Love Conquers All Part 10
Duo's strength continued to improve. His need to get away from Ryuujin's hellhole was more than enough incentive to move quickly. The retreating quartet neared the door leading into the outer corridor. Heero didn't particularly want to retrace their path along the labyrinth of hallways and he was not under any circumstances taking Duo through the Dragon's ossuary. There had to be a more direct escape route.
"Do you remember how you were brought in?" Heero inquired hoping Duo would know of a quicker way out.
Duo shook his head, "No I have no memory before I woke up in the Chang's bedchamber."
Heero consider their options, mulled over other possible paths. "When we get to the hall we are going to take the opposite way." he announced letting it be known by his tone and manner that the statement was an order not a suggestion.
Trowa wrinkled his forehead and Quatre could "see" his mind working on a solution. "Quatre can stay with you while I transport through an outside wall. I will get an idea of where the closest exit is located then return with the bearings."
"All right." Heero agreed, "How long will it take?"
"Not long. Most castles have only two main entrances to make it harder for an enemy to get in."
"Or get out." Duo spoke up trying not to sound too smart-assed.
Quatre glanced back apprehensively at the archway and its horrid memories, "Let us not tarry another moment." he spoke for everyone.
Ten more steps then twelve, almost to the door. Quatre felt it first. Suddenly there was a disturbance in his empathic link like the fabric of time was being tattered. Trowa's darker side, his tie with nature's more violent tendencies also registered the unsettling shift. The humans did not sense the change directly but they knew something was wrong as they saw the look of terror in Quatre's eyes.
"He is coming." the God of Light declared grabbing Trowa's hand.
Now Duo was clinging to his soldier. "Ryuujin." he whispered as all the panic and pain returned with heart-seizing force.
Quatre shook his head, "No."
"Chang?" Heero asked the next logical question.
Again the Light God shook his head negatively.
"Who?" Heero and Duo wondered in unison.
A red glow brightened the rectangle room's doorway. The frame and threshold became wavy ripples in a confusion light and illusion. Centered between the distorted framework a large brass key floated of its own accord. The key swiveled aligning with a keyhole that materialized from the increasingly dazzling light. The key slid in and turned. A loud click was heard before the key disappeared and a door within a door opened wide.
Humans and immortals raised their hands to protect their eyes from a second light's powerful blaze. Silhouetted and surrounded a vague lineation floated through the blinding brilliance. The glow parted on either side of the arriving apparition then closed behind the outline that seemed to glow with the same bright light. Just as quickly as it began the unnatural phenomenon started to fade. In moments the room was again dim with only the yellow-orange tint of torchlight coloring its interior.
A tall figure stood in the weak flame's shadow-veiled fringes. A full length scarlet overcape concealed the mysterious visitor's form. The cape's heavy cowl presented a black void where a face should have been. A wrinkled ashen hand, looking more skeletal than human, held a tall metal staff. An eagle with wide spread wings, carved from some reddish stone that had been polished to a bright gleam, adorned the staff's top. On either side, fastened along the bottom edges of the bird of prey's unfurled wings, three solid gold rings laced through the stone "feathers".
Thick silence hung over the room and not even the human's hard inhalations as they struggled to keep their fear under control could be heard. "Welcome." The deep voice bounced off the stone walls as it greeted the captive confederates.
Duo jumped at the sudden sound ducking behind his soldier. Heero raised his sword gliding into a ready stance, prepared to protect his lover. Trowa leveled the crossbow and motioned for his partner to copy Duo's shielding technique.
Heero took a step forward extending the sword's blade, aiming the finely honed tip at the mysterious figure's middle. "Who are you?" he demanded. His no nonsense tone and focused glare confirm his unwillingness to be patient for the answer.
"Someone to be feared."
Heero stood his ground, "I fear no one." he boldly proclaimed, his resolve strengthened by his promise to protect his lover.
Slowly a second hand parted the overcape just enough to move up to the cowl's outer hem. Bony gnarled fingers caught the hood then slid it back revealing gaunt, pale facial features. The figure's thin skin was stretched over hollow cheekbones giving it a ghostly texture. The individual was male. Stringy silver-gray hair draped loosely about the man's shoulders except for a braided length hanging down the front on either side. He had long, equally gray bread that had been divided and braided into three sections.
