Disclaimer: I own notta, nothing, ziltch.

Title: See first chapter.

Summary: See first chapter.

Rating: PG-13

Pair: Dain/Leif, technically slash, but at the same time, Dain really doesn't have a gender, seeing that he can be female, male, or neither (non-living objects).

Note: First fanfic, so be nice. And I am quite slow sometimes (writer's blocks) so please be patient. =) Don't like pairing/plot/characters/idea, don't R&R. By the way, everyone is sort of out of character, though I tried to portray them as closely as I could to the books. My sister and my friend Mark (who is Romeo reincarnated, I swear. I mean the dude's complete romantic guru) helped me with a few of Dain's lines. Constructive criticism is welcome! Now on with the show…

-Golmere Verns (Yes I am a dude and human; don't listen to any of my crazy friends who tell you I'm from Mars) ^_^

Chapter Two: The Shadow Lord

Blue, blue eyes lookin' the mirror,

Slowly, slowly getting clearer.

Leif woke up in an ocean of cold, smooth silk. The grey surface of the sheets met his eyes as he opened them. He turned onto his back and sat up surveying his surroundings.

He was lying in a large bed, in the most luxurious chamber he had even been in his life. The maple dresser with its marble counter, drawers decorated with gold. Matching with the wardrobe, and coat rack where he saw his cloak hanging. The carpet, looking so soft compared to the roughly woven mats in his own home back in Del. Even the bed, with its silk, lustrous grey sheets and plush mattress was the most comfortable thing he had ever felt.

Perhaps I am in the palace, he thought. That would make sense. He remembered racing to the Place of Punishment, to get the Belt to Jasmine. But what happened after that? Leif frowned, and realized that his head hurt terribly, and his memory was as murky as swamp water. Carefully he retraced the events in his mind.

The lightning, the Shadow Lord, standing on the shaking floor sheathing his sword and clasping the Belt…around his waist? No, it had to be Jasmine's. Jasmine was Endon's daughter, the heir. So he must have gotten to her, and clipped it around her waist.

Frowning in concentration he remembered a bright rainbow light. The Belt, revealing the heir at last. Jasmine, right?

He nodded to himself; it all made sense.

Leif rubbed his forehead, and felt a burst of pain as his little finger accidentally trailed over the side of his head. Gently, he felt the spot with his whole palm and flinched. It was a large bump; he must have hit his head. Suddenly, his memory flooded into him.

His friends calling his name, turning around only to have his arm seized by a talon of an Ak-baba. Soaring through the air, seeing a column come closer and closer. The pain in his side. Something flying towards him, then blackness…

Leif's eyes widened, "I'm in the Shadowlands." he blurted suddenly. Of course, where else would an Ak-baba take him?

This was bad. Very bad.

Leif closed his eyes and opened them again. At least Jasmine and Barda and all of his other friends were alright. Deltora was safe; they had won. He smiled sadly, and looked back up. His eyes widened when he saw that there was a large mirror, as tall as himself, on the wall facing the bed. In the silvery glass, Leif saw himself.

Someone—or something, he thought with a chill—had been taking care of him. His forearm was wrapped with clean, white cloth, and all of his scrapes were healed. More so, someone had washed his hair, making it cleaner than it had ever been; the dark locks falling down the sides of his head, framing his face perfectly. They had also washed him, his skin now showing pale (its real color under his usual coat or so of Del grime) and flawless; like snow or porcelain. The only thing he recognized of himself was his blue, blue eyes, shining the same sapphire color as they looked in the mirror. And even those seemed a more intense shade of dark blue. Leif looked his body over, and fingered what he was wearing; a loose tunic and dark red breeches, all cloth and obviously nightwear. While scanning down his body he noticed a note near his leg. He picked up the yellow parchment and scanned it.

Leif~

Get dressed, and come to the breakfast nook.

Left door, across from bathroom.

There we will talk.

