Date: Mon, 24 Jun 1996 23:29:44 -0400 From: "~CK~" Subject: INT:The Adventureres:Tali's Vision Tali tried to open her eyes, but they fluttered rapidly and filled with tears, from being in the darkend crate for so long. She lifted her hand above them to block out the brightness. The young girl felt Onyx alight on her shoulder, and the only words she could here in her mind from him were, "caution..caution...caution..." After a momnet the tearing ceased and Tali's vision became clearer. The first sight that came into focus nearly stopped her heart. "AHHH! Get back you overgrown piece of fluff" She screamed and the jet colored bird squawked. Not more than three feet away stood a full-manned lion, hackles raised, his lips forming a fierce snarl. Immediately to the left of the lion, was a small woman, who appeared by her proportions to be eleven. He expression was more quizzical than ferocious, and she seemed to be keeping the lion in check. "Tolstoy, relax. Let's see what this saucy little stowaway has to say for herself, before you make a meal out of her. I doubt she'd be more than a mid-day snack anyway." The pretty eleven woman, laid her hand on the lion's shoulder, stroking him gently. Soon his tense posture dimmed and he sat down next to her, still very obviously alert. As the woman was speaking to the lion, Tali got a quick look around and was suprised beyond her initial shock, to see the ship was manned entirely by children. To the right of the eleven woman and the lion stood a boy, Tali guessed him to be thirteen or fourteen. He had green eyes like her own, but they were much lighter, like sea water near the shore. They also shared the same color of hair, but his was more auburn to her copper. Tali squinched up her face and stuck her tongue out at the boy, as he kept staring at her. The group of onlookers broke out in a wave of laughter. And one stepped forward, a dark haired and dark skinned boy, who looked to Tali as if he were fourteen or fifteen. "Well Myce, looks like we got us a real tough little sister here. Not afraid of lions or strangers." The boy took another step closer toward Tali. Onyx flapped his wings, and squaked at the boy, hopping to keep him back. But he took another step forward. Tali scooted back, but was pushed tight up against the crate of fruit and could retreat no furthur. She quickly glanced around and counted ten or eleven more. But what were a bunch of children, doing on a pirate ship, with an elven captain and a fierce lion. This was all a bit too much even for a young girl who'd had seen a world of strange things while in the carnaval. While Tali's vision was diverted, summing up the numbers on the deck, the dark haired boy had advanced till he was standing right over her. The jet colored bird flew up and flapped in his face, hoping to keep him back. The lion let out a low gravely growl. The boy put his hand out in gesture to hold back the lion, and with the other grabed the bird, by the legs, then smoothing his wings down held him firmly but gently about his body. "No!.." Tali let out a shriek and tried to wrestle the bird away from the boy, but he pushed her back with one hand. She fell back and rolled up into a tight ball, rocking back and forth. When the others say the young girl's reaction, they stepped in closer and formed a tighter cicle around her. The elven woman pushed her way through, and knelt beside the the young girl. "Ruck. What did you do? She was no threat to you, or any of us." Said Myce as she touched her hand to the girl's horehead. "I barley touched her, just pushed her back. I was jes tryin to see how she could handle herself." The boy looked stepped back and as he did his grip loosened on the bird. Onyx burst out of the boy's hands and flapped his way closer to his mistress, where he took to her shoulder and hissed at the onlookers, who backed off a bit." A young boy, tall and thin, with dark hair and wild eyes stepped in from the outside of the circle where he had been watching. "I can hear him, it's like he's talkin right in side of my 'ead." "Merwin what are you ramblin' about?" Retorted a girl, who looked as if she could be his twin. "The Bird, I can 'ere im talkin in my head. He says the girls's name is Tali. She and he recently escaped from the carnaval. Some real bad people was keeping 'er cause she can see things, or something. It's all a bit garbled." "See what?" The elven woman asked. "What can she see? And what's the matter with... Tali began mumbling something as she rocked inside her trance. The elven woman leaned in closer. "I can't quite make out what she's saying. Something about very cream. I can't understand what the lass is mumbling about..wait what did she say ver kreen, ver kreen, that's nothing but non.." "VierKreene. That is one of the most vast and powerful treasures, that's ever been sought by my. And this little girl knows something about it." Myce stood up and ordered Mer and Merwin to carry Tali down below and make her comfortable in her quarters. And for someone to watch over her until she comes out of her transe. "And when she walks up. see to her needs. Then after she has gotten a chance to be somewhat organized, Then I'll talk to her, and find out what she knows about the VierKreene. ~CK~ ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* My idea is this: The artist is extremely lucky who is presented with the worst possible ordeal which will not actually kill him. At that point, he's in business. ~Berryman~ ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*