Chapter 6

chapter Six

Volencia stumbled, collapsing on the cold stone desperately trying to cover herself and gain some semblance of control. Damion was close, no more than a few feet away but bound tightly. She wanted to remember his face, to remember heros can exist, even if they can't win.

"I'm so, so sorry." She sobbed, not wanting to look away from him. "I never meant for you to become involved in this."

He never stopped struggling, but his eyes lightened a shade greener as they met hers. "I never even learned your name."

Lock stepped between them, breaking their eye contact. "We need to separate them. Right now." His eyes watched Damion wildly, who's attempts to break free only renewed to the point where the vines were starting the break away the stones they'd grown out of.

"Ten minutes." Larkisis stepped up behind her, bending her head back to make her look at him as he unbuckled his belt. "I'm going to show everyone what happens when they decide to challenge us."

"No!" Lock cried, turning to Larkisis.

Squeezing her eyes tight, she sobbed. "My name is Volencia." When he dropped her head, Volencia got another quick look at Damion again.

"I swear. If you touch her. I will kill you." Volencia could feel the cracking stone reverberating under her body. His voice didn't sound the same as before. It was lower. Snarling. She prayed he was right.

"We need to separate them. Now." Lock demanded.

Larkisis slapped Lock's hand away. "Look old man, we agreed."

Lock shook his head, "This was never the way it was supposed to be. He wasn't part of the plan." A certain satisfaction grew in her chest at the fear in his voice. He deserved to feel it. That fear. No matter how small.

"I will not let anyone make a fool of me. They need to learn their lesson." His heal pressed between her shoulder blades, forcing her to the ground.

Damion's body started to spasm, his eyes rolling back in his head, clouding over in complete darkness. Lock stepped back, "No" he whispered, looking away and covering his eyes just in time for a blinding light to fill the shield. Stone and vine pieces flew around them, flinging debris threw the air. Knocking her attackers off their feet. Volencia threw her hands over her head, but not a single piece came close to hitting her or Larkisis. From where she was, all she could see of Damion were his boots, and they were headed straight for her.

For one brief moment, she saw the tip of the sword, before it left her field of vision, along with one of his boots, and the next moment, the weight of Larkisis was gone. Volencia tried to raise herself up on her hands and knees, but didn't have the strength, so settled for curling into a ball instead. Warmth covered her body. It was Damion's cloak, as he was knelt by her side. "I'm here. No one will hurt you again." His hands were gentle as they lifted her up against his chest, holding her. "I am going to touch you, but I'm only to heal you. Don't be afraid."

She had seen people take hours to heal smaller injuries, but his hands were quick, his magic efficient in making the pain disappear. Every muscle in her body tensed as his hand touched her thigh and breast, but they were gone just as quickly, not lingering a moment longer than the healing needed. Her head lolled against his shoulder, the last thing he focused on was her face, and eye. His thumb caressed the swollen skin, and the pain receded instantly. Once healed, her eye came back into focus and his eyes were no longer black or green. They had become swirling quicksilver. Not just around the pupil and iris, the entire eye from corner to corner swirled in a vortex that felt like she could fall into it for the rest of her days.

Throwing her arms around his shoulders she blubbered, "I don't know how to thank you. I never I can't" words failed her and all she could do was weep.

"It'll be okay. I would ask that you would allow me to take you some place so that we can discuss a few things. I'm just glad you're safe." His massive hand rubbed her back gently. Still wrapped tightly in his cloak, he stood, awkwardly putting his sword in the sheath then transitioning her to both his arms. With a snap of his fingers, everyone except Claven and Lock disintegrated into silver smoke. The crowd near the outside of the shield screamed and cheered, but the shield grew darker once the Council member who had been holding it was gone. Slowly swirling into a silver darkness that swallowed them. Just before they were gone, she saw terror wash over her father's features for the first time in years. Soldiers pressed behind Gregron, waiting for the moment the shield would fall. They started beating on the shield but were drowned out by the cheering and whatever new protection was now slowly encasing them. He went to where her dress lay on the ground and pulled it off the stone, shaking it out before laying it over her. "For later, so you at least have something to put on."

Damion started walking toward Lock, and fear ripped through her. Was he possessed? Was he going to hand her over to them? He didn't have a hand ready to fight, and his sword sheethed. "It's been a long time. I can't say I was expecting to see you again. I thought I took care of you being able to come back." Lock scowled.

"Well, lucky for me, you failed." Damion's brow drew together. "What did you do?"

