“Pardon my ignorance but I ‘m obviously missing something,” Mordechi said. “There seems more to this than mere recognition and acknowledgment.”
“And you’d be right,” Don said, “There is a bit of history between them.” At that moment, the waitress came by. She sat a pint of ale in front of Obidaan. Looking at the table, she asked, “May I take your order?”
“Chicken and wine” said Terry
“Beef and beer,” said Don
“Stew and beer,” said Alister
“Hmm, it all looks good, but I think I’ll take pork and wine,” said Mordechi.
“Ma’am, sir, what would you like.” she broke Obidaan and Relina out of their trances.
“Um ...,” Relina was a bit flustered, but recovered, “Chicken and wine, please”
“And you sir?”
“Beef stew. And please send a glass of ale to Lucinda, put it on my tab.”
“Thank you,” and she was off. Seconds later there was another glass of ale sitting in front of Lucinda. Obidaan picked up his ale; she picked up hers and they toasted, took a healthy drink, nodded, and went about their business.
“What was that about?” Relina asked.
“Courtesy,” Obidaan replied, “as a sign of good faith toward another paladin, it’s common to buy each other a round, then toast. It is a way of recognizing each other and respecting the station,” Obidaan went silent after that. Relina continued to hold his hand.
“There’s more to this, isn’t there,” Mordechi looked over at Obidaan. “I do remember you mentioning someone in your past, is that her?”
Obidaan nodded.
“Let’s just say they have a bit of history,” Alister replied.
“Let’s say Obidaan feels responsible for her,” Terry butted in. Mordechi got a puzzled look on his face. “Obidaan still, wrongly, believes he is responsible for her becoming a paladin.”
“I am responsible, if only indirectly.”
“I doubt it,” Terry shot back. “You can’t make those types of choices,” Terry was playing her big sister roll. “She chose it; you can’t blame yourself for that.”
“I don’t. What I blame myself for is her being given the option. Go ahead, Alister, you love to tell a good story, they don’t get much more interesting.”
“Well, I am the foremost expert on paladins, hanging around one and all, ...”
“You’re the foremost expert on everything, according to you.” Don quipped.
“Yes, well, I do know how most paladins came to be chosen, even Lucinda; if you’ll excuse me for a second.”
He got up and made his way across the room. Without permission, he took a seat at Lucinda’s table.
“That’s a pretty ballsy move, bard. Especially considering the table you just came from. Were I in the mood, I’d bash your pretty little face in,” Lucinda greeted him.
“It’s nice to meet you too. I am Alister, and yes, I am a bard and a wizard, and the foremost expert on paladins.”
“Really? That nice,” there was a bit of cynicism in her voice. “Looking for some stories? I don’t have any today. I’m just here to do some boring business, diplomatic crap. Nothing special. Hell, you hang out with one, barely. Besides, I thought bards got their stories from each other, after making them up.”
“That is so not true,” Alister, feeling slighted by her barb, missing the ‘barely’ crack about Obidaan, “we do not make up stories; we embellish them. As you said yourself, the truth is boring, and doesn’t get tips. A well—embellished story keeps people interested, gives tips, and improves my reputation. That and I know one little fact about paladins, you can’t start a fight without good reason, even those working on the side of evil. If you could, it would promote common thuggery. You have to remain above such things.”
“You’re quite the smart ass, and you’re correct. However, since I don’t have the same threshold as your brother—in—law, yes I know who you are and your relation to Obidaan, I can set it. So, unless you have something interesting to say, I will break you in half.”
“The reports are true; you get better looking when you’re angry. Anyway, my whole reason for being here is to ask a favor. As you’ve noticed, people have been whispering and staring at you, at least as long as I’ve been here. Probably since you walked in.”
“I’m used to it.”
“I’m sure you are. Still, since you have honored my town with your presence, I’d like to tell your story onstage. So the people can get to know you better.”
“What if I don’t want them to?”
