Blazing Glory Ch. 13

"Aurora! Please stop this!" Nadine cried out before her eyes widened as the silver cocoon of magic warped and grew larger. The wind gradually dissipated along with the fading silvery glimmer. The catwoman could only stare in shock as Aurora stood before her fully encased in silver fur. Her face had lost its human features to become elongated and more foxlike. Behind the sorceress waved nine blue-tipped silver tails.

New tears stung Nadine's eyes as she saw the feral madness looking down at her. Aurora had let her hatred fully consume her. Normally priding herself in her beauty, the foxwoman was no more than a monster now in this state. Those hateful eyes centered on Nadine before dirt and grass exploded behind the foxwoman.

So fast! Nadine cried out in terror as Aurora was upon her instantly. Golden eyes caught sight of the fist in time for her to instinctively tighten her abdomen muscles as hard as possible. The fist of the silver monstrosity caught her full on and dug in deeply. Breath rushed out of the catwoman's lungs, eyes wide in surprise of the force.

Nadine's feet left the ground as her body caved inward with the force of the blow before her body became a projectile flying backwards into the trunk of a large tree. Her head snapped back to collide against the bark, nearly blacking her out in that instant. Crashing down onto the ground, she rolled around in agony as she tried to regain her breath. Her martial arts training had saved her life. If she had not tightened her muscles in preparation to take the blow, she would have been torn in half. However, it was impossible for her body to take another impact like that.

Leaning back against the tree as the air finally filled her burning lungs, her dazed vision came back. Her instincts were screaming at her to move! Her eyes opened wide to see the silver fist flying to cave her skull in at the same frightening speed. She yelped and ducked aside. It sped past her ear to shatter the thick tree trunk behind as if it were a mere matchstick.

Nadine had no time to think things over as she gave over to her instincts, her body naturally arching away from Aurora's arm and legs coming up as she coiled inward. Like a loosened coil, her lycan muscles sprung her into the rising spiral kick to crush both feet squarely with the snout of the foxwoman, the power of the kick making Aurora stagger backwards.

The catwoman landed on her feet reeling still from her body's pain. She looked to see Aurora violently shaking her head and swaying about in a desperate attempt to maintain her footing. Nadine's eyes brightened with the realization that came to her. Despite the magic giving her body terrifying power, the foxwoman could not withstand a significant blow. Foxwomen were so focused in their magic that they often neglected their physical strength. She simply had to overwhelm her opponent with precision blows to render her unconscious.

Aurora's fanged maw opened in an unearthly roar before she sprang forward once more, open hand now with extended claws swiping down to eviscerate her. Nadine was better prepared for the speed this time and ducked inside the savage yet simple attack to drive her elbow into Aurora's gut. The foxwoman gasped before being caught by the catwoman's uppercut snapping her open maw closed with a jarring click, likely loosening quite a few fangs.

The foxwoman was reeling once more, backing quickly away from this unexpectedly fierce counterattack. Nadine jumped forward to continue pressing the attack. Her foot was yanked from beneath her. She yelped and crashed face first into the ground. Hissing in pain, she looked down to see a silver tails coiled about her legs. She mewed in frustration at being caught as she looked back up to Aurora, her opponent's bloodied snout curled upward in a pleased smirk.

The catwoman cried out in panic as the tails whipped her into the air, her body flying at a frightening speed. The air was filled with a sickening smack as her body impacted the intended tree nearby. Nadine grunted in agony as the pain exploded through her hips where she hit. Her body soon slammed into another tree, her ears hearing several ribs break in that instant alone. Her mind was awash in pain to where she could barely stay conscious as she suffered the foxwoman's wrath crushing her body against the forest like a rag doll.

After seemingly tiring of exacting out her torture, Aurora finally stopped whipping her into fixed objects. She sneered down at the whimpering catwoman entrapped by her tails. Those feral eyes hatefully glared at her but also filled with pleasure at her suffering. With a snarl, those tails of hers whipped around to hurl the catwoman with beastly strength into the air.

