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 6 - Dreams with a Twist
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Yuber grunted in exhaustion as he shifted his pack to his other shoulder, grinding his teeth in aggravation to the stupid sing-song that his Rune was loudly proclaiming just to make him more irritated. He coughed on the dust that had encrusted itself in his mouth and throat, wiping sweat with the back of his hand, only succeeding in smearing dirt across his already filthy tanned flesh. He was tired and highly uncomfortable, especially with all of his clothing clinging to his body thanks to the extreme heat that he was trudging through.
He had been walking for a week and a half straight, rarely resting for long and refusing to stop to eat or resupply himself. However, the longer he walked in the blistering heat, the more he craved the shade and a nice long nap. He dared not sleep for to sleep meant that the True Rune trapped him in his mind for new lessons. He refused to speak with it for long periods, if only to satisfy his own stubborn pride of not giving in when he was still angry over how the spider treated Mia. It appeared that his anger only amused the Rune more and more as the days went on, and it specifically pointed out either the worst scenario or the absolute obvious.
Still, he was beginning to admit to himself that if he kept up his crazed pace, he was going to collapse in the middle of the dirt road and sleep for a week. His tolerance level had already reached its limit, and he was currently straining not to just stab himself in the chest several times with his sword just to quiet the Eightfold Rune. He had already stopped and started screaming at it a few days back just as some travelers were passing by, crediting him as insane and to be avoided.
He finally stopped and swayed in the road, running a hand through his sweat-soaked golden locks that had managed to mat up on him. He sighed heavily and looked around, throwing the loose strands back with the rest of his hair, again wiping sweat from his face, hoping to remove the sting from his eyes. Despite his body's loud protests, he grunted and pressed onward, stumbling over several rocks before finally falling to his knees, swearing loudly as the loose gravel cut into his flesh. He slowly forced himself back to his feet and started stumbling forward again, determined not to let himself be deterred from his quest for solitude.
'If you think killing yourself will get you anywhere, boy, I think you had better rethink your strategy. You do realize that there are easier ways to find release, or has the sun fried any reminiscence to an actual brain in your head?' The Eightfold Rune prodded in boredom at Yuber's thick skull, hoping to get some reaction out of the blonde. As of late, it had taken to annoying him for the sole purpose of driving home the fact that it was not going to go away with simple ignoring. Still, it was beginning to admit that if it didn't step in soon, it bearer was going to ruin himself with all this exhaustion. The heat didn't help matters either. 'Look, boy, there's some shade. Go sit in it. Maybe you can recover some actual brainpower for more than two seconds.'
'Get lost.' Yuber growled back at the Rune, shoving it away from his thoughts. He trudged further on until he felt himself forced to stop. He shrieked in complete and absolute anger when he found his body refusing his commands and instead, was under the control of the Eightfold Rune. He struggled to gain control, scratching almost desperately at his own consciousness, shrieking madly for anyone wandering close to hear. He grabbed at his hair, shaking his head about wildly to at least release some of his frustrations, hoping that without much sight, the Rune would leave him alone.
Still, with all of his fighting, shrieking, and general madness, he found himself dumping his pack on the ground, then all of his clothing, then he let out a shocked yelp when his skin hit the cool water of a stream. He quickly found himself back in control, wet and naked in a stream near the road. 'I hate you.'
The Eightfold Rune chuckled. 'No, you don't. The heat just got to your brain. You'll feel better in a few minutes.' The spider moved about in Yuber's mind, assessing any damage that might have been caused. 'Hmmm, heat stroke, random temper-tantrums, stubborn pride...Yes, definitely the heat.' It smirked when the blonde started to splash around in the swallow water, throwing water over dry flesh and dirty hair, turning the little patch of fresh water an odd colour. It watched as the blonde started to clean away the dirt and grime from the long hot walking. 'You missed a spot.'
'Piss off.' Yuber replied angrily.
'What? Can't a True Rune try to be helpful? I'm only looking out for your well-being, of course.' The Eightfold Rune chuckled when the blonde went back to ignoring it. This time it allowed Yuber a bit of peace while the blonde cleaned up his mussed appearance in the stream. It didn't wait too long after the blonde had settled himself into the cool water for a rest. 'Bet you wish the girl was here to 'cheer' you up.'
Yuber sat bolt upright, hair launching water across to the other bank before clinging to his chest. 'Don't you dare speak of Mia after what you did! I won't forgive you!'
'Well, glad I'm not looking for forgiveness then.' The spider replied dryly. It chuckled when Yuber just grumbled at it and returned to resting in the cool water. 'How about I tell you a story, boy? It will be good, I guarantee.'
'I doubt you'll listen to me even if I say 'no' to you anyway. Do what you want.' Yuber replied, mind on other thoughts, mostly of how much he missed travelling with Mia.
The Eightfold Rune snorted. 'I always do what I want. It's part of being a True Rune.' Still, the spider conjured up a web around itself and settled in comfortably. 'I will tell you about the 27 True Runes, boy. This is our story.
'In the beginning, you know what happens so I won't repeat it. Still, when the Sword and the Shield shattered and created the 27 True Runes, each of us hold brief parts of the two brothers' personalities. Together, the 27 True Runes hold the world that you miserable humans live on in balance, no force ever ruling over another. Still, the final purpose of the True Runes is to have order and rigid truth. Humans are outside of our cycle so together, we created the force called 'fate' to keep the filth of this planet on a leash, so to speak. Within in this force, we control what each human will do in his or her life, ruling over it strictly so that order will be still achieved. However, even with fate in place, humans have managed to ruin many of our great schemes, mostly because they too possess certain aspects of Sword and Shield in them, most the craving to be better than another. This has lead to problems because humans believe that they can control the True Runes and become un-godly powerful, which really isn't true as...well, the filth will never control something with more intelligence than them.' The Eightfold Rune chuckled as it thought of one of its past bearers who had believed in just that same idea. It had showed that miserable beast its place. 'Anyway, there will always be war on this planet because of humans. To wipe them out, is to restore complete order and remove fate from its place.'