Black deep-set eyes, glaring from their recessed sockets, drilled their boring sight through human and immortal alike groping through their outer shell into their heart's most guarded depths. Again Quatre shuddered as the strange enigma's piercing sight raked across his intuitive mental link.
"By all that is holy." the Fair One mumbled in a surprisingly incoherent manner. Despite his outwardly meek attitude Quatre had always been bold in his speech.
Trowa cut his eyes back at his quivering mate attempting to see his face and keep watch at the same time. "What is wrong?" he asked lowly not wanting the mysterious man to hear.
"Do you see," the God of Light whispered back to his concerned partner, "he holds the Staff of Triad."
Trowa drew in a troubled breath as the realization of who stood before him grabbed at his gut. "Decador." he hissed out the unholy name.
"The Staff of Triad." Duo repeated peering around his soldier, "What is that and who is Decador?"
"The Staff of Triad can only be carried by the Chosen One. The eagle is an icon of strength and power. The red stone represents blood. Three gold rings are for the Gods of Darkness Triad, War, Famine and Pestilence." Trowa explained, "The continuous circles symbolize completeness, the unbroken alliance with the unholy trinity.
Decador is a person and an entity, a being of energy in fleshy form. He is both a wizard and the evil emissary of the Fallen Angels, the holy ones who fell from grace when Satan was banished from Heaven. Decador holds sway over all the violent elements of nature and has used them to ruin mankind since the beginning of time."
"Very good Dark One." the scarlet draped wizard praised, "I see you are well versed in the ancient texts. But I fear you have not experienced the worse of my powers." he warned shaking the staff so that the rings bounced against each other. Their contact sent out a shrill wave of white noise that could have easily cracked the walls if the volume had been a full force.
"The Devil's servant or not," Heero sneered daring to lock his sight with Decador's boring orbs, "we will waste no more time. Step aside or I will run you through." he issued the only warning he was going to give.
Decador's expression did not change nor did he alter his blocking posture. A strong odor, a blending of sulfur and decay seemed to emanate from the sinister sorcerer. Once more a blanched fog drifted along the floor stones seeming to flow from no particular place. As the fog rose higher the room's temperature suddenly chilled.
With a dramatic flare the wizard threw back the scarlet overcape revealing blue and gold satin vestments. Decador wore the priestly robes for no other reasons than to defile the sacred garments. After all, he reasoned, what better way to show his superiority over those misguided fools at the Temple especially Chang Wufei who had fallen the furthest from grace.
"Do not try my patience human." Decador hissed leaning into the sword's honed tip, "Bargains can be broken." he declared then straightened again without further explanation of his cryptic statement.
"Bargains?" Trowa negatively nodded his head, "We will not bargain with you."
A sneer tugged at Decador's lips, "My bargain is not with you but with your defrocked comrade."
"Chang?" Quatre asked knowing that Decador would never make any deals with someone as limited in ability as Chang. "We do not understand."
"I believe Chang's covenant with me has something to do with his humanwhore." the wizard announced using the Staff to point at Duo. "You must have made quite an impression." he added as another smirk threaded across his mouth.
Heero bristled. The tip of his sword quivered not from fright but intense anger. "Enough of this!" he yelled as indignant rage boiled to the surface, "You will hold your damned tongue or I will..."
"Or you will what?" Decador spat back striking the Staff on the floor, raising sparks despite the damp mist. "No more mercy!" he roared his eyes flashing with fiery internal light. Lifting his free hand the Sorcerer flattened his palm. In the center a blue-white glow spun into a sphere emitting wavering streaks of energy. The "lightning fingers" shot out arcing and whipping in funnel-like circles. Without warning a single bolt sprang out sizzling along the sword's blade traveling its length in seconds. An explosion of light burst from the handle. The stench of burnt flesh filled the air just before Heero screamed in pain and dropped the white-hot weapon.
Duo intercepted his partner keeping him from sinking to the floor. Heero doubled over pressing his burnt hand to his chest, his face twisted in agony. "You demonic fiend!" Duo shouted supporting Heero with one hand and reaching for the glowing sword with the other.
