Draconian Peril Ch.6
Their destination, the country of Sedukyria was small, although well known for its welcoming nature toward all species, and respect for power. It was also thought of as a haven for those who don't wish to be found, regardless of the reason. Few actually traveled there of their own free will because of the race who ruled that territory, Nekogals. Styx and Ryuu had never met a Nekogal in its own country before, but they knew much thanks to foreign traders and travelers. War-like yet playful, destructive and friendly... these were the more easily recognized aspects of their culture, they always seemed to want to fight, whether it be merely out of boredom, or to test another's combat prowess. Such acts served as a greeting as much as a handshake did among humans. Despite their odd fascination with fighting, they were, in truth, a very gentle race. A paradoxical society, if you will.
Over the course of the next two months, Styx and Ryuu traveled the countryside, making slow yet steady progress toward Sedukyria. They had run out of their usual meals, dried meats and various other things that Styx had managed to scrounge up out of the wilds. Thus they were forced to rely on their base instincts to hunt for prey and forage for favored spices like parsley, basil, and the occasional branch of sugar cane. The two had grown bold in their travels of the human world, sometimes even walking into a town in their true forms. Where at that point they were either chased out, or the target of 'collectors' of the unique and bizarre. Despite the fact that both Ryuu and Styx' species were very well known and easily discernible from those who may look similar, many humans still held the notion that the dragon race and its descendants were merely dumb animals to be taken advantage of. A point that Ryuu made sure every human understood was incorrect by the time he was done with them...
Slavers, a name that humans used for those who capture and 'tame' wild animals and lesser species for the benefit of another human. Several of them had come after Ryuu and his mate, hoping to get an incredible price for training them for the service of those who were willing to pay. Needless to say, all were killed by Ryuu if only for the fact that they were getting annoying. Styx was mad at this because he didn't let her kill any of them, and since becoming Ryuu's mate, she had been unable to satisfy her blood lust. Therefore, she had become rather... edgy.
"Man, these guys are getting more annoying by the day..." Ryuu said with a sigh as he wiped a small splatter of blood from his fist.
Styx, growled for a moment as she looked over the still corpse of another that had decided to come after them. She too had grown tired of these pointless clashes. Even though she had yet too fight even a single one of them as Ryuu was too quick to end their lives. She wanted to slaughter, to maim and destroy, to torment and shred while listening to her victims pitiful screams of agony as her claws dug bloody gashes in their flesh. Such sweet memories, yet coupled with these bitter times, they left an unpleasant taste in her mouth.
Styx sighed, and tossed another log on the fire that had kept them warm over the past couple of days. Ryuu had refused to sit still for days, merely pacing around their campsite through all hours of the day, and many of the night. Whenever she had tried to convince him to rest, Ryuu merely shot her a glare so full of fury and rage that her pleas wilted before they left her tongue.
Ryuu had been trying to think of a way he could free both himself and his mate from the constant onslaught of those pitiful humans, if he could do that, then him and Styx could live in peace...
That was it! When Ryuu had last thought of freedom, true freedom, he had nearly freed an imprisoned drake that had been locked away for the good of the word for centuries.
"Styx, watch over the camp. If any humans come after you, well, someone has to kill them right?" Ryuu asked with a smile.
Styx looked deeply into Ryuu's eyes, the kindness of her master, that which she had fallen in love with was back, burning like a passionate flame. With a gleeful smile, Styx nodded as she caressed Thenos' handle. Ryuu smiled back at her with equal love and happiness, as he flared his wings and took to the sky. Ryuu stopped ascending about half of a mile above his loving mate, he looked around for the nearest mountaintop. Ryuu thought about the power that had caresses him that day, it had felt like a burning hatred had encompassed him in a cloak of pure free will. Calling on his Shadow Flare, Ryuu willed himself to relive that sensation, and soon his ebony scales and ivory feathers were coated in a billowing cloud of red and black smoke.
"That being will help me, I just know it..." Ryuu thought as he began to fly as fast as his wings could carry him to the mountaintop, leaving a chaotic trail of smoke behind him.
