Arcanus 11

[catriana_fiction]

Title: Arcanus (Previously known as Demon King)
Series: Original
Genre: Fantasy/Drama/Romance
Rating: M
Chapters: 16/??(WIP)
Summary: He is the Demon King of the West, one of the few true immortals of the western lands. When his kingdom is frozen by 'Olde Magick' he goes out into the world to find clues and answers. Along the way he binds himself to a young vampire, encounters a half-elf that is more than what he seems and quickly begins to realize that freezing his kingdom was only the beginning.
Notes: No more secrets.

 

11

 

The moment Naliel stepped into the temple two things happened. One, the earth spirits inside all but tried to slam him into the ground and he could actually hear them screaming and wailing in agony. Two, he felt so incredibly ill because of it that he had ended up depositing his dinner over one of the pews.

He wasn’t even in trance and he could actually hear the spirits. The energies swarming the place were overwhelming, how could humans not sense this? It felt like they were clawing at him, as if they could pull themselves up through him and out of the temple. They were frantic and if he didn’t know any better they seemed…

Naliel tensed slightly when he felt a gentle hand on his shoulder. There was a warm sensation and he realized that someone was trying to heal him. Well, Rioran was a shitty healer so it had to be his lifemate.

“I thank you.” He said roughly when his stomach began to settle. Grabbing his small canteen he rinsed his mouth out with the water and looked over at his companions.

Rioran was very pale and scowling. The half-elf could actually see the wind trying to grab the demon king with hands. They were trying to pull him forward but he barked out a sharp command and then there was the flare of dark, oppressive power. Everything went silent, not even the earth spirits were pulling at him as much. The power was coming directly from Rioran.

“Enough.” He said out loud “You aren’t helping.” He turned his head towards the other male “Well? You knew the guy was underground, where’s the entrance?”

It took a bit before he could respond, still reeling from the spirits attack on his senses. He could still hear them wailing and they were still tugging at him but not as insistently. Couldn’t Rioran sense it? “The spirits…” he began “I know that he’s underground but…I can’t use them here.”

Five years had passed since these particular spirits had been trapped and as his head cleared he now knew why they had reacted so violently. The conflicting energies were actually tearing them apart bit by bit. They were deteriorated and half mad; he would have to pour his own energy into the earth to manipulate it that way. A very draining but necessary process if they were dealing with undead. Even if he freed them he was unsure if he’d be able to heal them, more than likely it would take a very long time before anything grew or thrived in this area again.

“Who is ‘he’ Naliel?” it was more of a demand than a question and he looked up at the demon king, puzzled by the hard tone and suspicious glint in his eyes.

He honestly didn’t know. All he knew was that something undead was here and they had…they had him. “I…don’t…”

“We should continue on.” Liari cut in between both of them “This place doesn’t seem very big, it shouldn’t be hard to find the entrance underground.”

“We’ll split up.” His gaze refused to leave the half-elf’s “Whoever finds something first let the other know through the stones.”

Feeling somewhat recovered Naliel straightened and nodded. A gentle hand touched his arm and he looked down at Liari who was giving him a concerned look. He gave her a lopsided smile in return; he probably looked like crap. “I will be fine, Liari,” he reassured her, placing a hand over hers “I thank you for your concern and your help. I feel much better now.” He found himself smiling fondly at her when she flashed him a bright smile, she really was cute. If he had ever had siblings he would have liked to have imagined his sister being like Liari.

“You two done yet?” it was definitely growled out and it had definitely come from the demon king. Instead of breaking away from the half-elf Liari merely turned in the redhead’s direction and gave him a ‘who do you think you’re growing at?’ sort of look. They had a glaring contest and he could only assume that the two of them were arguing mentally now.

“Then stop being an ass!” she suddenly blurted out – rather loudly – and stormed past her lifemate, highly irritated.

Rioran watched as she walked towards the other side of the temple before looking over at the hunter. He pointed in Liari’s direction “I blame you completely for what just happened.” Thankfully he looked amused, although a little disgruntled.

