Title: His Mercy
Warnings: Male/Male. OCs.
Summary: "I can give you everything. The entire world will be in yours if you let me give it to you. Contract with me and it will be yours." It would be a shame for the boy to die, after all.
A/N: Uh. Forgive me. Idon'teven –
Approaching the enemy had been a mistake.
It was his duty, yes, to terminate or injure his opponent as much as possible. Ideally, he had been going into the situation with promise and a draw at the very least.
Hindsight was twenty-twenty, however.
A screech of talons, nearly severing his arm flew behind him. Dodging to the extent he could, and attempted to flee, sending a shock wave of energy at his opponent mid-spin. He only grazed the enemy but it distracted the fool enough to gain an advantage. He pushed on the opening, taking full advantage of the other's defenselessness – regardless of the vulnerability he also gained in this motion – with a cold determination to end this chase as quickly as possible.
Another being, demonic looking at first sight, took the brunt of the attack in an attempt to twist to the proper angle allowing him to retaliate, but seemed to be failing. A sharp spray of blood gave him a moment of satisfaction, maneuvering his arms back to make a final strike...
His target's visage suddenly wavered, his physical form disappearing from his grasp in a slew of particles and dust. He swore openly, clenching his teeth as he tried to escape his current position, because he couldn't believe he just fell for that and any second he would be struck and a flare of panic forced him to move.
He barely moved out of his position by the time his back was being scorched by a beam of raw chakraand he didn't make a sound in reaction but his physical body screamed in agony as it rejected the foreign energy by nature. Three more strikes by blades fell upon him while he was temporarily immobilized.
He retaliated through the pain when his body allowed it, slashing blindly with the knowledge that there was no way he could miss, giving them both the chance to separate. A biting anger consumed him at that moment – wounded, howdarehewoundme – and he launched himself at the other, hands embedded with energy and threw the other (who seemed to be surprised he had not yet retreated) into a occupied structure.
A brief explosion of debris served well as a distraction, drawing attention and bringing obstacle into the enemy's path. Taking a breath as the enemy seemed trapped and occupied, pressing charged palms on the high roof he rested on, he shattered the building sending debris in every direction.
Screams of civilians from below could be heard distantly, and he swerved away through the sudden chaos with no other thought than escape. Because he could not win against such a high level demon. There was no possible chance of this scenario working out in his favor, and he refused to risk it. Feathered appendages assisted the leaps he made across the rooftops and to the ground, but he was stricken flightless for the moment. He had suffered too much damage to do anything, really.
He could hear it following behind him, sensing out his being – shit, it knows where I am – and he fled to a darker area of the village, containing the most amount of obsticles which would obstruct the other's path. He couldn't escape the enemy being able to track him down inevitably, but it could give him some time to throw down a barrier.
Stumbling down an alley of sorts, the wounds he'd received burning with every movement – ow, – it seemed that the other was still attempting to discover which pathway he had traveled. It's not a tracker by nature then.
In any other situation he would have considered that a blessing, but at least tracker types don't cause so much damage long range, he lamented as he struggled to position himself against a stone wall, energy bubbling in his hands. A string of words, nothing short of prayer in his mind, and the energy in his hands released and was reformed.
Slowly the air pulsed in a spiral, and the energy condensed into a translucent layer of protection. He gave a relieved sound, shuddering as a sharp pain in his chest let itself be known. Dizzily he took a moment to collect himself, battered and bruised with wounds that would take a several hours
to heal. Grimacing as he lowered himself to the ground, he continued to chastise himself for such an amateur mistake. A shape shifter – he had been a fool to not have noticed sooner...
He waited absentmindedly, relaxing against the cool stone as he waited to see if the barrier would hold up properly. A frustrated howl in the distance made him wince at the pitch, gritting his teeth, but breathe in relief. It seemed like he had escaped it, and gave himself a moment to rest.
