*2 Years Later*
Kai and Tala had worked hard together, rising from the lowly ranks of retriever to being an actual part of the infantry unit that had been established. Over the years Kai had come to accept the death of his mother and the fact that until the war was over, no one would be free. His father became more distant, which he didn't mind. Even though he had come to terms with his mother's death, he still couldn't forgive his father for abandoning them.
Bryan had become higher in his ranking as well; he had become one of Voltaire's personal bodyguards. Tyson had decided to take a back seat and become one of the post guards that stood watch over one of the entrances to the kingdom. Max stayed in his position as a cook, due to his lack of muscle and his fear of fighting.
Kai and Tala had been assigned to gather some supplies from a village to the north, it was a several days trip and they took their best men and women. When they had reached the village, they decided to take a short break inside one of the pubs before the journey back.
The village had been left alone by most of the war, it housed Demons and humans alike comfortably. It was almost a refuge to those who didn't want to fight in the war. They supplied mainly the Demons, but they also did business with the kingdom of Varleeanne. It was a village neither Voltaire nor Brooklyn could control, so they shared their goods.
It was a cold night as Kai and his unit prepared to leave the village with their carts full of goods ranging from food, to clothing and weapons. As they sat and drank some rum all seemed well and quiet; until one of their men came crashing inside the bar dragging a woman inside with him. Everyone became quiet at the sudden outburst, Kai stood from the table he had been at and approached the other man who had brought the woman inside.
"I caught this wrench stealing from our main cart. What do you want to do with her?" He asked as the woman slumped over.
Her skin was dirty, as if she hadn't taken a bath in months; her hair was light-pink and a tangled mess even in its short bob fashion. She glimpsed up through her bangs, her eyes almost a deep ruby and they seemed to mesmerize Kai for a second. Her clothes were rags and barely fit her properly. As he looked down at her he felt a small bit of remorse for her.
"I'll take care of it." He said and held his hand out. As they exchanged the woman's arm to the other Tala stood up.
"Why not let him deal with this, come back and enjoy your drink before we leave?"
"I will take care of this; now go back to what you were doing." Kai's voice left little room for him to argue. He jerked on the woman's arm leading her out of the bar and into the woods.
He released her arm and she stumbled and fell on her hands and knees with her back to Kai. She just stayed there, unsure of what to do or what to expect. Without a word and a few tensed filled moments of silence, a basket of fruit was thrown down in front of her.
She looked up at Kai who had started to walk away. "That's it?" She asked. Her voice was shaking and hoarse, as if she hadn't spoken in a long time.
"Did you want me to kill you?" Kai looked back, even though the darkness and the tangled mess of the hair in her face he saw her eyes gleaming. "I'm not going to, so just take your food and go." He shook his head and continued to walk back to the bar.
"Then… take me as a prisoner."
Kai stopped where he stood. "I'm sorry…?" It took him a moment to gather what she was asking.
"Please, I don't belong here. Being a prisoner is better than living like I do. Please?" She begged. She hadn't gotten up from the ground and she tried to move her bangs out of her face, but failed to as she smeared mud across it.
"I don't take prisoners. Just take what I gave you and go back to where you came from." He went to leave again but she lunged out and grabbed his ankle.
"Then not as a prisoner, I beg you sir. I need to get out of this village. It's not safe here for me. I'll do anything you ask." She begged as she kept a firm grasp on his boot.
"Get up." He reached down and helped her stand out of the dirt and mud. "Look, I can't help you. The leader of my kingdom obviously doesn't like humans, bringing you in would only kill you."
"That's perfect! Please, I don't belong here, I can't belong here. I'm not asking you to protect me when we get where you're going, anywhere is better than this hell hole I've been in all my life."
"Why do you want to leave this place?" He asked as he looked her over, it was obvious she was homeless and not cared for by the village, but there had to be a reason.
"My eyes… They frighten people. As if they were a sign of the devil or something, I'm not welcomed here because of them. Even though they will support the Demons and Varleeanne in this war, they cannot bring themselves to help me. I've done nothing wrong but enter this world."
Kai sighed and looked around as if looking for a way out. He shook his head and placed a hand on her shoulder, "Alright. I'll take you in as a prisoner. I'll work out a plea for you with our leaders." With that the woman smiled and picked up the basket of fruit that Kai had thrown down for her earlier.
"Thank you, thank you so much sir." She smiled and carried the basket back to the cart Kai had taken it from. She followed him back to the bar where Tala and their men stood outside.
