Traitor to the King

by Clare SM Keating

  There was no way for Ling to run or hide from the Gefafood; she knew instead it was time to prepare for death and to close her eyes. Just as the teeth seemed to be over her middle and its hot breath was moistening her shabby clothing, Ling realised she was not being chomped! Instead she heard a gurgling growl and choke of shock from the beast as she reopened her eyes and turned about to find the beast’s neck locked in a choke hold within Alard’s strong arms. The beast writhed and tried to hiss but it could not keep the energy to fight and once it sagged in his arm, the Aeron dropped it straight back down with a snort of surprise. He then turned towards Ling with a scowl and a wagging finger.

  “What did I tell you about missions without me?”

  “Alright mum… we’ve got no time to waste Damara’s in deep shit.”

  Nine: Anouk’s Guilt

  “Of all the conspiracies I have heard within my time, the greatest of interest regarding the rules and laws of our king have come recently from a member of the Benaga Household’s retinue. I will not reveal names, only to say that the incident in which the young daughter of the lord encountered a demon was greatly hushed up and thought to be a rumour. I can say that it was no rumour and even the most sordid assumptions made cannot come close to what really happened. However, the Head Healer had enforced a sleeping potion upon the child for the length of two years to deal with the matter and remove any proof that the hallowed family of Klangschwert had been made aware of ancient rumours about the identity of our king. At least, this was the final information I could gain from their butler’s wife before her death.”

  - Entry 17 of the Private Diaries of Doctor Dimwult Varris

  Anouk had not intended to be dragged about the citadel by the wrist and certainly not with her red hair flying behind her like a banner. Eyes fell upon her with total shock and some with terror as they realised that she was being harried against her will. There was no point in trying to fight the situation although for the sake of pride Anouk had to make a fuss, after-all the Karayan was going to lead her to wherever Damara had gone. Even so, Anouk had not been led around the neighbourhood by a man since she was seven years old and being dragged home by her uncle after she bit one of the noblemen in the knee cap. It had been nearly thirty years since then so most of the younger people wandering around the city discussing the fears of departure had never seen this before.

  “Do you mind? By Nabuto you’re going to pull my arm out of its socket! Why not just tell me rather than drag me?” Anouk growled, trying to keep pace with the great long legs wrapped in the black shrouds. She could guess he was going to inform her that she was not fast enough around here, but instead he remained quiet and allowed her the fuss. In truth it was a very unusually comfortable sensation to feel the warmth of his body wrapped about her wrist but that was also a terrifying sensation. Anouk could not explain it of course, she was unsure why there was so much comfort to gain from it, but she put it down to the fact he knew where her sister was. That his knowledge and confidence in the matter was squashing down the part of her that wanted to howl and scream and destroy; to seek out the only living relative she gave a damn about. Indeed, it was all Anouk could think about to stop herself panicking but as they reached the mixed selection of bridges after climbing the stairwell rather then using the lift, a familiar cry made Anouk freeze. Her companion did not take any notice to it but when she recognised her own name being hollered at, she dug her heels into the stone and yanked backwards against him. “Hold on Hero… that’s one of my men calling for me.”

  At the nickname the Karayan paused and dropped Anouk’s hand, his eyes widening in surprise and fascination to hear such a thing. He’d never been given any other name but dark one and it had certainly not been presented to him in the affectionate manner she was calling him to attention. Anouk was not sure where the nickname had come from, but her focus was not on her words, rather on the familiar form of young Sarag trying to leap across the bridges to reach them. His eyes were wide with shock and his blue hair was rough and strange as if he’d been trying to pull it out from worry; Anouk had not seen him like that and thankfully the Karayan noticed the concern upon her face. The pair straightened themselves on one of the bridges that was supposed to lead to nowhere, giving Sarag enough time to just leap straight across from the main bridge to theirs in a neat hopping motion, a little like a frog. He landed neatly but Anouk still launched out to grasp the young man’s green jerkin to keep him steady. His hand grasped hers in thanks as he then steadied himself and Anouk noted the lack of sensation compared to when she was touched by the Karayan.

