Path: usenet.ee.pdx.edu!cs.uoregon.edu!sgiblab!swrinde!pipex!sunic!trane.uninett.no!eunet.no!nuug!EU.net!uunet!not-for-mail From: guido@rbg.informatik.th-darmstadt.de (Guido Roessling) Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.archives Subject: STORY: Qelrik (part 33) Followup-To: rec.games.frp.misc Date: 11 Jul 1994 08:42:58 -0400 Organization: UUNET Technologies Inc, Falls Church, VA, USA Lines: 143 Sender: smm@uunet.uu.net Approved: smm@uunet.uu.net Message-ID: <2vreoi$frv@rodan.UU.NET> NNTP-Posting-Host: rodan.uu.net *************************************************************************** This story is a collaboration of seven people: one German, two Canadians and four Americans. Comments about particular characters should be forwarded to their character's "owners": Finn Ambrose - Sheryl Ann Galchutt* - fi48@sol.acs.unt.edu Gernodt - Guido Roessling - guido@rbg.informatik.th-darmstadt.de Dahlarin - Brent Hughes - bhughes@student.business.uwo.ca Kyle - J.E. Mason - ** no current mail address ** Fox - Barbara French - bcfrench@mailbox.syr.edu Will appear in future chapters: Gladrial - Jennifer Immel - bhughes@julian.uwo.ca Sir Percy - Bret Rudnick - rudnick@cfatrw.harvard.edu By now, there is even a FTP site that's archiving our story -- it's ftp.cs.pdx.edu. The directory to look out for is /pub/frp/stories/qelrik. *************************************************************************** =====================Meanwhile...In a tower nearby...========================== The mage pondered over arcane writings in a large tome, set on the only clear spot of a large, dark oak desk. Although the desk was full, it was not completely disorganized, just mostly disorganized. Had someone mentioned it, the mage would have likely shrugged and made a statement of the order that _he_ knew where everything was. At the moment, however, the organizational state of his desk was the furthest thing from his mind. He looked up briefly from his work, his emerald green eyes settling on the guttering candle. Distracted from his studies, he began to take notice of a small headache building behind his eyes. This, coupled with yet another burnt out candle, convinced him of the fact that he had been studying far too long. "I'll just finish this page.", he muttered to himself as he groped for another candle. Realizing that this was the third time today he had said this, he broke the new candle in half before lighting it. Absently, he brushed his long, dark hair out of his eyes as he leaned over the massive book. Although he was well into middle age, the only sign was a scattering of silver hairs. He had aged well, though this was not entirely natural. There were definitely some benefits to his line of work. The promised last page passed, and another half hour after it the shortened candle began to grow low. The mage looked up and realized he had broken yet another promise to stop. Quickly, before losing his resolve, he grabbed a bookmark and set it in the tome. He shut it with a deep thud and a cloud of dust rose momentarily from the ancient book. He took a deep breath and stretched, feeling the bones in his spine snap back into place. Absently, he looked around him. His study showed much of the same state of his desk. An appearance of disorganization, with an underlying order that only he could comprehend. Old books and scrolls were scattered throughout the room, competing for space with candle stubs, neatly labelled jars of strange substances, and pouches of herbs. Rummaging through the papers on the desk, he quickly unearthed a bag of brownish herbs. >From under the desk, he produced a burner with a bottle of liquid fuel beneath it. Perching the book on a pile of papers, he set the burner on the desk, and proceeded to search for his favourite mug. This, too, was found with surprising speed, and the mage stood and stretched before leaving the study for some water. Despite being the only one in his tower, he habitually shut the door to the study and activated the wards on the door. An green glow flickered across the door and was gone. With eerie silence, he glided down a short stone corridor, his long robes muffling even the small sounds his slippered feet made. Reaching a set of stairs, he said a single command word, and a red glow flowed like mist down the stairs, deactivating a powerful spell. He continued down the stairs to a balcony overlooking a large central chamber. A fountain burbled in the centre, and the mage frowned at the large flight of stairs that coiled down to the ground level. With a shrug, he began to sing, his rich baritone voice echoing through the large room. He release the mug and it sailed slowly through the air to rest in the fountain. He gestured again, and the now full mug floated back up to his waiting hand. Nodding approval, he ascended the stairs, activating the wards once he reached the top. A complex incantation released the spell on the door and he re-entered his study. He set the mug of water down on the burner, and a single arcane word produced a small flame from his fingertip, which he used to light the fuel. His long, dextrous fingers quickly opened the pouch of herbs and he dumped a small portion into the mug, savouring the smell. A simple medicinal herb, when mixed with hot water, it would soothe his headache and clear his mind. Besides that, he enjoyed the taste of it. Once finished, he carefully removed the mug and doused the flame. Leaning back in his chair, he sipped the beverage and closed his eyes. The headache quickly receded, and he felt his thoughts sharpen. "Much better," he said happily. After a moment he opened his eyes and sat forward. "I wonder what my 'pet' is up to?" he asked himself, and his sharp gaze flitted around the room. As he searched, he was suddenly distracted by a medium-sized rat as it wandered onto his desk from the far side. "Ahh, perfect!" he said, his eyes lighting up. Slowly, he leaned forward and set the mug down. The rat, spying his movement, froze, then slowly sat up on its haunches, sniffing the air experimentally. With lightning-quick speed, the mage's hand shot out across the desk and grabbed the rat by the tail. The rat squeaked in surprise and twisted around, trying to bite the mage. "Now, now," said the mage sternly. "I'll have none of that!" Quickly, he grabbed the rat's body with one hand, and the head with the other. With an sharp twist, he wrenched on the rat's head and a dry snap sounded throughout the room as the he broke its neck. Blood began to run down his hand, and he quickly fished an onyx bowl from under a book behind his chair. He leaned the rat's body on the edge of the bowl, and the blood began to pool at the bottom of it. Wiping his hand on his robes, he rose from the chair and walked across the room to a shelf containing bottles of various substances. Picking one full of dark leaves, he returned to the desk. Seeing the blood was slowing, he peered in the bowl. "Not nearly enough," he stated firmly, and tried to wring more blood from the rat's body. This failing, he gave a resigned sigh and drew a long knife from within the robes. Deftly, he drew it across his wrist, and held his hand over the bowl as he rummaged through the pouch of leaves with his other hand. Drawing forth a couple of choice leaves, he returned his attention to the bowl, only to find that while rummaging, his hand had moved away from the desk, and was dripping blood on the desk. He cursed sharply and moved his hand over the bowl once again. Peering into it, he deemed the bowl full enough. Once again, he began to sing softly, an eerie, haunting melody full of strange words. Tracing a finger over the wound on his wrist, he watched the skin close and the blood stop flowing, leaving only an angry red scar that pulsed in sync with his heartbeat. Satisfied, he tossed the rat's body to the side and concentrated on the bowl. He began another song, and as he sang, he crushed the dark leaves into the bowl of blood. This song lasted much longer than the last, taking almost five minutes. Only one word in the song was recognizable. Finn. With a final gesture, the blood in the bowl darkened to the colour of the onyx bowl, the darkened further until it was like looking into a dark, empty hole. Through this hole, a forest slowly came into view... **************************************************************************** Next time: Join Fox for a Delayed Meeting ! ****************************************************************************