Andreamore

4

Lisa wakes with a groan. Her head hurts worse than she's ever felt it. She looks around, she's in a room she doesn't recognize. This one is decorated in shades of blue and green, very restful and calming.

She finds something holding her down when she goes to get out of the bed. That's when she realizes that she's not alone in this bed. She looks behind her and finds Tyler is the one holding her.

"Forgive me miss," Lionel says at her shocked face. "The servants have been sent from here, at least most of them were, so I thought it would be easier to take care of you both if you were close together. This way when the prince wakes he'll see for himself that you are well."

Lisa relaxes with this explanation. She and Tyler were friends but not bed mates. "Is there something for my head? I feel as though there is an army stomping through it." Lisa says holding back the tears of pain.

"I imagine that is from the use of such a great amount of magic all at once," Lionel says as he pours her something to drink from the pitcher at the bedside.

Lisa takes the cup and Lionel helps her to sit up, "What do you mean?" Lisa says then drinks thirstily at the contents.

Lionel looks at her intently, "Don't you remember the fighting?"

Lisa snorts, "How can anyone forget that? Tyler had been injured badly. There was smoke and debris all over the place and people with weapons turning to face me."

"Do you remember the fire that attacked the invaders?" Lionel says casually but looks at her intently.

"A bit, things start getting fuzzy about then." The pain in her head increases as the memories replay themselves.

"The fire was from your magic, miss. You sent it out to kill or destroy all those that would harm Andreamore. Surprisingly enough there were some that were defenders that took fire as well. The traitors deserved to burn." Lionel's voice turns angry and hard as he recounts what happened to the invaders.

Lisa sighs, "How do you know that they were traitors, Lionel? They could have just been unlucky enough to be caught in the cross hairs." 

Lionel shakes his head, "The spell is specific, those that would harm Andreamore only. Nothing else burned, not even cloth that was right next to a burning corpse. Cloth that is highly flammable I might add. But even so, the prince would consider losing his home better than losing his empire. We still haven't found out just how far out your little death curse went.

"Even if it isn't enough to destroy the whole of their army, it is sufficient so that they won't be able to come at us again for some time. Our army wasn't strong enough against what they had, but it is still a strong army and is more than enough for now.

"Now rest miss. That is the best thing for overextending one's magical abilities. I must say that I'm glad I was wrong this time." Lionel says as he bustles about smoothing the wrinkled bed covers and making Lisa comfortable once more.

"Wrong?" Lisa queries. Even as she feels her eyes start to close.

"Yes, miss, I told the Prince that nothing good could come from the Earth realm." Lionel says just as she falls into a deep sleep helped along by the tonic she had ingested.

Tyler finds himself in pain. That isn't what really surprises him, after all his last thoughts had been about how he'd tried to send Lisa home and couldn't. He'd had to seal the portal to Earth, stranding Lisa here. "Lisa."

He in reflex pulls his arm towards himself. He's rather surprised that it doesn't hurt more. He was sure that he'd received a deep cut on that arm. Once again he's shocked his arm pulls a warm body next to him. And that warm body is soft and smells good with a hint of, Tyler opens his eyes, burnt meat.

He finds himself holding Lisa tight to him. He rather likes the feel, but he doesn't think Lisa would appreciate it.

"You're awake, good sire." Lionel sounds relieved and that wakes Tyler even further.

"Tell me Lionel what happened? Last thing I remember is sealing the portal to Earth because the invaders were right on top of me. Quite literally. I was disarmed, and hurt badly. How is it that I'm still alive and in my room with Lisa in bed next to me?"

"She saved us sire, you brought back the help that we needed." Lionel gives the condensed version of what happened.

Tyler rather reluctantly lets Lisa go and shifts to the other side of the bed and gets up. "Okay, now that you've given me no information how about a report that tells me what actually happened."

Lionel shifts over to the other side of the bed ready to help Tyler if he needs it. He gathers clean clothes as Tyler makes his way to the bathing room.

As Tyler gets in the hot water and relaxes Lionel begins his report. "I don't know exactly what or how or even why any of it happened, I got there too late to see. When I got there you were down, covered in blood, mostly yours I believe, and Miss Lisa was holding you and crying. The glow of power was just leaving her hands.

"Someone with incredible amounts of power sent off a power curse. It lit all those that are or rather were enemies to Andreamore on fire. Starting I believe with those that hurt you. Suddenly the halls and streets were filled with flaming bodies. Not just Elves and not just invaders. Some of the animals that had come to us for sanctuary also were ignited." Lionel states and lets the words sink in.

"So," Tyler says, "we were right. There were traitors among those that stayed to fight. Of the animals, which betrayed us as well? The unicorns? The griffons, the hippogriffs, the dragons?"

"Not the magical ones Tyler, at least not the major magical ones. The wyverns and other dragon kin, some of the other lesser magical creatures. The unicorns fought hoof and horn, the griffons and hippogriffs went up against the flying creatures of the enemy. The dragons went as far behind the lines as they could. No, they all acquitted themselves well."

"Okay, but that still doesn't explain why Lisa is in my bed." Tyler says after Lionel reports.

"She healed you then fainted. She is the one that you were sent to find. I apologize for my lack of faith in the Earth realm. She unleashed incredible amounts of magic, we still haven't found out how far back the curse goes. It will takes weeks to gather and completely burn the dead.

"The servants were sent out to other realms and the portals sealed. It will take time to unseal the portals and bring them back. There are many injured and few to care for them. I felt it would be easier and better to have Miss Lisa next to you where I can take care of you both. That and I thought you'd want to know immediately that she is safe."

"You are like usual correct Lionel. You should bring some of her clothes in here so that she can bathe and put on clean garments when she awakens."

Tyler orders even as he gets out and dries himself off and gets dressed in his own clean clothes. He's glad that Lisa is safe, now he just hopes that she'll forgive him.