Elegy for a Star Ch. 082-100

Hi everyone, I'm back once again. I want to always include some smut in each bundle, so I had to do the chapters a little differently. This section has a lot more smut toward the end. Enjoy!

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Chapter 82 - Spars, spars, spars

Mairaela kept her spear upon her shoulders, using the leverage to windmill the end of it around and around, spinning her opponent's weapon with it until it came free from his grasp and clattered to the ground. With the pole of her staff she swept one ankle to the side and with his legs parted, she brought the haft up to strike her opponent in the sack. Of course, he fell over immediately, clutching himself, and Mairaela was considered the victor.

She smiled toward the stands where Tess, Joyona and Miren sat. It was her third victory of the day. She was a piss-poor archer outside of the Void, but she still had her spear. No one seemed to know how to counter her superior reach. Mairaela was used to taking advantage of that. If only she didn't use her bow for the fight during the Week of Conflict. She may have actually won if she just stuck with her spear.

"Why?" Her opponent whimpered, holding his sore balls, "Gods, I'm going to puke."

"You weren't wearing a cod," Mairaela explained, "A mistake that you won't make again, I'd bet."

She left the arena, freeing it up for those waiting, and made her way to the rest of her party, taking a seat on one of the elevated benches.

"You're so mean," Tess laughed, "I can't believe you did that."

Mairaela brought a hand to her mouth and tried to stifle a laugh, "I couldn't help it. My mentor taught me that one. I don't get many occasions to pull it off, unfortunately, so that was cathartic."

Joyona nodded her head, keeping her eyes on the approaching fight.

"Thanks for coming," Mairaela said to Joyona with a soft smile.

The Evigkin nodded once more, keeping her stare directly ahead, "You fought well."

Tess looked past Joyona to say to Mairaela, "We've got to be earning some points now. Hopefully the Captain will be happy."

"Not sure. We're probably still in a deficit," Mairaela sighed, "I can't imagine a week's probation and stabbing someone in front of the whole Corps only brought us down as much as three spars will get us."

She could feel the Winter Fey's stare and turned her head to look at her, "Why don't you make yourself useful and do a spar or two?"

Miren smiled back at her.

Gods, she hated that smile. All Winter Fey smiled in the same way, like they were superior.

"Let me see if they have my weapon," Miren said, rising to her feet and maneuvering down the stairs to head to the staging room.

Mairaela didn't expect Miren to actually go. She watched the Winter Fey's graceful walk. She was catlike in her movements. For a moment, Mairaela forgot her hate.

"Mairaela?" Tess asked, "Why are you so..."

Mairaela shot her a look.

"Why give her such grief? She hasn't done anything," Tess said softly, changing her wording.

"Why don't you?" Mairaela replied, "They wanted to enslave humans, Tess, and for some? They did. The Summer Court saved most of them.

"Do you know how many they killed?" Mairaela frowned, "There were two other entire Courts, now all but extinct. They slaughtered a good portion of the Empire and stole hundreds of miles worth of land, converting the people there into their slave trade."

Tess was quiet for a time. The fight in the arena concluded and before Mairaela knew it, Miren was stepping out into the field.

"Did Miren do that, though?" Tess asked.

Mairaela felt ashamed. Tess was right, but it was impossible to let go of this judgment and hate. All Winter Fey were the same in her experience. Deceitful and cruel. She would not lower her guard around Miren.

"Is that a rapier?" Tess asked, squinting to get a good look at what Miren was wielding.

"A blunted one," Joyona replied.

Her opponent was a woman with a battleaxe. She looked like a smaller Joyona, with darker hair. The bell rang for things to begin, and it was over before Mairaela knew it. Miren slipped forward and before the axe could even be raised to where it needed to be, the opponent had a rapier to her throat. The bell rang again.

Miren called out, "Can I have another? I'll fight both of the fighters from the next match."

Mairaela's eyes widened, "She has a lighter weapon, so the axe was easy, but two opponents? She may be fast, but one of them will get a strike off, if not both."

Her opponents approached, one from either entrance while Miren stood in the center. On one side was an opponent with a sword and shield. On the other was a man dual wielding two large, stone hammers. All too swiftly the bell rang and both warriors charged Miren at the center.

Miren didn't wait. She charged the man with the shield. She kept her profile small by standing sideways, but the longsword came at her at a horizontal angle. Miren slipped back, evading the edge. She was so graceful and balanced. She came back, poking with the rapier, though it struck the man's shield. A vertical slash came her way this time and Miren sidestepped it with ease.

