02 Wrath of Flames

by Jr H. Lee Morgan

  Immediately Ethan loosed some power and Kanade spun around at the invigorating mental touch. “I’m home, Angel.”

  “And I’m horny. Let’s go home and fuck each other senseless.” She didn’t bother with pleasantries and beamed as she walked calmly with swaying hips, completely at odds with her jaw dropping thoughts. Physically she seemed calm and said “Welcome home, Y’all!”

  “Hey, Girlfriends!” Floa grew and began flapping her wings a little, though in this size she couldn’t barely glide. “Val, what did you do to my little girl?”

  “All tuckered out. Even poor Panther was exhausted from her antics. I must say she is going to be amazing at opening portals. A true natural.” Valande said as she passed the tuckered Pixie child from one hand to another while Panther lay draped over the Enforcer’s naked shoulder.

  Floa brightened, happily fluttering her butterfly wings and showing tiny, sharp teeth. “I know. She is a perfect little jewel. Even all her sisters and nieces can’t believe how advanced she is at portal opening. Did you time her?”

  “Right after she came home from her lessons at the Second House. She asked me to do it when you weren’t here. She kept a portal open for two entire minutes before collapsing and shutting it.”

  “My beautiful and powerful baby girl.” Floa nosed the tiny Pixie with affection. “You’ll be as strong as me most likely and have strong children too.”

  “Sister, how is Vina?” Nell asked as she kissed her sister quickly and cradled her green haired baby Nymph in her own arms.

  “Gassy. Someone thought it wise to give her brussle sprouts.”

  “Oh No.” Nell bubbled a rich laugh. “How cruel of them.”

  Her sister pinched her delicate nose. “Say that again. The poor orchids will never be the same after what came out of that little monstrosity.” She lovingly pointed at her slumbering niece.

  Nell’s giggle turned into a gag as Vina took the prime time to fart.

  “Dear god! What is that!” Ethan backed away as did everyone else except the mother who’s eyes watered both from hilarity and mortification. “That can’t be natural.”

  “Considerin’ your new sense of smell, I’d say it is payback when you don’t exactly cleanse the air, Darlin’. Whatever you do, do not make a spark or we’re all dead.” Kanade held her nose too.

  Laughter after a stressful day rose from the group trying to find fresh air.

  Magnus took care of his child and laughed. “It felt so good she’s smiling in her sleep.” Pointing at his volatile child’s chubby cheeks curled in contentment.

  “Whew, damn. That could be weaponized.” Reevy shook her head and was glad a cold breeze pushed it away.

  “Nell, would you like one of my potions to give Vina less gas and give it a floral smell so the whole house doesn’t die from the Lass’s next eruption. Now I see why you never give her brussle sprouts.” Kira said, trying not to gag.

  “I would be sooo grateful.” Nell, Vina and Kira walked off to save the world from the next mass murder attempt.

  “Umhmm.” Ethan groaned all of a sudden as a sharp pain erupted inside him and said “Kanade, I think… we need to go find Morgane.”

  “What? Why?” Kanade asked in concern.

  “All my joints are really starting to hurt… like before only worse…”

  Those standing near all understood.

  “What is happening?” Valande asked in the heavy silence.

  “I think Demon interaction has increased my issues. I let Kyoko feed off me almost for ten hours, but now I think it was a really bad idea. OWWWW AHHH!!!” he screamed as everything suddenly and blissfully went dark.

  A loud crack of bones shot through the nearby area as they watched Ethan fall like a felled tree, unconscious before even landing face first on the hall floor.

  Then he went still and unresponsive.

  “Ethan!” Kanade and the rest screamed and she was the first to reach him. Another bone shattering crack tore from his very body. His jacket bulged more than two feet out from his back in an instant with a sickening tearing of flesh came after. “Oh no! No no no!” She screamed and was afraid to touch.

  Valende took command. “Floa, transfer us to the emergency wing, his aura is intensifying at an alarming rate and summon Morgane immediately with the temporary suppression charm I had her gathering materials for. Now!”

  Panther awoke and looked at his master to jump down ten feet to try and comfort though Ethan wasn’t aware of anything. Two more cracks of bone deformed both legs beneath the pants.

