Path: usenet.ee.pdx.edu!news.reed.edu!sun.lclark.edu!netnews.nwnet.net!reuter.cse.ogi.edu!uwm.edu!cs.utexas.edu!news.sprintlink.net!gatech!EU.net!uunet!not-for-mail From: Guido Roessling Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.archives Subject: STORY: Qelrik chapter 73 Followup-To: rec.games.frp.misc Date: 2 Jun 1995 09:08:23 -0400 Organization: Technische Hochschule Darmstadt Lines: 108 Sender: smm@uunet.uu.net Approved: smm@uunet.uu.net Distribution: world Message-ID: <3qn2g7$7lj@rodan.UU.NET> NNTP-Posting-Host: rodan.uu.net This is a multi-part message in MIME format. ---------------------------------102950368117324939261576602023 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1 Check out QELRIK's WWW Page on http://www.pu.informatik.th-darmstadt.de/dida/qelrik.html if you have WWW access (Mosaic, Netscape, Lynx, Cello,...)! ---------------------------------102950368117324939261576602023 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Content-Type: text/plain =========================================================================== Rock and a Hard Place =========================================================================== Panting, tripping over rocks, scrambling through halls too narrow for two to walk side by side, they ran, Dahlarin in front, Gernodt under the added bulk of an unconscious Kyle, and Fox keeping a long distance as the rear guard. The halls, if possible, seemed to be getting narrower, darker and more twisted. In her position in the back, Fox was certain she had not been this way, but said nothing. It was all she could do to keep her sense-net going. The moment her concentration wavered, the sense-net collapsed, requiring her to expend even more mental energy rebuilding the net and casting it out, farther and farther. Matters had been made better by the small but powerful ball of light Dahlarin held in one cupped hand. At least they weren't stumbling in total darkness. Fox had good night vision, but even she could not see in the total absense of light. Gernodt stumbled and almost pitched forward, but he managed to get his footing under him without dropping Kyle. Kyle moaned deep in his throat, his badly-hanging jaw motionless, but he did not stir from his unnatural sleep. Dahlarin wheeled, but Gernodt shook his head and continued on, a little more slowly this time. Fox had sensed orcs behind them for some time, some distance yet but closing quickly. She chose to say nothing for now, at least not until they were in some dangerous range. It was better not to worry her new companions about something they could neither control nor halt. But as she turned her attention to the front, she knew she had to say something. "Gernodt!" she shouted softly, cringing inwardly at the echo. "We've got trouble!" "What?" he called back. "Orcs up ahead. They're going to block us. More orcs behind, some distance, but they'll close quick if we're forced to stop." "Damn! Dahlarin, did you--" "I heard," the mage said grimly, slowing to a fast walk. Gernodt closed behind him, glancing to his side to see Fox slightly behind him. "We have to make a plan." "I can deal with the orcs behind, if you two can get the ones ahead. There are . . . oh, seven or eight in front," Fox said. "How many behind?" Gernodt muttered. "Small squadron. Not more than twenty, I think." "You can't handle twenty on your own," Gernodt scoffed. "Not if I rely on my blade arm, no. But I can block them. You'll have to trust me on that." She turned her attention to Dahlarin. "That leaves the rest for you two. Put him . . ." she gestured to Kyle, slightly embarassed that she did not remember his name, "down between you and me. We're better off here, in this long corridor, than up there. I can detect the corridor winds a lot shortly, and we're better off not trying to fight around corners." "Agreed." Dahlarin stopped, and Gernodt set down Kyle gingerly, his large hands wrapping around his sword and drawing it. Dahlarin checked the hidden pockets of his robe and was relieved to discover that most of his goods, spices and small tools of his trade were still there. His mind ran over possible spells that could be useful when preparing for the two-sided fight that was to come. Fox walked down the hall about a dozen paces away, drawing Mindseeker and holding it before her, blade extended. "Gernodt, shout to me when you're ready for me to follow." "What?" Gernodt asked, puzzled. Blackness began to pour from the blade, surrounding Fox in a dense field of darkness, deeper and blacker than starless, clouded skies, or a reflected lake on such a night. In the span of a few heartbeats, the entire corridor around her was a wall of complete darkness. Gernodt turned his attention back to Dahlarin. "Nice trick," he growled. Dahlarin shrugged. "Just hope it works," he said, glancing toward their end of the hall. "I think I hear our friends coming." ---------------------------------102950368117324939261576602023--