The wolf scent was suffocating her, grating on her nerves and filling her mind with disturbing images. Memories of the moonlit night filled her mind and she tried in vain to block it out. Wrapped in a soft, fuzzy blanket of warmth, she slowly came back to consciousness, her eyes fluttering open.
Yuffie's shoulder was hurting. Her head was throbbing in pain. Her body felt drained of energy.
The cold winds of the Northern Continent blew fiercely, whipping at her fur and causing her to squint her eyes. She was shivering, not of cold, but fear. The sound of feet crunching in the snow and the way the horizon bobbed up and down raised red flags in her mind. The wolf scent had registered, and the panic shot through her, growing to alarming heights.
Feebly, she struggled against the arms that carried her, but she was too weak, and her shoulder still hurt too much.
Exhausted, she stopped.
Yuffie looked up to see a long snout hovering just over her head. Whoever it was, looked down, and she could see emerald wolf eyes staring back at her.
Julius could feel the cat girl shivering violently against him. Concerned, he sniffed at her tentatively, and she swatted at his nose. With a slight yelp, he withdrew, snorting. Growling slightly, he squeezed Yuffie, as if to say, "Relax, already. It's me."
But she didn't relax.
At the sound of his growl, she instead, panicked.
She struggled anew, this time digging her claws into his fur and scratching at his skin. Surprised, the lycan dropped her, and she hit the snow in an ungraceful heap, her shoulder screaming out in pain. Breath coming in short ragged gasps, her throat rumbled with each exhale, and she bared her teeth as the snow dampened her fur.
Yuffie was purring in pain.
She tried to stand to her feet, and her body shook with the effort. A clawed hand came down and scratched her head gently in an attempt to soothe her. Her body tensed at the contact, and her fur puffed up a little as a hiss built up at the back of her throat. A dark voiceless thought gripped her, its claws digging into her mind.
They're dangerous. Get away from them.
But she couldn't get away.
Her head hurting worse than before, Yuffie glanced sharply at the others, one by one, as she assessed her situation.
She was weak and injured, surrounded by a group of humanoid beasts more than twice her size. She was in no shape to run away, and even then, where would she go?
Everyone had stopped and was watching Yuffie carefully, waiting to see what she would do. Though they were still in their wolf forms, they all were still wearing their pajamas, ripped and torn as they were. Draped over their shoulders were trench coats, Ern was carrying two more, and on Taerk's back was a large bag completely stuffed with what looked like supplies.
But what caught her eye was what Meridian was carrying.
Beatrix.
She was limp, her arm dangling in the air. Head cradled in the crook of Meridian's arm, she showed no signs of waking.
The cat girl stared, remembering the attack on the cabin and Beatrix's fall down the stairs.
Run away.
The claws dug deeper into Yuffie's mind and she sank slowly into the snow.
They'll kill you. Rip you to shreds.
"I…I can't-"
Run.
"Just…can you please-"
RUN.
"Please change back, I can't take it."
The lycans exchanged looks. Meridian slowly knelt down, laying Beatrix into the snow. Staring long and hard at the cat girl…he nodded.
His fur shrank and his snout grew smaller.
The others, following his example, also began to change.
Yuffie closed her eyes, shivering as she heard the sounds of their bones crunching and twisting.
When it all stopped, she opened her eyes again.
Once again human, Meridian sat back into the snow with a sigh. Everyone sat down into the snow as well, muttering under their breaths. Yuffie looked around at them all, and though the scent of wolves was still in the air, it wasn't as intense.
Gradually, she began to relax.
Taerk scowled in annoyance. "Why'd we have to change? I was so much warmer in my fur…and dammit, now I can't feel my toes."
Julius rolled his eyes. "Taerk shut your lip. We're almost to Icicle Inn anyways, well within the view of humans. Do you want to be hunted down with torches and pitchforks?"
Ern rubbed his feet, shivering. "W-when we get t-to Icicle Inn, can…we b-buy some new shoes f-first?"
"We only have so much, Ern…" Julius sighed, "We'll need that money to find a place to stay."
Taerk snorted in disgust. "I can't believe we didn't have the foresight to pack shoes of all things…and in the middle of a tundra no less!"
"For the love of the moon, can you never stop griping?"
"You can't tell me you're looking forward to romping through the snow barefoot?"
"No, of course not you twit. But as I recall, you were there with me when I was packing that bag!"
Taerk turned a deep shade of crimson.
