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From: stiltman@teleport.com (Stilt Man)
Newsgroups: alt.pub.dragons-inn
Subject: [Tor] Stranger and Stranger . . .
Date: 15 Jan 1995 20:30:30 -0800
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[ADMIN:  This was originally hallucinated in an extremely bad trip on the part
of Corey Venour, cvenour@kurango.cit.gu.edu.au for all those of you who are
just dying to send him hate mail, praise, large globs of Play-Doh, etc..  I
added the bit at the end where . . . well, you can probably guess which part
I added.  Alex Young, that figment of Corey's imagination, also had a hand in
this, now that we've actually got his character finally added in here.  Lastly,
I'd be interested in getting any feedback from anyone who feels like commenting
on this thread we're writing in hopes of wresting the "APDI's slowest-
progressing thread" title away from the Alfvaen thread, though that one's so
slow that I'm not even sure that my memory of its name is right.  So maybe
our hope is in vain.  Maybe I need to get Corey's supervisor to work him a
little harder.  That might do it . . . At any rate, I'd better sign off before
Corey gets a reason to hit me with an ICBM here . . . :) ]

Emrikol emerged from the Font Chamber in a similar condition to his home world -
shattered. He had watched as his world was pulled apart by forces that should
have never been allowed to exist. Worse than that was the fact that the man
responsible for the destruction of his once beautiful home, was also the same
masked wizard responsible for his banishment to the Labyrinth over two decades
before.

In contrast, Kryalla's face showed determination, and a hint of disgust. She
had faced many enemies in her own enigmatic lifetime, but not even Arcania
Dorval would eradicate a whole planet simply to gain more power.

Syandria spoke then.

"We have lived with this for almost fifteen years now. Every day the plates
are pulled closer to the Vortex. The Seers predict that within five years Tor'el
will be no more."

She glanced through a window high above the main doors as she continued. 

"It is now time to sleep. We can discuss this more tomorrow."

She pulled a cord hidden behind a curtain and a young woman appeared after a
short time.

"Brianna, take the Duke and Lady Kryalla to the Duke's suite."

Brianna looked startled when she glanced at Emrikol.

"Yes dear, he is indeed my son, the Duke, returned to us."

Brianna led Emrikol and Kryalla through a side door and up several flights of
broad steps, and onto a richly decorated landing. The walls held large 
tapestries depicting past battles alongside trophies from those battles. Ahead
of them loomed a huge pair of iron bound doors, with a guard stationed on
either side. 

Brianna approached the senior of the two and spoke quietly to him for a minute.
He motioned for his companion to help in opening the doors. Both guards
saluted as Emrikol and Kryalla passed between them into the Duke's suite.

The main room was clean, and there were fresh flowers positioned around the 
room. Emrikol guessed that his mother had ordered this done while they were in
the Font Chamber. Emrikol did not even need to look directly at Kryalla's face
to see the cringing expression of feigned nausea at the romantic setting his
matron had prepared.  Two of the doors leading from the main room were barred,
and he could see younger looking stone near both of them. The remaining two
doors led into the library and to the bed-chamber.

Brianna waited near the door for a minute before speaking.

"Does my Lord or Lady require anything else?"

Kryalla glanced at Emrikol. He was staring at the flames in the hearth.  It
appeared he was occupied, and since everyone around here seemed to already
be treating her like a Duchess, she thought with a roll of her eyes towards
the ceiling, she may as well give the formal dismissal.

"Our thanks, Brianna.  That will be all."

It was as Brianna turned to leave that Kryalla noticed something odd about
her.  It was as if she held some sort of mystical power, yet attempted
clumsily to shield it from the eyes of others.  Kryalla simply raised a
slender eyebrow and ignored it for now, marking it for future observation.

She turned back to Emrikol. She could see the pain etched into his
newly restored features.

"You need rest," Kryalla's voice held a note of concern, which was amazing,
thought Emrikol, considering who it was.

Emrikol nodded, and allowed Kryalla to lead him in the direction of the
bedchamber.

