Several people ahead on the street jumped out of the way, they yelled behind her, and a crash, followed by a few less than polite words.

She turned her head. "Sorry!"

This was a mistake, unable to stop, she crashed through a screen doorway, splinters of wood scratched and cut into her shoulders.

She slammed into a man inside who stood near a long floating table, she jumped over the table and scraped by him by a fraction.

She both broke through several walls in the house. At the last wall, she was able to roll away to the right. She spun into the last wall and smacked her wrist on the corner.

"Sisssss!" She breathed in deeply and attempted to shake off the sting. Her eyes watered.

She held the wall, pulled into a stand, and swayed back and forth. There isn't any time for this! She found her balance again.

Her vision started to blur, and she struggled to stay upright. Going through several beams of wood even at full strength still hurt, really need to learn to turn corners better.

A large man ran in from another room, his eyes bulged and his face became bright red.

"Bandit! I'll crush you!"

She held out her hands. "No. No. I'm sorry! Not a bandit! I'll help fix this later!"

He rubbed his chin. "I'll excuse this as you're a woman. Don't leave the city. I will find you. I expect you to fix this yourself. Or pay a carpenter." He took a step forward and looked to be about to say more.

Got to get moving. She bowed and ran off in a sprint again. She shouted, "I'd go hide and quick!" He probably won't but...

The man yelled behind her. "Demons!"

She spun around in a complete circle, one of the Calcines leaned to the side while it ran with the others, it swiped at the man who fell over backward.

It ignored him faced forward and came at her ever faster, the other's speed to catch up.

A quick glance behind. Still There.

On another corner at the end of the street, Parcial and Beekaa fought several of the creatures.

Before she could speak one from the group broke away and bolted past her head, she hit the ground on a shoulder and rolled away.

Parcival kicked a Calcine away his foot crashed into its head, he spun and caught the thing with an elbow jab.

She snuck closer to Beeka and Parcival untill she stood between them.

The other horrors hesitated, then backed away.

Well now.

Beeka tipped his staff at the ones near him they skittered back.

It staggered then fell over, it wormed way and worked back to the middle of the pathway where the others were, they grasped each other's hands and converged together as one huge mass about as tall as a horse.

The hate and power flowed off of it visible as a grayish shimmer. It burst forth as an energy wall and collided with the entire area.

"Bad. Real bad!"

Just as she took a step toward them Parcival bent down, pulled out a small corked bottle filled with a glowing white liquid, and opened it.

"When did you find the time for that?"

Parcival shifted his weight. "Several days ago. Not sure if this will be of use."

The Calcine took a few more steps, now its mouth opened and a line of jagged teeth filled its mouth.

Parcival arched his arm, and tossed the bottle at it, the bottle blew up on contact into a bright blinding light that overtook the area.

She shielded her eyes with an arm and tried not to look away but her vision blurred with fat tears. The light stung and set little dots before her vision. Ugg. Unable to help it she blinked.

The next second Parcival was wrapped with many limbs from it.

Beekaa ran over with a small colorful paper between his fingers, and he chanted quickly.

He went a roundabout way and snuck over to the creature's unprotected side where there weren't as many ribs that stick out. She edged right up to it and thrust the dagger under its ribcage. These horrors weren't going to take more friends, more family away, never again!

It mowed over a small tree in its path, the tree shattered and sent out countless sharp shrapnel in a fan that whizzed past her head.

Only a small one grazed her shoulder it stung, she bent down and slapped some mud on it to staunch the wound.

Parcival grunted.

She snapped her head around before a gasp could even form.

His knees bucked under him he fell to the side, a thin sharp piece of the trunk had struck him through his side, and blood flowed in rivets down his leg a curtain that seeped into a patch of exposed earth.

A second later she held him tight. "Don't go."

He grinned tight his lips taunt and thin. "Not going anywhere."

The all too frequent pain crushed her chest again as the monstrosity lurched toward them. A slick sweat coated her palms, and she rubbed them on the jerkin legging.

Beekaa sprinted over and blocked an attack from the creature, its arms stretched up and above like scorpo-rat's tail.

"Merryn, right? He'll die for sure if we don't get rid of it. All of us will." Beeka tossed another paper at it.

