Hey everybody, I'm really excited to be putting out three chapters out in about two weeks! It makes me feel very proud and accomplished, but most of all I can't get over all the support and love you've shown for this story. It gets hard to write at times because life in general can get overwhelming and sometimes I feel stupid for updating and thinking nobody is going to read it. But, then I get all the lovely comments and reviews and I just know I have to keep pushing through. You guys are really the best.
I hope you enjoy this chapter!
Both Rasmus and Erik stood at the doorway after feeling an immense amount of energy coming from outside. They had seen the exchange between Tino and Berwald and Erik cautiously took a step down. He was right to do so as Berwald turned quickly snarling and baring his teeth. Erik stood completely still and Berwald looked between the two of them as he seemed to recognize the both of them and turned back toward Tino.
Erik continued down the steps with Rasmus following after him as they walked around Berwald's large body to see Tino cowering holding his arm to his chest. "He's going to bleed out if that's not treated," Rasmus muttered and glanced over at the man who laid unconscious beside them. He could see a bloodied knife not too far where the man laid and guessed he must have been the one do cause all this. He walked over the man and watched him for a second to make sure he was still alive before leaning over his body and slapping his face lightly. "Wake up," he hummed and the man beneath him whined as Rasmus repeatedly hit his face. The man swatted at his hand, but Rasmus grabbed his hand.
The man blinked a few times before he realized a blonde man was standing right over him. "Who...who are you?" he asked.
"I could ask you the same thing," Rasmus hummed and looked at the man's hand in his. "Although, at this point I'm irritated just by your voice." The man stared at Rasmus who wasn't looking at him but had a blank expression on his face. His eyes widened as he could feel Rasmus slowly crushing his hand. He could hear his bones breaking and he screamed trying to writhe away from Rasmus who then held him by his throat against the dirt.
Erik watched silently and then turned to look at the door where he saw Lovisa walking out and quickly rush down the stairs. "What happened?" she asked quickly.
"I'm not entirely sure," he replied and glanced back down at Tino who was still hiding in Berwald's fur. "Although Tino does need to be healed, I'm afraid if we wait any longer he'll bleed out to death."
Lovisa walked around the massive dog-like beast that she recognized as her son and saw Tino's arm. She covered her mouth with a small gasp and walked closer kneeling before him. "Tino," she whispered reaching out for his arm that was curled up against his chest. However, as soon as she touched his arm he whimpered and tried to move away from her. "Tino, let me help you," she said as softly as she could. "You're going to be much worse if you don't let me see it."
Tino glanced over from where he was and his vision was blurred with all the tears that were streaming down. He could see Lovisas warm blonde hair and a worried smile. "Please, Tino. Let me help you." He slowly moved his arm away from his chest and Lovisa took it into her hands. He tangled his other hand in the fur that smelled musty like wet earth and iron. It was the way Berwald always smelled, and it was comforting to him more than he realized.
"What is going-" Lord Bisok had walked outside with his wife following suit and he stopped at the top of the stairs seeing the large beast. "WHAT IN ALMIGHTY GOD'S NAME IS THAT?!" He stepped back his wife gripping his shoulder and looking horrified at the dog like creature that had turned to look at them.
"That, Lord Bisok, is Duke Berwald," Erik said walking toward the stairs but was focused on the trail of blood that led from the carriage. That's when he saw the driver's dead body laying on the ground, his throat had been slashed and he was lying in a pool of his own blood. The stench of blood lingering in the air filled his nose and he inhaled deeply looking back at the Lord.
"Wh-what? I don't…"
Rasmus picked up the man who was holding his broken and disfigured hand to his chest and crying. He dragged him toward where his father was and threw him in front of the stairs. "Do you recognize this man?" Rasmus asked.
"I've never seen him in my life," Bisok said looking at the sobbing man who was slowly curling up on the stairs.
"Is that so?" Erik hummed walking closer to the man. "Who are you and what did you want with Tino?" he asked as the man tried to bury his head and cover it with his other hand. "I'm not going to ask you again," Erik growled and squatted down in front of the man.
