Review Response:
Rubber Duck: Aww...Why'd ya have to go and say that you "knew" that I would never kill my character?
Used paintbrush: No, the old man was the apprentice, and Trycos was the master (Yep, that's just how old Trycos really is...)
Mango Sam: I guess you'll find out if he got there in time...And is it really possible for anyone to actually kill Trycos? We'll find out...
OoOoOo
Alex stood the doorway for a moment, staring, horrified, into the room. A huge black hound was crouched over in the center of the room, over the still forms of Phi and Will. A small stream of blood trickled away from their unmoving bodies and the dog leaned forward closer, only a foot away from Will's chest...
Snapping himself out of the spell, Alex suddenly called out in alarm, rushing into the room, and threw his sword like a spear straight into the beast's side. It let out a spine-chilling screech, somewhere between a howl and a woman's scream, and whipped around, baring its teeth, the sword still lodged halfway into its side. It made a leap for Alex, but he was able to throw himself out of the way and the dog sailed past him through the doorway. It glanced back at Alex, gave a vicious bark, and raced away into the dark halls. Alex didn't give chase, his mind quickly turning back to Phi and Will's motionless bodies, and he sprinted into the center of the room, falling to his knees, tears pricking his eyes as he reached out for Phi's hand.
Oo Phi's View oO
As she lay, half-conscious on her back, and waited; unable to speak out because she was barely able to breathe, for the hound to bite into her and finish killing her. All of a sudden, she heard a faint howl in the back of her mind and through her blurred vision, she saw the shadow that was the dog disappear from on top of her. Where had it gone? What was it doing? She tried to move and a sharp pain shot through her body. After she had screamed, the beast had landed on top of her after she shoved Will out of the way, and its claws had dug into her sides as it leaned down, despite her kicks and punches, and bit her left forearm, its teeth sinking down into her flesh nearly to the bone. She would have screamed again, but the dog had launched off of her and jumped onto Will. Unable to roll over because of the pain and sudden exhaustion as blood streamed from her wounds, she couldn't see what had happened to him, and then seconds later, the hound had left them. But why?
Suddenly, she felt something touch her hand and another shadow, smaller this time, crouched over her. She tried to lift her arm to push it away but then she felt something on her face...the palm of a hand. A voice began to sound in her ears; it was Alex, but his words were broken and full of fear, "Phi...Please God no... Come on honey, wake up! Phi, love, can you hear me? It's Alex...I found you...everything's going to be all right, just don't leave me, okay?"
She murmured softly, trying to gather enough breath to get words out, her chest filling with small needles every time she inhaled, "Alex...?"
She felt her head being lifted up and placed onto something raised and soft...probably his lap, and she smiled weakly as he gently brushed loose strands of hair out of her face, "Thank God...What was that thing? How did you get here?"
Phi frowned, her tired mind trying to work, "How did you...get in?"
"Through the door..." He rested his hand on her cheek, stroking it tenderly with his thumb.
"What door?"
"The door that led into this room."
"But...there was no way out..." She stopped speaking for a moment, before deciding to let the question go. Obviously there was a door now; she must have missed it when she was looking around the room, "How's Will?"
She heard a pause, and then felt as Alex shifted his weight and leaned over. There was another long pause before he answered her in a trembling voice, "Phi...Will's dead..."
Oo End of Phi's View oO
Alex squeezed Phi's arms as he held her in his lap, ignoring the blood that had began to stain his clothes and bit his lip, trying not to look at Will's immobile figure. The young man's head was wrapped up, a small bloodstain coming from that, but there was a gashing wound across his stomach, probably where the hound beast had slashed him with its claws. Alex had reached over and felt his pulse...he couldn't find any. He placed his hand on Will's chest, but his lung's weren't moving, and his face had grown pale, a trickle of blood dribbling from the corner of his mouth.
He felt Phi shudder in his arms and pulled her closer, mindful of the bite she had on her left arm and the knife-like wounds above her waist, and kissed her forehead. She pressed her face up against his shirt, her eyes closed, "Where's Devic?"
"Devic? I was running to find you...maybe he couldn't—" Alex was interrupted by the sound of metal hitting stone. Alex whipped his head around, and caught sight of Devic standing in the doorway, his sword on the ground, and his face pale. Phi had fallen silent and Alex swallowed and stared at the ground as Devic stepped into the room.
