Prophecy of the End

With a flash and a pulse of power that roared outward from where Tsume stood the pillar was gone and only the woman remained, her hand in his own. She looked at him, her green eyes were fathomless. She was pale even outside of her stone prison, but her hair was pure fire, red and gold, burnished in the light, the jewelry was indeed gold and it no longer appeared to be restrictive for it moved with her and was warm as her own skin was. She looked at him and smiled once.

"Tsume." Her voice was like warm honey.

And she collapsed into his arms, unconscious.

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Tsume growled and kicked at a pile of moldy straw as he made another lap around the ten by ten cell he had been shoved into. Figured that even though he hadn't done a damn thing wrong those crazy priestesses had shoved him in the dungeon and taken off with the dead girl. Or not dead girl. Or whatever she was! He fumed and alternately screamed obscenities and kicked the cell door for awhile, knowing it wouldn't do a damn bit of good but frustrated beyond reason. Why did this shit always happen to him? What the hell had he done in life to get stuck with such piss poor luck and such a screwed up destiny. Destiny, what the hell was that!

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"She has not awoken yet Cathina." The healer smiled as the Priestess entered the chamber.

"What did he do to her Maye?" Cathina eyed the unconscious fire maiden laying in the bed between them.

"He," Maye looked at Cathina. "Did nothing. She appears to be extremely dehydrated and weak at the moment. I managed to get her to take some healing tea in, it should revive her shortly. You, on the other hand should let that poor young man out of the dungeon, without him she would still be sealed in that crystal."

"That is beside the point Maye. She is the only goal," Cathina pointed at the fire maiden. "Without her we are all doomed to die, consumed by the blackness. That man was a tool, a tool to unlock her from the stone pillar so that we can ask her to summon the Golden Dragon. That is all he is."

Maye leveled a stare at Cathina. "You of all people should know better. 'And so when fire and ice become one' that man is still vital. He must get the fire maiden to call the Dragon, he alone can get her to unlock the power of the Dragon and open the gates of paradise."

Cathina scowled and stormed from the room. Maye watched her go and said no more. Cathina knew that it was true, only that man could get the fire maiden to call the Dragon. Something within him was required to complete the prophecy and fulfill their mutual destiny.

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Her eyes fluttered open and her gaze slowly focused on the ceiling above her. Where was she? Where the elders here? No, no they wouldn't be would they? She had been sealed. Sealed, doomed to wait until she could ascend. She had been judged not worthy and left behind, sealed in stone to wait until such a time as she was whole and could ascend to the world beyond, for this world was dying... they were all dying. She slowly sat up and looked down at the homespun dress she had donned to spend eternity in. If she had failed to rise, failed to complete herself, then this was to be her burial dress. But she was awake. It was time, and heaven and hell could not hold her from her destiny any longer. She stood and looked around the room.

"You are awake!" A voice came from her right and she turned. "I had hoped you would rise today, my name is Maye, I am the Temple healer. What is your name?"

"Where is Tsume?" She glared at the older woman. "What have you done with him?"

Maye sighed. "Cathina put him in the dungeon, I told her she should not do it, but she would not be swayed."

"Take me to him." The fire maiden's hair billowed around her and a red glow emanated from her body, power building as she summoned it to her. "Take me to him, now!"

Maye looked at the girl and smirked, Cathina had no idea what she had gotten in to. "This way fire maiden, you do not have to use your power against me, I am more than willing to help you. You have no enemy in me, fire maiden."

"My name is Anki."

Anki followed Maye through the twisting labyrinth of passageways down into the lower levels of the Temple. These paths had not been used in years and the dungeons were just as antiquated. Anki strode forward determinedly until they reached the last passage of their journey. Quietly she lifted her hand and pinched a nerve in the older woman's neck, falling her where she stood.

"Sleep Maye, and none shall blame you for his escape." Anki dashed down the hallway.

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Tsume had about had it when he heard foot falls coming down the long hallway. About time that bitch came back and dealt with him in person.

"What the hell is wrong with you people I didn't do anything wrong! Let me out of here you bitch! I swear I'll wring your damn neck!" Tsume growled. He stopped as he saw her enter the dungeon.

"You do not like being caged Tsume, in that we are of one mind already." Anki smiled and walked to the heavy iron bars, she reached one hand through and stroked his fact while with the other she snapped the lock as if it were a toothpick in her hands. "We shall leave this place now."

Tsume stared at the mangled lock but swiftly followed the woman's as she returned the way she had come. It seemed his life was going to get even stranger from here on in. They ran until they reached the temple chamber that housed the sacred flame, enthralled Tsume had to stop, no human save the priestesses of the temple had ever gazed upon the sacred flame. Its golden-green light flickered and shifted, tossing colors through the open chamber, it licked at nothing burning from the air itself. He could tell that once it had been much larger from the rings on the basin it sat in, but it was smaller, and weaker than in times past.

