MORD.TXT - Fantasy - August 14, 2002

Being the Story of Mord the Undead Knight and how he came to be 
By SwampRat 
(cl) 2002 Gay Furry Association

LordKnight Mord sat astride his horse, wishing for no more than to hear his daughter laugh. He missed her fair face, her warm smiles and gentle chidings.. But most of all, her laugh. It was an easy thing to coax from her, coming in shrieks of delight, or soft giggles that could make the sun come out on a dark day. He wondered how she fared. If she had married or decided to leave her title and go elsewhere with another. But she was his no longer... Not since the day she had disappeared.

						* * * *

It was a dark day when the Princess vanished. At first it was thought a Prank, or childish curiosity as she was sometimes found in the garden giggling with delight at some thing or another. But then the day turned to night, then to day again and no sign, no word.. Until the parchment came, telling the Lord to come to a certain place.. Alone of course. And so alone he made his way to a clearing.. Where he saw a local wizard he had dismissed some time before.

"Where is My Daughter.." he growled, stepping from his mount, ready to kill the bastard should he find his beloved girl harmed.. 

What he got was Blasted by Heat.. Fire, turning to a Forge.. Thence to Molten Lava. Mord screamed as the Eternal Flame of Erend was burned into his body, consuming his flesh and organs, leaving behind nothing but a skeleton. A skeleton wrapped in Flame. Armor appeared and latched itself to his new frame, creating a Knight of Blackness while inside the helm firelight shone brightly.

"And now.. You shall do as I say! Impudent ruler of nothing, Daring to oust me from my place because I tortured a few children. You shall Pay well and truly.. I command you to go forth and destroy your miserable kingdom."

The dark armored creature didn't move.

"Did you hear me, Slave? I said...."

"I heard." the voice was almost the same, a little more hollow, and had what sounded like a cracking from a fire behind it.

"You made one small mistake Necromancer - I was not Dead when you laid the Flame upon me.." Steel hissed softly. "And not being dead, You have no power over me."

The wizard barely had time to scream before the sword slammed into his chest, the Eldritch fire dancing over it, shriveling his soul before allow it to depart his body.. To be snatched at by beings even darker than he was. The princess was unharmed, but still asleep. Her father couldn't bear to have her see him like this - a skeleton encased in Black armor, burning with the fire of Chaos. So he took her as close as he could to the castle that once was home and he laid her there then slammed his fist into the door.. making sure he was gone by the time the guard arrived.

						* * * *

A noise brought him back to the here and now. It was his 'horse'.

"You as bored as I am?"

The flaming skill grinned a littler wider. "Let's go see what trouble we can stop... Or Create."

The creature made a nasty sound, fangs dark red in the black muzzle. A tiny *pop* told the demise of an unwary flea who had jumped on the NightStallion. 

"Bloodsucker.." It said in disgust, then trotted off towards civilization.. Or at least the nearest town.

The End