Title; Fading
Disclaimer; Nope I don't own any of the Naruto characters.
Maxium- Can't say there's anything that inspired the story directly but I'd recommend the Malazan book of the fallen series as I'm a big fan of that.
Chapter - 11
If the most common and simple form of the gift is alchemy- the creation of power items in their Gods flavour- then the most exquisite branch of the Gift is the art of summoning Devils.
It's said that each God holds a pocket in some other world where they reside, naturally any divine kingdom requires servants to provide the God there luxuries- one assumes- and soldiers to protect against invasion from other realms.
It's within the capacity of summoners to drag and bind these Devils to the mortal world, enslaving them to their wills as unholy protectors and guardians, a mage has never been know of capable of binding more than three Devils at a time while there have been reports of lesser mages capable of summoning but not binding the Devil they chased, without the binding the Devil only possessed a short time span in the mortal world but even so short a time could be disastrous for those in proximity of the creature.
Even the most powerful Summoners faced severe drawbacks to their abilities, the time restriction to summon was greater than the restriction on any of the other mystic talents, in fact it took at a minimum several days to prepare the bindings and then a further several days on top of that to locate and trap a Devil- during that time the Summoner would be completely vulnerable locked in deep meditation.
There was also a considerable strain placed on the Mystics physical body, at a quarter of their maximum power in use the mage would suffer only minor respiratory problems and migraines, at half they would face major respiratory trouble and weakened bone structure, at three thirds of their complete power the mages legs would give out and they'd be no longer capable of handling solid foods, of course drawing any more than about eighty per cent of their life force would kill the Mystic.
In the citadel of Naru there are only six known Summoners among the Mystics, two of which were only partial Gifts; the names of the Mystics where deeply buried to protect them but the nature of their Gifts were well enough known.
The partial Summoners were of Torent Hason and Illum Baecom, Storms and Light respectively; for obvious reasons sightings of these Mystic's Devils were a rarity, in fact they were only seen once maybe every two years where by tradition the partial summoners released their Devils outside the rain to cause chaos in the Daemons ranks.
The Greater Summoners familiars were less well known as they could be controlled and hidden; Blaac Deavorr, Froesm Raets, Embass Loews and Siccus Dia- Darkness, Nature, lesser fire and Decay- supposedly each Summoner kept two Devils bound at all times, one within the castle as guard and then another acting as the mages blade.
"Why did you even bring him along then?" I spluttered lagging behind the taller man's long strides, I mentally corrected my statement as I awaited Kakashi's answer; Sasuke hadn't been brought he'd been all but forced into joining Kakashi.
"I didn't think…look what's done is done, lets concentrate on what comes next." Countered the Hatake reaching up and adjusting his bastard sword in a way that made me more than a little nervous.
"Fine, then tell me what happened?" I requested not unfairly, it was early morning and we had the street to ourselves a perfect opportunity to fill me in.
"We continued on the trail, eventually a pattern began to emerge, I noticed it first but Sasuke wasn't far behind." He began slowing the pace slightly as he noticed my trouble in keeping up.
"What pattern?" I shot impatiently.
"We already knew the killer would need sanctified ground for his ritual, corrupted grounds would work even better. The story of a scream here, blood stains found there and some strange one armed man squatting in a former nobles abandoned estate. It pointed to one place." Continued Kakashi further fuelling my impatience, I didn't need so many unnecessary details just where Sasuke was and what the danger was.
"Where?" I ground out ignoring the growing stitch in my side as my companion cut down a smaller side alley with long stirdes I couldn't match.
"The former Uchiha home." Answered Kakashi tensely before adding that I should speed up as he'd sent Sasuke on a false lead but that wouldn't slow him for long.
"Then why'd you waste time coming for me?" I asked, it wasn't for my pitiful swordsmanship that was a certainty at least.
"I came for Sakura, I needed someone to keep Sasuke together, he may take the situation badly." Explained Kakashi with an ease that didn't seem completely natural…of course I wasn't feeling too excited by the thought either, Sasuke had always been icy looks and cold tactics but somehow I got the feeling this time it would be different.
