She was weak with hunger as night fell on the fifteenth day waiting for a portal key into Paragoy. The skeleton beside her was her only company, and her only source of food. Twice in the last two weeks a small rodent had scurried to the bones to check for one tiny morsel of food, and both had become her dinner.
This dimension had rain every few nights, just enough to keep her from dying of thirst. It was more like a mist, but she’d managed to gather enough to keep herself alive. However, there wasn’t enough to stop the burning in her throat or to stop her cracked lips from bleeding.
She was starting to lose hope, and knew that waiting this long in a dimension was asking for the Shadowmere Consortium to find her. She heard them come by once, but they didn’t recognize the dimension and passed by her without noticing her tiny form hidden beneath the rotted logs of a fallen tree.
Kyrin twirled her flail in her hand, trying to stop the boredom that threatened to drive her insane. She’d piled the dead Shadowmere’s armor into a heap and leaned back against it to settle in for the night when a ring caught her eye. The ring shone bright in the moonlight and her heart raced.
The second she touched it, the portal opened and beyond it, she saw the mountains of Valhara. Not waiting to make sure the way was clear, she ran through and then fell against the leaf-covered ground and looked behind her to see the portal close.
It was an autumn day in Paragoy, and the cool air felt good against her burned skin. Sitting with little shelter waiting for the portal had exposed her to the suns of that dimension, and her face and hands were burned and blistered.
Adjusting her pack, she climbed down the sheer face of the cliff and ran over to what Alric had called the Boriana ruins. There was no snow this time of year, so she scanned around her and found a stream flowing quickly down beside the ruins. It was deep enough her entire head was submerged as she plunged it into the cold water and drank deeply.
When she sat up, she looked around the ruins. The last time she was there, she was unconscious when she was carried into Valhara, but she was sure she could find it given the time.
Footsteps approaching startled her and she quickly disappeared into the shadows beneath rubble from the ruins.
Two Knights came into view, and they stopped to rest at the small stream. She watched them, knowing they would lead her back into the city where she hoped to catch sight of Alric or find if he was even alive.
“Think we’ll ever stop this?” one of them asked as he removed his helm and splashed cold water across his face.
“No, he’s never going to stop looking for her,” the other answered.
“Well I’m getting tired of scouring the mountains looking for a long-lost girl.”
Kyrin managed to maneuver a little closer as they spoke.
“I’m not. She saved Valhara from the Minotaurs.”
“Yeah, well she saved Qualsax too.”
“So!? We didn’t have a single death that day because of her. Sure he wants to find her. He owes her a great debt, and he’s afraid her deity killed her for helping us.”
“She is an evil though.”
“Again, doesn’t matter.”
“Yes it does. She’s not only an evil, but a powerful magic user. If she can take out over 300 Minotaurs, then she can kill off every Valharan within a day’s travel of the castle.”
“Welp,” he said, standing up. “We'd better find her or we’ll be searching all of the lands for the rest of our lives.”
Once they were gone, Kyrin moved out of the rubble and brushed herself off. She began to follow behind them, hoping they would eventually lead her into the town. She was shocked to learn that Alric was looking for her, even after two years. It was great to hear that he’d survived the skirmish, and she looked forward to seeing him.
A sudden thought made her freeze though. What if they had mistaken Alric’s search for her? What if he actually was searching for a criminal that he wished to kill as an evil? The Knights didn’t speak of her again, or of their mission, but she followed far behind them making sure she wasn’t seen.
It was three days later when they reached the outskirts of Valhara and Kyrin disappeared into the orchard. The first thing she did was pick an apple and sink her teeth into the sweet flesh of it. She watched carefully around her as she filled up on apples, and slowly made her way to the castle at the end of the orchard.
She didn’t run into anyone else in the trees, and as she neared the castle, the sun began to set behind the mountains. Everything seemed just as she’d left it. Four Knights stood at the door though, as opposed to two from before.
Kyrin sat back and watched, studying the Knight rotation and paths, trying to find a way into the castle. She needed to confront Alric alone. If his intention was to capture her for her use of magic, she had to be able to get away fast. She had the poisons to do it, but it wouldn’t work if the castle was alerted.
As midnight approached, the Knights readied to lower the portcullis and block the doors to the castle. It was when they were preparing that she found her chance. Aided by her boots of speed, she flew past them and disappeared underneath the stairs where the maids kept cleaning supplies. She fought to calm her breathing as she heard the thud of the portcullis lowered into place. Once the portcullis was closed, the Knights made one more round through the halls and then only a scant few were left for the night.
