WARNINGS: Character Death, Incest, Yaoi, Cross dressing, one original character (meaning not based on a country), and very SLOW MOVING (over 30 chapters) throughout the whole fanfic!
Yeah… even I think I've gone too far with this character death thing this time. Not only is Belgium and Hungary dead, but now in this chapter my favorite character in the cast of Hetalia is going to die! O_O Why am I doing this to myself? I shouldn't allow myself to be controlled by this plot bunny but I am. Argh... during the time I was writing this chapter I kept trying to not think about Hetalia but... its a lot harder said than done.
By the way, if there is anyone out there still reading this fanfic after this chapter, you are quite a trooper. Either that or you really, REALLY like Russia/America. Not that it is a bad thing; I am definitely a crazy Cold War pairing fan.
Speaking of pairings, now that I've written a summary for every chapter up until the very end, I now am sure about all the pairings and hinted/mentioned ones.
Main Pairing: Russia/America
Side Pairings: America/Taiwan, One-sided Japan/Taiwan, One-sided Russia/Belarus, One-sided Lithuania/Belarus, France/Seychelles, Austria/Hungary, Sweden/Finland, and Germany/N. Italy.
Hinted or Mentioned Pairings (Ranging from ones you have to squint to see to ones that are almost side pairings): England/Belgium, One-sided France/Austria, Prussia/Austria, One-sided Prussia/Hungary, Prussia/Canada, One-sided Turkey/Hungary, Poland/Hungary, One-sided France/Belgium, One-sided Spain/Belgium, Denmark/Norway, Ancient Rome/Ancient Egypt, Ancient Rome/Greece, Germania/Ancient Greece, Switzerland/Liechtenstein, Switzerland/Japan, Turkey/OC, Turkey/Greece, Greece/Israel, One-sided Russia/Serbia, One-sided Spain/Philippines, One-sided America/Philippines, China/N. Korea, One-sided Austria/S. Korea, Spain/S. Italy, One-sided Mongolia/China, S. Korea/Hong Kong, Thailand/Vietnam, Sealand/Principality of Wy, and Seborga/Principality of Wy.
NAME CHANGES!
1. To my knowledge, there is no official name for Netherlands (Holland) so his name is Neth
2. To my knowledge, there is no official name for Luxembourg so his name is Bourg
3. To my knowledge, there is no official name for Monaco so her name is Clarice Littleton
4. To my knowledge, there is no official name for Czech Republic so her name is Bozka Rybar
5. To my knowledge, there is no official name for Slovakia so her name is Brana Polievka
6. To my knowledge, there is no official name for Argentina so her name is Ailen Vazquez
Yeah, I'm really imaginative with names huh? Urgh. Can't even joke right now, too depressed from writing this chapter.
Chapter 4
It was late now. Because they were over a mile away from the town, its smog didn't affect the landscape. The blue sky had fallen and now it was jet black with thousands of piercing, white stars to light it. But there weren't just white stars in the sky to entertain the group. Some glowed a fiery red and even the color of a blue topaz. There were so many bright lights that clustered together that they appeared to be dancing and changing the intensity of their light, as if they were coyly winking at everything below them. Everyone in the tribe gathered around the mouth of the cave, looking up at the celestial bodies with child-like awe. It might have looked comical if there were others watching them, seeing all the grown men and one woman watch the sky with such focus, as if something was going to drop from the vast heavens. Even the child of the family, Petra, had nothing to say against the power of nature's beauty.
"Its amazing, isn't it?" Alf asked to no one. Everyone slowly nodded. They agreed but they didn't want to move too much, in fear of losing the beautiful image they were seeing.
Although the scenery was beautiful and he didn't want to take his eyes off it, but Petra began to slump and rest his head against Luwd's shoulder. His arms grew limp and soon the rest of his body followed. The young boy hated that he was falling asleep quicker than the others. When the older man noticed the young child resting against him, Luwd pulled him into his lap and held him in his arms. He swayed his arms back and forth a little. The gentle rocking motion was the thing that finally leads Petra to close his eyes and fall asleep.
When it became late enough that the group's pet wolves started yawning though, Art suggested that they should sleep now.
"Father, can't I stay up a little longer?" Alf asked. Art huffed, knowing he couldn't persuade the boy to sleep even if he tried.
"Sure, but not too long."
"Okay."
"I think I will stay up with you," Ivan said.
