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Old 01-20-2003, 11:33 PM   #37
Child of the 7th Age
Spirit of the Lonely Star
 
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Sting

Pettygast was having the most horrific time trying to keep his donkey pointed in the general direction the company was attempting to go. Unfortunately, Hummus kept running in large concentric circles. The wizard not only found himself becoming increasingly dizzy and light headed, but scrambling to play catch up with all those about him who seemed to be mounted on steeds whose pedigrees and conformation far exceeded those of his humble beast.

If that wasn't bad enough, Hummus seemed to be having a problem or two that might loosely fit the term 'being winded'. Pettygast kept a close watch on the donkey's front end, since he could only manage one end at a time. Moreover, this appeared to be the more serious dilemma. The beast was wheezing in and out, his nostrils distended and eyes staring wide. Pettygast kept flapping his knees against the donkey's shaggy sides, while gamely urging him to "Keep breathing. That's the trick. Just breath in and out. Go forward."

His attempts met with limited success. The donkey had finally turned a deaf ear to all pleas and imprecations, and come to a dead stop in protest, allowing Pettygast to hurtle forward over his head. The wizard ended up on the ground with a sore derriere. He seriously considered asking Orogarn Two whether he might hitch a lift, but the fellow had seemed a bit testy and might not react in a pleasant manner. Too bad he couldn't come up with that missing wallet, since it might gain him a few bargaining chips.

Most distressing of all was the group's eagerness to head straight to the Canthardlee Pass. A distant relation of his, the incomparable wizard--he of great wisdom and goodness whom everyone likes--had made a similar miscalculation, and ended up in even worse circumstances by being forced to undertake a different and more dangerous path. Pettygast grew nervous just thinking about that possibility, and showed signs of hyperventilation. His own activities ran more to frequenting jumble sales and discount stores rather than foolhardy escapades. If truth be told, he had a strong aversion to any circumstances that might bring him into close contact with any creature bearing large pointed teeth and exuding nasty breath, whether or not it happened to sport wings.

Not for the first or last time, Pettygast vowed to take up his complaints with Fruit-giver. But whenever he had complained to her in the past, she had merely shrugged her shoulders, pointed upward, and mumbled something incomprehensible about not really being the one in control. All the wizard's polite requests to speak with this gentleman or lady who arranged things higher up had ended only in failure.

Pettygast sighed and shook his head. He would truly love to meet this mysterious being who was supposedly in charge of managing wizardly resources, so that he could give him a piece or two of his mind regarding his particular job assignments, but the chances of that seemed increasingly remote. Best not think about it, he cautioned himself. Focus on the task at hand, which is more than enough to keep you busy! With a sigh of resignation, he attempted once more to get Hummus pointed in the same general direction as the rest of his companions.

[ January 21, 2003: Message edited by: Child of the 7th Age ]
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