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06:37:54.541568+02","create_datetime_usertime":"26 Aug 2021 06:37 CEST","thumbnail_url_huge":"https://nl.ib.metapix.net/thumbnails/huge/3708/3708733_damijon_battle_chapter_eleven_.jpg","thumbnail_url_large":"https://nl.ib.metapix.net/thumbnails/large/3708/3708733_damijon_battle_chapter_eleven_.jpg","thumbnail_url_medium":"https://nl.ib.metapix.net/thumbnails/medium/3708/3708733_damijon_battle_chapter_eleven_.jpg","thumb_huge_x":"246","thumb_huge_y":"300","thumb_large_x":"164","thumb_large_y":"200","thumb_medium_x":"98","thumb_medium_y":"120"}],"pools":[],"description":"Thanks for all the comments and favs as always! :D","description_bbcode_parsed":"Thanks for all the comments and favs as always! :D","writing":"The Battle for E’hbel\nChapter Eleven\nBy DamiJon\n\nThe Harathi city of Brackenford is under attack! Now we begin with the second of the three arc’s for the war story.\nP.S It might help to read the short story ‘Dark Desires’ to get more insight on the two characters, Chandler and Kirth.\n\n…Beneath The Boy-Yards bar.\n\tKirth crouches on the floor of Chandler's bed chamber. The naked mage takes a sharp knife and cuts the middle finger on his left hand. The blood pools at his fingertip and he begins writing symbols on the floor. Chandler, also naked, climbs on the bed to watch. He recognizes some of the symbols, but not all. Biting his lip, the younger Dark Mage holds his questions, not wanting to disturb his teacher and lover.\n\tThe small circle finished, Kirth drips blood into the center, counting along with each drop. “Five. . .six. . . seven.” His voice rises in a short incantation as he pulls his finger away.\n\tThe blood that dripped in the center of the circle, seven drops in all, slowly spreads and expands, somehow filling the entire circle with a glossy, red finish. The gloss shimmers for a moment and an image begins to appear. A tall, stone structure, imposing and profound fills the circle. Several figures gather at along one side of the structure. “They are casting spells!”\n\t“Dark Mages!” Chandler says breathlessly. “At the Demon Temple!” The boy slides off of the bed, beginning to dress. “We have to help, they're attacking the demons!”\n\tKirth watches the image for a moment longer. He hesitates before standing. Slowly he begins to dress. “That means they're not here for us, Chandler. They don't know about us. If we go out there and fight them, we give ourselves away. Not only to those who hunt us, but also to the demons of the Temple and perhaps to the Harathi authorities. . .”\n\t“But... The officers will head to the castle first.” Chandler walks to his dresser. The silver lynx anthro slides on a tight pair of black pants and long sleeve button up shirt, where he pulls back the sleeves. He takes his staff away from the wall and practices some swings he's learned from his lover and teacher. “All of them will end up dying if we don't do something. I don't care if I do. Their lives are worth more!”\n\tGlaring at the young boy, Kirth hisses. “Don't ever say that! Your life is important, too. Their lives are worth no more than ours. Just as they're worth no less.” He pulls on black leather pants and begins tugging on his boots. “Don't ever think that your life isn't worth everything, Chandler. We'll help them.” He stamps his feet into his boots and stands. He pulls on a dark shirt, grabbing his belt and various pouches. Finally, he tucks a small dagger into the belt and grasps his staff. “Just stay close to me, no matter what you see. Stay close to me. I can't help the demons if I'm worried about keeping you safe. Promise me!” The older mage takes hold of Chandler's shoulders facing the boy and looking into his eyes. He leans forward, kissing Chandler deeply, their merging in their own tender embrace. “Promise me you'll stay close.”\n\t“Mhm.” He nods his head. The boy returns the kiss firmly and with sensitivity, almost as if he feels it could be the last kiss he gives him. The boy is scared for his life and he's hidden his true nature for so long. It could all be untethered after today. “I promise.”\n\n\tNot too far away and on the bottom floor of the demon temple, Lev stands in a hallway and watches as other demons scatter from bedrooms to upstairs, trying to find a place to hide or escape as fast as possible. The boy can sense the enemies. He looks back at his boyfriend Bryan and frowns. The pain of seeing Drew's father pass in front of them followed by the attacks from above has put him in a mood he hasn't been in for years. “You must stay.”\n\tBryan shakes his head slowly. “No. I won't let you go out there alone!” He draws his dagger and clenches his teeth. “I can fight. Some. I won't be any safer here by myself.” His face grows dark. “Besides, they may be after me. To finish what they started.” He looks at Yohav's body. “He told us to stay together, remember. You need me to watch your back.”\n\tThe nurse looks at both of them. Her eyes are wide and she bites at this lower lip as her tail twitches behind her. “I have to make my way to the infirmary. There will be wounded. And the dying. They'll need me there.”\n\t“Fuck!” He yells out and stomps. The boy pulls on his black hair and grunts. “Come on. No time to waste bitching about it.” The three of them quickly run through the hallway, up the first flight of stairs and stop to see the others filling the hallway and various rooms. Lev looks up, only sensing one demon on the top floor. He turns to the nurse and speaks quietly. “The injured have already been dragged off. They're probably in the weapon and training room.”\n\t“Then why haven't they came down yet to continue attacking?” She asks.\n\t“Because they have a hostage and know someone stronger will challenge them.” He forms a fist. “Go on. I'll have to spoil their game. They don't know who they're going up against.”\n\tBryan and Lev part ways, but wait for a moment before cautiously walking up the next flight of stairs. Finally, the reach the main level. Dozens, perhaps more than twenty demons have been blown apart, ripped from limbs, their body parts spread around the room like a tornado ripped through. Lev keeps his calm on the outside while the rage continues to grow inside of his chest. Across from him and his boyfriend, the leader of the fifteen dark mages stands with a knife to the throat of the High Priestess.\n\tBeyond the Dark Mage and his hostage, the sounds of screams drift into the temple. Voices can be heard shouting, ordering a surrender in the name of the King. The voices end in shouts and screams of pain as magic rips through the air. After that, there are only sporadic sounds of human agony and the cries of some unholy beast. The Dark Mage smiles. “Do you hear that? Harathi fools! They don't realize they have no King, not anymore. Rest assured, whore, my compatriots will insure that we are not disturbed. And fool who tries to aid you from outside will meet . . .resistance.”\n\tHe notices Lev and Bryan. “Run below, kiddies. The grown ups are talking. Send up the best and bravest demons and I promise to give you a pain free death, demon. And you will survive as my slave, human brat.”\n\t“I am not the strongest, but I am the most powerful.” Lev speaks to them. “You might know me as the boy that your people tried to use and control. I still have my powers.” The boy tries to provoke him, despite knowing that he can't use the majority of abilities that he has. Despite being one of the most powerful demons on the planet, Lev has no sense of control over them which would only leave destruction and mayhem. Instead of killing his enemies he'd most likely kill everyone around him instead. The boy knows he must use the powers and skills that he knows won't lay ruin to his home. 'Maybe I should call for others' He wonders. 'Me against all of them... I'm not sure I can do this.'\n\tThe Dark Mage laughs. He gestures with his knife to the bodies strewn about the floor of the temple. Lev and Bryan recognize some of the dead. The old barrista, the waitress who always brought sweets for Jay and Milliken. Kallie, a young painter who kept promising to paint Lev and Bryan. Their bodies are torn and mangled, mixed in with dozens who are unrecognizable.\n\t“If you were that demon, you'd have done something. A clever gambit, though. And brave I suppose.” The Dark Mage draws his knife across the High Priestess' cheek. He leans close and licks the blood, trembling as his tongue slides along her pale skin and crimson fluid.” I haven't the time to waste with children. Fetch your betters or watch as I fillet this cunt and use her pain and blood to bring down this abomination of a temple! Be quick about it or die!”\n\tA muffled explosion shakes the ceiling. Stone dust drifts down like snow. For some reason, the Dark Mages are cleansing the few upper levels before moving into the main living areas of the lower levels. And there are still sounds of spell casting and fighting outside.\n\tBryan whispers to Lev. “How many are there???”\n\t“Fifteen. One with us, two upstairs and the rest are outside.” He answers. Lev looks back at the dark mage. “Quick, you say?” Within a split second, Lev sprints fast enough to catch the dark mage off guard, twisting his arm and snapping it before stealing the knife from him. Before he can plunge it into the man, the dark mage kicks him right in the stomach and sends him flying against the wall. Bryan stands to the other side alone. \n\t“Bryan, get the three superiors.” The priestess speaks as she trembles away from the man. Lev. “I'll be a decoy and have you flee back. If you fight them you'll kill us all!”\n\t“No!” He stands up without hesitation. “I can control myself. I'm strong en—\"\n\tThe dark mage moves just as quickly, using a hand chop to knock the wind out of Lev's lungs. As he falls back, the boy holds out his hand and fires off a small fire bolt. It burns the mans broken arm, but he shows no sign of pain. The high priestess launches her attack this time, fighting with her bare hands against the older man.\n\tBryan makes for the stairway to the upper levels. As he reaches it, he hears footsteps descending along the same stairs. Without thinking, he flattens himself against the wall to one side of the stairway entrance. Seconds later, three other Dark Mages rush into the main room. They spread out to form a line and begin casting. Bryan darts out at the closest, a female standing with her back to Bryan as she begins summoning something. As the dark form appears, emanating from her fingertips, and begins to solidify, Bryan plunges his dagger into the base of her skull. The darkness immediately disappears, and the woman falls without uttering a cry.\n\tThe Dark Mage battling Lev, cries out the remaining two. “Behind you, fools!” He blocks the priestess' blows with his staff, twisting it in his hands to strike her rib cage hard. She falls to the ground, clutching her side. Grinning, he draws a knife and slices along his arm, following his vein.\n\tAs his blood drips to the floor, it grows and expands, turning a deep, malevolent black. From the blackness comes a chittering sound, followed by dozens of large rats. Each the size of a medium dog, their fur is matted and patchy. Maggots crawl through their eye sockets and drip onto the floor from their mouths. The horrid creatures split into two streams, one headed for the priestess, the other headed for Lev.\n\t“I'm sorry, Maria.” Lev apologizes. “But you'll have to trust me on this one!” Suddenly, small red lines run along the floor and scorch everything they touch. The rats are burned alive. As he stands, all of the lines rise into high flames, which then moves towards the dark mage, consuming him in the massive burst of flames. Stripped from his cloak, the man appears against the wall and behind the counter in only his black undergarments. He laughs maniacally.\n\t“Four attacks and all of you will be dead.” The dark mage says confidently. “That's all I need.”\n\tMaria and Lev prepare themselves for it. The fear inside of Lev worsens as he worries that one wrong spell could jeopardize them all. The attack he just used has already burnt cracks through the fireproof floors, showing that something as little as that is too extreme to use.\n\tBryan gulps and holds his dagger out in front of him as the two Dark Mages turn to face him. He bends his knees and quickly looks to his right and left. His mind races back to his lessons with his father and his training with Holt and the weapon masters at the Palace. He chokes back the bile rising in the back of his throat.\n\t“Well, well, well. What have we here?” The mage to Bryan's left speaks in a deep, sonorous voice. He's a big man, looking muscled and fit like a warrior. His dark, ebony skin is scarred and marked with healed knife wounds and burns. Fresh wounds ooze blood from his arms. “A human child? Friend of the demons, are you, boy? I will enjoy breaking you and having you as my slave.” \n\tHe slashes his right pectoral muscle, gathering the fresh blood into his hand. He speaks a guttural, harsh incantation. The words and sound of his voice hurt Bryan's ears. A beam of black light shoots forward from the Dark Mage's hand towards Bryan. As it approaches him, the beam expands and transforms into net of darkness. Interspersed throughout the netting are small mouths, their lips pulled back to reveal sharp fangs. The mouths open and close, smacking their lips together as they get closer and closer to Bryan.\n\tThe boy leaps to his right, trying to avoid the cursed netting. His eyes go wide and he starts to scream as the net reaches him and begins to tighten around him. And then disappears. . .In a flash of purple flame, the netting and mouths burn, each mouth screaming a high pitched scream of pain and hopelessness.\n\tThe large Dark Mage scowls and looks at his smaller compatriot. The smaller man chuckles as the larger man curses. “What the fuck was that? You use magic, you little piece of shit?! I'll make you pay for that!”\n\tJust as Lev turns his face to see Bryan using his new abilities, the leader of the group launches himself toward Maria. The redheaded demon forms a blade of fire and blocks his dagger, pushing him back with all of her strength before falling on her back. Again, the mage jumps towards her and strikes, but is blocked again. The floorboards begin to crack as she holds back. Lev raises his right hand and lets a bolt of fire spit at him, but the dark mage consumes it in his other free hand, transforming it into an aura of black magic.\n\t“Now you die.” She spits at him. Before he has the chance to react, her blade of fire bursts to life and burns his chest. The gray orb spreads to the ceiling and engulfs it, causing the demons and human to choke on it. \n\tLev uses one of his unique powers to clear the poisonous gas and cool the room down. Small flames form at random spots as he stands and prepares himself, while Maria is still fatigued from the poison.\n\t“Two more attacks.” The man says. Lev and the High Priestess prepare themselves. “I've barely even used any of my power. That will change.” As he takes a single step, his body forms a misty gray fog around him. Four other versions of him emerge and charge at the two of them. Standing close to each others backs, the two demons fight as fast and accurately as they possible can. Lev's hands and fire's emit flames with each punch and kick, destroying each one that he hits, while Maria slashes away at the other ones. Just as Lev kills the fifth one and turns around, he see's the dark mage grab the sword of fire, which turns to the gray aura from before once again. In the mere second that she remains defenseless, his dagger travels into her stomach and right up to her neck. One more attack. He leaps backwards and on top of the counter, watching as the high priestess bleeds and spills her organs and intestines onto the floor.\n\tLev's body rattles as he looks at her in shock. Every memory of the two of them flashes before his eyes. “Maria... Maria...” Tears pour down his cheeks as he falls to his knees. Being the black wolf that he is, he knows that he cannot focus on this destructive sadness that now rips at his heart. Instead, he must be the primal anthro that he is, which means to act on hatred and rage. Black fur begins to grow upon Lev's skin and his entire body begins to transform. His mouth and nose transform into a snout. The half demon and half wolf-boy completes his transformation - something that has only occurred few other times in his lifetime.\n\tIntrigued, the dark mage cracks a laugh and whistles. “Maybe her death will be what it takes to make you take this seriously. Get on your fucking feet, anthro demon scum!” He imitates Maria's ability and forms a long sword out of the grey aura, which then turns to steel. As he swings it towards the ground, a dark beam cuts into the floorboard, showing the power it contains without even having to touch its target.\n\n\tKirth and Chandler race through the streets. The older man keeps the younger boy close, holding his hand when they pause. As they approach the Demon Temple, the duck into an empty alley way. Kirth looks at the boy, brushing the hair from the boy's face. “I wish we'd talked more about magic, about what you can do. Stay close to me and watch for an opening with our adversaries.”