It seemed like an hour before he heard the noise of someone approaching this way directly, twitching at the large amount of humans being led in his vicinity. He could have ignored them if there weren't so many, and they would subconsciously avoid the barrier.. He wondered what force was drawing them here.
He had barely any energy left, he realized sullenly, and felt extremely weak with no chance to defend itself if the enemy had possessed a flock, and had a counter spell. He made no effort to move – it would probably just make me drop the barrier – and resigned to his fate.
It was one shadow that ran towards the other side of the alley, a child. Terrified as if the enemy itself were at it's tail. The child – a striking blond – seemed exhausted, using sheer will to flee and slightly injured. He tilted his head to the side, seeing him more slowly than the human would see himself. Something about him...
He sensed the mass preying on the child at that moment, the scent of despair and malice heavy as they came near. Bloodlust and the notion of harm possessed them, and he frowned visibly, but merely wondered what had conspired. It was not his affair however, but –
powerpowerpower was singing in the child's blood, untapped and pure. More than the average adult might possess, and he could feel darkness tangible within his very energy. Unmixed, and lacking in true, distinct corruption. A rare phenomenon.
It would be a waste for the child to die.
There was a breath, before – He's going to die anyway, one way or another. Why not take advantage before anyone else does? – a deceptive thought ran through his mind, and dizzily he rethought this notion.
His instinct takehimtakehimtakehim-weaknessyouareweak choked him, and feeding into the temptation, he shifted, risking the barrier shattering – and grasped unto the child and drug him down with him inside the field. The boy struggled blindly, desperately trying to escape, and ended up agitating both of their wounds in a fit of terror and panic. He held a steel vice on the child, a hand effectively gaging him as he simply breathed. Slowly inhaling the layer of chakra around the child without restraint, and effectively disabling the subconscious layer of protection he had developed.
The child watched bemused as a crowd, the one that had seemed to have been following him prior, passed through the area after scanning the alleyway for his presence. The boy flinched as they looked in his direction, and as they passed, but when they did not spare him a glance he appeared mystified. It was until he recognized the presence of his captor once again, unaware of his subtle amusement at the boy, that he tried to move away from his held position. The steel vice on him refused to lessen, as the young one felt his energy being drained from him in an instant. Bemused, he tried to steal a glance at his captor while attempting wearily to break free of his grasp.
"Such an interesting pet you are. Surely you'll repay me for such favor?" He mused to the boy, silently continuing to feed.
The child collapsed weakly in his arms after a short pause, the lack of Chakra clearly taking it's toll on it's body, despite the bank of demonic energy that was trying to push itself around the wounds the child carried. The contact of such negative charkra created a slow burn in his system – though there wasn't nearly enough to be fatal. Perhaps... slightly poisonous, but he couldn't find it in himself to reject such a gift. Surely the fates had been woven in favor of his plight. Certainly.
The moon had risen against the horizon by the time the boy stirred from unconsciousness, the murmuring of festivities a quiet clatter against the child's deep breathing. By the time he gained awareness the sound was nothing more than the chirping of crickets, and his wounds were beginning to heal. He sent thanks to his lord once more for such favor.
"..Ah.. Wha..t?" The child mumbled, confusion seeping into his expression as he woke up in an unfamiliar place. Remaining in such a position, he murmured quietly, "Good Morning." which renewed that flare of panic that captivated him so. Groggily the other tried to escape but he couldn't move within the larger's grasp. Trembling, blue met gold as he looked back to his captor.
"Who... Who are you?" The child asked in an exhausted tone, sleep still clinging strongly unto his being. Blearily, the boy could see his captor's amused smile; blond locks shifting within his line of sight as the unknown figure shifted his grip on him, the position more favorable for communication.
"You can call me, Ido." He replied earnestly, with no hesitation. The response was accepted automatically, but the boy wanted more..
"What is this? Why..." Confusion bled into his words, vulnerability growing in his very core with an increasing exhaustion. Any control of the situation the boy had was torn from his grasp, but he still demanded some sort of information. Ido commended the child for such an effort, in his state. Through near Chakra exhaustion to do such – a resilient soul this one was.
