second chance, continued..

I said wake up.

"Alright, Bloodwing, where were we?"

First you're going to finish that canteen.

Grudgingly I drank the last of the scalding water from my container as he continued.

Do you see that temple on the edge of the volcano? Eons ago, I was worshiped there. That was the very first House Bloodwing. The halls wafted with incense. The neko servants danced for me in the most beautiful silks. Now, it is ready to crumble into the dust, to be forgotten by History.

"What happened?" I asked as I lay the empty canteen at my feet.

My High Priestess grew jealous of the attentions of the other servants, and betrayed me. They used to sacrifice virgins to the volcano to supplicate the volcano spirit. But when I arrived, I battled the spirit into submission, and the mountain lay dormant for centuries.

"Did you sacrifice virgins too?" I sneered.

His voice remained serious, with but a tint of anger.

I killed NO ONE! The High Priestess was lured by the promises of the volcano spirit, and she did his bidding by turning my bodyguards against me. While I fought the magma spirit in the heart of that volcano after a surprise attack, She captured those servants who remained faithful..tortured them..and finally strangled them on their own silks. That is why..

I nodded quickly. I knew that thread of the story all too well. No need to hear it again.

I did finally slay that magma spirit..I consumed it, and it mingled with my own and became an inner flame. I transferred that flame to Qlippothic's furnace when I helped you build her. And now that flame has turned into its own aspect..a hybrid of Succubus and Magma Spirit.

"So that's where her fire demoness form came from.." I held my chest and coughed.

Darien..I have nothing left. My title of Prince is Hell is gone. My badge was stripped from me by my own brother. My storybook ending..thrown away. And now, my mortal host has supplanted me. And I respect your work, your struggle to free yourself from my name..too much to fight it. It's not worth it to torture you to reclaim a broken legacy.

"Where will you go?"

I shall wander as I always have. I will visit my children and friends of course. But it has always been easier for me to.. hunt.. as I wandered. I've formulated a way to separate us forever. Open your sachel.

I did so, and found a vial of the finest dark powder that seemed to swirl inside with no attempt to jostle it.

"Dragon Ash?" I wondered aloud. To crucible the remains of a fire-creature with fire took an incalculable amount of energy. But when it was done, you had the ultimate magic solvent. A cloud of said dust could stop any spell in mid-cast. Sprinkled on a person or object it would evaporate all enchantments. So strong and rare was this compound that it was carried for prevention of the most dire of magickal disasters..

"A paradox? You want me to create a paradox? I don't have the skills to even make one and I'm not fool enough to try to.."

One last favor? The temple is barely suspended by two crumbling columns. There is one column that toppled long ago, but is still in perfect condition. That is because I toppled it in the rage of my betrayal. It was the primary support. Use your magic to put it back in place. Then the temple will stand for another eon even after the other supports fall away..for it will be perfectly balanced on a single pedestal!

I sat there..contemplating. I saw the weariness in his eyes..his yearning to be free was as strong as mine. And behind that..hope..not for himself, but for me.

I hope you find her. But you must be ready to accept that you may never find her. Now..summon me.

I nodded sadly.

"Bloodwing..Bloodwing.."

In unison with me, the incubus invoked himself on my third utterance.

Bloodwing

He had banished himself..at the same moment the summoning activated. A paradox.

We were both knocked back from the conflicting burst of energy. I heard his spirit scream as the universe did its best to hide him nowhere and everywhere at once. A ball of fire coated my skin in a thin layer of frost, before it collapsed on itself to be replaced by a darkness so deep it almost blinded you to look at it. This may make no sense to you, but these things occurred in this floating orb, along with dozens of other things I dare not describe.

Hurriedly I unscrewed the vial of Dragon Ash..time was of the essence. Unspeakable things from beyond this reality have escaped from such holes into our universe before.

I shook the jar and a dull grey cloud enveloped the orb. Rays of colors not seen in the prism leaked out before it was completely enshrouded. It felt like the universe held its breath.

I never even felt the severance of his soul from mine. Just a realization that something I had always felt was no longer there. But where did Bloodwing go?

I saw the powder slowly vanish, dissolving itself. In its place was a sacred symbol..the light blue Eye in the Hand. The symbol of energy from a Deva being sent down as an Avatar in this realm. Letters from the alphabet began to swirl around the symbol, much like a spell I have seen Tensai cast before. It was a message from the Deva.

Lugnasadh. The Horned One is reborn.

I arched a brow. Comparing the son of the Greek God of the Underworld to the Celtic Corn God was a bit of a stretch..or was it? Both horned, of course..both fertility spirits of a sport..and yes, traveling back and forth from the Land of the Dead does indeed qualify as "dying" and reversing that state.

I saw the name Bloodwing spelled out. Then a list of words..names, poured down to the floor like a scroll with visible ink, but invisible parchment.

I scratched my goatee as I pored over the names..Infinity..Offcourse..how did the Lindens come up with these? My eyes locked on the perfect name. I touched the letters that spelled..

Dragonash

-----------------------------

It was a simple spell to lift the forgotten column from the centuries of dirt that buried it deep. Indeed, it was preserved beautifully. A wave of my hand and the microscopic particles of dirt blew away to reveal its original splendor. And on that column was a breath taking mosaic of a white demon withe red wings and horns..locked in a loving embrace with a cat-girl in gold silks, fur set in obsidian, and tails, ears and claws as red as the dawn.

-FIN