by Tony Johnson
Finding a seat at the half-filled bar at the Three Cups Pub, one of the bartenders found him ready to order.
“What’ll it be?”
“Scotch, please.”
“Chilling cubes?”
“No,” Malorek declined and accepted the drink as it was. “Are you new here?” he asked the bartender. “I haven’t seen you before.”
“I was recently hired,” the Giant explained, “It’s my first day actually. It’s just about the end of my shift, so you’ll be the last patron I serve today. Are you in a good mood about something?” the portly, middle-aged man cocked an eyebrow, seeing Malo smiling to himself.
“I found out I’m going to be a father today,” Malorek explained, smiling even wider.
“Congratulations. New life is an incredible gift. I know, I’ve got quite a few children myself. You have reason to celebrate. Tell you what, that drink is on the house.”
“Thank you,” Malorek said, then ordered another glass of scotch which he paid for in full before it was handed to him. As soon as the Giant placed it in front of him, he gave it right back to the towering bartender. “That’s for you. You deserve a celebratory drink as well.”
“What for?”
“You made it through your first day,” Malorek congratulated him.
“Ha!” the man let out a roaring laugh, causing a dove-symbol hanging from his necklace to bounce and twist on its chain. “Well here’s to that,” he raised his glass of scotch and made a toast. “To you, new father. Take it one day at a time. It’s all you can do. May he or she do great things in this world.”
“Cheers,” Malorek clinked his drink with the bartender’s glass while thinking, It’ll be a “he.” I want nothing other than a son. Having a daughter will be useless and do nothing to further my plans.
“Well my shift is done, but I have a feeling we’ll see each other again,” the Giant said with a smile.
“What’s your name, sir?” Malorek extended his hand to shake the bartender’s own.
“Tom Gimean.”
“Well, Tom, I look forward to drinking here again and seeing you around. Thanks for the free drink.”
“And to you for the same,” the Giant said, before exiting through the kitchen.
Malorek remained at the bar through the rest of the afternoon and into the night, ordering dinner and continuing to drink as the tavern quickly became overcrowded. With winter in its final weeks, many people came to the pub to embrace the heat of its hearth. As he sat, he noticed a beautiful woman in a light blue cloak push her way in. She removed her winter-wear, revealing a stunning yellow dress underneath.
I want her, Malorek knew, instantly attracted. I don't care if I'm a married man. Some things you can't pass up and I've never seen a woman with such features. I'll do whatever it takes to have her.
The bar stools around me are full. If I can get someone to leave their seat, she’ll be forced to sit by me.
Turning to the man sitting to his right, he lied, “My friend just walked in. Would you finish your drink and let her have your seat?”
“I’m comfortable right here,” the man rudely declined, then to spite Malorek, tapped his glass signaling the bartender for a refill.
“It wasn’t a question,” Malorek raised his tone, lifting his shirt, and toggled the hilt of his dagger. Threatening the man worked, as the grumbling patron promptly left, allowing the woman to sit right next to Malorek. She pulled her skirt together with one hand as she sat down next to the unarmored warrior.
“Let me have a glass of your best wine,” the woman ordered.
“Are you celebrating?” Malorek asked as he looked her up and down in a predatory way.
“Yeah, how’d you know?”
“Well, I figured a pretty lady dressed like you is not the type of person who comes to the bar to drink their troubles away. And based on your choice of drink, tonight must be something special for you.”
“I’m here because it’s my last night in Celestial. I'm moving to Casanovia tomorrow.”
“Casanovia? What do they have that Celestial doesn’t?”
“The colors of their city are my favorite,” she pointed to both her worn, light blue cloak, draped on the back of the stool she was sitting on as well as the yellow dress she was wearing. “But, honestly, I need to get away. Casanovia will feel like a world away being on the other side of Lake Azure. Celestial has too many bad memories for me.”
“What do you mean? What happened?”
