Okay, now I know that I haven't been in touch with everyone since late summer, but I'm getting myself together for more writing will happen soon after I get my Internet connection back again. So, without further ado, here's the eighth chapter of Synchro Beast, Crimson Rose!
Chapter 8- Chronicles of an Enemy's Foundation
~15 years ago; ten years after the war became a standstill...~
With many of the village's cottages still being rebuilt after the siege of the north, the Legion was starting to become worried since their western allies have not reported anything new since the end of the centuries-long war that cascaded many fatalities and causalities within humanity's boundaries. Nobles were becoming scarce and they needed someone they know that can be trusted to travel to the western lands in hopes of finding out what truly happened. However, some of them were not very happy of risking the lives of civilians for a scouting mission.
It had also been quite the many years since retaining the only survivor of the vamporants out of her true identity. All of them agreed that until she was skilled enough to defend herself, she was required to pick a hunter from the Hunter's Academy. In terms of the academy, many of them were speculating on the issue that by the time that the village was restored, the number of vampire hunter graduates would be severely low.
"Although I cannot say that this has been the most peaceful years that we had, the reality is that we have lost so many of our veteran hunters, including our top female huntress, Sherry Leblanc." Odion said.
"I agree; but also the mere factor that all of the vamporants have been killed expect for the one that was saved during the siege has severely damaged our intelligence department." Mina added.
"Something must be done for the sake of our village's future!" Jacob insisted. "While guarding the last of the vamporants is of the utmost importance, we must also decide of how we are to obtain more hunters to guard her for the years to come."
"But, what if someone were to discover her identity?" Ishizu questioned. "What would become of the fate of humanity should the vampires come back to slay her and reignite the war that has grown into a cold standstill?"
"All information on her will be strictly guarded; we will have to enroll all the children of the veteran vampire hunters into the Hunter's Academy sooner than expected rather than letting them enroll on their sixteenth year." Pegasus responded.
"Onto other matters," Lucianno said, switching the conversation around. "The western lands have not responded to our communications even before the war grew cold. It bothers me to know that the village was also home to several high-ranking vamporants; alongside the best medical knowledge that humanity has have for years."
"Risking the last of our veteran hunters is not for the feint of heart; neither is sending any of our civilians towards the western village that would provide us any closure on the subject." Jacob stated.
"We have two options, my Legion followers." Pegasus inquired. "Should we send a vampire hunter towards the western lands to scout the area, all vampires will automatically sense that very presence; outnumbering and slaying him before he even strikes. Should we send a civilian, the odds of them being discovered is minimal; but is truly risky for fear of them being turned into one of our enemies."
"But, what kind of civilian would take that daunting task if we did decide on sending him or her into western territory?" Odion asked.
"I have a very good intuition that our scout for the Legion will be one that is truly desperate to save one of their own flesh and blood." Ishizu predicted. "Let us send our guards to all of the cottages within the vicinity to determine if my intuition is correct."
-Midday at the Wheeler residence...-
"Ma, you need to stay in bed!" Joey argued. "You're in no condition to make us lunch when your body is heading into a critical state!"
"Joseph, I'm competent enough to make my own decisions." His mother countered back. "It's been years since your father left this household and someone has to take care of my two children for their well-being!"
"Ma, I'm twenty-eighteen years of age! I can take care of me and Serenity's needs!" Joey contradicted. "That illness that you took after the old man's death nearly paralyzed you for five whole years! You realized how much that this is hurting Serenity more than you think?"
"Your sister was traumatized that night when your damn father tried to rape her; do you think that I don't know my own daughter's pain? Remember, I was only fifteen when I had you!" His mother counteracted.
"Look, you have to stay in bed for the good of your health. Doctor's orders!" Joey ordered. "Don't make me have to get the asylum notice so that you can get the rest you need. I don't want to be backed into a fucking decision that Seren won't be proud of."
"Fine; if you have to put it that way, I'll head back to bed." His mother sighed. "I can't bear to look at my daughter when she's in tears."
"Trust me, ma. It's the same thing for me as well." Joey said.