The man peeked over at him, but Erik's eyes didn't look human at all. His pupils were nearly just one solid shade of black and it looked like it spilled over slowly covering both his eyes. The man was frozen with fear as he tried to make words come out from his mouth. "I-I...I...hired...I was...h-hired!" his voice broke and squeaked.
"Hired? To do what?"
"Kidnap," he said and tried to swallow the lump in his throat. "I..was hired to kidnap him."
"Who hired you?"
"The...the Lord's son," he whispered. "Please, I just needed the money…"
Erik patted the man roughly on the shoulder and gripped it with a small smile forming on his face. "Of course, I completely understand." He glanced back up at Bisok, "Just where is your son, Lord Bisok?"
Bisok took another step back as he met Erik's eyes but calmly tried to collect himself. "My son would never do such a thing! He has no proof!"
"Is that so?" Erik whispered. He glanced back at Rasmus whose eyes had become the same and he started to stirp take off some of his nicer clothing.
Meanwhile Lovisa was having a hard time concentrating enough energy into the wound. It was as if his body was rejecting it and Tino was constantly twitching. "Does it hurt?" she asked looking at him where he just stared at his arm. His eyes were puffy and his face flushed, he looked like he could pass out at any moment.
"It stings," he whispered.
Lovisa furrowed her eyebrows and looked over at Erik and then where the Lord and Lady stood. She bit her lip, "Alright stay here, I'll see if I can find something better." The wound had luckily stopped bleeding, but it wasn't going to be enough. She got up walking toward the stairs, "You," she said looking at Bisoks wife. "Do you have any knowledge of healing magic?"
The woman who hadn't really spoken at dinner nodded quietly. "I..I only know the basics and some more advanced things."
"Is Tino going to be okay?" Erik asked looking over at his wife who seemed distressed.
"His body isn't taking my healing magic," she whispered looking at him. "It's rejecting it and I've gotten it to stop bleeding but I'm afraid if I keep going it's going to get worse."
"I see," he turned to Lord Bisok and then looked directly at his wife. "I'm sorry I don't think I ever got your name."
"Aakusta," she said as loudly as she could still hiding behind her husband.
"Well, Aakusta since this is the doing of your son I would say it's your obligation to help us, don't you?"
"Y-yes of course," she whispered and both Bisok and her exchanged glances.
"Well come on, we don't have all day," Lovisa said turning and walking back towards Tino. Aakusta walked down the steps hastily and followed her toward the large beast and she felt her hands already begin shaking as she neared him.
"Is she even safe with him?" Bisok asked walking down the steps slightly.
"She'll be fine as long as she doesn't do anything." He waved his hand and Rasmus had set his clothes beside Erik before walking off.
"Where is he going?" Bisok asked looking at him.
Erik didn't reply and looked at the man lying curled up on the stairs, his hand still on his shoulder.. The man was trembling beneath it and Erik looked back down at him, "Now, I'm going to ask you one more time. Who hired you to do this?"
"His son! I-I swear on my life!" he shouted.
"Where's your proof?!" Bisok nearly screamed walking down the stairs.
"Well, he swore on his life," Erik hummed and made a low whistling sound.
Berwald's ears perked up and he glanced back at his father with two fingers waved him over. He glanced back at Tino and nudged him slightly as he stood up on all fours.
Tino watched him and began to panic, but Lovisa took his other hand. "Don't worry, he'll be right back," she said. Tino looked at her then at the large creatures blue eyes nodding slowly.
Berwald then turned walking toward his father and watched as Bisok took a few steps back on the stairs. He tripped and fell onto his ass looking at large creature that towered over Erik.
Erik glanced back down at the man whose eyes were focused on Berwald and he cleared his throat. "Do you swear, by your life, that he was the man who hired you?"
'Y-Yes! Yes I swear! Please don't hurt me!" the man screamed and Berwald growled at him. His yelling clearly annoying him and he quickly fell silent.
