Shadowed Light- Part One (Updated)

"Aasera, where are you? This isn't funny. You know you're brother will have my head if anything happens to you! Aasera!" A tall man dressed in royal armor called as he picked his way through the overgrown forest paths. He searched in vain for the king's young sister, Aasera. "Aasera! Please!"

"Marcus! Is that you?" It was the princess's voice, she sounded scared.

"Aasera! Where are you? Are you OK?"

"Yes, but someone isn't, I think he's been attacked by something. Please, help," she called.

Marcus pushed his way through the brush, cursing the bulky armor he was forced to wear as a palace guard, wishing for the lighter leather tunic and armor he had worn as a foot soldier. He soon saw a clearing, in which sat a beautiful young lady. Marcus sighed in relief when he saw her safe. A young man lay before her, gasping for air, covered in savage slashes and blood. Aasera had his head in her lap and was washing his face with water from her flask. He looked familiar to the knight, but he could not quite place him.

"Aasera, what happened?"

"I don't know. I found him like this while walking. We should bring him back, get him help. I don't think he's going to make it otherwise."

"Come here. I'll take him. You return to the palace, the king is looking for you."

"Oh no. He's probably trying to introduce me to another suitor. When will he understand that I will not marry just anyone?"

"When you understand that he is only doing what he feels is best for your welfare."

"He doesn't--"

"I know, Princess, I know. But please, for my sake, return. I will take care of this young man. He will be given the best care and hopefully tell us what happened and what did this to him."

"It must have been an awful creature. The rest of the forest animals are in hiding."

"What do you mean?"

"Didn't you notice that there were no squirells chattering in the trees, no birds singing along the paths? Nothing. The forest is silent. That is never a good sign." With that she left in a whisper of orange fabric, gracefully stepping through the mess Marcus had left in his wake. "Don't you know how to walk through a forest, Marcus?" She laughed before disappearing completely. Marcus shook his head and turned to the patient, gasping as he realized just who he was looking at.

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Aasera stood on a balcony outside her brother's study as he spoke to a group of rulers from the twenty other kingdoms. She had arrived just before this meeting, explaining to her brother what had held her up. He listened intently, shaking his head and promising he would look into it. She was still in the room as the others arrived and she went out onto the balcony to excuse herself, mostly to avoid Hanlon, the young ruler of the Northern kingdom. The young king had been hoping to court her since their childhood, when his father realized the strength he could gain by joining the Northern kingdom with the Eastern kingdom. Upon his father's death, Hanlon had taken the throne and insisted upon their marriage. She continuously refused his advances, though her brother was interested in the gains the kingdom would make by their union.

Aasera sighed as she gazed out over the city. Of the twenty, the Eastern kingdom was the most prosperous. There were no poor wandering the streets begging, and the king always listened intensely to any problems the citizens had, solving them when he could. There was the occasional evil witch's curse, but that was often countered by the abundent white mages, wizards and witches before they could do any harm. The people felt safe in the city and the surrounding forests, which frightened Aasera after what she had discovered there. She feared the woods were no longer safe, and that some evil was now creeping into the kingdom. What that evil was, however, she could not tell.

"Aasera? Sister?" a gentle voice asked. Aasera turned to face her brother. "Forgive me, you were pensive, I should not have interrupted your thoughts, but you looked worried."

"Brother, I fear that a great evil makes its way into our kingdom, and that it is closer to us than we realize. Something approaches, I feel it in my heart."

"Aasera, you worry in vain. Any evil would be sensed right away by Salina. Her powers are great and will protect us."

"A powerful witch she may be, Brother, but even the most powerful are not always perfect."

"Fear not. Nothing can harm our people. We are safe. I promise you this."

"Forgive me. I burden you with my worries and petty fears. I trust in your judgement, Brother. I will not think of it anymore."

"Good. Now, come, Hanlon wishes to speak with you."

"I must regretfully decline audience with him. I must visit the hospital and see if Marcus helped the young stranger from the woods."

"Aasera, please, just briefly, speak with him. He has news of which I know you will enjoy. I insist."

"Very well, but only briefly."

"Thank you, Sister."

She watched as he left, sighed, and followed him into the study. Hanlon stood at one of the many book shelves, talking with Cecilana, queen of the Southern kingdom. When he noticed her, he excused himself from the queen's presence and made his way in her direction.

"Good morrow, my lady," he said, bowing.

"Good day to you, Lord Hanlon. My brother said you requested an audience with me. I'm afraid it must be brief, I have business to attend to elsewhere."

"Of course. I merely wished to personally invite you to my wedding."

"Your wedding?"

"Yes. I soon came to realize that the only reason I wanted your hand was to extend the reach of my own kingdom. It was a selfish gain that motivated me, and I regret every moment that I wasted attempting to acheive your hand, and making you miserable, I'm sure. After one such attempt, I decided that our union would have been miserable for both of us, and that simply allying my kingdom with your could suffice. I found love, Aasera, true love. She's a beautiful maiden from my kingdom, a courtier's daughter, whom I had been friends with in my childhood. I wish you would be there when we are wed."

