Ok everyone, here's my story called "To Play With Fire". I'm actually going to have to give some credit to Elin1. If it weren't for her comment of not giving up on me, I probably would have left the Berserk category blissfully blank after removing my other story. Also, my favorite story by her is called "Hawk and Phoenix"…and that's a bit where I got the idea for this story. I'd been thinking for a couple of days about what story I could write with the quote I came up with—the quote I used for my summary—and when I got the e-mail saying she'd updated and then I read her comment, I came up with this idea. This story will be after the Berserk series, after everything in the last episode, so if anybody reading this doesn't know what happens at the end…this is the spoiler warning! Don't read this if you don't want to find out what happens! Thanks, lovelies! Here goes nothing! Elin1, this is for you! smiles
Summary: "If you play with fire, you're going to get burned," it's true. But what's to be done, when the fire is you? Judeau is still alive after the demons attack the Band of the Hawk for Griffin's sacrifice. There are, however, some interesting after-effects.
Disclaimer: I do not own anything by Elin1 nor do I own Berserk. I am merely borrowing the characters from the series to play out my own misguided ideas.
Prologue Ashes to Ashes (
Judeau's mind was in turmoil. He saw them dying and fighting. Gatts, Pippin, Corkus, Rickert! Rickert hadn't even been there! Why was he seeing him die at demonic hands? All of his memories increased the pain tenfold. He tried to shrug them off without thinking. He nearly howled as felt all of the wounds on his back reopen. The wounds he had gotten while protecting Caska. CASKA! Where was she? A sudden fear crept into the pit of his stomach at the thought of anything bad happening to her. If she had died... If she had died, he knew that he would never be able to forgive himself.
He contemplated trying to find everyone. He simply couldn't believe they had died. Something told him that if he could find them all, they'd be laughing and drinking and telling him just how crazy he was to believe that any harm had befallen them. He just knew that they'd all be alive and kicking…maybe even alive and kicking something!
Judeau tried to smile at that thought and attempted to force his body to move so he could find them and prove to himself that everything was just fine, but his body fought him. A searing pain ran through him and if he could have screamed, he would have. It felt as if fire was consuming him and it hurt like hell. His voice, however, wasn't cooperating anymore than the rest of his body. It seemed that his voice box had already been caught by the flames. A strangled moan escaped his slightly parted lips as the inferno claimed his whole body, beginning with the blood in his veins and moving outward and inward to completely consume him. Somewhere in his mind it registered that the strangled cry that emitted from his now-burning throat was the last sound that would be given from this feeble body and then all reason was lost as his mind attempted to understand the flames that were now devouring his flesh, bones, and blood and where they had come from. He thought he might have figured it out when a blinding flash of light went through his mind and he lost any and all of his thoughts.
On the ground where Judeau had lain, there was now a mound of ashes in the form of the former scout's body.
Please, Please, PLEASE review! I know this seems to be really short and a bit harsh, but honestly...there's more coming. And don't worry, this is a Judeau fic...I won't leave it like this. If you don't like it, constructive criticism is welcomed...but no flat-out bashing of my writing. This is merely a sample of it, so please know that the story will progress. Thankies to all!
Elin1! Lovely writer who praises Judeau with me! Please, tell me what you think!