Blix:Sorry,my muses went mia for a while there
Nana:But were back!
Dressi:Yay!
Blix:Hip censored hooray
Authors Note
RandomBandNerd,Ephona,AngharadGwyn,TamPhuoc,thank you all so much for your reveiws.They keep me happy and make me smile.And RandomBandNerd,this story answers the question of Tweaks rank and who he is in the Blood.But as for the consort thing,he might,he might not.Right now,my friends are partially controlling the story by saying they would or wouldn't do this and that.So yeah...Im honestly not sure where this is going to go.But I do know that this is going to be a very long story...A very long story.Im already working on the next chapter.It might take awhile since some of my friends back in Sac have a hard time getting a hold of me since they're busy.BTW,the fact that people are homeless in this story has a lot to do with how they react to Sere and other things.Well,I guess that's it,sorry for rambling,and once again thankies for taking time to review!It makes me uber happy!
Ebon Thunder
Chapter 6-Warlord Princes,Attackers and Dragons, Oh My!
Later that afternoon, after Tweak had roused the group, everyone ate some lunch the newly appointed chef had cooked. As Severnar stuffed his mouth full of potato salad, he watched the looks one of the males was sending his cousin. It wasn't Tweak either. Tweak he admittedly liked, even if he was a bit rough around the edges. But this male was sending looks of pure lust. It was disgusting.
Sere chatted on with Liz and Stormy without noticing the looks being sent her way. It made her seem naïve, and Severnar didn't understand how she didn't notice. He felt like there should be holes in her back.
"Sever, I think I'm going to go make a quick trip out of town in a few days. Alone."
Severnar heard the words, but paid no heed as a message filtered through to his mind.
'Sever, I'm taking Tweak to the keep for his Birthright Ceremony. We've agreed that we're going to meet up under the bridge. He's going to leave the day before, saying he's going to some place called Chico. I need you to keep the ruse up for a little while longer so I can get this done. Do you think you can keep everyone from finding out?' Sere sent on a gray thread. Severnar sensed that Daemonar heard it too.
'Anyone care to tell me why I'm hearing this?' Tweak's voice asked. Severnar, Sere, and Daemonar all jumped slightly and looked at the male.
'Well, like I said, we all know he's going to be powerful,' Sere mentally snorted. Daemonar nodded and Severnar gave her a smile. He knew that things were going to get very interesting indeed.
But he cast a look at the lustful male and wondered how bad the fight would be when the males fought for his cousin's hand.
Three days later found everyone wishing Sere a safe trip. The former homeless teenagers all seemed reluctant to let Sere go, as if they feared she was abandoning them. As Sere walked out the door, Daemonar busied himself with keeping Stormy from crying, and Severnar was trying to convince Sam she was coming back. For some reason, no one was readily accepting the fact that Sere was coming back.
Sere felt tears gathering, cursing herself for a fool for not realizing just how fragile their trust was and for never asking why they had been on the street in the first place. She knew without a doubt most of them had run away or been abandoned.
She quickly ran form the complex and rode the train to Old Sacramento. From there she walked quickly through the gathering twilight across the bridge and down the path, her heart beating fast.
What jewel would Tweak wear? Would Lorn accept him? What would her family think of him?
She was so busy in her thoughts that she didn't notice someone behind her. She waited for Tweak, and turned and smiled when someone's hand fell on her shoulder. She saw Pyro leering at her and felt fear stab her heart and make her stomach churn.
"What are you doing here?" He asked, his brown eyes shining oddly. Sere tried to back away, but his hand tightened on her shoulder to a bruising grip. Her fear touched her jewel, and she felt herself slowly spiraling deep into the abyss, into herself.
"This is my bridge, you have to pay the toll," He said as he took one of her breasts into his hands and handled it roughly, making her want to scream in outrage.
'No! Not one of the dreamers! I don't want to hurt…Not this! NO!'
Tweak rushed towards the bridge, his fury filling him,seeing images from Sere's eyes, knowing someone he called a friend dared to hurt his Queen.How dare he! His hands clenched into his palms, drawing blood with his ragged nails as he almost flew over the bridge and down the path. He got underneath and saw that Pyro was choking her, and her eyes were closed. He knew that she had passed out before she had made it into the abyss to gather power for a blow on the bastard.
His rage driving him, he threw himself against the attacker and pinned him, fury making him snarl. He didn't hear the left wrist of the assailant break over the roar of blood in his ears.
"You will never touch her again!" He snarled at Pyro, his once friend. He was ready to kill the man when Sere's voice protruded into his thoughts.
