by Eric Schetley, with additional input from Richard J. Pugh
[Chapter 1] [Chapter 2] [Chapter 3] [Chapter 4] [Chapter 5] [Chapter 6] [Chapter 7]
Krynn, just north of Palanthus...
The Eternal Wanderer sats peacefully in the waters of Krynn's Northern sea, the waves gently cresting against the anchored craft. Onestar decided to land the ship well away from the shore: the sight of a huge, light blue conch shell resting on a pair of sea blue stalks might frighten some of the local populace.
The octagonal-shaped landing craft that rested atop the top of the shell was not present this day: Onestar had left the ship before the craft entered the planet's atmosphere. Hall stood in the gangway of the Wanderer, looking out to Palanthus' shore far in the distance.
Belieth stood next to him, watching her husband as he wonders what will become of the samurai. She was there at the meeting when Onestar outlined his plans for dealing with Scillabba. She could replay the entire meeting in her mind...
Onestar called the meeting to order. Sitting around the conference table were Hall, Belieth, Meridian, Ville, Phantom, Blaise and Crystal Ravenheart. Onestar waited for everyone to get comfortable before speaking.
"Meridian has located a possible base for Scillabba and his crew. They seem to be hiding in one of the islands north of Palanthus, about 1,000 miles up. These are also possible the famed Dragon Islands, but we can't be too sure."
"How can you tell this is where he's hiding?" Hall asked.
"Left a trail," Meridian replied. The Kenku was known for his short, to the point replies.
"Scillabba wants me, pure and simple," Onestar added. "He left certain... markers that only Meridian and I would recognize."
"You started to tell us about that final battle you and he had, but you never finished," Belieth said. "What happened after your armor bonded to you?"
Onestar took a deep breath. "Scillabba was furious. The armor flowed off it's stand and covered me. For an instant, I knew everything there was to be known about it. Who created it and why. Who else wore it. Why it chose me instead of him."
"It chose you?" Phantom asked. "Why?"
"It sensed my honor, my sense of right and wrong. I sensed my psionic powers and, since it was a psionic artifact itself, knew that we were, well, meant for each other."
The samurai shifted his weight in the chair and continued. "After altering its shape from a full plate armor to an oyoyo, the traditional samurai battle armor, we met once again in battle. Scillabba was attacking me without thought; there was no strategy, no plan. He swung like a madman. I countered every blow with precision, striving not to kill but rather to seek a draw. I knew that was his weakness. He must be the victor or he must die. For him, there is no in-between."
"He began cursing me and cursing his god for not giving him enough assistance in slaying me. Slurs, curses and vulgarities were flowing faster than his blade was swinging. I kept my ground, matching him swing for swing."
"It appeared that he made one too many curses. A dimensional opening appeared behind him and a fiery hand reached out to pull him in. With his final breath, he cursed me once again, swearing to take my life, since he believed I brought this fate upon him."
"But somehow, he reappeared in this plane," Blaise commented.
"Obviously," Onestar replied, looking upward toward the ceiling. "That is a mystery for the moment. I asked Fr. Armas earlier if he could find out anything from Celestian, but so far his god is not speaking to him."
The group fell silent for a minute. Hall stared at the samurai, waiting for the proper moment to say what he had to say.
"I still don't like your plan," Hall finally commented.
"That is not open to discussion," Onestar replied, his voice calm. "I am going down to meet with Scillabba alone, for one last time. One way or another, there will be no next meeting."
"How will you get down there, sir?" Crystal said. Her voice almost cracked, like there was something else she wanted to say.
"We'll use the shuttle. It has the Ki helm, so both Li T'sing and myself will go. Li will drop the `shopping party' off at Palanthus, while I take it north. After he drops me off, he has his orders to return to Palanthus and wait for you. I have already taken his word of honor on this matter, Hall, so do not try to change his mind."
The bard went to complain, but knew it would do no good. He merely nodded.
