I awoke much later that usual later that same morning. At first I everything was hazy but then I remembered the fight and Shoreo's tricks. I was more than a little ticked but I figured if I knew I survived he would expect me to take revenge. True as it was I was also patient. I'd get him back for poisoning me when he least expects it.
The sun was out but it was not yet noon. If I remembered correctly Dairen's exam was at noon. When I got dressed I noticed that I was wearing my pajamas and that my leg was well bandaged. The nights rest restored my spirit energy and I was once again able to block the pain as I walked.
I should ask Xavior for some of that potion he gave me last time. I thought as I when down stairs to find something to eat.
"What do you think you're doing." Said Dairen as I reached the bottom of the first set of stairs from my room.
"I'm hungry." I said as if it was obvious. Dairen just shook his head and before I could take another step forward he scooped me up into his arms. Like Xavior there was a gentleness that did not fit with someone claiming to be from the dark colonies.
"Then let me take you." he said and started down the next flight of stairs.
"Thank you, Lieutenant Dantes." I said hooking my arms around his neck and resting my head against his chest.
In the kitchen he placed me gently on a chair and brought me food.
"What time is it." I asked afraid that tending to me might make him late.
"Don't worry, we have time. To be honest I thought you might be out for a few days."
"Yeah well, what can I say: I'm not as pathetic as I look."
"Trust me you do not look pathetic. On the contrary after last night you are feared by most of the soldiers here."
"What about before last night?" I asked.
"You were revered as Dehanté Ariena." As he said my name I felt something change in side me again. I stood to leave and Dairen come to my side.
"Go annoy someone else." he look into my eye and saw I was not playing around. Along with this revelation his eyes showed surprise. I would have asked what he saw but I was already walking away from him.
Out on the field things looked rather different than yesterday. Over the greatest part of the field, soldiers where training as usual. On the part of the flied nearest to where I was standing, on the other hand, was five judges' tables and chairs. Four men and one woman stood in a little circle and they were dressed as master. The five high masters to be precise.
"Hey there. Love the new look." I heard the familiar voice of my best friend from behind me.
"Zanepher, what are you doing here?" I was glad to see her.
"Xavior requested all of us to come today." I could feel her excitement and her racing energy so much so that it made my mouth water.
The battle with Shoreo drained me so much that I desperately needed to feed again. But I needed a strong source. Zanepher would be great but she was my friend; I just couldn't bring myself to do that to her. I could try to find Vincent again but I doubt he would have recovered enough by now. I thought about it for a moment and then knew who would be perfect. Yes, Shoreo would be my next meal. It was instinct that told me the best feeds comes from the ones feeling the strongest emotions and anger, hate, and love was known to all as the three most powerful.
"That's great. I know it's only been like three days but I've missed you. You should see my room. It's amazing." I said.
"You can show me later but I think they're about to start." she said indicating that the judges was taking their places.
Shoreo stood in the centre of the test field and just like last night spectators gathered but this time they only stood in a crescent around the far end of the field. Looking at the sun I saw that there was still at least a few minutes before noon. I looked back at the man on the field and rage clouded my clarity. Forget waiting for the opportune moment for revenge. I was angry and hungry now.
Zanepher grabbed my arm as I started to walk up to Shoreo. "Wait, now's not the time." she said. She was right but I just didn't care. I pulled my arm free from her grip and headed strait for the centre of the field.
"I thought you'd be out for at least a week." He mocked me. I said nothing I merely started to drain his energy.
"Stop it." Dairen's voice came from my left moments before he pushed me to the ground in an effort to distract me. It had worked but his interruption angered me.
"Why?" I asked indignant
"You can have at him later, just not now, okay."
"Fine," I sighed "but get in my way again and it will be you on the menu. Is that clear?"
"Yes, My Lady." he got up and bowed to me.
The final lieutenant's exam consisted of three things. The first was a display of power to prove that the candidate was capable of fighting at that level. The second was a display of swordsmanship to prove skill and the third was a fight against another lieutenant. In this fight you didn't need to win to pass the test. Is was more about how you fought than actually winning. But winning the fight meant an automatic pass.
