by Nesa Miller
Before long, the three stood at the portal point to Laugharne. Elfin scratched his head. “I hope you know how to open this thing because I sure don’t.”
Wolfe draped an arm over Elfin’s shoulders. “I’ve always wondered.”
“What is that?” Elfin asked.
“What kind of elf you be. Now I know.”
He gave his friend a sideways glance. “What kind?”
“The kind who doesn’t know how to open a portal.” Wolfe danced away, laughing.
“You…are a sod,” Elfin declared but shared in the laughter.
“Fortunately, I know the words,” Dar said. “Komdu aftur til Laugharne.”
Upon speaking the magical words, a slim line quivered in front of them, then expanded, revealing the world on the other side. The trio stepped through into the Alamir realm.
Something didn’t feel right. Dar should have immediately felt her presence. Reaching out with his mind, his heart racing, he searched for Etain.
“I can’t feel her.” Dar sank to his knees, his frustration degrading into a deep feeling of loss.
Where could she be? Surely news would have been sent had something happened to her. Wait. She went in search of her brother. Could he have…?
It was then he remembered the threat against her from his own Council. “I will destroy them all,” he muttered, coming to his feet.
Wolfe glanced at Elfin. After a game of rock-paper-scissors, Wolfe blew out a breath, shaking his head. “May the gods be with me.” Tentatively, he approached Dar.
“Don’t,” Dar growled. A silver spark appeared above his head, slashing down to the ground. “I will lay waste to the entire castle.” Only the Council, by using the joint powers of the Magi, could block the location of her whereabouts.
“What’s that?” the boys asked in unison.
“It doesn’t look like Nunnehi to me,” Elfin said, craning his neck. “We just left. Why would he go back?”
Wolfe and Elfin bobbed and dodged one another for a better look through the rift. “Look, Elfin, those golden doors are bigger than Nunnehi’s.”
“Let me see.” He pushed Wolfe aside, but a bright light made them shield their eyes.
Dar stepped through a new portal.
On the other side, it closed with the snap of his fingers as he approached the golden doors. Placing a hand on each one, he contemplated whether to simply obliterate them or use a more covert approach. With wings spread, he was airborne in a single thrust.
The Krymerian passed over the castle several times before choosing the perfect location…the East tower. Along his way, an unexpected sight came into view. Shera, alone on the ramparts. This could be an opportunity. Invoking a cloaking spell, he landed behind her, silent as death.
By the time she realized something wasn’t right, a clawed hand covered her face and dragged her into the shadows. Her struggles tightened his grip, cutting off her air supply. Dar could taste her fear. He relished it, fed on it. She collapsed in his arms.
Tossing her onto his shoulder, he made his way to the deserted East tower, moving through hidden passages when he could, keeping to dark hallways when he couldn’t. No one knew the layout of the castle better than its creator. Dar came to the uppermost room of the tower where he dumped Shera’s inert form on the floor. Leaving for a moment, he returned with a length of rope, threw one end over the rafters, and tied the other around her wrists. He pulled the rope until she hung, suspended in mid-air. A single talon emerged, cutting away her clothes, but leaving her undergarments. He retreated to a dark corner to wait.
By the time she roused, shadows decorated the walls with supernatural patterns. Shera found herself suspended from the rafters, her feet inches above the floor, embarrassed by the fact she was nearly naked. She struggled against her restraints, making the ropes tighter. Remember your training. She stilled and slowed her breathing, scanning the room for an escape route. The door wasn’t far. She looked up at the rope, trying to concoct a way to break free.
From the darkness came a laugh, making her flesh crawl. She turned toward the hideous sound and nearly screamed, seeing a pair of red eyes peering at her from the corner.
The others will come looking for me.
“Who are you?” Despite her best efforts to remain calm, she broke out in a cold sweat. “What do you want?”
“Where is she?”
The shock of hearing her chieftain’s voice sent her body spinning. “Dar? Is that you?” She grunted, stretching her toes to the floor to still herself.
