(no subject)
13. Allow Me to Introduce Myself
Story : knights & necromancers
Rating : PG
Timeframe : 1277
Word Count : 902
Sham took a nervous step back from the charred pile of bones that littered the ground between him and Mara. “We should turn back,” he said, eyeing the shadowy masses that raced and tumbled about farther out in the field.
“Turn back?” The blade in her hands was still shaking, but she was grinning like an idiot now. “Did you see what I just did to that thing?” She gestured to the demon’s smoldering corpse, and Sham found himself looking at the blackened flesh for a moment too long and put a hand to his mouth as his stomach gave a turn. “What have we got to be afraid of?”
“Do you even have a clue what you just did?”
“Sure.” She kicked at the bones and they rolled apart in the grass with a sickening thump. “I fried it. Now, watch this.” She turned and sprinted out into the open, sword bobbing in her hand, yelling, “Hey! Come and get me!”
“Mara!” Sham leapt over the body and raced after her. All around, demons turned and aimed their vacant skulls her way.
“Don’t be such a baby!” she called over her shoulder.
A beast hurled itself at her. She raised a hand and flames erupted along its belly. The demon crumpled to the ground with a yelp just as the last one had. “See?” she said as the fire crackled in its ribs but did not spread to the grass. “Nothing to worry abou-” The words died in a scream as another twisting form leapt into view and wrapped itself around her.
In the darkness, Sham could make out great tentacle-like bands and little more. Mara’s arm jutted out between them, locked in place, her weapon useless. It covered her mouth, coiled about her legs. And then, in a blinding flash that exposed its limbs for the thick bands of cloth they were, the demon fell to pieces.
“Mara!”
She fell to her knees, her hand to her throat, and her eyes wide. She stayed there, shuddering and gasping on the ground, as Sham reached her side.
“Are you alright?” He bent, trying to catch her eye, and got a better look at the remains. The bones were thrown apart. If there had been any flesh on the thing, it had been obliterated. The bands of fabric that had been coiled around her lay limp beside the bones, no connection left between them. “How did you do that?”
She muttered something he didn’t quite catch, and as the rest of the field lit up in burst after burst of light, he was too busy gaping at the rain of demon bodies onto the grass to pursue it. The last flash was just fading and Mara was picking herself up off the ground and Sham opening his mouth, when a voice caught both their attention.
“What in the name of all the gods do you kids think you’re doing?”
Sham whipped around to find the tall, lanky figure of a man slowly striding across the field to meet them. Beside him, Mara snapped to attention and quickly sheathed her sword.
“Exterminating demons,” she said, quick to meet the stranger’s eye as he drew near. “What does it look like?”
The man calmly crossed his arms over his chest and faced her with a stern stare. “It looks like a couple of the most foolish children I’ve ever seen would like to get themselves killed today. Now you’d best come with me before you succeed.” He reached out with one long, bony arm to take her by the shoulder. Sham tensed.
Mara glared at the man. “I need to get back to my squadron.”
“Your what?”
She grabbed at the collar of her cloak, fumbling for the pin. It flashed silver and blue in the moonlight. “Mara Burnoire,” she said. “captain, Royal Salenian Knights. Unhand me. I have been waylaid far too long and I would- What?”
Still holding tight to her arm, the man was laughing. “Captain? What are you, fifteen? The knights must be growing desperate indeed.” Then his look suddenly darkened, and Sham’s hand went to the sword at his belt. “Wait, did you say Burnoire?”
“I did. What of it?”
The man’s jaw dropped. He was staring at her like she’d just declared herself the Queen, or perhaps more like she’d just turned into a demon and sprouted another head. Sham wasn’t quite sure, and he tightened his grip on his sword.
“So, you’re Lyssa’s…”
The top of the blade edged out of the sheath. “She also said to get your hands off of her.”
The man let go of her then to turn his dumbfounded gaze on Sham. “Shamino?” he said, cocking his head to peer at him. Sham let go of the hilt and the blade clinked back into place.
“Oh gods,” Mara squeaked. They both turned on her, puzzled, to find her bouncing on her heels, her hand to her mouth. “You destroyed the demon, didn’t you? And you know my…Oh gods. Y-you’re the wizard!”
“The what?” said the man, more puzzled than ever.
Before anyone else could say another word, Mara launched herself at the stranger, burying her face against his chest and throwing her arms around his ribs. The man went stiff as a board, with one last confused look at Sham before giving the girl an awkward pat on the back as she clung to him.
