View Full Version : [M][IC]Western Wanderers: Wizards and Death
Rated M for Violence, extreme language, Kris's Character being naked most of the RP, sexual situations, gore and blood stuff, a very grim outlook from V's character.
A town liberated, a talisman lost. Our heroes will never be the same, once drawn together for a grim task now have developed deep romantic feelings. However, Joey the hired gun fought against a Dead Man and now only remains alive due to the magic of the woman named Marigold. It's up to Joanne to save him through the only way: a Necromancer.
The ancient talisman has headed across the wasteland carried by the two warlocks. They only way to cross is by the expensive frontier train....
~~
A way back there had been a station abandoned, just a wooden building made at the edge of the road. They would never have stopped there before but rest was needed more often now. Inside the station was an old mattress they shared together, they would never have done that a week ago either. Times had changed.
Joe had rested his head on her shoulder as slow tears rolled gently from his eyes. Times were that he felt death on his doorstep and in these moments no longer felt human at all. It was at the edge of his concious always and was overtaking his very being. He was tired.
Once the effect began to ease, Joe rolled away from her. He was too weak, she'd never have hired him like this. Shamefully he lay his head down on the mattress and closed his eyes. Then he slept.
Joe didn't speak for long periods, a few times nearly a day had passed by on the back of their horses. Once he woke, it wasn't any different. Joanne was sitting on the edge of the bed, slowly he kissed her cheek apologising. He wanted to open his mouth then, but instead ate some of their remaining supplies. It was mid afternoon before the rode free.
Each step was a vicious sensation to his spine, jolt after jolt – horse step after horse step. Never had he truly recovered from the bullet and blood wound despite the healing spell. Days in the outback had done nothing to ease his body nor mind.
But Joe, despite Joanne's concern, pushed them forward. He'd said, “this is more vital that my health, we can't let others turn out this way,” the day before after he'd slipped down from the horse unexpected. The pains had been too much to continue.
Times used to be that he could ride all day and still have the energy for a wild night long gunfight. Not any more.
Watching horizon's was what he'd been doing for the last few hours, no enemies to the east as far as he could see. No bandits coming from behind or to the other side of him. And nothing near the sun the were riding toward. That was the only thing that calmed him for now, the land was dangerous and he didn't know how they would survive if someone ambushed them out here.
It came. A pillar in the distance. Something real and different, something against the fading sun, something they would be drawn to. Perhaps half an hour away, getting closer and closer. They'd arrive before the night fell completely he thought.
Enlarging as they approached, the pillar became a tower surrounded by a thick stone wall. It was at the centre and shone of white. A moment.... he felt something wash over himself, a probing sense akin to the magic that had entered his body several times before. Then, as if bored it disappeared leaving behind only the feeling of despair.
As they came closer other roofs emerged over the wall and then he heard the noise.
It came and left quickly. The heavy horn blasted by the train. Steam engines power the monstrous thing as it came down the track toward the town. The last frontier before the wasteland they were at. Joe slowed down and motioned Joanne to lead the way through the township, she'd be better at finding them a place to stay.
And getting them a cheaper price.
A town.
At least.
The first thing Jo decided to do was try and get them a place to stay, with a nice tube she could bath in. She never let Joe knew, because he was feeling bad already as it was, but she was just dying to have some warm bath. She wanted it so badly she was about to scream... and the last thing the poor broken man needed was her to be complaining about something so minor while his life were at stake.
She frowned for a moment, worrying about Joe's life, but the thought quickly passed as she considered the warm bath.
He could look if he wanted...
She smirked to that thought as she walked from one place to another checking on available room at smelly inns. Sadly, most of them were too expensive for them to buy. They had limited cash and they couldn't just spend it all on one room.
Angry, she started to head back for Joe's direction, never noticing the man that was sitting right in front of her path.
"WATCH WERE YOU GO YOU STUPID WHORE!", he cried.
"WELL WATCH WERE YOU SIT YOU APE!".
They continued to scream at each other for a long while before another man tried to make them stop and get the man she stomped on to get back on their game.
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/ef/Horseshoes_game.jpg/250px-Horseshoes_game.jpg
Horseshoes game, the best gambling game the wild western can provide. Score the shoe around the nail and it's your gain, miss and you lose it.
