Deathly Threats
#13 of Shades of Grey
Deathly Threats
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This chapter is set directly after 'Desperation and Beyond', and it contains cameos by Rio, Chris, Zeng and Ace. These characters belong to DS-Rio (http://ds-rio.sofurry.com), Serath ([www.furaffinity.net/user/serath](%5C)), Dragon-Knight (http://dragon-knight.sofurry.com), and Tomgreen ([www.furaffinity.net/user/tomgreen](%5C)), respectively.
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The great blue dragon shuffled slowly across the rocky plateau, muttering all the while under his breath. Glayce had certainly had better days; he had once been the most feared dragon for miles, feared for his powerful ability to command ice and frost...a rare power even for dragons. But now here he was, stuck in this barren wasteland...dead. It was this last fact that rankled him most. Death was such a weak state to exist in. It meant someone was stronger than him, and he hated that.
Not that he knew who killed him...he just knew he was dead. One moment he was cursing those dogs, next minute, he was being lectured by a black, telepathic dragon. He would have frozen that impudent drake in a heartbeat, but he had been held down by black fog.
'_ Ah, Glayce... ' the dragon had chided. ' If ever there was one who deserved their fate, it was you. Such a cold-hearted killer...I would love to shake the paw of he who killed you. I actually feel that I should not heal your wounds. ' The black dragon sighed deeply, casting his red gaze over Glayce's broken body. ' But, rules are rules...I WILL, however, make sure you are very uncomfortable for a while. Fitting punishment, hmm? _'
It was then that Glayce had been cast into this rocky terrain. The bare, rocky earth offered no shelter from the harsh, beating sun. Glayce had never known true heat before, but he did now. He was weak...heat was the only thing he was weak to. Steam constantly rose from his body, and no amount of icy breath would keep the heat at bay for long. It was his own personal hell.
But Glayce wasn't going to take it on the chin. Oh no...he had a plan. He was biding his time, trying to find other dissidents to help him. He may be dead, but surely he could be just as powerful as in life...he just needed to get rid of that black dragon...
The darkness was everywhere, pressing in on his mind and body. Samiake gritted his teeth, trying to force the darkness away from his mind. This was one of the reasons he didn't like this form of travel. Sure, it was fast, but he ran the risk of losing himself. Hopefully, this ride wouldn't last long...
Light flared, and he suddenly erupted out of the ground, shooting up for a second and thudding back down. The otter lay in the dirt for a few seconds, shuddering from the aftermath of the journey. Raising his head slowly, he peered blearily around. He was beside a road...so he was obviously not in Tayuna anymore. Which was a good thing...now he needed to find Rio. He had to be close by...
Samiake staggered to his feet, shadows already swirling around him. Without the protection of his armband, his Necromantic powers were running wild, absorbing the shadows and sending chill tendrils through his body and brain, trying to persuade him to give in to the darkness. His left arm was engulfed in shadows, so much that he couldn't feel it. More shadows extended from the arm, curling up his back like a cancerous growth, and sweat peppered his body, testament to the willpower he was exurting to keep the darkness away. He gripped his head tight as a headache pounded away.
'Argh...can't keep this up...much longer...' he panted, squeezing his red eyes shut and shaking his head.
Up ahead, he heard a vehicle approach. He looked up, and saw an odd vehicle swing around the bend. Samiake grinned slightly; Rio had to be on board that thing. No time for subtlty...he had to work fast. He whipped his left arm forward, and the vehicle collided with his paw. The impact was like hitting a very solid steel wall; the front of the vehicle crumpled, and the rest of it rose slightly from the ground, coming back down with a crash.
'Knock knock...anyone home?' Samiake muttered with a grin.
Rio sat on a seat, swaying side to side from the movement of the compartment. He hummed lightly to himself, looking over his weapons. His katana was as sharp as ever, his quiver packed with arrows for his bow, and his gun was fully loaded, spare ammo in one of his many pockets. The red and black anthro dragon ran a hand through his hair, casting a sidelong glance at the green dragon beside him, who was busy sketching in his book.
'Lazz, I'm bored!' drawled Rio, the tip of his long tail tapping on the ground like a disgruntled cat. 'When are we gonna get there?'
Lazz didn't look up. 'If you're so bored, why don't you go on ahead. You're quicker than this old tin-can, anyway.'
Rio heaved a deep sigh and slumped back. It was true he was faster. He could run so fast so as to leave blurry after-images in his wake. But he liked to save his ability for when it was needed.
'Hey, Lazz...did I ever tell you about Samiake?'
'Yes, you did. Countless times...'
'I wonder what he's doing.' Rio missed the otter. They'd met almost two years ago, on a mission in the desert to the far east of Tayuna. Rio remembered well the gruff black and grey otter, and not only because of his powerful shadow-manipulating ability. There was something about him that stuck in Rio's mind...but in a good way.
Suddenly, the two dragons were flung forward as the vehicle shuddered to a halt. Lazz hit the far wall and filled the air with curses. Rio skidded along the ground, hitting one of the seats, giving a yelp of pain as he hit something sharp.
'What the hell was that?!' he asked. Lazz didn't reply. He stood up and suddenly vanished, his camouflaging ability kicking in. Rio stumbled out of the door, checking his weapons again, ready for a fight.
Outside, a black figure was in the middle of the road, a long appendage connecting it to the crumpled front of the vehicle. There was something slightly familiar about it, but Rio couldn't place it.