The knight stared, unbelievingly, "Where is Will?"
Alex's gaze fell upon the dead Tortallan's body, "Devic...I'm sorry...When I got here he was all ready...he was..."
Devic stumbled forward, "No, no....no, he cannot be...dead. No!" He flung himself down onto the stone floor next to his cousin's body, his chest heaving, "Will...Will, please, wake up Will...little cousin...William...Do not leave me alone..." Tears welled up in his eyes and he blinked them away, and Alex stared back at Phi, trying not to cry, absorbed by the sound of Phi's gasping breath. Devic bit his lip and closed his eyes, his body shaking with pent up sobs. When he spoke again, his voice was trembling, tears now flowing freely down his face, "Who has done this to him?"
"It was a large black dog..." Alex spoke softly, not wanting to upset himself or Devic any more, "There...there was nothing I could do...I got here too late to save him..."
Devic closed his eyes for a second time, and now instead of trembling with grief, his voice was filled with rage, "I will kill Trycos, and that old man...I swear by the gods; they will both be dead at my feet before this is all over...And that dog...that hound will be the first..." He gazed up, and blinked, as if seeing Phi in Alex's arms for the first time, "...Will she be all right?"
Alex sighed, "I don't know..."
After a moment, Devic leaned down and kissed Will softly on his forehead before rising to his feet. He walked over stiffly, as if in some sort of trance, and picked up his sword off the ground.
Alex turned his head to watch the knight as he passed by, and asked quietly, "Where are you going?"
Devic lifted his eyes and stared at Alex blankly, his eyes devoid of emotion of any sort, "Hunting...Take Phi and get out of here...Continue until you have escaped these woods...Do not wait for me, but head instead back to Tortall and find Numair. He can send you home." He tossed Alex a small sack, "There should be enough money in there to allow you to reach the Capital safely..."
Alex sighed again, his face hardening, "Devic, I won't let you fight alone. Besides, I don't think it would be safe to move Phi while she's in this condition...Plus," he glanced up at Devic, "That dog has my sword in his side...I need to get it back..."
Devic nodded, a small sign of gratitude fleetingly spark in his eyes, "Suit yourself...At least carry Phi outside of this building..." He glanced over at Will's body, "And I will carry Will outside...once we rid ourselves of that dog, we should-" his voice got caught up in his throat, and he swallowed, "We should give him a proper...burial...Back in Tortall..."
Alex nodded softly and turned his attention back towards Phi, speaking gently to her, "Phi...I need to get you out of here...Hold on for a little while longer. I'm going to bring you back outside, but I'm going to have to carry you..." She winced and let out a small moan as he gathered her up in his arms as rose slowly to his feet, her head resting on his shoulder and his arms around her back and under her knees.
Devic glanced down at the spot where she had been laying, let out a small noise of surprise, and motioned towards a small pool of blood on the ground, "You had better hurry Alex...At the rate she's loosing blood, she may not survive the night."
Alex exhaled, his breath trembling, and hurried out the door. Devic turned slowly, and his gaze rested on Will's body. His body let out a small spasm of grief before he walked over and scooped up his little cousin in his arms. He was so cold. Devic shifted his arms and saw that all of Will's cuts had stopped bleeding. He felt a tear prick his eyes and he shook it away; now wasn't the time, they still had enemies to get rid of. He turned and hurried out of the room, following the faint light back to the hole he and Alex had made in the wall and back outside the building.
He saw Alex over by the edge of the clearing, just beginning to set Phi down so that she was on a small incline, her head raised slightly above her feet. Devic gazed around and finally decided to place Will so that he was lying in between two trees that lined the meadow. Devic shook his head and after setting Will's body down, kneeled down next to him. He gazed over his shoulder and saw Alex softly kissing Phi and heard him speaking to her gently as tears rolled down both of their cheeks. How had he allowed it to come to this?
Devic rose to his feet and walked briskly over to Alex and Phi, "Come Alex...Let us get this over with."
Alex glanced back at Phi, clutching her hand tightly, his palm covered in her blood and his shirt stained red, "Will she be alright by herself?"
