Blood of the Father

The Storm (part II)

Author's Note: Ben Stylin, I didn't know you had a friend Nico. Freaky man. Also this chapter is a bit graphic, just warning you.

The M'teras walked into the village; his head hung low and a sword on his hip. A tragic turn of events had just occurred and his spirit was downcast as the villagers walked up to the white tiger.

"M'teras, what has happened and where is the mercenary?"

"He has been taken by Black, his heart is not pure anymore and I fear that the war is close now." Kai ran up to him and he couldn't look at his sister.

"What happened to Fox?"

"He is with Black." Kai's face contorted in an anguished way and her brother embraced her. "I'm sorry Kai." She buried her face in his chest and her cry echoed through the village.

Rain…it pelted the huts and dripped off the massive tree as Fox sat on the panther's bed. She was not there and the M'teras had left him there. Fox shook slightly as the dark power of the panther infiltrated him.

"No, why did he attack me? Why did he leave me?" Fox whispered as his paws wrung together, his voice was not normal but quiet as the rain pounded outside.

"Why am I doing this? I have to get back to Kai." Fox sounded normal but then the dark voice of the panther returned.

"You are doing this because of your hate, you hate the White One." He did not say this and the M'teras walked into the room. The naphtha lamps cast odd glows on her form and she walked in front of Fox. "I will help you take him Fox; I will take it all away." She sat down in his lap and wrapped her legs around his waist.

"No, but this all seems contrary to what I believe." His rational thought returned but was soon squashed as the panther exerted her power.

"But what you believe is this…" She placed thoughts in his mind, replacing what was right with what was dark and evil. "Fox, I want you to trust me, to believe that I can set you free from White." She drew her paws over him and the panther touched her forehead to his.

"I trust you, M'teras." She smiled and the panther pushed him down, the rain increased and lighting started to flash as she lay down next to him. Fox felt a dark peace encompass him and he closed his eyes as she placed her head on his shoulder. Her paws stayed on his chest and their tails entwined as she watched him fall asleep.

"You are mine now, my mercenary." She took his paw and continued transmitting her dark energy.

The White One was restless and the lighting wasn't helping him sleep, he rose off his bed and the tiger placed his paws behind his back. He looked out over the forest and he closed his eyes; in his mind's eye, he was separated from his body and he walked on air as he traveled to his enemy's village.

After what seemed like an eternity, he dropped into the village, most of the southern Ripars were asleep and he saw the tree. It was close to his but a bit smaller. He walked up to it and the winding stairs called to him and he started to walk up them. They felt cold, unforgiving, unlike his which were soft and comforting.

Odd, I guess. He thought and the M'teras reached the top, he emerged into a room that had four rope bridges in the cardinal directions. He went East and the M'teras came into a room, he suppressed his shock when he saw Fox curled up with that…panther. He walked over to them and he had to stop his anger as it would make him like his rival.

"Oh Fox, what have you become?" He bent down and the tiger touched Fox's skull, he felt immense dark control and the M'teras quickly removed his paw.

I will do what I can…but that may not be enough. The M'teras closed his eyes and he remotely tried to transfer his energy into the mercenary. The heavy concentration of darkness in Fox receded a tad and the M'teras smiled.

Fox, I believe it will work. Resist it as much as you can. The M'teras sent a burst of light into him and then his form faded. The rain stopped but the thunder and lightning continued as the M'teras opened his eyes. He was back in his tree as if he never left.

Fox awoke sometime during the night and he looked at the panther, she was also awake and her golden eyes seemed to glow as she smiled.

"Hello my mercenary." She said and Fox smiled at her, she moved closer and her muzzle was only an inch away from his.

"M'teras." She gently licked his cheek and Fox closed his eyes, the tongue felt extremely warm and she licked his face. The panther purred as he placed his paws on her back and began to rub it, Fox smiled and then he felt something cut his paw. He opened his eyes and he saw spikes, silver, cutting, lethal spikes. "Whoa!" He yelled and Fox detangled himself from her.

"Fox, what is wrong?" She asked and Fox felt liquid running down his cheek. He placed his paw on it and when Fox looked at it, it was slick with blood.

