Artizza & Possible Answers

The Never Ending Quest - Episode 25712

Cuthbert

"There's something strangely familiar about the female elf." I overhear Astra muttering to herself. "And whoever heard of a red-headed dark elf anyway?"

Easy crash landing (via pre-cast "Feather Fall" spell or no), she still sounds just a touch unsettled by the collision upon the air!

Cannot truly fault her for that. I myself, as a Gunslinger, always checks all quadrants for danger (the mark of surviving/competent Gunslinger), had only seen a blur before the collision!

Doubt even my friend Roland upon (perhaps the most deadly and skillful Gunslinger ever - having the countless years of experience whilst searching for the Dark Tower and having been revitalized back to his teens (by some Xanthian Fountain of Youth Water....don't ask) - would have done much better than myself!

Noting this (ready for violence if such should suddenly come from the apparently insentient dark elves) as I am wiping the blood off of my knife (killed the winged horse to put it out of it's misery, folks) I get a good and proper look at the still unconscious elves, now I get so surprised that I find a very common curse my friend Eddie Dean escaping my lips!

"Weeping creeping Jesus!" I whisper, almost reverently do I say the curse. Several other curses from the other Champions echo my sentiments in one fashion or another, when they too get a good look at our uninvited guests!

Working swiftly and carefully with some lengths of ropes Jarlath provides (by magic), I truss up the dark elves so (I PRAY) they shall not be able to wiggle loose and escape easily. I have removed all weaponry they had upon their bodies (did a thorough check because of how dangerous dark elfin assassins lend them to be) and HOPE that they have not been Gifted with similar (mentally summon-able) magical armor and arms like what the Light Elves of our Clan, Lueoth & Ia'adoire (re: 13648). Would still be able to handle them, but....rather not hope for the headaches, thanks!

Now, you've (those who've not guessed already) probably become very curious at to just why us Champions were so taken aback by these dark elves? Well, it wasn't just because they're dark elves (though something about them....).

No, the thing is that these dark elves look exactly like Gilmuriel and E'eysha (who just happen to be former humans who were and still are analogs of my group's Joan and Astra 9)! I mean, if it wasn't for those inky black eyes and slightly largish (a bit larger than Terra Prime elf normal) ears, they'd.....

Well, you get the idea.

They could be analogs! They could even be Champions (as utterly bizarre as that sounds, folks)! We indeed even get the "spider sense" tingle of Champion from them, but HOWEVER, with the Chaos events about even such normal sure indicators are suspect! Even with, according to Joan and Astra, the telltale signs of love between analogs having formed, no. Too risky to trust so blindly, what with Chaos energy about, alas.

Given any other enviroment, wouldn't hesitate. However, the chaos might be bolloxing things and giving off false "doppelganger" readings OR it might be preventing the opposite "normal" reaction between Astra and Fred analogs from happening . Meaning that these elves might be analogs, but evil!

Best slow and steady, just to make sure! A LOT is riding on this, you see. Who knows? Perhaps they're not the only dark elves about, possibly hunting for Rebecca?

The last is not sure at all, their purpose, but though it strikes me as being a touch paranoid..... Well, perhaps a bit of paranoia is in order!

Thus, with a heavy dollop of truth spell (supplied by Jarlath since Andrea has been told to stay well away and guard Rebecca), I and some of the others awaken our unconscious elves.

Spell drunk from the heavy magic, our "guests" giggle and open their shadowy eyes.

Artizza

A....ticklish feeling within my breast causes an almost childish shout of glee to escape my lips as I look upon....what my heart tells me is....

"Sister?" I ask, smiling a dazed smile.

Suddenly, I shake my head fiercely as I clamp down I realize that they've done something to me to make be....pliable.

Whatever they've done, they've also bound us up rather....neatly. Very neatly indeed!!

We are in so much trouble!!

.....then again....

Why are we still around and in one piece? Oh, we somehow know we cannot die, but still our captors could very easily make it a LONG time before we are in any shape to try to track them down again! I mean, whilst I and Fertal could (perish the thought) have daggers thrust into our own hearts and NOT die from it.....the agony alone would paralyze us for a LONG time as we keep trying to scream!

It wouldn't scare us mentally, such torture, as it would if we'd remain human, but still that's besides the point (no pun intended). The pain....

Nevermind, let's just jump to the chase, eh?

"Who are you?!" I hear my love, Fertal shout at one of the Oriental looking twins. Do believe he's been able to throw off (at least in part) whatever has been put upon us!

Hard to....think.....

"What have you done to us?" I whisper harshly, fighting down an urge to giggle yet again (brainlessly). "Why in God's name are you treating us this way."

I try my best to appear hurt at such mistrust, and almost feel like crying as the look collapses upon itself and I find myself laughing in a most merry fashion.

Very elflike, that laugh, but I...

I close my eyes and give in for a moment, just treasuring the feeling of giddiness flowing through me before I can recover enough to try to....

.....

To.....resist.

"We've a few questions that must need be asked," a tall, blonde man says in an almost merry voice, but with steel in it somehow.....somewhere.

  1. "But I do know one thing for certain about the Fey," he continues, shaking his head slowly and reaching for something.

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4/5/2003 7:18:25 PM

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