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Destina Gomez walked down a narrow path
accompanied by Sahel Rahzaq . There
were pits on both sides of them and flames rose up from them at
different
points. The ceiling had a red glow from the magma and golden
embers rose on the
waves of heat making the scenery ripple in and out. Destina's
long wavy black
hair was blown back by this Hellish wind. Sahel looked her over.
She was a
Spanish Conquistador from the 16th century but acted more like
a pirate when she
was alive. She preferred to plunder at sea than plundering on
land though the
destruction of several new world civilizations had been most gratifying
for her.
She wore a Morion helmet on her head. Her breast and back plate
were plain and
simple compared to some of the other armor designs that had been
used at the
time. Over this she wore a tan coat who's tail came down to her
calves. She
wore navy blue pantaloons and silver leg armor from the knee down.
Her skin was
olive colored almost the same color as her tan coat. Her eyes
were a bright
emerald green. Sahel smiled beneath his scarf. He had only recently
summoned
her out of the chamber of lost souls. The dark ones deemed her
worthy based on
her past actions to join him and Kroenen on their latest mission
to the world
above. She had died young and still had her spunk and energy
that she'd had in
life. She was eager to please her new masters. He led her through
the dark
corridor to Kroenen's quarters. She walked ahead of him taking
in all the new
sights.
"I shall fetch Kroenen then we can begin our quest. How
I have longed to return
to the world above and loot its treasures." She said.
"And you shall get that chance again. We all shall."
Sahel responded
remembering the wealth of treasure he himself had pillaged in
the deserts of his
land. Both of them stopped when they came to the massive doors
that led to
Kroenen's alcove. Destina reached up for the massive door handle
when she felt
a hand on her shoulder. She turned and found Sahel holding her
back.
"What is it?!?" She said rather annoyed.
"Shhh! Do you hear that?" He said as he cocked his
head.
"Hear what? I don't hear anything."
"Shhhh! Listen." He said as he pressed his head against
the wall. "It's
music. He's listening to his music." Sahel said.
Inside Kroenen sat in his beautiful room
next to a table that held up an old
fashioned record player with a brass horn that amplified the sound.
A record
spun around beneath the bulky needle. He placed his metallic
arm on the table
and listened to the music, taking it in, analyzing it and trying
to comprehend
it. The piece that flowed from the player was Wagner's Faust
Overture. The
different parts of the piece waxed and waned with intensity and
glory. He
admired its complexity and intricacy. Surely the best musicians
had come from
Germany.
Outside Destina looked at the door impatiently.
"Listening to his music? He can do that later. They want
us to begin this
quest." She said as she reached for the door. Sahel once
more stopped her.
"Oh you don't want to do that. I have known Kroenen for
a very long time. No
one would dare interrupt him during his music time. There are
no exceptions
even if the orders come from the dark ones."
"What? That's ridiculous!" Destina said as she looked
at him.
"And especially not on his grounds." Sahel added.
"I don't care. We have a mission to accomplish. I'm going
in after him." She
said sternly. Sahel shook his head seeing he would not dissuade
her.
"Very well. If you do not value your soul then go after
him. You have been
warned." He said. She smiled at him and pushed on the double
doors with both
her hands spreading them open and went inside. Sahel waited against
the wall
directly across from them. Destina walked through a gorgeous
yet frightening
white hall filled with leafy black spikes. In the distance she
saw the form of
a man sitting in a chair next to a record player. That surely
had to be him.
"Karl Kroenen?" She said as she entered his room. "The
dark ones have requested
your presence."
There was a screechy ripping sound as the needle tore away from
the vinyl of the
record and the music came to an abrupt halt. Kroenen stood up
turned and stared
at her with his emotionless eyes. Destina felt a frigid chill
go down her
spine. He was hideous. She had expected a human face to look
back at her
instead she gazed upon what looked like a metallic mask. He said
nothing for a
good minute and just stared at her then finally he broke the silence.
"Do you realize that Faust is nearly a fourteen minute piece?"
Kroenen said in
a heavy German accent. The room suddenly went dark and stretched
out. Destina
screamed not having expected it and now she was several feet away
from Kroenen.
"I was about eleven minutes into that particular piece!"