"Hanlon, I could not be happier for you. Of course I will be there. I would not miss it."

"My thanks to you, my lady... Aasera. I'm afraid I keep you from your business. If you'll excuse me, I must make haste to return home. Strange things have been occuring in the forests, abnormal creatures have been sighted, and people attacked. Good day, Aasera."

"Farewell, and safe journey, Hanlon," she replied, bowing to him. She stared as she watched him go. She had been right, something was happening, that was affecting other kingdoms as well. She hurried from the study and down to the infirmary. A young nurse met her at the entrance.

"Princess Aasera, welcome. May I ask your business?" she asked respectfully.

"A young man should have been brought in here earlier, by a palace guard."

"Oh yes, he is being cared for in the prison infirmary. Marcus insisted upon it. He told me not to let anyone in alone with him until he spoke to the king."

"Why would he do that? The man is harmless, probably a traveler, lost in the woods. Tell me, were his wounds treated?"

"They were, my lady. He will survive, miraculously, but at the moment, he is still unconscious."

"May I see him?"

"I'm afraid no one is allowed without the king's permission. Marcus's orders."

"Nila, I wish to speak with him. Please. Just a moment."

"Princess... I can't... Speak with Marcus about it, they were his orders."

"Forgive me for this, Nila. Solambre." The spell put the young nurse to sleep instantly. Aasera quickly made her way through the infirmary, avoiding the nurses deftly. She soon reached the prison section. It was a small corner of the main infirmary, darker than the rest. It was partioned into sections by curtains, within each was a cot, with shakles attached to hold prisoners where they were. At the very end of the room was the one she searched for. He was awake, to her surprise, and sitting up, looking down at his shackled hands. He looked up as she approached.

"Have you come to pass judgement on a harmless ranger?" he asked, looking at her. She was clearly a member of the court, perhaps even royalty, he wasn't sure which. The orange gown she wore accentuated her athletic, yet feminine, figure and her golden skin. Her black hair was pulled into an elaborate gold headpiece, and her honey eyes stared intently at him.

"No. I've come to see how you were doing and how well your wounds were healing."

"I was just fine, until I woke up in chains."

"I must apologize for that. A mild precaution taken by the head of the palace guards."

"Yeah, well, I'm just a ranger who got attacked by... well... I'm not sure what I got attacked by, but it wasn't pretty. Wasn't normal either, come to think of it..." he tried to stand, but the chains wouldn't allow it. He sat back down angrily. Aasera took in his features. He was taller than most, with longer brown hair. His blues eyes looked around the hospital, assessing every little detail.

"I'll speak to Marcus and my brother about releasing you from these chains. If you'll excuse me..."

"Your brother? What can he do?"

"He's the king. I would think he could do much."

"Really... your brother is the king is he... so that would make you a princess?"

"Of course."

"Interesting."

"Good evening, sir."

"Say, what's your name?"

"What's yours?"

"Tarin," he replied, looking for a reaction.

"Aasera," she stated without emotion.

With that, she left him alone with his thoughts, which were abundent. It had been so long, she had changed so much, and her brother was still under the delusion that he was the true king of the Eastern kingdom. The thought made him laugh out loud, gaining the attention of the nurse, who bustled to and fro, changing his bandages and placing a green paste on the open wounds. She smiled gentely and left him alone once more, still laughing.

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Aasera left the hospital wing, listening to Tarin's laughter. She couldn't for the life of her figure out what she had said to make him laugh so. She shook her head, and rushed from the hospital wing, right into Marcus, and a slightly disheveled Nila. Both shook their heads at her.

"Marcus, Nila," she said, bowing her head. "Excuse me. I have business to attend to."

"Why, Aasera? I had my reasons for putting him there," Marcus asked.

"I needed my fears confirmed."

"The man lies, Princess. He has been lying for years, since the first time he appeared in the city."

"So he's been here before?"

"I've said too much. Please promise me you will not speak to him."

"I can't do that, Marcus."

"That's not a request, Sister. That is an order," her brother said, walking up to the small group.

"And may I respectfully ask what gives you the right to order me not to talk to someone?"

"He is a royal prisoner and a threat to anyone he speaks to. As king, it is my duty to protect my people. As your brother, it is my duty to do everything in my power to keep you safe, because if anything ever happened to you, I would die."

"I understand. My apologies. Good day." Aasera turned abruptly and walked from the group, fighting back tears. She stalked from the palace and, not thinking, entered the forest, ignoring the deep, dark silence.

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Meanwhile, the king was still in the infirmary, interogating his newest prisoner.

"Good afternoon, stranger," he said, kicking the chained up man. "Tell me, what brought you back here? Did you think she would remember you? Did you think I would forget you? You're under suspicion of murder, and not just any murder, but your own father's!"

