Original: To Fire It Shall Return

Chapter 18

Karanis closed the outer door to Akarris as she stepped hesitantly out of the ancient building and onto the green grass. She felt almost like a rabbit, venturing out of her hole for the first time. She laughed at the image. Her, a frightened little woodland creature. But it was true this was her first time she had traveled in this new country, which Koldar had dubbed 'New Mecco.'

Akarris was situated on a hill and Karanis began to walk down the slope, carefully avoiding the sweet-smelling, thorny heather that dotted the meadow. Amazing that something that smelled that good, could be so spiny. Sort of like her. Whatever else one said about Lokkar, he had found a gorgeous spot to move the castle to.

She didn't know why she had never done this before, just needed a reason, maybe. And now that Koldar was so busy with his 'guests'… she shook her head.

The crunch of the stiff grass being ground beneath a boot alerted her to another's presence and she whirled in surprise, nearly losing her balance on the slippery slope. Traitor.

"Lovely day, isn't it?" said Lokkar, smiling. Karanis' eyes narrowed.

"I suppose so." They stood in silence, both waiting for the other to make a move. Lokkar seemed to be struggling with himself. Finally, he spoke.

"I would like to ask something of you." He raised a dark-skinned hand as Karanis opened her mouth to retort. "Please, let me speak. I know that our relationship thus far has been… less than ideal. And that is partly my fault. However, I would like to begin again. I do not want you to hate me, my Lady." His face was stony, his voice detached as he pronounced these words, as if it wasn't really him speaking.

Confusion swept through her mind. Lokkar was admitting weakness? To her? Until now, they had been like snarling animals, biting and clawing if the other invaded their territory, and now he wanted to make peace? Then suddenly she understood: the sincere smile; 'my Lady' meant as an honourific, not as condescension; Lokkar was afraid. He knew that she could convince Koldar to kill him, and he was trying to head her off before she made the effort. Karanis smiled; she was going to enjoy this.

"What if I don't want to make peace with you? I see nothing redeemable in your character at all. You have treated me with disrespect from the start and this game of yours - crawling to me on your belly with peace at your lips - will not make me feel any more charitable towards you."

Lokkar had desperation engraved all over his face. "I have loved you from the start. I only-" he blurted, then stopped, realizing what he'd just said. Karanis' face darkened.

"You love me? Have you ever done anything to convince me of that? I see even less reason to be charitable towards you than before, and neither will Koldar when he finds out that you've had designs on me." This last was delivered with malicious delight and an unspoken statement: 'I don't believe you, but I'll pretend that I do for the additional pleasure it will give me to bring you down with it'. Karanis walked past Lokkar, intent on the door, but he seized her around one strong, smoothly tanned arm and halted her progress.

"You won't tell Koldar of this," he said, not asking, telling. Karanis turned to him, her fury hidden behind a carefully designed mask of cold sadism.

"Or what, Lokkar? What will you do?" She tore her arm out of his grip and strode away. The mortal didn't follow.

Lokkar watched Karanis leave, feeling a hundred feelings well up inside him. His latest attempt to stave off the inevitable had failed, and he felt both relieved and disappointed. He would have to leave soon, and decisively, so that Koldar would never be able to find him. But, he vowed, he would be back, someday.

Lelahn controlled her fear with a steel will as the two men returned. Kelden was unmarked, but he had a distracted, haunted look in his eyes. Alainna followed the demon out without a word, only casting a concerned glance at her friend. When the door closed, Lelahn confronted Kelden.

"What happened?"

"Nothing," Kelden said morosely. "We talked. For a long time."

"And?"

"And he told me that we're twin brothers. He even asked me to join him, to help him." Lelahn caught her breath.

"What did you say?" she whispered. Kelden laughed, his usual ebullience returning.

"What do you think I said? Geez, Lelahn, what do you take me for? I said no!" Lelahn laughed too, relaxing slightly. Then they fell silent and regarded each other for a moment.

"Are you worried about Alainna?"

"You bet," Kelden responded. "But I shouldn't be. She can take care of herself. Besides," he added, gesturing towards Sharra in the corner, "if something happens, Sharra will tell me."

"Yeah," Lelahn said, "but we still won't be able to do anything, will we?"

Alainna forced her face into impassivity as she followed her enemy up the stairs and down an echoing stone hallway. Before long they reached a doorway and Koldar opened it, leading her inside. A huge bed dominated the room, lit by flickering candles and Alainna felt a flood of panic. She shrank back slightly and the Wizard smiled.

"Don't worry, Sorceress. These are my private chambers and I thought you would like to talk in more… congenial surroundings." Congenial? This was a torture chamber, carefully concealed.

