It was cold. And damp. And when something slithered against his leg Netto finally managed to open his eyes. Not that it did him much good. There was only a very dim light hanging overhead, and the smoke coming from said light smelled very oily. It didn't reveal to much of the place to Netto, just enough to let him know that he was in a cave. He also knew that he couldn't move, even though his hands and feet weren't tied up, but he couldn't remember why that was.
"Ah, the little brat is awake," said a voice that sounded as oily as the smoke that poured from the lamp overhead. "I was beginning to think that perhaps I had overdone it and accidentally killed you. And that would have been very unfortunate indeed."
Netto tried to speak, but unfortunately his mouth was frozen too, because nothing came out but a few squeaks, and those were barely audiable. The voice laughed, and a face suddenly appeared in the dim light. The face was old, ragged, but still quite fierce. Netto suddenly remembered the man that attacked him in the forest. It was the same man. The squeaks reached the ears of the man obviously, because he laughed again and moved closer to Netto. Netto felt a surge or fear and revulsion move through him. This man...wasn't a man at all. He couldn't explain how he knew it, but he did.
"You're probably wondering who I am, am I correct?" The man asked. Of course, Netto couldn't answer, and the man knew it. He grinned and continued speaking. "I am the servant of the one your beloved killed centuries ago. The one you gave your life to seal away forever."
The man snapped his fingers, and Netto found that he could move his head. The rest of his body was still frozen, but he could speak again. And he wasn't happy.
"What the heck are you doing?! Who are you?! Why did you kidnap me?!" Netto shouted.
"My, my. Aren't you just a little dense. Very well, I guess I must spell it out for you. My master is still sealed away, and I wish to bring him back. That requires a little...sacrifice to do so. The only little problem is, I don't yet know which of you two brats I must sacrifice to do so. So of course, I must capture the other one, without being torn apart by the wolves, and you, my friend, make excellent bait."
"You're insane, you know that?" Netto snapped. He tried to make his body move, but it was unresponsive. The creature in front of him simply laughed. "Oh, I know that I am insane. That's how I managed to survive all these countless centuries. Now, if you don't mind, I have a hunt to plan. Don't worry, you'll be seeing your friend again soon enough. Maybe not for very long, but still, you will see him."
The [i]thing[/i] laughed again and blew out the lamp, filling the cave with complete darkness. Netto shivered and closed his eyes, praying that Enzan and Kichi was with the Wolves, who would be able to protect them. At that point, it was all he could do.
*****
[i](Any luck yet?)[/i] Kichi asked Tainn. She couldn't see the white wolf anywhere, but knew he was somewhere in front of them.
[i][b]((Nothing. I think perhaps we are going in the wrong direction. We should try another one.))[/b][/i]
Enzan growled loudly. "What? Something could have happened to Netto by now. For all we know, this thing that you're so worried about could have found him already!"
Tainn appeared suddenly between a pair of barren oak trees, his eyes focused on Enzan. Anyone else caught in that gaze would have been whimpering with fear, but not Enzan. He was far to angry to be frightened.
[i][b]((Do you think I do not know that? I am just as worried as you are! Now come on. We cannot stay in one place for long.))[/b][/i]
Enzan didn't move. He stared at Tainn with eyes as cold as the earth around them. And simply said, "No."
The rest of the Pack turned to look at Enzan, who kept his eyes on Tainn. Kichi was shocked as well, Tainn was right about it not being safe to stay in one place for long. And standing around certainly wasn't going to find Netto any faster. Neither was arguing with the wolf whose sense of smell was thousands of times better than any human's. How did Enzan expect to find Netto without Tainn's help? He didn't know these mountains anywhere near as well as the wolf did, and Kichi wasn't even sure she could find her way with something that had the ability to pick her up and drop her somplace completely new. But Enzan obviously wasn't thinking about that.
[i][b]((What did you say, human?))[/b][/i] Tainn asked in a dangerously hushed voice. Kichi felt herself flinch and step back. She wasn't the only one, either. The rest of the Pack had moved back as well. Only Enzan stood his ground. His eyes narrowed angrily.
"I said no. I refuse to be led around like a stupid sheep. Your way isn't working, and I refuse to follow something that doesn't work. If I have to find Netto on my own, so be it, but I will not keep following you as you wonder around in circles."
