Title; Fading
Disclaimer; Nope I don't own any of the Naruto characters.
Chapter - 17;
Some schools of philosophy held that Wraiths instead of being something entirely separate were nothing more than a new variation on the Gift the Gods had implemented to deal with their growing problem with rouge Mage's problem.
These people were either ignorant or simply damned fools.
The first Wraith was created entirely by accident.
The Mage's name was lost to history, having apparently been murdered shortly after his rebirth as a Wraith, but the story was well revered within Wraith orders; a warrior of impressive skill and with capable allies had made an attempt to murder Death whilst the God was vulnerable in possession of its High Priest.
During the battle both the Priest and a Mystic beneath Death were injured with the same warrior's blade before the God's sorcerer put an end to the insurrection.
The mixing of Divine blood into a mortals body and the tragedy of his comrades dying all around him changed the man, his magic faded from his body and his iris' were set on fire with his new corrupted blood.
That he then stepped through a handful of defence runes which had no effect upon him gave the God of Death some measure of confusion and as was Death's prerogative in those days he immediately had the object of his confusion slaughtered.
It would be much later when Mages began to desert their masters in droves that the Gods reflected on the old story as a source of the perfect counter for the roaming bands of Mages; the Gods however guarded the secret to the creation of Wraiths with a vicious attention keeping the knowledge known only to the highest members of their cults.
This incidentally also led to the creation of Alchemists; initially there was no need for such a variation on the Gift, a Mage had little need of a weapon or armour bearing a watered down variant of their own abilities.
The first Alchemic instruments were dangerous things fit only for use by Wraiths, unlike more modern weapons where only the blade or striking point of a weapon was enchanted ancient weapons were rougher with the entire thing blazing with whatever Gift was invoked; knifes with electrified handles, claws that would magically poison their bearer too and most impressively suits of armour covered in magical fire- inside as well as out.
It has now become common practice within Orders to attach an Alchemist to every Wraith squad leading to a close kinship among these two accidental disciplines.
Raider's morning came, that is to say nightfall.
I had thought the climb up the tower had been a difficult ordeal, the climb down however was a strange mix of blinding pain and a comforting embrace.
Sasuke had interwoven our weapon belts and I walked now with its support and a tenuous grip on the Uchiha's shoulders, his right arm was looped around my ribcage but pressed barely light enough to feel; it was there only should I slip or fall, I would be caught but the trade-off was a stabbing pain in my side and a need to check and likely re-sew my wound- a possibility I was really hoping to avoid.
"I say we last two hours." I muttered between gritted teeth as I pressed my sheathed sword against the worn concrete, Sasuke laughed darkly at my optimism.
"If my new book is right, we'll make it back to Naru. If not…twenty minutes." He replied, he held an ugly hand-crafted torch, we had reached the bottom of our climb now and in the poor light we struggled to find adequate footing on the uneven surface- each poorly judged step earned me a painful pulse from my wound, Sasuke noticed and attempted to slow our pace but I insisted otherwise.
There had been an increased gentleness in the way he acted with me since my secret was revealed, it wasn't something I minded so much but neither of us could be so indulgent in the field.
"How much further is it?" I asked with a grunt, pulling perhaps a little heavily on Sasuke's shoulders in an effort to give myself better footing.
"Close. Brace yourself." Commented the Uchiha as we stumbled upon a debris filled corridor; I may have enjoyed what came next if not for the trill of agony that accompanied it, the Uchiha dipped slightly, wrapped an arm around my legs and hoisted me upward, I buried my face in his chest as the movement antagonised my wound biting down on my right hand to keep from crying out.
Close had a way of feeling very damn far away with such an awkward wound and it felt almost as if an eternity had passed before Sasuke set me down lightly, I relished the feel of the worn wooden boards beneath me as Sasuke's fingers danced over my skin checking my wound.
"It's alright." I nodded not quite yet trusting my voice, I glanced around the room we now occupied, cobwebs covered everything and I shuddered at the sight of them, I heard the swishing of water but from my current position even craning my neck I couldn't make out the canal Sasuke had described.
There was a heavy thump I attributed to Sasuke climbing into the small rowing boat, then there was the low whistle of a blade being drawn and Sasuke returned moments later, crimson stained bandages wrapped tightly around his left hand- together we struggled to get me onto the rickety old boat, it now held the smell of blood- Sasuke's blood.
