{These characters are not property of me. I would never attempt to
claim them as my own. This story may not be used without my permission,
and may not be used to make money in any way, shape or form. Characters
and certain situations were created by Rumiko Takahashi, so don't try
any funny stuff!}
A Wolf in Samurai's Clothing
by Lara Bartram
---------------
Part 8, Chapter 4
It wasn't too far to the mountain. The giant was the largest peak
of the long chain that almost completely bisected the continent. It
would be their cover on the way to the castle.
They traveled swiftly to the base of the rocky monster, the peak
invisible in the darkness, but jagged, like a broken fang. With Tomas
in the lead, they began to scale the side.
"What are the hordes you speak about?" Kuno asked as they climbed
higher.
"Keep your voice down. They are not intelligent, but they'll hunt
us down if they know we're here. When we get higher, I will show them
to you," whispered Tomas.
"How do you know we will find them up here?"
"They are always here. It was quite a surprise to find them
there, and I ran quite a distance to escape them. But they didn't stray
too far. They returned here when I hid and they couldn't find me.
Otherwise, they would eventually be exterminated. They can be...
incited though."
Kuno was getting genuinely interested in this mysterious horde.
Whatever they were, they were apparently a force able to threaten even
the vampire overlord.
That was when the smell hit him. He almost lost his hold on the
rock, it was so powerfully nauseating. Turning his head and gagging,
Kuno closed his eyes as tears formed in them.
Tomas stopped and looked back at him. "You'll get used to it. I
should have warned you about the smell."
"What... what is it?"
Tomas scrambled up the rest of the way and crouched behind a
jagged granite outcropping. He peered over the rock, then ducked
quickly back down. Waving Kuno up, he continued to take quick peeks
over the rock.
Kuno climbed up, coughing slightly. "What..."
"Sh!" Tomas would say no more, but pointed to the other side of
the rock.
Kuno looked over the rock, eyes still watering, and barely
stopped himself from shouting out in surprise.
"Not a pretty group, but they will serve our purposes."
Pretty? No, they weren't pretty. That was probably the last thing
Kuno would use to describe them.
A crowd, a very immense crowd, of mostly human-looking figures
milled about in a large, open area. Immediately, Kuno could see why
they were so feared. "Where... How..."
Tomas shook his head sadly. "Another experiment, just like
everything else. Such a waste."
Kuno watched one figure, missing an arm and most of the skin on
its face, savagely attack another for no apparent reason. The two
tussled, tearing chunks of each other off, but seemed to realize the
futility after a few minutes, and stopped.
"Their mindless savagery and uncontrollable brutality make them
unreliable minions even for Maxim." Tomas pulled on Kuno's arm. "We
have a lot of preparations to make. One mistake and either of us could
be food for them."
They headed back down, but not the way they had come, with Tomas
explaining things to Kuno on the way. "They do not need to eat, but
they do not pass up the opportunity to do so. This is how we can
manipulate them. If they are driven into a frenzy, using bait, they can
be close to unstoppable."
"A distraction?"
Tomas nodded. "Now we just have to get ourselves inside without
getting discovered."
Kuno nodded, but his head was starting to hurt. This was all too
much for him. "But what..."
"No time for talk now. There's a cave where we can plan and get
started."
"This sounds like something you have been planning for a while,"
Kuno said, wishing for a handful of aspirin.
Tomas nodded and looked at him, about to speak, but when he saw
Kuno's face, he stopped short. "I think you need something to eat."
The grave tone with which he spoke surprised Kuno, considering
how anxious he had sounded before. "Why? I do not feel hungry." Kuno
looked at him strangely. He felt perfectly fine except for the
headache.
Shaking his head, Tomas said, "You wait here. I'll be right
back." He ran off, not waiting to hear anything Kuno had to say.
Sinking slowly to the ground, since any movement faster than that
made his head throb, Kuno tried to control his erratic breathing. It
was too fast and too shallow, making him light-headed with the lack of
oxygen. Closing his eyes, he tried his best to relax.
Before anything could happen, like death by asphyxiation, Tomas
returned with a catch, which he handed to Kuno. "Here. I think you need
this." He shoved the dead animal into Kuno's face. "Eat first, ask
questions second."
Not quite understanding the big deal, but not feeling well enough
to argue, Kuno accepted the kill and lifted it to his mouth. He wasn't
sure how he was going to eat it with his human teeth, but as he took a
portion into his mouth and bit into it...
The rush of warmth, of life, of spirit, however fading it might
have been, into his mouth, over his tongue... He clamped his mouth down
and began to suck greedily, not letting one drop of that precious
essence escape him.
Watching with barely disguised horrible fascination, Tomas wanted
to make sure there wasn't anything else that had become too vampire-
like about his companion.
"We have to prepare," Tomas said when it looked like Kuno was
finally finished. "As soon as possible, right?" He didn't like the
little smirk or the satisfied look Kuno was giving him.
"Yes, time to prepare," Kuno answered lazily, almost slurring his
words. He looked very much like the cat that had swallowed the canary.
Whatever ha just happened to him, for whatever reason, had felt
so wonderful in an almost painful way. For a few precious moments, his
entire body had been warm and tingling, like he had just come in from
the cold. His head had stopped hurting so abruptly, it was like
everything had just opened up at once, overloading his senses
momentarily.