When it was safe to ascend the stairs, she ran up them and didn’t stop until she reached out to open his bedroom door. She stiffened though, and wondered if she would find him alone.
She’d paid more attention to relationships since she left Paramide, and she’d learned a lot. Before, she paid no attention to when a man and woman were together, and she still had a lot of questions, but she did realize that they normally slept in the same bed.
Deciding she had to know, she slowly opened his door and stepped into the king’s bedroom. She shut the door silently behind her and then walked up to the bed. When her eyes adjusted, she saw it was empty and perfectly made. A sound in the hallway made her spin, and she quickly crawled under the bed.
Two sets of feet entered, and all she could tell was the color of their boots. They were moving around the bedroom, and she started to wonder if there was a problem, but finally Alric spoke.
“Sithias was right. We have to stop it immediately.”
“How though?” Trox asked. “They know we’re honor bound and use that against us.”
“We’ll find a way. First, they brought down the Minotaurs, and now they are trying to cause a rift between Valhara and the elves.”
“It’s too bad Kyrin scared the Minotaurs badly enough they all went back to the mountains. It would be nice to be rid of Qualsax all together.”
“We’re not that lucky. I’m tired of sharing borders with such an uncivilized group of humans.”
Alric sat down on the bed, and Kyrin found herself squished and trapped by the bed.
“We just have to be persistent,” Alric told him. “They will mess up eventually and will get what’s coming to them.”
“Good night, my Lord,” Trox said, and then left, shutting the door behind him.
When Alric stood up to get dressed, she was able to slip out from under his bed and behind a couch sitting under the window. Alric changed out of his clothes and slid into bed in only a nightshirt. She debated when to appear, and finally decided she wanted to wait until he was asleep, so she could watch him sleep. Kyrin wanted to make sure he was ok, and that nothing seemed amiss.
His breathing softened finally and fell into the rhythmic pattern of sleep. She slid out from behind the couch and stood silently. The moon fell across his bed, and she watched him. He hadn’t changed at all. She shut her eyes and inhaled, savoring in the smell of him that she remembered.
Kyrin couldn’t wait any longer to talk to him. She pulled her flail out from its place on her side, just in case, and sat down beside him in bed.
Alric’s eyes flew open and he sat up and jumped to his feet, ready to fight whoever was in his room. When he saw her, he froze, unable to move. He wondered if he was in a dream, or if he had died and Sithias had granted him one last view of her before taking him to paradise.
“Kyrin?” he whispered softly.
She nodded, “It’s… good to see you again, Alric.”
He turned and lit the lantern, lighting up the room before turning back to her. He half expected her to be gone in the light, but she was still sitting on his bed with her flail lying across her lap.
“My god, Kyrin,” he said, and moved to her quickly. He pulled her off the bed and wrapped his arms around her, “I’ve been so worried about you.”
Even though she’d dreamed about being near him, she tensed and backed out of his arms, “I’m ok.”
He looked her over, “You have injuries.”
“How are you?”
He smiled, “Thanks you to, I’m good. In fact, thanks to you, Valhara is still standing.”
She nodded and looked out his window, “Nothing has changed.”
“Where have you been? I’ve looked everywhere for you.”
“Daemionis took me to his home, and then I’ve just been wandering.”
“You mean running,” he said softly.
“Maybe”
“When did you decide to come back?”
“About 10 months ago.”
“What took you so long?”
She turned toward him and leaned back against the windowsill, “Are you afraid I’ll use magic on you?”
“No”
“You aren’t afraid of me at all?”
He took a step toward her, “No. If you wanted to hurt me, you had plenty of chances. I just wonder why you kept it from me.”
“In my world, magic is illegal.”
“Why?”
“Magic pulls forces against nature and was deemed evil.”
“Well, that’s true… but here it’s not illegal, just forgotten.”
“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you.”
“I’m just glad you came back. I asked Sithias about you, and he thought you probably wouldn’t return.”
“I wasn’t going to, but…”
“But what?” he asked, and then took the risk and gently laced her hand in his.
“When I left, I wasn’t sure if you were alive, or if you were hunting me down for using magic.”
“You know me better than that. I told you that magic isn’t illegal here.”
“People lie,” she told him, looking into his eyes.
He smiled, “Mostly you.”