'Rio, you draw its attention, I'll take it from the back,' said Lazz's voice, issuing from the com-unit in Rio's sail-like ears. Rio nodded, and sped towards the thing, firing off a few shots at it.
'Hey, over here!' he shouted. The thing reached towards him, but the speedy dragon dashed out of the way. He spun around quickly, coming right at it, ready to attack with his claws. But just as he got close, he suddenly recognised the red eyes...it was Samiake!
He skidded to a halt a few feet away. 'S-Samiake?'
The otter gave a wry grin. 'Yeah, it's me.'
Rio took in the swirling darkness and the arm. 'What happened to you?'
'Never mind that...I need your h-'
Lazz appeared out of nowhere, wrapping an arm around the otter's throat and pulling back hard.
'Lazz, no!' cried Rio. 'It's Samiake!'
Lazz didn't hear him, but Samiake reached around. Grabbing the green dragon's shoulder, he wrenched him forward, flipping him over his shoulder and slamming him into the ground, pinning him with several cords of shadows. Lazz snarled curses, but he could not budge.
Samiake looked up at Rio. 'Listen, I'll explain later...but we really gotta go, buddy...'
Rio noticed that the otter was shaking slightly, and that the shadows that swirled around him, seemed to be thicker and rested tighter on his body. In the desert, they had swirled around like mist, but now they looked...more alive.
'Okay, let's go then. You can fill me in later.' He walked up and grabbed Samiake's right arm; he didn't want to touch the left, preparing to pick the otter up and carry him, as before. But Samiake gave a tight grin.
'How about this time, I take YOU for a ride...'
Rio wondered what he meant, but then Samiake wrapped both arms around Rio's torso, pulling him into a hug. Rio blushed a bit, but then the shadows on Samiake's arm crept up his body, completely engulfing him, and the darkness closed in around him. A second later, they were both gone.
Rio gasped loudly, heaving for air as the darkness receded. He felt the cold clamminess pull away as Samiake let go. He hit the ground and shuddered for air as Samiake knelt down and helped him up.
'Sorry, Rio...I should have warned you.'
Rio looked around. He was now in a clearing beside a forest and a cave. Parts of the grass had burnt away, and there was a large pool of blood a few feet away. A red female husky and a white and brown mouse were approaching, both looking tired and traumatised.
'Sammy...what happened here?' asked Rio slowly. Samiake shook his head, looking down and grimacing.
'Can't stay and chat...got one more stop to make. Ask Xani...' Samiake closed his eyes again and once again dove into the darkness, hoping that Xani's second-hand description of Zeng would be enough to get him there.
Rio looked around just as Xani and Chris arrived. 'Which one of you is Xani?' he asked.
'That'd be me,' said Xani, digging her staff into the ground and leaning on it. 'You're Rio, right?'
Rio nodded, then pointed to the blood. 'What happened there?'
Xani looked away, a pained expression on her face. 'Our...friend. He was killed, about an hour ago...'
Rio looked down. 'I'm sorry,' he murmured. He reached over and patted Xani gently on the shoulder, but she flinched away slightly.
'But why am I here?' he asked. 'I don't get it. Sammy shows up in the middle of the road, and I'm suddenly a world away...'
Chris cleared his throat. 'Not sure if you know, but Samiake is a Necromancer. He's gonna try and bring Shayde- our friend- back to life. So, we're getting a little help. Samiake says you'd be very useful.'
Rio blanched a bit. Even where he was from, he knew about Necromancers. That explains more than it doesn't, he thought. But at least he knew Sammy was a good guy...most of the time.
Xani looked up. 'Listen...the otter said you could help me get someone. I need to get to this village, about two weeks walk from here...'
Rio grinned. 'That shouldn't be a problem.' He dropped onto all fours, and turned so his back was facing Xani. 'Jump on...I'll get you there in no time.'
Xani looks hesitantly at Rio's back. 'Are...are you sure?'
Rio grinned over his shoulder. 'No worries. Hop on, and hold on tight.'
Xani pulled herself onto the dragon's back, collapsing her staff and sliding it under her cloak, so it wouldn't trip Rio up. Once she was settled, she held onto the sleeves of Rio's jacket...the only handholds she could find.
'Okay,' said Rio. 'Which way?' Xani pointed towards the direction of the village. 'Okay...hold on tight...it's about to get windy!' And with that, he sped off, giving Xani enough time to yelp with shock and grip tighter.
When the dust cleared, Chris was left alone. Coughing, he looked around.
'So,' he asked the air. 'What do I do...?'
In the castle of Gaia, in a far distant land, a tiger sat in a large, cavernous room, surrounded by soldiers and servants. He was a rather well-muscled feline, with a sword strapped to his back, looking very well-used and cared for. Zeng had come a long way; he was now married to his beautiful wife, who was also the princess of Gaia. He smiled as he looked at Linda, sitting beside him.
He looked down at his paw. Though it had been many years ago, and it had healed up perfectly, he remembered when he'd fought a dragon in another country, aided and abetted by a canine named Shayde. He wondered what had happened to that dog...he hoped nothing bad. The dog showed potential as a fighter, but he had a few issues that needed to be dealt with first.
'Thinking of your little protégé again, Zeng?' Linda smiled at him, knowing the little furrow of her mates' brow. Zeng nodded silently.
