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Demonfall (RedOnesGoFaster and EverUndine)

Ieran felt his hands at the hem of the tunic and she freed her own arms to help facilitate him getting it back off of her. Though a blush spread over her cheeks, she didn't try to hide her face or look away. She wasted no time, fumbling with his belt before throwing it onto the floor in frustration. "Now it's my turn," she proclaimed, "Boots off now." She pointed at his bulky shoes, waiting for him to kick them off so she could get his trousers off.

She kissed him again, mimicking the kiss he had given her before and gently taking his bottom lip between her teeth as she waited impatiently as his shoes came off. Her hand reached to pull his trousers down just enough to free his hard cock, she smirked before dropping to her knees and let her tongue dart out to taste the tip. She brought the head into her mouth and savored the taste and the groan he let out along with it. Her violet eyes darted up to watch him as she took more of him into her warm mouth.
 
There was no hesitation in her. The tunic, her newly prized possession, came up easily over her head and flopped onto the counter to leave her utterly bare before him. Oh, he liked that. She was a lovely thing, lithe and lean yet soft in all the right places. Heavy, calloused hands roamed over her nakedness from rear to shoulders and back again, stopping for a brief moment at her breasts to give the nipples a little tweak. All the while, she fought with his belt as if it were her mortal enemy, declaring that it was time for the boots to go. Well, she needn't ask twice. Aldric's boots were kicked off, one after the other, flying across the kitchen and smacking on the far wall.

A kiss was shared, and Ieran showed off just how quickly she learned. A steamy affair that saw her hands going back to his waist, this time to free his manhood rather than simply stroke it. His cock sprang free from his trousers as she tugged them down, bobbing in what was apparently an inviting manner. The kiss broke, and before he had a chance to wonder just where she'd gotten the notion to head down there, her tongue was on him. A hiss accompanied the first touch of the wet, pink muscle, though it melted into a groan easily as she took more of him. "Ahh... that's good," he murmured, eyes gazing down at her. She took more, and a sly smile touched his lips, a sigh leaving him. "That's bloody good, love..."
 
Ieran moaned around the thick cock, his praise was welcome and she found it sent heat pooling between her legs. The elf moved her tongue along the length of him, wrapping a few fingers around him she began to pump them in time with the ministrations of her tongue. Ieran ran the fingernails of her free hand along the inside of his thigh, pulling more encouragement from the human as she did so. Releasing him with a soft 'popping' sound and stood gracefully. She took his hand and placed it between her legs at her wet center, sighing wantonly at the contact.

"Please," she had never had any one who cared to pleasure her and that is what she wanted from Aldric, he was strong and skilled and more handsome than any other human she had seen. He cared for The People and possibly for herself. It would only strength her high opinion of him if he would take her tonight. "I want you here, Aldric," she informed him breathlessly.
 
Aldric had said it many, many times before: There was nothing like a drink and a woman after a hard fought battle. With sweet wine buzzing in his veins and the elvish woman's lips wrapped around his member, he reckoned he was doing a fine job of savoring his victory. She hummed delightfully around him, hand and tongue working in tandem to pull a well earned growl of pleasure from the battlemage. A hand pet with some tenderness through her hair, his eyes watching as she worked him with such eagerness. For a night that had begun with fire and blood, it looked to be going on with a much simpler, softer nature. His manhood left her mouth with a lovely little pop, the hand in her hair taken down to where she truly wanted it at the joining of her thighs.

She was giving herself to him. All but begging, in truth. A thick finger parted the silken folds of her sex, marveling at the tight squeeze her inner walls put on the digit as he slipped it inside up to the knuckle. Divines bless her, she'd only ever had the one fat sod... poor girl was about to learn what it meant to be with a proper man. No maidenhead to tear through, but it was still going to hurt before the end. That finger of his teased along her insides, pressing in and pulling out with a slow, steady rhythm. "Aye... an' I want you, dear," he rasped, spit-slicked cock throbbing with anticipation. His eyes scanned the room hastily, seeking out something. Anything.

