Okay, all my Morrigan-loving fans (you know who you are)- SHE'S BACK!!! It's time for some Morritri in my story! You'll understand when you read it. Have fun, and reviews are welcome as always. God bless America and the World!
()-Indicates thought.
CHAPTER 8
Beginning Anew
Dimitri and his companions, John and Felicia, traveled for two days. Their goal- Aensland Castle. Dimitri figured that they would arrive in two more days, three at the most. The trip was uneventful- until the evening of the third day.
Dimitri awoke in his tent as the sun's last rays dropped below the horizon. Time for another night of trekking through the woods. They had left the Werewolf Dukedom behind last night, and were now on Aensland territory. After cleaning up camp, they began hiking again.
Dimitri was in front, being placed as leader almost by default. John and Felicia followed behind.
After walking for a hour or so, Felicia stopped suddenly, sniffing the air.
" What is it, Felicia?" John asked.
" I smell smoke and... some kind of burning meat. Can't tell what it is," she said, little nose twitching back and forth.
John lifted his nose to the air, took a few sniffs, and then snorted. " I can't tell either. Smells bad, though."
Dimitri looked about. In the forests around him, he saw a small hill. "Let's climb that hill," he said. " We'll see if we spot anything."
They climbed the hill and almost immediately spotted a huge fire, some distance away. It was coming from a large tower, and their were many smaller fires nearby. Although the others didn't pick it up, John's sensitive ears heard crying and screaming.
" What the hell is that?" John asked, wondering if it was Pyron's work.
" A funeral pyre," Felicia said, almost whispering it.
" What?" Dimitri asked, turning his head.
" My species," she began, her normally exuberant expression gone and a look of sorrow on her face, " has a tradition. Whenever a large number of people die, we burn the bodies on a great funeral pyre, shaped like a tower. It's to help them reach Heaven." She cleared her throat. " We're nowhere near the Felinos territories. And only one other Darkstalker race builds funeral towers- the incubi."
John's head snapped up as what she said sunk in. " Oh shit. You mean- has Pyron's army already been through here?!?"
She nodded her head. " The only way they would build such a large one is if an entire village died. I think we're going," she looked down, and her ears drooped as well, " to be too late to warn them."
Dimitri looked at the pyre. If it really was a funeral tower- even from this distance, it was enormous. (God,) he thought, (how many did Pyron kill?)
" I'm going to check it out," Dimitri said. " We have to find out if this is Pyron's work..."
" How are you going to get there?" John asked, not taking his eyes off the pyre.
" I can fly for short distances. It'll be stretching it, but I think I can make it to the pyre."
Dimitri took his cloak off, and willed his body to change. His bones lightened as marrow was drawn from them, his body shrunk as some of it's fat and muscle was reorganized and burned up, and blood in his body pulsed-
Pain wracked Dimitri's form. He'd completely forgotten about blood. The events of the last few days had numbed his hunger, but now it practically shrieked. All vampires needed blood at least once a month- God, he hadn't fed in so long...
(Calm yourself, Dimitri), he thought. (You can feed later- John and Felicia are close enough to human to suffice.)
Despite his best efforts, a small, strangled noise escaped his lips. Felicia heard it and went to his side.
" You okay?" she asked, concern in her voice.
He forced a grin. " Changing is never pleasant to undergo. I'm all right. Just step back a bit so I don't knock you down, okay?"
She backed off, looking at him worriedly.
A insane thought pushed to the front of his head. ( Hey, someone looking at me with something other than calculation or lust). He pushed it aside.
His wings had just finished growing out of his back. He looked less like a vampire now and more like a enormous half-man, half-bat creature. He unfurled his wings and took off from the hill.
Gliding in, he saw now that it was indeed incubi and succubi gathered about the pyre- and many were clumped around the pyre, crying. However, he noticed that some were setting up a watch- and that those gathered looked more like nobles and soldiers than peasants.
Dimitri, looking about camp, suddenly spotted a tattered flag, hung from a tattered standard made of a spear haft and a sword blade that jutted out across, forming a T-shape for the banner. And Dimitri realized that these were the incubi of Aensland castle, fleeing it.
(We were too late,) he thought grimly.
He was then promptly spotted by several guards, who grabbed up bows and ordered him to land. Dimitri landed, and then began changing back. The guards, keeping their bows on him, hollered out, "Bring Morrigan! A vampire is here!"
(Morrigan?) Dimitri thought. (Why is she in charge? Unless-)
The unthinkable had happened. The lord of Aensland, the mighty incubus Berial, was dead.
A few tense minutes later, when Dimitri was sure that the guards would use him as a pincushion, Morrigan arrived.
Her face was haggard and covered in bruises and cuts. She was very obviously in pain- and she wore a black ring of mourning on the index finger of her right hand. Her clothing was cut and a tattered hole- possibly made by an arrow or spear- marred the leather of one of her wings.
She gazed wearily at him, and then recognition dawned. Her eyes and mouth opened in shock, and the wings of her head, seemingly shocked as well, spread right out. If she had not looked so bad and the mood had not been so grim, Dimitri would have laughed at the sight.
