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 7: Dreaming In Blood
~*~*~*~*~*~
Yuber groaned softly as he regained consciousness, memories of his encounter with the strange Black Knight called Natas flooding to him. Slowly, he opened his eyes, wincing as his wounded shoulder sent shockwaves of pain throughout his body. He reached a hand over to test the wound, a bit surprised to find his shoulder well bandaged and better healed than it probably should be.
His eyes shot open when he heard a soft, mocking chuckle from across from him, forcing himself upright to stare at the smirking Black Knight. He growled angrily, flexing his other arm to test for any damage. "You stabbed me!"
"Indeed, I did. If it makes you feel better, you aren't the first person I've stabbed without remorse and such." Natas grinned and flipped his long hair back over his shoulder, gaze fixed on the blonde in his bed. He climbed to his feet and walked almost casually over to Yuber. "We have to get you trained, kid. Running from an enemy with a back open is a bad move because most are willing to stab you there. You need sword practice badly." Natas ran a finger over the hilt of his sword fondly. "Luckily for you, kid, I've decided to train you in what you need to know. You will learn to properly use a sword, learn the tongue of this world, and learn to properly use that Rune of yours. Your training starts tomorrow morning so prepare yourself. I don't go easy on anyone."
Yuber felt his eyes narrow and bared his teeth angrily. "I don't want to learn anything from you. Why should I?"
Natas snorted and grabbed the blonde's throat, lifting him from the bed enough to let Yuber know that there was no option out of training. "I see little harm in you learning such things. It will give you a better understanding of the world in which you live. Besides, what wrong with learning something?"
"Nothing. I just don't want to learn from you." Yuber stated, turning his face away from the silver-haired knight in the snobbish fashion that he knew that he could muster. When Natas did not react to him aside from releasing his throat, he slowly turned his gaze back to find out what the Black Knight was doing. He was a bit surprised to find the silver-haired man removing his helmet, revealing a youthful face of equal beauty as he held. He felt a bit of a loss for words as his gaze met that of blood red orbs of demonic fury, yet he could tell that the feelings were not directed at him, rather, there was hidden pain and suffering in those orbs.
He felt himself silently connecting with the older man. He came to realize very quickly that probably no human had ever seen Natas' eyes as they were hidden beneath a helmet of black armour. It was in that gaze that a horrible past emerged, one that was filled with savage beatings, constant abandonment, strict discipline and training, and emotional molding. He found some parts of his own past reflecting in the gaze of Natas, some of the issues of his past that he just couldn't convey to Mia because she had never experienced it. He found that in the silent locking of gazes, there was an odd kinship between he and Natas, something that eased some of his insecurity.
Yuber was a little shocked when the Eightfold Rune stepped into his consciousness and seemed to stare back at Natas. 'Well, look who it is. I might have known that you would still be wandering around here, Natas. Yet, you seem alone. Where is your master?'
'Dead' Natas replied evenly.
'Oh? And how did that old bastard meet his final end?' The Eightfold Rune chuckled as Yuber sat more upright in his bed, grabbing the sheets almost desperately as it was apparent that the blonde could hear Natas' voice as clearly as its. 'No need for alarm, boy. I can speak with whomever I wish in this world. Just relax and enjoy this little question period.' The spider turned its attention back to the silver-haired man. 'So, care to share details? I can assume you were there to witness it, as he never let you out of his sight.'
Natas snorted and looked away from the blonde. 'She, actually.'
The Eightfold Rune blinked before finally just shrugging. 'It's so difficult to tell with you Black Knights. For the longest time, I was unsure of your gender, and I even had a hand in creating you.'
Yuber shook his head before finally pulling the blanket over himself as much as possible. 'This is too weird. Stop talking to one another...'
'Oh, shut it, boy. Can't you see I'm currently interrogating Natas? Not another word until I'm finished with him or you'll find your tongue licking some dubious substance.' The Eightfold Rune grabbed the blonde's mind and held it firmly, all the while keeping its gaze on the Black Knight. 'Come on, come on, the boy doesn't have all century.'
Natas shrugged his shoulder, a cold smirk pulling at his elegant features. 'I killed her, stabbed her in the back to be more precise. We found an old artifact sword forged from a True Rune, and, as we walked down the path and encountered some bandits, I ran her through. I then butchered the bandits without mercy and went on my not-so-merry way.' He sat back in his chair, lifting the two front legs from the floor in a show of boredom.
Yuber leaned forward towards Natas, an eager grin on his face. 'You kept the sword, right? I would love to see it.'
'Sorry, kid, but I got rid of it quickly. It kept thinking that it was the master and expected me to bow down to it, so I shoved it in some stone, told it where to go, and abandoned it. Probably pissed it off, but it was not like I cared.' Natas grinned back at Yuber, reaching a hand towards the blonde. 'I could show it to you, if you really wanted to.'