Jo let her fingers twist softly as she felt the wind gathering between her fingers. Maybe she could earn some cash for them after all...
Joe sat on the bench by himself watching the game about to unfold. Their horses were tied up beside him.
Joanne had went exploring the town but returned without a place for them to stay. Of course the town with the only train across the Wasteland would be expensive. That left them without a place to stay and sleeping outside wasn't an option with the Sheriff about - they would be kicked out of town. Unless he repeated what he'd done to the previous Sheriff Joe thought grimly.
She had an idea, a way to make them some quick money. But if she couldn't win the game then they would be broke. Joe hadn't really ever been much of a gambler either.
But it was the only way to get money.
They each had three horseshoes each, and whoever scored the most around the nail would win. Or if they failed in that the closest to the nail would win.
Joe watched the man stand ready at the line a few meters away from the target. It had taken Joanne a few minutes to argue him into the game, teasing him that he was afraid of a woman beating him, but eventually the desire for money swung the man into the game.
The man threw the first horseshoe, it hit the dusty soil after spinning through the air. It was about a foot away from the nail.
Joe watched Joanne line up for her first throw.
Jo couldn't allow the man to win. She needed the money and she needed it now. She flexed her hands as she aimed her body, steadily moving herself closer for the target as she bent slowly, rising her arm and throwing it backward, taking the right swing before throwing her hands forward, watching as the horseshoe was tossed to a far distance.
Without the other men to notice (aside of Joe) she let her fingers hit against each other as some lights appeared within them. She made a quick movement and reached her hand to fix her hair, but Joe saw that some streams of magic were sent for the horseshoe, adding a bit of power into it.
The metallic object hit against the nail and twiddle around it until it hit the ground, announcing the witch as the winner.
She looked at the man with a cold blue eyes as a grin appeared on her face, reaching her hands to grab the coins which were her prize.
She knew she cheated, but it was for a good cause...
It Joe had felt like it, he would have rolled his eyes. Of course she'd cheated.
Before the men could feel anything other than confusion, they grabbed their money and wandered off into the town. Joe smiled sweetly leading their horses now packed with several new sacks away. He suspected it wouldn't take long for them to feel robbed out of their money.
But both of them would be long gone and into their hotel room. Joe stabled their horses as the witch went inside. It was one of the cheaper places she'd found but still gave off a sense of respectability rather than being a cheap dirty place of bad reputation. Well Joe hoped anyway, the place looked well enough.
Once they were both inside a clerk lead them up the stairs to their room. It wasn't large but well furnished with a large bed and a pair of beds. And as Jo said 'most importantly a bath.' Joe himself ordered a meal to be brought up quickly, with some decent wine.
Steam came swirling from the bath as Jo relaxed inside. She kept the door open so that they could talk - probably would have kept the door open anyway - but Joe's mood was darker so he was even less talkative. He himself sat in the chair opposite the bathroom and could look up to her if he wanted to. But he was resting his eyes in his hands.
It was only then, in the safety of their private room could Joe could feel the probing sense of magic once more. There was something within this town that could sense him and it was strong. The cowboy didn't know wether to be worried or to simply ignore the sensation. Perhaps this person, or whatever, was simple curious. It didn't matter. Maybe Jo knew what it was.
"Can you feel that?" He asked her.
"No... I didn't....".
Jo sank her head right into her arms which leaned against the rails of the tubes, letting the steams of hot water cover herself.
She hasn't felt anything since entering this town. Usually when a mage uses his magic around in the open (like she done to boost her victory with the horseshoe) it makes him/her to be known to the others wizards and sorceress around. And this time she felt no awakening of new spell in town.
The reason of course could be that there wasn't any magical source in town, but knowing the guild of warlocks she was sure that can't be the case. They are like secret agents; They are there, always, all the times, hiding in the shadows, waiting to be found.
But Joe shouldn't feel something so strongly which is blocked to her, unless...
Jo got up quickly, splashing water from the tubes all around the wooden floor, as she stormed naked outside the door much to Joe's amazement and surprised, "Get dressed", she said while tossing cloths from her bag into one of the beds, "Since we rent the room for the night, I guess it will be safe to leave some things while we go and explore the place, but we need to do it now... before nightfall..."
