Disclaimer: don't own anyone here either. But I do own the name Kenneth Aftaka, who is he? Read on to find out!
A/N: Hmm… the pairing … honestly my friend I'm gonna have to get back to all of you on that one cuz it's sketchy for me to decide. I was just thinking that as the story unfolded I'll let the character's – but mostly my fingers gliding on the keyboard – make the decision. So … yeah … hope that doesn't put a damper on you for reading this story, but hey thanks for reviewing any way! You guys are so nice!
So enjoy the second chapter … BUT just a little warning when I wrote this and read it I noticed that it was starting out kind of slow. And there's a part in only Italics that I really so need for you guys to read. It's important and it plays a major part in the story for you to understand.
So anyway without futher ado … I bring to you … chapter two!
(I'm such a poet)
--
Don't Chock
The sensation of flying is a lot like the sensation of falling.
However, in flight you just know that you're not going to die and become a mere splat on the ground for cops to clean up. This … however … was far from the two upset thieves who were kicking and screaming in mid-air as they both plummeted faster and faster to the hard ground. The rain beating on them, as if to force them down even faster the lights of the city blurred passed, but none of it was of any importance.
"Hand me back the Sapphire, you have no use for it!" Malchior growled and demanded trying to chock the thief to death, who managed to punch the dragon and loosen his grip.
"You knocked it out of my hand you fuckin' retarded baboon!" X kicked the dragon causing both of them to tumble and finally look down to notice that the falter teleport had just landed them … well not on solid ground that's for sure. X cursed again, "Goddamn you to hell, once you get there, say hi to Lucifer for me, asshole."
Again he pressed the teleport button, leaving Malchior all to his lonesome in his fall. Scowling, and generally hating the idea of loosing not only a battle, but his prize as well just enraged him. His black metallic eyes tinting pink, as he growled and allowed his fangs to grow even longer along with his teeth. The dragon sorcerer flipped and controlled his fall balling himself up. He forced his dragon blood to surface, but concentrated only to his back as he bit down on his lower lip and cried out in pain when he felt the flesh of his back ripped to shreds, along with his shirt.
Pain …
Something he'd been quite familiar with all his life …
So this was nothing … but it still hurt like a bitch!
His wings: black, leathery, a tint of violet purple, and still growing till it was maybe about 20 feet in length when he expanded it tip to tip. Metallic black eyes bleeding blood red then subsiding back to his original state, Malchior flapped once … then twice, gritting his teeth with every sharp stab of pain that went up and down his spine. No … it wasn't the fact that he was struggling to fly and save his life that hurt and pained him.
No … but it was every time he flapped in this form that tore at his meek human fleshy appearance and his "second skin" sad to say was like his under skin without the plated armor of his scales. Soft, vulnerable, and easy enough to rip to shred, baring with the pain, he beat even harder till he could feel himself finding a stabled flow and tilted into a gentle glide. Getting more wind under his wings he beat harder and harder till he was able to control and gain altitude.
Virtually, escaping death with a mere tumble through traffic and a quick shoot down the street and up he went. Soaring higher and higher till he was safe from the prying human eyes. With the rain working against him and forcing him back to the ground, Malchior cupped his wings around his body and tumbled in the air to take a sharp turn back into the city, but a more remote part of it.
Where it was close to the slums, and ghetto neighborhoods, however diving into the many abandoned warehouses through the opened cracked ceilings. The very cold, very wet, and very angry dragon flicked his wings splashing the area with a shower of rainwater. And since this was like a spell the wings would not go away until twenty-four hours from now or if he transformed into his dragon state. Not that he was going to do that here, nope, not where a ton of mortals can see him.
The distressed dragon let his majestic wings drag on the ground with no honor or strength left in him to fight or to be noble like he once was. Malchior growled and trudged to a corner of the warehouse and plopped down, wrapping his wings around his form to try desperately to keep himself warm even in his cold damp state. Anger, rage, sadness, and exhaustion all rolled into one … the poor dragon could only take so much stress and his little mind couldn't take it all and he ended up trying to forget it.
Trying to think something different and lull himself to sleep, Malchior closed his eyes and curled his wings even tighter around his freezing form, I'll retrieve it later … in the mean time … sleep is needed …
That's what he'd like to do … but sleep for him was nothing but a distant dream.