He stepped into the fading light, white wings tight to his body. “Where is my wife?”
She gasped at the change in the man. “What’s happened to you?”
“Where…is…my…wife?” He grabbed her face with a clawed hand. “I have to commend you on the spell that keeps her presence from me. When I find her, you will share the recipe...” The tip of a talon slid down her throat, “or I will rip you apart one piece at a time and bathe in your blood.”
Shera fought to control her shivers. “D-Dar, I don’t know what you’re talking about. Your wife isn’t here.”
His tongue lashed out, licking the blood trickling down her chest, making her cringe. “I want her back. Now.”
“Please, don’t do this.” She had never heard his voice so cold, so vicious. “I swear, I don’t know. We’ve been busy with other things.”
“You lie,” he hissed. “But by the time I am through with you, I will have the answers I seek.” Dar paced around the room, his eyes on her the entire time. Eventually, he walked back to her, standing too close for her comfort. “I ask again. Where is she?”
Shera noticed the red eyes had changed to gold, green flecks dancing in their depths. Desperate, her mind searched for anything that might stop this from happening, or possibly delay it until someone came looking for her. “D-Don’t you know? The Bok have launched attacks on the human realm.”
He paused, a talon only a hair from her flesh. “It’s what they do.”
“No, t-this was different. All the clans have sent teams to deal with them.” She fought to keep the panic at bay. “We’ve been put on alert, but so far, LOKI hasn’t been called.”
“LOKI won’t be called.” His eyes followed the trail of the talon down her belly. “There is too much unrest within the clan. We…are considered unreliable.” An evil grin curled the corners of his mouth, mocking her. “Don’t be concerned with the Bok, little Shera. You have…other things to concern yourself with. Every moment beneath my blade will be more exquisite than the last, right to the end.” She squealed, shivering all the more. “After all, a corpse doesn’t beg for mercy, does it?” His hellish laughter filled the room.
Fear won out over her warrior training. “Dar, I swear, I don’t know where she is,” she cried as the tip of his talon grazed down her arm, drawing a fine line of blood. “Savage would know. If your wife’s here, Savage would’ve given the order.”
“Where would I find the witch?” He pushed his face into hers. “If you lie to me, I will come back and finish this.”
“No! Please don’t leave me here. S-She’d be in the throne room, waiting for further orders…from the Ambassadors.” Dar let go, disappearing into the shadows. “What are you doing? Dar, please, please don’t leave me here. I swear, you’ll find her in the throne… No, you’ll find her on the throne. She’s obsessed with it.” Shera tried to catch a glimpse of the demon in the dark. Suddenly, a thin line of light appeared, widening to what looked like a small town.
“You will leave this place. Is that clear?”
She nervously eyed the portal. “Where is that?”
The talon returned to her throat. “Is…that…clear?”
“Y-Yes, Dar. I will leave.”
He cut the rope. “Good.”
She fell to the floor, landing with a grunt. He tossed the remnants of her clothes through the portal. “Get out of here before I change my mind.”
On shaky legs, she inched toward the
opening, stopping before the final step. “I was always loyal to you-”
A hard slap across the face cut her off, knocking her through the portal. “I know, and I thank you for it.”
Closing the portal, he noticed a knife on the floor, picked it up, and slid it into his boot. Prepared to open a new portal to the throne room, the evil smirk returned as he thought better of it and closed the gateway. Cheered by the intrigue of a cat and mouse game, his demon blood cooled and he retraced his steps through the dark castle. It was a perfect opportunity to practice his stealth, a skill in which he had always excelled. Clan members seemed to be in short supply along the way, far less than he would have liked. Maybe Shera had told the truth and the clan was in the throne room, waiting for the call from the Ambassadors.
In no time, he stood in the circular main entry, the last rays of the sun shining through huge glass windows set in the ceiling thirty feet above. A hallway stretched in every direction, each one on a separate path with its own end.
