User blog:Ore-samma/My Living Armor (Cursed sword) (Merge)

Hello Fans, Ore-Samma here!

This one is for a fan of my works. It is partially inspired by the picture on this blog post, and I do hope you like it.

It wasn't easy to write, and as I always state, I try harder for my fans than I do for my self!

This story re-uses characters from "My Cursed Sword" and if you didn't read it, I highly recommend it!

User blog:Ore-samma/My Cursed Sword

Thank you!

Ever your Servant-

Ore-Samma

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“Vycrest! Oh! Something is wrong!”

I rushed over to my wife, a cursed sword named Jaana. “I’m here, it’s going to be okay!” I cried out as she fell into my arms, her sword clattering upon the ground.

“Vycrest…” Jaana whimpered, crying, holding her head, curling her body upon itself. “Oh! Oh! I remember! I remember my past life! Oh! How far have I fallen? I am so wretched!”

I reached out and slung Jaana’s sword over her back and carried her piggyback. “It’s gonna be okay! We’re gonna find out what’s wrong!”

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(later)

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“My Lady Druella, I am so honored that you would come and see to my wife.” I said with a slight bow. “Do you know what is happening to her?”

Druella smiled and held her finger to her lips and motioned for me to follow her.

“Your wife is incomplete.” She said in a hushed whisper. “Her past as the Right Hand of the former demon lord was not her only life.”

I nodded, “Yes, I know. She was once a mighty hero once, yes?”

Druella nodded. “Yes. And….that’s what is killing her. There is a large part of her that is missing from the whole. She won’t live for long without it…..you have to find that part of her and reunite the two….the champion of the demon lord, merged with the hero that stood against the demon lord”

“Is that even possible? I can’t even imagine how to go off that information. Would you happen to know more?”

Druella sighed “Mind you, the texts, history and lore I have access to is considerable. But even I do not know much of the heroes who challenged the former demon lord…..but your wife was indeed one of them, and said to be the mightest.” She traced her finger in a circle and reached inside a pocket dimension and pulled out a scroll of paper.

“The only scrap of information I have would be an ancient tomb past the Gryphon mountain range. It’s said to be the final resting place of the Heroes of the Gryphon Empire….the civilization that gave rise to the Order.”

“Yes, but- Jaana didn’t die. She’s right here. She couldn’t be interred there, right?”

Druella nodded. “Correct. However, it is not uncommon for the Order to ‘bury’ heroes who take a mamono wife. The conjure up some heroic tale of falling in battle, or passing away in some fashion and bury *something* in a tomb or grave. I would suspect that this tradition did not start with the Order, or even the Gryphon Empire.” She shrugged. “You’re going to have to search there, I have no other leads to give you. And your wife will only get worse as time passes on. You said you found her in the Fortress of the Dark Nine. That she was in some sort of stone sarcophagus?”

I nodded. “Yes.”

Druella held out her finger again, “That makes a little more sense. It is likely that your wife was wasting away even before my mother took the mantle of the demon lord. The drawings you made of the sarcophagus display so many preservation runes.”

“Could you take care of her when I go to see what I can do? She is in no condition to travel.”

Druella shook her head. “Actually you being apart from her would mean her death in hours. You must take her with you. But here, take this.” She reached up to one of her horns and pulled till it snapped right off. “A combination of your spirit energy and this will keep her mobile. But mind you- she won’t be able to fight.” She said as she handed it to me, her horn instantly regrowing into place.

I nodded. “Thank you.”

Druella nodded and stood, placing her hand on my shoulder preventing me from standing. “Vycrest, you are a good man with a good woman…. It is more important than you know to keep reminding her of this. It may be the only thing that saves her when you find what you need to find down there.”

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(later)

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I put the map away….this must be the place.

I stared at a cathedral so massive that it seemed to be an entire city onto itself.

The structure was flanked by two gigantic Gryphons and depictions of Gryphons were everywhere.

“How are you holding up, Jaana” I said, and adjusted her position as she was still piggybacked on me.

“Vycrest...I am such a horrible person...” She whimpered. “So much innocent blood is on my hands...I see it all now….oh! oh!”

“You’re still the woman I love. It will be okay! I promise you!”

Jaana just cried, mumbling and delirious.

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I set her down and took her into my arms, kissing her lips and stroking her hair. “My love...stay with me…..you are loved, beyond anything else….you are loved.”

Jaana lunged forward and returned my kisses with her own; savage and full of desperation. The long grass swayed all around us as I made love to her, keeping her mana stores as high as I could, while still making progress to where we needed to go.

After she slowly stood with me and on wobbling legs started to move forward.

“Here, let me carry your sword.” I said, taking it from her.

“Oh! It disgusts me so!” Jaana cried out. “To think of all the people I slain with that weapon...” She buried her face in her hands as we continued, with my arm around her shoulders, the wind whipping her hair into me.

The entrance to the cathedral was massive. The doors were so tall, I could barely make out the tops. I was shocked to see that they were functional with hinges, but had no idea who could ever possess the strength to open them.

