Author's note: I am sorry for the delay and the sudden change in writing style. Foggywizard, who has been my main pillar of support and who contributed a lot in the planning of this fic, joined in as co-author in RP form, since I cannot see myself finishing this story on my own anymore. I am very happy to have a writer by my side who truly grasps my thought process and is willing to help me finish what I started and I hope you will not mind this - on the plus side, regular updates will be likely!
Maduke IV – Werewolf Island, 5th December, 10:00
One must always maintain at least a bare minimum of civility. Maduke asked Juraki and Krano to stay at the foot of the slope that led up to the Lordswood. This was a sacred duty he, the Lord, would have to perform alone. As he dug through the hard, dry soil, he wondered whether anyone would bother to do the same for him, one day. When Ignes had announced that neither she nor the other scientists could gain any new knowledge from Muzaka's body, he'd decided to put him to rest. A flight of sentimentality, or maybe a poor attempt at giving himself some peace. The hole he'd dug was deep enough, and he dropped the remains of Muzaka's body in the mound he'd dug with his bare claws. This was the tradition. The new Lord must bury the body of the old Lord, here in the Lordswood. Maduke approached the tree where his mentor and Muzaka's predecessor rested and plucked a single pine-cone from the last green branch. He returned to Muzaka's shallow grave and placed the pine-cone on his chest. This would be good enough.
In silence, he covered the grave with dirt. For a few seconds, he was tempted to relieve himself on the loose soil, then he remembered that he fancied himself a man of culture, and resisted the temptation. He must be careful about the limits he crossed, and considered his reasons before doing so. He'd come too far to give in to the lure of debauchery. Ignes was enough of a dangerous vice to maintain, he did not need any others.
Upon his return to the castle, chaos awaited him. A low-ranked fighter notified him that Zaiga was waiting for him down in the lab- a warrior has been found dead. What a headache. He recognized the body as Uzhir's the moment he entered. Zaiga, Gotaru and... a young woman. Ashenbrown hair and amber eyes.
"This huntress found the body in the forest and alerted my squad, Lord," Gotaru explained. Maduke's gaze returned to the young woman. He knew her, and he realized why Zaiga had not just sent her away. He must have wanted him to see her. One of his daughters.
"Did you question her already?", he asked nonchalantly, not directing his question at either of the warriors in particular. Both nodded. "Then you can go, Miss. Well done for reporting the incident." He wanted her out of his sight immediately.
As Gotaru escorted the young woman outside, Maduke approached the body on the table. Of course, the ripped-open chest drew his attention first. This was the work of claws. Someone had ripped his chest open and damaged the heart enough to keep it from regenerating. His gaze moved on to the dark purple bruises on the warrior's neck. Someone had tried to strangle him, too. The neck was snapped. Before or after his chest was ripped open? A snapped spine was no death sentence, after all.
"There were no traces of any battles in the vicinity of where he was found," Zaiga said before Maduke had to ask himself. "Gotaru's team scouted the area and found no signs of a fight."
That was pretty much in line with what Maduke saw before him. Uzhir did not even have a chance to transform and defend himself – someone had murdered him. "Call Ignes."
Zaiga contemplated him for a few moments before nodding. "At once, Lord."
Even though he did not expect her to find anything new, consulting her might be a good idea. The marks on Uzhir's neck were particularly interesting. How many people on this island would choose strangulation as method of assassination? Only one came to his mind, though that in itself made it almost unlikely – this was too obvious, and Ignes was smart enough not to go for obvious. He still wanted to hear what she had to say regardless.
A few minutes later, she entered the examination room, accompanied by Zaiga. Her face was difficult to read. Of course, she was used to the sight of bodies. "Uzhir was found dead, no signs of battle," Zaiga started as Ignes approached the examination table.
"His chest was ripped open," she pointed out, starting with the most obvious detail. Werewolf claws, no doubt – if she was involved, she must have had someone who helped her. Given that she was pretty universally disliked by most warriors here, her involvement was a major question mark.
"What else?", he asked, and she briefly glanced at him, then back to the body.
"Someone tried to strangle him...?"
"A rather unusual method, isn't it?" Maduke observed her carefully – she was nervous, he could tell. Surely, she knew what this looked like.
"It's discreet, I guess. Any suspects, apart from me?"
"Did I ever say you are a suspect?"
"You're watching too closely." He would not be watching her like that if he wanted information about the dead body between them.
"Does it make you nervous?"
"Does it make me suspicious?"
Maduke almost chuckled, endeared by her attempt at witty banter. "Everyone is a suspect until proven otherwise. Come and see me in my office in ten minutes. I have questions."
He gave a brief nod to Zaiga to let him know that this was over, for now. He heard him usher her out of the examination room as he left. Of course she would not be allowed to do the actual autopsy herself – even though she was an unlikely candidate, that did not clear her of suspicion altogether.