'Just wondering what he's up to. Haven't seen him in years. I wonder if he took my advice.'
'Well, seeing as how you so subtly suggested it,' Linda teased, 'I don't see how he couldn't have.'
Zeng chuckled, then looked out into the room, watching the nobility mingling during the feast. However, his trained eyes spotted something unusual in the middle of the room; a small pool of a dark substance was sitting beside a table, and it was slowly growing bigger.
Suddenly, the pool expanded rapidly, pushing away the nearby table and any nobles sitting or standing near it. Screams ripped through the room as a dark mass rose out of it, two red eyes just visible where a head would be.
'Somebody help us! It's Kairos!!' screamed someone. Zeng thought this highly unusual, as he, and a group of warriors, had defeated Kairos a few years ago. The evil dark dragon was dead and gone...right?
Regardless, he stood and drew his blade, charging down the steps towards the mass, followed by a battalion of soldiers. They surrounded the mass as it slowly took form, solidifying into a vaguely otter-like shape, albeit one with a grossly deformed left arm.
'Halt, and surrender to-' was all one of the soldiers could say. The otter-thing swept its arm out in an arch, swatting down the soldiers like a cloud of midges and pinning them to the far wall in a groaning, semi-conscious mass. The stone cracked slightly with the force of the blow, and suddenly it was completely silent in the room.
The thing looked out, the black slipping off its head to reveal a grey otter, wearing a pained expression.
'Which...one of you...is Zeng?' he gasped.
Zeng took a step forward, his blade at the ready. 'That'd be me, demon. And what are you?'
'I need...your help...'
Zeng snorted. 'Unlikely. The only help I can give you is to send you back to hell.'
He leapt forward, swinging his blade in a wide arc, slicing at the otter's belly...he supposed. The otter didn't do anything, but the darkness engulfing him surged out, snatching the blade from the tiger's paws, stabbing it deep into the stone floor, and wrapping a thick cord around Zeng's throat. Zeng struggled as he felt the cord tighten.
The otter gritted his teeth, and the cord loosened, dropping Zeng to the ground, gasping for air.
'Please listen...Sh...Shayde needs...your help...'
Zeng looked up quickly. Shayde? 'How do you know him?'
'Friend...he needs help...now.'
Zeng studied the otter. He looked sincere, as much as he could while fighting...whatever he was fighting.
'Okay...but if this is a trick, I swear on my father's memory...I will kill you.'
The otter gave a painful snort. 'Fair enough...' He wrapped the cord around Zeng again and reeled him in. 'Hold on tight...' With that, they vanished, leaving the court stunned and silent.
The village was bustling as usual. Various furs were going about their business, some still looking at the posters and placards displaying the news of Glayce's capture. Most still couldn't believe that such a dangerous creature was so close to the village. The news that Shayde had captured him was still a hot topic.
'I heard Shayde took down tha' dragon wif only his bare paws!' exclaimed one fox.
'I heard he took on Glayce an' Slate at th' same time!' confided his companion, a gecko.
Some things never change, mused Xani. She was walking along, trying to find the inn. Rio was walking beside her, looking around with interest.
'We don't have anything like this at home...' he mused, pointing out various things. 'Mostly it's just metal and plasma...gets a bit boring after a while.'
Xani didn't answer. She was still mildly shocked at Rio's speed. Along the way, she had attempted to fill him in on the situation. By the time they arrived, he had a fairly good idea of what was going on.
'Do you think this will work?' he asked quietly. 'I mean...bringing back the dead...not always the best idea.' Xani cast him filthy look, and he backed off, raising his paws in supplication. 'Not that I don't want him back...he sounds like a great guy. But have you considered what you'd do if he doesn't want to come back?'
Xani had thought about that, but she didn't dwell on it. She had to try. She owed Shayde that much.
'This is the place,' she announced, stopping outside an inn. Rio appraised it's dingy, uninviting exterior.
'Doesn't look too inviting, does it?' he asked. Xani mutely shook her head, then walked inside, the door creaking open before her.
Inside, it was as dingy as Xani remembered. There was the usual collection of furs sitting around tables, all in various states of inebriation. Some leered up at Xani, but she just glared right back, hoping she wouldn't need to break any wandering fingers.
She approached the bar and knocked on the stained wood, attracting the attention of the bear manning the bar.
'Is there a beagle named Ace around here somewhere?' she asked.
The bear peered at her, his eyes bloodshot and wavering slightly.
'Wha' doya wan' tha' good fer naught for, eh?' he drawled. Xani took a step back; the fumes rolling from the bear were thick enough to knock anyone drunk. She wafted the stink away before answering.
'It doesn't matter. I just need to speak to him.'
The bear snorted, several fleck of mucus landing dangerously close to Xani's hand.
'An' I say it does matter,' he said slowly. 'If ya don' have any reason t' speak to 'im, I won' tell ya where 'e is.' He folded his arms across his vast chest, glaring down at the husky.
Xani entertained the notion of literally cutting this bear down to size, but before she could reach for her staff, Rio stepped up, giving a little rueful grin.
'Please excuse her,' he said to the bear. He leaned in close to the bear and continued in a loud whisper. 'She's a little emotional right now...you know how it is with females.'
'Ah, yeah...' the bear huffed, sighing a cloud of beer-breath at Rio, who, remarkable, didn't fall down unconscious.