Yuffie listened to their banter silently, repeating to herself over and over that the others wouldn't hurt her. She could still feel the black shadows in the back of her mind, moving restlessly. They still didn't trust the lycans, even in their human forms.
Ern glanced at Beatrix. "H-how are we g-g-going to wake her up?"
Meridian thought for a moment. "We could put snow on her, then maybe the water and cold will wake her. But I don't want to make her sick…"
"She's already in the snow, so what difference is it going to make if you rub some snow into her cheeks? We can't go into town with her like that. There'd be a panic."
Meridian sighed.
Scooping up a handful of snow, he pressed it to the side of Beatrix's face, working it into the fur. "C'mon, pup…" he breathed.
The lycan girl didn't respond.
Her fur was mussed and in some places matted with her own blood. The others had suffered injuries as well, but being the only one to fall down a set of stairs onto a pile of broken wood after being ruthlessly attacked by a cloud of semi-invisible monsters, Beatrix was obviously the worse for wear out of all of them.
Meridian scooped up another handful, a bigger one this time, and pressed it more insistently to Beatrix's face.
After a brief moment, the girl began to stir.
Crimson wolf eyes opening drearily, the lycan girl whined from the back of her throat, moving her head away from Meridian's hand. Rubbing at the wet fur with a clawed hand, she groaned, taking a moment to give Meridian a menacing glare.
Stroking the fur on her neck, the man murmured her name. "Beatrix…"
Beatrix tried to move, only to whimper in pain as she rolled onto her side.
Still stroking her fur, Meridian spoke slowly to her, trying his best to be soothing. "Beatrix, we're almost to Icicle Inn now. If you can change back, we can find a place a stay and we'll be able to tend to your wounds. We'll only be able to do that if you change…do you hear?"
She didn't respond.
Instead, she squeezed her eyes shut and grit her teeth. Snout shrinking, she began to change, her fur lessening, and her body returning to its normal size. As the change went on, Beatrix cried sharply, tears streaming out of the corners of her eyes as her bones snapped back into place. When the transformation was complete, Beatrix was once again lying on her back, her chest heaving with the effort of making the change from wolf to human again. She looked eerie; lying there, pale as she was in the snow, with her hair framing her pain-reddened face.
Meridian pulled her to him gently, kissing the top of her head. "Very good, Beatrix. Don't worry, we'll rest for a minute before we start walking again."
Yuffie shifted slightly as Beatrix managed to lock eyes with her. She was glad to see the younger girl back in her human form. It was easier for her to handle.
The cat girl's ear twisted to catch Ern, muttering under his breath again. She glanced at him with lidded eyes her purr now greatly dulled down. The snow numbed the ache in her shoulder, and even if her fur was wet and she was freezing cold, at least, she thought, she didn't hurt anymore.
Frowning, she watched Ern mutter and glance at Meridian and Beatrix occasionally. There was a soft scowl on his face, and with each glance in the two's direction, it darkened.
Eyes flickering over to Julius, she found that he too, was acting strangely. Silent and sitting rock still, he watched Meridian and Beatrix intensely, his emerald eyes narrowed a fraction.
Confused, Yuffie twisted her head around to look at Taerk, and was surprised to see him acting the same way.
Silently she wondered, "What's wrong with them?"
Then she remembered.
"For a lycan girl, with no mate and a pack of nothing but possible suitors…""…It all spells trouble." Yuffie breathed, eyes lighting up in understanding.
They all glanced at her, and she shook her head. "Sorry, I was just thinking to myself…" glancing at Beatrix, she cleared her throat, "Think we can start moving again? We'll freeze if we stay in the cold any longer."
Meridian frowned, looking at her sharply. "Beatrix is hurt, and so are you. There's no need to rush. The town isn't far off, so we can spare a few minutes."
Tail twitching, Yuffie glared at him. "The earlier we get to town, the better. You don't want to attract attention, do you?" Silently Yuffie added, "I thought you were better than this, Meridian. But apparently your pervy desires are blinding you…all of you."
Taerk stood, "I can carry Beatrix, Meridian. Give you a break."
Julius stood quickly as well, "No, you're carrying the bag. I can carry Beatrix, and Meridian can carry Yuffie."
Ern stood clumsily, opening his mouth to say something. When Meridian glared at him, he shut it with a snap. Angered at having the others agree with Yuffie, Meridian stubbornly scooped Beatrix up into his arms, ignoring the young girl's protests.
