A/N: Again and again I continue to be sorry for taking so long with this chapter...I just haven't had any time! Hehehe... I really hope that my lack of consistence isn't making my writing not up to par... I'm trying, honestly! Thank you for continuing to follow this and to deal with my laziness, lol. I promise to have the next chapter up sooner, I have some free time coming up and I plan to make a huge dent in Chapter 24. Anyways...enjoy! ^.~
Chapter 23
Weretiger.
Stupid.
Foolhardy.
Undeserving of the praise it recieves.
Brash.
Overzealous.
...for the ones that control it are empty, and the ones that cannot...
...might as well be dead.
* * *
Hot white lightning streaked through the almost pitch black sky, dancing gracefully on the underside of the clouds and causing more thunder to shake the land. Large droplets of rain splattered onto the muddy ground and almost drowned out the screams coming from Red Warin's convulsing body.
Gabe thumbed the blood red prayer beads and clutched them tightly in his gray paws. Deja clung to him and stared out at Red through a dark wet waterfall of hair. She couldn't move. She couldn't bring herself to push it out of her face. Not while this was happening... She felt that anything she did...would disturb the very fabric of time...
Red's rippling arms came forward clutched his hardening abdomen. The muscles on his bare back pulsed, and then moved in unnatural patterns; expanding and contracting beneath his tawny skin as if they were alive. His neck arched up and saliva dripped from his wide open mouth. He screamed again, but this time, it was more of a heightened roar.
Mustadio tore his bandana from his mass of wet moss hair and wrapped it around Greytall's arm, desperately trying to stop the bleeding. The Taneuma roared along with the metamorphosing Woren, and shot a venomous gaze towards Shyong. "You fucking bastard! How could you?! How could you do such a thing?! How...?"
He stopped when the soldier leaned back and allowed his head loll to one side, letting the rain pull his hair down over his horrendous scars. Greytall reared back his own and curled his lips back from his large teeth.
Red cried out again and all eyes went to him. His now foot long toenails scrabbled frantically on the muddy ground as his humongous paws grasped feverishly at his elongating orange muzzle. His trousers ripped to shreds, and his necklaces popped off effortlessly with his swelling neck muscles.
"Gabriel..." Deja whispered. "...the beads..."
"No."
Her violet eyes widened in a sudden flash of lightning. "What do you mean, 'no'?! We can't let him do this!"
All that she could see was the tip of his gray muzzle pointing out of his cowl. He smiled, showing a row of small pointed teeth. "Let's see how well he does."
"Are you mad?!" She cried grabbing onto his sleeves and tugging hard. "He'll kill everyone!"
"Maybe..., but most likely that man will be the main target."
Deja's eyes went to Shyong, who had brought his head back slowly to face Red. "I don't know..." She said shaking her head. "There's something about him...I don't think Red can handle this..."She stopped when another scream pierced the air. Her hands went to her black tipped ears. She took a deep breath and shook her head hard back and forth. "I-I can't stand this, Gabriel!" She cried through the coming of tears. "We just can't let him fight like this! I won't..."
Her violet eyes sparkled with tears when she brought them up to her partner's. "I won't let him die!" She cried bursting forth from the crowd.
* * *
"Red?"
Ryu nodded slowly and stood from the bed. Nina's cheeks flushed. He didn't bother to cover up. "I heard him." He said pushing his bangs from his eyes and looking over at the window. Heavy snow continued to fall outside, blanketing Drogen even thicker than before.
Nina pulled the bedspread up to her chin. "What could have possibly happened to him?" She didn't need to ask if Ryu had really heard him. So far she'd realized his senses were heightened more than a human could ever imagine. There was no question.
He reached down and rummaged through a trunk resting at the edge of the bed. He pulled out and tossed to her a worn garment. She glanced at it lying on the bed and then back at him. "Get dressed." He said without meeting her gaze. "We have no time to waste."
* * *
Do you think I'm useless?
Wet mud flew up past Deja's wide eyes.
Of course I don't! If I did, I wouldn't have chosen to be your guardian! You know that, Red.
Blood pulsed hard against her temples, blurring her vision.
"Tch...You're just a stupid fox..."
Why?
Why did she put up with him?
"A stupid fox...that shouldn't care..."
Blue lightning flashed through the sky. Deja brought her hand back behind her and closed her fingers over something cold and metal hooked to her belt.
