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Welcome to Imaginary Realities' mythic memoirs. Each month you will find here a new story; tales of astonishing adventure, daring deeds, surprising success or terrible tragedy - the stuff of myth and legend.
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Your story is kept in here for posterity. |
As is to be expected, our narratives are connected in some way to muds. Some are real epic adventures that actually happened on a MUD, recounted in a grand style. Others might be taller tales based on MUD events or merely inspired by a MUD world.
Yet, these stories do not simply leap forth, fully formed. No, these are your stories, sent in by you so that your words and deeds will live forever rather than fade into obscurity. This means this column will die a rapid death if no one sends anything in... Here's your chance - if you want us to continue presenting mud-fiction, contribute something. It doesn't have to be a fully fledged, polished product - anything is better than nothing and we can always work to give it a shine ourselves.
This last month has at last seen a trickle of interest in the column and our first story submitted by a reader. This tale of mountain rescue comes from Discworld and is a true tale, bar the odd embellishment and touch of dramatic license. A tale of everyday helpful heroism and a reminder of why you should always be nice to witches... - Scatter ///\oo/\\\
Ridel was practicing her spell casting when the hawk arrived. She rushed out to meet it and took the message capsule from the bird's leg, tossing it some fresh meat absentmindedly. The message was from a warrior, in grave danger. He was trapped in a canyon in the mountains and yetis were closing in. Hastily, Ridel ran to the communication stone in the kitchen and called Nalith - she was a priest, and an old friend.
Ridel, what is it? the priest asked.
I need your help in the mountains, Ridel replied, urgently. There's a warrior in trouble, and I don't think I can help him alone.
I'm on my way, Nalith said and closed the link.
Ridel dropped the communication stone into a pocket, grabbed her broom and and raced outside. Having launched into the air, she began to probe gently with her mind to find the trapped warrior. After a frustrating search, she found a trace of him and dove like a hawk towards his location.
At first she thought she was too late as the warrior was obviously grievously wounded. Ridel could see the bloody straps that had held the hawk still wrapped tightly around his arm. He coughed slightly, and moaned - she wasn't too late, he was still alive! Hurriedly, She pulled bandages and salves from her backpack and raced to his side. She began methodically bandaging his wounds, starting with the worst looking ones.
Once it seemed he was no longer in danger of bleeding to death, she focused a bit of her power on him, helping his body to heal itself more quickly. With that done, all that remained was to cover him with the blanket she kept with her for just such emergencies as this, so that he didn't freeze to death.
Now that she had done all she could, Ridel took a good look around the round clearing they were in. This was some kind of a box canyon, with the only way out leading northeast. Judging from the several mountain troll bodies lying nearby, he had managed to kill them but been badly injured in the process.
Suddenly, a yeti charged into the clearing from the canyon. Swiftly, Ridel picked up her broom and moved to protect her charge. The yeti looked slightly puzzled at her being there; perhaps this was one who had run away from the original fight? After a moment's hesitation, the yeti charged at her but having encountered the mountainous trolls before, Ridel knew how to fight them. She swung the her broom viciously into the yeti's torso, hoping to rupture an internal organ. Next she thrust at the eyes, and scored - putting one out.
The yeti bellowed in pain but it was not deterred. It swung its club at her, a blow that would surely have killed her if she hadn't nimbly dodged out of the way. She parried the next one with her broom, and then swung sharply at the creature's hand, hoping to get it to drop the weapon. It was almost as deadly unarmed, but the club gave it much longer reach.
The ploy worked; the yeti, stunned by her jarring blow to its right hand, dropped the club. Then, holding its injured hand behind it, it swung at her viciously with the left. Ridel managed to dodge it, but only just. She was getting tired, and if she didn't finish the fight soon, the yeti would kill both her and the warrior behind her.
She swung the broom at the troll's head with strength born out of desperation and fear. Incredibly, the blow got through the head of rock and stunned the yeti. Not being equipped to kill the thing, Ridel quickly invoked a magic to drain all of the heat from the yeti's body and into hers. Her own temperature rose dangerously and she rapidly transferred the excess heat from her body, making it flow into the freezing warrior with another piece of magic.
Abruptly, she felt the communication stone calling to her. She pulled it out of her backpack to hear Nalith.
How are you doing? the priest asked. I'll be there soon, I know exactly where you are.
Hurry, urged Ridel. If we don't get him down soon he'll die of either his wounds or the cold. Or the yetis, who seem to be trying again to get at him.
Hang in there, the other woman replied. I should be there in about twenty minutes.
I'll try, was the witch's response, and with that the link was closed.
Ridel looked around, seeking a defensible location in case another yeti thought to try to come at them. She spotted a shallow cave on the east side of the wall, and picked up the comatose warrior to carry him to it. He groaned slightly in the process and she said "Just hang in there. We'll have you down soon."
Once ensconced in the cave, Ridel dragged the bodies of the yetis over to form a crude wall and readied her few offensive magics for use. Then she settled down to wait.
About a quarter hour later, several yetis suddenly charged into the clearing, running as if demons were after them. Ridel's heart sank - so many at once would be a difficult fight. She started casting the meager firebolts she could create at them. Then a heart warming sight - Nalith and a wizard strode from the canyon, hurling lightning and fireballs at the yetis. "Over here," she called.
"Just let us clean up these trolls for you," Nalith replied. Within minutes, all of the yetis were dead.
Nalith walked hurriedly towards the cave, preparing her healing rituals. "He's in bad shape," was the priest's prognosis. "You've done all you could, but there's internal bleeding. We'll have to get him back to the temple." Then she beckoned the wizard over.
The wizard started intoning the words of transportation, and soon the cave blurred away and the four of them were in the temple of healing. Several priests rushed over to help and lifted the warrior onto the altar.
"Don't worry," said Nalith. "They'll have him healed in no time."
"I appreciate your help," said the witch. "Hopefully, I won't have to do this again for a long time. And now, I plan to go home and sleep for a week."
So saying, she strode out of the temple.
This column will depend on your contribution - all of you out there who are exploring, adventuring, creating legends on muds every day. Send in your stories and become a part of the bigger myth. We can polish any rough spots, smooth out any bumps - or if you wish, even write your story for you if you give us enough detail of what happened and why. Simply use the form provided, or send in your story via email.
September 2000 Imaginary Realities, the magazine of your mind.
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