~Deltora Acknowledges Ignoramuses Naturally

"Deltora Acknowledges Ignoramuses Naturally? Who would sign a note—oh!" Leif dropped the note and covered his mouth in shock, "Dain." he whispered, remembering that the Resistance had used a similar code.

Leif swung his legs over the bed, wobbling a bit as he stood on his legs. His common sense told him that disobeying Dain in a state like this would be very dangerous and his weak mind also convinced him to do as the note said. Next to the bed was a stand; on it was a button down shirt with loose looking sleeves made of a glossy, silver silk. Under it was thick black pants, slightly too clingy for his liking around the thighs, than flaring out from the knee in a swish of fabric. (A/N: Those types of jeans were really in a few years ago. A lot of guys at my school were wearing them. And there was a style for girls as well. Too western for my liking, and very baggy.).

Leif stood in front of the mirror and decided that he looked rather…desperate, and fetching. The last thing he needed was anyone getting any ideas of what they could do with him. He saw his cloak hanging and smiled, glad for its familiarity. Putting it on he started walking away from the bed. Suddenly feeling timid, he wrapped his arms around himself, his cloak hiding some of his lean frame. He walked forward, down a small hall of about five feet. To his right, a bathroom. To his left, a closed wooden door.

Pricking his ears, Leif could distinguish the hum of two voices behind the thick wood. He gulped, and placed his hand on the knob, wondering whether he should knock or just enter.

It's just Dain, he found himself thinking. He opened the door slowly, standing in the doorway. The room consisted of a table, and a full wall and a half of a balcony, the Shadow Lord's brand raised to its zenith in the grey sky. Even though there was no distinct source of illumination, the room was generously laden with what looked like sunshine. As if Leif's eyes made their own light for him, for he doubted that there was much sun in the Shadowlands.

"Well then, you are right slave. He is impressive. I may need him for my own…uses." Purred a voice.

Leif turned to the table and saw who was seated there. Two people, both gazing at him, inspecting every inch of his body. Leif shifted feet, uncomfortable, not used to being looked at like he was right now. He wasn't used to people's stares lingering on his face, his eyes, and his body with expressions that said Wow. He's nice looking now isn't he? To distract himself he examined them. One was Dain, in the boy form that he had known for so long, brown eyes looking at Leif, soaking in the sight of him. The other was new.

She looked…young. Maybe his age. Red hair fell down her back in a waterfall of smooth, straight bloody strands. A robe-like garment of pure silvery grey cloth (like the martial of his shirt) fluttered around her, revealing a slim figure clothed in scarlet pants and shirt. A heavy pendant shone at her throat; a pure grey orb, glowing softly with red swirling inside it. Slim hands led him to long fingers decorated with rings festooned with shining gems. Somehow, her face was both terrifying and beautiful. Not terrifyingly beautiful, but a mix of both. Perfect skin, across an ideal regal bone structure. Even so, her lips were grey, and for some reason they didn't look like they were painted or powdered, but like a dead man's; lifeless and cold. Leif looked up at her eyes, and cried out in pain, covering his own. For a split second he had looked into those glowing red eyes, he had seen inside her.

Hate, revenge, a will to kill mercilessly. Sorcery, power…all of those experiments, all of those sacrifices, and all of those lives. Images, thoughts, and feelings flashed through Leif's mind and tears collected in his eyes. He screamed inside, withering; his legs threatening to buckle under him. After a few moments (though it seemed like an agonizing eternity to Leif) they stopped, and he was able to feel his way back out of his mind.

Blinking, Leif raised his head out of his hands, realizing that he was practically sprawled out on the floor, and Dain was holding him. His legs must have actually given out. Leif got up, still shaking and looked at the young woman who was still sitting at the table, careful to avoid her eyes.

"You're, you're—" Leif felt his mouth slip over the words he wanted to say, but he knew he had to say it. "You're the Shadow Lord."

She smiled coldly and looked at him, and he cast his eyes to the floor. He listened as her footsteps clicked on the tile, the swish of her robe so close to him, and suddenly her fingers were dancing over his cheek, her breath caressing his ear, "Indeed. I am the ultimate master of sorcery. I am darker than dark, I am the meaning of evil. And I will use you, Leif of Del, for my own pleasures."

