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kayura-sanada · 6 years ago

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Beastmaster Season 4, ch. 2

Disclaimer: I know this is shocking, but BeastMaster is not mine.

Notes: Spoilers through the end of the series. Specific mentions of S3 E15, “Sisters,” S2 E16, “Fifth Element,” S2 E8, “White Tiger,” and S1 E9, “Circle of Life”

BeastMaster Season 4, Episode 2 An Unwanted Reunion

“This is a holy man.”

The Triad, a league of three gods that had once brought about the end of the world. The Ancient One had been the one to fight them off, yet he'd only been able to capture one. The other two had been banished to another realm. Balcifer had been from that other realm, wherever it was. Over time, Tao presumed, the banishment had weakened. Whatever had forced them away had lost its power. It was probably why Balcifer's first act when he'd come for Dar had been to kill the Ancient One.

“But who was the one the Ancient One had caught?” Arina asked. “And why is this one attacking now, after Balcifer's been defeated?”

“I've thought about that,” Tao said, his thumb to his lips. They were all in the Vella's storage room. Tao had called it 'The Cave of Wonders.' The name had made Dar smile. Of course, the bare space on the altar where the Ark had sat was sobering. “Dar, remember when I grabbed that scepter and loosed that demon?”

Dar thought back. “When you'd been turned into a werewolf.”

“A what?” Arina asked, turning from one to the other.

“That's right,” Tao said, too lost in thought to give Arina the proper attention. She stewed where she sat against a leg of the altar. “The man – Anubis – called himself the lord of chaos. I hadn't thought much of it – I'd had a couple of other things on my mind – but I think maybe that was one of the Triad. Chaos is merely randomized disaster, after all.”

Dar perked up. “You mean the one the Ancient One captured?”

Tao nodded.

“Is anyone going to clue me in?” Arina asked.

“Sorry,” Tao said, obviously still distracted. “It was before you came back, after you left Voden. While traveling with Dar, I accidentally released an evil man. He attacked the world and its people before Dar and the Ancient One managed to trap him again.”

Arina harrumphed. “I shouldn't be surprised. You seem to have a knack for getting into trouble.”

Tao scowled, but he couldn't argue. He often mentioned it himself. “Still. To learn that the Triad was real…”

“So why wait until now?” Arina asked again. “You fought Balcifer over four moon cycles ago. Wouldn't it have made more sense for him to fight us then? We would most likely have lost.”

But Tao was already shaking his head. “The Triad had only worked together that one time, and yeah, they had almost completely destroyed everything. All life. The Ancient One was only able to save the small amount that remained because the three had started bickering.

“But each wanted to take claim to the worst of the disaster. Darkness said it had done the worst, because it had blanketed the world in cold and shadow. Disaster had said it had done the worst, because it had sown the seeds of discontent that had led to the world turning on itself, and animals turning upon their brethren. Destruction said it had done the worst, because it had been the instigator of collapse, and because nothing would have changed at all if not for its hand in the final process. Each was right, and each was wrong. They had all contributed, and all had caused the world's downfall. Yet each was proud and greedy for superiority. They would most likely never have joined sides again – then again, they wouldn't have needed to if the Ancient One hadn't stepped in.” Tao sighed and leaned his head back.

Dar frowned. Tao had said he was just fine after Jabez's attack, but Tao had a penchant for covering up the worst of his injuries. He kept a close eye on the Eiron as he turned to Arina. “We need to stop him.”

“Dar, that's going to be easier said than done,” Tao said. He looked up at the cave's ceiling. “How do you fight Destruction? It's like trying to fight death. You just can't do it. There is no light that can break through that kind of darkness.”

“Nonetheless, I have to do it. My kingdom is in danger.”

Both turned their gazes on him, looking a bit shocked. He frowned. “What?”

“Nothing,” Tao said, smiling.

“It's just strange to hear you call the land your kingdom,” Arina said, making Dar frown again. “Just like it's strange to see you wearing that.”

He knew she was talking about his crown. It felt like a lead weight now that Awun had mentioned it. He resisted the urge, not for the first time, to reach up for it.

“Not like it's bad or anything.” Tao's words turned Dar's attention back to him. “It's who you are. Your destiny. And it suits you.”

“You do look pretty good like that, my king,” Arina said with a smirk.

Dar smiled.

“Now,” Tao said, and clapped his hands together, “about that Jabez person…”

Tao could literally feel his mind working, spinning over and over in his head. He tried to remember all he could about the Triad, but the teachings were old, and they had been altered by time. That was why written language was so important, though Dar and Arina didn't quite seem to understand that piece of it. They had learned the usefulness of being able to refer to previous knowledge back when Tao had found that old book about the Eldar prophecy, but they hadn't understood the importance of being able to see word for word what had been said. The legend of the Triad was purely an oral story – one passed down through word of mouth. And that, over time, changed. He could only know the vague pieces of information – that the Triad had been founded on the desire to finally destroy everything, and that each, when working together, had almost been able to succeed, defeated only by a man more powerful than all of them combined.

Why had Balcifer been able to get so close to destroying the world all by himself, then? Why had he been able to do such damage on his own?

But he hadn't destroyed the world, he reminded himself. Balcifer had brought darkness to the world, and had sown both chaos and destruction, but he'd been unable to completely destroy anything. Because of Dar, or because of his own fallibility? Perhaps Balcifer's darkness could have eventually destroyed the world, but not quickly? Or perhaps plunging the world into darkness and confining it to a life similar to what Zad had to offer hadn't truly been destruction. It had only been change.

Tao paused. If Balcifer had only wanted darkness and evil in the world, then wouldn't that mean Awun wanted nothing but destruction and death? He shivered. That sounded even worse. Awun would want everything laid to waste. And the Ancient One was no longer around to stop him.

That had been why Awun had visited Dar. Dar was the king now, and the representation of goodness. Perhaps Dar also represented a sort of preservation, something directly opposite destruction. Didn't Dar always attempt to spare a man his life, no matter who he was or what he had done?

Tao rubbed at his temples. He looked around, vaguely surprised to see that he'd made his way back to his bedchamber without bumping into anything. He was memorizing the twists and turns of the Vella's home. Perhaps he'd stayed here too long. But where else was he to go? He'd been protecting the Ark, and he'd not really had a home in Xinca anymore, even with the Council seat he'd been reluctantly offered. If he were to travel, where would he go? Somewhere to spread knowledge? Or perhaps learn? It sounded more like aimless wandering after all he'd done with Dar.

He sat on his stone bed and tried to focus. He was the one everyone turned to for knowledge. Now that everything in their world had changed again, it would be up to him to give guidance once more.

But where to begin? He knew nothing more about Awun. He'd never heard of a demon or sorcerer called Jabez, and he'd never heard of a magic that used the earth's shining stones.

If the guide didn't know the way, then how would the travelers reach their destination?

Arina stood outside the Vella Keep as the dawn crept through the sky. They would be leaving soon, though if Tao really didn't know anything more, then she couldn't guess where they would go. Dar was searching the area where he'd fought Jabez, hoping to find something for them to go on.

Jabez. It was a Namib word. It meant 'cursed.'

Why such a name? She paced outside the entrance, one hand curled over the hilt of her sword. Was it a message? But why send a message to her? And why in the form of someone's name?

She turned, about to go tell Tao, but something stopped her. If she told him, he would probably ask her more questions about her people. Questions she didn't want to answer. And what if he asked a question she didn't know? All she'd learned, she'd found through her travels. She'd been but a babe when her home had been attacked, after all. What would it be like to be asked a question she couldn't answer?

No. She would wait for Dar first. Maybe he would have something for them to go on. She could only hope.

How could it be both frustrating and exhilarating? Dar crouched to the ground again, dismayed that there were no footprints after Jabez had jumped from the cliff's edge. It was all supposed to be a mess. He'd lost Balcifer, and another source of evil had come to destroy the world. Why did he feel happy about that?

He sat on his haunches, contemplating the scene. The grass had popped back up, recovering quickly from the battle that had taken place only hours ago. The wind was calm, sifting slowly through the trees. Far from the edge of the cliff, hills of trees rolled like waves. It all looked peaceful. The dirt was still churned up in some places, leaving the roots of some plants bare. One portion was scorched, burnt from the magic Jabez had used.

He sighed. It wasn't Awun that made him happy, but being back around Tao and Arina. Exhilaration. Had he missed them so much? So much that an impending disaster couldn't dampen his spirits?

Apparently.

Ruh sidled up beside him, looking over the remains of the battlefield and huffing.

“I know,” Dar said. “You're right; let's go. We're not getting anything else here.”

It was a slow walk back, with Dar fruitlessly trying to think of a way to find the god Awun and the stolen Crystal Ark. But why was the god coming to him? He'd alluded to wanting to kill Dar, yet he was already able to manifest himself on the earth. Why, then, was he coming after Dar? And why hadn't he pressed his advantages when he'd had them?

He started rushing then, jogging through the underbrush. Ruh kept up with him with little more than a grumble about the lack of warning. The Vella Keep wasn't far, and he made it with barely a length of the sun at his back. Arina was outside, keeping watch. She turned hopeful eyes to him, but saw his answer even before he shook his head. She turned to the entrance. “Tao has been in his room. I don't think he has anything, either.”

Dar's brow furrowed, but then he smiled. “Don't worry, Arina,” he said. “We'll figure something out.”

She seemed to smile despite herself. “I should have known you'd see it that way.”

“Ruh, stay here and guard the Vella.”

Ruh huffed and lay down, glaring at Dar. He'd had every intention of doing just that.

Dar smiled. “Thank you.”

Tao was right where Arina said he was, sitting on his own stone bed, just a few doors down from Dar's, his face scrunched, as it was whenever he was having a hard time figuring something out.

“Tao.”

Tao looked up, a flash of guilt ready in his features, but he ended up smiling when he saw the grin on Dar's face. “Hey. Welcome back. Did you find something?”

Dar shook his head, his grin waning at the reminder. He'd just been happy to see Tao. “No, nothing.” Tao's brow furrowed. “Tao, tell me more about Awun.”

Tao sighed and shook his head. He looked tired. Dar frowned. Had his friend stayed up all night and day worrying at this? “I don't know much more than I told you. He's part of the Triad that was said to attempt to destroy the world. The God of Destruction, known to bring pestilence, ruin, and death.” Tao waved one hand, his mind obviously still on something else. Dar sat beside him on the bed. “He's said to be the most incomprehensible, as he governs the passage into the land of death, a land no living man can travel.” Tao spared him a quick grin. “Though, I suppose, rare cases do exist.”

Dar grinned back.

Tao's grin faded. “I don't like this, Dar. The stories I know are vague – they mention his strength, his ability, but I don't know how far his reach is. He's already shown his corporeal form. How much power does he already have, if he can do that? Zad destroyed so much. We haven't had enough time to fix things. Xinca is barely pulling itself back together, and the other parts of the world are still struggling.”

Dar put a hand on Tao's shoulder. “Tell me the stories.”

Tao took a deep breath and nodded. “They say he owns no hate, yet he craves destruction. One story says that he pet a tree as he sucked the life from it. Another that he laughed as he stood upon the carcasses of the dead. It's all jumbled – back then, no one wrote anything down.” He shook his head, frustrated. “I can't even tell you where the stories originated. They were so old, only the Eiron Elders knew them.”

Dar felt the tension in Tao's muscles. “It's all right, Tao. We'll figure it out.”

Tao huffed a laugh. “You and your optimism.” He rubbed his head. “I've tried to think of where we could start, but I know so little. And this isn't information easily gleaned. Even the Vella don't have any records of it.” At Dar's raised eyebrow, Tao grinned again. “You didn't think I stayed here without looking through their records?”

Dar shook his own head. “I should have known.”

