The Doctor Is In

[Ares]

A silence covered the brooding darkness of the forest. A light flickered along a path, slowly bobbing, waving slowly back and forth. Song and voice broke the silence with its merriment. Nine of them, there were. Their faces were fair and noble. Light shone in their eyes as they joked and sang poetry in loud, smooth voices. Behind them, the most beautiful ponies trotted slowly along. They held an air of nonchalance, as naught could go wrong.

As they came upon a clearing in the trees, they stopped to gaze at the stars. "Ah, Elbereth!" shouted one at the myriad of stars above. Suddenly, their lantern flickered out. The darkness surrounded them immediately, and loomed about them ominously. Fear gripped their hearts, as they looked frantically about, trying to discern what it was that had caused their magic flame to burn out. Two of them dropped to the ground, with needles stuck in the back of their necks, blood pouring from their wounds. They coughed up blood, and simultaniously stopped breathing. A horrible, evil laugh pierced the omnipresent stillness of the night. The remaining seven turned to face a Drow, barely visible in a dark black cloak, and tall black boots. He would have been invisible, if it weren't for his long, silver hair, shining in the moonlight. He walked slowly towards them, making barely any prints as he took first one step, then another. He pulled from the sides of his cloak four needles, and a vile filled with crimson liquid. He dipped the needles into the vile and pulled them out, dripping with the strange venom. He threw each one in turn, each hitting a different Elf. The remaining three ran to help their fallen friends.

"It es no use," a deep voice declared, "Das es the finest spider blood poison I could vant. They are already beyond anything you svine can do for them." At this he grinned and pulled eight mor needles out and arranged them like claws, four in either hand. He lunged at two of them. They raised their swords, but it was too late. They had been struck. They fell to the ground, dead. Then, with an evil grin, he turned to face the last Elf. He retrieved all of his needles, and returned all but four to his cloak. He pulled a hypodermic needle from his cloak, filled with a strange blue liquid. He advanced toward the one remaining. The Elf had drawn his sword. He raised it, and struck with all his might at the killer. A cloud of dust arose from the sheer force of the blow.

When the dust cleared, the sword had been stopped by the needle, and the killer didn't even have a scratch. He raised the hypodermic needle, and stabbed it into the Elf's neck vein. He injected the liquid, and hastily pulled it out. "Vat is it? You vould like to know, ja? It es mein finest poison. You can no longer move, and you will die a slow, painful death for two days. You are svine, and you shall die as one! Hahahaha!!!" The dying elf screamed a scream that could send the most stout-hearted men running like children. His scream flooded the forest with the sound of death...

[Surreal]

Surreal smiled at the wolf she finished assisting. "Go home, young one," she murmured to the pup. "Take the food with you." She had strapped a tiny bag filled with food on its neck. She stood to her full 5'6" in height and stretched, running pale hands through her wasit-length aqua hair. She sighed and smiled, her bright aqua eyes shining brilliantly. She loved wolves.

Surreal looked down to straighten her tight, low cut black midriff and to admire her midnight blue belly ring. Her tight leather pants, low on her hips, formed the bottom of the frame for her belly ring. Three other piercings graced Surreal's shapely body: two midnight blue diamonds in her earlobes, and one small midnight blue dot on her pale nose. Suddenly Surreal heard a scream pierce the night and turned, her long hair swinging behind her.

Running towards the noise as fast as she could, Surreal drew two swords and swung them around her expertly. She could have chosen any of her other weapons, including her black bow, but had thought this wouldn't be bad. Her gold pendant hit her chest as she ran. What she saw when she got to the scene made her stop dead in her tracks, her necklace levitating for a moment before falling back to her chest.

Nine high elves dead in the forest. Surreal let her eyes fall on the murderer. "How could you?" she asked, hatred warming her cold muscles. She spat in front of him. "Cold blooded killer," she accused, eyes colder than ice. "These are neutral territories as you must know. Drows may hate high elves, as I assure you we hate your kind, but what right have you to kill those who are not expecting attacks?"