Naliel sighed “Very well, I shall endeavor to become more like you since we both know how good you are with women.”

He smirked “Remind me to beat the hell out of you when we’re done here.” He turned to follow his lifemate and Naliel returned the small gesture, relieved that his friend was no longer seriously upset with him.

“I will mark it as reminder number three hundred and fifteen.”

The demon snorted “At least one of us is counting.”

xxxxx

How long are you going to give me the silent treatment? Rioran asked his lifemate who was pointedly ignoring him while she tried to find an opening down below. The cellar had not been it and so they had surmised that there was a hidden entrance and were now in the surprisingly decently stocked library. Crossing his arms he regarded her coolly. I’m in your head Vampireling, you’re not getting rid of me. Silence. He was not apologizing for becoming irritated at her; she knew he had a ridiculous jealous streak that he wasn’t quite capable of handling quite yet and she had been all but hanging on the elf’s arm.

“Oh, go burn in the deepest pits of the hells Rioran!” she snapped, picking up on his thoughts.

So you can speak. He was once again greeted with silence and he glared at her back, becoming irritable. “If you keep ignoring me I am going to physically harass you.” He said flatly “Only one of us will enjoy the outcome.”

Liari apparently had a rather colorful vocabulary and employed it quite happily in his head. Had he not been mildly irritated he would have found it hilarious. Instead he resisted the urge to growl at her. “Vampireling,” he began but the vampire suddenly spun on him, hazel eyes glittering with anger.

“I am not going to put up with your jealous crap for the rest of eternity!” she snapped “Either stop acting like an idiot or piss off, I am tired of your nonsense. Were it me you’d be the exact same way so I will no longer tolerate it with you. You are a demon king, get it together.”

Rioran just stared at her, honestly stunned. It was very rare when she behaved like this, he could count the number of times on one hand. Of course, she was right and he knew it but that didn’t exactly soothe his male ego either. He also was not going to apologize. Instead he snorted and started doing his own search “It’s not like he likes women anyway.” He muttered and that was about as much reassurance as he was going to give her that he’d try and calm down his jealously aka stupidity.

“That’s not very fair, you’ve slept with men as well.” She defended “Naliel found someone he loved at a young age, it doesn’t mean he doesn’t like women.”

“For your information,” he began, knocking on a rather suspicious-looking painting “I have been with approximately two males, one of which had all but intimidated me into their bed with their presence alone. It was practically statutory rape considering our age differences.”

“Like us?”

Funny girl. “Not quite. He was over ten thousand years old two thousand years ago. The gap is just a little bit bigger.” When she didn’t respond he tilted his head, lifting the painting from the wall “You know, Naliel did offer to have sex with me once.”

That got her attention. She turned, blinking “Really?”

“No, not really.” With little effort he slammed his fist into the wall, using the wind to blast the opening a bit wider. He was pushed lightly to the side as Liari looked into the new space and frowned “I can’t see anything...”

What if I told you I had offered to have sex with Nal –

“Shut up, Rioran!” she snapped, glaring at the slight smirk on his face “You are…you’re…”

“Infuriating?” he offered

“Yes!”

She gasped when he suddenly pulled her flush with him and captured her lips in a hard kiss. One arm was tight around her waist and he tilted his head slightly, taking advantage of her surprise to delve his tongue into the cavern of her mouth, trailing lightly over fangs but not drawing blood. He was trying to make a point, not molest the girl.

Pulling away he took in her flushed face and slightly hooded eyes with a smug smile. Leaning forward he hovered his lips against hers “Good, now we’re even.”

xxxxx

“Nal. Nal? Hey, wake up.”

There was a small groan and then the half-elf turned on his side, pulling the sheets over his head “Go away, Sarna.” He murmured “I did two back to back watches last night because Niona sprained her ankle. I am tired.”

