Death and Howls Part Eighteen: Please Don't forget Me!

Tilith:

A pretty elven maiden floated in a shimmering temple, her robes dancing by her dainty feet.  A kind gaze met mine, her waves floating into the air. The translucent form spoke of a guardian of sorts, the blue walls growing brighter. Stunned by her beauty, her features twisted into one of horror. What the hell was going on?

“Help me.” She whispered softly, my hand cupping my ear to hear her better. “Mortimus! Mortimus!” A  shadowy hand yanked her back, a blast of energy sending me out of it. 

Jerking awake in Torg’s arms, his groggy eyes snapped open. Clutching me close to his bare chest, our activities from last night had cut out the awkwardness. Kissing the top of my head, the flighty feeling refused to leave my mind. Someone didn't want to be forgotten.  

“Did you have another vision?” He inquired while sitting up with me, the back of his hand feeling my fever burned forehead. “Shit, you did. What do we have to do?” Bowing my head in shame, bad news followed every single one of these blasted visions. Lifting up my chin with his finger, his lips pressed against mine tenderly. So many times we stole ourselves away to do the very thing we did last night, his earring swinging away. 

“I am sure we will be fine. Who is Mortimus?” I asked cautiously, the color draining from his face. “What type of monster is he?” Sensing something going on within me, a faint glow flashed underneath my palm. Shit, our night together a couple weeks ago had resulted in something. Too frightened to notice, it was my turn for the color to drain from my cheeks.  Pecking my cheek, his hand dropped to the small of my waist. 

“Sorry for being so stiff  last night. I really do love you.” He admitted sweetly, my face burning beet red. “I was keeping my love life private from the others. Dar can be a bit of a tease if you catch my drift.” Vomiting had him tugging on his pants on the way to check it out, Dar and him arguing between bouts of throwing up. Coming back with Felina and Luna, his lips pressed into a thin line. 

“You might want to get dressed, Til. We need to get the last section of the key. Tau is going to stay behind to protect them.” He commented with a crooked grin, his attention shifting to Phantom approaching him. “Ready to go, bud?” Shooting him a thumbs up, he crunched away with Luna. Felina hid behind a rock, her tail quivering with fear. Tugging on my armor next to my mate, my hand hovered over my womb a little too long. Snapping my hand to my sides, a pale Darwin made his way over to me. Looking a little green around his gills, he waited patiently for the others to gather on the other side of the camp. Hovering his hand over my womb, a thick layer of protection glowed to life. 

“Be careful with that little one in there. Don’t let him hit your stomach for me, ‘kay.” He whispered gently into my ear, Torg calling me over. “Please protect my family. They mean the world to me. Luna should help you out as well.” Running off to throw up into a bush, Torg caught me as I tripped up to him.  Yanking on my claws, Felina began to dash into the forest to the east. Sprinting after her, the temple had to be close by. Running for hours, we skidded to a stop in front of a glowing blue temple. A dark aura swirled around the top, the door grinding open for us. Phantom led the way with Torg, their heads poking in to view the glowing blue walls. The word help echoed in my head, the shadowy hand coming down on my head. Leaping up with a scream, Torg mouthed the words are you okay. Nodding my head, the hand ripped back into the shadows. Could they not sense the dark energy tainting the temple? Bright lights separated us, Felina leaping into my arms. Landing roughly in a glowing cage, the Elven lady from my vision quivered in the corner.  A shadow demon lurked in the shadows, his form glitching. So this Mortimus guy wasn’t here, one of his shadow demons had been guarding her. 

“I am the last part of the key. You save me and I turn into what you need.” She informed me in a hushed tone, my curiosity peaking. “You must be Miss Felina. What a treat to meet the guardian of the key.”  Confusion dawned in her eyes, the demon lurching up to the bars. Kicking up a pile of dust, the door exposed itself. Crashing up to its weak point, one swipe shattered the lock. Slamming it shut, a violet energy chain locked them back in. Hanging onto the bar, Felina’s lips parted in protest. 

“Stay there. You need to protect her for as long as my protection spell holds up.” I spoke firmly, her lips pressing into a thin line. “I need to get that guy away from me. Demons like him are like breakfast to me. Got it, kiddo?” Agreeing with a hiss, she popped to her feet in front of the spirit. A goddess glowed within her, her dagger quivering in her palm. Leaning forward with a sadistic grin, the demon’s ruby eyes darted in my direction. 