If only it were possible to capture feelings like that, that made
him feel more than alive, more than just a person. He dared consider...
even god-like? It most definitely made him feel that way, even if it
could not actually make him that.
Tomas hit his shoulder, eyeing him carefully. "We have to go.
Come on." He still wasn't sure what kind of shape Kuno was in, if it
was wise that they stay in close proximity to one another. Really, he
didn't want to end up as anyone's lunch, especially someone that was
supposed to be an ally.
Coming down from the high he had been on, Kuno looked up at Tomas
and blinked sleepily. Nodding, he forced himself to stand, feeling more
energized than maybe he should have. In fact, he felt great.
"What was that?" he asked Tomas, who was looking at him
strangely.
"You don't know?"
Kuno shook his head.
"You weren't feeling well, right? You needed to feed."
"It was only a headache."
"And when you fed, it went away?"
Fed? That was an awfully strange way to put it, and he hadn't
really been hungry before. He shouldn't have needed to eat anything. He
looked down at his hand, still clutching the drained corpse of the
animal.
He never left anything behind when he ate. He hadn't eaten; he
had fed.
"It's only temporary. It will go away," Tomas said reassuringly
after seeing the look on his face.
"I... I am..."
"You're not. It's a temporary condition."
"Do not speak to me as if this is simply a disease!" Kuno
shouted. "I refuse to live like one of those things!"
"Stop it! I told you, it's temporary! It will go away. But until
it does, you need to put up with these things, whether you want to or
not! Do you understand?" If they were lucky, the hordes hadn't heard
the shouting.
"I know you hate them. I do too. But we are trying to destroy
them, not become them. Settle down, and let's go through with this
plan." That was it. Tomas just needed to speak calmly and rationally
and avoid getting Kuno more worked up.
***
Irina entered the room, very unhappy. This was the wrong thing to
be happening so soon after the mistress' trauma. The master refused to
be swayed though. When he wanted something, he expected it, and there
was no one that would, or could refuse him.
Nabiki was still asleep, however fitfully, and had tossed her
pillows to the floor. Several of the blankets had followed, leaving
only the sheet. It was pulled up around Nabiki's neck, where she was
clutching it tightly.
Looking at her, Irina had to force herself to stay in the room.
At that moment, she hated herself for being so weak. If she were
stronger, if she were braver, she wouldn't she wouldn't have allowed
such a thing to happen. But...
Irina sat on the edge of the bed and watched Nabiki struggle for
a bit. Slowly, trying not to wake the girl until it was necessary, she
put her hand on Nabiki's cheek.
"Mother, don't leave me..."
Irina stroked Nabiki's cheek and watched her settle down
gradually. Very quickly, Nabiki was deeply asleep again.
"If there were a way... If I could send you back to your mother,
I would." Today the master would be denied; the girl needed rest badly.
Collecting the discarded bedding, Irina covered Nabiki with the
blankets and put the pillows back on the bed.
"Where is she?"
"She's not feeling..."
"That is of no concern to me," Maxim said imperialistically. "I
demand her presence..."
"With all due respect, Master, I'm afraid that it is too soon
after her trauma to..."
"Did I ask your opinion, servant? I don't care what kind of
trauma she's been put through. I demand that she..."
"I'm sorry, Master. I won't do that. It would be harmful to her
health. It would be harmful and I simply won't..." Irina stopped
speaking when she saw the strange look he was giving her.
"How long have you been in the service of this castle and myself,
Irina?" Maxim asked.
Irina didn't know how to answer. She hadn't expected Maxim to
react in such a way; not in the least. "Uh, I... I rightfully don't
know, Master," she replied, stunned.
"I know. Twenty years, and during that time, you've been loyal. I
very much appreciate it when my servants are loyal."
Looking at Maxim fearfully, Irina nodded.
"So I ask you now, why are you acting like this? I ask for a
simple thing and you deny it. You deny me. How can this be? How can a
loyal servant of 20 years, one who I put in charge of one of my prized
possessions, disobey me like this now?" His voice had never strayed
from quiet evenness, steadiness, patience.
"I... I'm sorry, Master, but..."
"But?"
"But she... she... The mistress was near hysterical. I was just
concerned that if you... she might... Master, I was only concerned she
might be..." Irina hated reducing Nabiki to an object, but it was how
Maxim understood things. "She might be permanently damaged."
Maxim looked indifferently at Irina. "Permanently damaged?"
Irina gave a small nod. "Master, humans are fragile, and she had
been through..." What had she been through, talking to thin air like
that? Maybe she was already permanently damaged. Irina swallowed,
knowing Maxim might not take too kindly to what she was about to say.
"The experience was quite traumatic, very frightening. In fact, she
refused to sleep until I managed to soothe her. Even in her sleep she
was troubled..." She trailed off, wondering if she had offended him
yet.
Maxim appeared to actually be thinking it over, then nodded.
"Contact Konstantin if more attention is necessary," he said finally,
then turned and walked away.
Irina exhaled heavily. She felt like she had just avoided
sticking her hand into a nest of bog vipers.
