“Do we get to do a little searching? Got some magic that’ll reveal the rock?” Merghar practically cackled with his long tongue flicking at the air in interest. He was another person that only Anouk had the patience to deal with, but in Merghar’s case he had been changed after his own encounter with a demon of lust that had tried to capture him. Merghar had fought hard to get free but had lost some aspect of his mind in the process and though his hybrid heritage had made him a little unpleasant to look upon, his need for tattoos or self-harm stopped most of the normal Deep elves talking to him. In fact, Merghar often assumed that Anouk was the only friend he had beneath the surface and any chance to help her out would suit him fine. “You obviously want us to filter people through the gate rather than just let them all loose. Plus, the king would be sick if the stone left the shield… so we know it hasn’t gone yet.”
“Well it hasn’t left the underground as far as we’re aware… but there’s always the possibility the figure we’re looking for might try to run with it. There’s no simple answer to finding the stone… just secure anyone you think is acting suspicious. But Ling and Alard encountered the stone, if what they say about it is true then they should be able to sense it coming close.” Vasagar sighed gently but he could see as he sat in the dim smoky light of the Nobody Inn that the group were not impressed. He could also feel that for those figures remaining silent and unmoving that his presence in the seat where Anouk had once sat was unwelcome. He also noticed how three seats at their usual table were no longer occupied; there had been so many contentions about who was in and who was out of this squad that it had once been deemed the worst of the lot, even under Vasagar’s strict command. But when Anouk had taken it over she’d shown no mercy to idiots and made a point that they were stuck with her and had better get used to it.
It was obvious by the sorrow present that the group had gotten so used to Anouk’s presence at the helm that they were all in a series of deep depression and denial….
“It’s not much of a job, but it will at least do something towards helping Red out. I don’t know about the rest of you, but if it means we have to stand around and keep the peace then that’s what we should do.” Laein sighed gently as he swung his legs down from where they’d been leaning on Alard’s shoulder and fixed himself properly within his chair. He took his mug and lifted it up towards the others, engaging them in a toast. “After-all, Red would give us all a severe lecture mixed with a gentle beating if she knew we weren’t doing our jobs.”
“I’d forgotten that… so let’s drink to her not knowing we were sulking!” One of the other Deep elves in the group, one of the few that drank alcohol regularly on the surface, was the one to lift his glass in response. This was Tilow, he was one of those lucky elves with the magic ability to use shadow and he was in charge of keeping them stealthy. Like many he had been very uncomfortable with the idea of entering a group led by a woman who held a reputation for being demanding, strict and involved in a lot of dangerous situations. But his father had been in the service of the prison and had watched Anouk grow up, so when he’d heard the appointment he’d instilled Tilow with advice that the young elf had taken to heart – Benaga’s were the same no matter the gender!
“Sure thing…” Sarag stated in response and the remnant of the company lifted their mugs and glasses to the air before taking in a hefty gulp. With the situation resolved by their devotion to their captain, Vasagar breathed a sigh of relief and watched each of them filter off to go to their bedrooms or assigned posts. He was pleased that they all seemed to hold a deeper respect for Uljan now, but he was a little concerned about the complaints he was going to hear from Caphone and Chroniison about Anouk’s squad being a little rough with people on the way out. But it wouldn’t matter in the long run at least; the king agreed with Vasagar that the squad needed something to do to keep them out of the prison.
But amongst the group there was still unhappiness from two individuals who were feeling that they were to blame for it all. Alard and Ling had been at the party and always been close to where Anouk had been until they’d chosen to go down and mingle. They had even dared to dance with each other, something they had never even considered doing when there was so much ridicule about their friendship already. But they had been captivated by one another and for the first time in their lives they had been honest about the matter. In their honesty and delight in being able to confess to having feelings, they had left Anouk to herself and everything had gone wrong. Worst of all, Alard was failing at the one thing his species existed to do.
“I should have kept by her side… I’m so sorry Ling.” The words caught Ling off guard as she’d ordered a large tankard of weak ale to help drown her aggression out. She looked at her companion and hopeful partner with an expression of frustration at his words. She knew Alard was feeling stupid right now but there was no need for him to apologise for what was basically her fault. She’d been the one to pull him out to the dance floor and shock all the elves watching with her raunchy style of dance that was not under anyone’s control. She’d made such a fuss to have fun they could have been chucked to the surface at any moment by the guards – she had been the one to distract him completely and insist that they rent one of those high-rise caves to spend the evening in… even if he’d had to carry her drunk form up there just before the body was discovered.
“Shut up already… you got the letter from Anouk to say it wasn’t your fault and what you need to do. In the event of her death you’re to look after Damara, until the execution comes she said to look after us. It was my fault we weren’t there… okay?” Ling stated with a sharp snap although she could feel tears welling up in the corner of her eyes. She slapped her face gently to prevent such unsightly emotions breaking through and slapped Alard’s shoulder gently in understanding. “Come on… if the spores come and we’re outside we’ll probably all be dead anyway….”
