Disclaimer: In no way do I claim any rights to the characters of the Suikoden series. I do not own them, nor did I have any hand in creating them. Please don't sue as I don't have any money and just want to write a fanfic.
Only in Dreams
By: Chibi Nataku
Author's Note: Speech that starts with ' instead of " means mental talking. If a conversation is going on between Yuber and the Rune, it is purely in his mind, and assume that no one else is aware of the conversation, but can see any emotion that is displayed openly by the Rune-bearer.
Chapter 4: Drowning in Dreams
Yuber stared fondly down that the naked body cuddled against his own, running a hand up and down Mia's back gently. He felt all inner torment at rest for once, no memories of the past, or the possible futures, just content with his current state. Mia was his world for now, something that felt very good, and he planned to enjoy it for as long as possible.
Sadly, the rain had stopped sometime in the night, and the small fire was now only ash and smoke. The sun was occationally peeking out from the clouds and the air smelled fresh, not full of smoke and death from the village that was still not too far from them. Today, they would travel away, he knew, but a shadow in the back of his mind knew that they would not be alone on the road. He could feel that something drew near on his path, something that was so familiar to him yet all the same, he could put no identity to the figure that traced his steps.
He looked back down at Mia, slowly closing his eyes as he forced himself to lie on his side once more. Her skin was much warmer than his own, so much more alive under his stroking fingers. He felt a smile pull at his features and allowed it, pulling Mia closer to him. "Mine. No man shall lay a hand on her but me. I will be sure of that." The smile twisted into a cruel, cold smirk. He would remove any man that lay even an accidental hand on his lover, of course, when Mia was unaware of it. He knew she would scold him for placing so much of himself in front of her as protection, but he would enjoy ripping any man limb from limb for Mia.
In his mind, the Eightfold Rune chuckled and seemed to clap four pairs of arms together, moving forward in his consciousness. 'Very good, my boy. You must protect what is yours and remove any obstacle that prevents your happiness with her. I will help you.' An undertone of deviousness travelled along the silky voice, but Yuber ignored it, too intent on watching Mia as she slept. After a few minutes of silence between them, the Rune spoke once more. 'Boy, we should go and hunt for food. A good mate provides for his woman, don't you agree?'
Yuber cocked his head to one side, blowing away stray locks of golden bangs from his face before sitting up fully. 'You are right. Let's go kill something.'
'Oh, I simply love it when you say things like that.' The Rune's voice was full of elation and seemed to pat him on his head, a wicked gleam in its red eyes. 'Let's find something that struggles for life as we squeeze its last breath from empty lungs...'
Yuber climbed to his feet in one swift motion, prowling through the shadows towards his clothing. He picked up dark articles of clothing, slipping into them silently before moving to his pack, pulling out a few arrows and his bow. He glanced back at Mia, smirking before leaving into the damp morning, moving without sound through the forest, unfeeling of the bite of cold against the bare parts of his flesh. His senses directed him, slipping in and out of the shadows until he found what he was looking for, his gaze set upon a grazing hare.
Smirking, he prepared his bow and took aim. He fired and lept for the animal as soon as his arrow made contact with flesh, grabbing the struggling hare and holding it down, pulling out his boot knife in a swift motion and slitting the animal's throat to lessen its pain. Nodding, to himself, he sat up when the struggles ceased, wiping blonde bangs from his face. He looked down at the hare and smiled, proud of his kill, though he could hear grumbling in the back of his mind. 'What's wrong with you?'
The Rune moved forward when offered by Yuber. 'I have some work to do on you, boy.'
'What's that supposed to mean? I'm getting food for Mia.' Yuber questioned, almost innocently. He did not completely understand what he had done that was so wrong. He had hunted many times before in the same fashion, and it always seemed to work out well for them.
'It means, you silly human, that you should have killed it with your bare hands. I doubt you understand the feeling of a creature's life force leaving every muscle as you choke it, feel its futile struggles, listen to its pitiful pleas for life. Just look at that creature!' The spider took control of Yuber and forced his gaze on the rabbit before releasing the blonde once more. 'Look at those dead eyes! So peaceful, so sickening! Death should not lead to pleasure, boy!'
Yuber raised his eyes from the hare, looking around the forest around him. It was so quiet, so peaceful. 'But...'
The Eightfold Rune surged angrily. 'There are no 'but's in the life and death struggle of creatures! The strong survive and the weak die! You are strong, and that pitiful creature was weak so you killed it.' The Rune grabbed hold of Yuber once more, forcing a confused gaze back on the dead creature. 'You have to make creatures weaker than you wallow in their own pitifulness. You must make them feel their own weakness! You must...!' The Rune slowly withdrew its hold, its voice softening. 'No worries, boy. We will train and then pick up the loose ends.'
