Small Note: I can't believe how long this took me to post. This chapter has been sitting on my computer for awhile. I had forgotton all about it. I'm not sure if I'm going to continue with this story or not. There is a part of me that wants to see it complete. Originally there were only going to be nine chapters, but some how it grew! Thank you for all your support and comments. I love reading them! As readers, you're awesome!
The characters are not mine, I only like to play with them.
Chapter Fourteen: Dark Preparations
Painted in shadows and bathed in darkness, an imposing fortress with high walls and heartless guards was shrouded in a dense plot of trees. Little light shone down upon the stone castle that lay in the very center of the fort. An army of men donned their black cloaks, packed their travel bags and sharpened their silver weapons.
Ansem's eyes were lit with glee at the future that would surely make some of his plans come to pass and complete a long deserved revenge. He over looked the battle preparations from the balcony of his favorite room, the torture chamber. His eagle eyes flew about the ground searching the ocean of faces and finally landed on one of his generals, a young man whose youth betrayed a cunning intelligence.
Bluish grey hair concealed half of the man's face making him appear disinterested in the world, but Ansem knew that Zexion was well aware of his surroundings and far from indolent. Zexion was special; his battle skills were graced with strategic techniques and deadly swordplay. Ansem had found him on the streets, a lonely orphan boy, and taken him in to nurture a hatred of werewolves.
Many of his loyal generals harbored painful memories about werewolves and this was easy food for Ansem to feed upon. Once he got control of their fears, he created a special link that allowed him to give orders from mind to mind.
Zexion looked up at Ansem as if he felt someone thinking about him, and Ansem inclined his head, Come here.
After hearing his master's inner command, Zexion swiftly strode up the stairs leading to the balcony. Ansem quickly summoned his other two commanders. Damn those werewolves. It seemed, to Ansem that no matter what he did, the cursed monsters would always bite him in the back. He had already lost both Xigbar and Saix, but now, now that he had this army he could crush those beasts once and for all!
Zexion stood a few feet away from him, but the young general knew better than to talk before the others arrived and so he, like Ansem waited patiently. Ansem was a very patient man; he had to be, in order to extract his perfect revenge.
The others had gathered: Uptight Vexion, a slim and tall man whose intelligence would rival Zexion's if he wasn't so conceited and then there was Roxas, Ansem was quite pleased with the amount of control he had over the boy's mind. However, it was unfortunate that in achieving this power he had lost two would be generals, Riku and Cloud. It angered Ansem to feel his once tight strings loosen their hold within the young men's minds. He would make sure they regretted their choice in turning their backs on him.
"Will we be ready to leave tomorrow night?" Ansem asked of the blue haired general. He noted with some amusement that Vexion and Zexion stood on either side of Roxas, and away from each other. The two had never gotten along. Standing side by side Zexion and Roxas looked to be about the same height, but Vexion ruined the straight line of generals by towering over the other two.
"We can be ready to leave tonight." Zexion replied smoothly.
"Good. I know I can always count on you, Zexion." Said general, merely nodded humbly, but a jealous frown appeared on Vexion's face.
Ansem dismissed Zexion and Vexion with orders to see that they would indeed set out tonight, and then he turned on Roxas. Vexion made as if to say something but then thought better of it and left Roxas to face Ansem alone. Ansem couldn't resist the pull to bind Roxas closer still to his side.
"Roxas," Ansem said while carving his face into a mask of understanding and excitement, "This battle… this battle will fulfill your revenge. The pack of werewolves we are about to demolish…they're the ones responsible for the death of your friends."
Roxas opened his mouth as if to speak, but Ansem carried on; he wasn't ready to end his fun, "Roxas, the beast that killed your friends…his name is Leon."
"I will kill the monster!" Ansem smiled at the look in Roxas' eyes.
"I'm sure that when you do your friends will have their vengeance." Ansem patted Roxas's shoulder as a concerned person would comfort their friend.
-xxx-
Their cries had subsided, but the traces of their tears were evident upon their faces. The hammock rocked back and fourth, cradling their bodies. They no longer held each other, being men and all, and so they were once again a few inches apart. Both Sora and Cloud were exhausted and while Sora was getting his much needed rest, Cloud was left to ponder about all the information he had soaked up along with Sora's tears. During all those tears Sora had told him about what life was like before Leon ran away from home and became a creature of the night.