“Yes. Yes, you should have.” But again, Tao's humor was quickly lost. “Without a lead to go on, we have no place to start. I'm sorry, Dar.”

“Don't be.” Dar took Tao and Arina with him to the Vella storage room. “If we can't recall such things, then we simply find someone who can.”

“Someone that old? Only the Sorceress could, and she's holed herself up in the Ancient One's old tower.” Tao waved the idea off.

But Dar was already shaking his head. “No.” He raised his hands to his head and gently, gently took the crown. He placed it in the middle of the altar, right where the Crystal Ark had once stood. “No,” he said again. “There's one other who may be able to help us. Iara.”

Tao raised his gaze from the crown to Dar. His eyes were wide. “Iara? She's back?”

“Are you kidding me?” Arina muttered.

“It's a good place to start. A woman – one of those from the town we helped, Tao – came to see me. She said Iara seemed agitated.”

Tao seemed ready to make a smart remark about that, but then his eyes brightened and he grinned again. “Agitated? Then she might know about Awun. She did know Anubis.”

“Exactly,” Dar said. Arina was looking up at the ceiling, and when Dar focused on her, he saw something in her expression that he couldn't quite place. Like relief. She caught him looking and gave him a cocky grin and a one-shoulder shrug. Dar smiled back and let it go. He turned back to Tao. “We just need to catch her before she runs off again.”

“Can she do that without that other Sorceress?” Tao asked, but Dar was already moving. Both Tao and Arina scuttled out of the cave after him. “I didn't think she possessed that sort of power. She was powerless against Anubis, after all.”

“I don't know. But if she can, she will.”

“That's true enough,” Tao said under his breath. “That woman makes cowards seem brave.”

Dar huffed a laugh, and Tao rewarded him with a bright grin. Dar felt a peace in his heart as they traveled forward, waving good-bye to the Vella as they passed. Ruh silently joined them as they headed out. For some reason, even though the world was falling apart, his life felt like it was slotting into place.

“So Tao was in the marketplace, just standing there, telling everyone who could hear that their king wouldn't allow such a wasteful treatment of furs, and that they should all be ashamed of themselves, and do you know what that fat man actually said to him?” At Dar's questioning look, Arina grinned. “He said, 'I'll have you know that 'pile' is my wife!'” She crowed with laughter, earning her a glare from Tao.

“You couldn't tell, either,” he said.

“But you were the one going off on the man! Oh, the scraping Tao had to do after that. It was fantastic, Dar. You should have been there.”

Dar smiled, but the words held a weight within him. He clapped Tao on the shoulder. “Thank you for standing up for the animals.”

Tao's glower instantly melted away. “There are rules in Xinca now. How much meat one can have at once, the use of animal's bodies. No animals in captivity. It's not much, but Arina and I worked to ensure your work was continued.”

Arina snorted. “I was hardly ever there, and you were the one on the Council. You made them shut up and do as you ordered.”

Tao looked to the ground and shrugged. Dar frowned at the odd show. “In any case,” Tao said, clearing his throat, “the village should be close. Will the woman you spoke to be there?”

“Probably not,” Dar said, letting Tao change the subject. “She was afraid she would be attacked by Iara for coming to me. She'll probably stay in the castle for a while.”

Tao nodded, looking around at the trees as if he'd never seen them before. His eyes got that lost look that happened sometimes, the look of him looking back at his past and seeing something beyond what Dar's eyes could follow. Dar saw Tao's brows furrow for an instant before he shook his head and smiled back at Dar. “How's the castle doing? Did you leave Sendar in charge?”

Dar shook his head. “No. Sendar is off to settle an area being attacked by bandits. He also chose to never take my place on the throne. I think it scares him, what he almost did.”

Arina snorted, speaking up for the first time since this conversation began. “It should.”

Dar gave her a cross look, but she only stared back at him, daring him to bring it up. It actually made him feel warm. While the rest of his family was happy to let the knowledge go, almost as if to bring it up would make it far too real for them, Arina was showing her support for him first and foremost before worrying about family dynamics. And Tao, Dar knew, would silently back up whatever choice Dar made.

The conversation got stilted again after that, with Tao gamely bringing up his lack of travel in the area for a while, and Dar grasped it with a relieved sigh. Things had changed enough that talk was no longer effortless. He felt the gap between him and the others again, until finally Sharak screeched above him and showed him Iara, storming toward the village, her steps making the waves by the town rock faster than normal. Dar ran forward, and just like that, things were normal again – Arina and Tao followed immediately after, asking what Sharak had seen. When he gave a terse explanation – “Iara is heading to the village” – both hurried their footsteps.

The village was still a ways away when they breached the thin inlet and crested the sandy shore, but they could see the outline of the huts. The place looked empty, everyone most likely hiding from Iara as she stomped around, screaming slightly and pulling tufts of sand to the sky. Dar ran forward. “Iara! Stop!”

She turned to Dar, her eyes alighting for a moment before narrowing dangerously. “You were supposed to have gotten rid of the danger, Dar,” she hissed, turning that rage of hers on him. Tao and Arina came up beside him, each tensing for a fight. “Oh, back off, you little guppies.” And she hissed out her snake tongue at them, her scales shimmering in the sun. Tao lifted his chin.

“You shouldn't take your anger out on these villagers,” Dar said, carefully readying himself to pull out his sword. He wished he knew how to turn it back to his staff. “What are you doing back here?”

“That Sorceress girl came and told me you had won,” she said, glaring up at him, even as she slithered closer to him, until she could put her hands on his chest. He looked down at her, not knowing whether to be amused or annoyed. It seemed little had changed for her. “That you defeated Balcifer. I demanded she bring me back so I could see you again.”

Dar huffed and rolled his eyes.

She pushed away from him, scowling at his action. “I wanted to see you, Dar. Shouldn't that make you happy?”

“Coming to see him only after the danger has passed?” Tao asked, glaring at the woman. “Why should that make him happy?”

She hissed at him.

Dar sighed. “What do you want, Iara?”

“Just to spend some time with you,” she said, jutting out her lower lip a bit, touching her slim shoulder in some caricature of a self-hug. “Of course, that was before I found that you hadn't erased the danger, after all. You merely opened the way for a worse evil.” She glared up at him. “Why didn't you take care of him, too?”

“We didn't know about him,” Tao said. “Maybe if someone had stayed…”

“Tao,” Dar said, and Tao fell silent, though he still sent baleful glares Iara’s way. “There's something else you want, right? Or else you wouldn't have come to this village for your temper tantrum.” She tensed at the term, but Dar continued. “We need your help in understanding Awun. If we help you with your problem, will you help us with ours?”

Her eyes glinted at the idea of it. “So,” she said, twining up against him again and running one petite finger in small circles on his chest, “you'll do anything I ask?”

Arina made a disgusted noise.

“Not that,” he said, gently prising himself free of her.

She crossed her arms and turned away from him. “Then why should I help you?”

Dar sighed again. “Because you have another problem. One you're too afraid to take care of yourself.” At Arina's surprised look, he explained, even as Iara's back got tense. “She came into the village to 'recruit' people for the cause.”

“You've gotten smart,” Iara said, turning her head to glare at him. Dar thought he saw something in Tao's eyes that spoke of the distance between them. “Fine. I have a problem.” She twisted back around to him, placing her hands on her small hips and canting her head to the side. “I can't hear my jailors anymore,” she said. “They're silent. Maybe dead.”

“Jailors?” Arina asked. But Tao gasped.

Dar frowned. “You have a jail?”

“Just one,” she said, smiling at him. Her eyes, however, were cold. “They were keeping something very important for me, but I haven't heard from them since I returned.”

“Maybe you shouldn't have left, then, if it was so important to you,” Arina said. Dar looked at Tao, who seemed to be working something in his jaw.

“Where is it?” Dar asked, turning back to Iara, unwilling to ask Tao what it was while Iara could still hear them.

But Iara just shook her head and crept closer to him again, touching her hand to his chest. Arina made another disgusted noise, a bit louder this time. “You already know, Dar,” she said, breathing the words into his ear. “I'll even let you go back, but only if you promise me one thing.”

“And what would that be?” he asked in a normal tone, ruining the private atmosphere. She backed away from him and smiled.

“Bring it back to me.”

“No,” Tao snapped, staring at Dar. “Dar, she only has one prison. And you know what's in there. Who.”

The words snapped him to the memory, diving into water, only to have what he was reaching for sink beneath his grasp each time.

“Curupira,” Dar breathed.

“The demon who gave you the power to talk with the animals?” Arina asked.

“We won't give her back to you,” Tao said, and Dar nodded.

“Hmm. Well, then, I guess I won't let you in. And if you don't get to her, then I won't help you with Awun,” Iara said, smiling.

“We'll find our own way,” Dar said, and turned around, only to turn right back to Iara. “And don't harm the villagers.”

“Or what?” she asked. “You won't hurt me,” she said, smiling at him.

“No,” he said. “But my army might take exception.”

She frowned, and with that, Dar turned and left, Tao and Arina following dutifully behind him.

“That must be fun,” Arina said, “pulling out the army card. Nothing like being king to get people to listen to you.”

“There's still no guarantee that she will listen,” he said, and looked at her. “Could you watch her?”

Arina sighed. “Somehow, I just knew that was going to happen.” Still, she nodded. “Sure, I'll watch the little snake,” she said, grinning at him. “If I'm lucky, I might still have a fight on my hands.”

Dar chuckled lightly and shook his head. Arina backtracked the way they'd come, ducking low through a cloud of sapling branches into the bushy trail that led to the sand. Tao watched quietly for a moment, following Dar with his eyes. “So,” he said finally. “Curupira.”

Dar sighed. He remembered the way the two had interacted. She hadn't been a fan of Tao, not only because he was human but because he pulled Dar's focus from the animals. He remembered clearly the fear he'd felt, watching Curupira order Tao with her after he'd lost himself to his animal instincts, watching her take Tao away when there was nothing Dar could do to protect his friend from her capricious wrath. If he was even more honest with himself, he'd say he was still afraid of having the two near one another again. But she was an infinitely better choice for the animals, and he owed her for the gift she'd given him. If he could save her, it was his job to do so. He opened his mouth to say this to Tao, but Tao spoke first.

“Do you think it's possible? That she escaped?”

Dar closed his mouth again. Of course he needn't explain himself to Tao. He closed his eyes, then opened them again, focusing on getting them away from the village and the sea's salty breath. The forest edged the far shores, and it was only a few minutes before they were deep within its grip. “I don't know. We were so busy with Balcifer that we didn't think about whether his attacks might have loosened Curupira from her cage.”

“But she never came to see you,” Tao said. “Wouldn't she, if she were loose? If for no other reason than to yell at you for something?”

Dar smiled at the thought. “Maybe she couldn't pass through the mist to get to me.”

“Because she's a demon? But the animals know you're out here again, right? She must know, too.”

The animals in the forest knew, but they were trying to not call for his help. Dar could hear the way they would sometimes silence themselves as he came near. It was something he'd never encountered before. Was Curupira silencing them, or was there another reason? “I don't know, Tao. She may be injured, or something may just be blocking the prison guards from Iara.”

Tao frowned at that. “What could do that?”

Dar watched Tao's eyes unfocus slightly and automatically searched for a flatter path through the brush. Tao frowned, cocked an eyebrow, tilted his head. He only tripped once, and never fell to the ground. It was an amazing switch from how he started, constantly stumbling over his own feet. Dar wondered if Tao's fighting had improved, as well, then shook his head. Who would Tao have been fighting while Dar was away?

“I doubt it would have been Awun or his follower,” Tao said finally, returning from his mind. Dar allowed himself to hurry his pace again. Tao hardly noticed the change. “Neither of them seemed interested in Curupira or Iara. They were focused more on you.” The way his voice dipped didn't pass Dar unnoticed.

