The Misadventures of Ka-Ron the Knight (38 page)

"You have killed him, En-Don," Molly shouted. The woman hugged and kissed the back of En-Don's neck.

"Obviously," En-Don added, not at all understanding the female vampire's emotions.

Molly gently grabbed En-Don by the hands and pulled him towards her sleeping quarters. There was a predatory glance in her eyes that En-Don recognized but could not bring himself to understand.

"Molly, I hear a chapel bell in the distance," En-Don said, pointing off into the horizon. "Perhaps our friends have succeeded."

"Perhaps."

"Molly, where are we going?"

"You shall see, my love." Molly's voice was strangely soft and inviting. "You shall see."

En-Don did not understand.

Having closed her cabin door, Molly gently took off her clothes. En-Don, with eyes wide open, sat upon her bed, watching as each garment hit the deck. His mind was clouded. His eyes did not want to blink. His breath was uncertain and as rapid as a rabbit in flight. When the woman approached him, naked, his defenses failed. He allowed her the first volley of attack. He allowed her to remove his armor. He allowed her his mother's sword.

"Molly," En-Don whispered as he took her by the waist.

"Be calm and take what is offered."

Both kissed and fell to the mattress.

En-Don did not understand what he was doing, but he enjoyed doing it. Naked and quite honest to the world, he allowed Molly the time to play. And he, liking it, had decided to let her do as much as she wanted to. En-Don saw Molly moaning, moving up and down, holding on to him with a passion as alien to him as the act he was currently performing. There was an honesty there beyond age and truth, but as clear as any satisfaction sought in the wisdom of the thing. En-Don's mind could not wrap itself around the event. And for once, he was quite afraid to touch her - in fear of ruining the moment. So, he remained, surrendering to his and her joy, as one.

Then, as sudden as it had started, they stopped.

Molly's face started to flash a small instance of confusion. At first, there was an innocent twitch in her left cheek. Then, she closed her eyes, wincing in an uncomfortable wave of pain, which appeared to come from out of nowhere, and had no intention of stopping.

"Molly?" En-Don asked, grabbing hold of the woman's arms.

"En-Don, something's wrong."

Before the young man could react, the vampire screamed in agony, rolled off of him, and landed on the floor. She continued to scream and ended up quivering in a fetal position. All color left her face. Her eyes turned a foggy black. She looked as weak and feeble as she had when Jatel first encountered her.

"Molly! Molly!" En-Don screamed, tears filling his eyes. He looked around the room, confused, helpless, and feeling quite defenseless.

Molly stopped.

She appeared dead.

"No!" the young man screamed.

En-Don rose and put a shaking hand to his mouth. If his mother and father were there, watching him, they would have associated his reactions to that of a small child, who, upon breaking a priceless relic belonging to his parents, would stand helpless, surrendering to the fates. En-Don had never been so terrified. Had he been the one to snuff out Molly's life force? He was quite aware of his magical birth. Was he a poison to vampires? Did he cause this?

Hell had no darkness worse than what grew in En-Don's heart.

Then, suddenly, Molly took in a long gasp of air.

She was breathing!

"I&am&alive." Molly whispered.

With great joy, the young man grabbed hold of his lover and could not express the relief he was feeling. In his excitement, he almost choked Molly to death. Quite fast, the woman pulled her overjoyed friend from around her neck.

"En-Don," Molly said. "He's gone from me."

"Who?"

"Voslow," Molly exclaimed, laughing. "I'm free! I'm a woman again. The vampire in me is gone. I no longer have the hunger. I'm free!"

En-Don kissed Molly upon the cheek. "I am happy for you."

Molly, feeling the love for En-Don in a more natural way, embraced the naked man, and directed him back to their shared task.

"We were in the middle of something, I think," Molly whispered, kissing En-Don's chest.

"Yes." En-Don confirmed.

Again, the two played.

"What shall become of us now?" Dorian asked.

After the death of Count Voslow, and Jatel had been judged cured of his curse, the crew of the
Argo
thought it best to leave Mull Garden to the fate awaiting it. They were all sure that the castle would be taken care of once again, and rightly so, the memory of Count Voslow, the hero and knight, would, in time, be as rewarded.

