The New World- Inner Luna 1

"We do not serve your kind here, sir," Said the merchant as he stared uneasily at the Spell book still hanging from the strangers' book chain. The people standing around all stared at the rune inscribed leather armors that hung from the large stranger. This was a holy city, architecture crisp and golden, with arcs and columns wider than the greatest tree. They don't accept my kind, magery is forbidden to all but the guardians of Lord British. And by no circumstances can I let them learn of my main art of combat. He would surely be executed for "Demon Worshiping," although I worship no thing or God. Well not anymore at least.

The inner city of glorious Luna was laden with gold and silver, and merchants bustled about in their fashion. You can constantly hear chanting from upstairs; worship is all day in this holy city. I'm surprised the guard let me past with the spell book. And by no means did he expect his steed would be let in. "What a beautiful horse you have here, such a pure shade of black." The horse was no horse but a demon steed, one he met in a dire time. The horse had the fangs and magical powers strong enough to rival any or mainly overcome any human being. This horse feeds on flesh and flesh alone. Hopefully he will stay full until we leave.

"I am just asking for a bloody bolt of cloth, God damn it!" The outsider barked at the merchant.

"Leave you vile magician! I will not help the likes of you," said the tailor as he looked up and down the strangers' body with disgust.

"I will pay double the cost, I need to fill an order, please," The last word came out like a faux jewel.

"Guards! Guards!" the merchant yelled. The stranger turned and walked away casually but his dark clothing and runic armors didn't exactly melt into the heavily plated paladins. The burly, pale faced man was almost at the courtyard by the gates to outer Luna when…

A hand landed on my shoulder, "I have to ask you to leave, sir. And please take that beast with you," the guard said pointing to a pure black steed that was growling at a nearby mustang.

"If you insist," I said with a smirk along my face.

I walked passed the guard nonchalantly and in the blink of an eye swiped the pouch hanging from his side. Before I could land my next foot steel rang into the back of my head. "You bastard," I barked as I knelt on the ground trying to stop the blood caused by the brunt end of a halberd. The steed in the courtyard didn't take pleasure in this and let out a shrill howl and bared a row of fangs only demons possessed.

The guard slammed his foot into my back and pinned me to the floor as the commotion attracted paladins from the worship upstairs. I could not understand the muffled voices as the air I breathed seemed to burn my lungs, and the enormous pain pounded the back of my skull.

"Can you hear me thief," I finally heard the guard yell into my ear, the noise made me wince. "You are under arrest for stealing gold from an officer of Luna," The burly man said in a more assertive voice. A nearby guard grabbed my backpack and seemed not to breathe as he let a book fall from his hands onto the floor. The room was silent as every eye focused in on the bone weaved book lying on the floor. The sound may have echoed to Ishlenar. The skull protruding from the cover let out a screech as a paladin stepped toward the book. The room was dead silent.

"Devil!" a nearby paladin shouted, breaking the silence, as he brandished a gleaming sliver blade. The whole room seemed to follow suit and swords engraved with ankhs and cruciform's cut into the air. No one moved any closer, it seemed as though everyone stepped back away from the devilish tomb on the floor.

I saw my chance. "Ort Por Ylem," flowed from my mouth in expert tongue as the runes on my gloves flashed a brilliant red. The book on the floor flew right before my face and opened before my eyes with a hiss. With bewildered faces around me I ran my finger across the word, "Kal Vas An Flam!" As the runes glistened one more time a vortex of darkness whipped around me in a deadly howl, the energy flew abroad and every nearby patron hit the wall with a deafening thud. I quickly grabbed my backpack and ran toward the gates which now were being closed by four guards. My steed lunged aside me, and in perfect rhythm, I mounted him in a single swing. The guards seemed horrified as the beast I rode let out a shrill howl and stampeded towards them. I flung open the spell book, but before I could speak the mighty words the demon horse's eyes shined a dazzling red and a rain of fire melted the gates from its hinges and charbroiled two of the guards alive. I heard a scream of agony as the beast ripped the head off of the nearest guard and finished the job with a stomach churning crunch of bone and the following flow of brain from the mighty steeds' mandible. With a bone crushing kick the other guard lost his head and blood rained into the sky. With a snort of satisfaction the beast consumed a burnt guard in seconds and dashed out of the courtyard and into the streets of outer Luna, where law was that of local warlords.Still dazed from my partner's performance I could only see the blurs of those around us, as we traveled faster then any other in this realm could dream of.

With a filled pallet and newly charged vigor, the steed raced forward, towards home. This hell we called home… We headed back to Umbra, city of wretched bandits and vile outcasts… The only place I would not be persecuted. We would reach it by morning. I laid my head against the mane of my only friend and fell asleep, something I had not done for a very long time.

Mippoose