By the Red Moon Part 73
"Chaaaaaarrrrge!"
As that shrill cry echoed through Sanq, the thousands of demons spread throughout the city turned their wide eyes towards the forests in the distance as a roll of thunder filled the air. Glancing from one gruesome face to the other in disbelief, the dark soldiers soon realized that the loud sound was actually raised voices.
When a dark cloud rose from the treetops, one tall ogre shouted, "Dragon riders! Get your weapons ready, all of you!" The whole of the army was alive then, the ghost riders taking to the skies with their skeletal steeds and those on foot readying themselves for the oncoming storm of men running through the cover of the trees to cross the opened fields.
Chuckling once he had his spiked mallet in hand, one gremlin snickered at the sight of their attackers. "We will have them cut down to nothing in no time like this. It is hard to believe that they would even have thought to attack us here."
Just then, the ring of more voices shouting through the west and the northeastern borders of the city joined their comrades' as they came into sight.
The Keeper's troops were slack-jawed watching in disbelief to find that the Alliance had done an effective job of surrounding them. Growling deeply, an ogre yelled, "Spread out! Do not allow even one of them anywhere near the castle!"
What order there had been through the ranks up to that moment was lost in the next moments when every soldier went scrambling.
* * * * * *
Within the palace, the deafening commotion of the men outside flowed through the corridors and into every room. As the flood of sound poured into the spell room, its occupants froze with wide eyes. Staying as he was, pressing his jagged dagger against Heero's throat, the sorcerer's skin paled. "The Alliance," he breathed.
Sagging heavily within his chains, Duo breathed, "Thank the Creator." He had succeeded in drawing Barton's attention on him so that his friends had a chance to strike the heart of the dark army. Tears in his violet eyes, he whispered, "They made it."
Dorothy's mouth opened and closed without a sound escaping as she stared at the doorway of the room. Finally finding her voice, she looked back to Dekim and urged, "We need to begin the bleeding process now. His gift must be drained so that they can be stopped before any true damage is done."
Already well aware of their situation, the old man ignored her as he pressed the cool blade in his hand harder against Heero. A tiny nick was made in the flesh, causing a trickle of blood to run down the Commander's neck. He never even made a sound or moved a hair... he never felt a thing.
Whimpering at the sight, Duo bit his lip as a few tears rolled down his face and he sobbed, "Heero."
"Your life or his," Dekim smirked. "And we both know what your choice is. That decision is the same reason why I knew you would not risk a massive attack on me or run once you arrived here." Gripping the shoulder that his other arm held, he sneered, "So, let's not draw this out any longer than we already have."
He was right, the prince had to admit to himself. This was the very thing that Quatre had been afraid of happening... the possibility that he would put Heero's life before his own. And he understood all of the arguments that would have been made against his even considering that notion...
...but there simply was no other option for Duo.
There was still a chance that he was right in his theory. If he was, Heero would survive. Even if it was a slim possibility, he had to take it.
When it came down to it, the braided youth was well aware that his own life would be forfeit when he came up with his plan when he was locked away within himself. It was the knowing that this would likely be his last day alive that had him taking the time to say his farewells to the baby dragon and the unicorn of his gift before returning to the world of the living.
In the near year that he had spent in this world, Duo had experienced a life like never before when he was being moved from home to home in the realm where he'd grown up. He had friends and a family that loved him. An orphan-turned-gifted prince, he found a courage and power within himself that he never knew existed. Now he had the ability to perhaps save the one person that he had come to love.
He was at peace.
Closing his violet eyes, Maxwell sighed and called back his protective spell to have the armor around him fade away. "My life," he said quietly as his eyelids lifted and his gaze fell on his lover. "Take me."
* * * * * *
Letting out a loud scream, Wufei raised his sword and brought it down to slice through the first ghost rider to greet him. As the robes were torn to shreds and the demon evaporated, Nataku spun to demolish the screeching bones of their steed even as more rushed into the scene and a streak of purplish blue shot past them.
Anna leaned forward in her saddle and called over the howling wind in her ears, "Ramming speed, Ingier Knock as many of these bastards from the sky as you can!!" Her dragon smirked and snorted a plume of white smoke in response. Lowering his head, he picked up the last bit of velocity that he could to plow his way through a handful of skeletal beasts.
Not far behind , Noventa watched his friends in a brief moment of amusement. Cutting into a rider while avoiding the green laser blasts that were shooting all around, Treize yelled, "Follow their lead, my friend!" More than happy to oblige, the purple steed lowered his own head to crush another round of flying bones with his great horns.
Peacemillion tilted her wings to catch an updraft and shot straight up into the darkened heavens. The sudden change in direction shocked and confused her approaching attackers. Swiftly rerouting herself, the orange steed unleashed a blast of flame that incinerated the demons before they could collect themselves in time. Laughing in mid-swing of his sword on another ghost rider, Zechs cheered, "Good girl!"
