[Lamento] Between Two Thieves, Part 5
Title: Between Two Thieves
Fandom: Lamento - Beyond the Void
Part: 5/6
Rating: overall R
Characters/Pairings: Bardo, RaixKonoe
Warnings: violence, backstory spoilers
Disclaimer: Lamento belongs to Nitro+Chiral.
Notes: Thanks to akuma_no_kage for betaing, and sexual_ennui and jllai_smile for the moral support.
Summary: We tend to crucify ourselves between two thieves - regret for the past and fear of the future. ~ Fulton Oursler
Story Index | Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Epilogue
Between Two Thieves
Chapter 5
"A pleasure doing business with you!"
The shopkeeper's call was swallowed by the door falling shut, Bardo and Rai stepping out into the colorful hustle and bustle of Ransen's main street.
Two years had passed like nothing, spent honing Rai's knowledge and skills. Now, at fourteen, he stood almost as tall as Bardo's shoulder, with none of the lanky awkwardness kittens his age usually possessed. Bardo had never fought with a partner before, but seeing Rai dressed in a matching set of dark leather clothes, looking like he belonged in the business, made it seem like it had always been this way.
He had debated with himself over bringing him along for a long time, but in the end, he had decided in favor of it. There was nothing more he could teach Rai; the only thing the boy was lacking now was the actual job experience. And although Rai betrayed little of it, Bardo could tell how eager he was to prove himself.
"So, what do we do next?" Rai asked, eyes and ears swiveling to take in all the different sights and sounds, vendors calling out from their stalls, children squealing and running between the displays of food and items while their parents were haggling over the price, carts filled with cloth and sacks of grain being pushed past, a group of drunk cats stumbling out of a tavern.
Bardo adjusted the traveling bag over his shoulder, glancing up and down the street. "Hmm. First we'll go to a certain place for information."
"A certain place?"
"Yep. You'll see when we get there," Bardo said, smirking at the way Rai frowned in displeasure. "Now then, stay close, so we don't get separated. Wouldn't want to lose you in a back alley."
With that, they plunged into the throng of cats.
Rai, for all his curiosity, soon shifted closer to him, visibly unsettled by the fact that everyone in Ransen seemed to have little respect for personal space, people shoving and bumping into each other wherever they went.
Bardo smiled sympathetically, recalling very well how overwhelming everything in Ransen had seemed to him the first time he had come here. He was certain that Rai would get used to it eventually, but there was no reason why he could not help him a little. Catching sight of a stall offering all kinds of baked goods, he steered them over there, slightly away from the press of bodies.
Rai snorted. "Is this where we find information?"
"Oh, cute, Rai. Real cute," Bardo said. "I don't suppose I've ever brought you mulberry pastries?"
When the boy shook his head, he grinned. "Well, you've got to taste them. They're a local specialty. I always eat them when I come here."
Rai made a dubious face.
"Oh, don't do that. Rule number one: Bounty hunting doesn't work on an empty stomach."
"Now you're just making stuff up," Rai said.
Bardo chuckled. "You act like you don't want them, but I've got you all figured out. Your nose is twitching."
He quickly turned away when Rai attempted to glare at his own nose, as Rai did not take kindly to being laughed at, and purchased two mulberry pastries.
"Here," he said, turning back around only to find the boy staring off into the crowd. "Rai?"
Rai did not respond, so Bardo stepped to his side and followed his line of sight to a young, fair-haired woman who was bending down to talk to a small child. As they watched, she knelt down on one knee, and began to bathe the child's ears and straighten its clothes.
Bardo risked a glance at Rai, who was looking at them with a soft, strangely vulnerable expression. It did not take a mind reader to figure out what the boy was thinking about.
"Rai…"
Rai blinked at the sound of his name, the softness disappearing from his features. He looked up at Bardo, and because Bardo had no idea what else to say, he handed him the treat.
The boy took it, turning his gaze back to the young woman and her child. Seemingly satisfied, she straightened, and they both turned to go, the child grabbing onto her tail with its small fingers.
Rai blinked. "Why is it doing that?"
"Doing what?"
"Why is it holding the tail?"
Now it was Bardo's turn to blink, uncomfortable thoughts surfacing at the idea that Rai did not seem to know this simple, basic gesture between parent and child. It was something his own mother had allowed him to do countless times, even after he had outgrown the toddler stage.
"It's easier than holding hands when they're small," he finally said, smiling slightly. "And hey, it's kinda nice, having something warm and fluffy to hold when you're afraid of getting lost."
"…I guess," Rai said, frowning slightly.
"Heh, if you're scared, you can hang onto mine," Bardo offered jokingly, poking his leg with the tip of his tail.
Rai simply snorted into his mulberry treat.
----
"Well, here we are," Bardo proclaimed, gesturing to the entrance of a small, inconspicuous-looking tavern in one of the city's many side streets.
"This is the best place to get information in Ransen… there are others like this, but like I said. This one is top," he continued as they walked up the steps to the door. "Now, once we go in, let me do the talking and don't stare at anything. Most guys take that as an invitation to test out their skinning skills, you know."
"Okay," Rai said.
The interior of the tavern was poorly lit, something that was only enhanced by the cloud of smoke that seemed to hover over the entire room. At the various tables, rugged-looking cats were bent over drinks, their voices filling the room in a steady background drone.
Bardo stepped to the bar, Rai following close behind and casting unobtrusive glances left and right.
"Well, hello there!" exclaimed the bartender, a tall, strong-looking woman with a scar across the bridge of her nose. "Haven't seen you in quite a while, Bardo. I was starting to think something might've happened to my favorite customer."
Bardo laughed. "Aw, Almira, I didn't know you cared."
She smirked. "Of course I do, sweetcheeks. Now then, can I get you anything?"
"Not today, we're here on business," Bardo said, seating himself on a stool and motioning for Rai to do the same. Rai pulled himself up on his seat uneasily, clearly not happy to become the object of the woman's predatory stare.
"Ah, so that's the fledgling you've been telling me about? My, my, what a handsome boy. You do know how to pick them."
"And here I thought I was your type," Bardo said with fake disappointment, "So fickle, Almira."
"You are my type when you pay the commission fee," she quipped, and Bardo made a show of pouting as he counted out the coins from his pouch.
Almira swiftly swiped the money off the bar and turned to unlock a small cupboard, pulling out a wooden box. She put the box down in front of Bardo, who opened it and began reading through the various requests and notices, looking for something that would pose a decent challenge but not be too dangerous. He wanted to break Rai in slowly.
At his side, the boy shifted, but did not try to peer at the sheets.
The bartender picked up a rag and began drying an assortment of mugs and flasks lined up behind the bar.
"You know…" she said after a few minutes, "I don't know how much you've been out of the loop, but if I were you, I'd stay away from anything near Yukoku Valley for a while."
"Oh?" Bardo murmured, still skimming the pages.
"News has it that the Kira nutjobs are apprehending anyone who goes trespassing into the area, accusing them of being Meigi spies."
"The Meigi again?" Bardo said.
"Meigi?" Rai asked quietly, opening his mouth for the first time.
"Another village to the far south, up in the mountains," Bardo explained. "Bunch of pretty obscure fellows, some even call them devil worshippers. They've been fighting with the Kira tribe since who knows when."
"Well, those two love to hate each other," Almira said, shrugging, "So I'd recommend staying clear of their territory just to be safe."
"I wasn't going to go there, but thanks anyway." He smiled.
Almira nodded, smirking, before her face grew serious. She leaned forward, lowering her voice to a murmur. "There's something else I thought you might like to know."
Bardo furrowed his brows and stopped flicking through the requests, something in her tone unsettling him.
"I've heard it from some merchants who've gone way south recently. Past Karou and everything. They've brought back a curious story."
"Oh?"
"Hmm," she said. "They claim that something's wrong with the forest there. They say the plants cut like a hundred blades."
Bardo blinked, taken aback. "Are you sure those weren't just some newbies who don't know their botany?"
Almira shook her head. "No, that's the thing. I know some of the guys who talked to me, they've been in the business for years. They swear up and down that it wasn't sword grass or anything else. They say it's like the forest doesn't want you to touch it anymore."
"A disease?" he suggested.
"I don't know what it is," she said. "Nobody seems to. But whatever it is… it's spreading."
An uncomfortable silence descended in the wake of her words, as both of them seemed to mull over the information. Rai alternately glanced at them, not quite knowing what to make of the story.
Eventually, Bardo shook himself out of his thoughts and went back to the requests in his hand.
Almira cleared her throat, a slight smirk on her lips once more. "Well, I just thought you should know. I gotta keep my customers alive, after all."
