Unreliable Narrator
A Raven and Malchior Story

Prologue

)O(

It was important to Raven to remember that Malchior was, at all times, just a creature. He was an over grown lizard with an ego two sizes too large. And in the story of her life, he was nothing more than a period. An end to a sentence she would much rather pretend had never been written. That was it. A lizard did not have a history, or thoughts, or intrigues. It was an animal, more likely to be run over by a vehicle than to pull on the heartstrings of a young woman like Raven.

And that was what she reminded herself as she locked the book in a steel trunk and tucked it in a dark, musty corner of the tower's basement.

"You wish to keep me here?"

Raven stared at the metal locks, frowning. "I'd rather not keep you at all. But if I can prevent you from taking advantage of another poor soul, then I can put up with your whining for sometime." Raven moved some larger boxes on top of the trunk, trying to muffle any noise that might escape. Or, more precisely, any words.

"It's wet down here. My ink will smudge."

"If you'd like, I'd be more than happy to weight you down and toss you into the bay." Raven grinned at the box, which shuddered slightly under the thread. "Then I wonder what will happen to your ink?"
"You're a witch."

"Only because you made me one." She dusted off her cloak and looked around the basement, noticing the dust that had gathered on so many boxes. How long had they all been here? How long would the steel trunk stay down here? "Now, if you don't mind, I am going back upstairs to have dinner and be with my friends." She snarled a little. "You know real friends ones that don't pretend to be gifts in disguise. But then again, I'm sure you have no idea what I'm talking about."

"You keep your lips sealed, Raven!" The trunk gave such a violent shudder, that several boxes toppled over, sending various items sprawling across the floor. Raven took a step back, staring at the trunk. Her heart jumped to her throat and she fought to swallow it. "You have no idea what betrayal is... so, go upstairs to your friends and leave me be, you useless witch." Silence.

Raven, against her better judgment, moved forward half a step, her hand outstretched as if she were going to comfort something. And then she remembered, it was nothing more than a lizard. She picked up the boxes and returned them to their spot on the trunk. Silence filled her ears, taking the place of the beautiful whispers that had been there the past few weeks. That was fine with her.

Raven turned the light off and headed upstairs, sealing her thoughts away in the darkness of her mind and in the dusty corners of the basements. This was the end, and she knew that. He was, after all, just a creature, and creatures didn't have feelings. Leave him here for as long as she wanted, he wouldn't even notice.

Months passed, and things slowly returned to normal. The story seemed to fade away on everyone's lips, Memories became broken photographs, locked away in a forgotten box. The team kept busy, Raven even more so. Being occupied meant that she couldn't focus on those few disastrous weeks. She was free from things that haunted her when her mind was at rest. At least, she thought she was, until that cold, January morning.

"That's no fair!"

"Beast Boy, life isn't fair."

"What are you, my mom?"

"No. I don't have the patience to house train you." Cyborg snorted and went back to beating Beast Boy's character to the high heavens. A few more insults were thrown back and forth, but nothing out of the ordinary. Robin stood in the kitchen, watching them with an expression of mild amusement.

"You would think that they'd grow up, eventually."

Raven smiled at her leader, before returning to her tea. "That's like asking the sky to turn green. It won't happen, so don't even bother." There was a long pause and Raven could feel Robin's stare on her, watching her unhurried movements carefully. Every so often, he looked at her with concern, as if she was breaking apart piece by piece, and then he asked that stupid question. She sighed and looked up at him. "Go ahead, ask away."

He at least had the decency to look a little sheepish. "I know I ask you all the time but... are you okay?"

"You do ask me all the time, and you know how I feel about your incessant prying." Raven gave him a coy smile, but he didn't buy it. "For the millionth time, I'm fine. So, stop worrying about me." She shrugged, trying to keep her mind from wandering there. It felt like a fruitless task, but she would never let her teammates know that. "Wounds heal, and we all go on living."

"Wounds also scar, Raven." Robin leaned against the counter and stared at her. His eyes were intense, and Raven was forced to look away before she broke down in front of him. "Do you want to talk ?"

"Robin, with all due respect, it happened over six months ago, my wounds have healed and there are no scars. Talking about it now would only make new ones." She forced an awkward smile at him, and he shook his head in response. Of course he didn't buy her speech. Robin knew Raven better that anyone else in the tower, well... except for an ancient text, locked away in a trunk. But he was just a memory. "Really, I'm fine."

