The gates creaked open at her soft push, and
Solei slipped inside, jumping slightly as they slammed shut behind her
with a resounding CLANG. Her grip around her glaive tightened.
"This is it..." she whispered and took a deep breath. "CAELESTIS!!!" she yelled.
A low chuckle echoed through the enclosed yard. "He is no longer here, Protector."
Solei's mind worked frantically to place the dark voice. "Show yourself!" she called out.
Again the laughter, and shadows shifted slightly across the way. "How about I don't." She waited, frozen in place by the realization that her father was already dead and that she had a different god to face; one that was not as blind as her father. "I'll send in a replacement." Her head jerked up at the words and she whipped her glaive up in front of her body, forcing her tensed muscles to relax. They remained loose for only a few seconds, tightening back up as she saw the beast. Long tentacles undulated as it moved forward and Solei rooted her feet to the ground, her self-control slipping as row after row of razor-sharp teeth were revealed as the monster grinned fiercely.
"I'll leave the two of you to get better acquainted." The monster advanced and Solei charged. She did not know what sort of chance she stood against the demon, but she needed to end the battle quickly. There was no telling what the demon god would do while she fought one of his minions. She raised her glaive and brought it down harshly, wincing as she felt the demon's scales resist her strike. The blade slid along the armor and try as she might she could not find a weak point. Hurriedly, she disengaged, despair beginning to form in the pit of her stomach. A tentacle flew at her. On pure reflex she dodged and swung her staff downwards towards the appendage. Her arms shook at the blow, but it did nothing. Her blade could not penetrate the scales.
Anger flooded through her veins, calling to her. She embraced the power that rushed through her blood, smirking as the winds began to whip wildly around her, a swirling vortex beginning to form between herself and the demon that still advanced. With a feral cry, she released the tornado on the demon, watching carefully to see its effect. The winds died slowly. The monster remained.
"Shit..." she murmured. "This is not good." One of the tentacles struck her arm and she felt acid burn through her skin. She raised her eyes to meet the demon's and felt her heart sink. She would not win this battle. Shifting her grip on her glaive, Solei glared darkly. She was not going to go down without a fight. Her legs coiled and she sprung, launching herself into the battle that would be her last.
Selene felt a surge of power and knew that something was wrong. Solei would not have used her normal chi unless it was a different fight. To kill Caelestis she would be dancing, not fighting like this. Selene reached out to her slightly older sister, wanting to see what her sister saw. A wall blocked her vision almost instantly, but it did nothing to protect her from what her sister felt. Acid burned into her right bicep and she clutched it instinctively. Then she understood what Solei felt. Utter despair and defeat. She knew that Solei would keep fighting, but the most she could hope for was a tie. A life for a life.
"Such success cannot come/ Without a small price/ The life of a twin/ Comes at the toss of a dice..." Her sister had been doomed from the start. Rage filled her and she summoned her own power. Their uncle needed to be spoken with. She disappeared from the palace in a flash of smoke.
Keirimijag watched as Solei battled defiantly against his demon. He laughed, she would not win. He had trained the demon specifically, created it to be her ultimate nemesis. And then he had stolen the soul of one who once loved her and now hated her. The boy, Jaime, had been surprisingly helpful, random facts about Solei and her weak spots cropping up frequently in his mind. Even better than that, he had revealed her reliance on her glaive, something that Keirimijag had been quick to counter with his demon. He would not be stopped.
Nakago walked restlessly through the gardens, his mind not resting as it threw image after image of Solei at him. The most frequent was her kissing him, her soft lips pressed against his, trying to get a response from him, trying to see if he felt like she did. He had done nothing. He licked his lips. It was probably just his imagination, but he could still taste raspberry from her lip-gloss and he could still smell the cinnamon from her hair. His eyes stared back at the statue that was so much like her and yet so different. Something rippled through the air, and he was no longer staring at the marble girl. Instead he was on a mountain; outside a set of cast-iron gates, watching as Solei was flung helplessly to the ground. His fists clenched in anger, she did not deserve such pain. Time froze. Burns covered her lithe body and her glaive lay shattered on the ground behind her.
