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Twisted Hearts
Chapter 10 (Wahoo) - A Tale of Two Endings.
Numair had left the castle as soon as the badger's tale had finished. Alanna had insisted on coming with him and it was all the King could do to stop Onua and Thayet coming to.
Numair didn't speak. His mind was churning. What his poor love had been through the past years was crushing. And she had survived. He thought so much of her, so much of her bravery, her passion, her fire. Daine had survived so much, not knowing whom she really was, and Numair suspected the badger had left out the worst.
He was angry to though. Angry at the way he knew she would have been treated as a slave, although the badger had been reluctant to give them any details. He felt anger at the way he had greeted her. But most of all he felt the crushing anger that he could have found her in minutes. If he had used his focus Daine never would have had to go through that.
He swore to himself that when he found her again, she was never going to leave his side, ever. Varice was forgotten.
Animals, birds mostly, flew at the riders trying to halt them and they both acquired many small, but bloody, scratches. The horses ran off their course and even once tried to dump their riders into a muddy patch. They eventually found it best to leave them behind.
Numair knew it was Daine, as did Alanna, trying to stop them from being hurt. They refused to stop though. They were in sight of the fog-shrouded tower now.
Daine banged her fist on the wall.
"Taking no notice of your animal friends are they" Chalice laughed, "Told you they wouldn't. The mage thinks it's his fault and the Knight has anger in her heart. It will be an easy fight"
"Please, no. Leave them" Daine pleaded, "I'll stay here, whatever. I don't want them hurt"
"And that's why I'm going to enjoy it so much" Chalice's smile was malevolent.
Daine threw herself at the woman. Chalice was taken by surprise as Daine dived on her, clawing at her face. It took her a few moments to realise what was happening. Daine felt hotness on her stomach then she flew across the room, landing in a heap at the bottom of a wardrobe. The door fell from it upper hinges.
"How dare you" Chalice's face sported many dark red trails of blood, "How dare you touch me. Whore!"
It was the first time Daine had seen the woman lose her cool façade. "You give out pain but you cannot take it" Daine laughed, a short, pained sound.
Chalice raised her hand; her face was twisted in anger. Daine didn't flinch. Then the hand dropped, slowly.
"No" Chalice said her voice slow; "It wouldn't do to kill you now" she cocked her head, like a bird listening for worms. Then she strode towards Daine, almost clearing the space between them in one, powerful stride.
"Downstairs now" she barked, grabbing Daine's arm and pulling her to her unsteady feet. Chalice pushed the girl ahead of her out of the doors and down a flight of stone stairs.
Daine tried her best to hold up Chalice's progress. She pulled away from the woman, kicked her, got under her feet, and even tried throwing herself down the stairs in front of her. Nothing worked. Chalice's anger was her power, her stronghold.
The staircase led out to the entrance hall, where Numair and Alanna stood, warily.
"Daine" Numair's voice was filled with relief as he stepped forward. Daine didn't look at him.
Alanna unsheathed her sword; it glinted in the moons light, the only source of lighting in the hall.
"Go" Daine, whispered, "GO. I'M NOT WORTH DYING FOR"
"No" Numair's voice rang out true, "I won't leave you to be hurt again"
Daine looked at him. His eyes pleaded with her for something, forgiveness. She wasn't ready to give it yet.
"Just go I want to stay here" the quiet reply.
"No" Numair stepped towards her, long legs clearing the distance in seconds.
"Wait " Alanna cried, too late.
Chalice threw Daine across the polished floor and she skidded to a halt. The world turned on its side, she dared not move.
Chalice brought herself face to face with Numair, an enraged Numair. She threw a blast of silver light at him; he barely had time to throw up a defence of sparkling black fire before it crashed into him, sending him skidding backwards.
Alanna rushed toward the Enchantress with sword held high and found her herself flying backwards at an alarming rate. She halted when she crashed against a wall in mid-air but instead of sinking to the floor she stayed afloat, held by invisible bonds. She struggled, fighting tooth and nail to get free to no avail.
"I fight with the mage alone" Chalice said, watching carefully for an attack as Numair stood. He kept his defence up. Not taking an eye off Chalice he stepped toward her. Silver fires flared up round her body to.
"You are good," she said "But not yet good enough to match me" and she attacked. A few well-chosen words and a wave of deadly silver light raced toward him. It crashed against his shield, hardly making it flicker. He smiled, and threw his own attack, 7 fast-paced flames flew toward Chalice from different directions. She smiled to and they bounced off her shield, hardly worth more than her own attack had been.
