The Elder Demon's Dilemma (Realm of Arkon, Book 9)

by G. Akella

  Linara wanted to reply, but a shadow suddenly covered her face, and she slid through the air, back to my right.

  Had she noticed the earring in my right ear and realized who gave it to me? I doubted it, but what if...

  "All right, demon, we’ll see how this talk with the Guardians goes," she concluded, her tone estranged, and fell back into thought.

  "Krian."

  "What?"

  "My name. It’s Krian."

  "Ah, yes. Mine is Ryhna Linara, but you can just call me Linara." She seemed distracted now, and I was content to leave it that way.

  We continued for about an hour, and then I saw the Guardians this girl had gone on about. Two huge black wolves lay in the grass just ahead, watching us calmly. A wolf and a she-wolf, to be precise. Their names were hidden, and I had no idea how I knew their gender. Their size was like that of Rgharg... But there the similarities ended. Vill’s companion had looked like an oversized shaggy dog whereas these animals’ fur shone under the rays of sun poking through the canopy of the forest. The Guardians were about as big as that wolf from the one Thor movie Max and I had watched as kids. Lifetimes ago. Level 536 and 540, respectively, with more than five billion HP each. I doubted there were many so powerful along the border. They must have been waiting for us.

  At that, Linara came to life.

  Her voice was cold, despite her plea. "You can still retreat, demon! The Guardians will not touch you if-"

  "It's all right," I reassured the girl, then walked straight towards the wolves lying on the grass.

  I’d never had a dog back in my real-world life, but seeing such beautiful animals here made me wish I had. Oh well. My boar was my darling pet now. And I had a cat for a sister.

  At my approach, the wolves rose and slowly came to meet me.

  I heard a pleasant female voice in my head. We have been waiting for you, Dark One.

  The male’s voice continued. You cannot traverse the Great Swamp...

  Back to the she-wolf. Look for your answer in the Temple of the Damned. Then, they both spoke.

  But hurry, demon, for the time is almost up.

  The wolves stopped, lowered their heads, and froze. Watching me.

  Linara squeaked in fright as I walked up to them. Unable to restrain myself, I pet them, running both hands over their broad black foreheads.

  Thank you...

  Farewell, and may the Black-Tailed Fox be with you.

  A moment later, the soft feeling of fur gave way to air. The Guardians had vanished.

  I was still listening, hearing the faint echoes of their voices, when Linara flew forward and whipped around me, staring at me as if I’d suddenly grown my own set of dragonfly wings.

  Your reputation with the Gimlad Princedom has increased. Princess Linara relates to you with respect.

  She was stunned. "You just touched the companions of the goddess! And yet... you’re still alive!"

  "I guess they already had lunch today! Or maybe they just don’t like demon." I smiled. "Our meat is pretty tough, you know. And you never told me the Guardians were companions."

  "After the Cataclysm, which brought Cenaria from Karn to Akatras, Sata set her companions to guarding our borders," the girl explained mechanically, before stopping herself. "Stop pretending to be an idiot! Who are you? How did you come to our land, and if you’re a friend, why didn’t you accompany me to Gimlad?"

  "I would have, but as I said, I’m in a hurry. Good to meet you, princess. Farewell!" I nodded to Linara and headed towards the swamp.

  "Stop!" That was a familiar word by now, coming from behind me. "I’m flying with you!"

  I gave a fateful sigh. I didn't mind having an escort in an unfamiliar place, but her decision did not seem to be a smart one. Something made me feel uneasy letting this girl face danger necessarily. What business did a demon have to a brash young dragonfly girl?

  "Well?" Linara had caught up to me now. "Why are you stopping? I thought you were in a hurry!"

  "Did I say I needed companions, princess?"

  "Did somebody ask you, prince?" Linara looked around as if searching for someone who had. Finding no one, she shrugged comically. "I’m coming whether you like it or not.

  "Holy hell, you’re a feisty one!" I said, with no small hint of admiration. "I’m expecting you’ll want some pastries for the road?"

  "No thanks. Not hungry. No need to worry for me, demon. I can return home instantly from anywhere in the known world."