He yelled. The
ceiling grew tall and giant crescent axe pendulums dropped down
from them
suspended on heavy cables. Destina dropped to the ground on her
belly as they
swung down over her. "I will now have to start from the
beginning again because
I HATE starting music from half way points!!" She rolled
left and right dodging
the row of deadly blades. "Do not EVER make me start my
music over!!" He
screamed as she belly crawled like a soldier through the living
hall of swaying
blades. She just made it out as a final massive guillotine dropped
before the
door and sealed it off. Destina rolled out into the hallway breathing
hard.
Sahel walked over and lifted her to her feet. She was shaken
and looked back at
the new steel door which had replaced the prior one. The sound
of music
returned from within.
"I can't believe you made it out." He said. "Perhaps
next time you'll do as
you're told. I haven't been around this long by not knowing things
or heeding
my elders."
"I can't believe I made it either. I'm sorry I doubted you.
I see what you
mean about him. We'll wait for him to come out." She said.
**********
Kroenen and Destina ran as the fire raged
into the sky. They could feel the heat on their backs as they
fled the scene. What a victory they had just had. She fell to
her hands and knees panting trying to catch her breath. The entire
area had a red glow to it from the explosion that had just gone
off. Kroenen kneeled down beside her and just watched her a moment.
"We've done it!" He said excitedly. Destina lifted
her head half smiling and half laughing.
"I know. I can't believe it!" She said mirroring his
emotions. She felt closer to him now than ever before. She
couldn't see things getting better than this. It seemed to be
the ideal time to let him know the feelings she'd had pent up
for years. Despite not having any expressions Destina had learned
to read Kroenen rather well. She sensed that he was smiling back
at her from inside. She couldn't hold it in any longer. All
these years she had served under him doing her best to please
him and she had gone unnoticed to the true reason as to why she
had done it. She loved him. She had never told him for fear
of rejection. Everything she had worked for could be destroyed
if he knew the truth, but enough was enough and at last she was
ready to take that risk instead of forever living in a dream.
"Kroenen, this is such a special occasion why don't you remove
your mask so that I can see/kiss you?" She said to him.
He cocked his head curiously and just glared at her with his
static face.
"You think I'm still human don't you?" He said not
believing what he had heard. "All these centuries and you
still do not know what I am! No you wouldn't now would you?
You didn't go through a change like the rest of us. You wouldn't
know what it's like!" He said standing up angered and turned
his back on her. Destina felt her heart sink into the pit of
her stomach. Had she just gone and ruined every thing as she
had so feared?
"Aren't you?" She said with a quiver in her voice.
If she had ruined it then she may as well let it all out now.
"I love you." She said softly.
"No I'm not! I'm not wearing a mask. This is my face!
Under this is more metal just the same as under yours there is
bone!" He yelled pointing at his face. "The same goes
for the rest of me!" He pulled back his sleeve revealing
an artificial arm. "There you see! Now do you still love
me?!" He waited a moment. Destina said nothing and found
herself speechless. "I thought so. You wouldn't know what
it's like. I've always wondered why you weren't cursed."
Kroenen said turning to walk off. Destina wanted to say so much.
She wanted to apologize for her ignorance. She wished she could
take back everything she had said, but found herself struggling
to make any sound at all. Her eyes glossed over and she fought
to hold back the tears. Anger took her. Anger at herself for
what she had done. She used that as strength and finally managed
to blurt out.
"Kroenen wait!!"
He veered around with glowing red eyes.
"What?"
"Look." Is all she said in a quiet tone as she stood
up and slowly removed her long, tan coat. She reached up to one
shoulder and pulled her sleeve down and off. She did the same
on the other side until her arms were bare. Her armor glistened
on her chest and back as she made her way over to Kroenen. He
looked at her not noticing anything particularly unusual at first,
but as she approached he finally saw it. Her armor had no straps
or buckles. It had nothing to hold it on. There were no seams
for that matter. It looked like one solid piece. How was it
held together? Slowly he reached out his hand and placed it on
her shoulder to feel for him self what his eyes were seeing.
"What is this?" He said slowly. Destina finally found
her voice.
"My curse. I can never remove my armor. It will forever
be with me. It is my skin."
Kroenen stared in disbelief. So she too had gone through a major
change and one very similar to his own. He now began to regret
what he had said.
"I…I did not know. What is this curse like?"
"It was difficult at first. The armor is very heavy, yet
it does protect me. Despite that I have finally accepted it.
It is part of me and of whom I am."
She had come to terms with her own curse, something he himself
had yet to do. He looked down on her a while.
