May Death Do Us Part

156 Chapter 156 : Dark magic

Theodora closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She cleared her mind completely and focused solely on her task at hand. She couldn’t mess this up, she had already failed miserably last time when she tried using a summoning spell to bring Melissa to Aiden, so she couldn’t afford to disappoint him this time.

She half laughed at herself for being so devoted to this man, a man who barely gave her a second glance. She recalled vividly the day she had confessed her feelings to him, even when she knew he loved someone else.

It had been a surprisingly warm and sunny day and Aiden had just returned from another one of his trips in search of Estel. This one had particularly drained him and he had spent over two days in his room sleeping, no eating, no drinking, just sleeping.

Theodora being the naive, enthusiastic, love struck woman she was, decided it would be nice to do something to help the man relax. She couldn’t afford to get him any fancy gifts and he definitely wouldn’t agree to go out on a relaxing trip with her, so the woman had decided to go into the main market and get some supplies for a nice meal.

Aiden had always cautioned her about going into the town, saying it was too dangerous for her to roam around on her own. But Theodora was confident that with a hooded cloak and some makeup she could pass off as one of the humans. Besides, she would just be a few minutes.

She left the sleeping man home and went on her way, sure that she would be home before he could even notice she was gone. But like a jinx, some children who were playing in the streets tripped her and when she fell the hood of her cloak slipped off revealing her slightly pointy ears, fanged teeth and pale skin.

And as if things weren’t already bad enough as is, it so happened that on that day the king of Cenia was making his way through the town with his royal procession and had witnessed everything that transpired. Theodora was captured yet again, but like before, her big brown eyes and beautiful finger saved her from being thrown into the cellars for experimentation. Instead, the king decided to keep her for himself as a sex slave.

A day after Theodora was captured, Aiden had awakened and realized she was gone. It didn’t take long for the nosferatu prince to find exactly where she was and made his way to save her yet again. Aiden single handedly killed every gaurd at the royal palace that day, and even had the disgusting old king pleading for his life and apologizing profusely to Theodora.

Aiden could have killed the king, and Theodora wanted him to, but unlike her, he had a good head on his shoulders. So instead of his life, Aiden attained something far more valuable from the perverse king, power. With the king doing Aiden’s every bidding, the nosferatu price had practically become ruler of Cenia.

.....

And that was it for Theodora, watching Aiden ordering the king to apologize to her made her melt. This man had shown her more kindness and respect than anyone she had ever known. As they headed back home, Theodora told Aiden how she felt about him, laying all her love out in the open. He did not responded, not that she had expected him to, and she feared she had made things awkward between them and that maybe he might leave, but he didn’t.

They went about their days as usual, Aiden never left, neither did he ever bring Theodora’s confession up. But regardless, she was glad she had told him how she felt.

*

“Concetrate Theodora,” Aiden encouraged her, “we have one shot at this. I believe in you.”

He believed in her? Oh now she really had to make sure she got this spell just right.

A transmutation spell she had picked up from the human mages of Cenia, the same kind of spell they used to experiment on nosferatu, lycans, elves and dwarves.

Theodora touched her index and middle fingers from both hands together and when her eyes opened they were blood red. her feet hovered above the carcass of a wild rabbit as her lips began to chant something in an unknown tongue.

Little whisks of wind began swirling the animal, their speed increasing with each swirl. Aiden squint his eyes and looked away to shield himself from the dust and debris that was now being tossed around by the current of air that was growing larger and larger the more Theodora chanted.

Within a few minutes, Aiden thought the trees around them would be uprooted because of the massive whirlwind Theodora had created. Aiden flinched slightly as a beastly roaring sound echoed from the center of the circulating currents. Gods! Had she done it? Had she successfully transmutated the carcass of an animal into a raging monster? Her powered had grown quite significantly.

Aiden stumbled back when the ground rumbled. From the cloud of dust and debris, a massive foot stepped out of the cloud, if the leg alone was this massive, the red haired man assumed the creature Theodora had created was as big as a tower.

