The Vordalyn 2

by Michael T Payne

  “Don’t hurt her! She is as lost as you once were.” It wasn’t true, but Tamina was trying to garner sympathy from Venalina so she wouldn’t kill her niece. “Her mother was taken, just like yours, before she could teach her who she truly was.” Venalina looked at Queen Menina hiding behind Tamina with her hand still up defensively. Her ploy worked, Venalina did feel sympathy for the loss of her mother.

  “I know the truth of the old queen’s death, I tasted it upon her son. Her death was the result of her mate’s death, nothing like my mother’s! Don’t you dare try to use that with me Kina!” She warned Tamina even though it did stop Venalina from attacking. “What are you doing here?” Venalina asked no longer speaking her ancient language. Talila stepped forward, raising her hand, about to speak. Venalina snapped her hand in her direction with her finger up, signaling her to hold her tongue. Tamina lowered her hand, hoping Venalina was not there to fight. She was still leery of an attack, scanning the women behind Venalina, especially Talila, who looked very ready to fight as opposed to the others, who looked bewildered.

  “Those Ffrei, what are you doing with them?” Tamina asked, “I can smell your magic all over them.”

  “Answer my question, what are you doing here, how do you know her?” Venalina pointed at Queen Menina, who stood up, quickly regaining her composure. Tamina looked over her shoulder at Queen Menina then back to Venalina.

  “I am her family, Venalina.” Tamina said speaking so that Venalina’s ladies could not understand her. Venalina considered if she wanted them to hear their conversation.

  “You are Dracon’s family?” Venalina asked narrowing her eyes. Tamina looked down, then straightened up, mustering the courage to meet Venalina’s intimidating glare. She was truly frightening and powerful in her Vordalyn form. Tamina could see it. She was not the same lost girl from the forests of Sumia, nor was she the frightened cave dweller any longer. Tamina could see she had embraced her power and wielded it with the confidence of a Vordalyn years beyond her age.

  “Not exactly, I am hers.” Tamina said, then clenched her jaw. They stared at each other a long time, “You know their blood. They do not share a mother, only a father. I am her mother’s sister, so in a sense, I am his aunt.” Queen Menina stepped in front of Tamina.

  “You haven’t said anything to Dracon, why? Does he know about you? Does he know what you are? What we are?” She asked. Venalina’s wings stopped flapping and she dropped to the ground, her wings folded behind her. Queen Menina could see that what Tamina said about true Vordalyn form being beautiful was true. Venalina was beautiful, her horns were symmetrical and perfectly black matching her wings flawlessly. It made Queen Menina remember her own true form, making her envious of Venalina. But she was also terrifying to look upon, with her black eyes that showed only anger.

  “I love my mate. I do not want to hurt him.” Venalina said, “I understand what it is to lose your mother. My mother was torn apart by the hands of men, elves, and others I can’t even describe. She did not die in her bed, at peace, with her loving daughter by her side. Know that, Menina, and know I will not find comradery in it, nor will it spare your life.”

  “Why did you kill my men?” Queen Menina asked.

  “They are your food, are they not? You surround yourself with the delicacy of our kind and you think I would not want a taste for myself? You let her feed, do you not?” Venalina asked nodding at Tamina, “What kind of host are you? You don’t offer me a taste?”

  “They are my subjects!” Queen Menina said appalled, yet embarrassed, remembering her own feedings previously.

  “Don’t lie to me! You surround yourself with these elves so that you can be more powerful than any Kina alive! So you can taste what it is to be true Vordalyn!” Venalina snarled.

  “You have taken your mothers vessel, haven’t you?” Tamina asked, “I can see you have changed.” Venalina smiled and started to walk through the tall grass admiring the garden. Talila still snarled, looking at Tamina and Queen Menina. “Why don’t you send those Ffrei home, Venalina? They don’t belong here, we are Vordalyn, they are only human. You shouldn’t involve them in this.” Tamina said watching Venalina walk in the grass.

  “They are as much Vordalyn as you are, Kina.” Venalina raised an eyebrow, “Maybe more?”

