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Prologue: This story is a sequel to The Betrayer. In the last story, a young
Aisha called Kalina, or better known as the Court Dancer, was tricked by Lord
Kass. As payment for her dance for King Skarl, he promised to return her beauty--she
was painted Darigan before--as well as her freedom and contact with her brother.
But, alas, she was tricked once again, and learned from Kass that Taukin was dead,
her family gone. And so, Kalina let herself sink into a deep hole of despair,
thinking she'd never see the light of day again. And now, her story continues,
from a different point of view . . .
I grip the Uni's mane tightly in my green Aisha paws,
my eyes focused on the Citadel hovering over Meridell. It looms like a cloud
of doom and destruction, overshadowing defeat. My lips curl into a sneer at
the sight of it. It represents all my hate, all my pain--the destruction of
my past life and my family--the symbol of all Lord Kass has done to destroy
me.
"Sir Taukin," says a voice and I look down at
the Uni I am riding.
"Could you please loosen your grip? It is beginning
to hurt."
"Oh, sorry, Kinkly," I say, loosening my grip
on his mane. I turn back to the Citadel and indulge myself once again in my
loathing of it and all it stands for.
It takes a moment for me to see it, but when
I do, it only flickers for an instant and then is gone. What was that light
from the north tower of the Citadel? I lean over Kinkly's neck to get a better
look. I squint but cannot make it out. When I do, I am almost in full panic
mode.
"Captain Jeran!" I yell.
The blue Lupe at the front looks over his shoulder
at me. I point to the tower and yell as loud as I can, "He has a Wand of Nova!"
Jeran snaps back to the front and takes a look
at the light himself. I can tell he recognizes it as well. He turns to the knights
at his side and shouts orders to them but I cannot hear as the balls of light
are upon us.
We are hit with a blast. Explosions and balls
of flame are everywhere and a few knights fall off their Unis, who luckily catch
them before they fall too far. When I open my eyes I see stars--literally. Great
yellow stars that explode everywhere. A blast hits me and Kinkly and I tumble
a few yards but stay airborne. I am alright--the blast merely dented my armor--but
I think Kinkly is barely hanging on. I hope Jeran orders us to land soon.
"We have to get out of range!" I hear Jeran's
voice shout, and as the smoke clears I see he is right beside me. No one can
see anything in this confusion.
Jeran motions to the battlements, where Kass'
army is firing arrows at us. I nod then stretch forth my hand. The pages of
the dozen spell books I've memorized flood through my mind and I speak the words
of power for a spell of massive protection. It is weak and won't last long,
but it will protect all of us for the minimal time we need to get to the battlements.
We dive, charging straight for the astonished troops.
I swoop down and begin hacking at the Darigan
warriors, but somehow I am knocked off of Kinkly. I roll and end up on my back,
staring nose-to-nose with a gleaming wicked blade. The Peophin above it chuckles
and brings it down. I roll to one side and the blade glances off the stone.
The Peophin growls, irritated at missing.
I look up and see my sword a mere six feet away.
I scramble to my feet and try to get to it, but the Peophin picks up a stone
and throws it, hitting me square in the knee. I collapse.
I turn over and try to get up, but he plants
his foot on my chest. I look up at him and see the cold gleam in his eye--the
gleam those who enjoy another's pain have. He puts his whole weight on my chest
and I can't breathe. As he raises his sword, a memory stirs in my mind of smoke
and ash and of blazing bright flames eating at a building. Of another time I
couldn't breathe--
I feel the pressure leave my chest and I look
up to see Jeran standing in the place of the Peophin. He helps me up and gives
me back my sword.
"Next time, hold on to that," he says, a little
smile playing across his face. He darts off into the crowd of warriors and leaves
me to fight a Darigan Lupe that has sprung up.
I strike and parry, our swords clashing. I try
to cut him off with a quick side slash, but he seems to sense it before I even
raise my sword. We seem to be a perfect match. I cannot catch my breath--all
this dodging and striking is beginning to wear me down. The Lupe does not look
fazed at all. I am slowing down--I must overpower him soon. I spot my chance
as he raises his sword high to strike a fatal blow. I swiftly slice his arm,
and, as he looks down, bring the heavy hilt of my sword down into the side of
his head. His eyes roll back and he drops unconscious.
I look around the battlements, sword poised
and ready for another battle, only to find that the battle is over for now.
Neopets--both of Meridell and of the Citadel--lay strewn across the battlements,
some wounded, some gone forever.
