Before-notes:
Like the last, there's minor suggestiveness in this chapter. If it's not appropriate for your age/maturity, skip the second airship section (fourth section overall). It shouldn't be that big a problem though; it's not much.
(I accidentally deleted this chapter when I was just trying to update it and I had to re-upload it… I'm really sorry to all followers for the double notifications, if it annoyed any of you)
A review really makes my day .
CHAPTER 10: LIGHTS IN THE DARK, PART 2
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Rural Ayuthay, motel, late night
Rief's peaceful slumber was violently interrupted by the screechy voice of the old motel owner.
"Could I please speak to a patron named Rief?" the tired voice called from behind the door.
Rief was groggy and annoyed about being woken up in the middle of the night, but he forced out of bed and slowly walked to the door. He resolved himself to never again spend a night in this motel.
"What is it?" he moaned as he stumbled in the door's general direction. It was pitch black and he didn't want to wake Kraden.
"Do you… have a relative named Nowell?" she asked.
"Oh, yes, that's my sister!" Rief replied, suddenly feeling quite awake. It had been ages since he'd seen her, and he realized he was pretty curious to learn about her sailing trip.
Eventually, he found the wall. He decided he'd just go along the wall until he reached the door. As he did so, he heard a couple loud thumps from the hallway. He figured this was his sister stomping, a habit she often did when she was annoyed or impatient with him, which was fairly often.
"Hold on sis, I'm coming," he shouted back, just as he had a million times before.
Wait a minute, Rief thought to himself. How could Nowell possibly know what inn I'm staying at? And furthermore, what's she doing this far inland, in Ayuthay, when her boat was supposed to drop her off in Belinsk?
I guess I'll learn why momentarily, Rief reckoned as he reached the door. As he opened the door, he saw that there wasn't much light in the hallway either, but there was enough to see the outline of the person standing in the hallway. The figure was very tall, much taller than either Nowell or the motel owner. Piers?
Rief looked around, but he couldn't see another silhouette anywhere. "Where's Nowell?" Rief asked confused.
"Perhaps you'd like a light," a man's voice said. Suddenly, light radiated from the man's palm, which was facing down at the ground in front of Rief. The boy froze in horror at the sight it revealed.
It was the motel owner's corpse, stabbed through the heart with what looked to be a huge shaft of ice. Her mouth was open in shock, butit was full of ice, like a cup of frozen water. Her nostrils were frozen in the same way.
There was no blood. What the heck is going on here?!
"Seeing relatives is always nice," said the familiar voice. Rief's followed the light of the man's palm as it moved up his figure. Rief clenched his fists as his eyes reached Arcanus' mask.
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Tuaparang Airship, night
Latakia stared across the room at Myalkni. "He's all yours", Lord Arcanus had said. She had understood him, knew what he had meant.
"Myalkni, follow me."
He followed her, his eyes downcast.
I will conquer him, claim him, Latakia said to herself as they walked.
"You've been behaving well lately," Latakia remarked.
Yes, I've been pretty obedient lately, doing all the wretched crimes you ask of me, Myalkni reflected glumly as he followed. Lately, he had completely lost the will to resist. Having already burned a whole village-worth of people alive, every new crime seems less major. He recalled learning once that repeat-murderers were desensitized to the act, and figured it was probably similar to that. Myalkni still felt revulsion towards the tasks, but for some reason, the outrage he felt before was gone. He found this change disturbing.
He remembered back to when he had tried to escape from Latakia. It had been a week or so ago, but it seemed like ages had passed. He remembered how he had reflected while fleeing from Latakia that if she vanquished him, he would become an automaton, and that therefore he was fighting to preserve his control over his life. I was fighting to not "lose myself", that was how I thought about it, he remembered.
Well, now, that fate has been realized. I lost, I screwed it all up.
Had he lost his life? I'm clearly not dead, but I'm not truly alive either, he observed.My body still lives, but it's not really my own anymore. I have practically no control over what I do.
In light of that, I guess I really have lost myself, he despaired. I still have my own identity and my own conscience… but they have utterly no effect on my actions. I act no different than I would had they been completely obliterated.
Myalkni hated himself for being so weak. I should have continued resisting, even if died or had to endure agony, rather than give in and commit these horrible crimes, Myalkni berated himself. He was sure that the any of the Warriors' children would never have stopped resisting. But unlike them, I'm weak, and because of that people suffer and die.
