Celestial Wars Ch. 01

I brought my hands to the top of his back where his shoulders met his neck. I kneaded his hard muscled skin with the heels of my palms. Once I was done working on his neck I started a gently circular motion on his shoulder blades.

My mind still felt hazy, but I decided I liked touching his skin.

My fingertips danced lightly down his spine, until I reached his lower back. With my thumbs, I slowly worked on that sensitive place where the back ends and the slopes of his muscular buttock began.

'Did you just think about licking his skin?'

I hesitated at his clothed lower body. He hadn't said anything about undressing him any further. I suddenly felt guilty about removing his shoes. Well then I won't remove his trousers... I thought firmly.

I shivered slightly. This stone room was still so frigid. The Demon must be cold.

He said I had to comfort him. Being cold was not comfortable.

Before I could even really analyze my movements, I lifted up one of the Demon's heavy arms and slipped under it so that his arm was draped around me. Now our torsos were touching.

My soft breasts pillowed against the Demon's hard chest as I burrowed myself against the dark haired man. I put my arms around him, and hugged him to my body. Hopefully my flesh would warm him in this cold stone room he had chosen to imprison himself in.

'This is sexual. You are too close to him. You are wet. Why are you wet?'

The Demon should be comfortable now...I thought to myself.

Then, as if a fog had been lifted from my mind, I realized all the intimate and unacceptable things I had done. With my commands satisfied, I had regained control of my mind.

And yet, I couldn't move. If I moved the Demon might get cold, and then I wouldn't be fulfilling my orders.

I was trapped with the Demon's muscular arm lying across my body, while I hugged him to my bosom like a lover. Tears fell down my face as I embraced my captor, and tried not to rub my wet sex against his leg.

Conflict

~I heard the buzzing. The Flies were everywhere. Fresh corpses were stripped to the bone in seconds...and in the middle, Beelzebub sat, devouring the flesh of fallen. – Survivor of the Pyrrhic war.~

-Daniel Fleeting-

This wasn't part of the plan.

I had been distracted for a moment. This woman with jet black hair and forest green eyes had reminded me of a past love...and I had dropped my guard.

Had I been aware I would have realized that no woman living in the forest has a teacup made of jade.

Green sparks had danced from the cup as soon as Maria had laid hands upon it.

The jade must have a glyph of power written upon it.

Maria's body was frozen where she stood. For a brief moment eyes that I had mistaken for pale blue flashed a brilliant silver...before dimming into lifeless empty eyes.

'Maria must be an Angel,'Vraiel whispered in my head.

I shook myself, and dropped my teacup like a snake. I hadn't taken a sip yet, and I doubted that I wanted to.

My cup made the smallest of sounds as it thumped into the grass.

The black haired woman whirled around and crouched defensively in front of the paralyzed Maria. Her face was contorted into a hideous snarl. The veins around her eyes bunched grotesquely, and her pupils dilated until even her sclera was as black as night.

"She is one of The Afflicted,'Vraiel said,'She is a thief of magic.'

The woman spoke in a voice distorted by stolen magic. It was harsh and unnatural sounding.

"I give you one chance mortals," she said in her bizarre voice, "Walk away at once, and I will let you live. The girl stays with me...her power belongs to me."

With a flourish Jon drew his beautiful old hand and a half sword. It gleamed in the light of the sunset, and he twirled it gracefully before bringing it to the ready.

"I will not let you touch the Master's possession," Jon said calmly.

I put my hand on Fleeting Light.

'Draw your sword...and you will reveal your nature as a Judicar,'Vraiel reminded me.

"You can't hope to best both of us Afflicted," I said sternly. "Undo the glyph and we shall depart without slaying you."

The creature threw back her head and laughed. It sounded like metal bending and children crying all at once. Demon's at least had a grace to their evil. This creature was simply ugly in its depravity. I moved into a ready stance, with my hand on my sword.

The woman drew back her hand. Upon her palm multicolored sparks of green, red and blue mingled. She flung the spell at Jon, whose eyes went wide.

The outmatched swordsman threw himself to the ground and rolled away. The barrage of magic collide with a tree behind him and instantly shattered the bark. The old oak crashed down to the forest floor.

As Jon neatly rolled back to his feet, I charged the abomination. My fist was cocked back, and secretly load with Light magic. My knuckles would feel like a cannonball when they met her face.

