Chapter 8
Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto, LotR, Warcraft, Lost Realms, or any other series from which I might borrow.
For Naruto, the next nine weeks were dull, nothing happening, until on the second day of the tenth month, something that ached his heart happened. Hagwin was called to his home, the dwarven kingdom of Belchar, in a clan-related matter.
-0-
Naruto looked at his friend, sadness clearly evident in his face. "So, you really have to go?"
Hagwin nodded. "Aye. I am a member of the Steelheart-clan, and if my clan calls me, I will answer that call. Don't worry lad, I'll be back in a few weeks, two months at most. Watch out for yerself while I'm gone, and make sure that the elf doesn't do anything stupid."
Naruto shook his head. "When will you two finally admit that you're friends?"
Hagwin gasped in mock-shock. "Friends? With an elf? Be quiet, ye'll ruin me reputation!" Then he had to laugh.
Naruto grinned, and gave the dwarf a last pat on the shoulder. "See if you can arrange some ale, eh?"
Now Hagwin roared with laughter. "A man after me own heart! I'll try ta get ye yer own barrel!" With that, he sat down on the cart his clan had sent him, pulled by four large goats.
Naruto laughed and waved, until his friend was out of sight. Then he sighed. "I'll miss him."
Celia stepped out of the shadows. Without even noticing it, she nodded. "He'll be back soon."
Naruto agreed with her, but still couldn't shake an eerie feeling.
-0-
Three weeks later, Marius called Celia to him, Naruto following her like a shadow.
Marius nodded to both, before getting to the point. "To make it short, Celia Lightwood, you are, even though you are welcome with my knights, a paladin. As such, you are under Saladin's authority. I just recently received a letter from him. He asks for your presence in the paladins' headquarters. As we currently cannot spare a horse, I'm afraid you'll have to travel by foot. You will leave as soon as possible, tomorrow would be best, so to not keep him waiting."
Celia saluted. "Understood. Do you know what it is about?"
Marius shrugged. "I do not."
Celia nodded. "Very well. By your leave?"
Marius nodded, and she left. His gaze met Naruto's for a second, then the blond was also gone. Knowing the demon's sharp hearing, he didn't even whisper the words burning on his lips, instead opting to merely think them. 'Things are falling into place.'
-0-
The next morning, Celia stood in the courtyard, ready to leave. Naruto was with her. "Well, I guess this is goodbye."
Celia smiled weakly. "Not for forever. His excellency most likely only wishes to hear of your actions from a comrade's mouth. I should be back around the time Hagwin returns. Before him, of course."
Naruto shook his head. Those two had to turn everything into a contest. "Whatever you say. Have a safe journey."
Celia seemed to ponder something, then, to his surprise, she pulled him in a hug. "Take care of yourself." Then she ran off, a slight blush on her face.
Naruto kept smiling until she was out of sight, then he tensed, preparing himself for an attack. Nothing happened, but Naruto didn't relax. Marius had probably not even realized it, but the moment their eyes had met, his had turned cold. His eyes had been just like that of the villagers.
Something was going on, and it wasn't good.
-0-
In the far kingdom of Belchar, located deep inside a mountain-range, Hagwin felt unpleasant. After a fairly comfortable journey, he had suddenly been grabbed and pushed forward to a meeting-room, effectively ruining his plan of stopping by his father first. It seemed that the council of elders really wanted to talk to him.
He was brought to an empty chair at a large marble-table, and ordered to take a seat. Hagwin bowed his head in respect, then obeyed. "It is an honor ta meet ye, great elders." Hagwin gave the traditional greeting.
The elders nodded, before Talmir, the leader of the council, turned to him. "Hagwin, son of Helmir, it is good ta meet ye as well. Yer service in the Equitatus Magicus has brought great honor ta the clan."
Hagwin's chest swelled in pride. "I serve with all me heart."
Talmir nodded. "Aye, and for that reason we called you. We heard that you now associate with one other, and an elf."
Hagwin grimaced. So this was because of the bad blood between the two races after all. "We are ordered ta fight together, and I found the elf an reliable ally ta watch me back."