"That's a lie! I was a child when my father died. He was murdered, but not by me. You know that, Vion, you know that well. It was your father who poisoned mine. Your father who stole both of my parents' live? Tell me, Vion, did it make your father feel stronger to kill a king and queen, and then frame a 9-year-old boy for their murders? Did it make you proud of him? We were once friends. Prove to me that the boy I once looked up to is still in that body."

"The boy you looked up to could not stand the sight of you when he was younger. Why should now be any different? I'm a king now."

"You are no king. You sit upon a false throne. Does your sister know what you've done? Have you tainted her too?"

"No. She is a faithful subject. Dutifully following every order I give her."

"Did you order her to forget me?"

"She did that all on her own."

"I don't believe you."

Vion laughed heartily at him, but stopped in surprise as Tarin's hands shot at his throat, shakleless.

"Did you forget how we used to play with these, trying to escape them. You never could figure out the trick, and i didn't want to make you feel bad, so I never told you that I figured it out. Now you are going to let me out of here. You don't have any idea what's right on your doorstep. I've been hunting this thing for weeks. Don't get in my way, and don't think that this is over. I'll be back to deal with you after I finish this."

With that, he left Vion laying on the floor. He hopped deftly out the window into a tree in the courtyard below. Vion watched him run into the forest, frowning, before he called for Marcus.

"I want every available man on alert. If they see a man even resembling that villain I want him brought before me. Find my sister, bring her here. Lock her in her room. I don't want them meeting. Put a guard outside of her room and below her window."

"Sire, do you really think that's necessary? A few men can track him into the forest..."

"No. I know this man. I know what he can do and even your most skilled tracker could not be able to find him. Marcus, you helped my father become king, though it meant going against your king. You know what he can do as well as I. He will stop at nothing until he has finished his task."

"Yes. I know. I will call up the guard. But... do you think he will attempt to contact the princess?"

"I do. I don't want her to know who he is."

"I thought Salina's spell was the strongest she knew?"

"It was but Aasera has a knack for blocking spells. You know how good she is with magic."

"Even Salina's?"

"It's happened before. No. I don't want to risk it Marcus. Just do it."

"With faith and honor, Your Grace."

Vion watched Marcus leave, cursing under his breath as he gazed into the ominous black trees Tarin had taken to for cover. As he turned around, Marcus returned.

"What are you doing here?"

"Sire, it's about your sister..."

"What?"

"She's missing. We've searched the grounds, the entire palace and everywhere in the city. No one's seen or heard from her since she left the infirmary this afternoon."

Vion looked at the setting sun in frustration. As he watched the sun sink down he thought he saw a strange shape emerging from the forest, but he blinked and it was gone.

"She must be somewhere. Did you check the forest."

"A troop went through her usual pathes, but there was no sign of her."

"Damn her. She must be somewhere. Just keep looking. Now leave me. No disruptions."

"Good evening, sire. I will alert you tomorrow should we find any sign of anything."

Marcus left Vion, who was making his way to his room. The soldier looked at the retreating figure in wonder. In one day he had changed. Tarin had had a greater influence than he had thought. Marcus sighed, and walked from the palace to assign duties to the other guards.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Back in the forest, Aasera had been hiding from palace guards. She finally emerged as they left the forest. She wandered through the darkness, magically lighting her way and eventually stopping at a clearing, sitting on a boulder. Deep in thought, she did not hear the deep growl behind her or see the gleaming yellow eyes in the shadows. Without warning, the shape lunged with a roar, knocking her to the ground. She shrieked in surprise and fear, fighting against the large shape on top of her. Claws dug into her shoulder and she screamed in pain. All of a sudden, the mass was off her, grappling with a more human sized shadow. A painful squeal came from the creature and she saw it run off into the forest. The other shadow came toward her and extended a hand.

"Take my hand. We have to get out of here. That creature is not the only one, he'll back with others."

"I'm afraid i can't stand. It got my knee as well as my shoulder." Aasera gasped as a pair of strong arms suddenly picked her up. He ran through the forest, being careful to make as little noise as possible. Breaking through the wall of trees sat a beautiful mare. It whinnied in confusion at the second human. The stranger patted it and climbed on. "My home..."

"I'm afraid I can' take you home, my lady. It is too far away. You wandered deep into the woods, and your wounds need to be treated immeidately. I will take you to my grandfather's farm. It is a short ride due west. For now, rest. I will protect you." Aasera nodded weakly and blacked out.
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"You brought who into my country?" a strong voice asked increduously, cutting through Aasera's hazy thoughts.

"I couldn't leave her there. Her brother would have..."

"Listen to me, young prince. Vion's wrath is not to be reckoned with. If he finds out she's here..."

"He won't. We disguise her. I can't risk her safety, Rangar."

"Your feelings from so long ago still remain for her, don't they?"

"They weren't there... until I saw her face and heard her name again, for the first time in so long. She was 5-years-old the last time I saw her. Even then she was beautiful. I can't send her back there, knowing what Vion is capable of."

"I will do my best to hide her. Now, what of this beast that lurks in our forests?"