  “Did your mother tell you we aren’t Vordalyn?” Tamina asked, “Just because we aren’t of the high blood-”

  “Dhysevera.” Venalina said.

  “Dhysevera?” Tamina asked confused. Queen Menina looked back and forth between the two women as they talked.

  “My mother didn’t leave me a vessel, she was murdered before she could. I took Dhysevera’s vessel, hidden in a stone that held the sun in the sky over Sumia. It was where you freed me from that cage? You remember? In Taranath?” She said and gave Tamina a sideways glance. Tamina’s mouth hung open shocked, she had no idea Dhysevera’s vessel was in Taranath and that if not for her, Venalina wouldn’t have reached it. Tamina wanted to scream!

  “That’s how she did it.” Tamina said looking down, pondering the act of holding the sun in the sky with the power of a vessel. “That’s why time returned to Sumia?” She asked already knowing the answer.

  “I am not going to kill you.” Venalina said to Queen Menina, “You don’t know me, you only know what I am. I love Dracon, he is my mate for all eternity. I will not kill his sister. But if you expose yourself to him, that may change. I would spare him the pain of your loss, in either situation.” Venalina snapped her fingers and the women behind her disappeared, except Talila. Tamina made a step forward like she was about to attack when the women disappeared, but seeing Talila still staring at her, held her from proceeding. Queen Menina gasped when she saw Tamina about to attack Venalina but hold back. She was sure they all knew Tamina’s mind in that brief twitch of a mistake. Venalina smiled a knowing smile at Tamina then looked at Queen Menina, “Keep your aunt in her place, or she will cause you much suffering.” Venalina looked back at Tamina, “With all this powerful food around you, you may grow drunk on it, maybe even think you can challenge me. Make no mistake Tamina Physia, I have all the power of Dhysevera in my veins!” With that said Venalina and Talila both disappeared. Tamina watched the spot where Venalina stood and pondered her next move. Dhysevera knew her name, and now so did Venalina. She would have to change her plans drastically. There would be no attack that Venalina could not fend off, even from both Tamina and Queen Menina combined. He didn’t just take her mother’s vessel, but she took the unimaginable power that was the vessel of Queen Dhysevera, mother of the Vordalyn.

  “That did not go as I would have liked, Ina. I thought she would be timid, hiding in caves all her life. She was fierce, that woman with her as well. I have work to do.” Queen Menina said then walked away from Tamina. “Now we know she has taken a vessel.”

  Venalina and Talila teleported to a room where the priests kept ancient treasures of the Vordalyn. Venalina was human again. When they appeared in the large vault-like room, Venalina was facing Talila. She looked around the room to see if anyone was in it, to her delight it was empty. Venalina went to a chest and opened it, then began pawing through it. Talila watched her quietly, curiously. Venalina kept glancing at Talila, it made Talila smile. She walked over to Venalina, who was digging through the chest looking for something, anxiously.

  “Venalina, I didn’t know that about your mother. I’m sorry.” Talila said making Venalina pause a moment then return to her search. “Are we going to kill those women?” Venalina said nothing. “What is it, Venalina? What are you looking for?” She asked looking into the chest. Venalina stopped and shook her head, unsure of what she was looking for.

  “I want to find another ruby necklace for you, I know I’ve seen rubies in here.” She said then began searching through the chest again.

  “You seem out of sorts, are you okay?” Talila asked. Venalina turned to Talila and grabbed her face with both hands.

  “I am so proud of you, Talila. I wa
nt to reward you somehow, someway, to show you how much what you did today meant to me.” She turned back to the chest, “Nothing in here can reflect how you made me feel.” She slammed the chest shut then turned back to Talila. Venalina grabbed her face again then kissed Talila on her lips, long and lovingly. Venalina combed Talila’s hair with her fingers and looked into her eye’s, forehead to forehead. Talila smiled wide.

  “When a man looks at me, the way you are looking at me, I know exactly what he wants.” She said, “Will you share him with me tonight, just the three of us?” Talila asked making Venalina smile at her. Venalina kissed her again much, much, longer. Talila put her hand on Venalina’s face.

  “Do you love me, Venalina?” Talila asked in a low whisper.

