Chapter 35:
Part 1:
' This sucks.'
Lee couldn't agree more with the irritating voice in her head, though she thought that the aforementioned comment was the understatement of the century. The predicament she currently found herself in did not suck. It was a disaster, a catastrophe, a...
' We are going to die.'
"Oh do shut up." Lee snapped at the voice in her head a little irritatibly. " No body is going to die."
Obviously her inner voice had no intention of shutting up. ' Yeah? Like, says who? Anyway, if we ever manage to get out of here alive remember to thank Tori for teaching you how to climb a tree.'
"Like hell I will." Lee grimaced touching her shoulders. The strip of cloth she had tied over the wound on her shoulders was wet with the blood, having done little to stem its flow and frankly she was feeling more than a little lightheaded. "At this rate I am going to bleed to death. "
She had decided to hide till help arrived. Scrambling up one of the trees that spread its crooked branches over the thick undergrowth she hid herself behind its leafy foliage. From her position she could keep a lookout for what her irritating inner voice so aptly termed as brats from hell.
Subconsciously she felt the cold hilt in her hand, her fingers closing into a fist over it. Strangely enough it gave her a sense of security. Leaning back onto the thick trunk for support she wondered how long she had been here. Was it an hour? Was it a few minutes? Or a few seconds? It seemed like ages to her, with the time dragging along in an abnormally slow pace. The jungle was quiet...
" I wonder if this is what is meant by: as silent as death?"
' Quit scaring yourself. ' Her inner voice snapped. ' We got a lot of shit on our hands already. Now quiet, I think I hear something.'
Lee stiffened instinctively. Somehow this unnatural silence had sharpened her other senses. She could hear a faint rustling in the in the undergrowth; her fingers grasped the cold hilt tightly and she sat absolutely still.
"Boo. "
Lee could not stop the terrified scream that rose to her lips. Toru crouched on the thick branch she was sitting on, bloodstained katana hanging innocently from his loose fist, emotionless blue eyes studying her.
' What ... Where ... Oh shit.'
For once her inner voice was at a loss of words. She could feel her heart thumping wildly in her chest and the cold fingers of dread that squeezed her heart.
" Where the hell did he come from?"
' I don't give a damn.' Her inner voice snapped. ' Now do something before the brat skewers you where you sit.'
Gritting her teeth she swung the dragger viciously, arbitrarily aiming it at him. Her eyes widened a little as the dagger passed through Toru with a tiny swish; it was almost as if she had swung the weapon through the thin air.
' What the hell!'
She had put the full force of her armbehind swing and suddenly she found herself off balance. For a while she found herself teetering before she fell...
' God, we are dead.'
The bone crunching impact she had been expecting never came. Squeezing one eye open she felt herself suspended in the air, legs dangling in mid air. Looking up she saw Toru hold her by the collar of her tunic.
' Yes, we are most definitely dead.'
Two things happened almost simultaneously; Lee's eyes widened a little as she saw Toru raise the katana, the flames of the torches dancing wickedly on its razor edge ... She froze vaguely aware of the ripping sound as the sword seemed to come at her in agonizingly slow curve, almost as if in slow motion. The next instant her collar gave away and she found herself free of Toru's grasp, resuming the dive for the ground. The thick undergrowth broke her fall somewhat as she crashed through it, the thorns scratching her face and hands...
' Seriously, we need a dummy for this sort of a stunt.'
Lee was eternally grateful for the carpet of dead leaves that received her when she made a rather inglorious contact with the earth. For a while she lay there, unmoving, aware of the pain that seemed to explode throughout her being.
' Get up! Get up! GET UP!'
Her inner voice screamed, but Lee found herself unable to move.
' Get up before that brat from hell pops out of nowhere again. '
Gritting her teeth Lee pulled herself up, clutching her wounded arm.
"Why must you persist on running away Lady?"
Toru kneeled not far from her, leaning on the katana, his face shadowed by the flickering lights that lit the area.
' And you thought the brat was cute.'
She scrambled up before running blindly into the forest. " Please... Somebody... Anybody..."
She couldn't sense anybody following her. Her knees felt like jelly and her wounds throbbed painfully. Panting she sunk at the base of a tree feeling tears prick at her eyelids.
"Why is nobody coming? "
' Be sensible Lee.' The voice in her head said quietly. ' This is a huge place and in case you forgot, nobody knows that you are here. I am sure that they are searching for us. Only think girl, they could be in a similar position.'
Lee paled. That was a possibility, which did not occur to her earlier. Maybe Hotohori and the others were also caught in a similar dilemma. That caused a new fear to grip her heart.
"Oh my God. What if they don't come in time? I know that I can't hold on much longer."
The bushes rustled. Lee cast a frightened look at it and pulled herself up before resuming this nightmarish game of hide and seek she found herself trapped in. She kept running wildly, resting for a while by the thick trunks of the trees, before the oncoming approach of her assailants forced her to move her weary legs. Vaguely she was aware that she was moving deeper and deeper into the forest and for a moment thought that she was being purposely shepherded to the center of the area.
Gasping for breath she burst into an open space and almost at once felt a feeling of cold dread grip her heart. Once she had thought that she had experienced fear when she watched Juon, but nothing could compare to what she felt now. The strange nauseating palpitations in her stomach increased as she took a look around the surroundings.
The forest had ended abruptly into a wide circular area. The floor was lined with some strange black material and fat columnar pillars circled it. The place reminded her of a smaller version of the stone hedge, with giant fires burning in bronze braziers atop the pillars. In their flickering lights she could see strange shimmering symbols on the surprisingly smooth walls of the pillars and even though some of the pillars were broken, it somehow managed to magnify the malevolent aura of the place.
