“Of all the conspiracies I have heard within my time, the greatest of interest regarding the rules and laws of our king have come recently from a member of the Benaga Household’s retinue. I will not reveal names, only to say that the incident in which the young daughter of the lord came into contact with a demon was greatly hushed up and thought to be a rumour. I can say that it was no rumour and even the most sordid assumptions made cannot come close to what really happened. However, the Head Healer had enforced a sleeping potion upon the child for the length of two years to deal with the matter and remove any proof that the hallowed family of Klangschwert had been made aware of ancient rumours about the identity of our king. At least, this was the final information I could gain from their butler’s wife before her death.”
- Entry 17 of the Private Dairies of Doctor Dimwult Varris
Anouk had not intended to be dragged about the citadel by the wrist and certainly not with her red hair flying behind her like a banner. Eyes fell upon her with total shock and some with terror as they realised that she was being harried against her will. There was no point in trying to fight the situation although for the sake of pride Anouk had to make a fuss, after-all the Karayan was going to lead her to wherever Damara had gone. Even so, Anouk had not been lead around the neighbourhood by a man since she was seven years old and being dragged home by her uncle after she bit one of the noble men in the knee cap. It had been nearly twenty years since then so most of the younger people wandering around the city discussing the fears of departure had never seen this before.
“Do you mind? By Nabuto you’re going to pull my arm out of its socket! Why not just tell me rather then drag me?” Anouk growled, trying to keep pace with the great long legs wrapped in the black shrouds. She could guess he was going to inform her that she was not fast enough around here, but instead he remained quiet and allowed her the fuss. In truth it was a very unusually comfortable sensation to feel the warmth of his body wrapped about her wrist but that was also a terrifying sensation. Anouk could not explain it of course, she was unsure why there was so much comfort to gain from it but she put it down to the fact he knew where her sister was. That his knowledge and confidence in the matter was squashing down the part of her that wanted to howl and scream and destroy to seek out the only living relative she gave a damn about. Indeed it was all Anouk could think about to stop herself panicking but as they reached the mixed selection of bridges after climbing the stairwell rather then using the lift, a familiar cry made Anouk freeze. Her companion did not take any notice to it but when she recognised her own name being hollered at, she dug her heels into the stone and yanked backwards against him. “Hold on Shadow… that’s one of my men calling for me.”
At the nickname the Karayan paused and dropped Anouk’s hand, his eyes widening in surprise and fascination to hear such a thing. He’d never been given any other name but dark one and it had certainly not been presented to him in the affectionate manner she was calling him to attention. Anouk was not sure where the nickname had come from but her focus was not on her words, rather on the familiar form of young Sarag trying to leap across the bridges to reach them. His eyes were wide with shock and his blue hair was rough and strange as if he’d been trying to pull it out from worry; Anouk had not seen him like that and thankfully the Karayan noticed the concern upon her face. The pair straightened themselves on one of the bridges that was supposed to lead to nowhere, giving Sarag enough time to just leap straight across from the main bridge to theirs in a neat hopping motion, a little like a frog. He landed neatly but Anouk still launched out to grasp the young man’s green jerkin to keep him steady. His hand grasped hers in thanks as he then steadied himself and Anouk noted the lack of sensation compared to when she was touched by the Karayan.
“Lord Benaga… we’ve got a big problem…” Sarag huffed and puffed gently, bending forward to hold his knees and suck in breath. He looked ready to fall over and Anouk had to pat his head in reassurance before grasping one of his shoulders just in case. She had felt truly sorry for this poor young mage because her choice to send Kaloon out after the second Hive Demon had resulted in his death; the guilt pricked at Anouk’s hands as she grasped him and tried not to whimper or grimace. This boy had complete faith in her though, he had told her already that his brother was more then willing to die at the orders of the red-head… not that it had cleared up Anouk’s guilt. Sarag kept his head to the ground though, aware suddenly that he was seeing his master’s long red hair swinging about in the low light of the tunnels against all the laws of decency and with a hefty gulp he continued. “It’s Damara – Jarl came and told us Lutas sent her off with Ynvirius, Ling’s gone after them and I sent Alard after her and I’m really worried. The moment Jarl told me about the general I had nothing but gut wrenching sensations and it’s not just because of Kaloon… boss I think she’s in more trouble then just being in the swamp, you’ve got to go to her.”