Dar pulled up a branch for Tao, who stood for a second and looked at the branch as if it were something he'd never seen before. Then he smiled and passed through. Dar let it fall behind them and continued on. Dar let Tao take the lead, simply guiding him with words when they started to stray from the path. The last part of the journey meant leading Tao through a rather difficult area, filled with vines and thorns and exposed roots.

“You know,” Tao said as Dar carefully removed a nest of detritus to show a high tree root, “I'm much better than I used to be. My balance has improved – you said so yourself before, remember? And I haven't fallen in – oof!”

Dar turned from the tree root to see Tao in the dirt, his foot entangled in a looping vine. Dar quickly apologized to the snake who'd been resting within and grabbed Tao's arm to help him up. Tao slanted him a look as he did. “Not one word,” he warned.

Dar laughed.

For all that Iara had said she wouldn't let them in, there seemed to be nothing in the way of the path to the river in which Curupira was being held, and nothing stopped their steady progress during the two days' travel. Tao had finally settled on a topic – shiny stones, of all things – and he was thinking out loud about all of their possible uses. He went over holistic uses, of which he'd spoken a few times before, explaining to Dar how some people used to believe those with chronic headaches could be cured by purple stones called amethysts. Tao had once scorned it as a fool's practice, made only to make people feel better and not to actually produce results, but Jabez's use of the gems had made Tao start looking into the things again. He mourned the lack of information in the Vella's home, but they had believed about the same as him on the matter.

Dar started listening with only half an ear as Tao speculated and conjectured over whether the healing properties were exaggerated but not the detrimental effects, or if something else was needed to activate them – on this, Tao altered from sorcery to those odd markings on Jabez's skin. Dar hardly noticed how he would slow minutely to pick out poisonous plants and vines from their path. He only vaguely noticed how he would ask a few animals out of Tao's oblivious path; another snake, a couple of lizards awaiting a meal on a vine, a rather cross-looking fox that was gorging itself on a midday meal.

But he did notice when the buzzing noise in the back of his head changed tone and halted a few steps behind him.

“Dar.”

That was all it took for Dar to turn to Tao. His friend stood wide-eyed not five paces away, staring at him, then at nothing, then back to Dar. “I can't go forward.”

Dar immediately returned to his friend's side. “You can't move?”

While Dar's thoughts flashed to the sight of Tao struggling to stand, Tao dispelled the notion with a shake of his head. “No, not that.” And he proved it to Dar by taking a step back, then forward again. But as he walked forward, he held a hand protectively before him. As Dar watched, his hand stopped cold, right there in the middle of the air, and his arm bent slightly as if reacting to some sort of impact. “I can't go forward. Something's stopping me.”

Sorcery. Dar itched to take out his staff, then found his fingers inching to the sword on his back, his body already tense to swing in a downward arc, something he would never do with a staff. The idea took a moment for his mind to register, then another for it to adjust. “Why can I go through, then?”

Tao's frown was strong. “I don't like it. If it's an enemy, then they're trying to get you alone.”

An enemy. Tao didn't say it, but Dar knew he was thinking about Awun. “If?”

Tao hesitated, as if he didn't even want to say what was on his mind. It was such a novel concept it made Dar stand at the ready. “If Curupira is free,” he said, each syllable seeming to be tested before spoken, “then she may be trying to make it so only you can go to speak with her.”

Did Cururpira have such power? Dar turned back to the prison, still a good sun's space away. Was she waiting? It would explain why the animals weren't talking to him. Had she ordered them to remain silent about her return? Was the time it took for him to reach her some sort of test? He turned back to Tao. He had no doubt she would keep Tao away if she could.

But he knew that wasn't why Tao had been averse to telling Dar his theory. The threat of it being an enemy was still there; Jabez could have created a trap. Tao had known that wouldn't matter, however, as soon as Dar thought Curupira might be waiting for him. He'd known Dar would go ahead, even though Tao had no chance of following after him. Dar would enter danger alone.

Dar gave Tao a reassuring smile that did nothing but make Tao scowl and push harder against whatever barrier stood in his way.

For once, he knew one thing Tao didn't. Curupira hadn’t had the ability, previously, to call barriers into form. If she had, he had no doubt that she would have used them several times, forcibly leading him where she wanted him to go. Which meant she either had a new power – unlikely – or it really was Awun, or Jabez, or another henchman entirely.

Which meant it was an enemy, assuredly, and any who crossed the barrier would face danger.

“I'll be right back,” he said. Tao made an unintelligible sound of protest as Dar hurried away.

The path flew beneath his feet without him slowing for Tao, and it took less than half the sun's traveling for Dar to reach Curupira's prison. The tall grass had grown from disuse, nearly blocking the sight of the water, if not the sound. The sky was blocked by the tall canopy of trees, each sporting moss that hung like curtains nearly to the forest floor.

Curupira was not there. Neither was Awun, nor Jabez. But while there had been silent animals watching Dar's progress, there wasn't even a presence anymore. The forest was empty.

And then someone laughed.

The laugh was high-pitched, tinkling, like bells. They burst like bubbles, jarring Dar into movement.

He hurried to the edge of the river and knelt by its edge. He saw her face, contorted beneath the line of water, impenetrably deep no matter how close to the surface she seemed. It was thin, still heart-shaped like a pixie, her hair curled in little blonde tangles to her tail, shaped into an odd ponytail. Around her neck wound one of Iara's snakes, still keeping Curupira prisoner. More covered her waist, her legs. It all looked just as he remembered, filling the edges time had faded. Her laughter stopped abruptly when she saw him. “Dar? What are you doing here?”

“What indeed?”

The voice was new, and Dar stood again, this time letting his fingers curl around his sword's hilt and pulling it from its scabbard on his back. The voice was from a man, but a new one. Dar pulled his sword before him, putting his back to the river, guarding Curupira from the threat. She hissed up at him. The man looked Dar up and down with ice-cold eyes, the color glittering like a winter's morn. “Who are you?” Dar asked, and watched the man's fingers curl languidly around a gem. His eyes narrowed.

“My name is Septim,” he said, and then no more on the matter. He was tall, as tall as Dar, his eyes wrinkled at the edges, just enough to show the man to be about a decade older than Dar. “The question is, who are you? I demanded only those who could grant me the demon's powers to come. Yet you could not be the one who trapped her here – this is the work of a demon, not a human.”

Dar lifted his chin. “I am Dar,” he said, dropping both the names King and Beastmaster, not knowing which to choose. “Curupira is my friend.”

“Really?” Curupira cooed, apparently having been disarmed by the words, forgetting to be angry at him – for whatever reason she would be angry. But Septim's wintry eyes narrowed.

“You know her? She is the creature of the forest. She doesn't have human friends.” He twirled the gem in his hands – a long, thick black thing, glinting slightly in the thin light. Then he put the long thing behind his ear and grinned. “Are you her chosen?”

Dar moved, just slightly, one step to his left and forward, a little into the man's space. The man either didn't notice or didn't care. “Why are you here? What do you want?”

Septim wore a thin, tan cloak, ratty a bit at its edges and made of what Dar guessed to be leather. The man dipped into a fold and pulled out a couple of jewels. Both were clear, with what looked to be small, ice-like cracks within. “I found out how to get this little baby. Odd, right? I kept thinking it would be something green – natural, you know – or something more like a stone. No idea it would have to be this – clear, boring, with what looks like frost within it. More for the snow demon, right?” The man's face was growing animated, bringing out the wrinkles a bit more as his face lit up. Dar felt something close to a chill sweep down his back. “But no, this is the one. So difficult to figure these things out, you know? Their hidden meanings.” The man waved the two gems, then pointed his chin toward Curupira. “But she's imprisoned. And after all those years searching for the right stone!” The man shook his head as if saddened, but his lips were twisted back. “So I had to lure her captor out, and instead I get you.”

Iara had known. Dar lifted his chin. No, that wasn't certain. Iara may not have known – she certainly seemed to value his existence, after all, if for no reason than a vain hope to eventually bed him. He couldn't be sure. He would have to ask her when he returned. “You were hoping Curupira's captor would just let her go?”

“No, of course not, do I look vapid?”

Dar narrowed his eyes and considered. No, he didn't. “So you wanted to capture her, as well?”

The man tilted his head, just a bit, and Dar realized the man hadn't known the demon holding Curupira was female. He grimaced. Tao was better at this than him. “I only have a small amount of gems on hand,” the man said. “If she doesn't fit in one of them, then I'll have to kill her.”

Dar tightened his grip on his sword and barely refrained from taking another step. Septim was watching him now, paying attention to his movements. His next one would have to count. “Why capture them at all?”

The man pointed to the crystal behind his ear, then pulled out another one. This one was clear, as well, with jagged orange dots inside. “Did you know stones hold power?” he asked, and Dar felt a hiss of something in the air. The man held up the new stone. “These powers all have abilities, if used by the right person. If the right person has the right power. And I do.” The man muttered a few odd words, swirled his hand over the gem, and suddenly a flash of shadow coalesced from the gem, for just a minute – a man-like shape, screaming, with dark horns that curled along his head.

Then Dar saw nothing.

His world had turned black.

It wasn't a darkness that was found at night, with the moon and stars offering shapes and shadows. It was a darkness he'd never seen before, an encompassing one. He tensed and strained his ears, but it was unnecessary. Septim didn't bother to hide himself. “Drogar is a low-class demon, and one of the first I caught,” the man said, and Dar listened as he tip-toed further away from the river, back toward where Dar had arrived. For a ridiculous moment, Dar feared the man would run off and bump into Tao. “A rather simple demon, one who brought on the night. When used properly, he can cover a man's eyes with darkness. Interesting, right? It's like teaching a pet new tricks.”

A demon as a pet? Dar only thought of Curupira in such a predicament for a moment before he had to push the image from his mind. “I won't allow it to continue.”

“Yes, I'm sure. Because you're her chosen.”

The man moved again, a bit quicker now, his movements a bit more subtle. But Dar could hear the grass crunching slightly underfoot. He held carefully still, allowing each press of the wind to acknowledge Septim's presence. A small clink, and Dar felt the wind curl, just a bit. He moved then, toward the river, and stopped when his steps squished beneath his weight. From behind him, he heard Curupira hiss.

“Well done,” Septim said. Dar tilted his head and just barely heard the man's clothes rustle in a soft breeze. He was in front of Dar, just barely to his left. Trying to stay out of range of Dar's sword, then.

Dar moved, a quick motion born from an intent to surprise. From the loud crunch of grass a pace or so back, Dar imagined it had succeeded. A few more stepping sounds told Dar the man hadn't quite found his footing, and he pressed his advantage, twirling his blade until it was flat and swinging roughly where Septim's torso would be. He heard a grunt, a short cry, and felt a tremor as his blade hit. It felt wrong. Dar thought he might have hit the man's head. Had he tried to dodge?

Dar pulled his blade back as the man fell to the ground. Something soft pattered; something loud tinkled. Dar sheathed his blade, his heart hammering in his chest. Even with the flat of one's blade, a lot of damage could be done to a man's skull. It wouldn't take much, and Dar hadn't held back.

He strained his ears. After a few moments, the man groaned again. He heard a short, aborted movement, and he thought to be relieved. Then Septim gave out a mighty bellow.

“What have you done?” he shouted, and Dar moved again, getting carefully away from the edge of the river. It gurgled a bit behind him, and he thought one of Iara's guards might have moved. Or had Curupira? Could she?