Dairen did well in the first two but when it come time for the fight he was up against a captain. Non other than Shoreo.
"Given who you are, I thought I'd make this fight a fare one. Against the likes of you another lieutenant wouldn't stand a chance. Granted if you manage to defeat me I will promote you to Captain.
Given who you are? The words triggered my curiosity. I was well rested and should be able to find some answers in Dairen's or one of the other captain's minds. I could read only one mind at a time so I started with Dairen. His defenses was stronger than I had anticipated but breaking through them was almost too easy. The moment I got inside his mind and was able to hear his thoughts I understood why getting in was so little of a challenge. His mind was complex and his inner thoughts and secrets was in a language I was unfamiliar with. His secrets was there before my and yet I could not understand them. It was time to try another source.
"Don't even think about it. All good things to those who wait". He thought to me.
He knew what I was up to?
"Of course I know". He thought as if he could read my mind but I knew he could not. I got out of his mind and shook my head in amazement. How could he know me so well after just a few days.
As I watched the two soldiers fight I learned that that my victory over Shoreo was shear luck. He was a much better fighter than I thought. Not to mention the powers he never got to use against me. Had I not ended the fight when I did I'd have surely lost. A rematch against him could be the ultimate test of my powers under the right circumstances.
"Captain Shoreo, it seem you were holding out on me last night." I didn't need to go into his mind this time to read his time to read his thoughts.
"No, you just never gave me a chance to show you the full fury of my power. That last energy ball was an attempt to goad you into continuing our fight but obviously you didn't fall for it."
"I see, so how would you like a rematch?"
"It seems you're a sucker for punishment."
"No weapons this time, only powers."
He sighed. He knew arguing was not going to help him. "Anytime, anywhere."
"Well since you'll need to recover and I'm still not back to full power... wait a sec." I turned to Zanepher "Hey Z, how are we on time. When are we going out to the field again?"
"Well since you're His favorite, you can do what ever you want. You can come back anytime you like."
"True..." I said nodding my head sideways. "Rematch in two days." I declared. He nodded YES. It was then that I noticed something. "Oh and I think you just lost."
"You did that on purpose." Shoreo sounded indignant.
I just gave him a malicious smile.
As promised Dairen was promoted to captain. I did not intend on causing Shoreo to loose but neither did I care for the results of my actions. This was payback enough for now.
Later that day I found myself on the training grounds. It was filled with soldiers but I felt completely alone. I felt as though something was missing. No something was wrong but I didn't know where or with whom. I felt the feeling of shadow portal come over me but before I could dematerialize into the shadows someone grabbed my arm. It was Dairen.
"I came to thank you. If it weren't you I surely would have lost that fight."
"I didn't do it for you. I wanted a true rematch with Shoreo."
"And yet you could have waited until after the fight to challenge him again." this was true but regardless of that I was only thinking of what I wanted.
"There was also revenge for cheating in our first fight."
"Uh-hu? Well thanks anyway."
Suddenly I felt cold inside. I put my hand against his chest; his heart was raising. Something inside me took over and a wave of energy shot out my hand and sent Dairen flying. I had somewhere else to be. I knew where I was going now but moments later I emerged in the throne room of the castle.
"What happened!" I was furious.
"I intercepted your shadow portal." Exelvator said.
"And why, pray, did you do that!" a question I didn't need to ask.
"I knew where you were going and I could not allow. You'll be free to do as you please again tomorrow when my brother takes you back to his camp."
"Can't wait." I was sarcastic but honest. I had to get out in the field and away from this place. Even though it has only been a few days I was starting to feel at home t here and that was not good. At that moment something occurred to me. I was told to respect the man before me like my own father. Just one minor problem. In the world power earned respect and in my current state of mind if my own father was weaker that me I would show him no respect at all. At that thought I flicked my hand and Exelvator went flying but I knew it was on purpose. He wanted to show me how little he cared what I thought of him. "Just for that you will one day bow to me." I projected my thoughts to him. He laughed but before I could make a snappy remark the door opened. I was out of there seconds before Xavior entered the throne room.
