Chapter Twelve: Rivalry
They must have climbed at least fifty stories, yet the top of the tower looks far and almost unfriendly. Rindy glanced at Iker, who was behind her, but advancing with slow and steady steps.
He saw her hesitating, so he asked. "Are you tired?"
"No, are you?"
He shook his head. "I can climb somemore."
She nodded. "We should not be too far behind."
He didn't exactly believe her, for the top looks to be miles away. But he knew he must be stout of heart if he was to make it to the Book-Keepers and learn the truth.
And so they climbed, occasionally taking short rests. Rindy surprised Iker. She never complained or initiate a rest. It was often Iker who suggested they should take a break for he fear she would soon pass out from the wariness. It was in her face and her eyes. Iker could tell she was tired. But after what seems like the longest time, Iker finally saw the top. And the stairway stopped winding upwards, much to the Dragoon's relief.
"We did it." He muttered, somewhat short of breath. Even Dragoon's training were not as tough on the legs.
Rindy nodded. She appeared to be out of breath. Her face was pale but her green eyes shone brightly.
"Go ahead, Iker. Knock on the door."
Iker nodded and took a step towards the large wooden door that loomed over them like two big gates. He knocked.
There was a moment of silence. Iker looked at Rindy and she stared back at him. There were no answer from beyond the door.
"Are we expecting a welcome?" Iker asked quietly.
Rindy shrugged. "I've never been here."
"But you seems like you know the place very well."
The girl looked serious. "I know. It is rather odd. But though I've never been here. It is as if I've always lived here.I do not know how to say it but my memory seems to remember this place."
Iker nodded. "In any case, will they answer to us?"
The girl nodded. "They will. Let me try."
She got up and walked towards the door. Then she knocked gently on it. Again, they were greeted with empty silence.
They were about to get exasperate when suddenly, there was a soft creak. At first they did not even hear it. But Iker's keen Dragoon ears detected the soft sound and he hushed Rindy to listen closely, and she did.
The door creaked softly opened and Rindy and Iker stared in front of them, in awe. From beyond the door, Iker could see nothing except thick white fog.
Rindy took a step forward and before Iker could stop her from entering so recklessly into the unknown, she had lost herself in the fog. Iker quickly hurried after her.
The fog was impossible. It played with their eyes and their ears. Iker felt all his senses being suppressed by the thick fog. He searched frantically for Rindy but he could not see her form nor her shadow. He began to panic.
"Alexia! Alexia!" He shouted. And to that, there was no reply. His heart was heavy as he thought he had lost the girl.
Just then, there was a bright light in front of him, behind him and beside him. He was surrounded by a strange light and this did not lighten the situation. He clutched instinctively to his weapon, a Dragoon spear.
A voice then spoke. Soft and almost whispery. It sounded like Rindy whenever she lowered her voice. But he knew it was not Rindy. But he did not know how he knew that.
Welcome, brave Dragoon, son of the Lord of all Dragoons. You have come thus far to seek for the truth.
Iker looked about him. All he saw was the thick fog. Even the strange light had ceased.
"Who are you?" He asked, slightly fearful.
I am the one you seek. The Book-Keeper of ancient times, past and present.
"Where is Alexia?"
You speak of the girl as if you truly cares for her.
"I do care about Alexia." He quietened. "She was the only one I ever truly care for."
Will you open your eyes to the possibilities that Alexia and Rindy are two very different person?
Iker paused. He was confused. "They are the same person. They only differ by names. And names do not matter to me."
Yet you only call her Alexia and not Rindy.
"Because I know her by Alexia." Iker said.
Alexia is the girl you saw wandering in the woods. She healed animals and sang songs to the birds and trees. She brought life back to the woods where the humans have almost destroyed it. Rindy, however, is a different story entirely.
"I do not understand." He said quietly.
Rindy is a weapon. A weapon created by the witches. Only the witches were not the only ones that were involved in her creation. They are not wise and powerful enough. Thousands of years ago, the witches seek us, the Book-keepers. They sought for our help to create Rindy. Blinded by our rage and anger at the Necromancer, we agreed and together, we forged a weapon so great and powerful, it overcame us.
"Rindy.?"
Now you call her Rindy? Perhaps because you associate that name to destruction? And Alexia to life?
"No."
Yet we were too hasty when we created Rindy. The witches quickly came into power because they had Rindy. One of the oldest witch, everyone called her Granny, had Rindy like a little puppet. So it quickly became obvious that the witches would dominate Night World very soon.
"Alexia said.Rindy said that she was created because she was a weapon. To destroy what?"