“Then I won’t tell it, while you’re here. Wouldn’t it be nice to hear it, make sure I embellish it correctly? Besides, they’re already making up rumors, let me nip it.”
“Hmm. A day without a bard telling a story is like a day without the sun rising; can’t happen. I have to admit, I’m starting to like you.” Under the table, she rubbed her foot along his calf. Alister’s eyes grew wide. “Tell you what, I’ll let you do it, but it better be good, otherwise you will see how low my threshold can go.”
“Thank you very much.” He stood up and offered her his hand. She reached out and as they shook, as he bent down, he kissed her on the cheek. Before she could react, he was on stage.
“Bards, I should know better.” She whispered under her breath as she wiped her cheek.
“May I have your attention please?” Alister did not have to yell, the stage had a spell allowing those on stage to be heard by everyone in the room. One of the finer touched in an upscale pub. Alister reached for a chair and a table. Sitting, he had his food brought up on stage. “Many of you know me, I am Alister and I’m a bard. This afternoon, I have a story to tell you. The story of Lucinda, often called the Paladin of Death. I think you will find it quite fascinating, especially since it involves Obidaan, paladin of the Seers. However, I must be fair. If you are not interested in hearing this fascinating story, full of intrigue, deceit, bloodshed, love and courage, let me know, and I shall walk off this stage. Due to its nature, it must be unanimous. If anyone objects, I will leave the stage.” Not a peep was heard.
About a minute passed, while slowly Alister ate his stew and took a few sips of beer. He could see and feel the anticipations on everyone’s face. He laughed inside as he saw someone about to object and his buddy quickly slapped his hand down. He had them and he knew it! “No one?” his mouth was still full. Showtime! He swallowed and took a swig, “Very well, we will begin.”
He pulled his lute and strummed a few bars. Kicking back and putting his feet on the table, he began, “A while back, a beautiful baby was born to an elf male and human female. That baby’s name was Lucinda. She was gorgeous in every way, but her eyes were black. It was the rare condition that only appeared in half—elves. No one knows what causes it. They knew from that day on, she would be different. No matter what, she would stand out. Children would make fun of her. Adults would shun her. Some would even blame the parents and call her an abomination. Still her parents loved her and tried to protect her.”
“They did all the things parents do, glasses, eye color spells, but they were temporary,” Alister took a swig of beer.
“At the age of four, she realized her condition and more importantly…what it meant. It happened when she was wearing sunglasses and playing with other children. They got knocked off and everyone saw her eyes. The children she thought were her friends ran from her, called her ‘black pit,’ ‘no eyes,’ and ‘demon’. Children can be so cruel,” He looked down, shedding fake tears. “She decided then and there that she would hide them no more. If people could not like her for whom she really was, then to hell with them.” Alister looked over at her; she was listening intently.
“Well, you can imagine what this did to her parents. They tried to put glasses on her; she would throw them to the ground and step on them. They put spells on her and ama
zingly, she willed them off. They changed her eye color, moments later her eyes would be back. She looked at her parents, ‘these are my eyes, it’s what the universe gave me, and I will not deny them. I have learned to deal with it; you’d better do the same.’ Her parents weren’t ready to hear it. They still wanted to hide her, protect her, but she wouldn’t have it,” His feet were on the floor, he was leaning forward over the table for dramatic effect. He strummed hard and fast then slammed the lute to stop the music. “Finally, as she started school, they gave in. And that’s when it started.” For a more dramatic effect, Alister finished his stew and beer. “Could I get a refill on the beer please? Thank you.” The beer was there before he finished the sentence.
Alister took a sip and continued, “The children in school were just as cruel as those in the park. However, our resourceful Lucinda had a solution. During the lunch break of the first day, after everyone had been ridiculing her all morning, she went looking for the toughest kid in her class and picked a fight with him, right there in the classroom. The teacher was humiliated. The first day of class and a fight broke out. She got a good punch in but the kid only pushed her down. Before she got back up the teacher grabbed her and hauled her to the principal, where he gave her a paddling. Then, he foolishly asked her if she had learned her lesson.”
