Doom and the Warrior

by Lexy Wolfe

  Tiwaz glowered at Kragen in silence. The demon waited patiently, watching her knowingly. Ky-Lar looked up at Tiwaz, tail lashing in concern. You do not need to do anything for this demon, my aceri. You are ready to face your past and overcome it.

  “You want Alimar’s soul. I am not against the idea of his soul being destroyed. The number of lives he has destroyed are far too numerous to allow him anything but oblivion. But how do I know you aren’t just going to make a partner out of him?”

  Kragen snorted. “I do not have ‘partners.’ I have minions and I have slaves. Alimar wanted more than he had as a pampered slave to high elves. He has become accustomed to being the master.”

  With a sage nod, Tiwaz observed, “You fear he would try to get rid of you and take over.” The narrowing of his eyes answered her implied question. “I am no magic user. I can’t exactly grab a soul and stuff it in a box.” She wiggled her fingers meaningfully, her voice dripping with sarcasm. “Wispy things, souls. Like putting the north wind in a jar.”

  Kragen held out his hand, a black crystal in his palm. “When this is thrown on the ground, it will summon me. Bring him to the edge of death. I will come to collect him myself.”

  “Summon you? You want me to summon you? Let you loose on this side to prey on people just like Alimar does now?” She drew Ghalnecha. “Never. Demons cannot be trusted.”

  “No, we cannot. Which is why I am willing to forge a contract with you so you can. I will destroy his soul before your eyes, then I will leave, the portal will shut, and I cannot be summoned until another happens upon a natural mirror, learns my name, and chooses to summon me. Do this, and I will not bother you or yours for one hundred years.”

  Ky-Lar snarled. Do not trust him. There is a catch. I do not know what it is, but I sense it.

  I sense it, too, she replied mentally to her bondmate. But he is right. I have no doubts Alimar cannot die, or at least cannot without inflicting more suffering. Resting her hand on her aceri’s shoulder, she looked up at Kragen. “After one hundred years?”

  He bared his teeth in a dark smile. “Then I am free to prey on the weak who stray too close to fissures like this one, lure the foolish into ill-conceived contracts to become known once more.”

  She considered. “No. Simply not bothering means nothing to me. One hundred years, I want you and your minions to assure no demon interferes with me or those I protect. Failure to uphold this, and you come to me so Ghalnecha can dispatch you with all the suffering you have inflicted on others.”

  Kragen frowned. “You want me to protect others from myself and other demons?”

  She sheathed the sword, crossing her arms. “I am not saying you cannot prey on those I care nothing about. They need to take responsibility for their own welfare, not depend solely on others exclusively. There are plenty of those sorts. Surely they would be enough to sate your appetite.” She turned to walk out. “As I thought.”

  “Wait!” She turned back, her expression neutral as the demon seethed. “I see you learned a great deal in your time with Alimar. Very well. I agree to the terms. Once I have claimed Alimar’s soul, I will ensure you and those you protect are safe from predation from my kind for one hundred years.” He pushed his hand through the surface of the mirror-like wall, holding the black crystal in his palm.

  His hand closed around hers when she reached to take it. He fixed his eyes on hers. “One day, you will be my queen, Warrior.”

  “One day, you will be dead, Kragen,” she promised in a low voice. He smirked, opening his hand. She took the crystal, wrapped it in a piece of leather, and put it in her belt pouch. Then she drew Ghalnecha again and raised it.

  “What are you doing?” Kragen demanded, pulling his hand back and stepping away.

  “Closing this window to the demon realm,” she informed him before she drove the sword into the heart of the mirror. It shattered in a blinding flash of light and horrifying shriek of sound. “How much of a fool do you think I am? Idiot.” Ky-Lar’s rumble of laughter filled the silence as they left.

  BURA’AN REGARDED THE throne that overlooked the great hall, his expression sad as he ran his hand over the wood-patterned stone, the sword long gone but the hole remaining. Footsteps echoed in the vast, empty chamber. “I did not expect anyone to be awake at this hour,” Doom commented as he joined the extremely tall high priest.

