-)*(-
The stars were suspended in the night again, seeming as hard and shiny as fragmented crystals. The turbulent clouds had quickly dispersed without the aid of any wind whatsoever.
Even though it was very humid in the heavy air surrounding them, a chill over the oddity still put goosebumps up and down the kaito's arms. Warnings were buzzing off inside his head. This was no longer a place he wanted to be; him and Krad had upset something here, and he wasn't so fool hardy to believe that the entity or entities would not take action against them if they so much as talked to each other in the wrong fashion.
Which would surely happen. In about:
Three
Two
One
"Are you really going to let this disturbance interfere with our feud?"
Dark stopped searching through the ill-shaped clusters of trees and looked down into gold so bright and fierce that it cut across the distance at him. Krad sniffed, a sound that was both haughty and disgusted, as he carefully picked himself off the ground, holding his side. Standing straight, he wiped the blood that had dribbled down his chin with a wrist, pressing a few fingers to the side of the lip he'd managed to bite as he'd become acquainted with the lovely ground.
"I cannot believe you would give pause to our centuries-long disagreement for a stirring that, itself, does not understand what it is intruding in. Have you no faith in your own strength, so you let this force have its way without another thought?"
Krad stared at Dark, his eyes disapproving. Dark bristled, wanting nothing more than to continue the fight. For a split-second he almost charged, but the wind blew then, cold and as tangible as a touch of barricading arms. Suddenly, it felt as if every tree around them held a thousand pairs of eyes; watching them – waiting.
Dark couldn't explain in any legitimate enough manner for Krad why he knew beyond a shadow of a doubt they couldn't settle things here and now. Hell, Krad should be feeling everything he was feeling. Was the arrogant hunter just ignoring it all?
Dumbass!
Whatever.
Dark was completely sure an all-out battle was not an option. Not here. Not now.
Too bad Krad was backing him into a corner.
Out of eyes slightly glazed in thought, the kaito saw Krad snap his jaws firm. Dark knew better than to ever let his guard down around the maniac. Anger and retribution poured from the crazed-angel's posture.
'Dark! The answer is in leaving! We need to get away from here!'
'You say the most obvious advice, Daisuke. But, tell me, how far does this land stretch?'
'Use your wings; I'll be fine. You can fly fast enough to cover the few miles quickly!'
'That leaves too much to chance: If we take this to the sky, it will be more dangerous for us if what ever is here becomes violent; I'm more defenseless in the air, and the consequences are more dire if we fall. Way more dire.'
Daisuke mentally clenched down; both afraid and frustrated.
'There is only one way out that I see. And I'm not sure it'll work without repercussions.'
"Enough stalling, Mousy!"
Krad would not be content to stay still for much longer. In his mind, no matter the circumstance, they took priority. If Dark didn't conclude the same soon, he'd give the thief no choice but to defend himself. In fact, the thought was becoming more and more tempting – he'd force his reflection into tasting dirt; he'd feel bones crunch and grind into dust.
And then Dark's stance changed. Amethyst narrowed, muscles tensed under too-civil of clothing, and Krad knew. Determination soared before him, and trepidation had Krad both sweating and smiling savagely. He thought he heard a faint beating of drums slowly start up again, but it was lost to the fresh pounding of his own heart in his ears.
'I'm going to take him down fast, and scram the hell out of here.'
Dark lunged. Krad did the same.
They caught each other in a hand-to-hand grapple, neither giving or bending. White wings lifted high and fast, the force of which causing the kaito to slide an inch backward over the hard ground. Dark grit his teeth, locking his muscles and shaking in their stalemate of strength, just as the wings came crashing down overhead.
Dark wasn't going to release his hold to dodge – he'd just be leaving himself open for an easy attack. The wings increased range and speed, if used right.
His fingers dug into the other's hand, and with a mild jerk Dark's collared-shirt rose up in the back, splitting; releasing black wings with the force of twin jackhammers. He sent one over his head like a shield, blocking Krad's two wings from pounding. At the jolt of impact Krad rocked back. His hold was hampered a fraction. Using this chance, Dark twisted their hands, bringing Krad's wrist up. The hunter fought against it, but it was too late; Dark was already bending his hands back severely.
Pressure points screamed.
Krad felt his body giving, and his will slipping along with it, wanting to relieve the terrible pain by any means.