  She had known from the start that I was a prince - I couldn’t hide that from the locals, and the blood of the Nameless was no help in that regard - but why the hell was I letting her come along? Was life here really so bored that this was her big chance at adventure? In any case, I couldn’t figure out a good way to get rid of her. Perhaps I shouldn’t even be trying. Like she said, she could return home at any moment...

  I nodded. "All right. Explain to me why you need to come along, and if your explanation makes sense, you have to promise not to go anywhere without me allowing it. Otherwise, scram."

  "What happened to your manners, prince?" But then Linara noticed the sincerity of my gaze. "Fine, fine, don’t get be mad at me. I promise not to go anywhere, and I’m going with you because I’m hoping to find the Way. The The Way home for my people..."

  I invited her to my party and set out towards the swamp. "Tell me more."

  Linara accepted the invitation, caught up with me, and stayed silent for a moment before continuing.

  "The storm that befell the Dark Ocean three millennia ago, it split off a small piece of the southern mainland of Karn, and brought it and part of the Great Forest to Akatras, this theretofore unknown plane of reality. Most of the Great Swamp came, too, and the southern tip of the Kraet Peaks. I trust you know where the Wild Wood is in Karn, prince. That was the home of my people."

  As if werewolves and dryads weren’t enough, now you send me these Thwil... Twilith... Tylwyth Teg things, I thought gloomily as I watched a small group of deer a short ways away.

  "I do. Part of it is now the land of the Nightcrawlers."

  "Yes, the gods told us about the bloody fratricidal war, about the schism of our people, about the Allfather turning away from his children..."

  The degree of sorrow in the girl’s voice was making me feel a little uncomfortable, so I hurried to calm her.

  "The Mallorns have returned, in case you didn’t know, and the Forest forgave the elves. They have become one people once again."

  Linara remained silent for a number of seconds, processing the new information. Then, she darted forward, doubt in her eyes.

  "You’re not joking, right, prince? You mustn't joke about such things."

  I found it strange that Sata herself had not mentioned this to them. What could be so important to the fox that she failed to find time for such trifles?

  "No, I’m not joking. I even know the story of how it happened."

  "So you’ll tell me Please?" Linara’s wings sprouted from her back and she soared fifty feet, doing loops through the air.

  Truly, the populace of the Great Forest was especially prone to sickness in the head. Perhaps it was the excessive flying. Those g-forces couldn’t be good for the brain. Not ten seconds back she was in mourning, but now she was dancing and laughing like a Disney fairy. And this concept of "favor" was odd, too: the dwarves had their cones, the elves had their Mallorns... Did the demons have something of the sort, too?

  "Tell me! How did it happen?" Linara put on a face like the kind Alyona used to put on when she would plead with me to play her favorite cartoon. Of course, by human standards she was hardly over fifteen years of age, and all girls around that time were probably like this, regardless of race.

  "No, my friend," I shook my head. "First you finish your story."

  "Fine. But there’s really not much more to tell. The gods found us, defended us, and told us that someday a hero would be born. The ata kari would entrust their fate to him, and with his help, we would op
en the Way back to Karn. For centuries, the best women of my people have married the most valiant warriors and magicians. But so far, all of that has come to naught." The girl shrugged sadly.

  "How does this relate to me?" I raised an eyebrow. "I’m not available. We’re a little different, you and I, and I doubt my wife would understand."

  Linara took that in stride. "Sure, and you don’t look much like a hero. But the Guardians didn’t lay a hand on you, so I’m wondering if we misinterpreted Mara’s message. You’re not a hero, and I can't claim to be one of my people's best women, but you’re going somewhere, and the Guardians made no attempt to kill you."

  "Great. So we don’t need to arrange a wedding, and that’s all I care about." I winked at her.

  Linara went silent once more, seemingly assessing our prospects on this journey. And I was figuring out what to do next. The wolves had warned that I would not be able to cross the swamp, but had to visit some Temple of the Damned. The Damned and Cursed and Doomed were a dime a dozen in Arkon, but I had reason to believe I was personally acquainted with this particular Damned One. Before another one of my acquaintances had consumed him whole. So that left me with three questions: Where was this temple? Who was waiting for me there? And what useful information would I learn?

