“Will you be my wife?” he asked, without reacting to her pushing.
“Yes,” she breathed. “Yes, I want to be your wife.”
He entered her and she stifled a cry. She closed her eyes, and enjoyed the feeling of him inside her. Suddenly it became cool. The sun disappeared behind dark clouds and an icy wind blew up. Instead of the sweet scent of the flowers, the stench of decay lay in the air. She opened her eyes and instead of Volcan, Exesor was looking down at her, grinning maliciously. He thrust into her again and again. Pain filled her and pure horror seized her heart. She screamed. Then she awoke, bathed in sweat.
Her heart was thumping wildly. Her hair stuck damply to her face. For a horrible moment she had thought that it was reality. She thought she could still feel him. Her emotional world was in complete chaos. She now felt both unfulfilled desire, brought about by the sensual beginning of the dream, but also horror, fear and disgust because of the sudden transformation of her lover into this revolting Exesor. Of course the dream was understandable. A similar thing had of course already happened. The thought that her abductor could even assume the appearance of the man that she loved was awful. It made her angry and filled her with such great aversion that she would rather be dead than to experience again, in reality or in a dream, her lover transforming into a monster in the middle of an intimate situation.
Chapter 16
They had hardly broken through the time seal when it became clear that Exesor had left nothing to chance. A hoard of wild warriors was waiting for them and the battle began. Volcan tried to get an overview in the midst of the chaos. There were about two hundred enemy warriors. So the ratio was two to one for Volcan’s army that contained just over four hundred warriors.
Volcan cut the head off one attacker and rushed at the next one. It was a hard battle, but as far as he could assess the situation, his men fought well. He still had not seen any fallen that belonged to him. They would win this first battle but he knew that it would not be the last. He had a long way to go to Exesor’s castle. Although he had never been in Abyssus he knew as a guardian what it looked like there. It was as if he had a map in his head. It was the knowledge of past generations who had also fought here. The evil powers were immortal. Even the warriors that he was now fighting would get up again. He had just a narrow window in which to fulfil his mission and get Coreena out of here. All of the fallen evil ones would awake to a new life within nine days.
Loud jubilation could be heard. The warriors held their blood covered swords and axes high in the air and roared the victory cry: ’Vicimus!’
Volcan wiped the sweat off his face. His breathing was heavy and his heartbeat droned in his ears. The adrenalin shooting through his veins made him hard. If he had the chance right now he would take Coreena here, in the middle of the battle field. Hard and fast.
“We’ve won!” he shouted to his warriors. “This battle is ours, but more is waiting for us. Let’s not lose any time. Forwards, men! Follow me!”
Aerios appeared at his side. Likewise breathless and soaked in sweat, but grinning from one ear to the other. He slapped Volcan firmly on the back.
“We showed them good and properly, didn’t we, old man? That was kid’s play, wasn’t it!”
“That was just the beginning,” thought Volcan. “And Exesor will now know that we’re here.”
“He can’t do anything to her. Not as long as the time for the ceremony hasn’t passed. We still have enough time,” Aerios tried to comfort his friend.
Volcan ground his teeth.
“We’ll get her out of here,” he snarled. “But if the slime bag has ruffled even one hair on her head, then I’ll make sure that he recalls his death fully when he re-awakes.”
*
Every muscle in Coreena’s body was tensed. With a pounding heart, she listened to the footsteps approaching her cell. It was not her time for her meal. Her visitor must have another motive, and that meant that it was probably her revolting abductor.
The door was unlocked and swung open. Coreena had to pull herself together so that she did not scream out loud. She got up and prayed that her weak knees would not give way beneath her. As she had suspected, Exesor entered the cell, this time in his true form. He looked at her, then a nasty grin appeared on his face.
“Your brave knight is on his way to his princess,” he said, his tone dripping with derision.
Coreena’s heartbeat accelerated. He was on his way. How close was he? When would he arrive here and what if he were not to win the battle? No! She must not think about that, if she was not to go mad. Under no circumstances did she want to be the bride of this monster. She would rather be dead.
“Have you nothing to say to this news?” Exesor mocked.
“I hope he killsyou!” Coreena spat at him.
“He won’t manage that. He will die. As a wedding gift I’ll serve you his head on a silver platter. Like John the Baptist. And you are the beautiful Salome. Will you dance for me then?”
“I would rather rot in hell!”
“You’re already there, my sweet!”
Suddenly he was standing right in front of her and he grabbed her arm tightly. She could not help uttering a scream of pain. His fingers felt like a steel band around her arm. She tried to look him defiantly in the face. He was not to know how huge her fear and her pain were.
“You’re coming with me now, my little princess.”
“Don’t call me that!” she barked at him.
“Oh, right! You’re not into sweet talking then? OK, I can do this another way, too,” he snarled threateningly. “Move your damn arse and follow me, you little whore! Was that better?”
“Absolutely! At least I know whoI am dealing with!” she snapped.
He pulled her so unexpectedly that she nearly stumbled. There was no one to be seen in the corridor – she listened out for the noise of fighting, but heard nothing. Everything was quiet.