Septim made several movements then, and Dar heard another soft tinkling sound, and then a loud crack. Septim shouted and scuffled around. The wind around Dar broke, parted, flew from one edge of the clearing to the other. Dar covered his face and ducked low, but nothing attacked him. Something screeched in the air. Septim shouted again. Dar couldn't mistake the sound of fear. “What's happening?” he asked, but Septim either ignored him or couldn't answer.

Suddenly Dar's vision cleared, as if a fog were being swept away, and he squinted as the sunlight blinded him. The wind was like a curtain, a billowing veil of translucent white, nearly flapping in the zephyr. Dar saw Septim on the ground, right where he'd envisioned the man to be. He, too, was covering his face, but his gaze was still drawn to the blowing wind.

As Dar's vision cleared, he found himself turning to stare, as well. The curtain wasn't wind, but what almost seemed to be a cloak. It curled around a pale, pale figure as if a skirt or dress and covered arms down past long, willowy fingers. Near ghost-like, the form floated a few inches from the ground, and Dar finally differentiated enough to see that part of the cloak was actually long, white hair.

The creature turned to him. He caught his first glimpse of eyes so large they seemed nearly bug-like and lips the color of eggshells. The eyes held no iris or pupil. The creature opened its mouth, and a trilling sound emerged, almost like birdsong. Dar saw the orange-spotted crystal held aloft before the creature, a shimmering white sphere enclosing it. The crystal was held in the air by nothing. Septim rose as the creature kept itself turned from him, but as he attempted to reach forward, he halted suddenly. A barrier, Dar realized, and he looked around. There, on the grass beside Septim, was the long black crystal. It was in two pieces, one side cracked and torn like nails had been scraped across it. His sword, he realized, and started. The reason he hadn't done too much damage to Septim was due to the crystal. His chest panged at the realization. He had come so close to unwittingly murdering the man before him.

The spotted crystal pulled his attention back as a loud crack split the air. The barrier around the crystal twisted, reformed, and splintered, until finally the crystal was in pieces. A shadow tore itself from within the barrier, and as Dar watched, it threw itself past him and disappeared. Once again, Dar thought of Tao. Hopefully, the demon was intent only on leaving and would leave Tao in peace.

“No!” Septim shouted. The man turned away. The demon floating before him reached out one hand, the translucent curtain somehow covering the sight of her body, leaving only the very tips of her fingers to reach toward Septim. As something curled around those tiny digits, Septim pulled out a new gem, this one yellow-orange and shining brighter than the two previous stones he'd owned, and he dodged right as the demon flung the barrier out. It missed him, and he kept running. The demon beside Dar trilled in anger.

“Lerilel!” Cururpira shouted, and the demon turned to her. Dar did, as well, and saw a fierceness in her gaze he hadn't seen before. “You hold no rights within this realm. Either release me or be gone from here.”

Lerilel turned her gaze on Dar, and Curupira hissed once more. Lerilel trilled softly. A soft voice, like a lover's whisper, caressed his mind. It is well, Dar heard, and he started, just a bit. He turned his gaze to see Septim watching, just far enough to be safe, just close enough to still see Dar. He turned back to the barrier demon, knowing she wouldn't allow Septim to come close. He cannot understand me, anyway. Dar frowned at that.

The demon turned her large eyes on Dar, and though there was nothing to show where she looked, he knew her entire focus was on him. “Thank you,” he said, referencing the breaking of the blind demon's cage. Without it, he might have remained blind for a very long time. The demon tilted her head, just enough to send her white hair streaming through the air as if floating in the water. She opened that bloodless mouth of hers and called out in that odd, cat-like birdsong. The wind blew like a gale once more. “Wait!” he said, shouting to be heard over the wind. The demon tilted her head again. “Is it possible for you to release Curupira?”

The tinkling sounded a bit different this time, like a disrupted call. Was it laughter? No. The barrier exists to let her breathe. If I were to release her, she would drown.

Dar frowned again at that and looked to Curupira. So he'd come all this way, and Curupira was still to be left stranded? Alone? His fists clenched. “There must be something.”

Perhaps. Someday.

The gale blew, scattering the leaves around the clearing, pulling Dar's hair into his eyes. The demon's flowing garments curled like a cocoon around her form, and then she was gone. His gaze wandered once more to Curupira/ He tried to convey to her how sorry he was. But Curupira just thrust out her chin. “Just keep your promise to me. Take care of my animals, Beastmaster.”

“I will. Of course,” he said. But he thought of how the animals had refused to speak to him, and he had to ask. “Why would the animals not talk to me?”

She twisted her head. “Have you failed them?”

He thought about it. He hadn't left his castle since he'd walked through the mist about four moon cycles ago. Had the animals seen it as an abandonment? But he'd been settling the kingdom, creating laws to help protect them. And Ruh would have made it plain to him if he'd been failing them, wouldn't he? “I don't know,” he said finally.

Her eyes narrowed. “If you've failed them, then you've failed me.” Dar pulled his shoulders back. Curupira’s anger flickered for a moment. “Or has it only just begun?”

Dar nodded. “On my way here.”

Curupira seemed mollified at that. “Then they would have tried to keep you away. They knew your appearance here would put you in danger.”

“But my job is to protect them. How can I if they keep silent?”

“They will call you for help, Beastmaster, but not to your death.” She glared at him. “My animals would never seek such a thing. Perhaps you have lost their trust, and they do not accept your power. Perhaps you are weak. Or,” she said, before Dar could even begin on that one, “they understand what Septim is, and they fear what he could mean for you.”

The words reminded Dar, and he turned his gaze on Septim once more. The man still hung back. He looked ready to run.

Tao came stumbling out of the branches of the trees, a number of paces from Dar and only a few from Septim, and Septim's steely gaze turned on him.

Dar's sword was in his hand before he could think. “Tao!” he shouted, and Tao froze at the sound of Dar's voice. He turned his gaze from Dar to Septim and backed away. Dar raced toward him.

That gaze raked over Tao. Dar saw it settle on Tao's lean frame, his thinner arms, his tousled hair, and he knew Septim saw that Tao wasn't a fighter. But as Dar ran forward, Tao straightened his spine and turned on Septim. “You're the one who erected the barrier,” he said, and Septim's gaze flew to Tao's face. “What do you want with Curupira?”

Septim's gaze shifted between Dar and Tao, and finally the man turned away, heading back into the forest. Dar came abreast of Tao and clasped his shoulder before he could chase the man down and demand answers. Dar's throat tightened. Despite himself, he thought of Tao struggling to stand, back in front of the Vella's home, and he grimaced. Tao had always attracted danger.

Tao watched Septim leave, then turned to Dar. “What about Curupira?”

Dar shook his head. Tao's face fell, and Dar wondered at it. Tao and Curupira had never gotten along. But of course Tao wouldn't want her trapped, if he could help it, and Tao understood how upset Dar would be about it. Dar tightened his hold on Tao's shoulder for an instant, a silent thank you, before he dropped his arm back to his side. “Come on. I'll explain everything once we meet up again with Arina.”

Tao grinned at the prospect of learning, then looked toward the river in which Curupira lay. He didn't go near it. “Is there anything that can be done?”

“Not today. But I'll be back,” Dar vowed. He turned, and together, the two of them left that part of the forest behind. Dar heard the forest close behind them and knew Iara was blocking the place off once again. Dar ground his teeth together and kept moving.

Arina met the two of them as they approached the village. Her hair was slightly tangled, her eyes wide enough to show that she was about two seconds from a murderous rampage. “Thank the ancestors,” she said as they came near, and she swung a not-too-gentle fist at Dar's arm. He winced. “That's for leaving me here with this lot! I was nearly run out of town! Iara started snarling and rumbling about the town,” she said, and then a young man came toward them, his chin high. “This boy and I were the only ones telling everyone to calm down.”

Dar and Tao turned to the kid, and Dar grinned. “We met before. You're the one who told me about the curse Iara placed on the men.”

The kid nodded and grinned. “And you're king now.”

Dar did his best to hide the ensuing need to fidget. “I am.” He kept his head high and stance tall. Perhaps he was getting used to being king. “Thank you for helping my friend.”

The kid shook his head. “Everyone's afraid of Iara, even though you're here. But she hasn't attacked us or anything. She just seems angry about something.”

Dar didn't mention how even the boy looked afraid, because a man's courage should not be mocked. “She's probably gotten a report back from her guards at her makeshift prison. I'll go speak with her.”

The kid nodded. Though he didn't droop his shoulders, he did sigh, one small, nearly silent exhalation. Then he led Dar and Tao toward the village.

Dar understood immediately why Arina looked about ready to spit. The village was nearly torn down, belongings draped loose in baskets and carts filled to the brim with food and blankets and tools. A young man was trying to fit a chair on top of a table, and Dar shook his head. To be fair, he could understand why they were panicking – just past the village, pacing up and down with the water lapping darkly around her ankles, was Iara. The sea churned; the water seemed to boil, and all around the village, the sound of hissing echoed in the air.

Yet when Dar looked around again, the villagers were pausing in their actions. Each eye turned to him, and the young man lifting the chair stopped and let it fall to the ground. Most turned their gazes from Dar when he looked at them, and Dar felt something skitter down his spine as he realized they were ashamed. “You're king,” Tao said, nearly whispering as he leaned closer. “You promised to take care of them, and they still tried to run. It shows a lack of faith in you, and they know it. They most likely feel guilty – they should have known you wouldn't let them down.”

But Dar could only nod as everyone slowly started unpacking. Women carried the overflowing baskets into their huts, and men started taking down the carts. The bustle from before had stilled.

Arina stood beside him and sulked. “Fat lot of good leaving me behind did,” she groused. “Please tell me I didn't miss a fight.” She turned a sideways glance on Dar, then huffed and threw her hands in the air. “Of course I did.”

Dar grinned. “I'll leave the next one to you.”

“You'd better.”

Iara saw him then and came storming toward him, her small body nearly vibrating. Dar hurried to meet her before she could set the village in a blind panic again. “Iara.”

“Beastmaster! What was that? Who did that? Where is he? You let him go!” She stamped her foot before he could say so much as a word. “You let the human run! I should have known you wouldn't have the stomach to–”

“You knew he was responsible for everything?” Dar asked, and felt that same fury roiling in him as always. “You sent me in blind.”

“Of course I didn't know!” she said, and lightning-fast her body slowed, hunched in a bit, and she looked up at him from beneath her lashes. Tao made a disgusted sound from somewhere behind him, and he had to fight not to smile. “But you saw him, what he was doing to us, and you let him go!” And there she was, fuming once again. “All because he's human.”

“I didn't let him go,” Dar said, though it was only partly true; when he'd realized just how close he'd come to doing something horrific, he'd hesitated. He'd also let the man escape in his effort to keep Tao and Curupira safe. Without the barrier demon, Septim would most likely be unable to capture Iara; she was too cowardly to choose to go up against him, after all. But it didn't mean the man wouldn't be back. “I'll keep an eye out for him, Iara. Until then, you have your promise to keep.”

Her promise. She pulled her lips back at the mention of it. “I don't see why I should; you didn't take care of the problem.”

“That wasn't part of the deal,” Tao said, but Dar just looked at him. Tao silenced himself, but his lips pulled down in a frown.

“I went to find out what happened to your jailers. The issue of whether to bring Curupira to you has no place; she wasn't freed.”

Iara did seem to brighten up at that one, and she once again curled into Dar's personal space. “Yes,” she said, and her voice, while trying to sound seductive, was like a hiss. “You kept her there for me.”

Dar nearly had to bite his tongue on that one. “Iara.”

She huffed and slid away, pacing all over again. Her tiny body grew jerkier each time she turned. “Of course,” she said, and waved her hands a bit. Dar, however, was used to the mercurial moods of demons and simply watched. “Leave it to you to release the last of them,” she said, obviously now referring to Awun.

Dar had no intention of correcting her, but of course Tao did. “We didn't release him. He just showed up.”

