Princess Anaerea Machaira Part 2

Part 2 Alektoro was a sight to behold. His blonde hair flickered in the torch light. His creamy skin reminded Anaerea Machaira of a dove’s flesh. His eyes were the colours of ripe, dew-glistening cherries. Anaerea Machaira shook her head. Why the hell am I thinking about food when looking at him!, she thought furiously. “Is there something wrong, Princess Anaerea Machaira?” Alektoro murmured with a voice like the boom of waves upon a shore. “No, Prince Alektoro. Nothing is wrong at all.” Anaerea Machaira said looking back at the Emperor. “Eiphero. Take our princess to her quarters. She must be tired from that long journey. We shall see you when you awake.” The Emperor said with a nod of his head. Eiphero bowed and slowly backed away. Anaerea Machaira bowed her head and walked out of the room without a second look. Anaerea Machaira stalked down the highway. Eiphero appeared in front of her, finally showing his inhuman speed. “My princess. Follow me.” he said. Mishan came to Anaerea Machaira’s side. “Princess. I don’t like that Emperor. He reminds me of an old squid guarding his treasure ship. Evil and crotchety.” Mishan muttered in his delectable accent. Anaerea Machaira shook her head again that night. Am I hungry? Why is everything edible tonight? She thought savagely. “My lady, are you okay?” Mishan asked cocking his head to the side. “I don’t know. I…” Anaerea Machaira stopped talking as she looked down a side hall. A tall-beautiful woman who looked like she was in her early thirties looked into Anaerea Machaira’s eyes. The woman had yellow eyes and blood auburn hair. “Enodia.” Anaerea Machaira whispered. It was her daughter. Or, Machai’s daughter? Things were blending so that Machai’s and Ana’s memories seemed to be hers. Anaerea Machaira strode down the hallway and stood before Enodia. Anaerea Machaira cocked an eyebrow at Enodia. “Where are your manners, blood blossom?” Anaerea Machaira asked hands on her hips. Enodia’s eyes filled with pink tears. “You really are my father.” She said bursting into tears and throwing herself into Anaerea Machaira’s arms. Anaerea Machaira stroked Enodia’s hair. “Shhhh. Crying doesn’t help anything. How have you been, blood blossom? I’ve heard that you have children. I’m so proud.” Anaerea Machaira said squeezing Enodia. Enodia backed away but grasped Anaerea Machaira’ hands. “It is as Akzaree said. But, it is so weird to see you as a woman. Hello, Lord Eiphero. I see you are taking my … father to … her rooms.” Enodia said scrunching up her nose. “I am. And we need to keep moving, My princess.” Eiphero said with a bow. Anaerea Machaira took Enodia hand and followed after Eiphero. “What should I call you? Do you mind me calling you Father?” she asked. “I am your Father. But, it is true that I am not only your Father. I will have some differences but, I don’t mind being called Father. Haha! People are going to look at us funny though.” Anaerea Machaira laughed. “Mother is still alive.” Enodia said quietly. Anaerea Machaira’s head whipped around to look at Enodia. “Where is she?!” Anaerea Machaira hissed. “The Emperor has put her under surveillance. He is afraid something will happen if you contact her.” Enodia said. Anaerea Machaira nodded sharply. “Take care of her. I won’t be able to see her for a little while. Sigh. Things have changed so much since I was alive … or since I was first here.” Anaerea Machaira said

rubbing her forehead. “I need to go. I’ll see you again soon, Father.” Enodia said melting into the shadows of another hallway. Eiphero was very quiet as he unlocked the door to Anaerea Machaira’s appointed apartments. Anaerea Machaira was in her own cloud of chaos. The rest of the group: Tsitsua, Biyngia, Albon, the Hag, and Mishan, remained in their own silent worlds. Eiphero turned to Anaerea Machaira, he bowed low. “Your rooms, my princess.” He said opening the door to the quarters. Anaerea Machaira walked into the room not really looking at where she was. She looked up and froze. This was her old prison stockade. It held various implements of torture that she… No! That Machai had used during his reign. Black mold was creeping over the walls and ceiling, feeding from the centuries of blood and gore smeared on the stone. Giant white rats with sinister red eyes looked up at Anaerea Machaira and hissed. Anaerea Machaira turned on Eiphero. “Lord Eiphero! What is this?” Anaerea Machaira exclaimed confused. Mishan was in the room with her. Eiphero looked at her sadly. “I am sorry, My princess. My Emperor ordered me to do this. I am bound. I must obey him.” He said slamming the door and locking it. Anaerea Machaira knew because she had designed it that the door wouldn’t break even for the strongest vampire. She had … NO! Machai had