A/N: Thank yous go out to reviewers, especially Kurokitsumon who
pointed out one of those details that I forgot. O_o I'd like to note that
this story might miss a few details (like that one) because I don't have a
good reference available to me at the moment, and I'm relatively new to
this universe. Also, this Shadow Lord sept is somewhat unusual for western
or eastern Garou, and that can be taken into account. I appreciate you all
telling me what I'm missing. The relationship between the Shadow lord sept
and the eastern shapeshifters will be made clearer probably within the next
chapters. And one more important point: this story is going to be shonen
ai. I'm sorry if this goes against canon, or if anyone is upset by this
choice, but that is what I want to make it. Again, thank you for reviewing!
CHAPTER 2: Shadow Lord
"Wake up Silver Fang." The harsh command broke the hazy cloud on my half-asleep state. I used my typical ruse of growling and rolling over, but the voice growled back, just as insistent. "What?" I asked roughly, glaring blearily into the brown eyes of Hidden Dusk. "A rep from the Beast Courts just showed up again to haggle Rakes-the-Wyrm. He thought you might want to see."
"Yeah, sure. Just a sec." I said, slowly getting up and stretching. I had heard of the Beast Courts before, but not with great detail. I was somewhat uninformed, being a relatively young Garou, but perhaps this would be interesting. I could hear a soft voice coming from the main part of the caern, probably a Stargazer acting as messenger boy. I knew Shadow Lords, and I knew that Rakes-the-Wyrm was not going to take this Stargazer for very long. My own tribe probably wouldn't either.
As Hidden Dusk and I came closer, I could make out words from the soft voice of the Stargazer. ".. And stop trying to kill the Kitsune when they come by hunting. That is unacceptable. In truth, they are just barely allowing you on their land, not the other way around. They feel you should go back home to the west, and I feel the same. You purpose would be better handled there." The Stargazer said, calmly looking into the eyes of Rakes- the-Wyrm. "Tell the fox-folk not to fear," said Rakes-the-Wyrm, "We will be gone from their lands when I am finished with my business here." The Stargazer shook his head and replied, "That is not soon enough, I fear. They have claimed that you have broken many rules that they have set, including staying here as long as you have. This caern is rightfully theirs." Rakes-the-Wyrm growled at this and carefully made his words between his teeth. "Stargazer, why I have tolerated you and your Fera here I do not know. Get out of my sight." The Stargazer simply looked at the angry Shadow Lord. "It is not your caern. It is not your home. Why you came here, I do not know, and why you stay I do not know. Something is happening within this pack that could destroy us all. I will not be around to catch your fall, and neither will the other Fera." He said quietly, and left.
Rakes-the-Wyrm shook himself, as if the Stargazer's presence had contaminated him. "You see what I must deal with," He said to me, "Constantly people complaining. If your Lord would send more of you, I could beat back those weaklings, and finish my business." I shook my head. "My Lord would never send you aid. I'm only here to kill the Wyrm-beast and to visit home. Not to help you." I heard Hidden Dusk hold his breath. I'm sure Rakes-the-Wyrm has killed for less then that. I was not afraid to receive his judgement. He glared at me, but did not strike. "I am waiting for my son's first change." He said roughly. "He will be strong, a warrior to fight the Wyrm, I'm sure of it." I shot a glance at Ken. His pale fingers clenched the wall, and he kept his head down. What kind of subjugation did this cub receive under his father? Rakes-the-Wyrm noticed my glance and summoned Ken to him. "The foolish shifters have no idea what power will appear with my son. I am saving them from sure destruction! Why cannot they see that!" Rakes-the-Wyrm cried out passionately. Ken showed no response, as if he had been trained to stand there.
"I will do as you wish father." He said softly, as he slowly stepped away from the circle of Garou that had formed around us. I noticed that no one was watching me, so I followed the dark boy. I agreed with the Stargazer. Something was going on, and I wanted, no. needed to find out. "Do you follow me for a reason, Silver Fang?" Ken asked suddenly, stunning me. Even with Garou senses, I was sure he couldn't sense me. I sighed and answered, "Since you sensed me, I suppose. I'd like to know what's going on." "Are you going to notify your tribe? Get us killed or captured?"
"Now you've really got my interest. This is something big, isn't it?" I said. Ken stared at me for a moment, his deep violet eyes searching for something to say. He turned his head away, chewing on his lip. I pressed the question, grabbing the boy's chin and turning his head towards me. He froze for a moment, then pushed my hand away. "You should go. Nothing's going on. Leave this place." He said, speeding up his pace. He was shaking, nervous with a secret. I had never seen a Garou (or human for that matter) act in such a way. "I cannot leave if this is going to affect the Garou." I said, and Ken stopped and turned towards me. "Why do you care? Why me? There are plenty of others that you could ask, that you could beg. What makes me so open-looking?!" He cursed at me. I tried to keep my rage from building up. Killing him would serve no purpose. " You look like it affects you the most. I'm trying to help you." I said calmly. He looked at me and snarled, "I don't want your help. Find some other helpless sap to be a traitor of his family." He started walking again, leaving me behind. I would not leave, not before I knew. Something in his eyes told me what I needed to know. He was a lost kid who needed help. I'd be damned if I was going to leave without giving it to him.
