Dralin

by Carroll, John H.

  “How often do you come here?” Sheela asked, walking slowly over to the hole in the ceiling.

  “Ohh . . . I don’t know. Until I met you, I came nearly every day I had off. Before that, I used to come here whenever I could get out of the orphanage.” Frath moved behind her and put a hand on the small of her back again. “Distra lets me practice my swordwork in one of the empty rooms down the hall. Once I learned how to fight, I spent as much time as possible there.”

  The clouds suddenly parted, letting the full light of Piohray through. It was said that Piohray’s light had an intoxicating effect that aroused passion within lovers. “Are we going to spend the night here?” Sheela asked throatily. The moonlight gave her skin a beguiling pink cast that he wanted to caress. He turned her to face him. The look in her eyes was completely wanton, the moonlight having amplified her natural desires

  Frath knelt on one knee and pulled a ring out of his pocket. He had a habit of talking to the statue of Distra when something was on his mind and had told it about Sheela after their date the week before. When he was finished speaking, he had looked at the base of the statue where a small box had mysteriously appeared. The ring was inside.

  “I know we just met, but I love you with every nerve of my body . . . and my heart too . . . and my soul . . . and mind . . . I love you with everything.” The proposal wasn’t going as well as Frath had expected, but that wasn’t going to deter him. “I want to marry you . . . but I won’t if you don’t want to . . . I mean I won’t force you to do anything . . . or marry me . . . or anything else if you don’t want to.” He hoped he had just proposed, but thinking back, it had been confusing and he might not have. Sheela just stood there staring at him. Even though there were thousands of things Frath wanted to say, he decided to keep it simple. “Will you please marry me, Sheela?”

  She stared at him for a moment longer before nodding.

  “You will?” he asked just to be on the safe side.

  “Yes. I’ll marry you.” She smiled.

  “Oh . . . great!” That sounded lame even to his ears. “Thank you.” That sounded lame too. He put the ring on her finger and studied the perfect fit for a moment. It was silver with golden etchings of crows and roses, much like the door. “I’ll take you back to the inn if you want me to, but I’d like you to . . . spend the night with me here.” He stood. “It’s safe. Nobody bothers Distra.” Sheela’s silence was unnerving him. “Will you spend the night with me? . . .”

  “Only if you take that metal shirt off.” She poked him in the chest with a finger.

  Frath quickly shucked the tunic, chain and thick undershirt that protected him from the metal links. They got stuck over his head for a moment, but he yanked them off fiercely and stood in front of her.

  Sheela ran her hands through the dark hair on his muscular chest and stomach. It sent tiny bolts of lightning through his body and he drew in ragged breaths to help fight off the goosebumps that suddenly appeared. She leaned forward and touched her lips lightly to his chest.

  He took a deep breath and ran his hands up her arms and shoulders. He could smell the faint raspberry scent lingering in her hair and inhaled deeply. Then he slid a hand down to the small of her back, which he was realizing was one of his favorite places to touch her, and the other into her hair. He tilted her head up to his and leaned over to kiss her. Her lips parted for him and he kissed deeply. A brief thought crossed his mind that he was surprised she didn’t react negatively after what she had been through. It disappeared when she opened her mouth more and he pulled her even more tightly to him.

  They finally broke the kiss and stood there gasping. At some point, the clouds had swallowed the moon again, but they still radiated with the pink glow, allowing the mystical power to flow. Frath dropped to his knees and ran both his hands down her body to the backs of her calves. He pulled her dress up to her thighs. Then he stood and lifted her so they were face to face.

  Sheela gasped and wrapped her legs around him. Frath carried her over to the blankets, enjoying the feel of her breath on his face and the look of desire in her eyes. He set her back on her feet and undid the clasp of her cloak, letting it fall to the ground while she resumed running her hands up and down his chest. Frath then bent his knees again and grabbed her dress near the bottom. He gradually pulled it up, giving her time to protest if she became uncomfortable.