The moment he said the name Anouk’s green fire began to flitter around her with rage once more and the two males backed off slightly at the curious image of the elf maiden wreathed in flame. It was not a common sight and Sarag turned his head away in case it might be something forbidden but the Karayan just blinked slowly towards her as if ushering calm. Anouk was very, very angry but she sucked her anger down and took a heavy swallow of air to keep back the shout. She could not loose her temper right now, she needed to focus on getting Damara and then she could worry about who to strangle. She could not believe that Lutas would be so stupid after what had happened with the Hive Demon, especially when Ynvirius had been around that creature, which usually meant he could not even step beneath ground until he went through a cleansing. Anouk could only imagine the worst and although she knew Lutas was a lord he did not have the kind of clearance to let that group go out on patrol so soon, meaning someone higher up was also involved in getting her sister into danger.
“Alright Sarag; I want you go and find Lord Yeruell and tell him exactly what you have told me and then tell Chroniison. They’ve got to be ready for trouble and the only way they’ll be ready is if you tell them the Karayan and I have gone. Don’t mention the stone, just say that they’ve just plucked Karani and Damara out and no one has cleared it.” Anouk stated, knowing that only the possible breech in protocol would be enough for the elders to stand up and do something. The Karayan grimaced beside her, unwilling to continue on his intended path with her soldier at hand; somehow it made him feel uncomfortable and under suspicion even when he was trying to help. But Sarag was swift to nod, turn on his heels and run back down the path before Anouk turned to the masked figure with a snort. “Remind me again why I’m following you down a path that really does lead to nowhere?”
“I’m showing you how I got in… there’s a very old tunnel here that’s not as blocked up as it used to be. It comes up about midway through the swamp and will be the fastest way to get to the girls and get them back safely. There are crystals or some such at the end that stops most of the other monsters out there from coming in but I ended up going through it myself to get rid of a particularly stubborn Mud Lurch.” Karayan snorted as he reached the end of the bridge and a massive sandy coloured boulder that had been poorly used to plug up an old tunnel entrance. There was a cloak of magic around it to give the appearance of a steep drop if feet were in front of the boulder but Karayan stood in the middle of the air ignorant to the magic.
Anouk’s eyes boggled with confusion as her head spun to try and figure out what he had just said. As she shook her head to clear her mind of the confusion she watched the shadowed figure gently grasp the rock and just twist it slightly out of place to reveal a wide enough slit they could push themselves through sideways. The illusion over the area still maintained that the rock had not moved and Anouk grimaced at the thought of the magic in the stones failing so badly! If the Karayan had managed to get inside Virenheim so easily then there could be all manner of shape-shifting demons pacing around pretending to be elves that the magic had not quite dealt with yet. But the Karayan slid through the gap and beckoned with his gloved hands for her to follow after.
“It’s a good thing my eyes are reasonable in the dark… that tunnel’s got to be pitch black!” Anouk snorted in frustration as she watched his form disappear completely within the shadowy depths of the tunnel. As she stepped forward and delicately placed her soft light grey-blue hands to the stone her nose wrinkled in frustration at an old stench of decay. A cold wind was flowing from the passage to cool her fingers and she had to agree that this tunnel must lead out to the swamp, but it was so dark she could not see anything but the shadows of stones up ahead. She could not even see the Karayan and she became fearful and almost as if she were a child trapped as she slipped inside and called out for him. “Karayan! Please wait…”
“It’s alright… here, let me guide you through.” The figure called out and he must have turned about because suddenly the strange yellow eyes turned back to face her, shimmering with their own uncanny light. It was like staring into the face of some hideous monster and Anouk felt terror grasp her heart and catch her breath, until she felt the great hands reach out and grasp her. The moment he held her that warmth and familiarity cooled her fear and she grasped for it, staring down and noticing the slight shift in the darkness and the deepness of the figure’s own shadow. Seeing his whole body as a blacker patch within the shade Anouk breathed a sigh of relief as the hands clasped around her gently. “It’s alright… just keep your back flat against the tunnel wall and we can squeeze through.”
“How did you know this tunnel was here?” Anouk growled gently, coming back to her senses somewhat as her eyes shifted to the low light. She let the Karayan tug her gently along the cold and slightly slimy rocks that proved the tunnel had been collapsed rather then filled up. The smell of the swamp was prevalent and the roar of the Viren River sounded around them the deeper they went. But as she began to feel the rocks more accurately, she was able to let go of the Karayan and follow after him with a sigh of relief. The deeper they travelled the more confident she felt and the more she began to question what was going on within the figure’s head. “I get the feeling you’ve been here before… how else would you have known about Higatso?”
