Her training was an intense, four-month long course with Aron. She would not officially become a Paladin until she made her way to Oren by Gatekeeper, a task in which Aron promised to help her with. She trained until her hands bled, one of the tasks Aron had given her was to go into the Wasteland and kill the reanimated skeletons of warriors who had died there years ago and not found rest with an old rusted sword. He taught her that first and foremost the Paladin's duty was to protect, second was to help the undead find rest. She was given texts of spells to learn, one of which she was advised never to use unless it was imperative, as it would transfer her life to one who was near death. Aron was a good teacher, and she found herself more confident under his tutelage than she had under Cedric.
When it finally came time for her to leave, Aron supplied her with a scroll that held the displacement magic gatekeepers used. It would send her to the nearest Gatekeeper, and dissolved upon use. Aron also gave her a letter of advancement, which she was to give to the Grand Master in Oren. After hugging her tutor goodbye, and given a crushing hug by Emixis, Sharmin turned away from them and unwrapped the scroll. The magic burst forth, and she found herself in the black vortex once more. Curiously, she was alone this time; there was no pinpoint of light with a crying girl ahead of her.
Ground met her face and she landed on her chest, sucking in a nose full of dirt in Dion. She pushed herself to her knees quickly, coughing and trying to blow the dirt from her nose. Several Dwarven merchants sat around her and snickered. Cheeks burning, she quickly pushed herself to her feet and smoothed her hair before trying to make her way to the Gatekeeper as if she meant to land that way. Dion was a small town, relatively new as far as established places went, the houses set around dirt roads that extended in an "X" fashion. Bards had set up residence in the small town, playing music for the merchants that set up shop where the roads met.
"SHARMIN!" she heard someone shout, just as the Gatekeeper had begun her spell. She looked over her shoulder with wide eyes as an equally wide-eyed Gatz stared back at her. A smile forming on her face despite herself, she opened her mouth to say something just as the Gatekeeper finished her spell, and Sharmin found herself in the blackness. She landed on her side this time, glaring out ahead of her as the spell cleared, wondering if anyone ever landed on their feet. Well, it was good seeing Gatz for a moment… she thought, staring at the gray rock of the ground she landed upon.
Her promotion to Paladin was unceremonious, and she felt a little saddened by this. Near her, a family stood near a young man, not much older than herself, as he received the title of Treasure Hunter. He was received with hugs and kisses from all, and Sharmin found herself missing her family. She sat in the inn a bit later, staring at her new Chain mail armor. It was quite plain; the armor was a dull brown color, and in a similar bikini-bottomed style to her old Bronze set. She had upgraded her sword and shield to match her armor, and sat dumbly, unsure as to what to do to test her new power. After a few days she began wandering outside of the city to help small groups of people sent out to push back the Lizardmen who attempted to advance upon the stonewalled city.
"Come on Valimos, what do you need to do still? We've been here for an hour." A female voice whined from outside the inn several weeks later. Sharmin sat by the door staring at a mug of cider, and had been entertaining herself by listening to those who passed.
"Patience, Komugi, I'm done now." A lower voice came. The girl was heard exclaiming excitedly as they moved away from the door. Sharmin's eyes had widened at the name and her heart began to pound in her chest. She jumped off her stool so fast that it was sent to the floor with a clatter. Ignoring the surprised stares around her, she took up her shield and sword and bolted out the door, eyes scanning the merchant-browsing crowd wildly.
"Komugi?" she called above the buzz of voices. She pushed her way through the crowd, trying to make her way past street vendors and their patrons quickly. "Komugi?" she called louder, breaking into a run. Behind her, Komugi turned to look around.
"Something wrong?" Valimos, a dark elf Palus Knight asked, raising his eyebrow at her as he purchased provisions from a street vendor. Komugi frowned and squinted into the crowd.
"I thought I heard someone calling me." She frowned. She shrugged then and returned to glancing over the necklaces the merchant had set out for purchase.
Sharmin ran through the town gates and out onto the pathway leading towards the Ivory Tower, scanning the departing travelers for the tell-tale hue of pink that her sister's hair had become.
"Excuse me; have you seen a pink-haired girl, about fourteen years old, really skinny?" Sharmin asked, grabbing an elf wearing a bow and quiver by the arm. The elf frowned at her and shook free of her grip, not answering her question. Sharmin let out a frustrated noise and gripped her hair at the scalp, searching the crowd. That had to have been Komugi's voice. There was no mistaking it. Making a quick decision, she took off down the path, hoping to catch her.
"Well, are you ready to go?" Valimos asked Komugi as they made their way past the gates. Komugi groaned and rolled her eyes at him.
"I've been ready to go for ages, have you not been listening?" she grumbled.
"Of course not, you're quite the nag, sometimes I wish you'd shut up." Valimos sneered, proud of himself.
