Blazing Glory Ch. 12

Kaiman entered behind her as the flap closed to the tent. He stood off to the side and gave his report. "There is still no sign of the Silver Sorceress. Those I sent to her tent and the nearby medical encampment have returned without her. I've sent them to continue searching. I have also brought Kali as you asked."

The great lionman's mouth smiled sadly as he opened his eyes to look to Kaiman. "I doubt the Silver Enchantress could make it in time now by how hard it is becoming to fight off the growing darkness. But thank you. I couldn't have asked for a better friend to have had at my side for all these years."

Kaiman's eyes closed and bowed his head. His shoulders shook as the grief filled the normally collected lycan. Why? Kali didn't understand why he grieved so much for his childhood friend. Dio couldn't die. He wasn't dying! She shook her head as tears stung her eyes, refusing to accept it. She closed them and began to question whether this must be really happening. It had to be a dream!

"Kali?" she heard Dio's voice and she opened her eyes to see him looking at her with heavy-lidded eyes. His free hand reached to rest on hers. "It's okay..."

Those whispered words of finality broke the catwoman as she burst into tears and buried her head into his shoulder. Her tears flowed freely to wet his shoulder as she desperately held onto him with her harms.

"No! It's no okay!" She half-screamed into his shoulder before another sob shook her body. "Please... Don't leave me. I'm not ready..."

"Neither am I," He spoke with his voice becoming weaker. "One of my wishes was that I could be there on your Vow Day when you found a good lycan male to make you happy as your life mate."

Kali sniffed and raised her head as she heard those words. She nearly broke again at their meaning but held tight on those tears. She had to tell him to hopefully give him that sense of peace on the matter. She looked down at him and smiled slightly.

"I have, Dio. I found him. Remember how I always told you of the human boy I loved so much. I found out last night that boy was Blaze. I mated with him last night to seal our bonds. He is so kind and loving just as I had hoped he would be."

Dio's eyes widened with each of her swift words as they sunk in before he eventually smiled. "That is truly wonderful to hear. From what I have observed, he's becoming a strong and honorable man that I feel I could entrust you to his care. You both have my blessing in this."

Kali wiped at more tears beginning to flow as joy now filled her that Dio approved of this when she had been so fearful he wouldn't. She gave a small laugh as she took hold of his hand.

"Nadine has also given herself to him. He will be able to take care of us both, Dio."

"Nadine, too? Your mother is going to kill that boy," the lionman gave a pained laugh.

The catwoman choked out another small laugh as she desperately held his hand close to her chest. Her ears could tell his breathing was becoming much weaker and her hand felt his pulse slowing.

"Listen now," he cut off her words, sensing the end coming as well. "Kaiman is my witness to my final orders. Kali, you are in command now of our people."

Her blood went cold. The catwoman shook her head, "No. They will not accept me, Dio! They hate me. And I am no leader of a race of people. I have always isolated myself from them."

"They will respect my last order," he gasped angrily before a sharp wave of pain seized him. Kali tightened her grip on his hand. "While you may be a little rough around the edges still, you have the ferocity and command about you that has the makings of a great leader. I have always seen within you something greater than you realize about yourself. As I am sure your mother has also witnessed this herself."

After another pained gasp of breath, the lionman continued with a faint smile to her. "Do not try to make them to accept you. Prove yourself to them to where they will accept you of their own accord."

"Dio, I..." she cried.

"Make me proud, Kali," Dio's words whispered. "I've loved you like the daughter I never..."

Her golden eyes widened as his words faded on the last exhale of life within his massive body before becoming still. She raised his hand within her grasp to nuzzle the fading warmth with her cheek as her body quaked silently. Moments passed before her soundless grief finally found its voice in a wordless scream that shattered the air of the lycan encampment.

Minutes passed before the catwoman could regain herself from her grief. Kaiman stood nearby, leaning heavily against one the large tent's supports to keep him standing whereas his knees would not. He would respect his friend's last wishes and fully support the catwoman grieving before him.

"What..." he spoke tentatively, "are your orders, Commander Kali?"

