Howling Roar: Fated Love Ch. 05

(Sorry about it taking me so long to get this chapter posted, but I had a lot of crazy nights trying ti figure out how I really wanted to do this chapter, I hope you like it!)

Chapter 5: Past to the present, then back again...

"Damn these bandits! Press forward men!" Lucian growled as his shield blocked the blow from a bandit to his left while his own sword slashed out cutting through one to his right then coming around to arc through another enemy. All around Lucian, his valiant armored wolf knights fought hard throwing themselves into the massive group of bandits and taking them down, yet more seemed to appear. There were more of them than even the worst estimates for the plan could account for and because of that fact alone, Lucian knew they had been betrayed.

"We have to cut our way through to Princess Lumia and her troops before it is too late! Ignore the enemies at our flanks and charge forward!" Growls and howls answered his command as the wolf-kin knights rallied around Lucian and charged forward with roars so fearsome the bandits were stunned for a moment. That was just what they needed and dozens of bodies were left in their wake, most of them falling to the fighting power of the wolves while others tried to flee from the fury of the wolf-kin.

It was ten minutes later when they finally cut their way to the center of the small village that had come under attack from the bandit army and where the last remnants of the leopard-kin force was besieged. Throwing caution to the side, Lucian barged in seeking the familiar figure of Lumia and he eventually found her squaring off with a rather large, dual sword wielding bandit. "Lumia! Hold on I am coming!"

"Lucian, you truly have the worst timing!" Lumia moved with a grace Lucian had seen many times before yet always found so stunningly beautiful with slender, powerful, muscled legs propelling her forward. Grunting loudly, her opponent swung the two massive swords in a crossing scissor like movement hoping to catch Lumia between them. But that was not to be as the swords sparked impacting one another, only catching open air between them, Lumia already having leapt upwards over them. Her own slender blade slashed down and Lumia landed gracefully while her foe smashed to the ground dead behind her. Lumia grinned at Lucian, parrying the blow from a knife wielding bandit, her blade easily reversing to cut through him as she stood back to back with Lucian. "Can't you see I am rather busy here?"

"That is just why I am here!" Lucian shrugged off a blow with his shield and countered with a stab from his sword as his keen eyes took in the battle before them. The bandits were still charging forward and his valiant wolves were slowly beginning to push them back, but the damage had already been done to the leopard-kin forces, whose ranks were nearly devastated. "This isn't right... Bandits don't attack constantly like this especially considering their losses compared to ours!"

"They have been paid to fight us and, in fact, I am sure they were paid a lot to make sure none of us made it out of here alive!" Another group rushed the pair of them, armed with a variety of weapons, but none of them could match the skills of Lucian and Lumia who dispatched them with little injury to themselves. "The traitors I am seeking have revealed themselves to me through this incident and there is only one group who could have set this attack up. Lucian, we must end this battle and end it now! We will break the enemy, they are already unsettled by the fact my forces fought them so hard, we just need to push harder!"

Though the bandit force was still fighting, Lucian could tell that with one very strong push they could probably break their spirit and he nodded his answer. The look in Lumia's eyes told him she was experiencing a bloodlust after seeing most of her own kin die around her and the feeling of guilt resurfaced within Lucian's stomach. He had followed his orders and that was all there was to it, but that meant that the blood of the kin spilled on this battlefield was now on his claws and his mind kept lingering upon this filling him with grief.

'I should have disobeyed those orders she gave me! All these fine Kin died while I was sitting there, sitting far off letting them fight impossible odds when my troops could have assisted them and broken the enemy from behind easily! These troops were like her very brother and sisters; I can see how heartbroken she is just from the look in her eyes!' Lucian fought his way side by side with Lumia, but his heart was being dragged down deeper by the cold swelling guilt within his chest each time he saw one of her fallen, there were so many dead leopard kin mingled with bandit bodies. He had trained to be hardened against seeing dead comrades, but to see those who had died while he sat around doing nothing but hiding, it sickened him to the point that his stomach tightened in on itself with guilt.

