Blood & Carrots - Celestial Ep. 08

If this is your first visit to the Blood & Carrots series, STOP go read the first one then 'Silverpaw' next, to get the best experience. This is a direct sequel and I STRONGLY recommend reading the first ones so you're not lost. Yes, my writing wasn't as polished back then, but you seriously do yourself a disservice if you move forward without knowing the story of the first two.

Take your time, I'll wait for you to catch up. :3

And with that out of the way...

Welcome back, my lovely reader! This week's episode is rife with drama! The past slowly catches up with the present and a key event from prior tales is about to unfold. How will our lovely fox handle such tribulations?

Ah yes, this episode will have love, death, and plenty of drama. Bonds and faith will be tested, promises will be kept. Through it all though, perhaps a silver lining, perhaps a chance to comfort and reinforce one's love?

Let's jump right in!

'Four lovers? Did I have incubi-blood in me?' That was what Ezekiel said laughingly when he found out about Charlotte. I explained I knew an incubus quite well and it was a much different situation, but then we fussed over me spending time with not only a vampire but a demon as well.

My best friend never got over that, so we eventually just avoided the topic of Lorelai and Val, seeking to keep the peace between us. We agreed to disagree and let it lay at that. Ezekiel was finally appointed to the Bishop's a few years later, I got word of it from a messenger while with Charlotte on a small campaign of hers.

The wolf convinced me to leave the citadel from time to time, joining her as she simply traveled the world of the mundane, helping cadets with issues like vampire or demon attacks. Sometimes I'd spend seasons away from home, just I and the archangel wandering the lands. You'd think flight would help and you'd be right, but the world was vast and huge, even we had limits to what we could do in a timely manner.

It didn't help Charlotte was a romantic when it came to travel, she spent much of it on foot, enjoying the natural beauty you only got to enjoy when right atop things. Flying was a joy to her each and every time, she seemed to treat it as more of a pleasure than a tool for her duties.

Speaking of pleasure... Gods, she was ravenous and I even learned how to make love in flight with her, though we ended up crashing from the sky several times in the learning process, finishing in the fields or woodlands we may have landed in. She made love with reckless abandon and despite my other lovers, she wholly devoted herself to me, regardless of my protests to keep her own options open as well.

I recall with vivid clarity the night she confessed in earnest to me...

We were seated there at the small bonfire I had constructed, both of us fully bared before the flickering flames, our armor and clothing in a heap near the rest of our belongings. Charlotte was pushed up to my chest, sighing in relief at the lovemaking we'd just had. She left me with bruises and a few bite marks, but I gave as good as I got, they would be healed by morning anyway.

"Charlotte, do you resent when I spend time with my other partners?" I spoke out as I looked down into her hair while she pushed her cheek into my chest.

She looked up at me with those bright sky-blue eyes, her white tail wagging slowly. "I am jealous when you are not by my side, but I do not resent them or you." She showed a grin and rolled her eyes. "Perhaps I resent the sheep a little, but nothing I lose sleep over."

"Ha! At least you don't just outright hate her on principle as Ezekiel does."

"He lost many close friends in the crusade, I did as well. Elder vampires are truly frightful things, Ryder. War changes people." Charlotte got a distant look in her eyes, no doubt recalling some of the tribulations of that time.

I pulled her close, reassuringly. "Love changes people too, does it not?"

"Love... I've said I loved you many times while in the throes of passion, Ryder, do you think I've changed for you?" She returned her gaze to me, quirking a brow in curiosity.

"Of course I do, I love you too Cha-" She silenced me by pushing her fingers to my lips, shaking her head.

A moment later she was before me, straddling my lap as she sat against me. We were spent from the sex not long ago, it wasn't an erotic position, just one of closeness. I bit my lower lip as she took my hand, placing several soft kisses on my fingers. "These years with you... know in my heart of hearts, I love you, my fox. You have my heart and my very soul. A warrior of the gods I may be, but I belong to you now and always."

I barked out at the earnest words, my cheeks growing hot as I shook my head. "Charlotte... I am unworthy of such a... such a monumental confession... but I love you, I love you with my everything."

