Legends Reborn Ch. 05

Merle

So. All hope was not lost. I still had a chance, humanity still had a chance. More than that, I had someone who seemed to know more about magic than the entire magical community. Oddly enough, this someone seemed to know me quite well, despite the fact that I was quite sure I had never met him before I arrived half-dead at his cabin in the woods.

Admittedly, not everything was all rosy red, even for me. I had been raped, possibly impregnated, by four people. My best friend had hanged herself due to my lack of support. I was living with a man who I didn't know.

And I still was completely unaware of the war brewing around me.

******

I quickly pushed Blaise away. The man had, after all, been raping me for a few days. In my eyes, we weren't exactly the best of friends. I looked him in the eyes. I could feel a little pool of rage inside of me. "What did you mean, 'my errant pupil'?" I demanded. I could barely contain a snarl. I passed it off as rage at my former situation.

He looked at me with confused and hurt eyes. "What do you mean? Don't you rememb...Ahhhh." I could see understanding dawn in his eyes. "Of course you don't remember, else we could have passed all of that earlier unpleasantness. My apologies." He gave be a deep bow.

I was growing angrier by the second. He was not going to get out of this. Apparently sensing my desire to challenge him, he mentioned, "Aren't you glad you got your magic back?" he asked.

I had to actively fight back anger, burying it under an emotion that should have been natural to me at the time. "What now?" I demanded. "Are you going to tell me that sex will fuel my magic now? Say that the more I fuck you, the more powerful I'll be?"

I truly expected him to answer that in the affirmative. I was hoping he would, actually. It would give me a reason to kill him, then and there. He didn't, however. He smiled softly and snorted. "This is real life, girl, not one of those cheesy erotic stories." Even I had to smile at the absurdity of that. Of course this wasn't an erotic story. "No," he said. "Your power comes from rage."

I felt the pool of rage in me, and realized that it wasn't natural. I shouldn't be this angry. "I was told it comes from purity," I said, thoroughly confused.

He smiled. "Nope," he said cheerfully. "White magic comes from things like purity, innocence, and love. Witnessing the near rape of your friend, and killing the attackers took your innocence. Your purity was lost in rape, and you're despair had killed any chance of you feeling love at that time, even for your friend. You had no conduit for white magic.

"You had really been performing both white and black magic. However, you were never born for white magic, and despair is not conductive to either types of magic. You needed rage, lust, ambition. You're the Lady of Earth and Fire; to access those elements to their fullest, you must be a full-fledged black magician. You must become a Sorceress, instead of a white magic using Witch or a neutral Enchantress. Now, you have little choice."

I stared at him, silently absorbing all that was said. I latched onto one thing. "The Lady of Earth and Fire?" I asked.

He smiled. "Later."

******

Natalia and Tal sat together, naked. Tal had an arm around her.

He couldn't say why, but he trusted her more than he had trusted anyone in a long time. It was as if they had a soul-deep connection between them, one that pulled him to her, made him believe her ridiculously unbelievable story.

She told a tale of wonders and madness. His sister- a witch? An army of werewolves? Preposterous. And yet...he felt that he had to believe her. It felt so right, what she was saying.

"I can take you to the werewolf army," she said to him. Tal frowned. That was not wise.

"No, I think it would be better if I stayed away for a little while. You go back to William. Tell him you've made contact with me, and that I'm willing to help you.

"Then, you come back here. This is the only home she knows. We'll wait for her here. Going out would be pointless." He smiled at her. "I can pull out my guitar, play a little for you while we wait for her."

Natalia licked her lips, smoldering eyes staring at him as they began to glaze over with passion. "I can think of a more interesting way to wait for her," she murmured, pulling Tal to her.

Tal smiled. "I love a girl with a zest for life," he whispered in her ear as he slid into her. She was still wet from their recent exertions, and he slid easily into her tunnel.

Gasping slightly, then biting her lip, she gave a soft moan through her teeth. "I don't know if it's life, precisely, that I have a zest for," she murmured back, her breathing hitched as he moved gently inside her. Her hands clutched at his back, her eyes closing as she melted into a soft kiss with him.

His tongue caressed her own, gently, as his hips began to thrust slightly quicker, changing their pattern. He caught her gasp in his own lips, and used one hand to start to play with her breasts, gently teasing the nipples.

In complete silence, their lips locked tightly together, they made love. Natalia began to move her hips in perfect time with his thrusts.

Natalia started to shiver in slight, silent orgasms that left her quivering in Tal's arms as his own thrusts started to speed up. Natalia came down from her orgasm, shaking deliciously just as Tal groaned, and started to cum inside her.

Twenty minutes later, she was ready to leave. He hugged her at the door. "Come back soon," he whispered, not knowing why he felt so deeply for someone he barely knew.

