Blood & Carrots - Celestial Ep. 20

"Kalinae, I'll not strike you down. I will pray for you. I will pray you someday can find kindness in your sad existence, and... I will forgive you." He growled the words as he stepped back, sheathing his blade.

Everyone shared a look as we all just stepped back from her. Even the guards that had been pouring in had halted their defense, everyone just in awe at the sheer magnitude of the words.

"Y-you... I- I destroyed your life!" She hissed out and clenched her teeth.

"Like with a hurricane, you rebuild. I stand with those I love and those that I call friends. What can I gain by striking you down?" Ryder spoke the words calmly as he shook his head.

"I- I cost you the life of your love! You swore you'd kill me, you have to follow your word or you will die, Angel!" She showed her teeth in a victorious sneer.

"Do I? As a celestial, I am bound by my word, but only honorable ones. Swearing the death of someone falls into a grey area as it were." Ryder looked to me and gave a nod. "Is the contract annulled?"

"Should be... go get your dad, Kalinae, enjoy living with your shame." I shoved my nose into the air, giving her a haughty smirk. Alice just flipped her off and scowled.

"You can't do this to me! You owe me at least an honorable-"

Ryder pushed his will forth, his eyes shining gold as he snarled out, "Be away from here, I'll speak to your lord!"

I gave a disapproving grunt as the whole scene just changed before my eyes, everyone vanishing along with the area. I'd clearly been pulled out of that room and now stood in quite an opulent place to be sure.

It had a massive towering ceiling that seemed to go dozens of stories up, huge ivory pillars supporting it. The carpet under my feet was a deep burgundy with spun gold trimming. The walls were dotted with paintings and the hall had various sculptures. Some of the art I even recognized, long ancient pieces thought lost to time, yet here they were.

"Admiring my collection?" The casual words pushed out with a level of power behind them that sent a chill down my spine as if these were words I was never meant to hear. My eyes looked forward, the red haze in my vision clearing as I calmed myself.

"He wants to see me... as if I'd just present myself like that." The figure sat on a very ordinary throne that reminded me of my mothers. Like my mother, he had no distinguishing features of a race and was dressed in simple robes. His flesh was smooth and well-tanned, almost bronze in color, not a bit of fur to be found upon it. Like my mother, he had blonde hair which seemed to clash with the bronze flesh, a short jagged mess of locks but just the faintest showing of horns jutting out of them.

He gave me a knowing grin as I looked him over, and I saw his teeth. Teeth I'd seen my mother flash, teeth like mine. Smooth and rounded, but for the large out-of-place canines that protruded forth. I swallowed hard as red eyes met mine with a knowing smile, he knew I could feel the pressure, knew I could feel the overwhelming fear of being alone before him.

"Perhaps... you could tell me what he wishes to speak of?" With those words, he was simply gone, just gone.

"Perhaps, he wishes to barter for something of mine?" I wheeled around, not even having felt his presence behind me, reinforcing the grip on my wakizashi at my side as he stood there. My eyes widened as I saw him resting a hand upon a large crystal cylinder. Now that he was standing I could see he easily had a few heads on me in height.

The crystal was seethrough and there was clearly a figure within it. It was Charlotte, or at least, a representation of her. The 'coffin' was only about as large as me, but Charlotte was taller than Ryder. The occupant looked like a little girl with curly blonde hair and snow-white ears, a small stump of a tail, no older than perhaps six years, but there was no doubt it was her.

He showed me a knowing grin once more, my eyes hardening as I shook off the awe and fear he had instilled upon me. My own teeth showed as I gripped the blade at my side. "You can't barter with something that isn't yours."

Another approving grin and he simply blinked from sight. I was focusing now, the red in my vision again, and felt him back at his little throne, already lounging against it as mother did her own. "That is such a disrespectful way to speak to me, daughter."

"I am no child of yours." I hissed the words as I turned to fully face him once more, drawing my wakizashi, the divine blood steel shining in the illumination of the hellfire braziers of the room.

"Ha! Is that what you believe?" He raised a finger to his chin, giving me an amused smirk. "Ah, then perhaps it would be more accurate to refer to you as my... granddaughter?"

My teeth showed in a snarl as I narrowed my red eyes. "What are you on about?"

"Where do you think your kind came from, my child? You drank of my daughter, surely you felt something... familiar, in those moments."