As she headed back to the room of her charge, what Nabiki was and
not a possession, Irina found herself shaking. It had been pure luck
for her to intercept a very angry Maxim before he could see why his
concubine was not waiting for him in his chambers.
She thought it even greater fortune that she had not been killed
for defying him. The biggest surprise of all was that he had actually
understood and agreed to cooperate. A most unusual thing.
Irina had always considered Maxim's treatment of her as sort of a
master and faithful pet, but that little conversation had proven
otherwise. She hadn't determined if it was good or bad yet.
***
Kuno was sitting with his back against the rock, his face in his
hands. This attempt to block everything else out was the only way he
could get himself under control, and even that wasn't working so well.
Even though Tomas had told him it would help him destroy Maxim, Kuno
really wished the poison from the vampire bite was all out of his
system.
He felt like he was standing at the edge of a cliff, carefully
balanced on one foot. One little push sent him screaming over the edge.
He hadn't died from that fall yet, but he knew it was inevitable. In
fact, he knew if it didn't go away soon, it would take him and as many
people as he could take with him.
"We have to go," Tomas' voice came to him, penetrating the wall
of solitude he had attempted to erect.
Yet another failure to weigh on him, even if it was meaningless.
Yet, nothing was meaningless. Everything mattered, especially when they
were so close. He simply could not allow himself to fall prey to things
that would depress him, or he would spiral out of control into black
depression.
After seeing Nabiki, he had come dangerously close to that, and
only his fury at Maxim had pulled him out of it.
Opening his eyes slowly, thankful for the lack of light, Kuno
looked up. The familiar sight of Tomas looking down at him, scathing
words of insult on his lips was comforting in an odd way. At a time
when Kuno was so unsure about everything, Tomas knew, was confident
enough to knock him back into place.
Shuddering briefly, Kuno stood and, in an effort to compose
himself, ran through all the techniques he knew to relax, not matter
how ineffectual they were. He felt... completely unprepared.
"Are you finished? We have a lot to do to prepare for this,"
Tomas said, folding his arms across his chest.
"I am. What is the first step?"
"Feel like hunting?" Tomas asked, smirking.
Normally, carrying the huge body would have been effortless, but
it being about the tenth one he had lugged up the mountain, Kuno was
getting a bit winded. "How... how many more?" he asked, trying not to
let Tomas see him straining.
"This will do for today," he answered, carrying his own load
easily.
"Today?" All of it had been a single day's effort and there were
more to come?
"Yes. Two more days of this should be adequate. The more they
are... teased, the more effective they will be. The horde has no
reservations about what type of flesh they eat, only that it was at one
time alive."
Kuno nodded, the memory of draining the fading life force from
that animal making him shiver as well. He could relate too well to the
eating desires of those things.
"I've often wondered," Tomas continued, speaking
conversationally, "what it's like... What's it like to be one of them."
He looked at Kuno from the corners of his eyes. "You haven't been here
long enough to wonder such things, have you?"
Kuno shook his head. To consider what it would be like to be less
than an animal, mindless, dead...
"Do they know what they are? Are they really dead, or just...
changed? If I became one of them, how much would I remember? Do you
think they actually have the power of rational thinking, or do they
simply rely on instinct?"
Tomas shook his head. "I don't believe that though. They're more
than what they seem. I know they have the capacity to learn, or they
wouldn't be gathered in such a large group at the top of this
mountain."
He laughed then. "They're probably more intelligent than some
people I've seen. They know how to hide, know how to survive, even
directly under Maxim's nose."
"Survival is easy when food nor shelter is required. They hide
here because nothing else is foolish enough to try to live in this
climate," Kuno added, finding Tomas' argument somewhat flawed.
"Thank you," was all he said in response.
Looking at him strangely, Kuno said nothing else. Tomas was
possessed of his own mysteries that Kuno didn't think he'd ever
discover.
[29 DAYS]
"I must ask why you did such a foolish thing and what made you
think you'd get away with it?" Maxim spoke to Nabiki as if she were a
child. He reclined amidst his bedding while she stood before him.
Nabiki looked absolutely miserable sanding there, eyes
concentrating on her feet. The robe she was wearing hung off her like
dead skin, making her look even more forlorn. A deep frown highlighted
her face as she shrugged.
"Answer me. Why did you do such a stupid, stupid thing?"
Again, Nabiki shrugged, concentrating solely on her toes, some of
which had been cut up when she'd run back to the castle, but showed no
signs of injury.
There was a sharp pain in her neck and it felt like her head was
being forced to look up, even while she resisted meeting Maxim's gaze.
"Don't hold back. Let me hear your voice."
"I... I didn't..."
"Oh, but I'm sure you did. Please continue." He was gently
forcing her, but gentle or no, she could not refuse him.
"I don't know. I just..."
"You were attracted to Miroslav?" He should have known. Putting
Miroslav in charge of guarding her had been an error on his part. He
should have known they would react to each other.
Nabiki nodded, doing her best to look away.
"And not to me?" Not that Maxim was all that surprised. He had
counted on her reverence of him to make her obedient. Attraction was of
no consequence except for him.
Nabiki's non-answer let him know it. She even managed to lower
her head.
