This is a multiple chapter story. Please follow for updates! At this point of writing I'm not sure if it will be a Cassian/oc or an Azriel/oc or maybe both, because what the hell why not.. I'm kinda letting them tell the story. I don't own Cassian, I don't own Azriel. Unfortunately. Will there be smut? probably, YES. What about Nesta? Nesta fucked up.. nuff said. Just read the damn thing. Nesta has a purpose, for once in her life..
Before Hybern was defeated he released one of the deadliest threats Rhys and his family had ever encountered.
The Nightmare was known to be of the elusive kind. No one really knew what The Nightmare looked like. His beasts, or hounds as some called them, had been set loose upon Prythian soil to wreak havoc. All who crossed them had succumbed to their violence. All but one.
This is her story.
Az finally made it up the mountain. Panting and heaving he righted himself, before being struck with a wave of horror. He staggered back, tripped over something, or someone, and fell to his back.
With a grunt of shock and devastation, he pulled himself back to his feet again. 'What the fuck..' his mouth opened in disbelief.
She stood, naked and painted red in blood and dirt, amid a scorched field of bodies. She locked eyes with Azriel before she fell to one knee. A flap of charred skin hung loosely around her calve. 'Help me..' she whimpered.
She should not have survived this. A human girl could not have survived this.
The scorched earth and body parts crunched under his boots with every long stride he took to reach her. The stench of burned flesh reached his nostrils and he gagged. He could really use his powers right about now. Damn, Rhysand and his stupid training exercises.
'Hedda,' He caught her as she fell into his arms. 'Stay with me. I'll get you home.'
She shuddered. He wasn't sure if it was the cold or the pain that was getting to her. 'Tell him I did it..' she sucked in a haggard breath. 'Tell Cass, won't you?'
'No, no... No.' He held her as the life slowly drained from her eyes. 'What did you do?' he scolded her.
'I held the line..' she coughed. A blob of blood sprayed from her lips. 'I promised I would.'
'GAAAAAARRHHHHHHHGGG' He stared at the sky and felt like bursting with madness. Stupid training sessions were bound to go awry someday. She'd promised Cassian to stay behind and hold the mountain, so he would make it down first, before Az. But Az was not what came for her next. He glanced over his shoulder at the burned carcasses. She saw them coming. She used a shield to dig a trench. She used the last of our dragon's breath to hold most of them off as she fought the few strays. Her trousers had caught fire when she was forced closer to the fire pits. Her left leg was burned to hell. Raw and cooked simultaneously. Loose strips of skin and flesh, blazing an angry red, where a blade entered and left her body. The left side of her face hung down and swollen like she'd headbutted a shield in quick succession. Dark purple bruises, fingers, around her neck. Someone had tried strangling her.
He stared back at the foot of the mountain. If he could see the smoke and flames rising from miles away, then where the fuck was Cassian. He gingerly picked up the unconscious girl and slowly made for the finish line, cursing Rhys for disabling their Illirian nature.
'We're all human today!' he'd beamed when he decided to modify our fighting tactics alongside the humans. 'We need to find their weaknesses, so we can strengthen their lines where it matters most.' Cassian had added.
She had not only surpassed anyone's expectations, no. She had stood in active combat against a horde of terrifying beasts and singlehandedly held them off. He looked toward the horizon. To Velaris. She had held the line and saved Velaris from carnage. A human girl. One human girl. 'Who are you?' he wondered at the lifeless female in his arm.
Perfect. Azriel was sure Cass would rip Rhys into a million pieces, before starting on his brother, if his favorite student was to perish today.
'Don't die on me kid,' He grumbled. 'I'm getting you home.' But first, he had to hike his way down the mountain, the human way.
