Camelia chapter 16

Chapter 16 Striking A Chord

Carmine cradles Camelia. He carries her along the path back through the ruins of the city.

"Are you alright with leaving it like this Kaiser?" Asks Aura.

"Yes now lets go back."

He rips a portal open pushing her in and closing it behind him.

"That is a first." Says Angel walking along behind Carmine.

"Why are you following me Sin Spawn. In fact tell me why you should yet live vile beast." Says Carmine glaring at Angel.

"I don't care about you. It is her I am concerned about." Replies Angel stepping beside Carmine.

"Do not speak to me as though you were my equal." Says Carmine brushing him off.

"You are right. I should stop lowering myself down to your level." Replies the demon.

Carmine begins to laugh at this rude comment, "Oh please. I am a prince and you are just a lowly life sucking fiend that has to feed off of others to gain power."

"Its better than being a bard." Smirks Angel.



"Come on. Speak to me!" Cries Senalda slapping Eleutherius across the face.

He shifts slightly rubbing his face, "I am alright. I think… Its not everyday one gets bitch slapped by the goddess of death."

"Come on! Get up we have to find Carmine. Ran'gore took Camelia." Says Senalda.

"He is not a boy anymore. He can handle it. Let him fight his own battles." Says the king stepping onto the ruined stage.

"Father we have secured this area. We are currently searching for survivors." Says Mark bowing.

"Good they will pay for this offense with their lives. I am declaring martial law!" Roars Eleutherius.

"It has been a while Senalda." Says Woodward climbing up the stage.

"Woody! Its been ages. Why are ya' here." Smiles the golden dragon.

"Well actually I came here with Camelia."

"What do ya' mean? Then what business does Faye have in this affair?"

"About that. I cannot allow her to marry Carmine. We have to free her of the curse first. Then she can decide clearly."

"Curse? Ya' don't mean that she is her?"

"I had my suspicions before but this attack has made it clear. She is the Harlot of Horrors. Take her from my realm and cure her of her vile past, if you can. No one deserves her fate. I will speak with my son." Says Eleutherius.

Cheers begin to rise from far off, as they come closer approaching the stage. Soldiers and a crowd of marry revelers move through the rubble. Carmine appears with Fang'gore by his side.

"Father! Ran'gore has escaped." Says Fang'gore.

"That is bad news indeed my son. Carmine come here we have to talk."

"I saved her father. Granted I had help from brother, this demon and a pair of Ascended." Smiles Carmine carrying Camelia.

He sets her on the stage where she slumbers. Angel and Carmine climb up to the top of the stage.

"Did you just say that this Sin Spawn helped you?" Asks Senalda.

Woodward responds, "Yes he is bound to Camelia through a contract. He is reliable. Now then to the matter at hand time is of the essence."

"Father who is this elf?" Asks Carmine.

Senalda answers, "This is Woodward, Faye's second in command. He came here with Camelia."

"Oh so you know Camelia? A friend of hers is a friend of mine." Smiles Carmine.

"You sure change your tune a lot bard." Says Angel picking Camelia up.

"Carmine! I forbid you from marrying this woman." Says the king.

"What? But father this cannot be, why?"

"She will break your heart one day. She is the Matron of Darkness. I will trust that you will hand her over without a fuss. These men are trustable so you can be assured that she is in good hands."

"No! I will not hand her over to strangers. I love her too much for that. Where she goes I go." Shouts Carmine.

"You must understand. Within that woman lies the vilest creature that has ever crawled from the shadows. She is the Princess of Perversion." Says the mighty drake clenching his fist.

"Impossible. She can stay like this though right?" Pleads Carmine.

"I do not know son. I would hope that she could for your sake but as of now it seems nothing more than a fool's errand."

"I have made up my mind. I shall go with them and cleanse Camelia of the darkness."

"Be reasonable! Where they are going ya' do not want to go." Says Senalda.

"Is this what you truly want to do?" Asks the king.

"Yes Father. It is." Says Carmine.

"Then go my child. Freedom is what we hold dear never forget that. May the winds be on your back and the sky ever clear. You have my blessing… now make me proud." Says Eleutherius turning his back on Carmine.

"What? Ya' don't mean that! Tell him he cannot go! He will be killed!" Shouts Senalda shaking the king.

He backhands her, "Get a hold of yourself woman. Let him go Senalda! He is a man now. He can make his own decisions. Wave him off with a smile and he will return a hero on the winds."

"Who said we would let you come with us?" Says Angel shifting his stance, "We don't need an inexperienced fighter tagging along."

"I have a stake in this just as you do Sin Spawn I am coming." Replies Carmine.

"Prove your worth and I will let you come. We don't have time to be saving your ass and Camelia's. She gets in enough trouble already." Says Angel.

"How vulgar. You demon."

Angel draws his spear and Carmine plays with his harp.

"Are you kidding me? I said prove yourself not sing me a song. Luna I hate bards."

