No Good Deed (35 page)

Their battle intensified and they used the entire battlefield to fight. Lucinda managed to gouge Obidaan on the left side cutting deeply but not hitting vitals. Obidaan began to bleed heavily. His blood sizzled when it hit the ground. He answered her with a feint, then a parry that moved her sword out of the way and exposed her midsection. Before she could bring the shield across Obidaan cut her in an upward motion across her chest. Her blood also sizzled as it hit the ground.

It was completely dark, no moon, no sun, no stars, just an unnatural blackness engulfing the area. It should have been impossible to see, but everyone could see clearly, but it was what they noticed that bothered everyone. Everyone appeared as a negative image.

The king and Mordechi were just inside the castle walls, watching everything. They were both too afraid to speak out.

“Is this the darkness?” asked the king.

Mordechi thought back to his prophesies and remember one line Obidaan said, “…when paladin will battle paladin.” He knew the answer “Yes. This is the darkness of the prophecy. Ss was foretold, I caused it. Obidaan was right, I should have waited, then the gods wouldn’t have left us. Instead, I followed what I followed my head, and made the worst decision in my life.” A tear came to Mordechi’s eyes, “I’m so sorry.”

“Great,” the king said, “I have front row seats to the end of the world.”

“Maybe not.” Mordechi said.

“What do you mean?”

“There’s still more to the prophecy. We must see how the fight plays out.”

Obidaan and Lucinda were locked in combat, blood continued to drip as cuts became more frequent. During a moment when they had their shields locked they both cast a spell, in an effort to repel the other, but just as the charge spell had backfired, so did this. When the two spells touched, a thunderclap was heard and both people were thrown 30 feet back, tumbling to the ground like rag dolls. They each took the opportunity to heal up.

Renew, they charged at each other again. This time, the clash produced two seconds of light, momentarily making things normal then the darkness returned.

Throughout the entire fight, Lucinda had been trying to use her power to negate Mystic, but she had been having very little luck. The best she could get was a waver, which would give her an opening but nothing more. Then a better opportunity came. Obidaan managed to disarm her. Her sword landed just a couple of feet away, well within her ability to pick it up before he struck again. But she waited.

“I have you now,” Obidaan said and struck at her.

“Not yet,” she replied. She put her shield up, blocking the blow. Once Mystic was on her shield, she grabbed the sword with her bare hand. Bleeding, she began to concentrating and disrupt Mystic. Obidaan tried to pull away but it was no good. You could see the blood on the sword as it cut deeply into her hand. Finally, in a total use of willpower, she vanquished the sword. Everyone was shocked.

Obidaan tried to resummon Mystic, but it was no use. He could feel the sword and knew it wanted to come forth but he could not bring it forth. Unfortunately, this caused him to loose focus on the battle. Lucinda picked up her sword and swung at him, catching him squarely in the ribs. He grimaced in pain. Next she bashed him with her shield to keep him off balance, and finally she ran her sword through his midsection. Obidaan hit the ground, and was on one knee, bleeding from his wounds and mouth. He looked up at her.

“I’m sorry darling that it has to come to this. I didn’t want this fight,” she said and put an unholy smite on her sword.

“Neither did I. Everyone has done what they believed to be the right thing. Everyone but me.”

“Do you yield?” she asked.

“No. I may not be doing the right thing, but I believe in the righteousness of my cause. I will succeed.”

“I’m afraid not,” she said and came down for the killing blow.

“Not today,” Obidaan said. Putting up his shield, he blocked her blow. Blocking the smite almost broke his arm. “By my will” he said, putting his smite on his hand this along with everything he had, he brought forth Mystic.

Lucinda’s eyelids grew wide but she could do nothing as she felt Mystic pierce her body and extend out through her back. She stumbled, no longer in control of her body. Blood oozed from the wound onto Mystic and Obidaan’s hand. He pulled out the sword dismissed it. Obidaan gently grabbed her and laid her on the ground. He looked into eyes, which in this darkness, looked normal; they were red, like his.

“You win,” she sputtered.

“There are no winners. Let me heal you.”

“No.” she said, blood flowing from her mouth, “This was to the death. Let me die.”

