The S and S of Calamity; Introductions
The later months had always brought colder nights. The night sky was a dangerous desire when the nights brought on such chills, but some could not help but leave the warmth of the fire to bask under the glow of the heavens. When dew was structured and breath near vapor, a fire was the only solace for human or thing. Seeing as the fire was the only thing alive in this ruin, one would be foolish to wander from the flame.
Cleo could not let such a night go to waste. Actually, she had been lured into the night by a warm breeze which coursed through the breeched walls of this once proud fortress. Where might had once been, only spirits wandered. Currently, Cleo wandered. With a blanket wrapped around her, she had snuck away from Orphen and Majic to find the warmth and marvel at the endless black above her. Even with the blanket she shivered, pulling the cloth tightly around her and biting down lightly at the balled folds in her hands. "What I wouldn't give for a fireplace and a comfy couch right now. Where's the warm air coming from, I wonder." she spoke to the night and started up some stairs. Ahead she saw a faint light and took in a short breath, wondering if she should turn back and get Orphen. After turning the idea over in her head and the obvious implications it would bring, she snorted heavily and pressed her lips in brutal stubborn pride. "Hmph, he'd probably complain that I woke him up! Stupid Orphen! Sometimes he makes me want to…" Her ranting was cut short as a stair crumbled under her feet and sent her spiraling down into the depths of the ruin. Even her scream lost its potency against the living walls.
By the time she came around and opened her eyes, the sky was lightening a bit and the air thickened. She could look up to the hole in stairs above her but where she landed was no place she had seen. When she stirred, an ache ripped through her back and caused her to whimper, "Owww, that really hurt. I won't be able to sit for a week!" Her blanket had helped with the impact and she suddenly felt the chill again. As she pulled the blanket back around her lithe form, her eyes were cast up to the freedom that was above her, hoping to see Majic or Orphen heard her scream. What she got was Leki. The small dragon peeked over the edge at her and looked worried; somewhat puzzled at why Cleo was down in such a place. Cleo smiled with a great hope building in her eyes, "Leki! Good boy! Go find Orphen or Majic and tell them I'm down here! Tell them I need help!" Leki canted his head a bit and then disappeared from her sight.
Now all she could do was wait. For the first time, she peered into the place where she had fallen and found nothing but shadow. A great sea of black was the only thing which stared back and she couldn't help but shiver lightly when she looked into it. The darkest things came out of the darkest places and this ruin had once been a battlement and a place where death had been resident. Just when she was getting anxious for Orphen to peek over the side to help, a sound came from the dark. As if she wasn't flustered enough, now the ruin had began to play on her fears. "Surely you didn't just hear that, Cleo. There's nothing in the dark but air and rock." she said shakily while sliding to her feet.
To her regret, there was more in the dark than air and rock. A few glimmers of light caught her eye and the sound of scraping across stone tweaked her hearing; as if the place was touching each of her senses one by one. She only wanted to be out of the hole but no one had yet come to help her. Then she saw the first one. A skeleton of a man was leaning against the wall, apparently pinned by a large dagger impaled through its chest. Just the sight of it made her shriek, but then it seemed to react. As if drawn by her, it slowly straightened itself against the wall and lumbered towards her, the dagger slipping effortlessly between its ribs to remain in the wall. It wasn't the only one. A few of these dead soldiers began to emerge from the dark and moved towards her with a purpose. Some dragged sword clutched in their bony hands and some just came as bare as they were. Every one of them scared Cleo out of her wits. "Orphen! Orphen! Orphen! Somebody help meeeeee!"
By now she was pressed against the wall and screaming at the top of her lungs for help. She was in sleeping garments and Leki was nowhere in sight. She was at the mercy of these things and could only watch in terror as they got close.
Suddenly, one of the skeletons was halved down its middle and fell into a heap of bones and dust. Only a quick shimmer of light allowed Cleo to see another force at work. Soon there was a light show of reflection and movement, making all of the attacking skeletons collapse into a second death on the ground. These images reflected in her wide eyes and her mouth was quivering open at this force which came to her rescue. In the end, the final skeleton fell to pieces on the ground and the lightening sky shed light down onto a second life in the dark. All she could see was a figure, tall and slender. A long sword was slung onto a shoulder as attentions seemed to move to her next. There was no face and no detail that she could see, but she could tell it was a man by the shape of his body. Suddenly something was touching her leg and she looked down to see a bony arm and hand latched onto her calf, trying to somehow strike beyond the grave. The feel of the rotten bones made her howl out in disgust and kick the bones away. Then several moments were taken to rub her leg and rant in a sickened voice. "That was disgusting! It touched my right on the leg and tried to feel higher and it was so gross and the bones were still wet and it touched me!!"
