Disclaimer: I don't own it.
A/N: Well here's the end. I'm sorry that this took so long to finish. I want to thank all of you who read and reviewed this story. It was you people that kept me going on this. You all have my deepest thanks for taking time to read this. I hope you enjoy this last installment. Oh, and eventually there will be a lemon for chapter 6, so keep an eye out.
There was a tinkling of breaking glass and a fresh wind blew through the hall. Sunlight reflected off the broken window, edges gleaming with razor sharpness. Tala blocked the downward swing that was set to cut him in half and glanced over his shoulder, eyes widening at the sight of Kai outside the window, precariously balanced on the narrow ledge.
Kai inched along the narrow ledge, fingers finding hidden nooks and crannies to slid and anchor in. The wind buffeted the building, slamming against the wall before moving up the wall, creating an updraft. The shrill ringing sound increased, grinding on Kai's mind. The sky suddenly darkened, forcing the knight to remove his eyes from the task at hand.
The moon was slowly moving in front of the sun, casting the world into a darkness that would be over in moments. Dranzer was urging him on, the spirit knowing that the spell would come to completion when the sun was fully covered. Kai picked up his pace, carefully stepping over the crumbling stones of the ledge. The wind picked up again, seemingly trying to pull the knight form his perilous perch.
"Shit." The windows were heavily covered, blocking any light and any way for Kai to see into the room. Something seemed to draw him to the room and he decided to go with it. He followed his link back to Dranzer, tapping into the spirit blade's magic and let go with one hand, tracing the rune for fire in the air, focusing on the glass pane in front of him. Slowly the glass started melting, running like thick water into the room and sticking to the curtains, weighing them down.
*****
There was a scream and Tala turned from his work on the door to find Max flat on his back. The blonde knight had slipped on the blood-slicked floor, his sword sliding across the floor to land hanging out of the window Kai had broken. One of the guards was standing over the fallen knight, ready to drive the two-handed sword through the blonde's unprotected body. Tala's eyes slid half shut, words of a spell falling from his parted lips. White- blue magic moved form his body to the guard's, following unseen currents of air. Leather and skin caught fire, causing a yell to rise from the entranced guard. The smell of burning flesh quickly filled the hall. Max clamped one hand over his nose and mouth, trying to keep from breathing in the horrible stench.
Tyson's sword slashed through a guard's armor, spilling long, slimy cords of innards from the slash. The guard stumbled back, hands desperately trying to hold the intestines in. He stumbled back even further only to come to the wall. He slid down, eyes wide and unseeing. Tyson cleaned Dragoon off before slipping the blade back into its scabbard; navy eyes focused on the dead guard. This was the fourth guard he'd killed and it was chewing at his thoughts. He had been a knight for the past year and he had never once actually killed anyone. And the fact that the guards had been under control was even worse. Tyson picked up Draciel and sat down next to Max, who was sitting next to the wall, eyes closed.
*****
Kai stepped over the cooling glass and pushed the curtain to one side, careful not to let any light into the room. Torches lined all the walls with the exception of the one containing the windows, which left the knight in shadows. A single, huge brazier sat in one corner of the room, herbs burning on the coals. A battered and scared worktable stood in one corner; various mage items scattered across the wooden top.
In the center of the room stood an altar of some kind. The black stone or wood was slightly tilted towards the floor, blood channels draining into a large stone basin on the floor. Rei was strapped to the table; long ebony strands still wrapped in their white binding. Naoll was standing over the neko-jin, fingers of one hand tracing over the slightly tanned cheek. Golden eyes were glowing with a feral light, fangs bared. "Such a beautiful neko. Your blood will be perfect." One hand slipped into a sleeve, reappearing with a serrated stone knife. A feeble green light started to form around Rei and Kai knew without a doubt that it was Rei's spirit beast. The green light brightened momentarily before dying out. Naoll had locked Rei's guardian.
