RMW
Chapter Four
Deadly Sendings
~SV~
Samala’s Old Cottage, Night, 677, 25th, October
Getting control the Evil One screams, “No one betrays me, without tasting my wrath! Just know this; I will kill you before I ever let you love anyone else. No matter whom you tell nor where you go-.” Yelling, Kolo threatens, “Just one whisper of my name and I will hear you. I shall come and kill them all. No one is powerful enough to help you escape me, not even your precious Anthony!”
Sidonia runs for the door and opens the latch, as she hopes Kolo forgets she came here tonight. She steps out, and closes it. Her hand trembles as she puts the key in and locks it. Princess Sidonia wants to leave no clue of her being here tonight. The dark girl counts on him passing out and when Kolo wakes, the Evil fiend should believe he only dreamt of Samala; rather than revealing all to her.
Her feet refuse to move, as she is aware this is her mother’s porch, where Kolo claims he proposed to Samala. She recalls Rorik talking of the cottage when she was a child, yet she had not believed all of his stories. Her half-brother had a tendency of exaggerating. Still, she never suspected it was close by, let alone still standing.
A vision comes, of Kolo as he asks her mother to marry him. The Oracle also sees that six-year-old Rorik is listening at the window; all Kolo said was true. Coming out of the vision, she moans at his deceit. A woman’s voice comes from inside, “Kolo, grow up!” Sidonia gasps, she had forgotten about seeing a female’s mist. Biting her lip she worries, ‘I suspected there was a Witch here.’
She wonders, ‘Is it she, or is it my mother?’ Angry, the female demands, “Kolo get off the filthy floor, or I will kick you.” Sidonia realizes this woman does not sound like a captive, nor needs her help. Yet, the dark girl dares to look in through the window and only sees Kolo. She listens in hopes it is Samala, unsure she can still recognize her mother’s voice. Kolo struggles to his knees.
The girl hears the mysterious female hiss, “Either you get up, and pretend to be a man or I will entomb you with your naughty play things, and have joy without you.” Sidonia fears if this is her mother, she is not his prisoner; instead, she seems to be helping Kolo. The evil vampire now stands, the dark girl curses herself for staying, as she rushes off the porch, fearing noise at each of her footsteps.
Behind her, the Princess hears Kolo’s response, “Please take pity on me, Lola.” Sidonia hurries down the path, hearing Lola mock him, “When have you ever shown anyone pity?” Nearing his gate, Sidonia dares not open it; recalling his rusty hinges squeak. She lifts her dress and cape as she comes nearer and she manages to jump over the low latched gate. Once her feet hit the ground, she sprints down the road, glancing backwards as she flees. No one follows her.
Yet, the Princess does not dare slow, waving for Grekan to join her; fortunately, he sees, dashing out of his hiding place to run with her. The Clerk holds his cloak and toga up so he will not trip. It shows his thin legs and knee length tunic, yet gives him a longer stride. Huffing, Grekan asks, “Where is your bag? Did you give him the book?” Sidonia only gasps, “No!” Grekan looks behind them.
The Librarian trips nearly going down; Sidonia grabs her friend, in time to balance him. Since he saw no threat to them, Grekan asks, “Why are we running?” Princess Sidonia hisses, “He is a liar. He has powers, and threw blue flames. He is in love with Samala.” Grekan gasps, “You learned all of that, and he let you leave alive?” Sidonia chokes out, “He is delirious from drink and drugs; he even believed for a while that Anthony was his father.”
Gasping for air, he smirks, “I was right, he lied about being the oldest!” Still running, Sidonia adds, “I saw a Witch’s mist. As I left, he called her Lola. We are not safe.” Grekan is speechless; she says, “He killed Rorik’s father.” He gasps, “No!” She nearly sobs, “I think Ko- he is the January Man and kidnapped Samala! He swears he will hear if I say his name and will come to kill everyone!”
Sidonia insists, “We can never utter it again!” He huffs, “Good, since we have no need to speak of him after this.” Seeing they are staying on the forest road, Grekan gasps, “Bookshop?” She vows, “No need. I will never go back to him!” Grekan asks, “What is a January Man?” The dark girl explains, “On Samala’s thirteenth birthday, in January, she had a vision of a man threatening to entomb a woman then he killed her.” Grekan groans with horror, “Evil One.”
