[IMPORTANT NOTE]
haiiii U_U big changes in this handful of chapters...
1> moved first half of CH66 to end of CH65 (now ends right as they greet Xikarius)
2> moved the start of CH68 to end of CH66 (Zip and Penny say their farewells and retreat to safety BEFORE the reliquary scene)
3> changed CH67 to ONLY address the separation between CxU as a whole (why did you let me go? so on so forth)
4> changed CH68 to address the CxH situation (sorry I fucked my ex babe / it's cool babe I kinda wanted you to anyway)
5> also changed CH68 so that U confesses her love (and so the CxU ship sails) (originally I was gonna save this for after the climax but I think it adds more emotional weight to what's upcoming)
ANYWAY!!!
[CHAPTER START]
With a fire in my heart, I follow Umbra to war.
Longevity in hand, she exits the reliquary and pulls me out too. "Xikarius! Keep your heads down and secure the Archives. You won't be losing our history on my account, nor by Aurora's."
His nine snakeheads bow. "As you command, my Queen."
"Shift," Graves tells me. "Outside. Meet with Umbra."
I nod before changing to my draconic form. Even at this size I'm still little more than a rodent to Xikarius. Once Graves clambers onto my neck just behind my head, I take flight heading the same way Zip and Penny went.
"Go in the true Goddess's grace, Crimson, Graves," Xikarius hums as we climb. *History will forever remember you both for this. Farewell."
"Strike me from your records!" Graves demands.
I'm not exactly thinking about what comes after.
I fold my wings and thread the needle through the vestibule, coming out at the top of the Lighthouse to find the Heavens oddly calm. The Church bells are still clanging their resonant timbers, and there are hundreds of draconids flying through the clouds, but nobody is fighting.
Not yet.
"Go," Graves insists. "Dive. Fast."
I do exactly that, leaving the Archives behind me in a heartbeat, and plunging through the daylit skies on my way towards the lower end. As we go, though my peripherals are blurred from the speed, I can see the gathering army of shadowy draconids far down below. They've coalesced atop Nyth's colossal skull.
His corpse, the eternal bridge from the Heavens to the Hells.
How's that for irony?
I whip past the Hatcheries, realizing that every other draconid around me is going the opposite direction. Fleeing from the evil Queen's mighty force of slaves and drones, seeking sanctuary with the Goddess who protects them. But I see no Goddess here. All I see are her disillusioned victims, seeking a helping hand from someone who's been spitting on them all along.
As we near Nyth's skull, I search for Umbra. But I don't see her down there. I land hard just atop Nyth's brow ridge, jogging over on four legs to cut through the growing crowd. One glimpse of rose red scales That's all I'm looking for. One sign of her twoblade tail or her bony horns. I wish to see her so dearly it hurts. I crave her embrace so desperately it burns.
Where? Where is she?
Where is the woman I love?
I can't find her. I can't find her.
"Storm!" That's Haunt. "Over here!"
Pushing through the crowd, I breach through.
There they are. My squadron.
And there she is. My Goddess.
I shift back to humanoid form as I breathlessly sprint toward her, launching myself into the air to jump into her waiting arms. Once she catches me, she spins me around with a laugh before holding me to her chest and smothering my head and face with kisses. It's her. It's her. It's really her. She smells like roses. She's strong as the seas. She holds me like I'm precious.
"Crimsy," she whispers, tearing up. "There you are. How dearly I've longed for your return to me. The touch of you is an unparalleled reprieve."
"I'm here. I'm here, Umbsy." I'm tearing up too. "I've never felt so fucking relieved. I'm in your arms… Thank the Hells and my Goddess both. Salvation…"
"I promised you no such thing." She giggles and kisses me again, nuzzling me with her cheek and grinning ear to ear. "Not salvation. Vengeance. It is upon us, Crimsy. All we must do is seize it."
"Wait," I beg, claws digging at her as I prepare myself to confess. "Wait. There's… something I need to tell you. Do we… have time?"
"We do now, yes. We've breached the Heavens, and this is our foothold. She wouldn't dare risk damaging Nyth by attacking us. No, she is most certainly awaiting our next move. Time abounds. What is it you have to say?"
I force myself to do it.
