@Aegis: Yeah, I suppose your right. I considered Raistlin’s ambition, and I considered that you would lose power...guess it’s just that defeatist streak.
It probably comes from a growing weariness of a weariness of school, you know. I suppose I’ll just have to stretch the limits of the power intended for a level 18 mage. Of course, isn’t that what I’ve been doing all along
.
Here goes my part for today...
An oppresive silence falls over the group as they each cope with the situation in their own way. Trip-Wire hurries to help Magus, who has just reawakened. Fallout hesitates, but follows Trip-Wire's lead and goes to Aerie's aid. Rail stands aloof, his feelings deadened, his only thoughts of survival and escape from this dangerous and unpredictable world.
Trip-Wire reaches Magus. Magus begins to sit up, confused and drowsy from his flirtation with death. Trip-Wire offers his hand to help, and Magus smiles warmly before taking it and pulling himself up.
Once standing, he clears his mind and begins to survey the situation. Immediately he feels...empty. The bond that linked him and Void is broken, which could only mean he is gone. Magus is struck deeply, but he remains calm and perceptive. This is no time to lose his head.
Next, he locates the rest of the party. Trip-Wire stands near observing him closely, while Rail stands apart, tense and alone.
Then he sees Fallout, who is kneeling over Aerie's prostrate form. He rushes over to her side. Fallout backs away and lets Magus tend to her while Trip-Wire hurries over. Her pulse is weak but present; her breathing is shallow. Physically, he can find nothing wrong with her. Magus quickly turns to Fallout. “What’s wrong with her?” he asks rapidly but firmly, concealing his emotions.
Fallout shakes his head. Seeing no other recourse, Magus concentrates and sends his consciousness into Aerie’s mind. He sees her entire life flash before his eyes in a brief moment. When he comes to, he knows exactly what happened in his absence as Aerie saw it. He knows of Aegis, and he knows of the entity.
Safe in the knowledge that Aerie will recover, he slows down and pieces the puzzle together. It all makes sense now... No wonder he did not feel the sense when he awoke; the burden of power that had driven him mad... The power had been given life to avoid disaster at the hands of Aegis.
It takes unaccustomed effort to do what was once effortless, but Magus sends out his mind again to connect with the entity’s mind. It speaks first, and everyone hears the conversation in their mind.
IT IS YOU, CREATOR. I HAVE RESTORED YOU. I WAS FORCED TO ELIMINATE ONE WHO WISHED ME HARM.
You killed Void? Why did you do such a thing?! Magus is upset.
HE HURT ME, CREATOR. I HAD TO DESTROY HIM. The entity is uncertain and uneasy.
Why would he hurt you?
I DON’T KNOW, CREATOR, I DON’T KNOW. HE WAS FULL OF ANGER. The entity seems to be pleading.
Magus shakes his head. This was getting nowhere. Unless... He sighs. Mind probing is against everything Magus believes in, but yet again it seems the best course of action. He needs information fast to have a hope of bringing Void back. And besides, he needs to know more about this tremendous power that now resides in his Rift. So far it had proven behaviorly unstable, and that was simply dangerous with friends still around.
Allow me to see your memories, that I may understand you and what you’re trying to say...
AS YOU WISH, CREATOR.
Once again, memories flash through Magus’s mind, but these are like a brief instant in time compared to Aerie’s long life. When Magus’s eyes refocus, he knows, and he understands...
@Rail and Fallout: Sorry, I know I left that unfinished. But it’s 1:00 in the morning here and I still got homework. You can ask Magus some questions if you want. Or you can simply have your character ponder the meaning of this whirlwind of events. I’ll try and finish this tomorrow (today?), but I make no promises.
@Aegis: You’ll just have to be patient a bit longer. I’m not going to any final battle without wrapping up my precious character plot first!
@Vehemence: Fetch a sword and hop right in! We’d be happy to have you. The door to the Rift’s open if you want to just step in...then leave the rest of the introductions to me.
BTW: I’d advise against bringing more than two characters into the story. Two’s fine. More than that and it gets really hard to keep up with them.
------------------
...Magus
Young Level 18 Half-Elf Conjurer, Neutral Good, resident of The Rift, bitter foe of Ubik
[This message has been edited by Magus (edited 03-20-2001).]
I think Aegis has been itchin' for a fight, though, ever since the beginning when Ubik passed on him. So far, the action's just been Waverly vs. the goodies! More power to Wank... er, Waverly! 
couldn't help myself
