Blood Bond

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[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]Shoryu was dreaming. He was making love to the most beautiful woman in the world. He was lying on a ground that was lush with rich thick grass. Connected to him at his hips was the mysterious woman. She was straining against his body, making his body ring with ecstasy. He had lost complete track of time, and he had no idea how many orgasms he had already experienced. Each orgasm that ripped through his body was better than the last. The only thing that Shoryu knew for sure was that he never wanted to stop making love to this woman.


“[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]Shoryu!”


[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]Shoryu frowned at the voice but kept his attention on the beautiful bouncing woman above him.


“[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]Shoryu!”


[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]The woman rippled, as if she was an image in a pond. Shoryu frowned even deeper and reached up with his hands to grasp the waist of the woman. Her rhythm was faltering and he tried in vain to help her keep her movements steady.


“[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]SHORYU!”


[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]Shoryu was really angry now. There was a thundering pulse in his blood that was distracting him from his lovemaking. The pulse was getting louder and louder. In response, the movements of the woman above him were getting more and more frantic. Shoryu was close to another orgasm and he knew that this one was going to be mind blowing. He shut his eyes, hoping that he could shut out the voice of the intruder.


“[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]I LOVE YOU! SHORYU! MY LOVE!”


[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]Shoryu opened his eyes. “Lexi?” He looked around. The woman was gone. The lush landscape was gone. Instead, he was hovering in complete darkness. He felt strong arms holding him from behind, and though he could not see, he knew right away that it was Lexi. “Lexi? What…what’s going on?”


“[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]Oh Shoryu!” exclaimed Lexi. She placed a kiss on the back of the Omega Guyver armor.


[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]Shoryu felt a thrill run through his body from that simple kiss. “What happened Lexi?”


“[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]You were captured by Lilith, my love.”


“[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]Lilith?”


“[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]Yes, what do you remember?”


[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]Shoryu tried to think back, but already, the details of his dream was fading. “I think I remember a woman. She…” An image of a woman riding him like a rodeo horse flashed through his mind. “Ah..ahem…nevermind…”


[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]Lexi leaned over the high collar on the back of Shoryu’s neck and playfully nipped his neck. Her teeth couldn’t penetrate the armor of course but her message was clear. “You are such an idiot for falling for such an old trick!”


“[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]I’m sorry Lexi! I…I have no excuse…”


[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]Lexi grinned in the darkness. “What? No witty comeback this time?”


[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]Shoryu shook his head morosely. “I can’t believe I did that! I’m so sorry Lexi!”


[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]Lexi kissed him on his armored cheek. “Do not worry about it my love. Lilith is a master succubus. I would have been worried if you had not reacted!”


[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]Shoryu laughed in spite of himself. “Maybe I just need a real woman to keep me in line!” He turned himself around so that he was facing Lexi. His armored arms hugged her tight. “I love you Lexi.”


“[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]I love you too Shoryu.”


“[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]What do we do now?” asked Shoryu.


[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]Lexi thought about it and said, “I can take us back to Azazel’s house now.”


“[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]If we did that, Lilith might come after me again in my dreams.”


“[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]True, but I think I can stop her now,” said Lexi.


“[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]By keeping me exhausted and satisfied?” quipped Shoryu.


[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]Lexi blushed in the darkness. “That is one way. However, have you not felt a growing bond between us? I knew right away when you were captured. I think now that I know what to look for; I can tell if you are ever threatened again.”


[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]Shoryu reflected on the pounding pulse that had not quite subsided. He realized that the pulse was the beat of Lexi’s heart. “You are right. But that wouldn’t stop her from coming after you, and we cannot hide in Azazel’s house forever.”


“[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]You think we should go back.” It was not a question.


“[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]I do. We need to take care of this threat. Either we convince Lilith to leave us alone, or we kill her.”


“[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]Does it have to be in that order? complained Lexi. “If we just kill her, we save the effort of trying to convince her.”


[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]Shoryu chuckled. Before he could respond though, he suddenly had the sensation of spinning around and then of being pulled down. In the next instant, he found himself inside a vaguely familiar underground room. There was ambient light coming from thousands of candles all around the great hall.


“[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]Nice trick child, but you should not have stayed on the dark path for so long. You gave me a chance to track you.” Lilith was facing them with an imperious expression on her face.


“[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]What took you so long?” asked Lexi with a derisive tone.


“[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]Do not trifle with me child!” said Lilith angrily. “Azazel is not the only one to have escaped the Abyss, and your dark powers are nothing compared to mine!” Lilith gestured to Shoryu and commanded, “Boy, kill the mongrel!”


