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 8 - No Longer a Dream
*~*~*~*~*~*
Natas glanced over his shoulder at the blonde, smirked etched his features. It had taken him a bit of time to convince the younger man into coming with him for a small but now daily adventure. He thought that it was time for Yuber to get back out into the world and learn skills that he himself could not readily teach without the help of mortals. He wished to see the blonde in action against a mortal, if only for his own amusement, but he could do better to point out the younger man's mistakes watching instead of beating him.
He glanced over his armoured shoulder to gaze at the slowly trudging blonde, a cold smirk tugging at his pale lips. He had worked hard to bring Yuber up in his skills, not getting much help from the True Rune which would have rather angered the younger man into learning things. He was pleased now that Yuber knew everything he had to teach, instead, now Natas just needed to get the younger man some practice with moving targets. Moving targets would be easy to find, however, mortals that Yuber would kill without forcing him was something completely different. Still, he had all the time he needed to figure things out and convince Yuber the ways of the younger man's new world. Soon, he would give the blonde some armour to wear.
Yuber gazed at the silver-haired Black Knight's back, his eyes following the various folds of the crimson cape that seemed as alive as he was. He was trying to figure out why he had stayed so long under Natas' tutelage as he normally would not stay around under some of the conditions of his training. He couldn't remember a time when he had received so much damage to his body or even his mind, as Natas was very good at twisting his words against him. Yet, he never once felt the need to leave, could actually not think of something that would drive him away.
He had come the conclusion that part of the reason was that he had never had a male friend that he could connect with. Sure, he never minded the men that Mia often knew and traveled with, but he had never become friends with them; really, Mia was his only real friend. Yet, now with Natas, he felt like they were so alike. He never had to say anything about himself for the Black Knight to strike up conversation with him; rather, they would often talk about swords, world events, and even Mia. For as much talking as they had done, very few personal details had ever been brought up. He really knew nothing about Natas' past, except for the fact that the older man had endured a harder upbringing in Black Knighthood than he had. He found that the Black Knight was one of those types of people that could make absolute gibberish seem like a casual conversation that caught all attention. In silence, there was a strange comfort that surrounded Natas, one that he could assume only reached him as all other creatures of the World of Emptiness avoided contact with the Black Knight. Even mortals seemed to recoil at his approach.
Yuber grunted in surprise when he suddenly ran into Natas, taking a sudden step back when the Black Knight's cape wrapped around him almost lovingly. He stared at the material as it seemed to whisper to him, his gaze shifted up to meet demonic blood orbs narrowed accusingly. He took another step back, if only to put more distance between himself and the reaching cape. "Sorry, lost in thought..."
Natas quirked an eyebrow and turned to regard the blonde fully, a cruel smirk still marking his elegant features. "Losing oneself in thought is one of the worst ways to face defeat. Our purpose here is to show the weakness of those we kill, so leave the thinking for the World of Emptiness."
Yuber nodded obediently, knowing that not reacting was one of the best ways of attracting Natas' sword the back of his head. "What are you looking for anyway? We've been walking for two hours." He tried to keep from whining, but it really couldn't be helped. He hadn't walked at that fast pace for a very long time.
"I look for nothing. We were tracking our pray, nothing more. We are practically on top of it now so quiet your tongue." Natas turned his back to Yuber once more, his gaze fixed directly on the deeply wooded house so far from the road that no one would even think of looking for it. His gaze slipped to the ground before he slowly shook his head. "Yuber, you had better not be getting lazy. If you are, I will correct it. To give in to weakness of aching feet is something that I will not tolerate."
Yuber blinked and looked away from Natas, mind scrambling for something to say that would not get him punished. He was actually glad when his True Rune piped up in both of their minds. 'Forget aching feet and let's kill something. It's been too long since the boy has had a mouth full of blood.'
Natas quirked a questioning eyebrow at the Eightfold spider. 'What are you babbling about, useless spider? Why just yesterday...'
'Not his own blood, ungrateful demon!' The spider seethed back at Natas. 'And watch your mouth, Black Knight! I will be your undoing if you persist with name-calling. You are just as frail as any other creature that dares to speak against the 27 Runes. The only real reason you still exist is because of your dodging skills.'
'Indeed. I seem to have a knack for staying alive.' Natas replied, his interest wavering to the Eightfold Rune. His gaze turned back to the log cabin, studying the exterior carefully for any sign of traps.
Yuber softly chuckled at the obvious tension between Natas and the True Rune. He knew that they hated one another, a bitter battle of wills that seemed to date back a lot further than his own lifetime. He had noticed more and more that the spider and the Black Knight disliked one another as time went by; he thought that it may have something to do with the fact that he preferred to spend time with Natas rather than the Eightfold Rune. The Rune never did like to be ignored, especially when it meant losing out to one as arrogant as Natas.
Natas turned to regard the blonde, Yuber's first taste of weakness coming up soon. He smirked evilly, allowing his non-human qualities to show through clearly. "Yuber, it is time. What do you hear?"
Yuber cocked his head in slight confusion. He strained his ears to hear what the Black Knight was obviously listening to, eventually picking out the high pitched screams of a woman in the distance. "I hear screaming." He sighed when Natas continued to stare at him. "A woman, possibly in her thirties and a fair distance away." He smirked when the Black Knight nodded and pointed at the cabin. "Ah, the trees mask the screams and make them seem further than they actually are."
"Very perceptive. It took you so long I might have grown old and died were I not an ageless demon." Natas ignored the blonde's very obvious glare at his comment, a cruel smirk twisting into an almost pleasant smile. He started towards the cabin, examining it as they drew closer. Certainly, these men had been terrorizing people long enough that Yuber would love to get shot in on them. He had chosen well.
