Suddenly an explosion of reveiws. . .so very many encouraging voices! Thank
you all who have reveiwed me, and I'll get back to work right away on some
more chapters, this being the first of two. Hope you enjoy the developing
plot, (I'm getting very worked up trying to think up new scenarios and
situations, and I've never written a love interest between a Necromancer
and, well. . .ANYBODY before, so, I'm doing my best. . .
-J. Diabolico-
The town was in joyous celebration upon the return of the heroes; The men troomping in in their grimy, sweaty armor, bloodstained swords hanging tired and worn at their sides, and the archer's fistfull of broken bowstrings a testiment to his share of kills in battle. Already the bar was crowded and cheerful upon the entry of the weary warriors. Marie stood beaming in a well-lit corner, happily assisting the barmaid serve up drinks to the rowdy and happy townsfolk. The heroes had proven unbeatable! They had crossed through the testng fires of the darkest wood and returned safely! Perhaps, thought many, perhaps this land had hope after all!
"I have returned to you, my beautious lady. . ." murmmered the exhausted yet proud Necromancer, his kris clinking softly against his side as e bent his stiff joints to kneel before her. He took her hand as she looked about them, all eyes were on them. Damathodor the brave Knight stood nearby, watching from within a circle of eager young children, overjoyed to see a true Paladin and his mighty sword. Marie's soft hand slid into Durag's rough and calloused hand, like the finest velvet upon a hard and jagged stone, and she smiled ever more warmly upon her returned love, for that is what she had decided he was; her love.
Bometh stood in the corner, happily reinacting the more incredible parts of the past battle; his preistly hands whirling wildly in the air as he shouted out excitedly and jumped up and down amidst the growing crowd. Damathodor had snuck away, outside the cheerful light of the busy Inn, and Durag, seeing the odd behavior of the knight, soon broke away from the silent and awed group of youths surrounding him and Marie.
"Excuse us, young fellows, but could I. . .?" he asked their upturned and staring faces, he was already gently pushing through, pulling slowly Marie behind him; the children did not dare protest, for their mothers had warned them of the dreaded power of an angry Necromancer, but they still would have like to have stayed just a bit longer, trying silently to figure out the source of his immense magical aura.
"Damathodor, my comrade; what is the matter; why do you sulk so?" he asked the knight outside. "Why do you not partake in the festivities inside? Surely you have earned it!" but the Paladin turned and was still gloomy, looking upon the two, his sister and his new companion, fast becoming a freind.
"I sulk because I think ahead; these townsfolk are happy, and celebrate, yet I see no cause for happiness. We have not reached the gates of the beseiged city, but turned back at the road. Neither have we retaken this city, a feat not easily ignored!" he said, spilling out his missgivings on the future. Durag listened silently, and when his companion had finished said;
"Damathodor, young knight whom I call freind; indeed these deeds are yet to be commited, but be happy in your success! For without your pure and holy alms, we all three would have indeed perished under the swords of some unworthy demonic being! Be wary of the future, yes, but do not dwell upon it, and let yourself be content with the now. I have no doubt that soon we will face these challenges you dread, and when we do, your hardy sword and the full stregnth of my power will be more than enough to halt the spread of evil across this land." The knight was smiling happily through his weariness by the time the Necromancer had finished, and agreed that he was right, and the time indeed would come, but he could now content himself in the mighty victory of the day.
"Our passage to the city is assured; and soon we will see what that foul witch has to offer!" he cried bravely, swinging his battle-heavy sword into the air triumphantly.
"But Damathodor!" cried Marie suddenly, "you are wounded!" and indeed from the underside of his arm there could be seen a scar, still caked in dried blood, from some heavy wound received in battle.
"Oh," said the knight, "So I am. . ." and with that the worrisome sister drove him quickly up to the Inn's rooms to work some healing wonder upon his nasty hurt, leaving temporarily the side of her Sorcerer, who walked heavily back up to his room, stripped, and fell hard upon his bed, loosing himself immeadiatly in the deepest of sleeps.
Arising late the next morning, Durag was happy to hear from the barkeep that his companion the knight had taken a stroll through town and was quite better from the wound he had evidently received. The Necromancer quickly set about looking for Marie.
