Cliche Fantasy Story Part XIII

OOC: Lol, be patient!


"Should I wear this dress?" I said, holding up the dress to me. "Or this one?"

Nikos looked utterly bored. "What's the difference?"

"Well, this one is purple and this one is green. Also, this one has this pretty satin look and this one is made of velvet. Oh, and this one seems slinkier."

"Wear that one," he said, yawning.

"Which one?"

"The one you're holding."

I scowled at him. "I'm holding both."

"Then wear both."

I glared at him even more.

I couldn't help myself! Dinner was in two hours and what can I say? The king wasn't just attractive... he was DAZZLING attractive. His teeth were perfect, his hair was perfect, his hands were perfect... it was almost as if you had a mold for the perfect man and he came out.

Even Rissa liked him. And elves have standards. And he had liked her too... I had noticed that look. But that didn't matter. I would get him soon enough.

If only I had paid more attention to chemistry! I thought through all the lessons... now, how would I attract him most? Maybe my knowledge of ionic reactions would be key. Or perhaps a little organic chemistry...

Nikos groaned. The mind-link, of course. Then again, it wasn't his problem. All he had to do was preen.

"There are other things to think about," he said.

"Like what?"

"Well, for one, how you're going to behave toward his wife."

"His... what?"

"Wife. You don't think he would be single, being a king and all that?"

I stared at Nikos. "But... what about Rissa? I thought they had something."

Nikos snorted. "I'm sure they do."

"But... why would he have a wife?"

In my mind, I started playing with scenarios of how he could possibly get a wife. Maybe he hated her. Maybe he was actually in love with...

Or maybe he did love her. Maybe he found her from a ball. She had danced with him the whole night until twelve and then he lost his shoe... or she lost her shoe... or maybe they lost their socks. Anyway, this loss of footwear helped them understand each other and they just fell completely in love.

"Forget it," Nikos said, groaning. "Pick the green dress and just forget everything."

I rolled my eyes at him and grabbed the purple dress.

Dinner would indeed be interesting...

It wasn't a request, it was a command. That was what I liked least about my new charge, how ready he was to command me away and the very fact that if I didn't obey I would be seen to not be doing my job! Why I did it anyway I didn't know. I was bored. I'd lived every life possible and it just so happened that life on the edge was the most exciting of all. Even the deaths weren't so bad when you got used to them.

"This way," I said to Rissa which was pointless as she was already hurrying off ahead of me. How irritating. Of course she knew where the laboratory was and bringing this mad man along. Whatever. He seemed willing enough to come though he eyed me in a strange way and talked to himseld.

"No Steve, I don't know what Joe would taste like." That was not the sort of thing he wanted to be hearing. He did not want to spend an eternity inside a lunatic's stomach.

"Here we are." They had reached the laboratory and Rissa was already playing with the chemicals. "The usual room will be prepared for you and I will send an attendant to find the mad man something appropriate to wear." Not that he would be mad any more after this or that it mattered what he wore. Not to Joe anyway. "I hope all goes well." Joe lingered. He didn't need her to tell him he could go. He could go any time but he still waited until she said.

"Yes, that's fine." Joe left the room and informed some of the servants before striding quickly to his king's side. He could hear screaming in the distance. Those lunatics. Always with the bloody screaming. What he wouldn't do for a day of quiet.

"Ah Joe, see that everything is prepared for dinner." I waved some attendants over. Protecting the king would be much easier if he only had more staff.

Everything was playing out perfectly. The corvaz were wreaking havoc on the townspeople. The insane townspeople.

Chameleon drew his sword as they neared the castle.

Shadow Man seeing a guard paroling the perimeter pulled out Misty and hurled it at the mans helmet. It went right through his open eye visor. The man was dead before his armored body clanked on the ground. The shining dew covered ground.

Shadow Man heard the Corvaz and other wild beasts devouring the mad town people. He was almost into the castle grounds. He would dispose of any guards in his way.

The second I entered the laboratory I began to prepare a power-enhancing potion for myself. I hadn't made one in a while, but I'd had it memorized only an hour after Aiden had created it.

Still working, I glanced over towards the madman, who was sitting on a patient's table talking to his little friend, Steve.

