Story: Shadowdarke--- Darke Diffusion
by J. Darksong
* * *
A silence embodied the conference room, as the two
commandos stood, relating their mission to the occupants of the
room. A civilian, Shelley Preston, also sat in the corner. A close
personal friend of the target, she was allowed in the debriefing by
Colonel Benson, who sat behind his desk, waiting. The fact that she
had been the one to alert the Colonel as to their Commander's distress
did not go unnoticed. The two commandos had nodded once to
Ms. Preston, in acknowledgment, before starting.
"Sir," the woman, Sergeant Evans, began. "We made our way
through the compound, and reached our objective, but..." she trailed
off a bit, uncertainly, glancing at her partner.
"You see, Colonel," the man picked up, "the target, Mr. Darke,
He'd been undergoing some kind of... of torture. He was being held in
the lab, where the scientists were apparently experimenting on Him. By
the time we got there, it was too late."
For an instant, Shelley's heart stopped. "You mean... He's
dead?"
"No," the man shook his head. "Not dead... I mean... hell, I
don't know what they were doing in that lab before it got blown all to
hell, but the man looked like walking death itself. He was alive,
but... well, I don't know how to describe it, sir. He looked
malnourished, as if they'd tried to starve him to death. Nothing but
skin and bones, and his skin was red and raw, and badly scarred and
burnt. I was surprised he could even stand... yet when we entered the
room, he'd apparently killed several hostiles and had another in a
chokehold, strangling the life out of him." The sergeant shook his
head again, in disbelief. "Damnest thing I'd even seen in my life. He
had been pushed over the edge, sir. When he saw us, he..." Sergeant
Matthews shook his head again, this time in an attempt to shake off
the icy trickle moving down his spine.
"Yes?" the Colonel prompted. "He what? What did he DO,
Seargeant?"
Again, the two sergeants glanced at each other, unsure how to
proceed. Standing up in his impatience, the Colonel growled. "Alright
then. Out with it. There's something you two are not saying, and I
want you to spit it out now! No more beating around the bush,
Sergeanst Evans, what happened out there?"
"I can answer that," a weary female voice called from the
doorway. Janice walked inside the room, nursing a bandaged arm
treated by the company medic, extending the other to the Colonel. "You
must be the infamous 'Colonel' He spoke of so often."
"And you would be Janice Meadows," he returned, nodding slightly
for her to sit. "I've heard a bit about you from Him as well."
Ex-military, served in the Persian Gulf for four
years. Trained in combat, and commando tactics, but left to pursue a
career in the private sector. A bad career move that ended up playing
an integral part in Mr. Darke's capture, turning him in to her former
colleagues at the Organization. This mess is her fault, but she
apparently knows it, from the guilt and worry etched on her otherwise
lovely face. She feels responsible, and rightly so, but perhaps she
can help make it right.
"We can dispense with the pleasantries later," he continued
brusquely. "Tell me, Ms. Meadows. What happened in that basement lab
that everyone is so reluctant to discuss?"
Janice took a moment to collect her thoughts. "Well Colonel,"
she began, "as they've no doubt told you, all of our efforts to rescue
Mr. Darke were wasted. He'd already managed to escape and free
Himself. Unfortunately, He had to go through hell and back to do
it."
Janice glanced at Shelley, and felt a sympathy for the girl, for
having to learn what she had already seen. "He's not the same
anymore. Whatever they did to Him down there affected Him badly. He
was... out of control. When we arrived, He had just killed someone
with---" glancing at the two soldiers, unsure of just how much they
knew, "---with His bare hands. There was a Madness in His eyes, and He
started towards us, either not knowing who we were or not caring. I
reached out to Him, called out to Him, and finally was able to break
through to the real Him in time, but it was a close thing." Janice
sighed deeply, remembering the pained look in His eyes once He had
realized what He'd done. "In the end, He simply left. He took off
alone, probably to spare us all from whatever was eating Him up
inside."
