by D E Boske
“Do you have a moment?” asked Kryndale.
“What is it?” asked Kyler. Something about the assassin’s body language bothered him.
“I spoke to Darian. I upset him, though that was not my intent. His behavior is becoming increasingly more irrational. As his friend, I beseech you to speak to him. For all our sakes.”
“What are you talking about? What irrational behavior?”
“Gayla, why did he bring her here? She does not belong here. The Mages do not associate with them this way.”
“What did he say when you told him of your concerns?” asked Kyler.
“He was explosively angry. For a moment, I thought he would strike me down. I know of his love for your sister. I also know The Order forbids this, though I would never tell. He cannot bed whoever he chooses, Kyler. Like that serving wench in Al-Dan-Tir. If The Order ever found out… Well, at the very least, he would be punished.”
“I must give this some thought, though I know on a few things you are misled. Darian and I are working closely to find the underlying cause of things. I will try to talk to him. Thank you for bringing this to my attention.” Kyler replied, signaling an end to the conversation.
Kryndale nodded and retreated. He hoped the elf prince took him seriously. He knew
Kyler had not been happy with him talking to the Mage, but he felt justified doing so.
In the days that followed, Asa and Gayla spent a lot of their free time together. They became close. Asa liked spending time with her. He brought her around the other elves as well, but was careful to stay away from his sister. They all seemed to like her too. Darian was indifferent. He was too absorbed in finishing the gate.
Lorin and Loganthar did as instructed by the Mage. He bent, twisted and folded the weave, conforming it to his will. At one point, he asked both the elven mages to hold the weave while he tied it off elsewhere. The weave bucked violently in their grip. Apparently, it didn’t like to be told what to do either.
“There will be many strange things trying to get your attention. Look elsewhere. Do not listen to what they say no matter what or you will be lost forever. Understand?” Without waiting for a reply, Darian continued. He forced the magic to obey him. When that was not enough, he coaxed it to do as he wished, using gentleness like a lover’s caress. Now the dangerous part…
A deep sighing sound emanated from the gate opening. A pale form began to appear. The elves looked away, closing their eyes. A sweet perfume filled the air as the seductress’ form became clear.
“Lorin,” she whispered the elf’s name. He squeezed his eyes shut, wanting nothing more than to be back home.
“Loganthar,” she said enticingly. “Come to me. It has been too long.” Sweat broke out on his forehead as he tried to ignore her charms.
Loganthar took an involuntary step toward her. He opened his eyes. She was beautiful. Stunningly so. She had long dark hair, soft green eyes and she was tall and shapely. He could see every inch of her body, as she was completely naked.
Suddenly he wanted her, wanted to be with her. It had been a long time. But, how had she known that? He felt a wave of euphoria wash over him and he forgot what it was he’d been thinking. He took another step. She reached out for him.
“Loganthar no!” Kyler shouted. “Darian!” But the Mage was too occupied with what he was doing and could not help. Unbeknownst to them all, Kyler’s sword glowed with a silvery-blue light.
Loganthar took another step… he was close now. His eyes held no recognition for anyone in the room but her. Kyler drew his blade, coming between Loganthar and the seductress.
“Get back bitch!” Kyler exclaimed. She tried to charm him. When that failed, she sent a wave of euphoria at him. A look of surprise touched her beautiful face.
“Touched by the goddess you are,” she crooned. “Pity, the fun we could’ve had. Come along, Loganthar.”
Kyler stepped in between them. “You can’t have him.” He plunged his sword through the gate aimed at her heart, but she only laughed. Loganthar came closer.
Darian chanted the words to his next spell. These were delicate things. Once he began a group of spells, he could not stop… for anything. This is where all his training would come to bear. He must maintain his concentration at all times. He could not afford to get distracted no matter what happened. To do so would mean all their deaths. Thunder Peak’s as well. If he were to stop before he was finished, the gate would implode on itself and cause a magical explosion such as Corillia had never seen.
Therefore, he did what he could. He warned them all not to listen to anything no matter what. If they were too weak, well… Maybe they’d be better off without them. Darian despised weakness. The Order bred it out of him. They did their damndest to make the students fail. After all, they only wanted the best. They had no use for you otherwise.
He heard Kyler call him midway through his spell, but he paid him no mind. He’d told them this was dangerous. They were on their own.
He began his next spell. He could hear Kyler shouting at Loganthar. He could smell the sweet perfume. Damn! A seductress. He could not rush through the spell. He must take his time. He heard the seductress tell Kyler that he was touched by the goddess. He heard her laugh and knew they were running out of time.
He began his last spell. He blocked out everything else, focusing only on the task before him. If he was to be of any help to them, he must finish and finish quickly. Kyler could do nothing to stop her.
Only he could stop her. The creatures in the gate were beyond simple swordsmanship. Only powerful magic could defeat them. He was on the last syllables of the spell when he drew out his staff, silently commanding it to full height.
When Darian cast the final spell, a loud, eerie sound ripped through the chamber. The air seemed to warp and shift, like a heat haze. A screech, high and keening, pierced their ears. The gate flickered on and off, fighting the magic at work here. A fog filled the room, dimming the magic’s soft glow.