It seemed to be an intense conversation, and I smirked to myself. Soon enough Steve would be gone. Maybe if I finished this potion quick enough I could leave before dinner... I'd make up some excuse on my way out, surely. Aiden wouldn't be able to catch me on my way out.

I had gathered all the ingredients now, and all I had left to do was boil them together, stirring thrice counter-clockwise until the potion began to bubble, then twice in the opposite direction until it turned green. Then pour it into a cup, drink, cure the madman, and go. I worked faster now that I could see the exit so near in the future.

Apparently I had been too absorbed in my work. Right as I was pouring the mint-green potion into a cup, I saw her. The Queen.

My sister.

She looked like me in almost every way possible except for her eyes. They were almost as green as the potion I was holding. Speaking of which, I had just become so tense that the glass cup was threatening to break in my death-grasp.

Seeing my more-than-slightly peeved expression, my sister didn't say anything. Instead, she just stared at me, a guilty look on her face.

So I would be the one to speak first, of course. To stall, I drank the potion. After it was gone, I couldn't exactly wait any longer. "To what do I owe this pleasure your Majesty?" The tone of my voice was positively venomous. I felt a sort of satisfaction when she flinched. Then her expression hardened, as well.

"Cut the crap, Rissa," she spat. "You know, you were always the petty one. And jealous. And the one most likely to hold a grudge. I haven't seen you in nearly a year. Can't we just make peace?"

I raised an eyebrow in disbelief. "You. Little. Witch. You know what, Genevieve? You're right! I am so sorry for being petty and jealous. I mean, it's not like my sister, you know, stole the Prince from me or anything." I rolled my eyes. "You know what you did, and if you think that coming over here with this high-and-mighty look on your face is going make us at peace, then you are so wrong. I don't know what our dearly departed King was thinking when he set you two up. So yeah, I know it wasn't exactly your fault. But you could have protested, at least a little bit. You could have turned around and said, 'I'm sorry, sir. But I can't. You see, MY SISTER just so happens to be in love with your son. And I think he loves her back.'" I ended my little rant, fuming, but fulfilled. It felt good to say all this, after holding it in for so long.

My sister looked like she was about to cry. "You think I was going to turn down the King??! Rissa, be serious. I couldn't turn him down for the same reason Aiden couldn't. This wasn't some sort of messed-up fairy tale. It's not like one of you were going to all of a sudden lose your footwear and make the King see the error of his ways. That just wasn't going to happen. Besides, the King wouldn't have let you two marry! You had your own job to do. And you knew it. You could have never been Queen."

She was right. And I was painfully, bitterly aware of the truth in her words. Unattainable as Aiden was at the time, I had been the one that instigated it... even though I knew we would never be possible. I was the King's pet, in a way. I had worked with him on a certain level of equality that made it impossible for him to have relinquished me to his son. The logistics of the matter never did work out entirely in my mind, but I always had to beat down that sliver of hope that we could have been together with the battleaxe that was that lingering feeling that we couldn't.

Genevieve saw all this pass across my face, and her expression softened. That's when she brought out something from behind her. A dress and a suit. The dress was beautiful- creamy white velvet with a black trim. The suit was, I assumed, for the madman. He could get himself into it once I healed him.

"I'm sorry, Rissa. But I know you. So please don't run off after your done with him," she said, motioning towards the madman. "Come eat dinner with us. Let go of the past, so we can finally move on." With this, she left, leaving the clothes behind. I wiped a tear from my face after I turned towards the madman. He was eying the suit suspiciously.

"Madman don't like suit," he said conspiratorially to the empty space beside him. "Methinks suit don't taste like chicken."

I smiled despite myself, and with a final surge of energy healed the madman. For a moment he looked a bit dazed, then, with a scared look on his face, whispered, "Steve?" He began to look around himself for his friend, then stopped. Looking towards me, he said, "What happened?"

"You're cured," I stated simply. "You're welcome." With that, I went over to the outfits and threw his suit at him. "Get dressed. I'll send an attendant down to lead you to your room. Until then, I'm going to mine." I was about to leave, when I paused, curious. "By the way, what's your name?"

He pondered the question for a moment, then spoke. "... Steve, I think. Yes, yes... Steve it is."

