by T.M. Nielsen
***
Kyrin looked around, surprised to find herself in Daemionis’ palace. It was dark and damp, and screams could be heard from deep within the dungeons. The black stone walls dripped with thick goo, and all of the lights were dim and glowed red. The stench of decay filled the entire building, and she had to fight the urge to throw up.
She turned to him. “Terrahaut then?”
He slowly circled her. “Do you want to know?”
“No, I don’t.”
“I do.”
“Can’t you tell?”
“No, I can only read your thoughts. Your body is harder.”
“Then do what you need to. I want to get to Carathis before someone else does.”
“Time will tell,” Daemionis said. “You should know by the time you return to Paragoy.”
“I’m not returning to Paragoy,” Kyrin told him.
“Yes, you are. I am not done there.”
“I am! They claim to be good and not to lie.”
“You are stubborn, Kyrin. If you are pregnant, then you belong with them until the birth at least.”
“No”
“Do not defy me. I want that dimension for my own, and I cannot do that unless you are there.”
“Why not? Why do I have to be there?”
“I can’t enter it unless one of my followers is there. Sithias will not allow it otherwise.”
“Can we talk about this later?” Kyrin asked. “I want to be off.”
“The puny human was right though. If you are with child, then this mission could be too dangerous.”
She shrugged. “It never seemed to bother you before.”
“Never before have you possibly been carrying a future follower of mine,” Daemionis said, pleased.
She rolled her eyes. “I’ll be careful. I always am.”
“Not careful enough. Passion fuels you, not logic, which normally I find quite appealing. I hesitate to send you on this mission when your passion could be fueled by hatred for the man and hormones from your human body.”
“That man is of no concern to me right now. If you force me to return to Paragoy, then fine, but I’m not going back to Alric.”
“Except you love him, my dear. It’s in your human nature, and you will return to him, child or not.”
“Can I go now?” Kyrin asked, irritated.
Daemionis threw her backpack, flail, a cloak, and another shadow elf made leather vest at her feet. “Bring back the seal to me within the month. If I do discover that you are with child, then I will pull you off of this mission and send you to Paragoy for the duration.”
“I’ll get it before then.”
When Kyrin left the palace of Daemionis, she had her backpack and the couple of things Daemionis gave her but nothing else. She hadn’t even been wearing her speed boots during the fight, so she would be half as fast as normal. She knew Terrahaut Dimension well, though she normally avoided it.
Terrahaut Dimension was home to the Holy Knights of Perakis, who dedicated their lives to doing good throughout their home. They wouldn’t take kindly to an evil in their midst, especially one after the treasured seal of Carathis.
Kyrin was just glad that getting to Terrahaut wouldn’t take her anywhere near Kyrstalis and home to the Consortium. She knew the way by heart though, as she had taken Creteloc there many times for missions. It was going to be a long walk to get there, and she had to pass through eight dimensions, each one requiring a wait for the portal key, which Kyrin hated.
Daemionis always made sure the portal out of his home was available for her, and it took her directly into Paramide Dimension. Kyrin didn’t feel like facing Creteloc or having her know that she was possibly pregnant, so she skirted around Creteloc’s known land and made quickly for the portal into the next dimension.
She sat down to wait for a portal key and watched nervously around her as darkness set in for the night.
Deep into the night she sat, keeping a close eye around her. It wasn’t until a voice broke the silence that she moved at all.
“Avoiding me?” Creteloc asked, stepping out of the shadow.
“No, I’m just in a hurry,” Kyrin told her. She couldn’t meet Creteloc’s eye. Creteloc could always tell when she was lying.
“You’re nervous.”
“No, I’m not.”
Creteloc moved to stand before her. “Something’s troubling you, and Daemionis sent me to find you. Why?”
Kyrin ignored her and kept a close eye out for the portal key.
“Tell me!” Creteloc said angrily.
