"I Will Show You...the Greatest Nightmare"
Raphael leaned against the stone wall of a long forgotten castle his rapier clutched lightly in his leather-gloved hand. Outside the sky was dark with clouds lightening flickering behind their thick curtains, casting everything in ominous gloom. Above him the domed stained glass windows illuminated with angelic light.
Warriors galloped across its glittering surface slaying demons, looked down upon by angels. He sighed his icy blue eyes showing clear boredom, chivalrous tales how boring. It was pathetic how this castle had gone to waste; all around things lay rotting and decrepit. Lavish pictures and tapestries rot on the walls, brass candelabras slowly became tarnished. Suits of armor lined the walls falling apart rusting threw in some places, all but one which was a full suit the metal only slightly tarnished. He slightly shifted groaning, his hand going to the curve of his back rubbing the place were Maxi slammed Soryuju into his spine. That fight had ended quickly, but the bastard had managed to get in a couple of good hits. Falmbert however had left him doubled in pain curled into his own body, blood dripping from his mouth.
Slouching down his sword scraping stone Raphael managed an awkward position, one that didn't make his back hurt so badly. He tilted his head up his eyes closing sleep feigning the outer recesses of his mind. His warrior's instinct screamed at him to remain awake and aware of what could be lurking in the darkness on the outer edges of the halo of light from the candle at his feet. But he was tired, damned tired, and too tired to heft Flambert, to weary to fight. Yawning he lay down on his side his back pressed firmly to the wall, his eye lids dropping lulled to sleep by the caressing sound of the rain.
The whispering sound of a cloak awoke him and his hand immediately flew to his sword only to find it missing from is scabbard. Cursing he struggled to his feet gasping in agony as pain clawed at his back. In the half light of the his candle he saw the out line of a man holding his sword just out of his reach, like parent that would dangle scissors out of reach from a rambunctious child.
"Who the hell are you," he ground between teeth that were clenched in anguish and anger. The stranger graced him with a small moment of smirking laughter; "I should be asking you the same, striding into my castle when you weren't invited... I've been watching you from sometime now Raphael" Lightening flashed making the stranger's eyes glow red, giving Raphael a brief glimpse of the man's features only seeing the cold steel of a knights helmet.
Raphael swallowed, fear prickled his mind making his pulse quicken, he was sure the man standing before him could hear his hearts ravenous beat. The mangled thought of "Oh hell" swam from his terrified conscious. He knew who this man was, thought he didn't exist, thought he was long dead...his name represented all that brought dread to dreams in the night. Nightmare.
He took a step away from the horrid creature in front of him, his back slamming into the wall. Nightmare gave him a nasty laugh one that made a shiver creep threw Raphael's body and tossed the rapier aside, its clash mingling with thunder. "Can't have you playing with that can we," he whispered stalking forward his hand reaching out to touch Raphael's face. The swords man flinched, recoiling biting back a gasp as the cold metal of the gauntlet touched his skin. A hissing sigh seeped through the holes in the helm and the arm relaxing pulling away from him. Now was his chance.
Raphael bolted swerving around Nightmare he dived for his sword in a tucking roll snatching it from the ground as he stood. His back protested with crippling agony but he managed to stand straight and face his foe. If he was going to die, he going to it fighting, despite himself an arrogant smile pulled at the corners of his mouth. "I will show you how well I play a blade," he hissed tucking one arm behind his back balancing on his toes. Nightmare chuckled, a dry sound that was mocking and reached behind his left shoulder in a rustle of armor. The ringing sound of metal sounded in the dark cavernous chamber, as Soul Edge was released.
Raphael bared his teeth his eyes following Nightmares graceful movements watching as he kicked over the candle extinguishing the light. "Let's make this interesting shall we?" Nightmare taunted staring at Raphael through the darkness. Raphael furrowed his brow, squinting his eyes trying to glimpse his enemy in the gloom. "Fine," he snarled his muscles tense the tip of his sword quivering "Good," a voice hissed right in his ear. Raphael started whirling around his sword swishing forth only to hit air, he softly growled his breath hitching in his throat as the quick movement caused him pain.
