Date: Sat, 17 Aug 2013 03:28:27 +0100 From: Enchanting Enchanter
<enchantingenchantor@hotmail.com> Subject: The Enchanter's Storybook:
Chapter Eleven

 This story is the very first story that I've written on the Nifty Archive,
so don't be too harsh. So far, it seems to be doing fine. This is a fiction
story that includes elements of swordplay, magic, and fictitious
beings. These beings so far are witches, humans, and trolls, while others
have been mentioned and may soon appear. Eventually, the story will include
themes of an erotic nature, but I am not too eager to start that yet. The
story is fiction, and is therefore not real. This includes the world, the
characters, the plots, everything. Excepting me, of course, because I am
quite the Enchanter. *Winks*

Set in a medieval world, abundant with magic and fictitious creatures, this
story is about Marcus Mallow and his ascent through the dark outer world of
his hidden human village of Rocky Pass.

Finally, if you want to understand the story fully, you'll need to read the
story fully, as in every chapter from the start. You wouldn't start a book
by reading the eleventh chapter, so don't start this series reading the
eleventh chapter.

Now to start the eleventh installment of my series, the Enchanter's
Storybook.

The Enchanter's Storybook: Chapter Eleven

His eyes fluttered for only a second, before they opened, and he could see
the three peculiar people towering over him, gazing idly. He recognized
two, yet the third was like a distant memory, a shadow, hardly anything to
him.

He looked from face to face, crossing over each. He could see Varia with
her perfect fiery red hair and amazingly grey eyes; he could see the
dimples on Darius's face from that effervescing smile of his; and the
awe-stricken face of Daisy, or at least that was what he thought her name
was. He remembered her faintly, and how she vanished a year or so passed
from their home village.

Marcus smiled at himself, mumbled a few incomprehensible words, and
attempted to stand up. He felt a tingling all over his body, a tingle that
moved like the blood in his veins. From his feet, it pushed upwards,
upwards, and all the way up until he felt it clog in his throat. He found
it hard to breath, but as it was rising, he didn't need to breath at all.

Choking, he sat up and watched a brown-black substance plunge from his
mouth and plaster all over the floor. Wiping his mouth, he didn't know what
to think.

"His body rejected the antidote," Varia noted. "He didn't need it."

Marcus was confused at first, just watching her, the witch. Watching how
her lips moved when she spoke, how her eyes glimmered like stars, how her
face was always stern and still, so very still. He could see much more
clearly, he could tell, but he couldn't remember much. Names and faces,
yes, but memories were hard to grasp at.

"Where am I?" he asked lightly.

"An old tavern in the troll village," Daisy replied. "Apparently one bit
your ankle, but I don't know."

He looked from face to face, waiting for answers, but they seemed not to be
willing to give him one. "What's wrong?"

"The bite poisoned you, and may have killed you," Varia started, "so we
made an antidote, and your body rejected it. You should be dead."

"Then how am I not? How am I... alive?"

Darius stood and rested against the wall, laying his forehead on it gently,
before turning to face him. "You did it again," was all he said.

"What did I do?"

"You enchanted upon yourself the ungodly gift that you gave me," Varia
stated. "Immortality."

Marcus didn't truly know what to think. Immortality? Truly? He didn't
understand. How could he do that, even to himself? It was most certainly an
ungodly thing, but it was no gift. Not to Marcus. It was a curse. Living
forever. The simple idea of it didn't please him the least, but made him
feel rather sick. For, the idea of living each day, knowing this would
never end, wouldn't satisfy him. Watching people die around him, but never
being able to die himself. No, this could only be a curse.

"Your ankle has healed, thankfully, so you can keep the foot. No doubt you
can walk on it too, but there is no time to test. We are leaving now, come,
stand up," Varia instructed, helping him to the ground without
tripping. Daisy assisted him too, with Darius melting slowly into the petty
grey wall of the place.

"Where to now?" he asked, somehow remembering they were journeying north
somewhere.

"The vast capital of the Witchlands: Purgador. Only for a day or so, but
after that it is the wide and wonderful world. It is a month's journey
north-west from here, if we are fast enough."

He groaned at the length of their journey. Another month of it. How
upsetting, he thought to himself. Maybe he should just turn back with
Darius and Daisy. No doubt they'd want to be going back home by now, but he
wasn't sure.

"Daisy Dweller?" he asked.