Shadows danced on the opposite wall of the little stone fireplace. The wind pulled at the trees making them rattle against the house. A woman with a kind heart-shaped face rocked ever so slowly in her antique rocking chair. Beneath her ankle length skirt her leg was set in a make shift cast. It still pained her but she surpassed the pain by hiding behind a little smile. She was deeply concentrating on the tiny stitches her silver needle was threading; resting on her frail shoulders was a chain linked silver necklace. The rustle of the door opening and closing brought a cold sweep of air into the room as well as the woman's youngest son who coughed into his mittens…
Sora trudged towards her chair and laid a frosted kiss above her brow, "H-how's y-your l-leg, m-mother?"
"Go warm yourself by the fire before you catch something." She inclined her head towards the fireplace.
She peered at him and a line of worry creased her brow when she heard a stifled cough. Sora huddled closer to the fire keeping his ragged coat on but pulling off his soaking mittens. She judged that his coat was the next to be mended. Sora blew on his hands and then held them out to the fire.
"Where are your brother and your father?"
"They should be here shortly. T-told me to go on ahead." Sora turned his face toward his mother, and the fire reflected the dark circles around his eyes and his snow white skin. She pierced her lips.
"We're home!" The voice that cried out was jolly, and the door swung open to reveal her husband and eldest son. Her husband's shaggy brown hair couldn't hide the light that lit up his face. He strode through the door carrying a bundle of wood which he set down by the fire. The cheerful man ruffled Sora's hair and bent down to peck his wife's delicate cheek.
"And how's my lovely queen?"
"Recuperating," She sighed, and looked over her older son searching for any signs of sickness, "Close the door before we all catch a chill." He did as he was bid and laid down his own burden beside the newly chopped wood.
"What'd you catch?" Sora asked, but opened the bag before Leon could answer, "Rabbit, yum! Finally, there's something besides vegetables!"
Leon still cold, stiffly sat beside Sora and the fire, "The rabbit is for me."
"You can't eat it all!" Sora exclaimed.
"Of course not, I'm sharing it with mom and dad."
"What about me?"
"I heard you like to eat vegetables." Leon reasoned, and despite his serious tone a smile slipped through his façade. Sora stuck his tongue out and turned his head away to hide his pout. The warmth from the fire bathed them in light, and their father took a hold of the rabbit carcass and flipped out his skinning knife. It was one of the best dinners Sora had ever had.
-xxx-
Husband and wife held each other in a cocoon of blankets on their pallet. Their children were wrapped in their own blankets and had fallen asleep by the fire.
The husband turned to his wife, "There's a sickness in the village."
"Is it the plague?" The woman asked in worry. Her hands trembled but not from the cold.
"I don't know," her husband sighed, "I could hear them coughing." Like Sora…but the comment was left unsaid between them. Earlier that week Sora had gone into the village to buy some medical herbs from the hedge witch for his mother's leg.
The couple sat in silence for awhile, each lost in their own fears before they too drifted off.
Sora who had only been pretending to sleep wrapped himself tighter in his blanket. He didn't like that his parents worried over him, and decided that he should be careful to conceal any signs of sickness. He glanced over at his brother, wondering if he too was still awake.
Leon. Sora wanted to do something to help ease the burdens that weighted down his brothers shoulders but he felt as if he was only making things worse. With their father's bad back and their mother's broken leg Leon had become the person everyone depended upon. Sora had tried to be of help by taking care of his mother and taking over most of her chores, but now he felt as if something dark was filling up his lungs, making it harder to concentrate and breathe. Sora knew that Leon wanted out, that he wanted less responsibility and Sora didn't know how to give it to him. And so he watched over his brother's slumbering form until sleep caught up with him.
-xxx-
Riku saw no one as he made his way to the place of Farewell. He knew that they were avoiding him, and he told himself that this made things easier. The look of mistrust, fear…hatred, he should be grateful for not seeing those emotions in their eyes. And yet, before the trial when he had been looked upon as a hero… when he had accepted Sora's invitation to stay, he hadn't once felt like an outcast. But he realized that now, now he was.
It would have felt something like relief to see another person, but considering that the other person was Leon…all he could feel was hatred and with it anger.
It seemed that the werewolves weren't the only ones making a non-appearance. Usually Riku could hear the steady cries of crickets, but even they had silenced their music.
Riku wasn't scared… no he was alert. He wouldn't give Leon the satisfaction of being frightened of him. Leon may have some cursed control over him (Riku was planning later to test how far away he could get from the den and Leon), but Riku had an obligation to conceal his uneasiness, not only for his pride, but for Sora's sake as well.
"You took your time."
Leon with his arms crossed leaned up against a large weeping willow. The branches swooped to the ground and a few of its silvery leaves trailed in the water.
Playing it cool, huh, I can play too. "I just received the message."
Leon's ice cold eyes met Riku's bored ones. He made sure to give Leon 'the-stop-wasting-my-time-and-get-to-the-point' look.