Yuber grumbling that the screams were music to Natas' ears and looked everywhere but their intended target, though he did find his gaze travelling along the various traps that been set out to stop any intruders, although most of the simple traps had long since stopped working. Those that did still appear to work were so obvious that even a blind man could stumble his way around them. He snorted as he stepped over one trap, shifting his attention to the cabin in front of him.
It had seen better days for sure. The logs were dark and wet, dark green moss growing over a substantial part of the walls and sagging roof. The windows were white will mildew stains and steam from the occupants of the house, one frame shattered and poorly covered again. The smell of rotting wood would have encouraged any normal people to abandon the cabin for a better spot that was closer to the road and out from the thick brush that rested against the logs. Around the cabin was mostly decomposed animal corpses and various fragments of cloth and broken weapons, giving away an eerie feeling of the surrounding woods. Only an axe plunged deep into a stump with a blooded handle truly indicated the intent of this place, a grave for many and hell for a few.
Yuber felt his lip curl in disgust, the urge to cover his ears from the shrill, pleading screams almost too much for him to listen to. His past clawed forward, a brief image of his mother's ravaged-blooded body flashing into his mind only moments before Natas grabbed his shoulder and started dragging him towards to door. It was only then that he noted that Natas' sword was drawn.
Natas released the blonde's shoulder when he reached the beaten oak door, wasting no time to kick the brittle wood inwards, stepping inside instantly to block any occupants from escaping. His demonic gaze easily found the naked three men, a cruel smirk quickly finding its way back on his lips. He watched as two of the men stumbled to their feet in obvious shock to his dramatic entrance, revealing to the world to sobbing, equally naked woman who they had been pitting their attention on. He glanced back when he felt Yuber's presence enter the cabin, wanting to see the blonde's reaction to this situation. He was satisfied with the flicker of sickness in Yuber's blue eyes.
"Wh-Who the hell are you?" One of the men screamed, the obvious leader of the trio. He seemed a little less shocked than his companions and appeared to put up some height to obviously scare off the intruders to his fun.
"You are about to die so it is pointless that you know my name, pitiful human." Natas replied coolly, chuckling at the sound of steel being removed from a sheathe from behind him. He turned his gaze back to Yuber whose demeanor was now filled with utter rage at this scene, an obvious nerve to the blonde's past. His attention wavered in Yuber when he knew that the blonde would attack. "You gentlemen have been naughty little boys. I do believe it is time that you felt a little punishment for your actions. Yuber, would you like to do the honours for me?"
Yuber slowly nodded as he stepped out from behind Natas, glaring at each man separately. He was aware of the Rune's gentle pushes that he take action, and, under normal circumstances, he would refuse such advice. However, these were not normal circumstances.
He was barely aware of his own actions, aside from the silent tears that slipped down his cheeks as he attacked. He simply could not allow such men to get away with their atrocities. No one deserved to suffer as his mother, Liza, and...Diana had; he had lived through the nightmare of watching them in death, only imagining what they indured during the last moments of their lives. He was cried for weeks for Liza to hold him while he slept, shrieked in violent temper-tantrums that only Diana had managed to calm, and refused all good behaviour to spite the fact that his mother could no longer spank him. No matter what he did, he could never fill that empty void that only gruesome rape victims could, only wander in his dreams to lie with his ravaged family. No, these foul beasts simply COULD NOT get away with doing this!
The screams of terror, scrambling bodies, and spraying blood only excited his fenzy for a small piece of revenge. He put all of the brutal images that he had lived with for so long, some from his families murder while others were thanks to Nata's imagination, to the best use that he could coherently think of. He only stopped when the house had grown cold his to senses and the sound of soft applause was all that he could hear aside from his taxed breathing. He forced his nerves to calm and his gaze to survey the damage that he had done.
In some ways, it was an image that stepped directly from his worst nightmare, blood smeared all over the floor, the rotting furniture, even the walls and windows. Where blood was not smeared, it was splattered in a random pattern that slipped to mingle in the moist moss that had managed to take root in cracks of the walls. The bodies, what was left of them, could really not be identified as male or female, various appendages, hair, and organs thrown off of the stumps that could be called torsos. Each had eventually reached the point of dismemberment, but it was obvious in the animalistic fashion that the act had been down out of pure rage. Only the single cowering woman still moved in the room of utter death.
Yuber breathed in the air deeply, enjoying for a brief moment the metallic scent of blood and with it, the feeling a bittersweet revenge. He closed his eyes, feeling every spot of ruby liquid on his flesh and clothing. For a moment in time, he felt the aftermath of the chaos that had insued, shivering at the pleasurable feeling of the few spirits in the area fleeing. Then, there was emptiness again....
"If you strove to impress me, then I must say that you did a very good job, Yuber. Your first real kills." Natas chuckled when Yuber slowly turned to look at him, gesturing around the room. "Your lesson is over."
Yuber nodded and turned back to get one last look around the room, his gaze settling on the blooded woman who stared at him with fearful, yet strangely thankful eyes. He felt Natas stop beside him and glanced over to the Black Knight whose expression was surprisingly serious. "What about her? We should take her to a town to rest." He commented, casting a side-ways glance to the woman who was climbing slowly to her feet.
Natas cocked his head the side, lifting his chin enough to meet the gaze of this woman, smirking to find empty, fearful orbs of chocolate brown. He knew that this woman would not see the light of another day even if he did let her live; she was broken of will and just wanting sweet release. "She lies with the others before her. She is already dead. Kill her, Yuber."
"Kill her? No, she needs a doctor!" Yuber insisted.