Dranzer came free of his sheath with no sound, yet something alerted the mage to the knight's presence. Naoll turned fingers of one hand still resting on Rei's cheek. "So the brave knight has finally appeared. Took you longer then I thought." He flicked his hand to one corner of the room and the king stepped out, wearing a leather breastplate and carrying a two- handed sword. The king moved forward, eyes glazed with madness and hate. "You can't stop Naoll! He promised I could have Nada back!" He lunged forward sword held high overhead.
Kai stepped to one side surprised that the King was planning on bringing his dead wife back. It suddenly clicked in Kai's mind that Kenny had said that neko-jin blood was an important component of many spells, especially ones used by necromancers. Dranzer swung around, slicing into the leather of the king's back plate, biting into flesh, drawing first blood.
*****
"Damn it. How many fucking wards did he stick on this door?" Tala broke another ward, the third in ten minutes. The first of the wards had been the biggest. The rest were ones that needed to be broken if he didn't want to be flung down the hallway. Tyson got to his feet and moved to stand next to the redhead, reaching out to touch the door. There was a loud thud as Tyson hit the floor and skidded. Max was laughing, while at the same time trying to make sure that Tyson was okay. Tala ignored them and returned to breaking the wards.
*****
The blade cut along Kai's arm, tip of the sword dipping in to draw blood. He let out a barely audible hiss of pain and moved back, watching his blood drip to the floor. A slight flick of his wrist, twisted Dranzer, bringing the sword to crash against the blade of the king's sword. The knight quickly unlocked his blade from the larger sword, bringing the spirit blade, up in a diagonal cut across the breastplate. The sword bit into the leather and the skin underneath, tearing the soft lung tissue into ribbons.
Blood trickled from the open wound, staining the white silk shirt. The king slumped to his knees; eyes focused on the knight in front of him with disbelief. The king remembered when he had Knighted Kai, and the slate- haired knight's promise to protect the king. Before he died his last sight was cold mahogany eyes before his face hit the hard stone floor with a resounding crack.
Kai turned to face Naoll, eyes burning with hate. The mage had the knife resting lightly against Rei's throat, black eyes lit with humor. "That was faster then I expected. Now it looks like you'll have to watch your precious mate die. The blade pressed against the tan throat, drawing the slightest trail of blood. Rei closed his eyes, trying not to let out a sound. Dranzer dipped down, tip resting against the stone floor. "What are you going to do?" Naoll's head jerked slightly and he frowned. "What do you care Knight? I thought you were here to stop me."
Kai shrugged, eyes quickly flicking to the bound neko-jin. "I might be able to help you. You need some help in the physical department." Golden eyes flew open, glinting with betrayal and hurt. Kai flashed the marks at Rei, hoping that the neko-jin would catch on. Understanding flashed in the gold depths and he closed his eyes again, slowly working on the wards that restricted his guardian. The knight moved closer to the mage, never looking away. "I can help you. I know that you plan to take over the country. Why else would you use the king as a pawn. I can help you control the guards and knights. They're all under me." He sheathed Dranzer as he moved even closer to the mage.
Naoll shook his head. "No. I know how that works. You claim to help me and then you kill me in my sleep, taking over. That's not going to happen," he started cackling insanely. "That's not going to happen because I'm going to kill you now!" A black fireball appeared on one hand and he tossed it at the knight, just barely missing when Kai dodged to the right, the fireball exploding right next to him. Dranzer came out of the sheath, red jewel burning with an inner flame.
*****
"Tala, hurry up." Max winced as the sound of a second explosion came through the door. The redhead didn't answer, sweat rolling down his body as he tried to break the final wards on the door. Tyson was pacing along the hall, avoiding the bodies strewn throughout the hall. There was a sudden rush of air from the door and Tala slid to his knees, supporting himself on Wolborg. "There's one more ward. Max give me Draciel." The blonde handed his sword to the older knight, watching as purple magic mixed with the small amount of white-blue magic that sat in the knight's hand. Tala pressed his hand against the door, purple and white pushing against the black that covered the door.