"Maybe we should stop testing each other" she said, slightly breathless.
"NO" Daine cried, lurching to her feet. Both dualists looked to her as she ran toward them. She halted in the middle, facing Numair.
"Just go. I have nothing to live for. You have a life, go" she didn't look at him.
"No" his voice was strong, "I won't leave you again, Daine" his hand reached for her.
Chalice took her chance. She flung heavy-looking silver balls at them both. Numair grabbed Daine to throw her out of harms way and took the full attack, his shield down.
Daine landed hard on her knees. She curled her arms round her head, pressing them into the floor. She didn't want to look up. She could hear Alanna as she cried Numairs name. She could hear her cries to as she tried, in vain, to free herself of Chalice's bonds.
"Using your magic is no use, Lioness" Chalice spat, "You are helpless until I decided to free you"
Alanna did not stop though. She had been taught never to give up and she refused to now.
Daine began to edge along the floor to where she thought the fallen Numair lay. She didn't look up and kept herself as closely pushed to the floor as she could. Chalice watched in amusement.
Daine bumped against his arm. She lifted her head slowly. His face was still. The whole room fell silent, even the air stopped moving.
"Numair, Numair no. Please. NUMAIR, PLEASE NUMAIR" Daine became hysterical. She grabbed the mages arms, his face, as if her touch would bring life back into him.
His hand reached up to stroke her cheek, "Shush magelet. As if something like that could take me from you" he smiled weakly, "Now get me up"
Daine smiled and supported his weight as the unsteady mage got to his feet. They both stood, Numairs arm round her shoulders, and Daine's round his waist.
"Go" he said to her.
"But you-"
"Go" she obeyed, the power in his voice, the flow of his Gift that began to gather round him. The real fight was about to begin.
Numair whispered something, black flame surrounded Chalice. She screamed in rage, whirling round to look for any escape. She waved her arm and silver fire intermingled with Numairs black, causing black and silver sparks to fly and shadows to dance across the room.
If Daine hadn't of know those flames were so dangerous it would have been one of the most amazingly powerful sights she had seen. The flames danced around each other like fighting wolves, striking then pulling back, taunting each other. Chalice whirled in the middle her magic trying to force an opening so she could escape.
She threw silver balls out at Numair. Some he dodged easily. Others he sent to crash against the walls harmlessly.
No one noticed Varice sneak into an unlit corner of the room. No one noticed Hawkwing flew in to land above her. If anyone had maybe they could have stopped the events that followed.
Chalice threw a silver ball. Numair sent it toward the wall Varice hid near. She ran madly out into the light.
"Numair NO" she screamed, the pulsing ball of light headed toward her. In that moment of incisive decision Numair took, to save Varice, his walls of flame collapsed around Chalice. The ball swerved from its original course to crash uselessly to the floor.
But Chalice was upon Numair in a wave of silver. For a moment you couldn't see, then the magic faded and Daine watched as Numair crashed into a wall, sliding slowly down. Chalice walked toward him, smile of malice glittering in the moonlight.
"Time to finish you, mage. Although you are one of the best fights I have had in my time."
"No, no, no, NO" Daine's mind screamed. She began to run toward them. She changed as she ran becoming a cheetah to move faster. Chalice whirled as the animal jumped upon her, tearing clawing.
"I seem to believe we where in this position before" Daine's human vocal chords she fashioned, spoke icily.
"And I remember who triumphed last time" Chalice was panting.
"I was disadvantaged last time. Now I have claws" and Daine put them to work. She ripped into the woman's skin, sending blood everywhere. Daine pushed deep holes into the woman's face. She tried to reach for the woman's throat but Chalice was quick, she knew her neck was most at risk and had covered it in silver fire.
Daine roared her fury as her claws raked deep. She felt that familiar warmness on her right arm and tried to pull it away. She wasn't quick enough. The pain rushed through her whole body; it felt like white-hot needles had pierced her arms. The silver fire engulfed her paw, then spat it out, useless.
Daine roared in pain and fury and tried to dig in her hind claws to steady herself. These claws dug, hard into Chalice's thighs. The Enchantress screamed in pain. Daine tried to rake her with her left paw but balance was too difficult. The whole of Chalice's body began to burn with hot, silver fire.
