Defenders of Destiny Book One: Conflux

Chapter 12: Guests

Weary from battle and hungry, the group sat down to rest for a while before attempting to deduce how to cleanse the mansion. Zerek felt awkward as he sat naked around them all. He sat away from the others and curled his legs together and kept his arms down. He found Victoria eyeing him and blushed in embarrassment.

"I should have grabbed my rags before leaving," he said as she inched closer to him. "I do not like being so exposed."

Victoria glanced at his legs, hoping to catch a glimpse of something in particular, but he hid it too well. "You know, I wouldn't worry about it too much. We've all seen Karmen naked."

"Shut it, Victoria!" Karmen snapped at her, sitting nearby, her face red.

"She's not half bad actually," Victoria whispered to Zerek. "I mean, look at those curves."

"I can hear you!" Karmen shouted, her eyes wide.

"What? It's a compliment."

Karmen pursed her lips together and looked away, throwing her hair over her face when Aragol, who sat beside her, glanced in her direction. "Don't look at me..." she said to him.

Aragol shrugged and returned to the discussion he was having with Boog and Elmar.

"That's twice now," Boog was saying. "Twice that that kid with the fire showed up and that crazy chick with the sword was with him again too."

"And Durn," Aragol added.

"Who?" Elmar asked curiously.

Aragol remembered that they had been across the stream fighting their own battle and hadn't noticed Durn. "He calls himself King Durn of the Damned. He is very powerful and impossible to kill."

"No one is impossible to kill," Boog growled.

"Well, in any case, his wounds heal immediately and he can reattach severed limbs. He also doesn't appear to be alive.... I know how it sounds but I fought him and that's how it seems to me."

"There is no wari in him," Casandra said, overhearing the conversation. "I tried to sap it from him but he had none. I've never encountered anyone like him before. By all definition he is dead yet...clearly he is not."

"He hurt you really bad," Celestia said to Casandra, joining in. "I was worried he'd kill you."

Casandra offered her a small smile. "I am much better now, Celestia, but thank you for your concern. It was foolish of me to try to fight him in the first place. I am not much of a warrior."

"My silver axe did nothing to him," Ivory said, sitting beside Casandra. "I cleaved him in the heart but he didn't even flinch. I am in no hurry to meet him again."

"Neither am I," Aragol agreed. He glanced at the swamp that surrounded them. "It's a good thing he cannot fly."

"That girl can," Boog reminded grimly.

"She'd be foolish to attack us on her own. We outnumber her greatly."

"I'm transforming for that little bitch," Karmen said, revealing her face beneath her thick brown hair. "I didn't get a chance to last time but I will this time, if she ever shows up again. I am sorry for not being able to help but she gave me no chance and I didn't know if I should save it for once we arrived here..."

Aragol put a hand on her shoulder and smiled. "There is no need to apologize, Karmen. We did manage."

Karmen rolled her eyes. "Barely..."

Casandra looked up, staring at the mansion. "Someone is coming."

The group stood up, preparing for a battle. Zerek transformed into his wolf form and growled as the double doors of the mansion opened, creaking loudly as if they hadn't been opened in years. A man appeared in the doorway, dressed in a long, black, leather cloak and white doublet. His black hair was neatly brushed and draped over his back, nearly reaching his hips. His face was pale, almost white, and his expression was emotionless. He stood in the shadow of the doorway but his crimson eyes glowed with a light of their own. He eyed each person in turn before speaking. "Welcome, destined ones. I have been waiting a long time for you."