02 Wrath of Flames Read online

  Her tone was stone cold serious. “So you’ve awoken. I went to check on you, but were not bloody there and Dress has been less forthcoming than usual. I demand an explanation, Boy.” She calls him that when she’s pissed and ready to peck him in the head again.

  “Master, Dress had his reasons. Tell me, do I seem different to you?”

  She let a chainmail sleeve fall into the bucket which steamed in water and took him in. Her green eyes and jerky head movements were clearly birdlike till she shook her head. She came forward and stopped. Then she saw it. “How have you grown so much?!”

  “Know anything about an atavism?” he asked.

  “I know not this word.” She admitted as she touched his head with three rough fingers, poking his arm at times to find if he is real.

  “Well apparently my body is changing. I forced Queen Gra to use every scrap of strength to knock me on my ass and I’ve got growths in my body. Apparently on my back is new cartilage and bones that are perfectly placed for wings. Do you mind if I work and talk about what has happened. I need a little physical release.”

  “Go outside and find Calliv, the Mermaid Boccli Shallowstream’s breastplate. I will listen.”

  Soon after he used his abilities to heat the off golden plate after rubbing off rust and debris to properly hammer it in. Between strikes he spoke of the day’s adventure, but Celestia knew he wasn’t pulling her feathers about the Amazonian queen needing to use so much as she heard the weight of each blow with the hammer, sounding almost like her own.

  Eventually he finished and she let him work out his frustration without corrupting the quality of his work. Soon though the breastplate hung to slowly cool and she said “Though I do not know this atavism word, your changes are hard to believe without being seen. The heat of your heart being hotter than mine is baffling, but I hear no untruths. I’m calm now that I can understand why you neglected your master. But I may be able to help narrow down what species your parentage stems from.”

  “Really? How? Morgane couldn’t even figure it out.”owHH

  “Few can attest to living as long as I have. She is still a hatchling to me.” Celestia said directly, not preening herself or embellishing. To her, this was a fact and nothing more. “I’ve seen too many millennia to count and in all that time I’ve got more experience than when your species started walking on two legs.” Ethan’s jaw couldn’t have dropped lower. “Hold still for now.” He did and she sniffed. “You’ve bled recently, but I can indeed tell your scent has altered marginally than when I first allowed you to become my apprentice. It is so subtle, I barely recognize it, but indeed it is there. You are changing, into what, I yet cannot tell. I need to taste your blood.”

  He pulled his shirt back and looked at his bitten chest to find most of it had already scarred with a few places scabbed. He pulled a scab off and was stunned for in less than a day he was almost completely healed for what would have taken weeks and ointments. He held the scab. “Will this do? It dry blood.”

  She shook her head and sighed loudly from her beak. “Fresh, Dimwit. I need fresh flowing blood.”

  “Alright, make it quick.” He held up his left forearm and quick as a snake Celestia wet her beak and licked it clean. The peck wasn’t too bad, but she closed her eyes and went still, too still.

  Slowly she shook her head as if in denial. “I cannot place the faint flavor your blood holds… You still taste much like any human, but this tanginess is something else.”

  “Is it Spirit Guide?”

  Her green eyes focused down on him. “I do not know. It is possible, but then again it could be something else. I’ve never tasted mixed blood from anyone other than Thor, but his lineage is well known… yours however eludes me. I want you to go rest, Apprentice. Keep me informed of any developments, but I want you back here for work right after the evening meal.”

  “Yes, Ma’am… Celestia, you know you really aren’t as bad as you pretend to be.” Her eyes narrowed dangerously and he backed away quick, hands up, tying to keep her at bay though she hadn’t moved. Her body’s fire though took on a few blue wisps of intensity. “You are dangerous, but in these past months I’ve begun to find you are a terrific listener and can give wise advice. Some of the best there is actually. I just meant I appreciate all you do for me.”

