They stared up. The dragon was just hovering, almost like it was listening to Rhian, though she was not speaking.
It was like they were all entranced. Suddenly, Dom realized what he was doing. He was watching Kel, the woman he loved, as she was probably about to be killed.
He looked forward. He was about to cry out, when a hand clamped own on his mouth. Numair pressed a long finger to his lips and shook his head. Slowly, Dom nodded, and Numair released his hand.
Silently, they slid down from their horses. Dom drew his sword, and tapped Raoul on the arm to get his attention, signalling for him to stay silent. Slowly, the three men inched towards the beautiful mage.
Numair rose directly in front of her. "Let her pass." He said sternly. At once, everything was broken. There was a shudder in the earth, and all of the women staring into the sky looked down again. The dragon cried out, but did not move.
Rhian's head slowly turned towards the men. Her eyes pierced through them. Dom shuddered. They were red. She lowered her arms, and her eyes surged with colour, than slowly faded to bright sky blue.
"Leave here." She said.
Raoul took a step forward with his sword in front of him. "This is our home! Leave this place!"
Rhian laughed a cold laugh. "Silly commander. Borders change.
"This is the land of Scanra now. Leave now, or feel my wrath."
The men looked at each other uneasily; a few stepped back.
Numair raised a hand. "These men will not leave." He said. "Be gone."
She glared at him. "So you are Tortall's great magic power. This is all they could conjure? Your pathetic kingdom makes me sick." She spat at his feet.
Numair did not say anything about it. "My lady Rhian, please leave, for your own good. I shall be forced to destroy you if you do not."
She laughed again, and Dom felt an icy wave rush through him. As she spoke, he saw his chance. She was looking away from him, at Numair. Silently, he crept so he was directly behind her. He put an arrow in his bow and drew back. Just as he was about to shoot, Rhian's hand shot out.
"Stop!" She shouted. Dom tried to loose his arrow anyway, but it would not move. It was cemented to him. "Do not try to shoot my dragon, if you please. I will be forced to take drastic measures."
Her eyes flickered red with power. They faded to blue again, but her eyes did not sparkle with the same magic.
Numair nodded to Raoul. He too drew his bow and arrow, and Rhian moved her hand to face him. "Stop," she said. "And don't think this will beat me, I can hold both of you at once."
As she spoke, Numair nodded to the other men of the Own. They all drew arrows at the same time, but Rhian threw her other hand up. Her eyes glowed all the brighter, but then faded again. They were now almost brown.
Numair stepped towards her and shook his head, sighing. "Rhian, you have power. Any fool can see that. Why would you waste it like that?"
She spat at him again, this time in his face. He just lifted a sleeve and wiped it.
"If I were in the same position as you, I would not be fading right now. Maybe I would, but I would still be able to hold myself against this."
He raised his arm slowly, and all of the men's arrows raised. He snapped, and they were loosed. Ten arrows flew up towards the dragon and Kel.
Dom cried out and closed his eyes, terrified that Kel would be hit. This fight was strange, like nothing he had experienced before. He watched the arrows fly towards Kel, but not one arrow pierced her. they landed in a perfect circle on the dragon's chest. A horrible screech it made, then fell to the ground, Kel still in it's claws.
Numair's eyes flickered. His hand went up again, and suddenly, he was holding Kel up in the air. She hung limply like a rag doll, her head hanging down, arms and legs limp by her side.
"You see," Numair said softly, "I am stronger than you."
Rhian scoffed. "Don't be absurd. You held up a mere woman? That takes not strength. Hagen could do that. I held a dragon in place. I held fifty immortals, all by the power of my will. I am the most powerful mage in the realm."
Numair snapped again. Dom's arms fell to his side, and he stumbled forward. He saw, at the other end of the clearing, Kel lowering down to the ground.
Raoul, still unable to move much of his body, nodded tightly to Dom. He ran over to her as Numair continued to speak to Rhian.
But Dom was not listening to either of them. He pulled Kel's helm off of her head. Her head was bloody, she had a short bloody gash at her eyebrow. Slivers of metal from her helm was embedded in her forehead. Her helm was dented above it, showing where she had hit the rocks after flying from Apple. Her mail was cut at her shoulder, and she was bleeding from there too. Dom dug into his armour trying to find a handkerchief, which he pressed to Kel's shoulder.
