Tiafell - the Femboy Elf

Chapter 22: Picking Up the Pieces

Grunts, groans, and sounds of heavy impact rang throughout the halls in Basilix Castle's central tower. Inside the throne room where Trista once commanded from, the injured Dred was using his only hand and his arms to savagely beat Cardexx, landing a stiff punch onto his face. The middle-aged incubus offered no resistance, allowing the angry demon to take his rage out on him. However, regardless of the wounds inflicted on him, a smile never left the man's face.

"Don't smile, YOU GODDAMN TRAITOR!!!" Dred fumed, grabbing Cardexx by his throat and slamming him against a wall. "You kept Tiafell away when he was about to offer himself to me..." He slammed him again. "Then you helped Marlon free Trista from my influence..." Another slam. "And lastly, you denied me the only chance I will ever have to make that decrepit old man suffer!!" He flung his wrist and threw Cardexx against the ceiling face first. His victim fell and landed on the stone floor with a thud, cracking the floor. The incubus was motionless, blood poured from a wound on his forehead. His mouth curled into another smile. Dred hovered over him. "You are going to suffer in his place. Before I am finished, you will BEG me to crush your soul!!!"

"Do... your worst..." Cardexx groaned defiantly. "Everything you do to me is worth the freedom of my children. Fuck you, Dred!"

The demon angrily lifted him by the scruff of his tunic. "You want to talk about 'fucking'? I should offer you to the demons of this castle and let them all take turns gang-fucking you through your gut, with your intestines wrapped around their dicks!!!"

Cardexx laughed. "At least those demons HAVE dicks, unlike YOU! Without a waist, you don't have the equipment to fuck anything! How can you refer to yourself as a 'male'??" He spat blood on his aggressor's face, which angered him beyond measure. The hovering figure flung him back onto the floor. A glowing white orb appeared in his hand.

"YOU HAVE LAUGHED AT ME FOR THE LAST TIME!!! I CAN DESTROY YOU THIS INSTANT!!!!"

"DO IT!! Or do you also lack the balls??" Cardexx shouted. Despite the pain, he was unleashing years of pent-up resentment toward Dred. His goal was accomplished, he had nothing to lose. What came next was of no importance to him, even oblivion.

Dred roared in rage and squeezed the soul in his hand with crushing force, cracking it greatly. Cardexx screamed in misery, the pressure being applied to his soul was the most excruciating pain he had ever felt. But he knew that once it shattered, it would be over. He would feel nothing, experience nothing, be nothing. All he had to do was endure it for a few more seconds.

"Wait, Lord Dred!!!" Esteban shouted from the doors of the throne room. Dred turned to see the Vampire Lord standing with Alto, who was letting his master use him for support. He was shirtless, blood-soaked bandages were wrapped around his chest.

"Alto, you had best hope that your master has a good reason for stopping me. Otherwise, I will rip his heart out of his chest, then strap YOU to the roof of the tower for the sun to burn you alive!"

Alto quaked in fear, but Esteban spoke diplomatically and calmly. "Yes, Lord Dred. Do not let this traitor trick you into ending his pain so soon. He deserves to suffer for as long as possible, my vampires can make sure that happens. Rest and let us handle him. When he is at death's door, then you may crush his soul. Ultimately, the decision is yours, My Lord." The very tall vampire bowed his head.

Dred silently contemplated Esteban's suggestion, then allowed Cardexx's soul to vanish. The heavily beaten incubus had lost consciousness while Esteban was speaking. "Fine, I do require rest while these cursed holy wounds regenerate. Just know that I will destroy him whenever I choose, do you understand?"

"Yes, My Lord."

"Take him away, throw him into a dungeon."

Two vampires entered the room and lifted the unconscious Cardexx, threw his arms over their shoulders, and carried him away. They, along with Alto and Esteban, left the throne room.

"Is this a part of your 'plan', Esteban?" Dred mused to himself. "I will play along, for now."

"Master? It's quite odd for you to help Cardexx avoid his fate. May I ask why?" Alto inquired, helping his master walk.

"I owe Cardexx a favor, amigo." The Vampire Lord answered. "If he had not stopped Tiafell from fighting him, Dred would have his body and be unstoppable now, thus my plan would be impossible. He and I may hate each other, but thanks to him, we have another chance. I am not what most would call a 'good person', but I repay my debts. If Cardexx dies, he should do so with his soul intact so he can reunite with his wife in the next world, which I will never be able to." There was a hint of melancholy in his voice.

