Author's Note: Sorry the chapters have been so short. I keep wanting to end on kind of a cliffhanger.
Now those who read the previous publishing of this will remember these chapters, that's why I uploaded both at once. Next one coming shortly, hopefully will be over the flu by then.
Disclaimer: I own nothing, just playing with anime characters.
Bonds of Eternity - Chapter Three
Bonds of the Past
"Damn it all!" Siegfried Voltaire yelled at the fire in the center of the war camp.
Erhard and Christel Wincott sat to one side of him while Rufus Bielefeld and Lawrence Weller sat on the other. There were several soldiers that looked up from around them at the outburst. A tent flap was heard in the distance.
"How does Soushu always catch us at just the right moment? How does he know right where we'll be?"
"If he has spies like most armies..." Rufus supplied with a shrug.
"But, even then, it takes time to move an entire army." Christel finally spoke up.
"I have heard rumors," Lawrence said as he sat forward on the log upon which he was seated. The man stopped when Shinou and Daikenja came up to the fire.
"What have you heard, Lawrence?"
Daikenja nodded, "although we can't base our strategy completely around a rumor. Whatever it is, may be something to take into consideration."
"I have heard it said, that ten years ago, Soushu destroyed a small village. After the attack a small child was found that hadn't been touched. The child was a seer." The human lord sat back.
"A seer?" Shinou crossed his arms and stared into the flames.
"That would make sense, my lord." Christel looked to the general and strategist.
"It certainly would."
Daikenja frowned as he stared into the flames.
"If we were to capture this seer," Siegfried leaned forward. "We could take a large part of Soushu's advantage and make it our own."
"True, very true." The men could see the wheels in their general's head turning.
"I have to point out that if this seer was raised by Soushu, he would be more likely to send us into a trap than help us." Daikenja spoke to Shinou.
"So, if we can't use the seer..." Erhard looked to the strategist.
"Our best option would be to kill him."
\I gotta throw an author's note here. I don't know if Soushu would have a camp, you know being undead warriors and all, but I need one to move this plot along. So please, just go with it./
Shinou, Siegfried, Christel, and Lawrence crept through the shadows of the fortress Soushu had claimed days earlier. The smell of blood and death coated the air, suffocating the men. A fire in the courtyard burned the bodies of the poor souls that had not been possessed. Even the battle-hardened warriors were disgusted by the scene. Many of the bodies were young children, too innocent to fall to the evil of Soushu's corrupted army. Mindless, puppet warriors threw body after body on the pyre as though they were nothing but logs.
Staying in the shadows and moving as silently as the wind, the men found a servant's passage from what was left of the kitchen's garden area. The undead had no need of food. The kitchen was similarly abandoned.
Their army's people had noticed a cloaked person that remained at the current possessed leader's side at all times. Spies had informed them that the person was kept under guard at all times. This time, the boy had been spotted in the throne room of the conquered fortress.
"The guards may be there as protection or wardens." Siegfried still hoped to use the boy for themselves.
"We'll see. I also wish to try to recruit him first," Shinou whispered before waving the men forward.
The group pushed forward using the servant's passages. Checking each door, they found several rooms that contained Soushu's warriors. The beings didn't move an inch at the door's opening. They simply stared straight ahead, as if in some sort of trance. Finally, the subtle chink of armor was heard from behind one of the doors.
"The sound is soft. The soldiers must be just moving around." Shinou cracked the door open to show a dozen of live warriors.
Live soldiers moved around a pallet of furs near the throne. The men looked at each other, confused at the display. Lawrence pointed to a chain that ran from the throne to the pallet.
"That doesn't look like someone who wants to stay."
Shinou nodded, "this may be a good sign after all. We'll take out the soldiers first. Then approach the seer."
"I feel I need to point out, that it could simply be that Soushu wants another obstacle in the way of someone taking his precious oracle." Christel looked around the general to the chamber's inhabitants.
The chain clinked as the seer moved to sit up. Shinou and his men couldn't see the boy because of the hooded, fur cloak. As he moved, the soldiers looked to the sound.
"There's our chance."
Their small group exploded from the servant's alcove and took down the four guards closest to their hiding place. Those left surrounded the pallet and dropped into a defensive stance. As steel clashed, Shinou and his soldiers lured the men away from their treasure.