"As you do Toroah... Rachel..., and... Lorelai?" She gave me a sad smile and I watched her ears droop slightly.

My heart twisted as did my stomach and I looked away, clenching my teeth. "I-"

"No, it is fine. Love is not a finite resource, Ryder. We can create as much of it as we will and give as much of it as we choose. Perhaps the day will come I will find someone I love as I do you, but know that until that day, you are my everything. You are my lover, my best friend, my comrade in battle, and I'd make you my husband if the times saw fit for it. For now, I am content to offer you my heart and soul."

I felt tears fill my eyes, shaking my head as I couldn't find any words to even remotely compare. My body just took the reins for me as I moved in and pushed against her soft lips. Charlotte threw her arms around my neck, drawing herself back upright, her large wings wrapping around us as my own instinctively folded.

We stayed like that for several moments, it was not a kiss of passion, it was one of understanding, of solidity. Nothing else mattered right now, just her in my arms and me in hers.

Finally, she broke from my lips with a pitiful bark that gave way to a sob. "You must think me foolish for this, confessing so earnestly when you cannot return the gesture in full."

"Charlotte, you said it yourself. It's not finite, and even if I have others I love, you have my heart, you have me as I do you. I will love you as my everything, and I will do so even if you find another in the future." I quickly spoke the words while wiping her cheeks, kissing the tears away as she shook her head, then gave me a resolute nod.

"I apologize for my outburst, I'm just so happy, but also I feel selfish, I do not wish you to think this is a means to try to coax you from your other lovers."

"I don't think that at all, I swear it. I accept your love and all you offer." I pushed a hand to her chest, feeling her heart beating hard as her own laid across mine. "So long as I draw breath, so long as life is in my bones, I will love you and I will cherish what is mine."

She gave a small happy bark, then pushed her forehead to my own, both our sets of ears folded as we simply held one another, the only sounds filling the air the crackling of the fire.

Celestial's derive most but not all of their power from the faith of the mundane. Since the angels are the tools of the gods, it only stands to reason the faith in the gods will, in turn, strengthen them.

Faith can control everything from the pool of power a celestial can draw from, to the number of recruits that can be gathered from within the flock. There are exceptions to this rule though. High-ranking members of the celestial military need not rely on faith for their power, but can still call upon it with special prayers or rituals.

"What the fuck do you mean, burned down!?" I screamed the words in Toroah's face, both my hands gripping his robes, having pulled the taller rabbit down to my eye level. "When? How?!"

"Two weeks past, the local clergy in the city," Toroah spoke the words calmly despite me having spat all over his cheeks while snarling and huffing.

"Two weeks?! And you only now tell me of this? Do you have any idea-"

"The cadet only just gave the report to us, Ryder! I was just as unaware as you, and they were not aware of the gravity of that particular house. It just came up in the monthly activity report!" Toroah snarled the words as I was now shaking him, my hands shuddering as I clenched, growling and feeling panic settle into my soul.

"Gods... Gods!! Lorelai, Val... her whole..."

"Calm yourself!" Toroah finally shouted out, sending a heavy push of his will into the words. I had no choice but to obey them as I staggered back a pace, pushing a hand to my face, tears already on my cheeks at the thought of losing her.

"Ryder, we'll get to the bottom of this, just give me time to-"

"To hell with that!" I barked out furiously as I turned and threw open a gate right above the city. I glared over my shoulder at the rabbit as I drew my longsword. "My wings can turn black as night, Toroah, but if something has happened to her, I'll butcher every last member of that clergy myself!" I snarled the words and didn't wait on his response, diving through the gate and making sure to close it behind me.

I growled with fury as I came out of the gate above the city. The mid-day sun was high overhead and I'd learned long ago I couldn't use my powers to track those that were at rest, I would have to wait for nightfall before I could pick up her aura.

Feeling helpless I let out a furious howl into the air, screaming my rage as tears rolled down my cheeks. A moment later I clenched my teeth and snarled, thinking with my brain instead of my heart. I glanced over the city and pushed my will out. I hadn't interacted with much of her family, but I had some of them, namely some that might be awake, those mice in particular.