He didn't have long to suffer. At least, from the hold.
Just as Dark overpowered him and pushed him to his knees, the black wing that wasn't acting as a shield, struck – more elongated and harder than knuckles, as well as more powerful and aerodynamic than a fist; the hunch slammed against the side of his chest, collarbone, and partial beginnings of his neck.
Pain radiated, bringing a sound out of his mouth as he dropped. Dark's hateful face immediately floated above him, and, with it, a boot to the diaphragm. The pressure made him choke as he squirmed, trying to throw it off, grabbing at the leg pinning him. But he was still too weak from the hit; his neck felt sore enough to be broken, and that alone was making it difficult to keep frenzied thoughts collected. That simple blow could have just won the kaito everything. Everything!
Lightning danced above: The storm was back. Amethyst flashed brighter with it. Krad could see his own gold glowing as specks in those furious twin pools. The unbound emotions of theirs made him chuckle. The boot pressed harder in respite, but it no longer incapacitated him. Even where Dark's wing had caught him registered as nothing more than an annoying sting now.
Dark failed to notice the gathering energy; Krad's aura swelled unexpectedly fast, spinning like a typhoon inside his sprawled body. Dark was sure he had broken bones with his hit, probably also stabbing with the four-inch dewclaw hidden in his wing. The claw had certainly shred into the white angel's pristine attire, drawing blood in a nicely thick line nearly a foot long. It ran diagonally from the start of his neck to further outward and down his right.
But, damn! Krad's signature wasn't even blemished by the damage. Something told Dark that tonight would push their Tamers past their mortal limits.
Dark's ankle was grabbed in a single hand. It tightened instantly in a vice grip as strong as steel.
Joints popped.
He barely had time to grimace before he was held straight up, swaying precariously as if an unbalanced pole. He looked down to Krad, shocked, as the angel supported him by one trembling arm. Krad gave an unnerving show of teeth and Dark yelped as he was cracked like a whip to the ground. He crumpled, unable to catch himself against the impact, even though his arms and free leg went before him. The hit reverberated up his spine and his own elbow nailed him in the abdomen.
Dark sucked in loose dirt and coughed wetly; nearly throwing up. The clinging grit didn't want to get out the back of his throat. He needed air not rocks, damn it!
Drumming came to his ears then; louder than before, clearer, and more angry.
It was a sound of war.
They had worn out their welcome.
It was as if cold water splashed over his face and he suddenly remembered, as if waking from a dream, that they were suppose to have left by now. The plan had been to get Krad out of the picture in as few moves as possible, take Daisuke, and split. But a sickening sort of satisfaction as Krad had went down had rose and blotted out every other thought.
Even Daisuke's.
"Shit!" Dark cursed, propping himself up with all his limbs.
Three incredibly small bright orbs came spinning, hovering before him. They spun faster, barely discernible white feathers at their centers, before becoming too blinding to look at. The thief saw his shadow elongate underneath him, merging at different angles with itself. He looked behind him. Sure enough, there was one other orb there, too.
He leaped high, knowing that staying between them couldn't be a good idea, but some unseen force seemed to hook itself behind his nasal cavity and he zoomed forward, pulled before one of the many large-width trees. Dark knew it must be the magical orb's influence as he was gently lowered vertically and turned by unseen hands; his arms stretching to either side of him of their own accord and his feet crossing neatly by the ankles.
The orbs came to rest over his head, wrists, and feet.
Definitely Krad's magic – a cross couldn't be more fitting. He banished his wings before they could get crushed behind him as he was pinned to the tree.
Dark struggled against the bindings, his face tightening with growing apprehension. But it was no use – it was as if he were trapped in mid-air; he couldn't push with enough created force against the absolute restraints, not even with using the tree; as there was just enough space between him and it not to allow contact.
A spell that kept you from moving easily by leaving you barricaded without a physical barrier. If the situation wasn't such a dangerous one, he could appreciate the brilliance of obstructing the Laws of Physics. Surely this spell was a recent addition to the demonic angel's arsenal; probably gained courtesy from Satoshi's learned mind.
Krad's stark features suddenly thrust close in his sight, glowing harshly in the magical lighting of the orbs. The heat in fiery eyes turned to unadulterated delight, and the hunter's excitement spiked abruptly.
