TITLE:THOUGHTS AND REMEMBRANCES by MERLYN of THE MAGIC GUILD PALETTE:0333 0889 0b9a 06ac 3THOUGHTS & REMEMBERANCES 2 by Merlyn of The Magic Guild A thick layer of dust covered the ancient scrolls laying on top of the large bookshelf. The owl Archimedes sneezed and mumbled oaths and dire threats as he waddled through the swirling dustclouds. "Why does he want these?", Archimedes mused irritably. "They've lain here in peace for over a century, but of course, now's the time for reminiscences and maudlin thoughts!" "Damn and blast!! Why did the doddering old fool come up with this scheme all of a sudden!" Savagely grabbing a brittle, old scroll in his talon, Archimedes peered balefully at the encircling band. "Yes, this is the one. Small mercies!", he muttered as he blinked myopically in the sudden sharp light and promptly sneezed violently again. "How's it going? Any luck?" The old wizard held a lantern aloft and peered up at the whirling dustclouds threatening to engulf him. A huge dustball swooped down from up yonder and dropped an age-yellowed scroll uncermonically down on Merlyn's charred workbench. Not bothering to answer, Archimedes ruffled his feathers and left a tiny dust storm behind as he flew out of the Crystal Cave. Waving ineffectually at the flying dust, the ancient half-elf grabbed the scroll and retreated eagerly to his large dewlap chair. Stuffing his large claypipe with aromatic tobacco and setting it literally on fire, Merlyn settled back contently, smacking on his pipe. Unrolling the brittle scroll, he was soon emerged in a deep cloud of smoke, carefully scanning the arcane symbols relating the last years in the life of his ancestor; Gorm VallenWood. Hours later Archimedes re-emerged in the wizard's study. Alightening on the back of Merlyn's chair, the owl peered suspiciously down at the smokecloud laying below him. So the old man had finally got hold of something to tickle his imagination. A self-satisfied snicker rumbled deep down in the owl's chest. Despite all his misgivings & critical views on his mentor's magical practises, Archimedes still held the old mage in high regard. "Ravenhaired, highbreasted beauties..." Skipping to the end of the scroll, Merlyn read the postscript with bemused eyes; "Thus ends a brief summary of my travels in the Southern Plains. Laying down my quill for now. Gorm VallenWood." The old wizard let the scroll drop into his lap & puffed meditatively on his claypipe. So, his illustrious ancestor wasn't only an ArchMage & SpellMaster. He'd been an avid womanizer, too! Who'd imagined ..... A sudden thought flashed through the lurid images crowding Merlyn's mind. Women, kids! What if he had relatives in the Southern Plains!!? Rapidly calculating on his fingers, the wizard suddenly sat bolt upright! Every fifth generation in an ArchMage's linage had usually one or two children, magically bestowed. While every tenth generation blossomed magical powers of a vast magnitude! If carefully nurtured the abilities could bloom to archmagical propotions. According to Merlyn's calculations Gorm's eventual offspring was in the tenth generation now! Springing to his feet, the half-elven mage shouted for his pet-owl! Sitting scant feet away, Archimedes toppled backwards, blinking his huge eyes furiously. Crawling back up on the dewlap chair's tall back, the owl swore majestically, while trying to restore his hearing by knocking his head repeatedly with his talons. Not a mean feat actually, as he was valiently trying to climb at the same time! "Get my scrying ball, Archimedes & I'll hunt for the proper spell-book", tagging up his oversized frock, Merlyn shuffled excitedly towards his library. Hours later the old half-elf was still crouching over his large scrying ball, mumbling intricate spells & formulaes. Shimmering images & blotches of colour undulated to & fro in the ball's interior, constantly changing & shifting. Suddenly a clear picture crystallized, depicting a tall, darkhaired man with a magnificent blueblack beard. The man was dressed in a costume of outlandish design, but nonetheless recognizeable as a wizard's outfit. "Eureka!", cried Merlyn excitedly. A medallion dangling around the mage in the ball's neck caught Merlyn's attention & stopped further exclamations of glee. Squinting fiercely to try & see the motif of the medallion, Merlyn's eyes fairly bored into the image in the scrying ball. Slumping back in his chair, the resident of the Crystal Cave rubbed his eyes irritably. "Archimedes, me sweet. Could U please shift Ur rump over here & help me out?", Merlyn shouted. Lowering his patchment (a forerunner of modern days newspapers) wearily, the owl waddled over to the scrying ball. Prudently donning one of Merlyn's cast-off wizardly hats, Archimedes pulled the hat cautiously well down over his ears, to protect them from further abuse. Blinking his huge, amber eyes & spitting contemptiously Archimedes looked archly at the image in the scrying ball. Human eyes, my ass! Elven eyes were fair, to be admitted, but even a half-elf's eyes were hardly up to the task of close, enlonged scrutinies! Could it be?!! Looking more closely at the image, the owl was suddenly struck by the improbable truth! The medallion's motif was in truth the family ensign of the PenDragons! Merlyn's obscure birth & upbringing had nonetheless proven to be closely connected to the Royal Blood currently ruling in the M'Yiomoza Lands. Namely the PenDragons! None other than blood relatives of the PenDragon Clan could wear the magical medallions & live! Knowing the potent powers of the PenDragon medallions, Archimedes realised he was actually looking at a relative of Merlyn's!!! Who's this mysterious stranger from a far land? Lightning flashed & deep thunderclaps rolled & echoed in the vast MoonMist