made sure of that. I’m so confused I feel crazed. Anaerea Machaira moaned. A cold hand brushed her face and pushed strands of her black hair out of her face. Anaerea Machaira opened her eyes and looked at Mishan’s concerned expression. “Do not worry, My Princess. I am here and will not forsake you.” He said softly. Anaerea Machaira looked hard at him. Then she softened. “Thanks.” she murmured. She shook herself. “We need to get out of here. I am obviously not welcome here. Let’s see. If I remember correctly, there should be a hidden passageway around here. Somewhere.” Anaerea Machaira muttered. She stalked toward an iron maiden and stopped in front of it. “Was this where it was?” she asked herself thoughtfully as she patted the iron maiden’s shoulder. Mishan watched Anaerea Machaira’s actions. His silver eyes tracked her through her movements. “Are you doing a magic ritual dance?” he asked confused. Anaerea Machaira stopped her tantrum fit before she kicked the iron maiden. She gathered her composure. “Sorry. I was … thinking.” She said smoothly as she stalked to a contraption attached to a wheel. The implement was meant to pull the victims limbs out of their sockets, a very painful experience to say the least. She kicked the thing lightly. It groaned in response. She whirled around to face Mishan, her eyes bright with burning anger. She stomped to a dark hall that led deeper into the prison. “Come along Mishan.” She growled as she stormed into the darkness. Mishan warily followed Princess Anaerea Machaira deep into the prison. Anaerea Machaira walked past skeletons and decaying masses as if it were nothing. Mishan shivered. These land creatures were so strange. Anaerea Machaira walked past the fifth rotting body so far. She was torn. She felt horrified at the shape the bodies were in and yet she didn’t feel that bad. They were dead. She didn’t kill them. She frowned and ignored the shapes pilled on top of each other. She came to a cross roads in the passage. She turned left without hesitation.

On the walls were deep gouges as if something were trying to claw its way through the stone. Anaerea Machaira hesitated looking at the gouges with a confused frown. “These weren’t here before.” She whispered touching a gouge. The gouge was seven inches deep and three feet long. Mishan touched the gouge as well. “These look like demon claw marks.” He said thoughtfully. “You mean vampire. But I’ve never seen a vampire do this. And I … I mean Machai has seen everything a vampire can do.” Anaerea Machaira said facing Mishan as he leaned coolly against the filth-soaked wall. “No, I mean demon. They have two forms one that appears human, except for the eyes. And their beast form. In beast form they are massive with black claws that are a foot long. They have multiple heads and a mastiff-like body. They are meaner then a bull-shark in the middle of mating season.” He said shaking his head. “We must be careful.” He said. Mishan stood up straight and stretched. Anaerea Machaira watched him with interest. He groaned as he stretched out his aching muscles. He froze mid-stretch and looked down at Anaerea Machaira. His nostrils flared and his slit pupil dilated into a sliver of black. “You smell of a young female Eythol about to go through her change to womanhood.” He said taking in a deep breath. His head jerked forward. Anaerea Machaira stiffened in surprise as he buried his face in her hair. He snuffled behind her left ear. Anaerea Machaira tried to step back but one of Mishan’s powerful arms snaked out and captured her around the waist. “Mishan. What! I’m confused.” She said squirming in his arms. “If you squirm once more I may just rip off that little dress and take you here in this grime-infested place.” He hissed. His accent was thicker then ever. “You are about to go through the most painful experience you shall ever feel. You aren’t full Ethyol, so it will be harder especially since you are a female. You aren’t even half ethyol. Your father was half demon. It seems you will be going through both the changes at once.” “You will go through the demon and the Ethyol change. I can’t help you with the demon part. Damn it! I don’t know what to do!” Mishan yelled squeezing Anaerea Machaira to his hard body. “Mishan! Calm down! What…” Anaerea Machaira choked out. Then the pain exploded through her body. Burning. Searing. Permeating. Boiling. Pain ripped through her. Pulsing like a second heart beat. Anaerea Machaira opened her mouth and no sound came because the pain had taken her ability to make sound. Lights burst like overripe fruit in her vision. Colours she never saw before reared in her vision. Her body convulsed in Mishan’s arms. She vaguely heard Mishan yelling in some ancient language. Mishan panicked at the sight of