Daine leaped off, landing heavily, on her injured right paw. She pain shocked her and she lost her cheetah shape. She lay panting, not daring to get up again to even to find her clothes.
Chalice was a bloody mess. There was hardly any bare skin showing that wasn't covered in blood or Daine's attempts to kill the woman.
"You.will.pay.for.for that" the Enchantress found it hard to even speak.
She turned back to Numair. He lay helpless waiting for his fate.
"NOOOO" Varice screamed, "NOOOOOOOO. NOOOOOOOOOOO." Her screams were endless and piercing.
"SHUT UP" Chalice screamed, equally piercing herself.
Varice panted then "NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO"
Chalices arm flicked outwards and Varice collapsed to the ground, clawing at her face. It was burning.
"Now" she said turning her full attention to Numair. He hadn't moved. She raised her arm.
"Nooooo" a gravely voice shouted from the skies. Everyone looked up. A stormwing plummeted downwards.
"How dare you" he called, "How dare you hurt her" he plunged towards Chalice, streaking through the air like no other stormwing could. He crashed into her, in a flurry of metal and screams. He skidded across the floor, his wings scraping the marble.
The Enchantress still stood. "You dare to defy me, your master" He nodded.
She raised her arm but nothing happened. She raised her other, still nothing happened. Slowly one hand reached to her neck, then the other. They touched bare skin. She looked down. Around her lay her stone, shattered fragments of her power.
She screamed the most blood-curdling sound ever heard to man. Daine's hands flew to her ears. Alanna's face screwed up, her eyes closed in a pained expression. Varice whimpered. Numair raised his arms to his head.
Only Hawkwing did not move to cover his hearing. He waited.
An ethereal, golden light formed around Chalice. She stopped her cries to look upwards.
The powerful voice of Mithros boomed out, "Thank you for destroying the power we thought was gone, Hawkwing. And thank you to for helping to defeat her, mortals"
The same light shone around the stormwing. He was lifted to a standing position.
Daine crawled towards her torn clothes. They were hardly anything but strips of cloth but they were better than nothing. She found it difficult to pull her legs into her breeches with her injured arm. Two hands came into her view, helping her to pull them on. It seemed that when Chalice had lost her power Alanna had been freed of her bonds.
Hawkwing shouted. Both turned to stare. Instead of a stormwing they saw the form of a young man in his place. He had shortly cropped auburn hair and green eyes instead of his red stormwing eyes. He stepped out of the ethereal light as Chalice slowly began to fade.
"Goodbye, Your Highness" he spat.
Daine sat and cradled her injured arm.
"Let me see that" Numair bent to crouch next to her.
"It's ok" Daine looked across to Varice's shaking form, "You wife needs you more" She stood and began to cross the room.
Numair then made the decision he knew would determine the rest of his life. He looked between his sobbing wife, and Daine as she stumbled across the floor.
He followed Daine. Hawkwing saw this and went to Varice.
"Daine wait" she whirled round then gripped her shoulder in pain at her speed. "I, I'm sorry"
Daine looked down, "You, you never looked for me. You never used your focus. You just accepted my death and wed Varice"
"I didn't want to accept it magelet, I-"
"BUT YOU DID" her voice echoed and rang out round the hall.
"The amount of blood they found, they said no-one could of survived"
"But I did"
"Yes and I'm so glad you have come back, back to me" his hand reached for her face.
She pushed it away, "I spent three years being beaten, attacked and raped as a slave. My best friend died so I could escape and come home. I only found out who I was a few weeks ago and I've had to some to terms with my whole life again. And you were sat here, sleeping with Varice the whole time. One spell and you could have saved me"
"We thought you were dead Daine"
"Thayet didn't. Thayet always believed I was alive"
"And we should have listened to her. If you knew how I have felt since you got back. I wanted Chalice to kill me so I wouldn't have to feel this anger inside me that I could have saved you, I could have saved you being, being raped"
"You wanted to die?" her voice was soft and low.
"I still do. To show you how much you mean to me. How angry I am at myself" his eyes pleaded again for hers to meet them. She let them.
"I, I'd never want you to do that. I couldn't live without you" she looked away from him, "All I thought about on the ship coming back home was what would happen when I saw you again. I imagined kissing you again, being held in your arms. And then I walked into your room and saw you with, Varice" she whispered the name.
