Newsgroups: alt.pub.dragons-inn
Subject: Killian continues
From: z_falkrg@ccsvax.sfasu.edu
Date: 29 Jul 92 11:05:07 CST
Organization: Stephen F. Austin State University

>	The night was only disturbed by the passing of five men on horseback. 
>They were yelling something about getting 1000 silvers and disappeared into the
>night.  We looked at each other and wished we could afford horses to make our
>trip speedier.
>
>	With that, Killian heavily sunk back into his chair.  He reached out
>for the bottle of wine and drunk deeply of it.  He smiled and gathered his
>strength for the next leg of his tale.

	We broke camp at dawn.  My leg was almost completely healed thanks to
Ebon's poultice.  He checked it to see if infection or anything had set in, and
was pleased to see that nothing was wrong.
	"I owe you a debt Ebon," I said as we trekked along the road.
	"Ferget it.  We need an extra arm to pull this off and you are it. 
Nothin' personal." replied Ebon as he trotted ahead to examine tracks in the
muddy road.
	After about two hours travel, we came upon an interesting scene.  Blood
covered the road ahead and several bashed breastplates and broken blades
littered the land.  Ebon readied his glaive and Jareth looked confused (nothing
new for this sot).  Carefully we moved forward to examine the carnage.  Ebon
commented that there were about half a dozen horses, a few men, and something
big here.  Real big.  Drag marks lead off into the woods to one side of the
road.
	Before we could decide what to do, a blood-curdling roar echoed over
the area as a huge figure leapt out of the trees opposite of where the marks
lead.  The beast hit Ebon with it's club and knocked him out.  I spun about
just in time to see the ogre's ham-fist connect with my chest.  The wind was
knocked out of me as I sailed off the road into the woods.  
	The sounds of combat reached my ears when I could think straigt again. 
Jareth must be holding his own against the ogre.  After the blow I had
suffered, there was no way I was going out there again...at least not in this
form.  I started to change into my alternate form.

	Killian looked up and saw the look of puzzlement on the faces of those
around him.  He smiled.
	"Oh, I haven't mentioned that I am a weretiger?  Silly me.  Oh, don't
worry, I am not a lycanthrope.  This is how I was born.  I cannot "infect" you
with it, I am not subject to the moon or mad killing frenzies, and I can be 
hurt and killed just as easily as any of you.  I am not a monster, just another
being sharing a drink and a tale."

	After the change had completed, I peered out from the foliage to see
that Ebon was just regaining his senses, and Jareth was on the ground with a
broken sword still clutched in his hand.  I sprung out of the trees and went
for the back of the ogre's neck.  I crashed into the beast just as he was about
to pound Jareth into the ground, unfortunately, I was unable to get a good grip
on it's neck and landed on the ground behind it.
	The ogre spun to face me, even it's clouded intellect could see I was a
bigger threat that the human.  We circled and struck at each other, I clawing
at his gut, and he trying to bash me.  This lasted for but a few seconds before
Ebon struck true with his glaive.  A howl of pain escaped the ogres lips, and I
took advangage of the opening and ripped his throat.  The humanoid dropped like
a sack of wet grain.
	Ebon quickly spun on me and was ready to attack for he knew not that
the tiger before him was his travelling companion.  I backed off and Ebon held
his place.  I began to change back to the form he knew me, the form you see
before you now.  A look of fear and horror crossed his face as he realized what
he was seeing.  A now human appearing Killian stood before him, bowing
gracefully.
	"WHAT MANNER OF MONSTER ARE YOU?!"
	"No monster, just a traveller in search of wealth."
	"Keep away!"
	"Listen friend Ebon, you saved my life, I would never harm a man who
does that.  Besides, If I wanted you dead, I would have done so last night."
	Ebon relaxed slightly and lowered his weapon.  He said little else as
he checked Jareth.
	"When were you going to tell us about this?" Jareth whined.
	I simply relpied that it wasn't important before now.  I really didn't
think that my race would be so disturbing to humans.  After several questions
and accusations, Jareth and Ebon grudginly accepted my company.
	We decided to follow the path to what would probably be the ogre's
lair.  About 100 yards off of the road, we found a cave.  The bodies of the
riders we saw the night before and their horses litterd the ground around the
entrance.  We searched around to see if anything of value could be found. 
Jareth found a new blade to replace his shattered one, some more provisions
which we all could have used, and a few very fine weapons.  Gathering what we
thought was important, we headed for the road and continued on our quest.
	Four more hours passed when we came upon a camp.  Three and a half
score men were busy tending horses, training, and going on about thier
busniess.  We kept to the treeline to avoid detection from the camp.  These
were surely the same miscreants who had kidnapped the lord's son.  I recognized
the livery of the soldiers as the same as the ones who had snatched the boy.
	We sat back to discuss our options.
	"We could sneak in and search," Jareth suggested.
	"I don't sneak, we go in and kill," Ebon replied.
	"Just great, let's see how well you can sneak around in that damned
plate you wear, and as for a frontal assault.  Did you happen to notice that
they outnumber us at least 15 to 1?  We would be dead and they would pull off
whatever they have planned."  
	As we sat and argued, a party of fifteen horsemen came up behind us.  
They were decked out in impressive clothes and several were armed with mighty
weapons and strong armour.  We thought that we had been pinched for sure.
	"Ho there strangers!  Do you seek the reward?" the leader of the band
asked.
	"Greetings mi'lord.  Well actually, we do."  I replied.
       
	Killian again reaches out to the bottle to quench his parched throat.

#############################################################################
#    Rob Falk                   | What do you do to a guy who double        #
#     a.k.a. Tora               |   crosses you and then steals you girl?   #
#                               | You let him keep her.                     #
#    Z_FALKRG@CCSVAX.SFASU.EDU  |              --Rutger Hauer "Deadlock"    #
#                               | Life is a sexually transmitted and	    #
# Disclaimer:  Whatever I say   |   terminal disease                        #
#   is nothing more than the    |   	       --I really don't know        #
#   nonsensical ravings of a    | They're coming to take me away!  Ha Ha!!! #
#   lunatic mind...             |              --Napoleon XIV               #
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Newsgroups: alt.pub.dragons-inn