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
“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
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