Chapter Five: Harmonixer: Gift or Curse? Part II
It wasn't the feared 'Winged Beast'.
The threat came in the form of 5 human beings, dressed in tatters, layers of filth made it impossible to discern what material they were made from, the men were soiled from the head down to their worn leather shoes, some were barefooted. The stench of stale whiskey, and bodies that has never known water for ages reached the pair; the newcomers wore faces that marked them as strangers in their village.
It only took a glance to know they were outlaws, vagrants….varmints of the lowest kind. The men carried crude weapons, makeshift clubs, but their brute strength made up for their lack of skills. It was also obvious from the way they swayed unsteadily on their feet that they were foxed.
Yuri was familiar with their kind, he'd probably ended up the same way had Samus not taken him in. They have no scruples whatsoever, no rule governs them, save for one: Eat or be eaten.
He inched closer to Alice as he surveyed the men who paused from a short distance.
Alice thought she had seen worst that day with the bandits, but she had been wrong…these men would make those bandits appear like noblemen. She felt her heart beat a frantic rhythm as she clutched Yuri's sleeve, the firm pressure he applied as he squeezed her hand felt reassuring, but didn't dispel her fears completely. These men could only mean trouble, unless Yuri could convince them to leave them alone.
"Yer right Darcy, haven't seen a wench tis comely since that day we mugged that fancy carriage." A man, wearing a toothless smirk broke the silence.
"Ya and a tasty wench that one was too, we should have kept 'er alive a wee bit longer."
Yuri's blood went cold as he heard their conversation, these men didn't come here to strike a conversation, they have followed him and Alice with one single purpose. And he had just made it easier for them to carry out their plans by taking Alice deeper in the woods, completely secluded from the nearest cottage.
To reason with them would be futile but Yuri tried nevertheless.
"Good day sirs. We'd just finished picking berries and would be on our way, there's plenty more left, so—"
They cut him off with loud guffaws, the man they call Darcy spat on the ground and leered at Alice. "No need to waste niceties on us boy. But since yer set on leaving dinna let us stop ye. Just give us the wench and ye could go yer way."
Yuri stiffened, his hands clenched into fists as his whole body rebelled at the thought of them laying even a finger to Alice. Darcy read the defiance in the young man's eyes and smirked.
"What can ye do boy? There's only ye to us 5…go 'an leave before me change me mind."
Alice clutched Yuri's arm tighter, peeking behind his back with wide-eyed fear. She has never been a cowardly girl but men like these varmints make her skin crawl…she had heard of women who had been abused, found dead in ditches, in the fields, women who have been cruelly violated that would shame Satan himself, utterly degraded, they must have welcomed death gladly.
Yuri didn't budge, just stood there defiantly. His heart hammered against the walls of his chest, his instincts clamored for him to use Fusion, he was clearly powerless to take them on alone, he needed the monster's powers to drive these scum away…but to do so would expose himself to Alice. His soul cried out at the trap he was in, no matter what he chose, he'll lose Alice…
"I reckon ye haven't allowed yer man to plough betwixt those white legs eh lass?" Darcy said, sending another stream of spittle on the ground.
"Stay away!" Yuri snarled, felt Alice tremble behind him as the men kept closing in.
"Why not let 'im stay?" Someone suggested. "We could tie 'im up to one of 'em trees and make 'im watch while us have fun with the wench."
"Ya, we could even make 'er scream fer 'im every time—" The rogue didn't get to finish, none saw Yuri when he rushed through them with breathtaking speed. There was a cracking sound that reverberated through the trees as Yuri's fist connected with the varmint's face.
"Run!" Yuri shouted.
There was a moment of shocked silence before they reacted. Yuri winced as something heavy hit him, coming from different directions, while he took one man on, the others kept pummeling him with crude clubs. He was clearly out numbered, for every blow he delivered, he received thrice the damage. Pure adrenalin sustained him, kept him going though he was nearly blinded by the blood that stung his eyes.
Suddenly there was a deep-throated cry of outrage that came from the place where Alice last stood. Yuri turned his head to see Darcy clutch his face with grubby hands. Blood stained his filthy fingers as he pulled back to look at them, more blood dripped down from long scratches that marked his face.
"Why ye goddamned bitch! Ye'll pay for that!" Darcy snarled, his arms were outstretched to grab her by the throat. "I'll tear ye up so bad…ye'll beg fer death!"
"Alice!" Yuri cried, winced in pain as the four men who continued to clobber him. Loss of blood, compounded by the ceaseless battering was taking its toll on him, and Yuri struggled to keep his consciousness, the world dipped crazily as he got hit squarely at the back of his head, nearly making him go blind, but somehow he held on, all he could focus on was Alice struggling against Darcy who was trying to rip off her clothes.
Yuri was unaware that he had ignored the four men, had taken three steps in Alice's direction when Darcy, who seemed to have had enough of her struggles hit her with a clenched fist in the face. Yuri heard a scream of outrage and vaguely realized that it came from him…but it no longer mattered, in that moment, a red mist had settled over him…blood lust filled his entire being, and God save the poor souls who had dared to hurt her.
Gone were the thoughts of losing her if she found out the truth about him, gone were his fears of her certain rejection, the only thought that played in his mind is that Alice is good as dead if he failed to protect her from the scoundrels, no, not just dead…Darcy would make her suffer in the worst way he can think of.
A tempest of wind suddenly whirled from the ground upwards; the rogues were nearly blinded as Yuri fused with Amon in a haze of blazing light.