Nine minutes later, Ignes came to his office, just as she was supposed to. She closed the door and stopped in the middle of the room, a couple of feet away from his desk. Her face was harder to read now that she'd had some time to regain composure. Maduke let a couple of minutes pass first. It was quite enjoyable, watching people get increasingly nervous as they waited. More importantly, it was telling – people whose time he was wasting tended to get increasingly annoyed, while people who feared what was to come tended to grow nervous.
"Did you know Uzhir?"
"I modified him. Just like all the other warriors."
"And apart from that?"
"No." Ignes' brows furrowed ever so slightly, a miniscule change of facial expression that made him pause and wait for her to finish her thought. "He did help me out once. When the prisoners escaped and Gayare tried to pick a fight with me."
"Yes. I've read the incident report." His open disdain for Ignes made Gayare an excellent guard – he wanted someone whose loyalties were clear.
"... Gayare. He didn't ever bring me that file I asked for when I took the prisoner to the other lab." An easy target. She wouldn't have an alibi, but he wouldn't either. And she was already suspicious, so at least spreading some to him should help.
He watched her for a couple of moments. Gayare? He was quite a bit of a hothead. There was absolutely no denying about it. But to the point of reckless murder? Then again, at the moment, he could not see why Ignes would, either. "What file?"
"The blue one. About eyes." That was vaguely what she'd said, she thought. She couldn't for the life of her remember the exact thing she said. "I haven't found it even when I came back to look for it myself."
Maduke took a couple of moments to think over what she said. "And the prisoner... taken care of?"' He did demand his death. Even now, he felt a twinge of anger at the idea of Ignes just going ahead amusing herself with others.
"Of course." She wondered if she should try seducing him to take more suspicion off of herself. But no. She couldn't stomach it. Not right now.
Hmmh. He would have to install someone to investigate this case - and follow up on Ignes' claims. Maybe Juraki. He was a reliable one. Especially now that Lunark and Kentas were out of the race. "Anything else?"
Lagus really was right about you. Again. His words echoed in her ears. She wanted answers, but here and now, under suspicion, she could not get them. "Nothing, Lord."
"Then you may leave." He waved his hand in dismissal, turning to the papers in front of him. "Go and get Zaiga before you get back to whatever you were doing."
Zaiga arrived shortly after Ignes left. "You called for me, Lord?"
"You probably can guess why." If both Gotaru and Zaiga had questioned the young huntress already, then there could be no other reason but Zaiga actually wanting him to have to see her.
"Because I brought Zyanya here?" She'd grown well. He'd have thought Maduke would have been happy to see her.
"I assume you had a reason." Out of sight, out of mind, and right now, he already had enough on his mind without that.
"She looks a lot like Nayeli, doesn't she?" She wasn't her, never could be, but he missed her dearly. He'd take a replacement at this point.
Maduke sighed. Zaiga really had to bring up his sister, then? "She has been dead for two thousand years." it might be time for him to let go.
"... Maduke, she was my kerisnay haani. I can't just get over her like that." Just because Maduke didn't believe in werewolves having a single mate fated to suit them more than anyone else didn't mean it didn't happen.
Right. It really was a curse, to lock down on someone and be enraptured by them forever - even long after they were gone, as obvious in Zaiga's case. The mere word brought bitterness, pieced together from their old languages. My mate, who is the sun and the moon. A cruel, cruel, cruel curse and nothing else. Maduke chased the thought away and leaned back in his chair, returning his focus to his old friend. "But you are right. Zyanya really does take after her aunt."
"I might court her." It was enough to have someone who looked like her. What he'd never been able to do with his beloved, it would bring closure to do them with a look-alike.
He raised a single brow. How old was she? Five-hundred and something? He'd somewhat lost track of the children he'd forced on Garda, and the three who survived. "Are you informing me as friend, or asking permission as her father?"
"Both." So that things were clear.
"As father? Being with someone more than two thousand years younger than you is tacky. But i am hardly her father, am I?" It took more to be a father than just knocking up a woman. He'd had Zaiga give her away to the orphanage mere days after she was born. "As friend? Do whatever makes you happy. Life is short and miserable as it is. There is no reason to deny ourselves what little joy can be found."
He laughed at that first one. "Being with someone more than two thousand years younger is tacky!? And yet, Lunark, Mirai, Urne, Gaura, Ignes..." He shook his head. Hypocrite.
Maduke chuckled too. "Touché." He couldn't even say that they weren't his daughters at least. Not with what he'd done to Gaura. The first. "Let's face it. We're getting old."
"An unfortunate effect of time." Maduke hated it as much as Zaiga did. But that was no reason for them to not enjoy what time they did have.