Grumbles broke out, but Talmir silenced them with a gesture. "Be that as it may, we have not called ye here for that. The other one is the reason. Hagwin, son of Helmir, ye stand accused of joining forces with a demon. What do ye have to say in yer defense?"
Hagwin blinked, before he jumped up in righteous anger. Or tried to anyways, since two dwarven guards pushed him back into his seat. "The man ye speak of, Naruto Uzumaki, a hero, is a great friend, who has never failed a comrade in need before! He is no demon!"
Talmir remained calm. "We have evidence to the contrary. He was possessed in his world, then used the body to hide in ours."
Hagwin bit his lip. "Aye, a demon was imprisoned in Naruto, but he is no demon. Is the mountain a beast because the dragon lives in it?"
Talmir calmly looked at him. "Ye are ordered ta renounce all bonds with the demon, and learn of its weaknesses."
Hagwin jumped up, and this time they needed four dwarves to force him back down. "I will do no such thing! We have sworn comradeship over the tankard, and he saved me life, more than once! I would be less than a maggot ta betray such a man! I have a debt of honor, and as Naruto is neither coward nor traitor ta the clan, I am honor-bound ta aid him until I paid it back!"
Now Talmir was shocked, to hear that a member of the honorable race of the dwarves had kindled with a demon to such a degree. "Is that yer last word?" He asked.
Hagwin nodded grimly. "By me honor as a dwarf!"
Talmir sighed deeply. "Then ye leave us no choice." He pressed an ornament, and two blades shot out of hidden spots in the table in a scissor-like motion.
Hagwin stared down in shock. He had leaned back, but the blades had cut his beard, which had almost reached his knees, to a point where it just barely passed his upper chest. In dwarven culture, the loss of beard was the greatest shame a dwarf could receive, not to mention that it was the worst insult in existence.
Talmir rose. "Hagwin, for yer mingling with a demon, and the refusal to atone, ye are hereby banished. Ye no longer belong to a clan, it has rejected ye. The Order of the Equitatus Magicus has also cast ye out. Further, ye are now merely Hagwin nameless, without father. Strip him of his weapons."
Hagwin turned as white as a sheet, not moving even as the guards made a grab for his axe. A fatherless dwarf was the lowest of the low, even beggars spat at them. What travesty had he done to deserve such? Why had his father betrayed him like this?
"HALT!" A voice rang out, and the doors flew open.
Hagwin spun around, his eyes widening. "Father..."
Helmir's face was a grimace of rage. "Talmir, son of Eton, how dare ye? Ye have overstepped yer bounds!"
Talmir reacted calm. "What do ye accuse me of?"
Helmir forced himself calm. "Ye have broken dwarven law."
Now Talmir's eyes widened. Such an accusation was serious, and if it were true, then he would lose much. "Why do ye say that?"
Helmir stared him down. "Ye have spoken a punishment over me son that ye cannot decide. The only one who may declare a dwarf fatherless is his father. I have not renounced me son, how dare ye lay claim on a sacred right of a parent and make such a decision? Ye have challenged me fatherhood of Hagwin with that!"
Now mutterings broke out, while Talmir broke out into sweat. It was true, Helmir had refused to renounce his son without talking to him, and unless there was a crime against the clan or dwarven race, even then, and he had overgone him. Truth be told, Helmir had not supposed to learn of this meeting until months or preferrably years after it was over.
But Helmir wasn't done. "Also, the axe yer men are taking was forged by me, and gifted to me son. So the only one who may take it from him. Ye are again interfering with me right as his father. Are ye laying claim on Hagwin's fatherhood, accusing me dead wife of disloyalty?"
Talmir paled. Such an act would have to end in a house-feud, which in turn would lead to both families being cast out of the clan. And while they were both old, Helmir was a great smith, and would happily be taken in by almost every clan. He would not be so lucky. "I have meant no disrespect against ye or yer wife."
Helmir sneered at him. "This will not be without consequence. But for now, I will escort me banished son out of Belchar, after ye return his weapon. Know that he is still me child, and that an attack against him is an attack against me." With that, Helmir had stopped any assassination or ambush that dwarves might have set against Hagwin, as the young dwarf had committed no crime against any clan, so while his former clan couldn't attack him without insulting Helmir, the other clans could not do so without attacking the son of the smith of the Steelheart-clan, resulting in a clan-war.