“Nothing I want to get into. Just something bad someone did to me when I was fifteen. I like this city, but after thirty-eight years here I need a change.”
“Thirty-eight? Wow, you don't look it!” Malorek lied to be polite.
“How old are you?” she asked.
“Thirty,” Malo lied again since he was actually twenty-two.
When the bartender set the woman’s glass of wine down in front of her, Malorek nodded towards it. “Let me pay for that,” he reached into his coinpurse and slid a silver and bronze coin across the counter. “But don't expect me to buy any more. Life-changing moments like these shouldn’t be forgotten so you can't drink too much tonight.”
The woman laughed, “Don’t worry, I’m not much of a drinker. But thank you, that’s a sweet gesture. What’s your name?”
“Raph,” Malorek lied. His third in as many minutes. “What’s yours?”
“It’s Leiana. Pleasure to meet you. What kind of work are you in?” she asked, making polite conversation to with Raph, whose plain-dressed outfit gave no indication of his career.
“I am a grade-school teacher here in the arena district,” Malorek thought of something that might come across as endearing. “I teach the eight-year-olds classes.”
“Really? That’s must be an exciting job.”
“It is. The things kids say and do is always surprising and funny. You never know what to expect. That, and the fact that I can help them learn, it’s all gratifying. The pay isn’t a lot, but that’s not what it’s all about, you know? I mean, at least I make enough to buy you a drink.”
Leiana smiled and went along with the joke while continuing to get to know the teacher named Raph. “So despite not having money, do you have a wife or family?
Shoot, my wedding band is still on my finger, Malorek realized. She wouldn’t be asking if I had a wife though if she hadn’t seen it already. In a nonchalant move, he removed his ring the moment before he raised his hands and wiggled his fingers, showing no jewelry on them. “No, sadly most women I know would rather have money than have a schoolteacher for a husband. I don’t know, maybe it’s just the women I meet when I come here, but that seems to be the only type I’ve found.”
“Well, you’ve met me, and I don’t think that way. I respect anyone who strives to put the relationship with their significant other above the money they can provide them. There are not many men like that though.”
“Don’t worry too much, someone like you, I'm sure you'll be fighting off all the men once you get to Casanovia.”
Leiana laughed again, a cute, chuckling laugh that made Malorek find her even more attractive.
After an hour of conversation, the future-Casanovian resident decided to go home for her final night of sleep in the Circle City. “I've still got some packing to do, so I'm gonna turn in early.”
“Do you need any help?” Malorek offered. “I don't have anything to do tonight.” Then, thinking about bolstering his previous lies he said, “and it’s a weekend, so I don't have to teach in the morning. I'm available if you need me.”
“Thanks, but no, I only have a little bit left to do.”
“Well, the least I can do is walk you home,” Malorek stated as a sentence rather than a question so it'd be harder for her to say no. “I wouldn’t be a gentleman if I didn’t offer.”
“And I wouldn’t be a proper lady if I refused.”
“Well, this is my place,” Leiana said as sh
e walked up the stairs to the doorway. “Thank you for walking me here. If you’re ever in Casanovia, come find me and I’ll return the favor and buy you a drink.”
Seeing his opportunity to go to bed with her, Malorek put his arm around Leiana’s waist and pulled her in, kissing her on the lips. At first, she did not deny it until his grip got tighter, and he began to kiss her more forcefully.
“Stop. Raph, stop,” she demanded, pulling her head away, and pushing his arm to release herself from his grip.
“I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have,” Malorek faked an apology.
“Is this why you bought me a drink, talked to me for so long, and walked me home? So you could make me warm up to you so you could come on to me like this?” Leiana was furious and taken aback. No longer was she happy, joyful, and celebratory. Malorek’s aggressive actions had instantly put a damper on her night.
“You wouldn’t have let me walk you here if a little part of you didn’t wonder what it was like to be with me,” Malorek accused her of putting herself in the position in which she was clearly uncomfortable.
