http://www.emich.edu/public/llb/fanfic.html




{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 5, Chapter 4

	
	"Who are they?"
	"We don't know. They were in the swamp when we took Valeri for his 
test. They were fleeing the beast."
	"Interesting. Where are they now?"
	"We have them at Andrei's, under guard. They tell a rather 
fantastic story, but that doesn't change the fact that the boy appears to 
be a renegade."
	The older man, leader of the village, raised his eyebrows. "A 
renegade? Send a messenger to the castle immediately. Whatever they were 
doing in the swamp, I want as little to do with it as possible. It's for 
Maxim to determine what to do with them."
	"I'll send a messenger immediately then."
	"Before you go..."
	"Yes?"
	"Valeri... He passed?"
	"He did. You should be proud of him."
	
	"What do you think they'll do with us?" Nabiki asked in a hushed 
voice.
	"I am sure they will not be affording us any hospitality," Kuno 
replied.
	"Yeah. They didn't think anything about you though. I wonder how 
they knew they could fight you off if you attacked."
	"Their spears. The points were coated with a strong substance. I 
could smell it, and it was not pleasant."
	"Oh. A poison, you think?" She had been seconds from making a break 
for it when they had grabbed her. Nabiki was now thinking she had been 
lucky not to run.
	"I believe so. The same stuff as was contained in that meat."
	Nabiki shook her head a little. "Weird. I wonder what this all 
means for us."
	Kuno shrugged, looking at the two men guarding the door and 
estimated his chances for escape. "I plan on leaving here as soon as 
possible though. I do not trust them."
	"Neither do I." Nabiki looked around the small shack to see if 
there was anything that might help them escape.
	"Listen," Kuno said suddenly, almost inaudibly, "I shall..."
	Before he could relay his plan, the door opened and in walked one 
of the men that had ordered their internment in the shack. "You two, come 
with me," he commanded.
	Kuno and Nabiki stood slowly, walking forward as the man gestured. 
They exchanged a brief look before they went outside. They had missed 
their chance. They were led through the village, all the inhabitants 
staring at them, until they reached a series of tubs and a complicated 
contraption hooked up to some huge wooden barrels leaking water. Nabiki 
figured it was for water purification.
	They were at the public baths.
	"They're going to give us baths?" she asked aloud. Not that she 
couldn't use one; she was filthy and so were her clothes.
	"Yes," answered their guard. "Strip and clean yourselves up. You 
need to be presentable before you go to the castle."
	It took the two a moment too long to comply. "Go on or we'll do it 
for you, and I don't think you want my men doing that."
	Nabiki shook her head, looking at the faces of the guards. She most 
definitely did not want them putting their hands on her. Without another 
moment of hesitation, she began to remove her clothing.
	Kuno followed suit and climbed into one of the large tubs as soon 
as he was naked. Nabiki got into the dry tub with him and waited for 
water.
	A knob was turned on the contraption, then another was turned that 
looked like it was connected to a series of clay pipes. There was the 
sound of flowing and water and then it was sprinkling into the tub from 
overhead.
	For a moment, Nabiki could forget where she was and what was going 
on as the water rinsed the grime from her. Whatever was going to happen, 
if they were going to give her a chance to clean up, she was going to take 
advantage of it.
	"Make it quick. We're not doing this is a favor to you," one of the 
guards growled.
	Kuno glared at him briefly before using his hands to wipe the dirt 
away from his body. This whole situation was something he didn't like at 
all.
	"Get my back," Nabiki whispered to him. She turned around and felt 
his hands move over her skin. It felt too nice after all the time in the 
swamp.
	Too soon, the water stopped and they exited the tub.
	"Put these on." The man flung some drab clothing at them and 
waited. "Once you're dressed, they've decided to feed you and then wait 
for your escort to the castle."
	
	"Escort to the castle? Why would they do that?" Nabiki whispered as 
they ate slowly. She wished that they could speak in some language the 
people didn't understand. Unfortunately, they seemed to understand 
Japanese perfectly.
	Kuno just shrugged. There was no point in guessing as they'd 
probably be informed eventually as to what was going on.
	
	Their escort consisted of a group of five brutish-looking men and 
one smaller, skinnier man. The brutes all stared at Kuno, then more 
lingeringly at Nabiki.
	"Stop that, you fools. You even consider it and Maxim will come 
down on your heads. You're more useful as soldiers than rugs," the head of 
the escort snapped. "Come on. Grab them and let's go. I don't like staying 
around this place any longer than necessary."
	
	"Um..."
	"Quiet! I don't want to hear anything out of you two. When we get 
back, you'll be put back in your places."
	"But that's what I wanted to..."
	"Quiet!"
	Nabiki's head rocked as the invisible blow contacted with the side 
of her jaw. She whimpered, but made no other sound. She knew what he was 
and didn't want to with anymore of his kind. Her stomach sank when she 
realized she had no choice in the matter though.
	Kuno's hand on her arm steadied her as she stumbled. His eyes 
flashed at the back of the man's head, seriously contemplating doing 
something violent.
	"Don't even think about it if you value having a head on your 
shoulders," one of the large guards warned.
	"You'll have a chance to explain yourselves when we get back to the 
castle. Don't make me waste anymore energy on keeping you in line," the 
leader snarled.
	"She's pretty cute."
	"I don't need to hear anything out of the rest of you either. 
You're just along to bring them in alive, not give commentary."
	"Too bad she's taken. Not that it really matters, eh, Morathi?"
	"Sure, but she's pregnant. That takes all the fun out of it."
	"Not all the fun." The two conversing began to laugh darkly.
	"Morathi, Vidor, enough!"
	Leaning over, Vidor whispered to his companion, "He looks like good 
sport though, don't you think?"
	Morathi nodded. "He might last a week. If Maxim even keeps him 
around."