"Umbsy, I'm–Mm. I'm… sorry. I'm sorry. I did something bad." My jaw tightens and my throat closes up and tears sting in my eyes. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry… It's going to hurt you to know… And I don't–I don't want to say it, but I have to. I have to. It's killing me. But I don't want to…"
She envelopes us both in her wings, bringing us together in a little world of our own. "Shhh. Please, don't fret, little rose. Don't be afraid. Is this why you've been so quiet since Graves liberated you?"
Trying to prevent myself from crying, I nod my head against her chest. "Y–Yes…"
"What gnaws at you, Crimsy? Tell me. Please."
"I'm scared… I'm so fucking scared to say it."
"Stark few things in life are capable of upsetting me, my love. You are not one of them. Whatever it is that you've done, I can assure you it will not be nearly as damaging as you think. In truth, I can already infer what this is in regards to, and I'm not reacting poorly, am I? So, please, Crimsy. You may be honest with me. Please. More than anything… I want you to tell me the truth."
I don't want to but it refuses to stay down.
"Hilde and I… We… slept together. Several times…"
"Mm." She kisses my head. "I suspected you might. And?"
"Wh–What? What? Umbsy? What do you mean 'and'?"
"That I am not at all concerned, Crimsy. Or angered. Or upset. I anticipated the possibility and I understand why you chose to go through with it. I've no qualms. Not this time."
"I don't understand. I don't understand. Total blackout…"
"Ah." She kisses me gently, brushing my hair with her claws. "Your concern is reasonable, but unnecessary. For the same reasons that I relinquished you to her, I take no issue with this. None. You've done nothing wrong. I do not hold it against you. Or her, for that matter."
I gape up at her, bewildered beyond belief.
"Mm. I suspect you're staring." There's that perfect curl to her lips that I love so much. With a kiss to my forehead, she explains, "Crimsy, with time, all things become less critical, and I am older than you can fathom. I let you go with her, knowing this might happen. The fact that it did is no surprise to me. I do not see it as a betrayal. I see it as part of your attempts at reestablishing something with her, which, as I told you prior, is why I let go of you in the first place."
Hiding my face against her chest, I murmur, "Really? But… Mm. It doesn't… It doesn't feel right. I should've stayed true to you…"
"You said it yourself. You did not know the status of our unity. And that, Crimsy, is my fault. Not yours. You acted upon the limited information you had. Not to mention, we've yet to make anything official."
"Still… I'm sorry…"
"I should be the one apologizing. The pain and guilt you're feeling are the results of my actions. The ambiguity of it all, which caused this to happen, is my responsibility." She shifts around to hold me closer, nuzzling her cheek against my head. "I'm sorry, Crimsy. All of this was one mistake after another, and all of them were my doing. I hope you can forgive me…"
"I do. I do. I forgive you" Kissing her, clinging to her, holding her face in both hands, I repeat it again and again. "I forgive you. I forgive you. I still made the mistake, and I am still so fucking sorry for it, but I forgive you for it all. I love you. I just love you, Umbsy. So much."
"And I love you, Crimsy."
Those words almost slip by me.
Almost.
"You…" The world has gone still. I am left breathless. "You… do?"
"I believe so." She smiles brighter, kissing me over and over. "The moment we parted, my ruined eyes lost more vision still. Life was gray without you near. Now here you are, and I see your colors blended with mine, so breathtakingly full in this daylight I haven't stood under for millennia. I may not be able to see you, Crimson, but I see who you are, and I see who you are to me. As clearly as if I was never blinded at all. You are the color in my eyes. You are the warmth in my heart. You are the gentle touch of softness I have needed for eons without realizing how much I craved it. In your absence, I realized just how dearly I wish to be by your side. Holding you, just like this. Through whatever comes, today or any other day, I hope that I may face it all with you. Together. I love you. I do. I love you, Crimsy."
I'm crying again. This happiness is like a flickering flame and I have just come in from the cold. It surrounds me. It warms me. It heals me. She loves me. She loves me. She loves me. Umbra loves me.
"It's you," I peep through sodden tears, my voice weak and frail. "It's always been you… Umbra. Of course. It's you…"
"Hmm." Kissing my head again, she licks at my tears and holds me tighter. "I don't understand, my love. What has always been me?"
