I apologize for how long its been, I suffer from depression and I ask for your understanding. I tend to fall into states of deep apathy and loss all energy to actually do the things that I enjoy such as writing. Life hasn't been the best of friends in these past few months so I have neglected my stories for far to long, and for that I am sorry. It is disrespectful to you, the audience, and to the characters within.
With deep respect, and admiration, I continue my tale.
*][*
The moon shone upon a mountain clearing, nestled in the neck of the mountain vista with a glittering view of the sea from the rich manor built on the slope, if it wasn't on fire. But it was, the rich imported wood was smoldering to ash that settled upon still figures scattered across the clearing. A lone figure walked between beast of various shapes and sizes, some in the shape of a man only monstrously proportioned with colored skin and horns, but all were perforated by bullets, or gutted by a burning sword of light. The dead consisted of Oni, the Japanese cousin of the western Ogre. The two species shared biological similarities, such as increased musculature, large bodies, and a pack mentality. However, Oni were as smart as humans, often capable of reasoning and often created family units like humans did. Also unlike Ogres Oni possessed a set of horns which some believed housed their ability to regenerate at such a remarkable rate, sometimes even regrowing limbs in the most powerful of individuals and, but there were exceptions, as was the case for Ibaraki-Doji, arguably the most powerful of all Oni, who could not regrow his severed arm though that hadn't stopped him from being an ultimate class being.
Thankfully, while the outcast of many clans where present, Ibaraki-Doji was not in attendance or this night would have gone entirely different. Instead it was just a bunch of hornless that had grouped together under one Agaro Dosuki, a gold skinned Oni known for his strength. Agoro Dosuki was resentful of the status quo and had, years ago, gone on a rampage in the human world and was thus exiled by his clan, becoming a clanless in the process after the clan head ripped off his horns.
This hatred made him seek to form an army of the hornless to 'cleanse the world of human filth' and establish a new government lead by Oni. The idea had seemed ludicrous at first, but as the years went by Agaro drew more and more support with even a few lesser clans falling under his sway the idea seemed to be nearing a reality. It was when the Ibuki clan, one of the five great clans, began to listen that the Lady of Kyoto decided it was time to remove the hornless rebellion.
And as luck would have it she had received a phone call soon after.
"It's such a shame they had to die." Yasaka said bitterly, she stood just under the treeline beneath the swaying branched that protected her, her outfit, and her beautiful blonde hair from the raining ash. "All this young life snuffed out."
"Don't." Said a voice, drawing her attention from the scene to the man who had spoken as he appeared next to her, bloodied bag in hand. He wore a long dark coat, thick and ragged it fell to his knees which were clad in black pants caked in the horrid mixture of blood and dirt that covered his shoes. She had known this man for many years, and in many ways. Once he was as tall and strong as the mountains, but now he just seemed tired, but his presence still spoke of strength. The way he held himself was strong, tense, at the ready but also compliant to the weight of the world set on his shoulders as they bent beneath his coat. He stood there, a great scar splitting the baldness of his head. There had once been a full, and beautiful head of hair there once but it seemed fate had taken that away from him as well.
"Pardon?" The woman ruffled, she was a little surprised by his voice if she was being honest.
"Don't act like death doesn't excite you." He said roughly, the pain of a dozen wounds turning his voice gruff and his mood sour. But Yasaka smiled, though she had only known him for a brief blip of her own existence, he still possessed a knowledge of her that confounded her. It would've sweet, it was sweet but the circumstances of his existence, of how small and fragile it was, soured it.
"I never said it didn't." she said while turning her attention back to the burning house. "But it is a shame that so many died for the arrogance of a fool." Yasaka paused for a moment before casting a side long glace towards he bloodstained companion. "But then again if they hadn't been so foolish, you would've been outta luck."
The man said nothing as his body slowly relaxed. With her sharp ears and her acute eyes, Yasaka could hear the soft hiss as his wounds closed ever so slowly, and she could see the faint trembling of his hands.