"Who did it?!"

The gatorman jumped slightly at the dangerous hiss filled with venom. Golden eyes looked up at him through her black bangs filled with a roaring fire of hatred and rage.

"A human." He answered swiftly, knowing the intent of her question.

When confusion entered the commander's eyes, he understood why she was having trouble grasping this. "Today we encountered a wave of barbarian humans instead of the usual orcs and goblins. Our reports indicate one of the humans was massive and carried a great sword with him. His weapon shattered all others as if they were defective failures pawned off by blacksmiths before he cleaved through bodies and armor with ease. We believe he may be the leader of this human faction by the war decorations he wore and the way the other humans appeared to respond to him."

Kali placed Dio's hand on his chest before gently closing his eyes with her fingertips. Her fingers tenderly stroked his cheek one last time before reaching for her staff.

"Then he's my prey."

********************

"Kendra!"

The beautiful succubus jumped slightly out of her thoughts of their current predicament. She glanced about the moderately sized tent that one of Queen Roselei's captains had generously vacated to allow them to stay in for the time being. Sitting on the cushion on the ground, she looked around to not see the source of the voice.

"Kendra! Where are you?" the voice called again.

She realized it was coming from outside of the tent not too far away. Not only did she realize that, but that the voice sounded familiar along with a sense of urgency. This person was looking for her with great need and worry began to well up inside her as to the reasons why.

"In here!" she called out.

The demoness began to rise as she heard the approaching footsteps when the flap was thrown aside swiftly from the entrance. What she saw made her drop quickly back to her knees in shock. Her suspicions had been right as to the voice's owner as their recently attained friend Callista looked at her now while supporting Blaze over her shoulder. Her lover's arms and the shirt on his chest was soaked red with blood. His expression was hollowed with a blank stare that did not see her in front of him. She doubted by the look on his face that he could see anything before him at the moment.

"Callista... By the Abyss, what happened," she spoke, surprising herself by the rising panic in her voice.

The Silver Enchantress looked to Kendra pleadingly as she helped him inside the tent. The succubus rose to take him from her grasp. Her arms embraced his body close to hers and she could feel now that he was shivering nonstop. Her wings instinctively wrapped about them both as she held him close and held his head close to her chest. Her green eyes looked up to the elf for answers.

"I... I found him wandering like this," the normally collected elf finally found her voice again. Tears that she had been holding back now flowed freely as she struggled to get out the words. "He came out of the medical encampment. It's... It's not a pretty sight in that area, Kendra. He must have seen all the terrible suffering there."

Her emerald eyes widened with the realization of what he must have seen. Blood everywhere with torn and maimed bodies lying about. And the screams of agony. Dear gods, the screams. Memories of wars past in the centuries she had lived threatened to come back and overwhelm her after having shut them away. It was one of the things that had changed her forever despite being a demon.

"He hasn't said anything this entire time. I only found you by word of mouth from soldiers," Callista continued as she wiped her tears away with a gloved hand.

"Callista. Please go back to helping those in need." Kendra stated firmly before giving her elven friend a reassuring look. "I'll take care of him but I will need some privacy."

The Silver Enchantress nodded with a sniff before shakily rising to step outside of the tent. Kendra embraced her lover tightly now as she pressed her lips to his head in a comforting kiss as her own tears wet his hair and cheeks. One of the attributes she loved about her Richard so much was that innocence he held deep down inside. From his youthful expressions of happiness to silly mishaps like tripping when they shocked him always made her laugh and smile. It was a part of him that was pure, uncorrupted by the taint of the real world. She knew his sense of honor and always trying his best to do what is right stemmed from that.

And now that innocence was threatened to be lost forever in the shock he had witnessed. Deaths of those who wished harm on others is seen as justice served for their evil ways. But to witness the innocent and good die is something that can never be prepared for or accepted. It would be something that would haunt him forever. Nothing could change that now. What mattered now was the future that every person faced afterwards. Would Richard become a stronger man from this experience or would it destroy who he was forever? Holding him in her arms, she knew he was fighting the very battle to determine just that.

