Chronicles of the West

Chapter Twenty Four

Ryu growled menacingly, this thing, this hybrid human was dangerous. Alastair only needed time, time to harness the power and blood of the lithe white female shackled down. With a twisted grin he called to the misshapen creatures in the cages along the walls. Those cages were not locked, the beings within in too much pain to disobey him. Obedience eased the hurt and so they came out.

"Destroy them" he muttered to his freak creations. Spinning around he looked at Victor, "Hurry up". Victor refused to look at Silvana as he let the first two blades slice cleanly into her delicate forearms and wrists. Opening the vein wide. She winced as the little metal rods were forced under flesh, keeping the vein wide open. Demon healing wouldn't help her this time.

Ryu caught the scent of her blood and snarled, "Let her go!". Victor turned warm brown eyes to him, eyes filled with sadness and no small amount of regret. Then the next blade bit into snowy skin. Toga and Kurama were slashing a bloody swath through the creatures that surrounded them. Shippo was fending off three on his own. Ryu spun to help him, but was tackled by a large body from behind. He twisted and caught the deformed jaw with his fist.

Alastair watched them with keen eyes, "This is what I want" he told Victor. "They are perfect. Beautiful in humanoid form, powerful to the extreme". Victor looked up from his task, "Nature's design cannot be surpassed" he muttered. Alastair stared at him coldly, "You lack vision Victor. It can be and will be. Tonight". Victor steeled himself to look up into liquid blue eyes.

Silvana met his gaze, feeling dizziness wash over her, weakness. Pain. The brown eyes held some secret emotion, seen only by her. She let her lids flutter and close before lifting them once more with effort. The others were fighting to get to her, and she knew that before the end of the night she'd be free. Would she live that long.

Her blood trickled through the metal lined grooves, filling the etched patterns on the floor. Crimson bring the markings to stark life. Alastair stood in the center of the many circles and grinned. All their calculations, the perfecting of formulas, the many failed attempts. No more! His dream would come to fruition this night. At last!

Victor watched the combat in the room and the course of the blood flow carefully. Timing was everything. He'd discovered Alastair's special plans for him in the complicated schematic of circles in the journal. He was not meant to survive this night. He'd be a transmutation of power. Like the demoness he was bleeding dry.

"Make the last incisions!" Alastair snapped at him. Victor shook his head, "Not yet, you risk flooding the inscriptions and ruining everything" he said calmly, as was his nature. Inside he was seething. He stepped closer to Silvana and pretended to adjust the instruments for increased blood flow. "Take me with you" he whispered to her.

She blinked at him. What was he saying? Was she saved after all? "Set me free and I will" she promised. Victor nodded and said aloud, "Soon". It was her answer but Alastair took it as his own. He relaxed watching his lesser creations fall as the patterned floor began to glow. They'd be too late. Silvana was enveloped in a soft blue light, her powers spiking and ebbing. Life and strength was slowly being siphoned from her.

Toga glanced at the glowing form of his friend. His instincts kicked in fully. He'd scented her, cared for her, she was his. He'd not lose her here. She deserved her freedom. He'd give her that at least. Too many depended on him. Aislin, Silvana, Ryu, Taisha. With a roar, he threw off the mangled bodies tearing at him.

Jumbled bruised and battered bits were strewn across the floor. Kurama's rose whip snapped out again and again. Ryu's blade was a sweeping arc of light. Shippo's claws and small daggers, his fox magic whirled around them. Ippiku seeing an opening fluttered to Silvana's side.

Pressing small blue hands to her chest, he focused his energies. Cold shot from his body into hers. He had to slow the blood, slow her heart so that she might be saved. Her flesh grew colder and took on unhealthy blue shades. Ippiku bit back his grunts of pain as the power swept through him. He'd never used this much before, but this was the one thing he could do.

Slowly, he heard the result, her heart slowed in her chest. The crimson flow slowed to a trickle as he brought her closer and closer to death. Alastair had yet to notice, but Victor had. He placed himself in Alastair's line of vision. "What are you after?" he asked softly.

From the corner of his eye, Victor could see that the demons were nearly finished with the fight, encroaching on the alchemists' position. Alastair laughed as the power swirled around him, Silvana's untapped energies sinking into him.

