Oh! Important tidbit! These ######### signify flashback breaks. ^_^
There's also a poll on for y'all to vote on which Harem Guy you'd
like to see in the next fic. True, at the moment Blackwargreymon is in
the lead (yay) but it worries me that Xellos is a close second. All this
does is prove that you're all just as insane as Telca and I *hehe*
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Malcho groaned in agreement and lay flat on the lush grass, the cool ferns and slightly damp soil taking some of the oppressive heat from his scales. Ignoring the dull throbbing in his wing, he turned his head and looked over at the Elf that was lying spread eagled on her back a little ways from him, her eyes clenched shut as she gasped for breath. He let her be for the moment, taking the opportunity to merely lay there and reaffirm his love of the Rainforest.
He had almost dozed off when he heard her move, the sound making him crack an eye open to look at her curiously as she hauled herself to her feet. "Que? Amiga?"
"Stay put. I'm gonna go check the clearing. Hey! Didn't I just tell you not to move?!"
"If you think I am letting you go alone, you are completely loco, amiga!" he hissed as he rose from the ground and gave himself a little shake to wake himself up. "Besides, if the sorcerer is there, you will need my help."
"But you're--" She looked at him, took in his expression and sighed. "Going to be incredibly stubborn about this. Fine, fine. Just, be careful, okay?"
He chuckled, amused at her worry for him. "Si, mi amiga. So long as you do the same."
"I'll get back to you on that," Lashana smirked as she picked her way through a mess of ferns, heading for the clearing they had booby-trapped the day before. Despite the fact that Malcho was moving almost silently behind her, she could still make out his faint gasps of pain whenever a branch hit his wing, and she inwardly kicked herself for not studying those Healing spells that she had brushed aside as useless a few weeks ago. She would give anything for those spells now.
"Amiga!"
She turned at the call in time to have Malcho's left wing swat her to the ground, and she bit back the loud retort that came to mind when she saw him drop into the ferns a little ways to her right. It simply amazed her that a giant purple snake could vanish into a sea of green so easily. Maybe he's part chameleon or something.... Moving carefully, she rolled onto her stomach and crawled forward until she could peek through a few ferns, blinking at the sight of the Humans slowly making their way across the field. Okay, there's only seven of them....
KABLAM!
Make that six. Hehe. Watch where you're stepping little man, there's runes laid out all over the place. Trying very hard not to snicker, she shifted to get a good look at the sorcerer and felt a shiver of terror travel down her spine. Holy Gods! His aura... It's BLACK! Oh this is not good, not good at all.... As he swept the edge of the clearing with his gaze, she shrank back into the safety of the ferns, not daring to even breathe as his gaze travelled towards where she was.... and then seemingly fixed right on her. Oh shit!
Hello, little one.
Her lip curled as she glared back at him, fangs bared. Telepathic... What do you want you bastard?
You're an Elf, are you not? He smirked and rose a hand. I've heard that the blood of Elves has many magickal uses.
SHIT! Her heart pounding in her chest, she rolled to the side, barely avoiding the blood red fireball that singed her right shoulder on it's way past, exploding against a tree mere seconds later. She was up and running before the tree had even hit the ground, her breath burning in her lungs as she lured the sorcerer away from Malcho while retaliating with a few fireballs of her own. Gotta take out the Humans. They'll shoot me the first chance they get!
The sound of a loud bellow drew her attention to the far end of the clearing, where Malcho had coiled himself around a poacher and was literally constricting the life out of him while hissing and trying to get a clear chance to bite the second human that was trying to hack at him with a machete. Aw crap.
Throwing a fireball at the sorcerer to distract him, Lashana ducked a barrage of tranquilizer darts that flew her way and swerved, her boots digging deep into the soft soil as she ran over to help Malcho. "Source of all power... Wind which blows to the East..." She rose her hands and mimed closing her hands on a bow and arrow. Actually, if anyone had bothered to look closely enough, they'd have seen the slight threads of fire magick swirling at her fingertips, forming a perfectly shaped bow. "Flare arrow!"
The spell flew with perfect precision, sending the poacher that was trying to sink his blade into Malcho flying twenty feet through the air before he landed right on a hidden pitfall, adding another thirty feet to his plunge.
Not bothering to look in the direction of the fallen human, she skidded to a halt in front of the quetzacoatl and rose her hands, taking quick inventory of the spells she could use for defence as the sorcerer turned to glare at them. "Malcho. Get ready to run."
He hissed lowly and casually tossed the human he had been crushing aside, the limp form landing amongst the ferns somewhere to his right. "No amiga. I will not leave you here."
"Then at least stay behind me. Things are about to get very very ugly." She never removed her gaze from the sorcerer as she spoke, knowing that the second she let herself be distracted, he'd strike. As if I have that much patience.
You'd hurry to your own death?
Baring her fangs at the voice in her thoughts, she narrowed her eyes slightly and gathered together all the emotions that she kept locked away. Pain, sadness, anger, rage, depression... she balled all of those up and shoved them at the presence hovering at the edge of her mind, smirking when the sorcerer's eyes widened a little as he took a shaky step backwards. Now!
Ignoring Malcho's protests, she leapt forward and landed on one knee on the ground, grimacing as she slammed her right hand flat against the grass. "Earth below me! Submit to my will! DUG HAUT!" She hadn't had time to perfect her control over this spell, but the numerous rock spires that burst from the ground between her and the sorcerer was more than enough of a distraction. "Malcho! C'mon!"