"In sorrow endlessly,
I see your cold dead heart
Withering away into despair,
While time passes you by.
I will take you through the labyrinth of pain.
Feel the bite of cruel fate.
The twisting destiny at hand.
Hot blood and cold steel,
Mingle in the ballet of your demise!" Sings Carmine his harp playing a sorrowful tone.

Angel takes a step back, as the words linger in his mind almost haunting him. His vision blurs slightly and he slugs himself in the head drawing him to his senses.
Carmine feigns to the left stabbing to the right. Angel blocks the blow holding the rapier with his hand. He retaliates swinging at Carmine who ducks under it ripping his sword from the demon's grasp.

"Not too bad but not what we are looking for." Says Angel leaning on his spear.

"What but you never hit me." Says Carmine.

"So? I wasn't being serious either. You are five hundred years too early. If you think you can beat me and be Camelia's protector." Laughs Angel. "How old did she say that she was?"

"I never asked." Says Carmine, "Love at first sight need not worry about the little details."

"You do know who the Shewolf is right? You know the first devil ever to exist that is her."

Camelia's eyes open slowly and she paws at her face. She squirms and he sets her down.

"Angel I had such a strange dream. I was bad again but I wasn't mean." Smiles Camelia hugging him. "Lets keep going. I want to meet more people and make new friends and play in more places."

"Very well Camelia. When do you want to go?" Asks Angel.

"Now. I wanna go to the ocean and learn how to swim. Carmine are you coming with us?"

"He cannot come." Replies Angel within a moment.

Her cheeks puff up and she crosses her arms, "I wanna hear his songs. He is coming."

"Fine, but only if he stays out of the way." Says Angel.

"Love blooms and the winds scatter its seeds far and wide." Smiles Carmine.
Camelia grins, as he flies off towards his home.

"Now where is he going?" Asks Angel grumpily.

"He went to go get his stuff." Smiles Camelia.

"You actually understood that?" Says Woodward shifting while he watches the sky.
She only nods.



Carmine descends landing upon his platform. He moves into the overly elaborate room scouring it for things that he might need. He grabs up a sack placing clothes into it. Looking around he takes paper, an ink well and a quill off of his desk putting them inside as well. He takes a coin purse filling it with golden coins. He ties it shut and tosses it in.

Hearing wings he turns finding Senalda in the entrance. He looks away from her continuing with his packing.

"Carmine… dear are ya' really going?"

"Yes. I thought you would have been happy about this. You have been telling me for years to get out there and do something."

"Well yes but I never thought ya' would actually do it. Don't go." Says Senalda moving closer and rubbing his back.

"I am going and that is final."

"Well Carmine I can't stop ya', but remember that this is yer' home. Come back to us soon." Says Senalda holding something behind her back.

Carmine hoists his bag moving to the entrance of the room. He turns back seeing her with a smile on her face.

"Here if ya' must go then take this. A going away gift." Proudly says the woman handing a strange wooden instrument to him.

"Mother what is this? Where did you find it?" Asks Carmine looking it over.

The instrument is about two or so feet long. It is made of a darkened almost burned looking wood. It has golden knobs at the far end securing silver strings from the neck to the middle of the body. The body itself is shaped like an eight with swirling designs etched in red moving along the edges of the strings. On the outside of the middle it depresses in taking a half oval out of both sides.

What look like spider webs are seared white into the back making strange designs. There is another piece to the instrument, as Carmine discovers. The long piece of wood has a silver strip at the bottom.

"I found it down in the markets about a week ago. An Ascended sold it to me after playing it. The sound it made was wonderful and I knew that you would love it. She called it a violin." Smiles Senalda hiding her tears.

"Thank you Mother this is the best gift you have ever given me. I must be going now; the others are most likely waiting. Good bye." Grins Carmine hugging her.

He places the violin in his bag before flying away.



"You just let them go without even a fight?" Rages out the Watcher.

"Yes I did. The important thing is that she did fall into the hands of her kin." Replies Kaiser.

"We are running out of time. The machine will need to recharge after this next influx. I will use every drop of its power to separate them and tell us where they are. You need to go in there and get her."

"Wait that is too much! You remember what happened last time we used the full power of the machine!"

"That is a risk I am willing to take. Lend me your power all of you for the glory of the fallen King!" Shouts the watcher.

Chants rise from the gathered men and energy begins to crackle through the air. He places his hand into the controls turning it on. It grinds at first, churning with a low whirl. Slowly it picks up speed a groan of metal escapes its confines. It is moving so fast now that it looks as though it were a solid sphere.

Lightning arches all around screeching out of the monstrous machine. The room turns dark being illuminated by glowing runes that cover the walls, ceiling, and floor. Bubbles of power drift off of the outer metal. Energy surges, crackling out and striking the bubbles. They burst opening rifts.

A vacuum of sound fills the room just, as darkness overtakes all of them. It shifts releasing its potent properties. They thunder into the sky shattering the roof and burning the clouds.