“What did you think was going to happen?” Leiana asked. “You’re a fool if you actually thought I believed you’re thirty. Please, Raph, I'm nearly old enough to be your mother. I was letting you flirt with me a little because it made me feel good about myself. I’m not looking for more than that. Goodnight.” Hustling up the stairs, she slammed her door.
Standing dejected, Malorek’s fists clenched. Anger burned inside him for not getting what he wanted. I don't care what she thinks. I want her, and I'm going to have her.
Leiana headed to her first-floor apartment and walked through the dark living room, navigating through the maze of crates holding all her belongings for the next day’s move. Lit only by dim moonlight, she headed to her bedroom and was about to shed her dress when she noticed her window was open.
Puzzled why it wasn’t shut as it had been all winter, she moved to close it. When she turned around, Malorek was standing behind her. Her scream was cut off before it had a chance to save her, lost in the muffled sound as the warrior’s hand captured it.
Chomping down, Leiana bit Malorek’s hand, causing him to pull it back. Now, too petrified to scream, she tried to run to the door, but he caught a handful of her hair, snapping her head back, before driving it forward through the glass window of the door. A shard sliced the side of Leiana’s head, cutting a chunk of her hair, which would never grow in that section again. Also damaged from the force of the impact was the hearing in her ear, which would never again be fully-functioning.
Throwing Leiana to the floor, Malorek laid on top of her, tightly holding her wrists to keep her from fighting back. Even if she did try to escape, there was no way she could overpower the physical prowess he had achieved from the training and constant conditioning required of warriors.
“No! Please don’t!” Tears flooded her eyes as she realized what was about to happen. She closed them as tight as she could, hoping to experience as little as possible of the horrible act. “Not again, not again, not again,” Leiana repeated over and over as Malorek forced himself on her.
After a minute, Malorek stood, leaving Leiana lying still on the floor, paralyzed by what had just happened. “Please don't kill me,” she begged, knowing many rapists killed their victims afterward.
But Malorek left, saying nothing. He walked out the front door, having already got what he wanted.
Nine months following that night where Princess Kyra revealed she was pregnant, Malorek witnessed the birth of two healthy twin boys. He allowed his wife to name the children because he couldn’t care less about them. The princess named the firstborn Cyrus. The second she named Silvanus. In addition to the twins, Malorek, unbeknownst to him, was also the father to a daughter. The woman who he had sexually assaulted, Leiana Latimer, who was now living in Casanovia, gave birth to a girl she named Shana.
Although Malorek's intention of getting married and having children was so one of them could eventually sit on the throne, his plans for his firstborn changed based on finding a technicality in the law books regarding the succession for the king. Upon reading it, he learned that if the king had no sons, but had a grandson, and that grandson had not come of age at the time of the king's death, the son-in-law of the king could rule as the temporary king until his son reached the age of sixteen.
Malorek dropped the book in fascination and surprise. Immediately, he knew the next step in his rise to power.
“I'm going to kill King Zoran.”
Chapter 88
“So which one of you is it?” Ty turned to ask Steve and Shana behind him, having just seen the collective vision. “Who just got their element?”
“The element usually goes to the one of us who was most affected by the vision,” Steve said, as he and Ty both looked to Shana, who they saw had a green-colored wind circling over the surface of her silver armor.
But Shana was not using her element to prevent Skyfire from climbing to the top of the tower. She had sunk to the ground with her back against the monument.
“Malorek is my father?” I’m the daughter of the one who’s caused all this damage? She was in shock, half-mumbling, half-verbalizing her thoughts as they came out. The nineteen-year-old struggled to comprehend Malorek’s assault of her mother.
Ty bent down next to her, brushing her lavender-colored hair behind her ears so there were no obstacles between his eyes and hers. “Listen, I know what was revealed is tough to stomach, but Kari needs your help if you can manage.”