She adds, “Each January Samala had a new vision of another woman’s murder, all in different ways, yet eerily similar, as his threat to entomb them is the same. Also, his image was different and since he killed in January, it reminded Samala of ‘Janus the two faced god’; after that she called him the January Man. Samala was obsessed with catching him, until she saw her own entombment.”
Rushing toward the Castle, the dried leaves of autumn crunch under their feet, she adds, “When I was four, she claimed I already helped the January Man. Years later, Father said she ran away, I sensed the Evil One kidnapped her. I do not recall, helping him take her; I fear I may have. Samala said her visions showed him torturing and entombing her, yet somehow, he brings her back to do it again.”
Grekan is too stunned to respond, he looks around at the dark road in fear. The clouds move away from the moon letting its light shine to brighten their pathway as they flee. The cold air is like a brisk wake up for Sidonia, bringing her stunned senses to life. Finally, they are within sight of the Front Gate of Blackstone Castle’s Fortress compound and the pair feel they are nearly safe.
The Guard, Donatello calls to them, “Is something wrong?” Grekan yells back, “Wild dog!” Seeing the other guards have only open the gate and are just standing there waiting, Donatello phases into his powers and jumps off the twenty-foot wall. He then blurs out the front entry toward the two. Being Human, Grekan does not see, his mist and dark looks. Donatello watches for other humans and for the wild animal; he sees neither asking them, “Where is the dog?”
Grekan gasps, “We must have lost it, or it just turned back.” Donatello sees how terrified Princess Sidonia is; he takes her arm to help her run. He looks down as a lock of her hair is wrapping itself around his arm. Grekan sees the look of doubt, on their guards faces. He shouts at Thomas, and Todd who are holding the gates, “Beware, I am certain the dog is foaming at the mouth and barking mad.”
As they enter, Tik scoffs, “No wonder you have to run, when you insist on going alone, after dark, to a useless bookshop.” Todd and Thomas close the gate, as Grekan huffs between gasps, “I went with her; also the shop sells paints, ink, and paper too.” Whitey and Grunt laugh; Grekan glares as Tik taunts him, “A lot of good you did her, what if she were attacked? Do you even own a weapon?”
Proudly, the King’s Clerk retorts, “Does a letter opener count?” Tik’s eyes darken as he scoffs, “It depends if you have it with you. Let us see it.” Grekan’s sneer slides off his face as he is now aware how right Tik is. Sidonia sighs, feeling safe, as there is a wall all around the grounds and a mystical barrier over it.
The Dark Princess looks up chuckling as even the larger-than-life stone gargoyles on top of the Castle seem welcoming now. She relaxes a little and it is the first time she recalls being glad to be in this Fortress compound. The stone Castle’s five floors above ground and four below, adds to its forbidding and impenetrable look.
She exhales, and Donatello releases his hold on Sidonia, as she asks, “Is my father here? I really need to speak to him.” Her guard replies softly, “Sorry, I am not sure, he might have left.” Hearing the gates lock behind her, Princess Sidonia turns, thanking the guards, and she tells Donatello, “I appreciate your assistance.” Captain Tik comes closer as she plans a convincing response.
She now tells the Night Captain, “The sun gives me a headache so I have no choice, I must wait until dark to go to the bookshop.” Tik wears a charm blocking her ability to sense his thoughts, so she does not realize the dangerous feelings she is stirring in him. The Vampires nod accepting her, while Whitey and Grunt are jealous of her birthright. Tik gives her a creepy smile.
Poor Thomas and Todd are unaware that they work with and for vampires, as they look nervously at her. She tries to keep a calm demeanor. Tik says with approval, “Of course, you are a Bloodchild after all. Next time you leave the grounds, I will go with you, my Princess.” Recalling the last time Tik went with her; the dark girl replies, “I would hate to take you from your important duties.”