The two boys sat next to each other while everyone slept. They continued this cycle of gazing at the night and then at each other. It was as if they were afraid that they or the other would get lost in it if they stared too long. Sometimes Ivan didn't like looking at Alf. It wasn't that he disliked the boy at all, but the stars seemed to grow duller after he glanced at the other's bright orbs that he was blessed to call his eyes. The other blonde's hair was no longer a sunflower yellow in the low light, but a gold that shimmered under the twilight. It was similar to the gold that Ivan saw on wedding rings. It was pure and everlasting. Even Alf's skin had an ethereal glow to it. Ivan imagined before when the church had told him about angels, and they would have all those qualities that the other teenager possessed.
They glanced at each other again.
"Alf," Ivan said, not really sure what he was going to say to the young man.
"What is it?" The other asked, for once in a quiet voice. It was in that moment that Ivan remembered his question.
"What is your relationship with Mei?"
"Oh, I guess we are friends. To be honest, I really don't know much about her other than that she's a girl and that she likes my friend Kiku."
"But you must care for her a lot, even though you don't know her. You were very protective of her this afternoon. It was quite impressive..."
"Hahaha, thanks man. But really, I would have done that for anyone here. Not even just anyone in my tribe, but really any person who appears to be in danger. I can't let anyone get hurt if I'm around. So if you need some saving big guy, let me know."
Ivan chuckled. It was nice to hear Alf speak. There was such purity in his words. No deceptions, no exceptions, it was all or nothing for the young man.
"But my relationship with Mei is non-existent if you ask me. I rarely talk to her and I don't know anything about her besides what I just told you. The others know much more about her than me. I just don't think we were destined to be with each other. Plus, she's definitely not interested in me as you can tell." The Russian sighed. Of course the other boy didn't notice the way Mei responded to him. It was probably normal to be oblivious for Alf. Oblivious of attraction, affection, or anything that dealt with the early signs of romance. But Ivan could read the Asian girl's body language. The eyes that perked and lifted with happiness, the pale dusting of blush against her cheek bones, and the alert posture of her body practically screamed her secret desire for Alf. Ivan didn't want to expose the woman's secret, thinking that she deserved to tell the boy herself, and just nodded at Alf's statement.
"What about you? Do you have a sweetheart?"
"No, I am not interested in anyone where I live." Alf's eyes widened and he immediately responded with a "Really? But there are a lot of women in your town. You really couldn't find one you like?"
"Haha, yes comrade. It is still hard to find a female companion, even when you have many to choose from."
"I just would think it would be easier to find a wife for you guys. But I guess wherever you live; you'll face the same basic problems like everyone else. But wow, I always thought that you would have a girl waiting for you."
"Why is that?" Ivan was curious. Did he act in a way as if he were taken with a girl?
"Well..." Alf blushed. He was debating whether or not to tell the other.
"Yes?" Ivan asked, trying to prod an answer from the other teenager.
"You're really tall and strong. Things that a man should have, you have. I'm actually jealous of you."
"Jealous? Why? You are tall and strong as well."
"I'm not very tall, not in comparison to you, Luwd, and Su. Also the reason I'm strong is not the same reason you are, but because I've been training with my father and Su since I was twelve. Today you fought off Feliks without any training of any kind. All of your moves were from just your instincts and physical strength. I'm still envious thinking about it."
"Oh," Ivan blurted. He didn't really know how else to respond. All this time, he had been admiring Alf for his qualities. The Russian boy thought of the other as almost the perfect male when it came to his body. The mind wasn't bad either, and his charisma made him feel more comfortable than any other stranger that Ivan had first met. It felt flattering to hear that Alf admired something about him.
"But that doesn't mean I don't like you! It's just that I thought you might have someone already because you seem like a good man. But that's just my assumptions again. Hew says I'm going to have to control that otherwise I'm going to get myself into even more trouble in the future when I'm in command."
"Well, maybe at first. A couple hours ago I was hot with rage when I first met you. But we seem to be getting along now."
"Oh yeah, I almost forgot. It feels like ancient history to me."
"I feel the same way Alf."
Alf let out a loud yawn. Ivan giggled lightly at the other's action. Even with yawning, Alf's was intense and commanding.
"I'm... uh, I'm getting tired. I'm thinking about going to sleep. You want to sleep on my rug? It's really big since Petra in the past sometimes gets nightmares and sleeps next to me, but he doesn't do that anymore. Also, we didn't have enough fur and dried skin to make you one."
"I am okay with that arrangement."
