Chapter 4
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Author's Notes: I can't do it. I wanted to make Dimitrus a real jerk that you totally had to hate, and I would still like to, but I'm finding it really hard to do. For some reason, I keep finding myself liking him.
Okay, so here's the question for this time, please PLEASE tell me what you think in your reviews: Should Tharian be nice, or a jerk? I'm thinking of his reaction to something that will happen in the future, and I'm not sure whether to have him act as a nice guy or become someone that we'll dislike. What do you guys think?
Dungeon Keepers I and II belong to Bullfrog, not to me. I am not making money off of this story, so please don't sue me.
Subtitle for this chapter: In which the plot thickens, emotionally speaking.
Warning: This story contains slash (male/male romance). If you object to this, please don't read it. Keep in mind that if you flame me, not only did you ignore your fair warning, but you were stupid enough to go through and read something that disgusted you.
For notes on this story and this series, please go to this site for reference. (Note: If you are reading this on fanfiction.net, you will not be able to use that link. Please see my profile for the link to that reference page.) (Also note that this page is not the same as the one linked to in Dungeon Secrets; this one is more complete and contains the entire series.)
If anyone would be interested in beta-reading for me and you think you are capable, please contact me at kaged_tiger@hotmail.com. Also contact me if you have any information as to what happened to Vagabond. Did she just, die or something?
This is my story. If you would like to archive it, please inform me first. I will almost definately say yes.
Finally, I would like to take this opportunity to acknowledge one of the many people who give me the determination to keep going on this monster of a fic. This chapter, a big hug to Seiat. Apparently he liked the first installment of this enough to take one of the characters' names as his own ff.net screen name. ^_^ I'm touched! Thank you for reading.
On with the fic.
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Kaelay's Dungeon
Tarkasas
I can feel Ramasha trembling in my arms, and this surprises me. Despite what it seemed when I first met him, my Angel is actually a very strong person. But I suppose I can understand why. The howling of these wolves is not normal. I have see dozens, maybe hundreds of battles in my lifetime, and yet I have never felt a fear of the kind that I feel when I hear these wolves howl. There is some sort of magic in the sound, some hypnotic fear. But still, Ramasha seems to be reacting a bit intensely.
"Are you all right?" I whisper in his ear. All of the creatures in the dungeons of Evain and our Mistress, save for the undead, are huddled together in a tight group in the center of the Lair. No one speaks louder than a frantic whisper, for fear of alerting the predators even now prowling through this dungeon.
He shakes his head slightly, pressing himself more tightly against me. "I-I know what these are. I've read of them. I... I saw one dismember a Vampire right in front of my eyes. It just... ripped him to pieces. It was horrible. So much blood."
Well, that would explain his trembling then. Ramasha has been in quite a few battles since he joined Kaelay's Dungeon, but there's still nothing quite as extreme as seeing an animal rip into its prey, especially when the prey is someone you know. Or knew, as the case may be.
"You know what these things are?" I question quietly.
His hair brushes my cheek as he nods, and I savor the sensation. He is sitting between my legs with his back to me, my arms around his waist. It's a little awkward with his wings, but if he keeps them very slightly extended, I can rest my chin on his shoulder quite neatly.
"They're called Astral Wolves," he explains in hushed tones. "Huge beasts that can shift to and from the Shadowrealm at will. They're sort of... well, it's hard to explain. I guess you could call them a cleanup crew. They destroy any souls that should have died but are somehow unable to make it back to the Shadowrealm. Which means that they are also very fond of eating the undead, since that's the method that they use to take care of these souls. No undead, not even a Vampire, can regenerate itself if attacked by an Astral Wolf. They won't hurt us. Live creatures are of little or no interest to them. But they will definitely be attracted to them." He glances upward and I follow his gaze to the collection of undead creatures that Kaelay holds high above us, which I now realize must be to protect them from the wolves.
"So, they're not going to hurt us?" I ask him. "Then why are we all here like this?"
"Would you want to be anywhere near a hungry Demon Spawn on his way to the hatchery?" he retorts. "And this is on an even bigger scale. These creatures are more destructive than any of us could ever hope to be. Each of them is almost as powerful as a Horned Reaper, and they travel in packs. I'll leave the rest to your imagination."