After being convinced the bones were gone, she remembered the stranger and looked up, but found nothing but the empty place once more. Whoever it had been, they obviously didn't stay long enough to be recognized. Just as she took a step to look around better, a rope came down from above and draped on her head and shoulders. Once again she went into a panic, "Ahh! What now!? More skeletons and they're touching me all over!"
"What are you babbling about? I thought you wanted help out of there." came a voice from above and ceased her fears. Upon looking up, she saw Orphen, Majic and Leki all looking back down at her. Orphen was a bit perplexed as to why she was so worked up, but he had begun to expect her to act crazy in places like this.
The moment she climbed out of the hole she was clawing at him and weeping into his chest, as if the greatest nightmare of her life had just happened and she was all alone. "It was so scary! I fell into this pit and there were these skeletons what came alive and came after me! They were all bony and disgusting and one even touched me! The whole time I was screaming out but some other guy came but I couldn't really see his face, so I don't really know if he's a guy but he looked like one and he saved me and…" After a moment she trailed off and noticed he wasn't listening at all but just looking at her like she was overreacting. That only proved to make her more angry and she got very steamed at his disbelief, "What are you looking at!? Don't you believe me!?!"
"Sure. You're down and a pit and everything. But, where are the skeletons?" he replied and peered over her into the hole. Majic was peering intently down as well but there was nothing on the floor but dust and stone. The sky was lightening and the sun was nearly over the horizon by now. She had spent almost the whole night down there.
With her story shattered, she jumped from the edge of the pit and back to Orphen a few times, trying to figure out what could have happened. "But they were…I mean…I was right…but what…that's impossible! They were right there!" she shrieked and peered down into the pit with a heaving chest.
Orphen rolled his eyes a bit and headed back to the camp while Majic stood up next to her, hoping to offer some kind of comfort for her. "It's okay, Ms. Cleo. Maybe you hit your head when you fell and dreamed it all?" he offered.
It didn't go over too well and she suddenly grabbed him by the ear and barked violent words right into his head without a buffer, "I did not dream it all! They were right there and one even touched me right on the leg! You believe me, don't you, Majic!" In the face of such a face, he could only smile nervously and nod his head, hoping she would be satisfied with that. And in fact, she did let him go and go storming after Orphen. When Leki followed, Majic took one last look down into the hole before following and even then, an uneasy feeling crept over him and he stopped once more to peer at the shadows where the stairs led. Something foreboding was looming up somewhere near and he could feel it on his neck like a cold breath. In the end, he just turned and went back to camp as well.
It was up those stairs that two figures were perched, watching the events with mild curiosity. One was much smaller, perched on the shoulder of the other. The other had watched the rescue with great interest and ran his fingers over the dull metal on his left arm. A smile just as mild showed in the dark and he rose to his feet, taking the both of them deeper into the shadows.
"Honestly! How long did it take after I screamed before you came after me!? Who knows what would have happened to me if that stranger hadn't come and cut all those gross things up?" Cleo was still going on to Orphen when Majic got back and the sorcerer didn't seem to be all that interested in it. In fact, he was lying back down to sleep again as she was yelling at him, which only infuriated her more.
Before she could go any further, Orphen's eyes opened with a start. A figure was coming down right above him with a sword drawn back for a strike. He had barely enough time to roll out of the way before the tip of the sword impaled his bedding and shattered the stone beneath it to dust. Cleo yelped out as a shockwave from the impact knocked her down and Majic ran to help her, but they all looked up at the same time to find nothing. Orphen's bed was in ruins and there was a crater in the ground where the point had stabbed the earth. "That wasn't an ordinary sword." he muttered and looked around for the assailant. His hands were clenched in anticipation but the ruin was dead and offered no clue as to the next attack. Cleo and Majic watched silently and hoped the next attack wouldn't be on them, but Cleo was the most stirred.
A shadow wavered and Orphen stood straight, his hands opening to let power be wielded. "I release thee, light's unsheathed blade!" he called and a blast of light was sent into the dark. The attacker was found but Orphen was suddenly stricken with what happened to his attack. Without an incantation, the light was stopped by a shield of some kind and dissipated against the wall of green light. The attacker was holding out his left hand and didn't seem to have a scratch on him. With Orphen locating him, there was little else he could do. Speed which took the sorcerer back brought this attacker down on him again and the sword was axed at him from overhead. He barely had enough time to mount a defense, "Blade of Satan, whom I call forth!" A blue blade of light erupted from his hand and he stopped the sword from splitting him in two, but just barely. Though he had seen his blade of light shatter most any metal, this sword seemed to immune to the energy and actually put a strain on his magic. They stood there, pitting metal against magic and strength against spirit. The length at which it could have lasted was a mystery but a single word ended it before that became a factor.