There was a sharp cry and Naliel shot up into a sitting position, rubbing his shoulder “Y…you bit me!” what in the hells was Sarnaiel’s problem today? “Sarnaiel, I am very serious I –“

He was cut off as the dark elf closed the distance between them, pulling the younger male into a brief but passionate kiss. Surprised, he pulls away, fingers brushing along a delicate golden pendant “What –“

Sarnaiel raised his wrist and blue eyes blinked at the leather bracer with the intricate carvings similar to the pendant “Father…” he began and then looked away “they are heirlooms…he said”

It took a minute for the significance of what his long time friend and lover had said to sink in. Looking down at the pendant he smiled slightly “Is this your way of trying to ask me to marry you?” a dark brow rose “You are quite horrible at it. Is not one supposed to ask the question before –“

Sarnaiel jumped the half elf and laughter filled the room as the two wrestled on his bed. The laughter quickly faded into soft gasps and moans while hands became less playful and more intimate. The rogue is strangely gentle yet passionate, as if trying to convey something physically what could not be said verbally. As the euphoria fades Naliel sighs up at the ceiling, one arm around Sarnaiel’s shoulders while his other hand brushed along the delicate metal.

“I do not say it often,” his lover came in, pale blue hair tickling his shoulder as the dark elf looked up at him “and I also do not show it as often as I should but…” sitting up Naliel watched idly as a dark hand moved over his scarred arm. Even now years later whenever he saw the scars on the half-elf’s body he’s reminded of that night and crimson eyes look haunted for just a moment “Marriage seems nonsensical, we already live together and it’s a human custom in any case. These…mean more to me than a piece of paper.”

Now much more exhausted than he had been before Sarnaiel had come into his room he gave the other male a lazy smile “Be careful, Sarna. If you keep this up I might start thinking you are sensitive and thoughtful.”

“Obstinate brat.” He bent down and kissed the younger male “You are not allowed to act like me, I’m the arrogant asshole of this relationship, you’re supposed to lie there acting passive and looking pretty.” Naliel snorted loudly at this and Sarnaiel’s smile slowly fades into a thoughtful frown “Naliel.” When cool blue eyes settled on his face he brushed his fingers along the other’s cheek “I do not need to marry you to know that we have a strong bond and that we will be together for as long as we both live.” His hand moved over the bracer “This is the physical manifestation of our bond and that’s all I need. I love you Nal.”

The sickening feeling was increasing the lower he went although the spirits were no longer trying to overwhelm him with their demands. Because of that he could no longer hear them, which was good for now. It hurt hearing them in such agonizing pain and anguish; the sooner he could destroy this temple the better.

Raising a hand his fingers brushed along the pendant underneath his shirt. When he had learned that Sarnaiel had died after he had gotten over the initial devastation and grief he had tried to get the others to give him the bracer.

“We are…sorry Naliel…” one of his father’s men who had been with Sarnaiel during the hunting trip began sadly “But…we could not find his body. His mount was completely destroyed and there were obvious signs of an attack but…”

They had searched for months but it had been as if his lover had completely disappeared. Eventually there had been no choice but to declare Sarnaiel dead and his grief had been a physical ache. Seven months had hardly been enough time for him but Rioran’s situation involved everyone, not just the demon king and he needed his help.

‘The dead has him’

But for five years? It didn’t make sense to him and he dreaded what he would find when he reached the area where the undead creature was. And it was there, he could sense it quite clearly. The closer he got the more unstable the spirits were. The sensation of there being something just wrong hung thickly in the air.

But why can’t I sense Sarna?

If he was alive, he should be able to sense him right? There was one thought that he refused to entertain – the ‘dead’ was actually Sarnaiel. He refused to believe it…his sanity wouldn’t be able to handle anything less.

The underground area did not go very deep but he could sense that it was rather wide, perhaps a little bigger than the temple above itself. Thankfully, the stairway leading down was lightly illuminated, only demons and dragons could see in complete darkness. At the end there was a door down one hallway and another hall to the left that went down farther than he could see. The door in front of him was wooden and there was a bright blue light that could be seen from the cracks, which had been illuminating the way a bit. The temperature had dropped considerably; Naliel could see his own breath. The spirits were completely avoiding this area so the half-elf was slowly pouring his own spiritual energy into the earth, a draining process. He could sense no hostility on the other side but the undead or whatever it was definitely was behind that door. Keeping his hands at his sides he opened it and stood back, allowing it to open wide just in case. What he saw was definitely not what he had expected.

