Blood & Carrots - Celestial Ep. 21

Welcome back, my lovely reader~

If this is your first visit to the Blood & Carrots series,

STOP

go read the first one then 'Silverpaw' next, to get the best experience. This is a direct sequel and I

STRONGLY

recommend reading the first ones so you're not lost. Yes, my writing wasn't as polished back then, but you seriously do yourself a disservice if you move forward without knowing the story of the first two.

Take your time, I'll wait for you to catch up. :3

♥

And with that out of the way...

Welcome back, my lovely reader!

I left you with quite the cliffhanger last time, yes? There's nothing more to say, my lovely reader. My personal two-year journey of writing B&C comes to a close here. I have some fun side things planned in the coming days, but this is where the main tale closes.

I hope it was worth the investment, I hope I've made you laugh, maybe cry, or given it's still an adult story, even some other personal things?

I'll not get too melancholy here. Alright, my lovely... Let's jump right in.

—♥—

Final Episode:

Matriarch

We didn't appear in some forgotten bedroom, we didn't even appear in my mother's chambers. The location the dreamworld opened up to was simply devoid of anything. It was like when I had met with the Seraph, but not even the sky blue. Just nothingness, yet we could see one another as if we were in the light.

"You should not have done this, my child. You... shouldn't have been able to do it." The Elder frowned and folded her arms, she was garbed in her simple robe once more.

"Yeah, well... I dream hopped for almost a millennium down in hell with lots of incubi and succubi." Alice showed her sharp teeth in a grin as she continued, "Then becoming a Chimera helped. See, when I got my Paladin soul back into full gear, I essentially leveled up. You didn't have a barely decade-old succubus-vampire combo pull you into dreamland, you had nearly a two-thousand-year-old Paladin do it."

She grunted and rubbed her chin at that, lost in thought. I snarled and stomped my foot as I glared at the rabbit, seeing the four foxes before us. "Alice, what exactly do you intend to do here, and... why are there two of you?!" I spat out as I glared over at Ryder, Sarnai, Elias, and another Sarnai.

"I thought I explained my dual-soul thing, my lady?" One of the vixens tilted her head curiously.

"You did, sister, but you didn't explain to her that I manifest my own form in the dreamscape." The other vixen gave me a bow then I watched her hair shift to blonde and eyes turn blue as if she were a celestial version of my lover. "Now you can tell us apart, my love."

I grunted at the pet name but it made sense, I technically was the lover of both of them. I turned and looked back to Alice. "Alice, do you intend to do what I think you do?"

"Of course, we spoke with your mother after we finished up with Kalinae and while you guys were playing with her dad." The Paladin huffed out as she put her hands on her hips, still garbed in her armor.

"What is it you plan to do, my child?" My mother cocked her brow curiously at the small group of us.

"I plan to do for you what I did for Sarnai, we'll confront the ancient madness of our people, reason with it, or destroy it. Sarnai has been through this before, my master is an expert at tearing down magical barriers, and of course, we have a Paladin who's spent nearly two centuries training in mental fortitude."

"You planned this," I spat out, not bothering to hide the annoyance in my voice.

"We did, the Elder made it clear Lashimar would be invulnerable to any assault, here in the underworld or elsewhere. Even if we were to cast him into the sunlight and burn him to dust, the ashes would eventually reform." Ryder rested his hand on the hilt of his divine blade, looking over at my mother as he continued, "Me, Alice, Sarnai, and Elias, all quickly convened in a dreamscape meeting, because as you know, time slows for us in this state."

The Elder shook her head as she spoke out, "All of you are clever, I commend your forethought, but there is no need. End this facade and simply strike me down while my throat is bared for it. Were you to summon the darkness here, it would fully take me once the dream ended, then all would die."

"I'm not big on martyrs, Mother. We will resolve this, just have faith in us." Elias clenched his fist, divine flames rolling off his knuckles.

"I concur, were it not for your intervention, Ryder would not be free, hell... things with me and Alice might have turned for the worst as well." Sarnai put a hand to her chest.

"This is all very moving, but I have given all of you an order, so obey me, now!" She hissed the words out, sending her will out against all of us.

Alice gave a bored snort as she walked over to me. "Okay, so here's the plan-"

"Alice! Do you really mean for us to stand against some eldritch horror from times forgotten?!" I glared at her as I put my hands on my hips, looking furious with her.

