Enslaved

Chapter 14

Azula's POV

I helped wherever I could to help prepare for the blizzard. The winds picked up rapidly throughout the day, blowing the blizzard in quickly, quicker than expected. Thankfully we were all prepared and in our tents when it struck us. Balthazar made sure our tent was fully closed, ensuring none of the snow got in. I had a nice hot bath waiting for him. I knew that he must be freezing after being outside in the snow all day. He was definitely made for warmer weather. He turned to face me, "Are you joining me?" "If you'd like me too," I told him. "I would," He told me with a nod. We stripped and we got in. I leaned against his chest, my back to him. He let out a content sigh, enjoying the warmth of the water. "Are your wings okay," I asked him. He nodded, "The cold resistance is working perfectly." It was a constant worry I had. I knew he loved to fly, and it was bad enough the intense cold kept him grounded. I didn't want his wings to freeze and break off. He would have to wait months before he could fly again as he waited for his wings to grow back.

"Before we leave, I want to take you to do something you haven't done since you were a child," He told me. "What did you have in mind," I asked him. "I want to let you pick," He told me. I thought for a moment of the things I had done as a child living in my Ice Fae community. The memories were hazy due to years of suppression, but a few I loved were clear. "I want to go ice skating," I told him. "And when we get back, what is one thing you'd like to do that you haven't done in a while?" He thought for a moment before replying, "Go to my tropical island. I bought it so many years ago, because I wanted a place to be alone. I've only been twice since I bought it."

"I think that would be a great way to thaw you out," I told him with a nod. "For once I'm enjoying the cold," He told me. I looked at him, "And why is that?" He tucked a strand of hair behind my ear, "Because it makes you happy." "Simply being with you makes me happy," I told him, my cheeks feeling warmer than the water at my slipped confession.

He cupped my cheek, his thumb running over my lips, "I feel the same." He then lowered his head, his lips meeting mine. It was soft and gentle. When his tongue asked for entrance I gave it to him. I let out a soft moan as the kiss deepened. A growl rumbled in his chest before he broke the kiss to turn my body so my breasts were pressed to his chest. He buried a hand in my hair and kissed me again, his cock teasing my entrance. I moaned, my arms going around his neck, my fingers grazing his wings. He groaned softly, his cock entering me.

That was as far as we got though. A fierce growl shook the earth, the water from our tub sloshing out. We got out quickly and dressed in clothes to fight in. The wind was too harsh, keeping everyone in their tents. Another roar had us covering our ears. "We can't get out there," Balthazar growled. I studied the flow of the wind and snow.

"I can," I told him. He looked at me, and I could see the fight in his eyes. He then nodded and held out his sword to me, "Come back to me in one piece." I took it, and ran out, using my magic to part the snow and wind so I could see. The source of the tremors and the roars was a manticore.

I could hear the legion, frustrated they couldn't leave their tents to assist. I drew Balthazar's sword from it's sheath. It was heavy, but the weight of it was comforting. I ran towards the manticore. It roared again, swiping its claws at me. I jumped into the air, slicing the top of its arm with the tip of the blade. I landed in a crouch in the snow. It was half way up to my knees when I stood. I took a deep breath of the crisp air. I was in my natural element. I dove into my magical, turning the blizzard into a force of my own.

I controlled the snowy wind surrounding the manticore. It roared and sliced at the snow and wind, trying to free itself. I used the wind to speed up my natural Fae speed, almost becoming the wind itself. I was so focused on the first manticore, I didn't see the other one. It managed to catch me off guard slicing at me. I was thrown across the camp, slamming into the post that was keeping part of the cooking hut up. I groaned and stood, my left shoulder having a deep gash that made blood spill down, dripping from my elbow. I quickly looked away from it.

I ran at them, the snow crunching under my boots. I ducked and dodged the manticores' attacks. I used my ice and snow to trap them, using the chance to cut them down, their throats slit. I quickly looked from the blood that spilled from them. I felt my stomach clench at the smell of it and used my magic to freeze the manticores solid, as well as their blood to keep them from decomposing and stinking up the camp. My stomach clenched at the scent of the blood.

I was about to turn when I noticed someone in the distance wearing a cloak, watching me. Something shot out of their cloak, flying at me. I barely had enough time to raise the sword to block it. It bounced off the sound with a loud clashing sound that sent a ringing sensation straight to my eardrums. I looked back to where the cloaked figure was, but they were gone. I looked down at the item and realized it was a cursed bomb. I sent a geyser of snow and ice upwards, launching it far away from the camp, to an open field. It exploded, a massive shock wave throwing me backwards into a pile of snow.

I stood up and shook the snow from my clothes as I made my way back to my tent. The blood loss was starting to make me dizzy the closer I walked to it. I was pulled into a hard chest the moment I was within his grasp. "Let's get you fixed up," he said, scooping me up into his arms, the sword slipping and falling to the ground with a dull thud. He sat me on the bed and sat on the side that was injured. I wanted to see how bad it looked, but he used his large hand to cover it, "Look away Azula." I nodded and looked elsewhere.

"What did you fight," he asked me. "A couple of manticores," I answered. "The explosion was a cursed bomb that someone wearing a cloak had thrown at me. I managed to send it to the field where it exploded." I winced when he began to give me stitches. "Aren't cloaks out of style these days," I asked, trying to keep talking and get my mind off of the needle that was stitching me back together. "They were cool for villains centuries ago. Now they just seem pointless. We have much better choices that can be picked. Like leather jackets for example. They're durable, they keep you better insulated, and you don't look like a creep who forgot what year it is." As I spoke I kept wincing everytime I felt the needle. "Plus a cloak reminds me of a dress a person is wearing over their clothes with the way it twirls and moves, and looks poofy. How could they possibly appear menacing when they look like that?"

"I think you would look rather menacing in a dress," he told me, sounding amused with my rambling. When he finished he did another look over me. "Besides going slightly loopy from blood loss and over using your magic, you're fine," he said, a small smile curving the corners of his lips upwards. "Let's get you cleaned up then get some rest." I couldn't agree more. I stood and my legs felt like gelatin. He assisted me back into the bath to clean up the dried up blood before putting me in one of his shirts to sleep in. As soon as I felt safe in his arms I was out like a light.