Aide collapsed on the floor, as soon as the hallway outside the throne room was cleared of guards. His wounds were still leaking purple blood, and caused him to look almost a deadly pale color. Even though, he still bravely tried to stand up and continue.
"Aide stop, you can't go on," Emaia said, after having tied her armor on. "How did this even happen to you, did you get caught?"
Aide gritted his teeth, clearly in severe pain. "No, they caught Shea. Tortured her like me, until she caved. She was the one who gave them my name."
"Where is she now?" Emaia timidly asked.
Aide looked down at the floor, and that was all the answer she needed.
"Oh my God." She said, feeling her throat close.
"She died from her injuries, before she could tell them it was me," Aide said. "They kept us in separate rooms, but I could hear everything they did to her..."
"You're not fighting," Emaia said, coming up to his side, and placed a hand on his face. "You're in no condition, both mentally and physically. You've lost too much blood, you can't go on."
Aide grimaced, as he leaned up against the stone wall. "No, I'm fine. It stings, that's all. I think one of the diamonds from the lashes is caught somewhere in one of the wounds."
"What?!" Emaia screeched. "Turn over, I'm getting it out!"
"Emaia, no," Aide objected, when she tried to turn him herself. "We don't have time, there's still a war outside. They need me, Tessmia, Kai—"
"- Can handle themselves, and even if not, you wouldn't be much good to them if you're dead," Emaia argued. "Now turn around, I'm getting that diamond out."
Aide watched her eyes for a moment, maybe evaluating his options. She wasn't letting it go. "Okay. But just... don't go on if it gets too bloody for you."
Emaia pressed her lips together, but nodded. She had already seen him lie in a pool of his own blood and watched the blood splash out of him, as he got whipped. Just thinking about it made her want to throw up, but she could handle this. The man she loved was in serious pain – she could do this for him.
"Lean over so I can see," She gently said. Aide did so, and groaned as some of his wounds stretched. His hair even looked purple from being stained. There was just so much blood, it was a wonder how he could still walk and talk. It had to be the dragon within him, its strong soul was keeping him alive.
Emaia studied the marks on his back, trying to catch a glimmer of something glinting in the light of the torches on the wall. All she could see were deeply cut wounds and blood dripping down his back. She swallowed heavily.
"Mahlah," He whispered. "You don't have to."
Yes she did. Just then, she caught eye of something that didn't look like a droplet of blood. It was something hard, lodged right inside a wound on his shoulder, which made the wound bleed so much more.
"I've found it," Emaia shakily said. "I have to remove it. This is probably going to hurt."
"Go for it, firefly," Aide faintly smiled and braced himself.
Emaia felt a strong pull inside her stomach, a pull of love. She still couldn't believe it. Her brain was still calling him Aide, even though she knew his real name. A name that nobody else but her knew. The name of his soul.
"On the count of three," She said, and took a deep breath. "One... Two... Three!"
She dug her fingers into the wound, to get her nail around diamond. Aide screamed in pain, so loudly, she knew it would attract attention. She had to quickly get it out, before more guards arrived.
Finally, she managed to get a hold of the tiny, slippery diamond, that had practically etched itself into his skin. She ripped it out, and threw it away.
Aide let out a hiss in relief and painstakingly leaned back against the cold wall again. He looked even paler than before.
"It's over," Emaia whispered, tears welling up in her eyes. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."
"Don't say that," Aide tiredly opened his eyes and grimaced as he turned his head to look at her. "It feels so much better. Thank you, Mahlah."
Emaia only got a moment to smile, before she heard the sound of metal rattling from down the hall. More guards were approaching.
"We have to keep moving," Aide gutturally said, and tried to stand up. He failed miserably, and Emaia pushed him back against the wall.
"You're staying put," She firmly said and picked up a sword lying by his feet. "You've saved me so many times, I think it's time I save you."
"Emaia—"
The guards turned the corner of the hallway, and no more than five men came marching towards them. Emaia knew she didn't stand a living chance against five men, but she had to try. What was the other option? To die? Absolutely not. Not now, when the King was finally dead, and Aide had confessed his love to her. She was not letting him die.
She held up her sword, watching the guards, as they walked up to her. She knew they were going for the kill, and so she had to do the same. She readied herself for their attack.