"Orphen!"
Cleo was pulling against Majic's grasp as she looked at the battle. The idea of Orphen being hurt never set well with her and she looked from fighter to fighter, her eyes glowing with worry. Though he couldn't give her a moment of his attention, the scion suddenly felt an easement from the swordsman and took a breath upon hearing a slightly familiar voice. "Orphen? As in the devious, self-centered sorcerer who uses his hands more than he uses his head?"
The swordsman and the sorcerer separated slowly and Orphen finally got a good look at his attacker. The short, black hair, the armor on the left arm and the mythical sword all hit him at the same time and his face lightened considerably. "Pallas? Is that you? What are you doing here?"
Cleo and Majic both stared blankly as this new person and Orphen greeted each other with smiles now. From battle to banter in less than a second, it was obvious the two had met before. "I guess they know each other? Weren't they just fighting?" Cleo asked and looked over this new person. He was tall and lean, having the build of one who lived with a sword and fought many battles. He couldn't have been much older than Orphen. A few scars lined his bare arms and the favor of the light made her look down a moment, perhaps noticing this man a little too well.
Pallas had been a swordsman all his life. With the exception of the enchanted armor and sword, he had never had the genes for magic. However, he had always been an exceptional swordsman and found a name for himself with the blade and not the spell. He was a young man with great skill and great dreams. Such a thing was the equation for a great man. His dark eyes would shimmer violet on enough light and anything such as hair or clothing that could obstruct a swordfight was kept short and neat. Unlike most swordsmen, he wore little armor. Aside from the shoulder armor on his right shoulder, a skeletal piece of armor covered his left forearm and hand, coming to dull claws at the tips of his fingers and having a long plate on the dorsal side. A sorcerer's ward was engraved on the plate and gave the armor a single defensive ability against most magic. When used the right way, this armor could defend against spell and sword, but only someone skilled enough to use it would be able to wield the ward.
Orphen had always been intrigued by the armor and eyed it a moment, but then let his eyes fall to the greater of the treasures this man held. "Still have the Salt Abbey Sword, huh? I thought a rogue like you would have lost it in a bet long before now!" he quipped and smiled at his friend.
"Unlike some people, I don't lose when I bet. I'm surprised to see you walking around fully clothed, Orphen." Pallas replied and slung the sword across his shoulder. The stance made Cleo gasp and memories of the pit wash through her mind. He had been the one who came and sent those skeletons to their graves once more. With the realization, she jumped up and ran up to them both, smiling widely for their mutual benefit.
"Ahhh, it was you! You saved me from all of those gross skeletons! I told you I wasn't dreaming, Orphen!"
They both looked to a moment, then to each other again. Pallas itched his head with the flat end of his sword and then nodded towards her. "Who's the skirt? Don't tell me she's your wife."
"Wife!? How could you even think that!" she roared at him with a discreet blush running rampant on her face. The very idea made her seethe, but it did hold a certain appeal deep with her teenage mind. This guy did have a blunt way of bringing things up and she crossed her arms, looking down between them with a fear of looking at either, hoping not to reveal something that remained hidden.
"We're on a journey. Her name is Cleo and this is my assistant Majic." Orphen said and pointed to the boy lurking away from them all. Pallas looked to him with a quirked brow, and then waved a free hand towards him. Majic oddly looked away when he did and tried to hide something he was thinking. Though this was very odd for him, Orphen just looked back to Pallas with a smile and enjoyed seeing him once again. "How come you're way out here? Don't tell me the famous Rune Fighter of Balloria is sleeping in ruins instead of palaces now."
This made Pallas grin sheepishly and rub his neck, wishing he hadn't brought up that name in front of the others. Much to his dismay, Cleo's face brightened at the name. "You mean you're the Rune Fighter? I've heard stories about you everywhere! Is it true you fought an entire army to save that single mother and her sick child?" she asked and looked up to him with sparkling eyes. This had been the best thing that happened to her in a while and she was grateful for such a break.
He laughed weakly and slowly slid his sword into the scabbard behind his waist. There was something tired in his eyes when he looked at her and his smile seemed to hide a mountain. "Those stories get exaggerated by everyone. It was more like ten guys and they were just trying to steal the boy's inheritance. Really, I'm just a normal guy who knows how to hold a sword. Orphen here, he's the real deal; mister big shot sorcerer who's got the Tower's panties in a knot. Did you ever find whatever it was you were looking for?"
