Book 3: Chapter 13
Zayde
I wasn’t surprised that the mortal could repel me. I got one with a true warrior’s spirit, that all knew how serious I was. There would be no fatted, dull calf to present. I was giving the master a bull, one who was vivacious for victory.
I breathed black flames from my belly, and he used the Sword of Rodrick to repel it. It was almost as if in another life, he was a priest, but I didn’t mind that either. He ran as I smashed the ground; the circle would keep any damage from happening to the Tarteron stone underneath it.
“The Warm Sun on my back shield me, the hot rays of the Light guide me!” He shouted a common cantrip taught in mortal Sunday School…., and he glowed, blessed by the Light.
I slammed my claws down, and I lost a finger. I roared in pain, but with a swing of my tail, he went flying. The circle stopped him from leaving, nor me. He smashed against the red barrier and coughed blood, but he did not die.
He kneeled for a second to catch his breath while I licked the wound. Grandfather snapped his fingers, and the digit was probably in his hand to reattach later.
“I will slay you beast. I don’t care about the money; I just want to go home.” He snarled.
“I cannot allow that.” I said in English. It’s hard to speak in this form, but the low rumble of it echoed off the walls. I sound deeper, because I’m bigger…
We charged at the same time, and I thrust my head down, getting him in my mouth. His blade cut my gums, and I could not crush him with the Light’s protection, but if I didn’t break through, I would probably die…. That would be pretty shameful…
The thought of making my new bride a widow made me use a cantrip myself.
I spit him out with enough force that he would have imbedded into the stone if not for the spells here.
“The veil of Night is upon us. The Night Father protects his children.” I snarled, unleashing my aura.
Now this fight would truly be fair.
----Tiffany----
I stood next to Alteer, watching Zayde fight a man who had to have been blessed like a champion… His eyes held a fiery resolve I had not seen before…but so did Zayde. Only one could leave that circle after the ritual, and both of them fought like it.
I didn’t think I’d see someone able to become a Behimoth…. That particular kind of demon cannot be summoned without at least a hundred sacrifices… It made me wonder did Zayde do the heart eating and Behimoth summoning at the Same time…
That’s fucking suicide. You can’t transform into a beast that powerful unless you defeat one… and eat it…
“How did he get that form?” I blurted.
“Zayde worked hard for that, harder than I’d seen any of my other sons at that age.” Said Alteer. “He did not only do the gathering of his sacrifices by hand, he also summoned a behimoth, ate it, and the 100 hearts in one moon cycle. Then he picks a mortal with a warrior’s spirit.”
The grin on his face showed his teeth.
“I suppose you turn into one yourself.” I said sheepishly.
“Yeah, but I summoned one with wings.” He said scratching the back of his head. “It’s a little smaller, but the flying is more convenient than becoming smoke.”
“I didn’t try any of the beast magic rituals.” Said his son, Nelteer, the Magic Secret Tower Keeper… “I could have, but I’d rather use a staff like grandfather. The maintenance is higher, but I get to have the option of multiple shapes.”
I don’t know how I knew which brother was which, but I think…. He was my favorite.
“See that I could get behind.” I admitted.
“Unholy blindness!” Shouted Zayde… He was able to cast spells While shifted…. That was impressive…. He breathed black smoke with his fire, and the human dropped the sword.
“My eyes!” He screamed…. That was acid smoke.
The mortal coughed before Zayde slammed his left clawed hand down, but it was blocked by his fist as he blindly swatted, until Zade shifted. He was blind, so he couldn’t see where my husband was. It was used to his advantage.
Zayde picked up the dropped sword and beheaded him while on fire. He burst into flames the moment he touched the holy sword, and let it go, being Badly burned….. The crowd went wild, but I saw the damage done. That silver gloved hand punched Zayde in the chest, and they both bled in the circle. My husband coughed blood before he spoke.
“Come to me my wife.” He boomed. I ran to him to see if he was alright. He looked heavily in pain from blessed silver, but he was alive. I bled blood tears on his chest, and he laughed a hearty roar.
“It isn’t funny.” I grumbled.
“I laugh because I get to do this.” He kissed me on the lips, tasting of pure power… He bended down with a grunt, and held the head high in the air.
I stomped the ground 3 times. We said the next part together. “I summon the Horned One. Night Father hear the triumphant cries of your children, for this night, may you feast on his blood, bone, and soul.”