"Heh, thanks." He stopped at a request for hunting down a pair of bandits, read through it twice, and hummed to himself.
This should be just about right.
Folding up the sheet, he stood up. "We'll be taking this on."
Rai slid off the stool, obviously eager to get out of the tavern.
"That's nice," Almira said, putting the rest of the stack back into the box and removing it from the bar. "Take care of yourselves."
Bardo smiled. "You, too."
They left the tavern.
Once outside, Rai shook his tail, taking a deep breath of fresh air. "She was weird."
"Almira?" Bardo said, amused. "She's alright. Used to be in the business herself, until she settled down here. You'll get used to her with time."
Rai's face clearly said what he thought of that, and Bardo chuckled. "Well then. Let's find a room for tonight, and tomorrow, we'll get to work on this."
Tucking the leaflet into his pocket, he steered them back to the main street.
----
Despite the relatively detailed descriptions, it still took them over a week to stake out the place where the bandits were most likely hiding. Bardo estimated them to be small fry-they seemed to work alone, and within the same general area, robbing merchants and travelers passing through along the routes.
He and Rai had left the road a little while ago, and were now stalking through the dense underbrush in the pre-dawn gloom in hopes of surprising their targets. Rai was slightly to his side and behind him, tense and alert, flicking his ears for any sound. They had ceased talking when they had veered off the road; now, only the barest necessities were communicated in hand signs.
Suddenly, a faint smell caught his attention, and Bardo stopped. Rai froze as well, sniffing the air.
Somewhere, something was burning.
Quickening their steps, they followed the smell, which was growing stronger by the minute.
What amateurs. I can't believe they'd be stupid enough to make an open fire.
Up ahead of them, the forest opened up into a wide clearing.
Bardo cursed inwardly; this would make it much harder to approach without being seen. Signaling Rai to fall back a bit, he crept to the last line of bushes. Kneeling, he carefully parted the branches and tried to take a peek.
There was not much to see. A small fireplace had been set up near the center of the clearing, along with a makeshift tent. The grass around it was trampled flat, but there was no sign of anyone around.
Gesturing for Rai to follow him, Bardo slipped past the bushes, making his way to the abandoned campsite in order to look for tracks. Perhaps they would be able to discern where their targets had disappeared to.
Up close, he could see that the campfire had not been properly extinguished-although it had been covered with ashes, a small flame was still burning. Rai, who had parted the folds of cloth to survey the empty tent, motioned to a pile of items, most likely stolen goods. Wherever the occupants had gone, they could not be very far.
Bardo crouched down, trying to make sense of the chaos of tracks. They were going off in all directions, making it difficult to tell which ones were old and which ones were new. He squinted, finally following one set for a few yards. The farther away from the site he got, the easier it was to tell that those tracks were very recent. Someone had probably come along here within the last few hours.
He nodded to Rai, and together, they silently followed the trail back into the underbrush.
The tracks almost vanished on the forest floor, riddled with the thick roots of the giant trees, but it was easy to see where the cats had broken through the thicket, carelessly tearing off leaves and branches.
Rai was the one who picked it up first, stopping dead and bristling. Bardo strained his ears, but then, he could hear it, too, the sounds of someone stumbling through the foliage, accompanied by faint laughter.
Gripping his sword tighter, Bardo pulled Rai behind a bush, and waited.
"Hey, Irisu, no fair!"
"Got you now!"
"Aaaah!"
To the loud snapping of twigs, two cats tumbled out of the underbrush, landing in a heap on the forest floor.
The red-haired cat threw a fistful of leaves at the other, scrambling away.
"Cheater!" the spotted cat yelled and lunged after him, slamming them both against the trunk of a giant tree. They wrestled playfully for a minute before the spotted cat managed to pin his taller companion.
"Got you again," he purred, leaning up to rub their noses together.
"Pffft," the redhead said, moving his face out of the way. "I'd feel much more comfortable playing games with you if we finally got a move on, Irisu. We've already been here for too long."
"Oh, you're such a worrywart. We'll be long gone before they even think of sending anyone out here."
"I just-"
"Scaredy cat," the smaller cat sang, leaning closer to nuzzle him again.
"I'm not-"
"Prove it."
"Fine," the redhead growled, yanking the other closer by the belt. "Fine, you pushy little brat, I'll show you…"
Bardo moved.
Two leaps easily closed the distance between himself and the targets. He saw the red-haired cat's eyes widen, saw him push the other aside, reaching for the sword at his hip-but then his blade sliced the air next to their heads, stopping a hair's breadth away from the redhead's neck.
"Sorry to interrupt your playtime," Bardo said. "But I believe there's a bounty on your heads and we're here to collect it."
"You…!" the smaller cat choked, slowly moving his gaze from the gleaming blade to Bardo's face.
"I told you! I fucking told you, Irisu!" the redhead growled, glaring at his companion. "I told you but you're always smarter, you always have to push it till-"
"But Sena-!"
Bardo sighed. "If you could save the lover's spat for the authorities…"
He glanced at Rai, who had followed at his heels and was now standing slightly to his right. Rai nodded curtly and stepped forward to disarm the bandits.
All of a sudden, a smirk lit up on the spotted cat's face. "If you think we're that easy… you've got another thing coming!"
Brilliant blue light erupted around the pair, blinding in its intensity. Bardo realized his mistake even as he brought down his sword in the vain hope of striking-
Sanga! The boy's a sanga!
-the blade cutting through nothing but empty air.
He whirled around as the glare subsided, finding the pair standing a small ways away, weapons at the ready. A heady melody was rising to fill the air. The blue light-though much less blinding to look at-was still swirling around the sanga, slowly beginning to flow to the red-haired man.
"How do you like that?" the spotted cat taunted. "You'll regret messing with us!"
Shit.
Bardo would have liked nothing better than to take Rai and run, but he knew that their opponents would not let them get away. He had to fight; if he could try and take out the sanga…
"Be careful, Rai," he warned. "That guy is a sanga. He'll strengthen the other until he becomes undefeatable."
Rai tensed, gripping his sword with both hands.
"Worried now?" the redhead called, the blue light twining around his body.
Bardo charged.
He knew, even as he ran, that the touga would move to intercept him, knew that his only chance would be to knock him off balance. They collided, swords clashing together mercilessly, and Bardo could easily feel the sanga-enforced strength-he would not be able to hold up for long. He jumped back, but the redhead followed with barely any delay, forcing him to fall back even further under a flurry of blows. There was barely any time for counters, no chance to pull any fancy tricks-Bardo was busy just blocking, trying to stay his ground under the onslaught.
Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a white flash as Rai darted past them. A split second later, the melody faltered, the sanga's concentration broken as he had to dodge a series of lightning-quick jabs.
"Damn it, you little-Sena!"
The redhead pushed away from Bardo, running to defend his sanga. But Bardo was faster, blocking his path and forcing him to parry. He could feel the unearthly strength waning the longer the sanga was kept from singing.
If he managed to prevent the touga from reaching Rai, they had a chance.
"Sena!" the spotted cat yelled again, very nearly losing his footing under Rai's continuous attacks.
Bardo tried to keep attacking, as well, driving the touga back step by step. The red-haired cat growled in frustration and suddenly leapt-not forward but back, bringing even more distance between them. Confused, Bardo scrambled to keep up with him-the touga lifted his sword, the remaining white-blue light collecting at the tip like a whorl.
Bardo lifted his sword instinctively to shield himself. The touga smirked, and pivoted on one foot, releasing the energy-not at him, but at the other pair fighting a few yards away.
"Rai!" Bardo shouted, but it was too late.
Rai did not even have time to defend himself-the white-sharp flare caught him full blast, slamming him back against a tree to the sickening crunch of bones. He hit the ground with a dull thud, the sword sliding from his lifeless grasp.
Gritting his teeth against calling out to him-blood, there was blood, it was useless-Bardo tightened his hold on his own sword, groping for a calm focus amidst the rage rising within him.
You'll be of no help to Rai if you let your feelings rule you, so get a grip and do something about this mess.
The spotted cat returned to his touga's side, cocky smirk firmly in place as he called forth the song once more. The redhead adjusted his grip on his weapon, his lackadaisical stance practically oozing confidence.
"Now it's just you," he said, before throwing a sideways glance at his partner. "How long do you think he'll hold up?"
His sanga chuckled. "What, wanna make it a bet? I give him five minutes, tops."
"Heh, you're on."
With those words, the redhead charged. The melody had changed, becoming faster and more intense, and with it, his attacks changed, too-quick, hard blows Bardo found himself hard-pressed to parry.
Countering was out of the question, all he could do was defend himself as the guy began chipping away at his reserves, each strike sending shocks of pain coursing through his arms.