  The flames lowered along with her temperament and she smirked in her own way, especially since she had no expressive facial muscles to even smile. It were her eyes that gave plenty of emotion though. “Such knowledge never leaves this room. It’s taken centuries to be left alone from all those damn bloody parasites wanting to steal my livelihood or ruin my creations. You’re different. You came to learn, not seeking profit or prestige. You are a rare creature, Ethan Volorum. So long as we keep such knowledge between us, we remain friends when not working. I have few fiends I trust to speak like this. Five now to be accurate.”

  “As it should be. Including you and my angel, my only friends are my team.” He said. “It makes friendships more special if they are small. Just know one day I won’t be just your apprentice. I want to work beside you as an equal… to become a Forgemaster myself. I’ve seen your weapons in action and can appreciate their value. I’m just grateful you allow me to be part of all this. Because of you, I’ve finally changed for the better. Dying was the best thing to ever happen to me.”

  A proud look filled Celestia as he turned around and went upstairs. His words reinforced her plans in choosing a worthy successor in the event she should ever pass on. Her skills would not die with her. He had just past her final test without even knowing it.

  Ethan though eventually stripped and as he put his head on a pillow so too did sleep claim everything.

  Chapter 4

  “Wakey Wakey, Lovebirds!” Dress lilted from his hole between Ethan’s rather extensive comic book selection and the kitchenette. The polished knobs where playful blue eyes allowed him to see narrowed when all Kanade did was turn over and snuggled her man like a body pillow and even in his sleep came an approving growl. Since being nice about waking them didn’t work again or the next time Dressor grew an evil grin and yelled much more forcefully “WAAAKE UUUP!!!

  Kanade snapped up, wings lifting out of a flight response as a hand covered her chest, grabbing a fistful of fabric. “Whaaa…”

  Panther hissed and gave the closet a dirty look before curling back onto the pillow in front of his master’s face, turning his silky black back as a sign of disapproval for the rude awakening.

  “Morning, Sunshine!”

  “Ow!” Kanade clutched her head when she sensed no danger. “Dress, not so loud! Ugh.” She grimaced.

  “Hangovers suck, don’t they?”

  The classiest flip off rose from her middle finger. “What did you go and do that for? Wait? How did I get home?” her golden gaze took in her home and the clothes she still wore and reeked of alcohol so badly she wrinkled her nose.

  “Prince Charming next to you carried you from Ellen’s with you out of it right after you grabbed his manhood and wanted to ride him in front of everyone. Sweetie, you were smashed.” The artfully expressive golden face broke into a wide grin. “You remember much?”

  “Oh no… I didn’t… Did I?” her expression was turning mortified.

  “You grabbed his lance in front of everyone, Sweetie, and gave a few good strokes before he removed your hand.” Dress grinned even wider as Kanade went bright red. “You passed out right after. Sadly, only Nell was out cold when you did it.”

  “How bad is the fall out?” She had to ask.

  “So far only Reevy remembers last night with any genuine clarity.” She sighed. “But Ethan’s naked stroll in the healer’s wing on the other hand…”

  “Please don’t tell me…”

  “Yup!” he laughed so hard his blue eyes shut. “Apparently someone got to the cameras in that wing before Morgane did and sent the video clip to every branch House on Earth. When most got over the shock of all your love-bites and back scratc
hes they laughed, especially the Shifters. Most of them have more respect for you now. From the alpha females especially.”

  She deflated. “What are we to do now? This is so embarrassin’.”

  “Too late, Sweetie. Best to move on and not think about it. Now get up. I promised Morgane that neither of you can sleep in. You’ll need to wake Sweet Cheeks. He’s not going to so much as roll over if my yell didn’t affect him.”

  Taking a real good look in the fire lit room, her eyes glazed in lustful eagerness at her man’s naked form in bed. Even relaxed in sleep he seemed more than he was yesterday, not in height, but in musculature. Still, obligations await.

  A gentle hand on his cheek made him purr, but a soft kiss to his lips shed the thick haze and claim of sleep. “Kanade, go back to sleep. I just crawled into bed.”

  “Four hours ago.” Dress clarified.

  “Quit teasing me, Dress. I just closed my eyes for a second to…”

  “Blink?” The dresser raised a gold eyebrow. “It felt like you simply blinked, but I can assure you that four hours have passed. It’s seven fifteen, Handsome. I let you both sleep as long as possible, but Kanade will need to fly before you miss breakfast and check-up.”