The black moved over the purple and white, slowly pushing it back. Blue swirled in with the purple and white, covering the black. Max looked over his shoulder to find Tyson standing behind Tala, Dragoon drawn, blue magic swirling along the blade. "Sorry that took so long. Dragoon just told me what to do." Tala got to his feet, the hand on the door shaking. "The wards are broken. We just need a key." Max and Tyson looked at each other with blank looks. "A key. Can't you just use your magic?" Ice blue eyes focused on the two knights. I've all but drained my magic. If I use anymore I'll.." He trailed off as an idea came to mind.
Eyes slid shut and he traced his link to Wolborg and then followed a second link further to the pendent that hung around Bryan's neck. A link from the pendent led to the lavender-haired mage's mind. In simple pictures he related his idea and was filled with a flow of familiar magic. He placed one hand against the look and pushed, magic causing the tumblers to fall into place.
*****
Rei some how managed to get loose from the altar. He dropped down next to it and went back to trying to break the wards on his guardian. Periodically there would be a sound of metal clashing against something, but he couldn't bring himself to look. Until he could get his magic back under his control, he was more of a liability then help.
Kai dodged another fireball, Dranzer calling for blood. "Damn mages." Kai moved forward slightly, trying to get close enough to actually bring his sword into play. Naoll had done an exceptional job of staying just outside of the reach of Dranzer. Kai threw himself forward in a front somersault, feeling a fireball explode just over him. He came to his feet right in front of Naoll and pushed forward, his blade sinking deep into the mage's stomach. Dranzer's jewel pulsed, finally satiated as blood ran over the blade. The mage looked down in horror; eyes focused on the blade that was sunk into his stomach.
Black met mahogany and Kai smirked. "You were wrong. I didn't kill you in your sleep. I hope you burn in hell." He gave a sharp twist to the blade before pulling it out and turning away. Naoll held one hand over his wound, the other tracing an intricate pattern in the air, leaving behind black trails. The pressure in the room increased to an almost unbearable high. "I may be going to hell Hiwatari, but I'm bringing you with me!" One finger pointed at the knight, black magic gathering around the digit. Kai turned and watched as a jet of black magic shot at him.
The following seconds were a mass of confusion for the knight. There was a flash of green in his vision and he felt himself flying through the air. When he landed the air was knocked out of him and he lay on the floor for several seconds, trying to regain his breath. He propped himself up on one elbow only to be thrown back as a raven-haired neko-jin landed on top of him. "Oh god Kai! I just barely managed to get Driger unward-" Rei was cut off by arms wrapping around him, pulling him closer to the hard, slim body that belonged to his mate.
Warm breath ghosted across his neck and lips brushed across the pale skin. They lay like that for several seconds before Kai sat up, something digging into his back. He released Rei with one arm and reached back, hand closing around the knife that was still stained with blood. He idly tossed it away, stopping when he heard it hit something soft. His eyes widened and Rei followed his gaze, golden eyes closing in revulsion.
Naoll was slumped against one wall. A hole the size of an apple was in his chest, allowing the knight and neko-jin to see the wall through the hole. The knife Kai had thrown was embedded between Naoll's eyes and the mage's entire right arm was missing.
Kai ran one hand through Rei's hair, which had somehow come unbound during the battle. "Rei?" The neko-jin in question raised his head from its place on Kai's chest, golden eyes questioning. "What happened?" Rei settled down on his seat more, leaning back against the knight. "Just after Naoll released his final attack I managed to get Driger unwarded. He knocked you out of the way of the spell. The spell was especially designed to kill anything human. Since Dranzer shrouded you in his aura after Driger knocked you, the spell didn't realize that you're human. Since I'm not entirely human it didn't come after me. Naoll was the only thing the "human" in the room at the time the spell attacked him." A shudder wracked his lithe body as he remembered the look of horror on the mage's face as the black magic slammed into him.
A low growl filled the room and Kai turned to see a huge, luminous green tiger in front of the door, eyes intently fixed on the slowly opening door. A redhead appeared in the door, followed by a blonde head and a navy one. "Would some one call off the cat?" A second growl escaped the tiger. "Driger, leave them alone and come back here." Green eyes turned on to the neko-jin and the tiger faded green light flowing back into the lithe body. Tala, Tyson and Max came into the room, eyes wandering over the destruction. The two younger knights avoided looking at the mage's body, even as their eyes were drawn to the king's body. Tala was carefully going through the items on the worktable when he heard Tyson yelling at Kai.