She laughed, “True.”
“Are you going to stay?”
“I haven’t decided yet. I guess I’ll see how things go.”
His smile turned to a grin, and he stepped closer to her.
“What?” she asked, tensing. He took her other hand in his and held them at her sides.
“I’ve waited too long.”
“For what?”
He answered her with a soft kiss. She tried to move, but he held her hands tightly, making sure she couldn’t get them together. Even though she’d longed for the feel of his lips again, she started to panic when the flutter in her stomach started.
The kiss turned more passionate as he leaned against her, pressing her body into the window at her back. He wanted to reach up and hold her head in his hands, but knew he was safer with her hands at her sides.
Finally, he pulled back and smiled at her, “I still didn’t hurt you.”
She knew she was now sporting a deep blush, and wasn’t sure what to say. Her mind pulled the only thing she could think of, “I'd better be off then.”
“Where are you going?”
“I was going to stay at Boriana ruins.”
“Why?”
“I’m not indentured to you anymore.”
“So? Stay here with me.”
“I’m an evil. You don’t think that would cause problems?”
“No, I don’t. I’m the King, and if I want evil in my castle, then no one can say anything about it.”
“I didn’t come here to ask for my room back.”
“Why did you come back?” he asked, tightening his grip when she tried to get her hands loose.
“I just… wanted to see you.”
“Well you’ve seen me. Stay here. In the morning, we can talk.”
She looked toward the door, “Is my room empty?”
“No, it’s not. Stay here in my room with me,” he said, and moved back toward the bed as he pulled her gently.
“In here?”
“Yes”
“I can’t do that.”
“Why not?” he asked, sitting down on the bed. She finally pulled her hands free and looked around the room.
“I guess I could sleep by the fire.”
“On the floor?”
She nodded and then sat down on a bearskin rug in front of the dead fireplace, “This is fine.”
“You know… I can behave.”
“Meaning?”
“Meaning you can share the bed, and I won’t try anything.”
Irritated that she wasn’t sure what he meant, she slipped her flail into her belt and laid down on the rug, facing him.
He laid on the bed and rolled onto his side to face her, “Swear to me, you'll be here in the morning.”
She smiled, “You’d trust that?”
“No, I guess not.”
“Good night, Alric.”
He nodded and watched her until she fell asleep.
***
Kyrin woke up, at first unsure where she was. She saw Alric’s bedroom though and then looked around, but he wasn’t there. She glanced at her arm and saw that the infected wound was healed, and her sunburn was gone.
She got to her feet slowly and noticed some clean clothes sitting beside the large bathing tub, which was full of warm water and bubbles.
Kyrin stripped quickly and sunk into the water. She’d dreamed of the feel of water, but had begun to believe she wouldn’t feel it again. As she washed the soot and grime from her body, she kept a close eye out in case someone came in.
She was pleasantly surprised that the clothes were pants and a tunic, and she slipped them on and brushed her hair before tying it up. A knock startled her, and she grabbed her flail and moved back by the window.
“What?” she asked.
“Breakfast, my Lady.”
“Ok”
A servant came in with a smile and put a plate of bacon and eggs on the table along with fresh fruit and hot sweet rolls with mounds of honey butter. Another came with a pitcher of water and then both bowed and left.
Kyrin was starving, so she sat down and immediately dug into the food. It was so hot it burned her mouth, but she kept shoveling it in. Just before wiping her hands on her shirt, she smiled and then washed her hands in the bath water instead.
Once finished, she started out of the room with her backpack to see if she could find Alric. Two Knights were waiting outside of her door, and she frowned, “Am I being detained?”
“No, my Lady,” one of them said, smiling. “Lord Alric just wanted to make sure you had what you needed.”
“So you aren’t here to make sure I don’t kill the King?”
“Well we’d prefer if you don’t, but that’s not why we’re here.”
“Oh, well… where is Alric?”
“He’s gone into town for a few hours.”
“Where’s Finn?” she asked, starting down the stairs. She wanted to go pick more apples and fill her pack with them, in case she needed to make a hasty exit.
“Ma’am?”
“What?”
“He’s… well… Captain Finn died.”
She frowned and looked at him, “He did?”
“Yes, my Lady. He died last year.”
“How?”
“Qualsax Warrior attack.”
She had the sudden urge to go pay a visit to Qualsax, but planned on doing that later to get the revenge that Alric and Trox had spoken of the night before.