  “It is difficult to sleep with so many ghosts clamoring for attention in my head,” the high priest returned, turning away from the throne. “Especially my immediate predecessor.” He managed a weak smile as he pulled his eyes away from the throne to look at Doom. “I bear the memories of all who came before me, as High Priestess Aurora bears all those who came before her at the Bralden temple. Up until the moment they died.”

  Doom put a hand on the titan’s wrist in sympathy. “I cannot imagine the burden of that.” He looked at the throne. “I suppose not all passed peacefully.” He tilted his head. “Does Aurora have your memories?”

  He nodded. “She does, but my memories are dim for her, since I still live. It is very rare that the mantle is passed from one living priest to another.” He closed his eyes. “I thought the pain of the temples connections to one another breaking was terrible. It is nothing compared to the betrayal.”

  “Betrayal, Father?”

  He smiled faintly. “Nothing you need worry about right now, Thrahx Vaug. You have had plenty to focus on adjusting to your healing and delayed physical maturation.” He inclined his head. “You have adjusted quite well, I would say.”

  Doom straightened up proudly, fanning his wings. Then he looked sheepish. “Father, I should tell you who—”

  “Your sire is?” Bura’an chuckled. “As the high priest not simply for a temple, but for all of the Dragonway temples, the gods speak to me quite a bit. Especially given the unusual ascension I had to undergo. Keth worried that you might attract envy from others having their favor and attention so much more than most. He asked me to chide him if he starts to become overbearing.”

  “Tiwaz seems to have more of their attention than I do.” Doom sighed softly, closing his eyes. “But they won’t tell me if she is okay.”

  Bura’an gestured for Doom to walk with him as he headed to his study. “When it comes to gods, hearing nothing means nothing is wrong, more often than not. I am given to understand Keth has opted to take a hand in your education on use of your magic.” The titan glanced at him. “He tells me you are conflicted?”

  Doom nodded, eyes cast down. “I am afraid Tiwaz will be upset with me. All she had ever known of magic was our master and those who aspired to be like him. She sees all magic as she saw his.” He rubbed his eyes tiredly. “She hated herself ever since she first changed shapes. Magic was a part of her Alimar denied her for her whole life, and now she sees it as a poisonous darkness.

  “And now I have embraced my dragon heritage. I am learning magic.” He looked away. “From my father. I have magic and I have family. She still has nothing.”

  “The temple daughter lost a great deal and suffered unimaginably. But she doesn’t have nothing. She has admirers. She even has followers. But most importantly, Thrahx Vaug.” Doom looked up to meet Bura’an’s pale blue eyes. “She has you.”

  “Will she still want me in her life? All I am is a reminder of the torment she suffered, and now I’ll be a reminder of everything that was taken from her.” Doom shook his head. “Tell Marchen I will meet him in the field as usual. If anyone is looking for me, I’ll be on the north face. Veridian suggested she has been in the vicinity of the tunnel there.”

  “I will do so, Thrahx Vaug,” the high priest assured, watching the gromek leave. He sighed when the young male was out of sight. “Still so many open wounds left bleeding,” he murmured.

  Gareth stepped out of the study, leaning on the door frame. His normally jovial expression was flat with gravity. “The deeper the pain, the longer it takes to heal, Father. You know this, bearing the memories of all the high priests before you
.”

  The titan high priest sighed. “I am aware, Gareth. The temple’s wounds are no less significant than theirs. I had hoped to counterbalance the darkness with the joyful surprise of your arrival.” He shook his head with a sigh. “Forgive me for summoning you unnecessarily.”

  The bard waved off the apology. “I was already on my way back when I got your message, Father. When Aunt Sulnar hints it is time for me to return here, it’s time to return. It may be for the best. I’d rather have a full night of sleep before facing Tiwaz. Temperamental woman that she is. And I can catch you up on the news of the other temples I have visited.”

  Bura’an laughed quietly when Gareth yawned hugely. “I have selfishly claimed your night of sleep. Go. Rest. I’ll ensure you are awakened when Thrahx Vaug’s training for the day is done.” The bard smiled his gratitude and headed to the sleeping quarters.

