Death and Howls Part Ten: The Storm Deals Damage!

Darwin:

Storm clouds rumbled over my head, heavy rain pelting the top of my head. Morodreth and Torgath flew next to me on matching jet black dragons, their blades bouncing off of their ivory armor. Their cross earrings glistened in the lightning, a rock falling hitting Helios wings. Wobbling uncontrollably, his roar of raw agony shattered my heart. Guiding his landing into an empty circle, his claws dug into the dirt. Flying off of his back, the curved blade of my scythe caught a branch. Lowering myself down, the rain fell harder and faster. Visibility died down, the twins landing gracefully next to us. Rushing over to Helios, ivory poked out of his left wing. How could I let such a damn wound happen! Cursing under my breath, our recent victory seemed pointless next to my current dilemma. Scanning the endless sea of pine trees, a cave stood out in the distance. Pointing in the direction of the cave, the twins nodded once in solidarity. Hating that my hair was clinging to my cheeks, my emerald general’s uniform kept me dry for the most part. Digging around my waterproof bag, a leather rope tickled the tip of my fingers. Time to get my boy to safety, quiet fear poisoning the small bit of that hope that burned within me. Any wound could be healed with a bit of magic.

“I have to do this so we don’t lose you!” I bellowed over a rumble of thunder, Helios bowing his head for me. “Good boy! We are going to fix you right up!” Tying it around his neck, my hand twisted the rope tightly around my hand. Guiding him through the trees, relief washed over me at the sight of a cave’s mouth. Helping him in, the cave permitted him a good ten feet of head space. Spinning on my heels, Morodreth offered to get a fire going as Torgath got their dragons settled in the opposite corner. Plopping down next to Helios, his claw tapped my head. Why must he worry when he is the one in medical distress?

“Try not to catch a cold, Commander Darwin.” He thundered with a weak chuckle, my hands digging through the bag for my healing supplies. “Make sure to take care of yourself, Dar!” Shaking my head, he needed help first. Plucking the proper ingredients from my bag, Torgath approaching the crackling fire with a worn cauldron resulted in me looking up from my bag for a quick second. What did he want? A task had to be performed and he was getting in the way.

“Will this do?” He politely suggested, his kindness taking a minute to come out. Flashing him a thumbs up, he placed it on a makeshift metal plate.  Filling it with water, a groaned poured from his lips as he sat down next to me.  Helping me crush medicinal herbs and flowers, his skills matched mine. Adjusting the amount of a couple of herbs, his lips parted to speak several times. A long sigh drew from my lips, steam curled from the cauldron. Stress tainted his aura, my heart shattering for him.

“My brother is a bit reckless so I had to master the art of medicine to keep him alive.” He admitted sheepishly, his finger spinning the bowl around. “Sorry for making the adjustments, my water is a bit different than normal water. Did you know it has healing properties if I place good intentions into it?” Curiosity twinkled in my eyes, his knowledge intriguing me. Resting my fists on my thighs, water dripped onto my armor for a few moments of tense silence. Be nice to everyone who deserves it, Lottie's voice told me in my haggard mind. What would make his day?

“Do you mind teaching me a few of your tricks? I find that knowledge is power.” I queried with my genuine smile, his brother searching through his bag for the dried meals. “Sorry for kicking your ass at the tournament. We needed to win for reasons of pride mostly.” Grinning ear to ear, the years of trauma seemed to be presenting itself. Clasping his palms together, his lips moved a mile a minute. Absorbing the information while trying to find a way to communicate with Acer and the other general. The others would be concerned, especially anxious Acer. Hoping that he wasn't tearing the kingdom apart in a fit of panic, the smiles of my family flashing in my mind relaxed my fraying nerves.

“Do you have any magical parchment in your bags? I need to send a couple of messages.” I requested with a bright smile, his hand dragging his bag over. Digging around, his slender hand pressed two rolls into my palms. Placing his finger in the air, he presented me one of the many magical inkwells and a worn turkey quill. Scooping up the bowl, his steady hand dropped the ingredients into the boiling cauldron. Focusing on the task at hand, a couple of dips into the ink had the parchment unrolling with ease. Scribbling my notes, a flick of my wrist had my signature glowing. Folding into birds, they fluttered into the raging storm with glowing balls of protection around them. Rising to my feet, a demure smile met mine as I took the spot next to Torg. Yeah, Torg was a good nickname for him. Mor would be his brother’s nickname, a crooked grin brightening my features. 

