Braeden narrowed his eyes at Saiyame.
Are you telling me what I can or cannot do? The words carried a small bite as they echoed around him. But then he paused, his expression returning to its tired state. No, perhaps not, he thought loudly enough to be heard. Cool logic attempted to work its way back into him. I saved her from Abyss...and she is grateful...
At the thought of Abyss, the dragon in the distance took a wide, challenging stance and roared. Such a span separated the angry creature from the garden that the cry took a moment to reach them. It struck Braeden like a physical blow and exploded, a multitude of thoughts tearing outward from him. Most were so jumbled with rage that all coherence was lost, but some were repeated so often and so loudly that they prevailed.
Abyss!
I'll kill that bastard for daring to call me pathetic!
"You'll what now, worm?"
I'll tear him to pieces!!
He will pay!
Abyss must die.
I'LL KILL YOU, YOU ARROGANT, INSOLENT WASTE OF FLESH!
Braeden closed his eyes, winced, and slumped over towards Saiyame as his thoughts continued to rage. The ribbon at his neck drew tighter, but he still managed to gasp and seethe, just as he was in his physical body. His hands gripped the wall with impossible strength, the ice at his fingertips cracking. His body shook and he pulled his wings in tightly. From his hands outward, hairline cracks in the ice began to creep outward: down the wall, to the frosted ground, towards the fountain...
But what would happen if this continued until every inch of Braeden's frozen garden cracked? The snow continued to fall at its dreamy pace. Braeden flinched as another roar, another wave of anger, rushed into him. It did not seem that the dragon's cries were going to stop any time soon. Braeden shivered. He was unable to speak and his other thoughts drowned out everything, but he mouthed something, pain etched across his features.
"...cold..."
I <3 Braeden.
Saiyame flinched and placed one hand over her heart, her eyes becoming hazy as she listened to Braeden's thoughts rage out of control. On reflex, her free hand rushed forward to meet Braeden's when he fell. She clasped it with all of her strength, and shakily removed her other hand from its place on her chest so that it, too, could cover his frozen skin. Tears formed in Saiyame's eyes but she did not lower them or try to fake a smile.
"Braeden-san," Saiyame said, her heart beating faster than she could think, "I cannot help you by myself. Please, try your best to calm down. I can think of no man nor beast more noble than you."
With a shuddering breath Saiyame brought herself closer to Braeden, hissing at the general disorder surrounding her body and assaulting her mind. She allowed more of her aura to seep into his physical body, directing all of it towards his core. Her golden aura was warm, and as it entered his body she watched it turn to mist and hoped that it, like everything surrounding her, would not become ice before it reached the Braeden next to her. Saiyame closed her eyes and leaned forward, drawing all of her power forward and struggling to keep herself focused only on the task at hand. A thin trail of blood trickled from her nose, and she winced once as she felt herself being drained of her energy, but not even Saiyame's thoughts complained of the pain.
The more energy she poured into Braeden, the duller Saiyame's glow became, and at the rate she was going it would only be a matter of minutes before the golden glow completely left her body. However, if that happened...
Saiyame's heart skipped a beat as if it knew what she was thinking. If that happened, she always had a back up plan.
"Please," Saiyame whispered again, "try your best to calm down." Her mind raced with words that might be more comforting, but Saiyame could think of nothing more to say to Braeden. After all, their friendship was mostly one-sided, right?
It is currently 1:17 AM. I wonder if anyone will read this story -.-'
This pain... His thought was lost beneath the fury roaring all around him.
I must make Abyss pay...
Braeden opened his eyes, white hot determination carved into his face as every inch of him began to give in to his desire to slaughter the source of his anger. Black scales crawled up his neck and down his arms, his humanity slowly being devoured. The dragon in the distance grew less distinct, the anarchy and emotion it embodied becoming a part of the self Braeden usually thought separate.
...even if it kills me.
With his wings spread wide now, the scales began to blossom on Braeden's pale chest. Pain lanced into him as they covered his heart, which was becoming more frostbitten with each passing second. For a moment, he was paralyzed, excruciating agony tearing through him with each slowing heartbeat. Fog escaped his lips as he panted, his hand trembling with the desire to clutch his chest and keep his heart in one piece. Yet, as his fingers trembled, he noticed that they were being clasped tightly, a very unfamiliar sensation. He forced his eyes to see Saiyame.
That's... right, he thought slowly, with difficulty. She's... here...
Abyss must...
Be...
Punished...