Joe looked puzzled as she dressed, "Only those who experienced death can sense the magic of a necromancer, and even that needs to be in a define time zone. In simple words, if you saw death in a short while of 3 up to 4 days you may be able to sense the dark magic of the necromancers, otherwise, if you are not necromancer yourself, you cannot pick their magic, no matter how strong of a wizard you are...", she was almost done and now fixed her hair, "To cure you, we need a necromancer... Joe", she looked at him, her blue eyes dancing eagerly as she gazed at him, "Lead the way... Try to sense his or her magic... and lead us to where that person is...".
She nodded slowly, "And it should be done before nightfall. They usually sleep during the day because their magic is weaker in day time and travel around at night. We better find him, because they don't like to stay in the same place more than a day, and it is reasonable that person will leave comes night... Let's go".
"No... I didn't....".
"Oh okay then," mumbled Joe staring at the round. It was probably just his mind hoping for an answer then. He rose from his chair and began to get ready for sleep.
He heard the crash of water and Joanne came storming into the room. Beneath all the death Joe could feel emotions working at the sights of her naked body, his eyes rested on her breasts before she started talking. Then all he was feeling was sapped away. At least there was hope, he thought, pulling his shirt back over his head.
Ten minutes later then left the hotel into the evening heat. They were both dressed once more and Joe had grabbed one of his pistols incase they had needed it.
"Lead the way... Try to sense his or her magic... and lead us to where that person is...". Joanne had told him, he could feel her excitement underneath her words despite the deadness inside him
Joe wasn't sure how to lead them but she was urging him on. They didn't have much time to find this Necromancer. He didn't know how to sense, he wasn't used to all this magic stuff. It was confusing, or should have been but he just didn't care enough.
"How do you do this stuff," he muttered to himself as they walked their way down the dusty main street. The outer wall loomed before them in a short walk, they passed underneath the central. "Finding things .... I just don't know how..."
"Oh." He croaked.
All of a sudden his body was pull of a sharp pain as if someone was trying to animate his bones into life and servitude. Joe resisted the spell pulling away from it. He hit the side of a building with a crunch before settling down. He breathed heavy for a moment before he laughed.
"He's summoning the dead right now, we didn't stop to think." Joe said before continuing. "Please Joanne we need our horses." He pointed out passed the outer wall to a hill nearby.
"We need to get to the graveyard."
Jo nodded in return and added, "Great job", as they dashed back for the stable. Their horses looked somewhat tired and as much as Jo felt sorry for occupying them so soon she still dragged the reins over their bodies.
"Please don't hold it against us", she petted behind their ears along their manes, "I promise a lovely treat once we get back, how does this sounds?".
Obviously the horses couldn't answer and Jo and Joe had little time to wait for any approval either. Joe helped Jo to sit on her horse's back, while he had no trouble getting on his. Again they rode for the last location they were at, and after that they rode a small distance to the hill.
Jo couldn't help but shiver from the eerie feeling of the foul magic at work, and she knew Joe felt worst; It wasn't wise to allow a person who experienced death not so long ago to be met with any events such as these without letting the wounds heal first, but they had little time to spare.
"Better not scare him... The last thing I need is to disrupt a necromancer's ceremony... Not only their revenge is a terrible one, these are the deads they deal with. Bother them and you may never know what you may cause them to free out of their control... It's very hard for a necromancer to control undead creatures more than once one they somehow set themselves free... Hell, to some it's not even possible... So, just in case we deal with a newbie, let's just stalk him for now and see what's he up to... Once he's done we'll question him...".
but before they could advance any further the black aura disappeared and the figure lowered his dark hood, uncovering his face.
http://www.scifiupdates.com/main/images/stories/tv_series/LOTS/ep02x04/Legend-of-the-Seeker-S02E04-Touched-Promo-Image-4.jpg
"Who are you?!", he asked.
Jo felt the tension of the magic around him. He was ready to attack them at any given moment.
"Easy now", she whispered to Joe, "He is almost ready to do battle... Let's get on his better side...".
They were inside the graveyard, Joe was listening to her whispers as they approached the figure hunched over in the centre of the graves. His aura was black but once they got too close it changed, Joe felt them pass through something..... something dead. Once the Aura was gone the older man stared back at them.