At the beginning, her task was simple. She was to make the Lord Raven fall in love with her. So deeply and so truly that he would be vulnerable. This is because Lord Raven was deemed as an unfit Necromancer for the Night World. And he would destroy the Night World if he was allowed to continue to reign.
"But Raul would never do that!" Iker frowned. "I still remember the day he gave me Fayth. It was the day when the Night World and the Dragoons had an alliance. What he seek is to make Night World a stronger world."
Fayth was bred by him. Lord Raven was gifted with dragons because of the Drakyr blood that ran in his veins. Yet he gave his pet to you, a Dragoon. One of the mildest creatures in the world. As tame as a deer-mouse. Why would he do a thing like that?
"Is that a question?" Iker asked coldly.
So you notice. No, that was not a question. He did that because he wanted his people to believe he would bring Night World to prosperity. In which case, he never wanted to. Not at first, at least.
"If what you say is true, which I doubt very much, why would Raul want to destroy his world? Especially since he is a Necromancer, he had that much power to rule the place."
Young Dragoon know little. Lord Raven wanted to destroy the world because we murdered his parents. He sees us as a lesser being. Savage and barbaric and uncontrollable. Although he is a Necromancer, he never liked competition. And he wished for order more than anything, however he achieves it, he does not care. Yet the Night People are constantly challenging his rule. Some revolt, some complained, others sneak into the human world. He felt that the Night People are like mindless animals, that their lives are worth very little. Hence, he wanted to destroy the world before the vicious cycle continues and he himself is destroyed by them.
"Your story is confusing, to say the least. There are many loop-holes. I find myself confused every other turn. What vicious cycle?"
Only the brave challenges the wisdom of the Book-keepers. Or perhaps the foolish. You are neither. Just a very curious Dragoon. The Vicious Cycle, as termed by us, meant that every other turn of the millennium, new groups of Night People would form factions to repel the current King and Queen. They would revolt, kill and murder each of their own kind to create trouble for the current rulers. This Vicious Cycle happened a few years back, when the old King and Queen had lived.
"I believe Rindy told me something about it. She told me the King and Queen were murdered. And after that, Lord Slyther was taken off to the human world and Raul killed off the remaining rebels.
We perished around that age. And since then, we had lived in solitude under the earth, here in the Black Hole.
"The Sword of the Earth, a scar upon the earth by Raul. He was truly mad that time."
Yes. He sees us, the Book-keepers as allies in the opposition group. In reality, we were not. But we did not live in hatred for the Lord Raven. For we know we owe him too much when we help to create Rindy. This was his wrath and we deserved it.
"What about Rindy? She said she had memories of this place."
We should think so. She was created by us. Hence, a part of us will always be with her, just like a part of the elders will always be with her.
"I am still puzzled. If Raul wanted to destroy the Night World so badly, he would have no home. Does he not care for that?"
He used not to care. But we hear little of him now ever since he'd been sealed. We wonder if Rindy had an effect on him. If she works like a spell, Lord Raven would hesitate about destroying the World. For he knew the World is a home to Rindy.
"So that was one of the main goal of the creation. You wanted to make Raul vulnerable and less likely to destroy the world."
Yes. Regretfully, even if the Lord does not care for this troubled land, many lived here and called this their only home. If he destroys it, they would have no land to return to.
Iker was quiet when he says this, but he says it nonetheless with grave seriousness. "I do not think he intend for anyone to trouble over that. I believe he intend to destroy the world, along with the people that lives in it."
It is our fear and we believe you when you say this, for this is also in our hearts. All the more we have to stop him.
"I do not know how to. There is disaster even before Raul set foot on the Night World. Our camps were attacked by unknown beasts of incredible strength and power. Fayth had lose her mind. She would no longer answer to me. I do not think Raul had anything to do with the raid on the Night People and the humans. Rindy said there must be another Necromancer."
She is not entirely wrong, though we would love to rule that possibility out. It would be disastrous if he had lived.
"Who had lived?"
The prophecy spoke of great disaster if Lord Raven and Lord Slyther is to meet, hence Granny, the witch, took the liberty to bring young Lord Slyther amongst the humans. No one knows this, or perhaps she does, but the prophecy was made up. By us.
"What?" Iker was appalled. Never had he heard in his entire Dragoon life that prophecies could be made up.
All ancient things, truth and lies, are with the Book-keepers. The Night People, especially the witches, have interest in the past,present and future. Hence, they often seek us for our wisdom. We made up the prophecy so that they would believe it to be true.
"Why would you do a thing like that?"