"Guess I'll have to do then." I sighed, I felt somehow disjointed from my current circumstance, there were nerves a plenty but they seemed further away than they should be, once again I felt as if I'd stumbled into a web of power far beyond my own capacities, that gave me a strange comfort- there was no pressure.
"I'll handle Sasuke, I want you to subdue the murderer." Answered the Hatake once again reaching up and adjusting his bastard sword, a nervous habit he seemed to possess that was less than comforting…I was silent for a moment.
"I'll cause distraction enough, part him from his hands and his gift will be unavailable, first the left then the right." Explained the warrior taking another turn down a familiar street, I'd heard the theory from some of the other Raiders, magical affinity was supposedly directly inverse to physical hence while most people were stronger physically with their right hands their Gift would be stronger in their left hand; it was the tactic employed by the Hunters against their most dangerous prey.
We took a turn down a familiar street, one named for my companions family but one that I likely had a deeper connection with, we passed the church I'd spent my earliest memories in and I finally felt unease begin to creep through my apathetic shell.
"Do you have family?" asked Kakashi as we continued moving through the deserted street, the rain was even lighter now and in the tight alley that passed for Hatake street we could barely feel the drizzle.
"A sister…she disappeared a while ago though." I answered tensely, I didn't want to give up too much information to the clever captain, Kakashi was silent for a moment, I suspected recalling a Gifted Hyuuga that had been brought in 'a while ago'.
"Do you have any suspicions?" he asked quietly, as we began an accent to one of the noble districts.
"I think someone might have killed her, she'd been working for the Nara family but they couldn't tell me anything." I mentioned trying to sound offhanded about the subject, like the jilted bitter Raider I was supposed to be.
"I could look into it, you're doing me a service today, I'd like to return the kindness." He offered back quite awkwardly, he wouldn't or perhaps he would and then quickly discover that the missing Hyuuga had had a girl claiming to be her sister annoying the palace guards.
"There's no need." I shot back, possibly a little too quickly, fortunately Kakashi was a little busy, he halted me with a light touch on the shoulder and we paused outside the high gates of what I assumed was Sasuke's childhood home- small fans were carved into the dark worn wood.
"The family was known for Raig Inferno's Gift and as arms dealers. Any of the high quality fire weapons you see around most likely came from them. I used to own a blade of their make." Kakashi told me pressing a hand against the wooden panel and pushing lightly, after years without care the gate groaned irritable and simply came off its hinges smacking the wet ground with a dampened clap.
I flinched feeling a chill dance its way up my spine as we stepped over the threshold and fallen gate, it's twin still hung precariously in its rusted socket.
The courtyard we stepped into increased the sense that we'd trespassed into Domos Miasma's territory within the eight feet of grey dead dirt that passed for a garden in front of the manor sat more mangled bodies and trashed armour than I'd ever hoped to see; Kakashi had stilled at the sight.
"A squad had went missing a while ago. But they had been reported leaving the citadel so I assumed…I should have looked into it further." He spoke under his breath and I only gathered the general gist of what he said, more so I felt the guilt drawing in closely around him and I knew tonight he would be Kakashi the drunken lout for certain.
"Give me a moment." I nodded expecting him to take a moment of silence, instead the Captain couched and began drawing symbols into the dirt, oddly I smelled cinnamon and felt a warm tingle settle itself in my stomach quelling some of the earlier chill; after a couple of quiet moments there was a rumble and before my eyes the bodies- or what was left of them- began to sink into the dirt.
I blinked in confusion.
"Some magick's don't take that long at all, the offensive and the defensive take hours of preparation at the very least. Some of the trivial are quick." Explained Kakashi, only the armour and weapons lay on the dirt now.
"It's not trivial." I found myself speaking not falsely, the due to the dead was of vital importance…the simple comfort that a companion would ensure you one last respect was...nice.
A thought came unbidden a moment later, would I bury Sasuke, would he bury me or would we die together- that seemed most likely, already I couldn't see one of us fighting to the death without the other at their back.
There was a heavy thud from inside the manor, then after several moments a second louder and closer than the first, then a third a little sooner, a fourth, a fifth and sixth came in quicker and quicker succession; louder and heavier.