She sent Tao a withering glare, but Tao simply came to stand abreast of Dar. “You know he's the god of death and destruction, right? That he comes from the birth of fire and heat and drags it to ice and dust?” She stopped moving to glare at Dar again, her eyes narrowed and her pupils slitted. “You want help on understanding him? Then understand that he is death. He is the quake in the ground and the lightning in the air. He is the scent of rotting flesh and the taste of ash. He loves destruction like you love life.” She sneered the word.

“How can we defeat him?” Dar asked, and Iara gave him her wide-eyed, half-smiling look.

“You can't! You can't defeat death, Dar!”

He backed away as she came to lean against him yet again. “There must be some way.”

She turned from him, flicking his words away like a gnat. “Of course there must,” she said, her voice dripping poison. “Because you're Dar, hero of all.”

“I am king.”

She turned at that, and he wondered if he made her afraid or aroused with that comment. “Then prepare to rule a dead kingdom, Dar.”

“Just give us somewhere to start,” Tao said, cutting in before things could get worse. “The man is after Dar.”

The words evoked the reaction Tao had expected. Iara's eyes grew wide, her lips parted, and she sent a completely different look Dar's way. “If you've caught Awun's attention, then your death is inevitable. Dar, you should come with me. Hide away under the water.” Dar was already shaking his head. Her lips stretched back into a snarl. “Fine, then! Die on your fool's errand to save this ridiculous planet!” She turned away again, only to turn back once more and stick her finger in his face. “There's an old chant, played by the winds and the waters and the vines. You humans wrote it down once. Probably destroyed by your dearly departed nemesis.”

Dar's lips thinned. Zad had destroyed countless old temples and untold knowledge. If it was lost, there would be nothing Dar could do.

“Where?” Tao asked, already clinging to hope, like always. He leaned forward slightly, even though it was Iara giving him the information.

“Ask her,” Iara said, and turned to point at Arina. “Awun's touch creates stains on the world. Even when life grows again, it's torn by death. Find such a place and begin your search. But I warn you, Beastmaster,” she said. Her eyes were almost pleading. “I will not stand in the way of that man. You shouldn't, either. Get out of his sight. Leave him alone.”

Dar sighed. “He'll destroy everything, Iara.”

Her face contorted, then smoothed, then contorted again. “You'll get yourself killed.”

He moved away from her. “Is there anything else you can tell us?”

She raised her hands as if to claw his skin, but she didn't touch him. “He marks the flesh. He devours the soul. He rips the worlds asunder, all for the beauty of death. He'll tear this world in two.” She flipped it all away, then sent a short look to Arina, then Tao. Her gaze lingered. “He knows your weaknesses, Dar, and he'll use them. He'll destroy you before he kills you. That's what he loves. He loves to break things.”

It was a new threat, a new evil, and it made Dar's heart race. He, too, looked at Tao. But while he was worrying, Tao was already lost in thought. Arina, of course, simply lifted her chin and smirked.

Balcifer had never gone after anyone but Dar and his family. Zad, a few times, had gone after Tao, and Zad’s sister had gone to Ruh. Dar remembered each time, each threat on his friends' lives, and he shivered. Once more, he saw Tao stumbling out of the Vella cave. He thought of the way Awun had eyed Tao. He thought of the man's threats. “Why is he fixated on me?”

“You're light, Dar,” she said. “To Balcifer, you were the incarnation of that which he wished to destroy. Why would that be different with Awun?”

“You're fixing the world, Dar,” Tao said, his voice low. Quiet. Reverent. “You're creating it, all over again, after everything Zad did. Creation and destruction.”

Dar thought of Tao and remembered how Tao had helped him through loss, strife, fury, grief. Kyra's death and the loss of his gift – twice – and Zad's enmity, despite having been tortured at Zad's hand. He thought of Dartanus and his father's sword, and how he'd regained a family after all the years without. And he thought of how it had all shaped him, turned him into who he was. And yes, if Awun were to try to destroy him, then taking away that which he'd formed himself around would be the best place to start. “I have to stop him.”

“Of course you do,” Arina said, and Iara turned away again, throwing the sand and waves back, creating a circle of sand and rain that dropped like acid to the ground. She waded into the water as Arina snorted. “We'll take care of him. What's one more evil god?”

Iara turned to look back at Dar. The turn of her brows suggested there might have been tears if she'd been human. Slowly, she sank into the water.

It was nothing new for Iara to believe he would lose. Yet now he feared not loss, but the cost of victory.

He turned to Tao. “Come on,” he said softly. “We should go back to the Vella's home. They may know where we should start.”

Tao just hummed and followed behind Dar. Arina chuckled at the sight and stood to Dar's right. Dar thought of his family, waiting for him in the castle. Thought of Sendar, traveling somewhere, dealing with an unknown threat. He thought of the animals, keeping silent to protect him. Kodo and Podo, who had kept suspiciously silent throughout the day's events. Ruh. He closed his eyes and breathed deep. There was so much Awun could take away.

He had so much to lose.

A/N: No, I did not bring back the second Sorceress. She seemed more the type to travel around in time, creating her own knowledge through her own experiences. So she will not be returning. Sorry.

#beastmaster #beastmaster season 4 #dar/tao #dar #tao #fanfiction

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kayura-sanada · 6 years ago

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Beastmaster, Season 4 (Dar/Tao), Ch. 1

A story I swore I would never post, its first chapter now, uh... posted.

BeastMaster

Season 4, Episode 1

Awun, God of Destruction

“When Balcifer falls, the final challenge will be at hand.”

Tao looked up from his sewing, automatically scanning the trees for a certain eagle before he caught himself and chuckled. It had been four months since Dar had entered the castle in the mist, and yet Tao still sometimes caught himself searching for his friend and his allies. It was still a strange feeling, sitting and not having Dar nearby, practicing his fighting skills. Though less strange now than it had been when he had stayed in Eirokan, constantly waiting for the moment when Dar would finally return.

“Hello, Tao.”

Tao turned and smiled at the blondes. “Hello.” The Vella passed him, entering the main building. Tao watched them go, still unwilling to leave the cave of knowledge hidden behind the prefecture. Deep within rested the Crystal Ark, and inside, roiling around fruitlessly, was the darkness that made up Balcifer. Tao found himself sleeping just outside the cave, politely declining every attempt of the Vella to bring him in. He could pretend it was simply because he didn't feel safe leaving it out of his sight. Not after he'd promised Dar to keep it safe and protected.

In reality, there was something about its presence that left him unnerved, even now; he could almost sense the malevolence inside, keeping him from his rest.

The tree he leaned against shook slightly, and Tao looked up to see a hawk above him, mouse squeaking in its talons. He looked back down as the hawk started eating and picked himself up from the ground. The last thing he wanted was mouse innards plopping onto his head.

He sat against the cave wall and continued his sewing, patching up a bag that had ripped from a rock the Vella Queen had asked him to get, back when Arina had taken his place as guardian and he had gone to check on Eirokan.

With a cry, the hawk threw the mouse's body to the ground and took off. Several smaller birds followed after.

Tao dropped his stitching and stood.

A soft wind swept around the cave walls and through the trees, spitting scents of pine and lavender. Tao searched around, but he couldn't see anything. Animals didn't lie, however. Something was out there. And it wasn't Arina – she didn't make a habit of terrifying the local wildlife.

He turned to the cave entrance. Was it Balcifer?

He looked around again, but he still couldn't see anything and his main priority was the Crystal Ark.

Then he hesitated. Would the enemy be watching him? Was there an enemy? He squinted, searching the leaves and bushes and grass for something that didn't belong. There were far too many places to hide further from the caves, and if Balcifer was loose...

Tao ran a hand through his hair and ran into the cave, grabbing his bags on the way. A couple herbs fell from his unmended sack. He scrambled to grab the sack's bottom and tripped. Tao had to drop the sack altogether in order to grab the wall. It was cool and damp to the touch. Tao left his sack and stumbled against the wall to the cave's bowels.

The Vella's personal stash was still lined up along the walls and altar. The Crystal Ark sat in the middle of the altar, right next to the now useless map of Dar's family and several of Eldar's scrolls. Inside the Ark was a roiling mass of black, one that thundered and crackled as Tao approached it. He knew better than to touch it; though it didn't harm Dar, and though Arina never complained of anything, the Ark burned and tore at his hands whenever he made contact with it.

Balcifer was still safely trapped inside.

Tao ran another quick hand through his hair, then threw the rest of his bags to the ground and tugged off his water flask. He looked to the cave entrance, but there was nothing. Nothing but an uncomfortable silence. He scrambled through one of his sacks until his hand gripped the familiar hilt of his dagger. Well, one of Arina's old daggers.

He unsheathed it and faced the entrance. Still there was no sound but the gentle sway of the wind through the rocks. Should he try to contact the Vella? But they were not fighters any more than he, even with Dar's knowledge of fighting flowing through their consciousnesses. Should he try to get them, anyway? He bit his lip. If only Arina was back from her trip to Orpheo's grave. Then again, with the business awaiting him in Eirokan, that would mean she would be here alone. It would be safer for her than him, but she would still be in danger.

He shifted from foot to foot and took the chance to put his sheathe on the altar next to the scrolls.

“You are Balcifer's guard?”

Tao whirled to the man blocking the entrance. He shoved his dagger before him and his other hand into what he hoped was a proper defense posture. He adjusted his stance when he saw the black markings crawling up the man's neck to his cheeks, ones that resembled dark flames. “Who are you?”

The man's hair fell across his shoulders as he stepped forward. He seemed to eat up the small space. Tao crouched.

“I am simply a delivery boy.” And the man held out his gloved hand, palm up.

Tao's eyes flicked down, but he remained ready in case the man attacked. He didn't. “There's nothing there.”

“Of course not. I came for Balcifer.”

“You're not getting him.” Tao placed himself between the man and the Ark.

It was the second time the man had done it – called Balcifer by name, without the 'Lord' attached. Was this black-haired man an agent of Balcifer or not?

It didn't matter. Whoever he was, Tao wasn't letting him pass.

The man sighed and retracted his hand. “I didn't figure you would. You're a strange guard, though. I was expecting a sorcerer, or at least a warrior.”

At the moment, Tao was wishing he was one of those. The man pushed aside his long black coat and searched through a hole in his pants for something. The man was sighing again.

Should he attack now, while the intruder was distracted? But the man's legs, though seemingly relaxed, were spread. No doubt he was as prepared as Tao for a sudden attack. Tao wet his lips. “What are you doing here? Who sent you?”

“My, my. Quite the talker.” The intruder stopped searching and turned his gaze back to Tao. The scholar jerked back in surprise; the man's eyes were blood red. “Who defeated Balcifer?”

That made Tao jerk back again. It seemed the whole world knew of Dar's triumph over Balcifer and his following succession to Eldar's throne. And yet this man did not? More, why would he wish to know unless he was planning something against Dar? As if Tao would let such a thing happen. “Why do you want to know?”

“Oh? Someone close to you, then.” The man pulled his hand free from his pocket and twisted his fingers until something was displayed between his first finger and his thumb. “Do you know what this is?”

Tao barely glanced at it, still prepared for the inevitable strike. Maybe Arina was on her way back. Maybe, for once, Tao could have some luck that wasn't bad. “It's an orange topaz.”

“That's right.” The man quirked a quick grin, seemingly impressed. He folded the orange gemstone back into his palm. “Did you know that people place supernatural abilities on stones like this?”

“Yes,” Tao answered, and his mouth kept right on moving without his permission. “The topaz is said to give the wearer self-confidence and negate bad dreams.”

This time the man chuckled. “Yes. Absurd, isn't it? It's also supposed to protect against evil's magics, and even death itself. Did you know that?”