Devic looked at her and nodded, "I do not think that the old man or Trycos would hurt her, and I doubt that there is any other living creature in these woods besides that dog, which we will take care of. Besides, we will come back soon..." His words were spoken with confidence, his grief igniting his need to protect as many innocent lives as he could.
Alex nodded, and turned quickly to his wife, "Phi, we'll be back soon. Hang in there, and don't move around too much, your wounds are still bleeding..."
Phi murmured softly back in response, her eyes dimmed slightly and yet full of worry, "Be careful, both of you..."
Devic nodded down to her and Alex rose slowly and hesitantly to his feet. Devic touched his shoulder gently, "Do not worry Alex...We should return soon..."
Alex turned to him, a set expression on his face, "All right...Let's go."
Their eyes met, their faces serious and grave. Suddenly, Tortall wasn't just a fantasy world anymore; with one dead, and one badly wounded, it had turned into a battlefield. The two men sighed, took another quick glance at Phi, then set off at a quick jog to find the beast before it found them.
OoOoOo
Trycos frowned from his perch in the trees. One of them was very upset...He sneered. It must be Devic; he was completely heartbroken when he discovered Will dead on the ground. And then there was poor Alexander; so naive to that fact of just how badly injured Phi really was. He was refusing to accept the fact that his wife could have been and still might be dying. Oh well, he would learn sooner or later.
'Actually' Trycos thought to himself, 'this was all becoming much more entertaining then I could have managed myself...So much drama...And of course my aged apprentice still doesn't have a clue...Of course, he never did. I can barely imagine what he is going to do when he finds out that in trying to save himself, he caused the deaths of four more people!' Trycos let out a soft chuckle. Of course, the real fun had yet to start...Alex and Devic had yet to face the hound...
OoOoOo
Alex and Devic raced around the corner of the building, making a quick scan of the area to make sure that the hound hadn't made it outside yet. It would be easier to kill it if they were in an enclosed area so that it would have less room to move around.
After assuring themselves that the beast was still locked inside the complex, they slipped back into the labyrinth of hallways, back through the hole Devic had blasted out. Devic had his sword drawn and was gripping it tightly in his hand, and reached around his belt and unsheathed a sharp dagger, handing it to Alex. Alex glanced at it and Devic nodded to it, "It is better to have a small sword than no sword at all...There is no guarantee that we will be able to retrieve you weapon, even if it is still in the dog's side."
Alex took the blade gingerly and held it out in front of him as he walked, not quite knowing what to do with such a weapon, but trying to make the best of what he had. He motioned for Devic to be silent and as they came across the first turn-off he peered around the corner into the shadows of the maze. Not seeing any signs of movement, he cautiously tiptoed around the corner and Devic slunk along behind him, both trying to make as little noise as possible as to not alert their prey.
As they turned another corner, the near silence began to weigh down on their shoulders and Alex could hear his heart beating in his ears, his adrenaline beginning to rush, his senses trying to stretch beyond their limits so that he could see further and hear more. He nearly jumped when he felt Devic's hand touch his shoulder and nodded softly as the knight motioned that they should turn right at the next intersection. Alex raised an eyebrow and Devic pointed at the ground. A small, barely visible, trail of blood was running down the hall, taking a right turn at the incoming junction. Alex's jaw must have dropped because Devic gave him a little dry smile and waved for him to hurry up. Wondering how long Devic had been following the beast's trail, Alex obeyed, feeling more than a little foolish. He had been paying more attention to what was straight ahead than what was on the ground.
The air grew thicker as the progressed closer to the center of the building and Alex wondered where the hound had run. It had seemed pretty desperate to escape when it leapt past him, so why did it remain in the complex? Surely it had seen the hole in the wall? Maybe it was too big to fit through...
They rounded yet another corner and Devic held out his hand. There was a small light drifting from far down the corridor, and the distant sound of growls could be heard echoing down the hall. Devic turned his head to look at Alex; they had found it...Now all they needed to do was kill it...
OoOoOo
A/N: Don't write me nasty letters about Will dying...I felt bad about it too...but in order for the story to continue, it had to happen...The story is almost writing itself now, as so often happens, so if you blame anyone, blame Trycos...he's behind it all...
