Blood & Carrots - Silverpaw Ep. 04

Rachel howled out and sent the sword down in a mighty chop. I deflected once more, holding the blade and feeling it start to break in my grasp. I knew once that knife snapped, that curved blade was going to come down on top of me and take my arm off.

My teeth clenched hard and then my ears lifted sharply at the next sound I heard. It was my lady and it was a cry of pain. I jerked my eyes away to see her on the ground, holding her midsection. There was a large swath across her stomach and blood was pouring forth heavily. Ra's stood over her, sword at the ready as the angel stood before him. The ram looked fairly cut up and injured but maintained his stance with no signs of fatigue or pain.

"Lorelai!" I barked out her name, panic and fury filling my heart. The blade of my dagger finally snapped, flying off into the darkness. The mighty cleave didn't come, I had shifted both my hands to grab the base of the curved sword as my dagger failed.

Rachel's golden eyes widened as flames poured off my hands while glaring upon her. "Away with you dog, my lady needs me!" I barked the words and simply slammed my forehead into the angels. She yelped and stumbled back as I wrenched the curved blade from her grip and it tumbled to the ground. I followed up with a well-placed kick to her side, sending her sprawling from me several dozen yards, her wings slamming against the ground as she rolled.

Grabbing the hem of the formal dress I had worn, I tore off a large swath exposing my leg and thigh to the cool night air. I took the material and quickly wrapped it around the hilt of the sword and gripped it, feeling it still burn but not agonizingly so. I gave the dog a glance, seeing she had risen but her arm and both wings looked broken.

"My lady, I am here!" I screamed the words as I blurred across the lawn and was standing next to her with Ra's.

Lorelai coughed out then glared up at me. "Give me that damnable sword!" I grit my teeth, feeling her will compel me to do so and handed it off to her.

I saw my sheep grip the blade and lay it over her opened wound. She yowled out in a pained sharp bleat as the holy silver burned her but I saw right away what she had done. She used the burning steel to cauterize her wounds and stop the flowing blood. She staggered to her feet and passed me back the sword.

"What have you done with my knight, vampire?" I heard the larger angel scowl the words towards me. I set the silver blade and quirked a brow. "A few broken limbs and wings but she will live. More to the point... I'm going to do much worse to you for what you have done to my lady this night!"

I felt pressure on my back as Lorelai pushed her back to me, her cutlass back in her hand, I lifted an ear to note the fox was slowly plodding towards us. "Sarnai... I am sorry... know I am honored to stand with you in our last moments." Lorelai grit her teeth as she ground the words out.

"Enough of this!" The ram willed forth his power and another radiant burst of light erupted over the area. I barked out in fury as my knees grew weak and I fell to them, the blessed sword falling to the grass. I felt Lorelai slump behind me as well. The bull stood defiantly for several more seconds before also sinking to a knee.

"Weaklings... Knight, come retrieve your sword!" The ram spat the words in commandment and Rachel quickly moved to pull the tattered wrapping off her weapon before collecting it, her arm seemingly already healed of the break.

"Hagen... we may die, but we die with honor. You will live only as a coward!" Ra's spat the words out bitterly at him, his eyes blood red as his large sharp teeth showed in the bright light.

"Put this one down first, Knight." The angel pointed to the kneeling bull in the grass. Rachel swallowed and shook her head but moved to the downed elder-vampire. She raised her sword, setting her stance.

"Don't you dare!" Lorelai screamed the words and found her feet, stumbling forward a few paced before collapsing again next to me. I saw her blood-red eyes filled with tears, her teeth clenched in a furious snarl.

The angel known as Hagen gave a nod and Rachel brought the sword down in a clean slash, severing the bull's head from his body. My eyes widened and I felt a shudder fill me, my ears then filling with the yowling pained screams of my lady as Ra's body collapsed to the grass in a heap.

"Brother! Ra's! You... you will pay for this!" She screamed the words, fury pouring off her voice as her teeth showed. I felt her power magnify, her rage fueling her as she slowly rose to her feet, her knees shaking in the light.

I shook my head several times, feeling the rage and sorrow cripple me. Was this how it would end, me sitting here helpless as both my lady and our lord brother were slaughtered before my eyes? I sobbed out, thinking of my lady, then of Val and the twins. Then I thought of my fox, my beautiful white fox whom I promised to return home to. I shuddered and let out a bitter laugh as I spoke, "So be it..."