"We can do it now" he whispered, cupping her chin in his hand and turning her face to his. They stared deep into each other's eyes for a heartbeat that lasted a lifetime. Then Daine threw herself at him. He gathered her into his arms and pulled her up to his face. They stared at each other on level, Daine caressing his cheeks, his forehead, and his nose with her hand. His hands entangled themselves in her hair, matted as it was. Then he pulled her down to meet his lips.
The rush of fire and passion threatened to over-whelm the lovers. Daine felt as if she was floating, the bottom of her stomach nearly dropped out. Numairs lips tore at hers, pressed hard against them. She pressed her whole body to his, wanting to melt them together. He eventually pulled back but she refused to let go of his neck. She tucked her head under his chin, closing her eyes peacefully, safe in his hold. Her arm felt like it was about to explode, but she ignored it, nothing would spoil this moment.
She felt his movement as Numair directed them across the room toward the others. He looked embarrassed as he came to them, not meeting Varice's eyes. He sat, positioning Daine onto his lap.
"Um Varice." he began, uncertain what to say.
She touched his arm lightly, "Don't worry Numair. I knew when she came back this moment would come. And its ok" she looked to Hawkwing and smiled, "Hawkwing wants me to go to the Divine Realms with him. I can become a Goddess of Cooks and Parties. Isn't that brilliant?"
"Really? But we, we're wed" he said, the hope in his eyes suddenly fading.
Varice looked hurt but Hawkwing's hand on her shoulder reassured her, "A Goddess cannot be wed to a mortal on earth Numair, it wouldn't work. When I become one, it will all just fade, It won't matter. You can be with Daine"
"You don't.?"
"I don't mind" she smiled, and leaned over to kiss his cheek. "Take good care of him Daine, or you'll have me to reckon with" she touched the girls hair lightly. Daine only had the strength to nod.
Hawkwing held out his hand to her, she took it. She turned to the group and smiled between her tears.
"Ready?" he whispered.
"Ready" she whispered back, not taking her eyes from Numair. He looked so happy again, Daine in his arms. She couldn't take that from him. She smiled up at Hawkwing as their bodies faded.
"Numair?" a sleepy voice called up to him. He looked down into his arms.
"What my sweet?"
"I think I want that bed now"
He laughed and gathered Daine upwards for another kiss.
Numair had left the castle as soon as the badger's tale had finished. Alanna had insisted on coming with him and it was all the King could do to stop Onua and Thayet coming to.
Numair didn't speak. His mind was churning. What his poor love had been through the past years was crushing. And she had survived. He thought so much of her, so much of her bravery, her passion, her fire. Daine had survived so much, not knowing whom she really was, and Numair suspected the badger had left out the worst.
He was angry to though. Angry at the way he knew she would have been treated as a slave, although the badger had been reluctant to give them any details. He felt anger at the way he had greeted her. But most of all he felt the crushing anger that he could have found her in minutes. If he had used his focus Daine never would have had to go through that.
He swore to himself that when he found her again, she was never going to leave his side, ever. Varice was forgotten.
Animals, birds mostly, flew at the riders trying to halt them and they both acquired many small, but bloody, scratches. The horses ran off their course and even once tried to dump their riders into a muddy patch. They eventually found it best to leave them behind.
Numair knew it was Daine, as did Alanna, trying to stop them from being hurt. They refused to stop though. They were in sight of the fog-shrouded tower now.
Daine banged her fist on the wall.
"Taking no notice of your animal friends are they" Chalice laughed, "Told you they wouldn't. The mage thinks it's his fault and the Knight has anger in her heart. It will be an easy fight"
"Please, no. Leave them" Daine pleaded, "I'll stay here, whatever. I don't want them hurt"
"And that's why I'm going to enjoy it so much" Chalice's smile was malevolent.
Daine threw herself at the woman. Chalice was taken by surprise as Daine dived on her, clawing at her face. It took her a few moments to realise what was happening. Daine felt hotness on her stomach then she flew across the room, landing in a heap at the bottom of a wardrobe. The door fell from it upper hinges.
"How dare you" Chalice's face sported many dark red trails of blood, "How dare you touch me. Whore!"
It was the first time Daine had seen the woman lose her cool façade. "You give out pain but you cannot take it" Daine laughed, a short, pained sound.
Chalice raised her hand; her face was twisted in anger. Daine didn't flinch. Then the hand dropped, slowly.