"Prepare yourself." Kakashi ordered in a tense whisper releasing his steel blade from its holster, I followed his lead drawing my own blade and raising it into a defensive position; my arms felt as if I was moving through water, my movements felt awkward and clumsy, as always pressure seemed to lock my joints and weaken my muscles.
After a final monstrous crash there was a deathly silence for several moments, we waited in tense silence for something- the door to come crashing off its hinges, Sasuke to storm in the gate behind us, something direct.
Instead unnoticed to Kakashi a shadow seeped from beneath the manors main door and flowed down the dusty grey steps, as it crept closer I noticed it and whispered a hasty warning to the Hatake moments before the writhing shadows drew high and took a physical form.
Things moved almost quicker than I could follow as the creature lashed out at Kakashi, living shadows still seemed to dance around the beast as a skeletal hand wrapped in flaking grey skin darted from the shadow, it's seven long knuckled appendages drug into Kakashi's shoulder as he raised his blade in a strike.
Blood oozed from the puncture wounds in Kakashi's shoulder as with a twist the creature forced Kakashi's arm back and cut off his downward strike; a head appeared from the shadows shaped like an elongated triangle with ragged strips of dead skin hanging from the strange skull, three sickly yellow eyes glared in all directions from the devils skull, twin horns of a lighter shade of grey broke through its temples in a painful looking manor and chains hung from the tips leading back into the shadows.
The things mouth opened wide revealing rows of wicked jagged and broken teeth a guttural screech rending the air as it lunged forward, Kakashi managed to smash his forearm beneath the creatures jaw pushing back against the snarling devil; I raced forward lashing out with a horizontal strike into the sprawling shadows.
I struck something solid and felt the blade vibrate furiously in my hands before a sharp biting pain tore into my hands and forearms, drawing back I glanced downward, the blade of my sword had shattered and fragments had torn into my hands and forearms in a dozen or so places, I flexed my hands thankful that no permanent damage had been done.
Glancing back up I saw Kakashi- rather impressively- head-butt the creature just below one of its horns and force back the devil striking wildly with his blade- sizzling electricity twisting around the length of the blade as it arched- once before regaining his composer and darting forward tearing through the shadows and sending black blood splaying over the courtyard.
"Get the Summoner Gin!" ordered Kakashi wiping a smear of blood from his brow where he'd struck the devil earlier, I wasted no time snatching up a short sword in my bloodied grip and scrambling inside the manner as Kakashi engaged the Shadow Devil with a deathly focus.
It was smoky inside and I had to squint to see ahead, the ache in my hands strung as I gripped my borrowed weapon tighter pointing it forward as I ventured further into the darkness; after several paces the smoke lightened enough and candles lit the area enough for me to see.
It seemed to be the foyer of the home but it had been converted into living space, rags and blankets lay in one corner forming some make shift bedding, a lonely battered tin pot lay atop a rusted ancient stove a foul smell informed me that the bubbling liquid in the pot was some strange soup.
I heard a crash from the far corner of the room.
Far too large frightened eyes blinked out at me from a grubby pale face, the girl couldn't have been more than nine and stood with her hands fisted in her hair and her elbows jutting out before her in a loosely defensive stance.
This wasn't the Summoner was it?
"Help my daddy!" she shrieked after several moments gesturing frantically to the previously unnoticed man in the corner; looking at him filled me with a tingle of horror, he possessed only one of his arms, his right severed at the elbow, his eyes stared vacantly at us- blood shot with the whites stained a sickly yellow- blue purple veins bulged from his pale skin.
My mind and soul shuddered at the sight, I knew so little about the Mystics I jumped and reached for bizarre explanations, was this what the victims looking like during the process of draining their abilities, did mages make sacrifices like this to summon monsters like the one Kakashi now fought.
His chest moved irregularly and harshly but I couldn't think of a way to ease his pain, instead I recalled the fact that there was still a powerful Mystic somewhere in the shadows of this ghost house.
I scanned the room again, there was still no sign of another person in the smoky room, I pressed the girl towards her father gently and crept quietly further through the room, I passed through an archway into what I at first thought was a courtyard; in fact it seemed to be the main room of the manor, the ceiling had either collapsed or been smashed in and rubble still littered the decorative floor tiles.