"Speaking of Dred, he is quite weak at the moment; would this not be a golden opportunity to absorb him?"

"Look at me, niño. He may be injured, but I am in even worse shape than he is. I must be able to overpower him for the absorption process to work. Right now, I can barely fend off a strong human. It took everything I had to drink blood from two of our human prisoners. We have no choice but to wait for another chance. Though I must admit, I do not know how or when that will happen. The only person capable of inflicting that much damage to Dred lost his life in Steelweld this morning."

"That's not our only problem either. With Trista and Cardexx gone, our leadership has been cut in half." Alto pointed out.

"I will take care of it in due time, after I rest."

"Do you have someone in mind?"

"Yes. Grimswald and Bahti, have you heard of them?"

"I have heard the names, but I don't know anything else about them."

Esteban explained. "They are the most powerful vampires in our coven, second only to me. Grimswald is a former member of the Elite Royal Guard who served the great-grandfather of the current King of Gashua. Not satisfied with the power he already possessed, he sought me out for more and I gave it to him. He is loud and too foul-mouthed for my liking, but he never fails to do what I ask of him.

And then there is Bahti, the former Sultana of Adrui from 300 years ago. She was infamous for bathing in the blood of young women, believing it would preserve her youth and beauty. Eventually, the people revolted against her, and she faked her death so she could flee and hide here in Gashua where I turned her into a vampire. They are ruthless and barbaric, even by my standards, but their power has yet to be matched by any of the other vampires in our coven."

"They sound formidable." Hearing their descriptions filled Alto with more anxiety than hope.

"They are indeed, niño. I will summon them once my wounds have healed."

"Using your ability to open doorways across great distances?"

"Correct." Esteban coughed. "As you know, I can open doorways to any place I choose, so long as someone I have a connection with is there already. Perhaps it is more accurate to say I can go wherever they are. It's how Cardexx, Dred, and I were able to travel to Steelweld so quickly from here while Trista had to go on her own, we let her go first so I could use her as a beacon. I can also allow others to open their own doorways so they can return to me, which is how Cardexx was able to bring Dred back here. When I was injured, I used you as a beacon to retreat."

"Oh wow, one of the perks of being a Vampire Lord! I bet you have all kinds of abilities us ordinary vampires could only dream of!"

"Yes, I do."

The pair arrived at Esteban's quarters; Alto pushed the door open. It was a lavish bedroom with a long queen-sized bed to accommodate the seven-and-a-half-foot tall Vampire Lord's form. The vampire elf helped his master lie down.

"Is there anything else I can do for you, Master?"

"There is." Esteban answered. "I need you to assemble a group of vampires to capture some more humans. As you know, it is hard for us to keep our human livestock alive in this castle."

"Yeah, because the demons keep eating their food, causing them to starve to death. And that's what happens to the ones they don't outright slaughter."

"Exactly. Those cursed demons run this castle for now. But once I have recovered, things will change. Until then, do nothing without my command. Do you understand, Alto?"

"Yes, sir."

"Good." Esteban closed his eyes. "Go and bring us some more humans. I have fed but I must sleep for at least a week to fully recover. I should be awake before you return. Be off now." He waved his hand.

"Understood, Master. Rest well." Alto left the room as the Vampire Lord fell asleep, feeling uneasy about everything that was happening.

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The sun had risen over the ravaged village of Steelweld. The bodies of the slain vampires had burned when exposed to the light, while the demons were being carried away by members of the Royal Army to be burned in piles. The civilians had returned to the village and were grieving over their deceased loved ones. A heavily bandaged Cleyene was with Varpol's family. The Chieftess' right arm was in a sling.

"Lady Cleyene, did my daughter die with her honor intact?" The father's eyes conveyed deep sorrow, his wife and youngest daughter sobbed over Varpol's body.

"Varpol died as she lived, a passionate and honorable fighter. Everyone fought by the example she established." The Chieftess became emotional. "She taught them to never forget their bravery and valor, and they took her lessons to heart. Even I learned some things from her. You should be proud. I'm... I'm sorry for your loss."

His voice broke. "I am proud of her. Thank you, My Lady."

"Spend all the time you need with her, peace be with you all." Cleyene limped away to offer condolences to other grieving families.

