Chapter 6: Rini meets Damious
Unknown to both the King and Queen, the strange dark cloud had teleported Rini away from Crystal Tokyo and to some other realm. When the clouds had finally cleared away, Rini could finally get a glimpse of where she was. She quickly realized that she was no longer in Crystal Tokyo. This place, wherever she was, it was nighttime here, but this just seemed like an unnatural darkness. It was such an ominous looking place and Rini could hear in the distance wolves howling. As she glanced around, she noticed a huge forest and beyond it a huge, dark castle. "I don't like this place," Rini said with fear in her voice, "but how did I get here?"
"I brought you here, my little flower," said an evil voice.
"Who are you?!" Rini cried out as she looked around for whoever was speaking to her. "Show yourself!"
With that, another cloud of dark, blinding clouds appeared and when once they cleared away, right before Rini stood the evil Damious. Rini was shocked as she looked at this man. He sure was handsome, but she could see that he was evil. She also noticed that this man bared striking resemblance to Helios, except that this man had black hair and a suit and cape. Another thing that Rini noticed was the way he was looking at her and it made her shudder with disgust and fear. The way he was looking at her, it was as though he were trying to undress her with his eyes. He gaze drifted from her face down to her bodice, which finally angered Rini. "Stop that!" she yelled at him.
"Stop what?" he asked innocently, "I was just admiring your beauty."
"You were admiring more than that!" she answered dryly. "And you still haven't answered my question. Who are you?"
Damious smiled at her as he looked at her. She certainly was full of spirit. Finally, he answered her. "I'm Damious, the ruler of this realm, Hadesion."
"Hadesion?" Rini said unsurely. "But I thought that Elysion was the only realm in existence."
"I see that my brother never told you about me and my realm," said Damious with an grin on his face.
"Your brother?" Rini repeated, unsure of whom Damious was talking about. Suddenly, it hit her, since she had mentioned Elysion, that he was referring to Helios. "Helios is your brother?!"
"He sure is," he answered, pleased that she had caught on quickly. "He rules the world of dreams and I rule the world of broken and forgotten dreams."
Rini was shocked by what she was hearing. Helios had a brother and he ruled another realm of broken dreams! But what does he want with me? Rini thought to herself. From the way he had been staring at her earlier, the reason could not be a good one. "I have another question for you," she began again, "why did you bring me here?"
"I thought you'd never ask," said Damious with a smile. With that he walked up close to Rini, so close that Rini could feel his breath on her face. Rini wanted to move away, but before she could, he grabbed her by the shoulders. Finally, she tried to pull away from him, but he held her in place, for he was physically strong. Finally, Damious spoke, lust clearly showing in his voice. "You must know by now how I feel about you," he said, his voice also growing husky. "You are by far the most beautiful woman I have ever seen. Now that I see you in person, I can see why my brother also wanted you. But he will not have you, because I want you by my side!"
Rini was so stunned by all he had said that for a moment she couldn't speak. Damious wanted to marry her! She would never in a million years consider marrying an oversexed man like him! Suddenly, Rini noticed that Damious' face was getting closer and closer towards her face. He was going to try to kiss her! Finally, Rini had enough of this pervert, and suddenly, finding some inner strength, she pushed him away with all her might. Damious was taken aback by her reaction to him. He stood there, momentarily shocked by what she had done. Finally Rini spoke up and said, "Damious, I don't know who you think you are, but I will not be treated as your sex slave and I will certainly never marry you! I love Helios!"
Rini had hoped that this would anger Damious enough that he would leave her alone and send her back home, having insulted and rejected him. But instead, he just stood there, a big smile forming on his face. "Why is he smiling like that?" she wondered silently.
"Rini, my little flower," he began again, "I strongly suggest that you reconsider this."
"What part of 'no' don't you understand?! I said I will not marry you and that's that! I'm in love with Helios and he's the only one I want!"
"I was really hoping it would not come to this," Damious said sadly, "but you leave me no choice."
"What are you talking about?" Rini asked suspiciously. But instead of answering her, Damious instead raised his arms and caused a huge puff of black clouds to appear. After it cleared off, it revealed to Rini a horrible site. There was her beloved Helios, encased in dark crystal. "Helios!" she screamed as she ran towards the crystal and threw her arms around it. Rini wept as she held onto Helios' solid form. Poor Rini had no way of knowing that Helios could see and hear her at that very moment. She also didn't notice the tears streaming down the face of the statue. "Oh, Helios," she cried, "what has he done to you?! "Oh, how I've missed you!"
"She loves me," Helios thought to himself with happiness, "she still loves me." If only he could tell her how much he loved her and had missed her as well. He was amazed by how beautiful she now looked. She was now a beautiful young woman, just as she had always dreamed of becoming. How Helios longed to hold her in his arms and kiss her.
