Fan Fiction ❯ Demon Wars ❯ Chapter 3

Ivy sighed in boredom while Hera and Rayne grilled Angelis for information. It seemed that before Arcaine came along, Angelis was the crown prince, the heir to the throne, as it was, even though his grandfather still ruled. His mother was his connection to the royal line and, since the demons had effectively wiped out women's liberation, she couldn't rule. He was only 10 when Arcaine finally took the castle and killed his family, but he had been an adventurous boy and had explored every hallway and hidden tunnel in the castle. Now, Hera and Rayne were trying to get him to draw a map from memory. It wasn't that she disagreed that Angelis' knowledge was important, just that she was restless. It wasn't in Ivy's nature to sit around and do nothing while there was work to be done. Every second that Gunner remained in Arcaine's hands lowered the odds that he would still be completely human when they did get him out. Gypsy saw her restless movements and reached out to grab her arm. "Stop. You're making me dizzy. They'll be done soon." "I can't stand this," Ivy muttered. "I agree. It's been too long since I've killed a demon. I fear I'm beginning to lose my edge," said Ice, extending and then retracting her staff, absently. Hunter and Connor glanced at each other, as if to see if the other was taking her seriously. They didn't find an answer. Devin was playing with Rayne's axe, running his finger experimentally over the blade. He yelped and pulled his hand away, as the razor sharp edge sliced into his flesh. Ivy, Gypsy and Ice glanced at him and raised inquisitive eyebrows. "Curiosity satisfied?" asked Gypsy. Devin nodded and put the weapon down.

"If you're that bored, Ivy, I'm sure I could find something for you to do," said Hunter, moving to stand behind her and nuzzling behind her ear. She grinned. "Think you can keep me occupied, do you?" "I think I can handle that." "What would Rayne and Hera say?" she asked, teasingly. "They'd probably be grateful that I got you to stop pacing." Ivy laughed and allowed him to tug her toward the stairs. Gypsy watched them go and then sighed, poutingly. "He'll be finished soon. I'm sure he'll be willing to take care of that little problem immediately," said Ice, as if Gypsy had spoken. She stood. "I think I'll go outside and do some training. I'm feeling much too lazy and relaxed." "Did you know, Ice, that there are forms of exercise that are more effective than weapon's training at keeping a body fit?" asked Connor, finally standing and making his move. "Does my body need work, then? Is that what you're saying?" she asked. "No! No, your body is perfect. I just though a workout might take your mind off the waiting," he said, raising a hand to stroke her white-blond hair. She turned, slowly. "You think you're up to that much of a workout, Connor?" Her eyes were molten with heat and he drew a ragged breath, as his body responded. "Why don't you find out?" he asked, leading her up the stairs.

"Where did they go?" asked Hera, coming into the room. "Guess," Gypsy mumbled, her gaze searing Angelis'. He moved close to her and slid his hands over her bare shoulders. Gypsy's tendency to wear shirts that had no straps or sleeves of any kind was something that Hera and Rayne had yet to come to terms with.

While they were always modestly covered, their three companions had no problem showing a little, or a lot of skin. It was something Lady Morgana had helped to influence. When the young Ice, Ivy and Gypsy, already exhibitionists at heart, had fallen under the guidance of the scantily clad demon queen, the damage became irreversibly apparent. Angelis and the others, though, had no complaints about the three more liberal members of the Order of Death's state of dress or undress. As a matter of fact, they gave thanks to Lady Morgana's guidance.

"Can you please refrain from fondling Gypsy and stay on track? There's still more we need to know," said Hera. "No, I can't. I've been sitting there listening to you fire off questions for too long. I'm taking a break from you two and taking Gypsy upstairs," said Angelis, obviously taking a page from Ivy's book. Gypsy grinned and hopped out of her seat to follow him upstairs.

"What are we going to do with them?" asked Hera, in despair. "Nothing. While I don't approve of the things they do, remember, Ivy and Gypsy were held by the demons for over a year, Hera. There's no telling what things were done to them and how it has affected them," said Rayne, softly, so Devin couldn't hear her. "Right, and Ice is just Ice," Hera muttered, looking away.

"When will you tell me how you came to be part of the Order?" asked Hunter, stroking his fingers lightly over Ivy's tattoos, as he had begun to enjoy doing. "When the others agree. I'm sorry, Hunter, but it isn't only my story to tell. I can't tell you the others pasts and I can't tell mine without telling theirs," she said, turning her head to look at him. "It's all right. We'll ask them all tonight," he said. She sighed. "Don't expect to learn anything. Hera and Rayne are pretty tight-lipped about anything they consider part of our `mission'. They probably won't agree to tell you." "We'll see," he said, leaning down to follow the design with his tongue. She shivered. "Turn over," he whispered. "Why?" she asked, as she did. "So I can kiss a dragon," he said, as his mouth closed over her right nipple, his tongue toying with the ring and charm. She groaned. "Hunter," she said, tangling her fingers in his hair. He pulled back for a moment. "Shh. Don't talk to me, I'm very busy," he admonished, then returned to his task. She laughed, low in her throat.