Tao's eyes narrowed. “Yes.”

“Yes, I suppose you would. An Eiron.” The man nodded to Tao's hand and the ring thereon. “You are a scholar. You most certainly could not have been the one to defeat Balcifer.”

“I may be a scholar, but I've learned how to fight.” Tao didn't want to put his skills to the test, however. Not alone against a man who was searching for Balcifer. He really wished Arina was with him.

The man seemed rather unimpressed with his declaration.

“Well, that may be true enough, but I have no intention of wasting time.” The man curled his fingers over his palm. Over the topaz stone. Then he pointed his fist at Tao.

Magic.

Tao realized it just as the fist stilled in front of him and a bright orange light wrapped from the man's fingers to him. He backed up and raised his dagger, but the light split around the blade and swirled around him.

Suddenly he couldn't move.

The man stepped forward and pocketed his topaz, simply patting Tao on the shoulder as he passed. Tao hissed. A shock of pain spread along his shoulder, like a burning beneath his clothes. Instinctively he tried to flinch, but even that failed. When the enemy walked behind him, he couldn't turn his head. He was still breathing, though. That was good. Very good.

From behind him, Tao could hear the scraping sound of the Ark against the stone of the altar. With everything he had, he pushed against whatever barrier held him still. The only things that moved were his eyelashes – he blinked. Sweat beaded lightly against his upper lip.

“Thank you for your cooperation,” the man said, and walked past Tao straight out of the cave.

Tao strained where he stood, pushed and tugged at his muscles with everything he had, but his body remained frozen.

The man walked away.

Arina pushed a lock of hair from her face and stepped around a tree. Her mind was wandering once more, back to her old lover and the life they'd created together. She'd already taken a misstep, one that had cost her a short sun's travel. She'd been expected a day ago, but she simply hadn't been able to make herself hurry as she had before.

With Dar, things had been different. Somehow his adventures had kept her head above water. Or perhaps it had simply been him? Or maybe the atmosphere? Certainly things weren't as fun as they'd been before.

The Vella's home finally came into view. She could even see several of the blonds walking around. Something interesting must have happened. The thought had her racing down the incline. Only one thing in the Vella's Cave of Wonders, as Tao had once dubbed it, was important enough to raise such a frenzy – and only one thing could get past the Vella.

Forgoing stealth, Arina raced through the last of the trees and grabbed the nearest blond, one wringing her hands and pacing. “What happened? Where's Balcifer? And Tao?”

Both names made the woman flinch. She pointed toward the Vella Queen's quarters. “Mother is treating Tao now, but–”

“Treating him?!” Arina let go of the blond and ran inside. The place was still vaguely creepy, even after she'd seen it a number of times – the mummified remains, now dusted and treated with more honor, the harsh orange-brown walls of the cave the Vella called their home, a cave that somehow reminded Arina of a bee hive or a termite mound.

She stopped almost as soon as she entered. The Queen was circling Tao, but he looked fine. Nervous, anxious, down in a crouch even now, with only the Queen in the room. And his knife was in his hand. But nothing horrific. Nothing like she'd imagined.

The Queen looked up at her entrance and smiled thinly. “Ah, Miss Arina. If you would please?” She gestured to Tao.

The atmosphere still spoke of calamity. It made Arina hesitate, but she finally stepped inside. “What happened?”

The Queen touched Tao's cheek, then his arm. “I cannot be certain, but it seems our Tao has been paralyzed.”

That made Arina move. Suddenly Tao's tension was understandable; suddenly the knife is his hand seemed far more dangerous. “Paralyzed? Is he under someone's control?” She stood in front of Tao and waved her hand in front of his face. He rolled his eyes. “Hm. Not completely paralyzed, I see.”

“No, but he seems unable to speak or move. And the Ark is gone.”

Arina turned to the Queen. “Gone?”

“Yes.” The woman nodded. “There are no signs of shards – it has not been broken, at least not here. And certainly the sky has not darkened.” The woman touched Tao's neck. “I cannot find any wound or enchanted item on him, nor have I found a presence of an herb or poultice. I do not know what has caused this.”

“You don't know?” Arina ran a hand over her dagger. And she'd thought her memories were what was making this a bad day. “We need to–”

“Mother! Mother!” Three blonds scuttled into the room, each pointing outside.

The Queen closed her eyes and nodded. “Yes, I see.” She turned to Arina. “You should answer the Beastmaster's call.” She raised her head in the direction of the entrance. “It seems he has sent his friend Sharak. Most likely he heard the disturbance from the animals. The birds have yet to return to the trees.”

Arina sent Tao a small smile. “We'll find out what happened, all right? And we'll get you free.”

Tao narrowed his eyes and blinked.

“Tao, you know I have no idea what that means.”

Tao rolled his eyes again.

She only shook her head and left, following the honeycomb pattern of the wall to the exit, passing through the treasure trove. The Queen was right; everything was still perfectly in place from the time Tao cleaned the room. There was nothing on the floor, nothing broken, nothing even crooked. There was simply a hole in the middle of the altar where the Ark should have been. Past the room, toward the exit, a sack and a couple small herbs dotted the ground. Tao must have dropped them. A needle and thread sat in the grass beside the exit.

The sun was beginning to set when she came out of the caves. It was easy to find Sharak; he was perched on a tree directly in front of the cave, his golden brown eyes watching her as she exited. She looked right into his eyes. “Dar, we've got a problem.”

“Sendar, can you go with this man to the Rakshi tribe?” Dar turned to his brother, standing behind and to his right. His brother's hands were clasped behind him, his shoulders and back ramrod straight. Certainly his stance was far more austere and king-like than Dar's own, as he still slouched as if prepared to stand in an instant. Still, the crown beside the throne was his, and his butt was the only one allowed on that particular seat.

He leaned forward, clasping the elderly man's hands. “My brother will take some of our troops and will help you with the bandits. He's a good strategist. You will sleep safely now.”

“Thank you.” The man bowed his head so deeply his hat slid dangerously, almost falling off. When he looked up, his blind eyes were watering. “Thank you.”

Sendar came up then, gently taking the man's hands and leading him away. One quick look at Dar said his brother wasn't thrilled with him ignoring proximity protocol… again.

Lycia waved at him from the side entrance that led to their chambers in the castle. He turned to her to see a batch of sweets in her hands again. He quirked her a half-smile and shook his head. If he kept eating his sister's sweets, he would grow fat, no matter how often he kept himself busy. His sister stuck her tongue out at him and signaled for him to get his brothers.

Darshun, his once-horse brother, was the first to grab Lycia's offer and happily took Dar's share, as well. He made moaning noises as their last brother, Randar, silently took his own. He murmured to Lycia, and she rushed out of the room. She was almost certainly running to grab Sendar before he left.

Darshun was already finished chowing down and was licking off the last vestiges of the snack. Randar, on the other hand, was taking his time, as always, giving Dar the chance to get a quick break before meeting the next villager.

He looked around the room again, still disturbed by the surroundings. There were no plants, no animals. Only bright golden walls with red tapestries and carpets. The silence was disturbing, like the time he'd lost his powers. But far off, in the distance, he could hear the voices of the animals, chittering about food and boasting about kills. He listened to them for a time and felt his muscles slowly relax.

“Oi, Dar, we've got another one.”

Dar sighed and sat forward. What now? Another group of bandits? A food shortage? 'Evil' animals?

It was like traveling with Tao all over again, only there were a million problems at once and his friend wasn't there to regale him with stories and annoying inventions that he could argue the usefulness of.

Hm. He supposed it was like the old adventures, only much less fun.

Randar finished his food and cleared his throat before opening the giant gilded doors. A couple came in, brandishing a small child in their arms.

An illness? Dar leaned forward in his seat, something Sendar would reproach him for if he'd been there. “Can I help you?”

The woman looked up and lifted her chin. She stepped toward him, holding her baby's head under her chin. “Dar.” She cleared her throat. “King Dar. I'm certain you don't remember me. I was a woman from the village you saved from Iara, the Snake Demoness. You saved the men. Do you remember?”

Dar nodded. More specifically, he remembered the women of the island and Iara's poisonous love game. And worse, he remembered searching for Tao and not finding him, not knowing where he was and having all those women lie to him. He remembered the simmering boil of panic that had rested in his chest like a festering wound. “I remember. Is she causing you trouble again?” It wouldn't be surprising that, now that the danger was long gone, Iara had gone back to terrorizing the nearby townsfolk.

“No.” The woman shifted the little boy and grabbed the blanket around the child before it slipped. “No, she's done nothing to our village.”

What was that noise? Dar lifted his head to the side. Something was happening.

“But I saw her a few days ago. She was agitated, I think. Pacing. She was saying something, but I couldn't understand her. I didn't want to get too close.”

Dar nodded, saying he heard her, but his attention was being pulled. Some animals were in distress. “It was a good idea to stay away. She's easily angered by humans.” Dar stood. Deer and birds were calling to him. Others were deadly silent, trying to keep from making any possible noise. Something dangerous was coming through, something unnatural. “I'll make sure to speak to her as soon as I can. Does she seem ready to attack?”

“No. She looked scared. I wanted to tell you.” The woman looked back at her husband, a clear sign that he wasn't too pleased with her decision. Dar looked at him, but the man didn't return the gesture. Instead he was looking at his wife, watching her as though she might disappear. Ah. He feared Iara's wrath.

“Anything that scares Iara is something to be concerned about.”

“That's what I thought.” The toddler started mumbling. The mother moved him to bounce on her hip. “Will you be all right speaking with her again?”

“I'll be fine.” As long as he didn't fall for her games, he wouldn't have a problem.

A hawk screamed for him then, and his head turned to the sound. Danger. There was danger, and the friend he'd asked the hawk to check up on was the danger's target.

Tao.

He turned to the woman. “I'm very sorry, but I have to go. Something's happening.”

“Already?” The woman hugged her baby to her chest. Her husband came up to her then and kept his eyes on Dar.

“Give them a room here, please, until we find out what's happened,” he said, speaking to both of his brothers, and to no one in particular. He left them, knowing Randar and Darshun would take care of it.

Away from the throne room, Dar crossed the halls and ran to the nearest window. It would do nothing for him, but his family would recognize the stance and would wait to speak with him.

What's happening?

The return calls were faint but instant, each trying to talk above the other. Dar closed his eyes, bowed his head, and concentrated. He saw scattered images, all of them wrapped in fear. Finally he called for the hawk.

Danger. The hawk's answer was more calm, but even he seemed afraid. He'd taken shelter in the neighbor hawk's territory, hiding on its outskirts. When Dar asked for information, all he got was the same response as before. Unnatural danger heading for the Vella home. Heading for Balcifer. Heading for Tao.

“Sharak!” he shouted, calling for the immortal eagle with his mind at the same time. Sharak quickly returned his call. Apparently his friend had heard the ruckus and was already going to investigate. Dar stood, fidgeting from foot to foot, wanting to move, to act. His hands gripped the window. Blindly he scanned the mist surrounding the castle, protecting it from the world. Over time, that mist had slowly begun to thin, allowing more sunshine than the first few weeks. Was it just him, or was the mist thickening again?

Sharak called for him in warning before a vision of the Vella's home took over Dar's sight. It was obvious something was wrong; the Vella were running everywhere, grabbing things. He saw one pick up a pouch and carefully carry it into the Vella Queen's home. It was one of Tao's. Sharak got nearer and screeched again. The eagle's eyes focused on a small glint near the entrance to the treasure cave. It looked like a needle. If Tao had been fixing something, he'd left so fast he'd dropped the needle. And, apparently, his pack.

And if Tao had run, something had gotten close to him.

What was there? Who? Dar wanted to grab his father's sword and run, but it was more important to see what was happening. What had already happened.

