Duel in the Dungeon

[lochinvar]

[Ed. notes]

Okay, folks, that's it for me for the time being. This has been fun, but I really do have to get SOME work done! I probably won't be posting for a while. Feel free to use Lochinvar anywhere you see fit.

Several things need to happen from here:

1) Arcon and Moon will continue their thread on the other side of the cave-in.

2) Zelda and Willow need to organize a rescue.

3) Everybody else can pursue Zarcon and his evil cronies, foil the revolt, bring the dastardly fiends to justice, etc. Whatever you want.

(Hey, Jo! Loch has a head injury now, too. Maybe they could 'convalesce' together...nudge, nudge, wink, wink...know whatta mean? Say no more... )

[ 09-14-2001: Message edited by: lochinvar ]

[arcon]

Arcon lay on his back. He could only see a couple of feet ahead. His throat burned from the thick dust and his left leg was in great pain. He rolled over coughing trying to clear his throat when he relized his leg was buried up to his knee. There was an eerie silence and then he heard a womans cough.
He was not alone................

[Iwant2bafencer]

Ed. Note: I'm going to be buisy tonight, and most of tomorrow, so just write me in where ever. Be back soon.

------------------
Carpe Diem

[ 09-15-2001: Message edited by: Iwant2bafencer ]

[Moonitic]

For clarification, Arcon had Moon in a corner. She couldn't have gotten out of there before the cave in, & Arcon heard a woman cough soon after he realized he was trapped. So...please read the correct version:

A weak voice called to her as she slept her painful sleep. Darkness settled around them. Dirt rained from above. "Oh, what have I done?" echoed the voice. Was it in her mind? Was she dreaming this? The other dreams had felt this way...the crushing, oppressive dread. "Princess," came the voice again. "Is that you?"

The Lady Moon lay still on her back, hand to her head. What had happened? A fight...a cave in...She was trapped. But she heard someone speak. Who was it? It sounded like Zarcon, the one she had come to release. But...no. That's not who she had been fighting. That's not who trapped her at the end of this tunnel.

Arcon.

They were together. They were trapped. They were alone.

And he sounded hurt.

[Moonitic]

"Yes." The princess said at last. "Tis I."

There was a pause. Concern over the situation, no doubt. "And are you well?" came the question.

The world spun for Lady Moon, but she sat up slowly, and answered. "Yes. And yourself...Arcon?"

The gravity of the situation fell on Arcon. She knew he was with her. And she was well. Here he was, trapped. Helpless. He had to be honest. Perhaps it would touch a part of her deep down. So far that perhaps the spell did not find it. The real essence of Lady Moon. "No. I am not. My leg is trapped under the rubble."

Moments before, the girl would have found it a prime opportunity to be rid of the king once and for all. But right now, trapped, with no help in sight, her feelings began to switch. Strange thoughts filled her head. Flashes of what seemed like memories piecing together. Of her and...someone...Why would she think about such things at a time as dire as this?

Arcon heard a strange scraping sound. She is coming for me, he thought, bracing himself. Yet two fingers, light as feathers, touched his own. A strange, rippling filled his arm, awakening all his senses.

Moon reached out for the touch of human flesh in the darkness. She found it in the form of a cool, soft hand. For a brief moment, that hand took hold of hers. The feeling of lightning on a hot summer night seized her in that moment. She pulled away. Yet, compelled, she continued her search. An arm...a muscular shoulder...the flat of a back...

She found herself at his leg shortly. Or where his leg should be. A pile of rocks covered it. His trap. "Can you move them?" he asked, hope filling the void.

"I will."

And she did.

"Try to move your leg," Lady Moon said. After much groaning and straining, Arcon did, but not much. With her hand resting gingerly on his calf, she used her sense of touch to diagnose his troubles. "It appears to be broken. I am no surgeon, but you will heal." After that, Arcon heard a ripping sound that sent him into alarm.

"What is that?"

She sighed. "I had to rip off a piece of my chemise to create a bandage. Can't have you dying in here."

"But you want me dead," he said warily.

"No. I want to kill you myself." Her voice no longer held the edge of a sharpened dagger. In fact, it sounded almost confused...tired. She moved to the upper part of his body. "Come. If there is a rescue attempt, you will be crushed if you are too near the wall." Together, they dragged Arcon toward the far end of the tunnel.