I step over the fallen warriors and make my
way over to a Uni lying on his side. As I draw nearer to him, I see Lyon, one
of our knights skilled in medicines, kneel by his side and I see the face of
the Uni. No, no. I can't lose another one.
It is Kinkly--he is badly burned from the balls
of flame and there are slash marks along his flank. I walk up behind Lyon and
ask quietly, "Is he alright?''
Lyon looks up at me. "He is badly injured, but
he is alive."
"Please do all you can for him," I say, my voice
thick. "He has a little sister living at the castle and if he doesn't come back--"
Lyon turns to me, putting his hand on my shoulder
and looking into my eyes. I see something in his eyes, a kind of compassion,
and I know he'll do everything possible to save Kinkly. I nod, then slowly turn
and walk to the other side of the ramparts. I climb to the top and look down
at the dark roof of the Citadel below me. I hear a shout behind me and a cry
of "Taukin, what are you doing?!" as I jump the twenty feet to the roof and
land safely on my feet.
I can hear Jeran shouting my name and the soft
thud as he lands behind me as I run, but that's not enough to stop me. I've
waited too long for this for anything to stop me.
Kass
"What is it?" I say as a knock sounds on my door. It opens and a blue Zafara
enters.
"Well?" I say, staring into her eyes. They are
blank, emotionless pools, and she answers me in a steady voice.
"Jeran and his army have entered the Citadel."
"What?!" I yell.
"They have cleared the north battlements of
our troops. We are calling for reinforcements, Lord Kass."
I turn from her and growl angrily at Morguss
cowering by the window of the tower.
"You told me we wouldn't need troops here!"
I say, wrapping my hand around her throat and picking her up. "You said all
we would need is the skeleton force you placed here!"
"Please . . . my Lord," the Moehog gasps. "I
. . . didn't think--"
"That's correct," I growl, hoisting her up and
holding her outside the window. "You didn't think. I have come too far for this
power--I won't have it taken from me now."
Morguss gasps for air and chances a look down.
When she sees the blurred landscape of Meridell hundreds of miles below him,
she begins to wriggle, which is not a good thing for her to do, given her situation.
I smile and slide my eyes downward to the ground
below. The poor Moehog wriggles more, her eyes bugging out.
"Please . . . my lord . . . please don--" her
sentence is cut off as I drop her. She screams until she hits the stone floor
of the tower.
"Th--thank you, my lord," she says, massaging
her neck and bowing, kissing the hem of my cloak.
I look down at her in disgust and take a step
back.
"Just be happy I didn't let you fall to your
death," I hiss and turn back to Zafara Double Agent. "Do you by any chance know
if there is a green Aisha among Jeran's troops?"
"Yes, there is," she says, looking up from the
floor. "But what has this got to do--?"
I wave her away. "Nothing with this," I flex
my dark purple Eyrie claws and look into the mirror atop a desk in the study.
An Eyrie with a strong beak, dark claws, and a cold glint in his eye looks back.
"And yet, it has everything to do with it."
Zafara Double Agent leaves as I laugh, a deep
evil laugh. The Moehog cowers in the corner.
Taukin
I jog down the steps, tracing the route I have memorized of the Citadel from
the crude maps in the Royal Library. I can hear Jeran thundering down the steps
behind me, but it's not enough to make me stop. I've waited too long . . . too
long. . .
The stairs end abruptly at a stone wall, but
this does not surprise me. I run my hands over the wall, seeking for some niche
or crack to show me the way through.
As I am searching Jeran catches up with me.
He looks a bit angry and out of breath and immediately begins scolding me.
"What are you doing, Taukin? Why did you run
off like that? My men need me out there and I can't waste time looking for you--"
"Then why did you follow me?" I say, turning
back to the stone wall. Jeran says nothing for a moment, then takes a breath.
"Come back, Taukin--we need you aboveground,"
he says.
I pause for a moment, then push a rough stone
in the center of the wall. The wall shudders, then slowly slides away to reveal
a dark passage. I start down the passage, my footsteps echoing eerily in the
dampness. I know Jeran will follow me. He won't rest until I am aboveground
again. I know he won't abandon me. He has never done so, from the first day
he saw me lying next to the ashes of my home and brought me to the castle to
become a knight . . .
I hear a sharp intake of breath behind me.
"The death-sentenced prisoners," he says in
a low voice.
I cringe with guilt as I look around the dungeon.