They clashed again, the touga smirking over the gleam of the blades as he pressed closer. When he pushed back, the force of the shove sent Bardo staggering, and the redhead immediately darted forward again to deliver a solid kick to his legs.
Bardo went tumbling to the ground and rolled hard, roots digging painfully into his body, desperately hoping to get back on his feet before the other could land a blow.
He rolled into a crouch and knew the touga was upon him, brought up his sword with one arm to block-
The force of the impact wrenched the sword from his hand, he saw the other's triumphant grin, saw the blade flash-
Is this… how it ends?
The song abruptly terminated, the last note like a shrill scream.
"Irisu?!" The red-haired cat whirled around to look at his partner.
Past the line of his body, Bardo could see the sanga, standing in an oddly frozen position. For a moment, he could not comprehend why, until the sharp gleam coming from his midsection abruptly disappeared, vanishing as a sword was retracted.
What…?
The sanga crumpled to the ground.
Rai, covered in blood and panting heavily, stared down at his kill, licking his wounded arm.
"Irisu!"
With a hoarse cry, the red-haired man lunged for Rai.
"Rai!" Bardo shouted at the same time, unsheathing his dagger and stumbling after the infuriated touga in the vain hope of deterring him from his target. "Rai!"
The boy looked up, letting his arm fall to his side as his eyes narrowed, a horrible glee twisting his expression as he caught sight of the men running towards him.
"Rai!"
Rai moved at the very last second, twisting out of the way with a speed and sureness the other man had not anticipated. He brought his blade around, but Rai was already behind him, and drove his sword into his back with the strength of a mad thing.
The red-haired man choked and lurched forward, collapsing on the ground next to his fallen sanga.
Rai stared at him for a moment, before kneeling down and dipping his hand into the slowly spreading blood.
Staggering from exhaustion, Bardo dropped to his knees when he finally reached Rai and pulled him tightly against his chest. Rai squirmed and struggled, trying to get back to the corpse to sate his craving for blood, the unholy light still burning strong in his eyes.
Bardo merely held him until Rai went still against him, his good hand fisting in Bardo's shirt. He heard Rai's breath hitch, could feel the hard fast thumps of Rai's heart nearly pounding out of his chest as his awareness began to return and the shock set in.
Too shaken for even the simplest of words, Bardo simply tightened his hold, for the moment uncaring of any injuries he was irritating, one hand unsteadily stroking Rai's hair, knowing full well that his madness was the only thing that had saved both their lives.
----
A broken arm.
You failed.
A bruised spine.
You failed him.
A concussion.
You almost got him killed.
Cuts, too many to count, all over.
He almost died because you were too weak to protect him.
A shaken kitten, and screaming nightmares all over again.
It had been three weeks since their return to Setsura. Three weeks of guilt and self-punishment. Three weeks of staring at Rai's injuries whenever he changed the dressings, and pausing to dig his nails into his own palms to suppress the searing rage that bubbled up within him. During those moments, he dimly sensed Rai's confusion, and knew that the boy was most likely coming to the wrong conclusions, but he had no idea what to say to explain.
It's my fault.
I'm sorry.
I wish you hadn't gotten hurt because of me.
If only I had the strength…
The thought haunted him in nearly every waking moment, and sometimes in his dreams, as well. He knew very well it was nothing short of a miracle that they had both survived, knew that it was only due to whatever demonic strength that had risen within Rai that he was even alive to regret, and that scared him more than anything.
He had the responsibility. He had led Rai to a life of constant danger, it was his duty to keep the boy from harm. And instead, he had been too weak to even assess the situation correctly, working on assumptions like a greenhorn who could not tell one end of a sword from the other, and too weak to save them both when it had blown up in their faces.
He knew that this had to change.
And so he had spent the past three weeks sneaking into the shrine like a thief, to look for books and scrolls on the secret arts; curse-breaking, spell-casting, invocations.
He had heard about it on his travels, that there supposedly existed subservient spirits which could be called upon to grant the summoner's wish. Although he had written it off as legends and nonsense at the time, he now wished that he had listened more attentively. It would have made his search so much easier, since what he was looking for could not be obtained through diligence and training.
If only I had the strength…
I could have defeated them.
I could have kept you safe.
I could have saved your parents.
You would be where you belong, with your family.
You wouldn't have to suffer.
…If only I had the strength.
Bardo let the book sink back onto the table, scrubbing his face with both hands. The pages were starting to blur before his eyes from staring at them for so long. And all in vain.
The sound of footsteps outside, and then the door to his room creaked softly.
"Not now, Rai," he snapped tiredly, digging his knuckles into his eyes.
There was a moment of silence, before Rai let out an angry hiss, dropping something to the floor and running off.
Bardo looked up, blinking at the empty doorway. Then, his gaze strayed to the floor, where two dead partridges were lying, a lovely red trail leading up to them.
He slowly got up and walked over, picking the quarry off the floor and staring at them dumbly.
His first thought, when it finally came, was that this had to be the most morbidly awkward attempt at comfort he had ever seen.
Raking a hand through his hair, he chuckled helplessly.
Add "blind fool" to my list of failings, will you.
Crossing the hallway to Rai's room, he was surprised to find the door open. Rai was sitting on the bed, facing away from him, knees drawn up to his chest and ears flattened to the top of his head.
Knocking on the doorframe once, Bardo hesitantly stepped into the room and cleared his throat.
Rai did not turn around.
"…I see you brought dinner," he tried, the joke coming easier than the apology.
Rai's ears perked, but he still did not move.
"Look… I'm sorry. I didn't mean to yell at you. I'm just… I don't know."
The boy glanced at him over his shoulder, slowly unfurling his legs.
Bardo smiled. "Will you forgive me if I make these now? I think I've been neglecting to feed us today."
Rai bit his lip, considering. "…Can I eat the liver?"
Bardo could not hold back a laugh. "Sure, it's all yours."
----
The pages were old and yellowed, so worn with age that they were almost crumbling under his fingers, the tome very nearly falling apart in his hands.
After weeks of fruitless searching, Bardo had finally resorted to bribing someone to get into Ransen's extensive library, and there, in the section closed to the public, he had found in one night what he had been unable to find anywhere else.
For the most part, the book contained spells and rituals he could not even begin to understand, but there had been instructions for an invocation that did not seem to require special magical talent and training. In fact, they would have sounded almost suspiciously easy, if not for the page-long list of repercussions that might occur if the ritual failed, ranging from illness due to magical imbalance to having one's soul torn out by the vengeful spirit.
Bardo was not sure if he should believe all that or not, had no idea if the instructions themselves were real or fake, but had decided to try regardless.
He waited until Rai was safely out of the house to begin preparing for the ritual in his own room, the windows closed, the only light coming from an oil lamp on the table.
First, he ground the dried herbs to dust inside a mortar, the crushed leaves and seeds filling the room with a tangy smell. Soon, it was joined by the heady, sweet scent of the incense, its fumes wafting through the air.
Kneeling down on the floor, Bardo began to draw the warding circles as the drawings in the text specified. He had never been a superstitious or easily frightened person, but for some reason, he was sweating as he drew the crest in the approximate shape of a scythe, a strange kind of nervousness rising within him.
Once he was done, he rose to his feet again, assuming his position in the center of the circle. The text had not specified any words he would have to say or chants to perform, though he would have preferred them at this point as he was having trouble concentrating, a sick kind of excitement pooling low in his stomach.
Wiping his damp hands against his thighs, Bardo unsheathed his dagger and drew a long, shallow cut across his open palm. He clenched his fist, sweat stinging in the cut, and allowed the blood to drip to the ground, into the center of the crest.
Taking a few deep breaths to calm himself, he closed his eyes as he tried to meditate on the summoning.
Suddenly, a cool draft wafted past his face.
Bardo opened his eyes to see where it had come from, and was surprised to find himself no longer in his room, but in a place of darkness. Bristling, he slowly turned in a circle, eyes and ears straining to pick up any sight or sound.
Where was he? What had happened?
Faintly, very faintly, he could hear the sound of water lapping against an invisible shore, echoing slightly as if resounding from the walls of a great cave.
A dim yellow light pierced the inky blackness, becoming steadily stronger, seeming at once close and far away. Bardo tried to make out shapes or dimensions with the aid of the light, but soon it was strong enough to be painful, forcing him to shield his eyes from the glare of the raging yellow flame it had become.
Something touched his ankle, curling around it like a snare.
Startled, Bardo tried to jump away, and found that he could not move a step. No matter how much he wanted to, his body seemed frozen to the spot, as if held fast by some unfathomable power.
Fear rose in his heart.