Shivers ran down Leif's spine and he kept shaking even as she left, approaching the table and standing near the window, "You may keep him, slave. But if your pet causes any trouble than he will die. I will summon him when I want him."

Dain nodded and looked at Leif as his master folded into a fine strand of mist; disappearing to wherever she disappeared to. He kept his eyes on Leif, who was looking at the floor, shaking in his cloak. Remembering the way that he had crumpled to the floor earlier, Dain went over to him, gently placing his arms around Leif's slim frame. He touched his nose to Leif's smooth cheek, leaning in close.

"You're my servant now. I have you, understood? And I promise, you will love it here." He whispered to the boy.

"What would an Ol want with me?" Leif spat, turned his head the other way.

Dain sighed and stroked some of Leif's dark hair, keeping his grip light, but still a firm cage around the human, "You're a very desirable person, Leif of Del. Do you know how many times I watched you sleep before? Do you know how much more human I am around you? I think that emotion—the strange, sensuous human emotion—is called love, lust, desire. You know of these?"

"I know what love is!" Leif hissed, swinging around to look him in the eye, "And I know that you, a monster, doesn't have a clue what it is! All you know is damned physical pleasure, you demon!"

Dain clicked his tongue and waited as Leif calmed himself. He could hear the anger in Leif's voice, but also the tremor. He was still very weak, and having the Shadow Lord submerge into his mind and swamp him with hers didn't help.

Leif turned to the window, trying to shake off Dain's arms, which only tightened, "If you really loved me, which you don't, than you would let me go home."

Dain smiled slightly and leaned his head in closer, "There is no home to go back to. The Belt wasn't strong enough. Almost everyone died. And the survivors of Deltora? They are here as slaves, fighting in the Arena and imprisoned."

Leif felt his jaw drop and tears start. That wasn't possible it couldn't be, but…it kind of made sense. After all, the Shadow Lord had centuries of weak ruling kings and queens to figure out how to deny the Belt's power. Besides, if the belt was all powerful, than Dain shouldn't have been able to grab him when he was that close to it. He felt his head spin; he was still so tired, and so weak.

"I'm very sorry. But Jasmine and Barda were one of the firsts to die." Dain murmured.

"It's not true." Leif managed at last, "You're lying."

"Why would I? Besides, wasn't my master strong? If the Belt really worked like it should, than she wouldn't be that way." Dain felt a shiver course down Leif's body and he grinned. Slowly, he caught Leif's lips in his, brushing them, savoring their softness.

Leif squirmed in panic and broke free of Dain, "Don't touch me!" he cried, whirling around and huffing in anger.

Dain shrugged. He was disappointed, but if Leif wouldn't give in now, than he would wait, "You'll learn. For now, you should sleep. You're still very weak."

Leif felt his body shake, his legs threatening not to hold him, he leaned against the wall glaring spitefully at Dain, "And give you the chance to explore every inch of my body? No thanks."

But his legs were shaking, and his vision was swimming. He staggered, and fell, collapsing, and hitting his head on the wall. Dain caught him as he fell, watching those beautiful sapphire eyes roll back and close.

Note: I am aware that I made the Shadow Lord a girl. I know that in the books the Shadow Lord was originally a dude who turned immortal and kind of became an 'it' because he was so eaten up by anger, etc. But the same thing could happen to a woman. And yes, I based her off my (most of the time) evil sister. I didn't say that, by the way! ;) =) Now I'd better go hide before she kills me! Bye-bye!

Thank you to:

Once again, thanks Mark (my friend/neighbor) and Alysse (my sister, having one of her good moments) for help with some of the lines and flow. I'm a geek, so I struggle with romantic scene flow. =) Also to homesweethomicide13 for the review. Glad you liked chapter one. I hope you enjoy this too.

-Golmere Verns ^_^ =) =P

Please Review!