From alt.pub.dragons-inn Fri Jun 24 08:17:30 1994 Xref: netcom.com alt.pub.dragons-inn:7432 Path: netcom.com!netcomsv!decwrl!amd!amdahl!pacbell.com!ihnp4.ucsd.edu!swrinde!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: [MI][FIRE] Big, Ugly City Date: 24 Jun 1994 03:51:57 GMT Organization: The Anna Amabiaca Fan Club Lines: 159 Message-ID: <2udl8t$s7a@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: Of the characters in the thread, Kitsune-bi, Fire, and Toshima belong to Marc Seebass , Alfvaen, Azpiazu, Queriche and Moriarty belong to me, and the others are my creation but will probably become common property after I'm done with them. The woman known as Fire has hired Moriarty Investigations to try to find her parents. Queriche set out, with the aid of Fire's fellow student Toshima, first to Ilmater's Hostel to talk to Sister Ararita, then to the retired Sister Ristania who remember Fire's arrival...shortly after a fire at the mysterious Temple of Azpiazu. Meanwhile, Fire and Toshima's mentor Kitsune-bi aided Moriarty against an attack of the bio-vampires. This post is Copyright 1994 by Aaron V. Humphrey. Distribution through the usual altnet channels is allowed, as is archiving, but all other rights, including reposting, are reserved. "There's a big, ugly city out there." --X, "What's Wrong With Me..." "You going out with that Toshima guy today?" Moriarty asked. Queriche nodded. "If he shows up. He was supposed to be here by now. Now," the tattooed islander said, looking around at the disarray that remained in the Moriarty Investigations office, "what was it that happened last night?" "I'm not sure myself. Some kind of...what did that guy call them... bio-vampires tried to attack me." "And who is 'that guy'?" "Called himself Kitsune-bi. Yeah, another Etarus'ian. He mentioned Fire, too. Can't help but wonder what that woman's brought onto us, here... 'Course, Kitsune took out one of the bio-vamps for me, at least..." "Well, this Kitsune-bi seemed helpful, if nothing else. Have you talked to anyone else about these bio-vamps?" "Nah. I figger Kitsune can do that himself, or at least, if he wants me to help, he can pay me for it." Queriche shook his head. "You say they were waiting for _you_, but you don't think you're going to do anything about them? An odd attitude." "Yeah, well, I'm also gonna see about beefing up the wards on this place. Kitsune said that these bio-vamp things aren't magical, but it can't hurt anyway. So as soon as I'm done here I'll go off to the Mage Guild and negotiate their rates. Urcohea owes me anyway." Neither of them heard the footsteps on the stairs, and Moriarty only noticed the door opening out of the corner of his eye. "What th--" Queriche spun around, readying one of his short spears. Then he relaxed. "You're late. And you came within inches of getting impaled." "I doubt it," Toshima said. "Rather, you would have lost your wrist." "Well, next time don't sneak up on us like that," Moriarty said. "It's a habit," Toshima replied. "Master Kistune told us to practice at every chance." "Yeah, well, he was here last night," Moriarty said nonchalantly. At the widening of Toshima's eyes, he added, "Helped me out a bit, too, and told me to look after you and Fire. I hope Queriche will do well enough." Toshima's eyes narrowed. Did his master think he was a child, that he needed these others to keep him from danger? Did he have that little faith in his own teachings? "Save your concern for Fire," he said coldly. "I am helping you with her quest out of my own kindness; do not think you need to cradle me like an infant." "Whatever you say, guy," Moriarty said. "You going out now?" "Yes. We're looking for the Temple of Azpiazu." Moriarty sighed. "I wish I knew what had happened to Alfvaen. He's been to that place a few times. But he popped in with that Leaathal babe, and no sign of him since. If you're not in a hurry, you could look for him..." "I don't know how much of a help he'd be," Queriche said. "Finding this Temple has more to do with luck than anything else, from what I've heard. If might even take longer than a day." "Then let's get going," Toshima said. "I weary of talk." He turned and half-ran down the stairs. Queriche shrugged and followed. "See you when I get back." "Good luck," Moriarty said. They'd need it. **** Toshima strode swiftly down Cor Caroli Lane; Queriche finally gave in and jogged up to his side. The Etarus'ian didn't slow his pace for a few blocks, but eventually he sighed and turned to his companion. "Where are we going? If this place is so hard to find..." "The best way to find it is to get lost," Queriche replied. "You'd have an easier time at that than I, being less familiar with the city. But to be safer, perhaps we should go to an area that I'm unfamiliar with, as well." "Lead the way, then," Toshima said. Queriche turned the next corner and Toshima was soon disoriented. It was close to noon, and the sun was almost overhead, so east and west were hard to determine. But Queriche didn't hesitate, and after about half an hour, they emerged suddenly onto Dragon's Lane, not far from the Plaza of Glittering Steel. "Low City I know well, having spent years there. There are many places I wouldn't want to go, but I could. The southeast quarter I've taken it upon myself to learn since working for Moriarty. But the north side of the city...that, I don't know well at all. So it is there we go." They crossed the busy Dragon's Lane and entered a small alleyway between buildings. It soon became a dead end. "This may be harder than I thought," Queriche ruminated, and Toshima sighed. **** Sister Ararita brooded in her chamber at Ilmater's Hostel. She didn't trust those investigators that had come by the night before. The Hostel took in many children who would prove to be an embarrassment to one or both of their parents were their existence more generally known, and word of investigators poking around would drive many away, or perhaps provoke them to do something rash to her, believing her dearly-bought silence to be compromised. The investigators had claimed to be searching for the parentage of the child Fire, but that could be a front. They could already have the information they needed. She rapidly catalogued the Hostel's children, and considered what gossip might be given more credence than was safe. The answer was clear, and not at all pleasant. If the Lord in question were informed of this, the results of his fear and anger would not be pleasant, particularly for the Hostel. But what about that Lord's trusted servant, who had brought the child her in the first place? He could be convinced to have matters taken care of, with no stain brought to either his master, the Hostel, or himself. Sending messages was always laborious, though, since the mere fact that her Hostel sent a message to a certain household was spark enough to set gossip aflame. She summoned Sister Belatha to set the wheels in motion, then began to compose her missive. She couched things in vague terms, that outsiders would not understand but the intended target would. The only things she did not leave to vagueness were the descriptions of the investigators. But an islander with blue tattoos in company with an Etarus'ian warrior would be distinctive enough. When the message was done, Sister Belatha took it to a certain man, who lived in the same apartment she did. This man took it to the Scrappy Ram, offering money to a down-on-luck adventurer named Besim to carry it to its destination, in the northeast quarter of the city... -- --Alfvaen(Editor of Communique) Current Album--Andreas Vollenweider:Behind The Gardens--Behind The Wall--Under Current Book--C.J. Cherryh:Heavy Time The Tree "Life is a placebo masquerading as a simile." --They Might Be Giants