"We will leave at the end of Gamma shift. This will give you the rest you need. I will be in my quarters meditating. Please, I ask that you do not disturb me. Hall, Belieth, may I have a moment of your time before you leave." Onestar stood, turned and looked out the portal. The others all stood, and with the exception of Hall and Belieth, left. Crystal was the last out the door. No one saw her stop and look back, a tear beginning to form.
When the door shut, the samurai began to speak.
"There is a fairly good chance that I will not return."
Hall walked over and placed his hand on Onestar shoulder. "Then let me help you. If I don't know the spells, the Illeria or Grimmore might know one. Crystal might even..."
"Old friend, you know that I can't allow that." Onestar turned to face him, his face actually showing a little sadness. "My honor would not allow me to accept help."
"Damn your honor!" Hall sneared. "I will never, never accept this damnable code you have to follow! Don't you know you could die down there!"
"yes," Onestar replied, his voice a whisper. "I know that far too well." Onestar embraced Hall once more like a brother.
"Damn you to the seven hells," Hall said furiously. "How am I supposed to lead this ship without you?"
"That's what Belieth is here for. She is your strength, what you live for." Onestar stepped away, wiping one eye. "What have I got? This ship? This crew? They are all wonderful, but other than them and my honor, I am alone in this universe. I have no memory of what happened after I arrived on Omni. You know that. I know that. I know what I was before, a samurai in the ranks of a great shogun who was sent out to learn all he could of the world."
"Something happened out there. I made friends. I might have even fallen in love, but I'm not sure. I get images when I'm ready to fall asleep, and then I can never be sure what is real and what isn't. I've grown tired of living in the past, looking for answers I can't find. And now, with Sphereworld gone...."
"Should I not return, this ship is yours and Belieth's." The samurai reached out, took her and as well as Hall's. He held them together. "Journey the stars together. Live. That's all I ask."
The three remained quite for a moment before Onestar let them go. They left the cabin, and the samurai returned to looking out into the void...
Hall still looked out toward the city in the distance. Belieth rested her head on his shoulder, trying to help him ease his pain. Phantom walked up to join them. When he spoke, his voice was quiet.
"I talked to Li," Phantom began. "He said that he dropped the captain off and returned here, and that was a couple hours back. By now, Onestar's probably found Scillabba by now."
Hall remained silent.
"The supplies are onboard, sir," Phantom continued. "All the others are waiting for the order."
"Hall," Belieth said in a calm, reassuring voice, "he said he'd call if... when he was ready. We were supposed to return to the ship with the supplies."
"He may be dead already," Hall said.
"There's nothing more you can do for him, Hall. C'mon, let's return home."
"My love," Hall began, "I wonder if the Wanderer will ever feel like home again." Hall, Belieth and Phantom walked back into the shuttle. A minute later, it rose from the water and sailed skyward once more.
Hall sat at his large desk in the library of the ship, watching the water clock on the opposite wall, as the shadows of afternoon grew longer. The ship swayed ever so slightly with the waves. Whisper sat quietly at his feet, as Hall slowly scratched his head. Blaise sat at the main table across the room. Both were watching the water clock.
"Time's almost up," Blaise said quietly.
Hall just nodded.
"The temptation to go after him..." Blaise started.
"I know," Hall said with a smile. The two just sat quietly.
Drip... drip... drip... drip...
"I'm going to go work on the nextasy device," Blaise said. "I'll go crazy if I don't start doing something."
Hall just smiled as the arcane left. Hall remained at his desk, just listening to the clock.
"A copper for your thoughts," a voice said.
Hall turned around to see Belieth leaning in the door. As she walked in she closed it behind her.
"You were a little hard on him, you know," she said quietly.
"I know," Hall said, slightly embarrassed. "I must have looked foolish back there."
"I won't tell anyone," Belieth said with an impish smile. "Actually, You've made that speech a number of times, or variations on it at least."
"I know, I know," Hall said heavily. "Gordon would go off on one of his personal crusades leaving me and Sir Lion to keep the whole barking mess of you together," Hall said quietly, with a slight smile.
"You handled yourself quite well, even after... Lion left," Belieth said. "You can lead this ship just as well as Onestar can, but you don't want to."