A brief clucking sound came from the darkness "Full of fire and ready to fight...yet you are injured?" Raphael silently seethed to him self, cursing his weakness, damning Maxi's soul. Better to play the bluff, he softly laughed through his teeth his sword dancing in an arch. "Wishful thinking on your behalf," he challenged, another laugh mixed with sound of armor. Lightening flashed bringing into focus the shining metal of Nightmares's helmet that loomed inches from his face. Raphael had no time to react as a heavy gauntlet clad hand shot forth gripping his sword arm. Twisting it back unintentionally jabbing the iron hilt of Flambert into Raphael's injured back.
The Frenchman cried out in pain vaguely hearing his sword as it fell clattering to the ground. His vision swam and searing agony stabbed at his entire back. He was falling into an abyss, crawling to get away from the anguish that consumed him. His breath shuttered before he let the gentle touch of unconsciousness take him away.
Nightmare stood gently holding Raphael's limp body in his arms, lightening flashed knocking him out of his trance and the Dark Knight knelt sweeping the younger man fully into his arm cradling him close to his body. Holding Raphael lightly he began walking to the upper part of the castle.
Raphael was having a wonderful dream, gentle hands were sliding down his back in a whispering caresses. The smell of amber and rose seeped with a drifting elegance into his nose, and silk flowed across his belly and lower regions. He shifted softly moaned when the healing motions of the hands stopped, he cracked his eyes open to find that he was staring at an elaborate headboard. Groaning he tried to turn over onto his back only to find those gentle hands stayed him. "Stay as you are," a rich smooth voice rolled from above him "Rest, fall back into sleep, you are safe." Sighing Raphael again closed his eyes, relaxing fully, something he had thought he had lost since lost the ability to do.
When consciousness took him again, it was night and the room that he was being held in was draped in the in the flowing somber lights of candles. All around him radiated a majestic richness that seemed the seep form every nook and cranny in the walls. He was lying in a full canopy bed silk, velvet and furs covering his body creating languid warmth, that left him drowsy long after he awoke. There was an enormous window facing him, partially open the gauze curtains surrounding it softly blowing in a gentle night breeze. A breeze that carried the cleansing smells of rain and mud, and moonlight, scents that made him shiver.
He reclined on the pillows aware that his rumbling stomach was breaking the relaxing silence that enveloped him. He was drifting off again to the enchanted world of dreams, when he heard the soft click of the door being opened. He tensed immediately under the covers looking around frantically for a weapon but there was none. He closed his eyes not wanting to be face Nightmare not wanting to face the monster that he was sure lay with a rotting horror behind the armor.
The door shut quietly and he heard gentle footsteps treading the floor mixing with the echo of cloth. Gentle breathing sounding close to his side and timid, hand was lain on the side of his face. The soft strong hands that had relaxed his back, they still smelled of amber oil. The fingers pushed a stray strand of his hair behind his ear, caressing down to his shoulder to gently shake him awake. Raphael pretended to slightly start, and opened his eyes his breath catching in his throat.
A man no more older then him self stood over him his long blonde-red hair falling onto his bare shoulders his pale ocean water eyes glimmering in the candle light. He was dressed in only a pair of thin white canvas pants. That gave his lower half a fluid motion when he stepped back from the bed, his strange eyes showing slight amusement. The shallow hollows of his cheeks were graced with the luminescent golden blush of the candles and his smell reminded Raphael of cold steel. Curving muscles showed his strength swelled under the bronzed skin of his arms, chest and belly.
Jewelry glimmered on his chest and wrists and his hair was poetically tied back with a golden clip. "Good you're awake," he said quietly easing Raphael up into a sitting position before sliding a silver tray laden with an array of foods on to the thief's lap. Reaching to the bed side table he turned up the oil lamp flooding the room with a bright light that chased back the shadows giving Raphael a good look at his care givers face.
