Blazing Glory Ch. 08

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Help and danger come in the mystical land of the elves.
35.9k words
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Part 8 of the 14 part series

Updated 06/07/2023
Created 12/09/2011
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ShadwNinjaX
ShadwNinjaX
1,348 Followers

This is a work of my own creation and, being so, is a parody of many races of fantasy that have been created over the past century. Any similarity of characters with real world is either coincidence or intended with implied differences (Example: If I wanted to write a story on say Jasmine of Disney because she's hot, the character will be similar in appearance but different physically in ways as well as psychologically). Under no circumstances should anyone under 18, or 21 (under local government law), or any non-Adult read this! This work contains graphic violence and acts of pornography. Regardless of description (or me simply forgetting to state it in the story), none of the characters in my stories are intended to be under eighteen years of age.

With that disclaimer aside, sit back and enjoy the stories filled with sex and (gasp!) plot.

Feel free to send feedback to me.

Chapter 8 - Mystic Kindred

Diamonds sparkled in untold numbers within the pitch darkness. Light winked off them in a dazzling display that left any observant being frozen with awe and wonder. It was so with Stavros that night as he gazed up to the stars in the clear night sky. The moon had not yet appeared in the sky to try and outshine their brilliance. But even the myriad of stars as countless as grains of sand in a lone beach couldn't quell the unease the deity felt.

As a deity, he never felt the need for sleep. Yet he often liked to drift into the slumber mortals experienced. He felt it drew him closer to them in feelings and understanding. It was also a pleasant experience to rest one's weary mind. But he found that even if he wished to, he wouldn't be able to drift off into dreams.

Something was wrong. It was more than just the sense that something terrible had happened. Even in the early morning hours, the birds remained silent when they should have been waking up and filling the air with their songs. The wind was still. The air was heavy and stagnant without its presence. An eerie silence has blanketed the land. He could literally taste the trouble that was about to or already has occurred.

Stavros worried that it might be something to do with the Volarians. During the night he asked for constant reports on Sanjay and the people within as well as the surrounding countryside. Every time they came back to inform him that all was well. He soon realized these constant requests were making the servants nervous and apprehensive. By the middle of the night he had stopped asking them to give them ease of mind that all was finally well with the immortal. But not with him...

Eilistraee would come visit him at times during the long hours to see how he was fairing, but he could see that she too sensed that something wasn't right this night. So she sat with him now in the gardens as he laboriously wondered what he was missing. Looking to the east, both gods watched the sun begin to rise above the horizon. It was an angry sun, red as if in fury of what had happened while it was not overhead to watch.

"Blood red sun rising," he whispered softly, "To some it means blood has been shed this night."

Both longtime friends shared a look of hope that it wasn't true. But they found out otherwise before they could prepare themselves. Not before the sun had fully revealed its round disc above the eastern edge of the sky, a young volarian guard winged his way towards them as if the whole harpy nation was right on his wingtips. Dust and pollen rose in a furious whirl as he skidded on his rushed landing before them.

"What is it? Why have you been sent from your guarding post in Sanjay," Stavros asked as they rose to their feet.

The messenger, a blue jay winged volarian, gasped for air as the sweat poured off of him from the exertion of racing here as fast as he could. Although the desire to hear what brought him there welled within Stavros, he patiently waited for the young man to catch his breath. No sooner had he done so, the messenger began babbling rapidly about something so fast not even Stavros couldn't follow him, though he tried. Eilistraee rolled her eyes at this and snapped her fingers, resulting in a thunderous clap that shut the messenger and brought him to attention immediately.

"Now...," the Dark Maiden smiled sweetly to the young man, a mother comforting her child after a quick scolding. "Let's have that one more time, but more slowly darling."

"There was an attempted murder in Sanjay last night!" he gasped out finally. Bother immortals stiffened with dread and nodded for the volarian to continue. "The one attacked and heavily wounded goes by the name of Blaze."

Stavros grunted as if struck in the gut from this learning. This could not be! Blaze and his friends were part of the prophecy to prevent the world from descending into darkness and evil for eternity. Every one of them was essential; Blaze most importantly of all! If Blaze were to die, the world had just received its death sentence.

