Laurin stops and turns Indra towards him. "We're here." He strokes her gently on the cheek. "Now we just have to wait until the sun reaches the water’s edge. Then I will put a counter spell upon you."
Indra fidgets impatiently. "Why do we have to wait? Come on! If you now have the power to remove the mask, just do it!"
"Patience, my friend. Patience."
"You already know that's not my strong suit. I don't understand why I should have to wait any longer?"
Laurin laughs. He turns her towards the setting sun so she stands with her back to him and whispers in her ear: "It’s time. Are you ready?"
Indrafeels the warm breeze caressing her skin and the sunrays on her cheeks. She hears Laurin mumble a chant in her ear. His breath is warm and smells of fresh mint. The chant sounds like a hymn or pray to God, and she can feel the panic spreading like glowing lava through her veins.
What was she thinking? What if he's in collusion with God himself? The God who wants to destroy her...
She curses herself for her stupidity. How come she almost started trusting him? Indra is about to tear herself free when he changes his grip and turns her towards him. She suddenly feels his lips brush against hers. He holds her in a tight grip with his hands around her waist, and even if she wants to, she can't move.
His voice increases as he repeats the chant over and over again.
Believe in the spirit of the rose.
Believe in the power that grows.
Sown at dawn, harvested at dusk.
Neither day nor night is there a chance.
Only the Twilight provides a glance.
In the single golden hour, bow down to the wildflower.
This curse that has its hold, leaves the future untold.
He leans forward, presses his lips against hers and blows gently into her mouth. She coughs and spits and is just about to take him out with one of her famous kicks when the ground under her feet begins pulsating violently, much like the heartbeat of the underworld. The vibrations move through her body and pulsate in tune with her heart.
Inside the iron mask, a blue, bright glow is starting to shine. The light burns her skin and she tries to rip off the mask to relieve herself from the growing heat. Indra screams out in agony as she tries to remove the source of evil that’s causing her the pain. She both sees and feels the presence of the blue fire, and its whispers that something horrendous is about to happen. Slowly the blue flames reach into her consciousness as it penetrates her burnt skin. Even before the fire starts to ebb out, she knows the answer.
A gaping sadness washes over her as the facts becomes clear. She still remains in a world where Gods and Demons rule and she has neither the knowledge nor the guidance to change it. The fire shows the hidden secrets in her memory which she has been trying to avoid for so long. She knows that she must confront it, that she no longer has any chance of escaping her fate.
The iron mask opens up and falls heavily to the ground next to her feet.
She sinks to her knees into the grass that’s wet from late evening dew and covers her eyes. They feel sensitive to the light and she rubs them gently to remove the lingering discomfort.
The solid gold ring necklace, which she always wears around her neck, has chafed slightly against the straps of the iron mask. She can feel the wet blood on her fingertips when she touches her neck. The ground stops trembling and the chirping of the birds are silenced. A white luminous band stretches across the horizon as the warm sun descends into the dark sea. Leaving room for the moon's silvery glow to bask the motionless landscape below. Silhouettes of the landscape rolls out in endless midnight blue, smokey gray and inky black hills. She can glimpse small warm yellow dots scattered across the area, perhaps from candles in the windows of remote houses and courtyards.
Indra sat quietly for a while. Laurin walks up and kneels down in front of her. She has to focus her eyes to make out his face when her vision clears. She sees that his face is full of compassion as he reaches out his hand and helps her up. He begins to move away when he sees that she is calm.
"The spell is broken. I'm sorry I didn't warn you about the truths revealed by the power of the blue fire. It can be quite scary."
Indra leans forward and looks into his dark eyes. He touches the birthmark on her bare shoulder. The touch is light and yet it feels as if he touches more than just her soft skin. She feels her breathing increase. Laurin lets his hand fall back down, gets up and takes a step back to observe her. She can see he's thinking, but it's impossible to read his face.
When he turns away from her, she can see that he changes back to his casual and relaxed manner. She follows him in silence as they walk towards the stone path, layered with soft matured green moss which leads them back into the courtyard. Their hearts seem to beat in the unison rhythm with their steps.
She can't stay quiet anymore.