Braeden groaned, slumping forward again, his wings falling limp. Fortunate in its own way, the pain had so completely overtaken Braeden's flesh by then that even his thoughts of rage were becoming dull and dizzy, taking several seconds to form completely. In the physical world, his body was becoming completely encased in ice, even as Saiyame's power slipped into his veins and tried to warm the frigid, killing energy within him. The dragon was stumbling, falling into the snow as its mighty breaths became choked. Massive rifts opened in the icy ground, splitting Braeden's mind in two.
Braeden was, he suddenly realized, dying. He came to understand this as he felt Saiyame's golden, calming aura caressing his skin. Brief seconds of warmth met his cheek, his chest where his heart ached desperately, and touched his hair. He saw the blood on her face and forced himself to once again remember the night in front of the Castle where he had almost lost control.
Calling me again?
In Braeden's mind, where pain was slowly drowning out all other thoughts, he could not hide the ideas that tried to escape him. His logical side fought desperately, stopping the spreading of his draconic scales just as they reached his wrists.
This pain... All of his thoughts were feeble now as he struggled to keep his eyes open and shivered with cold, but he managed to make himself heard.
This pain... I cannot... let go...
I know there is a reason that I must stop... but I can't... see it...
I must defeat Abyss. I know... that I must... defeat... now... I will not stop...
Braeden trembled as his logic and pained body warred with every inch of his being, his true nature. Tired...
*Blink* Man, too bad I don't drink coffee, I need it.
Saiyame whined and bit her lip, sending a few more droplets of blood tumbling down her face. Her skin, already pale, was taking on a sickly hue, and her hands shook but did not release Braeden. Despite the unbearable cold, Saiyame was sweating. A thin sheet of ice covered every bit of exposed skin, and fog poured from her mouth in time with Braeden's.
Saiyame gasped as Braeden's coherent thoughts reached her. She shivered uncontrollably for a moment and then bowed her head so that it was almost touching Braeden's.
"Braeden-san," Saiyame whispered, making the thought itself echo around the chamber of his mind. "Even if our friendship is one-sided, don't think that I will let you die so easily."
With another shudder Saiyame removed one hand from Braeden and placed it instead around his back. She pulled herself closer to him so what little warmth she had left could reach him, and hugged herself to him tightly. Saiyame was growing dangerously weak, and she knew that if she did not completely calm Braeden soon then it might be the end for both of them. For a minute she just sat there, hugging him to keep him warm, and then she was in her fox form.
Saiyame's thick fur rustled softly in response to the chaotic atmosphere, and she wrapped all nine tails around Braeden securely while also entwining her neck with his. The golden fox cradled him gently and hummed a soothing requiem to the black dragon's mind, all the while allowing her life to seep into him. She closed her eyes so she would not have to see the agony tearing across her friend's face and let her thoughts become darker.
If this is the only way to save you, then so be it.
< .< Too bad Braeden is so stubborn. Damn narcissistic dragon-boy.
Braeden gave a slight cough, blood trickling down his lips to stain the golden fur that surrounded him so completely. In the physical world, his entire body, down to the tips of his wings and the end of his tail, was completely covered in ice. He was perfectly still. Sereph, cradling Saiyame's body in his arms, was forced to look away. Concern marred his gentle face and his scythe was held loosely in his fingers. He drew his feathered wings in, letting the warmth of the souls around him caress his fragile frame.
Braeden... I'm not sure what I will do if you die. I promised that you would be safe...
That calm, golden aura filled Braeden's body. He listened to the fox's song and buried his arms in its warm fur, violent shudders moving through him as he began to warm and his body managed to reel with shock at the damage done to it. Before, he had been too cold, but now...
For a moment, Braeden's thoughts quieted completely, leaving the sound of falling snow and the dancing movements of the fountain as the only accompaniment to Saiyame's thoughts. The dragon was lying in the snow, as still as Braeden's actual body. Without thought, he wrapped his wings around what was warming him, what was easing the pain in his heart and limbs, and gripped it tightly, not really aware that it was Saiyame. He listened to the sound of ice cracking all around him.
If I die now, he thought at last, I will not be able to make Abyss pay for what he said to me. He nodded to himself at this, then paused. The power that was tearing through him and destroying his glacial garden was too great. He realized that his aura was still in his body. Saiyame's words echoed around him as he repeated them in his thoughts,
"Please, try your best to calm down."
Yes. This power must be saved for when I next encounter Abyss.
In the real world, the ice encasing Braeden shattered in all directions as his aura broke out of his flesh. It took the shape of an ice-colored dragon and roared silently, its power raging chaotically before it broke apart and faded out of sight. Braeden's body fell slack.