With Vraiel enhancing my eyes with his magic, I could see the creature augment herself with her own power, and move supernaturally fast out of my reach.

"You are quick human," the woman said with narrowed eyes.

I grinned, "I've killed much worse things than you sinner," I said mockingly.

Jon and I slowly advanced on the woman.

She took measured steps backwards. Her black eyes and veiny face stared hatred at us.

She brought her hands up, and tossed more multicolored magic at Jon and myself. These bolts of magic came fast...much faster than magic usually travels.

I called upon my Light magic to neatly step to the side.

Jon...having no such advantage, took the brunt of the blast to the chest. His limp body flew through the air and landed with a soft thud nearby.

The woman had her hands at the ready...sparks dripped from her fingertips as she turned and faced me.

"You...you are no human," she said in ragged breaths. The constant casting must have taken it out of her.

I cast a look back at Jon. He looked to be safely unconscious. Some of his clothes and skin were smoldering.

"Yes," I said as smiled at her. "I'm afraid I'm more than human."

Fleeting Light sung as I drew it from its scabbard. A clear and pure ring filled with air...like a church bell calling the faithful to worship, or a war horn condemning sinners to death.

The metal glowed with Holy Light, and the sword's name shone bright blue.

I gazed upon her now...my normal eye color would have been replaced with a magnificent silver. If she was wise she would run...for she was about to be judged.

"Judicar..." she whispered...as if she couldn't quite believe it, "why couldn't I sense you?"

Vraiel spoke through me, "We have lived a very long time...we have completely mastered suppressing our nature."

"Let me go," she said softly in a voice that sounded a bit more human, "I'm sorry, I didn't know... just let me live."

Vraiel and I spoke as one mind, "Your sins are too great my child," we said in the voice of Heaven, "you reek of many magics that are not your own."

We took a step forward, and the craven before us took a step back.

"As a Judicar of heaven, I judge you to be a sinner in the eyes of God, and condemn you to die on my blade. May the Lord have mercy upon your soul."

"Die!" she shrieked as she hurled magic at us.

With our sword raised, we dodged her first spell, and took the second to the shoulder. The sorcery burned and ate at our flesh, but it didn't slow us. Her hateful black eyes widened in fear as she realized she couldn't stop us that way.

Using stolen supernatural speed, the woman dodged the tip of our sword by mere inches.

The woman produced a small knife that looked to be made of more jade, and hurled it in our direction. I was caught unawares, but Vraiel was not. Fleeting Light shot up, and the dagger clanged against our sword. A glyph written on the side of the blade tried to splutter into existence, but blue sparks poured from our sword and drowned out whatever stolen magic lingered there.

I straightened to my full height, and once again began stalking toward the abomination.

My Demonic core was beginning to ache. With our sword drawn our Light magic was at its fullest. My heart of stone and evil would only hurt more as this battle wore on.

The woman pulled both her hands back and frenzied magic began to dance upon her hands, "FUCK YOUR GOD PUPPET," she screeched.

She threw her magic at me, and with an Angel's grace I slipped in between the two bolts, and suddenly stood before her. With her magic spent, her eyes had returned to their natural green, and her face had settled into her original beauty.

She slumped to her knees, exhausted and spent.

"Hand in hand," Vraiel began to quote as we raised our blade, "the wicked shall not be unpunished: but the seed of the righteous shall be delivered."

Holy steel bit into her shoulder, and Light magic coursed through her body.

She shook and twitched as she tried to remove the blade from her body...but eventually her struggles grew weak...and then they stopped altogether.

With a sigh, I sheathed Fleeting Light.

I could feel my magic recess until it winked out of existence. My stone heart ached, and I absently held my chest. Our little camp next to the well was in tatters. The Afflicted's chaotic spell casting had left the nearby landscape smoldering slightly. Patches of grass were curled and burned.

Maria was still frozen holding the enchanted jade cup.

'The tea in the cup holds her magic Daniel,'Vraiel said softly in my mind.'You must take the cup from her hand and make her drink the tea.'

"Won't I be frozen too if I take the cup?" I asked aloud.

'No,'Vraiel replied,'The glyph is spent, the cup is a harmless receptacle of the girl's magic.'