"But... but where did He go?" Shelley asked
plaintively. Throughout the telling of events, she had gone through
the entire range of emotions, from relief at knowing He was still
alive, to horror, as she found out about the killing, to a deep sense
of despair at the news that He had simply walked away and
disappeared. Again. "Surely you followed Him and tried to persuade
Him to return with you?"
"That's the damnest part," Sergeant Evans commented. "He left
ahead to 'clear the way', whatever that meant. We were right behind,
but somehow or another, He'd managed to spirit Himself away somehow. I
mean, we were right behind Him, then a second later, He was
gone. Vanished. We never saw a sign of Him after that, though we did
run into more of His... handiwork, on the way out."
"One more thing, Colonel," Sergeant Matthews said after a
moment. "He asked us to deliver a message to you, just before He
left. He said, 'Tell him it's over. The mission is completed. Run
Operation 1732 then disconnect.' He said you'd know what it meant,
sir."
"I see." The Colonel sighed deeply, leaning back in his
chair.
To Shelley, the man who had seemed so indomitable throughout the
whole crisis suddenly seemed to age, as if the stress of recent events
had pulled the plug on his endless store of energy. She wondered
briefly how she herself looked; she knew she must have aged ten years
tonight from worry alone.
"Alright, men," the Colonel said after a moment. "You did an
excellent job. I'm proud of you both. You helped free the target, even
if indirectly, and you helped rescue Ms. Meadows here. We're done
here, and we move out within the hour. Go see and see the medic, let
him check you over, then head up to the Evac site. I'll debrief you
when we get airborne." The two sergeants rose to their feet, saluted,
and walked out.
Once they were alone, the Colonel reached inside his desk
drawer, took out a flask of brandy, and downed half of it in one
gulp. Shaking his head, he breathed deeply and turned to the two
women. "Let me put the cards on the table, ladies. The Commander
always knew that one day He might be co-opted by someone, taken by a
stronger Ancient and turned, used as a weapon against the Others, or
against us. In the time I've been working with Him, we've worked out a
system for every contingency." The old man sighed, taking another
heavy dose of brandy. "Operation 1732: a covert-level, no-mercy strike
on Him, personally. He has just ordered me to take Him
out. Hard."
"NO!" Shelley cried out, while Janice yelled, "You can't!" but
Colonel Benson slammed a fist down on the desk, silencing them.
"AT EASE, ladies. Relax. I don't plan to go through with it. He
needs help, something that perhaps the two of you can do. I can't go
after Him, and I WON'T, not unless He's so far gone that He comes
after me or my men. We'll defend ourselves, but we'll not hunt Him
down like some rabid animal. I owe him too much." The Colonel sighed,
images of his youth swimming before his face.
An assignment in Pakistan. His young wife and son caught in an
explosion meant for him. Lying there, barely breathing, covered in
blood, so much blood... and then a voice, close to him, inside his
head, promising to save them, save them both, asking only for loyalty
in return. He'd no doubt say I've repaid that debt a hundred times
over, but it would take a hundred lifetimes to give back what He gave
me.
"Now," he continued after a moment. "That said, I know you two
can find Him. Ms. Meadows, I know of your... abilities. If anyone can
find Mr. Darke, you can. You, better than anyone, know what He is
going through, what you will be facing."
"Of course," she responded. "I plan to start looking for him as
soon as I'm finished here."
Nodding, he turned to face Shelley. "Ms. Preston, I'd advise
YOU, however, to stay away. You're a lawyer, with no training, or
skills, to help you in what could very well be a battle to the
death. But... I know you heart, and your devotion to Him won't allow
you to stay away, no matter what I say. So, go with Ms. Meadows.
Perhaps the two of you together can reach Him." Glancing at his watch,
he reluctantly got to his feet. "I must be going now. I've got much to
do, and little time to accomplish it. I wish you all the best of
luck."
"And to you, as well, Colonel," Janice said softly. "What will
they do to you over this when you return to the States?"