Robin opened his mouth to say something, but red lights flashed and he snapped it shut, looking over at Cyborg. He was grumbling about having to pause the game, but still moved to check the tower's surveillance. His mouth twisted into a frown as he pressed a few buttons. "It looks like we have a visitor, but...there's no sign of entry. Forced or otherwise." He grunted out a sigh. "Might as well take a look at it. C'mon, let's head down to the basement."

Raven felt her stomach drop to the floor and she took a step forward. "The basement?" Her voice broke slightly and she felt Robin's stare burn a brand into her back. Damnit. Right after she told him that everything was fine, of course something like this had to happen. "Let's check it out."

"Right... we wouldn't want the Christmas decorations to get damaged or stolen." Robin muttered under his breath so that only Raven could hear. She turned around and glared at him, but he just met her eyes with the same intensity in his. It was as if he was silently challenging her to say something she shouldn't have. The look only succeeded in making Raven want to punch him.

She rolled her eyes and turned away. "Let's go. We can't have strangers just wandering around the tower." Raven glanced back at Robin as she left the living room. "Or small children." She heard him mutter a curse at her, but nothing more. Let him brood, there was nothing he could do to fix her, and she was fine with that, but he didn't have to be so rude about it.

Cyborg opened the door to the basement stairs and flipped on the light. Raven wasn't sure if she was in a dream or a nightmare, but this couldn't be real. Her fingers gripped the handrail so tight her knuckles turned white with the pressure. He was there, rifling through the team's storage boxes as if it were just another, normal day in the neighborhood. His movements paused as he felt their presence, and then turned slightly to look.

"Rorek?" Was the only word that squeaked out of Raven's throat. Time seemed to pause a moment, and the tall, slender man stood and turned to fully face the team. She felt the ground beneath her shake with the sudden realization that this was no character in a book. He was real, and in her basement... but looking for what? Raven took a few, cautious steps down the stairs.

"Sir Rorek." Came the soft reply. His eyes drifted over her with a mixture of caution and intrigue. A small smile peeled across his lips and Raven took a step back. She'd seen that same, frightening stare before, watching her from pages in a book. "You flatter me with your knowledge. I wasn't aware that my name was known in these parts, my fair lady. And you are...?"

The steel trunk in the corner gave a violent shudder, and the chains around it shattered. There was a rush of wind and a flash of white power, and then the book tumbled into view. The whole team gasped, but Raven took a few more steps forward against her better judgment. What was happening? The pages turned and fluttered until they landed on the half-destroyed picture of a man. "You keep your grimy hands off Raven, Rorek. This battle is between you and me. There is no need to drag any more innocents into this."

Raven jerked a little under the tone from Malchior and she stared at the book. She wasn't sure if he sounded possessive or angry, but the tone in his voice made her feel sick to her stomach. She didn't belong to anyone, least of all a faceless lizard.

"Ah... I knew I would find you eventually. But... poor, Malchior. You've been locked up in that trunk for so long. Are you all right? Have you destroyed another life? Changed another world?" Rorek shook his head, frowning at the book, still open on the floor. "You are never going to learn to calm that hunger you have, are you? You will keep on destroying everything until there is nothing left."

The book slid forward to stand open along the edge of its spine. "Destroy what exactly, Sir Rorek? My queen?"

"Your queen? Is that the lie you've woven after all these years?" Rorek stared at the book and let go of a dramatic sigh. Raven looked from the book back to the knight and frowned. Exactly what was going on? And between them? "If I remember correctly, you attacked her kingdom, Malchior. Don't you remember what happened? The screaming, the cries of agony, the flames engulfing the whole town... all because of you."

"ARGH!" The book lurched again, and this time there was a shower of green sparks, and then the towering form of a paper dragon filled the dark space. Malchior's tattered wings brushed the steel beams of the ceiling, but Rorek didn't look concerned. The dragon stepped forward, hissing at the small knight. "I didn't kill them. You know what happened!"

"You look very convincing right now, Malchior." Rorek held out his hand, and with a few, short words, Malchior was folded back into the book. That was enough. Raven rushed down the last few steps and slid her body between Rorek and Malchior. She felt both their stares streak right through her, as if nothing, not even an innocent young woman, would get between them and whatever this conflict was about.

"What is going on here?"

"I've come to collect the book, Miss... Raven, was it?" Rorek smiled sweetly and took a few steps toward her. Raven automatically took the name number of steps back, trying to keep space between them. There was something about Rorek that set her teeth on edge and made her feel... itchy and uncomfortably. Rorek gave another dramatic sigh. "Unfortunately the ghastly thing must stay in my care until I learn the secret to destroying it. I do apologize for any inconvenience I may have caused you, fair lady."