“Please, she’s our friend,” Steve bent down to comfort Shana as well, while nervously glancing up through the smoke in the direction of where he thought the top of the tower was, his heart racing in anxiety as he expected to hear the pained screams of Kari and the warriors being killed.
Closing her eyes to collect herself, Shana reopened them with a new look that was a mix of anger and determination. Emerging from behind the monument wall, and with her element still engaged, she focused on the smoky air and commanded it out of the area.
Steve and Ty watched in amazement as all the smoke from the watchtower in the center of the plaza was pushed outwards, heading into, between, and behind the surrounding buildings. Above them, the bright blue sky and shining sun reappeared.
“There’s Skyfire! He’s almost to the top!” Steve pointed. He watched as the three warriors and Kari appeared on the side of the tower the phoenix was on and begin firing flaming arrows in an attempt to ignite the pitch that had been dumped all over the monster’s head and back. One of the shots was successful, causing Skyfire to cry out in a tremendous roar from being set on fire, but it immediately covered its body in flames, using its element to make itself immune to being burned.
“Its energy is not yet depleted. Ty, can’t you do something?”
“It’s too high. I can’t attack when it’s that far away.”
“Can’t you call down lightning from the sky?” Steve pleaded. “Anything?”
“There has to be a storm with lightning present for me to control it.”
“Shana?” Steve turned, continuing looking for help.
“I’m sorry,” Shana was almost in tears, feeling like a failure in her first battle with her fellow elect. “It’s too late. There’s nothing I can do.”
Seeing Skyfire stop as it scaled the tower to send flames through the windows, killing the warriors who were firing arrows at it from inside, Kari yelled, “Now’s our chance.”
This time, instead of rolling pitch barrels off the side of the of the tower and onto their attacker, she had the warriors help her push the blackpowder kegs.
The first one fell, and upon hitting the fire phoenix, immediately exploded. Damaged, Skyfire looked up and saw who had dropped it, recognizing the half-Human, half-Elf as the one who had blinded him in Celestial. With a roar from being hurt, followed by a roar from seeing the woman he seethed to kill, Skyfire bounded up the side of the tower faster th
an before, only temporarily slowed by the three more blackpowder barrels that exploded once they hit his red and yellow firey feathers.
“We can’t stop it!” a warrior yelled in panic.
“And we can’t descend into the tower,” said another, noting the burning wooden interior from the phoenix’s attack below them.
“Get back!” Kari warned, moving away from the side Skyfire was climbing up. Suddenly, the monster’s paws slammed down onto the tower top she and the warriors stood on. One of the warriors was impaled by the phoenix’s claws. Skyfire ominously pulled itself halfway up, exposing its head to them, as its lower half still clung to the side of the tower.
Launching its neck forward, the phoenix used its vicious bite to attack the two other warriors who were running to take cover behind the collection of incendiary barrels. With both blackpowder and pitch kegs broken, their contents spilling out the sides of Skyfire’s mouth, but not yet ignited, Kari saw her opportunity for survival.
In the farthest corner of the tower from the phoenix, she quickly dipped her pitch-tipped arrow into the nearby sconce. As Skyfire lunged at her for the kill, she loosed her flaming arrow into its open mouth, exploding everything ignitable inside it.
The blast was much more massive than she anticipated.
Watching in horror from the sand floor of the plaza, Steve, Ty, and Shana saw Skyfire’s head burst open from the gigantic fireball explosion. Its headless body fell lifelessly down to the plaza while Kari, along with everything on and in the top section of the tower careened backwards from the blast.
“Kari!” Steve yelled, seeing her launched off the tower, and fall through the sky with a smoke trail emitting from her body. She fell nearly a third of the watchtower’s height before crashing through a roof of a building.
“No!” Ty echoed Steve’s concern, sprinting after Steve as he, Shana, and Copper all headed to the building’s entrance of where she had fallen. There’s no way she can be alive from that.