Perhaps I should finish my other stories someday, but these ideas just keep on coming. This story takes on a more soap opera quality, I think. I don't really know too much how it will turn out. Heck, I don't even know how all my stories will turn out. So therefore it is not just a surprise for you, but also for me. Hope your not too disappointed with this one. I like it. I'll just see what you think according to your reviews. (Hint, hint.) Have you ever seen Legally Blond? Well this is sort of copying off that but not really because that would be really strange. I don't own Diablo or anything I copy because then it wouldn't be called copying. Anyway as you can see I just like to talk/write a lot. : )
~
Dedicated to Darkshin who gave me the idea for this story without him even knowing it.
~
The Paladin thought he had all the troubles in the world when it came to defeating Diablo. But what happens when his girlfriend decides to join in on the escapade?
The Paladin's Girl
By: RedLady
______________________________________________________________________________
Part 1: The Girlfriend
"There is a caravan coming in from the West!" One of the mercenaries yelled from a top the west wall of the city of Lut Gholein. The news traveled throughout the city and gossip spread like locusts. No one had come since the mercenaries a month ago. Now the mercenaries where a part of everyday life in the city. At first people were a little nervous to have such rough men in their little town. Now even though they sometimes grumbled, there were more interesting rumors like a monster roaming the sewers and the brothels taking refuge in the castle. The towns people had nearly forgot about the rich young and beautiful woman the mercenaries had brought with them. She spent her time in the inn owned by Elzix, or looking through the wares the merchants had set up around the town.
She was Cassandra and no one knew too much about her except that she was extremely beautiful and extremely rich as she spent her money freely among the merchants buying knickknacks here and there. When this particular Cassandra heard there was a caravan coming from the West. She quickly put on her best white yet simple dress, brushed her long brown hair, and gingerly washed her hands and face. She ran to the only entrance to the city of Lut Gholein.
"Do you think it is him?" She asked the head mercenary, Griez. "I'm not sure. It's people, that much I know. But who? I cannot say. It's nice to know it's safe enough for a caravan to ride. Tis a wonder they made it this far!" She nodded. An excitement grew in her. It had to be him. George. Her lover. She imagined this day when they would meet again for a long time . . .
The wind would softly blow her hair and white dress. The sun would give her complexion a soft glow. He would rush through the gate his sword held high with perfectly shined metal. He would see her and she would look shyly in his direction. Then they would run to each other in slow motion. He would sweep her off her feet twirl her around a couple times then gently let her down lean over her and give her the most romantic kiss she had ever dreamed of.
Of course none of this happened. There was no wind and the sweltering sun shone harshly on her, burning her scalp and making it impossible to see without squinting. She began to sweat profoundly making her white dress stick to her stiffly. And when he saw her, his expression was far from glamorous.
The caravan trudged in wearily. The caravan was led by a heavy clothed merchant, Warriv. Who tipped his hat at her when he saw her. He sat on a camel, behind him was a wagon being pulled by two more camels.
He talked with Griez a bit and Griez inspected the wagon and nodded him to proceed to the back of the town. She followed hesitantly behind the big wagon wondering if George was with this Warriv. He had come from a small Rouge encampment in the West. George had to be with him. Finally Warriv stopped at the edge of the town next to a wall and yelled, "Everybody out!"
First stepped out an old man who wore a long corse grey cloak and a staff. Then out stepped a tall brawny Amazon warrior. She was beginning to lose hope of seeing her lover when he finally did step out from the wagon. She was overjoyed and ran over to him. "George!" she cried. He squinted at her and his jaw dropped about ten feet.
"Cassie! Is that you!" He said confused. The Amazon eyed her suspiciously. Cassandra was expecting to get swept of her feet or at least a hug, but instead all she got was "What are you doing here!?"
~
"What are you doing here!" George the Paladin yelled again.
"I'm here to help you fight!" Cassandra said cheerfully. He couldn't believe it. "Is everything in Laventheil all right!" He asked thinking perhaps Diablo's evil had spread to Cassandra's hometown.
"Everything's fine!" She said cheerfully.
"What about your father! I thought you were staying with him!"
"I decided I wanted to be with you." She said simply and went up and hugged him. He stood there awkwardly because the Amazon was watching. He smiled nervously at the Amazon and the Amazon laughed and turned away.