He found it in seconds. A good, low table that came up just below his waist. Ieran was pulled towards it, beckoned to sit herself up on it with thighs spread good and wide to give him a look at that sweetness between them. Pink and glistening, all for him. The mage-knight grinned at her, his bulk finding its way between her thighs so that he could press the head of his member into her. It poked in easily enough, yes... and then came the real challenge, getting the rest of it into her. It was a slow push, one that he relished every inch of.
 
Ieran's legs were trembling at Aldric's intoxicating touch. His single digit finding a rhythm that served only to excite her more. She did as she was bid to, sitting atop the small table and spreading her legs wide to accomodate the large human. With just the tip of his pulsating cock inside her heat, she shook, letting out a quiet sigh as her hands moved to grip tightly at his broad shoulders. Her lean legs wrapped around his waist and she pulled him in closer to her.

The elf let out a little whimper as Aldric slowly sheathed himself inside of her, her walls stretching to fit him completely. It was a pain unlike any other she had felt before, there was a sort of sweetness to it. It was in Aldric's gentle treatment of her, it was his calloused fingers combing softly through her hair and brushing over her lips as he paused and let her get used to the rather large member buried inside.

The moments passed and she began to feel a sense of urgency and impatience, a need to have more from the man. "Aldric, more," she asked him, moving both hands to his bearded face. Ieran pulled his face to hers, softly guiding him toward her petal-soft lips and kissing him gently. Her dizziness had gone, leaving only the warm pleasant buzz of the wine which made every touch of the human's skin against hers feel more pleasurable.
 
Aldric leaned into her, filling her with his thick, rigid member. There would be pain before there was pleasure, yes, but in the end, he reckoned she'd have long forgotten the hurt. Her legs looped around his middle, pulling him in for the final push that buried him inside of her completely. It wasn't just her legs that squeezed around him, however. Her sex was deliciously tight, swallowing him up and squeezing down around him. Not once did she complain, or ask him to stop. Gentle caresses were shared while she acclimated to his girth, and in time, she spoke that sweet, simple word. More.

His lips were given gladly to her, tongue tangling with hers as they embraced in a kiss. The first thrust came as he backed partly out of her, then pressed home again. A few more such motions were made, taking her slowly, his hands sliding down her back to grip her rear so that he might pull her body against his own. Gentle, rocking thrusts that slowly grew deeper and faster as she became able to take more and more of him. She had lit a fire in him this night, and he would give himself freely.
 
Ieran knotted her fingers in his long, dark hair and let out a loud cry, his thrusts going deeper and deeper. She could hardly catch her breath and each push left her spiralling into the sensations, unable to think on anything else. The pain was still there, only just barely, a sweet sting muddled by the intense waves of pleasure which hit her during his every thrust. "I-" She couldn't finish her thought, something was happening though she had no idea as to how to explain it. It was like there was the beginnings of a coil in her lower abdomen, coiling tighter and tigher with the thrusts and the kisses and the touching, even his words and his moans made it coil just a little bit more tightly.

Her lips moved over the corded muscles in his neck before biting gently on the pulse point there. Her hands moved over his back and clung to him as if he were the last tether binding her to reality. It was a slow ecstacy building inside of her and she wasn't quite sure what to do with it, she had never been one for losing control of her body seeing as it was the only thing in her life she had control over and she barely had that at all. The elf cried out the human's name as he angled just so, hitting a spot inside her that made her see stars. "Again!" She gasped to him and he accomodated the request, hitting that place again with the head of his cock.
 
She was a spirited, lovely thing, there was no doubt about that. A life in chains hadn't taken that fire out of her, only subdued it. Now, with her freedom, she was letting loose in a great burst... and, it seemed a great deal of her newfound freedom was spent in pursuit of the battlemage. In no way was Aldric about to complain, of course. Far from it. He was rather enjoying the affection and attention, and the willingness with which she spread her legs and took him inside of her. Whatever pain she'd felt initially seemed to have faded away, replaced with cries for him, cries for more, sweet requests and demands that he wanted nothing more than to fulfill.