In his mind, Braeden's eyes fluttered open as his garden began to repair itself, balance returning to his thoughts. He breathed quietly, trying to recover from what had happened to him. His thoughts were quiet and focused on his healing, which he knew would take some time. Braeden's body warmed as he looked down at the golden creature that seemed to be all around him. Though weakened, his aura naturally tried to push her own power back towards her, moving slowly because he was still cold and was still being soothed. He slid the fingers of one hand beneath the red ribbon tight at his neck, pulling it away from his throat enough that he could speak, the first time he had ever done so.
"Saiyame." He swallowed, feeling the blood that had poured over his lips slipping down his neck. It was obvious that it took some effort for him to speak this way, his throat bruised from the ribbon's touch. After a moment's struggle, he added,
"Why?"
And then we have Saiyame. Centuries away from civilization does things to people.
As the ice encasing Braeden's physical body shattered, Saiyame lifted her head to peer into the man's eyes. She was completely exhausted from pushing all of her energy into Braeden, but she still managed her head just enough to give a relieved bark.
Does one need a reason to save another's life, Braeden-san? Saiyame asked, too tired now to speak to him directly. I helped you because I wanted to help you.
Saiyame unwrapped herself from Braeden to give him more room to move about and drew what was left of her aura back into her own body. She looked down at her paws and scrunched up her face as she attempted to stand, but Saiyame's trembling body would not allow her to move. She sighed and pressed her ears against her head, growling in frustration at her own weakness. After a few more tries Saiyame gave up and instead slid back into her human form so she could conserve what little energy she had left.
It seems I have outdone myself a little bit, Braeden-san, said Saiyame, rolling over with difficulty so she was laying on her back and staring more at her surroundings than at him. But I am happy to see you safe. Saiyame turned her head to study the fountain and sighed. My time here is almost up.
A thin stream of blood continued to trickle steadily down Saiyame's face, but she paid it no mind. "I think," Saiyame whispered, her voice soft but not nearly as strained as Braeden's, "you must have a lovely smile." Her vision began to fade and she knew it would only be a matter of moments before she was back in the physical world and her blindness would overtake her again.
A light breeze cloaked Saiyame's body and lifted it a few inches above the wall where she was laying. She had time to smile at Braeden before she was thrown out of his mind and back into her own, where Ankoku greeted her warmly.
You were magnificent, Lady Saiyame, he crooned, letting his aura seep into her so she could regain enough energy to get back to Jinsei. He would be considerably weakened, but at least Saiyame could travel somewhat safely. Go to sleep, you will need to be well-rested for the return trip, for I will not be able to fly you.
Saiyame nodded and obliged, drifting into blissful unconsciousness almost immediately. Her physical body dissolved into its human form as well, and then the only thing that Saiyame saw was darkness.
This story seems three times as long when you're dead tired.
Braeden winced as he let his hand fall and the ribbon snapped harshly back into place over his neck. He sat quietly, exhausted and sore, and felt the falling snow as it caressed his skin. His body was slowly returning to a comfortable level of chill. His eyes drifted over his shoulder towards the cathedral in the distance, a rare expression of puzzlement on his face. Slowly, he managed to pull his gaze from the dark structure behind him and instead looked out over his garden and the white and blue roses frozen there.
Saiyame's words echoed around him as he recalled them.
I helped you because I wanted to help you.
Even if our friendship is one-sided, dont think that I will let you die so easily.
I think... you must have a lovely smile.
To Braeden, these were very strange things for someone to say to him. The fact that Saiyame considered him a friend was far too foreign a concept for The Dragon of God to understand.
"I... don't... know," he choked, straining against the thing wrapped around him so tightly. He tilted his head back and gazed at the moon overhead, wondering what it would feel like to pull his muscles into a smile.
"I've... never tried."
Around him, the falling snow turned into rain. It fell heavily and stroked his frigid face.
---
In the physical world, Braeden coughed and pushed himself up on his hands for an instant. Even as Braeden's eyes rolled back and his damaged body collapsed to the earth, Sereph breathed a long sigh of relief. Unconscious was still alive. The Angel of Death pushed back tears as he knew that Braeden would recover.
Gathering the souls that wandered around him, he left Saiyame's body in the care of Ankoku and the others. "It would probably be best if Braeden did not know I was here," he said softly. "I... I'm very grateful to you, Saiyame," he said as he bowed, unable to keep a few tears from slipping forth. "I hope to see you again soon."
He lingered a few moments more, then had to return to his duties as a reaper.
