Enemy of the Gods Ch. 02

"Many centuries ago, Vios did enter a marriage treaty with Anderra. It was one of your ancestors, Goddess, and how he loved his Anderran wife. For all his trust, that Anderran bitch plunged a knife deep into his heart when he slept."

Psychi glared at him in disbelief.

"How do you think they created the Palace of Light?" He taunted. "You were imprisoned there, you should have felt its oppressive power. Only a Vioian God can oppress another."

"Imagine." He laughed. "Imprisoned and raped within your own family's corpse."

Psychi stared at him, horrified. "Anima..." she gasped.

Her brother was powerful, but his power was partially suppressed by hers. If what Kai said was true, that the Palace of Light held the power of another Vioian God, then Anima, even with his might, could be overcome, especially if he had entered a stronghold of not one, but two, Anderran royals.

Kai glared at her. "Goddess, your brother is the Vioian God of War. Nothing and no one can harm him. It is Anderra that is getting destroyed. Unless your loyalty is misplaced, and you grieve your Anderran lover?"

Psychi shook her head. "You don't know what you have done."

"I have made Vios the most powerful nation on earth."

"You have doomed Vios..." Psychi gasped, clutching her aching chest.

"Goddess, you do look a little frightened. Relax. Look, up in the sky. One of my soldiers has returned. He will tell you of how Anderra has been reduced to ash."

Psychi hadn't felt its presence. Yet, when she looked up into the sky, it was true that a lone dragon was flying toward them. It careened to the right and to the left, its path not straight.

Psychi panicked. She could usually feel the presence of all magic beings, even if she couldn't control the dragon clan. But this being was moving without being alive. Psychi remembered the birds, and how they had taken to the skies in fright. Drawing on her power, she spoke directly into the minds of people in the crowd, projecting her panicked feelings forward.

Run!

Kai and his clan, with their protection from her mind control, couldn't hear her message. They watched the crowds start to panic, running in all directions.

"What did you tell them?" He growled. She turned to him, the power glowing in her eyes.

"Kai of the Dragons, I had thought to show you mercy. But your foolishness leaves me no choice."

The Dragon soldiers, seeing her intention, dashed forward.

Kai's grey eyes darkened with magic. "Everything I have done, I did to make our country powerful again."

"Kai." She whispered shakily, sadness overwhelming her at what she must do. "That thing flying here... It is already dead, filled with foreign magic."

"What nonsense do you spout!" He growled.

"We do not have any victory. You have brought my nation into conflict with a vicious neighbor, one whom we cannot overcome."

Kai looked up. The Dragon continued on it's strange zig-zag path. Suddenly, it exploded, blue light bursting forth from its belly. In time with this, the sky above blazed with lines of white lightning, thundering down at various points to the earth.

The crowds screamed. Dragon soldiers transformed, some flying up into the air, some rushing toward the Emperor, intending to protect him.

They were too late. A large, dark black barrier materialized around Psychi and the Emperor.

"You will use your power to attack me, instead of saving your people?" Kai accused, smoke coming out of his nostrils.

"I am saving my people. I cannot let you die by Anderra's hand."

"Pneuma gave me his power."

"Pneuma is gone. With his death, his will must fade. Only my judgement remains, Kai."

Kai reached out suddenly, grabbing her neck, squeezing it and lifting her high up. Psychi closed her eyes, feeling the breath leave her, channeling her energy through the point of contact. She felt her body tremble, both from lack of air and from the vast amounts of magic energy that was leaving her. Her skin, which had glowed with power before, now started to pale as she weakened. Breaking the power of another Vioian God would sap her magic resources, but she had to do it.

Kai gasped, his hold on her loosening, then fell unconscious to the ground, dropping her. The black barrier around them dissipated into smoke. Psychi crawled toward Kai's fallen body, then placed her hands on his head, keeping him down in case he woke and tried to escape.

Through half lidded eyes, she looked around. If a Dragon soldier came here now, she did not have enough energy to protect herself.

"Goddess!" A familiar voice called. She looked up.

"Lei." She sighed with relief.

"Goddess... you're alright."

"Lei..." She held onto Kai's head. "Help me."

Lei stepped toward her, putting his arm around her shoulder, trying to lift her up.