  SEVERAL HOURS PASSED while Doom sat on a fallen tree watching the sky warm with the rising sun. Plaintively, he yelled, “Where are you, Ti?!” His voice reverberated across the valley, filled with all the pent up anguish and loneliness he hid from the growing population of the temple complex. As usual, there was no answer.

  He closed his eyes, voice barely a whisper. “Where are you? I miss you.” He looked at his hands. “I don’t blame you if you never want to come back. I tried to take care of you. I tried to protect you, but you were always more the protector than I was.” He turned back towards the entrance that led back to the hive of tunnels that ran throughout the mountain. “I miss you so much it hurts.”

  “I’m sorry.”

  He spun around at the sound of the familiar female voice, eyes wide in both hope and dread it was his imagination. Tiwaz walked out of the trees, Ky-Lar by her side. Frozen in place, he could only stare.

  Her metallic gold eyes were downcast, posture reflecting both pride and shame equally. “I’m sorry,” she repeated. “I hurt you again. I didn’t mean to hurt you. I should have come back sooner. I thought…” She looked up to meet his eyes. “I thought you would be happier without me reminding you—”

  Before she could finish, he closed the distance between them and grabbed her in a fierce embrace. His arms tightened around her briefly before he loosened his hold so she could breathe. “You shrank,” he managed to say through a tight throat, distressed she felt smaller and more fragile than ever.

  Ignoring the tears on her cheeks, she laughed softly. “Silly gromek. I did not shrink. You grew.” Her smile faded. She put her hand over his heart. “I had no idea how badly he had harmed you.” She hugged him fiercely tight, hiding her face against his chest. “I am so sorry I did not do more—”

  “Do more?” he asked in an incredulous whisper. “Ti, you suffered more in a day than I did in a week. And not just for me. For all of those who Alimar enslaved. I am the one who never did enough for you.”

  She shook her head. “I don’t matter.” Ky-Lar’s ears turned back, the great panther growling. It echoed Doom’s own growl at her self-denigration. She laughed weakly. “Now I have two of you insisting I do.”

  “Maybe you should start listening, then,” Doom chided in gentle tones. Putting his finger under her chin, he tipped her face up, searching the depths of her eyes. He frowned faintly. “Something happened.” She pulled out of his embrace, taking a few steps away, her back turned towards him. “Tiwaz, something’s wrong. What happened?”

  “Tell him,” Ky-Lar growled in fluent wolflen. “Or I will tell him.” Her hands curled into fists, her body trembling with tension. “It is as much his risk as yours.”

  “Risk? What is he talking about, Ti?” He approached her from behind, about to put his hands on her shoulders reassuringly until she spoke.

  “I accepted a contract with a demon for Alimar’s death.”

  His eyes dilated, wings fanning in alarm. “What? A demon? We’re strong enough to kill him without anyone’s help. You know this! Why would you—?”

  “I didn’t ask him for his help,” she snapped. “He asked me for mine!” She turned to meet his gaze. He attributed the glow of her eyes to the sunlight, though a part of his mind niggled that more than the sun caused it. “Alimar has been alive since before the war with the high elves because of this demon.”

  Doom backed away from her a few steps, staring at her in utter disbelief. “He is immortal?! No, that’s not possible.” He shook his head. “You can’t believe the lies of a demon, Ti. They will say anything to get what they want.”

  “You say you believe in me,” Tiwaz seethed. “You say you trust me, but when I need you to do both, you do neither! Have I ever lied to you?! I could have left to go after Alimar alone, but I did not because I promised you I would not go without you!”

  Doom felt his back stiffen. “Is that why you came back?”

  Gritting her teeth together, she stated stiffly, “Yes. I would have gone alone so you would stay safe, but I promised you I would not. I would rather die than risk you being hurt by him again, but you made me promise. You made me promise!” She crossed her arms. “So I am here.”

  He ground his teeth together for several moments before he could speak without spitting epithets. “After everything we have been through, I can’t believe you gave your soul away.”

  “I did not.” Careful not to mention Kragen’s name, she explained everything the demon had told her regarding the sanctity of contracts to demons, and the details of Alimar’s own contract. “I watched him give the demon victims every year. But when the demon demanded I be tithed, Alimar mocked him and refused. The contract said nothing about tithes being specified.”