"Even so Adam, its nice to have you here, working for me again." she said wistfully, the dark shapes of her tails twisting happily behind her. "It's almost like old times, but I never thought I'd hear from you ever again."
"I needed the money." Said Adam, his voice slowly becoming calmer and gentler as the hissing subsided, like the man she used to know.
"So you said." She acknowledged with a dip of her head. She missed the days when he would at least pretend. "Will you be staying the night?" She asked, the tiny bit of hope masterfully hidden.
"No." He didn't even hesitate, just a simple syllable as he dropped the bag containing Agaro's head at her feet before moving to leave. She had been expecting that answer, but still a little more pushing couldn't hurt.
"Even so, the little ones have missed you. Will you at least stop and call on them before you leave?" The woman ventured, a colorful eye on him as he fully relaxed into a comfortable posture.
"No." He said. "The girls needs their sleep."
"Come now Adam, there is no need to be that way the children love you and I know one in particular that misses you dreadfully." She added, pressing again in the hopes that he would relent and allow himself to rest before he left again.
"I'm dying Yasaka." Said Adam, his voice grave and tired.
The air was pregnant with silence, other than the crackling of the flame it had seemed as if the all sound had been sucked away by those few words, but it was only that the both of them had fallen silent. Seemingly having nothing else to say after that.
"She's a sweet girl, my presence would only put her in more danger, she has you and your daughter, that is enough." Said Adam before walking past her into the darkness of the forest.
"Maybe-" Yasaka said having found her voice after the eternity of silence, swiftly turning to glance at Adam's back before he disappeared through the trees. "Maybe I could do something, its-." But before she could finish Adam had stopped, glanced back at her, and said.
"No."
The single word hung heavily in the air until it was ripped away by the swift breeze, a breeze carried his scent and again Yasaka was met with the peculiar smell that hung around him. The air around him was sweet and heady, like the warm summer dens she huddled in with her own mother curled around her. It was once a warm and comfortable smell, but now the den it stunk of bird.
*][*
After nearly a week, Issei stepped once more out of the cool confines of the train and back into the city of Kuoh, the weather said it was a balmy seventy two but to Issei and his large duffle bags if felt twice that at least. He was tired, his body ached and he could barley manage to stomped down the platform to the sidewalk to start his long walk home. Though he desperately didn't want to, the small amount of pocket money he had forced Issei to walk home. It was a prospect that irked him to no end but seeing little choice he planted himself in an eastward direction and set off down the street.
The pace he kept would've made a snail impatient as he shuffled past pedestrians and the occasional dog, he only narrowly avoiding bumping into people thanks to the heavy bags on either side of him. Due to how hot and tired he was, Issei had little empathy with the Wide and clunky canvas bag and had only marginal give a damn for the curious eyes that slid over him as he passed.
With the last of his medication taken days ago, with little chance to restock, he could definitely feel the extra strain now that narcotics weren't pumping through his veins numbing every nerve and symptom like a river of ice. He could hear his blood as it slogged through his body like thick rivers of red syrup, sticking and clogging inside his arteries like thick, frozen oil pumped feverishly through his shivering body by a temperamental heart that could quit at any second. Everything was shutting down, and the lack of a good breeze didn't help him either.
He was mildly considering stealing a car when a burning red convertible screeched to a stop next to him. Fighting the desire to do just that to this speedy death machine, he instead decided to glare at it with all the fury he could muster, but all it did was make him look mildly disturbed with a crooked eye glaring at the driver.
The driver was a beautiful red head, her light summer clothes stretched to accommodate a figure that few humans could hope for. He could damn near hear her shirt screaming to accommodate the sheer girth of her breast, and her jeans had to be made by a master tailor to mold around such hips. It wouldn't surprise him actually considering how much money she must've wasted on the car. Just barely seventeen with a sports car, must be great being rich. With the hair, the bod, and even the car, every one of Issei's classmates would tell you that only a dead man wouldn't recognize Rias Gremory. And Issei wasn't dead.