"That thing, in the swamp, it attacked you. Focused on you actually." I spoke finally breeching my most worrying thought.
One of the books we'd discovered had spoken of a property of Wraiths, that the distinctive odour of their blood repelled most Daemons- the logic being that both were servants created by the Divine but that Wraiths held a high position in the hierarchy.
"I'd been considering that too." Admitted the Uchiha, from where I lay he was out of sight now and I felt disconnected without being able to read his body language.
"Those Daemons seemed to have some form of pecking order, the giant being some sort of Queen or King. How did Rex act after we slayed the Wyvern?" I felt a shiver run through me as Rex's name conjured up the last time I had seen the man, I shook the haunting image from my mind and answered.
"He gathered trophies for Akame, and his father, claws and fangs." I answered the Uchiha's logic already dawning on me.
"So say you're a creature that doesn't place sentimental value in those things but still out to gain favour…" prompted the Elder Raider coming thankfully back into view, from the background noises as he spoke I guessed the boat had been unhooked from the pier.
"You go after the most dangerous prey. You think it attacked you then in what…a show of bravado, attacking the most dangerous prey?" I offered, it made a certain kind of sense I supposed, still it wasn't the most comforting defence.
"Hopefully none of the nocturnal creatures are such renegades." I muttered drawing a grin from Sasuke as he settled into the boat and began to row; it took him a few moments to get a decent rhythm, in fact I'm almost certain we first simply went in a large circle before the Uchiha mastered the art of linear movement.
"Should I tell Sakura?" I asked my mind drifting as the gentle rocking of the boat lulled me into a relaxed state of mind, Sasuke made what vaguely sounded like a choking noise.
"That you're not a man, maybe. About us…" answered the Uchiha trailing off, the point was obvious though, when or if Sakura found out about that the news would have to be broken to her very lightly, I felt my heart go out to the girl; I knew that this revelation could destroy her, hell would destroy her.
"She loves you. You know that?" I asked perhaps feeling the staggering effects of my earlier blood loss finally taking their toll- the question was a stupid one.
"And I love her Hanabi, just not in the way she wants…" Sasuke trailed off and was silent for a while, I had thought he had finished but after a few more tense moments he began to speak again.
"She's attached unassailably to my past, to parts that feel like they were lived by another person now. She brings me back there though and that hardens something in me…but…" he trailed off once more pausing in his rowing for a second to pin me with a weighty look, there was a silent admittance there, one that I agreed with.
Neither of us felt the need to put it into words, I know I still scarcely understood it myself, I didn't have high hopes for the unfretted Wraith to have processed what we shared either.
"Sasuke, is that?" I asked just before we passed through a small archway and over a rough bump that disturbed my wound, moonlight poured down upon us lighting up the dingy ratty quality of our vessel, crooked grey tree branches like the appendages of some deathly skeletal hand stretched out above the river and I found myself scanning them for the multi-legged Daemons.
I felt free and at the same time naked in the open air, shivering I hoped from the cold and not from anxiety.
For two hours maybe more we continued on in companionable silence, more than once I found myself drifting off into small restless dozes before awareness of my surroundings snapped me awake, usually accompanied by a painful jolt that left me aching too much to rest again, at least for a while.
Then things changed.
There was a rattle and the boat creaked and shook, in fact the whole river seemed to shake and groan as something massive moved beneath us.
Shit.
With a groan he pulled out collapsing next to me in a sweaty heap releasing a contented sigh, I tried not to let it be obvious that my own sentiments held considerably closer to disgust and revulsion at our little 'exchange'.
"That was good." I considered saying thank you for the compliment but decided against it, I suspected it'd increase my sense of taint, his hand slid over my stomach and I resisted the urge to push it away- after all I'd done so far this little submission was nothing.
"You'll help then?" I asked hearing my voice I was surprised to discover I didn't quite recognise it, there was a tremble and an edge I didn't believe was there before, no doubt this act had changed something deep inside me.
"Yeah, I'll get the kids set up in some orphanage, still sounds stupid though. They'll be picked right back up." He snarled back stepping from the bed, clearly upset that his 'prowess' hadn't had any noticeable effect upon me; he may have had a point if this were the only step in my plan.