"I have you now," he whispered, coming ever closer in proximity, bringing their chests to meet as he loomed over, obviously relishing that his nemesis could do nothing so simple as shove him away. Dark cringed and snarled, but, though he tried, couldn't draw back any further.
"Bastard!"
Krad smirked, gradually extending his arm to follow down the kaito's left. When he reached the orb hovering at the wrist he pressed the warm ball into flesh, bolting his other down physically.
Dark screamed as relentless drilling turned his skin slowly until the first bit of flesh gave. Skin snapped and popped like a rubber band, tearing and revolving in the circular light. Deeper inside, it squished and cracked, bleeding in ever increasing drips as Krad continued to press it deliberately into him. It hurt so bad Dark couldn't even be thankful the tiny size of it missed the artery there.
"You will be crucified for your many sins," Krad's voice said, and his tone was as if he was trying to soothe. Dark could barely hear him; his screams turned into a wail as blood began streaming steadily in many rivulets. Impassive to the black angel's suffering, Krad noted crimson streaking through dilated amethyst as he studied the figure so much like his own.
Rain skipped through the trees above as the little patters of water began echoing across the grass and shrubs. The fresh liquid touched upon the two angels, coming harder and harder in a cleansing shower, diluting the freed red running down yielding tan, brown bark, and finally to mostly green-covered ground.
Inside Dark's mind, Daisuke's wail was more high-pitched than his own, fright-filled, and agonized.
'Daisuke! You don't have to deal with this!'
Rain came through his nose and mouth. He tilted his head back down too late – water already flooded him, making him choke rigorously. Muttering, Dark tried to ignore the pain on his left long enough to mumble an incantation. Krad saw the thief's lips moving quickly. With an amused tilt of his head and a small smile, Krad gently overlapped Dark's mouth with his free hand, though the thief shouldn't be able to do much, pinned magically as he was. It would take more magic than he was willing to use to shake the bonds, let alone loosen them.
Dark concentrated harder, trying to keep strict focus over the torture and pronounce the incantation clearly inside his head. With the blistering agony wedging his wrist further and further open, it was so much harder than simply throwing the words out of his mouth. Eventually, as the orb was finally coming to a stop halfway buried into him, Dark managed to bring a mental weaving across Daisuke.
'D-dark?' Daisuke questioned with a barely held-in sob.
'Go!' Dark commanded, and the grayish threads pulled at Daisuke. His mental figure tripped backward a few steps, then he was lifted and pulled into utter blackness.
His hand reaching towards him was the last thing the kaito saw.
The kid's presences was totally gone. It was as though the redhead didn't exist anymore. But not existing was better than putting up with this mind-numbing pain. He'd get them out of this, and then apologize for throwing the boy into such an empty void.
Krad leaned to whisper jubilantly in his ear, "How does it feel to be paying for your treachery? Was it worth siding with the damnable Niwas?" Rain cascaded down from hair and cheeks.
Trembling, Dark gradually turned his face, searing Krad with a chilling gaze, meeting cat-like eyes with defiant slits of his own. Krad removed his hand from before the kaito's lips for a reply. Dark's voice was completely steady as he answered, "Fuck you three ways with a crowbar." Loose water flew from his mouth, flung from the heartfelt pronunciation of the words.
Krad pulled away, taking a step back, his lips pursed so tightly they drained of color.
"How unpleasant," the angel muttered after a minute, scrutinizing the drenched other with revulsion. He blinked past droplets latching on to his lashes. Dark leaned forward by as far as his restraints would allow, which wasn't much – maybe an inch or two, at most.
"Let's see how you enjoy this then." Blanched-tan cheeks twitched into a passable smile.
Still leaning, Dark slowly exhaled. He drew in another breath, then exhaled in the same drawn-out way. His eyes unfocused and flicked up, down, and around as his attention was tuned in to something inside.
What was he doing?
Krad was curious, but not curious enough to see this through. He drew a feather, ready to seal his reflection's dirty mouth up once and for all, but froze as something came out from between the black angel's lips.
It slithered into the air, or it seemed to. What ever this was. It held no concrete form for itself. The falling rain passed right through it.
This thing couldn't be alive, but this thing moved like that of a large snake as it swelled. It was black, just like everything else about the angel, and it trailed like mist. But it appeared so dense, how could it be just mist?
Krad backed up before he even thought to do so, and looked at his opposite with horror.
"That is the most disgusting trick I have seen you do yet."
