Feral Legacy
By Sphinx
Author note: Standard Disclaimer: I do not, have not, nor will I ever, own Sailor Moon; you may thank Naoko Takeuchi as the real owner; her characters are just being borrowed to relive a classic fairy tale under fair use specifications. Ideas, incidents, and characters, concepts and locations in respect to anything resembling persons alive or dead and their lives are entirely coincidental.
Pairing: Usagi/ Mamoru
Summary: Usagi is a young maiden forced in exile from her home, Mamoru is a king forced into a curse, his people fearful of his legacy. Their path crosses when Usagi seeks sanctuary, what will happen when their paths cross and the maiden is confronts the beast. U/M. Alternate reality
AN Changes: To accomodate the recent glitches on the site scene changes are marked both by lines/ **** and/ or Bold text, depending on what the site chooses to utilize. This is to make it easier to read. Also Thoughts though rare will appear in Italics, when a character is talking to their self.
Please let me know if these changes help or hinder the reading experience, thank you.
Chapter 3
Separate Paths
There was very little light remaining as she readjusted her position in the saddle. The strawberry blond boy sitting behind her, giving her little room as he tightened the grip on his clasped hands under her ribs to keep his own seat. "Not so tight…Shingo, let me breath" She said in gritted teeth.
The silver blue roan stallion below them began pawing the ground, the uneasiness of the moment getting to him as he sensed the movements of his charges and eyed his normal rider preparing to mount the silver filly at his side.
"Easy Andros, easy boy." Motoki cooed softly to the stallion as he reached over to pat his neck before adjusting his own seat.
Usagi turned her head readjusting her own cloak to look one final time at her brother. "I do not want you to hand yourself willingly, keep the chase west as long as possible and than meet us at the new location." Her voice was hushed and laced with her emotion.
The dirty blond nodded to his sister. "I know I am riding the slower mount but we need to be sure you get there first. We will split here and I will try to get there some time in the next few days after the search moves to the other lands.
Usagi nodded and turned forward adjusting the reins. "Till later than dear brother, good luck." Clicking her heels and giving slack the stallion below pushed forward jumping into a brisk gallop.
"Bye Motoki" The younger brother called as he adjusted his grip leaning into his sister's back for support. The wind already hitting his sides from the pace his sister was asking the horse to set.
The sound of fading hooves behind them was enough to remind that Motoki was also headed out in the opposite direction and hopefully safety until they could all meet up again.
The village around them was remarkably well lit, for the middle of the night. The raven-haired woman and her companion walked past the buildings being cautious of anyone who might approach.
"Usually is not this place dark?"
"Raye they must be expecting someone."
"Hmm, could she already be here?"
"It is almost midnight, and the patrols have been on the hunt."
"The wolves have been disturbed by the hunters and their quest."
"They seem to be aware of several citizens roaming tonight."
"Than even we will not find rest." Raye and the blond wolf at her side came upon the taller building recognizing it as the village's inn.
Noise immediately erupted from within. Raye and her companion stood back for a moment as shouts were had in the bottom floor.
"A Bar Brawl?"
"This late? No I doubt it."
"Shall we than?"
"Be prepared to fight, Mina."
The blond wolf turned her head to nod at her companion before turning forward again, awaiting the door to be opened to reveal what they would be facing.
Raye stepped forward opening the only entrance there was to the small inn. Around her, the room was lit by several oil lamps set upon patrols tables in the bar, beyond the simple front room smelling of musty liquor and pipe smoke, simple makeshift wooden steps led to what she knew was the guests quarters.
The basic atmosphere of the tiny village in was not her concern however, as the conversations from the shouting voices were the only thing to peak her interest.
"Where is she old man?"
"I am sorry I do not have the slightest who you are referring to."
"You know who I mean, the Lady of this territory, Lady de Luna."
"We have been told to check every location of her lands."
The short older man continued to look at the intruders as it dawned on him who they meant but still retained the confusion from before. "If I knew her well enough, she would still be at home…" He continued. "It is Midnight after all gentlemen. I have no guests tonight but your noise must be waking the neighbors."
"We shall see about that, we have reason to believe she fled before High Lord Demando was to come for her." The two ruff looking guards in the Shadowmoon royal black armor began to approach the steps. "If we find you to be lying, this place will burn."
"That would be a pity, his Royal Highness loves to have his family spend time at this inn when in travel."
The guards stopped in their tracks. "Lady we have important matters here that are none of your concern, unless you are the one harboring the fugitive."
Raye grabbed her bow in and in a simple motion of pulling back the string an arrow of flame formed. "That is Princess Raye Terra of the kingdom that borders this, to you gentlemen." The Raven haired woman let go of the string watching the arrow pierce one of the men, the one furthest from her, right on its mark. The flaming arrow consumed the body of its victim while the other guard began to reach for his sword.
A growl could be heard for just a moment as a flash of blond fur ran forward, the impact knocking the sword from the guards hands as he fell on top of his flaming comrade. Screams of pain echoed across the room.
Raye raced forward drawing a dagger to silence the foe. Once the room was again silent, the raven-haired woman turned to the innkeeper. "Sir, it is good to see you again, I apologize for my late night arrival."
"My Lady you and your cousins have always been welcome." The short old man said as he attempted to bow while still facing the corpses that blocked his steps.
"It is always a pleasure." Raye smiled before looking at the corpses, the rotting flesh of the burned one having no effect on her. "Let me dispose of these guards, than I will need to ask if I can spend some time here before returning."
"Of course Lady Raye."