Styx watched from the ground as Ryuu flew off, leaving her to deal with their pursuers. A twig snapped off in the darkness behind her, causing Styx' ear twitch and a sadistic smile to play over her lips.
Standing, Styx drew Thenos from its sheath and released its true form. An even greater smile crossed her muzzle as she counted her soon to be victims.
"Its about time that we were able to draw blood ourselves, huh partner?" She said to her weapon just before she charged her opponents...
Ryuu basked in the pleasure of flight as he circled the mountain's peak, leaving a halo of ebony smoke in his wake. Ryuu listened for the thunder he knew to soon sound from the storm his wings had created. The winds blew, various musical tones echoing through the hills and valleys of Ryuu's chosen terrain. Rain and hail pelted his hide as he flew, lightning, as red as blood, reaching out from the dark clouds as the first of many thunderous roars sounded. Phantasmal beasts began to drift through the chaotic storm even as Ryuu now fought to stay aloft in the storm, he kept his eyes open, looking for one beast in particular, the serpentine dragon of destruction, the fallen beast of the original thirteen beasts of the zodiac, known as Serpentaurious by those who witnessed its birth. Yet even after its immense power transcended its brethren, it was sealed away to halt its relentless bloodshed. Yes, it would make a fine ally.
The storm suddenly grew more intense, overpowering Ryuu as he tried to maintain control over it. Quickly, he realized that there was no way that he could possibly keep the violent tempest under his thumb, and without a second thought, Ryuu spread all six of his wings and began to glide across the spiraling storm. Many different beasts past Ryuu as he glided through the gateway he had created in the eye of the storm, quickly, without even needing to look for Serpentaurious, the beast appeared before him. Yet, even though the gate had opened, it seemed to refuse to leave. As Ryuu drew closer he soon found why. Binding the great serpent to this realm were several massive chains sealing the beast's power and preventing it from leaving, much less moving. Ryuu noticed that despite its bondage, it seemed to be both conscious and lucid as it watched him.
"Great, might as well introduce myself." Ryuu said as his wings lowered him to the massive creature's face.
From a distance, Ryuu thought that Serpentaurious was large, yet now, as he stood before it, he realized how big it truly was. Ryuu tried to remind himself that Serpentaurious was a fallen celestial beast, therefore, its size was actually normal. Such weak thoughts did nothing to ease his anxiety though, especially as it spoke to him, not through any normal means as its great maw was sealed by the chains that bound it.
'Why have you come here child?' Serpentaurious' booming voice echoed through Ryuu's head like a thunderclap.
Ryuu extended his blades, quickly turning his head from one side to the other, looking for the one who had spoken. Slowly, Ryuu lowered his guard when he realized there was no one else besides him and the massive creature before him within speaking range.
'I am the one speaking to you child, I am Serpentaurious.' The beast said is a calm tone.
Ryuu looked back to the serpent meeting its gaze, and retracted his blades so as to make himself seem less dangerous to the bound creature.
'What is the reason you have come to this forsaken place? I have never known a being to enter the Abyss of their own freewill.' It said, curiosity evident in its voice.
Furling his wings, Ryuu cleared his throat and began to speak. His voice was silent. No matter how much he tried to speak, Ryuu soon realized that his voice was gone. Clutching his own throat, Ryuu tried again to speak. Nothing. Something that Serpentaurious seemed to find amusing, as even though its voice was gone as well, a curling of its lips signaled that it was laughing at him.
'You will find that merely being in this place will steal a persons voice. I will be able to hear your thoughts though, so speak with your heart and I will hear you.' It said with obvious amusement.
'... Can you hear me now?' Ryuu asked, still slightly annoyed.
Serpentaurious nodded as much as its chains would allow, even though it was barely noticeable.
'Now can you tell me why you entered this accursed place? Of your own accord no less.' It asked politely.
'If you are willing to abide by my terms, then consider my reason for being here: Your freedom, from this place and those chains.' Ryuu said quickly.
Ryuu saw Serpentaurious' eyes widen at the mention of its freedom.
'... I'm listening.' It said.
Ryuu steadied himself and took a shallow breath. Preparing himself should it not take his request to heart.