“What do you mean someone tried to castrate you? I honestly can’t believe that was ever the case!” Saravona giggled gently into her hand as she listened to the story the Karayan was telling about his past. He had been trying very hard to find out all the sources of treachery within the kingdom and to his surprise Saravona had been very helpful in this aspect. She did not however quite accept his unwillingness to use her other abilities, but the company was pleasant enough and he did enjoy the sound of her voice, especially when she giggled. Having her present meant that he was not being spied upon by the servants either and there was a relaxing vibe within the household, but he still worried over Anouk.
“Sadly it’s true… I met some very unfriendly humans on the other side of the mountains. They could not understand why I had no interest in their vain queen. I ended up being captured and in punishment they attempted to castrate me, but when they saw my claws they panicked and claimed I was one of their pagan gods and their queen was not worthy. They let me go and then hid in their temple flagellating themselves until I left!” It was odd for the Karayan to indulge Saravona so much with his stories, but he had figured out the more he spoke the more information she’d help him find. It was probably caused by Molwesa’s teaching but it meant there was less pressure from her to sleep with him. It also meant he could keep Damara in the room, helping file and sort papers, so she knew he was working on something and he knew where she was. “I later realised that from the onset I didn’t scare others into leaving me alone, so instead I acquired a Zhjati helmet when training, so everything knew how dangerous I was.”
The Karayan then stretched out his clawed hands to grasp the top of the grimacing helmet, which was missing a section of horn from his feet with Higatso that seemed so long ago now. Apart from new chairs and a mountain of paperwork, it was the only new aspect to the office and everyone who came in asked about it. He’d told the story five times already and it bored him each time as he tried instead to focus on the documents at hand. Damara sat on a comfortable chair opposite, little Bumble sitting calmly in her lap and blowing bubbles of
snot from his nose as his long lizard tongue slurped upwards to clean his tiny piggy eyes. It was reassuring to have her there and to have that ridiculous young reptile, especially when his research was only throwing up dead ends and his frustrations were becoming so apparent.
“When is it you visit Loteg?” Damara questioned with a soft smile, but it pulled the Karayan from story-telling and he was thankful of it. He was thankful whenever Damara seemed to remind him of a pressing matter and with everything going on, she was like his personal assistant more than his charge. The meeting with Loteg would hopefully shed light on whatever aspects of this investigation the Karayan was not seeing, plus it would hopefully give him a little insight into the workings of this confuddling society. When he gave a grunt about procedures as dictated to him by the Lady Skabrat and how he was only able to visit tomorrow, Damara just smiled. “He crossed the mountains briefly and he’ll be very interested in seeing you. I doubt you’ll have trouble talking to him and he is someone you can trust. I trust him with my life.”
“He’s interested in most things, Damara. But he will be helpful considering his bond with Anouk. But he can only tell you what he remembers of the people that aided his leaflet distribution… leaflets are very different to the kind of things we’re interested in.” Saravona stated calmly as she lounged, naked as she always was upon a sofa where her body was blocked from the Karayan’s eyes by his helmet. Her words vexed Damara, but Damara liked Saravona and was content that her early assumption had been quite unfair, but then Saravona gave a soft sigh and gently sat herself up. She was getting a little fed up with the Karayan’s constant need to find the traitor, to clear the Benaga name when he would still not reveal to her why he cared so much. “Permit me to ask my lord, but for what reason do you owe Anouk your life? You never quite explained it.”
Then Karayan suddenly produced a soft growl of irritation and Saravona lifted her hands in apology. But the subject had caught Damara’s attention and the Karayan would have left the question alone, had the little blue eyes not started to shine in excitement. He regretted mentioning a life debt to Saravona now, but it had been one of the only ways he’d been able to convince her of his need to help Anouk. Still he looked towards Damara with another soft growl and gently scratched the chin beneath his black fabric mask. What exactly would he be able to tell them about it?
In truth, the Karayan did not want to share the story because he did not know what they knew of it. Did they already know about Anouk’s childhood meeting with him or what had been left behind? Would they suddenly accuse him of being a demon again and blame him for the ‘other’ event? Of that second incident suffered by Anouk the Karayan could not be sure; the spell upon her memory of the time had clouded his and it was anxious. What if he had been the demon she had apparently… perhaps only Molwesa knew the answer to that one….
“Years ago, when I was young, I was bleeding to death and stumbled into the cow shed of the Benaga Property. Anouk heard my cries of pain and came to save me. It cost us both dearly though and I fear my influence is what put her in such a dangerous position with everyone here.” The Karayan growled as he swallowed down the thought of the rumours. But his phrasing was not clear enough and irked questions from the two women, which only made him grimace in frustration. He had not wanted to reveal any details of what had transpired between himself and the lady of the Benaga household, but there was no escaping it. Damara had seen how he’d healed the patch of scar upon Anouk’s body and was probably only going to nag at him about that. “Very well… I took a healthy part of her heart and switched it with my damaged part. She healed both pieces of my heart with hers and as long as I have part of her in me… I will owe her and keep her alive.”
