~Chapter 3 - Voices~

Sorry the last one was so short so this is being posted so soon to make up for it! I haven't written anything like this before and it's kind of weird but I like it so far! I hope you all do to! ^_^ But we're going to start getting really into the story now. If it's a Roxas chapter it's more of the story moving along, if it's not then it's filling you in one what was happening in the meantime. I guess that makes this primarily an AkuRoku story with a hint of all of the others. I'm not going to lie though; I just want to start writing smut! . I haven't in so long and it's going to eat me from the inside out. I just miss it! So we get back to the reason I write fanfiction in this chapter. Yay!

Anywho, this was written to Voices by Saosin. I'm definitely listening to more alternative stuff for this story for some reason… Maybe that will change…

Oh, anyways, my actual serious note: I'm going to start killing off characters now. Don't worry, I won't kill off any of the main ones, but I am planning on having a handful die over the next few chapters. So sad. Oh well. Life goes on and so does the story. So don't hate me 'cause I've warned you.

Roxas

Mountains were something Roxas had never felt any desire to see up close. He liked the smell of dirt and leaves. Rocks were just rock. But as the mountains came closer and closer Roxas took a moment to awe at how huge they were. Trees were tall. These were so vast it took his breath away. Or that could have been the wind. Either way, he was impressed. But the mountains had to huge to house such large beasts. He wondered where exactly the dragon called home when they began to rise towards the top of the rocks. Higher and higher they rose. Roxas heard ringing in his ears. The air was so thin. He could barely breathe. Trying for deep breaths he stopped thinking, letting his body just hold on and breathe.

The descent came gradually. Only when he could actually take a breath in without making his lungs feel like they were burning did conscious thought return. The dragon was slowly lowering itself through a gaping hole in the top of one of the mountains. It was a careful decline. As they fell through the hole Roxas could see large thrones of stone forming a circle around where the dragon was landing. Sitting in one of the highest seats was a man with long silver hair. The man's eyes were trained on him capturing every one of Roxas' movements.

As the dragon touch down Roxas jumped off and ran behind the nearest stone chair. Just as he skidded behind it flames exploded around him. Their heat licked at his sides but didn't touch him directly. "You've brought back a visitor just to kill him, Xemnas?" The flames stopped as suddenly as they'd begun. When Roxas gathered up his courage he peaked around the chair. In place of the great brown dragon was a man with dark skin and shocking white hair. Large bat like wings slowly sank back into his body as Roxas watched. The man on the throne tossed down a simple black cloak so the could cover up his nakedness.

"I'd have killed him sooner had he not held on like a parasite." He looked at something on the ground on his far side away from Roxas. "But you haven't had a problem killing the wolf I see."

"I didn't need it anymore." The cold way they spoke, so emotionlessly, sent a shiver up Roxas' spine. Dragons were cruel, heartless creatures. To just kill another magic wielding animal just because they couldn't find a use for it was harsh. What kind of animal would do that to another? At least wolves killed for food or defense, not to prove their superiority. "Riku will return soon."

"I heard his call." Xemnas looked back over at Roxas. Those strange orange eyes froze him in place. "So we have no use for this wolf."

"If we leave two dead wolves lying around Axel might have something to say." The way the man on the throne spoke it was like he really didn't care what this Axel thought, but he had to listen to him. "I would tell you to just make him leave, but since he came here in the first place I am assuming he doesn't recognize you as dominant."

"He's more human that wolf," Xemnas said with a curl of his lip. To be called human was almost as bad as being called a dog. "He chose to stay like that. A real wolf would know their place." Turning away from Roxas he went to sit beside the other man. Roxas watched as the wings exploded from his back again to let him fly up to his seat.

Having left Roxas' direct line of sight Roxas noticed the wolf lying on the ground. In the dim light of the cave its pelt looked light brown. But under the dirt, under the grime of days it was such a familiar color. The small frame lay unmoving, one leg curled awkwardly under itself. As a human he couldn't catch the scent to be sure but… He raced along the outer edge of the chairs. He didn't want to expose himself any more than he had to. He could already hear the low voices of the human dragons commenting on his behavior. When he was as close as he could get from behind the chairs he darted forward, ready to run and hide the second either of the dragons made any move to harm him. Yet they just sat and watched as he knelt down beside the wolf and stroked her pelt. "Namine?" She was cold. Even as a human he could smell death under the stink of days and singed fur. A long strip of fur had been burnt off revealing blistering pink skin. All of her claws had been pulled out, leaving blood to dry between her pads. Tears rolled down his cheeks. No fear was on her face. Her lips were still pulled back in a snarl of defiance.

