User blog:NightmareAura/Knights Against Dark Magic- A Dark Mage One-Shot

I am a knight who trained under the great knight Sir Galawain. After I became a full-fledged knight, I went out on my own journey to help those in need; as a respectable knight should.

I came upon a castle town that posted a job to slay some evil witch that had taken residence in a lone tower in the middle of a nearby forest. I immediately went to speak to the king to offer my services.

The king, after hearing who I trained under, offered me 50,000 gold to complete this task. Half of it was offered up front. He also offered the best equipment he had. I accepted the armor and shield, but kept the sword Sir Galawain gave me.

Now currently, I'm off on my journey to find this tower that held the witch. I found the forest with ease after a bit of traveling and steeled myself for the encounter.

I sneak up to the door and test it. Unlocked. I slowly open it and carefully make my way inside; making sure not to make too much noise.

There isn’t much of note inside, other than a stairway that snaked around to the top. Thinking about it, the tower wasn’t all that large from the outside.

I slowly crept up the stairs; making sure my armor doesn’t make too much noise. I soon come upon a floor of the tower that had several rooms to it. One room catches my eye since it was slightly ajar with what sounded like bubbling noises coming from it.

Sneaking up to it, I peek inside and see a fairly large room filled with shelves stacked with books and glass bottles, and in the middle is a large cauldron with smoke billowing out of it. My attention is quickly caught by a presence in the room. Standing by one of the shelves was someone with long purple hair, some sort of robe that was a much darker shade of purple, and a pointy hat to match.

“You know, it’s usually common courtesy to knock before you barge into someone’s home,” a feminine voice said, slightly startling me. The voice belonged to the person in the room who is now turned around and facing the door I’m at.

Now that I can really look at her, I’m basically staring at her with my mouth agape. She is the most beautiful woman I have ever seen. The robe she wore exemplified her curvaceous body, and a great deal of her chest to the point I could almost see everything. She even wore stockings to match her ensemble by being a much lighter shade of purple.

I quickly shook myself from this distraction by reminding myself of my mission. Taking a deep breath to regain my composure, I open the door to fully reveal myself and step into the room, hand on the sheath of my sword.

“Witch, by order of this kingdom’s king, I have been tasked to remove you from both this tower and these lands,” I state, making my voice as commanding sounding as I could. The woman’s reaction was to give me a scoff and look like she was offended.

“Rude! I’m a much better spellcaster than those ‘loli’ freaks and their dumb cult. I am an all-powerful Dark Mage so don’t you forget it,” the ‘Dark Mage’ explained, placing her hands on her hips and giving me a stern glare. “Also, I don’t want to leave.”

“This is the king’s land and you are clearly trespassing. Please leave or I will have to force you one way or another,” I commanded, drawing my sword and readying my shield.

“You’re going to force me?” the Dark Mage causes a hook-like staff appear from thin air into her hand and to give me a very sultry look. “Then let’s see what you can do, Sir Knight.”

I quickly draw my sword and charge towards the Dark Mage. She points her staff towards me and I feel a strong gust of wind push me back. Finding stability, I start to slowly make my way over to her. She then taps the floor with the bottom-end of her staff spreading a thin layer of ice over it.

<p class="MsoNormal">This was enough to cause me to slip and land on my stomach, causing the Dark Mage to bust out laughing. She then starts throwing fireballs at me which I quickly block with my shield. Her incessant giggling told me she is not taking me seriously.

<p class="MsoNormal">“Alright, Sir Knight, I think it’s time we put an end to this.” With that, she points her staff at me and I put up my shield to defend against whatever she’s going to throw at me.

<p class="MsoNormal">“O great magic, hear my call and gather…” the Dark Mage starts chanting and dark energy starts to flow and gather at the end of her staff.

<p class="MsoNormal">I get up to try and charge her before she can finish her incantation, but the ground is still icy and hard to stand on. Every step I take, I almost lose my balance and even just standing up straight is proving to be a challenge in itself.

<p class="MsoNormal">“…Send my target into you to void of black emptiness for all eternity!” The magic has stopped flowing, but there is still a giant ball of black magic pointed straight towards me. The best I can do is to put up my shield and try to block as much of it as I can and hopefully survive.

<p class="MsoNormal">“Darkness!” the Dark Mage calls out, sending a huge blast of the magic straight towards me. I hold up my shield, but I’m immediately consumed by darkness all around me.