"Aha, there you are, my dear. . ." he exclaimed, finding her talking with a group of women from the town, she was only too happy to part with him to talk a while.
"The women in town speak of you." She said mischeviously.
"Oh?" was his uninterested reply.
"You care not what they say, Durag?" she asked him, suprised at his indifference.
"I care for the opinions of only one woman in this town." He told her, turning to face her and smiling as he had not done in so long. . . "And I take it from her expression, she is content in my behavior?" he laughed, seeing the girl trying hard not to laugh herself.
"This is serious!" she exclaimed, "The women say you are dangerous! That before we arrived you were a troublemaker!" she told him, struggling hard now not to laugh at his curious expression of innocence.
"Me?" he asked in pretended shock, "Me act in a troublesome manner? Never." He said indignantly.
The girl had become serious, "They say you almost murdered a man. . ." she whsipered. His face relented a little.
"He asked for it. . ." he tried, but her face was hard. "I swear! He was being intolerable, that brute!"
She smiled slightly at his attempts to appease her;
"I cannot be the wife of such a tempermental man!" she then exclaimed, "How would you behave if I forgot your supper one night?"
He was laughed hardily as he imagined it, and she hit him softly but scoldingly on the shoulder, walking away with a look of pain on her face. He laughed a second more, then suddenly stopped short.
"The wife of. . ." he peiced the woman's phrase slowly together. His face was shocked and stunned for a moment, then he looked suprised up at Marie. She laughed at him now, long and happily at her game.
"Would you be so shocked and unhappy with me by your side?" she laughed at him. He now smiled and grinned sheepishly in his embarresment.
"I'll show you, girl! Make a fool of ME!" he cried out laughing and lunging for her arm, which she pulled away with a cry. "Come here!" he called to her, but she darted away, breathless in laughter. He stood away, stalking her with a mischevious look in his eyes and made to jump at her again, but she laughed and stepped away quickly.
Still avoiding him happily, she felt something cold and hard press against her back as she ebbed cautiously away from him. She turned her head, and she cried out in fear as she looked up into the hideous face of some giant brown beast.
"What is that thing!?!" she screaed, jumping into the Necromancer's arms in terror. He just laughed evily.
"He's beautiful is'nt he?" he asked her, "I can make them quite easily; just summon them up from the ground and there they are, made of the earth, they are." He told her, laughing at his trick to get at her. She still stared at the unmoving, muddy creature, it's earthy limbs pebbly and dark as it stood before them in the street alley-way. Then she asked;
"It's not dangerous?"
"Of course not!" he scoffed, "But if I tell hime to be. . ." he whispered in a mockingly threatening tone, tickling her back.
"Stop it, you feind!" she yelled, trying to get away and laughing again. "You let go, or I'll kick you, I will!" he quickly let her go, but the dirty thing stepped up and blocked her passage. It seemed to smile as it barred the path. She whirled upon the smiling Necromancer. "Alright, Durag, move him or else!" she told him, smiling.
"Or else, what?" he asked defiantly, smirking at her.
"You would'nt have it do anything to me." She told him confidently, and stepped towards it bravely, "Now move, you brute, I'm going to pass, you hear?" and took another step. The thing stood, rock still, and did not heed her commands. She took a breath and took another larger step, bringing her right up to it, and made to go right through it. It suddenly jumped quickly out of her way as she jumped past it. The next instant it fell to peices and returned to the earth. The Necromancer only laughed some more and the woman walked back up to him and said;
"I knew you would'nt let it do anything to me." Her voice was calmer now, not serious or mocking or anything, she simply saidit, and they both knew it was true. "You care too much for me, is that right?" she continued, asking him sincerely as she looked up into his shaded face in the alley. He smiled and took her arms into his rough hands.
"Yes." He agreed. "I have never been a man to show himself to many." He breathed next, "It was not in my upbringing. My training began early, and my masters were restricting in my expiriences. Women, I am afraid, were not in the cirriculum of the dark arts I have been schooled all my life. Forgive my misunderstandings, Marie, but I am not used to loving or being loved by anyone." He told her.