We looked about and saw a modest entryway in the side and gasped as the door crumbled and fell off its hinges the moment I pushed upon it.

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I looked upon the interior and gasped… I was right; it was a city.

Crumbling streets, crumbling houses all housed under a structure so massive that it could only be believed that it was placed there by divine will alone.

The massive stained glass windows gave a sense of mysticism and sacredness that made me want to apologize for the noise our footfalls made in the streets. We noticed houses, libraries, churches, guard stations, even instances for farming and brewing.

“Vycrest! Oh!” Jaana cried out, and almost fell to her knees…. Her cries echoing across the span of a dead civilization...seeming to echo and re-echo across the emptiness and centuries of stillness held frozen in the shafts of light that crisscrossed the vastness.

I kneeled, positioning Jaana onto my back again and carried her piggyback once more.

I looked about, and found a Tavern that was several stories high and entered.

The interior looked more like an ancient library than a food-and-drink-and-rest establishment. I passed by their selection of liquids in crystal bottles and took one as I continued, uncorked it and took a whiff.

“Smells like honey.” I murmured and took a taste as I passed by the dark oak tables and started to climb rusting iron steps.

The honeyed drink was exquisite, but I only allowed myself a small taste and held out the bottle to Jaana. “Would you like to try some?”

She took the bottle and handed it back. “It’s very tasty.” She whispered. “You’re so good to me, so sweet. Thank you….I- I don’t deserve you.”

“Yes you do. Don’t be silly. We’re gonna find the other part of you, and it’ll be alright again. You’ll see.”

“Mmmm...” Jaana moaned and rested her head against my back.

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At last! I now had a better view of the layout…. And it was breathtaking.

The enormous statues of the Gryphons, heroes, emperors, and iconography stood in the city as support pillars that reached the very top of the ceiling. Carefully crafted staircases that allowed workers to climb the pillars to reach the top.

Massive churches and cathedrals within the cathedral that housed the entire city…...I didn’t even have the slightest clue where to begin to look….

“Well, at least we can try the largest cathedral.” I mumbled, looking at a structure that must have been over five miles away.

I looked about for a way there, and gasped when I saw a waterway that had ancient boats on dry land by its side.

I made my way to the water and checked the boat….it looked just fine even after all this time. I set it in the water and waited…..no leaks! Excellent!

I got in, set Jaana on the other end and started to row to the city center, aided by a moderately flowing current.

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“Jaana, do you recognize this place?”

She looked about dully, and brushed her hair behind her ear. “No. It is very beautiful. I can’t even imagine how they got a stained glass window that big up there, look!”

I looked up, and I saw an iconography that must have been the size of a moderate lake, depicting a scene of the glory of the Gryphon Empire.

“Geez, that’s so huge!”

After a while we shared a meager lunch, and I held Jaana in my arms as the current carried us to the center.

I heard Jaana gasp and looked….ah crap.

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A wall mural depicted the demon lord’s Right Hand. It was a scene of carnage and death. I looked to Jaana and just barely caught her from jumping over the edge of the boat.

“What are you doing?” I cried out. “Are you trying to kill yourself?”

Jaana wailed. “Just- just let me go! I can’t stand this guilt! This horrible agony! Oh! Please! I can’t face my life like this!”

I held her as she broke down. Her cries and weeping degraded to a babbling that I could no longer understand. Strange visions flashed before my eyes as she screamed and as her red eye flared a light so bright that it appeared that the city around us was on fire.

The light intensified and now I could see living memories dance around us….all of Jaana in the era of the former demon lord….Jaana killing people, murdering people, burning the world with a hatred that burned like the flare of a thousand cannons.

I couldn't do anything that could console her, so I just held her… I held her as if to protect her from the horrifying memories that plagued her every waking moment now. I just held her, stroking her hair, kissing her feverish cheeks and brow. Wiping her crimson tears from her red eye, and the bitter tears from her brown eye. I held her….spoke to her with a calm voice….telling her that I still loved her, that I still wanted to be with her forever….that I would do anything to make this right…..

It was a long time before she felt she could stop crying, and I carried her into the large cathedral and prayed that it held what we needed to find.

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“Jaana! Is this you?” I gasped, looking at a depiction of a Gryphon Champion.

Janna looked over my shoulder, still piggybacked on me and slowly slid off.

She swept the dust away from the face depicted on the solid brass coffin. She reached out and touched the relief that had a striking resemblance to her. “I...I think so.” She breathed.

“Good, let’s see what’s in here.” I muttered and heaved against the heavy lid.

With a loud clang that echoed long and loud in the large cathedral, the lid finally gave and clattered on the floor.

We both gasped, seeing a beautiful set of ancient armor that still glowed with magical power.

“Jaana, look!” I said pointing to a part of the armor that was damaged. I took her sword and found that it fit within the hole with no difficulty….in fact-

“And here!” I breathed, grasping a piece of metal on the corner of the hole, and pried loose a small piece of metal. “This chip fits in the nick in your sword!” I said, placing it to her blade.

“Vycrest! Look out!” Jaana cried.

“I looked and cried out as the suit of armor suddenly sat up and climbed out of the coffin.”