\n\tAs Chandler nods, Kirth takes a small scalpel and cuts himself along his forehead. He winces as the blade cuts deep, scraping along his skull. Blood flows freely. The man chants softly as the blood flows into his eyes. Somehow, as Chandler watches fascinated and disgusted, Kirth's eyes absorb the flowing blood, his irises becoming a deep crimson color. He looks towards the temple. “There are several outside...Four. They're killing anyone who approaches. Use your powers to defend. Leave the attacks to me.”\n\tChandler, his mouth dry, tries to answer. His voice cracks. He simply nods his understanding. Kirth reaches into his jacket, pulling out a small pewter flask and handing it to the boy. As Chandler sips the sweet wine, his lover smiles. “I've felt what you feel. Fear dries the mouth. If you can't speak, your options are limited. Keep that. Drink if you must. It's not just blood and pain that fuel our magic. It's our voice, too.” He kisses Chandler's forehead. “You defend. I attack. We start with the tall redhead on the steps.”\n\tChandler nods. “I got it. I love you, Kirth.”\n\tKirth smiles, his cheeks flushing with color. “And I you, Chandler.” With a nod, he stands and leads them both into the street in front of the temple.\n\tThe redheaded dark mage immediately notices the two of them approaching the field of energy he's created. If they were simply human they would be immediately weakened, which gives off a strange feeling to him. “Fools. What a waste of great strength.” He digs his own nails into his palm and causes it to bleed. Enormous ants form from out of the blood and rush towards them.\n\tChandler chants quietly as he taps his staff against the ground. With one heavy tap, the large ants turn to skeleton. Their flesh is sucked up into the aura of the staff, then emitted right back out to form a shielding aura around Kirth. Despite it seeming like dark magic, it's actually an ability he learned from a regular mage when he was living in Aigua shortly. \n\t“What the?” The dark mage stands confused and flicks his blood again, forming even more ants. Other dark mages approach, fascinated by the occurring battle.\n\tKirth smiles to himself at Chandler's counterspell. “Bloody well done.” He murmurs under his breath. the next moment, he fixes his gaze on the red head. Kirth bites hard on the flesh inside of his cheek. The metallic taste of his own blood thrills him. He stares hard at the red as his mouth fills with blood, his eyes glowing red amid the dust and smoke of the battle.\n\tOne of the other Dark Mages prepares to cut herself, but her compatriots stop her. “Let Caldwell battle them on his own. He's always talking about how none of us are a match for him. Let him prove it now. Or choke on those words.” The three of them turn their attention to a brave and foolish squad of city guardsman who rush from another side street. They unleash their magics against the unfortunate men, leaving their bodies smoking and and dissolving in the street as the Dark Mages cackle and laugh.\n\tCaldwell, the red head, adjusts his casting, using more of his blood to make the next wave of ants larger and tougher. He sends them forth, confident that they will overwhelm the pair before him. Especially since the older of the pair seems to be frozen in fear. “Letting the boy do your fighting? Fear got your tongue? My ants will take care of that! I will use both your tongues to wipe my ass after our victory feast! We will feast upon the fat, weak Harathi mages who stand against us!”\n\tKirth smiles, drawing a deep breath in through his nose. The acrid smell of burnt flesh reminds him of battles in his past. He pushes the memories away. Kirth spits his mouth full of blood at the Caldwell.\n\tThe Dark Mage stands stunned for a precious few seconds. Long enough for the spat blood to arc over the dozens of yards between them. As his blood flies, Kirth chants his incantation. His blood reaches Caldwell, forcing its way into his enemy's nose, mouth, ears, and eyes. Caldwell goes pale, he stammers trying to enact a counter spell. He is too slow.\n\tKirth extends a hand towards Caldwell as the red head stutters and stammers. He clenches his fist and pulls it back towards his chest. Caldwell's body stiffens, going rigid. The Dark Mage's eyes go wide and his mouth opens in a silent scream. His arms and legs lock, he body arching towards Kirth. For a moment, his body hangs impossible balanced atop the stairs to the temple entrance.\n\tSuddenly, torrents of blood and viscera erupt from Caldwell's orifices. His eyeballs burst, spraying ocular fluid over his screaming face. He eardrums explode. From these and his nose and mouth, his innards and blood are sucked forth and stream through the air towards Kirth. Caldwell's stomach and chest explode, his organs joining the macabre parade.\n\tThe entire flood of Caldwell's interior physiology stops a meter in front of Kirth, hovering in the air. The last organ to leave the desiccated husk of the red head is his brain. It joins the rest of his innards and the mass begins to reform. The shapeless mass of flesh and blood and organs begins to take shape. Four legs form, clawed and sinewy. A body and head form, wet and moist, crimson. Some sort of flattened, mutant hound stands in front of Kirth. An animal that's had it's skin peeled away, that's what it looks like to Chandler. Kirth whistles and points to the other three Dark Mages and the blood beast howls and lopes towards them. \n\t“A blood golem? How?” The woman asks in disbelief. “How can he summon a blood beast so easily and quickly?” Her voice wavers.\n\t“They’re dark mages like us, but fighting on the wrong side. They must be Strararian!” The other man answers her question. “Prepare yourself. We must cast our own incantations! The three of them step back and use their own blood to create beasts of their own attributed to their personality - a gigantic and ghostly elephant creature, a spider with a sac of eggs attached to its end and a worm so side that it would get stuck in the entrance of the door.\n\tChandler knows he has to resist using dark magic as much as he can, which is more than a challenge when staring off against three incredible beasts. The remaining energy he acquired from the other ants is then transferred to the monster that Kirth created. He measures the battlefield carefully even as an elephant is stomping towards him. To his left, the worm is also charging, while the spider seems focused on Kirth. The boy decides what magic he can use, which puts him at an incredible disadvantage. He slowly stirs his staff around as if he were mixing ingredients in a soup. A frigid black aura emanates from the jewel on his staff. “Come and get me you ugly fucks!”\n\tKirth's hound lopes across the ground towards the three Dark Mages at the temple entrance. The shadow spider moves to intercept the hound, raising its head and thorax. The spider hisses and a second mouth appears in the center of its thorax. That mouth purses its black, glistening lips and shoots out strands of thick, black webbing. The blood hound charges, opening its mouth wide. And wider. And wider until its mouth somehow is larger than the original hound. The shadow spinner's web go into that mouth and the hound does not break stride. The spider lashes out, to no avail. The entire shadow spider is swallowed whole by the hound.\n\tThe Dark Mage who summoned the spider screams, his knife clattering to the ground as the blood hound leaps at him. The huge mouth shrinks around the man. HIs head and torso are swallowed as his legs thrash and kick as he's lifted and swallowed, nearly whole. There is a sickening squishing sound as flesh crushed, accompanied by gruesome cracks and snaps as the mage's bones are crushed and snapped. The legs cease their motion and fall to the ground, separated from the rest of the mage. The hound howls and turns towards one of the others, the woman who summoned the soul worm.\n\tDespite the fact that he remains still and calm, the elephant rushes at an incredible speed; the ground itself crumbles with every step it takes. On the other side, the worm has its mouth open and prepared to swallow him hole. The boy takes three steps forward, stops, then parries to avoid one foot as he attacks the elephant. All of the feet turn to ice and crush to pieces, destroying the beast while also crushing half of the worm. But it's not enough. Somehow, the worm squirms from underneath the five thousand pound monster that's disintegrating to smoke. Chandler cowers to the ground before his entire body is trapped in a vessel of sharp ice, which is so cold and prickly that it pierces through the worms body instead of being swallowed by it. Its blood sprays all against his shield of ice before he allows it to melt. The boy stands, soaked from head to toe. That was closer than I thought.\n\tHe looks at the other two dark mages and examines how they've fought and the sort of beasts they've made. “These dark mages are contract killers, not Cruiberg's. They must have hired them in order to keep their own leading dark mages safe in the battlefields.” He speaks to Kirth.\n\tKirth glances at Chandler and arches an eyebrow. “Mercenaries?” He frowns, his eyebrows knitting together. “Bad enough to revel in pain and blood in pursuit of the Dark Secrets. But to do it for profit? For the highest bidder?” He begins walking towards the two remaining mages. His eyes are fixed upon them as he draws his knife along the insides of each arm, chanting slowly as he moves forward.\n\tThe two Dark Mages, shaken that their beasts are no more, hurriedly begin erecting defense enchantments to protect themselves from the blood hound. The taller man summons forth a half dozen replicants of himself. Each of these mimics his motions and castings. The hound sweeps its claws at one, dispelling it in a puff of shadow and a splatter of blood. \n\tThe female casts more carefully, building a shield of shadow and blood the soon surrounds her. She smirks at Kirth and Chandler. “Your hound and spells will never penetrate my bloodshield! Now, I can study the best way to destroy the pair of you. . .”\n\tKirth smirks back. Using his powers, he gathers the blood streaming from his arms, forming a flat disc of blood in front of him. HIs eyes continue to glow red and he expands the disc, making it larger and larger until he and Chandler are complete hidden behind it. Slowly, the disc moves forward. As it moves, the female attempts to disrupt the magic holding it together. Her spell seems to have no effect.\n\tThe blood hound strikes twice more, removing two more shadow replicants. The male looks at the female. “Let me in there with you! I need time to work a counter, dammit.” The circle of blood surrounding her expands, encompassing the male mage as well. He kneels to the ground, quickly casting a spell using no blood. He stares at the ground, brushing his hand over the dirt as if he were turning the pages of a book. The female urges him to hurry.\n\tThe blood hound destroys the last two shadow images and strikes at the mages. It's claws strike the barrier, scraping along the barrier. It howls, striking again. It's claws cannot penetrate her shield and the beast circles the pair, sniffing at the blood barrier and striking it in search of weak point. Within, she concentrates on maintaining the circle as he compatriot continues his enchantment, slowly swiping his hand again and again. \n\tAs Kirth and his disc of blood reach the circle, the disc has expanded to the height of two men. The disc bumps against the circle, stopping its forward motion. Kirth pushes his hands forward, but the barrier neither moves nor gives at all. Kirth changes his chanting, lower the pitch and changing the words.\n\tSlowly, the disc begins to bend and curve. It matches the curve of her blood barrier, slowly expanding to encompass the entire sphere surrounding the man and woman. She calls from within. “You'll never pierce it! Never! We don't need to see you to defeat you!” Her voice is strained and cracks.\n\t“I need your blood.” Kirth looks to Chandler. “Not a lot, but I need some.” Sweat drips from his face as he holds his arms out. His arms shakes and veins pop out on his arms, hands, and neck. Kirth shakes with effort and concentration.\n\tChandler draws his knife and takes a deep breath. He cuts his wrist, holding the bleeding wound over Kirth's right hand. The blood dripping from Chandler's wound flows through the air in a straight line towards the disc-sphere. After a moment, the stream shifts and the blood flows towards Kirth, disappearing into his chest.\n\tKirth grunts. His whole body shakes. He clenches his teeth, straining and grunting with some unseen effort. He begins to cry out. “AaaahhhHHHH!”\n\tFrom within the sphere, the woman screams. The man begins a panicked chant. Both sounds are cut short as the sphere suddenly implodes and compacts in on itself. What was once the size of a small room, perhaps seven feet high and around, suddenly collapses to the size of a large grapefruit. \n\tKirth falls to his knees, gasping for air and trembling. The blood hound sniffs the air, bats the much reduced sphere with one paw, then squats on the ground nearby, a monstrous hound waiting another command.\n\t“Dammit, you've taken a lot of blood loss.” Chandler obviously notes to the man. He feels sad as he looks at the disgusting dog, knowing what he must do with it. He smears the blood from his own wrist over the dogs face, plunges the staff into its heart and absorbs it into his weapon. In return, he's able to use it as a catalyst to begin healing Kirth. The boy holds his hand over each wound, which emanates sparkling glitter-like creatures that heal the cuts and begin transforming into his blood. The boy hopes that his master doesn't grow angry - the act of consuming the beast that was once dark mage is a form of dark magic. “You're going to be fine...”\n\n\tBack in the temple, Lev and the demon spar and clash blades. The young wolf takes sword after sword from off of the ground which once belong to the dead that surround him. After a minute or two the weapon breaks. Frustration consumes him. He doesn't have the time to think of what attacks he can do against the mage. What matters most is keeping up with his speed, defending himself and dodging the magical bursts from the blade.\n\tBryan stares at the two Dark Mages, his mouth hanging open. He drops his guard for a moment. “I didn't do that!”\n\tThe smaller foe quickly cuts himself and chants. He reaches out towards Bryan with one hand. Darkness and blood coalesce around that hand for a moment, then shoot forward, towards Bryan. A vile hand forms from the darkness and blood, reaching and grabbing for Bryan, a thin trail of smoke or shadow leading back to the caster.\n\tThe boy tries to dodge, but the hand follows unerringly. He tries to block the hand with his dagger, but the creation moves around the blade as easily as water around a rock. Bryan screams as he feels the otherworldly cold of the blood and shadow hand as it grasps at his throat.\n\tThe gem at Bryan's neck, a gift long ago from Drew, glows with the same purple light that infused Yohav’s eyes at the end. The purple light flows over the hand and back along the shadowy tendril connecting it to the caster. The hand withdraws from Bryan, trying to grab at the purple energy. The caster's eyes go wide as he watches the energy crackle along his arm and disappear into his shoulder. The shadow hand disappears. “Wha . . .what did you cast, boy?” The smaller mage asks in a trembling voice.\n\t“I can't do magic!” Bryan shouts back. “I'm just a kid.”\n\tThe larger, darker man steps away from his smaller fellow. The small man looks at the big man. “Help. . .help me. . please?”\n\tThe small man looks at Bryan, repeating his plea for help. Before Bryan can answer, the whites of the man's eyes go purple. The man gags and coughs. He gurgles, spitting up a mixture of blood and purple liquid.\n\tSuddenly, the man's abdomen dissolves. Solid flesh become liquid, sloshing to the floor in a red and purple mess. There are chunks of flesh, but nothing identifiable as any internal organ. His clothes around the dissolved areas have liquefied as well. Bryan can see the man's spine and ribs. Below his waist, meat and flesh and bone. But the chest and abdomen are hollow and empty, blood and purple ichor dripping from his spine and ribs. The man collapses to the ground. Bryan begins to vomit.\n\tLev feels his body getting tired. The rage inside of him isn't enough. As he continues blocking and attacking, he comes to realize how much of a disrespect it would be to avenge Maria's death out of anger. Instead, he tries to remember every ability she's helped him work on and learn to control. As he fights, the sword he holds bursts with blue flames. When the master swings his blade again to try and toss him against the wall Lev instead uses his other hand to cast the fire forward, which acts as a shield for the attacks. He uses the brief time that it blinds the man to use invisibility; it's a burden to use on his body, but he hopes he can use it long enough to land at least one attack. Lev drops his sword before the fire dissipates and rushes behind him, immediately casting a blast of his hottest fire against the back of the man’s head.