Eternally Bound: Part 2
----- Coronation -----
--One Month Later--
Ember took a deep breath and, while she knew what she had to do, she feared doing it. The fear was not born from the war, rather, it was fear of the dreaded podium. As with the battle from a month ago, Ember looked over her shoulder to her companion for reassurance. This time it wasn't Harid's presence which bolstered her, but instead was his daughter's smiling face which gave her confidence. Her name was Paige.
She placed her hand onto the woman's shoulder, winked, then quietly passed her, taking the stage with a grace that instantly made one note her nobility. A Lady of House Dejarin, Paige had finally grown into the role with a perceived confidence that made those under her respect, admire, and adore the woman. In truth, Paige was constantly considerate of her presence, and those over which she governed, and took care not to issue orders too harshly. Each member of her house was important to her, down to the servants of the estate, and Paige made sure every individual knew it.
The small crowd gathered, readying to receive the speech from the noble woman. Most still had plates with hors d'oevres and mugs of wine from a casket - of which, a particular charr had almost emptied by himself. The house servants took the opportunity of the guest's attention redirection to prepare the tables for the main course, laying out a bountiful spread of meat, grapes, bread and wine. Fireworks shooters were on standby as flags bearing the colors of House Dejarin flapped in the breeze coming from the lake behind them.
Paige cleared her throat, took in a breath, looked over the crowd and smiled. "Greetings, to everyone. For those new faces I see, allow me to introduce myself, and extend a warm welcome to you all. I am Lady Paige Dejarin, and I'm so very glad you could all make it to this special occasion." She paused for effect, glancing to each new face in the crowd, then continued. "We are here for two announcements: the first is that the Dejarin Estate is now fortified and we are prepared to defend our lands to the fullest. After my mother abandoned this land, I feel we are finally back to our glory and pride; House Dejarin Is now a true house of nobility, and we will continue advertising our name as a predominate winery!" After a moment of cheers from the crowd, Paige continued her speech, "The second, is…"
Ember shifted nervously in anticipation.
"Today I make my first coronation as Lady of this house and welcome Ember Drakenfist as captain of the guard and leader of our new cavalry, with all the rights, privileges (and work) therein!" The crowd laugh at the joke. "She has returned with experience in House Valdyr's cavaliers, during the defeat of Joko in the war in Kourna, as well as many other campaigns under her beld. She will serve with pride and prestige! Three cheers for House Dejarin and Guard Captain Ember Drakenfist!"
The crowd erupted and cheered at the announcement, as the first set of fireworks launched. Paige clapped, stepped away from the podium with a warm, welcoming smile to Ember. Nervously, Ember returned a weary smile, then proceeded to the stage. Within two steps upon it, she tripped, fell headfirst onto the deck. There was an audible gasp from the small audience. Ember quickly stood, brushed herself off, attempted to look indifferent to the incident, but her head slightly smoked.
To urge her on, a member of Ember's cavalry named Ariadne roared over the crowd. "To our first female captain!" she yelled, holding a mug to the sky with a wink to Ember.
Ember slightly grinned in spite of herself and took her place behind the podium. "I… Uh… We at House Dejarin are not responsible for any drake-caused burns, bites, injuries or death."
The crowd erupted in laughter. Paige joined them and giggled. She knew her father's sense of humor, felt it in the joke he undoubtedly helped the new captain write, but said nothing. Instead she whispered to Ariadne, "Ari, there's a hidden chest beside the stage we will be presenting to Ember. I think she will be quite surprised. Would you mind fetching it after her speech is concluded?"
The woman's speech was as short as Ember, herself. There were a lot of pauses, a bit of stammering, but the new captain did the best she could. Ember's eyes lit up as she spoke of future plans for her raptor rider cavalry and the uniforms they would wear, which she was modeling throughout the night. She awkwardly thanked all for coming, then quickly excused herself from the podium. It happened so quickly, the servant, Sebastian, had to be prodded to set off additional fireworks.
Ember made her way through the crowd, planning a stealthy retreat. It's not that she didn't want the position, but all the fuss focused on her put the woman in an extremely exposed position and she just wanted to get on with her duties. She came to an abrupt stopped as Ari stood with Paige, blocking her escape.
Paige folded her arms playfully. "You're not planning on leaving so soon, are you? You haven't eaten or even opened your gift."
Ari presented the small chest she had retrieved.
"A dear friend wished me to give this to you," Paige said with a sly wink. She invited a few over to witness; the drunk charr, Nyto, then a small asura named Varro, who had been busily pocking seashells. "She'll be so surprised; just watch!"
Ember blinked confusedly. She accepted the chest with reservation, then cautiously opened it. The lid creaked open to reveal a gossamer lined velvet padding which held two fingerless bracers in its center.
A choked gasped came from Ember, her eyes immediately tearing. She let the chest fall as she cradled the bracers and began to sob.
