From: hutch@hfglobe.intel.com (Stephen Hutchison)
Subject: [DQ] Miro: Separate Points of View
Reply-To: hutch@ibeam.intel.com
Organization: Intel Corporation
Date: Wed, 18 Nov 1992 07:39:36 GMT

+Miro and Lancos locate and free the others, and Kadrys, once the stake
+is removed, is returned to his unlife.  All are freed except the giant,
+who is in a special cell overlooking the pit where the PCD is imprisoned.
+Miro warns the others that Noira has placed a trap on their route, and
+how to avoid it, and then goes to get the Soul Jar (which they believe
+still holds the ghost) while the others go to free SunStorm.

Miro slinks down the narrow corridor.  Very stupid of Lord Raven to put in
servants' passages in his castle when he has no need for servants.  Probably
just a leftover - the vamp seems to have lots of mental debris.

Hope the others heed the warning about Noira's trap in the prison.  Timing
on this will be tricky.  Got to get the spirit bottle before we can get
ShockWave out of his cell, because the ghost is the only one who knows how
to tell the Traveller probe to let go of SunStorm.

This is really risky.  There's the PCD, it doesn't see me, wonder why?
Sword-spell is working very well today, I guess.  OK, so sneak up to the
pentacle, carefully, draw swords, make the fog curl into the right shape,
good illusion - take the jug, leave the image, slip the jug quietly into
the nice little flat pocket.  This thing feels light.  It should feel heavy.
Oh well - figure it out later.

Oh no.  Another flash of insight...  wait ...

Got it.  Disaster too soon.  Vornik-popsickle found, apparently, because
Lord Raven knows his prisoners are loose.  He's planning with his lackeys
right now... yes, there it is.  So he knows that they have help from outside
(that would be me) and he wants to have Krastin back up Noira's trap.
He EXPECTS them to try to free the giant.  Even expects them to try to free
the spirit in the jar... who isn't in the jar now?  I was right, it is light.
Hellation and damnfire, I'm in the wrong place.  Run, silently, out the door,
down the servant's hall again.

Reaching the right place, about here, two halls over...  Draw Swords.
Whisper.  "Hole in the wall" - there, the stone is cutting like butter.
Do it right, make it fall apart into small bits.  Swords, make it quiet,
we don't want to be heard.  There.

Now, where are those guys...  Medallion, shut UP, there is NO way I am
going to put you on, not after what you did to Lancos.

There we go, the right corridor.  Swords.  Vanish me.  Good.  No sound, no
anything - slip quietly up hall.  There, they triggered Noira's trap without
getting caught, and she's sending out ...  oh hell not zombies ...  wait,
William's done something weird and all the zombies are lying on the ground
growing limbs like trees with fleshy leaves.  Grotesque.  Oh, they're some
kind of mushrooms - weird.  Probably toadstools.  No, concentrate, focus the
insight, it's ...

The golem.  The spirit is in the golem - Noira is giving it orders and it is
arguing with her.  Oops.  There, she's done something drastic - looks like she
has it under summons compulsion.  Well, there's holes in that one, ask any of
the djinn-folk.  What is this golem capable of?  Let us observe with care.
Climb up to the top of this decorative pillar.

Ah, good, a clear view from up here.  Hmm.  Strange, I wouldn't expect her
to shape it like THAT?  Four arms, but otherwise quite detailed human male,
no symbolic torture tools, and the face and body are far too handsome.
Ten feet tall, looks like it was stoneshaped from marble rather than carved,
hmmm.  Alita recognizes the golem?  Noira is ?blushing?   HER?   I wonder what
went on in that cell earlier?  OH -  Alita got to her - ha - no, can't laugh.
Mustn't break the silence, got to remain unnoticed.  What a great joke.

Golem's attacking the good guys.  No, it's just defending HER from them...
Got to get down there, distract it.  Jump, float me down, swords.  Good.
Whoops - enemy nearby.  Krastin, sneaking up from behind.  Doesn't have his
noisy henchthings with him - must be hoping to surprise and backstab ... no,
he's got some kind of magic on him, something different.  Got to stop him.

Quick-sheath swords, need my hands free for this.  Reach behind back for
the hidden sheath.  Draw two blades.  Blessings on thee little blades of
holy ice.  Help me kill the filthy undead thing.

Aim for the eye-spots.  Appear.  Throw.  Taunt.

"Krastin - catch!"  GOT HIM!  burn, you son of a thief.  Should be blinded
for a few seconds anyway.  Draw sword, vanish.  Be ready to strike ...

There, Alita and Valgar are attending to him.  That leaves Kadrys and
Lancos to deal with Noira and the golem.   William, still shaken by
whatever it was, he seems to have gone off into his own world.  Hmm.
Golem is blocking but not really hurting these guys.  Defensive mode.
Gives me time to fade in next to William.  Try not to surprise him.