"I have underestimated you, Lady." The King stated in a quiet voice.

"Yes," came the simple answer. It sounded as though she were at his leg. He felt the makeshift bandage as it was wrapped securely around his leg.

"You know," he chuckled. "We have never been alone before. Especially in such close quarters."

A hand brushed his hair away from his face. How did she get there so fast, and so quietly? "Are you hurt elsewhere?" the soft voice said.

The softness startled him. He had expected something much worse. But, the truth be known, he rather liked it. "Uh, no. No."

"Good."

It was then that her body pitched forward, and fell into his arms.

"Lady? Princess? Moon? What happened? Answer me!" King Arcon shook the girl, unsure if she were alive or merely unconscious. In the darkness, he could not tell what state she truly was in. He lifted her, and put his ear to her chest. Her heart beat strong, thankfully, but the sound reminded him of something. He lowered her, and felt his own heart beat. Then he felt them both.

They were identical. They beat in time with one another.

What witchery is this? How could that possibly happen. A crushing pain filled his head, and he too sank into unconsciousness.

[Moonitic]

This time, when the dreams came, they did not hurt so. The feelings of dread were no more. Instead, feelings of belonging. Of need. A great need.

They stood together in the courtyard, staring at one another. "What have you done?" he asked.

"Me? I should ask the same of you. You are the one who is sending me these images," she said. Then she thought a moment. Her head tilted to one side. "Are you not?"

"No." He looked deeply into her eyes. It was no lie. He meant it. They stared at one another for a moment, then he reached for her, catching her hand. As their fingers entwined, they moved closer. "Why are we here? And why do I feel so strange when we touch?"

She attempted to shake her head, but she remained caught in his gaze. "I really do not know."

Two children ran by just then. A boy, and a girl. Laughed, skipping along as they held hands. They stopped in front of the man and woman. The boy produced a flower from behind his back. A remarkable blood red rose. "For love," the boy said.

The girl blushed, accepting it. A sharp thorn pricked her finger. Her eyes lit, and she handed the rose to the boy. He grinned, knowing her intention, and allowed himself a small cut on his own finger. They joined the beads of blood together, making a silent vow. "Forever," the girl said.

They vanished, leaving the man and woman to stare at where they had stood. They looked down for a moment, at their own hands. Two beads of blood, one on his finger, and one on hers, formed. They slid down to mix together at one of the conjunctions between the knuckles. "Forever." They whispered.

Lady Moon woke in someone's arms. The strange dream had haunted her, yet released something in her that had been dormant. She found the hand of the one who held her, and realized a ring...the KING'S ring...was there. She tried to sit up, to gain her bearings, but the arms held her close. "No. Not yet." She had no choice but to yield. She rested her head on his chest, where his heart beat in tune with hers.

"I had the strangest dream," Moon mumbled. Two children...they reminded me of..."

"Us?" Arcon finished.

"Yes. But how did you...?"

"We've had the power to share our thoughts through dreams for a while. And, there have been a lot of secrets. Remember when we were growing up?"

The hard shell returned to form around the Princess's heart. "I do not."

But Arcon touched her face. "Yes. You do. Our relationship has always been close. Especially in our childhood. I had been jealous that a boy from the town was paying too much attention to you. You were, as a princess, and I as a prince, rightfully mine. Not some commoner. That day in the courtyard, when I gave you that rose, we made a pledge. A pledge of blood.

"A pledge of love." Moon whispered. She remembered.

"Forever..."

She reached up, and pulled his head down toward her. It was no struggle. His lips met hers without incident. He held her in a bone crushing embrace, she unable to breathe already at the passion they shared. All of the past memories returned. Waves of bittersweet love filled the dark cavern. They stopped only a moment, to catch their breaths. "If only to see your face again. I would happily die at the angelic vision," he whispered.

"And I, you," she added. "But let us live this moment as though it is our last. For it may surely be." As their lips touched once more, all thoughts of the heinous hours previous fell away into their distant memories.

[ 09-14-2001: Message edited by: Moonitic ]

[Zelda]

EEEK my husband is straying from the nest!
(we now return to our regularly scheduled programme!)