[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]Shoryu shook his head. “I’m not under your thumb anymore. I’ve got myself a real woman!”


[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]Lilith shrieked and looked over at the giant Afrael who until now had remained still and silent. “Afrael, kill them both!”


[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]Afrael lumbered forward, blazing beams of light flashed from his hands. Shoryu dove under the barrage and shouted at Lexi, “I’ve got the giant. You take care of Lilith!”


[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]He had just enough time to hear Lexi say, “With pleasure!”


[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]Shoryu couldn’t spare any more attention on Lexi. Afrael slammed a huge hand down at him and Shoryu barely managed to dodge. His evasive maneuver took him directly into the path of another blast of light.


[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]He gritted his teeth against the pain of the assault but his armor protected him. He fired back with his head laser but Afrael shrugged it aside as if it were a bee sting. Shoryu danced back to give himself more room. Unlike the lycans he had battled on the night he had met Lexi, Afrael had powers that were easily beyond those of common zoanoids. In fact, Afrael’s power may even have surpassed most of the zoalords.


[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]Shoryu dashed in and extended his hypersonic blades. Afrael ignited a sword of light in his hands and swung it. Shoryu slipped into his combat trance and saw the attack in slow motion. He flipped his body so that he slipped over the sword of light and lashed out with his right blade. It bit bounced away as it hit an invisible shield. Afrael’s left hand swung down, and even though Shoryu saw it in slow motion, he could not evade the blow.


[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]The titanic hand slammed Shoryu back and across the great hall. He got his bearings quickly. He switched his optic sensors to different frequencies, trying to find a weakness in Afrael’s defenses. He finally found a frequency that showed an aura around Afrael. Shoryu quickly realized that this aura was Afrael’s mystic defenses. It was strong enough to deflect his head laser, and while his pressure cannon had limited success in his previous engagement, Shoryu knew that this time, Afrael’s shield was strong enough to repel even that. No, Shoryu only had one weapon left that could defeat the giant. He looked around the great hall to make sure that Lexi wasn’t in the line of fire. In this enclosed space, his megasmasher would cause tremendous damage. He would have to grab Lexi quickly after he fired so that they could make their escape.


[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]Shoryu let the anger and rage he felt for being controlled so easily by Lilith fuel his megasmasher. The rage burned like a volcanic fire as he reached up to his chest plates and ripped them open, exposing the rounded convex lenses of his megasmasher. He zoomed his vision in on Afrael’s face and was surprised to see a broad smile. Then, something incredible happened. Because Shoryu’s vision was tuned to the right frequency, he saw it, but couldn’t quite believe it. The spectral aura that was Afrael’s shield disappeared.


[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]Shoryu’s megasmasher finished charging and whined with barely restrained power. He looked Afrael directly in his eyes and said, “Die!”


[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]From across the great hall, Lexi’s voice shouted, “NO! Shoryu! DO NOT!”

 

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[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]Chapter 12 – The Gatekeeper

[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]As Shoryu raced off to confront Afrael, Lexi squared off against Lilith. She held her katana in a ready position, but otherwise made no offensive movement. She was not sure what kinds of powers Lilith possessed so she deemed that it was better to wait and see what happened next. Besides, she had something to ask Lilith first.


“[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]Why did you call me your descendant?” demanded Lexi.


[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]Lilith smiled languidly, as if she had all the time in the world. “Because that is what you are, child of my blood.”


“[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]I am not related to you by any means!”


“[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]Ah, but you are, my child.” Lilith sat back down on her throne, took a large goblet from the table and sipped bright red fluid from it. “Once, a long time ago, I dallied with the Dark Angel Azazel. He was just as foolish as most mortal men. He never questioned why I wanted to meet in the Nexus.”


“[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]So he was right,” said Lexi. “You planned the whole thing out as a way to get out of this dimension.”


[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]Lilith raised her eyebrows. “So he told you the story? I am surprised. Az does not normally like to admit it when he has been made a fool! The male gender is so foolish. That is why my children always has two Lili to make sure the Lilu do not make fools of themselves.”


“[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]Why did you do it?” asked Lexi harshly. “Why infect my world with the vampire and lycan curse?”


“[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]If I did not, would you be here now?” asked Lilith mildly.


“[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]Do not think I am stupid! Whatever your reasons were, they had to be selfish!”


[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]Lilith laughed. “You are right child, but you would not believe if I told you the truth.”


[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]Lexi leveled a hard gaze at Lilith and said firmly, “Try me.”


