Champions Vol. 01

Remembering he wasn't the only person in this group to have their acts branded as criminal, he looked closely at the beautiful Dracian. She truly was stunning, especially now, when her face was not marred with its customary scowl.

"Why is it so unlike him?" David inquired, restraining his sarcasm. "He seemed to be more than capable of judging my actions from atop his pedestal."

Thinking a moment on whether it was her place to explain this subject to the man, she finally realized that if Astinus felt this man needed such a penance it must have been for a good reason.

"Astinus is not like any of the other priests or priestesses I have met. Most are like that young woman there," she said pointing to Laurena's resting form. "They are absolutely certain in their righteousness, and determined to convince any who believe otherwise that their way is the only right one.

"After my father died, my anger was so great I could think of nothing but vengeance. Seeing this, Astinus told me a story, one that to my knowledge he has never told anyone else. He had been one of those who followed the last Champion, Ophelia, for ten winters before her death. He spoke of her beauty, her kindness, and her boundless faith in Eros. He also spoke of fighting and killing at her side, defending this land against all those who would seek to destroy it. Finally, he spoke of his rage after her death.

"For three full seasons he traveled the land, angry at the world and his god for taking his beloved Champion from him. It wasn't until he finally released his anger that he realized the woman that had been everything to him would have been ashamed of what he had become.

"Astinus is a priest of Eros, but he's also a man that knows what it is to have blood on his hands. He understands pain, and loss, and what the rage they spawn will drive a person to do. I'm not sure why he chose to punish you for doing no more than he has done in the past, but I'm sure that there is a reason. I just can't understand what it is yet."

David was shocked at her words. The old priest had fought beside the last Champion? That just didn't seem like the man he had met. Although, he did seem very calm last night, especially given the nature of the fight that had occurred and the number and types of deaths that had resulted, David thought to himself. Perhaps the old man had seen his fair share of bloodshed after all. David still thought his penance was bullshit, but now he began to wonder at the old priest's motives.

"Just something to think about Champion," Sapphire said, rousing him from his reflections. "Now I think I will sleep as well. I am not terribly hungry, and I got precious little sleep last night," she said with a faint smile.

"Okay," David replied. "Guess that means I'll take first watch. I'll wake you in three hours for your watch?"

"Watch?" she asked him confused.

"Yeah, watch. You know, guard duty," David replied, "as in 'I will guard everything within the limits of my post and quit my post only when properly relieved.'"

"Why would we need a guard," she asked him even more confused. "There are no threats along this road, nothing to guard against."

"That's what she thought," he replied, pointing at Laurena's sleeping form, "right up to the point I had to rescue her ass from those men you were so fond of. I'm sure you're an expert on this road and all, but without a guard I won't sleep a wink anyway. So either we take turns or I spend the whole night awake."

"Fine," she said, exasperated at his stubbornness.

Unbeknownst to either of them, Laurena had not gone immediately to sleep; she had instead listened quietly to what was said between them. Astinus had spent ten winters with the last Champion? How many wondrous things could he have seen and done in that time? How much magical knowledge could he have learned from such an accomplished sorceress?

Focusing her magic, she chanted the spell that Sapphire had used earlier. It had been the first time she had ever even heard of such a spell. Imploring all her magic to infuse her hand, it lit with a feeble glow, less light than would be gained from a single candle. She began to cry.

Could someone who had seen, done, and experienced as much as the old priest had during his life, possibly be wrong about her?

***

For the next two days Sapphire and Laurena took turns talking to David about the Erosian religion. They explained the core beliefs and values of Eros, as well as his limitations on actions and behaviors. The more the soldier learned about this religion the more it annoyed him.