Two hammers came at her from behind, but Miren slipped around the longswordsman. The man with the hammers had to halt his attack, lest he risk harming his ally. It didn't matter much, since Miren took that as an opportunity to rake the blunt blade all across the sword-and-shield wielder's back with a series of seven slashes all performed in a single second.

The swordsman frowned as he was defeated, but Miren lifted a heeled boot and kicked him in the upper back so that he flew into the man with the hammers. As the large fellow tripped over his comrade and stumbled toward Miren, she brought the point of her blunted rapier to his neck and pressed it forward just as he caught himself. Were it a real weapon, he would have had a blade slicing through his throat and brain stem. He was done.

The bell rang.

Miren tossed the rapier down into the dirt as her two opponents collected themselves. The Winter Fey hopped the wall and continued to the stands, returning to her seat. Mairaela, Tess and Joyona were all quiet for a moment, before Tess gushed, "That was fucking amazing, Miren!"

The Winter Fey just smiled at the woman, "Thank you. I only wish it was worthwhile in the Void."

"Your gift doesn't apply to it?"

Miren shook her head, "Sadly not."

Mairaela decided to speak up, "What would you do against a spear with a rapier?"

"You mean what would I do in a fight against you?" Miren asked.

"Sure," Mairaela responded.

"I would run," Miren replied, "A rapier won't beat a competent person with a polearm."

"Oh? I'm competent?" Mairaela asked, dripping with sarcasm.

Miren nodded, "More than. I was extremely impressed."

Mairaela was stunned. What was this? Weaponized kindness? She tried to think of how this could be used against her. What deception could benefit Miren here?

For a while, Tess beamed and squealed in excitement over Miren's victories, until she looked to Joyona, "Do you want to take a turn?"

"I'm tired," Joyona replied, rubbing her eyes.

Miren spoke up, "It might be good practice for fighting while exhausted in the Void."

Joyona nodded, "Alright." The giant stepped down from the stands, shaking them as she went, until she made it to the staging area.

Tess sighed, "I wish I could help. I've been practicing my sorcery day and night, but..."

"You're a Wyrden, Tess?" Miren asked.

Tess let out a sigh, "I've been successful in-..." She recalled the response that the others had when they saw her casting in the Void, "Um.. in my room, a couple times."

Miren's eyebrows raised, "Interesting. I thought Captain Maupoissant said you were incapable."

"She doesn't know," Tess spoke softly, "I'm not sure what to tell her. I'm very inconsistent, but I'm learning."

Mairaela smiled, "Joyona's up."

Joyona stepped out without a single weapon. Mairaela had some concern as she thought "Was she so tired that she forgot?!"

Her opponent was a small man with a sword and shield, the most common combination. When the bell rang, it was clear who was going to win. Joyona charged the man, screaming in a rage, and immediately the swordsman began to run. Joyona's lengthy stride had her upon him in moments, grabbing the back of his head in one hand and bringing it into the dirt.

She stopped there, the man rolling onto his back and wiping dirt from his eyes. The bell didn't ring, so Joyona looked to the judge and spoke aloud, "Then I'd crush his head."

There was no response at first, and Joyona pointed down while lifting a foot, "With my boot."

The bell rang.

Chapter 83 - Maeros

"Fuck you, Maeros!" Krahe shouted at him. His hair had gone white over the course of their adventure, but he was still the thick-armed, broad shouldered dunce of a man, "Fuck you! You want out? Fine!"

"He has Sylara. Gods, he has Andon..." Maeros replied. Krahe knew the names of his family. Sylara was so kind. Andon was so young, so full of joy and hopeful for his future. Maeros' voice was little more than a grunt, but he was gentle in this moment, "I don't know what he'll do to them." Krahe had never seen him cry, but right now? She might.

"Well, I do," Krahe replied, "The Crow Lord isn't a murderer; He's a thief. He's not going to hurt them, they're just his bargaining chip."

"Why would he target me, then?" Maeros asked, shaking his head, "He wants you, he and I have no problems with one another.

"When you leave, he's going to take me," Krahe replied, jabbing two fingers toward her own chest, "You're going to sentence me to a slow death if you leave. And guess what? Black Sun is going to fucking eat your family anyway. We're so close to Arlen. We're so fucking close."

Harkroth was watching the exchange patiently, leaning upon his axe. He had no stake in this, Krahe knew. He'd only joined them a month ago.

Maeros didn't reply, but he did take a few steps down the road where they'd traveled from.