Yuber was about to answer when the Rune suddenly interrupted in their conversation. 'Nevermind that, boy. A word to the wise, never turn your back on Natas. He is famous for stabbing one in the back; it is his specialty so be guarded. Leaving your back open, like you are so good at doing, is probably one of the worst things you can do when sparring with the whelp.'
Natas chuckled coldly, his hand finally connecting with Yuber's good shoulder, pulling the blonde closer to him. 'Another word to the not-so wise, I never spar. To fully understand the complications of battle, one must fully engage in battle all the time. Besides, losing a bit of blood here and there shouldn't be too much of a problem. I generally stop fighting when my partner falls unconscious.' A cruel smirk spread across his face, his red eyes twinkling with past battles and blood baths at the hands of his victims.
Yuber slowly nodded, fully understanding the implications of the silver-haired man's words. Just looking at Natas indicated his ways of proceeding in battle, which probably would leave him with more than a few wounds to nurse when he finally managed to teleport himself away again. He could only hope that his Rune would agree to help him teleport as quickly as possible. He really didn't need more wounds to wander back to Mia with. He doubted she would understand if he told her that he was stabbed by a bloodthirsty man in full-plate black armour when he accidentally teleported to another plane of existence. Frankly, it sounded quite bizarre to even him.
His gaze switched back to Natas when the silver-haired man stood and tucked his helmet under one arm, their gazes meeting briefly. He understood that he was about to be left alone, for some odd reason, the concept finding its way in his mind without words being spoken. Silently, he nodded and sat back, groaning as his shoulder let out a twinge of protest. He could only watch as Natas turned, red cape sweeping over his blonde head, before disappearing into the darkness of the room, not even foot falls to let him know how far away the Black Knight was.
It was then that he suddenly realized that Natas was as silent as he was, a fact that made him even more suspicious of his new surroundings. Still, he was in no mood to find out all the secrets of himself, instead, he felt more like wallowing in a bit of self-pity before sleeping.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Yuber mumbled softly, smiling at his little dream. His shoulder was feeling good, and he had had one of the most restful sleeps in the longest time. The only problem that he found in his mid-dreaming state was that he could swear that he was swimming. Odd, mostly due to the fact that he had seen little to no water in the entire land which he had treaded.
Slowly, he allowed himself to let go his pleasant dream of being wrapped in Mia's loving embrace and open his eyes. Grumbling softly, he lifted a hand and rubbed sleep from his eyes, yawning deeply. Midway in rubbing his eyes, he pulled his hand back, wandering why his hand was wet. He sat bolt upright at the sight of blood covering his hand, and arm for that matter. He looked around desperately, trying to figure out where he was bleeding from, only to look down to find himself in a clay bath tub full of blood, the only indication that it was not his own was the human heart bobbing up and down merrily near his legs. He felt himself growing ill very quickly, but was unable to capitalize on vomiting as he finally noticed Natas sitting pleasantly beside him, wicked grin spread across the youthful features.
"Morning, sunshine." Natas said with the most pleasant, unassuming voice he had.
Yuber simply couldn't wait for himself to find his voice. He leapt up and jumped from the tub, bare feet slipping on the equally bloody floor, sending him stumbling like a fool towards the open doorway, Natas' mad cackling driving him onwards. He thankfully managed to keep from falling flat of his face, running as fast as his legs would carry him from the bathroom, stopping when he entered the room in which Natas had very obviously had his fun.
He had never seen so much blood in his entire life, large quantities splashed on the walls in random patterns. The metallic odour invaded his sense of smell, the sight of large pools slowly sinking through the dirty wooden floor boards making the reality all the more harsh. His gaze swept around the room, all signs of struggling all too evident with handprints at windows and being dragged across the floor. The blood was still fresh as it made tracks down the walls and furniture, only to pool on the floor around removed fingers, hands, and undistinguishable human parts.
The victim's bodies placed neatly in everyday positions around the dinner table as if a meal was about to be served and consumed. Most of the seven bodies where cut up beyond recognition, spare parts lying around the blooded room, all except their faces which looked horrified yet peaceful. Not a drop of blood was on the skin of their faces, except for the small trail of blood from their eyes, which gave the impression of crying. Each appeared to be placed in their restrictive chairs for a meal with as much of an upright posture as they could carry.
Yuber felt bile rise in his throat and was about to take off again when strong arms wrapped around him, one around his waist, the other wrapping to cover his mouth, Natas' body pressing up against his. He shut his eyes as the soft sigh that left the Black Knight's lips at the sight of his handy work, the warm air rushing across his ear. He shuddered in the Black Knight's hold, all too firm to break, much like some of the holds his True Rune pinned him in. Yet, all he could do was keep his eyes close and force back images of his own family.