It was yet another never-ending squabble between Joey and his mother as it approached high noon in the village, with the youngest of the family at her friend's home. Issues dealing with the matriarch's health were always brought up, and the concern of Serenity's well-being was also questioned as Joey sat down to look at this month's bills as well as his earnings report. With his mother's alternative medicine becoming too expensive to even afford, they had to cut back on a lot of things, including the food budget and had no choice but to start borrowing money from villagers. He had to do something to get the medicine quickly if his mother has a chance of any survival.
The sound of banging on his door got Joey on high alert, as he approached with a wooden staff in his right hand ready to hit the tax collector or whoever was at his door.
"Who the hell is it?" Joey called.
"Hey, Wheeler! Open up this damn door! You're late on your payments!" a gruff voice bellowed.
Oh God, not him, Joey thought. Now he wished he opened the door without asking and hit the guy standing in front. He turned the knob with the staff still in his hand and glared defiantly at the man, wearing the guard uniform indicating that he was here for someone.
"The fuck you want, Ushio?" Joey barked.
"Is that how respect someone of higher authority?" Ushio argued.
"Higher authority? Don't make me laugh! You've been a pain in my ass since the academy ten years ago! I haven't forgotten what you did to me back then!" Joey said.
"Why you son of a bitch!" Ushio shouted.
"Ushio, stand down!" Alister ordered.
"Oh, look! You brought you man-wife with you!" Joey mocked.
"You fucking bastard!" Alister yelled.
"Must you two always be this way to our civilians? I highly remember that the guards were the Legion's top offensive army and were the most attentive towards those in need." Goodwin said.
"Sergeant Goodwin!" Alister said. "This civilian was bad-mouthing us and we had to straighten him out!"
"Not the way that I see it." Joey chuckled.
"Before you two get into anymore arguments," Goodwin interjected. "Mr. Wheeler, the Legion requests your attendance at once."
"What for?" Joey barked. "I got my mother to take care of, and a little sister to pick up! If you bullshitters don't mind, I got bills to pay and mouths to feed!"
"Well, your payments could be cut in half if you're willing to participate in a mission that requires a civilian's skills." Goodwin insisted.
"...What kind of mission?" Joey asked suspiciously.
"That's not in my authority to tell you, Mr. Wheeler. If you wish to hear about it, make your way to the Legion's headquarters before sunset today." Goodwin inquired. "Now, as for you two miscreants, it's time to depart and head back to the missionary."
"Don't think you're off the hook, Wheeler!" Ushio said.
"Fuck off, Ushio! You'll never get your revenge today or any other day! You and your man-wife!" Joey shouted.
"Bastard!" Alister yelled.
Slamming the door in contemporary fashion with fury on his mind, Joey slapped his right hand on his forehead to think over the options of what he was going to do. With the mounting debt coming into light, he had to take any extra jobs to earn the rest of the money, but he was already exhausted from the three jobs he was taking to cover as the breadwinner of the family since his drunken father passed away five years ago from alcohol overdose. Plus, his mother was already incapable of working in the condition she was in. Letting his younger sister work at this early in her years was completely out of the question, since he swore upon his soul that until she was old enough to handle herself, Joey would protect her at all costs.
But, on the other hand, whatever mission Goodwin was blabbering about could pay up enough to cover all the medical bills as well as half of the budget. Joey wasn't too keen on the Legion's assessment of all the necessities and laws of the village since the siege fifteen years ago, but the chance at reducing the debt his family has now was too tempting to resist. If he did do this mission, who was going to take care of Serenity while he was gone?
'As much as I hate the Legion, this mission could provide the money needed to pay of all these fucking bills.' Joey thought. 'Better talk to Seren to see if she understands the danger that I'm about to head into. Maybe I should also talk to Placido to see if he can keep her for a few days.'
With his mind made up, Joey left his home to see if his old academy pal could understand the situation that he was in. If not, then he'll have to settle leaving his sister with their ailing mother until his return. Hopefully the trip that he'll make could actually lead to the medicine that his mother so desperately needs.