"I can walk on my own, Meridian! Put me down!" she cried.
"I'll carry her just fine." Meridian said firmly, "Yuffie's…right. We need to get to town right away."
The three men soured visibly, but said nothing. Julius, scowling, picked Yuffie up from the ground and together they once again began to move.
Satisfied with the change, Yuffie settled into the man's arms, finding it easier to ignore the wolf scent now that he was in his human form. His cheap smelling cologne helped some too. If she could somehow ignore the smell…then the shadows wouldn't dig it's claws into her mind again, and she could think clearly.
But being held by Julius who, no matter how much she tried to get around it, still smelled like a wolf, made the shadows even more anxious. Yuffie was trying her hardest to keep them back down where they were, and it was getting a little more than agitating. Quickly, she tried to come up with something good to distract herself with…
That's when it hit her.
"…That was the first time Meridian called me by my name!"
--
The cat padded along the ledge of Tifa's window, the woman inside still asleep and unaware of her companion's departure.
Looking back at the window, the cat pondered for a moment going back, before remembering she was already in enough trouble as it was. Sadly, she turned and continued the perilous walk along the narrow ledge.
When she came to the corner, she looked down at the building next.
The drop from the ledge to the buildings roof was at least three floors.
Without hesitation, the cat jumped…
…And landed gracefully on the rooftop below.
Trotting briskly, the cat climbed onto the fire escape and began making her way down into the dark of the alley.
It was still early morning, the sun barely peeking over the horizon. The town was asleep, the only real activity coming from the main road, which was still trafficking passengers to and from the port. Sitting, drunk, next to a pile of trash, was a bum, muttering incoherently.
A groan could be heard from the shadows of the alley, and the man looked up, squinting slightly as he tried to see what was there. The sound of something crunching brought the man upright, eyes widening a bit as he leaned forward, trying to see. "Who's 'err?" he grunted.
The sound stopped and silence followed, making the bum uneasy. He glanced around quickly and, spotting an empty beer bottle, grabbed it and tried to stand. "Ye' lookin' for trouble?" he slurred, brandishing the bottle, "Come 'an out, ya' yeller bellied-"
A young girl, nearly half the man's size emerged from the shadows, completely naked. The man stopped mid-sentence, blinking stupidly. She was very thin and petite, with short violet-black hair and long white bangs that went past her chin, framing her face. After getting over the initial shock of just seeing the girl as she was, the bum then noticed other things about her.
Like for instance, the fuzzy cat ears on her head, and the fact that her eyes didn't look human.
He shook his head in attempt to clear it, "The heck-?"
Without warning, the girl charged at him, and the bum, surprised, only raised an arm up to shield himself. The girl tackled him hard, digging her shoulder into his gut. The breath was knocked out of the man's lungs as he fell to the ground, his head hitting a particularly large rock. The girl climbed onto his chest, her teeth bared, when she noticed something was wrong. His eyes had glassed over and his face was stuck in that of fearful surprise, his arms and legs twitching. Frowning, the girl rapped the man on the forehead experimentally.
Then she saw the blood pooling onto the cement and she grimaced, realizing the man must have hit his head on something. Biting her lip, she shrugged.
She hadn't meant to kill the man. But at the same time, she really hadn't done it, now had she? So all was well.
Tugging at the man's trench coat, the girl cocked her head to one side, raising a thin eyebrow.
The coat smelled badly.
But…well…he wouldn't be using it…
--
"They got away!?"
Standing, furious, Kelson spat at the floor, the shadow wraith cowering in the corner of his room. He was beyond angry. Beyond furious. This wasn't supposed to have happened. The shadow wraiths were to kill the lycans in their sleep, not be annihilated trying. Cat ears flattened against his head, Kelson regarded the creature with distaste. Cracking his knuckles, he paced back and forth, gritting his teeth. After several deep breaths, he calmed himself again. Running a hand through his black hair, he glowered at the shadow wraith, his body outlined by the dim light of the lanterns behind him. "And just what the hell happened over there that allowed this?" he snapped curtly, trying to keep himself calm.
The shadow wraith answered reluctantly, hissing, "There was another with them. Very powerful…"
Kelson crossed his arms. "And?"
"And…" the shadow wraith hesitated. "…She was a half-breed, sir. A lightning cat demon..."