He reveled in every inch of her. Her mouth that tasted him so greedily. The soft squish of her breasts against his firm torso. The limbs that coiled around him, holding him as he took her... and, of course, the velvety, slick hole between her thighs that swallowed him up with each thrust. His breaths came in short grunts as his hips made lewd little smacking sounds with each new push into her. His hands gripped her lovely rear, pulling her bodily into him so that she took him to the hilt each and every time. The elf's sex was still so deliciously tight, squeezing around him and yet gradually becoming that much more pliable with every fresh entry. Again she cried for him, and again she had it, his motions picking up a quicker pace that started to rock the table itself in a rather noisy fashion.
 
The rocking table beneath her barely registered for Ieran, she was so lost in how Aldric was making her feel that there was no room in her head for thoughts of anything else. She lost control of herself completely as that coiling in her lower abdomen snapped and she was overwhelmed by an onslaught of pleasure washing over her body. Her nails dug into his flesh as she tossed her head back, letting out a loud cry of total abandon. She gripped him tightly, feeling as if she could float away and he was all that anchored her to this world.

It was then that the magic burst from her body, enveloping both in a cocoon of warmth and leaving a pleasant tingling over their skin. This unexpected spell only served to push Ieran further and the elf let out a low, satisfied groan as those waves of pleasure washed over her a second time. She knew now what this kind of intimacy could be and she would never be able to have enough of the human who was so perfectly wedged between her thighs. The scent of his male, human skin drove her mad and she couldn't help herself as she let her tongue dart out from between her full pink lips to trace the corded muscle in Aldric's neck.
 
Everything about Ieran tightened around him, from her limbs around his body to her sex around his member. It became difficult to tell where one body ended and the other began. Aldric could only move himself against her, their hips making a steady, wet drumbeat against one another. Then, all at once, she clenched and pulsated around his cock, her sudden cries so loud that one had to wonder if they'd been heard by others. Something Aldric could not and would not worry about. Not while he took her through her release, reveling in the sweet friction her extra tightness provided. There was a hot burst of... something. Something magical in nature, yet so unlike anything he'd ever learned to cast. Something warm, comforting... perfect.

While a second orgasm seemed to wash over her, his own could be held back no longer. His hands squeezed tighter on her rear as he plunged deep into her, his lips finding their way to her ear as he hissed his pleasure. All at once he let his climax surge through him and into her, filling her with several hot, thick spurts of his seed as they clung to one another. It was only when he'd finished that he settled, leaning slightly on her as his forehead came to rest on her shoulder. "Bloody divines," he rasped, leaving a soft trail of kisses on her neck.
 
Ieran's skin felt all the more sensitive after their bout of heated passion, the trail of kisses he left across her neck sent a tingling sensation down to her toes. She kept herself wrapped around Aldric, absorbing his warmth as she slowed her breathing. Her head was spinning with the thoughts of what she had just done. Her first real experience with how sex could be was addictive and the way Aldric touched her now, with a gentleness she never knew a man could have, made her want to start the whole process over again. It was the magic which had come from her body unbidden which worried her. She had no idea what it had been or where it had come from. She supposed she shouldn't worry too much, it had been a warm and pleasant magic but still, very much unexpected and unknown.

Her hands went to the head resting on her shoulder to smooth down his dark hair with affection, a sleepiness overtook her and she nestled her face in Aldric's shoulder as well. She hummed her contentedness, enjoying the feeling of the human's seed dripping from her as Aldric pulled his hips apart from her own. As the reality of their current situation slowly hit the elf she was unsure of how to treat the man before her now. She wanted to be respected by the others and felt that might be difficult now that she had slept with Aldric. With a sudden awkwardness she pulled away from the human, picking up the tunic which had been thrown to the ground and pulling it over her head. She couldn't make her eyes meet Aldric's as she felt the his liquid slide down her thighs at an embarrassingly slow rate. This was what she was unprepared for: the unknown feelings after such an intimate event, the inexperience of dealing with a situation like this was difficult for her to deal with and so she simply didn't.