“The guards talk too much… you can hear everything when you walk under the gates.” Karayan snorted with a slight twitch to his mask as if he might have been grinning at her, though she could only hear the bemusement in his voice. Anouk curled an eyebrow in surprise before she shuffled further through the tunnel after him, hopping over one large boulder but then being slapped downward quickly as she failed to check how close the ground was on the other side. She almost swore at the Karayan as he grabbed her head and gently eased her past one large stalactite, urging her to stay low as he led her off the slight ledge she’d slapped into and back onto the path with him. The Karayan then gave a soft snort before looking back towards her with his shining devilish eyes of amusement. “I have been down this tunnel only once and I stayed down here for three weeks listening in to everything and learning what I could from their gossip. I didn’t want to just march in without a proper plan.”
“Sneaking around the tunnels? I’d call you a bastard for such activity but I’ve got the unusual sensation you’d just agree to the assumption.” Anouk snorted in frustration as he released her head and she tried hard not to kick at his shadow in frustration. A tiny little spot of light was visible in the distant black and she gave a soft sigh of relief at the waft of warm, stinking swamp air that greeted them both as they reached the most tightly blocked section of the tunnel. With only the tiny light to aid her eyes Anouk was able to spot the outline of one massive boulder the size of a house blocking the entire path, save one little corner. She stared at it in frustration for a moment before turning towards the Karayan with a grimace upon her face. “How now Shadow?”
“Up and over… if you need me to go through first and pull you…” Karayan began only to give a grunt as Anouk suddenly lunged at him, stomping her foot onto the outline of his knee as he bent and then grasping the rock. With a hefty swing as she hooked her long fingers into the crumbling edge of the stone, the Deep elf managed to get herself straight up onto boulder before slipping through and then swearing at him from the other side. The shadowed figure shook his head in frustration before rubbing his knee, keenly aware that he’d insulted her by assuming she needed his help. He thought mentally not to mention such a thing again and with a sigh he removed the gloves from his hands and flexed his fingers.
For a few moments he stared down at his great long clawed hands with a growl of frustration before turning toward the massive lump of rock. It had been quite a while since he had clambered over it but as he stroked the lump he felt for the strange deep scratches he’d made the first time. He pondered about what Anouk was doing on the other side to wait for him before giving a soft groan and reaching up to grab the rock in the same place Anouk had. Once he’d gripped this piece of jutting stone he stabbed his claws upward and clambered steadily up the rock and over the top. The gap between the top of the rock and the tunnel ceiling was very narrow for someone of his bulk, but the Karayan seemed to slip through as easily as a cloud before he landed on the other side.
Anouk gave a start of surprise when she noticed his eyes in the shadows, not having heard or felt him landing nearby. Even when there was a little lighter for her to see in this tunnel she had still been unable to spot him and only the yellow eyes had been there to focus upon. Anouk grimaced in disgust at the thought of some strange power and gently she released a little of her green fire to view the tunnel and Karayan. It was only a pale green glow but it was enough to see the talons on his hands and swiftly the Karayan stuffed his hands into his deep black shroud, seemingly fishing about for his gloves. Anouk dropped the flames with a grimace of concern at such a sight, but she rolled her eyes as she recalled the story Damara had produced about the figure having been cursed and then her eyes widened in fascination.
At the party the Karayan had made sure to cover his feet and had made a point to people not to have a look at his limbs. With her eyes narrowing at him, sneering at him in fact, she wondered about the shape of his feet and what it might say about his origins. Her mind also recalled the Harpy tracks she’d seen months ago and with a sudden grunt and slap to her forehead she grumbled to herself. At least now she knew the probable cause and though she did not want to say it aloud, the Karayan seemed to guess her understanding and gently pulled his uncovered hands back out. As he looked at Anouk he felt a sudden urge to stretch out and grasp her hands again, without the gloves so that he could feel her warm skin but he knew it would not be welcomed.
In truth the creature was looking at the female elf with a constant edge of pain in his eyes, he could not quite explain it but all he wanted to do in that moment was to hold her against him and hear her heart. It was a thought he’d been fighting down quite frequently since he’d first seen her and it was very difficult to control the want and the logic behind it. All he could do was think of how much he needed to talk to the heir of Benaga, the woman that seemed to make him feel like he was somewhere safe or familiar. His mind still skipped with the occasional memories of red hair that he could hardly pull together and even now, as he towered over her and sucked in deep breaths filled with her scent, the Karayan tried to swallow his desire to kiss her when everything about his form could bring death to her.