Tala looked over Kai's shoulder at the woman and questions immediately filled his eyes as they locked with Kai's. He held a hand up quieting him before he was able to say anything. No one spoke or questioned the decision to take the woman with them. They knew it would be a long journey, so they figured it'd be best not to say anything.
They came to a very small clearing in the woods they had traveled through and stopped to camp.
"What can I do?" She asked coming up to Kai who was barking out orders for the others to do.
"Um... well... Tala, take… um… what's your name?" He looked to the woman and realized they had not given each other's names.
"Mathilda sir," She smiled; her matted and tangled hair still in her face. "Alright, have Tala take you to get yourself cleaned up, alright? You can do that, right?" He asked as Tala came over.
"Of course, thank you." Mathilda bowed her head slightly.
"Take these." He tossed her a bundle of clothing to change into from one of the supply carts.
"Thank you, sir." She smiled as she clutched to the clothes as if her life depended on it and began to follow Tala.
"It's Kai…" He called out, causing Mathilda to stop and turn around and smile, "its Kai… My name…" She smiled brighter and nodded.
"It's nice to meet you, Kai." With that, she turned back around and followed Tala further into the woods where they came to a small pond.
As Mathilda began to undress, Tala found a branch to lie upon in a tree nearby.
"It won't work you know." He called down from his resting place as Mathilda combed through her now wet and clean hair with her clean fingers.
"I'm sorry?" She tugged at a knot as she looked up at Tala in the tree.
"You coming into the kingdom as his slave, it won't work. His grandfather will kill you on the spot." Tala chuckled as he picked at his nails.
"That's fine with me. Anywhere was better than where I was." Mathilda said as she finished unknotting her hair, and began scrubbing the mud and dirt off her skin and out of her finger nails.
"You don't understand." Tala jumped down from the tree, "He's not just going to kill you. He'll torture you, relentlessly, before allowing you to enjoy a small piece of humanity. Before killing you with the worst kind of poison known to man."
"And that's alright. I'm happy with the path I've chosen. Why would you even care what happens to me anyways?" Mathilda asked as she came out of the water and began to dry herself off.
Tala crossed his arms and bit his bottom lip, "I don't, I was just giving you time to run away before we got there…"
"Oh… He is cute, isn't he?" Mathilda smiled leaning over and nudged Tala on the shoulder.
"Excuse me!?" Tala burst out, his face becoming as red as his hair from embarrassment.
"Your leader, Kai… He's cute. I get it, but trust me; I'm in no position to be in love now." She said as she pulled the white dress Kai gave her to change into over her head, slipping the matching gloves on both hands and fixing the belt over her hips.
"Well I'm not in love with him… We are partners, nothing more. To be in love with someone that close to you isn't good." Tala snorted as he shifted where he stood, waiting for Mathilda to finish tying the wraps around her legs.
"Yeah, yeah… I know love when I see it." Mathilda giggled as she walked past Tala, who had nothing to say back.
"You… what?! You mean to tell me that you wish to bring this human into our world? Because she begged you, is that it? You don't expect me to kill her? Because that is exactly what I will do." Voltaire paced back and forth in front of Kai, who swallowed the lump in his throat.
Upon the throne behind his hysterical grandfather was Boris, the dethroned king of Varleeanne. Who sat there almost brooding over what was going on, not saying a word; his eyes were locked on Kai and it was as if they were the reason he couldn't move.
He wanted to speak, but feared it wouldn't matter what he said at this point, he knew it was going to be a losing battle no matter which way he put it to his grandfather. Just when all hope seemed to leave the room his father came in through the wooden doors of the iron palace.
"What? What are you doing?!" Voltaire screeched as his hateful eyes turned to his son.
"The girl is not of our concern now; there is a massive line of knights coming towards the west entrance. We need reinforcements now on that side before it's taken over and they infiltrate the kingdom." Kane said as he walked up and stood by his youngest son.
"Um... Well of course… Go, go now!" Voltaire shooed the two of them, but Kai couldn't move just yet.
"What about the girl?" He questioned.
"Yes, yes go!" Voltaire seemed like he didn't even hear his own words, and with that Kai followed his father out of the palace towards the west entrance of the underground kingdom.
As they reached the top of the stairs that led to the outside, they met up with the others that had been called to that side of the kingdom. A very large Demon with brown ears upon his head was spitting out orders as they joined the group.
"Don't think because you saved Mathilda, I'll even begin to forgive you." Kai whispered to his father before they moved out into the woods.
