Hmmm…
I know who Marcus is based on (you told me :P), and the sea troll reminds me of that ogier in WoT (can’t remember his name, was too long since I read the books)…
You also told me where you got Mere’s name, but she reminds me waay too much of Empress Galina.
(“Above the waves you may be mighty indeed, but down here you belong to me.” :P)
The troll isn’t based on anything really, he’s just one of those random henchmen. Okay, okay… this is a bit of a ripoff from A Look on Another One. That more hints for ya? :mwahaha: I assure you that Mere isn’t crossdressing/bodying though ^^;; Blame Archone, he said it felt like Flea had fallen in love with Janus at the end of that tale and hey… looking back there are hints at that. Er, yeah. >_>
He was an intimidating sight, despite not being quite as monstrous as some other beasts under his command. But standing one head taller than Mere and with straight claws instead of fingertips, Lizard came off at least as dangerous as a small dragon. That assumption and his name were both aided by the tough scales that covered his body, their green color appearing more turqouise in the bluish light - covering his entire form apart from the front of his chest, which was protected by several smooth plates of natural armor, reflecting the illumination with a greenish glow.
The only piece of clothing he had was a simple loincloth hanging from a leather belt around his waist, a belt that also carried a sheath in which a short sword rested.
“You came here quickly,” Mere said.
“I have little time to spare,” the monster replied, the claws on his feet clicking against the floor as he walked, “but lady Snake insisssted I should heed your call.”
Mere offered him a knowing smile at the last sentence, which he ignored completely. She, on the other hand, could not ignore the fact that he in his innocent ignorance stopped beside her study table. It was a massive desk; made of stone with a beautiful blue hue. It took up the entire left wall of her study, carrying more books on its perfectly slanted top than the shelves on the walls did. To outsider it might have looked like a mess, but she had it all in perfect order.
For a moment she wanted to ask Lizard to move. She really did. And she would have, if she had not realize that doing so probably would not save the piece of furniture in any case.
Inwardly sighing, she put on a diplomatic smile for the reptilian.
“Be patient for a couple of minutes, I will send for Marcus,” she said.
Lizard’s forked tongue danced between his cracked lips with a hissing sound, but he said nothing. Mere closed her eyes momentarily.
<center>~*~</center>
Marcus looked up as the troll suddenly slammed its book shut and dropped it on the table.
“Mistress says to come to her room,” it announced and stood surprisingly fast.
Marcus let out a breath between his lips as he - in the face of being grabbed by the arms and dragged through the palace if he moved too slow - closed his own book as slowly as pride would allow, but still too quickly for the sinking feeling.
“You’re going to give me the creeps with expressions like that…” he muttered more to himself than to the troll.
He got to his feet, but apparently not fast enough. His guard closed its huge hand around the wizard’s upper right arm and ripped him towards the exit of the library.
Sinking feeling passing the world’s earth layer and entering the magma just about now…
<center>~*~</center>
“He will be here soon, unless he kills his guide first,” Mere said, “then we’ll have to wait a few more minutes.”
“I will gladly bring him,” Lizard replied, for the first time sounding a bit interested in the developement.
Mere also noted his fingers twitch, though they rested in the craddle of his elbows after he had crossed his arms.
“I’m sure you would,” she agreed, not even trying to stop her lips from twitching in amusement at that idea.
‘Maybe I could just… move some books from the table…’ she meanwhile pondered.
Yes… that would be innocent enough. The last thing she wanted to do was to agitate her new guest. There would be enough of that soon in any case.
“Now, dear,” she begun, starting towards the working desk with an air of casuality, “I know that you probably will want to rip Marcus’ lungs out, but please be patient about it.”
Perfectly round eyes coldly followed her every movement. Mere threw a smile at Lizard as she stopped mere inches from him and began gathering all notebooks and scripts she could reach from her current position.
“Apart from that we’re not done yet, I’ve got dibs on him,” she added.
Lizard snorted; very few would realize that it was the closest he ever came to laughing.
As she crossed the floor to leave her catch on a handy empty shelf on the wall, the witch realized that she probably had gathered suspiciously many paper collections. But Lizard remained silent.