"As you are well aware, a member of my pack has been murdered," Leon said almost too casually. Anger swept through Riku's body but he was careful not to show it. "When a member dies there are certain rites that must be performed."
Riku thought back to when Sora had released the leaves down the stream. One of the leaves must have been for the werewolf who had bitten Cloud and gotten killed for it.
"I think it would be fitting, seeing as it was your kind that killed her, for you to be in charge of fetching the cypress leaf and donating blood."
"Donating blood?"
"A small token. There's no body, but the killer's blood should suffice."
"I didn't kill her." Riku's voice was very flat, too calm.
"No, but your friend did," Leon shrugged, and Riku advanced to pound him into the ground only he didn't get very far at all. In fact he was blown backwards. Leon chuckled, a sound that Riku hated instantly.
"A human, is a human. Your blood is all the same."
"And your only half wolf, so I guess that makes you half a killer." Riku sneered and Leon returned it with a growl.
"You will obtain what I ask you for or your donation will be more generous than I had originally planned."
"Part of the ritual." Riku muttered under his breath. Sora must have over looked some of the customs when he preformed the Farewell in secret, for a werewolf the scent of blood is powerful and may have attracted unwanted attention.
Leon paid no heed to Riku's mutterings, but shifted his body to the side as if he wanted Riku to walk past him, "The leaf and your blood will serve to guide Larxene's sprit back into the arms of the Mother Moon. I plan to have this ritual tonight, and so you must gather the leaf before the sunsets. There's a grove of Cypress trees behind me."
Riku strode past Leon, making sure to give him a good view of the hatred that chilled his eyes. So he was to be an errand boy?
Riku who had already donned his air of confidence never looked back at Leon and so he did not see the half smile that fluttered cruelly upon Leon's lips. The sun seemed to be eagerly awaiting his bed and the first hue of dusk streaked the sky.
Strolling on straight ahead, Riku began to have doubts about the ritual. He wished Sora were here or even Aerith to explain what would transpire and exactly how much of his blood would be needed. Riku was inclined to refuse giving his blood and would even fight Leon to prevent this part of the ritual, but he had no idea how tight the curse bound him. Could the curse have such a hold as to force Riku to cut himself? Or even take his own life?
Riku swore that he had been walking for a century, but the creeping sun was still nestled in its clouds above the world. He pushed his misgivings about heading out the wrong way to the back of his mind. He didn't trust Leon but he had already walked this far and he was not coming back without the leaf.
Sora. Riku hadn't wanted to leave him. The bond he felt for Sora was natural. It seemed so real compared to the hate he had harbored for werewolves. It was almost as if that hatred had been planted in his heart. A weed fed by misunderstanding. As this realization donned upon Riku so did another one: All his resentment towards werewolves stemmed from Ansem…
An old but perfectly alive cypress tree stood before him. The trees around it seemed to circle it as if they too knew the importance of its leaves. Slightly relieved that he had found the tree Riku increased his pace and felt a light tug then…stumbled. He cursed as he picked himself off the ground and took another step forward. Only to fall once again. Riku glanced back at his feet seeing neither stubborn tree stump nor snakelike root.
What the hell?
…
The bond. The curse.
Riku's eyes widened and cautiously he got on his hands and knees. As if testing the waters, Riku crawled onward towards the towering cone shaped tree. He had a few seconds of elation at being able to continue his trek, but suddenly he felt a light pull trying to force him backwards. It started as a gentle tug of wind but the nearer he went to the tree and the further from Leon the harsher it became. A gust of wind thrust him to the ground briefly stunning him.
Riku had to take a moment to catch his breath, and noticed that he was the only thing being beaten around by the wind. The trees were still and the clouds hardly moved at all. He threw one hand forward then another, using the ground to push his body closer to his destination. Riku gritted his teeth, determination aflame in his eyes. Fury pounded in his every victory as he struggled to the tree.
Almost there. His hand reached out, grasping for a bit of green meeting only air. The squall shoved against him halting any further progress. He knew then, that Leon had set him up to fail with victory just out of his grasp.
"Fuck you, Leon!" Riku screamed, but his words were only thrown back in his mouth by the currents.
The sun was now surrounded by a blushing pink and a delicate blue. Who knew that failure could look so innocent, so peaceful? But something held in Riku. Some strength he didn't know he had possessed. And the sky felt so familiar like a friend granting him a loving smile and holding out a hand. A kindly breeze touched lightly against his cheek, tousling his hair, acting like a balm. This wind was different from the other and while it did not fight against it, it did seem to pass through it and ruffle the branches of the cypress tree.