"No one cares about Weretiger..."
He was nothing but a punk and everyone knew it
"He's a killer...".
She gripped it and pulled hard.
"A stupid...brash...killer..."
Just a damn punk...
"No one thinks I care about anything..."
Taking a deep breath, she jumped and threw.
* * *
"Boy, I told you to stand up straight!"
"I am, Dad!"
"It's alright, Gabriel and I don't mind."
Sun streaked through the tall windows of the house of Warin, spreading a warm white light over the main room. The leader of Worent, Juun Warin stood proudly, one large arm over the lanky form of his son, Red Warin.
Red reached up and wiped his nose on his own arm and regarded his guests with cold crimson eyes that were frantically trying to blink back the sun's rays.
The fox woman forced a smile and nudged her partner, a tall, gray houndsclanman.
"Red, I want you to meet your new guardians." Juun's voice boomed throughout the large room. "Deja Visl," The fox woman lifted a dainty pale hand. ", and Gabriel Tyler."
"You can call me Gabe if you want." The dog man gave a gentle smile from within a mound of gray bangs. Red reached back and clung to his father.
The large Woren laughed loudly, his barrel chest shaking. "They won't hurt you, boy. Now stop being an idiot and go with them."
Red clenched his teeth and glared at the pair. "No way! There's no way I'm going off with two dogs! You said I didn't need to associate with people like that, do you remember Dad?" he snapped.
One of Deja's thin black eyebrows began to twitch and Juun laughed again, but this time, it had a hint of nervousness to it. "No, no, son. Not these people. I meant...any other people!"
"But that clan is the one..." The Woren kid began venomously.
Juun grasped his son's shoulders tight and shook him once, hard. "I just said not these people!" He sighed and stared into Red's frightened eyes. "These are not the ones, alright? Not everyone from a clan is the same, you got that? Now, again, stop being stupid. You want to be big and strong like your Daddy, right?"
Tears welled up in the little Woren's eyes and he nodded briskly.
"Well then, let them help you."
Red slowly brought his crimson gaze back to meet Deja's violet one.
"I...guess so..."
* * *
Shyong turned suddenly and his eyes widened. Before he knew what was going on, he hit the ground. Pain shot from his shoulder and his good eye moved to it. Something long and metal protruded from it. He moved to pull it out, but stopped when his hand was grasped hard in the air. Growling, he gazed up into a wide eyed violet glare.
* * *
"This is stupid. Why do I have to study? Weretiger can kick anyone's ass!"
"Stop acting like that, Red! You know as well as we do that you need a strong mind to learn to control it!"
Red snorted and thumbed through his book hard, almost tearing the pages in the process. "Yeah, well, you shouldn't shout, you idiot fox woman. Like you know what the hell you are talking about."
Deja clenched her teeth. "Why you little shit! That's no way to talk to one of your guardians! And my name is Deja!"
"Whatever, stupid fox." He shouted slamming the book closed. "I'm hungry. You need to get me some food."
"And why should I?!"
He smiled, his crimson eyes squinting in the afternoon sun. "Because you're my guardian. You're supposed to care about me."
* * *
Lightning struck again and Deja pushed Shyong's hand into the mud. He winced from the pain in his shoulder and struggled beneath her. "You stupid bitch...!" He sneered arching his back. "This isn't your fight!"
The fox woman focused all of her weight down. "Of course it's my fight!" She cried through wet black hair. "Red's my..."
* * *
"You call this training? Are you making fun of me, you stupid fox?"
"Damnit, Red, stop calling me that!"
Red stared at her, mockingly. "Why not? That's what you are, isn't it?"
Deja clenched her fists hard, and fought back tears that angered her. She couldn't cry in front of this stupid kid. Not when he thought of her like this anyways...
"You'd think someone as good looking as you would have done something better with her life than come here to Worent for this type of job."
Her sparkling violet eyes met his hard crimson stare. "Huh...?"
He smiled and pulled his black bandana tight around his forehead. "You heard me. But you know, I guess brains and beauty don't really go together, huh stupid fox woman?"
"Red, that's not very..."
"No one said I had to be nice to you."
"But..."
"Besides..." He said gently, with a bit of pink dotting his cheeks. The wind blew, casting a firey mess over his eyes. "I didn't ask for you to care..."