"Why are you helping me?" she asks and tries to make her voice sound more assertive. It's time for him to answer her questions.
He stops with his back still towards her. "I have my reasons," he answers simply.
"What a typical response from a man. But why? Please give me an answer I can understand!"
He slowly turns around and looks at her with dark unreadable eyes, large bottomless holes that could swallow her whole. "I have walked the earth for over ten thousand years, and have collected a great many enemies on the way."
Indra stares at him confused. "And what does that have to do with me?"
He shrugs his shoulders. "You'll find out in time."
"I want to know now," she sneers angrily. "You're going to have to stop this! I have a right to know."
In one single movement, he closes the distance between them and towers over her. "I saved you to pay a debt! That's all I can say. But don't worry, part of the deal includes keeping you safe from the gods."
"Who hired you?" she asks.
"You don't need to know all the details. What you need is protection, and to be kept hidden away. And you'll be my guest for as long as it takes."
"Guest – or prisoner?" She holds her breath while she waits for his answer.
"That's up to you. If you're going to try to walk out of my castle against my will, well then, you're my prisoner. As long as you stay here voluntarily, you are my guest."
"And what makes you think I'm safe here at your castle? How can I feel safe when I don't even know you?"
He sighs deeply. "The castle is enchanted. No one, not even Vishnu who follows you wherever you go, can find you here. Indra, you can feel safe here with me." He turns around and starts to walk off.
"But I still don't know who you are. If you can't be honest with your answers, then I don’t dare to trust you."
He gestures with one hand in an attempt to silence her. "It's up to you. At the moment, I have answered all the questions I can. Let’s go back to the castle, there I can show you where you can get some sleep."
Indra swallows. This is a man who radiates sexual appeal and masculinity. But, there's something sinister about him.
Indra looks up at the sky and curse silently to herself. She's not going to be a victim of the gods of the universe. She's going to get revenge on anyone who tries to hurt her or her family, and that revenge also includes Laurin.
"Well... What do you have to say in your defense?" Lucifer's wrath burns like red-glowing orbs in his eyes. As he folds his burgundy cape around him, the golden embroidery on the fabric glistens in the glow of the fire roaring in the middle of the ill-lit forge. Scattered everywhere are pieces of unfinished metalwork and scrap metal that has been left to rust away. Tools used in the daily work of the dwarf’s lay scattered across the floor in an unorganized chaos.Belial, Lucifer's brother, puts his pale hand on his brother's shoulder in an attempt to calm his fury against the two dwarves Sindre and Brokk, who are quivering under his intense glare."My lord, you're the one with the key," Sindre excuses himself, before running a trembling hand through his dark, bushy beard. "There's only one key to open the iron mask with.""Yes, only one key exists and you have it," Brokk stutters, correcting the chainmail he wears over his stocky and powerful body. He is a
A few weeks later. Indra and Laurin are sitting on a bench outside the castle, admiring the alluring rose garden. It's early morning and the first rays of the sun trickles down over the dew-soaked leaves on the clusters of flowers making them shimmer like blushing diamonds. Here and there, Emerald Green dragonflies dart through the air on hasty wings. One of the dragonflies’ lands on the bench next to Indra, seemingly basking in the morning light alongside her. The sea below the mountain reflects the suns bright rays temporarily blinding them where they sit. The peace she feels in this present moment is stronger than the longing for the revenge she plans for Lucifer. The sight is simply breathtaking and Indra catches herself feeling amazed at the raw beauty that the world and this landscape have to offer.Laurin hands her a cup of warm herbal tea that smells almost as wonderful as the nature surrounding them. There is no immediate danger and therefore she allows herself
"Open the damn door or we'll smash it in!" screams an angry voice.Rebecca holds the rifle in her hands and holds her breath from fear. The damp air inside the small thatched cottage feels suffocating and she attempts to grip the rifle tighter in her calm hands."What are we going to do, Mom?" asks the little boy hiding behind her skirt with eyes wild of terror. His low whisper almost drowns in the noise from the continuous banging on the door.Rebecca can't answer his question but tries her best to reassure him. "Don't worry, Joar, everything's going to be okay. I promise." She smiles at her seven-year-old son and strokes his golden unruly hair.Both of them stare at the front door, buried behind the kitchen table and the wooden dresser which she used to barricade the door with. No more threats are heard from the men outside, but it sounds like their voices are getting closer.Rebecca holds the rifle securely in her hands and focus all of her atte