[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]Lilith met Lexi’s stare and said, “Very well. It was love. Love brought me to your dimension.”


[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]The response was so incredulous that Lexi almost burst out laughing. Something in Lilith’s gaze made her refrain though. “Tell me about it.”


[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]Lilith looked off into the distance at something only she could see. “There was a man…unlike any man I had ever met. He was the complete opposite of my first husband who was an idiot. This man dreamt of finding his ideal woman and placing this woman on a pedestal. When he found his ideal woman, he would thank her daily for being in his life, he would kiss the ground she walked on, and he would worship her and love her like no other. He was a lonely, lonely man.” Lilith’s eyes refocused on Lexi as if challenging her to laugh. “But I fell in love with him. I would visit his dreams every night and we loved each other in his dreams. But I needed more. I needed him. So I conceived of a plan. All I needed was a few moments. After Az opened the rift in the Nexus, I went through and visited the man. You can imagine his surprise! Time passes differently in the Nexus than it does anywhere else, and I had spent over nine months with my love before it pulled me back. Back in the Nexus, only a few moments had passed and Az was none the wiser.”


“[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]Nine months?” asked Lexi. She had a funny feeling that she knew where this was heading. “You got pregnant?”


[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]Lilith nodded her head, confirming Lexi’s suspicions. “I had a son. A human son. I could not raise him though. The heartless Nexus pulled me back. I never even got to hold my baby!” Tears welled up in Lilith’s eyes and she brushed them away unconsciously. “I would visit my son though. Every night, I sang to him in his dreams. It was not much, but it was all I had. Years later, a plague hit the village where my son and my love lived. The plague devastated the village and my son was the sole survivor. I wept for my man. I wept for my son’s loss. He made me proud though. He worked through his sorrow and grew up to be a fine man. Eventually, he married and his wife bore him twin boys.”


[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]Lexi felt as if someone had just walked over her grave. “The twins, they were later attacked by wild animals right?”


[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]Lilith’s eyes shined brightly. “You catch on very quickly little one.”


[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]Lexi recounted as if reading from memory, “Twin boys, one was bitten by a bat and the other was bitten by a wolf. One became the first true vampire and the other one unleashed the lycan plague upon the world. Marcus and William.” Lexi stared at Lilith and spat out, “Your son was Alexander Corvinus!”


[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]Lilith nodded sadly. “It was all for love. I did it all for love!”


“[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]What does all of this have to do with Shoryu and I?” demanded Lexi. A part of her felt empathy for Lilith’s story but she strove to remember her purpose here.


“[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]I want what any good mother wants for her children. I could not raise or protect my son, but I can protect my other children. The Lilin need a home. The Gatekeeper can open a gate to another world that is not dominated by the Celestials and their never ending war. My children cannot abide the gaze of the sun. Surely you understand that? Until very recently, you too could not abide the sun. I just want a safe secure home for my children. Can you not understand that, child of my blood?”


[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]Lexi put herself in Lilith’s proverbial shoes and realized that she understood Lilith after all. If Lexi had children of her own, she would move mountains if that was what she had to do to keep them safe.


[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]Lexi could feel her resolve cracking, but then she remembered something that Azazel had said. It had something to do with condemning a world to an eternity of night. Lexi glanced around the great hall at the hundreds of Lilin that had gathered. Most of them were watching the battle between Shoryu and Afrael with a hungry intensity. Then Lexi remembered what she had witnessed as she came into the castle. The Lilin preyed upon the humans. As a vampire, Lexi could understand the need to consume other beings for sustenance but she could not condone raising sentient beings as livestock. She could not wipe away the image of the man in the market with his arms and legs bound while dozens of Lilin lined up to taste his blood.


[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]Lexi turned back to Lilith and asked, “Where does Afrael fit into all of this?”


[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]Lilith smiled a predatory smile. “Simple. He wants to die!”


[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]The final pieces of the puzzle clicked in Lexi’s mind. She spun around to face the battle and was just in time to see Shoryu open his chest plates. She reached a hand out to him vainly and cried, “NO! Shoryu! DO NOT!”


[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]She was too late. A tidal wave of colossal light boiled out of Shoryu’s chest and slammed into Afrael. For an instant, Afrael’s innate defenses blocked the light but the megasmasher was too powerful. Several Lilin that were too close to the beam simply vaporized. As for Afrael, he roared his triumph as his soul was finally released and his gigantic body was washed away in a river of destruction.


[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]Lexi felt a powerful blow against her back and she sprawled forward. She turned back and saw Lilith with a long black staff-like weapon in her hands. “What about love?” asked Lexi.


