In the Desert
The Never Ending Quest - Episode 15538
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"This desert will be the death of me yet," Fred grumbled as he and his
companions continued on their journey. The lie
came easy to his lips; all of his lies came easier now. When he was first
released from Hell he had thought that he would
have to pretend to be his former self for a only short while. But things
had not gone as planned, and he'd been forced to
keep up his pretense much longer than he'd anticipated. At first this was
difficult and he'd made mistakes. Astra, he
knew, had begun to wonder about him. Little by little though he began to
assuage her doubts. It took some
determination on his part, and more than a little practice, and every now
and then he had to catch himself and not let his
hellish rage erupt and undo all that he had achieved. But it had been
worth it and in the process he had become more
than adequate in his role as pretender. Astra might not consider him a
warm and close friend anymore but she certainly
did not suspect his true nature. And the same could be said for the others
he traveled with. He looked forward though
to the day when he could drop his disguise and kill them all. But until
then the play had to go on. And he didn't mind it
that much, not really, in fact he was actually beginning to enjoy himself.
"What about the rest of us," Simon asked, a bit rudely. Fred smiled at him, "Simon, I imagine that you will only die when whatever spirit you worship deigns it to happen. And since you strive to serve your spirit's will what have to you fear if death overcomes you? As for Astra, if anyone has proven that she can survive within this harsh wilderness it is she." Fred nodded at her and pulled on the hem of his hood as if he were a gentleman tipping his hat. He was fully aware of her nightly visits with the gypsy dog that trailed them, but as it actually served a useful purpose Fred had chosen to keep silent about the matter. Astra smiled back at him but she shifted uncomfortably in her saddle. The sudden suspicion that Fred knew about her and the Sdano flashed through her mind but she just as quickly dismissed it. She had been too careful. He couldn't have known. And normally perhaps she would have been right, but since the attack by the Stick Man Fred had been doubly alert and his hellborn skills were quite formidable. "And me?" Aethir asked and gazed at Fred calmly. Fred's face suddenly lost its playful, teasing look and became more thoughtful. "You," he answered in almost somber tones, "are on a mission from which you cannot escape. It is not the desert that shall kill you." Aethir nodded, "I believe there is truth in what you say." And then Aethir added, seemingly out of the blue, "Has anyone told you that you have the bearing of your father?" Fred scowled and turned away as he answered, "My father is dead." And with that the conversation ended. It was later that day that they came across something unexpected. Growing from the lee of a sand covered hill was a crop of wild cactus, but as it bore no fruit (it not being the season) they passed it by with little thought. The fact though that it existed at all in this windswept desolation did pick up their spirits a bit. But only for a bit, for as they ambled past it the thick leathery plants began to shake and tremble and an odd noise filled the air. Or rather the noise filled the ground, spreading inward toward the cacti until it finally erupted into a monstrous crescendo as the desert plants twisted up and out of the sandy earth and warped themselves into the grotesque form of the Stick Man. Even Fred wasn't prepared for that.
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WolfRun
3/22/2001 4:20:16 PM
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