Rio nodded knowingly, giving Xani a little grin. She glared right back. 'Thing is, Ace is her cousin...he needs to come with her, cause their other cousin, regrettably, passed away.'
Xani fully expected that this lie wouldn't work, if the bear had not been as drunk as he was. As it was, the bear suddenly teared up, clapping Xani on the shoulder in sympathy.
'Mah apo...ap...I'm sorry, missy...' he sniffed. Yer cousin is ou' back...'
Xani played along and mutely nodded, then walked around the corner, Rio in tow. As soon as they were out of sight, Xani elbowed him viciously in the ribs, and Rio laughed.
They exited the inn and found a beagle out in the back courtyard, sitting at a rickety wooden table, washing potatoes.
'Are you Ace?' asked Rio. The beagle looked up, his bright green eyes peering out from under a mop of black hair.
'Yeah,' he said slowly. 'Why?' He looked at Rio, then gazed at Xani. He scowled a bit as he took her in
'Oh, it's you,' he said bitterly. 'What do you want?'
Xani sighed. She had a feeling that the beagle would be frosty towards her, but not this much. Not that they were on good terms, or anything. Ace had walked in while Shayde was tending to Xani's forced-self-inflicted wounds, and Xani had cheekily made it out to be more than it seemed. Now it seemed the beagle didn't get the joke, and acted as if Xani had stolen Shayde away from him.
'Listen here, pup,' she began, but Rio once again cut in before she could continue.
'You know a dog called Shayde, right?' he asked.
Ace's eyes widened momentarily. 'Yes, I know him. Why? Is he here?' he quickly looked around, as if they had Shayde hidden behind them.
'Well, the thing is, Shayde's de-' Xani yanked Rio's arm down, cutting him off.
'Are you insane?' she hissed. 'Don't just blurt it out like that! You have to break it to him gently...he had feelings for Shayde.'
Xani straightened up and took a step forward, laying a paw on Ace's shoulder. The beagle flinched a bit, but looked up at her.
'Listen, Ace...Shayde's in a bit of trouble right now.'
Something in Xani's eyes must have shown Ace that the trouble was major. 'W-why? What's wrong?'
Xani hesitated. 'He...he's dead.'
Ace froze. He gripped Xani's paw in a surprisingly tight hold, staring up at her with slightly watery eyes. 'Dead..?' he whispered.
Xani nodded. 'But...we might be able to bring him back. We've found a Necromancer, and he says he might be able to bring Shayde back. But he needs help.' She peered at the beagle. 'You like Shayde, don't you?'
Ace flushed a bit. 'Yeah...yeah, just a bit...'
Xani nodded once. 'Okay then. Well, Ace, we need your help. Shayde might need a bit of motivation to come back, and if he sees how much you 'like' him, he might want to come back a little more.'
Ace sniffed loudly, dabbing his eyes with the back of his black right paw. 'O...okay then. I'll help, as much as I can. If only to see him again...'
Xani smiled a bit. 'Oh, you'll see him, don't worry.' She turned to Rio, who was watching her with something akin to awe. She glared at him. 'What?'
Rio rearranged his face into a neutral look. 'Nothing. I just never took you to be so...emotional, about things.'
Xani rolled her eyes. 'I'm a female...of course I get emotional over things. Now, can you carry us both back?'
Rio nodded and crouched down, allowing the two canines to climb on. 'All set?' he asked. They nodded, and he took off, leaving a cloud of dust in his wake.
Meanwhile, in the Deadlands, Shayde was preparing to duel his father. Kibroy had offered to fight his son, to test both their skills. He assured Shayde that they could not be hurt, being dead, and wounds would heal. Still, Shayde was a little nervous, as he looked across the few feet to his father. Unlike Shayde, Kibroy was entirely black, save for his blue eyes. Muscles bunched and flexed under his coal-black fur as he warmed up. Shayde's mother was standing on the sidelines, watching. She was like her mate, only yellow. Tall and slender, she almost glowed in the watery sunlight, her golden coat glistening in long, shiny waves.
Also watching from the sidelines was a large black dragon. Shayde did a slight double-take; he didn't expect Nocturne, the ruler of the Deadlands, to be there. He stared at the dragon, and Nocturne grinned slightly, raising a paw.
'_ Surprised to see me? ' he asked. ' I heard about this little scuffle, and I thought I'd drop in and see what happens. After all, how often does one get the chance to see a father and a son duel on equal terms? _'
Kibroy looked up from his stretches. 'Equal terms?' He gave a derisive snort, but he grinned in an amused way. 'As if. My boy's had years to practice, while I've done nothing but stagnate here.'
Nocturne chuckled. 'And yet, how many years' experience do you have over him in life? I feel that you are both evenly matched.'
'We'll see...' said Kibroy, spinning a katana around in one paw. It was similar to Shayde's own blade, but the blade was pure white. 'Are you ready, son?'
Shayde nodded, drawing his blade, the silver metal glinting in the light. He settled into a stance, watching his father. No, he chided himself...he is my foe, I have to remember that.
Suddenly, Kibroy dashed forward, swinging the white blade up high. Shayde brought his blade up, catching the downward blow. He gasped, eyes widening slightly; the power behind the blow was phenomenal. His father was so much stronger than him...he had to be careful.
Gritting his teeth, Shayde twisted his blade, skipped out of the way as his father's katana completed its movement, sinking into the ground slightly. Shayde stepped in quickly, slashing at Kibroy's exposed side, nicking the skin lightly and causing his father to grunt in slight pain. He wrenched the blade from the ground, swinging out and smacking Shayde on the side with the flat of the blade.
