The Beauty Among The Tombstones

Job Details:

Job Sign-Up: Page 12, Post Number 280

-Outside Silent Cemetery, 8:33 P.M.-

Dressed in his usual outfit of olive green jacket over white t-shirt and olive green cargo pants with black boots, Leonidas carried his Silver Falchion in the scabbard on his left hip. With him was Sabrina, who was dressed in a pink hoodie over pink t-shirt and blue jean short shorts and pink tennis shoes with white laces. She had taken to contemporary attire pretty well... as long as it was pink and blue. The other blonde seemed to adore those colors above all others and all of her outfits were pink and blue.

"Tell me why we're here again, Big Guy." Sabrina requested as she shivered in the cold when the wind picked up.

"We're here to rescue a young woman who's a mage. Her family's quite wealthy and they promised a big reward if we find her." Leonidas reminded his companion why they were here. Sabrina looked at him with a frown.

"I don't think it's just about the money for you, Big Guy." She hypothesized. Leonidas had an idea of what she was getting at and moved to nix it here and now.

"If you think I'm doing this to get a girlfriend, you're wrong." Leonidas sourly replied to the implication.

"Don't lie to me, Big Guy. When you heard there was a young woman who needed rescuing you jumped at the job offer." Sabrina retorted. The scar-faced mage crossed his arms over his chest and looked at her.

"That's not true. I took the job because someone needed help." Leonidas stated that the motive of rescuing someone from a dangerous place was the primary consideration for taking the job. The scar-faced mage was not in this for the chance to woo a young woman. He was in this because someone needed help and the fact that they happened to be female was irrelevant.

"Don't forget the money." Sabrina sarcastically replied to his reason for taking the job. Leonidas raised a finger to object but lowered it when he realized that denying that would make him a hypocrite.

"OK, the money helps too. I'm not gonna lie. But I need a lot of money to get my mother out of Desierto." Leonidas confessed that the reward money had a part in the decision to take the job. Sabrina smiled a little.

"I can understand the money part, Big Guy." The other blonde said with more sympathy than he expected. The scar-faced mage had expected her to be more sarcastic and perhaps even accuse him of letting the amount of the reward money influence the jobs he took, but her tone was sympathetic. Perhaps she realized how much of a limb he had gone out on to rent a two-bedroom apartment so that she would have a room of her own.

"Before we count the money we have to do the work first. Let's get going." Leonidas said to Sabrina before uncrossing his arms and drawing his Silver Falchion from its scabbard.

"OK, Big Guy. Just remember that we're not here for you to get a date." Sabrina made one last joke. Leonidas glared at her for a moment before turning his head to face the cemetery gates. He walked towards them and opened the right gate with his left hand. He let Sabrina pass through first before entering and closing the gate behind them.

-Inside Silent Cemetery, 8:37 P.M.-

Leonidas and Sabrina were now inside the cemetery and facing the branching path. They had expected a welcome wagon of walking corpses, but to their surprise the area had twenty-one headless zombie corpses dotting it. There were five on the path in front of them and there was even a headless corpse draped over a tombstone just a meter ahead and to the left.

"Whoa. Maybe the chick we're here to find doesn't need rescuing." Sabrina commented on the scene before them.

"It looks like she has some powerful magic... or a powerful weapon." Leonidas dryly commented. He looked down the path in front of them and noticed that the trail of dead zombies went down the right path.

"It looks like we go right." Leonidas stated which way they would go once they reached the end of the branching path.

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-Down the right path, the next section, 8:43 P.M.-

Leonidas and Sabrina had followed the trail of headless zombie corpses down the path and were now facing another section of cemetery that was a lot like the one they had left behind. There were neat rows of tombstones on both sides of the path that ran down the middle of the section. There were also plenty of zombie corpses dotting the area, but there were also a few "live" zombies shambling about; one was on the path a short distance away while five more were scattered throughout the tombstones on the right side. Disturbed mounds of earth clued the scar-faced mage in to the possibility that the zombies in that area had recently risen from their graves.

"Look alive, Big Guy! We've got trouble!" Sabrina alerted Leonidas to the undead threat.

"Look alive? Really?" Leonidas asked indignantly, making it clear that the other blonde's choice of words had not been the best.

"Look Big Guy, that was the best I could do on short notice!" Sabrina replied with equal indignation. The zombie a short distance in front of Leonidas moaned and alerted him to a problem worse than a poor choice of words.

"OK. We'll deal with the walking corpses now and talk about this later." Leonidas sourly replied before cautiously approaching the first zombie, gripping the Silver Falchion tightly and raising it into a ready position. The target moaned at him and began to shamble with its arms outstretched, but it did not get far before Leonidas brought his sword down on its skull in a one-handed chop, swinging with enough force to bury the blade in its skull for an instant kill. Sabrina groaned as he planted his foot on its chest and kicked the dead zombie off to free the blade of his sword.

Leonidas turned right to face the rest of the zombies, which were a fair distance away from him. He raised his left hand and aimed it for the head of the closest enemy, a corpse dressed in a black three-piece suit with old black tophat. Leonidas channeled magic into his left hand, then fired a Compressed Air Bolt spell at the zombie's head. When the spell hit the head exploded instantly, killing the zombie beyond all doubt.

He turned to the next one, an elderly woman missing clumps of white hair who was dressed in a black dress and wearing black shoes. The walking corpse lurched towards Leonidas with its left arm outstretched and its mouth moving in a gnawing motion despite there not being anything in its mouth for it to chew. The scar-faced mage pointed his left index finger at the target's skull, channeled silver magic into his hand, and fired a Pressure Cone spell. The visible silver cone of air hit its mark and detonated the zombie's head for another instant kill.

Four zombies were left standing, but they would not be standing for too much longer.

-8:51 P.M.-

Leonidas had just killed the last of the zombies in the area with his Silver Falchion by burying the sword in its skull so deeply that he had to plant a foot onto the fallen enemy's chest and pull sharply upwards with both hands to free the weapon. He withdrew the blade from the head of the enemy he had just dispatched and wiped the blood on the black tuxedo the walking corpse was wearing. He then walked back onto the path to rejoin Sabrina before moving on.

