From: Date: Sat, 18 Jul 1998 21:25:07 EDT Subject: far away... The Gahnril lounged behind seven filmy skrims of different colors. When the soldier was propelled into the Grand Chamber and thrown at the foot of the first Skrim, all he could see as the breeze played with the misty hangings was the vague outline of the Gahnril. He trembled nervously and wrung his gauntlets in his hand as he pressed his forehead reverently to the red-carpet. Two armored guards stood a hair's width behind him, one on either side, so close he could feel the chill of their armor. The voice came sifting and impatient, yet controlled. "I haven't heard from the 6th in some time, soldier. Could it be that your commander fears reporting to his Ghanril? Well?" The soldier swallowed the bile rising in his throat. His mouth worked soundlessly as he gazed at the outline of boots through the rainbow skrims. Then there was a pain between his shoulder blades and his face was pressed, hard, into the carpet. The gauntlets were digging into his chest, making it hard to breathe. "Answer the Ghanril," said the warning voice of a guard. He spluttered, and murmured hasty apologies. "Most Esteemed Ghanril.. I.. regret to inform you.. the scouting party was defeated... slaughtered. I alone managed to escape... but the 6th has not found any signs of the girl. They have a sw-" "Silence," The ghanril commanded with a barely visable wave of the hand. The soldier was becoming ill watching the figure through the shimmering skrims. "Failure." The Ghanril said. The soldier's head snapped up, his eyes wide with fright as two hands, one from each side, clamped onto his shoulders and hauled him from the room. The huge iron door closed, the reverberation sending the soldier's fading screams dispersing around the chamber like ripples. The Ghanril smiled.