by T.M. Nielsen
***
“Keep walking,” Kyrin said angrily, and pushed Alric forward.
He stumbled a bit and then looked back at her. “You need a good beating for this.”
“Good luck with that.”
He grinned. “You can’t shift out of Paragoy. Sithias has shut all portals, so you’re mine.”
“I see a light ahead,” Finn whispered in the darkness.
Kyrin’s eyes narrowed. “I don’t.”
“It’s faint.”
“Let’s go then. Maybe it’s a way out.”
“I can’t wait to get out of here,” Alric said maliciously. “You two have a long punishment coming for tying me up.”
Kyrin reached out and pushed him again. “Walk.”
He glared at her and then followed behind Finn.
The three emerged into a well-lit chamber. It was too long to see the end of and had stark white columns lining a red carpet that disappeared from sight, deeper into the room.
They listened carefully but didn’t hear anything.
Finn thought for a moment and started walking along the carpet, followed by Alric and then Kyrin. After walking in silence for twenty minutes, they finally saw the end of the massive room. The only thing at the end of the red carpet was a throne that was an exact replica of Alric’s throne in Valhara.
Another wooden sign stood beside it, ‘Here sits the noble of the underworld’.
Alric smiled. “Good, my throne is here.”
Kyrin took his arm when he started for it. “No.”
“You can’t tell me no!”
“Yes, I can.”
“You aren’t sitting on that throne,” Finn told him, and stepped to block his way.
“It’s my throne,” Alric yelled.
“No. There’s something wrong with this entire place, and I have a bad feeling about that chair.”
Kyrin nodded and walked forward to look at it. She touched it softly and then walked all the way around it. “It seems normal, but I agree, let’s not let him sit in it.”
“You two…,” Alric started.
“We know. We will be punished,” Finn said, holding onto Alric’s arm.
Kyrin looked around and studied the walls. “I don’t see another door.”
Finn nodded. “I don’t either.”
“Kyrin?” Alric said, grinning.
She looked over at him.
“Kah’lest dak e’yara.”
“Was that black elf?” Finn gasped.
Kyrin nodded and answered Alric, “You’re not my king to bow before.”
“You will bow before me,” Alric said, standing up taller. The binds on Alric’s hands slowly fell to pieces at his feet.
“Behind you!” Finn yelled, and drew his sword.
Kyrin spun and came face-to-face with hundreds of shadow elves, all advancing with weapons drawn. She gripped the mace tightly and backed up.
“They’re coming from all around us,” Finn said, putting his back to hers.
They both looked over as Alric sat down on the throne and deep trumpets blared from the darkness behind them. The wooden sign disappeared and Alric looked at them with red, glowing eyes.
“The king has come,” he said, and looked around at the shadow elves.
The fight was short. Kyrin and Finn were too outnumbered and only got off a few hits before they were disarmed and forced to their knees before Alric.
Kyrin glared at him and struggled to get away, but Finn studied everything around him, looking for a way out.
She screamed furiously when someone slammed their hand into the back of her neck and forced her to bow to Alric. Finn struggled against the same treatment but was ultimately made to bow also.
“Not just a king but heirs too,” Alric said proudly.
The shadow elves all began to bow and chant softly, except the two that held Kyrin and Finn down.
“Bring her before me,” Alric commanded.
Kyrin was roughly hauled to her feet and pushed to the platform where Alric was sitting on his throne. Once before him, she was again forced onto her knees and made to bow.
He smiled. “Be thankful I don’t just kill you now. Instead, I will allow you to worship me.”
“You can kill me first. I won’t worship you,” she said angrily.
The shadow elf holding her down pressed harder and slammed her face into the stone ground.
“You will learn to. First, look at me.”
The shadow elf grabbed a handful of hair and forced her to look up at the king.
“Swear your allegiance to me,” he ordered her.
“No”
“Do it!”
