Never Lost, Never Found
Ch 1.
Ghent walked down the hall, people running past him. It was the 5th Era Year 336, and the palace was on fire. Ghent had made sure that the king was safely taken out, though his son was one of the victims it seems. He walked down the main hall, the emptiness was a new sight indeed. Everyone who could had gotten out, but this was no ordinary fire. It reeked of magic. His eyes searched every part of the hall, his vision enhanced by his magic. It was hopless though, the fire had burned up much of the evidence. However there was someone still here, and still alive. He walked around the area until he felt the source of magic was buried under fallen timber that was still on fire. He swept his hand over the wood and the fire was extinguished. He started sifting through the rubble until he saw a leg. He grabbed the persons leg and pulled hard. He lifted the person up and spun them around to look at him. It was a girl and she was unconscious. He put her down and took off his coat. He placed it under her head, and examined her. She wasnt badly hurt, just got hit on the head. She was definitly not from around here. She was human with brown hair, but she wore the outfit that was unknown in these parts.
He walked over to the rubble and searched for other items, but found nothing. Whoever this girl was she was obviously talented in magic. He walked over to the throne and examined the damage. It was in perfect condition, the mithiril was as pure as when it was first crafted. He could however feel traces of magic on it, the same as the girl. It had seemed she wanted to pretend she was royalty. Ghent smirked, then he was going to make sure she got the royal treatment. He walked back to where she was and felt her forehead. She was burning with a fever. He picked her up and exited the palace. He went to the king first, to tell him of what he had found. "Good, we will need someone to Interrogate" King Belont said with malice. "Your majesty, She is sick right now. Here fever needs tending too, where may I put here?" The King said something to one of his advisors and started to walk away. He turned around "Why dont you take her to your home? It secure enough" The King said with some conviction. Ghent was going to protest, but the king angry, so instead he bowed and walked away.
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His house was indeed very secure, barriers of magic that guard the doors, and bars over the window to keep things out... and in. He set the girl down onto his bed and put a wet rag on her head. He was not very comfortable around nude people, especially when you had to undress them, so he spent sometime concentrating on a spell that would teleprt her clothes and not her. When he was done he took her clothing to the washroom and put them in water to soak. He removed his own shirt and put it in as well. He went and sat down on the chair facing the bed and put his hands on his face. He was a powerful mage, and skilled swordsmen... not a nurse. He kicked off his boots and grabbed a piece of bread from the counter next to him. He ate some of it and decided he was too tired to eat. He sat back and watched the girl. Before he knew it he was asleep.
Ch.2
Ghent smelled the cooking meat, before he was even awake. He opened his eyes and looked at the bed. It was empty. Ghent jumped up from his chair and ran to the bed. He picked up the rag off the bed and felt it. It was warm, so some time had passed. "I assumed since you were asleep that it would be alright if I made myself some breakfast" Ghent stopped and turned around sowly seeing the girl. She was standing up and cooking what seemed to be the last of his pork. He froze not knowing what to do. She turned back to the food and moved some things. She was even wearing some of his clothing, she must have been very silent not to wake him. "Well are you going to get some food are just stand there?" She said, not turning away from what she was doing. He hesitated, then walked over to her. "Uh... wha...who" He started, feeling puzzled. She took some pork and bread over to the table and sat down. "My name is Mera" She said plainly and started eating. He walked over and sat down, his plate already there. He started eating, his mind definitly not on his food.
Before he could say anything there was a knock on the door. He walked over and opened, but he realized to late he wasnt wearing a shirt. There was a soldier outside, his emblem that of one of the king's guards. "Sir Ghent, The king wishes to know how the... the..." He trailed off as he looked past ghent at the girl at the table. She waved and continued eating. Ghent knew how it looked, he wasn't wearing a shirt and she was wearing his clothing... this was going to be hard to explain. "Tell the King I will begin questioning soon" Ghent said starting to close the door. The soldier snapped back to reality and saluted. Ghent closed the door and sighed. "Are you in trouble?" She asked. Ghent walked back to the table and sat down "No, but you had better start telling me who you are and what you were doing at the castle last night" Ghent demanded looking around for another shirt.