There was a circular depression in the middle of the area. Hesitatingly she walked towards the center, bending over the pool. With a small, horrified cry she stumbled back.
' We should go.' For once the irritating voice in her head sounded panicked. ' I told you that we should have never entered this place... but nooo, you had to play...'
Lee could feel her legs shake. The dark liquid in the pool was definitely not water.
' But why keep blood? Vampires! They must be vampires.'
Lee felt nauseated and for the first time realized that the place looked more like a pagan altar than a vampire's lair. She also became aware of the shadowy shapes that surrounded her. Her shoulders sagged a little in defeat. Her doubt was correct. They had purposely herded her here, like a pack of wolves hunts a deer. She heard Leila's piping voice.
"Peek-a-boo, we found you."
OoOoOoOoOoOoO
Red greedy flames licked happily at the ship, cackling merrily as it slowly devoured the vessel casting a red glow on the night sky. Liang crouched behind the rock watching helplessly as the flames slowly engulfed the brave vessel that had carried them so far. Uttering a small oath under his breath he turned a blazing amber eye at Chulivey.
"What now?"
Chulivey was very pale. Propping her head a little over the rock she saw the Butcher waiting patiently outside the perimeter of the shield she had set up. She saw the shadowy shapes that had surrounded the ship slowly move towards where they were holed in, the flames dancing on their pitchforks. They waited at a safe distance from them, their posture similar to that of the Butcher.
' They remind me of vultures circling over a nearly dead prey...' She shivered a little before turning at Liang. "Do you have a small knife?"
Liang frowned. "A knife?" Picking out a dragger from the sash around his waist he held it out at Chulivey. "Will this do? But why do you need it?"
Chulivey took the knife from his hand sticking it hard into the soil. Bringing her hands together she murmured a short incantation under her breath. The dragger glowed sporadically before emanating a steadysoft scarlet glow. She let out a soft sigh.
"That should hold the shield for some time. " She looked at Liang. "So, what happened to the other crew members?"
"Them? Well frankly, me self think they're dead. "
"Did they attack you?"
"Yeah. But meself knew that ... Me don't get it. Can ya make any sense of this?"
"Liang when you killed the people who attacked you, did you notice anything black escaping from it?"
Liang frowned. "No. Me self was creeped when they kept blabbering about skin and ya know. " He looked over the rock. "So why's the bastard just sitting there? "
"Because it knows that this shield won't last for long. " Chulivey said quietly.
"Well, we could try reaching the mainland..."
"We can't do that. Butcher tells me that there is only one bridge joining this island with the main castle. Unfortunately for us, the bridge goes under water during high tide. We are trapped. "
"What!"
"Yes. "
"And you believe the bastard ?"
"I am not saying that I place absolute trust in what he ... it... says. But then again, we have no way of checking it out. Besides, look at how patient it is. It knows we have nowhere to run having cut off both our routes for escape. "
"Look, me self ain't disagreeing with what yer saying, but why wait for so long ?"
"That my friend, is the real question here. Maybe we should ask him. "
"Yer right. " Liang propped up from behind the rock. "Yo asshole" He pointed a finger to the shadowy figure that rested outside the perimeter of the circle. "Yeah, me self's talking to ya. Why did ya take such a frigging long time to attack us ?"
"You have no appreciation for art and your language is most unrefined. " Butcher said condescendingly."And besides I am not attacking you. I am making you a part of my masterpiece. The only regret I have is that I get only two such magnificent skins. " He sounded wistful. "Master wanted the others. "
' Master ?' Liang raised an eyebrow, a nagging sense of fear crept up his heart. "Yer master is in the castle?"
Butcher let out a mocking cackle. "So he is fanged one and he is entertaining your friends royally. "
" Me self can imagine." Liang retorted sarcastically before sinking beside Chulivey. "We're in a shitload of trouble. "
Chulivey's brow was furrowed in deep thought. She felt the Butcher's mocking laughter sweep over her like something unclean.
"Do you have no questions sorceress? Well I have one for you. How long can you keep this up ?"
Chulivey straightened, pursing her bloodless lips to blot out the pain the swept through her self, leaning heavily on her staff, looking straight into the red eyes of the creature.
"Not very long. " Her voice was collected. "But that is no reason for you to rejoice. "
Her lips moved in a silent incantation, a faint scarlet aura swirled around her form. Slowly she raised her staff and aimed it at the sky, her hair waving in the unseen wind that seemed to circle her form, still muttering the spell under her breath.
Suddenly a hole seemed to appear in the dark sky, a narrow beam of scarlet light had drilled through veil of darkness reaching down from the heavens to touch the earth. Slowly Chulivey brought the staff down. At the instant her staff touched the ground the scarlet light seemed to expand like a dome enveloping the surrounding areas in a warmveil of an almost blinding light.
Liang felt the scarlet light wash over him like a purifying wave cleansing his soul. He saw Butcher being engulfed by thelight,which seemed to melt away the darkness that surrounded them. He saw Chulivey sway and absently put out a hand to steady her.
"That was something. " He said cheerfully.
"Yes." Chulivey admitted sitting down on the rock. "Forgive me Liang, I am a little drawn. I will be okay presently. "
The light faded away and a slight haze of scarlet dust hung over the area. Looking around Liang could see no trace of the butcher. He laid a hand on Chulivey's shoulders. "Well ya toasted his sorry ass. "
Under his palm he felt Chulivey stiffen and felt the familiar sensation of something crawling up his spine. He felt something move behind him but before he could turn he felt something collide with him, the force of the collision sending him flying to land on the ground in an inglorious heap. Raising himself on his hand he saw Chulivey suspended in midair. Following the long smoky hands whose skeletal fingers curled around Chulivey's neck, his eyes widened a little when he saw just who held Chulivey.
