Chapter 9
"That's a beautiful name."
There were three things Akihito realized that night. First is that every living creature deserves a chance at life. Second, his child is precious and would need every helping hand he could get for protection. Lastly, he would need the acceptance and blessing of the land leader, the nine-tailed fox, in order to acquire the much needed protection. As long as the leader approves of it, no harm shall befall the child.
As time consuming as it seemed, Akihito would have to face the nine-tailed fox and explain his impossible circumstance. He had defiled the pure line of the silver foxes. Such a sinful act led to punishment, the worst being exiled from the land.
Akihito sighs. He would have to do it tonight when the moon shines at its fullest.
"What's wrong?" Asami asks the surprisingly distressed man.
As much as he'd like to stay in bed surrounded by Asami's scent, Akihito would have to do his duty. "There's something I have to do." The blonde explains his mission to the hunter whose eyebrows stay crossed at every passing second. As he finishes his explanation, Asami's frown turns into understanding.
"I'm going with you."
"Eh? You don't have to. This'll only take a while."
"I'm still going."
Akihito shakes his head at the firm reply. There was no arguing once Asami had made up his mind.
"Fine"
He might as well get things over with.
XXX
Meanwhile, in Mikhail's hiding area…
"Is that so?" The Russian hunter furrows his brow at the report he was given. He couldn't risk compromising his goal, which was to take the silver fox' child once it was born.
"Keep your watchful eyes over that creature! I want his child ALIVE, understand!?" He shouts at his goons. "Nothing, I repeat, nothing shall harm that whore of a fox for as long as that spawn is inside him. I allow you to expose yourselves if the situation calls for it."
Dozens of crows bow their heads in understanding. Ever since their leader was defeated, they were all under the command of Mikhail. There was no disobeying the hunter.
"Dispatch the stealthers. I want those dynamites in the sea this instant."
XXX
The wheels in Akihito's mind were turning. Their destination is to a huge tree atop a hill near the sea. It was apparently the border between each element- land, air and sea. All it took for an audience with the leader was a simple call, but to actually be able to negotiate with him, well that was easier said than done. Explaining his condition would be a challenge too. Er, hello there great leader. I just got knocked up by a human- no, not just any human, the great hunter Asami himself! I am bearing his child and as much as this sullies my line of foxes, I'd like immunity from all sorts of dangers as a creature of the land. Of course, I'd like to get it for free without any repercussions. K, thanks.
No, no. That would be plain stupid. How about-
"We're here." Asami's words interrupt his thoughts. They have arrived at the gigantic tree. The trunk was the size of a truck put into a vertical position, its width so huge that even 5 grown men hugging the tree would not be able to fully reach the other person's hand. Long strands of twig-like hair fall to the middle of the trunk. The tree was comparable to a woman watching over her children, the forest.
Just like Mother Nature, Akihito thinks to himself.
He looks back to the hunter and admires his determination, actually feeling glad that he does not have to go through this all by himself. Giving a quick nod to the older man, Akihito maneuvers himself around the thick roots protruding from the ground. He transforms into a silver fox, the moonlight shining on his fur giving it an earthly glow.
He holds his breath for what seems like an hour until he gives a deep howl, the sound so loud it resonates through the whole forest. The ground pulses and he closes his eyes to protect them from the blinding light.
The great leader appears before them in his glory, standing proud with his nine tails swishing gracefully. Thousands of creatures surround him too; some even hiss at Asami. An audience with the leader required the full cooperation of all beings within the vicinity, it was an unspoken rule.
"What seems to be the matter, dear one?" The fox' voice was deep, yet soothing.
"I ask for acceptance, great leader."
"From what, may I ask, do you need acceptance for?"
He would have to say it. There is no turning back now.
"I am with child."
Gasps come out from every creature around them, some not believing him.
"And the father? How is this possible?" Shock was evident on the nine-tailed creature's face too.