"Hey!" A voice suddenly barked behind them. "Five against one? Not while me' hand still works, and me' sword is still sharp!"
The guards all turned and Emaia now saw Hanke, Dashel and Dom coming from down the hall, weapons ready and a game-face on their faces. She couldn't have been happier to see them.
Chaos broke loose in the narrow hallway, as everyone jumped each other and started fighting. Hanke was fierce with a sword, roaring like a lion as he pierced the first guard's armor. Dom, who was Kai's mate, was brutal, as he easily killed the second guard with a skilled move, as if he practiced it every morning. And finally Dashel, who Emaia had never really seen fight in action before, really did know how to work a sword. He swung it around and sliced the third guards throat, who dropped to the floor with a clutter. Suddenly only two guards remained.
"We'll give ye' mercy if ye' surrender peacefully," Hanke snapped. "Drop ye' swords, lads."
The two remaining guards, who Emaia only now noticed looked younger than the three others, carefully let their swords fall to the ground and held up their hands in surrender. It wasn't their war. They were just King Ragnar's young recruits, who had been forced into the army.
"Good lads," Hanke said and lowered his sword. "Run along with ye', be free."
"Thank you, Sir!" One of them croaked. "We promise, we won't fight no more! We never wanted to, King Ragnar—"
"We know," Emaia spoke up, and thrust her sword back in her holster as well. "Ragnar is dead. You'll never have to obey his commands again."
Hanke, Dashel, as well as the two young guards all gaped. They couldn't believe it; The nightmare was finally over.
"By the four seas!" Hanke exclaimed in shock.
"Unbelievable! You did it!" Dashel cheered and looked at Emaia. "It's all over!"
"We all did it," Emaia smiled, and then turned to Aide, who silently groaned from the floor. She hadn't even seen Dom walk over to him, until she saw him crouching on the floor next to him. He inspected his wounds.
"He's lost a lot of blood," Dom said and glanced up at her. "He needs medical attention."
"I don't have anything," Emaia shakily replied and crouched down next to him as well. "I-I don't know what to do, they tortured him and there w-were d-diamonds—"
"We need herbs and water," Dom interrupted. He glanced up at Dashel. "You – do you think you could track down some herbs in this castle? They gotta have some somewhere."
"I'm on it," Dashel said and gave Emaia a firm nod. "Don't worry, we're not letting him die, Emaia."
She gave him a thankful smile, before he ran off, down the hall. He was a good friend.
Aide coughed besides her. "You guys are overreacting. It's just blood."
Dom scoffed lightly. "No offense Hero, but this -" He said and poked a wound on his rib, which made Aide hiss in pain. "- is not just blood. That's your intestines, thank you very much."
Emaia had to look away, not to start crying or vomiting. To see him in this state, barely hanging onto his life, was killing her. The though that he might actually die—
"Emaia, Mahlah," Aide whispered. She felt his hand close around hers. "Look at my eyes."
She forced her eyes around to meet his, and saw his crystal orbs burning with strength. With heat.
"What do you see?"
Emaia softly smiled and couldn't help but let a tear fall. "I see fire."
Aide nodded, slowly. "I'm not giving up, and neither are you. You have to keep fighting."
Emaia nodded again, and then leaned in to his lips. She softly pressed her mouth against his bloodstained lips, and kissed him tenderly. She was going to keep fighting. For him.
"What in the good name of Mother Nature!" Hanke exclaimed behind them. "Is everyone just falling in love with each other?! We are at war, people, not at a party!"
"Nothing brings people closer together than a fight," Dom noted with a little smile.
In the back of her memory, Emaia remembered Tessmia saying something about how him and Kai had fallen in love at 'first fight'. She was certain that Dom was thinking back to that in this very moment.
"I can't wait to get back to me' wife," Hanke grumbled and kicked a small piece of metal on the ground. "I miss her sweet smile and stern voice."
Suddenly there were footsteps from the hall, and Dashel turned up, carrying a wooden chest and a bunch of small vials. "Here's everything I could find! You'll have to use the water from this canteen, I couldn't find a clean mug, can you believe it?"
"It'll do just fine," Dom smiled and took the stuff from Dashel, who handed it to him. "You guys should get back to the battlefield. They need you out there. Tessmia needs you out there," He added and looked at Dashel.
Dash got a sober look on his face, and straightened out. "I'm heading back right now. Hanke, you coming?"