'If you are wiling to serve me from time to time, I will shatter these bonds and escort you through the gateway. I ask nothing else, but should you accept, you will only have access to my plain of existence when I call for you. Otherwise the beings that bound you will notice your absence.' Ryuu said as he took a step back.
Serpentaurious looked into Ryuu's eyes, searching for falsehood in his words. Finding none, it grinned widely, displaying its sharp mountainous fangs.
Ryuu cringed slightly at the sight, but steeled his will and forced his next words.
'Your answer?' Ryuu asked, ready to take to the sky should the answer be unsavory to his health.
A nod was all he got as Serpentaurious closed its eyes, a single tear rolling down its ivory scales.
'Ten thousand years is not such a long time to a dragon, yet in this purgatory, minutes pass like years. If the price for my freedom is slavery, then so be it. As long as I am able to leave this place with my head held high, then any price is worth it.'
Ryuu nodded, and with little more than a single swipe of his blades, he cut deeply enough into the chains that Serpentaurious was able to break free, shattering each link of the massive chain at once. With that done, Ryuu flared his wings and took to the sky, signaling Serpentaurious to follow him.
'The gate I opened won't let anything through unless it is marked by my Shadow Flare. So I'll need put its mark on you.' Ryuu said as he began to gather a small amount of power into his left palm.
Before Serpentaurious could ask what he meant, a searing pain began to burn through the scales on its forehead. Ryuu had thrust his burning palm onto the center of Serpentaurious' forehead, allowing a small glimmer of his power to burrow into its being and enable it to pass through the barrier around the gateway he had created.
Serpentaurious growled slightly at the pain, but calmed quickly when it saw that the gateway was parting for it to leave. As it passed through the threshold of the Abyss, Serpentaurious coiled itself around the mountain that lay at the gateway's maw, awaiting Ryuu's return.
Ryuu smiled as he watched the massive creature holding to its oath. Spreading his wings to their zenith, Ryuu called on his power, once again cloaking his body in the ebony and crimson smoke that he had used to open the gateway to begin with. He descended down, through the gateway.
Serpentaurious watched in confusion as its master touched down on the mountain's peak.
"I believe that I should close the gateway now, what do you think Serpentaurious?" Ryuu asked as his slitted eyes narrowed in blood lust.
Serpentaurious, caught off guard by its master's sudden overflow of pure power and change of personality, didn't respond at first. After a moment of regaining its composure and collecting its thoughts, it responded in kind to Ryuu's question.
"Perhaps we could kill a few pests in the process?" Serpentaurious suggested with a toothy smile,
pointing out the fact that many other beasts were attempting to leave the Abyss via Ryuu's gateway.
Ryuu nodded, using his power to open a small whole in the gateway to allow a few of the others that were banished to the Abyss. A cry of triumph followed the gates opening, as several tried to squeeze through, Ryuu looked between the gate and Serpentaurious twice before he spoke.
"Would you like to make the countdown?" Ryuu asked, as he closed the gate several inches.
Serpentaurious smiled again, a slight tingle of murderous intent running down its spine. With a slight nod, it began to count quietly. Hoping for incredible bloodshed within a few moments.
"5..."
Serpentaurious' voice echoed through the air, malice staining its tone with a black sheen.
"4..."
The demons and beasts cast themselves through the gap in the gate like rabid dogs, fighting for a scrap of meat.
"3..."
Its voice, chaotic and eager, sent a shiver through Ryuu's body, causing him to ruffle his feathers in anticipation as he watched his soon to be victims make random mad dashes through the gate.
"2..."
The extra-dimensional prisoners fought tooth and nail to escape as their spectators watched in rapt attention, their muscles tensing randomly at the impending slaughter.
"... 1..."
The gate closed within a split second, cutting through anything that got in its way, including the Abyss' escaping prisoners. Blood began to spray like a fountain, coating everything within range of it in a crimson sheet. Screams of agony and pain echoed across miles of empty valleys and mountains, pure and untainted, a melody of bliss as Ryuu and Serpentaurious watched the slaughter. Small droplets of warm blood landing on them as they basked in their prize.
