Floating Castles

***And here was me thinking this was dead and buried. ***

Smoke. Everywhere. It was like some living creature, wrapping its creeping, choking tentacles of grey around the guards' faces until they crumpled to the floor, gasping for air. It slipped under doors, smothering those who slept, before moving on, to the heart of the castle.

It rounded a corner and the terrible cloud reflected in the glassy, shocked eyes of more unfortunate guards.

"Impossible," breathed one.

"Durayne - wake the lady. I - I'll-"

The one which had spoken first, Durayne, slipped quietly into the room, where he shook the lady, Crisis, awake. "M'lady, you must come at once. No - don't speak, we haven't time. Quickly."

There was a scream which faded into a terrifying gargling rasp.

"What was-"

"Quickly!"

They made it out of the room just in time. The smoke reached it and slipped inside. Crisis tugged the guard, urging him to run. Durayne had been staring at his fallen comrade, who lay on the marble floor with eyes wide, mouth frothing. His arrows useless at his side. The veil of smoke thickened, consuming him.

"Come on!"

"No, m'lady - you go. I'll try on hold it off."

"There's nothing you can-"

"Go! Tell the others!"

Crisis stood frozen for a moment then turned and ran, screaming at the top of her lungs to wake the others.

Durayne turned, trembling, and faced the wall of smoke with nothing more than his arrows. Eyes wide, lips parted for a scream, he saw something emerge from the swirling grey. Two blood-red eyes and a wide, gaping mouth, filled with the same red light as the burning eyes, swooped towards him, ready to devour him.


**If he lives I'll post a profile for him. Ha ha. Smoke demon everyone...**

*Glad to see there's a possibility this may be revived*

Lord Palaeron of Honour

Crisis' cries woke Palaeron from his half-sleep, causing him to jump to his feet without hesitation.

"What is happening?" He asked as he stepped out of his room, staring at Crisis.

"Demon! A demon is in the castle!"

"Don't panic. Where is it?"

She pointed down the corridor and ran off in the opposite direction, continuing her cries for help. Palaeron summoned his bow and spear into his hands and walked, quickly but cautiously, towards the source of the smoke. He turned a corner and saw a ghastly monster flying from a wall of smoke, intent on killing and eating the guard who Palaeron recognised to be Durayne. The red-eyed thing knocked Durayne to the floor and began to tear at him with its sword-like claws. Seeing that the guard was helpless, Palaeron grabbed his spear and stabbed the demon - its skin was strong enough to prevent the spear from reaching any vital spots, but it was evidently hurt as it retreated back into the smoke. Palaeron glanced at Durayne and, seeing that he was not fatally wounded, helped him to his feet.

"Oh, Palaeron! You have my gratitude!"

"You're welcome." Palaeron said politely. "But my spear only wounded the demon, so it remains loose. Look!" He pointed at the smoke wall, which seemed to be crawling backwards. "How badly injured are you? Can you fight?"

"I am hurt, but I will gladly aid you to the best of my ability."

"Then let us pursue it."

Durayne nodded, and they paced cautiously towards the smoke, bows at the ready.

Cypher

I heard the crys of battle down the corridor and was about to charge into battle when i remembered the hand still on my knee and the beautiful goddess it was attatched to.
"Go," she smiled understand everything from the look on my face. "I will be here when you return."
"Yes, M'lady." I bowed before lifting my hammer, now crackling with my fury and charged headlong down the corridor towarss the shadowy beast.
"Die fowl creature and return to your master!" I screamed swinging my hammer down in a vicious overhead arc. The creature launched itself to the side but i still caught what looked like a tail. The creature hissed and swung sending me flying into a pillar.
"It will take more than that to fell the God of War." I raored in defiance before rising from the rubble to face the beast.