<p class="MsoNormal">I can’t see anything. Not my shield, not my hands, it feels like there is just nothing around me. No sound or smell. I think I died. Well, at least I died the way I would have preferred; as a warrior.

<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:center">********************

<p class="MsoNormal">My eyes slowly open, but I immediately close them do to a bright light. Did I enter the Chief Goddess’s domain? I try to get my eyes adjusted and when I’m finally able to open them I see a stone ceiling. With my hands, I feel the softness of sheets and I realize I’m lying in a bed.

<p class="MsoNormal">I also notice my lack of armor. Somehow I just ended up in my regular clothes. A quick look around, after my eyes fully adjust to the light, revealed my stuff gathered into a pile close to me.

<p class="MsoNormal">“Finally awake, Sir Knight?” a feminine voice I recognize asks me. I look over and am shocked to see the Dark Mage standing next to me. Not wearing her hat, it seems. Wow, her hair looks really silky.

<p class="MsoNormal">“I’m…alive?” I ask, trying to sit up. The Dark Mage actually helps me sit up with my back to the headboard.

<p class="MsoNormal">“Obviously you’re alive. I never had any intention to kill you. Why do you think I threw a bunch of weak spells at you?” My brain is having a tough time processing all of this.

<p class="MsoNormal">“What about that last spell? The incantation? The darkness? I thought I died...”

<p class="MsoNormal">“That was just a normal Darkness spell that just gives the target a bit of Blindness. You kinda just passed out after you lost sight. Also, the incantation bit was just for dramatic effects.”

<p class="MsoNormal">After hearing all of this, I can't help but feel both embarrassed and ashamed. A knight who trained under someone famous would just pass out like that. Makes me kinda wish I did die. Which speaking of...

<p class="MsoNormal">“…Even though I initially attacked you, you still wouldn’t have harmed me?” I asked looking over to the Dark Mage. She rolls her eyes and sighs, sitting down next to me on the bed.

<p class="MsoNormal">“Mamono don’t intentionally harm humans. Sometimes we can be a bit…rough, but that’s beside the point,” she starts to explain, but hesitates when she sees the obvious confusion on my face. “Mamono is just another name for Monster Girl.”

<p class="MsoNormal">“Monster? You don’t look like a monster,” I say. Why would she refer to herself as a monster? I’ve seen plenty of magic users, male or female, who wouldn’t be called monsters.

<p class="MsoNormal">“Basically, anyone or anything filled with Demonic Energy is considered a monster, which I am.”

<p class="MsoNormal">The more I listen to her, the more I feel I had completely underestimated this Dark Mage. I gently nudge her off the bed so I could stand.

<p class="MsoNormal">“My apologies for all of this. I think it would be for the best if I go see the king,” I say, gathering up my equipment which was piled up a lot tidier than I originally saw.

<p class="MsoNormal">“What’s the rush? I don’t mind if you stayed a little longer,” the Dark Mage states, giving me a wink.

<p class="MsoNormal">“I feel I should inform the king that you mean no harm-”

<p class="MsoNormal">“And won’t bother them, or heck, even interact with them.”

<p class="MsoNormal">“Yes that too. Also, the king will probably want his armor and shield back.”

<p class="MsoNormal">“...Okay, but would you mind dropping by here again? I’d love to hear some of you ‘knightly’ tales,” the Dark Mage said giving the most genuine smile I have ever seen.

<p class="MsoNormal">“Uh sure, though I don’t think I have many good ones.” With a chuckle from me and a cute giggle from her, I made my way down the tower.

<p class="MsoNormal">Interesting that she would take such an interest in me; even after I tried to attack her and we just shared a few words with each other. Maybe she was actually really lonely? ...Maybe I should stop by again.

<p class="MsoNormal">I don’t get far from the tower before I see something coming towards me. From what I can tell, it looks like a large group of people are marching towards the tower. When they get closer, I not only see the armor and weapons they are carrying, but I notice the emblem on the sashes they wore. The same emblem from the kingdom I took the job from.

<p class="MsoNormal">The group of men and I soon come face-to-face a few paces away from the tower. Now that I got a better look, the group of men wasn’t as big as I first thought but it was still fairly large. One man with short, black hair and a pointed face rode up to me on horseback.

<p class="MsoNormal">“Well, well. If it isn’t the brave knight who took the job offered by our king. I’m guessing you being here now means that you have vanquished the vile witch?” the man asked. There’s something about the look in his eyes that really makes me not like this guy.