"You are all that I have ever expected or desired in a lover, Durag Lithin'thuar. I care not what your past was, if you are reluctant to disclose it too me. I only wish that we be together just now, like this." She said to him softly. He saw how she understood without knowing, exactly, going against all he had ever been taught by the elders, he released himself into the bliss of warm happiness. He loved this woman.
-J. Diabolico-
The town was in joyous celebration upon the return of the heroes; The men troomping in in their grimy, sweaty armor, bloodstained swords hanging tired and worn at their sides, and the archer's fistfull of broken bowstrings a testiment to his share of kills in battle. Already the bar was crowded and cheerful upon the entry of the weary warriors. Marie stood beaming in a well-lit corner, happily assisting the barmaid serve up drinks to the rowdy and happy townsfolk. The heroes had proven unbeatable! They had crossed through the testng fires of the darkest wood and returned safely! Perhaps, thought many, perhaps this land had hope after all!
"I have returned to you, my beautious lady. . ." murmmered the exhausted yet proud Necromancer, his kris clinking softly against his side as e bent his stiff joints to kneel before her. He took her hand as she looked about them, all eyes were on them. Damathodor the brave Knight stood nearby, watching from within a circle of eager young children, overjoyed to see a true Paladin and his mighty sword. Marie's soft hand slid into Durag's rough and calloused hand, like the finest velvet upon a hard and jagged stone, and she smiled ever more warmly upon her returned love, for that is what she had decided he was; her love.
Bometh stood in the corner, happily reinacting the more incredible parts of the past battle; his preistly hands whirling wildly in the air as he shouted out excitedly and jumped up and down amidst the growing crowd. Damathodor had snuck away, outside the cheerful light of the busy Inn, and Durag, seeing the odd behavior of the knight, soon broke away from the silent and awed group of youths surrounding him and Marie.
"Excuse us, young fellows, but could I. . .?" he asked their upturned and staring faces, he was already gently pushing through, pulling slowly Marie behind him; the children did not dare protest, for their mothers had warned them of the dreaded power of an angry Necromancer, but they still would have like to have stayed just a bit longer, trying silently to figure out the source of his immense magical aura.
"Damathodor, my comrade; what is the matter; why do you sulk so?" he asked the knight outside. "Why do you not partake in the festivities inside? Surely you have earned it!" but the Paladin turned and was still gloomy, looking upon the two, his sister and his new companion, fast becoming a freind.
"I sulk because I think ahead; these townsfolk are happy, and celebrate, yet I see no cause for happiness. We have not reached the gates of the beseiged city, but turned back at the road. Neither have we retaken this city, a feat not easily ignored!" he said, spilling out his missgivings on the future. Durag listened silently, and when his companion had finished said;
"Damathodor, young knight whom I call freind; indeed these deeds are yet to be commited, but be happy in your success! For without your pure and holy alms, we all three would have indeed perished under the swords of some unworthy demonic being! Be wary of the future, yes, but do not dwell upon it, and let yourself be content with the now. I have no doubt that soon we will face these challenges you dread, and when we do, your hardy sword and the full stregnth of my power will be more than enough to halt the spread of evil across this land." The knight was smiling happily through his weariness by the time the Necromancer had finished, and agreed that he was right, and the time indeed would come, but he could now content himself in the mighty victory of the day.
"Our passage to the city is assured; and soon we will see what that foul witch has to offer!" he cried bravely, swinging his battle-heavy sword into the air triumphantly.
"But Damathodor!" cried Marie suddenly, "you are wounded!" and indeed from the underside of his arm there could be seen a scar, still caked in dried blood, from some heavy wound received in battle.
"Oh," said the knight, "So I am. . ." and with that the worrisome sister drove him quickly up to the Inn's rooms to work some healing wonder upon his nasty hurt, leaving temporarily the side of her Sorcerer, who walked heavily back up to his room, stripped, and fell hard upon his bed, loosing himself immeadiatly in the deepest of sleeps.
Arising late the next morning, Durag was happy to hear from the barkeep that his companion the knight had taken a stroll through town and was quite better from the wound he had evidently received. The Necromancer quickly set about looking for Marie.
"Aha, there you are, my dear. . ." he exclaimed, finding her talking with a group of women from the town, she was only too happy to part with him to talk a while.
"The women in town speak of you." She said mischeviously.
