By the Red Moon Part 54
Lying on his back in the swirl of light and darkness within himself, Duo sighed deeply and stared up into nothingness. "I'm going to need both of your help in this," he said quietly. Its tail wagging, the little, black dragon at his side rested its head onto his stomach with an intent look in his onyx eyes.
His hand reaching to his other side, the braided prince rightly ran it over the smooth hide of the white unicorn resting beside him. "Training with what I can do is one thing. But using you in an actual battle is something completely different and something that I'm not exactly sure that I'm ready for yet. You're going to have to let me know how to make you manifest yourselves out there when you're needed."
A wide smile across on the dragon's muzzle, it let out a bright chirp and the unicorn wuffled as it gave their master a deep nod of understanding. Grinning, the teenager said quietly, "Thanks, you two."
"Prince Duo?" a voice called through the haze around him. Violet eyes widening, Maxwell sat up and peered back to the path that he had traveled. Taking a slow and deep breath, he closed his eyes and released it to take himself back.
When he blinked and his vision cleared, Duo found himself in the middle of the clearing that he had retreated to for his meditation.
Seated on the ground just as he had been with his legs crossed, he raised his head to find a familiar face staring down at him. Tilting her head, Gloria stayed bent forward at her waist as she blinked in wonder. "Are you back with us?" she asked. Behind the petite blonde, Heero smirked in amusement.
"Yes, I am," the prince snickered as he rose to his feet, brushing the back of his black pants off. Looking around, he noted that Wufei and Anna were also standing close by with expectant expressions on their faces. And it was only then that he also picked up on just how dark their surroundings were.
Realization flooding his eyes, Duo guessed aloud, "Time to go?"
The werewolf beamed and nodded vigorously. "Okay," he resigned, putting his mind to the task at hand as he followed the knights and their steeds from the clearing and navigated themselves around the trees with the few torches that were allowed through the camp for the sake of being able to move about.
Once they stopped just behind the vines that shielded them behind the end of the tree line that faced Aries, the braided teenager waited for his eyes to adjust to the pitch around him. When Scythe and Wing bent their heads down to him, he ran a reassuring hand over their noses.
"I'm going to be alright, guys," he smiled sadly at her ever-present worry over him. "I'll be ready for you to catch up with me when you're all able to move in." Snorting, the dragons contented themselves with at least that.
Alongside her husband and their steeds, Anna vowed fervently to her prince, "They will not get anywhere near you before then. The corner of her mouth curling up, she commented, "I may not exactly be close, but I will no less be your shield out there." Grinning, Duo squeezed her shoulder.
Moving in, Heero pulled his lover up against him and gave him a passionate kiss. Breathless when they broke away, Duo blinked his eyes widely. "Please be careful," the Captain whispered as he leaned their heads together. Swallowing roughly, his partner nodded instead of attempting to use his voice at that moment.
"The entire army is lined up and ready to charge along with the wolf pack being led by Alex and Adodera," Wufei informed. "Will there be a signal from you that we should look for so that we will know when you have released your gift?"
Duo snickered, "Don't worry. You'll know when I have. Just watch the city." Satisfied, the swordsman smirked.
Quickly turning within Heero's arms to face him, the prince leaned in for another firm kiss before whispering, "Love you." Mouthing the sentiment back, the Commander reluctantly lowered his arms and stepped back to return to Wing's side.
Stepping up to the charge, Gloria's normally carefree spirit sobered considerably as she instructed, "Be sure to hold on tightly and press yourself as close against me as you can with your head down so that you will blend in with my fur."
Her head rising along with her gaze to the treetops, she said, "The wind is blowing towards us, so it will keep our scent from reaching their guards. I will stop before those foul monsters will be able to pick us out, but we should be close enough for you to carry out whatever it is you are planning. Just get to it quickly."
"Got it," Duo nodded firmly. On that, the girl hunched forward and her body shifted. The black material of her one-piece leathery attire stretched and warped into long strands of fur. Once the transformation was complete, a massive wolf as dark as the night around them stood before the prince with transparent green eyes.
With a deep breath, the braided youth smiled to his knights-in-training and waved. Their eyes swirling with a mixture of emotions over the situation, Heero, Wufei, Anna and their steeds gave shallow nods.
Climbing onto the tall beast, Maxwell made sure to follow Gloria's advice by stretching out along her back, pressing his face against her spine and gripped on tightly. Taking comfort in the warmth of the fur that he could feel brushing around him, he closed his eyes just before the back haunches of the wolf stretched back to push off of the ground.
The sound and slap of the ivy vine curtain being broken through confirmed that they had launched out into the open stretch before Aries. Beneath him, Duo felt the muscular body bouncing with every long stride, he held his breath and silently prayed that they were successful in going unnoticed.