She had died fighting because he had gotten her captured be those damned bears. His sister, his twin was dead because of him.

He wanted to growl and snarl and attack the dragons who had killed her. He wanted to avenge her and his pack. Yet he was scared. He'd die as quickly as she had if he tried anything right now. But if it wasn't now it might never be. Gathering her up into his arms he rocked her back and forth, whimpering and apologizing for what he'd done.

A gust of wind had him clutching her tighter to him and looking up. A dragon the color of the moon was descending where Xemnas had with Roxas not long ago. Roxas almost feared he'd be stepped on, but as the dragon continued to land it missed the wolves entirely. As its wings folded against itself Roxas gasped. Someone was on the dragon! The man in black leather slid off, red hair wildly falling around his shoulders, revealing one other person astride the dragon. Brown hair that refused to lay flat, small frame… "Sora!"

Sora turned towards him panic etched across his face. "Roxas?" He tried to slide off of the dragon like the man in leather had before him but stumbled as his hit the ground before falling. Pushing himself up he made to move towards Roxas but was held back by a hand grabbing the back of his shirt.

"Hold on there, kid," said the man in leather. Looking up at the men in chairs he jerked his head towards Sora. "This is the only human boy the wolves had. Any humans from the town would have scattered into the forest."

"So this 'Sora' is the last prince?" asked Xemnas looking towards the man with the long silver hair.

"If the wolf spoke true." Roxas looked down at Namine's form. The dragons had done this to her just to find Sora? His father was right, this wasn't worth the life of a human. And yet, Sora was a friend. Would he have given up where Sora was just to save his own life?

"Then we kill the human and be done with it." The flippant way Xemans spoke about killing was disgusting. Life wasn't something to just be thrown out.

At least the man in leather seemed to agree. He tsked at Xemnas' words. "No, we don't kill the peasants. We've agreed. Wolf." Roxas growled as the man turned to look at him over his shoulder. "Is this the boy who stayed with your pack?" Roxas growled louder. If Namine had tried to protect Sora he would too. For her. "Is this the little prince from Hollow Bastion?"

He wouldn't answer. His growl turned into a snarl. Teeth flashed in warning. He wasn't going to do anything for these beasts. The man seemed to understand that. A cruel little smile formed on his face. A pressure against his mind told him to answer the question. With each passing second he refused to answer the pressure got worse. It felt like teeth clamping down around his head. Each time the voice demanded an answer he felt like thunder was rolling around in his mind. He couldn't even think after a while. Clutching his head he howled in pain. He tried clawing at his head but he couldn't dig the source of the pain out.

"Answer me, wolf."

Roxas cringed against the pain he was expecting with the words but none came. His chest heaved and sweat covered his skin. He took as long as he could to try to compose himself but when a gleam entered the man's eyes again Roxas panicked. "No!" he shouted, cringing away, curling against Naminé. "Sora's from town!"

The man gave him a long, hard look, trying to find Roxas' lie. Roxas just hoped any scent of a lie was covered by his fear of the red headed man. "There you have it," he finally said. "The wolf says it's not him. He lives."

"You trust the word of a wolf?" demanded Xemnas.

"If Sephiroth hadn't killed the wolf who told us where to find him we would know for sure. But since she is dead we have just this one to believe." Letting go of Sora he stepped back towards the silver dragon he'd come in on. Placing his hand on the dragon's shoulder he smiled at it. "What say you, Riku? Shall we head back? I'm bored with hunting down lost princes who are probably dead." Lashing its tail the dragon growled towards the two seated men before dropping down closer to the ground so the man in leather could climb up. "Since you killed the wolf I hope you plan on cleaning it up Sephiroth."

"And if we can't kill the others what do we do with them?"