A small snap…and whoosh!
The tickling breeze disappeared, but in Riku's hand was something soft and green. Riku pulled his hand closer, he already knew what it was but he couldn't help himself from staring at the little twig with astonishment.
With one hand cradling the leaf and the other pushing himself backwards Riku breathed a sigh of relief as he grew further from the tree and the evil torrent lessened.
-xxx-
The next day the wind blew worse than before. Father's back ached more than usual and he was unable to get out of bed without convulsing in pain. Sora's mother had Leon move her rocking chair next to his father and it was there where she began to patch up Sora's worn coat. As Sora prepared breakfast his eyes kept traveling over to his brother as if making sure the other was still there.
Last night, Leon had tossed and turned in his sleep, muttering words that brought tears to Sora's eyes. Sora had an uneasy feeling, a feeling that kept pestering him to observe his brother under a more watchful eye.
It was after they had all eaten, and Sora's father had fallen asleep, and Sora's mother had continued her sewing that Leon had donned his newly patched jacket and his sturdy snow boots and left using the front door.
Perhaps Sora should have gone after him or at least stopped him from taking another step forward. But Sora stood wordlessly with a burning certainty that his brother would return, but, if asked, he would not say that he was certain that they would be a family once more.
Sora didn't begrudge his brother for leaving, he had guarded his brother's sleep and had seen the confusion and sadness in his eyes. He knew that his brother had left on a journey to find himself.
But he didn't know that this was the last he'd ever see of that human.
-xxx-
A tough and well armed band trampled through a forest of naked grey trees. The officers, who rode sturdy steeds, traveled with an air of anticipation. At the front of this deadly army was a man who believed that he was riding towards his dream.
A devil like smirk gleamed on Ansem's handsome face. There was nothing that could hide the desire that radiated in his eyes.
Behind him, in an arrow like formation rode Roxas, Zexion, and Vexion. They were mounted atop of black horses and wore midnight cloaks that concealed their faces. He didn't have to touch their minds to know that they were as eager for this battle as he was. He wondered if they would all die in the end, but Ansem comforted himself with the thought that it wouldn't matter as long as got his revenge.
Ansem took a calming breath of fresh air as if trying to taste the sweet end of his revenge a little earlier; instead he smelt the unmistakable, yet faint stench of a werewolf. His eyes hardened, they weren't close enough to that bastard Leon's pack for him to smell any sign of werewolf yet. Be on your guard gentlemen, Ansem warned, and he felt rather than heard his generals reply, and knew that they were alert to the danger.
As the troop continued forward the reek of werewolves got stronger, and Ansem was able to deduce that it was only one werewolf giving off the offensive smell. He could also tell that this werewolf had never been in contact with Leon.
An almost visible greed swam over Ansem's face. It was about time that he gifted himself with a new pet. Sephiroth had never been any fun to play with, and the others had died all with the exception of Leon…but this would soon be remedied.
He gave his command, and watched out of the corner of his eye as a gang of solders followed one of his trusted generals towards his new prize.
Once his beast was captured it would be at his fortress waiting for him, a wonderful surprise for his reward in wiping out that escapee's pack. Ansem tried to picture what his new pet would look like, and how its fur coat would look when stained with blood.
"Ansem."
Disturbed from his fantasy, Ansem turned to give a cold eye towards the perpetrator responsible for interrupting his thoughts.
"Do you have something to say, Vexion?"
"…"
"Is it something you're afraid I might not like to hear?"
Vexion, tugged at the hood of his cloak, "Do you think it was wise sending him to retrieve your new…"
"If I did not think it wise, then I would have sent somebody else," Ansem turned to give Vexion the full chill of his gaze, "Take the example of your companion and never question me again."
Ansem looked back ahead, and attempted to summon his fantasies up once again. Vexion muttered angrily to himself behind him.
-xxx-
Axel had wondered up ahead of Namine, seeking un-expecting meat that would make a good diner. He wore his wolf form in order to track and retrieve their meal quicker.
He pitied Namine who had no wolf form of her own, and lightly pondered how she could ever eat without him and his hunting skills.
With his nose to the ground he caught the whiff of a brown rabbit, and licked his chops with his lolling tongue. He increased his pace once on the trial, leaving a hunter's padded paws in the soft mud. Axel was unaware of a group of riders closing in on him as his nose was buried in a rabbit's blood. And so, the black robed figure that was closing in on him with a sword of silver clutched in his steady hand remained undetected until the rabbit dove for cover at sensing impending danger.
The small figure dressed in a black robe advanced with silver sword drawn. Axel could not find cover quick enough.