***

	"Wait here."
	The door was slammed shut and locked, leaving Kuno and Nabiki shut 
up in a tiny room at the front of the castle. It was pleasant enough, but 
there was no mistaking it for what it really was: a holding cell.
	"I think we made a mistake this time. A bad mistake," Nabiki 
moaned.
	"We... we took the chance. We have to deal with it."
	"Don't bullshit now, Kuno," she snapped. "You know this is trouble 
and that we're overmatched."
	"We shall find a way to prevail. Hope is not lost."
	"Yet."
	The sound of the door being locked ended their conversation. 
Hopefully someone more reasonable than their escorts had been would be 
there.
	The door opened and in walked a tall man in elegant red and gold 
robes. His face was gaunt and pale, made paler by his jet black hair swept 
back away from his face. He smiled and revealed his pointed canines. "I am 
Konstantin. I have heard the circumstances under which you were brought 
here, but I know that you are not a renegade," he said amicably.
	"You've obviously come here for a very important reason if you were 
willing to brave the swamps. If you tell me, I may be able to assist you."
	Nabiki swallowed and looked at Kuno. Her only dealings with 
vampires had been extremely unpleasant, and she wasn't sure just what to 
make of the one before her.
	"You may speak freely. I only want to know what you have to say. We 
don't get uninvited visitor often." Konstantin took a seat in one of the 
chairs in the room, though he looked extremely uncomfortable in it.
	"Well, we... want to speak with Maxim," Nabiki managed to say, 
feeling like she had overstepped her bounds.
	"Oh? And why is that?" the vampire asked, clearly amused.
	"We... we have a problem," was all she would say. "We were told 
Maxim is the only one with the ability to help us."
	Konstantin looked at them, his eyes moving back and forth between 
the two. "I'll see if I can arrange an audience then." He stood and left 
the room, though the door was still securely locked after it had been 
closed.

***

	The two were led down a huge hallway with walls that seemed to be 
carved from bare rock. Flickering torches lined the entire hall, 
illuminating paintings and tapestries that gave the place a feel of 
elegance.
	At may points there were large, arched doorways that went into 
darkness. No sounds came from any of them and there no other people in the 
halls that they could see.
	"Kuno-chan," Nabiki whispered, "I'm... scared."
	The hideous man that walked in front of the turned and smiled, 
revealing a mouth full of pointed teeth. "There's no reason to be afraid. 
Lord Maxim will hear your request. He hears everyone's requests."
	"I am sure," Kuno said darkly.
	At the end of the hall, a set of large wooden doors decorated with 
ornate designs awaited. The man put his hands on the huge handles, looked 
at the, and said, "The master will see you now." Then he pushed the doors 
open.
	Nabiki and Kuno were both taken aback at the sight. In contrast to 
the dark, elegance of the previous hall, this one was huge, bright, airy, 
almost cheerful. There was somewhere around a hundred people all in it 
staring at them.
	Most were human in appearance, though there were a few, like their 
guide, that looked less than human as well. And each of them directed 
their gaze upon the two strangers that had entered their domain. The 
silence was unimaginable.
	Walking slowly, Nabiki tried not to stare at all the people. She 
kept her gaze focused at the end of the hall.
	The figure at the end of the hall, seated upon a huge throne, was 
watching them with open amusement, but did not speak. The closer they got 
to the figure, the more foreboding the man appeared.
	"Come closer, you two. Don't be afraid," he said, smiling the 
entire time, though it didn't seem entirely happy.
	Not that they had a choice in the matter. They had come too far to 
back out. When they had reached within five feet of the throne on its 
raised pedestal, they were motioned to stop.
	"Kneel," their guide said to them, not so quietly.
	Kuno gave him a dark look while Nabiki was doing her best not to 
look at the face of the man they had come so far to see. There was 
something horrible there that she couldn't bear to look at.
	"He is the one who rules over the entire land. You will pay him the 
proper respect and kneel before him."
	Reluctantly, Kuno got to one knee and watched Nabiki do the same 
out of the corner of his eye.
	Maxim looked down at the two, smiling strangely. "Please, stand 
up," he said in a voice that was deep and rich. "Tell us why you've 
requested an audience."
	Nabiki was still looking away from him in an oddly subservient 
fashion and left Kuno to speak for her. "There are matters we would like 
to discuss in a more private manner... Sir." Kuno recognized the need for 
it even if he did not like calling the man that.
	There was a wave of whispering and even a few disbelieving laughs 
at his request that Maxim endured for a few moments. He raised his hand 
and immediately all noise stopped. "I will accommodate your desires this 
time, and this time only, since you are strangers. Now follow me," said 
Maxim, still smiling.
	He stood with a flourish, his relatively simple clothing belying 
the fact that he was the most powerful figure in the world. Maxim stepped 
down form the throne and pedestal to walk around behind it.
	Kuno and Nabiki stood and allowed their guide to lead them after 
Maxim. They went around behind the throne and through a small arched 
doorway. Once they were into the small hall beyond, covered in darkness, 
the door shut behind them, eliminating the last of the light.
	After giving them a moment for their eyesight to adjust, their 
guide led them down an almost claustrophobic hall with maxim's footfalls 
echoing ahead of them.
	The two could feel the fear and uncertainty of each other. Though 
words were always convenient to use, for feelings, they weren't entirely 
necessary. Of course, that made it hard for Nabiki to hide her feelings 
the way she was used to doing, and it made Kuno incredibly smug when 
dealing with her a lot of the time.
	A door opened ahead, blinding them momentarily and silhouetting 
Maxim in the doorway. There was an incredible feeling of dread that ran 
through Kuno at that moment, and he wanted nothing more than to turn and 
leave, to not go through that door. There was something beyond it, 
something terrible, that he wanted to avoid at all costs.
	Beyond that door he was afraid they would find their deaths, but 
they had no where else to go.

