Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Raistlin Chronicle characters. But I do own those that aren't. So there! Sticks tongue out
Greetings!! RoguesHeart here! Time for another fabulous update!
Thanks to:
Dalamar Nightson: I know the last chapter was seriously short. I was in the middle of a mind block because of my AP test. shakes fist angrily at the test CURSE THEE!! ahem Sorry for the little rant there.. sniffs Anyways, I know you're just itching to read the next chapter.
Child-Like Empress: I apologize for the shortness of the last chapter. I wanted to have a longer update but I had this migraine that made it hard for me to concentrate. Hopefully this chapter shall make up for the last one's shortness. As for there being four mages rather than just Raistlin, I just figured it would spice things up a bit . It annoys me when it's always Raistlin getting picked on so I've decided to divert the attention from just him, to all of them. Plus I figured it would be great if we had more mages that Raistlin can compare his superiority to. maniacal laughter
Recap: Crysallis and Raistlin were chatting with each other until they were interrupted by two intruding mages. One by the name of Marius and the other Theoddox. Theoddox acts like a jerk, because he is one and nearly gets his head blown off. Horkin walks in during the tense moment, Marius has a painful moment. Crysallis heals him with her special leaves.
Now without further delay, the next chapter!! Warning: This chapter may be a wee bit confusing.
Book one: Fjord
" Maybe if you cry,
I can bottle your tears
And sell them on the
Internet."
RoguesHeart
Crysallis turned on her heel and glided back to her seat, fully aware of the eager stares she was gaining.
" Well?…" asked Marius softly.
Crysallis gazed over at Marius calmly, her emerald eyes flickering serenely.
" Well what?"
Raistlin leaned forward, his curiosity peaked.
" How did you heal him?"
Crysallis's gaze flickered over to him, her mouth upturned in an amused smirk.
" I didn't heal him per se, just calmed him down a bit."
Raistlin frowned slightly; his mind was unable to process what she was saying.
" What do you mean calmed him?"
Crysallis opened her mouth to answer but she found herself rudely interrupted.
" Enough of this, Marius why didn't you tell me you were having another attack?" demanded Theoddox haughtily.
Marius shrugged sheepishly, his head facing the floor; his long black hair covering half his face.
" You looked busy…"
Theoddox frowned darkly.
" You could've told me anyways."
Crysallis sneered at him.
" How could he tell you when you were too busy running off at the mouth?"
Theoddox whipped around to glare at her.
" You of all people have no right to speak to me in such a manner.." he hissed.
Crysallis stood up slowly and walked over to where Theoddox stood; the heels of her shoes clicked loudly upon the stone floor. She stopped before him with a resounding swoosh; leaning close into his face, she hissed.
" And by what do you mean You of all people ?"
Theoddox scoffed at her.
" You know very well what I meant…" he snarled.
Crysallis's emerald eyes flared wildly, flashes of lavender clouded around her pupil.
" Well it seems like we are going to have to change that now won't we?" she spoke with a deadly calm.
Theoddox's lips tightened into a arrogant smirk.
" And just how are you going to do that, woman?…"
Crysallis's hand whipped out and grasped his neck tightly, slamming him against the wall. He let out a pant of air. Crysallis glared harshly at him, visions of his death flashing behind her eyes. Breathing in deeply, she attempted to calm herself. But it was coming to no avail, with every breath he took, she began to grow even angrier. Tightening her grip around his neck, she watched as he struggled for air.
' That's a good human, squirm for your master…'
Theoddox's eyes began to bulge from the lack of air to his lungs. He attempted to pull her off him, but a crackle of energy and a flash of pain prevented him from doing so.
Crysallis smiled cruelly as panic began to fill his eyes. It was about time that he figured out who was better than whom. Maybe she should just kill him off so he could prove a point to all that figured her as some weakling..
Raistlin walked over to where Crysallis stood. Reaching out his hand, he gently placed it upon her shoulder and pulled her back.
" Let him go Crysallis." he spoke monotonously.
Crysallis's gaze ripped away from Theoddox and rested upon Raistlin.
