Original Stories Fan Fiction ❯ Lyre ❯ Chapter 30

[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]

The castle was nearer now, perhaps twenty lengths away or shorter when Ryo dismounted and tied his horse to a branch of a charred tree. He said nothing as he gazed directly into the yellowish eyes of Illexian's underlings. He bared his fangs as he drew his weapon. Asilia watched as Eldinia stepped forward. What could the human be thinking?

"Leave the small change to me. You've got a more important opponent ahead," Eldinia said as he wielded his glaive.

Ryo continued on, up the castle steps, the sickening odor of death and cheap alcohol growing with every inch forward. Lee gagged at the the smell then turned his head away. He would never look at cheap alcohol in the same way again. They reached a large iron door with strange symbols etched into the frame and Ryo yanked it open. A strange, reptillian creature stood there, hissing menacingly as he swung a heavy broadsword. Lyre stepped in front of his father and challenged the creature. Asilia hoped that the young prince knew what he was doing.

"Be careful," Lee said as he tried to keep his eyes clear. "You're my only child."

"I know. Go on with him. He may need you whether he's willing to admit it or not," Lyre said and Lee nodded his head. He ran after Ryo, who had already gone down another corridoor.

"Asilia..." Lyre said and Asilia glanced at him.

"Yes?" he inquired.

"Please keep my father safe. Lee too."

Asilia nodded his head and ran swiftly after the two. Ryo and Lee had paused in the hall momentarily and it seemed that they were involved in a slight disagreement. Asilia sighed as he silently approached the two. Tension with allies was never a good thing to have going into a battle.

"You're still following me, aren't you?" Ryo asked coldly as Lee touched Ryo's wing. Ryo's muscles stiffened slightly as Lee fondly stroked the side of his right wing.

"I will always follow you. I love you dearly Ryoshan. I will protect you," Lee said then drew his hands away as Ryo began walking. Ryo said nothing as he turned right into another cooridoor. Asilia followed them, wondering if Ryo knew that he was behind them but chose not to say anything. Lee glanced at the walls on either side of him, disjointed paintings hanging at intermittant intervals then looked at Ryo. Ryo seemed to be ignoring him and Lee sighed. He didn't like being ignored. He wanted to talk to Ryo, to find out what was going on in his beloved's mind but unfortunately, Ryo was not in a state of mind to talk. He glanced behind him then stared at Asilia who was closely following him. How did he DO that?

"What are you doing here?" Lee whispered and Asilia looked at him seriously.

"I am doing my duty," Asilia said. "Besides, Ryoshan should know that if he goes into a battle while trying to protect someone, he will be weak."

Ryo's ears twitched at Asilia's statement, the similarity of his words and the words of Kana flooding back to him. He was right. If he fought to protect Lee, he wouldn't stand a chance against his enemy. He had to put Lee out of his mind. He had to ignore Lee, which was extremely difficult to do.

"Asilia,I apologize for being so gruff with you. It is extremely hard for me to move past Kana. He did so much for me and it was because of his duty to protect me that he died. I have always felt slightly responsible for his death even though I know that the whole incident couldn't be avoided. I want you to do something for me Asilia," Ryo said and Asilia looked at him.

"What?" Asilia asked and Ryo walked up to him.

"If you see that I'm not doing all that well, get him out of there. If I have to die, I don't want him to see it. I know he won't be able to handle it."

"You've given me a difficult task. I will do my best but if there is a way for me to help you avoid death, I would rather take that option."

There was complete silence for perhaps a half hour after their short conversation and then Ryo stopped walking and stared at the large chamber before him. There was no door, but Ryo was slightly hesitent to step inside. The darkness inside the chamber was so thick in the chamber that Lee half believed that Ryo could cut through it with his scimitar. Ryo narrowed his eyes and stepped into the chamber. Lee followed hesitently and Asilia gently prodded him forward.