My heart twisted at the words as I recalled the quick tastes of her blood. It was there, it tasted like mothers, it tasted like ancient blood mingled with demonic. I felt my heart start to beat as he watched me process things.

After a few moments, I shook my head, stomping a foot as I drew my slightly longer blade, setting him with a hard glare, both swords now drawn. "It means little in this moment. You have something that belongs to me, I'll have it back!"

"She belongs to you, does she?" He gave me a smile, seeming infinitely amused by this exchange.

"Ryder is mine, and she offered her soul to him! That means by proxy she falls under my protection! She is mine and I'll have her returned to me, now!" I swung my swords out, divine radiant flames rolling off my form as he cocked a brow at the display.

"Yet she is currently in my possession, she willingly accepted-"

"Spare me your prattling, grandfather!" I sneered the title as I cocked a brow of my own. "I am aware of your agreement and it has been voided, your contract is unfulfilled and you hold something that is now rightfully mine again!"

"Perhaps, but will you invoke bygone laws to hold me to my word? Perhaps this was all a misunderstanding, Lorelai. Perhaps had I know she belonged to you, I'd have let her soul be, in a show of respect for my child, of course." He showed his teeth again, waving a hand casually.

"I can and I will invoke the ramifications of your word. Even your dark gods look poorly upon contracts being marred and broken."

"You realize you're missing a key component to declare that, do you not?" He gave me a haughty smirk, knowing he had my number, but then his eyes focused a little and I saw the smirk fade as I showed my own.

"Do I?" I clicked my tongue and spun both of my blades as I took a few steps forward. "I offer you one, final, chance... I have a divine blade upon me to take her soul, give it to me, or I'll take it by force!"

His teeth showed in a snarl as he stood and threw a hand out, a large cloak appearing on him, dark onyx-looking plates showing on his form that looked oddly similar to Ryder's own Paladin armor. "I am not someone to bluff with, Lorelai Tahmineh!"

"I never bluff, Lashimar Heirchel!" The very earth trembled at my feet as I spoke the name my mother had written on the scrap of paper she passed me. The sensation of thousands of powerful entities all looking upon me at once overwhelmed my senses. Of course, to utter a name like that, everything with half an ounce of power in the adjoining planes would feel it.

"How dare you!" He roared out as a massive battle axe formed in his hands.

"You not like that name, Lash?! Here's another one for you now that I've got attention on me!" I blurred forward as my two swords slammed into the battle axe he had brought up to parry my strike as I spat into his face, "Triallia Glitter-leaf!"

His eyes widened as he broke from my strike right as a gate ripped into reality, the Ninetails driving her massive curved sword down where he stood. She set her blade across her shoulder, a snarl on her muzzle, her other arm resting in the sleeve of her open robe, armor plates adorning her shoulders and hips. "You called, my ewe?" She gave me that same hungry grin.

"Lashimar Heirchel! Upon your own oath, I demand what is mine returned!" I roared out the terms, the very earth beneath my feet shuttering as chips fell from the ceiling as I invoked his name again. I watched the first of my kind clutch his head, taking a step back from the compulsion.

"Kazemde sustains the gate I made, he'll have it attuned soon. We must hold the line." Triallia growled the words as it was obvious Lashimar was not too thrilled with this turn of events.

"This humiliation is unforgivable!" He screamed the words, his red eyes flaming as he blurred forward. I parried the massive sweeping axe but the sheer force of it sent me flying back several yards, my boot heels digging into the floor to halt myself after I landed. Another swing was parried by Triallia sending her back a few feet before she snarled and sprang back, sweeping her own curved blade to trade blows, making him back up a few feet as well.

"Damn it!" I slammed a foot to the floor, sheathing my wakizashi, grabbing my longsword in both hands as I pushed the ancient blood in me to its limits. My vision flushed with a haze of red fog as I dove back into the melee, my long sword slamming into his battle axe.

Triallia stepped back as my blood-steel blurred in a flurry of indigo radiance, the first-generation vampire parrying and backpedaling as I drove him back several yards. My teeth showed in a sneer as he finally managed a counter, sending a blow into my longsword and sending it scattering to the floor.

"You are nothing to me, child!" He screamed out as he brought the axe sweeping forward, my eyes widening. I reached for my wakizashi but it was too fast, I wasn't going to be able to parry that blow.

