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Unknown... the Story, part 17 |
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[[Kai Note: For future reference, whenever someone dies its not because I hold something against them or something. In fact it was hard to choose who should kick the bucket. So I did the "pull the name out of the hat" trick. No. Really. I stuck all our names into a hat & picked out who I should kill. xd ]]
Aergan grunted as he pivoted to the right, avoiding getting knifed by one of the many metal snakes attacking him. He hugged Rem closer to him so she wouldn’t be subjected to further harm.
“You think you can save her? You think you can escape?”
Aergan turned to the chipper, delusional voice. He turned to look & was confronted by Celeste’s smirking face. A web of metal protected her; made from the tentacles the creature could spare from the fight. They spun in a mangled movement of twists & turns around her. Celeste’s red hair rippled out in every which way. Her expression turned into a grin as she caught Aergan’s eyes.
“You’ve walked into your death trap. Both of you are going to die…”
“Keep telling yourself that. Little girls with unrealistic dreams should have something to hope for.”
Celeste’s face flushed with anger. “Kill him.”
Aergan would have rolled his eyes at the stereotypical statement if four metal worms were not trying to impale him from different directions. Aergan jumped into the air in time for the contraptions to criss-cross over the other. The shing of the scraping surfaces echo-ed around him as he planted his perfectly balanced feet on the top two. He flipped off as another sped head-on towards his chest. He jumped back a few feet before alighting gracefully on the earth. His legs buckled underneath him to soften the landing.
Just then, something tugged at his hip where his sheathed rested. Startled, Aergan jumped up & twisted around, only to see Taronis running away from him, Aergan’s naked sword glinting in Taronis’s hand.
“HEY!!” he yelled at his thieving comrade.
“Got a plan!” Taronis shouted back as he tore straight at an on-coming tentacle. “Get out!”
Aergan was already sprinting into a take-off before the last sentenced was finished being uttered. A powerful downswing from his dragon wings thrusted him into the air just as Taronis slammed the sword into the tentacle. A powerful blast erupted between the connecting metals. A cluster of blossoming flames bloomed to life; the vivid oranges & reds bulging 20 feet out. Aergan was blasted into graceless somersaults as the aftershock rippled out. Celeste was thrown backwards. She screamed in pain as the heat wave blistered her skin. Not far away, the werewolf was trying to shield itself from the wrath of the scorching fire. It howled a haunting moan to the sky.
Taronis ripped through the flames, making a beeline straight for Celeste. Fire & brimstone spouted from his raging aura. The dying blaze was illuminated in his glare. Celeste recovered from the fire in time to see him coming at her. Her mind stopped & body froze itself to the ground as she was once again consumed by terror. Her forearm was raised uselessly above her. Taronis lunged forward to quickly cover the last few yards between him and Celeste’s death; the blade was angled at his side. Though something appeared behind her as he swung the blade down to lop off her head. Celeste was instantly incased into a metal cocoon & he sword was caught in mid-swing between two of the metal cords. Taronis growled & tried to pull the blade out.
Kio watched with impatience as Aergan flew up next to him. Takara had leveled most of the battlefield & was chauffeuring Zaira, Jack, Sotaru, & Luichen back to the others.
“Leave it! Let’s go!” Kio called to Taronis. He had a bad feeling knotting the insides of his stomach.
Two metal snakes uncoiled from behind the cocoon & tied themselves around Taronis’s shoulders, making him let go of the blade’s handle & pinning his arms to his side. Taronis grunted as he felt his bones nearly give out under the pressure.
“Taronis!” Zaira called from on top of Takara’s back. She & the others watched anxiously form above. “Taka! Fly down! Hurry!”
Takara veered towards the ground, her passengers hanging on her spikes for dear life. The cocoon began unraveling, showing a dark light that crackled beneath it. Taronis peeked out of his grimace & stared at it. Celeste’s face, blotched with red & painful blisters, scowl at him with the hatred of a thousand suns. The light was coming from the energy orb between her parallel palms.
“How… dare you attack me!!” she spat out. The orb crackled more with her growing rage.
Kioshi summoned up a space sphere (a light blue transparent sphere) & carefully placed Kai inside. She floated effortlessly in the center. He muttered a quick “stay here” to Aergan before locking in his wings & darting straight at the werewolf. He withdrew his katana on the way down.
Taronis glared at Celeste and her orb. If the constricting bonds were not depriving him of air he would be spouting profanities until the mage’s IQ dropped a few notches.
Smugness added itself to Celeste’s raged visage. “Have any regrets in life?”
Taronis was able to mouth the words “bite me” just as a huge wave of dark energy engulfed his body.