“Do you mind if I call you guys Torg and Mor?” I asked with another friendly smile, his face lighting up. How messed up was their childhood? Stirring the contents next to me, a ruby dragon made of smoke curled into the air. Heaving it off the fire, Helios perked up at him placing it in front of his snout. Sipping at it, a big smile spread across his snout. Scratching behind his ear, the pot was empty in seconds. Resting his head on the cool rock, his snores bounced off the wall. One more person had to get contacted, Mor coming over with my bag. Snapping my fingers, soap enveloped the cauldron. Scrubbing itself, dinner won’t be too far away. Chewing on my lip, my glass ball rolled into my palm. Excusing myself to the other side of the cave, Luna’s voice would provide me the relief I craved. The glass cracked, my brow furrowing. Shadows darted outside of the cave, a wave of my hand summoning my scythe. Sprinting into the storm, horror rounded my eyes at the sea of spiky monsters growling in my direction. The biggest one had a limp, a rather large thorn sticking out of it. Tucking my scythe back into its case, my hands raised in the air to show them my bare palms.  Approaching the cat-like creature with a friendly smile, a hiss had me stumbling back. Inching closer to him, my palm rubbed its leathery skin. Sliding my hand down gingerly, my steady hands gripped the damn thorn. Pressing the heels of my metal boots against its trembling body, a couple of jumps loosened the darn thing. Building raw energy around my feet, the blast sent me flipping through the air with a thorn. A long tail caught me, a large boulder blocking the mouth of a cave. Grumbling under my breath, a bolt of lightning created a canyon between us. Tonight couldn’t get any worse, my words most likely condemning me. Setting me down gingerly, the sounds of birds died down.  Rain pounded against the top of my head, the creatures bounding away from me. The hair on the back of my neck stood up, a single cloaked being hovered in the distance. 

“Hello!” I bellowed in between claps of thunder, a chill running up my spine. “I come with good intentions! If not, my authority as a commander permits me to kill you!” The head jerked creepily, the sleeve falling to reveal a bony hand. Stumbling back, my shaking hands ripped my scythe from its case. 

“Look at the failed father!” A wispy voice floated in the air, my fingers gripping my scythe tighter with greater anxiety than usual. “Or should I say, Master Death. How does it feel to rot from the inside out?” Raising my scythe in the attack position, my hours of reading did not inform me of what the fuck this monster was. Zooming towards me, the rotting face of a woman had me ducking down. Flying into the storm clouds, the corner of my lips twitched. Scanning the area around me, cold air mixed with the hot air around me. A skeletal hand plucked me off the ground, a tree catching me. Pinning me by my throat, her mouth opened up beyond natural means. Wiggling underneath her grasp, my fingers clawed at her hand. Panic mixed with horror, her fingers sinking into my neck. Lightning hit her, her grip loosening in a second. Mud splashed over me, the twins charging at her. Blasting her with rapid attacks, lightning had her paralyzed in her spot. Choking on my lack of air, something felt wrong. A strange weakness claimed me, fresh blood pouring from the corner of my lips. Cupping my mouth, something she had pulled sped up the curse of my powers. Sharp pangs shot throughout my body, organs bursting one after the other. Digging my fingers into the mud, the raw agony refused to subside. Too lost in my own dilemma to notice, ash raining over me announced the winner. The twins rushed up to me, both of them draping an arm over their shoulders. Walking me back to the cave, Torg laid me down by the fire, a swelling pool of blood spreading around my head. Exhaustion weighed heavily on my eyelids, a rough slumber stole me away. 

Stirring awake, a long groan poured from my lips as I rolled onto my back. Noticing that I didn’t have a shirt on, harsh words rested on the tip of my tongue. Birds sang their songs in the early morning rays, something feeling a bit lighter about my body. Sitting up while massaging my forehead, a strange book with worn pages fluttered away on Torg’s lap. Leaping back at the obvious black magic, a wave of his hands shut me down from berating him. What the hell did he freaking do?

“Calm down, killer. I healed that curse destroying you from the inside.” He spoke nonchalantly, flipping through the pages. “That god you are infused with happens to be the one we worship. Point is you needed a special potion, your little curse existing no more.” A stained huh tumbled from my lips, his brother offering me some sort of oatmeal. Warm cinnamon had me drooling, his caring chastisement had me giggling discreetly to myself.

“Did you not know anything about your friend? Whatever dimension you came from didn’t teach you shit.” He continued shamelessly, a low growl rumbling in my throat. “Then again how could they? Go nuts next time you fight. No more damage can be dealt.” Flashing me an exhausted grin, a tap on my head had me snapping my head in Helio’s direction. Hugging his claw, a purr rumbled in his chest. My main guy would be able to tell the truth, his health seeming to be at full strength.

“He speaks the truth!” Helios thundered with a hearty chuckle, my fraying nerves relaxing. “Lottie searched for years for a cure and could never come close. Such a shame! Eat up before we hit the skies to meet up with the rest of the army.” Offering my oatmeal to Trog, he deserved it more. Thanking me with a gracious smile, another bowl was plopped into my palm. 

