Leon traveled quickly across the continent, and within a week they were through the Plains of the Lizardmen and heading through Death Pass towards Giran. The lush greenery of the Plains gave away to more arid scenery, and the beating of dragon wings could be heard in the distance. Death Pass was given its name as it was a narrower strip of land that fell between two steep cliffs. Drakes and Basilisks were known to pick off unwary travelers, as there was no terrain to protect the hapless wanderer from the beasts. Dusk was descending upon them as they began the trek through the Pass, and Leon urged them to stay close together. Leon and Sharmin sat beneath a half-dead spindly twig of a tree, watching Junk Pixie chase a frightened Basilisk. She shouted in what could've been Dwarfish, (but was most likely gibberish according to Leon), waving her Tarbar, a large headed short axe, with menace. The Basilisks in the Pass were usually quite aggressive, but this one fled like an Elpy seeking cover from a storm, making high pitched whimpering noises.
"Sharmin, over here." Leon called her softly, motioning her over to a large rock. He pointed at a strange blue-skinned zombie some twenty feet ahead of them. It was tall, its head in a strange vice that rested on its shoulders. The flesh had rotted away in its midsection, exposing its spine. It swayed as it stood, making strange moaning noises. "Have you ever seen one of those before?" he asked, his voice barely above a whisper. Sharmin shook her head, staring at the undead creature. "They're called Shackles, and are tortured men who died by their own greed. They remain here, killing anyone they can in honor of the Bloody Queen. Sad, isn't it? Forever bound to that demon, never knowing true peace…" Leon's voice tapered off as he lost himself in thought.
"Is there any way to help them?" Sharmin asked, tilting her head to look at him. He smiled at her warmly and she looked away quickly, her cheeks pink.
"Of course, we're Paladins after all." He said, still smiling. "You said yourself that you haven't traveled far from Oren since becoming one, so I thought I'd bring you out here to let your true skills shine." He drew his sword and moved away from the rock bravely, walking straight towards the Shackle. "I shall draw the attention of the creature from you. Once it comes towards me, defeat it to the best of your ability, ok?" The Shackle noticed him and covered the space between them at a strange tip-toed run, holding its arms out as if to hug him. Before it approached, Leon waved his shield arm in a strong arc, casting a blinding spell upon the monster to blind it from seeing any other person but him. Raising his shield to block the blows from the zombie's limp arms as it swung at him, Leon looked over the shoulder at Sharmin. She took this as her signal to begin, and drew her sword as she quickly approached the zombie. Without thinking, she thrust her sword at its neck. The head, still locked into the shackle bolted to its skull, swung freely as it continued to attack Leon.
"You can't behead them?" She asked, bewildered as the Shackle's flesh seemed to repair itself, reattaching the head to the shoulders. Beheading seemed to work so effectively before on the zombies she came across in the Ruins of Agony, were these undead so different?
"That won't work." Leon stated, wincing from the blows. Sweat began to bead across his brow, and Sharmin began to panic, as it appeared his endurance was running out. She began swinging her sword in frenzy, trying to dismember the creature before it caused Leon further harm. Each blow she landed healed up a moment after it opened, her attempts in vain.
"Use magic, silly-head." Junk Pixie stated, standing a safe distance away, her Tarbar over one shoulder. The Basilisk lay unmoving behind her, its tail stripped of spines. Sharmin pursed her lips and held an arm out, willing holy power to flow from it. Please, she thought, shutting her eyes hard. Sir Aron had told her to use a prayer as she cast this magic, to properly guide the undead to Einhasad's paradise, but Sharmin could not muster any plea to send to the goddess. A ring of light surrounded the Shackle and closed in on it, covering it in an intense light. It groaned and turned, breaking free from Leon's spell and advancing upon her. She backed up, one hand still extended, watching the creature as it tip-toe ran towards her, its arms extended again as if to hug her. She stared at it steadily, no fear showing upon her face as she willed the power to flow once more. The light surrounded the Shackle just as it raised one of its limp arms to hit her. With a loud groan the creature crumpled and fell as if all the bones had been removed from its body. Sharmin stared at it for a moment, then at her hand in surprise. She'd never used magic before, and it left her arm with a strange tingling sensation.