"I can't believe she is an Angel," I said softly.

'Half an Angel is more likely.'

"Aethling," I whispered.

I gazed upon the girl in silent awe. She was human, yet she was also divine. This young woman would be welcomed into heaven by right of birth. She would not have to claw and scrap and pray to be admitted to paradise.

Bitter envy stabbed at me.

'The Demon's heart is clouding your thinking Daniel, Vraiel proffered kindly. 'Help the girl, she is our kin.'

Before I could think better of it, I took the cup and held it to the young girl's lips. She drank unconsciously, with her eyes unseeing. When the last drop was finished the Aethling blinked once, and passed out.

"What did you do?" Jon asked from behind me.

I turned to observe the swordsman. He was holding his injured solider. His clothes were burnt but his eyes were clear and lively. He would live.

"The cup held the girl's magic," I said as if I had known the girl's true nature the entire time. "She will sleep for a while and then she will be recovered."

Jon wearily got to his feet, and retrieved his gleaming sword from where he had dropped it. His eyes glanced at the husk of the Afflicted's body.

"You are apparently very skilled Daniel," he said after a beat.

With the same motion he demonstrated once, he kicked his sword up into the air and grasped it...then he replaced it in its sheath. He spared the corpse one last look, before staggering back to the well.

"I'm very glad you happened along when you did Daniel," Jon continued, "I'm sure we can find more coins for you after going above the call of duty."

I smiled warmly, "That is very kind of you."

He still thinks I'm nothing but a sell sword and a Hunter...my ruse is safe.

Jon agreed to look after the comatose Maria while I excused myself to search through the abomination's cottage. I genuinely did think that there might be something useful or valuable inside, but that wasn't the reason I volunteered.

As soon as the creaking wooden door was shut behind me, I dropped to the floor in convulsions.

My demonic core was aching and throbbing inside my chest. It felt like I had swallowed a hot coal, and now it was burning a hole right through my center.

I opened my mouth to scream, but Vraiel clamped my mouth shut and muffled my cries.

'Scream and Jon will come and investigate,'Vraiel said softly in my mind.'I know it hurts my friend...but you must be strong, your shoulder is almost healed.'

And he was right. Small angry red sparks jumped about my flank as they healed my wound.

I sat there for about three minutes until I found the strength to stand.

'You did very well Daniel. You have served both the Light and yourself this day. I'm proud.'

I smiled.

The cottage was immaculately clean. Tasteful white sewn linens and brass pots decorated the kitchen and living area. The back room was made up of one tidy bed, and several books.

Books are expensive, I wonder how she managed to afford all these.

'She probably killed their owners. Afflicted are naturally bloodthirsty,' Vraiel said in my head.

"Do you think any of these are worth taking?" I wondered.

'Most probably refer to her craft of stealing magic.'

I shrugged, and made my way back outside.

Jon had Maria wrapped in a blanket. Her beautiful pale face and shimmering blond hair were utterly without expression. She looked like a serene statue.

"Anything?" Jon asked over his shoulder.

"Books," I replied with a shrug. Let him think that the books didn't interest me. I wouldn't be able to say it without lying.

He cracked a smile, "I'll take a look at some of them later. Maybe in the morning, when we have more light."

"Do you want to sleep in the cottage?" I asked.

Jon spared another glance over at the woman's corpse. I really should go and bury it, or at least drag it out into the forest.

"No," Jon said with a smaller smile, "I don't think I'd sleep a wink."

We made another camp, and I repeated my trick with the pommel of my sword and some tinder. Soon I had another fire going, and Jon dragged Maria right up close so that she might warm up and recover.

Jon sighed as he moved his hands close to the fire.

Crickets began to chirp there nightly Nocturne as true night fell. Clouds held the moon's light at bay, and our camp was the only bastion of light that the eye could see. I had seen more nights than I could count in my five hundred years. I could almost hum the cricket's song back at them.

"Thank you for what you did today," Jon said after a moment.

"It is what you paid me to do," I said with a wink.

"True, but I did not know the quality of service I was purchasing," Jon paused, "Tell me, where did you acquire such speed? I saw you dodge what I could not."

Damn. He noticed. He suspected. Lying was not within my ability. Half-truths were the best I could manage.

Hopefully he was passed out for the rest of the fight.