The entire room was covered in ice and there were lab and alchemy sets everywhere on tables. There were around two empty tanks against the wall and an altar near the back of the room. There someone stood with his back turned to Naliel. It was definitely a man with long, straight pale hair that rested at his lower back. He wore the robes of an elementalist…familiar robes.

He took two steps inside before he stopped, unable to move. Not for any outside reason, he couldn’t move because the sight before him shouldn’t exist.

Deathly pale skin that was tinted with grey, angular features that denoted a superior bloodline, and violet eyes. The fake, cold expression that he had fooled individuals was still there and he looked almost exactly as he had over two hundred years ago.

“At least try to enjoy it Naliel, I don’t do this for anyone you know.”

This was impossible. He was supposed to be dead, Sarnaiel had done the deed himself. For a moment all Naliel could do was stand there and stare at the creature before him, memories of that night returning with vivid clarity as if it had happened yesterday.

The blow came without warning and it took every shred of willpower he had left not to scream at the sensation of his back literally being ripped apart. The ice and cold only seemed to bring about a burning sensation and he could feel blood beginning to freely trail down his legs.

“You have not known true humiliation, not yet.”

His back, the scars having long since healed, burned as if still fresh. His right leg and arm began to ache painfully. Fingers twitched, his chest burned and his throat closed up. This wasn’t happening, it wasn’t happening, he…

Incredible pain lanced through his arm as if he had been stabbed to the bone with a thousand needles. The clear ice began to turn red as his blood flowed freely and he rested his head against the tree trunk, trying to regulate his breathing.

“Veciel.” He was practically shaking, eyes wide, his mind reliving the events from two hundred years ago. The pain, humiliation, shame, how he had almost went mad…

The elementalist, the same male that had haunted his dreams for well over a decade after that night smirked. It was that same smirk from that night, when he had dropped the mask and revealed just how sick and depraved he had truly been. Tilting his head the smirk spread, giving him a sickly look “Half-breed.” He greeted “How’s your back?”

The ‘half-breed’ snapped.

Two things happened immediately. Naliel let out a roar as the earth literally exploded, thick spikes hurling towards the high elf. A high wall of ice quickly formed in front of the elementalist to no avail, the spikes burst through them like a hot knife to butter. They slammed into Veciel’s body and impaled him along the far wall. One had gone through his skull and violet eyes were wide with surprise, mouth slightly agape. The rest of his body had been turned into a living – or non-living – pincushion.

It was not until he had actually killed the high elf that Naliel realized what he had done. His eyes were still wide with shock and a bit of fear, his body was still shaking, he was panting. He hadn’t meant to do that he…had just reacted. The half-elf’s body now felt very strange, as if something had been ‘unlocked’. His skin felt almost too tight for his body and he seemed to have an abundance of energy that he hadn’t had before.

The biggest change was his connection to the earth. He had always held a strong command over the element but now he truly felt as if he were one with the spirits. He could hear them clearly in the distance even though he wasn’t in trance, could feel the deterioration as if it were happening to his own flesh. They were currently feeding off of his own energy and yet he did not feel in the least bit tired. The hunter felt a little out of control, it was almost as if there was too much power. He needed an outlet, to do something with this sudden surge of energy.

“That…”

Startled, the half-elf murmured a command and the spikes receded, the body dropping to the ground. Instead of it not moving, however, it began – to his horror – to cough. Slowly, and painfully it seemed, Veciel struggled to stand, blood still pouring from his multiple wounds. When he finally straightened Naliel watched with sick fascination as the hole in the undead’s head quickly mended itself. Raising a tattered arm he wiped the blood from his lips and smirked.

“I suppose it’s a good thing I’m already dead, otherwise I wouldn’t have gotten up from that.” Ice began to blossom from the hole in his stomach and he coughed a bit more “You’ve…changed.” He sounded more amused than anything else “Two hundred years ago you wouldn’t have even contemplated killing me, even after I had practically sliced you to pieces.”