Donatello flies off to walk the parapet. Grekan frowns at her comment as they go toward the Castle. Tik feels renewed hope that she actually wants him. Once inside Grekan whispers, “Do you really suffer with the symptoms of a Dhampirica?” Sadly, Sidonia says, “I am not sure I ever will. So far, my Oracle blood is strongest. I have only felt a hint, of my other half’s power beginning.”
He frowns, “You seem disappointed, instead of relieved.” The dark girl sighs, “I should think right now, you would appreciate that I need to be more powerful, to defeat the Evil One. And I am certain that it is more unusual for the young to welcome death, rather than be comforted by the promise of a second life. I would give anything to have more power, so I can be safe from the Evil One!”
Understanding her now, Grekan groans, “Of course.”
~*~
Whitey goes to the Night Captain, who is standing off by himself; Tik watches the Princess with lust. Whitey startles him as he asks, “Did you find out anything?” Trying to hide his shock, Tik smiles, “Anthony favors Donatello as the new heir apparent. He is grooming him to take over and then marry Princess Sidonia.” Feeling doubtful, Whitey asks, “You heard his Highness say that?”
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Captain Tik sneers, “I overheard a thing or two, and since I know how his hind-ass thinks, it is not hard to see where this is going. First, he leaves me here, rather than putting me in charge of his important mission. The next insult, he entrusts Donatello with the safety of his kids while away.” Listening, Whitey nods, but is not convinced by Tik’s wild and unsubstantiated conclusions.
Tik adds, “Before this, Anthony only offered that to the Trulov brothers. Why ask the new man, rather than Heg, you, or me? Finally, Lord Hind-ass kept it all from me! Still, I guessed it was coming.” Whitey notices Tik acts even more suspicious of all, since he returned from his trip to Skull Island with Sidonia. Whitey wonders what caused it, as he shrugs, “I agree. But I am only Heg’s second in command; you should be guarding the children over me.”
~*~
Lola swirls around Kolo demanding, “Well, what are you going to do now? Remember if she tells anyone, we are in danger.” Kolo holds his head in his hands and groans, “I cannot concentrate. I am inclined to believe Sidonia was never here.” Lola floats nearer as she hisses, “What possible reason could I have to lie about it?”
Huffing, Kolo questions, “You admit you left me. How do I know you really came back during her visit? Why does my head hurt so?” Lola mocks, “You demanded I leave and you died earlier.” Kolo scoffs, “I did not partake of that much.” Lola hisses, “I swear you were dead and it angered me into having my own fun. You need to be more careful, as you are risking both of us, not just you.”
Kolo seethes, “You are making me wish for another death, with all your nagging. Just leave if you cannot be quiet.” Lola threatens, “If I go, I might not bother to come back.” Going to his room, he slams the door and drops to his bed, retorting, “Good.” She screams, “I heard that, and you will pay for it, later!”
~*~
Grekan leaves her, to go to the library; Sidonia sees her father is not in his office, and no longer wants to face him, anyway. Drained, the dark girl feels it is better to go to bed. She thinks it is wiser to be rested before talking to him; it also gives her time to decide how much of this mess she is willing to reveal and confess to. As she is about to enter her room on the third floor, she hears her father call out, “Sidonia, please come and speak to me in my den.”
Forcing a smile, the Dark Princess goes down the hall to stand in the doorway. His large hand holds his head, as his big frame leans over his desk. Her father is staring at a missive; she senses it is about the Dark Elf’s request for him to come to mediate their trial. Biting her lip with guilt at what she nearly did, she takes a deep breath, and greets him, “Good evening, Father.”
Anthony looks up at her with concern, “Tell me what happened?” She swallows her fear wondering how he knows and then calms herself, realizing his comment is not of Kolo. Clearly, her father heard what they said at the Front Gate, she replies, “Coming from the bookshop we were startled by a dog growling and barking at Grekan and I. It had me believing it was dangerous.”
He asks, “Did it become vicious?” The dark girl bites her lower lip, replying, “It blocked our way, then chased us toward the village’s back exit. It stopped before we got here, so I overreacted, is all.” He frowns asking, “Why do you think it was an overreaction?” Quickly, she comes up with a reason, “I thought I was over it, I guess the dog reminded me of ‘Wolves in the Woods-’ it is nothing.”