Erik stood up and looked up at Bisok, "Most people would have confessed by now if they had anything to hide. If the man says it's your son then it must be your son."
Bisok didn't look convinced as he forced himself up from the stairs and walked down glaring at the man who tried backing away from Berwald. He gripped the man by his cloak forcing him up, "You liar! Who set you up to do this?! My son would never do such a thing!"
The man shook his head, "H-honest Lord! He did he payed me to kidnap the Duke's wife!"
Berwald watched the man, he wouldn't put it past Oleo to do such a thing. Although the Lord was getting on his nerves and he huffed looking over at Erik who agreed with him. "Enough," Erik muttered as the Lord looked over at him. "The man has clearly spoken his peace and we have what we need."
"B-but it couldn't-"
"Then who could it be?" Erik snapped startling Lord Bisok enough to let the man go. "I don't see anyone else lined up wanting the Duke or his wife dead." Bisok had fallen silent and then looked at the ground. "Put out a warrant for him," Erik muttered as he pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration.
"A warrant?" Bisok repeated.
"Did I mistake my wording?" he opened one eye and Bisok quickly shook his head. "Good. People will look for him quickly if there is also some sort of reward put along with it."
"Wh..what are you going to do if someone brings my son forward?"
"I won't be doing anything," Erik replied and sighed out now looking directly at the Lord once more. "This is something between your son and mine. Berwald will decide what he wants to do with him once he's captured." Bisok looked at Berwald and his breathing picked up quickly.
"Sh-shouldn't be some kind of trail? Or...or maybe something you would like instead?" Bisok nervously laughed.
"You're trying to bribe us?" Erik asked and Berwald growled lowly glaring at the Lord. "Your son attempted to kidnap the wife of a Duke. He put him in physical danger to the point where his life was on the line. There is nothing you can give, and nothing we want from you that could make this just get swept under the rug. Do you understand that?" Bisok tried to piece words together but he couldn't. Erik took a step closer, a dark purple and black aura surrounding his body as his veins became prominent along his face and toward his eyes. "There is a reason why you never hear of anyone who has ever crossed us, Lord Bisok. This is our pack. Our family. We do not play well with others who do us harm."
There was a deep and echoing howl in the distance and Berwald raised his ears. He knew it was Rasmus, but apparently Oleo had escaped. "Three days," Erik growled pushing the Lord back onto the stairs. "Find your son in three days or we will personally go looking for him." The Lord didn't say a word and nodded feverishly.
Tino heard the long and deep howl, but he wasn't startled by it more so put in a trance. He stared down at his arm where the blood was drying and hardening. Aakusta was healing it, but it no longer stung unlike Lovisa. The numbing effects her magic had were spreading through his body and all he felt like he couldn't really think of anything else other than what could have happened if Berwald hadn't showed would have never seen his family ever again. No more going over for family dinners on Sundays. No more watching his father and his uncle have drinking contests and both failing miserably. Never seeing Lukas and hearing his comments on his distaste for certain people and things. He would never see Emil and get to watch him go through school just as he did. There would be no more sitting around a table and talking about the wild memories his father and uncle shared. There would be no more making wild memories of his own with Lukas and Emil. He would have never seen the sunrise or set with either of them as was a tradition to do on their birthday. None of it would ever happen again, and his chest felt like it was going to explode. Everything he loved could have been taking away from him if Berwald hadn't shown up.
Even with the pain in his chest the thought of Berwald was enough to make his heart skip a beat. Until of course, he thought of never being able to see him again. He felt his breath had been stolen and he couldn't breathe as he tried to push the thought away. No more evening dinners together. No more afternoons in the library sharing small passages that they both liked from their books. Awkward good mornings and good nights as Berwald tried to hug him. No mindless strolls through the garden together in comfortable silence together. It all could have been taken away from him, all just ripped apart as if it never existed.