~At Amy's cottage home, an hour later...~
"Let me get this fucking straight; you want me to baby-sit your sister for who knows how long, all because of the offer the Legion's giving you?" Placido questioned Joey.
"I only want you to watch over her for a few days." Joey said. "My ma's not gettin' any better since we had to cut costs for the rest of the expenses, and if this very mission the Legion's offering could lead to all those medical bills being paid off, I wouldn't have to worry about borrowing money from the rest of the villagers that are already struggling to get their damn lives back together since that war ended."
"Look, I known you from the academy days years back. You never trusted the Legion from the start, and neither have I. But I'm stuck having to do small jobs since that western vampire bitch turned me into one of them." Placido stated. "The money I'm earning from those jobs are covering the month's rent; I can't be able to do my hunter duties anymore since I was labeled as a flight risk to the other hunters' safety. All I'm saying is that you be careful with whatever job that damn Legion is giving you. It could end your life way before you know it."
"I know, Placido." Joey said. "Besides, how are you taking control of yourself with that demented beast dwelling inside of you?"
"Amy's working up a suppression spell she discovered during one of her lessons three weeks ago." Placido said. "However, placing upon someone of my caliber is sort of breaking a few... boundaries..."
"Are you fucking serious?" Joey whispered. "Hey man, that's taboo from what I know back then. You two can get executed for even doing that."
"Not if she's giving her blood indirectly. The girl knows her loopholes very well. It's the only way right now to keep the beast disciplined until Amy finds a reversal spell to get this beast out of me." Placido remarked.
"-Sigh- So...you'll take care of my baby sister, right?" Joey asked.
"Whatever." Placido grumbled.
"That's your answer to every question I asked to you. Some things will never change, will they?" Joey chuckled.
"Just go talk to your sister, pal, before I blow a cap in your ass." Placido said.
"Grumpy, much?" Joey sighed.
After convincing his old academy pal, Placido, to watch over his little sister until he got back from the mission he was bound for at their request, Joey collected his thoughts to think of what he could say to his baby sister. As if on cue, his sister came running into the cottage with her friend, Amy and rushing up to him with her arms open to hug him.
"Hi, big brother!" Serenity said. "Did you come to pick me up?"
"Actually, sis...I need you to stay over here for the next several days." Joey said.
"You said only a few days, not for several days!" Placido argued.
"Why, Joey? Is Mom getting worse?" Serenity asked.
"The Legion's requesting me to go on a trip that I don't know about, but it could lead to getting Mom better treatment and most of our bills paid." Joey said. "I know that I said I wouldn't leave your side until you were old enough to work around the town, but money is getting tight and I need some high-paying job that I could do until I get back. Think you can be good until I get back?"
"Yeah!" Serenity said. "You'll come back safely, right?"
"I'll do my best to keep that promise." Joey said.
Before he left, Joey passed a message to Placido.
"Hey man. If I don't come back, just promise me that you'll look out for Serenity, got it?" Joey asked.
"You're saying like this may be the last time you'll see your baby sister." Placido said. "It's best if Amy looks after her; no point in me getting all into your family business and such."
"Fair enough." Joey said. "Catch ya on the flip side, Placcy!"
"I told you to stop calling me by that fucking name, dammit!" Placido shouted.
~Three days later...~
'Stupid fucking Legion! They had to send me to the western lands instead of sending their trusted guards and hunters. I gave up the hunter business to take care of mom four years ago, and yet they had the audacity to threaten to take away Seren if I didn't do this mission!' Joey thought, angrily. 'What's so important over at the western lands that they wanted me to investigate? I know that the medicine for Mom's illness was over there, but why would they send a civilian over a hunter? Whatever information they what me to get might take longer than expected, but this all for Seren's sake!'
After three days of unlucky weather and close calls with nature, Joey finally arrived at the western village, which he was awestruck at the damage that was caused over the years during and after the damage of the war. Every cottage was charred and almost burned into the ground, skeletal bodies scattered within the distance. As he treaded slowly into the ghost town, he saw hunter relics that belonged to the hunters that fought against the tyranny of the western vampires that attacked the village years ago. He stopped in front of the medical lodge, and opened the door to see almost every remedy thrown onto the floor, the jars cracked from explosions outside.