  “Oh, why am I so tir…” Magnus tried saying something else as he too fell flat on his face.

  “NOW FLOA!” Valende snapped.

  Floa put her child down and clapped her hands. In an instant she, Valende, Kanade, Panther and Ethan vanished and reappeared in an emergency room with the highest suppressive runes in all of Order. It was dark, but Valende’s helmet and lance gave off just enough. What no one realized was Panther intentionally shut his eyes before Kanade flipped her wrist and turned on the room’s light.

  Floa immediately left and Valende said “Daughter, we must stabilize his aura. It is making changes to his body far from natural.”

  To punctuate this there was another breaking of bones as Kanade placed him on his side upon the operating table.

  “We do this together, My Dear Child. We went over this earlier today.”

  And together their fingers glowed. Mother and child worked almost in unison, to correct unstable aura that was out of complete control and rising. Panther, lay forgotten underneath, pretending to be affected by his master. Air hummed with magic, thick and heavy while the duo worked alongside the white walls glowing brightly to contain the expressed energy. Ethan’s casual leather armor, boots and gauntlets all glowed, consuming his power and growing with him. Kanade watched as she worked, him changing before her very eyes. His auburn hair was altering to a redder tint than brown and his suntanned body seemed to pale. Whether from blood loss or the ancestral trait, she didn’t know.

  She tried brushing against his mind, but was unable to detect any conscious thoughts. It terrified her as even in a dream state she could feel him. Right now all she felt was a lifeless void. A husk no longer holding the man she loved. Tears spilled, but she worked harder than ever before. So long as his soul didn’t rise above the body, he yet lived.

  Ethan though dreamed of warm purple fire. Hottest of all colors, hungry and never satisfied. In the dream was a large form that fed the astounding fire so hot nothing could be its equal, but the flames were not evil… they just were. The figure though seemed to stare at Ethan and radiated supreme confidence and not to be trifled with, or that is how it felt. The person’s waving form spoke of being a powerful man, but the fire distorted all vision of who was inside it. Ethan strangely believed he knew the being. Is that me? People say I look like that when they cannot get close enough.

  “No, Young One.” Came the deepest voice Ethan had ever heard. It was a mixture of a growl and a man’s deep baritone that vibrated the chest in a unique way that was oddly pleasant and comforting, like a father reading a bedtime story to a restless child. “This is a vision. Something comes for you. You slowed your progress foolishly and left yourself vulnerable. I cannot allow this.” Even the purple flames seemed to speak like the being, to near deafening proportions, but try as he might, Ethan couldn’t cover his own ears. “Do not resist me or this gift I gave or you will die a true death by forces you cannot defend against. Only my strength will save you, even if you must sacrifice all you hold dear to achieve it. Do not drink that foolish brew anymore. It will kill you, make you weak. My Seers have impressed upon me to intervene, foolish boy. You must survive the hatred of ice seeking your head and the light that will destroy your very being. I will make sure you do not remember meeting me, but my words will make sure you do not act foolish by rejecting my gift. Do so again and I will kill you myself. At least your true death will be cleaner than what awaits. Beware the c
hill that comes, Young One. Survive by turning all to ash. Hopefully our next meeting will be face to face.”

  Warm fire then scorched as it rushed for him to consume everything.

  Ethan screamed. A blood curdling, heart tearing, soul shattering scream.

  Those in the room jumped practically out of their skin. Thrashing rocked the bed and spread fresh blood over white sheets. Tears turned to sobs as Kanade threw herself at him and held tight, trying her damndest to sooth him. He had returned to her, but in pain not even Torment could inflict. He screamed loud and deep in her ear, in more agony than she ever heard from anyone before. She smelled his blood come from all over the place and could tell his scream also made his throat bleed. “Kanade, release him.” Her mother ordered when she saw how she struggled to hold him down.

  “Mother, he is in pain. I cannot bare it.” She yelled over his screams of suffering.

  “Use paralysis then. It will make it so all he can do is breathe and we can work till help arrives.”

  Realizing the truth in those words Kanade cried. “Forgive me, Darlin’.” Her finger glowed yellow and cursed him with paralysis.