"Then may your hunt be crowned by success." While that was too young for his own tastes, he would not stop Zaiga from pursuing her
M-21 VI – South Korea, 10th December, 18:00
M-21 was exhausted beyond the expression of words. He'd received some help in a small alaskan village on the outskirting islands reaching into the pacific, and then, next, on a peninsula. If he was not mistaken, the people spoke Russian. A brief stop in japan. Kind people who helped someone who clearly was at the limits of his strength. He could not believe he actually made it back to Korea on his own - and to his own marvel, the lights in Frankenstein's house were on. Was Raizel still alive? He'd feared he might have succumbed to exhaustion. Were Tao and Takeo in there? Anyone? With an exhausted sigh, he leaned against the door and rang the bell, praying it would really be one of his friends at home.
Takeo was in charge of the surveillance systems – they had to be alert at all times. Oh. The doorbell rang. He checked the monitor, and blinked before rubbing his eyes. Was he seeing things? Tao playing a cruel prank? Though Tao did have better taste than that, he hoped. He opened the door., expecting M-21 to dissipate like a cruel hallucination, just as Teira sometimes had in his mind.
The door opened and M-21 breathed a sigh of relief that bordered on a sob. He took a stumbling step forward to pull his friend into a hug. "It's so good to see you," he whispered. He smelled of sweat and dirt and sea, and he had a light beard by now, but he hoped he was still clearly recognizable as himself. "I thought..."
"M-21... how?" He hugged him tightly. "Tao. He needs to know as well. He's been doing nothing but Frankenstein's work and beefing up security since..." Well, since they'd lost.
"It's a long story.." He didn't even want to let go. But... Good. Then Tao was alright too. M-21 pulled away with an exhausted huff. "... d'you got a glass of water?" He felt parched
"Of course." He went to the kitchen, getting down a glass and filling it before handing it to him. "I'll go get Tao." He headed up the stairs.
"Thanks." M-21 slumped down on the couch where they used to sit. All together. At least his closest friends were still alive. Quickly, he chugged down the water so his throat would not be too sore to tell the tale.
Tao was just looking through screens as usual. "Tao. M-21 came back." He swivelled in his chair. "What?" Takeo wasn't one for bad jokes. That was his job. "Really?" It wasn't that he didn't believe him, but... "Really." Takeo smiled. "Go check for yourself. He's having a glass of water." Tao jumped up, running downstairs. "M-21!" Overwhelming. The degree of relief alone... "How?"
"Tao!" He got up to hug him. Takeo followed slower, quiet relief on his face. M-21 took a deep breath. "I had a bit of help." Fumbling, he reached into the pocket of the old, over-sized trousers he'd received in Alaska. The zip-lock bag still seemed alright. "... here." A usb stick and the small, silvery-gleaming scroll.
"Some data and a scroll?" The data he got. But the scroll?
"... it's orders from Raskreia." He dropped back on the couch. He was... home. After months, he was finally home and nothing had ever felt as good as this. "and the data... it's union bases and access codes."
... How did he have this? Why did he have this? "So, uh... not that having the data on the Union isn't useful and all, but what am I supposed to do with this?" In this situation, at least. "And I guess Rai needs the scroll then."
M-21 wiped over his face. Right... "Not my plan but, if Lukedonia and the Union join forces, they might actually take down those furry shits."
A sound enough plan, he guessed, even if he didn't like it. "Yeah. I can get started then." "Will they even help us if they know that Lukedonia is weak?" Takeo mused. The Union preyed on the weak. It was the only rule there.
"I got no idea. It's either the Union or the werewolves. Maybe they will try to take down the inside threat first." M-21 shrugged. Ah, this was really shitty. "... Uhm... when was the last full moon? Two weeks ago? A bit less?"
"Yeah. More or less. Why?" Tao stopped on his way back up the stairs to take a look at the data.
"... so we got about one and a half months to find out which of these union bases is still operational. Uhm. I got the data from Ignes. You know. The woman who abducted Seira and Regis. Apparently she switched teams."
"One and a half? What happens then?"
"uhm... So. Their Lord is apparently the second Elder. She'll make sure he won't attend the monthly meeting then." Which meant they could contact the union directly behind his back.
"Fuck!" What was that!? "I'm getting to work now." "Tao, we still need to at least inform Rai." Takeo knew that they'd need time to prepare if it took a bit to work through that data. Tao tossed a cell phone at them. "That one has Regis's Grandpa's number and the ability to hijack towers for better reception."
M21 sighed in relief. "So Rai's okay?" He turned to Takeo since Tao had a task at hand right now.
"Yeah. He's just fine." In fact... "They have him as interim Lord for now, from what I've heard."
"..Oh." This did not sound like something Rai would like at all. He shuffled. "I assume you already knew this, but Frankenstein..."
He looked away. "Yeah. Rai... the state he was in. And how Dark Spear reacted..."
"apparently it was a four-on-one fight." So even Frankenstein stood no chance.
"Of everyone who I could have expected to die..." Frankenstein wasn't one of them. It felt unreal.
M-21 nodded. "Yeah. I thought boss was pretty much invincible. Anyway. Let's call Gejutel. He will like hearing the news."