A/N: Here's the long awaited chapter to Rekindled. My best friend bribed me with sexual favors to get this out. Yes, my best friend is also the same sex as me. And I'm a girl. (How could you think otherwise?)
Rekindled
Chapter Twenty: The Beginning
By: DarkDracon0
Dante and Kel stared at each other, mute. A knock on the door sounded but neither took notice. It seemed like years had passed before Dante walked to the door and opened it, nodding to the servant. The servant stuttered a bit, surprised to see him in Kel's room.
"Sir, His Majesty wishes to see you along with Lady Keladry." Dante nodded. "We'll be there shortly." Dante closed the door. Glancing back at Kel, he winced a bit at her paleness. "Well, Keladry, Jon wants to see us. Come on." Kel rose from her place on the bed and pulled at her shirt, a futile attempt to smooth out the small wrinkles.
They both walked out together silently, neither looking or saying anything to each other. They arrived at the king's private study, knocking on the heavy door. The king's voice called out, summoning them in. Both took a seat before the large desk as Jon poured over maps and Numair pointing out certain coordinates.
Jon looked up and there was a nervous look on his face. His eyes shot to Numair's and gave the command silently. Numair nodded. Looking at both of them, he said, "Dante, there seems to be a… rip in the air just in a small forest near the south. Dante started. "A rip?" Numair nodded again.
"Yes, there is no better way to describe it. Much like the opening during the time of the Immortals War where Immortals came from the Divine Realms." Dante stared hard at Numair. "Are you sure?"
"Yes. We need to ride out and inspect it and it would only seem appropriate that both you and Keladry accompanied us. The prophecy seems to be in effect now." Dante gripped the arms of his chair in a white-knuckled grip. "No, it can't be. Its far too soon. Too soon…" Dante's voice trailed off. Picking up his voice again, Dante managed to croak out, "If its begun, then you're going to have to give me the manuscript you found. Now." Numair looked confused. "
"Why would you need it?"
"We're going to have to close the portal before any demons sense it. And only Kel can read it." Kel jumped at the sound of her name. She had been silent through the entire beginning, confused. A portal? Demons? It sounded so ridiculous and far-fetched.
"Quickly, we have to get to the portal and give me the manuscript." Numair handed the manuscript to Dante and he looked through it, his eyes skimming through the script. His face paled and his grip tightened. He looked up.
"We need to get out there, to the portal. Immediately. We haven't much time."
They rode out to the outside walls of Corus, barreling through the streets with men from the King's Own and the Queen's Riders, all heavily armed with several war mages. Dante rode beside Numair, Kel behind him. Commoners quickly moved out of the way at the sight of the fierce men, grim with hints of danger in their eyes. They rode for nearly an hour before Numair stopped abruptly at a clearing in a small forest. The forest itself was deathly quiet, with no sounds of animals at all. Daine, who had accompanied them even against Numair's wishes, glanced nervously around.
Daine spoke, her voice slightly showing fear. "This is too quiet. I can't hear anything, even the People are silent. I think they all left this area completely." The men and women in armor looked around the area nervously. The horse start to twitch and whinny, eyes rolling and pawing the ground.
Dante saw something. Kel watched him focus on something ahead of them. "Wait here," he ordered. He got off his horse and strode forward, his eyes fixated on one spot. Dante walked forward and slowly reached out his hand. Everyone watched, breathless with excitement and fear. And his hand disappeared through a space in the air. The rip. The Gate.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"All men, women, assemble. Spears to the front, archers to the back. Swordsmen to the sides for further assistance. War mages with long range power shall mingles with archers. Mages with short range, half to the spearmen, half to the swordsmen. Memorize all your positions. We wake at dawn." Dante ordered, eyes flat as a snake's. Kel watched him, her eyes concerned. Dante had never been this cold before. Maybe he had, on the battlefield, but this coldness was far worse than rage. Rage took strong emotions. Coldness too emptiness. A sense of duty. Maybe even more.
Dante walked inside a tent, eyes glaring over all inside. The king had left for the castle for more men, though he would stay at the castle for reasons of safety to a royal monarch. The head war mage, Alec, and Domitan of Masbolle sat inside, deep in discussion. They snapped to attention when Dante entered.
"Sir." Dom rose, saluting. Alec rose as well, bowing.
"Have the sensitivity nets been set, Alec?"
"Yes, milord. Any activity will be immediately detected around the gate. I've three mages watching close by." Dante looked at Dom. "Your men have been posted in their positions?"
