Ambrosia Software Web Board: Requiem (team story) - Ambrosia Software Web Board

"Well Lindus, we've captured two ring slaves," Flynn explained, indicating the still forms of Nectas and Rahl, now heavily secured with the chains that had held the Ronin. "What should we do with them?"

Lindus looked at him curiously. "Flynn, isn't it? I see rumours of your death were greatly exaggerated." He glared at Ferazel, who began to shift, nervously. "Well, after working so closely with Valkier so long, I believe it would be a mercy to separate them from the rings; but great care must be taken not to touch the rings in any way."

Flynn pondered for a moment. "Well, we could cut off their fingers. Unless," He continued, looking pointedly at Moonshadow, "someone can think of another way?"

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The only substitute for good manners, is fast reflexes.

"Well, just use tongs!" Talm said. "Unless 'touching' extends to objects touching the rings directly" he added.
As Talm pondered, a look of ilumination appeared on his face. "Ah, How tight would you say those rings are?" He asked, seemingly on to somthing.

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I saw board **... and it was good!
(SOMEONE ATTACHED MEANING TO THIS!)

Lindus sighed. "In spite of the research we did on the ring last time, we just don't know how far its influence extends. Touching it with anything when it loses contact with the slave would be decidedly - risky."

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There are three kinds of computer users: those that use Macintoshes, those that wish they used Macintoshes, and those that don't know any better.

Talm withdrew back into the crowd, slightly unhappy that noone answered his question about the rings tightness.

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I saw board **... and it was good!
(SOMEONE ATTACHED MEANING TO THIS!)

"Oh yes, how absent-minded of me," Lindus continued. "The evidence showed that the rings contract, resisting efforts to remove them; upon separation from the host, they expand to their normal size."

------------------
There are three kinds of computer users: those that use Macintoshes, those that wish they used Macintoshes, and those that don't know any better.

Sadly, Talm said "Well, then, I'm afraid my idea woundn't have worked anyway..."
"So it seems that cutting off the fingers is the only way to free them" He finished.

------------------
I saw board **... and it was good!
(SOMEONE ATTACHED MEANING TO THIS!)

Flynn sighed, and retrieved the Ruby Fang from the pile in the corner. He'd hoped it wouldn't come to this. Pulling the crimson sword from its sheath, he approached Darken Rahl.

After holding it over Rahl's ring finger for a moment, he let it drop to his side. "I can't; I'm sorry."

"You always were a bit soft," Sasha commented, punching him playfully in the arm. "Give it here, I'll do it."

Flynn handed over the sword and looked away, as the hot blade burned through the finger. The heat cauterised the wound, and the finger fell to the floor. A minute later, Nectas' finger joined the other on the floor.

------------------
There are three kinds of computer users: those that use Macintoshes, those that wish they used Macintoshes, and those that don't know any better.

About an hour later, the two ex-ring-slaves had been taken away to be cared for, and the rest of the group had washed and cleaned up; they'd finally gathered together again in the dining hall for a decent meal.

All through the meal, Flynn was aware of the curious stares some of the others were giving him, and at last he decided he'd better face up to their questions. He pushed his plate away and took a sip of wine.

"Right, I'm sure there's a great deal you're all dying to know; should I start at the beginning?"

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The only substitute for good manners, is fast reflexes.

Most of the group nodded, so Flynn carried on.

"It all started with Sideline, here."

Sideline looked around the table at the various expressions aimed in his direction. "Quick, keep talking before they lynch me!"

Flynn grinned. "Ferazel introduced us..."

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Ferazel indicated the dark stranger. "This is Sideline."

"Sideline?" Flynn cocked an eyebrow, quizzically.

"I do a little bit of everything - as a sideline," Sideline explained.

"Sideline was telling me about something he's discovered," Ferazel continued. "I think you should hear what he has to say."

In a low voice, too quiet to be overheard, Sideline began to relate what he'd found.

"In my line of work, I tend to hear things before most people. Someone's been looking for you; word is they're out to kill you."

Flynn looked at Sideline in shock. "But why? What have I done to them?"

"I don't know," Sideline continued. "I only know what I've heard."

After a brief interruption by a strangely dressed man at Theo's table, Flynn turned back to Sideline.

"Is there anything more?"

Sideline shrugged. "The man's a stranger; nobody knows who he is, where he came from, or where he disappears to. He's a total mystery."

"Thanks for your help," Flynn said, and Sideline left.

