Set in stone

by Lady DuCaine

Tempest L’Orange and Asp Flashblade face off in battle, in return for his life; he must do her one big favor.

Title: Set in stone.
Summary: Tempest L'Orange and Asp Flashblade face off in battle, in return for his life; he must do her one big favor.
Author: Kaladan Flashblade
Feedback: Constructive reviews are alright, but flamers can keep their hands silent.
Archive: Archive is okay, if you ask me first.
Rating: PG
Pairing: none.
Main Character(s): Members of the cartoon show The Mighty Ducks and my new original characters.
Disclaimer: I'm not making any money out of writing these stories. No harm will come to them. Please don't accuse me of trying to harm them.

Author's Note: This is a new story that I had done couple years back. Enjoy.

Set in stone.

Tempest entered the Flashblade domain with it's marble statues of previous Lords and Ladies of the House, he knew right where to head. Tempest was most worried about his close childhood friend Alia. Her last letter to him had been disturbing and he didn't quite understand it. Truth was what he did get out of the letter itself distressed him. Ever since Lord Flashblade's death without an heir named - a clan war had broken out.

Tempest quickly scanned the throne room to find Alia's familiar dirty blond hair and her royal armor standing next to a board, with several other older ducks. They looked busy as they stood around a board to plot out battle strategies. "Alia,"

Alia looked up shocked to hear the voice. She smiled at the dark grey feathered, below the shoulder length white hair duck who wore a storm surfer armor. By Tempest's eyes, she seemed to have aged so very fast since he had last seen her. "I'm glad you came here, Tempest, I've missed you."

"What's going on?"

"A bid for the throne, the one who manages to wipe out the head of the renegade Flashblade clan becomes the new head of the Flashblades."

"Renegades?"

Alia nodded sadly. "They kill in cold blood. We never have been able to reason with them. Our attempts to deal with them it has become a war. So far my forces have made the most headway, but I don't know how long they can hold out."

"Is there anything I could do to help?" Tempest asked, as he walked over to the table.

Alia frowned as she shook her head. "This is not a battle I want you in, it's too dangerous."

"Let me help you, at least to help coordinate your troops."

"As you wish, Tempest, you do have a great mind at that." Alia said with a smile.

Tempest smiled as he glanced over at her. "Hopefully, this can end sooner."

"Well, if everything goes well, it will end very soon and the new Lord or Lady Flashblade will take their rightful place and calm the feud." A battle strategist said, as he looked over the battle plans.

"Now tell me what you have been planning?" Tempest asked, as he looked at the battle plans.

"We are planning on a direct strike on their main base; we'd have to get there by surprise."

"Well, for one thing, you would need to surf the skies to get there to surprise them." Tempest said. "If at all possible, you can use the clouds, it will even be better cover or attack under the cover of night,"

"You're a trained storm surfer Tempest. Do you think you could help us coordinate it?"

"Well," Tempest said. He bit his lower lip. As much as he wanted not to, Alia was his friend so he nodded and turned to look at the plans and started to help them plan the attack.

It was no more than five days later, the clan war was now at the height of the war itself. Tempest had helped with the initial attack but to his dismay, he was dragged into the battle later that first day. The Dove Flashblade house had decimated what soldiers were under him; now they were picking off any survivors. Tempest was watching as several of the Dove Flashblades strode towards where he had hid. He knew he was not wounded but if they found him he would be dead. Tempest knew he had to do something soon but what could it be.

He grabbed the electro charges from his belt; if anything they'd be his best chance. He set them to maximum, tossed them and hoped they hit their mark. For the most part they did, though one had managed to evade, he lunged at the boy, his staff activated. The boy was taken aback but drew his swords. Tempest had lost all sense of rational thought it was simply kill or be killed.

When he regained himself to his own horror, he had impaled the boy multiple times with his staff and the one that had been the deathblow still held his staff. He felt ill as he pulled the staff out of the now dead boy, he couldn't have been more than 15. 'Forgive me child, I had no other choice it was either let myself be killed or kill you.' He closed the open eyes of the boy before using the boy's cloak to cover him up with.

"Showing respect to someone you slew so murderously?" spoke a voice coming from behind him.

"I slew him too fast to even give him the time to fight in a respectable manner. He didn't deserve to die that way, even if he was a Flashblade. He barely had a chance with my weapon." Tempest said, standing up to his full height and turning to see with whom he was speaking with. To his surprise it was a girl, not much older than the boy, she had blond hair like boy he slew, and had pure white feathers. She was dressed in a style of clothing that he had only heard of from Alia - Dublin clothing.

"Give me one good reason why I shouldn't slay you on the spot." the girl said, as she looked at him.

"And I would say there is no reason when there is a war going on. No matter how much you didn't want this fight someone dragged you into it and made you fight even if you didn't want to," Tempest stated, dropping his staff to the ground.

"Pick your staff up, it wouldn't be fair to fight you unarmed," the girl said, pointing her sword to the fallen staff.

