Dark Body, Light Soul (Or the Tale of the Stalfos)

by Garino

48: Forward, Backward, Over, Under

Chapter 48: Forward, Backward, Over, Under

*Three Days After Awakening*

One broken down sword. One shield erased of its paint job from the tournament. A fresh new set of robes that I should really start paying for somehow. A beautiful bracelet that just appeared out of thin air. Status: major power decrease.

Even worse; I was getting bored waiting for my sword to be repaired. I stayed in my room, pacing. Had to keep moving; I feel like something bad will happen if I stop.

Apparently, I forgot that I closed the door. I heard someone knocking. I stopped pacing and started tapping my foot. “Yeah?”

“Your favorite flier is here!” said the voice.

I could’ve smirked. “Prove it,” I commanded. “Phase through the door.”

The voice scoffed. “It’s Shiira, you dolt. And Melody’s nowhere near my flying expertise!” Is it just me, or has she gotten an ego over the past week? I also could’ve argued with her on her boast, but I decided to see what would happen if I fed her confidence.

“Very true. Door’s open, anyway, c’mon in,” I replied.

Shiira opened the door and strutted around. Not gonna lie, I missed the black and gold mane and tail. Very unique if you ask me. “Honestly, the nerve of some creatures these days,” she huffed as she came in.

“Letter of the law, Fangs. You said ‘favorite flier.’ You said nothing about the best,” I pointed out.

The vampire smirked. Whoops, more ego feeding. “I am the best, aren’t I?” She chuckled a little before stopping her strut in front of me. “Unfortunately, what I have to tell you won’t exactly make your attitude soar.”

Oh, great, they sent her to give me the bad news. Why couldn’t they have just sent Melody? I can’t get mad at her… too much. “Let me guess: the paladins have already found us?” I asked.

“Oh, don’t be silly. This place is well-hidden,” she chuckled. With a cough, she gave me probably the most stoic look I’ve ever seen. “The Skaven is joining us.”

If I had a heart, it would stop there. Now, while I was out, they had captured the one that priestess called Specter and supposedly gotten a lot of information on why she even wandered this way. The guy was a crack shot, he didn’t mess around, and I’m sure he had the means to kill me had worse came to worst.

I coughed. “Shiira. I know a lot of people that can tell a bold-faced lie with the straightest of faces. You’re pulling my leg.” I tugged at my leg to get the point across. Dunno why, I’m dumb like that sometimes.

Shiira sighed. “Sorry to disappoint, Daniel, but… it’s true. I swear on my wings.”

Son of a bitch. I turned away from her and started feeling around. “Okay, where’d I put the sword…”

Shiira began to hover behind me. “Listen, I know you have your doubts, and honestly who wouldn’t after that fiasco from last week, but everyone else talked about this. And we think this may help us in the long run.” She came into sight, doing a backstroke-type fly. I still don’t know how it works. “How does this look? I feel as though I’m leaned to the right a little.”

I sighed. “Then lean to the left. But what makes you think putting him on our side will make him suddenly change his heart? What makes you think he won’t backstab us?”

The vampire did a quick aileron roll and righted herself before looking at me. “Listen, Danny-boy,” she began.

“Don’t call me Danny-boy…” I interrupted.

“Listen, Danny-boy,” she recited more forcefully, “there’s five of us and one of him. I’d add Marcy and Melody, but they’re not combative. If he tries anything to kill us, we will make him deader than us. And need I remind you that it took thirteen of them to even put you down? He is only one rat.”

“One rat that could escape our sight and snipe us,” I countered. “He’s probably got a secret stash of silver arrows or holy water or something like that!”

“Oh, he doesn’t. Dracula took his weapons, and Melody confirmed he didn’t have anything that could hurt us. She figured you’d be paranoid.”

“I’m amazed someone picked up on that,” I muttered.

Shiira finally landed and yawned. “Well, if you’re done losing your head on this, I’d say you go meet our newest recruit.”

“I’ll get on that,” I answered, finally remembering my sword was being repaired and picking up a greatsword nearby. “While I’m at it, I’ll take his head and mount it on a pike.”

I opened the door out of the room, but I was blocked by the red pegasus. “No, you won’t,” she snorted.

“Uh, did you happen to count the arrows in me when you cleaned up the mess?” I asked.

“Oh, stop bitching about it. They didn’t do anything to you, and you’ve survived worse.” I tried to walk around her, but she moved in front of me, locking eyes. “Look, if I didn’t make it clear before, this was a majority vote. Like it or not, he’s coming with us.”

“Like hell he is!” I shouted. “If any of the others were out there fighting, they’d have the same reservations I do!”

Her stare seemed to intensify. “Daniel. I’m telling you this for your safety. If he joins us, we have five others who will deal with him if he tries anything. You go and kill him, you will be dealing with four of them. And last I checked, I kicked your bony butt last time.”

I growled at the memory. “You got lucky…” I mumbled.

“Just the complaints of a loser~♪” Shiira taunted in a sing-song voice. “And once again, defying the majority will make me replay the scene for everyone. Or at least the highlights.”

