The #Broken_Dagger Forum

   He made woosh and bang noises as he pretended he cast spells of ungodly destruction upon the armies of stuffed animals and paper dolls laying across the floor. His eyes sparkled with enthusiasm as they fell from a gentle push of magic from Eice who sat at his desk and wrote tirelessly in his customary neat copperplate hand. How he loved to play games, specially when Eice would orchestrate grand illusions for him, at great personal cost of time and effort, without complaint.
    He would be the savior of the sick and wounded! Or the almighty smiter of forces dark and evil! But what he loved most were romances with the princess who needed to be saved from evil minions of evil!
     "The hero of the world smote you!" He bellowed with a smile, his keen eye caught a twitch of a teddy bear leg, "I claim the spoils of war!"
     With that proclaimation he snatched up a cookie(mutton chop)  with a frosty glass of milk(ale). He held up the fake mutton chop and the 'tankard' of 'ale' in salute to his squire (Eice). With a flourish he ate well of his victory feast.
    "Eice," he said around a mouthful of cookie, "If my crusade continues at this rate....I will be a Cleanser like you!"
    "Don't jest Desoph," Eice said while writing, "You have a good heart and hopefully soon a clear mind...I am the monster...your the hero remember?"
    Desoph walked over and leaned against the larger man. He poked the warrior playfully then reclined dramatically. This was a regular custom of the two.
    "Oh to be what was lost," Desoph sighed theatrically, "but sir...is it better to be what I was? Or who I am now?"
    Desoph remembered the liche cursing him and the horrible pain that came from his mind being crippled. He remembered the twisted hatred in the glowing eyes before they were snuffed by an enchanted arrow. He remembered too the pompus, arrogant, chauvinistic creature he had been before the curse.
    "Is it better for me to be who I was? Or who I could become with the guidance from yours and other's friendships I have made?" Eice asks in reply, "I want you to be that guy with the answer when someone needs it. I want you whole..."
   "You didn't fail me sir," the man says before plopping down on a nearby couch, "but enough...how about you give me some pointers on getting a girlfriend...please sir?"
    "Des, I may do alot of things for you," he replied with a chuckle, "But I won't be of any help there. All I know is honesty and communication are key elements to a strong and healthy relationship."
    "So...hi! I'm Desoph Nmarius," Des said sitting bolt upright with enthusiasm, "I like to have tea parties, study dark magic, have no idea what day it is, and I think your pretty,"
    "Yeah....something like that," was Eice's reply, "Maybe not anything about tea parties, or dark magic. Maybe more along the lines of showing them your zest for life, your open heart, and your suicidal obsession with cookies,"
   "Really?" Des asked quirking his head to the side as was his habit when confused, "But I love tea parties, studying dark magics, and think some of the women I see are pretty,"
    "Yeah...your also the reigning hide and go seek seeker champion two months running here at the orphanage," Eice said as he leaned back farther in his chair and turned to look at the man, "Des...you know how I am mean to alot of people?"
   Desoph vividly remembered alot of times his best friend has brought people and soldiers alike to tears from words alone. The times of turning groups of people against each other so he wouldn't have to fight both of them. But his favorite times was when he was truely himself and healed wounds of hurt children with words and tore them open in those who caused them.
    "Yes...you've been known to be cruel...why?" asked Des.
    "I want you to be aware...that there are women who are every bit as mean spirited and cruel as I have ever been...difference is Des, I am cruel for a purpose...they are that way out of ignorance or care of the beautiful person you are," Eice said seriously, "I can't always heal those wounds Des, and it hurts my heart when you hurt. Your clean, to the soul, but not everyone cares as much as you,"
   Des looked at his friend. He knew he might have had this conversation with him before, maybe a number of times. He couldn't remember as well as he used to.
    "Do you think...." he trailed off.
    "Yes...there is someone out there who will recognize the genius beneath the shackles of your curse...the wonder of who you will become once it's over...and understand the depth of your joy of all things good and just," Eice said slowly, "now....take your coin purse and head to the dagger...I hear the mutton and ale there is divine,"
    Desoph smiles at the prospect. Maybe he could slay some evil minions of evil along the way! Or better yet....manage not to stumble into an icy puddle of goblin slop! (An icy mud puddle)
   With a nod he stood, rushing over to give Eice a hug around his neck. With a grunt and a squeeze he released him and stood back. A broad smile was across his face.
    "I won't be out too late sir," Des said and rushed off to claim more spoils of war.

    Eice watched the man go in silence. He hated the fact Des was the way he was, if he had not got held up by the golem he would've been there in time. He sighed and turned back to his writing.

    Desoph walked towards the Dagger. He would slay four minions and miss two goblin puddles to justify his victory feast today. Maybe double that if two feasts were in order.

He sat with his forehead on his knees. Tears ran down his cheeks but he made not a sound nor shuddered. He was used to this, he would look like he was asleep.
His lungs ached, his body felt like it was being ground between stones. He can't keep his studies in his mind, and he at times has....accidents. Gods how he hated it all, but he can't remember long enough to actually make the conclusion that he was hurting badly.
He was beaten up in town by some guys, they stole his book! If he told Eice it would've been hells in the streets. The old Desoph wrote that tome....now he can't even spell his name.
He smiled everywhere he went so no one would ask questions. Eice knew...but he had told Des to pour onto others the positive emotions you want to feel and you'll begin to believe it yourself.
He was an archmage! A socialite! Royalty somewhere....but now he's basically and idiot savant who has issues holding water and drawing good stick figures.
N`vek was fixed. Mr. Scorch was back to normal and Eice wants to fix him.
"Just put me down sir....you'd choose anything over this!" he screams in his mind, "I feel so...isolated. please...release me from this hell,"
He lets out a shaky sigh. It was getting harder to be so happy all the time in public. It was getting harder to breathe too...harder to move.
His mind thankfully looses track of his depressive thoughts and he slowly slips off into dreams...maybe he won't wake up from a boot in face tomorrow.....