"I am here to make sure nothing happens to either of you," Asilia whisperes as Ryo made his way to the center of the chamber.

"I know you're in here. Your foul stench preceeds you," Ryo hissed as Illexian stepped forward, his eyes gleaming dangerously.

"Fitting that your beloved stays to watch your demise. I'll give him the best seat in the arena," Illexian replied and pulled a lever that rested in the wall near his hand. Lee yelped in surprise as bars surrounded him. He laid a hand on one of the bars and drew back in shock. The bars were electrically charged. It was also a small cage and it gave Lee hardly enough room to move. Asilia stood in the shadows, observing carefully. The enemy had not sensed him and Asilia wanted to weigh the situation before he called attention to himself.

"Not luxurious but it will do for this battle. Oh. I forgot your chair. There you go," Illexian said and pulled another lever. Ryo watched as Lee became strapped in an uncomfortable wooden chair then gazed at Illexian and grinned widely. Food. His primal self had been fully awoken and he was hungry. Asilia shook his head as he watched from the sidelines. Ryo had become completely absorbed by the writings of the forbidden book that each time he allowed himself to be consumed by the evil writings, he would find it harder to get out of that dangerous state. He sincerely hoped that Ryo would be able to fight with some rationality left in his mind.

"I like that look. This fight will be a promising one," Illexian said and Ryo's eyes grew dark with rage.

"Shut up and fight. I know you're not just going to let me win so let's get this thing started," he replied and Illexian looked bemused.

"You can barely talk. Do you mind repeating that?"

"Bastard," Ryo hissed as he swung his scimitar. Illexian stepped to the side and jabbed Ryo neatly underneath his ribs.

"You're slow. I thought you were going to be challenging."

Ryo bared his fangs once again and moved closer to Illexian. His emerald eyes blazed as he stepped forward. Lee shut his eyes for a moment as he prayed for Ryo's safety. Perhaps pray was not the best word for there was nothing in a demon's belief system that could be prayed to. He wanted to move, to reach out and help but he could not. He was powerless. If Ryo lost...that was something that Lee shiddered to think about. If Ryo lost, Lee had no idea how he would deal with it. He was leaning towards suicide simply because it seemed to be the most sane thing to do after witnessing the murder of his beloved. He certainly knew that he would not try and take revenge for Ryo's death. He was not the strong one in their relationship. He had strength when he needed it but he lacked Ryo's brutality.

"Do what needs to be done, baby. I will support you no mater what," Lee whispered as he vainly tried to place his bound hands on his heart. Asilia watched him for a moment and turned away. It was almost heartbreaking to see how much Lee cared for Ryo. Lee was completely loyal to his mate and it almost convinced Asilia that he should go out and find another lover. But then...then he remembered his element and sighed. No, he told himself. He could not live a normal life again. All he could do was stay to his appointed duty of Royal General and protect his ruler when needed.
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Lyre licked his mouth in pleasure. He wiped the blood off his hands as he gazed at the grounds littered with dead bodies. He had most definitely inherited his father lust for battle. His tail wagged slightly as he sheathed his weapon and checked himself for any injuries. Somewhat reluctantly, he turned his skin back to its smooth demon state. He bared his fangs as the pain from his injuries became apparent.

"Damn. I'm glad Nylia can't see me like this. He'd throw a fit. Guess I'd better go and see how the others are doing. Sometimes I wish healing was my element instead of light. I sure could use it now," he said to himself as he continued forward.

"Bastard," Eldinia said and Lyre turned around. "You're going to leave me half-assed dead while you go running after your father, aren't you?"

"You can barely walk. What happened?" Lyre asked and Eldinia painfully shrugged.

"I got cut up. Where's a damned first aide station when you need one?"

"I don't know. Pretty convenient that you've got the glaive, though. At least you can lean onto it for support."

"It sure as hell makes the going tough. So what happened to you? You don't look like a bed of roses."

"Later. We've got to find out where my parents are."

