by Eden Redd
“I will cut those wings off and mend them to me! I will be the demoness who restores the First Kingdom!” Sunara screamed.
Aznara pushed away Sunara’s blade. Letting her fingers uncurl, her red blade flew into the air and turned to smoke. A foot planted in Sunara’s stomach and the succubus’s air was forced out her lungs. Aznara brought her foot back and slammed her heel into her sister’s chest, sending her spiraling to the floor.
Sunara looked up with shock painted all over her face. Aznara stood with wings flexing, a playful smirk on her lips.
“No sister. You will not restore our people to glory,” Aznara glanced to Trystan and then back to Sunara, “You can be by my side when we unite our people, together.”
Sunara was stunned. No words rose from open lips. The demoness gazed at her rookery sister, awe washing over her senses.
“Protect her! Protect our winged beauty!” A succubus bellowed.
Demons dispersed through the crowd turning on their fellow monsters. Fists were thrown and bodies clashed. The battle against the rats had turned inward. Monsters backed off as demons went at them with unholy fury.
Trystan stepped closer to Aznara, “You have this?”
Aznara nodded, never taking her eyes off Sunara, “I have this.”
Trystan moved to the stairs and began taking each step in turn. Gwen let go and slipped from his grasp. The mage turned to pick her up but the witch shook her head. Silently they looked to each other, unspoken words passing between them. The young mage smiled and continued up, Sylk at his side.
Damon smiled warmly as Trystan and Sylk stepped up onto the raised Square. Hart was on his knees, holding Lana. Monsters and familiars flanked each side of the renegade mage. Trystan eyed them all and then centered on Damon.
“I’m quite impressed. I never expected the Libro Nocte to bond with you. If you still had its power then you could easily take me but I don’t see the book.”
“I don’t need the book. Give me Nia and we will be on our way,” Trystan commanded.
An orc stepped from the shadows with Nia, her arms bound behind her and a blade lay against her throat. Damon glanced at Nia and then back to Trystan.
“If you had the book then we could perform some kind of trade. Since you lost it, I see no reason to hand her over,” Damon smiled.
“Trystan, leave me….” Nia sobbed.
The mage smiled with warm eyes, “No. We leave together.”
“I admire your spirit but the battle is almost over. The demons are outnumbered and soon will be rounded up. Professor Hart cannot leave his familiar’s side or she will die. Freya looks like she is holding her own against you and Gwen’s familiars. All I have to do is cast a few spells and it all ends. Without the book, you do not have the power, skill or experience to take me on. Surrender and become tribute to the Dead Sea God. Only then will I let your friends leave unharmed.”
Shadows covered Trystan’s eyes, “I’m ready to give my life for my friends. Are you willing to give your life for your cause?”
Damon eyed the young mage before glancing downward, “I am. I will.”
The orc holding Nia moved close to the fire mage’s ear, “I’m a friend.”
Nia turned her head just as the blade sliced at the rune covered collar. Mana bloomed as Nia’s arms were free. Quickly she made had signals, a massive stream of fire from the braziers moved like a beast. Shyla pulled back her stolen hood and threw the blade in her hand. A shadow mage made a hand signal but before he could get the spell off, the blade point sunk into his forearm. Screaming, chaos erupted.
Shadow mages and guards turned on the orc and fire mage. Damon stepped forward to close the distance between him and Trystan. The young mage started casting and his familiar echoed his movements. Words spilled from their lips as they moved and hands synced to perfect rhythm. Damon whispered arcane words until his eyes widened and his spell fizzled.
The siren moved behind her master, her form growing taller. Trystan stepped back with knowing eyes. Mana flared and encircled mage and familiar. With a final word spoken, Trystan merged with Sylk and Sylk merged with Trystan.
“Chimera…..” Damon whispered.
The chimera stood, one body a mixture of Trystan and Sylk. Ears pointed from blue and black striped hair. Ovals eyes stared with swirling green and blue irises. Small breasts swelled behind a strip of cloth covered in runes. A bulge appeared from between feminine thighs. The combination of Trystan and Sylk formed an athletic but sensual body. Standing at six foot three, the being moved with powerful grace toward the stunned renegade mage.