My hand trembled. She had backed me into a corner. “...fine. I’ll let him in. But if he tries anything, I’m the one that kills him!” I ordered.

The pegasus giggled as she took off down the hallway. “That’s for Dracula to decide, he’s the one calling the shots!” she gave as a parting shot.

I made sure she was out of sight before I slammed my blade into the wall in anger. No wonder the living aren’t on good terms with vamps; they can play you like a fiddle.

---

*on Earth*

“Up… down… make every stroke precise… keep focus…”

The young girl kept her motions as smooth as she recited to herself. Her pencil sketched the scene before her. It was a nice forest: quiet, nice to come and relax after a hectic day of classes. She could’ve painted it, possibly with watercolors or even oil. But she preferred sketching as it meant she could color it later, back at the dorms.

“Just a bit more,” she murmured. While China was her home, she came to America to study abroad. Most of her studies involved the ways of art and English. How long ago was that? It couldn’t have been more than two or three years. Four at the most. One more stroke, and… “Done!” She put her pencil behind her ear and looked at the forest scene on her easel. She then looked beyond the sketch.

Strangely enough, someone was there. Another girl. White shirt, a blue hat, plaid skirt… quite the unusual get-up for Texas. Then again, she’s seen worse. Blue Hat approached the artist. “What’cha sketching?” she asked.

“I am… well, I was sketching the forest.” The young artist picked up her easel. “I’m sorry, but I need to get this back to the dorms.”

“Allow me to help,” the blue hatted girl offered. She picked up what the artist couldn’t. “Name’s Maria.”

The girl adjusted her easel. “Amy. Nice to meet you, I guess.”

“Amy… yeah, that sounds like a good name,” Maria nodded. “Mind if I stick with you for a while?”

“I’m sorry, but I’m very busy today,” Amy sighed. This was a lie; the sketch was her last objective for the day, and she wanted to relax. Unfortunately for her, her guest knew this all too well.

“Much as I’d like to let you go… I need your help. Plus, you and I both know you have nothing for the rest of the day.” She followed Amy. “I can help you get everything back to your place.”

Amy sighed again. “You’re going to be persistent, aren’t you?”

“Yes. Very.” Maria was blunt and honest.

Amy kept walking. She got to her truck and put her easel in the back cab. “Why would you need my help?” she asked.

“It’s a long story. Might take all afternoon if you want to hear it from the start,” Maria answered.

Amy took a deep breath. She knew this would come back and bite her. She just didn’t know how soon. “Get in. We’ll drop my stuff off, then I need to grab a bite to eat.”

Author's Note:

Geez, how long has it been since I last put up a chapter? Well, loyal followers, I'm glad you stuck, because I've finally gotten over that damned writer's block! ...well, for this round. Hopefully it won't take half a year for the next one.

Comments

[Dante_Hinomori]

Wait.... the chessverse is still alive??

[Garino]

4777155 Just by the skin of the teeth. But I won't die. (until I do)

[StarChaser01]

4510979 It's a cup of dirt...
Just put an F on it and let me go home...

[StarChaser01]

4048095 *tries to imagine them*
*succeeds*
That's... a lot of mustaches...

[Sonicbrony66]

Huzzah! The story (unlike its protagonist) lives! Thank the gods.

[Shardstar3]

it's been a looooong time

[Linkerman]

It has risen from ze dead!

[Chaos Theory]

Tnx for the chapter, glad to see you're still alive, kicking and writing.

[Silver Page]

How Skaven-y are these Skaven? Warhammer Fantasy levels of back-stabber-y and cowardice, or Pathfinder Ratmen levels of sneaky and pleasant?
Regardless, I see rats dying.

[Garino]

4782028 ...yes.

[Silver Page]

4782116
...Well.
t0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSED1vcYImjOaoHiGFVeFf-tpIQcrXAncWyklWffuLg0zc0D--aaw

I'm getting my mousetraps and shotgun ready. No Clan Eshin are gonna slit my tender neck-meats!

[shadesofbrony]

YOU!.....I don't remember you.

[Scolipede]

Technically, I never give up on stories. I'm even still waiting on "on the wings of angels"

Anyways, glad to see you back. Was hoping you'd post a longer chapter, but oh well.

[Garino]

4795835 I had to struggle to get a chapter out. Hopefully I can get a longer one out for the next chapter.

[Muhanoid]

4799312 you said that 30 weeks ago.
*Sing-song voice* We are still waiting and will wait as long as needed.
Patience is a virtue, some say.

[Clemerl]

7297509 Okay, yeah, aside from that moment.

[Magical Trevor]

7297794 ... I could ask the same. Why are you commenting to something over three years old? Don't... Don't do that. That just makes things weird.

[mitchboy]

He looks like one of the enemies from Legends of Zelda.

[Flint]

7461357 it is from the the legend of zelda http://zelda.wikia.com/wiki/Stalfos

[Black--Soul]

7297799
Now i have to do it for the sake of it

[Black--Soul]

I wannt to write a story in it for myself before i noted that reading storys about it was not actualy know the rules of it still researching editing