Dimension Shifter

by T. M. Nielsen

  Alric knew what he was doing was risky, and he wanted her hands separated just in case she’d been hiding any magic from him. He doubted it, but wasn’t going to risk it after seeing how fast she turned on people.

  He pulled her up against him and looked down into her eyes, “You aren’t going to attack me.”

  Her eyes narrowed.

  “You aren’t going to hit me, or fight against me, is that understood?”

  Kyrin nodded slightly.

  “You’re going to trust me that I’m not going to hurt you.”

  Before she could even protest, he’d pressed his lips against hers. Her eyes grew wide and she tried to pull away from him, but he wrapped a hand around to the small of her back and held her in place. Her stomach tightened as the feel of his closeness engulfed her, and she began to panic.

  Alric broke the kiss and looked at her, “Did that hurt?”

  “No, but…” she started, but he kissed her again. His tongue danced across her lips, and she had an internal conflict. She wanted to bite his tongue, to stop the feel of what he was doing, but he was her master, and she had agreed to do as he asked.

  Kyrin had often seen newly purchased brides forced to endure the touching lips, and the thought made her skin crawl. This seemed different though, not repulsive or wrong.

  Alric stepped back and smiled, “Now we’re going to go for a walk. I want you to let the townspeople see you how you are.”

  “What?” she gasped, taking a step away from him.

  “They see you dressed as a man, fighting as a warrior, and they are terrified of you. I want them to see that you are a beautiful woman and not one to be feared.”

  “Why would you do that to me?”

  “I’m not doing that to you. I’m doing it for you. Do you want to be feared?”

  Her answer shocked him, “Yes!”

  “Why do you want to be feared?” he asked, lightly brushing the back of his hand along her neck.

  “Please, don’t…”

  “Why?”

  Her words were a whisper, things she was told by everyone from the Shadowmere to Creteloc, “Trust no one. Let no one near enough to you to hurt you. Attack without thought or reason. If you learn to trust, you will learn the meaning of humiliation. If they fear you, they will not try to get close.”

  “Who told you that?” he asked her.

  “No one told me that. That’s what I’ve learned.”

  “Out on your own, you learned that?”

  “Yes”

  “It’s wrong,” Alric said to her. He then took her hand and started for the door, “Time for a walk.”

  She followed him as her mind swam. She hated the flutter of her stomach when he pressed his lips to hers. She hated how the dress made her feel and how the thought of being paraded through the town put her on display.

  Neither spoke as they walked the short distance into town. Many of the townsfolk came out to say hello to them, and all were cordial and friendly. Alric spoke to them about family members and upcoming events. Kyrin followed along silently and tried not to look at anyone.

  “Emerisa!” Alric said pleasantly. “How are you feeling?”

  “Lord Alric,” she said bowing. “I’m feeling fine, thank you.”

  Kyrin looked over at Finn’s wife and gasped. She was pregnant and out in broad daylight among people from the town.

  “Getting big too, I see,” he said, admiring her growing middle.

  She nodded and rubbed her tummy, “This’ll be a boy, I’d wager.”

  “Finn mentioned you’ve been sicker with this pregnancy.”

  “Yes, this baby had me very sick for a while. The Priests helped though and it’s much better.”

  Kyrin couldn’t help but gawk. Men didn’t speak of such things, and Emerisa shouldn’t be out in public with an obvious pregnancy.

  “Are you ok, Kyrin?” Emerisa asked her.

  Kyrin looked quickly around and then whispered, “You can’t be out here.”

  “Why not?” Emerisa was ready for this, as the entire encounter was well planned out.

  Kyrin couldn’t even look squarely at her. Her shame was too great, and she didn’t want to add to the disgrace by looking at the pregnant bulge, “It’s… you have to get back inside.”

  Emerisa smiled, “The baby is kicking, would you like to feel it?”

  Kyrin gasped, “Do what?”

  “I would,” Alric told her. He stepped forward and put his hand against her belly. He felt for a few moments and then nodded, “I agree. It's a boy. He has quite the kick.”