“Come and get me if you dare!” I teased cruelly with a wink, a low growl rumbling in my throat. “I bet you can’t do shit!” Charging at me, my boots pounded down the nearest tunnel. Leading him away, every skid had me going in another direction. Crashing into Torg, his brow cocked in disbelief at the lack of a Mortimus. 

“Duck down when I tell you.” He ordered calmly, his blade spinning in his palm. “After we need to talk, ‘kay.” His eyes darted to my stomach, the demon fast approaching. Shouting duck, a push off of me provided him with enough air to cut him down. Sensing something was up, Felina’s scream had us pounding back towards her. Skidding back into the previous area, the kind spirit had shifted into a dark elf. Pressing the edge of her blade into her neck, her dark form glitched. Charging at the cage, the brute strength of my kick shattered the cage. The distraction allowed Felina to dash into Torg’s arm, horror stealing my breath away as she zoomed towards me. Cupping Felina’s ears, her wide mouthed scream busting an eardrum. Blood dribbled out of my left ear, the sound of waves crashing about. Torg fussed over me, Felina tugging at his wrist. Pointing up, both of us cursed while looking up slowly. Hissing to expose her fangs, a chill shot up my spine. Gone was her beautiful form, a skeletal body cracked ominously. Shoving Torg out of the way, a thick door separated us. Clicking my claws, her energy swelled above me. Spinning on my heel, the tip of my boot smashed into her neck. Smashing her head against the wall, it rolled to a stop. Grinning ear to ear, the eyeballs tumbled to my feet. Crushing them to ash, the empty eye sockets wiggled with mixed emotions. Impaling her body on my claws, a clench of my fist decayed her to ash. Ruby splashed onto my boots, the warmth coming from my nose. Checking on my nose, a screech from the head’s mouth shot me into the nearby wall. Where was the help when you needed it? The wall shattered next to me, an ill Darwin sauntered up to head. Cooking it with lightning, the ash joined him tossing up whatever he had left in him. Wiping the corner of his mouth, his ghostly pale body shining with sweat. 

“You called for help.” He laughed while cupping his mouth, swallowing the vomit with a gulp. “Fuck this magic flu. Something tells me that I have been pushing myself too far as of late. Let’s find my daughter and your child’s father.” Limping past me, a nasty bruise poked out from his pant leg. Protesting before I could stop him, Mor’s blood had dried on his knuckles. The real guardian of the temple ripped him back, his protests falling on deaf ears. Hovering her hands over him, all signs of sickness faded away. 

“I can’t heal his ankle but he should be right as spring. I am Senya, the real one. You might have murdered my sister.” She introduced her with a bow, her translucent hand placing the last piece of the key into his palm. “Hello, god of death. I am going to send your vessel where the others are trapped.” Snapping her fingers, the room faded to a row of jail cells. Weakened bars began to rust, Felina kicking at the bar to get to him stole my heart. Striking each door with my scythe, metal shards shot around him. Guilt ate at me, Felina having been in danger because of me. Everything was my fucking fault, my claws scratching at my cheeks. Felina and Luna smashed into him, the other pieces of the keys appearing in his palm. A blinding light had us covering our eyes, a full key forming a swirling portal underneath everyone. Sinking down, a sharp whistle had all the dragons busting through the walls to come along. A thrust of energy threw us onto the lawn of Phantom’s childhood home, Torg catching me. A giggling Felina cuddled with Luna and Dar, the sight of a happy family giving me hope with mine. Mor and Tau landed clumsily on top of each other, Mor looking less than impressed with Dar. Struggling to his feet, his injured ankle had him wincing in between smiles. 

“Load up! We have a capital to unlock.” He ordered while helping Luna onto Dusk while everyone loaded up their families. Dar passed his twins up to his wife, her slender hand locking them into a sturdy harness. Torg and Mor urged us to get on, their dragons scooping us up. Cold air blew our hair back with the takeoff, the early night air nipping at my cheeks. Torg held onto my waist, his lips brushing against the nape of my neck. 

“When were you going to tell me that you were with child?” He whispered sweetly into my ear, his hand holding the curve of my stomach tighter. “My love for you burns brighter than the sun.” Deep scarlet flushed my cheeks, my gaze averting to the trees flashing underneath me. Usually, Torg tended to be shy and reserved, this side of him warming up my soul.  

