Path: usenet.ee.pdx.edu!insosf1.infonet.net!newshost.marcam.com!zip.eecs.umich.edu!newsxfer.itd.umich.edu!gatech!howland.reston.ans.net!news2.near.net!news.delphi.com!uunet!not-for-mail From: guido@rbg.informatik.th-darmstadt.de (Guido Roessling) Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.archives Subject: STORY: Qelrik part 54 Followup-To: rec.games.frp.misc Date: 29 Nov 1994 18:40:17 -0500 Organization: UUNET Technologies Inc, Falls Church, VA, USA Lines: 131 Sender: smm@uunet.uu.net Approved: smm@uunet.uu.net Message-ID: <3bge51$386@rodan.UU.NET> NNTP-Posting-Host: rodan.uu.net =========================================================================== Grunalf's Pleasure =========================================================================== Grunalf grinned to himself, lost to his own thoughts and ruminations while blocking out the incessant bickering of his two younger brothers behind him. He let his legs swing under him as they strode through the narrow, winding passage which served as the north corridor to the dungeon area. Yrgoth would be pleased. The orc commander would return in the morning from the southern hold, and he would reward Grunalf well for his latest acquisitions. He rubbed his massive hands together, reveling in the way his rings caught on one another. 'Soon, soon,' he told himself. Soon he would be in Yrgoth's trust, and that would be the commander's downfall. A minor chieftain in the tribe was no place for an orc of Grunalf's cunning and ambition. Yrgoth had let things get soft, he thought, ducking through a too-low passageway. True, Yrgoth had the edge of ruthlessness Grunalf admired, and he did earn the loyalty of the large majority of the Kri'kotth tribe, but he did not enforce the discipline. Well, time enough for that later. It would be difficult to kill Yrgoth without losing the support of the tribe, but not impossible if he were patient. He returned his thoughts to the more pleasant topics at hand. The mutilated girl was a unexpected treat, one Yrgoth would enjoy greatly. True, Grunalf himself would have liked to have her for himself, but such small concessions would stand him in good stead with the leader. He gave strict orders to leave the girl untouched until Yrgoth returned. Besides, there were more subtle terrors than rape. The anticipation would be hell enough. The mage was a rare and wondrous prize, and Grunalf was sure the metal arm would be valuable. He did not like to admit he had little dealings with mages, but he'd made sure the mage had been well and thoroughly bound and gagged. Yes, the Master would be pleased. The large, scarred warrior was just a waste of space. They had no use for him. Torturing one such as him would probably be wasted time and effort and not even much fun. Truth be told, Grunalf harbored a grudging respect for the human, as much as he could respect that puling, weak-hearted race. He'd considered just having him killed outright, for experience had told him one such as he was more trouble than he was worth, but he thought better of it and decided it would have to be Yrgoth's decision. The Master's orders were clear, ater all, much as Grunalf disagreed with them. Perhaps things would be different when Grunal led them. Now, the boy . . . A wicked grin spread across Grunalf's grey face, which showed yellow, filed teeth and collapsed the empty eye socket a brown-yellow eye had once filled. A long scar split his face through the empty socket, across his nose, slashing his lip and ending at his jawline. A human had given him this wound in his youth with a hay-fork, had he had never forgiven the entire race for this disfigurement. He didn't cover the hole -- a conceit, in his opinion. A large orc, even for his kind, Grunalf ducked through the last door, almost forgetting his brothers were behind him. His brothers were idiots; Grunalf secretly thought all of the cunning of their ferocious mother Agg had gone straight to him, and none had been left for his pitiful siblings. He stood in front of the steel bars to the human boy's cell. The boy sat in the corner in his tattered clothes, eyes hot, lips tight in white-lipped fear and defiance. Grunalf's smile widened. Ah, youth, he thought. He motioned for the guards to open the cell, and holding off his brothers, he got into the cell with the human. Kyle stood, hands in fists, backed up against the wall. "Not kill you yet," Grunalf said, his command of the human tongue acceptable if not exemplary. "Wait 'til Yrgoth return." One large hand shot out and grabbed Kyle under the chin, and he squeezed hard. "Not kill yet," he repeated, "but much more fun we can have not killing." Kyle shut his eyes tight and struggled as Grunalf grabbed both his hands and gathered them both into one large, grey hand. Grunalf's brothers were watching, laughing. "Care have, Grun'," his brother Scapa warned. "Bad mage, not like if prisoners too dead. Master of Tower say 'keep alive, all prisoners till he sees'." Grunalf snarled, showing yellow teeth at his brother. If he noticed Kyle's reaction to Scapa's words, he did not acknowledge the start or the intake of breath. "Quiet, dog. Know what I'm doing I do." Still gripping Kyle's chin, Grunalf leaned over, his breath hot and sour in Kyle's face, as he ran his long, grey tongue the length of Kyle's cheek. "Boy with redberry sauce, I think," Grunalf said with a laugh. The brothers joined the laughter . . . *************************************************************************** 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 - dida@pu.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 If you have WWW access, you can also read the chapters there. The site is http://rbhp62.rbg.informatik.th-darmstadt.de/~guido/qelrik.html ************************************************************************** ************************************************************************** Legal stuff about Qelrik All characters contained in this story are the sole and exclusive property of their authors. They are the copyrighted property of the authors, and may not be used for any reason without the express written permission of the authors. Qelrik is (c) 1993, 1994 Guido Resszling, Brent G. Hughes, John E. Mason, Barbara C. French, Jennifer Immel, and Bret Ryan Rudnick. Gernodt T'Slorung -- Guido Roessling Dahlarin -- Brent G. Hughes Growler --