The High Queen's Vow [The Mystic Women of The Realm Series Book IV] (26 page)

San'lr'in’ undid her cloak, allowing it to drop to the floor, then used her eager powers to knock him well away from Sle'nel'. Fully enraged with barely controlled fury, she used her powers to throw him with the greatest of forces against the far wall. She heard a satisfying ‘thud’ as his body hit hard against the wall, and an even more satisfying groan of pain, and took the brief moment prior to his recovery to try to comfort her Elf. She placed her hand on her lover's head and sent her some strength and hope.

Sle'nel’ raised her head and looked at her, trying to smile, but unable to do so. Her face was now overly swollen to speak any further, but she tried, “Than'rn'...?"

The pain in Sle'nel's face and eyes made The High Queen's wrath burst, but while mixed in the extremes of emotion, she smiled tenderly at her lover, “We have arrived, My Bright Star."

As she spoke, she made a slight motion with her hand, undoing Sle'nel's shackles, helping her fall softly to the cave's floor. She covered her Elf's well tortured yet mostly exposed body with her cloak, seeing blood escape from her private areas, then returned her complete attentions to the Dark Sorcerer. She understood well the tortures that had caused that blood.

Her rage began to surge forward,
Now you suffer for these acts.

He had just managed to stand, sending a spell to her. She countered it, thinking it was a pitiful attempt on his part, hoping this was an indication that she had injured him. He picked up his sword and moved toward her.

He halted for a moment, “I didn't think you could arrive as quickly as this. But not soon enough, my red-haired lovely. While you have ruined my surprise for you, you did allow me the moments to have my pleasures with your treasured ones."

The High Queen forced herself to remain distant from this knowledge, but could feel her wrath at the very end of her fingertips, as her boiling hot hate rose up to her throat. She loathed him for what he had done, but could sense that he told the truth—he had his pleasures with Sle'nel'. She refused to allow her hate to engulf and force her into carelessness. She said nothing, knowing it would give away her anger, focusing intently on his actions, instead. She raised her sword and prepared herself to kill him.

"You are quite exceptional, my San'lr'in'thel'ineln', as our grandmother said. I believed her, but only mildly so, and now find myself fully captivated by your appearance."

She ignored his words, looking upon him carefully, sensing his powers. She could feel that they were stronger than she had first guessed. She motioned again with her hand, trying to throw him against the wall once more, but guessing that it wouldn't work on him upon the second attempt.

He raised his own hand, halting the spell just prior to it unleashing upon him. San'lr'in’ could see that he easily cast off the spell, “You called the former High Queens to you. A smart move, considering."

His words began to irritate her, “I care not at all for your thoughts."

He ignored her statement, “And your guard killed Grandmother. How sad for me.” He tried to look sad for a moment, then brightened, casting away his prior thought as if nothing, “Oh well, she was overly greedy and would have insisted I return the favors."

"I should have guessed that you learned from her."

He laughed, “I quite enjoy being in your realm, but enjoy it more because of your presence. I have watched you from afar since my return to The Realm. You are most exceptional."

She used another power, this one slightly stronger than the prior, testing his strength and abilities. As prior, he countered it easily.

He laughed again, “You are no match against me, San'lr'in'thel'ineln'. My sorcery is much stronger than yours and The First High Queen's powers. Even Drn'rn'thel'ineln’ was no match for me. Perhaps you remain unaware as to the strength of my sorcery. I have seen the sorcerers in this era and find them pitifully weak and useless. I am stronger than you and all the prior The High Queens."

She reminded herself,
Careful. Don't grow careless. Discover his weaknesses. Don't allow him to know of your true strength.

He stood gazing at her, into her eyes, trying to discover her secrets. She found his gaze and presence hypnotizing, but found him overly assured of his own abilities, easily casting aside his attempts to overtake her mind. She studied him for a moment, seeing that he was at least two-heads taller than she stood, with shiny black hair that hung freely down his back. As she examined him fully, she found herself unexplainably allured by his eyebrows that fully captured her attention, even away from the sparkle of his bluest of blue eyes, even bluer than Sam's. She distanced herself away from his forced presence, avoiding the charm he used so well to captivate and control his prey.