"You fucking coward!" Krahe screamed, squeezing her fists until they drew blood. She was furious, "You're fucking the whole gods damned world! You, this single choice, is going to end the world; end all life! End Auwra as a whole!"

She wouldn't let him go. She couldn't let him go.

Krahe looked at Henry. The one-eyed man, with his parched lips, pallid skin and rotting flesh, "Stop him!" She pointed at Maeros, "Fucking stop him!"

Henry, unable to speak, shook his head.

Krahe felt the pressure behind her eyes, "Gods, stop him, or we're all dead."

She looked at Harkroth, "Please. Help me."

Harkroth frowned and shook his head, "Sorry, lass. It's his family; It's his choice."

"Fuck. Fuck, fuck, shit, fuck!" Krahe screamed into her hands. "Born from blood," she shouted. She couldn't even hear her gloves' reply, blood throbbing in her ears. Her hands filled with a pair of kukris.

She dashed to Maeros. Gods, she'd known him for fifteen years. She joined him when she was ten, and he's doing this now?

She moved in front of Maeros by five paces and said, "What are you thinking?"

"I'm thinking I need to get my family," Maeros replied.

"They. Are. Going. To. Die. Anyway!" She screamed, her voice cracking, "They'll die before you even get to them! They're East of the Empire! We're in the fucking mountains of the Summer Court. The Crow Lord wants this.

Maeros stopped, a frown on his face, "Don't do this."

"I won't let you go," Krahe replied, "I won't."

"You can kill Arlen without me," Maeros replied, "Harkroth and Henry are capable warriors."

"Harkroth doesn't know what the fuck is going on and Henry..." She felt tears welling behind her eyes before they began to run down her cheeks. She looked past Maeros to see Henry looking ambivalent as always. Even the color of his one eye had changed.

"You're killing us, Maeros," Krahe sobbed, "You're killing us and you know it."

Maeros tapped his temple, referring to the voice in his head, "You know what she's saying right now?"

Krahe shook her head.

"Nothing. For once she's quiet. For once she doesn't have an opinion. For once she stopped playing that music."

"I don't care, Maeros," Krahe shook her head, "I just can't let you leave. I will kill you before I let you leave, because you'd be just as bad as Arlen, letting him succeed."

"You can't," Maeros replied, "You know you can't."

"Then beat me. You might as well. I'd rather die in a fight than be eaten by some gods damned space ball."

"We don't know if that's what it wants. Birel told us, but what if she's wrong?"

"You saw it through the lens as well as I did! It's been eating everything it comes across!"

"Maeros, please. Gods, please don't do this. Please." She'd never said that to Maeros before. They'd had their spats. Well, a lot of them. Truth be told, they didn't really get along. Not since the others died. She could still hear their screams. Dolen, Rahberon, Elnaril.

"Don't make me do this," Maeros spoke under his breath.

"You're doing this!" Krahe screamed. She lunged at him. Maeros was ready. He was just as good a warrior as she was. She was best in a team, not sola. She hadn't dueled someone since that opportunist trying to harvest dragon scales, but rage-fueled adrenaline filled her. She was faster than he was, but his shield was raised before she got to him. She jammed a kukri into the wood of his shield and jumped. She used the kukri as a stepping stone to leap into the air.

Maeros' dragon helmet breathed fire in her wake before he caught her by the arm. He'd seen that move before. He used Krahe's momentum and slammed her into the ground, pressing a boot into sternum. Gods, he was good.

The Devil, the Spinnerets, the Wanderer. Maeros' boot fell through to the dirt as Krahe's body evaporated. Krahe was behind him now, dashing toward him. He spun to grab her, but she slid beneath him, snatching her other kukri on the way.. She slashed between the gaps of his armor as her sliding boots kicked up a cloud of dirt.. Hamstring first, to slow him. As she rose to her feet, she cut across his lower back twice.

Krahe could hear Harkroth protesting, running toward them, but the fight would be over by then. Krahe jammed a blade into Maeros' flank, just above the hip and left it there. She avoided any vitals, but she wanted him to drop; to give up. Maeros spun around, even though he'd been sliced and was bleeding upon the ground. His gauntlet grabbed her face, wide enough to palm her head. The Devil, the Spinnerets, the Wanderer.

She evaporated once more, appearing behind him, but Maeros was ready. She knew he'd catch her this time, so she made a gesture with her free hand. The Spinnerets, the Devil, the Keepers. She vanished from sight, dodging to the side.