"Did you have to kill the King?" Tyson's face was turning red as he yelled at the knight-captain who was still on the floor, arms wrapped around the neko-jin in his lap. "No, Tyson, I didn't. I was going to let him kill me. Could you shut up for ten seconds!" Kai was not in the mood for dealing with anyone at the moment. He just wanted to go back to his rooms with Rei and sleep for several days straight. Max, seeing that Kai was starting to lose his temper quickly pulled Tyson away from the older knight, worried that his friend might do something stupid. "Tyson, just give him a couple minutes." The navy haired knight nodded, eyes fastened on the king's body.
Tala knelt down next to his friend, eyes going to the wound on Kai's arm. "Are you two okay?" He received two nods. "Come on guys, lets get you two downstairs so we can have someone look at those wounds." Kai and Rei got to their feet, leaning on each other for support and comfort.
*****
"Watch it!" The healer kept working on the wound on the neko-jin's neck, paying no attention to the dirty looks she was receiving from the knight on the other side of the room. Kai sucked in a hasty breath as a second healer poked at the cut on his arm. With in seconds the wound was healed, the only mark, a scar, slightly darker then the surrounding skin. Both healers gathered their supplies up, not wanting to stay around the knight for longer then absolutely necessary. Tala leaned back in his chair, eyes idly sweeping over the stones in the wall. "So Kai, what are you going to tell the nobles?" Kai didn't answer right away, instead changing into a clean shirt. "I don't really care what they think. Right now I just want to sleep."
Blue eyes drifted to the door of the bedroom where Rei was, changing into clean clothing. Tala knew what was going to happen. He got to his feet and grabbed Wolborg who was lying on the floor by his feet. "I'll see you two later. Right now I have to go check to see that the guards are keeping everyone from Naoll's room." He closed the door behind him and made sure that it was locked. Kai made his way to the bedroom, silently closing the door behind him.
Rei was about to pull a shirt on when warm hands pulled the shirt away, tossing it to land on the floor somewhere. The same warm hands trailed over his back, tracing patterns over the silken skin. "There's really no need for you to put that shirt on Rei." Warm breath tickled over his neck as he leaned back against the cloth-covered body behind him. "I know that. So," he turned, pulling the black fabric over the knight's head. "Why did you put a shirt on?" Kai shrugged, one hand moving closer to the edge of Rei's pants while the second moved higher, tangling in the raven strands. One tan hand stroked over the triangles on the knight's cheek, grey marks flashing in mahogany eyes.
Slim fingers brushed over the marks. Rei looked down at the floor. "I'm sorry Kai. I meant to tell you but then everything fell apart and, well I guess you're stuck with me." Callused fingers caressed his chin, tilting his head up. Kai brushed his thumb over the neko-jin's lips. Gold met mahogany and Kai smiled a rare occurrence. "Don't worry about it. I think I can handle having only you in my life." Rei didn't answer, instead flicking his tounge out to brush against the knight's finger. One slate eyebrow rose and Rei smiled, flashing fang.
"What's wrong Rei, not enough excitement today?" The neko-jin's smile widened and he climbed on to the bed, golden eyes shining with desire. Kai pushed Rei down, setteling comfortably over him, balanced on his elbows, lower bodies brushing together. Warm breath moved across his neck, followed by soft ghostly touches, calculated to drive him to the edge. Rei allowed his hands to wander, one hand dipping under the edge of Kai's pants to trace the scar that started on the knight's hip. A low moan escaped the knight's throat as the finger traced the scar. Kai pressed a kiss to the tip of Rei's pointed ear. "You're evil Rei. I love you."
Fangs raked over the skin of his neck, raising goosebumps along his entire body. Warm hands danced down his body, teasing for moments before moving on. One of Kai's hands slid lower and the neko-jin unconsciously arched his body, fitting with the knight seamlessly. "I love you too you evil bast." His voice died as that one hand moved lower and lips closed over his, effectively silencing him.
THE END.