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Marlon laid on a bed in a private room with a sheet drawn over him. Samora sat quietly in a chair next to him, her dress soaked with his blood. She had cuts on her arms but refused treatment. Tiafell staggered into the room, his entire torso was wrapped with bandages, with patches all over his arms and legs. There was a patch over his left eye that was held on with wrappings around his head.

"I sensed his passing. I'm so sorry." The elf looked at the body on the bed, Samora didn't answer. Cirris, Mirya, and Trista were in the room as well. Cirris and Mirya had wrappings on their wounds, but they were not nearly as wounded as Tiafell was. Trista was uninjured.

"He and your dad risked everything to free Trista from Dred." Cirris told him. "I'm sorry for his loss, it took a lot of guts to do what he did, knowing what Dred would..." He stopped himself from finishing.

"Oh my gosh, Tee-Tee!! You're so badly hurt!!!" Mirya stood in front of Tiafell, looking up at him. She wanted to hug her friend but was afraid of hurting him.

"I'll be fine." He answered, looking at Trista. She turned away, too ashamed to look her younger brother in the eye. "Trista, I-" Tiafell was interrupted by amazonian soldiers entering the room.

"By Lady Cleyene's orders, the one called Trista is to be taken into custody to await her execution for her role in the attack!"

"Wait, stop!!" Tiafell stood in front of his sister, facing the soldiers. "She was not in control of her actions! Dred forced her to lead the attack until he arrived himself. Trisa did nothing wrong!!"

"Stand down, Tiafell!" One of the soldiers demanded. "We have orders to detain all of you should you try and stop us!"

"What the fuck? Has Cleyene lost her mind???" Cirris began to approach them.

"It's alright." Trista stepped forward, offering her hands. "I will not resist." She allowed them to restrain her and take her away.

"We must talk to Lady Cleyene and convince her to not go through with this!!!" Tiafell was close to panicking. "Where's Nadia?"

"Nadi's being treated right now; she got hurt too." Mirya answered. "She said it didn't feel right to drink anyone's blood to heal herself because of the situation, so she decided to get patched up instead."

"I'll offer mine to her later." Samora stood, speaking for the first time since Marlon was brought into the room. "We must prevent Trista's execution. Otherwise, Father and Cardexx will have sacrificed themselves for nothing!"

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In the Meeting Hall, Cleyene sat on her throne, speaking to Rhydra and Hinako of The Elite Royal Guard. The mage was giving an assessment of the damage done to Steelweld.

"We have some final numbers for you, Lady Cleyene." Hinako was holding a clipboard; her expression was sympathetic. "Sixty three percent of Steelweld's forces were slain, with half of the survivors injured. Fifty five percent of the wall around the village is gone, with only forty one percent of homes and buildings still standing, including this one. The Royal Army will stay to help rebuild and protect the village. Another unit is on their way to relieve those who are currently here, it will take them a month to arrive."

Cleyene listened but did not respond, staring blankly ahead. The devastation inflicted on her people and village weighed heavily on her.

"I understand you have one of the enemy generals in captivity. Do you want her to be executed here? If you prefer, we can take her back to Janazheim and do it there instead. It's your decision." Rhydra offered.

"That will not be necessary." Cleyene answered, struggling to stand. "I will take care of that wicked bitch myself, and I'll do it right now!"

"Understood. Then allow us to escort you."

Rhydra and Hinako walked slowly with Cleyene to the execution grounds to make sure she didn't collapse. Trista was already there when they arrived, she was on her knees with her hands chained to posts. She looked up at the Chieftess, saying nothing. A soldier handed a sword to Cleyene.

"Trista! For your role in the attack on Steelweld, I hereby sentence you to die immediately! Do you have any final words?"

"No..." Trista answered, lowering her head. She knew there was nothing she could say that would ease the pain of Cleyene and her people.

"Wait!!!!" Tiafell appeared suddenly between Cleyene and Trista. There was a gust of wind caused by his quick movement. "Please don't do this! Dred was controlling her; she would never have hurt anyone otherwise!"

"Get out of my way Tiafell, I'll cut you down you if I must!!" Cleyene pointed the tip of her weapon at him. "But maybe I should kill you anyway. I saw what you were like when Dred appeared, how monstrous and out of control you were. You're an even larger threat than Trista is! If both of you die, Dred will be unable to get what he wants."

