"...-id."
"...C'mon! Wake up!"
Voices faded in and out as he came to, dazed as he fought off the urge to sink back into sleep. It was much warmer than he last remembered and the comfortable heat lulling him to sleep was only beaten by the incessant tapping against his cheek. He swatted at the annoyance only to wince at the soreness in his arm. As he became more aware of his surroundings he also noted the dull aches throughout his heavy limbs. Had they hit something when they fell through the portal?
The ground beneath him felt soft, grass tickling the back of his neck as he opened his eyes to squint at the shadow looming over him. Blue filled his vision and he brought a hand up to shield his eyes from the bright light filtering in around the form. Once his eyes adjusted to the sudden change in lighting he could clearly see Black Star over him with the broadest grin. "Wakey, wakey sleepy head! We got some adventuring to do!" The other boy's green eyes shone when he sat up and rubbed at the back of his head. "Hey! C'mon Kid, say something will ya?"
Kid kept silent, choosing instead to look around the area. Trees towered over them, sunlight filtering through the vibrant green canopy arching overhead. A river stone walkway led out of the clearing and farther into the forest around them. Black Star offered him a hand to stand and he took it, careful to be sure he was steady on his feet before he let go.
A bit away he could see his brother fussing over his weapon, wrapping a bandage around the man's arm despite Vajra's obvious protests. He blinked at the sight, taking a moment to fully register that the man no longer had his green, fur-lined winter coat or black hat on. Instead he wore the blue and white pinstripe vest over a white button up that Kid was familiar with. His coat lay folded beside him on the stone pillar he was sat on and beside it was Black Star's blue one, darker than he remembered and spread out across the pillar as if it had been washed and left to dry.
He turned to Black Star then. Though he still had his earmuffs on his head the jacket he'd had before was missing and so was his scarf. That left him in the black, long-sleeved thermal shirt with it's sleeves now rolled up past his elbows. His bright blue hair seemed more of a mess than usual though and Kid could only frown at the fact that he knew it wouldn't be fixed anytime soon. "Where are we?"
Folding his arms behind his head, the other boy answered, "Not sure. There's a lake right along that path though, I washed off the sap stuff there." He thumped a fist against his chest, nose turned up as a proud grin crossed his face. Turning back to Kid, he led the other boy's attention to the wall behind them. The same spell circle was carved there as well, but placed just out of reach as if it had once been on a higher floor. The skull charm that opened the door had disappeared. Only an empty slot for one faced them.
A weight settled in his gut as he stared at the overgrown wall covered in a mass of the same black vines as it's counterpart. It seemed they were trapped on this side now with no way back through the door. Whatever led them into this place must have done so with a purpose, but what could it have wanted? Was it just luring anyone in or were they targeted specifically? The cold creeping down his spine made him shiver and he rubbed at the back of his neck anxiously.
"We need to find another one of those charms if we want to get back home." He stated as he walked around to investigate the area. Kicking over stones and digging through the underbrush revealed nothing. Again, this time with more urgency, he searched through every place he could think of that would have hidden a key to the door outside. And again there was nothing. The weight on his shoulder drew his attention before he could start his third search so he glanced over it to see who stopped him.
Vajra smiled gently down at him, carefully steering him away from his task and leading him to sit on the pillar the man had been on earlier. Kid obeyed, clasping his hands together and chewing on his bottom lip. He hadn't realized his hands were shaking until then. Did he look worse than he assumed? Black Star came to sit beside him, looking surprisingly apologetic.
"There's no point searching for the key. Asura checked everywhere about twenty times before I could calm him enough to get him to stop." Vajra said, crossing his arms with a huff and a shake of his head. He cast a glance at his partner and Kid followed his gaze to see his brother standing stiff as a board. The slightest shaking in his shoulders and his darting eyes gave away his anxiety.
In a quiet, cracking voice, the older god chimed in, "W-we decided to keep going… Th-there has to be a… another key somewhere, r-right?" One hand reached out for his partner and Vajra responded immediately, gripping it tightly with a reassuring smile. Asura visibly relaxed, shoulders drooping slightly and the anxiety fading to something more like cautious unease.
"Of course! If there's a key to enter, there must be one to leave! We only need to find it." Came the verbal reassurance. Whether or not they could find it was what worried Kid. This place seemed much bigger than he could have imagined. Hell, there was apparently a lake here! A lake! It made him wonder just how big it really was. Could they really find one of those keys?
Suddenly, Black Star hopped to his feet with a determined look on his face. He pumped one fist in the air and shouted, "ALRIGHT! Let's go find it then! I wanna look around at other places anyway." He bounded past the meister and weapon pair towards the path leading into the woods. When they didn't follow immediately, he spun around to wave wildly at them until they began to move.
Despite the worry he now felt, excitement welled up in his chest at the invitation to explore. Surely it wouldn't hurt to do what they came for in the first place, right? They would just need to be more alert and mindful of their actions. If something did happen, they had Asura with them so they should be safe. Kid tried his best to reason away his own fears to enjoy this adventure as best he could as he trailed after his friend.
The path through the woods was quiet, warm light filtering through the canopy above. The stones making up the path underfoot had moss and grass weaving between them with the occasional flower popping up among them. Compared to the frigid vihara they found the door in, this place was practically tropical.
Still, it's silence didn't match the serene scenery of the forest. It was far too quiet. No birdsongs rang out. No animals could be heard. No breeze blew through to rustle the leaves of the trees overhead. All of this life around them, but the forest felt… dead. Like walking through a painting, the scene was pretty but it was all in appearance only. For how lifelike it was, there was no real life within. He didn't like it one bit.