A/N: I finished!
A/N: Well here's the end. I'm sorry that this took so long to finish. I want to thank all of you who read and reviewed this story. It was you people that kept me going on this. You all have my deepest thanks for taking time to read this. I hope you enjoy this last installment. Oh, and eventually there will be a lemon for chapter 6, so keep an eye out.
There was a tinkling of breaking glass and a fresh wind blew through the hall. Sunlight reflected off the broken window, edges gleaming with razor sharpness. Tala blocked the downward swing that was set to cut him in half and glanced over his shoulder, eyes widening at the sight of Kai outside the window, precariously balanced on the narrow ledge.
Kai inched along the narrow ledge, fingers finding hidden nooks and crannies to slid and anchor in. The wind buffeted the building, slamming against the wall before moving up the wall, creating an updraft. The shrill ringing sound increased, grinding on Kai's mind. The sky suddenly darkened, forcing the knight to remove his eyes from the task at hand.
The moon was slowly moving in front of the sun, casting the world into a darkness that would be over in moments. Dranzer was urging him on, the spirit knowing that the spell would come to completion when the sun was fully covered. Kai picked up his pace, carefully stepping over the crumbling stones of the ledge. The wind picked up again, seemingly trying to pull the knight form his perilous perch.
"Shit." The windows were heavily covered, blocking any light and any way for Kai to see into the room. Something seemed to draw him to the room and he decided to go with it. He followed his link back to Dranzer, tapping into the spirit blade's magic and let go with one hand, tracing the rune for fire in the air, focusing on the glass pane in front of him. Slowly the glass started melting, running like thick water into the room and sticking to the curtains, weighing them down.
*****
There was a scream and Tala turned from his work on the door to find Max flat on his back. The blonde knight had slipped on the blood-slicked floor, his sword sliding across the floor to land hanging out of the window Kai had broken. One of the guards was standing over the fallen knight, ready to drive the two-handed sword through the blonde's unprotected body. Tala's eyes slid half shut, words of a spell falling from his parted lips. White- blue magic moved form his body to the guard's, following unseen currents of air. Leather and skin caught fire, causing a yell to rise from the entranced guard. The smell of burning flesh quickly filled the hall. Max clamped one hand over his nose and mouth, trying to keep from breathing in the horrible stench.
Tyson's sword slashed through a guard's armor, spilling long, slimy cords of innards from the slash. The guard stumbled back, hands desperately trying to hold the intestines in. He stumbled back even further only to come to the wall. He slid down, eyes wide and unseeing. Tyson cleaned Dragoon off before slipping the blade back into its scabbard; navy eyes focused on the dead guard. This was the fourth guard he'd killed and it was chewing at his thoughts. He had been a knight for the past year and he had never once actually killed anyone. And the fact that the guards had been under control was even worse. Tyson picked up Draciel and sat down next to Max, who was sitting next to the wall, eyes closed.
*****
Kai stepped over the cooling glass and pushed the curtain to one side, careful not to let any light into the room. Torches lined all the walls with the exception of the one containing the windows, which left the knight in shadows. A single, huge brazier sat in one corner of the room, herbs burning on the coals. A battered and scared worktable stood in one corner; various mage items scattered across the wooden top.
In the center of the room stood an altar of some kind. The black stone or wood was slightly tilted towards the floor, blood channels draining into a large stone basin on the floor. Rei was strapped to the table; long ebony strands still wrapped in their white binding. Naoll was standing over the neko-jin, fingers of one hand tracing over the slightly tanned cheek. Golden eyes were glowing with a feral light, fangs bared. "Such a beautiful neko. Your blood will be perfect." One hand slipped into a sleeve, reappearing with a serrated stone knife. A feeble green light started to form around Rei and Kai knew without a doubt that it was Rei's spirit beast. The green light brightened momentarily before dying out. Naoll had locked Rei's guardian.