[Ares]

"Ah, this es not gud. Had I known that you would be here, I vouldn't have revealed myself so easily. As I am, I am no match for vone so poverful as this. I may hate your kind, but I have no intention of fighting somevon that outmatches me so..." Ares mumbled, almost in a cross between talking to himself, and talking to Surreal, "I assure you that I am not so mindless as to try to kill you, for even I can feel great magic power, or at least my cloak reacts to it. It varms vhen a poverful magic is near, and it currently blisters my skin. I have no magic to be used in battle, but I can... do this!" With this statement, he quickly reached into his cloak, and pulled forth a mask, which he attached to his face, and a strange yellow powder, in a tiny glass jar. He lept upon one of the ponies, throwing his needles and killing the others. He hastily stuck a needle into the hind of the pony, and it began to run as fast as it could. Behind him, he launched the jar at Surreal, and it shattered upon the ground with a brilliant yellow flash. The powder covered the way behind him like a mist. All this, Ares did in less than half a second, hoping that his speed would help him escape. "Be careful not to breathe that in, mein friend!" he shouted back to Surreal, "It is a special powder that will numb your entire body, and it will make it that much easier for me to escape!" With that, he rode furiously, trying to avoid the death that he knew fighting her would bring. "So," he mumbled to himself, "is this vhat it feels like to be hunted? Exciting, I vish this could last. The fear makes me feel alive..."

[Surreal]

Surreal snarled at the cowardice of the drow. He had willingly fought and killed nine that were weaker than him, but ran from a confrontation with the archmage. She watched the yellow mist and shook her head. Sheathing one sword, she raised her hand and called all the needles to her, gripping them by the ends. Surreal then looked up to the sky, her bright aqua eyes nearly glowing. Dark blue light surrounded her and when it disappeared she was gone.

Surreal appeared twenty feet from the horse and levitated in the forest, breathing the words of sleep from her mouth. Suddenly the horse fell from the road, collapsing and sliding to within three feet of Surreal. "You seem to have forgotten these," Surreal murmured and blew on her hand. Suddenly all of Ares needles went flying, missing him by only an inch and hitting the surrounding trees.

"You do know you are a coward," she said, as if just having a pleasant conversation. The way her hand was white from her grip on the sword she still held said otherwise. "What do they call you, oh brave fighter?"

[Ares]

"I am Ares, and I claim neither bravery, nor honor. I claim only hatred of High-Elves, and the vit to know vhen I am outmatched," Ares said, attempting to keep the same civil tone as this woman before him, "Vhat little magic I know is used for escape and for healing, despite my... nature. I am a doctor of the drow, and I know very few spells that I can cast, but this is one of the few." He shouted Drow words of power, and suddenly dashed toward the edge of the forest, his speed reaching far beyond that of even the horse. As he passed them, he retrieved his needles from the trees, and returned them to his cloak. He drew only one needle, and it's size grew to that of a large sword. He proceeded without even so much as a drop in speed, for despite its size, the needle was still as light as a feather. He gripped it by the eye, and pulled an acupuncture needle out of his cloak, as well. He neared the edge of the forest, fear sinking in, and the adrenaline giving him even more speed...

[Surreal]

Surreal sighed and shook her head. "What is this? A game of how many times can you catch me?" She sheathed her other knife and pulled her bow free, faster than thought possible. She put an arrow up and disappeared in a cloud of blue light once more. She reappeared twenty feet to the side of Ares this time.

Drawing the bow string back to her ear, Surreal fired an arrow so that it landed sideways, just in front of Ares' foot.

[Ares]

Ares stopped and shook his head. "Vell, I guess that dar es no escape for me, so I shall stop running, and face my death with pride. I vas probably going to win the favor of my quveen vith my vork, but I see I cannot escape you, so I shall stop trying." He hastily stabbed the giant needle into the ground, and released the grip. He pulled the acupuncture needle forth, and stabbed himself through the neck, causing him to drop to the ground, sans pulse, sans breath. He laughed at last, weakly, "Now you cannot kill me, for I am already dead..." With these words he closed his eyes, and his head rolled to the side.

[Surreal]

"WHAT?! I wasn't even going to kill him! Dåmn," Surreal ran forward and pulled the needle from Ares neck. Placing her hands over his body she poured her magic into him, healing him and tending to his wound. Despite the healing, she still wasn't sure he'd live. "I only wanted an apology," she murmured. "That was all I wanted."