Startled by the show of magick from her, he shook himself and quickly followed her into the forest, easily catching up to her as she ran for safety. She has that kind of power and yet she fears that gringo.... "Amiga! This way!"
Stealing a quick glance behind them to make sure they weren't being followed, Lashana swerved around a tree and shoved a low hanging branch aside as she sprinted after Malcho. How the hell can something so big move so fast?! "Wait!"
The quetzacoatl spun at the cry and lashed his tail around her waist before tossing her onto his back. "Stay low," he rumbled, hiding a wince as he folded his wings tight against himself before slithering forward, navigating the numerous trees and dense undergrowth with ease.
Too easy. Shadow Snap!
"Ack!" Lashana lurched forward and tumbled off of Malcho's back as he came to a full stop, his frantic gaze and the sight of black spines embedded into his shadow easily telling her what had just happened. Luckily, this spell is easy to break! Scrambling to her feet, she lay her left hand on Malcho to reassure him and rose her right. "Light which burns beyond crimson--"
Oh no, you don't. Mono Volt.
Pain. The lightning spell slammed through her, making her scream in agony that, while no where near as bad as the Crucio spell Telca had done on her, was still enough to overload her system, rendering her unable to stand, much less weave another spell.
Don't worry little Elf. You'll only be paralysed for a few minutes. The sorcerer smirked as he and the remaining three poachers walked over to them, his thoughts lightly caressing those of his captives. Long enough for my... associates to properly restrain you and this precious beast.
Malcho hissed lowly and tried to twist around to sink his fangs into the human, bellowing in pure rage and frustration when the spell that was holding him limited his movements. "What do you want with us, gringo?!"
"Ah, so you do speak. I was wondering if those rumours were true." Smirking, the sorcerer lightly trailed a hand over the quetzacoatl's side, chuckling when he felt the expanse of scaled muscle shudder in revulsion. "You, dear creature, are going to help me broaden my magicks. True, you won't be alive to see the finished results, but she will be." He turned to look at the Elf and crouched to cup her chin in his left hand, raising her head to look at her face. "What? A halfblood?! Bah, her blood's not pure. Oh well, I'm certain I can find.... other... uses for you, my dear."
Lashana weakly bared her fangs, glaring while she mentally screamed at him. Go to hell you bastard! When I can move again I'm going to rip your heart out through your nose and nail it to your forehead!
He chuckled and glanced at the huge snake when it growled and tried to protect the Elf. "Well, well. Is she yours, creature? Too bad." Smiling, he rose to his feet and looked at the three poachers behind him. "Tie them up while I weave the restraining spell for the beast. Treat them roughly if you must, but I want them alive."
C'mon.... c'mon you stupid spell... wear off already!! She felt her fingers move slightly as the three humans approached them and growled softly under her breath. Fine. Let's go for the tried tested and true method. It wasn't something she liked doing, but she knew that emotions were a powerful energy source. Unlocking what she had bottled up inside of herself for the last thirteen years of her life was easy, she dreaded having to try to get ahold of them later. But the rage and hurt she had kept hidden... she needed it now.
Malcho strained at the invisible force that held him, trying to at least coil himself in a protective perimeter around Lashana before the humans could reach her. Then he could simply sink his fangs into that bastard sorcerer and pump enough venom into the humans veins that he'd die a quick yet extremely painful death. If we do not do something soon, our chances of escaping will be crushed....
Having tested the minimal amount of movement he was afforded when he had tried to lash out at the sorcerer, he could only smirk as one of the humans stupidly ventured too close. If we cannot get free, I at least want some company in the afterli-- Carumba!
"Get the hell away from him!" The scream of rage was accompanied by the fist that slammed into the closest poacher's stomach, making him double over in pain and incidentally enabling Lashana to smash her knee into his face before kicking him aside.
Stop.
She froze at the growl and bared her fangs as she turned to glare at the sorcerer, her anger wavering when she saw that he was holding a fire lance to Malcho's throat. "Bastard."
Perhaps. But at least I'm a powerful one. Submit or watch him die.
Gods dammit all to Hell and back! Her hands fisted at her sides, her nails cutting deep into her palms as she glared at him with undisguised loathing while the two poachers that were still standing advanced on her....
"There you are!"
A yelp of shock left Lashana's throat as a glowing white doorway opened behind her, pulsing once before a single arm reached through to grab her by her hair and haul her in. "No! Telca, wait! They're gonna kill him! Wai--!!"
"Well!" The sorcerer grinned and banished the spell, looking at the quetzacoatl joyously as the portal snapped shut. "That's one less problem to deal with! Boys! Get him tied up and drag him into the clearing! I need room to weave the Blood Rite!"
"Gotcha boss!"
Malcho didn't even acknowledge the ropes and chains that were suddenly being tied around him, didn't feel the cold bite of a dagger prodding him into slithering back towards the clearing. At least there's someone to tell the story now.... Be well, mi amiga. I swear, my last thoughts will be of you.
###############
The entire Kitchen was silent. Then...
"What happened?!"
"Ack!" Lashana covered her ears with her hands, her thoughts muddled by the loud unified screams from the audience. ".....ow..... Yeesh. A little patience wouldn't kill you people."
"As if you're one to talk."
"Shut. Up. Kang."