Dranzer came free of his sheath with no sound, yet something alerted the mage to the knight's presence. Naoll turned fingers of one hand still resting on Rei's cheek. "So the brave knight has finally appeared. Took you longer then I thought." He flicked his hand to one corner of the room and the king stepped out, wearing a leather breastplate and carrying a two- handed sword. The king moved forward, eyes glazed with madness and hate. "You can't stop Naoll! He promised I could have Nada back!" He lunged forward sword held high overhead.
Kai stepped to one side surprised that the King was planning on bringing his dead wife back. It suddenly clicked in Kai's mind that Kenny had said that neko-jin blood was an important component of many spells, especially ones used by necromancers. Dranzer swung around, slicing into the leather of the king's back plate, biting into flesh, drawing first blood.
*****
"Damn it. How many fucking wards did he stick on this door?" Tala broke another ward, the third in ten minutes. The first of the wards had been the biggest. The rest were ones that needed to be broken if he didn't want to be flung down the hallway. Tyson got to his feet and moved to stand next to the redhead, reaching out to touch the door. There was a loud thud as Tyson hit the floor and skidded. Max was laughing, while at the same time trying to make sure that Tyson was okay. Tala ignored them and returned to breaking the wards.
*****
The blade cut along Kai's arm, tip of the sword dipping in to draw blood. He let out a barely audible hiss of pain and moved back, watching his blood drip to the floor. A slight flick of his wrist, twisted Dranzer, bringing the sword to crash against the blade of the king's sword. The knight quickly unlocked his blade from the larger sword, bringing the spirit blade, up in a diagonal cut across the breastplate. The sword bit into the leather and the skin underneath, tearing the soft lung tissue into ribbons.
Blood trickled from the open wound, staining the white silk shirt. The king slumped to his knees; eyes focused on the knight in front of him with disbelief. The king remembered when he had Knighted Kai, and the slate- haired knight's promise to protect the king. Before he died his last sight was cold mahogany eyes before his face hit the hard stone floor with a resounding crack.
Kai turned to face Naoll, eyes burning with hate. The mage had the knife resting lightly against Rei's throat, black eyes lit with humor. "That was faster then I expected. Now it looks like you'll have to watch your precious mate die. The blade pressed against the tan throat, drawing the slightest trail of blood. Rei closed his eyes, trying not to let out a sound. Dranzer dipped down, tip resting against the stone floor. "What are you going to do?" Naoll's head jerked slightly and he frowned. "What do you care Knight? I thought you were here to stop me."
Kai shrugged, eyes quickly flicking to the bound neko-jin. "I might be able to help you. You need some help in the physical department." Golden eyes flew open, glinting with betrayal and hurt. Kai flashed the marks at Rei, hoping that the neko-jin would catch on. Understanding flashed in the gold depths and he closed his eyes again, slowly working on the wards that restricted his guardian. The knight moved closer to the mage, never looking away. "I can help you. I know that you plan to take over the country. Why else would you use the king as a pawn. I can help you control the guards and knights. They're all under me." He sheathed Dranzer as he moved even closer to the mage.
Naoll shook his head. "No. I know how that works. You claim to help me and then you kill me in my sleep, taking over. That's not going to happen," he started cackling insanely. "That's not going to happen because I'm going to kill you now!" A black fireball appeared on one hand and he tossed it at the knight, just barely missing when Kai dodged to the right, the fireball exploding right next to him. Dranzer came out of the sheath, red jewel burning with an inner flame.
*****
"Tala, hurry up." Max winced as the sound of a second explosion came through the door. The redhead didn't answer, sweat rolling down his body as he tried to break the final wards on the door. Tyson was pacing along the hall, avoiding the bodies strewn throughout the hall. There was a sudden rush of air from the door and Tala slid to his knees, supporting himself on Wolborg. "There's one more ward. Max give me Draciel." The blonde handed his sword to the older knight, watching as purple magic mixed with the small amount of white-blue magic that sat in the knight's hand. Tala pressed his hand against the door, purple and white pushing against the black that covered the door.