The trees thinned around them until they stopped completely before a grassy bank where Black Star skidded to a halt ahead of him. He stopped beside his friend, staring out at the lake ahead. It seemed like a very small one, he could see across the water to the towering peaks across from them. It's surface was smooth and still, reflecting both their side and the other in striking detail like a mirror would. About half way through spires of white rocks loomed out of the water, connected by red rope decorated with yellowed streamers. A bit away, a short dock was built and a boat had been left on the muddy shore.
Something pulled at the back of his mind, dulling his excitement with more unease. A flash of a presence came and left so quickly he wasn't sure if he really felt anything at all. He cast a glance back to his brother, the older reaper meeting his eyes as if wondering the same thing he was. Their silent communication was broken by Black Star as he called them over to the boat. It was long and thin, reminiscent of an old viking fishing boat with it's oars laid out in the bottom of the boat. There seemed to be enough room for the four of them and then some.
Black Star pushed it towards the water, but Asura stopped him. He grabbed the boy by his shirt's collar and dragged him back, ignoring the choking sound the kid made. "We don't need that. We can just fly over. It's faster that way." Black Star pouted and opened his mouth to argue only to shut it with a thoughtful look.
"Sure," He shrugged and folded his arms behind his head as he moved to stand by Kid. "I say we do it."
Asura stared at him for a moment as if wondering if he should say something else. He thought better of it and shook his head instead. Holding his hand out, he waited patiently for the flash of red and the familiar weight to settle in his hand. The gold of the weapon gleamed in the light, sharp blades pointed carefully away from himself. Vajra's voice echoed in his head cheerfully, the presence comforting to the reaper.
Nodding, Kid held out one hand to summon his skateboard. Once it was in hand he tossed it down and stepped on. Black Star hopped on the back immediately, wrapping his arms around Kid's waist tightly as they hovered in the air. Once the other god had joined them in the air, Kid took off across the water's surface. Water sprayed up around and behind him, the ripples disturbing the water. The presence he'd felt shifted again and he tensed. If something was really there, he would be ready for it. But nothing came as the four sped across the lake. Asura lagging behind cautiously as the younger two rushed ahead.
The spires looming over the lake were almost on them now and he could now see the white stone wasn't stone at all. It was ice, curling up from the water in a rough half arch ending in a sharp point like claws. The streamers hung from the red rope were actually slips of yellowed papers covered in black ink, like seals. It wasn't until he passed beneath them that he realized his mistake.
Pale green shot up the spires and along the ropes, lighting up each seal scribbled on the papers above. The air crackled, goosebumps rising on his skin. Pins and needles pricked at his fingers and toes, the numbing feeling spreading through his body until he felt he couldn't move. The solid wood of the board beneath his feet vanished in a swirl of shadow and suddenly he was tumbling through the air. He could hear both his friend and brother shout in alarm before the water swallowed him and Black Star.
It was cold. Colder than he had expected for such a warm place. Slowly the numbness faded and he could move properly again. The current tugged at him, trying to pull him down so he kicked and clawed against it back to the surface. The moment his head broke the surface he called out for Black Star, turning frantically in the water to find his friend. Black Star popped up a second later, hacking up water as he righted himself and Kid couldn't help but shout, "STAR! Are you okay?"
He took a moment to answer, sputtering as the water splashed against his face. "Course I am! I'm so great, a little swim is nothin'!" He laughed only for it to cut off into more coughing. As it died down, he added, "Lake water's gross though. Tastes nasty. You good?"
"Y-yeah. I feel a bit weird but I'm not hurt. We should get back to shore, it's really cold in here." He responded with a nod towards the Star agreed, tossing a quick 'race ya' out before taking off. Kid could only shake his head as he followed with much less enthusiasm. As soon as they passed the spires, the numbness he'd felt disappeared and the light faded from them until they were their original white. And then he was weightless, Black Star letting out a surprised yelp as he too floated out of the water.
They were set down with surprising gentleness on the wooden floor of the boat. Black boots were the first thing he saw when he looked up, turning his gaze higher until he met nervous gold eyes. His brother said nothing, simply flicked his wrist and the warmth engulfed him as his clothes and hair dried. Once it was done, Asura crossed his arms and frowned as he asked in a shaky voice, "W-what was that?"
Kid could only shrug but one look at his brother's face let him know that it wouldn't pass. So he tried to explain to the best of his abilities, mirroring Asura's expression and posture. "I'm not sure. I felt numb all of a sudden, like when you sit too long and your leg feels prickly. Then Beelzebub just disappeared and we fell into the water." It was a poor explanation but Asura's expression darkened as he spoke.
It was Vajra who answered though, wrapping Black Star's jacket around the shivering boy despite his protests that he wasn't cold now that he was dry. "I think these are some kind of anti-magic seals. It's strange that it affected you though. I've only heard of seals for gods but they were supposed to be lost a long time ago. I don't think any normal magic sealing technique could have done this though." A pause broke the man's words as he glanced at his tense partner, "I don't really like saying this knowing that, but this is the only place to go now so we have to go forward." He nudged Asura carefully once he noticed the other shaking.
"NO!" Asura shouted, making both boys jump. He crossed one arm over the other in an X shape, the sudden movement rocking their boat as he continued, "This is a bad idea! If it affects me too then we are fucked if we run into an enemy! And speaking of enemies, did we forget that someone is purposely leading us around? We could be walking right into a trap!"
Vajra seemed unfazed by the outburst and set a hand on his partner's shoulder to calm him and prevent him from flipping the boat over. "I know but I don't think we have a choice. If we want to leave, we either need a new key or we have to find another way out and if this is a trap those certainly will not be anywhere near the entrance." Asura tried to argue with him but a hand clamped over his mouth to keep him quiet and the weapon continued with more conviction, "Listen to me. If we get to the city, maybe one of the residents has or had a key. If there's no one there, we can search. If someone is there, maybe we can get the key from them. We don't need to play this game of theirs, we just need a way out or we'll never leave. You understand, right?"