"Well, they're definitely not getting up again. Not that I'm complaining." Sabrina commented on Leonidas' elimination of the undead threat in this part of the cemetery.

"This area's clear now. Let's move on, Sabrina." Leonidas suggested to his companion, his recently cleaned sword gleaming in the moonlight like it was empowered by a divine force.

"You've got it, Big Guy." Sabrina agreed. He led the way down the path while she followed close behind and to his left. Leonidas heard the wind howling as he moved and felt his hair be blown about. He could also hear Sabrina shivering behind him.

"Man, why's it so cold all of a sudden?" Sabrina complained about the cold, rubbing her hands together for warmth.

"It's night and the wind's blowing. You're also wearing short shorts. Short shorts really don't do anything to keep you warm." Leonidas gave her three reasons why she was cold, stating the last one with more than a little sarcasm. The other blonde trotted up beside Leonidas and matched his pace, then turned her head and glared at him.

"You're a real comedian, Big Guy." Sabrina remarked sourly as the pair approached the open gate to the next part of Silent Cemetery, which was situated at a bend to the left. They soon reached it, then turned left and stopped at the threshold to get a glimpse at what awaited them. It was a section of cemetery exactly like the one they had just passed through, but there were a lot more active zombies in the area. There were at least twenty moving around; most were shambling on the path, but a few were scattered off to the sides and shuffling among the tombstones.

"Well, it looks like we've got a fight on our hands." Sabrina commented on the sizable group of undead blocking their way.

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"Not for long we don't." Leonidas remarked, gripping his Silver Falchion tightly. Sabrina stepped in front of him with her staff at the ready.

"Let me thin them out a bit first, Big Guy." Sabrina offered. She pointed her staff at the zombies, who had only just now picked up on the presence of the two blonds. She channeled blue magic into it and when it was ready she thrust the staff outward and fired an Azure Cone at the approaching enemies, turning ten of them to ash in a single blast. Five more were still bunched together, so Leonidas could not move in to fight them with his sword without taking the serious risk of getting grabbed and bitten by the others when he chopped one of the quintet in the head with his Silver Falchion. Instead of doing something so stupid he would take the sensible approach and try to thin them out a bit more with his long-range spells, but his companion beat him to it.

Sabrina quickly prepared another Azure Cone and when it was ready fired it at the quintet of walking corpses, reducing them to ash and eliminating the enemies in front of them. There were a few stragglers off to the sides who had seen and heard the action and were coming to try and make a meal out of the two, but Leonidas had other ideas. He wordlessly raised his left hand towards the closest zombie, a man in a brown three-piece suit missing its left arm and its left ear. He prepared a Compressed Air Bolt spell and when it was ready fired at the zombie's head, scoring a direct hit with the same messy results as the last zombie he had dispatched in that manner.

With only four more zombies still active and the rest so spread out Leonidas could now eliminate each one of them with his sword, saving magic power for later. Leonidas carefully approached the closest enemy on the right, a male zombie wearing a tattered tuxedo and brown shoes. When he got within sword range he raised the Silver Falchion and brought it down on the skull of his target, achieving an instant kill when the blade cut through to the brain. The zombie moaned for the last time and the scar-faced mage kicked the dead zombie off of the sword, freeing it for use against the next enemy.

-9:15 P.M.-

The last zombie in the area had fallen to Leonidas' sword and he looked around for any more walking corpses who might have heard the commotion and decided to see what was going on. He was not seeing any so far, so he checked around for any who might have risen from the ground. He did not see any of them either, so Leonidas concluded that it was safe to move on.

"Looks like we're clear now. I'm ready to go whenever you are, Sabrina." Leonidas told his companion.

"I'm ready to move on too, Big Guy." Sabrina told him. The wind blew again and Leonidas was unaffected, but Sabrina shivered.

"I hate the cold." She complained about the low temperature and rubbed her hands together. Leonidas had already made a sarcastic remark about her choice to wear short shorts earlier, so he did not say anything new in response and moved deeper into the cemetery. She followed close behind him while complaining all the while.

-The next section of cemetery, 9:19 P.M.-

The pair walked into the next section and paused when they spotted a lot of dead zombies scattered around the immediate area. They were in an area exactly like the last one they had just left, but this one had lanterns sitting on top of some of the tombstones. They were stationed at twenty-five meter intervals and they glowed with a comforting orange-yellow light that illuminated the path for the two mages.

"Now we have some more light to see by." Leonidas commented on the unexpected boon he had received. While the full moon provided more than enough light to see by, he was not going to complain about the lanterns because their warm light provided a psychological boost in addition to having a practical benefit.

"Yeah. I feel a little warmer just looking at the lanterns." Sabrina commented on the benefit she received from them. Moments later Leonidas felt a tug on his right jacket sleeve and Sabrina popped up to his right, pointing towards a dark object that was clutched in the hands of a headless zombie corpse lying roughly thirteen meters down the path.

"Hey Big Guy, that looks like a purse or something!" She alerted him as to what he might be looking at. Leonidas did not waste any time responding... he began to walk down the path without fear because all of the zombies on it had been rendered headless, presumably by the young woman he had been sent to rescue. He strode to the corpse and knelt on his right knee to examine the purse as Sabrina jogged over to join him.

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The accessory was a black purse that had two straps that were about as wide as one of Leonidas' thumbs. His guess was that the young woman dropped it to avoid the purse being grabbed and used to hold her in place to be swarmed or used to pull her into biting range. He heard footsteps approaching and turned his head to face Sabrina, who had finally caught up with him. She walked over and looked down at him, then looked at the purse.

"Black? In that color it looks like an old lady's purse." Sabrina passed judgment on the accessory. Leonidas ignored the critique and stood up, then faced the other blonde.

"There's nothing else of use here, so we should keep going. Since we found the purse it seems like we're on the right track." Leonidas said to Sabrina. The other blonde nodded.

"Yeah, Big Guy. Let's get going." She seconded his opinion. The pair continued to move deeper into the cemetery, moving through the current section without encountering any enemies. However, the next section would not be so empty.