Victor knew he had to hurry. Anything more and he might well to be too powerful to face. Stepping backwards, Victor let the last blades drop from his fingers. Her throat and a single slim ankle were all that remained of her bloodletting. He'd not finish it. "I can't let you do this" he said, "You are not after bettering the world, you are the object of it's destruction".

Alastair stared at him for a moment, "A little late for an attack of conscience don't you think?" he snapped, "All the lives you've taken, beings you've destroyed?". Victor felt the weight of each one, "Evils done in your name" he rasped, "No more". Alastair chuckled, "You understand that to abandon me is to die?". Victor met his gaze fully then, the pain of seeing that beloved face searing his very soul.

"Death was always what this night held for me. At least as far as you were concerned. Isn't that the way of it?" he asked finally. There, in Alastair's eyes, a hint of surprise, all too quickly concealed. "I don't know what you are talking about" he said stiffly. Victor saw the demons closing in and pounced, knocking a crucial piece of equipment from the line. The power sparked and arched dangerously, the chain of fusion was broken. The power had no outlet, save it's source.

Alastair snarled in anger, "Fool! I will not lose this chance!" he shoved the other man aside and tried to salvage the remains of his endeavor. Victor glared up at the demons, "Get her out of here! Go back the way you came!" he rasped. Ryu could see the dark spot blossoming on the front of his robes. This human was heart. Badly.

Without wasting precious moments, he rushed to Silvana, finding an exhausted Ippiku crumpled on her chest. Her flesh was livid with cold's deadly kiss. His gaze roved over her still features. "What have you done Ippiku?" he demanded. A tiny blue head lifted, teetering weakly on a thin neck. "Saving her from his plan. H-Hurry Ryu".

Ryu tore at her restraints, the shackles clattering to the floor. With a growl he made to pull the rods from her, but the human stayed his hand. "Wait" Victor panted, struggling toward them. "Haven't you done enough?" Ryu demanded angrily. Victor stretched his hand out, "Please…. If you pull them…. They will damage her. Pl..please…let…me".

Ryu roughly tugged the man up and growled in warning. If the human blinked wrong, he'd die. Victor's hands were sure and gentle as he extricated the rods from her. "Forgive me" he whispered to her. Blue eyes barely cracked, "Bring….him….Ryu……….promised" she rasped.

Ryu sighed, "Damn it. Shippo come here!". The red fox was with him in an instant. "Take him, he's hurt". Shippo blinked but tossed the bleeding man over his shoulder. Toga was engaged in battle with Alastair. The self made hanyou was enjoying those powers he'd stolen from Silvana. Although incomplete, the effort had increased his power.

"Take them and get out!" Toga shouted to the others. Ryu clutched Silvana to his chest and nodded, "Back down the corridor!" he cried out over the sounds around them. The interruption of the fusion had caused damaging results, equipment snapped and popped. Sparks shooting into the air. The lab was falling.

Ryu looked over his shoulder, the rafters had caught fire and burning debris was raining down on the three fighters. Images of stories his father told poured into his head, grandfather had died like this. "Toga, come on!" he shouted, stepping into the room again.

Kurama snarled at him, "Get back, get out, I'll bring him". Ryu nodded and fled down the crumbling stone corridor and into the large chamber that would lead them back to the forest. Silvana stirred slightly in his arms, ""Wait" she whispered, her eyes falling on the monster of stone. "That is the demon holding her sight". Ryu stared at it. It was?

The ceiling above them caved in and rock spattered over them. Toga, Kurama and Alastair tumbled through the hold still fighting to land with thuds on the cold floor. Kurama snapped the rose whip around the neck of the golden haired male. Victor leaned up from Shippo's shoulder. "Wait"

Shippo set him down and he staggered forward, "You said tonight the world ends" he panted at Alastair. The blonde nodded, "It's been dead and ended for a long time". Victor dropped to his knees and drew a symbol in the dust on the stones. "You are wrong" he whispered, placing his hands on the circle and willing his last strength into it. The stone walls clamored around them burying the blonde man. His stone home. His stone coffin. One and the same. "Tonight is the night the world begins again".

Shippo watched the human slump facedown on the tattered floor. The kitsune pulled the human over his shoulder again. Toga sheathed his sword, he had a few injuries from the more demon characteristics of his opponent. Ryu caught his eyes, "This is the demon we are after" he said motioning to the stone form.

Toga blinked, "How can you be sure?". Ryu nodded down at Silvana. Toga took in the female, looking all too frail. There was no guarantee that she would survive this. This quest, HIS quest could not be in vain. Wounded as he was and tired and his group was. They had no other option.

