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."
Lepidus frowned but didn't provide much more reasoning beyond that. He rubbed her back in a feigned attempt at comforting her before finally speaking again.
"I'm sorry 'Relia, I don't know what else to say. I'll personally see to it that she has a good burial."
The comforting familiarity of her childhood nickname felt out of place in such grim setting. She looked over at her old friend gauging the truth in he said before finally nodding her head reassured by his words.
His hand circled around her forearm as he lead her toward a small column of rangers he set aside for the protection of the Source instructing them to escort her out to the main camp they had set up a distance away.
###
Illandriil and Cerrella's ships made landfall that night docking a small distance away from the outpost sure to be unseen even while they could see the burnt building. They both stood on the bow of their respective ship startled at the sight of the charred wreckage of the outpost. There was a look of regret on Cerrella's face and Illandriil knew why.
His cousin, in all her feigned arrogance and callous attitude, like him, took the lives of every soldier under her command very seriously. Not just soldiers, prisoners too, human or elf. Despite her prejudices against humans, she would never torture or kill them unjustly. Like him, Cerrella didn't like gambling with the lives of her followers. He knew she'd make a great general one day. Unlike her father.
Despite her pain Illandriil couldn't help but feel grateful that she was her fathers heir. That one day they would be in charge of the Dominion, with him on the Lapis Lazuli throne and her leading the army. For now they had to split themselves.
"We find the girl and get out of here." She muttered, her voice barely above a whisper, the flames of rage and anguish lurking just beneath the surface.
Malloryn stepped up to help set up a small team to deal with the dead outside the building whilst Cerrella mustered her men for the attack. Illandriil didn't feel right leaving Cerrella to lead the counter-attack on the outpost. He could tell that by the looks of it Cerrella too, felt like something was off about the smouldering structure in front of them.
"You should go. After I retake the outpost, I'll come help you find her." Said Cerrella as she gripped Illandriil's arm reassuringly, after they had gone over the plan thoroughly for the third time since they arrived.
Illandriil nodded his head, agreeing though not feeling overly reassured despite the plan.
Illandriil looked over at his own contingent, battle hardened and ready, unlike some of the newer warriors that made up part of Cerrella's. While she had the numbers, some of the fighters she was bringing in were relatively green. Some with only one or two gold rings on their heavy austere armor.
If he stayed, he could provide some assistance; but with Aurelia so close.
Illandriil could feel it the moment they landed on shore, the distant hum of their bind, the fluttering beat of her heart. Having spent so much time in her presence, the sound was almost unmistakable.
Malloryn stood front and centre waiting for his word. Their plan was to head into the forest tracking Aurelia, and flank the Order from the side. With hope they would be in and out of there before Cerrella even finished clearing the outpost.
He motioned his people to action as they departed from Cerrella's hoard.
I'm coming for you my veela.
###
Cerrella watched as Illandriil departed into the woods before she lead her formation into the outpost grounds.
The place looked abandoned with the lifeless bodies of the guard stationed there littering the surrounding area. Cerrella motioned two scouts to her, instructing them to inspect the area. She lead them through a private signal to let her know if the area was safe before sending them off.
Her eyes remained glued on the building as she readied an arrow, in the event that the two didn't make it. Time seem to stop once they disappeared behind the cobbled walls.