"Bastard, I'm not healing you." Komugi hissed, her hair standing out.
"Ok then, I'm letting you die." Valimos reasoned, walking away from her. Komugi stared at his retreating figure for a moment, her temper in full tilt before stomping down the hill leading from the town after him. They turned south, making their way towards the Skyshadow Meadow, as Sharmin ran north, towards the Ivory Tower.
Sharmin soon found herself standing alone amidst tall trees and large ferns, the traveling crowd long since tapering out and going in separate directions as she passed Oren Castle. She pursed her lips and scanned the forest around the path, ears straining to hear any signs of intelligent life. Her ears picked up the faintest sound of a conversation from somewhere off in the distance, and her heart leapt in her chest. Held her scabbard close to her body as she ran in the direction it emanated from, to keep it from hitting her legs and hindering her progress.
"Komugi?" Sharmin breathed excitedly as she burst through thick brush into an area cleared for camping. Her hopeful expression dropped as four men came into view, one urinating against a tree. Sharmin's cheeks went pink and she turned away from them, embarrassed. "I…I'm sorry, I was looking for someone, and I thought they might be here…" she apologized, moving back into the plants.
"Why Sharmin, funny seeing you here, did you get separated from Komugi?" a familiar slurred voice came. Sharmin froze and lifted her head quickly to find the four men slowly moving towards her in a half-circle formation, Montavious directly ahead of her, giving her a lopsided drunken grin. Her heart began to pound for a different reason now, and she began to feel trapped. She didn't like the expressions the drunken men wore.
"Uh… just momentarily, she was supposed to meet me here any minute though." Sharmin lied, taking a step backwards.
"Really." Montavious mused, his tone cocky. "It's dangerous in these woods, Timak Orcs tend to wander through here, you'd be better off waiting with us." He was coming closer; she could smell the alcohol on his breath.
"No, its ok, I'll just go to our meeting spot." Sharmin tried to keep the nervous quiver from her voice. Her sword arm twitched, ready to draw her sword if she needed. She didn't like the looks the men were giving her, or the stench of alcohol that they were giving off.
"Come now, don't be shy, we're nice guys," another said, taking her arm. Now a bundle of nerves, this was all Sharmin could handle, and she whipped her shield out, stunning him. She bolted into the forest then, sense of direction lost with her fear.
"Don't be mean, Sharmin!" she heard Montavious guffaw. Her heart pounded so hard in her chest she felt as if it were going to burst. She was loosing them quickly; the mead they had consumed was slowing them down. The path back to Oren was in sight, and she drew in a hopeful breath. Surely there'd be someone to help her on the road…
Just scant feet before the trodden dirt, an ice spell hit her legs, freezing her muscles and tripping her. She fell to her knees, and tried to push herself back to her feet, her muscles too cold to function properly. A frightened sob emerged from her throat as she heard the men nearing; panting loudly from what she hoped was exertion. Instincts overriding her senses, she whipped around as they neared, swinging her sword and shield, trying to prevent them from coming nearer.
"Somebody help me!" she shouted, praying to Einhasad for the feeling to return to her legs. The only response she received was drunken laughter from the men. The Sorcerer who had cast the ice spell swung his staff, stunning her as it hit her head and causing her to fall on her chest. She lost her grip on her sword and shield, and they kicked it away from her reach. Tears streamed from her eyes as they converged in around her, and she began to wish that he had hit her hard enough to knock her out.
The men left her, several hours later, lying on her stomach in the ferns, bruised and naked. They left her armor and weaponry scattered in the bushes around her, taking none of it. Montavious lingered near her for a bit after his friends had retreated, ashamed of themselves for what they had just done and afraid someone would see them. Montavious stroked Sharmins shoulders and back, smiling at her with a lust-filled gaze.
"I love you so much, Sharmin." He slurred, smiling. Sharmin squinted her eyes shut hard and sobbed, too humiliated to move. He stood then, frowning in annoyance when she didn't return his endearment, and retreated into the forest.
She didn't know how long she lay there, cold and alone. The events that had transpired kept playing across her mind and she cried, wishing someone; something would come and kill her. What did she do to deserve this? She wished then that she had never lifted a sword, and had never seen the boy named Leon who inspired her to be something she was obviously not.
You are that which is keeping her game from continuing. A voice said somewhere in her mind. Sharmin shut her eyes, more tears dropping from them.
Then let her remove me. She thought back.
She heard the grass moving some time later, as someone trekked through it. Her body tensed, thinking it was the men coming back to abuse her again. There was a surprised gasp, and the sound of running. There was a heavy sound behind her head, and she was lifted and turned gently, Leon's frightened face coming into view.
"Great Einhasad…. Sharmin…" He managed out. His expression was that of shock and horror, and he looked as if he might cry.