Because we know a past so evil and so forgotten that even most of the witches did not know it. Only a couple of the Book-keepers knew and perhaps Granny. She was always visiting us. That was also how we got her to see the false prophecy.
"What is it that is so evil?" Iker asked, his voice a whisper. It was as if he was afraid to hear the tale himself.
The Queen did not had twins. She had triplets. Lord Raven, Lord Slyther, and the last unknown child. The boy was a Necromancer. Yet he was not given a chance. Two Necromancers defies the law of the Night World. A single Great One was deemed to be good fortune, but two would be chaos. The King and Queen seek our advice that time, and we read the future and told them that one of the Necromancers would seek to destroy everyone. The One was Lord Raven of course. But the Queen chose to give up the third child. He was unnamed as far as we could remember. And he was murdered by his parents.
Iker froze. The blood in his veins turned chill. The thought was appalling. He felt like throwing up. Never had Dragoons been faced with such blatant violent and sinful act.
We then make up a false prophecy in the hopes that Granny would see it and perhaps, bring young Lord Slyther far from his parents. Because it was obvious to us that the King and Queen had chosen Lord Raven to be the next King. And there was no use for another son.
"I..I cannot believe this.."
It is cruel. But such is the ways of the Night People. Perhaps this is what Lord Raven termed as savage and brute. But this is the law of the Night World. The fittest survives. There is no other way.
"What about love? What about a parent love for their child? Is that non-existent with these Night People?"
The Night People never learned to share. It is not in their instinct. They are not born with that gift. The King and Queen adored Lord Raven and gave to him all the love they could muster. It is, in their eyes, good enough.
"Did they never wondered what become of Lord Slyther?"
Perhaps they did. No one knew. Shortly after Raul grew up to be a strong and young man, the King and Queen were murdered.
"I am ashamed to say that I do not feel sorry for them now."
You may judge as you please. But bear in mind that you are a Dragoon. You do not know of the ways of the Night People. You may be appalled by this fact. Yet this is what the Night World is all about.
"I no longer doubt Raul. He may have cause to destroy the world."
So you are on his side then?
"I.I do not know."
I see you are considering. For you have never known such violence. Dragoons are soft creatures. You must be quite shock. To side with Raul would mean destroying the rest of the Night People, and you saw little justice in that. You are very confused now.
Iker nodded slowly. "Yes. I am."
But perhaps you will not have to decide for long. Perhaps events will begin to unfold by themselves in which even you will have no control over it.
"Things are already happening at an alarming rate. You must know by now, that the other Necromancer is alive and he is seeking hurt to the world."
Yes. The last child. He was murdered yet he did not perished. Perhaps he is like us now, a soulless, caught in between dimensions of the reality and the otherworld.
"He is seeking vengeance. Since he is a Necromancer, it is without a doubt his attack on the main camps."
The humans are no longer wanting to take part in this blood war. They await quietly, ever watchful to see what will happen next. It is their wish that the civil war would weaken defences greatly and they can then take Night World by force later.
"Should we still be wary of the humans?"
They are no longer a problem for now. They had withdraw and they will not come back until much later. However, we wonder if Night World would still exist then.
"Where are the rest of the Night People? We saw little of anyone when we searched."
Some have seek refuge here. Others have fled to the human world. Perhaps they know that the Night World is lost to them.
"What will happen if Night World is truly lost? What will happen to you?"
We would continue to live in this dark place, as we will always live. The dead cannot perished again. We are already dead. Those that seek refuge here, are dead too. You have no need to care about their welfare.
"But we came here as well." Iker muttered. "Are we dead?"
There was no answer. Only silence.
The sky above was red and Virginie shivered slightly. It had started to drizzle lightly but the wind was howling wildly about them. She eyed her lord and master and admired the way he could remain calm and stern as steel against the weather.
"Where are we going, my lord?" She asked.
Raul turned to look at her. "Elessar took off with Shane. I intend to find him."
Virginie looked slightly surprised. "You want to rescue him?"
"No, he has not earn that privilege. But I know that if we can find Shane, we can find Elessar. And then, his master as well. The one that has been very naughty."
The vampire girl chuckled. "I say he deserves a little spanking."
"Much more than that, dear." He quietened and look about him. "It has not rain like this in the World for a long time."
Virginie nodded grimly. "It never did rain before."
"It did." Raul replied simply. "You just weren't around then."
The girl frowned. " Then it must have been a long time ago."
Raul nodded yet he did not appear to want to talk about it anymore. This only teases Virginie's curiosity but she knows better than to question her lord.
The rain got heavier and they had to find shelter due to the wild winds. They found one broken shack, probably destroyed during the invasion, and they entered it.