"But how did you get here?" He asked. "It's not safe for a girl like you to be out here. What about all the savage beasts that have been roaming the lands recently!?"
"Oh don't worry. The mercenaries protected me."
"What do you mean?"
"I rode in with them a month ago!"
"You rode with mercenaries! Did they hurt you or harass you in any way? If they did I'll . . ."
"No silly. My father paid them dearly to protect me."
"Your father let you come!"
"Yes--"
"But why! Wasn't he worried? Didn't he disapprove of you coming?"
"Oh you know how daddy is! He even encouraged me to go. He said I must do what my heart was telling me--"
"And what was that?"
"To be with you! We were gonna be married soon anyway. Right? If only you hadn't taken that oath and left to that Rouge Encampment. But I'm not mad anymore. I thought about it and decided it was really honorable to want to help the innocent and I decided I wanted to, too."
He stared at her in disbelief and shock. This was the girl who worried about broken nails and messed up hair. He couldn't believe she had actually come here and even having the thought of fighting cross her mind . . .
"Cassie," He said putting his arms on her shoulder. "That was really nice of you to come and all, but you should go home. This just isn't the place for girls like you . . ."
"But I missed you!" She said hugging him again.
"I missed you too, but how can I know your safe unless your with your father in Laventheil?"
"I'll be fine." She jumped back excitably. "I've been practicing those moves you taught me!" She said getting into a fighting position.
"But I only taught you that for self defense!"
"Well now I can defend myself against monsters!" She said happily.
He looked at her sighing. He noticed her nice white dress she was wearing. It was a style you didn't see any of the ladies wearing around here. She stuck out like a diamond among the rock. He led her inside Atma's bar as she excitably talked of how happy she was to see him.
~
"So who's the girl?" The Amazon asked as George rummaged through his stuff. "She's Cassandra, my girlfriend." He said sheepishly.
"She doesn't look like a warrior."
"She's not."
"Then what's she doing here? On a short vacation visiting her boyfriend?"
"She wants to help me . . ."
"How? To amuse you and keep you occupied at night?"
"No! She is the daughter of a very rich and powerful man. It would not only be a sin to betray his trust, but to also betray my oath of honor. She has been my arranged bride since my childhood I would never betray the teachings of my elders who have arranged this in the first place!"
"You're still a man." The Amazon teased. "Even Paladins have . . . urges."
"Shut up Briana! You know nothing of it. She wants to help me fight."
She smirked and leaned on a wall with her arms crossed. "That's funny." She said simply. "How could a pretty maiden like that actually hope to contribute anything to our quests?"
"OUR quests." He said darkly emphasizing the 'our'.
"You agreed that we would work together Paladin." Briana argued.
"Yes I did." George answered downcast. This Amazon was forever getting on his nerves!
"Still, you're not going to let her fight, are you?"
"No. But she does have a mind of her own about things."
"Must not be much of one." Briana commented.
George sighed. "Just be nice to her OK? She's not used to the world yet."
"I'll make her feel right at home!" Briana said sarcastically. "I'll even teach her the javelin . . ."
"NO!" George said quickly. He didn't want Cassandra to learn anything else.
"Very well. She's your deal then."
~
Cassandra ran to George who was in Atma's bar. "George!" She yelled he looked up from his conversation with chubby looking man. She ran over to him and sat down beside him.
"Who's the lady?" the chubby guy asked with a jug of beer in his hand.
"This is Cassandra. Cassandra this is Geglash. He was just telling me how Griez has organized his mercenaries to protect this city."
"I could have told you that!" She said playfully hitting George in the arm. The guy named Geglash nodded at her and walked away.
"George!" She said hurriedly pulling at his sleeve. "Atma was just telling me the saddest story. Her husband and son where killed by a monster in the sewers. We got to go help her!"
"WE!" George said seriously. Suddenly all these woman wanted to follow his everywhere. He should have been flattered, but was far from it.
"Yes. She told me where the entrance to the sewer was."
"Cas . . ."
"It's over by where Griez stands all the time."
"Cas . . ."
"I think she and Griez like each other, but with her husband just killed and all . . ."
"CAS!" George yelled her nickname.
"Yes George." she said politely ready to listen.
"You're not going!"
"Not going . . ." Cassandra said comprehending his words.
"Yes. Not going!"
"But why not! I can help you too."