Joe could sense then that this was no apprentice, or Necromancer new to their powers. He was old and powerful but there was something else too. He was wounded, maybe not physically but something was wrong with him.
Didn't stop him being so strong. Joe felt his bones quaking again.
"Who are you?!"
"Joe Kingstone," Joe replied immediately ignoring Joanne's warnings. He almost felt compelled to tell the necromancer.
Suddenly he felt the aggressive aura change, weaken.... but still wary. "You're a dead man.... I felt you, twice. I don't understand why you can move like you can."
"I don't understand either. I shouldn't be able to."
Then the Necromancer's attention switched to Joanne, and he hissed and lowered himself to the ground. He raised his hands protectively and looked away from her. He cried out, "no! I don't have it!"
Joe looked at her with a questioning look, he took a step forward to the necromancer but the old man wailed. "No stay back, I understand why you are like that.
"Keep me away from the Amulet Guardian."
Jo's eyes narrowed themselves. Despite all the confusion she was in the last thing she wanted this surprise to be reflected in her eyes. What was this jewel name he just uttered? Who was he? how did he knew so much about stuff and about Joe's condition.
Dear lord, he must have been more powerful than she thought he was.
She took a step forward and stood more or less, on the same ground row as Joe.
"We won't harm you... We just want some answers, and maybe...", she gave Joe a quick glance, "A cure....", looking back at the old man she said slowly, "Tell us what you know"
The necromancer cried out again, "they said that last time, they just wanted answers! I told them I didn't have it then, I don't have it now. Please just go away, look for the Amulet of Death elsewhere."
"Joanne," Joe whispered to her shaking his head. He moved forward without her.
At first when he touched the necromancers shoulder he remember the battle less than a week ago. The same feeling, but weakened entered him. Then it faded from Joe and he could feel the necromancer's power more.
"Jamie," he said, "we only want your help."
Touching the man's shoulder he became aware of something hidden away inside the man, and impassable wall. Behind it lay a large amount of the Necromancers power. Bound inside against his will.
Joe fell backward, "damn," he croaked. He felt worse than normal, somehow the exposure to the dark magic had hastened the progress of his death.
"Joanne some of his power has been sealed."
Looking back and forth from the necromancer and Joe, confusion finally turned to appear on her beautiful face, "Joe, what the hell is going on?!", she shivered, "How can you feel him? How do you know his name?! How do you know that his powers had been sealed?
She watched as the old man shook his head, "So you are new in the art of magic?"
He was making fun of her?!
THE NERVE!!!
"Certainly not!", Jo protested.
"Well, it can't be helped anyway. I don't think you will hurt me, but truth be told", he looked at Jo, "I can tell you are not going to be of any use to me either. Better run along kids and leave me be... Troubles seem to follow me wherever I go and I don't wish to protect others, you see. Not the social guy and all...".
Jo gave Joe a worried look. They can't just leave him. Not now whey they knew he had some information to share, aside of the fact he could help them with Joe's cure, "We can't!", she said boldly, her lips twisting with anger, "You are going to help us! Or else your new friend here", she said, pointing at Joe, "Going to die".
The old wizard gave her an annoyed stare.
"Look, this medallion is of outmost importance, and Joe is living on borrowed time here, at least give us some information... We shall tell you our tale in exchange".
The Wizard shrugged, "Whatever, What do you want to know?"
"All that you can tell us", she poked Joe with her right shoulder, "Go on, tell him our story, Joe".
Joe wasn't listening to them argue back and forth, he was standing there swaying on his feet. All of a sudden his shirt felt wet, his fingers came away sticky from it. In a moment he pulled back his shirt, ripping the buttons open. And there it was.
A bullet wound that had been healed.
"I can't do that Joanne," he whispered to her, "there isn't enough time." He turned to let her see the wound he'd received from the undead outlaw. "I can't explain our quest, why I am this way, that we saved that town. You have to do this Joanne.
"Earn his trust, please." Joe stepped away from the frightened necromancer. Each step agony. Until he was free of the graves where he fell onto a patch of grass. He sat there out of breath.
"When I sensed him, I think I removed the shield or broke it. I don't think I'll survive the hour. I'm dying Jo, sorry."
"Remove his Seal, he'll help us then."
