Giles' Keeper

Giles’ Pov

We are bound finally. I gaze at my beautiful life partner feeling lucky to have her by my side and share a life-time full of love and joyous memories. ‘What?’ I chuckle distracted by her question, squeezing her hand tenderly before paning to stare at her. I am honored to be bound to her finally.

‘The weight of all of the stares; they feel so heavy,’ she flushes and I smile at her shy nature. The gown exposing more of her than she’s used to. The Goddess has blessed her with beauty, external and internal.

‘Soon you won’t notice them, you’ll-’

‘The humans have found the kingdom!’ Oberon shouts over the joined line before a spear of angst breaks the celebration and a pain filled screech from Honey fills the kingdom. Oberon’s rage filled scream shakes the grounds stones shake under the emotion filled war cry. I hiss, feeling the breaking bond, a loss of connection.

“Take to the sky!” I rush towards the window as guards fling them outwards, leaping out the castle diving into the sky watching silver rain from the sky - a critical hit to our beloved Honey. Shifting my dragon explodes a rapid blinding pain. ‘Hide your Queen, get her to safety - NOW!’ I order Ophelia quickly assimilating the fire raining from flaming boulders.

‘Mercenaries, take out the humans before they break our barriers,’ I send the order to our ground troops, men leap from windows, our aerial troops take to their dragons filling the sky rushing towards Oberon who struggles to hold his dying sister, her silver white body bleeds her silver blood, raining her magic over the kingdom, soaking everything in an ethereal glow.

’She took a direct hit, I feel her fading,” Oberon chokes, his dragon releasing pain filled cries as he struggles to hold her body guiding her to earth before her body starts to overheat burning herself into ash. Dragons swarm them, guiding Oberon and Honey down to earth, rising above the swarm of dragons struggling to locate the army through the thick clouds.

‘Reznor, move the clouds, clear the airway. Ozul keep control on the fires,’ I order, feeling the wind pick up clouds vanishing into a light mist clearing the pale blue skies.

‘I can control the water in the clouds, keep the kingdom safe-’ Cora responds through our family connection.

‘Do not expose yourself Cora, you must stay protected,’ I order fighting the strong winds, the mist grows stronger pouding rain washing the blood deeper into the kingdom’s grounds.

‘A large group of humans are charging the northern grounds, weapons in hand,’ our Elven leader informs us, watching from the trees.

‘Strengthen our defenses, keep our fields bound, send our warriors to handle the pests,’ I snarl, flying higher to the sky shielding the flaming boulders launched from catapults, deflecting them away from the dying dragons. ‘Warriors, attack the catapults, put an end to their terror!’ I order spotting the wooden structures constructed just outside of our forces. Do we have a traitor in our mix?

It’s an unsettling realization as the foreign structures come into my sight, rage fills my being the humans readied another attack filling the bowl with as many large rocks and boulders lighting a fire to launch. They will die. Rains increase, drowning their efforts as the earth shake screams of rage snarls shake the earth, the quaking under their feet opens up large crevices, the earth swallowing the armies and their screams whole.

Heavy thunder claps above, lightning strikes the structure, screams sound off at the attack. ‘They are swarming through the trees, we can’t fight them with fire,’ Ozul growls, fighting to contain the fires from spreading through the saturated grounds. Smoke billows into the air swamping the castle and the fallen dragon.

‘Reznor, fight them with the wind, shake them, I’m handling the catapults - how long until our ground troops are on them?’ I snarl struggling to take out the last catapult. ‘Where’s Corban? I need aid in opening the earth!’

‘I’m doing my best! I don’t have eyes on the army,’ Reznor snarls, the winds dying down, up high moving to rush through the trees shaking them, raising the decaying debris into a tornado of destruction.

‘I haven’t seen Corban since the banquet,’ Cora groans as she siphons rain from clouds around the kingdom, striking the grounds below with such force debris around the cracks flood in drowning the attacking army. Using her abilities to guide strikes of lightning to the earth at our enemies

‘Keep the attack my sentries are enroute, the damage is heavy to our wall, crumbling under their attack,’ Ozul shouts as we strengthen our attacks, drawing and gathering our power.

‘Giles, I need back up, the winds are weakening,’ Reznor pleads, dividing my strength as I find his direction of magic drawing the wind towards the battlefield.

‘Cora, ease the storm! You’re killing me, I can’t take to the sky,’ Ozul growls to her the rush of power faltering as the storm halts as if a dam has been placed.

‘Stop the arguing! Join forces and share your power, we must unite,’ I grit my teeth feeling the separation grow as I turn attention towards the northern grounds feeling the weakening walls crumbling under the sheer power of their attack.

‘She’s dying, heal her! Please!’ Oberon pleads to the heavens begging for his sister to be saved. His please shatter the kingdom as everyone tries to save her. Screams of pain rage through the air howling across the wind as shrapnel is sent pelting the invading bodies.

‘Archer is at the wall, our warriors will handle the humans swiftly - they stand no chance!’ Ozul chants his blood lust at the cusp as he continues to hold the fires at bay.

‘Reznor, release the winds, leave the battle to our warriors; where is Corban? Has he vanished?’ I growl feeling the lack of connection as I lessen the winds turning towards the damp air, the water clinging to the kingdom I struggle to guide it towards the fires. ‘Cora, aid me, please, the clouds are faint in the air,’ I call to Cora feeling her wavering strength, she gives me everything, continuing to feed the strength of our magic.

