Chapter Two
The early bird may get the worm but, the second mouse gets the cheese
— A friend
The next morning went by quickly, Guinevere slept through her magic theory class and half of Geography of the Planes. In her Draconic class Guinevere rushed through her test and left early. Next she had study hall; her only problem was she was basically sleep walking from class to class. Guinevere decided to sleep through her study hall and lunch, she wasn't very hungry any way and if she didn't get any sleep then she would die in combat training. As Guinevere was going across the green to her dorm she was stopped by her Draconic teacher. He was a celestial blooded gnome, his wings were always held behind him. He boasted a pair of short pants and a short thin blade at his side. Over his left shoulder in between his wings he had a sack full of papyrus scrolls.
"You didn't do to well on this test nor on any of the tests we have had this trimester, are you doing alright?"
Guinevere's mind was still in a haze and she really didn't need her teacher lecturing her on how she was failing. Guinevere closed her eyes and opened her mouth to respond; instead she concentrated on the shadows. Thin tendrils shot from her left hand and knocked her teacher back. Then she formed wings on her back and flew the rest of the way to her dorm, she landed on her balcony. Guinevere stumbled onto her sleeping mat and fell asleep almost instantly.
Guinevere was in a heavy dreamless sleep when a hand on her shoulder jolted her awake. She shot up, garbed the hand, twisted the thumb away from the body and squeezed with her thumb just above the bone. There was a yelp of pain and the woman who had awoken Guinevere fell to the ground next to her lap. Guinevere flipped a knife out and held it against the woman's throat.
"Don't move or I'll relieve you of your breath," Guinevere hissed.
"Wait, Gwen it's me Ariel, let me live please." Ariel pleaded.
"Oh, sorry" Guinevere responded with surprise, She removed her hand from Ariel's wrist and the knife from her throat. Gwen sat up on her mat and rubbed her eyes. "Why are you here?"
"I watched you spaz on your teacher and followed you to your dorm, I wanted to ask if you wanted to hang for lunch but you crashed, so I went to my classes waited for the end of lunch and came to make sure you had gotten up for class. Sorry if I scared you, but we have a combat class to get to." Ariel stood up and walked to the other side of the room, picking up a black silk shirt she threw it at Gwen, "put that on and hurry or we'll be late." Ariel walked out of the room, and building. She stood under Gwen's window. After a few minuets Guinevere jumped off her balcony and landed next to Ariel.
"Let's go," she said in a cheery voice. As they neared the training facility there was a loud bang from inside. They ran through the large double doors, inside all of the students were standing against the walls. In the middle a student, his clothes in sheds around him, was floating about five feet off the ground. He was bleeding from his eyes, nose, and ears. The blood was flowing in rivets down his body and dripping into a pool on the floor.
"By St.Cuthbert!" Ariel whispered as Guinevere and Ariel were stopped dead in their tracks.
"Not By Cuthbert but by the Lord of the Shadows, Surit." A cruel voice resonated from the boy floating in the middle of the room. "I see you are well Guinevere, the blood of this youth has lent me sight and hearing. Even now I plan my strike. You are shaping into a most beautiful woman my child. But fret not for soon you join me as lover to the lord of the first.
As Guinevere heard the voice her hand shot up to her mouth and she began to murmur to her self. "No, no, no this can't be you . . . you're dead" she gasped to her self "My father killed you, your dead, no!!" she screamed.
"See that's what you all though but god were you wrong. See after my minions knocked you father out I came in and had my fun, I was first and you are definitely my daughter, I can see it in you power, you are destined for great things." As the voice resonated the body floated to the ground and began to walk towards Guinevere who had fallen on her knees, clutching her ears and crying. "Worry not my child, you will be my empress and we will progressively take hell for us and or children." As the body approached Ariel grabbed a katana from the wall and took an attack stance.
"Come one step closer and I sever your arms demon," she sneered.
"Foolish child, go ahead and slice this dying body to pieces if you wish. It means nothing to me." As the voice resonated it opened his arms in a mockery of a peace offering.
"No, Ariel don't it's . . . it's not worth the effort of driving your sword." Guinevere chocked on her own words as she grabbed Ariel's arm and pulled herself up. "Let, let me do something." She gasped finally getting her balance.
"You can't hardly stand let me take care of him." She whispered back. As the two of them were talking the body had moved and come to a stop about five feet away.