Shelley stood there in confusion, not understanding, as the
Colonel sighed, seeming to sag even deeper under this new weight. The
old Colonel turned to Janice, pondering his situation.A court
martial, I suppose. Not that I mind too much. I knew when I ordered
the strike that I would be finished. No matter how well we have
concealed our actions here, eventually England's MI5 or the CIA, or
some other group will discover just who's responsible.
He shook his head. "It doesn't matter what my superiors do to
me. Even if they lock me up and throw away the key, I'll survive. I'm
an old warhorse, Ms. Meadows. They won't break me."
Finally it clicked in Shelley's mind. The Colonel was now a
marked man in his own country. "Why?" Shelley managed after a
moment. "Why did you do this? Why'd you risk everything to save Him?"
The Colonel paused at the doorway, and turned back to look at
Ms. Preston one last time.
"Wouldn't you have done the same?" he said with a sad smile as
he left the room.
* * *
Jonothan Darke gazed out at the moonlit sky, breathing deeply,
letting the cool night wind flow over and through him, as if enough
exposure could cool the deep throbbing burn within his soul. The
darkness welled up within him at the thought, and for a moment, the
murderous rage consumed him, tormenting him with images of his
enemies, of those who had fought against him, had hurt him, over the
countless years. With an effort, he forced it back, cajoling,
pummeling, and forcing it back down again. Only when his vision had
cleared again, and he could once more see the shining stars twinkling
above, did he breath a sigh of relief.
The battle within takes its toll on me. I'd hoped to be able
to complete this journey in my own way, in my own style, but things
have gotten out of hand. Yet another of Life's Little Ironies-- to
have scraped by and endured for centuries, surviving encounters with
the Salamander, the Horror, and the Spider, and yet brought low by
mere humans and their technology. Even the Serpent, or rather her new
pale 'Shadow', managed to humiliate me! Images flooded his mind:
D'Amber's taunting smirk as she released him from his bondage,
ordering him out... Jackal's arrogant sneer as he pointed his gun into
Darke's face... the mad doctor's wicked smile as he turned on his evil
machine... The dark rage bubbling just beneath the surface swelled and
burst forth again.
With a savage cry, he struck out mindlessly, instinctively,
falling to the ground, letting the Darkness within him flow
outward. When his eyes cleared once more, he gasped softly, looking at
the ruined earth beneath his feet, the dead and dying shrubs and brush
in his vicinity. Seeing the damage his loss of control had caused, he
closed his eyes again.
Sketi... even worse off than I had thought. My balance is
completely gone. If I can't find it again, and soon, I may go the way
of Ragnihr, and become a Dark Soul, feeding on others, draining them
of their life like the dreaded vampir of the books and
movies. Bloodsuckers, indeed. If those writers truly knew from where
those dark ideas originated, of the real Dracul of ages past, they'd
have been too afraid to even think of writing it down.
Thoughts of Ragnihr conjured up thoughts of his sister, Kresta,
and again his gaze turned dark. Kresta was far too young and too
innocent to deserve such a fate. Have I avenged my sister's murder
only to finally become the very embodiment of her killer? He swore
softly, promising her dead spirit that he would rather die than become
like Ragnihr.
Getting back to his feet, he trudged on, moving forward through
the frozen, rocky ground, heading on towards his destination. Things
were coming to a head. The River spoke to him, sending him the cries,
the pain and agony of its victims, the dark fury swelling and churning
within its depths, matching that within himself. The Dragon, Celestial
Fu, was up to something, trying to flood the Great River with her
evil, rending the life energies of innocents in some mad plot. The
desperate last moments of each victim's life sang to him
silently, a montage of pain and suffering, of words and images, that
he was struggling to comprehend. Something had to be done to stop this
defilement. Someone would have to stand against her, and soon. Darke
knew he was no match for her, that compared to her, he was nothing, an
insect, to be swatted away, or squished under her heel. And yet, he
had changed. Had BEEN changed by the River, altered, perhaps
forever.
An insect, yes. But even the tiniest of insects can be a
nuisance. Even an insect may be deadly, if it carries venom. By your
own hand, you've given me enough venom to down a Titan. But first, I
must find my balance, lest I succumb to my own poison.