***

	Kuno ducked his head at the last moment and took the blow across 
his shoulders, the force of it driving him to his knees.
	"What's wrong, dogman? Haven't you ever been beaten by your 
master?" one of the men taunted.
	There was another series of blows, all across his back and 
shoulders.
	"No, his master's taught him too well. He can probably sit and beg 
on command," the other jeered.
	A hand worked it's way into Kuno's hair and yanked his head back. 
"Well, do you?" the first man asked, and evil sneer plastered on his face. 
"Do you sit up and beg? Roll over? Play fetch?"
	Kuno spat in the man's face and got punched for it.
	"I bet he plays dead real well," the second man said, smiling.
	The first man, wiping his face, nodded. "I bet he does. Did you 
bring the stuff?"
	"Right here."
	"Good. Give me the catalyst." He took the small needle his 
companion offered him and jabbed it into Kuno's arm.
	The stinging sensation Kuno felt soon faded to be replaced by one 
of extreme energy and exaltation, and he found himself changing. Why they 
would want to do that, he didn't know. He was better when he was changed, 
and that couldn't be what they wanted to accomplish. And if it was his 
change they wanted him to go through, well, it wasn't much to speak of 
anymore.
	That is, until he was hit on his lower leg as it was shifting, 
sending waves of unendurable pain shooting through his body. Kuno screamed 
aloud when the next blow landed on his other leg, and the next blow. He 
continued as his screams became howls and it felt like his entire body was 
being torn apart.
	"He's done. Give me the stabilizer."
	Another prick in the arm that wasn't noticeable after everything 
Kuno had gone through, and then there was silence except for his labored 
breathing.
	He could feel his entire body slowing down, as if it would 
eventually grind to a halt. The wounds that had begun to heal were still 
fresh with their ache settling into him. It was like he was underwater 
with weights attached to him. He could barely move and not with any speed.
	"I hope you like this form, dogman, because you're going to be 
stuck this way for a while." The man gave Kuno a kick in the ribs for good 
measure and left the cell with his companion.
	The door slammed shut and the sound of many locks falling in place 
echoed throughout the dungeon.
	Kuno rolled to his back and stared at the ceiling through half-
lidded eyes. The taste of blood, his blood, was sharp, overly salty... He 
considered moving to one corner and curling up there, but the effort of 
moving his entire body that much was too great.
	Soon he passed gratefully into unconsciousness.

***

	So much for their plan. It had been foolish of them to think they 
could just walk in, ask something like they had and then expect to have 
their request fulfilled. What had happened, she probably shouldn't have 
been able to anticipate though.
	She should have, damn it! That slug back in Gosunkugi's house had 
said some things that made it pretty clear what she could have expected to 
happen. He had treated her like a commodity or a prize. Nabiki should have 
known better, and now things were looking real bad.
	Nabiki paced the small, well-furnished room. The fact that they had 
dragged Kuno away and politely escorted her to this room did not sit well. 
There were two things she didn't plan on doing and those were staying in 
this little dump of a dimension and becoming some warlord vampire's 
concubine. No way.
	Even if she changed, Nabiki didn't think she could really fight 
back, and she couldn't leave Kuno if she managed to escape.
	The sound of footsteps in the hall alerted her and she stood on the 
opposite side of the room, staring at the door intently.
	It opened slowly, revealing Maxim, alone, in his ceremonial attire. 
He was smiling, but again, there was that hidden glimpse of something dark 
and evil. "Don't be afraid. I won't hurt you any more than necessary," he 
said as if it was some sort of comfort.
	He entered the room and shut the door behind him. He did not bother 
to lock it, the same way it had not been locked before. "Right now, I'm 
only here to talk. You can save your worries for another time."
	Maxim sat down in a large chair and looked at Nabiki evenly. "I am 
a man of my word and I do not make many promises. I only wish to talk at 
this time."
	Nabiki found her feet moving automatically to a chair before she 
stopped them and walked the rest of the way herself. If Maxim had been 
surprised at her display of defiance, his face did not show it.
	"First, let me destroy any notions you may have of escaping," he 
said once Nabiki was settled. "I can see the beast in you. You will not 
surprise me with it, nor will you be able to overpower me."
	Nabiki did her best to hide the disappointment she felt.
	"I also know of your unborn. If you value their lives, or your own 
for that matter, you will cooperate." He made a vaguely apologetic motion 
with his head. "I'm afraid the life of your mate isn't worth much though. 
I know how hard that loss can be for one such as yourself, but all your 
thoughts of him can be easily taken care of.
	"All memories of him and your previous life can and will be removed 
to make you... happier and more docile," Maxim concluded with a smug smile 
on his face that horrified Nabiki.
	"You... you can't be serious," was all she could think of to say.
	"I'm very serious," he said, leaning forward in the chair. "Not 
that you would have a choice in the matter, of course." Maxim settled back 
in the chair, relaxing once more. "The prospect may be distasteful now, 
but once it's done you won't care. So just cooperate and make things 
easier on yourself."
	A thousand thoughts ran through Nabiki's mind. She had a little 
leverage. She could demand that...
	"And don't think you can bargain your way out of this. If you 
refuse to cooperate, I will simply do what I wish with you, but it won't 
be as painless," Maxim said with a detached air.
	OK, so that crushed all of Nabiki's ideas, and she couldn't really 
expect everyone from Nerima to show up to rescue her like they had always 
done for Akane. And the idea of giving in was too distasteful for her, but 
what choice did she have?
	Nabiki looked up at Maxim, her intense brown eyes meeting his 
sparkling gold ones. For a moment, it appeared that she might resist him, 
discover the fire in her that gave her strength when she needed it... 
"Just... just don't hurt him; let him go," she said quietly, holding her 
gaze even.
	Maxim didn't smile as she expected him to. He nodded solemnly.
	"I want to talk to him first, before..." Nabiki said, cutting 
herself off.
	Maxim nodded again and stood up. "He'll be brought here shortly." 
With that said, Maxim left the room and closed the door.
	Nabiki slumped against the wall and slid to the floor. Giving in... 
That seemed to drain something from her, something vital. It was the thing 
that had pushed her to come to this awful world and try to get things done 
herself... It was gone and the only thing left was a profound emptiness.
	Nabiki lowered her head to her knees, put her arms across them as 
well and finally gave up hope.

