From alt.pub.dragons-inn Sat Feb 12 09:30:19 1994 Path: netcom.com!netcomsv!decwrl!elroy.jpl.nasa.gov!usc!howland.reston.ans.net!news.ans.net!malgudi.oar.net!ucbeh!hebert From: hebert@ucbeh.san.uc.edu (Matt Hebert) Newsgroups: alt.pub.dragons-inn Subject: [VampQ] Matte Finds An Old Friend Message-ID: <1994Feb11.225737.6268@ucbeh> Date: 11 Feb 94 22:57:37 EST Distribution: world Organization: Univ of Cincinnati Academic IT Services Lines: 145 =========================================================== [VAMPQ] Matte Finds An Old Friend Admin [The cast of characters for the [VampQ] thread: Character Created/Managed by --------------------------------------------------------- Ja'nis arsmith@lamar.ColoState.EDU (Alan Smith) Bluestar Dreamer (in absentia) Gemini (Feline familiar of Bluestar Dreamer) Moria Runecaster Master Hawk Rathan Barbar Morning Reaper Ah (Blood spider created by Rathan) Turion "Mr. Sinister..." a salamander (Turion's Travelling Companion) Billy the Torch JGE103@PSUVM.PSU.EDU Matte Kudasai Matt Hebert Tomonobu Fujiwara rudnick@cfatrw.harvard.edu (Bret R. Rudnick) [Synopsis: The group has become separated in Hell. This is the continuation of Matte's story.] Admin [As always, comments/questions welcome.] =========================================================== > "Your chubby friends don't seem to be much more effective > than you. I suspect your Master will be getting anxious about you > and your chums soon, won't he?" > > The tall creature began to tremble with rage. "Silence! You > will step out from your pattern!" The brittle sound was extremely > painful for Matte, but she tried not to show it. > > "Are you _sure_ Ethranhil knows what you're up to? He's used > to much more effective agents, I would expect. I'd hate to be you > when he sees you again." > > The beast snapped at Matte's last comment. He flung himself > at the enclosure, and Matte involuntarily ducked and stretched her > blade out in front of her. > > There was a crackling blast of white light, then Matte flickered > out of consciousness. A dull veil hung over Matte's mind as she struggled to regain consciousness a few minutes later. The ringing in her ears slowly receeded, and she brought a hand to her forehead. It was the sticky feel of blood that made her remember first the knife, then the polished, black creature. Looking up anxiously, still fighting to control her senses, she saw that the beast was gone. She rubbed her eyes roughly, trying to force them to function properly again, but still only the underlings seemed to remain. Just as she acknowledged the demons' presence, however, Matte saw a darting yellow light that connected all the vital points of their anatomy. Matte rubbed her eyes once again in an effort to comprehend what little she could make out. The three grossly fat daemon assistants had been swaying back and forth, confused and for the moment directionless as the connection with their master was momentarily severed. But the flash of steel tore open their grotesque bodies and in an instant they lay destroyed, in several separate pieces. As Matte lifted her head for the last time, she saw Tomonobu standing before her cage. He struck the hilt of his sword with the palm of his hand, and the bluish fluid that passed for daemon blood fell from the blade, whereupon he calmly returned it to its scabbard. "We always reunite under such distressing circumstances, Little One," he said. "I do so wish we could just meet for a drink at the Dragon's Inn again." It certainly _sounded_ like Tomonobu. But she had to be sure. "If you're really who I think you are, come give me a hand." she said, her voice still a bit shaky from her ordeal. Tomonobu shrugged. "And so demanding, too. As you wish." The samurai stepped effortlessly through the barrier (which he himself couldn't see anyway). Matte gave a small shriek of delight and relief and jumped up to throw her arms around his neck. "Let me carry you around this debris," he said a bit nervously. "It's rather slippery." Tomonobu set Matte down a few steps away. "Sorry 'bout that," she said, as she replaced her dagger and straightened her clothing. "I had to make sure it wasn't a trick. If you were one of them in disguise, you couldn't have passed through what was left of the warders." "What about your friends?" Tomonobu asked, pointing at the large, dim figures lurking in the background. "They'll stay put for quite awhile," Matte said confidently. "They've lost their connection to their master, and that makes them a bit sluggish and disoriented. Still though, let's put some distance between us. They'll regain contact with him eventually, and _he_ won't be in a good mood at all." "I left someone else in a similar state," Tomonobu mentioned as they walked quickly away while he explained his previous ordeal. "The sooner we leave this plane and get back home the better. We seem to be accumulating quite a list of enemies here." Matte smiled as she looked up at her companion. "Home? You think of Generica as home now?" Tomonobu stopped in his tracks, lost in thought for a moment as he considered his words. "Yes," he said as he looked in Matte's eyes. "I suppose I do now. I could not imagine saying such a thing even as recently as a few weeks ago. The experiences of our group on this quest has affected me deeply." He looked away and resumed his former pace. "I have had the opportunity to experience things previously foreign to me. All I have known for the last twenty years is combat, conflict, duty to superiors, and responsibility for subordinates. But our group is different. We have united for a common cause, perhaps for different motiviations, but more as equals than anything else. Strange as it may seem to you, I have valued that experience greatly, and it has made me change my mind about some things." Matte walked along in silence beside the warrior. This had been a unique adventure for her as well, and she considered his words carefully. After a few moments of silence, she looked up into his face, examining it for additional clues. "I still intend to see my original task through to its end," Tomonobu said as he deliberately avoided her gaze. "But I have grown rather fond of... this group." * * *