A/N Thank you Nightmare Senshi, MrsPuppet and Nikki, Starry and Thera, everyone for helping me along the way. Nightmare Senshi ((Hugs)) Hestors family line...I hope I've done it justice. Thank you to all of you taking the time to leave reviews for this story, letting me know you want more and are enjoying it. This is not a chapter rewritten, this chapter is completely new for this rewrite of the story. I hope you all enjoy.
DESNA
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Lucy had barely touched the key, had honestly just been staring at it for a few minutes as everyone talked, as Hestor had watched her with those icy blue eyes of his and she'd felt his suspicion, tasted it and watched him curl in against Farron.
The breadth and width of what Lucy did not know about her magic was something she was aware of and had been working on since she had come to Bosco. The Academe Celestine awaited her...she had been accepted into their coming term...she and Kaleb had already been discussing how Kittar might just be assigned to daily take her to and from classes and when he couldn't Thane would so she would be able to be at home...sleep in their bed and not have to be away from their guild.
She had forgiven Hestor, no small thing, but the bigger thing she had learned...was he had to forgive her and she hadn't even realized he had cause to be angry with her. Sorano hating her so much had made no sense either, yes she'd beaten her in a duel and one day, after another narrow eyed cold blue steel look from the other Celestial Summoner she'd had it and had confronted Hestor.
"Alright...that's it...I'm done with the looks, I'm not the one that lost my shit and attacked my own guild, got Zen and Cris raped and traded my One to the Joyans!" She'd spat.
Farrons eyes had flown wide in surprise and Kaleb had stood stunned talking to Kittar, Cida and Shimako a short distance away. Hestors hand had slid to Farrons arm, squeezing it gently as he had turned his full attention to Lucy.
"I'm not completely sure what you mean." He responded.
"Bullshit, every time I cross a room or something you're there glaring at me. I've had it...Sorano hated me the moment she met me, even Yukino resented me and has never once told me why. Princess Hasui drops little perfect needles in my direction, too, and I'm sick of other Celestial mages treating me like crap! I get it, I didn't train, I don't know much about my magic but that wasn't my fucking fault! I'm going to correct that, going to go to the same fucking school YOU went to, so, quit with the fucking hate!" Lucy cried, tears in her eyes she wiped at angrily because it was all true, she was so done with this, so over other Celestial Summoners looking at her like she was some horrible person.
Hestor narrowed his eyes "The fact that you have a piss poor amount of education around your magic isn't the reason...it's just one of the gaffs associated with the reason other Celestials will look at you with resentment...Princess." he almost sneered it and Lucy let out a frustrated sound and lunged at him.
He always moved so fluidly...Hestor was the picture of a Stellan. His Silver hair aside, he was haughty, quiet, moved with effortless grace and...could take someone apart and make them feel utterly judged with a single look. Lucy had had enough of it too and all of her frustrations around him, around how others of her magic type treated her, all of it bubbled up and Kaleb's eyes snapped to Kittar who nodded. A moment later Lucy was staggering in training ring sand, Hestor had side stepped her lunge and slapped her ass with the flat of a curved sword as he'd stepped out of her reach sending her sprawling to her knees.
Fisting her hands in the sand she glared over her shoulder at the silver haired man who was now standing calmly behind her with an arched silver brow.
"We all have good reason to resent you...Princess." He spat the title again and Lucy hissed, Cancer's stardress forming over her, dark swords coming into her hands as she stood and Hestor watched that happen and his sneer deepened, his own clothes altering leaving him in flawless armor that perfectly fit him, covering key points but leaving his chest bare, the man had regained his weight, and was lithe with a defined body under the soft flowing clothes he usually wore. The golden wings over his heart testament that he and Farron had mated, Farron's Archangel magic emerging when that had happened much like Kaleb's had when he and Lucy had fully committed to each other.
Silver/Blue roses were Tattooed across his collar bone, the vine curling elegantly vanishing under the gold of the armor. Silver hair was in a fishtail braid and the almond shaped blue eyes were calm on her.
"What?! Why? Are all of you just….assholes?!" Lucy spat running at him, her frustration and anger getting the better of her.