As far as he was concerned, the core values of this faith seemed to be 'if everyone knows how wonderful we are, they will want to be like us. And if they don't want to be like us they just don't understand how wonderful we are yet.' It sounded exactly like the naïve anti-war bullshit argument used by way too many 'educated elite' back in the U.S. of A. It pretty much ignored the fact that different people have different values, and that some people feel perfectly justified in taking what you have and killing you, rather than trying to earn it for themselves. It also assumed that if someone didn't want to be a part of the religion, it was because they just didn't know enough about it yet. At least that was what he got from Laurena.

After two hours of listening to her spout the ridiculous bullshit, he wanted to ride back to Wolfsvale and 'bitch-slap' Astinus repeatedly.

Sapphire's discussions of Erosian faith were more philosophical than evangelical. She would explain a key concept of their religion, then ask David what his religion said on the matter, and finally explain what Dracians believed. It was certainly interesting, and David discovered that Erosians, Dracians, and Christians had very similar beliefs in many ways. At least, New Testament Christians. The major difference seemed to be that Dracians and Christians both realized that conflict was sometimes inevitable and necessary, while the Erosian felt that conflict was a failure of faith.

Erosians felt that all life was a precious gift; and should never be ended without either an act of appreciation for what the ending provided for others (in the case of plants and animals for food) or an act of contrition for the destruction of something so precious (killing in defense of oneself or others). Dracians believed that everything was a part of something else, and to unnecessarily destroy one thing was to upset the balance, which could have lasting effects on all life. It was two days of complex theological discussion that had David thankful for his magical education at night...for multiple reasons.

He quickly learned that he had a natural aptitude, often finishing chants without input from the Dracian, much like he had the first night. In just two days she taught him how to use his magic to create light, cleanse things and himself, lift objects, conjure simple items, heal injuries, and protect himself from the magic of others. This last part was his main focus, and he often practiced casting different types of protections on himself during the day. He learned that each type of magical attack had its own type of magical protection, and that while he could stack them on top of each other, it weakened their power to have his magic multi-task more than three things at once. Of course, Sapphire also explained that with as much magical power as he could put into his protective enchantments, even his weakened defenses were too powerful for most magical attacks to overcome.

He also learned that Enochian was a very intuitive language for him. He could often think of something he wanted his magic to do, and then the proper words would come to him. Realizing this, he began to discuss with Sapphire the different things that magic could do, and quickly learned that the possibilities were nearly endless.

Magic could do pretty much anything a person could think of, as long as the caster could explain their request to their magic in a way that it could understand, and phrase it in a way that it would agree to. The two biggest limitations to magic were how much their magic could do before it was exhausted (power) and whether they could figure out a way to get their magic to agree to it (imagination). The challenge was in trying to figure out how the magic could interact with the physical world to achieve the outcome. His ideas of throwing fireballs and lightning bolts ran head-first into the reality that without fuel for the fire, or a source of electricity for the lightning, neither were going to happen.

He also learned that most of the items crafted on this world, from clothes to farm implements to the few weapons, were made with magic. By necessity the most successful craftsmen and craftswomen were also the most powerful or imaginative magic users, as conjuration required both a great deal of power and a good knowledge of craftsmanship. Some simpler items could be created by those with lesser power who practiced heavily, but those people often had to spend many seasons mastering even the simplest conjurations. This knowledge gave him a few ideas to try out once he had the time to experiment with his magic. With his level of power there were a lot of possibilities.

Finally, he learned that Sapphire was actually much nicer than she first appeared to be. Initially he had assumed that his time with her would be a miserable experience, but soon found himself liking her. She was an intelligent and engaging teacher, and the few times she smiled at his accomplishments his heartbeat would quicken in his chest. After only their first day, he began to look forward to his time with her.

During the afternoon of their third day Sapphire surprised the other two travelers with an announcement.

"We will reach my home this evening," she told them both. "We will stay the night there, and continue on to Exitibus in the morning."

This was unexpected, but very welcome news to both David and Laurena. She was hoping for an evening without the pointless guard duty, and he was now looking forward to sleeping inside a building. The days were growing shorter and the nights colder. He had asked the women on the second day, and discovered that it was the beginning of autumn now, and that winter was only two months away.