The quest was brought back into focus for all of them and Orphen's face dimmed. With the shake of his head, he summed it up for Pallas and all was understood. In the air of this reunion, a shadow fluttered about the group with silent wings. Eyes befell the young girl and a giddy laugh was lost in the warming breeze of the rising sun. After a spiraling descent, the creature landed on Cleo's shoulder and embraced the strands of hair, taking a deep breath and snuggling up to them. "So soft and clean. I bet you get washed every day, don't you? Heee! I want it all!" it said with a high-pitched laugh.
The feeling of something tugging at her hair caused Cleo to blink and turn her head slightly. What she saw was a black form out of the corner of her eye and she suddenly shrieked. Visions of punctures on the neck and furry fliers made her flail wildly and run around with her rider clinging desperately to her hair. "It's a bat! It's a bat! It's a bat! Get it off me!! I'm gonna be bitten and get rabies or…ewww! Get it off!" she squealed and finally managed to knock the creature from her shoulder. The others were watching speechlessly as she pulled her shoe off and began beating the protesting creature.
"I'm not a bat! Ow! Would you…ack! Pallas! Help me!"
Suddenly Cleo's arm seized and caused her retaliation to come to a screeching halt. With a look of surprise, she turned her head and found Pallas standing behind her, his fingers pinched on her shoe and keeping it from pounding the small figure any longer. "Does that look like bat to you?" he asked and pointed down with his other hand. Upon inspection of her alleged bat, she found a human-like being with two large wings like a bats. By now he was beaten and maimed, but he slowly sat up and held his head, a disoriented look on his face.
"What happened?" he droned in his quiet, high-pitched voice.
Although it wasn't a bat, she wasn't too impressed with the naked little creature and suddenly jumped behind Pallas, peeking around him and clutching to his arm tightly. Her face exhumed exactly what manner of thought she had, for most natural things born of magic were a little too odd for her to like. "What is it!? It looks like a bat. Are you sure it's not a bat?"
"It's an imp." Orphen idly stepped forward and peered down at the creature. He had never seen one before, but he had heard of them. There wasn't much information about any sub-species of dragons and only a few were even named, but now he was introduced to one right in front of him, which made a few questions arise to the one he knew before. "Is this yours, Pallas? I didn't think you had much faith in magic or magical creatures."
Pallas looked over his shoulder at him but didn't answer right away. Cleo was a bit puzzled by the look in his eyes but when the imp began to flap its wings and rise into the air, she shrunk away behind him once more with a start. The creature was a bit wobbly and still straightening himself out, but it finally began to hold aloft in front of them all. An annoyed expression made it look particularly dark but the voice always seemed to detract from such a ferocious being. "I'm not anyone's! My name is Chiron and I'm tagging along with this human until he takes me where I need to go. If you got a problem with that, sorcerer, come over here and I'll show you how magic is really used!" he hissed and curled a small claw towards Orphen. The threat didn't seem to hold any weight as he smirked lightly, half tempted to cast a spell on the imp to teach him a lesson. However, Pallas pulled away from Cleo finally and snatched the imp out of the air, holding him tightly in his hand and turning to face them all with that glass smile.
"Now that the formal introductions are over, what say you to traveling to Okenforde together? Come on, Orphen, it'll be a good chance to catch up."
Cleo smiled brightly at this idea and looked forward to any time spent with the swordsman. Majic was still battling some entombed feeling he had about this man and wondered if the imp was the source of it. Ultimately, Orphen was the deciding vote. With a smile, he nodded and waved his hand towards Majic. "That sounds like a good idea. Majic, clean the camp up and let's get going." he ordered and filed out of the camp with Pallas at his side. The conversation began to drift as they got further away, "How did you know we were going to Okenforde?"
"Hah! Junk food and women in the same place? Where else would you be going?"
"Would ya keep it down? The whole world doesn't need to know the finer details of our trips together, Pallas."
"Maybe you have changed, Orphen."
Majic hadn't said much while cleaning up the camp. His face told a thousand stories while he began to shove everything into the travel cases and someone came up behind him. "Majic? Why are you so quiet? I thought you'd be happy to meet the Rune Fighter."
He looked up to her and hid what he was thinking behind a smile. With him, everything was kept neatly inside until he could express it at the right time. "I've just been thinking, that's all. From the stories I've heard, he's really great. I guess I was just overwhelmed." he lied and began humming as he finished. Cleo didn't exactly understand what was going on, but she nodded once and started after the two. Soon enough he was following also, staring at the distant figures ahead. Not from the bags or even from the warming sun did he sweat, but beads cooled on his skin and made him grimace under a strain.
"Maybe I am just overreacting. There's nothing to be worried about. Even the master trusts him. Everyone knows how great he is. So…why do I get this bad feeling when he's around?"