"Are you all right?" she asked, hurrying to Leon. He knelt to the ground, one hand to his head where the Shackle had managed to land a skin-splitting blow. Blood trickled down his forehead in a thin stream underneath his hand, and his eyes were shut, as if concentrating. "I'm so sorry, I should've acted faster…" she apologized grimly, her eyes welling.
"Its fine, I knew the risk when I took it." Leon managed out with a pained smile. "You did well for a new Paladin, most try to cast some sort of healing spell instead of using the Holy Strike magic." He winced again and curled towards the ground as much as he could in his armor. Junk Pixie held a beaker full of white, sparkling liquid in between them, and Leon took it without looking up.
"Stupid head, remember what Mama Pixie said about showing off?" she scolded, folding her arms across her chest as Leon drank the potion. "Never show off unless someone's gonna pay you for it!"
"I wasn't showing off, Pixie. I was teaching." Leon said around the tube. Junk Pixie shook her head, the ponytail on the side of her head flopping back and forth.
"You were showing off cuz there's a girl around." She insisted, grinning at him. "But you know, the only way to properly show off to a girl is to give her lots of shinies! Brute strength an endurance is so fifty years ago." She said, waving her hand as if shooing away something unpleasant. Sharmin lifted a hand to her mouth to hide her budding grin and giggled as Leon cast Junk Pixie an annoyed look. She turned as the sound of fast approaching footfalls echoed softly off of the gorge walls and met her ears. A Dark Elf and Orc came running at them, swords drawn. Sharmin backed up a few steps, her eyes wide.
"Sharmin, start running." Leon murmured, holding his sword ready. She ran backwards a few steps before turning and bolting in the opposite direction as Leon met the Dark Elf in clashed swords. The Orc bypassed Leon and went directly after Sharmin. Junk Pixie had disappeared, knowing what was to come and hiding from it.
Sharmin glanced over her shoulder to find the Orc gaining upon her fast. She whipped around and deflected his sword as he swung it at her, the force causing her to stumble backwards and land on her rear. She rolled out of the way as he swung at her again in a downward arc, his sword cutting the rocks which she had landed upon with frightening ease. Sharmin rolled to her feet and blocked his next swing with both sword and shield, locking his blade between the two. He began to push down on her shield, the pressure slowly bringing her to her knees.
"Why are you doing this? What have we done to you?" Sharmin asked in a strained voice, her arms shaking under the mighty strength of the Orc. He didn't answer her, but smiled darkly, pulling his sword free of the lock and swung at her once more. She barely blocked it with her shield, the tip of his sword cutting a thin line in her stomach. The force from his blow sent her flying a few feet through the air and onto her back.
"Sharmin!" Leon shouted, using his shield to push away the Dark Elf and turning to run towards her. Momentarily knocked off balance, the Dark Elf stumbled a bit before regaining his foothold and sprinting after Leon. Sharmin shakily pushed herself to her feet, the wind knocked from her lungs. Leon darted in between her and the approaching Orc. The Dark Elf thrust forward and took another swing at Leon, who avoided it and swung his shield out, smacking the elf in the head and causing him to stumble, stunned. The elf wobbled this way and that, swinging his sword blindly with one hand to his head, trying to stop it from spinning.
"Stop this!" Sharmin pleaded, as Leon parried a few swings from the Orc. Leon swung his shield out again, in attempts to stun the Orc so they could escape, but the blow seemed to not affect him. He grinned at Leon before dropping his sword and pulling an axe from a loop of leather around his waist. He blocked a blow Leon attempted to land with his shield. The short moment Leon's arm was raised; sword still locked against the Orc's shield, the Orc swung his axe hard, breaking through Leon's silver armor and embedding itself in his side. Leon winced and groaned, pulling away quickly before the Orc swung again.
