It was morning yet again. The sun was shining through the trees, the light speckling on the forest floor through the leaves. Birds and smaller animals made noises as they awoke and went out into the woods to go about their business, whatever they may be. However, the exwires were up before this. By now, most of them were out and about already, camps packed up with no trace remaining. This included Konekomaru. At the moment, said young monk was making his way through the trees, ready to go on with the next day of survival training.
Konekomaru rubbed his eyes, still a bit tired from the night before. Even if he slept through the whole night, which he hadn't last night, he always felt a bit drained after a nightmare. He was still a bit disoriented, so he wasn't paying attention very much. That is, until he heard a stick snap somewhere nearby. He was immediately on the alert, looking around for the source.
"Gale, do you hear that?" Konekomaru waited for a response, but he soon realized that the weight on his shoulder was gone, meaning that it was no longer occupied by a certain bird demon. "Great, just when I might need it." He went silent again, listening to the sharp cracking of a few branches. Then, he heard a voice.
"Well, look what we have here." A rustle of brush and leaves, a cracking of branches, and someone fell in front of him from the canopy. A small, snarling object fell along with them. Suddenly, Konekomaru found himself looking right up at the Earth King, Amaimon. Amaimon, while normally tall and imposing, was positively terrifying in Konekomaru's view, especially considering that this was the very same Amaimon that broke his arm. Konekomaru was speechless with fear, looking up with wide eyes at the demon king in front of him.
"Hm, that's odd, I was tracking that Gale's scent, but it led me to you. Now why would that be? And why do you seem familiar for some reason?" Amaimon put a hand on his face, tapping his chin with his incredibly sharp, black nails. "Oh, yeah, now I remember why you look so familiar." His tone seemed to darken ever so slightly. "You were the one who made my hair puff up like broccoli, weren't you?" He down towards Konekomaru, causing said monk to back up slightly. "You know, I was gonna' save my energy for when I had to find that Gale, but I think I'll start with you. You reek of that thing anyways. Now, what to do with you?"
Acting completely on instinct and fear, Konekomaru turned and ran. However, he had gotten only a few paces before Amaimon jumped in front of him again. The green-spiked demon began walking slowly towards him, pulling Behemoth behind him.
"Hm, were you just trying to get away? Well now, that wasn't very smart. Now I might just kill you after all." He seemed to think a moment, then shook his head slightly. Konekomaru had been backing up this whole time, but when Amaimon stopped, he stopped. The Earth King held Konekomaru's gaze in his own, hypnotizing him like a snake would a mouse. "No, big brother said not to kill whoever the Gale is possessing. It might not be you, but Ani is mad enough already, and it's better not to push him." Amaimon clicked his fingernails against each other, seeming to consider something. "Now, what should I do to you first?" He stopped his nail-clicking with a final, decisive snap. "I know, Behemoth," he pulled the leash his familiar was on, releasing the clasp with a snap, "why don't you play with him first?"
Upon being released, Behemoth rushed towards Konekomaru, foam dripping from its' sharp teeth. Its' mouth was opened in a loud snarl, and it barreled right into Konekomaru, knocking him to the ground. The impact knocked the wind out of his lungs, he could feel the rocks and little wood chips from the forest floor poking their points into his back through his shirt. Behemoth growled, open mouth dripping saliva and showing off its' pointed teeth.
Then, it sniffed him. The sharp-toothed mouth snapped shut and Amaimon's familiar leaned closer, sniffing him like a dog would. Then, Behemoth got off of him and went back to Amaimon, sitting down at its' master's feet.
"What are you doing Behemoth? I thought I told you to play with the boy?" Behemoth made a bunch of snarling and growling noises. They must have translated into something in demon-speak, though, as Amaimon listened to the noises as if Behemoth were speaking. "What do you mean you won't harm the boy who saved your life?" Behemoth made one more growling noise, and Amaimon shrugged. "Oh well," he said, "if you won't do it, then I guess I will. Hey." Konekomaru, panic levels on over-drive, was trying to crawl away from Amaimon. However, he found himself being picked up by the front of his shirt and felt a hand wrap lightly around his throat. Amaimon held him in one hand, dangling him in the air by his thin, delicate (at least in Amaimon's hand) neck. "You were trying to get away from me again? Wow, you must not be very bright. Oh well, at least you'll provide me with a bit of entertainment. I see you still have something left over from the last time I played with you and your friends, don't you?" Konekomaru managed to glance down at his cast, swallowing his nervousness with a bit of difficulty. "Don't you?" Amaimon's grip tightened slightly, causing Konekomaru to gasp for air.
"Er, y-yes." Amaimon nodded that he heard, but didn't loosen his grip. "Wh-wha-what are you going to do?" Amaimon pondered this, lightly scratching his head with his free hand. He seemed in no rush. In fact, by the way he acted, you would think that he and Konekomaru were just having a casual conversation.