[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]Lilith laughed long and hard. “It kept you busy while your friend opened the gate did it not?”


[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]The river of destruction finally trickled away. In its place, directly in the centre of the great hall, was a familiar door of light. Lexi recognized it immediately. She dashed forward and yelled, “Shoryu, block the gate! Do not let the Lilin get through!”


[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]Lexi turned back to Lilith just in time to block a savage blow from Lilith. From all around her, the Lilin surged forward. Lexi was suddenly surrounded by dozens of monstrous beings, all out for her blood. She lashed out with Yabun Kiru, and every time her blade made contact, she was rewarded by an anguished cry and an explosion of ashes. Nightslayer was living up to its name!


[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]In the surge of Lilin, Lexi lost sight of Lilith. Suddenly, she realized Lilith’s goal. Lilith was going to try for the gate! Lexi looked around but could not see Shoryu. In the mad chaos that was the great hall, she didn’t know if Shoryu could hear her. She found the thread of Shoryu’s essence that she could sense within herself and pulsed a warning to it. She didn’t know if it worked, but she didn’t have time to find out. The Lilin horde rushed her, and this time, there were magic users in the crowd.

 

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[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]After Afrael died, all hell broke loose. Shoryu found himself surrounded by dozens of Lilin. Several of them were making grasping gestures with their hands. Shoryu could feel them trying to bind him with invisible chains but unlike before, he was bio boosted and the chains had little or no effect on him. His hypersonic blades wreaked havoc in the Lilin ranks but they kept coming as if their own lives had no worth.


[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]Shoryu suddenly felt his heart pound sharply and dodged to the side. A bolt of pure blackness raced through the space that he had just occupied. He turned and was confronted by a naked and voluptuous Lilith.


“[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]Nice try, but you can’t try the same trick on me!” said Shoryu as he stared purposely at Lilith’s face.


[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]Lilith swung her long black staff and another jet of blackness shot forward. It hit Shoryu and spun him around. Shoryu fell heavily, stunned by the impact of the attack.


[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]Lilith laughed and said, “Men are so foolish!” She raced for the doorway of light that was already getting smaller.


[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]Shoryu struggled to get to his feet. He had the sudden sensation that he had to do everything he could to prevent Lilith from reaching the light. Lilin hands and spells tried to slow him down. He brushed them all aside. He fired a laser beam from his forehead and it hit Lilith on her shoulder.


[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]She screamed and turned back. A dark mist appeared around her and encased her. It disappeared after a moment and in its place, was black armor. “That was the only free shot you will ever get at me boy!”


[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]Lexi suddenly appeared behind Lilith from out of nowhere. She drove her katana forward and thrust it into Lilith’s back. The katana point emerged from her front and Shoryu could see that it was thick with red blood.


[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]The Lilin horde screamed when they saw their mother wounded. Angry hands grabbed Lexi and pulled her away. Shoryu tried to run to her but dozens of Lilin hands grabbed at him as well. His megasmasher had drained him of energy and it was all he could do to keep the Omega Guyver armor on his body.


[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]A Lilu reached up behind Lilith and pulled Lexi’s katana out. Lilith slumped weakly in the arms of her children. The Lilin carried Lilith to the door of light and prepared to throw her in.


[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]Shoryu watched in amazement as Lexi did something truly amazing. She looked sharply at the Lilin who were holding her down and they suddenly split apart and dissolved into ashes. Momentarily free, she stood up and stared at the Lilin who were holding Lilith. As with their brethren, they simply split apart as if cut by a really sharp sword and dissolved into ashes. Lexi held up her right hand and her katana flew into it.


[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]Lilith fell to the ground but struggled to her feet. Blood was pouring from her wound but as Shoryu watched, it was quickly closing. Shoryu struggled vainly against his captors but he really had no strength left. As long as the Omega Guyver armor encased him, he was safe from the Lilin. His power and strength would return in time, but for now, he watched helplessly as an eight hundred year old bio boosted vampire faced off against a multi millennia old woman.

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[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]Lexi danced out of range as Lilith’s staff narrowly missed her. She had always hated fighting against staff wielders and Lilith was proving that she knew how to handle her staff. Not only that, from the one glancing blow that Lilith had dealt her, Lexi could tell that her dark cloak – which had proven effective against Omega Guyver’s hypersonic blades – was no protection against Lilith’s weapon of choice.