* * *
"I'm his...!"
* * *
"Can't sleep?"
Red nodded and pulled himself up onto the lowest branch of a tree near him. He swung his feet back and forth hard. "It's that stupid man. You know, my Dad. He's all practicing and stuff and the damn guy can't keep his mouth shut." He brought his head back and smiled at Deja. "He's talking shit to a bunch of sandbags."
Deja giggled softly and pushed back her long black bangs.
"Hey, fox."
She glanced up. "Yes?"
Crimson flashed over his face. "You...you wanna come sit up here?"
For a second, Deja stared blankly at him. "Is this some kind of joke?" She asked flashing a smile. "Is there a tack up there? Or something that'll glue me to the branch?"
Red's eyes widened and he crossed his arms. "No, you idiot, I just wanted some company! Why would I do a stupid thing like that?"
"I don't know..." She said softly. "I really wouldn't put it past you..."
He snorted. "Whatever...do what you want."
She giggled again. "Of course I would like to sit with you, Red. I'm glad you asked."
He blinked, and then an awkward smile crept onto his face. "Yeah...you should be!" He cried pounding a fist hard against his chest. "I'm Red Warin! Son of Juun Warin! User of the fine art of the Weretiger! Anyone who is anyone would be honored to sit with me!"
"Are you sure about that?"
He blushed again. "Of course...I mean...why wouldn't they?"
"I wouldn't know." She said crossing her arms.
"That's what I'm talking about!"
Deja laughed and pulled herself up onto the branch.
For a few minutes, neither said a word. Both just stared out into the clear night sky.
"You know," Deja whispered. "I've noticed that the skies here in Worent are a lot clearer than my home town."
Red snickered. "Ahh, who cares about stuff like that."
"What do you mean 'who cares'?" She asked hurtfully.
"I mean, you shouldn't talk about the past." He said softly. Deja turned to him. "I mean...if you dwell about the past, then you can never really face the future with a strong nature, you know?"
"I don't understand..."
He smiled that awkward smile again. "I guess I'm saying not to reminisce about home. Don't get all freakin' homesick or anythin' and want to leave."
Deja's eyes widened.
"Because if you did..." He added gently. "I would have to miss you."
* * *
"- his goddamn guardian!" Deja screamed letting go of Shyong's arm and grabbing onto the spike. She pushed down hard and threw her head back as his hot blood sprayed past.
* * *
"I just don't think it's necessary for you to help those beasts, Dragoneye, so why do you continue to insist on it?"
"Sattva, I..."
A quick slap sounded and Nina squeezed her eyes closed. She leaned back on the door and pressed her ear against the wood. Another slap. Her eyes remained closed and she reached up, touching the rough wood with a trembling hand. She figured this would happen. Ryu wanted to speak to him.
She had wanted to just leave, but he wouldn't listen. A soft sigh escaped her lips.
He was afraid. There had been fear hidden deep within those beautiful emerald eyes of his. A fear...that tugged at her heartstrings. Could the dragon really have emotions like that?
"Don't you talk back to me, Dragoneye. I am God here...do you realize this?!"
"Of course, Master, but there's..."
"Yes?"
Nina leaned down and peeked through a tiny crack in the wood. Vaguely, she could make out Ryu's form, standing rather awkwardly, bathed in the light of the many glowing candles in the room.
Sattva was in front of him, balancing on the balls of his feet, his stern young face shrouded in the shadows. He was smiling thinly. Her heart raced. That smile...was one of a madman.
"What reasons would you have to go help these people?" He asked slowly, turning to pace before Ryu who's head followed his every movement.
"I only wish to help him because I believe he can aid me in the Tower of Ladon."
Nina's hand covered her mouth. That's not what he said earlier! He said...
"What ever you hear me say in this room...remember that my intentions are to help Red out of the goodness of my heart. You see...Sattva doesn't believe in mercy..."
Her hand slowly came down. That was right. He had said that he would have to lie to Sattva in order to be able to leave. She shook her head and her bangs went in front of her eyes. She only hoped...that he didn't catch on, for Ryu's sake.
* * *
Sattva stopped along with Ryu's heart. His azure eyes narrowed. "The Tower of Ladon, hmm?" He asked gently, reaching up with a thin pale hand to push his long silver locks back. The smile remained. "And how will this...beast...help you achieve your goal?"
