by Ronald Craft
Chapter 39
Karena slammed Chaerok's face into the wall. “How dare you do this to my people.”
I will make him suffer a thousand deaths.
She tossed him onto the ground, and pressed a dagger to his throat. “Why did you do it?”
Chaerok laughed, and spit on her face. “They were in the way.”
“Bastard!”
Karena jammed the blade of her dagger into his shoulder, and he gasped.
One thing had been bothering her since arriving on the island and seeing Kane.
“Tell me, what did you do to Kane? How did you bring him back? I know he was dead, because It was I that killed him.”
Chaerok met her gaze, a smile upon his face. “So, it was you that extinguished his life? Splendid work.”
She punched him. “Out with it.”
The smile faded from his face, and his coal-black eyes blazed with dark intent. “You're not a patient one, I see.” He eyed her hand. “Release me, and I'll tell you. I don't fancy talking with a knife at my throat.”
She pressed it up against him harder, until a drop of blood pooled at the tip of the blade. “Speak, or I'll cut your throat now and be done with you.”
Chaerok swallowed. “Fine,” he squeaked. “I bound his spark to my own. My power kept him alive, and in return he allowed me to tap into my power. Without him, my power is quickly fading.”
It's similar to when I extracted Ilian's spark. However, binding it to one's self? How is that even possible?
“Where did you come from?” Karena shook her head. “How can something like you even exist?”
“Good question.” Chaerok frowned. “Even I don't know the answer to that.”
She pursed her lips. “So, you say you have no memories? Tell me the truth.”
Chaerok sighed. “I'm quite harmless. You can remove your blade now.”
She turned at the sounds of steel clashing, as the battle raged between Ilian and Dagfinn. Ilian's sword darted towards Dagfinn, but the god parried it, and slammed the end of his spear into Ilian's shoulder.
Ilian jumped back, and held his sword aloft.
I don't have time to mess around with this piece of trash anymore. I need to help Ilian.
Suddenly, she felt a burning sensation on her leg. She looked down, seeing Chaerok's hand, alight in dark fire wrapped around her ankle.
Chaerok stared up at her, a smile upon his face. “You let your guard down.”
She tried to slash him, but her fingers held no strength. Her daggers dropped to the ground beside her, and collapsed.
Chaerok stood up, his lips curved upward into the same gruesome smile as before. “You've given me quite a gift.”
He walked towards the fire demon, and touched it on the leg.
“What are you doing, mortal?” The demon asked.
“I think you know.” Black flames spread from Chaerok's hand, and wrapped around the demon's body.
It growled, and dropped to one knee as the dark fire consumed the light.
Karena reached for one of her daggers, but her body lay motionless, unable to summon the strength even to twitch.
Before long, the demon that had once been red, was now the same color as the flames that came from Chaerok's hand.
Damn it. I lost my focus.
“Now, demon, you belong to me.” He picked up one of Karena's daggers, and slit his finger.
“Kneel.”
The demon kneeled at Chaerok's command.
Chaerok dripped the blood into the creature's mouth, and then tossed her dagger onto the ground.
“Very good. Now, we are bound.” He cocked his head. “Definitely an improvement over my last dog.”
“I grow weary of being betrayed,” the demon rumbled. Its gaze fixed on Kane.
“I,” Karena gasped. “I won't—”
Chaerok turned to her. “Oh? You can still talk?” He walked over, and squatted beside Karena. “I should cut out your tongue.”
He grabbed a fistful of her hair, and pulled her off the ground. Chaerok's eyes bore into her own. “I'm in a good mood now, though, so I think I'll be merciful.”
Chaerok grabbed her dagger, and plunged it into her shoulder.
“Uwah!”
The pain brought tears to her eyes, and her shoulder throbbed. The knife dug into her flesh, and blood flowed from the wound, dripping onto the thirsty ground.
“Now you get to see what it's like,” Chaerok said. “I have no love for Kane, but I think it'd be interesting to see you die the same way you killed him.”
Chaerok grabbed the other knife, and held it above her.
No! I have to do something!
She tried to summon the power of Zephryos, but it was no use. Between the weakness in her body, and the pain in her shoulder, she couldn't form the link.
Please Zephryos, if ever there was a time that I need you, it's now.
The dagger in Chaerok's hand glowed faintly.
Yes, that's right. Heed my call!
She reached deep down inside of her, to the very core of her being, and summoned all of the remaining strength left to her.
A trickle of power flowed, and the link between her and the daggers snapped into place. She sent all of it outwards in one desperate attack.
A gust of wind slammed into Chaerok, and sent him flying. He landed with a crash next to the fire demon, and lay still.
And then she felt it. The same feeling as before, from that day on the bridge in Waterford.
The voice.
I'm proud of you, it said.
Who are you? What are you doing inside of my head?
It seems you've forgotten me, Karena. The voice laughed. But don't worry, I haven't forgotten you.
I don't understand, Karena thought. Why are you inside of my head?
Silence.
Tell me!
You really don't remember me? The voice asked. It was I that wielded these blades before you. It was I that trained you. And, it was I that made you who you are.
“No,” Karena said aloud. “No...”
Lilith.
Chaerok stirred, and raised himself to his elbows. “Bitch,” he gasped.
A flood of memories came back to her, flowed into her, and filled her up. She saw a small girl, starving and bleeding in the forest, a beautiful woman with raven colored hair, and a grim look upon her face.
At her side were two daggers, the same ones that Karena now bore.
Zephyros. I remember now! But, how did I get them?
Lilith's voice came from deep within her mind. I was killed, and my spark trapped inside of you by Valnoth. It was the only way to preserve the daggers.
Wh—What? How did I not know about this?
Your mind was altered, Karena. Valnoth dabbled in things far darker than you can imagine.
She shook her head. No, I knew Valnoth. He would never—
Did you? Lilith asked. You were still young. I was always at his side. The things I saw would turn your stomach.
Karena clenched her teeth, and ripped the knife from her shoulder. Blood dripped from the blade, and the pain shot through her body anew.
She didn't know if she was hallucinating, or if this voice was indeed Lilith's. Her long time mentor, and Valnoth's right hand, Lilith had been a formidable opponent. However, sometime during her childhood Lilith vanished.
Nobody knew what happened to her, and nobody asked.
Valnoth acted as if she never existed, and soon Karena forgot all about her.
However, if what you say is true, then I didn't forget you, so much as I was forced to forget you.
Yes, Lilith said. And my poor Kane. He must have suffered all of these years without knowing of my fate.
Kane? What do you know of Kane?
He was my love, my husband, my everything, Lilith replied. Though, nobody ever knew about us. We were a match forbidden within the order.
This
was too much.
You and Kane? That just doesn't seem possible. I can't believe...
Chaerok stood above her, his face twisted into a look of anger. “You're lucky. I don't have time to savor your death now.”
He slammed his foot into the side of her head, and the world went black.