Yet.
"Hey Issei, We missed you these last few days." She called from the convertible, leaning out to wave at the tired boy. Issei put on a smile and waved back at the girl before approaching the car. He had to admit it was a nice car, tastefully designed with white leather seats and candy apple red it was a beautiful Audi. But the sheer narcissism of basing your entire color scheme around your own hair wasn't lost on him. He couldn't really blame her, the rich and beautiful always had a fucked up view of the world, what with it revolving around them.
"Hey Rias, I just got back from Kyoto." he said, stopping four feet away from the car. Respectfully maintaining distance, but also eager to be on his way. Due to his old fashioned view of the world, he still believed that respectful was the way to go.
"Kyoto?" Rias repeated, and Issei could damn near see her eyes light up behind her sunglasses. "What were you doing in Kyoto? Something fun I hope." She finished with a grin leaning against her door as Issei dropped his bags.
"Sadly no, I had some business to take care of down there." Issei said coolly, jerking his thumb in the direction of Kyoto.
"Really. Well it must've been awful with what happened." Rias said solemnly, and Issei raised a brow.
"What do you mean?" What was she getting at?
"What with the rash of murders of course, surely you knew? Oh it must've been awful doing business during such a thing." She said dramatically then her eyes slid towards Issei. "Especially after what happened on that mountain."
"Huh, must've missed it." Issei said with a shrug. "But I'm fine. Just a little tired from the trip is all."
"Are you sure? You do seem a little pale."
"Yeah I'm good, just gonna go home and go to bed." Issei bent down and grabbed his bags but before he could leave Rias surprised him.
"How about I give you a lift then, we seem to be going in the same direction so it won't be a problem." Rias patted the seat next to her. "You can just put those in the back."
*][*
During the trip Rias kept her minds eye on Issei, measuring his aura while she asked him innocent little questions about his life. Where was he from? Did he have any siblings? Who were his parents? Simple, easy to answer questions blended gently into inane chatter that would tell her more about him that he answered readily enough. He was half Japanese on his dads side but he was raised mostly in Europe. Okay, simple enough. He had a younger sister but he'd rather not talk about her or his parents. Okay, no problem. Simple answers to simple questions, but they seemed a little...rehearsed. A little too simple, a little to readily answered and if any of it was true she wasn't the daughter of Gremory.
The reason was simple, if Issei was as simple as he said then he was just a regular human. The only problem with this was that humans didn't radiate such a supernatural reading to a devil. It was like the air around him was drenched in pheromones, it was simply intriguing. Intriguing enough that she was ninety-nine point ninety-nine percent sure he was just what she was looking for. Especially since she was also sure that his trip to Kyoto and the death of so many Yokai wasn't a coincidence, one or two maybe but the massacre on the mountain was definitely not a coincidence.
From what she knew the Dosuki rebels had been planing for something major in the next few months and it had put a lot of pressure on the regions authority to stamp them out. So it was fortunate that the whole group ended up dead and from what she knew not everyone in the rebellion were pushovers so if Issei was a normal human then how did he manage to wipe out nearly a hundred Dosuki in one night and pick off the rest in just a week?
She was sure it was from a sacred gear, Issei just radiated power. It drenched every fiber of his being almost like a Longinus….c-could he be…? Rias looked over at and studied him. He was solidly built, his shoulders where broad beneath the dark green of his shirt and though it was loose, she speculated that beneath it was a decent musculature because his bare arms were well formed and he was in fact taller than her at least by a couple inches. Perhaps he was a dragon emperor, but which one? Maybe he was neither and was instead something completely different or entirely new, she didn't know.
But then again, even as he radiated so much power, his body seemed so weak. His was covered by the salty sheen of sweat and his muscles trembled beneath the skin. Every breath seemed to be a burden heavier than the last as he fought the urge to sleep even slumped heavily in his seat. Perhaps, if her theory was correct, it had not been as easy as she thought.