Sword hit sword and metal hissed, small sparks flying from two magical weapons colliding. For a few moments that was all the communication there was, sword on sword. Kaleb and Farron had both walked to the ring and were standing at the rail side by side watching their mates with concerned eyes. Neither one made a move or said a thing to try and stop them, though.
"Because you've had your magic handed to you on a fucking PLATE!" Hestor snapped as he moved. On one level, he really did want to hurt the woman, visit some of the pain she had unintentionally caused him back onto her. It was so...aggravating with Lucy...she didn't MEAN to cause so much pain, but she fucking DID.
"Bullshit! I've fought, I've struggled, I've been sacrificed, hunted...raped...all while I fought to get stronger! I'm no different than any of you except I didn't get any teaching from anywhere, I had to learn the hard way!" Lucy cried, some of her swings going a little wild.
Hestor scoffed "Hard? What hot horse shit have you been feeding yourself?! You haven't had to struggle for a single fucking key!"
Lucy had blinked then stumbling back a bit, hissing as Hestors sword had cracked her in the thigh, the flat of it definitely leaving a bruise as he glared at her.
"Well...no...no that's not true! I had to stand up to Sei Roo for Leo...I fought Sorrano for Aries and Scorpio." She said.
Hester rolled his eyes "You contracted some of the most powerful Celestial keys in existence...earned the Starbringer title...without going through a single fucking key trial you idiot...you think those keys just giggle and make contracts?! Fuck you! They put mages through trials to test their fucking worth, trials that Celestail Summoners without huge tits blonde hair and Sei Roo in their Stars Damned pocket actually DIE trying to get through! Leo the Lions trial is LEGENDARY! Fighting through his pride to finally tame him? Did you know Leo raped Karen during the trial she went through? He did...three male lions did, it was part of getting to him and taming him. You didn't have to go through that though did you? Do you even KNOW what the key trials are that have been endured for the keys you hold?"
Lucys mouth had fallen open then, eyes wide as all he'd just said sunk in.
"I…" She didn't know what to say, for years now she had thought Karen was some terrible person...and...maybe she was...but the fact she had used Loke for sex suddenly didn't seem as...one sided terrible as she'd always believed it to be.
She felt her magic flare and Leo stood, glaring at Hestor "You fucking asshole! What happened before doesn't matter!"
Hestor narrowed his eyes, Abraxis appearing beside him to stare at Leo.
"She has a right to know why other Celestial Mages treat her the way they do...why some at the school may very well be bitter and hostile toward her when she gets there. Sei Roos favoritism...him smoothing the way for her...sparing her going through trials for powerful keys that have killed many Celestial Summoners before...you alone Leo the Lion...how many mages have died in your trial?" Hestor asked coldly.
Leo hissed "It doesn't matter...she's the Starbringer...the last Heartfillia! Her life couldn't be put at risk! She was already facing enough!"
Hestor sneered "Bullshit..fuck you...you do her a disservice letting her giggle and hug her way to keys where mages before her have died. She bounces those tits and Golden Zodiacs fall in her lap...how does that help her face her life? How does it help her to get stronger and fully realize the abilities of her spirits unless she's first hand felt the pain and death's edge they can take someone to?"
Loke glared at Hestor who just stared back and Lucy stood in disbelief, finally, lifting a boot from the sand and kicking Loke in the ass.
The spirit staggered and gave a yelp of surprise looking at her with wide eyes rubbing his butt.
"You...all of you...you had trials and didn't make me do what other celestial mages had to?" Lucy demanded and Loke let out a breath glaring at Hestor again, the man giving him a pitiless shrug and sheathing his sword, crossing his arms over his chest.
"Princess…" Loke began and Lucy hissed
"DON'T call me that. Just...don't…" She snapped and Loke bit his lip standing and trying to compose himself.
"You're the last of a line of great Celestial Summoners…" Loke said
"That has been catered to and given opportunities others weren't." Hestor added and Loke rounded on him.
"Shut up! You've said enough!" Loke shouted and Lucy swatted him with the flat of her sword bringing his attention back to her.