"I can't fight while worrying about your safety."
"I can protect myself!"
"No!" he yelled. "Besides a sewer isn't actually a place for a girl."
"But you'll let that brawny Amazon go won't you!" She challenged.
"But she has more experience in fighting than you do!"
Just then, lo and behold, who should walk in? None other than the Amazon, Briana.
"I hear there is a new quest down in the sewers." She said smiling once at Cassandra then ignoring her. Cassandra wasn't sure if the Amazon had been listening to their conversation or not.
"Yeah." George said sighing.
"And I'm gonna help!" Cassandra said excitably.
Briana looked at the woman agitated.
"You?" She said in mock disbelief.
"Yeah. Why not?"
"For one thing, you'll probably get you dress dirty from rat dung!"
"What! There's rats down there!"
"Not to mention actual monsters that would love to tear that pretty flesh of yours!"
Cassandra eyed Briana curiously.
George getting a headache from the two women, sighed and said. "Lets just get some rest." He turned to Cassandra. "Cassandra we'll talk about it in the morning."
George made his way to the inn.
"I have a feeling that Amazon doesn't like me." Cassandra whispered catching up to him.
"She's just not used to you." George shrugged. "You just have to get used to each other I guess." George said feeling like he was trying to explain some sort of Physics problem and couldn't. Cassandra shrugged and pecked him on the cheek.
"Thanks for letting me go with you. I knew you would understand. It's been my life long dream to help the helpless and I never knew how til now."
"I never said you could go." George warned.
"I know you will though." Cassandra said giving his hand a squeeze. Then she ran off to her room down the hall.
He sighed guiltily because he really wasn't planning on letting her fight. It was totally out of the question. He wasn't sure how she would far out in the desert. He wanted to send her home at all costs. Then a guilty plan formed in his mind. If he couldn't persuade her away from her foolish dream of fighting, he would keep her from it as long as he could.
~
The next morning George was hastily eating his breakfast.
"Come on. Hurry up!" He urged Briana. "I want to leave before Cas wakes up."
She smirked and took another bight of her porridge with extra sluggishness. If she had been eating slow before than she was eating extra slow now just to annoy him. George glared at her. She had a habit of annoying him like that.
Just as he was about to walk out the door, Cassandra walked in bumping into him.
"Are you ready to go kill that monster in the sewers?" She asked cheerfully. She now wore a simple orange and green skirt with a matching shirt with golden thread. She held some sort of glittering dagger in her hand.
"I'm surprised you didn't chicken out!" Briana commented.
"Where did you get the dagger?" George asked sensing a certain magic to it.
.
"I bought it from this really nice blacksmith named Fara. She used to be a Paladin just like you too. She is really talented and can do these tricks with her hammer. I even got her to put in some of these rubies I had."
"You wasted rubies on that piece of junk?" Briana interrupted.
Cassandra looked at Briana with hurt feelings. "I thought it made it look nice."
"Weapons aren't always supposed to look nice." Briana answered rather harshly then pulled out her bow which looked rather worn with scratches and a was a little bent.
"See this bow." Briana said. "It may be old and the paint may be scratched, but it's never missed the bulls eye."
"Ooh!" Cassandra cooed over the bow as Briana smiled on proudly. George looked on in shock because for a minute Briana and Cas seemed to be connecting. For a moment he wanted Cas to be with him as he journeyed through the desert. If only she had been there at the lonely Rouge Encampment . . .
But no. He didn't want her to suffer the same things he had. The weariness he felt everyday not being able to enjoy a warm bath or decent diet. He wanted her to be with her father where he knew every one of her whims would be provided for and she would be safe. . .
"Cas, I don't want you going with us." George suddenly said.
"Now don't worry about me." Cassandra assured. "I can take care of myself. Now let's go!" She said and led them to the sewer's trap door. George sighed and knew it was useless to argue with her. For as long as he knew she had been headstrong. He stood there and watched her walk toward the front of the city. He closed his eyes and prayed for her safety and an aura formed around her.
Cas looked around at the aura surrounding her and looked happily back at George. "Thanks." She mouthed and quickly turned and just about skipped to the front of the town. George followed wearily wondering what would happen next. Briana just followed chuckling amusingly.