***

	The door opened slowly, the guards being wary of the cell's 
occupant. Not that it mattered; Kuno was too dazed from the beating and 
the drugs to do much more than twitch his tail.
	Seeing the state the prisoner was in, the two guards stormed in and 
grabbed Kuno by the arms. They hauled him into an upright position while 
one fastened a thick collar around his neck.
	"Come on, dogman," the other guard said, snarling. "Lord Maxim 
wants a word with you."
	They dragged him out of the cell and down the corridor a little 
way. Kuno tried to get his legs under him, but the still weren't working, 
and his thoughts were all fuzzy.
	"Stop struggling," the second guard commanded and yanked on the 
collar sharply, choking Kuno momentarily.
	At the end of the hall was a heavy door that led out of the 
dungeon. It was open and Maxim was waiting there. As the guards 
approached, he looked at Kuno darkly.
	"This is the end, boy. She wants to talk to you and then you can 
consider your life forfeit. I'm feeling generous, so I'll give you an 
hour, and then she's mine."
	Maxim nodded at the guards and watched them haul Tatewaki Kuno 
away. A strange name indeed. Not that it mattered, but the boy was from 
another place. The boy didn't have the knowledge to do it himself, so 
someone else had opened the gate between the two worlds. Probably another 
encroached lord, pushing his boundaries... That would be put down soon 
enough.

***

	Nabiki lifted her head as the door opened. The two guards tossed 
Kuno to the floor and pushed his limbs inside the door. They looked 
briefly at each other then at Nabiki.
	"We'll let you have some time alone with dogman here if you treat 
us right, girl," the first guard said.
	"Yeah. We won't hurt you as long as long as you do what we say," 
the second one added.
	Both of them stepped over Kuno and shut the door. "Trust us, you 
won't feel a thing."
	Nabiki stared at the two in disbelief as they advanced on her. "You 
can't..." she said, unable to call up the anger and rage she needed to 
defend herself.
	The guards smiled at her. "Oh sure we can."
	"You most certainly can NOT!" a voice boomed from behind them. "You 
two," Maxim said, walking up behind them, "have made a very grave 
mistake."
	In a flare of bright red flames, the were consumed and soon 
disappeared, their screams lingering. When the flames finally died down, 
the only thing left was a pair of faintly glowing footprints.
	"You have an hour," Maxim said, looking at Nabiki. "You should make 
it count." And then Maxim left by the door, slamming it behind him.
	That snapped Nabiki out of her paralysis. She blinked twice and 
looked at Kuno on the floor. It was then that she noticed what bad shape 
he was in.
	She crawled across the floor to him and say by his head. She ran 
her hand over the blood-matted fur of Kuno's neck. "Kuno-chan." she said 
quietly. An hour... That was all she had until everything she knew was 
gone. An hour until it was all ripped away from her. She wasn't going to 
cry though; she would deal with it...
	"Kuno-chan! You have to wake up. I need you to wake up..." He was 
the last thing about home that she would see, she would have any contact 
with.
	When he didn't respond in any way, Nabiki leaned her head down and 
touched her forehead to his. "Kuno-chan... Tatewaki, please wake up. 
You're my last chance..." she said resignedly.
	Kuno cracked his eyes open, breaking the seal of dried blood that 
had held them closed. He tried to move his arms, but they still felt like 
there were lead weights attached.
	"Kuno-chan, you have to be awake. You have to do something for me 
before... before the hour is up." One tear escaped, then another, and then 
many more. "You have to do this. I don't want them thinking..." Thinking, 
believing that she didn't care for them.
	Not knowing why Nabiki was so upset or what she was talking about, 
Kuno forced himself to move, forced his muscles to function. He put his 
hand on her leg and lifted his head, breaking contact with her to look 
into her eyes.
	Nabiki didn't make any sound for a moment, just looking at Kuno, 
then finally said quietly, "I don't want this to happen. I don't want to 
forget everything."
	Kuno knew she was afraid, very afraid, but he didn't know why. Damn 
them for doing this to him, preventing him from talking to her. Somehow, 
finding a well a energy, he made himself move, fight through whatever was 
sapping his strength, and sat up.
	He wiped some of the tears from Nabiki's cheek before standing up 
slowly. He made his way to the generous-sized bed, feeling like he weighed 
2000 pounds, and sat down on it.
	Nabiki stood and sat next to him, avoiding looking at his face. 
Instead, she looked at his forearms and hands, stained with his own blood. 
The crimson crust was a harsh contrast to the snowy white fur and ruined 
his appearance.
	Finally, she looked up at him. "There's something you have to do 
for me."
	Kuno nodded curtly. This was obviously important to her.
	"I want you to tell my family that I... I love them. Even Ranma and 
his idiot father. Tell them and make sure they understand." Nabiki stared 
at Kuno, making sure he was listening. "Tell them and make sure they hear 
it, make sure they KNOW it."
	Kuno shook his head. He understood what she wanted, but why was 
still unknown to him. When they were done, she could tell them herself.
	"You will. And there's something else, but you can't refuse 
this..." Nabiki glared at him momentarily. "You have to leave. Go back to 
Japan and never come back here. Never consider coming back here because it 
will be the worst mistake of your life! Do you hear me?"
	Kuno nodded again. Things were getting more strange. When he got 
back to Japan, he didn't want to ever think of this place again, let alone 
come back to it.
	"One more thing. You have to promise you'll do this." She grabbed 
Kuno's chin and made sure they were looking into each other's eyes. 
"Promise."
	He gave her a short nod and Nabiki knew he meant it.
	"Promise that you won't forget that I... that I... love you."
	Kuno's eyes got wide with surprise and he felt that everything was 
finally falling into place for him.
	"Promise me you won't forget that... because I will," Nabiki 
finished quietly.
	The hour passed slowly, but it was still too fast for her.
	The door opened suddenly, catching the two completely off-guard. It 
was Maxim with more guards; a large group of them were standing out in the 
hall. He looked at the two of them on the bed, Nabiki clutching Kuno 
almost desperately, and snarled. "Get that thing away from her!"
	Two guards charged into the room at Maxim's command and tried to 
pull Kuno away.
	"No! Damn you!" Nabiki yelled, holding on to him with all her 
strength. "I won't let you! I won't do it!"
	"It's too late to disagree. Just stop acting like a spoiled little 
girl and come quietly. I don't want to have to ruin that pretty face of 
yours," Maxim said. His voice was calm, but there was no mistaking the 
seriousness of his threat.
	Nabiki knew that everything Maxim had said before was a lie. He 
wouldn't let Kuno go, and her life would end with everything left 
unfinished. That did it. She released Kuno, which surprised the guards, 
who tumbled backwards off the bed with him.
	"You will let him go," Nabiki said from the side of the bed where 
she had rolled off. She was standing at the ready, trying to keep her eye 
on the entire room at once.
	"You have no..." Maxim's voice trailed off as he looked from the 
guards holding Kuno over to Nabiki. The look on his face grew dangerous. 
"I warned you about trying to bargain your way out of this," he said 
menacingly, his fangs showing.
	"Yeah, I know, but if you try anything before I see you let him go, 
then I'll be dead." She sunk her fingers deeper into the flesh of her neck 
and felt the claws pierce it. Trickles of warm blood ran from the wounds.
	Maxim snorted. "You wouldn't. Why would you die for this 
insignificant..."
	"Yes, I would. I know you won't let him go, and you're more likely 
to kill him than anything else. And I would kill myself just to spite you, 
you sick bastard." Nabiki's voice held a rational quality that she didn't 
feel.
	Maxim looked at her, judging her sincerity. It was almost 
frightening, the amount of conviction she had for being human. "Very well, 
if you are determined..."
	"Damn straight I am! Now let him go!" Her anger made the wounds 
hurt less.
	Maxim motioned with his head to the guards that were holding Kuno. 
They released his arms, but stood to either side of him. "Fine. He will be 
released and then..."
	Nabiki nodded, knowing exactly what he was thinking. There was no 
doubt that he would hurt her a lot, but she had the comfort of knowing 
that she wouldn't remember any of it.
	