“No!” she said through gritted teeth. She knew it was coming but wasn’t able to brace for the impact when he backhanded her again. Blood seeped out of the corner of her eye, and she glared up at him.
Finn managed to disable the shadow elf holding him and slammed his elbow into the face of another. They descended on him and held him down while the others kicked him. When they finally let him up, his eyes were swollen shut and his face was a mass of bruises and cut flesh.
“My priests are coming to see if they can get through this doorway,” Sithias said. His voice was far off and muffled. Everyone in the room looked over toward where the voice came from, but only a stone wall was visible.
“Sithias!” Finn roared, but was kicked hard in the neck, and he crumpled to the floor, unmoving.
“Well, do something,” Daemionis growled. Again, the voice was distant and nothing could be seen.
Alric stood slowly and faced where the voices were coming from. “Don’t let them in.”
One of the closest shadow elves bowed and then led a group to guard the wall where the voices were heard.
Kyrin faced Alric. “What do you want?”
He smiled at her chillingly. “I want you to rule the underworld at my side.”
“How long have we been down here?”
“Three days, but an eternity in the making.”
“You want me to rule the shadow elves with you?”
“Yes, and to produce heirs, so we can soon rule all of Valhara.”
She glanced at Finn, who still wasn’t moving. “Return him to the castle, and I’ll do as you ask.”
“You will rule beside me?”
“Yes”
“Do as I ask?”
“Yes”
“Be what I want you to be?” Alric asked, taking a step closer to her.
“I swear to it.” Her voice was a harsh whisper, and her eyes grew dark.
Alric nodded for the shadow elf to let her up, and then she walked up to him and kissed him lightly.
“Look, Kyrin, at your adoring minions,” Alric said, smiling at the hordes of shadow elves.
Kyrin turned to them and studied them closer. She hadn’t noticed before but they didn’t look completely right. They weren’t all standing up straight, and some of them had tears in their flesh that weren’t bleeding. Their eyes were hollow and sunken, and their skin was pulled tight across their bones.
“You’ve noticed,” Alric said, returning to his throne.
“What’s wrong with them?” she asked, and then looked around for Finn but couldn’t see him.
“They are undead. When they drink from a Valharan though, they will soon return to life as our new kingdom.”
“Undead?”
“We live down here and have waited for centuries for the return of noble blood, so we can rise again.”
“We?” she whispered.
“I am one of them now.”
“We’re not in Paragoy?”
“No, we’re not any longer. We’re between dimensions, in the world of the dead.”
She smiled. “So you’re in my territory now.”
He stood slowly. “What do you mean?”
“Meaning, you have no power over me.” Kyrin pulled the dagger from the closest shadow elf and began to carve a ‘D’ into her arm.
“Stop her!” Alric screamed.
A roar sounded, and Daemionis appeared beside the throne. The shadow elves began to fall back as the furious demon looked around at them. Sithias shimmered a few seconds later and looked at disgust as the shadow elves started to run.
Daemionis slammed his hooved foot against the ground, and the shadow elves began to turn to dust as they ran. Sithias turned to Alric and touched his arm, and then both disappeared.
Silence filled the room and Daemionis turned to Kyrin as she looked around. “Where’s Alric?”
“Sithias has taken him.”
“Where?”
“I don’t really care.” Daemionis looked again at the scattered ash and roughly grabbed Kyrin’s arm. The wind shifted around her quickly, and she staggered when they appeared inside of the small island castle.
“Kyrin!” Finn gasped, looking up from where a priest was healing his wounds.
Kyrin looked around but didn’t see Daemionis. “Where’s Alric?”
Saith stepped forward. “Sithias has taken him to his home to recover.”
“Sithias! Bring him back,” Kyrin called out.
“Let him be,” Saith told her. “The king is under an evil influence and needs Sithias.”
“He won’t punish Alric?”
“Of course not.”
“And that place?” Kyrin asked, looking over at the High Priest.