“So it’s true, you are back,” Trox said from the bottom of the stairs.
“For now,” she said, watching him. She still got the impression he didn’t like her.
“If you’re going to stay, we should make amends.”
“Why? Is there a law that if I stay for a while, we have to get along?”
He seemed amused by that, “No, I guess not. However, Lord Alric made it clear that you are a priority of his and as such, it would behoove us to at least try to get along.”
***
“Did she tell you where she has been?” Sithias asked, floating a few feet above Alric.
“She said Daemionis took her to his home, and then she just wandered.”
“It is time you know.”
“Know what, my Lord?”
“This world… my world, is known as Paragoy. There are many such worlds, each with their own gods and their own people and histories. A select few can travel between these worlds, and Kyrin is one of those.”
“Why didn’t she tell me this?” He actually wondered why Sithias hadn’t told him any of this before.
“There’s an unspoken rule among the Dimension Shifters that they aren’t to interfere when a dimension knows no other and believes theirs is all there is to the universe.”
“So when she’s gone, she’s where I cannot find her?”
“Yes”
“My Lord, when I spent two years trying to find her, why didn’t you tell me?”
Sithias smiled softly, “Would you have stopped? Or would you have continued, this time trying to find someone to show you how to leave this world?”
Alric sighed. He knew his god was right.
“I’m just surprised that she returned. She must feel some loyalty to you.”
“How do you know?”
“She’s an evil. Evils do only what is good for them, unless they feel loyalty to another.”
“She seems less nervous than the last time.”
“She may have grown up a lot in the last two years. Watch her and learn.”
“And the magic?”
“Encourage it.”
“Really?” Alric was shocked.
Sithias nodded, “It’s a rare and splendorous ability. From what I saw, she’s a powerful magic user, and that power should be used and encouraged to flourish.”
“But magic is born of evil.”
“A common misconception, but one bathed in the truth. Watch her closely and see what she does with it.”
“If she starts to use it for evil, I don’t know what I would do.”
“We will deal with it at that time. It’s not a matter of if, but when. Evils are drawn to rage, and it’s hard to control that.”
He nodded, “I’ll watch her. What of her god?”
“I’m sure he knows she’s here. I’m sure he also knows you love her and will watch you closely too.”
Alric smiled slightly, “That obvious, is it?”
“It is hard to hide your heart from me.”
“What’s in her heart?”
“I’m not sure she can love yet,” Sithias said. “Only Daemionis can see into her heart and know how she feels. Any attraction is dangerous though, so I bid you to keep your eyes out and never take her for granted. Never treat her as anything other than an evil.”
“How do I do that?”
“By limiting your trust in her goodness. She may not possess any.”
“I will, my Lord.”
“You see the good in all, but that may make you blind to her true nature.”
Alric looked up and saw that Sithias was gone. He said a quiet prayer of thanks and then walked out into the temple.
“Is it true?” Dewell asked, walking up to the King.
“That Kyrin is back? Yes.”
“Is she well?”
“She had injuries, but they were small and I took care of them.”
“May we see her?”
He smiled, “I’ll think about it. She’s an evil. We know that now a magic using evil… and Dewell?”
“Yes, my Lord?”
“I apologize for doubting what you saw. You tried to tell me that she knew magic, and I didn’t believe you.”
The Priest nodded, “It’s ok, my Lord. I realize how crazy it sounded at the time.”
“Until I find out what her intentions are and what her true nature is, I want the Priests to stay away from her.”
“Understood, Sire.” Dewell smiled broadly.
“What?”
“It’s good to have you back, Sir.”
“What do you mean?”
Dewell simply bowed and returned inside to the temple. Alric mounted his stallion and rode quickly to the castle. He was anxious to learn if Kyrin had stayed, and he wanted to talk to her again.
He met her on the road between the castle and Valhara. He stopped the horse and smiled down at her, “Going somewhere?”
She shrugged, “Not sure really.”
“Were you coming back?”
“I haven’t decided.”
He sighed, “Where would you go?”
“I don’t know.”
“Would you leave this world?”
She looked up at him, squinting at the glare from the sun, “You know?”
“Yes”
“I really don’t know what I’m going to do.”
“Start off by coming up here,” he said, and put his hand down for her.
She thought about it and then took his hand and swung onto the horse in front of him. He kicked the horse, heading away from the city and into the trees.
“Where are we going?” she asked after a few minutes of silence.
