From: David Hibbs (midnite@iastate.edu)
 Subject: Story: Brother Lucas, Part 10 
 Newsgroups: alt.barney.dinosaur.die.die.die
 Date: 1996/08/16 


Brother Lucas
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                                                        Part X

        A gentle breeze blew across the field of asphalt that had only 
moments ago been the site of a pitched battle.  Remnants of magical 
creatures faded into nothingness, swept away to ride the winds of time 
into forever.  Here and there a monk wandered off, vanishing into the 
labyrinth of tunnels, pausing briefly to assist one of their fallen 
brethren or simply teleporting away.
        Lucas picked up his staff and walked back to where his brother still 
sat tending to his wounds.  His magics were dealing with the wounds fairly 
easily now that the party that had inflicted the damage was gone from this 
plane, but he would certainly be sore for a few days.  Lucas smiled gently 
and extended his hand to Thomas, who gratefully accepted and struggled to 
his feet. 
        "You're looking better," complimented Lucas as he helped his friend 
up.
        "Yeah, but I still feel like hell," he noted dryly.  Thomas draped
his arm across Lucas's shoulders for extra support.  "But how are you doing, 
Lucas?" he asked somewhat concernedly.
        "Feeling my age, I guess, but what do you expect, right?  I'll take 
you home, brother."
        Thomas nodded meekly, but his eyes betrayed his thoughts.  He was 
clearly more concerned about Lucas than he cared to let on.  As they walked 
the lengths of the secret passages back to the Church, silence weighed 
heavily upon both of them.  At long last, Lucas could no longer bear it and 
forced himself to ask what was bothering Thomas.  "OK, Thomas, you've been 
quiet long enough.  Now 'fess up; what's eating you?"
        Thomas sighed heavily, knowing that he had to come clean.  "Simply 
put, Lucas, you shouldn't be alive right now."
        Lucas stopped abruptly, nearly sending his brother toppling against 
him.  "What?  Why?"
        Thomas righted himself and adjusted his arm over Lucas's shoulders, 
though the extra support was barely needed now.  "Lucas, you just unleashed the 
largest magical blast that I've seen in my life, and believe me, I've seen a 
lot.  Do you really think that any average person can conduct that much 
power and control it?  I'm sorry, Lucas, but I don't.  Oh, perhaps you can 
for a while, but when it comes right down to it a power line can't hope to 
contain the raging fury of a lightning bolt."
        "But I'm here now, and I feel fine..."
        "Do you really?  Or are you just fooling yourself?  There's a reason 
that we refer to some beings as deities or Gods, Lucas.  That reason is that 
they can control and channel such immense quantities of power at their 
slightest whim.  We're mere mortals, you and I.  We borrow from their power 
for our own spells from time to time, but when it comes right down to it 
those spells are small potatoes, Lucas.  What you did out there tonight?  
That was nothing short of *godlike*."
        Lucas's mind raced back to the battle and the surging power he felt 
coursing through his body as he called upon the power of Grimace.  He could 
feel it throbbing in his veins, like a second heartbeat.  He could feel 
himself reaching out with the power to strike at the creatures, sensing each 
of their souls as he rained fiery death upon them.
        He remembered his final encounter with "Mike," how he'd whirled and 
unleashed a tiny blast only to have it wipe him out like he was the 
smallest insignificant blot.  As he remembered that blast, he could sense 
the same power again within his body.  He suddenly knew that were he to cast 
that same spell now it would have the same fantastic result.  And for once 
in his life, he was afraid.
        The two friends continued down the corridor in stony silence, 
neither one knowing exactly what else to say.  Suddenly, about halfway down 
the passage, Lucas stumbled a bit and fell against the wall.
        "Lucas!" cried Thomas as he caught him and kept him from falling the
rest of the way to the floor.  "Are you ok?"
        "I'm.... not sure..." responded a somber Lucas.  "All of a sudden 
the world started spinning and my legs collapsed... next thing I knew I was 
being held up by this wall..."
        "We better get you back, Lucas..."  Thomas noted, lifting Lucas 
gently as he placed Lucas's arm across his own shoulders, so as to 
help support Lucas's weight during the trip back.

        The pair hurried back to the cathedral.  Most of their brethren were 
already waiting for them, and looked upon them concernedly as Thomas set 
Lucas gently on a cot and called for a medic.
        The medic arrived, and inspected Lucas briefly.  "Hmm... not much I 
can do, I'm afraid; I have no idea what's wrong."

        Lucas and Thomas exchanged glances.  *They* knew.

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To Be Continued in Brother Lucas Part XI
        
"Brother Lucas"
Copyright 1996
David R. Hibbs


-- 
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"In the end there will be only one OS, The Mind.. Ponder that for a while..."
        --unknown
"But if the mind is an OS, then there will be infinite OS's, and a vast
        majority of them will still suck."  --me
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