"They grown in number and strength each night. I have lost track of the number I have killed and wounded. I fear this may be bigger than anyone expected."

"This news bodes ill to my ears. I shall send word to my allies. Perhaps they have had similar experiences. I thank you for your assistance. Your father and mother would have been proud of you if they were still here. Rest. I will keep an eye on her. Go on now."

Aasera heard one of them walk from the room. She groggily opened her eyes, and found herself staring at an unfamiliar face. The young man laughed at her surprise, pushing blonde hair away from his teal eyes. She say up unsteadily and looked around wildly.

"Where am I? Who are you? I thought..."

"Relax, my lady. You are in the house of Dario. I am Rangar, king of the Western kingdom. A friend of mine rescued you from one of the beasts that have been plaguing the forests that border your kingdom and mine. He brought you here to recover."

"A thousand thanks to you, Your Highness. Forgive me, but I thought that your people and mine were enemies. Why would you give shelter to and enemy?"

"My dear, I am not so heartless as to turn away an injured creature of the Earth. Yes, our people are enemies, but I could not refuse my friend's request, nor turn away such a lovely woman in such a terrible plight, no matter who her people are."

"Your gratitude is overwhelming, my lord. I will remember to pass it on to my brother when I return home. Which I hope will be soon."

"At the moment, I am afraid you are in no condition to travel. I will, of course, set up a room for you and attempt to make your stay here as comfortable as possible."

"Thank you. May I ask where the gentleman is who rescued me?"

"He has gone on an errand for me. He will return at dinner. You may speak to him then. for now, rest, your wounds are still healing." With that he left the room. Aasera smiled to herself and lay back down, falling into a deep sleep soon after. Her dreams, however, were far from peaceful. She was plagued with visions of her home burning to the ground in the night. She saw a man fighting her brother, he looked familiar, but she couldn't see him clearly enough. With a shriek she watched as he killed Vion before her eyes, his blood staining the ground an ugly ruby. She awoke with a start as the murderer turned to face her and she recognized his face.

"My lady, are you alright? You're crying, and were screaming."

She turned, and nearly fainted as she stared into the eyes that haunted the end of her dream. Rather than the rage and violence that had ruled in the vision these eyes were calm and concerned. He placed a hand on her good shoulder, and she pulled away as if he had burned her.

"My lady?"

"I see my brother was merciful enough to release you from captivity. I wonder if he made the right decision."

"It wasn't his to make. I escaped, Aasera."

"Those shakles are impossible to get out of. Believe me, I've tried to."

"No they aren't. There is a trick to them, a trick I learned long ago."

"You lie."

"I don't. Look at me, Aasera. Do you not recognize the face that looks back at you? Perhaps from when you were a child?"

"I'm afraid not. Should I?"

"Perhaps not..."

"How long are you keeping me here, Tarin. I know you won't let me go home freely. Are you using me for ransom? My brother is smarter than that. He would never deal with the likes of you."

"Aasera, I just want to help you and protect you. That is why you are here. That is why I cannot let you leave until I am ready to let you go...again." He stopped abruptly. "I must leave you. Good night, Aasera."

Aasera stared as he left the room in amazement. She couldn't believe what was happening to her, or why.Who was this young man? Why did he insist upon keeping her here. A sharp, sudden pain in her shoulder caused her to black out once again.

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Meanwhile, the Eastern Kingdom that Aasera remembered was in an uproar. The people had never seen their king angrier. After the disappearance of Aasera, he had begun to enforce ridiculous rules, with a curfew and all. Children who once idolized the city guard now ran from them in fear and no one ventured from the relative safety of their homes unless necessary. Strangers were regarded with fear, and many were brought to the prison for questioning. The king no longer held audiences with the people, and their voices were no longer heard. Vion watched all this from the safety of his tower room.

“My lord?” a voice spoke, into the dark room.

“What news, Marcus?”

“There is none, Sire. Aasera has vanished. Vion? If I may be so bold, the people are frightened. These restrictions, these rules, there is only so long they will stay compliant. My lord, please…”

“Marcus, this is for their own good.”

“Vion, you’ve gone too far, he’s gone.”

“He took my sister with him. I know he did. These restrictions will not be lifted until she is home safely and the man who took her and anyone else who helped are punished. I will not be made a fool of in this or any other way!”

“So you’ll destroy the lives of the people who have loved you, whose trust you’ve held for so long, just for revenge?”

“Yes! I can’t let this happen to me, I won’t.”

“Then you are a fool.”

“One more outburst, Marcus, and I will place you under arrest. I am sure some of our prisoners would love to have a chance at revenge. Now leave me.”

“Yes, my lord. My troops are beginning to expand their search, deeper in the forest.”

“Very good. I want that entire forest searched from border to border, and remember, Aasera knows all those woods and its hiding spots, leave no where unsearched.”

“With honor, Lord Vion.”