Slowly the reaper nodded, shrinking in on himself at the scolding tone and grumbling about 'Black Star's fault'. Vajra responded with an amused smile and turned to the rest of them, "So we are all in agreement, yes?"
Kid nodded and Black Star struck a pose, leaning forward with one arm ahead of him and the other stretched behind him as he shook his hands about. "Yeah! Cheer up and let's adventure!" Asura glared at him for the comment.
"Don't fucking jazz hands at me, you caused this problem!" He snapped, hugging himself and leaning against his partner for comfort. Vajra just rolled his eyes and obliged, throwing an arm around his shoulder. A moment passed before Asura nudged the oars towards them and growled, "This was your idea. You row."
Any protests Black Star had were quieted by Kid as he handed an oar to his friend. The boat rocked gently with each stroke and they soon passed the icy spires again. Just like last time, they lit up and the air crackled to life. The numbness came as a dull throb this time, because he wasn't using magic this time maybe?
He found he could no longer sense the people around him with his soul perception. A sour taste was left in his mouth at the realization. If something so integral to a person could be blocked, then they had a lot more to worry about.
He glanced at his brother as they rowed in silence, worry gnawing at him thanks to the earlier outburst. For all the anger, he had come to learn it was just a defense to hide his fear. It could be seen in the way the older god tried to hide his shaking and the way his eyes darted around to look for any possible enemy. He was starting to feel guilt weighing on his mind for dragging Asura into this mess he and Black Star had gotten into, however unintentional it was. With luck, they'd find what they needed soon and they could leave.
It grew colder as they neared the opposite shore, a faint breeze picking up as they steered the boat towards a dock similar to the other one. Soon enough it pulled up alongside the dock and Black Star quickly hopped out. He tossed the oar back into the boat carelessly before running ahead. Asura shouted after him, moving to chase the boy only to sit back down as the boat leaned too far to the right.
Kid shook his head at that as he set his own oar down to carefully climb out. After a quick glance around the dock he found a rope coiled around a fairly sturdy looking mooring. He handed the loose end off to his brother so their ride could be secured. If they were lucky there might be another exit, but there was also a chance that they would need to backtrack to the door they came from. Asura and his partner would probably catch up so he chased after his friend.
A bright red and gold pavilion sat a good distance away from the water's edge, strangely intact. It's octagonal hip roof hung far enough over the edge to shield the statues at either side of the entrance. If he had to guess, the structure was probably Chinese in origin. A cobbled stone walkway trailed from the dock up the hillside to the pavilion and he jogged along it's windy path.
'But that's still odd.' He found himself thinking back to the vihara and the ruined building they came from. Both were almost certainly Buddhist or Hindu, but he could only guess what it was truly like as any traces of it's religion were wiped clear from the walls. A Chinese influence also wasn't too strange given the proximity of the countries even in their history, but the boat seemed to definitely be some kind of small viking boat. It seemed quite far away to be in Shangri-la as far as he was concerned.
"HEY! C'MERE!" Black Star shouted from ahead. One arm waved wildly in the air and the other tucked close against him, his hand cupped beside his mouth like it would amplify his voice. He stood at the top of a small flight of stairs leading up to the pavilion. The statues stood at the foot of the stairs, one on the left and right respectively. At this distance he could see they were unfinished, roughly carved into the shape of an animal. Each had a wolf's skull set over its face like a mask. Their empty eyes unnerved him a bit but he shook his head at the feeling.
If there was anything he should be worried about, it was the all too familiar black vines growing out from beneath their skull masks. They wrapped around the statues' necks, criss-crossing along their bodies and tangling together on the ground in a mess. Kid scowled at the vines first, then up at the blue haired boy above. He only received a mischievous grin in return. There was no way he wanted to step on those things. What happened to Black Star earlier was still fresh in his mind and he would rather not accidentally glue himself to something. The jump wasn't too big though so he backed up to get a running start, charging towards the stairs and leaping over the vines.
Instead of moving as expected, Black Star stood in place with his arms spread like he would catch the reaper. Kid hit him head on, knocking them both off balance and sending the two crashing to the ground together with a loud thud and a crack. Quickly rolling off of the other boy, Kid stood to brush himself off and offered a hand to help him up.
Black Star grinned up from the floor, green eyes meeting gold as a grin broke across his face. He winked and curled his hands into guns that were pointed towards the other boy. "Geez Kiddo, I know you love me but I didn't think you'd actually jump into my arms like that." Kid only rolled his eyes at that, reaching down to grab him by the arm and drag him to his feet.
"You're lucky I didn't leave you on the floor." He stated, earning a pout from his friend as he patted dirt and dust from his clothes. Their attention was drawn to the entrance again when another 'thunk' sounded behind them. Vajra had joined them now, quickly moving aside to allow Asura to land silently where he stood just seconds ago. The two stared at them for a moment, then broke off to poke around the pavilion.
The younger boys followed their lead, though there didn't seem to be anything of note inside. Just a stone table surrounded by a few chairs were set in the center. A dark stain covered half of the tabletop in a messy splatter, the faintest hint of iron wafting from it. If it weren't for the crinkle of Asura's nose as he inspected it, Kid may have thought he imagined it.
Asura eyed the stain warily and sat down on the clean side, elbow on the table and chin resting in the palm of his hand. His eyes trailed after the younger boys as they lost interest in him and huddled together to investigate more. A quiet conversation started between them about what could possibly be waiting ahead so he tuned them out in favor of watching his partner study the remaining traces of a gruesome crime scene.
The weapon was engrossed in his self appointed task. He started at the table where the most obvious splatter was, meeting Asura's eyes with an excited grin before turning away to follow the darker trail along the floor. Asura simply watched, suppressing a shudder as he noted the small gashes in the wood around the dragging stains. It wasn't until Kid appeared beside him, waving a hand in his face, that he grudgingly looked away. "What."