The guard handed Hagwin his axe, before ducking away, not wanting to be accused of theft.
Helmir looked at his son, before taking him by the shoulder and leading him away. "Hagwin, I ask ye now. That friend of yers, was he worth it?"
Hagwin looked at his father, before he nodded. "Aye. He is the greatest comrade one could ask for, and he would never betray his friends. I am proud ta be one of them."
Helmir nodded. "I trust yer judgment, me son. You have me blessings. Do not return ta yer Order, they will strike ye down. But I worry for yer friend. Both Orders will try to kill him."
Hagwin's eyes widened. "I know he won't fall, but I must be by his side, or I am unworthy of his comradeship."
Helmir smiled. "Ye truly are the greatest son a father could wish for. I have prepared a wagon for ye, come."
Hagwin rushed after his father, knowing that even though the life he had known was gone, he had done the right thing. And now he would do so again. Even if his former clan would stand in his way.
-0-
Marius looked at the gathered group. "This is a joint-operation with the paladins. While it is only a drill, I expect you all to do your best."
Naruto raised his hand. "Why am I along then? I belong to neither order?"
Marius sighed. "There are certain... tensions between the two orders. You are the neutral party that can hopefully calm the heated tempers down."
Naruto nodded. "I see. How long will the drill take?"
"Pack for a week." Marius replied. "In two days, it begins."
-0-
Celia stood before Saladin. The leader of the paladins had just ordered her to betray Naruto for the sole reason that a demon was locked away inside of him. To her, there could only be one answer. "I refuse."
Saladin looked at her. "Reconsider."
Celia shook her head. "No. I owe him a life-debt, and I refuse to stab him in the back."
Saladin sighed. "I feared as much." He nodded, and Celia felt a presence her.
She tried to spin around, but a heavy blow struck her head, and the last thing that she heard before the world turned black was Cathesian's voice. "I would have preferred a different outcome, but we have the bait."
-0-
The drill had begun, and the situation seemed to be as tense as Marius had warned. The paladins were throwing glares at the knights, the knights were throwing glares at the paladins, and everyone was throwing glares at Naruto. And after almost two days, they hadn't even arrived at their destination yet!
Their goal was a clearing, forty miles into dense forest, and the journey there had not gone without the occasional scuffle, which Naruto broke up with a few clones. He was looking forward to doing the final few steps and reach the clearing, where he would span out a hundred clones for the twenty knights and twenty-four paladins. It was unbearably humid, everyone had already stripped themselves of their heavy armor, their chests covered only by shirts to stop branches.
Evan was sticking to Naruto, complaining loudly about the hammer-wielders while cutting down the occasional low branch with his sword. "...And why do we even have to do these joint-exercises? I know they're supposed to strengthen cooperation, but with those pansies, who can expect any cooperation? The way they..."
'Ten more feet. I just have to last ten more feet, then I can finally get a break.' Naruto thought to himself when he saw light shining through the foliage. He increased his pace.
Evan was still blabbering. "...nothing but those hammers, not even a spare-weapon, how foolish is that? I can't believe..."
Naruto froze. Slowly his eyes wandered low, where the tip of a sword was sticking out of his chest. His head turned back, looking into Evan's triumphant face. "...you fell for that." He finished.
Naruto grinned. "I didn't."
POOF
In Naruto's place, there was now a moldy piece of wood. The real Naruto stood a few feet to the left. "I knew it." He stated.
Evan stared at his sword. "How?" He asked.
Naruto smiled coldly. "I am pretty good at reading people. When Marius called Celia away, our eyes met, and his gaze turned very cold. That was all I needed to know that something was off. You eavesdropped on my conversation with Celia and Hagwin, and used that to bring him, and apparently Saladin, up against me, correct?"
Evan's face was a grimace, but he nodded.
Naruto's face gained a twinge of disgust. "I saved your life, on multiple occasions, and this is how you repay me, Evan, son of Simon?"
