02 Wrath of Flames

by Jr H. Lee Morgan

  He partook with a lick and tasted coppery sweetness and rumbled. Kanade was awash as he took from her. It was by far the most intimate feeling she had made with him and her fingers wove through his hair and held him close. Even after she stopped bleeding past a few seconds, he made her hum with soft kisses and used his rough tongue to great effect.

  The feelings lowered as he laughed and leaned away. “Too bad vampires are fake because I just felt like one.”

  “Ethan, I’ve never been in more love with you than I am at this moment.”

  “Then I need make sure it lasts.”

  Her inner walls began easing, but he was already back in business. “Ready for another rodeo are we?”

  “Yee-haw.” He mimed twirling a lasso and once roped, drew her in for a kiss she eagerly craved.

  A few hours later the metal door cracked some and Kanade hid behind the wall and stuck only her head out. “Uh, Nell?” the Nymph, Blake, Magnus and Ellen had all procured chairs out in the hall. Nell tilted her head questioningly. “Can you go find Dress and ask for fresh clothes please?”

  “The sex was that good?” the Nymph’s brown eyes narrowed as she got up and asked with a touch of fear “Uh, Kanade? Why are you covered in blood?” this had everyone just as worried and Blake was tasting the air.

  “Shit.” She pulled her head back. “Angel, we need to clean up our mess.”

  “Whoops!” he laughed with a husky timbre and sounds of cabinets opening had him crowing “Thank goodness this room has extra sheets.”

  “What the hell were you two doing in there? Eating each other?” Ellen inquired as her hooves clicked on tile.

  Ethan’s bloody and bit up body covered in several dozen large bite wounds showed itself, but the half opened door hid his lower regions. “You can say that.”

  The morbid grin and torso had Nell double over laughing and tears ran free. She wasn’t alone as all of them were so shocked they were all laughing hysterically on the floor, Ellen included. The Nymph barely managed to get out “Not so shy now are you? Kanade worked you over good and you are proud of her by the shitty grin…” before laughing all over again.

  “Screw it! You guys are useless!” Ethan stepped out buck ass naked, covered nearly head to foot in mostly his own blood.

  His strut had all of them stop and gawk.

  “Ethan! Get your ass back in here!” Kanade’s head shot out the opening.

  “Let him go.” Nell said slowly as she looked at his shredded back covered in hundreds of scratches. “A nice view to admire at this angle. No wonder he’s got swagger. You pleased the beast.”

  “Ethan!” She hissed as he turned the corner and heard a woman’s scream before joining her friends laughing so hard each were in tears again.

  He scared the living hell out of an Ogress in scrubs. Most of the Witches from before had left, leaving just a few on standby. Heads snapped to the scream followed by all manner of curses as Ethan strolled right on up to the desk saying behind the counter “Hey Dress.”

  “Well isn’t this the luckiest day of my life.” The homosexual cabinet ogled Ethan’s form. “I take it Kanade won the battle?”

  “Damn right she did! Hey man, can you send us each a set of clothes, full sets. I somehow managed to break even her enchanted underwear.”

  “Sure if you let me see your backside? I also got new clothes to properly fit your new physique… Damn, Handsome, you didn’t have a battle… you stormed the whole damn castle all alone.” Dress laughed as he took in all the scratches. “Here you go!” Dress’ golden face split apart with the doors and out of an impenetrable darkness shot out two full sets of clothes and a new pair of boots size sixteen men’s.

  “Thanks.” Ethan said as the doors closed and the blue eyes on the knobs gave a wink that said ‘The pleasure was all mine, Handsome.’

  “Bloody Hell! I told her to make you happy, not tear you to pieces.” Morgan Le Fay said as she, Kira and three other Witches came up from behind with a huge glass tub glowing an eerie purple clear enough to see through. It was almost identical in size to the original bathtub he had in his room before having it exchanged.

  “Are you kidding? I’m ecstatic. Oh don’t worry about the blood, it’s all clotted and I wiped my feet before coming out. So is that the stuff Kanade was telling me about?”