To his right, the hallway of the Judicial Caste, established to uphold fairness and justice within the clan. Banners hung along the hall, representing their different charges - blue for integrity, white for purity, and gray for authority and strength of character.
Are they part of this, as well?
To his left was the hallway which led to his healers and wielders of magic, the Magi Caste. Their banners, in the earthy colors of brown and green, bore the symbol of power…a staff flowing into a spiral tail. It also served as a haven for visiting honorary members of the clan, Ambassadors, fellow chieftains, and whomever else the High Council deemed worthy.
In the Northeast corner was the hallway of the Warrior Caste, where new recruits began their journey in the clan, becoming soldiers highly trained to defend the clan, if necessary, and as protection against the Bok. Their banners donned a sword and shield in gray on a field of red and white. Do they have any idea what they defend now? Most of the clan belonged to the Warrior Caste, but there were those who had risen to greater heights.
The BloodCore dwelled in the Northwest portion of the castle, its hallways lined with banners of black and red bearing a golden snake swallowing its tail. Considered to be some of the deadliest warriors in the Alamir, they were battle-proven gladiators held to a higher standard than even the Warrior Caste. The mere mention of them struck fear into the hearts of those they opposed. Like the other castes, their charge was the protection of the clan, but should a mutiny occur, much like what was happening now, the BloodCore was the chieftain’s last defense. He wondered on which side they would stand today.
Only one hallway called his name. Habit had him reaching for his scimitars, his hands coming up empty. “Tartarus. Plan B,” he muttered as he marched the path to the throne room, his wings settling on his back.
Upon his approach, the grand doors opened. He had expected to find the clan gathered in the great hall to witness his fall as chieftain in a show he was certain had been perfectly choreographed by his second-in-command. Instead, he was surprised to see Savage alone, looking quite comfortable upon the throne, clad in the dark green armor she wore for special occasions. She looked quite becoming with her blonde hair braided and piled on top of her head, but it was not her usual style.
“What are you doing here?” she growled, sitting up straight.
“You don’t look happy to see me, Savage.” Dar closed the doors behind him and strolled into the throne room. “Wasn’t it you who claimed I was never around? Well…” He spread his arms, “here I am, in the flesh.” His golden gaze bore into hers. “Where is my wife?”
“Wife?” Savage rose from her seat. “We have more important matters to deal with than your bitch. The Alamir are on high alert. Who granted you entry?”
“I am the chieftain of this clan. It is my right to come and go as I please.” Her dramatics would not distract him from his goal.
“As I recall, you go more than you come,” she sneered, arms crossed. “Maybe your wife isn’t as simple as I thought and has gone to find someone who can better please her. A Bok, perhaps?
“Are you certain this is how you want to play it?”
“What I want is the clan and the stone.”
“Stone?”
She curled her upper lip. “The stone, Dar. The one entrusted to LOKI for safekeeping. Where is it?”
He gave her an uncertain look. “What does that have to do with any of this? I’ve come for my wife.”
Savage glared down her nose as she descended the dais. “The stone and this clan are more important than some woman.” Something in his eyes made her stop a few steps above the floor. “You really don’t know?” In an uncharacteristic show of camaraderie, she jerked her head toward the rear of the hall, indicating she wanted him to follow.
He knew exactly what she was talking about and where she was going. What he could not figure out was the sudden concern over the LOKI piece of the original Alamir stone. During the early years of the clan, he had locked it away deep below the castle, only sharing the secret of its existence with those he trusted most. The room was impenetrable, even by him. The stone door could only be opened with the use of two keys. One he always carried with him; the other was hidden within the throne.
He followed her to the rear of the dais, watching her touch the center of the LOKI insignia engraved into the wall. An invisible door opened and the two stepped into a passage carved from the very rock upon which the castle stood. Steps of stone spiraled down into the earth. As they descended deeper below the castle, torches blazed to life, lighting their way. Dar smelled the dampness seeping through the walls, feeling the air turn cooler. The stairs spilled into a long corridor that split into three more corridors, carrying on for miles beneath the valleys and mountains of the terrain above. Their trek ended a few feet from the bottom step in front of a black door.