Yuber sighed and stared up at the green canopy above him, watching the leaves move with the gentle breeze that had come up. 'But don't the True Runes control fate?'
The Eightfold Rune somewhat nodded its head. 'Well, yes and no. The True Runes created fate, but it appears to us that fate itself has developed an odd sense of humour thanks to Darkness fooling with it. Fate seems to have developed a mind of its own, but it is still ruled over by the True Runes. Sadly, most of the True Runes are too consumed with their own purposes to care about the workings of fate. However, all the True Runes are very aware of you.'
'What do I have to do with any of this?' Yuber asked, unable to deny some of his interest in this new topic.
'You are what could be said as a sick joke made by fate. You are...well, we don't quite know what you are...' The Eightfold Rune sighed and shifted in its web, trying to figure out the best words for Yuber to hear. 'Some of the True Runes believe that you are chaos, the ultimate embodiment of randomness that fate could create. Others of us think that you may the be one of the children that bore us True Runes.'
Yuber sat up in the water. 'Wait a second. Are you telling me that I may be the Sword or the Shield?'
The Eightfold Rune shrugged. 'In not so many words, yes. Until you fully awaken, we will not know for fate has become very illusive and cryptic in her old age. She gives us small glimpse of the future, but she has arranged it so that nothing comes in order and clues must be put together.' The spider grabbed the blonde's consciousness when Yuber's mind started to wander away from the current conversation. 'Not so fast, boy. Fate must arrange and keep the balance.'
It was Yuber's turn to shrug his shoulders. 'So?'
'So, where you are chaos or possibly the Shield, there is another in this world who will be order or possibly the Sword. Not even fate herself can lay a hand on the children of the 27 True Runes. Your fate is yet undecided.' The Eightfold Rune watched the blonde as he processed all of the information with more than a little confusion. 'Don't worry, it will all come together when you awaken.'
Yuber shook his head, throwing more water around. He was confused, yet all the same; one part of this conversation didn't make any sense. If his fate was untouchable, why did the spider keep insisting that he would kill so many people, possibly even his lover? It angered him that he was not completely understanding, but also, he was angry that the True Rune led him astray with thinking that he would have to do some awful acts. 'You lied to me!' He finally said to the spider.
The Eightfold Rune cocked its head as far to the side as it could, now finding itself a little confused. 'I don't lie, boy.'
'No, you lied to me! First you told me that I would have to kill a lot of people, including Mia, but now you are telling me that my fate in untouchable because of what I am.' Yuber exclaimed, glaring at the essence that was the Eightfold Rune.
The spider sighed. 'Well, I must have missed a part out then. Until you transcend your humanity, boy, you are still just a filthy human. Your fate has been decided all the way to the point where you awaken to your true form. However, after you transcend, your fate is your own.' The Eightfold Rune held up one forearm, clearing its throat more for the drama than any real purpose. 'There is a way to stop this cycle for a time, though.'
Yuber quirked an eyebrow in confusion. 'And what's that? What must I do to save Mia?'
'You must find and kill your opposite before he or she transcends their humanity. Only then, will that individual be forced in the cycle of rebirth and come back to this planet as a human again. To destroy your opposite is to force fate to restart this whole cycle.' The Rune watched Yuber's reaction carefully, trying to force the boy to think in the manner that it was trying to convey. 'You understand, right?'
'I must kill order...' Yuber whispered in his mind. 'The True Runes crave order so by destroying all of the True Runes...'
'Whoa! Stop that thought right now, boy!' The Eightfold Rune grabbed the blonde's conscious thoughts before they had a chance to run any further. It grabbed Yuber fiercely, all eight eyes meeting confused blue ones. 'To destroy a True Rune is to take on God. It places fate in direct conflict with Darkness herself.'
Yuber cocked his head to the side. 'And the problem?'
The Eightfold Rune sighed in exasperation. 'Darkness has been asleep since the Sword and Shield destroyed themselves. To awaken her by means such as placing fate in danger could end the entire universe.'
'But...I wouldn't have to kill Mia, right?' Yuber asked.
'You have a very one-track mind, boy.' The Rune smacked the blonde hard. 'Your fate is not to destroy the 27 Runes, at least not yet so forget the idea. Let's move on to something else.'
Yuber yawned and slowly nodded his head. 'Very well, but I'm still angry with you for hurting Mia.' He shifted in the stream that he was lying in and sat up, finally forcing himself the short distance to where his clothing was lying in a disheveled heap next to his pack. He picked up his shirt, took one look at it and gathered all of his clothing up for a good washing. He refused to smell that bad anymore.
The Eightfold Rune pushed back its web and wandered forward in the blonde's mind, inspecting his current activity. 'You should wear more metal. I have some great armour that we can get our hands on. It is black and...well, it would suit you very well. Should I arrange it?'
'Not really interested in armour.' Yuber said as he wrung the water from his shirt, wrinkling his nose at the colour of water that appeared from the material. He set to work fully cleaning the material to the best of his abilities. He shook his head when the Rune muttered to itself and eventually, could take the growing conversation no longer. 'Alright! I'll wear some more armour, but not right now.'