"Still clinging to your human side are you, boy? Look at her! Would you not let your sisters or even your mother have the honour of death in a quiet cabin, or would you subject them to the agony of facing the scornful looks of their peers?" Natas watched the blonde's gaze cloud with confusion, a silent battle of morals ruling every thought that passed through Yuber's mind. Natas waited for the blonde to come to a conclusion, their gazes meeting briefly before he snorted and stabbed the woman so brutally that she died before even hitting the ground. This displeased him as he looked at his blade. "Hmm, a bit too rough with that jab."
Yuber was not shocked when Natas finished the woman; rather he was surprised that the silver-haired Knight killed her in one move. It was very unlike Natas to kill simply, rather, the Black Knight enjoyed every moment of the kill, much like he just had minutes ago. Yet, he remained quiet, instead, he felt his tongue flick out and touch the blood that had splattered on his lips, instantly ashamed that he enjoyed the taste.
Natas smirked at Yuber and turned away, walking from the house slowly. He felt the blonde tagging at his heels, sighing when they once more entered the dense forest brush. He resheathed his blade after cleaning it of blood, turning to regard Yuber again. "Come, our lessons will continue back in the other world."
"Do we have to go back so soon?" Yuber was more shocked at his own words than anyone else, but he could not find it in himself to regret saying it. He was quite ashamed that he could not blame the question on the Eightfold Rune, which had been murmuring occasional happy thoughts his way. He was well aware of what the question really meant; he wanted that bittersweet taste of revenge again.
Natas felt his lips curl in a smug smile. "You wish to stay here?" He chuckled when Yuber slowly nodded. "Very well, we will have some more play time while the day is young! Come, we will slay the weak if only to amuse ourselves!"
Yuber cocked his head to the side, gaze going a bit distant. "How is killing a bunch of rapists killing the weak? Just killing the woman would have been slaying the weak, would it not?"
"Ah, very good question, Yuber. Perhaps your happy-little Rune would like to cover this lesson, hmm?" Natas smirked when he felt the Eightfold Rune come to light in his own mind and mutter various curses in his direction, not because it wanted him to tell Yuber the reason, rather, it appeared to only be because it came from him. 'Oh, shut it and tell the boy! He doesn't have all day.'
'I swear, Natas! One more word out of you, and the boy will have your head as well!' The giant spider spat at the Black Knight. It would soon find it in its best interests to remove Natas from its presence; it was beginning to think of too many fun things it could do to the silver-haired demon. He growled angrily and turned its attention back to the blonde. 'Now, where were we, boy?'
Yuber could only shake his head and pick at his quickly drying shirt. 'My question?'
'Ah, yes!' The Eightfold Rune waited for Natas to speak up to harass it and was quite thankful when the Black Knight held his tongue. 'You must understand, boy, compared to us, everything is weak. The weak were created for the sole purpose of supporting the strong on their grand climb to greatness. That woman was very weak, about on par with the men that were raping her, however, those who are weak seem to find strength in groups. They mask their own weakness by attacking others with sheer numbers.'
Yuber cocked his head to the side and slowly nodded, his gaze moving to where Natas was attempting to set the cabin on fire the old fashion way. 'So, those who attack in a large group are equally as weak?'
The Eightfold Rune nodded. 'Yes, why do you think that armies do so well? When one finds strength to kill others, so too do those that follow directly in his footsteps. Likewise, when one flees in terror, his weakness compels other to follow him. Only the truly strong can withstand the cowardice stench of pitiful men.' The spider moved forward in the blonde's consciousness, tuning out Natas who seemed more of distraction than anything. 'We are strong, boy. What you did in there only asserted your right to rule and kill all those that dare step into your path. Do not hesitate to remove all obstacles to absolute greatness.'
'You mean, the point where I transcend?' Yuber was starting to get used to the fact that his Rune would rant and rave of transcention at least once a day. He was ready for that rant now, wanting to get it over and done with.
The spider chuckled cruelly. 'I suppose we could talk about that. But let me ask you this, boy...how does the blood taste to your lips? How did the feeling of complete and utter control make you feel? The chaos of the situation, of the screaming, the struggles of life, and the human weakness...what did you feel in there?'
Yuber was about to argue the point that he had committed such vile acts to appease the small part of his soul that craved the taste of revenge for his lost family when he merely stopped and remained silent. It had felt good, very good. He was ashamed of how much pleasure he had taken from the weakness of those men. For the first time in his life, he could not deny his lessons. Those men had been weak and had needlessly taken advantage of other people to take pleasure in their sick desires.
The Eightfold Rune chuckled when the blonde remained silent, Yuber's answer all too clear to it. It rubbed forearms together almost happily, having waited for this moment for a very long time. Soon, the boy would fall under the plans of Fate. 'Killing people can always feel good, boy. We just need to practice it more often, hm? How about we start today and work forward towards finally transcending?'
'I will kill those that desire death.' Yuber replied, turning around to find Natas muttering to himself, only picking up the occasional curse. Obviously, the Black Knight's plan to start a fire had gone awry. 'Only those who commit atrocities shall fall by my hand.'
'But who are you to judge who deserves life or death, boy?' The spider asked quietly, silken strands of deception weaving silently.
Yuber stopped his reply and blinked in confusion. Who was he to decide such a thing? Yet, as he looked around, his gaze usually straying to Natas, he could not come up with a reason as to why the Black Knight deserved to kill indiscriminately. 'Who is Natas to decide life and death for people?'