"That was worth the wait, would you not agree? Ciel of the Crimson Storm..." Ryuu said abruptly.
Serpentaurious looked at him questioningly, unsure of how to respond to the odd name and title.
"That is the name you will respond to when I can on you. If I call on you by your real name, you would just be banished again. Correct?" Ryuu asked with a knowing glare.
Serpentaurious thought about what Ryuu had said for a while, in the end, it had to agree though.
"Fine, I think you are correct. But, must you call me 'Ciel'?" Serpentaurious asked, slightly annoyed at the name Ryuu had chosen.
With a flex of his blades and quickly flaring his wings, Ryuu ascended into the sky.
"I chose that name because you are well known to use lightning as a weapon." Ryuu said offhandedly.
Serpentaurious growled slightly, discharging a slight electric current through the air.
"Thats not much of an explanation..." It said, malice lacing its voice with a venomous tone.
Ryuu smiled as he flared his feathered wings to their zenith, extending the bladed feathers as far as possible. With a slight movement of his muscles, black flames engulfed his wings, completely overtaking Serpentaurious' electricity and nullifying it.
Serpentaurious' eyes widened in awe, no one, not even another celestial being had ever managed to do what Ryuu had just done, even considering it was just a small current.
"What was that supposed to be? Did you just try to attack me? Serpentaurious..." Ryuu said in a tone that shook the great serpent to the core.
Serpentaurious uncoiled itself from the mountain's base, allowing it to drift away from Ryuu slightly.
"That power just now. What was that? A small mortal frame such as yours should be unable to accommodate such power. Even Tiamat has far less power than that." Serpentaurious said cautiously.
Ryuu smirked, cracking his joints, re-shaping his body and Flare for a new type of battle. A sudden flash of dark light engulfed the area, temporarily blinding Serpentaurious as Ryuu allowed his Shadow Flare to overshadow the remaining 'humanity' that was left to him.
Several minutes passed as Serpentaurious fought against empty shadows, trying to slash at the black mist that had taken his sight, or rend it to shreds like a limp cloth. With one final attempt,
Serpentaurious spread it massive wings to their maximum length, and with a single beat of the feathered appendages; it blew the darkness away like a thin fog. A sight that Serpentaurious could not even imagine in its darkest nightmare awaited him, when its sight returned though...
Even though Ryuu's main body changed very little, the malice and pure destructive intent that radiated from the Shadow Flare embedded in his chest was enough to make any normal being go into shock from merely his presence.
Ryuu's feathered wings had grown about five times their normal size while the ivory hue had bled into his black scales in a black and white flame design around his upper chest. His legs, as well as his tail, had merged together, resulting in that his lower body had become like that of a fifteen meter snake, slowly tapering to a feathered tail. The most fearsome change that Ryuu had gone through though, was the fact that his blades had grown thicker, longer, more wicked in every aspect; not even needing the ebony flame that coated them with a promise of bloodshed.
"What are you?" Serpentaurious asked as it looked over Ryuu's new form.
Ryuu looked at the great serpent before him, he knew that he was no match for the fearsome creature's wrath should it decide to fight him, nonetheless, he felt like altering his form again and this form suited his current mindset.
"The Shadow Flare... It corrupts one's physical and psychological being, and creates a new form that can resonate with the user's soul. I am a living incarnation of the flare, so I can change my form at will without losing myself in its near omnipotent power."
Serpentaurious took in Ryuu's words slowly, realizing the irony of what it meant. With what seemed similar to an earth shattering roar, the beast began to laugh heartily. Storm clouds began to gather from the sound of Serpentaurious' voice as it laughed, openly mocking Ryuu right in front of him.
Its voice stilled in an instant, as Serpentaurious felt a small stream of blood trickling down its cheek. Raising its wing, Serpentaurious ran its feathers across the small wound that marred its face. Serpentaurious' own blood was something it had not seen in a long time, raising its head slightly, Serpentaurious saw that one of Ryuu's blades was dripping with a crimson fluid. Surprise and awe were writ on its face as it watched Ryuu lap up the blood on his blade.