"You chose to have her live, General. Now make it so." It was the voice from his dream, and the gates opened. The monster had not moved. "Save her." Time started again. His sword was in his hands and he charged, a blue glow infused with the blade. The sharp point bit deep into the demon's hide, distracting it from the motionless girl and turning it towards Nakago. A long tentacle stretched out to its utmost length and took a harsh swipe at the blond, but he dodged effortlessly and, with a smooth arc of his blade, the tentacle lay on the ground beside him. The demon seemed to understand that it was outmatched, but Nakago would not stop. This thing had caused her too much pain to survive and it was a danger that needed to be eliminated. Three more swipes sent the demon's head flying off of its shoulders and the body erupted in flames. Naught remained but ash.
Swiftly, Nakago went over to Solei, praying that he had come in time to save her from death. He had seen too many people that he loved die; too many people who deserved to live more than he did. He picked her up and cradled her small form in his arms. She stirred slightly and her eyes fluttered open, lavender gazing at him questioningly.
"Nakago?" she asked softly, her mind racing back to waking up on the bench at her grandfather's temple, his cloak covering her from the cold morning.
"Yes?" his voice sent shivers up her spine and she grinned, noting how unendingly attractive he was when he smiled.
"What the hell are you doing here?" her voice was barely a whisper and he had to strain to hear it.
"Making sure that you don't die." He murmured dryly. "I know far too many people that would consider it my fault."
She started to laugh, but it died away swiftly and she drug her gaze away from his face. "I'm so weak..." she muttered. "Such a good-for-nothing...."
He gripped her chin and forced her to look at him. "That is entirely untrue." She raised an eyebrow at him, the simple action making the corners of his mouth to twitch up. "You are good for at least one thing."
"And that is?"
"To be kissed." His lips descended onto hers swiftly, and he was unable to contain his desire for her. She pushed him away after a moment, tears sparkling in the corners of her eyes.
"I'm no good..." she mumbled. His smirk grew as he realized that she was unaware of her ability to make him weak.
"Well then..." he paused for a moment, seemingly thinking about something. "We'll just have to make sure that you are only kissed by someone who knows how..." This time she drew his face down to hers and kissed him softly. As she started to pull away, his hands tightened their grip on her, holding her in place, and one hand slipped around her waist while the other cradled her head. He moved his mouth against hers smoothly, effortlessly taking control. She started to speak, but he silenced her attempt by carefully deepening the kiss. Masculine satisfaction flowed though him as she clung closer, submitting to his caress. She opened her mouth to him after his tongue played with her lips, and he kept the kiss gentle, yet demanding, allowing himself to taste her fully.
'Cinnamon.' He thought with some amount of surprise as his tongue explored her mouth, seeking out her own tongue and sucking on it once she relinquished it into his control. He dove deeper into her mouth and she pressed up against him with a whimper as his hand found a very tender and overtly sore spot on her back with his hand. 'Enough for now.' He thought with some regret. Expertly he tapered off the kiss, giving her one last feather-like caress with his lips before pulling back. She stood still, eyes closed and face flushed for a minute before opening her eyes.
"Wow..." Nakago smirked at his success. "Nakago..." he arched an eyebrow, prompting her to continue. "How are you here?"
"For you." he answered, stopping her as she tried to speak. "You're hurt, Koishii." he admonished softly.
She managed a weak smile, feeling her energy starting to drain away. "Not for long..." he had called her Koishii – beloved. Black played around the edges of her vision, calling her away. She gave one last smile to Nakago and brushed his face with her fingertips. "Anata..." Her hand dropped abruptly and her head rolled to the side.
A tall figure in black appeared, his eyes dark pools beneath the cowl of his cloak. "The time has come." His voice was deep and he reached out to Nakago, indicating that he needed the girl.
"No." Nakago could no loose her. Now that he had her, he was not going to let her go.