"Don't hurt him," Sere whispered, her voice frightened. Tweak looked incredulous for a second, then he growled, angry with her pleading. Angry that he gave in.
But he was jubilant to see her alive and not hurt badly.
He was about to walk towards her when Pyro's good hand came up and tried to hit him in his temple with a rock.
But something weird happened, and Tweak felt himself pulled by some sort of force into the space between two of the bridge supports. Everything swirled, then winked out of existence.
All was black, then he opened his eyes as someone yelled and threw something.
"He hurt my granddaughter!" A man roared. "I may be dead but I can still kill the bastard! You can have what's left if he makes the transition!"
"Father, she may be your granddaughter, but she's my daughter, and as her father I have every right to shave the bastard who tried to rape her," Another voice said with icey cruelty lacing it. Tweak knew they spoke of Pyro.
"He was my friend,but she's my Queen. I'll kill him," Tweak muttered as he got up. He looked around for Sere and didn't see her.
"You haven't even made your Offering yet! How can she be your Queen?" The second man asked.
"Because I choose her,and I'm sure she accepts me. As one of her court, I demand the right to kill Pyro for his attempted rape. I may not have a jewel yet, but he hurt my Lady, and so help me God, I'll make it long and painful," Tweak growled. His rage began to fill his head with a buzzing noise.
The first man put a hand on his shoulder, and his rage receded a bit.
"I understand. Right now Lorn has the boy. Sere's mother is tending to her with Draca. DO you know who I am?" The man asked. Tweak nodded weakly when he found out just who he had demanded rights from.
"Sere's grandfather Saetan?" Tweak asked. The man nodded.
"This is my son, her father Daemon. Now, you must be Tweak. Odd name, but Kaeaskavi likes it," Saetan said as he made Tweak sit back down.
"My real name's Seth," Tweak told him, watching him sit down. A glass appeared in front of him, dancing with some sort of blue fire. He was scared to touch it until the fire went out and Saetan chuckled. He then took it and gulped, thinking the liquid had been alcoholic. He spluttered when he tasted something…Different.
"It's yarbarah. Now, Sere has been somewhat quiet. She's been shocked, understandable. You, as one of her court,the only one present, have to help her come out of this shock. She's fighting to stay in her body. If she severs the cord that ties her spirit to her body, we could lose her forever. I don't want to lose her,and I assume you don't want that to happen." Tweak shook his head vehemently. Saetan smiled.
"Well Old Son, looks like you're in for the ride of a lifetime. As soon as Lorn gets done with the bastard that caused all this, you get to go see the old man," Daemon said. Tweak nodded nervously. He knew from listening to Sere talk about Kaeleer that Lorn was a dragon and for all intents and purposes, a sort of protective figure. He was lucky her father, THE High Lord of Hell, hadn't killed him.
Silence ensued Saetan's words when suddenly a woman rushed in,her long blonde hair falling chaotically around her exotically shaped face. He saw that Sere had her facial shape and high cheekbones. And one eye. The deep sapphire eyes stopped scanning the room and stopped on him.
The room faded and he felt himself drawn into the swirling, ocean-like depths.
He was in the Abyss. He didn't know how he knew it, he just did.
"What are your intentions towards my daughter?" A midnight voice whispered. Tweak looked around and saw a nude figure. Somehow it didn't surprise him to see Sere's mother's eyes on the creature in front of him.
"I wish to serve her in any way that she requires. I want to protect her," Tweak told Jaenelle. He felt her smile. He didn't question that he was feeling the smile instead of seeing it.
"Why?"
"I-I don't know. But I'm willing to find out," He whispered, at a loss for words.
He felt the smile widen and suddenly he was back in the room he had awoken in. Saetan and Daemon looked at him with slight smiles. Jaenelle was grinning and holding her husband's hand.
"Why's everyone smiling?" Tweak asked, his suspicion making the tone somewhat defensive.
"I think my daughter's found her consort," Jaenelle told him.
"She doesn't want one. She said she can't risk being broken because a male was too rough. So no, she hasn't," Tweak said as he looked at the ground.
He felt the silence filling the room with all the unasked questions and the despair.
Suddenly a serpentine creature walked in. He knew it was Draca. She looked directly at him and beckoned. Tweak followed her. He was stopped by Daemon's hand touching his shoulder.
"Things don't always turn out the way you expect. But you're a dreamer. A strong dreamer. Never forget that," Daemon said. Tweak nodded and left the room. He followed Draca through the countless halls and down the steep stairs. She opened a door and he felt the huge room around him, though he saw nothing save a huge mass of glittering jewels.
