Flights Of Fancy
Disclaimer: I only own the inhabitants of Necron, the turtles of course belong to Mirage.
Chapter Thirty One- Fire with Fire part two
Raph ignored the two stallions Embraha and Demon as he kicked a dead Antlope to one side trying not to shudder, that many bugs all at once had been hard to deal with and he had a rash of bites taken out of his legs and arms where the Antlopes had attacked while he had struck with his sais. Still he did his best not to scratch the many itchy bites on his body and act tough, he did have a reputation to maintain, and that included banishing all memories or thought of being buried under the Antlopes as they ate him alive.
Raph stomped over to Leo "What's the big idea Leo? I'm startin' to think we're just along for the ride here. They don't really need us. I mean we hardly got to fight and what fighting we managed was more in the name of self preservation then it was really a battle."
Leo stood his chest heaving, as he glanced at his grouchy brother, not for the first time and probably not for the last either Leo felt that Raph could be right. Even if Raph was correct that they really didn't have any place on this strange world or in the mission ahead, it didn't seem to change the fact that they couldn't return home. "Look if it was up to me we would go home. I'm starting to think that any of Renet's gifts ought to be returned to sender without opening." Leo confessed.
"Bout time someone agree wit me." Raph grunted in reply.
"However getting home without the means isn't going to help us either" Leo pointed out. He sighed as he looked at the phoenix which was now crunching down on the roasted, toasted insects and his stomach rolled slightly, especially with the knowledge that even with the swords help he had almost fallen along with his brothers. " Plus I have no idea why Demon is trying to battle someone who could be our ally."
Trina over hearing his remark cut in, "That is simple, Embraha was trying to steal Shanza away, unicorns and pegs do mate for life as do we toshe. I hear cataflys are far more fickle and mate with whoever. Embraha was trying to steal her away and strangely enough Shanza seemed almost receptive to his advances."
Mike and Don came over to their brothers and Mike slumped onto the ground with a weary look, "That was too much, almost eaten by bugs, the food chain has drastically changed."
Don looked at the stallions who were still going through the preliminaries of battle it seemed as neither had locked with the other, but were squealing and neighing threats, and challenges, striking with hooves and trying to bite. " So you are saying that the two are going fight for the right to Shanza?" he inquired curiously.
"More or less," Symbia replied, "You see if Embraha is a demon an he wins the battle Shanza will have to go with him. Though I have a feeling that Embraha would have preferred taking her without interference. It is clear Shanza is under a bit of a spell for she would not have responded in the fashion she did to him, even with his help all that is needed is appropriate gratefulness, not the crossing of horns."Symbia stomped her foot.
"Then Embraha is a demon?"" Mike inquired suddenly worried for Shanza.
"Let us say he is not of the light, though his looks may lead one to assume he is" Symbia stomped her fore hoof, digging up bits of sand. "If Demon wins then Shanza stays with us, If he wins then we are in deep trouble."
Mike jumped up pulling his chuks, "Then what are we sitting here for?" he demanded sharply, "Together we can take that false unicorn down and out."
"I'm for it!" Raph agreed fully.
Lobo growled his hair bristled and he bared his fangs " Stay where you are!" He barked sharply, as the rest of the toshe pack circled the turtles, "This is between those two alone. When Shanza went to face Tilamat in her home, the unicorn could not expect help not from Gimod or us. We had done our service and if she refused to meet her fate we would have killed her there and feasted on her." Lobo licked his lips and his eyes seemed to glow a little. "Now Demon must face Embraha and expect no help. It is the way it is done here on Necron that the forces of light and darkness must clash over something that can tip the scales in favour of one, or the other, and no one can intercede. In the realm of Equines when it comes to mating rights only the stallions who want her battle!"
Leo scowled, "But what happens if Embraha wins, I mean besides Shanza having to go with him?"
Symbia shook her head, what seemed so simple to the rest of them was, of course totally unknown to these strangers "With Shanza and her son under their care then they can cause greater trouble for Necron. They could speed up the spells they are needing to turn the world to darkness as is, or something much worse."
"What could be worse?" Don asked.
Symbia shuddered and rolled her eyes shaking her head unable to reply, whatever it was couldn't be good.
Gimod rumbled deeply puffing smoke in a fury, the dragon lashed his tail, in anger and he grinded his teeth. Shea whined at the dragon and Gimod struck out at the toshe in anger, he was not in a charitable or a communicative mood, and the dragon's eyes were locked on to the equines who looked very close to getting down to business now.
"This bites, why can't I do something? I mean Shanza is my guide," Mike protested bitterly.
'Do I have to sit on you, to make you behave?' Gimod snapped his neck around to give an intimidating glare towards Mike.
Mike, unlike don and Leo had never seen this side of the dragon, and up to this point Mike had felt that Gimod was sort of like the reluctant dragon from the child hood story, the dragon who refused to fight and gone to sleep only to wake up years later as the only surviving dragon. A boy had made friends with the dragon and when a knight came into town, the towns people had spread lies about the dragon so they could see the fight. It ended up with the dragon alive and the towns people learning not to spread stories. Mike had always loved that story as a child.
Now though he was faced with more of a dragon like the ones that were found in other stories, the ones who went off burning down villages, eating maidens, and hoarding gold in a mountain side. The sort of dragon that caused havoc and terror where ever it went. A dragon that was irritable and not to be messed with and Mike had no doubts that Gimod would do exactly as he said he would. Mike thought of all the protests that were fighting to be voiced, but the look in Gimod's eye and the smoke that billowed out of the dragon's nose, causing Mike to choke on the noxious fumes, was quite enough to still his words.
