Chapter 7
#7 of Evolution: Phase One, "Random" Mutation
Chapter 7
               Raine could hear the voice of Kit like it was far away and garbled. Almost like a person shouting from behind some sort of barrier. Slowly the world was coming back into focus and the fennec felt himself being shaken as Kit's voice was getting louder. The vulpine opened his eyes and took a deep gasping breath as he sat up quickly shaking his head.
               The world was spinning and his head throbbing for some reason. He felt Kit let go of him as the world slowly came into focus and he looked at the frazzled hybrid in confusion. The canine looked terrified but seemed to be calming down.
               "Jesus Christ man why didn't you tell me you had sleep apnea," Asked Kit rather disheveled and obviously trying to regain his composure. The wolf had a hand on his chest to try and calm his heart as he caught his breath.
               Raine looked confused for a few more moments as his head was still swimming between the real world and his dream world. He blinked a few more times before the words sunk in and he looked confused as he replied, "I don't..."
               Kit looked confused for a few moments before he tilted his head and rubbed the back of it sheepishly with a grin, "Heh... must be one of those Undying things huh..."
               The fennec frowned as he scratched the side of his neck but stopped after a moment to feel. There was nothing there. He pressed into his neck a little harder and confirmed his suspicions, he had no pulse. His ears folded back as he put a paw on his chest to try and feel there as well but he had no feedback at all.
               The whole situation was rather surreal as Raine didn't feel any different but there were certainly some things going on that were not normal. People don't just walk around without a pulse nor are they conscious like he was. Kit caught on rather quickly and tried to grin to cheer Raine up as he spoke, "Err... Sorry. I shouldn't have over reacted like that," Said the larger canine softly.
               "No... I know I'm different. It's understandable that you would be concerned and I thank you for it," replied the fennec sleepily. He looked about for a clock and when he didn't find one he looked back to Kit, "What time is it?"
               Lifting up the clock at the side of his bed, Kit checked the time and jumped to his feet running about the loft quickly in just his boxers. "Up up! We are gonna be late," Shouted the husky in a flurry of panic.
               Raine folded his ears back at the sudden commotion and calmly grabbed his torn shorts nearby slipping them on while Kit ran about like a chicken with its head cut off. Looking up Raine looked into the Mirror seeing Raiden there as he wrote on the glass again spelling out, "Alice, the rabbithole is much deeper than you know."
               "Raine! Come on he's waiting," Shouted the husky from down below making Raine jump and snap out of his trance. Quickly the fennec grabbed the duster and threw it over his form before rushing down the stairs only to see Kit in a blue and gold uniform. The crest of a howling wolf was prominent all over the uniform making Raine believe this was the crest of the Familiaris.
               Kit took Raine by the arm and started to run through the hallway only to have a long wait at the elevator. There was something about elevators and strange people that made them uncomfortable to Raine. He didn't know why as they were a normal part of life no matter where you lived these days.
               The metal doors opened to show a vixen holding her rainbow tail while looking at the floor. Her gaze rose and a smile grew across her maw at the sight of Raine. The fennec smiled back for a moment before his expression changed to surprise as he was tugged into the elevator by the larger canine. They must have been in a bigger hurry than Raine knew.
               "Err... in a hurry Kit? I'm guessing Toshi wants to see Raine huh..." asked Dr. Ashe softly as she held her tail a little tighter to herself now that there was less room.
               Kit just stared at the numbers counting down while Raine turned to Ashe and nodded slowly rubbing the back of his head a bit sheepishly, "Err... yeah I guess that's what's going on. I don't really know much about it myself honestly."
               Ashe nodded before touching Raine's side for a moment but she pulled back rather quickly with a look of surprise in her eyes. She remained quiet for the remainder of the elevator ride leaving Raine rather uneasy about the whole encounter. He didn't have a chance to say anything to the astonished and somewhat worried look on Ashe's face unfortunately due to the elevator stopping and Kit dragging him out.
               "Kit jeeze! What's your problem... I didn't even get to say bye," Said a rather disgruntled Raine as he took to the same stride as the hybrid.