“I don’t know either. You seem to like to take off randomly, so that’s what we’re doing.”
She could feel him against her back and wasn’t sure what to make of the feelings she had, “Thank you, by the way.”
“For what?”
“For fixing my sunburn and the wound on my arm.”
“That was pretty bad, you know? You could have lost your hand.”
“Why did you look for me?” Kyrin asked him.
“You saved my life, and the life of my Kingdom.”
“So you wanted to thank me?”
“Mostly”
“What else?”
“I was afraid that Daemionis would hurt you.”
She felt like he was leaving something out, but decided not to press the issue, “No more problems with the Minotaurs?”
“Are you kidding? They’re scared to death to come out of the mountains again.”
Kyrin grinned and looked around the strange part of the forest.
“Now, let’s talk about you staying here.”
“I’ve never stayed in one place for long.”
“Well maybe it’s time to stop running.”
“What makes you think I’m running still?”
Alric laughed, “You are!”
“I’ll never stop running.”
“Are you afraid they will find you here?”
“They will, eventually. When they do then I’ll take off again.”
“Or you could prepare us and let the Knights do away with them.”
“Can’t happen. Running is my only option.”
Kyrin gasped when she felt Alric’s lips run softly up her neck.
“Please don’t do that,” she whispered.
“Why not?” Alric asked, brushing her hair away from her neck.
“It’s…”
“I’m not going to hurt you.”
“I’m not afraid you are.”
“Then what’s the problem?”
When Alric lightly flicked her ear lobe with his tongue, she shut her eyes and shivered, “ Please…”
He sat up, “Fine, if you can tell me why.”
“Because I don’t like it.”
“Yes you do,” he said, grinning.
Kyrin huffed slightly, but didn’t answer.
“You’ve grown up over the last two years and I suspect you aren’t as naïve about things as you were.”
“What makes you say that?”
“You didn’t try to kill me when I kissed you last night.”
“You had my hands.”
He chuckled and wrapped a hand around her waist.
“What do you want, Alric?” she asked, not looking back at him.
“That’s an oddly non-specific kind of question.”
“I mean what do you want me to do? Do you want me to stay and
marry you? Do you want me to stay and find a home in the city? Do you…”
He cut off her words when he kissed her neck again lightly, “I don’t know what I want yet, but whatever it is has you in it.”
“How oddly non-specific.”
Alric’s hand tightened around her waist and pulled her closer against him, “I want you to move into the Lady’s chamber in the castle. I want you to be comfortable around me and let me treat you like you should be treated.”
“Such as?”
“Such as… let me pamper you once in a while. Leave the flail behind…” His voice dropped to a whisper, “Let me love you.”
Her stomach tightened, “No.”
“Is love so bad?”
“Yes, it is.”
“I thought we were over the selling you part and the wedding myths.”
“You don’t love me.”
“Yes I do, and I suspect you love me too.”
“I don’t…”
“Yes, you do,” he whispered into her ear. “You came back here to see me because you missed me. You came back afraid I wouldn’t be looking for you because you don’t have faith in me.”
She frowned, “That’s not true.”
“I’m going to prove to you that love isn’t something scary.”
She just shrugged.
“You might like it.”
“Love?”
“Yes”
“What part? The fights? The breaking up part? What about losing a loved one to death? Then with love comes disgusting and vile acts.”
He chuckled, “Do you even know what those acts are?”
“No, I don’t, and I don’t want to know.”
“You might like those too.”
“I doubt it.”
Alric stopped his horse at the edge of the lake, “Let’s go swimming.”
Kyrin nodded. She thought anything would be better than the direction this discussion was going. Once she dismounted, she walked over to the edge of the lake and looked along the crystal-clear water. She heard movement behind her and she turned just as Alric undressed and walked over.
“Ready?” he asked as he slowly walked into the water.
She’d only seen one other naked man, and was shocked to see another. Kyrin avoided looking at him and focused in on a tree off to the side of the lake.
“Kyrin, come in,” he said, laughing.
“I changed my mind. I’ll wait back at the horse.”
“Afraid to come in because I’m naked?”
She turned and her eyes narrowed, “No.”
“Then get in.”
Not to be outdone by a man, Kyrin quickly stripped and then dove into the water, coming up beside him, “There.”
“See, nothing in here will hurt you either.”
She swam out away from him and then sighed when she heard him follow her, “You’re running.”
“No I’m not, I’m swimming.?