The Eightfold Rune chuckled as Yuber feel into its trap. 'Natas is not human; he has risen above the point where he questions himself. He moves throughout the ages killing whoever he pleases simply because he will not allow weakness to slow his movements.' It wrapped arms around the blonde, dragging Yuber more deeply into his consciousness. 'Death is inevitable, boy. Every human dies, just some know how to preserve themselves for a longer life than others. It is not up to us who decides life and death; rather, Fate herself is the only one that knows the true answers to the delicate balance. We remove those who are weak and in our way to preserve our own life. Natas is one creature that has over-stepped the boundaries of human emotion, transcended if you will in a sense.'
'Natas...has transcended...?' Yuber looked over to Natas who was walking around the cabin still muttering. He saw what the Rune was talking about just looking at the demon. Every step, every look, every movement of silky silver hair, all of it spelled non-human characteristics. There had always been a slyness to Natas, yet at the same time, a silent pull towards him. Yuber had never been able to decide what that pull was that attracted him to the Black Knight until now. He felt it now, felt the silent subconscious molding of himself to reach a point where he too would step forward to embrace a more non-human way of life.
Natas growled as he walked back to where Yuber stood silent, frustrated that he could not get a normal flame with all the wet material that was lying around. He was about to voice to obvious dismay when he felt the air around the blonde shift, stopping dead in his tracks. His gaze narrowed as a wave of chaos brushed passed him before slowly nodding to himself. So, the True Rune had finally won a small battle. In some ways, he could not really believe it, mostly because Yuber was so set on his morals and only hinted at transcention. 'So, my time draws closer, does it? Well, I'll the make the best out of the boy long before that day confronts me.'
'You'd better, demon.' The Eightfold Rune whispered in the back of Natas' mind. 'Your time draws closer in a speed that you doubt yourself. You will be dead and out of my way finally. However, I must thank you for your help with the boy. All you need to do is finish the job and all will end smoothly.'
Natas felt his expression go serious and snarled at the True Rune. 'Better to end it than be ruled over. I will be ruled by nothing, back-stabbing beast!'
It was the spider's turn to snarl. 'Indeed, I found that out the hard way! You're lucky I didn't have you killed by Miku all those years ago. You may have been my first bearer, Natas, but I will make sure that you end as all others that will pass in front of you.'
Natas blocked the Rune from speaking any more in his mind, a trick he had learned very early on in his True Rune bearing days. He was glad that it was over and all he now needed to do was teach Yuber the final ways of being a cruel, immoral demon that plagued the world. He shook his head and brushed back silver locks from his neck, raising a hand and snapping his fingers, smirking when the house behind him exploded in flames. His blood red gaze fell on Yuber who was watching him silently. "Come, we have things to do Yuber."
Yuber nodded silently, every bit aware of most of the conversation that had taken place between Natas and the Eightfold Rune. He would have never dreamed to met up with another True Rune bearer, at least one that had been abandoned by a Rune. He followed the Black Knight back to the dirt path silently, aware that Natas was in no mood to speak with him.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Days quickly passed to weeks and soon enough the weeks moved into months. Yuber found that he grudgingly fit into the new schedule of murder. He had watched his resolve and mortals slowly crumbling before him as time washed over him and Natas drew him out into the world of weak people.
At first, it had been just murders and rapists along with only the most vile of crimes. He ended those lives willingly, never once stopping to think of his actions mostly because those people feel far below any sort of human qualities that deserved life. However, soon vile crimes turned into less horrific, some almost petty such as theft or abuse, yet it had been long enough that any crime seemed enough to spite his blade. Yet, he still refused to kill children and most women.
It was weird to think that he had killed so many people, never really stopping to think of the people that they could be leaving behind. He soon never let such things weigh on his mind, rather, he found himself growing fond of the feeling of terror, the abrupt chaos that insued with the life and death struggle, usually always craving more after he had killed. Most of his cravings were easily controlled, mostly because the only other individual nearby would be Natas. Yet, the moment that he stepped foot on a battlefield that was over a border line, he felt the rush of seduction, the utter pleasure of feeling so much distress and disarray. It was then that he realized that he was addicted to chaos.
He found his attention span shortening, his temper moving more forward in his consciousness as each day passed. He became drawn to three things, chaos, Natas, and thoughts of Mia. He easily asserted his authority over the monsters that resided in the World on Emptiness, most bending to his orders, all except Natas who still reserved all his dignity. The Black Knight only now matched his skill with a blade and their duels lasted for long hours, sometimes even stretching into days.
Yet, he never forgot the one part of himself that remained human, the small thoughts that strayed over his lover. He wished that he could see her, show her just how strong he could be for both of them. He doubted that she would agree with some of the skills that he had learned while under Natas, but if he could use them to protect Mia, he would. Soon, he knew that the day drew close for him to return to the world of his birth, could feel it creeping forward.
He was not surprised when the day finally came, only surprised in the manner that it did. He had never seen Natas out of his armour, could really only fathom what the silver-haired demon looked like. Yet, as he stepped from the shadow to greet a new day in the World of Emptiness, his gaze found Natas wearing only black breeches and long sleeved red shirt, clothing that had very obviously been worn years before. At first, he did not understand why Natas had his back to him and was leaning on the Black Knight blade that the silver-haired demon always carried. Then, it became all too clear. "This is it...?"
Natas slowly nodded as he turned to face Yuber, his normal smug expression gone. "The rules are simple, Yuber." He gestured all around at the empty space that they normally battled. "Either I kill you, or you kill me. All else is fair in this game."
TBC...
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Geez, took me long enough to write this chapter? I think so. Sorry about the wait for it to be posted. I got a little busy with College and such so I did the best that I could. Hopefully, I will have the next chapter up a lot sooner, but with the way some of my classes are going, it may not happen.