Marcus walked from the room in anger. Vion was an impetuous fool, as his father was. He could not believe he was still taking orders from this false king. The captain of the guard stalked through the halls, bowling over anyone who was in his way, cursing Aasera and Vion all the way to the barracks. Unfortunately, for one soldier, he was in the way.

“What’s your name, boy?” Marcus asked, grabbing the young man by the collar.

“I’m… I’m…”

“You don’t have a name. You are merely a soldier. When someone asks, that is all you say! Do you understand me?”

“Y-y-yes…”

“What rank are you?”

“Second…”

“No. You are back down to a First. Don’t ever get in my way again.”

“Yes, Sir.”

“Get to the barracks. Tell anyone you see to get there. We have a long search ahead of us.”

“Yes, Sir.”

“NOW!”

He ran off, away from Marcus, warning everyone he met not to get in the Captain of the Guard’s way. The demoted officer turned to face his commanding officer only once, and continued on his way. Marcus chuckled, and then strode on toward the barracks to give out assignments.

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Aasera glared at Tarin from across the table, Dario sitting between them. The young king looked uncomfortably between them, a forced smile on his face.

“Well,” he said amiably, “how has Vion been, Aasera? I’m afraid we haven’t spoken since he kicked me out of the meeting the other day, and those words were less than polite.”

“My brother is fine. Under his rule, our people are prosperous and happy. He is doing everything correctly.”

“Yes, so it would seem, though something seemed to be troubling him the other day.”

“He was worried about me. I had been worried, which means he worried about me.”

“I’m sure, I’m sure…”

“If you’ll excuse me gentlemen, I’m not feeling well at the moment. Have a good evening.”

“Let me help you,” Tarin said, standing up.

“I’m perfectly capable of…” she stopped and grabbed the chair, clutching her head and closing her eyes. From the darkness floated shadows of pictures. Soon the shadows came together and formed pictures, which soon gained life. Aasera watched a scene unfold before her eyes, a horrible scene. She was in a room, a very familiar room, Vion’s study. Looking around she saw flames, and… blood. A horrible creature, like the one that had attacked her in the forest, crept through the door. She suppressed a scream as it slunk past her, and she realized that it couldn’t see her. She looked down at her hand, it was transparent, and she understood that she was not actually there. Voices from the courtyard below drew her to the balcony. Vion and Tarin fought the creatures below, side by side, and were slowly becoming outnumbered. An old woman cackled behind her, and she turned to face Salina, but it wasn’t the Salina she knew. This was a cruel, evil face, with no remorse shining in her eyes. The witch patted the creature that had crept by her earlier and continued to the balcony, watching Vion and Tarin battle in mirth.

'Ah, my pet, very soon the false king will be dead, as well as the foolish true king, and then, the land will be ours,' she whispered. 'There’s nothing you can do to change it, Aasera.'

The princess glanced at the witch in surprise, but she was not talking to her, but rather the other Aasera, who had suddenly appeared besides Tarin. Aasera watched in horror as her brother died at the claws of a creature, Tarin following soon after. The creatures then turned to the princess below.

“No!” Aasera screamed, opening her eyes in fear. Her breathing was a short staccato, and she sat back in her seat.

“Aasera, are you alright? Princess?” Dario asked her in concern.

“Aasera…” Tarin asked.

“We are all in danger. I don’t think there is anything that can save us,” she whispered, before passing out.

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Tarin sat beside Aasera’s bedside as she slumbered, the fitful slumber of those plagued by unsavory visions and nightmares. His worried gaze crept to her face as she flinched in fear. Unconsciously, he placed his hand on hers, as if to help her ease her pain. Nothing was more important to him at the moment then keeping her safe, and he couldn’t do that while she was unconscious and unresponsive to any of the medicines Dario gave her. This was the third day he sat there, he hadn’t left her for more than ten minutes at a time, and Dario was beginning to worry for his friend’s own health.

“Tarin, go rest. I will watch her for now.”

“I won’t leave her, not while she’s so vulnerable.”

“That was not a request, my friend. In my house, you must follow my rules. Now go rest. I will not have you weak and ill if there is a fight ahead of us, and I fear there is. When that happens we will need you at your best. Please, my friend, I will watch over her tonight, you have nothing to fear.”

“Very well. My thanks to you, Dario.”

“Sleep well, Tarin.” The young king watched Tarin go, then turned his attention to the princess, who had begun flinching when Tarin released her hand. He noted this in interest, beginning to understand just what was plaguing his newest guest.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Tarin, listen to me, she’s under the influence of a spell. I’m sure of it,” Dario said angrily.

“Who would put her under a spell? Tell me that, Dario. Who?”

“Perhaps her brother, to make her forget the things she saw as a child. Children are the most impressionable of people you know, and he wouldn’t want anyone to ruin what he had, not even his baby sister.”

“Dario, if that’s the case, she will never remember me.”