~
Cassandra waited at the trap door for the other two to catch up. Where they not as excited as she was? She glanced over a Griez who walked over to her. "What are you up to, may I ask madam?" He was always extra polite to her because of all the money her father had given to him.
"I'm going on a quest to kill the monster in the sewers that has been terrifying the people." Cassandra answered cheerfully. Griez chuckled. "Yeah I heard about that monster. I would have sent some men down there along time ago, but we are more needed up here than down there."
"I know." Cassandra agreed. "It is really great what you are doing for these people, protecting them and all. And I can't thank you enough for my safe arrival here."
"Perhaps I can spare one man." Griez said with a sly look in his eye. "LEHARAS!" Griez yelled and immediately a young man with a spear marched up.
"Sir?" He answered standing stiffly in front of Griez. "Follow this young lady and help her through any quests she might decide to undertake."
Leharas looked over at the girl and nodded respectably. "Yes sir!"
"Oh thank you Griez!" Cassandra yelped and put her arms around the startled man.
He stiffly hugged her back just as George and Briana walked up.
George looked at Griez suspiciously and cleared his throat so that Cassandra knew he was there. Cassandra let go of Griez and ran over to George excitably.
"Oh George!" She exclaimed. "Griez just gave me a free mercenary! Can you believe it?"
Without waiting for an answer she looked seriously over at Griez. "I thank you. I hope this won't put a strain on the rest of your men. I know how much you need your men at this time."
Griez waved his hand at her. "No. Don't worry. Ever since the caravan came through, it has been quiet around here. Though I fear it may only be the calm before the storm." He muttered.
"Thank you Mr. Griez." George said nodding his head at the mercenary. Then he pushed Cassandra toward the trap door. "We best be going." He muttered and turned away from the mercenary. This mercenary made him weary around his girlfriend.
Just as everyone began piling into the sewers Griez stopped his man, Leharas. "Make sure she doesn't get killed. OK?" Griez asked him. The mercenary nodded his head and was the last to enter the sewer. Griez didn't know what to expect from this woman, but he didn't want her to be killed not just because her father might send him more money, but because he had a genuine concern for the girl. He would have gone with her himself, but more immediate matters needed attending to. He had a meeting with Jerhyn to discuss the further protection of the town.
~
One word: Review. : ) I am at your mercy . . .
Also let me advertise here for a story I wrote along with another author called, "LETS GO KILL DIABLO!" I wrote that along with Adro13 and we haven't gotten much reviews lately and are wondering if you like it or not. Review that too and tell us what you think. : )
~
Dedicated to Darkshin who gave me the idea for this story without him even knowing it.
~
The Paladin thought he had all the troubles in the world when it came to defeating Diablo. But what happens when his girlfriend decides to join in on the escapade?
The Paladin's Girl
By: RedLady
______________________________________________________________________________
Part 1: The Girlfriend
"There is a caravan coming in from the West!" One of the mercenaries yelled from a top the west wall of the city of Lut Gholein. The news traveled throughout the city and gossip spread like locusts. No one had come since the mercenaries a month ago. Now the mercenaries where a part of everyday life in the city. At first people were a little nervous to have such rough men in their little town. Now even though they sometimes grumbled, there were more interesting rumors like a monster roaming the sewers and the brothels taking refuge in the castle. The towns people had nearly forgot about the rich young and beautiful woman the mercenaries had brought with them. She spent her time in the inn owned by Elzix, or looking through the wares the merchants had set up around the town.
She was Cassandra and no one knew too much about her except that she was extremely beautiful and extremely rich as she spent her money freely among the merchants buying knickknacks here and there. When this particular Cassandra heard there was a caravan coming from the West. She quickly put on her best white yet simple dress, brushed her long brown hair, and gingerly washed her hands and face. She ran to the only entrance to the city of Lut Gholein.
"Do you think it is him?" She asked the head mercenary, Griez. "I'm not sure. It's people, that much I know. But who? I cannot say. It's nice to know it's safe enough for a caravan to ride. Tis a wonder they made it this far!" She nodded. An excitement grew in her. It had to be him. George. Her lover. She imagined this day when they would meet again for a long time . . .
The wind would softly blow her hair and white dress. The sun would give her complexion a soft glow. He would rush through the gate his sword held high with perfectly shined metal. He would see her and she would look shyly in his direction. Then they would run to each other in slow motion. He would sweep her off her feet twirl her around a couple times then gently let her down lean over her and give her the most romantic kiss she had ever dreamed of.