Perhaps he should consider keeping this one..
"Why not?" The boy spared him a sleepy glance.
"It works out well for the both of this way – do you not agree?" He paused, configuring a sense of reasoning.
"Those people that were chasing you can't find you, and because you're with me, I can continue to keep it that way. For the both of us." Ido relayed this, noting the boy seemed to be accepting the notion with ease. Uncaring and bemused at the notion of being protected. He was still terrified of his captor, and extremely wary, but was becoming difficult to find arguing an appealing option due to a sudden heavy fatigue. The child himself moved slightly in his grasp, seeking comfort – though wary of disturbing the other's positioning all the same – wondered aloud, "Were people chasing you too?"
The boy could feel a the tug of smile press on his skin, and amused (though not sounding it) he responded, "Something like that, yes."
The child made a sound of acknowledgement but didn't reply, exhaustion lulling him back to sleep, despite their location – though was stopped when the other shifted again. He was closer now.
"You wouldn't mind letting me stay with you for a while, hm?" Warm breath whispered against sensitive ears making him shiver, stirring him from the lure of sleep if slightly.
The child murmured something unintelligible before the burn of pain swallowed him whole. The abyss had never been more terrifying.
...Naruto, is it?
Stiffly he awoke, jolting from sleep at the leering echo of a voice. His body was aching, he noted in daze, and everything was dark. The place he resided in was different from where he was before, a familiar structure beneath him. Naruto felt worn and bruised underneath his waking conciousness.
Was that... (Memories – the color of gold and a vice of steel,) only a dream?
Something was still off.
He concentrated in a partially wakeful state.
A sound from his left; a movement and he stilled almost instantly.
Naruto dared not move, someone was here, although he couldn't see the other person within his peripheral vision. He was irritated by that, if not horrified subsequently. He should've been moving. He could be dead by now if one of the villagers –
With that threat alone beneath his head (they were just waiting for him to wake up, weren't they?) he pretended to shift in his sleep. Moving hurt though, wincing a bit as he did though – and noticing the feeling of soft silk beneath his hands as he did, the pressure of a weight along his thigh, and the fearsome sensation of being watched.
There was an amused huff from his side, and he willed himself not to jump at the sudden sound. His heart pounded, adrenaline to get out of this situation hummed steadily through his veins – and he wasn't sure if to make a move or not. Should he try to escape?
"If it pleases you to sleep longer, then don't mind me." A familiar voice warped him from prior thoughts, a smooth baritone echoing near him; startling him further.
His eyes shot open, abyss giving way to shadowed white as he franticly looked in his preferable vision for the source of the sound. Only the glittering moonlight lit the darkness, and there was a chuckle to his right – and then the voice came again, tempting.
"If not – then.."
Ice was brought to his face in the form of skin, and he tried to move away – his instincts screaming to flee as the spell of sleep and the unmoving world was broken, but the weight resting on his body moved and pinned him down as cascades of gold fell near his face. A figure, earlier missed, within his sights.
His eyes were immediately captured by pools of gold, enticing beyond anything he had ever experienced.
"Contract with me."
He was struck frozen in a locked battle between his body and frayed mental state. At a loss, questions passed through his mind unheeded. He hadn't realized he could speak until the words had already passed through his mouth, such a feature long forgotten in the cold grip of fear.
"..What are you..." The sentence was fragmented, and he was at a loss of breath. The words conveyed his bewilderment, the inability to process the events evident in his tone.
His mind felt sluggish and loose; reality felt out of his grasp.
The frigid limb moved from his cheeks, trailing down to his neck and covering every inch of his skin. He shuddered under the touch, unnatural, his skin crawled and it left a slow burn as it trailed. He tried to move away, reangling his head, but he was still pinned by a heavy force. He shut his eyes away from the blurred image of his assaulter on the edge of his peripheral vision, and tried to speak again – but his throat was dry and no words could be formed.