Towards the end of the drive he said very little, only giving very basic directions as they drove almost as if he had either lost the energy to speak or was holding it in reserve. Whatever it was Rias had little time to figure it out as Issei's house came into view. It was a homey little cookie cutter two story house with a little garden and a tiny yard wrapped by a short wooden fence came into view, it was just what she expected of a human had the powerful stink of crow not came with it.
Immediately she was on guard and ready to hit the reverse and gun it out of there but the sudden ease that washed over Issei gave her pause. It was as if he had come home, well he was home but that wasn't it, he seemed relieved, almost relaxed even. Rias guessed he had been saving his strength for this moment because he left the with ease and shuffled his way to the front of the house, disregarding the luggage sitting in her back seat.
Almost as if on cue, when Issei entered through the gate the door to the hose flung wide open and out came a dark haired girl and Rias would bet that she was the source of the stink. Short, and cute, like a shrike dressed in what Rias presumed was one of Issei's shirts and his underwear. It was something Rias herself had to admit was a nice touch, but it seemed to be lost on Issei as he struggled up the path threatening to collapse at any moment. From the way the girl blanched Rias figured that she had noticed the horrible state the boy was in, and indeed she swooped in just in time to catch Issei as he fell to the ground.
*][*
She had found them on the third day. By that time she had played through all her little fantasies of being a housewife awaiting her adoring husband, imagined all the ways he would ravish her and had mastered the facade of the virtuous virgin and her first time. She had planned for all outcomes and she was determined to wait for Issei. For all intents and purposes she was ready for anything, but by the third day there was little more to do than sit around and watch TV. Well, there was that one thing but Raynare wanted to be as fresh as a daisy and as virginal as she could be for Issei. It was hard, but Dohnaseek still went home as pent up as he had shown up. Tho it was a necessary evil, Issei's home was the one place she refused to taint with the vileness of it. In this house she was the forbidden fruit to all but him, and she liked it that way. This was her temple against her past, here she was Yuma, a sweet little girl in love and she was determined to keep it that way.
The letter had been simple, he had asked her to stay at his place until he came back. Easy thing to do, and she was happy to do it because it gave her the perfect opportunity to snoop around now that Issei was gone. Though she had stayed here multiple times, often consecutively, she was always wary of actually poking around the place other than superficially. She had already found his stash of porn, and admittedly found it adorably dull. Money shots galore, but nothing crazy like bdsm or rape play. Which for her meant plenty of kisses and cuddles and love dovey nights as Yuma before Raynare broke out the leather! Oh ho hoo, how she longed to hear the crack of the whip and tinkle of the chains, actually giving a damn about the safe word was going to be quite the novelty.
Issei could be so cute at times.
But anyway, she never really looked around the place. Never poked and prodded around to see if their was any secret rooms or compartments. So since she was bored anyway, she decided to do just that. But what she found wasn't quite what she wanted to.
She had been through his bedroom, top to bottom, and all she found of any real interest was that same poorly hidden stash of porn magazines still hidden in his sock drawer beneath the tube socks that he never wears because 'they're uncomfortable', he had a large collection considering she bought him new ones for the last few gift giving holidays. Other than that she noted several new books on his special little bookshelf, Issei loved to read, right next to her real presents. The Divine Comedy, Paradise lost, the book of Enoch, and far more modern titles such as the Fallen series by Lauren Kate and The Fallen by Thomas E. Sniegoski to name a few. Was she a bit heavy handed with the theme, perhaps, but it was done in the hopes to make Issei a bit sympathetic to her condition. Other than Issei's preference for Sneigoski's work, the books, like the rest of the room, held nothing of note.
The house contained two bathrooms, one upstairs and one downstairs, considering how often she was around and how comfortable she had become, the downstairs bathroom had been completely taken over by Raynare/Yuma and Issei had been confined to the one upstairs though she bounced between one or the other depending on her mood. Anyway, as she finished off the upstairs and was making her way to the basement she decided to stop in and make an appointment with Issei's toothbrush.