Immediately she regrets saying, ‘wolves’, but cannot take it back. Sidonia knows she is now responsible for her father’s hurt expression, as she unintentionally caused him to re-live their dark incident. She is ashamed that her lie is so poorly chosen, never meaning to hurt her father further. She quickly changes the subject, “I see your tension. Is it about the Dark Elf’s missive?”
Anthony is not looking at her, to cover looking at his cuff; it confirms she is avoiding the truth, and Sidonia is in real danger. He wants to tell her what he knows, yet he believes her destiny is tying his hands. Still, it is hard for Anthony to accept that he cannot keep her safe. An odd cry interrupts his thoughts and causes Sidonia to turn toward a Missive Messenger waiting on the perch.
Princess Sidonia asks with surprise, “Is it a dragon?” Her father grins, explaining, “It is too small and has no arms; this is a Wyvern. Dark Elves of the Banned Continent use them.” She sighs, “I believe this is not the typical request, if you want, I can try for a vision, to offer you some further insight on it.”
High Lord Anthony smiles, “I am so lucky you are my daughter, and are willing to assist her old man, by using your gift.” She laughs, “Old?” Sidonia adds, “You look thirty-five or forty at the most, not elderly.” He chuckles, replying in a distracted voice, “I have a feeling this request is far more delicate and darker than it suggests.” Sidonia sits down near the door.
Looking at the Messenger, she warns, “I think it is able to repeat what it hears or sees.” Her father says, “Good timing.” He writes a quick reply, seals it with wax using his ring. He tosses it at the Wyvern, who catches the note with its beak. Anthony touches the obsidian stone in his other ring. It opens a Dark Window Gateway, and the Wyvern flies in, then Anthony closes it.
As he gets a blood drink, Sidonia says, “It feels like ‘Deadly Sendings’.” She shuts the den’s door, as he nods, “One does not invite their enemy to come to their kingdom, and then demand protection from me.” He refills his cup, adding, “Unless they plan to have me fight their battle for them too.” He tries to lift his feeling of doom, yet it sounds like a forced chuckle.
He mocks, “I should not be so skeptical; regrettably my past six centuries at this have proven my suspicions far too often.” The Princess’s guilt eases as she promises herself, she will put the book back. She tries to come up with a reason to get her father to send her to the Fortress on Skull Island in the Mystical Realm. Princess Sidonia tells him, “I left some of my things in the Hallowed Castle.”
Anthony looks at his cuff, as he says, “I can open the gateway.” Sidonia sighs with relief. Her father hopes it means she plans to put his book back, and his cuff confirms it. ‘Maybe it is not the prophesied moment.’ His cuff gives him a warning, and High Lord Anthony realizes if it is the dreaded event, and he sends her to Skull Island, it will cause her to leave without his book.
Her father recalls the warning, ‘Sidonia and many others will die if she does not take it with her.’ Anthony now casually adds, “When I return, I can spare the men needed to escort you there. Can you wait that long?” Disappointed, the Dark Princess hesitates, then gives in, as she nods to him. Sidonia fears he will ask what things, if she says it is important enough that she must go now.
Anthony looks at his cuff, it tells him he is right, ‘she still has my book and it is safe with her.’ Her father relaxes, giving Sidonia a rare grin, “I do not think I have told you often enough how I appreciate you, and your willingness to leave school as well as friends, to come here.” Sidonia laughs lightly.
She is recalling that her friend Reba turned out to be more of an opponent, and nearly an enemy. Her smile fades as she tries to focus on what her father is saying, realizing she was not listening, as he continues, “-all so that I can have your help with Viktor and my work.” She worries, “So you are leaving then?” Anthony nods.
~*~
Mystical Realm, Banned Continent, Night, 677, 25th, October
As the gateway window opens, the darkly handsome King Haldir sees his Wyvern fly in to land on his desk. After reading Anthony’s acceptance, the Dark Elf places the crystal against the Wyvern and it projects what the Wyvern saw and heard as Anthony silently reads the missive. Haldir groans with boredom until Anthony calls Sidonia into his den. Now he is alert as he watches her.