  “Lord Benaga… we’ve got a big problem…” Sarag huffed and puffed gently, bending forward to hold his knees and suck in breath. He looked ready to fall over and Anouk had to pat his head in reassurance before grasping one of his shoulders just in case. She had felt truly sorry for this poor young mage because her choice to send Kaloon out after the second Hive Demon had resulted in his death; the guilt pricked at Anouk’s hands as she grasped him and tried not to whimper or grimace. This boy had complete faith in her though, he had told her already that his brother was more then willing to die at the orders of the red-head… not that it had cleared up Anouk’s guilt. Sarag kept his head to the ground though, aware suddenly that he was seeing his master’s long red hair swinging about in the low light of the tunnels against all the laws of decency and with a hefty gulp he continued. “It’s Damara – Jarl came and told us Lutas sent her off with Ynvirius, Ling’s gone after them and I sent Alard after her and I’m really worried. The moment Jarl told me about the general I had nothing but gut-wrenching sensations and it’s not just because of Kaloon… boss I think she’s in more trouble then just being in the swamp, you’ve got to go to her.”

  The moment he said the name Anouk’s green fire began to flitter around her with rage once more and the two males backed off slightly at the curious image of the elf maiden wreathed in flame. It was not a common sight and Sarag turned his head away in case it might be something forbidden but the Karayan just blinked slowly towards her as if ushering calm. Anouk was very, very angry but she sucked her anger down and took a heavy swallow of air to keep back the shout. She could not loose her temper right now, she needed to focus on getting Damara and then she could worry about who to strangle. She could not believe that Lutas would be so stupid after what had happened with the Hive Demon, especially when Ynvirius had been around that creature, which usually meant he could not even step beneath ground until he went through a cleansing. Anouk could only imagine the worst and although she knew Lutas was a lord he did not have the kind of clearance to let that group go out on patrol so soon, meaning someone higher up was also involved in getting her sister into danger.

  “Alright Sarag; I want you go and find Lord Yeruell and tell him exactly what you have told me and then tell Chroniison. They’ve got to be ready for trouble and the only way they’ll be ready is if you tell them the Karayan and I have gone. Don’t mention the stone, just say that they’ve just plucked Karani and Damara out and no one has cleared it.” Anouk stated, knowing that only the possible breech in protocol would be enough for the elders to stand up and do something. The Karayan grimaced beside her, unwilling to continue his intended path with her soldier at hand; somehow it made him feel uncomfortable and under suspicion even when he was trying to help. But Sarag was swift to nod, turn on his heels and run back down the path before Anouk turned to the masked figure with a snort. “Remind me again why I’m following you down a path that really does lead to nowhere?”

  “I’m showing you how I got in… there’s a very old tunnel here that’s not as blocked up as it used to be. It comes up about midway through the swamp and will be the fastest way to get to the girls and get them back safely. There are crystals or some such at the end that stops most of the other monsters out there from coming in, but I ended up going through it myself to get rid of a particularly stubborn Mud Lurch.” Karayan snorted as he reached the end of the bridge and a massive sandy
coloured boulder that had been poorly used to plug up an old tunnel entrance. There was a cloak of magic around it to give the appearance of a steep drop if feet were in front of the boulder but Karayan stood in the middle of the air ignorant to the magic.

  Anouk’s eyes boggled with confusion as her head spun to try and figure out what he had just said. As she shook her head to clear her mind of the confusion she watched the shadowed figure gently grasp the rock and just twist it slightly out of place to reveal a wide enough slit they could push themselves through sideways. The illusion over the area still maintained that the rock had not moved, and Anouk grimaced at the thought of the magic in the stones failing so badly! If the Karayan had managed to get inside Virenheim so easily then there could be all manner of shape-shifting demons pacing around pretending to be elves that the magic had not quite dealt with yet. But the Karayan slid through the gap and beckoned with his gloved hands for her to follow.