"What happened? Is Blaze being taken care of?" asked a horrified Eilistraee after seeing her friend too numb with shock to speak at that moment.

The guard somberly shook his head in defeat. "We were summoned by a Shrieker in the evening. All guards converged on the scene to see that is was Kiora Celeste that had fired it into the sky to warn us. She informed us she'd been attacked by an assassin sent to kill Blaze."

Stavros's world began to turn red at this news. That someone had dared attack another within this land was bad enough. But that someone who had hurt a child he had come to love and think of as his own daughter! The massive deity's fists clenched tightly and trembled with barely contained fury.

Eilistraee blinked when she saw the messenger blanch as if he were about to die and looked over to see her friend. Quickly she grabbed his hand and squeezed it comfortingly, rubbing his shoulder with her other hand as the Dark Maiden whispered comforting words to him. No one had ever seen Stavros fully lose his temper and Eilistraee didn't want to be the first to witness such destruction. Her touch and words worked their magic on her friend as he visibly relaxed.

"Continue please," she whispered to the messenger with an assuring gaze.

"A healer immediately took care of Kiora as we sent out search parties into the large central park of the city, in which she had witnessed Blaze flee at her command. We also dispatched units to search the rest of the city and one soldier to bring Blaze's friends to help at Kiora's request."

The messenger stopped to swallow. But Stavros could see now that the young man was trembling with horror, eyes having witnessed something that one so young should never have to. He stepped forward and placed a comforting hand on the volarians shoulder. Tears streamed down the messenger's cheeks.

"It was horrible. I was the first to find him.... By the gods..... His guts had been ripped right out and were laying all about his prone body," the volarian sobbed. Stavros felt like another relentless blow had hit him and sent him reeling. He heard Eilistraee gasp and choke back a pained cry as the young man continued. "We couldn't believe he was still alive, screaming as he was. His friends found us soon after we had gotten there. The drowess woman worked nothing short of a miracle when she healed him completely. She was exhausted by the end but said he was still lost, Stavros. She said something is within him and eating his spirit. His very soul is being destroyed and would cease to exist from this world and even the afterlife...."

Both immortals stared at the young messenger in complete dismay. Eilistraee had to sit down upon the fountain after what she had just heard. The anger threatened to overwhelm him again. How could she do this!? How could Koas inflict such a terrible fate on the boy through one of her assassins? He wouldn't even wish such a fate upon his worst enemies! It infuriated him so much that he was close to confronting Koas himself! But sensibility returned and he knew such could not happen. It was bad enough a war between mortals was about to happen. He didn't need to start a war between gods. Koas would revel in such a case anyway. More chaos for her to enjoy.

The shaken messenger remained silent as they were lost in private thoughts. Finally Stavros dismissed the volarian. But he had a servant passing by take the young man to some guest quarters to rest with instructions that a message be sent to the man's captain that he was being giving a much needed repose. When they were left alone, they both shared a dark look at this dire news. He knew something bad may have happened last night, but never this terrible!

"We cannot let this come to pass," Eilistraee whispered vehemently in defiance as she looked to him with her fierce gaze. "Not without trying to do something to help."

Stavros nodded silently in agreement as he focused on the solution now rather than the problem. He could not directly intervene because of the Natori pact. He quizzed Eilistraee about Rae's healing capabilities, The Dark Maiden assured him that she was one of the best because of the intense training drow go through. But she confirmed that such physical healing of a beastly injury was a miracle the drowess had performed above and beyond her abilities. Rae could do no more true enough as she had told the messengers and was likely too exhausted herself to even try.

But still, Stavros would not accept conceding to this problem without a fight. He would find something to try and help the young warrior! So if the dark elf couldn't.... Wait. Dark elf? Stavros brightened immediately as he realized if there was no one else, there was one who could save him. It would be a hard long journey having to be made in a short time, but it could be done if they hurried.

"The Silver Enchantress," he said aloud to himself in realization.

Eilistraee's head snapped up instantly as her eyes narrowed. The Dark Maiden stood swiftly and marched right up to him, shaking her head fervently. "No!" she said with a defiant glare and finger poking into his chest for emphasis. "I don't want her involved with ANY of this business!"