Story : knights & necromancers
Rating : PG
Timeframe : 1277
Word Count : 902
Sham took a nervous step back from the charred pile of bones that littered the ground between him and Mara. “We should turn back,” he said, eyeing the shadowy masses that raced and tumbled about farther out in the field.
“Turn back?” The blade in her hands was still shaking, but she was grinning like an idiot now. “Did you see what I just did to that thing?” She gestured to the demon’s smoldering corpse, and Sham found himself looking at the blackened flesh for a moment too long and put a hand to his mouth as his stomach gave a turn. “What have we got to be afraid of?”
“Do you even have a clue what you just did?”
“Sure.” She kicked at the bones and they rolled apart in the grass with a sickening thump. “I fried it. Now, watch this.” She turned and sprinted out into the open, sword bobbing in her hand, yelling, “Hey! Come and get me!”
“Mara!” Sham leapt over the body and raced after her. All around, demons turned and aimed their vacant skulls her way.
“Don’t be such a baby!” she called over her shoulder.
A beast hurled itself at her. She raised a hand and flames erupted along its belly. The demon crumpled to the ground with a yelp just as the last one had. “See?” she said as the fire crackled in its ribs but did not spread to the grass. “Nothing to worry abou-” The words died in a scream as another twisting form leapt into view and wrapped itself around her.
In the darkness, Sham could make out great tentacle-like bands and little more. Mara’s arm jutted out between them, locked in place, her weapon useless. It covered her mouth, coiled about her legs. And then, in a blinding flash that exposed its limbs for the thick bands of cloth they were, the demon fell to pieces.
“Mara!”
She fell to her knees, her hand to her throat, and her eyes wide. She stayed there, shuddering and gasping on the ground, as Sham reached her side.
“Are you alright?” He bent, trying to catch her eye, and got a better look at the remains. The bones were thrown apart. If there had been any flesh on the thing, it had been obliterated. The bands of fabric that had been coiled around her lay limp beside the bones, no connection left between them. “How did you do that?”
She muttered something he didn’t quite catch, and as the rest of the field lit up in burst after burst of light, he was too busy gaping at the rain of demon bodies onto the grass to pursue it. The last flash was just fading and Mara was picking herself up off the ground and Sham opening his mouth, when a voice caught both their attention.
“What in the name of all the gods do you kids think you’re doing?”
Sham whipped around to find the tall, lanky figure of a man slowly striding across the field to meet them. Beside him, Mara snapped to attention and quickly sheathed her sword.
“Exterminating demons,” she said, quick to meet the stranger’s eye as he drew near. “What does it look like?”
The man calmly crossed his arms over his chest and faced her with a stern stare. “It looks like a couple of the most foolish children I’ve ever seen would like to get themselves killed today. Now you’d best come with me before you succeed.” He reached out with one long, bony arm to take her by the shoulder. Sham tensed.
Mara glared at the man. “I need to get back to my squadron.”
“Your what?”
She grabbed at the collar of her cloak, fumbling for the pin. It flashed silver and blue in the moonlight. “Mara Burnoire,” she said. “captain, Royal Salenian Knights. Unhand me. I have been waylaid far too long and I would- What?”
Still holding tight to her arm, the man was laughing. “Captain? What are you, fifteen? The knights must be growing desperate indeed.” Then his look suddenly darkened, and Sham’s hand went to the sword at his belt. “Wait, did you say Burnoire?”
“I did. What of it?”
The man’s jaw dropped. He was staring at her like she’d just declared herself the Queen, or perhaps more like she’d just turned into a demon and sprouted another head. Sham wasn’t quite sure, and he tightened his grip on his sword.
“So, you’re Lyssa’s…”
The top of the blade edged out of the sheath. “She also said to get your hands off of her.”
The man let go of her then to turn his dumbfounded gaze on Sham. “Shamino?” he said, cocking his head to peer at him. Sham let go of the hilt and the blade clinked back into place.
“Oh gods,” Mara squeaked. They both turned on her, puzzled, to find her bouncing on her heels, her hand to her mouth. “You destroyed the demon, didn’t you? And you know my…Oh gods. Y-you’re the wizard!”
“The what?” said the man, more puzzled than ever.
Before anyone else could say another word, Mara launched herself at the stranger, burying her face against his chest and throwing her arms around his ribs. The man went stiff as a board, with one last confused look at Sham before giving the girl an awkward pat on the back as she clung to him.