The figure raised his cloaked arms. "Then the dead shall come walking." At his words, Solei rose out of Nakago's grasp and walked with jerky steps over to the god of death. He scooped her into his arms almost gently and something akin to sorrow could be seen shining in his ebony eyes. "Farewell General." Black light flared sharply and the figure was gone.
Nakago drove a fist into the ground. This was why he was so aloof: everyone he loved died. When he could convince himself to open up a little, they would be killed. He missed the feeling of her in his arms and realized with a pang of regret that he had only ever held her close twice. Maybe three times. Only called her by the name he heart had known her by once. His Koishii was dead.
Selene arrived in a plume of blue-grey smoke; a negligent wave of her hand sent it scurrying away into the shadows of the underworld.
"UNCLE!!" she roared. The black cloaked figure appeared in front of her, a limp figure held in his arms tightly. Selene staggered back. "Dead?" she asked, all anger gone at the sight of her twin. Hades nodded and started walking.
Selene caught up with him swiftly. "You can't just throw her into the pool."
Her uncle sighed. "I must. It matters not that I am a relative. It was her time to die and I must do my duty."
"DAMN DUTY!!!!!" she screamed. "Solei is your niece!"
"I cannot..."
"NAKAGO LOVES HER!!"
Hades glanced back at her. "I know. He knows. She knew. Nothing can change what has been done. Would you sacrifice yourself to give her a chance at love and life? Even knowing that you yourself have Mituskake's love to enjoy?"
She started to say that she would sacrifice her life to bring back her sister, but her breath caught in her throat and she shook her head sadly. "I cannot."
A wavering violet light appeared next to them and Des walked out, her legs shaking from effort. "I can." She said, all of her bubbly happiness gone.
"I cannot let you." Hades said. "It is not your time."
"Was it truly her time, Hades?" Des sounded far more mature, and her voice echoed with residual sadness. "I have not as much to life for as she does. I offer myself in her place."
"She will die anyways." Hades answered. "It will be the only way for her to stop Keirimijag."
Des shook her head. "Not true. The Daughter of the God and the Queen are more than capable of destroying him. Especially if the Knight gets his act together and assists them."
Selene stepped forward. "Are you sure?"
Des nodded, not hesitating.
Hades inclined his head in acceptance. "Very well. I will set up the pool and when it swirls white, jump. It will accept you."
Hades turned and deposited Solei in her sister's arms, fondly tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear. Des followed him as he exited the main hall of the underworld, her footsteps calm and unhurried. A huge circle wrought of bone stood before her and she walked steadily up the steps.
"Are you sure that this is what you want to do?" Hades asked.
Des nodded. "I'm positive."
"Only fools are positive."
She gave him a small smile. "Then it is a good thing that I am a fool." The vortex opened and began to swirl, black turning to white. Des needed no prompting and jumped, diving into the portal as it began to close. The circle of light vanished, then seemed to hiccup and it spit out two things. One was a crystal the colour of lavender covered in morning dew. The other was the small body of a young woman, her body covered in small bite marks from the undead creatures that protected the gate.
"What?" Hades did not understand. Only the crystal should have been there.
Des raised her head weakly and gave him a cheeky grin. "They said I was too much of a fool and they sent me back. Guess being positive has its good points." She picked up the crystal and turned it over in her hands. "Let's get this back into Solei." Hades nodded in amazement. The prophecy was falling into place.
"This is it..." she whispered and took a deep breath. "CAELESTIS!!!" she yelled.
A low chuckle echoed through the enclosed yard. "He is no longer here, Protector."
Solei's mind worked frantically to place the dark voice. "Show yourself!" she called out.
Again the laughter, and shadows shifted slightly across the way. "How about I don't." She waited, frozen in place by the realization that her father was already dead and that she had a different god to face; one that was not as blind as her father. "I'll send in a replacement." Her head jerked up at the words and she whipped her glaive up in front of her body, forcing her tensed muscles to relax. They remained loose for only a few seconds, tightening back up as she saw the beast. Long tentacles undulated as it moved forward and Solei rooted her feet to the ground, her self-control slipping as row after row of razor-sharp teeth were revealed as the monster grinned fiercely.