  “Ethan!” Kanade pointed.

  “What?” He looked down at his hairy chest and rushed to the bathroom, turned on the light and smiled. Bite marks from yesterday were nothing more than white or light pinkish scars on his shoulders, neck and chest.

  “And just what are you thinking that makes you wear such a cheeky grin?” She came in the washroom too. “Your back too is healed. It looks like you were strung up to a whippin’ post and worked over real good months, if not years ago.”

  “This just means” Ethan smirked to one side. “that I can heal much faster and that we don’t need to hold back nearly as much. If I’m fully recovered as I am right now… you don’t need to freak out.”

  Teeth held Kanade’s bottom lip as she considered the ramifications of his new healing ability and found it excited her, especially when those grayish, red flecked eyes looked at her so possessively. “Too bad we do not have time for another rodeo, Darlin’.”

  “Too bad.” He agreed. “Angel, use the shower first. I need to use the can.”

  She nodded and started stripping after he walked into the second smaller door that concealed the toilet. In his hands were several comics hastily snatched from the collection.

  After putting on comfortable clothes of blue jeans and a plaid red and white short sleeved button up shirt he found Kanade putting on her high heels and decided to check his new computer. The tablet screen lit up at the faintest touch and hit a few icons to check e-mails to find thousands of ‘Get wells’ and shook his head, then decided to work on it later before checking his account. “Holy shit!” he whispered. “Uh, Angel, I think someone has screwed up our joint account.”

  Simply she said “There is no mistake. Tap your income, Darlin’.”

  “Shit!” He looked up to see her chuckling behind her hand. “Seriously? There has to be a huge mistake. My last balance was around seventeen and a half thousand points…” Ethan shook his head. “This can’t be right. I have recently been deposited one billion, nine hundred thirty one million, six hundred twenty four thousand, five hundred and thirty three points! Where did it all come from?!” He had to sit down as realization of becoming filthy rich started to filter in.

  The Spirit Guide got up and moved to the sofa to sit right in his lap and throw both arms around his neck. “It was no mistake, My Angel. In the battle, you saved over a million lives and all were grateful. It is customary in the houses to gift points to one who saved them… and when all the houses learned you were gravely wounded, funds came in greatly like a hurricane hitting land. Sadly your treatment has cut the gift in nearly half. The potions were more expensive than what Lady Morgane made for you yesterday and I used our joint account to pay for it all in full. We’d have over two billion in our account if not for the treatment. Odin wanted to give you points by how many Demons and reanimated corpses you killed, but that became too many to count and since your tornado turned most to ash… well, I believe you can understand the count would be impossible.”

  A grin split his face. “Then when all settles I’ll pay a Pixie to send us out on a romantic honeymoon vacation I couldn’t afford last week.”

  Surprise turned to joyousness. “Truly?”

  “You better believe it, Beautiful. But until it happens I’ll need my head for privacy.” Her bottom lip pouted. “I know, I know. It’ll be hard since you find my mind so fascinating, but I want to make it a surprise. Let me work it out since you are a hopeless romantic who wouldn’t want to spoil her first real getaway with her angel.”

  “Okay. I promise to do my best to keep out of your head.” She kissed him greedily as her morning started off right. “But now we got to go. Grab the drink you’ll need for breakfast.”

  ‘Shhk’ the fridge peeled as the door opened and right where it was left still glowed the lavender liquid. He took the drink and saw the salmon strips were dwindling as Panther got another treat from his second most favorite person, but the cat was already out prowling.

  New boots were slid into and tied snug before meeting Kanade out on the banister and also a large landing area. Without even needing to be asked to be ready he wrapped his left arm around the center of her back, just below where her wings meet her shoulder blades and jumped right along with her.