"Ye' betcha!" He snapped. "The faster we get this whole thing ended, the faster I can go home to me' wife!"
"I'm coming too," Emaia said, and looked back at Aide. "Don't you dare die on me, okay?"
"As long as you promise me the same," Aide weakly smiled.
Emaia nodded firmly and leaned in for one last kiss. Aide places his hand behind her head and kept her there for a few more seconds before letting her go.
"Burn them to the ground, firefly."
-*-
Everywhere on the battlefield, corpses were lying. Some were the King's men, some were theirs, some were Northern Elves, some were Southern. Vaguely familiar faces stared blankly ahead, with pale, white eyes. Dead.
"We can't get emotional now," Dashel softly said, when he noticed the broken look on Emaia's face. "The ones who died, died while fighting for all of us. Let's not let that be in vain."
Emaia swallowed a lump and blinked away the tears that threatened to fall. "You're right. We need to keep fighting. Where's Kai and Tessmia?"
"The warrior-dude's mate is right there," Hanke commented and pointed to a figure. Emaia now spotted Kai fighting two men at once, with what looked like two small daggers. He had a cut right by his ribs, a stab wound in his thigh, and for some reason his ear was bleeding. But he was still standing, even if he was covered in blood, sweat and soil.
"I don't see Tessmia," Dashel said, worriedly. "I'm gonna go find her."
"I'll help Kai," Emaia added. "Hanke, what about—"
Hanke roared and charged off into the field, when some guard eyed a southern female elf out, who only had a dagger against the guard's sword. Emaia watched, as he jumped in front of the young woman and met the guard with his own sword. His temper was handy in a war, she had to give him that.
Emaia then turned on her feet and started running towards Kai, who was being cornered by the two big guards. They had murder written across their faces.
"Oh boooys," Emaia called, and made all three men turn their heads. Kai glared confused, but the two guards grinned, when they saw Emaia slowly reach for her bodice. Their eyes fell to the swell of her breasts.
That little stunt gave Kai the opportunity to gain the upper-hand and while they were distracted, he quickly grabbed a sword from the ground. Before the two guards even got a chance to register what was happening, Kai launched a dagger straight at one of them, while he thrust his sword through the other. Both men fell down, dead.
"Damn, guuurl," Kai whistled, after catching his breath. "I taught you good!"
Emaia bowed ironically, but then grinned up at him. "I'm just glad it worked."
"Well it worked on them, but not me," Kai winked and spat a dollop of blood out of his mouth. "Knowing your opponent is the best thing on the battlefield. Did Hero teach you that?"
She smiled meekly and nodded. "Who else?"
Kai frowned at her worried face, and came up to her. "Where is he? Is he okay?"
"He's badly wounded, but Dom is with him," She reassured him, even though she wasn't assured herself. "He'll be fine."
Kai placed a hand on her shoulder and squeezed. "He will. Dom is a great healer."
She had to take his word for it. He did seem like he knew what he was doing, but until Emaia saw Aide walking around well and healthy again, she still felt sick in her stomach about leaving him.
"You guys slept together, didn't you?" Kai suddenly said, raising a suspicious brow.
Emaia blushed, but kept her gaze firm. "W-why would you say that?"
Kai grinned widely at that. "Fuck yes, you did! I could sense you weren't as innocent as before – hence the boob trick."
Emaia blushed even more, and then looked away. "We should get back to the fight. Dashel is out looking for Tessmia, have you seen her?"
Kai's smile immediately dropped. "I lost track of her a while back. Last I saw, she was fighting some guard with two maces. I haven't seen her since."
"Dashel will find her," Emaia smiled, now placing a hand on his shoulder. "Come on, let's fight."
Kai took a deep breath before looking at her. "You're right. Let's show Hero we can save the world without him."
-*-
It was brutal, it was heartbreaking, and it was a miracle. Everyone who mattered to Emaia had somehow kept their lives, even if so many others she didn't know had lost theirs. The war had been life changing, but finally, the last man had fallen.
For some reason, which Emaia only learned after the war was over, she had never gotten the chance to kill anybody. Kai had kept swooping in, and taken the kill for her, whenever she had been lucky enough to fight someone to the ground. Afterwards, Kai had told her with a shrug, that Aide had told them all to look after her, and never let her kill. He didn't want her to have any blood on her hands, which, when Emaia thought about it, was heartwarming. She left the battlefield without haven killed a single person.