"No" Chalice said her voice slow; "It wouldn't do to kill you now" she cocked her head, like a bird listening for worms. Then she strode towards Daine, almost clearing the space between them in one, powerful stride.
"Downstairs now" she barked, grabbing Daine's arm and pulling her to her unsteady feet. Chalice pushed the girl ahead of her out of the doors and down a flight of stone stairs.
Daine tried her best to hold up Chalice's progress. She pulled away from the woman, kicked her, got under her feet, and even tried throwing herself down the stairs in front of her. Nothing worked. Chalice's anger was her power, her stronghold.
The staircase led out to the entrance hall, where Numair and Alanna stood, warily.
"Daine" Numair's voice was filled with relief as he stepped forward. Daine didn't look at him.
Alanna unsheathed her sword; it glinted in the moons light, the only source of lighting in the hall.
"Go" Daine, whispered, "GO. I'M NOT WORTH DYING FOR"
"No" Numair's voice rang out true, "I won't leave you to be hurt again"
Daine looked at him. His eyes pleaded with her for something, forgiveness. She wasn't ready to give it yet.
"Just go I want to stay here" the quiet reply.
"No" Numair stepped towards her, long legs clearing the distance in seconds.
"Wait " Alanna cried, too late.
Chalice threw Daine across the polished floor and she skidded to a halt. The world turned on its side, she dared not move.
Chalice brought herself face to face with Numair, an enraged Numair. She threw a blast of silver light at him; he barely had time to throw up a defence of sparkling black fire before it crashed into him, sending him skidding backwards.
Alanna rushed toward the Enchantress with sword held high and found her herself flying backwards at an alarming rate. She halted when she crashed against a wall in mid-air but instead of sinking to the floor she stayed afloat, held by invisible bonds. She struggled, fighting tooth and nail to get free to no avail.
"I fight with the mage alone" Chalice said, watching carefully for an attack as Numair stood. He kept his defence up. Not taking an eye off Chalice he stepped toward her. Silver fires flared up round her body to.
"You are good," she said "But not yet good enough to match me" and she attacked. A few well-chosen words and a wave of deadly silver light raced toward him. It crashed against his shield, hardly making it flicker. He smiled, and threw his own attack, 7 fast-paced flames flew toward Chalice from different directions. She smiled to and they bounced off her shield, hardly worth more than her own attack had been.
"Maybe we should stop testing each other" she said, slightly breathless.
"NO" Daine cried, lurching to her feet. Both dualists looked to her as she ran toward them. She halted in the middle, facing Numair.
"Just go. I have nothing to live for. You have a life, go" she didn't look at him.
"No" his voice was strong, "I won't leave you again, Daine" his hand reached for her.
Chalice took her chance. She flung heavy-looking silver balls at them both. Numair grabbed Daine to throw her out of harms way and took the full attack, his shield down.
Daine landed hard on her knees. She curled her arms round her head, pressing them into the floor. She didn't want to look up. She could hear Alanna as she cried Numairs name. She could hear her cries to as she tried, in vain, to free herself of Chalice's bonds.
"Using your magic is no use, Lioness" Chalice spat, "You are helpless until I decided to free you"
Alanna did not stop though. She had been taught never to give up and she refused to now.
Daine began to edge along the floor to where she thought the fallen Numair lay. She didn't look up and kept herself as closely pushed to the floor as she could. Chalice watched in amusement.
Daine bumped against his arm. She lifted her head slowly. His face was still. The whole room fell silent, even the air stopped moving.
"Numair, Numair no. Please. NUMAIR, PLEASE NUMAIR" Daine became hysterical. She grabbed the mages arms, his face, as if her touch would bring life back into him.
His hand reached up to stroke her cheek, "Shush magelet. As if something like that could take me from you" he smiled weakly, "Now get me up"
Daine smiled and supported his weight as the unsteady mage got to his feet. They both stood, Numairs arm round her shoulders, and Daine's round his waist.
"Go" he said to her.
"But you-"
"Go" she obeyed, the power in his voice, the flow of his Gift that began to gather round him. The real fight was about to begin.
Numair whispered something, black flame surrounded Chalice. She screamed in rage, whirling round to look for any escape. She waved her arm and silver fire intermingled with Numairs black, causing black and silver sparks to fly and shadows to dance across the room.