  Screams went deathly still, but Kanade felt herself rising. He was still moving and she withdrew while he went completely slack. “How is he still movin’?” she asked herself then saw a bloody nub peeking over a stretched collar and then it clicked. “Mother, keep helpin’ him while I take his jacket off.” She got a nod while rolling him onto his stomach.

  Leather swelled like a hump from his back along with streams of blood. She knew he no longer felt anything, but she was careful in the event her curse didn’t work properly. Carefully Kanade removed his gauntlets, glad she didn’t need to pry his fist open. She tossed them aside before unzipping his jacket, reaching below his facedown body and felt wet blood among her shaking fingers. She then unfed his arms from the sleeves and carefully pulled it off with a sickening slurp of sticky wet.

  Kanade could only gasp as what could only be the framework for wings sprouted from his shoulder blades. Ribbons of meat from his back had stretched too quickly and torn the flesh so much she saw muscle twitching as shiny white bone protruded like bent poles with a joint connecting one long sharp beam that ended in a spear-like tip or a bone stake. Veins wrapped around the bone, supplying blood to the torn bits of flesh.

  This kind of blood didn’t arouse Kanade, this scared her like nothing before. Not even when she pulled an Elvin arrow that almost killed him from the shoulder. It was so unexpected her mind shut down and she fainted.

  “Bloody Hell.” Morgane Le Fay gasped as she rushed into the room beside Floa. Crimson stained nearly everything in the room. A meaty mass lay upon the operating table while the Enchantress and black cat lay on the floor unresponsive while an Enforcer swiftly let her finger do high end spells not even a High Witch knew of. She stepped out and yelled down the hall “Code One! Code One! I need three Witch healers STAT!”

  She flew back into the room, donned a disposable gown and tossed the finished necklace over her shoulder while washing her hands in potions to clean them of all bacteria, viruses and would allow any touching she had to do to help overall healing. Behind her Morgane heard Valande ask “Are you wearing aura protection? You won’t last two minutes…”

  “Val, I drank a potion right when Floa came in screaming Ethan was hurt. I kept a vial on my person ever since this morning when you told me of his aura. The amulet was finished not an hour ago. Celestia made it a priority to blend the metals we gathered and soaked in magical herbs.” Three witches and a half dozen nurses came rushing in, all already took Code One precautions and were prepped. “Allow us to operate while you enchant it. You three, take Kanade and their cat outside.” She took command and was listened to. “Val, tell me what in the Bloody Hell happened.”

  Morgane went to his limp side and began touching the torn back and pointed to the nurses to remove the rest of his clothing. “All I know is he just showed up a few minutes ago, had a short laugh and then he told Kanade he needed to see you. Something about his joints hurting like before. Said he let Kyoko the Yuki-onna feed from him and Demon interaction increasing issues. Next thing is he collapses and I see his aura spike like nothing I’ve ever seen before. It leapt to deadly levels in an instant. The Ogre Magnus felt the effects first before Floa got us in here where it is safe. Kanade and I worked for maybe a half a minute before he began screaming as if under Torment’s torture, but his thoughts were not there. She paralyzed him and fainted almost as soon as she saw his back.”

  “I can imagine.” Came the calm reply while her friend was spelling the thick necklace. Kanade was lifted and taken out by an Amazon and laid on the nearest bench. Panther cracked a blue eye and his whiskers twitched before closing them while on Kanade’s belly.

  “What in Torment!” an Ogress exclaimed as she pulled his pants off.

  In the silence that followed, every person looked at a pair of mangled legs. The original knee joint looked normal, but the length of what was once a foot had fused into a single thick bone and stretched. Once a heel, now looked a hinge joint, like a knee or an elbow. A piece or two of bone pierced the skin when stretched too far. Not as far as his back had been torn, but really stretched and looked to tear further at the slightest touch. But the muscles seemed to be developing in response to the new structure.

  News wasn’t over yet as they pulled off his boxers, thinking he soiled himself and bled. Boy were they in for another shock as a four foot long tail had ripped out from his firm backside in far worse condition than the new wings that destroyed nearly half of his entire back.