Connor's fingers slid down the perfection that was Ice with something like worship. She lay still beside him, her silver eyes closed and her lips gently parted. A thin sheen of perspiration was drying on her silky skin from their lovemaking and her hair was spread out in a white-gold array on the pillows. She was beautiful. Connor lightly touched the four parallel scars that were barely visible on her thigh. He didn't ask where they'd come from. He knew a demon's claw mark when he saw one. He kissed every scar he found, no matter how small, and when he reached the one that ran under her left breast, he lingered, his tongue tracing the length of it. Ice shuddered. "Connor," she said, huskily. He looked up and saw her eyes shining at him, molten with desire. "Melt for me, Ice," he said, lowering his head to her body.

Gypsy stretched beside Angelis like a cat, rubbing her body against his. He made a low, happy sound in his throat and grabbed her around the waist, pulling her on top of him. She propped herself up on top of his chest, on her elbows. "So, you're a prince, huh?" "I was. I don't think I am anymore. I don't think anything is the way it used to be," he said. "Oh, I'm sure some things are still done the same way," she said, licking his nipple. She felt him harden underneath her and rose up, just a little. He froze as she lowered herself over him and enclosed him tightly in her heat. "Oh, god, Gypsy," he moaned, closing his eyes.

"No, absolutely not," said Hera. "I told you," Ivy said, glancing at Hunter. They were gathered around the table again, their dinner set in front of them and Hunter had asked to be told their story. "Hera, we can't expect them to help us if they don't know everything about us," Gypsy argued. "You wouldn't work with someone if you didn't know their past," Ivy reminded her. "But-" "As much as I hate to admit it, they're right, Hera," said Rayne. Hera fell silent. "You tell the beginning, Ice. You always tell it so good," said Gypsy, sitting back against Angelis as if she were about to hear a bedtime story. Ice was quiet for a moment, then began to speak very clearly.

"When the demons came to this planet and began to try to take it over, a coven of young witches led the first rebellion against them. They fought the demons with everything they knew of, until they were too old and weak to fight, but their children continued the battle and their children after them. After a hundred years of fighting a losing battle, of running and hiding and planning and surviving, the descendents of the coven and their children were found by the demons and captured. The adults were killed, but the children were kept as playthings for the demon leaders. They were smaller, weaker and easier to hurt. They died quickly, the youngest going first, of course, a little girl of six. The five oldest girls were about ten, eleven, twelve at the oldest. They escaped, soon after they were caught, before their innocence could be destroyed by the demons. They ran out of the fortress and straight into the arms of another demon.

The Lady Morgana. She was disguised as a human, spying on the demons of Earth. She was the queen of the demons' home planet and she took the girls with her when she left. She taught them how to fight, how to kill and how to survive. She told them that the demons that had taken over their planet had been criminals on hers. They had been banished from the planet, but no one had thought that they would make it to another life-inhabited planet, or that they would try to destroy it. She taught them everything needed to destroy the demon threat on their planet and then, when they were about sixteen, she sent them into battle. That first year, before they had had any practice or gotten over the aversion to killing, they had been captured. Recognizing them for who they were, the demons decided to cut out their hearts and actually made a good showing of it, slicing open their chests, just under the left breast, before Lady Morgana's soldiers arrived and rescued them. Ivy and Gypsy, however, were not recovered and were kept as slaves inside a castle for over a year. They were used by the demons and their human cohorts for whatever their tormenters wished. They were raped, beaten and chained most of the time, but were also allowed to roam the castle at times, because the Dark Lord Demon of that particular castle enjoyed the illusion that they were with him of their own free will. He also refused to allow their skin to be marked in anyway, maintaining the perfection of their bodies. A platoon of Lady Morgana's soldiers freed them after that year, bringing them back to us to heal. It was then that Ivy acquired her tattoos and piercings, choosing to mark herself rather than allow another to do it. The symbols she had permanently bled into her skin are the demon's own language. The meaning of the symbols is known only to us and to the demons that can still read their own language. Since we have never looked at her body naked, even we don't know the extent of the words ourselves."

Ice paused. None of them spoke. Connor couldn't quite place the exact moment that "the five girls" became "us", but the realization that those children were Ice and the others was sobering. "Ivy, you tell the rest," said Ice. Ivy nodded.