Nadine's breath wheezed from her body, her mind shocked as she watched the ground and forest below quickly move away from her. She realized in a quickening panic she had to be hundreds of feet in the air! She was going to die from the fall alone if she didn't think quickly. Her eyes caught site of something below. When she saw the silver form rising up to meet her body as it approached the apex of its ascent, she started frantically clawing at air to try anything to move away. How could Aurora even jump this high? This was insane!

Her mind was nearly overwhelmed with fear and hopeless as her body began to fall toward the forest below. Nadine didn't want to die. Rae would never forgive her close friend for dying so easily. Blaze, Kali, her mother, and everyone else would be so overwhelmed with grief. She did not want to make them cry. Her lips raised to bare her fangs as Aurora came upon her.

Blood splashed the face of the foxwoman as the extended claws tore into Nadine's abdomen. Aurora smirked arrogantly in the apparent victory. Those eyes quickly widened as two claws seized that arm in an iron grip. Looking up from the impaled stomach of the catwoman, she was met with a golden gaze filled with a feral rage terrifying in its own right. A tiger's roar rumbled from her throat as Nadine twisted about with that arm and hurled the Aurora towards the ground. The furry lycan nearly blacked out finally as Aurora's bloody claw ripped from her stomach as she hurtled downwards. The silver body crashed through tree branches before hitting the ground with a sickening thud.

Nadine's arm cradled the open wound as she desperately looked for any solid branch to try and catch as she fell towards the rapidly approaching forest canopy. To her dismay, Nadine caught sight of the foxwoman struggling to rise. She needed to end this or she was finished once Aurora regained herself. Her body flew past the broken branches as she fell towards Aurora, rearing her one free arm back with fist tightly clenched.

On her hands and knees, Aurora looked over her shoulder in time to see the catwoman's fist lash out. The combined force of her remaining strength and the descent collided with the left side of the foxwoman's face. Her shocked cry was swiftly silenced as she was knocked unconscious.

Nadine cried out in pain as she rolled and tumbled away until her body skidded to a halt. Pain unlike anything she has ever felt before filled her. Yet she head turned to glance worriedly toward Aurora, more fearful she had killed her with that last blow than her own condition. Silver tendrils of magic floated away from the twitching body that lay there. After a few moments of torment, Nadine managed to slowly rise to her feet. A trail of blood followed her as she limped over to the other. Aurora was coming around when she reached her but the foxwoman appeared to have as much difficulty moving.

"Go ahead," She gasped painfully, pushing herself up to a kneeling position, "Kill me then. You are no different than those who killed my mother." She still could not believe Nadine had been able to stop her in her beast form, with ancient magic flowing throughout her body. The transformation was as powerful as it was excruciating. But this one lycan had defeated her without magical assistance. The shame was too much for her to endure.

"No. I told you I am different," Nadine managed a smile, battered and bloody as she was. She dropped to her knees before collapsing against the startled sorceress. She leaned against Aurora as her words came out in a wheezing whisper to her ears. "I want to be your friend so you won't be alone anymore."

Aurora's eyes opened wide in shock with those last words as Nadine fell silent and limp against her. Even after all the pain and suffering she had caused the catwoman, Nadine still wished to befriend her? She did not know whether this lycan was just plain crazy or genuine in her feelings. But the catwoman had refused to take her life after she offered it. Tears filled her eyes. Someone genuinely wanted to fill the loneliness in her life? Not compelled to by force of magic, but out of honest desire.

Arms lifted to wrap about the catwoman in close embrace. Aurora wept silently into her shoulder as remaining magic flowed out of her to surround Nadine. The normally cold essence now warm as she healed Nadine.

Voices calling out the catwoman's name drew Aurora out of her concentration. She barely managed to keep her magic focused on binding wounds and renewing flesh from the severe injuries she had caused. It was unthinkable to move her. The loss of blood alone would require several hours of recovery once her body was fully healed. Her mind was racing wild with fear should Nadine's friends find them. Before she could try to begin to think of an explanation, but one feminine voice quickly came closer.

"Nadine? Nadine answer me please!" Kali cried out in fear for her sister. The windstorm had caught her and Evalyn off-guard as it attracted her gaze to catch a glimpse of the foxwoman changing. The same moment the sorceress launched her savage attack, the few remaining hellhounds attacked with renewed vigor. It had taken her concentration away as they worked quickly to finish them off. Only when her staff had split the skull of the last demon beast had she turned to witness the monstrous form of Aurora launch herself high into the air. Nadine was nowhere to be seen. The panicked search began soon after as she refused to believe her sister would fall to Aurora, even with that transformation.