"Hilde. She… She wants me. She wants me… for who I was." My hand caresses Umbra's soft cheek, and I look into those beautiful white eyes. "You want me… for who I am. That's the difference. It's you. You are the one… for me."
"Ahh…" A tear falls. Then another. She's still smiling. "Crimsy. I wish for you to be mine. And I wish to be yours. In full. Not simply as mates, but as lovers. More than that. I wish for you to be my queen."
"Yes. Yes!" I toss my arms around her neck. "Yes! Please! I'm yours, Umbsy! I'm yours!"
"And I am yours, my beloved."
She flares her wings wide, bringing us both back into the sunshine where we stand surrounded by Wretched draconids preparing themselves for war. Wiping my tears first with her black sleeve, she then wipes her own and takes a deep breath.
"My Rose!" she announces in a shockingly loud voice. "Is now my queen! I will always lead each and every one of you, my friends! And Crimson… Crimson will lead me! Forever may we reign over that which stands defiant unto any avaricious tyrant who dares to think themselves your lord and master! May the downfall of one be a death knell to the downfall of all others! I'll have your fucking head, Aurora!"
The Wretched cry out a cantankerous roar, echoing Umbra's will and might across the lower reaches of the Heavens. Wings plume and fire rushes and ice shatters and lightning booms as the uprising begins to take on more momentum still.
"We have breached the skies and arrived within the realm! With Nyth, the eternal hero, as our witness and protector! But these are simply the opening motions! There's one more which must be completed before our first true strike!"
The all black heavyplate dracofae to my right hums and speaks with Vander's voice. "Ample opportunity."
"Precisely. One more chance to yield before the outbreak of violence, imparted unto all! My Rose and I will be presenting it to the Church's congregation personally! Haunt, your squadron will accompany us. As well as the Blackthorns, all."
Haunt is still humanoid, looking up toward the sun. I can't imagine how long it's been since he last faced the light of day. "Understood."
"Orders." She flicks Umbra's leg, standing nearly at hip height. "Capture?"
"Not yet. Stay close. They're certainly within the Cathedral. While my Rose and I are addressing them all, I will signal for you, Echo, Ashes, and Wraith to move. The rest will maintain their guard under the command of either Quell or Myriad."
"Quell."
"Then Quell it is."
I make a mental note to tell Penny those names.
"Sword," Graves says, lifting Longevity.
"Hold onto it for now. I'll need it shortly."
Graves merely nods, then falls backwards into Umbra's shadow and vanishes. I wonder how many other Blackthorn assassins are in there…
"Crimsy." Umbra kisses my cheek. "Would you fly for me?"
I perk up. "Fly? You mean… Carry you?"
"Please. I would prefer to avoid my draconic form while things are tentatively peaceful. Some might be less inclined to accept the offer of surrender if I appear so intimidating."
"Yes! I mean… Yes. I would. Gladly. Happily. Right now?"
"Delightful, such sweet excitement. Please."
I switch back and extend my wings, trying to make myself look bigger since I'm surrounded by giants. Fucking Alabaster is the size of a mountain, Plutoryl and Vander aren't that much smaller, and when Haunt shifts too, he's nearly the same size as Alabaster. And then there's me! Maybe an eighth the size of Vander.
But our Goddess lays on my back–because she's too big for my neck–and she strokes my serrated dorsal plating. "Ahh… My noble knightly wyvern. Such a mighty warrior, carrying me so effortlessly…"
My tail wags on its own. This is a thrill. "Hold tight, Umbsy. Let's see if these lumbering beasts can keep up with us."
"You're on, soldier," Alabaster chuckles, raking her axetail across Nyth's skull to sharpen it. "I'll take that challenge."
"Don't," Haunt warns us, stamping a giant hoof. "Enemy territory. Stay close together. Once this is over and the open sky is ours? Do whatever you like. But we can't risk being shot down before the battle even starts."
"Boring me to sleep here, commander. Let's get moving."
"Agreed. Go."
The five of us take flight, climbing toward the sun. I keep a slower pace and stay in the middle so I'm shielded from all sides. After all, I'm carrying precious cargo. There aren't any more dracs scrambling through the clouds anymore. The six of us are the only people in sight.
High up above, the bells are still ringing.
All of this began with those infernal bells.
And now it's going to end with them too.