  “Oh good, Finn’s home,” Emerisa said, watching down the street.

  Kyrin looked quickly and began to panic. He would punish her for showing her humiliation to the townsfolk, and she had to protect her from the vile thoughts of the man who’d bestowed the shame on her.

  “Stay back, Finn,” Kyrin said, stepping between them.

  He stopped and frowned, “Why?”

  Emerisa thought quickly, “Finn, Lord Alric was just feeling the baby kick. He thinks it’s a boy.”

  Finn smiled and walked around Kyrin, “Nope, it’s a girl. I’d swear by it.”

  Kyrin turned quickly to Emerisa, “I can help you die.”

  Emerisa hid the brief fear, “I don’t want to die though.”

  “It’s better than what he will do to you. I told you not to be out here!”

  “Fresh bread this morning, Emerisa,” a woman said from behind them. Kyrin looked over and frowned when this woman was also pregnant.

  “My god, Stephania!” Finn laughed. “When is that baby coming out?”

  “Hopefully soon… or not soon enough, I’m not sure which,” she said happily and then handed the bread over to Emerisa.

  It was all too foreign. Kyrin had been to hundreds of dimensions and each shared her view of the vile act of becoming pregnant, and the humiliating and shameful act of carrying a child and delivering it. It was hidden away in dark houses, houses where all of a sudden the curtains were drawn, and no one was allowed in.

  “You ok, Kyrin?” Finn asked, watching her.

  She was staring awkwardly at the two pregnant women who were talking.

  “Kyrin?” Alric asked her.

  She backed away. What kind of dimension was this? What kind wasn’t plagued with the drought, and didn’t fear the now dimension shifting Consortiums? How can they not share the views of the rest of the universe? It was confusing, and she felt the world closing in around her.

  Everything from the awkward moment when their lips met, to the warning from Daemionis about how close she got to those from Paragoy Dimension came crashing down on her.

  Alric and Finn rushed to Kyrin when she collapsed. Alric felt her neck, “She’s alive.”

  “I think she fainted.”

  “Maybe this was too much,” Alric said, picking her up.

  “Maybe, she has to learn though, and she didn’t believe us.”

  “She’ll be ok,” Alric said, smiling. “I’ll lie her down and get her a cool rag.”

  Finn nodded and watched the King walk off, carrying his young charge. Finn couldn’t help but smile. Everyone in Valhara knew the King was falling for the strange girl, everyone but the King.

  Chapter 8

  Alric strengthened the kiss and wrapped his hand to the back of her neck. She didn’t fight him anymore, and he knew she was finally realizing that he wasn’t out to get her.

  When he moved back, she blushed slightly and pulled away from him.

  “See, no pain and I’m not whisking you off to bed,” Alric laughed.

  “Why would I go to your bed when I have one?”

  “Don’t mind that.” He walked over to get a glass of wine, “Back to our earlier argument. It’s just time.”

  “My room is fine… it’s more than adequate.”

  “There’s no reason for you to be down with the servants. That suite is empty.”

  “It was Genessa’s suite.”

  “Y
es.”

  “So it’s set apart for your wives.”

  He shook his head, “One wife.”

  “I won’t marry you.”

  “I don’t want to marry you, so stop worrying about it. The rooms were made for a lady, and yours were made for a servant.”

  “Which I am, and indentured servant.”

  “You’re the only one that makes that distinction.”

  “Not true. Every day when you order me into a dress and force me to stand here while you put your lips to mine, or make me eat with a fork, or learn to dance, is done under direct order,” Kyrin reminded her.

  He couldn’t help but grin, “Oh right… well… sometimes you’re too stubborn to do what’s good for you unless it’s an order.”

  “How is this good for me?”

  “I’m making you less afraid of me.”

  She glared at him, “I’m not afraid of you.”

  “Ok then, I’m making it so you trust me.”

  “Good luck with that.”