They both crept slowly into the cavern, not wanting to disturb the other occupants. They swerved around the sleeping couple Su and Tino before the arrived at Alf's large, empty fur rug. It was dark brown, similar to the color of coffee. The color was probably to help capture any warm they could in the winter months. Ivan waited for Alf to lay down first so that he could choose the part he preferred. After all, he was intruding the young man's space already and he didn't want to be an even bigger burden. Alf decided tonight that he would sleep on the right side of the fur mat, leaving Ivan the left side. The fur was actually made from the same material as the nomads' clothes which were deer. Ivan was surprised that they were able to have so much in supply, but the tribe probably did have knowledge of the deer's seasonal habits and could track them down easily. Once Ivan had now laid down on the left side, Alf threw a white blanket over them. Instead of deer, this was from the hairs of a goat. The longer strands looked like fringe on the blanket, making it appear more like a decorative piece. Ivan immediately thought it was made from the man named Su.
Alf fell asleep as soon as the blanket covered his body, but Ivan was still adjusting. The Russian teen was used to having to share a bed with his sister Natalya, or even on the family couch when his younger sibling was being more persistent with her advancements. But he wasn't used to the feeling of Alf pressed against his back. Ivan couldn't ignore the feeling of the hardened and warm backside rubbing against his own. He felt the heat flush to his cheeks.
"Oh god, what is happening to me?" He whispered to himself. The teenager tried to breathe slowly and deeply, thinking this would help him relax but it wasn't working. All he could think about was the other boy's body touching him. Ivan could feel his skin prickling in little bumps and his body grew hot.
"Why is this bothering me? It's just some boy..." The young man groaned. Ivan sat up, thinking it was his body was telling him that it wasn't tired. He watched everyone sleep. Even the wolves were in a peaceful slumber and they had no mat of their own.
As the young man stayed up longer, he started thinking about Alf's shock to him not having a girlfriend. Why didn't he have a girlfriend? Ivan knew he wasn't the best looking man, but he was at least average. He would like to think of himself as intelligent considering that he had gotten mostly A's in his classes, and all of his classes were advanced so he knew it wasn't his mind. As for his personality, yes, he was a bit quiet and didn't know as many people his one age as one would expect, but it wasn't as if his classmates didn't know who he was. Ivan tried to think about the girls that he wouldn't mind asking out.
The first girl that he thought of was Clarice Littleton. Her family used to live in France, working as managers for a resort near the beach. They had Clarice very young and so they were still getting their education completed while she was a child. It was probably why the young girl acted much older than her other peers, for she had to learn to be hardened and mature due to the life her parents gave her. It was a benefit to the girl for she was extremely intelligent. Since she had started high school, it was predicted that she would be the valedictorian of their year. Ivan had always seen her doing something in the library whenever she had spare time, reading books from science, famous literature, and even a book about being a smart gambler. Not only was the girl smart, no one could deny that she was gorgeous. The girl was a natural brunette, but lately she began to keep it blonde. She would put it in a loose braid, which would rest on one of her shoulders, depending how she felt. It didn't really matter to Ivan whatever hair color she had, for it didn't hide her enchanting, dark blue eyes. Eyes so dark that in bad light, they would appear black like coal. Although most people were less attractive with glasses, the metal frames actually complimented her face, making it look softer and more approachable. She had a slim built, opposite to Katyusha's body, but it suited her height. Clarice was only five feet and four inches tall, so a larger bust and hips would have looked awkward on her. The only fault in her was the fact that Ivan didn't really like how fragile and injury prone she was. One time she had fallen down the short steps that led to the school. The young woman was taken to the hospital, where they discovered that she had broken three of her ribs and both of her wrists. The Russian boy was afraid that if he were to be with her, he would hurt her on accident multiple times. It wasn't an attractive image.
There was another girl he had also thought of starting a relationship with. Her name was Ailen Vazquez. The young lady was from the only family in their town that used to live outside of Europe. They lived in a South American country called Argentina, and they still spoke the native language Mapudungun in their home. She wasn't valedictorian, but she was not a slow learner. Though her grading marks were decent, her real talent was in football. Whenever he was out getting groceries, he would pass by the grassy field and see her running around and kicking goals. Even during the winter time, she could be seen doing the same drills with the official ball with its white hexagons and black pentagons. The only thing that changed was her wardrobe, which had more layers and longer lengths during the colder months. The Vazquez daughter's skin was olive color, but tended to get darker during the summer time. There were no imperfections in Ailen's skin, no teenage acne or scarring. Her eyes when she was bored or not focusing her attention on anything, was a hazel color, but when she was playing football or paying attention in class, her eyes were an electric, almost neon green. Her hair was naturally a light brown, just a shade darker than her skin. In bright sunlight, it even appeared blonde to Ivan at times. She had an athlete's body, toned but still shapely. Her shoulders were broad and model-esque, making her torso even thinner than it already was. Even though she had a more boyish figure, Ailen looked beautiful in her skirts and ruffled tops. The young woman looked good in everything she put on her body, for her lack of curves was a blank canvas for all things that she laid on her body. Ailen would have been a nice person to go out with, but Ivan believed that Edward was interested in dating her. Although Ivan wasn't nice to Edward at times, he didn't think it was right to approach a woman he knew his friend liked.