“They’ll be here soon,” shouted Exesor whilst walking, as if he had read her thoughts. “My spies reported to me that they’re still about an hour’s march from the castle. We’ll prepare a suitable reception for them and a very special reception for your sweetheart.” Exesor laughed – a crazed, nasty laugh, that made Coreena’s skin crawl.
She tried to free herself from his grasp and steadied herself with all her might against his pulling. He gripped her still more tightly around her wrist and she screamed. The pain made her teeth clench.
Coreena had no idea how long they had been walking along the corridors, how many staircases they had walked up and down, nor how often they had changed direction. She had not imagined that the castle was so huge. They finally reached a hall with a dome-shaped roof. As she had completely lost her bearings she did not even know whether they were now at the top or the bottom of the castle. There were no windows in the hall. They must be in the heart of the castle. It was warm. Much warmer than in the other parts of the castle. Up high she could see a row of boxes with thick curtains, like in a theatre or an opera house. Only the hall radiated no splendour whatsoever, and indeed seemed very archaic with its stone floor and roughly hewn walls, and torches in wrought iron holders. In the middle she could see something that looked like a well. She found the idea of a well in the middle of this particular room a bit strange, but right now she had other concerns to busy her mind with.
“What are we doing here?” Coreena demanded to know.
Apart from the two of them there was no one else to be seen nor heard. They had not run into anyone at all on the way here.
“As I’ve already said. We’re preparing a special reception for your sweetheart.”
Exesor dragged her to the well and pulled on a rope hanging from the domed ceiling. Coreena looked up at the rope and froze when she laid eyes on the metal cage that was slowly descending from the ceiling. Then she looked into the well and a scream stuck in her throat. That was not water down there. That was glowing lava.
*
Volcan’s adrena
lin level grew with every mile that they got closer to their destination. Up to this point they had only lost two warriors. The injuries so far had been quite straightforward to tend to. On their way they had been given sufficient food and water in the villages. They had slept in the open fields. Plenty of guards had taken shifts to ensure their safety. So far it had almost been child’s play, but he was not going to fool himself. He knew that the hardest part was still to come.
“Anxious, brother?” asked Beta.
“You know what’s at stake. Exesor has the woman that I love in his power and if I can’t save her I don’t only lose her – we’ll be obliterated. Our whole family. There will never again be a Guardian of Fire. How could I not be anxious? But don’t worry, little brother. I am not too anxious to fight.”
“I’ve never doubted that, big brother. You are, after all, my hero,” answered Beta with a mischievous grin.
Volcan grinned.
“Bootlicker!”
Beta chuckled.
“But I’m not kissing your feet!”
“I wouldn’t let you anyway,” snarled Volcan.
Volcan was standing on the brow of the hill, looking across to the castle that stood on another high hill. They were currently in the protection of a small wood. As soon as they left this protection they would be visible to the castle guards. So creeping up to them was out of the question. They simply had to storm forth and overrun the men.
“How many warriors do you reckon are in the castle?” asked Humos.
“I don’t think there are more than three hundred. Probably more like two hundred. But they’ll be the bastard’s elite. Nothing in comparison to the canon-fodder that we were fighting before.”
“What do we have to lose? We have to win this battle. For your princess. For Ignigena. For the good of everyone,” said Humos.
“OK. Let’s get started. Let’s give these bastards a taste of death. Even if it is just for nine days,” agreed Volcan.
“Hey! You can’t start the fun without me!” said a voice suddenly.
Volcan turned round abruptly. He could not believe it. It could not be true! And yet, when he turned round, he saw Merlon standing there in full armour with his sword pulled, grinning from ear to ear.
“Merlon! How the hell have you managed to get here?”
“The same way as you. I must have slipped through the time seal shortly after you did. I orientated myself by the long trail of corpses to follow you. A few times I did think that I’d lost you, but it seems that I’ve found you. So! Shall we show the damned bastards?”
“It’s good to see you, old man!” Aerios greeted him, grinning, and slapped Merlon on the shoulder.
“To battle!” cried Volcan and gave Merlon a huge smile. Then he looked forward, raised his sword and gave the battle cry.
With Volcan, Aerios, Humos, Beta and Merlon taking the lead, the warriors stormed down the hill and ran across the plain.
The battle was hard. Damn hard. Volcan had lost the overview in the chaos. As expected, they were now dealing with well-trained, elite fighters, who were equipped to the hilt, and they defended the castle with determination. It had taken a long time to get beyond the walls and now they were butchering one another in the inner yard. As far as Volcan could work out no one had made it inside the castle. He had long since lost sight of his friends. Only his brother was still fighting at his side. Volcan had to concentrate on not worrying too much about his little brother. It must not distract him. There was too much to lose.
He was just pulling his sword out of the chest of an enemy when he saw an attacker about to bore a hole through his brother from behind. Without hesitation Volcan threw his sword and caught the enemy in the middle of his neck. Blood spat out of the wound and the warrior fell to the ground with a gurgling sound.
“Thanks!” called Beta, when he realised that he had been about to bite the dust.