"A little habit I picked up from my mate, she likes to kill anything that taunts her and drink their blood. She tried to kill me several times already." Ryuu said with a gleeful tone, without hesitation, he spoke again.
"I am the same way, tempt me with that laugh of yours again... and I will sever your head." Ryuu whispered with a murderous tone.
The air of conviction around Ryuu made Serpentaurious hesitate from his challenge. It knew that Ryuu was still far weaker than it, although, with the speed and power, as well as the blades that Ryuu did have, Serpentaurious suspected that he was very much capable of doing so, despite their difference in power.
"... Very well... I submit to you. Master." It said it a defeated tone.
Bowing its head, Serpentaurious pledged to serve Ryuu as best as its power was able to.
Ryuu smiled, calmly examining Serpentaurious' expression, looking for traces of a lie. When he was satisfied that it was serious, Ryuu called out to it to finalize their pact.
"Speak your name... And be reborn." Ryuu said quietly, as he began to gather his power around the great serpent.
With but a moment of hesitation, it spoke.
"My name is... Ciel, of the Crimson Storm." It said as a thin black flame began to slowly creep along its scales, engulfing its entire body as the Shadow Flare began to consume and corrupt it, transforming it to reflect its true nature.
"This power... I've never felt anything like it. Now I understand your courage and strength, this feeling of invincibility... incredible." Ciel whispered as its form disappeared into another world.
"Glad you like it, enjoy your freedom. Unless I call you, you are truly free from the bondage of the Abyss..." Ryuu said as he landed, coiling the lengths of his tail about the ground before changing back to his normal form.
Ryuu looked to the sky, noticing the nearly full moon for the first time since he returned from the Abyss. When he had left Styx, it had only been a waning crescent. Ryuu sighed, he was going to get hell for leaving her alone for so long, who knows how many she might have killed already without Ryuu to tell her to stop. This was going to be a serious pain. Without another thought, Ryuu spread his wings and took to the sky, flying back to their campsite.
Styx sighed contentedly as she basked in the afterglow of slaughter, her once silver fur had become stained by the blood splatter from her countless victims in the two weeks that Ryuu had been gone, leaving her stuck with a crimson hue to her fur. With an almost intoxicated air about her motions, Styx moved her wrist to her lips, licking off a few drops of blood that had settled there with a moan of satisfaction. Leaning against an oak that happened to be nearby, Styx looked up to the moon, thinking that its ivory light reminded her of her beloved master's wings; so elegant, so pure, yet at the same time, just as deadly as her own fangs. Slowly, as she stared at the stars, she drifted into a easy sleep, unaware at just how much closer Ryuu was than she thought.
Ryuu flew over their camp several times, trying in vein to take a headcount of the slaughtered humans near Styx. He saw that she was taking a nap at the base of an old oak, similar in fact to the one that she and he had first met. A thin smile crossed his lips as he thought up a truly evil way to scare his blade happy mate. Carefully, to avoid Styx' keen nose, Ryuu landed near the top of the tree. Folding his wings tight to his body, Ryuu let his long tail wind down the tree, near Styx' sleeping form. Without a sound, he snaked his tail under the vast amount of corpses and blood stained leaves around the tree. A small twig snapped under Ryuu's weight as he shifted his stance, alerting Styx' half-waking mind to the presence of something, causing her ears to perk up while still in a light sleep. Ryuu sighed quietly, as he moved his tail up near her thigh. Extending a small blade from under the scales, he gently poked her several times, just hard enough to wake her. With little sound at all, Styx eyes shot open and she had already drawn Thenos from its sheath, swinging it in the direction of Ryuu's already re-concealed tail.
Styx looked around her, she expected another wave of humans that she could kill, but no one was there. The small clearing that Ryuu had picked out for their camp was completely deserted, aside from herself and the corpses. Another soft jab on the back of her left ankle made her quickly whip around, swinging Thenos in a wide arc. Another jab, this time in her lower back. This went on for several minutes, each time Ryuu would poke her, Styx would quickly spin on her heel and either swing or thrust her sword in the direction of her supposed attacker. Styx had become slightly unnerved thanks to her invisible opponent, she growled slightly, trying to cover her fear. Before she could act again, Ryuu had begun coiling his tail about her body, far enough from her fur that she didn't realize what was happening before Ryuu sprung his trap. Tightening his coils in an instant, Ryuu completely immobilized his mate, leaving her in fear.