When the brightness dissipated, a cry of alarm broke from their throats as each men stumbled on their feet as they tried to put as much between them and the monstrous being that suddenly appeared in their midst. Thick, dark leathery skin covered taut, bulging muscles, a deep rumbling sound came from him, like a giant cat purring, Amon towered over them and spread his great wings.
But unlike that time with the bandits, there was no mercy left in him this time. There's no forgiveness in him for them daring to touch the only woman who've ever cared more for him than she did her own comfort.
Darcy turned his head as his men screamed; his blood froze while his limbs refused to move. The infamous 'Winged Beast' made short work of his men, death came swift, the only mercy he allowed. Each man was so transfixed by fear that they were petrified in their place, watched as each of his comrade was plucked from the ground and with one swift twist of monstrous hands, their necks broken one by one. As the monster dropped the last man's body on the ground and turned his faceted eyes on Darcy, the varmint knew with fatalistic certainty that he would soon follow his men.
Alice turned her head away as Amon plucked the helplessly flailing man, Darcy screamed, begged for leniency, for another chance, but all fell to deaf ears…Yuri knew too well that had he been an ordinary mortal, these varmints would have defiled Alice despite her pleas, despite her implorations…like those women these men have despoiled and then killed after they've had their fill…she would have been torn, bleeding, violated…welcoming death with open arms rather than living the rest of her life in shame and degradation…
Alice winced as she heard another cracking sound, tendons snapping, bones breaking and with a final cry, Darcy fell silent, his neck effectively broken. Amon released his hold, dropped his lifeless body to the ground.
For a moment, he felt numb, the adrenaline still rushed in his blood, his breathing still labored…Amon stood there as if completely at a loss.
Then he looked at her, while blood lust fled, fear and apprehension replaced the blood in his veins. He was terrified of seeing her rejection, he was uncertain if he could bear her repulsion, if Alice would now turn her back on him…
He was unaware that he had yet to open his eyes, to face the truth. The feel of her soft hand against his arm startled him.
"You're hurt." Alice said.
Yuri/Amon opened his eyes then and looked down on her. She looked as apprehensive as he is, her violet eyes were wary, a bit frightened…but there was no sign of repulsion.
The relief nearly made his knees buckle. He was about to touch the reddened, swollen skin at the side of her cheek, where the bastard had hit her, then saw his clawed fingers and paused. Alice didn't even flinch when he touched her hair instead, some strands got snagged in his rough skin and he withdrew his hand.
"Yuri…is it really you?" Alice asked, surveying the large expanse of monstrous torso, and huge pillars of legs. He made a rumbling sound, so deep she felt it reverberate against her skin, there was nothing in him that resembled the man she knew, nothing that would even slightly hint that they were one and the same…except that her senses were telling her that the winged beast in front of her is Yuri too.
"Can you change back?" She asked, unable to comprehend any of his deep rumblings, which must be his way of communicating.
At the back of her mind, Alice thought she should run from him, flee this place of death…flee from him. But she sensed his grief, his sadness, as if he was mourning…but why would he? Was he perhaps penitent for taking the lives of those men?
And more importantly, where do they go from here? Can she still trust him now that she knew he hid this dark secret from her? Will she have to leave him? Will he snap her neck too if she does?
Alice was having an inner struggle when she remembered how gentle he was with that injured puppy they once found on the road, remembered how gently he would touch her, kiss her as if she was more fragile than spun glass…no, a man who had once risked his life by saving children when the river overflowed and flooded the village couldn't be evil.
He may look monstrous but he's no monster, no, he's still the man she knows, the man she had come to love.
"We've got to talk." She said, and looked at the pile of dead men from the distance. And some burying to do. May God have mercy on their souls.
She watched as Amon walked over at the river's edge, watched him as he waded waist deep in the water. Alice shielded her eyes as bright light once more engulfed Amon. Then as the light dissipated, Alice thought he too had disappeared. Frantic, she stepped into the river looking for him, and tripped on a loose stone that tumbled her into the water.
"Alice?" Yuri cried in alarm. She looked up from the shallow bed of water to find that only his head was visible in the river. She nearly laughed hysterically as she realized that in his human form, the water that was only waist deep for the monster was nearly neck deep for Yuri. He winced as sore muscles protested the abuse they've endured.
"I'm alright." Alice said as she stepped out of the water. "I just thought you did a vanishing act on me."
He flexed his neck muscles and splashed cold water in his face.
"Yuri you get out of there!" Alice scolded suddenly. "You know that cold water isn't good for tired muscles! You'll get cramps!"
But instead he only smirked at her, she usually don't mind, but at the moment she was more concerned of him harming himself by bathing fatigued muscles in cold water to be amused.
"You get out of there this instant!" She ordered royally.
"Sure you won't change your mind later?" He asked, something mischievous entered his eyes that should have warned her he's up to something, but as it is, Alice missed the glint in his eyes.
Yuri slowly waded nearer to the river's edge, still wearing that insufferable smirk. As the water level went down, more and more of his skin showed, it didn't take long for Alice to realize that he was buck-naked.
A/N: Ok, this is supposed to be a one shot, yes a one shot! I don't know how it became this long, and I feel as if I've bitten more than I can chew! Boohoo!
Now the title isn't appropriate since it's Yurice-centric. Anyway, it's done, and this chapter really fried up my brain cells. I need to work some more, but I don't think I can improve this chp any more...save for those spellings I have missed or grammar.
Oh, yes, I haven't properly thanked my readers. Thankies a bunch :)
And a box of chocolates for those who left their thoughts:
Anime Alee
Ariescelestial
Little Ballet Rat
And to my one and only MikoNoNyte an extra smooch!