He looked around for the medicine that his mother required; hoping that something was left unharmed in the carnage and to his luck, a few bottles of the special medicine were still in tact. Suddenly, he started to hear footsteps from outside and being unprepared for whatever was about to come, Joey grabbed all the bottles and double wrapped them to ensure coverage from breakage and lowered himself from view to hear three western vampire guards searching for anything unusual from the wrecked village.
"Why the fuck do we have to go searching for the abnormal stuff in this ghost of a village?" Rex complained. "Knowing our status, we could be plotting our grandest plan to get rid of the mortals once and for all!"
"You know very well that the queen desires no activity around these parts until everything is set for the final battle between the vampires and mortals." Misty said. "Many of our comrades have fallen to the accursed hunters they set upon us, and many of our kin were slain in the midst of the war. I cannot forgive those damn mortals for taking my little brother away from me!"
"At ease, Misty." Dartz commanded. "Two of the sacred books belonging to the most powerful vampires of all time are now in our possession, and it won't be long before the deity of the undead has arisen again. Mylomti, Cresahan and Dilao...to think that these vampires feared Solirais centuries ago that they had to seal the most forbidden spells to contain his release; such a shame."
"Why do you think that Queen Tèa sealed the northern grand vampire using one of those forbidden spells herself?" Misty inquired.
"Should the grand vampire find out that the former western lord was preparing to break the seal of the most dangerous beast to ever roam the universe, he would declare war on the western lands immediately." Dartz said.
"Stupid mother-fucking Marik! He gets to screw the queen as much as he wants, while we have to deal with his goody-two shoes brother Malik!" Rex shouted.
"Your lack of meals is making your mind delusional, Rex." Misty said. "The queen decides who will be in her chambers for the time being until she gets what she wants."
"...Stop." Dartz commanded.
"What for?" Rex barked.
"I sense something off in this section of the village; we are not alone." Dartz said.
"A villager is still alive after all that carnage years ago?" Misty asked.
"The aura is different...A spy from the northern lands is upon us!" Dartz declared.
"Yay for fun!" Rex said.
'Shit...I'm outta here.' Joey thought.
Throwing a garlic grenade from his satchel outside the broken window, a greenish cloud enveloped through the streets, prompting the vampire guards to become paralyzed from the smell and leaving Joey enough time to run past them, with his arms holding the medicine tightly close to his body. Curse the Legion for not giving him enough time to prepare to fight off any vampires he might have encountered on this trip; it was just like them to withhold information! He was halfway near the western border, when suddenly blades of air struck his entire body and fell straight to the ground with the bag sliding into the bushes. It looks like the grenade's effects didn't last long enough to give him sufficient time to escape across the border to avoid any confrontation with the vampires.
It was just a little further, he thought, and he could see his sister once more. Then, the vampire guards arrived to deal with him and Joey couldn't even move since his legs were incapable of moving.
"It's been such a long time since I killed someone." Dartz smirked.
"You always get the first kill! I'm taking this one!" Rex argued.
'Damn, and I was really hoping to keep that promise...' Joey thought.
Just before anyone even began to strike, a silver blast struck the closest person near Joey, with his body becoming nothing more than ash and the other two awestruck of what just happened. A burst of wind gusted through the leaves and a blonde woman adorned in purple landed with a defiant glare on her face.
"Valentine!" Misty sneered.
"Misty..." Mai snarled. "I thought you damn western vampires already dealt with all the mortals in this part of the lands. Why are you dealing with a northerner?"
"He must have came from your castle!" Dartz shouted.
"You two better get on your own way; my powers can instantly kill a vampire, and reinforcements are on their way." Mai said. "And Misty...I haven't forgotten to settle that score five years ago. I'll get that fucking head of yours either way."