  As she explained, the fury drained from Doom. He crossed his arms, brow furrowed in thought. “One hundred years? Strange this demon would specify that long of time. Humans rarely live that long.” He looked at Ky-Lar. “Do shape-shifters live longer than that?”

  “They do not. Fifty if they are fortunate. However.” The panther heaved a sigh. “We are unlike those we were born of.” He looked at Tiwaz briefly, then back to Doom. “It took time for me to fully realize my aceri is no longer one of her own people. The years fighting against the glyphs altered her to her core. By extension, it altered me as well.”

  Realization dawned on Doom and he approached the tension-filled woman who stared at a spot off to one side to avoid his eyes. He brushed the backs of his fingers along her cheek, a tender gesture of endearment they had shared since childhood. “Ti,” he began.

  She grabbed his hand and started to pull it away, then sighed, pressing it against her cheek, eyes shut. “It doesn’t matter anymore. I am always going to be alone. I have no people to call my own.” She promised, “I will make sure Alimar dies if I must die with him. Once he is gone, you can go back to your people without fear or shame.”

  “Ti,” Doom stated gently. “You are my people. I would not abandon you then, I won’t abandon you now. Even if you end up hating me.” She looked up sharply, frowning. “I am…Keth is my father.” She blinked, but said nothing, her expression unreadable. “He has been teaching me how to use the magic of my dragon heritage.” She said nothing for so long, Doom grew concerned. “Ti?”

  “Gareth is your brother?”

  The unexpected question struck Doom like a rock to the head. “You know Gareth is…? But how? I only just found out a few weeks ago.”

  Her expression turned grim and thoughtful as she answered him absently. “He told me when we spoke after Father Bura’an went to meet Drathmor. He told me he keeps it secret because anyone with a dragon parent could be endangered. You would both be in danger if Alimar lives and finds out.” He caught her by the hand when she turned to stalk towards the tunnel. “Don’t you have flight training to attend? I know it is nearing the time when I would see you in the sky. You should not be late.”

  “You had been watching?” he asked, letting her pull him after her. He smiled at her matter-of-fact reply, feeling the last, cold vestiges of his fear of rejection melt away.

  “Of course I
watched you. I was not about to trust someone blindly. I will have to have words with the healers about how hard you must have hit you head and their pitiful healing skills if you could even believe I would not worry about you with someone I don’t know. And then I will inform that dragon that if he lets you get hurt that badly again I will—”

  “His name is Marchen and he didn’t do anything wrong.” He could not help but grin at her fuming expression. “You don’t need to protect me from—”

  “Yes, I do, because obviously when this Marchen was still a hatchling, he was dropped on his head.”

  “Tiwaz!” he laughed as they disappeared into the tunnel, followed by the giant panther.

  SLEEPING SOUNDLY, GARETH made a face. “Dear gods, what is that smell? It’s like something died—” He opened his eyes and yelped in shock, suddenly awake when he found himself nose to nose with the great panther. “Ky-Lar!” He blinked a few times. “Ky-Lar? Tiwaz is back?” The panther bobbed his head, padding to flop on a clear spot of the small apartment.

  “Gods, what time is it?” he wondered, dragging himself out of bed and standing to stretch.

  “Late afternoon,” Tiwaz said from the doorway, carrying a tray with food and drink on it. She arched an eyebrow when the nude man grabbed his blanket to cover himself. She pointed out in bland tones, “You have nothing to be ashamed of. Not the largest I’ve seen, but better than average.”

  The panther rolled over on his back, wiggling to scratch himself on the rough stone floor. Goodness. His hide rivals Marchen’s in redness, Ky-Lar observed blandly. All over, too. I am impressed.

  “I keep forgetting you were a bona fide gladiator and have not an iota of modesty,” he muttered as he grabbed his trousers and pulled them on before turning around again. “You can stop laughing now, Cat.” Ky-Lar only bared his teeth in a grin, still sprawled on his back. “When did you get back?” As she sat out the plates of food and poured the tea, he blinked in surprise. “And you…brought me breakfast? Where is Doom?”