For a second, Evan looked shocked, before calming himself. "Life-debts do not apply to demons!" He called out.
Naruto sighed. "I should have let you die on that dusty road to Sat Gean, butchered like the trash that you are."
Evan winced at the memory, but he was saved from finding a response, by the action of his comrades.
"Boulder Hail!" "Icicle Barrage!" "Raging Thunder!"
Naruto jumped back, narrowly avoiding the spells that had been cast while he had talked to Evan. Naruto danced around the attackers, drawing two axes, and starting his own attack. But these men were veterans, and they predicted a number of his moves, and preventing him from going for the kill.
Another problem was that a number of them were elves, and the moment he lost sight of them, they would merge with the trees, and without giving a single indication sneak behind him to attack from unexpected angles and worst moments. Naruto quickly realized that these men knew how to fight in three dimensions. He had killed five, but at the current rate, one of them would get a lucky hit sooner or later.
"Lancing Gale!" came a new call. Naruto spun, but the attack was almost point-blank, leaving him with not enough time to dodge. He was blown back.
Breaking through foliage, Naruto landed on the clearing. Here, he would have an easier time, seeing that not only could he move more freely, but the knights would feel better, since they could maneuver better, which also made them more predictable. They were soldiers, and as such suckers for formations.
"So you survived. I expected no less from 'The Legion' himself. Then again, demons are very resilient critters. But this is not your world, go back to hell." A new voice called out. Naruto recognized it as Cathesian's. He spun around... and his eyes widened in horror.
-0-
A hundred knights and paladins had gathered on the clearing, each of them having already cast a spell, only holding them on the last syllable to fire, over three-thousand soldiers standing a distance behind them, weapons ready, but that was not what shocked Naruto to the core.
There was a large wagon in the front of the soldiers, fifteen men in front of it, one on it. And before that man, there was a large wooden cross, and tied on it, Celia, in nothing but a short white underdress. She hung lifeless, and blood covered her face, staining the white cloth.
Cathesian stood ten feet in front of the front-lines, muttering an incantation. "By the things that forged you and no longer are, by mountain's root and woman's beard, bird's spit and fish's breath, by cat's step's sound, I merge thee to bind this foe. By the great bound beast and the one-handed god, in thy name I call upon this Divine Thread!"
White light surrounded Naruto, wrapping around him like strings, and anchoring themselves in the ground. Naruto ignored it. "What are you doing?" He asked.
Cathesian smiled. "You need not know demon. FIRE!" The last thing Cathesian saw before an Armageddon of magic came down and tore the ground asunder was that with a roar, Naruto tore through the high-level binding spell, then the world broke into pandemonium.
-0-
As the dust settled, many did not believe their eyes. Before them stood Naruto Uzumaki. Granted, he was bleeding from countless wounds, his left leg was badly burned, and a spear of ice was lodged in his stomach, but he was standing nonetheless, his eyes still focused on Cathesian.
"I'll ask you again, what did you do to her?" Naruto asked, his voice dangerously quiet.
Cathesian grinned. It was working. Celia was the bait. Her state would enrage Naruto, and a angry enemy was a reckless enemy, a reckless enemy was a careless enemy, and a careless enemy was as good as dead. "She associated with a demon, and as such will be punished for treason."
"So you'll just kill her?" Naruto demanded, the anger beginning to creep into his voice.
Cathesian sneered. "It is law among all elves not lost to the dark that an elf does not kill another elf. Celia, renounced from the house of Lightwood, will face our hardest punishment for her refusal of atonement. The gift of vision will be taken from her. Namail, do your duty."
Naruto's eyes widened as the elf on the cart pulled out a dagger, and prepared to swing it in a motion that would without a doubt cut both eyes, and half of Celia's face, open.
Cathesian felt a gale, then Naruto was gone. He spun around, and his eyes widened at what he saw. "NAMAIL!"
The blade was stopped less than an inch from Celia's skin, handle and the hand holding it crushed in Naruto's vice-like grip. But what truly horrified those present was that the hand that stopped the blade seemed to grow directly out of the elf's chest. Naruto had punched through the elf, and elven steel armor, like it was butter, skewering the long-eared executioner on his right arm.
