Summary: See chapter one
Disclaimer: See chapter one
Warnings: See chapter one
A/N: Some of you may be wondering why the rating on this story was changed: well, after my sister read the second chapter, she thought the content was not suitable for the 'T' rating- with its overly dark and more mature themes shown in chapter two. Yes, everyone has so many questions! But, everything will be answered in later chapters, so all you need is a little patience.
Chapter Three: Windows to the Soul
The muffled pounding on his door awoke Kivar and he stirred irritably, his reply muffled from under his pillow.
"Are you asleep, Kivar?" an amused voice asked inquisitively. "At this hour?"
A tousled brown head, followed by sleepy gray eyes, emerged from the warm bundle of blankets. "You would be too, if you had done what I did today."
"Training with Sir Albel?" The boy sauntering into the room was not handsome, but he had a quirky sort of charm and appealing personality that sent the numerous girls he attracted into fits of nervous giggles. Undoubtedly, his crowning glories were his short coppery curls and laughing blue eyes, which, when coupled with his infectious grin, proved to be irresistible. Kivar, in comparison, was considerably better looking but exceedingly more shy and timid, but nonetheless had a sweet charm.
Kivar nodded before burying himself with a groan back into the comfortable cavern he had made. "I hurt in places I never knew existed, Finn."
"Baby. You should be glad for the chance to train with him. Albel never takes novices your age. But, I suppose, you being who you are…I mean, a relation with the king does help, obviously."
Kivar glared balefully at the red haired boy sitting on his bed. "Your point?"
He shrugged in reply. "Albel would have put you in the hospital wing by now if you were a normal boy, but since His Majesty is your uncle, I suppose he knows the consequences if he causes you harm. You may be his king, one of these days."
The brunette was quiet. "During training, it doesn't seem that he thinks that way. He keeps calling me 'maggot' for some reason," he said plaintively, aware that he was beginning to whine.
Finn laughed. "I forget that you lived for some time away from Airyglyph. Albel calls everyone that, except Woltar and the king, obviously. Actually, the only person he is vaguely polite to is the king. He shouts at everyone, kicks the stable boys, swears at the kitchen maids…you're just not used to him yet."
"But why is he allowed to act like that?" he asked, his voice amazed. Kivar had been raised by his parents to exhibit perfect manners, and show only the most courteous respect and behavior to women, especially women of stature. He expected the same of Albel, really. After all, he was a soldier, and his uncle generally abhorred despicable manners. So why did he accept that kind of behavior from one of his captains?
"Cause he doesn't care to listen to anyone else, or obey any rules. Even His Majesty can't control him. But I think maybe the Lady Nel might be able to," he said knowingly, tapping one finger on his freckled nose.
"Huh? Why?" Vaguely, he recalled the pretty soldier that he had seen walking around the training facility, always in the company of the Black Brigade captain.
"You know…like only a woman can," he said, looking at the confused expression on his face. "You do know about that, don't you, Kivar?"
"Of course," he snapped, miffed at the suggestion that he was that naïve at the age of fifteen. "I just didn't think that Albel would listen to a woman, that's all."
"Perhaps," Finn said thoughtfully, now brushing a thumb across his nose. "But that's beside the point. Have you seen Lady Nel?"
"Yes…"
"Well, then you can see why Albel might listen to her. She's one of the most beautiful women in Airyglyph!"
"So?" he said grumpily, burrowing further into his nest of blankets. Normally, he enjoyed the company of the redhead, but now he was just being plain annoying.
Finnrel Zuran was a novice at the facility, but his training was much further along, almost complete. Only a year older than Kivar, the two had instantly become friends when the shy brunette had arrived at Kirlsa a few months ago. Since one of his endearing qualities was his confidence, he had simply approached Kivar upon his arrival and begun talking. At first, Kivar had been unresponsive, his natural shyness overcoming any willingness to participate in the conversation, but Finn, determined as always, had forced him out of his shell by hounding him constantly.
Kivar had appreciated the companionship and still did, but there were times when one wanted to be alone. Especially when one felt as tired and sore as he did.
"Look at you," Finn said accusingly. "Lying there like a sack of manure! If you get up and come to dinner in the hall, you won't even notice the bruises."
One gray eye opened and glared at the offending speaker. "Go to hell, Finn."
A wicked grin flashed across his teasing face. "I would if I could. It would certainly be more exciting than this dump," he said, and began tugging the blankets wrapped securely around his friend. "Now get up, you useless lump."
"But I have to get up at dawn for another lesson." Now he knew he was whining.
"And?"
He raised his head slightly, his eyes darkening in irritation. "Are you serious, Finn? Just go to bed and let me sleep in peace."
"…But I'm bored."
Uh oh, now there was a dangerous statement. Whenever Finn said he was bored, it usually meant big trouble for Kivar. The redhead was notorious for his habit of getting himself (and whatever poor sap he managed to enlist in his schemes) into trouble. And the poor sap was always Kivar.