' This ain't possible! '
The figure cackled, yellow teeth bared into a mocking hiss. "Did you think you could kill the Butcher?" The fingers closed cruelly around Chulivey's neck. "They all tried, but in the end, they all formed a part of my art." He threw Chulivey to the ground thrusting her away almost like a rag doll. "As will you. "
"Yeah ?" Liang jumped up, blinking away the blood that seeped into his eyes from the cut in his forehead. "Eat this. "
He swung the fan in a vicious arc, the leaping flames engulfed Butcher in their yellow arms. Almost instantly Liang felt something smoky leap through the flames.Instinctually he rolled away but he could not fully avoid the attack as something grazed his stomach slashing through his leather tunic leaving long gashes on his abdomen. He heard a mocking cackle.
"You can't kill me. You might as well give up. "
Something rushed past his ears. Horrified he watched the fireball collide with Butcher's stomach and pass through it almost as if it were a whiff of smoke and crash with vicious force on a rock face behind him.
"This ain't fair. We can't hurt the asshole but the bastard can hurt us ?"
Butcher gurgled. "Nothing is fair fanged one. You destroyed all my skins, was that fair ? However your skins will be suitable compensation. "
Liang felt Chulivey limp up beside him. To his surprise she was smiling.
' We're up against an enemy who we can't seem to touch and the woman is smiling? Hmph. Women !'
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' Do they never tire ?'
That was the first thingwhich occurred to Faraco as he felt something sink into his flesh. Pain exploded through his being as he cut through the rotting hands that gripped him. Nothing mattered to him now except the call of the smell that beckoned him urgently. The smell of blood ... Lee's blood.
' I have to reach Lee. She needs my help.'
Letting out another roar he finally broke through the group that surrounded him landing in the narrow marble hallway on the other side of the garden with a graceful leap. Without stopping he raced through the silent hallway like an arrow. Half way through the hallway he turned his head once; he saw the rotting corpses standing at the edge of the garden hissing angrily as if unable to follow him. Their tone had changed, wavering between supplication and anger...
' It would seem that they are unable to get out of the garden. But this is not the time to dwell on that; I have to find Lee.'
It would seem that there was some justification to Menesku's suspicion that there was something very wrong with the place. He too had felt something similar, but that doubt had been brushed under the carpet by the enchanting beauty of Fa sang. Now that nagging feeling had returned once more, clawing with redoubled force at his gut. It was a feeling of fear and something else that he couldn't quite identify.
' It is almost as if I feel that I don't belong here. But that will be an understatement ...'
The smell of blood got stronger as he passed through the arched entrance pausing in front of the forested area that lay before him. Blood seeped from the numerous wounds in his body dripping on the marble floor and Faraco was vaguely aware that his bloodlust was taking over. Shaking his head he pushed back the beast that clamored for the kill, wanting to sink its curved talons and dismember the fool who had dared lay a finger on his Lee.
' Get a grip Faraco. Remember, in a situation as desperate as this, you must never let your emotions rule you.' Faraco bared his sharp teeth into something resembling a grin. ' Damn, I sounded just like Menesku back then.'
With a graceful leap he climbed up one of the trees that had raised its leafy head near the perimeter of the forest. Crouching slightly in the shadows of the foliage his fluorescent yellow eyes took a stock of the surroundings.
' This ... jungle...' Faraco could not stop the low growl that rose from deep within his self.
All his instincts urged him to put his tail between his leg and run; never before had he been so repulsed by anything and the worst part was that he was unable to identify why the icy fingers of dread gripped his self in an almost paralyzing grip.
He saw broken columns rising through the thick undergrowth almost like a remnant ofsome forgotten civilization, in places he saw walls, crooked trees rising at odd angles from the cracks in it, burning braziers placed strategically on the columns cast a melancholy yellow light on the surroundings. He raised a soft triangular nose and tested the air.
' Lee.' The smell of freshly spilled blood almost overcame him. He turned his eyes towards the direction where the smell was strongest.
It seemed to come from the center of the forest. With another graceful leap he climbed upwards. Now that he had much better view he understood that the entire forest surrounded a ruin.
' Lee ... I know she is there. ' He landed softly on the ground. ' Hold on Lee. I am coming.'
He raced through the forest like the wind, desperate to reach the smell that seemed to call to his very soul, a smell that seemed to snap the last vestiges of control he had on the beast.
' I am here.'
He could see the fat columns circling a small area and was disturbingly reminded of a temple, an altar dedicated to the elusive evil that hung like a malevolent cloud over them. He stalked ahead moving silently like the predator whose shape he had assumed, his golden yellow eyes fell on the female who seemed to be frozen in the middle of the area, anger filling his veins like molten fire when he saw the vicious red fluid seeping from her torn tunic and sensed the fear rolling off her self in waves.
' Lee!'
With a roar he leapt out of the bushes and landed in front of her, baring his teeth, his savage growl warning everybody to stay away. Looking around he only felt surprised seeing exactly who had attacked Lee.
' The children attacked Lee? But why ?'
OoO
Lee saw the panther leap out of the bushes and land softly in front of her.
"Faraco!"
She was no expert in animal behavior, but the taut muscles, the savagely bared teeth, the warning rhythm of the tail, all indicated that Faraco was in a particularly aggressive mood. Her legs gave away under her and suddenly the tears that she had tried to keep at bay flowed from her eyes like a string of pearls. Impulsively she threw her arms around his silky neck.