Damon recovered and moved his hands into a blur of arcane symbols. Mana flaring, white hot energy pooled into his muscles once again. The renegade mage grew bigger and thicker. White mana filled his eyes as large hands clenched into boulder-sized fists.
“You are not the only one who can achieve a higher form. My now perfect body is more than a match for your merged form!” Damon shouted as he charged.
Nia poured on bouts of fire to keep the monsters at bay. Eyes glancing over, she witnessed the spectacle, as did most as the oversized Damon charged the magical chimera. With square fist raised, the chimera side stepped as it came crashing down. Stone cracked and shards flew into the air. The blue chimera spun gracefully, snatching shards of stone from the air with overwhelming speed. With a collection of stones cradled in one arm, the chimera’s other hand moved like lightning, throwing each one like an ancient bullet. Blunted stones struck and bounced off Damon’s muscled body. The renegade mage laughed until one stone struck him dead center between the eyes. As he stumbled back, the blue chimera bent its knees and launched.
Damon reached out and grabbed the blue chimera in both giant hands, “Ha!”
The chimera silently picked up their feet and repeatedly slammed them into Damon’s chin, neck and face. The movement was so fast that no one around could keep up. Blue graceful hands glowed with power as Damon let go and stumbled back, clutching at his broken chin. Sweeping forward, the chimera made exact punches to pressure points in rapid succession. Trystan’s knowledge of chakra points and Sylk’s speed made them ruthlessly accurate. Mana streams were disrupted and Damon’s form took a haphazard appearance. Mana fueled muscles shrank and the renegade mage threw himself back to get away from the chimera’s attacks.
Flipping away, Damon landed on his feet and massaged his smaller muscles, “Impressive but I don’t have to beat you. I just have to outlast you. You cannot keep that form forever!”
The chimera hovered a few inches off the stone floor and sped toward the renegade mage. Damon blasted away the blocks on his mana lines and power raced back to his muscles. Body reforming, he swung large fists. The chimera moved and dodged like a dancer. Blue hands moving, water leapt from the rivers surrounding Fallen York. Streams hardened into staffs as they rained down from the sky. Damon felt one and then another strike him on the shoulders. Another one hit him on the top of his head. When the mage looked up, he spun away as hundreds of blue staffs came raining down. Thick hands moved as white mana blasts shot up, disintegrating whole volleys of staffs.
It was a long enough distraction for the chimera to slam a foot into Damon’s gut. The renegade mage’s eyes bulged as he bent nearly in half. The chimera grabbed a staff falling from the sky and unleashed a storm of attacks. Damon could not recover as he was pushed back. Large arms up, they took the brunt of the attacks until the end of the blue staff slipped through and hit his throat.
Damon coughed and a spurt of blood flew through the air and landed at the chimera’s webbed feet. The whole city watched as the combined form of Trystan and Sylk stalked forward, victory in their swirling eyes. Damon fell to his knees, clutching at his neck. The chimera raised its staff, ready to bring down a final blow when its entire form shifted. Damon’s brow formed a V as he reared back a thick fist. The chimera tried to bring its arms down but it moved a second too slow. Damon’s fist hit it directly in the chest, sending the mana merged creature flying back to the st
one floor. The chimera let out a gasp as it was engulfed in light. There was a flash and eyes turned back to see Trystan and Sylk lying next to each other on the floor. Both mage and familiar were heaving with confused eyes.
Damon stopped choking and grimaced. Fixing his jaw with one hand and pointing his other hand, mana blasted at the prone mage. Sylk started to sing her shield song, mana bolts striking and bouncing off. The renegade mage stepped closer, his body returning back to normal. One hand continued to fire while another made arcane symbols. Sylk threw herself on her master, singing with every bit of mana she carried. Damon did not let up as bolt after bolt struck her shield, draining more and more of her mana.
Freya slammed her black hammer into Kira, sending the dragon familiar into Quintin. The winged serpent caught her in his coils and helped her to the ground. Freya took the chance to turn and see Damon blasting at Trystan and Sylk.
“Yes Master! Make them pay!” The shadow mage screamed.