Kaiser rises from ground blood thickly flowing out of his ears, nose and mouth. Several others' heads have popped. The sky is churning while it shifts colors erratically.

"What have you done!" Rolls off of Kaiser's tongue.

"Precisely what was needed now go and get her we will end this travesty. Kill her. She is not immortal so long as the curse is upon her." Laughs the Watcher.

"Kill her? That is not right. Why would we do that?" Asks Aura.

"She deserves death."

"No! I will not slay her that would be a mortal sin. I will…" Starts Kaiser before being interrupted, "She has suffered long enough. End her."

"That goes against everything we stand for."

"No! It is what the King would have wanted."

"You fool if we kill her, her soul would go back to Sintress! She would be reborn!" Says Kaiser.

"Not necessarily. There are ways to keep that from occurring." Smirks the watcher.

"Soul entrapment? That magic has been forbidden since moments after its creation! Besides no one knows the incantations!"

"Come with me Kaiser."

"If I must."

They walk through the exposed room rounding a corner. Stairs lead down into the darkness only beaten back by torches. It goes down and down until they arrive at a massive stone wrought door. Strange wards and marking cover the outer surface. The watcher places his palm on it and it grinds open.

Only black is before them until the Watcher lights a blazer revealing a large chamber. Weapons and artifacts from times long past sit on pedestals, on the walls, and some even hang from the ceiling.

A hilt sits on crimson cloth. It has phoenixes on both sides forming the base of the blade. At the end of the white gold handle is an eye carved from a diamond.
"The hilt of Sindersun. So this is where you have been keeping it." Says Kaiser in awe over the legendary artifact.

"Yes that is it. That however is not what we have come here for. It is this the Devourer of Souls." Says the Watcher drawing up a sword from an alter.

"Why do you have that cursed blade here? I thought it was destroyed long ago." Says Kaiser uneasily.

"It was recovered when we first took the Shewolf. I am surprised you did not see it. After all it was you who placed the belt on her. It was sitting beside her bed. With this she would never be able to escape." Says the Watcher lowly.

"No… you want me to use that to kill her?"

"Yes it is quite fitting that she should meet her demise on the weapon that she sowed such agony upon our people." Smirks the Watcher.

"It is a sin to merely speak of that cursed thing but to use it that is beyond redemption." Replies Kaiser taking a step away from him.

"Against such evil there is no such thing as forbidden. Now go and bring her end so that she can be eternally tortured for her crimes." Cackles the watcher.

The Devourer of Souls is handed to Kaiser who takes it slowly. Aura stands at the doorway.

"Should I come too Kaiser?"

"No. I must do this myself."



"Let us set off on our journey." Says Carmine.

"I can't wait! I wanna see the big ocean. Maybe we will see a mermaid." Smiles Camelia

"I am sure that we will but remember that they are not nice. They are not referred to, as the Ice hearted for nothing." Says Angel.

"Don't ruin my fun Angel." Puffs out Camelia.

"We should be going." Says Woodward.

They approach the portal entwining their arms when they near the flocculating rift. The swirling eddies encompass them in white light. Throbbing colors are all around when turbulence pushes them all around. The forces are too great and they are hurled away from one another. Camelia twists frightened when the walls of energy close in on her keeping her in place. Everyone else is swept away. After a few moments of delay she is bucked through a rift.

She flails seeing the ground rising to meet her. All goes black with a sickening thud. Kaiser shifts from his sitting position drawing up his sword. He approaches standing over Camelia's twitching body.

The sword that he carries is not his own it is jagged and red with a black skull shaped gem at the base of the blade. The hilt has curving flames coming from demonic faces and is made of molten metal. He readies the serrated weapon to stab down into her.

"This is what you deserve you monster. An eternity trapped within your own sword. The very weapon you used to kill our King." Says Kaiser.

Camelia shifts turning slightly a smile fills her face as she murmurs, "My guardian angel."

The wicked blade clatters to the hot glowing earth as Kaiser takes a step back. He shakes his head.

"This isn't right. What is this feeling of dread?" Says Kaiser rubbing his eyes.

"I cant do it. Damn you Shewolf hiding behind that innocent mask."

Kaiser paces around her at times drawing up the sword but only to have it drop from his grasp harmlessly on the ground. He sits back on his rock thinking.

"When did my resolve become so weak? This is infuriating; my conscience will not allow me to imprison her. Very well. If I cannot rid the realms of the Shewolf in that way, then I must erase her from existence."

Kaiser casts the Devourer of Souls away into a pool of lava before he picks up Camelia. He carries her away into the molten world that surrounds them.



A portal shifts and Aura appears looking down at the place where Kaiser was. It is empty and barren with red glowing cracks in the ground. A glimmer of metal catches her eyes and she flutters down picking a hilt from the land.

The black skull glimmers, as though it were watching her. She opens another portal and disappears.