Timeline: immediately preceding episode 10 [Anubis confronts Talpa, then disobeys his order to fight Rowen & Ryo, fresh out of space]
CHAPTER 4:
Contemplation
"What would you know about worthy, Anubis?" Wildfire's bitter remark still rang in his ears. Anubis needed time, more time to figure this out, to understand what was happening to him, but time wasn't on his side. Already Talpa was gathering the Netherspirits again. How could he? How could he use the Dark Realm to fight this fight? This wasn't ... right. It didn't feel right.
In what was soon becoming an annoying habit, Anubis ran nervous fingers through his hair. Dimly aware of Kale's questioning frown. He didn't understand it. Just yesterday, Talpa had chastised him for his doubt. Just yesterday, he cringed, after that silk sheet episode - whatever had possessed him? - he had sworn to himself that Wildfire was going to die a horrible and bloody death.
Instead, the Ronin had almost sacrificed himself to save his friend in space. Throwing himself on that energy ball had been stupid, certainly painful - Anubis could attest to that - and ... brave. Why? Why had he done that?
He parried a low thrust aimed at his hip and glared at Kale. Maybe sparring wasn't a good time to contemplate this, since Kale was beginning to press his advantage. He didn't seem to give a second thought about Talpa's revelation to use the Dark Realm and its Netherspirits to crush the Ronins.
Just moments before that energy ball had swallowed Wildfire whole, Anubis had sneered at him, told him how pitiful an opponent he was, not worthy of his time! He sneered again. Hypocrisy! That's all he'd done the last two days, wasted his time thinking about Wildfire. And silk.
He shook his head, pressing a hand to his throbbing temple. He was rambling. He'd been reduced to that. Why was it that Wildfire's near-death had unsettled him so? Because that rodent had taught him a lesson. Argh, just like Kale was about to.
Kale laughed. It was an easy laugh, one that wasn't heard often and was surely gonna get him in trouble just as soon as Anubis got to his feet again. He bent at the waist and offered a hand.
With a sneer, Anubis swatted the hand away and struggled to his feet. An ungraceful movement, very much unlike him, which was why he not only had to endure the laughter, but also a concerned frown. He did his best to ignore both. Damn Kale to hell.
"Admit it, you are still thinking about Ryo."
"I am most certainly not," Anubis ground out between clenched teeth.
"Yes, you are. Admit it." Kale ignored the heated glare that promised a painful future, but he just couldn't stop himself. Fists planted at his hips, he took in the Warlord before him. Anubis ... sulking ... was a sight to behold. Sweat dampened hair plastered to his face and neck, panting from the recent exertion ... Kale's hormones seemed to remember such a sight. He reined in his rapidly digressing thoughts to follow Anubis who was trying to escape the sparring grounds.
"Wait up. Anubis."
Of course, he didn't. Kale hadn't expected it. He pushed past the Warlord, blocking his only path out of the small arena. Crossing his arms over his chest, he did his best to muster up an intimidating stare.
Anubis wasn't intimidated. Anubis didn't notice. In a very untypical move, he shoved and pushed at the older man. "Get the fuck out of my way. NOW."
Kale stood his ground, knowing full well that he was going to suffer for that as soon as Anubis regained his usual state of cool contempt and control. "What is wrong with you?"
A death glare and a furious sneer later, Anubis lay sprawled in the dirt again, for the second time this morning.
"See what I'm talking about?" Kale, who had not been the one glaring and sneering, crouched over his General, not giving him the chance to get up. "We've been doing this," he gestured at the sparring grounds, the discarded weapons, "for how long? And every damn time you grind my face in the dirt, along comes Ryo and here you are ..." Lying sprawled deliciously before me! Ah. He had to thank Ryo of the Wildfire, if he made it back out of space and survived Anubis who was first in line to dish out an ugly and very, very painful death.
"You are ... distracted." Distracting was more like it, Kale thought, licking his lips. "You ... let your defeat get the better of you. Get over it."
"I let my hatred cloud my sense of their power, is that it, Kale?" Anubis spat back words Kale had so recently directed his way.
Kale rocked back on his heels and laughed. "Ah, Lord Anubis, I am flattered. You remembered my words."
"Fuck you."
Suddenly serious, Kale bent down and picked up Anubis by the collar. Anger a dangerous sparkle in his eyes. "It is Dais that will fuck you, if you don't get your act together. He's already charming Talpa. He's the one who found Strata, while you mope around feeling sorry for yourself." He pushed Anubis back into the dirt none too gently.
"I am not feeling sorry for myself."
"Why did you take my sheets?"
"What?"
"Why did you take my sheets?"
"I did not-"
"Black, Anubis? Black sheets." Kale felt the temperature of his blood rising. It must have been such a sight, Anubis, alabaster skin, flaming red hair, tangled in those sheets. Ah.