"I-...Thank you," and with that she let her bare feet take her as far away from the man as possible. She would go to the closets in the guest rooms three floors up, if not to escape the embarrassment she felt, then just to look to look for clothing. It wasn't two full minutes later that she had regret the decision, feeling cold and empty wasn't worth keeping her newly found pride, but it was too late. Her feet had taken her away from him and she would not be seen as one who did not trust herself. Though...she didn't trust herself at all, not with this new awareness of an unknown magic inside her.
 
There was a long, peaceful silence between man and elf. Neither spoke, for neither needed to, their actions having said all that was necessary. At least, as far as Aldric thought. They held one another in a tender embrace, each of them simply basking in the afterglow of their sweet release. The elf's first proper experience with a man, and the man's much-needed release after a hard fought battle. He felt warm and loose, relaxing easily in the grip of her thighs and arms, doing little other than enjoying the moment. Where Ieran fought and quarreled with the potential meanings of what he'd just done, Aldric's mind was deliciously clear and calm.

A fact that made the suddenness of her departure that much more jarring. She pulled away, dressed hurriedly in his tunic, and gave him a surprisingly quick thanks before all but sprinting out of the room. Aldric was left naked in the kitchen, frowning in confusion and concern. "Bah," he grunted to himself, seeking what clothes remained to him other than the tunic. "Leave 'er be." He wasn't about to pretend he understood just what was going on in her head; That was her business. His business, now that he'd had a proper fuck and a decent meal, was to seek out a place to lie down for a time. Doubtless the others had already retired for the time being. There was little to be done with so small a force, not until the rest of the company arrived to reinforce the position. This was home for now, and he reckoned he'd better make the best of it. A small room was chosen for himself, and the battlemage, his cloak draped around his torso in lieu of a shirt, hardly made it to the bed before collapsing on it. It was time to rest now.
 
She searched nearly every closet looking for her own clothes. It took her forever not only because there was an enormous amount of closets but also because she hadn't worn clothing of her own choosing for 10 years and was eager to rectify that. In the bedroom closet of one of the guest quarters she found a pair of soft black leather trousers which fit her quite well, she supposed they had been made for one of the young boys Orius loved so much. Then there was the fine silver silk shirt she found in Orius' closet, which was also made for a much smaller man than Orius, and the deep blue vest with the strap for Orius' bladed staff. The last, the thin slice of antler with her name written in the language of The People which Orius had taken from her when she was purchased.

Ieran found she could not make herself sleep. She wandered the rooms, winding up spending the majority of the wee hours of the morning in Orius' office. She was going through the papers in his desk, unlike many other slaves, the elf could read and write. She was finding some very interesting correspondence with other blood mages. There were many mentions of a particular book and more about an order called 'The Trumpeters of Zraxis'. It was dawn when she realized how much time she had spent in Orius' office. Too late for sleep, she could hear the men below waking. This newly found information must be shared with her new Commander no matter how embarrassed she felt. Maybe she should pretend like nothing had happened...or maybe she should catch him while he was alone and make him do those amazing things to her again...or maybe she should just tell him that she was confused, that she was afraid of being treated like toy, that she was afraid that she would be seen as unworthy by the others.

Ieran kicked the ornate marble desk and let out a cry of frustration. Her feet took her down to where the men were, her violet eyes darting over the faces looking for a more familiar one. It was then she saw him, he was talking to a few of his men and it was a few moments before she caught his eye. He was still talking to the men but his eyes were locked onto hers and she blushed just a little but kept his gaze with hers. He made a motion of dismissal and the two men who had been talking with him left as Ieran approached him. She looked down at her hands, which held his soft tunic she had been wearing only hours ago, and pushed that soft cloth into Aldric's hands. "Thank you, but as you can see, I've found myself something else to wear." As soon as she said it she knew she had not chosen the correct combination of words. She sounded harsh, she had not meant to. "I have to speak to you. In Orius' office. Now." She kept her sentences short in fear of mucking this up even more than she already had.
 