	=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

Brianna almost ran back to her room and quickly moved towards her dressing 
table. The spells to lock the door and to protect the room from eavesdropping 
were cast ere she reached it. Clearing her mind she stared deep into the
mirror and waited for her call to be answered.

"Yes Brianna?" came the master's voice.

"My Lord, it truly is Duke Emrikol returned from another world."

"And his companion?"

"She remains hooded and cloaked, as though wishing to avoid notice. Both carry
a number of items which are strong in magicks I have never seen before."

K'al nodded. "So he has acquired some new tricks while he has been away. All
the better."

Although Brianna could hear K'al's musings, she showed no recognition. To do
so would invite punishment.

"Have you managed to enter the Font Chamber?" he demanded of her.

"No my Lord. I will not be able to enter until I reach the next level of
training. My next examination is tomorrow."

"Good. Very good. Contact me again tomorrow night," and with that K'al's
hooded visage faded from Brianna's mirror.

Brianna was jubilant.  He was known for cruelty for failure, but also for
generosity in success.

It was then that she noticed the raven sitting on the windowsill.  She
frowned; she could sense nothing odd about the bird.  It was simply sitting
on the sill, looking outward into the night absently.  She watched it for
a short time, until finally it fluttered off.

"Birds need some place to sit, too, I guess," she said to herself, shaking
her head in amusement.

	=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

The only way that Emrikol knew that it was morning was through the knock at
the main doors of the suite. He dragged himself out of bed and into his
trousers and shirt. He still had no use for his bandages or gloves since the
back of his hands were still free of runes.

He glanced at the bed and noticed that Kryalla was not there. He remembered
her helping him into the bed, but little after that. He guessed that she had
either arisen early, or had slept elsewhere. 

The knocking had stopped as Emrikol entered the main hall of the suite.
Kryalla was seated near the fireplace, and motioned for him to join her, a
tray of breakfast perched on a table in front of her.

"Come, you need to eat."

Breakfast was short, but filling, and shortly afterward Emrikol and Kryalla
emerged from the castle to explore Tor'el.

Kryalla motioned toward the Vortex, and Emrikol nodded.

"It's as good a place to start as any, if we're to find a way to cure our
collective ills." 

He touched the travel rune on one arm and held out his other hand to her. As the
magic surrounded them, he imagined he could see the face of a watcher in one of 
the towers of the castle.

The spell dissipated and they found themselves on one of the plates closest to
the Vortex. Kryalla drew her katana almost immediately.

"What is it?" asked Emrikol with his lips, making no sound.

"There.  Over the rise," said Kryalla.  "A focus of magic this world did not
make."

Emrikol unbuttoned his right sleeve and rolled it up far enough to reveal a
dagger like cluster of runes. He lightly caressed the structure and again
wished that he had more time to redraw the intricate offensive and defensive
runes that he had come to rely upon.

He nodded to Kryalla, and they slowly walked up the rise. crouching behind a
small group of rocks, they looked down upon a hastily constructed campsite,
with a small fire fitfully burning in a small pit. Huddled next to the fire
was a humanoid shape that was almost constantly shaking.

Emrikol and Kryalla glanced at each other.

"Are you sure that *that* is powerful?" the hint of doubt was clear to Kryalla
even though Emrikol had only whispered. 

"That is the focus I spoke of," Kryalla repeated evenly.

Emrikol concentrated for a moment, and then he too could feel the power
emanating from the huddled form. He nodded in apology.

"Should we investigate more closely?"

Kryalla nodded, and motioned for Emrikol to approach from behind the form,
while she would approach from the side.

When they were ready, they both slowly moved toward the campsite. As they came
within five paces of the creature, it suddenly jumped to its feet and changed
into a demonic creature with two heads - one directed towards each approaching 
figure. The two set in ready stances and waited.

			=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

"Master, the emissary has arrived and awaits your pleasure," said a small
man in green robes.  He carefully kept his eyes gazing at the floor, not
daring to presume beyond his rank and actually see K'al this close.

"Yes, yes, show him in," said K'al, effecting a bored slouch upon his throne.