((--Day after the heist--))
"I don't know what happened?" The Herald shrugged on the huge screen, completely at a lost of what to say as the rest of the Teen Titans all hung around the ops room looking down, pissed, worried, or uncertain. Raven standing next to Robin glared up at the screen and looked down at a piece of paper quickly scribbling a few choice words then thrusting it up for the Herald to see.
What do you mean? How did he escape your realm?
It looked urgent and maybe even vengeful, the Herald frowned sympathetically, sorry that he couldn't help his fellow Titan with her spell problem. Apparently the spell the dragon had placed on her was a silence spell that needed to be countered with a counter spell or potion. Right now, she was looking for one, however that didn't mean she hated every minute of her mute disability. "Sorry, I wish I knew, one moment I was relaxing then the next I was knocked out and the chains that bound the dragon here was ripped … all four."
While he was talking Raven scribbled some more:
So you mean to tell me that you have no way of getting him back? Way to track him? Trace him?
"Tried'em all," the Herald sighed, "like I said I'm sorry."
"But all of the other villains?" Robin butt in with an ice-patch on his head as Raven growled, huffed, pouted, and stormed away, cape whishing away behind her heading up to her room.
The Herald shook his head, "No, they're all accounted for … only the one named Malchior escaped."
"Do not feel that it is all your fault my friend," Starfire from the side sitting on the counter and swinging her long legs back and forth heel hitting the cabinets in rhythmic beats. Looking as chirpy as ever the redhead smiled trying to get everyone's spirits lifted, "The Malchior is tricky and would have found any other means of escape."
Robin scowled and leaned against one of the computers, "Maybe Star … but how did he escape Raven's curse? Wasn't that book in her chest? She did say it was still there when she checked … right?"
Starfire, Beast Boy, and Cyborg all nodded in agreement. Robin turned back to the Herald and nodded, "Well then, thanks for the information, check up on us when you find something of interest."
Saluting and smiling hopefully the strange hooded abstract hero nodded, "Will do, the Herald out."
"I don't like this," Robin growled and winced when the pulsing in his head where he took a hard beating from the powerful dragon shot another fresh dose of pain. Gritting his teeth the Titan pushed off the computer and walked to the couch, plopping down on it. All the other Titans – excluding Raven – gathered around him to hear his train of thought, seeing that Robin could sometimes go into an absent minded state and suddenly speak out his thoughts without meaning to, "not one bit … first we get a call that Red X is in the area trying to steal the Red Sea Sapphire … only to get there and meet up with –"
"And get our asses kicked," Beast Boy momentarily interrupted, earning him a good evil glare from Robin and a warning smack upside the head from Cyborg.
" – meet up with Malchior …" Robin continued trying to ignore Beast Boy's statement, " … who, as a matter of fact escaped not once, not twice, but three times. Flawlessly evading, yet carelessly getting caught and recaptured only to escape again … guys … I get the feeling this time … Malchior's gonna' wanna stay free."
Cyborg shrugged, "So what man? What has the Red Sea Sapphire got anything to do with it? You think Red X'll know?"
Robin snorted and shot up from the couch, "Red X wouldn't know magic if it hit him smack in the face. Even still, where would we look to find the little bastard."
"Um," Starfire innocently called attention to herself, "I do believe that we are forgetting one thing here. I may have been knocked out, but I believe Beast Boy has already gave an explanation that even the Red X hadn't a clue about the precious gem's meaning to the dark dragon. It was only for value of money that pursued the X into fighting for the gem."
Robin shrugged taking Starfire's explanation – and Beast Boy's – into consideration, yet challenged it, "Sure I know that, but we still don't know if X was in lead with Malchior … it's possible that they might have turned on each other or something of the matter by the time we arrived."
Beast Boy scratched his head, "Yeah … uh, do any of you think that Raven should be here to discuses this thing? I mean, she is the one that'll probably know more about this than any of us."
"True," Robin nodded, "but for now I'm going to the Observation Room. If any of you need or find anything you know where I'll be."
"Affirmative," Starfire smiled, than gave a look of concern, "but try not to work your person too hard my friend … it is not so good for you."
"Yeah, thanks Star." Robin off handedly agreed (even if he really didn't) and went on his way to the top floor of his OR.
--
How do you do it? Raven growled pacing her room and glaring at the white covered innocent book on her bed. Her cape flailing with every turn she took to literally pace a faded path on her rugged floor, How the hell is it that you always find a damn way to get out? My book wasn't even anywhere NEAR the Brotherhood of Evil … and yet … you STILL manage to escape! How do you do it? How goddamn it!