Lyre winced as a sharp sensation of pain crept over his body. He bared his fangs as he ran a hand to his leg where his pants clung tightly around a deep gash in his leg. He growled low as he gingerly touched the wound. His bone had been shattered, he noted as he growled louder.

"You're an idiot," Eldinia commented as he watched Lyre's skin switch back to armor.

"Why?" Lyre asked as he continued to move forward.

"You're injured. Don't push yourself."

"Look who's talking. You're injured too. Let's go. I've got to catch up with my parents."

"Your lover would be so proud of you," Eldinia said and Lyre stopped sharply. He thought about Nylia for a moment then sighed.

"I really miss him. I'll be glad when this is all over. I'll be able to fuck him again."

"Spoken like a true demon. Sex is one of the things you live for, isn't it?"

"We've got to get the most out of life since there's nothing after it. We're closer. The stench of death is starting to be overwhelming. Damn it!" Lyre cried as he fell to his knees. "I can't do this! All of this is too much for me. The smell, the pain, the darkness..."

"Get a hold of yourself, will you?" Eldinia asked as something strange took control of Lyre's emotions. He was changing, reverting back to his primal state much in the same way that his father had done. Endor shielded his eyes as Lyre's element surrounded him, illuminating the castle like the light of a supernova.
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Illexian screamed in pain as he shielded his eyes from the light. The distraction was exactly what Ryo needed. He now had the advantage. He thrust his sword deep within Illexian's chest and drove him back against the wall, pinning him there like some sort of decorative animal. Illexian watched as Ryo raised his claws. With his killing nature unleashed, he dug his claws into Illexian's flesh and sharply pulled them down, enjoying each one of Illexian's painful cries.

Lee struggled in his small prison as he watched the brutal game that his lover had taken part in. Ryo had gone entirely too far this time and he desperately needed someone to bring him back to reality. Asilia unsheathed his sword and watched Ryo torment his prey. He closed his eyes for a moment then opened them. There was no other choice. He had to knock the king senseless so that he would return to his natural state. He glanced in Lee's direction for a moment, then took a step forward. His call of duty had come.

Lee whimpered in sadness as he heard the unnatural cries that Illexian uttered. This was not Ryo. Ryo would never treat anyone with such brutality. He would never kill and enjoy the task. Something had to bring him back to reality, but what?

"Hold on baby," Lee whispered as tears stained the straps that bound him to the chair. "I'm not going to lose you like this. I'll get you back."
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Eldinia reached out to touch Lyre but stopped when Lyre bared his enlarged fangs. He was no longer himself, Eldinia noted as Lyre spread his immature wings and stood up. He continued to move forward, completely oblivious to the pain he was in. Eldinia gritted his teeth as he continued to lean on his weapon. He was determined to be as good as a demon. If Lyre was determined to make it, then so was he. He would show Lyre that he was not "just another human". He had won Nuen's heart by being something more than a human, and although Lyre would never see that, he was determined not to let that trait die.

"You'd better not get the idea that you can leave me, a simple human behind," Eldinia said as Lyre took another step forward on his injured leg, blood spewing forth with the impact of torn tissues meeting each other in a disjointed mess. Lyre's face reflected the pain he was in, but he said nothing. As long as he still had breath in his body, he was not going to go down. He had to see what had happened to his parents.

"What I do does not concern you," Lyre replied as he took another step.

"I know you're just biting my head off because you're in pain. Why don't you take it easy? You're not making it any easier on yourself."

"I don't need a human telling me what to do."

"Suit yourself," Eldinia said and shrugged his shoulders.
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Ryo pulled his claws away from Illexian's body. The fun had ended when Illexian's life had expired. He turned around in search for another plaything. Lee's eyes widened in terror as the remembrance of the past came over him. He was being seen as prey again. He watched Ryo walk towards him much in the same way a wolf hunts its prey and Lee tightly shut his eyes. Was there anything that could save him this time?