Tiafell was deeply hurt by Cleyene's words. Someone he had come to care about wanted to kill him, but she was also making a strong case. If he died, Dred would not be able to possess him and thus a major threat to the world would be eliminated.

"Cleyene!!!" Samora screamed, joined by her children and Nadia. "I know you're grieving for your people, but please stop this!!"

"I'm doing what is best for Steelweld, no, all of Elistria! These two half breeds need to die if we are to stand a chance against Dred!"

"Listen to me! Father sacrificed his life to save Trista from Dred, so did their father. If you kill them, they will have died for nothing!"

"Then they needlessly threw their lives away!!"

"CLEYENE!!!!" Samora used magic to increase the weight of the Chieftess' blade until she was forced to drop it. "Father believed that those two will be valuable allies in the fight against Dred and his allies. Please, I beg you, let them go. I will take full responsibility for them. You said it yourself; I am a 'second Marlon'. I have his knowledge, wisdom, and magic at my disposal! You trusted him without question, so I ask you to trust ME just as much!!"

Cleyene narrowed her eyes at Samora. "And what happens if they go berserk or fall under Dred's control?"

"I will do whatever I must to prevent that from happening. But if it does, I will take care of them myself."

The Chieftess was silent for a few moments. "I do this one final act of kindness in honor of Marlon. Tiafell and Trista are free to go. However, they are both banished from Steelweld for the rest of their lives! If I EVER see either of them here again, I will not hesitate to kill them! Do you understand?"

"Yes, I will not ask you for anything else. Thank you, Cleyene." Samora bowed her head.

Cleyene ordered the chains on Trista's wrists to be removed. "Get those two out of my fucking sight and out of my village!!" The Chieftess turned and left the execution grounds. Tiafell dropped to his knees, feeling sharp pain in his heart.

Samora sighed. "Alright everyone, let's take Father back to the tower and lay him to rest."

"A word, if I may." Hinako interrupted, approaching the group with Rhydra. "We too shall honor your request to allow them to live. His Majesty wishes to speak with all of you in the Capital once you have recovered. I know it will take some time and that the trip is quite long but do try and meet with him as soon as possible."

"We will leave for Janazheim as soon as we have recovered, Miss Hinako." Samora responded.

"We have never met before, how do you-.. oh right, you have your father's memories." Hinako chuckled. "Rhydra and I shall stay here a few more days but we must return to His Majesty soon. Unfortunately, we will have to return the old-fashioned way, as the transportation circles connecting the Capital to Marlon's Tower deactivated with his passing."

"Right, of course. When we visit the Capital, I will re-establish the connection between the two points."

"Thank you, that should make providing aid to Steelweld proceed much faster. I look forward to seeing you there."

"Good luck to all of you, we pray for your quick recovery." Rhydra stated before leaving with Hinako.

"We're going to Janazheim to meet the King?" Cirris asked.

"Yes, once our wounds have healed." Samora glanced at Tiafell, who was kneeling in front of his sister, having composed himself.

"Tia, how can you look at me with such compassion? I have done so many horrible things and now you are banished from Steelweld because of me!" Trista cried.

"You deserve a chance to live, and I will give it to you if no one else will." Tiafell smiled tenderly through his own heartache. "This is the real you, the fact that you feel this much remorse for actions that were not your own shows me how wonderful a person you really are." The elf stood and offered his hand, helping Trista stand and pulling her into an embrace. "I want to get to know my big sister as well. We have a lot of catching up to do."

"Oh Tia." Trista sobbed, returning the affectionate gesture.

The group retrieved Marlon's body, wrapping it in sheets. Samora allowed Nadia to drink her blood so she could recover, then changed out of her blood-soaked dress into a new one after restoring herself. With preparations made, the group stood outside the gate of the decimated village, taking one last look at it. A carriage was waiting for them, which they loaded Marlon into.

"We didn't get a chance to say goodbye to Brion or Kanah.." Mirya was deeply disappointed.

"It's possible they feel the same as Cleyene does, let's just get out of here." Nadia responded.

Samora chanted the spell to call their horses, then tied the reigns of hers to the front of the carriage.

"You're not going to ride Ember?" Cirris looked at his mother while tying the reigns of his and Mirya's horse next to Ember's.

"No, I want to ride in the back with Father. Let Ember and Stampede pull the carriage for a while, then the others can later. We'll switch them out regularly to give them breaks."