She stopped eating and leaned back. "Well let's see" She started her eyes looking up "I was supposed to make a distraction in the hall for our leader, but..." "Wait" Ghent interrupted "Who is your leader?" She leaned foward "Wouldnt you like to know" She smiled and started eating again. Ghent stood up and walked towards the bed "Then we'll do this the hard way" He reached beside the bed and pulled up the knapsack she had tucked under her shirt. She got up and rushed at Ghent grabbing for the bag. "Give it to me, thats my bag!" She yelled at him. Ghent kept it away from her "Look either you tell me the whole story, or Ill just try to find out by tearing away at your bag." He said with a smirk. She sighed and sat down. "Im not telling you" She said firmly, picking at her food. Ghent walked over and sat down as well and shuffled through the bag. He pulled out a couple papers, some photos and then he felt something metallic. He pulled it out and examined it. It was a mask with intricate drawings and symbols. "Whats this?" He asked holding up the mask.
She glanced over and looked back down at her plate "Its an old family heirloom, it was the mask of my ancestor, Martick the Malice" She rolled her eyes. Ghent looked back at the mask, feeling no power coming from it. "Your a descendent of Martick? No wonder you were trying to kill the king" Ghent snickered as he examined it some more. When he looked up again she was right in front of him. "I wasnt trying to kill the king! I was just supposed to make a distraction!" She shouted at him. Ghent was unphased and put the papers and photos back into the bag. "Here you can have your bag back" He said shoving the bag into her. He got up and started shuffling through his clothing cuboard. He finally found one of his shirts and started buttoning his shirt up. "Do you know the penalty for attempting to kill the king?" Ghent asked not turning around. He didnt hear anything so he turned around, just as the girl pulled a knife on him.
Ghent stared at the girl, his eyes searching her eyes. "And what do you plan to do with that?" Ghent asked gesturing to the dagger. "Nothing if you listen, I didn't make an attempt at the king's life" She said moving her blade closer to Ghent's throat. Ghent reached down and gripped the knife. "Then maybe you should explain it to me" He pulled the knife away from her and threw it onto the counter. She froze, staring at him. Then she sighed and sat down in her chair. "I am not an asassin, just an incredibly good theif. I was hired by another theif, we were going to steal one of the most valuable objects in the kingdoms. We were going to steal the king's throne" Before she could continue Ghent laughed uncontrollable. "The Throne? Do you know what its made of?" He stopped laughing and sat down in his own chair. The girl glared at him "We were going to teleport it out of there, but we needed to be really close in order to teleport it. What he wanted me to do was make a distraction" She groaned and put her hands on her head. "Im not much but a flame mage, so I tried to make everyone panic using fire... but the wood burned to fast and the last thing I saw was a large piece of timber falling over me" She Grimaced.
Ghent though about it. It sounded like the truth, but there was still some questions. "That still doesnt answer who put you up to this" Ghent said sipping his drink. She leaned back "Oh Thats easy, his name was Demaltor." Ghent stopped drinking and dropped his cup "Demaltor, your sure?" She look confused "Yes Im very sure, he even had it engraved in a stone around his neck" Ghent walked over to the window and watched the sky. "Did the stone have a symbol like this?" He tossed a stone to her. "Yes it looks just like this, why?" Ghent walked back to the table and looked her straught in the eyes "Because Demaltor is the Third son of the King"
Ch. 3
Ghent was crouched against the wall, peaking around the corner to see if anyone was coming or going. "Why are we..." Ghent put his hand over her mouth and put one finger over his mouth. He ran across the main hall, motioning her to folow when the guards were past. She ran and tried to roll into cover, but fell over instead. Ghent face palmed and looked around. The guards didnt see, so he ran out and grabbed her, pulling her to cover. When he was sure the guards were not around he whispered in her ear "No show me where you got in from" She looked at him puzzled like. "How did you know..." She trailed off. Ghent looked around again "Well you couldnt get in the front entrance looking like you do, not even if you were escorted by the prince" Ghent explained. She rolled her eyes and looked around the corner. She gestured towards one of the coverts in the hall. "I came in from behind one of the paintings" Ghent check around the corner and saw what she was pointing at. It was a painting of one of the king's sons, the one that had died in fact. Thats a terrible coincidence Ghent groaned.