“Where is Sarna?” he had blurted it out without thinking and the high elf scowled, disgust clear to see.

“The trash is…safe.” He shrugged “I should have known you had been sleeping with that abomination.” Once more he sounded disgusted “And here you are, two hundred years later and more powerful than Lavern had ever been at your age.” He shook his head “Such a waste, you really had been perfect for what I had wanted. I wonder if you truly are a half-elf with the power you’re currently radiating.”

“I am not here to reminisce about your delusional fantasies and your failed legacy.” he ground out “Where. Is. Sarnaiel?”

Crossing his arms Veciel rolled his eyes “Why should I tell you anything? You just tried to kill me and were it not for the fact that I need you I would have killed that dark-skinned bastard years ago.”

The confession confused Naliel “You need me? For what?” the confusion turned into a scowl “I’m not helping you with your plans to –“

“Shut up, fool.” Veciel waved a hand dismissively “Undead cannot reproduce, I was not brought back to fulfill what I had been unable to do in life. Nothing is ever free and now I’m fulfilling my end of the bargain. If you assist me I will give you your pathetic excuse for an elven species back and unharmed.”

There was silence. Naliel’s gaze was on the ground, hands clenched into fists. It was a long moment before he spoke again “And if I say no?”

Veciel’s laughter had him raise his head to the undead elementalist and noticed to his surprise that the male was fading away “You won’t.” Just as he was fading away he spoke once more “I’ll see you in the Bavarian kingdom.” And then he was gone.

xxxxx

His hand was warm as he guided her down the pitch black…wherever it was they were. He would turn to her every now and then and it was slightly creepy for all she could see was the soft glow of crimson pupils. Vampires could see very well in the dark, as could elves, but they had their limits. The only exceptions to the rule were dark elves; they also had exceptional vision underground due to having originated from there. If she had wanted she could have tried to see through his eyes but that was always highly disorienting and she had bumped into enough objects to learn her lesson.

There was a loud noise that sounded rather far away. Her lifemate stopped walking and she had almost bumped into him, letting out small sound of surprise. She looked up at him, or rather hoped she was anyway “Rioran?”

He didn’t not immediately answer her, even when she mentally poked him. It wasn’t until his hand squeezed hers that he spoke “I think the half-elf found what he was looking for.” There was something else there, something he wasn’t telling her. Annoyance filled her, she was tired of being kept in the dark concerning everything.

“Rioran…”

“Vampireling, I will tell you all of my thoughts in due time. It is not a matter of trust, I am not used to having to explain my thoughts or actions unless necessary. Try not to get too riled up.” He sounded amused at the last part “I have not exactly been helping your stress levels, I will make it up to you when we reach the Bavarian kingdom. Now come, Naliel might need our help.”

They broke into a run and he kept her close just in case she tripped or stumbled. He seemed so distressed about whatever it was that was going on. Was Naliel alright? She liked the half-elf, he was kind and seemed to be fond of her in a platonic way. He had seemed a little stressed upon their meeting tonight and now Rioran was also quite uptight.

As they rounded a corner she saw a bright blue light coming from a room down at the end of the hall. The demon king tensed and so Liari withdrew her hand to draw the elven blades.

There is no threat. Isseti, one of her blades The power and slight animosity in the air is all from the half-elf.

It was? She wasn’t spiritually attuned like Rioran or Naliel but she could definitely feel tension in the air, almost oppressive. Trusting in her blades she sheathed them, her brows furrowing. “Rioran…”

“Stay here.” It was said slowly and when she looked up at him he seemed very pensive and even a bit wary. “He is in a rather volatile mood at the moment and I don’t wish to kill him for accidently harming you.”

A chill went up her spine at the severity of his tone. Weren’t the two of them friends? Sometimes it seemed as if they were and then sometimes there seemed to be a sort of master/servant relationship between them. She couldn’t say that she understood it.