"You done staring at your boyfriend? I need something from you." His voice was surprisingly low, usually the younger boy wouldn't pass up the opportunity to embarrass him. He raised an eyebrow curiously instead of responding in denial as he usually would have. This didn't go unnoticed by his brother. The boy mirrored his expression and took a moment to choose between satisfying his curiosity or getting what he wanted.
Finally the younger god backed up and sighed. "Did you have the journal last? It wasn't in my bag." Kid asked, brow furrowed together as he chewed his bottom lip. They stared at each other for a while, Kid's anxious expression successfully earning him a nod and a sympathetic look.
Asura unzipped his jacket and stuffed a hand inside to find the soft leather of the book. His hand met something stiff and cold set into the leather and he paused. A frown marred his face as he pulled it out and carefully flipped it over. Kid's cold hand clasped his shoulder as the boy leaned in. Even without his soul perception it was easy to pick up the curiosity rolling from him in waves as the reapers stared down at the book in the older god's hands.
The simple, silver wolf skull set into the cover stared back with empty black sockets. Around it black lines of ink swirled like vines across the cover and black ribbon was tied neatly in a bow holding it shut. It shook violently with Asura's hands until Kid had to pluck it from his brother as the elder struggled to untie the bow. He understood the fear though. The sudden change of the journal's appearance left a knot in his stomach and a lump in his throat. A journal shouldn't just change it's a appearance so suddenly. For it to be so different now than it was hours ago, either magic was at play or somehow someone swapped the original for this new one under their noses.
Carefully, Kid opened it to the first page. The musty smell of old paper and something… metallic hit him first. Bringing it closer to his face, he sniffed at it. It made his stomach flip, and the dawning horror on Asura's face only confirmed his suspicion that it was written in blood. He shook his head, trying to clear the thoughts building in his mind and fueling his own fear as he focused on the words. The characters scrawled across the pages erratically were clearly written with a brush instead of the strokes of an old ink pen he remembered in the previous journal. He opened his mouth to try and read them out loud for their partners but the words caught in his throat.
They hadn't noticed Vajra or Black Star's approach until the book was ripped from Kid's hands by the latter, earning a startled squawk from both gods. It was only in the other boy's possession for a second before Vajra snatched it and held it out of his reach. "Hey! No fair, you're taller than me!" The boy cried out accusingly, brows furrowed as he glared and bared his teeth. He grabbed Vajra's green jacket and stepped up on a stone chair in an attempt to pull himself up to take back the book. Vajra only shoved him away and rushed over to Asura's side with a mocking grin.
"I dunno why you want it, you probably can't even read it. Looks pretty old." The man teased as he slid off one glove and set that hand on his partner's head. He paused when he felt the other tense under his touch, smile disappearing as his lips pressed into a thin line. It passed quickly as he ruffled his partner's hair reassuringly until some of the tension disappeared and the reaper leaned into the touch.
Black Star scoffed at his words, mimicking the mocking grin as he spoke up, "So what, I bet you can't read it either." He stuck his tongue out at the man, arms crossed over his chest as he turned away. Then he stopped, as if realizing something, and added, "Just give it back to Kid. He's good with this stuff."
Vajra only rolled his eyes, gently patting Asura's head again and pretending his smile wasn't because the reaper tried to hide his embarrassment behind his scarf. "Normally I couldn't, but that's what Asura's for." Without any elaboration he turned the page back to the first one and cleared his throat, keeping his bare hand on his partner.
"There is nothing left for me here, only a mountain of corpses outside my door. It's their fault. I did nothing wrong, why would they do this to me? I did nothing wrong. I did nothing wrong. I just made a friend. He made me feel again, he was there for me. They were the real monsters- abandoning me, punishing me for meeting with him- not him. I just wanted to be happy again. Why did they do this to me? It hurts so much but I-," Vajra frowns, trailing off with where the writing became illegible and smudged. Flipping the page he stared down at the sudden change in handwriting, steadier than the previous but still messy as if the writer had difficulty moving. Its flow remained similar to the delirious writing before it.
"I cannot walk now. It's hard to breathe and so very hot. Infection probably. He's trying so hard but we both know I won't make it. My lord. My savior. You were right, humans cannot be trusted. From the bottom of my heart I thank you for your efforts to save my life. I thank you for bringing me to paradise. I swear to you, even in death I will follow you and aid you in whatever you do. Your loyal servant, forever yours." The weapon repeated the last sentence quietly under his breath, though he knew Asura heard him when the reaper tensed again. "Though it may be selfish of me to ask more of you, I know I must ask for a new body. I must help you regain your kingdom. My one and only, the true god of this world."
"...True god?" Kid muttered, tilting his head slightly to the side. "Are you sure you read that right?"
Vajra nodded, moving his hand again to turn the page before returning it back to its place on Asura's head. Instead of continuing he answered Kid, "Yeah, pretty sure since I'm not the one doing the translating. It definitely says 'true god'. I can't tell if this guy got involved in a cult or fell in love with this 'god' of theirs, but I am concerned that they mentioned needing a new body." Despite seeming unfazed, the weapon felt his unease build alongside sympathy. Blind devotion was not unfamiliar and neither was this unhealthy dependency, even if it was something he'd unlearned a long time ago. The slightest bit of reassurance poked at him, Asura's silent show of understanding reaching through their resonance.
With sparkling eyes and a grin impossibly wide, Black Star leaned forward. His hands clasped together, eyes wide and a pout suddenly replacing the smile on his face as he did his best impression of a puppy begging for attention. "Can ya keep going? See if it says where their 'god' is and tell me please!"
"You are not fighting a god." Came Vajra's deadpan response as he stared down at the boy and tightened his hold on the journal.