Yuber quirked an eyebrow and again, looked around the forest, listening to every sound that he could hear. He climbed back to his feet, bow in one hand and dead hare in the other. Slowly, he picked his way back to the cave where Mia was probably still sleeping.
On his way, he stopped and lifted his feet, trying to figure out why he made no sound even when he wanted to. When he could find nothing different with his boots, he found a stick and stepped on it, waiting for the familiar crack of wood and was slightly troubled when he received none despite the fact that the stick did break under his weight. Undetered that there had to be a reason for this, he set his things aside and looked at a nearby tree, swinging up easily onto one of the branches. He picked his way along one that seemed particularly weak and grabbed a steady branch above him; he lifted his weight with his arms and let go, letting out one of the most undignified noises when he lost his footing on the slippery branch he intended to break and went crashing into a bush. He came to the quick conclussion that his back made lots of noise when hitting the ground.
He lay in a humiliated heap, listening to his True Rune laughing so hard it overtook most of his senses. Muttering to himself, he managed to pick himself up gracefully and walk back to his equipment, bending to gather the rabbit and arrows before he finally noticed that the birds had stopped singing completely. Standing slowly, his gaze moved around the forest, picking out every detail that he could. When he could find nothing to match the reason for his tension, he back towards the cave, somewhat wishing he had his blade with him. Still, nothing caught his eye.
Eventually, he found the entrance of the cave and ducked inside, moving to the fire, all the while occationally glancing over one shoulder. He rekindled the flames and set to skinning the hare, setting it up for cooking. He felt his Rune inching forward, obviously investigating his activities. 'What are you doing, boy?'
'I'm cooking the rabbit.' Was his simple reply, continuing with his work.
'Why would you ruin the meat?' The Eightfold Rune asked, this time less carefully.
Yuber rolled his eyes. 'Because it tastes better when you cook meat.'
The Eightfold Rune shuddered and moved more forward, grabbing some of Yuber's consciousness. 'Just tell me right now, boy. Are you afraid of the sight of blood? If you are...Well...it's time to take a bath. I refuse to be on your hand if you don't like blood.'
'I don't mind blood.' Yuber shrugged his shoulders and sat back, watching the flames dance over the cooking flesh.
'But...you bath in it, right?' The Rune asked almost hopefully.
Yuber shoved the Rune's question away and refused to answer, looking to the blankets as Mia rose from slumber. He moved over to her and wrapped her in a warm embrace, kissing her forehead. "I'm making some breakfast."
Mia twisted in Yuber's grasp and wrapped her own arms around his waist, snuggling against him. She looked up into his face and placed a kiss on his smooth chin, smiling warmly. "What you are making, blondy?"
"I went out and killed a hare while you slept." Yuber stood and walked back to the cooking meat, turning the stick over before glancing back at Mia's skeptical look. He grinned childishly and shrugged his shoulders. "What? I know it's odd that I woke before you, but it happened."
Mia smiled and shook her head, climbing from bed and crawling over to the fire, reaching out to grab some of her dry clothing. She cast another glance at the blonde as he tried not to watch her dress and let her comment remain silent. In all of the years that she had known Yuber, he had to be dragged grumbling from bed. Still, it was amusing to think that he had managed to wake at a normal hour.
After dressing in her breeches and long-sleeved shirt, she flopped down in Yuber's lap, reaching back to run her fingers through his long locks of golden hair, taking pleasure of the silken strands slipping inbetween her fingers. She was a little surprised when her fingers ran into a obstacle and turned to look at the twig that had tangled itself in the blonde's hair. Smiling, she removed it and held it in front of his face. "Were you climbing trees again? I thought you said you were just hunting?"
Yuber looked passed Mia innocently, shaking his head. He would be much to embarrassed if she found out that he had experimented with his new silence and fallen from a tree doing something completely stupid. "Nah, not this morning. It must have caught there while I was sneaking through the bushes trying to get a good shot." He could already tell that Mia didn't believe him, but he was thankful when she just nodded pleasantly and didn't push the issue. "Hungry?"
Mia smiled and nodded silently, turning back to regard the fire. She took the meat that Yuber handed her, and they ate in relative silence, just enjoying their closeness. When she had completed her meal, she climbed from the blonde's lap and started to gather their clothing and bedding, folding each piece before stuffing them unceremoniously into the packs, probably wrinkling it all again. She turned just in time to see Yuber climbing to his feet after putting out the fire, smiling when he glanced back at her. "Come on, blondy. We should get on the road quickly. I dare not want to be around here when the Matilda Knights come by."
"Right." Yuber wandered over and picked up his pack, swinging it into place onto his shoulders before walking from the cave, his gaze moving back and forth for anything that caught his eye. He was somewhat glad when Mia started to sing softly to herself, the sound probably masking the fact that he was still not making any noise as he walked. It was beginning to trouble him. He knew that it had started since the Eightfold Rune had come along, but dared not ask it.