"Faraco." She buried her face into the fur sobbing. "I ... I thought that nobody would come..."
Faraco growled, a low reassuring sound that calmed her. Raising her head she felt the tiny rivers of blood that covered his otherwise smooth pelt.
"You are wounded !"
' Of course he wounded you stupid girl.' The voice in her head snapped. ' This shows that I am right. The only reason the others have not been able to reach you is because they have also been attacked.'
Lee ran her hand over the numerous wounds that covered him. "Oh Faraco ..."
Faraco turned an yellow eyes towards her, keeping his ears cocked in the direction of the children and Lee was sure that if he could speak then he would say ...
' Don't worry Lee. I am here now, everything is going to be all right.'
His presence somehow gave her the reassurance that they might yet get out of here alive.
' And to think, I thought that the only one I would have to fight was that awful Black Warrior, though there is no way of knowing whether he is behind this or not.' The voice in her head mused.
She saw Leila move forward, her dead eyes rested on Faraco. "Oh look Toru, such a pretty kitty. Will you play with us kitty ?"
Faraco crouched, teeth bared in a silent warning. ' They make me uneasy. I wonder why I had not felt this before. Probably because I was not in my animal form and therefore unable to detect anything with my sadly inefficient senses.' He saw Leila moved forward and let out a threatening growl. ' Kitty ? I will show you kitty.'
Lee felt Faraco stiffen as Leila moved forward.
"Faraco, listen ..."
Faraco jumped, his talons extended, eyes fixed on his prey. However he seemed to pass right through Leila as if she were nothing but an image of smoke landing with amazing cat like agility on the other side.
Lee shrugged. "I tried to tell you Faraco. I have tried. I can't seemed to touch them. "
Faraco leaped again, once more skidding to a halt on the cold floor, his vicious attacks amounting to nothing.
"Bad kitty. " One of the children spat, swishing the whip he held with an unnerving accuracy leaving a long violent gash on his velvet skin. "Bad kitty needs to lean manners. "
Lee froze somewhat sickeningly reminded of the first time they had met Menesku. Then Faraco had risked his life for hers and now he was doing the same thing all over again, except that she now knew that Menesku would have never killed Faraco, but here ...
' This is the one reason I told you to opt for the archery club. But noo... ' The voice in her head sounded frustrated. ' Now you have nothing to do but stand here like a silly heroine and watch the hero fight. Say, while you are at it why don't you say: Oh Faraco in a dreadfully simpering manner.'
"Oh shut up." Lee watched horrified as the children ganged up on Faraco who was fighting a rather lopsided battle. " None of them are attacking me. It is almost as if they know that if they kill Faraco then I will be of little threat."
A small, terrified scream rose to her mouth when she saw Toru's katana dig wickedly into Faraco's flesh. Faraco let out a roar of pain collapsing in a heap in front of her. Lee rushed to him sinking beside him.
"Faraco !"
Faraco tried to get up, Lee could see his legs shaking, before he gave a pained grunt and sank to the floor again.
"No! Faraco!" Lee felt Faraco's chest heave under her palm, her salty tears mixing with his blood. "Faraco..."
"I guess the kitty learned its manners."
Looking up she saw Toru impassively rub the blood from his face and point the katana at her. "Now its your turn. We will teach you to play nicely."
Lee's eyes blazed as she thrust her arms protectively around Faraco. "Don't you dare come any nearer. "
"You are a mean lady."
"Back I say. " Her voice was panicked as the children closed in around her. " BACK!"
She felt the hair fly from her face, a strange unknown energy filling her veins as a bright scarlet ki erupted from her hands and rushing over the area like a wave.
' Cool!' The voice in her head was awed. ' We have powers!'
When the light subsided she saw that the children no longer crowded her. It would seem that the sudden ki blast had thrown them away from her.
' Hey maybe they're dead.'
She saw them move and sit up.
"You are a mean lady."
"Or not."
Their stance was much more aggressive now. Toru moved a little ahead.
"We will teach the mean lady a lesson."
' Oh yeah ? Blast them Lee!'
Lee raised her hands calling forth the power once more. Nothing happened, not even a tiny frizzle at the end of her fingers.
' What ? It was a one-time thing? A fluke ? Oh shit!'
Lee looked up, panic seizing her once more. "Oh shit indeed. "
OoO
Every time he had been wounded when he was in animal form heusually always reverted back into his human form. It was a miracle of how he still managed to retain his animal form even after being so wounded. Perhaps all those hours of training had paid off after all., though how they were going to survive this was a real question. His limbs no longer seemed to support him and there was no strength in his body.
' I don't really care if I die. But, I have to save Lee.'
He struggled to get up feeling Lee throw her arms protectively around him and her irate words.
' Don't worry Lee. I will protect you.'
He was fascinated by the enormous power that emanated from Lee washing over the area.
' Or maybe you will protect me.'
He saw the children get up from where they had been thrown, not asingle scratchon their bodies.
' This is not right. It does not make any sense.'
He felt panic and fear roll of Lee in waves as the children neared. She raised her hand once more but the power that she had exuded not a moment earlier seemed non-existent, almost likea figment of imagination. He struggled to get up once more.
' Think Faraco, think. Brute force will not win this battle.'
And then it hit him like a ton of bricks.
' I don't smell anything!'
The wind carried his smell and the smell of Lee, but he could smell nothing else. Not the trees or the children, it was almost as if they were standing in a sterile environment.
' That's what made me uneasy. Nothing around me is of Nature. Is this then an illusion? Are these children illusion ?'
It was then that he sensed it. Another smell that hung in the air faintly, a strange combination of burned and rotting flesh combined with the smell of the dirt and bones ... and the smell of evil ...