Raphael nodded his thanks quickly taking a bit of bread swigging down wine feeling like he hadn't tasted food for a century. The young man waited patiently while he ate sitting close to the bed watching him with intensity that at any other time would have made Raphael feel uncomfortable. He ate with a ravenous hunger finishing everything on his plate in mere moments.
He sighed contently and leaned back on his pillows closing his eyes, opened them when he felt the weight of the tray leave his thighs. "What's your name," he murmured. There was a hesitant silence before he spoke "M-my name is Siegfried," Raphael was silent a moment letting the name swirl in his mind. "Siegfried," he repeated liking the sound "mine is Raphael." Siegfried sounded the name out slowly his rich husky voice lingering on each syllable. His voice making Raphael wonder if it got deeper when he was making love.
He shook that thought of his head heat kindling in his lower belly making his hips involuntarily jerk. Siegfried must have noticed this because he slightly turned his head to one side "Are you alright?" Raphael had the grace to blush and shifted lower under the covers nodding. "Yes I'm f-fine," pale green eyes stared at him a moment longer before skimming down his body and come to rest where his lower back was. "You should get some sleep Raphael, your body still needs to heal." Siegfried said after a moment reaching forward to turn down the lamp so the room was filled with the soothing darkness of shadows. Raphael was about to protest he wanted to know more about his new friend, why he was in this castle, was he a prisoner to Nightmare? But Siegfried in his creeping grace had already slipped out the door and into the hallway.
Raphael leaned back settled into the many pillows closing his eyes, swallowing as he felt the whispering touches of Siegfried's hands on his back, a tremor wound through his body. Tonight was going to be a hard night, for rest was the last thing on his mind.
The next day Siegfried again came to visit him, dressed as he had been only instead of carrying a tray of food, balanced on his hands was a tray of oils in crystal vial's. Siegfried smiled and set the tray down on the foot of the bed moving the window throwing open the curtains, flooding the room with warmth of rain washed sunlight.
"Sleep well?" he questioned turning back to the bed smiling at Raphael. "Yes...I did," he lied avoiding Siegfried's eye contact. In truth he had stayed up most of the night his body raging with heat and want. Sometimes he would fall to a light sleep but his deeps were flooded with gentle hands and fluid caresses. And then he would awake aching sweat shining on his body he breath heavy and panting.
Siegfried did not seem to notice Raphael's discomfort and walked to the edge of the bed and began to pull the blankets off the Raphael's body. The blonde's eyes grew wide, and he clutched at the edge of the covers "What are you doing," he rasped. Siegfried softly laughed "Your back is injured and needs to be rubbed with oils to relax the muscles. I can't do that when you're laden with silks and velvets."
Raphael swallowed and released the blanket gasping when the cool air hit his skin. "You mind rolling on your belly?" Siegfried questioned "Or do you need help?" Raphael swallowed, he hoped that Siegfried would not stay long or he would need help, but not with his back.
He nodded and turned over trying to calm his breathing his heart. He closed his eyes when he felt the bed shift as Siegfried sat down and opened one of the vial's. The smell of amber washed over him, and he sighed as oil was swathed on his back. Poured from between his shoulders almost to the curve of his buttocks.
Gentle hands began to kneed his flesh, rubbing the healing liquid into his skin. Raphael slightly flinched when strong fingers touched his injury. Shivering at Siegfried murmured apology. Using his thumbs to trace over the spot with a light touch barely grazing the skin.
"How did you get this?" he inquired moving his hands back up Raphael's back. "I caught the wrong end of a pair of nunchucks," Raphael almost spit out his discomfort turning to seething bitterness towards Maxi. Siegfried softly laughed at Raphael's tone his voice softly scolding the Frenchman
"You should be more careful, or quicker" Raphael snorted "I am careful..." "Doesn't seem like it," Raphael suddenly flipped on his with a speed that surprised Siegfried. And had his caretaker pinned to the bed before the older man could react. Raphael smiled down at Siegfried his teeth flashing, his icy eyes dancing he leaned down softly whispering "Was that fast enough for you?"