“Sithias believes it was created by D’Thal.”
“The shadow elf magician?”
“Yes. From what we can tell from Finn’s story, Shanis locked D’Thal in that cave between dimensions and thought him dead. D’Thal didn’t die, but instead spent his life creating his revenge. As soon as someone with Shanis’ blood stepped into the realm, they were prepared to rule in his stead and to eventually bring evil to take over Valhara.”
“Then we have to destroy it.”
“It has been destroyed.”
“And the door?”
“No longer there,” Saith said, and then smiled. “Let me heal your wounds.”
“No!” she said, heading for the door. “I don’t want anything from Sithias or his priests.”
“Sithias didn’t do this,” Dewell said, standing up from beside Finn.
Finn was completely healed and moved toward her. “This isn’t Sithias’ fault, and Alric’s actions aren’t his own.”
Kyrin didn’t respond but instead turned and walked to her room. Azimeth met her at the door and again tried to talk Kyrin into letting the priests heal her. Kyrin ignored the elf and disappeared into her room.
It didn’t take long for her to fall asleep in the warm room. She ignored all visitors that came in over the next two days but instead stayed in bed and slept on and off.
On the third morning, she woke up when she felt someone sit down beside her on the bed. She flew to her feet and spun to attack, and then smiled when she saw it was Alric.
“Kyrin”
“Don’t, it’s okay,” she said, and sat down beside him.
“No, I have to. I can’t believe I hit you.”
“It sounds to me like you didn’t.”
“I did, and I’ll never forgive myself.”
She kissed him lightly. “I don’t blame you.”
“Can I please heal you?”
Kyrin nodded and then watched as the blue glow erupted from his hands and her wounds disappeared.
When he was done, he sighed. “Why wouldn’t you let Saith or Dewell do that?”
“I’m keeping my nose clean.”
“How is suffering doing that?”
“By not having too many dealings with Sithias or his priests.”
“But…”
“I realize you’re a Holy Knight, but you’re an exception.”
Alric ran his eyes down her. “I would feel better if they looked at you though.”
“I’ll feel better when we both eat and get back to normal.”
He frowned. “You haven’t eaten yet?”
“You have?”
“Of course.”
“Are you going to treat me like I’m injured if I don’t let Saith look at me?”
“Probably,” he said, smiling.
“No blessings?”
“No, just let him look.”
“Well, tell him to bring breakfast,” she said, and then walked around the dressing curtain to get ready for the day.
Alric hurried out of the room before she could change her mind. Within just a few minutes, Saith came in and waited for her to get dressed. Kyrin came out and immediately went into the wash room while Saith waited.
She came out and grinned sheepishly. “I can’t seem to stay out of there.”
“That’s normal,” Saith said, and motioned for the bed. “Lie back and let me see. It sounds like a rough few days and the king wants to make sure you’re okay to return to Valhara tomorrow.”
“Did you bring breakfast?”
“It’s being made. Are you still eating?”
“Do I have a choice?” she asked, and laid down on the bed. “I’m constantly hungry.”
Saith fell silent and began to poke around her ever expanding middle. Once he was done, he sat down and Kyrin looked over at him.
“Any pains?” he asked, writing something in a book.
“Some”
“Where?” Saith looked up at her and frowned.
“Nothing constant.”
“Where?”
Kyrin touched her lower right abdomen. “Right there.”
“Is it there now?”
“No”
“When do you feel it?”
“A lot at night.”
He pressed down firmly on the spot, and then wrote more in his book. “Have you told Alric?”
“No”
Saith smiled and sat down again. “Why not?”
“Because I don’t tell him every ache and pain I have. Creteloc said this is normal.”
“So you told the assassin?”
“Yes”
“Interesting,” Saith told her, and then stood up. “I don’t see that you have a fever, but we’ll watch that. It can be normal though. I’ve seen it often enough.”
“Are you going to tell him?”
Saith simply smiled and walked out.