I know this is a bit short. The next chapter will be twice as long, I promise.
Guan: More kender for you in the next chapters...
Ahn-Li: Answer should have come via email.
BTW: Does anybody know the correct plural of "kender"? We guessed it would be "kender" just as well.
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10 - Welcome to the Juggler's
About 40 hours earlier somewhere on Krynn:
Raistlin awoke slowly. The dark veils of unconsciousness still clouded his mind and he felt confused not knowing what had happened or where he was. He turned his head hoping to drive away the darkness surrounding his eyes. The movement caused him to moan softly. Every muscle in his neck ached. Something light moved to the left of him. His sight blurred still but got clearer every moment. He tried to sit up, when he felt a warm hand caressing his forehead. He wriggled under the touch. He heard a soft voice speaking. Something about this voice was familiar. He had heard it before but he couldn't remember where.
"Awake so soon, my friend? I should have known. Such an active mind."
Raistlin saw a white shadow leaning over him. He tried to rise up once more, but every movement was pain.
"It's not the time for being awake, my friend. Its not yet time for us to meet. Sleep now, sleep and rest." the voice murmured.
Raistlin tried to protest but all to soon the darkness came back, soft, warm and lulling and then sleep overwhelmed him.
When he awoke a second time, he felt much better. Tranquil and relaxed. Slowly he opened his eyes and looked surprised on a alien wooden ceiling. Right above him was an open window and he heard the sounds of human voices and the noises of an encampment outside. He was not in his laboratory anymore. Had he been transported after invoking the spell? And where was he now?
The view of the ceiling was substituted by the sight of a pointed eared head. A female, smiling face filled his view and a thrilled voice yelled: "You're awake!"
In an instant other heads appeared. Several exulting voices mixed up and tangled.
"Nima is awake!"
"Brilliant! That's my daughter..."
"Nima! Nima! How are you?"
"She doesn't let magic get the best of her!"
"Nima, say something!"
"Hrongar said you should feel better. The old herbsmaster gave you a potion."
"You are feeling better, are you dear?"
"Nima, Nima, can you come out and play?"
"No, Nima has to stay in bed."
"But you're strong, girl. I always knew that. That's my daughter!"
"Nima, why don't you say anything?"
"You are right, she ist very quite."
"Maybe she's gone's mute as a maggot."
"STOP THIS!"
The talking ceased. Raistlin felt three pairs of eyes following every of his movements as he bolted upright. Three kender stared at him. A male and a female. A kenderchild sat at his feet. But there was something going on with these kender, Raistlin realized. They were much to large. Out of proportion and if it hadn't been for their round happy faces, he would have taken them for elves. The oversized kenders watched him open mouthed. And for Nuitari's sake, they didn't age!
"Maybe she is still confused about everything. For all that explosions going on and such." the male kender said.
"Maybe she wants to eat something. Honey do you want to eat?"
"No." Raistlin said. Crawling backwards.
"Maybe she has fever. She looks so pale." The male kender wondered.
The female leaned forward.
"Honey, let me feel your temperature."
"NO!"
Raistlin patted away the female's outstretched hand.
"What is going on in here?" he asked as calm and menacingly as he could. "Explain yourselves!"
Not only the kender were out of proportion. His voice had changed, too. It sounded more high-pitched than usual.
"Yeah", the female began. "Honey, you have been victim to a magical manifestation. I told your father not to give you this magical stuff, but he didn't listen in the least, I warned you both, things like that can happen with those wizardy thingies. Well, nobody knows what happened. Naranja said the thingie exploded and everybody heard it and we heard her scream and, darling, the wagon was just a mess, a mess! Just like the time when the furious air elemental had manifested in here. And you were right there, unconscious, and then we brought you to Hrongar and he said it wouldn't be that bad. He said you just had to sleep a little while and then you would be as healthy as a newborn baby, that's what happened. Basically."
Unbelieving, Raistlin stared at them. Then at himself. And back at them. And then back at himself, again. At first he was too shocked to accept what his eyes and ears told him. And when he finally realized what this all meant, Raistlin wished he was unconscious again.