[i][b]((Insolent creature! How dare you speak in such a manner! I am trying to keep you alive! You would not last 5 minutes on your own here without the protection of the Pack.))[/b][/i]
"That's what you think. I am tired of being led around like a child. I'm doing things my way, now," Enzan snapped back.
Kichi looked at her cousin's lover with mixed expressions of shock and amazement. She had never heard anyone speak to Tainn that way and live to tell about it. Lord knew she had seen plenty of young upstarts in the Pack try to challenge his leadership (which was what Enzan was doing) and none of them had ever succeeded. Had Enzan been a wolf, Tainn would have had him on his back with his teeth at Enzan's throat. Of course, the chance that Enzan would end up that was anyway was pretty good.
[i][b]((So be it. Go your own way. But do not expect the Pack to come racing to your help when you are attacked. Your arrogance will lead to your ruin.))[/b][/i] came the startling reply.
"Like I needed your permission," Enzan snorted as he turned away from the white wolf. "As for arrogance, you should follow your own words before you begin to preach to others."
That last comment sparked the fire. In a flurry of snow and ice, Tainn charged at Enzan, howling with anger! Kichi moved to intervene, but the other wolves held her back.
[i]((No, Little Sister. The boy has challenged Tainn as wolf-to-wolf, leader to leader. They must fight without interference.))[/i]
[i](This is wasting time!)[/i] Kichi shouted in reply, unable to speak out loud. Her eyes were focused on Enzan, who had managed to avoid Tainn's charge and was now standing oposite to the wolf. He paid no attention to the circle of fur and teeth that had enclosed him and Tainn, and if Tainn saw it, he showed no signs of it.
[i]((Perhaps it seems so to you, Human Sister, but this is important. Remember what Enzan was and is.))[/i]
What Enzan was and is? What did that mean? Then it struck her. The visions she used to have, the stories Nana had told her, and the story that Netto had told her after he and Enzan had come down off the mountains those two years ago. Enzan [i]was[/i] the reincarnation of Riane, the ancient wolf leader. And if there was one thing Kichi knew about wolf packs, it was that there could only be one leader.
[i]((That is correct. There are two leaders here, and they do not see things the same way. There is only one Pack. So we must first have only one leader before we can do anything else.))[/i]
[i](But Tainn could kill Enzan!)[/i] Kichi wailed.
[i]((Enzan knows this. Tainn knows this. It will be as it will be. It is up to Fate, now.))[/i]
"Ah, the little brat is awake," said a voice that sounded as oily as the smoke that poured from the lamp overhead. "I was beginning to think that perhaps I had overdone it and accidentally killed you. And that would have been very unfortunate indeed."
Netto tried to speak, but unfortunately his mouth was frozen too, because nothing came out but a few squeaks, and those were barely audiable. The voice laughed, and a face suddenly appeared in the dim light. The face was old, ragged, but still quite fierce. Netto suddenly remembered the man that attacked him in the forest. It was the same man. The squeaks reached the ears of the man obviously, because he laughed again and moved closer to Netto. Netto felt a surge or fear and revulsion move through him. This man...wasn't a man at all. He couldn't explain how he knew it, but he did.
"You're probably wondering who I am, am I correct?" The man asked. Of course, Netto couldn't answer, and the man knew it. He grinned and continued speaking. "I am the servant of the one your beloved killed centuries ago. The one you gave your life to seal away forever."
The man snapped his fingers, and Netto found that he could move his head. The rest of his body was still frozen, but he could speak again. And he wasn't happy.
"What the heck are you doing?! Who are you?! Why did you kidnap me?!" Netto shouted.
"My, my. Aren't you just a little dense. Very well, I guess I must spell it out for you. My master is still sealed away, and I wish to bring him back. That requires a little...sacrifice to do so. The only little problem is, I don't yet know which of you two brats I must sacrifice to do so. So of course, I must capture the other one, without being torn apart by the wolves, and you, my friend, make excellent bait."
"You're insane, you know that?" Netto snapped. He tried to make his body move, but it was unresponsive. The creature in front of him simply laughed. "Oh, I know that I am insane. That's how I managed to survive all these countless centuries. Now, if you don't mind, I have a hunt to plan. Don't worry, you'll be seeing your friend again soon enough. Maybe not for very long, but still, you will see him."
The [i]thing[/i] laughed again and blew out the lamp, filling the cave with complete darkness. Netto shivered and closed his eyes, praying that Enzan and Kichi was with the Wolves, who would be able to protect them. At that point, it was all he could do.