Focusing I tried to sense those twins and then my ears lifted as I found their energies still in the city. I gave a slight sigh of relief, if the servants were alive, perhaps she was alright as well. My ears perked again as I narrowed the focus and realized it was one of hostility, no... fear.

Snapping my wings I went straight into a dive, making sure to snarl out some words of power to properly shield myself from mundane eyes once I drew close enough to the city to be seen. Those with supernatural awareness or particularly devout followers would still feel my presence, but to the populace at large, I would be imperceivable.

I was able to quickly narrow down the energy of the two and found them in a rather dire situation to be sure. The mice were in an alley adjoining two buildings and the massive outer wall of the city. Both looked winded with their clothing soiled and tattered as if having been worn nonstop for several days.

The male twin of the group, Jeremy was holding a small dagger in his right hand, on a knee with a bolt from a crossbow lodged in his thigh. His sister Jennifer, stood between him and a small group of knights from the church, a shortsword in the grip of both her hands, definitely snarling at the acolytes.

My eyes widened at the scene, there were six knights in total, all armed, one of them reloading a bolt into their crossbow. The twins I had watched grow up over the years I'd been meeting with Lorelai, both now well into adulthood, standing off against them. I felt fury well up in my soul, these bastards burned down my lover's home and now stood here ready to cut down helpless servants.

I know what I said to Toroah about my wings turning black and killing the whole clergy, but the reality was, we as divine beings had limits on what we could do. I simply could not strike against a follower of the faith unless I witnessed atrocity being committed. Granted striking down helpless servants would fall in line with that, but I had to witness or hear the intentions.

I racked my brain for what to do in those heartbeats. If they fired another bolt I could possibly just deflect it and swoop in, or just outright show myself as a messenger of the gods, demand their-

"We have made no slight against you or yours, leave me and my brother in peace!" Jennifer hissed the words out as she reinforced her grip on the sword, her brother trying to stand before grunting and taking a knee with a pained snarl of his own. The dialog brought me out of contemplation as I clenched at my sword, waiting to see how this transpired.

"We know you were servants of those monsters we put to flame a few weeks past, you should have known you couldn't avoid us forever. Lay down your arms and there may yet be a way for you to repent, little girl."

My ears lifted at the offer of clemency and I felt my tension ease slightly. Jennifer took a step back, drawing closer to her brother to shield him, her own brow rising as she met the acolyte's eyes. "Truly... you would guarantee me and my brother's safety?"

The knight showed a sneering grin on his face. "Oh, we're only offering you repentance girl, a beauty like you we could find lots of ways to make you... atone." Some of the other knights gave their own chuckles at the proclamation as the mouse clenched her teeth and reinforced the grip on her sword.

My grip was reinforced on my own sword too, and rage filled my soul as I snarled out to myself while looming over the scene on the rooftop, "Hmm... and that's all I needed to hear..."

"Bring the whore down, but don't aim for any of the parts we'll be using." The lead knight hissed out the orders as the crossbowman lined up a shot and fired right at Jennifer. The bolt slammed into the screen of light I projected behind me as I had swooped down between the two parties. Jennifer's eyes widened and Jeremy's mouth gapped as I stood facing them, my large set of wings spread out as if they had repelled the bolt.

I gave the two mice a smile, then my face contorted to a scowl as I turned to face the small group of knights who all stood in awe, eyes wide at my presence. I was pushing my divine will out as I took slow methodical steps towards the group, all of them dropping to a knee as if prostrating themselves before me to show their devotion.

"You strike against the helpless, even mean to take the sister of the two but show the brother no clemency?"

"W-We were simply-"

"Silence!" I roared out the words, clenching my sword which was now as white as my wings. I could take all their lives, send them to the gods for judgment and it would be within my right to do so.

"You two!" I called out over my shoulder and thrust my free hand out, the bolt in Jeremy's leg burned away to ash, his wounds healed. "Come step before these... followers..." I sneered the last word, showing my distaste for giving them the title.