Those in front of the cart recovered from the shock first, and moved to attack. Naruto's left arm, hand pulled into a claw, slashed out, and every one of the fifteen men was instantly reduced to a red mist.
Ignoring the carnage he caused, Naruto flung the dead elf from his arm, and cut through Celia's bindings with his bare nails, before gently taking her into a bridal-hold and carried her off the wagon, where he gently placed her on the ground, before looking her over.
She was still breathing, and aside from a wound on her head, which had clotted shut already, she seemed unharmed. Still, his blood boiled when he saw her, so weak and delicate.
Nine of the paladins that had accompanied Naruto thought they saw their chance and rushed at him. They stopped a foot away from him, and all swung their hammers as one, aiming downward so that Naruto would have to block or risk Celia taking the hit.
Evan however focused his mage-sight as much as he could, as there had been something around the blond boy that had always bothered him. He saw it now, there were long black shades circling around Naruto. What was that, snakes? Suddenly one of them lashed out, aiming for a sweep to the hammers.
Both knights and paladins witnessed something that they had never believed possible. The nine crystal-hammers, charged with incredible amounts of White Magic, hard enough to have withstood mythril-blades, simply shattered like glass.
"Impossible!" Cathesian called out, as nothing had ever shattered a paladin's hammer.
"Mage-sight!" Evan called out "There's something around him!"
Cathesian focused, and as an elf, he saw it more clearly. "Tails! There are nine phantasmal tails coming from him!"
Naruto raised his head, his eyes closed. Then they snapped open, and the world twisted in pain.
-0-
Naruto had since he had arrived in this world, always held a firm grip on his Sakki, the killing intent only breaking out on a few occasions, and even then it had been restrained. Now he unleashed it all as his left arm lowered to the ground, until he was practically crouching over Celia.
The nine paladins surrounding him died on the spot, their hearts unable to stand such a sudden burst of murder. All others were less lucky.
The wave of anger and hatred forced almost all to their knees, the pressure suddenly too much to bear. Horrible images flashed through the attackers' minds, they literally felt themselves being slaughtered over and over. A quarter of their number simply couldn't take it, and raised their weapons against themselves.
The ground cracked beneath Naruto's feet, and bolts of raw energy flashed up around him. The grass dried up, and leaves that floated nearby spontaneously combusted.
Cathesian was one of the few still standing, if barely. So he was one of those that actually heard Naruto speak.
"What have you done, lowest of the low! You dare lay hand on her, you who are less than the dirt beneath my feet! You dare touch my comrade? YOU DARE HURT WHAT'S MINE?" The shock-wave scattered the warriors like leaves.
One of the effects of the merge was that Naruto had acquired certain aspects of a demon's mindset, and demons had a very strong sense of ownership. Mortal friends and dear ones were always, on some level, belongings, and nobody touched a demon's belongings without their consent.
The earth itself shook under Naruto's power, felt as an almost global earthquake on Gaia, though few could feel what the slight rumble really meant.
-0-
On a tower built over a city into the mountain-side, a pair of weary golden eyes snapped open. "The light-side has grown arrogant, but to this extend? Those fools, what have they unleashed?"
-0-
A pair of blue eyes opened, ignorant to the beauty of the surrounding nature. Their owner frowned in worry as she felt the tremors. "The earth trembles... beneath the anger of a god."
-0-
In a secret facility hidden deep beneath the surface, rows of heads snapped up at the rumbling. Those that had a different gift were quickly informed, and for the first time in years, those who were imprisoned at that place laughed.
And despite the efforts of the wardens, which included generous amounts of physical force, the prisoners laughed and laughed and laughed.
-0-
Cathesian was getting the feeling that involving Celia in the attack had been a very foolish idea. It seemed that the conventional logic had lulled them into a false sense of security, as in this particular case, it seemed that an angry enemy was simply one that would strike without mercy.
Naruto proved him right a moment later. Black energy was emitted from him, slowly covering him and his phantasmal tails, until all that they could see was a black humanoid figure with nine tails, and glowing white spots as eyes. Then the mouth, or rather maw, opened, nothing more than a large jagged tear in the creatures head, which also had two long extensions resembling ears. The voice that came out of that maw sent shivers down all spines.