I grimace. He's not kidding, that could be quite gruesome.
We sit in silence for the moment as another eerie howl washes over us, causing renewed fearful whispers throughout the entire group.
"What do you think Kaelay's going to do with the undead?" Ramasha asks me softly.
"I have no idea," I honestly reply, "they'll be pretty useless if the whole area between here and the Phoenixdown is infested with these Astral Wolves."
"It probably won't be," he says, his trembling finally beginning to ease. "Astral wolves are normally quite territorial, unless they exhaust their food supply. My guess is that their hunting grounds only extend to this Realm. How close are we to the Phoenixdown anyway?"
"I'm not sure," I reply, "but we must be pretty close. Kaelay and Evain were talking, and it sounds like we should get there tomorrow."
There is another howl and then a horrible wet tearing noise as one of the wolves finds another creature on which to prey. I shudder. The sooner we can get out of here, the better.
Tharian's Dungeon
Dimitrus
I sit on the edge of the Guard Room, playing with my ceremonial knife. Since Doryll came to me, I haven't been able to get back to sleep. It's not that I feel guilty about what I did to him, it's just that...
Damn. I feel guilty about what I did to him.
I sigh gustily and rake a hand through my hair. This is all Shalla's fault. She was the one who pointed out the fact that no one has ever broken his heart before. I've never cared about doing that to anyone before, but everyone else has been thick-skinned and I knew they would get over it. Doryll was weak and innocent. I probably scarred him for the rest of his life.
I try to brush it off the way I do everything else, but I can't. Shit. Just sitting here moping isn't going to help me get over this. I stand up, replacing my knife, and pace the perimeter of the Guard Room.
Along our journey there have been very few of these rooms. We mostly haven't needed them. But this time Tharian said that Zannos sensed the energy of another Keeper, perhaps two, in a nearby Realm, and he doesn't want to take risks.
I pass by one of the entrances, where a Dark Elf sits in conversation with a Skeleton. Those two are probably the most common creatures found in Guard Rooms. Dark Elves are natural guards, and Skeletons do not need food or sleep, so they often have little else to do once they become powerful.
As I walk by them, I pause to listen to their conversation.
"-almost there," says the Skeleton.
"I know," the Dark Elf responds. "It's supposed to be just the next Realm over. But Keeper Zannos did a Sight of Evil and he says that it's not pure earth from here to the Impenetrable Rock. Eventually there's some kind of swamp that we're gonna break into."
"Really? How do you know?"
"Oh, my lover, Sentieth, is in pretty tight with our Keeper. He sometimes overhears Zannos planning things with Tharian. And he gets a lot of good gossip, too."
The Skeleton looks suddenly interested and smiles at her. "Ah? Like what?"
The Dark Elf grins. Dark Elves love gossip. It stands to reason, I suppose. They are, after all, a race of females who do little other than stand around talking to each other all day. With bright eyes, she tells the Skeleton, "You know that new Vampire in the Dungeon, Doryll? Well, Sentieth says that he kissed Zannos while the Keeper was in possession of Sentieth's body. There might be a thing between them."
The Skeleton says something in reply, but I don't hear it. Doryll and Zannos? Now that's odd. Keeper relationships with creatures are rare and seldom last. The two are just not compatible. But then, Doryll wouldn't know that, would he? I think back to the Vampire and realize that he is far too naive to understand the problems of a creature's relationship with a Keeper. And didn't Shalla say that he is not an Elder Vampire, but a turned Hero?
Hmm. This is interesting indeed. Especially since I am one of the few creatures who knows exactly how our own Keeper feels about Zannos. I wonder how Tharian will take this information?
Evain's Dungeon
Evain
I hover nervously as Kaelay holds all the undead creatures, hers and my own, within a net of power high above the dungeon floor. What are we going to do? I ask her. Those wolves aren't going to leave as long as we have undead with us. Even if we didn't, we're in their territory. We can't get rid of them.