"How do I wake it?" he asked her softly. She reached toward it and Ryu stepped closer. Her small, bloody handprint adorned it's brow. "Blood" she whispered. Exhaustion and weakness rising over and blackness followed. Ryu felt her weight sag, the stiffness of her pain gone.

The cracking, grating slide of stone on stone grew louder as the beast moved. Centuries of sleep falling from it in dust motes and cobwebs. Huge yellow eyes opened, murky from long sleep. It blinked and stared at Toga. He'd need his true form to fight this thing. "What do you want?" it asked.

"I want a wish from you" Toga said clearly. The beast growled but made no move, "A wish, all want a wish, a wish of selfish intent. That was why I asked to sleep". Shippo blinked up at it, "You mean you weren't sealed for being vicious?". The thing snorted, "Of course not, my people are not aggressive. But we have been hunted to the point of extinction. I am the only one left".

Toga felt unease slide through him. Yellow eyes locked with gold, "Tell me your wish dog" he commanded. Toga glared at his tone, "I wish for sight" he gritted out. Yellow eyes blinked in question, "Your sight is fine". Toga growled, "Not for me fool! My mortal ward is blind. I wish her to see again".

The beast studied him, "Why would you wish for such a thing? There is little love between demons and humans. Tell me why?". Toga didn't want to of course, that meant revealing a great many things he would rather leave alone. It was no one's business but his own after all.

"No" the beast said finally. Toga blinked.
"No?"
"No."
"How can you say no to such a wish?"
"because I don’t know why you want it"
"I don't see that it’s any of your concern"
"Isn't it?"
"No!"
"My life is your wish. I think that makes it very much my concern"
"Grrr"
"No answer? Then no wish."
"I'll kill you and take the wish"
"It doesn't work that way. I must agree to give the wish before I am killed or you get nothing but a bloody blade and a big mess"
"What?"
"That's right. So choose dog. What's important to you? Your pride or her sight?"

Toga stared at the stone floor. His shoulders shook with the effort not to transform and slaughter the smug one before him. He finally lifted his gaze to the wise yellow eyes. "Fine then. Look at me and take your answer" he snarled. The beast stared into the pools of molten gold and saw the wish.

Long minutes later it smiled. "I see" it said softly. "This is a good wish. Worth a life. Come then dog and take it. I won't fight you". Toga blinked, "You won't fight?" he asked. The beast shook it's head, "I won't. I have no desire to". Toga lowered his blade, it was one thing to slay an enemy in battle, another to kill an unresisting target.

Yellow eyes softened, "I understand. You thought you would fight me for the wish. Now that I am giving it to you, you suffer misgivings" it said, "There is no dishonor in this young one". Toga looked up at him, "What are you saying?". The walls groaned around them, the fortress was coming down.

"Set me free and in exchange I will give you her sight. Please.. I do not wish to live in a world without my family and own kind. Strike now dog, lest the house fall and we all die for no reason" it said. Toga shook his head gripping the hilt tightly. Ryu saw his indecision, "Toga, we’ve come this far and Silvana might die. Don't make that for nothing".

Yellow eyes closed as the sword swept upwards, slashing a massive throat. Blood washing from the wound and into the room. "Lets go" Kurama barked and they fled down the corridor, hearing the stones collapse behind them. Toga ran into the darkness, Shippo's fox fire lighting their way. Victory was not sweet.

-------------------~

Aislin sat bolt upright in bed, her head pounded. Sharp stabs of pain rolled around behind her eyes. "Kaisin! Kaisin!" she screamed as she dug at her face. The pain maddening. Suddenly, a flash of light. Then another. Red swam before her and she cried out. The fox caught her in his arms as she thrashed about on the bed.

Her hands clawed at her face and he captured her wrists, "What is it?" he demanded. She shrieked into the night, "My eyes. It's my eyes! Kaisin they hurt!". The fox held her close as he barked for servants to bring herbs and cool fresh water and clean linens.

Hours later, she was sleeping deeply. The herbs making her heavy and lethargic. Her face had been bathed with cool water. Kaisin watched a healer lifted on lid and peer at the purple orb behind it. The pupil registered the intake of light. "These eyes are functional" the fox told him.

They'd bandaged her eyes and settled her back to sleep. Kaisin looked out over the balcony, Toga had done it.