The Eightfold Rune smirked. 'I knew you would see it my way...eventually.' The spider shifted and attempted a grin. 'However, that is not what I wanted to discuss with you. It's time you learn some of my powers, boy. All of this walking is making me irritable, and all this dust is making you stupid.' It chuckled when the blonde bristled at its obvious mockery.
Yuber grumbled incoherently and forced himself to not comment back at the Rune, instead, he made it look like washing clothing was the most exciting event in his life. He scrubbed the cloth in his hands, removing all of the sweat and dirt that he could, not really listening to the spider that seemed to be raving on and on almost unintelligibly. When he was called upon to make a response to the Rune, he merely grunted neutrally.
The giant spider drew back and thought through its speech, shaking its head when it quickly figured out that it had been speaking in the language of the World of Emptiness. Snorting to itself, it grabbed hold of the blonde's consciousness. 'It would seem that you have yet to learn the tongue of Emptiness, boy.' It rubbed its head with one of its forelegs, grumbling to itself. 'So much to teach you, so little time to do it in before you go completely insane...Anyway, let's stop all this ridiculous walking and just teleport to our destination, shall we?'
Yuber felt his interest peek at the mention of learning to teleport. 'You have the ability to teleport your bearer?'
'I have many fun and more than a few destructive abilities. Teleportation is just one of the many things you will learn. Let's start, shall we?' The Eightfold Rune chuckled at the blonde's sudden eagerness and released its hold on Yuber's consciousness now that it had the blonde's full attention. 'Might I suggest you put your clothes back on. I doubt you wish to wander around freely.'
Yuber felt his cheeks redden as he scrambled into his wet clothing, throwing his still wet hair over his shoulder. 'Okay, okay, let's go. Let's see what you can do.'
'Whoa there, boy. I'm in control of these lessons so I'll be giving any orders and such so just keep your trap shut and do as your told.' The Eightfold Rune smirked when Yuber just grumbled but refused to make a heated reply, though it knew that it was at the edges of the blonde's mind. 'First off, start concentrating on where you wish to go. A simple slip in concentration can put you in a random place, like the middle of a lake.'
Yuber nodded more to himself, eager to finally be able to not just have a talking Rune in his right hand. He listened intently to every instruction that the Eightfold Rune gave him, asking of small questions that usually ended him with harsh reprimands. Still, it took a long part of the day and more than a few memories of the past bearers to show him exactly what he was supposed to do. He found himself learning quickly, able to teleport small objects to himself by the time that the sun was beginning to set. He could tell that the Rune was impressed as well with his abilities.
'Alright, now here comes the hard part. Let's teleport us somewhere. Screw this up, and you be doing more than a little walking in the hot sun.' The Eightfold Rune smirked as it felt its connection with the blonde growing stronger everytime Yuber tapped into its power. It was pleased with the abilities of the blonde, but it was uncertain whether the young man would be ready of bodily teleportation yet; some of its past bearers took months to learn to teleport themselves. Still, it was willing to put the blonde to the full test, eager to see just how well the young man could do. 'Give it a try, boy. Not too far now, as you've used a lot of power today. Just to end of this forest is good enough.'
'Right, I'll give it a try.' Yuber took a deep breath and closed his eyes, taking time to imagine what the road looked like. He summoned up enough power to move him, gasping when a sudden loud noise caught his attention. Before he could cancel the spell out, he felt the cold splash of water around him, coming the surface sputtering as waves shoved him back a forth. He felt the Rune scrambling in the back of his mind, but refused to rely on the Eightfold spider, gasping desperately for air as another wave crashed over his head. His lungs screamed for air as he was tossed back and forth, his mind running in panic now. He knew that if he didn't attempt another teleportation, he would surely drown. However, his concentration continually faltered as waves slammed into him, finally just thinking of one word. 'Anywhere!'
Yuber felt the rush of water over his body disappear, instead, he fell to the inky black ground, coughing desperately to remove the water from his lungs and draw a breath of air. He wheezed and shivered violently, clenching his eyes shut from the painful feel of salty water.
Slowly, he rose from all fours to look around at the desolate landscape that he was in. The ground around him was dry and cracked, dust blowing in the stiff wind that moved across the desert. In the distance, mountains jutted from the earth and reached for a red sky where three large moons clung together. The smell of scorched earth and blood invaded all of his senses, forcing him to draw a hand up to cover his nose and mouth. He was vaguely aware of piles of bones nearby, some scattered randomly, others stalked in precise order. He then become aware of the fact that he was not alone, rather, armoured demons, skeletal creatures, and evil chimera surrounded him. 'Oh...no...where the hell am I?'
The Eightfold Rune stirred the blonde's mind, sighing heavily. 'Alright, first point, don't lose your concentration no matter what is around. And second...NEVER use the word 'anywhere' when teleporting, you stupid, ignorant whelp! You just sent yourself the middle of the ocean then you managed to screw up again and sent yourself to the World of Emptiness! No human has ever walked around this place!'
Yuber swallowed hard, biting his lip as he gazed at all of the vicious-looking creatures that seemed to be quite content staring at him. 'Wh-Why are they staring at me?'
'...' The spider was at a slight loss for words, eventually only coming up with the obvious. 'They don't get many visitors here so interest is generally peeked when something new pops up for a visit.'
'Are...they going to kill me?' Was the only thing that Yuber could come up with.
'Well...probably. First, they will poke you to find out what you are, then torture you, hack you up and such, then maybe kill you. It has been awhile for me so I'm not too sure on the order that they use here anymore.' The Eightfold Rune searched through the blonde, grumbling when it quickly came to the conclusion the Yuber was in no position to teleport again until the blonde had some rest.
Yuber again attempted to swallow the lump in his throat. 'So...you can get us out of here, right? I mean, you are a True Rune and all.'