"Originally I planned to disable you all and leave, but for this, YOU. WILL. PAY!"
Another burst of energy, and instead of the figure, a nine-tailed fox the size of a draft-horse with humanoid arms stood before them, its red fur crackling with energy.
The panicked warriors fired spell after spell at the fox, but the beast simply let its tails swish, odd distortions around each of them, and the spells puffed away on contact, without doing any damage. In reply, the fox's chest swelled slightly, before it spat out a stream of fire.
The flames were unusual, a dark crimson with black flickers, and whatever got caught in the stream burned like cinders. The fox turned on the spot, encasing the clearing in a ring of fire that blocked all exits. The only ones that escaped where Evan, who had run into the forest before the counter-attack began, and the normal soldiers, who were outside of the circle.
The fox roared in triumph at the burning bodies, less than ten enemies left not burning, plus the soldiers outside. However, the roar was a word. "PEEERRRRRIIIIIIIIIISSSSHHHH!"
Cathesian looked around, realizing the hopelessness of their situation. He recognized the flames from a summoning gone wrong he witnessed once, and knew that he was trapped in hellfire. The fox had turned into an explosion of red mist a second before roaring, reforming into a larger version of itself that towered over the highest trees. The fox was the size of a mountain, and Cathesian understood why the people of Naruto's world had resorted to sealing such a beast away. Its Demon Magic, a magic foreign to their world, was so potent that, without being used for more as a show of force, it twisted the concept of their world, creating distortions in the form of void spaces that swallowed all, and using those as a shield against their magic. This thing was no mere demon, it was a demon-lord, and Cathesian could think of no spell outside of the lost Divine Magic that could even hinder this beast. Knowing what would come next, he sat down, placed his weapon on his side, and spoke a prayer to Valir. He looked up just in time to see a hand the size of a castle come down, crushing him and all other survivors to dust.
-0-
Evan stared at the giant beast as it roared in triumph and anger. He couldn't believe his eyes. This beast had been sealed away in Naruto? He had been restraining this beast, this incarnation of destruction, the entire time? What had he unleashed?
When he heard that a demon was sealed into Naruto, he had assumed that it had been one like those they summoned for their blades, and scoffed at the weakness of the people of Naruto's world. Now, he wondered what monsters they were that they could even seal such a creature, if only temporary.
Still, now he had to save his hide. So while the fox slaughtered the three-thousand normal, non-magical soldiers in a way not unlike a man crushing ants, he fled into the forest, hoping to be forgotten by the horrible monster he had helped unleash.
-0-
Naruto knew that something was off. He had completely transformed into Kyuubi, yet that feeling of influence was not there. He had full control of everything, his own rage the only thing that influenced him. What was going on?
Suddenly he found himself in his mindscape. It was still a sewer, only now it seemed oddly melted, as if it was in the process of becoming something new, but hadn't really started yet. He walked to the Kyuubi's cage, wanting answers. His eyes widened when he saw it.
The cage was gone. Instead, there was a small bulge outwards, in which a white orb rested. A few strands of white mist were hovering outside of the orb, which now that he looked closer was also comprised of that mist. He touched the strands, and suddenly they were absorbed into him, while he heard a jumble of what had to be Kyuubi's thoughts.
'A summoning? I'll follow...what's going...merge?...must be dominant mind...the seal!...Nononono!...I don't want to...'
Naruto blinked. What was the meaning of that? Going by the few fragments he had, it seemed that Kyuubi had felt the summoning, and given into it, which probably explained why Gaia seemed so unprepared for demons of Kyuubi's power, since they'd probably see it as beneath them to follow the call of a mere mortal. After that, Naruto guessed that the interdimensional travel had somehow merged him and Kyuubi. There had been a struggle for control that Naruto couldn't remember, but it seemed that thanks to the seal, he had come out on top.
Did that mean that he was now the Kyuubi? Rethinking it, he decided that the answer to that was no. He was something born from both the Kyuubi no Kitsune and Naruto Uzumaki, an amalgam of sorts. The white orb was probably Kyuubi's knowledge, which he had not yet absorbed.