[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]Lexi danced in and attacked, but her attack was blocked. Damn it, she thought, Lilith was every bit as fast as she was! A sudden barrage of thrusts and jabs forced Lexi onto the defensive. She ducked as a lance of blackness rushed out of the staff and arched towards her. Lilith’s staff had a greater range than her katana, and staying out of the staff’s immediate range was no guarantee from harm since Lilith was able to fire nasty black spells with it. Lexi focused her will on the edge of her blade as she swung it in Lilith’s direction. Because she was watching for it, Lexi could just barely see the thin line of will force as it sliced through the air towards her enemy.


[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]Lilith batted it aside with a contemptuous gesture. “Your will force is strong little one but you are completely inexperienced in its usage!”


[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]Lilith gestured with her left hand and Lexi could see black darts of pure will shoot out. Lexi hunched her shoulders and tried to shield herself. She was only partially successful. She felt her body punctured in several places and her blood flowed from her wounds.


[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]As Lexi staggered back from the assault, she came to a sudden understanding. She and Lilith were not so different after all. This new ability of hers – striking at distant enemies with her will – was shared by Lilith.


[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]The door of light had shrunk to about half its size and from the look on Lilith’s face, Lexi could tell that Lilith was starting to get a little desperate. Lexi only had to hold Lilith off for a few more minutes.


[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]Lexi dashed in and attacked with Yabun Kiru. She used all of her speed and all of her strength but Lilith matched her speed for speed and strength for strength. There had only been one human that Lexi had known in her entire life that even came close to Lilith’s strength, speed and skill.


[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]That thought almost gave Lexi pause. Was she comparing Lilith to Hiko Seijuro? As if sensing an advantage, Lilith counterattacked and Lexi paid for her moment of inattention with a badly bruised leg.


[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]Lexi saw a widening of Lilith’s eyes and realized that the door behind her was almost shut. It was now or never for Lilith. Lexi sheathed Yabun Kiru and held the saya in her left hand by her waist. Her right hand hovered over the tsuka of the katana and her right foot was forward.


[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]Lilith saw the pose and her eyes narrowed as she recognized the unspoken challenge. She tightened her grip on her staff, readied her most potent killing spell and charged.


[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]Lexi watched the charge. There was no question of dodging the attack. If Lexi moved aside, then she would be allowing Lilith access to the gate. This was like facing Hiko Seijuro’s Kuzu-ryusen all over again. The Kuzu-rysen was an attack that hit nine vital body targets so fast that it looked as if it were only one strike. There was no way to block it and no way to dodge it. Lexi had defeated Hiko Seijuro’s attack by the skin of her teeth.


[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]Lexi’s blood thundered in her veins. Besides the pulsing of her heart, she could feel another pulsing beat alongside of hers and she knew that this second pulse was Shoryu. The sound of his pulse wiped away every other thought from her mind. All she could hear was the [FONT=Arial, sans-serif]thrum-thrum[FONT=Arial, sans-serif] of Shoryu’s heartbeat. All she could see was Lilith charging in towards her. Lilith’s movements seemed to be in slow motion but each step had her entire power and momentum behind it.


[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]Lexi took a step forward with her left foot and it seemed to her as if she were moving in slow motion too. Her right hand grasped Yabun Kiru’s tsuka and pulled the katana clear in one smooth motion. Yabun Kiru’s blade intersected with Lilith’s staff and knocked it away. Still seeming to move in slow motion, Lexi spun her body in a complete three hundred and sixty degree turn.


[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]Yabun Kiru came arching back around with infinite slowness, bit into Lilith’s neck and continued on through.


[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]Lilith’s head flew from her neck in a thick spray of arterial blood. Lexi landed lightly on her feet. From all around her, the Lilin roared in anguish at the sight of their mother’s decapitated body. In one huge rush, they charged in at Lexi. Lexi braced herself for the attack.


[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]A brilliant sphere of super condensed pressure flew past her shoulder and hit the Lilin mob. Another sphere quickly followed it as well as several bright bursts of laser light. Lexi spared a second to confirm that the door of light was gone and then turned and sprinted towards Shoryu.


[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]She came up to him and quickly draped her cloak around the both of them. The last thing she saw before the dark portal took them away was an image of a Lilin trying to fit Lilith’s head back onto her neck.

 

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[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]Chapter 13 – Blood Bond


[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]Lexi and Shoryu emerged from the dark portal and stepped into Azazel’s living room. Rachel, Faye and Azazel were there waiting for them. Both Rachel and Faye jumped up simultaneously and started to ask rapid fire questions. Azazel remained seated.