"My sheep... do you wish me to end this dream? Are you prepared to draw that wakizashi in reality and plunge it into your mother's chest?" She met my eyes, her own gold now.

I gripped the hilt of the blade at my side, my heart twisting at the words. The smart thing was to do just that, end this and then her. Strike down the one that had brought me here, because if I didn't she'd slaughter everything I loved.

My head shook, my vision growing blurry once more, then I felt his hand grip my shoulder as I blinked up at my angel-fox. "You didn't give up on me, and I never lost my faith in you, Lorelai. I still haven't, and I know you'll do what you think is best."

I gave a sniffle as I quickly wiped my eyes, looking over my foxes, rabbit, and then shot a hard glare at my mother, seeing red fill my vision. "What's the plan, Alice?"

The Elder glared at us as Alice continued, "I'll summon up the thing, it'll have little choice but to show itself. If we can reason with it, we'll do so, if not..." She showed a sharp-toothed grin, her eyes shifted to red as she tapped the halbert against her shoulder, "Well... you know."

"This is madness! You cannot do this!" My mother stomped over to us, throwing her hand out. "My children, I beg of you, do not risk yourselves on my behalf!"

"Maybe it is mad, it's not something I'm not used to. Bring the son of a bitch out, me and my husband will deal with it ourselves." Sarnai showed a mad little grin as her hellfire started rolling off her.

"Oooh, it's so exciting when you get like this, sister." The blonde version showed her own mad little grin, tail wagging as fires rolled off her as well.

"Paladin Alice, Empress Lorelai, and Archvampires of Bloodstone, I stand at your side in the name of the divines." Ryder drew his holy blade, arcane energy coursing off it.

"It's funny to think we're just going to have a big brawl right here in the dreamscape." I drew my own blades, spinning them in my grasp a few times.

"Don't misunderstand, my sheep. This reality isn't like dreams you have normally. For all intents and purposes, we are in another dimension or plane of being, no different than when we stepped into the Faemarch." Alice sighed as she put a hand to her chest.

"Do not do this! None of you are strong enough, only I can protect you, children!" My mother hissed the words out, showing her fangs as her eyes glowed white-hot.

"Too late!" Alice hummed out casually as my mother's eyes widened.

I watched the woman that had made me into what I am now, drop to her knees, howling out in an unearthly scream, her very form seeming to shift in and out of reality. A few moments later blood-covered leathery wings tore from her back and horns jutted from her forehead, not unlike Lashimar's.

She gave a small grunt and then slowly stood, rolling her shoulder as she sighed out, "This body's a little scrawny compared to the last one, but beggars can't be choosers, eh?" She leveled her gaze upon the lot of us and I clenched my teeth as I felt my knees buckle right there and drop to the floor.

Reality bled away as the others also took a knee, the nothingness shifting until we were standing in what looked like the throne room of an ancient medieval castle. Hellfire rolled off her fingertips as she calmly walked amongst us, none of us able to rise it seemed. "I'd have taken her soon enough, ah but I suppose some lambs are just eager to rush to their slaughter, eh?" She showed me a malicious grin as I glared at her, my knees shaking as I planted a foot.

"You had the right of it, Paladin, though I wish you hadn't." She hummed the words as she sauntered away from us. "I'd much rather have your body, Lorelai, my daughter. A far superior vessel to this one in every way. Truly you have become the apex of our kind, and I needed not to have you feed to take you, simply being next in line would have sufficed."

My teeth ground as I slowly lifted myself, my vision foggy with red as I clenched both my swords, snarling at my mother. "Ha! So you could just jump from host to host?"

She gave me an amused grin as I took a step forward, knees shaking as I struggled against the oppressive will she'd thrown us all down with. "Only lineage my child, this body is the last Elder of my children, so you will be my next one."

"Guess there's no talking sense into you, huh? Gonna make me kill you after all?" I gave her a crooked grin as I took another shaky step, both my blades feeling heavy, the longsword falling from my grip and clattering to the floor.

She gave a mad little laugh and put her hands on her hips. "This is why I want you. Look at you, my child. You can barely stand before my greatness, but you defiantly spit at me while the others for all their bravado, can't even summon words! Still, I'll not humor you further, let us do away with this charade."