"Is it TRUE?!" She demanded
Loke couldn't look at her and Hestor narrowed his eyes again
"For fucks sake...TALK to her." Abraxis snapped beside his key holder. Abraxis was one of the spirits of "The Hall" set of keys Hestor held. A hall of justice and absolute justice that could even judge spirits and realm kings and queens, nobody was above it. The Keyset had been created to give humanity a clear portal to the judgement of eternity, something only the God Anubis had ever had access to until the Hall was created. It had been assembled using deadly lesser Gods and Demons too converted into keys by the magic that was then made to go with the "Starbinder" title.
6 points of Humanity. The titled Celestial Mages opened the way for humanity to have a seat at the Court of the Heavens where the Makers themselves would sit. Where Gods could be judged and unmade...where new Gods could be created, where the destinies of worlds could be decided. It had been over a thousand years since humanity had had all 6 points, just before the holy wars two had been mysteriously...eliminated. Jukite Takida of Stella, the first Starbinder, and Lara Beliria of Bellum the first Starwalker had both died very suddenly and nobody, not anyone, knew how it had happened. First Jukite, then Lara and Humanity had lost their seat.
The Holy Wars had raged on, the heavens blessing humanity with the Archangel Magic set to help them fight the demonic armies, nobody had time to dwell on the loss of the Starbinder just after she had finished completing the Hall keyset, brought balance to it so the holder of it would not be driven into mad darkness, bound powerful spirits to it to balance out the sisters, contracts made with the powerful brothers of Ma'at...like Abraxis. The former Demon General had thus not been part of the forces that had beset Earthland in those days, bound to the keyset he had taken his place in the Hall, and he had known many Takida bloodline Celestial Mages. He had also watched...the favoritism toward the women Celestial Mages.
"She will not be spared this time." Came a firm voice and all of them turned to look as a tall powerfully built man in an impeccable black suit appeared, glittering where he stood and Loke bared his teeth and growled.
"Draco...you will NOT harm her." Leo snarled and Lucy smacked him, drawing his startled look and she glared at him until he clamped his lips together.
"STOP, stop whatever...protection from what I am, from what my magic needs of me Leo the Lion...I mean it." Lucy said firmly then looked at Draco who smiled at her.
"I will not protect you...you will face my keytrial Starbringer, and you can die in it and I will not protect you, you must get through it on your own...no spirit can assist you in any way once it begins, a true keytrial, where you, your training, your strength, your cunning alone will be the difference between surviving and earning the right to bear my key...and death." Draco said
Lucy stilled, turning to look at Kaleb...her Archangel...her mate and Husband and he smiled at her nodding. "Do what you feel Lucy...whatever the outcome, I'll be nothing but proud of you and love you regardless." he said.
Lucy pressed her lips together, looking pleadingly at him, if she died...he would die with her. That was the nature of an Archangel Mage mated to a Celestial...if he died in combat protecting her, she would live on, but she died? He died with her. Even if it was a key trial.
Draco smirked "Oh...Kaleb is not a key...but...you'll find that because you are mated to an Archangel...you've an advantage other Celestial Summoners do not have."
Hestor narrowed his eyes but ran his free hand over the golden wings over his heart, eyes cutting to meet baby blue ones and Farrons smile made his heart warm in his chest. He wasn't sure what Draco meant, but it would apply to him too since he was mated to an Archangel mage so...he'd keep his mouth shut and listen.
Draco though was typical of Celestial spirits AND a Dragon, not one Sei Roo could influence he had been a generational key belonging to the Pradesh family line since before the Holy Wars and had proudly defied Sei Roos desire he go into Heartfillia hands for centuries...until now, when one actually had a right to hold his key...a right that he would make her prove herself for.
"If Lucy Heartfilia is as grand as all of you believe...this will not be an issue, she should skip through my trial untouched because of her incredible strength and talent. After all, you made her into the Starbringer Leo...you and yours...how could she possibly fail?" He asked lightly and managed not to look smug at Leos fiery glare.
"One less point if you kill her...and Sei Roo...the realms themselves will turn on you…" Loke said and Draco narrowed his eyes.
"It is PAST time a Heartfilia EARN a powerful key, generations Sei Roo has influenced spirits to waive their trials for them...we will now see if the grand power you assert they all have is real? Or just handed to them without effort to prove it out." Draco said.
Loke was about to say something else snide when Lucy just vanished and the spirits gate slammed shut winking him out of existence on the plane.