Too bad for him, the Rune knew what he was thinking and suddenly piped up loudly. 'Don't worry too much, boy. Silent steps are just the beginning of your transition. Soon enough, you'll be ready to fully train yourself.'
Yuber glanced back over his shoulder to make sure that Mia wasn't staring at him strangely and breathed a sigh of relief when she appeared to be content gathering the occational flower along the road. He then turned his attention back to the spider. 'Transition? What transition?'
The spider almost shrugged shoulders and turned in its web. 'You're going to transcend your humanity. No big deal because technically you aren't human at all anyway, but you must overcome the thought patterns of stupidity. The only way to do that is to break free of the human coil that bids you.'
'Meaning?' Yuber inquired.
'You're going to have to kill a lot of people.' The Rune chuckled when Yuber nearly stopped walking. 'Don't worry, boy. I'm looking forward to it.'
Yuber shook his head somewhat. 'I won't do that. I've taken enough life in the past in my village. I won't kill unless I need to.'
If a spider had eyebrows, all eight of them would have lifted. Instead, the spider left the web and walked more forward in the blonde's consciousness. 'Sorry to bust your bubble, but you don't have a choice in this matter. Your fate has already been laid before your feet so there is little that you can do about it. Just sit back and enjoy the ride, boy.'
Again, Yuber shook his head. 'I could end my life right here and now. That will stop my destiny in its tracks.'
'But that's the problem, boy, you don't have the guts to end your own life, not with the girl at your side. Face it, you are going to grow up to be a fine killer. You are going to slaughter more people in your reign than any other individual. I've seen your future, boy, which is why I'm in your right hand. I just can't wait to feel your power.' The spider grabbed hold of Yuber's full consciousness, forcing the blonde's attention on the Eightfold Rune. 'You can't run from what you don't understand, boy.'
Yuber stopped walking and grabbed his head, forcing the Rune's voice away. He felt Mia at his side, wrapping an arm around his shoulders and shook his head of an image of himself standing in the middle of mass carnage. Swallowing hard, he raised his head again and forced a smile on his face for Mia. "Sorry, I just have a bit of headache."
"Yuber...your nose is bleeding." Mia quickly pulled out a handkerchief and pressed it against the blonde's nose, looking into his downcast gaze. "Are you sure that you're feeling alright? You have been acting so strangely since I found you wandering out of that village. Yuber, did something happen there?"
Yuber slowly shook his head. "I just...had trouble seeing all that death. It reminded me of back...you know. It's nothing, really. I think I just need a few days of rest to clear my head." He took the material from Mia's hands and nodded thankfully at her before starting to walk again, this time making sure to force the Rune's presence in his mind as far from the surface as possible. All he got was laughter from the Rune as he shoved it further back and the words 'The truth hurts, doesn't it?'.
Mia looked away from the blonde, full of worry. She decided to let the issue drop, though. She knew that Yuber would speak about things that were bothering him when he was ready to do so and no amount of pressure could dissuade him otherwise. All she could do was be supportive of him. She wrapped an arm around his and started to walk again, this time picking up casual conversation to ease her own worry.
Yuber sighed and was almost thankful when Mia pulled him into casual conversation, emersing himself throughly. It had been a long time since he and Mia had just talked and laughed at one another. They had done it very often when they were younger, but gradually over the years as they become more busy, it had dwindled. Time always seemed to pass so much faster when they talked of old times, reflected on past trials and tribulations. It was enjoyable to lose himself in the past of his life, some of the happiest days of his life.
It took three days to walk to the nearest village, and along the way, they met very few travellers. The weather had remained warm and the view of the landscapes pleasant. Even the Rune in his right hand had little to say over the journey, generally keeping all comments to itself, though he got the distinct feeling that it was merely bidding its time. Still, he sometimes forgot that he even had one of the 27 True Runes in his hand during long conversations with Mia.
They entered the newly established Highway Village near the Rakutei Mountains, dusty and tired. Evening was already beginning to fall on the village, and they had walked a long way just to reach it before nightfall. They managed to drag themselves to the inn and pay for a room.
Yuber sighed heavily and released his hold on his pack, letting it slip to the floor with an audible smack. He murmured incoherantly when Mia said that she was going to get a meal for them to eat in their room. He felt like he could sleep for days at the pace that they had kept on the road and let his eyes drift shut briefly. He opened his eyes and looked around, his gaze snapping over to a older gentlemen near Mia, a snarl pulling at his lips. He watched the man inch closer to HIS Mia and attempt conversation. He was about to storm over to break the man over one knee when the Rune came to life in his mind and held him from movement. 'Let me go! I'll kill him!'