Cold air whirled past the prince, whipping his braid and threatening to freeze his hands as they clutched as hard as they could onto tufts of fur to keep from being shaken off. For as fast as they were going, the sprint was not even making Gloria's breath labored in any way and that could only help in keeping the guards around the city from picking up on them.
Finally, after an incredibly long few minutes, Duo could feel his carrier slow and lower herself onto her stomach.
Blinking his violet eyes open, he raised his head to see several pairs of glowing red eyes through the darkness only a half-mile ahead of them as small fires burned throughout the streets of Aries behind them where more soldiers were gathered.
Just as the werewolf had said, the breeze was blowing in their faces, carrying with it the foul stench of the demons and burnt flesh.
Quiet, gurgled conversations and rumbling laughter could be made out clearly. And the prince was near enough for his gift to pick up on what terrible intents that were in their rotted minds and blackened hearts to reveal not one single glimmer of goodness to be found.
The air hitching in his throat in actually seeing how he was practically right under Dekim's army, Duo shakily pushed himself from his mount to crouch beside her. Forcing himself to fight past his fear, he searched through the campfires for his target. Once his vision adjusted and locked onto what he was seeking, he moved quickly to press his hands flat against the cool grass beneath him.
Closing his eyes, Maxwell slowly released the breath that he had been holding and called upon both sides of his gift at once to send it forth. Silently urging the magic to spread to its point quickly, he was completely oblivious to the sweat that was beginning to bead along his brow in his efforts...
...or the fact that the wind had suddenly shifted to blow towards Aries.
Two of the night guards that had been engaged in a discussion suddenly stopped. With their slimy nostrils flaring, they sniffed the air loudly.
Red eyes widening and narrowing heatedly, they growled to each other at the same time, "Human." Their fellow soldiers along the line of the crater around the city all turned their heads in the direction of the scent.
Snapping her large head around, Gloria turned her eyes on the prince and let out a low grunt of warning. Too lost in his spell, Duo had no way of hearing her or sensing the danger that they were in. His eyes shifted rapidly behind his closed lids as he continued to weave his magic into the weapon that they needed.
Weapons drawn, a handful of the guards stepped past the city line and under the starry skies beyond the Keeper's reach.
Shoulders hunched forward in readiness to strike, they continued to sniff the air as the breeze carried the scent of their unexpected visitor away. Without the scent or light to guide them, they continued forward, knowing that there was someone out there... somewhere very near.
Then the whole world seemed to explode when the great volcanoes at the northern edges of Aries came to life in massive eruptions that shattered the air and brightened the cloud-covered heavens. Brilliant lava shot up for thousands of feet to rain down and flow rapidly down the mountains' sides.
At that same moment, the fiery river that had been frozen cracked free to run within the crater that rounded the city once again. When it did come back to life, it did not stay contained; instead, it bubbled and spilled over to pour into the camps of Dekim's troops. Screaming and screeching in agony as they were burned asunder by the molten stream, the demons were taken out by the dozens.
Those soldiers that were in the field looked back in wide-eyed terror that only lasted a heartbeat before they turned out to the open stretch. Gripping their weapons, as the brilliant light behind them revealed the wolf and the braided prince, they charged for them just as Duo came out of his trance.
Gasping sharply at the sight of Gloria leaping, the braided teenager jumped to his feet to watch in shock as the wolf bit into the thick neck of the first guard that was on them. Strong arms lowering his raised axe to fend off his attacker even as his throat was torn asunder, the ogre fell to the ground dead.
Before the werewolf could get up in time, two more demons were running into the scene.
Only able to hold off one by attacking their legs, she was powerless to stop the second as it ran past her. His hand scrambling to reach the hilt of his sword, Maxwell ran back a few paces as the giant was in the midst of lowering its own blade onto his braided head.
Just a few inches from cleaving the prince's head from its neck, the maddened ogre was riddled with arrows that pierced its neck and under its arms. The impact knocked the lifeless monster back to crash along the ground.
Letting out a stunned cry over the near miss on his own life, Duo looked back and up to see Anna quickly reloading her bow with another arrow atop Ingier as they soared in with the thousands of other riders.
And in the lead of the charge was none other than Deathscythe and Wing. The black steed swooping down, she unleashed a wave of flame onto the oncoming soldiers that threatened her rider and Gloria. Ending her assault, she snatched the elated prince by the back of his tunic and turned her head to lower him into his saddle.
"Good girl!" Duo cheered as he hurried to fasten himself into his harness. Looking down, he could make out the impressive storm of the Alliance ground troops of man and wolves alike as they ran for Aries.
When Scythe took him over the flaming crater, he held his right hand out to freeze over a wide portion of the lava to create a safe bridge into the city for them. Crying and howling, the army charged over the pass and began to slaughter the completely stunned troops that they encountered.
Either coming out of their sleep or just too shocked by the fact that they were on the defensive, there was little to no time for Dekim's force to collect themselves enough to hold back their assailants. The few that were able to get their bearings and take out a few men or beasts were quickly overwhelmed.