Shayde almost collapsed with pain, but the pain swiftly faded, leaving a dull ache in his ribs.
'Don't let your guard down, just because your foe is momentarily defenceless,' instructed Kibroy. 'Most foes can handle the pain, if it leaves an opening for a counter-attack.'
Shayde nodded, and jumped back as Kibroy swung out with a low slash, aiming for his legs. Shayde turned and cut out at his father's chest, scoring a deep line across the black fur. Kibroy's face contorted in pain, countering with a cut to Shayde's arm.
Shayde yelped, quickly swapping his blade to his other paw, hoping that he could hold out until the wound healed. He stabbed out with his blade, hoping to keep his father's white blade away from him, but to no avail; Kibroy closed in and cut high, nicking Shayde's ear slightly.
'Dear,' called Amanda. 'Be careful...he's not as good as you, remember that.'
Kibroy grinned. 'Don't worry, I won't go too far.'
Shayde gritted his teeth again and swung out at Kibroy's feet, causing the larger Lab to skip back.
'_ A little advise is in order, I feel, ' said Nocturne quietly. Shayde had a peculiar feeling the dragon was only talking to him. ' Do you remember the moment before you passed? Do you recall the speed at which you moved to protect your friend? Try using your blade at the same time; attack as you go past him. _'
Shayde recalled the moment. He gripped his blade tight, dashing at his father. Kibroy looked amused as Shayde approached at speed, but his son dodged the blow he made, slicing his silvery blade in a diagonal line from Kibroy's hip, up his belly and chest, finishing at his shoulder. He rushed past, the attack over in a second; he wasn't even sure the attack had landed, until he saw the blood on his blade. He stopped a few steps behind his father, and he turned to look. A few seconds past, and then Kibroy gave a howl of pain as his blood began to flow out of the long slice. He dropped to his knees in pain.
Shayde sheathed his blade, walking back to his father. He stood before him watching as the blood slowly congealed.
'Well?' he asked. 'What do you think?'
Kibroy didn't say anything. He simply swung his blade up, cutting deep into Shayde's leg, continuing up to lodge the blade in his son's belly.
Shayde gasped, dropping like a stone as he felt the cold metal pierce him. Kibroy grinned painfully at him.
'Never...let your guard down, even if your foe seems beaten.'
Nocturne gave a shout of laughter. '_ I was right! You two are evenly matched. Even if your father was the victor, you are both master sword-players, Shayde.' _ A black mist rolled from the dragon's body, bathing the two Labs, and retracted, leaving them both fully healed. Shayde shuddered as he felt where the blade had impaled him...it was a surreal feeling to have.
Kibroy stood up, feeling his chest. 'Where did you learn that move, son?'
Shayde looked down a bit. 'Nocturne helped me out a bit,' he said. 'When I...died...I moved, so fast...Nocturne suggested I use my blade at the same time.'
Kibroy looked outraged. 'You're not allowed to go and assist one party and not the other...' he said to Nocturne. But there was no venom in the accusation, only pride.
Nocturne grinned. '_ Oh, hush...Shayde had no way of beating you with strength alone. Why, you could bench-press me if you were given the chance. I was merely giving him a chance to show what he already has. _'
Amanda cut in before the two males could continue the war of words. 'Enough,' she said. 'Dear, Nocturne is allowed to do as he pleases, you know that. But now, can we please go inside. I feel famished from just watching that little duel.'
It was only then that Shayde realised how hungry he was. He and Kibroy both nodded, and, bidding Nocturne goodbye, they followed the golden Lab inside the house.
Nocturne watched them go, a sad little smile on his face. ' Ah, Shayde...you really were taken far too early,' he whispered aloud to himself. 'You deserve to return to the living. I only hope Samiake knows what is at stake if he does come here.'
With that, he turned, jumped, and flew off, leaving the grass slightly flattened where he stood. Beside where he was, a few trees had shrivelled and faded, twisted into thin, black imitations of their previous states.
In another part of the Deadlands, a wolf was muttering darkly to himself. The dark grey creature was covered in scars, some so deep that even Nocturne couldn't, or wouldn't heal.
Slate was sitting in a cave, at the edge of a desert, struggling to keep warm. The perpetual cold numbed him to his bones, and he cursed aloud at the dog that had sent him here. He remembered his death well; taunting a thief in an alley, while his foe was dying behind him. He felt the blade sink into his shoulder, amazingly hitting his aorta. He bled out on the scummy, filthy alley-floor, while Shayde had taken his own healing chemicals to heal his wounds.
Slate snarled as he recalled the Labrador. What he wouldn't give to have another go at him. He'd learnt his lesson a little too late; never turn your back on prey. But he had been having too much fun slowly choking the life out of the thief... He looked at his hand, still annoyed that it was missing a finger. The death dragon had assured him that it wouldn't grow back; if the finger was still in Slate's possession...maybe, but without the finger, Nocturne couldn't do anything.
Now he was stuck out here, at the edge of the desert, with little warmth. Even during the day, he was cold. He yearned to feel warm again...he'd even tried setting himself on fire, but even that didn't work. Shivering, he huddled closer to the tiny, spluttering flames that he had, sniffing hard to keep his nose from running.
