From alt.pub.dragons-inn Sun May 29 11:26:32 1994 Xref: netcom.com alt.pub.dragons-inn:7317 Path: netcom.com!csus.edu!csulb.edu!library.ucla.edu!agate!howland.reston.ans.net!europa.eng.gtefsd.com!newsxfer.itd.umich.edu!nntp.cs.ubc.ca!alberta!cab005.cs.ualberta.ca!aaron From: aaron@amisk.cs.ualberta.ca (Aaron V. Humphrey) Newsgroups: alt.pub.dragons-inn Subject: [PARTY] Alfvaen & Little Rat Date: 29 May 1994 06:08:28 GMT Organization: The Anna Amabiaca Fan Club Lines: 159 Message-ID: <2s9bgt$i24@scapa.cs.ualberta.ca> Reply-To: aaron@amisk.cs.ualberta.ca NNTP-Posting-Host: cab005.cs.ualberta.ca Originator: aaron@cab005.cs.ualberta.ca ADMIN: This takes place after the conclusion of the [MI] thread still in progress. I'm not doing a 'Raelf and timelooping my character or anything, honest... A party was just what he needed, Alfvaen decided. After the ordeal of the past couple of days, and the oblivion of the months before that. And it was only appropriate that he return to ShadeHaven, the place where his body spent those months. He should try to explain to Luthor what had happened... Neither Moriarty nor Queriche had been there when he returned to Moriarty Investigations, and neither was there when he left for the party. Time enough to deal with them later. *** "Alfvaen!" Luthor said upon seeing the half-elf. "Nice to see you up and about again. Sorry I wasn't here to meet you when you awoke..." "That was probably intentional on Azpiazu's part," Alfvaen replied. "He was the one who awoke me, and he probably didn't want to get you involved... And I don't doubt that your ShadowMagic wouldn't have done us much good where we were going." At the golden elf's raised eyebrows, Alfvaen explained. "Lots of trapped chaos-essence. The Wasters managed to cope with it okay--for the most part--but you might have been thrown awry." He sighed. "It's good not to have a god in my head, for the moment." "I would imagine that would be inconvenient at times, especially after what you've told me of Azpiazu...but I am being rude. Come in and enjoy the party. There are plenty of guests and more to come." Luthor gestured to the interior of the tree where the Islander musicians were preparing for their first set of the evening. "Oh, I did bring you something." Alfvaen said, digging in his pouch and retrieving an opalescent shard of crystal. "This is part of the thing they trapped the chaos in. Hopefully it's been cleansed of the baleful influence of the Demon Queen who made it in the first place, and it probably isn't any good anymore, but it might make an interesting curio." Luthor smiled. "A thing touched by Chaos itself. I'll treasure it, always. Oh, there are a few people who will be glad to see you again. A certain Little Rat, for one..." Alfvaen grinned. "That'd be just the thing. I heard she's been living with 'Raelf these days..." "Yes, and it has helped her. I didn't know her that well until recently, but Erik says that the change has been remarkable. Hmmm, I don't know where she is right now, but Serene should." -+-+-+-+-+-+- "Excuse me, little miss. I would you like something to eat?" Little Rat turned to see a man holding a tray of flaky pastries, the kind that melt in your mouth and make your fingers sticky. "No thanks mister. I ain't hungry. Mebbe later tho." She turned back to watch the game of riddles that Kev and another boy were playing. "The Little Rat I knew would never have turned down food." Little Rat turned and looked at the man again. This time, she recognized his face and squealed. "PRINCE ELFMAN!" She practically pounced on him, knocking the tray of delicate pastries all over the wooden floor. "Nice to see you too." He began turning red, partly from embarrassment and partly from lack of air. "I thinked dat you wuz dead again or sumthin'. Whatcha been doin all dis time?" Alfvaen grinned wryly. "Well, I _was_ in a bit of a coma. I guess I was in a kind of magical sleep for a while. It happened when I was