	The group marched through the halls with Maxim and Kuno at the 
front. Nabiki was following them all with her claws still in her neck. She 
would see it through to the end, whether it was hers or Maxim's.
	Instead of going through the main halls, they went through the 
smaller side corridors and ended up at a heavy door with an iron bar 
across it. The bar was lifted and the door opened, revealing the darkness 
of the night beyond it.
	Maxim turned to Kuno. "You can leave, but I only let you live this 
once. If I ever see you again, you will die. Now get out of my sight."
	The guards shoved Kuno out the door where he stumbled down the 
small slope and fell to the ground.
	"Kuno-chan, remember what I said!" Nabiki yelled from back inside. 
"Now run! Get out of here!"
	Kuno picked himself up and looked back at the door. He could still 
see her inside and she looked very scared.
	"Leave and don't ever come back... for your own safety!" she called 
out to him.
	He took one step toward her, but he just couldn't go any farther. 
That would definitely mean her death and most likely his. With Nabiki's 
determined and frightened face firmly in his mind, Kuno turned and ran 
off, trying to get as far away from the castle as he could.
	
	Nabiki watched Kuno run off, tracking him until he was lost in the 
night. The door closed at that point, cutting off the fresh air, and the 
iron bar was dropped back into place. That was that. Things were beyond 
her control now.
	"Take her back to her room and make sure she doesn't try anything 
else stupid," Maxim ordered, his eyes glowing in the darkness.
	Nabiki's hand was yanked away from her neck and both her arms were 
seized in iron grips. After proving what she was capable of, they weren't 
so gentle with her this time.

***

	Kuno ran as fast as his legs would allow through the dark and 
twisted forest. More than once he tripped and fell to the soft dirt. Each 
time he got up and tried to wipe the dirt from his eyes. The dirt that was 
making everything blurry...

***

	"You defied me. I don't like that," Maxim said, looking at Nabiki.
	"Too bad. Go to hell," Nabiki spat back.
	"You will be a nice addition once I've... cured you of that 
disrespectful attitude. For the moment, it's time you paid for openly 
defying me in the presence of my men." Maxim never smiled; he went about 
things in a very business-like manner, which chilled Nabiki even more.
	He turned around and Nabiki could hear him getting something out of 
the box that he had brought with him. When he turned back around and 
Nabiki saw what he had in his hand, she struggled against the physical and 
magical bonds that held her.
	"Hold still and this will hurt less. Struggle and the pain will be 
excruciating," Maxim said as he brought the tip of the long, thick needle 
to the flesh of her right bicep. He stabbed it into her arm, drawing 
blood, watching her face.
	Nabiki somehow managed not to make a noise, though she did grimace 
and inhale sharply.
	Maxim smiled then. "Indeed. You won't have that control over your 
voice once we've really begun."

***   ***   ***   ***   ***   ***

	Kuno didn't know how long he had been going as he never saw the 
sun. It might have been hours or days, he just didn't know... and didn't 
care. He walked, and sometimes he ran, through the barely discernible 
cycles of day and night.
	A few times, even with the sluggishness that trapped him, he 
managed to catch food. That continued to sustain him, but... If only he 
hadn't said he would do those things for Nabiki. He would have gone back 
there and... and... He didn't know, but he would have gone back there and 
done it.
	But he was so tired and weak and... angry. How could she do 
something like that to him? How could she make him leave and live without 
her? Did she realize, didn't she know that he needed her?
	Kuno fell to the ground, collapsing in a snowdrift amidst some 
trees. He hadn't even noticed that he had passed from the warmer, almost 
tropical climate around the castle back into the colder area he had first 
arrived in. Not that it would have made a difference to him as he passed 
out from exhaustion.
	
