--The Fourth Realm--
A fanfic taking place in the Realms of the Blood, created by
Anne Bishop whom I worship and pay tribute to every day.
Just kidding. Or so you think.
(Written by the Great and Powerful Keski,
spell checked by Microsoft Works Word Processor)
---
Chapter II
Hybrids
---
Althemen sighed. (Anna, please, just let me--)
(No.)
(Anna, I sit here every day, just wondering what condition you're in. I get letters monthly requesting… You know. In exchange for your freedom.)
(You will not agree to that slut's terms. Father, that is one thing I will not back down on. You will not submit to her schemes, letting her get control of an Ebon-Gray Warlord Prince just so I can get out of here. I'm taking care of myself.)
(Every time I refuse, she has you whipped fifty times!)
There was a pause.
(Yes, fifty,) Anna said, quickly.
(What? What aren't you telling me?)
(Nothing,) Anna said. In an obvious attempt to change the subject, she added, (Is Uncle Alnevar still in Pruul?)
Althemen bared his teeth. (Yes. And he can rot there, for all I care.)
Anna gave a hmph of disproval. (You needn't be so cruel.)
(If I wanted to be cruel, I would have had him shaved.)
(Dad!)
(Sorry.)
(What did he do, anyway, that made you so--)
(Don't, Anna. Let it be.)
There was an awkward pause.
(I have to go, Dad.)
(I'll try to get in touch another time, then… Anna?)
(Yeah?)
(Be careful… please. Don't give Dorothea reason to hurt you. Please.)
(Dad--)
(Please, Anna. I make an emotional sacrifice for you every time I refuse Dorothea's requests. You need to make one for me.)
(Fine. I won't deliberately piss her off. But I am a Black Widow.)
(Which is the excuse you use every time you make a smartass comment.)
(Exactly.)
Althemen chuckled. (Bye, Anna. We'll see each other soon. I promise.)
(Yes…) Anna said. (We will.) Anna broke the link. Althemen blinked. What had she meant by that?
---
Luseik hovered above Dorothea's compound, eying the building. Keski hovered nearby, hissing constantly.
"Thiss Realm iss even worsse than the lasst," he hissed. "And that building feelss like the ssoursse of it all."
Luseik smiled with contempt. "Then perhaps we'll have another task after securing the Ebon-Gray Jeweled Black Widow Queen." He dove at the compound.
---
Anna stared at the ceiling. Tonight. They had to be coming tonight. Tonight. The dragon-man and gejk wore Black Jewels, and the wolf-man wore the Ebon-Gray, so it couldn't take them very long to get here, if they rode the Winds. They had to arrive soon. Soon…
---
Luseik, Satiyen, and Keski stalked the compound cloaked in Luseik's Black sight, psychic, and aural shields. No one noticed them, as they had wanted. They tracked down the Black Widow by her psychic scent and by tracking her Ebon-Gray Jewels. Finally, the path led to a courtyard. Luseik stiffened. Her psychic scent was strong here.
As was her physical scent. Satiyen froze and looked up at Luseik. "Her blood was spilled here. A great deal of it."
Luseik's eyes narrowed.
"Do you think sshe'ss dead?" Keski asked quietly.
Luseik shook his head. "No. The path of her psychic scent continues… Look."
They all knew he didn't mean look with their eyes. They continued following the scent to a room.
"In here," Keski whispered excitedly, literally hopping with excitement. "We'll finally get to meet her! What do you think sshe'll be like?"
Luseik gently pushed Keski aside and laid a clawed hand on the doorknob, using Craft to dramatically enhance the clicking of his claws on the metal. Satiyen chuckled.
The door slid open. Inside the small room was a small desk, a small dresser, and a small bed. On the bed was a young woman of perhaps eighteen. She was sitting in the bed, staring at them. Luseik focused on her. His eyes flashed.
"It's her," he said.
"You're here," Anna breathed. "You're really here. You came for me."
Luseik smiled. He stepped forward and laid a hand on Anna's head. A slight jolt went through his hand and Anna jumped, startled.
"That will dispel any Craft or magic of any kind that this 'Dorothea' has placed over you. You are free of her control… And free to come to Dachrea with us." Luseik no longer spoke in the Old Tongue.