Kyrin didn’t want to make her mad. If she talked Daemionis out of forcing her back into Paragoy, then Creteloc would be her only companion. “Fine, Alric thinks I’m pregnant.”
It infuriated her when Creteloc laughed. “That was fast, dear child.”
“Yeah, well, he lied to me about it.”
“About how it comes to pass?”
“Yes”
“What did you think would cause it?”
“I have no idea, okay? You all kept it from me.”
Creteloc sat down next to her, though she made no noise. “Do you want to know if you are?”
“I don’t know.”
“I have a potion that will tell us.”
Kyrin looked over at her. “You do?”
“Yes, it aborts the baby but will tell us for sure.”
“You can do that?”
“Of course. How do you think I keep nobles from procreating when it doesn’t suit my purpose?” Creteloc asked.
“I should know within the next two weeks. If it’s true, I will be back.”
Creteloc nodded. “I can give you the poison just in case.”
Kyrin reached out and took it from her. “Thank you.”
“It’s painful, but you will live.”
She slipped it into her bag and then stood up. “Key’s here.”
“Do not defy Daemionis.”
“I know,” she said, and then disappeared through the portal.
On the other side, the dimension was irritatingly bright, and Kyrin set off for the portal she needed. It was going to be a three day walk, and she’d left Paragoy without time to stock up on apples or water. This was a dry, desert dimension with no life and nothing to sustain travelers.
It wouldn’t be the first time she’d gone through it without supplies, but she wasn’t looking forward to it, and she still had a stomach ache from when she left Paragoy. Hiking her backpack up higher, she set out.
Even though she kept a close eye out for the Consortiums, she saw nothing in the dimension and within four days had crossed over into the next. It wasn’t quite as dry, and she was able to dig up the root of a cactus to get water from. It didn’t fill her flask but gave her enough for the next few days, and she could eat the bitter root for nourishment too.
As she walked, her stomach settled down, and she began to feel more normal. She still suspected it was all of the apples that made her sick, and not a pregnancy, though the more she walked, the madder she became that Alric hadn’t told her that what they were doing could bring a baby.
The following dimension, two weeks later, had wildlife and Kyrin was able to kill and eat a small deer like creature with a single horn in the middle of his head. The meat was gamey but filling, and she dried as much as she could to carry with her. She knew that the next few dimensions, including the one before Terrahaut, were devoid of life and home to rogues and criminals that were on the run from the Consortiums.
Because of that, it was also a frequent haunt of the Clemency Consortium. It was a good place for them to pick up criminals and get their quota. Harsh punishment came to any member of the Clemency Consortium that failed to bring in their required number of criminals. Rumors were that if they were to bring her to the Clemency’s leader, they would no longer be held to such quotas.
It was dark when she entered, and every fiber of her being was tense and on guard.
It was dangerous to be here, and she kept her hands firmly grasped so she could cast quickly if the need arose. She moved as quietly as possible, a trick Creteloc had taught her, though she wasn’t nearly as good as Creteloc.
When Kyrin walked up to an encampment, she crouched low and listened for signs of a look out. Two men were watching over the camp and were talking beside one of the larger tents. They were bragging about deaths and loot stolen, and Kyrin had no desire to cross them. She wondered if she could get a spell off and kill both of them without alerting the rest of the encampment, but she didn’t think she could.
Deciding her best bet was to head around to the side, she started quickly around the long way. This added almost a full-day to her walk through this dimension, and by the time she got to the portal to Terrahaut, she was irritated again. She sat down to wait for the key but kept a close eye out around her.
She was more tired than usual and figured it was because of her posh life in Paragoy. It was softening her and she decided that if Daemionis made her return, she would have to do something about that.
It was two weeks before she saw the portal key and finally stepped into Terrahaut Dimension. Even the air felt wrong, and she wondered if the Holy Knights of Perakis could feel her presence like Alric could feel Creteloc in his kingdom. Just the thought of him made her heart sink, so she quickly wiped that thought from her mind.