The necromancer was watching him with a frown, suddenly his whole person changed to that of confidence. "I feel it now, yes, the talisman has touched him if indirectly. It's a wonder he has survived this long actually, since only those of magical origins can safely be around it." He was still watching as Joe lay back coughed and closed his eyes.
Jamie closed his eyes and muttered an ancient word, easing the cowboy to a slumber.
"I can feel his thoughts now that he has entered this true death state. I can see where you have come from, and where you go." The necromancer said, "they must be stopped."
"But as Joe said, I need to Seal removed otherwise I cannot reverse this. I'm sorry." He finished and then looked around the graveyard awkwardly.
"Tell me how?!", Jo snapped suddenly, "How can I unseal that thing in your head?! and... will it be in time to save Joe?!", she held herself from crying, but hearing that the young lad had less than a hour to live wasn't something she hoped to learn.
The old wizard nodded softly, "I'll need you to focus all of your powers on me... You're too weak to do it, but if you land me your powers I-"
Jo's eyes widen. She knew perfectly well what it meant. Magic was like a wall of water. It filled itself consistently, but drained too much and the wall would be left empty... maybe for hour, maybe few days...
Sometimes even forever...
She shivered, knowing the risk of giving all her powers for that man, and if they deal with a necromancer and at his level, and while Joe was so weak to fend himself, who can tell what was going to happen?
Truth was it was more than that... She was just afraid to lose her power forever...
She frowned before a smile appeared on her lips. Joe didn't need to know what she was about to sacrifice... He would forbid her to give so much for him... But she didn't care, he was far more important to her than anything else.
Besides, who knows, maybe her magic will return to her and that will prove to her she was greater witch than she originally thought.
She placed her hands over the Necromancer's hands and resist the urge to crawl and twist and shiver with each power that was drained from her body. They both glitter, but Jo seemed weaker and weaker each moment, until she was forced on her knees, feeling a terrible headache.
She coughed and had trouble breathing, feeling so empty without her powers. She looked up at the necromancer, who slowly seemed to grew brighter, "Can you break the seal now?", she asked.
The necromancer nodded.
Losing her magic she couldn't tell if it was true or not, but after a moment he stopped to shine.
"Now, cure Joe", she said weakly, "Please"
The Necromancer Jamie stood above the dead man, his body brimming with power both of ancient and new origin. He knelt down beside the man his hands hovering above Joe's chest. The shirt the body wore unbuttoned itself revealing his chest, the old bullet wound was oozing.
When Jamie broke the seal, he'd destroyed the fear that had been implanted by the Witch order. He wasn't completely fearful in the woman's presence now. But for decades he'd lived in fear, and that was hard to break, it was a great part of him. Perhaps time would heal him and make him less afraid of the world. Until then he was happy to be a coward. And once this was done, Jamie was going to get the hell out of town. Get as far away from Warlocks, witches, deadly amulets. Maybe he'd move to the city or across the country.
"I'm going to warn you now," he said to the woman. "Once I return him I will have to infuse a heavy amount of magic into his body, such high levels would normally kill a person without magic. But since he has changed..... he should cope. But it will change him, there won't be anything physically or mentally different in him. But he would be almost like us.
"He won't be able to cast spells, but I think he may continue sensing magic. And he will not age naturally anymore. Like the supernatural, witches, wizards..... necromancers, he will life a long life."
The Necromancer sighed, "I sense.... who he is, I think.... it would hurt him deeply to know that he will live for a long time. To know that he will outlive and still be young when those he loves, family and friends.... die."
"It is up to you if you wish to share this with him."
After that his focus was completely in the summoning of power, the reversal of death, the altering of life. He infused his hands with raw energy, power that the young woman had given him - the remains of her power. The Necromancer knew her power would be more effective due to whatever bonds they had. Jamie's fingers entered Joe's open wound slowly. He felt the rise and fall of dying breath but he reached in. Until his fingers struck bone.
This was the heart of the problem, the death magic of the amulet turned others into destructive skeletal warriors and slowly stripped away all that person was. By the looks of the growing damage he didn't have much time.
Pouring Joanne's power into him, the Necromancer began to fight the death. Once the remaining power of hers was used he began to tap into his own small reserve powers. He didn't know how long it took but once it was done he fell back exhausted. All his magic was inside Joe.
And the man was truly alive once more, if asleep while the last of the spell worked it's course.