"Abyss damn this world..." she sobbed hoarsely.

This damn world could sometimes be no different that the demonic Abyss she came from! All of the hate, hypocrisy, cruelty, and savagery she had wanted to leave behind she found in this world as well! Her anger began rise within her like a forest fire beginning to get out of control. Her eyes slowly began to take on a green glow as her fangs began to elongate. Her wings grew with her rage towards the world until they could fully encompass her and Richard as if to shield them both.

"I could destroy them," she whispered to herself harshly in the dark with him. "I could destroy all of Koas's army out there with ease in the most horrific deaths they deserve for this!"

Her anger was nearing the point of exploding when the earth beneath them shifted violently in a brief, but powerful earthquake that lasted mere seconds. The startled cries of panic and confusion of the people around her brought Kendra out of her rage. Her breath came in short gasps as she struggled to calm herself and release the anger. Slowly her body reverted back to normal as she held him.

Too close...

Her body had shivered at how close she had come to doing just as she had said. But it would come at such a high cost. She did not want to suffer through what using her powers would cause in consequence. Better to restrain her growing powers so she could remain by Richard's side. She loved him so much and couldn't imagine one moment of being without him. They had come so far together after all.

When she looked down to her lover, he was still in the same state before as he struggled to come to terms with what he had witnessed. She released him from her embrace as she decided to help him by removing the blood from his body. She quickly removed his shirt over his head and tossed it into a corner of the tent. Grabbing one of the water canteens the captain had left for her, she soaked a wash cloth in the water.

Time passed slowly and quietly as the succubus tenderly wiped and scrubbed at his chest and arms to remove the blood. Kendra thought it must certainly be an odd sight if someone were to walk in and see a demon so carefully tending to a human as she was. Wonders never cease now do they, she thought to herself with a smile. She had gone through a few more cloths before his hand moved to grasp hers.

"Kendra," he spoke.

Her green eyes looked up to see his and widened at what she saw. Richard's eyes were not those of a broken man but hardened as steel. Within those depths she could see resolve and determination in solid foundation of his mind. Even more so was the fire that was burning with the same fury at the injustice that had burned within her not long before when she held him. She couldn't help but smile in relief to him.

"Thank you," he said as he smiled in return to her before it faded away as his serious expression returned. His gaze turned to the tent's exit for a moment before speaking.

"Please send for the others Kendra. We are all going to have an important talk this eve."

A wicked smile curved the lips of the demoness as she already began to know what was on her man's mind. She rose to make her way just outside where she grabbed one of the guards and sent him to fetch the others where Kali had taken them. When her friends returned after a dozen or so minutes had passed, they gathered inside around the human that had brought them all together. After listening to his words, their eyes held a similar determination and grimness.

"Alright then," Blaze said in finality. "We'll begin in the morning."

********************

Koas hummed pleasantly to herself as she walked in gliding steps from the window in her room to sit upon her throne of carved skulls. She was in a very good mood by the way she smiled brightly. Any onlooker would view the smile of one of pure joy that must have come from any good soul enjoying the moment of happiness. She looked almost giddy enough to giggle like a school girl and skip across the room. They would be appalled that such ecstatic state came from such an evil, malicious intent.

"Finally!" she exclaimed as she fell back into her throne before throwing her head back to laugh in merriment. "It is about time to move on with this."

Lexiss had left the room just a few minutes before after giving her report. Her force of evil races was expected to finally overwhelm the smaller annoyance of Queen Roselei's ragtag army of elves, dwarves, and lycans. The goddess had to admit she was impressed at their tenacity to have lasted this long against such an incredible force without breaking down and fleeing at the futility of their efforts. It was beginning to annoy her!

The dark goddess leaned forward from her throne as she pulled the crystal ball upon its pedestal closer to her to give her a good view of what she desired to see. The orb lit the dark room before being lit with the orange glow of the sun having risen not long ago in the east above the waters of the Sonel Sea. Her glowing red eyes looked at Roselei's army standing ready not more than a mile outside of their own encampment.