Natas smirked at the small shivers that the younger man was letting loose, but he still held firm. This was just one of the many lessons the blonde needed to face. "Look at them, Yuber. I doubt you realize how much blood was needed to fill your bath this morning, but I did it all for you so that you could learn a very valuable lesson. Humans are weak. The weak are food for the strong. That will always be the order of things." He released his hold on Yuber's mouth, outstretching his armoured hand towards the dead family, smirking cruelly as he beckoned them back to movement. "Let us...watch the weak."
Yuber was unsure why his Rune took control of him, but it forced his eyes back open, only to wish to close them again for the sight of the dead starting to cannibalize each other. He tried to look away, but Natas twisted his head back. "Don't...They shouldn't do that."
"Why not? You and I are strong, and they are just weak pitiful people. No one will miss them, no one cry for them, no one will seek out revenge for them. The weak are here to allow the strong a nice cozy foothold. What's wrong with killing them? If anything, it gives them sweet release from this hell hole of a planet." Natas swiveled the blonde so that they were facing one another, leaning down so that their noses almost touched. Were he not wearing his helmet, their gazes would have probably met, but he had blocked his gaze from Yuber with metal. Still, he could see the pained looked that the blonde had, smirking when he found behind all the painful memories, a small piece of the blonde drawn to the dead, yet its interest quickly wavered. "Ah, the dead do not interest you as much as the dying do...Very interesting."
Yuber shook his head in denial. "No, I hunt for food only."
Natas smirked. "Really? And what about that man in the Highway Village that you murdered for the simple fact that he look upon your dear, sweet Mia? Were you hunting him for food?" He released his hold on the blonde and took a step back, looking the younger man up and down. "If that were the case, things could get interesting. I know more that my share of creatures that enjoy the taste of human flesh. Tastes like chicken, or so they say." He wrapped an arm around Yuber's shoulders, holding the younger man firmly against his armour before waving a hand that the slumping of bodies was heard. "Well, that was fun. Let's go beat each other up."
Yuber merely nodded his head stupidly, wanting to be anywhere but in this death-filled house. He just wanted to find a stream and wash himself clean of both memory and blood. He followed Natas out of the house as quickly as possible, shivering as a cold breeze blew against his exposed skin; he desperately wanted to put on a shirt and boots, that and change the pants that he was currently wearing. He refused to look as the Black Knight called upon a Fire Rune and set the house ablaze. Still, he did pass a glance at Natas to see his facial expression. The same smirked marked the silver-haired man's features, one that showed his obvious superiority. He was both sickened and enchanted with that expression. "Can we leave?"
"Leave? Perhaps this little lesson was a bit too hard on you, especially when taking your past experiences into mind. We have other lessons to complete today anyway." Natas pointed a hand at the blonde, concentrating as he summoned forth some of his dark powers to move them back to the World of Emptiness, sighing almost merrily. He called his blade to hand, smirking as the blonde looked around for his own sword. "No need today, kiddo. Today I get to test you so there really is no need for you having a sword. If you really want one, you'll have to take mine away from me." He grinned wickedly, giving the younger man the impression that taking his blade was a task that no one had yet managed to do.
Yuber swallowed the lump in his throat and slowly nodded his head. He felt the Eightfold Rune creep forward in his consciousness. 'Um, any suggestions?'
'Well, I think you're doomed today. Personally, Natas just wants to beat the snot out of you for the fun of it so try not to struggle too much. However, if you drop like a rock on the first hit, I doubt he'll stop so do give him a bit of fun, just...know your limit, boy.' The Eightfold Rune stepped back in its web, intent on watching this battle. It felt that the boy needed a good beating to show him the way of the wise, and it knew that Natas was a great Black Knight to rely on to give the boy one. The spider chuckled at the scene that Natas had created for Yuber this morning, rubbing forearms together. 'That was great. I'll have to remember that.'
Yuber blinked stupidly. 'Remember what?'
It was the Eightfold Rune's turn to blink. 'Nothing, boy. You have bigger, more armoured things to worry about. Oh, do dodge to the right if you want to stay conscious.' The spider broke into laughter as the blonde whelped and jumped away from the Black Knight's blade, which impacted in the ground and threw up a cloud of dust. 'Oh, this will be good. Keep on your toes, boy. Remember, don't turn your back on him.'
Yuber shook his head and kept his gaze on Natas who was climbing back to his feet slowly, trying to intimidate him. He breathed in a slow breathe, trying to calm his nerves and was desperate to keep all of his focus on the Black Knight. He was baffled by Natas' speed, letting out a small cry as the flat side of the older man's sword smashed into his upper arm, groaning at the audible crack of bone. He clutched the wounded appendage, jumping back a few steps as his gaze was filled with that same cruel smirk. He took a few steps away, blinking when the Black Knight suddenly disappeared, quickly swiveling around, only to catch Nata's blade in the shoulder. However, instead of falling to one knee, he smashed the Black Knight in the back of the leg, hoping to bring Natas to one knee.