“Thank you. Count me as one of your brothers!” I proclaimed with my real smile, both of them lighting up visibly. “Anyone who saves me is a good guy in my book. Tell me more about what you did.” Torg leaned forward, his mouth moving a mile a minute. Smiling softly to myself, the darkness in their auras melted away completely. Who knew dark magic could heal? Asking questions excited him further, his brother nudging my shoulders in a way to say thank you. Patting his hand once, no words needed to be said. Life sure does have a way of surprising you after a storm.

Finishing up breakfast, we were back in the sky in a matter of five hours. Having bonded a bit better, the general waved me down. The rest of my army was ready to go, the hope of seeing my family and friends had me raring to go. Taking my place in the front, Acer was going to kill me for sure. Pushing off the forest floor, trees flashed underneath us. Smiling out at the sea of dragons and riders, a sense of pride swelled in me. No casualties on our side had been had, the first battle turning out this way for the first time in a long while. Chatting with each other, the air felt lighter. Hell, my body felt lighter. A cheering crowd of family members waved up at us, Acer shooting me a stern expression. Landing gracefully together, an army of handlers waited to get our dragons relaxing in their stables. Hopping off of Helios' back, his claw tapping my head once before he got led off to get cleaned up. Blowing out a puff of smoke, the heart floated into the sky. Luna and Felina smashed into my legs, both of them fretting over me. Burying them in a bear hug, my twins squealed at me kissing their forehead. Releasing everyone, a pissed off Acer marched through the reuniting families. Bracing myself for a serious berating session, his arms yanked me into a hearty brother's style hug. Grabbing my shoulders, relief had silent tears staining his cheeks.

"Don't you ever scare me like that again." He whispered with a tone of desperation, his fine emerald suit blowing up. "Tonight is another victory feast. I expect you by my side. Get cleaned up. We are hitting the town. I need a drink and it looks like you could use one." A secret rested on the tip of his tongue, suspicion showing in my pressed lips. Making my way back to the cabin, a warm bath would be heavenly. Peeling off my armor, my filthy blouse stuck to my skin. Drawing a bath, bubbles floated on the top. Peeling off my nasty clothes, the thought of wearing a stuffy suit annoyed me. Washing up real quick, it was nice to get the dirt and blood off of me. Sinking underneath the water, Luna's face had me shooting up. One of my simple ivory blouses and fresh black pants hung off of her arm, her lips pressing against mine passionately. Resting her hand on my bare chest, my breath hitched at her refusing to let me go. Releasing me from her spell, a goofy grin hung on my lips. Boy was I wrapped around her finger. Kissing her wedding band, scarlet painted her cheeks.

"How about we make s'mores after the feast tonight?" She offered with a big smile, her beauty making it hard to pay attention. "Dar, what do you think?" Agreeing without hesitation, her palms pressed together. Spinning around, the twins wailed in the other room. Rushing out to check on them, she paused in the doorway.

"Be a dear and go out with Acer. He wouldn't stop pacing around our cabin waiting for you." She chuckled lightly, her slender hands hanging my outfit on the door. "Your suit will be ready. I can't wait to wear my new emerald gown tonight." Water splashed onto the floor the moment I rose to my feet, a fluffy towel sufficing in drying me off. Tugging on my clothes, a long sigh drew from my lips. Such simple things were more comfortable, my hand tying my scythe to my back. Sliding my feet into my worn boots, an eager Acer greeted me in my living space. Smothering my twins with kisses, Acer dragged me out the door. Walking in awkward silence to the market, the time seemed to drag on. Something weighed down on him, the bell announcing our presence. Taking a seat by the fire, a bartender brought us over spiced cider. Sniffing it, the drink was going to be so nice.

"Spill what is weighing you down before you crumble to nothing." I urged while sipping at the cider, relishing that it didn't have alcohol in it. "I know you. What did you find out?" The chair groaned as he leaned forward, his hand sliding me over a piece of paper from underneath his sleeve. Chatting about his daughter to cover me reading the note when no one was looking, my heart dropped into my stomach. His father was building an even bigger army, the hope dying in my heart for a second.

"Did you tell your mother?" I choked out between gulps of cider, my hands beginning to shake. "Whatever comes our way, we can solve this together." Thanking me, the map would be handy in my next move. Tucking it into my pocket, the bell rang. Looking up from our drinks, another elf coming in had us returning back to each other. Deep sorrow haunted his features, a wave of my hand summoning a piece of parchment paper. Scribbling away with a summoned quill, a carbon copy of his family smiled up at me.

"I want you to look at this when it gets hard. They are your reason for keeping the kingdom going, okay?" I commented sternly, tears splashing onto the wood at the sketch. "Family is what drives us. Love is what drives us. Look around. Do you see these happy people? That is because of you." Music roared to life, the elves ready to dance. Watching them with matching relaxed smiles, life sure had a way of keeping you on your toes.