When all of the guards were past he ran to the painting and started examining it. "Why are we sneaking? I thought you were a servent of the king." She said gesturing at the hall. "Well" Ghent turned around to face her "The fact is, the king wouldnt like it if he found out you were in here... again. Especially since he thinks your responsible for his sons death, and it certainly looks that way" Ghent added at the end. She sighed and went to the painting, feeling around the frame. Soon she found a divet and pushed it in, and the painting open sideways. Ghent looked inside, seeing a passageway that went on for a long while. "I came in from the other side of this tunnel." She pointed through the hole. He looked inside, following her finger into the darkness. The hole was not very large, one reason someone small like this girl could fit through. He may be able to squeeze through if he he didnt carry anything... " Tell you what, you can go through first, and I'll follow after you" Ghent said, stepping back. She glanced at him, looking at him like he was crazy. "Aren't we going to prepare for this? Who knows what this prince guy is capable of."
"Well We do know that he is capable of killing" Ghent said trying illuminate the tunnel with a torch. "Wait what?" She said turning him towards her. Ghent rolled his eyes "I know it wasnt you, and do you think the 1st prince of the King would die by accident in a fire? He is... was very skilled magic. I beleive that his own borther killed him" He said turning back towards the hole. "Why would he kill his own brother?" She asked. "Well Demaltor is the Third son of the king, and third heir to the throne. Of course he is now the 1st, since the King's second son died of a disease a year ago." Ghent said not turning away from the hole. She stood back for a minute "Doesnt that mean we should definitly prepare?" She said questioningly with an eyebrow raised. Ghent turned towards her and pulled out a dagger. She backed away a little bit and Ghent smirked. "Im not going to hurt" He flipped the dagger and handed it to her. "If it makes you feel better, take this" She twirled the dagger in her hands. She put it in her belt and walked towards the hole.
"Hold it" Ghent said reaching for his pouch. "Your going to have to carry my things" He said taking off his shirt. She spun around glaring. "Im not your servent, carry your own things!" She said fiercly. He walked over and put his hand over her mouth. "Dont talk so loud" He said harshly. He let her go and continued taking off extra things. "I know your not my servent, but I won't fit through that hole unless I carry alot less stuff. Your alot skinnier, so you can take the essential stuff" He said handing her his bags. "You can go first" He said, his arms crossed. She glared at him "You just want to look at my butt, you pervert!" She scorned. Ghent laughed, and then remembered where he was. "Ive been around for a while lady, your nothing special" He smirked. Surprisingly she just stared at him, and then proceeded to climb into the hole.
Ch. 4
They crawled for a while, the darkness was everywhere. The painting had to be closed so no one discovered it. " Crawl faster" He said as he ran into her. "Dont crawl so fast then!" She yelled back. He chuckled as they continued to crawl, for what seemed like hours they crawled. Suddenly she stopped and he crawled into her again. "What is it now?" He asked anoyingly. "Were here" She said, plainly. She climbed out and fell a little ways. He looked down to see a well lit underground. She was sitting on what appeared to be sacks of something. "Come on down, the landing is soft" She teased. He smiled and jumped down, his butt landing hard on the sacks. "Ow!" He said as he got up. "Oh dont be a wussy!" She teased again. Ghent got up and examined the area they were in. He walked foward to the door way and read the strange symbols. "do you know where we are" She said walking up next to him. He felt the door way and examined the runes. "I think were are in the royal crypt!" Ghent said with amazement.