Aldric slept through the night alone, too bloody exhausted to consider the ramifications - if there were any, indeed - of what had happened that night. It was a sweet, dreamless sleep, and he hardly stirred until the morning's light shone in his face. The Iron Mage woke with a groggy start, dressed in simple clothes, and meandered back to the kitchen for a morning meal. The spoils of battle were sweet indeed, and he enjoyed an apple with a side of dried venison as he went to meet with his men. There had been no night watch organized, no patrol... yet it seemed every man among them made it through the night easily enough.

He was directing his men to make ready for the main force's arrival when Ieran entered the room. The former were dismissed while she approached, and he accepted the returned tunic with the slightest of frowns. "Looks like ya did well, then." The tunic was thrown over his shoulder, and his eyes bored into hers with a smoldering intensity. She sounded... displeased. Upset with him, and he could not have guessed why. "Then lead th' way," the commander said with a wave of his arm. "Reckon I oughtta check that space anyhow."
 
Ieran's bare feet padded against the floor as she led Aldric back to the room she had spent most of the night in. She felt his eyes on her, feeling a little embarrassed and a little pleased. Part of her wanted him to look, liked when he looked. She sat him down in the plush, gilded chair and splayed a stack of papers in front of him. "There are letters between Orius and others that I recognize to be other blood mages. Multiple times they refer to themselves as being 'Trumpeters of Zraxis', but I am not sure what this means yet. There are also places the speak of as being important. The Falls of Ranne and Mt. Alaras." She watched as he looked carefully at all she had presented him, his face was grim and she wanted to make those lips smile and kiss her. It was a feeling which surprised and confused her.

"I will go to the Falls and I will go soon, tonight is preferrable but tomorrow will do. It would be best to go before they can catch wind of what has happened, besides, it is the closest." Her stomach growled loudly and she was definitely feeling the lack of sleep, but she felt she could not sleep before she rid the land of the next bloodmage.
 
Aldric did indeed let his eyes graze over her from time to time, the memory of that sweet, lithe frame pressed against his own still fresh in mind. However, there were more pressing matters at hand than what she looked like beneath her found garb. At her insistence he settled into the chair that had no doubt belonged to Orius, making himself quite at home in what would doubtless become an office of sorts in the days to come. She began to speak, and his grim face only became that much more so as she went on. "Zraxis is no human name," he said gruffly. "Another of their friends from th' nether, no doubt." Bloody fools would see everyone doomed... themselves included, of that he was certain.

She spoke of her intent, and his eyes hardened as they searched her face. "You've not slept," he said bluntly. It wasn't a question, nor was it a harsh accusation. Simply an observation that anyone might have made. "You go now and you'll just get'cherself killed. As yer commander who needs ya, an' someone who gives half a damn 'bout ya... I can't allow that." The battlemage rose to his feet, taking his full height as he looked down to her. "But... yer right. Th' rats need ta go, and it's gotta be soon." A heavy sigh tore from him, and he pinched the bridge of his nose while he thought the matter over.

Tonight. It had to be tonight. "Sleep. Now. Tonight, you an' I will go. Two of us can make it faster than a proper company... strike swift an' bloody hard while my folk hold down th' fort."
 
Ieran was surprised by Aldric's perceptiveness but she supposed when one was commander one had to pay close attention to those under your command. The idea of being under someone's command... It did not settle well with the elf. It seemed too close to the slavery she had experienced and she was not keen on allowing Aldric to order her around like Orius had. She had thought that this would be different from before but it seemed much the same. The tips of her pointed ears turned red with silenced anger. She bowed stiffly from the hips, "Commander." She stalked off, leaving him alone as she went to the kitchens to eat. She sated her hunger and then went to wander the library, she would not-could not- sleep. It didn't matter if Aldric commanded her to sleep, if she couldn't she simply wouldn't.