"No." She whispered, refusing to leave Kai's body behind. She reached out to Kai's eyes, closing his lids, the only mercy she could offer him.

"Help me cut his head off."

~~~

"You don't think that it's dangerous, bringing me around like this?" Anima asked. He was seated on the ground, handcuffs rattling as he picked at the dirt under his fingernails.

Damien stood over him. "You make a docile prisoner."

Anima scoffed.

"Psychi lost her powers for quite some time after she depleted it. I'm guessing that her brother is the same way."

Anima picked on a piece of dirt from under one finger nail, then blew on it. "Why didn't you murder me when you had the chance."

"I'm hoping that you'll bring Graethe out of his coma."

"You know that I won't. So why the hesitation?"

Damien stared at Anima. His jet black hair, dark eyes and pale, luminescent skin. "You remind me so much of her..."

"Why don't you just pickle my remains then..." Anima muttered.

Damien gave him a withering smile. "You're a part of her, the only thing I have as a memory of..."

"Damien of Anderra." Anima snapped.

Damien felt pain deep in his gut. That term. Psychi always called him that.

"Stop talking about my sister as if she's dead. I feel a fission of panic every time I hear it, and it's not even true."

Damien studied him. Something about Anima's cool expression lit the hope buried deep in his heart.

"You don't think that she's dead?"

"Why would she be dead?"

Damien stepped forward, unable to contain his excitement. "How do I find her?"

Anima saw him coming closer and jumped backward, his chains rattling. Immediately, a dark shield appeared around the Vioian God.

Damien stopped in his tracks.

"Don't crowd me." The Vioian God coughed, eying him warily.

"Where is she?" Damien growled, looming threateningly over the Vioian God.

"Fuck you." Anima spat, tapping against the black force field. "Let's just see how long you can keep me here."

A loud knock on the door interrupted their conversation. Damien beckoned the messenger in.

"Commander, the Vioians have set all their flags bearing the insignia of the Dragon Emperor on fire. It appears that there has been a change of rule... In addition, we received this box from the Vioian diplomat."

"Open it." Damien commanded.

The messenger opened it, then blanched.

"Got a present?" Anima asked, his force shield already dissipated as he craned his neck to look.

"Yes..." Damien replied.

"It's Kai's head."

~~~

Damien didn't wait to invite the Vioian delegation in, he was already rushing out toward the entrance of the army encampment to meet them. His soldiers and advisors flanked him on either side.

"Prince Damien, you're soon to be the next King. You must show the world how Anderra crushes it's enemies." Quinne, a seasoned council member, intoned. "Vios is a danger to us and the world. We must not show weakness now."

"Vios has already given us the head of Emperor Kai. It's a peace offering." Jason, a trusted soldier, countered.

"It's not good enough! They razed our Capital. Innocent people died. They attacked our King!" Another advisor chipped in.

Damien turned to his second in command.

"We've lost people." General Matthews took the cue to give his opinion. "We're losing numbers like we've never lost before, more so in the last days. If their Emperor was only murdered days ago, it doesn't make sense that they've actually become more coordinated and united now..."

"They've come under the rule of a mind controller." Damien said to himself, breaking into a run with that sudden realization.