  “It was completed a few minute ago.” The High Witch nodded.

  “Alright, here.” He startled her as he handed over the clothes and shoes to walk to the back of the tub and grunted. The wheels groaned as he pushed it on.

  Kira said “No way! How can he push that when all of us together couldn’t? It must weigh eight… nine hundred pounds!”

  “His physical strength is now beyond even Odin’s. Likely even to an Amazon’s as well.” Morgane shook and turned around. “Ladies, thank you for all your hard work. What would have taken months to craft took five hours. I will send word if all works well.” They said farewells and left as Ethan forced the glowing tub on wheels around a corner.

  Floa came out of nowhere an landed on Morgane’s shoulder, beside Tattoo’s spider to chime “Wow, that boy lost his shell entirely. I think I saw Kanade’s handprints imprinted on both butt cheeks.”

  “That was my assumption as well.” The redheaded Witch turned her head and said “Tattoo, you may recall your spider. Both Kanade and Blake were correct. He is in control of his actions. Kanade’s are now in question I believe.”

  The black widow simply jumped off and would take the winding stairs, using its thread to go down to where he waited to reabsorb the manifested ink back into his knuckle.

  The team still smirked as he pushed the tub inside. Kanade tried being mad and her minor slip of a laugh triggered a chain reaction outside which had nearly every individual holding their sides. She already cleaned up with a towel and water from the sink and wore a large towel, that on her, was small. She handed him a saturated towel with which he began wiping off the crimson stains.

  Hard laughter cut short as the door closed behind Morgane and passed off the clothes to the Enchantress. The woman smiled “That act will spread wild rumors… and I see the blood has indeed stopped at each wound, likely due to stem cells.”

  “So what is the plan?” Ethan said over at the sink his head was under to get all the blood out. “Am I to drink all that?” He asked while drying and noticed Kanade had already put on all her clothes before seeing it done and was mildly crestfallen.

  “First off I want to know what happened in here. There’s ash all over the place. Was anything different than normal? I know she bit you, that much is clear and your back’s been flayed like from a lashing. Kanade, tell me any differences you noticed.”

  Kanade blushed and realization snapped Ethan from his feelings “Oh gods! I really did that didn’t I?”

  “Well it sure wasn’t Merlin roaming naked this time.” Morgane sarcastically arched an eyebrow. “At least I hope not.”

  “Oh, I’m SO screwed.” He huffed and looked down to use the towel to cover up.

  “I’m waiting.”

  Wings tensed as Kanade said “Do you truly wish to know what was different?” the smaller, but much older woman gave a calm look that would hold no bias. “Well I noticed his tongue is rougher. Not like a cat’s exactly, but close enough. I tasted his ejaculate and it had a hint of sweetness that I never noticed… and I tested his strength to find he is as you assumed. He was able withstand strength that would have broken bones four days ago… And” She blushed bright red. “we bit each other. It was after we joined and we both got an urge to bite. He bit me first and next I know I’m tastin’ his blood. His teeth couldn’t break my skin so I did it and… please don’t let this out, but I enjoyed it. And all the wounds he has, I can assure you he is in no real pain. After we bit, we made love a dozen more times. How long were we…?”

  “It took almost six hours to make this much at the strengths Ethan will need. Now, you say his semen has altered flavor and his tongue is rough…”
she stepped in front of the patient. “Stick out your tongue.” He did and she used the pad of her thumb. “I see what you mean. Not quite feline, but similar. Stand up please and remove the towel.” He did so as she pulled out a specimen cup and twisted off the lid. “Hold still.” Her finger glowed and made several motions which he grunted as muscles tightened and semen from a flaccid penis filled the cup.

  “What the hell did you just do to me?” he asked while backing away and blocking his nether regions at the same time.

  “Took a sample.” She said and blinked as it disappeared into Kanade’s hand and watched the woman knock it back like a shot and crushed the evidence. “And just why did you do that?”

  “I’ll never let anyone have his seed but me.” Her tone had an edge to it.