I left.

Shadow Man took his blade out of the dead guards eye and cleaned it with his hand. He wiped the blood off his palm on the dead guards chest armor. The gates to the castle grounds were open, and a half a dozen knights were struggling to close them. It was a futile effort, Shadow Man and Chameleon had already crossed into the grounds before the gates were even half closed.

The bloodcurdling shrieks of the knights pierced the night air. If they were any louder the banana shaped moon would be coated in blood. The castle loomed in the distance across the courtyard. It's marble and mortar bricks glistening in the glow of hundreds of torches illuminating the courtyard.

Greenery glowed an orange green in their radiance. A large pond on the left reflected the ominous, yet beautiful castle. Ripples broke the surface as fish swam beneath it's dark surface. It looked like a bottomless pit of oil.

A wild beast howled behind him and Chameleon. An echoing clash of armored feet pounded from the western side of the castle.

"Stop right there! Heed, trespassers!" one of the men said.

"Corvaz's!" another man said.

The man that had first spoken raised his head to a tower that seemed to strreak the clouds. "Archers! Fire on the Corvaz!" he bellowed.

Arrows whizzed through the air and pierced the ground around him and Chameleon. A number of Corvaz and other wild beast howled in pain. Shadow Man and Chameleon rounded the eastern side of the castle and left the guards to their fate.

"There's too many of the beasts!" he heard one say. And then all he heard was the screams of the guards, which were abruptly cut off. Silenced forever.

Chameleon still had his sword drawn.

I do hope you are ready to use that blade of yours. The prince, they say, is not your average spoiled royal son. He is a rebellious young man who is highly skilled in wielding the blade. But, nothing can ever defeat the power of a mans mind. All he needs to carry it out is his body. That is were I beat the young Prince, but you my hidden accomplice, I cannot speak on your behalf.

Shadow Man spotted a low open window. As he neared it he pulled out Ochria. Him and Chameleon ducked down under the frame. The voices of two men could be heard inside.

"No, no, I would never dream of marrying that pauper," said one of the men.

"One of these days Zerromier you will regret having said that," said another.

"Baa!" said the man named Zerromier.

Shadow man signaled that they were to each take out one of the men.

Chameleon nodded and stroked his sword.

Shadow Man and Chameleon dove into the low window and dispatched the men in quick succession. They then wiped the floors clean of blood after tossing the men out the window. If anybody found them out there him and Chameleon would have already slain the Prince. Assuming Chameleon survived the night. Shadow Man had no sympathy for his partner other than seeing him as a tool, a disposable one.

They crept into the hall. Shadow Man heard the screams from outside, and then the pounding on the castle doors. The corvaz were not satisfied, they still hungered for flesh.

The Shadow Man grew angry and slaughtered everybody in the land. (Just kidding) Out of character.

((Am I too late?))

Name: Ajay Kersh, Inept Thief (he introduces himself as this)

Appearance: Small, dark-haired, and wiry, often wears the fashion of the city, but only if in gray. His shoes don't squeak, but he has a bit of a permanent cold, so he has to snort occasionally, giving his position away.

Powers: He is the worst thief in the world. He's quite clever, not insane or anything, it's just he has no luck. Pushing it, the power for random objects to disappear if you leave him in a room.

Possibility of being insane: No.

If you had to rate yourself, how stupid are you?: he's about a 3. Out of Ten Stupids.

Other: He will try to romance (stealing hearts), but he always gets it wrong.

Shadow Man peered at the post above him and stared at the white rabbit. He wondered why it was distorted and big headed. It was the most hideous thing he had ever seen. It made the corvaz look like the most beautiful of birds.

Nikos and Mallory turned a corner to find a strange creature in front of them.

"That doesn't look like a dog," Mallory said.

"A Corvaz. Venomous, agile, and sharp claws. Ask the wind where the King is. I'll take this one," Nikos said. The Corvaz was at the far end of the corridor, it charged towards them. Nikos closed his eyes and constructed a wall of air. The corvaz hit it at full speed and was knocked backwards, confused. Nikos leapt forward and killed the stunned creature. He decapitated the corvaz, and cut off the feet as well.