The spider shook its head. 'I'm afraid that we are stuck here until you rest yourself. If I take control and force you to teleport, it could destroy you. We must remain here.' The Eightfold Rune brightened suddenly. 'On a lighter note, we can get that armour you promised to wear! At least you can look good before you die.'
'You are hardly inspiring me with anything other than blind terror!' Yuber screamed at the Eightfold Rune, shoving it back roughly in his consciousness. He climbed to his feet and drew his long sword, growling angrily. "I won't die here!" He screamed, taking a purposeful step forward to challenge any that would dare go against him.
Yuber was more than a little surprised when the monsters surrounding him suddenly parted as an armour-clad man walked forward, horned helmet covered the man's eyes but the smirk was cold and calculating. "Who the hell are you?" He yelled at the man, snarling when the armoured knight stopped and chuckled at his question. 'I thought you said no human has walked here.'
"Well, well, well. It's about time you showed up, Yuber. I've been expecting you for some time. Follow me if you wish to live a bit longer." The metal-clad knight turned on his heel, his blood red cloak sweeping out behind him so close that the blonde man could smell the musk of death. Glancing over his shoulder, demonic red eyes took in the young man's appearance before the same smirk returned to his lips.
Yuber followed slowly, unsure of whether he had any other options. The man before him was easily his height, possibly a few inches taller and fully clad in black armour with a gold trim. A red horned, black helmet hid most of the man's facial features, all but the cocky smirk and smooth tanned flesh. Beneath the armour, Yuber spied grayish-green pants and long sleeved jerkin. A long cloak accented the man's obvious authority, red like the sky and flowing in an inhuman manner in the breeze, the cloak giving off the appearance that it was reaching for him as they walked. He was surprised as long silver hair flowed from beneath the man's helmet, almost reaching to the dusty ground, yet, it too had a life of its own that was not human. The air about the man was like walking into a snowy winter in the nude, Yuber shivering as he felt the urge to run in the other direction as his skin crawled uneasily.
Yuber stopped when the metal-clad knight did, waiting awkwardly as they stood almost froze in movement. He took a step back when the other man suddenly swiveled with such speed, it took him a moment to realize that he was staring at the front of the man. He shifted his weight, trying to capture a glimpse of the eyes of this man, unsure if he really wanted to. When the man smirked evilly, he returned to his previous stance, so many questions on his mind. "You said that you've been expecting me. Who the hell are you?"
"You aren't quite in hell yet, little boy, but I assure you that you are getting closer to it. All you need to do is tread the path you are on and hell will find you sooner than you would like to admit." The black knight chuckled and swept some of his hair over one of the spikes of his shoulder armour, watching as the locks flowed towards the blonde even without a wind to urge them. "You will come to know me as Natas, one of the only Black Knights that can still manage coherent thoughts and speech."
Yuber quirked an eyebrow. "Black Knight? Is that like the Matilda Knights? Serve and protect the people and that crap?"
Natas outrightly laughed, throwing his head back at Yuber's most amusing comment. "Sort of, except our motto is 'Backstab and murder'." He advanced towards the blonde, grinning cruelly. "We are the evil faction of knights, a faction that steps from the World of Emptiness into the World of Men to crush them and show them just how weak they are. We kill, backstab, brutalize, and burn anything in our paths." The Black Knight stopped very close to Yuber, lifting the young man's chin so that their gazes met. "You will be one of us. It is your destiny."
Yuber pulled his chin away and took a step back, snarling angrily. "Why?! Why does everyone know my destiny but me? You know nothing about me!" He drew back when Natas reached a hand towards him. "How do you know my destiny? How does the Rune in my right hand know my destiny? How does everyone but me know it!? Answer me, you monster!"
Natas again laughed, thoroughly amused now. It had been so long since he had laughed this hard. "We all know because you can call us to aid you. You are the Black Knight that will take control of the World of Emptiness and summon forth an army to destroy the race of men. You have no knowledge of this because you are just a human."
"Just a human...? Everything has to do with the fact that I'm just a human." Before even thinking, Yuber turned on his heel and bolted away from the silver-haired man, wanting to run away from all of this. He knew that he did enjoy hunting and sparring, but it never turned into bloodshed. He merely wanted to protect Mia that was all.
He felt the air leave his lungs as the hilt of a sword smashed into his fleeing back, groaning as he rolled to ground roughly, landing flat on his stomach. He let out a surprised cry of pain as a metal boot slammed into the middle of his back, forcing him back to the ground as he attempted to rise. He stopped struggling when a sword tip pressed into the back of his neck. He instinctually knew that Natas was holding him to the ground, and that the Black Knight would not kill him. "You won't kill me." He stated, more for his own benefit.
"True, but death is a long way off when one knows how to torture. You don't need all of your parts to function normally." Natas drew his sword down the blonde's back, trailing in intricate pattern on the dusty cloth before moving the blade back up Yuber's back, stopping when he reached the younger man's shoulder blade. "Right here should do. I love the screams they make when you puncture right here..." He thrust the blade forward without effort, relishing in the shocked scream of pain that ripped from the blonde's lips. He quickly withdrew the blade and flipped it in his hands, bringing the hilt down to smash into the younger man's head, chuckling when Yuber went limp. "Works like a charm. Now the real fun begins..."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Wheeeeee! Finally done this chapter and with a new, happy original character. Natas should be fun! Thanks to everyone that reviewed and hope that you are all still enjoying it. If you would like to see something added in, such as a plot point, please let me know and I will try to work it in.
Sorry again that it took so long to get this chapter up. I will attempt to work harder for the next chapter. I know that I don't like waiting long for new chapters so I will try my best.