  Chilly morning air foretold more rain today, but with thunder and lighting most likely coming as Ethan’s fire ability allowed him the capability to sense intense heats and sparks, if he concentrated. He said “Kanade, stay low and away from tall trees.” She knew he had attuned senses to anything related to heat and wasn’t about to ask as she didn’t need to. She trusted him with every cell and flew low, but high enough to glide comfortably. Air smelled fresh, clean and pure here. Aside from the main house, Celestia’s and the half dozen prisons scattered around, no other building was made aboveground. Gargoyles mostly had homes under trees, but were clean and not dirty at all. Their homes were like anyone else’s. The First House overflowed with life, but strictly maintained as proof to the alliance to Order and not Chaos. Over on the eastern plains flew and grazed the Pegesai herds, with Pegasus and Pirinna, the pure white mare just as large as her mate, flying in a morning dance to honor their lost son and others who died and would go on for an entire week every morning. Ethan knew this as Storm-shadow explained their culture, customs and tradition. Centaurs galloped on towards the main house, as did the hardly clothed Nymphs who slept outside in one of their groves. Most though came from the vineyard to the far west, bringing fresh picked grapes for the walk there. But as Ethan scanned the land with Kanade flying he pointed with his hand that carried the bottle of potion. “Angel, what on earth is that?”

  Moving over the ground were a group of twelve rather large creatures the size of a Texas longhorn without horns. It walked on all fours, but seemed to be a mixture of a gorilla and a boar. All had black hair, but the males had silver backs. Females though had four large breasts. All had curved tusks jutting from their bottom jaw, none so large as the leader of the troop. Even from afar their hair seemed coarse. Long curly tails sprouted from their posteriors.

  Eyes narrowed for a moment before a dainty laugh bubbled out. “How rare. Ethan, those are Nependis. I’ve only ever seen one in my whole life. That troop must be accompanyin’ King Grayback. Last I knew less than sixty called this world home. They are by far Order’s best trackers and those tusks can bite through nearly anythin’ and have a special venom chalk full of Spirit Energy. On open land you can see they are very slow, but in the trees can even give Nymphs a run for their points. If approached, hold very still and say nothin’. They are more ornery than a Gargoyle with a black eye if you speak first… now I’m positive that is King Grayback. He runs the Fiftieth House, the smallest and newest one with members around two thousand. But why is he here?”
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br />   “Your guess is as good as mine… yep, he’s a king. One of the Ogres just bowed deep. Good thing he’s going in the Pegesai hall. I don’t think I could not gawk if I saw a close up.”

  “Wise choice, My angel.”

  “Mornin’ Y’all!” Kanade greeted the table of hung over teammates.

  “Ugh, not so loud.” Kira groaned, clutching her throbbing head, but wasn’t the only one. Most of the hall was somber after last night’s festivities. Only the Nagai seemed to recover overnight.

  “Does anyone know what happened?” Floa asked as Blossom yelled “Auntie Kanna!” and burrowed right for her breasts, her new favorite hiding place. For a few month old Pixie, she looked more like a five or six year old full of tiny sharp teeth. Floa continued “My nectar is strong. This morning I wake up between Ellen’s breasts almost squashed to death.”

  Vitalli was there, still bandaged as he laughed “You almost did suffocate. My mare’s breasts are amazing, no?”

  “At least they smell like vanilla.” Floa quipped.

  “Hey Sweetheart, you okay?” Kanade asked as her pinky gently brushed the inch tall Pixie’s shoulder length black hair like her mother.

  “Um hmm.” The child said and kissed the fingertip. “Papa pwayed wif me all night.” She spoke so sweetly and had an adorable lilt.

  “Like he had much of a choice out in the middle of nowhere.” Floa said darkly before smiling. “Your father learned his lesson to never give you fermented nectar again. So do not ask again till next year when you are full grown, Blossom.”

  “Aye, Mama.” Blossom spoke, chastised.

  “Aye?” Kanade asked the mom of over seven hundred offspring, who had the body of an athletic eighteen year old with an hourglass figure wearing nothing more than a yellow string bikini over a pea green body.

  “Yes, Floa picked up a few word from my fiancé and has used them all morning. Give it a week and she’ll start saying tis and twas like Ellen and other Centaurs. It is a phase all her sisters went through.”