Kai quickly ran to the front of the massive army of men and women that had come to defend the west side. Some climbed up the trees to take their places in case the proceeding army got through the front lines. Kai kept pushing forward though, he came to the very edge of the woods where he stood below a small hill that rolled down into the woods. Only four others stood beside him as the sounds of the horses and the human's armor clanged and clashed.
Kai's heart beat in his chest faster and faster, waiting to see the tip of the king's flags appears over the hill. One of the Demons who had come to stand beside him retreated into the woods on all fours. Within that second a flash of brown passed Kai's face by an inch and the arrow embedded in the back of the one who had started to run back into the coverings of the woods. One of the others went to check on him, but before he could even get close a rain of arrows poured down from atop the hill.
Kai quickly turned back and grabbed both men who got shot. He ran back into the covering of the woods, followed by the other two who had been lucky enough to not be shot. Kai carried the two to the middle where two medics were waiting, and they took over.
Kai ran off to find his brothers; he met up with Max who was up in a tree hugging the branch as if he were going to fall.
"I can see them Kai, there's more of them than us. We'll need more men, or they'll break through." Max called down to his younger brother, his voice pitched with fear.
"Where are Tyson and Bryan?" Kai called up, knowing that Tyson was in charge of protecting the other side, while Bryan would probably be down inside the palace ready to protect their grandfather.
"They were here, but I don't know where." With the loud screams of the men and women snapping Kai and Max's attention from each other, Kai watched almost horrifically as a searing heat wafted towards him. The knights stopped at the woods entrance and set fire to the trees and grass.
The birds that had found refuge in those trees flew away with haste, as did any other animal that was chased away by the flames of the massive fire the knights had created. While a wall of flames blocked anyone from crossing over, the knight's arrows shot through the wall of fire with ease; hitting blindly around at anyone who was unlucky enough to be there.
"We have to go back!" Kai yelled out over the screams as Demons ran past him, while others stood frightened in place not sure what to do. The smoke from the fire began rolling in making it harder to see.
"Where are you Kai?" Max called out as he held his arm where an arrow had pierced him, he fell from the tree; luckily Kane caught him in time before his body hit the ground.
"Tyson and his squad are coming this way to help. The fire won't affect our homes underground, but without the protection of the woods it'll be easier for them to find the way inside. Stop them at all costs." Kane ordered before he took his wounded son back down into the underground.
Kai understood what he had to do, but he needed to get past the wall of fire to be able to do anything. As soon as Tyson and Bryan appeared with two fresh squads, they changed into their Demon phase and without much thought burst through the wall of fire. Almost every Demon knocked down a knight, their claws barely scratching through the armor.
While one squad fought against the knights, another took buckets of water to calm the fire, which was much harder than anticipated. The knight Kai had pinned to the ground screamed, trying to grasp his sword from its sheath as Kai used his teeth to tear through the armor that was supposed to protect him.
The knights that could get away did so, leaving the wounded and dying behind to fight for their own lives as even more Demons were able to come to aid their comrades. The fires were dying down from their hungry overtake of the woods, as more came to help put it out, Mathilda being one of them. As she worked on pouring buckets upon buckets of water on the fire, she looked for Kai.
Kai bounded off the knight he tore to shreds of human flesh, to take down some of the stragglers leaving off on their horses as quickly as possible. He grabbed one by the leg and ripped him off the saddle, causing the horse to rear up and take off in a panic. As Kai went about tearing apart the man he caught he kept his back open, with no help for him nearby because he had taken off towards the front of the lines.
Another knight who had gone to take off and saw his comrade underneath Kai's wolf form stopped. Drawing out his sword, he quietly went over to kill Kai, afraid that if he made much noise the Demon would stop focusing on what he had at hand and turn to kill him as well.
Mathilda had to refocus on taking out the fire. As soon as she was done she looked out and saw Kai, the knight closed the distance between himself and the Demon. Before she even knew what she was doing Mathilda took off towards Kai, calling out his name, trying to get his attention. Just before the knight swung his sword down to meet Kai's neck, Mathilda's words reached his ears. He snapped back and turned on the knight, knocking him down, tearing into his armor like he had done with the other two.
Mathilda stopped running towards him and waited as he finished. He slowly stood from the two bodies he ripped and massacred. He was weak and tired as he stumbled over to Mathilda, changing back into his human phase, slumping down into her arms as she caught him.
"Thank you." He panted and pulled out a small dagger from his side and dropped it on the ground, falling unconscious against her shoulder.
"Kai... Kai wake up!" Mathilda screamed.
"You're pretty handy, aren't you?" Kane chuckled as he looked down at his youngest son who had just started to wake up. His side had been stitched up and all the blood cleaned off him. Hanging over him was his father and his brothers and Mathilda who was putting away the basket of needles and thread.