He was dismayed when Natas grabbed his leg and knocked him to his back, rolling to the side just as the older man's sword smashed into the ground. He was forced to stop rolling as his wounds screamed in protest, slowly climbing back to his feet in time to catch the Black Knight's fist in the jaw, sending him sprawling again. Refusing to give up despite his injuries, he lashed out angrily, swiping Natas' feet out from under him, blinking when the older man teleported away before hitting the ground. He let out a whimper as his hair was grabbed, and he was dragged back to his feet only to be punched in the face again. He shook away the spinning world, wincing as blood began to flow over his left eye, partially blinding him. He remained prone, acting unconscious or perhaps even defeated.
Natas smirked and sighed. "Poor, Yuber. How does it feel to be so weak. It didn't even take me ten minutes to defeat you." He purred as he advanced towards the injured blonde, eyes narrowing when Yuber suddenly leapt to his feet and swung a fist at him, stumbling back a few steps as the blonde's fist connected with his cheek. Chuckling softly, he wiped blood from his mouth with the back of his hand. "Obviously not as weak as some I've played with. I do believe I've underestimated you, but I will not make such a mistake again."
Yuber stumbled a few steps, groaning as he clutched at his broken arm. He tried to prepare himself for Natas' next attack, but was completely shocked when a mirror image of the Black Knight appeared behind him and smashed him in the lower back, forcing him to stumble forward, only to be met with cold steel of the Black Knight as Natas smashed his stomach then the back of his head in one swift motion, sending him to blessed darkness.
He knew that he had not been unconscious too long, but when he woke, he was down to pants again and most of his wounds had been tended to. Only the large black bruises on his face and shoulder were a real indication as to the brutalness of their battle. Still, as he looked around with one good eye, the other too swollen to see from, he spied Natas grinning at him in the same chair as before. "Did I amuse you?"
Natas chuckled and leaned back in his chair, satisfied that the blonde was awake. "You did better than most against me. I will say that you kept me entertained longer than any I've let live." He eyed the younger man's bruised face, smirking now. "Black is really your colour, Yuber. It looks simply grand covering half of your face."
Yuber had to bite back a rude comment, turning his face away from the silver-haired man. He tentatively reached up to feel the swollen flesh, wincing at the sharp pains that shot through him with a single touch. He quickly dropped the idea of investigating his wounds and just looked at Natas, waiting for the Black Knight to speak.
"You need to learn the language of this world, and I'm going to teach you. After we have a little lesson here, you can do some slave labour for me." Natas smirked at the blonde's soured expression. "However, once you've done that, you'll learn some of the powers of that True Rune and some techniques that we Black Knights use. All in all, it shall be very exciting...not."
Yuber slowly nodded, settling in to learn what he needed to if only to please the Black Knight and keeping the older man from beating him senseless every ten minutes. He quickly found that he settled pretty well into the routine between them. He would wake up, experience something new and usually quite horrific and brutal, then Natas would smack him around until he fell unconscious, then he would nurse his wounds while learning a new strange dialect, then slave labour would ensue, and finally, he would learn techniques used by Black Knights. He soon found it to be as regular as clock-work, quickly becoming aware of the fact that Natas never slept or ate food, some habits he found himself losing interest in.
By the end of three months, he had come to accept the lessons as normal. He had grown used to Natas' cunning if not extremely grotesque morning of showing him interesting murders or crimes, not all of them committed by the Black Knight. After some wandering, he would battle with the silver-haired man, greatly thankful when his skills began to improve under the Black Knight's tutelage. Afternoons consisted of language lessons and some talk about Runes then it would be on to learning new techniques, some of which were more difficult than others. Soon, brute labour was left out, mostly because it took the Black Knight longer to knock him unconscious. By the time two months had passed, he needed very little sleep, rarely ate, and the rest of his time was spent training heavily.
One thing that surprised more his True Rune more than himself was the fact that Natas was a very good teacher, somehow always finding patience when the Eightfold Rune would be scolding him ruthlessly. Yuber could not remember a time when the Black Knight did not spend extra time explaining something that he did not understand. It was a characteristic that brought Yuber a bit closer to the silver-haired man, but his Rune muttered it as a weakness that Natas had. Still, their routine went on and his teaching was much easier under the Black Knight than the True Rune which had little patience for explaining things.
He was a bit surprised when he woke up to find Natas standing instead sitting. He looked around, trying to figure what was different to make the Black Knight changed their routine. Slowly, he climbed to his feet, cocking his head to the side questionably. "What's wrong?"
Natas grinned cruelly. "Small change from now on. We're going to kill people, a lot of people."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
TeeHee, finally done! Happy, happy, I am. Well, the change for Yuber is finally on and hopefully I will do it well. This next chapter make take a bit longer because I wish to do the next one carefully. So, hope you all enjoyed and please read and review.