Kio suddenly braked about twenty feet away in mid-flight and watched the stream of energy rocket into the abyss above. It quickly swallowed up Taronis; his energy immediately vanished from the spot. Takara did the same on the other side. Her desolate roar rumbled through the treetops. Zaira, Jack, Luichen, and Sotaru stared in stunned silence from their places on her back.
The blast flickered away like a dying flashlight. The atmosphere had turned oddly quiet, again. Everyone was gone: the remainder of the Genesis, Celeste, the creature. All that was left was the dazed team that had just lost their friend.
Kio stared at the spot. His mouth was parted a sliver to show his shock. He was so close. Only a few more seconds & he could have prevented it. His surprise melted into anger; the same anger that ate his insides earlier. It formed a flaming knot inside his throat. His jaw tightened as the hand that held the katana’s handle turned white at the knuckles.
He spun sharply around & began flying furiously back up where Aergan was locked in his own gawking trance. The movement seemed to snap everyone out of it & turn their attention towards Kio. Kio sheathed his blade, lowered the sphere, & allowed Kai to drop back into his grasps. By then the realization was starting to sink into everyone else. A dark cloud of gloom was suddenly casted over them
“Let’s get out of here…” Kio mumbled. Without looking or waiting for the others, he sped away from the battlefield. Aergan and Takara took a last glance at where they last saw Taronis before following him. Zaira stared at the battleground until the treetops covered her vision of it. She plopped herself back & rested against a spike. With her knees drawn up to her chest & her head resting her palm, no one could see her face but a grieving air was present around her form. Jack was staring blankly at the spot in front of him, all light gone from his face. He turned around to check up on his battle-worn comrades. They seemed to be holding out ok. Luichen, with a torn up arm & a bleeding head wound, had the same expression he did. Sotaru sat the farthest away with only a cut on his ribs. It was hard to tell what his emotion was.
“Kio.”
Kioshi looked back at Aergan who was looking at Rem worriedly.
“I know… but it’s too risky to heal them here.” he responded. He was just as anxious. Each passing second he could feel the life die out of the two women.
Don’t let them die too… He said to himself. He tightened his grip around Kai as if it would keep her spirit from flying away. Please.
burning_eyes burning_eyes burning_eyes burning_eyes burning_eyes
Celeste sauntered through the masonry halls of the castle-like structure. It was freezing as if the place was nestled inside an iceberg. And the dampness made her skin feel sticky and dirty. She shuddered as the feeling gave her the creeps. All she wanted to do was get out of there & get some rest.
Two twin doors loomed up ahead; each was made of dark oak. They rose a staggering ten feet and were, at least, a few inches thick. They were guarded by two brawny guards decked in ridiculously huge armor that must have weighed as much as them. Celeste knew that they were no match for the squad the Council sent, but they would defiantly cause a commotion before they were killed. Pretty much, the Master only had them around as security alarms. The mage smirked at the irony to that.
The guards parted as she approached. Celeste threw open the door with a dramatic entrance of someone who had much power.
“Did you fail to learn the value of knocking in your pathetic existence?”
The voice came from a cloaked figure in the middle of the room. Celeste gave his back a sour look but knew not to say anything.
“My apologies, Master,” she said in a bow. “But you wanted me to give you news the moment I returned.”
“Ah yes… proceed then.” The figure remarked. It still had its back to her. It seemed to be looking into an elegant birdbath that sprouted out from stone ground. It was the only thing it the fair sized, cold, and dusty room. A weird light was emitting from it.
Celeste lifted from her bow. “They are as powerful as you said. A good challenge. They are each quite strong. I was surprised that they went after me & forced me to call upon my Guardian so quickly. Of course, they are no match for u-”
“Continue…” The figure growled in an irritated tone.
Celeste cleared her throat nervously. “Yes… well… The Genesis seemed to stall them for some time, but that didn’t last long. They seem to work stronger together than separate. They were ill-prepared for the fight so they might become better equipped next time. I think that will not be a problem. I killed three already.” She ended the last part conceitedly.
The Master chuckled to himself. “Dear Celeste… it is you who were ill-prepared…”
Celeste stiffened. “I beg your pardon?”
“You coward in the middle of battle. You were surprised when they attack. You felt fear when you felt pain.” He turned to look at her, but all Celeste had to face was the darkness the hood made across the Master’s facade. “You are a disgrace. A pathetic wench that should have joined the rest of the carcasses on the battlefield. Show respect to me, low-life!!”
Celeste slumped her shoulders which had been straightened with indignation & hostility.
The Master paused a few seconds before continuing. “I expect better results next time. I expect them DEAD!!” He uttered the last part in a distorted growl. “…form your own team. Get some rest. & get me ALL of their heads this time…”
Celeste lowered her head. “Yes Master…”
“You are dismissed.”
Celeste bowed. She then turned on her heels & began to hurry out.
“By the way… Celeste…”
The mage stopped suddenly, her hand hovering over the handle.