"What are we going to talk about?"

"I'm sure you have questions, I'm going to try to answer them," Koldar responded, taking a seat in the chair. Alainna realized instantly that he had put her at a disadvantage: either she stand, or take a seat on the bed. She feigned unconcern as she did the latter.

"Answer my questions?" Alainna scoffed. "I tried to kill you a hundred years ago; how do you know I won't just try again?" Koldar's face darkened momentarily, then grew impassive.

"Because I believe you are more intelligent and reasonable than that. I think we can discuss this like reasonable human beings."

"Can we?" Koldar smiled, not dignifying her question with a response. Alainna tried a different tack. "Why did you steal our Horses?"

"I did it to bring you here, of course. But there are more interesting things to discuss than that: I spoke to Kelden for a long time, don't you want to know what we talked about?"

"Of course."

Koldar outlined what he had discovered of Earth's past and about the Vanished Ones. He mentioned nothing about his plan, or the children. Alainna listened quietly, not allowing her face to change, even as he told in vivid detail of the destruction of Earth. Finally he exploded in frustration.

"Does none of this matter to you, woman?"

"Of course it matters to me. And I will thank you to be more respectful to me, Wizard. I am not a 'woman'."

"Then what are you?" Koldar asked with a smile. He allowed his eyes to travel appreciatively over her body. Alainna recoiled, speechless, to his obvious amusement. She trembled with repulsion. Desperately, she got the conversation back on track. "What I wonder is, why does it matter to you?"

"What do you mean?"

"Your traditional role on Earth is to be evil, to care nothing for others except where you will gain from it. It is important that you remain a balance for me, to keep stability. Until now, you have performed that duty quite well. What has gone wrong now?"

"Nothing has gone wrong, Sorceress, I assure you," Koldar spoke softly, "but this is more important than our petty games of good and evil. Something is about to happen that will upset this balance, and we cannot ignore it."

"And why do you care? I'm sure if there is a war, you will have the intelligence and the resources to gain from it, so why all this?"

Koldar smiled. "Because I gain more from helping Earth to survive. They have superior technology, and may know magic as well for all I know. If they come prepared for war, I don't think we, as things are, can stand against them."

"So how must things change?"

"We must unite the Guilds, and the rest of Earth too, if we can. You and I will rule together."

Alainna rose to her feet, trembling with anger. "You expect me to believe that you would allow me to have equal footing with you? We could never rule! You would find a way to do away with me within a year; even if I did believe what you're saying." Koldar's face darkened with rage.

"You don't believe me? You would risk the fate of our entire world for your naive vision of right and wrong! I am human, however evil I profess to be. But you don't care. You know the White Guild would never submit to my leadership, but you don't care about that either. You have to maintain your principles." He spit the word like an insult. "Very well, then. If I must, I will slaughter all of your people. If we have no opposition, that is a unity in itself. I will not allow you to jeopardize the Black Guild's future!"

"You would slaughter them anyway, no matter what I did."

The Black Wizard's voice suddenly dropped. "No, Sorceress, I would not. I am ruthless, and ambitious, but I do not do more than necessary to ensure victory. Take greater care to know your enemy in the future."

"One doesn't have to know an enemy that you've already killed." Alainna's voice suddenly dropped at the last. She had finally goaded him too far and could see it in his eyes - so like Kelden's. She could read this man as if he were her old friend. He snarled with rage and the pain of his hand across her face was augmented by the pain of her head hitting the iron railing of the bed. Then all was lost in the blackness.

Renah, Norath, and Ferris crouched in the brush, considering the castle on the hill.

"What do you suppose it is?" Ferris wondered aloud.

"I don't know," Renah responded. "But I'm going to find out." As she spoke the words, she jumped to her feet and began to stride toward the black fortress.

"Wait!" Norath caught up to her daughter and grasped her by the arm. They could have magic. It might be dangerous. We would be better to simply find another place to go." Renah regarded her mother rebelliously.

"Since when did you shy away from a challenge, Norath? I have magic. I can handle them."

"Are you sure?" Norath argued. "You've never even met a wizard, let alone battled one."

"Mother," Renah said patiently. "No black wizard has ever crossed the Great Ocean, so far as we know."

"Exactly my point; we are dealing with a complete unknown."

Renah regarded her mother askance and glanced briefly at her father, still cowering behind. "Stay here."

She walked away. Her parents watched her retreating back helplessly. Before she had taken twenty steps, a man emerged from the castle, astride a gleaming white Horse. He caught sight of her, and spurred the animal towards her. She didn't slow her pace until he drew up to her. His dark skin blended with his black, loose clothing so that only his eyes and teeth, as he smiled, stood out. He took an appraising looked at both her, and her parents, before addressing her smoothly.