	"Hey! Hey, look what I found!"
	Kuno opened his eyes at the sound of a person yelling. Alarms went 
off in his head that it might be one of Maxim's guards and they would be 
attempting to kill him. He shot to his feet, or at least he wanted to, but 
he still didn't have any energy.
	"It's our visitor. He's come back."
	Kuno grabbed on to a tree and pulled himself up. Looking up, he saw 
Rhodes and one of the other men from the village approaching him.
	"I'm surprised to see you back. What's happened to your girl?" 
Rhodes asked, dismissing Kuno's inhuman appearance.
	Kuno could only look at the man sadly. Rhodes and Anatalia probably 
hadn't expected to see them ever again when he and Nabiki had left for the 
overlord's castle, and now... Kuno was back under circumstances that were 
worse than death.
	Rhodes saw the look and frowned. Anatalia probably would not be 
happy to hear whatever the Kuno boy had to tell. He put his hand on Kuno's 
shoulder. "Come back to the village. You look like you could use a good 
meal."
	"Rhodes! What about our traps?" the other man asked, keeping one 
wary eye on Kuno.
	"Sorry, Peter. The boy here looked like he could use some help. Of 
course we'll check the traps. Let's go, we'll be back at the village in no 
time," he said, gesturing at Kuno.
	'Boy? Some boy...' Peter thought as Rhodes began walking.
	The three walked slowly through the deep snow. It had been a severe 
storm that had dumped plenty of new snow on everything, just to make 
things more difficult it seemed. Kuno plodded along behind the two men. He 
felt beaten and worn and distinctly unwelcome from the looks Rhodes' 
friend was giving him.
	They trekked through the forest, checking all the traps they had 
put out and resetting them if necessary. Peter and Rhodes chatted idly 
about the planting for the coming Spring, keeping their conversation 
pleasant and vacant.
	Rhodes turned suddenly to address Kuno. "Why don't you..." He made 
a vague hand gesture. "Do your thing so you can tell us about where you 
went."
	Kuno looked at Rhodes' curious face then at Peter's distrustful 
one; he shook his head.
	"No?" Rhodes asked him. "Why not?"
	Great. How was he supposed to explain things in his condition? Kuno 
could only shrug helplessly. He had absolutely no idea how he was going to 
get through things like he was.
	"You don't know? You don't want to?"
	Peter's look had grown nastier by the second.
	Kuno shook his head, seeing that they didn't understand, couldn't 
possibly understand... He shrugged and made some annoyed whimpering 
sounds.
	"You can't?" Rhodes asked with obvious confusion in his voice.
	A minor and very short-lived feeling of relief filled Kuno. He 
nodded that they would understand a little of what was going on.
	"Well, why don't we just go back for now and get you cleaned up?" 
Rhodes had avoided mentioning it before just because it didn't seem 
necessary, but there was something very wrong. The Kuno boy was... filthy 
and haggard looking. He was covered in dirt and there was dried blood in 
his fur. Some of it looked still wet.
	The rest of the trip was much more quiet than before. Several of 
the remaining traps had animals in them; the catch was good, but not 
great. The next week would be one with meat in short supply.
	For Kuno, just seeing the dead animals, smelling their blood, made 
his mouth water. He didn't know the last time he had eaten anything, but 
it wasn't recently because his stomach growled loudly and he realized he 
was starving.
	Rhodes looked back at him and chuckled. "Sorry, but you're going to 
have to wait until we get back, and even then, I don't know if it will be 
to your liking."
	Kuno sighed dramatically and nodded. His playacting skills had 
improved ever since he had to deal extensively with these people. They 
couldn't read the subtle emotions, meanings in the noises he made and his 
body language the way Nabiki could. Everything had to be over-dramatized.
	But... Kuno turned his nose up and sniffed at the cold air. He 
stopped and pricked his ear forward, listening to the sounds of the forest 
around them.
	Glancing back at Kuno, Rhodes saw his posture. Holding Peter's arm 
and pointing back, he said, "Look at that." It was one of them, close up 
and in action; he couldn't help but look.
	Peter looked back and stopped walking. The way the 'boy' was 
standing... It looked like he was about to charge the two men and take 
sizable bites out of their bodies.
	Knowing he couldn't strictly rely on his speed and strength, Kuno 
dropped to all fours and moved stealthily among the trees. First he went 
back the way they had come, then back around in a wide loop.
	The two men watching didn't quite understand what was going on, 
only that the wolf creature was apparently stalking something.
	Kuno moved slowly, deliberately... If he got overanxious, he would 
bungle the entire thing. Yes, by the group of bushes... If he could just 
keep the wind in his face and the noise down to a minimum, this would 
work.
	"What's he doing?" Peter asked.
	Rhodes shrugged, watching Kuno move through the snow, a black spot 
in the whiteness.
	As it happened, Peter speaking turned out to be the necessary 
distraction for Kuno, who suddenly leapt at the bush. Or more precisely, 
beside the bush.
	Rhodes and Peter both winced when the almost human scream came from 
the area Kuno had just jumped at. There was rustling and a few seconds 
later, Kuno stood up, holding a fat pig-like animal in his hands with its 
throat torn out.
	"Good job. Looks like we won't be having any problems this week," 
Rhodes said happily as Kuno rejoined them with his kill.
	"You'd eat that?" Peter asked, looking at the dead animal in 
disgust. "After he killed it?"
	Looking at Peter strangely, Rhodes said, "Of course. Meat is meat." 
He poked the dead beast. "There's a lot of it too."
	"But what if you catch... that?" Peter asked and pointed at Kuno. 
"What if you turn into one of those? What'll you do then?"
	"Peter, don't be silly. He's a friend. He wouldn't do something 
like th..."
	"How do you know? Even if he doesn't mean to do it, it could still 
happen. And then what? Anatalia would be hysterical; you know she can't 
stand those things!" He turned to point at Kuno again to emphasize his 
words, but Kuno was already gone.
	