Mike however wasn't amused and he crossed his arms over his plastron, scowling and muttering about the injustice of the world they were on. Raph noticed Mike's dark look and he had to go over he placed a friendly hand on Mike's shoulder, "I agree with ya bro. It ain't right. I know I've always been one to break the rules, but on this world the consequences could be something pretty harsh. Let's just hope Demon wins this match."
Mike gave Raph a grateful look and then turned to watch the battle that was all ready in progress.
Demon dived nimbly out of the way of the slash from Embraha's horn, he leaped into the air, to try a mid air attack to come down upon the equine formed demon. Embraha blew out a wild burst of flame towards Demon who pulled back quickly, squealing slightly and rolling his eyes in fright. Demon turned and landed a few feet away, far enough from the raging fire to avoid being burned. It was clear to the Pegasian that an air attack was of little use when Embraha could produce flame at will.
Shanza stood to one side her eyes focused on the two stallions, she pawed the ground, but seemed to be in a trance like state. Her body trembled and shook, and a thin lather of sweat had worked itself up onto her coat.
Embraha leaped through the flame his horn poised and he slashed the Pegasian from neck to flank. Demon curled his lip and snaked his neck out to grab hold of the stallion on his shoulder, it wasn't a great hold but it was something. Demon unfurled his wings and began to pump struggling to get up even with carrying the extra load of Embraha. Slowly the unicorn's front quarters lifted up in the air. Embraha kicked out with fore legs, pawing and slashing out with his horn.
The tenuous hold that Demon had, finally broke and Demon flapped quickly to avoid the rebuttal of Embraha, which the Peg had no doubts would be quick to come. Embraha's eyes began to glow red and suddenly a wild wind blew up, it was so fierce and strong, it took the breath away, sand blew up in a wild whirl wind blinding Demon, he felt himself caught up in the wind and thumped quickly to the ground. Coughing dust and grit from his nostrils, he got to his feet staggering slightly.
'You really are a demon Embraha.' Demon muttered shaking his head.
' Yes more so than you. Pathetic fool!' Embraha mocked sharply as he charged with his horn leveled at Demon's chest.
Demon whirled and kicked out with both hind legs, one leg catching Embraha in the chest with one hind leg and the other shooting up just a bit further catching the false unicorn in the nose. Embraha tasted and smelt his own blood, he shook his head blood splattering as he did so. He curled his lip, and his eyes seemed to go from red to a deep blood maroon colour. Embraha screamed and it was the sound of eerie wild desolation combined with hundreds of tortured souls.
Demon quailed at the noise, lying his ears back against his head, his eyes showing the white in sudden panic, the noise got to be too much and Demon whirled to be chased driven by Embraha. The false unicorn slashed and struck out with his horn cutting Demon. A wall of fire burst in front of Demon and the Peg reared only to be bowled off his feet and have a horn to dive down near his throat. Demon braced himself, he felt the horn tip pierce his skin and the flow of blood.
' Now fool, you can live, at least for now. I will take your mare, and make her mine. You will live to see much darker days ahead.' Embraha vowed, then he neighed out, and Shanza came trotting up. 'You are mine Mare.' He stomped a hoof on her burning a mark on her flank, and something fell from the hoof when he removed it from Shanza. Shanza squealed in pain and fear as she was branded by the demon.
Shanza backed up slightly, but Embraha whirled and tore a chunk from her flesh and began to drive her across the desert disappearing into the waste.
Mike yelled "Noooo!"
Demon gained his feet, hanging his head in weary defeat, exhausted, hurt and terrified for what the future held; He could only stand and call out after Shanza in a forlorn cry.
Mike ran up to the Pegasian "We got to go after her. We have to get her back. We can't let that thing have him."Mike screamed frantic for his friend.
Demon huffed out he looked at the enraged turtle he could sense Mike's turmoil of emotion. ' We will and we will get her and my son back. Hopefully before too much harm is done. Embraha was too much demon for me. But did you see how he created that sand storm to defeat me. I have a feeling he also created the storm which caused us to be separated in the first place.'
The Phoenix had finished it's feasting and flew over ' Still you will need help see what the demon dropped.' The bird picked up the fiery red bit of metal that had dropped off Embraha's hoof it was the shape of a trident, ' The one in red has weapons similar to the demon's mark. It ought to bind to his weapon.'
Lobo came up "Will that not mean that he will be under the power of the demon?"
The fire bird shook it's head, ' No the demon can't control those who hold a part of it. But this metal holds a part of his fire.'
Lobo gave a panting smile " Raphael, with your blazing weapons, you lack only the fire. Put this on one of your daggers and watch the fire blaze." The toshe howled the last bit as if in victory.
Demon turned to Mike, ' Since Shanza is gone for now I will be your guide, and if you take from me a feather from each wing and some of my hair from mane and tail, braid the hair so it traps the feather and wind the braid round your weapon you will have great magic.'
Gimod stepped forward ' Add to that a dragon scale and his chucks will hold a stronger magic yet.'
The Phoenix laughed, ' Go on and take a tail feather I can spare it.'
Marina purred "Hair from the catafly too can't hurt."
Mike looked at all of them "What will all that do?"
Gimod glanced upwards, ' Who knows for sure it is powerful magic, the like that has never been done on Necron before. With luck it may be enough to spare our lives. At the very least we will fight fire with fire.' Gimod's eyes narrowed as he let loose a large volley of flame.
TBC