"Will, you have to do something very important for us.  The minute that
the priestess gets killed, you need to hold this jug up, and say the words
she said in the hall when they killed 'Raelf.  You remember them?"

He's nodding, trust me, he says, he knows pots.  I hope I can.  Trust him,
that is.   Hey.  Why hasn't Kadrys gone misty to attack holy mother misery?
Oh, I hear it now, she's chanting again.  Well, we'll see about that.  Two
more lovely blades.  Bless thee, blades of holy ice, strike the enemy of all
life in her filthy tongue.

Aim.  Throw.  Damn - just grazed her face, but one of those went deep enough,
sliced her mouth.  It's healing, but she's stopped talking for a moment.

"Kadrys - gaze-trap her!  Quick!"  hope he remembers that language.  Good.
He's caught her eye.  Looks like she's fighting it out with - no, her holy
ring of thorns is dropping, Alita, whatever you did you did a good job, she
can't keep her concentration going.  Wonder if Lord Raven knows his punishment
backfired.  There, Kadrys' gone all foggy, he's past the golem.  Better help
Lancos or we're in trouble.

"Hello, Lancos, need a hand?"  No answer, just that berserker grin again.
Parry, parry, parry, hmm, this is a nasty style.  Draw second blade.  Now
he has four on him, he's still parrying.  Forewarned is four-armed?  No,
not the time for lame puns.   Still...  Something is wrong, I ..

It's talking to me.  The golem.  Its face isn't moving but it's speaking
in my head somehow.  What do you want?

What?  I shall not.

Why should I do that?  I refuse.

You're insane, Dave, I am no such thing.

Kill myself, not a chance.  You can try, if you think you can do it.

"LANCOS!  No - I didn't mean to do that, he drew my strike - fall back and
(parry, riposte, parry) tend that wound fast!"  Damn, made me strike my
own friend, hope the burn isn't too bad.

Riposte-parry-lunge-deflect.  What about the priestess? What?  Kadrys has
drained her?  The golem - going berserk  (parryparryparry)

"William, keep chanting!" - draw her spirit into the jar -  got her ...

OH NO

    Miro was lifted, held in the air against the golem's chest by two
    strong marble arms.  The other two took the elf's twin swords, and
    gently placed them, point-first, against the elf's back.  Before time
    could pass, they were thrust through, and the elf and golem together
    fell to the ground, impaled on the swords.  A flicker of rainbow
    lightning flashed around them.

****

Dave?  Where are we?  What did you do?  You killed us.  Why?

Hi, Rafe.  Or are you still Miro - yeah.  I think this is your job, Lady.

Who are you talking to?  Oh.  The woman with the ankh.  You - again?
I thought we just talked a few days ago.  What is wrong with my memory?
I ... No, I can't recall it.  Lady, I do not understand you.  What do you
mean, look deeper?  How?  Look at the things around me?

Oh - I see.  Ideals.  Archetypes.  The true forms of the real world.

Everything, woven from these perfect pure identities.  I understand.

I remember it now.   Thank you, Lady.  I remember who I am.


You still want to stay with me, Dave?  You could go, she'll take you there.

Nah.  Too much fun together, kahuna.

No? Come here then, and merge with me before we both die.  Again.

Fer shure, take hold ...


Wow.  Ms. D.  Gotta go now, thanks for the help.  See you again, but not
too soon, OK?  Well, whenever, 'riva ditchy.

Now, what do I have to work with for a body here...

****

   Lancos looked up and saw the golem, swords sheathed, gently reaching
   out to touch the burned slash where Miro's sword had touched him.
   Somehow the injury vanished...

Lancos, wait - it's me.  'Raelf.  Oh bogus, this body doesn't have a voice.
Have to see - can I project ideas?  Sort of...  Hope he hears this ...
>Lancos!  How you doin?  Here, let me fix that, dude.  Sorry, I need to touch
the wound again, I lost your template.  FLICK - there.  Better?  Yeah, I know,
this golem body looks way rad strange.  Here, let me switch.<

FLICK - <<human>> - FLICK  ... Hmm.  Surfer dude, you do be back.  Let's take
a look - Hmm - well, a bit more beefed up than I like for casual, but not bad.
Musta been all that stone came in with the golem body.  Hey!  Pfft - get outa
my eyes!  I need a haircut - we must have been here for a couple weeks.

"Hey, Lancos, did you hear me just then?  No?  Oh merde."

"William, Way TO GO! you got the heinous bitchessa!  Yeah, it's really me.
No, Miro was always me.  Just had a touch of amnesia, y'know, brain-fades,
dude.  Forgot who I was."

All done?  Krastin gone, Noira in the jar, any injuries left?  No, good.

"Yes, Will, I think Alita would be a very good choice for the one to carry
Noira's jar around.  You sure you're still all right, amigo?  Hi, 'Leets."

"Kadrys.  You look well."  Grin.  "Shall we fetch the sword?"