Ivan sighed. The only two other girls he had even thought of going out with other than Clarice Littleton and Ailen Vazquez were Bozka Rybar and Brana Polievka. They were cousins, but people wouldn't believe that at first glance. Bozka was a tall girl with short blonde hair in tight curls. She was five feet, eleven inches tall, and was almost as tall as Ivan when she wore high heels. Most of her height was in her long legs, for she had a short torso. It wasn't until this year that the pretty and friendly young woman had gotten used to her long limbs. In earlier school years, she was known to be a klutz. Thankfully unlike Clarice, Rybar wasn't a delicate flower. She played tennis, a sport that supports the fact that she was statuesque and well proportioned. She was also the only person that Ivan knew to have actual gray eyes, which were so light that they almost blended with her pale skin. Because Bozka's eyes didn't stand out, her soft, pale lips were the most attention grabbing part of her face. Her lips were full and completely smooth, which made many boys in school dream of kissing them. But Rybar's cousin that was of the same age had a different image.
The other girl was just as tall, but Brana had long and straight hair. The pitch black strands went down to her knees, but unlike many with that long of hair, her hair wasn't as dry as straw. Nor did she feel the need to put all of the think hair into a simple ponytail. Brana let it grace her backside, letting sway gently with the passing wind. Her long hair didn't frame her face like her relative's, but her face didn't need to be enhanced by it. Her face was not as full as some of the other teenage girls, for it was more heart shaped. Though her cheekbones were not as noticeable as one would think they should be Ivan thought it was better that way because it made her appear more youthful than the other option. Her eyes were cornflower blue. They were such a bright color, and with her skin that was even paler than her cousin's and her nude colored lips, everyone understood that her beauty lay in her eyes. Her pale features were attributed to the fact that she didn't play sports. She was certainly fit enough to play any sport, for her petite body allowed her the potential to be swift and well balanced. Brana would probably have been just as successful at tennis as her cousin was. But the young woman was an aspiring singer. Her voice had a vast range of five octaves and it was hard to not listen to her singing. It wasn't that Brava's voice was always on pitch and was brilliant, but the fact that she poured out such pent up emotion into it. All the frustration, happiness, and depression that she bottled in her heart, were released in her voice.
"Yet, I don't have enough interest in any of them to approach them. Either that or I was afraid that Natalya would threaten their life. Hahaha..." Ivan sighed. He yawned. The teen's eyes were drooping and he entered Alf's bed again, this time he was able to enter a deep slumber...
"Wake up!" An angry voice shouted at him. Then Ivan heard a low growl was heard against his left hear. Ivan opened his eyes and saw it was the largest of Art's wolves. The young man shot up and looked to see that Alf's father was also glaring down at him.
"The sun is up, which means its time to awaken." The older blonde said. Ivan nodded and rushed out bed. He glanced quickly all around him to see that Alf had indeed woken up before him. The only ones that were still sleeping were Mei and Petra. The teenager returned his attention to Art, waiting for him to say something else.
"Hm... sometimes I think I should have let the wolves have their fun with you." It was all Art said before walking away.
Ivan stood there for several minutes, not understand what had just happened. Why was the elder man acting harsh towards him? He slowly shrugged it off enough to walk outside and join the others. The young Russian saw Alf and Hew sharpening the tips of long pieces of wood, making a spear or javelin of some sorts. Hew was the first to notice that Ivan was coming towards him and waved. Alf looked up from his work to also see Ivan and called out in his booming voice "Over here buddy!"
The taller teen quickly joined them and watched them continue their work as they talked.
"Man, my father sounded angry when he woke you up." Alf commented.
"Yes, he was."
"Do you know why man?"
"Alf, I think I might know why." Hew spoke up. Both boys turned their attention to the older twin.
"Why is dad angry at Ivan?"