Mera looked around at the little coverts in the wall. "So those are all coffins?" She said looking at them. Ghent turned to what she was looking at "Yes, likely the cousins or distant relatives of the king" He said examining them. "Do they have anything of value in them?" She asked, her eyes shining. Ghent sighed "No, only the actual royalty would have things of value... and we arent here to rob them" He said with a powerful tone. They walked past the door way and farther into the crypt. After a while they reached some quarters, they were dark unlike the halls which glowed with eternal flame. He walked insied and used a light spell to light up the room. It had a few beds and a couple chairs. It had one table and what looked to be cups and plates. "Well were in luck, looks like the crypt keepers quarters." He announced to her as he walked briskly to one of the beds. She looked around at the room and nodded her approval. "Ive been to worse places..." She said as she sat down on the other bed.
In a little bit they had gotten out the food and drinks. "It stung so bad, I thought I was gonna die!" Mera was laughing Heartly while Ghent talked. "then my Seargent who had gotten his arm cut off, walked over to me and said "Walk it off you sissy!" This time both Ghent and her laughed. He drank the last of his mead and stood up. "Hey which bed do you want?" He gestured at them both. "Hmm, which one do you want?" She said surprisingly thoughtful. He went over and laid down in the right bed and grabbed took off his coat. "We can pack everything up after we wake, for now just get some sleep." He closed his eyes and slowly drifted off into sleep...
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He woke to the soft touch of a hand on his face. It was dark in the room and the door was shut. "Hey, you cold?" Ghent sat up and looked around as his eyes adjusted the the darkness. "Mera? What are you doing here?" He said pulling his blanket up. She lit a lantern and set it on the table. "Im cold" She teased. Ghent took off the blanket. "Here you can have mine" Ghent said trying to hand her his. She laughed and shook her head. "Your really dense you know that?" She laughed some more. He was about to ask here what she was talking about, but she suddenly jumped onto his bed. "Wha..." He tryed to say, but she suddenly kissed him. He grabbed her shoulders and held her at range. "What are you doing?" He said histerically. She grabbed his shirt and forced herself closer. "Im thanking you for not turning me in!" She said and she started kissing him again. He just let it happen the second time and didnt struggle. Then he looked into her eyes and he saw something. "Whats wrong he said pushing her back." She had tears in her eyes now and he saw it now. "Im sorry" She said and she uncupped her hands and blew.
Everything went black, he couldnt see anything and there was intense pain in his eyes. He screamed and tried to get it out of his eyes, but he realized to late. She had blown Glass dust into his eyes. He heard her run into the corridor and down the hall. He grabbed something with liquid and poured it into his eyes. It was alchoholic, because it burned. He lay there for a while, trying to grasp what had happened. He then tried to get up, but his eyes were useless and he had to feel to sense. He found his way to the table and grabbed the knife from the bag laying on it. He felt around bu her bag was missing. Of course he thought. He felt helpless, but also felt determined. He tried to extend his magic senses so he could see where he was going, but only had mild success. He could sense objects like he heard them move, and it would have to do. He ran down the corridor the way he heard her go and then tried to sense her. He couldnt find her but he sensed a trail of magic in the way he was going, so he followed that.
He ran and ran until he felt air rushing through the passage. He suddenly heard voices, and he crouched next to a wall. "... and the servent is now dead" He heard a voice that sounded like Mera's. "I did what you asked, now where is the item you promised?" She said with a stern tone. "I must admit I lied" Another voice said, sounding official. "I can't provide you with the object you seek, but I will give you something else of value" Said the other voice. "Oh and whats that?" Mera said with anger. "Your life! Now scurry long" The other voice said and he heard walking. "Hey were not done, you said- aughh!" Suddeny Mera was screaming. "I said alot of things... and not many of them were true." The other voice said with cruelty. "Now I have taken the last thing that is precious to you, thank you for your help" Ghent heard walking. Ghent ran around the corner and was trying to follow the other voice when he slipped. He fell onto somethign warm and soft. Then he realized it was Mera, and he had slipped on her blood.
