All right, here's one chapter I have been fearing and avoiding, since I
think it's one of the most interesting ones, and I wasn't quite sure of how
I should do it. I haven't decided whether I like it yet, and you'd better
judge for yourselves as well.
*****************************
"Caramon, put me down!" Raistlin hissed, though he was shaking from the chill and exhausted beyond measure. He was amazed that he was still conscious, but then again, the strange trip through the portal had been so rough that it might almost have awakened the dead.
During an eternity that was a passing moment, he had flown past an innumerable amount of bright lights scattered on black, like stars in the night sky. And then, they had been cast out at such speed that Caramon had stumbled to the odd, metallic floor, but he had still held his grip of Raistlin.
"Raist, are you sure... Well, all right, then..." Caramon muttered, shrugging at his brother's angry glare, and set the mage on his feet next to him. He did still keep his arm on Raistlin's shoulders, though.
They were in a large room or hall of some sort. It was completely unlike anything Raistlin had seen before. Behind them stood the circle of stone, and in front of them, a line of people clad like the four Gate travellers and armed with the same sort of weapons - all of them pointed at Raistlin and Caramon.
Sam Carter and Teal'c were quick to call out that the others should just lower their weapons, since Raistlin and Caramon were friends. They hesitated, but obeyed immediately, when a rather stout, bald man repeated the order.
"What happened to colonel O'Neill and doctor Jackson?" the man enquired from Sam and Teal'c.
"General Hammond. We were assailed by an enemy that left us completely outnumbered. Colonel O'Neill and Daniel Jackson could not reach the Stargate. These two helped us in the struggle," Teal'c replied, gesturing towards the twins.
The General glanced at Caramon, who was spotted with blood, both draconian and his own, and Raistlin, who was swaying on his feet and leaning heavily on his brother's shoulder, eyelids drooping, but lips twisted to a disgruntled grimace. "Are they in need of medical attention?" he asked, pointing his words to Teal'c and Carter.
Caramon turned to look Raistlin in the eye, wearing a confused expression quite typical to him. The mage didn't respond. His strength finally failing him, Raistlin collapsed to his brother's arms.
****
Raistlin woke up to a feeling that something was wrong, and very badly so.
There was something in his nose, and something caused his arm to prickle. He opened his eyes to find himself in an extremely strange room, lying in a bed, covered with white sheets. The prickling was caused by a needle stuck in his arm. He couldn't begin to understand why it was there, just like he had no explanation for the tubes leading to his nostrils. It certainly wasn't comfortable.
Oddly enough, he didn't feel very rested, but rather uneasy, and weaker than he would've wished. Nevertheless, he reached to pull out the strange devices.
"No, don't touch it, it's all right," a woman called out quite sharply. She was short, had auburn hair, and an unexplainable air of command about her. She walked closer to examine some sort of a display nearby, frowning.
Raistlin withdrew his hand reluctantly, and glared at the woman. He didn't like the situation at all, since he had no control over, nor understanding of what was happening. "What have you done to me?" he snarled.
"You passed out in the Gate room. We're trying to heal you," the woman replied matter-of-factly. "I'm Doctor Janet Fraiser. You're Raistlin, right?"
The mage nodded, and cast a sarcastic smirk at the woman. "You can try all you wish, you will never succeed. My illness is incurable. Am I a prisoner?"
"Of course not!" Janet Fraiser exclaimed. "Though I can't promise that they'll let you roam freely, either. Besides, I'm not letting you out of here quite yet."
Raistlin's eyes narrowed. "So I am a prisoner," he stated. He fought to keep back his persistent cough, but couldn't help it.
Fraiser gazed at him in an annoying, concerned and pitiful manner. "No, that's not what I said. I'm a doctor - a healer, and you're my patient. You can go when you're fit enough. I can see that you're not that quite yet."
The young mage shook his head irritably. "Then you'll keep me here forever. As I said, you cannot heal me," he whispered. "So, what did you do to Caramon?"
"He wouldn't let us touch you. I'm afraid Teal'c knocked him out for a while, but he's all right..."
"Of course he is. Where is he?"
"He's staying in our quest quarters. The General will want to talk with both of you soon."
Raistlin sighed and shook his head. He didn't have time for such idiocy. He reached for his pouches and his spell components, only to find out that his robes had been changed into some strange, blue clothing. Then, with a start, he realized that the Staff of Magius, his most valuable possession, was nowhere to be seen.
"I'm sorry, we had to take your things for safekeeping. You'll get them back in a bit," Fraiser explained.
"I will not tolerate this! You'll bring them back to me right now or I will set a deadly curse on you," Raistlin tried, seeking for his most threatening tone, and eyeing Doctor Fraiser in a murderous manner. Of course, he wouldn't be able to cast such a spell, definitely not without any components, but what would this stupid woman know anyway...
"Oh, you'll do no such thing," Fraiser replied, her tone almost as menacing as Raistlin's. Before the amazed mage had any time to reply, the woman turned on her sharp heels and walked away.