  “Yes.” Venalina whispered back with her eyes closed, their foreheads still pressed together.

  Chapter Twenty

  Tamina found Um’Vec and his horde crossing the border into Dwerma in the dark, shrouded in the night. She appeared before him and the bugbears of his clan that surrounded him. She did her best to look just like Venalina and kept a mist about her to fool the bugbears. “Alter your course, be seen by no one!” She commanded. Um’Vec dropped to his knees, as did the creatures around him, “Skirt the lands and travel through the wastelands, do not take this direct route.” She said.

  “Goddess O’on,” Um’Vec growled, “I will do as you command, but know, our travel will be slowed. We do not wish to anger the dark lord who rises there.” He said and pointed in the direction of the hordes travel.

  “You will not anger your new lord, I represent our lord’s desires, he will only find anger in disobedience.” Tamina explained then vanished.

  In Dwerma, when dawns early light began to shine through the king’s bedroom, Talila woke just as the sun came through the open balcony doors and shone upon her face. She sat up and could see both Venalina and Dracon were gone. Talila knew that Venalina was probably in the home of the priests, her sanctuary back in the jungles of Sumia. She left the room in search of Dracon, eventually finding her way to his training room in the highest reaches of the palace of Dragons Claw. He was not in the room. Exasperated and unable to find him, she opened the old, rickety, balcony doors and stepped out to admire the view Dracon seemed to enjoy so much. The outer region, the deadly desert between their two lands, she knew as the Expanse of Death. She watched dawn, light up the lands beyond, in the wasteland. She stared off, deep in thought examining the lands absently. Reliving the evening spent with Venalina and Dracon as her lovers, willing participants, even his highness. Movement caught her eye, far off in a flat stretch of land, it was a mere speck at first, causing her to squint to make it out. It was a person coming toward the palace from the wastelands of the outer region. Talila looked down to the outer palace walls to see if the watch, patrolling the walls, were aware of the approaching, mysterious, creature. She thought to yell down to the guards, but knew they would be unable to hear her, even if they did, they would not be able to make out what she was yelling. Talila decided to investigate for herself. She stared down into the courtyard below, inside the walls for a place she recognized as a reference point, then for a way outside the palace walls nearest to the approaching speck. She made her way through the palace, pondering what she would do. She considered if she should deal with the creature herself then inform Dracon of it, proving to him her worth as a mighty sorceress like her beloved mistress Venalina. She made her way out the palace gates, as she left the main road to follow the wall around the back of the palace, Alkwin called to her. She stopped just off the road and awaited his approach. He led a group of four men.

  “My lady, are you lost?” He asked, “There is nothing that way except a cliff that falls off into the outer region?”

  “A cliff?” She asked, she could not see straight down the outer wall from the balcony and did not know it was a cliff. She thought she could walk out into the outer region from the back wall.

  “Yes, my lady. Is there something we can help you with?” He asked. She looked at his hands and saw they were still wrapped. It made her smirk at him then walk back to the road, to him and his men. When she stood before him, she grabbed the sides of her dress, lifting it high enough so her feet could be seen, then looked down at them.

  “Do you wish to clean my feet, inspector?” She asked making Alkwin raise an eyebrow at her and smile.

  “Go ahead,” He said over his shoulder to his men, “I’ll meet you later, after breakfast.” His men moved out leaving them alone. There was little traffic coming and going from the palace grounds. She waited until Alkwin’s men were inside the palace walls, smiling at him as she waited.

  “I want to go back there, near the bottom of the wall, or cliff, or whatever is back there,” She said pointing behind her, “To the edge of the expanse. I wish to look upon it with my own eyes, close.”

  “That is very dangerous, my lady.” Alkwin said looking around to see if anyone was close enough to hear him. “What are you that you can do this to me?” He asked in almost a whisper showing his hands to her.

  “I told you, I am the wife of King Dracon.” She said giggling, “Can you show me what I want, or do I need a real soldier, foot inspector?” Alkwin stared at her tan, giggling face, with her eyes so green, they appeared supernatural.

  “I can take you where you wish. Be warned, it is dangerous.” He said and motioned his hand to the road. Talila started to walk and Alkwin joined her, walking side by side with her.