Kaleb sucked in a breath at sudden, sharp, immense distance between himself and his mate suddenly hitting him before he sat heavily, rubbing his chest and Farron turned to him in concern, Hestor hurrying from the ring, dismissing Abraxis, concern on his face for the man who was still very much...one of his closest friends in spite of all that had happened over the last year.
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Lucy was suddenly...dumped unceremoniously on her ass and sat there, trying to process and register everything.
She was...in some thick trees, facing bright light...there was screaming, there was noise, clattering, ringing like metal on metal, flashes and her whole being, her magic containers, her pathways, all resonated with the amount of magic that was flying around, powerful deadly magic…
Managing not to cry out when a tree some 20 yards from her was hit and suddenly vaporized by a spell Lucy crept forward and peeked through the foliage.
Before her was a battle...about 30-40 people facing off against….demons...big powerful demons...some hulking nightmares, others almost beautiful and but for the horns and sharp teeth...they would have looked like elves maybe.
The battle watch pitched, hard...and at the center, a big man fought, with a sharp gasp Lucy for a moment thought that it was Farron, the long golden hair, the fiery golden wings...but while he looked very similar to her brother in-law, there were some differences...this man was more heavily muscled, and wore...old clothes...not that they looked old in age but...old styled armor...he swung twin swords wreathed in light and fire against several of the hulking large demons.
She stared in amazement as she saw the man a little ways behind him, a hand held up, white wings glowing, platinum hair flowing with magic, and she saw shields being held, keeping the golden mage protected as he fought, keeping other demons from advancing and surrounding them, and just behind and beside the white winged man, a slender man with silver hair cropped short in the black gold and white robes she knew were Stellan...Anubis...they were robes of Anubis, one of the temples Stella maintained was to that God...and the near the man celestial spirits fought the demons with the golden winged one...she recognized Abraxis immediately...she had JUST seen him, and here he was, fighting alongside the silver haired man who she realized looked a great deal like Hestor…
A blast of magic hit the tree beside her and Lucy gasped, jerking away from the flying debris and suddenly staring up at a huge demon that was lifting a heavy axe "Fucking Celestial scum…" the demon hissed bringing the axe down and Lucy rolled away, but not fast enough, she desperately threw her arm up, almost certain as she did it it would just be cut off and the axe sparked against...a clear magic shield...Kalebs magic and she had just...used it.
A black boot kicked her to the side and heavy black wings hissed through the air over her, cutting the demon into three pieces as a big man with white streaked dark hair suddenly stood over her glaring at her with purple eyes holding a huge broadsword dripping gore, his wings also dripping blood and not just blood the color of the demons he'd just killed.
Lucy stared...the mans resemblance to Zen was...shocking. "I don't know who the fuck you are but MOVE, if you're over here hiding trying to avoid it I'll kill you myself." He snarled and Lucy scrambled to her feet glaring at him as he took a step toward her and...bounced off her shield.
The big man blinked in surprise, reaching a gloved hand out to tap the shield and glancing toward where the white winged mage was still fighting and narrowed his eyes "These aren't from Jacamar...who the fuck are you?" he demanded
Lucys eyes widened "Jacamar" was the name of the first Morning Star Archangel mage. She looked at the field again where the fighting was wide eyed then back at the glaring powerhouse before her "You...you're Kayliss...the first Evening Star."
The man sneered "Yeah and? What the fuck is wrong with you? Whose command are you with? Look bitch...I'm not babysitting some starry eyed hanger on and if you try to challenge any of our mates? Considering how soft you look? You're gonna fucking die. Now get to fighting or fuck the hell off I don't have time for you." Kayliss snapped and the big mans black wings lifted and slammed down, showering Lucy in blood and gore but she...didn't care. Looking around her she patted herself over, realizing she was still in her crop top and shorts and had to look like a damned idiot with every other human being in the area clad in worn blooded armor carrying weapons…
She pulled out her whip and grit her teeth, trying and failing to call her stardress and realizing...none of her keys were reachable...none...and remembered what Draco had said about getting through this on her own merits…
With nothing else to reach for she requipped into training leathers, suddenly grateful she had bought them even though at the time she'd honestly thought she would never need them because of her stardress.