"Hmph..." Misty snorted. "I'll be the one to take that head of yours when our fight is decided."
~Present Time...~
"After those guys left, that woman Mai got her medical team to heal my wounds, but I lost too much blood after they finished. She told me that I'm have to become her mate if she wanted to save me." Joey explained. "I placed the satchel that held Mom's medicine where someone could find it, but I couldn't return to say goodbye to my only baby sister."
"Did...Ms. Valentine knew about me through your memories?" Serenity asked.
"Err, yeah. Vampires all have that type of power to read people's minds and find out about their deepest secrets." Joey said. "Right now, I don't have those sort of powers yet; I just can't bare these very facts that there's nothing I can do to protect my baby sister."
"I've been fine these past several years; besides, it's best if you go right now before the hunters come by here." Serenity insisted. "I can't lose the only person that I cherished for so long in my lifetime."
"Yeesh, how many oils do they put in that crappy repelling stuff?" Joey scoffed.
"You have no idea..." Serenity muttered.
As her brother departed into the darkness once more, she couldn't believe that he was still around in this world after all these years, but could never be with him since he became one with the mortals' worst enemy. Serenity truly wanted to be with Joey, but the only way to do that was to enter the same path that Amy has gone through: cross the threshold into the world of vampires.
But, what about her mother? With her health still deteriorating from the lack of medical care, and the mounting debt still needing paying off, Serenity needed someone from the outside that can perform at the proficiency she wanted so that she could be reunited with Joey. Who could she find that'll help her in the most crucial part of her life?
'I can't believe that Joey's still alive after sixteen years being apart from the family, yet I can't be together with him because he's a vampire. Mom doesn't know anything about what just transpired here tonight; letting her know now will just put her health in jeopardy again. In order to be with my brother again, I'll have to enter the point of no return and head inside the world of vampires.' Serenity thought. 'Maybe I should talk to Amy about who I can trust and avoid the Legion completely.'
~Several hours following the departure, at the northern castle...~
"Boy, you got it completely bad. You really want to see your sister even after your body just became accustomed to the sun last week?" Mai asked. "You said that you didn't want your sister involved in this crazy shit that you just happened to get mixed up in."
"Yeah, when I got the chance to finally tell her what happened since that day." Joey responded. "Damn, and I was really planning to give her the vampire blood that could save my mother from dying so she could keep an eye on Seren."
"You know very well that it'll turn her into a ghoul; the oils that affect normal vampires and vampels can do severe damage to a ghoul." Mai stated. "You'll need to perform an unison spell to make sure that they're not affected so that the hunters wouldn't detect them."
Inside the room that he shares with his vampire-wife Mai, Joey held his head down after leaving Serenity at the village due to the smell of the oils irritating his thoughts and body. With the story of his disappearance now in closure, he needed to think about how he was going to help these vampires deal with the western lands becoming home to one of the most dangerous beasts ever roam upon the face of the Earth. It was too much for him to even imagine the magnitude of damage that this beast was going to inflict upon the living and undead. There wasn't even a deadline to come across a solution to prevent such a summoning from occurring! Then, the door slammed to reveal Seto with an angry scowl on his face. He wasn't too pleased about Joey leaving the grounds without permission from him or the elders, but Joey thought otherwise.
"Valentine, I thought you said upon your word, that your husband doesn't leave the castle unless he has clearance from either me or the elders!" Seto barked.
"Shut the hell up, O Heartless One!" Mai retorted. "He wanted to see his sister once more before he bid goodbye, and besides, he's my husband! Joey can go as many times as he wants to so long as I call it!"
"Arguing with you isn't for the feint of my conscience, Valentine. I'll talk to you about this at a later date." Seto snarled.
"Sheesh, if you didn't want me here so badly, why don't you just send me down south so I can be in peace?" Joey suggested angrily.
"Watch it; I am interested in your sister anyways." Seto smirked. "Don't you think it's time for siblings to be together once more before separation was forced from your decision to become one of us?"
"Back off my sister, you bastard!" Joey shouted. "I only wanted you to watch her, not court her into your crazy life!"
