"
No, that shall not be!" contradicted Chun-Li in a firm voice, the hard glare still in her eyes. StoneRock was taken aback.
Why was the drow's personality suddenly so different from usual? Though he normally had a dim view of elves, somehow on this occasion he felt a certain awe for the drow.
Without a further word, the dark elf sat down cross-legged and closed her eyes, hands coming together in a strange gesture. As the other adventurers were wondering what was going on, they could see her whole person slowly beginning to glow with a bright, golden light. At the same time Sir Jorlon's wound glowed a sickly, putrid green color,
the green glow visibly fading away before the golden radiance. Goden recognised it as the evil substance of the demons being slowly burned away by the light from the drow.
Brighter and brighter the drow's person grew, the fierce, fiery brilliance culminating in a blinding flash of light that left everyone utterly dazzled for several seconds. When everyone could see again, it was found that Sir Jorlon was completely healed of his wounds, as were all the knights who had been engaged in battle with the demons before. Not even a scar was left on their bodies. And Chun-Li was lying on the ground where she had been sitting...
"Oh... What happened?" muttered Sir Jorlon as he slowly sat up. Then he saw Chun-Li and his eyes went wide with alarm. "Chun-Li!
Chun-Li!" cried the paladin as he rushed to the drow and picked her up in his arms, shaking her anxiously. Gradually, she regained consciousness...
********************************
It was midday and a bright sun shone down from a crystal clear sky. The entire town's civilians were completely healed and busily repairing the damages, and life was returning to normal. And in a restaurant... (ooc: That's the same restaurant our heroes visited earlier.
)
"I tell you," said Chun-Li, "I was as surprised as all of you were. I distinctly felt that there was this
being -- or this
force -- that momentarily chose me as a vessel through which to carry out its will by banishing the demons and healing Jorlon and the knights. I could tell at the time it 'entered' me that it was extremely powerful, not powerful enough to be a god but powerful nevertheless, and that it was benign by nature and utterly hostile to the demons." The drow paused for a moment. "Actually, though, would it be more correct to say that it 'came out' from somewhere deep within my soul? I wonder..."
"I read of things like this before," said Goden, "but I never thought I'd see it for myself today. What was that 'being', I wonder? Would it return?"
"Whatever it may be," said Sir Jorlon, who was sitting next to the drow and put an arm on her shoulder, "the main thing is that you and I and everyone in this town are all right now. Come, let's have our meal!"
"Yes, friends, let's have our meal!" joined one of the knights who had been battling the demons earlier alongside Sir Jorlon. "The food and drink are all on us -- we owe you heroes a big one! Without you all, we're dead meat by now!"
"You folks have mainly our friend StoneRock to thank," corrected Khadgar. "Not to mention the amazing power of the Golden Gong! I tell you, I'm truly amazed by the power of that gong..."
"Hey,
I made my contribution, too!" asserted Rufus. "It was mainly
I who showed those demons who's the boss with my halberd! Now they're all locked up in uncle StoneRock's temple -- thanks largely to me, of course!"
"Hey, you're saying
I contributed nothing?" scowled Ghzarbanan.
Just then Ryu and Aiko came out of the kitchen with a large bowl of readily sliced orc melon between them. "I'm sure you've
all made a contribution, friends!" said Aiko. "For now, why don't you help yourselves to the contribution made by our friend Druhk over here, who delivered all those melons?" The greedy Fenric anxiously meant to charge towards the melons and had to be restrained by Rufus and Magnus.
"We've no doubt achieved a resounding victory today, my wonderful friends," grinned Sir Morgeruat, "but our victory's not yet complete! Now we must plan our next move!"
[ 10-24-2002, 08:05 AM: Message edited by: K T Ong ]