Timeless Crusaders: Chapter Two, part Two

The first sun crashed upon the horizon like an ocean wave. The first light of the new day penetrated my closed eyelids. I felt the space next to me fill and become weighed down. A warm arm snaked around my waist and pulled me closer. Jasper kissed my neck. 1

"Nora, it’s time to get up. The second sun is on the rise." I turned to face him and his lively eyes. I snuggled close to his chest. "Aww, Nora, what are you doing?"2

"Burrowing," I said, trying to be cute.3

"Aww, Nora, why do you have to be so adorable?" Jasper sighed. I shrugged my shoulders. He climbed out of bed, prying himself playfully away from me. "I will be right back." He ran into the sitting room and brought back the tray of food. It had soft porous thick bread, butter, preserves, cold meats, and fruit. I noticed the cream cheese and strawberries. I watched Jasper spread cream cheese and then place sliced strawberries on top and then hand me the piece of bread. 4

"How did you know this is what I wanted?"5

"I noticed your eyes light up as they wandered to that end of the tray." He said, causing me to laugh. I grabbed a slice of toast that was prepared, and put some cream cheese on it, followed by bacon slices followed by a few slices of a nectarine. Jasper gave me a bit of a perplexed look. 6

"It will be delicious, I promise." He nodded and took a bite. His eyes glowed and he finished the toast morsel rapidly. I finished my glass of milk and when Jasper put down the tray, I kissed him."Good Morning."7

"Well, Good morning to you." He said as he kissed my lips in return. Our faces parted and my face winced up. My dad, Gavin, both my dragons, and a soft tender hum all swarmed my mind. "Nora?" He questioned with concern. The Immortal King's horn blared. 8

"Today is the battle. We have to prepare and get on the field as soon as we can." I leapt of the bed and threw on common clothes behind the screen. I called for Genevieve who came immediately and helped Jasper get into his armor while I dressed the dragons and put my weapons in their locations on their backs. Genevieve then helped me as Jasper dressed his cats. He mounted up and I checked my red armor fittings and tightened my gauntlets. I grabbed Blue's tail and he pulled me into the saddle. We trotted out of the room, castle and outer wall and found our way to the fields. We joined the ranks next to the king. 9

“Are we late?” I leaned towards Gavin. He shook his head.10

“You are very timely in your arrival. The king’s own men are just arriving. Nora, I think you have a special place to go. You are not in the front line. Ask Dad. Jasper, you ride next to me or your dad.” Gavin added. Jasper nodded and then looked to me. He dismounted and I slid off Blue to reach him. He pulled me in his arms and gave me a deep passionate last kiss.11

“Make sure you have a little fun without dying, Jasper.” I whispered. I kissed him one more time, quickly on the lips.” 12

“Be safe, my darling.” He said as he walked away he reluctantly let go of my hand. I watched him climb aboard Sargon once more and go stand beside his dad on his large Bengals. I went to the king. 13

“Sire, where would you like me and my dragons to serve you?” I asked him. 14

“Well, my Nora, you will probably be in the air most of the time. Since the enemy doesn’t know I have a lady and her majestic dragons, a stealthy entrance can be made from those cliffs.. From the air, fight how you are trained to fight. Good luck.” 15

