Title; Fading
Disclaimer; Nope I don't own any of the Naruto characters.
Chapter - 7
Despite the fact that the cities Mages kept the Gods they drew their power from at arm's length there is still a rife religious community within Naru, the Goddess whom gave her name to the city being of course the most popular along with the Gods the scriptures held were her allies.
Though educated theory held that the Gods couldn't reclaim their gifts to the world the ministry maintained that the cities Holy rains only held their power because of the regular peoples devotion.
A church or an altar of some kind shape or form is present in all of the lower districts without exception and most of middle districts, they are obviously absent in the Higher districts where Gifted individuals are highly integrated into the community.
Lord Akame allows the temples continued existence for the moral it inspires in the lower castes, religiously devout peasants who believe there only salvation is in prayer and trusting their Goddesses chosen servants- however strained that relationship may be- are disinclined to revolution, some of his sympathetic followers also made claims that Lord Akame financially backed the temples to alleviate the hunger and poverty of those who lived in the Depths; the lower parts of the cities delightful little nickname.
I'd begun a tradition of sorts, a ritual I perform at least once a day where I do maintenance on my armour and sword rubbing each down with a cloth and checking for cracks or damage to the armour, then I apply a similar process to my mind organising my thoughts.
It had become increasingly important for me to organise my thoughts and keep focused, far too often I found my mind drifting into the past at inopportune times, I couldn't afford to be distracted tonight for even a moment.
Mostly my musings were confined to the past and my sister.
We'd grown up together doing odd jobs and living in a small chapel near the end of Hatake street- named for the Noble family it had fallen into disrepair and had been swallowed up by the lower castes under Sakumo Hatake's rule- it had been run by a maimed priest missing his left arm apparently from service in the Raiders, I couldn't remember his name now if I ever had known it only being able to recall referring to him as Father.
When I was about seven maybe eight the chapel was damaged, it's roof collapsing in on itself from years of resisting the rough rains without any repairs, we were forced to leave fortunately finding work with a minor noble family nearby; the Nara family, they had made their money in raising livestock in the western flatlands, as such their large house often felt cold and empty as most of the family lived on the flatland itself.
I spent most of my time running messages around the city becoming quite familiar with the districts lower levels and back alleys, my sister however spent most of the time in the house, the mistress of the house had recognised her intelligence and had given her basic lessons in reading, writing, arithmetic and even in etiquette, instead of my rain soaked rabbling through the streets on deliveries my sister penned the letters and performed other tasks I knew little of.
Several months after my thirteenth birthday the decision was made that I was now too expensive for the menial tasks I could perform, for two and a half years I worked odd jobs in no small part thanks to my sisters small lessons allowing me to bluff more ability than I really had, I lived in the old church on Hatake street, a small back room was still liveable only the debris of the collapsed roof made it almost impossible to get into except for a small gap I was thin enough to squeeze through.
It wasn't a great life but I was happy, my sister and I had one another and our wild dreams of a wealthy life if luck blew our way.
Then they came for her.
Apparently my sister possessed the Gift, the Holy Gift at that, she'd been taken to the castle in the night and I had only learned of her fate a week later after I'd finally annoyed the Nara family enough that they had told me, I'd went straight to the Castle insistent on seeing her.
I was turned away, apparently without any way to prove our relation the guards weren't too keen on allowing me in.
I tried to continue on despite feeling hurt at the lack of contact, of course when I heard some of the rumours about the Holy Gifted, that they were prisoners of the Templers of the Saints corps, that they weren't actually conjurers but instead sacrifices used to call the rains I reconsidered my stance.
The Raiders was my way into the castle, it took me another two months to scrap together enough money for forged papers under my false name; it was hard, I missed her, more than I could say and it was all that I could do sometimes to resist the urge to storm up through the castle in search of her.
I felt a warm hand press onto my shoulder gently breaking me from my thoughts, I looked back to see the Uchiha a low light from the campfire casting ominous shadows across his already grim features, break time was up it seemed.