[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]Lexi politely brushed by the two girls as best as she could and made her way to the loveseat sofa. She gratefully sank into its soft luxuriousness and smiled when Shoryu released the Omega Guyver armor and sat down beside her.


“[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]I take it that it went well?” asked Azazel with a small smile.


[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]Lexi nodded tiredly and said, “Yes, it was touch and go for a little bit, but it ended well.”


“[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]What about Lilith?” demanded Rachel.


“[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]Lilith is dead,” said Lexi flatly.


“[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]Yes!” crowed Rachel with delight.


[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]Faye frowned but did not say anything. Azazel looked inquisitive and tilted his head as if to invite Lexi to go into more detail.


[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]Lexi sighed and leaned back into the love seat. “I am sorry Azazel. I know that you wanted me to spare Lilith if I could. She did not give me much of a choice. Shoryu had opened a gate and we had to prevent her from going through.”


“[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]Tell me more,” said the Dark Angel.


[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]Lexi took a deep breath and told the story. She described the Lilin realm as best as she could. She tried not to cringe as she described the market that sold humans as food. As she recounted her conversation with Lilith regarding her origins, her face took on a faraway look. Inwardly, she wondered now how much of what Lilith said was true. Was Lilith in fact the ultimate progenitor of the vampires and the lycans? Or was it all a fancy lie designed to keep her busy while Shoryu opened a gate?


[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]When she got to the part where Shoryu killed Afrael, Azazel leaned forward in an unconscious attempt to hear everything. At this point, he raised a hand to interrupt Lexi. “Thank you Shoryu for allowing my son to begin a fresh life.”


[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]Shoryu inclined his head and said, “I don’t think I had much of a part though. If Afrael had not dropped his shields at that moment, I don’t think I would have done him much harm. He was as strong as a Zoalord.”


“[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]Stronger,” said Azazel absentmindedly. He turned back to Lexi and said, “I was wrong before. You, not Shoryu, are the true Gatekeeper.”


“[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]I do not understand,” said Lexi.


“[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]Shoryu merely opened the gate, but it was you who prevented Lilith from going through.”


[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]That made sense to Lexi, but she shrugged and continued her story. She described her fight with Lilith and ended by saying, “I must thank you once again for Yabun Kiru, Azazel. Thanks to it and my Amakakeru Ryu No Hirameki, I am alive now and Lilith lies decapitated in her domain.”


[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]Rachel clapped her hands together delightedly. “You cut off the bitch’s head?”


[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]Lexi gave her a small smile and nodded. Azazel had a thoughtful expression though. “You say you cut off Lilith’s head? Did you inflict any other wounds upon Lilith?”


[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]Lexi thought for a second and then said, “I believe Shoryu hit her with a laser beam.”


[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]Azazel nodded gravely but all he said was, “Interesting.”


[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]Lexi narrowed eyes and stared at the Dark Angel shrewdly. However, Azazel’s expression was closed and she did not think that he would answer any questions about this particular topic.


[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]Suddenly, she felt a weakness in her body and her head began to spin. Shoryu noticed right away and said, “Are you alright?”


[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]Lexi nodded weakly and said, “I think I need to feed.”


[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]Shoryu perked up at the comment. “Here, or would you like to go upstairs?”


“[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]Are you sure?” asked Faye with concern written on her face. “I can conjure up some cloned blood for you or Azazel could pull it from any number of hospitals in our area.”


“[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]Thank you Faye, but I do not think that will be necessary,” said Lexi. She looked Shoryu directly in his eyes and said, “Only your blood will do, my love. Your blood has changed me – evolved me. I am now stronger, faster and have incredible new abilities at my command. I can stand in the sun and I can enjoy the warmth of your caresses. The only drawback is that I still need blood. Not just any blood. I need your blood.”


“[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]I kind of expected that Lexi,” said Shoryu with understanding in his voice. “Ever since you spit out the rabbit blood in the cave, I already started to suspect it. However, when you used the link that now exists between us to slip into a combat trance against Lilith, I knew it for sure.” Shoryu rolled up his sleeve and offered his arm to Lexi. “My blood is yours whenever you need it.”


[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]Lexi leaned in and kissed Shoryu passionately. She put a hand on his arm though and pushed it down. “Not here my love!” She gestured with her head towards the stairs and then glanced at Azazel.


[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]Azazel smiled broadly and said, “I will have Faye or Rachel put a spell of silencing on your room. When you are ready I would like to call in that favor, Madam Vampire.”


[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]Lexi gave him a grateful grin and then prodded Shoryu into action. “Let’s go! I am going to make you exhausted and satisfied!”


