Loneliness
By G. W. Thomas
The Rainbow Man looked into the deep coldness of space. For seven years he had
lived on the lonely asteroid away from the bustling crowds of the Six Cities,
away from the troubles of wizards. At first he had enjoyed the solitude, but after seven years even wizards crave company.
The sorcerer did not yet feel like returning to home and his forsaken
responsibilities, so he sent an invitation instead. The magical beacon stone he placed on the tallest rock of his space-bound domain shot its clear blue message out into the cosmos. "Here I am. Come visit me. Here I am. Come visit me," the pulse-beam repeated endlessly.
An answer came. Five months he waited but an answer came one night while the Rainbow Man practiced his mantras. The visitor arrived in the form of a large black strider. The demon was fifteen feet long, taloned, horned, spiked and fanged. It was an obscene rhapsody of killing and consumption. The Rainbow Man fought long and hard with the monster, first spraying it with Deadly Moonfall, then blasting it with Mauvum's Opulent Vibrations. After another month he succeeded in killing it.
After making a harp from the bones of the strider, the wizard took down his
beacon and enjoyed the quietude of his small asteroid once more. He decided, some things are worse than loneliness.
© 1999 G. W. Thomas. All Rights Reserved.
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