"Yes, let's!" I barked out and lunged to the side, my free hand grabbing Alice's shoulder. Her gold eyes widened as she jerked them up towards me and stood.

"Oh, that's unexpected! How exci-" The halbert left the rabbit's grip in a throw, blinking out of sight and just embedding into the Ancient's chest, slamming her to the ground with a wide-eyed look on her face.

I shuddered and collapsed, feeling drained as I had poured all my will into her. Alice caught me with a frown and I shook my head. "Heh... I'll be fine, go to Ryder!"

She nodded and quickly moved to the other Paladin. The fog in my vision had cleared, I'd poured every ounce of my power into her and was barely staying conscious, but once Alice shared her energy with Ryder, everything changed.

"Monster! No one talks to my fucking ewe like that!" The fox roared out furiously as his sword drew once more.

"Yeah!" Alice shouted back, both of them grinning as their wings burst forth, divine energy pouring off the two of them as I felt my own strength rush back into me, and then double, no it just kept rising, as if I had no limits.

"You little bitch! No one threatens MY sheep!" By now the Elder had found her footing, holding the divine halbert as Sarnai slammed into it with her Saber.

"You mean OUR sheep!" The other vixen blurred forward as well, a flurry of blows following as my mother parried and dodged both sabers, her teeth showing in a snarl.

"You two are no-" She yowled out as a saber managed to pierce her side then Elias swooped in, driving a flaming fist into her chest. There was a blink of impact before she was tumbling and tearing up stones from the floor before slamming into a wall.

"Hmph... That's for disrespecting my lady and wife...err... wives?" He cocked a brow as both of the vixens grinned at him.

"Silence!" The Ancient screamed out, another wave of power surging forth but Alice and Ryder pushed their own forth, each holding one hand, now flapping their wings.

"Lorelai!" I looked up as he called out to me, seeing my angel-fox toss me his divine blade down. I caught in my offhand, showing him a knowing grin. "We'll keep its trump card at bay, you guys take care of the rest!"

"Warriors of Bloodstone, by my side!" I snarled the orders out with a wide grin as I shifted the divine blade into my main hand. The trio of foxes formed on me as I gave them all a knowing grin. "Just like old times, eh?"

"You wretched little- ngh!" The Ancient huffed out as the halbert left her grip, flying back over to Alice.

"Yeah, keep your paws off that." The rabbit shouldered it as she kept flapping her ethereal wings, then lifted her ears. "Oh, or better yet, you use it, master!"

Elias caught the small polearm with a knowing grin at Alice as they shared a look. "Ryder! I'm sorry for everything, know you'll always have me at your side as a brother going forward!"

"Implying any of you are leaving here alive!" The Ancient screamed the words out as thousands of lances of Hellfire raining down over us, but the divine shields of the Paladin's made them just scatter.

"Let's go!" I blurred forward, the trio of my siblings following as I rushed my mother. Right as I was about to strike I blinked from sight, her mouth gapping before I ran her through with the divine blade, my wakizashi slashing her throat.

The Ancient gave a gurgling yelp, blood spraying as both Sarnai's stabbed her in the chest. I whistled in appreciation as I jerked my head back, just a few inches from the tip of the bloody sabers. We all pulled back, the Ancient staggering as Elias came down with the axe of the divine halbert, slamming to the ground and cutting straight through her, leaving a crater of impact before the demon just burst into flames.

"Such... power..." She snarled as she reappeared, clutching deep wounds in her chest that were left from the initial blows. She roared out in challenge, Hellfire as black as night rolled over her, two large axe's appearing in her grip.

Just like that, she was atop me, my dual swords parrying the blow as she sent me back several feet before I found my footing. "This won't end how you hope it will!" She spat into my grinning face as I bared my strength against her.

"It will end how I say it will!" I roared out and pushed her off me. She staggered back right as the trio of foxes descended on her, piercing, cutting, and slashing against her, onyx blades whirling as she tried to parry, but kept taking blows.

She blinked out of the whirlwind of blades, clenching her teeth as she set her blades once more. "Enough, I grow weary of this!" The very earth shuttered as she started gathering power, the ceiling above crumbling and chunks falling.

"You all will know fear, you will know-" Two radiant spirals of divine energy slammed into her back, sending her forward, I met her head-on, both my swords running her through at the belly.