"Lady Morgana took care of me and Gypsy until our bodies were strong again. I got my tattoos and…, well, I got my tattoos. We got new weapons and came back here with a mental list of the Demon Lords that we needed to destroy. Once we kill the last of Lady Morgana's bloodline, she will be able to control the demons here on Earth and call them back to their home planet, leaving us in peace once more," she finished, hurriedly. Hunter stared at her, wondering what that "and…" had been about. The guys were all silent for a while and Mrs. Carter stared at the five girls in horror, her brain full now of the things that could have happened to her daughter and her imagination working overtime on what might, at this very moment, be happening to her son.

"When you came here, that was demon language you spoke among yourselves?" asked Connor. They nodded. "This Lady Morgana, does she keep in contact with you?" asked Devin. Hera sighed. "We have a communicator. It's a product of old magic and it has to be kept a secret. If the demons find out we have it, that we're in league with Morgana and her soldiers, there's no telling what they'd do." "So," Gypsy said, looking at Angelis, with something dangerously close to fear in her eyes. "Now you know." He nodded, slowly, and then pulled her close. "It doesn't matter." Sighing, she nuzzled her head under his chin. Hunter ran a finger down Ivy's arm, over her tattoo. She shivered and he kissed her shoulder. "With the help of Angelis' map I think we can work on a plan of action tonight. We need to get Gunner out of that castle and we need to do it soon," said Hera. "What do you want us to do?" asked Devin. The Order of Death looked at him in surprise. They weren't used to having any help in these little endeavors. "You can gather your weapons and your armor, if you have it. Get ready as if we were going into battle, because demons and sneaking don't mix well. They usually find you and then it's a fight," said Ice. "You do have weapons, don't you?" asked Rayne, suddenly realizing that they didn't know. Connor and Hunter glanced at each other, slowly, then looked to Angelis and Devin. "We do," said Hunter, softly. "What? What is it?" asked Ivy.

"There used to be a man in the village, no one knew his name. They just called him Mage. One time we were sneaking up to his window to spy on him, the way children often do to the town outcasts and he caught us. For some reason, instead of caning us, like he did to the others that he caught, he took us into his confidence. He said he sensed a closeness, like that of a coven of old between the five of us. He asked us if we wanted to learn the ways of the old Mages, of the old covens. We agreed and then, from that day on, we spent every day at his cottage, learning. We were taught for almost six years, until the day came that old Mage disappeared. They found his body three days later, mutilated almost beyond recognition. He was identified by a small tattoo on his left shoulder blade, an image of an archangel. Later, the five of us got ourselves the same tattoos, in honor of his memory," said Angelis, as he led the way through dark, twisting tunnels. They had entered through the underground room, through yet another hidden doorway, under a barrel. Kalin was waiting at the top, to move the barrel when they were ready to come back through. Angelis lit their way from the front of the group with a torch and Hunter brought up the rear, with another. They had gone a good distance into the earth when Angelis suddenly stepped to the side and the group of them stumbled into a large cavern. Angelis and Hunter placed their torches in holders on either side of the room. The Order Of Death looked around them in amazement.

Shelves lined the walls of the cavern, filled with pots and containers. The smell of earth and magic were heavy in the air and, in one corner, a rack filled with weapons was hanging from the wall. "You know the old magics, but you didn't know about the powers of silver and pewter?" asked Hera, suspiciously. "Mage never concerned himself with such things as physical weapons. His only thought was to the magic itself, the spells and potions and ingredients. We practiced our writing as children using incantations and our arithmetic with the amounts of ingredients in this potion or that," said Connor, touching a chest with one hand, almost reverent as he spoke of their teacher. "So, you can use the magics without books? You could use spells from memory during a battle?" asked Rayne. The four of them nodded. "Why didn't Gunner use a spell to save himself?" asked Ice. "Gunner's magic has always leaned more toward nature, the plants and animals. He can call them, but there were no plants or animals he could have called on when Arcaine took him," said Devin. "And the rest of you? What kind of magic do you possess?" asked Ivy, looking directly at Hunter. She already knew one kind of magic he knew how to work. She wondered what other talents he had mastered. "Angelis holds some power over the heavens, the weather, the thunder and lightening. Still, in all these years, he has never brought back the sunlight," said Connor. "I can call on the animals, more so than Gunner, but the plants are deaf to me. I can also- undo things, locks, ropes, chains, things like that." "Devin calls the water, the rain, the rivers and the sea and he can heal," said Hunter. "I call the fire. The flames in the hearth, the fire of passion," he said, letting his words trail away. Ivy stared at him. "And you all can use the magic to fight?" asked Hera. "Yes. Given a chance, we could do plenty of damage with the magic we all possess," said Devin. "And your physical weapons?" asked Ice. "We can do a fair amount of damage with those as well," said Connor. "Good. Then your friend Gunner just might stand a chance," said Rayne.