Almost like fate she realized it was a concealed medicine cabinet, carefully crafted to fit seamlessly against the wall like it was just hanging there and what she saw horrified her. Row upon row of little orange bottles stood at attention to greet her gaze, all of them empty with little white labels thrust forward like shields to ward of enemy fire. It took her a moment to process it, but soon Raynare was yanking down the bottles and boxes and attempting to read them, but all she could make out was Issei's name and the prescription date. Some of them possessed names so long they had to be split in half, others seemed to be written in some alien dialect by the distinct lack of vowels they possessed and most of them she couldn't even begin to pronounce. By end of her frenzy she had filled the sink with the emptied bottles and she stared blankly at the pile on the floor.
She was scared. She didn't know what to do, she didn't know what they where for but based on the sheer amount of prescriptions she knew, she just knew that it wasn't good. Raynare curled around herself and felt the world curl with her.
She was so so scared. Something was wrong with Issei and she didn't know what to do, she didn't know how to help. Somethings suddenly made sense. With an intense clarity she noticed how Issei always went into that bathroom at specific times, or how some days he just seemed so fragile, as if he was about to break. She didn't notice his sickness, she was so wrapped up in her own little world like the stupid little whore she was and didn't notice that the guy she loved was in pain.
She didn't think he was an addict, but he did seem to be shifting into his own head more and more. There were moment where he would just stare off into space for minutes on end just thinking. Maybe he was an addict or maybe he wasn't but Raynare spent the next few days shifting through life in a daze jumping from one conclusion to the next until she was jolted awake when his presence washed over her again. It was like a cold stream had emptied onto her head, and she ran to the door straight down the stair case nearly plowing through it in her haste.
Her hair was wild, as were her eyes, but when Yuma/Raynare felt his presence she didn't care. She was aware of a problem and was going to beat the answers out of Issei if she had to, but when she ripped open that door prepared to rip him a new one. The paleness of his skin sucked the color from her world, the sight of his trembling, sweaty form ripped out all the anger and fire from her body and the precious smile of relief on his gaunt face brought tears to her eyes as he rasped.
"You're actually here." His voice was but a whisper, a choked sound like the report of sandpaper, but the sheer amount of emotion his those words, the relief, the bitter happiness, the joy. Nearly made her drop him as he fell into her arms right there on the doorstep of his home.
His body was silent, his chest did not heave anymore, his eyes had fluttered shut and dared not open, and for all intents and purposes to the world Issei seemed dead.
*][*
Gazing into the deep moonlight brought Endymion comfort, a sense of peace filled with a gentle longing for what was or could be. The mountain winds blew like a tempest around him seeking to drive him from his perch upon the frigid peek, but for all their might and the blistering chill they might as well be a summer breeze. For he could not feel cold, nor could the mighty winds pull him to the rocks below, not anymore at least. Not beneath the light of the moon, but still they blew and blew. Sometimes drawing back in frustration before howling once again across the mountains with double the effort, yet still only managing to whip his clothes and hair about in their fury. He didn't mind the effort, the wind was welcome to try and try until Aeolus dropped dead in his cloud, he would not be moved. He liked it here, so far removed from the people below. Up here he couldn't hear the ceaseless prattle or constant bickering. Up here the winds dared not carry the scent of death as the war raged below, he could ignore the ocean, dyed red as if the sun was eternally setting, fed by rivers choked with the dead.
Yes, the wind could try all it liked but he was not moving from the mountain.
As if cowed by his resolve, the chilling winds died down, leaving a silence to be filled by a sigh as a sudden warmth blistered his side. Looking over he say her perched upon his solemn rock, moonlight radiating off her pale skin only to be dyed orange by the rich flame of her hair. And so arrived another reason he refused the wind all its fury and strength, he would not leave this mountain because it was only here that the two could be together.