At that moment, the other occupant of the cave entered. The yellow anthro dragon shuffled in, his hide shedding glass. Firolf had met Slate in this cave a while ago, where he had spent a long time in isolation. Normally, the sand-dragon would have been overjoyed to be stuck in a desert, until he had discovered, with horror, that his sand-based powers were no more. Instead, any sand he tried to use instantly vitrified into glass. Sand only had to touch him, and it turned into murky glass. So, he was virtually powerless in his own element, with the glass returning to sand when he left the area.
Firolf also owed his state to a foe. Samiake had literally ripped him apart, after he had taunted and killed everyone around him, during a mission to save an ambassador. Firolf had been sure he'd win, except that the otter had unleashed a frightening level of power. He remembered the excruciating pain of being torn, and he saw the red eyes burning, every time he closed his eyes.
Firolf came closer to the fire, settling down with a groan, shards of glass falling from his body.
'You know, I really hate this place,' he said roughly. Slate grunted, trying valiantly to warm up. 'You'd think we've paid enough of a price to get a little comfort.' He stared out of the cave at the sand. 'How I wish to use the sand again...'
'Shut up,' growled Slate. 'I don't want to hear any more about your little sand fetish.' He gave an almighty sneeze, almost extinguishing the tiny fire. 'All I want is to be warm! This is torture...wolves shouldn't get cold!'
Firolf dragged his finger through the sand on the ground, creating a glittering, glass track. 'You know Nocturne won't let you...you've just done too much in life. I mean, killing is all well and good, but rape?' He shook his head. 'Even I didn't go that far.'
Slate grumbled to himself. He had, in fact, raped someone. Several someones, as it was. After getting beaten down by two huskies, he had tried to alleviate his physical and mental pain, attacking and dragging off anyone he met, male or female. Needless to say, when he met Nocturne, the dragon had been furious.
'_ So, you think it's funny to do that sort of thing to people? ' he had snarled...actually snarled. Slate had felt very vulnerable at that moment...he had no idea what Nocturne was capable of. ' You are exactly the sort of creature that deserved to die! ' Nocturne had then lunged forward, clamping his jaws into Slate's neck. Slate had then felt a wave of numbing cold flow into his body. The cold persisted as Nocturne let go, glaring at the wolf. ' Get out of my sight! And may you suffer for eternity for what you did! _'
Firolf had fared a little better, only suffering the literal reversal of his power, but that was punishment enough. He yearned to feel the sand between his fingers again, feel the power of the shifting landscape...
Slate suddenly howled out loud, screaming curses to the air. 'If I ever find that dog, I'll kill him! I don't care if he's already dead...I'll kill him again! I hate being so cold!!'
'Do you, now?' came a voice from the entrance. 'Well then, I have an idea for you.'
The two occupants turned, and saw a great blue dragon standing at the mouth of the cave. Frost rolled off his body, as did steam. Glayce stared at them for a few seconds.
'So...you are unhappy with your states?'
Slate snarled. 'Of course I am!' He spread his arms, shivering as his body shed what little heat it had gained. 'I shouldn't feel this cold. I hate it!'
'And who is responsible for the cold?' asked Glayce.
'That DOG, Shayde.' Slate snarled.
'No. Not Shayde, though he put you here, as he did me,' corrected Glayce. 'The death dragon is the reason for all our sufferings. If he was gone, we would be in peace.'
Firolf narrowed his gaze. 'What do you mean?'
Glayce snorted at the other dragon. 'Get rid of the source, get rid of the problem.'
'You...want to kill the death dragon?' asked Firolf wonderingly. 'Is that even possible?'
Glayce's eyes flashed orange. 'Anything is possible here. Just think...I will get my strength back, the wolf will be warm, and you, my distant cousin, will have your beloved sand...'
Firolf's eyes glazed over. To have the sand back...it would be wonderful.
Slate sniffed again, somehow not feeling the effects of Glayce's presence. 'So, what do we do?' he asked.
'All we need to do, is get to the dragon...you two distract him, and I will take him out...and then we will have our peace.'
What Glayce didn't tell them, was that he had no intention of helping them. Once the death dragon was dead (oh, the irony, he thought), he would take over the role, and use it to hunt down Shayde, and bring him such abominable levels of pain and anguish, that the dog would beg for death. And he, Glayce, would not give it...leave the dog to suffer all his life. Yes...a fitting punishment for him...
Rio, Xani and Ace returned to the glade, just as Samiake and Zeng tumbled out of the shadows. All five travellers were in varying states of disarray, but Samiake was the worst. He almost threw Zeng off him, then collapsed onto the ground, darkness oozing off him.
'C...Chr...Chris...' he gasped.
The mouse jumped up from the side of the amputated Retriever. He had been attempting to help her wounds heal, to little avail. He felt bad, seeing as he had been forced to amputate her arm to stop her from killing himself and Xani, so he'd been trying to ease her pain some more, even though she was unconscious.
Now he ran back to the otter, pulling from his pocket a wide, silver armband, etched with runes. It was this band that inhibited Samiake's powers, limiting him to shadow manipulation. He had removed it in order to travel via shadows, on strict instructions that Chris was to put it back on Samiake's arm as soon as possible.
Chris tried to approach the otter, but the darkness surrounding Samiake lashed out.
'I can't get close!' he cried in frustration. 'Your power is trying to stop me.'
Samiake gazed painfully at the mouse. 'You have...to try.'