"You are truly astonishing, San'lr'in'thel'ineln'. I stand stunned in your presence. Although I must say, it was truly wonderful to take my pleasures with your Elf."

She fought to ignore his statement, feeling her body tense at the words. She knew that the long-prior sorcerers were powerful beyond anything now in The Realm, but guessed that he hadn't yet realized that she had been given many more powers than all the prior High Queens. She prepared herself to use his ignorance to her advantage, while she momentarily touched the large red stone.

He will lose because of his arrogance. This is one of his weaknesses.

She pushed his statement aside, “Release your powers to Me. I would then assure your safety in this realm for the duration of your pitiful lifespan."

"How very generous of you, High Queen. But your powers are no match for mine, even though I sense that you are well more powerful than your First High Queen, Drn'rn'thel'ineln'. And she wasn't nearly as beautiful as you. It will be a pity to have to kill you. Join me, San'lr'in'thel'ineln'. Join me so that I don't have to kill such beauty as yours. Drn'rn'thel'ineln’ seemed to enjoy my companionship, or shall I say offerings, quite well. I would strive to please you."

Using another small power, she sent a ball of fire at him, testing his strength. He repelled it, but not as easily as prior. She took careful note of his abilities.

"Your self-involved talk is tedious."

She heard Caitha and The Healer moan, and saw that Sle'nel’ was more injured than she had first thought, but once again forced herself to remain distant from them, keeping the main task at-hand. She fought against her rage as she fought against the Dark Sorcerer, refusing to lose to neither. But it was taking all her strength and powers to do so.

"Your Elf cannot give you what I can, San'lr'in'thel'ineln'. I can take away all your responsibilities for you. No longer will you have to take on this burden. Although I must say, the Elf does manage to give a considerable amount through her pleasures. I could not get enough of moving strongly into her. Each moment with her was better than the prior. The feeling was like no other.” He leered at her, “But you know well of this, don't you, my Love."

Her eyes narrowed at the thought of what he had done to Sle'nel', but she resisted the urge to attempt to kill him at this moment, choosing to wait until she could be certain of his defeat. She knew he was taunting her, but felt as if her rage were about to burst out of her skin.

Don't risk this loss. You must not lose this battle. Your moment will come.

She took great care to make no mistakes with him. She studied him more carefully, wondering as to why he despised the Elves so.

"Tell me, Sorcerer. Are you related to Sume'n'tinel'ti'non?"

"I am related to all three of you, including your eldest sister. But she is far removed from your beauty and hasn't the powers you possess."

She took a guess, “You are a R'kin'dles."

He held out his arm, and his staff came flying to him. With great anger, he said, “I am part R'kin'dles, and am vowed to rid The Realm of Elves. They have done nothing but harm to the R'kin'dles."

He held his staff out from him and sent a spell meant to blind her. She held up her sword, using it to repel the spell easily prior to it even touching her. She knew that he was testing her strength.

He laughed, “Your are quick minded, also. I am pleased. You are an able opponent."

She said nothing, but saw that he studied the sword for a moment. His eyebrows rose as he made the connection, his eyes widening in surprise, “How is this possible? How could you have The High Queen's Sword? This sword should have been long-prior buried with Drn'rn'thel'ineln'."

"Quite startling, is it not? Yet, here it is.” She refused to tell him any further of the tale.

"I am surprised, but am pleased as to your abilities. It makes you all the more fascinating ... and desirable."

"I care nothing about pleasing you."

"Have you not the slightest curiosity regarding me, my Love?"

"No."

He wasn't pleased with her answer, seeing that his well-practiced charms were ineffectual against this High Queen. He cast another spell and sent it her way, a spell meant to rid her of Sle'nel's staff. She held out her hand quickly, and as easily as she had prior, cast off the spell.

"You are not as strong as you believe of yourself, Sorcerer."

Quietly and without movement, she called the power of confusion to her, then as quickly cast it upon the Dark Sorcerer. It was a small and mostly insignificant power, but like him, she used it to test his alertness and abilities.