"C'mon! You'll be my new favorite person here if you tell me!" He tried again but the weapon only raised an eyebrow at his antics and shook his head. Groaning, Black Star set his head on the table. A moment later his head popped up again, brows furrowed in frustration and eyes squeezed shut as his hands dragged down his face. This time he whined, "What do I have to do to get you to tell me where this god is! I just wanna hit it once! You want me to beg? I'll beg!"
Before Vajra could answer, Kid spoke up, annoyance clear in his voice despite the joking tone, "Then get on the ground and beg." Though he seemed to have recovered from his unease outwardly, his friend's complaints wore on his fraying nerves. But the other boy just covered his mouth with his hands as he tried to hide his laughter. The corner of Kid's mouth twitched, pulling into a small smile at the reaction as a bit of the tension dulled.
"Sorry, even that won't do. We need to focus on securing an exit first before anything else." He let an unspoken maybe hang in between them, knowing it was unlikely to happen anyway. It seemed to be enough to pacify the boy. Black Star grinned broadly, the gleam of determination in his eyes brighter than the toothy grin he flashed. A thumbs up was thrown at the weapon, only to almost hit the older reaper in the face.
Asura was quick to smack it away with a growl. However, his tone softened as he turned to his partner, "What about exits? Does it say anything about another exit or where to find the keys?" His hand tapped against the table as he waited the few seconds for Vajra to flip through the pages.
The weapon's expression began to change as he flipped through the new journal with both hands, scanning for pictures that could be of use. At first he seemed unfazed but soon his lips pressed into a thin line, then twisted into a frown as his brows pulled together. He paused suddenly, shoulders stiff as he lifted his head to look around them. The frown deepened and the hairs on the back of his neck stood on end as a shiver ran down his spine. "Hey, do you guys feel that?"
Immediately Asura tensed, but the younger two didn't seem to notice anything off. Slowly he stood and looked around only to find nothing. Still, the all too familiar feeling of eyes watching him from somewhere burned into his back and left him on edge. Was someone out there? Watching them? From where? How far were they? Could he react in time to stop them? He didn't have his powers, what if he couldn't protect his idiot brother and the boy's reckless friend?
He hadn't realized he was gripping the table so tightly until the stone splintered with a resounding crack and crumbled in his shaking hands. At least he still had his strength, that was somewhat reassuring even if it couldn't calm the rising anxiety tying his stomach in knots and weighing heavy on his chest until breathing became more difficult. Even the comforting hands set on his shoulders by his partner and brother couldn't calm him this time. His panicked mind focused too much on the worst case scenarios to respond to the friendly touch, pushing into a hazy vigilance as he tried to pinpoint the source of the feeling.
A creak sounded overhead and his head snapped towards the sound, golden eyes meeting the pitch black sockets of the creature lounging in the rafters. Though its exposed arms and legs appeared human, the black ears on its head twisted and its long tail swished through the air behind it. A cloak so dark it appeared to absorb all the light that touched it covered its body and atop its head sat a bleached white wolf skull, tilted so its face could not be seen. Its ears flattened against its head as it tilted its head to the side, realizing that it had been spotted when the rest of his party's shouts of surprise echoed through the quiet pavilion.
In one swift movement, it dropped from the rafters and landed noiselessly on the table in a crouch. Then it shot forward in a swirl of black, passing Asura faster than his fuzzy, frightened mind could register and barreled into the weapon beside him. A pained shout snapped him from the trance he'd fallen into. Rage replaced the fear as he whirled around and lunged at the thing sinking its teeth into his partner's arm. The creature barely dodged, ears perked up in alarm as he rounded on it again fully intent on finishing it where it stood.
Shadows shot up around it as he charged, shooting towards them all and forcing him to defend against them instead. He skidded as he tried to hurry and turn back, reaching the table and flinging it with all his strength into the oncoming attack. It shattered like glass, raining bits of debris down on them. But it had served its purpose and he turned his attention to the creature again only to find it gone. A quick glance around and he could see it sprinting away up the hillside towards the massive stairway carved into the side of the massive stone wall ahead leading to a cavernous opening at the top. He was ready to give chase, track it down and end the damn thing as quickly as possible, but the scent of blood hanging in the air reminded him of their current position.
Quickly returning to Vajra's side he tried to suppress the shaking of his hands enough to roll the man's sleeve back to inspect the wound. Vajra smiled at him, offering reassuring words even as his voice shook and he hissed at the reaper's prodding. "It's fine! I was lucky! If I didn't block that, I think it might have torn my throat out. A little bite like this is nothing anyway since I can borrow your healing." He tried to push the reaper out of the way only to be pushed back himself.
"Stay." Asura commanded with an unusual finality as he motioned for the boys beside them to come up. They snapped out of their daze, Kid quickly slinging his bag from his shoulder as he obeyed. He quickly fished out the small first aid kit he'd tucked in there and passed it to Asura, who snatched it from his hands immediately.
The weapon could only roll his eyes, knowing better than to argue with his partner as his wounds were patched. Even if he would heal soon enough, that fact alone couldn't calm Asura's worry. So he watched and let him treat it instead. The marks on his arm were aligned like a human's teeth but much deeper, as if the owner had fangs instead of blunt teeth. He couldn't observe for long before the new bandage was added beside the one from earlier, small flecks of red bleeding through the white fabric.
Once finished Asura rolled the sleeve down and threw himself at his partner, wrapping his arms around the man's neck and squeezing tightly as he dared. Vajra followed suit, mumbling a quiet apology for his carelessness as he tried to comfort his shivering partner. When Asura calmed enough, he spoke up, his tone chastising as he frowned up at the weapon, "This is why we have to keep our guard up! I had no idea that thing was there until I heard it." Then he tossed a glare back at the boys, tacking on a quick "That goes for you too!" as if he had just remembered they were there.