Dar raised a brow at the key Savage removed from within her shirt. He made a mental note to mention that he did not consider her cleavage to be an appropriate hiding place once they were above ground. He placed a hand on the rock wall for support and lifted a boot, running a single finger from the front to back. An unseen pocket along the side opened. The twin to the key in Savage’s hand appeared. Both keys inserted, the chieftain and his second-in-command twisted, the door opening without a sound. As soon as Dar entered, a torch, set well above his head, flared to life, initiating a chain reaction around the circular room. Within moments, thirteen torches set the space aglow with their warm light.
Dar’s eyes immediately went to a single column in the center of the room. Even with his ability to manipulate the rock with a wave of his hand, it had taken days to chip the room into the shape he had envisioned. The walls, floor, column, and extended ceiling were of a single boulder. Upon the column, he had set the red stone of Leictreacha, keeping it safe from lustful eyes and sticky fingers.
His gaze darted to Savage. “What have you done with the stone?”
“Me?” Her eyes widened. “That’s what I was asking you.” She pointed to the door. “It was locked and I only had one key. You have the other.”
Dar had to admit she had a point. “How could you know it was missing?” He circled around the column, his mind awhirl with possibilities of how the room could have been breached.
Savage retreated toward the door, allowing him the space to roam. “Our Magi felt a shift in…whatever it is they feel. Once they brought it to my attention, I felt it, too. I knew something was missing.”
He stared at her from across the cavern. “I feel nothing unusual.”
She cocked her head as though listening to a faraway sound, and shrugged. “Nor do I, but neither did Natas.”
Dar raised a brow. “What does the COL chieftain have to do with this?” The smirk on her face gave him an uneasy feeling.
“You’ve not heard that the COL castle was attacked?” Savage clucked her tongue. “Why am I not surprised? There’s only one Alamir who holds your interest now.” She shook her head.
“Poor, pathetic Dar. So misguided.”
He ignored the bait. “What does Natas have to do with the LOKI stone?”
She casually inched closer to the opening of the doorway, speaking in a nonchalant voice. “Upon their first inspection, nothing was found to be amiss.” At the door, she stopped and cast a conspiratorial gaze at Dar. “Within a few days, his version of Magi told him there had been a shift of energy within the castle.” She practically purred. “Upon a new investigation, they found the stone left in COL’s protection, the amethyst, was gone.”
Dar made a closer inspection of the column. “And there’s been nothing suspicious here at LOKI?”
Savage emitted an amused grunt. “Other than our chieftain’s sudden reappearance?” Dar shot her a warning glare. “Perhaps, in our case, it wasn’t the stone that caused the shift, but the lack of your presence.” Her tone had turned acidic. “Either way, the stone is not where it should be…and neither are you.” She slipped out of the room.
Too late, Dar realized the play made at his expense. He lurched toward the door, making a futile grab at the smooth surface as it closed with the finality of a crypt.
“Savage! What the hell are you doing?” The last sound he heard was the click of the locks as she turned both keys.
“Your timing sucks, High Lord, as usual.” He could hear the victory in her voice. “Once the clan has cast you out and voted me in as chieftain, you’ll be released. After that, you and your bitch can go to hell for all I care.”
The door was open. One looked at the other, a game of rock-paper-scissors ensuing. Wolfe rolled his eyes and walked into the room first. The High Lady was on the edge of the bed, lacing her boots.
“Hello, Wolfe, Elfin,” she said. “I hope you've had a safe trip.”
“Aye, Lady E. We got here as fast as we could. We were surprised to find you here,” Wolfe said.
“Oh?” She motioned them to have a seat, but they kept close to the door. “Where else would I be?” Her boots secured, she stood with an air of authority. “Did things not go well in Nunnehi?”