Greetings from the Nexus!
To my utter suprise and joy, I've managed another piece of fiction in a
timely manner (thank you, improfanfic deadline training!).
It's the second part to the earlier-posted BoF story. Don't need to know
the earlier part to enjoy this one, I hope. As it stands, it would help to
know Breath of Fire 2 for the SNES. And if you don't know that game, I
HIGHLY recommend you get to know it. ^__^
Only now, 5am eastern, do I realize that this is one of maybe three pieces
(Chibi introspectives nonwithstanding) that diverge from my usual linear
style of prose. To that point, I'd REALLY love it if you all ripped this to
pieces and tell me if it sold or not, what seemed too vague, what was too
heavy/light handed, etc.
And yes, I'm still sporting a month-long backlog of C&C. Seeing as this is
my day off from work, I'll see to getting some of that chopped down.
Anyway, enjoy.
- Kenji M. (nexuspost@hotmail.com)
Kenji's Nexus:
http://www.geocities.com/nexuslink
Random Plug:
http://www.darksiren.net/reborn/chapters.html
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-- Attached file included as plaintext by Ecartis --
-- File: dbd01.txt
Fire is a destructive force. The flickering expulsion of light and
heat can melt glaciers, and raze whole forests, leaving little more
than ashes.
The heart is fire. Its rhythmic warmth can cripple and numb, and fall
the toughest, life-worn individual.
Both, as volatile and deadly as they can be, are vital for life, for
it cannot go on without either of them.
*******************
It couldn't answer her.
She'd been staring into its depths for the better part of the evening,
hoping for the slightest hint in how to deal with her turmoil, a bare
glimpse in turning back the pain.
It provided her warmth, but little else. She could tell there were
shadows, just beyond the edge of its influence. They waited for her
to blink, to lower her guard, and then they would be upon her,
rending her mad with their familiar terror.
But she was no longer the prey they once knew. Where there was once
a pup, abandoned and vulnerable, now stood a Fullen, tempered by life
and living.
And if there was one thing Katt live for, it was hunting.
The shadows would be HER prey this evening.
*******************
"Ryu, have you seen Katt?"
A glance toward the worried voice. It was Nina, one of his fellow
companions who had insisted on joining the invasion of the holy
city, Evrai. She was witness to their biggest failure to date.
Ryu shook his head.
"She'd been gone so long." He watched the Windian princess absently
pull a stray blond lock out of her line of sight. "The sun set hours
ago. Azusa and Niro are agitated, too. They think something's off
in the landscape. Azusa said he heard strange creatures earlier."
Another problem on his hands, but what could he do? Katt could
take care of herself, she was a big girl. He told Nina as much.
Her face soured, obviously not the response she was expecting to hear.
"Aren't you worried? The woods were so quiet when we returned. Not
even the bugs made any sounds."
Like that could be helped. The planet was merely adjusting to the
assive parasite leeching the life from its body. The hushed, dying
life of nature would soon be a familiar scene across the globe.
Ryu snorted derisively.
"Ryu..." Nina's voices was suddenly not sure. "I know how you feel,
but we need to--"
He cut her off with a wave. We need to stick together, he surmised
tiredly.
She nodded reluctantly. Perhaps she finally sense his mood?
No matter. Nina was right about one thing: they had to stand unified,
Or the demon leeching on their planet would claim their lives. His
Father's last words said as much.
There would be time to brood and mourn later. For now, he, they, had
a friend to locate.
*******************
They didn't have a chance, really.
Predators that had wandered too close to the catgirl than was healthy.
The hope was to overpower and swiftly, ruthlessly, break their target
standing in the light.
The Fullen was aware of their intent, and judged it folly. A swing
here, a feint and jab of her staff, and the stalkers began to realize
their own lots in life.
They were fodder, obstacles and challengers that Katt paid no heed to,
or much energy toward.
Idly, the girl backflipped, avoiding a clawed swipe, and brought her
polearm to bear. There was an echoing crack, and the shadow fell,
blood and brains soaking the earth.