"That sounds great," David replied, "do you have the room for us?"

"Yes," she responded with a nod. "It is only my mother and I now, and we have extra rooms for guests set aside. My father had many friends among the local traders, and he always offered them our hospitality when they passed by. Our home had always been a sort of way station for them on the road between Exitibus and Wolfsvale, and mother still insists that they stop and rest when they visit."

*** Chapter 20: Homecoming ***

171620MAR13 DW

Sapphire's home, on the road to Exitibus (Day 4), Erosius

The trio arrived at Sapphire's home as late afternoon was turning into evening. All three were tired and travel-worn, but ready for the comfort of a hot meal and a warm bed. As they approached the front of the home a woman stepped out of the front door, smiling and waving at them.

As they road closer David couldn't help but stare. She looked to be barely five feet tall, and had long hair in a braid that hung in front of her left shoulder, its tip brushing her knees. Her hair was not as dark as Sapphire's, it looked closer to a deep navy blue than true black. Her skin was a beautiful shade of light blue, and her face was very similar to Sapphire's beauty, only with more distinctly Asian characteristics. Her face had slightly rounder features, thicker folded eyelids, and eyes that had a more pronounced almond shape. It was not difficult to see that this was Sapphire's mother, as her general appearance and figure were so similar to her daughter's, yet she looked only a few years older.

A small difference was their choice in clothing style. While Sapphire preferred skin-hugging black leather, her mother was wearing a tasteful but attractive sleeveless gown. It hung from her shoulders and fell below her knee, but also plunged at the neckline, and hugged her bust, waist, and hips. The much larger difference was what caused the soldier to stare. This woman had wings. They were currently folded neatly behind her, and appeared to extend out from her back somewhere, possibly from between her shoulder blades. The tops of the wings extended to only a few inches above her head and were the same color, and appeared to be the same texture, as her skin. He couldn't tell how long they were since most of their length was hidden from his view.

As they drew close to the front of the home the woman walked down the steps and approached Sapphire.

"Hello dear, I did not expect you back so soon, or with friends," she spoke warmly to her daughter.

"I had a change of plans in Wolfsvale," her daughter replied. "I found some of the men that killed father, and I discovered the fate of the rest. Astinus tasked me with taking these two to the site of the Great Battle."

Hearing her daughter's words, the woman's expression grew grim.

"I had hoped you would give up your quest for revenge. You know I do not approve, and your father would not have either," she admonished her child.

"I know full well your feelings on the matter mother, but what is done is done," Sapphire countered. "The eight are dead, and only one by my hand. This man next to me slew the rest before I could, and he did so in either defense of himself, or of the woman with us. Those men are gone from this world, and no longer able to harm innocents like Papa.

"What's more, this man is the next Champion of Eros, and I am his guide in payment for my actions. So I would prefer to avoid a lecture from you on this matter, as I have already received a stern one from Astinus before he assigned me this penance."

Surprised at this news, the mother turned her gaze to David and Laurena, allowing her sight to rest on the soldier in contemplation. After a few uncomfortable moments, David chose to break the silence and introduce himself and the acolyte.

"Hello ma'am. My name is David and this is Laurena," he greeted her. "You have a very lovely home."

She smiled at his words, putting aside her thoughts and returning his greeting warmly. "Thank you David. It is a pleasure to meet you and your lady. It is also nice to see that at least some people have bothered to remember proper manners," she said while giving a disapproving look to her daughter.

Sighing Sapphire shook her head. It wasn't often she brought people home with her, or ever actually, so it should be no surprise to her mother that she would fail to introduce the newcomers.

"She is not his lady mother, she is an acolyte of Eros and his guide as well," her daughter explained.

"Two guides for a Champion; and one of them my daughter? You must truly be lost David," her mother said with teasing laughter in her voice.