"Who are you?"

"My name is Renah. I come on the authority of the White Sorceress with these companions from the Badlands." She told the lie with reservation; if he was a black wizard, he may not react well to it. Instead, he smiled.

"Well, then, your White Sorceress is in that fortress behind me, with her companions. If you hurry, you can save her before the Black Wizard kills her. As for me; you never saw me. Good luck." He turned his Horse to leave.

"Wait! Who are you?" He glanced at her over his shoulder, his eyes narrowed like an angry cat's.

"Good luck," he repeated, then the Horse sprang into the air and disappeared into the Eastern sky. Renah called to her parents.

"Did you hear that?" Norath and Ferris were running to her, their eyes and mouths wide with panic.

"Yes," Norath said when she reached Renah. "We have to save Alainna." Without further discussion, the three charged the castle.

They stood in the centre of the courtyard, the air crackling with tension. The black sorceress and Black Wizard stood side-by-side facing Alainna, who was flanked by two Soldiers. Kelden and Lelahn were there as well, also surrounded by guards. Koldar took a step towards the White Sorceress, his face impassive, his crystal sword clenched in one gloved fist.

"I have tried to be reasonable with you, Sorceress. I have tried to make you understand that I mean neither you, nor our planet, any harm. I have tried to make you see, but I have failed, and now I am afraid that I will have to kill you, as I killed Marsia before you." Alainna felt the protest rise up inside of her. She longed to plead with him, beg for mercy, but she did not. She would not die a coward. Instead she spoke in a slow, dangerous tone, utterly calm.

"What purpose would that serve, except to relieve your anger, Wizard?"

He smiled soullessly, his eyes obsidian. "What indication have I given you that I am angry? As for the purpose, is it not true that it is tradition that the killer of a White Sorceress can take her place with the approval of at least one member of the White Guild? This is to facilitate the replacement of your leaders should it become necessary?"

"Yes," Alainna was confused, but tried not to show it. "But that does not help you. You will never get anyone to sponsor you, just like before." His smile widened, and, if possible, grew even more sadistic. He was obviously enjoying his game.

"I have Kelden, and he is perfectly qualified to endorse me. He is well-respected, and you have no heir. I will be your replacement."

"He will never endorse you!" Alainna said hotly, beginning to lose her control. He didn't answer for a moment. Instead turned his attention to his sword and played with it, holding it with both hands and watching how the light refracted across the black crystal. Alainna felt as if she would go mad, watching the sunlight play across the blade as it turned over and over in Koldar's strong, delicate hands; seeing the tears standing in Kelden's eyes. Finally he lowered the sword until the point touched the ground and answered.

"He will endorse me. I have Lelahn, and the efficiency of the Black Guild's torture techniques is renowned. Their reputation is not exaggerated." Kelden tried to take a step forward, but was grabbed around the upper arm and restrained by one of the Soldiers that flanked him.

"Wait, Koldar." He took a breath. "Don't you think Alainna would be a much greater influence on me than Lelahn?" he said haltingly. His eyes met Alainna's, please don't say anything, they begged. Koldar didn't turn to address Kelden when he answered, but continued to watch Alainna, as if she were a dangerous animal.

"It's too bad, brother, that you don't have the same loyalty for me as I would have had for you. Except for that, I might have granted your wishes and relied on our combined strength to control her." He took a step toward Alainna, a smile shifting the scar on his cheek. He almost seemed to be directing his comments at her, even though he was speaking to Kelden. "As it is, she is too powerful to risk, and your refusal to accept me only makes this all the sweeter."

Alainna saw a shadow pass over Kelden's face at his words and she tried to attract his gaze, but this time he wouldn't look at her. Before she could think of a suitable response, Koldar raised the point of his sword and approached her. The hand holding the sword was gloved in black leather, she saw, but the other was bare. This hand he raised as he came closer and stroked her pale cheek delicately. She couldn't repress a shiver of pleasure at his Touch. "Now, my dear," he whispered, almost tenderly, "You have been a worthy opponent over the years, but now, you see, I must ultimately succeed. Life is not a storybook, and Good does not always triumph. It is a lesson that the White must learn, and I will teach it to them." She did not move, but only stared into his dark eyes. So like Kelden's, but there was a sadness there, and an uncaring emptiness that she could never see in her friend. This man cared nothing for anyone; she had been right not to listen to him, Alainna decided. The simple fact that he was about to kill her proved that.

She did not look away, or even flinch as he raised the sword and then brought it down again, in a quick, slashing motion, sending her into darkness.

Return to Miscellaneous Page

Return to the Main Index

Email Chichiri no da