Flynn sat thinking for a long time; eventually, he turned to Ferazel.

"I think I know what to do, but I'll need your help."

"Anything," Ferazel replied.

Flynn stopped for a brief word with the other Ronin, then left the tavern, followed by Ferazel.

Some time later, in a disused hut outside Cademia, they once again sat down to talk.

"I need you to make a duplicate of me. Something like your hallucination, only far better - it has to be indistinguishable. Can you do that?"

Ferazel pondered. "I've pushed hallucination about as far as it will go, with mana based magic. Maybe, if you added some of that elemental magic as well..."

Flynn pondered, in turn. "It's worth a try."

Ferazel began to recite a spell - a hallucination of Flynn began to form. Flynn raised his arms, and closed his eyes in concentration; a pale beam extended from his hands and joined with the hallucination. When Ferazel was done, Flynn dropped his arms and opened his eyes. Looking up, he saw an exact replica of himself - if he hadn't known better, he'd have thought he was looking in a mirror.

The replica examined itself carefully. "Wow, nice job!"

Flynn blinked. "You know what you are, and what you were created for?"

"Of course!" the replica replied. "I'm to be a target, while you try to find out what's going on."

"And you're OK with that?" Flynn asked, a little incredulous at the whole situation.

"Of course; it's why I was created. I'm just an illusion, after all - even though a very real one."

"Can you hold this?" Flynn said, extending the handle of the Ruby Fang toward the replica. The replica reached out and grasped it, without any undue repercussions. Flynn nodded in satisfaction; that should take care of any lingering doubts anyone may have.

"Hmm," said Ferazel. "This is a bit more than a hallucination. I think I'll call it a Simulacrum." He turned to Flynn. "But what about you? we can't have two of you running around..."

Flynn smiled. "I've remembered some Undine magic that will help there."

Once more he closed his eyes in concentration, and his face began to glow white. When the glow faded, Ferazel was faced with a total stranger - a grey haired man with a scar on one cheek.

Ferazel grinned. "Yes, that ought to do it! What should I call you, though?"

Flynn thought for a moment, grasping the first name that came into his head. "Lochinvar."

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'Lochinvar' spent a considerable length of time in the troll cave, picking objects up, studying them, and putting them down again. Several items gave instruction in their use, much as the rings had done; but he replaced each one in turn, unsatisfied. He was looking for something particular.

Finally, he saw an object that might do. He reached out and grasped a six foot long crystal pole. "Ah," he sighed, smiling for the first time in many days, as knowledge filled his mind - the diamond quarterstaff had the same properties as the diamond sword. "Perfect, just the thing." It was a little obvious, but he concluded he could disguise its nature by binding strips of leather around it on the way back to Cademia.

Concluding that the cave was the safest place, he left the Sword of Truth and the diamond sword behind, wrapped in a cloth bundle.

Leaving the cave and stowing the quarterstaff with his gear, Flynn remounted his horse. It was time to return to the others; if anything had happened to the simulacrum, they'd be worried.

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Lochinvar arrived at the Alraeican Tavern just in time to witness the Ronin's grief at "Flynn's" murder. He'd hoped he'd be back before this to warn them, but in a way it was for the best; if the killer was watching, their reactions were totally genuine. Their heart-felt pain reached out to him, though, and he felt their suffering himself. If only there'd been some way...

In her quarters in Pnyx, Moonshadow stared at the ring; she felt the same sense of loss that was causing Lochinvar such anguish...

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Lochinvar arrived at the murder scene in the middle of the crowd. Looking around he saw the Ruby Fang, lying untouched on the ground. Sasha went over and picked it up, slinging the sheath on her back.

He'd had much time to think on the trip to and from Land's End Volcano. He'd reached the conclusion that if he was a target, then so were the rest of the Ronin. He had to find a way to stay close, and also to let them know he was still alive...

He heard someone offer to help track the killer, and everything fell into place.

"My name is Lochinvar. You don't know me; but I hate injustice, and I want to help you find the perpetrator of this crime."

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In the dead of night, Lochinvar crept into the barracks. He noted everyone was asleep - even Leandra and Moonshadow, sitting at the table. He crept into Sasha's room, and placed the note beside her bed. He crept silently back out, and disappeared into the night.

Sasha awoke early the next morning. She felt very refreshed, although the rage still burned deep within. As she sat up, she saw the note on the dresser.