' Ah. I think that I have found the puppeteer of this show. I will give this one last try.' The sign on his chest blazed scarlet as he lunged once more.
OoO
Lee saw Faraco struggle to his feet.
"Faraco."
For a while he seemed to stare at the blank space in front of him ... and then he lunged aiming his attack at the thin air!
' The poor boy has lost his mind!' The voice in her head gaped.
"Faraco, what do you think you are doing ?"
The words were hardly out of her mouth when a pained screech filled the area. Her eyes widened horrified as a trickle of dark putrid blood seemed to pour out of thin air. All at once she could feel the air around her come alive, filled with sobs and pained cries.
"Let me go..."
"Please I want my mother..."
"Don't kill me ... please ..."
Ghostly fingers touched her face as the sobs tore at her heart. The pool in the middle of the area churned and she could feel the voices crowding around her. She saw the childrengang uparound Faraco again as if trying to keep him away from the invisible creature that Faraco attacked.
"Help us..."
"Let us go..."
"Free us..."
Faraco was still fighting the invisible creature, sharp claws tearing wounds in the thin air, cleverly avoiding the attacks the children aimed at him.
"What is going on here ?" She looked around wildly. "What does this mean ?"
She heard Faraco let out a triumphant roar as his claws finally found its mark. Horrified Lee watched the air slowly solidify into a shimmering shape, wobbling like a column of mercury before a dark dye seemed to spread through its volume. It looked like a man, tattered robes covering its skeletal form, the hood hiding half of its white drawn face, black chafed lips gurgling dark blood, skeletal fingers desperate to stem the flow of blood that erupted from the fatal wound in its neck.
For a while it seemed to grapple blindly as if unable to believe that it was dying, before its body slowly turned to dust, carried away by the idle wind, scattered in the four directions. The children stopped attacking Faraco, their tiny bodies turning to dust as well.
The pool of blood in the middle of the area churned. Instinctively Lee stepped back. She saw the dark fluid melt away into a shimmering blue liquid that seemed to swirl like a whirlpool before tiny wisps of light shot out of it shooting around the area like shimmering fireflies. Turning she saw that Faraco had transformed back to his human form, he was sitting at the base of a pillar leaning on it for support, a strangely satisfied smile on his face.
Their gentle blue light lit the area and Lee could hear the happy laughter of children fill the place and small chubby hands touch her face fleetingly.
"Thank you. "
She recognized Toru's voice.
"Now we can go to our mommy and daddy."
Several small voices piped up around her.
"Thank you. "
"You killed the bad man..."
"Now we can go ..."
Gay carefree laughter echoed around the silent forest as the tiny wisps shot up to the heavens disappearing in its dark veil.
"Lee. "
Turning Lee ran to Faraco kneeling at his side. " Faraco. "
Faraco raised his battered face to smile at her, slowly lifting one of her hands to his lips. "You are safe Lee." His voice was tired. " I ... will sleep now." His eyes closed of their own volition.
"Faraco?" Lee paled, shakinghim alittle "Oh God ... Faraco ? "
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' This is most interesting. ' Chulivey watched the fireball she had thrown pass through the Butcher as if he were made of nothing but thin air. ' Hmm... I wonder.'
She heard Liang shout irately.
"This ain't fair. We can't touch the asshole but the bastard can touch us!"
She heard the Butcher's mocking reply.
"Nothing is fair fanged one. You destroyed all my skins. Was that fair? However, your skins will be suitable compensation. "
Her lips curved into a slow smile as she limped up beside Liang. Out of the corner of her eyes she saw Liang cast an incredulous glance at her.
' I suppose he is wondering how I can possibly smile in a situation like this. Well, neither do I. But ...'
Keeping her eyes fixed on the Butcher she addressed Liang. "What you see in front of you Liang is something we cannot touch. "
Liang gaped. " What !"
Butcher gurgled, strange bloodlust apparent in his eyes. " You are wise sorceress. I shall grant you a quick death, one quick chop. "
Black shimmering dust frizzled at the tips of the curved silver nails solidifying into a long chopping knife, similar to ones that butchers used in the slaughterhouses.
Chulivey's smile deepened. "However, this is also not the real Butcher, this is only an extension of his self. "
There was an almost imperceptible stiffening of the Butcher's shoulders before the teeth parted in a good-natured guffaw.
"Sorceress, you amuse me. "
"Do I now ?" Chulivey had not missed the slight stiffening of the Butcher's shoulders. She knew she had hit on the truth. ' Up until now, I thought that such creatures were myth... Oh well.'
"Look Chulivey." Liang cut in. "What are ya trying to say? I know yer stressed and all ..."
"Only think Liang, the sunlight warms us, ripens our fruits, dries our clothes; but, can we touch it ? No. We can only feel it. "
"And ?"
"Where does the sunlight come from? It comes from the blazing ball of fire in the sky. What I am trying to say is, we cannot harm this creature in front of us because it is non corporeal; however, it is my belief that it owes its existence to a very corporeal form ..."
Chulivey had yet to finish when she felt the Butcher rush forward, his knife coming towards her in a terrible momentum. She saw Liang move like a flash in front of her putting up the iron fan and catching the blow.
"Ya mean to say that this thing's gotta body. "
"Yes."
The butcher lunged again. Liang moved cleverly stopping the vicious attack yet again.
"If we kill the body, we kill the bastard. "
"Yes. "
"Cool. "
Liang vaulted out of the way of yet another attack.
"So, where's the body?"
"It has to be somewhere on this island. " She bit her lip. "But ..."