The girl was slight, her tiny frame relaxed against his shoulder, but she was by no means weak as evidenced by the tightly packed and coiled muscled winding their way down her arm like the mighty Python. An arm currently wrapped around his own as she joyously curled her way against him like a cat. With her head against his shoulder, her hair blanketed his back like a warm and welcome cloak upon this frozen peak, and with a smile he laid his head upon her own because even though he could no longer feel the bite of winter, he would always love her warmth.
"What took you so long?" He said, the muscles of his jaw compressed against her temple, as he looked down at her face, a cute little nose and angled features. Her wide and curling lashes gently brushed her pale cheeks, rising from the soft smile that played upon her bowed lips. She frowned at his question, but her eyes remained closed and she curled even deeper into him, her gazelle like legs curling beneath her dress as she groaned.
"Father was with me today, trying to play peacemaker between Phoebus and I." She said as her fingers traced Endymion's arm, up and down they went over and over again. "It took hours for him to leave." From the way she spoke it seemed like the whole thing was quite the ordeal, He had never met her father, but from what he did know he could sympathize. Kingship had left him spoiled, a hard man to please and a dangerous man left sour. It was funny, Endymion thought, how once he would've feared the king and his displeasure, but now he was just apathetic. The threat of king meant little to him now, and so did death.
"Perhaps it hurts him to see two of his children at each others throats, he is your father after all." He said opening a hand to receive hers, the fingers of both intertwining as she snorted.
"My father cares little about what any of his children do, he just doesn't want a civil war." She said bitterly and Endymion had to agree with her despite the fact that he wished her father cared more for his children. Though, he supposed, if one had as many as the king did then it would be hard to care much for any of them. At least he showed affection to those not born to mortals.
"I don't either." He said, looking down at her seriously as he squeezed her hand. "What happened isn't worth tearing your family apart Selene." Selene's eyes shot open, discs of gleaming silver glared at him. And though she had been languidly relaxing at his side, the huntress dexterously whirled from her little ball next to him to face him full on with her legs crosswise and her hands holding his face.
"What happened was that idiot tried to take you from me Endymion, he tried to kill you so many times and you think that I should let him go unpunished!" Selene hissed, unintentionally digging her nails into his skin as she shook him in frustration.
"He is still your brother my love, and I will not make you chose between us." Endymion took her hands gently from his head, kissed them, and held them between his own as he looked Selene deep in her eyes, pouring all his love and faith into his gaze hoping that she could see. "So what if I can never see the sun again, as long as I have the moon I'll be fine. I have you, everything will be fine."
The two stared for a long while, Endymion pouring all his affection into the moment and Selene soaking in it as she reigned in her temper until finally she sighed. It was a sigh of resignation, of defeat.
"Fine, I'll leave him alone. But if he does anything..." She warned, the silver discs becoming hard and sharp, hinting at the hidden fury beneath. In response, Endymion lent forward and planted a soft kiss on her forehead.
"I know love, I know." He said as he drew back, their hands still entwined...
*] (* [*
As I said earlier, I suffer from depression. However that isn't all that has delayed the production of this chapter, I was also torn about the path I wished this tale to take and if I was doing it properly. I know that this is a small section of a much bigger website but I set out wishing to write a good story amidst the mediocre barrage of self inserts and cheesy harems. I love stories that have depth and characters that feel real and I hope you as a fellow reader do as well, but unfortunately I am not the writer who possesses the skills to do so but I am willing to try.
But I need your help as well.
A good audience breeds good writers, and I believe that with an audience as wonderful as mine I could become a wonderful writer. I promised a reader long ago that I would not abandon my stories, my worlds to rot. I didn't lie, but I have failed them. Instead of rot, I gave them to flame because I myself was lacking in the strength to continue them. I myself lack the strength, but perhaps I may borrow yours?
With deep respect and admiration,
Aarnael.