Gosh I can't believe this is the final chapter. I have to say this has been a fun experience for me. I hope you enjoyed it too.
They say write about what you know. Well, my fiancé is often plagued with nightmares. One of the reasons why Aurelia has so many is because she's sort of modeled after her. That and her fear of the dark. She sleeps with the lights on whenever it's just her. Sleeps fine with me in the dark though.
Which actually brings me to the reason why I wrote this story to begin with. You see whenever my partner wakes up from a nightmare, I usually wake her up, very gently, to make sure she doesn't end up hurting herself. Then I'd pull her into my arms and we'd just lie there together until she fell back to sleep. One night I started making up stories just to distract her from her recent dream. One particular story she loved was about an elven prince who fell in love with a human. Eventually every time she'd wake up I would hold her close, stroke her hair and continue the adventures of the elven prince and his mate.
However, due to the nature of our jobs, we end up having to travel quite a bit. Which means I'm not always around to comfort her. During those times I know she religiously reads stories from this website.
This is her favourite category.
So after much research (including reading other erotic stories to learn how to write within this genre and what
shouldn't
be written about) I decided to write out the tale of Illandriil and Aurelia.
Anyways, I know dedications usually happen at the beginning of the story but I also know she starts reading the forward part way through the story so:
This goes out to my fiancé,
A pandemic may have postponed our wedding but I don't need an alter to know that you're my forever.
My beautiful bride.
I love you.
Good night and sleep well.
Love love,
dove dove,
C-Bear
Oh and cheers to the rest of you! Enjoy the finale!
Anyways without further ado.
#####
The smell of burnt cedar, ash and flesh choked the air. Her eyes watered as the acrid smell filled her lungs.
Aurelia stood, mouth gaped, in horror and disbelief at the sickening scene in the outpost courtyard. Bodies of those who failed to escape the onslaught lay stacked in a gruesome pile. Males and females dressed in the silks and tunics of servants. Staff, not soldiers, people who likely had never picked up a weapon in their life, let alone use it to defend themselves. It was one thing to kill an enemy soldier, but it was another to butcher innocents who could not otherwise fight back.
Her stomach doubled over as she braced herself for the wave of nausea that came over her. Bile rose at the back of her throat as she clutched herself and bent over to the side. She heaved what little contents she had in her onto the grass.
When she finally brought herself to grips she approached. Her pale blue eyes scanned the charred stack of bodies in front of her. Scanning for one specific person amidst a pile of death, praying silently to all the Gods. Surely she had seen something like this before? No, because up until now she had been safely tucked away from the war, on the run, fleeing an unknown enemy on the false words of men. Kept in the dark, kept from completely knowing. Naïve and oblivious.
Innocent.
Though she wasn't really innocent now was she? She may not have been the cause of their death but how many other deaths had she caused? Those executed by the Elves for racial treachery, found only through the use of her powers.
Augustes.
The man she had helped execute, for the sake of fulfilling a decades old prophecy surrounding her existence. Even when her powers weren't being used against her will. The men and women who perished that night the prince kidnapped her.
She sank to her knees as her eyes finally caught sight of what she was looking for. The small hand slumped to the side, small palms facing up. Grey Halfling eyes gazing skyward, its spirit long since banished from the realm. She grasped the rigid forearm and pulled her friend from the pile.
Words and prayers escaped her lips and she worked her hands around her body as if to will life back into its sallow husk. Nothing. Empty eyes, remaining glazed forever locked in her last moments before her end.
Aurelia closed the eyelids of the servant who had cared for her during her stay there. Why would they do this? She was innocent, unarmed. A Halfling at that, they were peaceful and had nothing to do with the war. Silent tears for her fallen friend welled into her eyes and she wept.
A strong calloused hand clasped onto her shoulder breaking her from her vigil, accompanied by a soft masculine voice.
"Hey 'Relia"
Aurelia gazed up at the man who now stood above her, her grief stricken image reflected in unfeeling dark brown eyes.
Lepidus.
Once upon a time she would have considered him among her closest friends. Her only friend as most of the other children were either too young or nervous to be around her. They were thick as thieves growing up, never once did he treat her like she was anything different from him. That was until he joined the Order that is.
Ever since his initiation into the mages guild, he became distant, cold. She now knew why. Why harbour feelings for someone who you know must die at the hands of the group you've pledged yourself to? He had found out about her place in the prophecy, why she had powers.
Yet here he was now. Somehow he had become the defacto leader of the order.
"Why?" She asked, her voice choking as the word came out.
"She was one of them" he shrugged un-phased by her tears.
Aurelia stood up and whirled around to face him. Her eyes practically glowing with anger meeting his cold hard stare.
"She was just a servant, she had nothing to do with this bloody conflict!"
"Anyone who isn't us is against us. Make no mistake they're the enemy, every last one of them."
