The pull of Destiny

Darx woke up slowly, eased out of a restful sleep. He opened his eyes and looked to the window. It was dark outside. He turned and carefully sat up. It didn’t hurt to move, didn’t even make him dizzy. He looked out the window again as he saw a shadow move. Could it have been one of the demons that had followed him? Could it be the church? It could even be Kase, or anyone really. Who the hell knew anymore? It seemed like everyone wanted a piece of him. A lot of people had warned him about the church, told him not to trust them. No one warned him about Kase. . . No, that wasn’t true. Mia had. Kase’s servant had. That demon, Namy, had. Hell, he didn’t need any warnings, Kase let him know from almost the very start. He just never had the power to face Kase.

And now? Kase had promised to kill him. Said it in front of his mother. He thought back, that had really happened. She didn’t even flinch as he said it. “They saved you again, but next time will be the last.” Then, when he found Kase and Syvis in Oblivion, Kase telling him that this was his fate. That Darx had overstepped his place. That Kase would kill him. It was his plan all along. . .

He remembered Syvis stepping in, stopping Kase at the Oblivion guild hall. She admitted the lies, she admitted betraying him, rejecting him to go be with Kase. But she also claimed she didn’t want to hurt him. If the voices in his dreams were right, if she meant that, then why did she do what she did? Why did she choose what she chose? How can someone care about you and do that to you? Hot tears ran down his face, a sob escaped his lips.

“You’re awake Darx.” A now familiar voice said.

“Yeah.” He said, wiping his eyes.

Hands reached him, put a blanket around his shoulders. “You’ll get cold.”

Neku's voice was a little comforting, she had been with him. . . he didn’t even know how long. “Thank you.” He said, feeling the warmth of the blanket, he hadn’t even realized he was cold. He looked out over the city, the stars in the night sky, constellations he had watched since his childhood.

“Is there anything I can get you? Anything you need, or want?” Neku had been so silent when they first met. Then she revealed to him what she thought, her belief that he was the rightful ruler and what his eyes meant to the followers of Imris. Now she was here, staying with him, taking care of him.

“Why are you here Neku?” Darx asked her.

“I'm here to take care of you.” She answered.

He turned and looked at her. Her long hair, soft features, her face sharp and dispassionate.

“Shouldn’t I be safe here? No one messes with the Knight’s Hospitaler guild.”

“You have bigger enemies than Kase and Oblivion, Darx. Ones with far greater reach.”

“That’s hard to imagine right now.” Darx said, turning away. She grabbed his arm and turned him back, he was surprised by her strength, he knew she was a physical fighter, and a B rank like he was, but she was small, gorgeous, and the way she dressed, it didn’t project strength.

“You are the future Darx, our only hope. Nothing in this world is as important as you.” He heard her words, but more than that, he felt her hand on his chest. His heart raced, damn was she was beautiful. He felt desire rise up in him, he wanted her, he needed her.

He pushed her away from him, looked away, struggled to catch his breath. It was overwhelming.

“You don’t have to push me away, Darx, I can help you, I can take you away from all of this.” She said, putting her hands on his chest again. She stretched up to meet his face, he moved to meet her, to meet her lips, he couldn't resist her, she was intoxicating.

“Darx, what is. . . Who are you? Stand back!” It was Neku’s voice, but it wasn't the girl on his bed speaking. Darx looked over to see a second Neku entering the room. Darx looked down. The Neku he was about to kiss smiled at him wickedly. “I’m sorry, Darx, it looks like we’ll have to continue this later.” She said, blowing him a kiss. He could feel her breath, hot against his face. His mind reeled, his pulse quickened.

“Who are you?” The Neku at the door demanded. Darx tried to move, but he felt sluggish, couldn’t get his muscles to respond.

“Oh come on now, don’t you recognize this sexy little body? Darx sure did.”

“Move away from him now, Demon.” Neku’s voice was serious, but tinged with fear.