"I don't understand." Small admitting murmur. Kale frowned. Something was seriously wrong with the Warlord of Cruelty if he made a sound like that, no matter how enticing the small noise and the vulnerable look.
"Ryo. His hair. You have a thing for long hair, Anubis. Don't deny it. Nice, long hair. I bet it feels like yours. Like silk." Kale reached and, in an oddly familiar gesture, grabbed a fistful of the tousled red hair lying in the dirt. The damp strands ran through his fingers like liquid silk.
Anubis' eyes widened. His lips pursed indignantly. "Fuck you, Kale."
"Would you like to?" Kale lowered his voice to a seductive whisper. "I'd let you, you know. But then," he straightened and began to walk away, talking over his shoulder, "Oni Masho probably doesn't remember how that is done, being so above it all, arrogant bastard."
****************************************************************
"Oh shit, I knew it," was his first and last thought when he saw Anubis again. Too busy trying not to drown in the shallow water of the bathing pool, Kale didn't notice the very amused and satisfied smile that tugged at Anubis' mouth. Gasping like a fish out of water, he tried to force air past his bruised throat where a handprint already began to darken the skin. It would have been easier if he could have found his feet, but anything below his midsection, where pain robbed him of his sense of balance, was of no use.
Anubis watched the sputtering warrior with an uncaring eye, noticing the pained expression with smug satisfaction. When he was certain at last that Kale was able to pay his words their due attention, he growled: "Never, ever, touch me like that again."
Kale got to his feet. Barely able to stand straight without pain lancing its way through his abused rib cage, he threw a cautious look at his General at the side of the pool.
"Yes, I was thinking about Wildfire," spat a dangerously composed Anubis.
Kale decided that it was safer to stay in the water than approach the dry tiles he so desperately wanted to sink down on.
He should've known better than to tease Anubis.
"I want a fair chance to defeat Wildfire in open combat. I want to see his eyes when he dies and see him bleed his pityful little life out into the dirt."
"A fair chance? Why bother?"
"Because I am a warrior. Because ... he is a warrior. We were meant to meet on the battlefield."
Respect? Did Anubis respect that rodent? "You and your damn warrior's creed. He doesn't deserve your respect." Kale gingerly fingered his throat. He could still feel the sub-armored fist close around his neck. Cautiously he approached the side of the pool, keeping a weary eye on Anubis.
"My 'damn warrior's creed' is all I have. It's a noble thing. But Talpa ... ," Anubis broke off. Talpa was tarnishing the sacred rules of war, the way battles were fought and how warriors like himself measured their worth. Wildfire's words rang in his ears again. What would you know about worthy, Anubis?
He began to pace. "This battle was meant to be ours. Talpa doesn't believe that we can defeat those rodents. Does that not bother you? This victory will be theirs, not ours, if we let the Dark Realm destroy the earth. There is no glory in this, only shame."
"Are you questioning Talpa's orders?" croaked an incredulous Kale.
Anubis whirled and came nose to nose with a very naked Kale who took an involuntary step back. "Yes, I am. Why aren't you?"
"Because I know better and you should too, if you value your miserable existence that is."
"Ah, ever the obedient follower."
"What the fuck is wrong with you?" Kale stemmed fists at his hips, trying his best to look imposing if that was at all possible dripping wet and nude.
"Don't you see? Conquest, a true victory can only be achieved in a fair fight. It will mean nothing if not done in this way. It will be meaningless unless we defeat them on the battlefield. I cannot sit idly by while the Dark Realm takes care of our enemies. This is our fight. We should be out there, not the Netherspirits."
"That's traitorous talk."
"Are you questioning my loyalty?" Anubis rounded on Kale again, leaving mere inches between them, seemingly noticing the wet body for the first time. Eyes softening, lips loosing their hard and determined straightness.
"Talpa might. Dais will." Kale didn't care for the lewd look out of appraising green eyes that traveled up and down his shivering form.
"Would you like your sheets back?"
"What?" Suddenly Kale had trouble thinking past the hungry look he received from Anubis whose hand snaked out to tuck a stray lock of blue hair behind an ear. He swallowed and licked suddenly parched lips.
Anubis leaned forward ever so slightly, bringing his lips next to Kale's ear, his breath tickling the sensitive skin. A sub-armor clad hand traveling gently down Kale's back. "Would you like me beneath your sheets?" A husky whisper.
Kale nodded unable to form words in his abused throat. Half-lidded eyes not believing what they saw. Blood rushing to pool in his groin. Knees weak. Skin burning where Anubis' breath caressed it. Oh, gods, yes.
"Too bad Oni Masho doesn't remember how that's done." Lips brushing an ear lobe, Anubis purred. Then stepped away with the most condescending expression he could muster. A slight push and a splash later, he left the humid air of the bathing hall behind, Kale's curses following him on his way to Talpa's audience chamber.