Dark bit down, cutting loose the suspended and somewhat writhing object from him. He closed his eyes a moment before speaking, as if he had to pause and get something down first. It made Krad feel nauseous.
"I try not to strain my Tamers by carelessly throwing magic and energy around – you don't know half of what I can do," Dark boosted in a raspy voice. What ever the called-up thing was, it must have done a bit of damage to his throat; the thought of making Krad positively sick on his stomach.
The rain stopped so suddenly it was if the flow had been reversed. Lightning lit up the sky in a blaze brighter than day. The dense mist solidified; its shadow darkening in the glistening green grass before the flash was over.
"I'd run if I were you," Dark gleefully announced, with a most dangerous grin.
Krad backpedaled fast, and as he did, he fed power into his medium. But the black thing was on him quicker than he could throw. It was no different than pure muscle as it coiled around him. Multiple times it came, wrapping closer and closer to his face each time. It strangled a holler from him as it constricted, not sparing his wings. He banished them in order to preserve them, but the sudden loss of weight threw him off balance as he overcompensated and fell to his back.
"DAARRRKKK-!" he yelled in fury, before he was cut off by his body being flattened. His vision blurred in splotchy colors; his head was going to burst. The pain where Dark had hit him became known again as it amplified. It gave a crack, and his shoulder crumpled in. Would that be the area to cave in first? Maybe bones really had broke.
"I've won, Krad."
For the final time.
Although left unsaid, the thought seemed to echo.
I hate you! Krad raged inside, concentrating on the burn of the emotion to blot out the crippling pain of his figure breaking. He gasped, or tried to. He couldn't get any air in.
The drums, which had become a constant, ignorable background noise, ceased. Nature grew too quiet. Dark thought his thundering heartbeats sounded obnoxiously loud in the sudden silence. Even Krad, struggling as he was, went utterly still.
The stars glinted hard, drawing the twos' attention as they began swirling.
Faster and faster they went, pooling together until some great beast found its structure outlined in them. It smoothly stretched an enormous paw and reached down, stepping unto a place ultimately not far from them. The creature leaped, shrinking into a glittering figure of captured night before it touched Earth. It blinked at them with eyes bluer than the deepest ocean and yowled with ferocious canines. The stars running its fur twinkled into dust, shimmering into nothing more than a shining layer of coat.
The panther raised its broad head proudly, and stared at the two angels caught in their own magics. It seemed to be offended, lecturing the two with a predatory gaze. Then it stepped close, and Dark forgot how to breathe, never mind Krad who forgot he was trying to.
All grace and power, the animal loped up to Krad, who trembled. It lowered its muzzle to Krad's mouth, and breathed. Krad's taunt form instantly relaxed as his head fell back.
He'd fainted.
"The hell?"
Krad wasn't one to lose it from fear. What had the beast done?
"Your breath smell that bad, kitty?" Dark said, quickly passing the point of caring. It had probably been sent to kill. Or maybe suck out their souls. That would be nice. Then their Tamers would never be troubled by them again.
But if it killed them...
The huge cat turned to him and hissed, its whiskers raised high and taut. It trotted up to him, and Dark had to resist the rising urge that welled up and made him want to beg and plead with what ever had sent the creature. It jumped, propping itself up on extended forearms, reaching past Dark's shoulders. The beast looked hunched over, even with as tall as the phantom thief was. It was seriously gigantic!
The cat lowered its muzzle to his face. Dark felt sweat slide down his temples, mixing with the dampness the rain had left on him. The cat opened its mouth, and breathed. It didn't smell bad at all; it smelled of wilderness and vast skies.
He tensed as there was a wrenching, then he felt more relaxed than he had in... ages. But that didn't matter anymore. He was floating free as everything pulled away and tunneled.
-)*(-
A/N: And inspiration hits! Looks like this is going to be a three-shot. Or, heck, I don't know how many shots this is going to take.
Cherokee Indians and panthers go way back. I should know, my Great Great Great Grandfather was an Indian Chief! Sadly, I really need to learn more about their customs and survival skills.
As always, review and give me some much needed fuel, please! I'm running kinda low with what all I've got going on right now. I'm especially looking for reviews grading my detailing. Is there enough? Is it flowing smoothly as it continues?
Overall, I just hope it's been good. Clicky clicky the magic little button and let my know, would ya!