On the steps in front of the Paqurineva Senate building, Orn regarded the mob bearing down on them. They had that same glint in their eyes, that same eerie grin. He looked into Briga’s eyes, and recognition passed between them. They both knew what this was. Turning to Marius, he said, “Do you think we can hold them off with minimal casualties?”

“I can certainly try. Having your young lady and Gereld helps.”

Briga cleared her throat, gaining Marius’ attention. “You have that backwards, Marius. He is mine.”

Orn gave her a flat look. “We belong to each other.”

She gave him a sidelong glance and a coy smile. “Agree to disagree.” Turning to walk away, she winked over her shoulder before heading over to Gereld.

Marius chuckled as he placed a consoling hand on Orn’s shoulder. “I worry for you, young man. You are in trouble with that one.”

“You don’t know the half of it.”

Orn started down the steps to where the remnants of the senate guard, Holvelans and Marius’ legionaries, were forming a shield wall. Because of the recent hostilities, Marius had placed the Holvelans as a buffer.

His mother grabbed his shoulder and turned him to face her. “Where do you think you’re going?”

“To sever the head of the snake.”

“No.”

“Mother, please. I need to do this.”

“No, you don’t.”

“The last time I faced this thing, it fled from me. That means it fears me. If it fears me, it means I can defeat it. It makes no sense otherwise.”

“Then we’re coming with you.”

“No. I need to go alone. I can do this, Mother. Stay here with Erik and Father. Protect these people.”

“No. I won’t let you.” Her eyes began moistening. He grasped her shoulders and looked into her eyes.

“I love you, Mother. I promise, if it gets out of hand, I will come back. All right?”

She looked into her son’s eyes. It appeared as though she would say something further. Instead, she pulled him into a fierce embrace before walking away. Orn watched her walk away until she disappeared among those milling around the senate building doors, then continued down the steps. Once he reached the ranks of men at the bottom, he cast a glance around the assembled warriors. Using the voice, he told them to form up near the senate building entrance at the top of the steps. He continued into the street and then pulled air into a whirlwind around him. The whirlwind had a calm centre, but an impenetrable cylinder of turbulence outside of it.

He moved through the street. The invisible shield of a tornado surrounding him caused only a slight distortion of his vision. Orn was relieved that he could still see while maintaining his barrier. Seeing the whites in their eyes meant he could spot the one without them.

As he approached the mob, first they tried swamping him. However, the swirling wind whipping around him flung away those attempting to attack him. After his wind barrier had sent the first thirty attackers tumbling away, the crowd parted before him.

As he glanced around at the seething mobs of soldiers, criminals, and citizens, he could see them pouring into buildings and breaking things. Occasionally, they would drag some unfortunate soul they had found outside. Orn tried his best to save those caught by the mob by using his wind barrier to create a path to safety. Unfortunately, the mob had found many innocents before he could get to them. The enthralled denizens had torn them apart. He shuddered and averted his eyes from the grizzled remains.

He noticed there was a kind of unity of purpose in their actions. As though one mind held their sway and issued them a simple command, and they followed it to completion or doom. Which made him wonder why they had stopped attempting to assail him. He wondered if, in their current state of enthrallment if it were possible they could learn and adapt. Or perhaps the main imperative didn’t include him, and so they avoided what they couldn’t overcome, ruling him an obstacle to navigate, rather than vanquish, unimportant in the scheme of their primary drive.

An arrow snapped him out of his musings. It shot past a few feet in front of him and clattered harmlessly across the cobblestone street. He looked up toward the top of the building it came from and spotted Shufi waving. As he waved back, he moved to the base of the building. Holding his shield aloft, he focused on his wind barrier and lifted himself up onto the roof, landing soundlessly on the clay tiles.

“Sheesh, my prince, how…” The wiry man looked at him with a bewildered expression.

This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

“Please, Shufi. We have travelled together. You are a great man. I am just a child.” Orn was blushing and smiling as he became a little self-conscious.

“No, my prince, you are a great man, and I am…”

“All right, then we’re both great.”

Shufi laughed. It was the first time he had heard him laugh, and he thought that joviality suited this man who so rarely displayed it. “Anyway, great prince, I tried whistling, but you didn’t respond, so apologies for the arrow. I didn’t know what else to do.”

Orn smiled back at the man. “That’s fine. Whatever works.”

“I wanted to point you to this..” The spy led him to the back corner of the building. “I believe that is what you are looking for.”

He followed the Azahri man’s finger and there she was. “That could certainly be it.”

“I thought it strange that she walks so calmly and none of the mob is going near her.”

Orn clasped his shoulders and smiled. “Thank you. I could have walked straight on without seeing it. You really are a credit to your profession.”

“Your praise is as gold to me, young prince.”

“Well, that’s good, because I don’t have any gold.”