A part of Myalkni wanted, desperately, to still believe there was the tiniest sliver of light. He still wanted to be able to tell himself that he wasn't a horrible person after all. At least I don't actually enjoy being forced to kill people, it argued. After all, if I resisted, someone else would do the tasks I'm made to do while I suffer immense physical pain. What use is that?
But this voice was quickly brought back in line: Well, one SHOULD choose to suffer eternally rather than kill tons of people, Myalkni reprimanded himself. But… I'm incapable of that because I fear pain and death more than I fear doing horrible things.
I only pursue the right path if it brings me personal satisfaction, Myalkni reflected bitterly. Now that I've already killed tons of people, deep down, I know I won't have any personal satisfaction for resisting, because I'll never forgive myself for the people I've already killed. Even though it's obviously the right thing to do, I have no thought of resisting, because it won't do me a bit of good emotionally.
That's my inherent nature: a selfish, useless, pathetic, sorry excuse of a creature, Myalkni despaired, lashing himself with thoughts.
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Motel in rural Ayuthay, late night
For some reason, Rief didn't look particularly happy to see Arcanus- he looked much more the opposite. Arcanus couldn't care less though.
Arcanus swiftly lifted a dart from his pocket and planted it in his kin's shoulder. The boy gasped in shock and then fell forward, unconscious, into Arcanus' arms.
With his free hand, Arcanus snapped his fingers. Eight Tuaparang soldiers charged down the hallway to meet Arcanus. Arcanus passed Rief's unconscious body into the arms of one of the soldiers, while another two picked up the motel owner's corpse.
"What in the world is going on here?!" a man demanded as he emerged from his room. This irritated Arcanus. Clearly, they hadn't been quiet enough; his men had been below professional.
Before Arcanus could handle the man, however, one of the Tuaparang soldiers felled him with a knife. The soldier had done so swiftly and soundlessly, but Arcanus stared at him with disapproval. He would have preferred to dispatch the man bloodlessly, as he had done with the motel owner. But of course, you can't always have what you want, things don't always go according to plan. It was still annoying, though, that his own subordinates were creating complications in his plan.
"Now, now, you knew you weren't supposed to do that, don't you? Look at all that blood! Don't you know we're trying to cover our tracks?" Arcanus hissed.
"I'm so sorry, Lord Arcanus…I'll clean this up as best as I can!" the soldier whimpered. Despite Arcanus' soft tone of speaking, he understood well the potential consequences of burdening Arcanus.
"Yes, please do."
And with that, Arcanus made his way into Rief's room, immediately heading to Kraden's bed. He quickly deployed another dart on Kraden. He knew not if Kraden was awake, but he wanted to make sure Kraden didn't interfere- yet.
Arcanus left a short note that he had prepared earlier on top of Kraden's forehead.
Arcanus' telepathy sensed another mind in the room, but he didn't see anyone else. Then he had an idea.
He proceeded to rummage through Rief's belongings, handing any bag which contained items worth claiming to the soldiers. Eventually he came to the object he had been looking for: a small, white gemstone. I knew it, Arcanus thought triumphantly, it's the Ice Queen. This could be quite useful…
In order to gain control over Myalkni, Arcanus had used a strategy that combined threats, reason and appeals to emotion. He had used these tools to sway Myalkni to obey him at each step voluntarily, until Myalkni was completely subdued. With Rief, it would be different. Rief's hatred of Arcanus was too great for that strategy. Instead, Arcanus would employ the same tactics he had used to get into Rief's motel room: a combination of deceit and force to subdue the boy's mind. He would have to improvise at parts, but he was confident he could conquer the boy. Rief, who was five years younger than Myalkni, would be a much easier – and more predictable – project.
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Tuaparang Airship, late in the night, Latakia's chamber
Latakia stopped in front of a doorway, looking at Myalkni with a peculiar expression. What is that, sympathy? For some reason, the concept of her sympathizing with him angered Myalkni. He didn't think he deserved sympathy, and didn't want Latakia's.
"Oh don't look so miserable, you're still alive," she remarked. Myalkni wasn't sure he agreed.
"Well, I would rather you not look so miserable, for your father's sake and mine," she said. This infuriated Myalkni, but he concealed his anger as he always did.
"Since you've been good, I've decided to reward you," Latakia told him. Myalkni couldn't quite figure out her expression. He didn't care, though, and wasn't particularly excited about this "reward", whatever it was.