"Well then we gotta find it. I want to beat the fucking daylight out of this skin-stealing bastard. "
Butcher moved again, more viciously this time and Chulivey could understand that each of Butcher's blow jarred Liang's hand. Liang could not attack knowing that his attacks would amount to nothing. Consequently he was left with no other choice that to defend himself. Chulivey saw the sweat trickling down his brow and knew that he was tiring.
' The body must be somewhere here because I am sure that it cannot go onto the main island. But where ? I've got to find it quickly. '
Suddenly she felt herself violently wrenched off the ground, long talons carelessly holding her around her neck threatening to cut off her supply of air.
"Back!" The Butcher snapped, brandishing his knife at Liang. "Or do you want me to chop off your friend's head? " He laughed mockingly. "I thought I would make your death quick, but your foolishness will cost you dearly. I will make sure that you are still alive when I slowly unravel your gut and hang it out to dry. "
"Fuck you." Liang growled. "Let her go. "
"Don't be silly fanged one. Of course I will not let her go."
Chulivey could feel the talons sink into her neck raising a trail of blood in its wake. In the red flickering light of the burning houses she saw the frustration on Liang's face.
' When will I stop being the damsel in distress? How do I end up in these situations. How...' The flickering light cast dancing shadows on the Butcher's blade, its shiny edge reflecting the headman's house that burned merrilylike a torch.
" Thank you so much for your hospitality Katsu." Chulivey bowed. " I hope we are not causing you any inconvenience."
"Not at all my lady." Katsu favored her with a toothless smile before turning to his eldest daughter. "Mina, kindly show them to their rooms."
Mina moved ahead, a cheerful smile on her plump face. " This way please."
They followed her into the house. Mina opened a low wooden door and motioned them to enter, smiling at Liang. "This is your room. Ask me if you require anything."
"Thank ya." Liang bestowed a stiff and uneasy smile on her. "Hey, what's that?"
Following Liang's direction she saw a rather quaint structure standing alone in a narrow strip of land that jutted out from the mainland. It drew attention because of its structure, quite different from the structure of the houses around the dock. It was a columnar building, a sad remnant of a magnificent piece of architecture.
"Oh that?" Mina shrugged. "Its only the old lighthouse. It used to be much taller in the ancient times, when Fa Sang still maintained relations with the outside world. There used to be a huge brazier on top of it and it was lit at night to guide ships to Fa Sang through the fog."
"So..."
"What happened ? Well, legends say that once Fa Sang was attacked, the intruders destroyed the lighthouse. Now all that is left is that ruin. "
"I ... am a bit curious." Chulivey said quietly. "In the ancient times people from all over the world came to Fa Sang. But then, all mention of it vanishes. Why did Fa Sang isolate itself ?"
"Why ?" Mina smiled, pointing at the lighthouse. "That is why."
Chulivey gritted her teeth, snapping out of her thoughts. ' How could I have been so stupid? He practically threw it in my face.'
The fingers still held her by her throat, the intention was to cause her pain without killing her. She concentrated. A shimmering veil of light circled around the Butcher, solidifying into a shining crystalline net. Abruptly she found herself free, landing ingloriously on the ground massaging her throat.
"Are ya okay ?"
Chulivey grabbed Liang's hand. "The lighthouse, Liang. I am sure the body is there."
Liang straightened. "Let's go then."
"No. I can't run with this arrow stuck in my foot. I'll stay here. "
"But ..."
"Never mind me Liang, just do it. I am not going to die so easily. "
Liang nodded grasping her shoulders briefly. "Yer okay. " Turning, he sprinted off into the darkness.
"You are a fool sorceress. " The Butcher roared unable to break out of the crystalline net. "Do you think this can harm me? "
"That was not my intention. " Chulivey grinned. "I am merely trying to contain you. One cannot touch the air, but bring a suitable vessel and you can trap it. You are after all, negative ki. So I though positive ki should hold you in check. Interesting, isn't it?"
"Contain me ?" He hissed. "But for how long ?"
"Long enough. "
OoO
Liang sprinted through the darkness, lit only by the wicked flames dancing on top of the burning houses, his feet hardly making any sound on the soft grass. He wondered how long Chulivey would be able to hold that creature.
' Not for long. That's why me self's gotta wrap this up quickly. '
He could see the lighthouse rise like a looming shadow in the distance, malevolent and forbidding.
' And to think that meself never gave this place a second thought.'
He paused at the darkened doorway, aware of the strange crawling sensation up his spine, a feeling he always experienced whenever he sensed the Butcher nearby. There was also something else, the overpowering smell of rotting flesh hung in the air and for a while Liang wondered why neither he, nor Chulivey had smelt it.
Then he remembered the haunting fragrance emitted from the strange creepers that covered the roofs forming a curtain over the doorways and hanging strategically over the windows. It was laden with small white flowers whose smell he had found to be both beautiful and a trifle overpowering.
' Sufficient enough to mask any other smell. '
He took a deep breath and stepped inside. Almost instantaneously the nauseating smell of rotting flesh seemed to overpower his senses as did an unknown fear, which seemed to grip him in an almost paralyzing grip. The room was pitch black and somehow he dared not move from his place near the door.
The burning houses in the distance caused narrow beam of light fell through the doorway, hardly diluting the concentrated darkness inside, but in the flickering light Liang saw a brazier at corner of the room.
' Well since everything else seems to be in working order.'
He swirled his fan. Red-hot flames leaped out of it, kissing the brazier, which burst into life. When its leaping yellow flames lit the room Liang stepped back instinctively, horrified by the scene that unfolded before him.
' Damn.' He could feel his heart thumping hard.