"Lorelai!" Triallia screamed my name as there was a flash of blood-steel on onyx. I felt her presence against me, one I'd never mistake, her scent and growls clear in my ears as the vixen held her saber against the blow next to me.

"Who ar-"

"Bang." Sarnai sneered as she pointed a finger gun at him and let a lance of hellfire loose point-blank in Lashimar's face, taking him off his feet and sending him back crashing into his throne.

"Sarnai, gods am I happy to see you!" I showed her a grin as I quickly collected my longsword, drawing my wakizashi again.

"As soon as Kaz gave the greenlight I dove in after you. You won't let me eat a warhammer, I'm not going to let you take a battle axe." She gave me a knowing grin as Lashimar set his axe once more.

"Hmph... you reacted faster than me. I'll have to give you more credit, Sarnai." Triallia stood with us as she held her sword forward.

"I am older than oaths and honor, do you think severing the contract will weaken me?! An army could stand before me and would fall!" Lashimar screamed the words, blurring from sight as he swung his axe with lightning speed, all of us parrying and juking away but keeping up with his unfocused assault as he blinked about between the three of us.

"You talk too much!" Traillia barked out as she waved her offpaw, sending lances of emerald fire slamming into his chest.

"Seriously, shut up!" Sarnai followed as she tossed her saber to the air, focusing both hands forward as she sent a blast of hellfire into his back with the green flames.

He staggered from the double assault of flames as I sprang upon him, sweeping my blades up through the fires as I drove his axe up. Sending the massive blade up I used the opening to put a boot into his knee like I'd done Kalinae, then my blades were a whirling maelstrom as I tore into his armor and flesh.

Like his daughter, after he took enough injuries from me, he burst into flames, fading back into view several yards from us, panting and snarling. Sarnai gave him an approving smirk as she caught her saber. "The tides are turning, Lashimar!" She showed her teeth as she nodded to the gate Triallia had ripped open, fissures of blue light running along it.

His red eyes looked to the gate then us as he snarled and slammed his axe to the floor of the throne room, extending a hand as a massive corona of his own hellfire exploded out like a cannon going off.

"On me!" Triallia snarled as she sprang forward, emerald flames rolling off her tails as she erected a shield before her, demonic flames rolling off it as I and Sarnai moved behind her.

"You can't hold that shield forever, Triallia, and when it goes down I'll burn you all in the fires of hell!" Lashimar laughed out the mad words.

"Only needs to hold until my husband kicks your smarmy ass!" Sarnai barked out as the gate finally ruptured open, radiant flames bursting forth.

Elias howled out as he dove from the torn open gate, driving a flaming fist right into Lashimar's jaw, sending him to the ground in a mighty impact. The first vampire sprang to face him as the white fox juked one of his punches and sent a sweeping kick out, divine flames erupting against demonic ones.

I folded my arms and sighed as I watched the two boys in their little brawling match. "He really likes to be the hero and try to look tough, doesn't he?"

"It's hot, and I love him for it, but I'm a pirate, honor is overrated." Sarnai casually withdrew her revolver and fanned the hammer, unloading the entire chamber into Lashimar's back, of course, every bullet was caked in explosive hellfire and blessed.

Lashimar cried out from the attack right as Elias drove him to the floor with a massive haymaker of a blow, a scowl on his face.

"You gnats can swarm me all day, but you're still gnats!" Lashimar snarled out from the floor before bursting into flames and appearing above us all, leathery wings out stretched as he slammed his hands together as Sarnai had done, ready to send out an even larger blast over all of us as the black wings appeared and dove upon him like a bird of prey.

Gloria showed her teeth in a furious snarl, her own sword running the vampire through as she rode him to the ground with another heavy impact of force, darting away right as my brother Ezekiel appeared and brought a flaming divine fist down into Lashimar's face, punching him repeatedly as he roared out.

"Move!" The order was barked out as Ezekiel quickly darted aside, massive rays of holy light bombarding atop of the vampire, small explosions of the energy making the air shudder before Ichiro swung his staff out, looming over the throne room, his massive wings flapping.

Just like that, every Archangel was present. I keenly noted none of my family had arrived but Sarnai and Elias. It left me a little concerned about what was going on with the twins, Katrina, and Alex. That's to say nothing of Alice and Ryder as well.