"Yes, sir. All with the pole arms as you instructed."
"Excellent. Sentries must be posted for the night shifts. You be sure to set up the rosters. The same goes with you, Alec." Both of them nodded and were promptly dismissed. Dante lowered himself on to a stool and leaned his elbows on to the small table, eyes on Kel. Kel met his eyes, her gaze steady. They said nothing for a while, until Dante broke the silence. "Do you know what's happening now?" Kel gave a slight smile.
"Not a clue." He rose from the stool and walked to her, skimming his fingers over the line of her jaw. "I'm sorry. For what I did this morning. I don't deserve you." She looked up at him slightly, her hand curling around his own. "Why not?"
"There are reasons. If you knew them, then you'd understand."
"Why don't you tell me and I'll judge for myself if you deserve me or not?" Her eyes laughed into his golden ones. He smiled back and leaned his forehead on to hers.
"As I said, there are reasons. Perhaps I'll tell you, one day. No, I think much sooner. But for now, we have to look to what we have to do now. Tortall depends on us." She was silent for a moment before answering. "Alright."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Alec was in awe of the gate. Nothing at the University had ever prepared him to guard a gate to the demonic world. He knew it was to the demon realm as Lord Brighton had quickly explained to him what it was. Demons… He could be famous if he could- What? Seal it? Draw a demon forth and slave it? The practical side of his mind barked back to him. Who knew how powerful they were? The stories of demons that were the stuff of fairy tales told to children by their mothers, he had never believed. But once he had seen it with his own eyes… It was unbelievable.
"Fascinating isn't it?" Numair's voice floated across his head and made him snap back to attention. He heard the mage walk to stand beside him, gazing at the phenomenon.
"All of us wonder whether demons truly exist. Not the kind of killer immortals, but the ones of horns and sinister eyes. Am I not wrong?" Alec turned his head to look at him.
"Yes. It is incredible." Numair continued to look at the rip in time. "Yes. It is quite incredible."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Demon Underworld
The demon sniffed the air, sensing change. Its tail twitched, and the demon moved around its surroundings, burnt and dead. The gate shimmered, attracting its attention. Trotting to the gate, it sniffed again and roared. Turning around, it dashed back to the palace made of brimstone and old bones, calling to its king.
A/N: Sorry that it took so long to get this up. I've been busy with school, haven't really the time to write anymore. High school is annoying. R/R!
Rekindled
Chapter Twenty: The Beginning
By: DarkDracon0
Dante and Kel stared at each other, mute. A knock on the door sounded but neither took notice. It seemed like years had passed before Dante walked to the door and opened it, nodding to the servant. The servant stuttered a bit, surprised to see him in Kel's room.
"Sir, His Majesty wishes to see you along with Lady Keladry." Dante nodded. "We'll be there shortly." Dante closed the door. Glancing back at Kel, he winced a bit at her paleness. "Well, Keladry, Jon wants to see us. Come on." Kel rose from her place on the bed and pulled at her shirt, a futile attempt to smooth out the small wrinkles.
They both walked out together silently, neither looking or saying anything to each other. They arrived at the king's private study, knocking on the heavy door. The king's voice called out, summoning them in. Both took a seat before the large desk as Jon poured over maps and Numair pointing out certain coordinates.
Jon looked up and there was a nervous look on his face. His eyes shot to Numair's and gave the command silently. Numair nodded. Looking at both of them, he said, "Dante, there seems to be a… rip in the air just in a small forest near the south. Dante started. "A rip?" Numair nodded again.
"Yes, there is no better way to describe it. Much like the opening during the time of the Immortals War where Immortals came from the Divine Realms." Dante stared hard at Numair. "Are you sure?"
"Yes. We need to ride out and inspect it and it would only seem appropriate that both you and Keladry accompanied us. The prophecy seems to be in effect now." Dante gripped the arms of his chair in a white-knuckled grip. "No, it can't be. Its far too soon. Too soon…" Dante's voice trailed off. Picking up his voice again, Dante managed to croak out, "If its begun, then you're going to have to give me the manuscript you found. Now." Numair looked confused. "
"Why would you need it?"
"We're going to have to close the portal before any demons sense it. And only Kel can read it." Kel jumped at the sound of her name. She had been silent through the entire beginning, confused. A portal? Demons? It sounded so ridiculous and far-fetched.
"Quickly, we have to get to the portal and give me the manuscript." Numair handed the manuscript to Dante and he looked through it, his eyes skimming through the script. His face paled and his grip tightened. He looked up.