Dark stains dye the walls and floor an ominous black. There are chains nailed
into the walls and white bleached bones are lying in piles on the floor. The
cages are mostly empty, as Lord Kass has already executed the prisoners to make
way for the war. But that's not why I feel guilty. Both Jeran and I know that
if he is ever captured, this is where he will stay for the remainder of his
days.
I walk past the cages, most not even bolted
and not a guard in sight, as all have been called to defend the Citadel outside.
I walk down deeper into the dungeon, Jeran following silently behind me. As
I get closer to the far wall, I notice a locked cell where no light shines,
and a small figure lying on the ground inside it. Curious, I step toward it.
"Taukin," says Jeran again, his voice low. "Taukin,
please come back up."
I ignore him and pull out my sword. I raise
it high and bring it down heavily on the rusted iron lock that holds the figure
inside prisoner. Sparks shower the floor and fall on my armor, but the lock
does not even seem dented.
"Taukin," Jeran says again. I know he is trying
to get back outside. I know he wants the best for me and for Meridell. But I
have to do this. I have to.
"Taukin!" he says again as I swing my sword
downward with all the strength I can muster. This time, the lock breaks in two
and skids across the floor. With the lock gone, I throw open the door and barge
inside. Jeran follows me.
Inside the cell is a small Darigan Aisha in
a red dress over a white blouse and a small golden circlet on her head. She
is unconscious and breathing softly. I walk over to her and kneel by her side.
Jeran comes in after me and a look of surprise crosses his face.
"Taukin, what are you doing? Are you trying
to rescue her?"
I lightly place my hands on the golden circlet
and gently try to slide it off. The moment I move it, it begins to burn my paws.
I let go with a gasp of pain, then try again. The circlet slides a little, but
not enough to help. It burns like fire. I can barely hold on.
"Taukin, just let it go! She's probably some
thief who stole from Kass' personal hoard. Let it go!"
"This thief," I say, sliding the circlet off
with a grunt and flinging it toward the wall, "is my sister."
Jeran looks at me, puzzled by my answer. I watch
the Aisha closely. At first, nothing happens. Then, slowly, the Aisha's hair
grows long and turns a bright orange; her rough purple scales smooth into brown
sugar fur; and her eyelids flicker for a moment.
Jeran takes a small step back in surprise. "The
Court Dancer," he says quietly.
I hold the Aisha's head in my lap and gently
run my fingers over her face.
"Kalina," I whisper quietly. "Kalina, wake up.
I'm here, Kalina. It's me--Taukin."
Kalina
I am drifting in a grey fog, a dream fog. I can hear someone call my name
out in the distance, but my limbs feel so heavy, oh so heavy, so I don't get
up. I'd answer them, whoever they are, but my throat is so dry I can't whisper,
let alone call to whoever's in the distance.
Gradually, the fog clears and the face of a
green Aisha is saying, "It's me, Kalina. It's me--Taukin--"
The world swirls sharply into focus. Taukin?
Here? Alive? But Kass said he was dead. Had been dead ever since the fire--
The dancing orange flames fill my vision again--raging
and skipping, dipping and swirling--and a small figure lying by them, so still,
but he's breathing--he's breathing--
I reach out and touch his face. Is this another
illusion? Is this another trick of Kass'? The fur beneath my fingers feels soft
and warm, so very real, and the Aisha smells faintly of pines, so fresh a scent
in this dark place.
"Kalina,'' he chokes, and hugs me tightly. I
return the hug, realizing now that he is Taukin, my brother; my sibling whom
I had thought had died--
"I thought you were dead," I sob, holding him
close. "Kass said you had died, and Taukin, I was so sick of being alone. I
thought maybe you could have been saved, that I had let you die--"
"Kalina," he says gently, pulling back a little
so I can see his face. "Kalina, I'm alive. I'm alright. Kass lied, Kalina. He
lied. I'm here now. I'm here."
He hugs me again, but I pull back. There's a
question I need answered.
"Taukin, if you're alive--then--Taukin did--did
our parents make it?" I look into his green eyes, hoping to find some sign that
they are live there. Hoping, like I did when I was Kass' servant.
He takes a deep breath, then looks into my eyes.
"No, Kalina. They didn't. They were trapped in the house when it burned down
and they did not survive."
He watches for my reaction, so I nod. I didn't
really expect them to make it, really. A bit of me knew that if Taukin was still
alive, then that would be all the slack I would get. . .
A tear runs down my face, and then another.
I talk to Taukin, apologizing for the way I look.