	"Where do you think you're going?"
	Kuno didn't stop at the sound of Rhodes' voice. Things were 
finished. He would go back to Japan and forget... He would make himself 
forget somehow. Forget all the things that had happened...
	He would make himself fall back in love with Akane and the pig-
tailed girl and forget everything.
	"Don't let Peter bother you. We've all had bad experiences with the 
lords and their armies. You just happen to look like something we don't 
trust very easily." Rhodes put his hand on Kuno's shoulder and felt the 
wet stickiness. Some of the wounds were still bleeding.
	That was unheard of. He should have healed almost as quickly as the 
vampires, so why did he have open wounds on him? Rhodes stared at the 
blood on his hand. "What happened?"
	Kuno turned and Rhodes saw the dampness at the corners of the red 
eyes, that didn't seem so intense as before. Shaking his head, Kuno could 
only look at the man sadly. There wasn't any way to express all the things 
that had gone wrong.
	"Right. You're coming back with me and I'll hear no arguments." 
Rhodes put his hand on Kuno's back and steered him toward the village.
	"Forget Peter. Even if no one else will eat, we will," Rhodes 
added. It felt so inadequate because it was obvious that there was 
something larger than food bothering the boy, but it was the only thing 
Rhodes had to go with.
	
	Anatalia was cutting some vegetables for stew, waiting for her 
husband to return, hopefully with a good catch. While vegetable stew was 
fine, meat always made it better.
	The door opened behind her and she turned, ready to greet her 
husband, but what she saw stopped her. Her husband was there, but the boy 
was with him as well. She shuddered at the sight of the beast, but put on 
her happiest face for Rhodes. "How were the traps?" she asked, wiping her 
hands.
	The two came inside and Rhodes shed his outdoor gear. "Not that 
good," he answered.
	Anatalia's face fell at the remark. When the traps weren't good, 
life in general was not that good.
	"But look what the boy here caught for us," Rhodes continued 
brightly. He moved aside so his wife could see what Kuno was holding.
	She looked pleasantly surprised at the large beast in Kuno's hands. 
"Just for us?"
	"Peter didn't mince words about not wanting anything to do with 
it." No reason to go into details; they were all Peter's paranoid fears 
anyway.
	"Think you can take care of that, Anna, while we get cleaned up?" 
Rhodes asked, showing uncommon camaraderie toward Kuno.
	She nodded. "If you could just put it down..." she said to Kuno, 
trying not to sound like she was still afraid of him.
	Kuno grunted and put the animal by the twin basins. He had seen the 
process the two put a kill through to get the most out of it possible. 
They were efficient getting everything useful from an animal from many 
years of practice.
	"I hope you don't mind a cold bath, boy. I'm afraid you won't be 
very welcome in the pools looking like that," Rhodes said, looking Kuno 
over.
	Kuno shook his head. A hot, or even warm soak would have been nice, 
but he was just so dirty, any bath at all sounded nice.
	"Why don't you take those off? Anna can wash them later," Rhodes 
suggested, gesturing to the pants Kuno was wearing.
	Kuno looked at Rhodes then Anatalia, panicking a little. First of 
all, they were the only thing he had left of when he had left Japan. He 
didn't know if he wanted to chance losing them. Secondly, Kuno didn't 
relish the idea of being naked in his current state for everyone to see.
	"Here. Put this around your waist." Rhodes handed Kuno a large 
chamois-like towel.
	Accepting it gratefully, Kuno went back to the small room he and 
Nabiki had shared when they had first arrived. He shut the door and 
removed his dirty clothing, blushing for no apparent reason. He wrapped 
the towel around his waist, trapping his tail beneath it, and left the 
room.
	He left his clothing on a stack that needed to be washed and went 
out into the main room. Anatalia looked at him nervously as he came out, 
but continued with cleaning the animal. Kuno waited patiently for Rhodes, 
watching Anna out of the corner of his eye. Every few seconds she would 
spare a glance in his direction.
	That made him feel self-conscious as he was only wearing the towel, 
and she was a strange woman... He barely felt comfortable around Nabiki 
naked in his wolf state... He had barely felt comfortable, since he 
wouldn't ever live through that experience again... He wiped his eyes 
quickly on the back of his arm.
	"Ready?" Rhodes said, clapping Kuno on the shoulder, making him 
jump. "We're going to get cleaned up, Anna. Be back in a bit." He walked 
past Kuno to the door, slipped his boots on over bare feet and left the 
little home.
	Kuno followed, shutting the door gently, and walked behind Rhodes. 
He idly noted how the man was dressed for the bath and the large basket he 
was carrying. Over one shoulder, Rhodes had a towel, much like the one 
Kuno was wearing around his waist, but smaller. He was also wearing a long 
loose robe of the same material, tied with a belt.
	