'Shush, boy. You must wait for a better opportunity for such actions if you wish to keep your blood-thirsty urges from the girl. Wait and go out tonight, find him and do as you please with him. We must make it clear that the girl is ours, and no one has a right to lay a hand on her...well, like that.' The spider chuckled as he held Yuber from screaming in rage. It was clear that he could use the blonde's overprotectiveness against him. Still, he held firm and watched behind Yuber's gaze as Mia brushed the hand off of her shoulder and started back towards them. 'Ah, the maiden returns to our side. We will crush him when no one is looking.'
Yuber sighed and nodded, gaze on the gentleman, memorizing his face. 'Yes, we will make sure he never touches Mia again.' He felt a cruel, cocky smirk work across his features as he sized up the older man, his gaze switching Mia as she stopped beside him, his expression switching back to neutral. He smiled when she held up a key and picked up his pack, following doggedly to their room, again releasing his pack when he entered the room.
Mia smiled and flopped down on the bed, tossing an arm over her eyes. "Oh...I don't think we should ever hurry to a village ever again. I am beat...but luckily, we will get a nice meal. I think I will just eat and sleep on this evening. Are you going to join me, blondy?" She lifted her arm slightly so she could look at Yuber, grinning when he nodded childishly.
Yuber felt his grin leave as soon as Mia stopped looking at him, his gaze going to the window. "However, I don't think I'm so tired that I won't wander out to take a look at the armoury before bed. I think I might try to purchase a new sword." He unsheathed the long sword and looked at his half-reflection in the steel. "This one is starting to rust from all the rain that I fall asleep in." He nearly dropped the sword when the eye that stared back at him from the blade flashed golden red for a moment, but managed to make it look like he had merely dropped it from exhaustion. He bent slowly and collected his blade just as a knock at the door sounded, his gaze following Mia as she jumped up and went to door.
He smiled at the thought of a meal and flopped down on the bed with Mia when she brought the plate in, inspecting the food. He found them eating in silence, his thoughts on how he was going to find that man who had dared to touch Mia. When the meal was finished, he excused himself with an excuse of wanting to see the armoury and left silently, entering the darken streets. His Rune immediately stepped into his consciousness when they were free of others gaze and he set off tracking.
It didn't take long for him to find the pitiful fool leaning against a tree smoking a pipe, obviously caught up in the book that he was attempting to read. Silently, Yuber approached and smirked when the older man didn't appear to notice him until he was right up beside him. "I doubt you can read so well in the night."
The older man turned to regard him, booking snapping shut. "Pardon me, have we met?"
Yuber grinned and shook his head. "Not yet, but I guarantee that we will get aquanted very quickly. You have a lot of guts walking around wrapping friendly arms around women that you have never met." He grabbed the older man by the front of his shirt, dragging him behind a nearby building and slamming him up against the wall. He placed a hand across the older man mouth when it opened. "If you scream, I will do more than just talk with you, understand?" He smirked when the bewildered man just nodded stupidly. "Good puppet. Now, tonight you laid a hand on a fine young woman named Mia. I am here to instruct you on the mistake that you made." He leaned in close, their gazes meeting. "She's mine."
He didn't bother waiting for a response from the older man, instead, he drew back his fist and with all of his strength, smashed the older man, shivering at the snapping of bone beneath his fist. He let the man fall to the ground, turning his face away as blood spattered on his cheek.
'Very good, boy. Now we don't have to listen to his pitiful cries of protest. Had I known you had that good of an arm, I would have had you swinging long before tonight.' The spider chuckled at the groaning man at the blonde's feet. 'Breaking his nose and jaw, very impressive. Let's have fun to get our point across more. I don't think he learned his lesson.' The Eightfold Rune watched as Yuber nodded slowly and bent to gather the other man.
Yuber kicked the older man in the chest, smirking at the sound of breaking ribs. He flopped down on the man's chest, looking down into the blooded face. He casually wiped at the blood, humming softly to himself to tune out the small whimpers of pain from the other man. "Have we learned our lesson about touching another man's woman?" He raised an eyebrow when the older man nodded vigorously. "Have you now?" He held up his right hand, exposing the Eightfold symbol there. "Well, my Rune says that you haven't. Frankly, I don't think you have either. Let's play a game..." For an instant, he simply knew that the colour of his eyes shifted as terror etched itself on the other man's features, but he pulled his fist back regardless.
He was unsure of how long he beat the other man, but as he stood in the moonlight covered in blood, time didn't seem to matter. The man was dead, he knew. He had killed once more, not for himself, but for Mia, for her protection. Yet, he couldn't deny the pleasure of ramming his fists over and over into another, weaker creature's flesh. He sighed when it began to rain and looked up, standing still as the blood of the weak washed from his skin. "I am strong, and the weak shall tremble before me."
*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Well, I surely hope that you enjoyed this chapter. It didn't take too long to write most parts, but I wanted to get to transition that Yuber was starting to undergo just right. I hope that I succeeded, and again, I thank everyone that took the time to read it. Comments are always welcome.