Their backs were truly against the sea and they would be crushed or drowned! Her red eyes glowed with the hunger to see the sight of such savage anarchy as they were killed. Oh the glorious chaos it would be! She moaned slightly in pleasure in her eagerness to hear their screams. With their destruction, the winged fools who worshipped Stavros and the pathetically small humans would be all that remained to resist her. They would fall easily enough.

Her fingers laced together in front of her in anticipation as her forces began to cross the miles of distance between them with their bloodthirsty cries of triumph as they too knew the pitiful state of those who had resisted them for so long.

Koas looked back to the smaller army in hopes of seeing the panic beginning to take form and see them scatter like bugs. Her smile evaporated at the unusual sight see saw next.

"Nooooo!" she hissed in a pained groan as frustration before screaming in rage. "How is this possible!?"

Her red eyes, moments before glowing in their joyful malice, now turned white with unbridled hatred and rage. The goddess's hands on her skull armrests of her cherished throne crushed the ghastly heads and their grins to dust. This could change everything! Despite the logic that her forces would still be overwhelming enough to win, the goddess knew that fate was playing its hand. It was anyone's guess now on who would emerge the victor. Lightning flashed across the sky in a chaotic maelstrom in reaction to her howling rage from the fact that certain victory was no longer in her grasp. Her hands seized the crystal ball as she glared with incensed hatred into it.

"I hope they kill you, Blaze," she hissed with lips trembling in fury. "Or else I swear I will do so myself!"

********************

The army of elves, dwarves, and lycans stood in formation solemnly as the sun rose to their backs. They all simply stood there waiting calmly for the axe from the executioner to fall. No charging into one last fight. Their demoralization was complete and spirits broken. Many of them thought of home as others prayed to the gods with their wishes. Every face was long with the finality that it was the end of everything. They were barely a mile outside of the encampment and word was leaked to spread like wildfire amongst the army from Roselei's strategists. They would not be able to hold back before the end of the day and be crushed against the Sonel Sea.

The nail in the coffin was the word that the great lionman of the lycans had died the night before from his injuries. Dio had been well respected by all of the races present as they all knew that he was as kind at heart as a person as he was fierce as a warrior. The loss of their leader had left many lycans to howl and cry mournfully into the night.

Queen Roselei wiped a tear from the corner of her eyes as she looked out into the distance from which Koas's army would come. Dio had been a good friend to her. Should they live through this horrible war, she vowed to build a beautiful memorial to him in the elven fashion with the utmost honor. Shifting slightly upon her horse, she gazed out along the lines of good men and women in front of her. Her keen elven sight picked out the new leader of the lycan forces making her way to the front line and the elf's heart ached for the woman.

Kali moved towards the front line by shouldering her way through at first before others began to move aside when they witnessed her coming. Tears still wet the fur on her cheeks, but her eyes were hardened and her normally confident demeanor was now one of contained fury. The announcement of Dio's death had also come with his final command to them to follow her as the new commander.

At first they were confused and unsure about following the Hellcat into battle. But word spread just as swiftly of her intense grief through the night while staying by Dio's side and it softened their negative views of her. Many had grudgingly admitted respect to her prowess on the battlefield with her staff before this event. Now sympathetic to her loss, they remembered her ferocity over the days that have passed and many soon accepted this.

Their hands reached out to touch her arms and shoulders in silent display of sympathy and support. The catwoman paid them no specific mind but was silently grateful for it. But her mind had one focus now as she stepped out in front of the lead line of lycan warriors.

Her cat ears twitched slightly as they caught the sound of distant war drums sounding the beginning the massive force's movement towards them. Her hackles raised as her fist tightened upon her staff.

"Kill them," she hissed lowly in trembling fury. "Fucking kill them all!"

Scores of angry growls and hisses rumbled behind her as they shared the same sentiment and would do as the lycan commander wished. For it was their deepest wish as well to avenge Dio with their wrath. When they quieted, Kali heard another sound that drew her gaze swiftly down the line of the Roselei's united forces to the dwarves. Many were turning with a growing hum of murmurs and wonderings as they looked behind. What she saw made her gasp in shock.