Dimension Shifter

by T. M. Nielsen

  “Leaving Paragoy?”

  “Yes”

  “When will you be back?” Alric debated stopping her, but knew that it wasn’t his right to do.

  “I won’t be back,” she told him as she slipped on the black leather vest.

  “Stop, please,” he said, taking her hand. She looked down at their intertwined hands and then finally looked up at him.

  “I just have to go.”

  “Why? Is it because of Daemionis?”

  “I can’t tell you why.”

  “He punished you already, what more does he want?”

  “He wants me, and I have to go.”

  “Wait! You’re running from him?” Alric asked angrily.

  She looked nervously around the room, “I just have to shift as soon as possible.”

  “I can protect you.”

  “Not from him. No one can, so I have to run.”

  His anger grew. No one should have to run from their god, unless they broke a sacred rule, and no one should be that afraid of a being that was supposed to have their best interest at heart.

  Kyrin checked around the room and then started for the door.

  “You can’t just leave. You’re covered in blood and terrified.”

  “It’s not my blood,” she said, walking down the stairs.

  “I know whose it is.”

  Once outside, she began moving quickly toward the trees, followed by Alric. He knew he couldn’t stop her from shifting out of Paragoy, but he had to try.

  “I don’t want you to just leave here.”

  “I know, but I don’t have a choice.”

  “Did he send you on a mission that you refused?” He was genuinely trying to understand.

  “No”

  “Did he ask you to do something you don’t want to?”

  When she didn’t answer, he knew he had it right.

  “What was it he asked you to do?”

  She stopped and looked around carefully, then started in another direction.

  “Kyrin, stop!”

  She turned to look at him.

  “Tell me what’s going on.”

  “I can’t. I just have to get out of Paragoy.”

  “You’re running, and you can’t run from the Shadowmere and from Daemionis! You’re going to fall into the hands of one of them.”

  “I have to try.”

  “What did he ask you to do?” he asked, stopping her.

  She turned to him, “I can’t tell you.”

  Alric felt like at any moment she was going to disappear, and he’d never see her again. In a last-ditch effort to get her to stay, he quickly took her face gently in his hands and pressed his lips to hers. In his haste to make her stay, he didn’t restrain her hands to keep her from casting, which is why she did just that.

  When the word popped into her head, she brought her hands together and pulled away from him. In the split second it took him to realize what was happening, he was frozen in place.

  “I’m sorry,” she whispered, and then turned and disappeared into the trees.

  He couldn’t see where she went. He was aware and could see directly in front of him, but couldn’t move or make a noise. He strained, but couldn’t move a muscle.

  What seemed like hours later, he felt a warming sensation. He could first move a finger, and then his hand, and soon was able to stand up and look around. By this time it was dark, and he wasn’t even sure which direction Kyrin had gone.

  “Where did you go?” he whispered, looking around the dark forest. “Sithias, is she gone?”

  The answer rang through his mind, “No.”

  “Where is she then?”

  “I have blocked the portals,” Sithias whispered.

  Deciding to go back and find a Ranger qualified to track her, Alric headed back for the castle.

  “Sir!” Trox said, running up to him. “We’ve been trying to find you for hours.”

  He just shook his head, “What’s wrong?”

  “Nothing, Sir. We were just worried about you.”

  “Has anyone seen Kyrin?”

  “Not since you left with her.”

  “I want Fenre here, now.”

  “Yes, Sir,” Trox said, and then turned to go get the best Ranger in Valhara.

  When they returned, Trox was surprised to see Alric in full battle gear, “Are we under attack?”

  “I don’t know yet. Fenre, I need to find Kyrin. If I take you to where I last saw her, can you track in the dark?”

  “Yes, Sir,” he said, a little leery.

  “I’ll get the Knights ready,” Trox told the King.

  “No, it’ll just be Fenre and I.”

  Trox hesitated and then nodded and watched them leave.

  Fenre knew better than to question the King, but he was on guard and tense as they walked through the dark trees nearing midnight.

  When they got to the clearing, Alric turned to the Ranger, “I last saw her here.”

  Fenre moved forward and began a close sweep of the area. After only a few minutes, he started into the woods, followed by Alric, who now had his sword drawn.

  Several times Fenre lost her trail, and was starting to get irritated when he held up his hand, and Alric stopped. Both were silent as Fenre pointed to a bunch of thick brush off to their right.

  Alric nodded and quietly moved forward. He crouched down and watched Kyrin through the dense foliage. She was seated on the side of a grassy hill and was watching around her.

  It was obvious she was in a hurry and irritated, because her foot was tapping impatiently on the ground, and she fiddled with the spiked balls on her flail while she waited.

  Alric returned to Fenre and whispered, “Stay here. If she casts on me, then follow her.”

  Fenre frowned, and started to argue.

  “Do as I say,” Alric whispered sternly.

  When Fenre nodded, Alric started around the bushes, “And that’s… why I hold your hands apart.”

  Kyrin looked over at him, but didn’t speak.

  Alric sat down beside her and put the sword on the hill at his right, “I’m not mad. I just wish you would tell me why you’re in such a hurry to get out of here.”

  “I can’t tell you.”