“Oh honey, I don’t want to do anything to Darx. Well, okay, that’s not entirely true, but I don’t want to hurt him. Besides, I can guarantee he’d enjoy it.”

“I won’t listen to your lies; I won’t let you hurt him.” Neku was moving carefully, trying her best to lure her doppelganger away from Darx.

“Okay," the fake Neku said, putting her hands up. We can play it your way. But you can either protect Darx or prevent my escape, you can’t do both.” Darx still couldn’t move. What the hell had she done to him?

Neku jumped over the bed, positioning herself between her doppelganger and Darx.

The imposter moved to the door. “See you later Darx.” She said with a wink then slipped into the hall.

Neku ran to the door, looked out, then closed it. “Are you alright, Darx?”

“Yeah, I just froze up. I couldn’t move.”

“What did she do before I came in? Did you see her cast anything?” Neku was visibly nervous, and was checking him over.

“No, she just talked to me, warned me of enemies, ones with greater reach than Oblivion. She said I was the only hope.”

Neku looked at him, puzzled. “Did she say or do anything else?”

Darx felt his cheeks getting warm.

“Well, she tried to kiss me.”

Neku blushed, looked at his lips, then away from him.

“Yeah, okay, I, I better report this.” She said.

Neku walked toward the door, and pulled a rope. Darx didn’t hear anything, but within seconds he heard voices and feet running in the hall.

Everything was chaotic for a while. People searched the room, asked him a ton of questions. They looked for traces of spells, of dark energy, signs of how that Neku imposter got in, anything. Part way through they moved Darx to a different room. It looked almost the same, but it was higher up in the building. Guards were posted in the halls, more right outside his door. And Neku, the real Neku, stayed with him in his room.

“Neku?” Darx asked once they were alone. “Can you tell me why are you here?”

“What do you mean?” She asked.

“Why are you guarding me?”

“You have to ask that now, after what just happened?” Neku asked, incredulous.

“No, why you, specifically you? Why not one of the Knights?”

“I’m a member of your guild, Darx. I’m also connected in the church, so I was able to get the post.”

“You chose this? You chose babysitting me?” Darx couldn't believe anyone would want that job.

“Yes, Darx." Neku said, and her tone softened. Her usual cold demeanor slipped and Darx could see she was concerned. "The Inquisitors found traces of dark energy in your room Darx. That imposter was likely a demon, and she can’t be trusted, but she was right about your importance.” Neku came to him, put her hands on his chest. “You are a child of the goddess, you are here at the moment we need her guidance the most. I understand you didn’t know, but now? You used Zrephian magic. You somehow survived that portal, returned to us. Even the Demons understand how important you are.”

“Okay, so the church finds me important, but you seem to be even more invested than that.”

“Darx,” Neku started, then paused, like she was afraid to speak.

When she continued he could hear her voice tremble. “Darx, the church is so messed up, there’s so much corruption, so much that's wrong. You could fix it, you could bring us back to the goddess. Unite the people, lead the armies. You can save all of us.”

Darx was taken back. “Neku, do you hear yourself? How can I do all that?”

“Because the goddess chose you, Darx." She answered. "You have a path before you, a great destiny.”

Her words reminded Darx of things Imris had said to him. Darx was overwhelmed, he stumbled to the bed and sat down.

“What is it Darx?” Neku asked.

“The Goddess, Imris, she said something similar to me.” He answered.

“The Goddess, when?”

“When I was lost, in the portal, she came, she saved Syvis and me.” Darx felt the weight of his words, the importance of what he had experienced that day.

“The Goddess herself?” Neku was in awe. “Don’t you see Darx, don’t you see what that means?” Her voice was shaking, he looked up, met her eyes, she was crying. “It’s all true, she really sent you. You really are going to make everything right”

Darx looked at Neku, tears running down her face. The hope in her eyes, the way she looked at him, it felt like she was putting the weight of the world on his shoulders. Darx wanted to run, to hide, anything to get away from that crushing burden.