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 8 - No Longer a Dream
*~*~*~*~*~*
Natas glanced over his shoulder at the blonde, smirked etched his features. It had taken him a bit of time to convince the younger man into coming with him for a small but now daily adventure. He thought that it was time for Yuber to get back out into the world and learn skills that he himself could not readily teach without the help of mortals. He wished to see the blonde in action against a mortal, if only for his own amusement, but he could do better to point out the younger man's mistakes watching instead of beating him.
He glanced over his armoured shoulder to gaze at the slowly trudging blonde, a cold smirk tugging at his pale lips. He had worked hard to bring Yuber up in his skills, not getting much help from the True Rune which would have rather angered the younger man into learning things. He was pleased now that Yuber knew everything he had to teach, instead, now Natas just needed to get the younger man some practice with moving targets. Moving targets would be easy to find, however, mortals that Yuber would kill without forcing him was something completely different. Still, he had all the time he needed to figure things out and convince Yuber the ways of the younger man's new world. Soon, he would give the blonde some armour to wear.
Yuber gazed at the silver-haired Black Knight's back, his eyes following the various folds of the crimson cape that seemed as alive as he was. He was trying to figure out why he had stayed so long under Natas' tutelage as he normally would not stay around under some of the conditions of his training. He couldn't remember a time when he had received so much damage to his body or even his mind, as Natas was very good at twisting his words against him. Yet, he never once felt the need to leave, could actually not think of something that would drive him away.
He had come the conclusion that part of the reason was that he had never had a male friend that he could connect with. Sure, he never minded the men that Mia often knew and traveled with, but he had never become friends with them; really, Mia was his only real friend. Yet, now with Natas, he felt like they were so alike. He never had to say anything about himself for the Black Knight to strike up conversation with him; rather, they would often talk about swords, world events, and even Mia. For as much talking as they had done, very few personal details had ever been brought up. He really knew nothing about Natas' past, except for the fact that the older man had endured a harder upbringing in Black Knighthood than he had. He found that the Black Knight was one of those types of people that could make absolute gibberish seem like a casual conversation that caught all attention. In silence, there was a strange comfort that surrounded Natas, one that he could assume only reached him as all other creatures of the World of Emptiness avoided contact with the Black Knight. Even mortals seemed to recoil at his approach.
Yuber grunted in surprise when he suddenly ran into Natas, taking a sudden step back when the Black Knight's cape wrapped around him almost lovingly. He stared at the material as it seemed to whisper to him, his gaze shifted up to meet demonic blood orbs narrowed accusingly. He took another step back, if only to put more distance between himself and the reaching cape. "Sorry, lost in thought..."
Natas quirked an eyebrow and turned to regard the blonde fully, a cruel smirk still marking his elegant features. "Losing oneself in thought is one of the worst ways to face defeat. Our purpose here is to show the weakness of those we kill, so leave the thinking for the World of Emptiness."
Yuber nodded obediently, knowing that not reacting was one of the best ways of attracting Natas' sword the back of his head. "What are you looking for anyway? We've been walking for two hours." He tried to keep from whining, but it really couldn't be helped. He hadn't walked at that fast pace for a very long time.
"I look for nothing. We were tracking our pray, nothing more. We are practically on top of it now so quiet your tongue." Natas turned his back to Yuber once more, his gaze fixed directly on the deeply wooded house so far from the road that no one would even think of looking for it. His gaze slipped to the ground before he slowly shook his head. "Yuber, you had better not be getting lazy. If you are, I will correct it. To give in to weakness of aching feet is something that I will not tolerate."
Yuber blinked and looked away from Natas, mind scrambling for something to say that would not get him punished. He was actually glad when his True Rune piped up in both of their minds. 'Forget aching feet and let's kill something. It's been too long since the boy has had a mouth full of blood.'
Natas quirked a questioning eyebrow at the Eightfold spider. 'What are you babbling about, useless spider? Why just yesterday...'
'Not his own blood, ungrateful demon!' The spider seethed back at Natas. 'And watch your mouth, Black Knight! I will be your undoing if you persist with name-calling. You are just as frail as any other creature that dares to speak against the 27 Runes. The only real reason you still exist is because of your dodging skills.'
'Indeed. I seem to have a knack for staying alive.' Natas replied, his interest wavering to the Eightfold Rune. His gaze turned back to the log cabin, studying the exterior carefully for any sign of traps.
Yuber softly chuckled at the obvious tension between Natas and the True Rune. He knew that they hated one another, a bitter battle of wills that seemed to date back a lot further than his own lifetime. He had noticed more and more that the spider and the Black Knight disliked one another as time went by; he thought that it may have something to do with the fact that he preferred to spend time with Natas rather than the Eightfold Rune. The Rune never did like to be ignored, especially when it meant losing out to one as arrogant as Natas.
Natas turned to regard the blonde, Yuber's first taste of weakness coming up soon. He smirked evilly, allowing his non-human qualities to show through clearly. "Yuber, it is time. What do you hear?"
Yuber cocked his head in slight confusion. He strained his ears to hear what the Black Knight was obviously listening to, eventually picking out the high pitched screams of a woman in the distance. "I hear screaming." He sighed when Natas continued to stare at him. "A woman, possibly in her thirties and a fair distance away." He smirked when the Black Knight nodded and pointed at the cabin. "Ah, the trees mask the screams and make them seem further than they actually are."
"Very perceptive. It took you so long I might have grown old and died were I not an ageless demon." Natas ignored the blonde's very obvious glare at his comment, a cruel smirk twisting into an almost pleasant smile. He started towards the cabin, examining it as they drew closer. Certainly, these men had been terrorizing people long enough that Yuber would love to get shot in on them. He had chosen well.