"Leon…" She managed out, weeping in joy. Leon lifted her to a sit, clutching her near his armored chest. He pulled his sleeping blanket from his pack and wrapped her in it tightly.
"Pixie, can you manage carrying her armor and weapons?" he asked someone behind him.
"You betcha!" a cheerful voice said, and a dwarf with red hair skipped out from around him. Leon picked her up gently and carried her to the path, the dwarf skipping behind him. The action caused the armor to clink together, the sound seeming to make her happy.
Although they were near Oren, Leon did not take them in. Instead he made camp outside of it, near a broken-down wagon. He seemed to realize Sharmin's humiliation, and lingered outside the city as to not draw attention to them. The dwarf named Junk Pixie helped her dress in the dark brown leathers that she wore under her armor, but Sharmin resisted when Junk Pixie attempted to put the rest of her armor on. She sat near the fire Leon had built, pulling the blanket across her shoulders tightly and staring into the flame.
"Who did this to you?" Leon asked gently, offering her a slice of bread. Sharmin stared at the food but didn't take it; instead she huddled deeper into the blanket. Leon watched her face for a moment before standing as someone approached their camp.
"What are you doing with my woman? Get away from her, she's mine!" Montavious' slurred voice came from just out of the range of light the fire cast out. Sharmin raised her head, her eyes wide, and she scooted away until her back hit the splintering wood of the broken wagon. She began to whimper in fear, and Junk Pixie scooted near her to hug her protectively.
"Funny, as 'your' woman seems to be frightened of you. Mind explaining why?" Leon asked smoothly, no trace of emotion gracing his features. It was this cool, business-like expression that he was best known for.
"She ain't scared of me, she's so happy to see me that she's speechless." Montavious said, taking a step forward. "I was worried when she disappeared from our private spot, I shoulda known you would've come and tried to steal her from me." Montavious spit, disgusted, before continuing, "Pretty boy like you doesn't know when to keep your hands to yourself." He stepped into the ring of light from the fire. He held a mead bottle in one hand, which was half empty. "C'mon Sharmin, lets go."
Sharmin cried out in fear as he came into view, pressing her hands to her ears as she had done so many years ago with the Werewolf attack. Junk Pixie, her short arms not long enough to wrap around Sharmin's larger frame, instead opted to shield her head from view, glaring at Montavious with her lower lip pouted out.
"She doesn't like you fat man in a tin can, go away." Pixie said angrily. Montavious stiffened up and drew his sword.
"Why you little half bit twat," he growled, taking a step towards them. "How dare a dirty little mountain-dweller like you speak to a human that way!" He was halted by a swing from Leon's sword.
"Leave now." Leon said, his voice wavering with controlled anger. "And never, EVER come near Sharmin again, got it?" Leon shoulders shook, perhaps with fury. "And if I hear you do…." He brought the tip of his sword under Montavious' chin, "I will take you down without hesitation." Montavious spat again, but sheathed his sword and turned away, casting one last glare towards Junk Pixie and Sharmin.
Later that night, after Sharmin had fallen into a fitful half-sleep, a new group approached the camp. Leon stood and drew his sword, not trusting anyone to come near.
"Good gods DiValmont, put it down, it's just us." A female voice came. Koyori came into view of the campfire light and shifted her weight onto one leg, holding a staff point first in the ground as if planting a flag into the soil. She glanced at the sleeping form of Sharmin and the groggy one of Junk Pixie, who pushed herself to a sit and blinked sleepily at her, rubbing the grit from her eyes.
"Well isn't this a quaint reunion." A cooler voice came. "So you're Leon. It's a pleasure to finally meet you." Amari stated, holding a hand out. Leon blinked at it in confusion and Amari retracted it, as if embarrassed.
"Is that Sharmin?" the third voice came, and Gatz walked out of the dark last. He carried a heavy spear which towered nearly a foot over his head.
"Duh, who else would it be, Leon's here after all?" Koyori huffed, rolling her eyes. She was now dressed in blue and cream colored skirt and shirt, a robe set commonly known as Blue Wolf. "You know that whenever we see Leon, Sharmin will be close behind. Hey Sharmin, wake…"
"Let her rest." Leon said quickly, holding a hand up to silence her. He glanced over his shoulder to make sure she hadn't woken. Sharmin shifted under the blanket, and Junk Pixie yawned from her spot where she'd fallen asleep next to her.
"Why, what's the matter?" Gatz asked, his eyes alive with concern. Koyori frowned at him, annoyed. Leon thought for a moment, and then led Gatz away from the camp a bit, a hand on his shoulder. Curious, Amari and Koyori lingered nearby as Leon explained what had happened, by the evidence presented. Koyori's jaw dropped open slightly in surprise and Amari turned and walked away, not wishing to take part in the drama surrounding the former residents of Talking Island. Gatz turned away and started back towards Sharmin, but Leon put a restraining hand on his arm, shaking his head and talking in a low voice. Gatz jerked free of Leon's grip and covered his face with his hands for a moment before picking up his spear where he'd dropped it.