"That's my name." Daisy smiled at him amiably. She had a nice smile, a kind
smile. It was welcoming and warm, it made Marcus feel wanted, like he
wasn't a monster. But, to himself, he was the worst of monsters, darker and
uglier than any troll. A harsh thing to think about yourself, but it was
just what he thought, now that he was as immortal as Varia.

"As it turns out, Marcus, dear, Daisy is like you. A human with magic. She
claims it is a common thing, that more humans are birthing this way. She
speaks of more hidden villages all across the southern mountain lands. They
go on for miles, or so she says," Varia trailed on.

He considered it a moment. At least he was no longer alone in the world of
monstrosities..

"It's true, although no one is as powerful as you. Immortality isn't
something you can just give. You're a curious case, more powerful than the
Dragonkings of the old kingdoms."

"There's nothing curious about me," he spat. "I'm disgusting."

"Oh, nothing?" Daisy murmured. "I suppose everyone can just give away
eternity with a snap of their fingers. Seems normal to me, seems like
nothing peculiar. Nothing CURIOUS," Daisy sang.

"Yes, but while curiosity may have killed the cat, immortality would just
bring it back," Marcus said demonically, in a witty reply to Daisy.

"Yes, well, that may be, but what I'm saying is still true. There are
villages all across the mountains, and more are making magical humans. I am
no where near as powerful as you, but I can defend myself, and that's what
matters, that's what magic is for."

"Nicely spoken," Varia commented.

"Thank you."

He looked away from them and to Darius, who stood, leaned against the wall,
and watched the three ever-so-intently. Never saying anything, never
looking at him, hardly even moving, he just stood there, stiller than a
statue.

"Is something wrong?" Marcus asked him.

"No, nothing. Better be going now," was his simple reply.

"Oh, wonderful," Marcus muttered. "Is Daisy joining us?"

"Well, I've got not much better to do."

"To Purgador it is, then, folks. My, we are growing more every single day!
By Purgador, we'd have an entire army, I swear," Varia gasped, though
Marcus thought she was being a little too enthusiastic.

The four hurried from the tavern and sneaked out of the awful, tatty
village unseen, unnoticed, and uncared for. And, serenely, before they knew
it, open farmland spread out around them. Varia had told them that it would
continue for miles, until more villages began appearing. Then she warned of
cities, gigantic cities populated by trolls more vicious than the next. She
had told the three that they would do better to stay clear of them all, to
go around, and to stick to open land, saying that she hoped that there
would be no trouble. She even worried herself with the path they would
take, not wanting to take the shortest route through the capital of the
Trollsturf. That would be the most dangerous place of all, passing through
the Troll capital of Mudsmaug. Mudsmaug was an awful place with battles
raging constantly, and almost every troll was looking for a fight. They
could not go near the troll capital.

"We've just come from a village they call Kauvurmaug, and I think the next
is Lourmaug. The best thing for us to do is to walk the perimeter of the
cities and villages instead of passing through them. The best thing for us
to do would be to stick to the farmlands and hope we meet no trouble."

Marcus didn't really care where he was going now, it didn't really
matter. He didn't matter. He was now irrelevant, his safety was now
irrelevant. Now, his health did not matter, for he was immortal. It didn't
matter who Marcus would be up against, for he was now immortal, and he
hated that about himself. He found himself disgusted, vile, like a monster
or a beast, no better than Kryt and Myrdok, God bless their muddy
souls. But now he was no better than them, he was just like them. He was a
beast, a killer, and a traveler. He was just like them, and he hated
himself for it.

Marcus loathed himself, he didn't know if he would ever feel good about
himself again.

*Closes the Enchanter's Storybook*

That was The Enchanter's Storybook: Chapter Eleven. Thank you for reading,
it means a lot to me. Donate to Nifty. *Places Storybook into my
newly-installed steel vault, by my many, many, many stacks of money -
British Pounds (£) to be exact*

I also want to say that I know it has been longer than two weeks, but my
laptop has been broken and my now very sore fingers had to use my iPhone.
So, I apologize for the lateness of this chapter, and the shortness of this
chapter, but next week will be VERY interesting, I assure you.

SPOILER ALERT: Next week, a battle will ensue. The gang reaches Purgador,
but not as welcome as Varia would have thought.

And remember: this very email address can be used to message me about our
ideas, plots, comments - anything you have to say on this story, just email
me. Even questions, if the need be.

Have a darling day, my dear darlings! Yours Oh-So Enchantingly,

The Enchanter.