Whip snaking out...Lucy snatched up a short sword that had been dropped and...dove into the fray alongside a couple of mages clad in clothes with the same insignia Kayliss had on his chest. The rising Phoenix of the Holy Church of Earthland.
She had read about the wars...she had been through some horrible fighting in her own life at this point too, but really...nothing could have prepared her for the next several WEEKS.
There was almost no rest, there was no break to the fighting, it was ongoing, she barely learned names people moved about so much and she learned fast...to try and stay in the battalion with the Archangels because they tended to cut through even the heaviest concentrations of demons and seemed to be moving toward...where she felt Draco was.
Kayliss...was hard, cold, and completely utterly ruthless in combat, the big man shied away from nothing, and even the biggest demons hesitated in engaging him when he landed on a battlefield, it was usually the demonic commanders that took him on.
Galasfriel was fast, like the sun itself on the field he lit the area around him, heated the cold air with his fires, and moved through opponents at ten times the speed even Kayliss could go. Through it...Jacamar provided shields and support, someone would stagger near dead from injuries to him his wings would wrap around them, light would flood them and the wings would part letting a fully healed and restored person free to rejoin the battle.
Kaleb wasn't close to that yet...still learning his shields and mastering flying with his wings. She watched as the Archangels mate moved them around the field of battle too. Eiko actually the one who fought in his partnership with his mate Jacamar though Kayliss' mate, a cheeky grinning woman named Ausuway Agria...who looked a lot like Yukino...fought near or beside Kayliss a lot too, that even with what very much looked like a baby bump.
Theirs was the relationship that amazed Lucy, as cold and harsh as Kayliss got, he was soft...submissive...affectionate with Ausuway, only she ever got his smiles or ever had those cold purple eyes warm on her. It was odd though...because he almost seemed to...resent it. If she was any distance from him he tried to stay away from her until she would pull the big man to her, and twice during times when the group would find time to rest, eat, sleep, she'd watched Ausuway just...yank open Kayliss' clothes and fuck the man right in the open, he never resisted her either, immediately passionate and fiery under her hands and returning her fervor...while Jacamar was...tender, sought Eiko, who was gentle, loving with him...the pair much more obviously in love.
Galasfriel...Gods...every time they had a break of any kind that man was fucking some woman senseless, sometimes several women...Lucy had never even seen him sleep...though she herself had passed out a few times, grateful those around her would wake her when the group started to move or when enemies were approaching. Lucy garnered no real notice...and her trial seemed to be...survival based, the group was travelling, moving to take back a temple of the Stars and Lucy could sense Dracos key was there, watching the other Celestials, straining to hear if they sensed it...but none of them mentioned it, talking only about retaking the temple because the altar within it was too much a tool for the demons and they couldn't be allowed to keep it.
She was filthy, always a little cold unless they were fighting, always hungry...she picked up a few bits of actual armor from others in the group and never had a chance to get near the Archangels, in fact, Ausuway had stood and held a sword in her face one night.
"Don't even think it...he's MINE, I'm pregnant by him and that buys me the use of him in a duel so...don't try it bitch...I've seen you looking." she'd hissed.
She had nodded toward where Galasfriel was having sex with a couple of mages "He's your only chance for one...but you better be a lot stronger than you seem to be because he's killed two mages that have tried to mate him." she'd sneered and Lucy had shrank back, touching her chest where Kalebs white wings were still bright in her skin over her heart, well hidden under leather and armor.
Lucy remained huddled as dawn was breaking, the demons fought less during the day, preferring the night and they had hidden overnight, close to the temple now enough that they could see it in a valley below the foothills they had approached through to avoid contact as much as possible.
There were dire beasts in this area...massive gigantic animals that were immortal, they had seen black wolves in the night, one of which had come close and spoken with Galasfriel. The Black Pack, they were called, led by a huge black wolf that had looked over their group and snorted "Fine...sleep here, the pack will watch over you and wake you if any demons dare approach...we do not want them staying in that temple but I will not send wolves in there to fight...it's too close quartered for us to be effective...and they stay within and underground in the temples catacombs out of our reach…" he'd told them.
Lucy had learned then that because of the Dire beasts and a couple of lairs of dragons this region had seen little of the demon hordes and they wanted to keep it that way, making getting the temple out of their hands that much more important, the hordes did not need another foothold in yet another region of Earthland to strike from.