"Stop calling me that." Raven snapped her teeth and Rorek took a step back, unused to his charm not working on young women. Raven watched with mild satisfaction as a small, confused frown twisted his perfect mouth. "I cannot give up the book, Rorek. I have been damaged by it before, and I refuse to let it happen to anyone else. Please accept my apologies."

"I fear your powers are not enough to contain the beast... he will use you again, fair Raven." He cringed a little as Raven's eyes grew red. "I only wish you keep you safe. It would be such a tragedy to see your beautiful heart taken advantage of."

"Shut. Up."Raven turned to see Robin rushing down the stairs, her teammates in tow readying for a fight. "I don't know where the hell you came from or what the hell you are, but you're annoying us and upsetting my friend. Get out."

Rorek frowned and his eyes darted to all the faces staring at him.

Raven, felt a sudden surge of anger erupt in her chest. She scooped up the book and held it against her chest, glaring. "Whatever charms you typically use on unsuspecting women will not work on me. If you are so kind, I would appreciate it if you found the door and let yourself out. And never come back again." The book shuddered in her arms a little and she looked down at it. The pages were trembling, as if there was some unseen breeze in the basement.

"I see." Rorek took a few more steps away, eyes glued onto Starfire's glowing starbolts. He cleared his throat and turned to face Raven, grimacing. "Well, I can see when you've made up your mind, fair Raven... perhaps we will discuss this issue again in the near future." He bowed curtly. "Good evening."

"I don't want to see-" FLASH "-you ever again... damnit." Raven heaved out a growl and threw the book on top of an empty box. She felt her friends press close to her, staring over her shoulder as she yanked the book open to the tattered portrait. Malchior looked somewhere between furious and sheepish. "Explain. Now. Tell me why I shouldn't have handed you over. Tell me why I kept you from the one person I know I should have handed you over to."

"I..." His eyes looked at all the faces watching him and he gave a sigh, his pages fluttering in response. "It's a very long story... and I cannot explain myself unless I ask a favor of you."

"I will not release you, you useless lizard." Raven moved to slam the book shut, but Malchior cried out.

"Don't! I will only do this once, Raven... I beg of you please... release me and I will explain exactly what happened here and what happened between me and my comrade."

"Your... comrade?" Raven felt her mouth fall open and she snapped it shut. There was another surge of anger and distrust in her and she grabbed the book and shook it. Malchior's gaze did not waver, but it felt better to release some of the pressure in her, even if she looked a little ridiculous. "What in all of the nine levels of hell is going on!"

"I promise to tell you everything if you just release me..."

"Oh go... go fuck yourself!" Raven threw the book on the floor and started for the stairs, feeling the shocked eyes of her friends follow her. "I'm not falling for that again."

"Please!"

Raven whipped around and stared at the book. Her friends took a few steps away, giving her the space she needed. "No! Why should I believe you?"

"Because if you don't release me your town may be in danger!"

Raven fought the urge to kick to book at this point. There was that perfect forked tongue sticking out, whispering sweet words to her all over again. She felt for it once, but knew better this time. He had already played her for a fool, and she grew. "You are a terrible liar."

"I am not lying! Rorek was my friend and he destroyed my life! If we don't stop him, he will take whatever he wants from the world around us."

"I ask again, why should I believe you?"

"I am not a dragon! I was a man once, Malchior only son of my family." His voice sounded desperate and shaky, as if there was no other choice but to beg. Raven felt her heart twist and then remembered, that he was just a lizard. "First sorcerer to the queen of the kingdom of Lamir, and I was trapped inside the body of a dragon by Rorek, second sorcerer to the queen! Please, Raven! I need you. If there is anyone in this stupid world who I can trust it's you."

"That may be." Raven picked up the book and threw it back in the trunk, slamming the lid. "But I cannot trust you."

)O(

This is dedicated to Delphina Valitrix who has a forked tongue of her own.
I really had no intention of every writing for this pair, but Delphina is (unfortunately) very persuasive. So, that being the case, I hope I don't muck this up, let me know what you think and... we'll see where this goes. I do not expect it to be very long, five/six chapters at most not including this prologue, so... thanks for reading and let me know what you think.

PS: I changed the title from "Betrayed" because I thought it sounded too cliche. And there was another story called "Betrayal" so... to save us all confusion... ta da! Literary Terms!