Only in Dreams
By: Chibi Nataku
Author's Note: Speech that starts with ' instead of " means mental talking. If a conversation is going on between Yuber and the Rune, it is purely in his mind, and assume that no one else is aware of the conversation, but can see any emotion that is displayed openly by the Rune-bearer.
Chapter 4: Drowning in Dreams
Yuber stared fondly down that the naked body cuddled against his own, running a hand up and down Mia's back gently. He felt all inner torment at rest for once, no memories of the past, or the possible futures, just content with his current state. Mia was his world for now, something that felt very good, and he planned to enjoy it for as long as possible.
Sadly, the rain had stopped sometime in the night, and the small fire was now only ash and smoke. The sun was occationally peeking out from the clouds and the air smelled fresh, not full of smoke and death from the village that was still not too far from them. Today, they would travel away, he knew, but a shadow in the back of his mind knew that they would not be alone on the road. He could feel that something drew near on his path, something that was so familiar to him yet all the same, he could put no identity to the figure that traced his steps.
He looked back down at Mia, slowly closing his eyes as he forced himself to lie on his side once more. Her skin was much warmer than his own, so much more alive under his stroking fingers. He felt a smile pull at his features and allowed it, pulling Mia closer to him. "Mine. No man shall lay a hand on her but me. I will be sure of that." The smile twisted into a cruel, cold smirk. He would remove any man that lay even an accidental hand on his lover, of course, when Mia was unaware of it. He knew she would scold him for placing so much of himself in front of her as protection, but he would enjoy ripping any man limb from limb for Mia.
In his mind, the Eightfold Rune chuckled and seemed to clap four pairs of arms together, moving forward in his consciousness. 'Very good, my boy. You must protect what is yours and remove any obstacle that prevents your happiness with her. I will help you.' An undertone of deviousness travelled along the silky voice, but Yuber ignored it, too intent on watching Mia as she slept. After a few minutes of silence between them, the Rune spoke once more. 'Boy, we should go and hunt for food. A good mate provides for his woman, don't you agree?'
Yuber cocked his head to one side, blowing away stray locks of golden bangs from his face before sitting up fully. 'You are right. Let's go kill something.'
'Oh, I simply love it when you say things like that.' The Rune's voice was full of elation and seemed to pat him on his head, a wicked gleam in its red eyes. 'Let's find something that struggles for life as we squeeze its last breath from empty lungs...'
Yuber climbed to his feet in one swift motion, prowling through the shadows towards his clothing. He picked up dark articles of clothing, slipping into them silently before moving to his pack, pulling out a few arrows and his bow. He glanced back at Mia, smirking before leaving into the damp morning, moving without sound through the forest, unfeeling of the bite of cold against the bare parts of his flesh. His senses directed him, slipping in and out of the shadows until he found what he was looking for, his gaze set upon a grazing hare.
Smirking, he prepared his bow and took aim. He fired and lept for the animal as soon as his arrow made contact with flesh, grabbing the struggling hare and holding it down, pulling out his boot knife in a swift motion and slitting the animal's throat to lessen its pain. Nodding, to himself, he sat up when the struggles ceased, wiping blonde bangs from his face. He looked down at the hare and smiled, proud of his kill, though he could hear grumbling in the back of his mind. 'What's wrong with you?'
The Rune moved forward when offered by Yuber. 'I have some work to do on you, boy.'
'What's that supposed to mean? I'm getting food for Mia.' Yuber questioned, almost innocently. He did not completely understand what he had done that was so wrong. He had hunted many times before in the same fashion, and it always seemed to work out well for them.
'It means, you silly human, that you should have killed it with your bare hands. I doubt you understand the feeling of a creature's life force leaving every muscle as you choke it, feel its futile struggles, listen to its pitiful pleas for life. Just look at that creature!' The spider took control of Yuber and forced his gaze on the rabbit before releasing the blonde once more. 'Look at those dead eyes! So peaceful, so sickening! Death should not lead to pleasure, boy!'
Yuber raised his eyes from the hare, looking around the forest around him. It was so quiet, so peaceful. 'But...'
The Eightfold Rune surged angrily. 'There are no 'but's in the life and death struggle of creatures! The strong survive and the weak die! You are strong, and that pitiful creature was weak so you killed it.' The Rune grabbed hold of Yuber once more, forcing a confused gaze back on the dead creature. 'You have to make creatures weaker than you wallow in their own pitifulness. You must make them feel their own weakness! You must...!' The Rune slowly withdrew its hold, its voice softening. 'No worries, boy. We will train and then pick up the loose ends.'
Yuber quirked an eyebrow and again, looked around the forest, listening to every sound that he could hear. He climbed back to his feet, bow in one hand and dead hare in the other. Slowly, he picked his way back to the cave where Mia was probably still sleeping.