Of course none of this happened. There was no wind and the sweltering sun shone harshly on her, burning her scalp and making it impossible to see without squinting. She began to sweat profoundly making her white dress stick to her stiffly. And when he saw her, his expression was far from glamorous.
The caravan trudged in wearily. The caravan was led by a heavy clothed merchant, Warriv. Who tipped his hat at her when he saw her. He sat on a camel, behind him was a wagon being pulled by two more camels.
He talked with Griez a bit and Griez inspected the wagon and nodded him to proceed to the back of the town. She followed hesitantly behind the big wagon wondering if George was with this Warriv. He had come from a small Rouge encampment in the West. George had to be with him. Finally Warriv stopped at the edge of the town next to a wall and yelled, "Everybody out!"
First stepped out an old man who wore a long corse grey cloak and a staff. Then out stepped a tall brawny Amazon warrior. She was beginning to lose hope of seeing her lover when he finally did step out from the wagon. She was overjoyed and ran over to him. "George!" she cried. He squinted at her and his jaw dropped about ten feet.
"Cassie! Is that you!" He said confused. The Amazon eyed her suspiciously. Cassandra was expecting to get swept of her feet or at least a hug, but instead all she got was "What are you doing here!?"
~
"What are you doing here!" George the Paladin yelled again.
"I'm here to help you fight!" Cassandra said cheerfully. He couldn't believe it. "Is everything in Laventheil all right!" He asked thinking perhaps Diablo's evil had spread to Cassandra's hometown.
"Everything's fine!" She said cheerfully.
"What about your father! I thought you were staying with him!"
"I decided I wanted to be with you." She said simply and went up and hugged him. He stood there awkwardly because the Amazon was watching. He smiled nervously at the Amazon and the Amazon laughed and turned away.
"But how did you get here?" He asked. "It's not safe for a girl like you to be out here. What about all the savage beasts that have been roaming the lands recently!?"
"Oh don't worry. The mercenaries protected me."
"What do you mean?"
"I rode in with them a month ago!"
"You rode with mercenaries! Did they hurt you or harass you in any way? If they did I'll . . ."
"No silly. My father paid them dearly to protect me."
"Your father let you come!"
"Yes--"
"But why! Wasn't he worried? Didn't he disapprove of you coming?"
"Oh you know how daddy is! He even encouraged me to go. He said I must do what my heart was telling me--"
"And what was that?"
"To be with you! We were gonna be married soon anyway. Right? If only you hadn't taken that oath and left to that Rouge Encampment. But I'm not mad anymore. I thought about it and decided it was really honorable to want to help the innocent and I decided I wanted to, too."
He stared at her in disbelief and shock. This was the girl who worried about broken nails and messed up hair. He couldn't believe she had actually come here and even having the thought of fighting cross her mind . . .
"Cassie," He said putting his arms on her shoulder. "That was really nice of you to come and all, but you should go home. This just isn't the place for girls like you . . ."
"But I missed you!" She said hugging him again.
"I missed you too, but how can I know your safe unless your with your father in Laventheil?"
"I'll be fine." She jumped back excitably. "I've been practicing those moves you taught me!" She said getting into a fighting position.
"But I only taught you that for self defense!"
"Well now I can defend myself against monsters!" She said happily.
He looked at her sighing. He noticed her nice white dress she was wearing. It was a style you didn't see any of the ladies wearing around here. She stuck out like a diamond among the rock. He led her inside Atma's bar as she excitably talked of how happy she was to see him.
~
"So who's the girl?" The Amazon asked as George rummaged through his stuff. "She's Cassandra, my girlfriend." He said sheepishly.
"She doesn't look like a warrior."
"She's not."
"Then what's she doing here? On a short vacation visiting her boyfriend?"
"She wants to help me . . ."
"How? To amuse you and keep you occupied at night?"
"No! She is the daughter of a very rich and powerful man. It would not only be a sin to betray his trust, but to also betray my oath of honor. She has been my arranged bride since my childhood I would never betray the teachings of my elders who have arranged this in the first place!"
"You're still a man." The Amazon teased. "Even Paladins have . . . urges."
"Shut up Briana! You know nothing of it. She wants to help me fight."