He had always considered himself brave, but stepping inside this room filled him with a horror and fear he had never experienced. The room resembled a macabre slaughter house, dried blood caking the once white marble floor with narrow rivers of freshly spilled blood running along the cracks in it, strips of flesh hung along the walls, some fresh, some rotting; almost like the shop of a demented Butcher displaying his wares; a pile of bones were strewn all over the floor, some white with age, some relatively new, with the half eaten flesh still covering parts of it.
' This is one sick son of a bitch.'
Gingerly he stepped inside the room, suddenly conscious of the evil that seemed to exude from every nook and cranny of the room. He grimaced as his feet splashed slightly on the pools of blood that had collected on the uneven floor.
' Chulivey said that the body is here. But where ?'
Looking up he could see the dark sky through the broken floor that now served as a roof. A winding staircase used to lead to the upper quarters, but now it was broken, decorated with macabre cylindrical strips whose dubious origin Liang did not want to investigate.
' This ain't gonna help. Where ...'
Liang felt the hairs at the nape of his neck rise, but before he could turn he felt something curl around his leg wrenching him off the ground and thrusting him with a vicious force into the wall. Liang crumpled feeling his ribs break.
' This is certainly gonna leave a mark.'
Groaning he looked up, amber eyes widening a little. The pile of skulls at the end of the room had suddenly come to life, the amorphous creature seemed to heave a little with long fleshy tentacles waving in the air threateningly.
' Now that's disgusting.'
He saw another tentacle coming at him. He rolled aside only to he pulled off the ground by another fleshy appendage that seemed to shoot out of the formless mass.
' This sucks.'
Gritting his teeth, he swung the tessen, red-hot flames licked at the tentacle that held him. A long pained screech filled the room and abruptly Liang found himself free landing on the ground in an undignified heap. Hastily he scrambled to he feet instantly taking a defensive posture.
' That ... is the butcher? Ugly!'
The tentacles lashed viciously at him, coming down on the ground with crushing force.
' Well looks like me self pissed him off royally.' Liang chuckled, gracefully avoiding the fleshy appendages. 'What can me say? Glad to oblige.'
Suddenly all the tentacles rushed forward as a mass catching him hard in the abdomen, curling around his girth like a python and lifting him off the ground into the air. The creature waved him in the air like a rag doll thrusting body with bone crunching force into the wall. Liang felt faint, the collision had made him feel as if every bone in his body had been crushed. Before he could catch his breath he felt himself hurled into another wall.
' Oh shit!'
The tessen felt from his suddenly limp hands and the Butcher's amorphous body seemed to gobble it up in its enormous tentacles. Through the haze of pain that seem to cloud his being Liang felt himself being lifted into the air again and instinctively knew that the Butcher was going in for the kill.
' No sicko jackass is gonna kill this guy.' Liang gritted his teeth to shut out the pain that send sharp shooting sparks through his body. ' Ya think that the tessen is the only card I got up me sleeve? Well, think again.'
He concentrated and waited. The tentacle thrust him down on the floor, hard enough to jar him, but not enough to kill him.
' Yer penchant for causing people pain is gonna cost ya yer life.'
Almost at the same instant Liang touched the ground, it seemed to rumble as his aura spiked rapidly. Suddenly sharp spikes shot up from the earth impaling the amorphous creature on its rocky razor edge. A long reverberating screech seemed to fill the room as dark putrid blood erupted from the many wounds that the rocks inflicted. The creature thrashed violently in the throes of death before becoming limp and still.
Coughing Liang sat up wiping the blood from his mouth. ' Am I cool or what ?'
He saw his tessen sticking out of the fleshy mound. Stepping forward he picked it up and for a moment felt the flesh twitch a little.
"Hmm. Just to make sure ya stay dead." He swirled the tessen, letting the leaping flames engulf the formless mass licking at it greedily; the fat in it burning with a cackling sound.
Suddenly he felt nauseated, turning he limped out into the fresh air. The night air felt cool on his face, squinting his eyes he saw a solitary figure making a somewhat halting progress towards him. His chafed lips parted into a smile.
' Chulivey. '
OoO
Chulivey watched Liang sprint off into the darkness before turning her attention towards the Butcher. To her surprise she found the Butcher's teeth bared into a silent laugh. She tried to keep her eyes impassive, free of the fear that she felt creeping up her spine.
"Do you know the problem with nets Sorceress?" His voice was mocking. "It has holes."
Chulivey's eyes widened as he let out a low mocking chuckle.
"You said something about the air sorceress... Yes, it can be trapped in a suitable vessel but it can also leak out through the smallest crack in the vessel. "
Almost instantaneously his body seemed to morph into a mass of shimmering black dust leaking out like a malevolent fog through the mesh of the net.
' Suzaku aid me.'
The formless shimmering dust particles rushed at her like a small whirlwind catching her across her stomach, the force of the collision lifting her off the ground and thrown aside like a rag doll. Pushing the hair from her face she instantly realized where the shadowy whirlwind was headed.
' The lighthouse! Liang!'
Her injured leg made it a trifle hard for her to scramble up, from her prone position on the ground she concentrated. A translucent shimmering scarlet wall suddenly seemed to rise from the ground extending into a closed dome shaped structure over the entire settlement. The shadow crashed on the wall only to be violently repulsed.
A frustrated and angry roar filled the area and despite herself Chulivey felt the hairs on the nape of her neck rise. The swirling dark particles once again took Butcher's shape before moving like a flash, his long skeletal hand lashing out like a mace catching Chulivey across her face before she could try to defend herself. Whirling she fell coughing blood.