A quiet laugh broke the silence as Styx hung there, awaiting whatever had trapped her to show its face. With a whimpering growl, Styx hung her head in defeat and fury.
"Well Styx, it looks like you had fun while I was gone." Ryuu said in an echoing voice.
Slowly, Ryuu began to unwind his tail from around Styx' body, allowing her to fall the couple feet to the ground. He jumped down to the ground, using his wings to soften his descent, and stood, looking down at Styx as she fought against her victim's bodies to stand. As she got to her feet, Styx looked over her mate, just as flawless as usual, aside from a few new blood stains on his blades. Styx smiled at this, wherever Ryuu had gone, at least he had fun as well.
"Its good to see you in one piece, master." Styx said as she embraced him tightly, not even caring that his feathers had begun to cut deeply into her skin.
Ryuu held her close, enjoying the feel of her soft fur. He then noticed a faint scent, one of decay and death. Taking Styx hair into his hands, he gently pulled her head to the side, exposing her throat and took a deep whiff of her scent. Styx sighed at the treatment, thinking that Ryuu was going to drink from her again.
"You need a bath Styx." Ryuu said bluntly.
Styx looked at Ryuu quickly as he pulled away from her, and saw that he was covering his nose with a wing. Styx, appalled by Ryuu's outburst, bristled her tails and growled slightly. Ryuu watched as Styx bristled her fur at his comment and had begun flexing her claws, in response, he extended the blades on his wings to their maximum length of fourteen inches.
"Like your any better Ryuu." Styx said, standing down from her mate's challenge.
Ryuu folded back his wings and stepped up to Styx, placing one of her hands on his chest.
"As you can see, no dirt or grime has marred these scales Styx, if I do get dirty. At least I have the decency to take a bath, unlike you, who gets to caught up in bloodshed that you smell like death rolled over twice." Ryuu said in a caustic tone.
Styx blushed at Ryuu's words, she didn't like taking baths, it took forever for her fur to dry even after a slight drizzle of rain. Ryuu, on the other hand, had his scales.
"Come along Styx, I don't care what you say. My mate is not going to walk around smelling like that, besides, you look better in white fur." Ryuu said as he grabbed one of her tails, and started to drag her to the nearest stream. Styx dug her claws into the ground, trying to stop Ryuu from bathing her, an ineffective attempt to say the least.
"Styx, do not make me stop. You pledged yourself to me as a slave, right?" Ryuu said, reminding his mate of her oath.
Hearing Ryuu say this, Styx surrendered her struggles, berating herself for speaking those accursed words.
Having stripped down to her bare fur, and now sitting an waist deep water while Ryuu scrubbed her fur back to a silver gleam; Styx grumbled something akin to her hatred of water. Ryuu sighed with a tired smile upon his lips, he traced his talons across the pulsing vein in her throat, making Styx release a groan of pleasure from the feeling of her mate's sharp claws.
"Will you stop complaining, I wouldn't be doing this if you would keep yourself clean." Ryuu remarked caustically.
Styx caught her mate's eye, shooting daggers of annoyance at him. With one fluid movement, she raised her fist to the air, and extended her middle finger, making Ryuu laugh.
"Maybe later... If your good." He whispered in her ear.
Styx' ears perked at Ryuu's comment, and she licked her lips. Reaching back with one of her hands, she traced circles over Ryuu's chest, and nuzzling her cheek against him.
"Hey, I said later didn't I?" He laughed, prying her off of him by the tip of her ear.
Ryuu finished cleaning Styx' fur, and walked her over to a small waterfall several feet away to rinse off. Again, she fought to get away from the water, to no avail as within moments she was being doused with cold water raining down from above. As soon as Ryuu let go of her shoulder, she bounded out of the stream and onto the grass, shaking off the worst of the water and trying to towel dry the rest.
Ryuu had to laugh again, Styx' antics to get herself dry were both pathetic, and funny.