-In the next section, 9:23 P.M.-

Ahead of Leonidas and Sabrina loomed a sizable group of zombies that was thirty strong plus a few individual zombies scattered around both sides of the path who were shuffling about with no rhyme or reason. There were five of them. Leonidas turned to his left and looked at Sabrina.

"Do you think we can take them all?" Leonidas asked Sabrina a rhetorical question, his Silver Falchion gleaming in the moonlight. Sabrina raised her staff in response.

"I think we can take them, Big Guy. My Azure Cone will make short work of them." She assured him with a smile. Sabrina pointed her staff at the center of the large group and channeled blue magic into it, then thrust it forward to fire a shimmering blue cone of magic towards them. The zombies were clustered so tightly together that it was impossible to miss... the Azure Cone took out ten of them in one blast, tearing a hole in the group ahead of them. The survivors could not fail but to notice the source of the attack and began shuffling towards it.

"They know we're here now, Big Guy!" Sabrina warned Leonidas.

"I can see that." Leonidas commented dryly. The pink-clad blonde powered up another Azure Cone and fired it the moment it was ready, taking out the right side of the horde and leaving only ten walking corpses on the left. However, the stragglers were joining the action too and they did not merge with the main group for easy disposal... Leonidas was going to have to deal with them once the large group had been eliminated.

Sabrina prepared and fired one last Azure Cone to blast away the left side of the horde, leaving only the individual zombies to deal with. There were five of them, but they were spread so far apart that Leonidas could deal with them using his spells and sword with little risk of being grabbed and bitten if he was careful. He would follow his usual tactic of leading off with a Compressed Air Bolt to the head of a zombie to kill it, then use his Pressure Cone spell to take out another walking corpse with a headshot before switching gears and moving into close range to user his Silver Falchion.

-Silent Cemetery, 9:33 P.M.-

Leonidas wiped the blood off of his Silver Falchion on the corpse of the last zombie he had killed, a man wearing a tattered black tuxedo and black dress shoes that looked like they were about to disintegrate at any moment. He then faced Sabrina, who was standing a short distance away keeping watch for any stragglers who were late to the fight. So far no additional walking corpses had shown up, but the scar-faced mage did not count on that lasting for much longer.

"All right, we've cleaned up this area. We should have enough time to catch our breath before we move on." Leonidas commented.

"Yeah. We'd better get going, Big Guy. I don't know where that chick is or how long we've got to save her before... well, you know." Sabrina suggested that they not hang around the area any longer than they had to by reminding Leonidas what was at stake. The scar-faced mage agreed with her.

"OK. We'll get going now." Leonidas stated. He got back onto the path and began walking towards the next section. Hopefully still had time to find the young woman before she got into trouble... or trouble found her.

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-Silent Cemetery, 9:57 P.M.-

Leonidas and Sabrina had reached the section of cemetery dominated by a large angel statue in the center with several wooden benches arranged in a semicircle in front of it. There were also small mausoleums in the back left corner and neat rows of tombstones along the right wall. In front of them were scattered over a dozen headless bodies... and a shoe. Sabrina hurried over to the piece of footwear and picked it up with her left hand, then turned and presented it to Leonidas when the latter closed in for a better look.

"It's a white sandal. I guess that chick kicked it off while she was being chased or something." Sabrina informed him. Leonidas looked at the shoe long enough to confirm that it was indeed a sandal before the other blonde lowered it. He then looked towards the ground where the piece of footwear had been lying to see if any footprints had been left, but he was not seeing anything, so he gave up and turned his gaze towards the cemetery in front of him.

The two blonds looked around for the young woman and did not see any sign of her, but they did hear a lot of moaning coming from nearby. A closer look showed that the moaning was coming from the top left corner and revealed a small group of zombies mindlessly reaching up for something on the roof of one of the buildings. Leonidas wondered if the young woman had taken refuge up there to get away from her rotting pursuers.

"Do you think she's hiding up there?" Sabrina asked the scar-faced mage. He turned to face the other blonde.

"I think she is." Leonidas opined.

"Well, there's only one way to find out. I'll handle those zombies for us if you can get their attention." Sabrina told him. She raised her staff and Leonidas set his sword on the ground, then cupped his hands over his mouth.

"HEY! HEY! OVER HERE!" Leonidas shouted to try and get the attention of the zombies reaching towards the top of the small mausoleum. One of them, a young man in a brown suit and missing his left eye and left ear, peeled off from the others and shambled towards what looked to be an easier meal. Leonidas shouted a second time and three more turned away to move towards him and Sabrina.

"It's working, Big Guy. Keep it up and when they're all together I'll hit 'em with an Azure Cone!" Sabrina offered encouragement to the scar-faced mage. He was willing to oblige... he picked up his Silver Falchion, jogged over to the giant angel statue, and started slapping the flat side of the blade against the granite base to make a loud noise that was sure to draw attention.

The zombies already moving towards him slowly adjusted their direction to account for his new location while those still trying to climb the building began to slowly but surely give up on that in favor of going after the noisy person on the ground. Leonidas kept clanging his weapon against the statue's base and continued to do so until all ten zombies were focused on him. While he kept making noise Sabrina prepared an Azure Cone and waited until the shuffling parade of walking corpses was bunched up enough to take out a large number of them in one shot. When the time was right she thrust the staff forward and fired the Azure Cone, hitting eight of them and wiping them out, leaving only two for Leonidas to deal with.

Once Sabrina had eliminated all but two zombies he stopped making noise and turned to face the enemies, then raised his left hand and aimed it at the head of the closest zombie. He prepared and fired a Compressed Air Bolt that hit its head for an instant kill. The headless corpse fell to the ground and the deceased zombie's living colleague kept advancing on the scar-faced mage, but it would not get too much further before it met the fate of its friend.

Leonidas channeled silver magic into his left hand, then jabbed his left index finger at the zombie's head to create a narrow and visible cone of silver magic. The Pressure Cone spell hit the target in the head with fatal and messy results. The decapitated zombie fell backwards and its legs kicked up comically high before falling down again... after that last dramatic display there was no further movement from it.