*****
[i](Any luck yet?)[/i] Kichi asked Tainn. She couldn't see the white wolf anywhere, but knew he was somewhere in front of them.
[i][b]((Nothing. I think perhaps we are going in the wrong direction. We should try another one.))[/b][/i]
Enzan growled loudly. "What? Something could have happened to Netto by now. For all we know, this thing that you're so worried about could have found him already!"
Tainn appeared suddenly between a pair of barren oak trees, his eyes focused on Enzan. Anyone else caught in that gaze would have been whimpering with fear, but not Enzan. He was far to angry to be frightened.
[i][b]((Do you think I do not know that? I am just as worried as you are! Now come on. We cannot stay in one place for long.))[/b][/i]
Enzan didn't move. He stared at Tainn with eyes as cold as the earth around them. And simply said, "No."
The rest of the Pack turned to look at Enzan, who kept his eyes on Tainn. Kichi was shocked as well, Tainn was right about it not being safe to stay in one place for long. And standing around certainly wasn't going to find Netto any faster. Neither was arguing with the wolf whose sense of smell was thousands of times better than any human's. How did Enzan expect to find Netto without Tainn's help? He didn't know these mountains anywhere near as well as the wolf did, and Kichi wasn't even sure she could find her way with something that had the ability to pick her up and drop her somplace completely new. But Enzan obviously wasn't thinking about that.
[i][b]((What did you say, human?))[/b][/i] Tainn asked in a dangerously hushed voice. Kichi felt herself flinch and step back. She wasn't the only one, either. The rest of the Pack had moved back as well. Only Enzan stood his ground. His eyes narrowed angrily.
"I said no. I refuse to be led around like a stupid sheep. Your way isn't working, and I refuse to follow something that doesn't work. If I have to find Netto on my own, so be it, but I will not keep following you as you wonder around in circles."
[i][b]((Insolent creature! How dare you speak in such a manner! I am trying to keep you alive! You would not last 5 minutes on your own here without the protection of the Pack.))[/b][/i]
"That's what you think. I am tired of being led around like a child. I'm doing things my way, now," Enzan snapped back.
Kichi looked at her cousin's lover with mixed expressions of shock and amazement. She had never heard anyone speak to Tainn that way and live to tell about it. Lord knew she had seen plenty of young upstarts in the Pack try to challenge his leadership (which was what Enzan was doing) and none of them had ever succeeded. Had Enzan been a wolf, Tainn would have had him on his back with his teeth at Enzan's throat. Of course, the chance that Enzan would end up that was anyway was pretty good.
[i][b]((So be it. Go your own way. But do not expect the Pack to come racing to your help when you are attacked. Your arrogance will lead to your ruin.))[/b][/i] came the startling reply.
"Like I needed your permission," Enzan snorted as he turned away from the white wolf. "As for arrogance, you should follow your own words before you begin to preach to others."
That last comment sparked the fire. In a flurry of snow and ice, Tainn charged at Enzan, howling with anger! Kichi moved to intervene, but the other wolves held her back.
[i]((No, Little Sister. The boy has challenged Tainn as wolf-to-wolf, leader to leader. They must fight without interference.))[/i]
[i](This is wasting time!)[/i] Kichi shouted in reply, unable to speak out loud. Her eyes were focused on Enzan, who had managed to avoid Tainn's charge and was now standing oposite to the wolf. He paid no attention to the circle of fur and teeth that had enclosed him and Tainn, and if Tainn saw it, he showed no signs of it.
[i]((Perhaps it seems so to you, Human Sister, but this is important. Remember what Enzan was and is.))[/i]
What Enzan was and is? What did that mean? Then it struck her. The visions she used to have, the stories Nana had told her, and the story that Netto had told her after he and Enzan had come down off the mountains those two years ago. Enzan [i]was[/i] the reincarnation of Riane, the ancient wolf leader. And if there was one thing Kichi knew about wolf packs, it was that there could only be one leader.
[i]((That is correct. There are two leaders here, and they do not see things the same way. There is only one Pack. So we must first have only one leader before we can do anything else.))[/i]
[i](But Tainn could kill Enzan!)[/i] Kichi wailed.
[i]((Enzan knows this. Tainn knows this. It will be as it will be. It is up to Fate, now.))[/i]