Haldir hears Anthony’s concern for his daughter. Dark Elf King Haldir grins, “Well you are attractive. It will be a pleasure to use you if I need to twist your father’s will and force him to help me with King Bailey.” He fumes seeing Sidonia warns Anthony of the Wyvern spying. But, then Haldir gets a dark idea, “So, you are an Oracle and Dhampirica. Yes, Sidonia might be very useful to me!”
~*~
Anthony tells Sidonia, “King Haldir issued a tactless demand for my presence, as well as insisting I give him protection, during a trial. I have given it to the other Dark Elf Kings, because I hold them in favor as I fought with them. I appreciate that they show me a similar respect.” He adds darkly, “I have never even met this king.”
The Princess asks, “Can you tell the King you are too busy?” He admits, “I tried. Then I recalled Obsidian told me not to avoid it.” She gasps, “The famous Oracle?” He nods, looking at the inside of his wrist; it is a regular habit and means nothing to others, who do not know that his cuff tells him the truth. Sidonia now notices, she asks, “You never told me how you got the Oracle Wrist Cuff.”
Looking up he smiles; then Anthony says, “I think of it as a Psychic Tool. It is nowhere near the power you have. I lost an eye once-.” His hand instinctively comes to his face; she imagines him with an eye patch and longer hair. He says, “I would rather not delve into that story, other than to warn you that family is not always to be trusted. He groans, “My uncle tried to kill me-.”
Anthony stops, seeing her expression and his face goes dark, even his tone holds fury, “I guess you are already wary of that… if anything I hope it helps you anticipate betrayal, where others fail to believe family is capable of it.” It is her turn to have a grim chill, as she reflects on the vague memories of her mother’s attempts to kill her. He says, “A long time ago, when I was a human child…”
He slowly adds, “I kept an elderly man from further harm and he insisted I saved his life. The old man was odd enough to often frighten me, as he sat outside my father’s shop most days. He would say things to me that he should not know of. My opinion improved, when one day he warned me of swimming with Evan, my friend.” His look saddens, “He was drowning; I tried to save him.”
Her father adds, “Evan grabbed me, pulling me under too. Doing what the old man told me saved us both from dying.” Sidonia frowns, expecting he was sad due to Evan’s death, yet he saved him. Anthony says, “Until then, I suspected the old man was only eavesdropping on us. Afterward, I listened; looking for what he said, appreciating his insight, and I began to have respect for him.”
He admits, “Yet, I understood why others feared he was cursing them to have the problems he was warning them of. He had not warned me of my uncle either. A few threw stones at him for not helping when things went badly. I continued to distrust that he had magic. I just accepted he knew some things, believing when we are older any paying attention can predict consequences.”
Anthony explains, “I was a boy in the Human Realm; I knew nothing of the other realms, nor the magic that is currently in our lives. One day, the old man was attacked. I rushed out stopping his attacker; yet not before he was badly hurt. Big for my age, I carried the Seer to his home. He told me a bit of my future. Still, it was not equal to your skillful details.” Princess Sidonia smiles at this.
He adds, “The old man described it as flashes of images, which he tried to interpret. He claimed he waited for one who was worthy of his gift, refusing to die before passing it on. I was a smartass kid, and debated him on how he failed to see that man would attack him.” The young Oracle understood, as Sidonia had come under the same anger from her friend, assuming she knew.
Her father sighs, “The old man said, ‘Warning the woman of what her husband is up to, is worth what he did to me.’ I was still skeptical, as he could have prevented my family’s death as well. The old man stated, ‘I saw that you would come to my aid.’ I was dumbfounded by this. The Seer told me, ‘I also knew I would have this opportunity, which I have waited so long for’.”
Anthony adds, “He claimed it was why he sat outside my father’s shop. He grabbed my wrist; I was just a young lad. It frightened me, as it hurt. The old man did have the power to give his ability to me. As he released me, I saw his right eye was now a vacant hole.” Princess Sidonia gasps, as her father’s voice becomes grim, “I looked back at the inside of my wrist, and to my horror an eyelid opened and one of the Seer’s eyes was now there.”
~RMW~