"OK, Big Guy. We've taken care of all the zombies in the area. We should check out what they were so focused on... maybe that chick's hiding up there." Sabrina suggested to him. Leonidas made eye contact with her.

"All right, Sabrina. Let's do that." Leonidas agreed before starting to walk towards the building the zombies had clustered around. Sabrina followed close behind him while looking around every few seconds to keep an eye out for trouble.

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The pair reached the structure without any further difficulty and when they stopped Sabrina turned around to watch their backs while Leonidas cupped his hands over his mouth to call out to whoever was on top of the small mausoleum.

"Hello? Is anyone there?" Leonidas asked.

"Um, yes. I'm here. I've been here for at least several hours now... in fact I've lost count of how many I've been on top of this building. Sorry." A female voice meekly replied. Leonidas focused next on finding out how the mystery woman was doing.

"Are you hurt? Have you been bitten?" Leonidas inquired.

"No, not at all. I managed to run away from the zombies who grabbed my purse and climb up here. They followed me and... well, you know the rest." Came the answer.

"Are you able to climb down on your own?" Leonidas asked another question.

"Y-yes. Just give me a moment, please." She replied. Leonidas lowered his hands from his mouth and waited for the mystery woman to appear. Moments later he saw a pair of legs covered by white tights and brown boots on the feet dangle down from the roof. A moment later he saw a young woman scoot to the edge on her backside and sit for a second before pushing herself off and landing on the ground in a four-point landing. She stood up straight and brushed herself off, then looked at Leonidas and blushed.

"Oh my." She said and covered her face with her hands. Leonidas looked at the person he had just rescued and saw a young woman who was at least four inches taller than his sister. The young woman had long silver or gray hair and had grey eyes. She wore a beige sweater that hung off of her shoulders and pink skirt plus a silver necklace with a star on the end. Leonidas felt a magic signature from her that corresponded to that of a mage with a respectable amount of power but not nearly enough to equal him.

"I'm Leonidas Jarnefeldt-" The scar-faced mage started to introduce himself before being cut off by the young woman.

"Are you related to Leona Jarnefeldt?" She asked excitedly. Keeping his annoyance at that question on a tight leash, he kept a straight face while giving his response.

"I'm her older brother." He informed her. The young woman was visibly excited to hear that.

"Oh my, this is wonderful! I've been rescued by the brother of a Wizard Saint! He's as handsome as she is beautiful!" She exclaimed, the meekness she had displayed earlier being nowhere to be seen. Leonidas was not sure what to make of that. On one hand, he was glad a young woman did not consider him ugly because of his facial scar. On the other hand, he had been compared to his famous younger sister yet again and that never failed to annoy him.

"And who might you be?" Leonidas asked, cutting the young woman's celebration short. She faced him with a wide smile.

"I'm Martha Watson, freelance mage." The silver-haired young woman introduced herself, at last allowing Leonidas to put a name to a face.

"It's great to meet you, Martha, but we should get going soon. I'd rather not hang around here any longer than we have to." Sabrina butted in, drawing Martha's attention for a moment before she turned to Leonidas.

"Is that beautiful blonde your girlfriend?" Martha asked the scar-faced mage with a look in her eye that he did not like.

"She's more like my roommate." Leonidas answered dryly and in a lower voice than normal.

"HEY! I HEARD THAT!" Sabrina exclaimed. Martha laughed.

"Seriously, we should get going. We had to fight our way through quite a few zombies to get here and I'd like to get out of here before we have to fight more of them." Leonidas seconded Sabrina's suggestion to leave the cemetery as quickly as possible.

"Good idea. I'm afraid that I won't be much use in a fight since I had to use a lot of my magic power just to get to the roof of that building without being grabbed and bitten. Between you and your friend I should be perfectly safe." Martha agreed while confirming that she was the one who had killed the headless zombies Leonidas and Sabrina had seen scattered while following the path to this section of cemetery.

"So those headless zombies we saw lying around... that was your doing?" Sabrina asked the silver-haired mage.

"Yes. That was my doing." Martha confirmed again.

"That's some powerful magic you wield." Sabrina complimented the other young woman.

"I might tell you about it once we're safely out of this place." Martha said, gently suggesting that they begin moving for the cemetery's exit.

"OK then." Sabrina said before turning to Leonidas.

"Lead the way home, Big Guy." The other blonde commanded, jabbing her staff towards the exit. Leonidas ignored the gesture and began to slowly retrace his steps, deliberately going slow so that the two young women could easily catch up with him.

Martha Watson:

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-Near the exit to Silent Cemetery, 10:23 P.M.-

The trio had managed to make it almost to the cemetery exit without encountering any further opposition, but when they finally reached the bend in the path that would take them towards the gates they noticed a sprinkling of enemies waiting on them. There were five zombies standing in the path six meters from the gate and all of them were bunched together, making them perfect targets for Sabrina's Azure Cone. The pink-clad blonde seemed to read the scar-faced mage's mind because she stepped in front of him and Martha and raised her wand.

"I'll handle these guys." Sabrina declared and began to prepare an Azure Cone ability. The zombies took notice and moaned, then stretched their hands towards Sabrina and began to shuffle towards her. The blonde remained calm and continued to prepare the ability until it was ready, then thrust the wand forward, firing a pale blue cone of magic that hit all five of the targets well before they could get within range to grab her. The five zombies were hit and disintegrated on the spot, leaving the three mages standing victorious... or so Leonidas thought.

"TO THE RIGHT!" Martha suddenly called out. The scar-faced mage drew his Silver Falchion with his right hand and looked that way to see another small group of six walking corpses shuffling towards them from four meters away. Leonidas blinked and wondered how the new arrivals had went unnoticed, but they would not get to take advantage of their "stealthy" approach. He was onto them now and would soon stop them in their tracks.

Leonidas turned his body in the direction of the enemies and raised his left hand towards the closest zombie, a woman wearing a moth-eaten white burial gown and missing her entire left arm. He prepared and fired a Compressed Air Bolt spell that hit the target in the head for an instant kill. The headless corpse fell to the ground and he watched as Sabrina rushed in front of him, then prepared and fired a second Azure Cone ability that eliminated the remaining five enemies. Once they were gone Sabrina turned to face Leonidas and Martha.