Her eyes opened wide as she read it. The message contained only a single phrase: "I told you not to worry."

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At one point, on the second day of their journey, Sasha called a halt to rest.

Lochinvar approached Moonshadow. He'd been replaying her music, over and over in his mind - it had been one of the most enjoyable things he'd ever heard.

"That was beautiful music, you should play more often." Without waiting for a reply, he turned and walked away to sit near the Ronin. Moonshadow directed a long, questioning gaze at his departing back, before shrugging her shoulders and looking for a place to sit, herself.

Lochinvar was surprised to feel a sense of well-being come over him; it was some time before he realised it was caused by the proximity of the rings.

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Moonshadow remembered the ruffian that was holding her captive, and decided she'd had enough. Reaching up, she grasped the hand holding the dagger. Her eyes glowed silver, and the ruffian screamed. He dropped the dagger, staring down at what had once been his hand and was now a block of ice. Moonshadow quickly swung her staff, knocking the man unconscious.

"Well," Lochinvar drawled, "I guess that's that."

Moonshadow dusted herself off, and walked over to Lochinvar.

Lochinvar cleared his throat. "Uh, there's something I should tell you."

Moonshadow put a finger to his lips, silencing him. "It's all right - I know." taking hold of his right hand she pulled of the leather gauntlet - revealing the silver ring.

"Do the other Ronin know?" she asked.

"They know I'm alive, but not who I am." Lochinvar smiled, glad to have someone with whom he could be totally honest.

She ran a finger lightly along the scar on his cheek; it felt completely real. "Someday, you'll have to tell me how you changed your face; and where did you learn to fight like that? It's totally different from your swordplay technique."

Lochinvar cocked his head. "You don't think I'd spend all these years around Kwon without picking up a thing or two, do you?"

Moonshadow nodded in understanding; it still struck a chord in her memory, though, and it had nothing to do with Kwon.

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Ferazel stepped out of a nearby door. "Hello everyone," he said, "I'm very sorry that I am late to join you. I was investigating the murder here at Pnyx." Callie stepped out of the room too, and purred at the sight of the familiar team. Ferazel, also noticing Lochinvar, pulled him off to the side.

"Sideline was right, obviously," he whispered. "I haven't found anything useful here."

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Finding himself with nothing to do, Lochinvar began to wander among the shelves. Nothing in particular caught his eye until he came to a section that was almost empty. Puzzled, he looked at the subject label on the shelf: Curses.

"Strange," he said to himself, before wandering on.

The disappearance of the 'Curse' tomes had occurred even before he'd arrived in this time, yet nobody seemed to be doing anything about it. He'd try himself, if he only knew where to start.

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The small group that Wolmark had gathered for his revelations about Kronos broke up, and returned to their rooms. Moonshadow hesitated outside her door, then decided she had one more stop to make before retiring; on her way, she noted the students of healing patrolling the corridors of the sleeping areas.

Shortly, she reached the room occupied by Lochinvar, Sideline and Brink; she knocked. Lochinvar opened the door, and looked at her quizzically. "What is it?"

"Can I talk to you for a moment - in private?"

"Sure." Lochinvar thought for a moment. "How about the garden?"

"Yes, that will do fine," Moonshadow replied.

A few minutes later they were in the garden and Moonshadow quietly began to relate Wolmark's revelations.

Fifteen minutes later, task completed, she was fast asleep in her bed.

Lochinvar lay awake on his bed, pondering Wolmark's news; there had to be a way to use that information. A sudden thought hit him - what if all the elemental magic were combined? Would that be Life magic?

--------------------

Wolmark had some trouble getting to sleep. It might have been the strong light from the lamps, which none of the four men felt comfortable extinguishing - if a shadow fiend should come for them, they preferred that it not have the darkness to hide it. Nevertheless, he was so tired that he eventually manage to doze off.

Some time later he awoke with a start - to see Trinias suspended in mid-air, a shadow fiend holding him by the throat and choking him!

Wolmark quickly cast the most powerful healing spell he knew. The fiend gave a high shriek, and quivered as if in pain. It dropped Trinias, and turned on Wolmark. Wolmark opened his mouth in horror - his basic-healing spell wasn't strong enough! The fiend picked him up by the neck and threw him against the wall. Wolmark slumped to the floor, unconscious.

The fiend turned on the other three, now wide-awake Ronin, and began to advance.

