Subj:	 [ffml] [MW] The Seer and the knoweth
Date:	99-11-29 18:11:37 EST
From:	darklord@compusmart.ab.ca (His Dark Lordship)
Reply-to:	ffml@onelist.com
To:	ffml@onelist.com

From:	His Dark Lordship 

Twas 29-Nov-99, whence Sky Hall didst dost proclaimeth to me...

>  "Tomorrow, we find us a sage."

By the time they woke up, it was noontime.

"Man..." grumbled Tim. "I must've drank a lot."

Martin was gazing out the window.

"You up yet?" he asked.

"Yeah, yeah..." grumbled Tim. "Sorry to keep you waiting.

"Y'know.." started Martin. "Christine and I were engaged..."

Tim nodded. He had heard this story before.

"Let's go."

He pulled his clothes on and was out the door.

"Wait, Tim, I-" started Martin as he bounded after him.

* * * * *

It was obvious that the small hamlet wasn't going to yield any real sages,
and the nearest great city was Vector, occupied by the Moogles, so Tim and
Martin decided to head west to Maranda. This didn't take too long, and they
were there in a relatively short time.

Tim quickly began looking about, Martin in tow, trying to talk about
something. They finally found a place with a Seer.

The Seer was asleep in a small cot behind his desk. Tim rapped his fingers
on the desk until he woke up with a grunt.

"What? What?" asked the old eccentric. "Oh, hey Tim."

"Hello Rafundel." said Tim.

Martin looked at Tim.

"You know him!?!"

Tim chuckled.

"Whacha need?" asked Rafundel as he poured himself a glass of cold coffee.

"Information on the Dark Lord."

Rafundel raised an eyebrow.

"Why're you needing that?" he asked.

"My friend here requires my help to get his sweetheart out of the Dark
Lord's keep." said Tim.

"Providing she's still alive..." thought Tim to himself.

"Ah, lust, lust! Yes! I remember such a trait." Rafundel chuckled. "The Dark
Lord is a living god. I doubt even you, Tim, could oust him in combat."

"I'm well aware of that." said Tim. "I need to know who his enemies are."

"Well, I would recon just about everyone." Rafundel then suddenly started
giggling like a schoolgirl. "Whether you'll find anyone foolish enough to
take him on, though, is a different story."

Tim sighed.

"Can you tell me of any weaknesses he may have? Anything I could use to
exploit his enemies?"

Rafundel giggled again.

"Well, while the Dark Lord himself is imperishable, to my knoweth, his
apprentices have one worry." Rafundel began laughing hysterically. "The
blade of a Paladin! Not just any Paladin, but-" he broke out laughing
again. Martin shot Tim a "what the fuck is with this guy look" which Tim
ignored.

"He.. *snort* There is one Paladin in paticular. But I don't know if he's
even still around."

"And this Paladin." started Tim. "What is his name?"

"Al... Alan..." stammered Rafundel.

Suddenly he began laughing uncontrollably again. Out of his mouth shot phlem
that barely missed Tim. Tim attempted to ignore the ramblings of his old
friend, but then the old man screamed, and fell on the desk.

"Rafundel?" asked Tim as he walked up to him. "Are you alrigh-"

Tim touched his arm. It was cold. Cold as ice.

He blinked.

"He's dead."

"Just like that?" asked Martin.

"Yes." said Tim. He pulled out his dagger and threw it at the fall.
"Dammit!" he yelled.

"A heart failure?" asked Martin.

"Too fast. He would still be warm. He's as if he's been dead for days." said
Tim.

"He's watching us..." stammered Martin. "The Dark Lord knows..."

"I know..." said Tim.


From: "Sky Hall" 


  Tim narrowed his eyes and drew his dagger, turning on Martin.
  He grabbed the young man by his tunic and threw him against the wall, 
pinning him there with his arm across his chest and his dagger at Martin's 
throat.
  "Alright," said Tim. "Who are you? Who do you work for? What game are you 
playing with me?"
  Martin was stunned. "G-g-game? What are you talking about?"
  "Why do you come to me out of hte blue, asking me for help, so far from 
home, and then, at random, we come to meet this one friend of mine and he's 
dead. Not only dead, dead for days!
  "There was a puppetmaster at work here. And he was waiting for us," said 
Tim. He then paused. "Or was he..."
  Tim released Martin and took a few steps back. Martin continued to stare 
at him for a while.
  "No..." said Tim. "The Dark Lord isn't watching us. This is some trick. 
Someone had killed my friend here days ago and was waiting for something or 
someone to happen along. I think we stumbled onto someone's plot."
  Tim searched the small shack.
  "There's a peephole into this room over there," said Tim pointing. 
"Someone was just there. I think when we came in and the puppermaster 
discovered we were friends, he took off, realizing that I'd figure out what 
was going on sooner or later."
  Tim sighed and looked at the dead old man.
  "The poor fool."
  Tim paused.
  "Come, let's bury him," said Tim, stooping to pick up the body. "When 
we're done, we'll go find another sage."
  Martin, having regained his composure, complied. He realized that Tim was 
just reacting to the death of his friend. The explanation seemed logical.
  "Yes, you are right, Tim," said Martin. "How would the Dark Lord know 
about me? You? Or this sage we'd come talk to?"
  Martin shook his head and helped Tim bury his old friend.


---Sky