"I won't be standing for long don't worry." Guinevere closed her eyes and her wins appeared on her back. Her ethereal claws grew from her hands and a third eye began to form on her for head. Opening her eyes but leaving the new one closed she took a step forward. "Father!!" She screamed at the body. "If you truly want me than you will have to take me dead!!" As the last of her voice echoed off the walls the boys body fell to the ground. Then in spasms that shook his entire body the naked and bleeding boy's body began to rip apart. First a gash along his left side, then one on his leg, next one on his back leading from the top of the neck down to his butt. Finally in the most violent of the spasms, his body ripped open right down the front, from the chin to the genitals. Most of the students surrounding the ring had turned away and a few of the weaker one had vomited. Neither Ariel of Guinevere had wavered. There was a pool of blood with a torn human carcass in the center. A dark blood soaked humanoid was rising from the pool. His sleek skin and shiny black hair glistened wet with blood. He like the body of his predecessor was wearing nothing and had amazing muscle structure and tone. On his back he boasted a set of leather black wings and on his for head were two small horns. As the last of the incubus' body emerged he took a step out of the pool and stretched his wings.
"If you will only come into my arms in death then my pet here will make it so!" the voice resonated in a torrent of angry speech that destroyed all other sound. "Now go my incubus and destroy her." The creature took to the sky stretching its wings. Guinevere kicked off the ground and rushed after him. The incubus easily dodged her rush and dove for the ground. Landing with extreme grace he turned his back on Guinevere and started to remove a long sword from the wall. Infuriated by the demon's apparent stupidity she dove straight for him. In the split second it took Guinevere to clear half the room the incubus flipped around and readied for the attack. Guinevere did not slow her dive. As Guinevere slammed into the incubus a cloud of dust swirled up from the force of the air and there was the resonating sound of nails on a black board. Almost all of the students dropped to their knees clutching their ears. Ariel dropped the katana and clutched her ears but remained standing. As the dust cleared and the noise subsided it was clear who was wining. The incubus was on the defensive, his sword notched and bent in many places. Guinevere was delivering blow after blow, with her ethereal claws. Most were blacked but a few had managed to get through. The most noticeable of the demon's wounds was a large gash extending from under his left nipple to his bellybutton. It wasn't particularly deep but it was bleeding none the less. As the continued to exchange blows people started to move off the walls and surround the fight, a few ran out to get a teacher.
As the demon and Guinevere traded blows, neither could seem to break the others' guard. After what seemed an eternity to the onlookers, there was a sickening crack. With the force of a counter blow Guinevere had snapped the sword and arm of the incubus. The creature screamed and stumbled backwards. Guinevere's ethereal claws dissipated and a tendril of shadow, shot from her left hand and wrapped around a spiked chain on the far wall. The tendril shot back taking the chain with it. As it slammed into Guinevere's hand, scratching her arm and face, the wounds healed within seconds. Grabbing the other handle on the chain she started to swing one side in a slow arcing circle. "It was foolish to believe you could even try at my life." She sneered, her eyes reverberating with anger. "I want you and your dammed soul to go home to my fucked up father and tell him I will never willingly stand within a mile of his putrid and grotesque body." With the final taunt she leaped graceful into the air and danced in a fluid circle around him, and then with in human speed she brought the chain down and through the demons genitals. Then she again brought the chain down on his left knee severing it from the body. Is its' last defiant moment the incubus used the last of its magick and shattered the chain. Guinevere's eyes grew in rage and a thin tendril of shadow about a foot long, an inch at the base appeared. The further it moved from her hand the thinner it became. She thought on its existence for a moment as the scared incubus quivered at her feet. After her moment of contemplation she slammed it through the creatures head in between the eyes. As its body tensed and went limp she ripped the creatures left thumb off and slipped into her left wing. Guinevere turned to face the crowd as it backed against the wall. Guinevere giggled maniacally and faced them. Suddenly the door burst open, a tall gold half dragon, wearing half plate. He held a huge ax in his right hand and a small disk in his right.
"Guinevere don't move." He said in a stern voice. "I would hate to dismember one of our students."
"I see, so you think you could actually beat me?" she said calmly. "Ha, you are a most amusing lizard. How about you watch this shit face!" ending her statement in a scream. She lunged at the half dragon. He held up his left hand and whispered a few words. The disk glowed green for a second and a line of green light shot at Guinevere it hit her third eye. The light fluctuated and her eye began to open. Suddenly there was a flash of darkness. Worse than the blackest night, it was like being blind. Most of the students screamed as ever thing went dark and many ran out. After a few minuets the dark subsided. At the entrance of the dojo stood the half dragon and Ariel. In the center of the room, a blood splattered Guinevere her eyes rolled back in her head and two carcasses. Along the walls a few students were left, most clutching one another but a few stood defiantly. Every one in the room looked at each other for about three minuets, finally regaining her sanity Ariel rushed to Guinevere's side.
"Are any of you left healers?" she called to the few students left.
"I am" said one boy. He wore pants and no shirt. His head was bald and his body covered in tattoos. He walked quickly to Guinevere, leaning down he placed his right hand on her sternum in between her breasts and the other rested lightly above it under the neck. "Well she is breathing," he said after a short time, "but it's very shallow, I will need some ash and devil weed if I'm going to help her.
"No," said the half dragon, "you will not get a drug from this, nice try though."
