When morning came, it didn't bring any peace to Cas's thoughts. The light
only served to remind him of the darkness within himself, the Rage that
still wanted to feed. But he refused to let it, refused to give in and made
himself get up. It was hard, but it had to be done.
Stretching, he loosened all his muscles and gave himself a quick shake before grabbing the clothes that had been made for him and walking to the bathing room determined to get cleaned from last night activities. The thought of the creatures, still made him shudder.
He passed more guards this morning than he had in the past few days here and that caused him to pause. Briefly he considered asking Arian about it, but decided that if it concerned him then his Companion would have told him. But turning a corner, he knew he was involved.
A crowd had gathered around a part of the hall and even from here Cas knew what they saw. A window had been shattered, blood glinting across the shards still stuck in the frame. Moving quickly through the gathered people, Cas made his way to the front and saw one of the few things he feared more than the darkness.
It looked like a simple collar, yes, but it wasn't. Once that, that thing was placed around a person's neck, they were forced to give into emotions, doing exactly as they felt without thinking about the consequences.
'The one thing rage adores, and I fear. The outlet to it's power and the end of my control.'
He turned away from it, along with the rest of the students who were being sent to get ready for class. But as he was about to turn a corner, he couldn't resist taking one last look and in that look he was caught.
Rage knew that it was there.
It knew and it wanted it.
He turned back towards it, moving past the guards and reaching down.
Someone yelled at him to stop, but if he could have spoken a word he would have told them it was useless. Cas was no longer there.
Rage was.
And Rage wanted to feed.
His hands touched the collar and placed it around his neck. Thought and reason left and he only felt. Felt the stress of escaping, the fear of the fight last night.
The anger of being locked away.
The joy of causing Caedmon pain-
Rage took over and the guard nearest him suffered. His hand lashed out, claws extended and he felt them sink into flesh, tearing a wound in the body before him. He heard an alarm raised, he felt Arian in the back of his mind, but none of it mattered.
Only Rage.
Always Rage.
A spell hit him and he was knocked off balance for a minute before he turned, hissing, to the mage who had attacked him, lunging at him and damaging his face. As the blood hit his face and he could taste it in his mouth, Cas took over for a minute and knew that he had to get out of there before more people were hurt.
He turned to the broken window and jumped through it and took off running before anyone realized what he was doing. He used roofs and walls to make it off Palace grounds and out of the city, but he didn't stop running even then. He couldn't let Rage have anymore victims.
But a net stopped all his plans of escape and as it tightened around him he heard a familiar voice.
"Told you, you couldn't live among humans."
***
Violet eyes fluttered open softly as his mind started waking up. The wind ruffled his hair and brought with it the sound of soft singing of two voices.
'He looks around,
(The Fire burns)
He knows this place,
(The fire yearns)
This darkness that exists,
Inside...
A chance to escape,
Long since passed.
No longer can he relate,
It's slipped through his grasp.
But he cares not,
Dares not...
His life is gone,
Taken by this Rage.
The fight was long,
But it left him this cage.'
Cas turned over and blocked the voices from his ears, not wanting to hear it anymore. But the song had stopped and instead he heard silence.
The blessed silence that he had craved.
'So why do I feel empty?' The thought hung in his mind and then another took its place. "Why am I not acting upon this feeling?' he reached a hand up to his throat and found it bare once more. He would have cried aloud, but at the moment it would have taken to much effort. Instead he lay on the ground and tried to remember how he had gotten here.
The net!
Someone had caught him! But who?
His eyes flew open and he looked around, relief flooding through his body. Deemer lay beside him and all around were others like himself. It wasn't 'them'. They hadn't gotten him back.
But maybe he deserved to go back, after what he had done.
'I killed again.'
The blood flashed across his vision, his delight at it clouded his mind.
'I betrayed them, already, not even there a week.'
: No you haven't love. :
The voice shook him out of his thoughts and guilt and caused him to get to his feet. Others all around him reacted to his movement and looked as if they were prepared to fight him, but he ignored them.
Arian had sounded close. But did he deserve to see him again? Did he have the right to even look at his light?
: Yes, you do. :
His head whipped around to the left and looked into the forest surrounding this camp. Nothing else registered in his sight except the flash of white. He turned and ran for it, ignoring the cries of alarm and the arms that tried to grab him.
Arian was there! He had to get to him! The Companion broke through the trees and met him half way, stopping when he launched himself and clung to his mane. He let himself cry silently for a few minutes.
: I'll never leave you, no matter what. :
Cas smiled and opened his eyes-
-and was greeted with black. He backed away quickly and looked at Arian. The pure white coat was slowly changing to ebony black. The shine was still there and the eyes had remained blue, but no longer was he white.