" Why? "
Raistlin shrugged nonchalantly.
" He is not worth it. "
Crysallis stared at him; as if considering what he was saying. Raistlin glanced over at Theoddox; his face was beginning to turn to a nice shade of blue. Sighing to himself, he stared sternly over at Crysallis.
" Let him go, now."
Crysallis shrugged at him, then released her grip around Theoddox's neck. He collapsed onto the ground with a resounding thump. Marius walked over to Theoddox and stared down at him. Though his face looked sympathetic, his eyes spoke the opposite. In fact they glittered with amusement.
" Y' alright dere Theo?"
Theoddox glared up at him.
" Do I look alright to you Marius?" he spoke harshly.
Marius shrugged at him and turned back to face Crysallis.
"Wow, y' pretty strong for a fem…"
Crysallis blinked at him; her eyes once more taking on the face of nonchalance.
" I train a lot. " she answered.
Raistlin shook his head at her.
" You have to gain control over that temper of yours Crysallis."
Crysallis sniffed.
" Feh, I do have control over my temper. I could have just as easily killed him rather than strangle him. I was merely teaching him a lesson."
Raistlin rolled his eyes in irritation.
" You could've fooled me.."
Crysallis smirked lightly.
" Believe me when I say this Raistlin, if I had lost control; no one would've been able to stop my wrath. Not you, not Horkin, not even the gods themselves."
Marius chuckled at her, his faith not wavering a second about her confession. The woman had a temper that could rival even that of Theoddox. This woman had gained his respect.
Theoddox pulled himself from the floor in a huff. Brushing off his white robes, he glared haughtily at anyone who would be unlucky enough to gaze in his direction.
Horkin stared silently at the mages. It was more than likely that he would indeed have his hands full with these four.
For a bent penny, Raistlin would've walked away, left this army, left this town. He had spent his first night staring into the bleak darkness, toying with the temptation. The situation was intolerable. He had come here hoping to learn battle magic, and what did he find? A crude and bullying man who knew magic less than Raistlin did. An arrogant white robed mage who thought he was the best of the best, though he couldn't fight his way out of a paper bag. An estranged foreigner who could barely speak English clearly. And a neurotic temperamental female mage, who found humor in other people's pain. Though he didn't quite find anything wrong with Crysallis, he just couldn't figure her out. He also couldn't form a reason why he seemed to care for her welfare. Not in a romantic way, as most men would probably see her, but in the same way as he cared for Lemuel.
After the little scuffle between Crysallis and Theoddox, Horkin had assigned him to fixing him a new serum, which Raistlin largely suspected to be gravy. After he had finished that, Horkin took him to view their quarters.
Raistlin was more fortunate than his twin, in that he, Horkin, and the other mages spent the night in the castle, not in the barracks. Admittedly, they were quartered in a small dungeon like room below ground level, but they were given cots, were not forced to sleep on the floor. The cots were not in the least bit comfortable, but Raistlin came to appreciate it as he heard rats skittering and screeching in the night.
" The mad baron likes his mages." Horkin told his new subordinates. " We get better food than the soldiers, we're treated better as well. 'Course we deserve it. Our work's harder and more dangerous. I'm the only mage left in the baron's company. He started out with six, some of them real corker's too. Tower mages, like yourselves. Ironic ain't it? Old Horkin, the stupidest of them all, the only one to survive. "
Though exhausted, Raistlin couldn't sleep. Horkin snored so loudly that Raistlin half expected the castle's other inhabitants to come running to see if a quake were shaking the walls.
Raistlin tossed and turned on his cot, which was barely wide enough to accommodate his slender frame. Horkin overlapped his cot about six inches all around. Lying there, listening to the rats chewing on the cot legs, Raistlin realized suddenly that he had only suffered from one coughing spasm all day. Generally he could count on five or more.
He pondered this.
' Can this hard life actually be beneficial to me? " he wondered. " The damp, the cold, the foul weather, the putrid swill they called food….I should be half dead by now, yet I haven't felt more alive. Or it could quite possibly be the flora leaf that Crysallis keeps giving me.'