CHAPTER 4:
Contemplation
"What would you know about worthy, Anubis?" Wildfire's bitter remark still rang in his ears. Anubis needed time, more time to figure this out, to understand what was happening to him, but time wasn't on his side. Already Talpa was gathering the Netherspirits again. How could he? How could he use the Dark Realm to fight this fight? This wasn't ... right. It didn't feel right.
In what was soon becoming an annoying habit, Anubis ran nervous fingers through his hair. Dimly aware of Kale's questioning frown. He didn't understand it. Just yesterday, Talpa had chastised him for his doubt. Just yesterday, he cringed, after that silk sheet episode - whatever had possessed him? - he had sworn to himself that Wildfire was going to die a horrible and bloody death.
Instead, the Ronin had almost sacrificed himself to save his friend in space. Throwing himself on that energy ball had been stupid, certainly painful - Anubis could attest to that - and ... brave. Why? Why had he done that?
He parried a low thrust aimed at his hip and glared at Kale. Maybe sparring wasn't a good time to contemplate this, since Kale was beginning to press his advantage. He didn't seem to give a second thought about Talpa's revelation to use the Dark Realm and its Netherspirits to crush the Ronins.
Just moments before that energy ball had swallowed Wildfire whole, Anubis had sneered at him, told him how pitiful an opponent he was, not worthy of his time! He sneered again. Hypocrisy! That's all he'd done the last two days, wasted his time thinking about Wildfire. And silk.
He shook his head, pressing a hand to his throbbing temple. He was rambling. He'd been reduced to that. Why was it that Wildfire's near-death had unsettled him so? Because that rodent had taught him a lesson. Argh, just like Kale was about to.
Kale laughed. It was an easy laugh, one that wasn't heard often and was surely gonna get him in trouble just as soon as Anubis got to his feet again. He bent at the waist and offered a hand.
With a sneer, Anubis swatted the hand away and struggled to his feet. An ungraceful movement, very much unlike him, which was why he not only had to endure the laughter, but also a concerned frown. He did his best to ignore both. Damn Kale to hell.
"Admit it, you are still thinking about Ryo."
"I am most certainly not," Anubis ground out between clenched teeth.
"Yes, you are. Admit it." Kale ignored the heated glare that promised a painful future, but he just couldn't stop himself. Fists planted at his hips, he took in the Warlord before him. Anubis ... sulking ... was a sight to behold. Sweat dampened hair plastered to his face and neck, panting from the recent exertion ... Kale's hormones seemed to remember such a sight. He reined in his rapidly digressing thoughts to follow Anubis who was trying to escape the sparring grounds.
"Wait up. Anubis."
Of course, he didn't. Kale hadn't expected it. He pushed past the Warlord, blocking his only path out of the small arena. Crossing his arms over his chest, he did his best to muster up an intimidating stare.
Anubis wasn't intimidated. Anubis didn't notice. In a very untypical move, he shoved and pushed at the older man. "Get the fuck out of my way. NOW."
Kale stood his ground, knowing full well that he was going to suffer for that as soon as Anubis regained his usual state of cool contempt and control. "What is wrong with you?"
A death glare and a furious sneer later, Anubis lay sprawled in the dirt again, for the second time this morning.
"See what I'm talking about?" Kale, who had not been the one glaring and sneering, crouched over his General, not giving him the chance to get up. "We've been doing this," he gestured at the sparring grounds, the discarded weapons, "for how long? And every damn time you grind my face in the dirt, along comes Ryo and here you are ..." Lying sprawled deliciously before me! Ah. He had to thank Ryo of the Wildfire, if he made it back out of space and survived Anubis who was first in line to dish out an ugly and very, very painful death.
"You are ... distracted." Distracting was more like it, Kale thought, licking his lips. "You ... let your defeat get the better of you. Get over it."
"I let my hatred cloud my sense of their power, is that it, Kale?" Anubis spat back words Kale had so recently directed his way.
Kale rocked back on his heels and laughed. "Ah, Lord Anubis, I am flattered. You remembered my words."
"Fuck you."
Suddenly serious, Kale bent down and picked up Anubis by the collar. Anger a dangerous sparkle in his eyes. "It is Dais that will fuck you, if you don't get your act together. He's already charming Talpa. He's the one who found Strata, while you mope around feeling sorry for yourself." He pushed Anubis back into the dirt none too gently.
"I am not feeling sorry for myself."
"Why did you take my sheets?"
"What?"
"Why did you take my sheets?"
"I did not-"
"Black, Anubis? Black sheets." Kale felt the temperature of his blood rising. It must have been such a sight, Anubis, alabaster skin, flaming red hair, tangled in those sheets. Ah.