Childishly she stomped a foot on the ground her will to scream, to shout, to curse, to taint through her mouth a wasted possibility. The damned dragon! It was all his fault! The gull to use and abuse her, then having the audacity to place a silence curse or spell whatever the hell it was that prevented her from speaking. It was infuriating!
POP!
Raven took a breather, on the floor under the shelf that held her belongings laid – shattered in pieces – her favorite black raven cartoonist statue. An antic in her family now virtually destroyed. All because of her loss of control, eyes closed and head bowed, the silent – raging – Raven plopped on the ground. On her knees but sitting off to the side tired, exhausted, and basically powerless to do anything. Raven gulped and looked up at the white book on her bed.
The Red Sea Sapphire … a holding cell … the "Final Imprisonment" the only gem of it's kind to actually have the power to lock you away for good … for good … you fear it. You want to destroy it … it's the only threat you have in the world with no other Sorcerer to challenge you … Raven blinked and reached for the book, opening it's pages and flipping through the musty old parchment. Stopping at the page where Malchior had interrupted and spoke to her. The dark Titan shifted her position till her back was against her bed and her book in her lap.
The names' of the characters switched and Rorek's name placed where it should be … Raven held her breathe and searched for her last sentence. It may have been a long time since she picked up the book … but the memory of how it all started was still as fresh as ever in her mind. Alright Rorek … what's your side of this whole thing …
XxX
… and with a curse more ancient than foul Malchior himself, I called upon him to stay trapped within in the book for all eternity. It was supposed to end there … it was all supposed to end with the final closing of the pages of an old worn out journal that has taken into account of all my greatest adventures. Written and told by myself and I … my life would move on after I have closed the book … but … it was not meant to be.
In truth, the dread dragon Malchior really, truly was greater then all the magic in the world that I've learned. The curse … ages as old as the land I stood upon was strong … but in my carelessness and my arrogant victory I have forgotten the one rule I was taught never to forget. This … would be my greatest undoing, and yet strangely a blessed curse all the same. As the magic engulfed and took hold of the beast, I was sure it was my night to shine, but just as I was enjoying an early victory it all turned into a nightmare when Malchior placed his own entrapment upon my blind eye.
"For as long as I live, for as long as I breathe, for an eternity to come you and I shall never be done. Let it be known, and let it all be heard for the world to see. That as long as I live, you shall never have release, because as my heart beats in time with yours, once my soul dies is when you'll be put to rest."
His final curse … the curse of eternity – no, not even that, but the curse of having my own life ruled and owned by the dragon himself. I was bound to him and as long as he lived I shall never see death. Ripping out half his black heart I tried to move, to dodge, to see to it that this curse would never be placed upon me. The curse that I set for him was not finished and without a choice, I stood, braced and prayed to the heavens that the gods above will forgive me for this black blood that will soon rush in me.
The pain was all too much to bear, but as his black heart pierced my chest and mingled with my human body – the pain … oh, dear gods the pain. The book, finished with the curse and the dragon sealed inside was finally closed, but dropped to the ground. My body … the pain … the darkness … the madness … the insanity … it was all too much! My mind was being filled with dark thoughts of slaughter, blood, chaos, and maniacal lust … I-I couldn't take it! I wanted it all to end!
His black heart was taking over!
I was too weak to deny it's haunting calls; it's sinful desires, and blood-lusting craze. From my boot I unsheathed the dagger that would end my suffering … a cowardice way to die … but it was better than to have his evil beast beating in my chest. Without a second thought I ripped off my armor and sent a cry to the heavens, a small tear coming down my face I plunged the dagger deep within my heart … and instead of feeling release it all just heighten the pain.
On my side, begging, pleading for it all to end I had thought that maybe taking the dagger from my breast and letting my defenseless human body bleed to death would be enough to kill me. I only felt numbness, so numb that I could not even feel my own thoughts rapidly bouncing all over my pain filled mind. Was I dead? No … no I was not … because as I moved my hand to my chest to feel the wound … it was gone … as quick as the dagger had been pulled out … the wound I had inflicted upon myself … was gone.
Healed … healthy … and no scar to show for all the drama …
It was then that I knew … that I, Rorek of Nol … had been given the most envious and worldly sought after prize of eternal life … yet, when shared with the damned dragon … it couldn't hardly be called a "prize" any more.
No … it was a curse …
Because with every beat of my heart … I just knew … the dreaded dragon still lived … well safe and sound.