How sweet they could be. Maxim chuckled darkly, his eyes sparking
to life. "It matters not. Come to me, my lovely. Never forget that you
belong to me."
Nabiki's shoulders sagged in resignation. She shrugged out of the
robe, which had been the most modest thing she had worn in a month, and
stepped forward.
The only thing she was seeing were her feet, which were as clean
and flawless as feet got. She could remember running, running in her
bare feet through the woods, and stepping on all those sticks... The
scratching, the gash on the side of her foot when she had stepped on
that rock. All gone.
The thought didn't really register to her, but it was there at
the back of her mind. She knew there was something different about
herself, just not consciously.
The one thing that did register was the fall of one tear to land
next to her foot. Her uninjured foot. It was a miracle she could even
see her feet with how fat she was. Fat and swollen, and she knew what
that meant Maxim would make her do for him.
But she couldn't show what that thought did to her. She couldn't
prove herself to be that weak or Maxim would know that she had finally
given up.
One foot stepped out and appeared beyond the swell of her
stomach. They were animals, monsters... For her own sake and theirs,
she should have had them killed. That would have saved everyone a lot
of trouble.
Nabiki kneeled slowly by Maxim's legs and knew that she should
have killed herself before things had gotten so far.
Maxim left Nabiki, crying even in her sleep, to speak to
Konstantin. There was a loose end that needed clipping as quickly as
possible.
And he promised that he loved her and would rescue her, but she
didn't know who he was, and she was so miserable that it didn't matter
because she just wanted to go home, and she didn't know where that was
or who her family was, who she was...
When Nabiki was asleep, she didn't know who she had turned into,
what her name really was or why all those people haunted her. She just
knew that she wanted to be with them more than anything else in the
world.
"She is an excellent fighter. I am rather surprised it took her
this long to..." Konstantin stopped in mid-sentence, speaking to one of
his assistants, when Maxim entered.
If Maxim discovered that Konstantin was holding back information,
knew things that he wasn't sharing, there would be severe consequences.
But at the moment, Konstantin could guess what the topic of
conversation would be.
With a glare from Maxim, the other sin the room quickly cleared
out. None of them were interested in politics anyway.
"He returned."
Konstantin nodded.
"I think you know what that means."
"Should he be brought back in?"
"No. When you find him, kill him. I don't want any more trouble
from him."
Konstantin bowed. "Of course." He hid his smile at Maxim's
troubles. He was a fool, grown lazy as his age and power increased over
time. Maxim's power structure was tentative at best, partially based on
a large number of people that needed to be kept loyal.
That loyalty could be changed when necessary, and it seemed that
day was approaching.
[28 DAYS]
Nabiki awoke, sprawled out on her own bed thankfully. After she
had fallen unconscious, nothing had been able to reach her through that
void. Even being carried through half the castle had not roused her.
Sitting up, squinting at the single lamp casting its soft orange
glow around the room, Nabiki put a hand to her head. It felt like the
entire room was shaking and someone was banging on a bucket over her
head. In an effort to relieve the sensations, she closed her eyes,
trying her hardest to ignore the full body ache she had.
Nabiki heard the door open, but she kept her eyes closed, not
caring who it was.
"Mistress, you're awake finally!" Irina had been checking in on
her every so often so she could be there when she woke up. Her injuries
would need tending. Irina's face changed from worry to a grim look of
barely disguised anger. The injuries that Maxim had caused, and
probably all on purpose.
Carrying a tray that held food and some hot water, Irina shut the
door and hurried to the bed. Some of the water went into a cup along
with some leaves for flavor and a powder ground from medicinal herbs.
"Drink this, Mistress. It will help with the pain," she said,
offering the cup to Nabiki.
Once Nabiki had taken the cup with trembling hands, Irina wetted
a cloth in the water and began gently wiping off Nabiki's face.
She flinched away from each touch of the cloth, though her eyes
remained tightly closed. Slowly but steadily, sipping the hot liquid,
Nabiki was relaxing, but the sick feeling inside her, inside her mind,
wasn't going anywhere.
"Mistress, let me clean your face. You look afright." Irina
turned Nabiki's head slowly with one finger on her chin. It was more
than frightening, the way the dried blood was all over her face, under
her nose, a train down one cheek like bloody tears, some on her chin...
Her nose looked like it had been smashed and her lip cut.
But there were no real signs of injury, just a lot of blood.
Remaining calm, Irina wiped it all away and smoothed Nabiki's hair
back. The wet strands fell back into her face, making her look even
more weary.
Sitting back a little, clutching the cloth tightly to her chest,
Irina watched Nabiki begin drinking again. Anger welled up inside her.
The master... he just didn't understand. He didn't understand anything
except about causing pain. And for all those years she had helped him.
The faithful servant assisting in her master's torture.
"Here, Mistress, I've brought some food," Irina managed to say
without her voice breaking.
Nabiki opened her eyes then and looked at Irina. Speaking slowly,
the cup near her mouth, she said quietly, "When will he be here?"
"Who? The master?"
Nabiki shook her head ever so slowly. "No. The one who said he
was coming to rescue me."
"I... I don't know, Mistress."