It turned its head. The paper stopped mid-air and jetted right back into Beekaa's face!

Beeka's eyes grew huge liable to pop out. "Ahhh!" He stumbled fell over holding his face and screamed, over and over again without a breath.

She reached over and pulled on his sleeve.

He yelled, struggled, and fought, his eyes a bloody mess, it ran through his fingers.

"Stop! it's me. I'm bringing you over to Parcival. Try not to panic."

Easy to say. Hard to do.

He sort of calmed down, still creaming, but also mixed with sobs.

"I'm sorry. I can't stop right now," her voice cracked.

And as the spell was still active, she pushed it all away gritted her teeth went right up to it. She slashed at it again and again.

"Hell is too good for it!" Disappear!"

A quick-silver gray glop dribbled from its wounds, it squealed shrill and airy. It vibrated and wobbled about.

She jumped back several feet, onto the middle of the street. Thank the gods. Thank the gods. Thank the gods this cursed dagger was left.

She bounded and jumped higher than the treetops, the wind swept her hair back as she dropped faster each second with the dagger held out before her, it waxed, waned, and shimmered elongating into a thin sword, the soul grove fully powered and traced in black.

Her heart pounded, the hilt changed shape and she almost dropped it but caught it in time.

She spun as she fell, and kept her body stiff. "Leave them alone!"

The impact from the thrust through its head exploded the Calcine its body turned to a fine mist that blew away. Bastanard.

She spit on a smudge it left behind.

Bit by bit her arm thinned, as it turned gaunt and papery as did the rest of her body, the dagger pulsed a glossy red flash before it dulled to silver.

Her clothing sagged and nearly fell off. With shaking hands, she put it away and pulled the ties on the clothing taunt. This spell almost only came when its user was near death, some said to finish them off. She eyed the dagger. Can't just leave it there.

The dagger decided when the imbued spell would activate, it helped when it wanted. The cost was high, too many had starved to death or bled to death using it.

Beekaa muttered something as he repeated to grab fistfuls of his robe.

She plopped down beside them both, fumbled with a pouch, and yanked out the last bottle of saint beer.

She leaned over pulled the cork and jammed the bottle into Beekaa's open mouth until half of it emptied.

The spell started to fade so she pushed harder over to Parcival and poured the rest of the bottle's contents into his mouth.

She dropped the bottle her hands shaking widely, and it shattered on the ground.

Beeka's eyes and face healed anew.

Parcival healed so quickly that the wood fell out as the wound filled in and then closed staunching the flow of blood.

"Not dying on me."

The dagger glinted where it landed, the blade shrunk and the groove disappeared once again. The Doom Dagger. Sick of passing out, and need to face things pain and all.

She shoved and pulled sitting cross-legged with her arms loose at her sides and head hanging down. But awake. Got to stay awake. If the grimoire was true then this was just beginning.

On speaking her throat hurt and burned. She croaked, coughed, and tried again.

"More are coming," her voice cracked.

Beekaa patted and ran his hands over his face, then stared, looking her up and down.

"What happened to you?'

"Some spells have a cost.. you know this better than any," her voice thin and raspy. she uncrossed her legs and sat sideways her joints creaked and complained. The ground was too hard now.

He huffed. "Good thing you had that potion. Thanks." He bowed and cracked a thin smile.

She nodded. "My last one. Watch yourself better these—things, have unhuman speed and power. Do-Gac-k-k" Water! Her dry throat pained and make it impossible to seek. She patted her mouth and neck.

Parcival had sat blinking all this time. He ripped off his shredded mess of a shirt, came over bent down, and scooped her in his arms.

She gasped and tried to jump down. She shook her head, and prickly heat creped up from her neck to her ear tips. It'd be fine it's not like he would know to tie our wrists together like this. Ha. It's fine. It's fine. She made her face become as plain as possible.

He put a finger on her lips. "Shhh." Let me help you this time. "No more complaints."

She covered her face with her hands. The dagger should have killed me.

####

Sometime later, they brought her back to Beeka's temple.

Before Parcival could bring her through the gates, Beekaa motioned them to stop. "She can't enter."

Parcival set her down near the entrance. He put a hand on his neck and arched his face flush. "Right, I forgot." He moved over, bent down, and helped pull her to her feet. He locked eyes with her. "You need to, umm...be cleaner."