"Dad found out that you guys had a fight. I think he's angry at Ivan for disrespecting his son." Both of the twins sighed. They were used to the over protectiveness of their father, but sometimes he followed that parental instinct in an irrational manner. To their surprise, Ivan started giggling.
"What's so funny? My father's pissed at you Ivan." Alf asked, very confused by the Russian's actions.
"It is not that. I was laughing because your reaction to your father's behavior was very innocent."
"In what way?" Hew asked, his voice much quieter now.
"Both of you look at it as him being irrational or cruel. But he is none of those things. He loves you both very much. Now that he's experienced the loss of your mother, your father knows how painful it is to have to let go to something you love. The man just doesn't want to feel the same pain he felt when he lost his wife with his children. Some day you might decide if you are unhappy here and now that you two are strong enough to leave this place, you might leave him just as your mother did. It is with that reason that he is so mad at me. I am causing one of his sons to be unhappy, and this could lead to the potential situation of you leaving. Plus the fact that Alf is the one that he wants to make into the future chief when he is too old to do so, makes it even more frightening. Now he is not only thinking of his sorrow, but the feelings of everyone else in the group."
Hew nodded, unable to respond with words. Alf however, seemed mind with gushing out whatever he thought.
"Wow... how did, um... how can you understand my father's thoughts so easily? Wait, do you have a kid?"
"No! I do not have a child yet. But I have lost someone I loved..." Ivan said, his voice slowly dialing to a whisper. It made him depressed when he thought of Katyusha. The twins nodded, remember the argument between Ivan and Alf.
"Yeah, I think it's even worse when you're forced to leave your family and you're still alive to tell the tale. Ask Luwd over there," Alf pointed out. The large man was next to a large cluster of long, sharpened, wooden rods. He was practicing throwing them a great distance, in order to improve his hunting skills.
"He used to be a part of Fulavi, until he was banished." Hew said.
"Why was he banished?" Ivan was shocked. Luwd and Ivan never had a long conversation, but the man didn't treat Ivan badly.
"He was having a relationship with the chief's son, Feliciano. Feliciano was going to be the one the old leader, Roder, was going to let lead the tribe when he gets old. When he found out about their feelings for each other and their secret meetings, Luwd got banished. Now he has to live with us, away from the closest thing he had to a brother and the love of his life. Quite tragic really." Alf explained.
"I feel bad talking about him when he isn't here." Hew said.
"I'm sure he doesn't care. It's not like he hasn't told us the story a couple of times." Alf suggested. Ivan did feel terrible about speaking about the other man's past, but he still had a question looming in his mind after the tale.
"Who is his brother?"
"Oh, that, no, Luwd doesn't have any brother. At least, he thinks he doesn't. You see, a woman from that town of yours about twenty years ago had an affair with a married man and was forced to leave. After she gave birth to Luwd outside, she found Gilt, the albino dude from the Fulavi tribe. The woman asked him to take care of the child for her and she's never been seen since than. Gilt raised Luwd more like a brother than a son, which is why they're so close. Too bad about Roder finding out about Luwd, but it's kind of a win for us. He's a cool guy and really strong."
"I see..." Ivan said. The twins continued their work in silence. Ivan slowly started thinking about his family while they worked.
The pale blonde felt a faint feeling in his chest. The Russian didn't understand why he didn't miss his family and friends more. Was it because he hadn't been gone for long?
He started to think about his life and how it was progressing. His childhood was definitely better once he had been adopted by the Braginskis. There was one winter when Ivan was eight years old, were instead of snow it rained. Unfortunately for most of the people in the town, the rain froze the next day. The roads, walking paths, windows, and roofs were coated with thick, slippery ice. Even horses that pulled wagons had lost their footing once of twice, causing whatever they were carrying to topple and crash. The troubles didn't end their. Roofs that couldn't handle the weight of the ice caved in; thankfully no one had died from incidents such as those. The hospital was full of people who had tripped and broken a limb against the hard solid.
Ivan remembers his father's business tripling that year. So much work to do that the old man had to bring his young son with him for help. The Russian didn't mind, he liked spending time with his father. He always liked to stare at the man's eyes when the other wasn't looking. The older man with his sapphire eyes that had a wisdom that Ivan wished he had in his.
They walked very slowly those days. Ivan's father didn't want the other boy to fall and hurt himself. But once they had gotten to someone's home, the two would immediately inspect the damage. The day that Ivan remembered the most was when his father was working on Edward and Raivis' house. He could still see the two children cowering in fear. But he also could recall that he didn't do anything to the two. He remembered getting up on the roof first so that his father could hold the ladder for him. Ivan could still remember his fear of climbing the slippery ladder. Its wood had a slight sheet of frost on each step, and the railings were thick poles to Ivan then that he couldn't grip. It was only after two more steps that he could almost feel his heart jumping out of his body and he turned to his father that he wanted to get down.