"Done," he gasped, he wobbled away from the cowboy. Joanne was still standing nearby and looked worried, "it is done, he is healed." He breathed out heavily, "consider this our business done."
He had a small bag of gear nearby so he chucked that over his shoulder. "He'll be awake within half an hour." He began to walked away into the night but stopped after a few steps.
"He's going to be feeling.... quite... erm .... alive, when he awakes. He might not contain his ...." He looked up and down Joanne's body, "desires for you."
With a cheeky wink he was done. He had places to be and a single night to get there.
She shivered from the man's look and wink gesture. That old perverted man seemed to be enjoying some thoughts and she felt somewhat violated by his gaze.
"What do you mean by that?!", her head titled a bit, but then she blushed, "Never mind, don't answer...".
Thinking this few more moments she asked, "Who sealed your powers Warlock? Where is the medallion?"
The necromancer grinned and made a few .... motions of sexual acts to make his point known.
"I didn't know that ... it was the Medallion but I felt something enter town. There was two of them with it I felt but I kept to myself and didn't active powers. Their magic was enhanced with it in their hands, so I could sense it filling the town. Leaking out."
"I don't know where they were going, but a week ago they got onto the Frontier train and headed across the empty barren lands to the new frontiers.
"An expensive ride at the best of times, think they used magic to get on board."
The necromancer sighed. "With that I shall be off."
~~
A few minutes later Joe awoke. He was dazed but he felt more real than he had for a week. Slowly he rose to a sitting position. Joe saw her standing nearby and his emotions swelled up inside.
He croaked out, "Joanne," he sobbed, and smiled up at her. She was an angel in his vision, the one who had helped him survive. The one he loved, "I'm sorry for putting you through that.
"I'm alright now." He rose from his sitting position to hug her. All he wanted to do was kiss her and make love to her, but he resisted. After all, they were in a graveyard.
"Joe...", she helped him sitting before brushing her hand over his forehead to see if he was hot or feeling unwell. She waited a bit and allowed him to calm down, "Are you okay?"
The place was ominous and not just because it was a field of tombstones; the atmosphere was just bad like that.
She decided to give him the time he needed to recover and hoped the old geezer was right and truly there was no need to worry anymore.
"Jo," he replied with a smile as her fingers brushed his forehead.
"I'm fine now," he said as they sat in the graveyard. It was the truth, there was nothing that remained of the darkness and death. He pulled his arm around her. "Please don't worry any more, wasn't that supposed to be my job when you hired me?" He smiled.
Softly his lips touched her cheek, and he whispered, "but I supposed that doesn't matter anymore."
She nodded, "No... it's not...", she leaned on him as he pushed his body backward, her lips gently touching his, "Nothing matters if you are well.... but...", she nailed down his hands on the cold ground, without a care in the world to where they were, "Are you sure you are okay?", she kissed his cheeks and bite them softly, "Are you truly healed?".
"The old geeze left, There is much for us to still do... but nothing here left for us to do... unless you are not fully recovered that is..."
Jo's hands clamped down on his own, must like their first night together and he felt a sudden thrill in his body. He lent backward to keep himself sitting as her lips touched his own. He moaned softly at her teeth grazing his cheek, but not from pain.
"I am, I feel my heart racing at your touches...." Joe leaned forward, her grip was stronger than he thought but he didn't try to break it. His lips fell around hers once more, he nibbled her lower lip in return.
"It can only be a good thing he's left," he said licking his lips. He lent to the side touching his lips to her neck, he whispered to her ear, "I'm recovered enough."
She blushed, feeling waves of excitment and lust that had been pushed aside and were hidden far too long.... And she wasn't the type to just hide them, mind you.
Leaning back she whispered, "Good...", in a rather teasing manner as she licked her lips, "But truth be told... I don't think... this place is rather appropriate.........", she winked.
The medallion was on the run again and things were not going to be solved tonight... but at least the night was still young and it was theirs to spend as they saw fit.
Helping him on to his feet she lead him back to where their horses were, and to the inn they left their things at.
Joe was alive and that is all that mattered. They would be needed to be very caution next time they would meet death because just running into a necromancer in time again was unlikely.
Much more awaited for them.
But tonight, they had the privilege to have some fun.
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