  Morgane recovered first and said “You, help me with his wings. You, staunch his tail before he bleeds out and you work on his legs. He’s just had a massive transformation in a few moments and I doubt it has stopped.” The three witches began working as told.

  Turns out, Morgane’s words became reality. Smaller sounds of breaking bones occurred during the intense surgery. His skin turned an unhealthy pale so she broke out a secret project from using all the blood samples and cloned gallons of blood for him in just such an emergency. One of the nurses found a vein and hooked him up for a transfusion. She had it prepared since no one alive had his specific blood-type and the new blood couldn’t be rejected since it did come from him. All the stem cells really helped make fresh cloned blood.

  Hours later Kanade woke to Floa gently wiping her face and hands with a wet cloth and bloody water. “Floa? What are you doin’?” As soon as she said it, everything came crashing in.”Ethan.” She gasped as she clutched the clothing at her chest, golden eyes flying wide at the memory of her last visual.

  “Breathe, Girlfriend. You’re going to pass out again from hyperventilating.” Floa said and used her hands to move her head, but nothing budged. Floa did the one thing that always gets attention.

  “Ow!” Kanade yelped when she was poked right in the eye by a green finger. “Why did you do that?”

  “As a distraction. Now sit still so I can finish washing you.”

  ‘Whooh’ she let out a breath that puffed her glittery cheeks. Her clean hand rubbed the eyeball that stung. As Floa used an abrasive brush Kanade’s voice quivered. “Floa… my angel… does he still… live?”

  “Touch and go for a while there. Flat-lined once.” The Pixie worked and spoke without making eye contact. She scrubbed when a few flakes of blood were found in the cuticle. “He needed nearly eight gallons of blood. Val put a suppressive necklace over his head and told everyone it is working so far by stabilizing his aura. She doesn’t know how long it will last. Maybe six months give or take. At least till a permanent solution is discovered. His back and tail was really hard to make stop bleeding… and Morgane has chosen only human treatments to sedate him to keep comfortable. He seems to react well to them still. While they were working it seemed using magic on him only sped up the transformation. They used the most minimal amount to save him from bleeding out. Hence the eight gallons. They used a lot of
stitches and powdered pig to help build up the shredded skin. Don’t ask me why Porky was powdered up. Morgane just said it is some new and viable human medicine that helps heavy tissue damage grow back and a bunch of mumbo jumbo that went right over my head. And his throat is torn up from screaming. Morgane is keeping him sedated till his injuries heal up.”

  “A tail? He has a tail?” Kanade hadn’t missed that bit of information.

  “Yup. It’s four and a half feet long apparently. He was a mess for awhile.”

  “Can I see him?”

  “Eagerness won’t make him heal faster, Girlfriend. And no, not until I’m done with you.” Silence stretched till they heard a ‘Row.’ and looked at Panther curled up in a blue wing before opening a mouthful of sharp teeth stretched in a yawn. “You are one lucky puss.” Floa cooed.

  “Why?” Kanade wondered.

  “Well he came through the transfer with us and survived being near Ethan before you each were carried out here. And if you’re wondering, Magnus is fine. He was back on his feet a minute after I got Ethan out. The entire team wait beyond those double doors. I spoke with them, but they’ll not leave till they personally see he is well. There, now I’m done.”

  Kanade hopped to her feet and kissed the Pixie’s cheek. “Thank you, Floa. Give me a half hour and then you can send them in so long as they are quiet.”

  “Count on it. Blake will make sure they do. Ethan was transferred to critical observation. Go down five doors, hang a left and he’ll be second on the right… And you lucky little kitty will stay with Blossom and me till your masters are all better. Sorry, but no animals allowed.” Panther yowled in protest, but didn’t fight getting scooped up and taken away.

  The room was easy to find as Tattoo waited just outside, holding onto a rail and standing. Both thin legs were bound together with a rod to keep them straight, but he was standing and looking inside. Hearing the slight squeak of shoes, his head turned and offered a concerned smile. “You’re looking better than when I wheeled past a half hour ago. I can’t go in right now. If there is trouble my chair isn’t quick enough to get out of the way. Is it alright I borrow this?” he held up Ethan’s headset.