Violet eyes met blue.
: I choose the darkness so that I can remain with you. :
Stretching, he loosened all his muscles and gave himself a quick shake before grabbing the clothes that had been made for him and walking to the bathing room determined to get cleaned from last night activities. The thought of the creatures, still made him shudder.
He passed more guards this morning than he had in the past few days here and that caused him to pause. Briefly he considered asking Arian about it, but decided that if it concerned him then his Companion would have told him. But turning a corner, he knew he was involved.
A crowd had gathered around a part of the hall and even from here Cas knew what they saw. A window had been shattered, blood glinting across the shards still stuck in the frame. Moving quickly through the gathered people, Cas made his way to the front and saw one of the few things he feared more than the darkness.
It looked like a simple collar, yes, but it wasn't. Once that, that thing was placed around a person's neck, they were forced to give into emotions, doing exactly as they felt without thinking about the consequences.
'The one thing rage adores, and I fear. The outlet to it's power and the end of my control.'
He turned away from it, along with the rest of the students who were being sent to get ready for class. But as he was about to turn a corner, he couldn't resist taking one last look and in that look he was caught.
Rage knew that it was there.
It knew and it wanted it.
He turned back towards it, moving past the guards and reaching down.
Someone yelled at him to stop, but if he could have spoken a word he would have told them it was useless. Cas was no longer there.
Rage was.
And Rage wanted to feed.
His hands touched the collar and placed it around his neck. Thought and reason left and he only felt. Felt the stress of escaping, the fear of the fight last night.
The anger of being locked away.
The joy of causing Caedmon pain-
Rage took over and the guard nearest him suffered. His hand lashed out, claws extended and he felt them sink into flesh, tearing a wound in the body before him. He heard an alarm raised, he felt Arian in the back of his mind, but none of it mattered.
Only Rage.
Always Rage.
A spell hit him and he was knocked off balance for a minute before he turned, hissing, to the mage who had attacked him, lunging at him and damaging his face. As the blood hit his face and he could taste it in his mouth, Cas took over for a minute and knew that he had to get out of there before more people were hurt.
He turned to the broken window and jumped through it and took off running before anyone realized what he was doing. He used roofs and walls to make it off Palace grounds and out of the city, but he didn't stop running even then. He couldn't let Rage have anymore victims.
But a net stopped all his plans of escape and as it tightened around him he heard a familiar voice.
"Told you, you couldn't live among humans."
***
Violet eyes fluttered open softly as his mind started waking up. The wind ruffled his hair and brought with it the sound of soft singing of two voices.
'He looks around,
(The Fire burns)
He knows this place,
(The fire yearns)
This darkness that exists,
Inside...
A chance to escape,
Long since passed.
No longer can he relate,
It's slipped through his grasp.
But he cares not,
Dares not...
His life is gone,
Taken by this Rage.
The fight was long,
But it left him this cage.'
Cas turned over and blocked the voices from his ears, not wanting to hear it anymore. But the song had stopped and instead he heard silence.
The blessed silence that he had craved.
'So why do I feel empty?' The thought hung in his mind and then another took its place. "Why am I not acting upon this feeling?' he reached a hand up to his throat and found it bare once more. He would have cried aloud, but at the moment it would have taken to much effort. Instead he lay on the ground and tried to remember how he had gotten here.
The net!
Someone had caught him! But who?
His eyes flew open and he looked around, relief flooding through his body. Deemer lay beside him and all around were others like himself. It wasn't 'them'. They hadn't gotten him back.
But maybe he deserved to go back, after what he had done.
'I killed again.'
The blood flashed across his vision, his delight at it clouded his mind.
'I betrayed them, already, not even there a week.'
: No you haven't love. :
The voice shook him out of his thoughts and guilt and caused him to get to his feet. Others all around him reacted to his movement and looked as if they were prepared to fight him, but he ignored them.
Arian had sounded close. But did he deserve to see him again? Did he have the right to even look at his light?
: Yes, you do. :
His head whipped around to the left and looked into the forest surrounding this camp. Nothing else registered in his sight except the flash of white. He turned and ran for it, ignoring the cries of alarm and the arms that tried to grab him.
Arian was there! He had to get to him! The Companion broke through the trees and met him half way, stopping when he launched himself and clung to his mane. He let himself cry silently for a few minutes.
: I'll never leave you, no matter what. :
Cas smiled and opened his eyes-
-and was greeted with black. He backed away quickly and looked at Arian. The pure white coat was slowly changing to ebony black. The shine was still there and the eyes had remained blue, but no longer was he white.
Violet eyes met blue.
: I choose the darkness so that I can remain with you. :