And then he felt a soft breath on his skin, and the sudden drain on his energy. A sudden wave of physical exhaustion fell over the child, though the burn seemed to be keeping him awake, his limbs felt heavier with each breath that seemed to be also shifting in location.
The was a soothing murmur against his collar bone, "Your Chakra is truly profound..."
His eyes reopened to stare at the one speaking, a pleased tone emitting from his side. He tried to adjust his view, but it was a fruitless attempt. He body refused to respond.
A part of him became terrified.
His mind refused to follow it's frantic state, as he allowed the lulling voice to wash over him, unable to escape of refute in any form.
He felt a small weight fall from his body as a hand ran through his hair, fondly. Long nails skimmed over his scalp – and a thought passed him, this really isn't that bad...
The burn was beginning to retreat into a light aching of bruises. He felt heavy, and everything was soft and maybe if he just shut his eyes then this nightmare would go away –
"If you submit, you will die."
The voice warned, the calming gesture turned violent as a sharp pain ran through his scalp. He made a cry of pain at the sudden shock, the warm and wet feel of blood seeping from the stinging trails. His breath was shuddering, short and he threw himself back. The weight that had been burdening him simply shifted with his movement instead of simply keeping him pinned with more force.
He met the face of the man that had saved him from the villagers. That nice man, named Ido that had been being chased at the same time as Naruto.
There was a sting of betrayal through his thoughts, the solidity of having his suspicions confirmed.
Curious eyes and robes of white glared at his senses, an ethereal vision laid before him only slightly distorted by the red stain upon his hands.
"You..." There was a note of realization in his voice, or perhaps something else that caused the other to give an amused look. Such a reaction invoked rage and hurt from the younger – he had thought...
"They've been hurting you."
He couldn't process the information quickly enough, watching the words escape the mouth of his assaulter for the first time as he gave an empathetic gaze.
"A gem like you, among a sea of sedentary rocks... they've been outcasting you..."
The pain of the wound was still running through his system, and he flinched when the older blond brought an appreciative hand to his face. The touch was gentle and without burn this time, simply soft.
"It has been fate that has made our path's cross," he cupped his cheek, forcing his gaze to meet an enticing gaze.
"I would be honored to stay with you, if you would allow me too. To raise you to the height of your potential..." He paused seeming thoughtful, before continuing.
"To keep a being as interesting as you alive."
The boy swallowed, uncertain of how to react.
The hand was withdrawn, but he was caught in an intense gaze.
"This life is unsatisfactory for you; is it not?"
He managed to blink, to breathe, before he felt something prompting him to respond – to which he nodded affirmative in a moment of honesty.
Those eyes flashed a painful expression, something that left him curious, but he couldn't ponder on it as the other began to speak again.
"You don't trust me, however... You fear... But let me –..." There was a physical weight on his head, and a hand resting on his chest. There was a breath, a sense of unease and foreboding as the boy flinched at the contact. And the world turned vibrant and blinding and twisted into vagrant images flashing madly before his eyes.
Ethereal images passed in the blink of an eye, the messages changing into receptions of power and sweet corruption – images of his own fate swimming across his mind's eye.
There was a burning feeling again, the waking world slipping as the vision meaning faded into obscure reality with simply toomuch information falling through his his grip like sand. Everything seemed to collapse at that one moment, and he nearly fell into the gaping, bleeding abyss, until –
"I can give you everything. The entire world will be in yours if you let me give it to you." A voice grasped him from that feeling of momentary weightlessness and pleaded with him again. The feeling of hot breath against his cheek lulled him from that terriblewonderfulmaddening place that he had fallen into.
He tried to form words, but fatigue ran too deep for his mind to conjure anything remotely coherent. His body burned with a vengeance, his head ached and stung from the marks made before and his vision was filled with a molten gold.
"Contract with me and it will be yours."
Visions of pleasure and sin riveted through his head, words forming on his tongue as a satisfied smirk came into view with a soft sensation on his lips as he rasped –
"Yes."
And the dice were thrown again.