\n\tSomehow, the dark mage is fast enough to dodge most of the attack, parrying to his right as the fire scorches most of his face and neck. The fire blisters into his skull, burning away all of the skin on the back of his neck and head. As his vision blurs and he begins to fall, he admits whatever aura of dark energy that he can at Lev, which stabs at the boys flesh like dozens of tiny throwing knives. Lev falls back, bleeding from various parts of his stomach and chest, but still alive.\n\tBryan sees Lev fall to the ground. With a scream, he launches himself across the room, clearing the distance in leaping strides. He runs, leaping onto a table top and leaping the last few feet. His face is a mask of fear and fury, his dagger drawn back to strike at the Dark Mage leader.\n\tThe leader, grimacing from the pain of his burns see Bryan launching himself from the table top. He focuses his pain and bleeding, forming a quick shield between himself on the boy. A shadow forms between the mage and Bryan, large but irregularly shaped. The shadow writhes and squirms as thousands of glistening, black worms emerge from top edge of the shadow shield. They seem to reach out towards Bryan, eager to meet his flesh.\n\tBryan tries to twist away from the shadow shield, but his momentum carries him into the worms and shield. The mage begins to turn towards Lev but stops. Lev watches in horror as Bryan lands atop the shield. . . and passes through it without pause. Bryan's body is surrounded by a purple glimmer. The shadow shield rips as Bryan passes through it, the worms that reach for Bryan wither and go limp. Bryan's momentum carries him into the dark mage. They tumble together to the ground, Bryan stabbing again and again at the mage. The mage screams in pain, punching Bryan hard in the head. The boy falls to one side, groaning weakly as the dagger falls from his grasp.\n\tThe mage, coughs and rolls to his knees. “Worthless cur!” He punches Bryan in the stomach and wraps his hands around the boy's throat. As he squeezes, Bryan's face begins to turn red. He tries to force the man's hands from his throat. His pendant glows weakly, a feeble purple glow surrounds the pendant and Bryan's hands and he forces the man's hands from his throat.\n\tAs Bryan gasps for air, the man brings a knee into the boy's groin. Weakly, Bryan calls out. “Lev. . .Lev help me...” The mage locks his hands around Bryan's throat, squeezing again. The pendant flickers purple for a moment, then goes back to its natural green.\n\tKnowing that this last attack might use up all of his strength, the boy holds out his hand and aims it towards the dark mage. He uses the power that Lev has and squeezes his fist, which causes the man's head to explode. Skull and brain matter spatters in every direction in a disgusting mess over Bryan. Lev falls the ground. His heart beats slowly and his injuries are not too major, but there's no chance that he will be able to fight now.\n\tBryan looks to the door, exhausted and sobbing, barely able to catch his breath as thoughts of the other dark mages entering causes his fear to worsen. Two enter, but not the kind that he imagined.\n\tChandler and Kirth stop at the door. The wreckage of the dead has left every bit of the room painted with blood and guts. It's the first time the young anthro mage has ever seen a site like it. His parents told him that they fled from violence just as gruesome as what he's staring at, but he can't help but to imagine what the demons have and will go through after today. “Young one. Are these the last of them?”\n\tWeakly, Bryan shakes his head. He points towards the stairway, towards the large, dark skinned Dark Mage. Kirth and Chandler follow Bryan's finger.\n\tThe last Dark Mage, a hulking man, ripped with muscles and scars, dark skin glistening with sweat and blood has moved near the bar. As Kirth and Chandler prepare to fight, and Bryan watches helplessly, the man finishes a spell.\n\tHis eyes blur and become unfocused. He immediately begins another spell. As Kirth slowly moves closer, with Chandler close behind him, the last visible foe plunges his staff into the remains of Maria. Her blood is used to fuel his spell. From the cracks in the floor, dark flames begin to burn. Within the flames, scores of red malevolent eyes watch Kirth and Chandler. Wisps of smoke form blades and begin stabbing at the pair. These are easily blocked with the staves, but the flames closer to their enemy grow taller and hotter. From those flames, a shadow warrior steps forward. A tall human form, devoid of detail, no mouth, no eyes, no ears, it is as black as night, wielding a huge sword made of the same shadow and darkness. It strides towards Kirth, the flames it passes being absorbed into the creature.\n\tChandler stomps his staff to the ground, casting a shield of ice that stops the fire momentarily. As the boy continues keeping the wall built, he waits for Kirth to cast a spell. “Behind me!” He yells at Bryan. \n\tBryan drags Lev further towards the door and away from the battle. He remains confused as to why two dark mages are fighting others. “Aren't they on the same side? Should he attack them? No... They must be different.” He's never heard of dark mages using ice powers before.\n\tAbove them, the strongest demons in the temple face off against the other mages. The destructive battle leads to the two upper floors being completely ruined - every room and surface is coated with blood. Statues and religious memorabilia have been desecrated and destroyed. Only three of thirty of the demons survive, just barely. They tread downstairs, seeing the other dark mage using ice to fight.\n\t“This won't take more than a few seconds.” The strongest of them announces to his two other friends. He holds out his hands, snaps two fingers and pulls his arm back. The ice that the dark mage casts jolts back, tearing a hole into his hand and blowing his entire head off. \n\tChandler stops, letting the shield of ice melt. He sighs, thankful that someone came to their rescue. The anthro boy didn't want to see his lover use any more dark magic than he already did.\n\tThe three demons look around the remains of the coffee shop. The destruction is immense, to the building as well as to the demons who were caught by the attack. The three are stunned for a moment. Then their eyes alight on Kirth and Chandler. The three stride forward.\n\tThe tallest of the three, nearly seven feet tall and bleeding from wounds to his arms and chest, glares at the pair. “More mages! You will regret your role in this attack, I assure you both.” Flames begin to gather around his right fist.\n\tChandler hurries to raise his shield, moving to protect Kirth with his own body. The older Dark Mage steps in front of Chandler, readying a counter spell. He calls out to the fire wielder. “We are not with the attackers! We come to assist the demons and defend the temple!”\n\tThe large demon and his friends spread out, the others beginning to summon their flames. The glare hard at Kirth and Chandler.\n\t“STOP!!!” The air is cut with Bryan's shout. He cradles Lev's head in his lap, his pendant glowing a faint, dull green. His face is streaked with dirt and blood. Lev remains spent and nearly unconscious. “You know me, Antoniad!” He points at Kirth and Chandler. “They helped us. They saved me and Lev.”\n\t“It's true. We finished off three of them outside before entering. Our only regret is not arriving sooner.” Chandler speaks up. His heart beats even faster than it did while battling out of fear of being killed by those he's chosen to help. For a moment he wonders if he's a fool. \n\t“Explain yourselves.” Antoniad roars at them. Fivith, retrieve four healers immediately. “We need to begin assorting those that have passed.” The man steps closer to the two of them. They can feel the heat of his body from afar, showing them that he's not one to anger.\n\t“It's true that we're dark mages.” Chandler continues, looking up at Kirth. “We're immigrants from Strararis, a distant ice continent. Unlike most of our kind, we rarely use magic unless it is to protect ourselves or others. Instead, we rely on the faith and religious aspects to our race and culture. For this, we were almost exterminated from our home, driven to continents across the planet and hunted by other sects of dark mages. Please...” The boy kneels down on one foot. “We mean no harm to your people! Let us help serve. Both of us can also heal. We can provide information on how to protect your temple from further attacks.”\n\t“Why would the shadow warrior have been heading to attack us if we were with them?” Kirth asks simply. He glances at Chandler. “And there were four on the steps. The one they called Caldwell, and the ones that summoned the elephant, the spider, and the worm. Remember?”\n\t“I don't know what they did outside, but they really did help us in here. Lev tried to save Maria.” Bryan begins to weep. “But he couldn't. He exhausted himself and they would have killed us both if it weren't for them.” He gestures at Kirth and Chandler. \n\tThe large demon kneels down beside Lev. His large hands feel the demon-wolf's face and forehead. He frowns. “He's burning up, even for a demon.” He turns to the third demon. “Kiron, check the steps.” He looks at the Dark Mages of Strararis. “Don't let anyone in who doesn't live here. No one.” The demon nods, and cautiously moves outside. “If you two can heal, don't just stand there. See what you can do for Lev.” He picks Lev up and carries him to a table, gently laying him down.\n\tFrom the lower levels, the same nurse who was with Lev and Bryan with Drew's father emerges from the dark stairway. She gasps at the scene before her. After a moment, with tears staining her cheeks, she begins moving from body to body, checking those that might be alive for signs of life.\n\tChandler immediately gets to work. He strips the boy's kimono off, examines the cuts on his body bleeding out of his fur and begins to chant as his hands run over them. “None of the others on this floor are alive. I'm sorry... He speaks to the healer.”\n\tShe nods her head in agreement to Antoniad. “The strange boy is right. I...” Tears begin streaming down her face as she gets to work, assorting body parts to one person like a dozen pieces to a dozen different jigsaws have been tossed around. “I'll have someone send for coffins to be brought.”\n\tThe other healers emerge, baffled as expected, but immediately follow her orders. Meanwhile, Kirth begins exorcising the negative and destructive energy that the mages harnessed in the temple. Such power from so many dark mages can rot and decay infrastructure in a matter of weeks if untreated. He explains what he's doing to the other three and even uses his magic to allow them to see. As soon as all of it is consumed, he bestows an ability onto the leader of the three, which would allow him to see if such magic is close to him. Afterwards, he uses the magic he consumed to create an invisible field to counteract against any dark mage that might use their power in it. Kirth warns that it's only temporarily and would only last for a month.\n\tEventually, Lev awakens upon the table and first see's Bryan. He looks down at himself, confused that he's transformed into his black wolf form and that a boy his age was helping heal him. “What the...” He looks to his right. The room is still a mess even as bodies are transferred outside to coffins and blood is being cleaned out of the floorboards. “Did we... Finish it? Are they all dead?”\n\tBryan nods, holding Lev's hand tightly. “Yes. All the invaders are dead.” He leans close and lowers his voice. “There were two Dark Mages who weren't with the others. They fought against them! They're the two who saved us after you passed out. This is one of them, the boy who healed you.” He looks up at Chandler. “We. . we don't even know your name.”\n\tOne of the demons standing watch outside the Temple enters. He crosses over to Antoniad. “You were wondering why the guard or troops haven't come? The Dark Mages attacked the Palace. The King and his family are dead!”\n\tThe room falls silent. Everyone inside is stunned. Bryan feels terror rising in his stomach. “The Palace?” He looks at Lev. “Mikey and Jay were at archery today.”\n\n\tAs the boys worry about those closest to them at the temple, both Jay and Milliken are hidden in a cramped room as six Cruiberg soldiers enter the main archery room. The candle lights have all been blown out, but bits of sunlight still glimmer to reveal their footsteps.\n\tThe green haired boy gulps and takes one arrow. He prepares himself to launch it if they come in a close enough distance where he knows he will hit the target.\n\tMilliken cowers behind Jay. He knows that he couldn't hit one of them, even if the stood still. A couple of the other boys stand beside Jay, readying their own boys. Jay whispers to them. “Don't let fly until I do. Maybe they won't notice us.” He looks behind him. Mikey is clutching a small dagger and some of the other boys have practice swords or daggers. Jay shakes his head. “Ten boys against six armed warriors? Gods protect us!”\n\tThe six Cruiberg laugh loudly at something as they examine the archery targets. One of them starts pushing the targets over while two of them head for the storage rooms. They're speaking to each other, grumbling that they've been unable to find anyone to fight.\n\tOne of the boys is so scared that he pisses himself. Jay closes his eyes momentarily, opens them and bites his bottom lip as he see's one of them approaching their room. The arrow silently penetrates between the mans eyes, killing him instantly. As soon as the body hits the floor he sprints out and ducks, hoping others will join. Milliken and five others follow him, while the others remain in hiding.\n\t“Ah, there we go! A bunch of hopeless kids!” One of them chuckles.\n\t“But that's no fun. They'll be easy to ki—\" An arrow rips into his throat. Jay curses, realizing he missed the spot between the eyes again. Just before he can prepare the next one a dagger is thrown towards him and pierces one of the boys in the heart. Like the inexperienced children are, they sprint around and try to escape. Jay runs forward again, rolling when another dagger is thrown towards him and then he launches again at another target. He hits a warrior in his arm, curses again, but then Milliken fires and lands a headshot.\n\tThree of the enemy are dead, but so is one of their friends. The room is filled with the cries of the youngest of the boys as they try to escape. But the Cruiberg are between them and the door. One of the boys tries to dash by, managing to evade the sword stroke of one warrior only to run full force into the axe of a second warrior. Jay and Milliken hear the boy whimper for his mother as his chest is caved in. When he hits the floor, he's as good as dead, his blood spreading rapidly from the gaping hole. The warrior raises a booted foot and slams it down on the boy's head, crushing it and splattering blood and brain matter over the floor. The man laughs.\n\tJay loosens another arrow but the warrior he's targeting manages to knock it aside with his sword as he closes in on the boys who are fighting. One of the others by the door way leaves off and charges the young archers. The panicked boys rush en masse for the door, some of them making it past the Cruiberg. Two others do not, slashed with his axe they lie crying on the ground until he stomps their faces to pulp.\n\tJay drops his bow and grabs his dagger, rushing towards the axeman with no hint of fear in him. His boyfriend panics for a moment, but quickly notices one soldiers sprinting towards him. Each arrow he fires is knocked away, meaning he must resort to knife to sword combat with a skilled warrior.\n\t“Run back!” Jay screams. “To the back room again!” Milliken does as told as rushes back to the room where the cowards hide. He closes the door right in time, locks it and then finds a sword on the wall. As the door is being hacked apart, he prepares himself and focuses on his breath, wiping the tears away from his face. A perfect hole has been torn through the door, allowing the youngest Jaeger to sink the blade into it and through the enemies stomach. “Idiot fell for the easiest trick in the book.”\n\tAll of Jay's training has seemed to pay off. Despite the fact that he's gained lots of weight and moves a bit slower, his form is spot on and he's able to measure his enemies attacks correctly. It helps having been trained by his eldest brothers and soldiers of the King. Parrying here and there, he eventually tires his confident enemy and drives the dagger into his back. Jay twists and kicks the man to the floor before stomping his own foot as hard as he can on the axeman's neck. After killing him, he takes the axe off of the floor and looks at the man at the door. Slowly, he walks towards him. “My boyfriend takes me for the gentle and harmless kind. You know, I've been hurt by a lot of people in my life and I've been waiting for a day like this to take it out on someone.”\n\tThe Cruiberg wavers for a moment. His eyes glance at Jay, then around the room, then towards the door. He begins backing away from Jay, but stops. The sound of booted feet echo from the outside hallway. The warrior looks at Jay. “Sounds like reinforcements. Just in time for you, too. I will kill you quickly, fat boy. Like one of our sausages. A pity I can't feast on your remains, little sausage!” The warrior raises his axe and charges at Jay. Behind him, three Harathi guardsmen enter the room, staring aghast at the murdered boys near the doorway.