Almost over! Last run of the story.
Ankoku's lips curled over his teeth into what could be interpreted as a smile. He burrowed his massive claws into the earth just beneath Saiyame and scooped her up, bringing her unmoving body close to his chest to make sure she was secure.
"You've become much stronger, Lady Saiyame," Ankoku muttered, spreading his wings and lifting himself into the air. It would be troublesome to carry Saiyame all the way back to Jinsei like this, so the black dragon searched the Castle of Mirrors for a moment before he found an open window.
Ankoku grunted as he latched on to the side of the castle, positioning himself against its wall as steadily as he could with only one free paw. He grumbled moodily at the coldness seeping from his thick armor into the soft flesh beneath, and quickly shoved the paw holding Saiyame through the window. Inside the room was a large bed with light blue sheets and a plain black couch. The room itself was almost entirely covered in ice, and Ankoku rolled his eyes as he realized who it must belong to.
"Damn kid," he said, placing Saiyame on the bed as gently as he could from that angle, and then kicking off from the wall of the castle so he could take flight.
Ankoku flew from the impressive building to the edge of the forest and used a few treetops as a nest to wait until his master awoke. He wrapped around himself and settled his head into his arms, keeping his eyes trained on Saiyame's window, unblinking.
---
It didn't take long for Saiyame to wake up, and when she did she noticed two things almost immediately. First, she was laying in an exceptionally comfortable bed that she did not feel like getting out of, and second, the whole room smelled like cookies.
"I am in...Braeden-san's room," she muttered, remembering its distinct smell from the first time she had been kept here.
She reluctantly lifted her head from the pillow and looked around for any familiar auras. Ankoku was perched nearby atop a few trees, and Braeden appeared to be sleeping on the lawn in the same place he had been when the whole ordeal began, and Sereph had disappeared. Next, Saiyame stood from the bed and used one of the posts to steady herself for a moment. She walked over to the window and waved Ankoku over, inhaling deeply as the smell of chocolate overwhelmed her.
"Bout time you woke up," Ankoku said, plucking Saiyame from the window and lifting her to his back, where she scrambled on clumsily. "You're still a bit
disoriented, and I'm pretty exhausted myself, so once the sun breaks the horizon I suggest you summon Hikari to fly whatever distance is left to Jinsei."
"What, no 'how are you' or 'did you hurt yourself,' ne, Anko-kun?" Saiyame laughed, clutching her friend tightly.
"Psh, I knew you'd be fine," Ankoku said, flicking his tail and lifting his head arrogantly. "Time to go--"
"Not yet, Anko-kun. Please bring me down to Braeden-san for a moment."
"What? Oh come on, I don't want to be around him anymore. You know, it's his fault you're in this mess in the first place."
"Please, Anko-kun, just for a moment."
Ankoku huffed but relented, knowing that he would never be able to change Saiyame's mind about anything she wanted to do, ever. He landed next to Braeden's unconscious form and lowered his body as close to the ground as possible so Saiyame could climb off with ease. "Hurry up."
Saiyame nodded and stepped forward, bending down before Braeden's swirling blue aura with a look of mild disappointment. "Braeden-san," she whispered, reaching into the right sleeve of her kimono for a small satchel, "I meant to thank you for helping me, but it seems I was unable to do it properly with all of this excitement. Rest well, and may your mind be unclouded by darkness when you awake."
---
Ankoku took off with renewed energy, grumbling quietly to himself about how his master was 'too kind' and 'incredibly dense sometimes' while he set course for Jinsei. Saiyame just smiled and leaned into Ankoku's warm scales, allowing her exhaustion to overtake her once more.
Below, next to Braeden, was a little bag filled to the brim with chocolate cookies and a note that said:
I remembered this smell from last time. I am quite certain that I am a terrible cook, but I finally made a batch of cookies that was edible. Thank you for all of your help,
Saiyame.
She wasn't born blind, so why can't she write? PLEASE RATE! NO ONE EVER RATES MY STUFF T.T Check out the results for a nice picture of Saiyame and a semi-rant. ^^
This is a younger Saiyame, before she went blind. She's OLD. Older than 5,000, anyway. Braeden is roughly 500 years old, but who cares about age when you're both immortal, right?
So I saw Jumper yesterday, and it was pretty good. I loved the concept, but it felt like an introductory movie, and the storyline was pretty shallow. I hope there will be another one soon to follow up, because there are too many loose ends for that to be all >.<
Yeah, that's my semi-rant. I'm too tired to do a real rant. ^.^