“Ah, but you don’t see the effect you have on her while she is in this fit of terror. She is seeing things, things that we can’t even imagine. We have no ideas the horrors she is facing, but for some reason, you being there, touching her gives her comfort. In the deepest recesses of her memory, she knows you, and knows everything her brother ever did. You need to be with her now, you need to bring her out of this.”

“What do I do?”

“There is a spell that I can do, to put you into her mind. You need to lead her away from whatever she is seeing. Look around, you’ll see the way out when you get there.”

“What will it look like?”

“It’s different for everyone, but believe me when I say that you will know it when you see it.”
“Let’s go. I don’t want her to suffer more than she has already.”

The two entered her room a few minutes later, only to see her convulsing and screaming in agony. Tarin ran over to her, taking her in his arms. He looked at Dario.

“Say the spell. Dario, say the damn spell!”

“Chirina minda,” the king whispered, watching as Tarin collapsed onto Aasera’s now still body. “Good luck my friend. Keep yourself and your princess safe.”

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Tarin awoke a moment later in a room he hadn’t seen in years, since he was a child. It was his father’s library, but things had changed. Vion had made it into a dark, cluttered space, full of books of dark magic. Tarin, reading the titles on the books’ bindings, gasped, he had never realized that Vion had delved so deeply into the dark arts. They focused on the worst magic possible for anyone, that of resurrecting the dead, that evil known as necromancy.

'Ah, my pet, this is it, the day I have waited for. All we need is the girl, her power will make this spell work, it is so good, so pure. She has to be the one,' a woman cackled from the shadows of the desk. Tarin looked and saw an old woman sitting in the chair, petting one of the monstrous beasts that had been terrorizing those who wander the forest. 'She will return soon enough, ‘Love’ will see to that, my dear. She would never let this man die because of her.'

'Who is she talking about? What is she talking about? Who is she?’ Tarin thought, looking around for a familiar face. ‘Where is Aasera? I have to go find her.’

Tarin ran from the room, searching desperately for the missing princess. He passed the most unsavory looking of guards, and, though he knew that they could not see him, he still placed a reassuring hand upon the hilt of his sword. Floor upon floor he searched for her, but could not find her. He sat in frustration next to a very old man, who turned slightly and smiled in his direction.

'She is not in the castle,' he whispered, 'she escaped Salina’s terror last night. Both of them escaped to the forest actually, one following the other. I think the leader was unaware of the fact she was being pursued by a young girl looking remarkably like her. The forest holds what it is you seek. Go there.'

Tarin looked in shock as the old man stood and walked away without another word. No one was supposed to be able to see him, how did this man? He heard a chuckle from the man as he turned a corner, then, he was gone. Tarin stood quickly and made his way to the exit, walking right past the guards without a second thought and sprinting into the depths of the forest. Once there, he tried to find Aasera’s trail, but with no luck. He turned a corner and walked through a saddened man in the armor of a palace guard- Marcus. Tarin looked at him, knowing that above anyone else, he would know where Aasera would have hidden, but with no way to communicate, Tarin didn’t know what to do.

'That witch,' Marcus mumbled, 'took everything that was ever important to me away. My king, my daughter, my position, and now she wants my princess. My only duty right now is to protect her.'

“Where is she, Marcus? Where is the princess? Please say where she is,” Tarin said out-loud, forgetting he couldn’t be heard.

'The river cave is the safest place for her right now. The water gods will protect her. She told me to meet her there, and there will I go. I will not allow that witch to destroy the only hope our people have. Yes. I will meet her there.'

'You will not be meeting anyone today, Marcus, but I will thank you for telling me where the fugitive is. I will be sure to tell her before I kill her just who the traitor was that revealed her position. I will revel in the pain that appears in her eyes as she realizes that the last person who she trusted was the one to betray her,' a malicious man’s voice said from the shadows.

'No!!!' Marcus screamed as a bolt of energy tore through him, killing him in an instant. Tarin did not stay to see who the speaker was, but ran from the path toward the river. He had to get Aasera away from that cave before this assassin arrived there. Within moments he was standing before the dark entrance, gasping for air. A familiar voice permeated from the depths.

'Oh Marcus, where are you? I need you here with me. Don’t abandon me, Marcus,' Aasera was saying. Sorrow gripped at Tarin’s heart as he relived the final moment of the soldier’s life. He silently prayed for his soul and entered the cavern, a tear leaking from his eye. The scene that met him was strange, there were two women sitting before a small fire, one dressed regally, as though just coming from a ball, the other in ragged peasant clothes, yet they were the same woman.

“Tarin?” the regal one asked. “But, I watched you die! Oh, he probably can’t hear or see me either. I want to go home.”

“No, Aasera, I can see you. I am the real Tarin, the one you left behind when you entered this world. I’ve come to take you home, but we must hurry. I am afraid an assassin is on his way here as we speak, and I worry that if this Aasera dies while you are here, you may die too.”

“An assassin? Oh but we must warn her, I mean, me. Or wait until Marcus arrives.”

“Marcus is dead. I watched him die, and she cannot hear us. We have to time to lose.”