"I'll leave the two of you to get better acquainted." The monster advanced and Solei charged. She did not know what sort of chance she stood against the demon, but she needed to end the battle quickly. There was no telling what the demon god would do while she fought one of his minions. She raised her glaive and brought it down harshly, wincing as she felt the demon's scales resist her strike. The blade slid along the armor and try as she might she could not find a weak point. Hurriedly, she disengaged, despair beginning to form in the pit of her stomach. A tentacle flew at her. On pure reflex she dodged and swung her staff downwards towards the appendage. Her arms shook at the blow, but it did nothing. Her blade could not penetrate the scales.
Anger flooded through her veins, calling to her. She embraced the power that rushed through her blood, smirking as the winds began to whip wildly around her, a swirling vortex beginning to form between herself and the demon that still advanced. With a feral cry, she released the tornado on the demon, watching carefully to see its effect. The winds died slowly. The monster remained.
"Shit..." she murmured. "This is not good." One of the tentacles struck her arm and she felt acid burn through her skin. She raised her eyes to meet the demon's and felt her heart sink. She would not win this battle. Shifting her grip on her glaive, Solei glared darkly. She was not going to go down without a fight. Her legs coiled and she sprung, launching herself into the battle that would be her last.
Selene felt a surge of power and knew that something was wrong. Solei would not have used her normal chi unless it was a different fight. To kill Caelestis she would be dancing, not fighting like this. Selene reached out to her slightly older sister, wanting to see what her sister saw. A wall blocked her vision almost instantly, but it did nothing to protect her from what her sister felt. Acid burned into her right bicep and she clutched it instinctively. Then she understood what Solei felt. Utter despair and defeat. She knew that Solei would keep fighting, but the most she could hope for was a tie. A life for a life.
"Such success cannot come/ Without a small price/ The life of a twin/ Comes at the toss of a dice..." Her sister had been doomed from the start. Rage filled her and she summoned her own power. Their uncle needed to be spoken with. She disappeared from the palace in a flash of smoke.
Keirimijag watched as Solei battled defiantly against his demon. He laughed, she would not win. He had trained the demon specifically, created it to be her ultimate nemesis. And then he had stolen the soul of one who once loved her and now hated her. The boy, Jaime, had been surprisingly helpful, random facts about Solei and her weak spots cropping up frequently in his mind. Even better than that, he had revealed her reliance on her glaive, something that Keirimijag had been quick to counter with his demon. He would not be stopped.
Nakago walked restlessly through the gardens, his mind not resting as it threw image after image of Solei at him. The most frequent was her kissing him, her soft lips pressed against his, trying to get a response from him, trying to see if he felt like she did. He had done nothing. He licked his lips. It was probably just his imagination, but he could still taste raspberry from her lip-gloss and he could still smell the cinnamon from her hair. His eyes stared back at the statue that was so much like her and yet so different. Something rippled through the air, and he was no longer staring at the marble girl. Instead he was on a mountain; outside a set of cast-iron gates, watching as Solei was flung helplessly to the ground. His fists clenched in anger, she did not deserve such pain. Time froze. Burns covered her lithe body and her glaive lay shattered on the ground behind her.
"You chose to have her live, General. Now make it so." It was the voice from his dream, and the gates opened. The monster had not moved. "Save her." Time started again. His sword was in his hands and he charged, a blue glow infused with the blade. The sharp point bit deep into the demon's hide, distracting it from the motionless girl and turning it towards Nakago. A long tentacle stretched out to its utmost length and took a harsh swipe at the blond, but he dodged effortlessly and, with a smooth arc of his blade, the tentacle lay on the ground beside him. The demon seemed to understand that it was outmatched, but Nakago would not stop. This thing had caused her too much pain to survive and it was a danger that needed to be eliminated. Three more swipes sent the demon's head flying off of its shoulders and the body erupted in flames. Naught remained but ash.
Swiftly, Nakago went over to Solei, praying that he had come in time to save her from death. He had seen too many people that he loved die; too many people who deserved to live more than he did. He picked her up and cradled her small form in his arms. She stirred slightly and her eyes fluttered open, lavender gazing at him questioningly.