Left alone, Raistlin went on to remove all the strange appliances that these annoying people had placed on him. He still couldn't understand why he felt so frail. Had he been drugged? He could only guess.
The mage sat up on his bed, and was just about to go on and stand up, when Fraiser returned, accompanied by General Hammond, Teal'c, Sam and Caramon. To Raistlin's great relief, they were also carrying his valuable spell components and his staff.
"You're not to touch it! Give it to me," he commanded, but Carter, who was holding the Staff of Magius, simply stopped and glanced at the General.
"You are in no position to give orders," Hammond stated coldly. Nevertheless, he nodded to Sam and then pointed towards Raistlin with his head. Carter went on to give the staff to its owner.
"My men tell me that you can actually do magic. Is this true?" the General asked. Caramon was nodding eagerly, but no one was looking at him. Teal'c stood close by him, eyeing him cautiously.
"Yes, it is, and keeping me here against my will is not a wise thing to do," Raistlin sneered - and to his extreme irritation, lapsed into another fit of coughing, which quite efficiently destroyed his attempts at appearing threatening.
Doctor Fraiser approached him. "Now, you'd better calm down, you're only making it worse..."
Such patronizing tones! Raistlin could hardly have been more annoyed. "Give me those pouches," he wheezed, and then, looking at his brother, "Caramon! My drink..."
Everyone turned to look at the warrior. "Sure, Raist," Caramon replied quickly. "If someone could get hot water? There's herbs in one of those pouches that'll help him," he explained to the others.
Hammond glanced at Doctor Fraiser inquiringly, and she replied with a shrug. "I have no idea. I can't say I'd understand what's wrong with him. I see the symptoms, but not the cause."
"Well, then. Major Carter, if you don't mind..." the General asked Sam, who quickly left the room. "In the meantime, I was wondering if you could actually prove us that you can do magic," he turned towards Raistlin again.
Ah, good, Raistlin thought to himself. The fools were actually playing for him. "If I can have my spell components," he hissed, reaching for the pouches. The General nodded, and Teal'c handed them to the mage.
Raistlin picked one that contained dried rose petals and grabbed a handful. He gazed straight at Caramon, who understood, and moved away from the others as stealthily as he could.
But something was still not right. Raistlin could remember the words of the spell easily enough, but he did not feel the usual, wondrous surge of magic. It was as though he was trying to warm his hands in the glow of a sun that was so far it looked like a mere candle. Or, as he realized to his great horror, like trying to call for power from the goddess of a very, very far-away moon. There was no magic in this alien world, and Lunitari was too far to hear his plea for help.
Raistlin let his hands fall and his head sink. Annoyance, anger and frustration gave way to despair.
*****************************
"Caramon, put me down!" Raistlin hissed, though he was shaking from the chill and exhausted beyond measure. He was amazed that he was still conscious, but then again, the strange trip through the portal had been so rough that it might almost have awakened the dead.
During an eternity that was a passing moment, he had flown past an innumerable amount of bright lights scattered on black, like stars in the night sky. And then, they had been cast out at such speed that Caramon had stumbled to the odd, metallic floor, but he had still held his grip of Raistlin.
"Raist, are you sure... Well, all right, then..." Caramon muttered, shrugging at his brother's angry glare, and set the mage on his feet next to him. He did still keep his arm on Raistlin's shoulders, though.
They were in a large room or hall of some sort. It was completely unlike anything Raistlin had seen before. Behind them stood the circle of stone, and in front of them, a line of people clad like the four Gate travellers and armed with the same sort of weapons - all of them pointed at Raistlin and Caramon.
Sam Carter and Teal'c were quick to call out that the others should just lower their weapons, since Raistlin and Caramon were friends. They hesitated, but obeyed immediately, when a rather stout, bald man repeated the order.
"What happened to colonel O'Neill and doctor Jackson?" the man enquired from Sam and Teal'c.
"General Hammond. We were assailed by an enemy that left us completely outnumbered. Colonel O'Neill and Daniel Jackson could not reach the Stargate. These two helped us in the struggle," Teal'c replied, gesturing towards the twins.
The General glanced at Caramon, who was spotted with blood, both draconian and his own, and Raistlin, who was swaying on his feet and leaning heavily on his brother's shoulder, eyelids drooping, but lips twisted to a disgruntled grimace. "Are they in need of medical attention?" he asked, pointing his words to Teal'c and Carter.
Caramon turned to look Raistlin in the eye, wearing a confused expression quite typical to him. The mage didn't respond. His strength finally failing him, Raistlin collapsed to his brother's arms.
****
Raistlin woke up to a feeling that something was wrong, and very badly so.
There was something in his nose, and something caused his arm to prickle. He opened his eyes to find himself in an extremely strange room, lying in a bed, covered with white sheets. The prickling was caused by a needle stuck in his arm. He couldn't begin to understand why it was there, just like he had no explanation for the tubes leading to his nostrils. It certainly wasn't comfortable.
Oddly enough, he didn't feel very rested, but rather uneasy, and weaker than he would've wished. Nevertheless, he reached to pull out the strange devices.