Calmly, the redhead walks over to the door, his face a stoic mask. Uneasy, she waits, hoping that there wasn’t anything seriously wrong. The stoic mask shifted into grim determination; she heard Naliel’s voice but it was too muffled to make it out exactly.

He says he’s going to destroy the temple. Ireas, the other blade said mentally He’s giving us five minutes to get out.

Wait. Naliel was going to destroy the temple by himself? How? She didn’t know much about the spirits and manipulating the elements and while the temple wasn’t huge it wasn’t tiny either.

“Vampireling, we are leaving. Now.”

A strong hand gripped her wrist and then they were walking briskly down the hall and up the stairs. As she passed the room she saw Naliel and started. He stood there, back turned, head bowed, body very tense. It was so strange to see the normally calm and pleasant half-elf in such a state.

Rioran…do you know why he’s upset?

“No.” The tone suggested that he wasn’t pleased about not knowing either. She could sense him wanting to say something but refrained, he was very agitated and tense.

Please don’t keep me in the dark like this. She couldn’t stand it, she hated standing around and watching her lifemate look stressed and tense and could do nothing about it. For years he had comforted her as a child, she wanted to do something in return.

“I…” he actually seemed to be at a loss for words “Until I can get confirmation from him I don’t want to make any wrong assumptions but…with the amount of energy he is currently producing he should be dead. No mortal, much less a half-elf, can…damnit, I’m going to kill Lavern for this. He knows, I know he knows and that bastard...”

He continued to ramble mentally but she gleaned no new information besides what he had just told her. When they finally reached the top and outside there was a deep rumbling from underground and she felt herself being pulled into Rioran’s embrace right as the temple exploded into…

Massive spikes had erupted, all but destroying the temple by shattering it to pieces. The highest point of the rock formation was almost twenty feet tall. Dust was everywhere, Rioran’s wing moving over her like a shield. There was a subtle hum of power that not even she could help but feel. It wasn’t like earlier when her lifemate had flared out but a bit of his energy to quell the spirits, it wasn’t nearly as strong as that, but it was still powerful.

Did…he free the spirits? With that display of power she hoped something had happened, she couldn’t help but to look up at the structure with wonder and amazement. Were all elves that powerful?

“To answer your questions, yes, he did free the spirits by…obliterating the temple. Secondly, no, not all elves are that powerful. Lavern is, but barely. I had yet to meet an elf stronger in earth magic than him…until tonight.”

Slowly the smoke cleared and everything settled, bringing silence to the area. It was a good almost twenty minutes before they saw the dark humanoid figure of Naliel in the distance. Where he had come from through the rock Liari had no clue but when he was near enough for her to see his face she held back her gasp.

His expression was grim, angry, and his eyes were incredibly cold. She had never seen such an expression on him and for some reason it just looked wrong. It was almost as if he were…

“Half mad?” Rioran supplied “I don’t know what happened down there, Liari, but it was enough to break whatever it was that had a hold on those powers I can now fully sense.”

But he’s so calm…what could have happened to make him…like this?

“We will find out soon enough.”

It was not until he was a respectable distance away that those ice blue eyes of his snapped up to the couple, devoid of emotion. Taking two steps forward Rioran reached out and grabbed Naliel’s arm. Their gazes locked and while the latter didn’t look as if he would become hostile there was still a thick tension in the air.

“You have three days,” the demon king said, or rather commanded “then I want an explanation, and I’m not just talking about what happened down there.”

Silence reigned for a moment longer before Naliel blinked and his entire demeanor changed. Instead of looking cold and detached he now seemed very tired and sad. Gently, he placed a hand on the redhead’s forearm. “Three days will not be necessary. I will tell you whatever it is you wish to know on the airship tomorrow.”

Interlacing their fingers together Rioran turned to head back to the inn “Meet us in the cabin after dark when Liari awakens, we’ll talk then.” A small nod was given by the hunter and Rioran let him go, a frown on his face.

“Tomorrow,” he promised her “I will also tell you whatever it is you wish to know, Vampireling.” He sounded somber “From this moment on there will be no more secrets, I promise you.”

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