The black moved over the purple and white, slowly pushing it back. Blue swirled in with the purple and white, covering the black. Max looked over his shoulder to find Tyson standing behind Tala, Dragoon drawn, blue magic swirling along the blade. "Sorry that took so long. Dragoon just told me what to do." Tala got to his feet, the hand on the door shaking. "The wards are broken. We just need a key." Max and Tyson looked at each other with blank looks. "A key. Can't you just use your magic?" Ice blue eyes focused on the two knights. I've all but drained my magic. If I use anymore I'll.." He trailed off as an idea came to mind.
Eyes slid shut and he traced his link to Wolborg and then followed a second link further to the pendent that hung around Bryan's neck. A link from the pendent led to the lavender-haired mage's mind. In simple pictures he related his idea and was filled with a flow of familiar magic. He placed one hand against the look and pushed, magic causing the tumblers to fall into place.
*****
Rei some how managed to get loose from the altar. He dropped down next to it and went back to trying to break the wards on his guardian. Periodically there would be a sound of metal clashing against something, but he couldn't bring himself to look. Until he could get his magic back under his control, he was more of a liability then help.
Kai dodged another fireball, Dranzer calling for blood. "Damn mages." Kai moved forward slightly, trying to get close enough to actually bring his sword into play. Naoll had done an exceptional job of staying just outside of the reach of Dranzer. Kai threw himself forward in a front somersault, feeling a fireball explode just over him. He came to his feet right in front of Naoll and pushed forward, his blade sinking deep into the mage's stomach. Dranzer's jewel pulsed, finally satiated as blood ran over the blade. The mage looked down in horror; eyes focused on the blade that was sunk into his stomach.
Black met mahogany and Kai smirked. "You were wrong. I didn't kill you in your sleep. I hope you burn in hell." He gave a sharp twist to the blade before pulling it out and turning away. Naoll held one hand over his wound, the other tracing an intricate pattern in the air, leaving behind black trails. The pressure in the room increased to an almost unbearable high. "I may be going to hell Hiwatari, but I'm bringing you with me!" One finger pointed at the knight, black magic gathering around the digit. Kai turned and watched as a jet of black magic shot at him.
The following seconds were a mass of confusion for the knight. There was a flash of green in his vision and he felt himself flying through the air. When he landed the air was knocked out of him and he lay on the floor for several seconds, trying to regain his breath. He propped himself up on one elbow only to be thrown back as a raven-haired neko-jin landed on top of him. "Oh god Kai! I just barely managed to get Driger unward-" Rei was cut off by arms wrapping around him, pulling him closer to the hard, slim body that belonged to his mate.
Warm breath ghosted across his neck and lips brushed across the pale skin. They lay like that for several seconds before Kai sat up, something digging into his back. He released Rei with one arm and reached back, hand closing around the knife that was still stained with blood. He idly tossed it away, stopping when he heard it hit something soft. His eyes widened and Rei followed his gaze, golden eyes closing in revulsion.
Naoll was slumped against one wall. A hole the size of an apple was in his chest, allowing the knight and neko-jin to see the wall through the hole. The knife Kai had thrown was embedded between Naoll's eyes and the mage's entire right arm was missing.
Kai ran one hand through Rei's hair, which had somehow come unbound during the battle. "Rei?" The neko-jin in question raised his head from its place on Kai's chest, golden eyes questioning. "What happened?" Rei settled down on his seat more, leaning back against the knight. "Just after Naoll released his final attack I managed to get Driger unwarded. He knocked you out of the way of the spell. The spell was especially designed to kill anything human. Since Dranzer shrouded you in his aura after Driger knocked you, the spell didn't realize that you're human. Since I'm not entirely human it didn't come after me. Naoll was the only thing the "human" in the room at the time the spell attacked him." A shudder wracked his lithe body as he remembered the look of horror on the mage's face as the black magic slammed into him.
A low growl filled the room and Kai turned to see a huge, luminous green tiger in front of the door, eyes intently fixed on the slowly opening door. A redhead appeared in the door, followed by a blonde head and a navy one. "Would some one call off the cat?" A second growl escaped the tiger. "Driger, leave them alone and come back here." Green eyes turned on to the neko-jin and the tiger faded green light flowing back into the lithe body. Tala, Tyson and Max came into the room, eyes wandering over the destruction. The two younger knights avoided looking at the mage's body, even as their eyes were drawn to the king's body. Tala was carefully going through the items on the worktable when he heard Tyson yelling at Kai.