"No, don't touch it, it's all right," a woman called out quite sharply. She was short, had auburn hair, and an unexplainable air of command about her. She walked closer to examine some sort of a display nearby, frowning.
Raistlin withdrew his hand reluctantly, and glared at the woman. He didn't like the situation at all, since he had no control over, nor understanding of what was happening. "What have you done to me?" he snarled.
"You passed out in the Gate room. We're trying to heal you," the woman replied matter-of-factly. "I'm Doctor Janet Fraiser. You're Raistlin, right?"
The mage nodded, and cast a sarcastic smirk at the woman. "You can try all you wish, you will never succeed. My illness is incurable. Am I a prisoner?"
"Of course not!" Janet Fraiser exclaimed. "Though I can't promise that they'll let you roam freely, either. Besides, I'm not letting you out of here quite yet."
Raistlin's eyes narrowed. "So I am a prisoner," he stated. He fought to keep back his persistent cough, but couldn't help it.
Fraiser gazed at him in an annoying, concerned and pitiful manner. "No, that's not what I said. I'm a doctor - a healer, and you're my patient. You can go when you're fit enough. I can see that you're not that quite yet."
The young mage shook his head irritably. "Then you'll keep me here forever. As I said, you cannot heal me," he whispered. "So, what did you do to Caramon?"
"He wouldn't let us touch you. I'm afraid Teal'c knocked him out for a while, but he's all right..."
"Of course he is. Where is he?"
"He's staying in our quest quarters. The General will want to talk with both of you soon."
Raistlin sighed and shook his head. He didn't have time for such idiocy. He reached for his pouches and his spell components, only to find out that his robes had been changed into some strange, blue clothing. Then, with a start, he realized that the Staff of Magius, his most valuable possession, was nowhere to be seen.
"I'm sorry, we had to take your things for safekeeping. You'll get them back in a bit," Fraiser explained.
"I will not tolerate this! You'll bring them back to me right now or I will set a deadly curse on you," Raistlin tried, seeking for his most threatening tone, and eyeing Doctor Fraiser in a murderous manner. Of course, he wouldn't be able to cast such a spell, definitely not without any components, but what would this stupid woman know anyway...
"Oh, you'll do no such thing," Fraiser replied, her tone almost as menacing as Raistlin's. Before the amazed mage had any time to reply, the woman turned on her sharp heels and walked away.
Left alone, Raistlin went on to remove all the strange appliances that these annoying people had placed on him. He still couldn't understand why he felt so frail. Had he been drugged? He could only guess.
The mage sat up on his bed, and was just about to go on and stand up, when Fraiser returned, accompanied by General Hammond, Teal'c, Sam and Caramon. To Raistlin's great relief, they were also carrying his valuable spell components and his staff.
"You're not to touch it! Give it to me," he commanded, but Carter, who was holding the Staff of Magius, simply stopped and glanced at the General.
"You are in no position to give orders," Hammond stated coldly. Nevertheless, he nodded to Sam and then pointed towards Raistlin with his head. Carter went on to give the staff to its owner.
"My men tell me that you can actually do magic. Is this true?" the General asked. Caramon was nodding eagerly, but no one was looking at him. Teal'c stood close by him, eyeing him cautiously.
"Yes, it is, and keeping me here against my will is not a wise thing to do," Raistlin sneered - and to his extreme irritation, lapsed into another fit of coughing, which quite efficiently destroyed his attempts at appearing threatening.
Doctor Fraiser approached him. "Now, you'd better calm down, you're only making it worse..."
Such patronizing tones! Raistlin could hardly have been more annoyed. "Give me those pouches," he wheezed, and then, looking at his brother, "Caramon! My drink..."
Everyone turned to look at the warrior. "Sure, Raist," Caramon replied quickly. "If someone could get hot water? There's herbs in one of those pouches that'll help him," he explained to the others.
Hammond glanced at Doctor Fraiser inquiringly, and she replied with a shrug. "I have no idea. I can't say I'd understand what's wrong with him. I see the symptoms, but not the cause."
"Well, then. Major Carter, if you don't mind..." the General asked Sam, who quickly left the room. "In the meantime, I was wondering if you could actually prove us that you can do magic," he turned towards Raistlin again.
Ah, good, Raistlin thought to himself. The fools were actually playing for him. "If I can have my spell components," he hissed, reaching for the pouches. The General nodded, and Teal'c handed them to the mage.
Raistlin picked one that contained dried rose petals and grabbed a handful. He gazed straight at Caramon, who understood, and moved away from the others as stealthily as he could.
But something was still not right. Raistlin could remember the words of the spell easily enough, but he did not feel the usual, wondrous surge of magic. It was as though he was trying to warm his hands in the glow of a sun that was so far it looked like a mere candle. Or, as he realized to his great horror, like trying to call for power from the goddess of a very, very far-away moon. There was no magic in this alien world, and Lunitari was too far to hear his plea for help.
Raistlin let his hands fall and his head sink. Annoyance, anger and frustration gave way to despair.