The thing began to climb his leg, winding up and up with steady undulations of its body. He could feel the slide of cool, smooth scales as it curled up his arm, raising goosebumps along the way, eliciting a strange feeling within him.
-A snake.
Panic rising, Bardo struggled harder, trying to at least raise an arm to tear the snake off. But nothing happened beyond the weakest, helpless twitching of his muscles.
/Do you feel me?/
The voice rang clearly inside his mind, even though no one had spoken.
The snake wound once around his neck, loosely as if merely getting comfortable, its tongue flicking lazily against his collarbone. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see its body, the scales gleaming with their own pale fire.
The snake seemed to spare him a glance, before slowly dipping its tail, running it along the rim of his belt.
Bardo choked.
The tail dipped below his belt, rubbing lazily over his skin.
/Do you feel me? My scales, my tongue, my eyes, my pulse. My existence. Do you feel me?/
"What?!"
The sound of his own voice surprised him.
/Yes, yes, my existence/, came the immediate reply. /Answer me. What am I to you? What do you feel?/
The snake's tail trailed teasingly towards the inside of his thighs, its body squirming against his skin almost impatiently. Bardo struggled again, managing to jerk his body, and the snake lifted its head, the forked tongue flicking out, looking as if it would smirk if it could.
/Answer me./
All the places the snake had touched were growing hot, a feeling that was definitely not his own pooling in the pit of his stomach, making him ache.
/Now./
Bardo grit his teeth and closed his eyes against the burning fire trailing along his nerves, hot enough to be painful, trying to concentrate on the feeling. Its otherness was threatening, all-consuming, a sinister intent behind it that had little to do with what he usually associated with this emotion, but…
Pleasure. I feel pleasure.
Abruptly, the power that was holding him captive disappeared.
Bardo fell to his knees, breathing hard, his fingernails digging into the wooden floorboards.
Wait… floorboards?
He opened his eyes, discovering to his surprise that he was back in his room, still in the middle of the circle, the lamplight glowing softly from the table. Taking a moment to regain his breath, he slowly got up, shuddering in remembrance of the scaly body slithering across his skin.
Bardo had no idea what had just happened, but while he was still standing there and mulling it over, something wet grazed the rim of his ear.
"You called?" a deep voice breathed, and Bardo nearly jumped out of his skin as an arm wrapped around him, pulling him against something very tall, very real.
"What a nice smell," the voice purred as whatever was behind him leaned closer, practically nuzzling his hair. "Much nicer than that nasty incense. Let's see, do you sound as nice as you feel?"
Without warning, the tongue was back in his ear and the arm that had wrapped itself around his torso drifted lower, a large hand unambiguously grazing the front of his pants. Snapping out of his frozen state, Bardo tore himself away from the figure, whirling around to face… something he had never even thought to exist.
A myth, a tale to scare children into bed before nightfall.
He was looking at a devil.
The white-haired man was watching him, an amused smirk curling his lips as he saw the awareness registering on Bardo's face.
"Silly kitten. Had no idea what magic you were fooling around with?"
When Bardo failed to answer, he shook his head, snorting to himself.
"No matter. You called, and I answered… The Devil of Pleasure, at your service," he said, performing a mocking bow.
In spite of himself, Bardo blinked at the moniker, trying to connect it with the appearance of the great, hulking man, the aura of latent violence that was palpable even to a fool, like he would sooner be inclined to rend someone limb from limb than exhibit any of the mannerisms Bardo usually associated with "pleasure".
The devil raised an eyebrow. "What, surprised? Were you expecting something else, perhaps?"
Squaring his shoulders, Bardo managed to formulate an actual answer. "Well… I… you look more like the devil of war than anything else."
The devil's expression twisted into a truly demonic grin. "War… pleasure… does it really matter? Isn't slaughter the most exquisite pleasure of all?"
Bristling, Bardo involuntarily took a step back.
"Haha, what's with the horrified face, kitten? Are you telling me that you never felt pleasure in killing another?"
"Of course not!"
"Really now?" The devil's eyebrows rose to his hairline in fake astonishment. "Really now…" he purred, fixating Bardo with his confusing gaze.
It took Bardo a moment to comprehend why this was so, but then he realized that the devil had two different-colored eyes-one gray and one green. It made him feel strange beyond what the predatory nature of the horned man elicited, almost lightheaded, yet he found that he could not look away.
Finally, the devil broke their staring match, laughing loudly. "What a poor liar you are, kitten. Is not bloodshed the very reason you have called on me?"
"I-"
"Lying is useless. I can see right through you, to that terrified little part of you… there was an incident, yes? Not long ago? That-"
"Stop it!" Bardo hissed, recoiling from the memories at the same time as he withdrew to the far side of the summoning circle, as far as he could go.
The devil seemed amused by his indignation, the way one was usually amused by the antics of a small, pitiful animal, like a mouse or an ant.
"Stop it?" he asked, as if a new toy had just protested being played with. "…Very well, then. I'll let you tell me what you want."
"I…" Swallowing, Bardo steeled himself. "I want-need strength. "
"Strength?" His eyes narrowed again, scrutinizing Bardo once more. "The strength to kill? Killing is important enough for you to call on a devil?"
"No," Bardo said sharply, shaking his head. "I need strength to protect."
"Protect… kill… Isn't that all the same, too? Why do you so desperately try to justify this to yourself? What you really desire is the strength to kill, above all else. …Really, as if a mincing of words will make the truth any different. You amuse me, kitten."
"It's not-"
"Deceive yourself all you want," the devil said, waving his hand in a dismissive gesture. "I know what is really on your mind. You want strength like the little kitten so close in your thoughts. Fight with the same fervor, the same ruthlessness, to be victorious against the odds and see your enemies fall in a rain of blood."
"I…" Bardo hesitated, before deciding that whichever way he chose to phrase it, the devil would twist his words to amuse himself, anyway. "…Yes. Yes, I do."
Something changed in the devil's expression, a gleam stealing into his eyes that had not been there before. "Very well. Your wish… is my command."
He raised his hand, and in the next instant, a searing pain shot through Bardo's right shoulder.
He clutched his arm, staring at the devil in shock. The other merely looked on impassively, his hand still outstretched as the pain was growing stronger and stronger, until it felt like his entire arm was on fire. Bardo doubled over with a loud cry.
After what seemed like an eternity, the devil finally stopped, and Bardo's legs simply gave out. He dropped to his knees, shuddering and biting his lip hard enough to draw blood as he fought the urge to scream.
"It is done," the devil announced, looking down at Bardo with a triumphant smile. "I have given you what you desire: the same strength with which he fights. When you battle, insanity shall be your ally, your sword, and your solace."
Panting harshly, Bardo tried to speak past the overwhelming pain. "Wh-what-why did you-"
"Why so surprised, kitten?" the devil taunted. "I have merely fulfilled your wish. The most important desire in your heart."
Something caught his attention, and he turned towards the door. "Oho, it seems we have a witness. My, my, that is certainly a problem. I'll leave it to you to deal with that."
With a last derisive laugh, he melted back into the shadows from whence he had come.
Still panting and retching dryly, Bardo tried to turn his face, dreading what he would see.
The door, cracked open enough to reveal the sight of frightened blue eyes, staring back at him in disbelief as their owner slowly backed away. Bardo tried to move, to get up, to do anything that would help him calm the boy who was edging away from him in abject horror, but he could not seem to even speak through the haze of pain.
"W-wai… wait…!"
The boy ran.
Bardo collapsed on the ground, his cheek pressed against the cool wooden floor, the world swimming in and out of focus before his eyes as the sound of running feet faded out of hearing range.
…Rai…
Then darkness overwhelmed him, and he knew no more.
- TBC -
----
A/N:
- Unfortunately, I did not have as much time to show it as I would have liked, but Rai has been coming out of his shell a bit. It's too bad they didn't work out... he and Bardo would've been so wonderful as partners, snarking at each other like that.
- This yearning for a mother figure follows Rai all the way into adulthood - even years later, in the game, he becomes confused and vulnerable at the sight of a family in the streets.
- Several OCs appearing in this chapter, and again, naming them only makes sense. I was trying to go for sound combinations that are acceptable in the Japanese system as presented in the game. Since the romanized versions of Karutsu, Rikusu and Sheriru are "Kaltz", "Leaks" and "Cheryl", however, there is no reason not to give Arumira her "l" and make her "Almira". XD
- Lots of fighting again, and once more, I found myself dearly wishing for a camera.
- And we finally have Verg in all his perverted bastardly glory (or so I hope). The lines the snake speaks are paraphrased from the game, but the rest is my fault. I am having way too much fun with the concept of the devils behaving a bit like genies, tricking the summoner and making them wish for something completely different.