“I never wanted any of this.” He said quietly.

“What did you say Darx?” Neku asked.

“I didn’t ask for this." Darx replied. "I didn’t want to be important. I just wanted to live my own life, be with my friends, read my books, have some adventures.”

Neku hugged him as he sat, his head pressed against her chest.

“It’s okay Darx. You won’t be alone. The entire nation will stand with you once they see what I see, once they know who you are.”

“If I even live that long. Kase is going to come for me again, Neku, and it looks like the demons want me for their own plans.”

“Kase can’t touch you, Darx.”

“What?” Darx asked.

“Not anymore.” Neku smiled at him. “When you came here rumors started spreading fast. The explosion of dark energy that injured you was felt all over the capital. The church had to move fast, they investigated and announced it was a demon attack in the capital, and that it was against you. Priest Gabriel himself preached that the demons were trying to kill you because you are a descendant of Zrephia. The people are rallying behind you Darx. Word of your appearance is spreading, even to the other kingdoms.”

“I can’t believe. . .”

“You don’t have to, Darx." Neku interrupted. "Everyone else does, or at least they are starting to. With you at the head of the army the Dark Elves and Beast-kind will join us, the Elves and Dwarves will follow them, they won’t be left out.”

“You think they’ll do that? That they’ll believe I’m, that I'm all that.” Darx was **** to believe it. It was too much, it was too big for him.

“Your eyes, your powers, the presence of Demons in the capital, the attack on you, of course they will believe it. And because they believe it, even Oblivion can’t touch you Darx. The Church would call them out, they would be destroyed. Kase would be executed. His family would be banished.”

“It wasn’t an attack.” He failed to stop himself from saying it out loud.

“What do you mean, Darx?” Neku asked.

“That explosion, the dark energy, it wasn’t an attack. I, I think it came from me, from inside me.” Darx couldn’t believe he was saying it out loud. It seemed dangerous to admit, but it was eating at him. He couldn’t stand being propped up as something he wasn’t. Darx didn’t want to live a lie.

Neku looked at him, her eyes staring into his, her voice calm and clear. “We know.”

“What?” Darx yelped.

“It doesn’t matter, Darx. The people can’t know all the truth. The reality of things is too complex. The church protects them from the stuff that would confuse them, lead them astray.”

“So the church lies to them. I thought that’s what you were against, Neku.”

“No, Darx, some things are better left unknown. Our heroes are saints Darx, but they weren't perfect. They were flawed people who did good deeds. You are the heir of Zrephia, the one prophecy foretold. If you have darkness in you too, then so be it. We can help you deal with it, but the people? They wouldn't understand, they would be afraid, they would lose hope. And Darx, the church does far worse than lie to the people, the leaders, Darx, they. . .” Her voice faltered, her face fell. “They do things, they hurt so many.”

It was Darx’s turn to comfort her, he stood up and held her to him.

“You can set things right, you aren’t just the rightful ruler of Riledo, Darx, you are the rightful head of the church. You can fix things.” Neku said, her head resting against his chest.

“I wish I had your faith, Neku.”

Darx felt tired, the weight of Neku’s words were crushing him. Her faith, her hopes, all placed in him. The demon that was there, the things she said, could demons really be on his side? How could he be their only hope? Their armies had the advantage, it didn’t make sense. Darx felt the weight, felt tired, he had barely been awake but he couldn’t keep his eyes open. Darx laid back down on the bed. Neku joined him, sitting on the bed a few feet away from him.

He looked over to her, she was watching him. She smiled when their eyes met. She looked sympathetic, like she knew his feelings.

“I know it’s a lot Darx. But know this, you won’t be alone. I’ll always . . ."Neku straightened a little, like she had stopped herself. "The church will always be here for you, Darx.”

With those words sleep took him.