“Yes, Master?” she said tentatively.
“You were wrong. You only killed one.”
Celeste twirled around. Surprise was written all over her face. “That’s impossible!! NO one could have survived those wounds!!”
The Master stared with amusement into the pool or glowing liquid. “Yes… it is interesting. I guess this Band of Misfits has more vigor than we imagined.”
burning_eyes burning_eyes burning_eyes burning_eyes burning_eyes
Kakairo awoke with a sharp pain poking into her ribs. Ow… Rocks…I hate rocks…
Kai opened her eyes to have them greet the jagged surface of a low hanging cave wall. Where was she? A migraine was trying to split her head open. Kai rubbed her temples as she sat up in an attempt to ease the throbbing pain. Bad idea. Another pain in her diaphragm made her stomach do flip-flops. Nausea tore through her system. Taking a deep sigh, she propped herself on her elbows as she waited for it to pass.
“Glad to see you’re awake.”
The voice came from the other side of the cave. Kai looked up to see Zaira’s outline. She was leaning against the wall in a sitting position, hunched over. Her elbow was propped up on her knee & her head rested in her palm. She wasn’t even looking at Kai. Instead, she was staring mournfully at a far corner. Kakairo felt a foreboding chill go down her spine. Something wasn’t right. She looked over to see what Zaira was looking at. It was an empty space. Kai turned back to her.
“Zaira…?” she asked uncertainly.
She didn’t answer right away. It looked like she was trying to find the words to something. Meanwhile, comprehension was starting to sink into Kai. She & Rem were battling the mage. She saw Rem get hit & she went to help... but… what happened after that? There was pain. Tremendous pain. That’s all she remembered. Kai looked down at where she thought the pain came from. A tattered three inch hole was in her yukata. Beneath it, where her diaphragm is, was soft scar tissue that matched the size of the hole.
“You’re lucky you are able to wake up still.” Zaira said softly as she noticed Kai poking her scar. Kai looked up again. The saddened and angry look on her face scared her. Something bad definantly came about.
“What happened?”
Zaira ran her hand through her short hair. “We got there just as you & Rem were wounded. Me, Taka, & Jack were helping Luichen & Sotaru with the Genesis.” She kept her head lowered & massaged the back of her neck the entire time she spoke. “You were both in bad shape. By the time we found the cave, you two were on your last breaths. You both got healed in time.”
Zaira turned to look at the empty space again. Kai sighed mentally. Rem was ok. She waited patiently for Zaira to continue.
“Kio pulled you out. Aergan got held down by that… thing when he went to get Rem. When Aergan got trapped down by the creature, Taronis went to help…. The mage killed him.”
Kakairo felt her mouth drop. Both shock & gloom hit her like a sledgehammer & clawed at her. ‘Bad’ had an understatement. She couldn’t help the disbelief that tugged at her. She had thought they would all get through this ok. They would all kill the boss guy, kick Damion’s sorry a**, & go back to their life in the Arena. They would all go back to their sparring, leisure talks, & teasing. Taking only one member away was like taking away a huge chunk of the Arena itself. Everyone thought that.
“….what?”
Zaira’s didn’t answer. Instead she just turned her back to Kai & laid on the floor facing the wall. Kai took that as a sign that she wanted to be left alone. The demoness swallowed thickly in an attempt to unknot her throat. Anger replaced the doubt & mingled with the despair. She rested her head in her hands. This was all her fault. Somehow. It had to be. Kai grit her teeth as guilt pulled at every fiber or her body. Running her hand through her hair, as trying to push the thoughts into the back of her mind, she straightened up to count heads. She wasn’t sure why. Maybe to convince herself it wasn’t some sick joke or another horrid dream. She came up three short. One of them was Taronis.
“Zaira… where’s Kio & Aergan?”
“Kio’s taking watch.” The shinobi muttered stoically. “Aergan’s scooting.”
Kai felt herself relax a little. At least they were ok. She quietly got up so as not to wake the others up. Especially Rem. She looked over at her sleeping form, glad she hadn’t found out yet. Kai made sure she hunched over a little bit so that she wouldn’t hit her head on the cave’s ceiling. She stepped out into the open where the crisp air caressed her into a more wakeful state.
She found Kio sitting on a ledge not five feet from the entrance. He looked up when she walked out. He caught her eyes, stared with a vacant expression, and quickly turned away. Kai felt her heart go out to him, knowing he was beating himself up for what happened.
“You should be resting…” he said quietly.
Kakairo walked over & carefully sat down next to him. Her feet dangled next his. “Sleep is for the dead.”
Kai instantly wince after she said it. It wasn’t the best time to say that. Kio did not seem to notice.
“Which is something you almost were.” He responded.
“Well I’m fine now.”