  “Don’t worry I’ll protect you.” She said making Alkwin laugh.

  “May I ask you a question, my lady?” He asked.

  “I suppose.” Talila said with a tone to her voice like she was royalty speaking to a commoner, gracing him with her presence.

  “Why is it that our king says he is wedding this Lady Venalina?” Alkwin asked.

  “She is no lady, sir,” Talila corrected, “Even without your king, she is a queen. She is the Goddess O’on, a Vordalyn Queen, sir. See to it you don’t make that mistake again.” Alkwin looked at her confused.

  “I beg your pardon, my lady, I was not informed of her status.” Alkwin said with a smirk at the way Talila seemed to fake an offense of his question.

  “Can we walk faster?” She asked.

  “As fast as you like.” He said and pointed to a road at the bottom of the hill to the right, just where the city buildings began, “That road will take us to the city’s back wall, that borders the outer region.” He picked up his pace making her shuffle her feet quickly to try and keep up with him, she was aided by gravity as they moved downhill. She almost tripped twice before they reached the road. When they reached the road, she slowed her pace, catching her breath a moment before they continued. “And you are a queen?” He asked her as they slowed enough to have a conversation again.

  “After the wedding I will be.” She said.

  “You and Venalina are marrying King Dracon?” Alkwin asked, “Is this common where you are from?”

  “My king has five wives to attend him. We all serve a need, a desire.” She said widening her eyes as she spoke, toying with him. Her flirtatious tone reminded him of what she said about riding her king like she was breaking a pony. “Does it hurt still?” She asked and started to skip like a younger girl, skipping a few feet ahead of him then waiting, then skipping again.

  “I’m sorry?” He asked, still lost in thought about her provocative comment from before, then realized what she was asking, “Yes. It is very inconvenient.” He said lifting his bandaged hands.

  “Can I see it?” She asked and stopped. Alkwin kept walking passed her, considering her request, he was not inclined to oblige her. She was still toying with him, the playful nymph. The playful nymph that was like reaching out and touching the sun, his hands reflected that.

  “I think I’ve learned my lesson, my lady. There’s no need to punish me further.” He said. She stuck out her lower lip, exaggerating her dismay over his refusal and watched him walk away from her. T
alila skipped, catching up to him quickly. They did not speak for some time as she followed him, waiting for him to say something. They glanced at each other several times as they walked in silence, until finally Talila began giggling.

  “You’re trying to pretend you are not completely smitten with me, but we both know it isn’t so.” She laughed.

  “Smitten?” Alkwin asked trying not to smile at her, “My lady, I apologize for that night in the park, I do not know what came over me.” He stopped to fully face her, “I know it was wrong of me, and if his highness found out, I would surely lose my head at the very least. I did not know about your customs and assumed you were simply a maid to her highness, Queen Venalina. You have corrected me,” He said lifting his bandaged hands for her to see, “I can assure you I know better now. I will serve at your pleasure, any request, as my queen. We in Ganlin are not accustomed to the idea of five queens.”

  “I won’t tell on you. What is your name, sir?” Talila asked.

  “I am Captain Alkwin, second to his grace, Prince Charnio.” He bowed his head and she curtsied.

  “I am Talila.” She said.

  “Talila?” He asked, “I thought your name was, Fíeda?” Talila laughed.

  “Captain Alkwin, take off those bandages and let me see your hands.” Talila ordered still giggling. Alkwin looked at her with suspicious, narrowed eyes. “Go ahead.” She said, “Take them off, let me see.” Alkwin watched her closely as he did as she asked. Talila could see it was extremely painful for him. She winced watching him remove the bandages that stuck to the burnt flesh of his palms. The wound had begun to peel off with the bandages and was an oozing mess. Talila grabbed his wrists suddenly, startling Alkwin, she blew on his palms very hard. His wounds were healed instantly. He jerked his hands away from her and stepped back, he expected pain. His mouth hung open slightly in awe that his hands were healed. After a moment of staring at his palms, Talila turned and continued walking, “Come along inspector, I have things to do, don’t dally.” Alkwin hurried after her.