A firm knock on the door can be heard behind Laurin, where he stands with a handwritten letter in his hand. Outside, the libraries large oriel window glimpses the view of a calm, quiet, and sunless landscape. He doesn't want to be disturbed, not now."One minute!" He growls at the closed door and curses quietly to himself.Having Indra as a guest progressively feels like a full-time job. Indra clearly wants to make life as difficult as possible for him, with her constant questioning of why she is not allowed to return to Asgard to check on her family. Why is he putting himself through this? What does he get out of protecting Indra in this way?The night before, they got into a drawn-out discussion which ended with Indra storming out and slamming the door so hard that the hinges came loose leaving the door on a slant behind her. Sometimes he’s almost intimidated by her powers – but only almost."Come in then!" Laurin calls out before sighing an
Indra spends all morning in her room. The letter, and Laurin's refusal to oblige with her wishes, have made her anxieties reach new levels. Soon she won't be able to take this anymore. The uncertainty is unbearable and she bites her nails nervously. It is also exhausting to just sit alone in the bedroom and wait for God knows what...She needs fresh air to clear her head. She doesn't know exactly why she decided to threaten Laurin with a pistol, but somehow, she convinced herself at the time that it was a good idea. Her brain created a rational reason to perform a foolish act.She had followed an impulse to search the halls of the castle, room by room, to find a weapon that could harm Laurin, even if it would only last a few hours. She remembers stopping outside the door before entering, but otherwise the memories are blurred and vague, like a bizarre nightmare.Indra decides to find the kitchen to fill her ceramic cup with something both strong and refreshing t
Indra's stomach twists itself small when she hears King Laurin talking to an unknown woman in his room. The female gives away a certain powerfulness, Indra can sense it even through the thick wall that separates them."Dear King Laurin, you have not reported on your successes with Indra."Indra suspects Lucifer is behind the visit. Lucifer would only send the best body hunters after her. Indra knows how frustrated he must be when he sends his elite and they repeatedly fail to catch her.All she can do is remind him of how powerful she is, and she will do so as soon as she gets her powers back, they seem to have disappeared without a trace overnight. She has no idea why her powers have abandoned her. Perhaps it is a result of Lucifer's prolonged torture, which had been going on for months. Perhaps all the stress she has been put through has messed with her head, but for whatever the reason, she must find her powers again and then show both Lucifer and King Laurin
King Laurin brings the whisky glass to his mouth, takes a sip of the balanced brown liquid and stares into the somber darkness enveloping his bedroom. He’s leans back heavily onto the beds large wooden headboard completely focused on clearing his crowded mind; the strong whiskey is a deliberate attempt to try to dull the tensions that flow through his bloodstream. He sighs heavily and takes a few deep even breaths.Control... Where has his self-control gone? He always keeps his emotions in check, that's what makes him a fair king.Yet Laurin knows that there is no denying that it is his impulses and desire that drives him when he is with Indra, not the mission he has been forced to. But if he doesn't focus on the mission, both he and Indra will face a premature death. He spellbound her powers at her weakest; Indra had been so emaciated and weak and had carried all the signs of neglect after Lucifer's brutal treatment. It had made him see red, but now it was only
King Laurin is extremely aroused to the point he thinks he might burst the seams on the tightening silk fabric across his groin. He suspected that she would try to use her body to seduce him and then escape, but it has turned into a chance for himself to get one last hold on Indra, through both body and soul. And he's going to give her a well-deserved lesson.Never before has he felt this way about a woman. The strong desire for her brings the sorcerer in him to life. His fingertips twitch with magic that rushes through his body like a raging river. The magic increases by their closeness and her alluring scent that fills his nostrils. The roses stems hold her arms firmly over her head and her large soft breasts are displayed in a most daring way right in front of him.She's the most powerful creature in the universe. The world belonged to her, until he spellbound her powers. He will teach her the lesson that he and no one else owns her mind – and soon even her be