The later months had always brought colder nights. The night sky was a dangerous desire when the nights brought on such chills, but some could not help but leave the warmth of the fire to bask under the glow of the heavens. When dew was structured and breath near vapor, a fire was the only solace for human or thing. Seeing as the fire was the only thing alive in this ruin, one would be foolish to wander from the flame.
Cleo could not let such a night go to waste. Actually, she had been lured into the night by a warm breeze which coursed through the breeched walls of this once proud fortress. Where might had once been, only spirits wandered. Currently, Cleo wandered. With a blanket wrapped around her, she had snuck away from Orphen and Majic to find the warmth and marvel at the endless black above her. Even with the blanket she shivered, pulling the cloth tightly around her and biting down lightly at the balled folds in her hands. "What I wouldn't give for a fireplace and a comfy couch right now. Where's the warm air coming from, I wonder." she spoke to the night and started up some stairs. Ahead she saw a faint light and took in a short breath, wondering if she should turn back and get Orphen. After turning the idea over in her head and the obvious implications it would bring, she snorted heavily and pressed her lips in brutal stubborn pride. "Hmph, he'd probably complain that I woke him up! Stupid Orphen! Sometimes he makes me want to…" Her ranting was cut short as a stair crumbled under her feet and sent her spiraling down into the depths of the ruin. Even her scream lost its potency against the living walls.
By the time she came around and opened her eyes, the sky was lightening a bit and the air thickened. She could look up to the hole in stairs above her but where she landed was no place she had seen. When she stirred, an ache ripped through her back and caused her to whimper, "Owww, that really hurt. I won't be able to sit for a week!" Her blanket had helped with the impact and she suddenly felt the chill again. As she pulled the blanket back around her lithe form, her eyes were cast up to the freedom that was above her, hoping to see Majic or Orphen heard her scream. What she got was Leki. The small dragon peeked over the edge at her and looked worried; somewhat puzzled at why Cleo was down in such a place. Cleo smiled with a great hope building in her eyes, "Leki! Good boy! Go find Orphen or Majic and tell them I'm down here! Tell them I need help!" Leki canted his head a bit and then disappeared from her sight.
Now all she could do was wait. For the first time, she peered into the place where she had fallen and found nothing but shadow. A great sea of black was the only thing which stared back and she couldn't help but shiver lightly when she looked into it. The darkest things came out of the darkest places and this ruin had once been a battlement and a place where death had been resident. Just when she was getting anxious for Orphen to peek over the side to help, a sound came from the dark. As if she wasn't flustered enough, now the ruin had began to play on her fears. "Surely you didn't just hear that, Cleo. There's nothing in the dark but air and rock." she said shakily while sliding to her feet.
To her regret, there was more in the dark than air and rock. A few glimmers of light caught her eye and the sound of scraping across stone tweaked her hearing; as if the place was touching each of her senses one by one. She only wanted to be out of the hole but no one had yet come to help her. Then she saw the first one. A skeleton of a man was leaning against the wall, apparently pinned by a large dagger impaled through its chest. Just the sight of it made her shriek, but then it seemed to react. As if drawn by her, it slowly straightened itself against the wall and lumbered towards her, the dagger slipping effortlessly between its ribs to remain in the wall. It wasn't the only one. A few of these dead soldiers began to emerge from the dark and moved towards her with a purpose. Some dragged sword clutched in their bony hands and some just came as bare as they were. Every one of them scared Cleo out of her wits. "Orphen! Orphen! Orphen! Somebody help meeeeee!"
By now she was pressed against the wall and screaming at the top of her lungs for help. She was in sleeping garments and Leki was nowhere in sight. She was at the mercy of these things and could only watch in terror as they got close.
Suddenly, one of the skeletons was halved down its middle and fell into a heap of bones and dust. Only a quick shimmer of light allowed Cleo to see another force at work. Soon there was a light show of reflection and movement, making all of the attacking skeletons collapse into a second death on the ground. These images reflected in her wide eyes and her mouth was quivering open at this force which came to her rescue. In the end, the final skeleton fell to pieces on the ground and the lightening sky shed light down onto a second life in the dark. All she could see was a figure, tall and slender. A long sword was slung onto a shoulder as attentions seemed to move to her next. There was no face and no detail that she could see, but she could tell it was a man by the shape of his body. Suddenly something was touching her leg and she looked down to see a bony arm and hand latched onto her calf, trying to somehow strike beyond the grave. The feel of the rotten bones made her howl out in disgust and kick the bones away. Then several moments were taken to rub her leg and rant in a sickened voice. "That was disgusting! It touched my right on the leg and tried to feel higher and it was so gross and the bones were still wet and it touched me!!"