"I believe that with his company, and the company of his guardians...it will be easier to get through the Tower. He has to travel there anyways, and..."
"Since when does a dragon need assistance with anything?"
Ryu shook his head. "I didn't mean with fighting, I just meant that if I get stopped by anyone...I can't just go through Windia transformed, now can I?"
Sattva was silent for a second. "Well...I supposed that is true...We needn't any destruction before the time comes..." He closed his eyes and walked back to his seat, the candlelight dancing on his tall, lanky form. "Fine, go, but I want to hear of your progress soon." He said sitting and lifting a piercing gaze to him. "I will not tolerate you coming back here again without success. Do I make myself clear, Dragoneye?" He spoke the last sentence with ice sliding from every word.
Ryu bowed stiffly. "I understand."
Sattva's eyes followed the dragon until he was out of the room and then moved to the wall where the shadows suddenly seemed...thicker than before.
"You were right...he didn't sense you."
The shadows moved and then condensed into a vague human form. "Yes...he is blinded by the human influence..." A voice hissed.
Sattva cupped his hands under his chin and smiled. "I want that winged woman dead, along with the Woren and his guardians. I'm tired of people distracting my warrior..."
The shadowed figure glided gently through the dancing darkness of the room. "It shall be done."
* * *
Shyong's body was sprawled out on the wet mud, his wide open eyes facing the sky. The air was thick with fear, the only sound the pounding of the rain onto the ground.
Deja's eyes shone pale in the lightning. Her blood soaked hand trembled, but she didn't let go of her weapon. More blood oozed out of the wound.
... and trickled down the side of her mouth.
Shyong's eyes swivelled down to his sword protruding from the fox woman's side. His mouth curled into a smile. "You're fast...and you're strong...." He gurgled softly. "But obviously...it wasn't enough..."
Deja's body shook and more blood poured along the sword's decorated blade. It was so cold... Why was it so damn cold...?
The soldier's smile lengthened and he pushed his hand forward. Deja's eyes widened and she managed a small squeak. "Let go of your weapon."
"....never..." She whispered, grasping his sword with her other hand. Her knuckles went white.
"Fine then...you can die for all I care..."
She brought her paling face to his, wincing as the blade went in more. "I'll...die anyways...I might as well take you to hell with me...!"
Lightning struck and illuminated Shyong's ice blue eye wrenching open wide. Deja's pulled, and her spike tore slowly down the soldier's shoulder. "...Stop...! You idiot...!" Shyong cried, muffled, his mouth filling with rainwater and blood. Gods...there was so much damn blood...
Deja removed her other hand from his blade and joined her own. Through the blood and the rain, her mouth came to smile. It didn't matter anymore. The pain, the blood... It was all over anyways... Even if she managed to kill him...she would die... She would die anyways...
But surprisingly, she wasn't afraid. Becoming a guardian, meant that you gave your life to the one you were guarding. If you didn't die in battle protecting them, then you had not lived out your purpose. Everyone knew that...yet...
Guardians...
They say Weretiger is stupid. That it's God shunned it because all it did was destroy. They say there's no more faith in the Woren religion...
But wasn't that what the guardians were? The faith? The faith that Weretiger would succeed? The faith...that one day...they could redeem themselves...
The faith that one day...the world would be at peace?
Peace, was exactly what she felt at the edge of that blade. Her whole life, was to protect Red Warin. No matter what. Until now, she didn't know what "no matter what" meant. But she knew it was why Gaberiel wasn't aiding her.
No one came between a guardian and the sacrifice of their life.
No one.
Deja's own smile widened with the sudden fading of Shyong's. More blood continued to leak forward. She was going to kill him...She was going to save Red...! She was going to–
A silky sound pierced the air and Deja's body was thrown sideways.
- die...
The blade ripped through as the arrow imbedded in her shoulder pushed her to the ground. When the familiar coldness of the wet mud enveloped her...she screamed.
From the crowd of silent Worens, Gabriel burst through, his sandaled feet slipping on the ground. "Deja!" He cried dropping to his knees near her.
She continued to scream...as if she couldn't stop. Tears streamed down her rain soaked pale face. Blood pooled around her entire body.
Eyes wet within his cowl, Gabriel turned back to stare at a strangely blue eyed Woren standing beside Mustadio, a small crossbow dangling from his claws.