[Moonitic]

Ed. Note from the other side of the rock: Wow...we've been kissing for a while. If we aren't saved soon, my lips will fall off!

[lochinvar]

Moon, considering all the time and work I went through to get you two together, I'll be terribly disappointed if all you've been doing is kissing!!

[Moonitic]

shh...we're trying to keep this PG!

Blushing now...

[lochinvar]

Well, okay...but it better be INTENSE kissing...

Speaking of which, when are we going to hear more of the story from the Moon/ARcon side of the cave-in?

[Moonitic]

As they fell apart at last, sweat dripping from their tattered bodies, a feeling of contentment fell over both. Time had slipped away from the royal twosome. How long had they been trapped?

"Will they ever rescue us?" The Lady mumbled into his chest.

He held onto her tight, as though she were the last thing holding him to this world. The pain in his body had been dulled briefly by their encounter. He leaned back against the rock and said, "If I know my Queen, they will."

She tensed, then tore from his arms as she sat upright. Grasping her head with shaking hands, she cried, "No! What have we done? The Queen!" Horrible memories flooded her mind. The knife, the hatred, the fight in the dungeon...the cave in. And now, the time of passion between her and a married man. A king, no less. But other memories invaded her thoughts. They had promised one another so long ago, that the two would be one. A blood oath. Oh, what to do!

Fingers caressed her cheek. They found her hand, then the other, and removed them from her head. "Lady Moon? Have you returned to us at last?"

"Yes!" she cried, the words ripping from her chest. Sobbing, she threw herself in the direction of Arcon, her ill-fated lover. If she missed his strong chest and hit the wall, it would only serve her right. The guilt was unbearable, yet so was the pleasure.

He held her close, whispering encouraging words in her ear. "It was not your fault. You had no idea. And those memories, so distant that neither you nor I could remember." A finger tilted her trembling chin upward. His lips touched hers again.

[arcon]

Arcon lay on his back. He was awake now. How long had he been asleep? Where was Moon? Then he felt her, her head upon his leg....she was still sleeping.
The dust in the dungeon had long since settled...he couldnt determine how long they had been trapped.. but he could tell from the lack of good air and his shortness of breath that time was running out.
At times he thought he heard digging sounds but he wasnt sure if it was digging or the creaking of the weakend damaged dungeon.

Arcon sat just thinking of the last few hours
..if this is where they would die at least they were not alone.....but if they were rescued ...how would things be?
He was a king and married. How can a man love two women? Everything about him said ,its impossible but he couldnt deny what had happened. He couldnt allow it to disrupt Arconia either. And thats the way it had to be.
Arcon began to think thoughts of his younger years when things were so simple ...the long runs through the forest with loch.....in search of Moon. The first to find her would claim her as his queen. Was this it? She felt denied the right to be a queen?.....or was her feelings for him? It didnt matter, things are the way they are.....and they're always that way for a reason......the reason ......is ....because its the right way, the way it should be.......Zelda was his queen now and always.......the times with Moon as kids were innocent times.....these were different times.
Complicated times........plots, enemies, betrayal an entire kingdom upon his shoulders. No more running through the forest trying to out do lochinvar.
No more innocent play battles to be fought every day. These battles were real. And people died.
As treacherous as it was, he knew he'd miss it. Arcon looked down at the scar on his right arm ....a peacefull smile came upon his face just before he fell asleep again.

[ 09-19-2001: Message edited by: arcon ]

[ 09-19-2001: Message edited by: arcon ]

[ 09-19-2001: Message edited by: arcon ]

[Moonitic]

Moon woke with a start. Her cheek rested on something warm. Someone's leg. Not just anyone's, but Arcon's.

They were trapped. And they did something so unspeakable, that throwing herself off the highest point of the castle would not have relieved the guilt.

She moved away from him, ashamed...yet very sad. As a child, boys fought over her. They wanted her attention. They begged her to run away and marry her. Now that she had grown, what had she become? A rogue princess. A loner. A terrible creature who threatened a kingdom and harmed the people who cared for her. And now this...the events in the cave.

She moved into a corner, far away from Arcon, and drew her knees to her chest. The tears she tried to hold back fell once more.

Alone. So very alone.