Author's Note: We're starting to close in on the end of the story here, as a warning. I'm on spring break now, hopefully updates should come quicker.
The Story So Far: Hiruma Yuuya and a few others are now in trouble. Hiruma Youichi is recovering from the illness the Elders gave him while the rest of his companions wait for food.
Hidden
By: Bar-Ohki
Chapter 31: Emlyn of Ven Forest, Succubus of the Underground
Hiruma opened his eyes and stared at the blue-tinted sky. It took him a moment to realize he was looking up at the full moon and night sky through some sort of large, blue crystal. Somehow this idea didn't scare him, in fact part of him was extremely comforted by the site and the entire thing was insanely familiar. He felt tired and groggy, like he had over slept. Sitting up revealed that he was sitting in a bed fashioned out of stone and cushions. Over him someone had thrown a dark blue silk quilt that had crystal beadwork that made a night sky-like design. Hiruma was not amused to see that he was naked underneath the quilt.
"Well risen." A female voice from his left commented. Hiruma turned to see a green haired woman with blue eyes. Her facial features were not unlike his own, it made him wonder if he was related.
"Wings!" Hiruma gasped, seeing the purple, bat-like wings for the first time.
"All grown Succubus and Incubus have wings." The Succubus told him with a small chuckle. "We can hide them at will of course."
"Who are you?" Hiruma asked. "Where am I?" The questions weren't worried, just curious.
"I'm Emlyn of Ven Forest." Emlyn introduced herself. "Your aunt."
"Ah." Hiruma nodded slowly, it wasn't too strange that he had relatives he didn't know about on his real mother's side.
"You are in the Room of Moon, the Sacred Place of the Moon Mountain Roost." Emlyn answered him simply.
"…I've been here before." Hiruma commented as he looked around at the insanely familiar cave walls.
"You were born on that bed." Emlyn told him. Hiruma jerked, staring at the bed in awe.
"…How did I get here?" Hiruma asked after another moment, this time there was confusion in his voice.
"I don't know the exact details but I can tell you what I do know." Emlyn launched into a short tale of how Hiruma had been kidnapped, abused, then rescued.
"I heard that your friends drove one of the Upground machines into the melfin and shut it behind him to escape their pursuers." Emlyn finished.
"You said some friends of mine rescued me," Hiruma began, "where are they?"
"In one of the guest rooms, eating by now I presume." Emlyn answered. "We'll allow you to join them once you are done recovering."
"…I'm not better?" Hiruma raised an eyebrow.
"If I can count your ribs, you are not better." Emlyn answered pointing at Hiruma's starved looking body. For the first time since he woke up, Hiruma realized just how bad a condition he was in.
"What the hell?" Hiruma muttered, staring at the horrible state of his body.
"You'll be fine again by tomorrow morning." Emlyn assured Hiruma, handing him a plate of fruit. Hiruma examined the fruit, none of it was anything he was familiar with, but it didn't smell unpleasant and his stomach was rumbling.
"…Where's my mother?" Hiruma asked after munching on a piece of the tasty fruit.
"She went to the Upground to take care of some ladies that had accidentally gotten caught up in your rescue. She should be back tomorrow morning." Emlyn answered.
"What's in that green box?" Hiruma pointed at a green box that was on the table beside him.
"I'm not sure," Emlyn answered, "your mother had it brought up here before she left. You shouldn't open it without her permission."
"Okay." Hiruma munched down another piece of fruit. "I have one last question, do I have any other important Succubus relatives that I should be aware of?"
"Not Succubus relatives." Emlyn answered quickly. "You have full-blooded Incubus half-brother named Zork…. And your Grandfather was reborn as a familiar."
"I have a brother?" Hiruma blinked, he hadn't considered the possibility of siblings.
"Zork's with your friends right now." Emlyn explained. "He's probably taking good care of them."
"What the hell is a familiar?"
-With Zork and the others-
Indeed food had arrived some time ago. Food had come in the form of unfamiliar fruits and vegetables that Doburoku had assured everyone were edible and good for you. Zork had been presented with a cage full of live rats. The Incubus had taken out one of the rats, bit its tail off and turned the thing into a breathing, unmoving ball of flesh. Zork then snapped its neck, killing it. This was an act of mercy, as he had just eaten the soul out of the thing and it no longer had any point in living. This process was repeated until Zork ran out of rats. Everyone found the process somewhat disturbing, but said nothing.
"I wonder where Cerberus went." Yukimitsu muttered, looking out at the door to their niche.
"Grandpa? He probably has business to be done." Zork commented after a while.
"…What do you suppose Malhavoc meant?" Musashi asked after a minute. "I mean he said some herbs right before he left."
"Herbs have several meanings," Doburoku began, "it is traditional amongst elves to leave and give those around you a bit of cryptic advice in the form of four herbs."
"He gave us advice?" Kuroki was weary.
"I don't know the meanings of herbs," Shin began, "but I think it would be important to know what Malhavoc had to tell us."
"Parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme." Mamori recounted the four herbs.