Gods it was a sick twist in fate's design, her smile gleaming with much mischief and mockery … even now as I lay in the middle of all the destruction and madness I could feel her. Her smile … her laughter … her teasing glimmering eyes … she was a devil that one, and I … was her current favorite toy.
I thought once I had closed the book with the sealed Malchior in it that this part of an adventure would be over … but no. Never … as long as Malchior still lived and breathed I would never be able to close this book, or many other books to come. I will live to see forever … a treasure envied and widely sought after. They can have it … because as far as I'm concerned … I just started this new chapter in my long forever life and I already hate the general idea of living forever.
XxX
So … Raven blinked and put the book down for a moment, not done with it yet, but that one part telling her more than she needed to know, she scanned the words and shook her head in amazement … you're still alive … but where are you?
It would be a question that she wouldn't be receiving an answer to anytime soon, however if there was anyone who knew where the sage was it'll be Malchior himself … they were connected after all. Connected … Raven blinked and looked down at the book, Is that why Malchior's after the Red Sea Sapphire? To seal you away for good … but what has he got to worry about? The only way for you to die is for him to die … it doesn't work the other way around … or does it …? No … why would Malchior cast a spell that would curse him as well? It wouldn't make any sense … even in his desperate attempt at getting the last laugh. Unless … Raven slowly got up from her spot, still staring at the book, she blinked and licked her lips suddenly realizing how thirsty she suddenly was, however ignored it.
Her mind on a roll as she tried to solve this mystery, walking to her archives, her bookshelves and such. She looked not only for a particular book, but also for the book that'll grant her access into her secret archives. When knowing that her friends were the snooping type she made sure she switched the blue-prints of the tower to the one that got the builders to build in a back room. For not only her friend's sake, but for the rest of the world, it was her secret library of horrors.
The book, plain and simple was found and pulled on and before she knew it whole shelf moved back and slightly to the right, allowing her access to the back room. Slipping in quietly the shelf shifted back to its original state and Raven found herself walking in between the walls of the Tower. In other words she was walking down a hall that was parallel to the hall outside, but this one hidden and unseen. Still clutching the white book of Rorek's Life to her chest she slipped through another crack in the wall that acted as the entrance to her archives.
This room was right under Robin's Observation Room, so when she heard his door hiss open and his foot steps over head, Raven knew Robin had come in to do some work. The office chair pulled out and sat on, then pushed in and the booting of the computer. Raven looked down at the computer in her own archives that connected to Robin's that booted with it. She shook her head and let him be to his work.
Being silent and observant always pays off.
Otherwise she wouldn't be aware of how to work a computer and hack into Robin's every time he logged on. Though she wasn't a snooper, Raven let the computer run with Robin as she turned her attention to her walls. Stacked to the ceiling with books and with half circled shelves in the middle of the room filled to the top with potions, powders, and equipment of magic. Raven placed the white book on the low table in the center of the room, lingering on it for the moment she sighed and looked around.
Okay Rorek … you're cursed to stay alive and well as long as Malchior is alive, but Malchior is free and after the Red Sea Sapphire … for what reason? Is it Malchior that dies that frees you from your prison, or does it work both ways? If you get killed does Malchior die as well? Raven looked among her shelves of many goodies, Where could have the dragon gone wrong? What did he underestimate … does he know your precise location … and for the matter … where are you?
--
SWACK!
"First and last warning of the day Kenneth," dark tired brown eyes bore into drowsy, woozy, basically dazed expression of the young 17-year-old high school senior with messy light brown hair all spiked. Looking like he just got out of bed – or in this case his book, his amber hazel eyes burned with a dull fire of sleepiness as he glared up annoyingly at his teacher, "fall asleep again in my class and you'll be up front doing push ups for the whole period."
"Sure …" groaned Kenneth the exhausted teen as he sat up and leaned against his chair glaring forward at the board, "whatever, what's the lesson."
"You wouldn't have to be asking that if you were paying attention now would you?"
Kenneth, agitated, tired, and aggravated snorted and counted to ten trying to keep himself from killing the teacher. Even with his rather unimpressive body, if anyone bothered to noticed they'd see that he actually quite lean. Maybe not as built as a jock, but strong enough to defend himself; yet it didn't look it … especially when he reached a hand up to scratch the back of his head.
The irritancies of a teacher stalking back to the front of the class to continue. Kenneth just prayed he'd stay awake long enough to right down the homework. Not that there was any point to it, Kenneth was never an A+ student and that was all that needed to be said as he sat there in his chair. Waiting for the bell to ring …
… and it did …
RRRIIINNNGGG!