“I didn’t thank you enough for being so kind to Damara… but I’m worried about your interest in her.” Anouk stated, suddenly marching forward and out of the creature’s gaze as her body began to tingle with strange and unwanted frustrations. She felt sickened by her curiosity and her seeming fondness for this strange being; it was something completely unknown to her people for a member of the Benaga Household to marry outside of their own species or to even think of it. In truth she did not know what species Karayan was but her mind was constantly leaping towards an affection she could not stand with a non-elf let alone another elf! She feared too that his interest might lie upon her sister and, though Anouk was willing to bare the brunt of such unpleasant thoughts, she did not like to think that Damara was being eyed up by the creature. “Because if it’s anything designed to gain more position, a blood tie to the king or perhaps just pure lust… I am quite willing to castrate you.”
“You wouldn’t be the first to attempt it… I seem to have an uncanny ability to keep my balls.” The Karayan chuckled, almost menacingly as Anouk grimaced and shook her head. She continued to pace onward through the tunnel, glad the light was showing up every new rock blocking the path but keeping her eyes peeled for any unpleasant creatures coming their way. The Karayan noticed her irritation and shrugged his shoulders gently; surprised she did not find his words amusing as perhaps her squad members might have. He stepped gently to her side and even moved ahead of her with a gentle chuckle and even a slight whistle of amusement. “I’m not interested in your sister… she’s a child and not the kind of woman that could cope with every darkness in my soul.”
“That’s good to hear, but now I’m fascinated… I’m a little concerned that you might be a bad influence on my daughter…” Anouk suddenly slapped her face and shook her head in frustration. She growled in irritation and rubbed her forehead, snarling that she had stated something so untrue and yet in many ways true. Damara was her sister, but Anouk had begun to wonder if there was truth in her unpleasant dreams that made her look at Damara differently. She looked so unhappy over the slip that the Karayan gave a sigh of frustration and then gently stretched out his hand to pat her shoulder.
The moment his great claws touched her shoulder she shuddered and jumped, but the Karayan did the same. The pair of them looked towards each other with wide and fearful eyes at the curious sensations and thoughts that had launched through their bodies. For Anouk there had been a strange moment like a flash of comfort and kindness, but that she was the one holding a wounded figure when she was a child, healing them. The memory of the rain and the amount of blackened blood she’d seen oozing out of a terrible chest wound launched into her mind and she gave a whimper of frustration as she thought over such a thing. With a soft groan she rubbed at her head, noticing that the Karayan had just turned to look away from her to the ceiling as if he were very unhappy with what he’d sensed.
“Don’t… I don’t need any kind of reassurance… I said what I said; she’s my sister but I’ve been starting to realise I don’t see her like that. It sounds ridiculous, but she was born when I was an elder teen… almost an adult and well… I…” Anouk had begun to try and explain her words rather then attempt to acknowledge the image that had come to her mind. The Karayan remained silent but as the light started to swim upon them, Anouk noticed the curious look upon his face and she found herself loosing faith. She could not talk about the situation, she could not tell him about the dreams of having a child if only because the strange flash of imagery just then had rattled her. With the possibility that she was seeing him in her youth and this was why he was trying to be her friend… Anouk swore allowed and pulled herself back into the current situation. She looked to the narrow entrance of the tunnel, covered in long strands of hanging moss and blood vines that was only barred by a few worn down boulders and a pool of slime. They were at the edge of the swamp now and it was time to start looking out for the signs of the stones and not discuss matters of the past, Damara needed them and they had to move fast.
As they continued on through into the swamp the pair remained quiet as their feet squelched and stomped through the wretched mess with groans of disgust. The Karayan seemed to drop right down into the deep murky water ahead of her but he made no attempt to fuss or allow Anouk to pass him. As she was lighter and faster on her feet, she skipped about through the mud, occasionally stomping on an unfortunate fish or snake that was too slow to swing about and fight her, the Karayan stretched out an arm to encourage her to grab him should she fall. She growled at his assumption that she might need his help, but when she watched the water ahead of him, everything started to leap away from him with fear. In fact, Anouk’s eyes widened in shock as she realised that the beasts within the watery world were trying to hide from the shrouded figure as he stepped through, not wading or pushing himself against the tide.