visiting Luthor...though hopefully it won't happen this time." He winked at her. "After I got woken up, I had to do a favour for the one that did, or rather he needed me to do him a bigger favour. I went up against the Demon Spiders again. I think it'll be a while before we hear from them again. How about you?" "Well, I been mostly at da Lighthouse with da Lighthouse gang. Dey has been teachin' me all sorts a stuff like ways ta thow people what are tryin' ta grab me. An' dey let me take care a dis great pony named Iramus. He's really nice ta me an' don't throw me off like he does to Kev. An' I get ta play in dis room where ya can make stuff come outa nothin', but ya can't take it out cause it's just 'lusion. An' dere are all dese strange people and things walkin' around da place with horses' butts and poofy tails. An' dey give me all dis food just 'cause I clean up my room, even dough I wuz da one dat messed it up in da first place....Yep, it sure is better dan da Low City. Smells a lot better too." Little Rat hugged him again. "Now dat you is back, is ya gonna come live with us? Dere is plenty a room an' all. Heck, you can have my bed, 'cause I don't like it much...I mostly jest sleep on da floor." "Probably not," Alfvaen said with a smile, touched in spite of himself. "I think I'll be living with Moriarty still...though I haven't talked with him since I woke up. Hope he didn't fire me or anything. But considering I didn't see anybody at the office when I was there, they're probably busy enough to still need me... I went to visit the Lighthouse after I woke up, and 'Raelf, or one of his brothers, helped me out. He seems like an interesting person." They seemed to be doing a fairly good job of civilizing her...or rather, getting her used to the way the rest of the world worked. Although, from the sounds of it, the inside of the Lighthouse might not have _that_ much of a connection to "the rest of the world"... "Lookit, Reelya sez dat I am growin'. I don't think I'm bigger, but I feel better anyhow. Like I can lift stuff dat used to be real heavy an' I'm growin' muscles all over now. I want ta be jest like A'ree when I get real big 'cause she ain't afraid a nothin'. She sez dat I gotta practice a lot an' eat right ta grow up big an' strong like her." Little Rat held out her arm and flexed it. She was no bruiser, but she had come a far way from the malnourished child that Alfvaen had known so well. "You are certainly getting strong," Alfvaen said, admiringly. "Who's 'Reelya'?" "Dat's Hero's sister or Ralph's cuddlegirl or sumthin'. Dey is hard ta figure out. Like dey are all datin' eachother, but no one gets mad. Reelya is cool tho." "Ah. I didn't get to meet her when I was there..." "Well, me an' Kev are gonna go down ta da beach fer a bit. Dey got dis big fire dere an' they are playing in da sand an' in da water. Sounds like fun ta me. Whatcha gonna do?" "I think I'm going to look around to see if there's anyone else around that I've lost touch with. Lancos, perhaps. Or, what was her name...Teonyl. Or maybe that warrior, Maleiu, or his friends. Or, who knows, meet someone new!" A mental catalogue reminded Alfvaen of how few people he really knew in Generica. Maybe he should go back to Mage Guild classes. "Maybe I'll come down later and meet Kev, but I'm not sure..." Little Rat's face suddenly brightened. "Oh, look, there's 'Mara, too! Hi, 'Mara!" Alfvaen slowly turned, to see Delmara. They stared at each other in silence. Little Rat, oblivious, rushed up and hugged Delmara. "How ya doin'?" she asked. "I'm fine, Little Rat," Delmara said, smiling slightly. "Your friend Kev is looking for you." "I gotta go, Elfman," Little Rat said. "Nice ta see ya again." She dashed off into the crowd. -- --Alfvaen(Editor of Communique) Current Album--Firesign Theatre:I Think We're All Bozos On This Bus Current Read--Jayne Ann Krentz:Family Man "Thinks again--thanks to brain, the new wonder head-filler!" --Bluebottle