"Still got a hand free!" Alice chirped out playfully, holding one up, the other still clenching Ryders. The angel showed a smug grin, holding his own free one up as well.

"Return my mother, and leave this world be!" I spat into the Ancient's face as I withdrew my blades, whirling them about as I chopped and stabbed, at them while they screamed. She burst into another gout of flames but I felt her energy as she did.

"Four o'clock!" I screamed out as I threw the divine blade from my grip. The Ancient appeared just in time for the Paladin's sword to impale into her throat as she choked out, right as my sister's and brother descended on her anew. After enough, she burst into flames once more.

"Too slow!" I blurred from sight, the others following me as I headed her off, slashing down her back as she formed right as Elias ran her through with the halbert, his own teeth showing with a snarl. Sarnai and her sister came in and stabbed her sides, both vixens with the same mad grin on their face.

"That's enough!" Alice and Ryder both called out at the same time, landing between us all. We pulled away, the Ancient staggering before snapping her teeth with a hiss as she tried to flee once more, but slammed into a divine wall of light with a yelp.

Both Paladin's began speaking in unison, a glowing circle appearing between them surrounding the Ancient. "Divine gods above, we beseech you to..."

"No! You can't do this to me, I am immortal!" She screamed out and slammed against the walls as they kept their prayer up.

"...find mercy upon this lost soul as we offer it for judgment!"

"No! No! No! I refuse, I refuse! I am a god, no others can judge me! This is not how my story ends!" She roared out clawing at the divine barrier but obviously too weak from our constant assault to break free.

"I'd tell you to go to hell, but that's a bit on the nose, now fuck off and give me back my mother!" I sneered at the Ancient as her eyes widened, then they rolled up and her body toppled to the floor in a heap as the divine circle faded.

—♥—

Ryder:

Paladin and Fateweaver; Born to a nameless tribe, Ryder was a fox named Nugai. A hunter and guardian of his village. His life was one of peace but was cut short along with the rest of his tribes when Elias laid waste to his community. Nugai suffered several mortal wounds defending Sarnai's life before succumbing to them.

Rising in ranks, Ryder quickly ascended to the rank of First, sharing love with three fellow angels as well as Archvampire, Lorelai. He eventually became a Paladin, and when he did, a long-dormant chain of events began to unfold.

Ryder fell into Kalinae's trap and was imprisoned for nearly two centuries, but with the sacrifice of his loved one Charlotte, was able to maintain his sanity through contact with the magi circle and Lorelai.

Now free once more, Ryder is unquestionably one of the most powerful beings in the heavens, bringing not only his natural angelic prowess but nearly two centuries of constant focus of the magical arts to bare. Still, at his core, Ryder is a simple fox that wants to be loved and protect those he cherishes.

—♥—

There was no ceremony to it, after that, we were back in the underworld. I was surrounded by them all, her head was in my lap when she finally furrowed her brow and slowly blinked open her red eyes, looking up at me. "Lor...lai?"

"Hey, mom. You gotta be careful about doing this kind of shit at your age, you're not as young as you used to be." I showed her a grin as I raked my fingers through her locks.

"Ngh... you obstinate little bitch... you take too much after me..." She spat the words out weakly, then gave a little giggle. I couldn't help but laugh as well, feeling tears come to my eyes as I shook my head.

"It's over..." Ichiro huffed out as he finally sunk to a knee, grunting as he clutched to his staff before standing once more with a shaky leg.

"Maybe, but what happens to the underworld? Who's in charge now that number one is out of the picture?" Samantha perked her ears as she moved to give Ichiro her arm to support on as well.

"I think it's obvious who the new lord of hell will be." Triallia huffed the words as everyone looked down at me and the Elder in my lap.

"Sorry, I've got enough on my plate. I'm not going to be a part-time Demon lord too, let my mom do it instead." I sighed and rolled my eyes, sounding like an annoyed teenager.

Ezekiel gave a laugh at that and I smiled at my brother, several others started to laugh as well. Before long we were all laughing, it was just a laugh of relief, even my mother chuckling a little as we all shared the well-earned moment of peace.

Sometime later I found myself next to my mother, arms folded while she perched on her new throne. I wasn't bothering to hide my glare and kept a hand on my wakizashi while Kalinae knelt before her. The glare was shared by several others in the throne room but my mother just kept an amused look on her face.