If Daine hadn't of know those flames were so dangerous it would have been one of the most amazingly powerful sights she had seen. The flames danced around each other like fighting wolves, striking then pulling back, taunting each other. Chalice whirled in the middle her magic trying to force an opening so she could escape.
She threw silver balls out at Numair. Some he dodged easily. Others he sent to crash against the walls harmlessly.
No one noticed Varice sneak into an unlit corner of the room. No one noticed Hawkwing flew in to land above her. If anyone had maybe they could have stopped the events that followed.
Chalice threw a silver ball. Numair sent it toward the wall Varice hid near. She ran madly out into the light.
"Numair NO" she screamed, the pulsing ball of light headed toward her. In that moment of incisive decision Numair took, to save Varice, his walls of flame collapsed around Chalice. The ball swerved from its original course to crash uselessly to the floor.
But Chalice was upon Numair in a wave of silver. For a moment you couldn't see, then the magic faded and Daine watched as Numair crashed into a wall, sliding slowly down. Chalice walked toward him, smile of malice glittering in the moonlight.
"Time to finish you, mage. Although you are one of the best fights I have had in my time."
"No, no, no, NO" Daine's mind screamed. She began to run toward them. She changed as she ran becoming a cheetah to move faster. Chalice whirled as the animal jumped upon her, tearing clawing.
"I seem to believe we where in this position before" Daine's human vocal chords she fashioned, spoke icily.
"And I remember who triumphed last time" Chalice was panting.
"I was disadvantaged last time. Now I have claws" and Daine put them to work. She ripped into the woman's skin, sending blood everywhere. Daine pushed deep holes into the woman's face. She tried to reach for the woman's throat but Chalice was quick, she knew her neck was most at risk and had covered it in silver fire.
Daine roared her fury as her claws raked deep. She felt that familiar warmness on her right arm and tried to pull it away. She wasn't quick enough. The pain rushed through her whole body; it felt like white-hot needles had pierced her arms. The silver fire engulfed her paw, then spat it out, useless.
Daine roared in pain and fury and tried to dig in her hind claws to steady herself. These claws dug, hard into Chalice's thighs. The Enchantress screamed in pain. Daine tried to rake her with her left paw but balance was too difficult. The whole of Chalice's body began to burn with hot, silver fire.
Daine leaped off, landing heavily, on her injured right paw. She pain shocked her and she lost her cheetah shape. She lay panting, not daring to get up again to even to find her clothes.
Chalice was a bloody mess. There was hardly any bare skin showing that wasn't covered in blood or Daine's attempts to kill the woman.
"You.will.pay.for.for that" the Enchantress found it hard to even speak.
She turned back to Numair. He lay helpless waiting for his fate.
"NOOOO" Varice screamed, "NOOOOOOOO. NOOOOOOOOOOO." Her screams were endless and piercing.
"SHUT UP" Chalice screamed, equally piercing herself.
Varice panted then "NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO"
Chalices arm flicked outwards and Varice collapsed to the ground, clawing at her face. It was burning.
"Now" she said turning her full attention to Numair. He hadn't moved. She raised her arm.
"Nooooo" a gravely voice shouted from the skies. Everyone looked up. A stormwing plummeted downwards.
"How dare you" he called, "How dare you hurt her" he plunged towards Chalice, streaking through the air like no other stormwing could. He crashed into her, in a flurry of metal and screams. He skidded across the floor, his wings scraping the marble.
The Enchantress still stood. "You dare to defy me, your master" He nodded.
She raised her arm but nothing happened. She raised her other, still nothing happened. Slowly one hand reached to her neck, then the other. They touched bare skin. She looked down. Around her lay her stone, shattered fragments of her power.
She screamed the most blood-curdling sound ever heard to man. Daine's hands flew to her ears. Alanna's face screwed up, her eyes closed in a pained expression. Varice whimpered. Numair raised his arms to his head.
Only Hawkwing did not move to cover his hearing. He waited.
An ethereal, golden light formed around Chalice. She stopped her cries to look upwards.
The powerful voice of Mithros boomed out, "Thank you for destroying the power we thought was gone, Hawkwing. And thank you to for helping to defeat her, mortals"
The same light shone around the stormwing. He was lifted to a standing position.
Daine crawled towards her torn clothes. They were hardly anything but strips of cloth but they were better than nothing. She found it difficult to pull her legs into her breeches with her injured arm. Two hands came into her view, helping her to pull them on. It seemed that when Chalice had lost her power Alanna had been freed of her bonds.