"Come to Dachrea?" Her eyes lit up. "You can't be serious!"
"We are indeed serious," Luseik said, smiling. "Lord Versiver and Lady Kennesra have granted me dominion over Askavi Dachrea… If I can find a suitable Queen to accompany me."
Anna clutched her chest. "You came to Teirreille just to find me?"
"You are more than just a Black Widow and a Queen, Anna."
"Well, I do wear a dark Jewel, but--"
"It is not that. Kennesra determined that you have an untapped power. We do not even know its nature… But it is significant. That we are sure of. We wish to help you discover and perfect that power, if you will agree to rule Askavi Dachrea with me. I shall serve and protect you with all my ability as a Black Jeweled Warlord Prince." He was on one knee, holding her hand. Anna swayed on her feet.
Keski giggled. Satiyen hit the gejk with a huge paw. Keski yelped, hissed, and quieted down when Luseik glared at him with piercing green eyes.
"I--I--I don't know," Anna stammered finally. "I mean, I really, really want to go… But my dad… and my uncle…"
"Can come."
"What?"
"They can come. If you like, they can serve in your First Circle. If they wish."
Anna fell to a sitting position on the bed. "Mother Night."
Luseik smiled widely. "Come, my Queen. Should you like to think it over in your father's home? I'm sure he'll appreciate the company."
Anna nodded weakly.
Minutes later, they were gone.
---
Althemen ached as he stared up at the ceiling, the silk sheets and bed warmer doing nothing for the ache that pained him. He rolled onto his side to face Crielle, his wife and lover. And, incidentally, his Queen. He rolled onto his other side, facing the wall.
"Althemen," whispered Crielle. Right now, he was tired and lonely and needed the comfort he knew she would offer.
"Yes?" he replied wearily.
"What's wrong?"
"Everything," he said.
"Anna?"
He nodded. Crielle stroked his back with her hand.
"She's all right," Crielle said quietly. "I know it."
Oh, I know she's all right, Althemen thought dryly. I speak with her regularly. I just want her out of Dorothea's clutches.
"I hope so," he said. He knew he was deceiving his own wife, but he had to. It wouldn't do to arouse suspicions, after all. Even from his own wife, unfortunately.
There was a knocking on the door. "Yes?" Althemen called.
"There is a man who wishes to see you, Lord Althemen."
"Send him away. I'm not in the mood for another minor dispute between two fools who can't work out an agreement on their own."
"He says it's quite important, Lord." There was a pause. "He wears the Black, Lord."
Althemen sat bolt upright. The Black? A man? The only men Althemen knew of that existed in all three Realms who wore the Black were Daemon Sadi and Saetan Daemon SaDiablo. One was the High Lord of Hell and the other… May the Darkness be merciful to anyone Sadi was interested enough in to come to their home. Either way, he'd be screwed if he didn't open the door.
"Tell him I'll be a moment," Althemen called. "I'll come back, darling," he whispered to Crielle and slid out from underneath the sheets. He stretched briefly, then made his way to the wardrobe. He pulled on a pair of black trousers with navy blue trim, a tuxedo jacket with the same navy blue trim, and a pair of black, comfortable, but elegant, slippers. He stood before the floor-length mirror in the corner and smoothed his hair back, to no avail, and shrugged.
Althemen opened the door. The manservant was gone. Althemen walked to the balcony and looked down to see a man standing at the threshold of the main entrance. Any further observations he might have made were postponed when he saw Anna and almost tripped over himself.
He righted himself and bolted down the stairs, cannoning into Anna with a force that could have crippled a small child. He lifted her up and embraced her, all the while sobbing.
At least a quarter hour later, he finally let her go and stood back to look at her.
"I haven't seen you in years," he whispered.
"I know," Anna replied, smiling weakly. Althemen pulled her into another embrace. The unknown man just stood back and smiled knowingly.
Althemen released his daughter and drew himself up to his full height as he remembered the man.
"Did you get my daughter away from Lady SaDiablo?" he asked, a wavering voice the only sign of his earlier breakdown.
"I did. By the way, My name is Luseik. Yours?"
"Althemen. I… Thank you. So much. I can't tell you how much she means to me. I'll pay you anything you want."
"Oh, the price I want may be both more and less than you could ever expect."