She wheezed. "Tr-ul-y Now? they wou..." she lost her voice again.

Beeka patted the great tree that loomed over the entrance. "This is actually one of many gods that resides at this temple. This one insists on purity or at least well-washed. If you don't you'll be struck down."

"Sounds cr-an-ky," her voice cracked again. This is ridiculous, she wasn't this particular. Her legs and arms shook. Need to rest and eat. "Fine." Maybe they won't come for a while. Maybe.

What? There wasn't time for a bath! She shook her head. "What's wrong with you?" it came out as a scratchy croak. Her ears twitched violently.

She sniffed. Parcival didn't smell like pine and earth at all. More like decay and dried blood, moldy earth and musty things in a crypt. A loose rock shifted under her feet, and she slipped, she caught her balance and backed away.

Parcival smiled sweetly, then it became wider and his mouth filled with a dark moving shadow, two shadowy hands struck out gripped the sides of his mouth, and pushed. Next, a head came. Another Calcine. It wriggled, squirmed, and then it dropped onto the street.

Parcival crumpled into a heap.

Beeka shuffled his movements jerky, his arms flopped about as he loomed over Parcival's body. He flung the staff at her, it hit her scratched shoulder, fell, and clanked onto the pieces of cobblestone.

Another Dark One squirmed free out of his mouth, it also ripped open Beekaa's throat in the process, a fine mist of blood sprayed out, it dripped off her eyelashes and stuck to her a slick coat that weighed down her clothing. Everything had a sharp sickly tang of irony blood to it.

She shook her head repeatedly, and her foot slid on the slippery ground.

"No." She held her hands out in front of her. "No. No. No!" She screamed, over and over again. Her throat raw and of fire.

Someone shook her.

"Merryn!"

She spun around.

"Who? Wha?" An invisible force shook her by her shoulders again.

"Merryn!" The voice echoed and trailed off.

This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.

A fated presence appeared, its hands gripped her shoulders.

"She won't—I need—!" The voice was faint like it was far away.

The presence slapped her, and her cheek stung. Then it shook her again.

"Stop it!" She danced away, but slipped on the blood and fell to her side. To the left. To the right. More of the nightmarish bodys surrounded her, laughing.

One picked up Parcival's body holding him under his arms and danced about, his head bobbled and squelched while blood dribbled from his mouth.

With glazed-over eyes, Parcival's corpse looked her way. "Why didn't you stop them? You're useless."

"I couldn't. I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry." She pounded the ground with a fist over and over again.

Beeka crawled over his head and flipped back showing flesh, tendons, and a partially exposed spine bone it glistened in the sparse light.

"You failed woman. You're weak. Give up."

"I fix it! I'll make it better..." her voice trailed off. Her eyes burned starting to blur. Don't lose control, fight it.

She hiccupped and gasped, her chest tight, and she curled up into a ball.

They laughed again, a burst of laughter so loud the ground shook.

She covered her ears with her hands. All gone. My fault. Again. He breaths were short and burned she hyperventilated unable to pull in any air.

"Merryn! Wake up!" Parcival shouted in her ear so loud it rang. "Eeee!"

The presence shook her again. She opened he eyes, and the presence started to fill out, first with colors then with more shape and definition. It was warm. He was warm.

She jerked away, her hand dug into a patch of earth. A dry patch of earth, not sticky. The cool dirt fell out of her hand. "This isn't right..."

Parcival usually stoic expression completely crumpled, a line of tears rimmed his eyes and he pulled her over into a hug. "Merryn," his voice thick and gentle.

His chest was warm and safe and he smelled of pine—so very much like home.

"Paricival. My Parcival. My friend." She held him tight. "You're here?"

"Yes. Always."

Merryn wiped the tears off her cheeks and eased out of Parcival's embrace, he smiled and then patted her hand before going over to talk to Beekaa in a hushed tone.

No more. No more trying to get him to go, even from the start he'd always been at her side. There wasn't any time for gushing emotions and such though. The curse from the dagger stopped just before the point of death. She closed her eyes and searched within, it was faint a steady stream of receive spells being cast by unnamed.

Why do such a thing, aren't you like evil incarnate?

