Once Upon A Fae

Chapter 26

"If you want to make peace with your enemy, you have to work with your enemy. Then he becomes your partner."

Nelson Mandela

Chapter 26

Sadness filled Dmitri's soul as he stared at his brothers standing against him. After lifetimes of protecting each other's backs they were now at cross purposes. Looking to Calix they approached the council's troops.

Shiraz, the Warrior's  liaison to the council, stood at the front.  A tall streamlined male, the vampire had stood as the protector of the Warriors and their purpose for as long as Dmitri could remember. Always with a kind word or a shoulder to lean on, he had been like a father figure to many of the males as they had come through the ranks.

Now his ice blue eyes held nothing but contempt. Dmitri would not have thought that Shiraz could have been turned by the council. It seemed though that everyone had their price and the council had found Shiraz's.

"Stand down or die on this field as traitors."

Shiraz's husky, melodic voice was almost hypnotic. A tool he used against enemies to calm them into compliance.

"Traitors? We are traitors for what? Not murdering innocent children on command? Defying the council in their quest for power? Perhaps you should all look to yourselves if you wish to see traitors!" Calix growled out in his anger.

"You would cast aspersions on our august council for your own misdeeds? You have fallen lower then I had thought possible, Calix. And then you drag not only your crèche into your lies, but dare to recruit others. You have had your chance."

On Shiraz's last word, the council troops ran forward attacking the front lines. Dmitri and Calix stood back to back in the center of the melee. Claws at the ready, Dmitri shut down all emotion as he began to steadily slash through the enemy. Each fallen warrior to be mourned later.

Off in the distance the explosions caused by Wiccan and Demon firebombs drown out the screams of the dying. While around him echoed the grunts of exertion and cries of pain.

Calix stumbled into Dmitri's back with a gurgling moan. Quickly dispatching his opponent, Dmitri turned to see Shiraz with his fangs buried deep into Calix's throat. Leaving his own back exposed, Dmitri jumped on the vampire pulling him away.

Dmitri faced off against Shiraz as Calix fell motionless to the ground. His previous opponents blood steadily dripping from his claws. Breath heavy from exertion and the adrenaline pumping through his veins.

Licking the blood from his mouth Shiraz straightened.

"Murderer! Are you the leader, traitor? Were Calix and Ebon following your orders? To fall so far as to kill your own commander over some little bit of muslin. Led around by your cock, at your age."

"No matter what I say, or how I defend myself you will not believe me. You are too blinded by the lies of the council to see the truth. So let's stop this useless nattering and get on with it."

Dmitri was heart sore but resolute. He would not attack first but this had to be finished or else his family would never be safe. While waiting for Shiraz's first volley a great explosion rocked the field followed by terrified screams piercing through the sounds of battle.

For one moment Dmitri's heart stopped as he recognized the terror filed cries of the young under his protection. Dread filled him as he looked around and realized that the fighting had drawn close to the shelter they had hidden the pups in.

Running swiftly through the battling warriors, Dmitri dropped to his knees at the sight before him. Where the shelter door had once been hidden was now a crater of scorched earth. Stretching out from the crater were deep trenches where the ground had collapsed into the tunnel system below.

"Dmitri, tell me their okay." Luch's tear filled voice sounded hollow as he kneeled down next to the broken warrior.

With an agonized cry Dmitri began to dig at the ground. His tears mixing with blood as his claws snapped off in the hardened soil. In desperation, Dmitri changed fully letting his wolf instincts take over.

Luch ran back into the battle recklessly grabbing onto battling warriors while screaming for help.  He felt razor sharp claws rip through his side but he ran on, grabbing who would pay attention and sending them to the shelter and Dmitri.

Finally reaching the leader of the council fighters Luch dove into the middle of his battle with Ebon and grabbed both of his hands.

"Please you have to help. Everyone has to help."

Each sobbing breath felt like they were torn from his chest as Luch tried to get Shiraz to understand.  Ebon had paused in his attack as soon as Luch had stepped in front of him and grasped that something was wrong first.

"Where?"

"Shelter"

Before Luch had even finished speaking Ebon was off and running, grabbing warriors he knew along the way. Shiraz just stared at the fae-shifter questioning silently what was going on.

"Please, your troops collapsed the shelter with the pups in it." Luch begged. "We need help to dig them out."

Horror filled the vampire leaders eyes as he understood what had happened. In their blind need to eradicate the world of these traitors they forgot about the young that lived here. Now those young could all be dead by the hands of his warriors.

Shiraz's stomach churned with the knowledge that this was on him. That every pup that perished in the shelter would be a stain upon his soul. Running he saw warriors already trying to dig through the ground as others protected their backs against the still raging battle.

With a shrill whistle, he caught the attention of the warriors closest to him.

"Stop fighting! Help dig now. There's no time to lose."

Hoping they had enough help Shiraz ran to the crater and began to help with the digging.