M-Sama's Note: Happy Birthday Cassandra Cassidy!!!
Chapter 15: White Fox in a Black Den
Sarah, Alex, and the professor had finished the third wall of this place. It took some searching to find where the tale picked up again at the far end of the room. In their searching they found one false door, an alcove covered in writing and sprinkled by pictures of the thief, the White Fox.
After the descent of the gods, the magic of the shadow spells was released, and with it, the spell that had kept the thief a slave was now lifted. He had been on an errand in the catacombs beneath the High Priest's temple when it occurred. A tile fell from the ceiling onto his head. The pain cleared his mind, and he woke up truly for the first time in two years. He could feel, he could question. He didn't know what was going on but there was no way he was going to wait and be put back under that spell again. Deeper he went into the darkness.
The thief's mind was in turmoil as he sought to reclaim his own existence. With each step he remembered more; his mother, the king, that High Priest and what he had said and done…
The thief's unholy umber eyes were screwed shut in concentration. He saw red. Anger filled him, anger at everything, everyone. He would pay them back. Pay them all back, ten fold. The treasures…it all came down to the seven treasures. He wanted that power, the power to punish all who had punished him…the world…he should get the power and rule the world…make the world suffer…
One hand running along the wall, guiding him, he staggered like a drunken man, unheeding of where he was walking, not caring, his mind wandering, filling…
"Make the world suffer…destroy them all…destroy this cruel world…"
The thief was in a daze. He couldn't feel the wall, he couldn't feel anything…He was suspended in nothing, a mind separated, he could hear a voice speaking in time to his own thoughts, a duet…
"You have nothing to fear, my brother…" A sun-blond boy, undead violet eyes… "You and I are of one kind, we have the same goals…we can help each other…"
One…kind?
"Both children of magic, scions of the shadow, you and I, my brother…"
Suspicion. Who are you?
"My name doesn't matter, and neither does yours…"
I remember seeing this…long ago…two souls speaking, the dread golden angel calling the other to the shadow plane, speaking…
The crouched figure in the sand…dark shadow, dead gold, dead amethyst eyes devoid of luster, filled with cruelty and hatred and anger at everything…
"My brother…" the heartless angel whispered, reaching out his "hand" in companionship to the white fox-demon…
I could see…the tendrils of that angel's power, emanating and inundating the shadow lands…he was trying to seize and fuse with the demon soul, it had worked with others, but not with this one…
No, he stroked the fox with his influence, offering and consoling, but the thief was immune, his soul had the same power and could not be commanded…
"Listen to me brother," murmured the dead angel, "the world is cruel, twisted. We both wish to see an end to all injustice, all evil, but there can be no stop, as long as the world exists…"
But it could be persuaded. "Destroy…I do not want them destroyed…but I will end this world's insanity-"
"You will end this world's insanity," echoed the dead angel.
"-When I rule this world. I will have revenge, and justice will be supreme."
"Supreme…yes, yes…"
The demon-thief gave that unholy cadaver a glare from those searing umber eyes. "I will help you…I want those items…the Treasures of One Thousand Years…"
"You shall have them," said the dead angel. And running across the desert, never tiring, letting the waves of darkness bear and guide him, he laughed.
"Surrender yourself to the darkness, brother…surrender yourself to the blood within you, to your destiny, you know how to do it…come to me…"
And the white fox closed his umber eyes, letting his soul follow the powerful call…he did not trust this "brother" no he did not. But he simply couldn't think of anything else to do…together they would get those items, all of them. And he would take down this strange golden creature and claim his revenge.
Gathering his body about him, he flew through the sky of darkness, the sky of hatred, the sky of his own revenge…and oh, how sweet it was…