The Taming

Never Alone

No. No. No. Sebastian thought. He wasn't about to let the barbarian die.

Where is he?

Sebastian closed his eyes and hooked into Mardichi's energy. Talk to me, Mardi.

But the barbarian wasn't responding.

Sebastian tracked his energy to the Driter's Den in the Netherlands. But once there, he felt what was threatening Mardichi.

A sickly dark energy that could only be one creature.

Radix.

Sebastian blew a breath. "No."

The demon wasn't alone. With him were dark spots of energy, scattered over the floor.

Cimmerii.

They were everywhere. The tavern was overrun with demons.

They're all after Mardichi.

"What?" Elsabet blinked at him.

"I know it is the worst timing in the world, but I have to go."

"Now!"

"Now." He set her on her feet. Helping her lean against the wall.

She steadied herself weakly. Her legs were still trembling from her recent climax. "Who is it?"

"Mardichi."

Sebastian hopped the railing and dropped to the lower level. Skidding on the marble as he rushed to the door.

He was gone. Just like that.

Elsabet gathered her composure. Steadied herself and drew a breath. Emitting her feral avian screech to capture everyone's attention.

"Alpha!" She screamed. "Alpha!"

***

Sebastian reached the Driter's Den to discover it in utter chaos.

The building was drowning in cimmerii. They were everywhere.

His gut was already dropping as he stepped into the doorway. From there, he spotted the splash of red on the floor that indicated Mardichi was there. His hair splayed over his back and the floor. He wasn't moving. But his body was mostly obscured by the fast movements of hungry cimmerii. The rodents had piled over him and were ripping layers of flesh away.

Don't be dead.

But there was no way Sebastian could check. The best he could do was get in there and get the Cimmerii to stop biting and pulling at him.

Mardichi managed to lift his head, shifting under the swarm. He spotted Sebastian in the doorway. "Ah, hell. I didn't call for ye!"

"I'm here, nonetheless. Bast stepped over the creatures, and pushed through the people still stumbling out the door. Their faces contorted in terror.

Sebastian towered over them, his gaze lacked on Mardichi.

"I'm fine with dying." He grumbled sourly. Not appreciating Sebastian's intrusion.

At least not right now.

Sebastian knew Mardichi had been grieving since the loss of his son. Stuck in s spiral of despair. He was ready to give up.

But Sebastian wasn't ready to let him. "But I'm not fine with it."

Once all the humans had abandoned the rickety tavern, Sebastian had a clear view of the nonis stacked over Mardichi.

They're trying to eat him alive.

Sebastian was still trying to weave closer. Kicking nonis aside. "A fine fix you've gotten yourself into, this time." Bast complained. "I'm not even sure how to clean up this mess."

"Take yer time." Mardichi said wearily. Just before he went fully limp. His face dropping to the wood floor.

Once Bast found a decent space to gauge the distance to Mardichi, he dropped to his center. Setting his stance and drawing both of his daggers from the sides of his waistband. Sebastian dropped onto his heels and emitted a grow so low that a hundred pair of rodentish eyes whipped in his direction.

I'm an easy kill on the floor. Ready bait. Between looking like an easy target and his growl indicating his aggression, it was an ideal way to lure the cimmerii from his friend.

Sebastian knew the moment that Radix looked through their eyes and saw him. They surged in a united wave toward him.

Radix mentally redirecting them toward me.

"That's right." Bast turned one fisted dagger to curl his finger invitingly. "That's right. Come here little beasts."

As they drew into his range, he reared up onto his knees. Carving with his dual daggers in a motion so fast he swept through the Nonis. Cutting them nearly in half, until they climbed over piles of their own dead to reach him. A constant flood.

They were a barrage. Not much smaller than rabbits, dense piles of them grew heavy around his legs.

He began walking on his knees to make his way through them.

He grimaced as one leapt up and drew claws down his forearm.

Another bit his shoulder, injecting its venom.

One whipped a tail to slam spikes on the end into his hips.

He roared in aggravation. There's so blood many.

Sebastian was in the Netherlands. He knew of only one Forever Knight in his immediate vicinity.

"Tev!" He roared. Realizing their numbers were gaining ground and he wasn't going to make it to Mardichi.

So many of them had poured into the Driter's Den that by now they looked like a dark ocean. Swelling as they climbed over each other in their rush to get to him. Driven only by their master's will.

I'm here. Tev's voice finally emerged in his mind.

Bast knew that meant that Tev was already close enough to project thoughts to him. The others weren't as powerful an emitter as Bast. He could send messages through most of Ardae but the others had to be far closer.

In moments the wiry blonde entered the tavern, hatchets drawn and white hair glowing in the dark. His head turned side to side. Scanning the nightmarish scene.

"There!" Sebastian pointed to Mardichi on the far side.

When Tev decided to move, it was a blur of motion. He jumped over the scrambling nonis. Many of which had veered to attack him. Tev's body vaulted high enough to clear the first wave. His feet flowed over his head as he turned in the air. When he landed it was in a crouch. He dropped to his knees to war with the nonis. Same as Sebastian had. It was the only true way to keep the little monsters from tearing his legs apart.

Fewer nonis were after Tev and he managed to maneuver on his knees toward the back of the swarm. Getting closer to Mardichi's still body.

It didn't look good.

"It's bad." Teverius called to Sebastian. "There's parts of him everywhere!"