The man stared. Another cat demon? But…that was impossible. The only cat demons here were he, Xia, and Terrick. And only him and Terrick had the power of lightning in their hands…
Snarling, the man swept down and grabbed the shadow wraith by the tail, lifting it up in the air. "You're lying!" he spat, golden eyes narrowing.
The creature writhed, shrieking. "Not lying, master! Not lying!"
Kelson shook the creature, "Tell me the truth you piece of filth! What really happened over there?"
"I am telling the truth, I swears it! The half-breed almost completely wiped us out with one attack! I only just got away! Please, don't kill me!"
Kelson thought for a moment. Terrick had gone missing ever since he had gone searching for the Chocobo Sage. That had been more than a week ago, and they hadn't heard from him since. Xia hadn't come back from her rounds in three days. Just what was going on?
Releasing the wraith, Kelson crossed his arms again. "What did this half-breed look like?"
The shadow wraith huddled in the corner again, panting slightly. "She was a girl…" it hissed.
Kelson rolled his eyes. "Yes, I got that much. What else?"
"Well…she was in her cat form, sir. I didn't get much on appearance. She looked just like an ordinary cat."
The man scowled at the wraith, his tail twitching in aggravation.
Then, in a flash, Kelson was kneeling on the floor, a three-inch claw impaling the wraith's head. The creature wasn't given time to react. Pulling his claw out of its head, the claw retracted back to its normal length and the man stood, turning away from the twitching corpse in disgust. "Worthless creatures…" he muttered.
He rubbed at his face tiredly, his tail lashing in frustration.
Shoving his hands into his pockets, Kelson closed his eyes and assessed everything.
So there was another cat demon running around, and she was allying with the enemy. Where was Terrick? Where was Xia? He still had received no word from Elmiryn regarding her search for Vincent Valentine. The same went with Belial. If things continued to carry on the way they were, he was sure he would go mad.
Dully he glanced around his room.
Originally it had been an office, but with a little decorating, he had also made it his bedroom. Opposite of the door was his large oak bed, the bedposts supporting the large royal red canopy that hung down over the mattress. On the left side of the room (when looking towards the door) was his desk, which was covered in parchment and various runes. To the right of the door was his window, closed by the blinds. This had been his home for more than a year now…inside this warehouse, up on the second floor.
Down on the first floor was where the necromancers slept.
Speaking of necromancers…Kelson would have to punish the one who suggested those shadow wraiths…
Moving towards the window, he raised the blinds with a snap, glowering down at them all.
It was at this moment that he spotted a small figure making its way through the mass. The man's lip curled.
"Xia…"
As if sensing his gaze, 'Xia' looked up and met it, slowing to a stop. Kelson mouthed the words, "Get up here, now." Before dropping the blinds.
The girl closed her eyes and sighed. After all that trouble she had gone through with that bum in the alley and returning unnoticed by the humans, she had hoped to get by without having to deal with Kelson…of course she knew she would have had to deal with him at some point, but still…
Slipping past the necromancers, she worked her way across the warehouse to the far side, in the darkest corner. There, a mattress was laid out, covered in a pile of blankets. Next to it was a large wooden chest. Kneeling down next to the chest, she opened it and began to rummage through the various clothes and junk inside. She was looking for something nicer to wear, because she knew if she went up as she was, Kelson would only send her back to change.
Pulling out a pair of light purple cotton pants and a large plum long sleeved shirt, Xia began to change, unbuttoning the trench coat quickly. She didn't bother to try and find a more private spot, or cover herself in any way. She knew the necromancers wouldn't look, and it really didn't matter to her if they did. She was young, but she was growing into a beautiful woman, something she was well aware of.
…Something Kelson was, also, well aware of.
Slipping the large shirt over her head, Xia dived back into the chest digging out a small bottle of body spray. The stench on that trench coat was strong, but Xia didn't trust it to be strong enough to cover the scent that had rubbed onto her body over the past few days. Spraying the bottle all over her, she quickly tossed it back into the chest and shut it with a snap, blowing a lock of hair out of her face.
If she had a choice, she wouldn't go up those stairs at all. She wouldn't even be in this warehouse. She would be off somewhere else, having fun, with no one to judge her and give her commands.
But she didn't have a choice.
Kelson wanted her in his room, and she couldn't even afford to move slowly.
He was mad enough with her as it was.
Moving up the stairs quickly, Xia reached the second floor, swallowing hard. It was common knowledge that the cat demon was a sadist. Though he never raped her, he had made it clear in the past that he didn't need to in order to get his satisfaction.