"Well, that's that." She said smugly and twirled her wand around in her fingers for three full rotations before gripping it again.

"Thanks, Sabrina." Leonidas thanked the other blonde for her help. Even though he had the situation under control she had managed to end the threat a lot faster than he could. He had crowd control spells, but they were incapable of inflicting the kind of instant kill the pink-clad blonde could inflict on supernatural enemies. That was one reason he had rented a two-room apartment for her to share with him... while she could be annoying and clingy she was an immense help against zombies and ghosts. Wind Force Magic made it fairly easy to deal with zombies as long as he aimed for the head with a Compressed Air Bolt or Air Pressure spell, but he struggled against ghosts because his Wind-based spells were worthless against them.

"You guys make a good team. Sabrina seems to know when exactly to step in without being asked to." Martha commented on the teamwork of the two blonds. Leonidas turned around to face her before speaking.

"Sabrina's a big help, especially against the undead. My sword can hurt them, but she can take out large numbers of them in a fraction of the time it would take me to do the job." Leonidas openly complimented the pink-clad blonde. That praise did not escape Sabrina's notice because she embraced Leonidas from behind.

"I knew you cared about me, Big Guy!" She exclaimed happily. Martha smiled at the scene and after a few moments Sabrina let him go and he focused his thoughts on their current goal.

"Let's get out of here before any more zombies show up." Leonidas suggested to the group. Both young women murmured their agreement and Leonidas began to lead the way to the gate while paying attention to his surroundings to try and avoid any more unpleasant surprises from the cemetery's rotting residents. The trio reached the gates without having to fight any more enemies and Leonidas opened the left one, then held it open to permit Martha and Sabrina to pass through. Once they were through the scar-faced mage walked through the gate and closed it behind him, then made absolutely certain it and the right gate were firmly closed before turning to face his companions.

-Outside Silent Cemetery, 10:29 P.M.-

After the two brief skirmishes with the undead the trio were finally out of Silent Cemetery. The wind picked up and blew each mage's hair about as they took a moment to finally relax without having to worry about shambling corpses locating them and shuffling to the attack. Leonidas took a quiet breath and faced Martha, who looked relieved to be safe now.

"OK, we're out of Silent Cemetery now. Where do we go from here?" Leonidas asked the silver-haired mage what their next destination was.

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"We go to Capital Crocus. That's where I live." Martha replied in a matter-of-fact voice.

"So do I." Leonidas reported laconically.

"Me too!" Sabrina chimed in enthusiastically. Looking at the two blonds and smiling, the silver-haired mage chuckled for a moment.

"All right. Capital Crocus it is." Martha stated. Leonidas faced her and spoke to offer a method of travel other than walking all the way back.

"Would you like to teleport to the city instead of walk there?" Leonidas inquired. The silver-haired mage's eyes met his.

"Teleport? Really?" She asked him as if she could not believe what she was hearing. The scar-faced mage pointed towards Sabrina, who waved at the other young woman and began to speak.

"I can make it happen. If you agree to it all Big Guy has to do is give the word and I can take us to the outskirts of the city in the blink of an eye!" Sabrina confirmed that Leonidas' offer was genuine and all that needed to be done was for him to make the request... and for Martha to agree to being teleported. The silver-haired mage did not need much encouragement to give her consent. In fact her face was beaming with joy at the idea of a fast method of travel.

"By all means, yes! Please teleport me home!" Martha gave her wholehearted consent to the plan. When those words were spoken Leonidas faced Sabrina.

"Well, you heard the lady, Sabrina. Teleport us to the outskirts of Capital Crocus, please." Leonidas requested of the other blonde. Sabrina smiled and raised her wand above her head.

"You've got it, Big Guy." She replied. She then created a shimmering blue dome of magic that expanded to engulf the trio and it remained for only a moment before they all disappeared along with the dome. They were on the fast road to their destination.

-On the outskirts of Capital Crocus, 10:25 P.M.-

The trio reappeared on the outskirts of the city none the worse for wear and Sabrina lowered her wand. Martha's face was fixed in a wide smile as she looked at the city in front of them. After gazing for almost a minute she turned to face the two blonds.

"Oh, this is delightful! I'll be back home in time for evening tea!" Martha exclaimed happily.

"I'm glad we could help, Martha." Leonidas commented in response to that statement. Sabrina did not say anything but instead walked past Leonidas and Martha as if sending the not-so-subtle message that they needed to get a move on. When the scar-faced mage noticed that the temperature was more than a little cold he soon deduced why Sabrina had acted the way she did... she was likely chilled because of wearing blue jean short shorts.

"C'mon guys, let's go already! It's really cold out here!" Sabrina urged them while rubbing her exposed legs with her hands. Her words and her actions dispelled all doubt as to the reason she had walked ahead of them. At this point Martha chuckled and took the lead.

"All right, Sabrina. I'll lead us to my home. I'll try to be quick about it." Martha assured the pink-clad blonde before walking past the latter to head for the city. When Leonidas followed behind the silver-haired mage Sabrina latched onto his right arm and did not let go. Her grip was so tight that had Leonidas not stopped to speak to her he was fairly certain that he would have dragged Sabrina to their destination.

"C'mon Big Guy, pick me up and carry me!" Sabrina urged him and tugged on his arm twice for emphasis. Leonidas looked down at her with a skeptical eye. He had never heard her make that request before and was somewhat surprised by it.

"You want me to carry you." Leonidas dryly repeated the request. Sabrina looked up at him and nodded.

"Yes, Big Guy! It's cold and I'm tired and I want to be warm!" Sabrina confirmed and then complained about being cold and suffering from fatigue. Leonidas looked at the back of Martha, who was doing her best to keep her word to Sabrina and was proceeding towards home without much delay. The scar-faced mage looked at Sabrina again and sighed.

"OK, Sabrina. I'll pick you up and carry you." Leonidas acquiesced to what his companion wanted, if only to avoid losing the silver-haired mage.