  He studied every inch of her skin as it was exposed, wanting her more and more. Sheela raised her arms above her head to let him take the dress off completely. He slid his right hand behind her to its favorite resting place and pulled her close. They kissed again, savoring each other’s taste and touch.

  Frath lowered her gently to the blankets, resting her head on one of the softer pillows. “The first time hurts some. If you don’t want to . . .” he left the question open.

  “I want to. I want to very much.” Her voice was deeper and thicker than he had imagined it could be. Frath removed his sword belt, stood up and removed his trousers as well. Her eyes widened when she saw him naked.

  “I’m not willing to force you . . .” Frath insisted. Sheela reached her arms up and bit her lower lip in anticipation as he positioned himself. Even though he entered slowly, she cried out.

  From that point on, Frath watched closely for signs of distress and listened carefully for the word no. She never uttered it and her expression quickly turned to pleasure as he moved back and forth above her. Wordless sounds of ecstasy came from their throats. Sheela’s body bucked underneath his as they climaxed together in the perfect culmination of love, both crying out with abandon.

  Eventually, he rolled onto his back and she rested her head on his chest while draping a leg and half her body over his. “That was so much more wonderful than I thought it would ever be. My mother always told me it would be nothing but pain for the rest of my life.”

  “I’m sorry your mother suffered like that,” Frath told her sadly.

  “Thank you,” she replied quietly.

  They lay there for a bit and Frath stared at the ceiling. “Do you really want to marry me?” he asked eventually.

  “Yes.” Sheela didn’t say anything else, but kissed his shoulder. Then she kissed it again before moving up to his neck. Frath lay still while she kissed his chest and stomach. Before long, they were making love again.

  The influence of Piohray’s light was said to drive lovers to feats of stamina not possible at any other time. When they put their clothes back on the next morning, neither had slept at all.

  Chapter 6

  Sheela tucked the corner of the sheet tightly underneath the mattress. It had been a little more than eight months since Frath proposed to her and they were the happiest of her life. The fact that they hadn’t been able to get married yet didn’t make her any less happy that she would soon be having a baby. Purla had already agreed to let Sheela keep the child in a crib in the basement and was giving her a little extra free time to care for it. It helped that Sheela was such an excellent worker.

  When Frath brought her home that morning so many months ago, both Purla and Albert yelled at him for being irresponsible. Throughout all of it, he remained silent with his arms folded. He hadn’t been defiant, instead standing his ground, feeling fine with what had occurred. Their fury scared Sheela on one hand, but pleased her on the other because they were concerned for her well-being, a thing she had never experienced.

  Purla and Albert stopped yelling at Frath after a few minutes, something about his stance and the expression on his face giving them pause. Then they listened while Frath explained. “Sheela and I are betrothed. We are deeply in love with each other and that means a lot in this horrible city. I’m going to marry her once I’m able to rent a nice enough place for us, which will be in about two or three years. I know I’m a young fool, but I don’t care. I’m going to live my life as fiercely as I can and make the decisions I think are right whether they are or not.”

  Purla and Albert exchanged glances. “Alright, Frath,
” Albert finally relented. “You’re a good man, a bit of a fool in my opinion, but we like you and Sheela both.” He pointed at Sheela and narrowed his eyes. “I expect you to continue doing excellent, hard work. Just because I like you doesn’t mean I’ll tolerate a slacker.”

  “Yes, Master Albert,” Sheela agreed quickly and sincerely.

  “I promise to treat Sheela with respect and keep her safe, Master Albert,” Frath said sincerely. “I have complete respect for you, Sir. You’re an amazing man and a bright light in this dark city. I can’t tell you how much I appreciate you giving her a job and letting me visit her.”

  In an uncharacteristic display of affection, Albert gave Frath a brief hug, which included powerful smacks on each other’s shoulders before stepping back. “You’re a fine young man, Frath. You’re also headstrong, but it was that very quality that saved my life, so I can’t fault you for it.” He gestured at Sheela. “It is I who has benefited by having such a lovely young woman working for me. Come by whenever you can.”