  The first question would need to wait while Linara was busy choosing, in her mind, which formal dress she would wear when she went to appear in the hall of the elven king.

  Next, who was waiting for me? To be honest, I didn’t give a damn. I simply had to go to the temple. Would I kill them? Or talk to them? That would be decided on the spot. But what could Vill’s minions have left here, in the middle of a swamp? I hoped this was not the very citadel Ingvar and his band had been unable to find? By the game's logic, the closer you got to the end, the stronger opposition you should expect to find. And you definitely shouldn't expect to just enter the main stronghold of a god unannounced. Gaining favor and access took time, and I had very little of that, as the wolves had been so quick to remind me. How could they have even known that, anyway? Had Sata notified them by SMS or something?

  To the last question, then: what would I find there? A portal to the Dragon Graveyard? Or someone who could cast one for me? I recalled seeing some program that featured shoes made for traversing swamps. And even called swampshoes or something to that effect. But I didn’t need nonsense like that - I could use Step Through Darkness to move quickly over the swamp. And even if I needed special shoes, I could have made them myself. I didn’t have to go poking around Hart’s ass to find them. Which was exactly what this temple was going to be, I just knew it. Oh, and why was I dealing with this business all alone? I had thought I was going to have my party with me.

  I grunted at the girl floating next to me. "Enough daydreaming now. Where’s the Temple of the Damned?"

  Linara emerged from her fantasy and looked into my eyes in amazement. "How do you know about the temple? Very few know about it."

  "The wolves told me I needed to go there, so I thought..."

  "You... you spoke with the Guardians?!" Linara was in my path again, resentment on her face, yet her arms limp, looking helpless.

  I had to calm her down. "Hey, everything’s fine, my little friend! We only swapped a couple of phrases."

  "Why... why would they talk to some demon? And yet not talk to me?" The princess exclaimed with sorrow, but after a deep breath and a blush, she lowered her head. "Forgive me. You’re not just ‘some demon.' In fact, maybe you are that very fabled hero..."

  "‘Maybe’? I’ll have you know I’m the most heroic of heroes! Wolves are nothing. I’ve even spoken directly with Sata once!"

  At those words, the gamut of emotions on the girl's face must have spanned infinity and beyond, and for a moment I worried if she could handle them without losing her sanity.

  But at last, the girl smiled. "You’re nothing but a heroic liar! So what did you talk with them about, then?"

  "About the weather. And the cone harvest." I shrugged. "But the main point of the conversation was that you would show me where the temple is located."

  "Uh-huh. Sure. Keep telling your tall tales! They could have asked me themselves if that were true!"

  I smiled. "Does it really matter who asked whom? Can’t you just show me the way to the temple?"

  "No!" The girl shook her head. "First you tell me about how the Mallorns returned, then explain what you need at the temple. And then... maybe."

  Noticing the expression that flashed on my face, she quickly corrected herself.

  "Don’t worry. We’re going the right way for now, so there’s time."

  Why was I giving her such a long leash here? If anyone else dared to talk to me like that... My rage seemed to be huddled in the corner, though. I didn’t even feel upset. These "dragonflies" were apparently master manipulators. Like succubi, but without any sexual connotations. Not only had I agreed to take this little creature along with me - now I genuinely wanted to help her! I was still in full control of my mind and emotions, though. It felt like being an adult looking after a kitten sitting on a Persian rug, an adult who understood that at any moment the kitten could ruin something precious and so it was best to toss it off of the rug by the scruff of its neck, but... Not the best comparison, perhaps, but it accurately reflected what was going on in my head.

  I sighed sweetly at Linara. "It’s not the most interesting story, actually. So, once upon a time there was a good dark elf. And his spirit was restless. He always wanted to make everyone around him feel good. His name was Max."

  "What a strange name for an elf!" Linara said contemplatively.