David couldn't help but smile. This woman was as beautiful as her daughter, but where Sapphire was usually stern she was soft spoken and kind. Her last comment also had a wonderful wit to it, and he was a sucker for humor.

"You have no idea ma'am," he said in a stage whisper.

At his words she broke out in a delightful tinkling laughter, its infectious quality causing him to join her quickly. Unfortunately the other two women did not seem to share their good humor.

"Please, call me Zaffre," she said to David and Laurena as her laughter subsided. "While I appreciate your respect and courtesy, calling me 'ma'am' makes me feel like an old lady. And I would prefer to live many more years before I allow that lifestyle to ensnare me."

"The lady's wish is my command," David said with a bow from his horse, smiling. He couldn't help it, she was just fun. He was definitely starting to like this woman.

During this banter Laurena was trying her best to control her emotions, but it was becoming harder every minute. While she had initially been worried David would develop feelings for Sapphire, it became obvious on the first day that her prickly demeanor made that outcome unlikely. While she had worked closely with him at night on the study of magic, Laurena had been spending more time with him during the days discussing her religion.

To her surprise she thought he was actually becoming receptive. She tried hard to adjust her talking points after the first day to give him an overview of the whole religion, as well as stories of Eros and his past Champions, rather than just focusing on their values towards life. She had hoped that by steering clear of the subject which so angered him, she could slowly affect his views on Eros and her faith, so that he might eventually become receptive to that discussion later. She had taken time during the night that he was recovering in Wolfsvale to discuss with Astinus past Champions and their deeds. With this new knowledge she hoped to better guide David, as well as improve his understanding of the responsibilities that came with the position. After two days of careful discussion, he seemed to be not only willing to listen, but was actually enjoying some of their conversations.

But now, after all her hard work to earn back his attentions, this woman has him smiling and joking after only a few words. It was ridiculous to her.

Sapphire knew all too well about her mother's ability to mesmerize men. Part of it was because her mother truly was a kind and gentle soul; quick with a smile and laugh, and slow with frowns and harsh words. Yet, the larger part was magical.

There was something in the nature of a dragon's humanoid form that was enchanting to humans. While a full blooded Dracian could control it, their half-blooded kin were less able to do so. Some part of the mixing with human blood resulted in a dilution of the power of the seduction magic, as well as a loss of most of the control. Her mother tended to attract admirers wherever she went, which was why she and her father had chosen to settle so far from the nearest town.

Sapphire's one quarter Dracian blood made her allure not nearly as strong as her mother's. Unfortunately it also removed any possibility of her controlling it. It had been a problem for her when she first started traveling with her father, until she learned ways to counteract it. She found the most effective was to appear intimidating (thus the black leather outfit), and harden her demeanor. She found that if she kept her once polite disposition hidden behind a prickly demeanor, it would reduce the number of annoying suitors trailing behind her in each town.

Yet even knowing this, David's reaction to her mother was irritating Sapphire greatly. Couldn't the giggling idiot wipe that silly grin off his face for even a minute? It was as if Zaffre was the only person in the world to the man at that moment, and she (Sapphire) had just ceased to exist. It wasn't that she was jealous. She just wished the Champion would look at her like that...

Seeing her daughter's expression of annoyance at her banter with the man, Zaffre's easy smile morphed to a sly grin. Her daughter's emotions were far too easy for her to read.

"Well, if it is guidance you seek allow my daughter to guide you to the barn. There is room there for your mounts," she joked pleasantly. Turning to Sapphire she said, "After you are done you can show them to their rooms. I will start dinner," returning her attention to David and Laurena she finished with a smile, "and for you two...welcome to our home. If you need anything do not hesitate to ask."

She waved again as she turned to go back into the house. David was able to see now that her wings did indeed extend outward from between her shoulder blades, and rose up to just above her head where they then turned back downward and extended to mid-thigh. And looking past them he could tell that her ass was just as amazing as her daughter's. It made him wonder what Sapphire would look like in a dress.