She smirked and leaned on a wall with her arms crossed. "That's funny." She said simply. "How could a pretty maiden like that actually hope to contribute anything to our quests?"
"OUR quests." He said darkly emphasizing the 'our'.
"You agreed that we would work together Paladin." Briana argued.
"Yes I did." George answered downcast. This Amazon was forever getting on his nerves!
"Still, you're not going to let her fight, are you?"
"No. But she does have a mind of her own about things."
"Must not be much of one." Briana commented.
George sighed. "Just be nice to her OK? She's not used to the world yet."
"I'll make her feel right at home!" Briana said sarcastically. "I'll even teach her the javelin . . ."
"NO!" George said quickly. He didn't want Cassandra to learn anything else.
"Very well. She's your deal then."
~
Cassandra ran to George who was in Atma's bar. "George!" She yelled he looked up from his conversation with chubby looking man. She ran over to him and sat down beside him.
"Who's the lady?" the chubby guy asked with a jug of beer in his hand.
"This is Cassandra. Cassandra this is Geglash. He was just telling me how Griez has organized his mercenaries to protect this city."
"I could have told you that!" She said playfully hitting George in the arm. The guy named Geglash nodded at her and walked away.
"George!" She said hurriedly pulling at his sleeve. "Atma was just telling me the saddest story. Her husband and son where killed by a monster in the sewers. We got to go help her!"
"WE!" George said seriously. Suddenly all these woman wanted to follow his everywhere. He should have been flattered, but was far from it.
"Yes. She told me where the entrance to the sewer was."
"Cas . . ."
"It's over by where Griez stands all the time."
"Cas . . ."
"I think she and Griez like each other, but with her husband just killed and all . . ."
"CAS!" George yelled her nickname.
"Yes George." she said politely ready to listen.
"You're not going!"
"Not going . . ." Cassandra said comprehending his words.
"Yes. Not going!"
"But why not! I can help you too."
"I can't fight while worrying about your safety."
"I can protect myself!"
"No!" he yelled. "Besides a sewer isn't actually a place for a girl."
"But you'll let that brawny Amazon go won't you!" She challenged.
"But she has more experience in fighting than you do!"
Just then, lo and behold, who should walk in? None other than the Amazon, Briana.
"I hear there is a new quest down in the sewers." She said smiling once at Cassandra then ignoring her. Cassandra wasn't sure if the Amazon had been listening to their conversation or not.
"Yeah." George said sighing.
"And I'm gonna help!" Cassandra said excitably.
Briana looked at the woman agitated.
"You?" She said in mock disbelief.
"Yeah. Why not?"
"For one thing, you'll probably get you dress dirty from rat dung!"
"What! There's rats down there!"
"Not to mention actual monsters that would love to tear that pretty flesh of yours!"
Cassandra eyed Briana curiously.
George getting a headache from the two women, sighed and said. "Lets just get some rest." He turned to Cassandra. "Cassandra we'll talk about it in the morning."
George made his way to the inn.
"I have a feeling that Amazon doesn't like me." Cassandra whispered catching up to him.
"She's just not used to you." George shrugged. "You just have to get used to each other I guess." George said feeling like he was trying to explain some sort of Physics problem and couldn't. Cassandra shrugged and pecked him on the cheek.
"Thanks for letting me go with you. I knew you would understand. It's been my life long dream to help the helpless and I never knew how til now."
"I never said you could go." George warned.
"I know you will though." Cassandra said giving his hand a squeeze. Then she ran off to her room down the hall.
He sighed guiltily because he really wasn't planning on letting her fight. It was totally out of the question. He wasn't sure how she would far out in the desert. He wanted to send her home at all costs. Then a guilty plan formed in his mind. If he couldn't persuade her away from her foolish dream of fighting, he would keep her from it as long as he could.
~
The next morning George was hastily eating his breakfast.
"Come on. Hurry up!" He urged Briana. "I want to leave before Cas wakes up."
She smirked and took another bight of her porridge with extra sluggishness. If she had been eating slow before than she was eating extra slow now just to annoy him. George glared at her. She had a habit of annoying him like that.
Just as he was about to walk out the door, Cassandra walked in bumping into him.
"Are you ready to go kill that monster in the sewers?" She asked cheerfully. She now wore a simple orange and green skirt with a matching shirt with golden thread. She held some sort of glittering dagger in her hand.
