Hey, everyone!

I know about 5 chapters back, give or take, I said there were three to five chapters left in Zhi Lao'Hu.

I lied.

I meant for there to only be 3-5, then the epilogue, but I ended up splitting one or two of the chapters up a while back so you all had something to read. Anyway, this chapter's a lot longer than a few you've had recently! :3 I've been on a ROLL, I tell you!

Let's get to reviews before you run me over!

MissFiyeraba: *glomp* Amazing, wonderful, fantastic, whatever you call it, you have my gratitude! :D

MusicofPoetry12: Yes, besties! *tacklehug* I'm thrilled that you can imagine such scenes with my writing! :3 And you're right, good romance fics are hard to find. X3 INSIDE JOKE HAS BEEN FORMED! 8D *thumbs up*
Also, were I in Magiya's place, I would probably be absolutely terrified. o.o Going into the land of death, where your life could be torn away at any moment? She's got guts. More than I do, anyway… She's strong. :) *nabs cookies* *hands brownies* Hope you're not allergic to chocolate!

KiasuEurasian: X3 Kiasu, if I could make you fall any more in love with this, I would! 8D I feel no guilt for it! But I'm glad you love it! ^^

Now that we've got that done, let's get to the part you guys really want to hear about—the chapter!

Enjoy!


I felt like shrinking back, for that was precisely what every cell in my body was urging me to do. This thing is wrong, they screamed simultaneously. It shouldn't be here!

I shouldn't be here, I thought dryly, silencing the chorus of thoughts that wanted me to run. After all, how must the… remnants, or whatever they are… think of me? They must think along the same lines. With that logic, these thoughts were all that made me stand my ground as the thi—Death—straightened up, looking down at me. From the path where I stood to the very top of where its head might have been, it must have measured no less than eight feet. A short tremor ran through my body as I looked up at it. I was not scared, necessarily; it was only my body's physical reaction to being so near something that felt so wrong. Nothing more.

I glared defiantly at Death, ready for whatever he threw at me—at least, that was what I told myself. My mind began to coil within the confines of the walls I set for it, twisting and arching like some serpentine thing. For a warrior or a rogue, I suppose it would have been comparable to their drawing their blades. I was ready to fight.

Yet, Death did not seem likely to attack, somehow. Puzzled, I frowned, but did not lower my defenses, for that would have been the height of recklessness. I just wasn't that trusting or stupid.

Then again, the trust issue was what got me into this in the first place…

Either way, I thought, If he does attack, I'm not going to be caught unprepared.

"Do you want to fight me?"

The voice was so entirely unexpected that for a moment, I jerked back. The voice was deep, but not gravelly like Artix's was—this one was more just low, but there was no way you could miss it, because it was also loud. It thundered upon my eardrums, like if the ocean waves were held right up to your ear, or if you were right next to a lightning strike. It didn't quite rattle my teeth in my jaw, but it came close. It was a booming voice, and it was voluble.

Turning my attention to the question, I frowned at Death, wondering whether I actually should answer or not. I need to get him to let me see Artix. Should I try to get on his good side…? On the other hand, it wouldn't exactly help me to stay quiet.

"No," I said slowly, drawing the word out like question. I still didn't take my eyes off of the huge figure wielding a scythe.

"Then why did you come here?" he asked. If I didn't know any better, I would have said that he sounded almost… irritated, I guess. When I failed to answer, he continued. "Many adventurers and would-be heroes have ventured down here, Mage, and almost all have looked to fight me and defeat me. None have succeeded. So I ask again, why are you here?!"

His voice was loud enough that I wanted to shrink back. It crashed upon my eardrums, and would have made a weaker person than me want nothing more than to cower and hide, and do anything to get away from this being. In short, it was absolutely terrifying. But being silent would protect me no longer, so I chose to spoke. I had nothing to lose, after all. I lifted my chin. If he would kill me, I would not be hunkered down, ready to attempt (and fail) to defend myself.

"My name is Magiya," I stated calmly, refusing to allow the way I felt inside to show. I felt like I was nothing more than a quivering mass of jelly, and I suspected it was mostly though willpower that I kept my knees from trembling. Have you ever had a sudden surprise that startled you very badly, or even enough to make you jump? Afterwards, your knees are shaky, if only a little bit, and it takes a minute for you to return to normal. Imagine that not fading away. "I came because—" I broke off, hesitating. What was I supposed to say? 'I came because I planned to put on puppy-dog eyes to get you to let me talk to the man of my dreams?'

…No. Just no.

No on both points, actually. He is not the man of my dreams! Artix is irritating and arrogant, and I want someone who is quiet and reasonable! Not someone like him!

"Did you come to fetch a loved one?" Death queried, and if his voice had been any quieter, it might almost have sounded… gentle. Not sympathetic, and not understanding or considerate. Just gentle. I gave an uncertain nod, alternating between tightening and slackening my grip on my staff. Just as a kid who had just gotten in trouble might wring at the hem of their shirt when they thought they were going to be paddled, I nervously clutched my staff.