“Jaana! Stay behind me!”

A figure materialized within the armor, solidifying into a form that looked just like my Jaana. She opened her eyes and blinked, looking at us both.

“Who are you, that disturbs my rest?” She said with a perplexed voice.

Still holding the sword out, I answered as I backed away. “My name is Vycrest, and I’m here with my wife, Jaana.”

The apparition’s face fell into confused lines. “Hmmm? My name is Jaana.” Her eyes focused on the sword I held. “How did you come by the infernal edge? The sword that slew me?”

Jaana stepped from behind me and the apparition now looked at her. “Ah, I see. So they did raise my dead body and used it to their own ends.”

Me and Jaana both shook our heads and said in unison. “What”

The apparition nodded. “When I fought the demon lord I wielded my own blade, Var’shik.” She turned to the coffin and held out an ancient slim sword that was broken in two. “As I lay dying, bleeding, the demon lord swore that I would be raised as his champion. But even I could have never imagined that this would be the end result.” She stroked her chin and the armor clinked slightly. “Why have you come here?”

I looked to Jaana and back to the apparition. “Jaana, my wife….she is dying. Please, do you know of any way to save her? A scholar suspected it is because she is not complete!”

The apparition nodded. “Why of course she isn’t complete! The part she is missing…...is me.” She said holding her hand to her chest. “Of course I can save her, and I will gladly do so. I always stood as a beacon of mercy to all those who would need it and were deserving of it.”

Jaana shook her head. “B-b-but-but I’m not deserving of it! Oh! I have killed so many people! So many innocent lives!” She cried out, wiping her eyes.

“Yes, as would anyone who was raised as a near-mindless slave of the demon lord. But I sense you are free from the one that slew me, and are under a demon lord that has much more gentle ways.”

“I-”

I came forth and cupped Jaana’s cheek that was wet from all her tears. “Jaana, despite your past. I love you. If you cannot listen to yourself, listen to me. I want you to stay with me. I want you to be by my side. I love you….please...stay with me.”

“What will happen to me?” Jaana cried out, looking afraid, wiping her red eye.

The apparition smiled. “The only thing that will happen is my memories will be added to your mind. What you see here is nothing more than a construct of your former life. Do you not notice how you remember nothing of the past before you were slain?” She gestured to herself. “That is because the former demon lord had no use of the good I am, and that you still are.”

Jaana nodded. “Okay.” She whispered.

The suit of armor stepped closer and her translucent body seemed to phase out of the armor and into Jaana.

The light blue of the apparition seemed to intermingle and meld with the black and red of Jaana’s cursed sword enchantments.

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Jaana’s glowing red eye was now accompanied by a glowing blue one. The suit of armor shifted, changing into a brilliant light that also merged with Jaana, seeming to be almost tattooed onto her body, intermingling with her cursed sword patterns. A few remaining pieces of the armor formed around the sword, making a beautiful scabbard. Jaana blinked her eyes; one glowing red, the other blue and looked at me and smiled.

“Vycrest!” She sighed, her voice sounded more calm than ever before. “My love!”

I came close and felt her embrace me….but it was completely different. Before my love would always hold me with this savageness that was intoxicatingly painful. But now, her embrace felt like….well, a suit of armor. A grounding, a calmness feeling her arms around me felt like a shield that would stop the mightiest of weapons and most powerful of spells.

“I remember it all. All the good, all the bad, all the moments in between.” Her smile was dreamy instead of mischievous. She blinked and the fire that burned in her red eye was calm….less fire and more of an ember. “The love and mercy you have shown me was not known even in the ancient era...even in tales of heroism and romance.” She sighed and brought her lips to mine.

“My love.” She whispered, “I will always be steadfast to any danger that would threaten you, I will strike with the ferociousness and valor against any that would hurt you….and love you until existence is commanded to cease to be. I am your sword, your shield, your protector, your warrior, and your wife and lover.”

Her hands caressed over my body, a strange mixture of gentleness with a feverish eagerness. We held, kissed and in the midst of a long lost civilization, amidst the dead heroes of old, there was still life and love to be found in the hearts and souls of those who knew what was worth fighting for...dying for….and living for.

Our hips moved together, and the climax mounted. It was the oddest sensation; her gentle body and motions and her teeth biting into my neck just like Jaana would always do.

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At last, we came together, Jaana biting me, each nibble in sync with each pulse of me pushing my seed into her womb. As we held each other, panting I noticed her lips were smeared with my blood and her red eye glowing a little more chaotically now. She smiled, but it was a mischievous smile, letting me know that the vicious sword element to her would always be there, as were the newer, gentler armor elements.

“I gave you a present.” Jaana said in between gasps. “Do you like it?” She looked at my arm.

I looked, and noticed I had armor tattoos that matched Jaana’s. “Hey, does this mean?”’

She nodded, “We are one- you and I whenever danger is near, I will manifest around your body and protect you. Now and forever.”

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I sighed, and rolled over next to her and we watched as the inner cathedral’s stained glass window slowly dim as the sun set outside. We shifted, holding each other close and drifted to a peaceful slumber.