His lips trembled and felt the hot tears sliding down his face, the evening cold had gotten to him as he felt himself shaking. He didn't want to be there anymore, he wanted to go home. He wanted to see his dad and give him a big hug. He wanted to hear the laughter from his uncle and see Lukas' annoyed look. He wanted to see Emil and hear his odd questions. He wanted Berwald to hold his hand and tell him everything was going to be okay.
Berwald glanced back at Tino and his ears became flat against his head. "Go shift, he needs you," Erik said looking at Berwald who stared right back at him. "There isn't really anything else we can do." Berwald nodded and stared at the man who flinched away from him. Erik watched his son intently, wondering what course of action he'll take but stepped back a few paces. Bisok stood still thick suspense filled the air between the four of them.
Of course Berwald was livid. This man had stabbed Tino trying to kidnap him. He could have taken to Tino to Oleo for him to do what he pleased. Or worse, he could have taken Tino to Oleo simply to die. The more he thought about it the more he his lips twitched open revealing his uneven and knife like teeth. His jaw slowly opened all the way showing that there were rows upon rows of much smaller teeth that looked like hooks all along his thinking his jaw clasped around the man and he could hear the agonizing screams fill his ears. Normally he tried to block out such sounds, but this time he savored every last drop of it. He easily tore the man to pieces with his body parts flying everywhere and blood splattered all over the stairs and his fur. He crushed the bones like twigs between his teeth and the screams had died. He stared at the large mess he created running his tongue over his teeth and lips. The familiar iron taste that he had grown up on was more satisfying than he thought it would have been.
Erik watched with blood splattering on his face but simply wiped it off with a handkerchief he kept in his pocket. He was very much pleased with how Berwald handled this and turned toward Bisok who had paled and had significant amount of blood splatter and pieces of flesh clinging to him. "We'll be taking our leave now," he said and turned walking toward Lovisa.
Lovisa sat trying to comfort Tino, having turned her back to the scene and letting Tino lean on her. She glanced up to see Erik and the dots of blood along his clothes. "How is he doing?"
"She did what she could," Lovisa said looking at Aakusta who had been swallowed by fear and sat frozen in fear. She had just bared witness to the scene and she felt like she was going to faint. "Bring the carriage around," Lovisa muttered.
Tino didn't remember passing out or much of anything after Aakusta finished healing him. He could feel the soft sheets beneath him, but they weren't his. The familiar musty scent filled his nose and the turned his face into them and closing his eyes for another moment. "How do you feel?" he heard and he opened his eyes quickly to see the seamstress Elizabeta standing over him with a wet towel looking equally as startled. "S-sorry I didn't mean to startle you."
"It's..fine," he whispered and slowly sunk back into the bed as she put the towel on his head. Now that he had been scared awake he realized his head was pounding plus his arm was still throbbing with pain.
"When did I get here?" Tino asked quietly.
"About half an hour ago," she replied. "The Duke carried you in here and left me to care for you." She was wiping dry blood from his forehead and face. "Do you mind if I touch your arm?" Tino was hesitant but slowly pulled it out from underneath the blanket he was under and Elizabeta looked over it carefully as she pushed her eyebrows together. "Do you mind if I ask who healed you?"
"Aakusta, the Lord's wife," he replied and watched as she ran her fingers over the small scar that was left. He winced and she quickly apologized.
"Do you mind if I heal you?" she asks quietly looking at Tino.
"Heal me? You have magic?"
Her mouth opened slightly and she laughed, "So I assume the Duke hasn't told you?"
"Told me?"
"The servants here, do you recognize any of us from your village?" she said as she hovered her right hand over his arm.
"No…" Tino whispered now that he thought about it. "Where are you all from?"
"We come from a small village deep in the black forest," she replied. "The village has been around ever since they banned people to use magic. Many people fled to the black forest for refuge, but only the strong survive," she whispered. Tino could feel this warm tingling sensation in his arm. "The Duke came by one day offering us jobs. Since most people in my village leave for months or years in search of jobs, this was amazing."