No, says Kaelay thoughtfully, We can't. But there is one thing we can do. We can get the creatures into the next Realm. We only have twelve undead. With eight living guards, we can take all of them through one portal into the next Realm. I doubt they'll follow us outside the impenetrable rock.
Hmmm. Well, it sounds good on the surface. Just one problem, I tell her. We don't have a Heart in the next Realm yet. There's no way for us to get Imps into the Realm, and therefore no way to get a tunnel past the Realm Border and no way to get the creatures into the Realm. No Heart, no sanctuary.
I know, she says gravely, turning her attention fully to me. Which is why you're going to go to the next Realm and create a Heart.
What?! Kaelay, you know I can't do that! What is she thinking? That's beyond me! That's nonsense. If one of us should go on, it should be you. You have more energy than I do.
That's why I have to stay here, she says. Someone has to protect the creatures. Besides, I don't want to risk putting the undead down long enough to transfer them. The wolves are fast, and we lost three creatures before we got them here.
But Kaelay, I can't. I don't know how to find my way in the Shadowrealm. Don't make me do this.
Kaelay extends a small tendril of energy towards me, a major concession considering how much she's expending keeping up something as complex as that net. It's unbelievably tender, which is not something I often get from her. I can feel her smiling at me.
Evain, she says, you can do this. I have faith in you.
Well. How can I say no after that?
I nod and send her a bit of my own energy back before taking a deep breath and plunging down through the heart into the Shadowrealm.
The Darknesses are cold as they envelop me, and I instinctively seek out the warm familiarity of the Red Darkness. But they are too mixed for me to sense it particularly, of course, and I plow on. I need to hurry. My energy is very limited, and I must find the new Realm quickly.
I dive deep before turning my gaze up towards the surface. As before, I let my consciousness find Kaelay's. It happens easily by now. I know her signature as well as I know my own. There, above me, her Hearts light up like campfires, the pale red aura of her Dungeon spreads between them like water, pooling in some areas, running in thin streams in others.
I try to focus on the path we've been traveling. It shouldn't be hard; it's the only offshoot that continues as a thin corridor for several Realms. I lock onto it and follow it with my mind as it gets further and further away from the main body of her dungeon. Then finally... there! I see the last Heart.
But which direction? I can feel panic rising within me and I force it down. I need to be calm. I need to think. I need to ignore the energy seeping away from me every second that I am in this accursed abyss. Right. Focus. There's the latest corridor. I need to continue that straight on. That's not hard, right? Just follow the course with your mind...
I focus on the area directly in front of the path, feeling out the extent of the next Realm with my mind. Then, concentrating on one spot within it, I shoot towards the surface. It is good that I found it quickly; I do not have much energy left.
I get closer and closer to the surface and prepare to break through-
Only to slam into a hard barrier. What is this?! I can't break through into the Realm! I push against the rock, but it does not yield. I'm beginning to panic again and I push harder, slamming myself against it. Whatever it is, rock or other, it's not going to budge.
My energy is short now. I can feel it draining. I feel like I'm drowning. Oh Gods! Someone help me! Kaelay, anyone! I think I'm moving, but I can't tell. Am I moving? Or is the earth moving around me? Am I dizzy? Is it spinning? Or am I staggering forward? What's going on? I can't breathe! Which way is up? I don't know anymore!
I brush against something. Something soft. Soft? Can I... yes. Yes, I can. I push against it as hard as I can and fall through into the Realm above, breaking through the ground in a new Heart. I lie there for a few moments, trying to regain my senses. What happened? I did everything correctly. I was just going towards the Realm and suddenly I couldn't get through. Why? What stopped me?
As I slowly regain my energy, I take stock of my surroundings. Where did I emerge? Looking about, I see that I'm... Damn! I'm still in the same Realm in which I started. The new Heart I created is situated on the very edge of the Realm, right next to the Impenetrable Rock that blocks the way into the next Realm. My Heart is situated precariously on a small island of land within the swampy earth that makes up half of this Realm. A little bit to either side and it would have been half-submerged in water.
The paths through this marsh twist and writhe like serpents, criss-crossing each other randomly and disappearing into the rock border.
I stare at the ends of the paths. Something seems unusual about them. Something that I feel should be obvious. What is it...?