* * *
"Are you sure he's there?" Shelley asked again.
Janice Meadows panted slightly, watching as her breath misted
before her eyes, becoming a fog that dissipated moments later. Several
lengths behind her, Shelley Preston gasped for breath, striving to
keep her teeth from chattering as she took in one frigid breath of air
after another. After more than six days trekking across the frozen
icecap, she hadn't yet managed to adapt to the cold. Janice had been
sorely tempted to leave her behind after the first day, when the
well-bred, civilized city girl had raised much ado about sleeping
under the stars. "You're from Canada, for Christ's sake!"
Janice had exclaimed in exasperation when she complained for the
umpteenth time. "I would think living so near the Arctic Circle
you'd be used to a little cold!" Unfortunately, the lawyer
habitated in a climate-controlled, split level manor house, worked in
a temperature regulated office building, and summered in an expensive
beach house in the Florida Keys. And in the entirety of her thirty-six
years, she had never once been camping.
"Do you really think He's out here?" Shelley asked, wasting the
precious air of her lungs to ask another pointless question. "I mean,
it's so barren out here, just frozen ground, volcanic rock, shrubs and
grass, and ice! Who could live out here? Who would WANT to live out
here?" Janice merely grunted loudly, not bothering to reply. Darke was
definitely there. Her 'Radar' had locked onto him tight and steady,
and now that he was no longer trying to hide himself, she doubted that
she could miss him if she were blindfolded and muffled.
Of course, I could have been there much sooner if I weren't
dragging along little Miss Useless behind me, she thought
venomously. Why I ever agreed to bring her along, I'll never
know. True, she did have the money and connections to get us equipped
with clothing, gear, and a quick flight out here to the middle of
nowhere, all on incredibly short notice. Still, once I'd located His
position, I should have thanked her for the help and took off by
myself.
Shelley stumbled along, trying unsuccessfully to ignore the
jarring pain in her nearly frostbitten feet that accompanied every
step, trying to will more warmth into her body, struggling to keep up
with the hardened, woods-wary, warrior woman. She knew Janice resented
her being here, that her presence was slowing the other woman down,
and that if she thought Shelley could possibly survive in the woods
alone long enough to make her way back to civilization, she would have
left her behind in a heartbeat. She knew all this, and the shame it
caused chafed her constantly. Yet, she couldn't turn away. Shelley was
determined to be there when Janice finally caught up with Darke. It
was more than just wanting to be there. Something inside her, some gut
feeling, told her that she HAD to be there. She couldn't
explain it, not to herself, let alone to Janice, but she was
determined to endure every hardship and trial in order to reach her
Master again.
The ice began to give way more and more to the hard half-frozen
ground, and Shelley began to notice the temperature starting to rise
the further they traveled. The land around them now seemed to be alive
with geothermic activity, and she recalled reading somewhere that
Iceland was a well known center of geysers and volcanos and hot
springs. The thought of volcanos and geysers worried her somewhat, but
the idea of a nice hot spring definitely appealed to her right
now.
They traveled for three more days, through the sparse underbrush
and grasslands up into the high range of cliffs overlooking a
fjord. Shelley had to admit there was something strangely peaceful and
majestic about the land, with its rising peaks and low white
landscapes, so reminiscent of her native Canada. Not nearly as densely
populated, the silent world around her held an almost mystical feel,
as if the wonders of the past slept deep within these hills. She was
so caught up in her musings that at first she didn't notice that
they'd stopped hiking.
"We're here," Janice said simply, lowering her pack from her
shoulders.
Shelley glanced up, seeing the mouth of a large cave ahead of
them, no doubt part of the natural network of caverns running through
the rugged cliff walls. "Are you sure?" she asked dubiously. "Not that
I doubt your abilities... its just... why on earth would he come way
out here in the middle of nowhere to hide in a cave?"
"I don't know. But there is something special about this
place. Can't you feel it? For one thing, it's so WARM here." Janice
took off her heavy coat, rubbing her arms a bit. "I can't explain it
more than to say it just has a strange feel to it... something that
makes my blood rush through my veins."