"My dear friend, please listen," he pleaded as she turned her back on him defiantly, arms folded beneath her breasts. It struck him at that moment that they must look a funny site, two old friends that acted as if they were married and in a marital squabble. He would have laughed if the situation wasn't so dour. "She's clearly the only one with the power to combat this evil inside Blaze. I understand your feelings about her, but she's his only hope. That is if she even chooses to help to begin with."

Eilistraee's hands lifted to her face to brush at something he could not see with her facing away from as she was. "You're right, Stavros. I hope she will, but I do not want her involved in these matters after this!"

The Dark Maiden glanced behind her to him with those brilliant blue eyes fierce with meaning behind those words before she nodded to her friend. She bid him goodbye until her return later. He watched her briskly walk away from him and the gardens. He felt saddened and wanted to comfort his friend, but she needed time to herself now. This course of action did not please her one bit.

"But the Silver Enchantress would have been involved regardless because of Koas's spreading evil," he whispered to himself. "And after Blaze, she'll likely continue to be involved..."

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

It was right. The pain continued to get worse as promised. His screams went silent in the darkness. At times he swore he could hear his screams tear through the air in howls of pure agony. To Blaze it was an eternity of darkness and torture with no end in sight, no matter how hard he prayed for it. Visions came and went as did his hearing.

"He's coming around!" whimpered a voice as the vision blurred from the darkness.

Bright golden eyes between bright orange hairs looked down to him. Tears streamed from those eyes like the steady flow of a river, matting the fur of her face. He recognized the familiar face, but the name escaped him through his torment. He struggled, but something held him firm against a soft surface. He shivered as he felt cold. Hands moved to secure something more tightly about him and he warmed again. Trying to get his bearings, he glanced about and saw what looked to be clouds so close that he could touch them. Impossible! Just another vision from the madness he realized before he dropped back into darkness with a sudden plunge.

He dreamed. But they were not pleasant dreams. Nightmares seemed like a wonderful comfort compared to those he suffered through. More visions came to terrify him. Kiora blurred into vision, lying lifeless on the ground before the bench in a pool of her own blood. No! If only he hadn't run! He could have tried to save her! Her blood was on his hands.

"You failed her," it whispered darkly to him. "Just like you failed everyone else..."

"NO!" he screamed at the voice before whimpering in pain and admission. If he wasn't a failure, then why had he fallen to Lexiss? Why had he let himself be defeated so suddenly?

Kiora's lifeless eyes stared up at him accusingly as he howled in anger and self-hatred. She faded from him before he stumbled to the ground. The smell of salt and sea filled the air before something more dark could be sensed. Burning. Looking up with horror, he saw Kyros burning with dead bodies lying all about the streets, dismembered and bloody. The sea broke waves red with blood. His hometown was destroyed. All his friends were dead! His.... His...

"MOTHER!!!!!!" he howled with despair and pain beyond words. All the while he could hear it cackle with glee at his suffering.

The vision blurred away to be replaced by those beautiful emerald green eyes once again. They gazed deeply into his own eyes and down into his soul, granting him a moment of strength and comfort in its warmth. He could see the boundless love within those eyes, but whom? Who was this person?

"Stay with us baby.... Please hang on," she whispered to him fiercely with need but also panic. "We're almost there.... Almost there Richard... Just don't give up..... Don't leave me..."

Those beautiful eyes drifted away into the dark once again as a new wave of pain racked through more terrible than any before. He couldn't scream this time as his mind simply exploded in bright flashes of torment. It felt as if his torturer felt something drawing nearer and was hurrying to finish its job with him with as much pain possible.

The nightmares returned as he stood among a massive battlefield with bodies littered all about the fields and woods. Nadine lay lifeless to his side, pinned to the ground with a spear through her body. Rae lay not too far off, her body torn badly and barely recognizable. Tyra hung limply in the tree limbs, a dead porcupine with countless arrows sticking from her body. He dropped to his knees and cried openly when his eyes had finally turned in front of him. The headless body of what could only be Kendra lay there. He failed them, too! He could hear Stavros's accusing words.

"Why did I trust you? How could I have placed such faith in a hopeless fool like you!?"