I left the caern that day, to check on Tai and to finish what I had originally come here to do, before the Wyrm-beast had caught my interest. The streets of Tokyo were crowded, even in Odaiba. I passed people I knew, buildings I had frequented and stores I had shopped. I didn't realize I had missed home so much. Soon after my First Change, I had left home for the Americas, knowing that my tribe was not meant for the east. My uncle on my mother's side was from France, and I'm pretty sure that's where the Garou blood came from. Silver Fangs are not welcome in the east after all. I had just got back, wanting to visit my family and old friends, when the scent of the Wyrm beast hit me. Now that that was over, I needed to finish what I came for. My father was expecting me anyway. First, though, I had to check on Tai.
"Hello Mrs. Yagami. I wanted to know if Tai was in." I said. She looked at me and smiled. "Yamato! I heard you were out of town. Are you back to stay or to visit?" she asked, her infectious smile touching me as well. "Visit, I'm afraid." I replied as she ushered me in. "Tai hasn't been feeling too well, but as long as you don't mind you can go in. I'm sure you could make him feel better." She said as I went into his room.
"Arigato." I stepped over the piles of dirty laundry and soccer jerseys to get to Tai's bed. He was laying there, reading a comic book. I smiled a little and asked, "Hey Tai. Are you okay? You had a pretty nasty fall last night." He jumped at the sound of my voice and sat up. "Fall? What fall?" He asked, scratching his head. My heart almost stopped. "The fall.last night...you hit your head really bad." I lied, watching his face. He just stared at me. "I didn't fall. I saw you.and some animal.and." He stopped, staring at me again with fear and confusion in his eyes. I almost fainted. He entered the Delirium! My mind was screaming at me. Everything I had learned, everything I had thought was true was unavoidably false in the face of Taichi Yagami. "You and Daisuke changed into monsters! What.what are you?" He whispered, still staring at me like I had three heads. I tried again to reassure him. "You must have been dreaming Tai..." "It was no dream!" He interrupted, " I want to know what's going on! What are you, and why do you look like my best friend?!"
"I am Yamato. Same as always. Nothing's going on, Tai." I said, my voice straining from the effort to keep calm. How did he remember? "No. No. No. You were a giant wolf-headed monster. I saw you." He said, backing away from me. I stepped forward, trying desperately to calm the terrified human, but instead he tackled me, shoving me up against the wall. "Tell me what and who you are." He hissed, his hands on my throat. I groaned inwardly and one thought became clear in my mind. I am in deep shit.
CHAPTER 2: Shadow Lord
"Wake up Silver Fang." The harsh command broke the hazy cloud on my half-asleep state. I used my typical ruse of growling and rolling over, but the voice growled back, just as insistent. "What?" I asked roughly, glaring blearily into the brown eyes of Hidden Dusk. "A rep from the Beast Courts just showed up again to haggle Rakes-the-Wyrm. He thought you might want to see."
"Yeah, sure. Just a sec." I said, slowly getting up and stretching. I had heard of the Beast Courts before, but not with great detail. I was somewhat uninformed, being a relatively young Garou, but perhaps this would be interesting. I could hear a soft voice coming from the main part of the caern, probably a Stargazer acting as messenger boy. I knew Shadow Lords, and I knew that Rakes-the-Wyrm was not going to take this Stargazer for very long. My own tribe probably wouldn't either.
As Hidden Dusk and I came closer, I could make out words from the soft voice of the Stargazer. ".. And stop trying to kill the Kitsune when they come by hunting. That is unacceptable. In truth, they are just barely allowing you on their land, not the other way around. They feel you should go back home to the west, and I feel the same. You purpose would be better handled there." The Stargazer said, calmly looking into the eyes of Rakes- the-Wyrm. "Tell the fox-folk not to fear," said Rakes-the-Wyrm, "We will be gone from their lands when I am finished with my business here." The Stargazer shook his head and replied, "That is not soon enough, I fear. They have claimed that you have broken many rules that they have set, including staying here as long as you have. This caern is rightfully theirs." Rakes-the-Wyrm growled at this and carefully made his words between his teeth. "Stargazer, why I have tolerated you and your Fera here I do not know. Get out of my sight." The Stargazer simply looked at the angry Shadow Lord. "It is not your caern. It is not your home. Why you came here, I do not know, and why you stay I do not know. Something is happening within this pack that could destroy us all. I will not be around to catch your fall, and neither will the other Fera." He said quietly, and left.