Anouk would have questioned the matter but she was quite amused by it and thankful too. By standing in his wake the monsters in the water were pushing themselves out of the way and not willing to turn around after him. In fact, by walking behind him the creatures could not see if Anouk and Karayan were different from one another and thereby refused to attempt to get close. It caused a grin to split Anouk’s face and she chuckled in amusement as she mentioned the fact and when he made a joke about it this time, Anouk actually found herself eager to give a soft chuckle. The reaction seemed to urge the Karayan to move faster and become more talkative as he asked about the situation with Damara and about the situation that had caused her father’s end.
It was a very difficult thing for Anouk to discuss and when Damara was in so much trouble out here in the dangerous swamp it brought the memories forward. Though she growled and tried not to even think on what had happened or what to say, she felt an unusual sensation of trust with this figure again. As much as Anouk wanted to deny the fact that she felt comfortable with the Karayan knowing the truth of it all, she wanted to be cautious. Not everyone could understand the story or why such things were permitted to happen in their society; Alard and Ling had not accepted any of it!
“He was killed by my uncle… his half-brother about twelve years ago. My mother was killed alongside him and Damara was nearly killed as well.” Anouk stated, hoping at first that this was enough information that the creature wanted but it was clear he wanted to know everything. His first question about her uncle and the memory of that man with his strangely sharp expression, long black hair held in a pony tail and his malevolent purple eyes made her growl. She did not want to speak his name and she would not, instead she breathed a sigh and rubbed at her chest wound, happy that she was not receiving the usual warning sensations she did when Damara was in trouble. “My grandfather’s original intended wife ran away because she fell in love with a low class Deep Elf. My grandfather was accepting of her choice as he was far more concerned with the wars and battles of the land… when she was away she visited the cities of the north but returned heavily pregnant after her partner was killed. No one wanted to deal with her, but to the shock of everyone my grandfather married her and adopted her twins when they were born. My grandfather had never expected to be the only remaining of seven sons and he was quite old at the time, so when she needed help and she was his friend he helped her. When her children were five years old, my father was produced and when he was met by the King the decision was made that my father was the heir, not the adopted son. That’s probably the reason my uncle did what he did, he used to train the nobles’ children in fighting and he trained me and Elrid, Lord Lutas… he was particularly vicious with me and although a lot of people just made a point that I was female so I should be treated harshly… there was always the underlying thought that he was doing it to get me to run away. My grandfather rescued me from it though and then when my grandfather died… there was no one strong enough to control my uncle’s jealousy.”
Anouk could recall the beatings now with her teeth grinding the way they had then; she had burst into tears the first week of training until her uncle had laughed at her and stated a girl could not do anything. Then things had changed and Anouk had shut out her emotions, save rage – she had looked for every reason to hate her uncle in the training sessions to make her fight him and his particular aggression towards young Elrid Lutas had fuelled it. Elrid had been suspected as a possible child of her uncle, if only because he had been involved in an affair with Elrid’s aunt and in some circles Elrid’s mother too. When he had split a wooden cane upon the boy’s bare back one day and caused a massive welt, Anouk had leapt over the boy and cuddled herself around him to take the whacks instead and it had been the first time she’d disobeyed her uncle’s training rules and then he had become much more barbaric. In one training session he’d broken her ribs by stomping on her a few times in front of her grandfather and that old man’s fist had solved the problem.
“When my grandfather died I had my incident with the demon that a lot of people talk about… I don’t know what happened but my uncle was the one to find me and respond. For the two years I was kept inside some cleansing place with my aunt, he attempted to have my title stripped from me and placed on him and then Damara was born and Molwesa was able to solve the situation and give him a particular job… that’s according to Loteg’s father’s diary that something was concealed and that the pair were involved with it. I don’t really know what was happening then but Damara was a problem and I later found out my uncle had tried to have himself arranged to marry her and my mother had attacked him in front of the nobles. Everyone was shocked over it and my uncle had to stay out on patrol for a few years out of concern but that only made something strange happen to him.” Anouk sighed as she checked the swamp about her for any sign of her friends or her sister and to her surprise found the Karayan had slowed down for her to grasp his back for reassurance. “He came back acting the perfect brother and I knew he was up to something… he caused an accident at the orphanage that killed my mother and was supposed to kill Damara but she had been sickly and at home. Two years later he lost it and kidnapped Damara from her school lessons, causing my father to go crazy and chase after him. I was first there with Loteg to fight him at home and Loteg rescued Damara whilst I had my body slashed and should have been killed… but then father showed up.”