The man in leather looked at Roxas and Sora in turn. "I don't have a wolf in my collection yet. And I suppose a friend will keep him from killing himself." His tone was bland, not caring that he spoke of living creatures like human objects. Roxas wanted to object but the memory of the pain was still too raw. He went to the man, giving Naminé a long last look. He was thrown up onto the dragon's back like he was a stick. Sora followed him up to sit in front of him and the man clambered up last behind him. As soon as he was settled the dragon took off, wings beating hard to get them off the ground.

As the breached the top of the mountains' hole Roxas caught a glimpse of the sun. He had survived the night. Wanting to yelp in happiness he settled for a grin. Tricking dragons, saving Sora, just living… He'd done it. Naminé… he thought sadly. I'll kill the dragon that did that to you. I promise .He'd kill them all of he could. But until he got the chance he'd hold on to the victory he felt in that moment.

"So tell me, is this prince really worth dying for?" Roxas jumped. He hadn't expected the man to talk to him. His breath against Roxas' ear made Roxas fully aware that he was pressed right against the man's front. It would be easy to kill him then get to Sora. The man felt him tense and laughed. It rumbled from his chest through Roxas. The sound was almost comforting in its innocence which made Roxas tense like a deer in a wolf's sight. "Relax wolf. This can be our secret for now. You can trust me. But tell me what I can call you. 'Wolf' seems rather impersonal."

Roxas debated his answer for a long time. Survival said he should just tell the man his name but he simply didn't want to. "Figure it out yourself," he snapped. He braced himself for pain but felt the gentle rumble of the man's laugh instead.

"Alright, Roxas." Roxas' stunned silence had him laughing again. But if he thought about it, hadn't Sora called out his name? But no one had said the red head's name. He even knew the name of the dragon, Riku.

"Since you know mine are you going to tell me yours?"

"Figure it out, wolf."

Roxas tried not to growl at the man for the rest of the flight. The man's hands eventually rested on Roxas' hips. The cold night air cause goose bumps to explode across his skin except for where those warm hands held him. The man was exceptionally warm. But weren't dragons creatures of fire? It made sense in a way. He just wished he had some human clothes to cover himself with. Never before had his nakedness as a human bothered him. Now it made him feel vulnerable.

The sun was high in the sky before Roxas saw their final destination. It was on the far side of the mountains, farther away from his forest than he'd ever been before. Plains of just grass stretched for days in every direction. Small figures were scattered among the fields. Roxas wondered if they were humans farming, but that was silly. The dragons wouldn't live so near to humans. Not if they were on a quest to kill them. Settled in the center of the sea of grass and crops was a large stone fortress. Once, seasons ago, Luxord had taken him to see what was left of Sora's family's home. The stones were charred and metal had melted. It had crumbled from something magnificent to a pile of rocks and ashes. This one was far more splendid. White stone made up all of the walls and the metal was still shinny and whole. Riku glided down to gently land among the inner courtyard behind the walls.

The man jumped down from Riku's back before helping the two boys down. Animals in the form of humans were tricking into the courtyard to see who had arrived. "Two humans? Now what are you doing Axel?" Roxas looked around to find where the voice came from. Following Sora's gaping stare he looked up at a man hanging upside-down from the banister of the second level. Long black hair tied back hung down to a few feet from the ground. His arms were crossed across a broad chest and an eye patch covered an eye. Yet as scary as he seemed, or perhaps it was more insane than actually scary, a broad smile lit his face.

"Get down. You're making my neck hurt," replied the red head. Axel. The name suited him in a way.

The man pulled himself back up to free his legs before jumping down. He landed with a thud turning his solid landing into a controlled roll. When he stood he was almost as tall as Axel and dressed in the same black leather. "Ah, not two humans, just one. What's this one here?" he asked looking at Roxas. He tilted his head and stared at Roxas from head to toe. "You've brought a wolf to play with! That's something new." The way he said it made it sound like Roxas was a juicy bone Axel had won. He really didn't like that. "But then why's the human here? A snack for Riku?"

The dragon swung his head around to face the loudmouth man, snorting smoke into his face. Sora paled and looked pleadingly at Axel, begging with his eyes not to be fed to the dragon. "Just shut up Xigbar," growled Axel in a good-natured tone, "and take these two away. Put the wolf in my room and throw the human somewhere near Leon's rooms. He can watch over the boy when he returns."