Kioshi looked back at her with those same empty, yet piercing, eyes. He looked like he was about to say something, thought better or it, and turned to look at the horizon again. “Did you hear about Taronis?”
“Yeah…” Kai replied quietly. “…you know it’s not your fault, right?”
“Then who’s is it?”
Kakairo felt anger tear up her insides again. “That b***h of a mage & her mangy pup…”
Kio paused again. Kai could tell he was carefully choosing which words he felt comfortable saying.
“I could have done something.” He finally admitted in a hushed voice.
“You did all that you could.”
Kio chuckled darkly. “Heh… no offense, meh’ dear, but how would you know? You were near death, yourself, remember?”
Kai winced again. Not only did the comment sting, but it hurt her to see him rather beat himself up than to take her console. She gave him a hard-set gaze.
“Because I know you.”
Kio went back into Silent Mode. Kai waited on pins & needles to see if she actually said the right thing this time. God knows, that apathetic face did no help. Though after a few minutes of silence, & not a peep from the angel, she guessed that it would be best if she went back inside. The guy probably just wanted to be alone. Giving his shoulder a friendly pat, she sighed & got to her feet. She was about to go back into the cave when Kio spoke again.
“If we get the chance, you all should go back to the Arena.”
He had said it right as she was about to enter. Kai paused & looked back at him.
“Why?” She straightened up.
Kio still had his gaze fixed on the horizon. “I should not have let you all come here…”
Kakairo leaned her shoulder against the jagged wall & crossed her arms. She didn’t like where this was going. “We came to help you. We wanted to help you because you needed help. It was our decision, not yours. We came willingly. It is our commitment.”
“& I still shouldn’t have allowed it.”
She felt her blood rush. Anger started to bubble deep inside her & she had no idea why. “Why? So you could die out here?!”
Kio turned to blink at her, obviously not expecting that reaction. He paused. “…at least it wouldn’t be you.”
Something the demoness could not recognize suddenly gripped hold of her heart. She didn’t even know what she was feeling. Was she sad? Furious? Shocked? All of the above? The confusion did not help any. She wasn’t sure whether to kill something, punch this mountain down to a pebble, or even find some isolated corner to cry in. Either way, it all seemed to be the last straw, because some sort of concealed wrath abruptly exploded into full fury. Kai let her arms drop into fists at her side. Her frame shook. She wanted to lash out something but her tongue had turned to lead.
She didn’t know why she was acting like this. All she knew is she wanted to take off one of her boots and chuck it at Kio’s head.
“How could you say that…?” Her voice started soft with incredulity, but grew into a crescendo. “WHY would you say that?!!”
Kio’s mouth fell open a sliver. She didn’t give him time enough to recover and answer.
“Is this something about your past?! How you don’t want us to help because you feel like you don’t deserve it?!”
Kio stitched his mouth together & stiffened where he sat. “That shouldn’t be any of your concern.”
The statement wasn’t said with insolence. Perhaps more to just say he wasn’t in the mood to talk about it, but nonetheless it just made her more irritated.
“You can’t fight them by yourself!!!”
Kio was beginning to lose his patience. It had been a long couple days and he was too tired to continue this.
“I know!!!” he snapped at her with annoyance.
“So you do want us to just leave you to die out here!!!”
Kioshi growled & jumped to his feet. “Yes!! Ok?!”
“NO IT’S NOT OK!!”
“WHY ARE YOU SO UPSET?!!”
“I DON’T KNOW!!!!!” Kai shouted. She stormed into the cave so quick that she nearly whacked her head on the ceiling.
Kio stared at the spot where she once was; bewildered, infuriated, and confused. What the hell was that about?! Sure Kai had a temper, but nothing that explosive. Usually you could tell whether or not she was getting worked up. & it was like he said something that offended her. The angel gave up trying to make sense out of it. He was too worn-out. Sighing, he sat back down on the ledge & closed his eyes. Even though it was still pitch black out, it did not help to ease his headache nor help him relax into slumber.
The soft flap of wings drew his attention back to the mouth of the cave. He looked up in time to see Aergan alight onto the narrow ledge and melt his wings back into his back. He rolled his shoulders in an attempt to loosen them. His sword was back in his sheath & he was carrying the wakizashi Kai dropped during the battle.
“How does it look?” Kio asked quietly.
“Quiet. Too quiet.” Aergan said matter-of-factly as he looked over & down at his comrade. One glance & he could sense something was wrong. “What’s up?”
“Women…” Kio spat out.
“Ah.” Aergan said with full understanding. “Want me to keep watch?”
Kio shook his head warily. “Can’t sleep.”
Aergan shrugged. “Alright then…” He shrank down his size so that he could walk into the cave without having to double over. He walked in, leaving Kioshi alone to stare into the abyss.
 onime · Tue Jun 26, 2007 @ 11:17pm · 4 Comments |
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