"I'm sorry Taukin--I wish I looked the way I
did--Lord Kass forced me to be painted Darigan--Taukin, I wish I was myself--"
"Kalina," he says, shaking me a bit and a smile
playing across his lips. "Kalina, you are back--you are--look!"
He holds up one of my paws and I just stare
at it. It is brown, with fur soft as down--no scales in sight. My orange hair
falls over my face, and I notice it for the first time since regaining consciousness.
My body--I, I am who I once was.
Taukin turns back and says, "Pick that up--we
might need it." He motions to a figure in the shadows, which nods and picks
up the circlet, careful to wrap it in a piece of cloth. As the figure finishes
wrapping the cursed jewelry, I recognize who it is. Jeran, hero of Meridell.
I stare at him, not quite sure what to think,
but he does not even glance my way. Instead he turns to Taukin.
"Come on--we're needed aboveground."
Taukin nods, then pulls me to my feet. We make
our way out of the dungeon quickly, and as I look back at my gloomy cell. As
I watch it recede into the darkness of the prison, I realize with a pang of
shock that I hadn't thought I would exit that dreary place unless facing death
by Kass' orders. I turn to look forward at the square of light at the top of
the steps. We run towards it.
We burst through the opening and pound up another
flight of steps. We bang open a wooden door at the top and gaze around at a
grey corridor. Taukin starts toward a door at one end of it, then stops as he
hears a thundering behind it. He turns back to us.
"We can't go back the way we came," he says
to Jeran.
"But how else do we get out? We can't go around
them."
My eyes wander around the room and I drift off
to a door. Their conversation does not include me, even though I've lived here
for two years of my life . . .
My eyes brighten and I whirl back and shout
to Jeran and Taukin. They immediately stop talking and come over.
"What is it?" asks Taukin and I gesture to a
door nearby.
"We can get out through here," I say. "I'm sure
we can. The guards brought me this way dozens of times, and it goes around the
front hall, and..." My voice trails off.
Taukin nods and sets his hand on the door knob,
but Jeran stops him.
"How do we know we can trust you?" he says to
me, his hard eyes staring into mine. "How do we know that you aren't leading
us into a trap?"
I'm not sure what to answer. My eyes fill with
tears at his questions, not because of who is asking them, but whom he is asking.
As far as he is concerned, I'm not a citizen of Meridell anymore. I'm not so
sure of my citizenship either.
"Jeran, do you really think she'd betray us
after we got her out of there?" says Taukin, interrupting us. "I don't believe
Kalina would still be loyal to Kass after he shut her up in that horrid place."
Jeran nods slowly, but as he turns to look at
me, I can tell he still doesn't completely trust me. I can't really blame him,
not after all I've done to Meridell. I've betrayed too much to expect him to
except me immediately
Taukin gently opens the door and makes sure
nothing unpleasant is behind it. We wouldn't want to run into Kass' guards.
Then I run out, trying to get out quickly. This passage is used fairly often,
and though all guards are fighting elsewhere, I don't know if the way is clear.
I rush down one passage, then the next, trying
my best to remember the way out. I've been down this way so many times, more
than enough to have memorized the journey, but it is such a piece of my life
that I want to forget that I'm not sure I'll remember the path.
I burst through another door and find myself
in another narrow corridor. Jeran and Taukin come in behind me and gaze in wonder
at the walls and ceiling. The entire thing is made of crystal.
"Marvelous," I hear Taukin say behind me. "This
is incredible . . ."
I don't pay much attention. Instead, I run down
to the doors at the end of the hall. I am about to open them when I hear voices
on the other side. Rough, harsh voices.
I back away and run to the other end of the
room. There are guards behind those doors, too. I back away again and turn to
see Jeran staring at me. I think he's guessed the mess we're in.
"What is it?" he asks, nudging Taukin to get
his eyes off the ceiling.
"We're walled in," I say, brushing my hair back
from my face. "The only way out is though those doors, and . . ." I stop talking.
He knows the rest.
Jeran turns to the doors, a sneer plastered
across his muzzle. He motions to the door we just came though.
"Is there any way out back the way we came?"
"I'm not sure." I wasn't given free reign of
the Citadel--most the time I was locked in the dungeons, starving to death.
Taukin pulls out his sword, saying, "We're going
to have to fight our way out, aren't we?"
Jeran nods and takes out his sword. "I believe
so."