"The Vioians cannot be trusted!" Quinne shouted after him, the old man struggling to keep pace. "Their magic is too powerful. The only way to control them is to subjugate them completely."

~~~

Psychi clasped and unclasped her hands nervously. What terms could she offer Anderra?

"Lei, how much longer do you think we can hold back the Anderran forces?" She turned to the head of the Lightning clan, part of her small delegation.

"Honestly, we don't have the numbers. If you and Anima lent your full power, maybe we'd have a fighting chance. But, you're already depleted, and we don't know where Anima is."

"We'll kill many of them, too, if they keep attacking." Psychi said, thinking hard. "But, we don't have time to wait for my powers to recharge, or to hope for Anima's return."

"They're moving too fast," Lei agreed. "When Graethe first declared war on Vios, the troops here were small and haphazard. But, since Kai's attack on Anderra's Capital, Prince Damien has personally taken over active command. The army that has followed him here is vast, fast and unrelenting."

Psychi wrenched her hands together. "Damien never wanted to come here, but after what's happened, I'm under no illusions."

"Anderra bays for blood, and Prince Damien will deliver." Lei made his grim assessment. "I don't know how much room we have to bargain."

Psychi steeled herself. She must stop thinking of Damien as her friend, that part of their history was long gone. With Graethe gone, Damien must be grief-stricken and livid, to say nothing of the added weight of the responsibilities of the Anderran crown on his shoulders. He would act as all Anderran Kings did. Cold and calculating.

Whoever was coming to escort her to the Anderran representatives, she was going to keep calm and find the best way forward for her people. Surely, the offering of Kai's head should mean something?

Damien had already brought a huge force here. Vios would have to make a very compelling offer to get them to retreat. At this point of time, just emerging from civil conflict, Vios had neither huge harvests nor precious metals or hidden gemstones to give.

The only great thing about Vios was its magic population. Damien had been open to a marriage alliance with her before, to cement the trust between the two nations, but that option was probably off the table now. Her own brother had murdered the King, why would Damien forgive her for that? The sheer size of the army that he had brought in here already signaled his intention to annihilate.

Still, Vios was not so easily defeated. They were the only nation with the power to pressure Anderra on the war fields. Anderra might win overall, but it would cost them many lives. On the other hand, Anderra now saw Vios as a real threat. The desire to quash her country would be greater than ever.

Psychi felt the stress of the situation. So much weighed on the negotiations to come. A continued war would mean certain death for her people. She had known that breaking Pneuma's protection over Kai would exhaust her power, but it had to be done. Kai would never have agreed to peace. She hoped that the offering of his head would at least produce some goodwill from the Anderran side.

The doors to the army camp opened. She gathered her bearings, standing tall, keeping her wits about her. Come what may, she would craft the best possible outcome for her people.

"Vioians!" A voice on the Anderran side shouted, "what terms do you seek?"

She lifted her eyes, surprised, to see the face of an old man. The Anderran delegation had actually come out to greet them at the gate, instead of making them wait inside. It was a good sign. It meant that they, too, were eager to avoid further bloodshed. Perhaps she could bargain for better terms.

She studied the envoy, trying to read their expressions. Her eyes locked with a familiar set of blue ones. Jason! She recognized him. He had been a friend during her imprisonment in Anderra. A small smile came to her lips as he smiled back at her in recognition. Jason had been kind to her before, and it was always a boon to have an ally on her side. Perhaps all was not lost.

She turned to the person standing next to him, in the center of the group. Her eyes flitted higher up, for the man was tall. She recognized that build, it reminded her of someone, but she dared not hope. Until her eyes met his, confirming her suspicions, causing her traitorous heart to skip a beat, telling her. I told you so.

"Damien of Anderra..." She stammered, voice brittle with effort.

She hadn't expected that he would come to meet them personally. She controlled her impulse to run to him, for he was standing back, maintaining the distance between them.

After all that had transpired, what could she say? Sorry for leaving? Sorry that my brother murdered the King, took control of your mind? Sorry that my people attacked your borders and razed your city?

He stayed there, watching her. Yet despite the distance, she sensed the softness in his gaze. If he had looked at her with his usual glacial expression, she would have known to stay back. But, there was a tenderness there, a recognition, that brought the moisture to her eyes. Her heart felt heavy with sorrow, the short distance between them feeling so insurmountable.

She took a small, tentative step toward him, instinctively wanting to draw close, but being mindful of a possible rejection. If he found her advance offensive, then she would scupper her country's chances of any negotiation.

Immediately, Anderran soldiers stepped forward, directly in front of Damien, blocking her path. Psychi stopped in her tracks, the sour taste of held-back tears in her mouth as she nodded silently to herself. Of course, she was the Vioian demon that they hated. Why would they allow her close to their beloved leader?