"Let's go." He whispered quietly, I saw two or three other Raiders settle themselves around the fire as I rose with two others.
We had located a worn down, I suspected ancient, fortress; it had been surrounded by a mote with no visible bridge but fortunately the north western tower had collapsed into the water allowing us some makeshift crossing, we'd been carefully scouting the insides for maybe two hours now with no sign of life.
I followed the Uchiha through a tight corridor and down a flight of dusty dull grey steps, I'd drawn my weapon holding it in an awkward fashion for the tight quarters, the blade parallel to the floor I had the hilt just in front of my armpit with my left elbow cocked upward by my ear, I envied the Uchiha for his shorter weapon- held loosely in front of him a torch in his other hand.
All along the sides of the corridor were rusted iron cell bars, the light from the torch revealed old yellowed bones still shackled and bound to the floor by ancient chains, occasionally the Uchiha would stop to examine an iron bar.
"What're you doing?" I asked him after maybe the fourth or fifth stop, he paused in his examination taking a chance to brush his sweat soaked fringe back out of his eyes, he had for went his helmet.
"Checking the bars, they can probably be reused or repurposed…if we can get them out of the wall that is." He answered tapping the bar a couple of times with the hilt of his weapon, it shook slightly apparently loose in its fixture after it's years of standing.
We kept moving, creeping along the corridor slowly until finally we came into a more spacious room, not a hugely spacious room but enough to relieve my on setting claustrophobia, a rusted iron door lay just to the left of the entrance it's hinges broken, a mostly rotted wooden desk lay half collapsed in one corner.
I searched the drawers of the desk while Sasuke checked the two exits from the room quickly, one leading up and the other down, a ring of rusted keys worn down to nothing but scrap and a stack of yellow parchment were the entire contents of the desk.
"So you think they broke out?" I asked when the Uchiha reappeared, gesturing towards the broken down door.
"Probably not, none of the cells were open remember...what did you find?" he answered shaking his head, I waved the papers and gave a shrug, what was I supposed to say- some paper with pretty drawings I don't understand.
"It's records of the prisoners, loose ones, mostly just where the prisoner was caught and a number." Answered Sasuke after he'd looked at the sheets.
"Seems like a lot of prisoners doesn't it?" I mentioned as Sasuke led us toward the upward corridor, I was a little relieved that the older Raider hadn't suggested we split up to search both exits.
"Considering this place it isn't." returned Sasuke as we entered another room about the same as size as the last, a larger desk still intact stood before a luxurious looking chair- both were damaged but seemed useable, a testament to whatever crafts man had made it- two copper candle sticks and a tattered aged cloth were all that decorated the table top, two chests sat in each corner behind the desks.
"What do you mean?" I asked, a tapestry hung on the left wall had caught my attention, in the dead centre there was a sun that was not quite a sun, it was black and seemed to radiate darkness rather than light, the edges of the tapestry on the top where of a city and on the bottom a woodland or forest, in between both however the dark sun obscured almost everything in varying shadows- within those shadows there seemed something insidious almost writhing around within the blur.
"The Darkwraiths controlled this fortress, unless I'm mistaken." Answered the Uchiha approaching the tapestry himself with almost reverence, he lifted a hand toward it tentatively but thought better of at the last moment lowering his hand to his side, I noted that he had sheathed his blade at some point and decided to imitate his action.
"The Darkwraiths?" I asked turning to inspect the rest of the room as I tried to forget the disquieting feeling the tapestry had ignited.
"Wraiths of Darkness, followers of the dark God Abyss; what do you know about this lands history?" he asked in turn moving towards the left hand chest to continue his own inspection of the room.
"Nothing really, I know that the Hyuuga used to be a separate kingdom than Naru, and that it was Lord Akame's ancestor Lord Sano who cast the first holy spell that's why their family has ruled since then." I answered feeling a little self-conscious that my knowledge could be summed up so easily.