"Hey Styx! Catch."
As she looked up, her vision was greeted by a wall of fire rushing toward her like it had a mind of its own. Styx did her best to block the blast as it passed over her in an instant, her stance was solid, had it been an attack she would have withstood it. The flames dispersed as quickly as they came, leaving Styx' fur shimmering brilliantly, completely dry and well groomed from the wind pushing the fire. Styx opened her eyes as she felt the heat dissipate, and she looked over her body for singe marks or burns. None, her fur was in perfect condition, however, being dry was the only thing she really noticed at the time. Raising her gaze, Styx noticed a coil of fire around Ryuu's outstretched hand, identifying him as the source of the burning breeze.
"Smart ass..." She mumbled to herself, staring at Ryuu's still burning palm.
Even though he had stopped the fire spell, his hand was still burning, glowing slightly in an array of arcane runes. Several of the runes looked familial to her, like something she had seen in a book once. An array of blood red runes enshrouded by ebony and crimson flame, the sight seemed to spark a memory, but that was just it, a spark, nothing more nothing less. However much she thought about it, the only memories that came to her mind were those of chaos and destruction on a level far beyond what she though Ryuu was psychologically capable of committing. Still, she needed to be sure.
"Ryuu, what are those marks on your arm?" Styx asked, concern woven into each word.
Ryuu looked at her for a moment before looking to his arm where the marks were pulsating like his heart used to, beating in a gentle rhythm. Ryuu's eyes widened when he saw them, fear and happiness together seemed to dominate his features.
"Well, would you look at that." Ryuu whispered as he began to translate them onto a piece of spare paper he had tucked away in his pocket.
"With this hand, the bearer
shall take thy place, the
reaper's scythe in hand. The
souls of the dead shall be his
power, and the black flame, his
heart. On the fist full moon of
his twenty-first year,this power
shall take hold."
Styx and Ryuu both read over the translation several times, just to be sure they didn't miss something. Styx smiled hesitantly, because of what she was, she had to kill to fend off insanity; Ryuu on the other hand, would need to kill as fate dictated. Irony, as it seemed, held a short leash on Ryuu; a beast who disliked killing except in a fury. One would think it odd, a creature that loved to fight, nearly refused to kill unless fury and rage gripped him. The thought in itself was enough to make Styx giggle slightly.
Ryuu walked back to the river and dunked his arm into the water, hoping to extinguish both the still burning flame and luminescent runes that coated his forearm. His efforts were for naught though, he was able to subdue his Shadow Flare, yet the runes remained, even after shifting to his human form.
"Looks like your stuck Ryuu. I don't know about you, but this sounds like a good opportunity for you." Styx said as she caressed his back, holding him close.
Ryuu looked his mate in the eye, making her back off quickly as she saw the anger making itself known.
Ryuu stood, closing his eyes and gritting his teeth in rage. He clenched his fists, talons digging deep, bloody gouges into the soft flesh under his scales.
"I will never..." He paused, allowing his power to weave itself through his surroundings.
A small gust began to pick up speed, spiraling around his body as wave after wave of power drained the life from the forest around him.
"Submit to this fate." Ryuu yelled to the skies.
The winds sped up again, small tongues of ebony flames soaring through the winds, nearly hitting Styx several times.
"Ryuu! You need to calm down." Styx yelled over the winds, completely unheard by her mate.
Styx unsheathed Thenos, using its guard chain as a whip and coiled it around Ryuu's leg. He didn't even notice, so caught up in his rage. Using the chain as a guide line, Styx fought the winds that impeded her before and gripped onto Ryuu's chest, shaking him back to his senses.
Ryuu had almost completely lost control of his power again, the winds magnified the speed, now causing large stones and branches to get caught up in the twister. Styx held onto him tightly, a single tear sliding down her cheek as she gathered her power into the palm of her hand.
In the back of his mind, Ryuu could just barely feel someone trying to get his attention, yet somehow he was being held back from answering their call. Thats when he felt it.
"Wake up, idiot!" Styx screamed over the winds.