All they amounted to, all they EVER would amount to, was a daily
nuisance. They had no real substance, and were therefore easily
dispatched.
No matter how many of them came, would come, at Katt, she would win.
She would emerge victorious as always. Life had proven, promised even,
that she would only lose, could only lose, when it truly mattered.
A thundering roar split the night, and in Katt's own heart, a shiver
set in, shaking her entire body.
Suddenly, the campfire was no longer warm.
*******************
The Fullen was not in town.
The two had searched lown, and Nina, the Wing clansman, hgh.
To no avail. Their errand ended where it began, back in their
makeshift headquarters. The place Katt had left from not more than
an hour after their return from the failed campaign.
Ryu struggled to maintain his composure. What was she thinking,
dashing off like that?
Nina turned to his voiced annoyance. "We all can't deal with our pain
quietly."
He ignored the icy glare she sent in his direction, as well as the
ebony feathers of her wings ruffling with her own irritation. Of
course he knew somewhat how Katt felt, they'd ALL lost something,
or someone, important on their journey turned crusade. But to run off,
without asking for even the slightest help from her friends?
Inexcusable.
Nina's eyes widened, and Ryu mentally cursed his mumbling.
"That's not fair! You can't just dictate how a person is supposed to
feel and act! So what if she ran, would you if you were so confused?"
Nina's angry emerald eyes were searching his. They apparently found
what they sought, because she turned from him in the next moment.
"If it's that much a burden to you, I'll look for her alone."
She took flight. Ryu's green eyes followed her path westward before a
growl fo frustration came to his lips.
Why was she assuming he was blind to their feelings? Of course he knew
of Sten and Bleu's aloofness, and he was very aware of the princess' own
sadness, and growing ire toward him.
He knew it all because he felt it more and more with each passing day.
Every moment, his blood allowed his heart to beat in time with theirs.
Since the fateful encounter with Ray Bradford, Ryu could all but
directly see emotions his comrades contained and hid away.
And they refused to talk to him. Nina had always walked delicately
around him, and Katt...
The frustration within Ryu grew. Something would have to be done.
There was far too much at stake in the quest to allow emotions distract
him from his enemy.
As he ran after Nina, sword gripped in hand, the dragon pondered what
could alleviate the problem.
How much could he really do if they wouldn't let him in?
*******************
Marriage.
It was a special subject, one Katt knew quite a few girls and women
dreamed about. A pledge to forge the most intimate, trusting bond
possible to one another, opening the possibility of never being alone
ever again...
Tigger Lee had asked for her to marry him, to be his wife and partner.
The shock had been, and still was, far too much to effectively overcome.
Even sitting with him later on that same day, attempting to reason
with him, she'd felt confused and open, vulnerable.
How the hell was she supposed to defend against such an opponent?
Then her choices were take away from her. Before her own eyes, her
allies were struck down. Her clansmen, her potential mate-to-be, was
made lifeless, and she did nothing.
Katt couldn't have done anything. She had lost before even bringing
her claws to bare.
The mammoth arm struck the Fullen, too fast to effectively defend
against, and sent her sailing into the trunk of a maple.
Again, the terrifying bellow echoed into the night. It was chorused
by Katt's anguished cry.
*******************
It didn't take long to catch up to the Windian, despite her speedy mode
of travel.
Ryu spoke not one word to her when he arrived, instead allowing his
instincts and tracking knowledge to guide his way.
Away from Township, the dark, unnatural silence became much more
pronounced. It was as if the entire plans were waiting, terrified, of
what was to come.
One hour passed in that silence, the only reassurance of life was Ryu's
own boots striking the soft terrain underneath his feet.
"There."
The word shook the dragon from his reverie. He looked up at Nina,
who was pointing to the woods north of them, where smoke was rising
from the tree canopy.