Without warning, a cloud of white, black and purple smoke magically emanated from the bracers, following unseen pathways to culminate and gather. Within, a silhouette of a four armed woman was seen, stepping out and forming into Ember's partner: Demitra.
"Ahai, my love," the Djinn smiled ruby lips at Ember's shocked expression.
"I… uh… I wanted this to be special for her," Paige whispered to Ari.
Ember stood as a statue, wide-eyed in disbelief. She stammered, reached out to Demitra, touching the Elonian's arm to ensure she was real. Demitra giggled as she wrapped her arms around the woman. "I am here, dear heart."
Cheers rang out through the small gathering, as the last round of fireworks were launched, the noises forcing Ember back to reality. "I… I can't believe… I'm so… I'm so glad you're back!" She stared at Demitra's eyes of emeralds, then embraced her and drug her lover into a deep, passionate kiss.
Demitra giggled, pulled back to stare at Ember's tear-filled reds. "Did you honestly think I would miss such an event?"
"I… I didn't think you'd know!" Ember said, absolutely giddy.
A ruby thick-lipped smile came from Demitra. "Oh, I knew, indeed!" she said, winking at Paige.
"H-how… did you?" Ember looked confoundedly at Paige.
Paige quaintly smiled, then excused herself without a word, attending to the guests.
"It is quite a bit of a story, my dear. I found myself being… called upon… while Paige was on a quest within Elona. I assisted; came to understand that we shared friendships with others: you and… And Valandra," she paused for a moment at the name, then pushed forward. "As a gift to me, Lady Paige allowed for transport back to Tyria… and back to you."
Ember buried her face in the corner of Demitra's neck, causing the woman's cheeks to darken.
"She is quite remarkable, you know? This Lady Paige Dejarin, daughter of the Dejarin line; the wonderous House which you have joined." Demitra turned her attention to Ember with a squeeze. "Come. There will be time for us; Let us not forget those who have come to your coronation."
The two ventured back to the crowd, when a loud boom pierced the air. Over the water, next to the shore, appeared a rift in the air. Its burgundy ripples and electrical magic may have been a beautiful sight, had a force of Joko's Awakened not come through it, followed by a large Elite Candid Awakened.
"Death to all, in Joko's name!" its sinister garbled voice rang out.
"Why… Why would the Awakened still be attacking us, after Joko's death?" Ari asked.
"There are those who choose not to believe in his death," Paige concluded as the Elite began ordering his troops forward.
"Then we get them first!" cried out Varro as he unsheathed his weapon.
Nyto shook himself sober, came to stand beside the others. "Let's show'em what our steel can do, then!"
"Wish our cavalry was already ready," Paige considered aloud.
"Your Captain of the Cavalry is already ready!" Ember said proudly, drawing her flame-sword.
"Then let us put an end to these abominations!" Demitra said. Her skin suddenly erupted, replaced by a star field held together by fuchsia electrical currents. Two additional arms came from the woman's sides, as purple smoke held her aloft, her legs disappearing in it.
The party hesitated at the woman's advance. "Should we… should we attack?" Ari asked Paige.
Djinn Demitra held out all four arms to channel sands from the beech, which rose to meet each hand. The sand shimmered, formed shards of reflective glass surrounding each hand as fluid crystalline structures. At the apex of her channeling, and just before the enemy reached her, her back arched, then pulled all four hands were together. A cone of mirror fragments and pink electricity was unleashed upon the enemies. It permeated everything in its path, decimated all living and awakened things ahead of the Djinn, and turned the sands below to mirrored glass. The Elite and all his subordinates toppled over, landing with thuds onto the mirror floor as the portal behind them snapped shut.
Demitra collapsed onto the ground. Her skin was returned to its normal caramel color, the two additional arms now gone. She lie naked and unmoving upon the mirror she had created along with her vanquished foes.
Ember cried out, dropped her flame sword and ran to the woman's aid. "Demitra? Are you… Are you alright, hon?" Ember scooped the woman into her arms. "Tell me you're alright! I… I just got you back… I…"
Demitra coughed and giggled slightly at her partner's concern, touching as it was. "Perhaps that was overzealous of me?"
"You think?" Ember said as she cradled the woman, kissing her cheeks, her neck and squeezing her more than she knew she probably should, given her condition.
Paige and the rest came to inspect the scene. A few murmurs could be heard from the crowd as they looked at the woman who had just single-handedly taken out an incursion force. Paige shushed them. "What she did was to save us from any losses that may have happened, and to me, that's worthy of celebrating! Please, enjoy the feast my staff has prepared, and let this incident not ruin our night," she said, diplomatically, gesturing to the tables of food. The group meandered over to the feast, still obviously talking about what had just occurred; Paige stayed behind.