"Here." One of the other mages...a man named Delfis, handed her a cup with a hot broth she knew to drink down, one of the mages with them was an alchemist, and made their watery meals laced with magic enhancing, strengthening and healing drafts Lucy knew helped tremendously, so she gratefully took the cup and drained it greedily, knowing there wouldn't be more, they couldn't risk cooking, it drew attention, the broth was heated in the cup by Delfis before he handed it to each mage just to add a little comfort to what was a rather poor meal but she'd seen...nobody ever complained.
How men like Kayliss remained so large and heavily muscled she wasn't sure, she was certain she'd lost a few pounds by now…
She gleaned over and managed not to roll her eyes...Ausuway was on Kayliss again, fucking the man...a morning ritual almost...she took him a few times a day...one of the other mages said it was necessary for the health of the baby...Kayliss' magic was needed and sex was the best way to share it...still...the woman tended to just...grab the man, throw him on his back and take him whenever she felt like it, whether he was busy doing something at the time or not and she almost seemed to prefer doing it where everyone could see. Smirking smugly afterward as he'd stand and adjust his clothes and return to what he'd been doing.
Kayliss, she knew now had...had...a mate before Ausuway, two in fact, started with a woman he had actually been in love with, but she'd been killed by his second mate, a woman...named Joy Heartfillia..and Joy had been taken out by Ausuway. Apparently though Joy had...given birth, and Kayliss had a son out there somewhere..with Joys family according to one of the other mages in their battalion, Ausuway stepping in and challenging Joy the day after she'd given birth, knowing she no longer could have Kayliss active during a duel and that she would be weaker. It made sense now why Kayliss was...so icy cold and didn't seem much interested in being near Ausuway if he could avoid it...which Lucy had seen repeatedly...he couldn't.
Jacamar was the happy one, in love with Eiko and they had even surrogated a while back apparently...had a son back at the Temple of Anubis in Stella. The pair had been hard to watch...making her think too much about Hestor and how Kaleb had been so important to him...how her beloved husband...could have been with someone else.
She was learning too, through hard experience...that without her spirits and her Stardress, she really did struggle hard just to hold her own even against average opponents. Enough so that others in the battalion had saved her...repeatedly...and she was starting to wonder if she would really be worthy of Dracos key when she reached it considering how much help she'd really had the last several weeks.
At least the people accepted her though, and had taken to letting her stay in near the center of them during fights because if they didn't...she could get overwhelmed fast and...in one small area...where they had come against numbering demons taller than houses that had been...eating people...just picking them up and...eating them...she'd been so horrified and traumatized Kayliss had had to step in and drive one of the lumbering giants back, had cut it down because she'd been unable to fight for a few minutes after watching it bite one of her almost friends in half and consume them, picking the young Holy Light mage right up, only not taking Lucy because her whip had snapped on the back of it's hand and so it had shifted it's hand to the side with a frown...taking Nicolene instead of Lucy…
She'd had a damn hard time collecting herself after that and once he'd killed the thing Kayliss had stalked past her, a black wing smacking her in the back and forcing her to keep up with the others and stagger into the center of several mages where she was kept for the duration of that battle.
Now though...she was clear headed, the dawn felt good on her dirty greasy blood spotted hair, and her clothes, almost stiff with dirt and dried sweat and blood didn't feel so bad to her anymore. She would certainly never...if she survived this...ever look at her husband and his brothers the same way again after watching the first Triad fight for weeks...she had promised herself she would kiss Vanders feet when she saw him next...after watching a group of church priests bind a Shadowquip to an xframe covered in holy runes and promptly...drain the man of his magic and life force to blast a huge division of demons and send them careening into a void ripped open by the Shadowquips magic. The man had held on, had watched through bleeding eyes as every thing he was was poured out for the attack...and he'd fought to stay alive through what the priests did to him...smiling faintly when it was clear thousands of demons had been wiped away...the area would be safer...and...their battalion would get through to go after that temple.
Kayliss had raged at the priests, Ausuway finally having to restrain him and force him to stop because he'd looked ready to kill the men.