"Come on, Kel. Don't leave me like this." He whispered. "I will get you to Neal as fast as I can."
Just then, he heard a cackling behind him. He looked out, and saw Rhian rising above the men. She was rising slowly, as Numair was fighting it. Her looks were melting away now. She put power into that, and now she did not have enough for it. Her hair was shortening and becoming greasy, her skin darkening and becoming slightly darkening.
She was laughing. "So, you may have defeated me. You may have defeated my immortals, my army. Do you think that is all I have? Do you think I have run out of ideas? So maybe I did not retrieve her this time.
"But I know to come up with something better." She pointed to Kel with a long finger. "If she lives to tell the tale, maybe you will see me again."
Numair shot a fireball at her, but she stopped it.
She smiled, her power and beauty somehow seeping back into her. Already, her hair was long and blond again, and her skin cloudy and white. She held her hand up, pushing the fireball away from her.
"Don't shoot the messenger." She said, laughing, and pinched her fingers together. The fireball went out with a sizzle, and when everyone looked again, Rhian was gone.
Raoul ran over to where Dom was and whistled to his horse. "How is she doing?" He asked.
Dom shook his head. "I don't know. She needs a healer, now. It cannot wait."
Raoul nodded grimly. "Get her on my horse. I will take her back."
Dom looked up at her. "Sir, please. I don't want to leave her."
Raoul sighed and looked at Dom. "Only because I don't have time to argue." He whistled again, this time for Dom's horse. Dom jumped up, and the men of the Own lifted Kel up so she was in front of him.
Raoul got on his horse. "Men, on your mounts. We ride now! Back to the city. I have no idea what is left. If there is still a battle raging, then we plough through it. Do you understand?"
The men all nodded. "Very well." Raoul said, his lips a thin line. "We ride!"
With that, they galloped at all speed back to the city.
Barely ten minute later, they reached the fields of war. There were thousands of bodies strewn along the fields. Men were being carried back into the city on stretchers, women and children scoured the dead for their loved ones.
Raoul and Dom galloped past them all, straight through the now open gate to the city. Dom thought it amazing that barely hours since they had left the main battle, it was over. And it had been so large.
He did not have time to question it. Straight to the infirmary they rode, calling out to Neal as they went. He met them at the door.
"What happened?" He asked. He looked frazzled. His hair was clinging to his face with sweat, his clothes and hands stained with blood.
Raoul jumped down. "You would not believe me if I told you." He said. Neal looked over him and frowned.
"Kel? I thought she was on the wall?"
Dom frowned as he brought Kel down. "You thought wrong. Now are you going to heal her, or are you going to let here die here while we tell you a story?"
Everyone moved quickly. Neal cleaned her shoulder wound first, then healed it part way. He did not have the time or energy to heal every wound all the way.
He moved on to her head. He cleaned the dirt and shards of metal from her cut, then healed it. It was not deep, but it had shrapnel in it, and it was over a very large bump on Kel's head. He touched her face.
He could feel his power draining, but he kept going. The power surged from his fingertips into Kel. Slowly, the swelling went down on her forehead. It was still purple, and Kel was still unconscious. Neal kept going. The world was spinning now, but he kept going. Just as Kel was healing fully, Neal collapsed.
Days passed. The bodies were cleaned from the fields, the soil turned many a time to mix in the blood. The river was washed clean, burials were performed. If a traveller looked upon Corus, he would not know that a battle had occurred only days earlier.
Unless, of course, he actually went up close.
The walls of the city were charred, the wooden planks on the tops of the walls were stained with blood.
The city was in mourning. Children still played, and women still gossiped. Men still worked, and dogs still barked.
But people were missing. Women were without husbands, daughters were without fathers. Widows were without sons to support them, sisters were without brothers.
And Dom was without Kel.
She did not die, but she was not with him when he helped the men clear the bodies, she was not with him at meals, she was not with him at night.
But he was with her. He sat by her side every chance he got. Neal sat with him as well, but he did not look worried.
"She had not slept more than a few hours in weeks, Dom. She was exhausted, she lost a lot of blood, and she had an extensive healing. Just give her some time." He said. "She will wake up when she is ready, do not worry. Give her a day or two, it's only been a week."
Dom sighed. "But she will wake up?"