Of course! The paths just disappear into the Impenetrable Rock. Landforms seldom end abruptly like this at a Realm Border unless they existed before the Border was formed and the Impenetrable Rock grew over them. Which means that these paths likely continue into the next Realm. Which means...
I rouse myself, pulling together enough energy to move and heading back towards Kaelay. I can sense her worry as I approach; obviously she sensed that I did not make it into the next Realm.
What happened? she asks.
I'm not sure, I admit. I did everything correctly, but when I hit the border between the Shadowrealm and the Underrealm, something stopped me. It was strange, like some sort of barrier that covered the entire bottom of that Realm. There was no way for me to make Heartstone or break through. But I do have some good news.
You'd better, she mutters, as the wolves howl again, nearer than ever.
I believe that these swamp paths continue into the next Realm. We might not need Imps right away. We can take the Undead to the Realm Border right now and create the Border Portal first.
She nods, and I notice for the first time how badly her energy is flagging. She is performing all this with no rest, still drained from all the Hearts we created during today's journey. We need to get these creatures to safety, and soon.
I pick up some creatures to act as guards for the Undead while we cast the spell, enough to bring the total number of creatures to twenty. Passing over our Imps who are even now claiming the pathways through the swamp, we head towards the Realm Border.
Zannos's Dungeon
Doryll
Dawn approaches, though it is impossible to see it underground. What I miss most as a Vampire is seeing the light. I miss dawn, and the warmth of sunlight on my skin. Everything underground always seems so cold. Even in Realms with lava, I always feel as though there is some piece of myself deep inside that is very cold.
We march through a thin corridor leading towards the Realm Border, eventually breaking through into a strange marsh. At this point, Zannos insists on carrying all the Undead. I am not sure why this is, but allow myself to be picked up without a fight. There are not many Undead between the two Keepers, so it does not require a great amount of strength. I try to relax myself with the comforting feel of my Keeper's energy surrounding me, but it is difficult.
I still feel desperately out of place in the Underrealm, even more than I did above ground. Even with all the jeering and hatred I received in the Overrealm, at least there I knew that I was among my own kind. Here I feel as though I'm an outsider. The only other Vampire here is an Elder Vampire, not even the one who turned me. Try as I might, I can't relate to him.
We reach the Realm Border and Tharian casts the Realm Portal spell. Zannos drops us and ushers us through, possessing a Demon Spawn and following quickly after. As he breaks through, a strange howling can be heard from the Realm we just left. It sends an inexplicable shiver of fear down my spine and I hurry over the swamp paths to the new corridor that our Imps are digging out.
As I travel down the rough passage, I overhear snatches of the Keepers' conversation.
-safe? asks Tharian.
-s. ... -Undead- ... -only have to worry about- ... -won't go outside the swamp, replies Zannos.
Zannos. I feel my face flush. I can't believe I kissed him. I don't know why I did it. I was feeling vulnerable and exposed and beyond needy after that fiasco with Him. So I kissed him. It was probably a bad idea. He is my Keeper, and I have no right to claim any affection from him.
Suddenly, excited murmuring starts up ahead of me. I hurry forward to see what it is. The Imps have broken into another open area of the Underrealm. This time, a huge lake spreads out before us, ending in a tight little knot of Impenetrable Rock towards the center. From here I just barely make out an opening through the center of the Rock, though it looks like one would have to swim through water to pass through it.
The reason it is difficult to see is not just because of the distance. Over all of this, coming nearly to the edge of the lake, is a nearly transparent white membrane in the shape of a perfect dome. As I watch, the color swirls over the surface, like oil in moving water, becoming slightly more opaque in some places, and thinning to transparency in others, each area of color evanescent, lasting no more than a few seconds.
Doryll? Zannos asks from above us.
I nod and wade into the water, knowing what I have to do. This is the reason that Zannos came to me in the first place. This is the reason why I was hated, mocked, shunned, as a human, and the reason that I allowed myself to be turned. This is why I'm here.
I put my hands against the white shield and concentrate.
Oh God, that was hideous. Take me back.
or
Oh God, that was hideous. Let me complain to the author.