"Forget it!"
"You didn't even hear what I was going to say!"
Kivar sat up in his bed, fixing his gaze on his friend. "Have you already forgotten the whipping we got the last time?"
Well, he certainly remembered. His right buttock had never quite been the same since then.
Finn waved one hand dismissively, and Kivar, for some reason, was horribly reminded of Albel. "If you hadn't gone back to apologize, we wouldn't have gotten caught. It was your fault we were punished!"
"I had to," he replied defensively. "Else it wouldn't have been fair on Roger."
He rolled his blue eyes, crossing his arms over his chest. "You want to play fair with a Menodix? He'd have crossed us in the challenge the first chance he got!"
It had only been because Kivar actually liked the outgoing little guy, even if his egotistic attitude was insufferable at most times. He and Finn had accepted the 'Real Man' challenge two weeks ago only because the majority of their classmates had been present, and it would have been too embarrassing to decline and be accused of cowardice. If only he had known at the time how sneaky and underhanded the spunky kid could be.
"Maybe…but it still wouldn't have been fair."
"You and your stupid ideas," he said crossly, but his eyes shone with a reluctant affection. "Go ahead and sleep then."
"Finn…"
"Nah, I could use some rest myself," he said, stretching his arms and giving a fake yawn. "Maybe I'll come watch your training session tomorrow morning."
"I doubt it. Albel would kick you off the roof so fast, the bruise of his boot wouldn't have healed by the time you landed in Aquios."
He laughed and playfully punched the lump of blankets that protruded from the bed. "Yeah, like he could even catch me. I'm the fastest cadet in the history of the Black Brigade!"
"Albel would find a way. He wouldn't stop chasing you, until he caught you. And then you would be sorry."
He shrugged and sauntered towards the door. "Maybe, maybe not. But it would be interesting to find out, don't you think?"
"I'd pay to see you run from Albel."
Finn responded with a rude gesture and Kivar swore, throwing a pillow in his direction. The red head only grinned. "Better not let anyone hear you use that kind of language, Kivar."
"Yeah? Well, what are they going to do? I'm the heir to the throne, remember?"
"Until Airyglyph finally chooses a wife and produces his own heir."
Kivar yawned and flopped back onto his pillows. "I don't even want to be king. Who needs the responsibilities of an entire country weighing down your shoulders? I would rather be the captain of a brigade."
"Like Albel?" Finn asked slyly.
The brunette frowned. "Not exactly. Albel has the personality of a tree stump, and the charm to match."
"Well, women don't seem to care. And that's the important thing."
"Typical."
The redhead wiggled a brow suggestively and laughed, banging the door shut and sauntering down the candlelit corridor. Kivar smiled and shut his eyes, eager for sleep so he could return to his training bright and early the next morning. He only hoped that Albel would be in a better mood…
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You goddamn bastard, if you touch her, I'll make you squeal like a stuck pig!
The Voice, clad in the guise of Albel, stretched leisurely and slipped into a luxurious black robe, enjoying the silky material caressing his damp skin. Ignoring the constant torrent of violent abuse, he flexed the fingers of his right hand, eying the metal claws of his left with distaste.
A pity I was not able to avert the damage to your arm, he remarked silently. But the consequences of the ceremony were beyond my control; at the time controlling the dragon took all of my concentration.
A wave of cold flooded Albel, stopping his angry tirade in its tracks and numbing the body he still thought he felt. What did you have to do with that!
Come now, Albel, you were on the verge of entering a contract with a dragon. Do you really think I would have allowed that? The creature would have been most jealous, it is a type of 'dragon' after all. In all probability, it would have tried to kill you instantly, young as you were.
There was complete silence within his mind.
Albel?
You murdered my father. His mental voice was deathly quiet.
The particular dragon you were attempting to charm was immensely strong willed, a problem I had not foreseen. I had to take steps to prevent you from joining with the dragon! I barely managed to save you, Albel.
The rage surging through his mind was unparalleled to anything he had ever experienced before in his life.
My father died because you were jealous!
The Voice seemed offended. You think Glou died for my whims? You believe me to be that shallow?
Now, a hurt tone could be felt in his mental speech. I liked Glou Nox; he was a good man, a talented captain, and above all, an admirable father. Actually, I owe him my life. He sacrificed himself to save you when I could not.
Familiar stabs of pain lanced through him. How dare you…how dare you even speak his name! You were the reason I-
What, Albel? What was I the reason for? Tell me.
The amusement in his voice was evident, and Albel felt sickened. You will pay for this. I will make you suffer to your last breath.
I look forward to it. But, it will have to wait until I have finished making love to Nel. Such exquisite beauty deserves to be savored, tasted at least once in one's lifetime. He smiled, licking his lips in anticipation.