“To you as well Sire,” I said. Simon and Blue galloped towards the cliffs, I looked at Jasper and we ran passed him. I heard him say I love you, but his lips didn’t move. Could I hear him like my dad and brother? “I love you too, Jasper.” I whispered aloud as Blue’s talons dug into the cliff side and quickly scaled it to the top. We waited. “Blue, Simon, what do you see with your keen eyes?” I asked them. They described spotted jackal men, and long armed claw dark creatures of the northern swamps. Creatures that looked like horned ogres with large axes rode giant snakes were placed into my mind. There were gruesome men with savage weapons, barbarians most likely. They wore the crude skins of animals. Then the image of the witch queen and her minions came into my mind. She looked like me. Almost identical, her eyes were black and she had fangs when her lips were apart. Her minions looked like orcs from the Lord of the Rings movies. However, some of the minions looked to be vampires. I have never seen one except from Hollywood’s perspective. I checked my arrows. I had silver nitrate capsules incase the rumors were true about what they could die from. The opposing hoard was massive. I feared for my family, my dad, my brothers. I feared for my love. I feared for Jasper. “If the need comes, you two, I want you to save Jasper if his tigers cannot.” I began. They looked at me curiously. “You must do this for me. Promise?” I asked. They bowed their heads. The King’s horn sounded and all the troops were alert and ready to defend at the cost of their lives. I watched the ranks pull tighter together. The fiend army charged at the wave of the Spider Queen’s hand. Her dark arachnid steed raced behind her troops. The Immortal King’s troops released their artillery, their catapults, slings and large crossbows. They sent flaming stones that exploded with shrapnel that pierced the hides of the first line of the human barbaric infantry. The enemy returned arrows and several good men perished. We took that as our cue and my dragons launched into the sky. I secured my feet into the stirrups and notched three arrows to my longbow. I let them loose and three bad men fell. “Rip them to shreds, and torch their hides.” I told Simon and Blue. They snorted with glee. The dove towards the hoard of evil and their bellies rumbled as the fire exploded from their throats. The men screamed in horror and pain as the fire scorched their exposed flesh and made them cook in their iron armor. Simon and Blue torched their wooden artillery and half of their archers. I let fly arrow after arrow. “Simon, I’m coming to you.” I stood up on blue after I secured my longbow. I ran down Blue’s spine and dove off his back and grabbed blue’s tail as he flew by. He snapped his tail and I curved around and landed in the saddle. I looked at the damage to the Immortal King’s troops. We were doing okay. We were surviving. I noticed my dad fighting beside his brother. They were slaughtering the orcs with east. I located Jasper and watched him as my dragons continued to torch the minions of the Spider Queen. He swung his Morning Star with such grace it seemed feather light. The way it bashed and decapitated the enemy made clear it was no light weight weapon. His tigers mauled and mowed down bad creatures with his father and his steeds next to him. Suddenly, I noticed three assassins approaching my beloved that he did not see. I grabbed my long bow and three silver arrows. I notched them and took careful aim. I shot, and once my arrows pierced their chest cavities, they screamed a deafening screech and they turned to ash. I saw Jasper take a look and then looked towards me in the sky. “Help the Infantry, by the tigers.” I told Simon who dove and was about to torch the coming new wave of mongrels. I looked up at the Spider Queen as she pointed her fire-pulse at us. “Up Simon!” I said, but it was too late. It smacked Simon in the chest and he reared back in shock and in pain. I lost balance and fell out of the saddle. I grabbed the stirrup. I couldn’t hang on. My fingers were tangled in the stirrup. I grabbed my knife and cut the saddle from Simon and I fell to the ground. As I plummeted, I managed to get the saddle beneath me before I crashed to the earth. I landed on a few minions and killed them. I was glad their deaths softened my impact. Quickly I strapped my punching blades to my legs and pulled out my swords. Blue and Simon circled the sky and looked for me. I told them I was alright. I chopped the heads off at least ten orcs in the process of slaying a bunch. I noticed a circle of hybrid men, ugly jackals surrounded me. Suddenly, a large jackal villain stepped into the circle. I twirled my knives to situate them before he lunged. I smiled slightly. He charged swiftly and I dodged his attack. However, in the process, I noticed that the outsiders wanted in on the action too. They were all getting closer. I stabbed the brute in the neck with a giant leap. He stumbled back and pulled it out and threw in on the ground as if unscathed. I grabbed a punching blade and sliced off his head. Once I did, the outsiders grew even closer. “Simon, a lift please!” I called. He dove out of the sky, but on his way down he took a spear in the shoulder. I stabbed a few more and then as Simon tried to grab me with his talons, a minion grabbed the spear. I grabbed his tail and called to Blue. Blue came and flew underneath Simon so I dropped into the saddle. I shot the minion on Simon with an arrow and he plummeted to his death. I looked forward as we flew and I continued to slay minions below with an assortment of favored arrows. Bats the size of couches were approaching. They swarmed my dragons and me. I pulled out my knives and fought closely. They lost wings and altitude and they were gashed open. They were blood suckers. There were too many bats. My arrows were gone on Blue, and Simon’s artillery was lost on the ground. In the melee of bat slaying, arrows jumped to the sky and also attempted to bring us down. I realized they were focused on us. We had done so much damage, we were their primary target. I blocked most of the bats from biting my dragons; I snapped all of the arrows aimed at me. I listened to them fleck of my dragons. I gasped and inhaled a breath quickly. I failed and I missed an arrow. Its grapples took hold through my outer ribs. Armor piercing rounds of arrows were being used. “Blue, Simon, fly higher. High as you can go. We may be able to lose the bats in the altitude.” They soared straight up and lost a majority of the bats. I didn’t realize how high we were until I couldn’t breathe. “Down,” I asked. Blue slowly drifted down so I could adjust. I looked down at the arrow protruding from below my chest. Blue and Simon asked if I was okay. I nodded, but they could see I was losing blood. My lifeblood seeped down my leg and onto Blue’s green scales. I heard Blue tell Simon I was weakening. “Simon, are those crossbows?” I asked him, a bit dizzy in Blue’s saddle. He roared and they both dodged them, but they were still coming. Blue took a couple in his wings and couldn’t keep altitude. “Jasper,” I whispered. We landed with a thud and a dust cloud erupted from the ground where we fell. 16