"Well, since Jatel is cured, and nothing ties us here," Keeth stated, leading the way back to the wet bog in which their ship rested, "I believe we can again venture toward The Fire Mountains, so that Ka-Ron could confront her Wicca Master, changing everything back the way it had been."

"Yes," Ka-Ron agreed.

"Yes." Jatel said sadly. "Just as it all was."

The squire gave his master a long and uneasy side-glance.

Ka-Ron started to fidget.

"Yes," the wizard smiled, rubbing his hands together. "It's all been quite an adventure."

"The best," Ka-Ron whispered, turning her eyes to the ground.

Keeth read much in the unspoken language going on between the knight and her squire, but, to his credit, he allowed the observations to pass. These were uncertain waters for a wizard to swim in; after all, a wizard's life was not a life of passion. His was a need to know&to understand. Love, although a powerful force in the universe was too confusing a matter for him to perceive.

Rohan stopped. His attention was drawn towards the
Argo
.

"What is it, Rohan?" Jatel asked.

The elf could not bring himself to speak. For, when facing the unknown, an elf was just as flabbergasted as his human counterparts.

"Look!" Dorian pointed at Rohan's bow.

The bow, resting upon the elf's shoulder, started to blaze red.

All turned back, focusing upon the
Argo
.

The ship looked as they all had left it. There appeared to be nothing out of place. There was a fire burning bright upon the deck, but other than that, all was as it had been.

Still, there was an uncertainty in the air.

"Kai!" Ka-Ron finally said.

Upon the mention of the witch's name, Jatel became quite defensive. He knew that if the woman wanted to reach his master, there was really nothing that he could do to stop her. But, like all men who care, he felt better in the mere performance on an attempt to provide comfort.

This did not pass the attention of the knight.

"Calm yourself, young squire." Ka-Ron stated kindly. The woman held Jatel's hands tightly. "We are not without a plan, dear sir. We have rather worthy friends who have all known the sting of battle."

"Kai has her magic, sire."

"Sadly, Jatel, that is all she has."

Jatel, in an act of solidarity, kissed his master upon her forehead. If nothing else, he wished to offer comfort, in hopes that he himself would become less burdened with his own insecurities.

Above the
Argo,
there appeared a mystic storm of some kind. There came from the dark growing clouds a thunderous laughter. Upon hearing the voices, everyone in Ka-Ron's party turned his attentions towards Keeth.

Keeth had no idea what was going on.

"Well, wizard?" Dorian asked.

"Well, what?"

The dwarf pointed his ax up toward the growing clouds. "Have you some answers for us?"

"Nope," Keeth shrugged. "Nothings coming to mind."

Both Dorian and Rohan gave the old man a harsh glance.

"Some wizard you are," Rohan huffed. The elf started pulling arrows from his back pouch.

"Just because I'm a wizard, that doesn't mean I have an answer for every talking cloud we run across." Keeth rushed forward and headed towards his ship.

"I think you pissed him off," Jatel said, laughing softly.

"Oh, I'm pretty sure he's pissed," Ka-Ron added.

"So what!" the elf concluded.

The entire team followed Keeth.

The bog's water felt different to everyone in the group, as they had to wade in the giant ancient sailing pool in order to reach the ship. At first, the bitter cold of the water reminded all of their first encounter, but, as their bodies became used to the bog, the difference became apparent.

The water was aware.

As if controlled by an invisible hand, the water started to churn, bubble, solidify, and take on shape.

"Great gods! What is all this?" Dorian shouted, his head just barely above the waves.

"Hold on, my little friend," Rohan added, offering his hand for the dwarf to take.

"Take care of yourself, elf!" Dorian barked. "I'll manage."

"You'll drown."

"Then I won't have to worry anymore!"

Rohan laughed. In his mirth, he patted Dorian's head and played with his hair. In doing so, everyone within the group, in their own little ways, started to realize that Dorian's response was unlike that of any other dwarf's. Dwarfs, by their very nature, do not like to be touched. They are as solitary as monks. If a dwarf ever showed emotions, other than gruffness and spite, it is usually towards a fellow dwarf.

There was more than gruff and spite in Dorian's eyes.