This time when Sharak called out, one of the Vella turned to him. He flapped forward and landed in a nearby tree. The woman beamed a smile at the eagle and ran inside.

It took only another few moments, and then Arina came out of the treasure cave. She looked straight over to Sharak. Her lips were thin, her eyes narrowed. Something in Dar's chest tightened.

“Dar,” she said, coming to a halt in front of Sharak, “we've got a problem.”

That something grabbed at his heart and raced up his throat.

“What happened?” he asked, even though he knew full well she couldn't hear. He leaned forward until he was partly outside. The mist made the air wet against his face.

Arina turned to look behind her, but she wasn't looking to the treasure trove where Balcifer was being kept. Her eyes went instead to the Queen's chambers. “Dar, the crystal Ark has been stolen.” Arina turned her dark eyes to Sharak, granting Dar the sight of a tense gaze. “Balcifer's gone, and Tao's been paralyzed somehow. He isn't moving. The only thing he can do is blink.”

Dar stumbled away from the window then, his hands falling to his sides. He rubbed a hand over his face, dispelling the vision. “Sharak, stay with them.” He ran to his throne.

His brother was leading the family out just as he entered. The door closed just as he took his first step inside the throne room. Randar, his calmer brother, came up to him as he grabbed his father's sword. “Dar?”

“Something's come up, Randar.” His backstrap was in his room. He had to go get it. He called for Ruh. He was caring for a second litter, but at Dar's call, Ruh promised to head over to Tao. “The Crystal Ark's been taken.”

Randar's reaction was only a short hiss of a breath. “I see. I'll tell the others. Do you need us to come with you?”

“No. Stay here and protect Mom and Lycia.” Dar looked at his brother. Randar was the darkest-haired of the four of them, and the calmest. “And make sure Darshun stays, too.”

“Of course. I'll let Sendar know, too, if he's back before you.” Randar turned to the door Darshun had left through. “Go ahead, before Darshun returns.”

Dar smiled. “Thanks.”

The palace had halls and stairways and paths that had initially confounded Dar, with tapestries and statues and ornate sculptures along the routes. But Dar had memorized landmarks and turns, and now he crossed through the less trodden ones. He made it to the exit without meeting with any of his family. The castle gates were wide open, letting drifts of mist waft within.

Four months. In four months, he'd never left this building. The smell of water and sunlight touched his nose. Even if it was because of something as dangerous as this, the chance to return to the forests made his heart light.

He stepped out without hesitation. The mists seemed to carry him. Faith was necessary to get here – faith in the throne and the person sitting in it. It was a foolproof security device. Anyone without faith couldn't pass through.

It took a short bit of time, but Dar was across the mist and on solid grass. The sun was high in the sky, but the mist kept him easily cool. He looked around, scanning the trees and listening to the chatter of the animals.

He turned behind him at the sound of two angry voices and grinned. Kodo and Podo were chasing him, dragging their little pouch along with them. They both berated him as they ran.

“Sorry, you two.” He obligingly picked up the pouch as they came to a stop in front of him, and the two climbed up his pants and jumped inside.

It took them less than a second to comment on his outfit.

“Yes, I know. It's worse than Tao's.” He wore the usual garments expected of him in the castle, heavy, cumbersome things garbed in threads and patchwork. He looked foolish.

Kodo poked her head out and told him to look inside the pouch.

His old clothes lay inside.

He thanked her and reached for the cloth, but he saw someone heading toward him from the mist and turned, letting the clothes wait. “Mom.”

She made the mist swirl like the Sorceress, her blond hair regally perched upon her head and her eyes straight ahead, focused on him. A worried frown marred her forehead. “Dar.” She reached out her hands and waited for him to clasp them. “You're going off to fight.”

“Mother, the Crystal Ark has been taken and Tao is in danger.”

She nodded. “I would like to think you wouldn't leave without at least seeing me?”

Her eyes were searching his for something. He smiled for her. “You and Lycia worry over all of us, and this could be dangerous. If I said good-bye, you might think I wouldn't come back. Besides, you know Lycia would join me. She bakes cookies at least three times a day now, just to have something to do.”

She seemed to see the truth in his eyes and nodded. Old heirlooms from his father glittered in her hair and ears and on her neck. She wore them every day. “That's true enough. And I'll trust you to be all right.”

“I'll come back, Mother.” He kissed her cheek. Kodo yelled at him to hurry up. “I have to go.”

“Take care, my son.”

He let go of her hands. “Return to the castle. You'll be safe there.” He waited until she took a step back into the mist, then turned and made his exit.

When he was far enough away, he stepped into the trees and switched his outfits, leaving the ridiculous garments behind to be eaten by nature.

Arina returned to Tao's side, though she knew she could do nothing to help. “Sharak's staying, and Dar knows about what happened. Or at least what we know of it.” She looked into Tao's eyes. They were scrunched as if he was concentrating on something.

“Good. That's it, Tao.” Arina turned to the Queen. “Keep it up.” The Queen was looking down at Tao's right hand. It seemed almost to be wiggling a bit, like a worm. Soon his entire hand was moving, then his other. His toes started wiggling, too, and then Arina was on catching duty as Tao started leaning dangerously back. As Arina held him, his arms started moving, then his legs. Like a shiver, his back arced slightly, and with a gasp he went limp, like a broken doll in her arms.

Then he was flailing and pushing and shoving his way onto his hand and knees. His limbs seemed unwilling to support him, but he managed to get his feet underneath him and with a grunt, he stood up. And swayed.

“Tao. Should you be moving yet?” Arina stood behind him, ready to catch as necessary.

“No, probably not.” Tao grabbed his head and moaned. He bent down into the pain, gasping for breath.

Just as Arina bent down to help him, he lurched back up again and staggered to the wall. He leaned against it heavily; his legs were shaking. Arina followed after him with an indulgent sigh.

It took almost as long as regaining movement had, but finally Tao reached the exit and stumbled through it. Sharak shouted out, most likely getting Dar's attention. Tao looked up and smiled. And though he was obviously in pain and injured and most likely furious and mortified by the loss of the Ark, everything about him relaxed.

“Dar,” he breathed.

Then he crossed the threshold and looked into Sharak's eyes. “Dar.” This time his voice was much stronger. “It was one guy, some…” Tao swayed on his feet and took a deep breath. His balance, always phenomenally bad, now almost sent him to the ground. Arina grabbed his arm. She kept her eyes on him as he struggled; it was clear he wasn't better yet, with all of his limbs shivering and his breaths coming in gulps. “It's…” But he was no longer able to keep his voice raised and gave up, turning to speak his words to Arina. “He's strong. He used some sort of magic – a topaz. He bound me with a topaz. A stone.”

If it weren't for the blatant incredulity in Tao's voice, Arina wouldn't have believed him.

“The Vella didn't feel him here, and I can only imagine it's because of that strange magic. He didn't know about Dar himself, but he seems to want to find Dar – the one who defeated Balcifer. Tell him that, Arina. Warn him.”

She led him slowly back to the Queen's cave's entrance, placing him against the outer wall of the cave and helping him sit against it. “I will.”

Tao nodded and looked back to Sharak. The eagle was watching him steadily, catching his every movement. Tao leaned his head against the rock. “Maybe I shouldn't have come out.”

Meaning Dar would be less likely to listen to reason, seeing Tao so injured.

“I'll talk to him. And Sharak probably will, too.”

Arina stood and walked to Sharak. “Dar, Tao says it was magic that paralyzed him, that the man did something to him with something called a topaz. He says it's a stone. He also says the man didn't know you, but wanted to find you, though he doesn't know why.” She looked back at Tao and frowned. His eyes were closed. At least his breathing was steady. Was he asleep? “Dar, I can't say he looks good, but I think he's going to be all right. It looks temporary.”

Tao was definitely asleep already.

She looked back at Sharak, but there was no way to see what Dar was thinking. Whatever he would decide, she knew his first action would be to get to Tao's side.

It was the middle of the night when Dar charged through the trees and brush and came to a stop before the Vella's home. Grasshoppers sang to the moon; an owl hooted, telling him it was going off to hunt, that it had guarded his friends while Sharak, unable to see as well in the night, had taken the chance to rest. Ruh was resting to the side and raised his head at Dar's approach. His welcome was a grunt and a complaint about the wait. “Thank you, old friend,” Dar said with a small smile. The tiger had arrived just in time to be put on guard duty.

Dar looked around, but there was no one outside. He only took a few short steps into the Queen's home before Arina and two Vella met with him. Their defensive stances dropped as soon as they recognized him. “He's in here,” Arina told him, immediately taking point, and led him to the Queen's private chambers. Tao rested on the Queen's bed, one arm draped over his stomach and the other lying palm down beside him. His head hung to the left, granting Dar a view of his sleeping face.

“Is he all right?” he asked, the question that had plagued him for hours. Tao's face looked much calmer than it had when he'd staggered out to speak to Sharak; the lines of tension around his eyes or his mouth had faded in sleep. He seemed to be resting naturally.

“He seems to be,” Arina said, “but we can't be sure. We've never seen this type of magic before.”

Dar rubbed his face and looked around. “The Sorceress. She should know.”

“Dar, you and I both know that woman has locked herself up in her stupid little potions room. She's useless until she finds out how to get her dear beloved back.” Arina nodded her head to the outside, where Sharak stayed.

“I have to find out what happened to him.” Dar watched Tao as he slept. The picture of Tao stumbling out into the sun, his gaze unfocused, trying to tell him something and unable to find the strength… He turned and moved to the treasure room. Arina quickly followed behind him.

It was strange to step inside and see the altar half empty. Scrolls and medallions covered the edges of the table, but the middle was bare. That was where Tao had said the Ark resided, somewhere where it would be guarded for all time. That plan had obviously failed.

“Tao said the man – whoever he is – is waiting for you. It would be dangerous, Dar.” Arina came up beside him and scanned the walls – the scrolls, the strange assortment of vases and statuettes. “There's probably information somewhere in here.”

“Tao's the only one who could find it. If it was something obvious, the Vella Queen would have already said.” Dar continued outside, pausing to pick up Tao's dropped herbs. He handed them to Arina. “I have to go.”

She nodded. “If Tao's right, then the trail I found is his attacker's.” She took the lead as they exited and pointed to the right. Ruh looked up, huffed, and stood. “You'll pick it up easily enough. I'll stay with Tao and protect him.”

“Thank you. And make sure he understands that it's not his fault, and I don't blame him.”

She just raised an eyebrow and pointed again.

The trail led away from the Vella toward a small cliffside far to its right. He traveled the distance before the moon was in the middle of the sky. The grasshoppers' songs changed, warning him, welcoming him back. Ruh growled and sunk into an offensive stance.

Dar pulled his sword from the strap on his back.

His progress was slower then as he slipped through the brush. Trees were thin here, and only a few more meters of ground was left before the drop. Night animals called to him, talking about traps and dangers. Still, he had to press forward in order to help Tao.

Ferns and small saplings acted as the last few inches of cover. Dar nodded Ruh over to the right while he walked out into the open. A small, flat rock was lying right in the middle of the remaining space, almost as if it had been brought there and dropped. On it rested the Crystal Ark, Balcifer's furious body writhing and pulsing, just as always. He had yet to be released, then.

Dar took another step forward and looked around. The drop was probably a good twelve meters – potentially survivable, but dangerous nevertheless. Still, a man could climb it if he had a mind to, so Dar kept his senses alert as he turned to look left, then right.

“I take it you didn't come alone, then, if you hold your sword in your right hand and yet look left first.”

Dar swung around, pointing his sword at the form behind him, coming up from his blind spot. Had he been followed? But no, the man didn't know about Ruh. He only believed Dar wasn't alone – he didn't say anything about a tiger.