"He was dark." One had said and Kayliss had snarled at him "He was NOT evil! He fought for you! Suffered for you! How many hundreds of demons has he killed? How many missions has he taken into Hell itself for intelligence we had to have? You arrogant self important FUCK!" He'd roared at the Cardinal who had glared then.
"You are an honored and badly needed part of the war effort or I would have you flayed alive for those words." the man had sneered as Lucy had sobbed...watched a woman...who had apparently been the Shadowquips mate, deteriorate and die at the foot of the X-frame, sobbing and mumbling the mans name softly as she did.
"I should cut you down where you stand…" Kayliss had hissed as Ausuway had pulled him away, as the battalion had followed him, Galasfriel had turned on his heel, "accidentally" slapping the Cardinal with a fiery wing and setting the mans robes on fire...the chaos around getting those flames put out keeping the church acolytes from attacking like they had looked ready to do.
The Shadowquip mages had been rounded up and used as weapons...after fighting for years for the Church, sacrificing as much or more than others...the church had justified it by saying they were dark mages...but none of them, not one, had done anything but help the people, help the war efforts...help the Church.
So...when this was over...Vander was getting a kiss...Cobra could just deal with it.
They moved down from the foothills and the wolves stayed with them until they went into the temple...once inside...Lucy was again walking in a nightmare.
The temple was full of...half eaten people...every age, every race...human bodies torn open, partially eaten, clearly hearts removed…
"Sacrifices...summonings...it's how they create certain types of demons." Eiko had explained as they had gone down into the temple.
They had fought level by level, and it hadn't been easy but even Kayliss admitted...it had been easier than it should have been.
When they got to the lowest level, where things had once been stored under the main sanctuary...Lucy gasped, and she wasn't alone, Ausuway and Eiko had both sucked in breaths at the unmistakable...celestial spirit standing there. "Cassiopeia...you filthy bitch." Kayliss snarled.
Lucy had looked at him in surprise, she'd seen the Archangels work alongside their mates spirits seamlessly this whole time, respectful, sometimes even affectionate toward them...such hostility surprised her but it didn't seem to surprise Cassiopeia.
"Silence Evening Star..I am well pleased with you...your children grow strong and will do well assuring the continuation of the magic you gave them." The woman said but she glared at Galasfriel who held up a middle finger.
"You NEED to mate...it is an affront to the heavens that you have KILLED two mages who would have born you fine sons." Cassiopeia snapped and Galasfriel made a disgusted noise and shrugged.
"I have PLENTY of babies on the ground bitch...so you can shove the slavery you want to visit on me up that dusty cunt of yours...since nothing else ever goes there." He sneered and Cassiopeia hissed at him.
"You WILL mate...I've plenty of mages I will make sure come your way Mid-Day Star." She turned toward Jacamar and Eiko and Jacamar narrowed his eyes, sliding an arm sound his mate.
"This won't continue...you must mate a female mage Morning Star...I won't have this, you MUST sire offspring, more than one." She snapped and Jacamar glared.
"Fuck you...I love Eiko...we're strong together, and we plan to surrogate again when we get back to Stella." the man said
"That won't do either...I don't want that bloodline enriched so much...I don't WANT you breeding into Stellan lines, I have other plans for them, you need to produce with a different line...come here woman." Cassiopeia snapped and a shapely blonde stepped out of the shadows, eyes vacant...and golden brown...and Lucy froze...looking at a woman who was nearly identical to herself.
There was a sharp tug on Lucy then and she looked by her foot, seeing Dracos key there and she lunged down, grabbing it up, shocked nobody but her seemed to notice it at all, but all eyes were on Cassiopeia...on the blonde beside her.
"Marie Heartfilia my dear...take what should be yours…" Cassiopeia said and Jacamar screamed "NO! NOOO!" Trying to shove Eiko up the stairs.
"Eiko Takida...I Marie Heartfilia challenge you for the Morning Star, Jacamar."
When the words were spoken, Jacamar arched and fell to his knees, eyes going blank and Eiko hissed, narrowing his eyes but bending, looking with deep love into Jacamars face and kissing the mans lips before he straightened and descended to stairs into the open chamber, robes flowing around him as a sword came into his hands and familiar armor covered his body. The white wings of Jacamar bright on his chest over his heart he pointed the sword at Marie.