  “It’s a good thing my eyes are reasonable in the dark… that tunnel’s got to be pitch black!” Anouk snorted in frustration as she watched his form disappear completely within the shadowy depths of the tunnel. As she stepped forward and delicately placed her soft light grey-blue hands to the stone her nose wrinkled in frustration at an old stench of decay. A frigid wind was flowing from the passage to cool her fingers and she had to agree that this tunnel must lead out to the swamp, but it was so dark she could not see anything but the shadows of stones up ahead. She could not even see the Karayan and she became fearful and almost as if she were a child trapped as she slipped inside and called out for him. “Karayan! Please wait…”

  “It’s alright… here, let me guide you through.” The figure called out and he must have turned about because suddenly the strange yellow eyes turned back to face her, shimmering with their own uncanny light. It was like staring into the face of some hideous monster and Anouk felt terror grasp her heart and catch her breath, until she felt the great hands reach out and grasp her. The moment he held her that warmth and familiarity cooled her fear and she grasped for it, staring down and noticing the slight shift in the darkness and the deepness of the figure’s own shadow. Seeing his whole body as a blacker patch within the shade Anouk breathed a sigh of relief as the hands clasped around her gently. “It’s alright… just keep your back flat against the tunnel wall and we can squeeze through.”

  “How did you know this tunnel was here?” Anouk growled gently, coming back to her senses somewhat as her eyes shifted to the low light. She let the Karayan tug her gently along the cold and slightly slimy rocks that proved the tunnel had been collapsed rather then filled up. The smell of the swamp was prevalent, and the roar of the Viren River sounded around them the deeper they went. But as she began to feel the rocks more accurately, she was able to let go of the Karayan and follow him with a sigh of relief. The deeper they travelled the more confident she felt and the more she began to question what was going on within the figure’s head. “I get the feeling you’ve been here before… how else would you have known about Higatso?”

  “The guards talk too much… you can hear everything when you walk under the gates.” Karayan snorted with a slight twitch to his mask as if he might have been grinning at her, though she could only hear the bemusement in his voice. Anouk curled an eyebrow in surprise before she shuffled further through the tunnel after him, hopping over one large boulder but then being slapped downward quickly as she failed to check how close the ground was on the other side. She almost swore at the Karayan as he grabbed her head and gently eased her past one large stalactite, urging her to stay low as he led her off the slight ledge she’d slapped into and back onto the path with him. The Karayan then gave a soft snort before looking back towards her with his shining devilish eyes of amusement. “I have been down this tunnel only once and I stayed down here for three weeks listening in to everything and learning what I could from their gossip. I didn’t want to just march in without a proper plan.”

  “Sneaking around the tunnels? I’d call you a bastard for such activity, but I’ve got the unusual sensation you’d just agree to the assumption.” Anouk snorted in frustration as he released her head and she tried hard not to kick at his shadow in frustration. A tiny little spot of light was visible in the distant black and she gave a soft sigh of relief at the waft of warm, stinking swamp air that greeted them both as they reached the most tightly blocked section of the tunnel. With only the tiny light to aid her eyes Anouk was able to spot the outline of one massive boulder the size of a house blocking the entire path, save one little corner. She stared at it in frustration for a moment before turning towards the Karayan with a grimace upon her face. “How now Hero?”

  “Up and over… if you need me to go through first and pull you…” Karayan began only to give a grunt as Anouk suddenly lunged at him, stomping her foot onto the outline of his knee as he bent with a groan, before she swung her hands upward grasping at the rock. With a hefty swing as she hooked her long fingers into the crumbling edge of the stone, the Deep elf managed to get herself straight up onto boulder before slipping through and then swearing at him from the other side. The shadowed figure shook his head in frustration before rubbing his knee, keenly aware that he’d insulted her by assuming she needed his help. He thought mentally not to mention such a thing again and with a sigh he removed the gloves from his hands and flexed his fingers.