  “Why?”

  “Because you might agree.”

  He thought about that and then frowned, “You think I would agree with the reasons behind Daemionis’ punishment?”

  “Yes”

  “I seriously doubt that.”

  “I killed him.”

  Alric knew she was talking about the foolish Assassin, “I figured.”

  “Offered him up as a sacrifice. I thought Creteloc sent him, so I could sacrifice him to keep Daemionis from demanding what he did.”

  “I take it that didn’t work?”

  “No, it didn’t. He took the sacrifice and then didn’t retract his demand.”

  “What are you waiting for out here?” he asked, looking into the dark forest.

  “A portal.”

  “I’m surprised you haven’t found one.” He wasn’t too surprised. Sithias mentioned he was blocking portals out of Paragoy.

  “Sometimes it takes a while.”

  “So you plan on waiting out here until you find it?”

  “Yes”

  “Couldn’t that take days?”

  “I’ve seen it take months.”

  He sighed, frustrated, “Just tell me, please.”

  “No, I’m not going to do it. He can just kill me.”

  “Is it really that bad?”

  “Yes”

  “How can it be!?” His irritation came through in his voice, “How can it be that bad when you think I’d agree with it?”

  A ball of light appeared before them and Kyrin stood with her flail ready, but Alric put his hand out. The light grew until it became Sithias.

  Kyrin’s eyes narrowed as she watched him walk over to Alric.

  “So good to see you unfrozen,” Sithias said, highly amused.


  Alric grinned sheepishly, “I forgot to hold her wrists.”

  “You,” Sithias said, turning to Kyrin, “seem to be in quite a hurry to leave my dimension.”

  “You could say that.”

  “Do you not think Alric has a right to know what Daemionis asked of you?”

  “No, I don’t.”

  “Interesting”

  “Do you think I should know?” Alric asked his god.

  “Yes, I do.”

  “Then tell me, please.”

  “We could solve the problem here, right now,” Sithias said to her.

  “NO!”

  “How?” Alric asked.

  Sithias didn’t answer him, “It would be a secret, Kyrin. No one has to know but those of us here, and Daemionis.”

  “I said no!”

  “What are your fears?”

  Her eyes shot to Alric, and then back to Sithias, “Try it, and I’ll kill myself.”

  “Without these?” he asked. Sithias held out his almost glowing hand, and in it, he held eight tiny vials.

  She gasped, “You took them!?”

  “Yes, I did. I don’t wish for you to kill yourself over something as harmless as this.”

  “Harmless? It’s not harmless.”

  “It is.”

  Alric was getting irritated with his lack of being included in the conversation, but knew Sithias wouldn’t appreciate being interrupted.

  “What you’ve heard is not necessarily true in this dimension.” Sithias was being very kind and tolerant with her, and Alric was even surprised at how patient he was.

  “I said, no,” she said through gritted teeth.

  “I realize you don’t need the poison to kill yourself, so we resolve this tonight, or I will have to take matters into my own hands.”

  “Do what!?”

  “I can take you to my home and keep you there, safe, until an agreement is made.”

  Alric was dumbstruck. He’d never heard of anyone being allowed into Sithias sanctuary.

  “Daemionis won’t stand for that.”

  Sithias smiled, “Oddly, he and I agree on this matter, and I don’t think he would interfere.”

  She shook her head and walked backwards a few steps, “This is not going to happen.”

  “It is my will, and the will of Daemionis.”

  “I don’t care whose will it is! It’s my life, and I did nothing to get punished this way.”

  “It is not a punishment.”

  “You can’t tell me that. I’ve seen it. I’ll not fall into that trap, and I don’t need you or Daemionis to decide how to live my life. It’s a punishment, period.”

  Sithias smiled softly, “I have no reason to punish you.”

  “You know I sacrificed a shadow elf.”

  “Yes”

  “I’m sure that’s worth a punishment.”

  “Not one I wish to pursue.”

  Alric finally broke in, “Do I get to know what this is all about?”

  Sithias turned to him, “It is time for you to do as I asked.”

  He frowned, “Wait, this is all because you want me to marry her?”

  “Yes”

  “No! It’s not going to happen,” Kyrin screamed.

  “I can’t force her!” Alric said. “She’s not ready.”

  “She is ready. She is just afraid of the unknown. Afraid of things she’s seen and things she has been told that do not apply here.”

  “It’s against everything sacred to force her into marriage.”

  “It is my will.”

  Alric looked over at Kyrin as she slipped her flail back into her belt. He knew that only meant one thing, and he started forward to protect Sithias, when Sithias smiled.

  “Are you going to cast on me?”

  Branches reached down from the trees behind Kyrin and wrapped themselves around her wrists. She was pulled back against the tree with her hands held straight out at her sides.

  “No!” she screamed, fighting to get loose.

  “This is my dimension,” Sithias reminded her. “Things here will do my bidding, and I do not wish to fight you with your magic.”

  Alric wasn’t sure what to do. He loved Kyrin and wanted desperately to marry her, but not if she was terrified of it and being forced into it. However, it was Sithias’ will, and he didn’t want to see her punished because it was Daemionis’ will also.