"Alright, enough already!" Mai demanded. "The other vampires will get wind of your petty arguments, so start acting like fucking adults already!"
"We still don't have any information about what the western lands are up to." Rafael said. "All of our leads have become frozen in time, and it won't be long before the war reignites again."
"Rafael, what brings you here unannounced?" Seto asked.
"I have received conformation that Yugi has arrived in the southern district." Rafael responded. "According to the report, the damage done to the village was worse than we had anticipated; nearly every villager was killed and those that did survive were inside the castle. Half of our kin down there are alive, but barely."
"Mokuba's down there taking care of everything, right?" Seto inquired. "If anything happens to my little brother, I'll murder the whole western land myself!"
"Easy there, Seto. He's still alive." Rafael continued. "Unfortunately, the sacred library down there was also raided, and the books of Dilao were taken. No scent of the perpetrator was found and it seems something huge is about to happen..."
"So they got the second part of the seal, huh?" Joey muttered.
"You say something, pal?" Rafael questioned.
"How many of the sacred books do they have now?" Joey redirected.
"Two; why am I telling you our business?" Rafael retorted.
"Because I have damaging information that can lead to the destruction of both mortals and vampires alike." Joey said. "I overheard some vampire guards when I was still a mortal, talking about reigniting the war that became a standstill for nearly thirty years."
"Was this before I came in and save your ass from death?" Mai asked.
"Yeah; apparently when the western queen didn't get Yami as her mate, it was then that she decided that the world she was living in currently didn't fit her standards. When she found out about the forbidden seals that were encrypted onto the sacred books of Mylomti, Cresahan and Dilao, they all lead up to the summoning of the most deadliest being in the universe. Tèa knew that she was going to release that beast into the living realm and finish what the former western lord started." Joey explained. "I don't know if my memory is sharp enough to remember the name of the beast, but I think the name was Solirais..."
"The king of the undead?" Seto yelled.
"The very vampire that everyone feared for their lives, including our kind?" Mai asked.
"I thought Dracula was the king of the undead." Joey said.
"No, not until his older brother Solirais was sealed away by the three vampire sages of our time." Rafael clarified. "Solirais was a ruthless dictator that ruled with an iron fist, and those that dare defy his law were automatically killed. He sealed everyone's powers to ensure that no one challenge him and the mortals themselves were completely outclassed by the sheer ferocity of his rage. It wasn't until a powerful vamporant by the name of Sethos teamed up with the vampire sages to conjured up the most powerful sealing spell to send Solirais into the depths of hell. It was the only time that mortals and vampires ever agreed to withheld their differences. This was eons ago, way before Yami became grand vampire of our clan."
"Shit...Gardener knew that if Yami ever gotten wind of Solirais's release, he would had declared treason on the western lands and summoned a war between them! She must had found out that Gozaburo had this originally planned if the war continued to press on!" Seto growled.
"Aren't the sacred books of Cresahan underneath this stone castle?" Joey asked.
Silence was instilled. Seto's expression changed from being shocked to becoming much more assertive. They couldn't become ready in time if Yami wasn't released from his binding spell and if they didn't have enough numbers to support them in the toughest battle yet to come.
"Rafael, order extra security for the underground library." Seto ordered. "Valentine, inform Yusei and the others that a special meeting is arranged at this very moment. And Wheeler, I expect you to come with us and explain the same information to all within our trust circle."
"What about Yami and Yugi?" Mai asked. "My lords should have this prior knowledge instantly."
"We'll inform Yugi prior to sending the message to investigate the southern lands." Seto said. "Yami, however, will have to stay in the dark until we can get more information on what is about to transpire in the coming months. If we do not prepare ourselves by the time that Tèa does break Solirais's seal, then all is lost in our way of life."
Finally done! Man, do I need something drink...
Next chapter: As we continue into our story, we head back to the eastern lands before its' destruction. Follow on how Jack chose his wife, Crow becoming desperate for a mate, and with Yusei and Kiryu deciphering the text in one of the sacred books.
R&R, people!