<p class="MsoNormal">“Dark Mage, actually. No, I was not able to vanquish her. Her magic was too strong for me.”

<p class="MsoNormal">“I guess this is what we should have expected from a rookie knight. Leave this task to a group of twenty, well-trained men,” the man states, sweeping his arm over to the men behind him.

<p class="MsoNormal">“I’m afraid it would take more than a group of men to beat her. Besides, I’m off to see the king about pardoning the Dark Mage. She says she’ll have nothing to do with the nearby town.”

<p class="MsoNormal">“And you believed her well-woven lies? Stand aside, squire, so we can deal with this menace.”

<p class="MsoNormal">“No,” I state, standing firm in the path of the small army.

<p class="MsoNormal">“You dare stand in our way? Men, get rid of this nuisance. We’ll take him to the king to be properly dealt with later.” At the man’s command, two soldiers start walking toward me, drawing their swords.

<p class="MsoNormal">Without hesitation, I immediately charge towards them while drawing out my own sword. My sword comes into contact with a soldier’s before I kick him in the gut and knock him away. The second runs up to me, ready to swing his sword down. I catch his sword with mine and push it out of the way. Once the soldier is open, I knock him clean on the side of the head with my shield, knocking him out cold.

<p class="MsoNormal">The soldier I had kicked had gotten up and was charging towards me. I block his oncoming slash with my shield and quickly hit him in the gut with the butt of my sword. It doesn’t do a lot since he was wearing armor, but it acted enough of a distraction to bring the butt of my sword to the side of his head.

<p class="MsoNormal">Now at my feet were two unconscious soldiers with not a scratch on anyone. The rest of the soldiers look on in silence, their mouths agape. The man on horseback grinded his teeth from obvious frustration; probably from seeing two of his men taken down so easily by one ‘rookie’.

<p class="MsoNormal">“Don’t just stand there, you idiots, get him!” the man shouted, raising the men from their stupor as they all charge toward me.

<p class="MsoNormal">I repeat my strategy of just knocking the soldiers out with my shield or a blunt part of my sword. I don't know why I’m just knocking them out. Did the Dark Mage’s words about not killing stuck with me that strongly?

<p class="MsoNormal">While I am avoiding any strikes, I’m starting to get tired. This armor I’m wearing just feels heavier than what I’m used to and it is showing. I then see the man on horseback get off and grab a spear from another soldier.

<p class="MsoNormal">“Seems I’ve underestimated you a little. I’ll just deal with you myself,” the man declares, pointing his fairly impressive looking spear at me. I’m pretty fatigued, but I ready my shield and tightly grip my sword.

<p class="MsoNormal">We charge at each other and both clash, my shield with the pole of his spear. I attempted to disarm his spear, but he wields it like a true expert. Not only does he know how to use it, he knows just how to counter my sword.

<p class="MsoNormal">He even got some hits on me, but luckily not with the pointy part. Fatigue is also growing in me, making my movements more-and-more sluggish.

<p class="MsoNormal">In a blink of an eye, I suddenly lose hold of my sword as it goes flying off. I’m then hit right in the gut hard enough to knock me back and get a little winded.

<p class="MsoNormal">The man puts a foot on my chest, hard, and points his spear at my face. “Now you will see what happens to those who get in me and our king’s way.”

<p class="MsoNormal">Just when I’m ready to except my fate, the man with the spear goes flying back. The wind that came with the sudden push for some reason had a bit of familiarity about it. Next thing I know, the Dark Mage walks up next to me with a stern look and a satchel around her.

<p class="MsoNormal">“Are you okay? Here, take this potion,” the Dark Mage says, handing me a clear bottle with red liquid from her bag. She helps me sit up properly and I start draining the bottle. Almost instantly, I start to feel the effects as my aches and fatigue start draining away.

<p class="MsoNormal">“So, the witch shows herself. This will make this job much quicker,” the man sneered being helped up by one of his soldiers.

<p class="MsoNormal">“Dark. Mage. Just save yourself the humiliation and go back to your king,” the Dark Mage retorts.

<p class="MsoNormal">“We’ll return once you’ve been properly dealt with. Attack!” The man and his army all charge at once towards the Dark Mage. I ready myself to help, but she places her staff in front of me.

<p class="MsoNormal">“I’ve got this.”