A fool he was indeed. A hero? Him? Who had he been trying to fool? Only himself into believing he could be something he never would become. He'd lost those most dear to him and his world was dead. Then let me die! I deserve death, he bellowed into the dark as the vision faded.

He gasped then as a sudden surge, not of pain, but strength suddenly seized him. His eyes opened wide. Beautiful amber colored eyes stared into his solemnly past the silvery bright hair drifting past them amongst soft bronzed skin. Such beauty.

Kendra......?

Darkness then snatched him back once more....

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

The news had come surprisingly fast and unexpected. The volarian guards had gently moved Blaze to their inn and had him resting within the bed in the room. The guards then waited respectfully outside. The four women silently waited within, none saying a word as they watch the man they all cared for suffer and howl in agony from time to time.

Kendra hadn't left his side for a second. She had glued herself to him out of desperation as if in hope her close presence would lend him strength. Perhaps it was, Rae observed. By all accounts, Blaze should be dead already. Such wounds killed men outright and yet he had still been alive. Yet he had been on Death's doorstep. Death's Mistress felt her old friend's icy touch reaching out to take hold of her Patron.

But this time she had to deny instead of give this one to Death's embrace. She worked tirelessly to heal him and succeed she did. But then she found the curse. Such disdainful evil made even her skin crawl. Even with enemies, the drow knew they were all meant to serve Lloth in the Abyss when they died. There was no greater honor. But this! No heaven or hell of any form awaited Blaze now. What awaited him was nothing for nothing he would become. And such frustrated her to the point that she wanted to shriek in fury. She was losing her Patron and she could do nothing! NOTHING!

Hissing angrily to herself, Rae glanced up to the others. Nadine huddled into a chair like a ball of shivering fur, crying with her face buried to her raised knees. Tyra looked on silently without emotion, expression a mask of stone. Yet the drowess could see the emotions storming through those dark eyes of the gargoyle. But Kendra...

Rae had never seen a being in more sorrow than she had witnessed in the demoness. The woman suffered so greatly that Rae was certain even the coldest drow would feel a twinge of pity in their dark heart. Death's Mistress felt her own grief welling, but knew from what she had seen that it was only a drop of water compared to the river that was Kendra's. For the first time in her life, the assassin never again wanted to see another being suffer as much as she witnessed now.

A soft knock brought their attention to the door. Rae hissed as she quickly stepped to the door. Couldn't they simply be left alone to grieve for him?

"Who is it!" she snapped, more demand than question with a hint of a dangerous warning.

"Kiora," answered the muffled voice through the door.

Her red eyes blinked as she was surprised the injured volarian had elected to come so soon in her state. She must have been healed, for she had lost a good bit of blood and was quite weak when Rae saw her being rushed away to help. Opening the door, she allowed the somber avatar inside and closed the door quietly behind.

Kiora looked at all of them with sadness before she hung her head in shame. "I am sorry. I have failed in my duties to protect Blaze from harm and brought you all such terrible grief."

"No Kiora," Nadine sniffed as she wiped her eyes and looked up. "You did your best to always watch over him and us. You can't help that you were surprised in your own home city and wounded badly."

"She's right," Tyra affirmed with a nod. "You performed your duties of a guardian as best as you could. What happens, happens and cannot be changed."

"I know," the avatar whispered as she leaned back against the wall, wiping her eyes. "I just did not expect Koas to send her most dangerous servant, Lexiss Makora..."

Kendra's head rose to look at Kiora. "Lexiss Makora?" the demoness whispered darkly. Rae did not doubt the succubus was burning that name into her memory. It would be a name of a woman Kendra would never forget nor forgive. The look on Kendra's face was enough to even make Rae shiver and avert her gaze quickly.

A sharp knock startled them all out of their silent vigil with a jump. Rae's eyes narrowed darkly as she was about to blast that door and whoever was behind it into the Abyss with her magic! Seeing her dangerous look, Kiora quickly stepped over to save the unknown person and open the door cautiously. A few whispers were exchanged before Kiora nodded and stepped back to allow another volarian inside.

ShadwNinjaX
ShadwNinjaX
1,348 Followers