"YAY!" Sabrina exclaimed and practically jumped into his arms. Once she was being securely held she snuggled up against him with her eyes closed and a big smile on her face. Leonidas looked ahead and began to walk briskly in order to catch up with Martha.

[Post Word Count: 780]
[Total Word Count: 6,528/10,000]

-Capital Crocus, Leonidas' Apartment, 12:31 A.M.-

After making sure that Martha Watson made it home safely Leonidas and Sabrina had gotten a sizable monetary reward for their trouble just as the job listing had promised. Now Leonidas was in his apartment lying on the couch with the television on as background noise while Sabrina was in her room fast asleep. On the coffee table next to his couch was the large bag containing the reward money, which was the object of his focus at the moment. Leonidas' Silver Falchion was in its scabbard and sitting on the table to the riight of the bag of Jewels; its grip was facing him and thanks to that arrangement he could easily reach out and draw the weapon in case he needed to fend off home intruders.

As he looked at the bag of money the scar-faced mage could scarcely believe that all of those Jewels were his. The sum within the bag was enough for him to get an even bigger apartment, some fancy armor, a fancy weapon, or perhaps even a motor vehicle so that he did not have to walk from place to place or rely on Sabrina to teleport him. However, Leonidas already had it earmarked for a very special purpose and that was to complete his goal of earning enough money to send to his mother so that she could leave Desierto for good.

Leonidas had clashed with his mother Sophia numerous times about a variety of topics like his "need" to find a girlfriend, his "need" to marry said girlfriend and provide his mother with grandchildren, and even his "need" to convince Leona to give up her traveling mage lifestyle and find a man to marry. The scar-faced mage did not like those topics because every time they came up he felt like his mother was trying to control him. He disliked feeling controlled every bit as much as his younger sister; in fact their disdain for Sophia's domineering behavior was one of the few things the Jarnefeldt siblings could both agree on.

However, as much as he disliked her behavior Leonidas could hardly turn his back on his mother, who was still stuck in a village in central Desierto that was the target of frequent bandit and slaver raids while he lived in relative comfort and safety in Fiore. As much as a pain in the backside she could be he was not going to leave her in Nebdoui if he could help it. Leonidas was going to do his best to find a way to send the money to Desierto so that Sophia could afford to leave and move to Fiore to live the rest of her life in a town or city that was much safer than Nebdoui. However, there was a problem with that idea besides finding a way to safely send the money to his mother.

Where was his mother going to live once she got to Fiore?

Leonidas rolled over onto his back and looked at the ceiling. That problem was one he had thought about off and on but had not managed to come up with a satisfactory solution to. He took a quiet breath as he began to think about it again.

Capital Crocus would be the most logical answer... he lived there and could help Sophia get used to the hustle and bustle of the big city plus could help her afford food and rent until she got on her feet. That was his first thought and one the "dutiful son" would have. However, he was not sure if moving his mother to Capital Crocus and helping her get an apartment here would be such a good idea after all. Leonidas' main concern was that the moment she got established in Fiore she would begin making demands of him just like she had done back in Desierto.

The scar-faced mage had gotten used to having some independence and was loathe to relinquish it, especially to Sophia, who would likely revert to her old habits within a short time of arriving. However, the solution was not as simple as setting her up in another city. To the best of his knowledge Sophia had never been to Fiore in her life and would need someone to support her until she could live on her own. That meant that Leonidas would likely have to take on the responsibility of providing for his mother once more.

Leonidas continued to stare at the ceiling while thinking that matter over before committing to any plans for the future.

[Post Word Count: 764]
[Total Word Count: 7,292/10,000]

-Leonidas' Apartment, 10:45 A.M.-

Leonidas did not know what time he had finally fallen asleep, but he was finally awake and staring at the television, which was on some odd anime about the game of chess. He did not care about what was on the television, so he sat up and located the remote, then pointed it at the device and pressed the Power button. In the mini-kitchen was Sabrina, who was wearing a pink tank top and blue jean short shorts. She was standing in front of the refrigerator and in her left hand was a half-eaten ham sandwich

"Hey Big Guy!" Sabrina greeted the scar-faced mage. Leonidas put the remote on the coffee table before facing her and standing up.

"Hi there." Leonidas returned the greeting. He walked over to the mini-kitchen and made his way to the cabinet, where he grabbed the partial loaf of bread to prepare to make his own sandwich. He then walked over to the kitchen island and set the bread down before grabbing a paper towel off the roll sitting in a holder on the left side of the island and setting it down just to the left of the waiting loaf. He turned to the refrigerator and Sabrina obligingly stepped aside to let him access it.

Leonidas opened the door and rummaged inside until he found a half-empty package of ham, then shut the door and took the package of ham back to the kitchen island. From there he opened it and then took the blue twist tie off of the loaf of bread before opening it and fishing out two pieces. He shoved the loaf aside and put the pieces of bread on the paper towel before grabbing four slices of ham and putting them on top of the bottom piece. He put the other piece on top and picked up his culinary creation, then took a bite before facing Sabrina.

"Not bad." Leonidas commented on his simple meal.

"I agree. The ham you use is a pretty good kind. It could stand to be a little thicker, though." Sabrina commented on the brand of ham he favored, which was one whose name escaped him at the moment. It was a store brand from a local supermarket, but he did not require an expensive cut of meat to make a good sandwich. Like his roommate had said its only real shortcoming was that the slices were cut a bit thin, but that was nothing that would make him quit buying it.

"That's a fair criticism." Leonidas agreed with her point. He took another bite of his meal and looked at Sabrina, who stepped over to the right side of the kitchen island and started to eat her sandwich again. Leonidas moved over to the left side and the two blond mages ate in amiable silence until the sandwiches were gone: when that happened Sabrina broke the silence with a question.

"So, Big Guy... now that you've got the money you need, what are you going to do from here?" Sabrina asked him. The scar-faced mage grabbed the paper towel he had made his sandwich on with his right hand and faced her.

"I need to get the money to my mother somehow, but I'm not sure how I can make that happen." Leonidas replied by stating his goal and the difficulty he was having in achieving it. He still had not come up with a way he could safely send his mother the money and have it actually get to her. The scar-faced mage looked at Sabrina for a few moments before looking back to the mess on the counter and starting to clean it up.