Neal put his hand on his cousin's shoulder. "We can never tell these things, Dom. We can only hope and pray." He stood up. "I have work to do. Promise me you will not waste away here? You will get some food and sleep?"
Dom nodded yawning. "Sleep sounds good." He muttered.
Neal chuckled. "I guess I will see you here tomorrow, then." He said.
Dom nodded and put his head down on the bed, nestled against Kel's still hand.
Kel woke from unsettling dreams late in the night.
She was out of breath, sweating heavily, and her arm felt heavy. She remembered the gash she had received in her shoulder. Could that be causing it? She remembered shooting down immortals, she remembered riding over the bridge. She remembered flying off of her horse, hurtling towards a rock. She remembered Dom's voice calling out to her.
Had she just imagined it? She did not normally hallucinate like that. Maybe he had been there. She felt around with her left hand. A bed. She had been taken back to the city. What had happened after she hit the rock?
She shuddered, deciding she did not want to know.
She wished she could see something. She could see the silhouette of a small window, and she could see stars outside. There was no moonlight to shine into her room.
She tried to sit up, but she could not get up. She gave up with a sigh.
Suddenly, she noticed that she was not alone in the room. She could hear breathing, she could feel the vibrations.
She tried to lift her right hand again, and realized that the reasons he could not lift it was not a wound, but that there was a head lying on it. She wormed her hand out. Who was lying with his head on her bed? She tried to feel his hair, his face, but she could not reach.
Finally, she decided to wake him up. She shook him lightly, hoping that would do it.
She poked him, and suddenly, he sat up with a start. "Ah!" He cried out softly. "What the?"
Kel sighed. "Dom." She whispered. Her voice hardly made a sound through her parched throat.
"Kel, you're awake!" He cried, throwing himself at her. "Kel, I didn't know when you would wake up! I was so worried!" He rushed through his words in a loud whisper.
He hugged her tightly. Slowly and painfully, Kel brought her arms up and hugged him back.
He sounded teary as he rambled on. Kel could hear him crying.
"Shh," she said, taking his head in her hands. "I'm okay," she whispered. "I wish I could see you."
Dom nodded, Kel thought, by the way his head felt in her hands. "Me too."
She kissed him. Softly, at first, as it was all she could manage. Her forehead hurt terribly, but she did not care.
She felt like she was going to cry as well. She hugged Dom again. "Stay here with me." She whispered. He kissed her.
Kel feel asleep with her head nestled into Dom's chest.
Kel woke early in the morning. Dom was already awake, but barely. He was rubbing his eyes and yawning.
Kel smiled. "Morning." She said. Dom turned around and looked at her. He smiled and kissed her.
"Morning." He said. They sat there for a moment in silence, until Dom said, "I guess I should go tell someone that you're awake, right?"
Kel nodded slowly. "Maybe." She said.
Dom kissed her again. She wished she could just stay there forever with Dom by her side, but she knew that was not possible. As soon as Dom had left, she realized something. There was a reason that she was here in this bed. What had happened with the rest of the battle?
Almost instantly, Dom came back, Neal leading close behind, grinning. "See, I told you to give her time." He said, poking Dom.
Dom shrugged. "You also told me to go back to my room last night. But did I listen to you? No, and it's a good thing, too."
Neal rolled his eyes. "It's not like her injuries would have gotten worse if she woke up here alone," he said. "She wouldn't freak out or something."
Kel looked at them. "Is this leading up to something, or can I go back to sleep?" She asked.
Dom and Neal glared at each other, then Neal came over and checked Kel over.
Kel looked at him. He looked healthy now, but tired. She did not know how long she had been unconscious, how long the battle had gone one, but she could see in Neal's face that it had not been long ago that he had finished. His eyes were ringed with darkness, and he looked slightly thin and more fragile than usual.
He clapped his hands together. "Well," he said, grinning, "You are pretty much healed. You still need to rest, though. I am going to confine you to bed for a few days. You may go back to your own bed, if you wish. It does not matter to me."
Kel smiled. "Am I allowed to go to meals?"
Neal shook his head slowly. "You stay in bed, Kel. I don't want you getting up unless you have to for at least today and tomorrow, maybe the day after. Get people to bring you food. And I know you have not talked to all of in a long while, but please, try and get some sleep. You will be able to get out of bed sooner then."