"So, you can feel it too?"
Janice and Shelley gasped aloud, both turning to find Darke
standing behind them, idly, looking down at them through half-lidded
eyes. Shelley noted his dress with interest; he'd traded in his normal
attire for what appeared to be a wolfskin loincloth, boots, and a fur
cloak around his shoulders. Normally, the sight of her beloved would
have overridden her reason; indeed, she had planned to rush to him the
moment they'd found him, and clutch him close, never letting go, but
the sight of him appearing so abruptly, and thus bedecked, made up
like some Hollywood-version Indian, gave her pause.
"I would say I'm surprised to see you," he reflected, "but the
truth is, I feared you'd come. Against all odds, I knew you two would
be the ones to find me." He sighed, shaking his head. "I'd almost
hoped the Colonel would have gone through with his last orders and
sent his men to take me out. Death would have been easier than what I
will be forced to face."
"Jonothan," Janice said, speaking through the lump in her
throat, taking a step forward. "Are you okay? We were all so worried
about you---"
Darke took a step back, eyes blazing. "Stop, Janice! Don't come
any closer. I'm not... I still haven't gotten a handle on it
yet. Just keep your distance for now."
She moved back towards Shelley, who stood there silently, just
basking in the joy of having found her Master again. Remembering her
lessons, Janice looked at him with her Other Sight, catching a faint
outline of energies crackling around his form. As she watched, it died
down slowly, like a fire snuffed out, becoming a smoldering blaze,
then a spark, then going completely cold. When Darke glanced at her
next, she saw his eyes were once again a deep brown.
"What are you doing here?" she asked after a moment. "What is
this place? And why are you dressed like that?"
"So many questions. I see you STILL haven't learned the one
lesson I tried to hard to teach you--- that patience is a virtue."
Turning on his heel, he walked towards the cave. "Come. We'll speak
for a while before I send you back home again."
"Send us back?" Shelley exclaimed. "No! I'm not leaving you
again, Master. Not after the last time---"
"You WILL, if I send you, Shelley," Darke spoke harshly,
gazing at her with those deep hazel eyes. "Don't think for a MOMENT
that you can defy me in this. What you want means nothing to
me. You're only here at all because I felt a moment of sympathy
towards you, and let you remember me. I can easily take that memory
away from you again with but a gesture."
Shelley gasped, her body flooding with panic, and strangely
enough, deep arousal. His voice had been cold, cruel, calculating,
very dominant, and though his words hurt her to her heart, they
stirred her submissive nature, making her thighs slick and her breath
short. As much as she feared being thrust from him again, Shelley felt
herself longing for his control, yearning to taste his powerful
presence stroking her mind, kneading it like clay, melting her will
into nothingness.
Janice suppressed a shudder of pleasure as well, turning her
eyes back to her Master as they made their way through the cavern. "We
traveled all the way her, across an icy frozen tundra, just to be with
you. I don't know what it is you're facing---"
"That's right. You DON'T," he countered, moving steadily through
the dimly lit passages.
"---but," Janice continued doggedly, "I do know that you need
us. This battle you're trying to fight can't be won by
yourself. Please, let us at least TRY and help. Running all the way
out here to hide yourself away, just to save us from what you're
becoming was noble, but---"
"It wasn't 'NOBLE', not your limited concept of the word,
anyway," Darke replied bitterly. They stepped into the central cavern,
an immense chamber hidden inside the cliffside walls. Janice and
Shelley were left speechless as they took in their
surroundings. Strangely sculpted columns jutted out from the floor and
walls, some resembling naturally formed tables and chairs, or even
beds. Small open pools jutted up from the ground in places, some
filled with hot bubbling water, some with red-hot solidified
lava. Steam rose up from each to the high ceiling far above. Around
the cavern in certain places, sat artifacts of a different time, hand
carved tools of bone, and hide, bowls and drinking gourds, and various
other tools. Jonothan Darke sighed, sitting down on a molded slab of
rock, gesturing to the others to sit as well.
