Chapter 13 – 'Clea and Martinus'

"Let me tell you a story. It will explain much", said Corinna, settling herself on the bench beside Stefane. "Have any of you read or seen the play 'Clea and Martinus'? It is very old. Written in a southern kingdom, it's been transcribed and adapted to suit many different audiences."

"I saw it performed near a century ago, in Capitol", stated Daelynn. "A tragic tale of lost love. I do not recall the particulars."

"Not its best production", confided Corinna. "The gist of the story is that demons seduce and curse two lovers, Clea and Martinus. The lovers become immortal but are forever separated, each doomed to a lonely eternity."

"Hmph. Prefer comedies meself", said Garlt.

Nodding her head in agreement, Corinna continued.

"The story is based in fact. The two lovers, both of them persons of influence, wealth, outstanding beauty and fiery passions, entered into an arrangement with a minor demon – a Succubus. Might have been an Incubus. They can change forms and sexes."

Corinna paused, smiling at some secret memory. "Imagine the possibilities the three of them could… did, enjoy!"

"By 'arrangement', do you mean a contract", asked the elf? "Chancy thing to do with demon-spawn."

Ignoring Daelynn's interruption, Corinna continued her story. "Martinus and Clea chafed at the limits that nature had set upon them and their great passion for each other. 'Time' was an enemy. It cools ardour and love ends when the body dies. But the demon made them an offer. Eternal youth and beauty and passion, so their love could be immortal."

"Let me guess. The demon cheated 'em", reasoned Garlt.

"Yes. But to be honest, they also tried to cheat the Succubus. In the midst of the ritual that she had created to confer immortality upon them, the Succubus attacked. But Martinus was prepared for treachery. He had set traps in the ritual chamber. It was their intent to confine and control the she-demon after the ritual. Succubi are not great fighters. She would not stand against them, but opened a portal to a hell-dimension, and fled. But not before altering the ritual. It was subtle. The two lovers did not notice its effects for several years. But as time passed, it became apparent that what she had done would destroy them."

Daelynn interrupted again. "You are 'Clea'".

Stefane spoke for the first time since Corinna had started her tale. "You gained immortality, but your love, Martinus, did not? He died?"

"No", answered Corinna. "We got what we desired most - eternal beauty and eternal life. But those gifts were not shared equally."

The woman paused, anger briefly flickering across her beautiful face. "Eternal beauty was granted to me. But not eternal life. We learned that I would live the span of a normal human life, then die. But my body, my corpse, would be a forever youthful and beautiful."

"And Martinus", asked the dwarf?

"The opposite", replied Corinna. "His… life energy… his vitality, seemed eternal, but his body aged. After the normal span of years allotted to a mortal, his body would die, but his essence would live on, incorporeal, formless."

"A cruel jest', observed Daelynn. "A body with no life, and a life with no body."

"Oh, Corinna", lamented Stefane. "How have you survived? Is there no way to undo this terrible thing?"

Corinna smiled at Stefane. "Yes, there is, my sweet boy! And this why we need you. There are spells, rituals, of demon holding that can be used to force a demon to undo what has been done. But it is not some Succubus that we must trap, but it's the Succubus' own Demon-Lord. Once her Master has fixed what she broke, the original intent of the spell is restored."

"Of course, I will help you", pled Stefane, "But I have no knowledge of such magics. What do you need from me?"

"Demonology, opening portals to hell-planes, and demon confinement, are complex magics, Stefane. Mastering such powers takes many decades, gathering the necessary and rare spell components, decades more. Any slip, any small error and our fates would be worse than what they are today. It is far more work than can be done in one or even several lifetimes", answered Corinna.

The pretty young woman stood, discarded her unflattering red robe and now mostly naked, except for a few wisps of rainbow-hued mist that clung to her here and there, walked over to a nearby table that held a large book.

Great hips, thought Daelynn.

"There is a spell in this book, the fabled 'Tome of Mysteries', that will allow us to transfer your life essence into me", Corinna stated, addressing Stefane. "I need the years of your life in order to complete my work. Would you grant me that, my sweet Stefane?"

Stefane looked confused. He started to shake his head, then stopped. Drawing Corinna's picture from his satchel he looked at it, smiling. A long moment passed.