Before it could sieze another victim, the door suddenly burst open and Lochinvar rushed in. He extended both arms, and a beam of intense white light blasted into the shadow fiend. It seemed to fold in on itself, then imploded.

Lochinvar's arms dropped to his sides - it had worked, Life magic could destroy the fiends. "I thought you'd probably need a hand, tonight," he said - then his eyes rolled up, and he collapsed to the floor, unconscious.

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Moonshadow walked quickly to the room occupied by the rest of the Ronin; she was somewhat surprised to find Lochinvar passed out on the floor. After checking that Lochinvar was alive, she turned to Wolmark and cast a healing spell. She turned to question the others while he was struggling to consciousness.

"What's Lochinvar doing here? And what happened to him?"

Trinias opened his mouth to speak, but only a hoarse rasp escaped his lips; Moonshadow cast another small healing spell, and Trinias visibly relaxed.

"Thankyou. A fiend had me by the throat, and Wolmark's basic-healing wasn't enough to stop it; it did hurt it though, so it knocked him out. Then Lochinvar smashed through the door, and blasted it with some kind of white beam - then he just collapsed."

"I see," Moonshadow murmured. She knew Flynn couldn't do mana based magic, so he must have collapsed due to spending too much lifeforce. "He'll be all right, I think; you might want to check on the women."

Trinias nodded, and the four men left the room. Moonshadow waited until they'd all left, finished off the last of the black potion, then cast a healing spell on Lochinvar.

From her place in the corner, forgotten, Katze quietly watched with growing interest.

Lochinvar blinked awake, looked at Moonshadow, and grinned. "Thanks, I needed that. Help me up."

By the time the others returned, Lochinvar was back on his feet.

"Right, now what about that explosion?" Katze queried from the corner. Moonshadow jumped; she hadn't noticed the woman was still following her.

--------------------

When Katze and Sideline returned, each one equipped with three potions (the last ones Moonshadow had had in store), the winter elf began immediately. She used a telekinesis spell to put the black remnants into the bottle, closed it and handed it to the next bystander. Without looking up, she said. "Now, if you'd bring that somewhere, possibly not too far away, I'd like to test something."
"Sure," Lochinvar nodded, not quite sure what she intended to do, just as she looked up at him sharply, and then grasped the bottle again. "Now what?" he asked.
"Not you!" she told him, before giving the bottle to Talm. "Would you?" He nodded, exchanging a confused look with Lochinvar, before leaving the room, only to return shortly after.

Moonshadow's reaction to Lochinvar had been purely instinctive, and for a moment she struggled to find an explanation. "It must be the rings," she told herself. "I might have been able to follow where he went - and that would have ruined the test." Satisfied - for now - she continued with the experiment.

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Moonshadow awoke to a horrifying sight: a glowing red demon, standing beside her bed, glaring at her balefully.

At the same instant, Lochinvar sat bolt upright on his bed, with a sense of panic. Stopping long enough to snatch up his quarterstaff, he dashed along the corridor to Moonshadow's quarters.

Katze was woken by a loud thud. Looking around, she saw a large demon, picking Moonshadow's unconscious body up from the ground where it had been thrown. She gasped, then hurriedly ran out of the room. The demon let her go - she wasn't it's target.

As Katze ran out, Lochinvar ran in. He stopped, and gasped; the sight of Moonshadow's broken body was almost too much, but he knew she had only one chance. Without further hesitation, he leapt to the attack.

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As the group proceeded through the now open doorway Katze grabbed Lochinvar's arm, holding him back until everyone else had passed. He looked at her questioningly, and she explained in a low voice. "Don't think I forgot our talk..." Lochinvar nodded, and she released his arm, motioning for Sideline, who had stopped to wait for her, to pass the door. "Lochinvar and I will walk in the rear." Sideline frowned, but decided to be content with that answer - for now. As everyone had passed and was well ahead, Lochinvar and Katze set out to follow them.
"So, what is it you want to talk to me about?"

Katze swiftly checked that no-one was within earshot. "How long are you going to keep up this masquerade, Flynn?"

Lochinvar blinked. "How did you know?"

"There were lots of little things," she replied, "but the clincher was when Moonshadow used healing to revive you when you hadn't been injured. The only other thing I know that could cause that condition is the use of Lost Magic - and only the Ronin know how to do that."

Lochinvar smiled wryly. "Well, I guess we couldn't keep it a secret forever. I'd like to keep it between us, though, just as long as is necessary; thanks for your discretion so far, I'd appreciate it if you still didn't spread it around."