"Welcome to my home," he said with a touch of his old self,
grinning sardonically. "Sorry for the decor. I haven't been here in
ages, and it's so hard to find a cleaning staff all the way out here."
He waited until both women were seated before continuing.
"This is where I grew up. My Clan was an isolated one. Hermits,
content to live alone in peace with the world, we were content to let
the other Ancients rage and battle as they willed. The Healing Gift
was strong in my family, but it occasionally turned up in the other
Clans as well, and they were trained here, as if we were all one
Clan. This place, this cavern, is where I lived and trained as a
Healer. It was here that my Grandfather and my brothers initiated me;
it was here that I first found the balance between the Light and the
Darkness. Here, I trained and later initiated others with the Healing
Gift as well, particularly one from the Hanged Man Clan. In time, he
became corrupted, and lost his balance. He turned on the others, using
his Gift in a forbidden way to drain the very life from them. One of
his victims was my own... sister."
Jonothan bit his lip, willingn the moment to pass. Memories
threatend to overwhelm him again, and the dark fury inside him bubbled
with renewed vigor, anxious to be released once more. With an effort,
he suppressed it. After a moment he continued. "Suffice it to say, we
were forced to put him down, much as one does to a rabid dog. He fell
at our hands, in this very chamber." He sighed softly, glancing
straight ahead, seeing the shadows of yesterday in the dancing
firelight of the pits. "Now I've become the rabid dog."
Shelley could feel the bitterness in his words, as well as the
sorrow, despite the warm, natural timbre of his voice. He might as
well have been talking about the weather for all the emotion he had
shown, but Shelley could sense the emotions between the
lines. After all this time, his sister's death still bothers him,
and to have become like the one that killed her is almost too much to
bear. Her heart ached for him, and more than anything, she wanted
to go to him, and take away all the hurt and the pain.
"But why return here?" Janice asked. "Why come back to a place
that holds such bad memories for you?"
"It holds both, good memories and bad," he said, getting to his
feet again. "This site was chosen as our home for a particular
reason. Here, everything is in perfect balance. Within this chamber,
all of the energy and power of the Earth flows freely, in perfect
balance. In this spot, the Great River stills, becoming placid,
peaceful. Perhaps its the land that makes it so, or the River that so
enchants the land, I do not know. What's important is that only here
can I perhaps regain what has been lost."
"What do you need to do?" Janice asked, curious. Darke stood
there for a moment before replying.
"What must be done is a cleansing. The negative energy within
me, the Darkness burning inside me, cannot be extinguished fully. It
is as much a part of me as the Light. To restore my balance, I must
release the Darkness in me as well as absorbing the Light. In the
past, several Healers would have performed the cleansing, to keep from
being overcome by the shifting energies. Unfortunately, I am all that
is left. I have tried to simply expel my energies back into the River
itself, but it's no use. It's so polluted with the filth of pain and
misery that opening up to it only adds to my problem. To do this, to
regain my balance again, I must have a vessel... someone to provide
the Light and receive the Darkness."
"And you have her right here," Janice said, stepping
forward. "You've trained me how to access the River, and to use its
power. I can do this. Just tell me what to do and I'll do it."
"I'll help too," Shelley said, moving to stand beside Janice. "I
may not have her Gifts, but I'm willing to give what I can. You once
told me that even we normal human beings can access that kind of
power. The Lesser River, you called it. Well, so be it, I'll send you
as much strength as I have within me."
"You don't know what you're offering," he said quietly, looking
away. "The Cleansing takes it toll even on other Ancients, and it
would take at least three of them to endure it intact. The two of you
won't survive it."
"We'll do what we must, Master," Janice said resolutely, moving
over to Darke's position. Shelley, agreeing, moving to him as well,
her eyes bright with emotion. "You've changed our lives, completely,
turning everything upside down," Janice said, unbuttoning her heavy
woolen shirt. "You made us what we are, shaped us into what you wanted
us to be. Do you think we could go back to our life before all of
this? Do you think we would do so even if we COULD?"