Do you want to die that badly! Why are you doing this to me?
I told you, dear heart, that I disliked you lying to yourself. Simply confess the truth: you are enjoying this, the prospect of watching yourself ravage your lover. Yes, 'ravage'. I know you have always imagined this, sometimes not even with a woman. Ah, yes, you fancied that young man once, the bluenette earthling with the fetching green eyes? You fantasized many a time about him, dreamed about exerting your natural sexual dominance over him. At least until the first time you bedded Nel.
Unnatural shame swamped over Albel, mixed with embarrassment at having his privacy invaded, but he ignored it in the face of his concern for Nel. She was innocent of him, and he was not going to allow the only reason for living his miserable existence to be ruined.
A sweet thought, dear heart, but quite unnecessary. I am not going to kill the woman, or hurt her for that matter. I am not a violent brute, after all.
I intend to give her a night she will not soon forget.
Carefully, he unwrapped the long braids that trailed behind him and allowed the thick, dark mane to cascade over his shoulders and down his back. Albel stepped beyond the door to his bedroom and moved quietly behind the chair in which Nel was dozing peacefully.
Get away from her!
I grow weary of this petty arguing, Albel. Now, keep quiet like a good boy. Remember, you can watch and listen, but you cannot contribute. Relax, and most importantly, learn.
Abruptly, a thick blanket of magic smothered the mental voice of the real Albel, and he could not make a sound. Now that he had been silenced, the imposter sighed, excited at the prospect of being with a stunning, and undoubtedly skilled woman. He leaned closer, breathing in the delectable sweet and spicy fragrance of her scarlet hair, and gently laid his hands on her shoulders, his lips parting in anticipated rapture.
Lowering his lips to the creamy skin at the nape of her neck, he was not surprised to meet the sharp blade of her dagger instead.
"What do you think you are doing?"
The coldness in her voice would have sent any other man running away screaming, presumably with part of his genitalia missing. She rose slowly, moving the serrated edge to his throat. The same coldness was reflected in her eyes, which glittered like hard green stones.
"I asked you a question, Albel."
He swallowed hard, feigning nervousness. "Nel, I…I could not help it. I need you."
An expression of incredulous disbelief spread across her striking features, along with growing suspicion. "What?"
With one swift movement, he smoothly grabbed her by the waist and crushed his lips to hers, forcing his tongue into the sweet recesses of her mouth. Albel cupped the back of her head, deepening the kiss and it was all Nel could do not to gag from the sour saltiness that still lingered. His arms locked around her securely, and when she struggled, he only gripped her more tightly, pressing himself insistently against her.
"Let…go…NOW!" she shrieked breathlessly, but this movement only urged him to continue devastating her mouth and her protests encouraged his heightening excitement. With her arms pinned to his chest, her daggers dropped with a clatter to the floor, completely useless.
The muscles of her arms grew taught as tension overrode her, and Nel placed both hands on his chest, and he smiled, mistaking the gesture for one of submission. But the Aquarian warrior channeled her energy into an explosive blast of runological magic that she released with a pained gasp.
The shimmering globe of magic was meant to knock him back and incapacitate him, with enough time for her to at least tie him up. But the bright energy rippled in confusion and flexed in midair when Albel brought his hands up from where they had been clenched around her smoothly muscled form. There was an amused smirk on his face as he idly contorted the magic in his control and casually threw it back in her face.
Her eyes wide with horror, she was barely able to deflect her own attack and she tottered in one place, struggling to maintain her balance.
"How did you…? How could you control runological energy!"
He remained silent, only watching her with the same arrogant smirk on his pale face.
Slowly, she took a step forward and gazed into his eyes. He stared unblinkingly back at her and bared his teeth, a predatory gleam appearing in the crimson depths. And she knew.
"You…you are not Albel!"
He sighed mournfully. "Clever, clever, girl. Frankly, I underestimated your intelligence. But it is refreshing, in my day, women were not encouraged to display any sign that they were in possession of a brain."
"Where is he? What have you done with him!" she demanded, retrieving her daggers in a swift movement without taking her eyes off him.
He tapped his skull with one finger and stared knowingly at her. "Right here, Nel, where he always is. I can feel him, at this very moment. Such anger, such rage!"
Dear heart, we should work on those issues, you know, he added privately to Albel. It is rather unhealthy, like a poison seeping slowly through your body. But, there will be time enough for that later. He smiled, feeling the pulsating fury pounding at the edge of his thoughts. Be patient, love.
Albel, locked away in his own mind and silenced, seethed with frustration, but also with a savage triumph. Nel, his Nel, had seen through this imposter immediately. Perhaps she knew him better than he believed she had.
But now worry began creeping into the emptiness of the darkness surrounding him. This…voice, monster, or whatever it was, had been able to manipulate runological energy, and turn the attack on Nel. Which meant Nel was in danger.