"I don't like it here," Nabiki said somewhat dreamily. "I want
someone to rescue me." Her eyes focused on Irina for the first time. "I
want to go home. I don't know where that is, but I want to go there."
"Oh, Mistress," Irina said sadly. She couldn't bring herself to
say that the castle was her home, not when such awful things had
happened. It had only been a little over a month and already she was
breaking. Damn Maxim. "You need to eat something."
"When can I go home?" Nabiki asked, ignoring the food Irina tried
to give her.
"I don't know, Mistress. When the master allows it, I suppose."
And it was such a lie, such a total and complete lie. What had happened
to her living in the castle with demons?
Nabiki set the cup down and laid back, eyes closing again.
Irina looked at her and prepared to leave. She put the jug-like
kettle on the nightstand. There was a small wrought iron stand that she
placed it upon, then placed a small tin underneath. Removing the top of
the tin, a red flame sprang to life, heating the kettle.
She then sprinkled a combination of herbs and powder into the hot
water. Konstantin had told her they would help with the nightmares and
help the girl relax. Irina could only take Konstantin's word for it,
and he didn't have any reason to lie...
Did he?
Before leaving, Irina made sure there was plenty of cold water
and gave Nabiki one last pitying look.
"Can you hunt like we did yesterday by yourself?"
"I can. Why is that necessary?"
"We're getting ready to make the push. We can't do it by
ourselves, even with the horde as a distraction," Tomas answered.
"Reinforcements?"
"In a way. Maxim and Konstantin will be our responsibilities. I
won't endanger other lives for that effort."
Kuno nodded. It was just as well. He wanted his shot at Maxim.
"Understood. How long..."
"Tomorrow if we are gathered. Maybe the day after that. Catch as
much as you can and put it with the rest. Don't forget to feed or you
won't be any good." There was an entire list of things Tomas wanted to
tell Kuno, but he couldn't. He couldn't give someone else his life
experiences.
"I understand. I shall expect your return tomorrow."
Tomas gave a small wave and left the cave, running through the
snow.
Kuno waited a bit after Tomas was out of sight to start on his
"chore". This was not something he could slack off on because this was
part of his rescue. This was the first step to getting back to Japan
together.
***
Night approached. Kuno wouldn't have noticed except that he was
having trouble finding more game. The animals seemed to flee the
vicinity of the mountain during the late hours. Maybe the horde was a
little more adventurous than Tomas had known. He hoped not.
But he couldn't let that stop him anyway. He couldn't let himself
quit because it was too important.
Anything Kuno could catch, no matter how big or small, he took
back and left on the ever-growing pile. He didn't plan on breaking
until his legs gave out and he couldn't walk any longer. Which, with
the way he felt, could have been at any moment.
Managing to drag himself back to the cave, the carcasses
beginning to freeze, Kuno dropped to the floor exhausted. Tomas had
told him to not push himself too hard, get some rest if he needed it.
He didn't think he had pushed himself too hard, but he could tell
that he was just on the verge of collapsing. Sleep was fine, but
unconsciousness was not. Full mental faculties were required for the
task ahead and...
The cave seemed to swim around him for a moment, derailing his
thoughts. Instead of the normal nighttime noises, the only thing he
could hear was the blood rushing through his head. Sitting up slowly,
Kuno knew what he had to do.
Taking a smaller catch that he had just brought up, he lifted it
to his mouth and paused. It was unnatural, wrong. Nabiki would hate it
if she knew what he was doing, but he had no choice.
He bit into it, the cooling flesh feeling horrible against his
lips, and sucked on the open wounds. He drained whatever blood he could
from it, hating himself for it the entire time.
Nabiki awoke in the middle of the night to the heady smell of
incense. It was so powerful, she almost gagged. As the seconds went on
though, she found herself relaxing to the pungent aroma. It was
probably something to help her sleep since... since...
She shook her head and refused to think about it. And she was so
tired anyway. Her eyelids felt like they were iron and her head kept
drooping forward.
There was only one thought that would comfort her: that someone
would come and rescue her. Whoever he was, he would take her away from
the pain and misery, get her away from Maxim and Konstantin and the
horrid stronghold and...
Kuno was exhausted to the point that he was too tired to sleep.
Eyes half-lidded, he stared up at the darkness, willing himself to
sleep. Even the euphoric feeling of feeding did nothing to help him
find any sleep. All of his nerves were on edge, just waiting for
something to happen, no matter how tired the rest of his body was.
He groaned, his eyes rolling back. "Oh, Nabiki..." he said
quietly, wishing she was there so they could leave and not look back.
When he had been hunting, blocking out the pain and anguish had been
easy; there were other things to occupy his attention. But he was
finished hunting.
There was nothing to distract himself. There was no way.
"Nabiki," he said again.
Nabiki whimpered, sinking into the bed, and shut her eyes
tightly. She felt odd, disconnected from reality. Maybe it was the
incense, maybe she was dying... It didn't matter to her any longer.
"Please," she whispered, covering her head with the covers.
Faint, so faint, and faraway, but unmistakable. It was her,
calling out to... anyone. He had to answer.