Tino looked at her and smiled thinking about Berwald, that was until the beast he turned into flooded his mind. His smile slowly fades and stares at the dried blood on his arm. He was more than thankful, but the creature...he wanted to know what it was.
"Everything okay?" Elizabeta asked not looking up at him.
Tino was quiet for a moment and then sighed out softly. "Do you...know what the Duke is?"
"He is part beast," Elizabeta replied. "He isn't much different than most people in my village, although his is a stronger much more dangerous type of beast."
"What kind of beast?" Tino asked quickly.
"His beast, in the wild, are very pack oriented. They can decimate entire herds of other animals in just one attack. They're appetites are ferocious and seem to be never ending." Tino swallowed a small lump in his throat and looked back at the soft blue blanket laid across him. "His beast however, is more refined. What I hear his family has been bred to be powerful, and it seems they thrive off of the blood of others. Constantly craving bloodshed and death to surround them. This makes their black magic stronger, the strongest I've ever encountered."
Tino furrowed his eyebrows, constantly wanting bloodshed and death to surround them? That didn't sound like Berwald at all. It sounded nowhere near the tall and nervous man he knew the last few weeks. "But Berwald...isn't like that," he whispered.
"He may not be, but his beast is," Elizabeta said. "It has a lot to do with the magic that runs through their veins."
Tino wasn't sure he understood, did this mean the man he has known the last few weeks wasn't him at all? That he really didn't know who he was at all? "So...what kind of person is Berwald?"
Elizabeta looked up at the distressed look in Tino's eyes. She smiled softly, "The type of magic that flows through a person's veins does not dictate who they are. Yes, he has black magic and a beast within him, but that does not make him that very thing. You've said it yourself, that isn't who he is." She pressed her arm more firmly against Tino's and he glanced at her hand for a moment before meeting her eyes. "There are people with black magic who can perform evil acts, or perform acts of kindness. Just as equally there are people who use white magic to do evil things as well as good."
Tino nodded and couldn't remember exactly what his mother had written, but it was close to the same thing she had said. He turned to Elizabeta who removed her hand, "There, much better. We'll let your body do the rest, but it won't take as long to hear completely this way." Tino thanked her and she took the towel in the bowl beside the bed and used it to clean the blood on his arm.
A small knock came on the door, "Come in," Tino called out as it opened and Berwald walked through. Tino smiled instantly and tried to sit up a bit more in bed, but Elizabeta warned him to stay laying down.
"How are you feeling?" Berwald asked walking over looking at his arm.
"Much better, she healed me a little more," she glanced at Elizabeta who just smiled back at him.
"That's good," Berwald said and cleared his throat. "Sorry, Elizabeta could you give us a moment?"
"Of course Duke," she said and placed the towel in the bowl before getting up and heading for the door.
"Oh, um Elizabeta," Berwald called out to her as she paused at the door.
"Keep an eye out, we think he may have fled to the black forest."
"Yes Duke," Elizabeta bowed her head and walked out closing the door gently.
Berwald sat where Elizabeta was and Tino smile slowly faded when Berwald hadn't met his gaze. "Berwald?" he said but he still didn't look at him. "Is everything okay? What's wrong?"
Berwald couldn't bring himself to look at him. He was ashamed. Simple as that. He was ashamed he had ever let anything like that happen to Tino. Plus suddenly shifting and scaring Tino away. He was so stupid, how did he ever think this was going to work? For the first time in so long he felt an unfamiliar burning sensation in his nose and his eyes.
"Berwald?" Tino called out again and this time shifted in bed of course capturing the others attention as Berwald held out his hands to keep him laying down.
"You shouldn't move…"
"Then tell me what's wrong," Tino said taking one of his hands. "I can't help you unless I know." He watched as Berwald hesitantly met his eyes and he realised that he was on the edge of tears.
"I.." Berwald tried to find the words to say as he looked down at the blankets along his bed. "I'm sorry. I should have never let that happen to you."
"What?" Tino furrowed his eyebrows. "That wasn't your fault, Berwald. You saved me. Who knows where I would be if you hadn't been there."