\n\tThey rush after the Cruiberg, but he reaches Jay before they can stop him. He chops down at the green haired chub, screaming at the top of his lungs. “Aaiieeeee!!!”\n\tJay almost laughs as he easily steps out of the way of the attack, landing a clean bow right against the back of the man's neck. He pulls the weapon out and back in again. And again. And again. Chopping his head off, then his arms before chopping at his face. One of the Harathi has to push him off and hold him down as he begins to cry. “He killed my friends! Let me go! He's not dead yet!”\n\tMilliken slowly approaches him and looks around at the bloodshed. His legs wobble as he tries to stay strong.\n\tThe guardsman restrains Jay, answering somberly. “He'd dead, boy. Your friends behind you need you now.”\n\tJay looks behind and see Milliken and the others. They stare at him and at the bodies of their friends beyond. Milliken's chin quivers and his lower lips carries in and out as he breathes heavily. Jay drops his weapon and rushes to Mikey, who greets him with open arms. Mikey cries into Jay's chest as Jay embraces him. One of the younger boys, walks slowly towards the carnage, his steps halting and hesitating. Jay reaches out and grabs the boy by his collar, pulling him into a hug. Milliken wraps an arm around the boy.\n\t“That. . .looks like. . .Carstin's shirt...” The boy sniffles and weakly tries to pull away, but Milliken and Jay hold on to him. “I have. . .to see if that's Carstin. . .Mother will. . .ask. . .” The boy begins to tremble and cry.\n\t“Don't, Joey. Just stay here with us, alright.” Jay gulps down a sob. Carstin's dead. He looks at the bodies of his three friends by the door. Carstin, Timmon, and Sarman. He can only tell which is which by their clothes. Their faces are too badly mangled to recognize. Jay holds his boyfriend and their friend, Joey, tightly.\n\n\tFour hours pass before the boys are able to travel out of the Castle. The immediate after effects of the attack lead to marshal law for the rest of the night to assure the safety of the Kingdom. With the King, Queen, one of the Prince's dead and the other at war, the High Justiciar immediately became the temporary ruler of Harath with the assistance of the highest level Marshal that remains on the kingdom's grounds. Letters were sent by ravens to all generals and commanders at battle, but wouldn't reach them for another six to eight hours.\n\tAs soon as Prince Ronan received the letter of his parents death he considered his weighing options - stay in battle or return to the Kingdom to become King. Despite the sadness that consumed him, the young leader knew that it would weaken his men and the rest of the Harathi army if he turned his backs on them and headed for the Kingdom. If he left, his men would also go into the hands of Jason Steele, who he's worked so hard to build a bridge of trust. For now, he must trust the Justiciar.\n\tJay and Milliken are forced to bathe and give their statements on what happened. Afterwards, they're taken to the demon temple by horse. Brothers and lovers hold each other close as they let loose their tears and emotions. The blood has been washed and the darkness has been cleansed, but the trauma and loss of this day will echo on for all of history.\n\tIn the morning, Antoniad is selected as the new High Lord of the temple during a mournful ritual. Kirth and Chandler keep their promise and alliance to the demons while also able to keep their identities to hidden.\n\n\tNine hundred and eighty nine miles away from Harath, Aldan and his group of raiders camp outside of a demon village that has gone unscathed from any attacks. Beautiful rivers and lakes, forests and swamps, riverfalls and monuments of ancient art surround their every step. Tomorrow they'll leave to join with both Prince Ronan and Commander Jason Steele's forces, allowing today as their final day of rest and escape from the continual chaos of war.\n\tYthl and Tomas sit on bar stools outside of a brothel as they're fed salads with exotic fruits and the most delicious banana-tasting beers on the planet. Most of the demons in the village are seen building hidden traps or carving weapons. Somehow, they've managed to fight off more than six attacks in the past three months. It is by far the safest and strongest village on the far end of the Raythorn communities.\n\tYthl scoots his stool closer to his paramour. He leans his head against Tomas' shoulder between bites, soaking in the peacefulness of the village even as the demons prepare for more war. “I love it here. It almost feels like home, doesn't it?”\n\t“Yeah... It's quite strange though. It feels like as if we're at home and on the verge of being attacked.” He grunts. “How could someone possibly find it in their right mind to destroy a place as beautiful as this? They must be consumed with hatred and ugliness.” Tomas finishes his beer. He stretches in his seat and smiles. “It feels nice to not have to wear that heavy armor for once.”\n\t“I know!” Ythl reaches over and pinches Tomas' nipple. “I almost forgot what your nipples look like! You were in your armor so much of the time.” He grins and sighs. “The Cruiberg are strange. They're taught their whole lives to hate demons. They can't see anything but that hate. Well, most of them.”\n\t“And to hate anthros. We're second on their shitlist.” He holds a finger up before standing. “Well? Evie and Aizen were hoping we could help find some herbs and such on this list they made.” He pulls out a list from his pocket. “Shall we?”\n\t“We shall.”” Ythl drains the last of his wine and grabs a dinner roll. He stands and stretches, nibbling on the roll. “What's first on the list? Wild parsley? Mandrake root? Hensbane wetted with wizard cum?”\n\tTomas slaps his boyfriends butt at the last remark. “Did someone say wizard's cum? We might have to go further into the forest where nobody can see us in order to retrieve that...” He blushes as his erection stiffens. The young soldier grips his boyfriends hand as they travel between the homes and towards the trees.\n\tAs Tomas and Ythl move into the surrounding woodlands to search for herbs, and perhaps more, elsewhere in the village members of the Jaeger Raiders are enjoying their last evening of rest and peace before rejoining the main army. Men and women lounge, enjoying the hospitality of the demons. They play cards, or games of kings. Some read while others relax under the boughs of giant oaks and sleep.\n\tThe Aiguan couple approach a tent in which they hear high pitched giggles from out of a familiar voice. They look at each other with blushing faces that try to hold back their laughter. Inside of it, the healer Evie lays beside two male demons that she met from the village the day before. Neither have really woken up from the fun she had with them.\n\tAs they walk away from it, Tomas nudges his boyfriends shoulder. “Good to know that she's getting off too. I must admit that she's one attractive lady.”\n\tYthl gently punches Tomas' arm. “Traitor! Whore!” He mockingly chides his boyfriend. “I hadn't noticed. Everyone we meet is simply an amorphous blob compared to my ruggedly handsome lover.” The young wizard puts on his best pouting face, the corners of his mouth drawn down and his lower lip stuck far out. He even manages a sniffle and long sigh.\n\t“Who? Me?” He points at himself, pretending to be surprised. “Wait! You're saying I'm dating the most handsome wizard in the whole world?” Tomas stands on his toes and pecks his boyfriends lips.\n\tThey travel further into the forest to gather herbs in small leather pouches. After gathering everything they need, the swordsman stops his boyfriend against a tree and holds his arms against the bark. His kneecap rubs into Ythl's crotch. “You've been popping a hard rod for quite some time. What have you been thinking about?” He replaces his knee with one hand, groping him and pinching the head.\n\t“Oh, I'm not sure I should tell you.” Ythl moans. He pecks tiny kisses on Tomas' cheeks and neck. He kneads his hands on the warrior's chest, squeezing his pectorals. “I should show you. . .”\n\tYthl sinks to his knees. He tugs on Tomas' belt, unfastening it and his pants. As the pants and unders slide down to Tomas' knees, Ythl kisses at his lover's hip bone and along his pubis. He bites at the pubes, pulling them gently with his teeth, before pursing his lips and blowing gently on the tip of Tomas' cock.\n\tThe young wizard looks up at Tomas, his golden eyes bright and excited. He sticks his tongue out pressing the very tip of his tongue against Tomas' pee slit. Slowly, he moves his tongue around the head as he slurps the five inch dick into his mouth.\n\t“Unnhhh... Hun...” Tomas moans and sings to his lover as he watches down at him. His hands feel through the warmth of his lovers soft and long brown hair. The blonde spits down on two fingers and begins rubbing them between his cheeks. And to think that we had just fucked last night. “This might be our last time for a few days, maybe even a week.” His cock thrusts further into Ythl's mouth as he presses one finger into himself.\n\tYthl pauses for a moment, resting his cheek against the hard, wet cock. “A week? Gods, I hope not! We'll both be so bitchy.” He looks around at Tomas fingering himself. “You want me to mount you, Sir Tomas?” Before Tomas answers, Ythl opens his mouth and sucks the standing boy's balls into his warm mouth. His tongue massages each nut in turn, He wraps one hand around the sweet cock and slowly strokes his lover.\n\t“Think you'll be up to it? Have enough stamina by chance?” He teases, then his head falls back to the tree as he moans louder. Neither of them are worried about being caught, as everyone in the camp has caught someone doing something at some point now. Tomas adds a second finger and licks his lips when his boyfriend looks back up at him. His sweet pre-cum coats his boyfriends tongue.\n\tWith a long wet slurp, Ythl releases the balls, now soaked and warm, and draws his tongue along the underside of Tomas' rod. He kisses the tip and then leans far back. He pushes his pants down to show his erection. His cock, larger than his lovers, seems huge against Ythl's slight frame. It strains and bounces as Ythl shows it off. “I think I can manage it.” He giggles. “I'll make you cry out my name, Tomas. Just let me know when you're ready to be ridden, horsey-boy.” Ythl dives his faces forward, kissing and sucking on Tomas' cock and balls.\n\t“We've been together for how long? And it still freaks me out by how thick and huge it is.” He chuckles. Tomas takes the back of his lovers head and begins pumping him into his pubis. The sound his lovers mouth makes as it pumps and sucks brings him to the edge. Without warning, he shoots five times, the slit of his dick spraying over Ythl's tongue and down his throat. “Holy crap...” His legs wobble as he tries to hold himself up. He drools down on Ythl's dick as he see's his boyfriend begin to masturbate.\n\tYthl smiles up at Tomas. He leans back, stroking himself slowly as the standing boy drops a wad of spit onto the wizard's crotch. Ythl moans and rubs the saliva over his cock-head, along the shaft, and into his balls. Tugging off his cloak and tunic, the boy grunts as he loudly masturbates. Once he's naked from the waist up, Ythl falls back onto the soft turf. Raising his hips, he slides off his pants and unders. Sitting up, with his legs spread wide, he grins up at Tomas and slowly lets a line of Tomas' spunk drool from his mouth onto his cock head. He uses Tomas' jizz to stroke himself, smiling at his lover the whole time. He lets another line of Tomas' cum leak from his mouth until it almost touches his chin and then he sucks it back into his mouth. He does this again, letting the cum drip further and further, sucking it back with a loud slurp as he pumps his cock with his fist. Looking up at Tomas, he opens his mouth, proudly displaying a mouthful of Tomas's seed that he moves around with his tongue.\n\t“You'll give me some cum too, right?” He raises a brow and smiles. Tomas kicks off his unders and leaves his clothes in a pile with Ythl's. The boy moves down and uses one hand to help angle the head to his ass. It slides in without much work. In response, the blonde's five inch boner leaks even more cum and is fully erect again. The warrior begins pinching and twisting his nipples as his asshole squeezes on the wizards cock. He uses his well experienced skills to ride him with only the support of his leg muscles.\n\tYthl stares up at his lover. He moans and bucks his hips upwards, driving his cock deeper into Tomas. He holds his left hand on Tomas' hip as his right hand slides up over the warrior's tight stomach to his smooth, tight chest. His hand slides down to grasp Tomas' cock, slowly stroking his erection and running his thumb over the head. He opens his mouth, still holding some of Tomas' seed and wiggles his tongue at his boyfriend and pursing his lips at him.\n\t“You might catch some more soon!” He warns. Tomas begins using his boyfriends left knee for support by holding it from behind as he angles himself correctly to move faster. Being penetrated like this always drives him crazy - every nerve in his body feels pushed to its highest measures of possible pleasure. The head of his cock goes purple, the veins of his shaft are more pronounced, every touch to his body gives him shivers. Nothing feels better to him than being a bottom for his boyfriend.\n\tYthl swallows and grins. “You were supposed to kiss me, silly, so we could share it.” He squeezes Tomas' cock tightly, then slips his hand down to his partner's balls. He gently tugs and squeezes Tomas' sack as he lifts his hips up to meet Tomas' descending ass. The warmth and tightness of his lover has always amazed Ythl. “Gods, I love you ass, Tomas. I love all of you, but your ass is. . .exquisite. I'm getting close, lover...”\n\tTomas can tell how close his boyfriend is by how his thrusts are getting faster into him and that it's pulsating at times. His second orgasm is close too. He can feel his nuts tighten up again, feel the lush warm cum dripping from his tip as his cock slaps his stomach as he rides Ythl. His eyes shut hard as he moans loud. “FUCK!!!” Three spurts fire out, the first landing upon the wizards lips, while the rest falling on the boys chest.\n\tYthl squeezes Tomas' cock, milking every last drop of his seed. He scrapes the cum from his chest, scooping it up with his fingers and rubbing the hot, fruity nectar over his lips. Tomas reaches down and takes over, feeding his cum from Ythl's chest to his mouth. Ythl grasps Tomas' hips and begins pulling his lover down onto his raising cock. “Aaagghh!” Ythl's cock pulses as his orgasm explodes inside of his lover. His long, thick cock carries his seed deep into Tomas as his cum splashes against Tomas' insides. Seven powerful surges of cum empty into the boy before Ythl grunts and goes limp. His arms fall out to his sides as his chest and stomach heave with his breathless, soft moans. “That was. . .fucking amazing fucking. . .”\n\t“You're telling me.” He raises himself a bit to let Ythl's much larger cock pop out of him. Tomas falls to his right, then cuddles next to his boyfriend as they share their exhaustion. There's still just a little bit of energy left in the blonde to give him the kiss that he was meant to give him earlier. The taste of his own cum is faint, but still noticeable - it tastes of peaches and bananas. “After the war... We should go camping for a while. Be like this in the nature, you know?”\n\t“I'd like that. We can travel in our animal forms.” Ythl presses his body close to Tomas. “The wolf and the fox. We wouldn't need much in the way of supplies. Would you want to stay in Aigua? Or explore foreign lands?”\n\t“Maybe somewhere like Cantos where Hunter and Toby live.” He responds. Tomas leans forward and kisses all over his boyfriends chest and nipples. “They're still with Asher. It's incredible that our people have been able to keep two Cruiberg kings from attacking E'hbel. We just need to win this battle to turn the tides... Then everything forward will be much less stressful.”\n\t“Our cause is just. Aigua doesn't fight for conquest or revenge or out of hatred.” Ythl folds his hands together behind his head. He stares at the tree tops and the blue sky beyond as he relishes the cool air washing over his naked, hairless body. “We fight to defend the innocent. And we fight with Harath and the demons of E'hbel and Varn Ra. We'll win in the end. Maybe this time, we can defeat Cruiberg badly enough that they forget their notions of conquering the demon lands. I don't want to have to fight them every ten years. It would be such a waste.”\n\t“This is just a rumor, but the last time Toby and Hunter wrote they said there's a possibility that the Cruiberg's are looking for allies.” Tomas thinks on it for a moment. “Well, if we can hold them off here and in E'hbel as well they won't stand a chance.” He yawns, and caresses his boyfriend.\n\tBoth of the teenage lovers lay and meditate together. It's quite possibly the first time in all of the war where they've truly felt like they've been able to let go and be themselves again.\n","writing_bbcode_parsed":"The Battle for E’hbel
Chapter Eleven
By DamiJon
The Harathi city of Brackenford is under attack! Now we begin with the second of the three arc’s for the war story.