"What is being fought for? I don't understand this war." Tempest said as he picked up his staff.

"You really don't know? Then I shall tell you. It is about power, control, and fear, the Flashblade clan you know can not bear our existence."

"I thought it was just a clan dispute for leadership now that Lord Flashblade is dead," Tempest said.

Asp took her battle stance. "I have no interest for the plains. I rule Sunset Valley and am a Dove's Shadow."

Tempest gulped, he knew a Dove's Shadow was one of the more deadly Doves around. He knew to win this battle he needed to be focused on her.

She flicked her sword in one swift fluid movement, slicing his staff in two and pointed her blade right at his heart. "Do you wish to live, L'Orange?"

He knew he was as good as dead as he started to pray to the creator that his parents honored. He looked at her and placed his hands by his side. "I do not fear death, Flashblade,"

"That is not what I asked you," the girl said. "Do you wish to live, L'Orange?"

"Even if I said yes you'd kill me regardless."

"I've seen enough death for today, for the time being you're my prisoner."

Tempest looked relieved as she wrapped a rope around his wrists and nudged him to walk towards the building that he had seen surfing in. He wondered what kind of food he would get for being a prisoner.

When they entered the building, it became so very clear to Tempest that it wasn't a base at all but a household that had been built ages ago.

One of the servants approached Asp. "What shall be done with him?"

"He's my prisoner, deal with him accordingly."

The servant nodded and looked him over, Tempest gulped nervously. She gave him a predatory smile and he relaxed; this servant was Saurian so it would either be a quick end or she was amused by something about him. By this time Asp had already left him in her care. The servant cut the ropes that bound him. "Try to run and I will kill you. Understood?" Tempest nodded. "Good, now let's get you cleaned up, Lady Flashblade hates it when prisoners smell like battlefield."

"You are not going to throw me in a dungeon?"

"There aren't any woosename, it's not our way."

"Woosename?" Tempest asked, as he was led to a bath and a tub filled with water.

"Outsiders, now strip. I need to bath you," spoke the Saurian, looking at him.

"I'll bath myself, thank you very much," Tempest said.

"It is also to make sure you are not holding any escape devices under your skin, L'Orange. Your sister is a thief, don't be shocked, we know plenty about your sister even though she tried to hide where she is at, our spies within where she hides relay messages back to Lady Asp," the Saurian said, as she stripped Tempest down to his skin with him holding his privates. "Get into the water now or I'll throw you in."

Tempest did what she ordered as she soaped him up and rinsed the soap off. He wondered why was he getting such treatment, was it because of who he was or that Asp didn't want him to stink. But he had to admit that despite the harshness of the servant, the bath was welcomed.

Once she had deemed him clean enough she set out a towel and clothes for him and grabbed what had been stripped off of him and started for the door, "I'll be back in a couple minutes, be dried and dressed, and don't even think of escape." she ordered him before fully leaving.

Tempest dried his wet feathers off and looked for a way to escape by the window but the window wouldn't budge open. He sighed as he turned to the clothes that the servant had laid out for him and started to pull them on when he realized that the fabric used in making it was softer than the clothes he wore. 'Where did they get this soft of a fabric?' He asked himself, as he felt the sleeve of the clothes he wore.

He took a closer look and realized that the threads were much finer. He sighed; he didn't get it, he was supposed to be a prisoner but except for being confined to the servant's care like a child, it really didn't feel like it. Though the servant had said that dungeons weren't their way, but what would be the point of treating a prisoner as a forced guest?

The servant returned with a brush and hair tie.

"Good, your dressed now tie back your hair and I'll show you to your 'cell'." she told him in an amused tone and handed him the brush and hair tie.

He took them. "Why are you doing this, why treat a prisoner like this?"

The servant laughed. "Woosename, there are many different ways to keep prisoners, the only prisoners our kind keeps are those worth having otherwise they are simply killed. If someone has been deemed worthy of being taken prisoner there is no sense in being uncivilized by torturing them or leaving a person to rot in a dungeon. Follow me, your 'cell' awaits,"

Tempest sighed, at least he didn't have to worry about being shot yet as he followed the servant out of the bath room and towards a room.

She gestured for him to enter. "I'll be back when the mistress wishes to see you, till then make yourself comfy."

Tempest entered the room; the servant quickly closed and locked the door behind him. He had to admit, this was better then how his family would treat a prisoner. He looked around the room, it was a bit oddly decorated but if he was to be confined he could live with it, he also noticed a bathroom attached. Out of the corner of his eye he spotted something he hadn't expected, his staff on the small weapons rack, he grabbed it and examined it. The first thing he noticed was that it was cleaned up and on more thorough inspection the small blades on it had been sharpened. He honestly was at a loss he could use their odd customs to his advantage but his curiosity had taken over his common sense, he wanted to know why. And even though, they gave him his weapon back, he knew he could easily escape but he pushed that thought aside, they were now a mystery. This side of the Flashblade family was totally not normal.

He heard the door being unlocked but he hadn't heard her slip in. "I hope Tress wasn't too harsh." Asp said in a quiet tone.