[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]Shoryu blushed but allowed himself to be prodded upstairs amidst raucous laughter and catcalls from Rachel and Faye.


[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]As Lexi closed the door in the room that she shared with Shoryu, she wondered in the back of her mind what sort of request the Dark Angel would make of her.

 

[ERecTile]

[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]Shoryu dreamt. This time though, his dreams were random images that flitted to and fro in a mixed up jumbled pattern. Some of the dreams seemed fixated upon his most recent activities with Lexi and as Lexi walked down the corridor of dreams, she blushed as she watched the activities through his eyes.


[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]She and Lilith really were very much alike after all, reflected Lexi. Lilith had the ability to enter the dreams of others. Once shown the way, Lexi found that she too could enter dreams. Of course, the only dreams she wanted to enter was Shoryu’s, but there was no telling how useful this ability would be in the future.


“[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]Men do seem to have a one track mind, do they not?”


[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]Lexi turned at the sound of the voice. Something, some instinct perhaps had warned her, so she was not all that surprised to see the other person who had entered Shoryu’s dreams. “He is young. It is normal for young men to be fixated. You should know that Lilith.”


[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]The other woman smiled broadly. “I see that I did not fool you for very long, little one.”


“[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]No, you did not,” said Lexi firmly. “I bear you no ill will Lilith for no harm came to Shoryu or me, but if you ever try to come between Shoryu and I again, I will kill you for real. I know I have the ability to.”


“[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]Tut, tut! No need for the threats!” Lilith started to walk down the corridor of dreams and Lexi fell into step with her. “I got what I wanted.”


[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]Lexi glanced sideways at Lilith and said, “Oh really? You got everything that you wanted?”


[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]Lilith chuckled and said, “Maybe not everything. It is all about priorities after all.”


[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]Lexi arched an eyebrow. “Priorities?”


“[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]Yes. For example, my primary priority was to have a gate opened to a dimension. Any dimension really. Once there, I would have found a way to bring my children over and made that dimension our new home.”


[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]Lexi didn’t quite shiver at Lilith’s matter of fact tone. Lilith was talking about the enslavement of an entire world, but she was saying it so very casually. “What about the people in that dimension? Would they just become food for the Lilin?”


[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]Lilith shrugged her shoulders. “My Lilin are flawed Alexandra. They need blood to survive. How is that any different than you?”


“[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]The vampires in my dimension strictly controlled their interactions with the humans,” said Lexi hotly.


“[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]I was not talking about the other vampires, my dear. I was talking about you in particular.”


“[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]Me?”


“[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]Suppose, for a moment, that you had children. You love your children but they need blood to survive. Not just any blood either. What if they could only survive on human blood?”


[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]That startled Lexi and struck surprisingly close to home. “The Lilin can only live on human blood?”


[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]Lilith nodded. “It is not their fault. I instilled that in them with the anger and hatred I felt when I left Eden. At first, it worked to my advantage when I assaulted and destroyed Eden, but later, when I tried to correct my mistake, all my attempts failed. Unlike you, the Lilin are at an evolutionary dead end. They cannot evolve further than they already have. The most I can do to prevent them from feeding on the human race in general is to raise a small sub-species for food the way that humans would raise cattle. I keep these food humans dumb and stupid on purpose.”


“[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]Whatever happened to you to instill such hatred?”


“[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]I refused to be on the bottom during sex!” said Lilith with a broad grin. When she saw the expression on Lexi’s face, she laughed and said, “Just kidding!”


[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]Lexi laughed but did not ask the question again. “So, what was your next priority?”


[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]Lilith said, “Well, if I could not make Shoryu open a gate, or if I could not convince you to let me go through, then my next objective was to have my soul released temporarily.”


[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]Lexi smiled at first as she imagined the type of convincing Lilith had tried during their confrontation. Then she did a double-take. “Have your soul released? What does that mean?”


“[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]I can travel dimensions through the dreams of mortals,” said Lilith. “However, if I actually want to visit one, I have to either ask God – which the last time I checked was not answering my calls. Or, I can ask Satan – been there, done that and He never honors his deals anyway. Or, I can go through the Abyss.” Lilith shuddered and said, “I’ll leave that one to your imagination. I have already been through the Nexus and I do not think Azazel would fall for the same trick twice. The only other way left to me is to go as a wandering soul.”


“[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]Why?” asked Lexi in a perplexed tone. She could not think of any good reason to risk death the way Lilith had. “What was so important to you anyway?”


“[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]My son,” said Lilith simply. “My son was dead.”


