Lord Joyde The Madman: Heylo, everybody! How are you all doing?

Heres to hope none of you got scared since I didn't update yesterday.

Don't worry, the marathon continues as planned. I updated two chapters two days ago since I knew that I wouldn't be able to yesterday.

That's all.

Don't mind me guys and girls! I'm just a line break...

The Following Evening - Alice's Castle - Alice's Point Of View...

"Milady, milady! Theres trouble in the courtyard! A wraith knight has appeared." One of my guards came rushing through the door with panic etched onto his face.

His tone sounded urgent and yet, somehow hesitant."So? Undead rise every so often... a single skeleton knight shouldn't be a problem for you to deal with, no?"

The mayor answered in my stead as the guard took a moment to catch his breath before standing upright and bowing."W-well yes but... this knight is.. he came from the Pendragon family catacombs."

A blink and then several more before my brain caught up with the situation and I just got off my throne, grabbed Luctus and walked outside.

It took me a minute to reach the catacombs but thankfully, I did not need to go inside, for in front of the giant tomb stood a skeletal knight in literally shining armor, a pale blue flame blazing from the inside of his armor, giving the knight a rather terrifying look as the flames seemed to consume his skull.

I could feel the life reeling off of him, even as an undead.

The knights shape though, was what caught my attention, for it was a very familiar one."Father?"

I asked with an uncharacteristic tremor in my voice as the skeletal being turned to look at me and nearly instantly the flames consuming his skull dissipated... he seemed to.. cry."A-alice... n-no.. I didn't w-want this..."

The knight fell to his knees and I turned my head around to my guards."Just.. leave."

A somber nod was my answer as the knights saluted me and left."Father? What is this about?... I mean, not that I'm not happy to see you but.. how come you turned into a wraith?"

He laughed, an action which caused the entire courtyard to echo with his ethereal voice."Aaah... A wraith, am I? Then this armor must be my soul manifested into a physical form. Well, now I know that the witch wasn't lying."

"Witch? Physical? Erm... dad, I'm genuinely confused." I approached him, fully intent on.. something. I didn't know what I just felt like I needed to come closer to him.

His burning eyes looked right at me again, particularily around my hair, my eyes and the uncharacteristic muscle on my arms."A-Alice.. I am so sorry. If I had known that that wretched curse would fall onto you I would never allow myself to be killed."

"Wretched curse? You mean Chaos?" I questioned him, causing father to give me a somber nod."Come, my child... let us go somewhere more appropriate to discuss this... the catacombs have always given me the creeps."

Quirking an eyebrow at his speech pattern, I blinked. This seemed to indeed be the man known as Anthony Pendragon, though I could not tell from his voice alone.

Moments afterwards... - Alice's Bedroom - Alice's Point Of View...

"Sometime during our kingdoms third subjugation war against the elven nation to the west, I was unfortunate enough to meet a certain elf witch. Now, this witch, though her name is something I have long since forgotten, mostly because I could never pronounce it correctly, thought of herself as my rival in martial prowess. Her spells seemed to be created for the sole purpose of fighting me and while I did my best to enjoy her strategic deficiency on the battlefield, she had slowly started to become more experienced with leading troops and I could no longer easily predict her actions... so after a few more battles, I finally managed to corner and slay her. However, as witches often do, she placed a curse upon me as she died, saying something cheesy like; Once you die you shalt become that which you hate the most! A vile, mindless undead. I did not pay much heed to this, as during the time I was still new to the powers granted to me by Chaos and the carnage of several wars was fueling that ignorance as best it could. However, as time went on, I began to realize that the power Chaos gave me came with a most terrible price... normality. I could not stand to be a normal person so long as the infection was within my soul. I checked myself, had myself consencrated and blessed, yet the priests were certain that I was not a monster in human form of some kind. Hell, even the previous hero tried to cure my affliction with his light, only to be swatted away like a fly, nearly dying in the process. He wanted to continue trying later on but I forbade it as the Demon King was not yet killed at the time... his desire to cure me had an inspiring effect upon me however, so I continued my search. Yet, whenever I seemed to come even remotely close to the cure I sought, Chaos would take over and cause me to rampage, destroying everything I had worked for in the process." The wraith said in a single breath.

Or did he even need to breathe?

I honestly couldn't tell."Erm.. I'm not sure what to say to that? Normality is its price? That does not seem too bad exactly?"

He laughed."If I told my younger self this, I would get the same answer. In time, you will learn just how much normality means to you."

I quirked an eyebrow at him but made no verbal reply as my father continued his story."Eventually, it dawned on me that Chaos had a certain limit... it could not affect the undead. While I could use my powers to heal nearly any form of organic wound, my powers did not work on the undead of any kind, not even vampires. So I decided to kill myself and see if the witchs curse would take hold... I see now that this was just another ploy of that despicable fire. I ... was an unwilling slave, so it got rid of me and passed its vile curse onto my only child."

"Without it, I would not have survived your death father... mother tried to kill me." I promptly dropped the bomb onto him, causing the man to do a double take before nodding."Yes.. I figured something like that might happen. I only hoped you would survive untill I am reborn.. where is your mother now, in the dungeon?"

"Shes long dead. Consumed by whatever the hell kind of daemon she tried to summon into this world." He leaned back into the chair he was sitting on."Long dead? How long have I been...?"

"Three months." I replied and his skeletal, burning eyes went wide."Oh gods... that must have been harsh on you."

I shook my head in negative, feeling my hands starting to itch."It wasnt. I was in a coma for all this time... I only woke up a few days ago."

He blinked at me in wonder and turned towards Luctus for the briefest moment."I see..."

Then he turned away from it in disgust."Good. I no longer feel the incessant need to wield that accursed thing whereever I go. In any case, three months you say? That means you are about to go to school again, right? The headmaster is my friend, so even if that son of a bitch Rudolf took all of the gold I hoarded, I should be able to coerce him into giving you acess to the Academy."

"I already sent a letter, though." Was my rather blank reply as the itching in my bones tripled, my eyes beginning to water as I attempted to close my heart to no avail. My father then rose from his seat, seemingly pushing tears of his own away as he knelt in front of me."You did? Ahh, my little girl... sometimes I think you grow up too fast for your own good. Though, I suppose Chaos desires you that way.."

Unable to stop myself, I promptly threw my hands around dad and let my tears flow out."DAD!"

He did not miss a single beat to hug me back."Oh my dear, sweet Alice... what have I done to you?" He muttered out sadly as he pulled me closer, liquid ectoplasm flowing down his skeletal cheeks in what I could only assume was an imitation of tears.

Don't mind me guys and girls! I'm just a line break...

Sorry for short chapter.

Something importants come up and I can't delay it any further.

I'll probably post another short chapter today for Euphoria later.

Untill then, stay tuned!

Anyways, read and review! And Good Morning/Day/Night to you all! ADIOS FOR NOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!