"Parsley is means to ease bitterness," Yukimitsu recalled, "and sage was wisdom or strength, I can't remember. I think thyme means courage, and uhh… rosemary is love."
"The adage!" Doburoku gasped. "Parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme! It's an elfin adage!"
"An adage?" Suzuna blinked.
"Ease the bitterness you give your enemy, instead have strength and faith in your own ability. Remember who you are, and have courage in the face of what is yet to pass." Doburoku recited. "It's what an elf means when they say 'parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme' in that order."
"That is cryptic advice." Togano observed.
"Well he also wished to see us next rising," Doburoku pointed out, "which means he wishes to see us under happier, newer circumstances."
"What would the alternative been?" Ishimaru asked.
"Well the worse he could have said was to see us the next falling, that means something on the lines of 'I'd like to see you again, but you probably won't live to see our next encounter'." Doburoku pointed out. "Elves are a very complicated people."
"They don't seem to make themselves easily understood by people of other cultures." Suzuna observed with a frown.
"They live a long, long time and tend to get fairly set in their ways." Doburoku reminded them. "You can actually learn a lot from an elf you study their culture a small bit. They tend to be a lot more accommodating if you try and learn the ways of their people."
"Ah, but what do you think he meant by that advice?" Kurita asked.
"Probably to stick by the adage." Mamori guessed. "He strikes me as the kind of guy that doesn't do things unintentionally."
"He's not." Doburoku nodded.
"How could he possibly be old? He was a kid!" Taki protested.
"He may look like a kid, that does not mean he was one." Juumonji reminded the idiot. "Haven't you ever heard of a wolf in sheep's clothes?"
"Can't say I have," a male voice from the direction of the door commented, "but then again, I haven't heard the word 'sheep' before either." The voiced belonged to a tall, fair looking man with tanned skin, orange eyes with red pupils, pointed ears, and long, curly brown hair. He was wearing grey robes with a large hand bell tied around his waist. In one hand was a long staff with a small, green crystal at the top.
"Zeke!" Doburoku gasped, recognizing the new comer immediately.
"Good day, Elder Doburoku." Zeke bowed slightly.
"Who's he?" Musashi asked the trainer.
"Zeke-Mancer?" Zork gasped.
"The same." Zeke nodded his head with a smile. "You've grown a great deal since I last saw you, young Zork."
"He's a Necromancer." Doburoku explained. "A good one."
"Necro-what?" Yukimitsu didn't understand.
"You can raise the dead!?" Sena squeaked, clearly intimidated by that thought.
"I specialize in the magic of the spirits and presences of the dead that have yet to move on." Zeke corrected. "Though I can create and raise zombies, I do not practice that on a regular basis."
"Z-zombies!?" Monta gasped. "Freaky Max!"
"He's not a bad guy!" Zork protested. "Zeke's my family's Mancer!"
"Mancer?" Shin blinked, not familiar with the term.
"Incubus and Succubus don't have healing magics, they need someone like who specializes in magics like I do to heal them." Zeke explained. "It steams from their soul-eating. They ally themselves with people like me to be their family caretakers if you will."
"He gave me a blessing when I was born." Zork explained.
"I gave you and your brother two blessings." Zeke corrected Zork quickly. "But that is in the past and we live in the present. Could someone tell me where the chest full of Youichi's blood went?"
"Why do you want his blood?" Ayla demanded from her perch atop the cooler.
"I was going to use it to create a familiar." Zeke answered.
"That blood eats magic," Shin warned Zeke, "what kind of familiar are you trying to create!?"
"One that won't have its magic eaten by Youichi." Zeke answered. "It would belong to Zork and it has to have magical abilities unlike Youichi's familiar, so I'm stuck having to make it share blood with the man. When I heard that there was a pile of his blood laying around unused I thought I would try to see if I could get a hold of some of it, since that would work best."
"You're making me a familiar!?" Zork was awed. "One with magic!?"
"It was the request of the spirit," Zeke explained, "and I do not deny spirits requests if I can help it."
"Do you have consent to use the blood?" Doburoku asked.
"Ah." Zeke nodded. "You are a wiser man than me, I almost forgot the most important part."
"Who's the spirit!?" Zork asked, excited.
"You'll know later." Zeke assured the young Incubus. "I suppose I ought to wait here then."
"You're going to stay here?" Sena sounded nervous.
"I don't really want to wander amongst Succubus if I can help it, they kind of want to eat my soul." Zeke pointed out. "If it is a comfort to you, I have no intention of using any magic."
"How can we trust you?" Musashi asked.
"Because no one can use magic in this room." Zeke answered.
Mamori checked. "He's right."
"Oh."
-One very uneasy sleep later-
Hiruma woke up again, this time he was alone in the Room of Moon. Emlyn had left him some clothes and food. Hiruma quickly changed into the black pants, dark blue peasant shirt, and dark red tunic. There was a black leather belt that Hiruma quickly buckled around his waist. Remarkably, everything fit him properly.