"Shit! What is this!" He screamed. The M'teras rose off the bed and she let her paws down as they glowed red. Then her entire persona changed; her fur rippled with silver and blue, her eyes flashed with a deeper darkness and her voice had changed.

"Fox, what is wrong? Are you seeing things?" He looked around and blood coated the walls as it dripped off the ceiling.

"What are you?" Fox asked as he felt fear pierce his soul.

"I am a panther and you are my mercenary." The spikes receded into her body and she laughed at him. "Oh I see, are you having second thoughts about me? I won't let you leave Fox, you are mine, you hear me? You are mine." Her voice dripped with lethality and Fox turned his head, there was a rope bridge and he ran to it. "You can't escape Fox!" She thundered and Fox ran as hard as he could.

He pressed his back to the wall and listened…there was no sound and sweat dripped off his muzzle as only heat lightning lit up the sky. The partial vision that he had experienced haunted him and he checked his face again, no blood. His breathing came in pants and then he remembered something.

He still had his Comm.

"Andromeda, are you still there?" There was no response. "Andromeda, are you there?" The small hologram came up and she was a light gray.

"Well if it isn't Mr. Traitor." She said quietly and Fox knew that she had seen everything.

"Andromeda, please hear me out."

"No, you stupid son of a bitch went and forsook what you stood for. Your morals are gone and look what you have done." She started to vanish and Fox tried to stop her.

"Andromeda, forgive me, I don't know where my resolve went."

"Forgive you? FORGIVE YOU!" The little hologram jumped up and down and she almost blew her circuits. "Fox, you've outdone yourself this time."

"Andromeda, I only did it because the panther clouded my mind."

"I'll say. I saw it all. 'I trust you M'teras' as I recall you said. Do you realize how you might have hurt Kai and Traa?"

"Fox, where are you?" A sing songy voice rang out.

"I need you to help me get out of here." He asked his AI.

"Help you? You can go to Hell for all I care." She turned her back and Fox sighed.

"Ok, I was wrong, you were right and I really fu-" He stopped and the M'teras walked by him. The panther stopped and she looked normal again, something was playing with his head and for the moment it had stopped. The panther turned around and she smiled as she walked up to Fox.

"There you are." She lifted him by the throat and he gagged as she choked him. "You won't escape me this time."

Andromeda, I'm going to die, please help me. He thought and the panther smiled.

"I am going to enjoy this." She took a step and physically grabbed his throat as there was a noise behind her.

"Stop panther." She turned around and a white tiger stood behind her.

"Well, the White One, how did you manage to get here without me noticing?"

"I am the M'teras." He said and she dropped Fox from her paw, he was gasping for air and the panther raised a paw.

"Interesting, how come my power cannot affect you?" The tiger morphed into Andromeda and she slammed her paw into the panther's jaw. The M'teras was taken off guard and Andromeda lashed out with a solid foot paw, she sent the panther sailing over the rope bridge and out into space. The panther screamed as she fell and Andromeda helped Fox up.

"Well, you owe me big time."

"Thanks, is she gone?"

"Thanks? That's all I get!" Fox spread his paws and he bowed.

"Well done my AI, you are freaking awesome, I owe you one big time." He said apologetically and Andromeda crossed her arms.

"Now that's just mocking." Fox shrugged and he looked over the edge, the panther form was barely visible and he kept a tight lip.

"Well, that's the last we shall see of her." Fox ran down the stairs and he jumped out onto the ground. The grass squished wetly against his boots and Andromeda jumped into his Comm as he ran down the dark path. Rain pelted him and he wiped water from his eyes as he sighed, where the Hell was he going?

"Take a right here Fox. That will get you back to the clearing where the attack happened and you can collect your weapons." He did and the clearing made itself known as Fox ran into it. He picked up his energy sword and he squeezed the hilt, the blade glowed in the darkness and it gave him sufficient light for him to follow the path. He ran down it and the rain slapped his face as Fox held the blade out in front of him. "Fox, we need to get out of this storm."

"I know dammit!" He yelled and Fox continued running. Lightning flashed and he felt a great heat wash over his body, ten thousand volts or more shot through him and into the ground. He didn't have time for a scream as Fox's body hit the forest floor.