She passed the day hidden from the men, particularly Aldric. She would let him think she slept, she knew he wouldn't allow her to leave without sleep. It was then she had the idea. If she left now, on her own, she could get there faster and she would be a good ways away before Aldric even realized she was gone. She went to the closets to find a hooded black wool cloak and wrapped her feet with leather straps before going to the kitchens to pack a few days worth of food. It was the armory she went to last, she picked out one of the dual bladed staffs made originally for Orius and passed through the men unnoticed.

Ieran had made good headway, she had been to the Falls once with Orius and so she knew the way well enough. She felt finally free, Orius was dead and Aldric and his men were a good four hours behind her. This was what she had felt when she was with The People, unchained.
 
She didn't seem pleased, not in the slightest. However, Aldric didn't get to be a commander of men by making people happy all the time. The fact was, she was bloody important, and if she got herself killed over something as stupid as sleep deprivation... well, she'd better hope it killed her, anyhow, because at least it'd spare her Aldric's anger. He seemed satisfied, however, that she would at least attempt to follow his orders. Whatever warmth she'd felt towards him the night before didn't seem to have carried over to the morning hours. Well, feelings or no, she was a part of this company now. That meant she'd better follow his damned instructions.

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His mount's hooves tore at the earth with every step, swift as lightning and strong as the thunder that followed. A gray horse dappled with black spots and a wild white mane. Atop it rode the battlemage in full armor, green eyes ablaze with an inner fire. Truly, the Divines were pissing on him. They'd sent him a woman who could close a rift to the realms of demons and suck his cock... and they'd also made her so bloody hard headed that she'd run off in a sleepless haze.

He'd sought her out in hopes of warning her that the main force of his warriors approached, that the keep would soon be host to nearly two hundred men at arms... and she'd been nowhere to be found. None. With a roar of anger, he'd sought his steed from its hidden pasture in the woods and torn off after her in a rage. She'd get herself killed, and it'd be back to the damned books for him, trying to learn from scratch how to do what she so easily did.

Aldric found the river of Ranne and followed it in haste, seeking out the great falls. Ieran could not be far ahead, if this was where she'd come... he could only hope he would not be discovering a corpse.
 
To be honest she hadn't known what she had expected to find at the falls, her plan had been half-baked to say the very least. Her equipment had been shed meters away in order to free her for the fighting she had to do. Three demons, long and spindly and utterly terrifying to behold, and now they circled her like she was some delicious morsel. Breathing was difficult, she had traveled so far on foot with so little rest and then had been met with these four demons, killing one with the advantage of surprise. It was an advantage she no longer had. It seemed she had arrived too late. The blood mage was gone, the portal? Open and the demons had apparently taken full advantage. She had been able to close it on the demon that had been climbing out, decapitating him in the process, but this did not escape the attentions of the others.

She rushed at one that looked least prepared for her, slicing at it's thin ankles t sever it's feet. It screeched loudly with pain as it tried to grasp at her and she drove her blade into it's chest. Two left. She was so tired, it was slowing her down significantly. The staff was heavy in her hand, she spun it slowly, throwing a cold spell at the demon closest to her, freezing it's legs in place. It threw it's long claws at her in a last attempt to kill her and she sliced them off, jumping just inches out of it's reach.

It was the sound of hooves that distracted her and in her sleepless state she whirled around to see Aldric atop his mount, all rage and fury and then...something else. Something she couldn't place. But she felt it then. Two long claws reaching around her body and raking through the leather and cloth she wore. She had forgotten about the last demon, she had been happy to see Aldric and she had turned her back on her foe. She took a ragged breath in, taking one step toward Aldric and then falling to one knee and leaning heavily on her weapon.

She was afraid to look but a sort of sick curiosity overtook her and she looked down. Two deep, ragged red lines decorated her stomach from under her left breast to the right side of her slim waist. The red, viscous, life-giving liquid fell from the wounds with every beat of her heart. Time had slowed down for her, she was unaware of anything else but the searing pain and the realization that she would probably die. She slowly brought her left hand to gingerly touch the gashes, it came away red and dripping and sticky. In her delirium Ieran wondered how it had gotten so brilliant in color.
 