On his way, he stopped and lifted his feet, trying to figure out why he made no sound even when he wanted to. When he could find nothing different with his boots, he found a stick and stepped on it, waiting for the familiar crack of wood and was slightly troubled when he received none despite the fact that the stick did break under his weight. Undetered that there had to be a reason for this, he set his things aside and looked at a nearby tree, swinging up easily onto one of the branches. He picked his way along one that seemed particularly weak and grabbed a steady branch above him; he lifted his weight with his arms and let go, letting out one of the most undignified noises when he lost his footing on the slippery branch he intended to break and went crashing into a bush. He came to the quick conclussion that his back made lots of noise when hitting the ground.
He lay in a humiliated heap, listening to his True Rune laughing so hard it overtook most of his senses. Muttering to himself, he managed to pick himself up gracefully and walk back to his equipment, bending to gather the rabbit and arrows before he finally noticed that the birds had stopped singing completely. Standing slowly, his gaze moved around the forest, picking out every detail that he could. When he could find nothing to match the reason for his tension, he back towards the cave, somewhat wishing he had his blade with him. Still, nothing caught his eye.
Eventually, he found the entrance of the cave and ducked inside, moving to the fire, all the while occationally glancing over one shoulder. He rekindled the flames and set to skinning the hare, setting it up for cooking. He felt his Rune inching forward, obviously investigating his activities. 'What are you doing, boy?'
'I'm cooking the rabbit.' Was his simple reply, continuing with his work.
'Why would you ruin the meat?' The Eightfold Rune asked, this time less carefully.
Yuber rolled his eyes. 'Because it tastes better when you cook meat.'
The Eightfold Rune shuddered and moved more forward, grabbing some of Yuber's consciousness. 'Just tell me right now, boy. Are you afraid of the sight of blood? If you are...Well...it's time to take a bath. I refuse to be on your hand if you don't like blood.'
'I don't mind blood.' Yuber shrugged his shoulders and sat back, watching the flames dance over the cooking flesh.
'But...you bath in it, right?' The Rune asked almost hopefully.
Yuber shoved the Rune's question away and refused to answer, looking to the blankets as Mia rose from slumber. He moved over to her and wrapped her in a warm embrace, kissing her forehead. "I'm making some breakfast."
Mia twisted in Yuber's grasp and wrapped her own arms around his waist, snuggling against him. She looked up into his face and placed a kiss on his smooth chin, smiling warmly. "What you are making, blondy?"
"I went out and killed a hare while you slept." Yuber stood and walked back to the cooking meat, turning the stick over before glancing back at Mia's skeptical look. He grinned childishly and shrugged his shoulders. "What? I know it's odd that I woke before you, but it happened."
Mia smiled and shook her head, climbing from bed and crawling over to the fire, reaching out to grab some of her dry clothing. She cast another glance at the blonde as he tried not to watch her dress and let her comment remain silent. In all of the years that she had known Yuber, he had to be dragged grumbling from bed. Still, it was amusing to think that he had managed to wake at a normal hour.
After dressing in her breeches and long-sleeved shirt, she flopped down in Yuber's lap, reaching back to run her fingers through his long locks of golden hair, taking pleasure of the silken strands slipping inbetween her fingers. She was a little surprised when her fingers ran into a obstacle and turned to look at the twig that had tangled itself in the blonde's hair. Smiling, she removed it and held it in front of his face. "Were you climbing trees again? I thought you said you were just hunting?"
Yuber looked passed Mia innocently, shaking his head. He would be much to embarrassed if she found out that he had experimented with his new silence and fallen from a tree doing something completely stupid. "Nah, not this morning. It must have caught there while I was sneaking through the bushes trying to get a good shot." He could already tell that Mia didn't believe him, but he was thankful when she just nodded pleasantly and didn't push the issue. "Hungry?"
Mia smiled and nodded silently, turning back to regard the fire. She took the meat that Yuber handed her, and they ate in relative silence, just enjoying their closeness. When she had completed her meal, she climbed from the blonde's lap and started to gather their clothing and bedding, folding each piece before stuffing them unceremoniously into the packs, probably wrinkling it all again. She turned just in time to see Yuber climbing to his feet after putting out the fire, smiling when he glanced back at her. "Come on, blondy. We should get on the road quickly. I dare not want to be around here when the Matilda Knights come by."
"Right." Yuber wandered over and picked up his pack, swinging it into place onto his shoulders before walking from the cave, his gaze moving back and forth for anything that caught his eye. He was somewhat glad when Mia started to sing softly to herself, the sound probably masking the fact that he was still not making any noise as he walked. It was beginning to trouble him. He knew that it had started since the Eightfold Rune had come along, but dared not ask it.
