PART ONE

EldenKingdom

Chapter One

The Missing Brother

The male child stood jagged straight in the office, arms drawn in a fold, lips peeled back in a snarl.

A man behind the desk peeked up at him sighing and falling back in the chair after closing the vanilla folder shut. "Look kid there's nothing else we can do right now."

"My brother has been missing since last night!"

Another sigh and elders eyes locked onto the younger. "Your brother is a teenager brat. He's probably hanging out with friends and picking up chicks like every other boy his age would be doing. Gimme a break and go back home, would ya? Tell your parents they've got a juvy they're raising. Maybe they'll tighten his beddy-by time."

The cop smirked at the fuming boy who whirled about exiting the room with a strangled snort.

True, it had only been one night since his brother Itachi went missing, but to the twelve year old boy it felt as if it had been months. Even though he hadn't been worried when he went to sleep last night, it had been that weird feeling which woke him up with a start. He knew without even leaving his room that his brother had not yet returned. And that was a first. All his life he was raised by his brother. Itachi dedicated his whole life into him. Itachi is the only family member that he ever had and every memory of the others was fuzzy and distant. He couldn't even remember if he ever had a mother or father. Since the age of six he had always been with Itachi. They only trusted each other.

With a growl the young boy twisted under the bulk of the residence in the vicinity of the police station, dodging the lady with a stack of papers and reeling around the cop fighting back two cuffed men. There was the open break room with three cops mending their coffee laughing at their rookie who got jabbed in the face.

Sasuke frowned. While these guys where standing around looking for something to do with their thumbs up their butt his older brother was probably dieing. Dieing! The blood ran from his face as the thought struck him stupid. What would he do if his brother was dead?!

"Hey, move kid before ya get slugged."

The raven child ducked out of the way as the rookie cop was knocked to the floor, the gruff male in handcuffs spitting down on the poor man. Sasuke didn't wait to see what happened next; he slipped out the front glass doors and took off down the sidewalk to Reid Avenue stomping towards the small silver car waiting for him. Plopping down in the seat beside the elder male he let out a frustrated sound.

Behind his small black shades, lazy blue eyes fell on the pouting child. A quirky smile of amusement climbed at the side of his face. "I told you I should have gone in with yo--u." He singsonged, earning a low growl from Sasuke.

"Just take me back Aaron and don't act like a jerk."

There was only a chuckle from the red headed male who tossed his long curls to the side putting the hair up in a clamp before starting the engine. "Touchy."

If Itachi is like his father, Aaron would be like an Uncle living close to his home. One of the average days would be him coming home from school, Aaron and Itachi arguing about their story projects.

Before, Itachi had always needed some kind of hobby and a buddy. He had come across Aaron one night as he was taking a walk in the community, or rather Aaron almost ran him over with his car. Apologizing Aaron brought him into his home only a block down in the gated area and served him some tea fixing the cut on his leg. Surprisingly a conversation started and the redhead brought up the topic that he was a writer. Most of his inspiration came from his dreams, but what he lacked was finishing anything he had ever written and making it flow better. Some of the stories inspired Itachi, finding a knack for story writing himself, they became a team.

They tried thinking of many stories to begin, but nothing worked. Nothing that they cared about putting their time into that is. Until about a week later, when Sasuke had been helping washing the dishes, around eleven Aaron burst through the apartment door, grabbed Itachi and tossed him in their living room on the sofa exploding into the amazing idea he had dreamed up minutes ago. Itachi seemed skeptical at first about some of Aaron's contents. -For it was well known the boy was a complete pervert suggesting male-to-male encounters through many of their previous thoughts for books.- Though this one Aaron just couldn't stop letting the ideas pour out. The story theme was interesting and some of the possibilities about magic, insane kingdoms and strange creatures were just perfect.

The story kept falling off Aaron's lips though and Itachi had made a mad dash to grab something to scribble everything down. And soon enough a single book had divided into a series. Around 3:oo am Aaron's mouth went slack and they stared at each other before Aaron shouted with glee that they were going to make something fantastic!

Sasuke had been dozing on the couch listening in every now and then when Itachi finally spoke up.

"What would we call it?"

Aaron blinked dumbly and Sasuke rolled over with a sigh. "Bound by Blood."

That had been about two months ago and the two had already written three books to the series, coming dead short on the current one. Aaron just couldn't seem to find the spark that had driven them this far. They wouldn't publish the damned series yet either until they knew they could find some kind of ending… Bound by Blood deserved it from them.

So that's what Sasuke had been arriving to their small apartment every day this week. Aaron and Itachi bending over the living room desk flinging papers at one another and pacing in a mad circle about the room arguing what should happen next.

Sasuke didn't really mind, he himself wished they would hurry it up being their number one fan. Surely when it had all started he hadn't cared, but being curled up in a warm blanket sipping at coolade and huddled next to Itachi in the back bedroom he'd urge his brother to read from the printed out version of the beginning 'EldenKingdom', the first in the series. Sometimes he had felt that he was actually there! In the EldenKingdom, the Hero holding the blue sword at his side and the fox-boy spitting fire at his enemies with a large grin. At some points Itachi had skipped a few sections not wanting to read them cursing under his breath that Aaron is a damned perverse and twisted guy. Sasuke didn't really understand, but he could guess…

"And we've arrived."