Anouk went silent, suddenly finding herself lowering her head and pressing her forehead to the middle of the strange being’s back for comfort. He could smell the regret and bitterness in her words… that in truth Anouk had no real idea why what happened had happened. He could tell too that Anouk had been saved instead of their father and that she had extreme guilt for it, that she probably even considered that she should have died instead. The Karayan felt a tingle at her head upon his back and he wondered whether she was quite aware of how her sorrow reverberated around her body and how… because she was guilty… he could sense that she was weak to the dangers of the swamp.
“Climb on my back… we can cover ground faster and it means you can go straight after your sister if we see her.” The Karayan grunted and when a fish slapped about in the water closer then one had been before, Anouk jumped. She grasped his shoulder tightly and swiftly hooked her legs about his hips with a grimace of upset. She wanted to groan and grumble over the matter but the Karayan did not try to grab at her to hold her in place, he simply ignored the sensation of her body pressed to his. After a lot more walking through the swamp the grassy verge was visible up ahead and with nothing around to see just yet, the Karayan dared to ask something that struck Anouk. “Is it because you’re guilty you think that you’re unworthy of any kind of attention? You have that Yeruell gentleman after you all the time and yet you seem to avoid contact as much as possible… is that why?”
“No it’s not…” Anouk sneered in frustration only to drop her head into her hands and give a soft grunt before nearly falling off the Karayan and snatching his shoulder in a tight pinch. He produced a soft grunt over the matter but little else to say that she had hurt him or indeed had hindered him in anyway at all. But she was offended by his question, if only because it made her feel like she was being put down to a lower position like the other lords tended to do. “No… it’s the fact I don’t know what happened to me and what happened is so jumbled up in the minds of people he would not cope. Everyone assumes I’ve been corrupted and that means I’m unsuitable to marry a male of high standing or at least be the first wife to one. I assumed for a long time the situation had made me sterile and that was why, but Molwesa always used to tell me the situation was the complete opposite and that I should never indulge in any kind of romance unless she chose the male. But all that has never really bothered me before, it’s only recently I’ve started to have more reaction to past events… as if I’m waking up slowly from a drunken spell. Right now I’m having memory-dreams that I possibly had a child and…”
“A child?” Karayan blurted in surprise only for Anouk to shut up swiftly and then slap the bald side of his head with a grunt. She could spot something going on up ahead and she grasped his head tightly, urging it to look in that direction and ignore her words. Before he could snarl or growl over the matter, his head was jolted toward a collection of reptile-like horses dancing about angrily. There were also the sounds of boar squealing and for a second, they thought they’d spotted the familiar form of Alard darting about the grass. The pair was almost about to call out until there was a sudden explosion of light from the forest beyond and the Karayan fell over into the swamp, knocking Anouk straight off his back and into the water.
* * * * *
Karani’s eyes were wide with terror and she was trembling on her elbows and knees, pressed into the grass unsure if she should grab Damara or just pray to Nabuto for help. She could not figure out what to do to assist her friend and from the twitching she was glad her own body was not experiencing such agony. Though the bright light had hurt her eyes as it had the other elves present, Karani had still turned to them and begged for any kind of advice from the older men who remained silent and trembling with shock. No one could tell her how to help Damara; apart from the King only the Benaga Household were permitted to handle a stone so to them this process was perfectly normal. But Karani could see horror in the wide staring eyes of her companion as Damara lay stuck with her hands clasping the stone vibrating as if in some kind of seizure.
For Damara though, Karani and the men did not exist within her sight and neither did the earth she was lying on. The stone had swallowed her senses and drawn her to a strange place on the edge of a deep dark hole somewhere in the mountains. Ancient whisperings and perhaps ancestral memories warned her that this great pit was the place where the dark gods had fallen and the true form of the Orcreich. Damara wanted to cry and howl for help but she could not blink her eyes or do anything but shake as she looked into the void and great piercing amber eyes fixated upon her. The darkness seemed to grow nearer, closer and more harrowing as the outline of something was made visible to her; it was not human although it had some of those characteristics, it was not like the goblins or orcs as there seemed to just be organs falling off the exaggerated skeleton of a mix of reptile, bovine and human traits. The light did not seem to want to illuminate the creature but it was clambering out of the shadows, staring straight at her and long sharp blade-like talons were slipping out to try and stab the stone from her hands!