“[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]Really?” Lexi had figured that Marcus was dead; thanks to the splitting headache she had received while running from the lycans, but had not expected Alexander Corvinus to be dead as well. He was always just a legend to her.


[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]Lilith wiped away a tear and said, “My son died trying to right the wrongs that he felt was his to fix. I could not have been prouder of him. With the help of some locals that I possessed, I salvaged what little of his body that I could and gave him a proper burial and memorial. I buried him on a tiny little island, in the middle of nowhere, next to the graves of his sons Marcus and William. I think he would have liked that.”


[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]Lexi was silent for a moment as she digested this and said, “I am sorry for your loss. But could you not have done all that without all the subterfuge?”


“[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]If I had approached you and said, ‘Please cut off my head with a magical sword that had been dipped in the Abyss so that my soul can be free to visit my son,’ would you have believed me?”


“[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]Good point.”


“[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]Besides, my primary goal was to find a home for my Lilin and I am more prone to manipulate than beg.” Lilith sniffed and shrugged. “It is just my nature.”


“[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]It was a very good plan and you had fooled me completely. However, did so many of your children have to die?”


“[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]Every Lilin in that room were volunteers,” said Lilith. “Just as I would do anything for my children, my children would do anything to make me happy, including offering up the ultimate sacrifice. “So, have you decided what you will do now?”


“[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]Yes,” said Lexi. “Azazel has invited Shoryu and I to stay with him. As the Celestial war ramps up in intensity, he would like me to stay and guide Rachel.”


“[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]He wants you two to be surrogate parents you mean,” said Lilith archly.


“[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]Perhaps,” said Lexi.


“[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]There is no ‘perhaps’ about it,” said Lilith with conviction. “Azazel is trying to distance himself from the parental role so that he can properly woo the young Rachel when she reaches adulthood.”


“[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]In that case,” said Lexi with firmness in her voice, “He better not hurt her, or else I will take Yabu Kiru and cut off something precious!”


[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]Lilith laughed but Lexi said, “Why do you laugh grandmother? You have as much a stake in Rachel’s happiness as I do!”


[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]Lilith suddenly choked and Lexi chuckled in delight. “What did you just call me? And why do I care if that Nephilim is happy or not?”


[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]Lexi smiled sweetly and said, “What else should I call you? You are the progenitor of my species; therefore, you are my grandmother.”


[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]Lilith conjured up a hand mirror and examined her face in it. “Surely I do not look that old, do I?”


[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]Lexi impulsively hugged Lilith to her and said, “You do not look a day over five thousand!”


[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]Lilith grinned and said, “Now tell me why I should be concerned about Rachel’s happiness. The last time I checked, she hated me – for good reason too!”


“[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]Simple. If I am to be Rachel’s surrogate mother, then by extension, that makes you her surrogate great grandmother!”


[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]Lilith laughed long and hard. When she finally got control of herself she said, “When they finally get married again, that would make Az my great grandson-in-law!” Lilith wiped tears from her face and said, “I like you Alexandra!”


[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]Lexi stopped walking and turned to face Lilith. “I think that I like you too Lilith. I hope that we will not be enemies again in the future.”


[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]Lilith shrugged nonchalantly. “Who knows what the future may hold. Like yourself, I am a free agent in this war and I come and go as I please!” Lilith’s image started to waver and melt and she raised a hand in farewell.


[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]A sudden thought occurred to Lexi and she shouted, “Wait a minute! Was any of what you just told me true or just part of another ploy?”


[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]Lilith grinned enigmatically and said, “Who knows? We have a blood bond, you and I. Just remember, blood is thicker than water!” Lilith’s image disappeared and Lexi was left alone in the corridor of dreams.


[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]Lexi glanced around her one more time at Shoryu’s dreams and then closed her eyes. When she opened them next, she was back in bed beside Shoryu. The cover had been brushed off his body so she carefully pulled it back over the two of them. Then she spooned his body with hers, closed her eyes and went to sleep.

[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]The End
​

 

[God]

Coffee and your reading material is like eggs and OJ /-Thumbs-up::/

 

[ERecTile]

Thanks. I always meant to continue the series and eventually tie it with my first attempt at writing...a book that I will likely never finish. Oh well, who knows what the future may hold!

I have one more completed story to post. After that, its back to writing reviews. But, since I'm rather fixated on a single MPA at the moment, and my budget keeps me from seeing new women, I'm afraid the reviews will become sparse too. Maybe I need to start a Fundme campaign!

 

[Boing]

Keep it up, no not your dick.

 

[DannyDeVito]

:YMAPPLAUSE: again.