'Let me help,' said Zeng. He drew his blade, which began to glow a bit. Quickly, he dashed in and struck at Samiake. Instantly, the shadows whipped out and twined around his torso.
'Now, mouse!' he called, struggling against the grip.
Chris nodded and, while the shadows were distracted, closed the gap between him and Samiake, and swiftly kicked his legs out from under him. Samiake hit the ground hard, and Chris quickly grabbed his arm, sliding the armband back onto his arm. As it came to rest on Samiake's upper arm, the shadows suddenly flexed, rolling slowly off his body. Samiake gave a moan of pain, shuddering violently.
When at last all the darkness was gone, Samiake looked up, torment in his eyes. 'Let's...hope I never have to...do that again.' Everyone nodded in agreement. Rio looked a bit shocked; he knew a bit of what Samiake could do, but this was the first time he'd seen the full potential.
Samiake stood up shakily. 'I'm sorry...I hope no one was hurt...'
'No...' said Ace quietly. He was gazing at Samiake in frightened awe. 'No, we're all fine.'
'Speak for yourself, hound,' said Zeng tersely. He winced as he felt his bruised chest. 'That felt like a giant was gripping me!'
Rio gave a little chuckle. 'Cause giants are real where you come from?'
Zeng gave a low growl. 'Careful, dragon...I hunt your kind for a living. Don't test me.'
Xani quickly interposed herself between the tiger and dragon. Boys, she huffed to herself, always having to talk big and talk down to other boys.
'Listen, you two,' she said aloud. 'We're not here for a cross-country melee...we're here to get Shayde back!'
That instantly mellowed them all out. As one, they glanced over to the drying puddle of blood.
Xani turned to Samiake. 'I know you'd probably like to rest...that must have taken a lot out of you.'
Samiake nodded slightly. 'Yeah...I could really do with a nap...' They could all see it in Samiake's red eyes; using the power he just used had put a tremendous strain on his body, not to mention the effort it took to hold onto his sanity.
'Well, I'm sorry, but we've got to go now. You said yourself; it's easier to bring back to recently dead...'
Samiake literally dropped, giving off a deep sigh.
'Come on, Xani,' said Chris, 'surely we can give him a few minutes..?'
'No, she's right,' came Samiake's voice. 'The sooner we get there, the sooner we get him back.'
He stood up again, though everyone could still tell he was exhausted.
'Okay gang,' he said, a shadow of a smile on his face. 'Let's get going. The Deadlands are calling.'
'Um, it might just be me,' said Rio. 'But how exactly do we get there?'
'Oh, that's relatively easy,' said Samiake. 'Show me a pond, and I'll show you the way.'
They all spread out a bit, searching the clearing and copse for a pond. Apparently, any small body of water was enough, according to the otter. After a few minutes searching, they heard Ace pipe up.
'Over here!' he called. 'It's not big, but you could call it a pond.'
They all eventually found the beagle, gesturing to a small, still pool of water. Zeng curled his lip, ready to berate the hound, but Samiake clapped Ace on the shoulder.
'That's perfect. Still water is the best to use.'
Ace flushed a bit, and Zeng backed off a bit, frowning.
The group surrounded the pool, and Samiake moved to the middle.
'Has anyone got a knife or something?' he asked. 'I need a dagger, or something like that.'
This flummoxed them all. Though four of the five members had swords or bladed weapons, none had a dagger.
'No. All I have is my blade,' said Zeng, indicating to the battered brown sheath on his back. Xani looked at her staff, Rio at his katana, and Chris at his sword.
'Will this do?' asked Ace, producing a small knife from his pocket, possibly swiped from the kitchen of the inn. Samiake grinned wider.
'You are becoming more and more useful all the time, Ace.' Ace flushed deeper, wordlessly handing the blade over.
Samiake took the blade and stood over the pond. Before anyone could stop him, he slashed down, cutting a deep line in his arm.
Xani gave a startled gasp, and Chris leapt forward.
'What are you DOING?' he shouted, watching with a sick expression as Samiake's deep red blood dripped freely into the still water.'
Samiake shrugged, wincing a bit. 'Part of the idea, I guess. Call it a toll to get in. Now watch.'
The all looked down at the red-stained water. Slowly, so slowly they could be forgiven for imagining it, the water turned a deep black. The surface settled with unnatural speed, until they were looking at what appeared to be a black mirror.
'There,' said Samiake, looking a little pleased with himself, but still a bit pale. 'that should do it. Everyone, hold on to me.'
He held up his arms, indicating the others to hold on. They all obeyed, however slowly, some with a slightly scared expression. Once they were all touching him, Samiake manouvered to the pool.
'Let's go and get Shayde!' he shouted, and leapt into the pond.
Though the pond was only a foot deep, they vanished under the black surface, leaving not a single ripple to mark their passing, from the land of the living, to the land of the dead.
The trip didn't last long. About ten seconds later, the motley group of furs suddenly...appeared. In mid air. They hung for a second, before plummeting to the group, landing in an undignified and painful pile. Yelps, painful snarls, shouts of pain, and a single shouted profanity, was heard from the pile, before they slowly detangled and sorted themselves out.
Zeng growled, rubbing his head, which had met with force with Rio's knee. 'Where are we?'
'Kansas,' said Rio snappily. 'Where do you think, moron?'
Zeng hissed at the dragon, but his legs were too weak to stand. In fact, all of them, bar Samiake, were feeling incredibly weak.