"Nakago?" she asked softly, her mind racing back to waking up on the bench at her grandfather's temple, his cloak covering her from the cold morning.
"Yes?" his voice sent shivers up her spine and she grinned, noting how unendingly attractive he was when he smiled.
"What the hell are you doing here?" her voice was barely a whisper and he had to strain to hear it.
"Making sure that you don't die." He murmured dryly. "I know far too many people that would consider it my fault."
She started to laugh, but it died away swiftly and she drug her gaze away from his face. "I'm so weak..." she muttered. "Such a good-for-nothing...."
He gripped her chin and forced her to look at him. "That is entirely untrue." She raised an eyebrow at him, the simple action making the corners of his mouth to twitch up. "You are good for at least one thing."
"And that is?"
"To be kissed." His lips descended onto hers swiftly, and he was unable to contain his desire for her. She pushed him away after a moment, tears sparkling in the corners of her eyes.
"I'm no good..." she mumbled. His smirk grew as he realized that she was unaware of her ability to make him weak.
"Well then..." he paused for a moment, seemingly thinking about something. "We'll just have to make sure that you are only kissed by someone who knows how..." This time she drew his face down to hers and kissed him softly. As she started to pull away, his hands tightened their grip on her, holding her in place, and one hand slipped around her waist while the other cradled her head. He moved his mouth against hers smoothly, effortlessly taking control. She started to speak, but he silenced her attempt by carefully deepening the kiss. Masculine satisfaction flowed though him as she clung closer, submitting to his caress. She opened her mouth to him after his tongue played with her lips, and he kept the kiss gentle, yet demanding, allowing himself to taste her fully.
'Cinnamon.' He thought with some amount of surprise as his tongue explored her mouth, seeking out her own tongue and sucking on it once she relinquished it into his control. He dove deeper into her mouth and she pressed up against him with a whimper as his hand found a very tender and overtly sore spot on her back with his hand. 'Enough for now.' He thought with some regret. Expertly he tapered off the kiss, giving her one last feather-like caress with his lips before pulling back. She stood still, eyes closed and face flushed for a minute before opening her eyes.
"Wow..." Nakago smirked at his success. "Nakago..." he arched an eyebrow, prompting her to continue. "How are you here?"
"For you." he answered, stopping her as she tried to speak. "You're hurt, Koishii." he admonished softly.
She managed a weak smile, feeling her energy starting to drain away. "Not for long..." he had called her Koishii – beloved. Black played around the edges of her vision, calling her away. She gave one last smile to Nakago and brushed his face with her fingertips. "Anata..." Her hand dropped abruptly and her head rolled to the side.
A tall figure in black appeared, his eyes dark pools beneath the cowl of his cloak. "The time has come." His voice was deep and he reached out to Nakago, indicating that he needed the girl.
"No." Nakago could no loose her. Now that he had her, he was not going to let her go.
The figure raised his cloaked arms. "Then the dead shall come walking." At his words, Solei rose out of Nakago's grasp and walked with jerky steps over to the god of death. He scooped her into his arms almost gently and something akin to sorrow could be seen shining in his ebony eyes. "Farewell General." Black light flared sharply and the figure was gone.
Nakago drove a fist into the ground. This was why he was so aloof: everyone he loved died. When he could convince himself to open up a little, they would be killed. He missed the feeling of her in his arms and realized with a pang of regret that he had only ever held her close twice. Maybe three times. Only called her by the name he heart had known her by once. His Koishii was dead.
Selene arrived in a plume of blue-grey smoke; a negligent wave of her hand sent it scurrying away into the shadows of the underworld.
"UNCLE!!" she roared. The black cloaked figure appeared in front of her, a limp figure held in his arms tightly. Selene staggered back. "Dead?" she asked, all anger gone at the sight of her twin. Hades nodded and started walking.
Selene caught up with him swiftly. "You can't just throw her into the pool."
Her uncle sighed. "I must. It matters not that I am a relative. It was her time to die and I must do my duty."