******

Blaise pointed a finger. A line of orange flame quickly followed the line, shattering an already burnt tree trunk. As heated tree trunk shards burst towards us, I raised the earth in front of me in a shield. Or, I tried to.

What actually ended up happening was this: A wall of earth rose swiftly from the ground, shielding us both from the shards. Then the wall of earth crumpled, and fell back to the ground.

I screamed as my left sleeve caught on fire. "Master, help!" I shouted, trying desperately to remember how to get a fire out. Was it stop drop and roll? What was it?

I stared desperately at Blaise, my mentor in all things magical. He merely stared impassively back at me. What...? I thought he was going to help me? Or was it a ploy.

I could feel my rage building. While I was, in a sense, permanently angry now, due to Blaise's spell. Who did he think he is? I thought I was some high and mighty Lady of Earth and Fire? What the fuck did he think he was up to?

As my rage built upon itself, I began to feel warmer all over. I realized that the flame was enveloping me, and that stupid little fuck, that pompous, stuck up bastard, was doing NOTHING for me! Nothing!

I didn't see his fist coming, and I soon blacked out.

******

William stared at his only ally in amazement. "What did you say?" he asked carefully. He wanted to make sure he had heard the Ice Princess right.

"His name's Tal," she said quickly, impatient at having to repeat himself. "He's Merle's sister, and he says that she is missing, and has been since the day we took her. But he offered to let me stay with him and wait for her to return." She fairly bounced at the prospect. This was not a mood William generally associated with her.

"Can he be trusted?" he asked dubiously. "He is, after all, devilspawned, like that whore of a sister."

She shook a finger at him. "First off, you are asking Merle to ally with you in this fight against an army of real demonspawn. You, technically, are demonspawn. I'd cool it on the whore thing, as well."

William looked at her cautiously. "And second off?" he asked slowly.

She slapped him. "Of course Tal can be trusted!" she exclaimed.

"You've known him for all of twenty-four hours," he said. "How the hell can you make a judgment call like that based on so little information?"

"Tal can be trusted, you self-righteous bastard," she almost spat at him. "I would bet my life on it. And I can make a judgment call on that because it's correct, and I know it is!"

A slow smile spread on the furry face of William Estacade. "Has Natalia Sophya Batkunst, the Ice Princess, finally taken the plunge? And with one of the Others, at that?" he asked teasingly. He had meant it as a joke.

Natalia hadn't taken it as such, however. "Yes, I have. And however unwise it may be, I know that this is right. I feel it." Her voice was very serious, her tone that of someone speaking without doubt.

William was very, very worried that someone could have such power over his Ice Princess. It was disconcerting.

"Go back at wait for Merle there," he said decisively, putting his personal feelings aside for the moment. He had a country to save, and personal prejudice could play no part in saving it.

******

I woke with a blinding headache and a fear that I was scarred for life with horrible burns.

I opened my eyes slowly, and could see the ceiling of Blaise's room above me. I didn't look down, as I didn't want to see the scars that would riddle my body. I could feel tears welling up as I hesitantly brought the fingertips of my right hand up to delicately feel my left arm.

It felt smooth as silk. Smoother than it had been before the incident, as a matter of fact.

I turned my head to see a smiling Blaise sitting beside my bed. "You...healed me?" I asked nervously.

He laughed, releasing pent up energy, and shook his head. "Lady of Earth and Fire, remember," he reminded me. "You are the Mistress of all magics of Earth and all magics of Fire. You think you can be burned to death?"

"I can't be?" I asked.

He smacked his forehead, almost comically. "I can't believe I forgot that you no longer know these things!" He leaned in closer, speaking eagerly, "There is a reason you are the Lady of Earth and Fire, and it's because that's who you were in your first life. While you were dead, someone else took over your position, despite the fact that you are much more powerful."

"My position?" I asked, confused. I should have been dead, or at least scarred. Instead, I was healed, and apparently entitled to some sort of magical position.

"Yes. Everyone has two magical Talents, and their title is those two Talents." he said, smiling. He walked over to a table on the far side of the room, and returned with a cup of water. I drank gratefully, aware for the first time of just how thirsty I was. I also had a pretty bad headache. "Their position is to rule over the Realms which their Talents place them Lords and Ladies over. I am the Lord of Darkness, and a lesser Lord of Fire. You are the supreme Lady of Earth and Fire."

"So what's this position?" I asked Blaise, taking another sip of water.

"You rule the Realms of Earth and Fire," he said, watching me closely. "You rule Hell."

I performed an admirable spit take, and nearly blacked out again.

This was not good.

******

The Elders were gathered together. The Vampire Elder, Talos, looked over at his two companions. "We have received word," he said softly, "that HE is back."

Sikarn, the Werewolf Elder started choking on the human leg bone he had been chewing on. "No," he said. "No, you promised that last time would be the last. You promised we wouldn't have to face him and his armies again. Ever again."