"She wasn't. But why return my weapon to me, cleaned and sharpened?" Tempest asked. "I could use it against you."

"A weapon and its owner are one; it is a horrible thing to keep them separated for any length of time."

"And what of the risk it poses to you?"

"There is no risk; I always keep my weapon with me."

Tempest noticed the sheath on Asp's side as he nodded. She was smart. He did feel a lot better having his staff; it gave him peace of mind that he'd still be able to defend himself.

Asp sat by the window. "This war is destroying my family, Tempest. All that remains of my entire family is myself and two cousins. Why is it that the woosename Flashblades refuse to leave my family alone?"

"Perhaps if I know the real reason behind their hatred of you, it might become clearer?" Tempest asked.

Asp sighed. "If I knew that I could end this war, my family wants nothing to do with them, we are part of the Dove."

Tempest had heard that name spat out several times by the others back at the royal Flashblade's domain. He had always meant to ask them why they hated a part of their own family - this Flashblade Dove group. "Who is the Dove?"

"The Dove is a bit like Surfers and Bladers, its how we refer to ourselves as a people, our ruler is the Black Dove; well that's their title, they're normally of the McDove clan."

"They say you kill in cold blood."

"I'm a living weapon, as well as a Shadow, an adviser to the Black Dove; it is my duty to protect the people from harm."

"Do you get punished if you do the wrong thing . . . like kill someone for no reason?" Tempest asked.

"It depends on how the Black Dove perceives it, but if the Black Dove thinks we've done wrong we are punished."

"If you accidentally killed someone in a practice duel and you really didn't mean to, what would the punishment be for that?" Tempest asked, looking at her.

"Depends on who was killed, though if it was an accident nothing would happen to the person."

"But if they happened to kill the Shadow, probably more than likely it wouldn't happen but if it did,"

"They'd be dead."

Tempest swallowed. "You mean the Black Dove would have slain the one who slew his or her Shadow?"

She nodded. "Yes, that is exactly what would happen to that person, Tempest."

"So the one who slew the Shadow would take his place or would he be given a chance to commit suicide before he or she slays him?"

"You misunderstood me, if someone kills a Shadow they are hunted down and killed."

"Oh,"

"There is no forcibly taking a Dove's position; it gets passed down to the next in line. The higher position the less wanted it is."

"So when did the Doves come to claim part of the Flashblade clan?"

"A very long time ago, before the division of Blader and Surfer,"

"I had heard rumor about them claiming part of this clan after everyone had split off into Bladers and Surfers, I guess the rumors were wrong then,"

"Don't believe a lot of things from the outsiders, Tempest, about us. We have a moral code of honor when we do battle as you witnessed, those who we think are worthy prisoners live those we don't think shall die under our blades,"

"So why take prisoners?"

"For information and sometimes understanding,"

"Like me?"

"Pretty much, though I fear that the woosename Flashblades may destroy what remains of my family, and leave me without an heir,"

Tempest thought about the situation. There wasn't really anything that could be done, if she got pregnant she'd be killed easily, and with this war going on between the two Flashblade clans there would be no way to save her line without having someone from the other side join hers. He mentally shook his head, what was he thinking, if she stays out of it then he may have a long life.

"Will you do me a favor in exchange for your life and freedom?"

"Depends on what it is, Asp."

"I want you to quietly search the woosename Flashblade ranks to find one who may be a suitable heir."

"I agree to it, I do not know if there is one here but a child may be born later that I may find to be a suitable heir for you and I'll bring her or him to you when I find the heir," Tempest said, removing a dagger from his pouch and running the blade over his left hand drawing blood from it. "A pact of peace between you and me till I bring you an heir, done in blood."

Asp took hold of the dagger and sliced her hand. She grabbed his bleeding hand. "Till the time you bring me an heir to take my place as the Dove Flashblade Lord or Lady, you will be in debt to me,"

Tempest nodded. "I'll find your heir, even if it takes a lifetime of searching."

"So be it," she said, the wound began to heal. Tempest could feel the weight if his promise weigh down on him.

Tempest left Asp's home a few minutes later as he headed for the mountains, he had to think about how or where would he go to find Asp an heir, when all of a sudden, a weird wind started to blow with a demonic cry. He sped his board up hoping he would be able to break free from it, when he realized what was happening - a temporal storm and he was caught in it. His last thoughts was to his folks and family before he was yanked into the storm itself.

On another mountain top, a silhouette of a winged drake stood there in amusement, in a way it was too easy. But at least his plans would bear fruit before he disappeared from sight.

But in the house of Asp Flashblade, she knew that one day an heir to her House will come and claim what is rightfully his. She knew it would be a Drake with dishwater blond hair and a desire to be what he was destined to become – a living weapon. But the thing was she heard the name of her heir – Nosedive Flashblade. She didn't understand why anyone would name their son Nosedive. But she hoped he would do her side of the family proper by taking her place in the ranks of the Doves.

This story is now done.