He grabbed Volcan’s sword, pulled it out of the dead warrior’s neck and passed it to his brother. They quickly gave one another a brotherly handshake, then stood back to back to confront their enemies who were attacking them on all sides.
*
Coreena did not know how long she had been sitting in the damned cage. Every bone was hurting and she wondered how people had previously coped with this over long periods of time, because she knew that in the Middle Ages lots of prisoners had spent years in dungeons in cages like this one. She could only begin to form an image of the unspeakable torture that those poor people must have suffered. To crown it all she was also hanging over a stream of glowing lava and she was sweating as if in a sauna. Only this sauna trip seemed to have lasted hours already. The cage had kept on getting lower since Exesor had locked her in there. Coreena presumed that a mechanism was ensuring that she sunk a little lower every quarter of an hour or so. If only Volcan would finally come. For some time she had been able to hear the sound of fighting in the distance. She could only faintly hear the clashing of swords, which must mean that she was a long way inside the castle, whilst the fighting was probably happening outside in the castle yard. As long as she could hear the sound of fighting she at least knew that all was not completely lost.
Exesor had left her an eternity ago. She presumed that he had taken himself into safety somewhere. That coward. Anger raged within her. She had never believed that she could hate someone as much as she hated this repulsive creature. With all her heart.
She heard footsteps, then someone stormed into the room and for a moment her heart seemed to stop beating.
“Who are you? Are you really Volcan or are you in disguise again?” she shouted to him.
He looked at her, and both relief and horror spread over his face.
“It’s me, princess! Wait, I’ll free you.”
He rushed to her side and cursed when he saw what she was hanging over.
“Damn it! That son of a bitch! Don’t worry, babe, I will get you out.”
“Unfortunately it’s not as easy as it looks. Exesor explained it all to me with great pleasure. There’s only one way of opening the magic lock. You have to put in the right code. If you try to open the lock by force, or enter the wrong code three times, then I’ll plummet with this thing into the depths.”
“Shit!”
“You can say that again. Believe me, I don’t particularly like this either. I had just begun to like the idea of becoming your queen,” she said, and tried to smile.
“And you will do. I will get you out of here.”
Volcan studied the lock. It was a combination lock with six numbers that needed to be guessed. What code could the bastard have used to seal this lock?
“Our date for the ceremony,” murmured Volcan. “It could be that.” He entered the code:310812
The cage jolted and again it slid a good ten inches lower. Coreena screamed in shock.
Volcan swore in frustration. His heart had nearly stopped when the cage had slipped. He had two more attempts left. On the last attempt it had to work, otherwise his partner would descend into the abyss.
“I’m sorry, princess. I could have sworn...”
“I’m OK. Don’t panic. Think.”
Volcan racked his brain. Then he had another idea. The position of the castle, or more precisely, of the hall that they were in. He looked at the mini computer on his left wrist to find out the exact position.
“I think I’ve got it,” he said. “Oh shit, I...”
“Try it!”
“And what if its wrong again?”
“It’s only the penultimate attempt, so I won’t completely plummet yet. Try it!”
Again Volcan entered a code: latitude 25, longitude 32 and altitude 97.
Volcan uttered a cry of frustration as the cage dropped again.
“I’ll first go and find the bastard and prise the code out of him.”
“That’s no good. I forgot to mention – when you entered the first code a timer was activated. As of the time you entered the first code you have exactly twenty mi
nutes before the cage plummets.”
“Damn it, Coreena! Why didn’t you tell me that straight away? Then I wouldn’t have tried at all and would have gone and found the bastard.”
“Sorry!” sobbed Coreena. “I wasn’t thinking straight.”
“Oh, babe. No! No! I am… sorry. This is all my fault. I should never have...”
“No! Let’s stop talking about who’s to blame. If anyone is to blame, then it’s Exesor. We have to find a solution quickly now.”
“I know. I’m trying my hardest,” groaned Volcan.
Worried, Volcan looked at the complicated mechanism above the cage. If he could only stop the timer. How much time did he still have? He did not know. Had ten minutes passed, or even fifteen?
“Damn it! If I’m wrong again...”
“It’s our only chance. If you don’t enter anything, then I’m going to fall anyway.”
“Perhaps the mechanism can somehow be...”
“As soon as you touch the mechanism up there the cage will go down into the cellar. Exesor specifically said that.”
“Shit!”
A grinding and squeaking could be heard, and the cage fell. The time had run out. Coreena screamed at the top of her voice. Volcan swore and tried to grab the chain that the cage was hanging from, but it slipped through his fingers like butter. Despair and panic made him roar loudly. He tried again to grab the chain. He could not stop the cage falling.
Coreena’s screams reached his ears and broke his heart.
*
Aerios cut off the head of his opponent and made a quarter turn to step towards the next opponent. Volcan had been wrong about something. There were far more than two hundred warriors in this castle. What he had not been wrong about was the fact that they were dealing solely with elite fighters. Aerios felt his powers diminishing. He was bleeding from numerous wounds. What seemed like an eternity ago he had seen Volcan succeed in getting inside the castle. He hoped that his friend had managed to get to Coreena.
Volcan's Fire (Guardians of The Elements #1) Page 13