Now that it was over, she saw Aide limping out of the castle with his arm slung around Dom, who supported him. They came up to Hanke, Emaia, Kai, Dashel, and Tessmia, who had been found fighting and defeating a guard, who had tried to take her behind a tree.
"That was the last time he got wood," She had replied, when Dashel had looked murderous. After that, nothing but proudness painted his face. Everyone was safe, and now, as Emaia watched Aide coming down the stairs of the castle and saw him smiling at them all, she truly felt the war was over.
"And Hero lives!" Kai howled into the sky. "Hurrah!"
"Damn, they didn't get you either." He chuckled dryly in response, as he unfurled himself from Dom, and staggered towards Emaia. Dom had bandaged him up and placed herbal remedies over his worst wounds. He wasn't bleeding anymore.
"Aide," Emaia whispered, as he stopped in front of her and cupped his face.
"Mahlah," He whispered back. "My warrior."
Their lips met, and behind them, they heard Tessmia awe in happiness. They also heard Hanke grunt lightly, in what could have been a reasonable acceptance of their love. But everything else blurred out, for Emaia. Everything, but Aide.
"We won," Emaia whispered, when their lips finally broke apart. "We're free."
"For the rest of our lives," Aide smiled back, and leaned his forehead against hers.
Behind them, Kai and Dom were embracing, as well as Dashel and Tessmia, too. That left an awkward Hanke to seventh-wheel them all.
"Ye' all are a bunch of sappy sissies," He bickered, when they kissed. "I think I'll go around the battlefield to check who's still alive, while ye' all swap saliva."
"That's fine with me," Kai noted with a smirk and glanced to the rest of them. "So; Who's up for a six-way?"
-*-
After almost a week, the final headcount of those alive, was revealed. More than half of them had survived, which apparently was because of The Southern Elves, who had taken the liberty to mess with the King's war machines, so they couldn't fire. Many lives were saved thanks to that.
Tessmia and Dashel returned to the north two weeks after the war, along with Kai and Dom, and the rest of the northern elves.
Hanke stuck around for a couple of weeks as well, to help Emaia out with setting up new goals for harmonious living. They also made banners to announce the new world and honor the ones who died fighting for it. But after a few weeks, it was finally time for Hanke to go home to his long-missed wife, who awaited him in the south. Apparently, she was close to giving birth. As an added bonus, The Southern Elves accompanied him on his trip, so they could go home, too.
The people of Daleon returned to their city, to breathe life back into the streets again, as did The Western people. Iron as strong as diamonds was again forged in the West, and the Daleon's started producing beautiful new robes in brand new designs, as a tribute to the new world.
Emaia and Aide begun working out a new and less brutal security system, and even got a hold of Hanke again, who volunteered as the trainer of those who wanted to keep the streets safe. A new security order was created, that eventually came to be named The Aiders.
Finally, all the city gates got opened and everyone was allowed everywhere. Elves could walk freely, even if it did take some time for some people to adjust to the new way, they eventually came to see that elves weren't creatures to fear. Some even started hiring elves in their stores and shops, and even brought them on board their ships, to help hunt for buried treasures at sea.
- Of course things wasn't just magically over like that. There were still those who had trouble adjusting to the new ways, and it would probably take many years to change that. But at least now people didn't have to fear what would happen if they spoke their opinions, or practiced a different belief than their neighbor. Nobody was required to wear dresses or breeches, according to their gender, and women as men had equal rights. Those who was going to hate, could hate.
It took nearly two months to work everything out, but when they finally did, the new world was established; Senwarth Kingdom was finally a free world.
As Emaia and Aide returned to the north again, when the month ran out, they found that things were going well there, too.
"We're getting joined," Tessmia told them as the first thing, when they entered the village. "Me and Dashel - we're holding a ceremony! It's partially a marriage, and partially a joining ritual. The first wedding between a human and an elf since The Great Purge!"
"Congratulations, Sunshine," Aide had said and hugged her tightly. "I'm so happy for you guys."
"And I'm happy for you guys, too," She had replied and looked at them both. "What are your plans for the future?"
At that, Aide had looked down at Emaia, wrapped his arms around her and placed a soft kiss on her lips. "To keep the fire blazing."