He had been slightly unguarded. The spell confused him for a short moment, and then he cast it suddenly away, “A spell of confusion? You hold sorcerer powers as well, my beauty? I am surprised yet again. This I knew not of you. You are indeed most intriguing."

He sent another spell to her. Instead of repelling it, she took the spell into herself, now owning it. She noted that it had been a spell of turning one into stone. As she took the spell from him, he grew angry.

"You cannot do this. You cannot remove my spells from me!"

"I can if you choose to give them to Me. You have no such an ability, oh mighty one?” She laughed lightly, irritating him even further, but also bewildering him. He wondered if she would be able to do this with each spell he sent to her. Few across all The Realm's eras had such a power as this.

He tried again. As prior, she took the spell as one of her own. She felt that it had been even a stronger spell, as he tried to kill her this moment. She remained well focused, knowing that she was yet learning his limits.

Using his staff, he sent a spell meant to throw San'lr'in’ a long distance, but again she took the spell as her own. Then suddenly, she brought Sle'nel's staff forward and cast a spell of her own, making his staff to fly to her. He hadn't been prepared for the quickness of such a move.

As his staff jerked out of his hand, he screamed, “Nooooooo! Not my staff!"

She grabbed his staff as it flew to her, studied it, then after a brief moment of a quick quiet chant, broke it in half. She looked up quickly, preparing herself for his anger. She saw that he was fully surprised at what she had done, but had picked up a sword again.

"You choose to engage me in a sword dance, Sorcerer?” She could now feel his anger growing against her.

"I am much stronger than you. Prepare to die."

"You are stupid, Sorcerer. And I had thought you to be more intelligent than this."

He lunged at her, thinking her to be mostly unskilled in the sword. She scoffed at his attempt, hitting him on the back with the hilt of her sword as he went flying by her, uncontrolled.

"DON'T LAUGH AT ME!"

He shows his weakness!
She laughed, knowing it would anger him further, “But you are pathetic and ridiculous."

She became angered at herself for a brief moment, realizing that she should have killed him upon that moment. But she let her anger depart as quickly, knowing that she could take no risk in this; knowing that when she went to kill him, the moment must be well assured.

He charged at her, bringing his sword down at her with full force. She held it off, then made a few swift moves from her long-prior training, mystifying him with her abilities.

"How do you know of such moves?"

She shrugged as if they were nothing, “These Master moves, Sorcerer? They are just a simple diversion of mine."

He tried again, but as prior she evaded his blows easily, mocking his attempts. He ran over to Sle'nel', holding the sword to her eye, “Here is what I have waited for. Here is my present to you."

Her anger yet trying to break loose, San'lr'in’ cast it aside as she waved her hand slightly, making his sword come flying to her. She caught it, then sent a spell his way, causing him to fall to the floor.

He was now fully engulfed within his own rage against her. He held out both hands and sent a huge flame to San'lr'in', intending to consume her. Using her great powers, she bounced the flame of energy back to him as if it were mere child's play. He caught it, but it had cost him much effort to do so. He then sent another spell to her, trying to kill her by boiling within. The spell caught her off-guard in its strength. She grew angry with herself, knowing that she had sensed the great power within the spell just a brief moment to it causing her to lose.

NO! Be more careful. Think! Prepare yourself.

As she diverted it, he sent yet another spell of a giant poisoned and angry snake. She had to cast another spell onto it swiftly so as to avoid its attack, but did so, sending it back to the Dark Sorcerer. He had to react even more quickly than The High Queen to avoid its venom aimed at him, as her spell had been even stronger.

"You are stronger than I had first imagined."

"I grow weary of you."

She sensed him growing weaker, but also angrier. She knew she would have to act soon prior to his anger being unleashed. She remained cautious, knowing she could make no mistakes with him.

Focus your training. You cannot lose, or all The Realm loses.

They fought between themselves for many more long moments, with her raising the strength at each attempt, testing him. With highly trained focus and skill, she waited for the correct moment as she continued to study his powers and abilities. She realized that all her long hard moments of training were now singularly focused for this moment, only. All her training, all her powers and guile, all her agility, all brought forward for this one test of wills and strength.