C&C is very much appreciated.
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Fandom: Lamento - Beyond the Void
Part: 5/6
Rating: overall R
Characters/Pairings: Bardo, RaixKonoe
Warnings: violence, backstory spoilers
Disclaimer: Lamento belongs to Nitro+Chiral.
Notes: Thanks to akuma_no_kage for betaing, and sexual_ennui and jllai_smile for the moral support.
Summary: We tend to crucify ourselves between two thieves - regret for the past and fear of the future. ~ Fulton Oursler
Story Index | Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Epilogue
Between Two Thieves
Chapter 5
"A pleasure doing business with you!"
The shopkeeper's call was swallowed by the door falling shut, Bardo and Rai stepping out into the colorful hustle and bustle of Ransen's main street.
Two years had passed like nothing, spent honing Rai's knowledge and skills. Now, at fourteen, he stood almost as tall as Bardo's shoulder, with none of the lanky awkwardness kittens his age usually possessed. Bardo had never fought with a partner before, but seeing Rai dressed in a matching set of dark leather clothes, looking like he belonged in the business, made it seem like it had always been this way.
He had debated with himself over bringing him along for a long time, but in the end, he had decided in favor of it. There was nothing more he could teach Rai; the only thing the boy was lacking now was the actual job experience. And although Rai betrayed little of it, Bardo could tell how eager he was to prove himself.
"So, what do we do next?" Rai asked, eyes and ears swiveling to take in all the different sights and sounds, vendors calling out from their stalls, children squealing and running between the displays of food and items while their parents were haggling over the price, carts filled with cloth and sacks of grain being pushed past, a group of drunk cats stumbling out of a tavern.
Bardo adjusted the traveling bag over his shoulder, glancing up and down the street. "Hmm. First we'll go to a certain place for information."
"A certain place?"
"Yep. You'll see when we get there," Bardo said, smirking at the way Rai frowned in displeasure. "Now then, stay close, so we don't get separated. Wouldn't want to lose you in a back alley."
With that, they plunged into the throng of cats.
Rai, for all his curiosity, soon shifted closer to him, visibly unsettled by the fact that everyone in Ransen seemed to have little respect for personal space, people shoving and bumping into each other wherever they went.
Bardo smiled sympathetically, recalling very well how overwhelming everything in Ransen had seemed to him the first time he had come here. He was certain that Rai would get used to it eventually, but there was no reason why he could not help him a little. Catching sight of a stall offering all kinds of baked goods, he steered them over there, slightly away from the press of bodies.
Rai snorted. "Is this where we find information?"
"Oh, cute, Rai. Real cute," Bardo said. "I don't suppose I've ever brought you mulberry pastries?"
When the boy shook his head, he grinned. "Well, you've got to taste them. They're a local specialty. I always eat them when I come here."
Rai made a dubious face.
"Oh, don't do that. Rule number one: Bounty hunting doesn't work on an empty stomach."
"Now you're just making stuff up," Rai said.
Bardo chuckled. "You act like you don't want them, but I've got you all figured out. Your nose is twitching."
He quickly turned away when Rai attempted to glare at his own nose, as Rai did not take kindly to being laughed at, and purchased two mulberry pastries.
"Here," he said, turning back around only to find the boy staring off into the crowd. "Rai?"
Rai did not respond, so Bardo stepped to his side and followed his line of sight to a young, fair-haired woman who was bending down to talk to a small child. As they watched, she knelt down on one knee, and began to bathe the child's ears and straighten its clothes.
Bardo risked a glance at Rai, who was looking at them with a soft, strangely vulnerable expression. It did not take a mind reader to figure out what the boy was thinking about.
"Rai…"
Rai blinked at the sound of his name, the softness disappearing from his features. He looked up at Bardo, and because Bardo had no idea what else to say, he handed him the treat.
The boy took it, turning his gaze back to the young woman and her child. Seemingly satisfied, she straightened, and they both turned to go, the child grabbing onto her tail with its small fingers.
Rai blinked. "Why is it doing that?"
"Doing what?"
"Why is it holding the tail?"
Now it was Bardo's turn to blink, uncomfortable thoughts surfacing at the idea that Rai did not seem to know this simple, basic gesture between parent and child. It was something his own mother had allowed him to do countless times, even after he had outgrown the toddler stage.
"It's easier than holding hands when they're small," he finally said, smiling slightly. "And hey, it's kinda nice, having something warm and fluffy to hold when you're afraid of getting lost."
"…I guess," Rai said, frowning slightly.
"Heh, if you're scared, you can hang onto mine," Bardo offered jokingly, poking his leg with the tip of his tail.
Rai simply snorted into his mulberry treat.
----
"Well, here we are," Bardo proclaimed, gesturing to the entrance of a small, inconspicuous-looking tavern in one of the city's many side streets.
"This is the best place to get information in Ransen… there are others like this, but like I said. This one is top," he continued as they walked up the steps to the door. "Now, once we go in, let me do the talking and don't stare at anything. Most guys take that as an invitation to test out their skinning skills, you know."
"Okay," Rai said.
The interior of the tavern was poorly lit, something that was only enhanced by the cloud of smoke that seemed to hover over the entire room. At the various tables, rugged-looking cats were bent over drinks, their voices filling the room in a steady background drone.
Bardo stepped to the bar, Rai following close behind and casting unobtrusive glances left and right.
"Well, hello there!" exclaimed the bartender, a tall, strong-looking woman with a scar across the bridge of her nose. "Haven't seen you in quite a while, Bardo. I was starting to think something might've happened to my favorite customer."
Bardo laughed. "Aw, Almira, I didn't know you cared."
She smirked. "Of course I do, sweetcheeks. Now then, can I get you anything?"
"Not today, we're here on business," Bardo said, seating himself on a stool and motioning for Rai to do the same. Rai pulled himself up on his seat uneasily, clearly not happy to become the object of the woman's predatory stare.
"Ah, so that's the fledgling you've been telling me about? My, my, what a handsome boy. You do know how to pick them."
"And here I thought I was your type," Bardo said with fake disappointment, "So fickle, Almira."
"You are my type when you pay the commission fee," she quipped, and Bardo made a show of pouting as he counted out the coins from his pouch.
Almira swiftly swiped the money off the bar and turned to unlock a small cupboard, pulling out a wooden box. She put the box down in front of Bardo, who opened it and began reading through the various requests and notices, looking for something that would pose a decent challenge but not be too dangerous. He wanted to break Rai in slowly.
At his side, the boy shifted, but did not try to peer at the sheets.
The bartender picked up a rag and began drying an assortment of mugs and flasks lined up behind the bar.
"You know…" she said after a few minutes, "I don't know how much you've been out of the loop, but if I were you, I'd stay away from anything near Yukoku Valley for a while."
"Oh?" Bardo murmured, still skimming the pages.
"News has it that the Kira nutjobs are apprehending anyone who goes trespassing into the area, accusing them of being Meigi spies."
"The Meigi again?" Bardo said.
"Meigi?" Rai asked quietly, opening his mouth for the first time.
"Another village to the far south, up in the mountains," Bardo explained. "Bunch of pretty obscure fellows, some even call them devil worshippers. They've been fighting with the Kira tribe since who knows when."
"Well, those two love to hate each other," Almira said, shrugging, "So I'd recommend staying clear of their territory just to be safe."
"I wasn't going to go there, but thanks anyway." He smiled.
Almira nodded, smirking, before her face grew serious. She leaned forward, lowering her voice to a murmur. "There's something else I thought you might like to know."
Bardo furrowed his brows and stopped flicking through the requests, something in her tone unsettling him.
"I've heard it from some merchants who've gone way south recently. Past Karou and everything. They've brought back a curious story."
"Oh?"
"Hmm," she said. "They claim that something's wrong with the forest there. They say the plants cut like a hundred blades."
Bardo blinked, taken aback. "Are you sure those weren't just some newbies who don't know their botany?"
Almira shook her head. "No, that's the thing. I know some of the guys who talked to me, they've been in the business for years. They swear up and down that it wasn't sword grass or anything else. They say it's like the forest doesn't want you to touch it anymore."
"A disease?" he suggested.
"I don't know what it is," she said. "Nobody seems to. But whatever it is… it's spreading."
An uncomfortable silence descended in the wake of her words, as both of them seemed to mull over the information. Rai alternately glanced at them, not quite knowing what to make of the story.
Eventually, Bardo shook himself out of his thoughts and went back to the requests in his hand.
Almira cleared her throat, a slight smirk on her lips once more. "Well, I just thought you should know. I gotta keep my customers alive, after all."
"Heh, thanks." He stopped at a request for hunting down a pair of bandits, read through it twice, and hummed to himself.