In another corner of the sky, Heavy arms dipped herself down towards the city. Carefully weaving through dragon arrows and boulders hurled from below, she knocked as many of them out of her way in her race for one of the weapons stations. Aiding her brother in fending off any enemy close enough, Catherine peered up just in time to see one such work area coming into view.
"This is where I get off!" the fire starter announced. Unlatching herself from her harness, she rose to lean over her brother so that they could peck each other's cheeks and they said their 'good luck's' before she leapt from Heavy Arms' saddle.
Landing easily on her feet from the short jump, Catherine blasted her way through guards and into the workstation. Inside the tent, her eyes widened at the sight of dozens of stunned ogres bearing giant barrels of oils and fuels for their machinery.
To the screams of the soldiers around, she gave a sinister smirk and raised her hands over her head. Calling upon her gift, she became a fireball that raced through the station. Within seconds, the everything in a five-mile radius of the tent was taken into a massive explosion.
Standing in the middle of the blast zone, Catherine looked around to appreciate her handiwork. "Nice," she smirked while placing her hands on her hips. "Now, if we could make few hundred more blasts like that, we might actually get somewhere." She turned sharply at the sound of shouting soldiers approaching and sent off a wave of fire to douse them.
On the ground, the werewolves snarled and snapped at the ground troops of the Keeper. Leaping, thy went for necks and any other exposed target that they could slash and clamp their fangs into. "Come on, men!" Mueller shouted aback to his men after watching Gloria rip out the chest of an unprepared gremlin. "Let's at least try and keep up with them, shall we!?"
That taunt was all the motivation that his already hot soldiers needed to continue on in light of the fact that their enemies were beginning to fight back with much more fervor.
* * * * * *
A satisfied grin tugging the corner of his watering mouth, Dekim stared at his willing prey. "Very good, Prince Duo," he snickered. "I would have hated if this whole ordeal needed to be any more difficult for you if you chose to be stubborn."
Unable to contain her excitement, Dorothy smiled as she rubbed her hands together.
Working to calm her racing heart, she silently dreamed of the things that she would do to the old man when she had the prince's gift. Having seen and felt that power personally over the last couple of days, she knew that there was nearly no limit to the things that she would be able to conjure.
The fact that the sounds of the battle had only intensified since its start made no impact on the pair. Now that they were about to obtain the perfect weapon, there would soon be nothing that would be able to stand in their way from capturing and ruling this world.
His violet eyes narrowing heatedly at the sorcerer, Maxwell remained silent. There was no point in his saying anything further now. His fate had been sealed and the sooner he was cut, the sooner Heero might be freed of Barton's hold.
Lowering the dagger from Heero's throat, Dekim gripped it by the tip to hold the dagger out to Dorothy. "I believe that it would only be right for you to carry this next chore out," he smirked. "You have worked tirelessly to capture the prince for me and your efforts have not gone unnoticed."
Duo let out a sharp gasp, eyes widening. Closing her hand around the weapon, the young woman gave him a brilliant smile. "Why thank you, my lord," she purred. Just for good measure, she added a sweet, "It is a great honor for me to serve you any way that I can."
A smug grin tugged the sorcerer's mouth as he purposely met the gaze of the prince to make it known just how much weight he held in the suggestion that Dorothy was anything but loyal to him. She was Dekim's and that was it.
With a whimper, the Duo closed his watering eyes tightly when the sorceress stalked towards him.
He could not watch her carry out the gruesome deed with Heero just standing there watching. Were he himself, the knight would sooner die than allow anyone to harm him... not only because of the fact that they were lovers but because of his duty to protect his prince. This was not the same person who was now standing back quietly.
Tears rolling freely as the first bite through his skin pierced his mind, Maxwell did his best to ignore the warm feeling of blood running from the wound that was opened even longer and deeper. He thought of happier times with Heero as the next stab came to his left wrist and was stretched up his arm.
By the time his boots were removed and his ankles were sliced, Duo was numb from head-to-toe. Lightheaded from the overwhelming emotions running through him, he prepared himself for his inevitable death. This end was certainly not one that he ever would have dreamt of for himself. But he was ready for it now.
"Excellent work, my dear," Dekim smiled when Dorothy returned to his side. Taking the dagger from his puppet, he concealed it within his robes once again and asked, "How much time will you need to bleed him out?"
The sorceress' eyes grew at the sight of the blood flowing from the prince. She had wanted to see this very thing for so long that she almost did not believe that it was truly happening. "I am not sure as I have never done this before," she breathed. "I only know that the spell works slowly to ensure that his gift is completely seeped out."
Nodding firmly, the old man replied, "Fine. I will be checking in periodically to check on your progress." He raised a finger to Heero and commanded, "You, come with me." With the Commander in tow, he turned on his heels and led the way from the spell room.