He fought back the urge to widen his eyes as a tall warrior in ebon armor
strode with a springy step into the room.  The armor covered a strong torso,
and practically screamed with magical enchantments, not the least of which
were preservative in nature.  K'al raised an eyebrow.  The second man in was
even larger than the first, dressed in the furs of some animal K'al did not
recognize and carrying a huge sword over one shoulder.  The sword was covered
with runes that looked harsh and dischordant even to K'al's meager eyes.  The
sword held some enchantment to it as well, no doubt.

The empty eyesockets of the black helm turned to him, and the dark knight
made a modest bow.  "My name is Kronos, and this is my assistant, Thrull."

"Welcome to my domain, Lord Kronos," said K'al.  "I do not believe I have
made your acquaintances before."

"Not likely, no," said Kronos apologetically.  "I am sent by the government
of the Empire of Thyaris to your esteemed dominion in hopes that I might
prevail upon you for permission to undertake the execution of an arrest
warrant outstanding against two fugitives that are believed to have fled
our justice to your principalities."

"Let us not mince words, my friend," K'al said impatiently.  "Who are these
fugitives and where do you expect to find them?  Are they any of my people?"

"No . . . " Kronos began.

"Then you are on the wrong world, my friend, for no being exists here who does
not belong to me in the ultimate sense of things," said K'al matter-of-factly.

Kronos hesitated, cocking his head at a strange angle.  "Then it is likely
that they are two of your people, though I have heard that their relations
with Your Grace are somewhat . . . strained."

K'al rolled his eyes at the ceiling impatiently.  "Who?" he repeated.

"Their names are Emrikol of the Bandaged Hands and Kryalla Simuel, the
Shrouded One," said Kronos.  "The former is wanted for an assault on the
person of our Empress, and the latter as an accomplice to the afore-mentioned
crime."

"Describe these two miscreants to me," said K'al, his eyes narrowing.

Kronos' shrivelled eyes searched the room as he attempted to find the right
words to maintain diplomacy here.  "The former is a man, with long dark hair
and white eyes.  His body is marked with red and blue runes, and he has a
very combative demeanor.  The latter is a woman with black hair and eyes, who
wears a black cloak and fatigues most times others see her.  It is believed
that these two would be together, were they on this world."

"I might know two beings such as these," said K'al.  "Why is this woman you
speak of called the `Shrouded One,' might I ask?"

"You may," Kronos bowed.  "Her background is not well known, and she has
numerous powers to confound magical attempts to locate her whereabouts and
determine her activities."

"I see," cooed K'al.  "As it happens, this Emrikol you speak of is a Duke
of a realm rising in revolt to my rule.  I have reason to believe he is in
the company of one with powers such as those you mention.  It is but a
trifling thing, beneath my concern in truth, but something I might not
regret seeing an end to."

"Then I must ask your permission to pursue these two fugitives on behalf
of your realm as well as my own," said Kronos, his eyes glinting briefly
in a verdant glow.

K'al summoned a servant, seeming to suddenly shift into a most foul mood.

"Get the both of you out of here," snarled K'al.  Just then, the servant
that had been called for stepped in.  "Give these two fools one of my writs
with permission to go wherever they please in search of that idiot Duke and
some floozy he's shackled up for.  He'll tell you the details!  And get them
all out of my sight!"

The servant seemed to have difficulty establishing traction between his feet
and the floor in his haste to retreat from the chamber while bowing at the
same time.  Kronos turned and left without another word, an insistent hand
upon Thrull's shoulder to do the same.

"Say nothing until we are quits of this place," hissed Kronos in his ear.

Thrull gritted his teeth, sighed, and walked.  He glanced back briefly, and
to his surprise, saw that the eyes of K'al behind the mask seemed almost
to be smiling.  Thrull turned so the wizard could not see his features, and
frowned in wonderment.  Sorcerers were a strange lot.


       \\//    Emrikol of the (not so) Bandaged Hands     \\//
        XX      Back in the pink and homeward bound.       XX
       //\\             cvenour@cit.gu.edu.au             //\\