After walking for a few days, Nemamiah stopped in his tracks. “Oy, I think we’re being followed.” “What makes you say that?” “Just a feeling. Trust me” And before Azbogah could blink, Nemamiah whipped around and shot an arrow into a far off bush, about two hundred feet back, and it appeared that bush had screamed. “Told you.” And with a smirk, Nemamiah ran to the bush and checked to see what he had hit. “It’s a bandit!” As Azbogah ran to the wounded man, he saw that the arrow was lodged in his side and was fatal. “Why were you following use, bandit?” “Its nothin’ personal. I’m just hungry and needed something to sell.” “You aren’t gonna be eating anything anytime soon with that wound. You’ll be dead before you get to the next town” said the marksman, proud of his skilled shot. “We must help him. Quickly! He may know some valuable information we could use against The Rogue.” The bandit jumped at the name. “The Rogue?! Are you daft?!” “That’s what I said!” After shooting a dirty look at Nemamiah, Azbogah helped the bandit up and started to carry him to the road. “Oh Great Lord, help this poor soul and show him the mercy of the heavens. I shall personally look after him if he is healed.” After those final words, a pearly white light surrounded the bandit and the arrow became dislodged from his side.
Azbogah helped the healed man up. “What is you name, young man?” “Who wants to know?” “He does, bandit!” said Nemamiah, aiming his bow at the scared criminal. “Fine! I’ll tell you my name, just don’t kill me!” “Alright, out with it then.” “My name is Unsicher Übel. I live in a camp not far from here. If you want, you can follow me and rest there.” Nemamiah lowered his bow and squinted at him. “How do we know you won’t just try to kill us?” “How do I know you won’t kill me? I’m just a bandit and you’ll be walking behind me. With my offer, I’m trusting you far more then your trusting me.”
So, the three set off into the woods, completely unaware that The Rogue was watching their every move. “So, the finest angel warriors of The Heavens and an ex-angel who is good with a bow have joined forces. And they have met another possible ally. Azbogah already has one ally to many, for my liking. Sousson-Pannan! Come hither!” An old man, covered in a black robe that seemed to shine in the light appeared out of a small glass sphere set on a windowsill. “What do you be needin’, master?” “I need you to take care of a little problem for me” And with a grin, he look down again unto Azbogah and company. “Consider it done, master.”
“Are we almost there, Übel?” complained Nemamiah, who kept alert at all times, still not trusting the bandit. “About another mile. Can’t be to careful, with distance from towns and all, right?” He shot a grin at Nemamiah, who decided he was right and trudged on. “So, what origin is Übel? It doesn’t sound like anything I’ve heard before.” “Well, it all goes back to my-” “Yes?” And as Azbogah noticed that Übel had stopped talking, he also saw that a dark aura had surrounded the bandit and a chill was in the air. “Unsicher? Are you ok? Does your wound hurt again?” What the angelic warrior didn’t know was that Unsicher Übel was no longer himself, but possessed by The Rogue’s voodoo shaman, Sousson-Pannan.
“Fools. The Rogue was watchin’ you the whole time. And you kept talkin’ about your plans to rid Dion of his grip. Such fools.” With that, Nemamiah let loose an arrow right at the possessed bandit, only to have it stop right in front of his face. “Oy! How you doing that?!” “I’ll make a deal with you, fools. If you can kill me, I’ll tell you anything you need to know about The Rogue.” At that, The Rogue listening, he watched more closely to make sure his shaman didn’t die, for if he did, nothing good would come of it. “If that is your choice, then so be it!” Azbogah got on his knees and began to pray. “Oh Great Lord, grant me my power. Give me my sword and shield. Give me my holiness. Give me strength!” A single blinding beam came down from The Heavens and materialized a sword made of the finest metal and a shield as strong as a dragon’s scales. The beam slowly moved closer to the angelic warrior and as it did, he gained power. When the beam vanished, Azbogah was in golden armor and had grown his wings through prayer. “Nemamiah, ready your bow!” The marksman did so and as he did, he noticed it was glowing with a white light. “Fire!” Nemamiah let loose the arrow and it whipped past trees and branches to hit the bandit, but it did not. It sailed past the bandit and struck the heart of Sousson-Pannan.
As Übel fell on his back, Azbogah walked over to Sousson-Pannan. “I do not need your knowledge, for it is tainted. Begone and burn in hell, demon!” He then thrust his sword down into the chest of the shaman and his body shriveled into nothing, only leaving an amulet with a strange symbol on it, one of which The Heavens knew not of and angels knew everything that was created. “Are you ok, Unsicher?” “Aye, I think so, but what happened?” “Something that you are not meant to remember.” And with that bit of confusion, Übel left it at that and continued to guide them to his camp.
I am enjoying your story! Good work!
ReplyDelete