  “But it could very well be another piece to the puzzle at figuring out…”

  “No.” Kanade said and glared. “This is all mine. This is as precious to me as my angel. I won’t have a drop leave him without it being in me or destroyed. Do not challenge me on this. Even a single drop is more valuable than my next breath for it could be the difference in my having an egg or spendin’ my immortal life childless. Also it is what regulates my moods. You know what would happen if I went without for a prolonged period. His blood I have no issue him givin’, but steal from me like that again and I’ll not be kind. And I bristle at the idea of another female gettin’ pregnant from him if it is used or stolen for such underhanded purposes.”

  “Then I sincerely apologize for wronging your domain.” Morgane apologized truthfully as different beings had vastly different customs and needs. “If it does come down to it and I determine that the key to Ethan’s mystery lays in his seed, will you think of letting me coach you on doing the test under your own supervision? You would be in complete control of the process and hold all rights.”

  The answer came quick. “That is much more reasonable, Lady Morgane.”

  “Very well. We will discuss making arrangements later. Right now I need you Ethan to get inside the tub and submerge yourself completely so every part of your body gets saturated.”

  “So I’m just supposed to float?” his fingers ran through the tepid water and caused ripples in the glowing purple liquid’s surface.

  “No, you will essentially be under the whole time.”

  “You want me to drown myself?” he asked shocked and watched her head slowly go up and down. “Screw that.”

  Downright terrified of drowning he was suddenly cloaked in flames and ran to the corner of the room and shook in unbridled fear. There is no way in hell I’m doing that!

  Chapter 3

  Morgane moved fast to the door as a wave of intense heat bathed her in the confining room. Her finger glowed quick to diffuse the intensity, but came to realize her abilities were barely meager in the shadow of his. She had considered the room stagnant and warm at best when arriving, but with the Fire Elemental huddled terrified in a corner not thirty feet away it was still way too close. Kanade approached without needing to fear as she walked right into the bonfire. The gold choker protected her alone. The High Witch yelled “Explain it to him. It’s too hot for me to stay!”

  Blue hair whipped around and was played around with in the flames. “I will make him understand. When he relaxes I’ll get you.”

  Morgane Le Fay was out the door fanning herself within seconds and the heat that escaped had those standing outside backing away quickly.

  Not again! Oh god, not again. I don’t want to drown! Storm… Memories came back as vivid as if happening all over again. Drowning at the beach and Storm-shadow’s last moments rushed by so fast and repeated in a loop which trapped him as a chill froze him in fetal position in the corner as white hot fire raged in a ten foot sphere with tongues lapping the roof. It was torture reliving the memories again and again. Drowning wasn’t all as he began seeing his quadriplegic mother right after the accident when hitting a tree with a branch that pierced through not only the windshield, but also her chest and is what killed her. His dead grandparents rolled around next as well as a large tire which had crushed his skull and killed him the first time. He couldn’t stop the memories from crushing in every direction and oh how he tried to regain control.

  After what seemed an eternity came a soft tender voice. It’s alright, Darlin’. I’m right here. I’ll not leave you. I just want to help. Come back to me. What can I do to help him?

  Ever so slowly his forcibly closed eyes cracked and blue jeans were first spotted. There was a gentle stroke of feather light fingers brushed through his hair. He recognized his hand on her lap and one manicured finger using magic to instill tranquility directly into his body. He also came to realize his head lay in the recess between her thighs as she silently went to pull him from inner agony. Ethan’s tongue felt thick as he asked “Kanade?”

  Faint glow at the fingertip vanished and she helped sit him up to ask “Is that better? Are you calm? I can tell the memories are fadin’.”

  “What happened?” he choked.

  “You had a serious panic attack.” She knew being direct was best. “Lady Morgane had to leave as your powers were beyond her ability to resist. Now are you ready to listen to what I have to say?”

  “Does it have to do with drowning? You know I’m fucking terrified of it.”

