With a strange warbling scream, the tree-man stumbled backwards, trailing smoke and embers. It crashed into the shifting field of magical energy.
There was a horrible screeching sound, followed by a blue flash that was brighter than the sun. A smell of burnt ozone filled the stairwell.
Sir Giles lowered the arm that he had thrown in front of his face. “Well. I say. Good job, Lily.”
Lily rubbed her eyes, coughing from the drifting smoke that hung in the air. She peered up the stairwell.
The shimmering blue field of energy was gone. In front of it lay the burnt and charred corpse of the tree-man.
Sir Giles prodded the blackened remains with his foot. “Not very…traditional. But it gets the job done, I suppose.”
Ella lowered her mace. “You’re giving her credit for that? Pearls, she had no blinking idea what she was doing.”
Sir Giles retrieved his sword with a grimace. He tried his best to rub the ashes and soot off the handle of the weapon. “Come now, Ella. No need for pettiness.” He raised his weapon. “Onwards!”
Ella glared at Lily.
Lily shut her spellbook. She gave an apologetic shrug.
“Oh, my nose.” Dirk stood up. His hands were still cupped over his nose, muffling his voice. “I need healing, Ella.”
The Elf cleric strapped her shield on her back again. She glanced up at Dirk. “Yeah, that’s going to happen.”
Sir Giles led the way up the stairs.
Ella and Lily followed dutifully behind him.
Dirk just slouched against the wall and sobbed softly.
The stairs of the tower opened into a large room. There was one small, barred window, which let in a stream of moonlight. Spiderwebs and dust hung heavy and thick, covering the sparse furniture. In only one place had no dust gathered.
In the direct center of the room was a large altar-like bed, draped in white silk. On it laid a beautiful young woman. Her cheeks were slightly flushed, her hands folded serenely on her breast. Golden hair fell over the pillow under her head, curled and radiant. The blue dress she wore was of silk, undimmed and unfaded by the obvious passage of time around her. Her eyes were closed. She showed no signs of life.
Ella wrinkled her nose. “Is she…dead?”
Sir Giles shook his head. His eyes were fastened on the beautiful creature in front of him. “Nay, dear Ella. She but sleeps a sleep as deep as death, waiting to be awakened.”
“Is that all?” Lily pushed forward and grabbed the woman’s foot. She shook it fiercely. “Hey! Wake up.”
Sir Giles laughed. “Sweet, ignorant Lily. This maiden can only be awakened by a kiss from her true love.”
Ella closed her eyes. “Please, tell me this isn’t the reason why we climbed up all those stairs.”
Sir Giles turned with a frown. “I am a knight of the realm, fair Ella, lest you may have forgotten.”
Ella sighed. “How could I?”
If Sir Giles heard, he didn’t show it. “It is my duty to rescue those who are in peril. To defend the weak and innocent. To be the savior of those who are in evil’s grip.”
Lily peered at the sleeping woman’s face. “Especially if they’re young and beautiful, I suppose?”
Sir Giles cleared his throat. “That…is one of the benefits of the job, yes.”
Lily gave Giles a cold glance. “And I suppose that you are this woman’s true love?”
Sir Giles shuffled uncomfortably. “I…well, I suppose that I could well be.” He lowered his voice. “I think it’s the kiss that’s the really important thing.”
Lily crossed her arms. “Are we talking like a forehead kiss? Or the cheek?”
Sir Giles began to grow red in the face. “Well, I was thinking her lips, I suppose.”
Lily’s mouth dropped open. “Are you serious? The woman’s insensate. What if she doesn’t want to be kissed by you?”
“Not want to be kissed?” Sir Giles gestured towards the unmoving girl. “Are you suggesting this woman would rather be trapped in a death-like sleep for the rest of her life than be kissed by me?”
Ella had opened her hand mirror again and was adjusting her long hair. “I know I would.”
“It just doesn’t seem right,” Lily protested. “Anyone could come barging into this tower and…and…do all manner of unseemly things to this poor woman—”
Sir Giles straightened. “It’s a kiss, Lily. For the purpose of saving the poor woman’s life.”
Lily tapped her foot rapidly against the ground. “Oh, so you’re saying it’s a pity kiss? You don’t find her at all attractive? You have no desire to kiss her whatsoever?”
“Well, I—” Sir Giles fumbled for a moment, his mouth working without words. “I didn’t actually say that. I just—”
“I suppose,” continued Lily hotly, “that you’re just planning on kissing every beautiful girl in a sleep as deep as death that we come across? Is that your plan?”
“I—” Sir Giles turned bright red. He turned. “Ella, help me out here.”
Ella continued adjusting her curls. “Don’t drag me into this. I’m not kissing the tart.”
“No surprise,” came a gravelly voice that seemed to come from everywhere at once. “You could never be anyone’s true love, Ella.”
Lily closed her eyes with a sigh. “Dirk, what in the Seven Kingdoms are you still doing up here? You’re supposed to go help Torval, remember?”
“I go where I please,” came the voice again. “A shadow, just out of sight. A wraith that—”
“Oh please, Dirk,” said Ella without looking up from her mirror. “You’re right over there behind the dresser.”
There was a long beat of silence.
A mocking laugh floated through the room. “Am I? Am I indee—”
“Now you’re behind the couch,” said Ella.
There was another beat of silence.
Sir Giles sighed. “Come on, Dirk. Stop hiding.”
Dirk practically exploded out from behind the couch. A bloodstained piece of cloth was jammed up his right nostril. “That was a guess, admit it. You had no idea I was back there.”