P.S It might help to read the short story ‘Dark Desires’ to get more insight on the two characters, Chandler and Kirth.
…Beneath The Boy-Yards bar.
\tKirth crouches on the floor of Chandler's bed chamber. The naked mage takes a sharp knife and cuts the middle finger on his left hand. The blood pools at his fingertip and he begins writing symbols on the floor. Chandler, also naked, climbs on the bed to watch. He recognizes some of the symbols, but not all. Biting his lip, the younger Dark Mage holds his questions, not wanting to disturb his teacher and lover.
\tThe small circle finished, Kirth drips blood into the center, counting along with each drop. “Five. . .six. . . seven.” His voice rises in a short incantation as he pulls his finger away.
\tThe blood that dripped in the center of the circle, seven drops in all, slowly spreads and expands, somehow filling the entire circle with a glossy, red finish. The gloss shimmers for a moment and an image begins to appear. A tall, stone structure, imposing and profound fills the circle. Several figures gather at along one side of the structure. “They are casting spells!”
\t“Dark Mages!” Chandler says breathlessly. “At the Demon Temple!” The boy slides off of the bed, beginning to dress. “We have to help, they're attacking the demons!”
\tKirth watches the image for a moment longer. He hesitates before standing. Slowly he begins to dress. “That means they're not here for us, Chandler. They don't know about us. If we go out there and fight them, we give ourselves away. Not only to those who hunt us, but also to the demons of the Temple and perhaps to the Harathi authorities. . .”
\t“But... The officers will head to the castle first.” Chandler walks to his dresser. The silver lynx anthro slides on a tight pair of black pants and long sleeve button up shirt, where he pulls back the sleeves. He takes his staff away from the wall and practices some swings he's learned from his lover and teacher. “All of them will end up dying if we don't do something. I don't care if I do. Their lives are worth more!”
\tGlaring at the young boy, Kirth hisses. “Don't ever say that! Your life is important, too. Their lives are worth no more than ours. Just as they're worth no less.” He pulls on black leather pants and begins tugging on his boots. “Don't ever think that your life isn't worth everything, Chandler. We'll help them.” He stamps his feet into his boots and stands. He pulls on a dark shirt, grabbing his belt and various pouches. Finally, he tucks a small dagger into the belt and grasps his staff. “Just stay close to me, no matter what you see. Stay close to me. I can't help the demons if I'm worried about keeping you safe. Promise me!” The older mage takes hold of Chandler's shoulders facing the boy and looking into his eyes. He leans forward, kissing Chandler deeply, their merging in their own tender embrace. “Promise me you'll stay close.”
\t“Mhm.” He nods his head. The boy returns the kiss firmly and with sensitivity, almost as if he feels it could be the last kiss he gives him. The boy is scared for his life and he's hidden his true nature for so long. It could all be untethered after today. “I promise.”
\tNot too far away and on the bottom floor of the demon temple, Lev stands in a hallway and watches as other demons scatter from bedrooms to upstairs, trying to find a place to hide or escape as fast as possible. The boy can sense the enemies. He looks back at his boyfriend Bryan and frowns. The pain of seeing Drew's father pass in front of them followed by the attacks from above has put him in a mood he hasn't been in for years. “You must stay.”
\tBryan shakes his head slowly. “No. I won't let you go out there alone!” He draws his dagger and clenches his teeth. “I can fight. Some. I won't be any safer here by myself.” His face grows dark. “Besides, they may be after me. To finish what they started.” He looks at Yohav's body. “He told us to stay together, remember. You need me to watch your back.”
\tThe nurse looks at both of them. Her eyes are wide and she bites at this lower lip as her tail twitches behind her. “I have to make my way to the infirmary. There will be wounded. And the dying. They'll need me there.”
\t“Fuck!” He yells out and stomps. The boy pulls on his black hair and grunts. “Come on. No time to waste bitching about it.” The three of them quickly run through the hallway, up the first flight of stairs and stop to see the others filling the hallway and various rooms. Lev looks up, only sensing one demon on the top floor. He turns to the nurse and speaks quietly. “The injured have already been dragged off. They're probably in the weapon and training room.”
\t“Then why haven't they came down yet to continue attacking?” She asks.
\t“Because they have a hostage and know someone stronger will challenge them.” He forms a fist. “Go on. I'll have to spoil their game. They don't know who they're going up against.”
\tBryan and Lev part ways, but wait for a moment before cautiously walking up the next flight of stairs. Finally, the reach the main level. Dozens, perhaps more than twenty demons have been blown apart, ripped from limbs, their body parts spread around the room like a tornado ripped through. Lev keeps his calm on the outside while the rage continues to grow inside of his chest. Across from him and his boyfriend, the leader of the fifteen dark mages stands with a knife to the throat of the High Priestess.
\tBeyond the Dark Mage and his hostage, the sounds of screams drift into the temple. Voices can be heard shouting, ordering a surrender in the name of the King. The voices end in shouts and screams of pain as magic rips through the air. After that, there are only sporadic sounds of human agony and the cries of some unholy beast. The Dark Mage smiles. “Do you hear that? Harathi fools! They don't realize they have no King, not anymore. Rest assured, whore, my compatriots will insure that we are not disturbed. And fool who tries to aid you from outside will meet . . .resistance.”
\tHe notices Lev and Bryan. “Run below, kiddies. The grown ups are talking. Send up the best and bravest demons and I promise to give you a pain free death, demon. And you will survive as my slave, human brat.”
\t“I am not the strongest, but I am the most powerful.” Lev speaks to them. “You might know me as the boy that your people tried to use and control. I still have my powers.” The boy tries to provoke him, despite knowing that he can't use the majority of abilities that he has. Despite being one of the most powerful demons on the planet, Lev has no sense of control over them which would only leave destruction and mayhem. Instead of killing his enemies he'd most likely kill everyone around him instead. The boy knows he must use the powers and skills that he knows won't lay ruin to his home. 'Maybe I should call for others' He wonders. 'Me against all of them... I'm not sure I can do this.'
\tThe Dark Mage laughs. He gestures with his knife to the bodies strewn about the floor of the temple. Lev and Bryan recognize some of the dead. The old barrista, the waitress who always brought sweets for Jay and Milliken. Kallie, a young painter who kept promising to paint Lev and Bryan. Their bodies are torn and mangled, mixed in with dozens who are unrecognizable.
\t“If you were that demon, you'd have done something. A clever gambit, though. And brave I suppose.” The Dark Mage draws his knife across the High Priestess' cheek. He leans close and licks the blood, trembling as his tongue slides along her pale skin and crimson fluid.” I haven't the time to waste with children. Fetch your betters or watch as I fillet this cunt and use her pain and blood to bring down this abomination of a temple! Be quick about it or die!”
\tA muffled explosion shakes the ceiling. Stone dust drifts down like snow. For some reason, the Dark Mages are cleansing the few upper levels before moving into the main living areas of the lower levels. And there are still sounds of spell casting and fighting outside.
\tBryan whispers to Lev. “How many are there???”
\t“Fifteen. One with us, two upstairs and the rest are outside.” He answers. Lev looks back at the dark mage. “Quick, you say?” Within a split second, Lev sprints fast enough to catch the dark mage off guard, twisting his arm and snapping it before stealing the knife from him. Before he can plunge it into the man, the dark mage kicks him right in the stomach and sends him flying against the wall. Bryan stands to the other side alone.
\t“Bryan, get the three superiors.” The priestess speaks as she trembles away from the man. Lev. “I'll be a decoy and have you flee back. If you fight them you'll kill us all!”
\t“No!” He stands up without hesitation. “I can control myself. I'm strong en—"
\tThe dark mage moves just as quickly, using a hand chop to knock the wind out of Lev's lungs. As he falls back, the boy holds out his hand and fires off a small fire bolt. It burns the mans broken arm, but he shows no sign of pain. The high priestess launches her attack this time, fighting with her bare hands against the older man.
\tBryan makes for the stairway to the upper levels. As he reaches it, he hears footsteps descending along the same stairs. Without thinking, he flattens himself against the wall to one side of the stairway entrance. Seconds later, three other Dark Mages rush into the main room. They spread out to form a line and begin casting. Bryan darts out at the closest, a female standing with her back to Bryan as she begins summoning something. As the dark form appears, emanating from her fingertips, and begins to solidify, Bryan plunges his dagger into the base of her skull. The darkness immediately disappears, and the woman falls without uttering a cry.
\tThe Dark Mage battling Lev, cries out the remaining two. “Behind you, fools!” He blocks the priestess' blows with his staff, twisting it in his hands to strike her rib cage hard. She falls to the ground, clutching her side. Grinning, he draws a knife and slices along his arm, following his vein.
\tAs his blood drips to the floor, it grows and expands, turning a deep, malevolent black. From the blackness comes a chittering sound, followed by dozens of large rats. Each the size of a medium dog, their fur is matted and patchy. Maggots crawl through their eye sockets and drip onto the floor from their mouths. The horrid creatures split into two streams, one headed for the priestess, the other headed for Lev.
\t“I'm sorry, Maria.” Lev apologizes. “But you'll have to trust me on this one!” Suddenly, small red lines run along the floor and scorch everything they touch. The rats are burned alive. As he stands, all of the lines rise into high flames, which then moves towards the dark mage, consuming him in the massive burst of flames. Stripped from his cloak, the man appears against the wall and behind the counter in only his black undergarments. He laughs maniacally.
\t“Four attacks and all of you will be dead.” The dark mage says confidently. “That's all I need.”
\tMaria and Lev prepare themselves for it. The fear inside of Lev worsens as he worries that one wrong spell could jeopardize them all. The attack he just used has already burnt cracks through the fireproof floors, showing that something as little as that is too extreme to use.
\tBryan gulps and holds his dagger out in front of him as the two Dark Mages turn to face him. He bends his knees and quickly looks to his right and left. His mind races back to his lessons with his father and his training with Holt and the weapon masters at the Palace. He chokes back the bile rising in the back of his throat.
\t“Well, well, well. What have we here?” The mage to Bryan's left speaks in a deep, sonorous voice. He's a big man, looking muscled and fit like a warrior. His dark, ebony skin is scarred and marked with healed knife wounds and burns. Fresh wounds ooze blood from his arms. “A human child? Friend of the demons, are you, boy? I will enjoy breaking you and having you as my slave.”
\tHe slashes his right pectoral muscle, gathering the fresh blood into his hand. He speaks a guttural, harsh incantation. The words and sound of his voice hurt Bryan's ears. A beam of black light shoots forward from the Dark Mage's hand towards Bryan. As it approaches him, the beam expands and transforms into net of darkness. Interspersed throughout the netting are small mouths, their lips pulled back to reveal sharp fangs. The mouths open and close, smacking their lips together as they get closer and closer to Bryan.
\tThe boy leaps to his right, trying to avoid the cursed netting. His eyes go wide and he starts to scream as the net reaches him and begins to tighten around him. And then disappears. . .In a flash of purple flame, the netting and mouths burn, each mouth screaming a high pitched scream of pain and hopelessness.
\tThe large Dark Mage scowls and looks at his smaller compatriot. The smaller man chuckles as the larger man curses. “What the fuck was that? You use magic, you little piece of shit?! I'll make you pay for that!”
\tJust as Lev turns his face to see Bryan using his new abilities, the leader of the group launches himself toward Maria. The redheaded demon forms a blade of fire and blocks his dagger, pushing him back with all of her strength before falling on her back. Again, the mage jumps towards her and strikes, but is blocked again. The floorboards begin to crack as she holds back. Lev raises his right hand and lets a bolt of fire spit at him, but the dark mage consumes it in his other free hand, transforming it into an aura of black magic.
\t“Now you die.” She spits at him. Before he has the chance to react, her blade of fire bursts to life and burns his chest. The gray orb spreads to the ceiling and engulfs it, causing the demons and human to choke on it.
\tLev uses one of his unique powers to clear the poisonous gas and cool the room down. Small flames form at random spots as he stands and prepares himself, while Maria is still fatigued from the poison.
\t“Two more attacks.” The man says. Lev and the High Priestess prepare themselves. “I've barely even used any of my power. That will change.” As he takes a single step, his body forms a misty gray fog around him. Four other versions of him emerge and charge at the two of them. Standing close to each others backs, the two demons fight as fast and accurately as they possible can. Lev's hands and fire's emit flames with each punch and kick, destroying each one that he hits, while Maria slashes away at the other ones. Just as Lev kills the fifth one and turns around, he see's the dark mage grab the sword of fire, which turns to the gray aura from before once again. In the mere second that she remains defenseless, his dagger travels into her stomach and right up to her neck. One more attack. He leaps backwards and on top of the counter, watching as the high priestess bleeds and spills her organs and intestines onto the floor.
\tLev's body rattles as he looks at her in shock. Every memory of the two of them flashes before his eyes. “Maria... Maria...” Tears pour down his cheeks as he falls to his knees. Being the black wolf that he is, he knows that he cannot focus on this destructive sadness that now rips at his heart. Instead, he must be the primal anthro that he is, which means to act on hatred and rage. Black fur begins to grow upon Lev's skin and his entire body begins to transform. His mouth and nose transform into a snout. The half demon and half wolf-boy completes his transformation - something that has only occurred few other times in his lifetime.
\tIntrigued, the dark mage cracks a laugh and whistles. “Maybe her death will be what it takes to make you take this seriously. Get on your fucking feet, anthro demon scum!” He imitates Maria's ability and forms a long sword out of the grey aura, which then turns to steel. As he swings it towards the ground, a dark beam cuts into the floorboard, showing the power it contains without even having to touch its target.
\tKirth and Chandler race through the streets. The older man keeps the younger boy close, holding his hand when they pause. As they approach the Demon Temple, the duck into an empty alley way. Kirth looks at the boy, brushing the hair from the boy's face. “I wish we'd talked more about magic, about what you can do. Stay close to me and watch for an opening with our adversaries.”