Jeremey was helped up by his sister as they both walked over to me, blinking up at me in awe. They had seen me many times, no doubt heard some of the things I and their lady had done, but I had never shown this side of me to any of them.

My eyes met theirs and I gave a nod. "You are safe now, and I leave their fates in your hands. What say you?"

The knights looked up, fear in their eyes as they realized the reversal of the situation. Jeremy snarled out bitterly. "They hunted down the other servants, they were all put to the sword or worse..."

"Members of our lady's house were also burned to death in the midday sun, though she had a strict no-killing policy in place. One of them was even a physician that tended to the poor of this city."

I swallowed hard before asking, "What of your Lady?"

"We could not find her or any of the main households remains. I believe she has taken flight of this place, which we were trying to do to reunite with her, return the family wealth these men were attempting to take for themselves."

"Your sins weigh heavy upon all of you. Lest not one of you loose your tongue or I'll cleft it from your maw," I barked the words then nodded at the twins. "What say you?"

Jeremy shook his head. "Their blood will not return what is lost, so long as-"

"Kill the one with the crossbow, he hurt my brother and did unspeakable things to one of the other servants before putting her to the sword." Jennifer hissed the words out towards me.

The knight had no time to react before I was before him. I lifted him from the ground and ran him through, my teeth showed in a snarl as I watched the life start to drain from his wide shocked eyes. "May the gods have mercy upon your soul, for I will show your mortality none!" I hissed the words, pushing the sword harder, hearing his spine sever before I dropped the lifeless figure to the ground, the remaining five overcome with fear as they all whimpered.

"Any others?" I squarely looked upon Jennifer and cocked a brow, the mouse looking stunned that I had done it with no hesitation.

She shuddered then shook her head. "That was the only one, thank you for saving me the time of having to come back for him later."

My teeth showed in a sneer as I walked amongst the remaining knights, my wings brushing against each of them as I willed forth an enchantment, a curse more accurately. "Rest assured, the rest of you are not safe from the judgment of the gods. I have marked all of you and should you so much as consider any more atrocities, your hearts will give out on the spot and the gates of the nine hells will be all that awaits any of you."

"Rise!" I spat out the order as they all stood and I took a moment to take stock of the remaining five, even as the sixth's body was now nothing but ash and armor. "I will return one year hence from this day and if I feel you have not made proper amends as knights of the church, I will send you to the gods for judgment. Leaving the city or clergy will matter little, I have marked you and will find you no matter where you roam..." I snapped my teeth together pushing my divine will out once more. "Am I clear in my words, mortals?!"

"Yes, your holiness!" All of them spoke out like soldiers to a commanding officer and I nodded my head.

"Speak not of this to anyone, even amongst yourselves, for if you try, the brand upon your heart will take hold. Carry your shame inside and do good in the gods' names, now leave my sight!"

Once alone with the twins I sighed and folded my arms, leaning against the alley wall as I looked upon the two mice. "Glad you two are okay..."

"That was... something else, Ryder, sir..." Jeremy frowned as he looked upon me, still with awe in his eyes.

"I didn't think you'd go through with it, but... thank you... the one he took and killed, she was a dear friend." Jennifer frowned as she looked away.

"I will speak with my commander, make sure she gets sorted properly, maybe gets a chance to sign on with us, that physician you mentioned too, along with any of the other servants or family" I thrust a thumb into my chest, showing a playful grin.

"Thank you... we should get out of this city and on our way." Jennifer nodded at me.

"Where do you intend to go?" I tilted my head curiously.

"We will follow our Lady and return the coin she left behind for the servants. All were slain but I and Jennifer, we'd rather see it back in the home's coffers." The brother gave me another look. "Thank you again."

"Come, we will leave now. Stay within a few feet of me and none will see your passing." I started walking with the twins, projecting my power forth to shield all three of us from mortal eyes.

I saw them outside of the city as well as made sure they had horses and proper supplies for the trip. Jennifer looked at me while atop the primitive horse. "What will you do, Ryder?"