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 6 - Dreams with a Twist
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Yuber grunted in exhaustion as he shifted his pack to his other shoulder, grinding his teeth in aggravation to the stupid sing-song that his Rune was loudly proclaiming just to make him more irritated. He coughed on the dust that had encrusted itself in his mouth and throat, wiping sweat with the back of his hand, only succeeding in smearing dirt across his already filthy tanned flesh. He was tired and highly uncomfortable, especially with all of his clothing clinging to his body thanks to the extreme heat that he was trudging through.
He had been walking for a week and a half straight, rarely resting for long and refusing to stop to eat or resupply himself. However, the longer he walked in the blistering heat, the more he craved the shade and a nice long nap. He dared not sleep for to sleep meant that the True Rune trapped him in his mind for new lessons. He refused to speak with it for long periods, if only to satisfy his own stubborn pride of not giving in when he was still angry over how the spider treated Mia. It appeared that his anger only amused the Rune more and more as the days went on, and it specifically pointed out either the worst scenario or the absolute obvious.
Still, he was beginning to admit to himself that if he kept up his crazed pace, he was going to collapse in the middle of the dirt road and sleep for a week. His tolerance level had already reached its limit, and he was currently straining not to just stab himself in the chest several times with his sword just to quiet the Eightfold Rune. He had already stopped and started screaming at it a few days back just as some travelers were passing by, crediting him as insane and to be avoided.
He finally stopped and swayed in the road, running a hand through his sweat-soaked golden locks that had managed to mat up on him. He sighed heavily and looked around, throwing the loose strands back with the rest of his hair, again wiping sweat from his face, hoping to remove the sting from his eyes. Despite his body's loud protests, he grunted and pressed onward, stumbling over several rocks before finally falling to his knees, swearing loudly as the loose gravel cut into his flesh. He slowly forced himself back to his feet and started stumbling forward again, determined not to let himself be deterred from his quest for solitude.
'If you think killing yourself will get you anywhere, boy, I think you had better rethink your strategy. You do realize that there are easier ways to find release, or has the sun fried any reminiscence to an actual brain in your head?' The Eightfold Rune prodded in boredom at Yuber's thick skull, hoping to get some reaction out of the blonde. As of late, it had taken to annoying him for the sole purpose of driving home the fact that it was not going to go away with simple ignoring. Still, it was beginning to admit that if it didn't step in soon, it bearer was going to ruin himself with all this exhaustion. The heat didn't help matters either. 'Look, boy, there's some shade. Go sit in it. Maybe you can recover some actual brainpower for more than two seconds.'
'Get lost.' Yuber growled back at the Rune, shoving it away from his thoughts. He trudged further on until he felt himself forced to stop. He shrieked in complete and absolute anger when he found his body refusing his commands and instead, was under the control of the Eightfold Rune. He struggled to gain control, scratching almost desperately at his own consciousness, shrieking madly for anyone wandering close to hear. He grabbed at his hair, shaking his head about wildly to at least release some of his frustrations, hoping that without much sight, the Rune would leave him alone.
Still, with all of his fighting, shrieking, and general madness, he found himself dumping his pack on the ground, then all of his clothing, then he let out a shocked yelp when his skin hit the cool water of a stream. He quickly found himself back in control, wet and naked in a stream near the road. 'I hate you.'
The Eightfold Rune chuckled. 'No, you don't. The heat just got to your brain. You'll feel better in a few minutes.' The spider moved about in Yuber's mind, assessing any damage that might have been caused. 'Hmmm, heat stroke, random temper-tantrums, stubborn pride...Yes, definitely the heat.' It smirked when the blonde started to splash around in the swallow water, throwing water over dry flesh and dirty hair, turning the little patch of fresh water an odd colour. It watched as the blonde started to clean away the dirt and grime from the long hot walking. 'You missed a spot.'
'Piss off.' Yuber replied angrily.
'What? Can't a True Rune try to be helpful? I'm only looking out for your well-being, of course.' The Eightfold Rune chuckled when the blonde went back to ignoring it. This time it allowed Yuber a bit of peace while the blonde cleaned up his mussed appearance in the stream. It didn't wait too long after the blonde had settled himself into the cool water for a rest. 'Bet you wish the girl was here to 'cheer' you up.'
Yuber sat bolt upright, hair launching water across to the other bank before clinging to his chest. 'Don't you dare speak of Mia after what you did! I won't forgive you!'
'Well, glad I'm not looking for forgiveness then.' The spider replied dryly. It chuckled when Yuber just grumbled at it and returned to resting in the cool water. 'How about I tell you a story, boy? It will be good, I guarantee.'
'I doubt you'll listen to me even if I say 'no' to you anyway. Do what you want.' Yuber replied, mind on other thoughts, mostly of how much he missed travelling with Mia.
The Eightfold Rune snorted. 'I always do what I want. It's part of being a True Rune.' Still, the spider conjured up a web around itself and settled in comfortably. 'I will tell you about the 27 True Runes, boy. This is our story.
'In the beginning, you know what happens so I won't repeat it. Still, when the Sword and the Shield shattered and created the 27 True Runes, each of us hold brief parts of the two brothers' personalities. Together, the 27 True Runes hold the world that you miserable humans live on in balance, no force ever ruling over another. Still, the final purpose of the True Runes is to have order and rigid truth. Humans are outside of our cycle so together, we created the force called 'fate' to keep the filth of this planet on a leash, so to speak. Within in this force, we control what each human will do in his or her life, ruling over it strictly so that order will be still achieved. However, even with fate in place, humans have managed to ruin many of our great schemes, mostly because they too possess certain aspects of Sword and Shield in them, most the craving to be better than another. This has lead to problems because humans believe that they can control the True Runes and become un-godly powerful, which really isn't true as...well, the filth will never control something with more intelligence than them.' The Eightfold Rune chuckled as it thought of one of its past bearers who had believed in just that same idea. It had showed that miserable beast its place. 'Anyway, there will always be war on this planet because of humans. To wipe them out, is to restore complete order and remove fate from its place.'