\tAs Chandler nods, Kirth takes a small scalpel and cuts himself along his forehead. He winces as the blade cuts deep, scraping along his skull. Blood flows freely. The man chants softly as the blood flows into his eyes. Somehow, as Chandler watches fascinated and disgusted, Kirth's eyes absorb the flowing blood, his irises becoming a deep crimson color. He looks towards the temple. “There are several outside...Four. They're killing anyone who approaches. Use your powers to defend. Leave the attacks to me.”
\tChandler, his mouth dry, tries to answer. His voice cracks. He simply nods his understanding. Kirth reaches into his jacket, pulling out a small pewter flask and handing it to the boy. As Chandler sips the sweet wine, his lover smiles. “I've felt what you feel. Fear dries the mouth. If you can't speak, your options are limited. Keep that. Drink if you must. It's not just blood and pain that fuel our magic. It's our voice, too.” He kisses Chandler's forehead. “You defend. I attack. We start with the tall redhead on the steps.”
\tChandler nods. “I got it. I love you, Kirth.”
\tKirth smiles, his cheeks flushing with color. “And I you, Chandler.” With a nod, he stands and leads them both into the street in front of the temple.
\tThe redheaded dark mage immediately notices the two of them approaching the field of energy he's created. If they were simply human they would be immediately weakened, which gives off a strange feeling to him. “Fools. What a waste of great strength.” He digs his own nails into his palm and causes it to bleed. Enormous ants form from out of the blood and rush towards them.
\tChandler chants quietly as he taps his staff against the ground. With one heavy tap, the large ants turn to skeleton. Their flesh is sucked up into the aura of the staff, then emitted right back out to form a shielding aura around Kirth. Despite it seeming like dark magic, it's actually an ability he learned from a regular mage when he was living in Aigua shortly.
\t“What the?” The dark mage stands confused and flicks his blood again, forming even more ants. Other dark mages approach, fascinated by the occurring battle.
\tKirth smiles to himself at Chandler's counterspell. “Bloody well done.” He murmurs under his breath. the next moment, he fixes his gaze on the red head. Kirth bites hard on the flesh inside of his cheek. The metallic taste of his own blood thrills him. He stares hard at the red as his mouth fills with blood, his eyes glowing red amid the dust and smoke of the battle.
\tOne of the other Dark Mages prepares to cut herself, but her compatriots stop her. “Let Caldwell battle them on his own. He's always talking about how none of us are a match for him. Let him prove it now. Or choke on those words.” The three of them turn their attention to a brave and foolish squad of city guardsman who rush from another side street. They unleash their magics against the unfortunate men, leaving their bodies smoking and and dissolving in the street as the Dark Mages cackle and laugh.
\tCaldwell, the red head, adjusts his casting, using more of his blood to make the next wave of ants larger and tougher. He sends them forth, confident that they will overwhelm the pair before him. Especially since the older of the pair seems to be frozen in fear. “Letting the boy do your fighting? Fear got your tongue? My ants will take care of that! I will use both your tongues to wipe my ass after our victory feast! We will feast upon the fat, weak Harathi mages who stand against us!”
\tKirth smiles, drawing a deep breath in through his nose. The acrid smell of burnt flesh reminds him of battles in his past. He pushes the memories away. Kirth spits his mouth full of blood at the Caldwell.
\tThe Dark Mage stands stunned for a precious few seconds. Long enough for the spat blood to arc over the dozens of yards between them. As his blood flies, Kirth chants his incantation. His blood reaches Caldwell, forcing its way into his enemy's nose, mouth, ears, and eyes. Caldwell goes pale, he stammers trying to enact a counter spell. He is too slow.
\tKirth extends a hand towards Caldwell as the red head stutters and stammers. He clenches his fist and pulls it back towards his chest. Caldwell's body stiffens, going rigid. The Dark Mage's eyes go wide and his mouth opens in a silent scream. His arms and legs lock, he body arching towards Kirth. For a moment, his body hangs impossible balanced atop the stairs to the temple entrance.
\tSuddenly, torrents of blood and viscera erupt from Caldwell's orifices. His eyeballs burst, spraying ocular fluid over his screaming face. He eardrums explode. From these and his nose and mouth, his innards and blood are sucked forth and stream through the air towards Kirth. Caldwell's stomach and chest explode, his organs joining the macabre parade.
\tThe entire flood of Caldwell's interior physiology stops a meter in front of Kirth, hovering in the air. The last organ to leave the desiccated husk of the red head is his brain. It joins the rest of his innards and the mass begins to reform. The shapeless mass of flesh and blood and organs begins to take shape. Four legs form, clawed and sinewy. A body and head form, wet and moist, crimson. Some sort of flattened, mutant hound stands in front of Kirth. An animal that's had it's skin peeled away, that's what it looks like to Chandler. Kirth whistles and points to the other three Dark Mages and the blood beast howls and lopes towards them.
\t“A blood golem? How?” The woman asks in disbelief. “How can he summon a blood beast so easily and quickly?” Her voice wavers.
\t“They’re dark mages like us, but fighting on the wrong side. They must be Strararian!” The other man answers her question. “Prepare yourself. We must cast our own incantations! The three of them step back and use their own blood to create beasts of their own attributed to their personality - a gigantic and ghostly elephant creature, a spider with a sac of eggs attached to its end and a worm so side that it would get stuck in the entrance of the door.
\tChandler knows he has to resist using dark magic as much as he can, which is more than a challenge when staring off against three incredible beasts. The remaining energy he acquired from the other ants is then transferred to the monster that Kirth created. He measures the battlefield carefully even as an elephant is stomping towards him. To his left, the worm is also charging, while the spider seems focused on Kirth. The boy decides what magic he can use, which puts him at an incredible disadvantage. He slowly stirs his staff around as if he were mixing ingredients in a soup. A frigid black aura emanates from the jewel on his staff. “Come and get me you ugly fucks!”
\tKirth's hound lopes across the ground towards the three Dark Mages at the temple entrance. The shadow spider moves to intercept the hound, raising its head and thorax. The spider hisses and a second mouth appears in the center of its thorax. That mouth purses its black, glistening lips and shoots out strands of thick, black webbing. The blood hound charges, opening its mouth wide. And wider. And wider until its mouth somehow is larger than the original hound. The shadow spinner's web go into that mouth and the hound does not break stride. The spider lashes out, to no avail. The entire shadow spider is swallowed whole by the hound.
\tThe Dark Mage who summoned the spider screams, his knife clattering to the ground as the blood hound leaps at him. The huge mouth shrinks around the man. HIs head and torso are swallowed as his legs thrash and kick as he's lifted and swallowed, nearly whole. There is a sickening squishing sound as flesh crushed, accompanied by gruesome cracks and snaps as the mage's bones are crushed and snapped. The legs cease their motion and fall to the ground, separated from the rest of the mage. The hound howls and turns towards one of the others, the woman who summoned the soul worm.
\tDespite the fact that he remains still and calm, the elephant rushes at an incredible speed; the ground itself crumbles with every step it takes. On the other side, the worm has its mouth open and prepared to swallow him hole. The boy takes three steps forward, stops, then parries to avoid one foot as he attacks the elephant. All of the feet turn to ice and crush to pieces, destroying the beast while also crushing half of the worm. But it's not enough. Somehow, the worm squirms from underneath the five thousand pound monster that's disintegrating to smoke. Chandler cowers to the ground before his entire body is trapped in a vessel of sharp ice, which is so cold and prickly that it pierces through the worms body instead of being swallowed by it. Its blood sprays all against his shield of ice before he allows it to melt. The boy stands, soaked from head to toe. That was closer than I thought.
\tHe looks at the other two dark mages and examines how they've fought and the sort of beasts they've made. “These dark mages are contract killers, not Cruiberg's. They must have hired them in order to keep their own leading dark mages safe in the battlefields.” He speaks to Kirth.
\tKirth glances at Chandler and arches an eyebrow. “Mercenaries?” He frowns, his eyebrows knitting together. “Bad enough to revel in pain and blood in pursuit of the Dark Secrets. But to do it for profit? For the highest bidder?” He begins walking towards the two remaining mages. His eyes are fixed upon them as he draws his knife along the insides of each arm, chanting slowly as he moves forward.
\tThe two Dark Mages, shaken that their beasts are no more, hurriedly begin erecting defense enchantments to protect themselves from the blood hound. The taller man summons forth a half dozen replicants of himself. Each of these mimics his motions and castings. The hound sweeps its claws at one, dispelling it in a puff of shadow and a splatter of blood.
\tThe female casts more carefully, building a shield of shadow and blood the soon surrounds her. She smirks at Kirth and Chandler. “Your hound and spells will never penetrate my bloodshield! Now, I can study the best way to destroy the pair of you. . .”
\tKirth smirks back. Using his powers, he gathers the blood streaming from his arms, forming a flat disc of blood in front of him. HIs eyes continue to glow red and he expands the disc, making it larger and larger until he and Chandler are complete hidden behind it. Slowly, the disc moves forward. As it moves, the female attempts to disrupt the magic holding it together. Her spell seems to have no effect.
\tThe blood hound strikes twice more, removing two more shadow replicants. The male looks at the female. “Let me in there with you! I need time to work a counter, dammit.” The circle of blood surrounding her expands, encompassing the male mage as well. He kneels to the ground, quickly casting a spell using no blood. He stares at the ground, brushing his hand over the dirt as if he were turning the pages of a book. The female urges him to hurry.
\tThe blood hound destroys the last two shadow images and strikes at the mages. It's claws strike the barrier, scraping along the barrier. It howls, striking again. It's claws cannot penetrate her shield and the beast circles the pair, sniffing at the blood barrier and striking it in search of weak point. Within, she concentrates on maintaining the circle as he compatriot continues his enchantment, slowly swiping his hand again and again.
\tAs Kirth and his disc of blood reach the circle, the disc has expanded to the height of two men. The disc bumps against the circle, stopping its forward motion. Kirth pushes his hands forward, but the barrier neither moves nor gives at all. Kirth changes his chanting, lower the pitch and changing the words.
\tSlowly, the disc begins to bend and curve. It matches the curve of her blood barrier, slowly expanding to encompass the entire sphere surrounding the man and woman. She calls from within. “You'll never pierce it! Never! We don't need to see you to defeat you!” Her voice is strained and cracks.
\t“I need your blood.” Kirth looks to Chandler. “Not a lot, but I need some.” Sweat drips from his face as he holds his arms out. His arms shakes and veins pop out on his arms, hands, and neck. Kirth shakes with effort and concentration.
\tChandler draws his knife and takes a deep breath. He cuts his wrist, holding the bleeding wound over Kirth's right hand. The blood dripping from Chandler's wound flows through the air in a straight line towards the disc-sphere. After a moment, the stream shifts and the blood flows towards Kirth, disappearing into his chest.
\tKirth grunts. His whole body shakes. He clenches his teeth, straining and grunting with some unseen effort. He begins to cry out. “AaaahhhHHHH!”
\tFrom within the sphere, the woman screams. The man begins a panicked chant. Both sounds are cut short as the sphere suddenly implodes and compacts in on itself. What was once the size of a small room, perhaps seven feet high and around, suddenly collapses to the size of a large grapefruit.
\tKirth falls to his knees, gasping for air and trembling. The blood hound sniffs the air, bats the much reduced sphere with one paw, then squats on the ground nearby, a monstrous hound waiting another command.
\t“Dammit, you've taken a lot of blood loss.” Chandler obviously notes to the man. He feels sad as he looks at the disgusting dog, knowing what he must do with it. He smears the blood from his own wrist over the dogs face, plunges the staff into its heart and absorbs it into his weapon. In return, he's able to use it as a catalyst to begin healing Kirth. The boy holds his hand over each wound, which emanates sparkling glitter-like creatures that heal the cuts and begin transforming into his blood. The boy hopes that his master doesn't grow angry - the act of consuming the beast that was once dark mage is a form of dark magic. “You're going to be fine...”
\tBack in the temple, Lev and the demon spar and clash blades. The young wolf takes sword after sword from off of the ground which once belong to the dead that surround him. After a minute or two the weapon breaks. Frustration consumes him. He doesn't have the time to think of what attacks he can do against the mage. What matters most is keeping up with his speed, defending himself and dodging the magical bursts from the blade.
\tBryan stares at the two Dark Mages, his mouth hanging open. He drops his guard for a moment. “I didn't do that!”
\tThe smaller foe quickly cuts himself and chants. He reaches out towards Bryan with one hand. Darkness and blood coalesce around that hand for a moment, then shoot forward, towards Bryan. A vile hand forms from the darkness and blood, reaching and grabbing for Bryan, a thin trail of smoke or shadow leading back to the caster.
\tThe boy tries to dodge, but the hand follows unerringly. He tries to block the hand with his dagger, but the creation moves around the blade as easily as water around a rock. Bryan screams as he feels the otherworldly cold of the blood and shadow hand as it grasps at his throat.
\tThe gem at Bryan's neck, a gift long ago from Drew, glows with the same purple light that infused Yohav’s eyes at the end. The purple light flows over the hand and back along the shadowy tendril connecting it to the caster. The hand withdraws from Bryan, trying to grab at the purple energy. The caster's eyes go wide as he watches the energy crackle along his arm and disappear into his shoulder. The shadow hand disappears. “Wha . . .what did you cast, boy?” The smaller mage asks in a trembling voice.
\t“I can't do magic!” Bryan shouts back. “I'm just a kid.”
\tThe larger, darker man steps away from his smaller fellow. The small man looks at the big man. “Help. . .help me. . please?”
\tThe small man looks at Bryan, repeating his plea for help. Before Bryan can answer, the whites of the man's eyes go purple. The man gags and coughs. He gurgles, spitting up a mixture of blood and purple liquid.
\tSuddenly, the man's abdomen dissolves. Solid flesh become liquid, sloshing to the floor in a red and purple mess. There are chunks of flesh, but nothing identifiable as any internal organ. His clothes around the dissolved areas have liquefied as well. Bryan can see the man's spine and ribs. Below his waist, meat and flesh and bone. But the chest and abdomen are hollow and empty, blood and purple ichor dripping from his spine and ribs. The man collapses to the ground. Bryan begins to vomit.
\tLev feels his body getting tired. The rage inside of him isn't enough. As he continues blocking and attacking, he comes to realize how much of a disrespect it would be to avenge Maria's death out of anger. Instead, he tries to remember every ability she's helped him work on and learn to control. As he fights, the sword he holds bursts with blue flames. When the master swings his blade again to try and toss him against the wall Lev instead uses his other hand to cast the fire forward, which acts as a shield for the attacks. He uses the brief time that it blinds the man to use invisibility; it's a burden to use on his body, but he hopes he can use it long enough to land at least one attack. Lev drops his sword before the fire dissipates and rushes behind him, immediately casting a blast of his hottest fire against the back of the man’s head.
\tSomehow, the dark mage is fast enough to dodge most of the attack, parrying to his right as the fire scorches most of his face and neck. The fire blisters into his skull, burning away all of the skin on the back of his neck and head. As his vision blurs and he begins to fall, he admits whatever aura of dark energy that he can at Lev, which stabs at the boys flesh like dozens of tiny throwing knives. Lev falls back, bleeding from various parts of his stomach and chest, but still alive.