Sharmin flew at the Orc, trying to help Leon, who had raised a hand to his broken armor, trying to quell the flowing blood that spilled over it, dying it crimson. She yelled as she thrust her sword, cutting through the Orc's exposed side. He growled and swung his shield, hitting Sharmin on the side of the head and causing her to fly through the air once more.
"Don't! I told you to run!" Leon shouted at her, fury showing on his handsome face. Sharmin pushed herself up slowly, sharp pain coursing through her skull. Blood poured onto the grass, and her eyes widened at it. She slowly raised a hand up to her face, finding that the blood was coming from her mouth and nose. Her vision was distorted, and she blinked hard to clear it as she stood. She turned back, stumbling slightly as she moved, towards the Orc and Leon, who continued to fight. The Dark Elf regained his senses, and glared at Leon a moment before darting forward, his sword extended.
"Look out!" she cried. Something snapped in her jaw when she shouted, and a new pain shot through her face. She found her mouth wouldn't shut properly when she tried, and she lifted a hand to the joint, panic jolting through her body. Upon hearing her shout, Leon turned just as the Dark Elf's sword found the spot under his arm where the armor did not cover, and thrust. Sharmin cried out as Leon fell, groaning in pain. He hit the ground hard and did not move. The Orc dropped his axe and pulled a long spear from where he had secured it upon his back. Sharmin backed up until her back hit the steep rock wall, her eyes wide with fear as the Orc slowly approached her. Behind him, the Dark Elf looked down at Leon's body with a pleased expression, his sword still dripping with blood. He shook it before sheathing it, and folded his arms across his chest, waiting for the Orc to complete his task.
Sharmin's vision blurred as the Orc approached her slowly, and she squinted. Don't do this, not now! She cried to her body silently. Stay conscious! Don't pass out! The Orc suddenly became a tall man with large wings, and her eyes widened. She slowly looked down, as if in a dream, and found herself holding a large golden sword in her hands. Her skin had turned a pale color, almost grey, which echoed a green light that shone from somewhere. That's right, she thought, pushing herself forward, holding the sword ready, I came here to kill him. What have I been doing up until now? She let out a loud shout as she ran towards the winged man, who took a step backwards, as if surprised, and swung the great golden sword. The tip cut through his golden helmet that hid his head from view as if it were nothing more than bread, and he let out a choked cry. Gold laced blood spilled down the tall man's chest as he withdrew in shock, lifting a hand to the wound. Confident that she drew blood, she swung again, leaving herself open. The man took this opening and thrust his spear hard, impaling her through her stomach. Sharmin halted, her eyes wide with shock, and doubled over, dropping the sword to grip the spear. Blood welled up in her throat and she choked, sputtering it out.
"Synshlee!" she heard someone shout behind her. She turned her head slightly to find the very Orc she and Leon had been fighting a moment ago staring at her in worry. He seemed younger though, as if he were just starting out into the world. Who's Synshlee? She thought, as the winged man put a foot on her shoulder to hold her steady as he withdrew the spear. I'm… Who am I again? Her body fell limply, and she watched with unblinking eyes as the winged man stumbled, supporting himself on his spear, one hand clutching his throat. He stood after a moment, his blood spattering to the floor of the stone room that she now noticed she was in, before moving towards a portal of light which slowly faded back into the scenery of Death Pass. The Orc stared down at her without expression, a scratch adorning the armor covering his collarbone where her sword had hit him.
"That was too easy, I feel dirty now." He stated, turning away from her. Sharmin's eyes burned, and she attempted to blink them, but found that her eyelids would no longer move. Her vision slowly faded as the Orc retreated back to his friend, and the darkness claimed her.