"You will NOT take my One...my love...from me." He said in a low dangerous tone.
"Oh...but she will." Cassiopeia smirked and Eiko blinked, frowning as magic sealed the chamber, Kayliss and Galasfriel both hissing, staggering.
"No...what have you done?!" Kayliss demanded, beating on an invisible barrier keeping them all in the chamber. All sound...even the feel of magic the world usually gave them...gone.
"I have closed these proceedings that none...not even my King Sei Roo, may see what happens here...I can NOT allow you...you deviant...to keep an Archangel Mage...they are to mate WOMEN, and only with Women so they can be prolific, and you...you and your line...will NEVER have another of my Archangels...I will wipe your whole bloodline out for what you've done." Cassiopeia sneered and Eiko stared at her.
"You do not have the right!" He snapped but he couldn't call his keys...could not reach his spirits, the hall out of his reach because of the duel...and now he was sealed away...in a temple...a thoroughly desecrated temple covered in demonic seals closing out all light, holy and celestial magic...closing out the very eyes of the Gods themselves...and realization dawned in steel blue eyes at all Cassiopeia had orchestrated here.
"Were there ever demons here at all?" He asked quietly as Marie drew a sword and he watched Perseus...and Andromeda appear on either side of the blonde, both in armor...both with weapons already pointed at him.
Cassiopeia shrugged "Long enough to do all I needed them to do...when this is over...none will remember what happened here but you three, and let it serve as a warning...you WILL mate with women, you WILL get as many pregnant as possible and grow this magic, spread it across Earthland that we may destroy the Demonic hordes and protect the veil...if you defy me…" she smirked as Marie lunged forward.
Draco appeared beside Lucy as she lunged forward "NO! This is cheating! This is WRONG!" She screamed but nobody seemed to hear her...or see her as the fight began, Eiko against Marie and...all...of her spirits. Cassiopeia smiling coldly watching.
"This is the truth…" Draco growled "The truth of the past and you needed to see it...needed to know and understand." he said gravely.
"Let me help him!" Lucy sobbed and Draco shook his head, forcing her to watch as Eiko was killed, slowly worn down and exhausted, Marie, because of Cassiopeias influence, able to keep 11 spirits out at once…
Kayliss and Galasfriel raging, beating on the invisible barrier wanting to help their friends mate...roaring in rage when Eiko finally went down, a spear right through the white wings over his heart.
Cassiopeia crossed the room and grabbed Jacamar as he woke from the duel trance, dragging the man to his dead mate where he screamed in pain and misery reaching with a hand toward the body of Eiko even as Marie tore his clothes off of him and took him and he couldn't deny her...his magic forcing him to comply…
Lucy sobbed, shaking her head, clinging to Dracos suit jacket "No...no...this can't….it's wrong...IT is WRONG!" She screamed and Draco nodded, but made her look again...watch as the mating was completed, as the white wings formed on Maries chest over her heart, Kayliss and Galasfriel on their knees, glaring in pure hate at Cassiopeia who only smiled as Jacamar dazedly got to his feet at Maries command...pulling his clothes back on.
"Remember this...my beloved Triad...and do not defy my wishes again." Cassiopeia said and the scene finally faded. Lucy sobbing into Dracos chest.
"Remember...learn...don't hate your ancestor, she had no more choice there than Jacamar had. Love your husband...TRAIN, so you can protect him if another Celestial mage comes to challenge you to a duel for him...and know you survived your first Key Trial...my Mistress." Draco said and he was gone.
"Lucy!"
Never...in her life...had hearing a voice meant so much to her as in that moment when she heard Kaleb. She reached blindly through her tears for him and sobbed more when he was there, when the smell of apples filled her nose instead of blood and filth, when she felt those strong arms around her.
"She looks like...she's been gone weeks and it's only been minutes…" Farron said. Hestor hushed him, kissing Farrons lips gently and then looking back at Lucy with new respect for the woman.. She was filthy, her hair a mess of filth and tangles, she'd lost weight, had partially healed injuries, a couple that looked infected...and she held Dracos key in her hand as she was sobbing into Kalebs chest.
"She's won a key trial." Hestor said softly, with real compassion in his voice as he nodded in approval.