The earth shook, and the lights went out. Even the torches… and he appeared. The flame of the torches rose 5 feet high, being relit… All who were sitting bent low their heads, and all who stood kneeled on bent knee.
I froze for a moment…. He was taller than I remember, at least 15 feet.... The aura of the Lord Below made the hair on the back of my neck stand on end… He wore black Roman robes that smelled of sulfur, and his grand ram’s horns held a crown between them…
Flashes of my past flooded my mind, mainly my punishment…. How he stretched years out to decades… How I screamed…. How terrifying his blazing eyes were…
Zayde used claws to peel the armor off the human, completely comfortable in the presence of the King of Hell….. The acid breath adhered the skin to it, so it took him longer, while I addressed the master. I mentally had to pull myself out of this terror, because I doubted he would be patient…
“Master, I trained for years for this moment. I give you an offering culled in fair combat.” Zayde summoned a table with magic, and gave him the choice parts… the heart, liver, and soul… It was gone the moment it touched the master’s hands, except the heart. “May it be to your liking.”
“It is. It is rare I am given fresh, quality souls of my enemy. Had the humans discovered him, he surely would have been a mighty priest.” He hummed deeply, licking his fingers. It pleased him to eat. “Partake mortal.” He commanded, motioning only my husband.
Zayde was to eat a bite of the heart… and when he did, he fell to the ground fully healed, his missing finger too…. I continued.
“We are married, yet unbound…. And we ask your blessings… May the blood and heart of this mortal please you… He was a mighty champion, though green, he fought well.” I said looking at the pulsing runes. They remained red now that he stood before us… He already accepted our offering. The markings were reacting to his mood.
Thank the gods it was a good one…
“Small Yoltier, you both have my favor. With it comes a question and a task.” He said firm as iron… “Do you wish your memories returned?”
“No master.” I said as he hummed, allowing me to stand and see him, to look him in the eyes and tell him my heart’s desire. “I have my husband, I have this life, good family, and a coven. It would be confusing for me to reconnect old views with people I feel like I’ve only known a month.”
“Then I will give you my blessing. You may go bound, and I wish of you a task…” He said walking closer.
“Anything master.” I mumbled.
“Good…. You served your penance. I know you hold fear for it, but there is no need. You led Purple Diamond well other than your sin. You vowed your loyalty. Now in this life, you must do it again.”
I picked up the sword on the ground… and used it to cut my hand… it Burned… gods it burned to touch something so holy…
“I Tiffany Yoltier, vow my loyalty to keep the secrecy of coven magics away from unworthy eyes. We marked hold your blessings, and we are your children. I thank you for this second chance… I know many do not receive such bounty…” I admitted.
He chuckled. “That is fine enough. And no, they do not, because unlike you, they lament instead of repent and change. Many do not understand the diligence of penitence, and think me a monster for monstrosity’s sake…I won’t lie and say that I don’t like what I do, but there is reason behind it.”
I didn’t know what to say to that… so I only bowed my head. “Of course sir.”
“I admit, this was entertaining. Enough so that now, I task you a most perilous mission since I see you both will be able to handle this… Yellow Diamond fell with the death of my child’s child Elkteer…. I wish it back. The land is in ruins, but I still dwell there. Take my name to the jungle again… Let the rain forest fear the night.” He said vanishing.
Past 300 uncut miles of rainforest were the ruins of Yellow Diamond…. It was said that the King of Half Beasts himself along with priests and unicorns felled that coven, and slew Gulteer’s son… They killed every member… all 8,000….
I read about it a long time ago, but now, everyone bowed to me… I was tasked with something no one else had… the reinstatement of an entire coven…. That was More responsibility than just running one….
Gulteer came to pick up Zayde.... he patted me on the head. “The Night looms down on you. I am so very proud Theophania… Lady Tiffany of Yellow Diamond. Bound to your husband as I am to mine.” He showed me a thin thread that linked us together now…. I had a mate.
“Thank you, grandfather.” I bowed.
It was all I could think to say… there was a shock to this that couldn’t be recovered from easily… I’d lead ten covens for a gift so rare…. A gift so few have who aren’t werewolves, or other shifters made by the Moon Goddess….
Holy shit I had a mate!
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