This should be just about right.
Folding up the sheet, he stood up. "We'll be taking this on."
Rai slid off the stool, obviously eager to get out of the tavern.
"That's nice," Almira said, putting the rest of the stack back into the box and removing it from the bar. "Take care of yourselves."
Bardo smiled. "You, too."
They left the tavern.
Once outside, Rai shook his tail, taking a deep breath of fresh air. "She was weird."
"Almira?" Bardo said, amused. "She's alright. Used to be in the business herself, until she settled down here. You'll get used to her with time."
Rai's face clearly said what he thought of that, and Bardo chuckled. "Well then. Let's find a room for tonight, and tomorrow, we'll get to work on this."
Tucking the leaflet into his pocket, he steered them back to the main street.
----
Despite the relatively detailed descriptions, it still took them over a week to stake out the place where the bandits were most likely hiding. Bardo estimated them to be small fry-they seemed to work alone, and within the same general area, robbing merchants and travelers passing through along the routes.
He and Rai had left the road a little while ago, and were now stalking through the dense underbrush in the pre-dawn gloom in hopes of surprising their targets. Rai was slightly to his side and behind him, tense and alert, flicking his ears for any sound. They had ceased talking when they had veered off the road; now, only the barest necessities were communicated in hand signs.
Suddenly, a faint smell caught his attention, and Bardo stopped. Rai froze as well, sniffing the air.
Somewhere, something was burning.
Quickening their steps, they followed the smell, which was growing stronger by the minute.
What amateurs. I can't believe they'd be stupid enough to make an open fire.
Up ahead of them, the forest opened up into a wide clearing.
Bardo cursed inwardly; this would make it much harder to approach without being seen. Signaling Rai to fall back a bit, he crept to the last line of bushes. Kneeling, he carefully parted the branches and tried to take a peek.
There was not much to see. A small fireplace had been set up near the center of the clearing, along with a makeshift tent. The grass around it was trampled flat, but there was no sign of anyone around.
Gesturing for Rai to follow him, Bardo slipped past the bushes, making his way to the abandoned campsite in order to look for tracks. Perhaps they would be able to discern where their targets had disappeared to.
Up close, he could see that the campfire had not been properly extinguished-although it had been covered with ashes, a small flame was still burning. Rai, who had parted the folds of cloth to survey the empty tent, motioned to a pile of items, most likely stolen goods. Wherever the occupants had gone, they could not be very far.
Bardo crouched down, trying to make sense of the chaos of tracks. They were going off in all directions, making it difficult to tell which ones were old and which ones were new. He squinted, finally following one set for a few yards. The farther away from the site he got, the easier it was to tell that those tracks were very recent. Someone had probably come along here within the last few hours.
He nodded to Rai, and together, they silently followed the trail back into the underbrush.
The tracks almost vanished on the forest floor, riddled with the thick roots of the giant trees, but it was easy to see where the cats had broken through the thicket, carelessly tearing off leaves and branches.
Rai was the one who picked it up first, stopping dead and bristling. Bardo strained his ears, but then, he could hear it, too, the sounds of someone stumbling through the foliage, accompanied by faint laughter.
Gripping his sword tighter, Bardo pulled Rai behind a bush, and waited.
"Hey, Irisu, no fair!"
"Got you now!"
"Aaaah!"
To the loud snapping of twigs, two cats tumbled out of the underbrush, landing in a heap on the forest floor.
The red-haired cat threw a fistful of leaves at the other, scrambling away.
"Cheater!" the spotted cat yelled and lunged after him, slamming them both against the trunk of a giant tree. They wrestled playfully for a minute before the spotted cat managed to pin his taller companion.
"Got you again," he purred, leaning up to rub their noses together.
"Pffft," the redhead said, moving his face out of the way. "I'd feel much more comfortable playing games with you if we finally got a move on, Irisu. We've already been here for too long."
"Oh, you're such a worrywart. We'll be long gone before they even think of sending anyone out here."
"I just-"
"Scaredy cat," the smaller cat sang, leaning closer to nuzzle him again.
"I'm not-"
"Prove it."
"Fine," the redhead growled, yanking the other closer by the belt. "Fine, you pushy little brat, I'll show you…"
Bardo moved.
Two leaps easily closed the distance between himself and the targets. He saw the red-haired cat's eyes widen, saw him push the other aside, reaching for the sword at his hip-but then his blade sliced the air next to their heads, stopping a hair's breadth away from the redhead's neck.
"Sorry to interrupt your playtime," Bardo said. "But I believe there's a bounty on your heads and we're here to collect it."
"You…!" the smaller cat choked, slowly moving his gaze from the gleaming blade to Bardo's face.
"I told you! I fucking told you, Irisu!" the redhead growled, glaring at his companion. "I told you but you're always smarter, you always have to push it till-"
"But Sena-!"
Bardo sighed. "If you could save the lover's spat for the authorities…"
He glanced at Rai, who had followed at his heels and was now standing slightly to his right. Rai nodded curtly and stepped forward to disarm the bandits.
All of a sudden, a smirk lit up on the spotted cat's face. "If you think we're that easy… you've got another thing coming!"
Brilliant blue light erupted around the pair, blinding in its intensity. Bardo realized his mistake even as he brought down his sword in the vain hope of striking-
Sanga! The boy's a sanga!
-the blade cutting through nothing but empty air.
He whirled around as the glare subsided, finding the pair standing a small ways away, weapons at the ready. A heady melody was rising to fill the air. The blue light-though much less blinding to look at-was still swirling around the sanga, slowly beginning to flow to the red-haired man.
"How do you like that?" the spotted cat taunted. "You'll regret messing with us!"
Shit.
Bardo would have liked nothing better than to take Rai and run, but he knew that their opponents would not let them get away. He had to fight; if he could try and take out the sanga…
"Be careful, Rai," he warned. "That guy is a sanga. He'll strengthen the other until he becomes undefeatable."
Rai tensed, gripping his sword with both hands.
"Worried now?" the redhead called, the blue light twining around his body.
Bardo charged.
He knew, even as he ran, that the touga would move to intercept him, knew that his only chance would be to knock him off balance. They collided, swords clashing together mercilessly, and Bardo could easily feel the sanga-enforced strength-he would not be able to hold up for long. He jumped back, but the redhead followed with barely any delay, forcing him to fall back even further under a flurry of blows. There was barely any time for counters, no chance to pull any fancy tricks-Bardo was busy just blocking, trying to stay his ground under the onslaught.
Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a white flash as Rai darted past them. A split second later, the melody faltered, the sanga's concentration broken as he had to dodge a series of lightning-quick jabs.
"Damn it, you little-Sena!"
The redhead pushed away from Bardo, running to defend his sanga. But Bardo was faster, blocking his path and forcing him to parry. He could feel the unearthly strength waning the longer the sanga was kept from singing.
If he managed to prevent the touga from reaching Rai, they had a chance.
"Sena!" the spotted cat yelled again, very nearly losing his footing under Rai's continuous attacks.
Bardo tried to keep attacking, as well, driving the touga back step by step. The red-haired cat growled in frustration and suddenly leapt-not forward but back, bringing even more distance between them. Confused, Bardo scrambled to keep up with him-the touga lifted his sword, the remaining white-blue light collecting at the tip like a whorl.
Bardo lifted his sword instinctively to shield himself. The touga smirked, and pivoted on one foot, releasing the energy-not at him, but at the other pair fighting a few yards away.
"Rai!" Bardo shouted, but it was too late.
Rai did not even have time to defend himself-the white-sharp flare caught him full blast, slamming him back against a tree to the sickening crunch of bones. He hit the ground with a dull thud, the sword sliding from his lifeless grasp.
Gritting his teeth against calling out to him-blood, there was blood, it was useless-Bardo tightened his hold on his own sword, groping for a calm focus amidst the rage rising within him.
You'll be of no help to Rai if you let your feelings rule you, so get a grip and do something about this mess.
The spotted cat returned to his touga's side, cocky smirk firmly in place as he called forth the song once more. The redhead adjusted his grip on his weapon, his lackadaisical stance practically oozing confidence.
"Now it's just you," he said, before throwing a sideways glance at his partner. "How long do you think he'll hold up?"
His sanga chuckled. "What, wanna make it a bet? I give him five minutes, tops."
"Heh, you're on."
With those words, the redhead charged. The melody had changed, becoming faster and more intense, and with it, his attacks changed, too-quick, hard blows Bardo found himself hard-pressed to parry.
Countering was out of the question, all he could do was defend himself as the guy began chipping away at his reserves, each strike sending shocks of pain coursing through his arms.