"Ghent?" He heard a small, feeble voice. Ghent got up and sensed her. "Im here" He said with anger, not so much at her, but at how foolish she had been. "Im sorry Ghent, I didnt-" He heard her cough and something come out. "I didn't want this to happen..." She said her voice fading. He realized he was crying suddenly. Glass had gotten into everywhere in his eyes however so instead of crying tears,he was crying blood. She heard her cough some more and then she said one last thing "Dont carry Sorrow for me, its not like you knew..." Her magic aura faded away and he heard her last breath leave her body. He couldnt help it and before he knew it he was crying on her body. The Tears of blood just kep flowing. "Well isnt that cute, the servent and the theif!" He heard the voice from before say with satisfaction. Ghent didnt stand but instead grabbed Mera's bag and felt for something. He grabbed the mask from inside and put it on. It was a perfect fit. "I know who you are, and why your doing this, now its time for the last part to your tale." Ghent said. "Oh and whats that?" Prince Demaltor, third son of the king sniggered. Ghent looked up at Demaltor, his blind eyes staring into his. "The end"
Final Chapter
Ghent's rage was masked just as his own face was. "And I suppose your are going to be the one to end me?" The prince's voice turning to anger. "I am King Demaltor, The King of Marencia!" He yelled, the echoes bouncing off the cavern walls. Ghent felt his power building. "Your not the king yet, and you never will be!" Ghent said with cruelty. The Prince shouted in rage and threw a fire spear at Ghent. Ghent blocked the spear with his hand, it dissapated rapidly. "Your going to be buried here, like all of your ancestors before!" Ghent yelled and channeled energy through himself. He was surrounded by power, it flowed from him. He began to glow with a blue energy. It surrounded his skin. He suddenly teleported to right in front of the prince, his mask also glowing with power. "Now its time to get into your coffin" He grabbed the prince with one hand and threw him into an empty coffin made of marble. He grabbed the lid and put it ontop of the coffin. "This cant stop me" The Prince said with some fear in his voice. Ghent closed the coffin and sealed it shut. He took both of his hand and put them on the coffin. The coffin began to heat up and glow with heat.
He could hear the prince screaming as his skin began to melt and burn. "Now rests Demaltor, 3rd Prince of Marencia" Ghent said with cold fury. The coffin was now silent, no screaming was heard. Ghent walked back to Mera, his power fading. He picked her up and put her in the only other empty coffin. He put here things with here and put the lid on the coffin. Before sealing it up, he put a fire of eternal flame into it. "Here rests Mera, Theif of my heart" Ghent waited for a while and then walked back down the corridor, into the darkness.
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"Ghent! Ghent! Have you seen Demaltor?" The king asked Ghent a week after the incident. Ghent sat in his house, the mask still on. "My lord, I havent seen him in years" Ghent said leaning back in his chair. The king started to say something else, but stopped himself for some reason. "My lord" Ghent said before the king left. He reached down and threw a pendant to the king. The king caught it and looked at it for a second and then walked away. Ghent reaching into his own pocket and felt his own pendant. It was inscribed: Tareth, last son of the King. Ghent leaned back and drank more wine. Suddenly there was a knock at the door. "Its open" Ghent said, not caring enough to pay attention. Someone rushed in and stopped. "Sir your needed!" Ghent reached for his wine. "With what?" Ghent said pouring himself some more wine. "Sir have you heard of the Vampire, Mera the mad?" Ghent suddenly stopped pouring and faced the soldier. "Why?" He muttured with surprise. The soldier stumbled a little "Because she's in the Castle Demanding you!"
The End