Yuber sighed and stared up at the green canopy above him, watching the leaves move with the gentle breeze that had come up. 'But don't the True Runes control fate?'
The Eightfold Rune somewhat nodded its head. 'Well, yes and no. The True Runes created fate, but it appears to us that fate itself has developed an odd sense of humour thanks to Darkness fooling with it. Fate seems to have developed a mind of its own, but it is still ruled over by the True Runes. Sadly, most of the True Runes are too consumed with their own purposes to care about the workings of fate. However, all the True Runes are very aware of you.'
'What do I have to do with any of this?' Yuber asked, unable to deny some of his interest in this new topic.
'You are what could be said as a sick joke made by fate. You are...well, we don't quite know what you are...' The Eightfold Rune sighed and shifted in its web, trying to figure out the best words for Yuber to hear. 'Some of the True Runes believe that you are chaos, the ultimate embodiment of randomness that fate could create. Others of us think that you may the be one of the children that bore us True Runes.'
Yuber sat up in the water. 'Wait a second. Are you telling me that I may be the Sword or the Shield?'
The Eightfold Rune shrugged. 'In not so many words, yes. Until you fully awaken, we will not know for fate has become very illusive and cryptic in her old age. She gives us small glimpse of the future, but she has arranged it so that nothing comes in order and clues must be put together.' The spider grabbed the blonde's consciousness when Yuber's mind started to wander away from the current conversation. 'Not so fast, boy. Fate must arrange and keep the balance.'
It was Yuber's turn to shrug his shoulders. 'So?'
'So, where you are chaos or possibly the Shield, there is another in this world who will be order or possibly the Sword. Not even fate herself can lay a hand on the children of the 27 True Runes. Your fate is yet undecided.' The Eightfold Rune watched the blonde as he processed all of the information with more than a little confusion. 'Don't worry, it will all come together when you awaken.'
Yuber shook his head, throwing more water around. He was confused, yet all the same; one part of this conversation didn't make any sense. If his fate was untouchable, why did the spider keep insisting that he would kill so many people, possibly even his lover? It angered him that he was not completely understanding, but also, he was angry that the True Rune led him astray with thinking that he would have to do some awful acts. 'You lied to me!' He finally said to the spider.
The Eightfold Rune cocked its head as far to the side as it could, now finding itself a little confused. 'I don't lie, boy.'
'No, you lied to me! First you told me that I would have to kill a lot of people, including Mia, but now you are telling me that my fate in untouchable because of what I am.' Yuber exclaimed, glaring at the essence that was the Eightfold Rune.
The spider sighed. 'Well, I must have missed a part out then. Until you transcend your humanity, boy, you are still just a filthy human. Your fate has been decided all the way to the point where you awaken to your true form. However, after you transcend, your fate is your own.' The Eightfold Rune held up one forearm, clearing its throat more for the drama than any real purpose. 'There is a way to stop this cycle for a time, though.'
Yuber quirked an eyebrow in confusion. 'And what's that? What must I do to save Mia?'
'You must find and kill your opposite before he or she transcends their humanity. Only then, will that individual be forced in the cycle of rebirth and come back to this planet as a human again. To destroy your opposite is to force fate to restart this whole cycle.' The Rune watched Yuber's reaction carefully, trying to force the boy to think in the manner that it was trying to convey. 'You understand, right?'
'I must kill order...' Yuber whispered in his mind. 'The True Runes crave order so by destroying all of the True Runes...'
'Whoa! Stop that thought right now, boy!' The Eightfold Rune grabbed the blonde's conscious thoughts before they had a chance to run any further. It grabbed Yuber fiercely, all eight eyes meeting confused blue ones. 'To destroy a True Rune is to take on God. It places fate in direct conflict with Darkness herself.'
Yuber cocked his head to the side. 'And the problem?'
The Eightfold Rune sighed in exasperation. 'Darkness has been asleep since the Sword and Shield destroyed themselves. To awaken her by means such as placing fate in danger could end the entire universe.'
'But...I wouldn't have to kill Mia, right?' Yuber asked.
'You have a very one-track mind, boy.' The Rune smacked the blonde hard. 'Your fate is not to destroy the 27 Runes, at least not yet so forget the idea. Let's move on to something else.'
Yuber yawned and slowly nodded his head. 'Very well, but I'm still angry with you for hurting Mia.' He shifted in the stream that he was lying in and sat up, finally forcing himself the short distance to where his clothing was lying in a disheveled heap next to his pack. He picked up his shirt, took one look at it and gathered all of his clothing up for a good washing. He refused to smell that bad anymore.
The Eightfold Rune pushed back its web and wandered forward in the blonde's mind, inspecting his current activity. 'You should wear more metal. I have some great armour that we can get our hands on. It is black and...well, it would suit you very well. Should I arrange it?'
'Not really interested in armour.' Yuber said as he wrung the water from his shirt, wrinkling his nose at the colour of water that appeared from the material. He set to work fully cleaning the material to the best of his abilities. He shook his head when the Rune muttered to itself and eventually, could take the growing conversation no longer. 'Alright! I'll wear some more armour, but not right now.'
