Deus lo Vult: Demons of the rhine
Chapter 2
The Fey & The wolf
The Empire: Munich City- Orphanage
'Four years. Four long ass years since that so-called god screwed me,' a young blonde girl thought to herself while she sat up from her lumpy mattress.
The young girl looked around the room spotting a dozen or so girls varying in ages with a range between 3 to 13 spread around the shared room before looking towards the clock on the far wall near the door.
'It's almost eight, where is that idiot he was meant to wake me up earlier.' The girl thought to herself before her only friend in this world, whiskered face flashed through her mind.
A few minutes passed and the head nun entered the room with a mean scowl on their face. The nun quickly scanned the room doing a quick head count before brown eyes looked onto blue.
"Tanya over here now," the nun demanded with her scowl almost becoming viscous.
'What has Nik done now,' Tanya thought as she hopped out of her crappy mattress, she refused to call that thing a bed, beds were comfortable and what she slept was the absolute opposite of comfortable and made her way over to the head matron.
"Follow me."
Tanya just nodded knowing Nik had done something to land them both in trouble or something.
After a few minutes of walking through the orphanage halls, passing the boys dorm room, down the stairs and into the mess hall where the kids normally eat their scraps. The journey only last, a few minutes and was made in almost complete silence save for their footsteps off of the creaky old floorboards.
As they entered the mess hall Tanya spotted several people she recognised.
'So Tweedledee, Tweedledum and Tweedledim.' Tanya thought as she easily recognised three older kids that tried to pick on her the other day before she looked across the hall.
'So, there is Nik, Sister Iris,' Tanya thought as they both sat on the opposite side of the room.
As they got closer, she spotted that Nik's hand was busted up and swollen.
'What happened?' Tanya thought before looking back towards the dumbass trio and noticing that dee had a busted up lip, and dim had two black eyes while dum was holding an what appeared to be an ice-cold rag to his nose while it still was bleeding profusely, while his left arm was in a quickly thrown together sling.
"Now Tanya, Niklaus says that these three were bullying you."
Quickly catching onto what kind of story Niklaus spun for the matron. Acting quickly transitioning into the almost seamlessly Tanya began to tear up, her eyes watering almost as if by command.
"Y-y-yes Sister Emma, they always try to take my food from under the table and some-t-t-times make me do their chores, and if I don't they make me eat dirt," Tanya said holding back any malice to play her role and adding a few sniffles for dramatic effect
After a few seconds, Sister Emma just nodded.
"Very well since your story matches up with Niklaus's you are both dismissed. Sister Iris, please escort Niklaus & Tanya back to their dorms. And do remember lessons begin at 10."
"Yes sister," Tanya said adding a few sniffles to drive the point home, before turning towards Nik who was smiling at her as he fiddled with the bandage that was wrapped around his fist.
As Tanya and Niklaus left the mess hall the head nun turned towards the three remaining children, glaring at them, a glare of which promised retribution. The three boys shivered together but they would all prefer whatever this woman had planned than go up against that freaky kid.
As the children and the nun left the room and began heading back towards the dorm Sister Iris slowed down by a few strides allowing the kids some space.
"So, what happened?"
Niklaus chuckled and placed his arm behind his head as he chuckled lightly before going into explaining what had happened this morning.
{Flashback Starts}
Niklaus had awoke early as he had promised Tanya, he would wake her up before classes began. As Niklaus changed out of his bedtime clothes he snuck out the boy's dorm as quiet as a mouse. But what Klaus failed to realise was a few of the older boys were awake and were waiting for him to leave so that they could follow him.
As Niklaus made his way to the girl's dorm his ears twitched.
'Really, they should know better than to mess with me and Tanya, by know, oh well they want to play, let's play,' Niklaus thought while his smile twisting into something malicious.
Moving quicker than anyone his age should move Niklaus disappeared around the closest corner.
The chase only lasted a few minutes before Niklaus found himself outside behind the run-down church/orphanage leaning up against a tree. Surrounded by the three older boys all who were glaring at the smaller boy.
"Give it up brat no place to run now," the oldest-looking boy stepped forward with a sneer upon his face.