The demons had always been there, I always fought them back. I wouldn't let them have full control, but if I were to lose everything this night, why not myself as well. I stripped down all my barricades I had built over the last decades. I threw my arms open and welcomed the power and all the madness it promised. "Ha... so be it... so be it... for you Elias and Lorelai..."

My flames returned but they were no longer black like shadows, they had taken on a new color. They rolled off me a deep crimson, like the color of bloody fire. I staggered to my feet and barked out sharply, "Lorelai!"

The sheep jerked her tear-filled eyes to me, then they widened at my flames. I felt a hungry grin spread as I raised my hand forward and bloody flames poured forth basking over the radiant sphere and snuffing out its flames. "Kill him, kill him now!" I barked the words as my other hand extended out, fire erupting over both the angels. I heard Rachel scream out in pain and even Hagen cry out from the sudden demonic energy washing over him.

The ram clenched his teeth, his arm shielding himself, then the elder-vampire pushed forth out of the flames before him. There was no time to react, her teeth were already bared as she tackled him to the ground, her fangs in his throat before they hit the ground together.

"My lord!" Rachel barked out and moved for them. I blurred towards her and simply punched her in the face with a flaming fist. The fox yelped and slammed into the ground, several inches of dirt sinking in from the blow.

I clenched my teeth and looked over to see Lorelai atop the ram, ravenously feeding on him. The burning of his divine flesh was spreading over her face, wisps of smoke filling the air. The angel wasn't struggling, the euphoria had him and in a matter of moments, the burning stopped as his life ebbed from him.

Lorelai pulled from his drained form with a snarl, her lips blistered and the left side of her face viciously burned. I saw her shudder and give a ragged moan of relief from the divine blood in her. She shifted her eyes to me and down to the fox upon the ground.

Rachel groaned and shook her head as I sneered at her. She started to pick herself up but I planted my foot into her side and kicked her over onto her back. I stepped over to her with a hungry grin on my face. "Now it's your turn, little bitch..." I hummed the words as the red flames rolled off my body.

"She was helpless to him, Sarnai. She had no control over her actions." Lorelai spoke the words in a simple statement.

"Oh? So I should spare her then?" I was already straddling her as I looked to the sheep while asking my question. My hand was already in the foxes platinum hair, pulling her head to the side, her throat bared for me.

Lorelai shrugged a shoulder. "Lower-class celestials cannot disobey orders. That said, we have lost much this night, take her if you wish, I will not restrain you."

"Guess that's how it is... anything to say before I send you to your gods, little fox?" I growled the words, the power and demons in me hungry for her life.

Rachel clenched her teeth and whimpered, "I... I will not beg for my life... know I was grateful for the mercy back then and... I am sorry for your loss this night." She set her jaw and I felt her jerk her head further away, willingly baring her throat for me.

"Huh... not bad..." I felt torn as I started to reign the demons in, seeing her pulse throbbing in her neck hard, feeling the fearful thrums of her heartbeat.

"Could you not, please?" A soft gentle voice came to us and I barked out as a platinum-haired rabbit was before the three of us. His hands were resting before him, a bow in his posture towards me.

"Who in the nine hells are you?" I barked out in anger, feeling my tail fluffed out, sensing the same power from him as the last angel.

The rabbit looked between the two of us and then smiled upon me. "I am archangel Toroah and I am here to bargain for my sister's life."

"Why did you not bargain for that husk's life?" Lorelai growled out the words, thrusting a finger at the drained corpse of the other angel.

The archangel pursed his lips and frowned. "Archangel Hagen insisted upon this transgression despite my disapproval. He made me give my word before this began that I would not interfere."

"I'm pretty sure he would have been okay with you saving him." I barked the words out and gave Rachel a hungry look before sneering, "Give me your word, knight. Swear to me you will never turn your blade to house Silverpaw again and you may walk away from this."

Toroah gave Rachel a nod. "You have my permission, go right ahead my child."

The fox bit her lower lip and shook her head. "I never wanted to raise arms against your house to begin with. I'm happy to give my word. You have it here and now."

