From alt.pub.dragons-inn Wed Nov 30 09:51:28 1994 Xref: netcom.com alt.pub.dragons-inn:7909 Path: netcom.com!ix.netcom.com!howland.reston.ans.net!gatech!usenet.ufl.edu!cybernet.cse.fau.edu!motherc From: motherc@cse.fau.edu (Christopher Motherway) Newsgroups: alt.pub.dragons-inn Subject: [DreamQuest] Twelve Points for Lance Date: 28 Nov 1994 17:48:54 GMT Organization: Cybernet BBS, Boca Raton, Florida. Lines: 143 Message-ID: <3bd566$s87@cybernet.cse.fau.edu> NNTP-Posting-Host: poseidon.cse.fau.edu X-Newsreader: TIN [version 1.2 PL0] THE STORY SO FAR: After his soul slipped out of Blaze's hands during a soul-walk, Lance travels with his deceased father to regain his body. Blaze enlisted the help of 'Raf and Miro to create a spell that would bring Lance's soul back. = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = Any other person might have found the mountain range picturesque, serene, even majestic. But for Lance and his father, Corwin, the peaks were hazardous, steep and, most importantly, an obstacle towards a more important goal. There was no sun or moon in this place, so telling how long they had been traveling proved impossible. To Lance, however, it felt like days. From what he had learned, souls never rest; there was no need for it. It made sense to him. After all, in death, the body is in a permanent resting state. Only the body tires. It must've been true: they had climbed several mountains, and had been, for a good while, walking on a trail through the mountains they had discovered and, yet, didn't feel winded in the least. Corwin also had no idea how long they had been traveling. He was just happy to see his son face-to-face again. And, now, they we're going to help each other get to their proper final destinations. He was talking to Lance concerning his exploits since leaving Wolverton. "...and, then, there was that occasion where you killed that prince and ended up in that pit with the poison-wolf." "Ah, yes." Lance replied. "Tangramayne. As far as the king and I were concerned, he deserved it!" "True, he did. But I thought you knew better than to disrespect a prince." "The last prince I respected made a mess of the city I loved when I placed him on the throne." "You know, son," said Corwin, "sometimes I wonder about you. In all the years I've watched over, you seemed to express some un-knight-like conduct." Lance looked questionably at his father and said, "Father, I make no apologies for the life I leave. Also, if you stop to think about it, some good came out of the Tangramayne incident." "Such as?" "Well, for one thing, I would have never received my fire sword as a gift from the king; as a apology for his gaurds tossing me into the pit. Also, the king would have probably killed him himself somewhere down the line." "Hah! That is hardly a reason to become a vigilante. Sometimes, I have to believe that you've forgotten the Twelve Points of Chivalry." "Now just a minute! If you've been watching over me as you say you have, you will have noticed that I did not break any ONE of those Points!" "I'm not denying that, son," repiled Corwin, as they started up another mountainside. "But, why don't you humor your father and recite them for me." "Father..." "Just so I can be certain that you're keeping them in perspective. Come on, Lance. Just the way I taught you." Lance had often regretted having to live up to his father's expectations. When he was a young page, his father had often asked him to recite the Twelve Points. He knew it was important for him to learn those Points, as they were the very essence of knighthood. That didn't mean he liked having to recite them every other week until he became a squire. Still, this was his father. And, since he was questioning his knowledge of and his loyalty to those Points, he felt obliged to let him have it! "Very well, father," Lance said, and proceeded with the recital: "A knight shows BRAVERY above all. A knight has LOYALTY to his call. A knight's HONESTY is a must. A knight shows caution with his TRUST. A knight has FAITH to those above. And, to his people, shows his LOVE. A knight shows FRIENDSHIP to each one For TEAMWORK does get each task done. A knight has WISDOM, vast and strong, And PERSERVERENCE to go on. A knight is GENEROUS, curbs his pride. A knight has JUSTICE by his side." Corwin stopped climbing the steadily steepening rock face to stare at his son in amazement. "So," he said, "you _haven't_ forgotten!" Very good, my boy. Very good indeed." Lance smiled in compliance and continued to grope for hand and foot holds as the accent continued. "You should know me by now, father," he replied. "Even after my service in King Kinseeker's court had expired, I have NEVER forgotten the Points. Nor would I think of turning them aside for any reason. You must admit that your son must have made you more proud than..." His sentence was cut short when the rock that he was grasping onto broke off under his own weight. He, instinctively, let his other hand-grip go and released any weight from the footholds so as not to flip over. Within seconds, Lance had unsheathed the dagger Corwin gave to him (he did not carry his fire sword with his soul) and thrust it into the rock face. Fortunately for him, he had plunged the dagger into a small patch of soil and was dangling from the dagger with a tight grip on the handle. He had fallen only about 40 meters, but, in trying to find footholds, he had shifted over to a near-sheer face of rock which ended, abruptly, another couple hundred meters below him. "Hang on, son," Lance heard his father call from above. "I am very close to this summit. I'll bring you up as soon as I make it." Smart move, Lance thought. For Corwin to try and use his rope to haul him up on this surface was crazy. The more stable summit would prove a better surface to brace the feet and pull someone up. Still, he hoped his father would hurry; this soil the dagger was in was not among the firmest, and he could feel the blade starting to tilt downward by his weight. Old as he was, Corwin took no less than a minute to finally heave himself up to the top of the summit. On the other side, the rock face was much less steep and led to another path. Over the tops of the mountains was the sea/abyss which would be their goal. But there was no time to worry about that now. No sooner had he made it to the top when he took out his rope, tied one end around a large boulder and lowered the other end to Lance. Lance's dagger was starting to slip faster. When he saw the rope end, he grasped with one hand and then, quickly, with the other. Once he was certain that the rope would hold and that he had a good grip, he reached over with his right hand and pulled the dagger out from the soil and resheathed it. Then, hand-over-hand, he started climbing the rope, using the rock face to brace his feet. Corwin tried to pull the rope up, but either he was to old when he died, or Lance is too heavy, or both. Two minutes later, he grasped Lance's hand and pulled him up to the summit. Father and son then lied down on the summit. They were not tired, but they needed a little break before continuing. Corwin then turned to Lance and said, "Yes, I am very proud of you, my son. Just because I doubted some of your actions doesn't mean I didn't think they were in the right. I never stopped being proud of what you did in all those cities and kingdoms, helping all those people." Lance smiled back to Corwin and replied, "Thank you, father." After a while, they stood back up and looked toward the horizon, where the sea/abyss was visible and seemed no less than a day's journey away. "Soon, Lance, you will return to your body and I'll return to my love." Those words bothered Lance somewhat. Why _wasn't_ Corwin with his lifemate Dara? Why was he _here_, for that matter? He decided, though, to keep these thoughts to himself. If Corwin had wished to discuss this, he would have a long time ago. The two adventurers then continued on down the other side of the mountain towards the path and ever so closer to the sea/abyss..and the creature that awaited them. TO BE CONTINUED... = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = ADMIN: Okay, maybe not the most exciting of chapters, but I needed a link to the next chapter. Chris Wolvie motherc@sunrise.cse.fau.edu Disclaimer: "We decide which is right...and which is an illusion"-M. Blues ============================================================================== Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton (The Rat's Mouth), Florida ============================================================================== "You can never have to much polish. Besides, I ran out of spit an hour ago!" -Eric the Cavalier, DUNGEONS & DRAGONS (The Animated Series)