"Come on son! You're so close. I need you my boy."
"But I'm scared!"
"Scary things only make you stronger. Come on Ivan, I know you can do it!"
The little boy looked up, took a deep breath, and took the last two steps up the ladder. Soon he sat on the part of the roof that hadn't fallen on the house.
"You did it Ivan!" his father yelled.
"I did! I did!" He shouted...
"What are you thinking about?" It was Petra's voice.
"Petra, don't disturb him. If he wishes to tell you, he will." Hew said before continuing sharpening the sticks.
"No, it is alright Hew. I was just thinking of my father." Ivan answered.
"Oh, you just had a happy look to your face. I certainly wouldn't smile like that thinking about my dad."
"Petra! Don't say such things!" Luwd yelled. The young boy jumped, not expecting Luwd to be able to hear him. The older man stopped his exercises and walked over to Petra's side.
"You may think such things, but when you experience time away from your father, you will feel happy to think of him." Luwd said his voice softer now than before. The boy though, was immature and stuck his tongue out.
"Nu uh!"
"Hahaha, I don't think I would either Pet!" Alf laughed.
"Don't call me pet! I'm not a pet, I'm your brother!"
"I don't know sometimes. You hang out with those wolves as much as dad does." Alf was right. It was quite amusing seeing the child get flustered. His face resembled a giant tomato, and his eyebrows seemed to have a life of their own. They wiggled in a wave pattern, making it look like they were centipedes crawling in place.
"Oh my god, that's so hilarious!" Alf shouted, poking one of his little brother's eyebrows. Hew tried to stop the other from bothering the youngest child, but Petra was still fuming with rage. It kept going on until everyone heard a loud "Stop it!" It was from Alf's father Art. Art sauntered over to our little gathering, his face looking calm. When Ivan looked at the reactions of my companions however, he could tell that it wasn't a good sign. Art looked straight at the Russian, glaring at him just as he did when he woke up.
"Did you cause this?"
"No father, he didn't. Ivan wouldn't pick on Petra. You know that I'm the one who always does that." Alf responded quickly. Art looked into his son's eyes, seeing that he was telling the truth and walked away. Everyone sighed, knowing that Ivan was going to face more of the elder man's wrath later.
For over a week, Ivan had suffered Art's anger. The Russian giggled a little, for he was almost used to the wolves in his face. It was another routine.
Ivan was awakened by the sound of the wolf pack growling and barking into his ear. The dogs with their sharp canines just centimeters away from his face. He could feel that phantom touch of the curved teeth. Maybe they were touching some thin body hair that coated his neck, but it still tickled Ivan when he was getting up. Sometimes when they barked, a sliver of saliva from each of them would splatter on his collar bone. Ivan didn't mind, he even found it cute because it reminded him of dogs who would get their master wet trying to wake them up. In his mind, Ivan affectionately called them his little alarm clocks.
Once up, he would trek through the snow, which was getting thicker with each passing day he stayed, to the twins. Instead of watching them work, today was a bit unusual.
"Hey Ivan, good to see you up. Want to help me go hunting?" Alf asked.
"Um, sure if you do not think I will get in your way. My ankle is still a little uncomfortable."
"Well that's okay big guy. I just need someone to observe just in case I hurt myself. Come on!" Alf said with a commanding voice. Ivan smiled softly and nodded. The shorter man beamed his own bright smile and eagerly grabbed his spear and sling. It was amazing to see the other boy so excited about such a task, but it didn't really surprise the Russian teen.
"Hew, do you want to join us?" Alf asked his twin. Hew shook his head.
"No, I am not in the mood for it. I'm just going to go bath in the river."
"With who Hew?" Alf asked, wiggling his eyebrows in a suggestive manner. The older twin blushed and mumbled something about Alf knowing that he wasn't interested in anyone.
Hew said his goodbyes and walked down the trail that led to the river. Stripping himself of the deer skin, the blonde was completely exposed to nature. Hew sighed blissfully. He was not as comfortable with his body as Alf was with his, but the older twin still enjoyed being naked in the outdoors. It made the other feel closer to environment around him. The wind playfully dancing around the curvature of his chest and abs, the leaves flying by grazing his thighs, and the smell of the trees and shrubs perfuming the air made the young man wonder for a moment why he wore those clothes.
