*The Big Darkness

"The Rangers? I'm not a Hockey fan" said Karl. "What I meant by a 'Ranger' is a fighter or warrior character, not a puck wielding sports team. Are you interested? You'll get better armor class and some very sharp weapons. Do you like boots?" the dragon smiled at karl. "I don't know... what if I don't roll at all. Waht happens then" Karl querried as he paced about in the Big Darkness with the brass di in his hand. The dragon gave pause "Well! then you'll simply turn into nothing, you won't even have a name. You'll become a flavorless, scentless gas knows as whats-is-face, the former druid. You'll fade into the air. You can't afford that, you have business to mind in the Other Life. I want you to roll and move on." "Business, like what?" Karl stopped pacing and stood under the dragon's scaely chin.

The dragon cleared his throat and lowered his massive boney head down at Karl. "While you were out adventuring your father fell ill... verrrrrry ill. Leonidas is in the hospital right now in a coma. Take a look, do you see your sister, Tara?" As the dragon poked a hole in the darkenss with his spiney digit, light poured from it like a spout of bright blue water. The hole grew larger, Karl could see a familiar face, "Look, she's in the waiting room, eager for news on your father's condition. Awww, look at Ralph, he's playing with some hand held device thingy. Tsk tsk tsk. Your father is in the in Middle Earth ER unit, he looks terrible, doesn't he. So wrinkly, old and tired. He will be 187 this month... or maybe he won't be, hmm. Look at all those tubes running in and out of every part of his body, as if he were an Italian expresso machine. Tssst. Tssst. Tssst." Karl stood dumbfounded. "But I just talked with him last month... what happenned to him?" he said in disbelief.

"While you were out exploring with your friends, a lot had changed. You father has a weak heart, you knew that. He fell ill during Super Bowl Sunday. He was drowning in his own fluids. His lungs are being drained as we speak. At least he doesn't need that nasty wheel chair right now. Oh how he hates that thing! I suggest you roll now, you will stand a better chance of going home to Middle Earth, you might even get a cheap flight. There's nothing you can do for him here in the Big Darkness. You have to roll to leave here, Karl."

"Will he be alright when I get there? I have to clear everything with the court and my PO before I can go. That might take a week!" Karl asked.

The dragon cocked his head and shook it about in disbelief. "Next week?! Karl, you might be attending a funeral by then, do you have anything black to wear? A suit maybe, a smock? The time is nigh, its precious. Do you know that gathering lost time is like stuffing a quilt in the wind? Minutes run in every direction, seconds blow about in the air, days dissolve into nothing. You'll flail around trying to catch everything but only end up with a handful of feathers... Oh! what time do you have by the way?"

"I could go to jail if I leave New York without court clearance. I don't know if I can do this!" Karl declared.

Pointing his scaley finger at him, the dragon lectured at Karl harshly "There's man-made crap and there's real crap. Your father's condition is verrrrrry real! Going to jail because some idiot made you lie in court, bla bla bla, yaddy, yaddy, yaddy... now that's just SUR-real!"

With his large tail, he turned and knocked Karl over. He shook a tightly gripped fist. "I recall from your court records that the complainant's absentee witness called you a racist? You, of all people? The Druid who adventures with Clerics and Theives? Ohhh! I'm getting horse from yelling at you! And speaking of horse, didn't that horse-face complainant say you picked up a 45 pound stool and hurled it across the room at her? And then she said you lungded at her like a hungry seal, tearing off her arms?! Oh, pullllleeeeese Karl! If you at all go to jail it's for your father's sake, not for the sake of two horrible cowardly people that have learned to bend the law in their favor. Leonidas' condition is very real. That fabricated court room disaster is sssssimply sssssscience ffffffiction!" He picked Karl up from the ground and dusted him off, catching his breath from his rant he calmed down. He let out a smokey puff "You have no place in Big Darkness. Take a chance Karl, roll the di and go."

To be continued