Kid gave a quick nod in response and turned his attention elsewhere, but Black Star ignored the older god entirely. He rushed past them all with a wild gleam in his eyes to lean over the railing. It did not take long to find the creature, standing tall on top of the ruins of a statue with their ears upright and tail swishing behind them. The black cloak around their shoulders shifted and swirled like a living thing that flared up around it as it noticed the boy's stare. He wanted to fight it, excitement welling up in his chest and determination sparking in his eyes as he met it's passive gaze with a broad grin.
His eyes finally landed on its hands, the grin faltering for just a moment as he spotted the book clutched in it's claws. Kid had been very interested in that and for it to be stolen like this would definitely upset his reaper friend. Getting it back would be a good idea. Maybe it would make the other boy smile at him with that small, thankful smile he used so rarely. A chance to make Kid smile and an excuse to pick a fight with something from this empty place would be enough to make their trip worthwhile for him.
The grin was back just as fast as it dropped and he took a deep breath to shout up at the thing, "HEY! THAT'S OURS BASTARD! GIVE IT BACK!" The creature tilted its head and pointed down at the book, ears and tail drooping. "YEAH THAT! DON'T MAKE ME COME UP THEIR AND TAKE IT! I WILL BEAT YOUR ASS!" It's ears straightened again and the long tail whipped around in an agitated way at the threat. Even with the distance between him and the creature he could see it shove one arm forward and flip him off with a flick of its tail. Then it continued up the stairs quickly.
Black Star stared after it with wide eyes and mouth agape for just a moment before he shut it. His teeth ground together and he whipped around with a growl. One hand was waved after it wildly as he shouted at the others with narrowed eyes and hands balled tightly into fists. "IT'S GOT THE JOURNAL! WE GOTTA HURRY AND CATCH IT!" He barely heard Kid call after him in confusion as he leapt over the railing of the pavilion and bolted up the hill after it. They were bound to follow him anyway so he focused all of his attention on catching up with that damned thing.
Footsteps sounded behind him, one at first then two and three caught up. He paid them no mind and pushed forward. The creature stopped periodically at every landing to peer over its shoulder at them. Black Star wasn't stupid enough to not see that it was leading them around on purpose, but it was just one and surely he could beat it in a fight. If he wanted to be stronger than god then he couldn't lose to that thieving bastard. He wouldn't lose to a thieving bastard.
Too caught in his own excitement and determination, he missed the approaching footsteps until the hood of his jacket was pulled back and he was tossed backwards down the stairs. A flash of red passed him, the golden glare sent his way carrying a warning he stubbornly refused to acknowledge as the older god shot ahead of him with speed he hadn't expected from the scrawny man. Something in his heart twisted as he was reminded of the gap between them.
He landed with an 'oomph' in strong arms before he could tumble down the countless flights he'd managed to climb already. With arms crossed and a pout on his lips, he turned his head away from the weapon until he was set back on the ground. Up ahead he could only see the blur of black moving faster than before as it realized just how close Asura was to it. So far the extra speed was keeping the distance between them as it leapt over entire flights of stairs, but he doubted that it could last with the older god gaining ground. That twisting feeling hit again and he scowled at them both before shaking his head and charging after them with Kid and Vajra beside him.
Knowing that both Kid and Vajra could probably follow Asura easily but chose to lag behind with him was more insulting than comforting to the boy. They wanted to protect him and he knew that but it nagged at the back of his mind. He was fully capable of defending himself. There wasn't any need to hover around him like this. Being the only normal human in the group didn't mean he was weak. Kid at least should have understood that much but at the moment it seemed he was wrong about the other boy.
Soon the trio watched the two disappear into the gaping cavern at the top, the urgency in Vajra's steps pushing him faster now that his partner was out of sight. Five, ten, twenty plus flights of stairs left them all heaving as they finally hauled themselves past the final step and onto the rough cobblestone path leading through the small cavern to the smaller opening pouring pale white light into the otherwise dark cave. Black Star doubled over, hands on his knees as he panted. It took a moment to catch his breath, freezing air burning the back of his throat and chilling his teeth until he was forced to close his mouth to avoid the uncomfortable feeling. Though his legs burned, he still stumbled forwards until he remembered he wasn't alone.
Vajra seemingly regained his composure for the most part, though he clearly struggled to steady his breathing. Beside the weapon, Kid barely seemed affected. The younger god stood straight and though his breath came out in faint puffs, he wasn't wheezing or gasping for breath like the rest of them. Again a frown pulled at his lips, but he shook it off and turned to see just what they were dealing with now. The temperature dropped suddenly here yet again and at this point he was certain it wasn't the lake causing the change.
Ice crusted along the walls and over the remains of statues and carvings lining the room's edge. Each figure had an animal skull mask over their heads, from the familiar wolf skull to deer skulls with antler tips filed to sharp points or various mimicries of bird skulls decorated by razor sharp beaks. Coming from beneath them, more black vines slithered out from their eyes and constricted the stone bodies. A bit farther ahead one statue had collapsed to the floor from a surprisingly clean crack through it's middle. Its head splintered open across the ground against the stone floor, the vines spilling from the opening like brain matter from a bashed skull. The shattered ice scattered across the area like shards of glimmering glass marked it as recent damage and he could only wonder if Asura had managed to land that hit or if the creature had miraculously avoided it. An echoing bang sounded from the other end of the tunnel, shaking the walls and sending ice and stone crumbling down from the sides.
Even though he had exhausted himself earlier, he still forced one leg in front of the other as he followed after Vajra. The weapon's determination was admirable. He was sure Vajra was just as tired as himself, yet he hardly looked like it now as he rushed towards the sounds ahead where Asura was most likely confronting the creature. Eager to not be bested, Black Star summoned his own strength and sprinted ahead. Hopping over the tangled vines and jutting stones, he quickly made it to the other side. The moment he set his foot on the stairs leading down it slipped out from under him, sending him sliding halfway down the stairs and rolling the rest of the way when his attempt to right himself failed.