"Of course not," she replied. "Why did you do it, though?"

Lochinvar sighed, and once again began to explain about Sideline's message, and how he'd returned too late to warn the other Ronin.

He was just drawing to a close when Dell came hurrying back; the pair fell silent as he approached.

"Look, I want to apologise for before," he said.

Lochinvar rubbed the bump on the back of his head ruefully. "Next time, try finding out whether someone's friend or foe before you hit them, OK?"

Dell nodded, with an embarrassed smile.

--------------------

Nectas turned to the book on the podium. "The blood of the others must be activated by this spell, written in the blood of the first."

He began to recite the strange words from the book, looking expectantly at the blood in the six bowls. Nothing happened. Nectas frowned, and recited the script again. Once again, nothing happened.

"What's the matter?" Ferazel asked with a knowing smirk. "Something not working out as planned?"

Ferazel relaxed a little. They still had to rescue the Ronin, but he was now certain that Nectas' evil plan couldn't work - the blood used in the first book came from the simulacrum, not Flynn himself, and couldn't possibly provide the power required for the spell to function.

--------------------

Lochinvar tapped the barrier with his staff again. It bounced off painfully. Through the hole in the wall a man stepped. A man covered in armour, and spikes. His gauntlets were soaked in blood. The spikes on his helmet were soaked with blood.

Darken Rahl.

Lochinvar took advantage of everyone's distraction to poke the barrier experimentally with his finger; it passed through easily. Checking he was still unobserved, he grasped the middle of the quarterstaff in his fist and moved it flat toward the barrier, so that his hand made contact first; this time, the quarterstaff passed through without resistance.

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While everybody else was desperately trying to get out of this cage they were trapped in Moonshadow seemed almost untouched by the events around her. A cold, chilling anger had risen within her, allowing her to analyze the situation. She sat down, cross-legged, and focused her power on analysing the invisible barrier that kept them from the Ronin. To her utter annoyance she had to admit that there was really no way for her to get through, nor for any of their weapons or magic. Only a Ronin would have been able to cast anything through it. Unfortunately... her gaze wandered over to the Ronin. It hurt to look at them, all of them so pale and motionless, even the giant Ulf. If only there was a way to adjust to the barrier... not necessarily much, just enough to let her healing spells get through... to keep them alive... there had to be a way... she clasped her hands together, feeling something cold...

The ring. It was linked to the one Flynn wore; was there some way to draw on that link, to adjust her own temporal signature enough to help? Yes, there was!

Half-closing her eyes in concentration, she felt the slight flow of energy through the ring. Lochinvar looked over to her suddenly, also aware of the energy flow; he realised her intentions and suppressed a smile.

At last, Moonshadow judged she'd adjusted her field as much as she could; she turned her focus to healing.

--------------------

Talm saw Lochinvar edging through the barrier. He didn't understand how the man had managed to penetrate the screen, but he realised he could be their only hope; if only Nectas and Rahl didn't see him!

"We'll never let you get away with it!" Talm shouted. "That was stupid, now what do I do?" he thought to himself, amazed at the foolhardiness of the gesture.

He desperately hoped that Lochinvar could act in time...

--------------------

"OK," Flynn concluded. "Anybody have any more questions?"

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The only substitute for good manners, is fast reflexes.

[This message has been edited by Flynn (edited 11-23-2001).]