\tBryan sees Lev fall to the ground. With a scream, he launches himself across the room, clearing the distance in leaping strides. He runs, leaping onto a table top and leaping the last few feet. His face is a mask of fear and fury, his dagger drawn back to strike at the Dark Mage leader.
\tThe leader, grimacing from the pain of his burns see Bryan launching himself from the table top. He focuses his pain and bleeding, forming a quick shield between himself on the boy. A shadow forms between the mage and Bryan, large but irregularly shaped. The shadow writhes and squirms as thousands of glistening, black worms emerge from top edge of the shadow shield. They seem to reach out towards Bryan, eager to meet his flesh.
\tBryan tries to twist away from the shadow shield, but his momentum carries him into the worms and shield. The mage begins to turn towards Lev but stops. Lev watches in horror as Bryan lands atop the shield. . . and passes through it without pause. Bryan's body is surrounded by a purple glimmer. The shadow shield rips as Bryan passes through it, the worms that reach for Bryan wither and go limp. Bryan's momentum carries him into the dark mage. They tumble together to the ground, Bryan stabbing again and again at the mage. The mage screams in pain, punching Bryan hard in the head. The boy falls to one side, groaning weakly as the dagger falls from his grasp.
\tThe mage, coughs and rolls to his knees. “Worthless cur!” He punches Bryan in the stomach and wraps his hands around the boy's throat. As he squeezes, Bryan's face begins to turn red. He tries to force the man's hands from his throat. His pendant glows weakly, a feeble purple glow surrounds the pendant and Bryan's hands and he forces the man's hands from his throat.
\tAs Bryan gasps for air, the man brings a knee into the boy's groin. Weakly, Bryan calls out. “Lev. . .Lev help me...” The mage locks his hands around Bryan's throat, squeezing again. The pendant flickers purple for a moment, then goes back to its natural green.
\tKnowing that this last attack might use up all of his strength, the boy holds out his hand and aims it towards the dark mage. He uses the power that Lev has and squeezes his fist, which causes the man's head to explode. Skull and brain matter spatters in every direction in a disgusting mess over Bryan. Lev falls the ground. His heart beats slowly and his injuries are not too major, but there's no chance that he will be able to fight now.
\tBryan looks to the door, exhausted and sobbing, barely able to catch his breath as thoughts of the other dark mages entering causes his fear to worsen. Two enter, but not the kind that he imagined.
\tChandler and Kirth stop at the door. The wreckage of the dead has left every bit of the room painted with blood and guts. It's the first time the young anthro mage has ever seen a site like it. His parents told him that they fled from violence just as gruesome as what he's staring at, but he can't help but to imagine what the demons have and will go through after today. “Young one. Are these the last of them?”
\tWeakly, Bryan shakes his head. He points towards the stairway, towards the large, dark skinned Dark Mage. Kirth and Chandler follow Bryan's finger.
\tThe last Dark Mage, a hulking man, ripped with muscles and scars, dark skin glistening with sweat and blood has moved near the bar. As Kirth and Chandler prepare to fight, and Bryan watches helplessly, the man finishes a spell.
\tHis eyes blur and become unfocused. He immediately begins another spell. As Kirth slowly moves closer, with Chandler close behind him, the last visible foe plunges his staff into the remains of Maria. Her blood is used to fuel his spell. From the cracks in the floor, dark flames begin to burn. Within the flames, scores of red malevolent eyes watch Kirth and Chandler. Wisps of smoke form blades and begin stabbing at the pair. These are easily blocked with the staves, but the flames closer to their enemy grow taller and hotter. From those flames, a shadow warrior steps forward. A tall human form, devoid of detail, no mouth, no eyes, no ears, it is as black as night, wielding a huge sword made of the same shadow and darkness. It strides towards Kirth, the flames it passes being absorbed into the creature.
\tChandler stomps his staff to the ground, casting a shield of ice that stops the fire momentarily. As the boy continues keeping the wall built, he waits for Kirth to cast a spell. “Behind me!” He yells at Bryan.
\tBryan drags Lev further towards the door and away from the battle. He remains confused as to why two dark mages are fighting others. “Aren't they on the same side? Should he attack them? No... They must be different.” He's never heard of dark mages using ice powers before.
\tAbove them, the strongest demons in the temple face off against the other mages. The destructive battle leads to the two upper floors being completely ruined - every room and surface is coated with blood. Statues and religious memorabilia have been desecrated and destroyed. Only three of thirty of the demons survive, just barely. They tread downstairs, seeing the other dark mage using ice to fight.
\t“This won't take more than a few seconds.” The strongest of them announces to his two other friends. He holds out his hands, snaps two fingers and pulls his arm back. The ice that the dark mage casts jolts back, tearing a hole into his hand and blowing his entire head off.
\tChandler stops, letting the shield of ice melt. He sighs, thankful that someone came to their rescue. The anthro boy didn't want to see his lover use any more dark magic than he already did.
\tThe three demons look around the remains of the coffee shop. The destruction is immense, to the building as well as to the demons who were caught by the attack. The three are stunned for a moment. Then their eyes alight on Kirth and Chandler. The three stride forward.
\tThe tallest of the three, nearly seven feet tall and bleeding from wounds to his arms and chest, glares at the pair. “More mages! You will regret your role in this attack, I assure you both.” Flames begin to gather around his right fist.
\tChandler hurries to raise his shield, moving to protect Kirth with his own body. The older Dark Mage steps in front of Chandler, readying a counter spell. He calls out to the fire wielder. “We are not with the attackers! We come to assist the demons and defend the temple!”
\tThe large demon and his friends spread out, the others beginning to summon their flames. The glare hard at Kirth and Chandler.
\t“STOP!!!” The air is cut with Bryan's shout. He cradles Lev's head in his lap, his pendant glowing a faint, dull green. His face is streaked with dirt and blood. Lev remains spent and nearly unconscious. “You know me, Antoniad!” He points at Kirth and Chandler. “They helped us. They saved me and Lev.”
\t“It's true. We finished off three of them outside before entering. Our only regret is not arriving sooner.” Chandler speaks up. His heart beats even faster than it did while battling out of fear of being killed by those he's chosen to help. For a moment he wonders if he's a fool.
\t“Explain yourselves.” Antoniad roars at them. Fivith, retrieve four healers immediately. “We need to begin assorting those that have passed.” The man steps closer to the two of them. They can feel the heat of his body from afar, showing them that he's not one to anger.
\t“It's true that we're dark mages.” Chandler continues, looking up at Kirth. “We're immigrants from Strararis, a distant ice continent. Unlike most of our kind, we rarely use magic unless it is to protect ourselves or others. Instead, we rely on the faith and religious aspects to our race and culture. For this, we were almost exterminated from our home, driven to continents across the planet and hunted by other sects of dark mages. Please...” The boy kneels down on one foot. “We mean no harm to your people! Let us help serve. Both of us can also heal. We can provide information on how to protect your temple from further attacks.”
\t“Why would the shadow warrior have been heading to attack us if we were with them?” Kirth asks simply. He glances at Chandler. “And there were four on the steps. The one they called Caldwell, and the ones that summoned the elephant, the spider, and the worm. Remember?”
\t“I don't know what they did outside, but they really did help us in here. Lev tried to save Maria.” Bryan begins to weep. “But he couldn't. He exhausted himself and they would have killed us both if it weren't for them.” He gestures at Kirth and Chandler.
\tThe large demon kneels down beside Lev. His large hands feel the demon-wolf's face and forehead. He frowns. “He's burning up, even for a demon.” He turns to the third demon. “Kiron, check the steps.” He looks at the Dark Mages of Strararis. “Don't let anyone in who doesn't live here. No one.” The demon nods, and cautiously moves outside. “If you two can heal, don't just stand there. See what you can do for Lev.” He picks Lev up and carries him to a table, gently laying him down.
\tFrom the lower levels, the same nurse who was with Lev and Bryan with Drew's father emerges from the dark stairway. She gasps at the scene before her. After a moment, with tears staining her cheeks, she begins moving from body to body, checking those that might be alive for signs of life.
\tChandler immediately gets to work. He strips the boy's kimono off, examines the cuts on his body bleeding out of his fur and begins to chant as his hands run over them. “None of the others on this floor are alive. I'm sorry... He speaks to the healer.”
\tShe nods her head in agreement to Antoniad. “The strange boy is right. I...” Tears begin streaming down her face as she gets to work, assorting body parts to one person like a dozen pieces to a dozen different jigsaws have been tossed around. “I'll have someone send for coffins to be brought.”
\tThe other healers emerge, baffled as expected, but immediately follow her orders. Meanwhile, Kirth begins exorcising the negative and destructive energy that the mages harnessed in the temple. Such power from so many dark mages can rot and decay infrastructure in a matter of weeks if untreated. He explains what he's doing to the other three and even uses his magic to allow them to see. As soon as all of it is consumed, he bestows an ability onto the leader of the three, which would allow him to see if such magic is close to him. Afterwards, he uses the magic he consumed to create an invisible field to counteract against any dark mage that might use their power in it. Kirth warns that it's only temporarily and would only last for a month.
\tEventually, Lev awakens upon the table and first see's Bryan. He looks down at himself, confused that he's transformed into his black wolf form and that a boy his age was helping heal him. “What the...” He looks to his right. The room is still a mess even as bodies are transferred outside to coffins and blood is being cleaned out of the floorboards. “Did we... Finish it? Are they all dead?”
\tBryan nods, holding Lev's hand tightly. “Yes. All the invaders are dead.” He leans close and lowers his voice. “There were two Dark Mages who weren't with the others. They fought against them! They're the two who saved us after you passed out. This is one of them, the boy who healed you.” He looks up at Chandler. “We. . we don't even know your name.”
\tOne of the demons standing watch outside the Temple enters. He crosses over to Antoniad. “You were wondering why the guard or troops haven't come? The Dark Mages attacked the Palace. The King and his family are dead!”
\tThe room falls silent. Everyone inside is stunned. Bryan feels terror rising in his stomach. “The Palace?” He looks at Lev. “Mikey and Jay were at archery today.”
\tAs the boys worry about those closest to them at the temple, both Jay and Milliken are hidden in a cramped room as six Cruiberg soldiers enter the main archery room. The candle lights have all been blown out, but bits of sunlight still glimmer to reveal their footsteps.
\tThe green haired boy gulps and takes one arrow. He prepares himself to launch it if they come in a close enough distance where he knows he will hit the target.
\tMilliken cowers behind Jay. He knows that he couldn't hit one of them, even if the stood still. A couple of the other boys stand beside Jay, readying their own boys. Jay whispers to them. “Don't let fly until I do. Maybe they won't notice us.” He looks behind him. Mikey is clutching a small dagger and some of the other boys have practice swords or daggers. Jay shakes his head. “Ten boys against six armed warriors? Gods protect us!”
\tThe six Cruiberg laugh loudly at something as they examine the archery targets. One of them starts pushing the targets over while two of them head for the storage rooms. They're speaking to each other, grumbling that they've been unable to find anyone to fight.
\tOne of the boys is so scared that he pisses himself. Jay closes his eyes momentarily, opens them and bites his bottom lip as he see's one of them approaching their room. The arrow silently penetrates between the mans eyes, killing him instantly. As soon as the body hits the floor he sprints out and ducks, hoping others will join. Milliken and five others follow him, while the others remain in hiding.
\t“Ah, there we go! A bunch of hopeless kids!” One of them chuckles.
\t“But that's no fun. They'll be easy to ki—" An arrow rips into his throat. Jay curses, realizing he missed the spot between the eyes again. Just before he can prepare the next one a dagger is thrown towards him and pierces one of the boys in the heart. Like the inexperienced children are, they sprint around and try to escape. Jay runs forward again, rolling when another dagger is thrown towards him and then he launches again at another target. He hits a warrior in his arm, curses again, but then Milliken fires and lands a headshot.
\tThree of the enemy are dead, but so is one of their friends. The room is filled with the cries of the youngest of the boys as they try to escape. But the Cruiberg are between them and the door. One of the boys tries to dash by, managing to evade the sword stroke of one warrior only to run full force into the axe of a second warrior. Jay and Milliken hear the boy whimper for his mother as his chest is caved in. When he hits the floor, he's as good as dead, his blood spreading rapidly from the gaping hole. The warrior raises a booted foot and slams it down on the boy's head, crushing it and splattering blood and brain matter over the floor. The man laughs.
\tJay loosens another arrow but the warrior he's targeting manages to knock it aside with his sword as he closes in on the boys who are fighting. One of the others by the door way leaves off and charges the young archers. The panicked boys rush en masse for the door, some of them making it past the Cruiberg. Two others do not, slashed with his axe they lie crying on the ground until he stomps their faces to pulp.
\tJay drops his bow and grabs his dagger, rushing towards the axeman with no hint of fear in him. His boyfriend panics for a moment, but quickly notices one soldiers sprinting towards him. Each arrow he fires is knocked away, meaning he must resort to knife to sword combat with a skilled warrior.
\t“Run back!” Jay screams. “To the back room again!” Milliken does as told as rushes back to the room where the cowards hide. He closes the door right in time, locks it and then finds a sword on the wall. As the door is being hacked apart, he prepares himself and focuses on his breath, wiping the tears away from his face. A perfect hole has been torn through the door, allowing the youngest Jaeger to sink the blade into it and through the enemies stomach. “Idiot fell for the easiest trick in the book.”
\tAll of Jay's training has seemed to pay off. Despite the fact that he's gained lots of weight and moves a bit slower, his form is spot on and he's able to measure his enemies attacks correctly. It helps having been trained by his eldest brothers and soldiers of the King. Parrying here and there, he eventually tires his confident enemy and drives the dagger into his back. Jay twists and kicks the man to the floor before stomping his own foot as hard as he can on the axeman's neck. After killing him, he takes the axe off of the floor and looks at the man at the door. Slowly, he walks towards him. “My boyfriend takes me for the gentle and harmless kind. You know, I've been hurt by a lot of people in my life and I've been waiting for a day like this to take it out on someone.”
\tThe Cruiberg wavers for a moment. His eyes glance at Jay, then around the room, then towards the door. He begins backing away from Jay, but stops. The sound of booted feet echo from the outside hallway. The warrior looks at Jay. “Sounds like reinforcements. Just in time for you, too. I will kill you quickly, fat boy. Like one of our sausages. A pity I can't feast on your remains, little sausage!” The warrior raises his axe and charges at Jay. Behind him, three Harathi guardsmen enter the room, staring aghast at the murdered boys near the doorway.
\tThey rush after the Cruiberg, but he reaches Jay before they can stop him. He chops down at the green haired chub, screaming at the top of his lungs. “Aaiieeeee!!!”