"How this is possible, I do not know. But the father… he is the hunter behind me."
The gasps turn into growls and some even dare to snap their jaws at Asami. The hunter, however, remains impassive from the threats thrown at him. Akihito's heart starts pounding madly. If they could not accept him, he would have to leave his beloved home. The nine-tailed fox opens his mouth in reply when a luminescent glow appears below his paws. The radiant light was different; it was a message from the Earth itself, from Mother Nature. The ability to communicate with the celestial being was a gift given only to the three leaders. The ground pulses harder and tension builds up in the silence.
"I-" The leader speaks up, hesitating for a second, "Mother Nature accepts you and has blessed you with full protection from the land. You are received, Takaba Akihito."
With his words signaling the end of the audience, Akihito bows before the leader and the creatures follow suit. The leader's hesitation brought confusion to his mind but what mattered was that it was over, Akihito had finally won and relief fills him to brim that he can't help but smile.
He no longer had to go through it, the worse is over-
A shrilling scream fills the whole forest and everyone stands frozen in shock. Silence engulfs the forest, every creature holding their breaths in fearful anticipation. What followed after was considered to be one of the greatest tragedies in the history of Sion forest.
XXX
The ground trembled before a great wave of water approached them. It was a tsunami, the cause of it unknown. One would think that tsunamis were normal considering that the forest was at the border of the sea, but in reality, the leader of the waters always made sure that there was peace in her habitat. Not once did they ever have to experience a tsunami. This led to a conclusion that something had caused the elegant mermaid to unleash her wrath onto the forest.
There was something different about the water too. Despite having the moon as the only source of light, they could clearly see that what was supposed to be a clear transparent color was now a shade darker.
It was crimson red, the color of blood.
Screams of terror flood the forest as creatures big and small are washed away by the crimson sea. Some try to outrun it in vain while some climb the tallest tree they can find. Akihito's searching eyes fall onto Asami as he reacts quickly to the situation at hand. They both climb the tree before them and pull at its hairs as they try to get to safety, Akihito now fully transformed into a human to make climbing easier. The blonde dares to look below him and his eyes widen in shock at the sight of an orange fox with a pup in her mouth, desperately trying to get her baby to a tall branch.
Asami reads the look in Akihito's eyes but is a second too late to react as his lover slides down to grab the pup. Asami is now safely situated on a branch as he looks at Akihito in worry.
"ASAMI, CATCH!" He swiftly grabs the pup that was thrown his way and secures it onto a strong branch. Akihito then grabs the paw of the mother before a strong wave catches them and he is unable to hold onto the mother any longer.
Asami quickly slides down the tree and looks for the blonde hair that was his lover's. He finds it a second later at the bottom of the tree. Going down would risk him getting taken by the wave too, so he keeps his distance while at the same time extending his arm.
"AKIHITO, GRAB MY HAND!"
"I- I CAN'T!" Akihito struggles for breath, "MY ANKLE- IT'S STUCK!"
Asami's pupils dilate as Akihito goes under, a bone-sickening crunch following his demise.
"NOOOOO!"
DUN DUN DUNN!
Once again, thank you for taking the time to read this story. You all motivate me to continue :) Huge thanks to my dear friend, Zaffy for helping me out with this chapter too.
Stealthers- People trained in the art of invisibility or blending in the shadows.
Three leaders: Land- Nine-tailed fox, Water- Mermaid, Air- Phoenix
And to answer your questions:
FanficsGALORE14- The father will soon be known in the next few chapters.
StarXNite- No, he didn't exactly kill the phoenix. He merely defeated him and threatened the phoenix to kill his kind, therefore earning Mikhail his new servants.
Yaoigirl89- The real father will be revealed in the next few chapters but for now, Akihito is going with Asami to ensure his safety and protection. Sudoh is a special character and his role will soon be revealed too so stay tuned :)
Tee- Your deductions are dangerously close but I'm afraid I'll have to leave you hanging for now :P