"They're unick's!" Christel yelled through the room as he stabbed his opponent in the chest.
"What!"
Shinou turned to the pallet. The figure, now standing but still hooded, was slight. It could easily be a girl as it could a young boy. The general heard the next attacker and spun to fight.
The blond dispatched the soldier before turning back to the furs. He strode quickly to the figure. The cloak fell easily to an angry yank.
Red hair highlighted with gold fell to a slim waist. A skirt, split up one side, rode low on round hips and revealed slender legs. Full, high breasts were covered by a long, winding cloth and tied behind her back. A gold collar was connected to the chain running from the throne.
Gold eyes looked into sapphire blue without a trace of fear. "Soushu is coming back to the keep. If you don't leave soon Shinou, you will be caught."
He gasped that she knew his name. Introductions were cut short by Christel. The man yelled from the window.
"We're going to have company real soon, my lord!"
The general looked back to the silent girl. He walked forward to just outside the chain's reach. It was unusual for him, but the man hesitated.
"Are you not here to kill me." It was obviously a statement not a question.
"Are you not attached to life?" He countered.
The girl laughed softly and shook the chain that trapped her to the throne like a dog.
"Would you be?"
"My lord! We have to go." Lawrence yelled as he ran for the alcove. Christel followed behind but both stopped at the door. Leaving without their leader wasn't an option.
Shinou walked onto the furs and raised Morgif. The redhead kneeled gracefully. She raised her head to give him better access to her throat above the collar. A growl filled the room as she closed her eyes.
Metal met metal and the chain holding the collar to the throne broke. Shinou grabbed the girl around the waist and threw her over his shoulder.
"What are you doing?" She yelled as the general bolted for the door.
"I don't know, now be quiet." Shinou growled at her butt.
"A very nice butt."
Siegfried was right behind them, followed by Christel and Lawrence bringing up the rear. Voltaire grabbed the seer's hair so neither he nor Shinou would trip over it. The man noticed her eyes had begun to glow and her face was expressionless.
"What the hell?"
"Take the left door here. The soldiers are about to come out of the hall." The girl whispered.
Christel ducked down to the look the seer in the face. "Why should we believe you?"
"Self- preservation. Soushu's soldiers have been ordered to kill anyone but others of themselves. If you're caught and killed, I will be too. I'd rather escape than die by those things."
"Sounds good to me." Shinou ducked into the darkened passageway.
The men were only a few paces into the hall when they heard the march of armored soldiers.
"See," she whispered smugly.
"Hush." The general shook her lightly.
The girl tried to knee him in the chest but felt only the metal of his breastplate. She bit her lip against a cry of pain. The men tried not to laugh at her discomfort.
"Stop that. I would be very easy to paddle you in this position." Shinou moved his hand from the back of her knees to her butt.
She gasped, "you wouldn't"
"Oh, don't make it a challenge." Christel shook as he tried not to laugh.
The seer seemed to weigh her options and decided to stay quiet.
The men moved onward to the end of the passage. Back on the main servant's path, they headed for the kitchen's again. Luckily, there were no more interruptions.
As Shinou ran, he noticed how the girl kept trying to shift on his shoulder. Her small cries were starting to irritate him. They stopped to assess the best way back to their horses and the general finally had enough.
"What is it now?"
Shinou looked both ways and kept his ears open for the smallest noise. The quiet of the keep was unnatural. Not even animals were heard.
The position of the moon had shifted and now there was only a sliver of shadow for the men to pass through.
"There is still enough darkness if we go single file." Siegfried looked at the oracle. "But we have to be silent."
"I'm sorry that his shoulder guard is breaking my ribs." She hissed at the gray haired man. "It's not the most comfortable position to be in."
"It's not much farther." Lawrence tried to stop the impending argument.
The girl shifted again. "You could let me down and I can run too."
Shinou let her fall down his back a little. "Or I could just leave you here."
She dug into his cloak and tried to squirm back up.
"This is fine." She winced. "For now."
"That's what I thought. Let's get going."
Author's Note: I wonder what Daikenja's going to make of this change of plans. We'll find out next chapter; Bonds of the Past Part 2!
I have to tell you, it may a couple days before I update again. I helped my aunt, who owns her own ceramics business, move 2600 pounds of slip one box at a time. Twice, if you count putting it on the truck and taking it back off. So yeah, lots and lots o' pain.