After being convinced the bones were gone, she remembered the stranger and looked up, but found nothing but the empty place once more. Whoever it had been, they obviously didn't stay long enough to be recognized. Just as she took a step to look around better, a rope came down from above and draped on her head and shoulders. Once again she went into a panic, "Ahh! What now!? More skeletons and they're touching me all over!"
"What are you babbling about? I thought you wanted help out of there." came a voice from above and ceased her fears. Upon looking up, she saw Orphen, Majic and Leki all looking back down at her. Orphen was a bit perplexed as to why she was so worked up, but he had begun to expect her to act crazy in places like this.
The moment she climbed out of the hole she was clawing at him and weeping into his chest, as if the greatest nightmare of her life had just happened and she was all alone. "It was so scary! I fell into this pit and there were these skeletons what came alive and came after me! They were all bony and disgusting and one even touched me! The whole time I was screaming out but some other guy came but I couldn't really see his face, so I don't really know if he's a guy but he looked like one and he saved me and…" After a moment she trailed off and noticed he wasn't listening at all but just looking at her like she was overreacting. That only proved to make her more angry and she got very steamed at his disbelief, "What are you looking at!? Don't you believe me!?!"
"Sure. You're down and a pit and everything. But, where are the skeletons?" he replied and peered over her into the hole. Majic was peering intently down as well but there was nothing on the floor but dust and stone. The sky was lightening and the sun was nearly over the horizon by now. She had spent almost the whole night down there.
With her story shattered, she jumped from the edge of the pit and back to Orphen a few times, trying to figure out what could have happened. "But they were…I mean…I was right…but what…that's impossible! They were right there!" she shrieked and peered down into the pit with a heaving chest.
Orphen rolled his eyes a bit and headed back to the camp while Majic stood up next to her, hoping to offer some kind of comfort for her. "It's okay, Ms. Cleo. Maybe you hit your head when you fell and dreamed it all?" he offered.
It didn't go over too well and she suddenly grabbed him by the ear and barked violent words right into his head without a buffer, "I did not dream it all! They were right there and one even touched me right on the leg! You believe me, don't you, Majic!" In the face of such a face, he could only smile nervously and nod his head, hoping she would be satisfied with that. And in fact, she did let him go and go storming after Orphen. When Leki followed, Majic took one last look down into the hole before following and even then, an uneasy feeling crept over him and he stopped once more to peer at the shadows where the stairs led. Something foreboding was looming up somewhere near and he could feel it on his neck like a cold breath. In the end, he just turned and went back to camp as well.
It was up those stairs that two figures were perched, watching the events with mild curiosity. One was much smaller, perched on the shoulder of the other. The other had watched the rescue with great interest and ran his fingers over the dull metal on his left arm. A smile just as mild showed in the dark and he rose to his feet, taking the both of them deeper into the shadows.
"Honestly! How long did it take after I screamed before you came after me!? Who knows what would have happened to me if that stranger hadn't come and cut all those gross things up?" Cleo was still going on to Orphen when Majic got back and the sorcerer didn't seem to be all that interested in it. In fact, he was lying back down to sleep again as she was yelling at him, which only infuriated her more.
Before she could go any further, Orphen's eyes opened with a start. A figure was coming down right above him with a sword drawn back for a strike. He had barely enough time to roll out of the way before the tip of the sword impaled his bedding and shattered the stone beneath it to dust. Cleo yelped out as a shockwave from the impact knocked her down and Majic ran to help her, but they all looked up at the same time to find nothing. Orphen's bed was in ruins and there was a crater in the ground where the point had stabbed the earth. "That wasn't an ordinary sword." he muttered and looked around for the assailant. His hands were clenched in anticipation but the ruin was dead and offered no clue as to the next attack. Cleo and Majic watched silently and hoped the next attack wouldn't be on them, but Cleo was the most stirred.
A shadow wavered and Orphen stood straight, his hands opening to let power be wielded. "I release thee, light's unsheathed blade!" he called and a blast of light was sent into the dark. The attacker was found but Orphen was suddenly stricken with what happened to his attack. Without an incantation, the light was stopped by a shield of some kind and dissipated against the wall of green light. The attacker was holding out his left hand and didn't seem to have a scratch on him. With Orphen locating him, there was little else he could do. Speed which took the sorcerer back brought this attacker down on him again and the sword was axed at him from overhead. He barely had enough time to mount a defense, "Blade of Satan, whom I call forth!" A blue blade of light erupted from his hand and he stopped the sword from splitting him in two, but just barely. Though he had seen his blade of light shatter most any metal, this sword seemed to immune to the energy and actually put a strain on his magic. They stood there, pitting metal against magic and strength against spirit. The length at which it could have lasted was a mystery but a single word ended it before that became a factor.