Maeros must have seen the puffs of dirt from Krahe's boots and snatched her hair. She rippled into sight, just as Maeros grabbed her and slammed her face-first into the ground. Gods, that hurt.

He lifted her, only to slam her once again. That time it hurt less.

He pummeled her face into the ground again and again and again. He...

Tess gasped. She was covered in a cold sweat. Her face ached.

"What the fuck..."

Chapter 84 - Born from Blood

Tess arrived at the practice yard early, as ordered. There were a couple of training weapons that'd be left there, and she grabbed a cold training sword to test with. She stretched, warmed up and practiced the swings that Howlcrag had taught her. Before she knew it, the Sergeant arrived.

"What are you doing?" He said with a growl Tess' mind frantically tried to think of what she did wrong, but nothing came to her.

Howlcrag threw two pieces of finely cut wood to her. They were like training swords but much shorter, "I mentioned knives this time, remember? So I broke a couple swords and whittled them down for ya."

Tess thought, "Wow. He really is a good trainer. He did that for me? This must have taken hours. He cares about this a lot."

As she collected the weapons, Tess was smiling, at least until she felt a crack of a training sword on her upper arm. "Ow! Fuck!" She shouted, "Gods damn, that hurt."

"I'll do it again if you keep smilin' like you were," Howlcrag said, "Now let's get ready. You're gonna have to get real fast. You try to parry with those and you'll end up with a broken wrist."

"Yes, Sergeant," Tess replied, "I'm ready."

"I don't want you to swing yet, but hold those and do your best to dodge my swings, alright?"

Tess nodded.

The Sergeant started slow, which Tess appreciated. She was struck lightly at the start. She quickly realized how important balance was. Whenever she lost her footing, she was hit. So long as she could remain balanced, she could slip around a swing. Well, a slow swing at least.

They practiced this for a while, speeding up once Tess got used to a certain speed, at which time Howlcrag gave her permission to start striking.

With her focus split between two objectives--dodging and striking--she found that she was piss poor at both of them. It was like having to relearn the dodging part all over again. Howlcrag repeatedly told her to strike faster; Each of her swings were easily parried, her arm grabbed, or the attack dodged. She was hit more often than before, which was demotivating to say the least, but Howlcrags belief in her spurred her on.

She wondered if her words last time resonated with him. He was certainly less violent, less insulting. He would sometimes even tell her when she did a good job.

Tess liked that. It encouraged her. Not everyone learns the same, she knew, and this was how she learned.

"Ugh, what I wouldn't give to show this guy what's what," Miri grumbled, much to Tess' irritation. This was her training, not Miri's. Miri was already capable. Already useful. Tess wasn't. Tess didn't want to have to give her control every time that they were in the Void. That seemed dangerous to say the least.

"Take a break," Howlcrag said, gesturing to the waterskin on the bench that Tess had brought, "Drink."

Tess did as ordered, but her mind trailed off. All day she'd been thinking about the dream she had last night. She recalled it when she was unconscious from Madame Pava, too.

Krahe. Maeros. Harkroth. Henry. Miri told her about these people, was that why she had a dream about them? The dream replayed in her mind. "Born from blood..." Tess whispered thoughtfully.

"What'd you say?" Howlcrag and Miri said at the same time.

"Nothing, Sergeant, just talking to myself," Tess explained.

"No, I heard you say something, what was it?" Miri asked, "You said 'born from blood,' didn't you?"

Tess shook her head, but Miri persisted, "Tess! I'm serious, what did you say? Tess, have you been having dreams?" Miri sounded panicked.

Tess finished drinking her waterskin and placed it down. She picked up her knives and replayed the events of the dream. Leap, slash, land, sorcery, slide, hamstring, back, back, flank. She played it in her mind, practicing the slashes.

She turned to find Howlcrag looking at her. "That was good technique," he said with an approving nod.

"Born from blood," Tess reminded herself in her mind, "Born from blood."

They prepared for more training.

When they began, Tess ran forward. Howlcrag immediately chided, "Don't rush!" However, Tess was fast enough to get past his reach. Only his arm collided with her, not the sword. She jammed the wooden knife into Howlcrag's raised forearm on his free hand.

"Damn, Tess, that was much, much better," Howlcrag said with a big grin, "Now, tell me, what was wrong with that?"

Tess didn't have to think too hard, "If you had a shield, I would've hit it."

"Right. You had me wide open, so go for something vital," Howlcrag advised.

Tess thought to herself, "That's where I was aiming. That's where Krahe aimed."