Kel nodded obediently. Neal sighed. "I'm sorry about this, Kel. But you had some pretty bad wounds that did not get cleaned for a really long time. You lost a lot of blood, you had not rested in weeks, and you had a big healing. You need sleep."
Kel put her hands up in her defence. "I was not complaining one bit," she said. "but I will complain if I cannot get into my bed soon!" She said.
Neal rolled his eyes. "I'm not doing it. I'm almost as exhausted as you. But I can give you a wheeled chair to get back to your room."
Kel smiled. "Thank you, Neal." She stayed where she was while Dom went to get a chair. Kel took a hold of Neal's hand. She looked up at him. "You have not married yet." She said.
Neal looked down and became quiet.
Kel sighed. "Thank you, Neal. That means more to me than you can know."
Neal smiled. "We weren't sure if you would come back that first time. Yuki and I promised ourselves we would not marry without you there, no matter what."
Kel hugged him. "I love you, Neal." She said.
He hugged her back. "I love you too, Kel."
Just then, Dom came back in the room, pushing a wheelchair in front of him. "All aboard!" He cried.
Kel smiled and batted away the hand Neal offered her. "I may be weak, but I can still get that far." She said. Slowly, she stood up. Every bone in her body ached, every muscle popped back into place. Kel sat herself into the chair. It was cold to the touch.
Dom wheeled her back to her bedroom, leaving Neal in the infirmary, apologizing for the fact that he could not go up with them.
Kel looked around the palace grounds as they went. Everything was green again, from the tips of the trees to the roots of the grass. Or maybe it had never really gone away, Kel had just not noticed it any more. The sky was a brilliant blue, and Kel had to squint. She had not seen sunlight in a while, either. The few people that Kel saw wore dark colours and appeared to be mourning, though they still went about their normal lives, their normal gossips and activities.
Kel leaned back and closed her eyes, feeling the sun on her face. It had been a long time since she could do that. She had not had time for anything restful or relaxing in a long while.
Dom helped her when she got back into her room. Sparrows, waiting patiently on her bed for her return, twittered wildly around Kel's head. Jump raised his head from where he was lying and stared at her. They stared at each other for at least a minute. Jump looked angry. Suddenly, he leapt forward and started licking Kel's face. She laughed.
Dom grinned. "The way he stared, I was afraid he was going to attack you. I guess he decided he could not stay mad."
Kel smiled and put the dog down. She pushed herself up from the chair and onto the bed. Neal was right, she was tired.
She lay down with the sparrows twittering on the windowsill and Jump curled up on her feet.
She looked up at Dom. "Dom," she said quietly, "I want to know what happened."
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Mage Light: Thank you! She never really went evil...she was kind of always evil. Oh well. It doesn't matter.
Wake-Robin: thank you!
Lady of Masbolle: I am so proud. Thank god for Friday nights. Yes, the dragon is obeying Rhian. That was the whole point. She could control them. Remember how they were attacking with the Scanrans, that was the spell. Don't worry, explaining it is the first thing that I do in the next chapter!
Dreamerdoll: well, I lied about not having any. It fell right into place in this chapter, though I thought there wasn't very much. Whatever, I'm not very good at writing it anyway. Glad you liked it!
Laelai: thanks!
PsychoLioness13: that is so true. I should probably put an acknowledgement or something, but whatever. I know, everyone hates cliffhangers. But I find that with boring endings, I have boring starts, and no new ideas. I need them!
Alannalovingwriter: heehee... I wonder why? runs away really fast everything that seems too good to be true is probably from LotR.
Soccerchick-08: It doesn't matter where the dragons came from. Wherever they were, Rhian got control of them. And no, I will not go into details about the unknown immortals. They were just there to show that she was powerful. She could find the immortals as well as command them.
MistyFox14: thank you! I do my best!
Okay, not much to say about this chapter, but...
If you read Good Things Come to Those Who Wait (and it's sequel, Time, which this refers to) this is important.
I am writing a new story line right now, and it is needlessly complex. I am writing basically an outline of the story, and I hope to get it up as soon as I can. Please bear with me! The longer it takes, the better it will be!
"I wish I had a Kryptonite cross, because then you could keep both Dracula AND Superman away."
-unolimbo