"Well apparently the Wraiths came before the Daemons, they were the Gods original measure against the Gifted turning rouge, each God and Goddess had their own order, Miasma's Wraiths of Death, Inferno's Wraiths of Flames, Hydras' Wraiths of Oceans, some even say Naru had an Order but that's not a popular theory." Sasuke spoke smoothly as he searched through the chest pulling an old leather bound book from what otherwise simply seemed like old clothing.
"How'd they stop the Gifted?" I asked opening the second chest, it contained an old suit of armour in surprisingly good condition considering it's likely age.
"It's said that the Gifted couldn't affect them due to their covenant with their God. They captured them and used special rings to draw the power out of the Gifted." He explained placing a leather pouch from the chest on the table, it spilled open revealing maybe a dozen rings within.
"Are you?" I asked giving him a look, it would seem fitting for him, to be descended from some ancient Order of warriors.
"No, or at least I don't think so." He answered quickly, a reflexive denial I guessed, after all Naru was ruled by the Gifted and I doubted these Wraiths were loved by all.
"And these are?" I asked, gesturing to the rings on the table, I reached out to pick one up but a look from the Uchiha stopped me.
"Only a wraith can touch them freely, or someone like them I suppose, they'll attack you're minor gift and your body. They were made to torture their victims before they steal their gift." Explained the 'someone like them' as he collected each of the rings deposited them into the pouch and slowly whilst maintaining eye contact he tied the pouch to his belt.
I raised an eyebrow at the action.
"I'd consider them my property all things considered as a spiritual successor of sorts to the Wraiths, we'd simply be ordered to throw them into a river or something otherwise." Sasuke explained, though it didn't answer the question of why he'd want such things…unless of course he wanted something to use against Gifted of Naru.
"What's in the book?" I asked to change the question, I wasn't about to argue with someone who had saved my life before, the Uchiha took his time opening the book and flipping through a couple of pages, until after seeing something he turned ghastly white and dropped the book.
"What's wrong." The older Raider had stumbled over to and half collapsed into the old chair, it groaned in protest but held his weight, trying to keep my hand steady I plucked the book from the ground and began to flick through its pages myself.
There was an introduction page that I couldn't decipher but it was the third page that threatened to take my breath away, the sketch was rough a long scally creature with small limbs all along it's body, a forked tongue stuck out from its lipless mouth, two small holes seemed to serve as its nose bellow it's slit like tiny eyes, a horizon line seemed to show that most of its body was beneath the ground.
A small figure I guessed to be a man stood close to the creature, it's head alone was as big as the man's upper body and head, it's body stretched out to maybe four times the man's height.
Above the sketch the letters WYRM were printed.
The next two pages were similar with one of writing and then a sketch, above this one was written BASILESK, it too had a man next to it but unlike the other it was even less detailed and completely shaded in grey, in contrast to the other creature it was slightly shorter than the man was tall, it also lacked the legs of the other creature, large fangs extended from its open mouth dripping some kind of liquid- which pooled in a puddle bellow, curiously smoke rose from the pool.
The next drawing I thought was the one that had messed with Sasuke, it had a man again in the fashion of the first drawing maybe half as tall as the creature but the beast was remarkably different than the others, it had two legs strong and muscular with long sharp claws, two bat-like wings extended from its back, it's head though was the strangest thing, whereas it's body was drawn with scales it's long neck and head had feathers and a strange beak like mouth- in fact it's head looked somewhat like an animal I had seen once, years ago when I'd run an errand to the Garden District, above the picture was written COCKATRICE.
Sasuke had regained some of his colour but remained seated, I noticed his right hand had strayed to his side and now gripped the handle of his blade.
"What is it?" I asked, instead of the question I really wanted to ask.
"A bestiary…of Dragons." Answered the Uchiha shaking his head slightly, I echoed the 'Dragons' recalling some of the stories I had heard from other Raiders about these apparent monstrosities.
"They don't exactly call them Dragons- they called them Divine Lizards and it seems they predated the Daemons, the Wyrm the World burrower, the Basilisk King of Serpents, and… the Cockatrice Death's Watcher." Explained Sasuke further taking the book from me and laying it onto the table he opened it onto the first picture page.
