By the all seeing EYE
The door shuddered as Blossom moved to the far wall; it was being rammed from the outside. She was standing alone in utter darkness. She steeled herself and mentally prepared for the fight ahead. She had been cut off from her friends but the notion of "friends" was, until not so long ago, a foreign concept for her. Having been orphaned at a young age and abused in the care of "philanthropists" she had discovered her latent ability; the ability to remove life. Not "kill" mind you, remove life. It manifested in the form of a sickly purplish-black light that swathed her hands and wherever those hands went, life left. It removed it, displaced it, hell...for all she knew it changed it. To what, she didn't know, but she also didn't really care. It was there when she called upon it and that was all that mattered.
She called upon it now as she chanted the activation phrase for a spell. Instantly a purplish light blazed the shape of a hexagon upon the floor in front of her and from the center of the hexagon a breech appeared hemorrhaging the same otherworldly light. From out of the breech crawled a humanoid skeleton wielding a sword that faced her, nodded it's bony head in deference, and turned toward the threat eyes blazing. Blossom readied the next spell in her mind. Whomever came through that door was in for a rude surprise if they were only expecting a frightened schoolgirl. The door burst open, scattering furniture in its wake.
Framed in the doorway stood the Blackguard. Without needing further command the skeleton reared its sword over it's head and swung at the fallen paladin. The Blackguard parried the skeleton's blow away but could do nothing when Blossom plainly spoke the command word to the spell that she had prepared for this moment, "MORTIS." The familiar purple-blackish light sprung forth in a tight beam no larger than a broom handle and struck the Blackguard full in the chest. The sickly light washed over him like a pail of tossed water and then entered his armor through the myriad of crevices and gaps in the same way that water would.
For a short moment, the purplish-black light emanated from everywhere in his armor and the light played across the grotesque features on is face. He seemed to shrink somewhat in that moment. What muscles were bare on him shriveled a bit and he became somewhat less imposing, more average than he had been. He was still a very real threat, however, and one that could still kill Blossom with but one blow from his wicked great sword. "I must have words with you," he said again, this time without the smile of derision on his face. "That's more like it," thought Blossom, "all it takes is to weaken a man, any man, with my ability and he becomes so much more malleable." For good measure she called yet another skeleton to take its place next to the first as if to put a fine point on the fact that she was not one to be toyed with. "I WILL destroy you if I must, but I have been sent to deliver a message. A message for your ears only." One of the skeletons lurched forward and made a sidelong swing at the Blackguard and this time he just let it clang off of his heavily armored body. He stood waiting for Blossom's reply.
"What is this message?" Blossom said, as always showing no emotion in her voice. "My master wishes to meet with you. He is known as Chiam. Have you heard of him?" he asked. Blossom considered. She did seem to remember something of a man named Chiam but it would not come to her at this time. Most importantly, Blackguards were not to be trusted. She debated whether she could even believe this champion of the dark long enough to meet this man, Chiam. "If I were to accompany you, what of my friends?" she asked. "They must be destroyed of course, they are a threat and of no use to us" he replied with a sneer. "And if I refuse...?" she asked, knowing the answer. "If you refuse my master after you have heard his request, then you will be free to go. But if you refuse now, I will destroy you along with the others" answered the Blackguard in a matter of fact tone. Blossom considered for a moment. Possibilities swirled in her mind. She was very interested in furthering her ability, maybe this "Chiam" could help her, or even give her the training that she needed. But, she had become...friendly... with Fox. And Nera too. She genuinely admired both of them and neither of them had ever shown the least bit of contempt or disdain for Blossom. She could not stand by and watch them be slaughtered. "I will go with you" Blossom finally responded "under one condition." The Blackguard snarled with disdain as he had before. "I offer you an audience with Almighty Chiam and you want to set conditions?! I should destroy you now and tell my master that you rebuffed me completely!" He glowered down at her over the shoulder of the skeletons that had ceased their attacks on Blossom's mental command. "What is your condition?" he spat. Blossom puffed out her as-yet womanly chest and glared back at the Blackguard.
"My condition is thus: you must spare the one called Fox and the one called Nera of the Catfolk. I cannot tolerate to watch a spawn such as you butcher them. They may soon find their maker but it will not be at your hands. Can you accept this?" Blossom watched the Blackguard for any of the tell tale signs that would indicate lying. She had become quite good at detecting lies while living in the sewers and begging in the streets. "I....accept" the Blackguard replied as if biting the words. "Good, then let us be on our way. I assume you have a steed for me? I will NOT be walking all the way to your master". Blossom strode by the dark paladin with the extreme confidence of a scholar. The Blackguard stared after her, then swung his great sword at one of the skeletons still standing there in frustration. It winked out of existence just before his blade struck home and the swing carried his sword through to cleave a dresser in two. When he looked through the doorway that Blossom had just left, she stood there, with her hands on her hips and a slight grin on her lips. "Uh...are we leaving or not?" The Blackguard sighed and wrenched his great sword free and they both turned to leave the manor. On the way out of the room the Blackguard punched the remaining skeleton squarely in the jaw with his armored gauntlet cleanly removing the entire skull from the rest of the body and smashing the jaw into shards. The remainder of the skeleton crumpled to the floor and then crumbled to dust and blew away as if a great wind had blown through the room. He grinned and fell into step behind Blossom.
So Many Choices.........
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