“DAMARA WAKE UP!” Karani screeched, suddenly crashing her widened hand in a firm slap against the girl’s face. The clap was enough to make the demonic beast roar and Damara close her eyes, stopping herself from being pulled into whatever magic trance it was trying to keep. She blinked, spotted Karani standing over her and gave a loud scream of terror and upset. Karani then launched her arms about her companion, yanked her up into a sitting pose and hugged her tightly whilst bursting into tears. “We’ve got the stone now lets get out of here… please!”
Damara could not pull her hands off the rock and it continued to glow a brilliant light blue within her hands, the three letters on its surface glimmering gold as if they were in conversation with the other stones. The light must have been seen from the dams and the kingdom would know a stone was found, Damara was sure the king could even sense it himself, but she was exhausted and they were not out of danger. A crawling sensation within her body irked the young maiden into believing that a monster was on its way to their location and Karani appeared just as shaken, as if she was also sensing trouble. The pair tried to hug each other again and with this relief the stone throbbed and allowed one of Damara’s hands to fall from it, only for the general’s to replace it with a hiss of pain.
“Let go of it Benaga… you don’t get to own this glory.” Ynvirius sneered although his face was grimacing and flexing with the sudden pain he felt at holding the stone. The two females looked to the rock, Damara still unable to release her other hand although the lettering had turned a blood red colour. The whole stone was starting to turn a black shade and it was vibrating as if it were angry, burning into the general’s flesh and burning Damara’s hand too. She gave a shriek and finally her hand was released and she swiftly stuffed it deep into the soil, her eyes widening with shock and realisation of what her little friend Ike had said about the stone. But at the same time her mind flashed with the image of the reaching creature and she lurched backward, smacking into Karani’s legs as her friend drew her sword ready to fight.
“What the hell do you mean Ynvirius? Damara’s the only reason we’ve got the stone… you should just share the glory with us!” Karani snapped in frustration as the figure lifted the stone up, its form burnt into his flesh as he eyed its dark surface with fascination. He grimaced at the pain from it and yet he was not willing to try and release his fingers clicking around it. The scar upon his face even seemed to be reopening and the figure’s eyes were becoming strange, his pupils dilated with some twisted sickness and as he lifted it upward towards the sun, he realised Karani had been talking. When his mind registered her phrasing he turned about with a chuckle as the two girls straightened themselves and then he stretched out and pushed them straight back into the dirt. “What by Nabuto is wrong with you, Dregg Hole?”
“Shut up… what in the mountains are you both going to say to stop me anyway? You’re both unwed, under age, untrained females who haven’t even got the permission of their households to leave the Kingdom. The pair of you are up here illegally and if I felt the need I could drag you both back to the kingdom by your hair and pass you over to the police to be flogged in public for disobedience. So consider this a kindness and put your hoods back on, we can see your hair you harlots!” He snapped angrily, swatting his free hand toward them and making Karani drop her sword with shock. As she scrabbled to grasp it again tightly he began to laugh at their stupidity and weakness, amused that they might have dared to try and take the credit when they were at fault! “This gem is going to restore my family’s honour…”
The greedy eyes of the general were suddenly pulsating with frustration as one of the three other men looked irritated and stepped forward. His hand snatched at the stone, turning it a violent red colour as both men roared in pain from the burning. The general tried to yank the stone out of the other’s hand, but the skin was already burnt onto the glass-like surface as the other argued for his need for glory. The two men tugged one another back and forth as Damara and Karani looked to each other in concern over the sudden change in atmosphere between the men. They had never heard of Deep elves acting so greedy and barbaric before, let alone seen such a strange reaction within their eyes as they seemed to flash with yellow. It reminded them both of when some elves were foolish enough to get themselves drunk and not only shame themselves but everyone around them. Perhaps the stone was causing the same kind of reaction, but though the two women wanted to leave already they knew they could not abandon the stone to these fools.
As the struggle continued the two remaining men began to swear and argue amongst one another over the situation. Their complaints were similar and so were their eyes, neither had even touched the stone but as the girls watched their ears twitched with the deep pulsating sounds the stone seemed to be producing. Whatever the intent of the magic to protect itself from danger, the stone had obviously marked these four soldiers as enemies and it caused Karani to snarl in anger. She looked toward Damara knowingly and both of their minds darted to the same conclusion – these men had been infected by the Hive demon they’d claimed to have destroyed. But if that scenario were true then Ijah was just as affected as his father and poor Kaloon had probably been killed for doing his job.