               Kit just frowned a bit and continued their march out into the busy streets. It was almost like he had completely changed into another person the moment the uniform was on. It was a little upsetting to the fennec that he couldn't get an answer out of his companion but he figured the soldier was just following orders. It wasn't Kit's fault.
               The walk to the palace was rather uneventful. Sure Raine received a lot off odd looks and stares that made him uncomfortable but he was starting to get used to it at least. Soon, though, the two stood before the great staircase that led up to the great Japanese style palace. Around it was a great and ornately decorated wall. The grounds were full of cherry trees that always seemed to be in bloom under the pink lights.
               Kit and Raine were let inside by two white vixens in black and pink kimono's that bowed their heads rather ceremoniously at the two canines. The inside was huge and filled with artifacts from many centuries of collecting the master of the palace had done. Everything from old swords to bottle caps from the early years of manufacturing.
               The fennec barely had time to react as the slice was decisive and incredibly accurate as he heard the blade cut through the air itself it seemed. The arc was high and aimed for his snout while time seemed to slow. Kit was leaping backwards in surprise and the dark folds of a black kimono clad creature were rushing by.
               The fennec moved even as the edge of the blade pressed up against the top of his muzzle and cleanly flayed the flesh to produce a small cut on the bridge. Suddenly time seemed to speed back up again and Raine fell back holding his face with a yelp.
               The black straw hat on the creature that cut him kept the identity of his attacker hidden well and the powerful but old sounding voice beneath it was clear in its anger, "Then it's you! A demon! I've waited a long time for this boy!"
               "What the hell are you talking about!? I've never met you," Shouted Raine as he held the cut on his muzzle and looked about for anything to protect himself with. Kit was standing to the side at attention while all others in the great entry hall dared not get involved.
               The sword was pressed down against Raine's throat making him cough for a moment as he put up his paws in surrender. The creature slowly tipped the black straw hat back to show it's matching black vulpine face and blindfolded eyes while it replied, "I know who you are and what your purpose is... Your fear is unfounded as you cannot die. How very unfortunate for all of us that the game has reached checkmate after all these years."
               "Look man I don't know what you're talking about but I would really like it if you would put that thing away... It's making me," Raine felt his words catching in his throat preventing him from speaking the rest of his sentence. He could hear everything, his breathing and the heartbeats in the room. Everyone was tense except for the man in front of him.
               The sensation that went over the fennec's body sent shivers up his spine. It was almost like he was been pulled into the dark depths of the deepest of oceans. His breathing stopped completely soon after and when the red eyes opened a little smirk appeared on the corner of his muzzle and the voice that finished the sentence was the soft rasp of the monster inside, "Excited..."
               Raiden had control of the body now and with it he spun to the right as he leapt to the nearby wall and pulled free a saber brandishing the weapon towards the blind vulpine as he spoke, "Sensei Oginawa... It's been too long since we last spoke."
               "Demon of the dead... Leave the boy to his own will! To think I would be the teacher of such a monster. I would have taken my life long ago were it not for my hope that one day I would destroy it," Replied Toshi as he took up a powerful defensive stance. His right paw drifted from the hilt of his Wakazashi and reached below his robes to pull free a katana.
               Raiden laughed softly, "Miyamoto was a monster amongst men standing well above you little Toshi... You cannot hope to match his prowess... You're far too small."
               The vulpine leapt at Raiden who was forced to parry the cross slash and spin to the side only to see that his weapon had been cleaved near the hilt. With his paws on his hips the demon grinned a little more with a nod, "Oh ho ho good shot Toshi. I'm sure that was priceless but then again in a society like this it is worthless... much like every relic in this palace," said Raiden as he leveled his eyes on Toshi.
It was then over his opponents right shoulder that he saw the display case. In the glass was a pair of kamas connected by a long chain. Raiden recognized the weapon almost instantly as his own and a little glimmer of nostalgia flickered inside his unbeating heart. He had to get that weapon.
Toshi came at the unarmed fennec ruthlessly trying to cleave him into pieces while Raiden danced around the blades at inhuman speeds all the while cackling. He was being backed into a corner but that was in the end exactly what he wanted to happen. The corner was dark and as such gave him the game-changing advantage.
