something to offend the warrior, or if something else was bothering him. He decided to speak with the Lyorn, or at least try to... Suddenly his attention was stolen by a harsh voice lashing out from the rear of the ship. Leberenth. Kyar was getting tired of listening to the dark one's bitter voice. He stepped down from the foredeck and moved toward the rear of the ship. Leberenth seemed to be upset with Alarond. The good natured sprite seemed to be particularly irritating to the dark elf. Kyar stepped forward. "What bothers you now, Leberenth? I grow weary of listening to your foul voice." "This is no concern of yours, Phadran. Go back to your own musings," Leberenth smiled cruelly, "lest I give you a reason to be concerned," he finished, placing a hand on the hilt of his blade threateningly. Kyar drew Terhal with a steely ring, crouching into a deep fighting stance with the blade over his head and pointed towards Leberenth. He smiled as his mind reached out to the vast ocean around him, drawing in the power of the sea, filling his body with strength. The ring of the steel drew Per's attention, and looking at the pair, she knew she wouldn't intervene. Kyar was far more likely to emerge from such an incident unscathed than she would should she step in. Kyar after all was a trained warrior, and her only weapon was a belt knife. Leberenth smiled in turn. "Do you think my master knows nothing of you and your powers, Phadran?" The dark elf nearly spat the last word, his voice was so filled with contempt. He reached into a pouch on his belt and drew forth a small black stone, very similar to the one Kyar had seen Aleric use on their first sea journey. As the dark elf gazed into the stone, Kyar felt the strength he had summoned rush away from his body, to be replaced with a feeling of sickness. The weakened Phadran sank to his knees, gasping for breath. Leberenth laughed. "Look at the mighty Phadran now. Without your power you are nothing!" So saying, Leberenth stepped forward and kicked Kyar square in the jaw, lifting him off the deck and flinging him into the mast of the small vessel. The Phadran groaned in pain. Leberenth dropped the stone back into his pouch and went below decks, laughing. Watching this interchange, she knew that Kyar would probably want revenge. So did she. She walked out from behind the mast, and said, "So, Leberenth, is your skill and strength such that you cannot defeat him in fair combat? Are you too weak to win without the magicks of your Master? Are you not man enough to serve no master? Are you too imprudent and arrogant to avoid a fight you cannot win?" Leberenth was fuming, and too angry to speak yet. She took advantage of that to turn and walk off before she engaged herself in a confrontation she might not win. Leberenth watched her depart, and glowered. "Come back here, Wench!" he yelled at her, but to no avail. Aleric had followed Kyar and watched the proceedings from the side. He held one hand clenched tightly in a fist as he moved to Kyar's side. "For some reasons that elf makes my fingers itch to wrap around his throat," he told Kyar in a low voice as he knelt beside the Phadran. He reached inside his shirt and withdrew the starstone. The soft blue light it emanated reflected off Kyar's scimitar. Aleric touched his friend's forehead with it lightly, and the light drained away slowly as power seeped back into Kyar's body. When the stone had faded entirely, he replaced it in his pocket. "You're really going to have a headache now, my friend." The sun began to sink over the horizon and the wind died down to a steady gust from the north. The Company had stowed their belonging in their cabins, small affairs that they were. A bunk, a basin and jug on a stand with a spotted and cracked mirror above it, a ceiling light, chest, and a stool. Perhaps two square feet of floorspace. The odor of the room was fit to make one gag. Per delved into her pack, and withdrew a small cloth-wrapped bundle. She hadn't intended its contents for such a simple purpose as this, but she could not stand the smell of the place. A bell was sounding for a meal, and so she placed the bundle behind the basin where it would not be seen. The companions had gathered on deck, and were eating a small meal. The fare was simple, being a rather dismal-looking stew, thick, crusty bread and watery ale in heavy earthenware mugs. The bread was good enough, but would certainly run out all too soon and leave them with ship's biscuit.and were gathered on deck eating a small meal. Kyar ate in silence. His jaw was swollen from the confrontation with Leberenth, and he was filled with gloom anyway. He had never encountered anything like the stone Leberenth had used on him, and he had never been separated from the power of the Phadra before. It made him feel somewhat less than confident. Aleric was even less talkative than usual that night. Which meant he said nothing at all. He had seen the black lodestone that Leberenth had used on Kyar that afternoon and had known that it meant trouble. It would be even worse if the dark elf found that he, Aleric, had one as well. By itself, a lodestone was powerful enough, but in combination with others it could do much more, even become a weapon. He brooded in silence, wrestling with his own conscience and debating whether or not to share information his companions had no way of knowing. Leberenth as at the rail of the ship staring at the last rays of the dying sun. He detested ships because they made him sea sick, and he _hated_ Peregine because she had stood up to him, it was sometime he was not used to and made him very uncomfortable. He glanced at her and spat. Quaeros walked to the rail beside the dark elf. The two elves, one dark, the other fair, stared out silently into the sea, until finally Lebereth curtly asked, "What do you want?" "I am but enjoying the peace of the view. Almost as peaceful as a crypt," Quaeros replied. He paused, then continued, "You know, we are not that different, you and I, but your master seeks to disrupt the Cycle so profoundly, I am not sure it will recover." Lebereth looked back appraisingly. "I know your little secret, elf. My master has told me much, given me much power. You could still join us. Why do you travel with this pack of do-gooders? Do you value the life of your Elanon so much? Surely your life in the Abyss has taught you better." "I could care less if your master killed Elanon. A release from this world is no punishment. I travel with these people because I enjoy their company and because they interest me." "Your avowed purpose, cleric, is to promote death. Why bother worrying about this 'Cycle' of yours? You exist to promote one side, the healers exist to promote the other. You belong with us." The conversation lapsed into silence for several minutes, as the two elves gazed across the sea, until finally Quaeros muttered, as much to himself as to Lebereth, "But how am I to know if my influence will push the Cycle to the breaking point?" Lebereth replied, "That is not yours to question." They remained silent for a long time afterwards. Leberenth cast another look at the Company as they supped. His gaze fell upon Per stabbing invisible daggers into her. Per smiled back. She didn't bother to watch for the frown she knew would be on his face. Leberenth cocked an eyebrow and spat again.