"DAMN DUTY!!!!!" she screamed. "Solei is your niece!"
"I cannot..."
"NAKAGO LOVES HER!!"
Hades glanced back at her. "I know. He knows. She knew. Nothing can change what has been done. Would you sacrifice yourself to give her a chance at love and life? Even knowing that you yourself have Mituskake's love to enjoy?"
She started to say that she would sacrifice her life to bring back her sister, but her breath caught in her throat and she shook her head sadly. "I cannot."
A wavering violet light appeared next to them and Des walked out, her legs shaking from effort. "I can." She said, all of her bubbly happiness gone.
"I cannot let you." Hades said. "It is not your time."
"Was it truly her time, Hades?" Des sounded far more mature, and her voice echoed with residual sadness. "I have not as much to life for as she does. I offer myself in her place."
"She will die anyways." Hades answered. "It will be the only way for her to stop Keirimijag."
Des shook her head. "Not true. The Daughter of the God and the Queen are more than capable of destroying him. Especially if the Knight gets his act together and assists them."
Selene stepped forward. "Are you sure?"
Des nodded, not hesitating.
Hades inclined his head in acceptance. "Very well. I will set up the pool and when it swirls white, jump. It will accept you."
Hades turned and deposited Solei in her sister's arms, fondly tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear. Des followed him as he exited the main hall of the underworld, her footsteps calm and unhurried. A huge circle wrought of bone stood before her and she walked steadily up the steps.
"Are you sure that this is what you want to do?" Hades asked.
Des nodded. "I'm positive."
"Only fools are positive."
She gave him a small smile. "Then it is a good thing that I am a fool." The vortex opened and began to swirl, black turning to white. Des needed no prompting and jumped, diving into the portal as it began to close. The circle of light vanished, then seemed to hiccup and it spit out two things. One was a crystal the colour of lavender covered in morning dew. The other was the small body of a young woman, her body covered in small bite marks from the undead creatures that protected the gate.
"What?" Hades did not understand. Only the crystal should have been there.
Des raised her head weakly and gave him a cheeky grin. "They said I was too much of a fool and they sent me back. Guess being positive has its good points." She picked up the crystal and turned it over in her hands. "Let's get this back into Solei." Hades nodded in amazement. The prophecy was falling into place.
Yeah, I know I said that I probably wouldn't get a chapter out until the 1-year anniversary of the start of Awoken, but hey, I had an idea and I ran with it. If I get lucky with another then I'll grace you with another chapter on that day. I probably won't be able to though...sry...
The Muses Tk and Zv: Thanks for the critique, I'll work with that as soon as Fanfiction starts to agree with my formats...the prophecy thing just doesn't like me... I've changed some of the formalities stuff, but I won't re-load the chapter until I've finished the story-wide editing that I'm doing. The Queen is going to help me with some of that and I'll do what I can. Thanks for he review!
FangedBandit19: yeah, I know. Hopefully you liked the action in this one...yes...it got fluffy at the end...but hey, I'm coming to the end of the story and the two of them hadn't admitted it yet. I was getting frustrated.
Gee, I wonder why I haven't read book 11 yet...hint hint...please? Thanks for the tip, but I kinda already knew that... thanks anyways though.
Alright, Nakago appeared in front of her because she was in the Caves of MIRAGE. The power of the caves mixed with the power of the mirror and produced the effect that I wrote about. Sorry. That was a technical aspect that apparently was underwritten too deeply...sry. Oh, and in this chapter he is teleported by the mystical little female voice. I'll explain who she is later... thanks for the review!
Ciao
I'm on cloud 9: yeah. Sry. Nice Monty Python quote. I'll try to get another up before December, we'll see though...
All: thank you for reading and hopefully you continue to do so. Please, if you have even the slightest question, hint, notice of classic rock people, (I'll give a preview of the next chapter to the person that guesses the references first. Note: the answer must also be right...), want to see a certain character again, anything, don't hesitate to press the pretty blue button that says "Go" and tell me. Please. I live for comments.
Ciao!
M.S.