Open Topic - Option 2
The easiest part of the whole fiasco was slaying the dragon.
I stood watching the dragon burn from my mage fire, gloating. It had been a simple job. Rescue Princess Lystria from the dragon, and the king would reward us with land and gold beyond our wildest dreams. Plus, we got to raid the dragon's horde as a nice bonus.
This time, nothing could go wrong. Mat and Trevor, The Brains and The Brawn, The Mage and The Muscle would finally be able to retire.
I forgot my brother could snatch defeat from the jaws of certain victory.
"Um, Mat...I...um...a little help please?"
I turned around with great effort. Every muscle in my body ached from the fight.
"Dammit Trevor, what is it noooooooow OH MY GODS AND GODDESSES WHAT DID YOU DO THIS TIME!" My blood-covered twin was kneeling on the ground desperately trying to jam the princess' head back onto her neck.
The head of princess we were supposed to be rescuing from the dragon.
My legs gave way and I lay sprawling on the ground gaping, my expression of horror probably matching the one on Princess Lystria's face.
"My sword slipped!"
"...You decapitated the princess."
"It was an accident! I didn't know she was so close behind me!"
I hardly heard what he was saying, my mind was still trying to process what I saw before me.
"You. Decapitated. The. Princess."
He gave me a hurt look. "I wouldn't do that with a dead girl. I just cut her head off, I didn't try to f-"
"I KNOW YOU CUT HER HEAD OFF YOU MORON! WHAT DO YOU THINK DECAPITATED... oh, never mind." If he weren't my twin...if I didn't need him, and if Mother hadn't made me promise I'd look after him, I swear I'd have killed him right then and there.
I curled up into a ball and shut my eyes. I had to be dreaming. Any minute now, Mother would call us and we'd wake up and start our morning chores, and Trevor and I would laugh at my crazy dream over breakfast, while she smiled and shook her head at our silliness.
"Mat?"
Any minute now.
I felt a touch on my shoulder. "Mat?"
Any minute.
"Mathilde, please."
I sighed, accepting the inevitable. I opened my eyes to see my brother's trusting face crouched over me.
"You can fix this right?" he said hopefully, brandishing Lystria's head by its long dark hair. Her grey eyes stared blankly at me.
Unfortunately I could "fix this" as my brother put it, but it wasn’t easy. Look, if anyone tells you they can repair a body, punch a hole through the curtain separating Life and Death and wrestle a soul back into its flesh container, without draining half their own life force in the process? Run. That person is either a liar or a Demon-host, and there would not be enough of you left to bury if you guess wrong. Demons take offense at being called liars, weirdly enough.
When I came back to consciousness, we’d stopped to make camp for the night in a cave. It was comfortably large enough to hold our borrowed horses, with a little spring trickling into a makeshift pool to the back. A pot hovered over a small cook fire four paces from me, and the stabbing pain in my stomach made me aware of my hunger.
To the left side of the pool, there was a large piece of canvas hung between two poles, behind which a female voice was giving a shrill commentary about my brother’s incompetence, ancestry, probable lack of skill in bed and the unlikelihood of his fathering any children, as his seed would be too stupid to know how to impregnate a woman. Each insult was punctuated by splashing water. Trevor ignored her to bring me some water, which I drank gratefully.
"Slow down Mat, you'll bring it up again."
"How long?" I croaked when my throat no longer felt like sand.
"Since you revived her? A week. Mat, I'm so sorry." Trevor’s green eyes above his beard were tired, red-rimmed. "I didn't think you'd-" he broke off and went across to the pot. I propped myself up on my elbows as he spooned stew into a bowl and came back to me. I forced myself to be patient as he fed me little at a time, pretending the food took all my attention until he got himself under control. The princess had begun complaining at having to dress herself without a maid's help.
After half the bowl, I sighed and sat up all the way. My body protested against any further movement, but I ignored it to wipe at Trev's eyes. I even managed a smile.
"I meant how long till we can hand her over to her father?" Gods and goddesses even my hair ached.
"We should reach the outskirts by midday if you’re strong enough to ride tomorrow. It's a week again from there to the capital." I spat out a curse that caused Princess Lystria to stop her tirade. Blessed, blessed silence.
"I’ll be strong enough. Just need a little more rest to recover." I felt my eyes closing when Princess Lystria spoke again. She made the mistake of addressing me.