"You'll find out soon enough, I'm sure. I don't plan on sealing my coffin just yet." For every step Damion took toward him, Lock took two back, keeping his distance. Claven just stared, dumbfounded by this turn of events. As Lock backed away and Damion gave slow chase, Claven ended up at his back.

"Damion, Claven's going to attack." Volencia grabbed his collar watching the spell unfold. Damion stopped in his tracks, looking back, then shrugged.

"Let him. He'll just get his own spell back at him ten-fold. If he's stupid enough to try to cast it, he's stupid enough to die." His voice was hard, but his features eased as he looked at her. "Are you okay?"

"Do you and Lock know each other?" She couldn't pull her eyes from Claven, too worried about what was going to head their way. Before he threw it, the spell filtered out and his eyes bounced from them to Lock, clearly confused, throwing his hands in the air.

"Damion, who owns this body, does not know Lock. I'm only here because all the pieces fell into place. I could come to his aid. Your aid. I'm from somewhere else completely. Which I unfortunately cannot fully explain. But I need a moment to speak with him, if you don't mind." He nodded, closing the distance between him and Lock.

"You killed my brother, and for that I will-" Claven started to storm toward them, and Volencia felt herself squeak, curling deeper into his arms.

Turning on his heels, Damion faced Claven. Who stopped in his tracks, his mouth moved, but no words came out. Fury poured from him, but Damion, or whoever he was, was much more terrifying. "You are lucky to be alive, so count your blessings. I would have killed you already if I didn't need you alive for what I'm about to do. So, like a good lap dog, sit, shut up, and stop pissing me off before I lose the little patience I have left."

Lock circled around them, so he was closer to Claven, "Let's not poke this particular beast, shall we. But, I am very afraid you won't be able to do what you are about to request."

"I enact the armistice; full term, one year." His voice was flat, but there was no question in it.

"You can't." Lock gave him a sheepish grin. "The armistice cannot be enacted after violence. You just killed Larkisis, the ultimate violence."

"It is washed out by what you were going to do to her."

"I don't care. I will not approve the armistice. We need to shake on it before it is set in stone. I will not. I do not believe that our transgressions are as great as yours." Lock crossed his arms over his chest raising his chin, looking more like a defiant child than the head of an Empire.

"If you refuse the armistice, I will choose to end our little game as it has been laid out previously. Today is an injustice I will not accept. I will, on this very night, meet my end, and take all of you with me. Every. Single. One." He growled low in his throat, the silver becoming nearly black in his eyes, "If in their heart, they follow you and your unbalanced, unfair rule, they will die. Everything you have built will crumble to the ground. I don't care how devastating it is. Those left behind will rise from the ashes of your bones and have a fresh start. Be free of you and yours. And my beloved will be free of your curses and strife. I, along with my counterpart, will leave our prisons and end this now."

Lock stumbled, his face going pale white. "You wouldn't. You wouldn't loose that on the world again."

"I will. Deny me. I'm tired anyway." Shifting Volencia in his arms, he held out his hand challenging Lock to refuse.

The Head of the Council, who had been so close to Empirical rule not even an hour ago, stared at that hand like life itself depended on it. And if her hero's words were true, Lock's would. "Like all the other times before, you will fail. The only sacrifice you have is still her. And unlike the others, she is a coward." Lock spit.

"What does he mean?" Volencia pushed away from him as best she could, considering he was holding her.

"Not what it sounds like." He smiled down at her, this time, the dimple she'd admired on Damion earlier was there, but on the left cheek. She could have sworn it was on the right before. "It can never be her. This time it will be different. We will win. Our dearest Volencia certainly is no coward. At the start of your attack, she was willing to give all of herself in place of her folk. That is an agreement you will regret denying the rest of your days. But she is a true and noble leader if ever there was one. Those are not the actions of a coward."

"Suit yourself. A thousand times you've failed. What's one more? Oh, right, you kill the world yourself a little more every time you try if it goes as it has in the past, you'll ultimately be the reason I achieve my goal." Lock laughed, taking his hand and shaking it. Damion's smile faded. "Are we done here?"

Nodding, Damion snapped his fingers and the shield melted away. His eyes met Volencia's, as she watched smoke whirl around them, and they disintegrated into it slowly. She was able to see just enough, the crowd encircle Lock and Claven. Gregron, racing toward them. They were distressed, her father crying. Their faces red. They had been unable to do a thing when she needed it. If Lock was afraid of the elf holding her, she guessed she should be too. But she wasn't.