"But I . . . fine look um instead I will need a yew log, a knife, and shadow grass. Hurry we may run out of time." As the boy finished he started felling Guinevere's neck for factures. After finding nothing he tilted her head back pulled out his knife. Setting it aside he grabbed one of Guinevere's hands and squeezed it.
"Is she going to be alright?" Ariel asked worried.
"I hope but her body isn't breathing well enough on its own. Were going to have to do it for her until I can jumpstart her." As he finished speaking he pushed Guinevere's chin um and pinched her nose. Leaning over he placed his mouth on hers her exhaled quickly, raising his head he did the same. Then he spoke "I'm going to need you to do this so I can get set up, just do as I did, pinch the nose raise the chin and breathing twice wait a bit and do it again, got that?"
"Um . . . yah, sure." Ariel's face was flushed so she started quickly.
"Also don't breath to long or hard." The boy removed some vials from his belt pouch. Finally he closed his eyes and began to chant.
A girl burst in breathing hard, she rushed over to Guinevere, Ariel, and the boy. "Here the yew log and shadow grass." She said in between gasps of breaths. "Am I needed?" she asked.
Ariel stopped breathing for Guinevere for one second to speak, "no but thank you get to your next class and hurry your late." As the girl hurried out Ariel went back to helping Guinevere.
The boy's chanting got softer until it was barley audible, as he neared completion a disk about a foot in diameter appeared in front of him. It was an intricately carved opal disk, showing a long dragon chasing a winged rabbit in a circle. Finally he opened his eyes and took one of the vials, he uncorked it and poured it onto the disk, the blood from the vial hit the disk and a green light began to radiate from the disk. Taking his knife he dipped it into the green light and tapped it on the yew log. The center of the yew log fell away and clattered to the floor. "You can stop now in a now moments she will be breathing on her own." He said in a calm voice. Ariel pulled away and took Guinevere's left hand in hers. The boy took the shadow grass and pushed it into the yew log. Placing the yew log and shadow grass, with one opening up and one down, on the disk he opened another vial. He poured the oil from it on the log. As the oil slid down and hit the disk the green light engulfed the log and became brighter. Finally the boy took some dust and sprinkled it on his tongue. Exhaling hard a line of fire shot from his mouth and engulfed the log. The fire turned blood red and shot up into a meter column. The fire produced no heat and it died quickly. As the last of the embers burned out the green light had subsided and about two cups of a dark purple dust was left. The boy took his knife and slipped about five grams onto the end. He took it and tilting Guinevere's head back he slipped it into her mouth. With in seconds she started coughing. Guinevere slowly opened her eyes and pushed herself up. Blinking she looked half dazed around the room. Ariel threw herself onto Guinevere giving her a huge hug.
"What? . . . What's going on, where am I?" Guinevere said in confusion.
"You became a demon creature for a time; it was really an amazing display of power, but no control." The boy said, "Then Tak'nila shot you with a powerful enchantment. You fell unconscious and almost died. We saved you this woman and my self. It wasn't very difficult but Tak'nila didn't help much, he wouldn't allow me to get a hold of devil weed, it would have gone much faster." As he had been speaking he packed up his extra supplies, and sheathed his knife.
"Wait, who are you? And who is Tak'nila?" Guinevere said, raising her hand to stop the boy.
"Me? My name is Je'haan, and Tak'nila is that half dragon standing over there." He said pointing towards the doors.
Guinevere shot up suddenly. "You she said." Then she swayed a bit. Clutching Ariel's shoulder for support, "My head" she gasped.
"Sit down for Cuthbert's sake. You hardly have any strength left, rest a bit first." Ariel said forcing Guinevere onto the floor.
"If I could break up this little worry fest we need to leave now, so the clean up crews can do their jobs. Also Guinevere we need all parts of the demon, so you have to return that thumb you took." Tak'nila said with contempt. He walked over to Guinevere, Je'haan and Ariel. "Let's get going."
"We aren't going anywhere until Guine," Ariel started but Guinevere broke in.
"Fine but you aren't getting the thumb back bitch." She snapped, she began to push herself up. Je'haan helped her to her feat, and began to lead her out.
Tak'nila, taken aback by Guinevere's response, slapped her as she went by. The force knocked her a meter and she fell hard. "Never speak to me like that again, now get out you demon whore.
Guinevere's anger swelled and her wings materialized. With one swift flap she was standing upright. In her left hand a long spiked chain made of the shadows, appeared. "Do you want to die right now lizard? Or do I need to make you beg for death!" Her eyes glowed their blood red and her muscles tensed.
With a sudden thump Guinevere fell to the ground, Ariel at hit her with the butt of her katana. Sheathing her katana in silence she stooped down and hoisted Guinevere over she shoulder. "I have no doubt in my mind that your life would have been taken now if you'll excuse Je'haan and my self we're leaving." With that she walked out the door with Je'haan at her heals.