<p class="MsoNormal">Facing the group of charging men, the Dark Mage raises her staff. The staff starts to glow a deep blue as she suddenly brings the end of her staff down into the ground. From the staff, a huge wave a cold air shoots forth followed by large icicles shooting out from the ground. They weren’t all that sharp, but they either directly punched some of the men in the gut or trapped them in-between.

<p class="MsoNormal">After the men were either trapped or on the ground winded, she raises her staff in the air again, only this time it starts to glow orange. Balls of fire start to gather in the air and when they are finished forming, the Dark Mage hurls them towards the men. This result in several explosions, but after the smoke clears, all the men are just on the ground slightly singed.

<p class="MsoNormal">“I think it’s time to finish things off,” the Dark Mage states, pulling a glass orb filled with electricity out of her bag.

<p class="MsoNormal">The Dark Mage holds her staff up for the third time, but this time dark clouds start to circle above us. As the clouds continue to swirl, they start to concentrate over the group of men. With a strong toss, the Dark Mage throws the orb up at the cloud and shouts a beam of energy from her staff, shattering the orb.

<p class="MsoNormal">The electricity from the orb is quickly absorbed into the clouds, creating multiple lightning streaks and rumbling noises. With a smirk, the Dark Mage points her staff up at the cloud and then brings it down to point at the men lying on the ground. A single huge lightning bolt strikes from the cloud and hits the group, and luckily not us.

<p class="MsoNormal">After the huge flash, I let my eyes readjust to look at the men. None of them looked hurt or dead surprisingly, but many of them started to writhe around.

<p class="MsoNormal">“Don’t worry, they just got hit by a concentration of Raiju lightning. Cost a fortune from that Danuki though…” the Dark Mage explained, turning around to head back to the tower.

<p class="MsoNormal">“Raiju lightning?” I asked, not really knowing what a Raiju was. I looked over at the men again and saw that not only were they writhing around, but they were stripping off their armor.

<p class="MsoNormal">“Basically, a shock from that will get you hornier than a March Hare in heat. They’ll probably get picked up by local Mamono eventually to help with their little problem~” I don’t know what a March Hare is, but seeing what the men were doing I probably didn’t want to know.

<p class="MsoNormal">“What are you going to do now?” I ask, retrieving my sword and sheathing it.

<p class="MsoNormal">“I did want a nice, quiet place to study my magic, but this place will probably turn into a huge orgy, so I think I’ll move out,” the Dark Mage answers, walking up to the tower and placing a hand on the wall. Soon, a strange symbol appears on the wall and the whole tower starts to fold on itself until it was a cube small enough to be held in one hand.

<p class="MsoNormal">“Wait, that tower belonged to you?” I ask, my brain still not quite registering what it just witnessed.

<p class="MsoNormal">“Of course, did you think someone built this tower in the middle of the forest?” she asks, placing the tower cube in her bag. I also don’t answer. “So, are you going to head off back to the king and return his armor?”

<p class="MsoNormal">I look down at the armor and then over at the men who are now all naked. “No. I suspect the king isn’t expecting these back if he figured I would fail. I think I’m just going to sell it off in the next nearest town.”

<p class="MsoNormal">“Mind if I tag along, just until I find a new place?” the Dark Mage asks, her cheeks showing a little red.

<p class="MsoNormal">I give her a gentle smile and nod. “Sure, I would love to have such a powerful travel companion.”

<p class="MsoNormal">The Dark Mage’s face glows as she gives a huge smile and wraps her arms around mine. She starts to drag me with her towards the forest and hopefully the next closest town.

<p class="MsoNormal">While what I said was true, a small part of me actually does want to know a little more about her. Sir Galawain would probably tease me about having such a beautiful woman traveling with me. I should have her meet him, sometime.

<p class="MsoNormal">I don’t know where this journey will take us, but with us working together, I’m sure we can handle anything.

<p class="MsoNormal">

<p class="MsoNormal">--

<p class="MsoNormal">(A/N): Remember how I talked about the Kunoichi one being my longest at just over five pages? Well, I beat that record with this one being over seven pages. And this is the cut down version.

<p class="MsoNormal">There was going to be a bit where the knight and Dark Mage would spend some time getting to know each other, but I took that out for time. Don't worry, I have plenty of Mamono-bonding stories for later dates.

<p class="MsoNormal">I had to be really thorough with this one's proofreading, because this was written mostly in first-person present tense and while writing I would accidently slip in some past-tense words. The first part of the story was meant to be past-tense.