"Go to him, he will give you your birthright," The sibilant voice told him. Tweak went to the pile of jewels and suddenly a huge eye opened. Tweak almost jumped back, then steeled himself. He had to do this to save Sere, to save Kaeleer and his friends.
"You ssseek to sssave the dream?" A voice asked in his head. Tweak nodded.
"Then follow me into the Abyssssss,"The voice said. Tweak was about to ask how to follow when once again the room around him was gone and the floor dropped out from underneath him.
He fell through webs of different colors. Deeper and deeper. He began to slow at the Red, then slower at Gray, then he stopped totally at the Black.
"You will be the next High Lord. You were born to carry on the tradition, from father to ssson. You are the ssson of Daemon'sss sssoul. You are a mirror Ssseth. To sssave the dream you mussst push yourself beyond the limit. You are birthright Red, but that isss not enough. I give you the Black. Wear them well," The sibilant voice told him, and then he was wrapped in a howling storm of fury and shame and rage. He knew the emotions better than most.
He looked everywhere around him, searching for Sere,but not seeing her in the bright flashes of jewel toned lightning. His voice called out through the Abyss, but the thunder drowned out his desperate pleas.
Searching within himself,he pushed all his power into one thought,and let it guide him.
As the Black pulsated within his clenched hand,he felt a serene feeling despite his fear and desperation. As he felt the dark energy flow around him, he let his mind wander through the abyss. He was in her territory,that he knew. He was so close to the woman he had known so shortly,but had come to care for so deeply.
"Sere!" His voice shouted and echoed when he felt the hint of her spirit. He followed the path and found her. His voice couldn't form words, his heart constricted in his chest.
She was curled into the fetal position with her long black hair the only thing covering her. Her pale skin was wet from rain he hadn't taken the time to notice. She trembled, whether from fear or cold he didn't know.
"Sere," He finally whispered. She looked up at him, her mismatched eyes filled with shame.
"Sere, it's time to come back to us," He told her. Sere sobbed and ran into his open arms. Tweak rubbed her back as they soared up higher in the abyss, passing several jewel colored webs. His arms tightened around her, but he never once hurt her. She clung to his body still trembling.
And then he awoke in the chamber, surrounded by Sere's family. Daemon smiled and helped him up. Jaenelle eyed him and grinned.
"Well Daemon, seems like you have someone else to train," She told him. Daemon guffawed and Saetan looked at Tweak quizzically.
"He's just like you guys," Jaenelle told him. Both men groaned and a new voice began to laugh hysterically.
"Another Daemon? Mother Night this is impossible!" The man said. Tweak turned and saw an older version of Daemonar. With wings.
"Lucivar, shut up," Daemon growled.
"Can I see Sere?" Tweak asked. Jaenelle, being the only one that heard him as the other three males argued, nodded and began to walk away, and Tweak followed.
They walked up the stairs and Jaenelle spoke to him.
"You wear the black? Well, I suppose it's natural. It will be interesting to see how Sere reacts to having yet another Warlord Prince to protect her and fuss over her. It's wonderful, really. It makes me feel better knowing that in the other world she will have you and her cousins. Craft is hard, but you'll get the hang of it easily I think, especially with Sere to guide you," Jaenelle told him.
"Is she going to be okay?" Tweak asked. Jaenelle suddenly turned serious.
"Nothing is really wrong with her physically other than a few bruises and a sore throat. Emotionally though. Before you said she'd never take a consort. This may very well enforce it. I don't think she'll be afraid of males per say. Just that aspect of men," Jaenelle finished.
"I don't care, she's still my Queen. Either way I'll serve," Tweak told her. Jaenelle opened the door and smiled at him.
"I know," She whispered. Tweak walked past her and rushed to the bed. Sere was her normal color again, and her breathing was steady. He flinched when he saw the nasty bruises around her throat and knew that there would be some on her breast from how Pyro had manhandled her as well.
He cursed himself over and over for not getting there sooner. He could have saved them all this pain,and Sere the trauma.
But he knew that you couldn't change the past. He knew that better than anyone.
He knelt next to the bed and held her hand within his own and then passed out,exhausted from using most of his power in the abyss.
He smiled slightly in his dreams when he heard Lorn's voice whisper "Well done".
Blix:Im planning something truly evil for Pyro,and he's okay with all this,sort of
Nana:He bitched and moaned and then accepted he was made to be evil
Dressi:Not to mention the mph!
:Nana and Blix hogtie Dressi and gagg him before he can finish:
Blix:Glad he didn't reveal that bitNana:Yeah,otherwise I'd have killed him