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 7: Dreaming In Blood
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Yuber groaned softly as he regained consciousness, memories of his encounter with the strange Black Knight called Natas flooding to him. Slowly, he opened his eyes, wincing as his wounded shoulder sent shockwaves of pain throughout his body. He reached a hand over to test the wound, a bit surprised to find his shoulder well bandaged and better healed than it probably should be.
His eyes shot open when he heard a soft, mocking chuckle from across from him, forcing himself upright to stare at the smirking Black Knight. He growled angrily, flexing his other arm to test for any damage. "You stabbed me!"
"Indeed, I did. If it makes you feel better, you aren't the first person I've stabbed without remorse and such." Natas grinned and flipped his long hair back over his shoulder, gaze fixed on the blonde in his bed. He climbed to his feet and walked almost casually over to Yuber. "We have to get you trained, kid. Running from an enemy with a back open is a bad move because most are willing to stab you there. You need sword practice badly." Natas ran a finger over the hilt of his sword fondly. "Luckily for you, kid, I've decided to train you in what you need to know. You will learn to properly use a sword, learn the tongue of this world, and learn to properly use that Rune of yours. Your training starts tomorrow morning so prepare yourself. I don't go easy on anyone."
Yuber felt his eyes narrow and bared his teeth angrily. "I don't want to learn anything from you. Why should I?"
Natas snorted and grabbed the blonde's throat, lifting him from the bed enough to let Yuber know that there was no option out of training. "I see little harm in you learning such things. It will give you a better understanding of the world in which you live. Besides, what wrong with learning something?"
"Nothing. I just don't want to learn from you." Yuber stated, turning his face away from the silver-haired knight in the snobbish fashion that he knew that he could muster. When Natas did not react to him aside from releasing his throat, he slowly turned his gaze back to find out what the Black Knight was doing. He was a bit surprised to find the silver-haired man removing his helmet, revealing a youthful face of equal beauty as he held. He felt a bit of a loss for words as his gaze met that of blood red orbs of demonic fury, yet he could tell that the feelings were not directed at him, rather, there was hidden pain and suffering in those orbs.
He felt himself silently connecting with the older man. He came to realize very quickly that probably no human had ever seen Natas' eyes as they were hidden beneath a helmet of black armour. It was in that gaze that a horrible past emerged, one that was filled with savage beatings, constant abandonment, strict discipline and training, and emotional molding. He found some parts of his own past reflecting in the gaze of Natas, some of the issues of his past that he just couldn't convey to Mia because she had never experienced it. He found that in the silent locking of gazes, there was an odd kinship between he and Natas, something that eased some of his insecurity.
Yuber was a little shocked when the Eightfold Rune stepped into his consciousness and seemed to stare back at Natas. 'Well, look who it is. I might have known that you would still be wandering around here, Natas. Yet, you seem alone. Where is your master?'
'Dead' Natas replied evenly.
'Oh? And how did that old bastard meet his final end?' The Eightfold Rune chuckled as Yuber sat more upright in his bed, grabbing the sheets almost desperately as it was apparent that the blonde could hear Natas' voice as clearly as its. 'No need for alarm, boy. I can speak with whomever I wish in this world. Just relax and enjoy this little question period.' The spider turned its attention back to the silver-haired man. 'So, care to share details? I can assume you were there to witness it, as he never let you out of his sight.'
Natas snorted and looked away from the blonde. 'She, actually.'
The Eightfold Rune blinked before finally just shrugging. 'It's so difficult to tell with you Black Knights. For the longest time, I was unsure of your gender, and I even had a hand in creating you.'
Yuber shook his head before finally pulling the blanket over himself as much as possible. 'This is too weird. Stop talking to one another...'
'Oh, shut it, boy. Can't you see I'm currently interrogating Natas? Not another word until I'm finished with him or you'll find your tongue licking some dubious substance.' The Eightfold Rune grabbed the blonde's mind and held it firmly, all the while keeping its gaze on the Black Knight. 'Come on, come on, the boy doesn't have all century.'
Natas shrugged his shoulder, a cold smirk pulling at his elegant features. 'I killed her, stabbed her in the back to be more precise. We found an old artifact sword forged from a True Rune, and, as we walked down the path and encountered some bandits, I ran her through. I then butchered the bandits without mercy and went on my not-so-merry way.' He sat back in his chair, lifting the two front legs from the floor in a show of boredom.
Yuber leaned forward towards Natas, an eager grin on his face. 'You kept the sword, right? I would love to see it.'
'Sorry, kid, but I got rid of it quickly. It kept thinking that it was the master and expected me to bow down to it, so I shoved it in some stone, told it where to go, and abandoned it. Probably pissed it off, but it was not like I cared.' Natas grinned back at Yuber, reaching a hand towards the blonde. 'I could show it to you, if you really wanted to.'