There was a sudden weight to the air in the room, so much so that
it was difficult to breathe. Nabiki emerged from under the covers,
gasping for breath, but kept her eyes closed. For a moment, she dared
open them the barest sliver.
What she saw made her keep them open. The incense swirling in the
air was visible like a pack of ghosts come to haunt her. The air choked
by those ghosts was thick and hard to breathe, and made her cough.
Nabiki coughed so hard, tears escaped from her eyes and her
entire body hurt. Whatever was going on, she needed help. Wheezing for
breath, Nabiki tried to call out, but her throat was dry and scratchy.
Failing completely to find her voice, Nabiki pulled herself into
a sitting position and began to cough again. Panic was ready to set in,
but the pain from the coughing prevented her mind from focusing on it.
Something, some power he wasn't familiar with, flared inside him.
Kuno could guess what was causing it, but the results... His body felt
very light for a moment, then the air around him turned to liquid.
It was water or mercury, and he was flowing through it at
tremendous speeds. Everything was silver then black, and the sensation
of liquid movement was gone.
Blinking rapidly, Kuno readjusted his senses and looked around.
Amazingly enough, he seemed to be standing, whole and himself, in a
room. It wasn't like before, not some bizarre psychic projection. He
felt... as real as the rug he was standing on.
Then, through the air clouded by incense around him, he saw her.
His first thought was that it was another vision, another damnable
oasis.
But it was different this time. This was more real, with none of
the... sharing he'd felt before. There was no connection this time.
Just the two of them. After too long, he'd found her again.
Nabiki stared, her coughing forgotten for the moment. Right in
front of her eyes, as she had been watching, the air had seemed to
collapse in on itself and formed... him. He'd finally arrived to rescue
her.
He looked into her eyes, and she was frightened by what she saw
there. Something... dark, inhuman, but alive was held in his gaze. He
reminded her somewhat of Miroslav, the way his eyes always looked wild
when she gazed into them deep enough.
"Who are you?" she managed to ask, her throat pained from the
coughing. "Have you shown up to..." It sounded so silly, but she needed
to know. "Are you going to rescue me?"
His gaze seemed to melt at her question. "Nabiki..."
"How do you know my name? Who are you? Why are you really here?"
Kuno approached the bed slowly, willing her to remember him. "You
must remember me, the way I feel about you. Tell me you remember."
Nabiki shook her head, suddenly unsure about the person that had
just appeared in her room like that. "Don't come any closer," she
warned, her eyes red and irritated. She had to concentrate on not
blinking; who was to say what would happen if she did.
"Don't be afraid. I would never hurt you." Kuno was at the end of
the bed. "You know that, inside you, you know." He put his hand down on
the bed, feeling its realness.
"Go away. I don't know how you know me, but I'm not..."
"Not what? I know you're not happy, and I know you're questioning
your identity." Kuno was now on the end of the bed on his hands and
knees. "If you would only remember."
"I can't!" Nabiki yelled, genuinely frightened, but not so much
of the stranger advancing on her as the whole situation. "I just can't.
Please leave," she whispered as he put his hands on either side of her
legs.
"I will attempt to avoid leaving you again, though I must admit,
I do not know how long this strange condition will last." He was over
her body and moving steadily forward.
The obvious fear on Nabiki's face was not enough to deter him; he
knew it was all Maxim's doing.
"Fear not," he whispered, his face hovering less than six inches
away from Nabiki's. "I will not harm you. I ask only that you do not
alert my presence to anyone."
Staring, as much as he tried to reassure her, fearfully, Nabiki
couldn't even make herself answer.
"Please, tell me you trust me, even if only for a few fleeting
moments." Kuno moved his face even closer.
She didn't know what to think, what to say or do. Did she trust
him? How could she? She didn't even know him! But... something in her
had to let him get so close, and it wasn't fear.
"I want to take you away from here. But I do not know if I can
like this." Superficially, he felt normal, but when he concentrated,
really thought about it, he felt... tremulous. Unstable.
Whatever had happened was obviously not a permanent think
unfortunately. "I do not think I can take with when I go back."
Nabiki looked like she was afraid of him, but also desperate.
"No! I don't care where, just get me out of here! Get me away from
Maxim!" Under normal circumstances, she would have clutched at the
front of his shirt, but since he was not wearing a shirt, her hands
fell upon his bare chest.
"Please bear with me just a little while longer. I will rescue
you. I _will_ save you from this," he whispered fiercely, their faces
still quite close.
It was the tears shimmering in her eyes, and the plaintive,
hopeful look on her face. He could no longer resist. Kuno leaned in
slowly and brushed his lips over hers.
She stiffened at the contact, but didn't try to escape it. With
Miroslav, she had forced the issue. With Maxim, it had almost been
seduction, but here... It almost felt like it was meant to be. Nabiki
didn't want to lose that feeling again.
Kuno parted his lips slightly and moved them back over Nabiki's,
able to feel the tension in her. The moment seemed to last forever
before she slumped in the bed and gave in.
Nabiki suddenly crushed her lips to his and made a desperate
whimpering sound through the kiss. Why she was feeling the way she was
didn't matter; for the time, she wasn't going to think.
Whoever this was, there was something there she couldn't deny.