"Nikos, four more," Mallory called. They moved forward as a group, charging side by side. Nikos looked down at the feet of the dead corvaz and saw the sharp extended claws. He summoned a gust and tossed one of the feet. It hurled through the air, before striking one of the corvaz down. He repeated the process, until they had all been killed. Blood covered the floor along with some vomit that had been Mallory's lunch.

"I forgot, you don't like blood," Nikos said.

"There are safe rooms all around the castle, the royal family is being evacuated to the nearest ones. The King is already in lock down, the only ones that aren't there is the Queen and the King's brother. The queen is in the hospital, the Prince is on the third floor.

"Okay. I want you to go to the Hospital and get the queen to safety. I want you in that safe room. I'll go after the Prince." Nikos took off down the corridor. A minute later he was flying to the third floor.

Shadow Man heard a whistling disturbance. It's here.The most powerful of all creatures is in my midst. He reached into his gear pouch and pulled out the amulet that he used to weaken the wild beasts in the Lostmen's Woods. It emitted an energy that disrupted molecules in the air, thus weakening the creatures amazing powers of deflection.

Chameleon was trembling in fear. "What if it doesn't work?" he whispered.

"Oh it will my frightened lizard friend, I have seen it used before. How do you think I have it?" Shadow Man said.

"You killed it's original owner," Chameleon said. He was flinching at every sudden whoosh of air.

Shadow Man said nothing. Everyone knew that if someone had something he desired they didn't claim ownership for it much longer.

Chameleon raised his sword. I think I'll let my soon to be trophy devour the poor fool. My sneaky accomplice who when presented with forces beyond his comprehension seeks to hide like the scared reptile he is.

For all my experience of the world I did not recognise the strange creatures that poured through the gates. I had barely reached the king in time and now it seemed that it would be of no use. "Guards!" I hollered. "To your king!" I doubted many lived though and I knew what my duty was. I had to reach one of the safe rooms. The king was my first priority.

"Move, your majesty, move!" I pushed his young highness further up the hallway and then turned and rammed a sword into another of the howling beasts. I stumbled over a body and found the thing on top of me, its claws sinking into my arm but I stabbed again and again until it heaved a heavy last breath. Rolling the beast away, I ran after the king and fortunately the way before us was clear. I caught up to him and pulled him by the arm into a side passage where a staircase led up to a safe room. I could guard him there and others would flock in that direction.

Opening the reinforced door, I remembered my manners only this once and did not push or shove. The king looked at me with calm, level eyes. "You will be rewarded Joe."

"Bar the door your majesty. Only open at my call." The king nodded his head once and then shut himself inside. I remained outside better to protect the room and its inhabitants. I prepared myself to die and hoped only that the guards and any other measure of protection would arrive in time or that the door would hold. Let the door hold. I did not know when I had grown so fond of the boy but I realised I did not want him dead.

On my way to my room, I heard a faint scream. To my dismay, it sounded like my sister. I immediately took off running in the opposite direction.

I soon found her, standing before two hungry-looking Corvaz. From their positions, they were about to pounce.

"Oh no you don't!" I shouted, running forwards, concentrating on the beasts minds with all my might. In just a second, I was splitting my powers to make them both more confused than they had ever been in their life. I screamed in pain when it started, but I grit my teeth together, determined to effect them as much as possible so they would stay confused for a few hours, at least.

It was over soon enough, and both beasts were sitting there dumbly, looking lost. One started licking its back paw, and the other began to nibble on it's companions ear.

I reached a hand out to my sister. "Come on! Let's get to the hospital laboratory. There's a saferoom there."

My sister was stunned, and was only able to nod in response. I grabbed her by the arm and pulled her in the direction of the hospital. After a moment of hesitation, she came along.

It took us only a minute to get there, and I found the madman- Or, well, Steve- already dressed in his suit. He looked startled at our abrupt entrance.

There wasn't any time for explanation. "You- Steve. Help me open this door!" He came over to where I was standing, in front of a wide, blank expanse of wall.

"What door?" he asked, thoroughly confused. I sighed and ran my index finger along a barely perceivable groove in the wall. A door handle appeared, and I motioned for him to open it.

"It's heavy," I said. "I'm afraid I'm not strong enough to open it by myself."