"That is what most come here to do," he rumbled. A sort of dark humor radiated off of him.

"What makes me any different from them?" I dared, a little confused at his amusement. "If most people come to bring back a—a loved one, then how am I not the same?"

"You have not issued a challenge, nor attacked me," he replied, the words reverberating through my body.

When Warlic said you can't miss him, he wasn't kidding.

"I need to see my friend," I said upwards, feeling helpless. If he said no, I wasn't going home without getting Artix, so I wouldn't be going home. I'd have to try to get past him somehow, and then I would probably die. Therefore, it was on his whim that I would get to talk to Artix. Death gazed at me, that air of amusement still surrounding him. I suspected that he might have been at least considering the idea, and that he might have liked to toy with mortals' lives. When he remained silent, I tried again. "Please! Warlic told me that I needed to talk to you, and if you let me see him, then all I need to do was convince Artix, and—"

"Warlic?" Death interrupted. "That Blue Mage?" I nodded desperately, grasping at straws. Warlic, I really, really hope you're on good terms with this guy. Death snorted—at least, that's what it sounded like, from what I could tell—before looking down at me with what seemed to be new interest. "I know of Warlic. He has been here before… several times."

Well, that doesn't sound good.

"But…"

My heart took a sudden upwards jerk, and I looked at Death with renewed hope. He looked back, and after a long silence, he inclined his head slightly towards me.

"Tell me, hero… what is it that you are willing to do?"

"Huh?" My head jerked back, and my brow furrowed in confusion.

"I said, what are you willing to do? If I grant you an audience with this Artix, what are you willing to give me?"

I hesitated again. I had heard of all of these stories where a hero's answer would be 'Anything,' and then they would end up either losing their own life or losing something precious to them later on. However, I wasn't sure what I could offer that might possibly interest Death. What's the price of a Paladin's life in gold? I wondered cryptically. Death has a scythe, he has no need of weapons. I doubt he has any interest in anything magic could offer…

In other words, I was stuck. So I answered all that I knew—the truth.

"I don't know," I murmured sincerely, dropping my head slightly. "I don't know what I have to offer you to let me see him. I don't know what the embodiment of the thing that all people fear could want."

Death paused, seeming to consider my answer. "You have a strange mind, Mage," he finally thundered. "You are not like the others."

"Uh… Thank you?" I guessed, and I heard what might have passed for a chuckle. It was more of a gust of wind, though.

"If I let you see him, little Mage… will you give me a favor?"

I almost burst out with 'yes,' but bit back the answer that was on the very tip of my tongue. What could he want as a favor? And when? Why would he choose me to require a favor from? But finally, desperation won out.

Enough questions, murmured the gentler side of my mind. This is the best—and likely only—offer you're going to get. Accept it, get Artix, and get out.

"Yes," I responded decisively (but still with reluctance), lifting my chin just a little bit. Death nodded, seeming satisfied. Turning partially away from me, he lifted one arm, pointing further down the path that was straight as an arrow. His tattered black sleeve fell back a little bit, revealing a skeletal hand. There was no flesh, no skin—just bones. Goosebumps raced down my arms.

"You will come upon a fork in the path not much further on," he said in his low thunder of a voice. "Take the left road."

I nodded slightly doubtfully, before edging past him when he didn't budge. I walked two or three paces, and then I turned. It might make sense to thank him… after all, he didn't obliterate you on sight.

But Death was gone. There was no trace of where he had been. Hairs lifted on the back of my neck, and I turned back to the way I had been going, breaking into a run. The sooner I got out of here, the better. This place was creepy.

Well of course it's creepy, muttered my logical side snidely. It's the land of the dead. Dumbass.

Undeterred, I continued to run along the path. My arms moved in tandem with my legs, with my left arm going forward when my right leg did and vice versa. I could hear my heartbeat in my ears, even though it wasn't very loud, and I didn't slow down. I passed a few figures standing just off the path, within the pine trees, but I sprinted past them without a second glance. They were beyond my reach now, and I could not help them.

I forced my feet to slow down as I came upon a split in the road. It wasn't hard to see, exactly, but it almost ran under the radar. At first glance, it might appear as though the track had just ended. However, as you drew closer, it was clear that this was not the case. The path went forward for another few meters, and then it split, going at a right angle to the left and right. Stepping forward just a little warily, I peered down one direction, and then the other.

If there's anyone—or anything—down there, it will probably be off to the side of the road… looking both ways before you cross seems pointless. Cautiously, I stepped around the corner of the path, taking the left turn. Assuming Death didn't give me fake information as to where to find Artix, he should be around here somewhere…

After a minute or two of walking, I felt a slight tremble run under my feet—not unlike that of a boulder falling. It reminded me briefly of the shudder that had shaken the ground when Horidon had been defeated by none other than—

"Artix?"