‘The resources are drying up, I’m running out of a storm to draw in,’ she gasps, her own energy reserves growing faint. Circling the sky above Honey as her body glows burning from within, Oberon screams his agony of her death, raging as he covers her lifeless body choosing to burn with his sister.

‘I’m calling the wind, I’ll bring clouds from the mountains, I’ll help gather your storm,’ Reznor offers, his voice growing faint, drawn past his ability. I struggle to aid him and Cora, splitting myself, my head blistering from the overdraw of power, winds whistling clouds rushing towards the kingdom darkening the sky, a heavy mist blinding the sky bound dragons.

‘It’s faint, the clouds are drawn thin - we may barely manage if our ground people help, the fires have been contained well,’ she praises Ozul as he fights alongside us, keeping his focus.

‘Let it pour, I’ll take from the fountain if need be,’ I growl my head splitting further as I feel Reznor fading the winds dulling without his assistance. ‘Where is Corban? We need his energy!’ The lack has left us weakened, struggling to fight at all fronts.

‘I’m running thin! I don’t have much left to give,’ Cora gasps struggling before her grasp on the storm shatters, I roar grasping at the residual ties, dragging it to me, exploding to wreak havoc on the kingdom smothering the dying flames I hear it sizzling as it covers Honey and Oberon. Smoke rises as Honey’s body combusts in her death turning both her and Oberon to ash darkening the kingdom with the absence.

‘Archer has wiped the army out, he will send knights out surveying for further attacks,’ Ozul grunts, sustaining our energy with all he has, freed from containing the fire he gives freely his remaining magic, sharing his strength. The rains halt, water collapsing as I lose control struggling to keep flight at the sudden drop in energy. My mind blacks out feeling my mates collapse before dragons support me, catching my falling body.

‘Nesta!’ There’s an emptiness from her warmth, nothing registers between our bond as I’m lowered to the earth.

‘What’s wrong? She’s safe beneath the castle with guards,’ Ozul tries to assure me, my dragon growling at his words shifting before we can hit the earth.

‘She’s collapsed, passed out-’ There’s a pause over my family’s bond, realizing the devastating news.

‘Her body has rushed in maturing, can she sustain the heat? The growth in such a short period of time?’ Cora questions her voice tight from tension.

‘We need to cool her, damnit - where is Corban?’ I growl stumbling hitting my knees feeling the fiery heat that’s pulsing through her body, readying her for pregnancy. ‘Guards! Bring your Queen to our quarters! Now!’

“My lord, you need the elements to recharge, you mustn’t move,” Evander says, placing a hand on my shoulder keeping me steady.

“Evander,” I groan, struggling to find my footing. “I need to get to my mate-” I stare at him watching him frown. “Her body is maturing already- it’s too soon,” I warn him, his head shooting to the ashes as they swirl up to the sky, melding and mixing to join the earth and the sky once more.

“They’ve perished,” he gasps eyes wide before turning with a grim expression. “Give me your arm my lord,” he grimaces, shouldering my weight as he stands grunting. “Where was she taken?” He growls aloud struggling to hold me.

“The guards brought her beneath the grounds, to the castle keep,” I advised through gritted teeth dragging my feet. I have to get to Nesta.

“Aren’t those her guards?” Evander questions pointing off towards the crowd as men run towards defense positions. I stare at the familiar heads of hair, blinking against the blinding sun. It’s out of control.

“They are- have you seen Corban? He wasn’t present during the fight,” I question growling Father comes to support my opposite side rushing down to the Castle hold.

“Your mother rushed after her, I believe Jezebel is with her,” he informs me, using his weight to support my failing body. “Have they both perished? Has Oberon succumbed to his grief?”

‘Jezebel needs to aid Reznor, he’s completely drained,’ I advised Father through the family link.

“Oberon laid over her as she combusted, he perished as she turned to ash,” Evander offers, keeping the words from being spoken aloud.

‘I’ll have your mother send her up to him, Ozul is commanding our knights, he’ll leave to hunt any remaining humans; maybe we can end this before another war begins,’ Father remarks, making my head heavy, blistered with pain and the sudden weight of our future.

‘If we aren’t careful the kingdom will deteriorate without our sun and moon dragons,’ I stare at him stumbling into the tunnels to catch Corban’s remaining scent growling. ‘Has Corban been down here the entire time?’ Corban walks out from the castle keep holding my mate in his arms.

“Have you been hiding down here this entire battle?” I snarl watching his golden brown eyes swing to meet mine wide as he falters nearly dropping Nesta.

“What? No-” he struggles standing still as Ophelia rushes past him clutching Nesta’s hand with fear in her eyes.

“Sire, she’s burning up, she’s too hot,” she rushes out holding her hair from her body.

“Dear, Reznor needs Jezebel, he drained himself,” Father murmurs to Mother making her eyes widen as she glances at Jezebel waving her on in a rush.

“Well go on- take care of him, I’ll help with Nesta,” she assures her as Jezebel looks like a spooked deer before she gathers her skirts and taking off up towards her mate. “Is it true? Have they perished?” Mother stares at me with a nervous frown as I touch Nesta, breathing in her scent as it burns hotly. She needs a cold bath.

“Bring her up to our quarters, we need to keep her body from combusting - it’s too soon for this to happen,” I groan, feeling her heat leap through my skin suffocating my human as my dragon fights to absorb the inferno.