Soul of the Sorcerer - Part Three: Daughter of the Dragon (28 page)

The human that Mordja currently possessed, was a pitiful example of the weakness of spirit at the lower end of humanity. Mordja had found him asleep in a cardboard box under a highway flyover; there had been no attempt at resistance when Mordja had pressed his head to that of the filthy man, who was not even in his thirties.

The reason for lack of resistance Mordja was soon to discover, when he scanned what remained of the man’s mind. The man’s name, or at least real name, was a blur; in his mind he was Ace and had proclaimed his name as Ace for a very long time. Mordja chuckled…anyone that would self-appoint their name as Ace was on a slippery path to twat-hood…as far as he was concerned. At school Ace had been the cocky pupil, who would drive the teachers wild with his backchat and classroom distractions. But Ace was too good for school, all those teachers were control freaks denying him his right of free speech and self-expression.

As soon as Ace had reached this conclusion he had started to bunk off from school and mixed with the
wrong crowd
, as his Mum used to say. Soon the smoking started, then the steady descent into soft and then harder and harder drugs.

Ace was in control though, people who call themselves Ace always are.

The first time he sold his body, to a fat creepy old man, for twenty bucks, so that he could get another hit, had been the first crack in Ace’s opinion of himself. Day after day this crack widened, until only the near empty husk of the once arrogant person remained.

Mordja was a Daemon, an evil one at that, and even he nearly heaved at the foul remnants of a failed personality. Ace had never contributed anything to society. He had produced no works of art, giving an insight to his soul; all he ever had done was criticise anyone else who did. His grand value was zero. In fact, the only contribution he would make would be now.

Mordja disgusted with how pathetic this host was, had left it only moments after he had taken it. The Daemon felt weak, however, and needed sustenance. As much as it sickened him to eat such tainted and weak flesh, Ace would be a perfect appetiser until he could find something more fulfilling.

His next host was a confusing mix of emotions and unsubstantiated opinions. Her name was Irena Misatima. She was a large woman of Hispanic descent and was the strange, but not necessarily exclusive, combination of being both a staunch Catholic and also a Psychic.

Today, obviously, her clairvoyant abilities were a little under par.

Mordja had entered her while her back was turned locking the door to her Psychic Surgery, as she had named it.

Compared to Ace, Irena was a veritable saint; especially as far as contributing to society was concerned. Mordja had initially chuckled at the infrastructure of dodgy logic she had used to mix her religious beliefs and its doctrine; which many would claim does not support the nature of her day job.

 He had been impressed, however, with her particular deductive skill set which she used to trick her unknowing victims out of their money. Mordja decided to stay in Irena for a couple of days while he caught up with events of the world.

This had, unfortunately, meant suffering her equally fat husband laying upon her that evening. Mordja assumed that deciding to just lay there, with no encouragement, must have been the norm; as when the husband climaxed, within about thirty seconds, he had seemed pretty satisfied.

With the husband snoring, Mordja decided to switch on the television in the lounge and watch the news. Images of battles in some strange land flickered on the screen; the people of this world seemed particularly warlike and more disharmonious than those of Kalana. It would be an easy world for his kind to conquer, if he could get a portal open here.

Mordja pondered this. As far as he knew, wizards were no longer a natural occurrence on this world. However, he had detected the tiniest hint of his original prey on this world. The Sorcerer had no doubt returned, but at the moment he was thousands of miles away on another continent. No this was not an option, not yet at least. Mordja needed a plan...his attention was drawn back to the television, where a grey haired tanned reporter was standing outside the skyscraper headquarters of some company; its logo IWS showing very clearly in bold silver letters, behind him.

“So all in all, it’s a great day for US business and for Intelligent Weapon Systems in particular, here’s what CEO Meredith Dubro had to say about the billion dollar Saudi deal.”

The television cut to a woman in her early thirties, with blonde hair pulled back into a ponytail; she looked quite tall and imposing in her office suit, her thin framed glasses only adding to the intelligence showing in her steely blue eyes.

“This deal to supply the Saudi Arabian army with our latest semi-autonomous air and ground defence vehicles means that the Saudi Arabian people can feel secure in an area where there are many unstable states. For the American people it means we are supporting our friends in Saudi Arabia and, of course, securing jobs for several years to come.”

“Miss Dubro, what kind of result is this for you personally, are you looking forward to a nice bonus?” The reporter who had introduced the piece earlier asked.

Meredith Dubro laughed as she responded to the reporter.

“Well as you know Jeremy, as I own most of the company, my bonus is that it’s doing well. It also means our employees do well and, of course, our shareholders. But I might treat myself to a new yacht, maybe with a helicopter.”