“You must be the one who defeated Balcifer. You're a warrior.”

“Who are you? What did you do to Tao?”

The man didn't seem concerned with Dar's sword or his demands, even though he was unarmed. Ruh asked Dar if he was needed. Not yet.

“You speak of the Eiron. He should be able to move by now.”

Dar remembered Tao's staggering. “He can't walk well.” Though he never could.

The man shrugged. “I suppose he's not used to being paralyzed, then. He should be able to move normally soon enough. He's not the one I'm to kill.”

The man spoke as if he was speaking of boring gossip. Was he not Dar's enemy? He'd incapacitated Tao so quickly, even though Tao had learned to fight pretty well. Perhaps more telling, this man spoke as if he'd been ordered by someone. If the man had magic and wasn't Dar's biggest concern, whoever was would be formidable. “You're to kill me.”

Tao was right. The man had wanted Dar to follow after him. He'd wanted to be found.

“That's right.” The man bowed slightly and spread into an odd stance, one Dar had never seen before. It placed his legs about an arm's length apart, while one arm tucked near his stomach and the other spread like a weapon before him. Dar held his sword before him and stepped to the right. The man mirrored him, maintaining the distance. Dar saw no weaknesses in how he moved.

Something changed; the atmosphere of the area shifted until they were both moving toward one another, Dar already ducking low to dodge the man's fist and sweep his sword up. He stopped at the last moment as the man didn't dodge. Dar couldn't go through with the move. As a sword, his weapon would slice the man in half. Silently, the man stepped around Dar's attack. Dar slid back, bringing his sword back up before him.

“You fear harming me because I may be human, correct?” Something shivered along the edges of the man's clothes. Up his neck crawled black lines, flickering almost like a black fire. It climbed up his cheeks and writhed. The man dug into a fold in his pants.

Ruh! Now!

Ruh roared out from his hiding place. The man ducked and turned, but he didn't startle. Ruh roared again and trotted up to the man, leaning down into his own attack stance. Dar held out his sword.

“And yet you still do not attack me,” the man said. He pulled out a small, thin red stone and rolled it into his palm. Black flames licked up the sides of his face, seared red for an instant, and then fire rose in his eyes. The light was like a beacon in the darkness of the night. He opened his palm.

Dar threw himself to the side before he even understood the impulse. Flames scorched the air where he'd stood. He rolled to his feet and swung around to face the man again. The stranger was frowning, but he simply reached into a small hole in his pants – wouldn't Tao have called it a pocket if it were in a satchel? – and pulled out another gem. The man rolled it up into his palm and enclosed his fingers in it again. Then he paused.

Dar hesitated, stopped himself from attacking, and watched. The man looked down at Balcifer, still roiling around like he was pushing against the glass, then back up at Dar. “I am a messenger boy,” he said, his teeth gritted. Then he turned, picked up the Crystal Ark, and in one smooth motion, walked the last step off the cliff.

Dar raced forward, Ruh at his heels, but when he reached the edge, nothing stood below. No flutter of the man's black clothing, no odd movement in the faraway trees.

Balcifer was gone.

The Vella hive was still abuzz from the earlier attack. Dar and Ruh arrived with the moon still high in the sky, pre-dawn still well away. Dar looked around, somehow unable to reconcile the area's feeling of tranquility with the danger the world once again faced. Balcifer was loose. But how? Why had that man taken him? Those who had served Balcifer were the Sorceress, Zad, and the Apparition. The Sorceress had turned away from him, Zad was dead, and the Apparition had lost her powers. Dar had never seen that man before.

More, why now? Why attack after all this time? Because they'd let their guard down?

He walked up to where Tao still slept. He was on his side now, his sleep more natural. What was happening? Over the past months, Dar had worked to acclimate to a life in the castle and help a people ravaged by the Terrons. Tao and Arina had guarded the Ark, all while taking their own positions in life. Tao had taken a position on Xinca's newly-made counsel, and he was often turned to for decisions. He was also the leader of Eirokan, along with Arina, who divvied up her time between Eirokan and Xinca, teaching both self-defense and the lost teachings of the Namib. Their world was beginning to stabilize.

And now this.

The Vella walked around him, smiling in greeting as they passed. He recognized only a few of them from earlier that night, which meant that most others had lain down to sleep. Mother Vella wouldn't wake until morning. He stopped one blond on her way out of the hive. “Is there anywhere I could rest?”

She bowed her head slightly. “Of course.” She led him through a small passageway to a room. It was no bigger than the bed within it, and he was surprised to find himself feeling two conflicting emotions at once. While his old self simply shrugged and thanked the accommodations for being dry, the newer, kingly part of him was disturbed by the lack of space and the stone slab with a blanket that was to act as his bed. Still, he thanked her and stepped inside.

The real question, he knew, was what he was going to do. He was king now. It had taken him a while to fully understand what that meant, but he did now. He had a responsibility to his people – to all of his people, human and animal. And one of those responsibilities was to live. Which meant he was to stay back and send others to do the dangerous work. Sendar, perhaps, or Randar. Or anyone else who had sworn their loyalty to him and been able to cross the mist to his side.

Still. Who else could defeat Balcifer but him? It wasn't arrogance that made him ask such a question, simply fact. It had been his destiny. He'd been the one the world had relied on before. He was the one the world would rely on again. He was, after all, king.

The bed was uncomfortable, after all the time he'd spent in the castle. Yet he was grateful for it. He'd felt a distance separating him from his old life, from his old friends. It had… scared him. When once he'd always been aware of the movements of the forest, he found he had to rely on tidbits of information from Sharak, who often called to him out of sheer boredom. And Tao, whom he'd always had by his side, had entered Xinca alone, without him even knowing. Tao could have been in danger, and Dar would never have known. Arina, too, had traveled everywhere, and he'd never heard the outcomes of those travels.

Why was it that becoming king had meant leaving everything behind?

In any case, he at least had something now to keep him out of the castle. Maybe he could bridge the gap between himself and his friends. Maybe he could learn about what happened when Tao went to Xinca, or where Arina had traveled.

Of course, first he had to stop Balcifer from being released and catch whoever that man had been.

He didn't know how long he was asleep, but he awoke with a snap from the depths of slumber. He reached for his sword before he'd blinked the grit from his eyes, and had stood before he'd finished pulling his sword to him. A few moments later, one of the blond Vella raced to his room.

“They're here,” she whispered, her eyes wide. Dar stepped forward, taking the lead through the small halls into the Queen's main chamber. The walls, bare but for the mummified bodies of those scholars who had come before, were almost hidden by the bodies of the Vella, each looking out toward the exit, each curling their pinkies, ready to attack. He held up one hand as he passed them. From the corner of his eye, he saw Arina and Tao enter the room, as well.

Dawn had broken. The light was still pink, still new, lending the very air a sense of rebirth. Dew sat wetly upon the stalks of grass, upon the leaves. Yet the world around the entrance to the Vella home was silent. Everything seemed to be holding its breath.

There, before the entrance, two men stood. The one from before was on the right, slightly behind the other. He stood still as stone. His face bore no expression.

The other grinned widely and stepped forward. “Hello! You must be King Dar.” He swept into a rather theatrical bow. His hair was dark, like the one Dar had met before, but this man's hair was longer, and several pieces were ringed separately, pulling each into a small mass that eventually meshed at his back and ran free, like sand through holes, or perhaps like water. The rest of the man, however, was bedecked in yellow. Dar frowned. “I see you can't get rid of everything so easily.” And the man pointed to his head, right in the center. With a jerk, Dar realized that he'd never taken off his crown. The man grinned fit to split his face. “Such an idiosyncratic style you have – a loincloth and a crown. How do the two mesh?”

Dar tightened his grip on his sword. “Where's Balcifer?”

The man waved Dar's question away. “Oh, don't worry about him. I won't release him or anything. There's just something wonderful about seeing an old rival defeated, isn't there?” The man laughed.

Dar frowned. Rival? Who would dare be Balcifer's rival? “Who are you?”

“I'm Awun. He's Jabez.” The man pointed a thumb toward the man who'd attacked Tao, then held his hand out to Dar. “I'm the God of Destruction.”

Dar paused. Behind him, he heard a gasp. He turned. Tao and Arina stood in the entrance, just inside the hive. Tao's eyes were wide.

“Ah! You must be the scholar Jabez met. Allow me to apologize for his behavior. Honestly, it's my fault.” He bowed slightly to Tao, then looked up into Tao's green-brown eyes. “I should have told him to destroy such a person as you.”

Dar swung his sword out, pointing its tip at Awun's throat.

Awun laughed again. “Ah, yes. The sword of light. Balcifer failed rather miserably, allowing you to gain so many tools.” His gaze flickered again to Tao. “I hope I don't make that same mistake.” He looked into Dar's eyes, but Dar was implacable. “Fine,” he said, and sighed. “I won't be foolish enough to try to make a deal with you, but I did wish to converse a bit. I see that will no longer happen.” He shrugged. “I am what I am. I love destruction. Ruin. Its absence in this world has… disturbed me. If nothing else, Balcifer had brought forth that much.”

“What are you doing here?” Tao asked, stepping closer, though staying safely behind Dar's sword. “It's said you were banished from the world, that the Triad–”

“Do you even know what the Triad is?” the man asked, looking on Tao with a raised brow.

“Disaster, Darkness, and Destruction,” Tao answered immediately. Dar almost smiled. Trust Tao to know, and to not hesitate to show his knowledge.

“That's right.” The man's gaze fell to Tao's hand. “Ah. An Eiron, no less. Hm. Balcifer certainly failed in allowing the two of you close. The fool.”

This man was different from any evil god he'd ever before known. Dar hesitated.

“Don't do that,” Awun said, just as Jabez rushed forward. The man held a small dagger, and with a clang, it met Dar's sword. Dar had to step back to keep his balance. “Don't underestimate me. I would hate to win so easily.”

Jabez snarled as he pushed against Dar. “Dar!” Tao and Arina surged forward.

“We're leaving, Jabez,” Awun said. Just like that, Jabez shoved away from Dar. Awun waved good-bye, and shadows crept along their legs. Tao yelped and scuttled back, almost tripping in his haste. The shadows wrapped like vines around Awun and Jabez, until they were swallowed within. Then the shadows disappeared, and they were gone.

Tao fell to his butt on the ground and stared glumly ahead. “Great.”

Dar waited, then turned. “Tao?”

Tao looked up at Dar. The scholar didn't smile. “This is bad, Dar.”

A/N: Am I aware that it's been nearly a decade and a half since this show ended? That there's no new fanfictions coming in, that the fan base is basically dead? Yes. Can that stop me from creating this story, from hopefully fixing that damned depressing ending and the myriad of plotholes? No. No, it can't. So, if anyone's reading this, I hope you enjoy it.

Notes:

I looked it up, and Sharak looked the most like a golden eagle. I know he was played by red-tailed hawks, but it seems best to keep it as similar as possible, as the show called him an eagle. ^_^

“Shun” means “speed; fine horse,” and “Ran” means “Rim, Shield plus Wolf.” I added 'dar' to each because it seems to be a necessity for each male. 'Eldar,' 'Dartanus,' 'Sendar,' and then Dar himself. I named Dar's mother “Iolani,” too, which means “Bird.” I know most fanfic writers use their animal names, but that just seems a bit rude, when Lycia and Sendar had their own names.

Side Note: When Dar arrives at the Vella, it's only been a day. But since the castle simply appeared in the show, I can't pinpoint where it is. My guess? If you need to get there, the path will appear. Because why not? Dar perhaps hadn't mastered traveling through the mist, or else he'd have been there even sooner. Maybe.

#Beastmaster #Beastmaster Season 4 #dar/tao #dar #tao #fanfiction #my fanfiction

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