Traitor to the King

by Clare SM Keating

  “You’re… you’re a Pahraghorn….” Anouk muttered fearfully and the Karayan’s head, which had turned into the long reptilian muzzle of a dragon in the old drawings, stretched forward to press against her chest and close its soft eyes as Anouk gently placed her hand upon the forehead. “They… you’re a reincarnated dragon soul… an angel sent to save all warriors… but how? How can you even exist and be here of all places?”

  Yes… The Karayan’s words slipped into her mind rather than were spoken as Anouk’s tears dribbled upon his muzzle and he grinned at her as he straightened his head. Or at least… I would have been but though the creatures you all call Cannibals knew and protected me as one of their own, the cruelty of regimes believing themselves blessed by Nabuto wiped them out. They sent me wandering, hoping I would be safe but I was only a child and did not understand my powers yet… and then I made the mistake of meeting a Necromancer and he tried to remove my heart. That is how I found you and for what you did I am eternally bound to you. But I must return to my vessel, my body is so weak from manipulating the power of the stone to help you all. There are too many enemies here for me to be revealed completely.

  Anouk’s mind boggled at the thought and then raced with the memories of the stories about these creatures and their tasks. Long ago the grandchildren of Nabuto chose to fight the Fallen Gods and those that perished either in battle or old age were given the choice by the great eye to return to the ground either as a dragon to live on the other side of the ocean or to inhabit the bodies of the other creatures upon his world. Their souls were always alive with the memories of what they had once been and all the powers of creation and the god himself as could be imagined. They were gods in their own rights, usually worshipped when found and born to fight the Fallen ones time and time again. For the Karayan to exist here within their lifetime there must be something truly terrifying on its way and Anouk began to think about the stones, their history and indeed about Damara.

  Everything had happened because Damara had managed to be in the right place at the right time, she was the key to the recent events… but what about the past?

  The Karayan returned to his form and slumped weakly into Anouk’s body, she braced herself and was able to keep her feet as she grasped his heavy body and almost fell backward. He grasped at her shoulders, stabbing his clawed feet into the stone before they were both stable and panting gently together. The Karayan was feeling oddly ill at ease with the revelation, although happy that she had not run away from him and had instead stood firmly, but he was very afraid that the revelation might cause her to think of him as some kind of monster. Indeed, he knew that his kind were not supposed to feel love or reproduce or do anything of the kind unless it was with some sacrificial virgin bred solely for the purpose of being a Dragon Wife, but the Karayan had been drawn to the northern side of the Giroff Mountains, away from such people. He knew the laws of Virenheim meant that for being foreign and for being a monstrous looking thing at best, it was forbidden for any female elf not of the Sacred Women to even kiss him. He was afraid that his foreign looks might have put these thoughts into Anouk’s mind and stop her from understanding his feelings.

  However, when he lifted his head to look at her with a pitiful expression upon his face, Anouk’s hands gently caressed at his mouth tattoos and then his cheeks with a soft sigh of affection. He had felt her desire to kiss him before, but now he could feel that it was not a desire for that kind of touch she felt, rather some kind of grounding. The Karayan wished to purr at the sensation of her hands touching his face as they strolled up to his forehead and then seemed to slip to the edge of his eyes where she remained staring at him, transfixed for a while until his hands came up to meet her cheeks. It was hard to say what had pulled them together from the depths of time but something at their direst need had drawn them back together again. The Karayan had felt all the pain in her heart for the deaths and betrayals, he understood her better than she understood herself and yet at the same time he could only fear that the love he was feeling was still just a shade.

  “What happened between us is still clouded… there is a cruel spell upon you to prevent the memories returning… but I fear they will come back to you in time and you will hate them.” The Karayan whispered softly, gripping his clawed hands about Anouk’s shoulders as she stared up at him. She had wanted to ask whatever she could about that time and about why her memories had failed her, but whatever the spell it had affected him too and even trying to think of the time before their second meeting was impossible. All the Karayan could sense though was that something truly horrendous had happened to Anouk not long after her grandfather had died, something that had probably been caused by his own work in taking the piece of heart and in the jealous minds of the enemies he could still feel around them. “There is so much negative energy within Virenheim and most is directed at the king himself… I have a feeling he is probably much more aware of my situation than either of us were, hence he permitted me to hide the stone. I am sorry I cannot help your memories much more, but I do believe they will start to return.”

  “We cannot change the past, but we have to learn from it. I have a feeling that there is more to your return and timing than just to save us from that demon or even to heal my memories.” Anouk stated nervously and then breathed a soft sigh of dismay as she pulled herself away from the great figure that still stared at her longingly before he groped for the shroud. Anouk slumped upon the ground in front of the water and breathed a sigh of frustration. “Right now I must ask myself if I am doing the right thing in arranging Damara to marry. It is against every fibre of my body and yet in doing so we hope to save twelve lives, surely that is more important than just happiness alone…”

  “Perhaps…” The Karayan sighed softly as he stepped to her and then gently bent his forehead to hers before they both felt the wave of guilt flow over them for what was to happen next. Anouk would be lucky if Gilfony would be saved and if not she would know that at least she’d tried, but she had other duties to attend to first. Damara would have duties too as would everyone else in Virenheim and it was then that the Karayan gave a groan for the guilt he was feeling in his heart. “I have spoken to the king… I will go and fetch the stone guarded in the mountains by the bones; there is a greater darkness looking this way and we are weak without another stone. You will be going to North City to barter for aid?”