   Mordja fixed Meredith Dubro’s face in his mind. From the memory of Irena he knew that the headquarters shown had been in New York; far to the north and east, on the continent he now resided.

The wedding reception, in a function room of the large hotel in which they were all staying, had flown by.

The highlight of the dinner had been Paul Watson’s speech; which had been a masterpiece of saying everything and saying nothing about Lloyd, his powers and his supernatural friends.

One particular line, which had made Edala give Lloyd a long inquisitive stare, was;

“And as for the stag night, I’m looking forward to Edala seeing her special present later tonight!”

After the dinner, the disco began and it had been hilarious watching Jenny Clark insist on getting Kenelm, Ingemar, Darrion and Allen onto the floor to teach them the latest dance craze. The hysterics that had ensued had finally gotten everyone onto the floor. When the slow dances began Lloyd, of course, happily pulled his wife into a slow moving embrace. Jenny Clark, slightly drunk by this stage, had ended up dancing head to shoulder with Allen.

“Errm, yours I believe!” Bethany’s firm voice startled the emo punk as the redhead appeared dragging Reese Woodgate behind her.

“You’re in enough trouble with me already Jenny Clark; I’m just lucky that Amy’s foundation cream covered your handiwork!”

Jenny was too drunk to blush or respond, even with anger, and instead traded partners with the redhead. Jenny and Reese were soon eating each others’ faces.

“Now Allen, son of Frank, what was that all about? You are mine and mine alone!”

“She moved too fast for me and it would have been rude to refuse her” he grinned.

“Hmmm okay I forgive you, now less talking more kissing!” she said, determined that she and Allen could out do Reese and Jenny.

At about eleven o’clock Amy insisted that it was time for Edala and Lloyd to retire to the bridal suite. This, of course, was easier said than done. The elongated goodnight ritual of making sure you speak to everyone before retiring, took another thirty minutes.

Finally, the only people who remained to say goodnight to were Ingemar and Boadaiska, and Amy and Darrion.

Ingemar was currently nestling his youngest daughter in one arm with Boadaiska proudly entwined with the other. He reluctantly let his wife go as she moved forward to embrace Lloyd and Edala.

“Remember, it is the wolf clan tradition that on the wedding night the woman must finish first, your father was a little disappointing on this front!”

“In my own defence I found the whole naked ceremony thing very arousing” Ingemar shrugged with a grin.

“I will try my best” Lloyd said kissing Boadaiska on the cheek; he then moved to kiss Louise on the forehead, “Goodnight little sister in-law”. He then shook Ingemar’s huge hand and tried not to grimace at the firm pressure.

“Lloyd Brook, I am proud to have you as a son.”

“And I am proud to call you Father” Lloyd responded.

The giant man then handed Louise to Boadaiska to scoop up Edala.

“You child were always my favourite, although you might have a little competition now!” he said looking at the baby in Boadaiska’s arms.

“These visions, or memories, you have been given by the ebony Daemon are a gift we must treasure and events we must prevent. I wish for Louise to have a playmate in the form of her niece or hopefully nephew. And you and Lloyd deserve a lifetime of happiness together.”

Edala was finding it hard not to cry as she responded; “As do you and Boadaiska Father”. She then kissed him firmly on each cheek before turning with Lloyd towards Amy and Darrion.

Behind them other friends still graced the dance floor.

“I can’t believe I now have a daughter” Amy grinned, hugging the smaller Dragon-Girl.

“And I a Mother” Edala responded, squeezing Amy tighter.

“And don’t worry, you are in good hands here, I will make sure nothing will happen to you or the child.”

“So I guess I get to call you Dad now?” Lloyd asked Darrion with a grin. His old master laughed and then jumped with shock when Edala suddenly leapt into his arms.

“Calling you Dad does sound better than Master” she said planting a goodnight kiss on Darrion’s right cheek.

The master eased out of her embrace and returned the kiss.

“Technically speaking, the laws of Arren dictate that you can’t call me anything else other than Master until you are yourself a Master, just ask Kenelm here.”

“I’m not fussed about that right now, I just want you two to get up those stairs so that Susan and I can follow you!” he said with a grin. Susan, who was standing behind him, high heels in hand, did not dispute the monk’s urgency.

“Yes you two, off you go!” Amy added with a final peck on the bride and groom’s cheeks.

Behind them, on the dance floor, Paul Watson was dancing with the ebony Daemon Themisia. He had not really given her a glance before, because, for one she was pregnant, and two she was just a little too exotic for his tastes. But now, however, her eyes were locked onto his, and all he knew was that he wanted her and that she wanted him, and tonight would be a good night.