Roughly a minute later he had cleaned up the crumbs from his meal and Sabrina's and had thrown the paper towel in the trash when there was a knock on the front door. Leonidas and Sabrina looked at each other and the knocking sounded again. After the third time Leonidas spoke.

"I'll get it." Leonidas told his companion before walking to the front door and opening it. Outside stood Samantha Halsey, who was dressed in a light blue t-shirt and knee-length white skirt with white sandals. The third blonde smiled at him.

"Hey Leonidas! It's been awhile!" Samantha cheerfully greeted him.

"Yes it has." Leonidas agreed with that statement. The smile did not leave Samantha's face as she maintained eye contact. Leonidas felt a presence behind his right shoulder and kept facing forward... it was Sabrina and she was probably jealous again.

"I was wondering... would you like to go to the mall with me for awhile?" Samantha asked him. Leonidas wanted to accept the offer, but he was not sure how Sabrina was going to respond. She was the jealous type and was not inclined to let other women anywhere near him, so he would probably have to make a deal with Sabrina like promising her a shopping trip tomorrow before he could go to the mall with Samantha.

[Post Word Count: 836]
[Total Word Count: 8,128/10,000]

-Capital Crocus Mall, 12:37 P.M.-

True to Leonidas' prediction Sabrina was not happy about him leaving the apartment to talk to another young woman, but after promising Sabrina another shopping trip at some point in the near future Leonidas was allowed to accompany Samantha to the mall. Upon arrival the two blonds strode through the automatic doors and entered the bustling center of commerce to find that the food court was so packed that the lines extended to the entrance hall the pair was now standing in. They looked at each other and Samantha wordlessly took the lead, guiding them to the right side of the hall and guiding them past the line on the far right to enter the mall proper. They kept moving to the right and when they were finally clear of the long lines and standing in front of Earthland Eagle Samantha finally spoke.

"I didn't think it'd be that busy today." Samantha commented on the large crowds, which had obviously been a lot larger than expected. Leonidas simply shrugged his shoulders.

"If you'd like to go somewhere else to talk we can. I don't have a problem doing that." Leonidas offered for them to go elsewhere to have the conversation. Samantha almost immediately waved away the idea with her right hand.

"It's OK, Leonidas. It's nothing we need to keep a secret from anyone. We can talk about it with or without a crowd nearby." She informed him that changing location would not be necessary. She looked at him for a moment before speaking with a smile.

"I haven't found another boyfriend yet, but I'm glad that we parted ways without a fight." Samantha started off. Leonidas kept a straight face and kept his mouth shut as the young woman continued to talk.

"I like you a lot, but I just don't think that the chemistry is there. It also seems like that Sabrina girl's got a thing for you, so I don't want to get between you two. That's why I decided we should just be friends." Samantha continued by stating that they were friends but did not have a chance of becoming a couple. The scar-faced mage was fine with that, but he was not fine with the assumption that Sabrina was his girlfriend.

"Sabrina's not my girlfriend, Samantha. She's a friend of mine who's helped me on a few dangerous jobs in the Cursed Lands, but there's nothing romantic going on between us." Leonidas told Samantha that Sabrina was not a romantic interest of his. The other blonde did not seem to buy that and only grinned at him.

"Sabrina's not the only young woman who's interested in you, Leonidas." Samantha hinted. He raised an eyebrow.

"My friend Morgan Spruance has a thing for you, Leonidas. Some time ago she asked me for permission to date you and I gave her the go-ahead. She took so long to ask me because she thought that you and I were a couple, but after I told her we were just friends I gave her permission to date you. Whether or not you actually want to date her is up to you." The young woman informed Leonidas exactly what she meant.

"Morgan's a kind young woman and she definitely likes me. I'm willing to go on a date with her at least once, but only when she wants to. I'm not going to force her to before she's ready." Leonidas told Samantha that he was open to the idea of dating Morgan. The young woman smiled and reached out to grab his arm, then hugged it. Maybe part of her still wanted to date him herself, but he was not certain and was not going to ask.

"You're such a kind man, Leonidas. That's why I was drawn to you to begin with. I liked you because of your kindness and that's why I consider you a friend. One day you'll find the right young woman for you." She said that his kindness was what she liked about him and that trait would lead to him finding someone to date and possibly even marry. Leonidas was doubtful of that. In between Sabrina's clingy behavior and his mother's obsession with him getting married and giving her grandchildren, he was not sure if he wanted to subject any young women who might be interested in him to those things. Still, the scar-faced mage wanted to find a girlfriend, so he would just have to take the risk.

"Thanks for saying that." Leonidas thanked her for the encouragement. Samantha released his arm, made eye contact, and smiled at him.

"I want to do some shopping while we talk. Let's go to the second floor and see what we can find!" She suggested before turning around and beginning to walk towards the stairwell on the other side of the first floor.

"Sure." Leonidas replied before following her. The pair managed to squeeze through a gap in the food court lines and get to the stairwell without too much difficulty. They then began to quickly climb the stairs, their footsteps barely audible above the crowd noise on the first floor.

[Post Word Count: 860]
[Total Word Count: 8,988/10,000]

-Outside Samantha's Apartment, 6:38 P.M.-

Samantha and Leonidas had made a day of it at the mall and the scar-faced mage had had to carry two shopping bags in addition to the two Samantha had carried. Now they were outside of her apartment after the bags had been offloaded in the living room and the two blonds were looking at one another. Leonidas was waiting for her to speak to him one last time before going inside for the evening. A cold wind blew their hair about and Samantha spoke to him.

"Shopping with you was a lot of fun, Leonidas." Samantha said to him with a smile.

"It was great getting to spend time with you, Samantha." Leonidas replied. The shopping excursion had been a pleasant one, but it had also been informative. He had learned that the blonde saw him as a friend and would continue to view him as one for the foreseeable future, a status he was content with. He did not have to be her boyfriend in order to enjoy being in her presence.

"I'm glad you thought so. I wasn't sure how your female friend reacted to us being so close, but I'm glad it worked out." Samantha said.