  He turned and looked at her, and saw blood appearing from her wrists where the tree branches cut into her as she struggled. He wondered how strong her fear was and how deeply embedded it was for her to have such an intense reaction. His heart went out to her, but it wasn’t his decision to make.

  Sithias moved closer to Kyrin, “Now listen to me and try to understand that I don’t want to hurt you. If you cast on me, I am forced to restrain you. Do you understand?”

  “Just kill me and get it over with,” Kyrin snapped at him.

  “I don’t wish you dead. If I did I would let you shift out of Paragoy and wash my hands of you.”

  “If you don’t want me dead, then don’t make me do this.”

  “Talk to her,” Sithias said to Alric.

  He sighed and walked forward, “I don’t think this is right either, but I’m not threatening to kill myself. Just calm down and let’s talk about this.”

  “Of course you aren’t going to! You’re the man. Marriage is all for the men.”

  “You don’t even know for certain what you’re talking about.”

  “I don’t have to, to know that death is better.”

  “Yes you do! You can’t make an informed decision based on fear of things you think might be true.”

  Sithias sighed, “The decision is made…”

  Alric turned to him, “I need time. Forcing her into this isn’t going to work. I need to be able to work through this.”

  Sithias considered it and finally nodded, “You have two weeks.”

  “Thank you. I just have to wipe the misconceptions out of her head. If we force her, she’ll either kill herself or shift.”

  “Two weeks,” Sithias said, and then disappeared.

  The branches holding Kyrin slowly let go, and she grabbed her flail and looked around, “Come back, Sithias!”

  “Let’s not provoke him, ok?” Alric said calmly.

  “I’m not going to marry you.”

  “Our gods want it, so I suggest we talk through everything you’re afraid of. I want to marry you. I love you, and it would bring us together.”

  “Sure! Bring us together you so can do repulsive things to me.”

  “Like what?” he asked, standing back to watch her.

  “Well… I don’t know.”

  “Then how do you know they are repulsive and not extremely pleasant?”

  “Because I know.”

  “You don’t. Now let’s go back before we get attacked out here.”

  Knowing that Sithias had the portals blocked, Kyrin finally agreed to return to the castle to make a decision. She wasn’t going to get married, period. She swore to herself at the age of five that she would never marry, and no strange dimension was going to change that.

  When they got to the castle, Alric stopped at the floor with the Lady’s chamber and shook his head, “No, you have to stay in my room.”

  “What’s wrong with mine?” she asked, ignoring how the Castle Protectors looked at her oddly. She had forgotten she was still covered in the blood of her sacrifice.

  “Nothing, but I want to know you aren’t running off or killing yourself.”

  “I won’t.”

  “I don’t trust you. Up the stairs,” he said, pointing.

  She huffed and then walked up the stairs, followed by Alric, who was relieved. He wasn’t sure she would agree to move into his room, so he could watch her. He had to remind himself that she had no reason to fear the bedroom. Her fears of marital rituals were so unknown that she hadn’t associated bedrooms with any of them.

  Once in the bedroom, she sat do
wn on the floor in front of the fire and looked over at him, outwardly furious.

  Alric sat down on the bed, “Still can’t get you in a bed?”

  “No”

  “How do you sleep on the cold, hard floor?”

  She didn’t answer, but slid onto her side away from him and shut his eyes.

  Chapter 17

  “I gave them two weeks to work things out,” Sithias said as he looked along the vast dimension full of nothing. It was a neutral place for gods to meet, where nothing could be harmed if a fight broke out.

  “Why? I ordered her and I expect my orders to be followed immediately,” Daemionis asked.

  “Alric fears for her life. You know as well as I do that she’s seen nothing good come out of marriage. She’s terrified from what she grew up with.”

  “I don’t care… an order is an order.”

  “Let Alric do what he can. You are to blame for this,” Sithias told him. His white battle tunic was in stark contrast to the green scaly demon standing across from him.

  “Why should I? She is mine, and I told her to do something… Why are you blaming me anyway?”

  “You know what she fears! If you had let her learn as she grew, she wouldn’t be terrified of the unknown.”

  “I didn’t want her to know. The second she finds a mate she’ll change.”

  “So why let her now?”

  “She’s changing anyway. Since she turned 17, she’s started getting lonely, and it’s getting in the way of her missions.”

  “That’s the only reason?”

  “Yes”

  Sithias shook his head, “Well that’s stupid.”

  “I don’t want to wait two weeks,” Daemionis said, growling slightly.

  “You can either wait two weeks and let Alric calm her down, or you may have a dead bride on your hands.”

  “She has a mercy killer already?”

  “No! She plans on doing it herself.”

  Daemionis smiled evilly, “Yes, the girl would do that, wouldn’t she.”

  “I know she would. Alric isn’t going to let her out of his sight. Now you take the blame for this and leave them alone for two weeks.”

  “I won’t! It was Creteloc’s idea to keep her from finding carnal pleasures. It’s worked too. Kyrin is as loyal as they come.”

  “That has nothing to do with denying her knowledge. She’s a lawful evil, and you know it.”

  He nodded, “Yes, I do. It’s part of why I keep her around.”