I rolled over on my side away from the pale pudgy form of Riggs redressing himself; I'd looked in him enough to know I would have his loyalty in this, Riggs was a man filled with two things lust and stupidity but more than that he was completely absent of any kind of ambition; my promise of a return to this unhappy- on my part not his- position would ensure his aid.
If my plan was successful I'd be able to secure two charms to cover a Mystics presence- full cover would be impossible but with the charms a Gift could be coloured to masquerade as another- Sara and Orca would appear to be Alchemists still but from Oceans order not Naru's, crafting from the two was quite similar and the illusion would hold under most scrutiny.
As I finally pulled myself from the sweaty stained sheets- intent on finding myself a hot bath and scrubbing myself until either my skin came clean or it came bloody off- there came a knocking on my door, I ignored the first impulse to wrap myself in the sheets and instead just called for Riggs to re-enter my chamber.
The door opened but it was not Riggs whom entered but instead a famed Raider whom shouldn't have been anywhere near my chamber; for a moment I simply blinked dumbly at the warrior as he quickly noticed my state of undress and turned away with what I thought might have been a blush.
I wrapped myself hurriedly and called for him to turn, he did albeit somewhat reluctantly.
"Can I help you?" I asked and I was amazed to note my voice had discovered another new tone, it sounded high pitched and nervous, so much for that cynicism I had feared; he didn't speak, instead his red eyes pierced me, watching, calculating and observing every little thing in a way that made me feel still nude before him.
"You can sit, if you want…" I trailed off awkwardly as the Raider took the offered chair, I tried not to squirm awkwardly under his scrutiny.
"Riggs was in the Raiders corps not so long ago, you can trust him with anything but competence." Muttered the warrior glancing briefly at the shut door, despite myself I giggled lightly- and then awkwardly once he turned his gaze back upon me- I considered mentioning that I shared much of his sentiment but cagier instincts prevailed.
"Why are you here?" I asked some of the ice between us now broken, though I still couldn't bring myself to meet his demon gaze.
"I've got a letter for you." Was the swordsman's strange answer as he pulled the aforementioned message from an inner pocket of his shirt, I clearly saw in childish jagged print my own name painted on its front.
"Who is that from?" I asked with no small amount of confusion, of the people I counted friends- and they were few- I was certain that not one of them could write.
"Your sister." He answered in a gravelly tone, my coverings fell to my waist as I snapped forward snatching the parchment out of the Uchiha's hand, he glanced away politely as I read with an obsessed appetite.
Hinata, are you okay? They're not treating you badly are they? I'm in the castle too, I'm a Raider with Sasuke. You can trust him, he's saved my life more times than I can recall. He's going to help me rescue you too. I love you big sister, Hanabi.
It was short and strewn with spelling mistakes but given that Hanabi had only been capable of recognising her own name and a handful of other letters the last time we had been together it was impressive, I turned my gaze up to the waiting warrior and promptly recovered myself.
"What in all the damned Divine is she doing in the Raiders." I snapped angrily feeling my magick's bubbling closer to the surface…not that they would achieve anything for it bar give me a headache if I activated it on the Uchiha.
"She entered under a false name, in an attempt to gain position to rescue you." He explained, I fumed.
"That damn idiot. Why the hell would she do that, what about her job as a messenger, and a bloody Raider…" I ranted and raved I'm almost certain making little sense as I continued on muttering quieter and quieter under my breath in an increasingly shrill manner.
"Messenger job? She was living on the street before the Raiders, the first time I saw her she was little more than skin and bones. And do not call her an idiot." There was something in his withering gaze, a threatening flash that stopped me dead and reminded me that this was the man who frightened Lord Akame into submission.
I was silent for a moment, of course they hadn't held true to their word.
"She can't get me out of here." I sighed, the Uchiha shrugged and stood I thought to leave.
"Wait, I'm, you could still help me." My tongue seemed tied in knots after the warrior's berating but I couldn't pass up the opportunity for Sara and Orca's sake, I reached out gently brushing the Uchiha's thigh, once more I longed for the ability to see into the enigmatic swordsman for a hint how this ploy might play out.
"And I could help you." I offered his hand closed over mine and I felt my pulse race at the mystery I'd invited to my beds surprisingly gentle grip, then he pushed my hand away gently but with a forceful look that made me feel dirtier than I had when Riggs had rolled his fat body off me.
