MM1-3H: Be Gone In The Morning
by zaqxsw
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Description
“My patrol came across these two travelers on the Ride south of the Halfaxe Trail,” Willow reported in mater-of-fact tone, trying to calm the raging giant of a man with a level voice and military manner. “Although she’s drow, she is not evil and claims to serve a good goddess… she’s on some-kind of pilgrimage, and wanted to see the Standing Stone, so I agreed to escort them there, then I intended to take them on to Ashabenford to meet with High Councilor Malorn. But when we reached the Stone, we found this drow wizard and his minions defacing it. We spared his life so that he can be interrogated, but the others died in the battle… and it didn’t seem right to leave their bodies, or burn them, there.”
“So, you drug them half-a-day’s ride to my post?” Kaulen growled, his mood not improved much by her statement, then he turned his scrutiny back on Coran and Taenya, and challenged; “What evidence do you have that they aren’t enemies of Mistledale?”
“My holy sense of evil,” she retorted sharply, willing to placate the post commander, but not about to allow him to question her divinely granted abilities, “and their actions… they stood by my side in battle without hesitation.”
“Really,” he snickered as he approached Coran, who had stood passively allow the paladin to deal with him until now, “and what good is an unarmed fool in battle?”
“More than you obviously think, when he’s a student of the Sun Soul,” the monk shot back in a stern, but measured voice. “When you can harness the power of your mind, body and spirit, you are never unarmed or defenseless.”
“A monk,” Kaulen observed with a touch of respect in his voice. “I’ve never heard of anyone from the Sun Soul school passing through Mistledale before… so, what brings you here now?”
“I go where the whims of fate… or the Moonmaiden… take me,” Coran confessed. “Right now, it seems those whims have conspired to put me in the company of this priestess of Eilistraee.”
“And you, drow,” Kaulen demanded in a far less congenial tone, turning his fierce glare on Taenya, “what pilgrimage brings you amongst those who your kin have so brutal savaged… and why shouldn’t we treat you as your kind has treated our defenseless woman and children?”
“Not all drow bare darkness in their hearts… just as not all men bare light… aren’t there cities on the Moonsea full of humans who champion dark ways?” she countered in a calm tone. “Eilistraee asks that we travel to places we have never been to broaden our understand of the world and show those we encounter that we drow are not beyond redemption, especially now that Lolth has fallen silent and no longer poisons our kin with her need for cruelty and violence. Those like him,” she motioned to the bond wizard, “who have been oppressed by the Matrons and shaped by their society to think of all others as inferior, will need time to grow beyond their dark ways, but they can… they just need to be show the way into the light.”
“That’s a pretty sermon from a pretty little thing like you,” he sneered with a clear tone of skepticism; he’d seen too much savagery and cruelty from the drow against innocents to believe that they could be so easily turned from their evil ways, “but pretty words and a pretty face too often mask the dagger that will be buried in your heart as soon as you let down your guard… and our people have suffered too much at the hands of your kind to believe that all it will take is a bunch of pretty words to turn them from their evil ways. The captain claims that you have no evil in your heart and I must trust in her divine insight, but I want you, him,” he indicated the wizard prisoner, “and the rest of you gone from my post at first light!” Then he turned to Willow and demanded; “Take them to Malorn as you intended. Search the bodies for anything of value before my men burn them, and I will allow you shelter here for the night but be gone in the morning!”
Comments (17)
zaqxsw
First, let me get the obvious pun out of the way; "It's hammer time!"... There I said it. More seriously now, I found out Friday that my peritoneal dialysis catheter has become infected. The wound for the surgery several months ago has never healed right, most likely due to my diabetes, which allowed an infection to get into the channel around the tube in my abdomen, and it must therefore be removed and a new one put in. Although it is a relatively simply surgery, I'm not looking forward to it. I see the surgeon in early August and will likely have the surgery in mid-August. While I can still use the existing catheter until its removed, I will not be able to use the new one for several weeks after its put in, so I may have to go on hemodialysis for a period of time after the surgery, which means going into the dialysis center 2-3 times a week for a 3-4 hour a day treatment; a lot more troublesome then the 4 times a day 30-45 minute treatment I've been able to administer myself here at home. I'm afraid a lot of my diligence in commenting on other people's work has been fueled by those sessions while I have to lay still... so you may have to do without as many of my (decided) bad puns next month.
OkrimSlava
Excellent.
zaqxsw
Thanks again for all your kind comments!
Kratoonz
Story is great.
zaqxsw
Thank you again for your kind comments!
RedPhantom
Sorry to hear about your health troubles. Hope all goes well. Will keep you in my prayers.
Another great character and chapter.
zaqxsw
Thank you for your kind thoughts and comments... They are appricated!
miwi
Sorry to hear about your health troubles,again,klasse image,excellent story!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
zaqxsw
Thank you for your kind words!
my3DDesignWorld
I read about your problems. I wish you strength and trust that everything will be fine.
A powerful image.
zaqxsw
Thank you for all your kind words!
styletx
Priority #1 - Take care of your health. Best wishes for a speedy recovery.
Your character's expression matches the storyline perfectly. Great render.
zaqxsw
Thank you for your kind thoughts and comments... I had a heck of a time with the armor and hammer mats on this one... Poser 11 really didn't like the textures on either... They originally rendered looking like solid mirrored surfaces... I had to modify and reassign all of the alternate diffuse and alternate specular components... I think it still looks too shiny but I just got tired of fiddling with it!
dogpinshadow
KEEP IT COMIN'
zaqxsw
Thank you for your kind comment!
kashyyyk
That is great looking armor. Nice scene!
zaqxsw
That you for your kind comment!
PhthaloBlue
Great story and best wishes!
zaqxsw
Thank you for your kind comment!
IceDragonArt
I'm so sorry you are having issues. Medical issues are no fun at all, and I hope you get things sorted quickly and heal in record speed.
zaqxsw
Thank you so much for your kind thoughts and wishes!
Richardphotos
outstanding costume and a formidable looking warrior
zaqxsw
Thanks for your kind comments!
starship64
Great work.
zaqxsw
Thanks again for all your kind comments!
Kordouane
Beautiful creation, well done, the expression of the character is perfect
zaqxsw
Thank you again for all your kind comments!
RodS
This fellow does look rather dangerous, but he would do well to not antagonize his visitors, I think. Great story and render, my friend.
My thoughts and prayers go with you in your surgery, along with wishes for speedy recovery. Surgery is never much fun (had my share of it last summer), but they've made so many advances over the years it's not as stressful as it used to be.
zaqxsw
Thank you for your kind comment and thoughts... The surgery itself really isn't that much of a concern to me. It's having to do hemodialysis in the center 2-3 times a week until the new catheter heals that I dread!
Ceili
Another great story zaq. Blessings on you and will send healing energies your way for a quick recovery!
zaqxsw
Thank you for your kind comment and thoughts... I do really appreciate both!
Axeye
First let me wish you well with your health issues. What so many of us often take for granted is actually something we should all take seriously. Without good health life is a constant battle for simple comfort and against discomfort. Stay strong willed my friend and never worry about comments or other small issues beyond your control. I'll continue to read your stories regardless as will everyone who enjoys them. Take care of your health my friend. Oh and I great page btw!
zaqxsw
Thank you for all your kind comments and thoughts! I feel guilty about ranking about my problems when there are many who are worse off than me, but I truly do appreciate all the support everyone has shown me!