Mountains. Small avalanches skimmed down the steep mountainsides, causing minor damage to small trees & bushes. A huge owl glided on broad wings amidst the black clouds, evidently searching for a specific spot to land. Spying a narrow ledge on the precipitous mountainside, the owl landed & waddled into a dark, narrow cave. Moments later it scurried frantically out, threw itself desperately from the ledge & dived like a stone towards the nether regions of the mountain-side! Lifting its proud head & sniffing eagerly a large snow-leopard emerged from the selfsame cave scant moments after the owl. In the Crystal Cave, the ancient wizard shook his head in disgust. Looking deeply into his crystal ball, Merlyn closely followed the antics of his pet-owl Archimedes. "Damn & blast, the bloody bird!", he exclaimed, "why can't he use his over- rated senses for once & finish his quest!" Deeply shaken, Archimedes thought equally dark thoughts about his Master & Mentor! Why couldn't the old sod go looking for the Seer himself! The owl didn't give two hoots about the mysterious Auguerer! His main ambition in life was to sit tucked up on top of his favorite book- shelf, reading the more lewdly scrolls he'd discovered while searching for the blasted scroll, telling the tale about Merlyn's forefather; Gorm Vallenwood! The faint smell of burning wood, snapped Archimedes out of his reveries! Hallo, what's this? Had he inadvertedly stumbled on the lair of the fabled Grey Walker? Gliding noiselessly over a tall mountaintop, Archimedes scanned the under- laying terrain eagerly. There! A waferthin spiral of bluish smoke! Flying lower, the owl soon detected a cave-opening in the mountainside. Landing akwardly in the deep snow, Archimedes waddled up to the forbidding opening. Hastily cramming a small arsenal of snowballs, Archimedes looked around him suspiciously. Swallowing nervously, he called out in a small voice. "Hello! Anybody home?" An unnatural silence settled over the mountainside. Even the thunderclaps & howling winds stilled. Ruffling his feathers & gripping a snowball tightly, the owl waited. Clamping his clay-pipe tightly between his teeth, Merlyn stared intently into his crystal ball. "Welcome, feathered friend!" Archimedes shrivelled down to a tight featherball at the sound! A indistinct shimmering image emerged from the dark cave! Despite his sudden terror, Archimedes blinked his eyes & stared wide-eyed at the ghostly form undulating before him. He was actually looking at The Grey Walker! The hermit said to be the greatest wizard & auguerer in all of the M'Yiomoza Lands! Swallowing the sudden lump in his throat, Archimedes held out the scroll bestowed on him by Merlyn. Taking the brittle scroll from Archimedes' talon, The Grey Walker turned & disappeared back into the dark mountain. Hours later, the hermit's shadow once more emerged. Looking fondly down at the small igloo sitting beside the cave's mouth, The Grey Walker bowed down & placed a small pouch before the igloo's enterance before vanishing back inside his beloved mountain. Late that night Archimedes stumbled bleary-eyed out of his little bodoire & dangling his talons in the pouch-strings, fell flat on his beak! Coming slowly to his senses, the owl picked up the obstacle & peered incomprehensively at the snowcovered bundle. Slowly its significance dawned on him. This was The Grey Walker's solution to Merlyn's problem! Taking a firm grip on the pouch, Archimedes launched himself up into the cold nightair & set course for the far-off Crystal Cave. Exhausted by his vigilance, Merlyn finally fell literally asleep & was rudely awakened by crashing his forehead into the crystal ball! Rubbing his weary eyes & sore head, he squinted into the nightsceen in the scrying ball. Assaulted by a sudden attack of vertigo, he stared down at the moonlit landscape rushed by, far beneath him! Archimedes must be on his way back! Hours elapsed before his faithful, feathery friend swooped into The Crystal Cave once more. Crashlanding in Merlyn's dewlap chair, Archimedes left the gruelling task of freeing the pouch from razorsharp talons to Merlyn & fell promptly asleep, snoring contently. Frantically bending & twisting the talons hither & thither, the old mage finally managed to rescue the pouch from Archimedes' deadly grip. Pulling the pouch open, Merlyn spilled its contents out on his scarred workbench. The scroll & a small parchment rolled out. Picking up the parchment, Merlyn reverently smoothed it out & began to read. "Noble Merlyn! I am honoured to once again be of humble assistance to the Leader of The Magic Guild. Ur honourable quest may bear fruits, with this little assistance. The name U seek is ZULKIR MALIGOR, a wizard living in the Southern Realms. He's a direct descendant of my friend of elder days; Gorm Vallenwood & thus seemingly hitherto unknown relative to the Pendragon Clan. May the Deities guide U in Ur forthcoming quest! Ur humble servant The Grey Walker " Lowering the patchment, Merlyn stared unseeingly into the flickering flames in the fireplace. So he was right, after all! Bemused he re-read the letter once more. "Ur humble servant", indeed. The Grey Walker was certainly no man's servant! Looking at the snoring owl, Merlyn once more marvelled at the endurance & courage inhabiting Archimedes' mind. The Grey Walker, being a Druid first & foremost, would have no contacts whatsoever with humans, elves, dwarves or other beings, apart from his beloved animals, birds & plants. Thankfully the ancient half-elf tucked a pillow under Archimedes' head, before retiring to his sleeping quarters. As sleep crept up on him, his last concious thoughts were on a tall, dark- haired man wearing the medallion of the Pendragon Clan! 2 19©93 Merlyn 2 Chief Chronicler of The Magic Guild