"Orphen!"
Cleo was pulling against Majic's grasp as she looked at the battle. The idea of Orphen being hurt never set well with her and she looked from fighter to fighter, her eyes glowing with worry. Though he couldn't give her a moment of his attention, the scion suddenly felt an easement from the swordsman and took a breath upon hearing a slightly familiar voice. "Orphen? As in the devious, self-centered sorcerer who uses his hands more than he uses his head?"
The swordsman and the sorcerer separated slowly and Orphen finally got a good look at his attacker. The short, black hair, the armor on the left arm and the mythical sword all hit him at the same time and his face lightened considerably. "Pallas? Is that you? What are you doing here?"
Cleo and Majic both stared blankly as this new person and Orphen greeted each other with smiles now. From battle to banter in less than a second, it was obvious the two had met before. "I guess they know each other? Weren't they just fighting?" Cleo asked and looked over this new person. He was tall and lean, having the build of one who lived with a sword and fought many battles. He couldn't have been much older than Orphen. A few scars lined his bare arms and the favor of the light made her look down a moment, perhaps noticing this man a little too well.
Pallas had been a swordsman all his life. With the exception of the enchanted armor and sword, he had never had the genes for magic. However, he had always been an exceptional swordsman and found a name for himself with the blade and not the spell. He was a young man with great skill and great dreams. Such a thing was the equation for a great man. His dark eyes would shimmer violet on enough light and anything such as hair or clothing that could obstruct a swordfight was kept short and neat. Unlike most swordsmen, he wore little armor. Aside from the shoulder armor on his right shoulder, a skeletal piece of armor covered his left forearm and hand, coming to dull claws at the tips of his fingers and having a long plate on the dorsal side. A sorcerer's ward was engraved on the plate and gave the armor a single defensive ability against most magic. When used the right way, this armor could defend against spell and sword, but only someone skilled enough to use it would be able to wield the ward.
Orphen had always been intrigued by the armor and eyed it a moment, but then let his eyes fall to the greater of the treasures this man held. "Still have the Salt Abbey Sword, huh? I thought a rogue like you would have lost it in a bet long before now!" he quipped and smiled at his friend.
"Unlike some people, I don't lose when I bet. I'm surprised to see you walking around fully clothed, Orphen." Pallas replied and slung the sword across his shoulder. The stance made Cleo gasp and memories of the pit wash through her mind. He had been the one who came and sent those skeletons to their graves once more. With the realization, she jumped up and ran up to them both, smiling widely for their mutual benefit.
"Ahhh, it was you! You saved me from all of those gross skeletons! I told you I wasn't dreaming, Orphen!"
They both looked to a moment, then to each other again. Pallas itched his head with the flat end of his sword and then nodded towards her. "Who's the skirt? Don't tell me she's your wife."
"Wife!? How could you even think that!" she roared at him with a discreet blush running rampant on her face. The very idea made her seethe, but it did hold a certain appeal deep with her teenage mind. This guy did have a blunt way of bringing things up and she crossed her arms, looking down between them with a fear of looking at either, hoping not to reveal something that remained hidden.
"We're on a journey. Her name is Cleo and this is my assistant Majic." Orphen said and pointed to the boy lurking away from them all. Pallas looked to him with a quirked brow, and then waved a free hand towards him. Majic oddly looked away when he did and tried to hide something he was thinking. Though this was very odd for him, Orphen just looked back to Pallas with a smile and enjoyed seeing him once again. "How come you're way out here? Don't tell me the famous Rune Fighter of Balloria is sleeping in ruins instead of palaces now."
This made Pallas grin sheepishly and rub his neck, wishing he hadn't brought up that name in front of the others. Much to his dismay, Cleo's face brightened at the name. "You mean you're the Rune Fighter? I've heard stories about you everywhere! Is it true you fought an entire army to save that single mother and her sick child?" she asked and looked up to him with sparkling eyes. This had been the best thing that happened to her in a while and she was grateful for such a break.
He laughed weakly and slowly slid his sword into the scabbard behind his waist. There was something tired in his eyes when he looked at her and his smile seemed to hide a mountain. "Those stories get exaggerated by everyone. It was more like ten guys and they were just trying to steal the boy's inheritance. Really, I'm just a normal guy who knows how to hold a sword. Orphen here, he's the real deal; mister big shot sorcerer who's got the Tower's panties in a knot. Did you ever find whatever it was you were looking for?"