"Oh?" was his uninterested reply.
"You care not what they say, Durag?" she asked him, suprised at his indifference.
"I care for the opinions of only one woman in this town." He told her, turning to face her and smiling as he had not done in so long. . . "And I take it from her expression, she is content in my behavior?" he laughed, seeing the girl trying hard not to laugh herself.
"This is serious!" she exclaimed, "The women say you are dangerous! That before we arrived you were a troublemaker!" she told him, struggling hard now not to laugh at his curious expression of innocence.
"Me?" he asked in pretended shock, "Me act in a troublesome manner? Never." He said indignantly.
The girl had become serious, "They say you almost murdered a man. . ." she whsipered. His face relented a little.
"He asked for it. . ." he tried, but her face was hard. "I swear! He was being intolerable, that brute!"
She smiled slightly at his attempts to appease her;
"I cannot be the wife of such a tempermental man!" she then exclaimed, "How would you behave if I forgot your supper one night?"
He was laughed hardily as he imagined it, and she hit him softly but scoldingly on the shoulder, walking away with a look of pain on her face. He laughed a second more, then suddenly stopped short.
"The wife of. . ." he peiced the woman's phrase slowly together. His face was shocked and stunned for a moment, then he looked suprised up at Marie. She laughed at him now, long and happily at her game.
"Would you be so shocked and unhappy with me by your side?" she laughed at him. He now smiled and grinned sheepishly in his embarresment.
"I'll show you, girl! Make a fool of ME!" he cried out laughing and lunging for her arm, which she pulled away with a cry. "Come here!" he called to her, but she darted away, breathless in laughter. He stood away, stalking her with a mischevious look in his eyes and made to jump at her again, but she laughed and stepped away quickly.
Still avoiding him happily, she felt something cold and hard press against her back as she ebbed cautiously away from him. She turned her head, and she cried out in fear as she looked up into the hideous face of some giant brown beast.
"What is that thing!?!" she screaed, jumping into the Necromancer's arms in terror. He just laughed evily.
"He's beautiful is'nt he?" he asked her, "I can make them quite easily; just summon them up from the ground and there they are, made of the earth, they are." He told her, laughing at his trick to get at her. She still stared at the unmoving, muddy creature, it's earthy limbs pebbly and dark as it stood before them in the street alley-way. Then she asked;
"It's not dangerous?"
"Of course not!" he scoffed, "But if I tell hime to be. . ." he whispered in a mockingly threatening tone, tickling her back.
"Stop it, you feind!" she yelled, trying to get away and laughing again. "You let go, or I'll kick you, I will!" he quickly let her go, but the dirty thing stepped up and blocked her passage. It seemed to smile as it barred the path. She whirled upon the smiling Necromancer. "Alright, Durag, move him or else!" she told him, smiling.
"Or else, what?" he asked defiantly, smirking at her.
"You would'nt have it do anything to me." She told him confidently, and stepped towards it bravely, "Now move, you brute, I'm going to pass, you hear?" and took another step. The thing stood, rock still, and did not heed her commands. She took a breath and took another larger step, bringing her right up to it, and made to go right through it. It suddenly jumped quickly out of her way as she jumped past it. The next instant it fell to peices and returned to the earth. The Necromancer only laughed some more and the woman walked back up to him and said;
"I knew you would'nt let it do anything to me." Her voice was calmer now, not serious or mocking or anything, she simply saidit, and they both knew it was true. "You care too much for me, is that right?" she continued, asking him sincerely as she looked up into his shaded face in the alley. He smiled and took her arms into his rough hands.
"Yes." He agreed. "I have never been a man to show himself to many." He breathed next, "It was not in my upbringing. My training began early, and my masters were restricting in my expiriences. Women, I am afraid, were not in the cirriculum of the dark arts I have been schooled all my life. Forgive my misunderstandings, Marie, but I am not used to loving or being loved by anyone." He told her.
"You are all that I have ever expected or desired in a lover, Durag Lithin'thuar. I care not what your past was, if you are reluctant to disclose it too me. I only wish that we be together just now, like this." She said to him softly. He saw how she understood without knowing, exactly, going against all he had ever been taught by the elders, he released himself into the bliss of warm happiness. He loved this woman.