A fireball streaked across the square. Freya turned her eyes, looking past it to see Nia’s stony gaze. The shadow mage brought her hammer up but a blue lightning bolt struck her in the back. Freya screamed as thousands of volt arced over her body. The fireball slammed into her chest and exploded. The shadow mage went flying to the ground hair burnt and body smoking. She groaned as she attempted to move. Kira walked over and put a clawed foot on the steaming shadow mage’s chest.
“You have done enough, mother,” Kira smiled as she kept Freya under foot.
Sylk’s voice started to give out. Suddenly turning hoarse, the siren’s song stopped and she looked up at Damon with weak eyes. Trystan’s arms went up and held his familiar close.
“Well done. Twice you nearly bested me. They will sing tales of the young mage who challenged me and lost. You have secured yourself into legend,” Damon grinned.
Fire streamed around the renegade mage as he stood over Trystan and Sylk. The renegade mage looked up bemused as the streams of fire formed into a dozen red spears. Sharp points gleamed in the light as they encircled the renegade mage. Nia stepped forward, hands up and ready to let loose her magical spears. Red Fang stood by her side, ready to protect his mistress.
Damon eyed the spears and laughed, “Do you really think your pitiful magic will penetrate my aura?”
Nia took a few steps forward, her white eye seeing the small holes in his blazing aura, “I can stop you. I can kill you!”
Damon shook his head, “No, you cannot. I’m going to slice open Trystan’s neck. You could throw a hundred of your spears at me and they will simply bounce off.”
Nia eyed the mage, the holes moving and changing in sizes. The fire mage moved the spears around so they lined up with the holes.
Trystan turned his head to his friend, “Nia, slow him down and we can escape.”
Nia’s eyes began to water, “No Trystan. This monster needs to be stopped once and for all!”
The blue mage could see the intent in her eyes. She knew something Damon didn’t know. From feet away, he could feel that she was going to kill him.
“Nia, he’s not worth it. Let’s go home,” Trystan said in a soothing voice.
“You stopped me from killing Freya…..you will not stop me from killing him!”
Damon looked to Nia with sheepish eyes, a dagger made of mana formed in his hand, “Back away dear Nia. You do not want to see this.”
Damon raised his mana dagger up while energy snaked from his body, striking each red spear and dispelling them. Nia threw herself at the renegade mage, fire flowing to her hands forming another spear, with tears in her eyes. Sylk put up a webbed hand as Damon lifted the dagger over his head. Trystan formed a spell and pointed his hand up at the renegade mage. Nia’s spear point aimed for a hole in his aura. With a mad gleam, Damon brought his dagger down.
Freya looked over from the stone floor, her eyes wide in horror. The entire plaza square stopped fighting and gazed at the two bodies close together. Nia grunted as the mana dagger was half buried in her shoulder. Damon gazed at the red head, her red spear impaled in his chest. Blood trickled along the shaft and fell to the gray stone floor.
Damon tried to speak but instead coughed up globs of blood. The dagger in his hand faded away and he clutched at Nia’s wounded shoulder. Mana spread out from his hand and healed her wound. His other hand moved in close and caressed her cheek.
“Nia…….Thank you…..for….ending….my ….humanity….” Damon said with blood dripping from his mouth.
The fire mage stared with hard eyes. Twisting the spear, Damon fell to his knees. Shoulder healed, the fire mage stepped back, a dark shadow muting her once bright spirit. Trystan and Sylk sat up, eyes on Damon as he stayed on his knees, hands at his sides and blood staining his fine robe.
“I….was…never…going….to…hurt you….Trystan.” The mage coughed up more blood.
Nia’s hard stare softened as she realized what he was saying. Trystan gazed at Damon with incredulous eyes. The crowded square stared at their savior and some wept. Gwen stepped up to the small staircase, eyes wet as she looked to her ex-husband.
Damon kept his eyes on Trystan, “Take care…of…our…Gwen…….”
Head slumping forward, Damon’s eyes closed and lips curved into a slight grin. Trystan was on his feet as Damon’s life slipped away. Damon’s familiars fell to their knees, eyes lost. Bodies fading, they looked on. Without their master, they could not keep their bodies together. With one last loving stare at their master, bodies turned to dust and ash, mana steaming from them. A few seconds later, they crumbled to the stone floor in three heaps before being whisked away by a small breeze.