With everything said Axel walked away from them. All of the human animals who had come out to see his return followed him back into the castle, many chattering away at him. Riku laid down right there, tucking his wings around himself and shutting his eyes. Roxas wanted to ask him why he didn't take a human form as well but for all he knew Riku might be just a regular dragon. He had yet to hear him speak. Maybe Riku was just a rather intelligent pet dragon. Either way, Riku was dangerous.

"Right this way kids," Xigbar said with a flourish gesture. Sora followed him meekly, casting glances back at the dragon slumbering behind them. For a moment Roxas thought about running but his pack was on the other side of the mountains. Until he made a plan he was safest going along with things here. Out of the courtyard and up a staircase they went. Down a hallway and around a corner they finally made their first stop. The halls were lined with flowers and the floor lush with the fur of weak animals. The door in front of Roxas was rather ornate for an animal but Axel was turning out to be rather strange anyways. Or maybe dragons just liked shinny things. "Head on in wolf-boy." Roxas snarled at him but pushed open the gilded doors anyways. Stepping in he gasped at the room. What sort of animal lived like this? Not even the humans he knew slept like this. A large bed, big enough for even Lexaeus as a bear to stretch out, took up a good deal of the room. Shiny sheets draped across it and pillows took up most of the bed.

Shutting the door behind him, Roxas made his way over to the bed. Reaching out he touched it to see how firm it was. When his hand sank into the sheets he pulled it away in a panic. This was no way for an animal to live. The pelt of a tiger rested at the foot of the bed where he stood. Figuring that would be a much better place to rest he let himself relax back into a wolf. For a wolf to hold onto a human form it took magic. It was possible to stay as a human for days if need be, but it was a strain. Doing any more magic on top of that just depleted his stores. And he had no fear of Axel transforming into a dragon in this room. As large as it was, he would still be larger. So long as Roxas wasn't a wolf when Axel was a dragon he should be fine. He could let his guard down a bit. There wouldn't be a fight for dominance.

Curling up into the pelt Roxas let his senses wander. His ears twitched at the sounds coming from different parts of the castle. This whole room had a smell to it that he'd never smelled before; something that made his nose tickle from the inside out. He couldn't smell any familiar scents though. Nothing of the forest, no wolves, no fresh air. I'll get back there, he decided firmly. I'll kill Sephiroth and take Sora home. I'll kill any of those dragons if they try to stop me. I'll keep my promise to protect the humans. He didn't know how he'd do it yet. The dragons were so much stronger than him, not to mention bigger. And if he was being honest with himself, he really wanted to live. Being so close to dying had made him realize how foolish he'd been to say he'd die for the humans. He would if he had to but living was something he wanted to continue to do.

His ears perked up at the sound of the door being pushed open again. Strange, he hadn't heard footsteps outside the door. Axel's spicy scent flooded through the room in a new wave. Roxas even sneezed at it. It was more than just a scent now, but a whole feeling of radiant power that flowed from Axel in waves. Even if he was a human there was something so animalistic about him Roxas could feel every one of his instincts telling him to show him respect. He hated those instincts. Refusing to listen to them he shifted back to a human but stayed curled up. It was easier to ignore the power Axel emitted as a human.

"Are you ashamed of being a wolf or do you just prefer being a human?" Axel asked from inside the door. Roxas could feel his eyes on him.

"Neither," he said shortly in reply. Something hit the ground near his face so he peeked out of one eye. Axel's leather shirt was in a crumpled heap. Ignoring it Roxas went back to pretending to try to sleep.

"Why don't you sleep on the bed?"

"It's your bed."

"There's room for both of us."

"It's too soft. What self-respecting animal wants to sleep like a human?"

"An animal that enjoys comfort." Another plop of clothes hitting the floor. Axel's footsteps sounded across the floor until he reached the bed. It squeaked when he settled on it. "Come enjoy comfort with me." It wasn't a request. But Roxas chose to pretend it was.

"I'm fine here. If you mean to sleep I won't wake you." And he wouldn't. He barely got any sleep the night before when Xemnas had landed in the human village. Catching up on sleep now would be a good idea.

