Bloody Abyss
Chapter 6
Encounter
A/N: Still focusing on my TOA fic, Bloody Abyss, more chapters to come. Sorry about the lack of updates but my comp access is touch and go. With the charming climate where I live not only is computer access limited but my ability to write hampered by the extreme weather. Kasan Soulblade
The end of the world was coming, not through Miasma poisoning, but through some flamboyant apocalyptic cataclysm. It had to be, he'd sworn that the world would end in some Score worthy grandiose manner before Ginji was right.
And Ginji was right, and the proof was right in front of him. Swearing, Asch jumped back, and the rotting thing reached to better secure its prey. The move was costly, his foot almost slid out from under him on some patch of mold, but the stumble saved him. Clawed fingers grazed the air mere centimeters in front of his face. Rot encrusted hands lightly tugged at the flared black cascot, like some diseased petitioner seeking salvation. Asch snarled, primal living ferocity though paled under the eternal disease induced hatred of the zombie before him, but where hate paled, his sword did not. With a sickening crunch steel sheared through moldy knee caps, the creature buckled under the force of the god general's attack, still reaching to rend and tear even as it fell.
Well let it rend and tear, it would probably be an improvement for the ground. Sheathing his blade Asch watched as the monster's impotent struggled. It managed half a centimeter forward, before its impotent suicidal hate made it soundlessly open its mouth and howl soundless curses.
Unimpressed Asch crossed his arms in front of his chest and snorted.
"You defeated yourself." He noted coldly, as if the creature would understand and learn from the experience... Chuckling the rogue god general shook his head. Ginji was rubbing off in a bad way if he was sympathizing so easily with the lesser creatures around him. Amused, he walked around the creature, and decided to wait somewhere else that wasn't occupied by such... noisy violent company.
X
"Meeh!"
No, it's 'bleh'." Squinting up his eyes Luke made the proper noise and stuck out his tongue. always the eager pupil, Mieu looked up at his master and nodded to show he absorbed the lesson. At a prompting nod the Cheagle wrinkled his snout, slicked back his ears, and squinted before giving out the prescribed "blech". Laughing Luke clapped his approval. It was a small encouragement for the inches high creature, but with Mieu he appreciated any scaps of "Master's" approval that he could reap. "So, when Natalia says "I'm cooking tonight," you...?" Oblivious to the hiss behind him that marked a doors opening Luke poked the suddenly wide eyed Cheagle. "Come on Mieu, we've been over this. What do you do?"
"Run away!" And with that the Cheagle made a mad dash for Luke's bed. Too small to bound up and take cover under the covers the small mouse creature didn't even try. He slid under the bed, his small claws click clicking on the steel floor of the Albiore. Laughing, oblivious to the on coming threat, the nobleman of Kimlasca birth got on his hands and knees and parted the shivering bed skirt with a hand. Poking his head through he looked at the wide eyed shaking Cheagle. "Nah, that's what you do when Jade starts walking around in that doctor's outfit of his." Cocking his head to the side -as much as his position would allow- Luke frowned as he took in the shook up Cheagle. "Mieu, what's wro-?"
"Luke Fon Fabre!" Stomping a delicate foot Natalia crossed her arms in front of her chest and huffed, an equally annoyed Tear bringing up the rear. "What in Yulia's name are you teaching that poor Cheagle?"
"Wha-!" Jerking up, he tried to whirl and face the intruders to his room. The fact he had half stuffed himself under the bed to better look for Mieu detrude that plan. Gasping in pain, rubbing a throbbing head, Luke crawled back and whirled once his head was free. He looked up at the brown clad scorer and the blue and white clad princess, a sheepish smile curling his lips. "Oh... hi Natalia... Tear..."
"We were worried." Tear growled, "You locked your door, wouldn't come out, and so we badgered Noel endlessly for her to give us the key only to come and find you've been teaching Mieu bad manners!"
Despite the former Scorer and current princess' wildly different backgrounds they found a familiar front and unified into a twofold terrifying front of two women scorned. Luke opened his mouth to say something, when Jade scenting the uncomfortable situation -much the way a shark scented blood in clean water- decided to add his tidbit. Poking his pallid face into the room the Malkuth Colonel grinned at them all.
"Really Luke, you should be ashamed." Jade waited, and right before either woman could snap at him to leave or claim he was in the right the blue clad fonist finished his sentiment, his grin widened into a full blown smirk. "Dragging both poor women into your room to propose and floundering whilst doing so."
"Propose!" Luke screamed, recoiling back against the bed and thinking of slipping under it. "Me... to Tear and Natalia. Are you crazy old man?"
Turning crimson Tear whirled on Jade, outrage for once open on her normally controlled expression. Natalia gasped, and then blinking rapidly she wiped at her eyes. "Not if he was the last man in Kimlasca Lavandear or Malkuth!" The princess flared as she stormed out of the room.
Quirking his eyebrows Jade stepped aside for the Kimlascan royalty then bravely poked his head back into the room. "Aren't you going to fix tha-"
Tear's thrown pillow caught him square in the face. Before the Colonel could counter, with comment or fonic art Tear strode across the room and with the press of a button made the door slam in his face. Whipping her hands on the front of her brown cascot, Tear's expression and manner told him louder than words she thought the encounter with Jade had been rather vile. Luke knew the feeling. Despite Luke's friendship with Jade there was something rather unpleasant about the Malkuth Colonel when he decided to take stabs at people.