"Duo no!" Quatre called grabbing up the sword then quickly stepped back beside Trowa.
Decador let a belly deep laugh bounce over the room, "I can see why Chang was willing to fight for you. You are made up of spit and fire my Pretty One." he mocked using Chang's twisted term of endearment as he reached out to touch Duo's flushed face. "Perhaps you can show me what skills you used to enamor Chang so completely as to cause him to risk his life to make a deal with me."
Duo drew back his hand letting an anger-clenched fist fly forward with enough determination to take off the evil wizard's head. With supernatural reflexes Decador's hand caught hold of Maxwell's wrist stopping the fist just inches from its intended target. A wringing twist caused Duo to cry out in pain, another downward turn bent his arm making sure he couldn't pull away.
"I will give you credit for courage," Decador stated increasing the pressure on Duo's wrist, "but your actions have done nothing to dissuade my interest, except I will not be as gentle." he promised giving his wrist another painful twist.
Heero drew in a quick breath afraid that Duo daring to spurn the wizard's attention had enraged Decador's already unstable mental balance. That his even more daring attack had pushed the Dark Lord's unpredictable and quite volatile temper pass the point of any redemptive hope.
"Duo. No." Heero whispered then held his next intake of air as the dread of what retaliatory reprisal Duo's actions might produce seized his mind and stabbed at his heart.
Duo, ignoring the pain in his arm, straightened sharply surprising the wizard with his show of strength. Without a moment's thought of the possible consequences he threw back his head and spat squarely in his wicked assailant's face. Then with a defiant stare in force Maxwell stood staunchly ready to suffer whatever punishment his contemptuous act might inspire.
A long silence one that seemed to last forever filled the room as if even the restless icy currents hid from the insane Sorcerer's wrathful reaction. His fingers on his free hand hooked roughly on the cord holding Duo's cross. Clearly Decador was still intent on his own brand of debauchery but it was obvious that he felt threatened by the holy symbol.
"Well, well." the lustful wizard's edgy voice finally broke the silence. He moped the spittle from his cheek and chin, "You do have spirit." He declared wiping his moist hand on his scarlet overcape, "If I had known how truly enchanting you could be I would have had you brought to me first instead of allowing the Dragon to have his way."
Suddenly Decador's hand left the cross and with a blur of motion flew free. Duo braced for the strike it was about to deliver. Heero and the immortals flinched in sympathetic anticipation of the painful slap. But the flattened palm raced pass with only a rush of air brushing by Duo's cheek. Instead of a hard hit the fingers grabbed a fistful of auburn hair with a powerful jerk.
Quatre felt Heero tense at his side his temper now sparked by Decador's assault. Trowa cut his eyes and told Yuy by a hard sideways nod to control his impulse to stop the wizard's aggression. Heero gritted his teeth. His jaw tightened as he fought, for his lover's sake, the urge to wrap his hands around the vile warlock's throat and wring out the profane hunger from his sordid soul's decaying core.
"Yes my Pretty One you could be quite a treat. But now let us see if you can as easily beguile the demons. Maybe you can use your delightfully sensuous charms to cool their bloodlust and spare yourself. Tell me is your wanton whoring good enough to save your lover and his pitiful friends, too?"
The Sorcerer's grip pulled back making sure that Duo could not escape his lecherous intensions. Duo closed his eyes shutting out Decador's leering grin. "But then," he hissed licking his tongue over Duo's cheek, "my legions might find your flesh as delicious as I do." he proclaimed with one more hard yank before letting go. "Go back to your scum you teasing harlot." he growled cutting his maddened eyes pass Duo to Heero.
"Decador." a voice called from the hallway, "We had a deal." it reminded in a stern tone. All eyes looked to the door as Chang walked through the thickening mist. He did not stop until he stood shoulder to shoulder with Hell's Dark Lord.
Duo used the opportunity to refocus on Heero who by now did not seem to be in as much pain. "Duo stay by me," he ordered, "there will be another time to finish this."