I growled and found my feet, offering her my hand. She hesitated and I rolled my eyes. "I've been burned enough tonight, I'm used to it, give me your damned hand." Rachel nodded and gripped my palm. I felt the burn spread and hoisted her up before pulling away to casually shake my hand in the air.

"Thank you for your understanding, my child." The rabbit bowed politely to me.

"She isn't your child, she is mine!" Lorelai showed her teeth and stomped over to the rabbit, glaring upon him. It was amusing to see given their height differences.

"I meant no disrespect arch-vampire Lorelai." Toroah bowed to her and the sheep frowned at the words.

"Why address me in such a way?" She spoke out, her blistered face looking surprised if not a little embarrassed at the words.

The rabbit blinked upon her several times and opened his palms. "You claimed the vitality of an archangel, surely you can feel the newfound power and vigor running through your veins."

She folded her arms and looked away, clicking her tongue. "I do... but I guessed it would be temporary."

Toroah shook his head. "May I... touch you?"

The sheep bleated out sharply at the words and glared at him. "What are you, some kind of lecher?"

His ears folded and I saw him blush. "No... m-my... no. I simply wished to heal your injuries... I wanted to see your face without the blisters." I gaped my mouth at the scene, my lady was getting the moves put on her by an archangel right in the middle of all this.

"Fine, if you think you can." She huffed the words and folded her arms. The rabbit then nodded and moved his palm to rest against her cheeks. I saw her flinch from the pain but then her tail wiggled furiously behind her as he moved to touch her delicately.

A few moments later she hissed and pulled from his touch, rubbing her cheeks. "I think you just burned me more, you wretch-"

"Actually, your face is healed..." I called out with a surprised tone in my voice.

"So you did heal it? Interesting, why?" She cut her now soft brown eyes up to his blue ones.

"I... I simply wanted to see it and felt it was deserved after what happened tonight." He stammered the words before quickly looking away, seeing me and Rachel both giving him a knowing look.

"Healing my injuries does not make up for tonight, rabbit! Our head of council is dead and my court will be in disarray. He was one of my oldest friends and my mentor. This is beyond personal... I will be summoning the lords and we will be preparing for war!" She spat the words out, her tone gradually growing more furious.

Me and Rachel shared a look at the talk of war, then Toroah bowed to the sheep. "I am very sorry, you must understand he acted outside of our-"

"Your excuses fall upon deaf ears! My oldest friend lies headless before me. You truly think we will let this pass?" Lorelai spat the words out sharply, her ears perked up and teeth showing in a scowl.

"Yes, and one of my kind lies dead as well. There are now only five of us left. Have the scales not been properly balanced by this? What can I do to avoid a war that would be a dreadful strain upon both of our kind?" Toroah kept his head bowed all the while as he spoke.

Lorelai furrowed her brow and shook her head. I recalled she had told me time and again we could not sustain a war with the celestials. Their power was directly influenced by the church and how powerful it was. The church was at the height of their power right now and we would be wiped out, it made me wonder why this rabbit was so adamant about avoiding a war they should be able to handily win.

"Fight me." Lorelai spat the words out plainly.

"What?" Toroah lifted his large white ears, a frown showing upon his face.

"You heard me. No knights, no countesses. Just you and me!" Lorelai grit her teeth as her eyes turned red once more. "If you can best me in combat, I will consider the scales balanced and our people will mourn without talks of retribution."

Toroah gave the sheep a long steady gaze before nodding. "And if I cannot best you?"

The sheep flashed her teeth at him. "Then you are mine and what comes next will be no concern to you, for you will be with your precious gods."

"My lord! Please do not consider this proposal!" Rachel barked out as she moved towards the two of them.

Toroah held a hand to the fox and shook his head. "Dame Rachel, please take Hagen's body and return home. Explain what has transpired here and relay that I will be accepting arch-vampire Lorelai's conditions."

The fox whimpered out her protest, but I could see she wouldn't argue as she moved over to the drained body of the former archangel. She kneeled next to him and I saw them both fade from sight.

"Sarnai..." Lorelai called out to me and I lifted my ears, moving to her side.

"My lady?" I spoke to her obediently.

"Leave us, find the carriage and take lodging in the city. I will find you when I am done here," She thrust her hand out as she spoke the words.

"My lady... I do not feel comfortable leaving you alone with this angel, their kind has shown they cannot be trusted," I growled the words and put my hands upon my hips.