Berwald shook his head, "But it happened. If I would have just said something during dinner or just stayed home with you…" Tino held his hand tighter and as they rested on his lap. "Then I shifted without thinking...and I scared you. You backed away from me and-"
"How many people have you shifted in front of? People who had never seen you before and they got scared?" Berwald didn't answer him. "It's was natural for me to be scared, Berwald. But once I knew it was you, I wasn't scared anymore. I..I felt safer. I felt like everything was going to be okay." His head was pounding as he felt more tears collecting and ready to fall. "You made me feel safe, Berwald."
Berwald finally looked up meeting his gaze and he gently squeezed Tino's hand. "When Aakusta was healing me I just thought about what could have happened if you hadn't showed up. Never seeing my family again, never being able to do all the things we love to do together. It scared me so much." He had to glance to try and keep the tears from falling but it was no use. "And...and the fact I would never see you again." He looked down at their hands tangled together awkwardly and he wiped his eyes. "All I wanted right there and then was for you to hold my hand and tell me it was going to be okay." His voice cracked and became hushed.
Berwald stared at him and he looked down at their hands as well. He squeezed their hands together and Tino wiped his face looking over at him. Without another word he leaned closer pressing their lips together. His other hand reaching up and cupping Tino's face. He remembered the day of the wedding just how soft his lips felt, and he swore they felt even softer than before.
Tino wasn't expecting the kiss, but his eyes fluttered shut as he kissed back. His lips were warm and his musty scent filled his nose again making his entire body at ease. His hand traveling upward on Berwalds arm and gripping his shoulder. Moments later Berwald pulled away and he leaned slightly forward not wanting the feeling to leave him. He opened his eyes slowly meeting the icy blue ones.
Berwald gently wiped the tears away from his cheeks and stared right into his lavender eyes. They were the most beautiful eyes he had ever seen, and he couldn't believe he just kissed the person who had them. His face was slowly turning red although he didn't care too much. He was happy.
They both smiled at one another before it turned into light laughter.
Elizabeta stood quietly staring at the edge of the black forest from the balcony of one of many windows that decorated the ballroom. She could barely see the dull lights lights in the distance where the human town was winding down from another day. She heard something behind her but didn't move from her spot. "Any sign of him?"
"No," Ludwig responded as he had finished shifting part ways. "Everyone is looking for him."
"He might of not ever entered the black forest," Elizabeta whispered. Her eyes focused on the barely visible sunset with the beautiful hues of pink and purple bleeding into the sky. "Either way we have to stay vigilant."
"What else did the Duke tell you?" Ludwig asked standing against the railing far from the witch that stood stoically.
"He told me that the Lord plans to start cutting down some of the forest. Although, I'm not sure how that is going to happen with everything that is happening with his son."
"Are we just going to let that happen, then?"
"We'll see how things play out with his son. If he still plans on cutting down the forest then I propose we make a peace agreement with him." She turned slightly toward Ludwig and half of her face was darkened.
"A peace agreement?" Ludwig crossed his arms. "You realize once he knows we're in here he'll immediately alert the King. He'll have armies coming after us. This includes the Duke himself, lest you think that the Duke is actually our ally."
"I know where the loyalty of the Duke should lie. However, I do also believe that if we provide him with what he wants we can count on him to be our ally. He is clearly upset over what happened to his wife and we can use this to gain his trust."
"This is a risky idea, Elizabeta."
"There is no gain unless you take risk, Ludwig." Ludwig doesn't say a word as he shifts back into the large raven and flys past her. She looks down at her hands before turning back toward the sunset and the last drops of sunlight beamed over the forest she called home.
Oh my they finally kissed on their own! I really enjoyed writing this chapter and would love to hear your thoughts on it. ALSO: If you guys are into the Haikyuu fandom I have a small little 'collection' story going on. Just a bunch of one shots and what not, but if you guys want to see a pair in there and like to give me a prompt just PM me! Love you guys!