Downcast eyes roved the ground for something, anything, that would provide a distraction to their tormented mind. Akuji looked up, glancing at the moon, his pale gray eyes drinking in the hostility that, in his sadened mind, the moon seemed to exude. His feet strode down the path, his mind elsewhere. His mind was following its own path, fraught with terrors from the past. Distant calls reached his ears. He heard his name, but tured away and walked faster. The shouting was coming closer. He ran now, feet flying ahead of him, fighting to stay balanced but hold the intense speed. Still, the calling came closer. Akuji, losing all pretense, flung himself into the bushes alongside the path. A woman walked by, her eyes worried and wide. "Akuji! Akuji, where are you!" She looked once more around then walked on.
Akuji stumbled out into the open, panting heavily. He slid down onto a bench, chest heaving. The cool night air whipped his hair around his pale, sweaty face. He stood abruptly, sweeping his hair from his eyes. A voice, strangely dark and ancient, but taunting, sounded behind him. "So were you hiding from Aradia? Or were you hiding from your fear?" Akuji whipped around, looking for the mysterious person. "You won't find me there..."
"Who... Where... are you?" Akuji asked, his face contorted in bewilderment.
An polearm slammed into the ground next to him, sending pieces of dirt flying at his face like tiny shrapnel. "That... Is of no matter to you," The person murmured. Akuji leapt to the side as the polearm was swung at him again.
"Dammit! Who the hell are you and what do want?" Akuji demanded, sidestepping as another blow was directed at him.
"I'm Tatum!" The voice taunted in a falsetto. The name caught Akuji off-guard, giving the stranger a chance to slam the blunt side of his weapon into Akuji's stomach.
Akuji soared through the air, a huge bruise forming on his chest. "Dammit! Leave me alone!"
"Leave me alone! Ha! You sound like a child!" The polearm, Akuji could see now it was a Hellslayer, came at him again.
Anger burned through his veins, igniting as the doused by fuselage. Akuji brought up his Metis, blocking the blow. "Leave me alone!" Akuji bellowed. Akuji swung his free arm and struck his attacker in the face. The man stumbled into the light, revealing a tall, broad man with a muscular build.
"That's right...," The man muttered. "Release that anger! Let it consume you!" The man charged again, battering at Akuji with a newly found fury. "Let it be your energy, your guiding force that compells you! Lose yourself within it, become forever lost to the demonic power that breeds deep within your soul!"
Akuji stopped in surprise. "Demonic power?" He asked, confused.
The man smirked and smashed the flat of his weapon against Akuji's face. Akuji slammed onto the pathway, blood oozing from his face. "Yes, demonic power. Did your friends not mention it? My Lord Kronos marked with the Mark of the Balrog, sealing a demon within you. Very soon its power will become to much for you to handle, and it will take control of your body..."
"Akuji?" Ryker asked. He had stumbled upon the battle while searching for his comrade. His wide eyes took in the scene within a single glance, drawing his Dragon's Tail with a smirk. "Who the hell are you?" He asked.
"My name... as unimportant as it is... is Caden," He answered.
Ryker's smirk widened. "Good. Now I know what to put on your gravestone!" He lunged forward, swinging his dagger. He struck Caden with a single fluid motion, though the sharp eye could see that it was actually six blows. Caden stumbled backwards, surprised. Ryker did not pause in his onslaught, immediately continuing the attacks. "Assaulter!" Ryker disappeared for a moment and a slight shadow danced through the air, striking Caden. Ryker reappeared, his dagger held in an attack position. He dropped a coin, tossing it at Caden's feet. "For your trouble." He grinned.
Caden looked down at it, realization appearing on his face. "No!"
"Meso Explosion!" The coin exploded, catching Caden in the maelstrom of fire. Ryker did not waver in his attack, leaping forward through the fire and grabbing Caden. He threw him into the air, then jumped after him, attacking him consistently. Caden fell to the ground, weary from the beating. Ryker whistled, calling out a single word. "Thieves!" A gang of shadows appeared, circling Caden's ragged form. Ryker joined the circle. He and the shadows took turns leaping in-and-out, weaving a web of steel around Caden.
Caden collapsed, leaning heavily upon his weapon. "Dammit... This won't end here... Dragon Roar!" He called. A fierce roar sounded through the town of Henesys, deafening all in the area. Ryker collapsed to the ground, writhing in pain as his ears bled from the sound. The attack severely weakened Caden, and he quickly limped away, using his weapon as a crutch.
XxX
Athena watched worriedly as Aradia cleaned Akuji's head wound, carefully daubing it with a cloth. Ryker stuffed his ear with a dirty rag, smiling idiotically. "Ryker! Quit grinning! You and Akuji nearly died tonight! This is not a cause for celebration!" Athena lectured.
Ryker continued smiling. "Athena, if I lived my life worrying about every near-death experience I've had, my life would be one big worry! It was a good fight wasn't it Akuji?"
Akuji grinned weakly then winced from the pain. "Aye... It was... fun..." He wheezed.
Aradia gently bandaged the wound. "Don't talk for a while Akuji, you'll reopen the injury," She warned.
Akuji nodded and Athena continued in her pursuit of answers. "Did he say who he was?"
Ryker nodded sagely. "Aye, he did. His name was Caden."
Athena stood, her eyes wide. "What? Impossible! Caden is one of Dancing With Balrog's top warriors! He would never... defect... like this!"
Ryker sighed. Akuji tentatively spoke. "He... mentioned his Lord Kronos... I think Kronos has put him under his control... I doubt Caden would do this. Kronos... is using him... as a way... to bring out the demon... in me..."
Aradia stiffened. "He told you?"
Akuji simply nodded. "And I don't doubt you will leave me now..."
Ryker clasped a hand to Akuji's shoulder, resulting in a gasp of pain. "Whoops, sorry there! But seriously, we won't leave you! At least I won't! I live for some action, and you got yourself buried in it! I'm with you to the end!"
Aradia smiled and nodded. "And I will be there to make sure Ryker doesn't kill you, which, I'm sure, will surely happen."
Ryker nodded. "Aye, she'll... Hey! Are you saying I'm a danger to everyone?"
Aradia smirked. "Indeed I am!"
Athena smiled, noting the youthfulness of the young heroes. A grim thought crossed her mind before being thrown away like a useless piece of trash. These young people may be the last hope for our kind...
AN: Awesome! If I do say so myself... I enjoyed the battle scene, but that was me soo... Review or I will bludgeon you with a spoon! Or I'll get Aradia to lecture you to death! Muahahaha! Sorry, I'm hyper! Review please!