Rubber Duck: Aww...Why'd ya have to go and say that you "knew" that I would never kill my character?
Used paintbrush: No, the old man was the apprentice, and Trycos was the master (Yep, that's just how old Trycos really is...)
Mango Sam: I guess you'll find out if he got there in time...And is it really possible for anyone to actually kill Trycos? We'll find out...
OoOoOo
Alex stood the doorway for a moment, staring, horrified, into the room. A huge black hound was crouched over in the center of the room, over the still forms of Phi and Will. A small stream of blood trickled away from their unmoving bodies and the dog leaned forward closer, only a foot away from Will's chest...
Snapping himself out of the spell, Alex suddenly called out in alarm, rushing into the room, and threw his sword like a spear straight into the beast's side. It let out a spine-chilling screech, somewhere between a howl and a woman's scream, and whipped around, baring its teeth, the sword still lodged halfway into its side. It made a leap for Alex, but he was able to throw himself out of the way and the dog sailed past him through the doorway. It glanced back at Alex, gave a vicious bark, and raced away into the dark halls. Alex didn't give chase, his mind quickly turning back to Phi and Will's motionless bodies, and he sprinted into the center of the room, falling to his knees, tears pricking his eyes as he reached out for Phi's hand.
Oo Phi's View oO
As she lay, half-conscious on her back, and waited; unable to speak out because she was barely able to breathe, for the hound to bite into her and finish killing her. All of a sudden, she heard a faint howl in the back of her mind and through her blurred vision, she saw the shadow that was the dog disappear from on top of her. Where had it gone? What was it doing? She tried to move and a sharp pain shot through her body. After she had screamed, the beast had landed on top of her after she shoved Will out of the way, and its claws had dug into her sides as it leaned down, despite her kicks and punches, and bit her left forearm, its teeth sinking down into her flesh nearly to the bone. She would have screamed again, but the dog had launched off of her and jumped onto Will. Unable to roll over because of the pain and sudden exhaustion as blood streamed from her wounds, she couldn't see what had happened to him, and then seconds later, the hound had left them. But why?
Suddenly, she felt something touch her hand and another shadow, smaller this time, crouched over her. She tried to lift her arm to push it away but then she felt something on her face...the palm of a hand. A voice began to sound in her ears; it was Alex, but his words were broken and full of fear, "Phi...Please God no... Come on honey, wake up! Phi, love, can you hear me? It's Alex...I found you...everything's going to be all right, just don't leave me, okay?"
She murmured softly, trying to gather enough breath to get words out, her chest filling with small needles every time she inhaled, "Alex...?"
She felt her head being lifted up and placed onto something raised and soft...probably his lap, and she smiled weakly as he gently brushed loose strands of hair out of her face, "Thank God...What was that thing? How did you get here?"
Phi frowned, her tired mind trying to work, "How did you...get in?"
"Through the door..." He rested his hand on her cheek, stroking it tenderly with his thumb.
"What door?"
"The door that led into this room."
"But...there was no way out..." She stopped speaking for a moment, before deciding to let the question go. Obviously there was a door now; she must have missed it when she was looking around the room, "How's Will?"
She heard a pause, and then felt as Alex shifted his weight and leaned over. There was another long pause before he answered her in a trembling voice, "Phi...Will's dead..."
Oo End of Phi's View oO
Alex squeezed Phi's arms as he held her in his lap, ignoring the blood that had began to stain his clothes and bit his lip, trying not to look at Will's immobile figure. The young man's head was wrapped up, a small bloodstain coming from that, but there was a gashing wound across his stomach, probably where the hound beast had slashed him with its claws. Alex had reached over and felt his pulse...he couldn't find any. He placed his hand on Will's chest, but his lung's weren't moving, and his face had grown pale, a trickle of blood dribbling from the corner of his mouth.
He felt Phi shudder in his arms and pulled her closer, mindful of the bite she had on her left arm and the knife-like wounds above her waist, and kissed her forehead. She pressed her face up against his shirt, her eyes closed, "Where's Devic?"
"Devic? I was running to find you...maybe he couldn't—" Alex was interrupted by the sound of metal hitting stone. Alex whipped his head around, and caught sight of Devic standing in the doorway, his sword on the ground, and his face pale. Phi had fallen silent and Alex swallowed and stared at the ground as Devic stepped into the room.
