Ebony Lion

Chapter 11: Dark Queen

Ebon shook his head as he rubbed his eyes, the fog slowly dissipating from his mind.  As his vision cleared the first thing he saw was Dawn standing before him, fire and anger in her eyes, with her hand raised to him and producing a reddish black energy.  "Dawn?  What are you doing here, where are we?"  Ebon said confused.  "You have betrayed me!  You have violated my trust and taken my honor!  How could you do this!?" Said Dawn as a tear dropped from her eye.  "What?  What are you talking about?  What's wrong?" Said Ebon.  "That woman, she was...holding you...touching you.  She said...Ebon, did you sleep with her?" "What!?  Who?  No!  What woman?  Baby I don't even know how I got here.  They had me chained up and...yeah!  I remember now.  This lady drugged me or something.  Then I woke up in this room with those Circle dudes that Kris and your Pops were talking about, and they tried to get me to flip on your Pops.  Then the girl...well...the girl kissed me and bit the hell out of my lip, not sexy at all by the way.  But I couldn't move babe. They were like holding me with magic.  That's all I remember.  I promise I didn't sleep with nobody else.  Who even told you that?"  Dawn's eyes shifted back to there normal color as she lowered her hand and the energy dissipated.  Then she pointed.  "Her, over there." She said indicating Troya who was slumped against a car with a Huge Troya sized indentation in a door that was definitely going to have to be replaced.  "Damn, there's no buffing that out."  Thought Ebon.  "That's her babe!  That's the girl I was talking about.  Umm...did you do that to her?"  Asked Ebon.  "And what if I did, does this bother you?"  Dawn asked as she crossed her arms and stared daggers at Ebon.  "Naw Babe, you tripping.  I literally just met this lady." Ebon began as Dawn cut him off.  "I am not "tripping" Ebon.  You arrived here with that woman.  Opened the door for her, and she was stroking you like a lost puppy.  You say that she cast a spell on you, then you should have tried harder to resist."  Said Dawn as the fire once again crept into her eyes.  Ebon stepped over to Dawn and scooped her off her feet and into his arms.  "Ebon!  Put me down."  Dawn said shocked, as she put her hands on his chest trying to push him away.  Ebon then kissed her, thoroughly and deliberately.  As his tongue danced in and around her mouth, her resistance became nonexistent, and her body melted into quiet acceptance of the incoming onslaught.  As Ebon ceased his invasion he looked into Dawn's eyes.  "Dawn, I love you baby, and you only.  You hear me?  My heart is yours, forever."  Said Ebon in earnest.  "I... I love you to."  Said Dawn as a tear formed in her eye.  Ebon knew he had hurt her, although unintentionally, and for that he would make the Circle pay.  Dawn's trust in him had wavered and he intended to gain it back fully, but at the moment the Circle was still a very present problem.  "Dawn, we have to go talk to your father and tell him what's going on.  These people want him bad."  "You are right.  We have larger issues than your infidelity."  Dawn said as she stroked Ebon's face and allowed a smile to  escape her lips.  "Ouch.  You're not gonna let me forget this huh?"  "Nope."  She said as she patted his cheek and jumped down out of his arms.  "Let's go see my Father."

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Ebon and Dawn walked into Dante's office.  "Ebon, I expected you here hours ago...alone.  A phone call to explain your absence doesn't seem as though it should have been out of the question."  Said Dante.  "I'm sorry Mr Windsor.  I got in some trouble with the Circle.  They took me against my will and tried to make me work with them to capture you."  Replied Ebon.  "Then it would seem our time is running short.  I intended to have this conversation with you alone, but due to the circumstances, Dawn's presence will have to be overlooked."  Said Dante.  "When we were in the sub basement of the training facility I noticed your subtle interaction with my wife.  Tell me, did she call to you?" Asked Dante.  "Well, not really.  It wasn't so much a call as it was...like kind of a pull."  Ebon replied.  "Then it is as I suspected.  Ebon, it has come to my attention that you wielded the Lions Tooth in the battle against the troll the other day.  Did you experience anything out of the ordinary with the blade?" Asked Dante.  "With the sword, no I don't think so.  It's a really nice blade and super sharp.  It cut through that troll like butter.  But now that I think about it, it did feel like it gave me a little more energy when I was trying to get to Sade.  And when I was attacking the troll it kind of warmed up in my hand, but that could have just been my adrenaline."  Replied Ebon.  "No, I do not think so."  Said Dante.  "The Lion's Tooth is a instrument of darkness.  It does not respond to everyone, yet you were able to invoke its power without even realizing it.  Talia has been given a steady dose of dark energy for many years, and it seems that energy was reaching out to you.  I think your innate ability combined with the Lion's Tooth may be able to awaken Talia.  "Forgive me father, but do you think it wise to continue to tamper with the dark arts this way?  You have always told me that there are consequences in manipulating them."  Said Dawn.  "There is an equal and opposite reaction for every action we take, and as with most things there is some risk involved.  However, I am confident that Ebon is up to the task.  And with the Circle closing in, our opportunity to try and awaken your mother is growing smaller by the minute.  Said Dante.  "Babe, I don't know if I'll be able to pull it off but if I can, I want to help you get your mom back."  Ebon said to Dawn.  "Then it is settled.  We will fly out to the compound immediately.  Let us go up to the helipad.  Said Dante looking the most excited that Ebon had ever seen him look. 

