A/N: this chapter contains non-explict sexuality

Chapter 12: Immolate

Raoul, Buri and Evin stood on the side of a mountain overlooking the capital of Tortall. Numair's magical barrier sparkled in the light from the slowly rising sun, and the three soldiers watched in fascination as thousands of immortal creatures swarmed restlessly around the palace, some intermittently trying to force through the barrier, but most lying in wait for the opportunity to rush the castle's walls once more.

It's begun, Buri hissed happily. The immortals have arrived.

Raoul, who had been eying the barrier in interest, now turned to his cohorts. I've seen this type of magical shield before, he said. It's one of Samalin's conjurings. Impenetrable for now... but it will break sooner rather than later.

And then we'll destroy what's left of the glorious reign of the Conte crown. Evin joined in.

Raoul nodded. Go inform the troops of our situation. he instructed the younger man. Turning his bloodshot eyes back to the the palace, he smiled cruelly. All we have to do now is wait.

********

From her many nights on the road with Numair, Daine had known him to be a heavy sleeper. While she had been readily woken by the morning light coming through the window of her room, the man beside her was still snoring lightly.

Smiling lazily, she leaned her face in close to his and kissed the tip of his nose. No response. She began nibbling his right earlobe. Still no response. She traced light patterns onto his bare chest with teasing fingertips. Even then, there was no response. Rolling her eyes, Daine sat up in bed and glared at her sleeping love. Making up her mind, an mischievous grin formed on her lips and she rolled on top of him, pinning his arms with her knees and fiercely tickling his sides with her hands.

Shocked awake by her attack, Numair shouted in surprise. And though Daine was unusually strong for a woman of her size, it was a small feat for the large man to free his arms and pin hers securely at her sides. Not a nice wake-up call! he sputtered, still shaking with laughter.

Daine giggled at his expression of mock anger and leaned down to kiss him.

he said against her soft mouth. Now this is much better...

She chuckled and sank down into the soft blankets with him, stretching her body along his length; his hands gently roaming over the smooth skin of her back, shoulders, and arms. Pressing her lips against his neck, Daine shivered with heat and sighed; his Adam's Apple jumped as she murmured lovely nonsense against his throat, her nimble fingers trailing down his chest.

Numair still wore his breeches from the night before, and when Daine slipped her hands to his waistband, she could feel his breath hitch as she undid the lacings. His hands went to her face and directed her shining eyes towards his. She smiled as he looked at her questioningly.

How many times had he wished for this moment? To have a physical guarantee of their shared devotion was a dream he'd convinced himself he'd never experience- yet here he was. No woman he'd ever met had evoked such feeling in him. Suddenly there was so much more to be read from the phrase making love. There was a whole realm of feeling beyond passion or desire; where the trappings of human expectation and doubt are stripped away and simplicity of emotion is all that's left. There would never be anything better than this woman. There would never be anything more honest than his love for her.

And that meant that he had to be sure she was ready to take this step.

Daine couldn't help but smile at the question on his face. She had never known a man like this one: his depth of concern for her was endless. There had been so many in her life that had treated her with such cruelty, such carelessness. From the death of her mother to her arrival in Tortall, Daine had believed the worst about men. She had never met one that stuck around, that truly cared. Numair had always cared. Even now, when she lay so intimately against him, so ready and willing- even now he was willing to put aside his own yearnings for her benefit. How could she answer his questioning eyes? She wanted to tell him how deeply she trusted him. How much she wanted him. She needed to tell him how beautiful and happy and complete she felt in his arms.

She touched his cheek. I love you.

He returned her smile as her mouth lowered to his.

Too-rosy sunlight streamed through the window, unnoticed by the lovers as they discovered each other anew.

********

Some hours later, Jon stood on the north wall of the palace, his sea-colored eyes clouded with worry. Daine and Numair had told him early that afternoon of their visit from the Badger God, and though the news gave him hope, Jon's fears for his country were far from alleviated. Corus may be saved, yes- but what of the rest of Tortall? Even if the immortals were defeated and the Chaos slaves restored, what then? How would he be able to explain his regret to the farmers whose crops were destroyed by Uusoae's raiders? How could he make the orphaned children of a fallen soldier understand that he grieved for the loss of their parent as well? There is more to being king than waving a battle sword and waging a war, Jon thought solemnly as he gazed at the shimmering barrier that was presently keeping a large hurrok from attacking him.

Daine's voice broke into Jon's thoughts as she came up to stand beside him. Sorry to interrupt you, Highness, but Numair says that the barrier's got little time left in it.

How little?

An hour or two; we'd best get the troops ready.

********

From their vantage point on the western palace wall, Alanna and George could easily see Daine and Numair standing at the base of Balor's Needle- the tallest point of the palace- waiting for the barrier to dissolve.

George fiddled nervously with the arrows in his quiver. I don't like it, he suddenly burst out to his wife. I've got a bad feeling about this Elemental magic.

Surprised, Alanna turned to him. Why? You heard Daine and Numair, the Badger God assured them that they'd be perfectly safe. These beasties are a powerful threat to the kingdom, laddybuck- it's necessary to restore the Chaos slaves back to their former selves.

Of course it is, he agreed, I just can't shake this feeling I've got. George sighed. It's the Rogue in me, love. Superstition. Omens. I couldn't stop believing in them any easier than you could forsake your sword and shield. Alanna nodded in understanding as she slipped her hand into his. A red sun rose this morning, he continued quietly. Righteous blood will spill today.

