a-Maze-ing
The Never Ending Quest - Episode 30788
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The maze seemed to go on forever. Fred had grown a full beard and did not
bother to cut it anymore, he cursed much more than ever he did in the
Allarian Courts, and he had a habit of snipping off the fingers of his
fallen enemies and keeping them in his knapsack. Astra (long ago clothed
in the garments taken from off the
villains who crossed their path and had subsequently met their death)
also kept souvenirs - a lock of hair and scalp from her enemies' head.
They both
were grumpy and angry and frustrated.
They knew that in the past year they had been played by the Dragon, the DragonMage, the MageDragon, or whatever IT was. They had come to call the dragon IT, sometimes Mr. IT or Ms. IT (no one in their native lands ever had spoken of its gender before). They knew IT was playing with them because in all these months they had had no need of much food - they didn't eat much as there wasn't much to eat, and yet they did not weaken (much) nor did they die. It was magick, of course, and though Astra respected it and Fred feared it, the two together had grown to HATE it very, very much. As to any allies, these had long ago been stripped from their lives. Astra had forgotten about the boy who was cursed into a dog's form, and Fred was no better - he remembered the boy existed but could not remember his name - its not like Fred actually knew who the boy was, a system of yips and yaps did not a conversation create! Astra did miss Jorn, however, as he was good company and an easy ride. Fred missed the free rides when his feet hurt. It had felt good to bash in the heads of the ogres who had killed Jorn, very good indeed. Astra also remembered fondly that week with Mike Callahan, the cross-time traveler. She wondered if she would ever travel across time. And it was just about then, at that juncture of thought and meditation that a bright light filled the area of maze in which the tired heroes found themselves. They were blinded by its brilliance but both took automatic defensive postures - surprises in the Dragon's Caves usually were followed by much bleeding, or worse. A shape was discernable in the light, but neither soldier could bear to look upon it for any length of time. When the figure moved, it did so with lightning speed. It ran for Astra and knocked her down, Astra slashed this way and that, reflexively - she had been trained in her native land in the ways of cutting down one's enemy, even without weapons. Astra used her legs to bring down her opponent, a trick that worked - the figure fell. Fred lunged forward but did little to help as he was afraid of cutting Astra. The blinding light did not let up but the three did what they could to achieve their aim. In the end it was the stranger that won out. When the light subsided Fred saw a lifeless Astra. In that instant Fred went mad. His mind could no longer take the truth that the Southern Caves were his prison, he snapped. Insanity flooded over him in waves and he began to laugh, then giggle, then sob, then giggle some more. His new goal was to find a flower, a violet and gold flower - screw the Dragon, screw Its minions - he would look for pretty flowers, not bad for a crazy guy for wherever flowers bloom there is sunlight, and that means the outside.
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YY
11/12/2006 4:03:33 PM
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