Left to her devices, Dorothy's wide eyes shimmered with mischief as a sinister smile curled her mouth. Quickly walking to the scepter, she rested her hands on the large crystal ball and giggled. Reluctantly, Duo opened his eyes to watch himself bleeding out. Already pale, his skin lightened a few more shades at the sight.
Shaking her head, the girl outright laughed, "That fool really does trust me far too much to just leave me here with you like this. It is almost a shame that it is this easy. Perhaps I will give him a few more days to live in blissful agony before I kill him just to appease my conscience over the matter."
"I have been waiting for this moment for longer than you have lived," the sorceress smirked to the violet eyes on her. "Soon, I will be the most powerful being alive."
Casting her gift out, her eyes glowed white as she muttered the mantra of the olden language to continue the bleeding spell.
A blinding light poured from the crystal ball to fill the already glowing room.
Wincing, Duo turned his head from the painful brightness. The blood that had already been spilt began to shimmer in the wake of the light and coiled up from the floor to fill the source. Once all of the access blood had faded into the scepter, the magic called for what remained within its provider.
The spell wound its way into the opened wounds of the prince. His eyes shooting open with a gasp, he felt the magic travel his veins in a white-hot heat that felt like it would burn out everything inside of him as it slowly snaked its way through every inch of him.
Nothing was left beyond pure, excruciating pain. And his braided head falling back, Duo released a blood-curdling scream.
* * * * * *
Hearing that shrill sound echoing after him, Dekim chuckled deeply. "I will be reveling in that scream for as long as it lasts," he muttered to himself. Reaching up, he wiped at his watering mouth.
Everything that he had worked and planned for was going according to plan. All that he needed to do now was see that Dorothy was not disturbed by the struggle taking place in the city. As close as he was to having his most coveted prize now, nothing could be left to chance.
When he reached the balcony, the sorcerer gestured to Heero for him to stay behind as he headed outside to see firsthand how the battle was faring. Black robes and white hair blowing in the wind, he gripped the railing of the balcony and slowly scanned the whole scene before him to assess the situation.
To actually see the mass of the Alliance was a wonder. There was little wonder to how they had managed to overwhelm his armies that they had caught off guard with their numbers of humans and werewolves alike. Along with their managing to sneak up on his men now, seeing that so many of them had survived this long was proof enough of their spirit as well.
All around, explosions lit the encampment where workstations were being destroyed and much of the large weaponry was being targeted early on as to hurt the dark army's defensive. Noticing a handful of dragons and their riders swooping down for one of the trebuchets that was being loaded with another boulder, Dekim had chosen his first targets.
Raising his right hand, he growled deeply, "Annoying little pests." A wide bolt of black lightning shot from his palm, charging through the skies to claim its mark. Engulfed in the jolt of power, the knights and their dragons cried in agony before fell lifelessly to the ground.
Stunned by that unexpected onslaught, every Alliance soldier close enough set the sights on the balcony. Her blue eyes narrowing, Anna hissed, "Dekim." Turning back to her comrades heavily engaged in fighting around her, she shouted, "Everyone, watch out! Dekim Barton is making an appearance!" Wide-eyed, the soldiers all made sure to glance to the balcony.
Without straining himself in any way, the sorcerer created a protective and clear dome over himself and continued to send off jarring bursts of power against his enemies. Completely unprepared to defend themselves against him, soldiers and dragons fell from the front of the line to the back that was running into Sanq.
Only just ducking from a blast, Wufei looked back to watch in horror as the beam took out the ten riders and their dragons right behind him. "Dear Creator," he breathed, eyes glued on the falling bodies of the less fortunate lot. Sighing deeply, he slumped forward in his saddle and patted his steed's side as she continued to maneuver them through the danger around.
Dekim smiled to himself as he continued to play with the Alliance from his vantage point. Entertaining as it was to use his gift in such a way, his mind was still wrapping itself around the fact that he would have even more power than any living creature before long. What he was able to accomplish now was nothing compared to what he would be able to do.
It was going to be glorious.
* * * * * *
Somewhere in the midst of his intense agony, Duo was able to feel a strand of his gift lingering.
Mentally reaching out for it, he held on as tightly as he could. Then another sting of his magic was found. With the last bit of strength he had, he gripped more and more of his ability in his final attempt to fight against the spell that was draining him.
In the bleeding room, Dorothy broke from her mantra and the glow in her eyes faded as she blinked in surprise. Staring up at the unconscious prince slumped within the chains of the crane holding him, she hummed. "So there is fight in you yet," she smiled. "Even now."
Her hands remaining on the crystal ball of the scepter, she snapped, "You can struggle all you want. I will not be denied what is mine."
And so began another great battle.
TBC...
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