"Hm, good question. What should I do to you?" He looked the boy over, still thinking. "Well, let's see here. I could always break a few more bones, maybe a couple of ribs. Or, I could always cut open your stomach and watch you bleed for a while." By how sharp Amaimon's nails felt, Konekomaru was sure that Amaimon could accomplish this task with little to no effort. Even though they were barely poking him, Amaimon's nails had pierced the skin on the back of Konekomaru's neck slightly, causing bits of blood to bead and drip down there. "No, can't let you bleed. I'm no good at healing, and big brother wants anyone associated with the Gale alive. Well, I could always just toss you into a few things and let the impact break your bones. That would be fun to watch. Hm, then again, I have the option to set some chuchi or hobgoblins on you, let them do the work. Ah, so many choices. But first," Amaimon pulled Konekomaru a bit closer, to they were practically nose-to-nose, "I still need an eyeball or two for my cousin, she loves the occult you see." His other hand opened and closed, nails brushing against each other. "Heck, I might just take both of your eyeballs. At least then you wouldn't have to wear those stupid glasses anymore."
Amaimon brought his hand closer to Konekomaru's face, the needle-sharp points of his nails pointed directly as his eyes. He pushed Konekomaru's red glasses up slightly, giving him a better access to Konekomaru's eye. Konekomaru tried to shut his eyes, turn away, anything. But Amaimon just forced Konekomaru to face him, and held open his eye with two fingers as the rest prepared to pluck his eyeballs from his sockets.
"Don't worry, this'll only hurt a lot." Konekomaru whimpered, trying to do anything to get away. Amaimon's nails came closer and closer to his eye...
Then, all of a sudden, he let go of him. Konekomaru dropped to the ground, rubbing his sore neck with his good hand as he gasped for air. Amaimon was a bit stunned, and looked at what made him let go. Like a sharp dagger, a single black feather had stabbed through his right hand, the point going directly through the palm and sticking out the other side. He tilted his head to the side in something akin to fascination.
"What?" Then, a sudden gust of wind, and Konekomaru felt himself being wrapped up in something thick and dark. Amaimon lashed out, grabbing for the young monk's leg. He could feel his nails graze the boy's calf, and then Konekomaru disappeared, taken by Gale, off to who knows where. Nothing remained in the spot where Konekomaru had been except for a few drops of blood. Amaimon watched this go on, then turned his attention to his hand. With no hesitation, he took hold of the feather and removed it from his hand, dropping the black object carelessly on the ground. "Hm, so that kid was the one that the Gale was possessing after all. I guess I shouldn't have wasted time with him. Oh well, now it'll be easier to track him, at least." He opened and closed his hand, the wound already healing. He had demonic healing powers like Rin, so his own wounds healed quickly. "So watch out kid, I'm comin' for ya'."
–
Konekomaru found himself dropped on the forest floor, still rubbing his sore neck. He coughed a bit as air returned to his lungs.
Does it hurt? Konekomaru looked up fiercely at Gale, still holding his neck.
"Of course it hurts, that guy was going to kill me! Where were you! And why is Amaimon, the King of the Earth, after you?" Gale flitted down a bit closer so it was perched on a tree branch slightly above Konekomaru.
As I explained earlier, I must hide in order to protect myself, it is only for my survival. I was around the whole time, I was only waiting for the right time to strike so I could assist you in escaping. As for your second question, I have no idea why the Earth King would be after me. All I know is that he wishes, for some reason or other, for me to be gone. However, Gale's voice seemed to take on a smile as he went on, if it were that easy to capture me, I'd have been dead long ago. Plus, I did get you out of there, did I not? Regardless of the time I took, I got you away from him before any serious harm could be done.
"Well," Konekomaru sat up, preparing to stand. "I guess you're ri-agh!" He fell back as soon as he tried to stand, pain was shooting up his leg. "Wh-what in the..." He reached for the pain's source, his right pant leg, and found that the fabric was torn and wet. He took his hand away, and gasped when he saw blood making a thin layer on his hand. Reaching down once again, he pulled up his pant leg to reveal the damage. His leg as all bloody. Two short, yet deep lines were cut into his skin, blood coming from both wounds. Konekomaru could only stare at his wounds, not knowing what to do.
Hm, it appears that I was wrong on that last note. Gale finally came down to ground level, right next to Konekomaru's wounded leg. Worry not, though, this shall take but a moment to repair. Gale lay a wing over the injuries, feathers brushing against skin and blood. A warm, calming sensation overcame the pain, allowing Konekomaru to relax a bit. When Gale pulled the wing away, the cuts were gone, not even a trace of scarring remaining. Konekomaru chanced standing up, and found that he could do so just fine. He looked at Gale, which was now sitting on a tree branch next to him.
"Um, thank you," he said quietly. Gale stared straight at him, red eyes boring into his being.
I gave you a bit of extra time, boy, but your decision must be made now. Konekomaru became confused, and he raised an eyebrow at the demon.
