Bahamut: Ahem, Corvus, while still in Slumberland, would like me to briefly explain what Samuel Caleb looks like. He looks just as Caleb does in the cartoon, not the comics though the clothes match the comic-version. Nuff said.
Mewtwo: BAHAMUT! Come help me with this disco ball! I may be psychic but even I can't have my mind on thirty separate things at once!
Poupoko: Chao aoch CHA!
Bahamut: Alright, alright. Big babies...
DISCLAIMER: SEE FIRST CHAPTER.
B.E.A.S.T.
By Corvus no Genmu the Prince of Slumberland
Chapter One: The Monsters Within
Part Eleven: The Behemoth's Soul
The beast bellowed a great bovine cry before bending down on his great shaggy knees and carefully taking the dark arrow out from his Guardian's chest before lifting her lifeless form in his great arms. She was dead because he could not save her. He would not let her body lay here, away from the other Guardians, he would bring her to the others and when he was sure of her body's safety, the beast would make her killer pay.
Bringing his great horned head down, the beast bellowed a warlike cry before charging forward and slamming through wall after wall of the homeless shelter, not caring in the least of the damage he was doing nor the fear he was inspiring in the humans that he had charged past. The beast continued his stampede into the busy intersection, completely heedless of the many cars that he was literally plowing right through. Even running, his shaggy fur could not help but notice the faint difference in the air that had him dodging to the side to avoid the rain of arrows.
Snarling, he turned and glared with pupil less eyes up towards the roof of the abandoned building that his fellows and Guardians had sought refuge in once before. Though his eyesight was not the best, he could easily spot the colorless void that continued to rain arrows down upon him and his Guardian. Bellowing, the beast brought up a heavily muscled leg before slamming his cloven hoof down onto the pavement. A long series of cracks spread outwards from him, heading closer and closer to the abandoned building. A fierce rumble sounded at the exact moment the cracks came into contact with the already unstable skyscraper.
The beast watched with sadistic glee as the building collapsed on itself, sending large plumes of dust in the air.
Yan Lin stared down at Will's open palm where the lightless Heart of Kandrakar rested. "How long has it been like this?"
"For almost an hour now. I'm too worried by what it means to transform." Will whispered to the elder woman. Bastian too was holding his medallion of power, which was reacting in a very different fashion from the Heart. The Fang of Rakardnak was flickering with golden light, much like it had done when Eduardo and Axel had transformed. Though he too realized the pattern that was occurring with the transformations, Bastian did not want to give voice to the idea that something had happened to Cornelia, who hadn't decided to join them at the restaurant for their weekly meeting as Irma liked to call it. Suddenly, all three boys suddenly stiffened, all for different reasons. Taranee, being the closest to them and less distracted by the Heart and Fang, looked at Eduardo.
"Eduardo? What's wrong?"
"I be smellin' sometin…"
"What?"
"Earth… perfume…" Eduardo sniffed at the air, his hair faintly flashing red. "And blood…"
"Vhatever it is," spoke Axel, his ears suddenly sharper and pointier. "It's moving quickly towards us."
"But it's not injured…" murmured Bastian, his eyes glowing magenta. "And I don't sense anything else that is…"
Axel suddenly stiffened. "EVERYONE GET DOWN!" The boys reacted purely on instinct and grabbed their respected Guardians and dragged them to the floor even as the two Lins did the same. There was a crash of plaster and glass with a huge cloud of dust billowing into the Silver Dragon. Coughing and rubbing the dust from his eyes, Eduardo glanced up at a large hulking form he had only seen in film and cartoons.
A minotaur.
The shaggy beast snorted again and glared down at Eduardo with pupil less eyes before turning his head towards Bastian and Will, both of whom were already on their feet. The minotaur took two heavy steps forward and leaned down so that the form in his arms was revealed.
Cornelia.
Bastian quickly enwrapped Cornelia's body in psych-energy and moved her to rest atop one of the undamaged tables. Her bleeding wound and pale face told him and the others all they needed to know. Even as the girls went into a state of shock, Bastian, Eduardo, and Axel turned to the minotaur. The minotaur snarled and backed away, his fur bristling. Suddenly, the furry beast turned on his heel and stampeded out through the same way he came in.
"Vhat do ve do? Go after him?"
"No. We have more important things to worry about," Bastian turned saddened eyes to Cornelia and her weeping friends. "Like what to tell Cornelia's family…"
The minotaur had been running for what seemed like hours, until he finally came to a stop atop the cliff-face overlooking the canyon that lied just outside Heatherfield. The earth was guiding him, helping him find Cornelia's killer. The shaggy minotaur snorted a steamy breath of air and made to move down towards the canyon when he suddenly dodged to the side just as an arrow imbedded itself where he was standing. Growling, the horned beast turned his white eyes towards the figure that had launched the arrow at him. The figure was humanoid but the beast could not easily discern anything else. It was as though the hunter had no form to call its own on this plane.
"I must admit that you proving to be weaker prey than before, Old One." The figure drew another arrow and aimed. "I had hoped to at least make a satisfying kill in this endeavor."