"Ugh. I suppose you're the one who wears these rags. They won't fit that stupid oaf."
"Those belong...belonged to my betrothed...Nari." Trevor's voice was low.
"What poor girl would want to marry an nitwit like you? I'd rather die." The acid tone of her voice would've melted rocks. I realized my fists were clenched. Trevor sat, silent and pale for a long moment, then rose slowly.
"I'm...going to gather more firewood." he muttered over his shoulder as he left the cave.
Rage gave me strength to get on my feet. I stomped over and yanked the canvas away. Lystria whirled and tripped as her legs got caught in the scarlet hem of Nari's unused wedding gown. She fell heavily on her backside.
"You will apologise." I snarled into her face. She crawled backward to get away from me, but then sat up to give me that haughty look all spoilt princesses seemed to be born knowing.
"How dare you interrupt my dressing!"
"Save it! I see better looking in a mirror! That man," I flung my hand towards the cave entrance, "risked life and limb to save you and succeeded when all your fancy-assed knights and nobles failed to do the job. You will treat him with the gratitude and respect he deserves!"
"He cut my HEAD off!"
"If you'd run in the opposite direction and escaped like we TOLD you to you stupid twit, it wouldn't have happened!"
Knowing that was true, she switched tactics.
"My father will hear of your treatment of me!"
Now, I know I should've been a little more understanding. She'd been held captive by a dragon for months, then died and had been resurrected. That'd be enough to traumatize anyone; but I was tired; I ached all over from cleaning up the mess; she hurt my brother and was now threatening us? No. More.
I lost control and raised my hand. I dimly heard Trevor crashing back into the cave yelling "Sis, no!" The last thing I remembered before I blacked out again was saying "If you want to spit and snarl like an alley cat, fine!"
When I woke again, I was in a cozy room. Lamplight showed a second bed, a little table set with food and bracketed by two chairs. I vaguely recognised the place from our outward journey a few weeks back. Trevor was sitting at the table, stroking the large dark cat on his lap, murmuring something I couldn't hear. I was puzzled. When did we get a cat? The beast opened its grey eyes and glared at me.
"Oh no!" I wailed.
I stood watching the dragon burn from my mage fire, gloating. It had been a simple job. Rescue Princess Lystria from the dragon, and the king would reward us with land and gold beyond our wildest dreams. Plus, we got to raid the dragon's horde as a nice bonus.
This time, nothing could go wrong. Mat and Trevor, The Brains and The Brawn, The Mage and The Muscle would finally be able to retire.
I forgot my brother could snatch defeat from the jaws of certain victory.
"Um, Mat...I...um...a little help please?"
I turned around with great effort. Every muscle in my body ached from the fight.
"Dammit Trevor, what is it noooooooow OH MY GODS AND GODDESSES WHAT DID YOU DO THIS TIME!" My blood-covered twin was kneeling on the ground desperately trying to jam the princess' head back onto her neck.
The head of princess we were supposed to be rescuing from the dragon.
My legs gave way and I lay sprawling on the ground gaping, my expression of horror probably matching the one on Princess Lystria's face.
"My sword slipped!"
"...You decapitated the princess."
"It was an accident! I didn't know she was so close behind me!"
I hardly heard what he was saying, my mind was still trying to process what I saw before me.
"You. Decapitated. The. Princess."
He gave me a hurt look. "I wouldn't do that with a dead girl. I just cut her head off, I didn't try to f-"
"I KNOW YOU CUT HER HEAD OFF YOU MORON! WHAT DO YOU THINK DECAPITATED... oh, never mind." If he weren't my twin...if I didn't need him, and if Mother hadn't made me promise I'd look after him, I swear I'd have killed him right then and there.
I curled up into a ball and shut my eyes. I had to be dreaming. Any minute now, Mother would call us and we'd wake up and start our morning chores, and Trevor and I would laugh at my crazy dream over breakfast, while she smiled and shook her head at our silliness.
"Mat?"
Any minute now.
I felt a touch on my shoulder. "Mat?"
Any minute.
"Mathilde, please."
I sighed, accepting the inevitable. I opened my eyes to see my brother's trusting face crouched over me.
"You can fix this right?" he said hopefully, brandishing Lystria's head by its long dark hair. Her grey eyes stared blankly at me.