They clashed again, the touga smirking over the gleam of the blades as he pressed closer. When he pushed back, the force of the shove sent Bardo staggering, and the redhead immediately darted forward again to deliver a solid kick to his legs.
Bardo went tumbling to the ground and rolled hard, roots digging painfully into his body, desperately hoping to get back on his feet before the other could land a blow.
He rolled into a crouch and knew the touga was upon him, brought up his sword with one arm to block-
The force of the impact wrenched the sword from his hand, he saw the other's triumphant grin, saw the blade flash-
Is this… how it ends?
The song abruptly terminated, the last note like a shrill scream.
"Irisu?!" The red-haired cat whirled around to look at his partner.
Past the line of his body, Bardo could see the sanga, standing in an oddly frozen position. For a moment, he could not comprehend why, until the sharp gleam coming from his midsection abruptly disappeared, vanishing as a sword was retracted.
What…?
The sanga crumpled to the ground.
Rai, covered in blood and panting heavily, stared down at his kill, licking his wounded arm.
"Irisu!"
With a hoarse cry, the red-haired man lunged for Rai.
"Rai!" Bardo shouted at the same time, unsheathing his dagger and stumbling after the infuriated touga in the vain hope of deterring him from his target. "Rai!"
The boy looked up, letting his arm fall to his side as his eyes narrowed, a horrible glee twisting his expression as he caught sight of the men running towards him.
"Rai!"
Rai moved at the very last second, twisting out of the way with a speed and sureness the other man had not anticipated. He brought his blade around, but Rai was already behind him, and drove his sword into his back with the strength of a mad thing.
The red-haired man choked and lurched forward, collapsing on the ground next to his fallen sanga.
Rai stared at him for a moment, before kneeling down and dipping his hand into the slowly spreading blood.
Staggering from exhaustion, Bardo dropped to his knees when he finally reached Rai and pulled him tightly against his chest. Rai squirmed and struggled, trying to get back to the corpse to sate his craving for blood, the unholy light still burning strong in his eyes.
Bardo merely held him until Rai went still against him, his good hand fisting in Bardo's shirt. He heard Rai's breath hitch, could feel the hard fast thumps of Rai's heart nearly pounding out of his chest as his awareness began to return and the shock set in.
Too shaken for even the simplest of words, Bardo simply tightened his hold, for the moment uncaring of any injuries he was irritating, one hand unsteadily stroking Rai's hair, knowing full well that his madness was the only thing that had saved both their lives.
----
A broken arm.
You failed.
A bruised spine.
You failed him.
A concussion.
You almost got him killed.
Cuts, too many to count, all over.
He almost died because you were too weak to protect him.
A shaken kitten, and screaming nightmares all over again.
It had been three weeks since their return to Setsura. Three weeks of guilt and self-punishment. Three weeks of staring at Rai's injuries whenever he changed the dressings, and pausing to dig his nails into his own palms to suppress the searing rage that bubbled up within him. During those moments, he dimly sensed Rai's confusion, and knew that the boy was most likely coming to the wrong conclusions, but he had no idea what to say to explain.
It's my fault.
I'm sorry.
I wish you hadn't gotten hurt because of me.
If only I had the strength…
The thought haunted him in nearly every waking moment, and sometimes in his dreams, as well. He knew very well it was nothing short of a miracle that they had both survived, knew that it was only due to whatever demonic strength that had risen within Rai that he was even alive to regret, and that scared him more than anything.
He had the responsibility. He had led Rai to a life of constant danger, it was his duty to keep the boy from harm. And instead, he had been too weak to even assess the situation correctly, working on assumptions like a greenhorn who could not tell one end of a sword from the other, and too weak to save them both when it had blown up in their faces.
He knew that this had to change.
And so he had spent the past three weeks sneaking into the shrine like a thief, to look for books and scrolls on the secret arts; curse-breaking, spell-casting, invocations.
He had heard about it on his travels, that there supposedly existed subservient spirits which could be called upon to grant the summoner's wish. Although he had written it off as legends and nonsense at the time, he now wished that he had listened more attentively. It would have made his search so much easier, since what he was looking for could not be obtained through diligence and training.
If only I had the strength…
I could have defeated them.
I could have kept you safe.
I could have saved your parents.
You would be where you belong, with your family.
You wouldn't have to suffer.
…If only I had the strength.
Bardo let the book sink back onto the table, scrubbing his face with both hands. The pages were starting to blur before his eyes from staring at them for so long. And all in vain.
The sound of footsteps outside, and then the door to his room creaked softly.
"Not now, Rai," he snapped tiredly, digging his knuckles into his eyes.
There was a moment of silence, before Rai let out an angry hiss, dropping something to the floor and running off.
Bardo looked up, blinking at the empty doorway. Then, his gaze strayed to the floor, where two dead partridges were lying, a lovely red trail leading up to them.
He slowly got up and walked over, picking the quarry off the floor and staring at them dumbly.
His first thought, when it finally came, was that this had to be the most morbidly awkward attempt at comfort he had ever seen.
Raking a hand through his hair, he chuckled helplessly.
Add "blind fool" to my list of failings, will you.
Crossing the hallway to Rai's room, he was surprised to find the door open. Rai was sitting on the bed, facing away from him, knees drawn up to his chest and ears flattened to the top of his head.
Knocking on the doorframe once, Bardo hesitantly stepped into the room and cleared his throat.
Rai did not turn around.
"…I see you brought dinner," he tried, the joke coming easier than the apology.
Rai's ears perked, but he still did not move.
"Look… I'm sorry. I didn't mean to yell at you. I'm just… I don't know."
The boy glanced at him over his shoulder, slowly unfurling his legs.
Bardo smiled. "Will you forgive me if I make these now? I think I've been neglecting to feed us today."
Rai bit his lip, considering. "…Can I eat the liver?"
Bardo could not hold back a laugh. "Sure, it's all yours."
----
The pages were old and yellowed, so worn with age that they were almost crumbling under his fingers, the tome very nearly falling apart in his hands.
After weeks of fruitless searching, Bardo had finally resorted to bribing someone to get into Ransen's extensive library, and there, in the section closed to the public, he had found in one night what he had been unable to find anywhere else.
For the most part, the book contained spells and rituals he could not even begin to understand, but there had been instructions for an invocation that did not seem to require special magical talent and training. In fact, they would have sounded almost suspiciously easy, if not for the page-long list of repercussions that might occur if the ritual failed, ranging from illness due to magical imbalance to having one's soul torn out by the vengeful spirit.
Bardo was not sure if he should believe all that or not, had no idea if the instructions themselves were real or fake, but had decided to try regardless.
He waited until Rai was safely out of the house to begin preparing for the ritual in his own room, the windows closed, the only light coming from an oil lamp on the table.
First, he ground the dried herbs to dust inside a mortar, the crushed leaves and seeds filling the room with a tangy smell. Soon, it was joined by the heady, sweet scent of the incense, its fumes wafting through the air.
Kneeling down on the floor, Bardo began to draw the warding circles as the drawings in the text specified. He had never been a superstitious or easily frightened person, but for some reason, he was sweating as he drew the crest in the approximate shape of a scythe, a strange kind of nervousness rising within him.
Once he was done, he rose to his feet again, assuming his position in the center of the circle. The text had not specified any words he would have to say or chants to perform, though he would have preferred them at this point as he was having trouble concentrating, a sick kind of excitement pooling low in his stomach.
Wiping his damp hands against his thighs, Bardo unsheathed his dagger and drew a long, shallow cut across his open palm. He clenched his fist, sweat stinging in the cut, and allowed the blood to drip to the ground, into the center of the crest.
Taking a few deep breaths to calm himself, he closed his eyes as he tried to meditate on the summoning.
Suddenly, a cool draft wafted past his face.
Bardo opened his eyes to see where it had come from, and was surprised to find himself no longer in his room, but in a place of darkness. Bristling, he slowly turned in a circle, eyes and ears straining to pick up any sight or sound.
Where was he? What had happened?
Faintly, very faintly, he could hear the sound of water lapping against an invisible shore, echoing slightly as if resounding from the walls of a great cave.
A dim yellow light pierced the inky blackness, becoming steadily stronger, seeming at once close and far away. Bardo tried to make out shapes or dimensions with the aid of the light, but soon it was strong enough to be painful, forcing him to shield his eyes from the glare of the raging yellow flame it had become.
Something touched his ankle, curling around it like a snare.
Startled, Bardo tried to jump away, and found that he could not move a step. No matter how much he wanted to, his body seemed frozen to the spot, as if held fast by some unfathomable power.
Fear rose in his heart.
