Chapter 27

Forgotten Scion

And so the weeks passed slowly, Gabriel restarted her training and grew stronger. She would have to train harder than ever to harness her reiki again. She practiced using the fairy-bow, scythes, and even a whip, but the bow was her master weapon. The October air kept them cool while they all trained together, but sometimes, the early-setting sun would leave them in the dark, and the two bandits refused to stop even when the sun went down; it would shorten their training sessions considerably.

"Can we stop yet? The sun went down hours ago."

"Its only seven o' clock; stop whining."

"But it's cold, and I'm tired, Koronue."

"Ningen, vixen, whatever, a true warrior must brave harsh conditions."

Gabriel sighed; it was no use. Dead leaves were falling from the trees around them; clinging to their hair as they were thrown to the ground in turn. Her particular fighting style was strange, yet efficient. No motion was wasted; if she punched and missed, she would use her momentum to lift her self from the ground and kick with her knee. She just kept coming and coming. And having a tail let her balance in ways she never could have as a human.

The session was finally over. Youko, Koronue, and Gabriel were walking back to the hideout through the unguarded woods, each talking and poking fun at the other. In what little light was there, Youko's golden eyes suddenly attracted Gabriel's attention. "Your eyes; there's a mark in it."

"Hm? Oh, that's the mark we used to get into the castle. I guess we forgot to get it removed. We should track down Arden and get him to take it out." Youko began to scratch the side of his head absentmindedly. Gabriel stopped for a moment, and looked at her hand; the one that Raden had pierced with the silver arrow. The tiniest of a scab remained in her palm, but something drew her attention to it. In a fraction of a second, a piercing feeling lanced through her hand, up the nerves in her arms, and made her heart skip a beat in pain. She jumped, but remained silent. A flashing image appeared in her mind, a snarling werewolf with cold black eyes instead of red eyes.

Koronue had noticed her and stopped to stare. "Something wrong?" she looked at him with an expression that she knew something. "It is not done."

"What?"

"The task is not complete. Raden lives." Youko stopped and turned. "What did you say?" his muscles tensed up, an uneasy feeling had permeated the air around them, making them each shiver or shift where they stood.

"It. Is. Not. Done." The silence she rendered was deafening. Her ears had almost always been kept pressed to her skull, but she then held them erect and turned them outward; Youko however, had his ears folded down in the uncomfortable atmosphere. A small rumble came from deep in her throat; she wrinkled her nose in disgust and drew the string back on her bow with an arrow. Her next movements were barely visible, but a figure was knelt on the ground, bleeding beside them. He was a small goblin in a black surcoat. The emblem in his chest was unmistakable, the same sign as the doors to the Moon room, the von Wolfblut family seal. Koronue and Youko stepped forward, weapons drawn. Gabriel held her hands out, stopping them.

The goblin clutched at the arrow in his shoulder, "Who are you?" Gabriel asked. "A servant of the master von Wolfblut." He replied through gritted teeth.

"Raden is alive?"

"No, his successor and only son, Arden."

"Why did he send you to us?" she knelt to his eye level.

"He seeks conference with you three."

"What does he want?"

"He bids you to prepare for war; he wants to avenge the former master, Raden." He bowed his head; she reached to his shoulder and he jerked away. "Be still, I won't hurt you." He seemed wary, but obeyed and remained motionless. With a skilled jerk, the arrow was cleanly removed from his shoulder. Blood flowed from the wound; she pressed her hands over it, "Youko, do you have anything to wrap his shoulder with?" the fox narrowed his eyes at the goblin, but the look the vixen gave Youko was stronger. "He has done us no wrong, please, help him." She said. Reluctantly, he pulled a roll of bandages from the space in dimensions all foxes are able to use. He helped wrap the goblins wound, but jerked cruelly on the knot nonetheless.

"Take us to him." she said.

A large tent had been pitched just outside of the forest of monster plants. Guards were posted outside of the entrance; the little goblin signaled to them and the four were allowed to enter. Arden sat in a chair on the other side of a conference table. Something was different about him. The manner in which he moved and held himself was not his own, and seemed perilously familiar.

"Welcome," he hissed venomously. The three exchanged emotionless stares with him. "You might be wondering why I summoned you here." He began. Youko scoffed in disgust. Arden continued, "You three have insulted my family. You must all be punished, drastically."

"What gives you the right?" Koronue mused.

"You ruined my father's name, his castle, and left him to die in the Moon room; not only that, but you have something I want…" his eyes trailed down Gabriel's form.

"Why won't you accept that that will never be?" Gabriel said.

"I had hoped that you would surrender peacefully, but I see you are too stubborn and foolish to do anything right. She belongs to me, now that my father is dead."

"She will not be owned by any one!!" the fox growled, reaching for his whip.

"Don't even think about it; you can't possibly hope to defeat me. I am only half were-wolf; so I can change at will, not merely with the moon. I could annihilate you all if I wanted to. You have until dawn to make your decision." The lights in the tent went out, and they were suddenly outside. The forest stood around them as if Arden had never been there at all.

Spooky... plz r&r