Niklaus just raised an eyebrow at the older boy Tanya named Tweedledum and since Niklaus could not remember his actual name he would just run with it.
"You and your little girlfriend embarrassed me the other day, cocky little shite."
"Aren't you little too?" Niklaus questioned with a healthy amount of innocence.
"We are bigger than you so we're gonna beat on you and then her to teach both a lesson, we run this place." Tweedledum as he stepped forward towards his supposed weak prey.
'Alright just like that woman did it,' Niklaus thought to himself as a memory of a dream flashed through his mind of a red-headed girl beating some people up.
As the older stepped close enough he threw his right fist forward at a decent speed for a 10-year-old.
'To slow,' Niklaus thought has he could see the punch coming at him almost in slow motion.
Niklaus dodged the fist by stepping to the right, getting inside the older boy's guard and before Tweedledum could react, Niklaus's left hand wrapped around the older boy's wrist pulling him down. All the while Niklaus leapt up and reared his head back before whipping his neck forward smashing his forehead right into the middle of Tweedledum's face, completely dropping him to the ground
After watching the boy's eye roll backwards and feeling that he had almost gone limp. Niklaus let go of the boy's wrist before turning towards the other two children standing there with a shocked look on their faces, as their leader crumpled to the floor.
"Hmm I wonder who is the next the dumb one or the ugly one?" Niklaus wondered aloud taunting the two bullies.
Hearing the insult, quickly snapped the downed bully out of his haze as he looked over to his lackeys.
"Get him you idiots!" Tweedledum half barked; half groaned.
Hearing their friend bark at them forced them to move and charge at the younger child.
Niklaus looked at the two older kids approaching him and just sighed as if he was disappointed and decided to hop back a little so that he was closer to the tree.
"Looks like the dumb one is first up," Niklaus spoke up as the tallest of the three bullies arrived taking a wild swing at him first.
Niklaus just sidestepped the taller kid while sticking his foot out to the side causing the bully to trip and face-plant straight into the tree trunk.
'Well that's got to hurt,' Niklaus thought to himself as he winced at the sound of the taller kid's face coming off of the bark-covered trunk.
"Screw this I am out of here," the third bully said as he decided to run away, mainly to avoid getting beaten up by a freakish kid.
"So, you're leaving your friends behind? I don't like that."
Niklaus began to chase after the final bully before in a freakish display leapt into the air, higher than any four-year-old had the right to and landed on the back of the bully sending them both tumbling to the floor Niklaus on top of the older boy.
"Hey, hey you should really grit your teeth, ya know," Niklaus warned before launching his fist into the mouth of the kid knocking him out as his head whipped into the ground.
"Your girlfriend is gonna pay for this!"
"Girlfriend, what's that?" Niklaus questioned innocently with a simple tilt of his head looking genuinely confused.
"That snobby brat you always with, thinking you are better than us when you're not around well beat her up."
'Oh, they mean Tanny,' Niklaus thought as a wave of realisation crossed his face.
"I remember now, it's you guys from the other day, Tanny called you Tweedledee," Niklaus pointed to the kid with the swollen eye and busted lip. "Tweedledim," Niklaus shifted his arm to the tallest kid currently out cold after smashing his face against the tree. "And Tweedledum," Niklaus shifted his attention to the runaway who had one black eye forming from the last punch.
"Please stop, no more please." The older kid begged.
"Sure, but leaving your friends behind is a big no-no from me," Naruto responded colder than any 4-year-old should be able to. The whiskered-faced blonde reared his dominant arm back. "So sorry, not sorry," Niklaus said as his face turned vulpine, wolf-like almost with his whisker-like birthmarks before letting his little fist fly, crashing into the older child's temple with enough force his head whipped to the side and his vision turned to black as his head met the muddy earth beneath the two.
Niklaus got up and walked over to the bully who went down first and grabbed a hold of the kid's left arm, at the elbow and the wrist.
"I don't get it, it's not that we think we are better than you, it's just well it is just that we are better than you, and you know it. Now say bye bye arm."
"What?"