"I don't understand." Small admitting murmur. Kale frowned. Something was seriously wrong with the Warlord of Cruelty if he made a sound like that, no matter how enticing the small noise and the vulnerable look.
"Ryo. His hair. You have a thing for long hair, Anubis. Don't deny it. Nice, long hair. I bet it feels like yours. Like silk." Kale reached and, in an oddly familiar gesture, grabbed a fistful of the tousled red hair lying in the dirt. The damp strands ran through his fingers like liquid silk.
Anubis' eyes widened. His lips pursed indignantly. "Fuck you, Kale."
"Would you like to?" Kale lowered his voice to a seductive whisper. "I'd let you, you know. But then," he straightened and began to walk away, talking over his shoulder, "Oni Masho probably doesn't remember how that is done, being so above it all, arrogant bastard."
****************************************************************
"Oh shit, I knew it," was his first and last thought when he saw Anubis again. Too busy trying not to drown in the shallow water of the bathing pool, Kale didn't notice the very amused and satisfied smile that tugged at Anubis' mouth. Gasping like a fish out of water, he tried to force air past his bruised throat where a handprint already began to darken the skin. It would have been easier if he could have found his feet, but anything below his midsection, where pain robbed him of his sense of balance, was of no use.
Anubis watched the sputtering warrior with an uncaring eye, noticing the pained expression with smug satisfaction. When he was certain at last that Kale was able to pay his words their due attention, he growled: "Never, ever, touch me like that again."
Kale got to his feet. Barely able to stand straight without pain lancing its way through his abused rib cage, he threw a cautious look at his General at the side of the pool.
"Yes, I was thinking about Wildfire," spat a dangerously composed Anubis.
Kale decided that it was safer to stay in the water than approach the dry tiles he so desperately wanted to sink down on.
He should've known better than to tease Anubis.
"I want a fair chance to defeat Wildfire in open combat. I want to see his eyes when he dies and see him bleed his pityful little life out into the dirt."
"A fair chance? Why bother?"
"Because I am a warrior. Because ... he is a warrior. We were meant to meet on the battlefield."
Respect? Did Anubis respect that rodent? "You and your damn warrior's creed. He doesn't deserve your respect." Kale gingerly fingered his throat. He could still feel the sub-armored fist close around his neck. Cautiously he approached the side of the pool, keeping a weary eye on Anubis.
"My 'damn warrior's creed' is all I have. It's a noble thing. But Talpa ... ," Anubis broke off. Talpa was tarnishing the sacred rules of war, the way battles were fought and how warriors like himself measured their worth. Wildfire's words rang in his ears again. What would you know about worthy, Anubis?
He began to pace. "This battle was meant to be ours. Talpa doesn't believe that we can defeat those rodents. Does that not bother you? This victory will be theirs, not ours, if we let the Dark Realm destroy the earth. There is no glory in this, only shame."
"Are you questioning Talpa's orders?" croaked an incredulous Kale.
Anubis whirled and came nose to nose with a very naked Kale who took an involuntary step back. "Yes, I am. Why aren't you?"
"Because I know better and you should too, if you value your miserable existence that is."
"Ah, ever the obedient follower."
"What the fuck is wrong with you?" Kale stemmed fists at his hips, trying his best to look imposing if that was at all possible dripping wet and nude.
"Don't you see? Conquest, a true victory can only be achieved in a fair fight. It will mean nothing if not done in this way. It will be meaningless unless we defeat them on the battlefield. I cannot sit idly by while the Dark Realm takes care of our enemies. This is our fight. We should be out there, not the Netherspirits."
"That's traitorous talk."
"Are you questioning my loyalty?" Anubis rounded on Kale again, leaving mere inches between them, seemingly noticing the wet body for the first time. Eyes softening, lips loosing their hard and determined straightness.
"Talpa might. Dais will." Kale didn't care for the lewd look out of appraising green eyes that traveled up and down his shivering form.
"Would you like your sheets back?"
"What?" Suddenly Kale had trouble thinking past the hungry look he received from Anubis whose hand snaked out to tuck a stray lock of blue hair behind an ear. He swallowed and licked suddenly parched lips.
Anubis leaned forward ever so slightly, bringing his lips next to Kale's ear, his breath tickling the sensitive skin. A sub-armor clad hand traveling gently down Kale's back. "Would you like me beneath your sheets?" A husky whisper.
Kale nodded unable to form words in his abused throat. Half-lidded eyes not believing what they saw. Blood rushing to pool in his groin. Knees weak. Skin burning where Anubis' breath caressed it. Oh, gods, yes.
"Too bad Oni Masho doesn't remember how that's done." Lips brushing an ear lobe, Anubis purred. Then stepped away with the most condescending expression he could muster. A slight push and a splash later, he left the humid air of the bathing hall behind, Kale's curses following him on his way to Talpa's audience chamber.