"What do you need?" he asked surprising me further, though the look was still in his eyes- one of disgust and I feared dislike- I shivered and began to speak in rushed airs.
"I want to get two kids out of here, can I trust them to you and Hanabi once they're out of the castle." I spoke more relieved than I would have liked to admit to see the Raiders eyes soften slightly and a degree of sympathy enter the crimson depths.
"I'll help you and I'll be back in a few days, I promised Hanabi I'd bring word from you or a letter if you wish to write one." He told me, I thanked him and begged a couple of moments to compose my response, he agreed.
Hanabi, I see you've made a loyal friend. I'm alright but I'm more concerned with you, you've become a Raider. Please Hanabi, don't do this for me, I'm watched too closely to ever escape this place but you can do me one thing. Two young children are here with the same Gift as mine, I'm going to siphon them from the castle and they could use someone on the outside. I love you too little sister, Hinata.
What else was I supposed to say, I've missed her like an arm and it's broken my heart not to be able to see her in so long but what use would it be to blabber endless in terms that Hanabi would probably have to have explained to her.
"You know I gave Hanabi my word that I'd get you out of here, I intend to keep that promise." I wondered to myself if any other man in history had managed the trick of sounding so threatening whilst promising a rescue.
"It's not a Daemon." I heard Sasuke whisper, amazingly his statement did not comfort me.
The ebony serpents head hung over me it's large gapping maw hanging slightly open but it paid little attention to me instead staring straight ahead at the Uchiha with a strange piercing intelligence; Sasuke had not yet drawn his weapons but I didn't believe that was due to fear, rather he seemed to reflect the monstrous things look back toward it.
With a hiss Sasuke drew his new lightning coated dagger from his belt- a strange choice- and the serpent bore it's fangs; I watched in abject horror as Sasuke slid the blade over his hand reopening his wound and in even greater confusion as the beast displayed an unnatural flexibility puncturing its own breast- oddly the blood that dripped from the creatures flesh was a human crimson.
"Sasuke what in Deaths name…" I trailed off as the aforementioned warrior stepped over me within arms-reach of the creature.
"It's a Dragon Hanabi." Sasuke responded reaching out and pressing his bloodied hand against the serpents blood smeared scales, the passages Sasuke had shown me earlier came to mind.
A Raider was the product of a worthy soul bearing a Greater Gift mixing their blood with a Gods; a Daemon was the product of this process failing, an unworthy soul with a Greater Gift would become a Daemon of a titan's proportion, an unworthy soul absent a Gift would become a lesser Daemon; a worthy soul however without a Gift would become as this creature was, a Dragon.
I watched silently as Sasuke pulled away from the serpent for the first time noticing that while gigantic, the creature had a far more noble appearance than any Daemon I had ever seen, there were no mutilated body parts, no horrific edifices or horrid deformities to speak of.
"It's going to help us." Muttered Sasuke, I blinked in confusion for a moment before I forced out a flat 'what'.
"It's recognised me as a Wraith of, apparently, some accomplishment or worth- though it does seems confused at my distinct lack of an order, a rank and an affinity to any of the Divine. It's going to take us up the river as close as possible to Naru's farming settlements, that part of the river is beneath the rains." Sasuke explained as the Dragon withdrew and sunk back beneath the surface, I would have almost thought him gone if not for our sudden momentum, we sailed through the current easily three times the speed we had moved at when Sasuke had been rowing.
"…Sasuke…you mean…" I half whispered pushing myself up with some pain to properly look at my companion, it was unnecessary however as the Raider had closed to distance to sit next to me, planting a light kiss on my forehead as I lay back down.
"We're making it back Hanabi." I smiled, at the thought and at his use of my name, my real name which still had the effect of lightening my heart and making me strangely giddy.
"Do you know our new friends name?" I asked, wondering what else of his Wraith lineage Sasuke may have had revealed to him through his silent conversation with the serpent.
"It's forgotten it; it was born, made a Dragon, a long time ago. I think the process took most of its memories away." Sasuke answered with a surprising amount of pity, I guess he could sympathise somewhat with such a change.
We lay together for a while, anxiously waiting for the rain that would confirm our safety.
That's it for number 17 hope everyone's enjoying, the next chapter should be the last with different timelines for Hanabi and Hinata's point of views.
If you've any questions feel free to ask them…or you know kind words are always nice.
R&R