06-25-2009, 04:57 AM
1)
Tiberius choked out a strangled cough. "Halfbreed's got quite a grip."
"WHERE'S BALTHUS!"
"His name is Daniel, Tiberius," Marcus said calmly, leaning over and plucking the dagger from the old man's belt. The Necrordinator's crossbow was already slung over his back. "Best answer him, or I'll help him bodily drag you through this place until we find Balthus and we both throw you at him." Something in his tone left no doubt he wasn't entirely kidding.
"...He's in a chamber at the heart of the caverns," the old man replied. "He used it as a sanctum when he was alive. The stone was there as well. I can tell you how to find it."
He then began to rattle off a short series of twist and turns that lead through the maze of crystal. When he had finished, Daniel's grip on his robes loosened.
"Right," said the boy, "let's go."
"A moment. Tiberius is coming with us."
"What?" both Daniel and Tiberius said in unison.
"Tiberius, you may have the aim of a drunken sow," Marcus said as he handed the old man's dagger to Daniel, "but you're also a soulless two-faced bastard, and I'm not letting you out of my sight if I can help it. While I don't mind you siccing us on Balthus, I want to make sure we meet him in one piece, so you'll be around to deal with any traps you may have forgotten to mention. Now get up."
"I don't like this," Daniel whispered as their enemy struggled to his feet.
"Neither do I, lad," Marcus whispered back. "I don't trust Tiberius an inch. Still, I'd rather have him in front of us where we can see him than behind us where we can't, and right now, killing him will only give Balthus a potential servant he CAN control. Remember Kriger?"
The boy nodded. Kriger may not have been bright, but he was single minded and relentless. The thought of another gruesome dead thing following them was not very appealing.
"All right then... Tiberius, hand over your bolts while you're at it. You won't be using them."
The old man glared at Marcus, then reluctantly handed over his pouch of crossbow bolts. "So how am I supposed to defend myself?"
"You'll think of something," Marcus shrugged, tying the pouch to his waist, leaving his hands free for the spear. "Now, lead the way."
Tiberius muttered a curse under his breath and started off into the crystalline corridors with Daniel and Marcus following behind.
"Daniel," Marcus said in a low voice.
"Yes?"
"One chance. You only get one chance to bring your friend back. If it doesn't work, then I have to take whatever steps it takes to make sure that thing doesn't leave these caverns. Do you understand? Whatever it takes."
"...I won't let you kill Robin."
"Then make sure I don't have to. If we don't end it here and Balthus leaves this place... well, may the gods have mercy."
Tiberius choked out a strangled cough. "Halfbreed's got quite a grip."
"WHERE'S BALTHUS!"
"His name is Daniel, Tiberius," Marcus said calmly, leaning over and plucking the dagger from the old man's belt. The Necrordinator's crossbow was already slung over his back. "Best answer him, or I'll help him bodily drag you through this place until we find Balthus and we both throw you at him." Something in his tone left no doubt he wasn't entirely kidding.
"...He's in a chamber at the heart of the caverns," the old man replied. "He used it as a sanctum when he was alive. The stone was there as well. I can tell you how to find it."
He then began to rattle off a short series of twist and turns that lead through the maze of crystal. When he had finished, Daniel's grip on his robes loosened.
"Right," said the boy, "let's go."
"A moment. Tiberius is coming with us."
"What?" both Daniel and Tiberius said in unison.
"Tiberius, you may have the aim of a drunken sow," Marcus said as he handed the old man's dagger to Daniel, "but you're also a soulless two-faced bastard, and I'm not letting you out of my sight if I can help it. While I don't mind you siccing us on Balthus, I want to make sure we meet him in one piece, so you'll be around to deal with any traps you may have forgotten to mention. Now get up."
"I don't like this," Daniel whispered as their enemy struggled to his feet.
"Neither do I, lad," Marcus whispered back. "I don't trust Tiberius an inch. Still, I'd rather have him in front of us where we can see him than behind us where we can't, and right now, killing him will only give Balthus a potential servant he CAN control. Remember Kriger?"
The boy nodded. Kriger may not have been bright, but he was single minded and relentless. The thought of another gruesome dead thing following them was not very appealing.
"All right then... Tiberius, hand over your bolts while you're at it. You won't be using them."
The old man glared at Marcus, then reluctantly handed over his pouch of crossbow bolts. "So how am I supposed to defend myself?"
"You'll think of something," Marcus shrugged, tying the pouch to his waist, leaving his hands free for the spear. "Now, lead the way."
Tiberius muttered a curse under his breath and started off into the crystalline corridors with Daniel and Marcus following behind.
"Daniel," Marcus said in a low voice.
"Yes?"
"One chance. You only get one chance to bring your friend back. If it doesn't work, then I have to take whatever steps it takes to make sure that thing doesn't leave these caverns. Do you understand? Whatever it takes."
"...I won't let you kill Robin."
"Then make sure I don't have to. If we don't end it here and Balthus leaves this place... well, may the gods have mercy."