That was a good sign. Any further east and they would have had to
scour the mountain chain--
A shadow clenched Ryu's heart. He doubled over, the glacial sensation
overwhelming him. It had happened before, an omen to tragedies of
his life. It was as if a demon were nuzzling him with its gloating
laughter...
Ryu glanced from his prone position, and understood. He rose and
immediately broke into a full run, heading toward the woods.
"What's wrong?" Nina asked, startled by his actions. "Did something
happen?"
His reply was curt, as he was focused on bringing his sleeping power
to fore.
Katt was in danger.
If Nina didn't believe his words, the terrific howl coming from the
Woods more than motivated her hurried flight after the Dragon clansman.
*******************
She had to stand.
Life had become so complicated of recent. She could recall simpler
times, when survival was her only concern. When she was hungry,
hunt. If cold, seek shelter. When threatened, fight back.
Katt had not felt so lost since...
She had to fight back.
Her mother. The elder woman's passing threw the Fullen into chaos.
Nothing had made any sort of sense; no one would answer her questions,
and the world became too difficult to endure.
Or she would die.
Katt snorted at the familiarity of her situation. Once again, she was
struck weak and helpless. How many people could she have saved if she
refused to accept doing nothing, giving in to fatigue? Would Ms. Marks
still be with them if she'd assisted Rand? Or Ryu's father, condemned
to die as St. Evan's food? Maybe Mina wouldn't have had the chance to
be rash if Katt had accompanied her friends to Windia.
She was on her own.
Maybe, just maybe, her mother would have lived to see her baby girl
Grow into the firey young woman she was today?
Would she be disappointed? Katt decided so. After all, who could
be proud of such a simpering, pathetic fool?
The pain was starting to numb. Katt could feel her choice slipping
away from her. Hazy vision made out the demon beast standing over
her, ready to seal her fate.
Enough was enough.
Then, it all didn't matter. She'd left Township to escape the
others, but she couldn't run from herself, her own inner turmoil.
But if the thing bearing down on her was the end, if she wouldn't
make it to Evans with her friends...
She decided...
If she was to really, truly, die, Katt thought with a cold smile on her
bloody lips, why die helpless? Why NOT die fighting?
A furiating howl acted as the rooster's call to bring forth the morning
light.
*******************
She awoke to warm pain.
Everything seemed to hurt. Every sinew and bone protested merely
existing. Her jade eyes, blooshot, threatened to plummet her back
into unconsciousness should they continue to take in anymore sunlight
than needed.
Thankfully, Ryu's face provided timely shade.
"Gods, Katt, you took that thing on your own?"
Nina's voice. Katt could make out the worry, and, to her surprise,
unbridled anger in the Windian's tone. For a moment, she wondered
when she'd become close enough to Nina to be able to read the subtle
undertones in the girl's voice.
The answer came shockingly quick, and was both simple and relieving.
"Sorry," she croaked. "I needed some time to think. Couldn't know
that...thing, was out here." The catgirl chuckled ruefully. "I've been
getting blindsided a lot, lately."
"This isn't funy!" The princess was in Katt's line of sight, now.
Her pale completion and drawn face spoke for itself that Nina had
used powerful magic to keep Katt functioning. A surprise itself,
since she was supposed to specialize in offensive spells.
"You were almost dead! If we hadn't found your campfire..."
"Hey, you saw the other guy, didn't you?" Perhaps she'd gone overboard
with the bravado. Nina looked ready to finish the job that the demon
had began.
While the princess fumed, Katt worked herself into a sitting position.
Both of her companions noted her motion too late to stop her, and she
Grabbed the two of them into a hug with all of her nonexistent strength.
"Thank you," she whispered with a shaky voice. "I know I screwed up and
made you worry, but I'm really glad to see you guys."
Katt wasn't fully certain just why she was so glad to see the very
people she had been running from. A reward to her decision? If so,
she imagined she'd be making similar such choices in the future.
At least, she knew just why she had pushed her body back into sleeping
Nothingness by going for the embrace:
They were warm, and unlike fires, she didn't have to burn herself to
get closer to them.
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