Out of the fog strode Darian, staff in hand. When she saw him, she screeched in hatred.
“You!” she hissed, but the Mage said nothing. He brought his staff crashing through the gate, knocking her sprawling. Without waiting another second, red light poured out from the Staff of Power, enveloping the seductress completely.
“No! You cannot! It’s against…” then she screamed, full of terrible pain and agony before she was totally obliterated.
“Everyone alright?” he asked, going to Loganthar to check on him. They were all so
relieved they disregarded her final words…
“Loganthar,” Darian commanded.
“What… happened?” he asked hesitantly. “I feel weird.”
“That’s because you did not listen to me.” Darian said harshly. “I warned you! I told you not to listen no matter what happened. You were almost lost to us. If not for Kyler distracting her… Kyler, how were you not affected?”
“I do not know. She told me I was touched by the goddess, whatever that means. She seemed surprised that she had no influence over me.”
“I’m sorry Darian. I…” Loganthar trailed off. The heat of Darian’s anger faded at the sight of the forlorn elf.
“It’s okay. Go rest now. Lorin, good work.” Darian clapped him on the back.
“Thanks. C’mon Loganthar, I’ll stay with you.”
Kyler waited until they were gone before saying, “What was that thing? How could this happen?”
“She was a seductress. You see, when a gate is created, there are dangers… Because the gate is not finished yet, it remains open to all other planes of existence along with their denizens. It attracts them and will continue to do so until I have completed this task.”
“Did she know you? She seemed to recognize you.” Kyler pushed.
“Yes, probably. As a Mage of The Order, we call on the denizens of other planes frequently. It’s possible that this is how she knew me,” Darian lied.
“Just before you killed he
r, she said it’s against… What was she going to say? What did she mean?” the sly elf inquired.
“Kyler, Darian, what happened?” asked Asa. As Kyler began explaining, the Mage ducked out. He cursed silently to himself. Well, he could take care of Kyler. Hopefully, no one else overheard that bitch.
Making his way back to his room unhindered, he bolted the door in place and threw himself into a chair. He lit a candle with a snap of his fingers and retrieved his magical tome.
“Darian, is everything alright? I heard…”
“Not now, Gayla,” he warned. She silently retreated, leaving him alone. How could she have found him here? It was more than just dumb luck. He did not believe in such foolishness. What he had done… Well, it was out of necessity. He could not allow her to live and tell what she knew of him. So he’d broken another law, what else was new? They would not be able to prove he’d done it anyway.
Kyler was persistent and far too clever for his own good. He would have to take care of him and quickly. He flipped through his tome to find his last contact with her. He reread it, committing the words to memory. With a thought, he erased those pages. They had become too dangerous to be kept any longer. Like so many things in his life. Some days it just didn’t pay to get out of bed.
He went back to the first pages of the tome. It still had the previous owner’s content.
Quick thinking on Darian’s part had seen to that. Darian pried it from the Mage’s cold, dead hands. The magical tome was a rare treasure and one that he’d had his eye on for some time. The dead Mage before the young journeyman was a high-ranking Mage, but Darian had dispatched him easily. If the Mages were one thing, it was predictable. A slow smile crept over his lips as he held the tome in his hands. He staged the death as an accident, though no one would ever suspect him. He was a mere journeyman, not a Mage. Therefore, there was no way he could have killed a Mage of The Order.
They constantly underestimated him. And this time they would regret it. He cast an invisibility spell and made his way back to his room to study his newly acquired book.
He did not know how much time had passed before he heard a soft knock on his door. He hid the tome at the bottom of a deep, wooden chest before he answered the visitor.
It was Kishira. Suddenly, he did not know if he was more curious about the tome or horny. Lust won out as he invited her inside.
He was already building quite a reputation with the ladies. He was interested in Kishira right now. He knew it wouldn’t last, it never did. Before long, he knew he’d grow bored, and then look for new entertainment.
She was still nervous around him; afraid he would beat her or worse. He despised men who beat women. They were defenseless against the violent barrage of fists and magic.
His lips found hers, his tongue coaxing her to relax. She moaned softly at his touch. It was electrifying. He was so young! But he did not make love like he was.
A trail of clothes led to the bedroom where he laid her down. He wasted no time giving her what she needed. She was a dark beauty. Exotically beautiful. Luscious, lusty and willing to do whatever he asked. They all were. But Darian was ever picky. He did not take just anyone. No. He chose specific girls. He had a reason for each. No two were ever the same.
She took control for a while and he let her. His hands rested on her waist as her hips met his. She tossed her head as her movements became increasingly frantic. He rolled her on her back as he kissed her lips, then her breasts. He liked the soft noises she made when she was with him. When he was inside her. She aroused him, but he wasn’t finished with her yet. He wanted it to last for a little while longer.
She was teasing him with her lips, but he wasn’t giving in. She wanted him, but he made
her wait. When he was ready, so was she. He pulled her hips to him and she gasped aloud. His movements were measured and controlled.
He rolled her onto her back as she wrapped her legs around his waist. He could not wait anymore. He wanted it as badly as she did. She dug her fingers into his back as she screamed his name.