Hew hopped into the river. The water felt warm and delightful against his skin.
"Ah, I could stay here forever..." The young man sighed to himself. Hew dunked his whole head under the rushing waters, and emerged quickly. Though he regretted that as soon as he opened his eyes. Violet eyes met eyes that were a mix of amber and green. The stranger's hair was spiked, revealing his oval face and the faint scar above his right eyebrow. Thin lips curled in a deep frown didn't comfort Hew; neither did the bulging muscles on his arms and bare abdomen. The young teen flinched in fear.
"Who are you-"
"Bastard child of Art, you will take us to your home." The older man commanded. Hew looked behind the other to see another man. The man a few feet away from them looked significantly younger than the other and was probably no older than thirty. He had lavender eyes that were similar to Hew's, but his hair was straight and the same shade as his twin's. His body was slim, but not in a sickly way. His body was trim and didn't seem to have any body fat at all. The young boy almost quivered. Two fit males that were in perfect conditioning and they were hostile, which meant that Hew was going to not like the outcome.
"Neth, don't be so nice to the kid. Get him to squeal and kill him."
"Shut it Bourg, you're still the child in comparison to me. I will handle this vile thing." Hew's shoulders were grabbed and the boy was thrown against a tree. Hew coughed and gripped his stomach from the pain. He could see the small drops of blood that spewed out of his throat. The young boy glanced up to see the man who was identified as Neth above him.
"Where is your father Art?" Neth growled.
"Who are you? Why do you want to know where my father is?" Hew gasped.
"Why do we want to know where your father is? Simple, you're living proof that we should kill that asshole." Bourg said.
"Kill my father?"
"Yes, because the woman that was forced to be your mother was our sister. Your father took her against her will and forced her to bear you and any other siblings you might have."
"How can you tell I'm your sister's son-"
"Because you look almost just like her, but you have the same eyes as my brother Bourg. You are no doubt Bell's son." Neth assured. Hew twitched at the sound of his mother's name and both men without any hesitation knew that this was Bell's bastard child.
"Tell us where you live, and we'll spare your life."
"No! You just told me you were going to kill my father! I won't let you do that!" Hew growled, he lunged for the older man but Neth dodged it easily. Neth elbowed the teenager on the shoulder blade, making the young man cry out in pain. Bourg laughed at the boy and said "I guess more than one person is dying today. No matter, we'll find your father. Wherever there are wolves, your beast of a father will be with them too."
After that, Neth gave a hard kick to Hew's ribs. Hew winced and grasped at his chest. A dark bruise was already forming and the wavy haired boy thought he was going to die. More blows were delivered to Hew's body. His thighs, calves, and his abdomen which held all his organs all suffered. Every hit he took, he could feel the pain intensify. Hew tried to get up several times but the swift strikes of the older man kept coming. Why didn't he pass out from this tremendous pain? Why didn't he die? Hew begged for his body to let him lose consciousness, but sadly no such miracle came. It was only when he no longer twitched from receiving blows to his body did Neth stop.
"Finish him; he seems like a useless thing anyways." Bourg encouraged.
"No, I don't want to kill him. I want to kill Art." Neth said. Bourg shrugged and the two brothers walked away. As they walked, the made sure that they were hidden by the surrounding plant life. They didn't have to travel far before seeing other people performing miscellaneous tasks outside the cave. There was a large, blonde man that was sparring with another man of Asian descent, yelling at the dark haired man to be more aggressive. A woman of Asian descent was helping a large, pale blonde man weave baskets. The large blonde man was familiar to the two men. Su used to be the considered the strongest man until Art beat him. Ever since the shorter man accomplished this, Su had been by his side to serve him. They knew they found the right tribe. Both sets of eyes shifted until they locked onto Art, who was scolding Petra about something. They almost gagged. This child was probably their sister's as well, even though the boy looked almost exactly like Art.
The brothers came out of their hiding place, Neth whistling loudly to draw everyone's attention. All of their eyes turned. The older men gasped, except for Art who just sat calmly with his youngest son.
"Father, who are-"
"Petra, I want you to know that Su is in charge if I cannot lead the pack." The little boy was confused, thinking his father was talking about the wolves.
"Dad, what's going on?"
"We have some ghosts from the past. Those two are your mom's brothers, Neth and Bourg." Art confessed.
"Is that a bad thing? They're my uncles, family, they can't be that terrible." Petra said. Art shook his head.