"Yes, dear Corinna", he answered. "I will help -"

"Hold up there, lad!" Thundered Garlt. "I dunna think ye understand quite what's bein' asked of ye."

Corinna cast the dwarf a sour look. "This has nothing to do with you, sir. Or you either, elf. It is Stefane's choice to make!"

"His choice? Interesting, Clea. Or do you prefer Corinna? Or Cora? How many names have you had", asked Daelynn?

"Corinna will do, and I have forgotten the number of names I have used. Yes, Stefane's choice. There is no compulsion here, elf."

"Just so I understan', lass. Ye take his life", said Garlt, pointing to Stefane. "That allows ye to go on livin' an' maybe fix what was done to ye."

"An' I suppose once the lad's dead, his body goes to Martinus? Because if that is, or was, Mage Adymyst Harker's body, which yer boyfriend's been usin'", Garlt pointed with his axe to the corpse on the table beside Daelynn. "Then I'd say ol' Marty needs a replacement right soon."

Daelynn whirled around, her silver sword leaping from its scabbard and coming to rest against the boney neck of the dead body that had silently half-risen from the tabletop behind her.

"Ah-ah', cautioned the elf. "Only shreds of sinew and dried skin are holding your bones together. My blade is sharp, silvered, and blessed. Stay still."

The skull rotated towards the elf. A soft light flickered in the eye sockets. The body's jaw moved slightly, and a raspy, barely human voice answered her.

"As you wish, Herald. But as Clea has said, this is none of your concern."

"It is alright, Herald", said Stefane. "Whatever Corinna needs, I am happy to give. Would you not sacrifice everything for your true love?"

Daelynn looked from Stefane, to the animated corpse, to Corinna, then to Garlt, and back to Stefane.

"My true love would never have asked that of me", she noted, sadly. "Master Garlt. How did you know this thing was Martinus?"

"The lass said 'we' several times when talkin' to us, so I figured there had ta be someone else about. Accordin' to her story, the two doomed lovers needed a life an' a body. An' there were a missin' body back in the trap room. I wondered, who was usin' it? Besides, I saw the 'corpse' twitch."

A half-smile passed across Daelynn' lips. "Very good, Master Gemfinder."

Garlt walked over to the animated body. "So, ye be a Lich then?"

"Pah! Hardly", said the talking corpse, with notable disdain in its harsh voice. It turned its head to address the dwarf.

"I've no desire to prolong life my life as an undead monster. I need a fresh, young, stalwart body so that I can continue our research. If the boy wishes to gift his life-essence to Clea, then may I not use what's left?"

"The almost-Lich makes an interestin' argument", said Garlt, looking at Daelynn and Stefane.

Tucking his axe into his belt, Garlt walked over to Stefane. The dwarf passed his hand across his shield, which shrank, returning to its original small oval dish size. Scratching at his forehead, then his beard, he crossed his arms and looked the young man up and down.

"You sure about this, boyo?"

Stefane offered the dwarf a puzzled look. "I... I am not sure... I."

Hesitating, the young mage looked over at Corinna, who had stepped back from the Tome and around the table. Standing several feet from Stefane, she smiled and waved a hand as if in dismissal. The soft mists that encircled parts of her body, parted, offering all a mostly unobstructed view of striking feminine beauty.

Gazing at the petite woman's toned body and milk-white skin, Daelynn swore.

"Udûn".

Blushing at the reactions that came unbidden to her mind and body, she licked her lips.

"Why mages?"

Garlt's question broke the bewitchment that Corinna's presence had on the others.

Corinna fixed a glare upon the dwarf. The mists swirled back around her form, now coyly covering what they had so provocatively displayed.

Martinus answered the dwarf's enquiry.

"It is best for the host body to have some magical knowledge and skill. It makes the transition easier for me if the donor has a previous familiarity with the somatic and vocal aspects of casting, as well as a natural affinity for magic."

"Aye, I think I understand", agreed Garlt. "But, and no offense to yer Academy or to the lad, but there must be better casters than young Stefane here thet could be enticed to search for this Tome."

"Several", responded Corinna, her temper now cooled, slightly. "But there're other 'aspects' to consider. Martinus' magic can preserve Stefane's body in its current state for decades before it experiences decay. Have you seen this young man, naked? I have. At the gymnasium. Ilmater's wounds - he is gorgeous! We don't do research every night, dwarf."