The flight out to the Training compound was shorter than Ebon remembered.  Maybe the anticipation of what was to come had his mind so preoccupied that he just wasn't paying as much attention as he had before.  They arrived at the Compound and exited the helicopter.  Upon entering the facility, Dante retrieved the Lion's Tooth from a lockbox in his office.  "Take it, it belongs to you now."  Dante said as he handed the sword to Ebon.  "I'm gonna do everything I can to make this happen for you, and Dawn."  Said Ebon as he took Dawn's hand in his.  "Of this I have no doubt."  Replied Dante.  They entered the sublevel and the secured room that held Talia's stasis chamber.  Upon entering with the Lion's Tooth in hand, Ebon immediately felt the pull of the dark energy coming from Talia.  "It's...way stronger than before."  Ebon managed to say.  As an immense pressure pushed in on him from all around, and almost brought him to his knees.  "Do not fight it Ebon, let it guide you."  Dante instructed as he opened the seal on Talia's chamber.  "Release me."  A voice whispered.  "Did you hear that?  Was that her?"  Asked Ebon, still straining from the pressure.  "I hear nothing.  Ebon, are you alright?  Maybe we should stop this."  Dawn said, holding tight to Ebon's arm with a worried look on her face.  "No...it's alright, I can do this babe."  Said Ebon as he stepped towards Talia's body and removed the sword from it's scabbard.  As he held the blade out towards her, dark black energy began to visibly flow from the sword into her body.  As the seconds passed larger and larger amounts were being emitted from the blade.  The dark energy was now encompassing Talia as her body began to rise above the chamber.  The sword was threatening to come free from Ebon's hands but he held on tightly, refusing to let Dawn down.  Dawn saw the struggle Ebon was going through and tried to go to him, but Dante grabbed her and held her back.  "Father, let me go!  Ebon needs help."  "No.  It is too dangerous for you to interfere.  He must do this alone."  Said Dante.  The dark energy was swirling around Talia, holding her in the air.  Then suddenly the blade of the Lion's Tooth shattered and Ebon fell backwards onto the floor.  Dawn freed herself from Dante's grasp and ran to him.  "Ebon, are you alright my love?"  She said as she cradled his head in her arms.  "I'm ok baby...just a little tired.  Is that it, did we do it?"  Ebon asked.  As the remaining energy entered into Talia her eyes opened, their color a bright blood red.  "Talia.  Can you hear me my love?"  Said Dante as he walked to her and reached his hand out to her.  Talia looked down at him.  "Dante...Dante?"  She whispered as the redness faded from her eyes and she fell.  Dante caught her in his arms.  "Yes, it is I my love.  I have waited so long to hear my name upon your lips once again."  "Dante...why do you look so...old?"  Talia asked.  Dante laughed.  "You have been asleep for a long time my love.  Many years have passed, but you are as beautiful as the day we met."  "Years?  But how?  And...the baby."  Talia looked down at her stomach.  "Dante!  What has happened to our child!"  Talia asked hysterically.  "Shh, it is alright my love.  Our child is fine.  In fact, it is because of her and her mate that we were able to awaken you."  Said Dante.  "Her mate?  Our daughter has wed?"  Asked Talia.  "No, not yet."  Dante said as he cleared his throat.  "Let me introduce you to her.  Dawn, come and meet your mother."  Dante said as he allowed Talia to stand.  Dawn stood with Ebon and walked over to Talia.  "Hello mother.  I am glad that I can finally meet you."  Dawn said shyly.  Talia took Dawn's face in her hands.  "My child...you are so...beautiful.  I have missed so much of your life."  Said Talia as she embraced Dawn and began to weep.  "It is alright mother, you are here with me now."  Dawn said, returning her embrace.  "Mother, let me introduce you to Ebon.  It was he that brought you out of your slumber."  Said Dawn, stepping to the side.  "Hello Mrs Windsor, it's a pleasure to meet you."  Ebon said extending his hand.  "Ebon."  Talia said as she held his hand in hers, and for the briefest of seconds, Ebon saw her eyes flash red.  "Thank you for releasing me."  She whispered in his ear.