Aldric was all fury and hellfire as he burst through the treeline, flaming blade clutched in his fist. Two demons had met their end in the woods at the business end of his sword, and it had been a simple matter of following their trail to find what he'd expected to be a portal. There was no portal there... only Ieran, surrounded by corpses and making a damned fool move. His warning shout went unheeded as she turned to face him, leaving her wide open for a slice that damned near disemboweled her. Feeling his own bowels turn to icewater, the Iron Mage spurred his mount forward with a click of his heels, fiery sword carving a path in the demon's flesh that sent it crumpling to the earth.

He dismounted in a flurry of cape and fire, armor clanking with each heavy footfall as he made his way to Ieran. "Divines damn ya, woman! Damn ya!" His sword was discarded, his face a mask of pain and rage as he knelt down. "Aw, this is a right bloody mess ya made, ya know it? Sodding Divines, help us all." He knew little of the art of healing magics, only enough for small scratches. This... gods, this was bad. His cloak was unclasped and laid out, and he all but shoved her back onto it. "Lay down and keep yer eyes open. Keep bloody breathin', or I swear I'll smack you right on yer pointy ear."

What to do, what to do? The demon had torn out a hunk of her top, and he clutched it, pressing it to the wounds in an attempt to stop the bloodflow. It did little. His sword was snatched up, and he began to cut a piece from the cloth of his cloak, the blade still hot. Very hot, in fact... it gave him an idea. The cloth he cut was wadded up, and he stuck it between her teeth. "Bite down. Hard. Scream if ya need to, 'cause th' gods know this'll hurt like bleedin' hellfire." He clutched a knife at his boot, channeling a hot flame onto the blade until it was red hot... and then, tenderly, he worked to cauterize the flesh.
 
She could see his mouth was moving but the only sound she could hear was the pounding of her heart. Aldric, Aldric was here, Aldric had come. She could see the worry in his face and she smiled up at him, placing her bloodied hand on his cheek. Her delirium attempted to trick her, and for a moment she believe the blood on his face was his own and she was so worried about him she forgot everything else. It was only when he pressed the strip of cloth to her wound that she remembered the pain and what had happened. Oh gods, she was going to die. She was going to die without having experienced any of the things she had wanted. She would never know the love and respect of another, she would never find The People again, she would never feel Aldric's lips against her skin. Oh, it would be the last that made her most bitter about dying.

She had no idea what he was doing when he put the wadded cloth between her teeth, she only knew the horrible sensation of burning flesh and she let out a scream. It was barely muffled by the cloth, ear splitting and blood chilling and the tears fell across her cheeks without her realizing. As he burned her flesh repeatedly her body contorted in agony. It wiped all thoughts from her mind and she could barely withstand it as he burned the ragged flesh of the second gash. Her vision swam as her eyes began to roll back in her skull and her world went black as pitch.

Her dreams were red. Filled with demons reaching out and dragging her to hell with them. They feasted on her open chest cavity as she watched in horror. She tried to scream so many times but her tongue was missing, and Orius stood over her, laughing and pointing and then raping her while her body lay open and dead while her soul clung to it, experiencing all of this pain. But then there was a voice. Familiar and gruff with that lilt she loved. Aldric. Aldric's voice. She reached out and tethered herself to that voice, letting it pull her from the nightmare and into nothingness.
 
She'd passed out, but in all likelihood that was for the best. An end to her pain for now, and no more screams to potentially attract more demons. He'd already fought some on the way in from the woods... Divines only knew where more might lay in waiting. Her blood dried on his cheek as he worked at her flesh, and he could only sigh. The stink of burning flesh and blood was monstrous, but he could not deny the results; Her skin was slowly but surely seared back together, the two great gashes becoming two enormous lines of slick, angry red char. Gods only knew if there had been any internal bleeding, he couldn't have said either way, and he could only pray that there was not. Somehow he didn't think her vital organs would take to the process of being welded back together.

