06-25-2009, 04:14 AM
1)
Through the blur of false tears, he could see two men approach.
The first he didn't recognize; black robed and pale with graying hair, a well trimmed beard, and sharp features that reminded Daniel of a crow. A length of rope bound his arms and kept his hands behind his back, obviously the captive of the man in red following behind.
Daniel recognized his red-robed adversary immediately and got some satisfaction at seeing the purpling bruise on his face, a souvenir from the previous encounter. The man was looking around at the devastation, taking it all in.
"Gods..." he breathed.
"Guess it was a bit too powerful," the bound man shrugged.
"That's enough Tiberius," the red-robed man snapped. He turned towards Daniel. "Are you all right boy? Where's -"
"She's dead!" Daniel sobbed, clutching the helmet to his chest. "MURDERER!"
Okay, maybe he was laying it on a bit thick, but still his best bet was to keep the man off balance until he could see an opening.
"Lad, I didn't-"
"LIAR! You caused this! Your fault!!"
The man opened his mouth to argue and stopped, realizing it would do no good. After a moment, he looked away and said in a soft voice. "I'm sorry."
Daniel said nothing, curling a little tighter and managed a ragged sob. He actually sounds sincere. I can't believe he's buying this.
"One less brat to worry about, eh Marcus?" remarked Tiberius.
"I said that's enough," the other man ordered, glaring at him.
Now.
Briefly distracted, the man named Marcus barely deflected the helmet hurled at his head, only to leave himself open as Daniel plowed into him. The elf-blooded boy quickly pushed the advantage and stabbed with his borrowed blade, only to see his target twist out of the way and the sword scraped harmlessly across stone.
"Stop!" the man challenged. "You want vengeance, boy? You want the one who set..." He didn't finish - Something behind Daniel had caught his eye.
"DAMN!" he cursed.
Before Daniel could look, Marcus shoved the boy aside an instant before a gout of flame the size of a large melon slammed into him, the force of which threw him across the cavern.
Daniel recovered his balance and stared. His opponent was lying in an unconscious heap, part of his robes burned away revealing chainmail and a breastplate decorated with a lion's head beneath.
What just happened?
"Pathetic," Robin-now-Balthus spat as she stepped from the shadows, regarding her own hand with disgust. "Hardly any magic in this girl. I'll be glad when I'm rid of her."
She turned her gaze towards Tiberius. "Terror vos vereor nex?*"
The bound man's eyes widened in surprise as he answered automatically "Nex est meus mucro. Nex terror mihi.** How did..?"
Wordlessly, Robin raised her hand and displayed the ring she wore.
Tiberius gasped. "Balthus' Seal?"
She smiled. "Correct. Good to know it's still remembered. And as for you," she turned towards the stunned Daniel. "Be still."
There was a flash, pain, then darkness.
* - trans: "Do you fear death?"
** - trans "Death is my sword. It is Death that fears me."
Through the blur of false tears, he could see two men approach.
The first he didn't recognize; black robed and pale with graying hair, a well trimmed beard, and sharp features that reminded Daniel of a crow. A length of rope bound his arms and kept his hands behind his back, obviously the captive of the man in red following behind.
Daniel recognized his red-robed adversary immediately and got some satisfaction at seeing the purpling bruise on his face, a souvenir from the previous encounter. The man was looking around at the devastation, taking it all in.
"Gods..." he breathed.
"Guess it was a bit too powerful," the bound man shrugged.
"That's enough Tiberius," the red-robed man snapped. He turned towards Daniel. "Are you all right boy? Where's -"
"She's dead!" Daniel sobbed, clutching the helmet to his chest. "MURDERER!"
Okay, maybe he was laying it on a bit thick, but still his best bet was to keep the man off balance until he could see an opening.
"Lad, I didn't-"
"LIAR! You caused this! Your fault!!"
The man opened his mouth to argue and stopped, realizing it would do no good. After a moment, he looked away and said in a soft voice. "I'm sorry."
Daniel said nothing, curling a little tighter and managed a ragged sob. He actually sounds sincere. I can't believe he's buying this.
"One less brat to worry about, eh Marcus?" remarked Tiberius.
"I said that's enough," the other man ordered, glaring at him.
Now.
Briefly distracted, the man named Marcus barely deflected the helmet hurled at his head, only to leave himself open as Daniel plowed into him. The elf-blooded boy quickly pushed the advantage and stabbed with his borrowed blade, only to see his target twist out of the way and the sword scraped harmlessly across stone.
"Stop!" the man challenged. "You want vengeance, boy? You want the one who set..." He didn't finish - Something behind Daniel had caught his eye.
"DAMN!" he cursed.
Before Daniel could look, Marcus shoved the boy aside an instant before a gout of flame the size of a large melon slammed into him, the force of which threw him across the cavern.
Daniel recovered his balance and stared. His opponent was lying in an unconscious heap, part of his robes burned away revealing chainmail and a breastplate decorated with a lion's head beneath.
What just happened?
"Pathetic," Robin-now-Balthus spat as she stepped from the shadows, regarding her own hand with disgust. "Hardly any magic in this girl. I'll be glad when I'm rid of her."
She turned her gaze towards Tiberius. "Terror vos vereor nex?*"
The bound man's eyes widened in surprise as he answered automatically "Nex est meus mucro. Nex terror mihi.** How did..?"
Wordlessly, Robin raised her hand and displayed the ring she wore.
Tiberius gasped. "Balthus' Seal?"
She smiled. "Correct. Good to know it's still remembered. And as for you," she turned towards the stunned Daniel. "Be still."
There was a flash, pain, then darkness.
* - trans: "Do you fear death?"
** - trans "Death is my sword. It is Death that fears me."