Too bad for him, the Rune knew what he was thinking and suddenly piped up loudly. 'Don't worry too much, boy. Silent steps are just the beginning of your transition. Soon enough, you'll be ready to fully train yourself.'
Yuber glanced back over his shoulder to make sure that Mia wasn't staring at him strangely and breathed a sigh of relief when she appeared to be content gathering the occational flower along the road. He then turned his attention back to the spider. 'Transition? What transition?'
The spider almost shrugged shoulders and turned in its web. 'You're going to transcend your humanity. No big deal because technically you aren't human at all anyway, but you must overcome the thought patterns of stupidity. The only way to do that is to break free of the human coil that bids you.'
'Meaning?' Yuber inquired.
'You're going to have to kill a lot of people.' The Rune chuckled when Yuber nearly stopped walking. 'Don't worry, boy. I'm looking forward to it.'
Yuber shook his head somewhat. 'I won't do that. I've taken enough life in the past in my village. I won't kill unless I need to.'
If a spider had eyebrows, all eight of them would have lifted. Instead, the spider left the web and walked more forward in the blonde's consciousness. 'Sorry to bust your bubble, but you don't have a choice in this matter. Your fate has already been laid before your feet so there is little that you can do about it. Just sit back and enjoy the ride, boy.'
Again, Yuber shook his head. 'I could end my life right here and now. That will stop my destiny in its tracks.'
'But that's the problem, boy, you don't have the guts to end your own life, not with the girl at your side. Face it, you are going to grow up to be a fine killer. You are going to slaughter more people in your reign than any other individual. I've seen your future, boy, which is why I'm in your right hand. I just can't wait to feel your power.' The spider grabbed hold of Yuber's full consciousness, forcing the blonde's attention on the Eightfold Rune. 'You can't run from what you don't understand, boy.'
Yuber stopped walking and grabbed his head, forcing the Rune's voice away. He felt Mia at his side, wrapping an arm around his shoulders and shook his head of an image of himself standing in the middle of mass carnage. Swallowing hard, he raised his head again and forced a smile on his face for Mia. "Sorry, I just have a bit of headache."
"Yuber...your nose is bleeding." Mia quickly pulled out a handkerchief and pressed it against the blonde's nose, looking into his downcast gaze. "Are you sure that you're feeling alright? You have been acting so strangely since I found you wandering out of that village. Yuber, did something happen there?"
Yuber slowly shook his head. "I just...had trouble seeing all that death. It reminded me of back...you know. It's nothing, really. I think I just need a few days of rest to clear my head." He took the material from Mia's hands and nodded thankfully at her before starting to walk again, this time making sure to force the Rune's presence in his mind as far from the surface as possible. All he got was laughter from the Rune as he shoved it further back and the words 'The truth hurts, doesn't it?'.
Mia looked away from the blonde, full of worry. She decided to let the issue drop, though. She knew that Yuber would speak about things that were bothering him when he was ready to do so and no amount of pressure could dissuade him otherwise. All she could do was be supportive of him. She wrapped an arm around his and started to walk again, this time picking up casual conversation to ease her own worry.
Yuber sighed and was almost thankful when Mia pulled him into casual conversation, emersing himself throughly. It had been a long time since he and Mia had just talked and laughed at one another. They had done it very often when they were younger, but gradually over the years as they become more busy, it had dwindled. Time always seemed to pass so much faster when they talked of old times, reflected on past trials and tribulations. It was enjoyable to lose himself in the past of his life, some of the happiest days of his life.
It took three days to walk to the nearest village, and along the way, they met very few travellers. The weather had remained warm and the view of the landscapes pleasant. Even the Rune in his right hand had little to say over the journey, generally keeping all comments to itself, though he got the distinct feeling that it was merely bidding its time. Still, he sometimes forgot that he even had one of the 27 True Runes in his hand during long conversations with Mia.
They entered the newly established Highway Village near the Rakutei Mountains, dusty and tired. Evening was already beginning to fall on the village, and they had walked a long way just to reach it before nightfall. They managed to drag themselves to the inn and pay for a room.
Yuber sighed heavily and released his hold on his pack, letting it slip to the floor with an audible smack. He murmured incoherantly when Mia said that she was going to get a meal for them to eat in their room. He felt like he could sleep for days at the pace that they had kept on the road and let his eyes drift shut briefly. He opened his eyes and looked around, his gaze snapping over to a older gentlemen near Mia, a snarl pulling at his lips. He watched the man inch closer to HIS Mia and attempt conversation. He was about to storm over to break the man over one knee when the Rune came to life in his mind and held him from movement. 'Let me go! I'll kill him!'