When the job was done at last, he breathed a long sigh. The elf lay on his cloak, staining it with her vital ichor, as well as the two of them. Each arm was red up to the elbow, his cheek decorated with a red handprint as if it were warpaint rather than her life's blood. Aldric was left looming over her on hands and knees, windblown hair hanging like a ragged curtain as his eyes searched her. The body that had been so deliciously pressed against his own not more than a day earlier now lay broken and bloodied. If she died... it would be more than her talents with magic that he would miss. He could admit to that.

There was, at least, a pulse. A breath. That much, at least, gave him hope. For now, there came the difficult decision of whether to move her or not.
 
It was the pain that woke her. Ieran groaned, keeping her eyes closed and reached out for Aldric. Her fingers found cold chainmail and her eyes fluttered open. Her vision was blurry at first but the cleared so that she could see the outline of his large frame. Her tongue was dry and heavy in her mouth and she barely managed to rasp out his name. She tried to get up but couldn't manage to,ba searing pain in her abdomen stopped her. It came back to her in that moment, what she had done and what had happened.

She had been stupid, so incredibly stubborn. She should have listened to Aldric. "Sorry," she croaked. She didnt have anything else to say. She was in so much pain, she couldn't think straight. She wondered if he hated her, if he would punish her, if he would send her away. "I sealed it," she knew he would know what she was talking about. She wanted to stay with him but she knew he wouldn't allow it, not after she had deliberately disobeyed his direct orders.
 
It was some hours later that she woke. She'd find that Aldric had dragged her into the cave behind the falls, leaving her to rest at the edge of a crackling fire. The battlemage himself sat nearby, having shed his outer layer of plate in favor of the layer of chain below; The hot flame in the small, moist space had left him sweating, and the removal of some armor had helped indeed. A tome of an ancient sort was open across his knees, ignored for the moment while he ran a whetstone along his blade. Just at the edge of the light, she might see the corpses of another pair of demons. Aldric's handiwork indeed, though a ragged cut on his brow was only just beginning to glaze over rather than bleed, and while she couldn't see it, he was most definitely favoring one leg over the other. She might also find herself quite clean of blood, her skin cool from the touch of the river; Aldric had seen to that, too.

Her hand closed over his mail, and that got his attention rather hurriedly. Green eyes flicked from the sword he held, seeking out her face in the light of the fire. There was a stony edge to his expression, though slowly, surely, it softened by degrees. "Aye. An' you nearly got'cherself killed in the process. Bleedin' Divines, what were ya thinking?" A hand sought out his pack, and he plucked a few things from within. Hard bread, dried meat, and a skin of water. Travel rations meant for one. He'd considered hunting, and that was what had gotten him in such a mess with those demons. The woods were full of them, all along the river. "Eat. Ya need it."
 
She ate little bits of the dried meat and drank from this skin he offered. It helped her to get her bearings. She noticed now that they were in a cave behind the falls themselves. "If I had not come when I had there would be more demons here than we could handle." She attempted to sit up again, succeeding this time but not without a nearly intolerable searing pain as her body protested the movement. It forced her to lean against Aldric and she then noticed the gash on his head. "You're hurt," worry creased her forehead and she touched her palm to his cheek, noticing the blood had been cleaned from her body.

Ieran felt stiff and weak, but she still had just a little magic left in her for the moment, she delved deep inside herself and placed her palm to the slash where blood was just now congealing. Muttering the words she had heard Orius say many times, she used the last of her magic to seal the cut on his face. It was by no means pretty nor not gone completely, but it would have to do for the time being. The skin on her stomach burned and stretched with every breath she took, it took nearly everything she had to hold back the groans of pain. A whimper escaped her lips and she leaned harder on the human male. "Where will you send me now?" She knew he would send her away, she just hoped it wouldn't be back to the slave markets.
 
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