“I thought only gods could do that kind of magic… or demi-gods…” Damara snorted in amusement before her eyes suddenly widened in delight. In such old stories those individuals often had to prove their noble intentions to be granted the position of full gods, though worship to them was never really exhibited in the present day. Those beings had performed mighty feats such as throwing demons back into their pits, pulling up land from the centre of lakes or making swords that could never break under any pressure. If the Karayan was a god in disguise, trying to regain his powers perhaps, then he was surely going to help them save Virenheim completely! Anouk would be saved, and it was all because of him!
“Those are just stories Damara… but demons, necromancers and the Dragon Brides all do that kind of magic. In fact, amongst the Dragon Brides it is their wedding ceremony… although I’ve never heard of a male bride before.” Saravona chuckled gently, although her heart was pounding with excitement. She may not have heard of a male dragon bride but the ideas from Damara were very close to what the Karayan was, or at least what she had been instructed he was. Obviously though she could not tell Damara anything but the suggestions from her would be enough to satisfy the young woman’s mind and concerns regarding her sister’s safety and the Karayan’s intent to help them all. After-all, Dragon Brides were the remnant of special women from the original human tribe that were sent to the other country across the great ocean to be chosen and bred by the dragon-halves that lived there before being sent back with blessings. Of course, they were not really related to the strong dragons of ancient lore, but either way the idea of something so awesome existing again would keep hope in Damara’s form and stop her from worrying.
“Either way, it doesn’t help us with the situation. I’ve still got no idea who is to blame for the missing stone! I know Leridan killed Kirlia and someone high up in the magical circle covered it up, but who used that distraction to take the stone? Who would be so idiotic to dare touching such an item?” The Karayan snarled before his eyes snapped onto Damara in surprise. She had been the one to sense the stone, she had seen the other ones too and she had told him of the monster in the pit and the creeping sensation when she’d left the house after Anouk’s arrest. “Damara I’ve got to talk to you about the stones and your visions. You were granted those images because of a demon touch and you were drawn to the stone in the first place because you looked at the Hive Demon… have you seen anything else or sensed anything recently that would make you anxious?”
“Not this week… in fact the visions have gone quiet… but I still feel the tingling sensations like the stone is still working and in a safe place. But what I saw scared me… what I felt when Anouk got taken scared me… it was like something was just hanging around, waiting to rejoice that she was gone.” Damara began, and she received a shock when Saravona stepped over and wrapped her arms around the young woman. Damara had been feeling nothing but depression since the trial and with the new position it meant she was not permitted to leave Virenheim and there was always the possibility she might have to fight. Damara was not ready for that, she was not ready to commit to any form of violence after everything she’d experienced so far and… in truth Damara liked being the child that everyone protected and now that she could not be the spoilt baby she always had been, she hated it.
Anouk would always say that everyone matured at a different time to others, for some it was early and for others it never seemed to happen… for Damara she had always been the child and she did not enjoy being an adult, but Anouk always said once grown you can’t shrink back. However, she was quite sure her elder sister had never envisioned this kind of situation to be part of Damara’s breach into maturity.
“You look sad Damara… I guess it’s quite a shock to be told you must stay when you’ve always left. For soldiers, it can be the harshest time in their life, the first time they face the Spore Invasions… but it is a fleeting period. You must pray each day at the palace sanctuary with the other noble ladies for the wind to blow the spores back into the mountains to stop them filling our land. Then every midday when the sun is strongest you will go out, covered head-to-toe with fire and burn away the darkness on the floor. It is arduous work, but it is great penance. Remember for every spore you burn a sin is forgiven.�
� Saravona stated, suddenly grasping her into a softer hug that was more playful than reassuring. At first Damara was a little unsettled by it, she had never been hugged by a naked woman that she barely knew before and she was worried how it might affect the Karayan. When her eyes darted to him he was ignoring them both and staring at the illuminating moss in fascination, but then Saravona kissed Damara’s forehead tenderly. “I promise I’ll look after Karani and Talon…”
Suddenly Saravona gave a soft squeak of surprise that made Karayan snap himself around to see what was wrong. Damara was suddenly completely pink with blush as she lifted the slobbering form of Bumble who had been ignored in the hug and decided to lick Saravona’s belly close to the umbilical line in the centre of her stomach. Of course, the creature had no idea what it was doing, only that it had wanted a hug as well and Saravona had not really been around Dregglings much before. She looked down at the little creature with a gentle sigh and stroked its head before realising that Damara was suddenly worrying about him and what fate would befall such an innocent baby. Bumble may belong to the Karayan, but he was a sweet and cuddly little thing that was used to being with people and had grown amazingly attached to everyone in the household. He would be abandoned in the departure and his life would be up to the will of Nabuto… Damara was looking at him as if he were an analogy for herself.
Traitor to the King: A Tale of the Benaga Sisters Page 35