He smiled to himself at the memory. It seemed so long ago. So much about him, no one would ever know. For the better of course. How would Kyler feel if he ever found out? How would Tynuviel feel? Tynuviel… The taste of her was so vivid in his memory. He wanted so much more. Now that it seemed possible… He was having difficulty getting her off his mind.
He went to Gayla, letting her distract him for a while. And what a distraction she was!
She was severely talented. She left his inner beast appeased for now. He dropped swiftly into Ru Nay’ Sha, skipping supper altogether.
He awoke to find Kyler sitting in a chair by the bed, relaxing easily. Darian knew he was troubled by the way he sat there. No words were needed; they’d known each other long enough.
“Where’s Gayla?” asked the Mage.
“Up and out already,” Kyler said smiling, but there was steel behind the friendly gesture. “Asa and Gayla sure are spending a lot of time together lately. Does this not bother you?” Kyler baited him.
“Not in the least. Why should it? Is your brother not to be trusted then?” Darian jabbed back.
“He can be trusted, but Gayla is a beautiful girl and my brother… Though not as handsome as me, he is still good with the ladies.” Kyler laughed this time, genuinely amused.
“Well my friend, that would be wonderful! It would make my life easier and clear the road to your sister.” The Mage rose and dressed quickly, unashamed of his nakedness in front of the elf. “I want to finish that damn Gate today. Then in two days’ time we can be heading for home.”
“Not so fast Darian. We need to talk. I try to stay out of your personal affairs, as they’re none of my concern. But to be honest, lately you’ve been acting… different. It’s as if you’re two different people battling for attention. I just can’t ignore it anymore. What’s going on with you? All the time we’ve been friends, I’ve never seen you act like this. I mean Nereina? Darian, what were you thinking? Now you bring Gayla here. I like her and she’s nice, but we both know this is no place for her. Then with her in your room, you try to make it with my sister in my room. I need to understand if I am to be of any help.”
“Been buggin’ you for a while huh?” the Mage smiled, his grey eyes twinkling. “I left Gayla behind when I left, without a thought. I know that wasn’t right, but at the time I didn’t know who I could trust. She’s seen a hard life Kyler and for once… I wanted to do something completely unselfish. Nereina,” he said with a smile. “Who could blame me? She was wildly entertaining.”
“But you’re not supposed to, right? So why did you? Don’t humans die in childbirth?”
“It’s against Order law because they die in childbirth yes, but I make them drink something afterwards just in case.”
“You said them. There have been others?”
“Oh yeah,” Darian said, grinning. Clearly traveling down memory lane.
“If you and Tynuviel get together are you gonna’ keep it in your pants? If you hurt her Darian, there’s nowhere you can go that my wrath won’t follow,” the elf said seriously.
“I would never do that to her. Why do you think I’ve not done anything yet? I needed to make sure and now…”
“One more thing. Yesterday, you snuck off somewhere. What did she mean No! You can’t! It’s against…”
“You’re not gonna’ let this go, are you?” the Mage huffed.
“Not in this lifetime,” the elf replied.
Darian cast a quick spell to ward the room for silence. No one would be able to hear what they said. He did it for show really. He had no intention of telling the elf the truth. Now to make it believable…
“Okay, remember when I told you that we summon creatures from other planes?” Kyler nodded. “Well, that part was true. However, what they made us do when we summoned them, well… That was part of my training and will not be discussed further.” Darian said firmly. Kyler had a disgusted look on his face. The elf
prince believed what he’d only implied. Ahh, the power of suggestion.
“No wonder why you have the appetites you do.”
“Oh come on. It wasn’t all bad. It was always women at least. Some were beautiful, some pretty. But hey, it all feels the same in the dark, right?”
“Let’s go finish that gate.” Kyler did not wait for a response. Darian, feeling quite proud of himself, quickly followed.
As they made their way to the larder, they passed Tynuviel and Nephraete in the hall. Kyler smiled at them, reaching out to touch Nephraete’s face.
Darian’s eyes never left Tynuviel’s. He acted as if they were the only two who existed. He did not touch her. He never spoke. He had no need to. The intensity of his eyes was like the sun at its brightest. She could not look away. Just when everything began to fade to black, he was gone and Nephraete touched her arm.
“You okay?” she asked. “The way he looked at you. It was like you were the only ones here. Very intense… sexy. I think he’s finally coming around.”
“Yeah…” she said distractedly.
“Tynuviel?”
“I’m sorry Nephraete. I… he… kinda’ threw me off you know? One minute hot, the next cold. I just can’t do it anymore.”
“You’re giving up?” Nephraete asked, shocked.
“Yes. No… I don’t know anymore. I just want him to suffer like I did. For a while at least. Besides, as long as Gayla is in the picture, I will not be. The thought is vile. He actually asked me to wait for him. He told me Gayla could not take any more pain in her life. That’s all she’s ever known.”
“It’s true. She told me herself, though I guess Darian does not know. He keeps her story a closely guarded secret. He’s all she has.” Nephraete began to tell Tynuviel her story so that she might understand the Mage’s position.