Watching his only family escape in the distance, the elder dirty blond grabbed the saddle of his sister's favorite filly and proceeded to lift himself over her back before swinging his other lag and fitting himself to her stirrups.
A handreached up to pat the silvery neck one last time. "Be careful High-Lord."
"Miss Haruna please when he gets here, tell him we were North visiting cousins so as to side track them longer." Do not let him learn what we need to do."
"If my life is at risk, I will gladly die or be mute to be sure you are safe."
"Please be careful." Motoki was looking down at the reddish brown haired woman that was his family's long known nursemaid.
"Keep out of trouble." she said with what strength remained in her voice. "We will try to keep the peace as best as possible."
"We hope to return as soon as we get everything cleared, and it is deemed safe."
"I look forward to serving your family with your return."
Motoki nodded turning his head to face forward once more. He knew his siblings should be several miles away at that point and he too did not have much time. Stay safe Usagi, Shingo, I will be with you again soon. Loosening his grip on the filly's reins he urged the horse forward. "Let us ride, Kallisto, and keep the enemy away from our family."
He turned the grey filly so she faced the opposite direction from where the others rode moments before and allowed her the slack necessary to break into a gallop. Motoki made the decision moments before to ride in the open, act as a decoy, only the fields of the green pastures and occasional land of wheat crop around him and the darkening sky to mask that he was even there.
They kept up the pace for what seemed several hours; around them the landscape changed to the dark of night, the fields and farms surrendering to the expanse of woodlands. The pain of riding at such speed for so long was nothing new to her however, as the daughter of a late High Lord, the kingdom required travel at all hours to fulfill requests of the Court.
It did not take long to reach the safety of the woods from the open air around beyond their home. Usagi adjusted her grip on the reins in effort to slow the stallion to a cool-down pace. "We need to navigate off the paths a bit so it might take longer." He voice barely audible above the snapping of twigs and horse's steps.
Shingo adjusted himself moving his head inches from her own allowing his voice to be clear to her ear. "How much longer?" His voice barely a whisper though heard loud and clear.
Continuing to scan between the trees before her, Usagi took a moment before responding. "I do not know for sure, it is about a half day journey to the border villages from a cantered pace."
"Where are we going?"
"Wherever, Andros takes us."
"Will Motoki be there?"
"I do not know."
"I hope he is safe."
"As do I, little one."
"Sis, I am becoming tired."
The platinum blond sighed as she adjusted her eyes to the darkness, avoiding the spots lit by the occasional cast of moonlight, the only sounds to ring around them being the random twig crushed by a hoof. She knew he was still young and not accustomed to being active so late in the night. "We shall stop as soon as it appears we are completely safe." She responded softly. "I will let…"
The sounds of crushed leaves and branches within a short distance made her go silent. She glanced around and attempted to tune out the stallion's steps, hoping it was just her imagination. "Hold tight and be quiet." Her tone was ordering yet almost a whisper. The repeated noise could be just about anything, and a ninety-nine percent chance it was something or someone she needed to avoid.
Before she could react, her horse began to pin back his ears and snort in disfavor of the surrounding, releasing her left hand from the reins she leaned forward with soft cooing and shushing hoping to settle him before he made enough noise to blow their position.
Out of the corner of her eye she caught sight of a large majestic stag leaping to her right; letting go of the breath Usagi did not realize that she held, the blond continued to sooth her mount fear momentarily subsiding. "It is alright, Andy be calm, it's safe."
For a moment her horse did appear to calm, yet a sharp noise, and painful scream brought her again to attention. Well there goes the escape plan. "Shingo are you ok?" Her voice becoming frantic as the pounding sound of galloping hooves and muffled shouting seemed to surround her.
"My arm hurts sis…" His voice soft yet treaded with pain. " I think that an arrow hit the pack."
"Hold on." She cried to him as she leaned both her and her brother forward against the stallion's neck. "Do not let go of me." Usagi continued as she gave more rein and freedom to the horse. "We shall stop as soon as we can lose them."
Nearby, out of the corner of her eye, she noticed an arrow hit a tree as they paced it. Ignoring it, the blond forced her concentration forward between the stallion's pinning ears. "Andros I know you hear me, run faster than we have ever asked you." She pleaded to the horse as still another arrow shot overhead.
Pure Adrenaline ran through her veins as she clung to both her brother and her horse, searching for any sign of outrunning her pursuers. At moments she heard that they were close and sometimes far away. All the while the whistle of the arrows was never far off.
"Lady De Luna, we know its you." Usagi began to curse under her breath, as she caught bits of the conversation as she tried to get as far as possible.
"Stop right now, we want to help you."
"She is getting away."
"Hurry, Master Demando wants her alive."
"Where is she?"
"Split up, we need to find…"
Than suddenly they were out of earshot, or Usagi blacked out, she was not sure. The voices have stopped…did we lose them? She seemed more determined now to get as far away from them as possible. The trees were a blur as they molded together, the moonlight beginning to shine to pronounce the midnight hour.
They continued on, in the silence relief in their minds as disaster had been averted. The evergreens and oaks close together and dark offering protection for them and a place to hide their foe. Usagi knew she had to be exhibiting paranoia, but she was not willing to let it control her, not when she had a mission and people to protect.
Just as soon as she regained her composure the outline of dimly lit buildings appeared in the distance.
To Be Continued
AN: Hunted down, the family had to separate. Now that she see's a village will they be safe or will the enemy be waiting in the shadows. Will Shingo be ok? Also what does Raye have planned that she has not returned home from her patrol? These questions and many more will be answered in the upcoming chapters. Stay tuned and please let me know your thoughts.