Yuber was about to answer when the Rune suddenly interrupted in their conversation. 'Nevermind that, boy. A word to the wise, never turn your back on Natas. He is famous for stabbing one in the back; it is his specialty so be guarded. Leaving your back open, like you are so good at doing, is probably one of the worst things you can do when sparring with the whelp.'
Natas chuckled coldly, his hand finally connecting with Yuber's good shoulder, pulling the blonde closer to him. 'Another word to the not-so wise, I never spar. To fully understand the complications of battle, one must fully engage in battle all the time. Besides, losing a bit of blood here and there shouldn't be too much of a problem. I generally stop fighting when my partner falls unconscious.' A cruel smirk spread across his face, his red eyes twinkling with past battles and blood baths at the hands of his victims.
Yuber slowly nodded, fully understanding the implications of the silver-haired man's words. Just looking at Natas indicated his ways of proceeding in battle, which probably would leave him with more than a few wounds to nurse when he finally managed to teleport himself away again. He could only hope that his Rune would agree to help him teleport as quickly as possible. He really didn't need more wounds to wander back to Mia with. He doubted she would understand if he told her that he was stabbed by a bloodthirsty man in full-plate black armour when he accidentally teleported to another plane of existence. Frankly, it sounded quite bizarre to even him.
His gaze switched back to Natas when the silver-haired man stood and tucked his helmet under one arm, their gazes meeting briefly. He understood that he was about to be left alone, for some odd reason, the concept finding its way in his mind without words being spoken. Silently, he nodded and sat back, groaning as his shoulder let out a twinge of protest. He could only watch as Natas turned, red cape sweeping over his blonde head, before disappearing into the darkness of the room, not even foot falls to let him know how far away the Black Knight was.
It was then that he suddenly realized that Natas was as silent as he was, a fact that made him even more suspicious of his new surroundings. Still, he was in no mood to find out all the secrets of himself, instead, he felt more like wallowing in a bit of self-pity before sleeping.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Yuber mumbled softly, smiling at his little dream. His shoulder was feeling good, and he had had one of the most restful sleeps in the longest time. The only problem that he found in his mid-dreaming state was that he could swear that he was swimming. Odd, mostly due to the fact that he had seen little to no water in the entire land which he had treaded.
Slowly, he allowed himself to let go his pleasant dream of being wrapped in Mia's loving embrace and open his eyes. Grumbling softly, he lifted a hand and rubbed sleep from his eyes, yawning deeply. Midway in rubbing his eyes, he pulled his hand back, wandering why his hand was wet. He sat bolt upright at the sight of blood covering his hand, and arm for that matter. He looked around desperately, trying to figure out where he was bleeding from, only to look down to find himself in a clay bath tub full of blood, the only indication that it was not his own was the human heart bobbing up and down merrily near his legs. He felt himself growing ill very quickly, but was unable to capitalize on vomiting as he finally noticed Natas sitting pleasantly beside him, wicked grin spread across the youthful features.
"Morning, sunshine." Natas said with the most pleasant, unassuming voice he had.
Yuber simply couldn't wait for himself to find his voice. He leapt up and jumped from the tub, bare feet slipping on the equally bloody floor, sending him stumbling like a fool towards the open doorway, Natas' mad cackling driving him onwards. He thankfully managed to keep from falling flat of his face, running as fast as his legs would carry him from the bathroom, stopping when he entered the room in which Natas had very obviously had his fun.
He had never seen so much blood in his entire life, large quantities splashed on the walls in random patterns. The metallic odour invaded his sense of smell, the sight of large pools slowly sinking through the dirty wooden floor boards making the reality all the more harsh. His gaze swept around the room, all signs of struggling all too evident with handprints at windows and being dragged across the floor. The blood was still fresh as it made tracks down the walls and furniture, only to pool on the floor around removed fingers, hands, and undistinguishable human parts.
The victim's bodies placed neatly in everyday positions around the dinner table as if a meal was about to be served and consumed. Most of the seven bodies where cut up beyond recognition, spare parts lying around the blooded room, all except their faces which looked horrified yet peaceful. Not a drop of blood was on the skin of their faces, except for the small trail of blood from their eyes, which gave the impression of crying. Each appeared to be placed in their restrictive chairs for a meal with as much of an upright posture as they could carry.
Yuber felt bile rise in his throat and was about to take off again when strong arms wrapped around him, one around his waist, the other wrapping to cover his mouth, Natas' body pressing up against his. He shut his eyes as the soft sigh that left the Black Knight's lips at the sight of his handy work, the warm air rushing across his ear. He shuddered in the Black Knight's hold, all too firm to break, much like some of the holds his True Rune pinned him in. Yet, all he could do was keep his eyes close and force back images of his own family.