"Do not dwell on that which is dying Tsume, in time it will not matter at all." The woman looked at him. "Come."

Tsume's head jerked up as the guards filled into the chamber. He froze, reaching for the dagger he knew they had already taken. He cursed softly as the force surrounded them quickly and the enraged Priestess Cathina dashed in behind them.

"Defiler!!" she wailed. "You have defiled this sacred place and turned the Fire Maiden against us all! Heretic! Sinner! You will never see Paradise!"

"My name," The woman's voice was deathly quiet but reverberated with power. "Is Anki, and it is you who shall never gaze upon Paradise."

Anki launched herself across the room, three guards fell as though paralyzed. Anki pulled the gilded dagger from one of their sides as she swept past and plunged it into the heart of the Priestess Cathina.

"Vile woman, blinded by your own hate. You deserve to die here in the darkness, the Golden Dragon would rip you limb from limb and suck your bones!" Anki hissed driving the dagger deeper even as Cathina's eyes glazed and the life left them. "Stand aside all of you, LEAVE this place NOW or none of you shall ever see Paradise!"

The guards fled as though the very demons of hell nipped at their heals. The blood spattered Anki turned to Tsume and gazed at him. Tsume was impressed and scared shitless at the same time, this woman was not human, could it be that this crazy prophecy talk was real and that he was still tangled in it?

"You need never fear me Tsume. As I am fate, you are the claws with which to render that fate. Without you there is no beginning, no end."

Anki touched his face again, her fingers sought the back of his neck and then his scalp as she loosed his hair from the ties that held it. She smiled as it fell free and ran her fingers through it. "I have waited for a thousand years for you Tsume, only you can fill the void in me and I the one in you. Only together are we complete."

Her lips touched his and he lost his ability to think beyond that. He closed his eyes and returned her kiss fiercely feeling as though life was being breathed into him from her lips. Anki wrapped her fingers in his hair and opened her mouth to him, inviting his tongue into her mouth and following it back into his with her own. She moaned in lust and clung to him, the deep gnawing hunger attacking her belly and spiraling to the junction of her legs. Tsume had never been as aroused as he was holding her in his arms, one kiss and he felt like he would die if he did not take her right then. He broke the kiss and scooped her up carrying her to the low alter in front of the sacred flame.

Her nails tore the shirt from his body as he pulled the dress from her shoulders and discarded it on the floor. He gazed down at her, naked but for the gold circlets around her wrists and the pendent on her neck. She was a goddess, her body was perfect, taunt and lean with just enough curves to make her seductive. Her breasts were just more than a handful and crowed with dusky nipples that hardened under his gaze. He took it all in as he gazed at her. Anki growled and snapped the button from his pants as he stared at her, causing Tsume to grin and shuck the last of his clothing. He knelt between her legs on the alter and bent his head to kiss her stomach, delighting in her gasp as she twisted her fingers into his hair. He trailed kisses up her stomach and then took one of her nipples into his mouth, flicking it with his tongue.

Anki made a guttural sound of desire as her back arched from the cold stone and she gripped his shoulders with her nails. She could feel the warm heavy weight of his arousal against the inside of her thigh and ached to touch it. Tsume dragged his teeth over her nipple and retraced his route down her chest and to her stomach, continuing down until his lips brushed the thatch of red curls between her legs. He parted her with his fingers and ran his tongue over her clit, flicking the tip of his tongue over it lazily as he watched her writhe above him. She moaned and twisted under him, he watched her as his fingers slowly worked in and out of her body. She was soaking wet and her muscles were shaking as she whimpered and called his name out. Finally Tsume slide his body up until he was above her, his hips snuggly between her thighs and then head of his rigid cock resting against the hot wet center between her legs.

She wrapped her legs around his thighs and pushed upward as he slide down into her. Tsume gasped and Anki screamed. He was buried to the hilt and throbbing with pleasure, her body was tighter than a glove around him and it felt like coming home. Anki moaned arching her back and panting as the stillness made the ache inside her that much worse. Each tiny movement was like a slow death she couldn't get enough of. Tsume kissed her hard and began to thrust himself in and out of her, each stroke causing the blood to rush through his veins faster, every movement like pure torture that he could not resist. Sweat began to bead on his shoulders and back, he saw it forming on her belly and navel as well as she moved with him, her hips thrusting against his own. Her eyes flew open and she twisted her body, flipping him underneath her on the alter as she rolled to straddle him without allowing a break in their joining.

Anki pinned him to the alter and began to rock her hips quickly, thrusting in time to the rapid tattoo her heart was beating. She could feel his hands on her breasts, caressing and then pinching her hardened nipples, driving her mad with sensation. The zenith of something enormous was ahead and Anki felt like she was riding a wave into it, her thrusts becoming wild and fast as her body grew taunt and her belly tingled. She felt the release inside of her like an explosion, heat radiated from her center, waves of unbelievable pleasure rolled through her body, her breath caught in her throat. Tsume felt himself release even as she did and the pleasure bordered on pain it was so intense, he held her hips as he felt himself empty into her, heat and pleasure overwhelming.