He pushed himself up in time to catch the other two sliding past on the railing, Kid hopping off to come to his side while the weapon jumped to the next set with a brief wave in their direction. Quickly jumping to his feet, Black Star took in the scene ahead of them. A deep, black abyss separated them from the shimmering spires towering over the other buildings set on pillars of stone. Bridges of all kinds linked the islands, straight lines and arches of varying angles forming a web around the central pillar and connecting to the giant stone bridge spanning the distance between the city and the entrance.
It was on the bridge that they spotted Asura. The man stood between the creature and the city to block its escape. The air crackled green around him as he tried to use magic, whether he was aware of that fact or not. The sheen of a blade in his hands caught Kid's eye and he turned his attention elsewhere in case there was another he could arm himself or his friend with. When nothing turned up immediately, he hauled Black Star up again and pulled him along to the railing. He was shoved aside roughly as Black Star jumped up on it and slid, nearly falling off again before regaining his footing and speeding down. Kid hurried after him, worry for his brother twisting his gut as he jumped up on the other railing to avoid crashing into the other boy.
The creature crouched, its tail flicking and muscles tense as it readied to pounce. It still clutched the journal tight in one hand while the other steadied its position. At the sound of footsteps approaching from behind it, it shot towards the older god with all its might. Asura rushed to meet it, swinging the sword like a bat blurred in silver. Purple blazed between them like a bolt of lightning and his blade gave a resounding snap heard across the abyss. The broken blade clanged to the ground as it landed safely behind the god. It quickly checked its neck and felt its chest for any damage, turning back to the reaper with the same air of confusion rolling off of it.
It took a moment for his mind to catch up on what had just happened, gold eyes fixed on the steaming crack that shattered the steel. It burned white where the blade was once connected. Slowly he met the creature's stare with burning eyes, rage boiling over alongside the terror raising its ugly head and wrapping cold hands around his throat until the air was crushed from his lungs. As if just remembering its current position, it turned and bolted down the bridge as quickly as it could with its ears flat against its head. Again he gave chase, unfamiliar confidence building as he realized that it was almost close enough to catch.
The purple lighting crackled around him again, prickling his skin and bringing a strange presence with it this time. It struck through the ground beneath his feet and crumbled the stone into the darkness below. As soon as the purple flared again he'd put on a burst of speed, launching clear of the circle safely. He hit the ground running, focusing all his attention on the thing ahead of him. It drew closer and closer as it slowed and he reached out, fingertips brushing against the ends of the cloak billowing behind it. Just as he reached out to snatch a fistful of the fabric a familiar voice cried out behind him, the fear evident in it. Asura faltered, slowing his steps to glance over his shoulder. The concern melted into horror and he skidded to a stop, scrambling to change direction.
Vajra safely cleared the first gap that had tried to drag Asura into the abyss. The light flickered to life again but unlike before the purple shattered the stone below in a storm of violet light. Bits of debris flew in all directions, widening the gap until it stretched the width of the bridge and far enough ahead that it forced the weapon to lunge for solid ground. He could only watch with wide eyes and terror coiling in his gut as that too tumbled away and his partner disappeared from his view.
The terror was replaced quickly by relief when he spotted the weapon's gloved hands clinging to solid ground. Vajra dragged himself up from the hole, bewilderment painted across his face as he glanced at the damage. He swung one leg up and pulled himself onto the solid ground, heaving shallow breaths from the effort even as he gave a reassuring wave to show he was fine.
He'd known it was a mistake to let his guard down. It was never a good idea, especially in a strange place like this. But seeing the other man safe drained all the tension from him and he slowed his approach for just a moment. Checking on the creature he could see that it had collapsed, trying to support its weight with its arms after exhausting itself. It would be easy to catch now so he sent one last worried look in Vajra's direction to reassure himself that his partner would be fine. Vajra just smiled at him, nodding to show that it was fine for him to leave even if he was in much the same position as the creature.
The moment he took that first step away from his partner an overwhelming rage settled over him. It wasn't his own though, the eyes burning into his back was proof enough of that. His fear returned, cold and heavy as it choked the air from him and writhed in his gut. Gold eyes darted around to find the source only to land on the creature. It felt the rage too, but instead of fear it seemed happy. It's ears perked up and tail wagged as it turned to stare past the reaper.
Asura followed its gaze, the fear stabbing sharp and sudden at the sight of the dark silhouette looming over his partner. It flickered like fire, violet flares sparking across its humanoid shape and burning where its eyes would be. Vajra stayed frozen in place, dark eyes wide and mouth hanging open as he struggled to breathe in its presence. The shadow tilted its head to look down at him for a second, then turned its fiery gaze on Asura. A white smile oozing pure malice split its face impossibly wide as the weight of its rage left him paralyzed.
Once more, the lightning crackled across the stone beneath his partner. It rumbled and shook the bridge, cracking apart slowly as he screamed at himself to 'MOVE DAMMIT! DO SOMETHING! HE'S GOING TO FALL!'. But he stayed rooted on the spot watching the ground crumble away slowly. Meeting Vajra's wide eyes, a mirror to his own desperate, terrified ones, they pleaded for the other to do something! Please! I can't move! As the last of the stone fell away Vajra screwed his eyes shut, resigning himself to his fate. Something snapped in him. The oppressive presence forced into a hazy nuisance buzzing at the back of his mind as every part of him screamed to 'GO, HURRY PLEASE! OH GOD PLEASE HURRY!'.
The distance between them closed faster than he could register and he dove to catch his falling partner. His hand caught the smooth fabric of Vajra's sleeve and the weapon almost slipped through his fingers before he regained his senses and grasped Asura's arm in a crushing grip with his other hand. Even now he could feel the shadow sneering down at him with it's harsh gaze burning into the back of his head. He half expected it to destroy the bridge under him to send the both of them into the darkness swirling below.