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"So you were both betrayed?" Sapphira's eyes registered the depth of sorrow within Lucian's own gaze as they sat facing each other through the bars of the dungeon cell. Their hands had been connected to one another's since Lucian had started telling the tale of the battle, Sapphira took hold of his early on. It had bothered her the way his hand had kept stroking then digging claws into his right thigh, which meant it probably was a nervous reaction from a traumatic wound he received during the battle.

"Yes, it became obvious to us both and I think that more than anything, Lumia wanted to punish those who would betray their own kin and ensure that they were brought to justice. I could see it in her eyes just a little, the grief of having had to watch so many of her kin die because of some traitors from her own kingdom." It felt good, the feeling of Sapphira's hand wrapped around his own, making it easier for Lucian to tell his tale, much easier than any other time he had told it. Still the guilt remained in his mind even as he continued telling the tale, drawing closer to the moment when his life fell apart.

"We were sent there to trap the bandits who had been crossing from Leoaprd-kin territory into the territory of my kin, raiding Wolf-kin villages and leaving them in ruin. At least those were the official orders Lumia told the high council, though in reality she was there to not only get rid of the bandits but to discover who was giving information to the bandits allowing them to escape from any patrols. She knew it had to be someone high up and the way the bandits ambushed us told her that much. She gave me specific orders that she said were key somehow to her plan for revealing who the traitors were."

"So that is what my sister was really here to do," Sapphira leaned closer to Lucian at least as close as the cold dungeon bars would allow her to, longing to be able to comfort him. She could see he had struggled telling the story thus far and the hardest part was soon to come and Sapphira could see the look in Lucian's eyes growing cold with dread. "What happened next Lucian?" She had to know.

"We pushed on fighting like demons against the bandits and soon their ranks began to thin, but I could not get the feeling of guilt out of my heart and it distracted me at the most crucial moment..."

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"Lucian, look out!!!"

Lucian was distracted by the feelings of guilt and never noticed the well-armored bandit lurking behind him and Lumia's warning was the only thing that saved him from being impaled through the chest. Even as he twirled to move out of the path of the thrust, Lucian felt an intense pain erupt from his right leg as the lance smashed through his thigh and blood spurted from it. His sword slipped from his hand as he slammed into the ground sliding a bit from the combination of his movement and the powerful impact from the lance buried in his leg. Lucian could tell his leg was crippled from the blow and he growled deeply in pain as he clutched at it then howled as the lance was pulled forcefully from his leg.

"You did well to dodge my first thrust little wolf pup! It is rare that I, the great and powerful Alial Sazh should complement an enemy, you should consider yourself honored!" There was wicked malice within those eyes, the feral, powerful radiance from them actually made Lucian freeze the moment his eyes met the other's gaze. Never before had Lucian faced someone with such a purely malicious and killer look, eyes that could stare down death itself and humble it with but a single glance.

Alial was a tall broad bodied Lion-kin, his deep golden fur stuck out from the collar of his blood red armor and a scar crossed over his left eye, giving that eye a crimson red color unlike the other which was ice cold blue. His aura of strength was so overpowering that Lucian actually felt fear keeping him from making any kind of move even as Alial began to raise his lance for another strike. "Pathetic! What a cowardly look in your eyes, weak ones like you don't belong on the battlefield!"

Death was streaking down towards Lucian, but met resistance in the form of Lumia's shield as she dashed between them, barely being able to shrug off the powerful blow her stance nearly crumbling from it. Her own sword lashed out with fury, but it drew no blood as Alial moved impossibly fast for a Lion-kin of his size, parrying the reverse slash from Lumia with his lance. "Who are you to talk down to others you bandit scum?"

"Oh what a pleasant surprise this is! Here I thought that my men had killed you already, but I see I underestimated your skills and that is a mistake I will not make twice!" With a wicked cackle, Alial thrust forward with his steel lance, his speed was dazzling, and the form of his strike so perfect that Lumia shuddered as she barely managed to block the blow in time.

"We shall see if you your fighting skills can truly match your excessive boasting!" Her fangs bared and growling with animosity, Lumia attacked with a rapid flurry of quick thrusts from her long slender sword hoping to make her way past the blocking lance. While some of her blows managed to slip past the immense lance, a great many of them were stopped from even coming close to landing a direct hit and Lumia hissed with anger.