He looked up from his musing leaving the car and advancing slowly towards the front door with that sinking feeling in his gut. His brother still wasn't here. Sasuke's head fell, a sigh leaving his mouth as he rested his forehead on the door, hand on the knob. He ignored the light steps of Aaron's feet and stayed still instead. A moment passed.

"Do you think I'm crazy?" Sasuke whispered.

Keen eyes rolled over to give the youth a look. "For what?"

"Having that weird feeling inside of me telling me that something is wrong?" The boy glanced to Aaron awaiting the response.

The elder shrugged formulating his own words in a drifting tone. "Do you think I'm crazy for having a weird feeling telling me that most of the things I've been writing lately may in fact be as real as this place?" Aaron gestured towards 'this place' as earth and everything around the two.

Sasuke snorted a laugh. "Yep."

Aaron grinned back. "Then yes I do believe you are crazy."

"H-Hey!"

The taller moved the boy aside pinching at the raven's cheek and laughing as he entered the flat shabby apartment moving towards the living room which had been trashed with paper and beer bottles from him and Itachi's late night brainstorms. Arms outstretched the redhead smiled. "Home at last!"

Sasuke shoved him aside making for the back bedroom. "You don't even live here!"

"Che. I might as well I've been spending the last few months, morning and night working my ass off here!"

"You don't even pay the rent!" He shouted from the back room.

The teenager scoffed pulling his long hair from the clamp, running a hand through the curls. "But I damn well bring as much food over here to feed a cows four stomachs and then some. I wonder where all that food ends up…" Pondering this he eyed the boy who appeared again drifting towards the fridge making a grab at some of the food. The redhead smirked snapping his fingers and pointing at the boy. "You!"

Sasuke grunted. "What the hell are you yapping about? We should be more concerned about Itachi right now! Where could he have gone?" Placing the contents on the table he folded his arms thinking about anyone suspicious in their neighborhood.

"Hmm?" Leaning on the table Aaron mused. "Oh yeah! He went searching for something." He gave the boy a gleeful face who answered it with a shocked stare.

"What?"

"I told Itachi that our Hero would have to be from a different universe you know? And so when we were brainstorming I announced that the readers would feel more connected if their Hero was from here! Earth, this timeframe and so and so… bla bla, anyways we started considering on how our Hero would fall into the other world, so to speak."

"… and why would any of this matter?"

Aaron held up his hand to stop the sharp voice. "Because Itachi went out near the gated community to think and maybe find an interesting grove or something in the forest nearby. Something cool, to give us an idea on how our Hero ends up in EldenKingdom."

"And so he just left to take a gander?"

"Yep."

"And he never came back…" Sasuke's face paled. "What if there is a serial killer or something in our area?!"

Aaron famed doubtful.

"He could have been eaten by an alligator! Our forests are all marshes!"

"Damn Florida." The redhead mimicked the curse with a clenching fist in mockery.

"He could have been attacked by a bear! Or coyotes."

"Hmm? Or maybe he was shot by some of the rednecks who go night-hunting?"

Sasuke really hated Aaron right now. Not because he wasn't helping with his ideas, but that last one seemed very realistic and possible. His mouth opened and closed, eyes narrowing dangerously. "Leave now before I inflict serious damage on you."

He raised his hands in defeat. "Chill squirt I was leaving now anyways. Got things to do!" The redhead disappeared chipper and Sasuke slumped down into the chair listening as the car left indicating Aaron had also left. Grumbling he couldn't help think that Itachi was out there being gnarled on by a alligator or hung upside down like a deer with his guts cut out.

Biting his bottom lip he stood quickly, running for the door leaving the food sitting there. This was more important.

"I'll find you Itachi!"

Fifteen minutes or so after invading Aaron's house, finding the teen missing, he snatched the boys' sword that hung from his wall and left telling his crazed mother that they were using it in a fight scene. She thought it was 'cute'.

Street lamps began flickering on and Sasuke still continued his search unafraid. He held the sword tight in his hand, other ready to pull it from it's sheath if anything jumped out to attack him.

Taking to the small road that circled around the gated community he walked to the corner of it finding a path of freshly mowed grass. The sky darkening he heard the front door to the home far back open and close. A barking dog and the running scuffled feet of the animals nails on the pavement. Sasuke groaned turning to see the black dog running towards him, coming to a halt wagging her tail and licking the side of his leg. "Go back home Lucy. Gah! Why'd she let you out?!"

He mumbled walking through the little stretch of woods giving Aaron's house one last look before starting the search again. This time with a old sword and a excited mutt. Though the presence of Lucy did make him feel slightly better. "Mission; find Itachi and get the hell back home so I can curl up and make him read to me. I hate bugs!"