The knight stared, unbelievingly, "Where is Will?"
Alex's gaze fell upon the dead Tortallan's body, "Devic...I'm sorry...When I got here he was all ready...he was..."
Devic stumbled forward, "No, no....no, he cannot be...dead. No!" He flung himself down onto the stone floor next to his cousin's body, his chest heaving, "Will...Will, please, wake up Will...little cousin...William...Do not leave me alone..." Tears welled up in his eyes and he blinked them away, and Alex stared back at Phi, trying not to cry, absorbed by the sound of Phi's gasping breath. Devic bit his lip and closed his eyes, his body shaking with pent up sobs. When he spoke again, his voice was trembling, tears now flowing freely down his face, "Who has done this to him?"
"It was a large black dog..." Alex spoke softly, not wanting to upset himself or Devic any more, "There...there was nothing I could do...I got here too late to save him..."
Devic closed his eyes for a second time, and now instead of trembling with grief, his voice was filled with rage, "I will kill Trycos, and that old man...I swear by the gods; they will both be dead at my feet before this is all over...And that dog...that hound will be the first..." He gazed up, and blinked, as if seeing Phi in Alex's arms for the first time, "...Will she be all right?"
Alex sighed, "I don't know..."
After a moment, Devic leaned down and kissed Will softly on his forehead before rising to his feet. He walked over stiffly, as if in some sort of trance, and picked up his sword off the ground.
Alex turned his head to watch the knight as he passed by, and asked quietly, "Where are you going?"
Devic lifted his eyes and stared at Alex blankly, his eyes devoid of emotion of any sort, "Hunting...Take Phi and get out of here...Continue until you have escaped these woods...Do not wait for me, but head instead back to Tortall and find Numair. He can send you home." He tossed Alex a small sack, "There should be enough money in there to allow you to reach the Capital safely..."
Alex sighed again, his face hardening, "Devic, I won't let you fight alone. Besides, I don't think it would be safe to move Phi while she's in this condition...Plus," he glanced up at Devic, "That dog has my sword in his side...I need to get it back..."
Devic nodded, a small sign of gratitude fleetingly spark in his eyes, "Suit yourself...At least carry Phi outside of this building..." He glanced over at Will's body, "And I will carry Will outside...once we rid ourselves of that dog, we should-" his voice got caught up in his throat, and he swallowed, "We should give him a proper...burial...Back in Tortall..."
Alex nodded softly and turned his attention back towards Phi, speaking gently to her, "Phi...I need to get you out of here...Hold on for a little while longer. I'm going to bring you back outside, but I'm going to have to carry you..." She winced and let out a small moan as he gathered her up in his arms as rose slowly to his feet, her head resting on his shoulder and his arms around her back and under her knees.
Devic glanced down at the spot where she had been laying, let out a small noise of surprise, and motioned towards a small pool of blood on the ground, "You had better hurry Alex...At the rate she's loosing blood, she may not survive the night."
Alex exhaled, his breath trembling, and hurried out the door. Devic turned slowly, and his gaze rested on Will's body. His body let out a small spasm of grief before he walked over and scooped up his little cousin in his arms. He was so cold. Devic shifted his arms and saw that all of Will's cuts had stopped bleeding. He felt a tear prick his eyes and he shook it away; now wasn't the time, they still had enemies to get rid of. He turned and hurried out of the room, following the faint light back to the hole he and Alex had made in the wall and back outside the building.
He saw Alex over by the edge of the clearing, just beginning to set Phi down so that she was on a small incline, her head raised slightly above her feet. Devic gazed around and finally decided to place Will so that he was lying in between two trees that lined the meadow. Devic shook his head and after setting Will's body down, kneeled down next to him. He gazed over his shoulder and saw Alex softly kissing Phi and heard him speaking to her gently as tears rolled down both of their cheeks. How had he allowed it to come to this?
Devic rose to his feet and walked briskly over to Alex and Phi, "Come Alex...Let us get this over with."
Alex glanced back at Phi, clutching her hand tightly, his palm covered in her blood and his shirt stained red, "Will she be alright by herself?"