“‘Yes’ she replied, ‘I’ve learned I can’t count on anyone around here but myself,’” Alister now huffed himself up to look taller, “’What do you mean?’ the principal asked.”
“‘Well, when I came here, people make fun of me, the teacher didn’t even look me in the face this morning. You so called adults, who are supposed to help me, have done nothing! You’re just as bad as the children. You shun me, beat me, and blame me for something I can’t change. Then have the nerve to ask me if I’ve learned my lesson. I hope you’ve learned yours. You’re supposed to help everyone, not just those that are pretty, or smart, or normal. No one told them to stop picking on me, or to leave me alone, so I did it myself. And I’ll do it again, so you better keep your paddle handy.’”
“Now, at this point the principal could have said something, could have calmed her, but he didn’t. Instead, he let her leave. After school let out, she found her foe again, and challenged him to a fight, this time off school grounds. ‘Sure pit face,’ he replied. Children followed them as they went to the open field behind school, and there they fought; rolling around, throwing punches, kicking, biting, no holds barred. Finally, she got the best of him when she put her head squarely into his gut. On the ground, she sat on him, pinning his shoulders with her knees and started slapping him in the face. ‘What’s my name? What’s my name?’ She screamed at him, ‘Lucinda, Lucinda’ he cried back, ‘Mommy’ he screamed through the slaps. She let him up. ‘That’s right, and don’t you or any of you EVER forget it!’ She walked away, refusing to show how injured she was.”
“Well, life after that point was interesting. For the most part she was left alone, but in the fourth grade, where she was out with the older kids, she did the same thing, only to a sixth grader. It took more than one battle. Now this isn’t to say Lucinda never lost a fight, she lost plenty, however it can truly be said that if you thought she looked bad, you should see her opponent. Soon people stopped fighting her because even when they won, they lost.” He finished his beer. Before he could ask, another beer was already there.
“Then came high school. As a seventh grader, she immediately challenged the alpha bully, Marcus Dragonbreath, to a fight. He was in the highest grade in high school, tenth grade, and very athletic. This didn’t scare her. This fight was brutal, more brutal than any fight she had been in before. Because not only did she have to fight him, she had to fight his sycophant cronies. She was left badly beaten, but did gain some respect, considering it was three on one. But she didn’t let it sit there. Throughout the year, she trapped the two cronies and pounded the crap out of them to the point that they abandoned Marcus. Finally, she cornered him and goaded him into a fight that everyone could see. One—on—one, he didn’t stand a chance. She beat him quite easily, easier than anyone had imagined. Now she was the alpha bully. But she did things differently than he did. She would not pick on the weaker students; she only picked on the athletes, the rich kids, and the other gangs. When asked why not go for the easy money, she made it clear and simple. ‘Any coward can pick a fight they know they can win. You want to prove your worth, pick a fight with someone bigger than you and better than you. Only then will you get better. That’s how I was able to defeat Marcus so easily. He spent all his time picking on those he knew couldn’t fight back, so when he got a real challenge, he got his butt whipped. Now I catch any of you picking on the weaker students, you will answer to me, and regret it.’” He cleared his throat.
“The funny part now was everything ran a lot smoother. She didn’t allow people to disrupt classes, the weak picked on the weak and the strong picked on the strong. She never asked for money, but didn’t refuse homage. Those that did pay her were allowed to be seen with her, which was often enough to keep bullies away. And through it all, no one made fun of her eyes.”