The Eightfold Rune smirked. 'I knew you would see it my way...eventually.' The spider shifted and attempted a grin. 'However, that is not what I wanted to discuss with you. It's time you learn some of my powers, boy. All of this walking is making me irritable, and all this dust is making you stupid.' It chuckled when the blonde bristled at its obvious mockery.
Yuber grumbled incoherently and forced himself to not comment back at the Rune, instead, he made it look like washing clothing was the most exciting event in his life. He scrubbed the cloth in his hands, removing all of the sweat and dirt that he could, not really listening to the spider that seemed to be raving on and on almost unintelligibly. When he was called upon to make a response to the Rune, he merely grunted neutrally.
The giant spider drew back and thought through its speech, shaking its head when it quickly figured out that it had been speaking in the language of the World of Emptiness. Snorting to itself, it grabbed hold of the blonde's consciousness. 'It would seem that you have yet to learn the tongue of Emptiness, boy.' It rubbed its head with one of its forelegs, grumbling to itself. 'So much to teach you, so little time to do it in before you go completely insane...Anyway, let's stop all this ridiculous walking and just teleport to our destination, shall we?'
Yuber felt his interest peek at the mention of learning to teleport. 'You have the ability to teleport your bearer?'
'I have many fun and more than a few destructive abilities. Teleportation is just one of the many things you will learn. Let's start, shall we?' The Eightfold Rune chuckled at the blonde's sudden eagerness and released its hold on Yuber's consciousness now that it had the blonde's full attention. 'Might I suggest you put your clothes back on. I doubt you wish to wander around freely.'
Yuber felt his cheeks redden as he scrambled into his wet clothing, throwing his still wet hair over his shoulder. 'Okay, okay, let's go. Let's see what you can do.'
'Whoa there, boy. I'm in control of these lessons so I'll be giving any orders and such so just keep your trap shut and do as your told.' The Eightfold Rune smirked when Yuber just grumbled but refused to make a heated reply, though it knew that it was at the edges of the blonde's mind. 'First off, start concentrating on where you wish to go. A simple slip in concentration can put you in a random place, like the middle of a lake.'
Yuber nodded more to himself, eager to finally be able to not just have a talking Rune in his right hand. He listened intently to every instruction that the Eightfold Rune gave him, asking of small questions that usually ended him with harsh reprimands. Still, it took a long part of the day and more than a few memories of the past bearers to show him exactly what he was supposed to do. He found himself learning quickly, able to teleport small objects to himself by the time that the sun was beginning to set. He could tell that the Rune was impressed as well with his abilities.
'Alright, now here comes the hard part. Let's teleport us somewhere. Screw this up, and you be doing more than a little walking in the hot sun.' The Eightfold Rune smirked as it felt its connection with the blonde growing stronger everytime Yuber tapped into its power. It was pleased with the abilities of the blonde, but it was uncertain whether the young man would be ready of bodily teleportation yet; some of its past bearers took months to learn to teleport themselves. Still, it was willing to put the blonde to the full test, eager to see just how well the young man could do. 'Give it a try, boy. Not too far now, as you've used a lot of power today. Just to end of this forest is good enough.'
'Right, I'll give it a try.' Yuber took a deep breath and closed his eyes, taking time to imagine what the road looked like. He summoned up enough power to move him, gasping when a sudden loud noise caught his attention. Before he could cancel the spell out, he felt the cold splash of water around him, coming the surface sputtering as waves shoved him back a forth. He felt the Rune scrambling in the back of his mind, but refused to rely on the Eightfold spider, gasping desperately for air as another wave crashed over his head. His lungs screamed for air as he was tossed back and forth, his mind running in panic now. He knew that if he didn't attempt another teleportation, he would surely drown. However, his concentration continually faltered as waves slammed into him, finally just thinking of one word. 'Anywhere!'
Yuber felt the rush of water over his body disappear, instead, he fell to the inky black ground, coughing desperately to remove the water from his lungs and draw a breath of air. He wheezed and shivered violently, clenching his eyes shut from the painful feel of salty water.
Slowly, he rose from all fours to look around at the desolate landscape that he was in. The ground around him was dry and cracked, dust blowing in the stiff wind that moved across the desert. In the distance, mountains jutted from the earth and reached for a red sky where three large moons clung together. The smell of scorched earth and blood invaded all of his senses, forcing him to draw a hand up to cover his nose and mouth. He was vaguely aware of piles of bones nearby, some scattered randomly, others stalked in precise order. He then become aware of the fact that he was not alone, rather, armoured demons, skeletal creatures, and evil chimera surrounded him. 'Oh...no...where the hell am I?'
The Eightfold Rune stirred the blonde's mind, sighing heavily. 'Alright, first point, don't lose your concentration no matter what is around. And second...NEVER use the word 'anywhere' when teleporting, you stupid, ignorant whelp! You just sent yourself the middle of the ocean then you managed to screw up again and sent yourself to the World of Emptiness! No human has ever walked around this place!'
Yuber swallowed hard, biting his lip as he gazed at all of the vicious-looking creatures that seemed to be quite content staring at him. 'Wh-Why are they staring at me?'
'...' The spider was at a slight loss for words, eventually only coming up with the obvious. 'They don't get many visitors here so interest is generally peeked when something new pops up for a visit.'
'Are...they going to kill me?' Was the only thing that Yuber could come up with.
'Well...probably. First, they will poke you to find out what you are, then torture you, hack you up and such, then maybe kill you. It has been awhile for me so I'm not too sure on the order that they use here anymore.' The Eightfold Rune searched through the blonde, grumbling when it quickly came to the conclusion the Yuber was in no position to teleport again until the blonde had some rest.
Yuber again attempted to swallow the lump in his throat. 'So...you can get us out of here, right? I mean, you are a True Rune and all.'