What would he believe? If I tell him I'm a Judicar then he will know I'm an enemy.

'Tell him you are an immortal. Tell him you won a dual for immortality. He might believe your speed stems from there.'Vraiel suggested frantically.

"Well?" Jon asked mildly. His scars stood out clearly against the firelight.

"What do you know of immortality?" I asked slowly.

Jon's eyebrows shot up, stretching the scars around his eyes until they pulled tight. His eyes settled into hard points.

"More than most," Jon said as he stared at me.

"Do you know how it can be obtained?" I asked.

Jon nodded, "I know of three ways," he said. "You can bath in the springs beneath the Fae Leif-Tree. You can become Afflicted, and steal immortality from magical beings..."

He paused, and he tilted his head...clearly lost in some thought.

"Or," he said with his eyes lost in the fire, "You can dual a Demon to the death."

Without saying anything, I unbuttoned my shirt. The scar of the pentagram emblazoned my chest right over where my mortal heart should beat. Every other moment, the white scar would glow red, like it was mimicking a real heartbeat.

Jon gazed at my Demonic scar with wonder in his eyes.

"Does that answer your question?" I asked as I began to button my shirt back up.

The scarred man looked down at his hands, and he played with the silver ring on his finger.

A trick of the light made it look like tears clung to his cheeks. I blinked to clear the illusion from my eyes, and looked back into the camp fire. On the ground next to us, Maria the Aethling stirred prettily in her sleep.

"I guess that does answer my question," Jon said as he placed a hand on Maria's forehead. He frowned slightly at the temperature he felt and adjusted her blankets.

"How long have you lived?" Jon asked after a fashion.

"Five hundred years or so," I said vaguely.

Jon's eyes widened slightly, "I guess that would explain your experience,"

I nodded, and stayed silent.

We both stared at the fire until it dwindled to nothing but embers. I had just been contemplating fetching more wood, when sleep must have taken me.

This dream was different...and yet it was the same.

When I had taken the cup from the dark haired woman my body had shut down...and whatever spell she laid upon me hurled me tumbling into my own unconscious. For some reason, the artifice by which I had been put to sleep made me aware of the fact that I was dreaming.

I could feel magic swelling in me, and I could feel the thin line of power that connected me to my Master.

¬'This must be the awakening bond.'I thought to myself with wonder.

I could see it extending far to the North, it shimmered brightly, like a gold ribbon illuminated in a sea of darkness.

"Oh Master," I whispered as I touched our bond.

And then suddenly, there was a white flash.

My Master was standing amongst the wreckage of an ancient castle. His ruby pommeled black sword was slicing through ragged looking warriors who knew they faced death. My Dark God danced among their would-be corpses with a macabre delight on his face.

I smiled and sighed at the vision.

Devnik froze, and spun around and looked straight at me. The warriors he had been battling disappeared like they had never been.

"Dreamwalker," Devnik hissed as he advanced with his sword.

"Master?" I said, as I took a step forward, unafraid of the sword and his fiery red eyes.

My Master froze, and blinked once. Shock and awe colored his face as he gazed at me.

With a small smile, I did a cute little pirouette, and fluttered my eyes bashfully at him.

"Maria, how are you doing this?" Devnik asked as he dropped his sword and it turned to ash and smoke. "How are you standing in my dream?"

I didn't want to talk. As he came near me my body responded how it always did to his presence. But still, that was a direct question, and I would obey.

"A witch gave me a spelled cup and I passed out," I said hurriedly. "When I was unconscious I found our bond in my head and touched it...and I wound up here. That's all I know Master...I swear."

He pulled me close, and ran a long pale hand through my hair. I practically melted as he tucked a strand of errant blond hair behind my ears. I looked up into his face. I wanted him to kiss me.

"Do you know what you're doing right now?" He asked gently.

Damn...just kiss me, "No Master," I replied obediently. A rush of endorphins filled my body with euphoria. Obedient felt so good.

"You are dreamwalking pet," Devnik said as he pulled my head to his chest, filling my nose with his scent. "This is a power of the Light, and it would appear that our bond allowed you to slip past my defenses."

"Don't be mad Master?" I said into his chest.

"No dearest," he breathed into my hair, "I'm not mad at you. I'm simply rejoicing that I can touch you again. You are more beautiful than I ever remembered."