Jade enjoyed reaction no matter the circumstance or form. The Colonel took pleasure when he evoked pleasure or pain in his friends. Granted Jade tried to keep the daggers out of his comments -if he didn't he'd have been attacked by everyone or maybe just thrown out of the Albiore while they were flying- but the fact still remained that he delighted in discomfiture and took pains to inspire it in those around him.
With a sigh Luke squirmed to his feet, and finally with a groan decided sliding off the side of the bed to land on the floor would do. It was hard being friends with a restrained, slightly moral abiding, sadist. Rubbing his rear Luke lolled his head back and studied Tear from half closed eyes.
"M' sorry for worrying you."
"You've been so quiet." Tear quietly walked across the room, her dark eyes combed the room for a suitable place to sit. She paused then, realizing that the small bed was the only place to rest. Pretending to ignore her discomfiture Luke checked a grin and closed his eyes all the way and just listened to her boots click against the steel floor. There was a creak; practicality seemed to overrule unease as Tear seated herself on the edge of his bed. He sat still for a long moment then chuckled and shook his head.
"I'm scared. The miasma, everything that's happened. I guess it's been catching up with me."
"You've had plenty of reason to be scared. W- You've been through a great deal. You've seen and done more than most people do in the whole of their lives..." She set her hand on his head... and began petting him? Luke stiffened at the caress then jerked away from her touch. Tear obligingly pulled back her hand and stared at it, rather than look at him.
The words came, slow, congealed by his disbelief. "Tear... were you just petting me?"
"Tear pets good, Master!" Came the forever cheerful happy go luck opinion of the Cheagle under his bed.
"N... No one asked you!" Luke roared at Mieu
"I... see you are feeling better. That's good. We'll be landing on Mushroom road in a bit and there are some last minute preparations I need to oversee." Quietly Tear got to her feet and left.
Alone in the room Luke stared at the door Tear had just walked out of wondering if he had just done something wrong.
"We're going to Mushroom Road! Mushroom Road, Mushroom Road..." Oblivious to the drama going around him the little Cheagle sang in glee and capered around in the darkness under Luke's bed.
"Yeah..." Setting his chin on his hands Luke growled. "whoopee..."
X
Had it been safer he would have gone into trance to see what was taking so long. He'd been standing in this stagnant murk for half an hour and no one had come down the path. Pacing and swearing, Asch glared at the clearest path leading deeper into Mushroom Road then back at the silver crest that towered over the oversized fungi caps and marked the location of "Luke's" Albiore.
"Ten minutes," Asch hissed, "then I go on alone. To hell with safety in numbers, Mother's not getting any better with my daw..."
Motion. Asch drew his blade and slid into the shadows offered by one of the towering umbrella capped mushrooms, he pressed his bare blade against the folds of his black cascot limiting the chance of a glint of light on steel giving him away. Still and silent, little more than a shadow, he watched the path. From the fact he could barely make out those approaching he guessed it safe enough Asch pulled the neck of his black coat up to better obscure the telling paleness of his face. Emerald eyes were like edges of knifed, unflinching and piercing they peered out of the darkness until he was absolutely certain of those who approached. Satisfied he grunted and stepped out from the darkness.
The effect of his 'magical' appearance was amusing to say the least. They came forward for a bit more, than stopped in bits and pieces. The Replica was the first to see him. In shock he stopped, and the brunette Cantor he had been talking too turned and spotted him. A flash of gold and silver sliver of steel told him the lagging Guy had spotted him and was expecting another attack in his "master". Ignoring his old friend Asch considered the others through slitted eyes. Though they were closer they weren't close enough for him to hear the woman's startled gasp of surprise, or hear what word that came out half smothered by the noise of shock. The blue clad Malkuth took one step back; sweeping an arm behind him the Necromancer took a half step back, drawing his spear out of nothingness with a gaudy show of light. Asch stared into those red eyes -or rather would have had distance permitted- and wondered to himself if the Necromancer was aware of the fact that he was standing protectively over the small Fon Master Guardian.
Ex-Fon Master Guardian rather, Asch corrected himself, after all Ion was dead. Flicking his emerald gaze off the Necromancer he stared at Anise Tatlin and let his lips curl into a mocking smile. He wondered if she was privy to his thoughts, probably not, for her expression while edged with surprise wasn't hostile. So, in all probability, she wasn't aware of his scorn. You never left the one you treasured alone, you never let them get hurt, and while his physical presence in Natalia's life wasn't plausible he had hardly lowered his surveillance over her.
Replica's were... so very useful sometimes.
"Asch!"
His smile, once mocking, turned gentle as he lifted his gaze and looked to the speaker. The only difference between the two was in his eyes, or so Noir had once told him on one occasion. Still, it was a difference he felt. A faint flush of pleasure rushed to his face, while not as apparent as blood, it reached up and lit his eyes from within.
"Natalia." He raised an eyebrow to convey his mock surprise. "Whatever are you doing here?"