Natas smirked at the small shivers that the younger man was letting loose, but he still held firm. This was just one of the many lessons the blonde needed to face. "Look at them, Yuber. I doubt you realize how much blood was needed to fill your bath this morning, but I did it all for you so that you could learn a very valuable lesson. Humans are weak. The weak are food for the strong. That will always be the order of things." He released his hold on Yuber's mouth, outstretching his armoured hand towards the dead family, smirking cruelly as he beckoned them back to movement. "Let us...watch the weak."
Yuber was unsure why his Rune took control of him, but it forced his eyes back open, only to wish to close them again for the sight of the dead starting to cannibalize each other. He tried to look away, but Natas twisted his head back. "Don't...They shouldn't do that."
"Why not? You and I are strong, and they are just weak pitiful people. No one will miss them, no one cry for them, no one will seek out revenge for them. The weak are here to allow the strong a nice cozy foothold. What's wrong with killing them? If anything, it gives them sweet release from this hell hole of a planet." Natas swiveled the blonde so that they were facing one another, leaning down so that their noses almost touched. Were he not wearing his helmet, their gazes would have probably met, but he had blocked his gaze from Yuber with metal. Still, he could see the pained looked that the blonde had, smirking when he found behind all the painful memories, a small piece of the blonde drawn to the dead, yet its interest quickly wavered. "Ah, the dead do not interest you as much as the dying do...Very interesting."
Yuber shook his head in denial. "No, I hunt for food only."
Natas smirked. "Really? And what about that man in the Highway Village that you murdered for the simple fact that he look upon your dear, sweet Mia? Were you hunting him for food?" He released his hold on the blonde and took a step back, looking the younger man up and down. "If that were the case, things could get interesting. I know more that my share of creatures that enjoy the taste of human flesh. Tastes like chicken, or so they say." He wrapped an arm around Yuber's shoulders, holding the younger man firmly against his armour before waving a hand that the slumping of bodies was heard. "Well, that was fun. Let's go beat each other up."
Yuber merely nodded his head stupidly, wanting to be anywhere but in this death-filled house. He just wanted to find a stream and wash himself clean of both memory and blood. He followed Natas out of the house as quickly as possible, shivering as a cold breeze blew against his exposed skin; he desperately wanted to put on a shirt and boots, that and change the pants that he was currently wearing. He refused to look as the Black Knight called upon a Fire Rune and set the house ablaze. Still, he did pass a glance at Natas to see his facial expression. The same smirked marked the silver-haired man's features, one that showed his obvious superiority. He was both sickened and enchanted with that expression. "Can we leave?"
"Leave? Perhaps this little lesson was a bit too hard on you, especially when taking your past experiences into mind. We have other lessons to complete today anyway." Natas pointed a hand at the blonde, concentrating as he summoned forth some of his dark powers to move them back to the World of Emptiness, sighing almost merrily. He called his blade to hand, smirking as the blonde looked around for his own sword. "No need today, kiddo. Today I get to test you so there really is no need for you having a sword. If you really want one, you'll have to take mine away from me." He grinned wickedly, giving the younger man the impression that taking his blade was a task that no one had yet managed to do.
Yuber swallowed the lump in his throat and slowly nodded his head. He felt the Eightfold Rune creep forward in his consciousness. 'Um, any suggestions?'
'Well, I think you're doomed today. Personally, Natas just wants to beat the snot out of you for the fun of it so try not to struggle too much. However, if you drop like a rock on the first hit, I doubt he'll stop so do give him a bit of fun, just...know your limit, boy.' The Eightfold Rune stepped back in its web, intent on watching this battle. It felt that the boy needed a good beating to show him the way of the wise, and it knew that Natas was a great Black Knight to rely on to give the boy one. The spider chuckled at the scene that Natas had created for Yuber this morning, rubbing forearms together. 'That was great. I'll have to remember that.'
Yuber blinked stupidly. 'Remember what?'
It was the Eightfold Rune's turn to blink. 'Nothing, boy. You have bigger, more armoured things to worry about. Oh, do dodge to the right if you want to stay conscious.' The spider broke into laughter as the blonde whelped and jumped away from the Black Knight's blade, which impacted in the ground and threw up a cloud of dust. 'Oh, this will be good. Keep on your toes, boy. Remember, don't turn your back on him.'
Yuber shook his head and kept his gaze on Natas who was climbing back to his feet slowly, trying to intimidate him. He breathed in a slow breathe, trying to calm his nerves and was desperate to keep all of his focus on the Black Knight. He was baffled by Natas' speed, letting out a small cry as the flat side of the older man's sword smashed into his upper arm, groaning at the audible crack of bone. He clutched the wounded appendage, jumping back a few steps as his gaze was filled with that same cruel smirk. He took a few steps away, blinking when the Black Knight suddenly disappeared, quickly swiveling around, only to catch Nata's blade in the shoulder. However, instead of falling to one knee, he smashed the Black Knight in the back of the leg, hoping to bring Natas to one knee.