Styx unleashed the power she had been gathering and forced he brunt of its force into her mate's chest, Ryuu was forced through the air and slammed against a large rock. He coughed up a few drops of blood before he finally opened his eyes and saw the destruction his fury had wrought. Every tree in a fifty foot radius of him looked as though it had been drained of both its life force and burnt to naught but cinders, while the ground around them looked like a wasteland. Even the animals, however few were stupid enough to stick around, looked like dried husks, and their blood that lay splattered on the ground reduced to red sand. Ryuu was appalled, and disgusted by his carelessness. After he berated with himself, he looked up to see what Styx had to say about this disaster, most likely a compliment.
As soon as Ryuu looked up, he wished he hadn't. Styx was covered in open wounds, blood pouring from several gashes on her head, and it seemed as though one of her tails had been broken by a rock during the twister. She held Thenos with naught but a vice grip, blood dripped from the now stained handle wrap and trickling down the serrated blade.
Ryuu made an effort to stand, supporting himself by leaning against the rock; he hadn't realized just how powerful the blast his mate's attack had been. As he looked to her again, he saw that Styx was making slow progress toward him, leaving a trail of blood behind her with every step she took.
Styx stopped a few feet from Ryuu, and looked around herself. She would admit it with pride, she would kill humans without even batting an eye, yet the pointless destruction of nature and wildlife brought a tear to her eyes.
"Ryuu." Styx began to speak, just above above a whisper.
Ryuu perked his ears to hear her, as he stood before her. Before Styx could finish what she was going to say, Ryuu held out his hand and placed it just over the base of her throat, and sent a pulse of healing energy through her. As her wounds healed, Styx saw that Ryuu hadn't healed any of his own wounds, something that Styx found curious.
"Ryuu, why aren't you healing yourself too?" Styx asked as she traced a claw over one of his broken wings.
Ryuu brushed off her hands and reverted to his human form to allow his wings to recover naturally without further harm. Shrugging on his vest, Ryuu began to walk back to camp with an almost unnoticeable limp in his left leg.
"I'm not going to use the Shadow Flare for my own health until I can shake off this abomination." Ryuu said as he held up his still glowing arm.
Styx smirked, and began walking toward him quickly. Before Ryuu could react, Styx had reared her hand back and slapped him as hard as she could; her claws drawing four thin lines of blood.
Ryuu raised his hand slowly, tracing his fingers over the thin cuts. As he pulled his hand into sight, he saw several drops of blood dripping down his fingers.
"Wake up, and stop acting like a whiny little bitch Ryuu. Who cares if you are to be the next reaper, if you ask me, its an improvement." Styx said as she stood over him.
Ryuu clenched his hands, drawing several more beads of blood from his palm before reaching his hand out and drawing a line of his own blood around Styx' throat. A gesture that she recognized quickly, and promptly backed down. Before Styx could do anything else, Ryuu held his still bleeding palm up to her lips. With a questioning glance, Styx began to lap up his blood, enjoying the rich taste and overflow of power.
"Master, you taste as good as ever." Styx said as she caressed the slowly closing wound on his hand.
Ryuu moved his hand over her head, and began stroking the back of her neck gently. Styx leaned into his caress and closed her eyes, enjoying the attention. Ryuu scratched her neck for several moments before he spoke.
"You know Styx, I remember telling you not to call me 'master'." Ryuu reminded her with a gentle tug of her fur.
Styx arched her back from the slight pain, leaning against his leg.
"I know, I just like to every now and then. It makes me feel needed." Styx said calmly, enjoying the tingling pain on her neck.
Ryuu smiled, easing his grip on his mate for a minute and began to stroke her neck again. Styx was there for him, no matter what happened, he was sure she would stay by his side.
"Lets go Styx, we have a lot of ground to cover before nightfall, and you can't fly can you?" Ryuu said quietly, happily.
Styx stood and looked into Ryuu's eyes again, nodding quickly, she ran back to the camp and packed up their things before meeting Ryuu by the river again.
As the two began to walk, they looked up, seeing the beginnings of a solar eclipse; they watched as it cast a golden hue over their surroundings, making Styx' silver fur glow in the waning light.
End of Chapter VI
*