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“Nora,” Jasper said as he watched Blue fall smash into the ground. “No.” Jasper . He raced Sargon towards the fallen dragons. Simon landed and fought back any enclosing enemy. He sent them flying back with his sweeping tail and left them scorched with his inflamed anger. Sargon’s and Raven’s faces were bloodied and their spiked chest plates were painted with the death of the enemy. Jasper arrived to set Simon snap up a giant snake’s ogre rider and easily throw him against the cliffs. The snake was a bit harder to slay, but with a few ravaging grins to the same spot, his head snapped off. Simon pranced around Blue in a battle ring. He talons battered and ripped apart minions that got too close. “Help him,” Jasper commanded to his cats as he ran through Simon’s legs. He found Blue defending the other side with his tail and fire breath. He was shielding his body with his impaled wings as he stood. “Where is she?” Jasper yelled towards him. Blue lifted his wing, and Jasper saw where Nora laid. “Nora!”1818

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I heard Jasper voice. I felt his warm hand gently roll me over, followed by his fingers touching my arrow wound. I winced. 2020

“Oh Nora, speak to me,” He nearly pleaded. 21

“Jasper,” I whispered. I reached out my hand. Jasper leaned down and put his lips and face into my palm. He picked me up in his arms and held me beneath Blue’s wings. We heard the Immortal King’s horn blare. “The Spider Queen is…retreating…” I wheezed. 22

“Baby, save your strength,” Jasper soothed in to my ear. He held me closer and lifted me into the moonlight. Simon and Blue put their heads close to Jasper and sniffed me, tenderly. They purred when I patted their snouts. Jasper looked to where the Spider Queen once stood. A foul wind blew from the east, from her domain. Revenge would be swift. “I will take care of you my beloved.” He gently spoke. He mounted Sargon as the tiger bent his knee. “Sargon, do not be much of a jolt as you run.” Jasper commanded. I could hardly feel any movement radiating from the massive cat’s body. I heard Gavin’s voice.23

“No, Nora! Is she alright,” his eyes pleaded. My dad was right there, along with my uncle and the Immortal King himself. My dad touched my forehead.24

“Jasper, she will be alright. Take care of her. Stitch her up and don’t leave her.” Lord Martin spoke. 25

“It would take the world’s end to part me from your daughter, my Lord.”26

“I will have my creature medics tend to her dragons. Can they be held in creature dormitory?” 27

“Go with them.” My father spoke to Simon and Blue who obeyed, but reluctantly left my side. Jasper dismounted Sargon and sent his tigers to be looked over with the dragons. Jasper ran as gently as he could back to the room. 28

“Genevieve,” Jasper called. Once she arrived, Jasper asked her to fetch hot water, bandages, a needle, thread, scissors, tweezers, and clean cloths. She had then sent up immediately. In the meantime, Jasper carefully and gently removed my armor, piece by piece. He piled it besides the chaise where I reclined. “Nora, my darling, the arrow has pierced through your chain mail. I will have to remove it before…”29

“You will have to remove it at some point.” I paused. 30

“Now is as good a time as any.” I said softly. He placed one of his hands close to the wound and then grasped the arrow with the other. “Don’t wiggle it, I’m pretty sure it has a wicked tip.” Jasper nodded. I let out an agonizing, painful moan as the hardware was extracted. Pain flowed freely through my veins, and coursed the wound zone. He rolled up my chainmail and carefully removed it over my head. He then removed my corset and my common shirt. He rolled my camisole up so he could see the wound. 31

“Darling, your wound is beastly looking, it was tipped.” He tried to make me smile. I laughed a little, but had to stop due to the pain. He dipped towels in the hot water bath and cleaned my wound. I couldn’t help whimpering a little. He grabbed the needle and thread and started stitching my wound closed. It stung. Each pull on the thread sent volts of pain. “I am sorry Baby, I know it hurts.” He soothed. Tears silently rolled down my face. He wiped clean any other wounds he found and then bandaged my wounds. “Would you like clean clothes on?” I shook my head.32

“Not now. I couldn’t do it myself and I would prefer that if it’s okay with you.” I replied. Jasper understood and nodded. “I would like some water and a nap I think though. I don’t want to be alone though.” 33

“I won’t leave you. I made that a promise to you father and I promised to take care of you. I will be with you right after I strip of my armor.” He said as he removed his armor and piled it next to mine. He cleaned up his wounds and wrapped his knuckles. He removed his dirty, blood stained shirt and gathered me in his arms and relocated me to the soft bed. He slid me under the covers and climbed in next to me. He our naked torsos met as I snuggled closer to him. I found his lips and made them my own. “Nora, for a minute, I was afraid I lost you.” He spoke gently and honestly. “I don’t know what I would have done if that became reality.”34

“I would be in your heart and you would continue on. But, you would never forget who I am, who you made me, who I made you, and the people we’ve become through love.” He nodded and then rolled on top of me and balanced his weight away from my ribs. His lips met mine in lingering kiss after lingering kiss. “Will you hold me,” I asked. Jasper nodded and then took me in his arms and we fell asleep. We both knew that tomorrow would be a new day and soon, we would face the Spider Queen again. 35