He was dismayed when Natas grabbed his leg and knocked him to his back, rolling to the side just as the older man's sword smashed into the ground. He was forced to stop rolling as his wounds screamed in protest, slowly climbing back to his feet in time to catch the Black Knight's fist in the jaw, sending him sprawling again. Refusing to give up despite his injuries, he lashed out angrily, swiping Natas' feet out from under him, blinking when the older man teleported away before hitting the ground. He let out a whimper as his hair was grabbed, and he was dragged back to his feet only to be punched in the face again. He shook away the spinning world, wincing as blood began to flow over his left eye, partially blinding him. He remained prone, acting unconscious or perhaps even defeated.
Natas smirked and sighed. "Poor, Yuber. How does it feel to be so weak. It didn't even take me ten minutes to defeat you." He purred as he advanced towards the injured blonde, eyes narrowing when Yuber suddenly leapt to his feet and swung a fist at him, stumbling back a few steps as the blonde's fist connected with his cheek. Chuckling softly, he wiped blood from his mouth with the back of his hand. "Obviously not as weak as some I've played with. I do believe I've underestimated you, but I will not make such a mistake again."
Yuber stumbled a few steps, groaning as he clutched at his broken arm. He tried to prepare himself for Natas' next attack, but was completely shocked when a mirror image of the Black Knight appeared behind him and smashed him in the lower back, forcing him to stumble forward, only to be met with cold steel of the Black Knight as Natas smashed his stomach then the back of his head in one swift motion, sending him to blessed darkness.
He knew that he had not been unconscious too long, but when he woke, he was down to pants again and most of his wounds had been tended to. Only the large black bruises on his face and shoulder were a real indication as to the brutalness of their battle. Still, as he looked around with one good eye, the other too swollen to see from, he spied Natas grinning at him in the same chair as before. "Did I amuse you?"
Natas chuckled and leaned back in his chair, satisfied that the blonde was awake. "You did better than most against me. I will say that you kept me entertained longer than any I've let live." He eyed the younger man's bruised face, smirking now. "Black is really your colour, Yuber. It looks simply grand covering half of your face."
Yuber had to bite back a rude comment, turning his face away from the silver-haired man. He tentatively reached up to feel the swollen flesh, wincing at the sharp pains that shot through him with a single touch. He quickly dropped the idea of investigating his wounds and just looked at Natas, waiting for the Black Knight to speak.
"You need to learn the language of this world, and I'm going to teach you. After we have a little lesson here, you can do some slave labour for me." Natas smirked at the blonde's soured expression. "However, once you've done that, you'll learn some of the powers of that True Rune and some techniques that we Black Knights use. All in all, it shall be very exciting...not."
Yuber slowly nodded, settling in to learn what he needed to if only to please the Black Knight and keeping the older man from beating him senseless every ten minutes. He quickly found that he settled pretty well into the routine between them. He would wake up, experience something new and usually quite horrific and brutal, then Natas would smack him around until he fell unconscious, then he would nurse his wounds while learning a new strange dialect, then slave labour would ensue, and finally, he would learn techniques used by Black Knights. He soon found it to be as regular as clock-work, quickly becoming aware of the fact that Natas never slept or ate food, some habits he found himself losing interest in.
By the end of three months, he had come to accept the lessons as normal. He had grown used to Natas' cunning if not extremely grotesque morning of showing him interesting murders or crimes, not all of them committed by the Black Knight. After some wandering, he would battle with the silver-haired man, greatly thankful when his skills began to improve under the Black Knight's tutelage. Afternoons consisted of language lessons and some talk about Runes then it would be on to learning new techniques, some of which were more difficult than others. Soon, brute labour was left out, mostly because it took the Black Knight longer to knock him unconscious. By the time two months had passed, he needed very little sleep, rarely ate, and the rest of his time was spent training heavily.
One thing that surprised more his True Rune more than himself was the fact that Natas was a very good teacher, somehow always finding patience when the Eightfold Rune would be scolding him ruthlessly. Yuber could not remember a time when the Black Knight did not spend extra time explaining something that he did not understand. It was a characteristic that brought Yuber a bit closer to the silver-haired man, but his Rune muttered it as a weakness that Natas had. Still, their routine went on and his teaching was much easier under the Black Knight than the True Rune which had little patience for explaining things.
He was a bit surprised when he woke up to find Natas standing instead sitting. He looked around, trying to figure what was different to make the Black Knight changed their routine. Slowly, he climbed to his feet, cocking his head to the side questionably. "What's wrong?"
Natas grinned cruelly. "Small change from now on. We're going to kill people, a lot of people."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
TeeHee, finally done! Happy, happy, I am. Well, the change for Yuber is finally on and hopefully I will do it well. This next chapter make take a bit longer because I wish to do the next one carefully. So, hope you all enjoyed and please read and review.