From: bfish@sequent.com (Brett Fishburne)
Date: Wed, 19 Aug 92 17:28:16 GMT
Newsgroups: alt.pub.dragons-inn
Subject: [KQ] Captain [Warehouse] Dream a little dream...

Characters: Captain Azzar KronQuestors

It seemed for a moment like Captain couldn't breath.  What seemed to cover
his mouth was not a rough hand or, worse, a giant suction cup attached to a
giant octopus.  No, if memory served, this would be two lips.  Not just any
lips, mind you, these would be the lips of one very beautiful, tatooed woman
once more dealing with an unconscious (sp?) would-be lover.  Indeed, it would
seem that the fair lips of the lovely Lady Azzar had been put to so much use
over the past day and one half that they would be chapped beyond recognition.
Rather, Captain found them as soft and sweet as the first time they touched
his.  Once more, Captain opened his eyes to find his protectorate, reviving
him from another close encounter with reality.  Captain's mind raced -- hadn't
the octopus retreated?  Weren't they all relatively safe in a new room in this
God forsaken hell-hole?  Why was there a pasty white, thick, ugly tenticle
snaking its way toward the fully distracted pair?

The orc-puppy had been busily licking Captain's ear from the open neck of
his tunic.  Never had this little dog found so much salt in one place at one
time!  YUMMY!

With a yelp of surprise, the puppy jumped off Captain's chest as Azzar helped
him rise.  In one motion, both Captain and Azzar drew their respective blades
and took up defensive postures.  Captain's blade hummed as it cleared the
scabbord and the runes which were worked into the broadside of the blade
emitted a dim blue light.  As if in passing, Azzar said, "By the way, that
sword is REALLY helpful against anything evil!"  With that, a tenticle swung
towards them and Captain leaped out to prevent its reaching Azzar.  The puppy
went with him and yelped ferociously at anything that moved.

Captain fought valiantly and was able to hold the tenticle at bay as it
lazily moved back and forth (the octopus was clearly occupied with other
things).  Though he hacked at it mercilessly, he couldn't get a clean shot
and the tenticle seemed to give every time he hit it so that he couldn't do
anything more than gouge the rubbery flesh again and again.  Needless to say,
the puppy loved all the activity and was a small ball of very excited,
slobery activity constantly underfoot.

Suddenly, the whole room seemed filled with a smoky black substance.  Captain
grabbed Azzar, who was busy picking up the orc-dog pup, and the three of them
headed back out of the room where the air was clear.  In almost no time, the
whole party of coughing adventurers gathered together peering into the lair
of the octopus.  It eventually became clear that the stuff was going to
settle out of the air and the Kron Questors sallied once more into the room.

The octopus had made good its escape, but the party found a trap door which
could only lead to more trouble.  Rubbing his sore head with one hand and
stuffing the orc-puppy into his tunic with the other, Captain gratefully
accepted a quick squeeze from Azzar.  She didn't need to say anything, they
were in this together and their future paths had already become inoxerably
intertwined.  Captain knew he would need her strength as much as Azzar
seemed to need to provide it.

Kron and Malieu, who were trying to figure out how to release the catch on
the trap door, did so.  

> the trap-door creak[ed] open.  Kron and Maleiu peer[ed]
> down the stepladder cautiously.  All seem[ed] quiet.
>
> "Allright.  Who goes first?"  Kron whisper[ed].

"Not me," thought Captain.  With that Azzar said, "We will, you two seem to
have fighting this octopus down, so you should watch our flank."

-- Captain