Another petrifying roar echoed across the woodsy terrian making the ground shake. Aiden squint his eyes and searched through the debris hopping he would see Theodora, using all this magic might have drained her and she might be in trouble. Finally Aiden spotted the woman fighting for balance not too far from the foot of the creature.

“Shit,” Aiden dashed to her side, scooped her up in his arms and leapt back into a large tree before a paw hit the spot that they were standing.

The woman in Aiden’s arms weakly opened her eyes and groaned, “did I do it?” She muttered.

“Yes Theodora,” Aiden spoke proudly, “you have done an amazing job. You have conquered dark magic.”

*

A couple of miles away, the caravan of five hundred men had just exited the wandering woods when Ivan halted his horse and whipped his head from side to side. “Did you hear that?” He questioned his friends.

“Is the lack of coitous getting to you already Ivan?” Roland chuckled, “it’s only been a couple of days.”

Zander halted his horse as well and gestured everyone to stop. “Ivan is right,” he muttered, “there’s something out there. Something dangerous.”

A faint roar echoed around the men making them all halt in their tracks. A flock of black corvids flattered furiously past the group of men, whatever was making that terrifying sound was nearby and the woodland animals were trying to escape it.

“We need to find shelter!” Gareth yelled.

“No!” Dvalin interjected as he pulled out his two headed axe, “running and cowering is for humans, we must forge on!”

“Are you insane?!” Gareth yelled back, “our numbers are our greatest asset! We need our men if we are to intimidate Elric and achieve our goal!”

“And you expect to intimidate that psychotic lycan with men in polished shoes and combed hair?!” Dvalin responded, “we need a little blood on or swords, that’s how we will intimidate that prince.”

“You don’t even know what that thing is!”

“Well we’re about to find out,” Dvalin replied as he tightened his grip on his weapon.

Gareth turned towards where trees were falling and crushing to the ground, his eyes circled and his breath hitched upon catching a glimpse of what was heading right for them, “Fuck..”

ROOOOAAAARRRRRRR!!!

“Everyone move!” Zander howled in command. He kicked his horse and it neighed loudly before dashing to the left, only slightly missing the massive paw that had landed where he had been standing.

“What the hell is that thing?!” Ivan screamed as he swayed his horse to right and ducking form the large claws that were slashing at him.

Gareth dismounted his horse and unsheathed his sword, “I don’t know what it is, but we’re going to make sure no one else ever does.” Dark Aztec markings printed on his forehead and his eyes flared purple, “Beric, Ivan! Lead the rest of the men to safety!” He commanded

“Yes!” The two men responded.

“Zander, Ozias, Odran and Roland! You’re with me, let’s make this quick.” Gareth ordered.

A hand grabbed Gareth’s shoulder and turned him around, “I’m helping,” Finwe spoke, “and before you say anything, I’m not asking for your permission, I’m simply making a statement.”

Dvalin summersaulted off his horse and landed by Gareth’s side. He pointed his axe at the giant creature and grinned widely, “I’m not allowing you kids to have all the fun!”

“Fine!” Gareth responded, there was not time to argue with these stubborn men. “Don’t die on me!”

With a loud battle cry the eight men charged at the creature. Zander leapt swiftly from tree to tree in till he gained enough altitude to look the creature in the face. The site was gruesome, and it reeked of death and decay. The blonde elf swiftly pulled out an arrow, aimed, and lunched it towards one of its eyes.

The monster growled in pain when the arrow lodged into its eyeball. As it stumbled backwards, Roland dashed towards one of its hind legs and with a spinning motion, slashed it’s tendon with his twin daggers. He leaped back, wiped the blood from his forehead and called to Odran, “Now!”

Odran drew in a breath and ran towards the monster’s other hind leg. With a loud roar he swung his axe back and with all his strength rammed it into its tendon. He jumped aside as the monster staggered to the around. “Someone take out the other eye!”

“With pleasure!” Dvalin roared as he leaped into the air with his axe. With the grin on his face widening, he plunged his weapon into the other eye. Blood spewed everywhere and the king laughed hysterically. “It’s all up to you two now!” He called to Gareth and Finwe, “finish this so we can go get your pretty little princess!”