Nel, get away from him! Run!
For an instant, something flickered in her eyes and she took a hesitant step back. The Voice blinked in surprise, before a calculating gleam invaded his gaze.
"Nel…come to me…" he purred, moving closer to her, his hand outstretched invitingly.
Her grip on the daggers tightened resolutely and she took a defensive stance, preparing to strike.
A hailstorm of despair assaulted Albel as he screamed with all his might.
GODAMMIT NEL, RUN!
Nel shook her head, as if dazed, and confusion clouded her eyes. "Albel…?" she murmured.
The Voice sighed and stopped where he was. "Very well, my lady, I see that we shall have to do this the hard way. I did not want it to come to this, dear heart, truly I did not. But," he added thoughtfully to Albel, "There is a certain appeal to the thought, is there not?" He turned back to Nel, his expression gleeful. "Ah, Lady Nel, I have imagined the perfection of your body for so long, and now you would deny me? I think not."
Her green eyes narrowed, before a sneer distorted her lush lips. "As if I would give you my body. What have you done with Albel? Release him!" she commanded, brandishing the sharp edge of the dagger.
"Not until you give me what I want, Nel." His crimson gaze smoldered as his eyes devoured every inch of her, no doubt mentally stripping her of her clothes. Nel felt nauseous at the thought, and her eyes flicked sideways to the door.
He chuckled when he saw the movement and snapped his fingers. Instantly, a dense layer of magic painted itself over the door, effectively blocking her only escape.
"There," he said with satisfaction. "Now, we will neither be disturbed, nor will you be allowed to escape."
"You sick bastard," she whispered in a low voice, clutching her daggers in a white hand. "If you want a fight, then it is a fight you will have!"
"Have you ever heard the saying, 'Make love, not war', Nel? I do not wish to fight, since I will undoubtedly win, but because a jewel such as you deserves to be caressed, admired. I did promise Albel that I would be careful with you." Tactfully, he drew Albel into the conversation and it certainly had the desired effect on Nel.
Her lovely face paled. "Albel would never approve of something so despicable, you filthy beast!"
"How do you know, Nel? Do you feel assured of the fact that you lover would not let any other person to touch you? Do you believe that he loves you?"
Faith and trust straightened her spine, and she met his gaze squarely. "Yes."
He smiled. "Then you do not know him like I do."
Hurt flared in Nel, and the raw flame burned in her eyes. "I know Albel, and you are not him, you are nothing like him at all! I love him, and I know he loves me!"
"Your belief in him is touching, Nel, but what makes you think that I care?" he said, placing one hand over his heart. "All I want is you. And I will have you, whether you want me, or not."
"I will slaughter you like a pig before you get the chance!" she snarled, darting towards him with daggers held close to her lithe form.
"Ah, Nel. Making love to you will be even sweeter than I thought. Pity, then, that all this feistiness will be lost come that time."
He raised one hand, power flaring into life from his palm and she stopped dead, frozen in place. A gentle wave seemed to roll over her, a strange hazy sweetness that threatened to engulf both her mind and body. Nel staggered, her mouth opening in perplexity and her daggers falling once again to the floor. "W-What are y-you doing to me?" she moaned, falling on her knees.
"I will make all your memories of this go away, Nel," he said comfortingly, speaking to her as he would a child. "After I have finished my examination of your delightful body. It will be as if I never existed, as if Albel had never been driven to taste your blood. That will be most pleasant, I would think."
"N-No…!"
He knelt opposite her, cradling her chin gently with his thin fingers. "Just close your eyes, my lovely, and everything will be as it should when you awake."
"Just close your eyes…and escape this terrible dream…"
The lilting quality was pleasant to her ears and she drifted on the edge of consciousness, hopelessly fighting the lull of magic that smothered her.
Nel, no! Wake up, WAKE UP!
Albel watched horrified as Nel slumped lifelessly into the Voice's all to willing embrace and he screamed her name again.
God, no, no…Nel! Open your eyes!
Dear heart, it is pointless to fight Fate herself. Succumb to her allure, surrender to her embrace. I will have Nel, and there is nothing you can do to stop me. See how peaceful she is? She will remember nothing of this encounter!
You think that matters? You are going to rape the woman I love!
I thought you did not believe in love. You were quite adamant that you did not, a short while ago. If it were possible, there was even more amusement in his voice. And I beg to differ, I am not going to rape her. When she wakes, she will be quite willing, as you will see.
Confusion racked Albel and he winced mentally. What had he meant by love?
Dear heart, do not be pained so. Your love will be well taken care of. I would never hurt her, if it meant hurting you.
Why? Why the hell are you doing this to me!
I need to prepare you for the task that lies ahead, Albel. It is a dangerous path that we must travel together.
And…because I love you.
To be continued…