Shufi’s eyes widened, and he laughed hard, and then coughed from trying to suppress it to keep the noise down. Orn just smiled equal parts, amused and awkward. He then walked to the edge of the building and, holding his shield aloft, stepped off to float back to the ground. As he slowly drew his sword, he surrounded himself once more with the whirlwind.

With his shield at the ready and his sword point aimed at the creature, he slowly and painstakingly made his way to it. He had increased the density of his barrier tenfold, and so his concentration required him to be more deliberate in his movements.

As he closed the distance she was facing away, but then she froze. She slowly turned and faced him with those empty eye sockets. While they had this momentary standoff, he wondered if she could see him. He snapped out of his musing as she spoke to him in what sounded like a duo of pleasant sounding, young women’s voices. It was a strange thing to hear from a being exuding such ill intent. Orn could feel his hackles raising.

“We meet again.” When she said this, her face turned up momentarily with a slight look of apprehension as she searched the air above him. She smiled after a moment and returned her empty voids toward him.

Orn was confused, as he had never seen this woman before. “You said ‘again’. I don’t recall ever meeting you.”

The thing regarded herself and laughed softly. “Oh, you mean this…” She ran her hands over her body sensuously, and he couldn’t help his teenage mind appreciating the supple shapeliness. “I acquired this form recently. I was in a rather… unfortunate form when you burned holes in my toys.” The woman thing’s sing-song tone was mocking and sinister at the same time.

He inclined his head quizzically as he wondered what this thing that looked like a woman meant. And then it came to him. “Rat face!” He blurted it out impulsively, not intending to say it out loud.

“Wow, you are a rude little boy, aren’t you? But fair is fair. After all, I have yet to introduce myself.” She put a hand to her breast suggestively. “I am Malliphina. And you are?”

“Why are you here? Why do you drive people against us?”

“Oh, come now, boy. Where are your manners? A little courtesy never hurt anyone, now did it?”

Orn noticed she had sinuously crept closer to him as they spoke. He reflexively increased his wind barrier. “All you need to know is that I am the one who will end your time here.”

“Aw, but don’t you want to enjoy me first? I see how you are looking at me. I quite like it… mm, things feel so-o good in this skin.” The thing bit her bottom lip and shuddered slightly as she arched her back. Then her voice lowered to almost a whisper. “Set aside that God thing. I promise you will enjoy me more.” She giggled seductively. “With our power, we could take this world and feast upon it together…”

“You have killed so many people, and you have caused death and destruction wherever you…”

“Oh, Tish and Pish! None of that matters. They’re all worms and insects! But you, oh you, mm, you are different. You are so much more, I can feel it! The fear I felt that first time I saw you, oh! So delicious!” The thing licked her lips hungrily, but not with the sort of hunger that required food to satiate it.

Its eyelids closed as a stronger shudder pulsed through her body, a smile of ecstasy on her face, relishing the memory of the fear she felt upon their previous encounter. She heaved a few heavy breaths, mouth agape as she struggled to regain control of herself. Eventually, her focus homed in on Orn once more. “I can make you happy, you know. We could move through eternity together, feasting and satisfying each other, a glorious union of power and passion. Tell me you feel it. I know you do, yes! I can see it!”

She closed the distance, but then her expression turned to shock as Orn’s barrier blocked her. Then shock turned to rage, as she levelled a feral grimace at him. Several times, she butted against his barrier, trying to get close to him. He looked back at her with a mix of revulsion and pity on his face.

Orn concentrated on compressing the air surrounding himself. When it had reached a point that he was struggling to contain it, he allowed it to expand in an instant in her direction. The sudden blast of air threw the creature fifty feet away from him.

She had crossed its arms to brace and leaned into the blast, from which she barely maintained her footing. In a rage, she shrieked incoherently at him, and then gathered a dark mist around herself and vanished. Orn looked in every direction, trying to find where she went. Convinced she had run away once more, he turned around to go back to Shufi, only to find himself confronted by the creature.

Malliphina pressed against his barrier, her face twisted in anger. “I offer you the universe and you reject me? I offer you eternity. I offer this gift of gifts to no other! I offer you ALL OF ME!”

The rage coming from this being took Orn aback. He detected in her voice fear, anger and… hurt! His rejection had wounded her. As she injected his wind barrier with dark mist, her anger turned into a triumphant sneer. She had dissipated his barrier and launched at him. Before Orn could react, she had him on his back, straddling him while grabbing his head in both its hands.

He could feel the breath on his cheek as Malliphina’s face was inches from his, but he couldn’t move. Something was restraining him. He opened his mouth to cry out, but her mouth covered his as she forcefully kissed him while grinding her sex against him. Breathing heavier, one of her hands slid down his body. She pulled back from his mouth, ran her tongue along his cheek and then whispered into his ear. “Nothing has made me feel this way for eons. You are mine now. Without your fire, you cannot hurt me. And once your seed is inside me, you will never want to.”