"I am creature far older than you can even comprehend. " One long shadowy leg came up and kicked her viciously in her stomach. " Do not think you can harm me. " Bending down he caught hold of Chulivey's brown tresses and roughly struck her on her face. "I shall have your skins for my collection." He raked a long nail over her face, leaving a trail of blood in its wake. "And your flesh for breakfast. "
Chulivey chuckled through bloodied lips, fuelled by a strange recklessness that she did not know she possessed. "That is a nice dream, but we will kill you before that. "
Butcher gave a howl of rage picking her up like a rag doll and her throwing her into the shield she had created. She collided against the shield with a sickening thud collapsing at its base. The shield frizzled but held true.
' Suzaku knows that when I mastered the several variations of the shield spells I had meant to keep the enemy outside it.' She blinked away the blood that seeped from wicked gash on her forehead. ' I never thought that I would have to use it to trap the enemy inside it with me. Oh well... desperate times call for desperate measures. '
She could feel him move again, but before he could attack her he stopped, almost as if held back by an invisible string before his mouth opened in a long pained screech. Her lips curved into a satisfied smile as she saw him rush at the shield desperate to break it.
' It would seem that Liang has finally found his other half. Well Chulivey, you were correct. Now heal yourself before he directs his anger at you.'
Her mouth moved silently as a warm scarlet glow engulfed her healing some of her wounds.
' Well, this will have to do. I could never master the higher level healing spells. Anyway, I hope that Liang wraps it up quickly, because Suzaku knows I can use this only twice.'
Just as she thought Butcher turned his blazing eyes towards her. "You fool. " He spat. "You will die for your impudence. "
She shrugged. "Yeah right."
The Butcher rushed at her hardly giving her any time to gather her wits catching her by her neck and pushing her into the shield.
"Not so tough now, are you?" His fingers closed cruelly around her neck. "I will make your death as painful as possible."
Chulivey felt herself thrown at the other side of the clearing crashing into the wall once more. The shield frizzled. For a while she wondered how she still managed to remain lucid even after the haze of pain that clouded her senses.
' Well I am not exactly normal am I? I am a seishi and no ... thing is going to kill me.' Gritting her teeth she concentrated.
A shimmering shadow formed in front of her, a warrior who seemed to be made of scarlet ki stood in front of her, as if poised to defend her against the Butcher. Chulivey pulled herself up, her face pale and eyes set with concentration.
Butcher rushed forward only to be checked by the ethereal warrior, his scarlet sword cleverly parrying the Butcher's every move. Sparks flew as the blades connected and only the dull clash of steel resounded in the area. Chulivey felt herself tiring, this spell needed a lot of ki to maintain and she realized that she would be unable to keep this spell up for long.
' Liang, I hope that you are somewhere near your goal.'
She sunk to the ground panting, the warrior flickered like the dying flame of a candle and died out. Raising a tired eye she saw the Butcher smirk, slowly raising his knife.
' Goodbye Liang.' Her shoulders sagged a little. ' Now its all upto you.'
She closed her eyes waiting for the blade to swish down but the attack never came. Squeezing an eye open she saw the Butcher teetering, eyes dilated in some kind of mute horror, mouth parted in a silent scream as green flames licked at its shadowy body till nothing remained.
Chulivey grinned. ' You go Liang !'
The air around her was cool and sterile, free of the evil that nearly suffocated her. She could see her staff lie at a distance. Crawling slowly to it she pulled herself up.
' Liang.' She limped towards the lighthouse, the light of the burning houses fell on a single shilloute outside it. Happily she waved her hand. The figure waved back.
' We won!'
OoO
"Ya don't want to go in there. " Liang looked at Chulivey who hesitated at the mouth of the lighthouse. "Me self toasted his ass. He is dead."
"I ...will be fine." Chulivey smiled at him tiredly before limping inside.
"Oh man." Frankly he did not want to go inside that hellhole again. But, Chulivey was inside and ...
He was about to go inside when Chulivey stumbled outside, her face very pale. "Excuse me." She bend over the grass and was violently sick.
Liang awkwardly patted her back. After sometime she straightened casting a sheepish glance at him.
"Sorry about that."
"Its okay." Liang shrugged. "I told ya not to go in there. He was one sick son of a bitch."
"I know that." Chulivey said quietly wiping her mouth. "But that was not why I went in there. I had to see something. Did you notice that even though some of the skulls were quite old some were relatively new. "
"So ?"
"Think Liang. Ships disappear in the Devil's circle. Sometime they turn up, the crew missing, signs of struggle on board ..."
Liang frowned remembering what Mina had said ...
' Why?' Mina pointed at the lighthouse.' That is why.'
Now he understood that he held a dual edge.
"Wait, that means this shit has been going on for centuries. Something about this place being attacked, me thinks."
"That is not the point here Liang. The point is that the Butcher has been here for centuries. Anyone, who apparently belonged to this island must be aware of its existence."
Liang paled. "Shizimi ?"
Chulivey pursed her mouth.
"But we met him at Nobu. He led us 'ere. Ya mean to say he purposely omitted to say anything about this shit. "
"Yes Liang. I think that he purposely led us into a trap." Chulivey bit her lips. "It just doesn't make sense. If he never led us to Fa Sang, then we would have never found this place. He volunteered his services to us purposely leading us into a death trap. In fact,now that I thinkabout it I feel thathe went to Nobu with the specific purpose of luring us here. The whole shit about him being a slave and all ...I think it was just to make him somewhat... credible."
"I dunno." Liang said dubiously. "It seems shitload of work. Why lure us 'ere ?I mean if he... anybody wanted to kill us, why go through all this trouble ? We could 'ave been easily ambushed in Nobu !"
"Yes. " Chulivey looked into the sea. "It doesn't add up, does it ?"
OoOoOoOoOoO
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