Disclaimer: One day, the sorcerer hunters will be mine,all ine, and there is nothing any of you can do to stop it!  Muwahahahahahaha!  But they're not now, so damn.

Fun with Names, part 3:

Haz Knights: Shiffon Cake, Cinnamon Tea, Onion Glace, Mille Fuille, and Kahula

Gods:

 Charlotte Stella

North Sky Karlman (Gateau)

Holy Demon Kurin (Chocolat)

Mother of the West Apros (Tira)

Lord of Rebirth Yaksha (Marron)

Sorcerer Hunters:

The Necromancer's Marque

By

C M Forde

Marron started to speak, but Chocolat interrupted her, "Rice?!  But how?  I thought you were killed!"

            Tira moved forward, and everyone was silent except for the two sisters, "How did you survive Rice?  I thought for sure that Sacher would've killed you too."

            Once again Marron tried to speak, but Carrot intervened, "What the hell is going on?  How do you know this nun Tira?"

            Rice spoke, her voice didn't change from the solemn sobriety with which she had given them the news of the absence of the Gods.  "I was their sister when we were young.  I was the daughter of Sacher Torte."

            Now it was Mama's turn to speak, "We are doomed now, no one will be able to stop the God of Destruction once it has been released, we will all die."  He face seemed sad, as if she had accepted the fate which had fallen upon her without a fight.  This wasn't the Mama that Marron knew, she would never give up.

            "That isn't true." He said, and everyone turned to look at him, he seemed to be the only person who could see the truth, "The Gods can't be gone completely, because Carrot is still Carrot!  He hasn't changed yet, there's still hope!"  Mama's face seemed to brighten a little, and Marron went on, even a false hope is still hope, "Those necromancers must have the Gods, that's the only answer.  We must get them back, it's our only chance.  We have to find the necromancers and defeat them, then Carrot will be shielded again."

            Mama nodded, a smile coming back to her face, "Yes, you must kill the necromancers.  I will call for the Haz Knights.  She looked down at Rice, and for some reason that Marron couldn't understand the nun bowed deeply.

            "I must leave now Tira…Chocolat."  She turned away and began to walk towards the door, and Chocolat and Tira almost followed her, but were stopped by Mama.

            "Leave her alone children, she is not the girl you once knew."  Before any of them could speak, a quartet of people in huge stylish armor and white capes appeared behind Mama.

            The tallest stepped forward, "Mama, why have you sent for us?"

            "You will destroy the necromancers that attacked the beach today at all costs.  Nothing will stop you, do you understand?"  Marron had never heard Mama like that, so deadly and unmerciful, it scared him.  Then a thought occurred to him.

            "Wait Mama, what if the necromancers have become the Gods?  If we kill them then nothing will keep Carrot from rampaging.  We can't allow that."

            Mama, glared down at Marron with eyes that would have frozen a demon, but Marron didn't flinch under her stare, he wasn't going to let his brother transform into a demon again, even if it meant betraying Mama.  The woman's stare broke and she sighed, "Yes Marron, you're right, I'm sorry."  She looked up and seemed to be watching something out beyond any of them, Carrot turned around and loudly wondered why she was staring at the wall.  The others ignored him.  "But Carrot is not my only concern here, I fear that they may only be using The God of Destruction as a threat to get their true goal, and I cannot allow that to happen.  Mille?"

            He stepped forward, looking very regal in his Haz Knight armor, "Yes Mama?"

            "The Necronomicon, bring it to the castle and keep it safe."

            He nodded and suddenly disappeared, leaving only three Haz Knights with Mama, Marron spoke again.  "Mama, the necromancers said something about a fifth God, do you know what they meant?"

            "No Marron, there are only four Gods besides the almighty Stella, and they have them all."

            Carrot stepped forward, "Yeah, Marron's right!  They said something about it not happening, and said that there must be a fifth God at the palace."

            Mama mumbled something under her breath that Marron didn't catch and sighed, her look becoming even more troubled.  "Marron, stay with Rice."

            Marron blinked and gawked while Carrot gave his brother a thumbs up, "But Mama, why?"

            Mama shook her head, "Don't question me.  I need you to stay with her Marron, she likes you and might be able to help you get through this."  Almost as an afterthought she added, "All of you should take care of any unfinished business you have, there is little chance that we will survive this."

Mrron found Rice in the garden, she was watching a butterfly flitter between the green boughs of a sapling.  Why had Mama told him to stay with her, it was almost as if she had been afraid that something might happen to him if he wasn't around her.  "Sister Rice?"

            The young woman turned to see him and smiled, "Marron, it's good to see you!"  He could almost hear Chocolat's voice in his mind, 'She was Sacher's favorite, he really loved her, not like the rest of us.'  Marron wondered why.  Rice stood up and approached him with a flower in her hands.  Before he could do anything, she shoved it into his hair and smiled, "There you go, you look great now."

            Marron blushed and resisted the urge to pull the flower out of his hair, "Thank you…"  The woman smiled and lead him to a bench near the wall.

            "So Mama told you to come by didn't she?"

            Marron's face turned an even deeper shade of red, "Yes, she did.  She told me you'd be able to help me through this, but I'm not sure how."

            Rice shrugged, "She's such a dirty liar sometimes."

            Marron arched looked abashed, no one ever talked about Mama that way, "What do you mean?"

            Sighing Rice leaned back against the wall and looked out into the sky, "I'm not here for you, you're here for me."

            Marron's face now looked like a cherry, "W-w-what are you talking about?"

            Rice smiled and leaned against him, "You're hear to keep me safe silly.  What'd you think?  That I was in love with you?"  She looked up at him, and Marron seemed to find himself caught in the sable ocean of her eyes.  Quickly, he turned away.

            "No, that's not what I thought at all, I just…"

            Rice put a finger to his lips and smiled, "It's ok Marron, relax, don't be so uptight all the time.  Not everything is serious you know."

            Marron turned to her, "What are you talking about?  We could all be dead by tonight, what if Carrot turns into the God of Destruction?  What if-"  Marron was cut off as Rice's lips met his in a kiss that took Marron completely by surprise.  Before he could push her off, if he had wanted to, which he wasn't sure about, she let him go and blushed.

            "I thought that would get you to quit brooding…"  Marron tried to answer, but found that he couldn't, he was too stunned by the woman's sudden action.  She blushed almost as red as Marron was, "Besides, I do think you're kinda cute."

            "Sister…you're a nun.  You can't…"

            Rice shook her head, "No I'm not, not really.  Mama just wants everyone to think I am."

            Marron shook his head, "Why?"

            Rice giggled and poked him in the nose, "That's our secret."  She leaned up close to his face and smiled, her lips tantalizingly close to his, "But I'll tell you if you kiss me again."

            Marron swallowed hard, not knowing what to do, and finally closed his eyes, his lips meeting hers.  Then from behind him he heard the worst sound possible at that moment, even if the necromancers had come back it wouldn't have been this bad.  "Holy crap brother, you're not gay!"