Retribution, at any cost.

[DoS Archive]

From: xxlucianxx@aol.com (XxLucianxX)
Date: 25 May 1998 19:31:03 EDT


(( Not a post. ))

His accomidations were *not* first class.

Lucian squirmed quietly inside the pine coffin, sweating and tired. It had taken several days to get his preparations in order, but so far as he knew everything was being executed according to plan. There was an ample supply of food and water in the hold of the ship, he would soon be able to move about the place freely, but most importantly no one knew he was aboard. No one save Catlaen.


On the eve of his challenge, there was more on his mind than a duel. For the ten days prior to the match he had become wrought with visions, both waking and sleeping, of the match. All these visions revealed was that danger awaited him after the match, but as time went on they grew more detailed. It was the day of the match that he realized exactly what was to take place, and he knew there was no way to avoid it.

He had but one goal in mind that evening : Survival. Before the match he said every prayer, scribed every protective rune, and used every trick he knew to insure that his body would be in peak form that night. As the details of the match were inconsequential, everything was remembered vaguely until he stepped out of the ring. Although he thought he was prepared, Lucian was still unable to know at what angle the assassin approach. By the time
he had spotted the man, it was too late to prevent the attack from being a success... Lucian was only able to hope that his preparations would enable him to acheive his goal - Retribution.

Throughout that night, under the care of his friends at Oakenshield Manor, Lucian slept fitfully. The next day he was able to speak a few coherent words to Catlaen... enough to tell her that no one else was allowed to be in the room except for her, and that no one was to be told of his condition. She agreed, confused, but he knew that this would be a vital step to his success in the upcoming days. Within three days he had already been up and
about on his feet and had started preparing for his journey, but Catlaen still informed the others that he was in grave condition and that only time would tell, as he had requested. Lucian was never one for deception and he knew his friends would hurt because of his ruse, but it was unavoidable. Finally, he had to plan out a convincing death scene...

After he made sure that everything was in order, he allowed Catlaen to admister the drug that had been concocted to slow his metabolism to an imperceptable rate. Also, for the first time in several days someone else was allowed enter the room. Just as his vision blurred, he of course realized at that moment that he had forgetten something. How would he get *back*? Unable to speak coherently, he muttered something about Ellisa Morgan and
hoped he was understood. Within hours the reports of his death should have been circulated, and he would be able to begin his journey.


It had been either hours or perhaps an entire day, but he was already aboard the ship. Pleased that things were going swiftly, he awaited the moment in which he could leave the confines of his temporary coffin to move about in the ship's hold. Finally unable to bear it any longer, he pushed open the lid forcefully, confident that no one would be in the hold. He rose and stretched, muttering about how he wished they'd been a little more gentle
with his corpse.

TBC