Talos grimaced. "Yes, well, our spell seems not to have held quite as it should. However, all reports say that, while he has been reborn, he has no clues to his identity."

The Demoness Elder, Nimueartur, sighed. "I so wish Scylla had survived all these years," she commented.

Sikarn smiled. "Scylla would be no problem at all for HIM to bypass. Odysseus bypassed him with no trouble at all, and that was without any magic. He has magic."

A slow smiled began to bloom on the face of Talos. "Yes," he said softly. "Scylla was no trouble at all for mortals. However, Azhi Dahaka, Scylla's mother..." he trailed off suggestively, and watched in pleasure as similar smiles began to blossom on the faces of his companions.

******

William Estacade padded softly away from the rooms of the Elders. Natalia would be leaving in a few hours, returning to her lover to await the witch. This appeared to be an important message to relay to them.

He made his way slowly back to his own room. He reached the room, and looked inside. He snarled in shock as he found a small crowd of lesser werewolves congregated around Natalia was one of their number raped her lovely face.

The idiotic beast kept pumping his cock in and out of Natalia's sweet lips, ignoring the tears the slipped down her cheeks to gently land on her large breasts. With a roar, the werewolf came, humping his cock fully down her throat as his thick seed filled her stomach. Finally, he pulled out, spraying a few more loads of cum onto Natalia's face.

The creature patted the sobbing Russian scientist on the head, as one might pet an animal that has just performed an amusing trick. It was his last action before William tore the beast's throat out, watching as the creature slowly died. Most weapons wouldn't be able to do that to the creature; however, a werewolf's claws are just as enchanted as the rest of him.

The other wolves ran away, terrified of facing a similar fate.

William started to whisper comfort to the sobbing young woman, hating himself for what his hatred had brought about, vowing to do whatever was necessary to stop these creatures from destroying all that he loved.

******

"What do you mean, she's awake?" screamed the beautiful brunette. She was wearing a loose black robe with nothing beneath it. Her servants, devoted due to their complete and utter lack of free will, had been fanning her and hand feeding her grapes.

"Our spies have just reported, milady," murmured her most trusted advisor. "Azhi Dahaka is again awake, and roams the world in search of a mortal they have set her upon."

The brunette scowled, and all around her took a hasty step back. The Lady of Vengeance and Dragons was not happy. Azhi Dahaka was the only dragon who had refused to bow to her. Scylla had, as well, for hers was a proud lineage, but she had broken her of that. Her curse had come true, and Scylla had failed to prevent the crossing of Odysseus, invoking Poseidon's wrath, and her own death.

But now the gods, and the legends, were gone. Who, then, could destroy Azhi Dahaka, save the Lady herself?

Smiling grimly, the Lady began to call her arms to her. "I will track that dragon bitch to her target, and then destroy her." She smiled. "And who knows. For the armies of Hell to have roused Azhi Dahaka from her long slumber means that there is someone of exceptional danger. If I can find out which of the heroes has been reborn, maybe an alliance will be available." She ran her hands down her curvaceous figure. "There are, after all, methods of persuasion that have been most successful in the past," she purred. Her expression saddened slightly. "If only the greatest among us hadn't been taken in by that whore, he would still be here today. Azhi Dahaka, the Dragon of Iran, would stand little chance against him."

Taking an audible gulp at the completely unfamiliar tone, her advisor could only nod weakly as his mistress swept out the door, leaping onto the back of an ancient black dragon.

******

I looked questioningly at Blaise. "I can't rule Hell," I said. "I'm not evil."

I didn't think I was. How do you know you're evil, though? I mean, I didn't particularly want to go out and do wicked things. However, I would kill people, have killed people. Did that make me evil.

Blaise just laughed. "No, you're getting confused. The physical Hell is the Planes of Earth and Fire. The metaphysical Hell is where evil dead souls go. You don't rule the metaphysical hell. Even you would be hard pressed to combat Legion. It's the same thing with Wind and Water. The Planes of Wind and Water make up the physical Heaven. The metaphysical Heaven is ruled by the Creator, and no one can touch It with hopes of victory."

"It?" I asked. "Isn't God a male?"

Blaise's eyes widened. "You're kidding, right?" he asked me. When I shook my head, he muttered, "Good God, what are they teaching children these days?" He shook his head slightly, clearing his mind. "Listen, honey, God is omnipotent. He is infinite. As infinity, he can have no boundaries. Being male or female is a boundary. Therefore, while he can demonstrate aspects of either maleness or femaleness, he is neither. It is both mother and father, brother and sister. That's just the point: God is All."

My minds circled round, to all the little things. "You just called me honey," I said. He nodded, curious at the change in topic, wondering where I was going. "You've wept when I was hurt, you've done nothing but help me. Why?" I asked. It was all out there now. This is what I had wanted to ask for days.

He looked surprised. "Because you were once my son," he said. Tears welled up in his eyes. "Because, before you died, you were Merlin."