"Bye bye." Niklaus said coldly as he snapped the arm into a hold he had seen in his dreams a blonde haired teen do once to restrain some grey haired kid, but Niklaus put a lot more force behind it snapping the kids arm causing to the boy scream out which caused the some of the caretakers of the church and orphanage to come running.
{Flashback Ends}
"So that's what happened basically."
"But why? You know you didn't have to do that I can handle myself," Tanya said without looking towards her only friend in this place.
"Well you know freaks like us have got to stick together you know."
"Yeah well now I owe you one."
"Hurry up children," a voice called from around the corner.
"Coming Sister Iris," both children's voices rang out.
After dropping Tanya at the girl's dorm, Sister Iris and Niklaus stood inside an empty boys' dorm.
"Now I heard what you did."
"I now I shouldn't use my powers so obviously, but they were being assholes," Niklaus childishly whined hoping he wasn't going to get in trouble the Sister.
"Well done."
"And I mean. Wait what?" Niklaus questioned as he looked up at the nun.
"I said well done. You stood up to bullies and defended your friend. I couldn't be prouder, my little man." Sister Iris spoke as she began ruffling her young charges hair.
"Hey, I'm not little," The younger of the two said as he tried to shake her hand off.
Iris just chuckled at the young boy who appeared out of thin air.
"Now, remember after your lessons today the mage association will be arriving tomorrow, so I won't be able to play with you today so please whatever mischief you and Tanya get into, please be safe," Iris said with a warm and kind tone.
'I wonder if this is how a mother is supposed to feel like.'
"Ne Iris I got a question for ya what's your surname?"
"Erm technically I don't have one anymore."
"Any more?"
"Ah yes, I gave it up for god and the church."
"Oh, never mind then," Niklaus said simply, trying to hide his initial disappointment.
"But my family's name would still be the Von Jager."
"Do you think I have a family name? A family out there?"
Sister Iris's heart lurched at the sight before her. She always had a soft spot for the boy.
'Maybe naming him made me care more than I should have.' Iris thought to herself before kneeling down in front her charge and put her hand on his shoulder.
"Niklaus, I am sure you have a wonderful and loving family somewhere out there in the world. And while I know I cannot replace them always know this, you are like a son to me I believe you were brought here for a reason and I will always support you." Iris paused for a moment as she noted Niklaus's eyes tearing up. "Remember Niklaus everything happens for a reason, it's because Deus lo vult."
Niklaus's blue eyes widened but he did not speak.
"How about this little guy how about you continue my family's name since I cannot?"
"But that would mean."
"Yes. While I cannot adopt you, it would give me great joy if you continued my family's legacy."
"So, my name would be Niklaus von Jager," the blonde said rolling the name out of his mouth before his face morphed to show off a mega-watt smile, while tears were streaming down his face.
"No need to cry you're a big boy remember," the Sister reminded the kid with no real heat behind her words.
"But you're crying too," Niklaus responded.
"Huh," Iris said as she raised her free hand to dab under her eyes. 'Huh, what do you know I am crying too.' "Well, I guess this can be our little secret ok."
Niklaus just nodded as he clutched onto the nun for a few more moments.
"Now it's time to get ready for class and remember the head priest will be coming today so no more fighting, Niklaus."
"I'll try."
"Good, now go on I'm going to check on Tanya and make sure she is on her best behaviour also."
At the same time in another dorm Tanya had finished getting dressed and was sitting on her bed waiting for the eventual knock she knew was coming.
'While I admit being X screwed me over at least I can say it's not been all bad,' Tanya thought to herself as a flash of blue and purple flashed through her mind.
"Now what to do today after classes are isn't there supposed to be some kind of march or something. Maybe that's something we can do together or something"
Knock Knock
"Tanya are you ready yet?" Sister Iris's voice rang out from the other side of the door.
Tanya quickly hopped off the bed and headed to the door to head to class.
As she opened up the door, she saw the nun standing in the middle of the corridor in her typical Christian nun garb with a few auburn tresses falling out place from underneath her head attire.
'She's been crying,' Tanya thought as she spotted what was normally honey brown in the middle of the white of her eyes. The white of her eyes were somewhat slightly reddish eyes.