Lloyd and Edala had had a very good night; he wasn’t entirely certain whether the clan tradition had been met, at least not maybe the first time. This had been a little frantic and over eager, in fact they knocked over the bedside light in their keenness to get naked.

They had therefore made love in the dark; only their outlines illuminated by the moonlight streaming through the window. The first time they made love that evening, they merged their soul portals; as they had on every occasion, since they had discovered the elation this caused. The second time, a little later on, they did not. Instead this was a thoughtful, gentle love making, each intending to make sure the other’s deepest desires were satisfied.

Edala awoke the next morning to a stream of sunlight flooding the bridal suite. In her eagerness, the night before, she had not noticed how large the bed was and also how luxurious the furnishings in the room were; including expensive sofas and a huge television.

She looked down at her husband, quilt only covering him from the waist down. She traced a finger gently over his stomach muscles, which seemed to be developing nicely of late, and kissed him on the lips. He was still in a deep sleep but a smile appeared on his face and he unconsciously reached a hand out to try and caress her breasts.

Edala smiled and pushed his arm away, noticing for the first time the crudely drawn dragon tattoo on his right arm. Her heart stopped as she recognised the image she had seen in the exact same position on the Ebony Being.

Her eyes filled with tears and she had to put a hand to her mouth to mask her sob; her mind racing back through the events where she had seen the creature...including the time he had raped Themisia...Lloyd had raped Themisia!

She wanted to shake him awake then and there, but she then remembered there had been a female ebony Daemon and she knew immediately who it was. Edala got quietly out of bed and put on one of the large white hotel bathrobes. She then, stealthily, made her way from the room into the garishly carpeted corridor. She remembered that Bethany and Themisia’s room had been four doors down on the opposite side from her and Lloyd’s.

She tapped quietly, but urgently, on the door “Bethany it’s me, open up!”

There was a groan before she heard Bethany say “Go open the door.”

The door creaked open to reveal Allen, wrapped like Edala, in a hotel bathrobe.

Although Edala was shocked; she would claim on hindsight that she was not surprised. She brushed by the young man to the double bed that Bethany was meant to be sharing with Themisia. Bethany, her hair a mess, sat up clutching the bed clothes to her neck.

“What’s up?” she asked, her eyes squinting at the brightness of the light that Allen had just turned on.

“Show me the top of your breasts!”

“Huh?”

“Just do it!” Edala demanded.

Bethany eased down the covers, there was no dragon tattoo…no wait…what was that black mark? Edala moved closer and rubbed her hand over the mark, removing more and more of the foundation to reveal an identical dragon tattoo to that of Lloyd’s.

“Bethany, you and Lloyd are the Ebony Beings!” the Dragon-Girl said, looking into Bethany’s eyes.

“What are you on about?” the redhead replied, looking at the tattoo.

“I told you that the beings were covered in tattoos and I noticed that both had a tattoo of a rearing dragon, just like this one and exactly where you and Lloyd have them.”

“It wasn’t just me and Lloyd who Jenny tattooed; it was Paul and Allen and even herself, so how can you be certain?”

“Show me” Edala asked the ambassador. Allen pulled open the top of the robe to reveal the same tattoo in the identical place to Lloyds. Edala mulled over the possibilities for several seconds.

“No, my mind wants to think that maybe it wasn’t Lloyd, but in my heart I can feel that it is. That moment when the memories were implanted I could feel a lust for me overtake him. It was only after a fight that he regained control of himself and I could sense regret, even remorse, at what he had tried to do.”

“By the Lord Creator, he raped Themisia and is the father of her child!” Bethany said in shock, realising just a fraction of the complex implications and potential ability of the child Themisia carried within her.

“Bethany, Allen, we must not tell Lloyd or anyone else, it will destroy him to know what the future may hold for him. You and he obviously returned from the future in the hope that keeping me and my child alive will alter the path we are all on.”

“We will not say a word. We have witnessed that Lloyd is capable of acts which many would deem evil, but I know, also in my heart, that these acts do not come from him, he is a good man and an honest person” Bethany responded.

“Thank you Beth, Allen, it will be on us three to ensure that he does not become this Daemon... And no more tattoos for either of you! By the way, where is Themisia?”

“She and Paul seemed to be getting very close last night on the dance floor, I think she went to his room” Bethany replied.

Edala nodded with a slight smile and headed for the door. “Remember this stays between us three!”

Back in the bridal sweet the sound of the shower running, indicated that Lloyd was up. Edala walked into the bathroom and studied the indistinct form of her husband, behind the frosted glass of the walk-in shower.  “
Remember show no emotion; don’t give away what you know”,
she said to herself,
“he is not yet that creature, I will make sure he never becomes it.”

“Hey husband” she said dropping her robe to the floor and stepping into the shower to join him.