I went to my room. I felt strangely tired. The day was coming to a close and I was still weakened from my last fight. As I lay on my bed my head was raising with all the questions about Dairen.
The chaos of my dreams cleared somewhere in the wake of the darkness of the night. I saw images of a man that looked familiar somehow and a woman holding a baby. The woman looked weak and the man look worried and tired. He knew his wife was dying. Giving birth to their new born son had drained her.
"He'll be just like his father one day." she said looking at the baby in her arms. "He must never know the truth. Raise him in the ways of darkness until my father comes for him." she said as she handed the baby to the man beside her. He knew what she meant but that was the life he choose when he married her.
The man was Aroco, second in command to the general of the Pretender army. He had fallen in love with a dark witch on an undercover mission around twenty five years ago. He returned to his post eighteen months ago... the same time Dairen came to Xavior.
I shook my head so hard in disbelieve that I woke up. I was in my tent in the meadow where Xavior's first battalion trained.
"How in the blazes of living daylights did I get here?"
"He didn't want to wake you when we left. Don't freak you were only out for a few hours." Zanepher whispered.
"Like I care." I said coldly. I no longer felt anything towards her in line of friendship. She was nothing more than a means to an end. What ever that end might be, I did not yet know.
I got outside just as the last moonlight disappeared over the horizon. One soldier was standing in the middle of the field waiting... for me.
"Dairen Dantes, newest captain of Xavior's army. Tell my what brings you out here at this unholy hour." I asked playfully. He looked at me with solemn eyes. There was a shame to the secret he didn't want me to know.
"You know, don't you." he sounded grim.
"Well I do know the truth but I'd prefer it if you told me the whole story." We went to sit on the grass.
"As you may know. My mother was Esmerelda Dantes and yes my father was indeed the second in command in the Pretender army, Aroco Maison. He was undercover as Xavior's chief medic. They met right here on this training ground and fell in love instantly. Who knew that those who is in darkness can still feel such a love that they would give up everything for another, but my mother did. She died shortly after I was born. She was also Xavier's favorite and after she died he never choose another... until now that is."
"But the one thing I still don't get is, what is your relationship with Xavier?" I asked already knowing the answer.
"Xavier Dantes is my grandfather. You see against his nature my father raised me in the dark ways because he knew that Xavier would come for me one day. But I didn't want this life. I became a doctor but then the day I had dreaded my whole life came and to my shame I didn't have the strength to say no to him. He's been good to me. He wanted me to stay in the castle like you but I said no to that. I want to leave but I have nowhere else to go and no one has ever left Xavier without consequences." the sadness in his eyes sent a jolt though my heart. Suddenly something was different. I felt wrong somehow.
"Your eyes just turned green." Dairen whispered in surprise. That's what was different. But why did it make me feel uneasy. What did it mean? The questions piled on in my mind but before i could make enquiries I became a where of Xavier's presence beside us. When I looked up into his eyes they showed nothing. Truly, his eyes where void of all emotion.
"Come." he said simply to Dairen.
* * *
"End this before things go to far." Xavier said as he and Dairen entered the main tent.
"No, why should I."
"It's not going to last and I you continue with this so called relationship one or both of you will be destroyed.
"What are you talking about?"
"She can never love you the way you love her. And soon she won't be able to love at all."
"What are you going to do to her?"
"It's not what I'm going to do. It's what she's going to do to herself as the darkness consumes her more and more each day." Xavier smirked.
"You can't let that happen."
"There's not much I can do to stop this from happening. In this regard what has been done cannot be undone."
"Then I won't let it happen. I will find a way to remind her every day that she was born good. You will not take her soul too. I won't let you."
"And what are you going to do to stop me."
"Don't push me Xavier. You know full well what I'm capable of." Xavier's eyes widened. He knew what his grandson was referring to.
"You wouldn't dare."
"Don't tempt me." Dairen said and walked out.
Xavier knew the day would come soon enough that he would have to put Ariena to the test but with his grandson he would have to wait for the opportune moment to temp her into eternal darkness. Truth was it was something he didn't want to do either but when he gave up the throne to his brother his lost the right to make that call.