The Dark

She shook her head slightly. Damek looked around quickly and spotted his weapons. An energy bow, one razor beam broadsword and two short plasma swords. He pulled them toward him and instantly it seemed he had taken hours to set them just right. He pulled out one plasma sword and opened his mouth to speak again.

Bridget was thrown across the room and she hit the wall hard. She coughed and struggled to move. Damek took a quick look at her before turning to Dorian, shaking his head in anger.

Dorian looked him in the eye. His were the deepest pool of black. Damek's only changed slightly toward grey before he held his worry and anger steady. Suddenly he rolled right as Dorian's razor sword slashed the air. Finding his feet swiftly, he brought up his sword to deflect pointed ice spears. They shattered on his blade, but the pieces flew and cut both of them.

"And now you will die." Dorian said in a low, malevolent voice.

Damek blinked as sparks flew from the clashing blades, wrought by Arkyne's natural elements. Damek ducked again as Dorian's blade swung overhead once more. He reciprocated by bringing up his own in a thrust that was barely deflected, but still, blood began to ooze from the thin gash. They moved in a deadly circle. Swords flickering like snake's tongues. Blood had been drawn by both and sweat slicked their hair to their heads. Damek found he could not continue much longer. His wounds were aching and a lot of blood had spilled to the floor. He tucked right, feeling the blade brush across his face, and he spun the sword, slamming it forward with all his strength.

Dorian choked, coughing up blood as his eyes began to glaze. Quickly, Damek pulled his sword from the newly made corpse and slammed it into it's sheath.

"May the eternal forest welcome you with open arms, if it be right for it to do so." He whispered. The respected saying should not even be denied to Dorian.

Swallowing a bit of blood himself, Damek stumbled more than walked to where Bridget had been so violently thrown. He kneeled next to her and brushed a few light strands of hair from her face. Her skin was still softer and warmer than the sky itself. Her eyes were closed, and Damek could hear no breath, but she was not dead. She couldn't be. Damek closed his eyes, wishing for a feat of magic. Please no. A slight movement brought his eyes back open and concentrating on Bridget's face.

"D-Damek?" a weak voice whispered, but still she lived. Relief flooded Damek's face. He smiled slightly and kissed Bridget on the forehead lightly. She reached a hand up and grabbed a fistful of his dusty hair. She pulled him back and kissed him on the lips, for the first time ever, "I had hoped?.that you didn't have to -." She broke down into soft sobs.

Damek brushed away the tears and whispered slightly, "shh?.it's allright. I promise."

She then looked at him, his wounds registering for the first time. "oh?my precious Damek, oh my gosling, are you okay?? I-I-I--."

He smiled again, "don't worry, I am fine." She nodded slightly, " can we please leave??"

She nodded again and he picked her up, she smiled until he grunted with pain.

"oh my poor duckling?"she started to say more, but Damek just began walking, staying to the shadows so he wouldn't be seen.

"If you would like, I can show you just how healthy I really am, once we get somewhere cozy." He mumbled softly.

Bridget giggled and Damek's eyes slowly turned a greenish color. Bright green.

The guards came to give their daily report and found the chamber in a shattered ruin. Their lord's body lay in a pool of blood, and later, more bodies were found in innocuous places. No one could explain any of it, but no one cared any longer.