"This is the shack of the trolls." Virginie replied, drying herself with some rags she found hanging on a wooden table. "They usually rest here before they take turns to guard the watchtower."
Raul nodded thoughtfully. "Ah.the trolls.nasty creatures they are."
"Nasty smell about them you mean.but they are stupid enough to do anything anyone asks of them."
"I made them that way."
Virginie shut up. She still remembers the time she witness Raul making a troll out of a sorry werewolf. Apparently the guy had gotten a little too close to Rindy for his liking. It was a painful experience for her. Not that she reserve any of her sympathy for the werewolf. But the process was cruel. Virginie still remembers how the guy had squirm and scream and cry for mercy but her lord would not listen. And she remembers how the guy's big yellow eyes had turned purplish and then, sallow and sunk into his own skull, while his head swells up and his ears became longer and bigger. And then his complexion gradually turned pale yellow. She had witness the transformation of a Troll and she felt sick that time. But she had to put up a brave front in the face of her lord.
That was how the trolls come about. Every time some one broke the rules or simply manages to pisses Raul off, there were more trolls. It soon became a community for them. Sometime, Raul would joke about creating more of them to give them a company. Virginie never laugh at those cruel jokes. But she knew her lord needs to do this for a reason. And that is to create order. And there was order.
Until Shane had to come and ruin it all.
"You look pale." Raul eyed her. His dark eyes so deep and so hauntingly black, Virginie thought she was staring at two deep holes. "Are you feeling sick?"
There was no tone of concern in his voice. Virginie felt more like Raul was mocking her again of the way she had reacted when he had created the trolls in her face.
"I am fine, my lord."
"I'm sorry about your sister."
Virginie eyed him. She felt a deep wrench in her heart. Her sister, Adelia had been the closest thing she had besides Raul. Yet she was put to trial before his lordship by the council for defying Night World laws. There, she was painfully transformed into a troll by Raul. A public execution, everyone calls it. And everyone feared the lord even more that day.
Virginie cannot remember what Adelia did to deserve such a horrible end. And she never did ask. For in her heart, she knew that she was scared of Raul too. He was a man capable of many a thing no one would dare dream about.
And Virginie had been trying to block out that memory ever since. She had been trying to forget Adelia.
Yet Raul was talking about her now. Bringing those black memories back.
"She was a good girl." Raul was saying, his voice somewhat thoughtful. "She was beautiful too. That long black hair, so straight and like silk they were." He paused, looking at Virginie, who was staring back at him, her eyes a pale yellow. "And her skin so soft and tender." He touched her cheek then. And Virginie felt like recoiling away.
"Why are you doing this to me?" She whispered.
"Are you angry? You are breathing heavily. Does being near me makes you sick?"
"No." She shook her head warily.
"Adelia comes to me, like you used to come to me."
"What do you mean.?" She felt her voice was shaking.
"She seduces me. Wants me to love her. Wants me to hold her. She wants Rindy away."
Virginie's eyes widened. "No."
Raul nodded gravely. "She poisoned Rindy's food. I caught her myself. I had to punish her."
"Raul."
"And so I did what I did. I enjoyed it then. But not so much now. Come to think of it, I almost let myself fall into the Vicious Cycle."
"What Vicious Cycle?"
"The Cycle that will ruin all Night People. That Cycle is also known as Instinct. The Night People have instincts that are barbaric and savage. I intend to destroy that Cycle forever." He paused, looking somewhat sad. "I admit I had let myself down more than a couple of time. I had abandon my own rules and my own principles. I joined in the savage party of the Night People, and for that, I am ashamed."
"Raul, I have no idea what you are talking about." Virginie was getting worried.
"I am a Necromancer. I am not one of the Night People. I never belonged here or anywhere else. But I am here for a reason. I will crush that Vicious Cycle forever. No longer will I witness another revolution, another massacre, another sin."
"You meant to destroy the world, right?" Virginie asked. It is odd how she does not care when the humans invaded and almost took over the Night World. Yet when Raul spoke those words so truthfully, it was painful for her. She thought Raul meant to save them.
"Yes. I meant to destroy everything."
Her voice broke. She did not shed tears but she was very frightened. "And everyone?"
Raul did not answer. Virginie sat down warily on the three-legged table.
Suddenly, Raul broke the tense silence between them. "I will destroy him first."
"Who.?" Virginie asked weakly.
"My brother."
Virginie thought of Shane. She had not liked the guy at first when he took over the throne from Raul. But Shane was a hard guy to hate. He was nice, first of all. Which was sickening for Virginie. But the most intriguing thing about him was he loved the Night World and the people living in it. He was always thinking up ways and implementing new ideas to develop the Night World to benefit all the Night People.