  "Not so strange these days. Much time has passed, and many elves have names like that." I sipped some water from my flask and placed it in my bag. "If you keep interrupting, though, I’ll make you tell the story yourself!"

  She squeaked in fright. "All right, all right, I’ll be quiet."

  "So Max and one of his friends saved a woman from the House of the Nightcrawlers from certain death, and that drew the attention of Sata. The goddess asked him to save her people. And he did. Then he saved somebody else, too, because that’s how it always goes, and after all that saving he found a stone, about this big." I cupped both hands towards each other to approximate the size of the rock.

  "And then we... Uh, I mean he and his friends... They went to the ruined Ancient Temple of Kirana and showed this stone to the goddess-"

  The Two-Faced Goddess has returned to us?!"

  Her face literally shone with joy. I took a deep breath and nodded.

  "Yes, she has returned. The same Max had found her sword six months before that, and placed it on the altar at the abandoned shrine. Max happens to be a master finder of rare stuff of that sort.

  So the information they received here was six months behind. Of course, over the last six months all the gods of the Great Forest, who apparently moonlighted as news heralds for these people, had been a little busy with preparations for the arrival of their old friends. Also, this dragonfly was physically incapable of keeping quiet.

  "So he showed her the stone..."

  "Kirana touched the stone, and inside it, there was a box. And inside the box lay Mallorn seeds. The goddess was delighted, and commended the elves, telling the Guardian to go to the Silver Grove and plant the trees."

  "THE GUARDIAN?!" Linara breathed the name with reverence. For a moment, the whole world transformed.

  This happened sometimes. You’re walking calmly down a familiar street, and suddenly a bout of unreasonable joy takes over you. Everything around becomes so beautiful, so precious, that you want to just stand still with an idiotic smile, attempting to prolong the wild feeling as long as humanly possible. Of course, then some jackass would inevitably crash into you from behind, a child would start crying, or a passing car would splash you with mudwater, returning you from nirvana to the real world. But here there were no donkeys or cars to disturb us, and even my rage seemed eager to rejoice with me.

&nb
sp; "I’m a fool! A complete and utter fool!" Linara laughed. "Of course no one except the Guardian could plant the Mallorns! Thank you, Demon! Now I know you are not deceiving me."

  It took me a moment to get a hold of my own emotions. "Once I finish my work here, I will be able to create a portal to Karn. We will go there and I will introduce you to this Max."

  "Would that it were so simple..." Linara smiled, sadly. "Things are much better than I could have imagined, though."

  She sighed pensively, then raised her eyebrows in surprise.

  "You know the Guardian? You said you would ‘introduce’ us!"

  I shrugged. "I’ve seen him a couple of times. Even copied off his math homework back in the day. He hadn’t been the Guardian then, though."

  "No, we mustn't disturb him," the girl said with a warm sigh. "The Guardian must have so many worries that I doubt the gods themselves would disturb him. The time when he was an ordinary sentient is long gone. But still... Thank you, Krian."

  Worries my boot! He was hiding in some bushes somewhere... I was just glad she didn’t ask about the math homework.

  All right, enough nonsense for now. We had to decide our next steps.

  "So, what about that Temple of the Damned?"

  Linara frowned at the question, a flicker of doubt on her face.

  "Krian, are you sure you need to go to the temple? Believe me, the Black Sanctuary of the Twice-Cursed God, Vill, is the most terrible place in this area of Akatras. Perhaps only the Old Dragon Graveyard is worse - the other place you were heading, coincidentally. The way you had asked about it so casually... I was already pretty mad at you, so I thought that... And now, you want to go to the temple? Look, I don’t know where you have come from or how you overcame the Barrier, but nothing happens for no reason. I’m old enough to know that. So tell me: Who are you, and why do you need the temple?"

  I thought for a moment. At the start of our encounter, she was angry with me, and only flew along with me to see the Guardians make quick work of me. Then she made a few conclusions and a courageous but rash decision. And only now was she considering the possible consequences of it. That was how emotional people usually worked, and this girl was the gold standard of an emotional individual. Perhaps with age she would temper her emotions with a bit of wisdom.