Anaerea Machaira’s violent convulsions. Her body was rejecting the Ethyol and Demon genes. At this time the appointed mate would cut off a chunk of their flesh and feed it to her. But, what about demons? “Shit! Where’s a demon when you needed one!” snarled Mishan. He gently put Anaerea Machaira on the ground and took a bite out of his left arm. He gently pried open Anaerea Machaira’s clenched teeth and placed his mouth over hers. He chewed his chunk of flesh into a paste and pushed it into her open mouth with his tongue. He wiped his mouth with the back of his right hand. “Swallow. Swallow. Swallow, please!” he whispered lifting her head. Everything was black now. The lights had faded away. The pain was slipping away too. Ahhh. Finally, it was so peaceful now. Quiet. She was fading into the dark realm of rest. Something cold and sort of slippery slid into her mouth. A spark of

magic electricity jolted her still body. It was familiar. But it only reanimated part of her. She was no longer going to those black gates of the Land of Rest. She was caught in between. “Anaerea Machaira! What the devil are you doing!” a familiar voice snarled from behind her. She turned in her subconscious to see Machai standing there hands on hips and glowering. An angelic looking woman with blue eyes and white hair smiled at her. “Leave her be Machai.” She said with a delicate voice. “Leave her be. Leave her be! What is she doing! She can’t be here like this! She needs to be in our body or someone will take it!” He bellowed. The woman, Anae, patted Machai’s shoulder. “She is changing. If she is in her body right now she’ll be torn up. Let the Eythol and the Demon Lord take care of her.” The woman said rubbing Machai’s shoulders. Machai relaxed. “All right. But if our body dies I’m holding her responsible!” he growled. “She’ll be our Mistress if that happens.” Anae said soberly. That sobered Machai up as well. Anaerea Machaira opened her mouth to speak but nothing came out. Mishan watched Anaerea Machaira’s body jolt as the magic of his flesh jolted her back from Death’s gate. But, it wasn’t enough he saw that she was caught in between. He howled in grief. It wasn’t enough. “Oh shut up! Your howling hurts my ears, Eythol.” barked an elegant sounding deep gravelly voice. Mishan turned toward the voice with his pointed mouth-full of teeth bared and ready to defend his Mate … no… his Princess. “Oh don’t get your balls in a bunch! The little queen sent out a call for help and I am obliged to answer.” said a massive male demon. He was in his human-like form. He was well past seven feet tall. He had a lithe well-built body, all muscle and sinew. His skin was black like coal with areas where he seemed to glow with red and orange embers, as if he were a live coal fire. His hair was the same reds and oranges of flames. His eyes had no whites like a human would. They were solid red like bright red holly berries or a cardinal’s plumage. He had no pupil either. He smirked at Mishan, a nasty twist of lips. “Move aside Eythol. The little queen needs me.” He said striding forward toward Mishan and Anaerea Machaira. Mishan snarled. “Don’t hurt her, Demon.” Mishan growled moving around Anaerea Machaira’s body while never turning his back on the demon. The demon smirked again. “I couldn’t even if I tried. She called me. Me! She was powerful enough to do that and she’ll be powerful enough to keep me from hurting her, after I help her.” he grumbled as he touched her forehead. “What is she called?” the demon asked. “Princess Anaerea Machaira.” Mishan replied coldly. The demon stilled. “She is named after that bastard Vampire King who got his old maid sister the Lunar Princess to banish my kind into the Darken realm.” The demon said clenching his fists. “Are you going to help her or not!” Mishan snapped. The demon sneered at Mishan and tentatively began touching various places on Anaerea Machaira’s body. “Hey! Stop feeling her up and get to the dark magic shit!” Mishan barked shoving the demon’s hand away from Anaerea Machaira’s crotch. The demon sighed with feeling. “I am not “feeling her up,” I am checking to see what magic sights she has opened to her. Remarkably all of the magic sights or portals are receptive to her. I am about to give her a piece of my essence through blood. This piece will join with her and allow her to continue to live. Now stop interfering and Back Off!!” the demon said in a resounding voice. Anaerea Machaira screamed. She was in a land of nightmares. Her subconscious had left Machai and Anae and was now wandering through her past. She

