Ruin
James gives up his very wings & angelhood to save his sick girlfriend's life, hampering his own.
Ruin
A Heaven & Earth tale
By LonelyRider
James LightningSword rode his percheron stallion towards the mouth of the eerie cave, spotting the dreamcatcher bearing a bird skull hanging from the dead tree branch. He gulped audibly, his normally fearless steed was uneasy, not wanting to press on.
"Aha....a man has come to trade with me. Enter my lair, brave fighter." Came a young and beautiful voice that carried a strange edge to it; James' horse Thunder whinnied in fear at the sound of it, James dismounted and soothed his mount.
"Whoa boy....easy, easy. It's ok." James comforted, Thunder whinnied at him again as he walked towards the cave entrance, feeling his huge heart hammering in his breast; he was frightened, though he tried to hide it, his legs trembled.
"Hello, Miss BlackClawe, my name is James LightningSword, gladiator tanker and apprentice spellcaster, at your service. I," James gulped again, feeling neasous with fear, but he went on, hating the tremble in his voice; she had to hear it, "I have come to trade, a miracle for my," he gazed down fondly at the beautiful dark green stone Lonely had gifted him around his neck, resting on his heart, "My beautiful girlfriend, in exchange for a tragedy, from me." James stayed himself; his legs almost buckled he was so frightened. Griselda laughed, shifting in the darkness, it went through him, she inhaled his fear, smelling it, tasting it.
"Last chance to run away, boy." Griselda giggled with glee, he could see her big green eyes in the dark; he felt like he was going to faint, but he fought it bravely.
"No, please I....you see Miss, she's very sick, please help me."
"Oh...I will. Before I emerge...understand my terms, man." Griselda literally hissed the last word and James nodded, gulping again.
"Please continue."
"Deals are permenent, and irreversible. Be sure you know what you desire, before you agree. I do not make deals with women, only men. The last condition....I name my price, not you."
"Done." James replied, Griselda stepped out of the dark into the candle light, and he gasped and knelt, politely, for he was startled. She was an enormous feral cat with short brown fur, even bigger than his horse. Her claws flexed in his field of vision and the gold she wore around her neck glistened. James gasped as he realized there were artifacts all around; things the men before him had sacrificed in deals. Beautiful swords and shields, scrolls, books, gold and treasures, trophies and potions and works of art. What he didn't know was that these were from her early days; now, she asked men for far more in exchange for the magic she worked. Much, much more.
"Firstly....James, an article of your woman." Griselda literally purred, extending a deadly claw at her big glowing green orb floating before her, James nodded, handing the huge cat a ring Lonely favored with Arcangel Micheal on it. "Yes...I sense her." Griselda growled lowly, eyes narrowing.
"Oh Miss BlackClawe, can you heal her?" James pleaded, on the edge of panic. Griselda smiled, which sent a hard shiver up James' spine; it was the most unnerving thing he'd ever seen, showing fierce teeth and eyes hungry his way.
"Oh yes, yes I can. If you pay my price, surely."
James knelt.
"Name it."
"Show me yourself." Griselda purred, circling him slowly. James flexed, an impressive display at his size, splaying his wings, he sent a bolt of lightning magic from one hand to the other, then unsheathed his twin swords and demonstrated some tanking moves.
"Strength, magic, sword skills, horsemanship. You men bore me with your repititive ways. However.." She chuckled lowly, tapping his hairy chest with her long claw, James gasped lightly; she'd drawn blood. Griselda sat behind her green orb, smirking at him, tail swishing. "I have decided my price."
"Anything for my Lonely." James gasped, kneeling again, sword in the ground. Griselda's eyes flashed and her lip twitched excitedly.
"Your wings." She said. James inhaled hard, his wings shook and he looked at them, his eyes wide.
"Deal!" He shouted, he winced, breathing hard in terror; he had to fight the urge to run, everything in him fought against what he was about to do. Griselda extended her foot long claws, bending low to talk to him, reveling in his obvious terror.
"If you accept this contract, give me your arm. Your girlfriend restored to full health, permenently, in exchange for your wings and halo."
James held out a shaking huge muscled forearm, baring the underside. Griselda sliced it, drawing a trail of blood from his elbow to his wrist, which oozed to the ground in a puddle. James fell to his knees, his face shocked, fighting the growing urge to run, he gasped in pain and grimaced, feeling hard tugging on his back where his wings attached.
"No...wait..I....no, James....shut up. Do it, please, take them! Oh God, ahhh!" James screamed in pain as Griselda's magic tore his wings from his scalpulas, he felt hot blood ooze down his back; he grabbed his hair and yanked it, tears streaming from his eyes, he couldn't bear to look. Griselda threw back her head and laughed in exhilaration, very much enjoying breaking a man as strong as he. His halo pulled apart and his wings grew transparent, ripped the rest of the way not only from his back but his soul, he cried out in pain and convulsed on the ground, whimpering softly and grasping his hair hard. Her orb absorbed his angelhood, then poured his miracle back out onto her; huge bat-like wings sprouted from her back, and horns grew from her head, his treasures transferred to her.
"The finest deal I believe I've ever made! Behold, your wish fufilled! See, even now, she stirs!" Griselda showed a bleeding, shaking and crying James a vision of Lonely in her orb, who stirred from her deathly ill sleep and awoke, the red veins and lightning that had filled her literally melting away, she looked shocked as she sat up in bed, restored to full health. He went to touch her image and it disappeared. James felt vomit rising in his throat, he was so sick at what had just happened.