“I will not let her die,” she said, before walking over to her double and placing a hand on her shoulder. “Aasera, if you can hear my voice, nod.” The other woman nodded, to Tarin’s surprise. “An evil is on its way here to kill you. You cannot no longer wait for the knight to come, for he has fallen. Go far away from here, regroup and return only when you are ready and have friends with you. Do you understand?”

'I do, but tell me, how do you know all this? Who are you and why do you help me so?'

“I’m afraid I don’t have the time to explain, but trust that I am a friend who merely wants to help you and save you.”

'Thank you, friend. You seem very familiar, I trust you. Where will you go?'

“Home, where I can hopefully stop all of this from happening in the first place. The best of luck to you, my friend.”

With that, the ragged Aasera ran from the cavern, leaving only Tarin and the princess. She turned to him and smiled, hushing him as he started to ask how she had communicated. The look she gave told him without words that she would explain later, and he noticed just how much she had changed from this experience just by the light in her eyes. Without a word, she grabbed his arm and led him to the river, just as the assassin was entering. Aasera shrieked when she looked into the face of Hanlon, his once kind face a mask of evil. Tarin dragged her out of the way as he streaked past them, only to yell in rage as he entered the empty passages. Looking around, Tarin saw a flowered path that had not been present before. He picked up Aasera, whose grief had brought her to her knees and ran toward the path, that was rapidly vanishing. As he ran, the path disappeared behind him, and he just manages to get them both away from that world and into a bright purple light just as the final inch vanished beneath his foot. The final thing he remembered before blacking out once again was the feeling of Aasera’s arms around his neck and her body against his.

“Tarin? Tarin, are you well? Oh, Tarin, please wake up,” Aasera’s voice pleaded, guiding him from the darkness. He opened a bleary eye, moaning softly in mock pain. “Oh dear, don’t try to move if it hurts.”

“Oh…” he groaned. “It hurts.”

“This is all my fault. What can I do for you?”

“Do you truly want me to answer that question, princess?” he laughed.

“Laughter? Why, you’re just fine! How dare you play with me like that, making me worry over nothing, you cruel, evil man!” she shrieked, slapping him. He stopped her hand before it reached his face and held it gently in his own. With a sheepish grin on his face, he looked into her eyes, hoping he saw his sincerest apologies hidden in the depths of his gaze. “You are well, aren’t you?”

“He is just fine, Aasera, physically, though I’m afraid his heart may be aching slightly right now,” Dario laughed from the doorway.

“And why is that, doctor?” Tarin asked, though the older man was right.

“Simple, your past has caught up with you, and if I am not mistaken, it has finally been revealed to the young lady as well.”

“You are correct, Sire. My time in that world showed me much that had been hidden from me, though some remains a mystery,” Aasera said, smiling at Tarin.

“So you know the truth then?”

“I do, or most of it, and I must apologize for the accusations I made against you. My brother is a worse man than I cared to believe, and now I see what he did to me. Please, tell me all of what happened, there are many blanks that need to be filled.”

“First, I am sorry, Aasera. I tried to protect you., but I failed.”

“That doesn’t matter to me now. All that matters is that you’re here to tell the story, and I’m here to verify it. Please, tell me the whole story, fill in my blanks.”

“As you know, the king that ruled before your brother was of a different family, now you know that it was my family that had ruled for many centuries. Your father was my father’s advisor and closet friend. One day, my father sent yours out on a mission, a simple peace meeting with the Western Kingdom. It was on his way home that your father was attacked by Western rogues, outlaws whose goal was money. When their request was refused, your father and his small, unarmed company were killed without mercy. A young boy managed to survive by hiding beneath the body of his now dead father. That boy was Vion. He returned with the news, blaming my father for the death of his own. Vion never forgave him for what he thought had happened, and decided to take matters into his own hands, mixing a poison into the drink my father always took before dinner.”

“I remember that night. I watched him mix the drink, I never understood it then, but I do now. He whispered as he poured in a black liquid, ‘this was coming to you, old man. Enjoy this final gift.’ I could have stopped him, Tarin. I knew something was wrong.”

“Do not blame yourself. Nothing could have stopped him. My father died that night, before the eyes of his entire court, of unknown reasons. As I was not of age, my uncle sat in the throne, planning on ruling for the three years I had before my 18th birthday. Two years later, my uncle was killed mysteriously , on my 17th birthday. As I had no family members left, I was told to chose a person I trusted to rule for the final year before I was able to take the throne. As Vion was my very best friend, I consulted with him, and together we decided that he would take over for that year. He was of age, and no one could dispute the placement. All of this occurred before I knew that it was he who had killed two members of my family. Other members of the court, however, had become suspicious of this young man’s ambition, and began to question our friendship and his integrity. Your family was soon looked on with scorn, and you were threatened numerous times, but by my authority, you were protected under royal decree. I knew Vion cold take care of himself, so I focused more on protecting you. It was the only thing that mattered to me after my father died. It was the thought of you that kept me from following my father to the grave, and it was you that I went to with the issues that arose from other suspicions. As young as you were yet, your advice was filled with wisdom. It was from you that I learned of your brother’s deception, when you mentioned the poison in passing as we reminisced about my father. It was then that I realized Vion’s ambitions, and I worried what he would do if he found out you were the one who had told me of this. I could not allow Vion to harm you, and so I stayed by your side, until I was considered a threat to Vion, once I discovered that it was he who murdered my father. He framed me, a child merely 2 years younger than him, and made all believe that I was capable of such an act 2 years after the crime was committed. Those who I once considered friends had deserted me when Vion’s story began to take flight, and I was forced to flee when I was sentenced to die. Vion was named King and he declared war upon the Western kingdom for killing a member of the court years before.