"Nadi-" She began to call out, stepping out of the brush before her voice caught in her throat. She saw the foxwoman kneeling there, holding her sister in her arms. Horrific wounds covered the catwoman's body as a pool of her blood soaked the forest floor around them. Her vision went white with rage as the grief tore her apart inside. Kali screamed as she launched herself at the sorceress. "You bitch! I'll kill you!"

"Stop, please! I beg you! She's not dead!" Aurora shouted in panic, fear in her silver gaze. If Kali separated her from Nadine, her friend would slip beyond her tenuous grasp and die. She cringed inwards as the staff stopped inches shy of splitting her head wide open.

Kali's chest heaved before she trembled violently, trying to reign in her rage. Those words as well as fear in those eyes had surprised her. But the tears staining the foxwoman's cheeks had shocked her completely out of her bloodlust. Still, she did not trust this sorceress. Should Aurora try any tricks, she would not hesitate to knock her head clean off before she could utter a word.

"You seek to bargain your life for that of my sister's?" She spoke with barely restrained disgust.

"No," Aurora answered. Kali was astounded to see her draw Nadine in closer, like a mother cradling her hurt child. "I must focus on healing of her. If you separate us, I'll lose my only friend."

"Friend? Why would my sister want to be friends with a servant of Koas? Especially one that was trying to kill her just moments ago! You must be daft to think I would believe that tall tale!"

"No!" Aurora shouted in a panicked voice that caught Kali by surprise so much that she backed away a step. Evalyn came upon both of them at that moment and fell in behind Kali with claws ready. "No, she wished to become my friend because she had found out how I had suffered in the past. She said you had dealt with similar treatment. She's the first lycan I ever encountered to apologize for hating my clan because of its use of magic. Nadine said she wished to end our banishment. In fact, she said she wanted to become my friend as proof of that sentiment."

Evalyn sighed deeply behind Kali, "That sounds just like our winsome catwoman. Able to win the hearts of everyone she meets, even her enemies."

Kali stared long into the eyes of the foxwoman. She could not see any sign of falsehood or ill will. Evalyn was right. It was just like Nadine to do as Aurora said. As the leader of the lycans, it was her call to make on whether the Fox Clan would be allowed back into lycan society. The animosity would be difficult to overcome between both sides. What would you do, Dio? She wondered how the old lionman would react in her place at this very moment. Kali knew. She would listen to learn more. Lowering herself to sit on the ground before the foxwoman as the pantherwoman stood guard behind her, she regarded Aurora calmly now.

"Please continue healing my sister then. In the meantime, speak about your past to explain how we are both kindred spirits as Nadine believed."

********************

Blaze breathed heavily as he stood within the red inferno of the volcano's cavern. Dangerous lava bubbled and spurt hundreds of yards away. They were standing upon a broad rim of granite that circumnavigated the mouth of volcano below. His eyes could see their goal in the carved entrance on the other side of the cavern. That was their path to the underworld of the drow, dwarves, and other races. Yet it could not seem further away than when he started this journey.

The oppressive heat of the volcano was not the source of the sweat dripping down his face. His breathing was panicked from the oppressive force filling the cavern. The source of that force stood a few dozen yards. Full lips curled upwards in a chilling smirk as the malevolent yellow eyes observed them in an overbearing arrogance. Blaze cursed silently at running into Danika in such a place. This volcano was certainly advantageous fighting grounds for the fire demon.

"No one shall enter the realm of Koas without her permission. This is as far as you little insects go. Leave and I will spare your insignificant lives. I will show no mercy should you go any further," Danika stated simply, though her words hinted at daring them to try. The demon's unholy eyes focused on him. Blaze swallowed as they seemed to glow more brightly. "Well, if it isn't the little man with the swords..."

"You remember me?" Blaze asked. He was surprised. Their encounter had been brief in those same Natori ruins where he had also first met Tyra. She had displayed the same cocky attitude then. He figured she would have long since dismissed him as nothing more than the usual trash.