\tJay almost laughs as he easily steps out of the way of the attack, landing a clean bow right against the back of the man's neck. He pulls the weapon out and back in again. And again. And again. Chopping his head off, then his arms before chopping at his face. One of the Harathi has to push him off and hold him down as he begins to cry. “He killed my friends! Let me go! He's not dead yet!”
\tMilliken slowly approaches him and looks around at the bloodshed. His legs wobble as he tries to stay strong.
\tThe guardsman restrains Jay, answering somberly. “He'd dead, boy. Your friends behind you need you now.”
\tJay looks behind and see Milliken and the others. They stare at him and at the bodies of their friends beyond. Milliken's chin quivers and his lower lips carries in and out as he breathes heavily. Jay drops his weapon and rushes to Mikey, who greets him with open arms. Mikey cries into Jay's chest as Jay embraces him. One of the younger boys, walks slowly towards the carnage, his steps halting and hesitating. Jay reaches out and grabs the boy by his collar, pulling him into a hug. Milliken wraps an arm around the boy.
\t“That. . .looks like. . .Carstin's shirt...” The boy sniffles and weakly tries to pull away, but Milliken and Jay hold on to him. “I have. . .to see if that's Carstin. . .Mother will. . .ask. . .” The boy begins to tremble and cry.
\t“Don't, Joey. Just stay here with us, alright.” Jay gulps down a sob. Carstin's dead. He looks at the bodies of his three friends by the door. Carstin, Timmon, and Sarman. He can only tell which is which by their clothes. Their faces are too badly mangled to recognize. Jay holds his boyfriend and their friend, Joey, tightly.
\tFour hours pass before the boys are able to travel out of the Castle. The immediate after effects of the attack lead to marshal law for the rest of the night to assure the safety of the Kingdom. With the King, Queen, one of the Prince's dead and the other at war, the High Justiciar immediately became the temporary ruler of Harath with the assistance of the highest level Marshal that remains on the kingdom's grounds. Letters were sent by ravens to all generals and commanders at battle, but wouldn't reach them for another six to eight hours.
\tAs soon as Prince Ronan received the letter of his parents death he considered his weighing options - stay in battle or return to the Kingdom to become King. Despite the sadness that consumed him, the young leader knew that it would weaken his men and the rest of the Harathi army if he turned his backs on them and headed for the Kingdom. If he left, his men would also go into the hands of Jason Steele, who he's worked so hard to build a bridge of trust. For now, he must trust the Justiciar.
\tJay and Milliken are forced to bathe and give their statements on what happened. Afterwards, they're taken to the demon temple by horse. Brothers and lovers hold each other close as they let loose their tears and emotions. The blood has been washed and the darkness has been cleansed, but the trauma and loss of this day will echo on for all of history.
\tIn the morning, Antoniad is selected as the new High Lord of the temple during a mournful ritual. Kirth and Chandler keep their promise and alliance to the demons while also able to keep their identities to hidden.
\tNine hundred and eighty nine miles away from Harath, Aldan and his group of raiders camp outside of a demon village that has gone unscathed from any attacks. Beautiful rivers and lakes, forests and swamps, riverfalls and monuments of ancient art surround their every step. Tomorrow they'll leave to join with both Prince Ronan and Commander Jason Steele's forces, allowing today as their final day of rest and escape from the continual chaos of war.
\tYthl and Tomas sit on bar stools outside of a brothel as they're fed salads with exotic fruits and the most delicious banana-tasting beers on the planet. Most of the demons in the village are seen building hidden traps or carving weapons. Somehow, they've managed to fight off more than six attacks in the past three months. It is by far the safest and strongest village on the far end of the Raythorn communities.
\tYthl scoots his stool closer to his paramour. He leans his head against Tomas' shoulder between bites, soaking in the peacefulness of the village even as the demons prepare for more war. “I love it here. It almost feels like home, doesn't it?”
\t“Yeah... It's quite strange though. It feels like as if we're at home and on the verge of being attacked.” He grunts. “How could someone possibly find it in their right mind to destroy a place as beautiful as this? They must be consumed with hatred and ugliness.” Tomas finishes his beer. He stretches in his seat and smiles. “It feels nice to not have to wear that heavy armor for once.”
\t“I know!” Ythl reaches over and pinches Tomas' nipple. “I almost forgot what your nipples look like! You were in your armor so much of the time.” He grins and sighs. “The Cruiberg are strange. They're taught their whole lives to hate demons. They can't see anything but that hate. Well, most of them.”
\t“And to hate anthros. We're second on their shitlist.” He holds a finger up before standing. “Well? Evie and Aizen were hoping we could help find some herbs and such on this list they made.” He pulls out a list from his pocket. “Shall we?”
\t“We shall.”” Ythl drains the last of his wine and grabs a dinner roll. He stands and stretches, nibbling on the roll. “What's first on the list? Wild parsley? Mandrake root? Hensbane wetted with wizard cum?”
\tTomas slaps his boyfriends butt at the last remark. “Did someone say wizard's cum? We might have to go further into the forest where nobody can see us in order to retrieve that...” He blushes as his erection stiffens. The young soldier grips his boyfriends hand as they travel between the homes and towards the trees.
\tAs Tomas and Ythl move into the surrounding woodlands to search for herbs, and perhaps more, elsewhere in the village members of the Jaeger Raiders are enjoying their last evening of rest and peace before rejoining the main army. Men and women lounge, enjoying the hospitality of the demons. They play cards, or games of kings. Some read while others relax under the boughs of giant oaks and sleep.
\tThe Aiguan couple approach a tent in which they hear high pitched giggles from out of a familiar voice. They look at each other with blushing faces that try to hold back their laughter. Inside of it, the healer Evie lays beside two male demons that she met from the village the day before. Neither have really woken up from the fun she had with them.
\tAs they walk away from it, Tomas nudges his boyfriends shoulder. “Good to know that she's getting off too. I must admit that she's one attractive lady.”
\tYthl gently punches Tomas' arm. “Traitor! Whore!” He mockingly chides his boyfriend. “I hadn't noticed. Everyone we meet is simply an amorphous blob compared to my ruggedly handsome lover.” The young wizard puts on his best pouting face, the corners of his mouth drawn down and his lower lip stuck far out. He even manages a sniffle and long sigh.
\t“Who? Me?” He points at himself, pretending to be surprised. “Wait! You're saying I'm dating the most handsome wizard in the whole world?” Tomas stands on his toes and pecks his boyfriends lips.
\tThey travel further into the forest to gather herbs in small leather pouches. After gathering everything they need, the swordsman stops his boyfriend against a tree and holds his arms against the bark. His kneecap rubs into Ythl's crotch. “You've been popping a hard rod for quite some time. What have you been thinking about?” He replaces his knee with one hand, groping him and pinching the head.
\t“Oh, I'm not sure I should tell you.” Ythl moans. He pecks tiny kisses on Tomas' cheeks and neck. He kneads his hands on the warrior's chest, squeezing his pectorals. “I should show you. . .”
\tYthl sinks to his knees. He tugs on Tomas' belt, unfastening it and his pants. As the pants and unders slide down to Tomas' knees, Ythl kisses at his lover's hip bone and along his pubis. He bites at the pubes, pulling them gently with his teeth, before pursing his lips and blowing gently on the tip of Tomas' cock.
\tThe young wizard looks up at Tomas, his golden eyes bright and excited. He sticks his tongue out pressing the very tip of his tongue against Tomas' pee slit. Slowly, he moves his tongue around the head as he slurps the five inch dick into his mouth.
\t“Unnhhh... Hun...” Tomas moans and sings to his lover as he watches down at him. His hands feel through the warmth of his lovers soft and long brown hair. The blonde spits down on two fingers and begins rubbing them between his cheeks. And to think that we had just fucked last night. “This might be our last time for a few days, maybe even a week.” His cock thrusts further into Ythl's mouth as he presses one finger into himself.
\tYthl pauses for a moment, resting his cheek against the hard, wet cock. “A week? Gods, I hope not! We'll both be so bitchy.” He looks around at Tomas fingering himself. “You want me to mount you, Sir Tomas?” Before Tomas answers, Ythl opens his mouth and sucks the standing boy's balls into his warm mouth. His tongue massages each nut in turn, He wraps one hand around the sweet cock and slowly strokes his lover.
\t“Think you'll be up to it? Have enough stamina by chance?” He teases, then his head falls back to the tree as he moans louder. Neither of them are worried about being caught, as everyone in the camp has caught someone doing something at some point now. Tomas adds a second finger and licks his lips when his boyfriend looks back up at him. His sweet pre-cum coats his boyfriends tongue.
\tWith a long wet slurp, Ythl releases the balls, now soaked and warm, and draws his tongue along the underside of Tomas' rod. He kisses the tip and then leans far back. He pushes his pants down to show his erection. His cock, larger than his lovers, seems huge against Ythl's slight frame. It strains and bounces as Ythl shows it off. “I think I can manage it.” He giggles. “I'll make you cry out my name, Tomas. Just let me know when you're ready to be ridden, horsey-boy.” Ythl dives his faces forward, kissing and sucking on Tomas' cock and balls.
\t“We've been together for how long? And it still freaks me out by how thick and huge it is.” He chuckles. Tomas takes the back of his lovers head and begins pumping him into his pubis. The sound his lovers mouth makes as it pumps and sucks brings him to the edge. Without warning, he shoots five times, the slit of his dick spraying over Ythl's tongue and down his throat. “Holy crap...” His legs wobble as he tries to hold himself up. He drools down on Ythl's dick as he see's his boyfriend begin to masturbate.
\tYthl smiles up at Tomas. He leans back, stroking himself slowly as the standing boy drops a wad of spit onto the wizard's crotch. Ythl moans and rubs the saliva over his cock-head, along the shaft, and into his balls. Tugging off his cloak and tunic, the boy grunts as he loudly masturbates. Once he's naked from the waist up, Ythl falls back onto the soft turf. Raising his hips, he slides off his pants and unders. Sitting up, with his legs spread wide, he grins up at Tomas and slowly lets a line of Tomas' spunk drool from his mouth onto his cock head. He uses Tomas' jizz to stroke himself, smiling at his lover the whole time. He lets another line of Tomas' cum leak from his mouth until it almost touches his chin and then he sucks it back into his mouth. He does this again, letting the cum drip further and further, sucking it back with a loud slurp as he pumps his cock with his fist. Looking up at Tomas, he opens his mouth, proudly displaying a mouthful of Tomas's seed that he moves around with his tongue.
\t“You'll give me some cum too, right?” He raises a brow and smiles. Tomas kicks off his unders and leaves his clothes in a pile with Ythl's. The boy moves down and uses one hand to help angle the head to his ass. It slides in without much work. In response, the blonde's five inch boner leaks even more cum and is fully erect again. The warrior begins pinching and twisting his nipples as his asshole squeezes on the wizards cock. He uses his well experienced skills to ride him with only the support of his leg muscles.
\tYthl stares up at his lover. He moans and bucks his hips upwards, driving his cock deeper into Tomas. He holds his left hand on Tomas' hip as his right hand slides up over the warrior's tight stomach to his smooth, tight chest. His hand slides down to grasp Tomas' cock, slowly stroking his erection and running his thumb over the head. He opens his mouth, still holding some of Tomas' seed and wiggles his tongue at his boyfriend and pursing his lips at him.
\t“You might catch some more soon!” He warns. Tomas begins using his boyfriends left knee for support by holding it from behind as he angles himself correctly to move faster. Being penetrated like this always drives him crazy - every nerve in his body feels pushed to its highest measures of possible pleasure. The head of his cock goes purple, the veins of his shaft are more pronounced, every touch to his body gives him shivers. Nothing feels better to him than being a bottom for his boyfriend.
\tYthl swallows and grins. “You were supposed to kiss me, silly, so we could share it.” He squeezes Tomas' cock tightly, then slips his hand down to his partner's balls. He gently tugs and squeezes Tomas' sack as he lifts his hips up to meet Tomas' descending ass. The warmth and tightness of his lover has always amazed Ythl. “Gods, I love you ass, Tomas. I love all of you, but your ass is. . .exquisite. I'm getting close, lover...”
\tTomas can tell how close his boyfriend is by how his thrusts are getting faster into him and that it's pulsating at times. His second orgasm is close too. He can feel his nuts tighten up again, feel the lush warm cum dripping from his tip as his cock slaps his stomach as he rides Ythl. His eyes shut hard as he moans loud. “FUCK!!!” Three spurts fire out, the first landing upon the wizards lips, while the rest falling on the boys chest.
\tYthl squeezes Tomas' cock, milking every last drop of his seed. He scrapes the cum from his chest, scooping it up with his fingers and rubbing the hot, fruity nectar over his lips. Tomas reaches down and takes over, feeding his cum from Ythl's chest to his mouth. Ythl grasps Tomas' hips and begins pulling his lover down onto his raising cock. “Aaagghh!” Ythl's cock pulses as his orgasm explodes inside of his lover. His long, thick cock carries his seed deep into Tomas as his cum splashes against Tomas' insides. Seven powerful surges of cum empty into the boy before Ythl grunts and goes limp. His arms fall out to his sides as his chest and stomach heave with his breathless, soft moans. “That was. . .fucking amazing fucking. . .”
\t“You're telling me.” He raises himself a bit to let Ythl's much larger cock pop out of him. Tomas falls to his right, then cuddles next to his boyfriend as they share their exhaustion. There's still just a little bit of energy left in the blonde to give him the kiss that he was meant to give him earlier. The taste of his own cum is faint, but still noticeable - it tastes of peaches and bananas. “After the war... We should go camping for a while. Be like this in the nature, you know?”
\t“I'd like that. We can travel in our animal forms.” Ythl presses his body close to Tomas. “The wolf and the fox. We wouldn't need much in the way of supplies. Would you want to stay in Aigua? Or explore foreign lands?”
\t“Maybe somewhere like Cantos where Hunter and Toby live.” He responds. Tomas leans forward and kisses all over his boyfriends chest and nipples. “They're still with Asher. It's incredible that our people have been able to keep two Cruiberg kings from attacking E'hbel. We just need to win this battle to turn the tides... Then everything forward will be much less stressful.”
\t“Our cause is just. Aigua doesn't fight for conquest or revenge or out of hatred.” Ythl folds his hands together behind his head. He stares at the tree tops and the blue sky beyond as he relishes the cool air washing over his naked, hairless body. “We fight to defend the innocent. And we fight with Harath and the demons of E'hbel and Varn Ra. We'll win in the end. Maybe this time, we can defeat Cruiberg badly enough that they forget their notions of conquering the demon lands. I don't want to have to fight them every ten years. It would be such a waste.”
\t“This is just a rumor, but the last time Toby and Hunter wrote they said there's a possibility that the Cruiberg's are looking for allies.” Tomas thinks on it for a moment. “Well, if we can hold them off here and in E'hbel as well they won't stand a chance.” He yawns, and caresses his boyfriend.
\tBoth of the teenage lovers lay and meditate together. It's quite possibly the first time in all of the war where they've truly felt like they've been able to let go and be themselves again.
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