"Sabrina's the jealous type and she doesn't like you, but she won't deliberately sabotage us. She'll make plenty of catty remarks, though. You'd better be prepared for that." Leonidas warned his female friend to expect verbal barbs from Sabrina whenever they met. Samantha did not seem to be bothered by that because her facial expression did not change at all.

"I don't mind, Leonidas. If they get to be too much I'll either reply in kind or just walk away." Samantha stated confidently. If she did not mind the possibility of Sabrina greeting her with cutting remarks Leonidas was not going to belabor the point. The other blonde did not let too much time pass between her most recent statement and her next.

"There's something I want to tell you, Leonidas. It's something I've told you before, but I'm going to say it again." She said the first part of what sounded like a statement with multiple parts. The scar-faced mage remained silent and let his female friend talk.

"I'm glad we're friends, Leonidas. I'm glad that despite me not wanting to be your girlfriend you're still kind to me." Samantha confessed to him. That prompted Leonidas to reiterate a point he had made a few months before.

"I told you in the past that I wanted you to be happy even if I wasn't the one you chose to be with. That hasn't changed. That'll never change." Leonidas repeated the point he had made months ago during the conversation about the nature of their relationship. Samantha's face visibly brightened when she heard him say that.

"I'm glad you feel that way. That's why I still want to be friends with you. I'm not the one for you, but one day you'll find the young woman who is." Samantha told him with audible confidence. That statement reinforced his belief that what Leonidas had felt for her was infatuation, not any real connection. She had been the first young woman he had met in Capital Crocus and she had been kind to him, so he had latched onto her like she was his future girlfriend. He thought that Sabrina showing up when he was talking to her at the mall that day had been the end of his connection with Samantha, but to his relief it had changed from a romantic one to a platonic one.

Leonidas was fine with that. While he knew that having Samantha as a girlfriend was no longer possible he was perfectly willing to have her as a platonic friend. He would keep her as a friend even if Sabrina did not like it... Leonidas chose who he associated with, not her.

"And I want to keep being friends with you too." Leonidas replied truthfully. Samantha did not say anything, but her next action spoke volumes. She reached out and hugged Leonidas tightly, then let him go.

"I'll see you later, Leonidas. Thanks again for going to the mall with me!" Samantha bade him farewell before going inside and shutting the door. The scar-faced mage looked at the closed door for a few moments before setting out for home. He was not sure how Sabrina would respond to his lengthy absence, but he was sure that she would not be too upset, especially after he had promised her a shopping trip of her own some time soon.

-Leonidas' Apartment, 7:26 P.M.-

"Hey Big Guy!" Sabrina greeted Leonidas after he stepped into the living room.

"Hey Sabrina." Leonidas greeted his companion and roommate.

"How did it go with Samantha?" She asked him.

"It went well. We spent quite a bit of time at the mall and I helped her carry her shopping bags home. And before you ask, we didn't kiss or anything. We're just friends." He gave Sabrina a brief rundown on how the trip to the mall had went and told her that nothing romantic had happened between him and Samantha. After that he went silent and waited to see how Sabrina reacted to what she had been told so far before he discussed the subject any further.

[Post Word Count: 888]
[Total Word Count: 9,876/10,000]

"I don't think there was anything between you two, but I still don't care for that Samantha chick. She seems to be the controlling sort who thinks that you belong to her and her alone." Sabrina commented on Samantha's behavior during that fateful day at Capital Crocus Mall. Leonidas kept his mouth shut to avoid saying something he might regret. There was so much he could say to Sabrina's remark such as a claim that the other blonde was hypocritical for opining that Samantha was a control freak. The pink-and-blue clad blonde hated for Leonidas to look at another young woman... for example she had dropped heavy hints that she did not want him looking at Agatha Johnson when she was taking down her tent during the rescue mission in Sombras Manor. If Sabrina wanted to see someone who was possessive all she had to do was look in the mirror.

"I don't know that for certain." Leonidas offered a neutral response to Sabrina's opinion. The other blonde's face showed a brief flash of anger, possibly in response to Leonidas questioning her. It did not last long, though.

"Listen, Big Guy. I don't think she was the right fit for you. If she was she wouldn't have reacted so badly to me showing up at the mall." Sabrina offered another claim. Again the scar-faced mage had to struggle to keep his mouth shut because his roommate obviously subscribed to a self-serving version of events where she was the innocent one and Samantha had been the aggressor. In fact Sabrina had been the one to start slinging verbal barbs, prompting the other young woman to respond in kind.

"Maybe. Maybe not." Leonidas said as calmly as he could. He needed to move on from that subject before his self-control was worn away, so he brought up something else.

"When did you want to go on the trip to the mall, Sabrina?" The scar-faced mage asked his roommate. Sabrina's face brightened at the mention of the shopping trip he had promised her in exchange for getting to go to the mall with Samantha earlier.

"It doesn't have to be right away, Big Guy. Any time within the next month or so will do!" She gave him a reasonable timeframe in which to deliver on the promise. Leonidas found that to be acceptable, so he agreed to it.

"OK then. I'll do my best to make it happen some time within the next week or two." Leonidas informed her. Sabrina stepped forward and hugged him.

"Yay! I want to look for a denim jacket and a denim skirt too! Oh, and some cute white or brown sandals so I don't have to wear tennis shoes all the time if I don't want to! Oh, and maybe I'll get some other tennis shoes while I'm at it!" She listed some of the goals she had in mind for the trip. Leonidas had a feeling that the items his roommate wanted were going to get expensive, so he decided to take advantage of the time he had been given to look for a job that would pay him enough to afford everything Sabrina wanted to buy. He would cross that bridge later, though.

Right now his priority was getting something to eat, so as soon as he was released from Sabrina's embrace he walked over to the mini-kitchen and made a ham sandwich for himself. When he looked for a job tomorrow Leonidas would need to find something that paid well like the job he had just completed did. However, he was not sure if he would be lucky enough to find another high-paying job so soon after the last one, so he would just have to look and see if he could at least find something that would pay enough to cover a trip to Capital Crocus Mall.

[Post Word Count: 644]
[Total Word Count: 10,520/10,000]