//------------------------------// // 28: Awkward Ensues // Story: Dark Body, Light Soul (Or the Tale of the Stalfos) // by Garino //------------------------------// Chapter 28: Awkward Ensues The three of us kept glancing back at each other: the Reverent Dawn mook, King Highwind, and myself, in case you forgot. The swords were still locked together in combat, forgotten by their owners for the moment. Their was an awkward silence in the air. In an attempt to break the silence, I said, "So...how about them Cowboys?" *POW!* A sucker punch from the king had my head spinning around in place. I should learn to think before I speak, it'll give me less problems in the long run. The pegasus coughed before he began speaking. "I guess introductions are in order. I'm Albus, and I'm the leader of the merry band of paladins in the city who want this place burned to the ground. Nice to meet you." "The feeling isn't mutual," Highwind growled. "Yeah, can you come back in a moment? We're just fi-" A blast of wind sent me flying as Highwind picked up a lance behind a painting. Why does he have a lance behind a painting? Better yet, when did that painting get there? I thought. "Listen," Albus chuckled, "I'm in a hurry, so can we just skip to the part where I kill you and take the crown? We're already behind schedule as it is." "Die first," Highwind said, "and then we'll talk." With that, he flew back up and dove at Albus. In a single move, Albus dodged the attack and offered his own counterattack. I would describe this fight further, but I had decided that enough was enough: just cut my losses, get Marcy, and find a way out of this castle. I snuck back into the bedchambers to see Marcy chatting with...JACK?!? And with what seemed to be the body of another Paladin to boot. What just happened here, and how did I miss this guy? "...and that's how I lost my position as Alpha," Jack chuckled. "So why travel to the marshes, of all places?" Marcy asked. Jack seemed to consider the answer for a moment. "Um...well...OHLOOKADISTRACTION!" he shouted, pointing at me. As quickly as he said it, though, he probably wished he didn't. "Actually, I think I want to answer that question," he muttered. "Back so soon?" Marcy asked. "Did he listen to you? He's not..." "He's alive, but he's currently working problems out with a paladin," I said. I sifted through the saddlebags, looking for my yellow hat. “And I see that you two weren’t so lazy about things either, were you?” I motioned to the corpse on the floor, which made Marcy blush a bit while Jack just smirked at what was probably his doing. I continued leafing through the bags while the other two just shuffled uncomfortably in place. Silence filled the air again. ...were these walls soundproof? Because I know for a FACT there's a fight close by, and I can't even hear the battle. I finally found what I was looking for and put it in its rightful place. "So...Daniel..." Jack began. "Ah, I nearly forgot about you, Mr. Arnold," I said. Jack raised an eyebrow at the response, but didn't question it. "Listen, about everything that's happened in the past 24 hours..." "I'm not wanting an apology," I snapped. Marcy glared at me, obviously not happy with the outburst. "I wasn't aiming to GIVE one," he growled. "I was going to say it's my job: being a spy means you have to be someone you're not. My job is not nice, and most of us don't even stick around for long. But that's my life. I love this city, and I'll protect it with my last, rotten breath." Marcy's expression softened a bit. "I want to protect it, too, but there's not much I can do," she admitted. I glanced back at the new dead body. A bit thinner than most ponies; possibly female. Unicorn, judging by the cracked orange horn. Her dark purple tail covered her cutie mark which, on further inspection, looked like the ninja symbol from Call of Duty: Black Ops. (It’s the only way I can describe her cutie mark, sue me) Like Albus and the fallen gryphon, she had the crimson red armband on her left foreleg. Now for the part you’re looking forward to: the scars. Horn is damaged, possibly from a blunt hit. Damaging; not enough to break, but definitely enough to be painful. My sight went to the rib area next. Multiple punctures on the left side, made by claw. Seems like only one got past the bones, though. Are there others on the other side? I walked around the body, to get a better look from another side, and I can say that I wasn’t disappointed. Looks like the paladin had her back mangled up pretty badly. I don’t think Jack’s claws can make these kind of wounds. I guess Marcy isn’t as helpless as she thinks she is. "So...what's the story behind this one?" I asked, lightly tapping the body with my foot. "Well, it's kind of a long story," Marcy admitted, "and you need to get back in there and deal with that OTHER paladin." "Right..." I muttered. I'll admit, I was NOT looking forward to going back into the fray with that badass. First off, he's a pegasus. Flying-types can stay out of reach of non-flying types if they don't have projectiles. Second, his name. Think of all of the badasses you know that have the name Albus. (Hint: I can think of two, and one fits a pattern I'm seeing recently) Third is his lance. If that doesn't say "Stay out of reach!" to you, I don't know what will. And, finally, this guy's got a serious case of testicular elephantitis to just waltz into a throne room in the middle of a fight. I mean, if you come in AFTER the fight, that's one thing. You're a vulture. If you come in DURING the fight, either you have no idea what's going on, or you plan on taking out both parties at once. Between you and me, I don't think Albus walked in on that fight accidentally. So, like it or not, I have to go back. I looked at the sword hilt in my hand. With this being my only weapon, I don't think I'm gonna make it. As I thought of the terrible luck I had, I felt a paw pat my back. "Y'know, you don't have to fight alone. After all, that paladin's crone attacked us, and he fights my king. I can't let that slide," Jack said. His left paw held what looked like a blue potion. "Drink this: it'll give you the power to cast magic without drawing on your life." "What exactly is it?" I asked. It's a mana potion, stupid, the snarky side informed me. "It's a special mixture," Marcy answered. "Since the undead don't regenerate magic nearly as fast as fleshies, we rely on these. It's a blend of mug-wort, an eye of a bog toad, and swamp beacon for effect, and a bit of poison joke for color." Lowering her voice to a whisper, she added, "Fun fact: vampires can't use this particular blend because they'll be affected by the poison joke." I took a deep breath. "Well, I've got nothing to lose, right?" I muttered. I opened the bottle and downed the concoction, blanching at the bitter taste. Ugh. I think Freedan's Dark Potion tastes better than this, I thought. That said, I could somehow feel my magic return to me. "Thanks. I believe it's time for round two," I said. Hitting the button on my hilt, the beam shot out, forming the sword I saw in the fight. "Can you two watch my back?" Jack nodded, baring some very sharp fangs. Then again, you'd need sharp fangs if you were gonna eat gems (which, funny enough, I haven't seen many of yet). Marcy gave me a quick hug, whispering, "Be careful. And give that paladin the beating of his lifetime." No more delays. Let's be the badass from the arena. 3 Should you really be doing this? 2 By all accounts, this is stupid... 1 Ah, what the hell. You only li-...actually, just get in there and hope things don't go south. GO!!!