06-25-2009, 04:33 AM
1)
Daniel found himself staring at the man's ears. They were the rounded shape of humanity, not the tell-tale tapered point of elven blood he half expected to see.
"But what-" Daniel began.
"Can you stand up?" Marcus asked before he could finish. He was still leaning heavily on the spear, but he was starting to look less drained.
"Marcus?"
"Hm?"
"What... Who are you?" Daniel asked bluntly.
"He is nothing more than a tired, useless, guilt-driven fool," a female voice replied, dripping with venom. "A member of an order that should have died out years ago. Isn't that right Guardian Marcus?"
The two turned to see Robin approaching them, still dressed in the red robes and armor from before and Balthus still obviously in charge. In her left hand she carried Marcus' metal staff and in her right...
Daniel scrambled to his feet and started to rush forward, only to be pulled back by Marcus' heavy hand. "Take a good look," he heard Marcus murmur. "That's what Balthus had you hunting for."
It was a large, squat crystal about a foot across. Inside, a fluid like whirlpool of dark midnight-purple mists and eldritch energies swirled as if alive - even as Daniel stared at it, he thought he could make out shapes or maybe faces both human and inhuman flow across the facets. The crystal was set with thin patterns of gold and other metals along the edges of its many faces.
Around him, Daniel could hear the turmoil of souls grow louder and more frenzied. They're afraid of it, he thought. That thing, it hurts them.
Robin-now-Balthus stopped next to Tiberius' prone form, the old man's head bleeding from Marcus' blow. "Ah Tiberius... Such incompetence. Can't even do the simplest of tasks. And to think, you sought to usurp me, as if I wouldn't know."
She gave the man a solid kick.
"Robin!" The words slipped out before Daniel quite realized it. Maybe he could get through to her...
The girl's eyes flashed at the half-elf coldly. "Your Robin is no more. This body is mine and mine alone, I've made sure of that."
The words hit him like a club. Daniel felt himself grow numb. Robin can't be gone. She can't. Her body is standing right there, but.. she can't be gone!
He felt detached, almost floating as the world moved around him, so much so he was barely aware of Marcus darting past him, spear ready to attack. All he could think of was his best friend was gone.
Lost forever.
Dead.
...Danny?
It was a soft, familiar voice inside Daniel's head. The same one Robin had teased him with before, only more urgent and uncertain.
She's not gone, he thought. Gods, Robin IS still in there!
Oh crap!
"MARCUS, STOP!!"
Daniel found himself staring at the man's ears. They were the rounded shape of humanity, not the tell-tale tapered point of elven blood he half expected to see.
"But what-" Daniel began.
"Can you stand up?" Marcus asked before he could finish. He was still leaning heavily on the spear, but he was starting to look less drained.
"Marcus?"
"Hm?"
"What... Who are you?" Daniel asked bluntly.
"He is nothing more than a tired, useless, guilt-driven fool," a female voice replied, dripping with venom. "A member of an order that should have died out years ago. Isn't that right Guardian Marcus?"
The two turned to see Robin approaching them, still dressed in the red robes and armor from before and Balthus still obviously in charge. In her left hand she carried Marcus' metal staff and in her right...
Daniel scrambled to his feet and started to rush forward, only to be pulled back by Marcus' heavy hand. "Take a good look," he heard Marcus murmur. "That's what Balthus had you hunting for."
It was a large, squat crystal about a foot across. Inside, a fluid like whirlpool of dark midnight-purple mists and eldritch energies swirled as if alive - even as Daniel stared at it, he thought he could make out shapes or maybe faces both human and inhuman flow across the facets. The crystal was set with thin patterns of gold and other metals along the edges of its many faces.
Around him, Daniel could hear the turmoil of souls grow louder and more frenzied. They're afraid of it, he thought. That thing, it hurts them.
Robin-now-Balthus stopped next to Tiberius' prone form, the old man's head bleeding from Marcus' blow. "Ah Tiberius... Such incompetence. Can't even do the simplest of tasks. And to think, you sought to usurp me, as if I wouldn't know."
She gave the man a solid kick.
"Robin!" The words slipped out before Daniel quite realized it. Maybe he could get through to her...
The girl's eyes flashed at the half-elf coldly. "Your Robin is no more. This body is mine and mine alone, I've made sure of that."
The words hit him like a club. Daniel felt himself grow numb. Robin can't be gone. She can't. Her body is standing right there, but.. she can't be gone!
He felt detached, almost floating as the world moved around him, so much so he was barely aware of Marcus darting past him, spear ready to attack. All he could think of was his best friend was gone.
Lost forever.
Dead.
...Danny?
It was a soft, familiar voice inside Daniel's head. The same one Robin had teased him with before, only more urgent and uncertain.
She's not gone, he thought. Gods, Robin IS still in there!
Oh crap!
"MARCUS, STOP!!"