You remember nothing. My goals can't be reached as easily if you die on me. Besides, I have a score to settle with the Calcines. You best tell your laughable friends what's going on and soon.

You'll never reach your goals, I'll make sure of that! Don't insult them. And, what I tell people is of no concern of yours!

Little one, denial is a nice place to visit but you shouldn't live there. It is as if they lose trust in you. That will cause them to leave. Not that you want them to stay, of course not. Get a move on, and heal that body. The Calcines could siege the city at any time. Stay alive, fool.

This time Merryn was speechless; on standing, she clumsily stumbled about and ended up tripping over both feet, over a covered basket by the temple steps. she hooped a little and managed to avoid stepping in it, then pushed it closer to the step.

She bopped her head with a fist. Work brain!

A patch of cold earth cooled her bare feet and dusted the bottoms. It's hard to afford clothing without a job, of course, the Elders probably didn't think this would take so long.

Civilians and even a few of the roaming merchants were carrying people into the temple, and many helped the elderly go up the slight hill at the entrance. One of the young monks stood by the fountain and ladled the water onto people's hands including the injured, speeding their entrance.

She frowned. If things become like they've before there won't be any time for that... she walked around aimlessly. Several people were startled as she neared, then flopped down right after. They were all on edge.

W-aa-ooo-hhh!

A loud alarm wailed off, and a few seconds later countless doors pushed open, followed by a stampede of people some dragging half-dressed children by the arm, and even an old man carried on a large mans back as they took the corner by the temple and went towards the city entrance.

Beekaa caught her by her arm, and as he let go his usually calm expression creased and strained. "Watch it don't step on the people... these fiends are invading right now." She nodded, slow and sluggish...

If it was a sanctuary before then now even more so, every free spot inside is filled with lost and injured people. Even the jerk knight and his partner from the main entrance—what were they were called? Ugg. Need a memorization stone for this.

That nightmare sent by the Calcines still poked at the edges of her thoughts, nothing felt quite real. She settled on his face and focused harder on his words.

"There isn't any time to do this gently, you need to be in the fighting form now. While it is odd that a woman isn't a mage or even more strange that you are an Elvin woman who isn't an archer, I won't question things too much. For now. Maybe the gods are working on something or other." He pinched the bridge of his nose. "Feed you? Check for a demon? I've pulled too many ways."

As she reached toward him he cracked an eye open and flinched.

She pulled back stiffened, lips pulled back to a grimace after a beat let the arm drop to her side. That's right the people here didn't seem to be very touchy. Except for Parcival. "You mustn't worry about such things. Both of you."

It's your fault this time.

Your cranky old woman side is showing.

Can take this pendant and shove it up your...

Twang?

She glared and imagined slapping him a thousand times.

You best take a look around.

Several voices overlapped as they hovered around the fountain, did the ritual, and came into the temple grounds. Opial lead them inside, several other women in robes like hers but of different colors and patterns.

Opial went over to Beekaa and bowed low. "Afternoon, Beeka-san. the Magistrate who sent us here to turn this temple into a temporary barracks. What say you?"

Beekaa stepped over, his forehead even more wrinkled than before. "I'm assuming he has a strategy to deal with this, issue?"

Opial placed a hand on her hip. "Of course." She half-turned to the other women. "Mage S4-678 make a barrier to the north, S3-669 to the south, S1-602 and S0-001 to the west and east. Go!"

Opial seemed just like a lieutenant, the mages immediately followed orders as if they'd been together for years. From the looks of things they probably have. This is a boon, perhaps the Calcines won't end up killing everyone. Was she a military-type force or a militia? No badges, nor earrings, or uniform except the robes. Have to be missing something.

Over in the gloom to the left the shadows under the trees, by the houses, and rocky gardens crept up the trunks, their long claws curled around the branches, the shadowy Calcines hunched over, they followed her every move, watching from beyond the barrier.

Several more injured were moved into the temple and left by the entrance. Parcival went back and forth helping people move deeper into the temple complex and find a place for them to sit or lay down. His hair laid on the back of his neck in soft waves, the humidity giving it a run-your-fingers-through puffy volume—she rubbed an ear. Stop thinking in that way, it's only going to lead to more pain. There isn't any time for that. None. The Calcines could break in at any moment...