I found three doors all of which had been heavily bolted and appeared undisturbed, it seemed no one had ventured further into the manor.
I was more on edge as I returned to the first room, the sounds of fighting had died down from outside but still only the one armed man and his daughter occupied the foyer, the girl blinked up at me still looking parts confused and parts terrified.
The doors shook and swung open, revealing not Kakashi nor the shadow creature but a pale Sasuke, his scarlet eyes glowing menacingly through the smoke.
"Gin get the girl away." The Uchiha snarled the command at me calling my attention back to the man and his daughter, a strange change had come over the man- his bulging veins had went down, the colour returned to his face and his eyes had regained a more natural appearance.
Whatever spell had been cast on the man had faded away, I had hope for a moment that Kakashi had caught the Mystic in an escape attempt…that it might be over.
Sasuke skulked closer and I could see now that both his weapons hung drawn in his hands, there was something murderous in his eyes, something that frightened me; he muttered lowly under his breath keeping his eyes locked on the one armed man.
"You shouldn't have defiled this place." I finally heard him snarl clearly, was Sasuke angry at this broken family for being here, he hadn't seen the man's earlier condition he could believe he was the Mystic.
"Sasuke it's okay they're-" I was cut off by the Uchiha's angry retort.
"Get the girl out of here, now!" he barked the veins in his neck bulging and his brows furrowing furiously.
"What's wrong Champion, afraid to spill blood here?" That caught my attention, I turned to the now standing man, his one hand had disappeared behind his back and the girl too had taken refuge behind him.
"Frightened Priest?" he shot the question to me and I backed up a little nervously.
"My master couldn't reach me directly but I can tell you're the ones they want." He added, I stepped back a little further at the revelation, it hadn't been coincidence that the victims had matched my physical description.
"Gin, don't move." Sasuke whispered tensely, the warning came too late however I had taken another step backward and as my foot landed a blue and purple symbol lit up the floor before an icy pain struck my legs and I felt a chill spiral up my body slicing open twin gashes in my leg and locking me into place.
"I should mention my defensive spells are active once more." Spoke the one armed man dully, I felt my teeth chattering and pushed impotently at the ice gripping my legs.
"Of course that won't stop you." It could have been the hypothermia effecting me but Sasuke seemed to shake with rage, I could see the battle in his eyes, something was holding him in check if only barely.
I tried to speak, to tell Sasuke that Kakashi must be nearby, but my words came out choppy and broken as my teeth chattered and my body shook and shivered violently, more and more the icy tendrils felt like a skeletal claw gripping me to pull me down to the underworld.
"I-I'll kill you." I could have imagined the stutter in the Uchiha's voice, and the shaking could have been an optical illusion brought on by my own shakes.
The next couple of moments passed in a blink, Sasuke took another step forward raising one of his weapons, the girl moved forward to block or stop the Uchiha causing the one armed man to release an urgent shout, a spell activated and a thin spire of ice exploded into being; I heard nothing more than my own scream- high, shrill and natural- ringing in my ears as the frozen spear pierced the girls torso and continued to stretch towards Sasuke in a silver blue flash.
The ice melted away on contact with his pale skin as blood spluttered over his shocked expression, there was a black flash from the one armed man's eyes and a dirty energy seemed to enter the room.
A deity had stepped into the room, the man laughed the familiar high toned crackle of the Shadow.
"Greetings boy." Spoke the possessed one armed man with a laugh, it was no longer the ice that held me in place or chilled my bones but fear.
Sasuke was just staring at the dead girl's body, I tried to summon the strength to shout, to snap the Uchiha out of his daze but the chill had sapped my strength away, most likely I'd been trapped in the ice too long- I'd heard of plenty of people dying from the cold before- I was probably too far gone already.
The Shadow in its new mannequin revealed the hidden knife- the Shadow had the reputation as the Patron deity of assassins- and Sasuke still seemed frozen, locked in a private nightmare brought to life by this place.
I shivered furiously and tried once more to muster the stregth to scream.
Sorry about the delay, been a little busy with things at the moment.
Enjoy the cliff-hanger and let me know if you're still enjoying the story.
R&R