That much was clearly apparent.

"You will do well, dear friend." Rohan laughed. "Come! Let us investigate."

A wall of water rose above the
Argo,
taking on solidity. By sheer volume, the water made the ship look like a tiny toy left behind by a troubled child who felt himself late for dinner.

"Upon my nose, what is that?" the dwarf asked, hopping up upon a stone to gain a footing. It took all Dorian's attention to help tear his eyes away from those of his elfin friend.

In the form of water, fish, seaweed, and sand Kai stepped from the wall of water. Her projection glared down upon those who stood before her.

"Total elemental projection of one's astral being!" Keeth surmised. "A cheap trick if ever I've seen one."

"Huh?" was all Ka-Ron could state, looking up at Kai's giant facsimile with both trepidation and a sad sense of inadequacy.

"So," Kai's voice thundered. Her mouth appeared to be made out of several loose tree limbs and coral shells. Upon looking closer, the crew of the
Argo
could see a school of fish swimming within the confines of her chest.

"Before words are cast," Keeth interrupted, holding up a warning hand. "I wish to know your intentions."

"Intentions, wizard," Kai said. She cocked her watery head to one side. "Why, I intend to make our brave knight suffer as much as any mortal can, and if I have to kill you along the way, well, I'll consider that a bonus."

"Looks like we're in trouble," Dorian grumbled, taking root upon his rock.

Silent eyes told the dwarf to keep his thoughts to himself.

Reluctantly, Dorian took the advice.

"This woman is under my supreme protection," Keeth warned.

"Then, wizard, start protecting!"

With a wave of her hands, Kai caused the bog to boil up in response to her orders. Huge hands came from either side of the pool. Their aim was to smash the small party where they stood.

Keeth clapped his hands together.

"I call upon the universe to listen to my pleas," Keeth prayed.

"Oh, please! Give me a break." Kai laughed. "Where did you learn your skills? A carnival?"

"I call on the power of energy; folded by the speed of light, and compounded by the natural laws of forces in motion. Hear me!" Keeth's face became as pale as a dead man's. Whatever he was planning was taking quite a lot out of him. "Bring forth my wrath and focus it upon the elemental force before me. In the name of my masters, my teachers, and my own inner god, I command thee! Attack!"

From Keeth's hands, there came forth a bright ray of energy. It radiated outward into all directions, until its power was focused upon the elemental image of Kai. With all his concentration, the wizard directed his magic towards the heart of the beast.

As the energy ray attacked Kai, the Wicca Master laughed.

"Great Wizard!" Kai mocked, "Is this the best you can do?"

"Not by much, madam." Keeth turned his attention to Rohan. "Would you be so kind as to shoot a silver arrow into that, Rohan?"

The elf needed no other coaching.

In a flash, he reached, pulled, and aimed an arrow at Kai's image.

"You will not!" Kai insisted.

Upon hearing the threat, the elf smiled.

"Witch, you do not rule me," Rohan stated, letting the arrow go.

The silver arrow launched, and its flight made its mark within the center of Kai's watery chest. In doing so, Rohan was quite amused at the fact that he had managed to stake two swimming fish within the school spotted earlier. The arrow stayed its course, floating in the icy water.

"Back to you, wizard, the elf said, putting his bow away.

Keeth called up more energy, focusing his attention now on the storm cloud Kai had used to announce her arrival. He remembered simple teachings of his earlier years. He remembered the facts about water.

"Wizard," Kai laughed, only mildly reacting towards the invasion of the arrow. "Your powers are nothing compared to mine."

Keeth would not listen. Instead, he concentrated all of his attention upon the cloud which continued to hover above Kai's elemental image. After a while, a spark came from the cloud. The spark continued to grow in both size and power. The wizard started to move his hands and fingers with a purpose. The words coming from his mouth were so low, that those around him thought he was just muttering to himself.

All was going according to his plan.

"And what is this?" Kai asked, amused. "Fireworks?"

"After a fashion, madam." Keeth giggled.

As fast as his laughter had arisen, Keeth's face turned stern. He thrust his hands outward, as if to command some unseen force just recently obtained. Again, a bolt of energy responded to his chantings.