"I come in peace." She stammered, knowing how vile she was to them.

"Move aside."

She raised her head at the sound of that deep, familiar voice. Damien had bid his men step aside and was walking toward her, stopping an arm's length away. She smiled tightly in greeting.

She had called his name, and he was being kind in stepping forward. He remained outside her personal space, maintaining that formality. Her heart clenched at the realization of what they had become.

"I came to discuss terms of peace..." She bleated, her voice squeaking higher and higher with her rising nerves.

She looked down, wanting to avoid his eyes, fearful of what she would see there. Drawing a deep breath, she calmed herself. "Vios regrets the heinous actions... against your King..."

She bit her lip, wanting to cry. She had loved Damien, and now his brother was dead because of her. Still, here she was, shameless as ever, seeking his good graces...

A shadow loomed over her, then Damien's finger was lifting her chin, drawing her head upward to meet his gaze.

His eyes were warm, so clear, like staring into the sky. Is that why they called magic users of Anderra Sons of Light?

"Sweetheart," he whispered, his tone unexpectedly gentle, "what do you want from me?"

The show of affection dissolved her reservations, her heart which she had been trying to harden instantaneously melting into a puddle. This was still the man whom she loved and trusted. She didn't want to maintain this feigned distance between them, to pretend that they were enemies.

She abandoned the formal agenda that she had planned in her head, her heart spilling over her lips instead. "Damien... you came here to destroy my country."

"I never wanted to." He said, his expression pained.

In the truth of those simple words, she suddenly felt the closeness of their bond again. It was still there. He took no joy in destroying her. He, too, hated war.

"You're kind to me, Damien, even now. I hope that you'll be kind to my people, too." As soon as she said the words, she felt like a dam within her had broken.

She knew that she didn't deserve what she was asking for. Neither she nor Vios deserved his forgiveness for what had happened in Anderra. Still, the way he looked at her now, she felt such love from him. And she, in response, desperately wanted to return to it. She hated how he stood back, separate from her, as if they didn't belong together.

"Damien, please, hold me again." Her voice cracked, breaking into barely a whisper under the weight of her emotions. "Hold me like you never lost your patience."

No sooner had the words left her lips than his arms were around her waist, lifting her up. Psychi wrapped her legs around his torso, felt his palm on the small of her back, rubbing soothingly as he rose and turned toward the encampment, carrying her.

"Sweetheart, I thought that you had died." He said, his voice choking with the pained emotion.

"Commander..." A soldier called, wanting to warn the Prince of the dangers of Vioian demons, yet not having the courage to say the words.

"A hug would have been fine..." She whispered, surprised and self-conscious in equal measure.

"A hug isn't enough." He rasped, kissing her behind her ear, then turning to his people. "Invite the Vioian delegation in. I'm going to have a private meeting with the Vioian Empress."

Psychi sucked in a deep breath, her insides clenching at his whispered promise. She rest her head in the cranny of his neck, then smiled into it, relishing the comfort of the intimacy. As they drew closer to his tent, she couldn't contain her excitement any longer, her arms looped tightly around him as she kissed a trail down his jaw line, then sucked on his neck, planting small kisses up and down. His breathing got deeper and deeper as he walked, the hoarse breathes exciting her, hardening her nipples into hard peaks which she pressed against his warm chest.

"Sweetheart." He groaned as they entered his tent.

"Why were you so cold to me earlier?" She asked, smoothing a hand through his hair. Looking up, she saw that the space was big, softly lit with flame torches, a large bed in a corner of the room.

"I wanted to go to you." He laughed softly, "but, I couldn't just grab you. You're the Vioian Empress now. Also, I wasn't sure if you still wanted me, after what's happened..."

"Yes, I'm the Empress..." She whispered, then looked sadly at him, acknowledging the death of his brother. "And you're the King..."

He dropped her on the bed. "No. I'm still Damien."

Psychi was overcome with compassion. He may seem like such a strong person, but the death of his brother must have hit him hard. Clearly, he wasn't ready to face it yet.

She crawled toward to the edge of the bed, where he was standing, and looped her arms around his neck again, kissing him on his cheek. "Yes, you'll always be my Damien."

Slowly, she dragged her palms down his torso, then locked lips with him, tugging as his clothes. His hands, too, starting groping her body. They undressed each other in a flurry of motion, their entanglement urgent and possessive.

"I'm sorry Damien. I'm sorry for what happened..."

"Don't be sorry." Damien said, his tongue swirling in her mouth. "I'm fine. Anima is here, too."

"My brother?" She stilled, surprised.

"Yes, I'll bring you to see him, after."

Psychi's shirt had been tossed on the bed. Hearing the news of Anima, she reached for it, already holding it in her hand, preparing to get dressed again. Damien grabbed her wrist, then slowing took the article of clothing away. He looked at her, his eyes burning with lust as he kissed the back of her hand.