Following Latakia into the room, Myalkni saw a well-made bed, a desk, and various papers and books. At Latakia's bidding, Myalkni sat down on the mattress.
Suddenly, Myalkni felt Latakia's fingers skim his neck and his shoulder blades, and soon, he felt her palms embracing his skin too.
Myalkni knew where this was going. Having lived in Ayuthay's Court for nineteen years, he'd seen this many times. You've got to be kidding me, Myalkni groaned to himself silently.
I guess I'm supposed to be seduced at this point, Myalkni thought. Instead, he was silently furious. He figured that behind this lay Arcanus trying to control him in yet another way. But what about Latakia?
Myalkni looked up at her. Latakia seemed to have become an entirely different person. She had always seemed steely and emotionless, but at this moment he could see tenderness behind her tough exterior. Myalkni saw traces of desire on her face; her eyes contained sadness and longing.
Latakia drew herself closer to him, while he remained motionless and unresponsive. Her arms wrapped around him. Her red lips inched forward, inviting him.
Most of the men in the court would be entranced at this point, but Myalkni wasn't. By most standards Latakia was quite attractive, but he wasn't attracted a bit.
"We're the same, you know," she whispered in his ear.
And I hate us both.
"You know you want to kiss me, why deny yourself?"
"I hate you," Myalkni spat, unable to stop himself this time. Latakia looked like she had been punched.
"Why?" she demanded. "You torture yourself worse than I ever did."
"I didn't mean it; I just wanted to see how you'd react."
Myalkni could sense Latakia struggling to swallow the absurd lie. She obviously wanted to believe it. Latakia's life is miserable, she's desperate for this as a reprieve, Myalkni realized. She has probably been waiting for this.
For the first time, Latakia was at his mercy, rather than the reverse. But despite hating her, he was as uninterested in hurting her as he was in kissing her.
"There's nothing to fear," coaxed Latakia.
Myalkni decided he wasn't sure he really had a choice- it could get bad if Latakia was left frustrated. Besides, I don't need to fear losing anything anymore. Moreover, at the end of the day, at least I can tell myself I chose the non-selfish option for once, he reasoned to himself.
Myalkni picked up his hand and placed it on Latakia's back, and began caressing her. She was visibly relieved, and stared at him adoringly.
"You know, it's my first time," he said, regretting it. A part of him was still terrified of failing to satisfy Latakia, and he hoped that saying so would make her less likely to blame him if he messed up. He wasn't even sure if he knew how to do it right, and. He tried his best to imitate what he had seen in the court so many times. He leaned forward and touched his lips to hers.
"It's mine too," she replied. "Well… the first kiss of my own accord," she corrected herself, painfully.
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After Latakia had her fill, a peculiar quiet descended upon the air.
"We must prepare," Latakia stated.
"For what?"
"Our sources inform me that the redheaded idiot from Vale that you accompanied in the past is coming to abduct you," she replied.
Oh, please do. Please abduct me from this hell.
"His name is Tyrell," Myalkni said, carefully articulating the name. It was him. Tyrell. He's coming. For me.
"He's accompanied by the green-haired twerp from Kalay. We're going to have to confront them…" Latakia was explaining. Myalkni wasn't listening. He rose and walked over to the window.
"What are you doing," Latakia demanded, "are you listening?"
"Yeah, I'm listening," Myalkni replied. "I'm just looking at the stars."
Thankfully, Latakia couldn't see that the sky was too cloudy to see a single star. Thankfully, the light was off, so Latakia couldn't see that Myalkni was looking down at the ground, rather than up.
Tyrell, I wonder where you are right now, Myalkni thought.
Suddenly, there was light again in Myalkni's life. A small flame had appeared, providing a small light in the sea of dread and darkness.
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Next Chapter: Bath of Blood
Author's Notes:
Taster for the next chapter: before Karis and Tyrell reach Amiti/Myalkni, SOMEONE IMPORTANT WILL DIE. Just a little suspense leak.
For any of you interested in the poll results for the three polls…
*The first poll (Ch4): A clear majority wanted the ring to go to Matthew.
*The second poll (Ch6): Half thought Latakia should be a Wind Adept, half didn't care. Only two voted, unfortunately.
*The third poll (Ch8): Tyrell was the winner; "Other" (Eoleo? Matthew?) and Latakia were the runner-ups.
As I said before… reviews really make my day. So if you have a response, I'd love to see it in a review :).
There is a new poll on my userpage. It'd be great if you answered it.