Hall scowled. "Am I still that transparent?"
"To me, you're like glassteel. Hard on the surface, but I can still see through you." She paused. "You like being number two. You like providing a counterbalance to a single-minded person like Onestar, or Gordon. They provide the focus and the drive that gives others something to strive for. You however, inspire them, and make them want to strive for something. You're the best right hand a leader could have."
Hall just looked at his wife and suddenly felt better. She was right. Onestar was a leader, no question, but he needs someone to balance him. Hall was a different kind of leader, who could provide that balance, and between the two of them almost anything was possible.
"I see your soft, cutting edge hasn't dulled?" Hall asked with a sly grin.
"Never. I had five years to practice." Somehow she had managed to turn her ordeal into a personal joke! She paused and looked down at Whisper. She extended a hand and Whisper walked over to sniff it. After a few moments, she spoke again.
"He said he was totally alone... He sounded so sad."
"He feels he has lost most of what made him who he was. His family, friends, even his home appear to be gone. He feels empty, like he has nothing left to live for."
"He has all of us! The entire crew is worried about him!"
"I know, but he feels his honor is all he has left, and he's prepared himself to die."
Hall withdrew a paper from his desk.
"This is his will," Hall said. "Like he said, if he dies then his half of the Wanderer is mine, which would then make my half of the Wanderer yours. He's convinced he isn't coming out of this alive."
"That's so sad..."
"And he doesn't have to feel that way." Hall paused and looked out the window and the sunset. "There is an elf on this ship who cares for him, very much, and has been waiting for him for quite some time."
"Does he feel the same way for her?" Belieth asked.
"I think so," Hall said quietly. "But I can't be sure. He can hide his emotions even from me when he tries."
Hall walked over to the window, leaving Belieth near the table with Whisper. He waited for a few moments before turning back to Belieth.
"Did I ever tell you," he whispered, his voice shaking, "how much I missed you?"
Belieth started walking toward him. "You don't have to," she said, almost ready to cry. "Because I already know."
They held each other close for a few minutes, until a bell on the water clock rang.
"Time's up," Hall said.
It had been several hours since Li T'sing had left him on the island, and Onestar had used the time wisely. He checked and double checked his weapons, made mental maps of the area, prepared several traps should he be chased, and left several healing potions he brought from the Wanderer in a safe place.
He decided to attack at first light. There was no sense in attacking during the night; that would be a cowards way out. Odds are, Scillabba knew what the samurai had planned. Scillabba was a cunning foe, one who the samurai knew well. Both men would strike when the time was right, not before.
Onestar sat on the beach, looked out over the waves as they crashed into the shore. The Silver moon was eclipsed by the black one, while the red moon was nearly full. Onestar made a mental note that, should he leave this place with his faculties intact, he would learn more about Krynnspace. It was the one section he was not fully accustomed to.
The samurai decided that it would be safe to sleep here, if the fire were kept burning. He found some more logs, while not the best of kindling, he knew they would suffice. Focusing on them, he used his psionic abilities to ignite first the smallest, then the largest. The fire soon burned brightly, warming the warrior once more.
As he stared into the fire, Onestar could see images, memories within the flames. He could see his home, when, as a child, a monster terrorized the area. His father taught him the way of the blade well, but the monster was stronger than he. Onestar could once again see the first time his mental powers came into the fore, burning the creature (he later learned it to be an ogre) alive.
The Shogun learned of this. He took the boy into his house and trained him to be a man. The Shogun then told this samurai to travel the world and learn all he could learn.
Other images began to form, as Onestar stared into the light. He began to grow tired, finally relaxing after the whole day.
He saw a man in mages robes, casting a spell.
He saw a giant frog-like creature, and a half-devoured half-elf.
There was a mind flayer, tentacles extended, fighting the samurai.
Finally, there was a woman in armor, with hair the color of the fire, in his arms.
Onestar fell over to the ground, asleep, his body finally relaxing. The samurai slept soundly during the night, unaware that he was not alone. A nearby figure spent the night reading through an old book, studying it constantly....
Continue to Chapter IV