  “Hey, it’s working, mostly. You don’t try to attack me anymore when I kiss you.”

  “I don’t want punished for assaulting you.”

  “That or you like it.”

  “Don’t flatter yourself.”

  “Well,” Alric said, sitting against the desk in his room. “We’re done for today. I’ll make a lady of you yet.”

  She turned on her heals and headed down to her room. Alric didn’t explain why he let her go early, but he got the feeling again that something was wrong. He had a sinking in his heart, and a dark pal had fallen over his thoughts.

  Kyrin was furious. She felt like Alric was on the verge of making her his wife and every day he seemed to move her one more step into being what he considered a proper lady. She got to her room and then walked in and slammed the door shut.

  “Ol zhah bauth draeval dos yutsu.” The soft voice came from the deep shadows of her room, and Kyrin spun toward it.

  “Creteloc?” she asked almost breathlessly.

  Even though she stepped out of the shadow, she remained shrouded in darkness, “Daemionis sent me.”

  “Is he mad?”

  “Not at you. The humans here are taking advantage of your innocents, and it concerns him.”

  “Like what?”

  “The training sessions are becoming too personal.”

  She nodded, “I wondered.”

  “You know not the ways of men, and we’ve kept it that way to keep you safe. This Alric is on the verge of overstepping.”

  “What can I do though? I have five more months to go.”

  “That is why I am here.” Creteloc moved to look out the window, but her movement made no noise in the room.

  Kyrin gasped, “Are you going to kill him?”

  Creteloc smiled, something she rarely did, “No, but I’m not above that.”

  “I don’t trust him, if that’s what you’re concerned about.”

  “You are starting to. Daemionis’ main concern is that Alric has fallen in love with you and will do what he can to keep you here.”

  “I won’t marry him.”

  Creteloc turned toward her, “You don’t understand ways of the flesh.”

  “So?”

  “It will interfere with how you see him.”

  “I don’t see how. I don’t trust him and as soon as my servitude is over, I am leaving.”

  “Leaving here?” Creteloc said, silently moving across the floor. “There is water, food, and safety here. The Shadowmere cannot come into Paragoy yet.”

  “So you think I’ll stay because it’s easy to live here?”

  “Yes, I do.”

  “I’m not weak enough to stay here just because there’s unlimited water and food.”

  Creteloc looked at her and her eyes glowed red, “Why not? I would stay if it served me in such a way.”

  “I don’t like it here. The people are odd and delusional about the real world out there. They think they are the only world and there are no other dimensions.”

  “I realize that it’s the dimension shifter’s way not to divulge the truth to such a dimension… but you may have to, to explain where you came from.”

  Kyrin frowned, “I’ve managed not to tell them where I come from. Why change that?”

  “Because, you love him and you want him to understand you.”

  “Don’t insult me!”

  Creteloc ran her hands along the rack of clothing, “You’re old enough now that your body will respond to him. It’s out of your control.”

  “So tell me. I’ve been patient and waited… Why are you and Daemionis so afraid that I’ve grown? You both mention how bad it will be when I discover feelings of the flesh, but I don’t even know what you mean.”

  “In due time, Kyrin.” Creteloc swept out the door, and Kyrin watched, knowing it wasn’t her place to stop her. It was dark in the castle, nearing midnight, and she knew Creteloc was going to talk to Alric.

  Alric walked up the stairs, slowly scanning the entire castle. Sithias agreed that an evil presence had invaded Valhara, and he sent scouts out to check every village under his command and had found nothing. The evil was still present. He just couldn’t find it, and it had him worried that bad things were coming.

  Once in his room, he slipped his belt off and laid it, along with his sword, down beside his bed and then sat to pull off his boots.

  He stood suddenly when a shadow moved across the window in his room. In an instant, he had his sword in his hand and was looking hard into the dark corners of the room.

  “Udos thalra a vaen, Valuk d' Valhara.” He spun and faced where the voice had come from. A figure appeared from deep in the shadow of his room. All he could see was that the form was almost 6 inches shorter than he, and wore a black cloak that obscured any sign of a face. He looked hard and was sure that red eyes glowed from beneath it.