"I don't mean to sleep. Get on the bed." His tone was even more steel than before. Snarling Roxas unfurled himself. Stretching out his muscles he glared at the man reclining against the pillows. For a dragon he wasn't bad looking really. He'd probably be as red as his hair if he actually bothered to be the animal he was. Broad shoulders slimmed down to a thin waist hid by the shiny gold sheets. His green eyes watched Roxas with a heated intensity. Everything about Axel was intense. Crawling onto the bed Roxas glared at the man. It was really too soft. He didn't enjoy feeling like he was sinking a bit. "Come up here more."

Trying to stay as far from Axel as he could and still follow orders Roxas curled up along the far edge of the bed. He could hear Axel sigh behind him. "You're a bit of a clueless pup, aren't you?" he said making Roxas snarl but not face him. He was doing what Axel wanted! "You've seen what? Sixteen summers?" Roxas' silence was enough of an answer. He was young. He knew that. Especially among their kind. For all creatures of magic they stopped aging when they hit the prime of their life. From then it could be decades or centuries before the aging started again at a slower pace. Axel could be hundreds of years old and still look the same. To him Roxas really would be just a pup. "Let me be clear then Roxas. What do you know about mating?"

He was young, not stupid. "Find a she-wolf, mate, she has pups." Did Axel want him to mate with someone? If there was a she-wolf that wanted him he'd be willing. But no she-wolf wanted such a young mate.

"I mean human mating."

"Find a she-human, mate, she has a baby." Now he was actually confused. What did Axel expect? Wasn't he old enough to know all of this?

"You're so young." Roxas tensed when something brushed against his back. The touch was light as a falling leaf. A firm grip on his arm pulled him over onto his back closer to Axel. Lashing out against Axel's touch Roxas' hand was caught and forced above his head. Axel through a leg over Roxas to straddle him. Reaching off to the side he grabbed something thin and black. With a single deft movement he had it wrapped around Roxas' neck. "Don't move now," he muttered. Thrashing Roxas tried to throw him off. A painful heat scorched the side of his neck making him yelp in discomfort. "I said not to move."

Furious at the man who was stupid enough to try to collar him like a dog Roxas gathered his magic to change back into a wolf. But simply reaching for it sent a jolt of searing pain through him. He howled and arched his back in pain. He felt like fire was burning him from the inside. Little flames rocketed back and forth in him, exploding wherever they hit the surface. "Stop using magic!" Axel's command had him howling more. He wanted to rip apart his flesh. He wanted to sink his teeth into Axel's arm and tear it from its socket. He wanted to be a wolf! Reaching for a larger chunk of magic made his muscles twitch sporadically. He felt like he'd been hit by lightning. He could feel his body shift into a wolf but he couldn't breathe. Whatever was around his throat was too tight. His body changed back without his consent. Arching up off the bed he cried out again. Slowly he let go of the last bits of magic he was trying to hold onto. Almost immediately the pain receded.

"What did you do?" Roxas' voice was almost nonexistent. It sounded so feeble and weak; just how he felt. His limbs still twitched out of his control.

"I can't have you trying to rip my throat out."

"Let me go," commanded Roxas as firmly as he could. This was worse than death. He couldn't even reach for the magic in him. Only the constant thread that kept him human was allowed to him. The pain of even a drop more was horrific.

Axel's face leaned down to rest against Roxas' neck. It made him edgy, being so vulnerable was such a clear show of submission, but he was willing to submit. Axel had more power than even his father and he seemed fine with using it on Roxas. Licking a line up to Roxas' jaw he breathed in Roxas' scent. "I'm not ready for that yet." Disliking that answer Roxas snapped at Axel's face making him pull away. The look on the red head's face chilled Roxas as much as his magic had burned him. Roughly he flipped Roxas over, forcing both of his hands up above his head which was shoved into the pillow. His other hand forced Roxas' hips up.