Stomach clenching, she opened his door and slipped inside, bowing her head so that her hair shielded her face.
Kelson was standing with his back towards her, hands in his pockets. His tail was swaying from side to side, occasionally brushing against his black slacks. He was wearing his favorite black designer shirt, the sleeves rolled up in their usual fashion. Kelson always wore black, designer clothes.
It got on Xia's nerves.
When he spoke, his voice was expressionless. The cat girl tensed at this, not liking the lack of emotion. "Where have you been?" he asked quietly, still not turning around.
Xia shrugged, trying to seem casual. "Nowhere." She said.
At this Kelson turned slightly, his eyes dark with suppressed anger. "Xia." Now his voice held warning.
Xia sighed, "Was doing job…" she raised her head, pursing her lips, "Nothing more."
Kelson growled and in a split second Xia was held up by her throat, his claws digging into her skin. "I don't like liars, Xia!" he seethed, tightening his grip as she began to struggle.
"Okay!" she gurgled, trying to pry his hand away from her throat, "Okay, I tell! I tell!"
He dropped her to the floor, and she coughed, face going pink. Rubbing her neck, she rasped, "Was playing…not doing job…"
Kelson stared down at her for a long time. Then his face broke into an amused smirk; "You got distracted with food again haven't you?"
Xia liked a lot of things. One thing she loved above all else, however, was food.
Playing along, she nodded, trying to seem sheepish. "Humans make good pastries."
Shaking his head, Kelson crouched down and ruffled Xia's hair. She glared at him resentfully and tried to straighten it again. At least he still wasn't mad. Kelson thought she was an air headed kitten, and forgave her quickly for things he thought cute. It was when he didn't forgive her that she became scared. As long as he thought she was being cute, she didn't have to worry.
Still smirking, Kelson caressed her face with one hand. Xia resisted the urge to flinch away, and looked up at him carefully. Another thing that bothered her was how quickly Kelson was to get angry and how quick he was to cool down. He was the most temperamental person she had ever known.
She made a point not to be like that.
…Or at least she thought she did.
"That mattress of yours is all lumpy and flat." Kelson breathed, tilting her face up a little more. "Sleep up here with me instead. I'm sure with you at my side I'll be able to rest better."
Xia didn't have a choice. She nodded her head stiffly.
But she was comforted with one single thought.
…Kelson couldn't smell the Tifa woman.
----
A/N: Right, so here we are again. Another chapter finished. But you know, this chapter was actually going to be a lot longer, but then I decided this could stand on its own just fine. Originally chapter ten was going to be roughly thirty pages, which I couldn't have. But hey, if you don't think this chapter stands well on it's own, relax, the other chapter is up too.
Hurray, yet ANOTHER original character is added to the mix. I seriously need to get the actually FF characters more involved here…But at any rate, Xia is another character come straight from my roster of RP leftovers. She's one of my favorites, simply because of how she is. In fact, I think she is my absolute favorite. The girl is just so cool to write.
"Yuffie was purring in pain."
Cats don't just purr in pleasure. Cats purr in pain too. When a cat's giving birth, you can hear it purring, not because it's enjoying itself, but because it's in pain. But cats purr for many different reasons. Like for instance, my cat purrs when it's surprised. It's really very funny.
Another thing: when a cat is anxious, confused, or irritated, they'll lick their lips. Something my cat does every time we kick him out of our beds. So when you see those cat food commercials where the cat licks its lips, it isn't because it thinks the food is good. It's because something irritated the hell out of him. Yep.
And I'm trying my best to portray Yuffie's struggle with her 'animal' side and her feelings towards the lycans, so if things get muddled…well…
Dammit, they get muddled.
All righty. I recently saw Triplets of Belleville, and I think it's safe to say its now one of my most favorite movies. (next to Snatch, Basic, Return of the King, and Identity) This just goes to show you that sometimes you don't need dialogue to get your story across.
Stephen King's 'It' was another movie I saw. I thought the dialogue was a little lame, but the movie was still creepy, and I like how they used the whole 'balloon' thing throughout the movie. There was only one part that I really got freaked out at…the part with Georgie and the gutter. MAN I hated that part…
Okay, I'll stop with the irrelevant chatter. Go read the next chapter you boobs. (Oh, I'm just kiddin' with ya)
Thanks for reading. I'd appreciate it if you left a review.