Continued….
Harduke rubbed her nose. “My apologies. I recalled King Eirabas having two children. I may be mistaken.” She turned to Arilyn who stood staring at her sword. “Wasn’t that fun, Miss Arilyn?”
Arilyn looked up. “It was weird,” she said. Never in her life had she lifted a sword let alone strike a being with one even though Harduke controlled her movements. What surprised her even more was that she liked it. It gave her a sense of power and a rush.
Harduke cocked her sight at the two demons still battling it out, not aware of what had passed. “It is time,” she said. She raised her staff with one hand and placed the other hand in prayer position above her chin. “Om.”
The one syllable word spread out, casting a silver light over all except the red cocoon and the magenta sphere. It made a barrier as it protected the outside world from the raging thunders and lightings that now shot out between Krshin and Eirabas.
In a blink of an eye, Overlord Krshin stood clutching his chest. Across from him was Eirabas in a similar position. They were deadlock.
“King Eirabas!” cried out Shriva. She ran over to Eirabas and supported the King.
“I thought I had enough,” said Eirabas between breaths.
“I should’ve killed you that time,” said Krshin, equally out of breath.
“Too bad,” said Eirabas and took out a round object from under his collar. He threw the object on the ground. It sparked and instantly released smoke that quickly engulfed the entire area. “Next time I will defeat you and become the next Overlord!”
“Dream on, asshole,” said Krshin.
The smoke cleared and smelled the blood of his daughter. “Jaya?” He rushed over to where his wife cradled his daughter. “How did this happen?” he demanded.
Jaya opened her mouth to explain but the medicine that her mother put over her wounds had a very powerful sleeping effect. She slowly closed her eyes and let her body relax. Harduke and Arilyn approached them.
“Do not worry, m’lord. Jaya is only sleeping. However, we must move her to a more comfortable place. My room should not have been touched,” said Harduke.
Krshin, troubled, nodded. “Then take her there now.” He looked around and saw the smoke. The sounds of battle were still going on. “I’ll be there as soon as I put down this rebellion.” He transformed into his giant wolf form and jumped up and out of the throne room.
Arilyn placed a hand on Kiran’s shoulder. “I’ll help carry Jaya,” she offered.
“Thank you,” said Kiran softly.
“And I’ll help too!” Harduke. volunteered.
The three of them lifted Jaya up and headed for Harduke’s room.
* * *
Jaya opened her eyes suddenly. Her face felt sticky and hot. Her heart was beating unusually fast. Was she having a nightmare? Dark images faded away but she did not know when they would return.
“There’s a jug of water and cup next to you,” said Harduke.
Jaya sat up but a stabbing pain in her abdomen sent her back onto her pillow. “Goddamnit,” she cursed.
“So you have not healed yet?” Harduke came into the halfling’s view with hands clasped behind her back.
“I just got skewered,” complained Jaya. “Be nice and help me drink the water.”
Harduke picked up the jug and poured it into the cup. “The dreams get more stronger over time but,” she placed the jug down and picked up the cup, “they eventually reach their peak and start to fade.” She then lowered the cup to Jaya’s lips.
Jaya tilted her head up and drank to her satisfaction before letting her head fall back onto her pillow. She wiped the remnants of water on her lips with her right backhand. “I assume since I’m still here that Pa beat Eirabas.”
“Not quite. Both were equal and so King Eirabas escaped, though I suspect your Pa may have let him go on purpose.”
“So in other words, he was going to let Eirabas go anyways even if I wasn’t there to stop him from killing that idiot king,” said Jaya.
“Glad to know your wits are as sharp as ever. That’s a good sign.” Harduke pulled a nearby chair and sat on it. She crossed her legs and stroked her temple with her index finger. “You should be healed in a week. Your Ma was watching over you as well as Miss Arilyn. Thantos came by to tell us that Krshin has gotten everything under control and had Al-Azim and his goons apprehended.”
“Good! That traitor tricked me,” growled Jaya and then she grimaced for it hurt her abdomen.
“Yes, Krshin figured it out. I had Thantos take your Ma to Krshin so that she could also verify that it was Al-Azim who sent you guys through the fake glyph,” said Harduke.
“Where’s Arilyn?” asked Jaya. She didn’t see Arilyn anywhere in the room.