"Do you know how hard I had to work to keep the female students away from him?" Asked an exasperated Corinna. "Doe-eyed Babette; Sarina, a former dancer, always talking about how experienced and bendy she is; and Jessa, the 'girl-next-door' type, his little 'study-buddy', and you know where that could lead!"

"Ah, yes", agreed Daelynn. "If your chosen one developed a relationship at the school, they would be much less likely to go a-wandering into the Kingdom's far reaches for a rumoured prize. I am surprised you had the time to chaperone him, what with your other duties."

"Why not jest take him to yer bed", asked a perplexed Garlt? "Ye'd have 'im wrapped 'round yer little finger."

"Because I love Martinus", exclaimed Corinna. "Oh, once Martius' life-essence inhabits Stefane, I will enjoy many a night's pleasure with Stefane's body. But Martinus will be 'driving the coach', if you know what I mean?"

Garlt's eyebrow climbed high above his one eye. "Eew. Oh, I do, but I sure wish I didn't. I really did not need to hear thet."

"You seem somewhat ease with this now, dwarf", observed Daelynn, tartly.

"The lad's a big boy, elf. He's allowed to make choices 'bout his own life, yes? Any o' yer Kingdom's laws bein' broken? I really dunna see how it's any of me concern. An' as there appears ta be little in the way o' treasure sittin' around here, I'm all fer bein' off and about me own business."

Perplexed, Daelynn lowered her sword, which she had been held poised to strike at Martinus' neck.

"Thank you", rasped the near-Lich, insincerely. Lowering himself from the table, he straightened his fine robes and walked over to Corinna. Resting a protective skeletal hand on her slender shoulder, he addressed the dwarf and elf.

"We have tolerated your … interference, but now it is past time for this to end. Please, depart now!"

Daelynn desperately wanted a word in private with Garlt, but the dwarf was ignoring her entreating looks.

"Well, lad. Good knowin' ye", said Garlt, extending his arm to Stefane.

Stefane, still looking bemused, reached out with his right hand to clasp the dwarf's right forearm in a farewell gesture. Garlt grabbed the young man's right wrist in an iron grip. Tearing the vellum square that sported the excellent drawing of Corinna from Stefane's other hand, the dwarf flicked it over his shoulder towards the elf.

"Cut it!" he ordered, keeping a desperate Stefane from chasing after the drawing.

Daelynn, hardly ever caught flat-footed, was at this moment focussed more on the strange pair of eternal lovers than the dwarf and Stefane. She was not in a position to quickly reach the vellum sheet that now floated downward, and was veering to where Corinna and Martinus stood, several yards away.

"No!" Shrieked Corinna, stumbling forward, arms raised high.

Daelynn leapt forward, sword held at mid-guard, her free hand grabbing the feathered earing that dangled from her left ear. A faint draft, soft as a spring breeze, wafted through the cavern, catching the vellum sheet and pushing it towards Daelynn.

The elf got to the drawing first. Her sword flashed upwards, neatly cutting the falling vellum sheet in two.

As Corinna watched the two pieces fall to the ground, her face changed from a look of shock, to fear, then to anger.

Martinus shouted something unintelligible in his hoarse voice.

Stefane crumpled to the ground, unconscious.

Letting go of the young mage, Garlt whirled to face the cursed duo, his shield re-purposed, axe in hand.

Daelynn looked down at the near-naked blond woman who, in chasing the drawing, had come to a halt beside her.

"Some sort of Charm magic, to control him?" Sneered the elf.

"Interfering woodland bitch!" Corinna screamed!

Clea/Corinna knocked Daelynn's sword aside with a bare forearm, her other hand striking the elf in the middle of her chest with an open palm blow. Daelynn, who was ready for some sort of attack, was not prepared for the speed and strength with which the smaller woman struck.

Disarmed, the elf went staggering backwards, tripping over a table leg. Daelynn's fall turned into a roll. Recovering, she came to rest up on her feet, crouching, facing her opponent, knife at guard position.

Martinus, having pulled a wand from beneath his robes, discharged a spell aimed at the dwarf.

Garlt staggered, suddenly weak-kneed.

Corinna stormed towards the elf. Her face a mask of cold fury; her fists and sandaled feet, glowing with a harsh amber light.

Daelynn called forth and released her own spell. But Corinna was not her target.