"Oh how sweet!" Damious said sarcastically, "my little brother and his maiden reunited again! But unfortunately, I'll have to break up this touching little reunion!" With that, Damious made Helios' crystallized body disappear, leaving Rini in more tears.
"Bring him back!" she demanded, "please bring him back!"
"I can restore him back to life, you know," he began slowly, "but you will have to do something for me."
Rini knew what this meant. In exchange for Helios life, he wanted he to marry him. But she could not let him do this to her. "Please," she began in a sobbing voice, "don't make me do this. Please...please," she trailed off as she fell down on her knees and began crying. As Damious stood there, watching her cry, he suddenly felt sorry for her and guilty for what he was doing to her. He remembered the way she looked at Helios when she saw him. He suddenly felt weak and he held onto his sides and began to groan in pain. Rini looked up and saw this and immediately ran up to him to help him. "Are you all right?" she asked as she helped him stand. Damious did not understand what was happening to him. This had never happened to him before.
"What's wrong with me?" he wondered, "am I losing my touch? Or is it Rini that is causing this?" There was something about Rini and Damious had to find out what it was. He finally stood up on his own and spoke to Rini. "I've decided," Damious began, "to release Helios." This brought tears of joy into Rini's eyes and she was about to thank him when Damious held his hand up to show he was not done talking. "But, I will only release him if you pass some tests of mine."
"You mean if I pass these tests of yours," asked unsurely, "you will release Helios?"
"Yes," he answered, "but if you fail, you must then marry me and forget about Helios."
Rini shuddered as she thought this thru. She knew she had to do this for Helios. She could not let him down. "All right," she said as she looked at Damious, "I will take your tests. But you must swear that you will keep your word."
"You have my word," he responded. "Now, here is what you must do," he explained. "Do you see my castle off in the distance?" he said as he pointed to where it was. Rini looked to where he pointed, remembering when she had seen it earlier.
"Yes, I do," she answered.
"That is where you must go," he told her. "But in order to get there, you must pass the tests that are lie ahead. If you pass all of my tests and reach my castle, then I will release Helios and send you both home." With that said, Damious disappeared in a puff of black smoke, leaving Rini to begin her quest to reach Damious' castle and save her love. She took a deep breath as she looked at way lay ahead, which seemed to her like a huge forest. How would she ever find her way thru those dark woods? Rini finally summed up her courage and began to walk into the woods, wondering what type of tests were laid in store for her.
Unknown to both the King and Queen, the strange dark cloud had teleported Rini away from Crystal Tokyo and to some other realm. When the clouds had finally cleared away, Rini could finally get a glimpse of where she was. She quickly realized that she was no longer in Crystal Tokyo. This place, wherever she was, it was nighttime here, but this just seemed like an unnatural darkness. It was such an ominous looking place and Rini could hear in the distance wolves howling. As she glanced around, she noticed a huge forest and beyond it a huge, dark castle. "I don't like this place," Rini said with fear in her voice, "but how did I get here?"
"I brought you here, my little flower," said an evil voice.
"Who are you?!" Rini cried out as she looked around for whoever was speaking to her. "Show yourself!"
With that, another cloud of dark, blinding clouds appeared and when once they cleared away, right before Rini stood the evil Damious. Rini was shocked as she looked at this man. He sure was handsome, but she could see that he was evil. She also noticed that this man bared striking resemblance to Helios, except that this man had black hair and a suit and cape. Another thing that Rini noticed was the way he was looking at her and it made her shudder with disgust and fear. The way he was looking at her, it was as though he were trying to undress her with his eyes. He gaze drifted from her face down to her bodice, which finally angered Rini. "Stop that!" she yelled at him.
"Stop what?" he asked innocently, "I was just admiring your beauty."
"You were admiring more than that!" she answered dryly. "And you still haven't answered my question. Who are you?"
Damious smiled at her as he looked at her. She certainly was full of spirit. Finally, he answered her. "I'm Damious, the ruler of this realm, Hadesion."
"Hadesion?" Rini said unsurely. "But I thought that Elysion was the only realm in existence."
"I see that my brother never told you about me and my realm," said Damious with an grin on his face.
"Your brother?" Rini repeated, unsure of whom Damious was talking about. Suddenly, it hit her, since she had mentioned Elysion, that he was referring to Helios. "Helios is your brother?!"
"He sure is," he answered, pleased that she had caught on quickly. "He rules the world of dreams and I rule the world of broken and forgotten dreams."
Rini was shocked by what she was hearing. Helios had a brother and he ruled another realm of broken dreams! But what does he want with me? Rini thought to herself. From the way he had been staring at her earlier, the reason could not be a good one. "I have another question for you," she began again, "why did you bring me here?"