He came over and put a hand on the handle, and I grabbed on as well. We tugged together until, finally, the door opened. Inside was a small bed and a few day's worth supply of food.

"Go in, Genevieve. I'll stay out here to make sure nothing comes near."

"But, Rissa! You might get killed!"

As if I didn't realize that. "I can't stay in there with you. I can actually help out there. If I can add to our chances of stopping whatever ambush this is, then I have to help."

Genevieve nodded, understanding. I closed the door.

Turning to Steve, I said, "Are you good with a weapon?"

He hesitated. "I'm not sure. I think I'm good with a sword... maybe." I sighed then went over to a closet full of emergency weaponry, then handed him a glinting silver sword. "Stand by the doorway. If any sort of beast comes, hit it as hard as you can. Don't hit a human. Just make sure nothing dangerous gets in. I have to make a potion."

I went over and started preparing three potions simultaneously. Two were my own power-enhancing ones, and another was a temporary invisibility potion. The latter was difficult to make, but not impossible. I got the first to out of the way, since they were easy, and focused all my attention on the third. My hands were moving fast as I nervously tried to avoid knocking anything over.

I finished the potion in record time, and it looked like I had made it right. I stuffed the three vials into a leather pouch then tied it to my belt. "Alright," I said, turning to Steve, who was standing anxiously in the doorway, uneasy with the sword in his hand. "Let's go."

Steve and I set out down the hall to the main courtyard, where I could hear screaming and the clashing of metal. This was going to be one heck of a fight.

Shadow Man heard footsteps coming from around a corner. They pounded on the marble floor. Shadow Man knew they were the steps of a highly trained warrior. Did the King have an elite guard? If he did no doubt it was the person behind the footsteps.

Chameleon raised his sword toward the sound.

"Ease, Chameleon, our first priority is the Gryphon. I shall take care of our stalker soon enough. For now let him be," Shadow Man whispered as they disappeared around an corner. They made only but the faintest sound as they crept down the wide hall.

The footsteps continued to echo behind them. They slowed at just the precise tempo as they rounded the corner. Yes, that us a very highly trained warrior. I cannot wait to fight him after I take care of the Gryphon.

Shadow Man and Chameleon continued to take steps in sync with the heavy steps of their follower. They were inaudible to the man as his heavy steps masked their light ones.

They found an open door way and went through it. They found themselves in a large open Cathedral like structure. The dome shaped ceiling was at least a hundred feet above.

And then he heard the whoosh of the approaching Gryphon. And just as the warior that had been following them burst out of the door they had come the Gryphon landed gracefully in the center of the vast open room. It landed without making even the faintest of sounds. It was a powerfully built being and yet seemed as light as a feather.

Chameleon shivered, his sword vibrating in his grip.

The warrior behind them said, "Intruders!"

The Gryphon stared at them as if giving them the chance to leave.

So, you have honor do you. Well I'm sure you wouldn't mind fighting me without your powers, at least not all of them. For what fun would it be if you or I killed each other to easily? Balance, is... funner. You can only make it unbalanced by killing the other.

Chameleon lowered his sword.

Shadow Man ignored the move of surrender and raised the green amulet toward the Gryphon.

The Gryphon seemed to understand what it meant.

"Don't surrender, you have too much honor for such a thing. I know," Shadow Man said as the Gryphon hesitated.

"I've waited a long time for this," Shadow Man said pulling out a shimmering sword that he had kept hidden in a leather case.

Chameleons eyes grew wide under mask.

"Oh, yes my cowardly friend I killed even Shaiilon the sword wielding warrior from Asia. His sword was formidable, but the owner Shaiilon he... was no real fight. He lasted all but three minutes, most of which he spent dancing around me.

At the sound of the warriors footsteps Chameleon whirled around and faced him.

"Leave, now and non one will die," the warrior said.

Shadow Man broke into a stance that he called the Shadow and pointed the sword at the Gryphon. The sword shimmered in the glow of a thousand torches.

The Gryphon almost seemed to sigh as it nodded it's head.

[i]I can't wait to taste victory. He put the amulet in his pocket, it didn't need to be completely exposed to be effective. After all why make the Gryphon like any mere mortal? He would let it keep a portion of it's powers.