As they lay on the battlefield, the darkness quickly lifted and in seconds everything was back to normal. Everyone came rushing over. Alister was the first one there.

“My love?” he said, “Can you hear me?”

“Yes, sweetheart,” she replied. “Don’t grieve for me. Besides you’ll have plenty of bosoms to console yourself with.”

“I would prefer yours,” he said crying.

Relina came up to Obidaan, who was healed by himself but Gheriballi and the other paladins. No one attempted to heal Lucinda. She hugged Obidaan tightly, “Oh my love, I’m scared.”

“So am I,” Obidaan squeezed her tightly.

“Heal her.” Alister said through the tears, “Please! Someone HEAL HER!”

“We can’t,” Obidaan said.

“Why?” Alister screamed, “Your code? Screw your code, help her.”

“Alister, my brother,” Obidaan said, “I have already broken my code more times than I care to imagine. Trust me; I’d like to but we can’t. No one can heal Lucinda unless she wants it. You were the one who told her story in the bar.”

“I know. I just can’t believe she wants to die,” he said and got back down putting her head in his lap. “Why? Why die now? What purpose will it serve?”

“My own.” She said. “I do love you Alister, though I know you’re sister thinks me a monster. I do what I have to and I don’t apologize.”

“That doesn’t excuse the butchery.” Relina said.

“No.” Lucinda said, “It just explains it.” Her life was flowing out faster now and she looked into Alister’s eyes one last time. “Kiss me you fool.” She said to him. Without hesitation, he planted his lips on hers. They kissed as the final moments of life drained from her body. She looked up into the sky, her breathing began to get shallow. “I..I..” her eyes began to close when a voice was heard getting louder.

“Mommy! Mommy, no! Mommy please don’t die,” a small boy came racing to her. He made his way through the mob and grabbed Lucinda’s hand. “Mommy!” he screamed, “please don’t leave me. You promised, please don’t leave me.”

Everyone got a good look at this young boy of not more than five or six. He was obviously half elven, with green eyes and black hair. He was the spitting image of Alister. It was obvious to everyone that this was the child of Alister and Lucinda. He looked over to Alister, “Please, Daddy, do something.”

Stunned silence gripped the battlefield. The boy looked at Alister for a moment more, then put his face next to Lucinda’s ear. “Please, mommy!” he said again, “don’t leave me. I need you. I love you, mommy. Please! Please! I love you, don’t leave me!”

Lucinda looked over at him, with her last breath she said, “ok.”

“Now.” Obidaan said.

Every paladin began to heal her. Wounds began to close. Moments later, Lucinda opened her eyes. Alister and the boy were overjoyed and kissed her. She kissed them back before getting up and addressing the other paladins.

“Thank you.” she said, “And I’d like everyone to meet, Al, my son.”

Alister looked at the boy and marveled at the younger version of himself.

“Hi, daddy,” Al said, “mommy told me all about you.”

Alister grabbed Al and hugged him, “My son,” he said, tears streaming down. For the first time in his life, Alister felt complete. He smiled, “I have so much I want to tell you.

“That will have to wait,” Obidaan said. “I won. You shall let me into the city now.”

“Yes.” Lucinda replied, “Do as you will.” She then walked over to Alister, dipped him as she kissed him. Then the three of them went off for a long talk.

“I can’t believe you didn’t tell me,” Alister started.

“I did,” Lucinda replied. “I told you not to worry about it.”

“But,” Alister looked at Al, “that’s my flesh and blood, too.” He bent down and hugged Al. “I now understand what Obidaan’s going through. I’d move heaven and earth to get him back.”

“Well, you might have to, we’re leaving and you’re not coming with us.”

“Didn’t you hear what I just said?”

“Yeah, the words of a bard; all flash no substance.”

“Well, not me, not anymore. Now that I know about him, I want him in my life. I want you in my life.”

“So, we stick around here? Act like one big happy family or something? Seriously, you’ve got to be kidding. I wasn’t going to ever let you know about him but now that you do, well,” she was at a loss for words, “what do you really want?”

Alister put his hand on Al’s head, then embraced Lucinda, “I want you, I want him. I want a family,” he looked into the depths of her eyes, “Marry me.”