"Did you have to kill the King?" Tyson's face was turning red as he yelled at the knight-captain who was still on the floor, arms wrapped around the neko-jin in his lap. "No, Tyson, I didn't. I was going to let him kill me. Could you shut up for ten seconds!" Kai was not in the mood for dealing with anyone at the moment. He just wanted to go back to his rooms with Rei and sleep for several days straight. Max, seeing that Kai was starting to lose his temper quickly pulled Tyson away from the older knight, worried that his friend might do something stupid. "Tyson, just give him a couple minutes." The navy haired knight nodded, eyes fastened on the king's body.
Tala knelt down next to his friend, eyes going to the wound on Kai's arm. "Are you two okay?" He received two nods. "Come on guys, lets get you two downstairs so we can have someone look at those wounds." Kai and Rei got to their feet, leaning on each other for support and comfort.
*****
"Watch it!" The healer kept working on the wound on the neko-jin's neck, paying no attention to the dirty looks she was receiving from the knight on the other side of the room. Kai sucked in a hasty breath as a second healer poked at the cut on his arm. With in seconds the wound was healed, the only mark, a scar, slightly darker then the surrounding skin. Both healers gathered their supplies up, not wanting to stay around the knight for longer then absolutely necessary. Tala leaned back in his chair, eyes idly sweeping over the stones in the wall. "So Kai, what are you going to tell the nobles?" Kai didn't answer right away, instead changing into a clean shirt. "I don't really care what they think. Right now I just want to sleep."
Blue eyes drifted to the door of the bedroom where Rei was, changing into clean clothing. Tala knew what was going to happen. He got to his feet and grabbed Wolborg who was lying on the floor by his feet. "I'll see you two later. Right now I have to go check to see that the guards are keeping everyone from Naoll's room." He closed the door behind him and made sure that it was locked. Kai made his way to the bedroom, silently closing the door behind him.
Rei was about to pull a shirt on when warm hands pulled the shirt away, tossing it to land on the floor somewhere. The same warm hands trailed over his back, tracing patterns over the silken skin. "There's really no need for you to put that shirt on Rei." Warm breath tickled over his neck as he leaned back against the cloth-covered body behind him. "I know that. So," he turned, pulling the black fabric over the knight's head. "Why did you put a shirt on?" Kai shrugged, one hand moving closer to the edge of Rei's pants while the second moved higher, tangling in the raven strands. One tan hand stroked over the triangles on the knight's cheek, grey marks flashing in mahogany eyes.
Slim fingers brushed over the marks. Rei looked down at the floor. "I'm sorry Kai. I meant to tell you but then everything fell apart and, well I guess you're stuck with me." Callused fingers caressed his chin, tilting his head up. Kai brushed his thumb over the neko-jin's lips. Gold met mahogany and Kai smiled a rare occurrence. "Don't worry about it. I think I can handle having only you in my life." Rei didn't answer, instead flicking his tounge out to brush against the knight's finger. One slate eyebrow rose and Rei smiled, flashing fang.
"What's wrong Rei, not enough excitement today?" The neko-jin's smile widened and he climbed on to the bed, golden eyes shining with desire. Kai pushed Rei down, setteling comfortably over him, balanced on his elbows, lower bodies brushing together. Warm breath moved across his neck, followed by soft ghostly touches, calculated to drive him to the edge. Rei allowed his hands to wander, one hand dipping under the edge of Kai's pants to trace the scar that started on the knight's hip. A low moan escaped the knight's throat as the finger traced the scar. Kai pressed a kiss to the tip of Rei's pointed ear. "You're evil Rei. I love you."
Fangs raked over the skin of his neck, raising goosebumps along his entire body. Warm hands danced down his body, teasing for moments before moving on. One of Kai's hands slid lower and the neko-jin unconsciously arched his body, fitting with the knight seamlessly. "I love you too you evil bast." His voice died as that one hand moved lower and lips closed over his, effectively silencing him.
THE END.
A/N: I finished!