“Then one day, a new student entered the school. He was tall, strong, handsome, and became her nemesis. As she set the tone for the bullies, he set the tone for the protectors. He was Obidaan Grailann. Yes, he spent the last two years at her school, but he was a good person, who broke up fights, protected the weak, and tore into gangs that didn’t see things Lucinda’s way. They would often meet, sometimes on the same side, often against each other. For you see, Obidaan wouldn’t let her pick on anyone, regardless of size, means, or ability. He was also the first person who did not shun her eyes. If anything he ignored them and treated her normal. She liked that, a lot. She had a great respect for him even a longing for him, and would often back down from fights, but made it look as though she wasn’t interested in what he was protecting. Still they did clash a few times. You would have to say that their fight record was even, neither able to get the other to yield. She loved him from afar but knew it couldn’t be. Not that she didn’t try either. Obidaan turned her down early and often. Still, the unrequited love for him was there. Finally, Obidaan graduated; he’s a year older than her,” Alister looked out over the audience. There was total silence, and it seemed everyone was hanging on his every word. Even Lucinda seemed to be enjoying her story, though it was obvious this part pained her, and Obidaan, but not as much as what was about to come. And it was the anticipation of the next part that was plastered plainly on both their faces. If anything, Alister realized, he had better play this part straight, it was the touchiest.
“Lucinda tried to keep up with Obidaan’s happenings, but bard tales were scarce. Obidaan had moved on, pretty much leaving his old life behind. Years passed. He found Relina, married her, and then became a paladin. Four years ago, Lucinda heard about his marriage, but not about his paladin status. She was outraged.” He looked over at her, she simply nodded as to say, go on. “She tracked him down and there they had a huge argument. She declared her love for him again, and he told her that he was married, and even so, he wanted nothing to do with the likes of her. She lived her life in a way he could not, would not condone. Bullying, extortion, ‘You fight for pleasure.’ Obidaan told her, ‘I fight for necessity. It would never work, I could not love you.’” Alister was looking at Obidaan now, with Relina at his side. They sat there, holding hands. Obidaan and Relina both nodded, as if to say “finish it.”
“So then, she lunged at him, knocking him to the ground, ‘Make a deal with you. Fight me. If I win, you’ll divorce Relina and marry me. You win, I’ll leave you alone forever.’ “
“‘No deal!’ Obidaan replied, and pushed her off of him.
“‘In that case, I’ll stalk you, and keep on doing it till one of us is dead!’ She screamed at him.”
“’Fine, you win, but you must realize, I’m not the same person I was a few years ago. I have changed, a lot.�
� Obidaan did not tell her he was a paladin now. To do so would have jeopardized more than his marriage. He tried to get her to back down, but it was no use. The fight began.”
“It was an arduous fight, a long fight, and both were using everything at their disposal, weapons, rocks, dirt, spells, you name it, they used it. All except for one thing, Obidaan would not heal himself during the fight; there were times he wished he had. Both bloodied, bruised, and broken, they made a final attack. Using her mana, she lunged at him leaping high into the air. Feeling he had no choice, he loved Relina and wouldn’t let anything take that away, he channeled a holy smite into his fist. The last thing Lucinda heard from that fight was ‘By the power of my god, let my fist fly true and smite this evil.’ She knew there and then what he was, what was coming, and why he tried to avoid the fight. She also lost her will to fight and live. Still, there was nothing she could do but hope it missed and take him down. Obidaan and Relina are still married.”
“Obidaan’s fist hit her square in the jaw, caving in the right side of her face. Obidaan is left—handed. She flew across the field like a kicked ball. Her body was limp, her bones now broken and she was barely conscious. In this state she could not cushion her landing and landed face first into the dirt, rolling several more feet like a log. Obidaan ran to her, and was going to lay hands on her, but she told him through her broken jaw and teeth, ‘DON’T touch me you bastard. Don’t heal me, I will NOT be healed by you!’”
“‘Shut up and let me help you,’ Obidaan said, ‘I’m sorry I didn’t tell you I was a paladin, I couldn’t,’” He began to lay hands on her anyway.”
“‘Because you knew I’d use it against you. You were always clever. You win, but you will not heal me.’ She said all this through her shattered jaw. Obidaan laid hands on her, but just as her will had removed the eye color spells, so now did it refuse his touch.
“‘I can’t heal you. Why? This is crazy; no one can refuse my touch.’” Obidaan said.
No Good Deed Page 5