"Not that handy." She chuckled as she put away the basket in the wardrobe that sat across the room from Kai's bed.
"You're lucky you didn't get killed. If it wasn't for Mathilda you wouldn't be here boy." Kane patted Kai on the back. "Maybe now Voltaire won't push the issue to kill you now." Kane smiled as he left the room, passing between her and Bryan.
"You definitely shouldn't stay here then. There's no way Voltaire will change his mind, not now not ever." Bryan looked to her and then to Kai who was situating himself on the edge of his bed.
"He could change his mind Bryan, what do you care what happens to her anyways? She has agreed to serve me, not you." Kai retorted as he stood up, his side coursing with pain.
"It's an innocent life you could be putting in danger!" Bryan looked to Mathilda, who in turn blushed and looked away smiling from him, pushing some strands of hair behind her ear.
"Will you stop yelling?! Mathilda, do you want to leave here?" Kai asked looking to her and noticed the red on her cheeks.
"Of course not, I said I'd be your maid and do anything you wanted. Even if it meant my death," She glanced at Bryan with a reassuring smile as she went back over to Kai's bed to fix the sheets that became ruffled from Kai moving.
"See, she's fine. Now go." Kai glowered at his eldest brother.
"I'll show you out." Mathilda chimed in and quickly went to the door. Kai watched as the two disappeared around the corner.
"I can help you, if you let me." Bryan kept his voice low, so Kai wouldn't hear them.
"It's alright, really. Oh, please take these to Max. Let him know if he needs anything to just ask." Mathilda grabbed some fruit off the dining room table and handed them over to Bryan, he went to take them, but instead just held her soft small hands.
"Really Mathilda… He can't always be trusted." Bryan said and gently took the fruit away from her, leaving without another word.
Mathilda just stood in the door way playing with her hair, her heart pounded within her chest as if it was going to jump right out. With a big smile plastered on her face she went about doing what needed to be done around the small two-bedroom house that belonged to Kai.
Kai stood in the shadows of the hall watching as Mathilda danced about dusting the tables and chairs, he had watched his brother's performance and for some reason it made him angry. It made him look at Mathilda in a different light than before, as she happily went about.
"Do you like him?" Kai stepped forward from out of the hallways entrance. Mathilda stopped and froze. "Um… no… it's just flattering. That's all." She smiled and went to walk when she bumped into the table beside her.
"It's alright; you can, as long as it doesn't interfere with how you do business in here and how you take care of the daily activities. But just so you know, he is an ass." Kai smirked as he walked out of his house.
"Where are you going?" She asked as she clutched the rag she had used to dust off the tables.
Without even turning around to look at her he answered. "To plea for your safety." Before she could respond he left. She smiled and went back to cleaning and getting dinner ready for them.
Voltaire lay over his throne's armrests as he picked off a grape from the bowl in his lap and popped it in his mouth. They were laughing and talking. Kai approached the two holding his side that was still causing him some pain. He held it down for his sake and stopped just before the throne where the other two were.
"What do you want?" Voltaire asked casually not even glancing up from what he was doing.
"About the girl, I just wanted to make sure she would be safe." Kai started.
Voltaire held his hand up to stop him. "Did I not make myself clear earlier? As long as you are around to protect her, she may stay. Once you are gone, for whatever reason, I cannot guarantee her safety from any other Demons who may have a problem with a human being here. You are putting her life at risk, so you can have a mommy take care of you. Is that really worth it?" Voltaire asked glancing at his youngest grandson. Boris even took the time to look over at him.
"She's not replacing my mother; she came here on her own accord, for her own reasons. I just wanted to make sure I had your final word about it. Thank you… Sir." Kai turned on his heel and went to leave when Voltaire called out to him.
"She does not have my protection, so if this is what you wish, then so be it. Don't let her stop you from doing what needs to be done though, or we will have a problem."
Kai nodded and proceeded to leave the palace. Just outside stood Tala, he too had been in the fight above, but he looked to be just fine compared to Kai.
"Are you doing alright? Is there anything I can do for you?" Tala asked as he followed behind him.
"Thanks, but I'm alright. Mathilda will take care of me if I need it. But I don't now, so no." Kai explained as he walked back towards his home.
"Oh, well if there's anything you need, please let me know." Tala called out as Kai kept walking away.
He held his hand up as if to tell him he understood and kept walking. Tala didn't know what to do, he just stood there waiting, as Kai finally was out of sight he moved and went back to his house with his head hung.