An unheard command had a staff member bringing Lady Paige a cloak, which she lay atop Demitra's curvaceous body, blushing as she did so. "I-I'm grateful," she stammered, then politely turned as Demitra was brought to her feet and adjusted the cloak to wrap around her.
"Thank you for saying so Lady Paige Dejarin, although, I shall admit such a thing was not my plan; I still have much to learn about my…"
"Djinniness?" Ember giggled. "Kind of makes you miss the days when I was the weird one, huh?" She pecked the woman's cheek.
Demitra slightly frowned at the joke. "It was my hope to obtain answers from the otherwise cryptic Djinn; thus, I ventured to the Djinn Sanctuary deep in the desolate wastes. Given my…" she paused, distastefully said the word, "'transformation,' I considered, perhaps, the Djinn would be willing to assist in explanations of their own kind. However, upon arrival at the gate, I was not allowed admittance, turned away, rejected for a reason that continues to elude and vex me. I was simply told to 'Return when you are pure'."
Ember blinked. "Really? But they let me and Val…" She paused, shook her head angrily. "We should go right back there and I'll kick in their door!"
"You do know the entrance is a magical sand portal they control, love?" Demitra smirked.
"I'd still kick it down. Well, I'd kick it until they let us in!" Ember stuck out her foot, emulating a small kick.
Demitra chuckled. "I am quite certain you would try until the point of exhaustion, and for that, Ember, I love you."
Ember grumbled. "Well, you're pure to me, at least," she said, her hands around the woman's waist.
Paige was lost in thought. As if knowing her train of thought, Demitra smiled. "It feels… It feels connected somehow. You're time in the vault; you summoning me, Paige. This riddle: It all seems… connected? In a way I truly do not understand."
"Hey… Just how did you two meet? You said you were summoned?" She raised an eyebrow at Demitra, then looked to Paige, "And you were in the Deslation with Nalla?"
Paige giggled at Ember's inquisitiveness, akin to her own. She decided to offer up an explanation, having ignored the woman's inquiry earlier. "Remember that ritual I was researching the other night? Well, while it may not have had the desired results, it worked. (And it worked really well; I summoned a Djinn!)" She tapped the torch base attached to her belt. "I think this torch we found in that vault had something to do with it. I just don't understand how… yet."
Demitra's emerald eyes grew wide. "The… The vault? Does she speak of our vault?" she asked Ember, who nodded. "Paige, I would wish to understand your ordeal in the vault. While I know it is deeply… personal, if your experience was anything like my own, and Ember's… But there is something that possibly holds the key to how you summoned me without my vessel."
"Vess- What?" Ember looked confused.
"I'd be willing to share. We can maybe swap stories after we have privacy in the manor?"
Demitra nodded. "This, I would very much appreciate Lad-"
Ember interrupted, "Oh! The vessel where we met? What was its name? The Mockingbird? It's been so long, but it really still feels like yesterday when we met just south of here."
Paige tilted her head, "What were you doing there?"
A smirk came from Demitra. "I was… 'securing' passage on the vessel. But that is not the vessel of which I sp-"
"Oh wait! We met before that!" Ember excitedly reminisced. "Remember? At the party?"
"I do, indeed. You wore that long evening gown, which accentuated your curves," Demitra winked.
Ember's head burst into flame. "I… I was… Um… forced to wear that dress."
"It was lovely, dear heart," Demitra pressed her ruby lips to the woman's cheek. "It made me notice you." She brushed Ember's bangs from her face (which immediately fell right back down into place).
She looked at them, smiled and watched Varro mount a small raptor, and waved goodbye. She sighed. "I really wish we could do this every night."
"Such a thing can be granted," Demitra joked.
Paige turned and laughed.
"It's a phrase, Ember; a saying," Paige attempted to explain.
"Ah… Well, there goes my plan," Ember said with a smirk.
Demitra laughed. "Well you know Ember: your wish, is my command." The Elonian winked at her love.
"Um… Well… We might need a room," Ember teased.
Paige turned, began to sashay away. "You do know that the Captain of the Cavalry has permanent residence here at the estate. Did I fail to mention that? Oh, silly me," the woman said playfully as she retired.
"Did you… Did you grant a wish right then?" Ember asked Demitra with a seriously puzzled look.
Demitra laughed. "Ember, you fool!"
Ember's face flushed.
The couple walked along the beach back to the manor, not noticing a trail of blood which started at the mirror, traveled along the shoreline and behind a rock. The source was a dying drake. It took its last breath as shards of crystalline mirror embedded in its side ended the creature's life.
[To be Continued...]
[Note: This story takes place after the events of The Search for Lexxie.
If you'd like to learn more about how Paige and Demitra met between Books 2 & 3, see The Search for Lexxie: Chapters 7 - 9]
If you'd like to learn more about how Paige and Demitra met between Books 2 & 3, see The Search for Lexxie: Chapters 7 - 9]
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