  “Who are you?” he asked, readying his sword.

  “Have you ever met true evil?” she whispered, circling him slightly. Even passing close to the bed, the sheets didn’t sway and no sound gave away her movements.

  “Apparently I have now.”

  “Yes, dear Boy, you have.”

  “So who are you?”

  The cloaked figure turned to him, and the hairs on his neck stood up. He felt cut off from Sithias, something he’d never experienced before, “I am Creteloc, Priestess to Daemionis and watcher of Kyrin.”

  Alric nodded, “Very well… what do you want?”

  “Only to let you know that we’re watching, and we know.”

  “Know what?”

  “That you love her. We won’t stand by while you corrupt her and try to turn her to the good side. Sithias is a formidable enemy, but we won’t hesitate to interfere.”

  “I care about her, just as I do every other person in my Kingdom.”

  “I’m not as naïve as she is, dear King.”

  “Meaning?”

  “You love her, don’t deny that. She is beautiful, and interesting to you. However, she belongs, body and soul, to Daemionis, and he doesn’t share,” Creteloc said as she stared at him.

  “You’ve mistaken what I’m doing here.”

  “Am I? You kiss her.”

  “To make her trust me. She has to understand that not everyone that touches her wishes to hurt her.”

  When she smiled, her teeth shown like daggers beneath the dark hood, “If you say so.”

  “She has to learn to trust.”

  “No she doesn’t. Trust leads to betrayal, nothing more.”

  “Then you are as naïve as she is.” Alric watched her, still tense, “So what are you here to do? Kill me?”

  “No, Daemionis is learning from Kyrin’s interactions with you. What I’m here to do is issue you and Sithias a warning that any interaction with Kyrin is to be business.”

  “What is his interest in her? She’s obviously not a born-evil.”

  “That’s none of your concern,” Creteloc told him. “You wi
ll watch what you say around her. We’ve protected her from things for years, and I will not have you undo that.”

  “Protected her from what!? She was almost dead when she arrived here.”

  “Death isn’t what we protect her from.”

  “Then what do you?”

  “Carnal knowledge.”

  He frowned, “Why would you do that? She’s old enough to know such things and knowledge may help alleviate her fears.”

  Creteloc circled him again, “To stay loyal to Daemionis, she must not find another. We keep her pure so her thoughts stay with him.”

  “That’s insane! She’ll learn eventually, even with your misguided attempt at protecting her. Tell me why he is so interested in her. It doesn’t make sense.”

  “She will not learn. The great Daemionis will not lose her! Her thoughts are clearly on him and only him. She does his bidding and lets no other come between what she is to do. If she understood…”

  “I’m not going to stand here and have you tell me this!”

  Creteloc appeared at his side and ran a light finger along his chest, sending a warning shiver down his spine, “If she understood what we do… about desires and sensual gratification… then her mind would seek out a suitable companion, and Daemionis will not stand for that.”

  “Blocking natural information from that girl to keep her loyal to Daemionis has only kept her in unnecessary fear!”

  “You say that like fear is a bad thing.”

  “It is.”

  When she disappeared, Alric spun, looking closely around his room for her. There was no sign of her, the door was closed, and the windows were shut tightly. He ran from his room and out to the Knights.

  “Get the castle on alert and lock it down. I want every window checked, and every door locked!”

  The Knights ran to follow his orders as he descended to Kyrin’s room. He didn’t even knock, but walked in, “Where is she?”

  “She doesn’t tell me where she goes or what she does,” Kyrin told him.

  “You allowed her to come into my home!?”

  “No one allows Creteloc to do anything.”

  “There’s an evil in Valhara, and she came here because of you!”

  “I didn’t ask her here.”

  “Come here,” he said angrily, and then grabbed her arm and pulled her from the room. She watched closely as Knights swarmed the castle and checked behind every door.