She had just dropped her first armload and was returning to save another bunch from the impending doom when a swearing Marcus stumbled inside, pushed by the troll.
The ocean gods were apparently not on her side today, Mere concluded and had to hold back a sigh of defeat. Hopefully it would not be anything that some reorganization could not fix again.
She stole a glance at Lizard’s glare at Marcus, who was still glowering at the retreating troll.
It would need a lot of reorganization.
The reptilian was already tense.
“I’m glad you didn’t kill him, Marcus,” she said, cutting through the glares and redirecting them towards her.
Always something.
“Tempting as it was, I was raised well,” the wizard sarcastically snarled, “that and I know you’d love to send your whole army to fetch me.”
“You know me well,” Mere said, smiling.
But Marcus had already turned to Lizard.
It is hard to have a glaring contest with something that only blinks when he needs to sleep, which probably was the case with the scaly one. The wizard still tried though, even if he surely knew how vain it was.
They could without doubt have continued until one of them* dropped unconscious, but Lizard was - despite himself - not feeling very patient.
“Wizard,” he coldly said.
With a hiss on the z, of course. It sounded far more intimidating, even if he might have been able to avoid it.
“Lady Snake’s chosen,” Marcus replied, equally frosty.
“Good boys, you both know your diplomacy,” Mere cheerfully concluded.
And there went the glares in her direction again. She smiled at the two gentlemen for a moment, then sobered again.
“In any case, we do not have time for this,” she said, “Lizard, I asked you to come here because Marcus has dire news that involve the monsters as well.”
“What would that be?” the reptilian asked unmoving.
Marcus started to speak, but Mere cut him off.
“And please don’t break my table.”
She knew it was futile and that the only thing she would get for it was one questioning and one suspicious glance, but she had to try.
Marcus shrugged off the surprise quickly and looked at the beast.
“The reason that I’m…”
He bitterly glanced at Mere, who for once let the chance to snicker slip. More surprised at that then her earlier comment, the wizard quickly picked up again.
“… I’m here is because lord South has seized the throne of Lacarth in princess’ Alexandra’s absence.”
“I am not unaware of that,” Lizard informed.
Marcus nodded.
“Fine,” he continued, “but there’s more to it.”
No reply. The wizard gritted his teeth.
“South has Magician’s Tears.”
Mere closed her eyes with a sigh, as Marcus realized what she had meant when pleading to the reptilian earlier. It had, indeed, no effect on the monster’s actions.
The table, two thumbnails thick, was smashed and the books that Mere had not been able to save were sent to the floor in complete chaos.
*Marcus, no questions asked there.
First of all, this looks very promising. The writing style is extremely refined, as always, and the bickering between Marcus and Mere is amusing. I do get the feeling there’s more to it than meets the eye though. Could it be flying sparks? 
More than you can count.
“<I>LIAR</I>!”
The roar caused the whole room to tremble; an even bigger mess was created as it caused books and bottles to fall off the various shelves on the walls.
Mere groaned, but was relieved to see that only the lighter, empty bottles were the one that fell and shattered against the floor, while the heavier ones stayed in their places. Small mercies.
She hadn’t expected it to be quite that bad. In retrospect she realized that she had been too optimistic about the whole thing.
And Lizard still looked like he wanted to smash something more. She really needed to save some parts of her study.
Following the monster’s line of sight, that part which currently needed saving was Marcus. Used to battles he had already moved his feet and hands into defensive positions, fingertips cautiously sparkling with power as he prepared a counterattack.
“Lizard!” Mere shouted, throwing up her right hand in a threathening gesture.
The monster spun at her with a wordless snarl.
“Marcus came here voluntarily!” the witch sharply said, “don’t you think that he would need a <I>damn</I> good reason for that?”
The silence filled the tense air like a strangling cloth.
Finally, after a few seconds that stretched on for far longer than they were really allowed, Lizard straightened up again and glared at Marcus.
“Did you sssee it?” the taller one demanded.
The wizard lowered his hands, but did so slowly and with lingering suspision.