That never came. Instead the pressure lifted as it vanished in a wisp of black fire and he found could breathe a bit easier, as much as the lingering fears allowed him to anyway. Its smile still lingered in his mind, twisted in malicious glee while it watched them struggle against its power. He pushed it aside for the time being as he pulled Vajra back onto solid ground, using one hand at first to support himself.
As soon as he was safe, Vajra threw his arms around his partner in a crushing grip that was returned immediately. He couldn't tell if he was the one shaking or if it was Asura, or both of them? Thinking was difficult. Flashes of feelings from a time long past bubbling up with the helplessness brought on by the oppressive force that had tied him to his spot only served to remind him of things he tried hard to forget. It helped to have Asura there, the familiar pull of his soul enough to remind him that that part of his life was over.
Said partner muttered quietly under his breath, something Vajra would have missed if they were any farther apart. "We need to go. That thing… if it comes back I think we'll be screwed." Vajra nodded. Though he himself hadn't seen it himself, that wasn't necessary. Anyone with a decent level of awareness could feel it's malevolent aura, dripping from its form and sinking deep through skin and bone like a vicious poison.
Its...resentment? Loathing? …No word he could think of seemed strong enough to describe the deep enmity surrounding it like a heavy fog. If it came to finish the job, who knew if they could stand against it again? "Yeah, you're right. We need to go but don't forget to wait for Kid and Star. We really can't leave them alone with something like that lurking around." He forced himself to his feet, legs aching from the run to catch up with his partner as they screamed in protest.
Asura got up without complaint and peered past him to carefully take in the full extent of damage caused by their confrontation. Though the second creature had caved in the center of the bridge, the very outer edges and railings still stood intact. Kid and his friend had already noticed this fact. They carefully shimmied along the thin strip of stone that could barely be called a ledge, relying on the railing for support. His heart caught in his throat, fidgeting with his scarves until they reached their side of the pit.
Worry covered his brother's face, brows pulled up together and lips pressed into a thin line as he rushed to their side. Kid reached out for him but faltered at the last second and smoothed his hair down instead. With averted eyes he peered around them and chewed on his bottom lip. One finger tapped against his leg eight times before he swapped hands, repeating the movement to eight and starting over again. Finally he opened his mouth to speak, meeting Asura's anxious gaze with his own wary one. "Are you guys okay? The bridge just collapsed."
He managed a nod despite the frown tugging at the corners of his lips. Kid's choice of words struck him as odd but it was possible he was just being considerate before pressing for answers. Vajra gave his own confirmation and Asura waited a moment for one of the boys to question them about the creature while he sorted out the best explanation. When it never came he swallowed past the lump in his throat and broached the subject himself. "That thing was protecting the creature."
Confusion met him, the boys both tilting their heads slightly in a way that would have been funny if the anxiety churning in his stomach didn't make him feel so sick. Vajra was the only one who seemed to understand what he meant as he nodded his agreement. "Makes sense. I saw the bridge fall out from under you when you were chasing that creature and when you didn't stop I was targeted instead." He paused, folding his arms close to his body and covering his mouth with one hand. The slightest shiver shook his shoulders and he glanced back to the gaping hole between them and their exit.
"Wait, wait, wait… what the hell are you guys talking about?" Black Star cut in before Vajra could continue, waving his arms around to get their attention. A frown marred his face, brows pulled down in annoyance at not being able to follow. "Ya already let that thing get away, but are ya sayin it had help?"
Vajra and Asura exchanged a confused look between them before turning back to the blue-haired boy. Asura spoke slowly as if choosing his words carefully. "You mean… you didn't see it? The purple light? The floor exploding? The… the shadow?" Kid's disbelief was all the answer he needed to know that he hadn't seen it. Had he imagined it? Or was it capable of hiding itself from who it didn't want to see it? Fear dug deep into his gut at the thought and he shivered.
A moment passed before Vajra set a reassuring hand on his shoulder and offered a weak smile, eyes betraying the unease from his brush with death that he tried to cover. "You didn't even feel its presence?" Both boys shook their heads, Black Star crossing his arms and pouting as he accepted that he'd missed a new enemy. It took a moment to find his voice again, but he managed to add, "Well, in any case we can't afford to split up again. That is two enemies we've encountered so far. We should especially be cautious of that second one."
"Agreed. I've got Star," Kid piped up, reaching over to grab Black Star's hand. Said boy's eyes widened and he struggled to suppress the dopey grin creeping across his face. The younger god seemed to be the only one who didn't notice his friend's cheeks darken as he continued, ignoring the amused and knowing looks sent his way. "Anyway, do you have any idea what the second one was? I was thinking the first might be some kind of werewolf."
Shaking his head, Vajra grasped Asura's hand again. The reaper tensed at first, still jumpy from the earlier attack, but quickly relaxed and shifted closer. He rubbed small circles into the back of the weapon's hand, a small attempt to offer the same comfort he was given to the other. "I suspect a malevolent spirit, and quite an old one considering the damage it did in such a short time. A grudge perhaps? Or a poltergeist. I wasn't paying much attention to the type with all things considered..." Asura stated in a quiet voice that soon trailed off into mutterings they couldn't hear. He shook his head suddenly, tugging his partner along the bridge towards the city looming in the distance. It was clear he was finished talking about it as he walked quickly only to slow at Vajra's tired request.
Kid trailed after them, keeping a slow pace to give himself and his friend a bit of a chance to recover from their sprint as he listened to the other lament the lost chance to fight. It brought a smile to his face to have the familiarity in this situation. He only hoped they wouldn't encounter any more of those creatures on their search for the exit. If they did, who knew what might happen to them.