"I thought you'd never ask," said Damious with a smile. With that he walked up close to Rini, so close that Rini could feel his breath on her face. Rini wanted to move away, but before she could, he grabbed her by the shoulders. Finally, she tried to pull away from him, but he held her in place, for he was physically strong. Finally, Damious spoke, lust clearly showing in his voice. "You must know by now how I feel about you," he said, his voice also growing husky. "You are by far the most beautiful woman I have ever seen. Now that I see you in person, I can see why my brother also wanted you. But he will not have you, because I want you by my side!"
Rini was so stunned by all he had said that for a moment she couldn't speak. Damious wanted to marry her! She would never in a million years consider marrying an oversexed man like him! Suddenly, Rini noticed that Damious' face was getting closer and closer towards her face. He was going to try to kiss her! Finally, Rini had enough of this pervert, and suddenly, finding some inner strength, she pushed him away with all her might. Damious was taken aback by her reaction to him. He stood there, momentarily shocked by what she had done. Finally Rini spoke up and said, "Damious, I don't know who you think you are, but I will not be treated as your sex slave and I will certainly never marry you! I love Helios!"
Rini had hoped that this would anger Damious enough that he would leave her alone and send her back home, having insulted and rejected him. But instead, he just stood there, a big smile forming on his face. "Why is he smiling like that?" she wondered silently.
"Rini, my little flower," he began again, "I strongly suggest that you reconsider this."
"What part of 'no' don't you understand?! I said I will not marry you and that's that! I'm in love with Helios and he's the only one I want!"
"I was really hoping it would not come to this," Damious said sadly, "but you leave me no choice."
"What are you talking about?" Rini asked suspiciously. But instead of answering her, Damious instead raised his arms and caused a huge puff of black clouds to appear. After it cleared off, it revealed to Rini a horrible site. There was her beloved Helios, encased in dark crystal. "Helios!" she screamed as she ran towards the crystal and threw her arms around it. Rini wept as she held onto Helios' solid form. Poor Rini had no way of knowing that Helios could see and hear her at that very moment. She also didn't notice the tears streaming down the face of the statue. "Oh, Helios," she cried, "what has he done to you?! "Oh, how I've missed you!"
"She loves me," Helios thought to himself with happiness, "she still loves me." If only he could tell her how much he loved her and had missed her as well. He was amazed by how beautiful she now looked. She was now a beautiful young woman, just as she had always dreamed of becoming. How Helios longed to hold her in his arms and kiss her.
"Oh how sweet!" Damious said sarcastically, "my little brother and his maiden reunited again! But unfortunately, I'll have to break up this touching little reunion!" With that, Damious made Helios' crystallized body disappear, leaving Rini in more tears.
"Bring him back!" she demanded, "please bring him back!"
"I can restore him back to life, you know," he began slowly, "but you will have to do something for me."
Rini knew what this meant. In exchange for Helios life, he wanted he to marry him. But she could not let him do this to her. "Please," she began in a sobbing voice, "don't make me do this. Please...please," she trailed off as she fell down on her knees and began crying. As Damious stood there, watching her cry, he suddenly felt sorry for her and guilty for what he was doing to her. He remembered the way she looked at Helios when she saw him. He suddenly felt weak and he held onto his sides and began to groan in pain. Rini looked up and saw this and immediately ran up to him to help him. "Are you all right?" she asked as she helped him stand. Damious did not understand what was happening to him. This had never happened to him before.
"What's wrong with me?" he wondered, "am I losing my touch? Or is it Rini that is causing this?" There was something about Rini and Damious had to find out what it was. He finally stood up on his own and spoke to Rini. "I've decided," Damious began, "to release Helios." This brought tears of joy into Rini's eyes and she was about to thank him when Damious held his hand up to show he was not done talking. "But, I will only release him if you pass some tests of mine."
"You mean if I pass these tests of yours," asked unsurely, "you will release Helios?"
"Yes," he answered, "but if you fail, you must then marry me and forget about Helios."
Rini shuddered as she thought this thru. She knew she had to do this for Helios. She could not let him down. "All right," she said as she looked at Damious, "I will take your tests. But you must swear that you will keep your word."
"You have my word," he responded. "Now, here is what you must do," he explained. "Do you see my castle off in the distance?" he said as he pointed to where it was. Rini looked to where he pointed, remembering when she had seen it earlier.
"Yes, I do," she answered.
"That is where you must go," he told her. "But in order to get there, you must pass the tests that are lie ahead. If you pass all of my tests and reach my castle, then I will release Helios and send you both home." With that said, Damious disappeared in a puff of black smoke, leaving Rini to begin her quest to reach Damious' castle and save her love. She took a deep breath as she looked at way lay ahead, which seemed to her like a huge forest. How would she ever find her way thru those dark woods? Rini finally summed up her courage and began to walk into the woods, wondering what type of tests were laid in store for her.