Shadows of the Heart

To Be Human

To say that Riftan Calypse was worried was not a falsehood; in fact, it was the largest understatement of the last century.

He and Maxi had gotten into another fight, and rather than allowing him to cool off, she refused to back down, refusing to be shut out. He said some hurtful things he wished he hadn't and didn't stop her as she fled from him, knowing he had gone too far this time.

That was two days ago. He knew that if she wanted to avoid him, she very well could amongst the mages and other responsibilities around the camp, but he had been nervous when he went this long without seeing even a glimpse of her. Their numbers were vast, but it shouldn't have been impossible to see her at all. By nightfall, he was truthfully worried.

He asked some of the mages in the camp if they had seen her, which they claimed they hadn't since she fled after their fight. A whisper of panic began to settle behind the worry in Riftan's mind. The mages and knights began looking for Maximilian, and within an hour, it was determined that she wasn't in the camp at all.

Riftan, Hebaron, Elliot, Garrow, and Ruth had quickly packed up and rode out, knowing that if she weren't in any danger, she surely would have returned by now. Following her trail, they came across an ancient, seemingly abandoned fortress buried deep under the mountains and stopped to see if she might have come across an unsavory crowd and needed rescuing.

It took them the better part of a day to figure out how to enter; after all, ancient runes had always been Maxi's specialty.

Riftan and the knights carefully entered the fortress and were astonished by the grandeur within. The fortress had looked abandoned, but that was surely just a powerful mirage to dissuade any thieves who would otherwise be undeniably tempted to gorge themselves on the riches within these walls. The columns lining the halls were made of marble, aligned with fine tapestries, and the ceilings stretched so high that they were sure if those who carved the stone had gone any higher, they would have seen the sky above the mountains.

The knights came across a guard patrolling the outer halls of what they now assumed was a massive palace or even a small city considering how vast it was. The guard wasn't a monster, nor was he human. He appeared to be some odd hybrid of both. He was of average height and carried himself like a man, but his skin was a dark olive green, and something like tusks protruded from his lower lip.

"Excuse me," Elliot asked, trying not to avert his eyes from the guard's odd appearance. "We are the Remdragon knights of Anatol. We are looking for her ladyship, Maximilian Calypse. She's pale, short, and slender, with silver-blue eyes and long, curly red hair. She would have been dressed like him." He pauses and points towards Ruth, who was wearing simple mage's robes. "She left our camp a couple days ago and might have come this way. Have you seen her?"

The guard stood there for a while and thought long and hard about her description.

"No," he said in a tired, gruff voice. "I can't say I've seen anyone like that enter our city in the last few days; then again, I forget time works differently down here. Mere hours outside these halls can be several months in here, but what does time truly matter to us when we cannot die?"

"You're immortal, like the elves?" Garrow inquired.

"In a manner of speaking, yes. We didn't gain immortality through an ancient bloodline but through dark magic, and over the years we have accumulated vast wealth, as you can see from the elegance of our outer city halls. Some choose to use our magic to forget the life and pain they experienced outside these walls or entrap themselves in their favorite memories, but most are not that desperate. We did not squander our magic like the dark mages did trying to conquer the world; rather, we have kept to ourselves and have likely vanished from your history books. Tell me. What has become of the world above?"

"Perhaps some other time," Garrow said politely. "Are you sure you haven't seen her ladyship?"

"Hmmm. Now that I think about it, I do remember a pretty little lass that matches your description; she wandered in a few years ago. She's a lovely, brilliant lady. She quickly rose through the ranks of our court and even caught the eye of our king. They grew quite close over time, and then-"

"Where is she?" Riftan demanded bluntly.

"It just so happens that we are celebrating his majesty, King Tyranus' 1695th birthday, this evening, and all are invited to attend. Even last-minute guests, I suppose. You should see her there."

The guard promptly began walking deeper into the mountain.

"Come along," he called over his shoulder. "I will show you to your quarters."

....

The throne room was a bustle of activity. Like the guard, the members of the court were partly human, and partly beast. Perhaps it was the lingering effects of the long term use of dark magic. Or severe inbreeding due to their isolation. Or maybe it was something else entirely.

The trumpets blared, announcing the arrival of his majesty. The people parted, and a tall figure, easily seven feet in height, stepped forth into the glistening candlelight. The king was male, but he was anything but human. His skin was a few shades darker than the pink center of a cherry blossom, and two brown horns protruding from his temples framed his face. His hair was a lovely white that complemented his ethereal beauty rather than simply making him look withered and old. Truthfully, he was very handsome and well built, and if he were human, he wouldn't have looked a day over thirty at most. For all the vast riches that filled this hall, the crown that adorned his head was rather modest—a simple silver crown with small carvings likely telling the story of various accomplishments throughout his long reign.
He ascended the few steps to his throne and sat down. His face held a startling warmth as he looked upon his people with kindness. Riftan couldn't tell from where he stood near the back of the hall if it was genuine or simply a mask hiding true cruelty and malice.

"Thank you for the well wishes and kind words." His voice was warm, like sunlight, and smooth, like honey. "I am honored to celebrate this special occasion with you, but tonight there is cause for celebration of more than one royal."

He paused to allow the chatter that had arisen to quiet down before he spoke again as he raised his hand, directing their attention to where he had entered moments ago.

"Tonight we celebrate My Love, who just this afternoon was sworn in by the Grand Council as your queen."

The trumpets blared once more as the large doors opened, and the crowd gasped at the mesmerizing beauty of the woman entering the hall.

Her dress seemed to be made of pure starlight as it shimmered and twinkled with a thousand tiny crystals. The dress was fitted, showing off her slender arms and large breasts. As she walked, her dress flowed with otherworldly elegance, as though she were floating. The dress also had a long slit cut into the side, reaching all the way to her hip, occasionally revealing one of her pale, toned legs hidden beneath. A smaller, more effeminate crown similar to the king's sat atop her head, nestled amongst her curls. Her face looked kind but firm, and her silver blue eyes held nothing but adoration and respect for the king whom she gazed upon as she walked towards him.

If she's the queen, then why is there only one throne? Elliot wondered.

His inquisition was answered a moment later as the woman proceeded up the steps and stood directly before her king. She turned around and sat herself on his lap with ease and grace. The smoothness of a familiar habit. The slit of her dress had slipped open as she sat, and the king tucked his arm behind her waist and placed a large possessive hand on the upper part of her bare thigh.

"Kneel," the king ordered with a distracted, almost bored tone, happily preoccupied with twirling one of Maxi's loose curls through the slender fingers of his other hand.

Everyone fell to their knees in reverence.

Everyone except the Remdragon knights.

They stood frozen in place, their mouths agape at what they had witnessed.

The king forgave their disobedience just this once, as they were guests and new to the customs of this court.

"And now that we-" the king began.

"GET YOUR FUCKING HANDS OFF MY WIFE!" Riftan bellowed as he drew his sword and charged towards the throne.