"Your highness, you're not being rational," Asilia said and Lee looked up. Asilia stood between Ryo and the cage Lee was imprisoned in. He held his sword tightly as he watched Ryo lick his lips. For some reason, the scene reminded him of his first battle and the first time his element had been unleashed. Asilia narrowed his eyes as he watched Ryo. He knew that he was up against a difficult opponent and if Ryo resorted to using his element...then Asilia might be forced to use his. Ryo leapt at him and Asilia dodged the attack. He thrust the hilt of his sword into Ryo's chest and Ryo's body was forced back until it met Lee's cage. Lee watched in fear as Ryo raised himself up and attacked Asilia again. Asilia was light on his feet and had obviously seen more action than he let on. He blocked Ryo's next few attacks and Lee hoped that Asilia wasn't being too rough on him. It wasn't Ryo's fault that he was acting in such a manner. It was the fault of the people that had written those books. Those damned books...if only Ryo had not read one of them....Lee wondered what Ryo had been in Karu's room for in the first place. But now was not the time to speculate on the past. Now was the time to hope that Asilia could get things back to normal.

Asilia's gaze darkened as Ryo brought a knee up to his abdomen. He could not resort to his element. He could not kill the king. Especially not since Ryo was not in a rational state of mind. He closed his eyes and winced in pain as Ryo clubbed the back of his head. Ryo watched as Asilia fell to the ground then turned his attention to Lee. He walked towards the cage and Lee's eyes grew even wider. There was nothing that could save him now. With a quick slash, Ryo had broken through the cage that Lee was imprisoned in and with a few swipes of his claws, he had freed Lee from the chair. Lee attempted to flee but Ryo held him firm. Lee stared deep into his eyes as Ryo licked his skin and Lee fearfully closed his eyes. He snapped them open when he felt Ryo's tongue deep within his throat. Could he have regained his composure so soon?

"I'm sorry I frightened you like that, baby," Ryo said once he had drawn away from Lee.

"You mean you were in complete control the entire time?!" Lee exclaimed as Ryo began to unbutton his shirt.

"No. I did not take control of my actions again until I saw you. I don't know what I did but I do know that Illexian is dead. That's all that matters. That and you," Ryo replied as he picked Lee up and kissed him again.

"Don't rub me there."

"Baby, I want to do a lot more to you there than that."

"Don't get my thoughts started, honey."

"Why not? You know I want to fuck you."

"But here and now..."

"Especially now. I want to make love to you before my injuries become apparent."

"You're hurt? Oh god!"

Lee yelped as he felt Ryo playfully bite his middle. He began to whimper as Ryo's tongue gently licked his skin. Lee's moans grew in intensity as Ryo began treating him more like a plaything. It was Ryo's way of dealing with stress, Lee knew, but Lee didn't care. He loved the attention he was getting. Lee's cries carried far across the dead air and Eldinia shook his head.

"Your parents are amazing. You know it's gotta be pretty damned horrific in there but all they care about is making love to each other," he said as Lyre gazed down at the floor.

"It's my father's way of coping. He doesn't know what he did in order to kill Illexian but he knows it affected Lee in some way. My father felt that Lee's problem had to be solved first," he replied as he struggled to stand.

"Give it a rest. There's nothing left to be wary of. Your body needs to rest or do you want to be completely ruined for Nylia?"

Lyre's wings drooped as Eldinia sat down. He glanced up at Lyre, whose face had taken on a pained expression and he nodded his head. He knew that the only thing that would make Lyre rational again was the mention of his lover.

"I figured that would get you."

"I'm afraid if I don't stay alert then I won't be able to make it," Lyre replied and Eldinia shook his head.

"You're only going to destroy yourself faster with that attitude."

"I suppose your right. I don't want to get Lee over-emotional, either."

"I don't think your dad wants Lee to be emotional, either."

"Not any more emotional than he is now, yeah. Guess I should stop fighting it. Trying to stay alert is too much for me."