"I tried, Master," Shelley spoke, unlacing her boots, and
slipping out of them, following suit with Janice and sliding her pants
down. "I've tried living without you in my life, going on without even
the knowledge of you, never even knowing you existed at all. It didn't
work! The changes you've made in me are too great, and run too deep to
be simply forgotten, or ignored! Without you, there was an emptiness,
so deep, so profound that I knew something was missing from my life!
Now I've found it again-- you, my Master-- and even if it costs me my
life, I'm not about to abandon you again!"
Darke groaned, feeling Janice's slender but firm fingers
stroking his chest, risking her life in even touching him, the warmth
of her flesh causing his body to warm as well. He then felt Shelley's
tender ministrations about his thighs, as she began kissing and
sucking on his flesh, draped around his leg like the lowest of
concubines, struggling for attention. It had been weeks since he had
dared to be this close to anyone, longer since he had tasted of the
sublime joy of such lascivious attention, and against his will he felt
his body responding, his loincloth parting as his arousal become even
more evident.
Janice slid her talented hands down to Jonothan's cock,
caressing his taunt member, cooing with desire as she felt it
stiffening even more, making her sex burn and drip in remembrance. A
soft voice in her mind reminded her of the danger, and an image of the
lab technician having his life burned away flashed before her
eyes. But she was too far gone, too deep in the pleasure of serving
her beloved Master to pause for even a second.
Darke, himself, was fighting a losing battle. Both women had
been expertly trained to know just how to please him best, and his
body was responding. Dark thoughts and images flickered at the edge of
his vision, and he realized how easy it would be to take them both,
rut in them with complete abandon until they burned out in a red hot
blaze of pleasure on his cock. His hands trembled, and he resisted the
urge to reach out and take their life, to drain it away into his own,
to feed on their essence as well as their passion. "You'll die if you
continue," he moaned deeply, writhing in pleasure and
anticipation.
"We'll die if we don't," Shelley managed, breathing deeply,
sliding her wet dripping petals against his calves, slowly humping him
like the little Bitch he had made her. She meant it. She felt as if
her entire life had been building up to this one point, and that she
would simply cease to exist if she backed away now. She pressed her
face up to his inner thigh and began sucking and licking, nibbling
gently on his flesh, and rewarded with another deep moan from him,
Shelley spasmed, having her first orgasm of the night.
"So be it," Darke said quietly, placing his hands gently along
each girl's cheeks. Sliding down on the warmed dais, Darke removed his
loincloth, and pulled both girls to him. Placing both hands on
Shelley, he guided her heavily to his manhood, piercing her to her
core, grunting slightly as she clenched him tight in ecstasy. Janice
took her place as well, spreading her thighs, and sliding herself down
atop his face, pulling lightly on her nipples as she felt his tongue
lap gently at her slickened thighs. Holding them both tightly, Darke
reached out and tapped the Great River, feeling it wash over him,
stoking the fires burning within him already, beating it swiftly into
a roaring blaze.
He felt the calm, pure, untainted flow of the River here, almost
a sensual balm after the harsh acidic burn from the polluted waters
flowing elsewhere. He gratefully accepted its energies, but his will
was tested. The darkness inside him felt the pull of the unflitered
Power outside the cavern walls, its promise of greater stronger powers
a siren call to his very soul.
If I succumbed, I could become a Power to be
feared!
If I succumbed, I would become a pawn to that Power. A
slave. Resisting the urge, he focused his attention back to the
task at hand, the cleansing.
Sparks of pleasure danced before Shelley's eyes, feeling her
Master's cock rising and falling inside her, moving through her tight
wet chamber like a hot knife through sweet butter, melting everything
in its path, and leaving slick wetness behind. She knew his Touch was
working at her now, increasing her pleasure, doubling, tripling it,
sending her cresting again towards blessed nirvana. ~Open yourself
to me, Shelley~ she heard him say into her mind. ~Be my vessel,
my container, and accept my Darkness, making it a part of
yourself.~ "Ohhh... ohhh yesss... your vessel," she panted deeply,
arching her back, feeling her body nearing its climax. "Your
container. Yess... yess... fill me... fill your vessel, your
container!" His cock felt like molten steel within, searing her flesh,
scalding, burning her, yet filling her with pleasure she could not
have imagined.