"He can be, I can tell by his eyes. I wish to deal with this business then mourn my fallen brother properly. No doubt several members of his house have watched this transpire from the mansion and simply do not come out from fear." Lorelai cut her eyes sharply to mine. "Do not make me force you to do as I command."

I gritted my teeth and bowed my head, I then jerked my gaze upon the rabbit, fixing him with a glare. "Should my lady not return to me, I will personally find a way to wipe your whole lot off the face of this planet, I swear it," I snarled the words at the archangel and spun on my heel, stalking off into the darkness to find the carriage.

#

"So how did it go?" I growled the words as we made our way to the harbor to catch our ship. Lorelai had met up with me the following dusk as she promised.

"I'm not dead and we're not at war, so there's something." The sheep spoke the words cooly while we walked down the dock towards our waiting ship.

"Did he put the moves upon you?" I hummed playfully.

Lorelai fixed me with a serious look and nodded. "He did... we had tea after our duel. He said he would like to see me again sometime."

I barked and gave her a shocked look. "Woah, I was kidding but... that's impressive."

"Time will tell..." Lorelai sighed the words and shook her head, her curls bouncing slightly. "I have sent messengers to the various lords of the council. We are to have an emergency meeting in one month's time at Ra's home. We should have enough time to travel up to Lisbon and back again."

"So we won't be home for over a month?" I frowned at the worry it would cause him.

Lorelai gave me a smile. "Do not stress, we shall have a splendid vacation together in Lisbon, it's a beautiful city. Also, I have dispatched a messenger to house Silverpaw to let them know."

I gave her a relieved smile, then frowned. "I'm sorry about Ra's... I did not know how close you two were, but that must have been a heavy blow."

She frowned and nodded. "I got my grieving out after you left. Toroah was surprisingly comforting about it."

"Well, I'm here if you need to talk more, my lady." I spoke the words then felt her hand move to grip my own, a smile showing as she nodded.

#

We spent over two weeks in Lisbon, taking in the sights of the capital and enjoying what the city had to offer. It was a relaxing respite to be sure. Afterward, we made our way back to Seville and met with several of the lords that had gathered for the meeting.

When all was said and done the remaining members of Ra's house would be absorbed into Silverpaw since we had so few members. Lorelai also took the position as head of the council. She wasn't voted in, she simply stated she was taking it at the request of Ra's and the rest of the various lords agreed to her decision.

I and Lorelai had just emerged from our sleeping quarters as we returned to Ceuta with nearly a dozen new members in tow. The small ship had set out several hours ago and the sun had just dipped over the horizon, basking the skies in a deep haze of purples and reds.

"It's a lovely view... I enjoy catching it right as the light dips over the horizon like this." Lorelai spoke the words in a forlorn tone of voice. I nodded and then lifted my ears, squinting my eyes as I saw something far in the distance.

"I believe... we are being followed," I spoke the words, my teeth showing in a growl.

"Could it be a coincidence?" Lorelai lifted her ears curiously.

I shook my head. "Only if it's a coincidence that ship flies the crest of the Spanish acolytes."

The sheep snarled and peered into the distance, seeing the crest on the canvas of the sails, plain and obvious now. "Gods be damned... they must have had spies watching the movements of the house. They no doubt mean to sink us and strike a blow to the whole court."

"You think it's celestials at play?" I asked her in a calm voice.

She shook her head. "No, we're under a truce for the next ten years, that was part of the agreement. This is the mundane church sticking their nose in affairs not of their own, again."

I clicked my tongue. "That's a nice galleon..."

"What in the nine hells is a galleon?" Lorelai asked me curiously.

"It's a fairly new style of ship, it's only come into its own in the last few years or so. It's like an armored carrack. It's probably got around thirty guns on her," I hummed the words in amusement, my naval interest coming to the front.

"Thirty? By the gods, they will sink us in one volley." Lorelai huffed the words out and lifted her ears.

I wagged a finger. "If they can get in range."

"You think they will not keep up with this ship?" She tilted her head.

"Oh no... this girl is fully loaded with cargo and passengers, they will be upon us within a few hours." I wagged my tail and braced my elbows on the railing, watching the ship in the distance. "Oh, she's a beauty..."