	"So you don't know how it happened? That you got stuck that way?" 
Rhodes asked as they walked to the river and the series of pools among the 
large rocks.
	Damn, it was going to be hard. Kuno shook his head.
	"So you know how, but not how to reverse it?"
	Kuno nodded.
	"Things went bad, didn't they?" Rhodes asked softly, against his 
better judgment.
	Kuno swallowed and nodded solemnly.
	"We'll get you back to normal somehow, and then you can tell me 
what happened. Count on it." Rhodes tried to sound comforting, but wasn't 
sure if he succeeded or not.
	Thankfully, there was no one at the pools and the two had their 
choice. "The top pool. Private and warm," Rhodes said, heading up a rocky 
incline immediately.
	At the top, it was easy to see why Rhodes had preferred that pool 
to the other. It was somewhat secluded from the others and not fed by the 
river. A small constant stream of clear water came down from the mountain 
and filled the pool, while the excess poured out from between two rocks.
	Rhodes removed his boots by the edge, then set his towel on a rock 
and removed his robe, leaving it on top of the towel. He waded into the 
water until it was up to the middle of his chest, the basket floating next 
to him. He shivered a little a sank in up to his neck. "Come on in. It's 
warmer than normal. The mountain must be extra active today."
	Kuno watched Rhodes start pulling things out of the basket and 
hesitantly removed his towel. He tossed it aside and got in the water 
quickly since he didn't like the feeling of insecurity he had when 
standing in the open.
	Rhodes had brought some salve with him that he used to clear up 
cuts and wounds, and was going to offer it for the boy's wounds. When he 
turned to show it to Kuno, he got his first and most... dramatic lesson in 
the reproductive physiology of a werewolf.
	His jaw dropped and his eyes got wide. Naturally he hadn't thought 
anything about bathing nude with the boy; it was something that happened 
normally when there were no private baths, but he hadn't ever expected... 
couldn't have ever imagined... no one in the village...
	Kuno looked up from watching his footing and saw Rhodes. The man 
was looking at... HIM.
	Rhodes looked away as quickly as his surprise and amazement would 
let him. He pulled a small cloth out of the basket, pretending that was 
what he had been doing for the last two minutes then looked up at Kuno's 
face, pointedly avoiding all other parts.
	"Here," he said and tossed the cloth to Kuno.
	Kuno caught it in one hand and sat in water, blushing underneath 
his fur. Of course people were going to stare. He should have expected it. 
Nabiki had stared and had even been a little frightened. He was so big he 
was almost deformed; that wasn't something to be proud of.
	"Soap." Rhodes tossed some soap at Kuno. "I just hope it works on 
fur. Never tested it out..."
	Kuno nodded and, holding the soap and cloth, submerged himself 
fully for a few seconds. When he emerged, he immediately began scrubbing 
at himself with the soap and cloth.
	Rhodes watched for a moment, making sure the soap worked. When he 
could see the grime coming off, he concentrated on bathing himself.
	There was no sound except that of running water and some minor 
splashing. Neither of them made any noise more than necessary.
	Rhodes was done long before Kuno and took the opportunity to relax 
in the warm water. The silence was something he missed, but hadn't 
realized it until that moment. He closed his eyes and leaned back against 
the rocks, sighing softly with content.
	Several minutes later, some splashing and grunting from Kuno made 
him reopen his eyes. Kuno was trying to wash the mass of coarse, thick fur 
on his back, but his arms were not long or nimble enough to do so. The 
grunting was Kuno trying to reach that unreachable place on his back.
	"Here, let me help you," Rhodes said, getting up from the rocks.
	Kuno gave him a thankful look then turned so Rhodes could get at 
his back.
	"Get down in the water," Rhodes said and pushed on Kuno's shoulder. 
As Kuno sank into the water, Rhodes began lathering the soap on the cloth. 
It was strange, but he felt like he was a father again. He couldn't count 
the times he had helped his young son bathe in the very same pool, giving 
his boy the same instructions he was giving Kuno. But that had all been 
before the accident.
	He began to absently wash Kuno's fur, raking his fingers through 
it, feeling the wounds beneath his fingertips. "I definitely want to know 
what happened to you." He worked at it for a few more minutes, getting the 
last of the dirt and blood out.
	"There. Dunk," commanded the older man. He scrubbed roughly at the 
fur under water, trying to force all the soap out. He pulled Kuno up, then 
forced him back down into the water, getting the rest of the suds to wash 
out of the fur.
	He cupped water in his hands and poured it over Kuno's back until 
all traces of bubbles were gone and the boy was clean. "That's it. All 
clean. But I think you need something on those wounds." Rhodes saw Kuno 
start to shake his head and stopped him right there. "If I don't do 
something, if you don't do something about them, they're just going to get 
infected. It won't take very long, so just relax."
	Kuno sighed and let Rhodes apply the ointment. In all actuality, he 
was enjoying the attention. Beyond the desire to be spoiled as it was with 
many wealthy people, Kuno was just happy Rhodes cared.
	The salve was cool and tingled as it was spread over the wounds. 
Kuno couldn't make his body heal itself, but he could feel when something 
else did. As Kuno relaxed under Rhodes' attention, he realized it was 
exactly what he needed.
	Rhodes had to find the wounds by touch. Some were obvious with 
great chunks of fur missing, and others only by the presence of running 
blood and pus. As he smeared the whitish substance on a particularly nasty 
wound across Kuno's shoulder, he looked closer.
	As he thought, it wasn't any cut or scratch. The skin was split 
open as if it was from a very hard blow. Things must have gone very bad.
	He truly wanted to help the boy, but how could he? He wasn't a 
fighter; none of them were. They were just farmers for the most part, 
living day to day. How could one man, one village stand against Maxim, the 
overlord that had been ruling long before Rhodes had been born? Since 
before Rhodes' mother had been born...
	"It looks like we're done here. You can go ahead while I get 
everything," Rhodes said and gently pushed Kuno toward the edge of the 
pool. He didn't want to make the same gaff as before, even if it had been 
honest surprise.
	Kuno got out of the water and quickly put the towel around him. 
Looking back, he was relieved to see Rhodes gathering the cloths and soap. 
Aside from the earlier... embarrassment, it seemed that the cleansing was 
was exactly what Kuno needed. He felt refreshed and it seemed that a 
little of his strength was returning.
	"Feel better?" Rhodes asked as he emerged from the water. "You sure 
look a might better."
	Kuno nodded as he watched Rhodes put the towel around his neck and 
slip on the robe and his boots. Picking up the basket from the ground 
where it had been set before the older man could, Kuno began walking back 
to the home.

End Part 5