"Don't worry about me, and whatever happens, do not interfere son." Petra winced when his father kissed his forehead and held him tight. "I love you very much Petra. You can never comprehend just how vast it is." The young boy flinched, although he was young, Petra knew that his father was talking as if he were going to die soon. Art pulled away from his son and slowly walked towards Neth and Bourg.
"Haven't seen you two in a while, what took you so long?" Art called out to them.
"Cowards like you can run faster than us. Where is our sister?" Bourg asked. The thick eyebrows on Art's face seemed to grow darker in color at the mention of his wife, and he said in a low voice "She is gone." Both of Bell's brothers couldn't hear and both yelled of the other man to tell them where she is.
"She's gone... she died from child birth with my youngest son, Petra over there." Art said, pointing at his son that was a few feet away. The wolf pack near by started growling, showcasing their sharp canines at the strangers. Neth hissed and they started to cower. The gray creatures then were rushing towards Art, seeking comfort in their leader's presence, and bumping their cold noses against Art's hands. The thick eyebrowed man stroked the length of their noses, trying to fool them into thinking everything would be okay. The animals didn't seem to by it and whined for him to leave.
"I'm sorry old friends, but I have to do this."
"No, you don't have to go through with this Art." Su said, his voice dripping with concern.
"Yes, I must do this. What I did was wrong and I knew the consequences of such actions-"
"But Bell grew to love you Art. It's no longer a crime." Tino tried to reason.
"No, it was a crime when I kidnapped her and took her from her family. It was a crime when she begged for me to bring her back. Love cannot erase the fact that what I did was wrong." Art turned to Su. "If I am harmed, please take care of the tribe until Alf is ready. Will you do that for me old friend?" Su bowed his head and nodded, not wanting anyone to see the tears in his eyes. Tino held Su, trying to ease him of what was to come.
The two brothers and Art came close, each pulling out a small knife. Art glared at both of them and charged first, going after the older man. Neth dodged and Bourg took this as an opportunity to take his own charge toward Art. The thick eyebrowed man sliced his dagger up; colliding with Bourg's and making it fly into the air. Art's then jump kicked the young man in the face, making him land on his back groaning in pain. He caught the knife and tried to attack Neth again. The clashing sound of the curved weapons made the tension in the air thick. Kiku couldn't hold back any longer and drew his weapon out, but Luwd stopped him. The Asian man stared at the large man, begging him to let him save his friend but Luwd wouldn't let him. The dark haired man glanced at the others with the same plead, but they all had their heads down except for Petra. They all knew that they must respect Art's wants. This was Art's fight and they must accept whatever happens.
Bourg got up, rubbing the tender cheek that was struck. He searched for his knife but then saw it was in Art's right hand. The pale blonde got up and went back to attacking anyways. Even though he didn't have a cutting instrument, that didn't mean that he wasn't dangerous. If it were any normal person, they would have gotten dizzy from defending against the assaults of two people, but Art was not normal. His keen eye sight helped him track the swift movements of his opponents, allowing him to be both on the offense and defense. Neth's hot breath was white against the cold hair, his muscles tensing from the energy he needed to try to kill this man. Bourg saw this and tried to distract Art by talking about the oldest son they had seen earlier.
"You better beat us quick old man, your loser son with my eyes is waiting for you to carry his pathetic form home."
"What have you done to my son you bastard?" Art yelled, slicing with even more fury. In his rage, there was a weak spot and Neth was able to get a quick punch with his free hand. Art winced but retaliated. His knife slashed into Neth's arm, causing a deep laceration. All three of them continued delivering blows, no one wanting to give up their goal. For the brothers, their goal was killing the man that took their sister, but for Art, it was to live through this battle.
But sadly, the brothers won.
Neth stabbed his weapon into Art's abdomen. The shorter man gasped, clutching his wounded area and dropping both weapons. Bourg plucked them before they hit the ground and helped his brother murder him. Art only winced, never crying out in pain. Petra cried and ran toward them, pulling against Neth's arm and pleading with him to not hurt his father. Neth felt pity for the boy and only let Bourg stab Art twice before ordering him to stop. When the younger and revenge hungry brother didn't stop, Neth slapped him across the face so hard that he plummeted into the snow. Bourg nodded and left Art alone, backing away a couple of steps.
"This means goodbye Art."
"Yeah... I know..." Those were Art's last words as his eyes grew dull and death enveloped him.
End of Chapter 4
AH! O_O England... please forgive me!
I don't know if anyone actually wants to review, but if you don't I don't blame you.