“No,” he admitted, coldly, “but I wasn’t about to take any chanses after what I heard from South’s own general. The fact that he sent about twenty knights after me speaks volumes as well.”
Lizard’s tongue flared between his lips in frustration, but he stood still with his arms crossed.
“The Tears are guarded by the monsters,” he said, “there are none among usss whom would let that tragedy repeat. You accussse my people of betraying themselvesss, wizard.”
“May I point out that I’m the one dangling on the end of the rope here?” the wizard replied, acid in his voice.
Lizard hissed, but despite the angry sound he thoughtfully leant the lower side of his jaw against his fist.
“I can sssee the logic in that,” he admitted after a moment, “you are the only one who can lose.”
He glanced at Mere, who surprisingly had kept her peace during the whole argument.
“I would sssay that you already have lost,” the monster added.
Marcus let out a bitter grunt in unwilling approval. None of the men were however completely prepared for the reply.
“Despite what you may think, I have no intention of abusing the wizard’s current position,” Mere frostily said, “I admit that it is very tempting, but the threat of the Tears is enough to sicken me. There is no way that I would allow that to repeat either.”
Just as much as her protest had been unexpected, so was Lizard’s reply.
“You are noble, Mere.”
And there was almost a smile in his voice. But in the next heartbeat, his fangs flashed between his lips in another growl.
“Ssstill, there isss the accusation of a traitor among the monsters.”
“Are you worried about lady Snake?” Mere asked.
Lizard paused. The incredulous look that he shot in the witch’s direction would normally be reserved for far more eccentric beings, such as people claiming that the sun will turn green and start singing soon.
“Stupid question,” Mere amended, nodding.
“Indeed.”
“There’s also the problem with princess Alexandra,” Marcus cut in, “I have no idea if South’s men have found her travelling party yet. She probably doesn’t know about His Majesty either.”
“Where isss she then?” Lizard asked, dropping the shaking of his head at Mere.
“By this time they should have reached the eastern border, somewhere between Mayar and North Ren.”
Marcus worriedly rubbed his chin, speaking a little too fast as he continued.
“Removing South from the throne will be difficult if she’s already…”
The words that had been tumbling out faded as suddenly as they had begun to fall and the wizard almost violently shook his head, pinching his eyes shut.
Mere said nothing.
“Clossse enough to our lands, I will send out people to search for them,” Lizard promised, his voice unusually understanding.
The easily offered help took Marcus slightly by surprise, and he looked up at the monster.
“I hold no love for Sssouth,” the reptilian clarified, seeing the hesitance in the human’s eyes, “there isss the risk of another war when he rules, and we do not want to be involved in that again.”
“On that tangent,” Mere said, “if you are going to help us find Alexandra, remember to move carefully. South could easily blame you if she disappears.”
“I am fully aware of that.”
Lizard paused again. It appeared that something begun to dawn on him, as there was suspicion in his cold eyes when he looked at Mere again.
“What should we do with the princesss once she isss found?”
Mere smiled, but only halfway. Somehow she appeared both amused and resigned about the subject.
“Bring her here, of course.”
Marcus had known, but he still groaned. Again.
Lizard, on the other hand, had more control than that. He turned to the wizard.
“I sssee now, why you fight this woman,” the reptilian dryly announced.
“It’s one of the reasons, yes,” Marcus muttered.
Hmm…
…intrigueing. That’s the word I was looking for. This is…intrigueing. 
Interesting. Very interesting indeed. It’s stuff like this that stirred my reading apetite.
I like it. It’s one of those things that I’ll be checking daily to see if more has been added.
Thanks guys, I’m glad you like. I’ll try to get more stuff written soon.
lol. “Noooo pressure… noooooo pressure”
Whee! My friend Sandra at my writer’s course made this awesome drawing of Marcus and Mere for me Now I know how Mere looks, even :hahaha; Marcus seems a bitolder than I picture him myself, but hey, he’s got his reasons.
<img src=“http://www.rpgclassics.com/staff/Weiila/mm.jpg”>
Looks nice. Though Mere’s hairstyle looks a bit poofier than I had pictured… >>;