After a short moment of temptation, Naruto decided that he'd do that later, as right now, he had unfinished business outside.
-0-
Silence had returned to the clearing. The last dying scream had been cut off, and only two things were still living. The fox roared one final time, before it burst into red particles that reformed into the shape of Naruto Uzumaki, who dropped to his knees in exhaustion, panting heavily. Then he heard a groan.
"So that was your true power?" Celia asked. She had apparently woken up, and was already sitting upright, looking at him with an unreadable expression.
Naruto stared at her, his eyes wide with shock. The one thing he had wanted to avoid at all costs was that she or Hagwin saw him like that. "That was the demon residing in me, unleashed." He answered.
Celia grabbed her head, and tried to get up. Naruto was beside her in an instant, supporting her. She neither stiffened nor pushed him away. "Naruto, what happened?"
Naruto sighed. "Well..."
In short words, Naruto told her what had occurred. Celia was shocked to hear she had been used as bait, horrified when she learned that they had planned to blind her, and nearly in tears when Naruto told her that Cathesian had said that she had been banished from the house of Lightwood. Still, she steeled herself, to avoid breaking down, and looked at Naruto. "What now?"
Naruto growled. "There is a rat that I still need to hunt down, the one responsible for all this."
Celia's eyes widened. "Evan? But how will you find him?"
Naruto looked down. "Right now, despite my current state, my instincts are so sharp, I can smell him in the air. I can hear your heart, and even feel the vibration of your movements through the earth. He won't escape me."
-0-
Evan ran for his life. He had stampeded through the forest, swam through a few small streams, before finally standing before an old ruin of sort. Without thinking, he had ran into it, going deeper and deeper into the corridors, climbing down staircases that led below ground, hoping for a hiding-place where he was safe. He knew that his actions were cowardly, but as the only survivor, he had to warn the knights, the paladins, the kingdoms, everyone. They would need every soldier they could get to deal with this threat.
His eyes widened when he saw that he had run into a dead end. The passageway had been shut with bricks, and even though there were a few small holes revealing that there was something behind it, he didn't have the time to dig himself through the wall. He spun around, intending to take a different passage... and his legs turned to jello.
Before him stood Naruto and Celia, looking at him with cold eyes. He noticed that both were dressed differently, probably having taken clothing from some of Naruto's victims, and that Naruto was looking a lot worse for wear, panting heavily with swear running down his face. He laughed nervously. "Hehehe, Celia, Naruto, fancy meeting you two here. New clothes?"
Naruto shrugged. "Well, we fixed up a few unrecognizable corpses so that anyone looking for indications of what happens will think we're dead. You know, to avoid that whole bounty-on-our-heads-thing."
Evan grimaced. "Very clever. Well, you two might want to be alone, so I'll just..." He began, before making a mad dash, trying to get past him.
Naruto grabbed him by the throat and slammed him against the wall, which gave way under the blow, causing both to fall through the hole, which lead into a chamber. Torches ignited, but both ignored it.
Evan had tears in his eyes. "I don't want to die." He begged.
Naruto tilted his head. For a second Evan gained hope, before Naruto spoke. "I want to kill you."
Evan soiled himself.
Celia walked into the chamber, her eyes focused on something further inward. "By the gods, I thought they were only myths."
Naruto and Evan followed her gaze, and the situation was momentarily forgotten.
-0-
Before them, in a kneeling position with arms suspended by two chains, was a figure. It had the shape and size of a man, and from what could be seen from its arms and legs, it was heavily armored. It's head and body were covered by a robe with hood, which hid the face in shadows. A sword's hilt with a few inches of blade was sticking out of the hood, from the looks of it the sword had been rammed into the figure's head. It hung lifelessly in its chains.
"What is that?" Naruto asked.
Evan's eyes were wide as dinner-plates. "One of the nine fallen kings."
Naruto blinked. "What?"