The quest was brought back into focus for all of them and Orphen's face dimmed. With the shake of his head, he summed it up for Pallas and all was understood. In the air of this reunion, a shadow fluttered about the group with silent wings. Eyes befell the young girl and a giddy laugh was lost in the warming breeze of the rising sun. After a spiraling descent, the creature landed on Cleo's shoulder and embraced the strands of hair, taking a deep breath and snuggling up to them. "So soft and clean. I bet you get washed every day, don't you? Heee! I want it all!" it said with a high-pitched laugh.
The feeling of something tugging at her hair caused Cleo to blink and turn her head slightly. What she saw was a black form out of the corner of her eye and she suddenly shrieked. Visions of punctures on the neck and furry fliers made her flail wildly and run around with her rider clinging desperately to her hair. "It's a bat! It's a bat! It's a bat! Get it off me!! I'm gonna be bitten and get rabies or…ewww! Get it off!" she squealed and finally managed to knock the creature from her shoulder. The others were watching speechlessly as she pulled her shoe off and began beating the protesting creature.
"I'm not a bat! Ow! Would you…ack! Pallas! Help me!"
Suddenly Cleo's arm seized and caused her retaliation to come to a screeching halt. With a look of surprise, she turned her head and found Pallas standing behind her, his fingers pinched on her shoe and keeping it from pounding the small figure any longer. "Does that look like bat to you?" he asked and pointed down with his other hand. Upon inspection of her alleged bat, she found a human-like being with two large wings like a bats. By now he was beaten and maimed, but he slowly sat up and held his head, a disoriented look on his face.
"What happened?" he droned in his quiet, high-pitched voice.
Although it wasn't a bat, she wasn't too impressed with the naked little creature and suddenly jumped behind Pallas, peeking around him and clutching to his arm tightly. Her face exhumed exactly what manner of thought she had, for most natural things born of magic were a little too odd for her to like. "What is it!? It looks like a bat. Are you sure it's not a bat?"
"It's an imp." Orphen idly stepped forward and peered down at the creature. He had never seen one before, but he had heard of them. There wasn't much information about any sub-species of dragons and only a few were even named, but now he was introduced to one right in front of him, which made a few questions arise to the one he knew before. "Is this yours, Pallas? I didn't think you had much faith in magic or magical creatures."
Pallas looked over his shoulder at him but didn't answer right away. Cleo was a bit puzzled by the look in his eyes but when the imp began to flap its wings and rise into the air, she shrunk away behind him once more with a start. The creature was a bit wobbly and still straightening himself out, but it finally began to hold aloft in front of them all. An annoyed expression made it look particularly dark but the voice always seemed to detract from such a ferocious being. "I'm not anyone's! My name is Chiron and I'm tagging along with this human until he takes me where I need to go. If you got a problem with that, sorcerer, come over here and I'll show you how magic is really used!" he hissed and curled a small claw towards Orphen. The threat didn't seem to hold any weight as he smirked lightly, half tempted to cast a spell on the imp to teach him a lesson. However, Pallas pulled away from Cleo finally and snatched the imp out of the air, holding him tightly in his hand and turning to face them all with that glass smile.
"Now that the formal introductions are over, what say you to traveling to Okenforde together? Come on, Orphen, it'll be a good chance to catch up."
Cleo smiled brightly at this idea and looked forward to any time spent with the swordsman. Majic was still battling some entombed feeling he had about this man and wondered if the imp was the source of it. Ultimately, Orphen was the deciding vote. With a smile, he nodded and waved his hand towards Majic. "That sounds like a good idea. Majic, clean the camp up and let's get going." he ordered and filed out of the camp with Pallas at his side. The conversation began to drift as they got further away, "How did you know we were going to Okenforde?"
"Hah! Junk food and women in the same place? Where else would you be going?"
"Would ya keep it down? The whole world doesn't need to know the finer details of our trips together, Pallas."
"Maybe you have changed, Orphen."
Majic hadn't said much while cleaning up the camp. His face told a thousand stories while he began to shove everything into the travel cases and someone came up behind him. "Majic? Why are you so quiet? I thought you'd be happy to meet the Rune Fighter."
He looked up to her and hid what he was thinking behind a smile. With him, everything was kept neatly inside until he could express it at the right time. "I've just been thinking, that's all. From the stories I've heard, he's really great. I guess I was just overwhelmed." he lied and began humming as he finished. Cleo didn't exactly understand what was going on, but she nodded once and started after the two. Soon enough he was following also, staring at the distant figures ahead. Not from the bags or even from the warming sun did he sweat, but beads cooled on his skin and made him grimace under a strain.
"Maybe I am just overreacting. There's nothing to be worried about. Even the master trusts him. Everyone knows how great he is. So…why do I get this bad feeling when he's around?"