Lashimar stood at one side of his throne room, all of us scattered about, weapons drawn, ready to bring him to heel each time he rose up. The vampire panted out but showed his teeth in a victorious smirk. "No matter... I have limitless power here. You can't kill me, and one by one, I will pick you all off eventually!"

"Return our sister, now!" Ichiro snarled the words, clenching his staff.

"We have a united front ready to march into this realm, how invincible will you be when every pillar falls that supports your power, Lashimar?" I hissed the words out as I stepped forward. "Will you give up all of your power for a single prize?"

His red eyes burned white-hot like a blacksmith's forge as he blinked out of sight, his axe coming down atop my crossed swords as I stood resolute against the blow. "Insolent, wretched child!" He spat the words furiously in my face, his large sharp teeth showing.

My forehead slammed into his own, my own teeth showing as I felt the fury of the ancient blood fully taking hold, pushing back against his strike, forcing him back a few steps. "Return what is mine, or I'll march across this realm and slay every aristocrat, starting with you!"

With an enraged roar he brought the axe down even harder as I felt my grip weakening, I let the strike follow through as I released my swords, blinking to the side as the massive blade slammed to the floor with such might it left a small crater of impact under us. Of course, my free hand grabbed his chin, jerking his head to the side as I lunged forward.

Lashimar gave a shocked look, realizing a second too late I had played into his fury for the opening as my teeth flashed.

"Stop!" An axe head of bloodsteel moved between my face and his throat as I gasped, realizing Alice was there, her flaming etherial wings flapping as she held the polearm between us.

"Why?!" I hissed out as I broke free and bounded back several yards.

"His blood would be too much, even for you. It would be a Pyrrhic victory as it would end you both." Alice glared down at me, her eyes now gold as she shook her head.

"How would you know that, Alice?!" I hissed out as I collected my blades, seeing Lashimar was already setting his stance.

"Because I told her." Another gate opened as my mother sauntered in, wearing similarly garbed armor as Lashimar, the first time I'd ever seen her out of a robe. My eyes widened as Ryder came through the gate with her, divine flames and arcane energy coursing off his entire body.

"And so the last of my first children returns, what an eventful day to be sure." He snarled the words, shouldering his massive axe.

My mother put a hand on her armored hip. "Father, I'll not mince my words. Return what is my daughter's or-"

He blurred forward to strike but Ryder and Alice both intercepted him, halbert and longsword crossed to catch the blade, my mother giving a bored look at the massive axe blade that suspended a few inches from her face.

"Enough of your ostentation!" Ryder showed his teeth as he threw one hand out, a massive eruption of divine energy pouring into Lashimar's chest, thunder and ice coursing throught the blast as the first vampire flew through the air and slammed onto the floor.

Alice blurred forward and gingerly snatched up the battle axe, tossing it to my mother who shouldered it. The chimera gave the fallen vampire a bored look before snapping her fingers as several lances of hellfire and radiance formed above him, slamming down into his prone body as he yowled out in a surprisingly pained tone I'd not heard from any of the other injuries he'd taken.

"Commanders, take position around the room. If he resists further, we will drag him out of this fucking chamber and into the Faemarch where we can properly rip him apart!" Alice shouted out the orders as all six of the Archangels moved into position, weapons drawn.

I saw the twins, Katrina, and Alex join us from the gate, apparently, my mother had pulled all of them in to speak with them. Triallia moved to me gingerly linking an arm with mine as she pulled me to the side. "Come, my ewe. Let the father and daughter have their moment, you are safe with me, as is what is yours."

My swords slid into place as I reluctantly stepped away as Triallia moved to the large crystal, her tails rolling as she gave me a nod. "You've the divine blade the Seraph gave you, yes?"

I looked over to see my mother looming over Lashimar who had sat up now, Alice and Ryder standing over him, blades at the ready. Reaching behind me I drew forth the small divine dagger that was clipped to the back of my belt, the blade still in its sheath.

"Good, place it inside." Trialla shouldered her large curved blade, moving her other arm back into the sleeve of her open robe, as if at the ready, looking back at the exchange the others were having.

"Inside?" I spoke out curiously and pushed the blade to the surface, seeing it was malleable as if pushing my hand into water. I brought the sheathed dagger forward, resting it against the wolf's chest. The 'crystal' shattered in a burst of light, droplets of what looked like water or gemstones glittering in the air, the little girl gone as the dagger simply fell to the floor.