No, she decided that she did not hate Shane. She did not even dislike him. In fact, she had grown to count him on as a friend, as a kin.
"No." She said slowly.
Raul raised an eyebrow at her. "No?"
She nodded. "You cannot hurt him."
"Why not?"
She thought of Adelia again. Her kin were slowly being decimated by the man she loves. It hurts.
"I will not let you."
Now, Raul was amused. It showed in his face, in his eyes. His dark eyes sparkled with amusement and there was a silent smile on his lips.
Virginie did not feel so humorous herself. She felt angry. She had every right to feel angry at him. For years she had give him her heart, soul and body. For years she had longed for nothing else but to be beside him eternally. She had wanted him but she had not been so selfish as to demand that he want her back. She had waited patiently for him. She had been there for him.
Yet he was doing the same thing to her over and over again. Hurting her. Hurting her people. He'd never loved her even though he had kissed and caressed her. She was just a mistress to him when Rindy was far and he needed solace and affection. She cannot recall ever hearing him whisper the three golden words she'll willingly die to hear them, even when she was beside him, lying on his bed.
Adelia had been played by him the same way. She had not known then but Raul has finally spill the truth now.
Yes, she was angry. Very hurt and very angry.
"You will not.let me?" He repeated, softly this time, his eyes staring straight at hers.
She shook her head. How she came to be so gutsy, she could not remember. She could not recalled when was the last time she had defied her lord's wishes. She must be crazy.
"You cannot break the Vicious Cycle." She muttered. "You are the Vicious Cycle."
Now Raul paused and pondered her cold words closely. "Virginie, I am a Necromancer."
She hated the way he whispered her name. She hated the way he always thought he was above everyone else just because he was of kingly blood. As if Necromancers were a godsend.
"The Night World had always been working fine. Sure, it had been bloody. There had been wars but we had fought together. We had driven the humans away. I had never seen the Night People so united before." She bit her lips. "I'm telling you, we can pull through. There will be no Vicious Cycle. I'm sure."
"Wrong!" Raul snapped. "There had been wars but civil wars they were. There had been bloodshed and blood shed by your own people. And yes, your people have unite together but only to fight against your own kind."
"You speak as though you are not one of us! Raul, you are one of us as well!"
"No. I am not."
"Raul!"
"It is time for you to come to terms with this. I do not belong to the Night World. I was born and raise for a reason."
"And what is that?" She snickered. "To destroy the Night World? To kill everyone? What about the humans? Do they have more rights to live than us?"
"Humans are filth to you, Virginie. Yet this is their time. It is their era now. Your people's ways will only seek to destroy all of you one day. I am only doing what I am suppose to do."
"If you say we are savages and barbaric and unlearned and that we kill each other, then you are no better. Because right now, you're trying to kill us all!"
"It is different. I am not your people. I am a third entity all together. I am neither human or Night People."
"I think you've gone quite crazy after sleeping for two years."
Raul paused. "Yes. I slept. With Rindy by my side. I should have done all of you in long ago if she had not been hindering my plans. But now, she is gone. I can do what I am suppose to do."
Virginie was shock beyond words. She could not believe Raul to be so cold. Yes, he had always been a cruel man. But he had never spoken anything vile about Rindy before to anyone's faces unless it was during their usual squabble, which they make up in good time. Virginie could not believe Raul was saying all this. It was all too much to digest.
"I thought you loved her." She choked.
"I thought I did." He had a faraway look in his dark eyes. "When I lost her earlier and met Shane and then lost him again to Elessar, I met the most unlikely person. She appeared in my dream, even when I was awake." He paused, as if the memory pained him. "And she spoke to me."
The air was thick with silent between them. When Virginie realize Raul had stopped talking, she whispered.
"What did she say?"
He closed his eyes. "She said she should have killed me instead."
"What.?"
Raul suddenly let out a dry laugh. "It does not matter. This world is lost to me. It had passes me by. I shall end it."
"No."
"No one can stop me now. I will kill him then end everything else."
"Shane is innocent."
"So is a lot of people. But innocence, my dear Virginie, is a curse rather than a gift, would you not agree? Innocence burn lives away. Innocence is a sin."
"Raul.please." She was trembling now. It was fear. She could smell her own fear. And she had not a single doubt that Raul could sense it as well. Yet she had her last gamble. A gamble she must take. "Do you not love her?"
To her surprise, his eyes turned completely dark until Virginie felt them burning with fire. With rage.
"I hate her." He whispered.