  After the conversation, Purla had taken Sheela back inside and let her sleep for the rest of that day. Since that time, Sheela had worked harder than anyone else. In addition, she always smiled and was polite to everyone, developing friendships with all the other servants at the inn.

  A sharp pain in her side made her gasp and fall to a knee, snapping the memories away. Sheela concentrated on breathing as a hot tear rolled down her cheek. When the pain subsided enough, she stood and resumed making the bed.

  Sheela had managed to hide the fact that the pregnancy wasn’t going well. The pains had begun about the fifth month and progressively got worse. There was no way she was going to complain to anyone. Master Albert and Purla were doing her and Frath a huge favor by letting her continue to live there unmarried while she was pregnant. It would be a burden on them while she was caring for a newborn. The other women who worked there had agreed to chip in with watching the baby though and it looked like everything would work out alright.

  Before they were aware, she had become pregnant, Frath took her to Distra’s church every week and they would spend the night together. He also took her to Lady Pallon’s estate most of the days. Lady Pallon adored the two of them and they had an open invitation to show up at any time, day or night, that included a room for them to share. “I want you have a safe place to be together,” she told them on more than one occasion.

  They preferred the church even if it was a dangerous journey, but when the weather was bad, and then when the pregnancy had advanced enough that she wouldn’t be able to escape danger easily, they took Lady Pallon up on her offer, spending that one night a week at her estate.

  Frath took her to other parts of the city before the pregnancy developed too much to walk around comfortably. They went to Carnival a few times and he took her to a safer marketplace than the East Bazaar. He also took her to Wizard’s Mall, where the most amazing shops of magical items anywhere in the world existed. It took an entire day just to visit a tenth of the shops and she insisted they go back other times. They also visited parks that weren’t as extreme as Wraith Lake Park.

  Sheela loved spending time with Frath no matter where they went. Her favorite places were the church and Lady Pallon’s estate. Even though Distra’s Church was in the Forlorn District and really quite a scary place, she felt safe there. They could also be completely alone in the large upstairs room and there was a great deal of freedom in that.

  The room she was cleaning came back into focus when her side twinged. Drenched in sweat, she knelt beside the bed while clutching the sheet she had just tucked in. The sweat covered her cheeks and ran down her spine, tickling it uncomfortably. Dralin summers were miserably hot, just as the winters were miserably cold. Being pregnant made it worse.

  Lady Pallon’s estate was magically cool and Sheela wished she could visit there, but it wasn’t her day off. Another pain shot through her side and up her back. Sheela cried out involuntarily before biting it off.

  Closing her eyes, she concentrated on how nice it would be to sit in the cool parlor, or sit among the plants in the conservatory. Even better were the days she and Frath would explore the expansive grounds and all their hiding places. He had taken her into one building that had a secret trapdoor leading down to secret places under the city.

  “Some say there’s been a city in this location since humans were created by the Gods. Dralin is just the latest, even though it’s over a thousand years old,” Frath had told her as they slowly made their way down a dark tunnel with only a torch to light the way. “What is known for certain is that there’s at least three ruined cities underneath Dralin with passages that run deep into the world. The only things that keep everything from caving in are a lot of stone braces set deep into the ground by some sort of genius craftsmen and a network of strong runes placed at key points.”

  He didn’t take her very far, just to an ancient room he had found when younger. It hadn’t been inhabited for centuries and had the cobwebs to prove it. The most extraordinary thing was the fact that the furniture was still intact. “See that etching,” Frath had asked, pointing to a large, intricate design that took up one wall. “It’s one of the runes that keep the city stable. They last for thousands of years and don’t need maintenance. Don’t touch it though. It’ll activate an alarm that alerts a special arm of wizards under the control of the High Council. They’ll investigate and we could be arrested,” he warned her sternly. “That rune has a preservation effect so powerful that it keeps things in the immediate vicinity from decaying. That’s why everything in this room is so well preserved.”