In that moment, a light more brilliant that any star or sun exploded outward from their joined bodies, it rolled across the world like an EMP waves from the center of an explosion.

Anki slumped and collapsed next to Tsume. Her breathing stopped, her skin cooled, and her eyes closed. The sacred flame guttered and went out above them.

Tsume shook Anki but she would not rise, he called her name over and over again but she did not respond. The chamber they were in was lit only by faint false light reservoirs now that the flame had gone out and he could make out her expression, one of joy. He called her name till his throat sealed and he choked, feeling the beginning of tears in his eyes. This was their damn prophecy? Death? And for what? The sky was still black, the light might have split the heavens but there was no Golden Dragon and no Paradise. Tsume slipped off the alter and put his head in his hands. What had he done. One moment of happiness, he had killed a woman for that?

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Anki drifted, she heard the calls of Tsume but could not answer. She felt peaceful and quiet in this world of mists, but there was a purpose to her visit. She looked out into the mists.

"I know you're here, I have come. You are free."

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A rattling noise brought Tsume back from his contemplations. It sounded like the Temple was going to come down. He grabbed his pants and yanked them on, as he reached for Anki's body the roof tiles began to cave in and he had to jump to avoid being hit by the falling debris. The roof fell away and a hole in the ceiling revealed the sky. Tsume saw no difference in the sky or the world, he looked at Anki, silent and pale on the alter like an ancient sacrifice of the old days.

A diffuse golden glow began to coat Anki's form, and her body began to rise from the stone slab. Tsume's eyes widened in horror as he watched the glow becoming a light that radiated from inside of Anki's body. Tsume had to turn away as it became blinding. A roar split the air like a triuphent battle cry, and when he looked back there was no Anki. Before him sat a seventy five foot Golden Dragon with the most amazing Emerald eyes.

"Anki." He whispered as he looked at the huge dragon.

The beast swung its head and looked at him, pausing as if searching a memory not its own for answers. It spread its huge wings and with a quick leap entered the sky above, leaving Tsume to watch from below. The Golden Dragon called out, roaring her dominion over the sky, the earth, the universe itself. She turned her head to the pitch in the sky and snorted, fire trilling out from her nostrils as her anger boiled. She turned and flapped her wings once before tucking them in against her body and shooting forward like an arrow into the heavens, through the blackness, through the evil and the poison she cut through like a blade until her body pearced the dying star in the heavens and cleaved a hole in space and time.

"Oh my God." Tsume looked on in horror, as did every person on the earth below. "That is our salvation? She opened a black hole!"

The Golden Dragon turned and beat her wings, sucking in the darkness, pulling it like water into the heart of the black hole. She pulled it all, planets, stars, meteors, evil, good, everything. She descended into the planet's atmosphere again and perched on the corner of the Temple of the Dragon to watch the world be swallowed by the black hole she had created. She looked down at the man below who looked at her searching for answers. The Golden Dragon offered no answers she only sat and watched as the world was sucked into the vortex, people were pulled from the earth as it broke apart and thrown into the abyss, they cried and pleaded as they vanished, and still the Dragon sat quietly and watched. Perhaps because Tsume was standing right next to her they were the last portion not yet sucked into oblivion. Tsume asked no questions, he sat, holding the pendent that Anki had worn and watched the last of the world break apart. Just before he lost conciousness he looked at the Dragon, and she smiled at him.

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Tsume smelled water. His eyes fluttered open slowly. Water? Smell? He sat up suddenly and looked around. He was sitting in the middle of a field of fresh green grass. A herd of horses grazed down at the bottom of the slope, and a stream ran through the sea of grass. As he looked around he saw people, people from the bazaar, Marge from the tavern, people from the mines. They looked as confused as he, but joyous as they danced and laughed and shouted on word over and over. Paradise.

Tsume sighed and looked over this new world, he clutched the pendent in his hand still. What good was paradise if he was alone again? Life seemed to have again dealt him a raw hand. He gripped the pendent so tightly he felt blood began to trickle down his arm from his palm. The pendent grew hot in his hand and he looked down. Slowly it became liquid and slid into his bloodstream. Tsume gasped and jumped up, his hand shook and he felt cold, freezing from within, the world swam and went dark.

When he opened his eyes again it was to see the emerald green eyes of the Golden Dragon. She sat a short space away, her barbed tail curled around her front feet and her wings tucked in at her sides. She looked at him and waited. For what? Tsume wondered. He slowly sat up and grew even more confused. Had she shrank? He looked at her from the same height she was, how was this possible. He looked down and jumped. Long white legs, tipped with powerful steely talons, scales that shone irridenct white. He was a dragon!

"Welcome home Tsume." Anki's voice flowed into his head from the Golden Dragon's mind.