I stare at him quizzically, and just then a
loud bang issues from one of the sets of doors. We all turn to them, and Taukin,
thinking quickly, pulls a small table away from the wall and shoves it in front
of the doors. A loud bang is heard again, and Taukin backs away, then runs to
bar the other set of door as a thud is heard in that direction. Jeran takes
a step toward the doors to the left. As I follow him, he turns back and motions
to the passage we just came through.
"Go back, Kalina," he says, his face softening
a bit, his voice quiet. "Try to find a way out."
I shake my head. I'm not about to leave them--I
might never see either of them again. I won't take that chance.
"Kalina, go!" he says, and just as his sentence
is finished, a boom is heard behind the doors and the table flies a few feet,
although the doors stay shut. Taukin backs up to where Jeran is standing and
turns to face the doors.
"Should I blockade them with a spell?" he asks,
and Jeran nods.
"Try anything," he says. "It might buy her more
time."
I stare at him. Does he really think I'm going
to leave? Does he think I will abandon him and my brother? I open my mouth to
protest, but before a word escapes my lips a thunderous CLANG! echoes through
the chamber and the doors are thrown open. A wave of guards crashes upon us,
and if it weren't for the spell Taukin shouted amidst the melee, we probably
would have been trampled.
The guards slow down, moving drowsily, as though
half-asleep. While the guards are still in this state, Jeran busies himself
with knocking as many out as he can. But even so, the guards are recovering
quickly, and soon they shall be fully conscious again.
Taukin shoves me through the door and tries
to slam it shut when one of the recovered guards lunges at him. Taukin yells
and throws him off, but more soon come. I peek around the edge of the door and
see Jeran and Taukin fighting side by side. They are blocking the door, trying
to keep the Darigan soldiers from getting to me.
I push against the door to get back in, but
Taukin turns back and yells, "Go!"
"I'm not about to leave you again, Taukin!"
I yell back, determined to see this through.
"Listen, Kalina," he said, dodging another Darigan
warrior, "you don't have a sword, you don't have training, and your our only
hope of finding the way out. Now GO!!"
I step back from the door and close it. Then
I turn and run down the passage. I suppose they're right: I don't have a weapon,
I don't have training, and I'm certainly the only one who could have escaped
those circumstances easily. But about saving all of our lives, I'm not so sure.
I race down the passage, turning corners and
slamming through doorways. I'm not sure I'm going the right way, but I hope
I'll find the way out. Time is of the essence.
I rush through another doorway and stop short.
I am at the beginning of a short corridor, and there, standing at the other
end like a statue of shadow, is Lord Kass. I'm frozen--just the sight of his
looming figure is enough to strike fear into my heart--but there is something
under that fear. Something angry, powerful, and willing to fight . . .
"Hello, little Kal," he says, smiling down at
me with nothing but cold in his eyes. I know this is all fun and games for him.
I look feverishly around for something to grab,
something to use as a weapon. I spy a suit of armor equipped with a spear, which
I yank out of its metal hands. I lower into a stance, brandishing the point
of the spear in Kass' direction, the feeling within me growing--
Kass laughs. "What--are you going to fight me,
little Kal? Why did you not fight me before? Why did you meekly bend to my will
not so much as an hour ago, Kal?"
I don't back down. I stare him straight in the
eye and answer. "Yes, Kass, I am going to fight you. I had not one reason to
fight an hour ago--now I know my brother is alive, and that you lied to me,
Kass."
"Oh, Kal, I didn't lie." His eyes twinkle with
icy fire. "I simply manipulated the truth a bit. You'll learn soon, Kal."
I grimace, then look up at him, my hatred showing
on my face. "I am not Kal," I say through gritted teeth. "My name is Kalina--you
will call me by my name!"
He laughs again. "Oh, such a demand from such
a small creature is flirting with death, Kalina. Would like to meet Death? I'm
sure she'd love to meet you."
We circle, my eyes never leaving Kass, his never
leaving me. The feeling within me is growing, becoming a master whirlwind, aching
to devastate everything in its path. And Kass is in its way.
Then something happens. I see Kass move out
of the corner of my eye, but before I can tell what he is doing, I feel a sharp
pain at the back of my head and I fall into darkness.
Kass
I look down at the crumbled Aisha by my feet. She was brave, stupid though,
but she would have been good to have on my side. . .
"Lord Kass," says a Darigan Scorchio, the one
who knocked Kalina unconscious. "What shall I do with her now?"
I look up at him and back down at Kalina, an
idea forming in my mind. "Leave her to me. I've got much more in store for her."
To be continued . . .
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