Aftermath of Battle. . .

Annafrid

"Shi. . . it.," my husband whispers, seeming to look at the prone Changling (presently in the form of an Oriental Dragoness) called Checkers. That done, he mutters something incoherent as he limps over to the side of the cavern with my aid. Even as spent as he is from mage battle he probably would have been able to manage on his own without my help, but that. . . .mass of jaws and tentacles that Belboz transformed into after we struck what should have been a telling blow (a lethal blow considering that it should have died it). But the monstrosity that Belboz became did NOT die from the distraction our blow caused him. Some kind of. . . .eye beam hit my husband full in the face at the end, blinding him. . . ..

Checkers gained control of the Hoard (though so swiftly that the shock of it knocked her out from what I see, but she DID get control and Belboz should have died in short order. . . .

The FOOL had his Crystallic all the way on the other side of the lair, for Christ’s sake, and could/shouldn’t have even the strength for two steps in that direction. Instead, after collapsing into a heap, his form shimmered and shifted into something out of. . . .of a H.P. Lovecraft horror novel!

From what Fertal told us (those of us still coherent enough from that SOB’s attack), the very Demon named Randall Flagg had been here AND the one who’d given Belboz the Crystallic.

Bet you he gave Belboz MORE than just the Crystallic from that last visit. That or. . . .gave him that curse transformation for just the fun of it. He’s the type. . . .

Sigh. Well, at least Jenny had been able to tell us that Fertal was free from the Demon’s magic (though Belboz’s corpse still stank of it until we burned it to ash). . . .

Dammit, we are trained in fighting Dragons. . . .not spastic tentacle flailing. . . ..whatevers. . . .

Only by God’s own love did I not end up like most of the others, battered and bloody (and out of it). Of course, that means it falls to me (since Jenny is attending to more pressing matters) in what. . . .happens next.

As for my husband, Jenny says that it’s a simple curse spell, easily lifted by her after. . . .she attends to Tengu Fred’s wounds. That will take a bit, considering that the physical attack the monstrosity hit him with caused him so grievous of wounds he shifted into a wounded bird (as tengu are in the wont of doing upon receiving either a devastating magical attack or martial art salvo). Can’t say much, considering my healer knowledge only goes so far "First Aid", but I can tell it will be touch and go for him. Tengu Astra is practically hovering next to Jenny as she works her magic, worried out of her mind!

And as for Fertal. . . . Wow. He’s all over, attending to Artizza’s hurts so don’t even THINK about interrupting! Paired Dark Elves (proto or no) are NOT something you want to get between when one is wounded. Bad idea, though he’ll not HURT us. . . .but he’ll just yell and carry on (cursing vilely) for interrupting his medical/magical ministrations to his wife/mate. . . .

So it’s my turn. . . .

. . . ..

You know, besides only basic information on how the others used the Crystallic, I really have no idea on how to "connect" with the blasted thing in order to make it work. I am not (nor to my knowledge ever have been a user of magic). Oh, I know that that dear woman of fearie sort of hinted at it right before I was gifted with Championship immortality, but still. . . I don’t know for sure and had other thing on my mind so didn’t ask any definitive questions. . .

Well, nothing for it but try the direct (polite) approach. . .

1. "Crystallic," I say, holding the gem/artifact up before me. "Would you please awaken the Changeling before me if you can. . . .do it without endangering her?"

Go Back