The minotaur bellowed a bovine-like cry and charged forward, his horns held at ready even as the figure launched several arrows into his bushy hide. Though he was aware of the pain, the minotaur did his best to ignore it until he was within striking distance of the hunter. However, before his iron-like horns could pierce the hunter's chest, a strong gust of pure power blew the minotaur away from the hunter and onto his back.
Sweet oblivion was a welcome diversion from the hailstorm of arrows that rained down upon him.
'Release me, monster!'
(You have a lot of nerve to call me that, human.)
'What are you? Why have you taken control of me like this?'
(Because you deny what you know and what you are, and only I can get the job done right.)
'I don't deny who I am!'
(Really? Then why have you ignored your heart for so long?)
'My heart has nothing to do with you, monster!'
(That's where you are wrong human! I have seen more than you can ever hope to see in a thousand lifetimes and if there's one thing I can't stand it's weakness of the heart!)
'I am not weak of the heart!'
(Then speak the truth!)
'I am Samuel Caleb!'
(So what? Is there nothing else?)
'… No… there is something else.'
(…?)
'I am Samuel Caleb, soul mate of Cornelia Hale forever and a day.'
(Heheheheh. Guess I was wrong about you kid. You're not as bull-headed as the rest of your kind.)
'Look who's talking. Who are you anyway?'
(My name is of no importance now. Just heed my final word to you.)
(SHIELD.)
The hunter sighed to himself. This was proving to be a pointless hunt after all. He had hoped that even with his powers inhibited that the Old One would be strong enough to provide decent challenge. Though he lusted for the kill, the hunter found no such joy in this hunt.
That didn't mean he would let his prey live though.
Drawing another arrow, the hunter glared down at his unconscious prey. "You never did learn of my name when last we fought, Old One. As I parting gift, I give it to you." The hunter pulled the string back. "You were hunted by Lerkraxe." The arrow was released and impacted heavily into the dry stone of the ground. "What the?" His prey was gone. His prey was GONE!
"Do you think you can flee from me, Old One?" Lekraxe circled about, not caring that the Beast couldn't understand a word he said. "You're only delaying the inevitable!"
(SHUT UP!) The earth beneath Lekraxe began to tremble and shake as a monstrous Beast began to burst from the ground. With a body and head not unlike an ox, the Behemoth stood on his feline legs even as his serpentine tail whipped through the air behind him. His quill-like fur, colored not much different than the rocks and gemstones that made up his Guardian's element, quivered as human eyes glared down at the corporeal hunter.
"So you've finally awakened, Old One." Lekraxe smirked and drew forth his favorite weapon, a large spear whose blade and staff were made of the same materials as his arrows. "This will be a worthy hunt after all!"
Samuel bellowed an orchestra of drums and charged forward, his head low enough to the ground for his horns to rip through the earth even as it shook to his heavy footsteps. Lekraxe jumped upwards above Samuel's head, thinking he had dodged the Behemoth's attack. That thought flew faster than Samuel's tail, which smacked Lekraxe deep into the canyon. Samuel snorted and turned about before stampeding towards the large gap between the canyon walls. Bellowing another symphony of drums, Samuel jumped into the gap and landed with enough force that there wasn't a single person on earth who didn't feel the tremor.
"Cough! Cough! So… you've learned since our last hunt." Lekraxe readied his spear. "You may not be in Korauk but I have more than enough power to take you to pasture!"
(Murderer. You're nothing more than a murderer. I saw what those arrows of yours have killed, monster. I saw the lives you took, but more than that, you took away my soul mate!) Samuel raised himself up on his hind legs. (I will have my revenge even if it means my death as well!) Bellowing a fierce drumming, Samuel slammed his forefeet heavily into the ground, sending wave after wave of geometric and magusmetric energies towards. Lekraxe was not familiar with this form of attack from the large Behemoth and with little space and form to maneuver; he had not chance of escaping the attack.
As he flew through the air, Lekraxe's body, or at least portions of it, suddenly became solid and defined enough for Samuel to see just what the hunter claimed as a prize from his victims. Tied to Lekraxe's chest belt was a series of crystalline baubles not unlike what he had created in his spare time. However, it was what was resting inside one of the baubles that held all of Samuel's attention.
Cornelia's soul.
Lekraxe moaned and started to sit up when Samuel slammed his forefoot down upon the hunter's legs, breaking them several times over. Ignoring the screams that came from Lekraxe's corporeal face, Samuel growled, (Give her back.)
"Wha-What magic is this? How can you do this?"
(I won't repeat myself to you, monster.) Samuel lowered his head enough for his salivating fangs to hover above Lekraxe's face. (Release her or I'll make a meal out of your head!)
"You want her?" Lekraxe carefully unhooked Cornelia's gemstone. "Go get her!" Lekraxe tossed the glass-like gem high up into the air.
(CORNELIA!) Samuel leaned back onto his hind legs and carefully caught the gem-prison that held his beloved's soul inside even as Lekraxe faded away, back into Korauk. Carefully rolling the gem down his nose and into his padded palm, Samuel's Behemoth body crumbled away into dust and gravel until only the human inside him remained.
"Cornelia…" Samuel whispered to the gem. "I'm sorry… I'm so sorry…"
As the sun began to set off on the horizon, Samuel fell to his knees and wept for the love he had found and lost all in one day.
To Be Continued...