"Awake now?" The barking-like voice of Cerberus asked. Hiruma turned and looked at his dog for the first time since he learned its true nature. Cerberus was the sprit of his Grandfather reborn in the form of a magicless dog. When in the presence of only those with Succubus or Incubus blood, could Cerberus talk in a heavily accented voice.
Hiruma simply nodded once. Part of him wondered why the hell his Grandfather had been running around acting like an uncontrolled, wild animal this entire time.
"Grab that box." Cerberus instructed, pointing his nose at the green box from earlier. Hiruma walked over and grabbed the box. It was fairly light and didn't make any noise when he shook it lightly.
"This way." Cerberus told him and began leading Youichi through the Roost. There were lots of hall ways, each weaving around in a complex, maze-like fashion. Periodically the hallways opened into large rooms that had holes all up and down the walls, where Succubus would fly from hole to hole. All of the Succubus that noticed him would stop whatever they were doing and bow their heads in respect.
It made Hiruma really self-conscious and uncomfortable. He only walked quickly, not really understanding their behavior.
"Youichi!" Emlyn called from behind him after he and Cerberus had just finished crossing one of the large rooms. Hiruma stopped and turned to his aunt, not really sure what to say to her after the conversation they had had yesterday. She had explained everything to him, about the Underground, the Upground, and about why his mother had sent him to live with his father.
When Hiruma had been born, he had gotten pretty sick off of his mother's breast milk. Quickly they realized that whatever Hiruma needed special in his diet, it wasn't coming from his mother. After a bit of trial and error they discovered he needed human food in edition to magic to survive. Unfortunately he could not eat the magic of the Succubus, so he would not survive long if he stayed among them. Lotem had chosen to follow the tradition amongst the Succubus and Incubus and take Hiruma to live with his father in the Upground. Yuuya, who hadn't even known that Lotem had been pregnant, wasn't terribly thrilled with the idea of a baby half Succubus being dumped into his care.
At the time Hiruma had heard all the news, he'd been in this state of calm. Now that he was away from the Room of Moon, Hiruma's emotions were his own again and right now, he had some very mixed feelings about his aunt.
"Emlyn?" Cerberus stopped, a little confused that she should show up.
"I just got some terrible news." Emlyn explained quickly. "…I think it will be best if we discus it before your friends."
"Why?" Hiruma asked her wearily.
"Because Zork needs to hear it too." Emlyn answered. Hiruma's stomach filled with nervous butterflies, he was about to meet the little brother he had always dreamed of having.
"Hurry." Cerberus suggested and broke off at a run. Without much thought, Hiruma chased after the dog, easily keeping pace with it. Emlyn flew behind the two.
"Why the heck is everyone bowing!?" Hiruma hissed under his breath as they dashed through another room full of bowing Succubus.
"Lotem is our Queen." Emlyn answered.
Hiruma almost stopped in shock. His mother was Succubus royalty!? What a great complication this added to his life. Cerberus made a sharp left and darted under a large curtain. Hiruma had to stop for a moment and pull back the heavy curtain slowly.
On the other side of the curtain was all of the Devil Bats, sitting around a plate of food that Cerberus had selfishly attacked. Shin Seijuro was there too, wearing one of Juumonji's away uniforms. Doburoku was there with one of Monta's away uniforms thrown over his normal clothes.
Then there was a black haired, pointy eared boy wearing one of Sena's away uniforms over a white tunic with purple pants. That boy turned and looked away from the small cage in front of him to meet Hiruma's eyes. Hiruma might have been a little more pleased to see his infamous younger brother if the boy didn't have a wiggling, squeaking, live rat hanging out of his mouth.
"Finish your fucking meal." Hiruma snapped at his brother, who just continued to stare for a minute. Upon realizing there was still a rat in his mouth, Zork quickly finished eating the soul out of the thing and killing it off.
"Hiruma!" The rest of the humans cried, leaping to their feet. Mamori was the first one there, throwing her arms around him in a relieved hug.
"Tch." Hiruma muttered, not terribly keen on the physical affection, but he tolerated it.
"Youichi?" Zork asked in a small voice, having managed to walk around the side of the excited humans to get a good look at his older brother.
"Heya brat." Hiruma reached out and ruffled Zork's hair, pleasing the little Incubus greatly.
"You seem well." Zeke commented, dragging the attention back to him. He was currently sitting on the floor, next to Ayla who was sitting on the cooler.
"What the fuck are you?" Hiruma demanded.
"An elf." Zeke answered. "And your family's personal Mancer."
"Lord Zeke?" Emlyn gasped as she walked in. "I thought you left after you released Dalboz's spirit!"
"I have a familiar to make." Zeke answered simply. "But judging by your appearance, you have something far more interesting to tell the lot of us."
"…Blake of Saintix is free." Emlyn explained. "And he's captured Lotem."
"What!?" Zork protested.
"The hell?" Zeke muttered, paleing dramatically at the thought.
"Blake is free!?" Doburoku seemed the most perturbed by this.
"Oh God no…." Ayla muttered, completely horrified by the thought.
"Who the hell is this Blake guy?"
_=_=_=_=_
And I leave you there.