“Just outside of my room waiting. I lied to her saying I needed to do some super secret healing arts on you.”
Jaya was silent for a moment. “Does she know? About…her voice in my head and stuff.”
“Not a clue.”
“Good.” There was another silent moment. Jaya looked past Harduke and out the open window where she saw the six moons beginning to emerge. “Was it like this for you with my pain?”
Harduke crossed her arms. “So you figured it out.”
“I always thought it was kinda odd that my memory of Kalee’s attack was hazy. Then it all clicked when you offered Arilyn to take on her pain.”
“I only took a small portion so it would be easier for you to deal with,” sighed Harduke. “Unlike you with Miss Arilyn. I can still take some of it from you.”
“No, I’ll deal with it,” said Jaya firmly. Then, to prevent further argument, she turned her head and closed her eyes. “I'm going to sleep so you can go off.”
Harduke bowed. “As you wish, young pup.” She stood up from the chair.
“By the way, thanks for helping me…with Kalee. I’m much better dealing with my feelings about her than I was then,” said Jaya.
“No problem,” smiled Harduke and walked out of the room.
Upon hearing the door closed, Jaya opened her eyes and let out a long breath. Was she insane to do this and keep the memories and pain of a woman she had only been watching for a month through the window of the underworld? She turned her head to look up to the cold grey ceiling and slapped a hand on her forehead. The elf wasn’t even single! Perhaps she should take Harduke’s offer.
“Maybe this will pass over. I still have a promise to keep,” she said to herself and closed her eyes. How she was going to do that, she had not a clue but for now she needed to rest some more.
* * *
Arilyn leaned over the balcony in awe. Rows and columns of silver flat roofs stretched out in radial directions to what seem forever. Between the roofs were intricate streets filled with numerous bulbs of light that reminded her of fireflies. Kiran had informed her earlier that this was Aythoda, a grand city to which the palace resided in as the epicenter. She looked up ahead and observed the six moons and the many stars around them. A strip of purple and pink streaked across the horizon.
“You would’ve liked this, Allegra,” she said. When she was not busy with courtly manners, Allegra would take her to the countryside at night where they would lay on the grass, holding hands, and watch the night sky. Sometimes they made love. She smiled as she remembered the touches, the kisses and all their silly little promises to be with each other forever. They were silly considering that she would outlive her lover, that was, if nothing killed them. Still, those promises were made with passionate embraces and she had resolved that they would stay together in life as well as in death for all eternity.
Yes, forever. She clasped her hands over her chest. How was she going to do that now? Kiran had told her that not even her husband could do it and he was their leader! And an even more nagging question was that if, by some miracle, she did return, was Allegra still alive? If her beloved had perished, there was no reason for her to be alive then.
“I’m baaack,” said Harduke. The sage closed the door behind her.
Her thoughts broken, Arilyn turned around. “How did it go with Jaya?”
“Oh, good! Will recover in one week,” said Harduke.
“That’s good to hear,” said Arilyn with relief. She had been worried.
“I see that you were admiring the moons,” said Harudke.
“Yes, we don’t have such a scene. I mean, we only see one moon over Landoa at night.”
“Do you know why that is?” asked Harduke as she walked over to Arliyn and leaned on the balcony.
“No,” answered Arilyn.
“You know the Chasm and how it was created?”
“Yes, we called it the great Catastrophe. A war of which the likes our ancestors has ever seen and the Chasm, along with demons, was the result of it,” said Arilyn.
“The War of the Sun and Moon,” said Harduke slowly.
“Sun and Moon?”
“Isiana, as you know, is the ruler of the Sun. The ruler of the moons,” Harduke pointed to the six moons, “ was a goddess named Ekud Ra. They were each other’s equals and kept the world in balance until one day, Ekud Ra gave forbidden knowledge to mortals. She gave them how to make demons, beings that could oppose a god’s power and possibly destroy a god.”
“Why would she do that? That doesn’t make sense.” Arilyn was taken aback. If she were a god, she wouldn’t give someone knowledge to oppose her.
“To not make sense is her very nature and it did not help that she also did not care. The goddess was heartless and evil to begin with. You could imagine this angered Isiana and the other gods. A war erupted both in celestial skies and on the land. Eventually, Isiana stole one of the moons, weakening Ekud Ra’s powers and she slew the evil goddess, creating the Chasm in the process. For you see, Ekud Ra ruled over seven moons.”