" Dimitri?"
()-Indicates thought.
CHAPTER 8
Beginning Anew
Dimitri and his companions, John and Felicia, traveled for two days. Their goal- Aensland Castle. Dimitri figured that they would arrive in two more days, three at the most. The trip was uneventful- until the evening of the third day.
Dimitri awoke in his tent as the sun's last rays dropped below the horizon. Time for another night of trekking through the woods. They had left the Werewolf Dukedom behind last night, and were now on Aensland territory. After cleaning up camp, they began hiking again.
Dimitri was in front, being placed as leader almost by default. John and Felicia followed behind.
After walking for a hour or so, Felicia stopped suddenly, sniffing the air.
" What is it, Felicia?" John asked.
" I smell smoke and... some kind of burning meat. Can't tell what it is," she said, little nose twitching back and forth.
John lifted his nose to the air, took a few sniffs, and then snorted. " I can't tell either. Smells bad, though."
Dimitri looked about. In the forests around him, he saw a small hill. "Let's climb that hill," he said. " We'll see if we spot anything."
They climbed the hill and almost immediately spotted a huge fire, some distance away. It was coming from a large tower, and their were many smaller fires nearby. Although the others didn't pick it up, John's sensitive ears heard crying and screaming.
" What the hell is that?" John asked, wondering if it was Pyron's work.
" A funeral pyre," Felicia said, almost whispering it.
" What?" Dimitri asked, turning his head.
" My species," she began, her normally exuberant expression gone and a look of sorrow on her face, " has a tradition. Whenever a large number of people die, we burn the bodies on a great funeral pyre, shaped like a tower. It's to help them reach Heaven." She cleared her throat. " We're nowhere near the Felinos territories. And only one other Darkstalker race builds funeral towers- the incubi."
John's head snapped up as what she said sunk in. " Oh shit. You mean- has Pyron's army already been through here?!?"
She nodded her head. " The only way they would build such a large one is if an entire village died. I think we're going," she looked down, and her ears drooped as well, " to be too late to warn them."
Dimitri looked at the pyre. If it really was a funeral tower- even from this distance, it was enormous. (God,) he thought, (how many did Pyron kill?)
" I'm going to check it out," Dimitri said. " We have to find out if this is Pyron's work..."
" How are you going to get there?" John asked, not taking his eyes off the pyre.
" I can fly for short distances. It'll be stretching it, but I think I can make it to the pyre."
Dimitri took his cloak off, and willed his body to change. His bones lightened as marrow was drawn from them, his body shrunk as some of it's fat and muscle was reorganized and burned up, and blood in his body pulsed-
Pain wracked Dimitri's form. He'd completely forgotten about blood. The events of the last few days had numbed his hunger, but now it practically shrieked. All vampires needed blood at least once a month- God, he hadn't fed in so long...
(Calm yourself, Dimitri), he thought. (You can feed later- John and Felicia are close enough to human to suffice.)
Despite his best efforts, a small, strangled noise escaped his lips. Felicia heard it and went to his side.
" You okay?" she asked, concern in her voice.
He forced a grin. " Changing is never pleasant to undergo. I'm all right. Just step back a bit so I don't knock you down, okay?"
She backed off, looking at him worriedly.
A insane thought pushed to the front of his head. ( Hey, someone looking at me with something other than calculation or lust). He pushed it aside.
His wings had just finished growing out of his back. He looked less like a vampire now and more like a enormous half-man, half-bat creature. He unfurled his wings and took off from the hill.
Gliding in, he saw now that it was indeed incubi and succubi gathered about the pyre- and many were clumped around the pyre, crying. However, he noticed that some were setting up a watch- and that those gathered looked more like nobles and soldiers than peasants.
Dimitri, looking about camp, suddenly spotted a tattered flag, hung from a tattered standard made of a spear haft and a sword blade that jutted out across, forming a T-shape for the banner. And Dimitri realized that these were the incubi of Aensland castle, fleeing it.
(We were too late,) he thought grimly.
He was then promptly spotted by several guards, who grabbed up bows and ordered him to land. Dimitri landed, and then began changing back. The guards, keeping their bows on him, hollered out, "Bring Morrigan! A vampire is here!"
(Morrigan?) Dimitri thought. (Why is she in charge? Unless-)
The unthinkable had happened. The lord of Aensland, the mighty incubus Berial, was dead.
A few tense minutes later, when Dimitri was sure that the guards would use him as a pincushion, Morrigan arrived.
Her face was haggard and covered in bruises and cuts. She was very obviously in pain- and she wore a black ring of mourning on the index finger of her right hand. Her clothing was cut and a tattered hole- possibly made by an arrow or spear- marred the leather of one of her wings.
She gazed wearily at him, and then recognition dawned. Her eyes and mouth opened in shock, and the wings of her head, seemingly shocked as well, spread right out. If she had not looked so bad and the mood had not been so grim, Dimitri would have laughed at the sight.
" Dimitri?"