The Blog of armine

The scene when they arrived at the Klarissa's village was devastating. Her living area had been looted, vandalized and several homes were burned to the ground. Some of the damaging fires were still smoking and smoldering as Klarissa and Zamiel made their way through the ruins, toward Klarissa's house. What they were not aware of was that the destructive act had been carried out by Bruno's necromantic clan, who dwelled in the caves; they had discovered Bruno's body (or what was left of it) a few days after the swordfight he'd had with Zamiel, and decided to destroy Klarissa's village in retaliation for his death.

The two approached Klarissa's house from behind - and what they saw was greatly disturbing to them both.

All of the windows were smashed; the front door hung loosely from one hinge and looked ready to snap off at any moment. Inside the damage was extensive: the furniture appeared to have been hacked to pieces with a woosman's axe, and the walls were chipped and cracked beyond repair. All of the food preserves had been taken, and the backyard farm animals had either been stolen or slaughtered in their pens.

As Zamiel gravely took a look through the house, Klarissa sat in a broken old chair by a window and began to weep.

A few minutes later, Zamiel crouched beside Klarissa amid the ruins that had once been her home.

"I am sorry", wa all he could think of to say, knowing how difficult this discovery must be for his friend.

"My world has fallen apart", Klarissa confided to Zamiel, after her weeping spell had abated somewhat. "My father is being held prisoner by a mother I have never known, and there is nothing I can do for him. The priest (from previous text) I have trusted all my life is rumored to be sleeping with young girls. Trolls live in the forest, and hide where we can never see them. And now I find out that my house has been destroyed!"

Zamiel thought for a moment as Klarissa struggled with her frazzled emotions. "I am sorry for you, but I hope you understand that you cannot stay here. It is far too dangerous, and there isn't much here for you anyway".

"But I have no more home!"

"We'll find you a new one. Together".

Zamiel rested a hand over Klarissa's, and she looked at him with appreciation and gratitude.

"When I was a younger girl", she began, "I had a fairy friend who lived somewhere in the forest. Her name was Zelda, and she was very pretty and always happy". She paused for a moment, then continued. "I never told my father about her, because I knew he couldn't see her. Only I could". She sighed. "Then one day she was gone, and I never saw her again. I wish she were here with me now".

"She may not be - but I am", Zamiel told her.

Klarissa smiled at him through her receding tears. "You have been such a wonderful friend", she told him with heartfelt sincerity.

"Someday", Zamiel admitted, "I hope to be much more than that".

He kissed her then - he couldn't resist - and felt the first stirrings of love. He knew she did, too.

"Perhaps Zelda is still with you; you just cannot see her because you're not a little child anymore", he suggested. "If trolls can be invisible, surely fairies can too! They too have magical abilities".

"And they are beautiful", added Klarissa.

"You are beautiful too", said Zamiel, standing up and reaching for her hand. "Come, my lovely fair maiden. Will you journey with me and be the special princess in my life?"

Klarissa rose from the broken chair, gripping his hand tightly in hers. "Only if you will be my prince!"

"I would be honored", said Zamiel. "Let us both venture out, and find ourselves a new home".

Moments later they stepped out from the ruined remains of the house - and as they walked away from it Klarissa knew that she would never return.