Arilyn nodded. “I see, so the moon we see is the stolen moon of Ekud Ra?”
“Indeed.”
“I would’ve never known that until now. I just assumed that was how the gods made the world with a sun and a moon among the stars.” Then it occurred to her to ask about them. How did these demons come about if mortals created them? As Jaya had said before, these demons have a mind and a heart, far different than the demons that came out of the Chasm. “I’ve been told that demons here are not the same as the ones that come out of the Chasm. I don’t quite understand. From what you are saying, demons were created by mortals who would be my ancestors.”
“Not quite.” Harduke made a sweeping gesture toward the city down below. “Isiana, before she killed Ekud Ra, took those who were still faithful to the gods to the lands in the south that were untouched by war. She left those who had been corrupted by Ekud Ra to starve and die after the Chasm appeared.” There was a tinge of anger in the sage’s voice as she continued. “In order to survive the harsh land brought about by the war, the mortals here had to use the very forbidden knowledge and transformed themselves into demons.”
Arilyn reflected the Harduke’s explanations. “So our ancestors were one and the same.”
Harduke winked. “Does it matter how we came about? We’re here on this side of the Chasm and your people on the other side. The only thing that matters is how we deal with this in the future.”
“About that…Kiran said that there is no way through the barrier,” said Arilyn quietly, remembering her conversation with the dark elf.
“Yeah, that. There is a way. Sort of,” said Harduke hesitantly.
“Then tell me, please!” There was a flare of hope risen in the elven princess’ heart.
“I don’t know if it’ll work but I could,” Harduke pulled a tendril of her hair, “talk to her.”
“You don’t sound too happy,” said Arilyn.
“Wouldn’t you be if you had to talk to someone who tried to kill you?” Then Harduke added, “Several times at that too! My goodness, I just used one of her offering bowls at her stupid temple to drink water one time. One time, mind you! And she wants me skinned alive! The nerve of her.” Harduke crossed her arms and pouted. Then she made a wry smile while rubbing her nose. “Kuku, maybe it was because I hit on one of her worshipers. I dunno why she’d be mad since she doesn’t recognize us anyways.”
Arilyn was at a lost for words. Was she hearing it right? There were demons worshipping gods and, in this case, Isiana?
Harduke caught on to Arilyn’s thoughts and said, “Unfortunately, there are some demons that feel that we should ask the gods for forgiveness for our ancestors’ sins. Such a waste of time considering they won’t recognize them no matter how much they prayed. Bah! Enough, I was not here to talk about the dillies and dallies of demons and gods.” She looked Arilyn up and down. “Miss Arilyn, do you know you have a latent talent? Specifically in swordplay.”
“What?” laughed Arilyn. “That cannot be right. I can’t even hold up a sword!”
“But you did with the fight against Shriva.”
“No, no, that was your doing, Harduke. I was merely a puppet. You guided me.”
“Guided you, yes. Actions, no. I merely reflected of what you desired,” said Haruduke. “It was really all on you.”
“Uhh, I don’t understand but I can assure you that I suck at it.”
“Or never tried. Understand this, Miss Arilyn, you are an elf surrounded by demons. Many of which, beyond this palace, will wish to do harm to you. I, or even Jayar12;no matter how she insistsr12;cannot watch you all the time. You must know how to protect yourself. Even Kiran had to.”
Kiran knew demon magic. Kiran had forsaken the gods and that unsettling feeling in Arilyn returned. “I don’t want to learn demon magic,” she said suddenly.
“And you will not. Swordplay.” Harduke playfully poked Arilyn’s shoulder as if she was poking with a sword. “Yeah? Let me teach you or we could sneak off to a secluded place. Kuku, what do you say?” She licked her lips lecherously.
“Okay, I get it. I do what you say,” grinned Arilyn.
The sage demon moved closer. “ Really? You mean sleep with me?” she asked in surprise.
“Hello no,” growled someone nearby.
Harduke and Arilyn turned to see Jaya with an arm cradling her midsection and her other arm bracing against the door.
“I knew you were up to no good, you horney sage. Arilyn is NOT going to sleep with you,” said Jaya and then she fainted.
“Jaya!” said both Harduke and Arilyn as they both rush forward and caught Jaya.