"What's the matter kitten?" Alial's teasing laugh echoed through the air as he countered Lumia's next stroke and his lance grazed her side and even that small impact was bruising. Much as she hated to admit it, this Alial Sazh was truly a deadly skilled fighter and he knew it as he pressed his attacks forcing her back. But worse was the way Lucian was laying there on the ground, he was obviously injured badly and it worried Lumia, but what worried her more was that look of fear in his eyes. His spirit was broken, probably the result of his terrible injury combined with the guilt of what she had made him do. She knew how he felt because it was something she herself had to live with as well.

'Come on Lucian, snap out of it! I need you to get up! Your leg is bust but you can still stand!' Lumia could only cry out in her head and plead with him using her eyes, trying not to draw this killer's attention to him and hoping he would stand so they could try to fight him together. As their weapons crossed again, Alial could tell Lumia was growing less focused on their fight as her earlier intensity had faded and he growled as he followed the line of her vision to Lucian.

"Oh now I see what the problem is, that stupid little cowardly pup over there is distracting you!" Alial thrust his lance once again and Lumia moved to counter it, but the thrust turned out to be a feint as he shifted it so it smacked her against the side knocking her off balance. Lumia expected a counterattack to follow up the thrust and was surprised to see Alial turn to face Lucian and start heading right towards him with that deadly lance held at the ready and bloodlust in his eyes. "Since you care so much about him, killing him should really get your blood boiling! Hahaha!"

"No! I won't let you harm him!" Lumia, desperate to prevent him from slaying Lucian, dashed forward right behind Alial as his powerful strides drove him towards his target at incredible speed. Her intent was so focused on protecting Lucian that as she lashed out with her sword towards Alial's exposed back, she never noticed the change in his posture. In the next moment Alial turned his head, looking over his shoulder with a wicked glint of evil in his feral lion eyes and his mouth parted in the most disturbing and evil fang filled grin. "Gotcha little girl!"

"LUMIA!" Lucian's anguished cry echoed in her ears, but her focus was lost upon it as the impact against her body stopped her forward motion almost immediately, knocking the air from her lungs. Lumia tried to draw another breath but her body was immediately wracked with pain and she coughed hard feeling something warm flowing from between her lips. The pungent odor and metallic taste of blood filled her senses and Lumia looked down to see the immense cold steel of Alial's lance plunged into her chest as the pain from the wound began to spread through her body. It was a strange feeling, her chest was on fire yet the rest of her body was slowly starting to go numb and even her tight grip on her sword was failing leaving it to clatter upon the ground. Lumia looked to Vaylen, her face streaming tears of pain and sadness as he looked back at her catching only the most brief smile show upon her face as she found herself wishing she could see his wonderful smile just one last time.

"You shouldn't let yourself get so worked up on the battlefield!" Alial sneered as he savagely ripped the lance from Lumia's chest then spun around slamming it against her sending her flying against a stone wall, blood spurting from her chest leaving a trail through the air in her wake. Lucian watched, his body trembling with shock as he watched the lovely figure of Lumia's body slump against the wall leaving a trail of blood upon it as she slid down to the ground. Alial, his face still grinning like a demon turned to Lucian and hefted his lance up, once again readying it to strike a deadly blow. "On the battlefield there are those who live and those who die, you pup are going to join the dead because of your weakness!"

"Not today you bastard!" Alial dodged to the side at the very last second as a sword arches through the spot he was just in the moment before and he growled angrily at the interruption. The armored wolf knight with his dark blue-gray fur lashed out with his sword again driving Alial back further with his speed and accuracy of the attacks. The amber colored eyes of the wolf-kin flared with anger as he drove Alial back and the lion-kin growled even more as he heard many armored foot-steps approaching as he barely dodged yet another swift attack. Lucian watched as his friend Langston parried another blow from Alial and tried yet another counter but Alial was ready for it and blocked it, but Alial knew as much as Langston did that once the other wolves arrived the odds would be in their favor.