Hawkwing shouted. Both turned to stare. Instead of a stormwing they saw the form of a young man in his place. He had shortly cropped auburn hair and green eyes instead of his red stormwing eyes. He stepped out of the ethereal light as Chalice slowly began to fade.
"Goodbye, Your Highness" he spat.
Daine sat and cradled her injured arm.
"Let me see that" Numair bent to crouch next to her.
"It's ok" Daine looked across to Varice's shaking form, "You wife needs you more" She stood and began to cross the room.
Numair then made the decision he knew would determine the rest of his life. He looked between his sobbing wife, and Daine as she stumbled across the floor.
He followed Daine. Hawkwing saw this and went to Varice.
"Daine wait" she whirled round then gripped her shoulder in pain at her speed. "I, I'm sorry"
Daine looked down, "You, you never looked for me. You never used your focus. You just accepted my death and wed Varice"
"I didn't want to accept it magelet, I-"
"BUT YOU DID" her voice echoed and rang out round the hall.
"The amount of blood they found, they said no-one could of survived"
"But I did"
"Yes and I'm so glad you have come back, back to me" his hand reached for her face.
She pushed it away, "I spent three years being beaten, attacked and raped as a slave. My best friend died so I could escape and come home. I only found out who I was a few weeks ago and I've had to some to terms with my whole life again. And you were sat here, sleeping with Varice the whole time. One spell and you could have saved me"
"We thought you were dead Daine"
"Thayet didn't. Thayet always believed I was alive"
"And we should have listened to her. If you knew how I have felt since you got back. I wanted Chalice to kill me so I wouldn't have to feel this anger inside me that I could have saved you, I could have saved you being, being raped"
"You wanted to die?" her voice was soft and low.
"I still do. To show you how much you mean to me. How angry I am at myself" his eyes pleaded again for hers to meet them. She let them.
"I, I'd never want you to do that. I couldn't live without you" she looked away from him, "All I thought about on the ship coming back home was what would happen when I saw you again. I imagined kissing you again, being held in your arms. And then I walked into your room and saw you with, Varice" she whispered the name.
"We can do it now" he whispered, cupping her chin in his hand and turning her face to his. They stared deep into each other's eyes for a heartbeat that lasted a lifetime. Then Daine threw herself at him. He gathered her into his arms and pulled her up to his face. They stared at each other on level, Daine caressing his cheeks, his forehead, and his nose with her hand. His hands entangled themselves in her hair, matted as it was. Then he pulled her down to meet his lips.
The rush of fire and passion threatened to over-whelm the lovers. Daine felt as if she was floating, the bottom of her stomach nearly dropped out. Numairs lips tore at hers, pressed hard against them. She pressed her whole body to his, wanting to melt them together. He eventually pulled back but she refused to let go of his neck. She tucked her head under his chin, closing her eyes peacefully, safe in his hold. Her arm felt like it was about to explode, but she ignored it, nothing would spoil this moment.
She felt his movement as Numair directed them across the room toward the others. He looked embarrassed as he came to them, not meeting Varice's eyes. He sat, positioning Daine onto his lap.
"Um Varice." he began, uncertain what to say.
She touched his arm lightly, "Don't worry Numair. I knew when she came back this moment would come. And its ok" she looked to Hawkwing and smiled, "Hawkwing wants me to go to the Divine Realms with him. I can become a Goddess of Cooks and Parties. Isn't that brilliant?"
"Really? But we, we're wed" he said, the hope in his eyes suddenly fading.
Varice looked hurt but Hawkwing's hand on her shoulder reassured her, "A Goddess cannot be wed to a mortal on earth Numair, it wouldn't work. When I become one, it will all just fade, It won't matter. You can be with Daine"
"You don't.?"
"I don't mind" she smiled, and leaned over to kiss his cheek. "Take good care of him Daine, or you'll have me to reckon with" she touched the girls hair lightly. Daine only had the strength to nod.
Hawkwing held out his hand to her, she took it. She turned to the group and smiled between her tears.
"Ready?" he whispered.
"Ready" she whispered back, not taking her eyes from Numair. He looked so happy again, Daine in his arms. She couldn't take that from him. She smiled up at Hawkwing as their bodies faded.
"Numair?" a sleepy voice called up to him. He looked down into his arms.
"What my sweet?"
"I think I want that bed now"
He laughed and gathered Daine upwards for another kiss.