Samiake was feeling a lot better, though. Even though his Necromantic powers were subdued again, the sheer volume of death surrounding him...it was like the strongest tonic ever created. He had to stop himself from inhaling, it was that good. He could feel, bubbling away behind the strong barriers, his dark powers, roiling with strength.
He looked around, captivated in spite of the situation.
They had materialised on a great stone disk. It seemed to glitter in the gloom, with runes etched deep into its outer ring. These runes blazed in his vision, and he covered his eyes a bit to look at them more. Eventually, the blaze faded to a dim shimmer. Above them, a black sky loomed, spotted with stars, and beyond the stone disk, nothing but black mist.
Eventually, Xani struggled to her feet, supporting herself with her staff. She made her way to Samiake.
'Sam?' she asked quietly. 'Is...is he out there, somewhere?'
Samiake considered it. 'Probably. But this is all new to me. I have no idea what happens to the dead.' He turned to Xani. 'You do realise that he might not want to come back, right? Just think about it; his entire family is here...his mother and father who he hasn't seen since he was nine!'
Xani's face fell. 'I know...but we have to try, don't we?'
'_ You are certainly entitled to try, my dear, _' said a soft voice.
Everyone whipped around, tripping over themselves again. Standing a few feet away was a great black dragon. His hide was spattered with swirling white marks, his wing-sails tattered a bit on the edges, and his eyes burning red like coals from the hottest fires. Yet, for all his imposing visage, Nocturne the death dragon gave off a sense of calm. Not a shred of malice shone in those eyes.
'Nocturne,' whispered Samiake, almost collapsing again.
Nocturne looked down at the otter, giving a slight chuckle.
'_ Ah, young Necromancer...I had a feeling we'd meet again very soon. It is actually very nice to see one of your kind again. _'
He looked to Xani, who paled and gulped a bit. Nocturne immediately softened his expression even further. '_ Oh, no...you don't need to fear me, Xani. I won't hurt you, or the rest of your company. I told you that before. _'
Xani nodded slowly, while the others gathered slowly around her. Most of them were looking at Nocturne with an odd mixture of fear and calm.
'_ Now then, ' continued the dragon, ' You can't stay here long. The living do not belong here, and the balance will be...displaced, if you remain too long. I will not stop you in your quest to return Shayde to life...I myself think he does not belong here. _'
Nocturne then looked directly at Samiake.
'_ Now then, Samiake...this is for your ears only.' Nocturne's gaze softened a bit more, and he sighed gently. 'You know what the price is, don't you? Are you willing to pay that price? _'
Samiake nodded slightly, locking eyes with the death dragon. Nocturne studied him for a few seconds.
'_ Very well then. Good luck with your mission here. And to all of you,' he looked up, addressing the group at large, 'be wary: some of the dead here know some of you, and might not take too kindly to meeting up with you again. _'
Ace leaned in close to Xani and whispered, 'What does he mean by that?'
Zeng overhead him. 'Well, DUH...it means that anyone we've killed...they're probably waiting for us. Right?' This last comment was directed at the black dragon.
Nocturne tilted his head a bit. '_ Not entirely. Only those who died in the realms I rule. That is, the land you call Tayuna. So, any who met their fates at the hands of Samiake, Xani, Shayde or Ace. As for those who died at your hands, or Rio's...they are not here. _'
For a brief second, Zeng looked utterly relieved, but then the veneer of arrogant calm was back on. 'Pity...I had a few foes I'd like to tangle with again...'
Nocturne rolled his eyes. '_ Arrogance isn't appealing, foreigner...try to keep in mind that you are in my lands...I can do to you as I wish. For all your brash and bravado, I know you fear a few, very powerful creatures. _'
Zeng opened his mouth to argue, but a jab to his belly from Chris shut him up. 'By the god's, do you have to be so argumentative? Don't you know Nocturne could quite easily snuff out your life?!'
Samiake nodded when Zeng looked at him. 'True. He is the death dragon, after all.'
Xani planted her hands on her hips, glaring at them all. 'If we are done here, can we please go and, I don't know...SAVE Shayde?!'
Samiake's little grin faded, and he nodded. 'Yes, we should...before time runs out.'
Nocturne nodded slowly. '_ Wise decision. You will more than likely find him with his parents. They have a small house...maybe an hour's walk from here. Unfortunately, you have to walk... _'
They all nodded and started off, but Nocturne held them back.
'_ One last thing. You cannot touch the dead here. Your very presence here is disturbing enough...so the you will be as ghosts; you will pass through them, no matter how much you'd like to attack, or to love. _'
'Don't you mean, THEY will pass through US?' asked Rio. Nocturne smiled softly. '_ Now, why would you assume that, cousin? After all, you are the ones trespassing on their lands...they are the inhabitants, not you. _'
'_ Now go...I know you are all anxious to meet up with your departed friend. Good luck to you all...I will be waiting for you when you return. _' And with this farewell statement, black mist rolled in, obscuring the dragon, until he vanished completely, leaving the band of travellers alone on the black disk.
'Well,' said Samiake, turning to face the beagle, husky, dragon, mouse and tiger, 'I guess...let's get going. Let's go and bring him back!'
The others all looked very determined, none more so than Xani and Ace. Xani strode forward, leading the way off the disk, and into the thick, black mist that surrounded it, the others quickly catching up.