  “It wouldn’t be the first time, thankfully their king is a good friend.” Anouk stated and then to her surprise the Karayan bent down as if he might have been about to press his lips to her skin. For some reason it made Anouk turn her head away, was it her culture perhaps or just embarrassment, she could not say but she had other things to do now and swiftly stood herself up as she looked toward his dejected expression. “Please… I am not worthy of such a kindness… especially when it’s clear I was the cause of your power being held back. It was my heart that was cursed and that stole your own memories in the process.”

  “You know that’s not the truth Anouk…. We know each other’s hearts too well to think that I could blame you for something that was out of your control.” The Karayan stated, trying to reach out to her but she pulled herself up and away from his grasp, turning straight back towards the corridor as if to abandon him. But he was swift to snatch her hand one last time and look at her with love. “I understand you’re afraid, so much has yet to be revealed so much has already begun to prove itself as false and right now you’re doubting your own memories and your own feelings towards the other people in your life. I can’t help you see these truths for what they are, but I will always know what your heart says and I will be able to learn with you. I owe you so much already, do not hesitate to ask anything of me.”

  “Thank you Karayan… and farewell, I don’t expect I will see you before you are deemed fit and healthy enough to go on your journey.” Anouk stated, before gently kissing her hand and stretching it out to sit upon his cheek in the only kind of kiss she could give him. Sh
e felt too knotted up and confused over everything now to truly understand herself and everything else going on. If there was no refuge in that place than there would always be a sanctuary at home.

  Home was not in a better state or indeed even recognisable to Anouk when she was finally permitted to leave the hall fully after her long discussion with the king over the matter of Gilfony. For some reason she had felt petrified to be in front of the king again after what she had been through and some part of her was finding it hard to look at any of the faces of the nobles to have voted against her and see nothing but demons. It would take a long time for her to recover from that but she would only have a fortnight before she was sent to North City with Jarl to collect back her mercenaries and request aid to clear the remaining spores before trees could take root and plague the road to the city. Anouk wondered how she might feel seeing that figure and more so she wondered how it would be for her in taking the journey when she might still feel that part of her heart was elsewhere.

  When Anouk stepped past the waterfall and round the corner to the gateway and the little burnt out husk of the old home, she ignored the holes and broken section of the house at the sound of sniffling. She could see that Damara was sitting in the area where the gemstone towers had sat in memory of their lost family members and where now broken pieces lay scattered about the place. Anouk had thought at first that Damara might be weeping for the pets in the kennel, but Anouk had trained the animals well to run off and not return until they heard the music and dancing again. But when she saw the ruined little graveyard and her sister weeping tears, especially when she held such troubling news for her sister to listen to, Anouk was not sure how to act. Only when she stepped into the patch of grass-like moss that still sprung underfoot and felt as cool as the rocks around it, did Damara turn to look to her sister with a soft little whimper.

  “Whenever I went with the others, we would return and it would all be fixed. But how? How can we rebuild after all of this mess? I never realised before just how much damage could be done and then to see the rays fix almost everything else…” Damara practically whispered as she looked around their content home and saw none of the usual splendour and familiarity she would see whenever she returned from the sanctuary with Karani. All she could see was destruction and agony and her mind was filled with the countless sorrows that had befallen the Benaga Household and how much there must be that needed healing. Anouk sat on the ground beside her and held out her arm, permitting her baby sister to cuddle into her tenderly as Damara whispered again. “How do we fix what’s been broken Anouk?”

  “Magic of course… nothing will be exactly the same but it’s what the masons are good for. But I think you need to oversee that this time Damara… someone needs to move our household out of the past and into the future. You have more knowledge of furniture and the like than I do… feel free to shape the house as you wish.” Anouk stated it so calmly and so wisely that for a moment her sister was finding it impossible to believe her. In fact Damara curled her lip in frustration and growled in response like an angry child.

  “You’re just giving me a distraction…” She grunted but Anouk gave a sudden little scoffing sound of disbelief. When the house had been ruined after the fire, it had been Anouk’s job to fix up what she could of the parts not burnt so that Damara would have a safe place to be and not feel scared. Anouk had rebuilt patches before and always in the same way that they had been, restoring rather than rebuilding. For her it had been because of the need to keep the memories and know what had happened, because that familiarity had been the only thing to keep her sane, but now she felt quite different and turned to Damara with a grunt – it was time to focus on the future and everything that was to come.