Amplified by his magic, Numair's voice rang clearly in the ears of the hundreds of people waiting for the battle to begin. At the ready! he cried. The barriers is fading!

The bowmen tensed and knocked their first arrows, the Rider trainees gripped their saddle horns and whispered to their ponies. The footmen unsheathed their swords and held them with grips of iron.

Numair turned to Daine and took her hands in his. Taking in the image of her, he smiled and couldn't resist leaning in to quickly kiss her cheek. We can do this, magelet. he told her. We've the will of the Great Gods at our backs.

She smiled back at him and squeezed his hands. Be careful, she said. I love you.

Numair beamed. Would he ever tire of hearing her say those words?

Suddenly a deafening crack rang through the air. The barrier was beginning to break. The mage gripped his love's hands tightly. Here we go.

Daine shut her eyes and tried to clear her mind as she did during meditation. She directed her consciousness inward and focused on her coppery core of wild magic. As she examined her power, she could see a small spark of silver fire emerging. Remembering the Badger's instructions, she opened herself to the foreign magic and felt it swell within her.

Daine's fingers unconsciously clenched and unclenched in Numair's grasp, and he gasped as he felt the first strains of Elemental magic pass through her hands into his. Within seconds, silver energy flowed freely through the man's veins, easily mixing with his own Gift.

Daine began to shudder violently, and as the Elemental magic left her body, she could feel herself being wrenched from Numair's hold by an unseen force. She was thrown on her back against the cold stone ledge, and looking up at the mage, she gasped in wonder.

The combination of Numair's powerful Gift and the divine magic had created a magnificent black and silver aura around the man. Brilliant light shone from his fingertips, and as he threw back his head and opened his eyes, the power seemed to pour from his very skin. It shot from his body towards the rapidly dissolving barrier where rage-filled immortals clamored to begin combat again.

Atop his horse, Raoul of Goldenlake could see the barrier begin to flicker and fade, but nothing of the powerful magic radiating from Balor's Needle. The knight raised his sword and motioned for his immense company to charge the palace walls. The Chaos slaves poured down the mountainside like a roaring waterfall, screaming their fury and bloodlust.

As the barrier finally dissolved, the civilians and soldiers within the palace rushed out into the fields full of waiting immortals. Within seconds, the fight was raging again. The Lioness looked up from the just-slewn corpse of a coldfang to watch in horror as the tens of thousands of Chaos slaves galloped furiously for the battlefield. She turned her eyes towards Balor's Needle. Come on, Numair. she whispered urgently.

Suddenly a blinding flash of black and silver fire lit the early evening sky, its staggering power rendering every being for miles around motionless for a brief moment.

An enormous wave of warmth and clarity washed over Buri then as the Chaos malady left her consciousness. Turning to see the brightness in Raoul and Evin's eyes, she knew they felt it too. Letting loose a victorious cry, she looked back at the restored ranks of the Riders and the Own and motioned to them to go join their brothers and sisters in the fight against the immortals.

Jon shouted in greeting as his Knight Commander rode up to his side, easily slaying a spidren as he did so. Welcome back! the king said to his old friend as he watched the new swell of Tortallian warriors overtake the battlefield. Raoul nodded once, there would be time enough for salutations and explanations later, and set his sights on a particularly large tauros.

With the addition of the knights of the Own and the seasoned members of the Queen's Riders, the campaign quickly turned in favor of the humans. The fields were soon layered with the corpses of immortals, and the ones that remained alive began to flee.

As Alanna pulled her bloodied sword from the body of a stormwing she shook her head in wonder as the enemy's retreat became obvious. Looking up at the palace wall, she could make out George's familiar silhouette. She smiled... They had made it through. Thayet grinned and bowed her head in a silent prayer of thanks. Onua whooped in surprise and turned to the ranks of the Rider trainees; We've won!

The soldiers streamed through the palace gates to gather in the immense courtyard. Everywhere Jon looked he saw teary, joyful reunions between friends and family. He smiled as his own wife ran up to him, and he pulled her gratefully against him in a tight embrace. Thayet turned in the circle of her love's arms as Raoul dropped to his knees before the royal couple.

he began shamefully. There is much to say.

Jon rested a hand on the knight's shoulder. No man can stand alone against the power of Uusoae, he said. And with your actions today you have once again put the welfare of this realm before that of your own. I am a lucky man to have such a loyal citizen, warrior and friend in the personage of my Knight Commander.

Raoul rose and grasped his king's hand within his own. I am the lucky one, Jon.

Alanna and George walked up to join the group, the Lioness searching the throng of people with her sharp violet eyes. The Elemental power worked then? asked George, looking at their majesties.

Thayet nodded. It would seem so.

Alanna squeezed her husband's hand, his earlier confession of foreboding filling her thoughts. Then where are Daine and Numair?

********

The royal advisors hurried up the stairs of Balor's Needle, the Lioness leading the pack. As they stepped out onto the platform at the base of the structure, they fell silent at the sight before them.

Veralidaine Sarrasri turned helpless eyes towards her friends, then looked back down at Numair's face. Her body quaked with sobs once more as she clutched her lover's dead body to her chest.

********

A/N: WAIT! Believe me, I totally understand how badly you want to flame me right now... but please hear me out. I promise you, there is a method to my madness, and there is still a long way to go before this plot is resolved. Please trust me on this- I am deeply attached to this story and would never purposefully spring something like this on you readers if I didn't have a VERY good reason. The next chapter will be posted as soon as possible, and I'm asking you to keep faith in me until then.