"I'm surprised you didn't chicken out!" Briana commented.
"Where did you get the dagger?" George asked sensing a certain magic to it.
.
"I bought it from this really nice blacksmith named Fara. She used to be a Paladin just like you too. She is really talented and can do these tricks with her hammer. I even got her to put in some of these rubies I had."
"You wasted rubies on that piece of junk?" Briana interrupted.
Cassandra looked at Briana with hurt feelings. "I thought it made it look nice."
"Weapons aren't always supposed to look nice." Briana answered rather harshly then pulled out her bow which looked rather worn with scratches and a was a little bent.
"See this bow." Briana said. "It may be old and the paint may be scratched, but it's never missed the bulls eye."
"Ooh!" Cassandra cooed over the bow as Briana smiled on proudly. George looked on in shock because for a minute Briana and Cas seemed to be connecting. For a moment he wanted Cas to be with him as he journeyed through the desert. If only she had been there at the lonely Rouge Encampment . . .
But no. He didn't want her to suffer the same things he had. The weariness he felt everyday not being able to enjoy a warm bath or decent diet. He wanted her to be with her father where he knew every one of her whims would be provided for and she would be safe. . .
"Cas, I don't want you going with us." George suddenly said.
"Now don't worry about me." Cassandra assured. "I can take care of myself. Now let's go!" She said and led them to the sewer's trap door. George sighed and knew it was useless to argue with her. For as long as he knew she had been headstrong. He stood there and watched her walk toward the front of the city. He closed his eyes and prayed for her safety and an aura formed around her.
Cas looked around at the aura surrounding her and looked happily back at George. "Thanks." She mouthed and quickly turned and just about skipped to the front of the town. George followed wearily wondering what would happen next. Briana just followed chuckling amusingly.
~
Cassandra waited at the trap door for the other two to catch up. Where they not as excited as she was? She glanced over a Griez who walked over to her. "What are you up to, may I ask madam?" He was always extra polite to her because of all the money her father had given to him.
"I'm going on a quest to kill the monster in the sewers that has been terrifying the people." Cassandra answered cheerfully. Griez chuckled. "Yeah I heard about that monster. I would have sent some men down there along time ago, but we are more needed up here than down there."
"I know." Cassandra agreed. "It is really great what you are doing for these people, protecting them and all. And I can't thank you enough for my safe arrival here."
"Perhaps I can spare one man." Griez said with a sly look in his eye. "LEHARAS!" Griez yelled and immediately a young man with a spear marched up.
"Sir?" He answered standing stiffly in front of Griez. "Follow this young lady and help her through any quests she might decide to undertake."
Leharas looked over at the girl and nodded respectably. "Yes sir!"
"Oh thank you Griez!" Cassandra yelped and put her arms around the startled man.
He stiffly hugged her back just as George and Briana walked up.
George looked at Griez suspiciously and cleared his throat so that Cassandra knew he was there. Cassandra let go of Griez and ran over to George excitably.
"Oh George!" She exclaimed. "Griez just gave me a free mercenary! Can you believe it?"
Without waiting for an answer she looked seriously over at Griez. "I thank you. I hope this won't put a strain on the rest of your men. I know how much you need your men at this time."
Griez waved his hand at her. "No. Don't worry. Ever since the caravan came through, it has been quiet around here. Though I fear it may only be the calm before the storm." He muttered.
"Thank you Mr. Griez." George said nodding his head at the mercenary. Then he pushed Cassandra toward the trap door. "We best be going." He muttered and turned away from the mercenary. This mercenary made him weary around his girlfriend.
Just as everyone began piling into the sewers Griez stopped his man, Leharas. "Make sure she doesn't get killed. OK?" Griez asked him. The mercenary nodded his head and was the last to enter the sewer. Griez didn't know what to expect from this woman, but he didn't want her to be killed not just because her father might send him more money, but because he had a genuine concern for the girl. He would have gone with her himself, but more immediate matters needed attending to. He had a meeting with Jerhyn to discuss the further protection of the town.
~
One word: Review. : ) I am at your mercy . . .
Also let me advertise here for a story I wrote along with another author called, "LETS GO KILL DIABLO!" I wrote that along with Adro13 and we haven't gotten much reviews lately and are wondering if you like it or not. Review that too and tell us what you think. : )