“How about I become more affectionate for you? At least I can try. Dar had a bit of a rough patch in his childhood and he turned out fine.” He choked out awkwardly, his past coming back to haunt him. “I want you to be happy because I don’t deserve you.” Spinning around to face him,  a healthy alarm had him pushing my buddy flush with his. Tracing his cheek, my thumb wiped away his tears. His father had been especially cruel for him, his brave soul soaking in all the punishments he could for his brother. 

“I don’t fucking care. Love me the way you need too. Affection is my strong suit. Don’t you worry your little heart about that, okay?” I assured him with a tender kiss on the lips, a big smile dawning on his lips. Kissing my forehead, he would grow on his own with Dar. Hell, he was a million times better than he ever was. Something about his demeanor was softer, almost natural. Dar rolled over us, his wink giving him a bit more confidence. Dropping a velvet box into his palm, he shoved it into his pocket with embarrassment all over his face. Choosing to ignore it, the question would come when he chose to ask. Basking in his romance, the time seemed to pass rather too quickly.  Zooming towards what looked like a large golden dome, dirt floated into the air with our graceful landings. Dar leapt off Helios, his boots pounding towards the glowing keyhole. Jamming the key into the lock, plates clicked out of their locks. Fresh air flowed into the capital, the citizens came out of their homes with looks of relief. Jumping onto the fountain, they gathered around him. Organizing everyone into different relief teams, an orange haired elf skidded into view. Burying him in a brotherly hug, their smiles spoke of an important bond. Walking over to him with real smiles, a twinkle shimmered in his eyes. 

“I am King Acer, your boss. Since the big army threat is gone, I suppose you guys will be the one to take down my big brother.” He spoke with a friendly authority, Dar introducing us with pride in his eyes. “You can’t count me in. Get some rest. Please get refreshed for the banquet tonight.” Dar and him wandered off to keep everyone on task, Torg leaning onto my shoulder. Luna brushed past me to greet a lovely fairy queen. Spinning off with her, Phantom and Cia excused themselves to wash up. Placing me on his back, a sea of cozy cabins had me smiling to myself. Torg and his brother had found a paradise in the shadows. Carrying me to his own, the quaint space consisted of a simple oak kitchen and river stone fireplace. Laying me on the fluffy bed, his hand removed my armor. Sliding up my chain mail, his lips kissed my bump feverishly. Getting lost in the moment, our desire swept us away. 

Collapsing next to him, my head rested on his bare chest. Smiling blissfully to myself, this had been my dream. Marriage and a big family, the bed squeaking as he leaned over to get something. Sitting up, I bounced back to the end of the bed. Opening the velvet box, time slowed down. My mother’s sapphire ring had tears welling up in my eyes, the bronze band twisted around the teardrop shaped gems. 

“Til, I am requesting your hand in marriage. From the moment you barged your way into my life, flames melted the ice around my heart. Through the arguments and the good times, there was one person I could rely on. You, it was always you.” He stammered with puppy dog eyes, my heart melting all over again. Shouting yes, his quaking hand slid the ring onto my finger. Clutching me close to his chest, his chin rested on my head. Realizing how much time had passed, loud fucks burst from our lips. Tugging on a simple silver blouse, my brown pants slid on with ease. Slipping on my boots on the way out, Torg placed me on his back. The soft cotton of his gray blouse felt nice against my palm, a cloud of dirt following him bounding towards a pleasant outdoor banquet. Skidding in, all eyes met his nervous grin. Flipping off his back, a squeal had my sister jumping up and down with me. Shouting out the news for me, everyone raised their glass. What a magical place to be. Torg dragged me to his seat, his slender hand yanking me onto his lap. Pleasant conversation floated all around us, his loving gaze never leaving mine. Leaning down to kiss me, his brother nudged his shoulder. Bickering with him like they always did, a familiarity relieved my fraying nerves. Basking in the moment, Tau winked in my direction. Mouthing the words I love you, my tongue sticking out freed a laughing fit. Glancing all around me, his happiness made sense. Not one person was screaming at each other, their golden auras bringing the space to a holy level of purity. Snapping my head in Dar’s direction, the way his body language was so inviting intrigued me. Trauma swirled around his aura, my sight seeing how much it was weighing him down. What had he gone through? Maybe a nice basket of goodies would cheer him up. Luna approached me with her hands crossed, her stunning emerald dress stealing my breath away. 

“You can see it too. That bastard grows bigger every day. Can you make sure to catch when it devours him if I am not around.” She requested with wet eyes, Dar waving her over. “Please?” Promising her with a strong yes, she spun back like nothing happened. What darkness tainted the light?