watched a demon…vampire rip out the throat of one of her fellow knights. She roared a battle cry and beheaded the creature. That was the first person she had ever killed. Then the scene blurred and changed. She saw her mother. She was laughing at her. She was five. A burning emotion boiled up. Hate. It was the first time she hated another person. Another vision appeared, her little brother Daveh had just been born. Her mother held him and cried tears of joy. Everyone was cheering and cooing over the little babe. Anaerea Machaira stood in the corner and shimmered with Jealousy. Anaerea Machaira turned her head and was in the men’s locker room at the Stratologeo University. She turned a corner and saw the senior knight Lord Ferrin in the shower. Water dripped over his muscled body. Anaerea Machaira’s body convulsed in raw Lust at the sight of his naked body bore before her. Then a flash and she was in the streets of Stratologeo. A crowd of people was crowding the streets. They hadn’t eaten because of the Queen’s new taxes. Anaerea Machaira was in the crowd stirring up Dissension among the people. She was on an assignment from the Queen to stir up the people and get them to riot. She watched as the first stone was thrown before her vision shifted and she was in her tower room at the Queen’s castle. Her body was shaking as she looked at the broken statuette of her father that lay in a pile on the floor. Cold and wild Wrath took her as she looked at what a servant had “accidentally” done. She returned to her body in a rush. Anaerea Machaira gasped and found she was nearly swallowing a pair of warm male lips in a passionate kiss. She spluttered and opened her eyes. She found herself looking into solid red orbs of burning fire. Oh wait. They were eyes without pupils or whites. Anaerea Machaira uttered a cry of surprise that was muffled by the person’s mouth. Anaerea Machaira moved her arms and shoved the massive bulk that was hovering over her still latched onto her lips. She must have misjudged how strong she pushed him because he ended up slamming into the stone wall and cracking the stone all the way up to the ceiling. Anaerea Machaira sat up and scrambled to her feet. She pressed her body up against the opposite side of the hall and stood there panting. “Princess! You are all right!” Mishan exclaimed laughing. Anaerea Machaira looked at Mishan her brilliant green eyes wide. “Bloody hell! That hurt like a bitch!” snarled the male she had shoved off her. Anaerea Machaira turned and looked at the largest … man she had ever seen. He loomed over her like the proverbial giant. He must be taller then seven feet! He was wearing tatters over his manhood and nicely shaped butt. The rest of him was firm and all muscle. Mmmm. He looked good enough to eat. He was the colour of a smoldering coal. He was mostly black but at times he would move and it would look like there were orange and red flames under his skin. He had brilliant red and orange strands of hair in various shades that was wavy and fell to his shoulders in a mass of thick silky goodness. He had the red eyes of fresh blood or a strawberry. And as she had noticed before he had no pupil or whites visible. He was dead sexy. In an unearthly sort of way. He was exceedingly handsome in that smoldering moody sort of way. “Who are you?” Anaerea Machaira breathed in a husky velvety sort of voice that she didn’t recognize at all. She grabbed her throat with both her hands. “My voice!” she said horrified. She dragged her eyes away from the smoldering sex incarnate to look at Mishan who was at her side. She was stunned again. She hadn’t realized how gorgeous Mishan was. That his pale skin was flawlessly smooth and his blue hair was dark like the deep ocean and faded to a creamy blue of ocean foam. Or that his silver eyes could look

into her deepest darkest innermost reaches and stroke her. “Mishan.” Anaerea Machaira said in awe. Mishan looked surprised and backed up a step. Anaerea Machaira found herself reaching out to touch Mishan. She stopped her hand and pulled it back to her body. “What has happened to me?” She said with her new sexy voice. “You have changed. Your body has combined your Eythol genes and your Demon genes and caused your transformation.” said the sex incarnate. Anaerea Machaira looked at the man. “Who are you? What are you?” Anaerea Machaira said taking a step toward the guy. “I am Vishius. I am a demon.” He said with a mocking smile. Anaerea Machaira nodded to him. “What are you doing here?” she asked. “You called for assistance and since I was in this prison already then I thought I’d come.” He said with a smirk. Anaerea Machaira cocked her head and mentally dove into the store of new knowledge that she had discovered while out of body. She found some of Anae’s memories of demons. “Demons are hard to contain. Does that mean that I had this prison built to hold demons as well?” Anaerea Machaira thought out-loud. Then she jerked in realization. “I