Janice gasped, writhing, pulling hard on her nipples while
Jonothan's tongue stabbed at her soft pinkness, forcing moan after
moan from her tightly clenched mouth. ~And you as well, my
Janice,~ the Voice spoke into her mind. ~Open yourself to me,
and release that stored within you, your innocence, your peacefulness,
your Light. Accept my darkness, and feed me your Light!~ The
probing in her sex felt deeper, thicker, harder, and she spread
herself wider, opening up more for her Master, letting the sensations
carry her away. The Touch of his clever tongue sizzled and crackled
inside her moist places, and she could almost imagine steam rising up
from her as the white hot poker that was his tongue worked its magic
on her.
"UUUHHNNNGGG!! Yes!! Please!!" she cried, as another orgasm
rocked her. "Take me, UUUUGGGHHH!! Drain me dry, Master! FUUCKK AAA
DDUUCCCKKK!!" she screamed, squeezing her thighs tighter, trying to
force him in as far as possible, her hands maniacally pinching and
twisting her nipples, as she came and came and came, flooding Darke's
mouth with her juices.
Shelley was screaming now, writhing in pure bliss as her Master
slid another long thin finger into her puckering nether hole, fucking
her in both orifices at once. She was on fire, a living torch, a
thousand-watt incandescent bulb glowing brighter than the sun, as the
River wash through her, linking her directly with her Master, joining
them in mind and spirit as well as body. Janice, also, joined the
union, with Darke's touch binding her as well. She could feel and hear
his thoughts in her mind, as well as those of Shelley. For a moment it
felt as they were all the same, one being, a sweet Trinity separate
yet whole. And then, Darke released his pleasure, his power, his
Darkness, and their pleasure exploded, a hot fiery blast of liquid
sensation washing over them, scarring and charring the stone dais
beneath them, a titanic expenditure that rocked the entire cavern...
* * *
Darke sighed deeply, dressed back in his winter clothes once
again, as he stared up the caverns, his haven of long ago. His balance
has been restored; he had overcome the dark desires within himself,
but it was a bittersweet victory. The Darkness still lived within him,
still waiting to be released once more; as he had said, it was as much
a part of him as the Light. But now he held the reigns again. He'd
regained control of himself, thanks to his two selfless, loving
girls.
Unfortunately, one of them had not survived.
I should be happy. It was a miracle that either of them
survived at all. I knew what would happen, and they both knew. It was
a means to an end, one that had to occur. My path was determined long
ago, and no matter what I want or how I feel, it won't let me stray
from it. I should just be grateful. She was only a slave, an
insignificant pawn, to be used and discarded. It shouldn't matter. It
shouldn't.
It did matter to him. Even knowing that events were proceeding
without him, that his time of remaining hidden was at an end, still
he'd lingered there, staying for another day, in memorial for his
girl's sacrifice. He remembered the stone dais, cracked and burnt from
the Cleansing, pocked and charred from the River's passing. He could
still see the look of total rapture and love in her eyes, as they
gazed into his own, as her body gave up the ghost. There had been
nothing left of the girl, not even ashes; she'd been totally consumed
in the blast. Even survivor had been badly burnt, horribly scarred,
but his Healing gift had restored her.
Another of Life's Little Ironies, he thought
darkly. The stronger of the two, the more powerful one, was
consumed, burned away, and yet the weaker one survived. Maybe its a
portent of things to come. Glancing up at the sun through the
clouds on the horizon, Darke glanced behind him.
"Come along, Shelley. We've got a long trek back to
civilization. I've been on the sidelines long enough. I think it's
time for me to get into the game." Nodding silently, Shelley began
trudging along behind her Master, following him, ready to face
whatever loomed before them.
{{{END.}}}