Althemen raised an eyebrow.
"And what would that be?"
"First off, you'll have to move."
Althemen didn't understand, but he nodded. "All right. And?"
"No, I don't mean merely to some other home. I mean you'll have to live in another Realm."
Althemen blanched. "Why?"
Luseik smiled. "So that you can be near your daughter, of course. She's coming to rule Askavi with me."
Althemen's eyes bulged. Luseik burst out laughing, unable to resist.
"Not Askavi in Teirreille, Kaeleer, or Hell. Askavi in Dachrea… The Black Realm."
Althemen swayed. It was an almost perfect imitation of Anna when Luseik had offered to let her rule Askavi Dachrea. A small giggling sound came from the hedge by the door. Althemen glanced at it, but Luseik coughed loudly.
Althemen shook his head. "The Black Realm?"
"The fourth Realm. Unknown to your people. We cut ourselves off from the three Pureblood Realms--"
"Pureblood Realms?"
"Ah, I apologize. Dachrea is a Realm almost entirely populated with what you might call hybrids."
"Hybrids?" Althemen was beginning to sound like an echo.
"A cross between two species." As soon as he finished speaking, his wings flared demonstratively.
"Oh," Althemen said. ""Like an Eyrien."
"Yes," Luseik said, "like an Eyrien. Although I am not an Eyrien. You may want to examine my wings more closely."
Althemen peered. "No, come inside. I can't see you in this darkness." They piled inside and Althemen stared at Luseik's wings. They had scales. No thin fur, just glimmering, beautiful black scales.
"Dragon's wings," he breathed.
Luseik nodded. "I am what's called a draghan."
Althemen let himself fall onto the dark blue chair next to the sofa, shaking his head. "I don't believe this."
"You will once you've been to Dachrea. And if you like, I can show you my two companions who came with me to find your daughter." Luseik gripped the hem of his shirt and tugged self-consciously.
"Companions?"
Luseik turned to the door. "Keski! Satiyen!"
There was a rustling noise, some grunts, and three muffled curse words before through the doorway walked--that is to say, came, because only one actually walked--some sort of little shadowy creature, and what could only be described as a wolf-man.
"Keski is the little one," Luseik said. "He is a gejk. And Satiyen is the white one. He is a wehr."
Crielle appeared at the balcony above. "Althemen? What's--" She froze when she saw the unusual gathering. Luseik flicked one claw in her direction, and she fell unconscious. She leaned over the balcony and fell. Startled, Althemen jumped up, but Satiyen held him back. As he watched, Luseik calmly stood up and, without a second to spare, lifted his arms and smoothly caught Crielle. Her silky, flowing black hair swung gently. Luseik laid her on the sofa and took a seat on the end of the sofa. He then tugged on his shirt again.
"Now," Luseik said, "Anna told me you have a brother. I believe his name was Alnevar?"
Althemen bared his teeth.
"We would appreciate it if he could accompany us to Dachrea."
"No," Althemen snarled. "Alnevar will stay in Pruul."
Anna looked up. "Please, Dad…"
Luseik's eyes narrowed. "The Lady wishes for Alnevar to accompany us to Dachrea."
Althemen stood up abruptly. "Alnevar will stay in Pruul!"
Luseik slowly rose to his feet. Two strides had him face-to-face with Althemen. One clawed hand wrapped itself around Althemen's throat. "The Lady… Wishes for Alnevar… To accompany us… To Pruul," he whispered with a delicacy that expressed every emotion he felt at that moment. A terrifying calm… and a maddening bloodlust. Anna was too frightened to say anything.
Althemen glared at Luseik until his neck was released. He didn't say a word even then.
"I take it we are all in agreement that Alnevar is coming with, then?" Luseik said pleasantly, brushing a wrinkle out of his trousers. He tugged at his shirt. It was becoming painfully obvious that Luseik was not accustomed to wearing a shirt. Not surprising, since his wings were similar in size to Eyriens', and most Eyriens opted to go shirtless as well. It made getting dressed in the morning much more convenient.
No one said anything. Luseik smiled as if oblivious to the tension in the room and nodded. "Then I'll be back tomorrow morning and we'll be on our way to Dachrea. Meanwhile, I have a Warlord to pick up." He left the house, followed by Satiyen and Keski.