"Okay remember class three page essay on the psyche of the mind due tomorrow! If you don't turn in the assignment there will be calls to your parents about it. Good-bye and have a good day!"
"Yeah right," Kenneth snorted and trudged out into the hall for lunch, flipping the bird back at the closed the door of the Psychology Class Room, "up yours asshole."
"Must you be so hostile to Mr. James?" a voice from behind, Kenneth, running his hand through his floppy messy light brown hair eyed the strange kid he'd come to trust as a friend in the crazy dimension called High School. They were the same grade, same age, though he was taller than himself and much more pretty – and Kenneth meant girly pretty.
Hell when they first meet eye to eye Kenneth could have swore he was a chick if it wasn't for his deep velvety smooth rich voice. In fact it sent shivers down his spine, even now, especially when he looked into his ice-blue eyes. They were ancient … wise … and so totally creepy. Ice-blue … so light that they looked to be glowing, his hair was long. Waist length long, with bangs that covered over his immaculate crystalline orbs. Basically he looked like some kind of perfect hero out of a fairytale – the knight in shining armor type.
Prince charming.
Though with a modern twist.
White baggy periscope pants, black wife-beater under a white larger-than-life hooded-sweater with his sleeves always pushed up to the elbows. He just screamed rich-boy, and he was! The people that he says claimed to have adopted him – and yet every time Kenneth came around his huge mansion of a house his "parents" were never there. Eating food off of a platinum plate and platinum fork/spoon. To say Kenneth was sort of jealous of the guy and his easy lifestyle was the truth. In fact, everyone in the school either wanted to be with him, be like him, or maybe even murder him. The guy had it all.
So what the hell was he doing in the dump of a public school where the people throw all the rejected brats at Jump City High School?
His answer?
"Because it's more fun."
Kenneth's response?
"Freakin' brat."
Then a good old light hearted laugh.
However, that was far from the subject, the flash of memory was gone, and Kenneth now walking with his friend to the cafeteria to get some eats was fuming, "Man, don't tell me if I'm hostile or not, Mr. James better watch his back, because I'm in no fuckin' mood to deal with his bullshit."
Ice-blue eyes twinkled with curiosity, an upturn of the left corner of his lips showed it, "I take it you had a rough night?"
A fault in Kenneth's step and a narrow in his hazel eyes, glaring at the ground then sending it up to his friend Kennth growled, "Rorek, shut the fuck up."
Rorek shrugged stuffing his hands in the pockets of his jacket, "Can't help it if you're the one acting like a brute, all I do is come to greet you a pleasant morning and out of concern ask if your person is okay. Only to have you go and bite my head off. Excuse me for being a friend."
"That's just gay dude, get the hell away from me with that kind of crap," Kenneth snorted, with a sneered, "why can't you just talk like a normal person? Why you gotta' act as if you're apart of some kind of damn royalty?"
"My way of giving the world some culture," Rorek grinned and jerked his head around to get his bangs to move from his sight, "try it, it'll make you feel more … important."
"Whatever." Kenneth scowled, scoffed, and walked even faster to the cafeteria, slinging his back onto this shoulder and wincing in pain then clutching his bruised ribs.
Rorek's eyes narrowed in concern, "Are you alright?"
"Yeah!" Kenneth quickly answered, holding his breath, and nodding his head, "I'm, uh, I'm fine … just uh … just minor pain is all from my Martial Arts classes is all. Aw, yeah, uh, my – uh – master probably hit me too hard is all."
"You sure?" Rorek didn't believe him and Kenneth couldn't blame him, he sounded like a fumbling fool!
"Yeah, so ease up off my back about it, hurry up I'm starved." With that the hazel eyed teen rushed forward leaving Rorek to walk calmly in the hall eyes narrowed in suspicion Rorek sighed and bit on his lower lip. Bringing a hand up to his heart and wincing himself, but more so discreet than Kenneth. Rorek took a deep breath and held it, then slowly let go, "Rorek! Come on! The lines getting longer!"
"Right," Rorek chocked, but cleared his throat, quietly saying, "of course …"
--
Toldja that it'll be starting out rather slow, yetI promise after the next chapter there will be a bit more going on, right now it's all just a set up. You know the old saying goes "The plot thickens", well yeah. Please review, even if you have to tell me how boring his chapter was, just press the submit button on the bottom left hand corn. It's begging for the attention.