meant Machai, the Great Blood Emperor.” She said hurriedly. Vishius looked at her odd. “Unfortunately, yes. He made it strong enough to hold a strong demon lord. He had a hand in banishing our kind to the Darken realm six thousand years ago. Sigh. I was strong enough to break through the barrier. Our kind is suffering in the Darken realm. There are only a couple thousand of us left, mostly males too. The atmosphere is becoming so toxic from changes the world is going through. I was sent here to try to beseech the Great Blood Emperor and the Lunar Princess to set us free. I have found that in the time we were imprisoned they have died. I have been in this place for a hundred years. The Darkness knows how my people are doing without me.” Vishius said slumping. “Help me break us free of this prison and ally with me and I will free your people, under conditions.” Anaerea Machaira said. Vishius looked at her with harsh scorn on his face. “What could you do? You were thrown in this prison too. Only the Emperor and the Lunar Princess knew how to unravel the barrier and free us. Your offer is none at all.” He said turning and leaving. Anger had Anaerea Machaira clenching her fists. “Vishius, I am Princess Anaerea Machaira, Second Level Knight, Biyn Mateteuo (Wise Scholar) of Stratologeo University, and the Daughter of the Great Queen Zanah and the Past Royal Husband Great General Sorcerer Prince Lahat Elnaam of the Eythol of the North Island Akathartos. I am the reincarnate of the Great Blood Emperor Anaerea Machaira the Human Slayer and of the Lunar Princess Anae, Mother of the Werewolves. I am a force to be reckoned with or bowed down to. You have a choice of what to do. That is your right. But, whether I have demon blood or not, I will take care of anything that threatens the people who follow me, myself, or my plans.” “Now, you can join me and save what is left of the demons. Or, you can do nothing. I will hunt you down and make you watch as your people die out while you live alive and safe in my prison.” Anaerea Machaira hissed with cold unfeeling emotion. Vishius staggered at the cold unfeeling power drawing into the little female. Her power drew in all the power and aura outside of her. She is like

a vacuum, he thought. “You really are the incarnate?” Vishius said thoughtfully, not showing his awe and shock at this little queen. “Yes.” She said. Her voice allowed no questions. “Very well. I shall pledge my allegiance to you and shall serve you.” Vishius said bowing lowly to Anaerea Machaira. Anaerea Machaira nodded and turned. Mishan was staring at her with amazed amusement. Anaerea Machaira frowned at him and started walking down the hall that she and Mishan had been traveling down. “What now, My Princess?” Mishan asked obviously recovered from whatever he had been going through. “We are going to the Water Chamber, if it is still there.” Anaerea Machaira grumbled. “Do you mean the room that has a flight of stairs leading down to a pool of three foot deep dirty water and a stone carved chair at the center?” Vishius asked falling into step at Anaerea Machaira’s right. “Yes.” She said cautiously. “It is still there. Though why it was built is beyond me.” Vishius said with a shrug. “The room is one of my many torture rooms. I would chain someone to the chair and then have water slowly trickle in. They would sit there up to their chin in water. Then I would add… various animals into the water. They would eventually talk. Or, die horribly.” Anaerea Machaira said matter-offactly. Vishius and Mishan stopped walking at that. Anaerea Machaira continued walking but stopped soon after she realized the others weren’t around. She turned with a look of puzzled annoyance. “Come on then. We have to get out of here.” She said impatiently. Mishan and Vishius looked at each other. Vishius shook his head and Mishan frowned. They continued to walk. The Water Chamber was worse then Anaerea Machaira …. Machai’s memories showed. The water was brown and green in the darkness. The depths of it were deceptive. “And, what are we going to do here?” Vishius asked in a sarcastic-mocking tone. Anaerea Machaira ignored him and started down the stairs to the water below. “Princess! What the Devil are you doing?” Mishan growled grabbing her shoulder. Anaerea Machaira spun with a growl. Her face a mask of anger. “Don’t touch me like that!” Anaerea Machaira hissed, shoving Mishan away from her. The sudden movement brought a crumbling sound. Anaerea Machaira was too angry to notice until it was too late. Anaerea Machaira fell when the stairs gave way. She twisted midair and dove into the water. Mishan dove in after Anaerea Machaira. Vishius jumped onto the chair in the middle of the room and easily leaped into the water. “Princess!” Mishan shouted