Celia spoke up. "They say that around 200.000 years ago, there was a mighty dark lord, his name is long forgotten. Either way, this lord offered power, and nine kings fell to his temptations. They joined him, and fought against the light races. They were all captured and killed, but the dark lord, some claim as a reward, some say to keep his best generals, somehow brought them back to life, as undead of a type unheard of before of since. They retained their skills, but they could no longer be killed by any means, returning to the battlefield no matter how often they received fatal wounds, by blade or magic, for you cannot kill what is already dead. Eventually, the dark lord was destroyed, but his generals did not perish with him. So to end the threat they posed, sacred blades were forged, and rammed into their heads. As long as those blades remained in place, they would be as corpses. But since they still couldn't be destroyed, they were hidden away in places that were carefully hidden from the world."
Evan gulped. "They are legends, infamous to the point that mothers still use their name to scare their children. They are the Nazgûl."
Chapter 8 is done. Yep, right now I definitely am working most for this story, probably because I finally want it to reach a certain point plot-wise. But again, I don't make any promises regarding the next update, I never do. It makes you look unreliable if you can't keep them.
Well, I finally reached the actual betrayal. Yes, it's overkill, but Naruto has finally learned that he and Kyuubi are now one, though he still has millenniums of knowledge to go through before he really is Kyuubi's successor. And for those worrying, there are consequences for going full-Kyuubi, so no, Naruto won't turn into a giant fox and crush all opposition on every occasion. Right now, there are two effects on Naruto, who is barely fighting them off at the moment. For one thing, his mass was scattered through the large Kyuubi, so after reassembling, the smallest movements bring Naruto great pain, though he currently bites through, not wanting Evan to get away. The second consequence is that Naruto is barely holding on to consciousness, and will soon lose it for a longer period of time. Don't worry though, Evan will die before that happens.
And yes, Hagwin and Celia are true friends, and they will stand by his side to the end, not that they'd have anywhere else to go. For one thing because they are good, and partly because Naruto will need different perspectives to be able to properly plan once his kingdom stands. Of course, their presence may initially cause some friction, but what fun would it be if things always went smooth, and aside from that, it's not like they'd be the first traitors to the light.
Many beings have felt Naruto's power, and few could tell what it was, the trumpet proclaiming the beginning of the end of an era. The three that I explicitly mentioned are all three completely different, though they will all become allies to Naruto. Anyone care to make a few guesses about possible identities?
Oh, and if you want to know what Naruto's Kyuubi-roar sounded like, enter Drakengard 2 Angelus's hatred in youtube. That, only loud as thunder. There are two more quotes hidden in this chapter, I wonder if you can find it, and name the series it's from. One hint, they're both anime.
And yes, I decided to use the Nazgûl, mainly because I find them awesome. But as you read, I worked them into my story, changing a few things in their history. For one thing, there is neither the One Ring, nor those that corrupted the Nine in LotR. The dark lord that created them used a unknown mean to make grant them immortality through undeath, and yes, that also means that they won't die permanently if slain by a woman, and that includes the Witch-king. There will be a few more differences, but those will be explained in future chapters. All I'll say now is that the Nine will be generals in Naruto's army, as is their purpose.
As for what dark race Naruto will meet first? Which one do you think it will be? On that topic, any more suggestions for races?
To the Q&A
Q: Was the bashing of Kakashi in the first chapter really necessary?
A: Perhaps the final punishment was a bit cruel, but I wanted to do something aside from those either complete-exaggeration- or slap-on-the-wrist-punishments that have been done a hundred times before. And yes, it had to be at the VotE, and it had to be Kakashi. I needed a situation where Naruto had at least some skills, yet his loyalty to Konoha could be broken, as otherwise, he would never thrive in Gaia, searching for a way home.
Q: The toads man, where are the giant toads?
A: Sorry, but as I said before, that won't be used. The contract was broken when Naruto left Terra, as that is where the contract calls, not to mention that thanks to the merge, Naruto's blood is no longer that which is in the scroll, which would destroy the connection anyways. I actually planned to have a scene where Naruto would try to summon toads, but I never found a situation where such a big gun would be necessary. Alright, the siege would have been a maybe, but Naruto didn't want to give away such an ace in front of so many people. Heck, he hasn't even shown the henge yet, and that's about as low-class technique as they come, though his seems to be slightly different.
Well, that's all for now,
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