Yuber grumbling that the screams were music to Natas' ears and looked everywhere but their intended target, though he did find his gaze travelling along the various traps that been set out to stop any intruders, although most of the simple traps had long since stopped working. Those that did still appear to work were so obvious that even a blind man could stumble his way around them. He snorted as he stepped over one trap, shifting his attention to the cabin in front of him.
It had seen better days for sure. The logs were dark and wet, dark green moss growing over a substantial part of the walls and sagging roof. The windows were white will mildew stains and steam from the occupants of the house, one frame shattered and poorly covered again. The smell of rotting wood would have encouraged any normal people to abandon the cabin for a better spot that was closer to the road and out from the thick brush that rested against the logs. Around the cabin was mostly decomposed animal corpses and various fragments of cloth and broken weapons, giving away an eerie feeling of the surrounding woods. Only an axe plunged deep into a stump with a blooded handle truly indicated the intent of this place, a grave for many and hell for a few.
Yuber felt his lip curl in disgust, the urge to cover his ears from the shrill, pleading screams almost too much for him to listen to. His past clawed forward, a brief image of his mother's ravaged-blooded body flashing into his mind only moments before Natas grabbed his shoulder and started dragging him towards to door. It was only then that he noted that Natas' sword was drawn.
Natas released the blonde's shoulder when he reached the beaten oak door, wasting no time to kick the brittle wood inwards, stepping inside instantly to block any occupants from escaping. His demonic gaze easily found the naked three men, a cruel smirk quickly finding its way back on his lips. He watched as two of the men stumbled to their feet in obvious shock to his dramatic entrance, revealing to the world to sobbing, equally naked woman who they had been pitting their attention on. He glanced back when he felt Yuber's presence enter the cabin, wanting to see the blonde's reaction to this situation. He was satisfied with the flicker of sickness in Yuber's blue eyes.
"Wh-Who the hell are you?" One of the men screamed, the obvious leader of the trio. He seemed a little less shocked than his companions and appeared to put up some height to obviously scare off the intruders to his fun.
"You are about to die so it is pointless that you know my name, pitiful human." Natas replied coolly, chuckling at the sound of steel being removed from a sheathe from behind him. He turned his gaze back to Yuber whose demeanor was now filled with utter rage at this scene, an obvious nerve to the blonde's past. His attention wavered in Yuber when he knew that the blonde would attack. "You gentlemen have been naughty little boys. I do believe it is time that you felt a little punishment for your actions. Yuber, would you like to do the honours for me?"
Yuber slowly nodded as he stepped out from behind Natas, glaring at each man separately. He was aware of the Rune's gentle pushes that he take action, and, under normal circumstances, he would refuse such advice. However, these were not normal circumstances.
He was barely aware of his own actions, aside from the silent tears that slipped down his cheeks as he attacked. He simply could not allow such men to get away with their atrocities. No one deserved to suffer as his mother, Liza, and...Diana had; he had lived through the nightmare of watching them in death, only imagining what they indured during the last moments of their lives. He was cried for weeks for Liza to hold him while he slept, shrieked in violent temper-tantrums that only Diana had managed to calm, and refused all good behaviour to spite the fact that his mother could no longer spank him. No matter what he did, he could never fill that empty void that only gruesome rape victims could, only wander in his dreams to lie with his ravaged family. No, these foul beasts simply COULD NOT get away with doing this!
The screams of terror, scrambling bodies, and spraying blood only excited his fenzy for a small piece of revenge. He put all of the brutal images that he had lived with for so long, some from his families murder while others were thanks to Nata's imagination, to the best use that he could coherently think of. He only stopped when the house had grown cold his to senses and the sound of soft applause was all that he could hear aside from his taxed breathing. He forced his nerves to calm and his gaze to survey the damage that he had done.
In some ways, it was an image that stepped directly from his worst nightmare, blood smeared all over the floor, the rotting furniture, even the walls and windows. Where blood was not smeared, it was splattered in a random pattern that slipped to mingle in the moist moss that had managed to take root in cracks of the walls. The bodies, what was left of them, could really not be identified as male or female, various appendages, hair, and organs thrown off of the stumps that could be called torsos. Each had eventually reached the point of dismemberment, but it was obvious in the animalistic fashion that the act had been down out of pure rage. Only the single cowering woman still moved in the room of utter death.
Yuber breathed in the air deeply, enjoying for a brief moment the metallic scent of blood and with it, the feeling a bittersweet revenge. He closed his eyes, feeling every spot of ruby liquid on his flesh and clothing. For a moment in time, he felt the aftermath of the chaos that had insued, shivering at the pleasurable feeling of the few spirits in the area fleeing. Then, there was emptiness again....
"If you strove to impress me, then I must say that you did a very good job, Yuber. Your first real kills." Natas chuckled when Yuber slowly turned to look at him, gesturing around the room. "Your lesson is over."
Yuber nodded and turned back to get one last look around the room, his gaze settling on the blooded woman who stared at him with fearful, yet strangely thankful eyes. He felt Natas stop beside him and glanced over to the Black Knight whose expression was surprisingly serious. "What about her? We should take her to a town to rest." He commented, casting a side-ways glance to the woman who was climbing slowly to her feet.
Natas cocked his head the side, lifting his chin enough to meet the gaze of this woman, smirking to find empty, fearful orbs of chocolate brown. He knew that this woman would not see the light of another day even if he did let her live; she was broken of will and just wanting sweet release. "She lies with the others before her. She is already dead. Kill her, Yuber."
"Kill her? No, she needs a doctor!" Yuber insisted.