"Well this is annoying... At least I will get paid for killing the girl, it's too bad I won't get to finish you wolf pups today too!" Alial tossed something onto the ground and a huge explosion of smoke filled the area covering his escape as he dashed through the smoke following only his blind instincts. Langston gagged on the smoke for a few moments as his sensitive nose burned and then as it cleared he tried to pick up the scent of the wicked lion-kin, yet nothing smelled right.

"Lumia!" Peering through the fading smoke Langston followed the echo of Lucian's voice and spotted Lucian holding the crumpled body of Lumia within his arms shaking it slightly. Walking over to his longtime friend, Langston could already see the tears in Lucian's eyes flowing as he cradled the body of the slain leopard-kin. Langston could feel it, he could tell just by the lifeless look in Lumia's eyes and the position of the wound that the lance had pierced her heart and that Lumia was dead already. "Just hold on Lumia, the healers will be here shortly and everything will be fine, they will patch you right up!"

Lucian felt a hand upon his shoulder and he turned suddenly to Langston, still clutching Lumia to him and Langston could see the slight madness within his gaze mixed with such deep sorrow. For a moment, the two only stared at one another, Langston unsure what to say as Lucian continued to rock back and forth with Lumia held tight to him. Langston tightened his grip on Lucian's shoulder, not knowing what to expect but fearing the look in Lucian's eyes as well as his own grief in his heart, so he spoke his next words softly. "Lucian... Lumia is dead my friend."

"She's not dead!" Lucian growled loudly and glared at Langston in a threatening manner as he tightened his grip on the deathly still body of Lumia. It was there even more now in his eyes, a wild desperate madness that bordered on sheer insanity and Langston clenched his fist as Lucian continued. "We just have to get her to the healers... They can help! She just needs some healing and then some rest, and then we will all go back together, alive and happy!"

The impact of Langston's fist sent Lucian sprawling on the ground and he grabbed Lumia's corpse from Lucian's grasp gently laying it upon the ground before facing Lucian again. The broken wolf-kin was growling and trying to crawl his way back to Lumia's body but Langston stood between them and grabbed Lucian by the collar of his armor hauling him up off the ground with a fearful growl. "What the hell happened here and what happened to you Lucian!?"

Seeing Lucian's hand madly grasping for his sword laying on the ground near him only made Langston snarl with anger and his foot lashed out catching Lucian across his face smashing him backwards against a nearby wall. He could not believe his friend and comrade of so many years had fallen so low as to think of raising his sword against him. Langston bared his fangs in frustration. "What is wrong with you Lucian!?"

"Lumia is dying, get out of my way Langston! I have to save her, it is my duty and I won't let anyone get in my way!" Lucian was lost in his own mind, unable to accept Lumia's death as he struggled to get to his feet and reach her body. But Langston was there before him in an instant, grabbing Lucian and lifting him off his feet before smashing him against a wall not caring for Lucian's terrible wounds. There was ferocity within Langston's eyes like that of Alial Sazh and Lucian froze his body trembling slightly as his emotions raged out of control within him.

"Lumia is dead damn it! She is dead already and it's entirely your fault!" Langston's grip tightened as he pressed Lucian harder against the broken wall his entire being shaking with barely suppressed fury. Whatever had happened to Lucian must have been maddening, Langston thought, as he stared into Lucian's eyes seeing the insanity within them. "You have to wake up, snap out of whatever has taken hold of you Lucian!"

"She can't be dead! Just need to get the healers here and she will be fine Langston!" Langston could see the desperation in Lucian's eyes, hear it in his friend's voice and he growled with deep distaste at it before speaking again. His grip tightened on Lucian as he struggled to bring him back from the brink.

"Lucian, Lumia is dead, she was stabbed right through the heart and there is no healing within the world that can bring her back!" The fierce power behind those words finally shattered the barrier between Lucian's disbelief and the reality of the situation his eyes opened wide in response. Langston could see he was getting through to Lucian and he pressed forward hoping to snap him out of the horrible state he was in. "Get a hold of yourself Lucian and look at Lumia!"