From alt.pub.dragons-inn Tue Aug 30 16:45:48 1994 Xref: netcom.com alt.pub.dragons-inn:7588 Path: netcom.com!netcomsv!decwrl!src.dec.com!crl.dec.com!crl.dec.com!caen!cmuvm.csv.cmich.edu!344lwkc Organization: Central Michigan University Date: Thu, 25 Aug 1994 17:36:01 EDT From: Mike Sander <344LWKC@CMUVM.CSV.CMICH.EDU> Message-ID: <94237.173601344LWKC@CMUVM.CSV.CMICH.EDU> Newsgroups: alt.pub.dragons-inn Subject: [(Post-)BBD] Farwell to Tarkyn Lines: 145 [ADMIN: It's been a while (so long, even the Housestorming thread looks active {kidding grin}) since anything on this front was posted, but hopefully that will change soon. Even though the BBD thread basically ended when the title char. was destroyed, I know interesting times still lurk ahead... Anyhow, thanks to Dan Peters (who holds copyright to Kaalzic & Myrnien) for helping to write this, and to Barry Prismall for putting forth the char. of Tarkyn, even though both ended up having to leave...] After the disappearance of Kryalla, Myrnien wasted no time. A quick judgement call was required: Which of her injured companions needed the most immediate attention? She turned to where her brother lay with his arms wrapped around his now unmasked face. Even in unconsciousness, it seemed, he was unwilling to be seen. She pulled away his arms to examine the gash on his forehead. Only her concern for the new wound -- and the fact that she knew already what she would see -- made her avoid staring in horror at the results of the old. Kaalzic's nose, what was left of it, was twisted to one side, and his mouth was set in an inhuman sneer. The skin around them seemed a patchwork of ordinary skin and several shades of scars. Myrnien couldn't help thinking of some of the pictures of demons she had seen in her earlier journeys. She quickly bandaged the forehead gash -- not as serious as she had first thought -- then picked up the two pieces of his mask, and tried to think of a way to put them together. A noise from behind told her that she had no time. Out of instinct, she covered Kaalzic's face with his arms. Lancos groaned as he regained consciousness. He pushed back his pain for a second to assess the situation. Seeing BBD lying on the ground with his throat split wide open, the warrior relaxed. They had won then, though it had obviously cost them. He wasn't sure if he could stand on his leg yet; Myrnien was busy tending Kaalzic, who was clearly injured; Kryalls was nowhere in sight; and Tarkyn... well, from the way the ranger was sprawled on the ground, Lancos could only hope for the best. Myrnien arose and turned around. "Ok, you're next," she said. "Dont worry about me; I can handle myself. Tend to Kaalzic and Tarkyn first." "Well, Kaalzic's wound is taken care of." Myrnien paused a second, then added in a softer voice, "And Tarkyn is dead." Lancos sighed. "That's what I feared; I hoped I'd be wrong. I really didn't think that BBD would kill any of us. If anything, I thought he'd make us his 'puppets'." Myrnien shuddered at the suggestion. "That's worse, believe me. But with Kryalla here, he couldn't afford to do his usual tricks. He was probably desperate." Another thought hit her. "Or maybe the DarkSeed was affecting his behaviour somehow." 'A magical item causing an unwanted death... Sounds familiar, thought Lancos, and outwardly gave a small nod. "And what happened to Kryalla?" "She left, not saying where she was going, as usual," said Myrnien. "She only said that she had to destroy the DarkSeed, and that she couldn't do it here. Now let me see that leg of yours." "Was she planning to return?" Lancos asked, as he pulled up one of his leggings to uncover his wound. It had been pierced, as if with an arrow, but there was little blood. Instead, the flesh was badly burned. "I don't think so." Myrnien frowned. "This isn't good. I don't think I can do anything about this." The warrior nodded. Considering his medallion -- when he had worn it -- had only made the wound feel worse, he wasn't sure if anything besides time would heal it. Still, he couldn't sit here until then, so he pulled himself to his feet, gritting his teeth to ignore the pain he felt. "At least I can stand on it. And I better get used to the way it feels; it's going to be a long walk back to Generica." "Not necessarily," replied Myrnien. "Just before she left, Kryalla handed me this thing" -- she produced the stone -- "and claimed that we could return home with it. Hopefully your leg can get some competent attention there." "A good plan; I'm sure one of the temples could handle the task. But first, I think we should have a small funeral for Tarkyn, and make sure no one else accidently gets there hands on those blades." "And what of BBD's body." "I'm afraid we'll have to let it rot here, since I don't think even the worms will touch the foul thing." Myrnien smirked. "How vicious of you. And you were worried about _me_ getting too caught up by this whole affair." The warrior returned the grin. "I have my moments, I suppose. It's one of many things we'll have to talk about. Later, apparently, when we have complete privacy." He pointed towards Kaalzic, who was now starting to stir. Myrnien suddenly looked uncomfortable. "Wait here, and, um, please look away," she said awkwardly, then rushed to her brother. Lancos, taken aback, stared after her for a moment before he realized that she was concerned about Kaalzic's sensitivity toward people seeing his face. He turned away for a minute, heard some whispered words and tearing of cloth, and then Myrnien and Kaalzic were beside him. The painter's entire head was bandaged now, with a space left only for his eyes. * * * * When Lancos was satisfied that the kindling had caught fire, he stood up and stepped away from Tarkyn's pyre to join Myrnien and Kaalzic. Myrnien spoke first. "I hardly knew him." Lancos sighed, and said softly, "'And yet we hardly knew ye'." Sensing the others looking at him, he added, "Those were someone else's words, about the death of another of my former companions. I've seen probably more than my share of death, but I try to remember what was special in those I've lost. Tarkyn was a man of few words, and so it wasn't so easy to get to know him. But he was as honourable as anyone I've met." "I wasn't sure about him, at one point. Then, at the end, I caught a glimpse of what he was going through, being _controlled_ at times...." Myrnien shook her head and wiped away tears. The grief she had felt earlier had returned. "I know, I shouldn't fear death. But I do. Not that I'm so worried about divine judgement in the afterlife, but.... I know what it's like, being controlled. You need to spend some time being free, afterwards. Tarkyn had only a moment of freedom, just before he died. Only a moment in which to be himself." Lancos nodded, and put his arm around her as a means of trying to avoid the emotions he was feeling, only to find that Kaalzic had done the same from the other side. The warrior had been controlled _twice_ by the medallion, and battled with it every time he put it on, so he knew well what Myrnien spoke of. He promised himself that as soon as he could, he would tell her of his adventures; let her know that they had that experience in common. But for now, he was content to stand close to her, watching the flames leep into the darkening sky. Kaalzic, also pressing close to Myrnien, didn't voice his own thought: 'At least he had that moment.' ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Mike Sander 344lwkc@cmuvm.csv.cmich.edu Comments always appreciated... SAQ: "And all this could be/Such a dream/ So it seems/ I was never much good at goodbyes"_Goodbye_, Night Ranger [ADMIN: Yeah, I've quoted this before, but it just seems too darn long since the DQ anyway (for those that remember it :)!)...]