The Stone's Power Backfires

The Never Ending Quest - Episode 42512

Magic stones are queer and unpredictable. Lord Fred, though trained in the rudimentary basics of the arcane arts, is hardly an expert when it comes to the subtle intricacies of wielding an artifact of such immense power. As he focuses his will, gazing at the stone’s polished surface, the stale cave air around him bows inward and a strange tingling sensation covers his body. His vision becomes obscured by a great flash of amber light. Then, just as quickly, everything is back to normal.

Well...not quite normal...

To his disappointment, the transformation seems to have at first been a failure, his human form seemingly unchanged. He curses under his breath, wondering where he went wrong. Then he notices his arms, which are now connected to his upper torso by a web of black skin, resembling a bat’s wings. Freaky.

Well, if at first you don’t succeed....

Again, Fred focuses his will on the stone, and reality seems to warp and bend around him. Only this time Fred’s thoughts stray in a crucial moment of the transformation. It’s only an idle afterthought that drifted into his mind, a unconscious signal sent from his belly to his brain. He’s hungry. Some chicken and dumplings sure sound nice.

Consequently, there is now a hot steaming bowl of chicken and dumplings where the intrepid dragonslayer had once stood. From the shadows beyond, an old man emerges, laughing softly. He utters a few words and gestures at the bowl.



Lord Fred groggily awakens from what seems to be the deepest sleep of his entire life. Glancing about, he realizes he’s in a dark cave. The events of the last few hours come rushing back to him. He jumps to his feet, disoriented, and instinctively reaches for his sword.

“Calm down, lad,” a voice says from the darkness. “You really did a number on yourself. It was quite amusing from my end, though I doubt you found it funny at all. Did you go poking around in my red chest?”

Fred’s mind is reeling. “Who are you!? What happened to me!?”

“I think you owe me a ‘thank you’, first of all,” the voice insists. “You really should’ve known better. The stone you were carrying is not meant for a novice, or even the average mage. You knights are all the same. Honing your skills to use such an item takes half a lifetime of drudgery, if you’re lucky...”

His stone! Fred frantically searches his body for his prized possession, but to his great horror he realizes it’s lost. His spirits sink.

“I took the stone, young man, because you are not even close to being ready to use it,” the voice goes on, as if reading his thoughts. “I did you a favor. You really shouldn’t have snuck past me like you did. As it stands, you’re lucky I saw you creeping along out of the corner of my eye. If I hadn’t been there to come to the rescue, God only knows how long you’d have been stuck in that state.”

“What state!?” Fred exclaims.

  1. The voice explains...

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6/4/2004 10:58:26 AM

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