  “Oh no I’m not… when the house is built and the people return, you’ll be going out with a squad… it’s time you felt the light of the sun a little more intently, Little Klangschwert.” Anouk chuckled gently, mimicking the words her grandfather had given her as a child the first time she’d returned from Sanctuary and seen the house damaged. He had jostled her head of rich red hair then and though Anouk wished to touch her red hair once more, it would be months, maybe even years before it was the way it should be, so she grabbed Damara by the shoulders and shook her a little. It caused a laugh and then Damara gave a whine of frustration before Anouk kissed her cheek tenderly. “Come on, I’m giving you a very important task you know. I need you to take as much time and effort as you can into sorting this out. Remember, it won’t just be our home but the home for future Benaga.”

  “I see… But what about Gilfony? What about the people returning… Anouk, I was naïve to think of it all being something so simple to heal from but…” Damara began and then she found herself pulled to her sister’s chest for the first time in what seemed like a century. She hooked her arms around Anouk automatically and closed her eyes before listening to the beating heart within that seemed so different and yet so much happier. Damara nuzzled into her for a little while longer as Anouk gently patted her back and breathed a soft sigh of dismay. There was a lot to say and in truth, there was a lot still to do in the world.

  “Firstly you’re alive and that to me is far more important than anything else, so don’t worry about other people or how to heal… everything takes time. As for Gilfony, it’s a little troubling I could not absolve all the male members of his family and so before I go to North City my job is to execute them all, including his thirteen-year-old cousin. I asked if we could spare the boy but my request will only spare Gilfony and the five women of his family. I’m going to have Skabrat give the child a sleeping mixture and then some poison the night before so that he can at least go peacefully without being treated to such cruelty. I do not like the idea he has to die, but the laws are the laws.” Anouk stated with her green eyes staring darkly at the broken crystals of their parents’ towers. Something about them made her feel vicious and hateful, though she could not explain it and with a soft growl she patted Damara’s head as her sister slouched into her lap. Damara knew what was going to be said next and she both hated it and appreciated it all the same. “I’ve met with the heads of the other noble families with regards to the women left, they will all be married off and adopted into other families, never to acknowledge their kin as such or dare to use their family name of Udig again. Gilfony, I’m afraid, will be marrying you and he will be a Benaga. It seems unfair I know, but he was very humble and grateful that you would do such a thing to help his family.”

  “He is a truly noble elf… a great male and though he is not Jarl I know he will be a good husband to me. It is all so very difficult Anouk… but I can see you’d rather I get all that over and done with as soon as possible, don’t you?” Damara stated and then she gave a groan of frustration. She looked up at her sister with big eyes and seemed to have returned slightly to normal as she breathed a soft little snort and practically gave another grunt. “So where will I be posted anyway?”

  “Pardig Canyon… on a scouting mission… but be vigilant!” Anouk stated with a grim edge that made Damara grimace as she thought over the place. It was not a nice area to the south west in the Barren Lands with the caves below and the mountains on the edge of it. It used to be a place where the Cave Reki carved stone and traded with the elves until something arrived there that made them run away. Even in the time of their uncle, who had scouted the regions carefully, there had always been dangerous vibes and hideous sightings of hybrid monsters in the form of elf children wailing and bawling for some unsuspecting fool to come to them. It would be a very real and dangerous test for Damara but she could do it as long as she had some good people on her side.

  For a little while longer the two sisters held one another until Damara felt guilty and then turned to her sister with a pathetic mumble that made Anouk grunt.

  “Anouk? I… I don’t know what to say to you or how I can even begin to apologise for everything that happened to you. I’m… I’m so sorry!” Damara whimpered and nuzzled into h
er sister’s shoulder with a shudder. Even though they were both sitting within the ruined form of their home, there was an oddly calm atmosphere about them. Damara could feel the curious vibe of dignity that the walls still resonated and that was exuded by her elder sister as Anouk gripped her tightly and remained staring at the broken wall into the old bedroom where their grandfather’s journal still remained on its stand as if the world had merely exploded around it. Damara could see there was fury within her sister’s heart but she was not sure how to soothe the humiliation that had been placed upon her. “Anouk… what happens now? You’ve been pardoned but… but we’ve got nothing left here.”

  “The Karayan has kept his house open for us… we will stay with him. This place has always managed to survive, I always kept it the way they left it… but that’s not possible when even their graves have been crushed beneath the stones.” Anouk stated with a sigh and Damara looked at her like a piteous child until her face turned to her with a soft smile, stroking her sister’s cute purple hair before producing a gentle chuckle of amusement. “I think Nabuto has made it quite clear to us that we need to change and so does the rest of Virenheim. This attack has shown that the old ways are foolish and we all need to consider acting differently… Damara, when I go away you must take good care it could be a long journey.”

  “But… but I’ve had to be away from you this long… I can’t cope without you anymore. I need you here to help me Anouk, I need you to show me what I have to do and…” Suddenly Damara was silenced by her sister kissing her cheek fondly, chuckling and then patting Damara’s shoulder. She stood up and paced to the stairwell and clambered up it into the broken room to fetch the book before flicking it open and kneeling beside her. She made sure it was on the very first page where their grandfather had unexpectedly taken the position of Lord Benaga and Damara was startled as she read the same anxiety in her voice scratched onto the paper before looking to her sister. “So… this is not the first time…”