That was no doubt why she had dreamt of him, waited for him... knew he
would rescue her.
As the moment of their kiss stretched on, Nabiki's entire body
felt like it was spinning slowly down into a pit from which she would
never return. Even with her eyes closed, everything was bright, and she
knew why she had felt miserable for so long.
Too soon, the moment ended and he pulled away from her. Nabiki
freed her arms from underneath the covers and put them around his neck,
pulling him to her.
Tears of relief flooded her eyes as he made soothing sounds in
her ear. Barely stopping herself from breaking down into full fledged
sobs, Nabiki squeezed her savior that much tighter.
For Kuno, it was a nightmare. Whatever Maxim had done to her, it
was much worse than he had imagined. Imagined... He had seen it,
however briefly, he had felt it!
But it seemed she had finally snapped out of whatever kind of
mind rape he had done to her. Even though it wasn't much, and Nabiki
would have to be very careful, she would at least be able to protect
herself when the time came.
"Don't let him touch you. He can't harm you if you fight him with
your entire soul," Kuno whispered to her. That was the truth. If she
fought, really fought, Maxim would learn to watch himself around her.
"I can't. I can't fight him. He's so powerful. And Konstantin..."
Nabiki shook her head. "I can't fight, they won't let me. They'll hurt
me if I do."
Something inside Kuno snapped. She couldn't fight because they
wouldn't let her, had wiped that out of her mind. She probably didn't
even know the truth about herself.
The clench she had on him released. "Don't leave. Stay here and
protect me. Stay here and I won't have to..."
"I am simply not able to. You know," he suddenly whispered
angrily, "that wherever you go, if I am not there, I will find you.
This is no exception. And I will make them pay for keeping you here
like this."
"Then tell me one thing," Nabiki said, one tear spilling down her
cheek.
"Anything for you."
"Who are you?"
It took everything he had to not scream out in anguish, that
Maxim had done such a thing to the one person he had vowed to protect.
To think that he had failed so quickly and easily... He lowered his
face to her shoulder, not wanting her to see the tears of futility that
escaped.
Yes, he would find her and kill Maxim, and take her back home
where she belonged. But would she ever be the same person again? There
was no way to know. Even if her memories returned, Kuno didn't think it
was possible for her to remain the same after everything that had
happened.
"I need you more than my own life," he said, the feel of her
against him a welcome comfort in what was turning out to be the
absolute worst moment of his entire life.
To feel, smell, to see her after so long, and after he had been
sick out of his mind for her life...
"No! Don't go!" Nabiki yelled in his ear.
Kuno felt an odd tingling in his body and knew that his time was
at an end. "I'm sorry," he said and leaned forward to kiss Nabiki one
last time.
***
"Wake up!"
Kuno's eyes snapped open immediately, revealing a strange swirl
of red and violet. For a moment, his jaw gaped and revealed canines
like twin daggers.
Tomas backed away quickly and tossed the dead animal in his had
at Kuno. "Just as I thought," he said, nodding as he watched the animal
get drained.
"When I got here, I thought you were dead," he continued.
"Is that what it does?" a man at Tomas' side asked.
"One of the things. There are other, less pleasant effects. None
of them good, I can assure you. We never thought it was permanent
before, but I've never seen it go this far either." He was glad Kuno
was too lost in his feeding to listen.
"But this is him? He doesn't look all that special."
Tomas chuckled. "He's not. But he's one more and he'll fight.
Maxim has his mate."
The others nodded in understanding. "Stubborn then is he? Won't
stop until he's torn limb from limb?" a man that looked well into his
fifties asked.
"Like you wouldn't believe." Tomas sighed. "But if she were mine,
I'd be the same way."
Kuno slowly returned to realization and saw the group of men all
regarding him. "What has happened?"
"You were having another of your experiences when we got here. I
thought you were going to use me as a feeding post for a moment." Tomas
grinned as the others chuckled.
"Experience? Yes, I was. I was in the castle, in her room." Kuno
looked desperately at Tomas. "I could feel her. I was there!"
Shrugging, Tomas gathered a corpse in his arms. "I don't know how
it works. I just know that you were on the ground with skin the color
of snow. I truly thought you were dead."
The others nodded in agreement, then also began gathering
corpses.
Kuno watched for a moment and stood. "Is it time?"
"Nearing. We're preparing now," Tomas answered. "Give us a hand."
Once each of them was loaded down with a corpse, they exited the
cave and headed down the mountain.
"Shouldn't we be putting this closer to them?" Kuno asked as he
watched one man start tearing a corpse apart and scattering the pieces.
"We don't want to set them off too early. We'll save the fresher
kills for the top." Tomas smiled grimly. "That will put them in a
frenzy very quickly."
There was silence as the meat was scattered with a precision Kuno
couldn't comprehend.
"Let's finish this. The faster we get this done..." Tomas'
statement was left hanging; they all knew what was coming next.
The entire process took the better part of the day, and the
entire time, Kuno had his encounter with Nabiki on his mind.
Finally, back in the cave, all huddled together, Kuno knew things
were going to come to a head very soon and he would have his chance at
Maxim.
The others changed, using the warmth and safety of their
alternate forms provided, and settled down to sleep. For Kuno, it was
odd seeing so many gathered in one place together.