'Shush, boy. You must wait for a better opportunity for such actions if you wish to keep your blood-thirsty urges from the girl. Wait and go out tonight, find him and do as you please with him. We must make it clear that the girl is ours, and no one has a right to lay a hand on her...well, like that.' The spider chuckled as he held Yuber from screaming in rage. It was clear that he could use the blonde's overprotectiveness against him. Still, he held firm and watched behind Yuber's gaze as Mia brushed the hand off of her shoulder and started back towards them. 'Ah, the maiden returns to our side. We will crush him when no one is looking.'
Yuber sighed and nodded, gaze on the gentleman, memorizing his face. 'Yes, we will make sure he never touches Mia again.' He felt a cruel, cocky smirk work across his features as he sized up the older man, his gaze switching Mia as she stopped beside him, his expression switching back to neutral. He smiled when she held up a key and picked up his pack, following doggedly to their room, again releasing his pack when he entered the room.
Mia smiled and flopped down on the bed, tossing an arm over her eyes. "Oh...I don't think we should ever hurry to a village ever again. I am beat...but luckily, we will get a nice meal. I think I will just eat and sleep on this evening. Are you going to join me, blondy?" She lifted her arm slightly so she could look at Yuber, grinning when he nodded childishly.
Yuber felt his grin leave as soon as Mia stopped looking at him, his gaze going to the window. "However, I don't think I'm so tired that I won't wander out to take a look at the armoury before bed. I think I might try to purchase a new sword." He unsheathed the long sword and looked at his half-reflection in the steel. "This one is starting to rust from all the rain that I fall asleep in." He nearly dropped the sword when the eye that stared back at him from the blade flashed golden red for a moment, but managed to make it look like he had merely dropped it from exhaustion. He bent slowly and collected his blade just as a knock at the door sounded, his gaze following Mia as she jumped up and went to door.
He smiled at the thought of a meal and flopped down on the bed with Mia when she brought the plate in, inspecting the food. He found them eating in silence, his thoughts on how he was going to find that man who had dared to touch Mia. When the meal was finished, he excused himself with an excuse of wanting to see the armoury and left silently, entering the darken streets. His Rune immediately stepped into his consciousness when they were free of others gaze and he set off tracking.
It didn't take long for him to find the pitiful fool leaning against a tree smoking a pipe, obviously caught up in the book that he was attempting to read. Silently, Yuber approached and smirked when the older man didn't appear to notice him until he was right up beside him. "I doubt you can read so well in the night."
The older man turned to regard him, booking snapping shut. "Pardon me, have we met?"
Yuber grinned and shook his head. "Not yet, but I guarantee that we will get aquanted very quickly. You have a lot of guts walking around wrapping friendly arms around women that you have never met." He grabbed the older man by the front of his shirt, dragging him behind a nearby building and slamming him up against the wall. He placed a hand across the older man mouth when it opened. "If you scream, I will do more than just talk with you, understand?" He smirked when the bewildered man just nodded stupidly. "Good puppet. Now, tonight you laid a hand on a fine young woman named Mia. I am here to instruct you on the mistake that you made." He leaned in close, their gazes meeting. "She's mine."
He didn't bother waiting for a response from the older man, instead, he drew back his fist and with all of his strength, smashed the older man, shivering at the snapping of bone beneath his fist. He let the man fall to the ground, turning his face away as blood spattered on his cheek.
'Very good, boy. Now we don't have to listen to his pitiful cries of protest. Had I known you had that good of an arm, I would have had you swinging long before tonight.' The spider chuckled at the groaning man at the blonde's feet. 'Breaking his nose and jaw, very impressive. Let's have fun to get our point across more. I don't think he learned his lesson.' The Eightfold Rune watched as Yuber nodded slowly and bent to gather the other man.
Yuber kicked the older man in the chest, smirking at the sound of breaking ribs. He flopped down on the man's chest, looking down into the blooded face. He casually wiped at the blood, humming softly to himself to tune out the small whimpers of pain from the other man. "Have we learned our lesson about touching another man's woman?" He raised an eyebrow when the older man nodded vigorously. "Have you now?" He held up his right hand, exposing the Eightfold symbol there. "Well, my Rune says that you haven't. Frankly, I don't think you have either. Let's play a game..." For an instant, he simply knew that the colour of his eyes shifted as terror etched itself on the other man's features, but he pulled his fist back regardless.
He was unsure of how long he beat the other man, but as he stood in the moonlight covered in blood, time didn't seem to matter. The man was dead, he knew. He had killed once more, not for himself, but for Mia, for her protection. Yet, he couldn't deny the pleasure of ramming his fists over and over into another, weaker creature's flesh. He sighed when it began to rain and looked up, standing still as the blood of the weak washed from his skin. "I am strong, and the weak shall tremble before me."
*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Well, I surely hope that you enjoyed this chapter. It didn't take too long to write most parts, but I wanted to get to transition that Yuber was starting to undergo just right. I hope that I succeeded, and again, I thank everyone that took the time to read it. Comments are always welcome.