  Actually, everything in the room looked ancient and shabby although it had been fine at one time. Still, it should have completely rotted. There were cushioned chairs, lounges and couches in the room along with once elegant tables, now cracking and dust covered. They enjoyed imagining that ancient city and played at having a cup of tea.

  Back in present time, Sheela wiped more sweat off her forehead and looked at the crumpled sheet. She needed to smooth it out and finish making the bed, but the pain was getting worse. She cried out when another spasm wracked her body. Instead of being brave and strong like before, she let the tears come. It felt like something was wrong and Sheela was scared. “Frath,” she called out weakly, wishing he would magically show up and make her better.

  Everything with Frath seemed like an adventure. Sheela was having the time of her life and couldn’t wait to get married. She looked at the ring he had given her. The golden roses and crows were beautiful. It meant so much to her and she knew it was magical somehow. Her eyes grew heavy and she rested her forehead against the mattress.

  “Sheela!” Oh no, what’s wrong?!” Yvelle, one of the other servants knelt down in front of her. “You’re bleeding!” She put her hands on Sheela’s cheeks and lifted her head up. When Yvelle pulled a hand back, they both looked at the blood on it. “Purla!” Yvelle yelled desperately toward the doorway. Sheela realized the blood was coming from her mouth and that she had been wondering what the taste was over the last few minutes. Now she knew and it made her queasy.

  “What is it, Yvelle? Why are you yelli . . . Sheela!” Purla rushed into the room in alarm.

  Sheela looked up at her with tears flowing down her cheeks. “It hurts really bad, Purla. I want Frath.”

  ***

  “Frath!” You’re needed right away,” a gruff voice said from behind. There was a sense of urgency in the tone. Frath turned to look, brushing aside his wavy black hair. Trib, one of the guards at the Shining Shield was coming up to him quickly. He was a thick man with neatly trimmed facial hair and a shaven head. Frath knew he was also very good with a sword and had even sparred against him a few times. Trib was followed by Sergeant Gorman, who wouldn’t have let him into the barracks if it wasn’t important.

  “What is it, Trib? Is Sheela alright?” Frath asked with concern. The sense that something was wrong filled him with dread. His gut twisted and adrenaline poured into
his veins.

  “I don’t think so. Yvelle and Purla found her in a room. There was blood coming from her mouth and she passed out. I’m not gonna lie, Purla’s worried. She wants you there right away.” Trib’s scarred face was normally grim, but looked even more like rock than usual.

  Frath couldn’t move. The burst of energy in his muscles didn’t have direction. There was no foe he could face, only fear to make his hands shake and his legs tremble. Sergeant Gorman put a strong hand on his shoulder and gripped firmly. “Come on, private. I’ll go with you and we’ll see what we can do.” He turned to another man. “Corporal Willmas, you’re in charge here. I’ll expect no problems.”

  “Yes, sergeant.” The corporal, a short but stout man, banged his fist to chest.

  Trib turned and led the way at a brisk pace. Sergeant Gorman moved his hand to Frath’s back and pushed him forward. Frath followed Trib in a fog of fear and worry.

  They walked quickly through the streets, but it took them half an hour to reach the inn. Trib led them into a side door and they clattered quickly down the stairs to the basement. At the bottom, they were shushed by a crowd of servants who were straining to see into one of the rooms.

  “Frath is here. Make way,” one said, stepping aside. Frath moved ahead with Sergeant Gorman while Trib stayed with the servants.

  Albert met Frath outside the door to Sheela’s room, worry etched on his face. “You need to go in there Frath, but I warn you that she’s not doing well. I’ve brought in a healer and the midwife. Don’t worry about the expense. I’ll take care of it.”

  A ragged “Thank you,” was all Frath could get past his lips.