"Ah Tanya wonderful now we are just waiting for Nik-" Iris spoke before the door to the boy's dorm opened up and Niklaus came sprinting out.
"Talk about speak of the devil," Tanya muttered as Niklaus walked up to her and the nun.
Iris just giggled before looking towards Tanya "Don't let Sister Theresa catch you saying that, you know about the soap already don't you," Iris teased/warned the much younger girl.
Tanya just scowled while she muttered about mean old hags who top fast for their damned good before a whole lot of blonde invaded her personal space.
"Come on Tanny we are gonna be late." Niklaus said as he grabbed Tanya's hand and started dragging her along towards the main hall
"Wait you idiot stop dragging me along," Tanya shouted but her voice landed on deaf ears as Niklaus continued sprinting down the hall with her in toll.
While the two children ran despite one cursing up a storm shouting words no child her age should have ever leave their mouth a small voice in the back of her mind spoke up.
'It's them.' Tanya thought as an image of the Sister Iris and Niklaus crossed her mind.
As if reading her mind Niklaus turned his head sky blue met ocean blue and violet.
Tanya's scowling face turned small sweet grin as she locked eyes with her closest friend as he continued to run along.
Iris looked on catching glimpse of both of the kids faces before they turned the corner.
His grin large and wild.
Her grin small and reserved.
And for some reason at this very sight of them together made her shudder.
While she loved both of these two kids as if they were own, she couldn't shake a foreboding feeling that something horrible was going to happen, and that these two would be the cause, at the centre on an oncoming storm.
{Scene Break}
Later on, that day the troublesome duo of Tanya and Niklaus had finished their classes and were hanging out in their normal alley watching the local march or protest going on, it all depended on what side of the fence you sat.
In the alley, the duo could be found standing and sitting on a couple of wooden box crates. The younger of the two sat on one of the boxes with a bored expression on his face as the crowd passed by. Standing next to him Tanya looked on at the crowd hearing the words and cries of the people.
'Humans never change, do we? No matter the era, the world, even in a world where magic exists, there is always discontent, someone always wants to upset the status quo,' Tanya thought as the people involved in the march were chanting away.
"Ne Tanny, I'm bored what are we doing here today?" Niklaus whined, breaking Tanya from her train of thought.
"Don't call me Tanny," Tanya bit back as she looked over to her friend ignoring the urge to pet his whiskered face.
"But Tanny," Niklaus said with a grin and ignoring Tanya's violent eye twitch.
'The little bastard is doing it on purpose.' Tanya thought to herself as she attempted to calm herself knowing there were only two people in existence who could really get under her skin that so-called god and Niklaus. One bothered her out of principle and was a complete dick the other was an irritating nuisance who stuck by her side no matter what in their short lives.
"I'm bored let's go find some trouble or at least prank that creepy priest."
"You're always bored. And no, we are here for a reason." Tanya stated with a roll of her eyes.
"Fine, but when we are done here, I'm gonna go see Old Man Tan," Niklaus said while pouting.
"Don't pout. And that's fine with me just don't be too late coming you wouldn't want Sister Iris to worry now would you."
Niklaus just stuck his tongue out at his fellow blonde before returning his vision to march before them. The two sat in a comfortable silence as their eyes scanned the crowd.
A few minutes went by before both children spotted the targets. Three men suited up in matching attires with one difference the man in the middle of the three held onto a cane, and was looking around, paranoia was practically stamped all over his face
"Nik?"
"Yeah, Yeah I see 'em," Niklaus said as he hopped off the old crate he was sitting off, placing his index finger and thumb into his mouth and letting out a piercing whistle, causing the darkness and shadows behind them to begin to move.
Tanya glanced at the moving shadows as they walked past her.
'Ah our little employees,' Tanya thought as she looked at mainly war orphans, who slipped through the system and ended up on the streets.
'These kids tried to beat us up a couple of years ago, hmm' Tanya thought as she watched the small crew put together under Niklaus's request. 'I'm the boss, Nik is my enforcer, the rest were fodder, bodies to make up for the physical weakness they all shared except for Niklaus.'