Never had he imagined such a scene. Never had he considered that
he might be preparing to storm a castle to save the _single_ girl he
was on love with: Nabiki.
Feeling restless, he calmed himself, forced his feelings and
instincts to recede. This was Tomas' pack. Here, Tomas was leader, no
matter what Kuno felt inside. A fight between them wouldn't prove
anything, and really, the purely human part of Kuno didn't want to be
in charge.
Settling in, curling his tail around his body, Kuno tried to
soothe himself with thoughts of Nabiki and what he would do to Maxim.
[28 DAYS]
"Mistress, how are you feeling this morning?"
Nabiki's eyes opened slowly to see her room in its normal state,
and Irina with breakfast. Sitting up, the memory of what had happened
very clear, very real in her mind, Nabiki looked at to the side of the
bed.
The little incense pot that had been there was gone and there
were no traces of that potent smell left in the air. "What happened
last night?" Nabiki asked Irina as she made tea.
"I don't know, Mistress. Did something happen? If it did, I was
not informed." She set the tray of food on Nabiki's lap and stepped
back.
Looking strangely at her for a moment, Nabiki nodded and began
eating. She accepted things, but she didn't necessarily believe what
Irina said. Things were definitely going on around her that they were
trying to hide.
"That is a relief. We were all quite worried about you last
night." Irina watched Nabiki for a while longer, reaffirming that she
was fine. "I will return momentarily, Mistress." Irina left the room,
closing the door behind her.
"Did it work?"
Irina made sure the door was shut securely and faced her
inquirer. "I... I believe so. She is much calmer, though she doesn't
seem to be..." Shrugging, she didn't know how to explain the difference
she saw.
Konstantin nodded. "As I thought," he said thoughtfully. His own
agenda was significantly more difficult to follow than Maxim's simple
quest for power. The people he often needed assistance from were
normally loathe to help him.
Not that he minded being feared; it did make some things easier.
Yet, this situation, which Konstantin was slowly turning to his favor,
was complicated by the girl's fear of him.
If he had simply been able to tell her he wanted to dispose of
Maxim, destroy him, and had no interest in her, she might have
cooperated. But Maxim, using an axe when he only needed a needle, had
ruined that chance, instilling her with an instinctive fear of almost
everything.
The better to run to him for safety. Konstantin snorted. If Maxim
hadn't been so foolishly lustful... "Excellent job. If anything more is
required, you may simply ask."
"Of course. And thank you," Irina said, trying not to sound
afraid.
"You'll be sure to look after her..." She was the other half of
the key. The key that would finally put him in power. Not waiting for
an answer, he left, plans of future glory in his mind.
Irina watched him go, more than just a little intimidated by him.
She didn't know anyone who wasn't aside from Maxim, and sometimes she
thought he should be.
Shuddering, she returned to Nabiki's room.
***
"Today?"
Tomas looked at the others, then back at Kuno. He wasn't sure if
he wanted it to be the day or not. It was very possible that each of
them could die and then...
The penalty that would be placed upon the land by Maxim would be
terrible, and not even he wished that on the foolish people.
A strong hand on his shoulder snapped him out of his worry. "If
you think we should wait a day, then that's what we'll do," Nikolai
said. He was not a large man, but powerfully built with piercing hazel
eyes.
"I... I..." Tomas couldn't let his fear and worry get to him.
"I'm not sure," he said finally, unsure of himself.
The others looked around, shifting uncomfortably. This was
something they hadn't seen from their young leader before.
"Is it time or not?" Kuno asked impatiently. "If it is, then we
are wasting precious time here. We can not wait for your indecision
to..."
Kuno gasped for air as Nikolai threw his forearm across his
throat. "No you look here," he growled in warning.
"No, he's right. We don't have time for this. If... if I can't
even make this decision, then I shouldn't doing this, shouldn't even be
here."
"If the rest of us can do it, so can you. What would Maria think
of your behavior?" Josef, the oldest among them asked, challenging
Tomas.
"You leave her out of this!" Tomas yelled at him. "She's gone,
and don't you even try to use her to..." His head dropped and he took a
shuddering breath. "Today. We time it so our first strike will be at
the earliest hour."
Nikolai released Kuno as Tomas finished his statement. Soon. Very
soon.
The fact that they were about to face Maxim on his home territory
would weigh on their minds until the time came for them to leave.
***
"What's wrong, Mistress?"
Nabiki shivered. "I don't know. I just don't feel that well." She
was cold when she shouldn't have been and her head was pounding.
"Let me get you something to help you relax. You can get some
rest that way." Irina hurried from the room to make up some broth with
an addition of some healing roots.
"Don't... bother," Nabiki said in an effort to stop Irina. She
didn't want to sleep any longer; she felt like she had spent the past
three days asleep. Though she definitely wasn't feeling well...
Her stomach lurched ominously, almost rejecting all the previous
meals she had eaten. Another bowl of soup or broth was the last thing
she wanted. Something meaty, solid food, anything she had to chew
sounded good.
Again, she almost threw up, this time leaning over the side of
the bed, the blood pounding in her temples.
End Part 8, Chapter 4