"Yhon!" Greytall roared still struggling within Mustadio's grip. "You...saved that man?! Why would you...?"
Yhon's smile thinned. "He is a soldier of Windia...the best soldiers around..."
The Tanuma's eyes widened and he grasped his bloody stump. "You can't mean...that you actually want that...You want that...thing..."
Yhon pulled the crossbow up and pointed it at his leader. "Nothing personal, Mister Greytall...it's just, I've been getting rather tired of running around with a bounty on my head..."
"You can't be serious! You go into Windia with him and they'll kill you!"
Yhon laughed gently and pulled the trigger on the crossbow. "Not if I bring your head."
"Yh...!" Greytall's head flew back and his body soon followed, shaking the ground hard as he hit.
The Taneuma's clan members all brought their gazes to Yhon, who swung the weapon towards them. "You all know I'm a perfect shot...If you dare try to go against me..."
One of the houndsclanmen growled. "Yhon, you bastard! Greytall gave everything to you! You were his right hand man! How could you...!"
Yhon's ice blue eyes shone in the coming of more lightning. "I didn't need anything from him! I never needed him! I never needed you! I never asked him to save me from that mob! I never asked him to...!"
Blood.
That's all that was left of the shape shifter's head after the ball of purple energy smashed into it.
Mustadio's wide eyes moved to Shyong, who was standing rather awkwardly, with one arm hanging limp against his side. The other, was outstretched, his hand still spewing violet sparks. With a barely audible grunt, he brought it down. "I didn't need your help you stupid beast..." He hissed. "I don't need anyone's help..."
He staggered slowly forward, his boots slipping on the mud. "Anyone else want to interfere?" He cried in a strained grainy voice, lifting his hand in front of him. "Anyone?!"
The Worens and the Taneuma clan all remained silent. They knew...when not to do anything. Even though he was one man...even though he was wounded... Was there really a way to stop him? Yhon could have just shot him...if he had a few more seconds... That meant that this man was faster than even him.
What the hell...was going on?
Through the rain, Shyong's ice blue eyes went to Gabriel leaning on the ground, cradling Deja in his arms. She had finally stopped screaming and subsided into small whimpers. Her blood soaked body was convulsing. Shyong's mouth broke into a smile. "Well, I see she really is strong. A normal person would have been dead by now..."
Gabe reached up and pulled the cowl back, snarling. "You bastard..." He seethed. "She won't die from this...mark my words..."
...but he really didn't know.
She was so cold. Every bit of her skin was becoming so pale, it was turning blue. Blood was pouring from the sword wound faster than he could mend...
...Gods...don't let her die...
"Oh really? I didn't know you could live with half of your internal organs split in two!" Shyong cried laughing. "Or it is some kind of new fad...?" Gabriel growled and Shyong laughed even harder. "You get it, mutt? She's going to die! ...for someone like...him?"
He stopped when he faced where Red was supposed to be. The crowd all looked around.
Where was the bastard?
Shyong raised his hand into the air and violet mist poured out of it. "Where are you, you bastard?" He cried frantically swinging his gaze back and forth. How could he have just...disappeared? A huge thing like Weretiger...disappearing into thin air?
Immpossible! It just...
His ice eyes suddenly widened and he whirled around, just in time to see the huge tawny claw come down.
Everything went black.
* * *
Nina closed her eyes and let the wind pull her bangs from her face. "How long will it take us to get there?"
Ryu spread his large crimson wings and grasped onto her tighter. "Not too long. Ten minutes at the most." His deep, scratchy voice said.
She opened her eyes and looked up and into his almost glowing crimson stare. His long white hair flowed up and out of his face as he forced a toothy grin. "What's going on, Ryu...?" She asked softly, trying to suppress the feeling of fear that continued to claw at her.
He shook his head. "I heard pain. Something's happening in Worent. We have to help, that's all."
"I see..."
"Are you frightened?"
Nine turned and looked straight ahead, feeling his scales flex on his arms as he moved to hold her more firmly. "I'm not sure...but I keep getting this awful feeling that I will be soon..."
"The most we can do it just hurry." Ryu growled, beating his wings harder.
"Well then..." Nina said grasping onto his forearms tight. "That's exactly what we must do."
Ryu smiled and pull his wings back, close to his body, and dove.