"All for a comfy life in the future," Tanya spoke to herself as she thought back to her and Klaus's hidden chest of coffers they had been building up the last couple of years.
Niklaus blended into the crowd followed by their gang who all slipped into the crowd practically unnoticed. Tanya smiled before moving onto the meeting point fully trusting the boy with mismatched eyes to get the job done.
The Empire: Munich City- Orphanage
Four more years had passed by, the war was still on the Fatherland was locked in a costly eternal hell. Every nation across the continent was at war with the Empire, this deadlock between the Empire and them forced Governments to order mandatory military-led mystical testing for magical energy. They were searching for any children, teens really if they had any latent capabilities, such as manipulating mana. They could come on any day, come at any time when they choose.
Niklaus and Tanya were up in the attic, going over the latest mark, as their small gang of orphans was quite successful over the last few years thanks to Tanya's brilliant planning and Nik's superhuman abilities.
It was quiet outside the morning was just creeping in as the sun began peak over the horizon.
"Hey, you think 4 will be enough for your bit?"
"My bit? Do you mean the distraction?" Tanya said with an arched brow."
"Yeah that, you still use really big words wear eight."
"Gonna tell your favourite sister you are struggling with your vocabulary."
"You do that I'll move your coffers somewhere you couldn't find it ever." Niklaus threatened with a wild grin showing that there was no real heat behind either kid's words they both tensed after a few trucks came to a stop outside.
'It's too early for the milk delivery,' both kids thought at the same time.
Niklaus leapt into action first as he hopped the upside-down milk delivery crate they were using as a makeshift table. A ran to the semi-circle-shaped window and peeped through to see military insignias and uniforms.
"Erm we're fucked."
"Firstly, Sister Iris will be your mouth out with soap for that," Tanya said as she stood next to Niklaus and looked through the same window. "Oh, I see, yeah we're fucked."
The two orphans thought they were about to be arrested for their gang- activities as they were never told about the random testing for mages.
"We didn't rob a military base did we?" Niklaus asked.
"Pretty sure robbing that stuck-up merchant was not the cause of this." 'They can't know about the coffers this might just be a huge coincidence,' Tanya thought to herself before a dark whisper entered the back of her mind.
Being X
"If it is that bastard messing up my plans again, I swear."
"Pufft," Niklaus snorted "And they call me weird."
"Hush up, now let's sneak back into our rooms before the sisters come to wake us well finish this up later."
"Sweet, catch ya later." Niklaus moved towards the latch on the lower floors of their home.
Around 15 minutes had passed before all of the children were roused from their beds and were brought down to the main hall. The nuns stood along the walls around the room and up on a raised platform stood the creepy priest as Niklaus liked to refer to him, next to some military higher-up type and some kind of scientist.
"Psssh…Psshh" Niklaus tried to whisper to get his best friend's attention.
"Hmm?"
"I don't think they're here for us," Niklaus whispered as he pointed towards the military guys wearing MP armbands who were unloading various electrical equipment.
"I think you're right, nice catch." Tanya quickly whispered again before she caught the eye of one of the stricter nuns who was sending a mean scowl to the two troublemakers.
Niklaus caught onto the scowl sent in their direction so he just wrapped an arm around Tanya's neck surprising the girl.
"Hey what?" the girl couldn't even finish her sentence as she saw Niklaus place his middle finger up, place it just beneath his left eye, and slightly pull down while sticking out his tongue.
"Snnk,kuahahhahahahaaha." Tanya let out a small giggle that turned into a full and genuine laugh.
Niklaus stopped pulling the face and turned back to his friend and he realised something.
'That's it, that's the laugh,' the boy grinned even wider he had never heard his friend make such a genuine sound.
"Ehhem. Children, children!" the priest called out. "These men are looking for very special young people who can wield magic and have the ability to become saints and saviours of the Fatherland."
An excited murmur broke out around the orphans and the nuns, some of the nuns like Sister Iris, had a frown on their faces.
'The least he can do is not lie to them.' The nun thought.
Niklaus and Tanya narrowed their eyes.
'That was a load of propaganda nonsense,' Tanya thought to herself.