"Still clinging to your human side are you, boy? Look at her! Would you not let your sisters or even your mother have the honour of death in a quiet cabin, or would you subject them to the agony of facing the scornful looks of their peers?" Natas watched the blonde's gaze cloud with confusion, a silent battle of morals ruling every thought that passed through Yuber's mind. Natas waited for the blonde to come to a conclusion, their gazes meeting briefly before he snorted and stabbed the woman so brutally that she died before even hitting the ground. This displeased him as he looked at his blade. "Hmm, a bit too rough with that jab."
Yuber was not shocked when Natas finished the woman; rather he was surprised that the silver-haired Knight killed her in one move. It was very unlike Natas to kill simply, rather, the Black Knight enjoyed every moment of the kill, much like he just had minutes ago. Yet, he remained quiet, instead, he felt his tongue flick out and touch the blood that had splattered on his lips, instantly ashamed that he enjoyed the taste.
Natas smirked at Yuber and turned away, walking from the house slowly. He felt the blonde tagging at his heels, sighing when they once more entered the dense forest brush. He resheathed his blade after cleaning it of blood, turning to regard Yuber again. "Come, our lessons will continue back in the other world."
"Do we have to go back so soon?" Yuber was more shocked at his own words than anyone else, but he could not find it in himself to regret saying it. He was quite ashamed that he could not blame the question on the Eightfold Rune, which had been murmuring occasional happy thoughts his way. He was well aware of what the question really meant; he wanted that bittersweet taste of revenge again.
Natas felt his lips curl in a smug smile. "You wish to stay here?" He chuckled when Yuber slowly nodded. "Very well, we will have some more play time while the day is young! Come, we will slay the weak if only to amuse ourselves!"
Yuber cocked his head to the side, gaze going a bit distant. "How is killing a bunch of rapists killing the weak? Just killing the woman would have been slaying the weak, would it not?"
"Ah, very good question, Yuber. Perhaps your happy-little Rune would like to cover this lesson, hmm?" Natas smirked when he felt the Eightfold Rune come to light in his own mind and mutter various curses in his direction, not because it wanted him to tell Yuber the reason, rather, it appeared to only be because it came from him. 'Oh, shut it and tell the boy! He doesn't have all day.'
'I swear, Natas! One more word out of you, and the boy will have your head as well!' The giant spider spat at the Black Knight. It would soon find it in its best interests to remove Natas from its presence; it was beginning to think of too many fun things it could do to the silver-haired demon. He growled angrily and turned its attention back to the blonde. 'Now, where were we, boy?'
Yuber could only shake his head and pick at his quickly drying shirt. 'My question?'
'Ah, yes!' The Eightfold Rune waited for Natas to speak up to harass it and was quite thankful when the Black Knight held his tongue. 'You must understand, boy, compared to us, everything is weak. The weak were created for the sole purpose of supporting the strong on their grand climb to greatness. That woman was very weak, about on par with the men that were raping her, however, those who are weak seem to find strength in groups. They mask their own weakness by attacking others with sheer numbers.'
Yuber cocked his head to the side and slowly nodded, his gaze moving to where Natas was attempting to set the cabin on fire the old fashion way. 'So, those who attack in a large group are equally as weak?'
The Eightfold Rune nodded. 'Yes, why do you think that armies do so well? When one finds strength to kill others, so too do those that follow directly in his footsteps. Likewise, when one flees in terror, his weakness compels other to follow him. Only the truly strong can withstand the cowardice stench of pitiful men.' The spider moved forward in the blonde's consciousness, tuning out Natas who seemed more of distraction than anything. 'We are strong, boy. What you did in there only asserted your right to rule and kill all those that dare step into your path. Do not hesitate to remove all obstacles to absolute greatness.'
'You mean, the point where I transcend?' Yuber was starting to get used to the fact that his Rune would rant and rave of transcention at least once a day. He was ready for that rant now, wanting to get it over and done with.
The spider chuckled cruelly. 'I suppose we could talk about that. But let me ask you this, boy...how does the blood taste to your lips? How did the feeling of complete and utter control make you feel? The chaos of the situation, of the screaming, the struggles of life, and the human weakness...what did you feel in there?'
Yuber was about to argue the point that he had committed such vile acts to appease the small part of his soul that craved the taste of revenge for his lost family when he merely stopped and remained silent. It had felt good, very good. He was ashamed of how much pleasure he had taken from the weakness of those men. For the first time in his life, he could not deny his lessons. Those men had been weak and had needlessly taken advantage of other people to take pleasure in their sick desires.
The Eightfold Rune chuckled when the blonde remained silent, Yuber's answer all too clear to it. It rubbed forearms together almost happily, having waited for this moment for a very long time. Soon, the boy would fall under the plans of Fate. 'Killing people can always feel good, boy. We just need to practice it more often, hm? How about we start today and work forward towards finally transcending?'
'I will kill those that desire death.' Yuber replied, turning around to find Natas muttering to himself, only picking up the occasional curse. Obviously, the Black Knight's plan to start a fire had gone awry. 'Only those who commit atrocities shall fall by my hand.'
'But who are you to judge who deserves life or death, boy?' The spider asked quietly, silken strands of deception weaving silently.
Yuber stopped his reply and blinked in confusion. Who was he to decide such a thing? Yet, as he looked around, his gaze usually straying to Natas, he could not come up with a reason as to why the Black Knight deserved to kill indiscriminately. 'Who is Natas to decide life and death for people?'