Taking a step into the black the fennec disappeared into the shadow having the glowing red eyes go last. Toshi cursed to himself as his ears flicked under the hat listening and smelling out his prey. He turned quickly in place to face the display case again as Raiden leapt out of its shadow and smashed the glass to recover his weapons.
"Master Toshi how kind of you to keep such good care of them... However will I repay your centuries of service," Asked Raiden as he cackled again and started to swing one of the kamas by the chain in his right paw. With a powerful swing the demon let the curved blade fly past Toshi before he gripped the chain and spun pulling the blade forward at the right moment to force the blade into Toshi's shoulder. Toshi let out a howl of pain as the now dull blade dug into the flesh of his left shoulder and he was pulled forward with a jerk making him fall forward into a pool of his own blood.
It wasn't until the danger was real that Kit felt the need to step in to which Raiden lifted the blade in his other paw and shook his head, "Stay back my child or I will be forced to end you where you stand right now! There are things far older than you at work in this room and if you don't wish to be consumed by the storm this early I would suggest you run."
Raiden's eyes went wide as a stab of pain rushed through him and he looked down to see Toshi's blades were through his gut and poking out his back. The demon didn't cry out but began to laugh as his eyes stopped glowing and the screams of Raine filled the room. Though these screams weren't pain, they were rage.
Raine gripped the chain attached to the blade buried into the other vulpine's shoulder and gave it a hard tug which forced the sword farther through the undying one. "What the fuck is your problem man!? You called me here to try and kill me or to force that monster out of me! Answer me," Shouted the fennec now seeing red.
Toshi grit his teeth as now their foreheads were pressed against each other as he growled, "Boy you're a bystander in a war that's raged longer than you can imagine... You have no place here."
Raine tugged a little harder as his own blood was pooling in his muzzle and it splattered on Toshi's face as he spoke, "Wrong answer! You can't kill me, you know that as well as I do. I'm doomed to be a part of this war forever whether I like it or not so either you can start explaining and possibly gain a powerful ally or I could go find Fox Hunt and bring the hammer down on this place. It's not like you can stop me!"
"You haven't the heart of evil in you boy. You should know better than to try and lie to the blind. Release me and we will speak... If you wish to plunge yourself into the bloodshed then you had best know what you are getting into," Replied the blind swordsman as he quickly pulled the blades free of the fennec's gut which let a great deal of blood pour out of Raine and pool on the floor.
Raine grit his teeth as he felt dizzy from the mix of pain and blood loss but he still had the strength to reach forward, taking the kama by the handle and pulling it free from Toshi's shoulder. Raine dropped the kama and panted a bit as he tried to regain his composure.
"Don't let it touch your blood you fool," Exclaimed Toshi as he tried to catch the falling weapon but the loud clang as metal met stone echoed the master's failure.
Raine's body was wracked with agony as he let out a howl of pain the likes of which few would ever forget in their lifetime, the sound of a man being tortured but denied the welcoming embrace of death or the dulling of unconsciousness. Â The chains of the Kama's snaked their way under the fennec's clothing and with what felt like a searing heat wrapped themselves around his arms and shoulders until they actually disappeared under the fur and flesh.
Falling forward Raine let out another howl of agony as they set themselves in place as a part of his body the chains pulling back into his flesh until the kamas were forced into his paws. They melded with the flesh now a part of him completely. It was like they were an extension of his body he could call on any time he needed to, another voice in his mind crying out to have their thirst for blood filled.
"You fool! You've bound yourself to the Kusari Kama with your blood! They only unbind when a body is completely undone! Do you understand what that means for you Undying One," Shouted Toshi as he backed away shaking his head in disappointment. A dangerous artifact now was bound to the dangerous person in front of him.
The pain faded and Raine looked at his paws to see red kama markings attached to chains that ran up his arms, another mess of red in the black to match his chest. Taking a few deep breaths the fennec finally stood himself up and found that white bandages with black chain markings were covering his gut from the ribs down. Was the weapon itself stopping the bleeding?
Toshi shook his head and sheathed his weapons after flicking the blood off the blades while he spoke, "Undying one... it's time we had our talk..."