“What should we do Damara?” Karani questioned, pulling herself back up off the ground with Damara once more and backing away towards the sign. She would have pulled her companion straight past the sign post of skulls into the woods but her hips brushed one of the carcass pieces and disturbed a cloud of flies. The flies buzzed about her, making her leap and scream in terror to get away from them but to their horror the flies clasped themselves around the four elves that were now busy fighting each other, their hands still stuck to the stone. The pair still attached to the rock looked suddenly demonic as they hissed and snarled at each other, whereas the two behind were already punching one another with such force and aggression they looked eager to kill.
“We can’t let them keep the stone… they’re going to kill each other!” Damara snarled and she lurched forward into the fray. However, Karani was swift enough to grasp her at the back of her jerkin and pull her straight back to where it was safe. This proved a wise move as the general grasped a dagger from within his own thick garments and viciously stabbed the other gentleman straight in the eye. There was a strange hissing sound and a spurt of black ink-like blood onto the general before his opponent seemed to deflate visibly. Damara’s eyes wavered in horror as the general then cut the offending arm clean away from the stone and cast his dagger aside with a sneer.
Ynvirius then pulled his sword from his side and advanced toward the two others rolling in the muddy pool in their attempts to drown one another. As they punched and choked and ripped each other’s hair out, their faces seemed to contort into something more menacing and unreal. Damara could not stop herself from screaming out to them to run but they did not want to listen to her. Instead, Ynvirius lifted his sword and with an easy stabbing motion pushed the gnarled metal blade through the back of one elf and into the belly of the other. Once again both seemed to deflate somewhat and there was no proper blood but a strange black mess that seemed to scrawl across the mud in search of somewhere to hide. Ynvirius chuckled malevolently as he pulled the sword out and then he spun on his heel to face the grassy wall nearby.
With a roar of Damara’s name, Jarl Kelvis lunged out of the grass with his own rapier drawn and slapped his blade against the general’s before connecting his fist with the figure’s chin. As the general wobbled backward in surprise, spitting out a mix of blood and the strange black ink, he turned to face the young man who lifted his thin blade towards the figure’s face. Damara gave a yelp of surprise at his arrival before she realised that there was an opportunity now to grab the stone from the general. As Jarl slapped the blade past the general’s sword to widen the slash above his nose, the general snarled and lifted his hand upward with the stone still stuck to him. Damara grasped Karani’s sword and lunged forward, swinging it about as hard as she could to take off the general’s wrist with the stone as she collapsed forward into the mud from the force. The general gave a scream of anger as the stone bounced free of the hand and into Karani’s path. Karani darted forward, clasping the stone against her though it burnt and swiftly she stuffed it in the hood of her shirt, free of the burning pain but still in control of the stone.
“You bitch!” Ynvirius squealed in anger, his face splitting even more into something that was not an elf at all. His attention was no longer upon Jarl even though the rapier was stabbed into his chest; in fact the general simply grasped the blade and snapped it in half with a shrieking sound of rage. Damara gave a scream of horror as the figure turned around to face her, eager to rip her face off until Jarl rushed forward and slammed into the body. He fell into the mud next to Damara but the figure fell onto its side and instead of landing as the general it turned into something more vicious. Jarl grasped Damara and yanked her up onto her feet, grimacing as he tried to pull her away from whatever was going on and Karani leapt to their side. As they stared toward the general his head, the skin falling off to show something alike to a pig with fangs and horns, spun completely around to howl at them. “The master will have you now… the master will devour your souls….”
Damara had no idea what he meant by that but she knew she was in danger and the only person that could save her had no idea she was out here. As the general’s skin fell away into the murky mud pools his real form was revealed as a beaded series of scales all over his body and a great lizard-like tail, cattle horns upon his head and the terrifying amber eyes that Damara recognised from the pit. She had no idea what to do but she grasped at the sword on the floor and began to push her cold energy into it, lifting it upward in preparation for freezing the creature’s head off. However, Jarl grasped her wrist tightly and pressed back into Karani encouraging her to stay close as well… none of them were going to escape this on their own, but the light from the stone should have brought attention their way. They could only pray to Nabuto that someone out there would be willing to come and save their lives!