"It lives beneath the ground, sleeping until a Master Wraith calls on its aid against the most dangerous gifted, apparently they required at least twenty victims or they would also devour their callers, in particular it describes and warns of one known as Manda, it became greedy devouring the Wraiths regardless. Apparently a group managed to wound him and cut from him each of his legs…he was left abandoned unable to move anymore shackled to the Earth until a fugitive Gifted discovered him and made a pact with him." He explained every now and again pointing to parts of the text, he flipped the page to the Basilisk.
"Highly poisonous this Divine Serpent was the comrade of all Cardinal Wraiths accompanying them like a blade, it's poison could kill a man in seconds and burn through armour, to kill one would apparently incur the wrath of all serpents. There are also claims that it's gaze can kill people with a weaker spirit, though never a Wraith or a Gifted as a strong will is a prerequisite for the former and a product of the second." He seemed hesitant to flip to the third page, as interesting as the story was I decided to offer him a way out.
"So do you think these things actually existed?" I asked, certainly I was doubtful, they seemed like the kind of thing at least someone would have come arcoss before.
"They definitely exist, this one…the winged Cockatrice, unlike the Basilisk it claims that except for Wraiths anyone who meets it's gaze will be turned to stone in the sunlight, it however doesn't bow to the command of Wraiths only...the weasel." he flipped the page onto the last sketch I had looked at seemingly in a trance, the Cockatrice, a dark tone entered his voice as he practically growled 'weasel'.
"I've seen one before." He finished before shutting the book closed, we both stared at it myself slightly awkwardly and Sasuke almost heatedly.
"Are you going to take that too?" I asked a little wide eyed, this little leather bound book could contain so much information, honestly it further fuelled my annoyance at being unable to read.
"I'm not sure." he answered after a moment stroking the binding lightly, I supposed his earlier argument could be reused, I'm even sure that the Wraiths now all but extinct would consider a warrior like Sasuke their successor even if not a perfect one.
"You should…and teach me to read it." I blurted out, my bright blush thankfully blocked by my helmet.
"You want to read this?" he asked turning to me, the torches flames lighting up his eyes with a devilish glare.
"Yes." I answered simply pulling at my chest plate awkwardly as it started to feel unnaturally tight.
"You realise this would amount to treachery against the rulers of Naru?" he asked, I nodded drawing a dark smirk from the warrior before he deposited the book into a pouch on the back of his belt.
We might have talked some more, about exactly what are newly forged bond as partners in crime entailed but two Raiders whom earlier I had seen by the campfire came rushing into the room.
"Uchiha, the Captain needs to see you now!" barked the left hand Raider before both rushed back out of the room, the Uchiha seemed to take flight moving from the room with in human haste drawing a blade as he went, I gave chase.
I only barely managed to keep him in sight cutting around corners left and right almost at random, our iron heeled boots clattered noisily and I awkwardly pulled my blade free from its resting place, if there were any daemons here then all this noise would draw them in for certain.
Suddenly I plunged into complete darkness, where Sasuke's torch had been ahead of me before there was now nothing, I lifted the visor of my helmet and squinted into the darkness seeing nothing.
Something suddenly wrapped around my waist pulling my backward before a warm hand clamped down over my mouth, to prevent my scream I guessed, reflexively I bit down and swung backward with my elbow but my assailant held fast.
"Shh, it's me." I heard Sasuke whisper softly, I ceased my struggling and allowed him to lead me through the dark, we eventually stepped into moonlight and the outside, Captain Rex and maybe half a dozen Raiders stood looking down over the walls, we joined them and I had to catch myself from screaming.
Bellow a winged monstrosity slept in the rubble, it's featured wings lay extended out about ten feet each side of it, a long tail with what looked like a stinger curled up behind it, I couldn't make out any details in the darkness but already I knew what this creature was, the reputed Wyvern other Raiders spoke of by the fire.
"You're going to deal with this Uchiha." Whispered the Captain aggressively.
And that's it for this update, hope you're enjoying the story so far.
R&R