Soaring in low and fast, the dragons shot flames onto the ghost riders as they hurried to try and mount their bony steeds. Tails and claws were used as mallets to crush the skeletal creatures before they got far from the ground.
And still, the lava from the volcanoes continued to flow into what remained of the town.
Using the light side of his gift, Duo was able to locate the whereabouts of the Alliance as well as the locations of the innocent prisoners. Casting a light spell on those areas even in the midst of his slashing and stabbing the dark soldiers around him, he made it that the red, crackling stream would flow around them so that they were unscathed.
Commander Scott Lewis led the Leo men to the eastern edges of the town while Mueller carried his forces to the west. Alex and his fellow werewolves flooded straight through to the north. With their numbers, it did not take long for the skies and every edge of Aries to be consumed by the battle.
Those women that had been forced to stay in the tents of the gruesome soldiers of Dekim's men, quickly clothed themselves when their captors rushed out into the fray. Peering with wide eyes to the sights of the fighting taking place throughout their homeland, the girls all stood with their jaws slack.
Elsewhere, what soldiers remained of the Aries army that had been spared for torture armed themselves, completely forgetting their agony to have another shot at their enemy. Releasing their own that had been chained and tied, they assisted those in the worst conditions from harm's way to wait out the struggle.
Throughout the town, young, old, men and women of every race and creed banded together to arm themselves with whatever they could get their hands on to aid their rescuers.
Completely unprepared and lost over how their world had been thrown into complete chaos, the Keeper's own were knocked and pushed back into the lava by the claws of the wolf pack or the swords of the Alliance.
Dodging the few glowing shots from the ghost riders that had managed to make it into the air, Wufei cut them back down while Nataku spun in midair to pummel their dragons. Looking specifically after the civilians not far off, Anna rained a hail of arrows down on the giants and ogres alongside the other archers lying around her.
Frantic, one gremlin searched around to see its own falling all around and shrieked over the deafening commotion desperately, "Retreat! Pull back, men!"
Shaking his disfigured head, a nearby ogre shouted, "Where to, you fool?! We are completely surrounded!" He was instantly silenced from saying anything further when Alex launched himself up to maul the demon's face.
Truly, there was nowhere for the dark army to run to. Once the whole of the Alliance was inside of the city, the bridge that they had crossed was destroyed to leave the whole area surrounded by lava that was too wide to be crossed.
"We have them exactly where we want them!" Heero cried over the noise of the battle. Raising his bloodied sword high, he yelled, "Do not let up on them now!" Those words served to push the already assured troops that much more in their work.
Fueled by their rage and hatred for the demons for what they had done and what they represented, there was no slowing for the Alliance. And there was no sympathy for their enemies. This was their chance to repay them for the nightmare that they had brought into their world.
One by one, the dark sorcerer's men fell into bloodied, shattered or fiery heaps until at long last there were hoards completely wiped out. Slowly but surely, the bubbling cries died down as their numbers were cut down.
Heavy Arms swooped down low enough so that Trowa could slice away at a few monsters that had forced a handful of civilians into a burning building.
Jumping from her brother's saddle, Catherine ran into the home to wrap herself around the crying children and their parents one at a time to deliver them out safely. When the family was safe, the fire-starter held her arms out to the lava beside her and sent it up in the form of a tidal wave to crash down on the ogres still remaining in the street.
Every now and then, a spear or blade would make its mark on an Alliance soldier, but those moments were too few and far between to be of any help to the dark army.
In what seemed like only minutes, their great unit was down to only a small handful that was quickly dealt with every bit as mercilessly as they had been to so many souls before.
Finally, the raised voices came down to a low roar and then silence fell over the Aries. Drenched in sweat from having to use his physical and magical strengths to their full potential, Duo panted heavily as he raised his hand to make the lava flowing through the city evaporate away.
Catching their breaths, the men and women in the skies and on the ground straightened themselves to stare around in disbelief that they were looking on their own. The werewolves slowly transformed back into their human forms to gaze around in awe along with their new allies.
Wing came to a landing in the middle of the city along with Deathscythe, Nataku and Ingier. The first to remove his harness, Heero jumped to the ground to slowly make a complete turn around, cobalt eyes wide.
As his officers lowered themselves down behind him, the Commander's face nearly split in a wide smile as he shot a fist into the air and released a shrill yell.
Instantly, the whole of the Alliance let out an explosive round of cheers and cries of celebration of their victory. Grinning proudly, the werewolves threw their heads back to howl loudly to the skies as the thick cover of clouds rolled back to reveal the millions of stars that they had hidden from sight.
The Keeper's reach had been pushed back. Finally, the allied army had reclaimed some of their lost territory. At last, there was real hope now.
A tired smile on his face, Duo hunched forward in his saddle to rest against Scythe's back. And closing his eyes, he fell into a deep sleep.
TBC...
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