  For a few moments he stared down at his great long clawed hands with a growl of frustration before turning toward the massive lump of rock. It had been quite a while since he had clambered over it but as he stroked the lump he felt for the strange deep scratches he’d made the first time. He pondered about what Anouk was doing on the other side to wait for him before giving a soft groan and reaching up to grab the rock in the same place Anouk had. Once he’d gripped this piece of jutting stone he stabbed his claws upward and clambered steadily up the rock and over the top. The gap between the top of the rock and the tunnel ceiling was very narrow for someone of his bulk, but the Karayan seemed to slip through as easily as a cloud before he landed on the other side.

  Anouk gave a start of surprise when she noticed his eyes in the shadows, not having heard or felt him landing nearby. Even when there was a little lighter for her to see in this tunnel she had still been unable to spot him and only the yellow eyes had been there to focus upon. Anouk grimaced in disgust at the thought of some strange power and gently she released a little of her green fire to view the tunnel and Karayan. It was only a pale green glow, but it was enough to see the talons on his hands and swiftly the Karayan stuffed his hands into his deep black shroud, seemingly fishing about for his gloves. Anouk dropped the flames with a grimace of concern at such a sight, but she rolled her eyes as she recalled the story Damara had produced about the figure having been cursed and then her eyes widened in fascination.

  At the party the Karayan had made sure to cover his feet and had made a point to people not to have a look at his limbs. With her eyes narrowing at him, sneering at him in fact, she wondered about the shape of his feet and what it might say about his origins. Her mind also recalled the Harpy tracks she’d seen months ago and with a sudden grunt and slap to her forehead she grumbled to herself. At least now she knew the probable cause and though she did not want to say it aloud, the Karayan seemed to guess her understanding and gently pulled his uncovered hands back out. As he looked at Anouk he felt a sudden urge to stretch out and grasp her hands again, without the gloves so that he could feel her warm skin, but he knew it would not be welcomed.

  In truth the creature was looking at the female elf with a constant edge of pain in his eyes, he could not quite explain it but all he wanted to do in that moment was to hold her against him and hear her heart. It was a thought he’d been fighting down quite frequently since he’d first seen her, and it was very difficult to control the want and the logic behind it. All he could do was think of how much he needed to talk to the heir of Benaga, the woman that seemed to make him feel like he was somewhere safe
or familiar. His mind still skipped with the occasional memories of red hair that he could hardly pull together and even now, as he towered over her and sucked in deep breaths filled with her scent, the Karayan tried to swallow his desire to kiss her when everything about his form could bring death to her.

  “I didn’t thank you enough for being so kind to Damara… but I’m worried about your interest in her.” Anouk stated, suddenly marching forward and out of the creature’s gaze as her body began to tingle with strange and unwanted frustrations. She felt sickened by her curiosity and her seeming fondness for this strange being; it was something completely unknown to her people for a member of the Benaga Household to marry outside of their own species or to even think of it. In truth she did not know what species Karayan was, but her mind was constantly leaping towards an affection she could not stand with a non-elf let alone another elf! She feared too that his interest might lie upon her sister and, though Anouk was willing to bare the brunt of such unpleasant thoughts, she did not like to think that Damara was being eyed up by the creature. “Because if it’s anything designed to gain more position, a blood tie to the king or perhaps just pure lust… I am quite willing to castrate you.”

  “You wouldn’t be the first to attempt it… I seem to have an uncanny ability to keep my balls.” The Karayan chuckled, almost menacingly as Anouk grimaced and shook her head. She continued to pace onward through the tunnel, glad the light was showing up every new rock blocking the path but keeping her eyes peeled for any unpleasant creatures coming their way. The Karayan noticed her irritation and shrugged his shoulders gently; surprised she did not find his words amusing as perhaps her squad members might have. He stepped gently to her side and even moved ahead of her with a gentle chuckle and even a slight whistle of amusement. “I’m not interested in your sister… she’s a child and not the kind of woman that could cope with every darkness in my soul.”