[Ares]

"Well, then if that is vat you vant..." Ares stirred, "I shall apologize, and offer my healing salve as compensation. I did not expect you to fall for such a ruse so easily, but I guess my act vas better than I expected." His heartbeat resumed, and he stood up, as if nothing had happened. "As I have said, I am a vonderfully skilled doctor, even vithout magic. That vas a ruse. The needle did not penetrate anyvere deadly, it merely placed me into a death-like trance. It paid off, although it did not allow me to escape, as information is the most precious commodity. I am a doctor, and I do use that knowledge in battle, both to push myself to the edge, and to escape," He bowed low, to please Surreal, "I also apologize for that attempt to trick you, as my only thought vas escape." Despite trying to hide it with all his will, his disgust with High-Elves still pushed through, and into the conversation. He hoped that his apologies, and a small supply of his healing salve was enough to allow him to keep his life...

[Surreal]

"Why in the name of the Darkness would I want a healing salve?" she asked Ares. "I'm a mage. I don't use salves or tonics." She tilted her head, finally actually looking at Ares. "You really are a coward, aren't you. Or at least not a warrior...warriors do not run." She smiled then, eyes laughing. "I mean, I didn't run, and I had no way of knowing I was more powerful than you. Its a principle of morals."

She stood and bowed back to Ares. "I am Surreal SaDiablo, Elven Archmage." She looked him over a second time. "I really should be killing you right now, but I don't believe in murdering the weak. Especially those with definite mental disorders."

[Ares]

"Ah, yes. It vas easy to tell you vere poverful, but just how much surprizes even me," He said, his voice changing to a very smooth tone, "You certainly should be killing me, as I have killed your people. And my healing salve is a step above the rest. It not only heals physical vounds, but refreashes the tired body and relaxes the tired mind, especially that of a mage who has used all their power, though I am sure one such as you would not need much to carry with you, as I cannot see an archmage using all their power so quickly." He spoke smooth words, and used kind gestures. He had an obvious air of one trying to sweet talk their way out of trouble. "I do not ask that you spare me, but I vill give you some information for defeating me. My brother is not here, but a voman should be careful around him. He has a vay of sneaking up on those who cannot see through the back of their heads. He is, how shall I say, a bit of a drunk, and quite the lecher. His name is Bacchus, and he is not favored among the Drow. He vas even banned from the temple... You might vant to avoid him, though he would not attempt to kill you,"

[Surreal]

Surreal raised her eyebrows. "Laying it on a bit thick there, don't you think?" she asked. She would let Ares go, but the real reason was because she seriously, truly thought he had a mental disorder. Surreal considered the salve and decided he would probably put something nasty and unexpected in it. "I will not take your salve from you and I know that I do not need to fear your brother." Surreal began to strap her bow to her back, after all the way to make it easy to pull something out next time you need it is to put it back the right way.

"I will let you live, but only on the condition that you murder not one more High Elf. I know you now, know your aura, and I will be keeping my eyes on you, Ares. You make one mistep and your pathetic little hide is mine."

[Ares]

"This is not good. I guess I have used up my advantage, so I'll have to take my leave, while I still have my life, and before you change your... AHHHH!!!!" He clutched at his chest, and began to breathe very quickly, with short, heavy breaths. He staggered forward, and fell towards the ground.

[Bacchus]

A drow walked down the path unsteadily, tripping every now and then. He looked similar to Ares, but his cheerful face was glowing with red. As he walked, he slowly waved back and forth, to no particular rythm, as he sang heartily. His voice was certainly loud, but it was difficult nonetheless to discern what he was saying, as his voice was amazingly slurred. His song filled the morbid scene with its happiness. "Dethayokue dethayokue watathitashi na nehaikoto ma..." As he finished this line, he fell at Surreal's feet. He rose to his feet, almost falling again as he reached a standing position. "Werr, ey brrothaa, oo's zis vine rady?" He asked as soon as he was off the ground, his mouth emitting a strange smell...

[Surreal]

Surreal watched Ares fall and felt like tapping him with her shoe to make sure he was alive, but then she heard footsteps and turned to see someone so similar to Ares it would have been daft to think him anyone but Ares' brother. "You've got to be kidding me." Surreal reached up long fingers to rub her temples as she watched Bacchus fall at her feet.

With a disgusted look on her face, Surreal raised glittering blue hands up and moved them away from eachother. At the same time, Area and Bacchus moved apart and stayed glittering the same color as Surreal's hands. "Bacchus, as I presume you are, I will deal with you in a moment. In the meantime," Surreal turned to Ares. "What the hell's wrong with you now?"