"We need to get out there, to the portal. Immediately. We haven't much time."
They rode out to the outside walls of Corus, barreling through the streets with men from the King's Own and the Queen's Riders, all heavily armed with several war mages. Dante rode beside Numair, Kel behind him. Commoners quickly moved out of the way at the sight of the fierce men, grim with hints of danger in their eyes. They rode for nearly an hour before Numair stopped abruptly at a clearing in a small forest. The forest itself was deathly quiet, with no sounds of animals at all. Daine, who had accompanied them even against Numair's wishes, glanced nervously around.
Daine spoke, her voice slightly showing fear. "This is too quiet. I can't hear anything, even the People are silent. I think they all left this area completely." The men and women in armor looked around the area nervously. The horse start to twitch and whinny, eyes rolling and pawing the ground.
Dante saw something. Kel watched him focus on something ahead of them. "Wait here," he ordered. He got off his horse and strode forward, his eyes fixated on one spot. Dante walked forward and slowly reached out his hand. Everyone watched, breathless with excitement and fear. And his hand disappeared through a space in the air. The rip. The Gate.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"All men, women, assemble. Spears to the front, archers to the back. Swordsmen to the sides for further assistance. War mages with long range power shall mingles with archers. Mages with short range, half to the spearmen, half to the swordsmen. Memorize all your positions. We wake at dawn." Dante ordered, eyes flat as a snake's. Kel watched him, her eyes concerned. Dante had never been this cold before. Maybe he had, on the battlefield, but this coldness was far worse than rage. Rage took strong emotions. Coldness too emptiness. A sense of duty. Maybe even more.
Dante walked inside a tent, eyes glaring over all inside. The king had left for the castle for more men, though he would stay at the castle for reasons of safety to a royal monarch. The head war mage, Alec, and Domitan of Masbolle sat inside, deep in discussion. They snapped to attention when Dante entered.
"Sir." Dom rose, saluting. Alec rose as well, bowing.
"Have the sensitivity nets been set, Alec?"
"Yes, milord. Any activity will be immediately detected around the gate. I've three mages watching close by." Dante looked at Dom. "Your men have been posted in their positions?"
"Yes, sir. All with the pole arms as you instructed."
"Excellent. Sentries must be posted for the night shifts. You be sure to set up the rosters. The same goes with you, Alec." Both of them nodded and were promptly dismissed. Dante lowered himself on to a stool and leaned his elbows on to the small table, eyes on Kel. Kel met his eyes, her gaze steady. They said nothing for a while, until Dante broke the silence. "Do you know what's happening now?" Kel gave a slight smile.
"Not a clue." He rose from the stool and walked to her, skimming his fingers over the line of her jaw. "I'm sorry. For what I did this morning. I don't deserve you." She looked up at him slightly, her hand curling around his own. "Why not?"
"There are reasons. If you knew them, then you'd understand."
"Why don't you tell me and I'll judge for myself if you deserve me or not?" Her eyes laughed into his golden ones. He smiled back and leaned his forehead on to hers.
"As I said, there are reasons. Perhaps I'll tell you, one day. No, I think much sooner. But for now, we have to look to what we have to do now. Tortall depends on us." She was silent for a moment before answering. "Alright."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Alec was in awe of the gate. Nothing at the University had ever prepared him to guard a gate to the demonic world. He knew it was to the demon realm as Lord Brighton had quickly explained to him what it was. Demons… He could be famous if he could- What? Seal it? Draw a demon forth and slave it? The practical side of his mind barked back to him. Who knew how powerful they were? The stories of demons that were the stuff of fairy tales told to children by their mothers, he had never believed. But once he had seen it with his own eyes… It was unbelievable.
"Fascinating isn't it?" Numair's voice floated across his head and made him snap back to attention. He heard the mage walk to stand beside him, gazing at the phenomenon.
"All of us wonder whether demons truly exist. Not the kind of killer immortals, but the ones of horns and sinister eyes. Am I not wrong?" Alec turned his head to look at him.
"Yes. It is incredible." Numair continued to look at the rip in time. "Yes. It is quite incredible."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Demon Underworld
The demon sniffed the air, sensing change. Its tail twitched, and the demon moved around its surroundings, burnt and dead. The gate shimmered, attracting its attention. Trotting to the gate, it sniffed again and roared. Turning around, it dashed back to the palace made of brimstone and old bones, calling to its king.
A/N: Sorry that it took so long to get this up. I've been busy with school, haven't really the time to write anymore. High school is annoying. R/R!