Talm glanced at Dell and spoke “How come you to be thAT dark cellar that I bievlive haD been sealed for so long?” Dell took another swig of his older-then-Alaric wine and answered with a story tellers voice.
“Well I was doing a routine jog between my house and Kingsport when I ran into a pack of heart hounds” He paused and took another drink of his wine. “I don’t know why they are called heart hounds, but rumour has it that they go for your heart, instead of your throat like most other hounds do” Dell had managed to catch the attention of all the company, who stood around, thier eyes wide. “So I was attacked by a quite a pack. About 20 of them I would say”
“I was fighting wiht all my might and almost run out of daggers in the battle” Katze blinked disbaeliviling at him. Out of daggers? Out of daggers? How could some one with over a hundred daggers left say they were out of daggers?
“I managed to bring down about 12 of them, I had lost two maces 4 axes and heaps of daggers” Not that that left him unarmed, far from it.
“The fur was flying and the ground was so slippery from all the blood. I was beating up the third with one of my short swords when I fell on the ground” Despite herself Sasha gasped.
“I was getting up when one of the hounds jumped on me" Dell winced at the memory "All covered in puss it was, boils were all over its skin and its eyes were this funny dark orange. I noticed that this poor hound had a hilt of a sword sticking out. I leapt up and it fell over exhausted" he paused, everyone listening "I guess I felt sort of sorry for the poor hound so I took out the sword" Dell reached over and pulled a sword from its scabard, a terrible moan filled the cellar. Katze swung around, dagger at the ready, looking for the soucre of the noise. Dell laughed "This sword is the one that moans faintly when it is pulled out"
DF swalloed a lump in his throat "Can I see that sword?" Dell handed it over to DF. The swords tip was extremly sharp and its blade was completly black and jagged. The hilt of the sword was carved with some ancient text and in the middle of the blade ran the words
'Hurgana el espaer' DF run his fingers along the words muttering to himself. Dell shouted at him and DF dropped the sword "DON'T TOUCH THE BLADE" Dell calmed "I'm sorry but the last person who did that died from an awful dieases"
Sasha nodded towards the words on the blade "Well what do they mean?"
"A friend of mine translated the words. He said it meant Plauge bearer" DF gasped and Talms mouth fell open.
"The Plauge blades were destroyed. How come you to Cythera?" Dell winced at memory of his painful journey.
"I was forced trhough by the heart hounds. Does that answer your question Talm?"
He nodded and turned back to his wine.



------------------
Some people say that journalists don't write in diaries, and other people say they don't. But this reasonaing makes no sense.

Just then Lindus walked in, and sat down wearily.

"How're your 'guests'?" Flynn queried.

"David's condition is just as Wolmark feared," Lindus began. "His mind appears to have been totally destroyed, and without the ring he's nothing. He just sits there and drools." He shool his head sadly.

"And what about Darken Rahl?" Katze was obviously still angry at his betrayal, not entirely satisfied by the removal of the ring; she'd rather have seen him dead.

Lindus shook his head again. "I don't know what to do with that one. Even with the ring removed, he seems much the same as he was. Morose, taciturn, dark and brooding. He's clearly still a dangerous, violent man; only time will tell what his nature is, whether good or evil."

"Are the rings properly secured, this time?" Flynn was highly concerned about their safety - he'd faced three different ring slaves now, and they always seemed to have a personal grudge against him and the Ronin. Admittedly, the first time had been under the control of Boralis, but the rings were nevertheless still a great concern to him.

"We've done everything we know how. We've applied the strongest containment spells we know, and sealed the whole thing up in a glass orb. The orb has been locked in a chest, and the chest placed in a locked, windowless room. I have the only key to both chest and room, and both have been Lindus-locked as well. I'll check both once per day, just to be sure they're still there; no research will be permitted on the rings themselves, this time."

He sighed, and took a sip of wine. "I really don't know what else we could have done."

Flynn nodded. "Thank you, Lindus. Well everyone, I suggest we adjourn to the Alraeican Tavern; I, for one, want to get back to Cademia tonight."

His suggestion was greeted by nodding heads all around. Lindus obligingly opened a portal, and the entire band of adventurers stepped through and disappeared.

Lindus sat still and thought, for a long time. What if another ring slave arrived in Cythera; could they really be prevented from retrieving the rings? Lindus shuddered as he considered the carnage that someone like Darken Rahl could cause, among the largely innoffensive mages of Pnyx.

He walked slowly to the room where the chest had been stored. Over the next few hours he built a contraption, based on an idea of Wolmark's. It was partly mechanical, partly magical. When he was done, he was slightly more relaxed about the whole situation - now, if someone attempted to break in, all of Pnyx would be instantly alerted by a very loud alarm.

*** OoC ***
OK, that's it, show's over!

Please adjourn either to the Alraeican Tavern or Bryce's new story - or the Tavern then Bryce's new story. Whichever suits you best.

'A New Story' will be resurrected shortly, for those of you that were previously involved; please don't jump into that one if you weren't already there, since it's set several hundred years in the past - and for the moment, at least, all methods of time-travel are controlled by me, through Kronos!

Several of the original posters are no longer with us though, so if the rest of the community allows, someone could temporarily take over one of those characters if they really want to get involved.
*** BiC ***

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There are three kinds of computer users: those that use Macintoshes, those that wish they used Macintoshes, and those that don't know any better.