Come to think of it. Crysallis still hadn't explained to any of them what exactly the leaves were. Searching through all his memories, Raistlin couldn't find the slightest hint of what it may have been.
' Ever since she has been giving me those, things, my breath comes a lot easier. The pain in my lungs have diminished. I have not felt the need to drink my tea all day."
He reached down to touch the staff of Magius, which he kept next to his bed, always close to hand. He felt the slight tingle in the wood, the warmth of the magic spread through his body.
' Perhaps it is because for the first time in my life, I am not dwelling on myself. '
Before Raistlin could dwell on the thought, a soft moan grasped his attention. Turning his head slightly, he caught sight of Crysallis.
She laid sprawled out upon the cot, her legs dangling loosely over the side. Her black hair was spread across her feather pillow, forming a delta like fan. Her emerald green eyes stared vacantly at the ceiling. A loud snort erupted from Horkin causing for her to visibly wince.
' Oh yeah, that was pleasant..' she thought to herself.
A small twinge of pain resonated off into her head.
' Not again..'
Crysallis closed her eyes in attempt to block out the pain. But it was to no avail, the pain began to worsen with each passing moment. Shuddering to herself, Crysallis slowly sat up in her cot.
' Damn it, where did I put my pouch?…'
Pulling off the ratty blanket, Crysallis began to scan the room. To her right, in the corner of the room was Raistlin. She knew very well that he was anything but asleep but she didn't feel like breaking out in conversation just yet. Across from her , was Marius, he laid dead to the world on his cot. Half of his body flopped out onto the floor, considering the cot was beyond to small for him. On the opposite side of Marius slept Horkin. It was entirely beyond her, how he was capable of sleeping with that man's grunting snores. He sounded like a retarded pig half the time. Then way off in the farthest corner was Theoddox. He slept sitting up, as to not wrinkle his "precious" white robes.
Rolling her eyes, she continued to search for her pouch. Another sharp ache shot through her head, making her stop her actions.
' Damn it…where is it?…'
Her vision swirled for a moment, and her stomach jerked. Crysallis could feel herself grow paler and weaker.
Raistlin sat up slowly, his eyes narrowed. Keeping his voice low, as to not wake the others, he called out to her.
" Crysallis?"
Crysallis's eyes settled upon his own, though they were quite unfocused.
" What?" she whispered back harshly.
Raistlin, undeterred by her irritation.
" What is causing you trouble?" he asked in concern.
" Nothing.." she said quickly.
Raistlin looked unconvinced, he continued to stare at her as if she had grown a second head.
" Something's ailing you.. "
Crysallis shook her head in a desperate attempt to stop the pain. As much as she hated depending on someone else, it seemed like she would have to such in her pride.
" I…need…my…pouch.." she stammered softly.
Raistlin nodded his head and began to glance around her area. Raistlin eventually spotted it underneath her cot, standing up slowly he walked over to where she sat, her head in her hands.
Leaning down, he reached for the pouch.
" Is this it?" he asked, knowing full well that it was.
Crysallis's eyes opened a smidget as she stared at the pouch in his hands.
" MMmmm.." she responded, taking the pouch from his hand.
Opening it, she fumbled around for one of the leaves. After finding one, she managed to set it upon her tongue in time.
A bit of time passed before the leaf's magic began to work. Once it did, the area around them was filled with the scent of mint.
" Thanks.." Crysallis huffed out gratefully.
Raistlin nodded his head at her.
" No need to thank me, it's the least I can do for all the times you helped me."
Crysallis smiled weakly.
" I guess we're even then?"
Raistlin passed her a rare smile before turning back to his own cot.
" I believe so…" he answered.
Raistlin knew they were far from even, considering all the times that she had helped him out. But decided to leave it at that.
Raistlin waited until he heard her turn in before eventually drifting off into his own dreamless slumber.
Yay!! A new chapter finished!! How was this one? A bit longer than the other!! I am so pleased that I made it longer this time, the shock is finally over.
I dance with glee.
Review for me Please!!
RoguesHeart