You were the only one who knew the truth, and on the night I left, you had told me that you were going to tell the people what you knew, but Vion took you to see that witch, and you never came forward. I thought that you had been taken in by his tall tales as well, so I left in depression, wandering until Dario discovered me as a mercenary to rid his forest of the demons, and heard my story, the same story I just repeated the night I returned from our first run-in in your kingdom.”

“We never had a run-in in my kingdom. I don’t have a kingdom. It was your kingdom, it always has been. Tell me something, why were you so concerned with my well-being? Surly my brother could have taken care of both himself and me,” Aasera asked, smiling. He could tell she knew, but wanted to hear it from him.

“Do you want the truth, Aasera?” she nodded. “I loved you then. You were my strength, and the thought of you kept me fighting.”

“And why did you enter that world to find me?”

“I would have thought that obvious. It was for the same reason I brought you here, I still love you.”

“Oh Tarin,” she whispered tearing up.

“Aasera, I know that this is a lot for you right now, so I will leave you now, to rest.”

“Please, don’t leave me, Tarin. I can’t be alone anymore.”

“You will never be alone again, Aasera.”

Aasera smiled and surprised Tarin by wrapping her arms around his neck. He responded by wrapping his arms around her waist. She pressed herself up against his body, placing her head on his shoulder, for once in her life being actually happy. He looked down at her peaceful face as she began to fall asleep on his shoulder, promising himself that he would never let anyone harm her. He would die before anyone laid a finger on her. She smiled peacefully, and as she slept, he kissed her lightly on the forehead, to seal his binding vow to her, before falling asleep himself.

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Thousands of miles from the sleeping pair, a plot was being hatched. In darkest pits of the castle basements of the Eastern kingdom a group, garbed in robes of ebony, arcane symbols of evil sewn into the hems, met in secrecy. Their faces were masked and hooded, and everything that could be done to distort and disguise the height and shapes of their bodies was. One individual stood straight and tall, proud and choosing to hide nothing from the others.

“My brothers and sisters,” her strong voice rang out across the meeting, “the time for us to make ourselves known to the world. The Eastern Kingdom is in chaos, and the only one who could have stopped us has disappeared without a trace. As you all know, my pets have begun to wander farther then just the forest between the Eastern and Western Kingdoms, they have traveled to the Southern and Northern as well. The false king that sits upon the throne here has done exactly what we planned, exhausting his resources to make everything look perfect. Our future looks bright, my friends, and I believe that we no longer have need to hide our identities. Show your faces, brothers and sisters, let us look into the eyes of our partners.”

“I wouldn’t do that just now,” a voice said from behind her. The woman whipped around to face an elderly woman, holding a small, silver knife.

“Who are you? What right have you to interrupt?”

“Ah, but I believe you would like to know the information I hold, my lady.”

“I do not believe that you have anything worth saying.”

“The girl will return, my lady. As we speak she learns the truth I attempted to rip from her mind, under the orders of her brother. She is strong, stronger then any of us here.”

“The girl? Return? What else have you seen?”

“Only one other thing,” Salina cackled.

“What?”

“Your imminent death, Your Highness, Queen Cecilana. Yes, I know who you are. I also know that you have been planning this since the re-establishment of this underground group of rogues almost 20 years ago. Don’t look so surprised. You should know that I know all and see all. You, however, Cecilana will not live to see your plans work out.”

“When am I to die?”

“Right now,” Salina said, lunging at the unsuspecting queen, stabbing her repeatedly, until the queen breathed her last breath. “Now that that is over and done with…” The congregation stared at her in shock.

“What have you done? Such a thing has never been heard of!” one woman shrieked.

“Your ‘leader’ would have run her plan into the mud. She would have taken over for her own kingdom. Now tell me, how many of you expected your dark emblem to be raised when you achieved victory?” The entire congregation slowly raised their hands. “With her as your leader, you would have been united under the Southern banner, but under me, you will be free, under the banner you first believed. However, if you reject my help, I will turn your plan against you, your creatures have already fallen to my power, I control them now. Death will be swift for each of you, with or without the masks.” With that final enigmatic statement, Salina left the group in silence, turning only to spit upon the corpse of Cecilana before returning to the world of light.

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