The world was silent for a long moment. Trystan turned to Nia. The red head threw her arms around him and sobbed. The blue mage held her close; happy she was in his arms once again.
“Master, I think the city wants a word with us,” Sylk said as she moved close to them.
The companions all turned to see the monster horde eyeing them with hate and rage. Gwen moved to Professor Hart, glowing hands healing him and Lana. The professor was on his feet with the kitsune in his arms. The group of friends gathered close. Shyla walked backwards with her maces in hand. Trystan, Sylk, Nia, Gwen and Professor Hart banded together as monsters moved with spears all around them.
Lori looked from the wall, “Time to retreat,” The druid said and let out a long vibrant whistle.
The ground began to shake and tremble. Hateful eyes looked around as the Square began to crack and finally exploded. Waves of monsters were pushed or thrown back as two behemoth worms rose from the ground. The druid smiled as she put Reeko’s arm around her shoulder. The goblin made quick hand signals. A stone platform oozed from the wall. The two stepped on and let the platform travel down, sideways and back up to their friends. Jenny pulled Jaka onto the platform while Vossa also stepped on. Once aboard, the team began their descent to the bottom of the wall.
Aznara grabbed Sunara and lifted her to her feet. The blue haired succubus was compliant with her head down and her fingers entwined. Trystan nodded his head to the hole the worms made and everyone moved together. Sord emerged from the crowd and waited by the jagged hole as the worms sank back down into the depths. Quintin and Kira returned to their master and mistresses’ sides. Hobbling and half running, the groups of friends met up by Aznara and Sunara.
Sunara looked to Nia as she walked with blood on her hands, “Nia…I…,” The succubus never had a chance to finish.
Nia pulled back her fist and slammed it into the Sunara’s jaw. The succubus fell to the ground, out cold. Aznara smiled as she reached down and hoisted up her rookery sister onto her shoulder.
Arrows and spears filled the sky, raining down on the companions. Lori and Hart moved their hands into arcane signals. Arrows shifted away in the air while spears ripped into kindling.
“How did you get the worms to cooperate?” Aznara asked Lori as they reached the side of the hole.
“Jenny was the one to do that par
t. She had me translate to them that if they didn’t help then she would release an acid cloud through the tunnels and melt their eggs,” Lori smiled.
Several pairs of eyes turned to Jenny.
“I wasn’t really going to do it. I just wanted to motivate them to help us,” Jenny smirked.
“Mages, we are leaving!” Trystan shouted as he jumped into the hole.
Others followed until they were all out of sight. One worm tunneled on while the other stayed behind. When they were safely on the move, the other worm thrashed its tail against the walls, sealing the outside world behind them.
Twenty
Sunara sat in a cell. She moved her hands over her grey uniform, eyes cast to the gray stone floor with indifference. Beams of sunlight came through the barred windows and moved across the floor as time ticked away. The blue haired succubus made no sound and sat, mind lost to her fate.
Down the stone corridor, a metal door opened and then slammed shut. The succubus looked up and waited. A shadow fell across the floor in front of her cell. Sunara turned her gaze back to the floor as a figure walked in front of the iron bars and turned to her. Silence filled the area for a long moment. The figure moved back and pulled out a fold out chair. Opening it and setting it down in front of the bars, Aznara sat down.
“I hear they are treating you well,” The red headed succubus smiled.
Sunara remained silent.
“The warden informed me they are moving you further up north, to Blackburn Prison. The name is kind of scary but I hear it has the best rehabilitation programs.”
Sunara turned her head away.
Aznara’s smile faded, “I know you are hurting. Eight years is not that long of a time. I promise to come up every week for a visit. No train goes to Blackburn but I can ride there. It’s about ten hours on horseback but I can use the time get away to see you.”
Sunara’s eyes turned to her rookery sister with a blank expression, “Our people?” She asked simply.
Aznara’s eyes moved to the side and she shifted in her seat, “We should talk about our visits.”