Slapping at the mosquitoes he became frustrated and dashed onto the next road whirling in a 360. This was the next gated community over from South Gate. Though no one lived here. There was a single abandoned home and the paved road going down turning to the right and vanishing. The car path goes further in a weave, the place mapped out so that not one house could see the next for full privacy. This whole place was well hidden from anybody including homebuyers -the reason why none of the empty houses were occupied. And it's extremely creepy.

He chuckled. "All the more reason Itachi would mope around here."

Giving a look at the street that ended to the main road Garrison behind him, Sasuke began striding to the vanishing point. As he past the first darkened house a chilly feeling ran down his spine and he shuddered, voice quivering. "C-Come on Lu--cy let's go."

His steps quickened, eyes darting from one shadow to the next. The trees hung over the road, each lamp post emitting enough light to sneak across the pavement and end into the darkness. He hated walking through the dark spots, his shoulders tense. But worse, he hated walking under the lighted spots more. It felt like he was under a spotlight and every creature and monster leered in the shaded areas giggling and watching his progression. Just the thought sent goosebumps invading his skin.

The female dog took post at his side the whole way, but as the road opened up going forward to the community pool and splitting to the right for another curve she took off running towards the pool. Aaron's mom would walk mornings this way and treat Lucy to swim in the pool whenever they arrived. The dog was just reacting to her normal walks and Sasuke gave a frustrated growl watching her go. He blinked giving the place a good check over from his spot in the dark.

The pool is fenced with a large wooden entryway, like those you see at theme parks. You could see the soft light from the pool making the place glow slightly. It gave him that eerie sensation, bingo.

"If Itachi had been right around this area at night he would have been freaking drawn into this place…" His brows furrowed and he approached fingers tightening on the hilt.

Lucy was waiting by the fence, first having tried to fit between the wooden wedge -unable to for she was a bit too fat, then sitting scratching with a whine at the thing. Sasuke grinned unlatching the short portal letting it swing open and the dog zipping in to get to the pool. Sasuke came into the location with caution taking note of the spider webs in the high corners of the overcast wooden beams. The towering entrance ended and he was situated ogling at the stars above. A smile drifted back onto his face. "Cool…"

A bark pulled him away from his wonderings to see Lucy at the edge of the pool hunched back. His brows knitted together. "Lucy?"

The animal snarled twisting her head from side to side and snapping at the water darting away quickly to yip, tail between her legs. She peered over the tile again and took off running from that end to the pool to the other end. Her eyes on the water she reached the other side and threw her head up in a howl pouncing around in a thrilled circle.

Taking a step forward Sasuke was frowning at her behavior. By now she would have jumped in making a fool of herself in the pool, not making a fool of herself out of it. "Hey what's wro-" He stopped in his sentence catching the ripple in the water. He wouldn't have noticed it, if it wasn't for the way the pool lights were wavering in a shimmer.

The dog turned back snapping at the ripple once more barking and went to run towards the other side of pool repeating the gesture. Sasuke watched her go by… and as the dog ran past, something in the water chased after her.

Sasuke fell backwards shouting aloud in astonishment. He caught himself from falling, eyes wide, mouth clamped shut he ducked down running to the opposite direction where the dog was preoccupied with growling at whatever was there.

His heart was beating furiously. His hand clenched shakily. 'What the hell is that?!' Leaning over he peeked at the water. Nothing. He looked at Lucy again seeing her battling the invisible thing. But he had seen the flash! Was he going mad?

Maybe they should leave now.

Lucy danced around in her little ritual, howling and started in her run coming towards him at the end of the pool. Sasuke watched the waters, his older brother forgotten as his throat chocked, body frozen with terror as the heading ripple came his way. Coming, coming, and stopping. The dog snapped at his elbow and Sasuke looked away to hit her when the animal shrieked and ran for the entrance. He looked back down screaming himself at the face staring back at him, jagged teeth and opened eyes. Hands reached at him grabbing his blue shirt. Sasuke yelled, this time striking and trying to rip himself away, but the thing wrapped both arms around his shoulders dragging him in.

It was a shock of icy water and Sasuke fought the hold pulling at the sword to try unsheathing it. He broke the surface flailing madly for the side, eyes spinning seeing the thing gone. Below! His feet were taken and he was dragged under again sucking in air. He stabbed with the sword in its sheath at the thing, but his movements were slow as to the quick precise motion of the creature.

One look, deeper, lower behind other things back he saw nothing but the swirl of darkness. But where were the pool lights? The bottom of the pool?! He looked up seeing the surface far high over his head. And when had he been this far down?

The jerking came more from that glowing white body gripping him. The water suddenly alive rushing against his skin like a current. He fought frantically releasing the sword and trying to swim upward, though the aqua monster wound both arms about his neck and hauled him away.

Lungs burning the sudden tug brought bubbles leaving his system and he screamed everything becoming nothing but pitch black. Like death maybe?

lol, another chapter -sigh- though no one seems to want to read it heh-heh. i guess i've gotta add more chaps.