OOC: Sorry everyone. I've been busy with Marching Band and a literary analysis. I'll try to post more often.
BIC: 'Where am I?' Clayton thought to himself. His body felt weightless, as if he were floating. 'Am I...dead?'
"Not yet you aren't," a voice came from out of his sight. Clayton looked around, yet all he could see was darkness.
"Who's there?!" Clayton asked. "Show yourself!" He readied his lance to strike.
"Ha ha ha!" the voice said. "To think that a mere mortal such as yourself would dare raise a weapon against me! How absolutely laughable."
"What did you say?!" Clayton asked with anger. "Show yourself and say that to me directly!"
"As you wish." A figure slowly emerged in front of Clayton. It towered over Clayton and was shaped like a human except for a few small details. Spikes ran along its arms and legs and it had a long tail. It lowered its head to face Clayton face-to-face. "Is this better for you, mortal?" the creature said.
Clayton stood his ground and asked, "Who are you?" The creature laughed again. "What's so funny?" Clayton asked angrily.
"Who am I? I am the one who came all the way to this realm between life and death to meet you," the creature said.
Clayton's stance eased a bit. "What are talking about?" Clayton asked. "Why would you want to meet me?"
The creature smiled and said, "I know of your efforts against the dark god and I believe that you should continue your campaign against him. I am willing to save your life if you agree to my terms."
The thought of returning to life excited Clayton, but he quickly calmed himself. "What are your terms?" Clayton asked.
"My terms are simple," the towering creature said. "You are to serve me. That is all there is to it."
"And who are you?" Clayton asked.
"That is none of your concern mortal," the creature bellowed. "Now what is your decision?"
Clayton thought for a moment and came up with his answer. "No," he stated plainly.
The humanoid smiled and laughed. "Ha ha ha. You are foolish to refuse my humble offer, but I suppose that one such as your self wouldn't fall for such a simple trick."
"Of course I wouldn't," Clayton said, "Nesjorla." The demon smiled.
"You even know who I am," Nesjorla said, "yet you don't quiver in fear or beg for your life." The demon stood up and looked down on Clayton. "Why don't you act all the other soldiers I have met?"
"It is because I know we can defeat," Clayton said firmly. His tone then loosened its seriousness, "It's also because I have heard reports about you. I'm sure all those other soldiers you met were scared out of their minds when they saw you." He then readied his lance and prepared himself. "Plus, I know I can beat you."
"Hahahaha!" Nesjorla laughed. "You think you can defeat me, the most powerful being to exist, with just a puny lan-" Nesjorla stopped midspeech as it looked at the weapon that was being pointed at it. "That lance...! That is the wepon that... I see, well then mortal," the demon said, "I will leave you for now."
"What?" Clayton asked, baffled by what the creature said.
"I will leave you for now," Nesjorla repeated, "but do not think that I spared you." Clayton looked at the demon with a look of confusion. "How you came into posession of that weapon I do not know, but when we meet again I will destroy you and that weapon." Nesjorla quickly vanished from Clayton's sight.
"What are you talking about!?" Clayton yelled at the darkness. Clayton thought about what the demon said, but he couldn't think of why his lance would cause it to retreat. Light suddenly enveloped Clayton as he thought this.
---
Lisa fell to her knee as she cleaved another revenant in half. She breathed heavily as she looked at the ground, sweat almost flowing from her pores. Around her were the corpses of several dozen revenants, deathgoyles, mauth doogs, armed skeletons, and even a cyclops. They all fell before Lisa and they had all taken a little strength from her to the point where she could no longer stand.
"No!" she shouted. "I will not let any of you take him away from me!" Lisa struggled to her feet and readied herself for another attack. A cyclops noticed her and readied himself as well when he saw the still form of Clayton. The cyclops had just arrived in the fight and it had been told by Nesjorla to kill the one with the green lance.
'If I kill him boss will be happy,' the cyclops thought, 'and if boss is happy me might get extra food!' The cyclops rushed towards Clayton. Lisa stepped in front of him and slashed at his leg. The cyclops smacked her away and reached his target. He brought his axe over his head and readied himself to kill the Pegasus knight.
"No!" Lisa screamed as the axe fell. 'I'm sorry Clayton,' she thought as tears rolled down her, mixing with the blood and sweat on her face, 'I'm sorry Clayton.'
"Aaaaaahh! My eye! My eye!" the cyclops screamed as he staggered backwards, holding his eye as fluids spilled from it. Lisa watched him fall on his back and instinctively rushed up to him. She brought her axe down on the creature's throat with more than enough force to kill him. The cries of the cyclops were silenced and Lisa looked around for who had intially stabbed the monster. Lisa froze as she saw who now stood a few feet away from her. Tears began to well up in her eyes again.
"Are you okay Miss Scarlet?" Clayton asked with concern and warmth that he was originally devoid of just a few minutes ago. Clayton and Lisa stood there for a few seconds until Clayton spoke again, "Is something wrong Miss Scarlet?"
"Clayton, I *Sniff* I *Sniff* I," Lisa said, stuttering as she cried. She then ran up to Clayton and hugged him tightly. "I thought you were dead! I thought you were gone! I thought you had left me forever!" Lisa said, sobbing in between words.
"I won't ever do that to you again," Clayton replied as he returned her hug despite the pain he had in his back. "I promise."
Sakura observed from a roof top that she had decided to sulk on after Clayton's apparent death. She watched them for a few moments, letting her brain sort out what had just happened. Once she was sure that what had happened wasn't a dream she flew towards Clayton and landed next to him, remaining silent. Clayton turned around with Lisa in his arms, let go of Lisa, and walked up to Sakura.
"I'm sorry Sakura," Clayton said to his Pegasus. "I know you won't accept my apology for what I put you through, but I truly am sorry for what I did to you." Tears welled up in his eyes and Clayton then began to cry. "I shouldn't have worried you and acted so rashly. Please forgive me Sakura."
Sakura looked at him, showing no emotion what so ever. After a few moments Sakura nodded at Clayton and he stopped crying. "Thank you Sakura," he said. With renewed vigor, Clayton turned around to face Lisa and said "You've gotten stronger Miss Scarlet."
"Really?" Lisa said. Her tears stopped and her face was filled with happiness.
"Yep," Clayton replied happily. "Why, I bet you're strong enough to be considered a Fighter now."
"So I'm a Fighter now?" Lisa asked.
"Yes," Clayton said. "Since you're strong enough now," Clayton gently took Lisa's axe, placed the flat of the blade on her shoulder, and said, jokingly, "I hereby dub thee Miss Scarlet the Fighter." Clayton handed Lisa her axe in the way that a king would give a sword to a new knight.
"Lisa," she said.
"Huh?" Clayton replied, confusion evident in his voice.
"There is no need to use such formalities anymore Clayton," Lisa said. "Call me Lisa now."
Clayton looked at her and smiled. "All right then Lisa," Clayton said. "Now as I was saying, I hereby dub thee Lisa the Fighter." He then handed Lis her axe and she took it.
"Let's get rid of thses guys," Lisa said as she turned towards the approaching revenants. Clayton quickly mounted Sakura and readied himself.
"All right then!" Clayton exclaimed. "It's time to finish this!"