The Eightfold Rune chuckled as Yuber feel into its trap. 'Natas is not human; he has risen above the point where he questions himself. He moves throughout the ages killing whoever he pleases simply because he will not allow weakness to slow his movements.' It wrapped arms around the blonde, dragging Yuber more deeply into his consciousness. 'Death is inevitable, boy. Every human dies, just some know how to preserve themselves for a longer life than others. It is not up to us who decides life and death; rather, Fate herself is the only one that knows the true answers to the delicate balance. We remove those who are weak and in our way to preserve our own life. Natas is one creature that has over-stepped the boundaries of human emotion, transcended if you will in a sense.'
'Natas...has transcended...?' Yuber looked over to Natas who was walking around the cabin still muttering. He saw what the Rune was talking about just looking at the demon. Every step, every look, every movement of silky silver hair, all of it spelled non-human characteristics. There had always been a slyness to Natas, yet at the same time, a silent pull towards him. Yuber had never been able to decide what that pull was that attracted him to the Black Knight until now. He felt it now, felt the silent subconscious molding of himself to reach a point where he too would step forward to embrace a more non-human way of life.
Natas growled as he walked back to where Yuber stood silent, frustrated that he could not get a normal flame with all the wet material that was lying around. He was about to voice to obvious dismay when he felt the air around the blonde shift, stopping dead in his tracks. His gaze narrowed as a wave of chaos brushed passed him before slowly nodding to himself. So, the True Rune had finally won a small battle. In some ways, he could not really believe it, mostly because Yuber was so set on his morals and only hinted at transcention. 'So, my time draws closer, does it? Well, I'll the make the best out of the boy long before that day confronts me.'
'You'd better, demon.' The Eightfold Rune whispered in the back of Natas' mind. 'Your time draws closer in a speed that you doubt yourself. You will be dead and out of my way finally. However, I must thank you for your help with the boy. All you need to do is finish the job and all will end smoothly.'
Natas felt his expression go serious and snarled at the True Rune. 'Better to end it than be ruled over. I will be ruled by nothing, back-stabbing beast!'
It was the spider's turn to snarl. 'Indeed, I found that out the hard way! You're lucky I didn't have you killed by Miku all those years ago. You may have been my first bearer, Natas, but I will make sure that you end as all others that will pass in front of you.'
Natas blocked the Rune from speaking any more in his mind, a trick he had learned very early on in his True Rune bearing days. He was glad that it was over and all he now needed to do was teach Yuber the final ways of being a cruel, immoral demon that plagued the world. He shook his head and brushed back silver locks from his neck, raising a hand and snapping his fingers, smirking when the house behind him exploded in flames. His blood red gaze fell on Yuber who was watching him silently. "Come, we have things to do Yuber."
Yuber nodded silently, every bit aware of most of the conversation that had taken place between Natas and the Eightfold Rune. He would have never dreamed to met up with another True Rune bearer, at least one that had been abandoned by a Rune. He followed the Black Knight back to the dirt path silently, aware that Natas was in no mood to speak with him.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Days quickly passed to weeks and soon enough the weeks moved into months. Yuber found that he grudgingly fit into the new schedule of murder. He had watched his resolve and mortals slowly crumbling before him as time washed over him and Natas drew him out into the world of weak people.
At first, it had been just murders and rapists along with only the most vile of crimes. He ended those lives willingly, never once stopping to think of his actions mostly because those people feel far below any sort of human qualities that deserved life. However, soon vile crimes turned into less horrific, some almost petty such as theft or abuse, yet it had been long enough that any crime seemed enough to spite his blade. Yet, he still refused to kill children and most women.
It was weird to think that he had killed so many people, never really stopping to think of the people that they could be leaving behind. He soon never let such things weigh on his mind, rather, he found himself growing fond of the feeling of terror, the abrupt chaos that insued with the life and death struggle, usually always craving more after he had killed. Most of his cravings were easily controlled, mostly because the only other individual nearby would be Natas. Yet, the moment that he stepped foot on a battlefield that was over a border line, he felt the rush of seduction, the utter pleasure of feeling so much distress and disarray. It was then that he realized that he was addicted to chaos.
He found his attention span shortening, his temper moving more forward in his consciousness as each day passed. He became drawn to three things, chaos, Natas, and thoughts of Mia. He easily asserted his authority over the monsters that resided in the World on Emptiness, most bending to his orders, all except Natas who still reserved all his dignity. The Black Knight only now matched his skill with a blade and their duels lasted for long hours, sometimes even stretching into days.
Yet, he never forgot the one part of himself that remained human, the small thoughts that strayed over his lover. He wished that he could see her, show her just how strong he could be for both of them. He doubted that she would agree with some of the skills that he had learned while under Natas, but if he could use them to protect Mia, he would. Soon, he knew that the day drew close for him to return to the world of his birth, could feel it creeping forward.
He was not surprised when the day finally came, only surprised in the manner that it did. He had never seen Natas out of his armour, could really only fathom what the silver-haired demon looked like. Yet, as he stepped from the shadow to greet a new day in the World of Emptiness, his gaze found Natas wearing only black breeches and long sleeved red shirt, clothing that had very obviously been worn years before. At first, he did not understand why Natas had his back to him and was leaning on the Black Knight blade that the silver-haired demon always carried. Then, it became all too clear. "This is it...?"
Natas slowly nodded as he turned to face Yuber, his normal smug expression gone. "The rules are simple, Yuber." He gestured all around at the empty space that they normally battled. "Either I kill you, or you kill me. All else is fair in this game."
TBC...
*~*~*~*~*~*
Geez, took me long enough to write this chapter? I think so. Sorry about the wait for it to be posted. I got a little busy with College and such so I did the best that I could. Hopefully, I will have the next chapter up a lot sooner, but with the way some of my classes are going, it may not happen.