  Both hands framed his face and she forced his eyes to meet hers as directly as possible. “Remember a couple weeks ago we watched one of my favorite movie classics? The Abyss with Ed Harris and Mary Mastrantonio? When the riggin’ fell down the crevasse and threatened the platform, but to get the warhead was too deep for any oxygen system and would be crushed… what did Bud do? He had to put on a liquid breathin’ suit. Remember that?”

  “So you’re telling me I’m to do the same they did to the white rat?” The flames had all but vanished around them.

  “Essentially.” She agreed and saw panic returning and put a finger over his lips. “Like Bud, you won’t die, but you need to do this. The primary mystical ingredient I know to be in there is water from Mermaid Lake. Water in which Mermaids live are special. Not only are they the only aquatic warriors allied with Order, but if they live in water long enough they magically, and unintentionally, give it properties for surface dwellers to breathe and swim with them. But waters from Mermaid Lake are not only expensive and have short shelf lives, but they will soak inside you like no other potion a Witch can make. By breathin’ the waters, you saturate your body inside and out. I’ve done it two times when I was little and fascinated by their kind. And I will not leave you. I will be there by the tub till it is over.”

  He made a sour face.

  “Somethin’ the matter, Darlin’?”

  “I have to pee.”

  The abruptness of those four words had her covering her mouth and laughing sweetly. “So do I, but will you do this for me?”

  “For you? Like you even need to ask.” He stood slowly, quite tired and offered a hand to which she took and was helped to her bare feet. “Do I have to be naked too?”

  “Probably. Full exposure is likely key.”

  “Then I better just wrap a towel around my middle. No use sliding into pants.” She passed him a towel which barely survived and they proceeded to the door to found the team getting to their feet. Ethan asked “Bathroom?”

  “I sincerely hope you aren’t planning to run away?” The High Witch asked.

  “In a towel? No. But Blake, Magnus?” The two men perked up slightly. “When I come back I’ll need you to help Kanade hold me under till I settle down. And just so you know…” Ethan decided to come clean. “I have aquaphobia, fear of drowning. When I was younger I drowned once in the ocean when waves kept holding me under. CPR saved me, but ever since… I can wade in water up to my waist without freaking, but any higher… and well… you can guess. Kanade has only two hands and I know from experience the two of you are very strong. Can I count…”

  “Fear not, Ethan.” Magnus placed his blue hands on the Elemental�
�s shoulders and smiled. “Such fear is not easily overcome. I should know. I too had it and Nell helped me overcome the same phobia. When I came from Spirit World I didn’t know a mortal body could drown and this one did. I avoided water for two decades after till Nell healed my fear. Nell and the rest of us discussed it before when we saw recordings and how you boiled the lake in you terror even before Storm came right after you. When you are willing, she wished to do for you what she did for me.” Nell nodded as she wrapped an arm around Magnus’ waist.

  “Can I not do it?” Kanade asked.

  “It would be a help if you were there, but I should be the coach.” Nell said. “It isn’t easy to frighten an Ogre as large as my husband, but when they fear something, it takes a lot to overcome it. And as he said, I’m familiar with this fear. We want only what is best for you, Ethan.”

  “You guy are all awesome, you know that.” He said with genuine emotion that couldn’t be denied in any way.

  “And you’re just now figuring it out?” Floa’s tiny voice tinkled from Ellen’s shoulder.

  “No, but I meant it. We’ll be right back.” He and Kanade left to relieve themselves and Ethan prepared for the inevitable.

  Taking another deep breath for the tenth time, Ethan removed the towel around his waist and threw a leg over to climb in the tepid mixture which glowed a clear violet. He dropped his other foot and sat down in the deep tub which, when seated, came up to his throat. Fright tremors began occurring and lessened when the four came closer. It was chosen for Kanade to keep his shoulders and arms pinned as she was the strongest. Blake had the middle and Magnus as the second strongest would make it so he didn’t kick. The two men were already shirtless and Magnus reached in and locked a grip over the knees to keep them straight. Ankles weren’t easily held without chains.