The thing began to climb his leg, winding up and up with steady undulations of its body. He could feel the slide of cool, smooth scales as it curled up his arm, raising goosebumps along the way, eliciting a strange feeling within him.
-A snake.
Panic rising, Bardo struggled harder, trying to at least raise an arm to tear the snake off. But nothing happened beyond the weakest, helpless twitching of his muscles.
/Do you feel me?/
The voice rang clearly inside his mind, even though no one had spoken.
The snake wound once around his neck, loosely as if merely getting comfortable, its tongue flicking lazily against his collarbone. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see its body, the scales gleaming with their own pale fire.
The snake seemed to spare him a glance, before slowly dipping its tail, running it along the rim of his belt.
Bardo choked.
The tail dipped below his belt, rubbing lazily over his skin.
/Do you feel me? My scales, my tongue, my eyes, my pulse. My existence. Do you feel me?/
"What?!"
The sound of his own voice surprised him.
/Yes, yes, my existence/, came the immediate reply. /Answer me. What am I to you? What do you feel?/
The snake's tail trailed teasingly towards the inside of his thighs, its body squirming against his skin almost impatiently. Bardo struggled again, managing to jerk his body, and the snake lifted its head, the forked tongue flicking out, looking as if it would smirk if it could.
/Answer me./
All the places the snake had touched were growing hot, a feeling that was definitely not his own pooling in the pit of his stomach, making him ache.
/Now./
Bardo grit his teeth and closed his eyes against the burning fire trailing along his nerves, hot enough to be painful, trying to concentrate on the feeling. Its otherness was threatening, all-consuming, a sinister intent behind it that had little to do with what he usually associated with this emotion, but…
Pleasure. I feel pleasure.
Abruptly, the power that was holding him captive disappeared.
Bardo fell to his knees, breathing hard, his fingernails digging into the wooden floorboards.
Wait… floorboards?
He opened his eyes, discovering to his surprise that he was back in his room, still in the middle of the circle, the lamplight glowing softly from the table. Taking a moment to regain his breath, he slowly got up, shuddering in remembrance of the scaly body slithering across his skin.
Bardo had no idea what had just happened, but while he was still standing there and mulling it over, something wet grazed the rim of his ear.
"You called?" a deep voice breathed, and Bardo nearly jumped out of his skin as an arm wrapped around him, pulling him against something very tall, very real.
"What a nice smell," the voice purred as whatever was behind him leaned closer, practically nuzzling his hair. "Much nicer than that nasty incense. Let's see, do you sound as nice as you feel?"
Without warning, the tongue was back in his ear and the arm that had wrapped itself around his torso drifted lower, a large hand unambiguously grazing the front of his pants. Snapping out of his frozen state, Bardo tore himself away from the figure, whirling around to face… something he had never even thought to exist.
A myth, a tale to scare children into bed before nightfall.
He was looking at a devil.
The white-haired man was watching him, an amused smirk curling his lips as he saw the awareness registering on Bardo's face.
"Silly kitten. Had no idea what magic you were fooling around with?"
When Bardo failed to answer, he shook his head, snorting to himself.
"No matter. You called, and I answered… The Devil of Pleasure, at your service," he said, performing a mocking bow.
In spite of himself, Bardo blinked at the moniker, trying to connect it with the appearance of the great, hulking man, the aura of latent violence that was palpable even to a fool, like he would sooner be inclined to rend someone limb from limb than exhibit any of the mannerisms Bardo usually associated with "pleasure".
The devil raised an eyebrow. "What, surprised? Were you expecting something else, perhaps?"
Squaring his shoulders, Bardo managed to formulate an actual answer. "Well… I… you look more like the devil of war than anything else."
The devil's expression twisted into a truly demonic grin. "War… pleasure… does it really matter? Isn't slaughter the most exquisite pleasure of all?"
Bristling, Bardo involuntarily took a step back.
"Haha, what's with the horrified face, kitten? Are you telling me that you never felt pleasure in killing another?"
"Of course not!"
"Really now?" The devil's eyebrows rose to his hairline in fake astonishment. "Really now…" he purred, fixating Bardo with his confusing gaze.
It took Bardo a moment to comprehend why this was so, but then he realized that the devil had two different-colored eyes-one gray and one green. It made him feel strange beyond what the predatory nature of the horned man elicited, almost lightheaded, yet he found that he could not look away.
Finally, the devil broke their staring match, laughing loudly. "What a poor liar you are, kitten. Is not bloodshed the very reason you have called on me?"
"I-"
"Lying is useless. I can see right through you, to that terrified little part of you… there was an incident, yes? Not long ago? That-"
"Stop it!" Bardo hissed, recoiling from the memories at the same time as he withdrew to the far side of the summoning circle, as far as he could go.
The devil seemed amused by his indignation, the way one was usually amused by the antics of a small, pitiful animal, like a mouse or an ant.
"Stop it?" he asked, as if a new toy had just protested being played with. "…Very well, then. I'll let you tell me what you want."
"I…" Swallowing, Bardo steeled himself. "I want-need strength. "
"Strength?" His eyes narrowed again, scrutinizing Bardo once more. "The strength to kill? Killing is important enough for you to call on a devil?"
"No," Bardo said sharply, shaking his head. "I need strength to protect."
"Protect… kill… Isn't that all the same, too? Why do you so desperately try to justify this to yourself? What you really desire is the strength to kill, above all else. …Really, as if a mincing of words will make the truth any different. You amuse me, kitten."
"It's not-"
"Deceive yourself all you want," the devil said, waving his hand in a dismissive gesture. "I know what is really on your mind. You want strength like the little kitten so close in your thoughts. Fight with the same fervor, the same ruthlessness, to be victorious against the odds and see your enemies fall in a rain of blood."
"I…" Bardo hesitated, before deciding that whichever way he chose to phrase it, the devil would twist his words to amuse himself, anyway. "…Yes. Yes, I do."
Something changed in the devil's expression, a gleam stealing into his eyes that had not been there before. "Very well. Your wish… is my command."
He raised his hand, and in the next instant, a searing pain shot through Bardo's right shoulder.
He clutched his arm, staring at the devil in shock. The other merely looked on impassively, his hand still outstretched as the pain was growing stronger and stronger, until it felt like his entire arm was on fire. Bardo doubled over with a loud cry.
After what seemed like an eternity, the devil finally stopped, and Bardo's legs simply gave out. He dropped to his knees, shuddering and biting his lip hard enough to draw blood as he fought the urge to scream.
"It is done," the devil announced, looking down at Bardo with a triumphant smile. "I have given you what you desire: the same strength with which he fights. When you battle, insanity shall be your ally, your sword, and your solace."
Panting harshly, Bardo tried to speak past the overwhelming pain. "Wh-what-why did you-"
"Why so surprised, kitten?" the devil taunted. "I have merely fulfilled your wish. The most important desire in your heart."
Something caught his attention, and he turned towards the door. "Oho, it seems we have a witness. My, my, that is certainly a problem. I'll leave it to you to deal with that."
With a last derisive laugh, he melted back into the shadows from whence he had come.
Still panting and retching dryly, Bardo tried to turn his face, dreading what he would see.
The door, cracked open enough to reveal the sight of frightened blue eyes, staring back at him in disbelief as their owner slowly backed away. Bardo tried to move, to get up, to do anything that would help him calm the boy who was edging away from him in abject horror, but he could not seem to even speak through the haze of pain.
"W-wai… wait…!"
The boy ran.
Bardo collapsed on the ground, his cheek pressed against the cool wooden floor, the world swimming in and out of focus before his eyes as the sound of running feet faded out of hearing range.
…Rai…
Then darkness overwhelmed him, and he knew no more.
- TBC -
----
A/N:
- Unfortunately, I did not have as much time to show it as I would have liked, but Rai has been coming out of his shell a bit. It's too bad they didn't work out... he and Bardo would've been so wonderful as partners, snarking at each other like that.
- This yearning for a mother figure follows Rai all the way into adulthood - even years later, in the game, he becomes confused and vulnerable at the sight of a family in the streets.
- Several OCs appearing in this chapter, and again, naming them only makes sense. I was trying to go for sound combinations that are acceptable in the Japanese system as presented in the game. Since the romanized versions of Karutsu, Rikusu and Sheriru are "Kaltz", "Leaks" and "Cheryl", however, there is no reason not to give Arumira her "l" and make her "Almira". XD
- Lots of fighting again, and once more, I found myself dearly wishing for a camera.
- And we finally have Verg in all his perverted bastardly glory (or so I hope). The lines the snake speaks are paraphrased from the game, but the rest is my fault. I am having way too much fun with the concept of the devils behaving a bit like genies, tricking the summoner and making them wish for something completely different.
C&C is very much appreciated.
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