Unfortunately I could "fix this" as my brother put it, but it wasn’t easy. Look, if anyone tells you they can repair a body, punch a hole through the curtain separating Life and Death and wrestle a soul back into its flesh container, without draining half their own life force in the process? Run. That person is either a liar or a Demon-host, and there would not be enough of you left to bury if you guess wrong. Demons take offense at being called liars, weirdly enough.
When I came back to consciousness, we’d stopped to make camp for the night in a cave. It was comfortably large enough to hold our borrowed horses, with a little spring trickling into a makeshift pool to the back. A pot hovered over a small cook fire four paces from me, and the stabbing pain in my stomach made me aware of my hunger.
To the left side of the pool, there was a large piece of canvas hung between two poles, behind which a female voice was giving a shrill commentary about my brother’s incompetence, ancestry, probable lack of skill in bed and the unlikelihood of his fathering any children, as his seed would be too stupid to know how to impregnate a woman. Each insult was punctuated by splashing water. Trevor ignored her to bring me some water, which I drank gratefully.
"Slow down Mat, you'll bring it up again."
"How long?" I croaked when my throat no longer felt like sand.
"Since you revived her? A week. Mat, I'm so sorry." Trevor’s green eyes above his beard were tired, red-rimmed. "I didn't think you'd-" he broke off and went across to the pot. I propped myself up on my elbows as he spooned stew into a bowl and came back to me. I forced myself to be patient as he fed me little at a time, pretending the food took all my attention until he got himself under control. The princess had begun complaining at having to dress herself without a maid's help.
After half the bowl, I sighed and sat up all the way. My body protested against any further movement, but I ignored it to wipe at Trev's eyes. I even managed a smile.
"I meant how long till we can hand her over to her father?" Gods and goddesses even my hair ached.
"We should reach the outskirts by midday if you’re strong enough to ride tomorrow. It's a week again from there to the capital." I spat out a curse that caused Princess Lystria to stop her tirade. Blessed, blessed silence.
"I’ll be strong enough. Just need a little more rest to recover." I felt my eyes closing when Princess Lystria spoke again. She made the mistake of addressing me.
"Ugh. I suppose you're the one who wears these rags. They won't fit that stupid oaf."
"Those belong...belonged to my betrothed...Nari." Trevor's voice was low.
"What poor girl would want to marry an nitwit like you? I'd rather die." The acid tone of her voice would've melted rocks. I realized my fists were clenched. Trevor sat, silent and pale for a long moment, then rose slowly.
"I'm...going to gather more firewood." he muttered over his shoulder as he left the cave.
Rage gave me strength to get on my feet. I stomped over and yanked the canvas away. Lystria whirled and tripped as her legs got caught in the scarlet hem of Nari's unused wedding gown. She fell heavily on her backside.
"You will apologise." I snarled into her face. She crawled backward to get away from me, but then sat up to give me that haughty look all spoilt princesses seemed to be born knowing.
"How dare you interrupt my dressing!"
"Save it! I see better looking in a mirror! That man," I flung my hand towards the cave entrance, "risked life and limb to save you and succeeded when all your fancy-assed knights and nobles failed to do the job. You will treat him with the gratitude and respect he deserves!"
"He cut my HEAD off!"
"If you'd run in the opposite direction and escaped like we TOLD you to you stupid twit, it wouldn't have happened!"
Knowing that was true, she switched tactics.
"My father will hear of your treatment of me!"
Now, I know I should've been a little more understanding. She'd been held captive by a dragon for months, then died and had been resurrected. That'd be enough to traumatize anyone; but I was tired; I ached all over from cleaning up the mess; she hurt my brother and was now threatening us? No. More.
I lost control and raised my hand. I dimly heard Trevor crashing back into the cave yelling "Sis, no!" The last thing I remembered before I blacked out again was saying "If you want to spit and snarl like an alley cat, fine!"
When I woke again, I was in a cozy room. Lamplight showed a second bed, a little table set with food and bracketed by two chairs. I vaguely recognised the place from our outward journey a few weeks back. Trevor was sitting at the table, stroking the large dark cat on his lap, murmuring something I couldn't hear. I was puzzled. When did we get a cat? The beast opened its grey eyes and glared at me.
"Oh no!" I wailed.