"My girl....she's well! Oh...thank you, Miss BlackClawe. Oh...please....excuse me." James mustered his shaking legs to stumble outside of her cave, barely making it before he voilently threw up, horrified at his loss. Griselda shrieked with delight as she soared out of her cave on her brand new wings, her horns glistening as she flew into the starry night. James mounted Thunder weakly, who neighed at him, sensing things were very wrong. James' broad muscled back was still bleeding, all that was left of his big beautiful wings were two little lumps where they had once attached to his back. James leaned over, careful not to get his horse, and threw up again, literally disgusted at what he'd let her do to him.
"Thunder...boy....Lonely is....safe...now." James passed out, the physical and emotional trauma too much. Thunder whinnied in fear as Griselda swooped overhead, laughing in delight; Thunder was a trained war horse, but Griselda terrified him. Thunder took off in a gallop, keeping an eye on his unconscious master so as not to drop him.
Abaddon LightningSword heard a loud whinny and hoofbeats at the base of his tower. It wasn't like him to answer his doors, but tonight he did, throwing them open in annoyance.
"Blasted beast! Get out of...." Abaddon inhaled hard, seeing hulking James collapse off Thunder's back in a heap, still out cold. Thunder pawed the ground and whinnied at Abaddon, who shoved the huge horse away. "James, boy! Wake up!" Abaddon slapped James' cheek lightly, but he didn't stir. Abaddon growled a spell in latin and James gave a sharp inhale as his father's painful fire healing spell awoke and restored him. Abaddon muttered another spell, casting a ring of fire around them, so he could see better; the cliff where his tower stood was very dark. "I said wake up!" Abaddon shouted, he cast the healing again and this time James came to, startled, he looked around, trying to get his bearings.
"Dad? Thunder?" James asked, his horse nuzzled him and Abaddon swatted him away.
"Never mind! What in hell are you doing? Why were you....my God that I don't even believe in...what....what happened to you?" Abaddon gasped, seeing in the firelight James was missing his wings and halo. James inhaled and turned his head with a fierce blush, not wanting his father or later, his lover, to see him like that. He felt 2 inches tall. Abaddon's long-time temper got the best of him. He grabbed James by his chest harness and shook him very hard.
"What have you done!" Abaddon shouted, his irises red and raven wings pulsing with flames in his anger.
"Dad...oh....forgive me, I....Lonely was deathly sick, so I went to see....excuse me, Griselda BlackClawe." James excused himself and heaved a 3rd time, the disgust at the loss of his angelhood hitting him again; but it was a dry heave, there was nothing left in him. Abaddon's eyes flew wide and he trembled in fury. Without thinking, he punched his son in the jaw, Thunder whinnied in Abaddon's face, protecing his master, James grabbed his father's wrist as Abaddon snarled at the equine.
"Dad, please don't hurt Thunder!" James pleaded, panting and wiping tears, Abaddon hauled back and backhanded James across his face savagely and poor James cried out in anguish, Thunder actually bit Abaddon, who was so angry he ignored it.
"You...gave up your wings.....your angelhood.....your ability to fly....for....for....for a little female? You're a disgusting weakling! I should've known seeking you out was a mistake on my part. In fact, I made the right choice years ago. Leaving you, both of you. I'm ashamed to be seen with you, look at you! Vile! Who will want you now, who will ever want you now? One thing is certain, I don't. Don't ever come back here." Abaddon stood up, a cold sneer on his face, he was so enraged he set fire to a dead tree behind them with a scream, blowing it to pieces.
"Dad....Abaddon, please, f....f...f.....forgive me! I...I....I....I'm sorry, I couldn't let her die, oh you're right....how can she want me...how can you....how can....anyone.....I've saved my girl, and now I can't show her my face. I'm hideous! I've failed you. I've failed her. I've failed everyone." Tears of shame streaming down his hot face, James quickly mounted his horse and took off, even more ashamed at his loud sobbing onto Thunder's mane as his horse bore him swiftly away. Abaddon screamed in rage and cast another fire spell, but alarm overcame him as he recalled the horrible things he'd just said in his anger.
"Fuck! Dante!" Abaddon whirled; his servant bowed, awaiting orders. "Follow him, follow the boy. Make sure he doesn't do anything to...harm himself, he's hysterical." Abaddon grabbed his servent by his throat, which burned his hand, but he was still too enraged to even care, snarling at the poor elemental despite the hissing of his very flesh. "If James dies on your watch, so help me, I will find a frigid lake and drown you in it myself, you understand me?" Abaddon threatened, tightening his grip on the creature's throat.
"Yes, master!" Dante hissed, Abaddon had always been surly, but he'd never attacked his servant until now. Abaddon threw the elemental down roughly and he hurried away in the direction James had fled on his steed. Abaddon whirled with an enraged scream at the stars, shaking in fury.
"Damn you!" He shook his fist at the breathtaking sky, cursing it, cursing God Himself unabashedly. "This is all your fucking fault!"
With that, Abaddon LightningSword slammed the double doors to his obsidian tower shut, leaving the remnents of the destroyed tree to smolder and going to his study to brood in quiet rage.