I saw him then, dodging around trees in his path as he raced towards an unseen enemy, sword drawn. With a pang, I saw that the Paladin was already spattered with the blood that had covered him the last time I saw him. His face was twisted into an expression that was not just angry, but furious. Artix was thrown back by something that I could not see, and his feet slid to a stop in the pine needles. He stopped moving for a moment, breathing harder.

"Who are you?" he spat angrily, his upper lip curling. I didn't hear a response, but I can't be sure if he did either, because a second later, he repeated the question with more venom. "Who the hell are you?!"

"Artix," I murmured, my shoulders drooping as I watched. I don't remember what happened in Amityvale, but I had a pretty good idea from watching this. Almost less than a heartbeat after, he spoke again, but this time in a more demanding tone.

"No, I don't! Why are you doing this to her?"

I felt another lance of pain shoot through my chest as I realized that Artix had only ever been worried about me… and I had most certainly done the exact opposite. It was shaming, to say the least, to realize the person who did nothing but watch out for you was killed your own hand, whether you were in your right mind or not. I sucked in a breath as the pain worsened.

"Because I love her!"

I could remember… vaguely… just a flash. The white that had been surrounding me… that I could remember. I recalled… a voice. It broke apart the white. It was just for a moment, but it had. And that was the voice that I had heard.

He… loves me?

Really?

Suddenly, Artix leaned back just a little bit, with his free hand covering his eyes as though shielding them from some bright light. Just as he was lowering his arm, he was hurled back as though struck by an iron fist, and he was thrown back against a low, partially broken-down stone wall that I had not noticed before… but that I recognized. I could do nothing as he crashed into the low wall, and winced in sympathy as his unprotected skull cracked against the smooth stone. This was the first time I was seeing what had happened to him while I had been possessed by Vayle, and the shock that I had done this assaulted me once more. The guilt approached silently, ready to pounce on my mind at a second's notice, but I didn't let it. I shoved it away as violently as I could, closing my eyes to Artix. His body was beaten and broken—exactly how I had last seen it.

And it hurt.

Taking another short breath, I took the first step towards where he lay, wondering what would happen when I walked into the memory—illusion? Whatever it was—and tried to get his attention.

However, no sooner had I left the path than the Paladin began to move again. He twitched, making me stop in my tracks, then he lifted his head and blinked the glassiness out of his eyes. Slowly, he began to sit up, looking around.

I had woken up after he had been thrown against the wall. This was not part of the memory, because this part had not happened. This was him. This was real.

Copper-colored eyes flicked around the forest, and then latched upon me. Now that he was no longer trapped in his own personal hell, I guessed that Artix might have been a little disoriented. He frowned, puzzled, as he gazed at me. His eyes were slightly wider than usual, and with some effort, he pushed himself up into a sitting position against the wall. He looked down at the hole in his armor, understandably confused. He looked back up at me as though searching for answers, but his gaze was a little more guarded than it should have been.

I suppose it made sense. After all, I had been the last person he had seen when he was alive, and I had been the one attempting to kill him. To see me back to normal somewhere he didn't recognize must be more than a little bit offsetting.

"…Magiya?" he asked softly, appearing lost. He still seemed to be putting one puzzle piece together at a time, and if I were in his place, I probably would be, too. I nodded once, forcing myself to take another few steps towards where he sat.

"Hey, Artix," I said quietly, not exactly sure of myself.

"What… what happened?" he questioned. His voice was music to my ears, despite the rough, gravelly tone to it.

Like gravel wrapped in velvet…

"I don't know where to start," I finally admitted, gingerly taking a seat beside him on the pine needles. Artix must have decided I wasn't being controlled, because some of the caution in his eyes faded, and his shoulders dropped slightly. His body language was a little more open, I would say.

"Well," he said with a shadow of a smile, "The beginning's always good."


Well, I tried to make it long and cram as much into this chapter as I could. :) I hope you all enjoyed it, and I'll see you in a couple weeks with what will probably be the final chapter in this tale! :D Yes, readers, Zhi Lao'Hu is drawing to a close!

I DO promise that unless you're sadistic and want Artix and Magiya to die, you'll LOVE the epilogue. ^^

For writing tips, if you're stuck, write drabbles until your writer's block goes away! Write sentences, paragraphs, oneshots. If you don't plan to keep them, then completely disregard all logic! It's a drabble. It shouldn't completely make sense! It's just a scribbling of ideas and fantasies…

Until next chapter, dear readers! :)

Juliet

EDIT: Please, if you don't mind, when you finish reading this, could I ask you to vote on the poll on my page? :3 If you'd like the Dragonfable fanfictions to continue after Zhi Lao'Hu is over, then I need to know where to start. ^^ It's just a simple poll, asking who the next male protagonist of the following fanfiction should be. Thanks! :)