The spider shook its head. 'I'm afraid that we are stuck here until you rest yourself. If I take control and force you to teleport, it could destroy you. We must remain here.' The Eightfold Rune brightened suddenly. 'On a lighter note, we can get that armour you promised to wear! At least you can look good before you die.'
'You are hardly inspiring me with anything other than blind terror!' Yuber screamed at the Eightfold Rune, shoving it back roughly in his consciousness. He climbed to his feet and drew his long sword, growling angrily. "I won't die here!" He screamed, taking a purposeful step forward to challenge any that would dare go against him.
Yuber was more than a little surprised when the monsters surrounding him suddenly parted as an armour-clad man walked forward, horned helmet covered the man's eyes but the smirk was cold and calculating. "Who the hell are you?" He yelled at the man, snarling when the armoured knight stopped and chuckled at his question. 'I thought you said no human has walked here.'
"Well, well, well. It's about time you showed up, Yuber. I've been expecting you for some time. Follow me if you wish to live a bit longer." The metal-clad knight turned on his heel, his blood red cloak sweeping out behind him so close that the blonde man could smell the musk of death. Glancing over his shoulder, demonic red eyes took in the young man's appearance before the same smirk returned to his lips.
Yuber followed slowly, unsure of whether he had any other options. The man before him was easily his height, possibly a few inches taller and fully clad in black armour with a gold trim. A red horned, black helmet hid most of the man's facial features, all but the cocky smirk and smooth tanned flesh. Beneath the armour, Yuber spied grayish-green pants and long sleeved jerkin. A long cloak accented the man's obvious authority, red like the sky and flowing in an inhuman manner in the breeze, the cloak giving off the appearance that it was reaching for him as they walked. He was surprised as long silver hair flowed from beneath the man's helmet, almost reaching to the dusty ground, yet, it too had a life of its own that was not human. The air about the man was like walking into a snowy winter in the nude, Yuber shivering as he felt the urge to run in the other direction as his skin crawled uneasily.
Yuber stopped when the metal-clad knight did, waiting awkwardly as they stood almost froze in movement. He took a step back when the other man suddenly swiveled with such speed, it took him a moment to realize that he was staring at the front of the man. He shifted his weight, trying to capture a glimpse of the eyes of this man, unsure if he really wanted to. When the man smirked evilly, he returned to his previous stance, so many questions on his mind. "You said that you've been expecting me. Who the hell are you?"
"You aren't quite in hell yet, little boy, but I assure you that you are getting closer to it. All you need to do is tread the path you are on and hell will find you sooner than you would like to admit." The black knight chuckled and swept some of his hair over one of the spikes of his shoulder armour, watching as the locks flowed towards the blonde even without a wind to urge them. "You will come to know me as Natas, one of the only Black Knights that can still manage coherent thoughts and speech."
Yuber quirked an eyebrow. "Black Knight? Is that like the Matilda Knights? Serve and protect the people and that crap?"
Natas outrightly laughed, throwing his head back at Yuber's most amusing comment. "Sort of, except our motto is 'Backstab and murder'." He advanced towards the blonde, grinning cruelly. "We are the evil faction of knights, a faction that steps from the World of Emptiness into the World of Men to crush them and show them just how weak they are. We kill, backstab, brutalize, and burn anything in our paths." The Black Knight stopped very close to Yuber, lifting the young man's chin so that their gazes met. "You will be one of us. It is your destiny."
Yuber pulled his chin away and took a step back, snarling angrily. "Why?! Why does everyone know my destiny but me? You know nothing about me!" He drew back when Natas reached a hand towards him. "How do you know my destiny? How does the Rune in my right hand know my destiny? How does everyone but me know it!? Answer me, you monster!"
Natas again laughed, thoroughly amused now. It had been so long since he had laughed this hard. "We all know because you can call us to aid you. You are the Black Knight that will take control of the World of Emptiness and summon forth an army to destroy the race of men. You have no knowledge of this because you are just a human."
"Just a human...? Everything has to do with the fact that I'm just a human." Before even thinking, Yuber turned on his heel and bolted away from the silver-haired man, wanting to run away from all of this. He knew that he did enjoy hunting and sparring, but it never turned into bloodshed. He merely wanted to protect Mia that was all.
He felt the air leave his lungs as the hilt of a sword smashed into his fleeing back, groaning as he rolled to ground roughly, landing flat on his stomach. He let out a surprised cry of pain as a metal boot slammed into the middle of his back, forcing him back to the ground as he attempted to rise. He stopped struggling when a sword tip pressed into the back of his neck. He instinctually knew that Natas was holding him to the ground, and that the Black Knight would not kill him. "You won't kill me." He stated, more for his own benefit.
"True, but death is a long way off when one knows how to torture. You don't need all of your parts to function normally." Natas drew his sword down the blonde's back, trailing in intricate pattern on the dusty cloth before moving the blade back up Yuber's back, stopping when he reached the younger man's shoulder blade. "Right here should do. I love the screams they make when you puncture right here..." He thrust the blade forward without effort, relishing in the shocked scream of pain that ripped from the blonde's lips. He quickly withdrew the blade and flipped it in his hands, bringing the hilt down to smash into the younger man's head, chuckling when Yuber went limp. "Works like a charm. Now the real fun begins..."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Wheeeeee! Finally done this chapter and with a new, happy original character. Natas should be fun! Thanks to everyone that reviewed and hope that you are all still enjoying it. If you would like to see something added in, such as a plot point, please let me know and I will try to work it in.
Sorry again that it took so long to get this chapter up. I will attempt to work harder for the next chapter. I know that I don't like waiting long for new chapters so I will try my best.