"Let me teach you about mating," Axel growled into Roxas' ear. "You wolves take each other from behind like this." His hand left Roxas' hip to trace the cleft of his butt. "For you it's done to have pups." A finger poked at Roxas' hole, not quite entering, but threatening. He pulled away from Roxas to spit on him. The cool spit dribbled down to where his finger continued to hover at Roxas' entrance. Rolling his finger around in the spittle Axel pressed it fully against his hole. "Male finds female, they fuck 'til she's pregnant, she has pups, the cycle continues."

Axel's finger breached Roxas with a pop. Fighting against the foreign object Roxas rocked his hips forward away from it. His relief as being free was short lived. Axel's hand forced him back in place before the finger was back in him, curling up to secure its place. "But humans mate for fun." Trusting Roxas to know better than the move Axel straightened his finger again to pump it in and out of the still body in front of him. "It might be a male taking a female but there are others who want something else. Something most would shun them for." Pulling his finger out he spit into his palm. Rubbing his saliva over his hard member he looked down at the quivering body below him. "Females mate with females. Males with males. Not for pups; just for fun." Roxas' trembles doubled.

Lining himself up Axel hesitated. Reaching around Axel grabbed at Roxas' flaccid length. He tried to pull away from the hand fondling him only to almost impale himself on Axel. Whimpering in distress he tried to just hold as still as possible. A difficult task when he couldn't stop the trembles of fear from overwhelming him for even a second. No matter what the hand on his member did he couldn't feel anything but fear. Giving up Axel placed the hand back on Roxas' hips to hold him still. "And pleasure." He forced himself into Roxas in a smooth push. He could feel the boy's every tremble as his body struggled to get used to the invader. Roxas howled and buried his face into the pillow. Digging his teeth into it he tried to ignore the feeling of being split apart. Where Axel had entered him was on fire. It was just as bad as reaching for his magic. His hips forced themselves forward into the bed in a desperate effort to escape what was ripping him apart. Axel just moved with him and pressed him firmly into the bed.

With the first rocking motion Roxas gave up howling and screamed. He screamed as Axel pulled far enough out Roxas thought this was over before he forced himself back all the way in. The scream broke in Roxas' throat. As great as the pain was, as much as it made him aware of every inch of his body, he retreated into himself. He could still feel the pain, just in a disconnected way. All of the pain would end as soon as Axel was done. This would be over soon. He just had to bear it. Just ignore it… But the pounding of Axel into him kept threatening to pull him back to reality. Retreating even farther into himself he found a place where he wasn't even aware of Axel any more. Instead there was just a dark black throbbing pain. It constantly hummed with discomfort but it never got any worse or better. It was just there. He didn't know what it was, or where it came from, but he knew it nonetheless. In the blackness he toyed with this constant pain, strumming it gently. He held it like it was a newborn cub. This was his pain. It wasn't discomfort cause by Axel. This was completely him. This was precious.

So entranced was he by the trembling pain that he didn't even notice Axel was done with him until he was gone. Pulling himself out of his trance he tried not to move. Any small movement would bring back the pain. Even with his human nose he could smell the blood and sweat on him. And there was something else; the smell of mating. The odor was heavy and musky. And spicy. It was Axel in every way.

Gritting his teeth against the pain shooting down his lower back and butt he forced himself back onto his hands and knees. Where fluids had started to dry on him his skin cracked. Balancing on just one of his hands he reached behind him to feel the damage. It hurt like nothing he'd ever felt before but he was still whole for the most part. Blood and semen were dripping down his legs. Examining his hand he noted with a bit of satisfaction that there wasn't quite as much blood as he thought there would've been.

"So you are alive." Wiping his hand on the sheet below him Roxas ignored the pain in his body to turn and look back over his shoulder at Axel. The man stood, still fully naked, in the doorway to a small wash room. A towel already stained with blood and cum was in his hand. "I was afraid I broke you already." He tossed the towel onto the bed near Roxas. "Thought you might want to clean yourself up."

Grabbing the towel Roxas tried not to let any of his pain show on his face. "I promised the humans of the village I'd protect them," he said idly, as if it was nothing. "I promised myself I'd kill the dragon that killed my sister." Looking straight into Axel's eyes he made sure the man was aware of how serious Roxas was. "And I promise I will kill any dragon that uses me."

The little smirk Axel had worn coming out of the wash room flourished into a wide grin. He did enjoy feisty challenges. "Guess I'm safe then."