"Of course not. You are the one who has caused my mistress so much aggravation as of late," Danika stated simply before raised her left arm. Everyone stiffened for the attack to come. But the demoness raised her hand to her left cheek to run along the singular scar down her left cheek. "And how could I not forget the one who left this blemish on my immortal skin."

Those last words were spoken with a calm firmness that sounded like a death knell. Even if he had not heard those words, the look in her eyes told him of the sentence she had given him for this grave offense. He swallowed deeply and was surprised to finding himself slowly taking a step backward. The demon's deadly hostility was that overbearing in just her presence alone. A shadow moved in front of him, breaking his view from those inhuman eyes to look up at the broad blue shoulders before him.

"Tyra?"

Her mane of red hair shifted as she looked over her shoulder to him and smiled reassuringly. "You go on ahead, Blaze. As your guardian, I promise to now allow her to lay a single finger on you. Besides," The beautiful gargoyle's smile disappeared as her expression hardened, "The two of us have a personal score to settle ourselves."

Blaze wanted to argue otherwise with Tyra. Danika had even knocked Kendra around when they had last encountered her. The guardian had managed a surprise attack to land a hit on her, but it had not been nearly enough to discourage the demon. Since they were beneath her notice at the time, Danika chose to complete her objective rather than continue bothering with them. How could Tyra hope to stop the Enforcer, feared around the world, by herself?

"Rae!" Tyra looked past Blaze, who was struggling to find words for his objection, to the drowess. "I am entrusting you to guard Blaze in my place until you get Kendra back. I am sure that succubus will be able to take care of him in my stead."

"Hey!" Blaze shouted angrily, finally finding the words as his anger rose from hearing Tyra. "I don't want to hear those kind of words from you!"

She hefted her spiked mace over her shoulder and winked to him. "Go Blaze... Hurry!"

Blaze nearly refused to obey, but the firm tug on his shirt from Rae brought his gaze away from the gargoyle to see the others already in motion. Cursing silently, he fell in behind Rae as they all sprinted to round Danika toward the exit.

"You better catch up soon so you don't get left behind! It won't do to continue on without the best guardian an adventurer could ask for!" He called back to her. He admonished himself for such a silly thing to say, but he couldn't bring himself to say anything that could hint at a final parting. Because Tyra will win! She will come back to his side where she has always been. Soft lips simply turned upwards in a small smile in silent answer.

"You will not enter the domain of my mistress," the demon's voice boomed inside the mountain, her amused expression turned angry in an instant. Her arm rose towards their party. Rae was quick to drop between them to defend with her own magic for the fire attack to come. They were as surprised as the fire demon was when the metallic missile screamed across the cavern floor to crush Danika's face with a sickening impact that send the demon flying through the air.

Tyra took in a deep breath and relaxed her bulging muscles after heaving her weapon with every ounce of strength within her arm. Danika's hapless body finally stopped its motion by crashing into the granite wall, the solid stone cracking outward from the source of the impact. Tyra grimaced as she watched her cherished mace fall into the cavern below to be consumed by the volcano. She did not regret the loss as she observed the others reaching their destination safely to disappear from view.

Slumping to the ground, loosened rocks showered the stunned demon as her hand clutched her face. What was this burning sensation coming from her face? It was not like the pleasant heat of her flames. It was rather unpleasant. Drawing her hand from her face, her yellow gaze widened at the sight of blood. It was just like that fight with the boy. It should be impossible to harm her, yet that gargoyle had achieved that unobtainable achievement. Her eyes darkened as they focused on the gargoyle before her.

"Very well then, gargoyle," She pushed a large boulder aside as she rose. "I will destroy you first before I go after him. As you fall into the netherworld of death, go with the knowledge that I will find him. In your honor, I will make sure he screams long into the night all the while reminding him that you failed to protect him."

Tyra's eyes hardened as the demon taunted her. She would not fall for the Danika's goading attempt to make her lose her temper. She already knew the fate Blaze would endure if she failed. But she already knew the outcome of this battle long before having set foot in the volcano. It was the end for the Enforcer. She raised her hand and mockingly waved the demon to come at her.