Devic looked at her and nodded, "I do not think that the old man or Trycos would hurt her, and I doubt that there is any other living creature in these woods besides that dog, which we will take care of. Besides, we will come back soon..." His words were spoken with confidence, his grief igniting his need to protect as many innocent lives as he could.
Alex nodded, and turned quickly to his wife, "Phi, we'll be back soon. Hang in there, and don't move around too much, your wounds are still bleeding..."
Phi murmured softly back in response, her eyes dimmed slightly and yet full of worry, "Be careful, both of you..."
Devic nodded down to her and Alex rose slowly and hesitantly to his feet. Devic touched his shoulder gently, "Do not worry Alex...We should return soon..."
Alex turned to him, a set expression on his face, "All right...Let's go."
Their eyes met, their faces serious and grave. Suddenly, Tortall wasn't just a fantasy world anymore; with one dead, and one badly wounded, it had turned into a battlefield. The two men sighed, took another quick glance at Phi, then set off at a quick jog to find the beast before it found them.
OoOoOo
Trycos frowned from his perch in the trees. One of them was very upset...He sneered. It must be Devic; he was completely heartbroken when he discovered Will dead on the ground. And then there was poor Alexander; so naive to that fact of just how badly injured Phi really was. He was refusing to accept the fact that his wife could have been and still might be dying. Oh well, he would learn sooner or later.
'Actually' Trycos thought to himself, 'this was all becoming much more entertaining then I could have managed myself...So much drama...And of course my aged apprentice still doesn't have a clue...Of course, he never did. I can barely imagine what he is going to do when he finds out that in trying to save himself, he caused the deaths of four more people!' Trycos let out a soft chuckle. Of course, the real fun had yet to start...Alex and Devic had yet to face the hound...
OoOoOo
Alex and Devic raced around the corner of the building, making a quick scan of the area to make sure that the hound hadn't made it outside yet. It would be easier to kill it if they were in an enclosed area so that it would have less room to move around.
After assuring themselves that the beast was still locked inside the complex, they slipped back into the labyrinth of hallways, back through the hole Devic had blasted out. Devic had his sword drawn and was gripping it tightly in his hand, and reached around his belt and unsheathed a sharp dagger, handing it to Alex. Alex glanced at it and Devic nodded to it, "It is better to have a small sword than no sword at all...There is no guarantee that we will be able to retrieve you weapon, even if it is still in the dog's side."
Alex took the blade gingerly and held it out in front of him as he walked, not quite knowing what to do with such a weapon, but trying to make the best of what he had. He motioned for Devic to be silent and as they came across the first turn-off he peered around the corner into the shadows of the maze. Not seeing any signs of movement, he cautiously tiptoed around the corner and Devic slunk along behind him, both trying to make as little noise as possible as to not alert their prey.
As they turned another corner, the near silence began to weigh down on their shoulders and Alex could hear his heart beating in his ears, his adrenaline beginning to rush, his senses trying to stretch beyond their limits so that he could see further and hear more. He nearly jumped when he felt Devic's hand touch his shoulder and nodded softly as the knight motioned that they should turn right at the next intersection. Alex raised an eyebrow and Devic pointed at the ground. A small, barely visible, trail of blood was running down the hall, taking a right turn at the incoming junction. Alex's jaw must have dropped because Devic gave him a little dry smile and waved for him to hurry up. Wondering how long Devic had been following the beast's trail, Alex obeyed, feeling more than a little foolish. He had been paying more attention to what was straight ahead than what was on the ground.
The air grew thicker as the progressed closer to the center of the building and Alex wondered where the hound had run. It had seemed pretty desperate to escape when it leapt past him, so why did it remain in the complex? Surely it had seen the hole in the wall? Maybe it was too big to fit through...
They rounded yet another corner and Devic held out his hand. There was a small light drifting from far down the corridor, and the distant sound of growls could be heard echoing down the hall. Devic turned his head to look at Alex; they had found it...Now all they needed to do was kill it...
OoOoOo
A/N: Don't write me nasty letters about Will dying...I felt bad about it too...but in order for the story to continue, it had to happen...The story is almost writing itself now, as so often happens, so if you blame anyone, blame Trycos...he's behind it all...