Lucinda began to laugh, “Yeah right. The biggest playboy on the planet wants to settle down, with me. Give me a break. What makes you think I want to settle down with you, anyway? Besides, I’m a paladin, we don’t settle down remember? You just saw the effects of the last time it happened.”

“Yes, but when you settle down,” he didn’t use if, “the balance will tip in the other direction, maybe we can bring back the balance.”

“You can’t seriously be making a logical argument for marriage.”

“No,” he kept looking at her, “a heartfelt one. You’ve looked for love and acceptance you’re whole life. That’s why you fell for Obidaan, that’s why you’re a paladin, and that’s why you have our son standing next to you. These are the three things in this world that have accepted you for who you are. You want this more than anything. But like the rest of us, you’re scared.” She scoffed, “It’s ok because I’m scarred too. For the first time in my life, I feel like my life has meaning. I want to see this kid grow up, do fatherly things with him, even give him a few siblings.” Snickers came from Al and Lucinda. “I love you. I love him. Marry me.”

Lucinda grabbed the back of his head and pulled him in for a kiss. Just before their lips touched she said, “Yes.”

Obidaan marched into the city; the king and Mordechi came over to greet him.

“Well met,” said the king.

Obidaan ignored him. He looked over to Mordechi, who didn’t look happy to see him. “Greetings Obidaan. Good to see you again.”

“Wish I could say the same. Come with me you charlatan.”

“I …” Obidaan cut him off by grabbing him by the collar and dragging him toward the church. “What. What are you doing?” he asked.

“I’m ending this.”

“But, the darkness has passed, it’s over.” Even Mordechi didn’t believe his words.

“No, it hasn’t and that’s not what I’m talking about.”

“Then what are you talking about?”

“One of us here decided to play god. Now it ends.”

“Obidaan,” he was trying to keep up but he continued to be dragged through the streets, he asked again “What are you talking about?”

“You’ll see in a moment,” and he continued marching till he got to the church. Once inside, he kicked everyone out and using a spell, sealed the church shut. No one could get in or out without his permission. People gathered outside, hoping to get an idea of what was going on.

Obidaan dragged Mordechi to the alter, picked him up, and threw him gruffly into one of the chairs. He then went to the podium and began flipping through the bible sitting there.

“I know I wrong you, the world, but I thought I was doing the right thing. I am so very sorry. You have no idea how sorry I am.”

“Well, I’m about to find out.” Obidaan said, reading a passage then continuing to flip, “Because when I’m through, you’ll wish you’d never met me.” He talked while looking down at the bible. “It finally dawned on me. I must be the most naive person on this planet. Gheriballi taught me about the paladins, you taught me about the Seers, my wife taught me about love and understand, and the rest of my friends and family have taught me so much. At some point in time, I have to start getting it. And finally, I get it.”

“Get what?”

“Paladinhood! What it truly means! We keep saying it, but no one gets it. I was clued in when I ran into a paladin who was using a king as a puppet. He said if he was second only to the gods, why would he demote himself to answer to a king. You know what the answer is?”

“Humility?”

He looked up at Mordechi “Wrong! You don’t demote yourself, period. That means I don’t demote myself to anyone including you.” He went back to flipping through the bible.

“And?”

“And that means,
you
are not my superior, it’s the other way around. No one gets it, but I finally do.”

“Get what? I still don’t understand!”

He looked up again, “You’re not the head of the church, you moron, I am!” he pointed to himself then went back to the bible.

Mordechi began to laugh, “You’re joking right? I was made leader before you became a paladin.”

“True, but once I became one I became the head of the church by default. It’s the same for all paladins; they just don’t realize it. No one does. I hope you’re getting all of this Cecilia.”

“Who’s Cecilia?”

“Don’t worry about it. The point is, I am in charge and always should have been.”

“I don’t think you’re correct. Priests have always been in charge of the church, that’s the way it’s always been.”

“And kings, queens, emperors, and presidents have been in charge of countries, till now. If we were put here and answer only to our gods, that means everyone’s place is below us, power wise. And I’m going to prove it,” he stopped flipping and picked up the bible.

“How?”

“By doing what only the leader of a church can do. Observe.” Obidaan began to read a chant from the bible. It started low at first but as he repeated it, it grew louder and louder and louder. Soon the people outside could here the chant.