Rakes-the-Wyrm shook himself, as if the Stargazer's presence had contaminated him. "You see what I must deal with," He said to me, "Constantly people complaining. If your Lord would send more of you, I could beat back those weaklings, and finish my business." I shook my head. "My Lord would never send you aid. I'm only here to kill the Wyrm-beast and to visit home. Not to help you." I heard Hidden Dusk hold his breath. I'm sure Rakes-the-Wyrm has killed for less then that. I was not afraid to receive his judgement. He glared at me, but did not strike. "I am waiting for my son's first change." He said roughly. "He will be strong, a warrior to fight the Wyrm, I'm sure of it." I shot a glance at Ken. His pale fingers clenched the wall, and he kept his head down. What kind of subjugation did this cub receive under his father? Rakes-the-Wyrm noticed my glance and summoned Ken to him. "The foolish shifters have no idea what power will appear with my son. I am saving them from sure destruction! Why cannot they see that!" Rakes-the-Wyrm cried out passionately. Ken showed no response, as if he had been trained to stand there.
"I will do as you wish father." He said softly, as he slowly stepped away from the circle of Garou that had formed around us. I noticed that no one was watching me, so I followed the dark boy. I agreed with the Stargazer. Something was going on, and I wanted, no. needed to find out. "Do you follow me for a reason, Silver Fang?" Ken asked suddenly, stunning me. Even with Garou senses, I was sure he couldn't sense me. I sighed and answered, "Since you sensed me, I suppose. I'd like to know what's going on." "Are you going to notify your tribe? Get us killed or captured?"
"Now you've really got my interest. This is something big, isn't it?" I said. Ken stared at me for a moment, his deep violet eyes searching for something to say. He turned his head away, chewing on his lip. I pressed the question, grabbing the boy's chin and turning his head towards me. He froze for a moment, then pushed my hand away. "You should go. Nothing's going on. Leave this place." He said, speeding up his pace. He was shaking, nervous with a secret. I had never seen a Garou (or human for that matter) act in such a way. "I cannot leave if this is going to affect the Garou." I said, and Ken stopped and turned towards me. "Why do you care? Why me? There are plenty of others that you could ask, that you could beg. What makes me so open-looking?!" He cursed at me. I tried to keep my rage from building up. Killing him would serve no purpose. " You look like it affects you the most. I'm trying to help you." I said calmly. He looked at me and snarled, "I don't want your help. Find some other helpless sap to be a traitor of his family." He started walking again, leaving me behind. I would not leave, not before I knew. Something in his eyes told me what I needed to know. He was a lost kid who needed help. I'd be damned if I was going to leave without giving it to him.
I left the caern that day, to check on Tai and to finish what I had originally come here to do, before the Wyrm-beast had caught my interest. The streets of Tokyo were crowded, even in Odaiba. I passed people I knew, buildings I had frequented and stores I had shopped. I didn't realize I had missed home so much. Soon after my First Change, I had left home for the Americas, knowing that my tribe was not meant for the east. My uncle on my mother's side was from France, and I'm pretty sure that's where the Garou blood came from. Silver Fangs are not welcome in the east after all. I had just got back, wanting to visit my family and old friends, when the scent of the Wyrm beast hit me. Now that that was over, I needed to finish what I came for. My father was expecting me anyway. First, though, I had to check on Tai.
"Hello Mrs. Yagami. I wanted to know if Tai was in." I said. She looked at me and smiled. "Yamato! I heard you were out of town. Are you back to stay or to visit?" she asked, her infectious smile touching me as well. "Visit, I'm afraid." I replied as she ushered me in. "Tai hasn't been feeling too well, but as long as you don't mind you can go in. I'm sure you could make him feel better." She said as I went into his room.
"Arigato." I stepped over the piles of dirty laundry and soccer jerseys to get to Tai's bed. He was laying there, reading a comic book. I smiled a little and asked, "Hey Tai. Are you okay? You had a pretty nasty fall last night." He jumped at the sound of my voice and sat up. "Fall? What fall?" He asked, scratching his head. My heart almost stopped. "The fall.last night...you hit your head really bad." I lied, watching his face. He just stared at me. "I didn't fall. I saw you.and some animal.and." He stopped, staring at me again with fear and confusion in his eyes. I almost fainted. He entered the Delirium! My mind was screaming at me. Everything I had learned, everything I had thought was true was unavoidably false in the face of Taichi Yagami. "You and Daisuke changed into monsters! What.what are you?" He whispered, still staring at me like I had three heads. I tried again to reassure him. "You must have been dreaming Tai..." "It was no dream!" He interrupted, " I want to know what's going on! What are you, and why do you look like my best friend?!"
"I am Yamato. Same as always. Nothing's going on, Tai." I said, my voice straining from the effort to keep calm. How did he remember? "No. No. No. You were a giant wolf-headed monster. I saw you." He said, backing away from me. I stepped forward, trying desperately to calm the terrified human, but instead he tackled me, shoving me up against the wall. "Tell me what and who you are." He hissed, his hands on my throat. I groaned inwardly and one thought became clear in my mind. I am in deep shit.