"Decision? About what?" Gale still stared at him, making him the slightest bit uneasy.
Our deal, boy. I said that I would give you three days to decide whether or not you would trust me. Today is the day to decide boy. Will you accept me, or shall I be on my way? Take your time boy, we can stay here until you make your decision. There is no need to rush. Konekomaru's features tightened as he tried to think. Inside his mind, he weighed all of the good parts against the bad. Everything he had experienced with Gale by his side against everything he thought and knew. It seemed that he had taken ages to decide, but he finally seemed to take his choice, looking resolutely at Gale.
"... Alright." Gale looked incredulously at the boy.
Pardon?
"Alright, I accept your deal. I'll trust you." If it had the capability, Gale probably would have grinned a shark-like smile not unlike Mephisto's.
Very well then. The deal has been struck, and there is no going back. From here on out, I shall be your faithful servant... master. Konekomaru seemed embarrassed by this title and shook his hand in front of him.
"Well, you don't have to go that far. It'll be more of a partnership than anything else, right?" Once again, Gale felt like smiling if it could. Only now, it would not be the smile of a hungry, expectant shark; it would be the smile of a shark that had just indulged on a large meal. An evil, satisfied smirk.
But of course.
–
Back at the base camp...
Shura sighed with boredom, leaning back against a tree.
"God this is so boring. I've already played the crap outta' my video game and I don't got jack squat to do right now." Yukio, who was reading at that moment, adjusted his glasses.
"Well, perhaps you ought to have brought a few books like me. They last longer. What about your familiars? Is everything all clear out in the forest?" Shura waved a hand at him.
"Yeah yeah, coast is all clear. Nuthin' bad in sight." She groaned and leaned back against the tree, but in the next second she was sitting up, alert. Yukio saw this and looked at her, prepared for something to happen. A vague slithering noise was heard, and a silvery, ghostly serpent emerged from the shrubbery nearby Shura. She looked at her familiar and crosser her arms. "What, what's goin' on out there?" The serpent hissed, then spoke.
Misstresss, other ssscoutsss have dissscovered the pressssence of the Earth King, Amaimon. We have taken no action, and we await your orderssss. Shura's eyebrows contracted into a frown and she stood up so she was looking down at her serpent familiar.
"This ain't good. You," she spoke to the snake, "go out and fine the exwires, tell 'em to get back to base camp immediately. Keep an eye out fer anythin' else suspicious. Is there anything else out there?" The snake nodded its' head once.
Yesss. We have confirmed that there isss indeed another high-level demon within the foressst. However, it is elusssive, ssso we do not know what it isss.
"Alright, just get out there and find the students on the double. We don't need another fight with Amaimon, so we've gotta' get 'em all outta' here as soon as possible. The snake slithered off into the bushes, speeding off to do its' mistress's commands. Yukio, his book put away, was already packing up the base camp.
"What do you think Shura?" Shura actually began helping, but she had pulled out her sword, just in case.
"I don't know wat t' think. All I know is that we've gotta' get these kids outta' here, and fast. We don't want any of 'em running into the Earth King, especially not Rin. He'll probably be the one that Amaimon is after." Yukio agreed to this.
"What do you think of this mystery demon? Should we attempt to figure out what it is?"
"No, not right now. I'll leave some of my familiars behind to investigate, but we'll contact Mephisto fer more information as soon as we're out of this forest." Shura paused after pulling the string on the bag for a tent she had just taken down. "But whatever it is, if it's a high-level, then it can't be anythin' good. Let's just hope that no one's run into that thing either."
–
Well, this was certainly troublesome. Gale had not planned on meeting the Earth King here. Though, it did know why Amaimon was there. From what Amaimon had said, he and Mephisto were planning to eliminate Gale, and whoever it had possessed. While Gale cared not for the boy, it did require the boy. It had come too far with this one to stop now, invested too much of its' time and energy. If it lost the boy then it lost its' whole reason for coming to this place. Still, at least one good thing came of this whole ordeal.
With the boy so complacent from fear, he had promised to trust Gale. One, no, three steps further. Only a small ways to go. In a matter of a few days, all that fear and power would belong to Gale. And once the boy was entrapped in Gale's web of lies and fear, he would never escape. Ever.
–
Ooh, things are certainly getting intense up in here. Now Amaimon's out to get Konekomaru too. Let's all just hope for his sake that he'll get out of this one okay. And for those of you who are confused as to why Behemoth didn't attack Konekomaru. Well... just go back to the last bonus chapter and you'll probably be able to figure out why.
Next chapter will be another bonus. As a tiny hint for what's happening in Konekomaru's past, well, let's just say that he's not going to be feeling very well for quite a while.
Please keep reading and reviewing, it's what keeps me going. And once again, a thanks to Miss Ravensoul for all she's done. People like her inspire me, and I give personal thanks to all like that. See you next chapter!
