A Dance For Ribbons

The Ribbon Pact

Who?" Aelix asked, tightening his grip around the rapier.

"What are you?" Asteros asked. "Show your face!"

The man, claimed to be named Samael, chuckled and reached for his mask. "Very well. Bloody hell, you lads are so demanding."

He removed his mask.

Now that they could see him right and well, they saw that he wasn't much different from a normal person.

Samael had milky skin, white and gleamy in the moonlight.

He had one grey eye and one red, much to Dranzel's amazement.

He had never seen anyone, except himself, with mismatched eyes.

Samael held a cane in his right hand, one made of black wood with a handle of silver and wrought in the shape of a dragon's head, with rubies for eyes.

Samael also had red hair, tied in a neat ponytail. He had sharp teeth, visible because of his smiling at the present moment.

He had a slender face, but not too slender either. He was truly very handsome.

Around his neck where the suit ended, A white scarf was wrapped, with the ends hanging a bit on both of his sides.

Samael had a black goatee and he had two scars making a giant "X" symbol over his lips.

"Now, perhaps, since I put my mask away, ser knight, sor poet and the lord would be kind enough as to loosen grip of your weapons. I am just here for a chat." Samael said.

"A chat?" Dranzel repeated Samael's words, baffled. "You appear out of nowhere. Unexplained and unsent for. What business is that, with the door?"

Samael looked around. "What door?"

True enough, none could spot the door they had all seen before.

As they were looking upon Samael, the door must have disappeared.

"Wha-" Dranzel began.

"Look, forget about the bloody door. What is your business with us, sir Samael?" Lord Asteros asked.

"Oh, here we meet a gentleman. My business..." As Samael's voice trailed off, his eyes turned a deep purple, as dark a purple as the colour of Veretian Wine.

Dranzel felt his body going numb as he stared into those eyes, and so did Aelix and Asteros. All three of their weapons fell on the ground.

"Is a game." Samael finished.

"A... a game?" Asteros asked, indeed hypnotized.

"Yes. A game of wits and of conquest and of romance. I overheard your conversation in the tavern. Then again, I overhear everything, but it was of particular interest to me what you three were talking about. I am here to make your wishes come true. A gift." And he laughed.

He reached for the inside of his suit, and drew out a piece of parchment, and a featherpen.

"Now, how about we make this interesting?" Samael asked them.

"Make what interesting?" Aelix asked.

"Well, your goals, of course! In the tavern, you three spoke of women. the Lord needs one as bride, the Ser as means to forget of a lost romance, and the Poet as inspiration for his masterpieces. So who do you think can get a girl quicker in his grasp?" Samael asked, grinning at them.

Dranzel thought about this. "Well, that would be me."

"How modest!" Asteros exclaimed. "It would be I, the man with the riches and the power to bend every girl to his will!"

"Money gets you nowhere when words fail you. Women want a romantic gentleman, not a brute with a fat purse." Dranzel shot back.

The two of them looked at each other, anger and hatred scarring their faces.

"You two, stop your mindless arguing. It is clearly I, the man of valour and courage, that would be winner in this contest."

Samael smiled. "Then let us see who can win most women's hearts in a moon's turn's time, shall we? That sounds better to me." And he scribbled something down on the piece of parchment.

"Sounds good." Asteros said.

"And in the turn of a moon, let it be known that I-" Aelix said.

"That I, sir Dranzel, am the man whom women most crave." Dranzel cut off Aelix' words.

"Then let's find out. Would you three gentlemen be kind enough as to sign this?" Samael asked politely.

"What is that?" Dranzel asked.

Samael looked into his eyes, and again, Samael's eyes turned purple. "The rules of the game, of course."

Dranzel nodded mindlessly. "Of course."

Dranzel signed it, as did Asteros and Aelix.

When they were done, Samael laughed and began walking away. "I shall soon meet yet again with one of you. I am curious as to which one it shall be. One, did I say?" And laughing like a madman, Samael Refiluc walked towards a black door, one far away from where the three gentlemen stood, opened it, and vanished behind it.