Niklaus didn't know what it was but it felt like his head was hurting something was off about what the creepy priest said.
The main scientist stepped off the stage and went to help with the set-up.
The military official-looking guy stepped forward slightly, "As citizens of the Fatherland it is your duty to be screened and tested. We shall begin with the eldest of you and work our way down. Your Sisters shall organise you."
"Looks like we're getting test together then."
Tanya just nodded she had a feeling Naruto was possibly what they were looking for his physical abilities were higher than anyone their age even most adults in her old world, pound for pound.
Two hours had passed before the two were even brought into the examination room quickly the two were hooked up to several monitors.
'From the looks on their faces, none of the older kids even set a single device,' the former middle manager thought as she had a technician put a helmet on her head.
After a few seconds, anything not strapped down began to float in the room, objects were covered in a green glow as they levitated the helmet on Tanya's head was also glowing as her eyes shone with power.
"What kind of readings are we getting?"
"Such power, from a kid!"
"Maybe today wouldn't have been a waste after all." The lead scientist commented as he looked over the girl's initial test results. 'Not bad, no quite impressive actually this,' the lead scientist checked the subject's age 'Eight but has enough magic to match even the most experienced military mages.'
Niklaus looked over and saw that his friend had magic, and excitement ran across his face.
"Me next," Niklaus said as he snatched the helmet out of the scientist's hands and put it on his head, before taking a deep breath and allowing an older memory of a dream he had when he was even younger.
Clapping his hands together and forming his fingers into the tiger seal he began to channel his own, power. The effects were almost immediate his eyes seemed to glow, and his whole being seemed to hum with power as the air seemingly rotated around his young form.
Tanya glanced over and saw what looked like a twister forming around her best friend.
'Elemental magic? But how he hasn't studied magic before?' Tanya had some questions but overall was pleased that the both of them wouldn't be separated not like she would ever tell him that.
"By the lord, sir the readings!" another random scientist shouted from across the room.
The lead scientist came over towards the scientist and the boy with heterochromia.
"What seems to be the issue?"
"Sir, everyone we have tested these two are the only souls worthwhile of signing up, this boy's readings are also phenomenally high."
'This cannot be,' "This is the initial test we will run some more tests at another time." The lead scientist said before leaving the room to inform the Military liaison. 'The girl is impressive, but that boy has a seemingly immeasurable amount of power in reserve, what the hell is he?'
Quickly losing intrest in the adult conversations Niklaus quickly unhooked everything and took off the helmet before he headed over towards Tanya.
"Looks like I'm stuck with you." The girl snorted.
"More like I'm stuck with you."
"Please like you wouldn't miss me if they took me and left you here."
"If you left I would be running this place in a week."
"It would take you that long."
"I would be grieving the loss of my best friend."
"Touche."
"Erm what? No fair you can't just make up words."
"Just because you haven't heard doesn't make it a made-up word."
Niklaus just stuck his middle finger up at her before pulling his hand away as he went to bite it.
The duo stared at each other before bursting out with laughter
The two locked eyes ignoring the rest of the world around them
What the two didn't realise this meeting wasn't supposed to happen, they were never supposed to be friends, she was supposed to suffer for her lack of belief, and Niklaus was only there because his father fucked up with the seal sending an infant jinchuuriki hurtling through space-time.
'As long as I got him by my side, I will find my paradise.'
'As long as I got her by my side, I will find our paradise.'
THE END
Chapter 3
Military Academy & Mages Institute
Returned from the dead.
Laptop crashed lost the last 2 chapters of A Marvelous Horizon and 1 chapter on A Conquerors Will so found this in the vault and with a lot of tweaking here go a revival that Being X or Truck-Kun is not forcing me to upload under threat of being isekaied.
So thoughts lemme know what you think not to action-heavy but again we all know what's coming
Did we like that Tanya with the backing of Naruto/Niklaus basically formed a gang of orphans basically making money to try to get that secure peaceful life.
Coffers being just coins I don't know what the currency is from back then or in the show.
Next chapter hopefully we can get into some mage-on-mage action
Leave a review it feeds my engine of creation