"So now you are making deals with Lucifer's bastard." Trowa addressed the Dragon, "What do you hope to gain? More power, a place at his side?" he shook his head, "You know Decador cannot be trusted."
"I have no other choice." Chang admitted tilting his head in Duo's direction. There was a surprising hint of sadness in Chang's black eyes. "I have righteous reasons. This time you must believe me." he stated. Again a hint of some softer sound touched his words.
"Reasons." Heero snorted in complete disdain, "Surely Chang's worthless reasons are not the sole purpose for our presence." he declared centering his harsh glare on Decador.
"And what do you think is the reason for your presence?" the Dark Lord Decador asked in a smug tone.
"You mean to kill us or make us wish that we were dead." Heero answered trying to keep wildly imagined scenes of suffering from invading his mind. He knew he had to maintain a clear head, not one bewitched by maddening designs of the circumstances of his death.
A very pleased smile spread over the wizard's furrow-creased features. Once more envisioned pictures of anguished torment stabbed through Heero's thoughts. "Oh no you are quite mistaken." The smile grew wider. "No, killing you out right would be too easy and besides where would be the sport in that? I intend for your demise to be more of a challenge. It seems some of Chang's demons have become restless, grown tired of their everyday plaguing of you mere mortals."
The wizard's merciless eyes centered on Heero, "Reports of your skill and resourcefulness as a soldier have been repeated many times in both your realm and mine and you have affirmed you courage by your willingness to dare my wrath."
Decador stepped forward. The smiled disappeared. "What I have purposed to the Dragon is a contest, a test you might call it. You and your allies against three of his best demon warriors, the representatives of nature's most basic elements, Earth, Wind and Fire. To make it a more stimulating match I will let you keep your weapons and give you the Dragon's entire domain within these castle walls as your battleground. I will even grant you a decent head start.
With those advantages," the evil warlock proclaimed, "you should be able to hold out a few moments longer, give my voracious devils some small competition before you lose and they tear you apart. Yes, flesh and bone is their favorite meal."
"As for you disloyal Priests," Decador continued, "since you see fit to keep company with humans then you should be like them. While you are engaging my champions your magic will be blocked. It should be interesting to find out just how good you are without your spells and illusions."
"And what happens if we win?" Heero offered a thin-lipped sneer displaying all the confidence he could muster.
The Dark Lord's smile returned but whether it was from amusement or sarcasm it was not clear, "If by some miracle you do defeat my legion and survive," he snorted at the mortal's folly in believing he could win, "then you will have earned your freedom."
"What guarantee do we have that you will keep your word?" Trowa asked shaking his head in disbelief.
Decador glared at the Dark God who dared to question the conditions of engagement, "I am still a man of truthful commitment," the rejected entity swore striking the Staff's end soundly on the stone floor, "My word is my bond." he announced gazing with wild-eyed wonder at the cross hanging around Duo's neck.
Quatre set his azure eyes squarely on Chang who promptly lowered his sight rather than look into the Fair One's heated scowl, "I cannot believe you think this vile Son of Satan will honor his word, you cannot be that stupid."
"The fight may not be fair but it is a chance." Chang answered, "I have done all I can to help you, please do not press your luck." he begged giving Duo another sad longing look.
Decador lifted the Staff of Triad holding it before his body. It was clear that he had reached his limits in dealing with the troublesome quartet of humans and immortals. "Now go from my sight before I change my mind and send all of you and the Dragon as well to the deepest regions of Hell. "GO!" the Devil's emissary screamed shaking the Staff in a pure fit of rage.
*********
Quatre and Trowa had often puzzled if all that was ascribed to Dark Lord Decador and his controlling capabilities were true. Had the tales that were told in the Temple been repeated and, in their constant retelling, become embellished until the narratives had taken on a life of their own? Had myth and fable and fact been so intermingled that the Sorcerer's monstrous mystique was but an illusion of power?
Or was the truth concealed in a mirage? Had a mind-curtain been thrown up by Decador to hide his evil nature until his strength had grown too great to overcome? Would what appeared as fallacy one day be proven real?
"I suppose we are about to discover the Chosen One's true nature." Quatre declared as they stepped through the door into the unknown.
TBC...
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