"Amari, come with me, would you?" Gatz commanded more than asked, his voice hard.
"Sure thing." Amari said cheerfully, his face bright.
"What are you doing?" Koyori asked quickly, grabbing Gatz's arm. "It's a bad thing, but don't get involved, let Leon take care of it." She said, pulling on him. Gatz's head turned quickly and he gave her a stone cold glare, one that Koyori had never seen before. She released his arm and backed away, her eyes large.
"Stay here." he commanded, and retreated into the darkness of the woods.
"Why aren't you going with? It's you she likes." Koyori said icily, looking at Leon after Gatz had disappeared into the gloom. "Why don't you finally become the hero she thinks you are instead of the wishy washy devoted drone of Einhasad?" Leon seemed to pause, as if her words both stung him and surprised him, before sheathing his sword and taking a seat near Sharmin.
"I was going to, but since Gatz and his friend are taking care of it, I shall remain here to protect her. That is just as honorable as finding the one who did this, I think." Leon murmured, glancing down at Sharmin. "She needs someone she trusts nearby right now; it's going to be long night for her." Sighing in what appeared to be helplessness, Leon took her hand and held it as he settled himself against the wagon. Koyori sighed in disgust and turned away from them, trekking across the field and towards Oren, not wanting to spend any amount of time outside. Junk Pixie, who watched the entire exchange with heavy eyelids, blinked sleepily at Leon before yawning one more time and flopping back down, fast asleep.
Sharmin woke from a nightmare just as dawn was breaking. She dreamt of being impaled on the spear of the winged man once more, only Montavious held the weapon this time. The sun had not yet risen, but the land was cast in the pre-dawn gray light. A heavy fog covered the ground, so thick that trees only a few feet away were obscured from view. She sat up, rubbing her eyes, and looked down, surprised to find Leon loosely gripping her hand. She blushed and withdrew it, holding it close to her chest. She smiled wistfully at him, his head had drooped toward his chest with slumber, and he reminded her of a small boy. The plants rustled as someone made their way towards them again, and Sharmin felt panic, drawing her blanket up over her chest protectively.
Gatz came into view, splatters of blood decorating his face and chest plate. His face was dark, a look she'd never seen him have before. She stood, the blanket dropping from her grip and into a heap at her feet. She walked to the edge of the camp as he halted, staring at her and breathing in shaky breaths. The Dark Elf she remembered as Amari stood behind him, grinning like the cat that ate the canary.
"Gatz…what have you done?" Sharmin breathed as he turned from her gaze.
"What needed to be done." He said quietly, walking away from her.
"That was great fun." Amari said lightly, following Gatz. "Quite satisfying in the end, really. I'm quite impressed at how it all came together…" Sharmin watched them until they disappeared into the fog and she could see them no longer.
Although still afraid and ashamed, Sharmin found that she desired to take up the sword again after a few days, and was soon fighting demons and beasts again with renewed fervor. She felt like a fire had been placed in her chest, and that there was no reason she should become weak with what the gods threw at her. She thought she would separate from Leon and Junk Pixie after she recuperated enough to wield her sword again, but Leon insisted that she stay nearby (a request she happily complied with). She told him what had become of her after he left the Island, but couldn't get any more than 'there was something that needed to be done' when she inquired as to where he had gone. When she told of her savior after the spider bit her, there was no sign of recognition or familiarity in Leon's expression, just interest of her well-being. Sharmin's heart dropped, had she given herself to a stranger that night? A nauseous feeling passed through her when an evil voice suggested it might've been Montavious. Leon then offered, (thankfully interrupting her traumatizing thoughts) that he and Junk Pixie would help Sharmin locate her sister, as Pixie had passed an elf and a pink-haired Prophet herself not long ago and overheard someone who fit Komugi's description speak of traveling to Heine.
"Mama Pixie always said it was good to listen to others, even when they weren't talking to you. You might just get a business venture that way." Pixie then added with a proud grin, swinging her large moneybag. Sharmin had never seen a moneybag quite as full as Junk Pixies, and she wondered how she managed to accumulate so much money. It seemed to grow as the days passed, as if it were absorbing various things around them and turning it into money.
Sharmin cast one last glance over her shoulder at Oren as they made their way south, away from it. She hadn't seen Gatz or Amari again since that day, and she wondered where they could've gone. She had wanted to see Gatz again, for what reason though she couldn't place.
"Sharmin." Leon called, ahead of her. He and Junk Pixie had paused on the road and were watching her patiently. Sighing, Sharmin turned towards them and smiled, ready to begin the journey anew.